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danistartt · 1 year

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Gentleman- Jamie Tartt

pairings: jamie tartt x reader, richmond team warnings: language. i think i read this one too many times. about: request! secret dating because reader works for Richmond (as like pr or physio or something) but when they win a match one day Jamie is so overcome with joy he just has to kiss her

“Don’t you think someone is bound to get worried you’re coming in here every day?” you wonder, pinching away individual blades of grass stuck among the fuzzy dandelions of Jamie’s socks.

“Nah,” he says, watching your careful attention from his place on the pillow. He’s feeling bad about putting his muddy shoes over your clean lap, but you haven’t complained once, only appreciating the easy access to touch him. “They don’t know I come up here.”

You look perplexed. “Where do they think you go?”

Jamie shrugs. “The loo?”

“The one not in the locker room? Six times a day for ten minutes?”

“I keep myself hydrated,” he tells you, lifting up his water bottle to wag it at you. “Y’know, to keep up appearances.”

You chuckle, pushing the web of your thumb around his ankle and trying to touch your pointer. Your phone blinks up at you, the time precarious. Your hand slackens. “You need to get back soon.”

Jamie gets that sticky feeling he does whenever he has to leave something, gross and pleading at the pit of his stomach, his every cell calling out for him to use his time better. He wants to touch you like you’re touching him. He shifts onto his elbows and stares at you. “I can be a little late.”

You frown at the idea, your hands still and warm on his calves. “No, Jamie.”

“Yes, Jamie,” he murmurs, his arms making quick succession in tugging you to him. He’s strong, he’s always been strong, but you don’t tend to notice until he’s pulling you out from beneath his legs and hugging you in a single movement.

You don’t want to encourage him but you want even less to not make your delight shown at being pressed against his chest.

The minute changes. Your care for it begins to dwindle.

“Jamie!” you squeal, not moving.

He says your name in the same tone, as condescending as he used to be but sweetened by the kiss he presses against your hair. “C’mon, love,” he encourages, a horrid influence working.

“No,” you insist weakly. “Ted’s waiting for you. The team’s waiting for you.”

“But I’ve been waitin’ for this all day,” he complains pointedly. “Maybe I should trip o’er the ball or somethin’. Make a nice excuse to spend hours here with ya.”

“Jamie Tartt? Not believable.”

He makes a pleased noise, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “You’re right.”

Another minute. Ted’s brown eyes bore into your subconscious.

Painfully, you peel yourself off of Jamie, slotting his thighs between your own. You watch his pupils dilate from above him.

“No,” you start, gently holding his face in your hands in a plea and causing the opposite effect you’d meant to. “No time. Later.”

He grasps your coat tightly.

“I promise. Just go to practice.” You spy the time and scramble off of him. “Now.”

He groans, catching your wrist when you hurry to collect the loose strands of his hair. He holds up a hand, pinky finger outstretched, and stares in question.

You roll your eyes but hook your own through his, a grin making its way to his face. “Y’know these’re binding, right?” he asks pragmatically.

You’d taught him that. The prick. “Yes,” you say exasperatedly, trying to pull him off the couch.

“‘M goin’,” he mutters, letting you. “I’ll see you in half an hour.”

“No you will not,” you gasp. “They’re going to think you have a bladder infection.”

“I’ll make somethin’ up,” he shrugs, looking around. He picks up your keys off your desk and wags them. “Maybe you dropped your keys when you were headin’ in.”

“Jamie,” you warn. “You can’t leave the team so much because, beside the fact that they’ll notice something is up, you actually like being with them and—”

“I like you better. A lot prettier.” He closes his fingers around the keys.

You inch closer slowly, but he’s undeterred and blows you a kiss, leaving your office with only muddy tracks left in his place before you can catch up. “Do not come by in half an hour!”

He listens to you. Kind of.

You see him a few hours later, a cocky glaze on his features, keys clicking against one another. “Hey, doc, I think ya dropped somethin’.”

You snatch them from him. “What a gentleman.”

“Right? Had to fight for it, too. Coach must really like returning keys.”

“How’d you get him to give them up?”

“I jus’ left,” he shrugs.

You gape at him. “What?”

“I told ‘im I found your keys, he said he’d give ‘em to you after practice. I said you might need ‘em now and then I just went inside ‘fore he could call Will over. I should actually be gettin’ back now, our screaming break’s probably over.” He slinks over to you and kisses your forehead, smelling like grass and sweat and lavender detergent.

“What?” you echo.

“I’ll see you later. Can you pick up some food before you get home? Kent don’t really like it when I leave the screamin’. Says it’s most effective on me.”

He smiles at you, waves, and leaves you perplexed.

You put down what he stole from you and notice vibrant pink peeking beneath metal, a green stem’s end through the ring. When you pull it out, you recognize it as one of the flowers that keep growing at the far right edge of the field. You melt into your seat, pouting at the crumpled petals.

“So, what’s the verdict, Doc?” Ted asks when you come out of your room, dipping a finger behind your right glove.

“He’ll be okay. He can play this week’s game as long as he doesn’t put too much pressure on his foot. I told him to ice it periodically for two days and then just make sure it isn’t swelling.”

“No permanent damage, then?”

You laugh. “No permanent damage.”

Sam pushes your door open, leaning on a crutch.

“How you feelin’, champ?” Ted asks.

Sam shrugs. “I’ve been better. At least Doctor Y/n gave me the all clear for this week.” He looks pointedly at you, as if Ted might need confirmation from you.

“Under what conditions?” you pry.

“Rest, ice, compress, and elevate,” he lists off his fingers.

“The most important for you, Mr. Obisanya, being…”

“Not being on it for two days,” he answers, ever the great student.

“I wish all my patients listened as well as you do,” you commend, letting him go with a smile.

Ted watches him go, turning back to you with a cheery expression. “Well, thank you, Doc.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” You toy with your gloves, listening to the team erupt in noise once Sam assumedly gets back.

“And also to bring a smile to all our faces. Not to say that’s a purpose. Just a nice bonus.”

You laugh. “Thank you, Ted. Is there anything else you need from me?”

He shakes his head. “Oh, no, no. Just wanted to ask if you were interested in goin’ out with the team and I tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, just the Crown and Anchor. We haven’t officially asked ‘em yet, but one thing that doesn’t change no matter where we are is that athletes always appreciate a good drink with good company.”

“Very true,” you murmur, contemplating. You hadn’t gone out with the boys in a while and you were beginning to miss their antics. You could sit around the house for the evening, or you could spend that same evening a little drunk with your friends. “You know what? Sure. I’d love to.”

“Alrighty then!” Ted cheers, pleasantly genuine in the way no one else is. “I’ll let ‘em know. We’ll see ya later, Doc!”

“You too, Ted!” you call after him, slumping into your chair once you’re alone. Your phone vibrates from the table, lighting up with a picture of Jamie that he’d insisted you set as his profile picture. “Hello?”

“Coach says yer coming with us tonight?”

You stare at your door. “He just left. How could he have possibly already told you that?”

“Team groupchat. He was very insistent about it an' m'honestly not that upset about it anymore.”

You laugh. “I am going. Are you?”

“Course. D’you want me to pick you up?”

“How do we explain that?”

“I’m a gentleman?”

“To this degree? Do you think they’d believe that?”

“I’ll go before. Help ya pick out your clothes, put ‘em on?”

“You’ll see me when I get there.”

“C’mon, love. I want to be the first.”

“You always are!”

“Do you really wanna risk that streak?”

“Yes.” Other voices begin to filter in, still far away but getting closer. “I’ll see you there, Jamie. I love you.”

Jamie pauses, a soft shuffling noise preceding what is clearly Jamie’s palm curving around his phone’s speaker. “I love ya, too,” he whispers. You hang up, leaning into your seat. Your phone zzpts in your hand.

send a picture. Three dots, blinking in and out. please.

Humming, you debate it before: i’ll think about it.

Jamie, of course, is the first to see you.

He looks for you in every creak of the pub door, slyly craning his neck to check for the color of your hair or the burgundy coat you tend to wear on these outings. When he finally catches sight of you, he looks away, satisfied to have been the owner of the first glance.

The others spot you quickly, raising their beers in your direction. Zoereaux puts your drink in your hand, cold bubbles splashing the curve of your thumb.

You thank him, kissing his cheek in greeting as the others crowd you. “Maybe I should be worried you all know my order.”

“Absolutely not,” Ted chimes in from your other side. “Knowledge is love.” He hugs you too. “Glad you could make it, Doc.”

You push yourself onto a seat next to Jan Maas, tipping your glass at him. “You look nice,” he says.

“Thank you,” you respond. “You too.”

“Doc?” Isaac asks.

“You can call me by my name, Isaac.”

He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. “Nah. Feels weird now.”

“Alright. What’s up?”

“My sister says thank you for the advice. Her leg’s all better now and she told me to invite you over for dinner.”

“She doesn’t have to do that.”

“She insists.”

“You should just accept,” Colin says. “She makes a good Shepherd’s pie and won’t give up.”

Isaac nods, jutting a finger in his direction.

“Of course, then. Can’t wait.”

The conversation continues, and you indulge a glance at Jamie to find him looking back at you, an inquisitive pull to his brows. Your eyebrows jump, trying to ask a question with only your features.

You pull your phone from your pocket and begin typing out a message for him when the topic somehow heads back to you.

“Hey, d’you end up going on that date?” Bumberbatch asks suddenly.

You blink. Jamie turns to him curiously. “What?”

“With the prick. You know. Coiffed hair, All puffed up.”

“Um.” You try very hard to not look at Jamie, who’s surely staring at you with wide, amused eyes. “Yes. Yes I did.”

“How’d it go?” Isaac urges. Your mouth is open with no certain words to comfort.

“Yeah. How’d the date with the prick go?” Jamie pipes up, sliced brow up. He’s awful. Truly, truly awful and he knows it.

You force a smile at him. “Not as bad as I thought.” The team mumbles in satisfaction but Jamie doesn’t give.

“Not as bad, huh?” Jamie repeats, lips thinning in thought. “I dunno.” He does a little shake of his head and licks his lips, meeting your eyes again. “Maybe it went a little better than that?”

You clear your throat, heat rising to your face though you try desperately to keep it down.

Colin raises a brow. “Why would you say that?”

Jamie shrugs, unfairly unphased. “Just askin’.”

The attention moves off of you. You glare at him.

He smiles and, in the wake of a controversial argument between cartoons, winks at you. Your legs go weak.

You’re supposed to sit with the coaches during matches. Keeley had been upset at first and Rebecca sorry, offering a replacement medical professional for a game if you were so inclined to observe a game from the box seats, but you’d refused. Your place, although precarious with flying balls and the grandest source of stress, is kind to you.

You sit behind Ted during matches. The back of his head is surprisingly comforting in the tensest points of a match, and you find you can catch the preliminary movements of his fingers when you’re nearby.

There isn’t much contorting you have to do to sprint into the field if you’re needed, and the seat itself isn’t too bad when you’re not. Also, you have a great view.

You’re close enough to feel the strength with which the players kick the ball, you’re part of the very exclusive audience to the coaches’ hope, and when he gets close enough, Jamie can hear your cheers for him very clearly.

You’re completely sure he can hear you now, shouting at the top of your lungs up front with the coaches, fists tight enough to shake. He speeds up with renewed energy, the ball a blur between fast legs and fake passes. You grasp Roy’s arm with everything in you and let your eyes move to the timer. Less than fifteen seconds to go and a tie glares in blocky red numbers.

Your fingers spark with something hot, curling tighter around Roy’s wrist when the ball is passed to Jamie.

The time goes by too slowly and the ball flies too fast, a defender slamming to the ground with his hands up as Jamie’s kick sends the ball into the net. The clock ticks for the last time. The arena erupts in sound and a combination of red and blue.

You scream, finally letting go of Roy to drag your hands to your face. Isaac and Dani embrace on the field, most of the others running toward Jamie but Jamie is sprinting toward you.

You realize too late what’s going on, too proud of Jamie, too dizzy on adrenaline and excitement to realize what’s about to happen and why it shouldn’t.

He comes up to you beaming, picking you up easily and spinning you around. You respond immediately, palms against his warm cheeks, lips pressing repeatedly against his forehead and then finally his lips. “You did so good,” you praise, hoping he can hear you even through the overwhelming noise. “I’m so proud of you.”

He grins, finally catching your lips and lowering you to the floor. It takes only two seconds for what happened to settle in. You can see it on his face, the exhilaration contorting into recognition. He finally looks away from you and gulps.

The stadium is still loud, but most of the team is looking at you, caught in differing positions of celebration. Ted stares at the both of you, jaw dropped.

“What do we do?” he whispers to you. “Do you think they’ll believe it if we say it was an accident?”

“No,” you respond just as quietly. “No, I don’t think so.”

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bitchiswild · 5 months

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No Harm's List

GP Karina × F! Reader

Warnings: Smut, kidnapping, guns, idk🤷‍♀️

Word Count: 7.9k

A/n: It was getting good but then I started spewing out words for the plot sorry if it's bad/ doesn't make sense.😬

〰・♡・〰

The door burst open with a deafening crash, the suddenness of it jolting everyone in the room. "EVERYBODY GET FUCKING DOWN NOW!" A voice boomed, the urgency unmistakable, as four figures rushed in brandishing weapons and firing shots into the ceiling. Panic rippled through the room like wildfire, screams piercing the air as people scrambled in terror, desperate to evade the chaos unfolding around them.

The thunderous sound of gunfire echoed, the rapid shots sending plaster and dust raining down. The room became a whirlwind of confusion and fear, with individuals dropping to the ground, seeking cover and safety, hearts pounding in their chests. The sheer terror of the moment immobilized many, their instincts urging them to shield themselves, hoping to avoid any harm in the frantic turmoil.

The assailants, their faces obscured behind masks, moved with a calculated menace, their commands sharp and threatening. The din of panic intertwined with the harsh orders, creating a disorienting symphony of terror. Every second felt like an eternity, the fear tangible in the air, thick and suffocating.

Amidst the chaos, cries for help and pleas for mercy mixed with the din, a desperate chorus of individuals caught in an unforeseen nightmare. The scene was a frenzy of uncertainty and dread, each person praying for a swift end to the terrifying ordeal that had befallen them.

"Tie them up and knock them out," commanded the leader's voice. The other three members swiftly organized the captives, binding them and using the rifles to render them unconscious. My heart pounded as I cowered in a corner, watching the chaos unfold. As the leader approached with a coil of rope, a glint of recognition flashed in their eyes.

"Y/n?" Their voice held a mix of shock and familiarity.

My breath caught at the sound of my name, and fear clenched my chest. "Still as beautiful as ever, darling," They continued in a softer tone, their eyes reflecting an unexpected tenderness. At that moment, I recognized Jimin, my first love, amidst the turmoil.

"Jimin," I uttered in disbelief, the rush of memories flooding back, colliding with the present chaos. His wink acknowledged the connection that bridged the years between us. Turning to the others securing the captives, Jimin raised his voice, announcing, "This girl's on the NHL!" Recognition flickered in their eyes as they looked upon my face. "Got it, boss!" they responded in unison.

The shock of encountering my first love amidst such a terrifying situation left me reeling. Questions churned in my mind, mingling with the fear and the bittersweet rush of memories long buried. Jimin's unexpected presence had added an unexpected twist to the intense and confusing scenario.

The chaos in the room intensified as I tried to make sense of the unfolding events. "NHL? What could that possibly mean?" I pondered silently, my mind racing as I observed the other members carrying out Jimin's orders, tying people up and rendering them unconscious.

Abruptly, the sound of a walkie-talkie pierced through the chaos. "Boss, you have 10 minutes till the cops and feds get here. Hurry up!" The urgency in the voice snapped me back to the tense reality of the situation. Karina, evidently in charge, sprang into action, urgently summoning one of her associates, Giselle. They swiftly moved towards the manager, coercing him to unlock the safe.

"Please, let me go," the manager pleaded desperately. But Karina's eyes remained void of emotion as she fired a shot, grazing his leg. "HURRY UP, OPEN THE SAFE!" Her demand cut through the air, her voice chillingly cold. The manager whimpered in pain and fear, complying as he opened the safe. As the safe door swung open, Giselle wasted no time, swiftly filling her duffle bag with cash.

Karina's gaze lingered on the injured manager, his eyes pleading for mercy. She looked down at him, before knocking him out with the butt of her gun. With a determined resolve, she joined Giselle in the safe, assisting in collecting the cash.

The scene unfolded with a terrifying efficiency, each action calculated and executed with precision.My mind reeled at the sudden brutality contrasted with the urgency of their actions. It was a stark reminder of the dangerous world I found myself caught up in, leaving me torn between fear and a disconcerting sense of witnessing a reality I never knew existed.

As they swiftly gathered the cash, stuffing it into a bulky duffle bag, the urgency of their actions was palpable. With the loot secured, the three members dashed towards the waiting getaway car, their hurried steps echoing in the tense atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Karina diverged from the hurried pace of her associates, taking a moment to approach me. With a tender touch, she caressed my face, her words carrying a mixture of reassurance and urgency. "I'll see you soon, darling," she murmured before hastening after the others, disappearing into the fray, her figure blending seamlessly into the night's chaos. Overwhelmed, I succumbed to unconsciousness.

As the chaos subsided and the adrenaline wore off, I found myself lying in a hospital bed, disoriented and groggy. The events of the robbery played on a loop in my mind, a surreal and terrifying experience that left me shaken to the core. My body ached from the stress, and as I tried to gather my bearings, the nurses rushed in upon my awakening.

"What happened?" I managed to croak out, my voice strained.

"You were at a bank during a robbery. The ordeal was extremely stressful, and your body reacted by causing you to pass out," explained the nurse, diligently checking my vitals.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Two uniformed officers entered the room. "Good day, Miss Y/Ln. I'm Officer Johnson, and this is my partner, Officer Park. We have some questions to ask you, if that's alright," they introduced themselves, their tone professional yet concerned.

"Um, I suppose so," I replied hesitantly. "But I must warn you, my memory is a bit fuzzy right now. I might have a hard time remembering everything that happened."

The officers nodded understandingly, pulling up chairs to sit nearby. They began asking me about the details of the robbery, trying to piece together the events based on my recollection. Despite my best efforts, the traumatic experience had left my memory fragmented, making it difficult to provide a clear account of the events that had transpired. The frustration of not being able to fully remember only added to the overwhelming sense of confusion and vulnerability.

I intentionally omitted that I knew Karina. Amidst the chaos, I wrestled with the decision to conceal our connection, unsure of the implications it might have. As the officers asked their questions, I struggled to navigate the fine line between protecting myself and revealing the truth.

"I'm sorry, officers," I began hesitantly, "I... I might have forgotten some details. It was all so overwhelming." Despite the inner turmoil, I held back the knowledge of recognizing Karina, uncertain of the consequences of revealing our prior acquaintance.

The officers nodded sympathetically, understanding the distress I was under. They continued to ask probing questions, trying to fill in the gaps in my memory. However, the deliberate omission weighed heavily on me, adding to the complex tangle of emotions swirling within.

With each passing moment, the guilt of withholding crucial information gnawed at me. But the fear of potential repercussions and the uncertainty of Karina's motives kept me silent. It was a conflicted state, grappling with the desire to protect myself while grappling with the moral dilemma of withholding information about someone involved in the crime.

As the interrogation continued, I struggled to balance my own safety with the ethical dilemma of concealing what I knew. The events of that fateful day lingered like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over my thoughts and leaving me torn between fear, guilt, and the moral responsibility to reveal the truth.

The officers concluded their questioning, leaving me alone in the room to grapple with the conflicting thoughts swirling within. Just as I contemplated speaking up about my knowledge of Karina, the door swung open once more.

"I'm sorry, officers, but I'm feeling unwell, and I can't handle any more questions," I started to explain, intending to divert their attention. However, my words trailed off as I caught sight of Karina entering the room, carrying a bouquet of flowers.

A wave of shock and apprehension washed over me at her unexpected appearance. I was torn between relief at seeing a familiar face amidst the chaos and the rising concern about the implications of her presence in this situation. My heart raced as I tried to make sense of the conflicting emotions.

Karina's calm demeanor contradicted the turmoil in my mind. She approached with a warm smile, the flowers held out in a gesture that seemed almost incongruous with the circumstances. My throat tightened, unsure of what to say or how to react to her sudden appearance in the hospital room. Her presence added another layer of complexity to the already perplexing situation, leaving me with more questions than answers.

The room felt charged with tension as Karina placed the bouquet of lilies on the nearby table, her soft voice breaking the silence. "Darling, how are you feeling?" she inquired, her concern genuine as she leaned closer.

My surprise at her presence mingled with a sense of caution. "Jimin, what are you doing here?" I murmured urgently, trying to keep our conversation discreet, aware of the potential consequences.

Karina's laughter held a touch of warmth. "Just checking up on you," she replied softly, her fingers delicately brushing my hair behind my ear, a gesture so familiar it stirred memories from our past.

Anxiety crept in as I spoke, the words tumbling out in a rush, "If you think I told the cops, I promise you, I didn't."

"I know you won't tell anyone, darling," she said, her gaze holding a depth of emotion, her hand gently clasping mine.

"How would you know that?" I raised an eyebrow, searching for answers in her eyes.

"Because of our past, because of the love we had," she said with a wistful smile, a subtle reference to our shared history that flooded my mind with a rush of conflicting emotions. The memories of our connection resurfaced, stirring a mix of longing and uncertainty, leaving me torn between the pull of the past and the weight of the present situation.

The weight of unanswered questions hung heavy in the air as I confronted Karina. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, desperate for an explanation, for any glimpse into the motives behind her involvement in these robberies.

"This isn't the place for me to explain, darling," she replied cryptically, her demeanor guarded yet strangely affectionate. With a swift motion, she handed me a card, a gesture laden with implications. I accepted it, staring at the card in my hand, a tangible link to a world I hadn't anticipated being a part of.

As Karina rose from her seat, a sense of helplessness washed over me. "I'll see you soon," she said, leaving me with a parting wink before vanishing through the door. The quiet room enveloped me once again, my mind swirling with more questions than answers, clutching onto the card as if it held the key to unraveling the mysteries surrounding Karina and her inexplicable actions.

Alone with my thoughts, I grappled with the complexity of emotions stirred by her unexpected visit. The weight of the past intertwined with the uncertainty of the present, leaving me torn between the desire to understand and the fear of delving deeper into a world that seemed both dangerous and familiar.

The anticipation built with each ringing tone, my heart racing as I held the card and dialed the number printed on it. The moment felt surreal, the phone pressed to my ear, amplifying the thrumming of my heartbeat. Finally, a voice on the other end broke the silence.

"Hello?" The familiar husky tone filtered through the line, sending a rush of emotions through me.

"Jimin, it's me, Y/n," I managed, my voice trembling with a mix of nervousness and urgency. "Where can we meet up?"

There was a brief pause, the weight of the situation palpable even through the phone line. Jimin's voice came through again, calm and measured, "I'll text you an address. Meet me there in an hour."

The call ended, leaving me with a whirlwind of emotions and a sense of apprehension. I awaited the text, my hands still shaking slightly from the conversation, bracing myself for what awaited me at the meeting point. The next steps were uncertain, but the need for answers and closure compelled me to follow through, despite the lingering sense of unease.

The grandeur of the mansion took my breath away as I stood before it, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation. With a deep breath, I approached the front door and rang the bell, unsure of what awaited me inside.

The door swung open, revealing a familiar face that filled me with both surprise and nostalgia. "Oh my god! Y/n! How are you doing, girl?" exclaimed the person, moving in for a hug. It was Ningning, an old friend from the past, and the shock of encountering her in this context jolted me.

"Oh my god, Ningning! You work with Karina??" I blurted out, my astonishment evident in my voice as I hugged her back, seeking answers.

"Yeah! You know how it is, BFFL," she laughed, a mix of familiarity and ease in her demeanor that momentarily calmed my nerves. We shared a chuckle, reminiscing about old times.

"Even Winter and Aeri are working with her, let me call them for you!" Ningning announced, her voice carrying through the halls. Within moments, Winter and Aeri appeared, their excitement palpable as they rushed toward me, enveloping me in a group hug.

"Y/n, how are you? You look amazing!" Winter exclaimed with a warm smile.

"Winter's right, you do look fantastic!" chimed in Aeri, her eyes reflecting genuine happiness at our unexpected reunion.

Surrounded by my old friends in this unexpected setting, a mixture of emotions swirled within me. The reunion brought back a flood of memories, yet the circumstances under which we had reunited left me with a tangled web of emotions, torn between the joy of seeing them and the unease of the situation they were involved in.

"She's here for me," a familiar voice boomed from the stairs, interrupting the reunion. The three girls, Winter, Aeri, and Ningning, promptly released me, understanding Karina's authority. My heart raced at her arrival, stirring unresolved feelings I harbored for her after all these years.

As Karina descended the stairs, her confident steps commanded attention and the girls continued to gush over me. "Girls, alright, that's enough," she directed firmly. The girls bid me farewell, respecting Karina's presence, and went back to their duties, leaving Karina and me facing each other in the mansion's opulent foyer.

"Come in, darling, make yourself at home," Karina beckoned, her gesture a blend of tenderness against the backdrop of her commanding presence. Following her inside, I couldn't help but voice my curiosity. "So, what's an NHL?" I inquired, intrigued by her terminology.

"It stands for No Harms List. I've established it to ensure that none of my gang members cause harm in any way, shape, or form," she explained, her tone carrying both authority and a sense of responsibility.

As I explored the interior, I marveled at the décor, a captivating reflection of my own aspirations for a future home. The ambiance exuded a sense of comfort and sophistication, hinting at a life I had long envisioned.

"You like it? I had you in mind while I was decorating," Karina confessed, her gaze holding mine with an intensity that took me by surprise. "What do you mean?" I questioned, a mix of astonishment and curiosity in my voice.

Karina hummed softly, her eyes filled with emotion. "I knew I was going to see you again one day, so I planned for our future. This is your home as much as it is mine," she revealed, her words tinged with a sincerity that stirred something deep within me.

The weight of her admission sank in, and I dared to ask, "You still love me?" My heart raced, the unspoken hope echoing in my mind.

"Oh, darling, I never stopped loving you," Karina confessed, turning to face me with eyes filled with unwavering affection. Her words left me reeling, a flood of emotions overwhelming my senses.

The weight of Karina's confession hung in the air, leaving me momentarily breathless. "Jimin, I don't know what to say," I sighed, the weight of emotions heavy in my chest, wrestling with the complexity of my feelings.

"Just say you still love me too. I can see it in your eyes; you still do. Our love was special, Y/n, and you know that too," Karina urged gently, her voice laced with a poignant mix of longing and hope.

Her words tugged at the strings of our shared history, memories of a love that had once felt unshakable. My mind raced as I grappled with the past, the emotions that her presence evoked, and the uncertainty of the present.

Caught in the whirlwind of conflicting emotions, I stood there, speechless, torn between the familiarity of what was and the uncertainty of what could be. The intensity of our past love lingered in the air, leaving me adrift in a sea of emotions, unable to find the words to articulate the complexity of my feelings.

"Jimin, I mean, I've always loved you, there's no doubt in my mind," I began, my words carrying a weight of uncertainty. "But this is all happening so fast, too soon. I feel like I barely know you anymore. Are you still the Jimin I fell in love with?" The exasperation in my voice echoed my inner turmoil.

"I am. I've always been the Jimin that you know and love," Karina responded earnestly, but her next words struck me with a mix of shock and confusion. "I started this crime ring even before we met. I kept it a secret to protect you, to shield you from this world," she confessed, her admission feeling like both a revelation and a betrayal.

Her words left me reeling. A sense of betrayal seeped in alongside a conflicting feeling of being safeguarded. The revelation that she couldn't trust me enough to share this part of her life stung, yet paradoxically, I felt oddly protected by her secrecy. It was a confusing tangle of emotions that left me grappling with conflicting thoughts.

"Can I have some time to think about this?" I asked, the uncertainty evident in my voice.

"Of course, Darling," Karina chuckled, masking the gravity of the situation with a calm demeanor. "Come, let me give you a tour, and then I'll delve into the details about my crime ring," she offered, guiding me through the opulent halls of the mansion.

As we wandered through the grandeur, the clash of emotions continued to churn within me. The sense of betrayal intertwined with a strange feeling of safety, leaving me torn between love, trust, and the unexpected revelations. The tour was a temporary distraction, but the disconcerting mix of emotions lingered, casting a shadow over the uncertain path ahead.

The tour of Karina's mansion was a mesmerizing journey through exquisite spaces that felt like they were plucked from my dreams. Every corner exuded a touch of familiarity, resonating deeply with my tastes and preferences. It was as though Karina had an intimate understanding of my desires, crafting a home that felt so inherently me.

Eventually, we found ourselves in her office, a space that echoed sophistication and authority. Amongst the opulent decor, my eyes landed on a painting prominently displayed right in front of her desk—it was a portrait of me. A gasp involuntarily escaped my lips as I laid eyes on it, stunned by the unexpected sight.

"You were my light, my motivation, everything that was pushing me forward in life," Karina's voice broke the silence, filled with a depth of emotion that left me speechless. "So, I had someone paint a picture of you for me and hung it in my office, to help me power through all the stress and hardships," she confessed, her gaze fixed on the painting as we both stood there, captivated by the moment.

The revelation took me by surprise, stirring a mixture of emotions within me. The painting stood as a testament to the depth of Karina's feelings, a tangible symbol of her unwavering affection and the significance I held in her life. It was an intimate gesture that both moved and perplexed me, leaving me grappling with the intricate web of emotions that this unexpected revelation had woven.

"Here, come sit. Let me tell you about the Jimin that you've never known, aka Karina," Karina invited, her voice a blend of warmth and vulnerability. She gestured for me to join her on the couch, creating a moment of intimacy amidst the grandeur of her office.

Taking a seat beside her, I felt a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Karina's demeanor hinted at a side of her that remained hidden, a part of her life she was now willing to share. The air brimmed with a sense of revelation, and I waited, curious to uncover the layers of her past that had been veiled from me.

As we sat together, the weight of the moment hung in the air, the space between us charged with the possibility of understanding a different facet of Karina—of Jimin. The vulnerability in her gesture hinted at the depths she was about to reveal, leaving me both intrigued and apprehensive about what was to come.

As I turned to face her, a sense of readiness washed over me, my gaze fixed on Karina, poised to listen and understand the side of her that had been concealed from me. The air between us crackled with anticipation, a silent invitation for her to unravel the layers of her hidden life, to share the untold stories that shaped the enigmatic persona of Karina.

My eyes met hers, filled with a mix of curiosity and eagerness, signaling my willingness to hear her narrative, to comprehend the complexities that defined her existence as Jimin. I sat there with open ears, ready to absorb the revelations she was about to unfold, prepared to delve into the depths of her past and the clandestine world she inhabited, a realm that had remained shrouded in secrecy until now.

"Y/N, I need to share something I've kept hidden," Karina began, her tone tinged with a mixture of vulnerability and determination. "My parents... they didn't die in a car accident as I previously told you. They were murdered."

Her confession startled me, unraveling a truth I never knew existed. "My father was a crime boss," she continued, her voice weighed down by the weight of her revelation. "He taught me the ways of this world, instilling in me the knowledge and skills required to lead a life entrenched in crime. But my mother, she was the nurturing force, ensuring I retained a kinder side—the person you fell in love with."

Karina's words painted a picture of a life far removed from the one I knew, one consumed by the shadows of crime and deceit. "Throughout our time together, I was involved in criminal activities on the side," she confessed, her gaze heavy with remorse. "That's why I'd disappear for stretches when we were together, ensuring your safety by keeping you away from that world."

"The girls, Winter, Aeri, and Ningning, were involved because of our shared past. Their parents worked alongside mine," Karina explained, attempting to shed light on the complexities of her world. "After my father's death, I had to assume his role as the boss. I kept it all hidden from you, shielding you from the dangers that lurked within my life. But now, we're older, and you have the right to make your own choices. To be involved or not, to love me or not. The choice is yours, and I'll respect whatever decision you make," she concluded, her eyes reflecting a genuine plea for understanding and acceptance.

"Karina, this is a lot," I said softly, trying to process the sudden flood of revelations. "I appreciate you being honest now, but why keep so much from me before?"

"I get that you wanted to protect me, but it's hard to understand why you'd keep such a huge part of your life hidden," I admitted, feeling a mix of hurt and confusion.

"I need time to think," I said, feeling the weight of the situation. "To process all of this and figure out where we stand. It's a lot to take in."

Karina nodded understandingly. "Take your time, darling. I'll respect whatever you decide. Just know that I've always cared for you, and I always will."

With a heavy heart, I left her office, needing space to sort through the whirlwind of emotions and make sense of the unexpected turn our relationship had taken.

Two weeks had passed since Karina's revelation, and in that time, a flurry of conflicting emotions had swirled within me. Despite the revelations and the complexity of Karina's hidden life, her constant presence lingered in my thoughts. Amidst the confusion and uncertainty, one truth became glaringly clear—I still harbored deep feelings for her.

Karina's persistence in reaching out to me was evident through the frequent flowers she sent, each bouquet accompanied by heartfelt notes. Her messages were simple yet filled with an undeniable sincerity, asking about my day and expressing her unwavering patience, claiming she'd wait forever. These gestures stirred a cascade of emotions within me, evoking a sense of warmth and longing that I struggled to push aside.

As I reflected on my feelings, I realized that what I felt wasn't just residual affection for Jimin or Karina. It was a genuine and profound love for the person she was, with all her complexities, strengths, and vulnerabilities. It wasn't just a remnant of a past romance; it was an all-encompassing love for Karina—Jimin, embracing her for who she was, regardless of her past or her concealed life.

Despite the uncertainty looming over us, one thing remained steadfast—I loved her for her, for the person she had always been, and for the person she was now revealing herself to be. The conflict within me was reconciling the history we shared with the uncertainties of the future, yet the undeniable truth remained—I loved her, wholly and unequivocally.

As I stood before the door, grappling with my emotions and thoughts about Karina, there came a sudden, unexpected knock. With a racing heart and a sense of anticipation, I opened the door, and there she stood—Karina, a vision that evoked memories and emotions from the past seven years.

"Jimin, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice betraying a mix of surprise and curiosity. Her sudden appearance caught me off guard, leaving me slightly bewildered yet undeniably captivated by her presence.

Karina's unexpected visit was filled with an intensity that seemed to amplify the emotions already swirling within me. As she stood before me, her words carried a weight that reverberated through the room.

"I just needed to see you before you make a decision," Karina revealed, her voice laced with vulnerability. "Just in case this might be the last time I see you." Her admission pierced through my thoughts, stirring a whirlwind of emotions that mirrored her own.

Caught in her gaze, I found myself unable to look away. The depth of her emotions was palpable, and her sincerity resonated with something deep within me. Adoration mingled with uncertainty as I contemplated the impact of my own feelings.

"I have made a decision… I do want to be with you," I finally confessed, my voice steady but filled with affection. "I love you for who you are, Karina, Jimin, just you, I love you."

Karina, visibly taken aback by my words, seemed momentarily surprised before a rush of emotion overtook her. With a tenderness that echoed our shared history, she gently cradled my face in her hands, drawing me closer. The proximity of her breath on my lips sent a shiver down my spine, anticipation coursing through me.

"I love you so much, darling, and I've missed you so, so much," Karina murmured lovingly, her voice carrying the weight of years gone by. Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken longing, before she closed the distance between us in a surge of affection, sealing our reunion with a passionate kiss. In that moment, love surged between us, an undeniable force that had withstood the test of time.

Karina, after the passionate kiss, pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine with a mix of hope and longing. "Does that mean I can call you mine again?" she asked tentatively, a glimmer of hope evident in her voice.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I looked into her eyes, feeling a surge of warmth and affection. "Yes, it does," I affirmed, unable to contain the smile that crept onto my face.

Without hesitation, I closed the gap between us once more, pulling her into another tender kiss. In that embrace, there was a sense of reassurance, a silent promise of rediscovered love and the rekindling of a connection that had weathered the test of time. Their hearts beat as one, enveloped in a moment that held the promise of a new beginning—a shared journey where their love would reignite, stronger and more resilient than ever before.

Months had passed since Karina and I rekindled our relationship, and it was flourishing. While Karina shielded me from her criminal activities, she welcomed my presence within her team. Everyone in the circle embraced me with open arms, offering acceptance and warmth, which made the transition smoother.

Despite Karina's protective stance, I found ways to contribute within our shared space. While I wasn’t directly involved in her dealings, I took charge of maintaining our home. Ensuring everything ran smoothly around the house became my silent contribution to our partnership.

The team's camaraderie and unity were palpable. There was an unspoken understanding between us, a sense of mutual respect that blossomed into a shared bond. Although I didn’t partake in Karina's professional affairs, being part of her life in any capacity brought a sense of fulfillment, a feeling of belonging that I hadn’t experienced before.

Our relationship thrived in this delicate balance, built on trust, understanding, and a shared commitment to support each other. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the comfort in our routine grew, paving the way for a future where love and acceptance flourished in the midst of our distinct worlds. During times when Karina was stressed, I also took care of her, adding an extra layer of support to our bond.

“Fuck,” I let out a strangled moan, your hand grabbed a fistfull of Karina’s hair while she continued her assault on my pussy. She sucked on my clit causing me to buck my hips into her face. “J-Jimin shit yes right there.” I groaned out, legs shaking in pleasure. Karina continued to latch her lips on my folds, her tongue thrusting in and out of me messily, as my arousal continued to drip down my cunt on to her desk.

She pulled her tongue out “So messy darling,” Karina said. Her finger continued rubbing your clit. You stared at Karina’s face wet with your juices dripping down her face. “Shit.” I groaned at the sight, grabbing her face and crashing your lips together, tasting yourself on her lips. She hurriedly unbuttons her pants palming her crotch, a low moan escaped her lips, before she tugged down her underpants, making her cock slap against her lower abdomen. She pumped her shaft, before thrusting her entire length inside. As she entered you, a wave of pleasure washed over you, causing your body to arch in response. The intense sensation made it hard to focus on anything else, as the room filled with the sounds of your combined moans and the rhythmic movement of your bodies.

She slams her hips into you, the slaps of your skins meeting, Karina couldn't stop groaning. She drilled her hips harder, gripping the sheets crumbling them in a death grip as your velvety walls grip her cock. “Fuck!” She cursed and moaned, as I scratched her back. “You feel so fucking good darling” She moaned out, still pounding your wet slik. My eyes rolled back in pleasure. “Jimin- fuck!” I moaned out loud as she rotates her hips fucking me into the table. The intensity of the moment heightened as Karina's movements became more relentless, driving both of you towards the edge of ecstasy. The table beneath me shook with each forceful thrust, both our juices dripping down my sopping wet pussy, falling on the table. I cried out in pleasure, as I felt her dick grinding in spots I never knew existed.

She turns you around so you are bent over her desk and pounds me with vigor, her hips stuttering as she rests her head on your back, her hot breath fanning your back. As she drags her cock against your tight walls.

“F-Fuck! I’m gonna cum!” Karina became more vocal as your pussy clenched around her cock in a vice grip.

Karina's thrust became sloppy “You’re such a good girl darling. Are you going to let me fill you up?” She whispered, her thrust not slowing down.

Your walls clenched around her again, making karina moan as her thrust became sloppy. “Y-Yess! Fuck! cum in me Jimin cum in m-me!” I moaned, eyes rolling back.

Karinas hips pounded into you, invoking tears of pleasure down your face, the veins on her cock pulsing inside of you, barely keeping her pace, she grunted into your ear. “ You want my cum?”

The speed of her thrust made you incoherent. “Say you want my cum darling. Say it” Karina repeated, slowing down her thrust.

“Yes! Give me your cum please!” I cried out. Her hand rubs your clit in vigor as she watches you come undone, Your body shook in pleasure. Karina buries her member deep inside of you before releasing her cum, filling you up. Your cunt convulsed around her member as she painted your walls white until she saw it drip out of your folds.

Both of you panting, Karina pulls out of you and turns you around, guiding you to sit on her lap while she sits on the chair. Smirking as she sees your mixed cum slowly drip out of you. Your body still shaking in pleasure, she caressed your hair, helping you calm down from your high."You did so well, darling," she praised, carrying you to the couch in her office, helping you lie down. "My good girl," she murmured, gently caressing your face before pulling you into a tender kiss."Thank you for the stress relief," she expressed, her eyes filled with affection. You reached out to her. "Of course," you replied, still catching your breath.

The abrupt bang at the door startled both of you. "Karina, we need you!" Aeri's voice, filled with urgency, pierced the room. Karina's gaze sharpened, a mix of concern and duty flashing in her eyes as she swiftly rose from where she was and began to dress.

Sensing the sudden shift, she gathered your clothes and handed them to you with a sense of urgency, yet tenderness in her touch. She leaned in, brushing a quick, affectionate kiss across your lips. "I'll be back, darling," she reassured you, her voice warm and filled with both determination and a hint of playful confidence, before darting off to address the urgent call for her expertise.

After Karina left, you took a moment to collect yourself and dressed before heading out of the office, making your way toward your shared room to take a refreshing shower. The warm water eased the tension of the day, and you emerged feeling rejuvenated, dressing in fresh clothes before heading to the kitchen for a snack.

As you moved toward the kitchen, lost in your thoughts, a sudden hand covered your mouth, yanking you forcefully toward the door. Panic surged through you, and instinctively, you struggled and attempted to scream, but another hand swiftly clamped a cloth soaked in chloroform over your nose and mouth. Desperation flooded in as you thrashed in the grip, but the fumes overwhelmed you, causing your struggles to weaken until consciousness slipped away, plunging you into darkness.

As consciousness returned, a gruff voice pierced the haze. "Wakey wakey," it grumbled. Your head groggily lifted, blinking away the blur of disorientation. Attempting to move, you discovered your arms were firmly bound. Panic surged as you struggled against the restraints, a futile effort met with a calm dismissal.

"That won't work, princess. You're tied up real good," the voice remarked, its tone laced with an unsettling assurance.

"Where am I?" you managed to ask, eyes darting around the dimly lit room in anxious confusion. As fear escalated and you began thrashing in the chair, the individual drew closer, forcefully gripping your chin, coercing you to face him with an intimidating hold.

"You're in my basement. Your girlfriend crossed me, took something valuable. So I took something valuable from her," the voice explained, a sinister smile creeping across their face. Tears welled up involuntarily in your eyes as the weight of the situation dawned upon you.

"We're going to have some fun, princess. Don't worry," the voice continued, its tone growing darker, shrouded in a foreboding threat.

"Please find me, Karina," echoed the silent plea in your mind amidst the unsettling situation, a desperate wish for her presence, safety, and aid.

After Karina left the room

"What's going on, Aeri? What's with the panic?" Karina questioned, concern etched in her expression.

"It's Vito, he's coming for the gem," Aeri replied, her voice quivering with urgency and alarm, a sense of impending danger evident in her tone.

Karina's eyes widened at the mention of Vito's name. She swiftly moved, her expression hardening with determination. "We need to act fast. Is the gem secure?" she asked, her voice steady despite the urgency in the air.

Aeri nodded, her breaths shallow with anxiety. "It's hidden, but he knows. He's been tracking its energy signature," she explained, her voice trembling.

Karina's mind raced. "We have to protect it. Gather everyone and fortify the defenses. I'll buy us time," she declared, her gaze fixed on Aeri.

With a determined nod, Karina dashed out, her thoughts racing as she planned how to stall Vito's approach. Aeri hurried to assemble the team, each member aware of the impending threat.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit room where you were held captive, a muffled groan signaled your return to consciousness. Your mind foggy, you struggled against the restraints, your thoughts consumed with the urgency of Karina's safety and the looming danger of Vito's pursuit.

Unbeknownst to Karina, Vito's pursuit wasn't solely fixated on the gem. Instead, his sinister plan had diverted towards a more personal and vindictive motive. As Karina mobilized the team to safeguard the gem, Vito had orchestrated a calculated abduction, targeting you as a means to exact revenge.

Deep in his basement, Vito oversaw his malevolent scheme unfold, relishing the impending chaos. He had orchestrated the distraction, using the pursuit of the gem as a smokescreen to facilitate your capture, intent on leveraging your connection to Karina for his own malicious intentions.

Meanwhile, Karina strategized fervently, unaware that Vito's true target was not the gem's power but rather a twisted scheme revolving around you. Her focus on fortifying defenses and buying time only added to Vito's advantage, amplifying the looming threat of his vengeful plot.

The disconcerting revelation remained veiled from Karina's grasp as she rallied her allies, unknowingly racing against time not only to protect the gem but also to rescue you from Vito's clutches.

As Karina and her team diligently fortified their defenses, an urgent clamor disrupted the focused atmosphere. One of her trusted men rushed into the room, breathless and visibly distressed.

"Boss! Boss!" he gasped out, trying to catch his breath. "He took her!"

Karina's expression shifted from confusion to sheer alarm. "Took who?" she demanded, her voice edged with concern and rising dread.

"He took Y/n!" the man exclaimed, his words hanging heavy in the tense air.

A chilling silence enveloped the room as the weight of those words settled upon Karina. Her hand trembled with a mix of worry and smoldering anger, her gaze piercing through the space, the raw emotion palpable.

In that moment, the atmosphere transformed; an eerie tension permeated the air. The realization that Vito had not only targeted the gem but also seized the person most precious to her, her beloved Y/n, ignited a fierce fire within Karina.

Her team exchanged nervous glances, understanding the gravity of the situation. Karina's beloved had been snatched away, a move that not only threatened her heart but also stoked the flames of her determination for retribution.

"He took her,—the love of my life," Karina uttered, her voice quivering with a mix of emotions. "He will pay for what he's done."

With determination etched into every line of her face, Karina's resolve solidified. Vito had ignited a wrath that would soon come crashing down upon him, for he had not only targeted a mere possession but the beating heart of Karina's world.

Karina's anticipation of such a situation had prepared her for the worst, yet the immediacy of it caught her off guard. With swift determination, she hurried to her office, her steps purposeful and resolute.

Her fingers traced the spines of the books on the shelf until she found the one housing a discreet tracker, a safeguard you had once provided—a hidden beacon within a familiar object. Retrieving the book, she swiftly located the tracker, a small but invaluable tool that could lead her to you.

Summoning backup, Karina wasted no time. With steely resolve, she orchestrated a rapid mobilization, her team swiftly gathering and organizing themselves. They piled into their waiting vehicles, a convoy of determination set on the path to rescue you from the clutches of Vito's malevolent grasp.

The tension in the air was palpable as engines roared to life, the urgency of the mission propelling them forward. Karina led the charge, her mind focused, her heart fueled by a fierce determination to retrieve you from harm's way.

As the convoy sped towards the destination, Karina's thoughts were consumed by the urgency of the situation and the unyielding vow to bring you back unharmed.

Back to you

I finally pieced together the guy's name: Vito. The name felt bitter on my tongue. He had inflicted pain, leaving me battered and abandoned in an empty basement, surrounded by my own blood and tears. Desperately, I prayed that Karina knew my whereabouts, longing for her swift rescue.

The door creaked open again, and fear clenched my heart as Vito entered. Trembling with terror, I braced myself for what torment he'd inflict next. His chuckle cut through the silence, a cruel sound that echoed in the dim space.

"Look at you, trembling in fear. How pathetic," he jeered, contemptuously spitting at me.

"Please, let me go," I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

"Oh, Princess, that was just a taste. I have more planned," he sneered, his tone laden with sinister intent.

In the stifling silence that followed Vito's ominous words, a glimmer of determination sparked within me. Despite the fear and pain, thoughts of Karina's unwavering strength and the unwavering love between us flooded my mind, fueling a resilience I hadn't realized I possessed.

Gathering every ounce of courage, I met Vito's chilling gaze with a steely resolve. "You won't break me," I whispered, defiance lacing my words.

His smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of surprise at my sudden defiance. The room seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of his next move.

Before he could react, a commotion echoed from above, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. Hope surged within me as the distant voices grew louder.

Karina's voice sliced through the tense air, a beacon of reassurance and determination. "We're here, darling! Hold on!" she called out, her words a lifeline in the darkness.

Vito's expression twisted into a snarl, realizing he was about to lose his leverage. With a final chilling glare in my direction, he bolted from the room, leaving me alone but filled with a newfound hope.

Before Vito could make his escape, he swiftly seized me, pulling me close with a knife pressed against my throat. My breath caught in my throat, a shiver racing down my spine as his cold eyes bore into mine with malicious intent.

The room fell into an eerie silence, the only sound the rapid thumping of my heart. Karina's voice echoed from above, a fervent plea layered with determination, slicing through the tense atmosphere.

"We're here, darling! Hold on!" Karina's words echoed down the hallway, her reassuring tone cutting through the darkness like a lifeline.

Vito's grip tightened, a chilling smirk curling on his lips. "You're not going anywhere," he hissed, his voice laced with menace, a grim determination in his actions.

Despite the fear coursing through me, a glimmer of hope blossomed. I met Karina's words with silent resolve, drawing strength from her unwavering support and the promise of imminent rescue.

"Karina!" I called out to her, my voice pleading. Vito pressed the knife against my neck, his threat evident in the sharp edge grazing my skin. "Shut up!" he growled, his grip tightening as Karina stormed into the room.

Karina's eyes turned cold at the distressing scene before her. "Let her go," she commanded, her voice filled with a chilling intensity.

Vito, reveling in his control, made a small cut on my neck. A cry of shock and pain escaped my lips, his sinister laughter piercing the air. "One step closer, and she pays," he threatened, his voice dripping with malice.

Karina, unwavering, aimed a gun at him. Her reputation was clear—Karina never missed her mark. "I said let. her. go," she declared, her tone final, leaving no room for negotiation.

Before Vito could argue, Karina's swift action spoke louder. A gunshot echoed through the room, Vito’s knife dropped to the ground as did his body. You cried out to Karina, and she hurried towards you, swiftly untying your restraints and enveloping you in her protective embrace as tears streamed down your cheeks. Before you could turn to see the aftermath of the confrontation, Karina gently guided your face to meet hers.

"Don't look, darling. He's gone," she reassured, cradling you close, shielding you from the grim reality. With tender care, she carried you out of the basement, away from the haunting scene.

"Clean up the mess," she instructed her team, her voice firm as she focused on ensuring your safety. Karina settled you into the car, driving you back to the sanctuary of your shared home, a place of refuge and security.

"You're safe now, darling. I won't let anything harm you anymore," she vowed, her voice a soothing balm in the aftermath of the ordeal.

"How did you find me?" I asked, tears still trailing down my face.

"That necklace I gave you—it has a tracker. I knew this might happen one day, so I had to be prepared," Karina explained softly, her gaze filled with unwavering determination and a deep love for you.

Upon arriving home, Karina carried you inside and tended to your needs, starting a comforting bath to wash away the physical and emotional residue of the harrowing experience.

After the soothing bath, Karina gently carried you to bed, cradling you in her arms. Nestled in her embrace, a profound sense of security enveloped you, the assurance that you were sheltered from any future harm after enduring the harrowing ordeal.

"I love you, Y/n. I will protect you forever," Karina declared, her voice a tender vow, her arms a haven of safety.

"I love you too," you whispered, surrendering to a deep and peaceful slumber within the comforting warmth of Karina's embrace, feeling an unwavering sense of security and love surrounding you.

〰・♡・〰

#bitchiswild #BIW.WRITES #aespa x reader #aespa #gp #aespa x fem reader #aespa smut #aespa fluff #aespa imagines #aespa karina #gp karina #karina x reader #karina #yoo jimin x reader #jimin x reader #yoo jimin #yu jimin #karina smut

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dolli-is-me · 6 months

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Chapter II: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Welcome back to my cozy cottage! Relax, and sit back, I'll provide you the best effective routine that I have ever made, by using my whole knowledge of 3+ years in the field of void state and the subconscious and conscious mind, dabbing in subliminals and finally finding the key, this routine is for anyone, I personally used it for a couple of days and I can assure you, it works wonders, it soothes the mind, helps you realize what the void really is, and how it doesn’t matter how much you tried and failed, this routine is something special I'll share ♡

𝑩𝑬𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑬𝑫, 𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑬 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫: please bear in mind, the void DOES NOT need any routine nor it needs any special work, the void is you, you enter it every night, you have the key in your hands. This routine/guide I made is just a simple bearing way to help you let go of the void and let it come to you, a guide i made that has some helpful information to anyone needing it, remember, you control your reality, you decide how to enter the void, and you decide when to, with that being said, lots of love ♡

Chapter one// an introduction to the void, what is it?

“the void, merging nothing and everything at once, sit back and relax, the void has no hurry”

A state of awareness, where an individual is at it's most calmest point, a point where you feel an extreme wave of calmness and peace, with the feeling of reassurance, hope, and positivity, in this state, nothing that you have not intended for it to happen, will simply not happen

Why? Because you, are the void, you, hold the control over the void, you have the key, you turn the way the key should turn.

One might argue, but how can I reach it?

Reach it? You have already reached it, it's within you, it's you, you enter it every night.

The void state is a state of awareness ,it's not something you have to achieve to get the benefits, the void itself is you, your consciousness

The void is recognizable once being aware in it, it's a place where you are detached from being the one you are binded to in this reality, you'll feel weightless, formless, some report they feel like a “slime-like substance”, as to what it looks like, it depends, some say it's a certain color, yet most have an established idea that it's a dark dark place, some could say they are surrounded by stars, it's up to you and your consciousness

So, what makes it so popular and special in this community?

It's the sole fact that the void cannot block the desires you give it, it will manifest instantly the moment you intent to, nothing, I repeat, nothing, is impossible in this state, bending the fabric of reality can happen so easily as a human who had detached it's consciousness from it's being, that what makes the void special

Now I made it sound so special and such, we'll get the catch here, it's completely something easy as special as it sounds, and no, I am not saying this as a way to make you be positive or such ever, it's simply the hardcore truth, that this? Is the easiest thing

The void is within anybody, regardless of anything with them, it doesn't matter, it has no boundaries, no limit, nothing, but you are everything there

Chapter two// The switch

Now that we truly understand what it is, how about we go through methods? Surely you have seen such thousands of methods and tips, sometimes might overwhelm you

This is completely alright, it's nothing bad, take a seat, keep calm, understand you'll eventually enter any time, so why panic?

You can choose whatever you want to your liking, however, many report they feel more motivated when they follow a routine

Let it be, I have come up with a challenge x routine for you, and please please understand, this DOES NOT mean you have to use this to enter the void, no, in fact, you can snap your fingers and enter the void, the void doesn't need concepts or such, but concept had helped those with desperate mindsets, so it can help

In short, go with whatever your guts tell you, because the subconscious mind sends you these subconscious messages through gut feelings, and for sure your subconscious knows your body way more than anyone, trust it and follow it's instinct

Let's start shall we now?

( The void switch routine )

This routine will be heavily insisting upon reprogramming the subconscious mind, and before you say anything, no, it won't take 21 days or 4 or anything- it takes how many days you assume, in this routine, there is no deadline, simply do this until you reach it, it's easy and very simple, I'll teach you to effortlessly impress both the subconscious and the conscious mind for the void

- Use this one affirmation only for the rest of the routine

“Subconscious mind, ensure me to enter the void at will”

Or whatever else you choose, to, just remember, please use the term “subconscious mind ____”

- Upon waking up, tell yourself this affirmation, tell yourself as though you're just saying some fact, repeat it for some time while you are groggy, because in this state, it's a state of the theta mind, it will pick up affirmations easier

- Now I highly suggest this, to listen to [Lotus Mi’s pure affirmation tape], doesn't matter how long or when, minimum amount of time you have to listen is at least once, you can loop it through the night if you want to, it's completely optional, the pink link above will lead you to the subliminal

- Now, this here is extremely important, whenever you get a thought of the void or anything related, feel that have already reached it and have it, feel like you're a master at the void, repeat your affirmation and believe in it

- Now, comes the important part, before sleep, I want you to lay in bed, get comfortable, and just actually prepare yourself to sleep, do something that you'll get sleepy with, a state where you are so groggy and so sleepy but not sleeping yet, in this state, command your subconscious mind, tell yourself that chosen affirmation over and over till you sleep, I swear, it's extremely important and it's the highlight of the journey, you are reprogramming your subconscious, just like how Joseph Murphy said “give your subconscious a problem before you sleep, and let it solve it for you while you fall in sleep”

That's it! That's the routine that I've been taking literal two weeks to test it off and it's extremely efficient, it worked so so well for me, I'm sure you'll immediately see the difference once you try it, the subconscious mind is a treasure

(for more detailed way about the “command your subconscious mind before sleep” technique, here you go)

1. Get comfortable in bed, just be like other days and get yourself to sleep

2. Stay awake until you get physically so tired, and I know some might say they would have problems with that, you can count until you feel groggy, or daydream, or listen to music, do anything that makes you go sleepy but not sleeping yet

3. Now comes the important part, close your eyes for sleep and simply command your subconscious mind over and over again, tell yourself that affirmation I told you about, do that till you fall asleep

Good luck for anyone who tries this! I made it extremely easy and fun, it doesn't require that much energy at all! Also if I had mentioned anything that should be credited, then I'm extremely sorry and full credits goes to the right owner, I love you all and hope you a wonderful day, you can do this, I'm so proud of you 💗

Love~ Dollie💌

“C-c-c-collect…my fickle insecurities…and turn them into beauty…I alchemize the dark within me” - Melanie Martinez

#dolli memories posts!#manifesting #void #void state #void challenge #subconciousmind #subconscious #void success

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makenoplans · 7 months

Text

all gale banter! (that i am currently aware of)

hiii gale enthusiasts, i just spent the past few hours picking through videos trying to find all of gales party banter and transcribing it! check under the cut for verbose details

copied directly from the doc i transcribed this into so youll have to bear with the initials to denote who is speaking when! generally speaking, initials are a=astarion, g=gale, h=halsin, j=jaheira, k=karlach, l=lae'zel, m=minthara, s=shadowheart, and w=wyll

(except for two minsc quotes that are also m, both where he mentions his name so like... it's obvious)

transcribed with attention paid to particular noises characters make that aren't quite whole words and also words that are emphasized!

please let me know if youre aware of any banter ive missed!

warning: long

G: Karlach! A hypothetical question for you. If someone - not me, of course - detected a hint of romantic interest in them from another… unnamed individual, erm, what might that someone… do about it?

K: Whoever it is, just talk to them, Gale! And leave out the hypotheticals.

G: Talking. Right! I'm good at that!

A: So, Gale, how is your sad, hopeless pining going?

G: [Ach!] I'm hardly pining! Been a year or more since Mystra cast me aside!

A: Oh, my dear wizard, I wasn't talking about Mystra.

W: I used to believe the beauty of first love was unable to be surpassed, but Gale, you are so much more tolerable now that you've found your second.

G: I'll take that comment with the sincerity and good will I assume it was intended.

G: Have you noticed any attachments of the more, er, romantic variety flourishing in our camp, Wyll?

W: I think I'm not the right person to be asking. I can recognize a troll silhouette on a far horizon, but I wouldn't know a flirtation if you whacked me alongside the head with it.

G: I see you waste no time pursuing your quarry, Astarion.

A: Hmph! I rather thought I was a little slow this time. Usually they're begging me to dream them on the first night.

G: Tell me - you always woo your lovers with such patient attention?

A: As the vampire ascendant I can grant my lover immortality and bind them to me forever.

G: Hmm. I trust you speak of the bonds of love, not the shackles of servitude.

G: Am I to understand that you are in love now, Karlach?

K: I sure am. [heh] If there's hope for me, there's hope for anyone.

G: I'm surprised you're permitted to choose a partner outside of your own people.

L: We had to use and misuse each civilization in the stars in every way we know. I do not conquer by blade alone, Gale.

G: I can't imagine Mother Gith would approve. Doesn't she prefer us lesser species enslaved? Or eviscerated?

M: You've been smiling like a fool of late, wizard. Explain yourself.

G: I found love. Surely even you wouldn't begrudge me some happiness?

M: All I can say on the matter is that you were wise to lower your standards from the godly to the ghastly.

G: Tell me, Lae'zel: is it common for githyanki to fall in love?

L: Love? Is that this feeling in me, then? This passion to peel every layer of one's heart to see what light and shadows lurk there? I doubt I am the first githyanki to… to feel this way, but few would ever declare it. Githyanki have playmates, thrill partners but I've never heard anyone profess love, nor read of it in our slates.

L: Gale, I've heard you talking in your sleep. Your mate needs better rest for our journey.

G: And deprive them of the pleasure of hearing my nocturnal postulations? I'd never be so cruel. The mind absorbs much while we believe ourselves dormant. To lie beside Gale of Waterdeep is positively educational.

G: If you're feeling faint after your bout with Cazador, Astarion, I don't mind donating some blood.

A: Aha! Well, you're still full of that Netherese bile, I'll pass, thank you! Besides, I have someone else to nibble on, and they are delicious.

G: I'm glad to know you have a softer side, Minthara. I was beginning to think you rather… heartless.

M: Loving another is not soft, wizard. It is one of the hardest things a person can do.

G: So you admit you found love! Aww. How delightful. I'm happy for you both.

A: So, how was your night with Gale? Did you have a long, hard debate?

G: Ugh. Ignore him. Astarion envies the depth of a bond because he's of a shallower inclination.

G: So Astarion, I hear your relationship has taken on a new aspect recently.

A: My life has taken on "a new aspect." It's only natural that my relationships change as well.

G: Halsin! You must have accumulated considerable wisdom on matters of the heart in your long life. Anything you'd like to pass on to a… strapping, lovestruck wizard such as myself?

H: [hehehe] Dispensing advice on matters of the heart would be like swapping boots. What suits me may be a… poor fit for you.

G: Ah. Well. There's no faulting that logic. At least you didn't tell me to "be myself."

H: Oh no, perish the thought. That can be outright cruel advice to offer in certain cases.

G: Indulge me, Lae'zel, as someone unfettered by Faerunian beauty standards: how would you appraise my appearance?

L: Your beard looks like the hairy tufts upon the [surlon], the largest of wyrmkind that sliver our skies.

G: Hm. I suppose that's… a bad thing? No. Don't answer that.

G: Wild-shaping must sprinkle some spice on your love life, Halsin.

H: Heh. Indeed it does. Did you… never experience such delights with Mystra? I, uh, hear the gods enjoy taking on the forms of swans, horses, eagles and the like when… visiting with mortals?

G: Oh no, quite the opposite, actually! She mostly preferred our interactions to be abstract, and incorporeal. Most invigorating.

G: So, Lae'zel, have you ever been tempted to use psionics in your, uh, romantic endeavors?

L: Only once. Did you know, in low-gravity settings, githyanki can maintain aerial suspension for hours at a time?

G: Fascinating! I think the arch-mage Tasha described a spell with similar affect! I really must look that up.

G: I've always felt flames to be a rather perfect expression of love, Karlach. Passionate! Primal! Capable of bestowing the most life-affirming comfort - or - inflicting the profoundest damage.

L: That's… pretty nice. Never thought about it like that. But… now I will.

G: I've been pondering something, Lae'zel. Why is it that githyanki have bellybuttons, hm? When they hatch from eggs?

L: I did not grant you permission to gaze upon my midriff.

G: I- I wasn't gazing! Merely observing! Though that can hardly be said for a certain someone else.

G: Y'know, Karlach, there are other ways to express love beyond run-of-the-mill physicality.

K: Ugh! Are you going to try and teach me about exceptional uses for a mage hand or what?

G: W-well actually, I was thinking of poetry!

K: Oops. Sorry. But, uh, now that I think of it… is mage hand especially hard to learn?

G: Even shaped by shadow as it is, Sharran architecture has a kind of beauty to it.

K: Beautifully intimidating. This place was meant to scare people into submission.

G: There you go. Cutting right through the ephemera to the heart of the matter. Hm! Your finest quality, I think.

K: Uh. Here I thought I rubbed you the wrong way.

G: Nothing wrong with a bit of friction now and then. You help me keep my mind sharp.

K: Aw, thanks, pal! I think.

G: When we met, Shadowheart, your gaze seemed to linger in the distance on some unseen goal, some insubstantial purpose. But I notice now your gaze settles on something or someone much closer.

S: Is it that obvious?

G: Of course! There's nothing escapes a wizard's powers of observation.

A: I gave my return to Baldur's Gate a lot of thought. I never pictured this, though.

G: Ah, what did you have in mind? A quiet party? Toasting your own return with a few good friends?

A: Less "quiet party with friends", more "days of hedonistic debauchery", but otherwise… yes!

G: Hmm. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But you know what? I'm learning to enjoy the taste of chaos. Count me in.

G: I've heard that in Baldur's Gate, "wizard" is also a term used for one who eschews their more, [hr-hrm] carnal desires. Is that true, Wyll?

W: Where are we going with this, Gale?

G: Oh, nowhere. Just think it's a rather cruel misnomer, not at all reflective of the glamor wizarding life affords.

A: So Gale, you laid with a goddess? You must have some sordid tales to tell.

G: Sordid? I lay with the Mother of Magic herself! What we had was… transcendent. Euphoric. Incandescent. Not sordid!

A: You actually made sleeping with a goddess sound boring. Hm. Incredible.

A: I am enjoying our walks together, aren't you, Gale?

G: Uhh… sure! In silence.

G: When you've loved a goddess as I have, people often think you less experienced in the way of romance.

S: She just lives on another plane! [heh] Only jesting. I'm in no position to judge, especially after what happened with Shar.

G: It's true for a time, I neglected the physical in favor of celestial euphoria. But our relationship was no less real for it.

G: I feel I've been rather hasty to judge you, Astarion. One heartbreak was quite enough for me, but to experience it as many times as you have… must change a person.

A: Thank you, Gale, but let us both hope that broken hearts are a thing of the past.

A: So, do you have loves waiting for you once this is all over?

G: You know what, that is not the easiest of questions for me to answer.

S: You mean just… waiting? Like a lovesick puppy?

M: Do you have elder siblings, wizard?

G: You're about to say something awful, aren't you?

M: In Menzoberranzan, after a house has two sons, every subsequent male-born child is slaughtered at birth, as it is useless, even for breeding. You have the aura of a third child about you.

G: The architect who built this must have been remarkable. Pity their vision didn't stand the test of time.

K: All's not lost. I mean, just look at this place!

G: You've quite the knack for finding the bright side of things, haven't you?

K: Hope keeps you going.

K: So Gale, got any book recommendations for me?

G: You can read?

K: Hmph. Yes, very funny. I can read. School put me off big, boring tomes. Sometimes I wonder what I'm missing.

G: Ah! Say no more. I'll find the perfect book for you. I might even lend it to you from my library in Waterdeep, ooh.

K: Ooh, something with magic please! And no devils!

G: Do you feel that? The darkness, pulling at the strands of the Weave?

K: Er, you'll still be able to do your wizard thing though, right?

G: Of course. Doesn't make the shadows less dangerous.

K: Joy.

M: Gale. Minsc worries you might send a fireball up his butt with all of this… stringy hair in your face.

G: Is that why you keep your head shaved? I assumed it was a custom of some sort.

M: Oh, no. Most warriors of [Rashinan] wear long battle braids weighed down with stone. Minsc can show you, when next we camp.

G: Thank you, but I'm more wizard than warrior. Not sure my scalp would stand up to such a plaiting.

A: Gods! We're not back, are we?

G: On the Nautiloid, no. This is a different nursery. Similar, but not identical. There's likely one in every colony.

A: I don't care what's in every mind flayer colony, Gale. Nobody does. Except you.

A: Ugh, another ruined temple full of foul-smelling beasts spoiling for a fight.

G: No mere temple. This was a monastery, devoted as much to study as to worship.

A: Oh, how ignorant of me. So it'll be free of foul-smelling beasts then?

G: Quite the opposite. Some monastic orders celebrated their pungency as proof of their devotion. "To think is to stink" was the motto of one ill-fated brotherhood near Arm. Oh! Huh, but you meant beasts of the life-threatening variety. Yes I'm sure it's teeming with those.

A: Moonlanterns to keep the curse back? Burly guards to fight off any monsters? I could get used to this place.

G: Don't get too comfortable. We shouldn't overstay our welcome in such a place.

A: No, of course! Why stay somewhere safe and comfortable when we could be in mortal peril?

H: Ah, Last Light Inn. Half aglow and lanterns lit. Just like a hundred years ago.

G: I imagine the vista was more idyllic back then. As were its patrons' chances of surviving the walk home.

H: [Grunt.] Still though, when you are expecting nothing but desolation, even a small glimmer of hope fills the heart. To think long ago, the druids feared this market down would grow into a city and threaten nature's realm… little did we realize what the true threat was.

G: Divination is a skill few can master. The rest of us must simply muddle along, content to view the past with a clarity the future rarely offers.

H: Perhaps I can yet turn hindsight into foresight, provided the curse is lifted. The better way for all. Whole generations were denied their chance to flourish… I must put this right, for them.

A: That orb seems powerful. What could it do once it's extracted?

G: Nothing good can come of it unless it is contained. Why.

A: It might be useful. Who knows?

G: I must tell you, Shadowheart, the bathing waters here leave much to be desired. The ablutions offered at the Temple of Beauty in Waterdeep were far superior - and, they have the most excellent soaps.

S: Hmm. I was wondering why you always smelled like a wealthy dowager.

A: From sweet woodland to stinking swamp. Can you do tricks like that, Gale?

G: Easiest thing in the world. Though I'd do it the other way around.

H: Brickwork and stonework. This place is far out of balance with nature, but the Oak Father will reclaim this all eventually.

G: Not too soon, I hope! I've a craving for a soft bed, a hot bath, and a large glass of Arabellan Dry. None of which I've ever found hidden under a log.

H: Hah, you may thrive, but what of other life? A city is no place for wild creatures.

G: Cities teem with life! Rats, pigeons, flies… they count no less, for all their more pestilent qualities.

G: The Society of brilliance has quite the reputation. Even Waterdhavian academics refer to their works from time to time.

S: They talk a great deal but do very little. Which may be for the best.

G: I take it you're not inclined to study the wonders of the Underdark?

S: Its inhabitants and cultures, maybe. Its fungi and cave slime, no thank you.

W: Ethel mentioned Netherese magic. What in blazes does that mean?

G: Magic from the fallen empire of Netheril. Ancient. Exceedingly dangerous. And quite unrivalled.

A: Wonderful. I'd hate to be destroyed by any common old magic.

G: Home and hearth, reduced to ruins. The shadow curse stole more than the light from this place.

H: That is why it must be stopped. Imagine a whole century of life and love denied the chance to ever take place.

G: A hidden shrine dedicated to the Moonmaiden herself. Even amidst this darkness, Selunites are stubborn enough to cling on.

K: Pretty beautiful, isn't it?

G: Look around you! Indulge your curiosity! Sorcerous Sundries is the finest purveyor of magical miscellany for miles around.

K: Where's the axes?

G: What they sell is far more precious than mere sword or shield! They sell knowledge! Ingenuity! The wisdom of mages past.

K: [yawns] Ugh, sounds like more your thing than mine.

K: Doing alright, Gale?

G: Oh, you know. Still alive and kicking despite being surrounded on all sides by an endless manifestation of… darkness and decay.

K: I feel it too. Here if you need a pick-me-up.

G: It strikes me that, for a mind flayer colony, there are remarkably few mind flayers about the place.

K: Squiddies have gone to war, is my guess.

G: On the Absolute's behalf? Now there's an alliance I'd've been quite happy without.

K: Aw, man, adventuring is thirsty work.

G: There used to be a monastery in this region known for producing a wonderful ale.

K: Ah, that sounds like heaven. Wait. Used to?

G: Oh yes, long ruined, I'm afraid. No chance of a frothing pitcher awaiting us there, but still. At least your thirst for knowledge is quenced!

K: Ugh!

W: It might seem a bit ramshackle, but this place is a boastworthy bar.

G: A bar is only as good as its cellars. Which vintages can we expect on its racks?

W: Here, a bottle is judged more by its ability to crack heads than the quality of its contents.

G: Ah. If that's the main criteria then I shall reset my expectations accordingly. Water it is!

K: We're not taking a boat to Baldur's Gate, right?

G: And give the Absolute free reign to use us as target practice from the banks? I think not!

K: Ugh. My mum always said the Chionthat was unlucky.

G: I don't suppose you've any clue where we are in relation to Waterdeep?

K: From this distance between Elturel and Baldur's Gate, I'd say… a long way away.

G: Ah. That will make getting word to my mother rather tricky. No matter. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Not at this distance, anyway.

G: Nothing like a brisk stroll through the forest to invigorate the spirit.

K: I was just thinking the same thing! But… poetically.

G: And without so much as a stirring from our tadpoles.

K: A girl could get used to this.

L: These children and their pets lack discipline. Were they githyanki, I'd recommend further training.

G: Not everyone approaches the raising of their young with such militaristic vigor.

L: That is the very purpose of training. To determine which children shall be warriors, and which are suited to other roles. As for the unruly animals, they would make for nutritious marching rations.

G: Mm, that's certainly one way to make them behave.

L: These flowers are quite vivid, not to mention pungent. Not to my liking.

G: Are there no flowers in [tunirath]?

L: In the city of death, the m'lar cultivate the fruiting bodies that sprout from the corpses of the slain.

G: Huh. I'd rather get them from my florist in Waterdeep, if it's all the same to you.

G: That zaith'isk you mentioned intrigues me. Care to tell me a bit more?

L: An intricate device crafted by m'lar, our most gifted artisans. I am sworn to say no more.

S: Why must the Dead Three be so obvious and ugly with their decor? Blood and bones, bones and blood… Pointy nonsense. At least Shar had some panache.

G: As did Mystra's home on Elysium. Her ribbed vaults and buttresses created a magic entirely of their own… not to mention their pleasure domes.

S: Hah! Pleasure dome.

G: It's a perfectly legitimate architectural feature!

G: The road to Baldur's Gate is a long one. Who knows how long it'll take these folks to get there on foot.

S: If they make it. They're slow, vulnerable. Half or more will die long before Basilisk Gate.

G: Doesn't seem to trouble you a jot.

S: What good would it do for me to be troubled? We can't save them all.

S: You seem to know a good deal about our condition, Gale.

G: Everything, really. Not to put too fine a point on it.

S: A humble specimen, aren't you?

G: On occasion.

G: They're not mutually exclusive! The weave is served best with a dash of eloquence.

G: There's magic here, but it's of a rancid, impure form. Nothing like the true Weave at all.

L: This is why I appreciate a sharp blade to a ball of fire or a bolt of lightning. The Weave is inconsistent, unruly.

G: The Weave is constant, but its users - anything but. We must be on our guard.

L: A githyanki warrior hardly needs to be told that.

L: What is this? This place makes me feel sad, melancholy.

G: Ah, so you're susceptible to the tragedy of a broken home. Maybe you've more in common with us weaker beings than you thought.

L: There's no call to be insulting.

G: Not to diminish our efforts, but. Was rather simple getting here in the end, wasn't it?

L: The obstacles ahead prove to be higher still, which will make the pleasure of overcoming them all the more potent. Imagine the glorious din of it all, the streaming banners, the charging knights. The piles of severed limbs and heads.

G: Mm, I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you.

G: Whatever I expected to find lurking in this cursed gloom, it certainly wasn't this. A glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

S: That's one way of looking at it. You could also say it's a prime target, the one pocket of light in the gloom.

G: Oh pragmatism, thy name is Shadowheart. You're not wrong, though. Best we keep our sojourn here to a minimum.

G: So! Shadowheart. Such a name implies yours is a difficult heart to find.

S: It's not that hard to find. Perhaps any difficulty is more telling of you, Gale.

G: I always wondered what a vampire's lair would look like. Can't say I pictured it being quite this… theatrical.

L: I find it surprisingly similar to Queen Vlaakith's aesthetic.

G: That makes sense. She does have a flair for the dramatic.

G: No day, no night. It's as though time itself has abandoned this place. Similar to the Astral Plane in some ways, wouldn't you say, Lae'zel?

L: Mm, hardly. It is said that the Astral Plane is threaded with light and silver, life-giving and wondrous in all directions. Nothing like this dismal abyss.

G: Tell me, Lae'zel, what is it like on the Astral Plane? Your home realm intrigues me.

L: Githyanki lay their eggs on other planes. They cannot mature in the Astral.

L: A tadpole nursery, as on the Nautiloid.

G: Quite right, so long as the attempt won't leave us similarly dismantled.

L: Caution is commendable. Boldness is extraordinary. In this case, I recommend the latter.

W: You're an impressive fighter, Gale. You should consider a new name.

G: I take it you have some suggestions?

W: The Wizard Wonder. Or, how about… the Master of the Weave?

G: Tempting, but I think we already have the maximum number of theatrical titles.

G: Pigeons, gulls, sparrows. These streets would make a fine hunting ground for a tressym like Tara.

M: In the Underdark, we have packs of winged hounds to deal with vermin like your precious Tara.

G: Flying hounds? Come now, you're pulling my leg. Aren't you?

M: Yes, I am. It is the bats that would make a meal of her.

M: Umberlee. Her clerics possess a nasty streak as wide as her oceans.

G: So their reputation suggests, especially among the good folk of Waterdeep. I'm curious to learn how you fell foul of them.

M: Blasphemy, said the temple priestess, but Minsc says do not give horns to your statues if you do not wish the visitors to try and make them toot.

G: Yes. That would probably do it.

W: I admire your courage, Gale.

G: Thank you! Any particular reason?

W: Between the orb and the bug, you've got more than your fair share of unwelcome passengers.

G: What can I say? Mother always told me to be a gracious host.

G: My, my. Well I'll say this for the bonecloaks: they know their mushrooms.

S: Perhaps they should expand their horizons. Too much time spent obsessing over fungi seems to leave them a bit, well… like them.

G: Oh, a byproduct of their profession. Few can spend a lifetime inhaling fungal spores without turning out a bit… muddled between the years.

W: This is it, Gale. Today, we annihilate the heart of the Absolute's power.

G: Entirely unnecessary. Though, if they are so inclined, I might be convinced to share a stanza or two of my own for inspiration! Whatever outcome of what's just ahead… it will be the stuff of legends.

G: I knew you were a graceful man, Wyll, but I hear you're quite the dancer, too! I've been known to trip the light fantastic myself. Mine was a popular hand at the annual Blackstaff's Ball.

W: I'd have loved to have witnessed it, Gale. I wager you are as elegant on the dance floor as you are on the battlefield.

S: What did you mean before, Gale? "A woman with shadows for eyes", you said.

G: Merely that if the eyes are the mirror to the soul, yours have dark curtains across the mirror. No offense taken, I hope.

S: Not necessarily. I haven't made up my mind about you yet.

A: Ever heard of a vampire called Cazador, Wyll?

W: I don't think so, no. Why? Friend of yours?

G: He's patriarch of the Szarr family. Nasty fellow, if the histories are accurate.

A: I imagine they are.

L: The right of these prisoners to die in mortal combat was stolen from them.

G: Hardly the worst atrocity the Absolute's committed.

L: One of many, but by no means the least. To die properly is a matter of honor.

W: This is no aimless horde. The Absolute's forces are organized. What do you make of it, Gale?

G: All enemies have some chink in their armor, no matter how much they like to believe themselves invulnerable.

W: And if we don't find any clear weakness?

G: Then we hope our mutual strengths are enough to dominate them. Or! We die nobly in the attempt.

G: I was wondering about your queen, Vlaakith. What tales of her reach us are terrifying. I suppose that's not how you would describe her.

L: Vlaakith is unity. Fear and beauty, life and unlife… eyes like onyx, teeth like daggers. There is none more perfect.

S: Sounds vile. I assume the meaning of perfect was lost in translation.

G: Moonrise Towers lies ahead. We're nearing the heart of the Absolute, I'm certain of it.

W: Then let us push forward, head high, weapons in hand, and turn this tower to rubble.

G: Your confidence is encouraging, but a little premature. Let's keep our eyes on the task ahead- or eye, as the case may be.

W: Who's in charge of the mind flayers, Lae'zel? Is there a squid king or something?

L: No. Each ghaik is servant to an elder brain. No king unites elders, only their collective tyranny.

G: A mind flayer monarch! Imagine that. Such a thing could shatter worlds!

K: Ready to enter the belly of the beast?

G: Ugh. It's the stairs I'm dreading.

G: No sign of tentacles so far.

S: The same. Except for a knot of worry in my stomach that's in no rush to go away.

G: That I can relate to.

G: The masons here thought they were building something to last. How wrong they were.

W: Perhaps it's a blessing that none of them survived to see it fall to the shadows.

G: No need for such a grim assumption. Halsin helped many to escape these shadows before the town was consumed.

W: Then some masons were more blessed still, if they could put their talent to use elsewhere. Perhaps some of their work even graces Baldur's Gate.

S: You seemed quite forward with your compliments earlier. We'd only just met.

G: Seize the day, I say. More now than ever.

S: Careful you don't pull a muscle in this place.

S: Isn't it so that every time you speak as you cast a spell, you're endeavoring to call upon Mystra? I'm surprised she still listens to you.

G: She has no choice. She's sworn to hear all magic users. Even me. I'm sure she at least stuffs her fingers in her ears to muffle my invocations.

G: The history of the city itself is captured in the archives here. A fascinating resource.

W: I wonder what those archives will reveal about us a hundred years hence.

G: Only the most excellent and complimentary things. With some encouragement from us, of course.

G: Look at this place. Such horrors defy description.

S: Silence can be best. Give it a try sometime.

S: What if this creche doesn't work out, Lae'zel? What if your kin fail you?

L: If I can reach the creche, my kin will provide. Any failure will be mine alone.

S: If you say so. Just don't expect me to put all my eggs in the same basket.

G: That expression must sound curious to a githyanki ear, given the way they're birthed.

G: Gods. Who knew such a vile abscess lurked in the bedrock of this city? The very stone reeks of misery and despair.

J: Mm. A sad shrine kept by the lunatic and the lost. The last time I was here, I promised myself I would die beneath open sky. I have not changed my mind.

G: Nor should you. Far better to feel a cool breeze on your skin than whatever foul expirations blow through these halls.

A: Eh, can't say I love what they've done with the place.

G: Unsurprising, really. Fanatical cultists tend to care more for ambience then aesthetics.

A: Hrm. Reason enough to put them all to the sword, I say.

A: Heh, what's this? A clever little hideaway. A little too clever, if you ask me. Watch out for traps.

G: Not just clever. Rather ingenious! Somehow its construction keeps the shadow curse away.

S: The end must be near. No regrets, Gale? You may have been better off staying inside this boulder.

G: Unlikely. Had I stayed there much longer, the orb would have reduced it to rubble. Besides, think of all the fun I'd've missed out on.

S: Fun? Well, yes… I suppose we did manage to make the best of things.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #gale bg3 #bg3 party banter #party banter

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soulessjourney · 3 months

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Quiet Confessions

Paring: Astarion x fem!DurgTavReader

Word count: 1.4k

Summary: As memories flood back, Tav opens up to Astarion beneath the moonlight, sharing the chains that bind her.

Warnings: Truama talk, mentions of abuse and violence, Angst, fluff, hurt and comfort, Tav being an emotional wreck in the softest way possible, talk of self hatred

A/N: I'm gradually working my way down the list of tasks I need to complete, which means I'm getting closer to the fantastic requests I've been receiving. If you have a request, feel free to share it! I thoroughly enjoy bringing your ideas to life!

Uncertain of how long you had been away from camp, you found yourself lying in the grass, gazing up at the moon. Time slipped away as you became lost in the labyrinth of your thoughts. The journey began when a torrent of memories, once erased during your escape from the ship's pod, flooded back, triggering a piercing headache. These recollections unveiled a darker version of yourself, one capable of committing unspeakable acts in pursuit of power. The realization of your own monstrous nature left you feeling contaminated, haunted by the deeds done beyond your control.

Choosing to forget the past, you had embarked on a new life, hoping to bury the shadow of the person you once were. Yearning for the demise of that former self and its memories, you couldn't help but wish they had perished the day you awoke on that ship.

The serenity of your contemplation was interrupted by the soft cadence of approaching footsteps. Astarion, with his distinctive gait, revealed his presence. Over the past few months, you had honed the ability to identify individuals by the sound of their steps—a skill cultivated, perhaps, by the constant threat of someone attempting to sneak up on you.

Sitting up, you turned to Astarion, offering a tender smile, reciprocated by his affectionate gaze. "Once again, I fail to surprise you, my love," he remarked, settling down beside you.

You shrugged, reclining in the grass, allowing your gaze to settle on the moon. A comfortable silence enveloped the space between you as Astarion leaned back on one hand, holding a book in the other. He never felt the need to inquire if something was amiss; he understood that you would approach him when ready, just as you had done for him. Neither of you pressured the other, always waiting until one felt inclined to share what weighed on your minds. This dynamic defined the perfection of your relationship—rooted in trust and patience, creating a beautiful harmony. Astarion sensed your internal struggle and refrained from prying, recognizing the feeling of being bound to something without an escape.

You debated with yourself on how to approach the topic. Keeping your gaze fixed on the sky, you decided to let your thoughts flow into words. "Sometimes when I look in the mirror, all I can see is a monster—a cold-blooded killer who gazes into people's eyes as life leaves them. I hate how good it makes me feel when it happens," you suddenly confessed, pulling Astarion's attention away from the book. He closed it, placing it beside him, and lays back beside you, offering his undivided attention. He was prepared to listen to every word, no matter how violent or disturbing, understanding that being present for you in this moment was the best form of support.

"As I would take off my armor and examine my arms, a part of me felt ashamed of what I saw. Scars where the skin was rubbed raw. Initially, I thought nothing of it, but now I can feel those shackles that kept me confined to that room. A room with a window too high for me to look out, allowing sunlight to reveal its true small and decaying nature. A room where the body of the person I murdered lay in the corner, reeking of death, and I was forced to stare at it for days until the stench drove me mad," you whispered, furrowing your eyebrows as your mind wandered back into that haunting memory.

Anger surged through Astarion upon your confession. You were a prisoner of your own mind, with no escape until recently, just like him. Astarion refrained from touching you as he observed you beginning to fall back into the past—a familiar experience, losing oneself in a memory and reliving it.

"The day I felt those chains break from the ground was the day I learned how to truly walk. It was the day I killed so many people, and every single one of them begged for their life. I remember laughing and smiling like an accomplished fool when I took their lives. It's so disgusting, knowing that I did what I did, how I killed the people that I did. With that came the pure torture my so-called father put me through. He would lock me in this room with his followers and see just how much pain I could take. He claimed it was to make me stronger, to be the perfect killer I was born to be. But each time they cut into me, I lost myself piece by piece," you whispered, your voice thick with emotion.

Astarion rolled onto his side to look at you, studying your features as you spoke. He noticed the subtle cues—how your jaw clenched when discussing anger-inducing events, how your eyes softened when recalling taking an innocent life, and how your nose would scrunch when lost in thought. Everything about you was beautiful, breathtaking even, which intensified his resentment for the pain you had endured.

As you spoke, Astarion began to grasp why you lingered sometimes, gazing at views or exploring houses and temples. These were sights stripped from most of your life, confined to the inside of a cell or a room, enduring unimaginable pain.

What you chose to share next shattered Astarion and revealed the depth of your strength. "But now that I have Wyll, Gale, Karlach, Shadowheart, Lae’zel, Halsin, and even you, I'm learning how to be strong for the first time ever. I'm learning how to confront the darkness and face my own reflection without resentment, knowing that I bear the face you love and cherish. I'm learning how to truly live for the first time, and it terrifies me," you confessed. Astarion felt his eyes soften, his hand moving to rest beside yours, his pinky gently brushing against the side of your hand in a small gesture of comfort.

Lost in your memories, you didn't even register the subtle caress of his finger on your hand. Your eyes had glazed over, ensnared in the labyrinth of your mind, silent tears tracing their path from the corners of your eyes. Your profound silence began to concern Astarion; it seemed as if you were paralyzed in that moment, with no discernible movement. He felt a sense of helplessness, unable to assist you in the way he desired, as he, too, often succumbed to the torturous memories inflicted by Cazador.

When a strangled sob shattered the silence between you, Astarion sat up and enveloped you in his arms. This was a method he knew could often bring comfort when you broke down. No words needed to be spoken as he held you tightly. You were someone who wore a mask around others, refusing to reveal your vulnerabilities. Yet, with him, you found solace and strength, as he did with you. Lae’zel often remarked on how you both carried the weight of the world, calling you two sides of the same coin.

Or when rejecting Gale, he commented on the irony of your love for Astarion, noting the striking similarity in your personalities. While said to hurt you, there was truth in his words. You and Astarion understood the shared pain and the deep connection between you, choosing to be there for one another and share love you both craved.

Drawing you closer, Astarion let your head rest in the crook of his neck, his cheek against the side of your head. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he felt your arms wrap around his middle, bringing you back from the daze you were trapped in. You were here, in his arms, holding on as if afraid he would vanish if you let go. Leaning back slightly, he cupped your face in his hand, running his thumbs over your cheeks in a soothing manner. "There you are, my love. I was worried I lost you," he said, the concern and fear evident in his voice.

Shaking your head, you placed your hands over his, leaning into his touch. Although your response was silent, he understood. "Can we stay and watch the sunrise? I've never seen it before, and I want to experience this new thing with you," you whispered, searching his eyes for any sign of rejection. You wanted to linger, to feel alive, if only for a moment, before returning to the mask you had carefully crafted.

Pressing his lips to the crown of your head, he nodded, pulling you closer and shifting so you both could sit in a more comfortable position. "Of course, my love. For you, I'd sit through a million sunrises if you asked me to," he said, prompting a small smile to grace your lips. This moment with the person you cherished was your sanctuary, he was your home.

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beloved-blaiddyd · 14 days

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A Tasteless Cup [Yandere!Joker/Reader]

Prompt: After the destruction of your previous reality, you and Akira Kurusu landed in Teyvat. In an effort to stay afloat, Akira had set up a book café in Mondstadt alongside you. However, is this the true flavor of "Freedom"? [Dedicated to: Riley H. Goodheart, for the Alone Together event]

CW: yandere themes, dubious food, manipulation/controlling behavior, toxic relationship dynamic. P.S: Akira is aged up [20s] in this fic, happens after Persona 5.

To Akira, those he lets into his heart will become an intrinsic part of him. They are more than a trick of a card, more than a mask to mimic and steal for his own, more than a numbers game. Every bit of them is his soul. His relationships are the culmination of his being and, eventually, his raison d'etre.

And Akira Kurusu had a hard time coping with losing these links.

To others, relationships are no different from chains. The surrounding people are less a home and more like bars to a cage— a prison. And despite being somewhat of a Mr/Ms. Congeniality, you aren't as affected by the fact that neither of you can return to your respective world.

You are both empty. You have been handed a clean slate, an empty card, and an empty vision.

You are both "fools" again.

"Bit too early in the morning to start a serious discussion…" Akira tiredly muttered, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

But as long as the sun rises once more, does a rebirth truly matter?

Anyone would be remiss to disregard the sheer jadedness in his eyes and the slight breathlessness of his speech. Akira poured himself a cup. Normally served to others rather than his indulgence, you quietly noticed that his cup lacked sugar. The cafe owner drank and embraced its bitterness, unflinching.

It's been three months since you both arrived in the world of Teyvat. Getting by as an Outlander proved difficult, and thankfully, Akira is kind towards you and a jack-of-all-trades. One might say he has "maxed out his stats." Charismatic, skilled, and bold, he has the makings for an entrepreneur with a pyro vision to boot. Unsurprisingly, he had become one of old Mond's eligible bachelors in a short time frame.

So, by just the third week, he managed to persuade Master Ragnvindr with a solid pitch. The cafe you both sit in is a testament to your shared hard work. With his brew proficiency and your hobby of accumulating knowledge through books and art pieces, the cozy place had become a second home for individuals such as the local librarian and the Guild's investigator.

But you'll always remember his words the night before he was invited into Duke Ragnvindr's study room.

"Akira, are you sure about this?" You muttered, tugging his sleeve. "Once you finalize it, you can't just..."

"Hmm? Why are you hesitating?" He tilted his chin up slightly, confused. "It's a good way to keep our finances afloat, right? Don't you want to keep collecting books and art supplies? I thought you said you wanted to have a small library someday."

"But, for you to work this much for it-"

"You matter to me. You are the only thing left binding me down here in Teyvat." He casually shot you down, but his light tone could not erase the heaviness of his words. "Besides..."

"Don't you like it when I make a hot cup and fresh pastries just for you?"

That dream materialized into something called Cafe LeBlanc. Though he claims the name wasn't his but a charming, cranky old man's— you doubt anyone else can come up with that. But he sounded genuine enough. His unexplainable "silent" face can sometimes make him a hard read.

… This isn't one of those times. You know what's troubling him quite well.

"Yeah…" you muttered. "Can't we save this conversation for the end of the day instead?"

Akira laughed.

"Smart," he hummed humorlessly.

"You know I get too tired to do anything at night except washing dishes and doing crosswords. It's not happening. We'll have this talk now."

Fair enough. Avoiding one's problems is a mindset you never advocated. You'd be a terrible hypocrite if you start now. "Alright, I'll hear you out."

You shifted from your seat, dragging it closer to the counter. Akira downed his cup on the other side, revealing no liquid gold in its bottom. His eyes were wide awake thanks to the caffeine, yet you couldn't even glance upward.

"(Y/n), do you remember how I got this pyro vision?"

You blinked, unsure how he'd make the fact relevant. Still, you nodded.

A long time ago, you liked how open Akira was about himself. You can tell he had immense trust issues he had worked on fixing. Akira is a good man. Being wrongfully expelled and imprisoned at a young age must've done damages you can't quite comprehend fully. Sometimes, you wish you had the courage to be just as vulnerable, too.

He traced the outline of a pyro symbol on the table with his slender finger collecting not a single dust nor stain. Despite the warmth his vision may hold, it did not detract from the cold atmosphere you both had to face. With the angle you were viewing him, you can't help but notice his eyelashes. They're prettier than yours, you thought. If only his glare wasn't so pointed.

"When I arrived in this world, I was alone and confused. But you? You weren't. I saw your face— the face of someone who had nothing to lose to begin with."

Akira's gaze softened. He was right. You adapted to this new world so suspiciously well.

"I couldn't tell whether you saw our situation as a positive or whether you thought this whole transfer to another reality was a cruel joke. But I had a feeling you were as horrified as I was. That you couldn't bear the thought of living alone. I think that you also had friends you cared for, but now, you will never be able to hear their voices again."

He breathed in shakily, his eyes heavy. Akira may seem like a silent person, no different from Duke Ragnvindr, but the time you spent together backs up what your instincts are testifying right this second.

There's one true thought in his mind.

After all his efforts.

After all that he has gone through so that you'll stay by his side.

What was it all for?

"So, when a Lawachurl wounded you in Windrise, I stepped in. I can't help but project myself onto you. I thought about how you must also have friends waiting– family waiting– whether it's a cat or a sister— I knew I just had to. I had to risk everything, even if you were just a stranger to me then." He clenched his fists. "And you were worth it. You were absolutely worth every risk. You were worth everything. I knew I had to survive, if not for myself, but to help you."

"Even without some sort of— card– or whatever— to indicate it, I knew our relationship was progressing. That our understanding of each other has reached such high ranks. I know we had become each other's most trusted confidant, so why? Listen, I value freedom too, but—"

He slammed his cup down— you jolted as you heard it chip slightly. It wasn't his intent to scare. Akira would never wish to frighten you. But he can't stop his emotions and movements from being brash and pointed.

"... Why did you want to quit working with me?"

There it goes.

"Is it because I haven't spent much time with you lately? You know I've been busy with trying to invest in a better flat—"

The pace of his breathing was starting to quicken.

"Kurusu, it's not that…" You need to rationalize this with him. Fast.

"I-Is it because work has been too much? I told you we could hire someone if you feel too faint for the job. I care about your health— hell— maybe even more than you do—"

"Akira, listen to me—"

His futile attempt to maintain control was like an age-weakened thread. The fibers of his composure whittled away string by string, itching to snap entirely. Akira's jaw clenched.

The manacle may not be anchoring his feet down as it did in the Velvet Room, but there's no denying that doubt is tugging and clawing at his neck. He knew that if he should continue, only strained words would come from his coffee-bitter lips.

He rubbed his head against his shoulder. He had to have been wiping a tear away, trying to make it unnoticeable but failing.

"But why are you LEAVING m—"

"Behold, for this fine hour, you are not only graced with the presence of soft rays— you are also blessed by myself: Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

"Mein Fräulein meant to say good morning to you both, Arsene and Sholmes."

... Akira chuckled a short and strained sound that could easily be missed by a weak ear.

As though a switch had been flipped, Akira's contorted expression turned back to his customer service smile. You trembled slightly. Perhaps it's a skill he mastered during his part-time worker years in high school, but he seemed a little too good at hiding such overwhelming frustrations— almost shape-shifting.

It's…

Eerie.

He's smiling. It's his usual smile he has that has a calm allure and a hint of cockiness.

As if nothing happened five seconds ago.

"Ah, greetings, Your Highness!"

The guests were none other than some of the regulars, Amy and her bird familiar. This blonde, eye-patched girl is the only person in Little Mond who consistently makes Akira act dramatic.

He bowed, not missing a beat of young Amy's theatrics. After spending so many years chatting with Yusuke, he's gotten used to bouncing back conversations of this nature. Akira enjoys the young investigator's company. He saw tiny bits of his friend in her.

"What shall we, humble servants, offer you this dawn? Will it be your usual order, or does our dear royal have something else in mind entirely? We will do our best to provide you with maximum entertainment! After all, this is your castle, Mein Fräulein."

You stiffened.

We.

He's not letting you go just yet. You caught a glimpse of his dark pupils, slightly moving to meet yours. Imploring you without words to act out of his best interest.

Akira Kurusu has always been a witty man, but there is no way there's no anger beneath that mask.

"Are you alright, Sholmes?" Oz asked.

For whatever reason, Akira persuaded Amy to call you both Arsene Lupin and Herlock Sholmes. The former was likely a nod to his first persona's name. His explanation for the latter was something along the lines of "you strike me as the type who always wants to search for your truth."

You blinked.

Right. You're his version of Sherlock Holmes.

Ha.

Even here, he gets to dictate everything about you.

"... Yes, Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?" you said. The blonde girl smiled and tilted her head up pompously.

"What other brew could I possibly order but the darkest taste that leaves any normal mortal to shrivel in imagination?" Amy shrugged, her eyebrow raised as though everyone knew what she babbled on with commendable sass. Her aviator companion thankfully cleared the air— albeit a little too blunt.

"Mein Fräulein desires a cinnamon ginger affogato with more sugar than last time, please. Two spoons for the poor Mein Fräulein."

"O-Oz!?!"

It's easily one of the least bitter cups on the menu. It consists of vanilla gelato, a tablespoon of espresso powder, cinnamon sticks, hazelnut liqueur, and bits of dried sunsettia. I can't say what would make anyone fear such a thing except for those with complications. Someone else shared the same sentiment.

You and Akira laughed in unison.

Your eyes widened in astonishment. That was in sync. You immediately looked away as Akira busied himself with Amy's order. It was awkward knowing that even with your efforts to cut things off, there was still some vague commonality between you two.

"... Say, your Highness?" Akira smiled softly. "Would it be alright for me to probe some of your most revered royal musings?"

...

... What is his play this time?

"You have my ears, dear subject."

"Suppose there is a princess who is facing an uphill battle. Furthermore, her valiant knight aspires to rescue her. However, the princess, for unknown reasons, declines his assistance. Is that..." He shut his eyes, laughing that strained chuckle once more. "... equittable?"

"Oh, most grievous indeed! A knight, who is obligated by the code of chivalry, shall always respond to the plea of his princess when she is in peril. His solemn obligation is to protect her honor and safeguard her from any danger!"

Akira looked at you.

His eyes were cold.

"But what if the princess doesn't want to be saved? What if she believes she can handle the situation herself, or maybe she thinks having assistance would make her weak?"

"Ah, but thou dost speak in riddles!" Amy scoffed, unamused. "A princess may exhibit abundant power and courage, yet it is the responsibility of her faithful knight to guarantee her safety, especially when she questions her own necessity. For what good is a knight's valor if not to serve and protect his liege?"

"Would you say her actions essentially strip him of his purpose?"

"Why, of course!" Amy replied with full conviction. "One would not require Oz if he lacks such a necessary trait! It is the basis of our trust– our relationship! A true knight's honor lies not in the glory of battle, but in his unwavering commitment to his princess, even in the face of her refusal."

You sucked in a deep breath.

Akira, you—!

"Speak frankly. Do these inquiries pertain to me?" Amy glared at him. Akira shook his head immediately, umping up his flamboyant voice inflections.

No.

It's about you.

It's always about you when it comes to him.

"Of course not!" Akira feigned worry. "It was for a novel I'm writing— to honor one's love."

… To honor one's "love".

Love? You froze. He calls this relationship love? It hadn't been that for the past few months! Love is meant to be like coming home to a comforting home— not a cold palace with your unfeeling statue at the heart of it all.

You were hoping that your life would be dictated by what you want it to mean this time around. You hope to create your own purpose, your own identity. You hope to reject his titles—being his partner and his "Sholmes."

But mostly, you sincerely hoped his words were untrue and did not allude to something as sinister and self-destructive as his love.

Besides, you already have a lover waiting for you to leave this mess behind.

You and he already have everything planned out. A rented flat, food, work— everything is set. The only box to tick off was leaving itself, and then you'll be in your lover's arms.

But you swore.

You swore you just saw him smirk.

"(Y/n), could you please lend me a hand? Can you pass the cinnamon sticks from the cupboard?"

Starting your day by serving Amy leads to serving a hundred more. You can't just stand up and leave whenever someone asks for your service. It's impossible to make the shortest comment about how you no longer work for LeBlanc, even more so when people beg for book recommendations. Being friendly is part of who you are. It can't be helped.

What made matters worse was that people were ordering seconds. Apparently, Akira must've adjusted all the recipes on the menu because whatever was added to those cups made it all the more divine. You knew his skills were perfection, but to think he could even exceed that...

In the end, despite multiple delays, Akira still got you right where he wanted you.

"Thank you. Please come again!" He escorted the final customer outside and flipped the closing sign himself.

Now, it was just the two of you left.

"... You must be tired." You offered, hoping he wouldn't catch on. "It's been a long day, why don't you take a rest—"

"Nice try."

Well, it was worth a shot.

You stiffly waited for him to say something. Anything. But instead, he took a kettle off the icebox and heated the stove with his vision.

"Back to my story, do you remember where we left off?"

The wisest thing to have down was biting your tongue or pretending not to know what he was talking about. Unfortunately, your answer was immediate.

"Something about how you got your vision?"

"Ah, yes, that." Akira laughed. "Say, I told you about how I used to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves when I was in High School, right?"

While waiting, Akira tapped his fingers against the table but stopped when he realized you were becoming distracted. Snapping out of it, you cleared your throat.

"You were stealing hearts in the Metaverse, yes, I recall..." You mumbled. Due to the sudden need to speak, you ended up unwittingly playing by his script again. "You manifested a Persona and used that to reform the heart of rotten adults."

You flinched slightly when his tea was starting to release thin smokes. It smelled too much like rust. Maybe he exhausted it too much today. The customers you had were double the amount. You had to commend his willpower for still managing exceed his usual sleep schedule.

"Isn't the kettle burning?"

"Trust me, it's not," he answered nonchalantly. "I remember when I told my story to you, you were mostly understanding of our actions. You didn't judge us. Rather, you told me that humanity is selfish and destructive."

"But back to how I got my vision," he finally turned the stove off. "I genuinely thought my most distinct trait was my appreciation for Freedom."

"Yet you got a pyro vision." You joked lightly.

He didn't laugh. Instead, he nodded.

"Strange, isn't it?" Akira tilted his head to look at you for a bit, before back at the hot cup he was pouring. It's the same liquid he's been adding the entire day. This must be the last of those ten pints. "Here, try it."

You slowly took it. It's still a bit too warm, so you continued talking.

"I thought about it, too. If we go by theories, it will make more sense if Barbatos blessed me instead. But with you here..." Akira laughed. "Pyro is definitely my element. I'm seeing a pattern with vision-wielders like me. Based on what I've seen so far, pyro users are often the most passionate. And passion can put a leash on freedom when need be."

You took a sip.

He put an elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm.

"How is it?"

"It's... tasteless?" You blinked.

You thought he must've added something grand to the cups today. Was it all just one big placebo effect?

"Makes it no different than regular water, huh?"

"Well, yeah, I guess?"

"I've actually been disposing of this the entire day, that's why the coffees looked darker. Diluting the original sample is hard work but worth it. Enough as a substitute for normal water in case we run out. Who knew you could empty 10 pints so quickly in a day..."

"You. In case you run out." You sighed, finally addressing it. "Akira, I'm no longer your partner."

"So is he."

You both paused.

He returned the kettle to the ice box before unmasking its contents.

"You were near-fatally wounded once before. You tasted it in your mouth when I defended you from that Lawachurl-

"You should know by now that blood isn't supposed to be tasteless."

Riley H. Goodheart can now message Akira Kurusu

#$ first follower event #$ brynn's manuscripts #yandere joker #yandere joker x reader #yandere akira kurusu #yandere ren amamiya #yandere akira kurusu x reader #yandere ren amamiya x reader #akira kurusu x reader #ren amamiya x reader #joker x reader #yandere persona #yandere persona 5 #yandere persona 5 x reader #why does he have so many names and aliases.#persona #persona 5

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yanderehsr · 9 months

Note

hey hey hey! hope you're quite well today. if this isn't tiring, then i wonder if you can make a platonic yandere blade, dan heng, himeko, bailu, jingyuan and yanqing with a slightly nahida!reader. like you know, is intelligent despite her age and somewhat knows their yandere behaviour (she can't read people's mind but but she can read people like a book). at first, she was an elusive and secretive individual, also suffered from very low self-esteem as a result of her parents judging her and likes to read books. She almost always maintains a gentle and kind demeanour when she speaks to others, and treats everyone as equals. Her social skills though needs some work and speaks in analogies. if this is too much, then ignores. take care of your health, please.

Holy moly, that's alot of characters😅

Trigger Warning: Yandere, Obsessive behaviour, Possessive behaviour, Clingy behaviour, Kidnapping, Murder

Blade: He takes interest in you, you seem to know what he is thinking at all times. It doesn't take long for an obsession to start and you notice it right away. It annoys him that you so easily dodge him and even more that you treat those pests as equals, including your parents.

He kills your parents, infront of you. This is the price of avoiding him. You cry, of course you do, it's your parents that was killed, but Blade smiles. Now you have no choice but to come with him.

"Look at your parents, if you didn't avoid me they would still be alive"

Dan Heng: Will try to manipulate you to his side, he wants to protect you from this cruel world, but you see through every lie and manipulation. If this goes on for too long and he has to return to the astral express, then he would kidnap you during nighttime, you might be smarter then him, but not stronger.

Now Dan Heng has you on the astral express, he lies to the crew, telling them that you're brainwashed by your 'abusive' parents. Normal people wouldn't believe this, but the crew has seen so many strange things that they accept this. All of this just so he could protect you.

"Just know that this is for your safety, the world is far too cruel for someone like you"

Himeko: Already has adoption papers, wait what do you mean you already have parents. She finds you cute, and you are just so smart, you are everything she ever wanted in a child. But her dreams shatter so easily, you had parents and while a bit strict, they were good people.

Too bad that their child had a yandere after them. While Himeko is away from you all she can do is think about what you're doing, if you're eating well and getting the right amount of sleep. She will take you onboard the train, sure you notice that something is wrong but it is too late, the train is already leaving your planet.

"Don't look so sad, now come on, you may call me mother"

Bailu: 2 increadibly smart children that are childhood friends, she always takes time out of the day to spend time with her friend. Hell, she might even stop an emergency treatment just to spend time with you.

You notice early that Bailu's friendship is toxic, but you try to fix her, surely she isn't too far beyond saving. Well you knew the answer when you woke up, chains binding your wrists as she cuddles into you. All you did was spend time with another of your friends, but Bailu misunderstood and thought you were replacing her, and now were here.

"You can't leave me, you are MY friend and mine alone"

Sorry but I cut out Jing Yuan and Yanqing, I never thought that someone would request so many characters. I'll just add a new rule to the rule list

#yandere #yandere honkai star rail #yandere hsr #yandere female #yandere male #yandere blade #yandere blade x reader #yandere dan heng #yandere dan heng x reader #yandere himeko #yandere himeko x reader #yandere bailu #yandere bailu x reader #platonic yandere

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asteroshearts · 4 months

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From here on out, devoted

You commit a faux pas at your wedding, but look at how handsome he appears today — how can you not?

Nanami x Reader

Tags: pre-canon, she/her pronouns, marraige, breaking tradition (NOT appropriate behavior tho i don't condone it in irl situations💀), religious sacrilege??, familial pressure, fluff

You and Nanami had a traditional wedding.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a choice you made all on your own.

It wasn't as if you necessarily wanted a hybrid or Western-style wedding, but you never had the chance to decide in the first place. It would've been so simple if you were just two people in love, but you two weren't just ordinary joined souls, but jujutsu sorcerers.

And as a lead member of a prolific jujutsu clan, it wasn't just your wedding, but theirs — everyone's. Tonight wasn't just for you and Kento to become one, nor was it only for your close families to unite, but for the entirety of jujutsu society to observe. They could threaten your position as a sorcerer as they pleased, but it was a new matter when Kento was at risk as well.

Every jujutsu higher-up had to be there to officiate, pray, and bless you two as a couple, and every prominent clan had to be there. (Unfortunately for Nanami, that also meant the Gojo clan.)

You tried to think of the positives initially: you had access to one of the most beautiful shrines you had ever seen in your life, one that was hidden away only for those in jujutsu society for hundreds of years. All expenses would be taken care of.

Also, at the end of the day, you were going to get married to the love of your life: Nanami Kento.

That was already the highest blessing that you could ask for.

You were already considered lucky by the women in every single clan— your marriage could have been arranged. Gojo himself was a product of an arranged marriage, as well as almost every member of the Zen'in clan. Yet here you were crying when you were marrying for love.

However, you were constricted by your own lack of agency. You couldn't choose your wedding dress — you weren't allowed to wear one. Your wedding date was chosen by one of the higher-ups. You wouldn't be able to kiss, or hug, or be affectionate for the entirety of the rites. People like Zen'in Naoya had to be invited while the individuals that you wanted to see like Shoko couldn't come until after the main ceremony.

On late nights when the curtains were wide, allowing the city's nightlife to illuminate your room, you and Kento used to whisper, believing that one day when the cherry blossoms fell, he'd be the one to weave a single braid in your hairstyle on your wedding day, or have a hand in tying one of the knots.

It would've meant the world: a representation of how he helped you get ready then, and how he'd pamper you now — until the rest of your lives. Now it was being taken from you.

All the things of beauty that you admired: the lavish bridal nihongami, the intricate shiromuku, suddenly weighed heavy on your heart.

Kento was always on your side. Privately, he brought up to you that you two could elope. The higher-ups couldn't take over your wedding if there was no wedding to control.

It sounded so tempting. However, this wasn't just your wedding, but Kento's. He would never say it out of worry of pressuring you. For as straight-laced of a man that he appeared to outsiders, you knew how sentimental he was, and how much he valued a ceremony that would bind you two from now on to eternity.

In all the aspects of your wedding that you could control, Nanami thrived. Although your future husband didn't show it with smiles or exuberant words, you could tell just how excited he was to plan things like the reception's menu, taking care to include things like seabream and red rice to wish for your prosperity as a couple. He called up restaurants and caterers from far and wide, bringing you to samplings nearly every week, trying to fuse some common dishes with some of his favorite French, Portuguese, and many other restaurants.

He personally designed the invitations, ordered all of the wedding favors with you.

You couldn't steal it from him. Even if you two eloped now and tried to postpone the ceremony, the elders would always be there.

Didn't you already have the most important thing?

Oh, and you adored the man you would be marrying, you thought. The stylist carefully laid down several sets of kanzashi beside you. You were set to get ready for the next nine hours.

Fine. You looked at your reflection in the mirror. The elders can have this one day.

As long as you have your man for the rest of your life.

It smelled like pollen on your wedding day. Inhaling deeply, the shrine's courtyard was covered in sakura pedals, shining dappled light upon you and Kento.

Hair raised on the back of your neck when the shrine masters began to play their shinobue and fue, signaling your and Nanami's descent from the courtyard into the main pavilion.

The high sound reverberated deep into your eardrums, making the clicks of your sandals fall deaf to your ears. This loss — lack displaced you from the present, as if you were never really there. As if you were a ghost under this cold spring when one of your older relatives held the ornate oil-paper umbrella plastered with several jujutsu talismans over your and your groom's heads, shielding you from whatever remnants of the sun were left.

You couldn't see him, not even from the corner of your eye when you were hidden by the bridal headdress. However, Nanami Kento was a yours. The nerves in your heart stirred alarms in his head, calling out to him.

Your right hand cradled the folds of your kimono, lifting it up and holding it to your body while your groom held his hands at his side, with a folding fan in one palm.

You felt the ends of your large sleeve being tugged, pulling you closer. Your breath hitched when you felt that moment again. Eyes darting to the crowd around your escort, the Zen'ins, the Inumakis, all those that your elders deemed as important enough to attend were surrounding you on both sides.

But with how your groom called out to you silently, it gave your heart wings, did it not?

Your proper groom, you thought, who followed protocol and listened to what was right more than any other sorcerer you knew, toeing the line — just to hold your hand.

Quickly and daringly, you quickly switched your right hand with your left, even as you had to awkwardly stretch it over your torso to tuck your hand under the hulking fold. You dropped your hand to your side for your knuckles to brush across layers of silk until you were finally skin-to-skin with Kento's own large hand.

Hidden by a sea of heavy fabric, bones cautiously knocked into each other, skin meeting gently across pads of fingers, and inching closer for your hands to knit —

Smack!

Teeth gritting, you and Kento quickly dropped your hands and separated.

"Have some shame," your relative muttered from behind your ear.

Rolling your eyes, you were finally glad that your glare was hidden under your wataboshi.

In all honesty, you couldn't focus much after that.

The remaining rites were a blur in your mind. When the students asked you years down the line what your wedding was like, you honestly told them you couldn't remember much of it. (The honeymoon was much more memorable, you would tease.)

You returned to earth as Utahime stood in front of you and your groom seated before her. Giving you a stern nod, she handed your groom his first cup with two hands. When he took it with a nod, she held the golden pot in her hand and poured Kento the first cup of sake.

Turning your head toward him, it was as if the veil lifted. The ends of your headdress finally revealed the marvel in front of you.

Suddenly, all you could hear as he brought the cup to his lips were the instruments in the background played by the live musicians.

A silent gasp escaped your lips. It struck you — you haven't really looked at him all day. Until now.

He was too good to be true.

Nanami forwent his glasses, and you can see the ends of his lashes brush the top of his cheeks as his eyelids fell. His hair was done meticulously, and the warm lights of the shrine lit up the strands on his head to be as golden as the pieces on your hair ornaments.

Even as you brought up your own cup to take three sips of sake, the vision in your mind stayed the same —

Of how he took your breath away by the sight of him in his montsuki haori hakama. Your heart bloomed: you stared at the crisp lines of fabric that surrounded his collar, neatly falling against his peachy skin. His Adam's apple gently rose and fell when he sipped his second cup of sake.

Staring down at your two cups placed side-by-side after you had your second drink, you wondered if there had ever been another man like him before. And whether there will ever be a Nanami Kento ever again.

Heart clenching, the music beside you started its slow crawl, carrying low notes that vibrated in your chest.

You wished it so.

For when you lived, died, and are reborn — you shrewdly didn't even want your soul to consider anyone else.

The string accompaniment slowly built up the notes, echoing singular plucked koto strings.

Utahime poured Nanami his third and last cup of sake.

Eyes carrying the reflection of your future husband, tears suddenly fell down in rivulets. Oxygen didn't pass your lungs.

Nanami paused, eyes widened as he carried his last sip, shocked at your sudden onslaught of tears. He turned to you fully with worry.

Oh, you looked him in the eye, you were getting married.

Unable to stop yourself, the song hit its sforzando. You threw yourself at your husband, arms wrapping around his neck, and desperately pressing your lips to his.

Needles and pricks danced around your legs after the kneeing position you were forced in the entire ceremony, causing you to nearly topple over the blond man. Loud gasps rang from the crowd as soon as you committed the scandalous act, but all you could hear was the beat of your hearts following the tune of the music.

And the rule-following man before you allowed it, for whatever you do: right and wrong, he put you first.

Catching you from falling, Nanami corded a singular strong arm around your waist, pressing you firmly against his body, hoisting you up until your knees weren't on the ground. Feet — swept.

Deepening the kiss with the god of a man before you, you were positive — as the warm sake flowed from his mouth to yours, you had taken your final sips.

You were officially husband and wife. By all means and forms of tradition, the gods had decreed it.

"What is the matter with you two?!" Gakuganji roared. Several pairs of hands attempted to rip you and Nanami apart while Gojo laughed merrily in the background.

Staring at you and Nanami making out right in front of her, Utahima twisted her face with annoyance.

"Nothing stays the same. However, for this life and the next, I beg any god that's listening to me...please let me spend every lifetime making our bed together and sharing bread from the bakery," you vowed in front of your guests.

#nanami kento x reader #nanami x reader #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #nanami kento #jjk x reader #jjk nanami #jujutsu kaisen x reader #nanami fluff #nanami

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hillbillyoracle · 11 days

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So you want to print and distribute a free zine...

I wanted to throw together a short tutorial on how I print zines using this excellent COVID safety zine by @newlevant as an example.

Printing

First make sure you are clicking on the printable file. When you open it, it should look slightly jumbled. I always look for seeing the front cover and the back cover on the same page.

Then click "print" (usually a printer icon) and open "more settings".

The key things people tend to get wrong when they try printing zines is they forget to make sure that it is double sided and flips on the short edge. If you tried printing one and it came out looking wonky, make sure to check this.

Also, it will make your life infinitely easier if you use the collate option should you have it available to you.

Fit to printable area is a helpful setting to have on if you're printing zines who use a different paper standard than you. This zine didn't for me but I leave this on out of habit.

When you've got this all set up - print as many copies as you want to assemble.

Assembling

When you get them out of the printer they'll look like this. Just a big old stack. I highly recommend parsing out each individual copy before you try assembling any. I have made that mistake before.

This is how I stack mine.

I like to leave the cover side up as it makes for a clearer division as I'm assembling.

As you're flipping through these to parse and stack them, check them over for any issues with printing. I ran out of printer toner on the first three so I'm glad I checked.

Imperfections are fine but you're looking for anything that makes critical information unreadable.

To assemble a copy, get them lined up by tapping them on the table along a short and a long edge.

Both hands is a lot easier but I was trying to take a picture lol

Then fold them hamburger style and smooth down the spine as best you can. If you have a bone folder or similar use that.

Again, let go of perfection. We are looking for good enough here. Minor errors here should not make info unreadable so don't sweat the small stuff.

I recommend doing all your folding in one go to prevent errors. Or at least it really helps me.

Now it's time to staple. You will see my fancy stapler in the background - you do not require it and I would not recommend it. Unhinging a normal stapler is way easier to use in my opinion and this one gets jammed fairly easy. Use what you've got.

If you don't have staples, but you do have sewing supplies - check out this tutorial for a way to bind it with thread.

If you have no staples and no thread, you don't have to staple every zine. Smaller ones (~5 pages or less) do fine with no staple. They can be a little tougher for some people to use and don't hold up as well being taken in and out of places so I would consider that when thinking of where to leave them. They're still well worth printing and putting out.

This zine is small enough that one staple in the center should be enough to keep it together.

I opted to staple in two places - one about an inch in from either edge - mostly out of habit. It does add a little stability and will make them a little better for putting in Little Free Libraries and other places where they'll be removed and placed back.

Here is my partner looking over the zines to make sure my stapling didn't cut off any important information in each copy. It's a little tedious but it's pretty important. A quick flip through can mean the difference between someone getting the info you want them to have or not.

And here's the finished product

I made 15. I'm pretty privileged and have been making zines for over a decade now so it's almost like knitting or crochet for me. Feel free to make fewer copies or just one for yourself. It still counts.

I will stick some in each car and my bag. I have some medical appointments coming up so I will for sure be leaving some of these in the waiting room.

I'm also going to keep an eye out for Little Free Libraries and other place where people are looking for something to read. I might also toss some on the tables of a coffee shop I pop into sometimes (masked, take out only) and the library to pick up books (also masked).

I tend not to give them to specific people, even people I know, because people are way more open to information they've picked up themself than something it feels like someone is pressuring them to read. But if people bring it up in conversation, I'll be sure to offer a copy to anyone who is interested.

Hope this is helpful!

Go out there and print!

#zine #COVID #long COVID #self publishing #activism

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sinorim-pisani · 5 months

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tl;dr The Danny Phantom fandom is just obsessed with Found Family and I FALL FOR IT EVERY TIME

Hear me out, people, hear me out......

FRAIDS.

that's it that's the post.

jk jk that is absolutely not the post, because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT FRAIDS. Danny Phantom lore at it's FINEST.

Strap in folks, it's about time for another (weirdly long??) DP word blast!

Now this could be the "found family trope" lover in me, but I freaking love the possibilities that exist when it comes to the concept of a ghost fraid. What I've read in fics is just *chef's kiss*. We have the mental links, the ectoplasm based threads that bind everyone together, the found family idea of course, and pleeeeenty of angst potential. But I wanna talk about the nitty gritty details.

What is a Fraid, if not a subconsciously and artificially created link based on a ghost's heightened feelings of attachment, or ownership? Bear with me, I can explain; we'll use Danny and his Fraid as an example here. Typically, when introducing the idea that Danny is connected to his friends and Jazz and Dani via the concept of a "Fraid", fic authors use the image of threads created with ectoplasm to tell the reader that the group is connected together on a higher level. These threads are often a result of Danny unknowingly marking his people as his, and thereby telling the ghost world that messing with these people means messing with Phantom himself. To me, this sounds a lot like Danny is essentially layering his own ectoplasm onto his group so frequently, intensely, and even intently (despite his continued ignorance to what his ghostly side is doing), that his resulting Fraid essentially becomes a part of himself. The ectoplasmic threads are then a physical manifestation of Danny's ectoplasm as it exists in his friends.

But if this is the case, could a Fraid ever be created intentionally?

Let's lay out the apparent requirements to create a Fraid, based on the proposed example above. I'm postulating that, to create a Fraid, the ghost needs to 1) spend a sizable portion of time around the future fraid members, 2) feel strong feelings of possession, protection, obligation, or what have you, 3) maintain a large amount of affection for their persisted presence, and 4) feel safe enough around them to allow their ectoplasm to manifest like an aura, rather than keep it tightly inside and controlled. In Danny's case, all of these conditions are met by Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Dani, and they are typically the ones you see being placed in Danny's Fraid. His parents aren't on that list, as they fail to meet condition 4, and possibly even condition 3 (which is not to say Danny doesn't feel affection towards his parents. He definitely loves them, but does he love them consistently, constantly, and in the same way as he does his friends?). While Danny is constantly choosing his friends (he chooses them day in, day out, after Sam convinces him to walk to his death, after Tucker makes a decision out of intense jealousy, after Dani hunts him, Danny is still choosing them), he isn't constantly choosing how he feels in their presence. That would be hard for anyone to do, let alone creatures whose entire being revolves around their emotional volatility. The idea of intentionally creating a Fraid is ruled out, based on the idea that, even for beings that run off emotional cognizance, feelings as vulnerable as those required for the process are difficult to create and maintain consciously.

Now how does Fraid creation actually work?

The way I've described it above, I'm going to claim that a Fraid is essentially the ghost version of a horcrux. Instead of the soul going into an object, the ghost is exposing other ghosts (or people, in Danny's case) to intense amounts of their ectoplasm (which could be argued to be their soul given form, I guess?) and the ectoplasm is then settling inside the other party, being absorbed into their core, or skin, and cementing that individual as a part of the ghost creating the Fraid. Since this kind of ectoplasm is primarily that of the ghost, it will invariably have ties to the emotions that ghost is experiencing, hence the idea mentioned above that there needs to be a prolonged feeling of relaxation and safety about the creatures in the pre-formed Fraid. This being the case, I like to think about how Fraids might function when they're made of other ghosts too, and whether or not those secondary ghosts can basically form a layer of Fraids (like one web of ectoplasm built on another web and on another etc with different ghosts being the center point....does that make sense?). Would a Fraid with mostly ghosts develop it's own impression of a core? Is there a threshold of ectoplasm needed to develop a power level in this case? That's some juicy theory building right there.

When Danny's Fraid comes onto the scene, it gets a bit wonky.

Most of the time, his Fraid is made up of two (or three if you're counting Dan) ghosts and three (sometimes liminal sometimes not) humans, and there's almost of bit of a power imbalance. I would say that both Danny and Dani end up establishing this group of people as their individual Fraids, but how do the three humans influence the ectoplasm connection? And how does the fact that Danny and Dani virtually share an ectoplasm signature influence it? (this isn't to say that they share a core or are the same people, I am a firm lover of ice core danny and water core dani, but Dani is a clone and a product of Danny's ectoplasm....do you think they have the same signature, or would Dani develop her own signature?)

Connecting this to my first question above (is a Fraid a product of a ghost's feelings of "ownership" or "possession"): if you like your humans liminal like I do, I'm going to take a chance and say that Sam, Tucker, and Jazz have developed juuuust enough of a ghost core or an ecto signature for the Fraid threads to stick to them, and that ghosts probably wouldn't be able to draw regular, non-liminal humans into their Fraid unbeknownst to them. Due to this, I believe the humans would be able to reflect the ectoplasm back to Danny, creating a stable loop that allows for the continuance of the Fraid connection. I don't necessarily think this alone would allow for a strong connection - they're human, however liminal they might be, and liminal humans don't have the same ectoplasm reserves as a ghost, nor do they have the amount of "soul-like" ectoplasm needed to cement themselves inside the other parties like Danny could ( remember the horcrux analogy?). But! But but but! If Danny and Dani share an ectoplasm signature, and a Fraid is essentially an emotional feedback loop given substance, then you have two times the ectoplasm signature being run through and reflected back to each of the Fraid members, essentially....eliminating the original weakness of their connection?? And therefore you end up with a fully formed and healthy Fraid system?? I think that's pretty neat, right?

Idk dude, is this too long? Is there a limit to how much I can talk about this? I don't think there is.

for the sake of digestibility I'm going to DEFINITELY be writing a part 2 for this!!

But think about these questions in the meantime, if you want:

Would a ghost that isn't the Fraid's formation point be able to reject or leave the Fraid system? How?

What would happen to the Fraid "head" so to speak, if their Fraid threads were severed or rejected, based on the theory that it's essentially a part of themselves implanted in another creature?

Are potential Fraid members aware of what's happening when a Fraid is in its preliminary stages?

Could Fraids be rare?

Am I projecting my feelings of isolation onto a cool kid's show?? Who knows! I feel a fanfic idea coming tho....

Part 2 coming soon!

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rinbowaman · 9 months

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ƎᗡIꙄЯƎHTO ƎHT - Cₕₐₚₜₑᵣ ₒₙₑ

Here we go......

Warnings: Gore, torture, threats of torture, murder, gruesome acts, mentions of smut, smuttish vibes.

Clink…..clink…..clink…..clink

Opening your eyes, you blink them back to clarity as you shifted your sights to the left and right, trying to regain stability in your breathing. The sharp ache in your head lingers. Slowly, you start to recollect the memories of what had happened….

“Excuse me, miss?....”

Turning your head to the voice of an unknown female, you peaked your brows as you answered, “Yes?”

At that very second, your vision was shrouded in darkness as someone breached you from behind and placed a cover over your head, covering the key features of your identity and muffling your screams as you felt the strong hands restraining you.

The moment the individual had dragged, shoved, and pinned you to the seat of the vehicle you were forced in, a sharp puncture on your neck was the last thing you felt before succumbing to the effects of whatever it was that was injected into your body, rendering you unconscious.

“W-where am I?......How long has it been since I was taken away? Who was that woman?”

Your mind beckoned nearly every question that appeared during your recollection of events as you surmised that the woman who addressed you earlier may have been in some sort of partnership with what you suspected was a man that detained you.

Looking around, you observed your surroundings as your vision became less blurry. To your horror, you suddenly grasped the gravity of your situation as you closely studied the dark red splatters on the walls, the amount of moisture coating the cement flooring, which indicated that someone had used a hose to spray the area clean, yet the residue of the rusty brown and red coloring indicated the worst of your fears as your eyes met with the harsh display of various tools….tools that were decorated with jagged edges, seared teeth, and grinding motorized equipment, all left unsanitary as the evidence of blood, tissue muscle, and skin was left behind from what you surmised were previous victims of the person who snagged you.

Your breath hitched as you attempted to move, yet the sudden realization of your wrists and ankles detained by tight ropes, wrapped in a series of coils that were tight, leaving you no room to wiggle your way out for freedom. Within the limitations you were binding by, the steel surface you felt beneath your frame gave you the sense that you were on a unfurnished hospital bed or possibly a culinary prep station table. With your hands extended above your head, fully stretched, it was impossible for you to view where the rope had started with its knot, making it an uneasy feat to try and untie yourself. It didn’t help that your palms were tied facing outward, with the rope looped in between each finger before securely fasted to the base of whatever it was that you were tied to.

₵ⱤɆɆɆ₳₳₳₳₳₭

The sudden sound of the door scratching open startled you to still and causing your breath to lose tempo. With tears building up, you felt something that was far past the feeling of fear within you as you watched a rather largely built figure make his way over to you. He had on a black ski mask, wore a long sleeve black turtleneck and black jeans. He was rather robust in stature, and seemingly tall, despite being forced to remain in a laying state. There was no question about it, the man was a brute, regardless of the fact he lacked muscle and was built mostly with soft tissue and had a lot of water content in his body, giving him a heftier appearance.

Still, unless you found your way out of the binds that sustained you to the metal surface, there was no way for you to fight him off or to run free.

Now that you think of it, where could you even run?

After examining the area, the room was large yet there was only one door that could be made out, meaning your exit for escape was severely restricted. Your eyes continued to migrate from one corner to another, forgetting about the stalking figure that was making his way closer to you. It wasn’t until he spoke, that you nearly gasped for air, realizing that you were holding your breath in from terror.

“You’re awake. That’s good….that’s good…..I held off on everything until you came back to consciousness.”

Your eyes glistened with blobs of moisture as you processed his words. His hand reaches over to feel up your arms and wrists, grazing his fingers over your skin. You turned your head away as the tears left their mark across your cheeks. Burrowing your nose into the underside of your arm, you wiggled your fingers and shift your wrists out of desperation, yet it was useless, you were already at a disadvantage with your hands tied above your head, much less secured with a stabled form of restraint.

“There….there…..there….don’t be sad…try and understand….I had to wait for you to come back…..because if had gotten started while you were asleep, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy what you sound and look like when I use my special toys on you.”

You gasped out, bursting into a panic of sobs as your body regained oxygen by taking in deep inhales all the while the man kept feeling you. Leaving you with just your sundress on, your shoes removed and your hair sporadically cradling your shoulders and decorating the metal table, you could only imagine the man feasting his eyes on you, looking like a fallen angel at his mercy.

His hand reaches up and caresses your face, you peeved a glare from a side-eye’d stance as you figured, should you die, you might as well put on a face that he wouldn’t appreciate, even if you knew it wasn’t going to last long considering his ‘toys’ were all types that were used to inflict the most horrid pain and torture anyone could imagine.

“W-why?.....Why are you doing this?” You sputtered out, your voice soft and your tone nearly breathless, all of which he found pleasing.

“When you speak…..its just…..I cannot wait. I can’t wait to tear you apart. There are so many ways….how should I do it? Which way should I do it first? You’re so beautiful….the prettiest out of all of them…..that’s why we have to go about this carefully, since I only have one chance. God…I wish you had more lives you pretty thing….I wish I could saw you to pieces every day, if only….right?”

Your eyes widened with fear as you developed an expression of sadness, despair, and hopelessness. “Don’t….just don’t…..” you whispered out.

“Oh but I have to. I’ve waited for so long…y/n.”

Developing a stoic expression, you were stunned to hear the man call you by your name.

“H-how…?......How do you…?”

“Know your name?” he finishes for you. “Well let’s just say that ever since I first saw you at your favorite coffee shop…..I just…..I’ve never seen a face like yours….your body is also very…..delectable. All those nice dresses you wore to work….the subtle showing of your gorgeous skin….and your long flowing hair……..I just knew that you were going to be my number one…….the moment I waited and stood by the counter, I saw the cup you grabbed…marked with your name….what a beautiful name for a beautiful woman…..to think….that I waited three months for the right moment to get you.”

“Three months?.....” you gasped out.

“Yes y/n, three months. I surprise myself sometimes, no matter how many times I nearly fell into carelessness, you women never suspect a thing. Maybe its because I’ve done this so many times that I’m just too damn good……you know?”

At the last bit of his sentence, he reaches over your head and grabs on to power tool, one with a jagged blade powered by a motorized device similar to that of a power drill.

Your breaths heightened and speed up, gasping out, your whimpers assist them as your chest heaves deeply at the sight of the tool in his hand.

“Oh keep doing that….your breasts look amazing when you breathe so deep. I like it a lot….y/n.”

Setting your fearful look at his face, which remained covered by the black mask he adorned, you could only make out the blue color of his eyes as you issued your despaired tone of mercy through breathless whimpering.

“Oh my God….you really truly are…..so damn beautiful……….let me just….let me just get a taste of what its like to see that pretty face in pain…..”

Hovering the tool above your face, he leans in, just slightly, yet it was close enough to make your skin crawl.

“Now…..what should I take off? …..I can take out one of your breasts. I think I have a jar somewhere in here so I can keep it as a memento….my precious souvenir….I have one for your eyes definitely. I even have one for your heart and your uterus, but don’t worry, I won’t fuck you now…..not until I take out a piece…or two. I prefer my dolls to be in some pain before I give them…..pleasure.” the grin display of yellow stained teeth through his thin lips set off a sensation of your chest sinking in. You felt nauseous and lightheaded, almost as if you were going to pass out or faint from the sight of his words alone. Since you had no means of getting out, you hoped that your body would just fall into a blacked-out stage, at least then, you wouldn’t have to feel the pain through the means of his torturous methods.

His finger flicks the switch of the power tool on, you watched through half shut lids, the jagged teeth of the blade vibrating from the battery the cyclic base of the setting he had it on, which was low…..low so that it would cut slowly…..saw into your tissue and skin in a protracted rate, all for his enjoyment.

“Maybe…since I have a tourniquet here, why don’t I just take a piece off your kneecap…that way it’s not taking too much….I need to preserve you for as long as I can so I can enjoy you….savor the moments. I’ll take off a piece…. stop the bleeding and wait for you to calm down and then we can continue…..how does that sound?”

You shook your head in defeat as you closed your eyes, softly sobbing as you turned your head away once more, dreading the second he would cut into you.

The motor of the power tool was all you could hear. Gaining volume as he closes the distance, you held your breath in and bit down on your tongue……

“God……..please just kill me now……”

…………………………………

You waited…..a few seconds goes by and yet you still felt nothing……you kept your breath held, your tongue pinned between your teeth, and your eyes glued shut.

………………………………..

Still, nothing…..

Yet the motor of the tool was still on…..the jagged edges of the saw was still moving….the length of the blade was still vibrating……and yet……there was nothing….

Opening your eyes, you remained facing off to the side, when your peripheral vision caught just a slight bit of an unfamiliar sight…something that wasn’t there just a minute ago when you had expand your sights over the horizons of the room.

There was also….a scent…the fragrance of a male…a different male. One that didn’t smell of stale detergent and carpentry tools like the fellow in the black ski mask….no….this one was different. It was a scent of a strong musk, semi-sweet and pleasing to the nostrils.

Widening your eyes, you shift your head closer to center, and that’s where you saw the source of where the scent derived from……

Standing off to the opposite side of the robust male, you had a clear under view of the one that had his arm reached over and across your body, with his hand grasping the other man’s wrist, inhibiting him from proceeding with his infliction of torture.

The man who had suddenly appeared, well out of nowhere, was built the exact opposite of the other. He looked to be just as tall as the masked kidnapper, yet this one was lean, built with muscle and from what you could see in the underlying viewpoint, he looked to be of the same age range as you, possibly a tad bit younger or older. He had on a baseball cap that casted a shadow over his define face, allowing you to only view his nose and mouth, yet you could see that he was of Asian descent, with an olive skin tone, black wispy hair that laid freely from under the cap, and a protruding Adam’s Apple. You couldn’t make out his features entirely with the restricted view you had since the man was standing overhead, but what you could see, as the slight sly smirk he had on his lips.

Admitting a quick chuckle, he extends his thumb and quickly flicks it upwards, flipping the switch to the power tool off. The man in the ski mask didn’t have any time to process that the machine was off, because the moment the lean male had moved his thumb, he simultaneously grabbed hold of the base handle, and yanked it out of the other man’s hand, pulling the cord and plug out of the outlet.

Swinging the device over to his side as his arm reaches over his chest, the man swings once more, only this time he moves in the opposite direction, as if he was about to admit a back hand slap, except the tool in his grasp was used to inflict a rather large and painful gash on the man dressed all in black.

With the ski mask partially torn, blood coating his skin and the horrendous cry of pain and frustration, the hefty man makes a run to the door, all the while holding onto his cheek.

With a swift and effortless motion, the younger man slams his palm on the surface of the table, right beside your hipbone. Placing his weight on the palm, he gains leverage as he jumps and lands in a crouching position next to you, grinning a twisted smile and exposing his teeth.

“What the Hell?....Is….is he enjoying this?....What’s with that smile?”

Mentally denoting the young man’s countenance, you watched as he leaps over the table and your body, executing a perfect land on both feet as he merges a running start with the graceful landing. Sprint across the cement floor, the young man reaches the stumbling kidnapper and yanks his collar from behind, swerving his frame around and plastering his backside to the wall.

He moved and did everything so elegantly, so much in fact, you were starting to wonder if he had prior military service under his belt considering the man moved with a combatant flare, yet also had style and grace that of a choreographer, or an athlete. He also displayed strength that was somewhat deceiving considering that, despite the lean muscle he had in his forearms, which was the only part of him aside from his neck and face that remained exposed, the man had power and sturdy competence that did not match his slender stature. At least not enough to swing a much heavier fellow around like a rag doll.

Watching the two go at it, the younger man had the upper hand as he pinned the other to the wall. With a dark chuckle, the man finally speaks, and just like the tone of his mischievous laugh, it was no different with the way he spoke out his words, in fact, it may have even been lower.

“Well now….what should I take off first, hmm?”

Your eyes widen once more, you were stunned and confused at how twisted and dark his words were. Surely, the kidnapper was a cruel man, but from the sounds of it, so was this fellow. Was it perhaps because of what the man was going to do to you? Was that what triggered for this slender fellow to become dark and murderous in the most monovalent manner possible? What was this?

You watched as the slender male looks up and down at the other, mimicking the words the kidnapper issued to you, the one with the upper hand throws it back to him as he admits the same words, with a similar tone, with that sadistic smirk never leaving his face.

“I can take out your eyes. I think you have a jar somewhere in here so I can store them as a memento….a precious souvenir.” His smile widens as he giggles and bites down on his bottom lip. Leaning in to the other male, he whispers in his ear, something that you couldn’t hear or make out from where you remained stationary.

“But don’t worry, I’m not going to fuck her….not until I take out a piece…or two. I too…. prefer my dolls to be in some pain before I give them…..pleasure.”

Widening his eyes, the younger man tightened the strength of his grip around the kidnapper’s neck, before he reached up with his free hand and began to dig out the latter’s eyeballs with his bare fingers.

You couldn’t see what was happening to the kidnapper, all you could see was the backside of the slender male as he reached up with his other hand. Whatever it was, you could only imagine what the younger fellow was doing as you winced your eyes shut upon hearing the horrendous screams and painful cries coming from your abductor.

The cries all died down to a slow and unsteady pattern of breaths as the slender man harshly tossed something off to the side…not once…but twice.

“What was that….that he just threw?”

You continued to observe the two, yet the moment the younger man reached up once more, you looked away and continued to shut your eyes as you tried your best to block out the continuation of painful screams. Unsure if you just wanted everything to stop, or perhaps you just prefer to not be present while your abductor succumbed to such grueling methods of torture, which he deserved, yet the humanness in you wished you didn’t have to be around to hear it. It was unsettling and caused an uneasy feeling to roll in the deeper part of your gut.

“Hold still now, you’re just making it worse for yourself.” the younger man chuckled out. Much to your dismay and fear, he lacked any sort of regret, compassion, or sympathy….no hesitancy or even the slightest sign to reflect any discomfort of his morbid performance. Instead, he remained smiling, chuckling, and appeared to be pleased with the amount of pain the abductor was admitting out as he continued to receive the unspeakable of murderous acts.

The screams grew louder, and much more desperate as you saw from the corner of your eye, the abductor wiggling around trying to break free from the other man’s grasp. Yet he remained trapped against the stone wall, eventually falling to his knees as the young man remained a firm hold, inflicting pain while he continued to flick something off to the side. What was it that he kept throwing or flickering away?

Your wandering gaze was disrupted by the answer to your pondering question….much to your gasping horror.

After a certain point, the young man flung the contents in his hand for what you suspected to be the tenth time now, yet he flicked it more so behind him, rather than to his side as he had done previously. The splatter landed nearby on the wall closest to you, and there it slid down the wall before it plops on the ground. Watching it, your eyes widened as you made out the blood, the tissue, the skin and form of the piece that the young man removed from the abductors face…..his tongue.

With the abductors screams merging to incoherent moans and groans of painful mercy, amidst the dark chuckles of the younger man, you wiggled fiercely trying to break free from the restraints. You reached a level of panic. This wasn’t normal…nothing about this was normal, no matter how revengeful someone could be, this was not the behavior of a sane man…it was almost as if he had done this before....it was almost as if he was…….

˙⊥∀Ǝ ∩O⅄ ⊥∀HM˙˙˙Ǝᴚ∀ ∩O⅄˙˙˙ᴚƎᙠWƎWƎᴚ S⅄∀M˥∀ ᗡN∀ ԀƎƎHS ƎH⊥ WOᴚℲ˙˙˙N∩ᴚ ˙⅄ƎᴚԀ ƎH⊥ SI ᴚƎ⅁NO˥ ON ԀƎƎHS ƎH⊥ 'ᴚƎ⊥N∩H ƎH⊥ '∩O⅄ SƎƎS ⊥I ⊥NƎWOW ƎH⊥˙˙˙⊥I S⋊˥∀⊥S ⊥∀H⊥ NOI˥ ƎH⊥ SI OS 'HSƎ˥Ⅎ ᗡƎΛ∀ᴚƆ ᗡN∀ 'ᗡOO˥ᙠ '⊥NƎƆS ᴚIƎH⊥ O⊥ NM∀ᴚᗡ Ǝᙠ ⅄∀W ∩O⅄ Ǝ˥IHM ƎS∩∀ƆƎᙠ ˙N∀Ɔ ∩O⅄ Ǝ˥IHM ƎԀ∀ƆSƎ ᗡN∀ 'ƎᗡIM ᗡN∀ ᴚ∀Ⅎ N∩ᴚ ˙N∩ᴚ ᗡN∀ 'ƎℲI˥ ᴚ∩O⅄ ᴚOℲ ᴚ∀ƎℲ ˙ԀƎƎHS ƎH⊥ ᴚ∀ƎℲ ˙⊥I ᴚ∀ƎℲ ᗡ˥∩OHS ⅄ƎH⊥ '⊥Ɔ∀Ⅎ NI ˙ԀƎƎHS ƎH⊥ Ǝ⊥∀WI⊥SƎᴚƎᗡN∩ ᴚƎΛƎN ᗡ˥∩OHS ᴚƎ⊥N∩H ∀

Without any loophole to break free, you were forced to bask in the frightening sounds of malicious torture and pain, the tears streaming down our face was never ending, and you pondered the most fearful thought that came to mind so suddenly as you listened in on the man dying slowly…..

“What is going to happen after he’s done with him……what is he going to do to me?.....There’s no way he came here to save me….not….not unless…..is he…is he going to want to kill me instead?”

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

The piercing scream snapped you out at mid thought. Terrified by the abrupt volume and the sound of flesh being torn off the dying man’s face, piece by piece, you glanced over and witnessed the younger man’s backside as he continues to fling off flesh from left to right. Silently sobbing, you bit down on your bottom lip, not daring to be overheard as the leaned figure continued with his assault. Submerging yourself to the soft sounds of your tears drifting down your face, your ears caught wind of the young man’s tone as he spat out to the dying man.

“Come on now….don’t get so weak on me…not after all that shit you said earlier….where’s all that vigor? Where’s all that spunk you had when you were about to saw into her? Hmm?”

The panic moans and grunts of the abductor reflected a desperate cry for mercy, all the while the other male continued to chuckle darkly as he delivers the finishing blows by tearing the remaining flesh from the man’s face.

“Theeeeeeeeere……that’s better…….open your fucking mouth, let’s get rid of those fucked up teeth of yours.” Wailing in pain, you sensed the man’s last breath was near as his moaned cries come to soft and low volume.

“Nnnnnnnnng……mmmmmmmmmmmrraaaaah!!!!”

“I said….hold still.”

“Ng….nhh…….mmmmmmraaaaahhh!!!!!”

“There’s one, let’s move on to the other ones, hmm?”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

……………………………

The room became stagnant with the scent of rusty blood and sour pitch of flesh rotting by the second. You kept your face turned away, trying not to wonder what was in store next for the young man.

The air became soundless as the last breath spews out with the lingering moan that eventually halts within a beatless form. The screams cease to exist, along with the painful groans and the tearing of flesh. The clunking sound of the lifeless body dropping to the floor as the other man releases his grip from the dead man’s neck echoes against the cement floor and stone tiled wall, causing a stir of emotions to rile up as you hear the man let out a prolonged sigh.

Everything remained quiet…. that was until you heard his feet pivot, shifting his frame to a one-eighty-degree turn, completely facing your direction. Not a split second later and his footsteps could be heard making their way to you, causing your breath to lose momentum.

Facing away, you remained still and mentally noted to compose your breathing to a steady pattern as you sensed him being merely inches away. Furrowing your brows, you developed a panic expression as you heard him taking in harsh inhales through his nostrils.

“Oh my God……please get away from me…..”

The feeling of his fingers delicately trailing along your cheek, jawline, and down your neckline caused you to shut your eyes in a sudden notion. Gasping out a crying moan, your body reacts by shifting away, or it tried to, yet the restraints kept you fixed in steady position, slightly leaning against your hipbone was all you could get out of your restricted state. It wasn’t enough, your frame remained fully exposed for him to eyeball as he affectionately grazed you over from head to toe.

Sitting on the edge of the metal table, he leans in as he continues to drag his fingertips down in between your breasts. His face closes in, breathing steadily, you felt the warm puffs of air released through his parted lips as he gently glazes your neck with each vapor.

“Hey there beautiful……you don’t have to hide…..you can open your eyes now, the bad man is all gone….took care of him.”

With blood still coating the pads of each finger, he decorates your skin with a glorified trail of crimson stains as he paints a picture of death.

“Red…..looks really good on you…..has anyone ever told you that?.....I guess they had since your lips……you’re wearing red lipstick aren’t you?.....My kind of girl…….my girl….”

“P-please….just….don’t…..just leave me alone…please……please don’t….”

At your bidding, he leans all the way through, closing every inch of distance that remained and nuzzles his face into your neck. The tip of his nose was semi-hard and stabbed your skin as the softness of his lips puckered against the center of your throat…..leaving small taps of kisses in a remote area.

“….S-stop….” You mumbled out. You remained calm despite wanting to burst out, yet something told you that wouldn’t have worked out in your favor. “Please……don’t…..don’t….” you whimpered out.

Releasing a subtle gasp against your neck, a low chuckle accompanies it as he scoffs out each breath, coating your skin with it. Laying helplessly at his mercy, your heart sank as you heard him spoke once more……inserting the future of your fate.

“Come on baby don’t be like that…..we’re going to be happy, you and I.”

Turning your face out of shock, you shifted to face him straight on. His hat still hovered a dark shadow over his eyes, yet the glistening shine and reflection of light bounced off the black hue, making them somewhat visible in close proximity.

“………W-what?.....What did you say?” you issued a concerned and shocked expression as you bid him to elaborate, which he did…through that twisted grin that seemed to permanently reside on his face….his dashingly handsome face.

“You’re coming with me……I’m going to take care of you…….I’m the only one that knows how to……my beautiful…..beautiful girl……..” taking a deep breath, he shifts upwards from your neck and with wide eyes, he aligns his lips with yours and issues a deep kiss…not once closing off his gaze at you.

Breaking free as you jolt your face away, you spurt out “Stop!” all the while you desperately wiggled and moved around, hoping the ropes would loosen up and grant you freedom.

Delicately grabbing onto your chin, he shifts your face back to his full view.

“Hey-hey……don’t be like that…I'm not gonna hurt you....far from it….I just want a bite…. just a taste……” leaning in once more, he kisses you yet again, only this time, it was more passionate and less demeaning. “…….Let me take you home….let me take care of you…..”

Another peck on your lips, and he finishes his wording….

“Let me fuck you.”

"Take care of her....." - SMAU

Taglist: @nshmrarki , @lprww , @baekxo07 , @m7omo @nctsslut

#heeseung x reader #heeseung scenarios #heeseung smut #enha x reader #heeseung hard hours #heeseung hard thoughts #heeseung fanfic #enhypen hard hours #enhypen smut #enha heeseung #enhypen yandere #yandere enhypen #heeseung yandere #yandere heeseung #obsessive yandere #yandere x reader #dark enhypen #Spotify

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pimosworld · 5 months

Text

The ties that bind

Pairing- Dave York x f!reader x Francisco Morales

Series Summary-Dave is a private investigator who tracks down soulmates. He’s tasked to find Frankie’s, but what happens when he finds you and he wants you to himself?

CW-18+,MDNI, Angst,Fluff,Eventual Smut,Hurt, Comfort,MMF dynamics. General warnings for each chapter. Anything sensitive will be added to individual chapters.

WK-5.5K

A/N-This starts out angsty but I don’t write sad endings so keep that in mind going forward. Reader has a best friend very near and dear to my heart.

[Series Masterlist][Main Masterlist]

Not beta read

Chapter I

Dave looks over the file on his desk again before he makes the call. He reviewed it the night before and was going to contact the client until he realized not everyone holds the same weird hours as he does. Insomnia.

He takes a sip of his coffee as he dials the number with a Florida area code. At least he would get to enjoy some nice weather this time. The last soulmate he tracked down mid winter lived in Buffalo New York, he wasted weeks trying to find him only to find out he was happily married and had no intention of leaving his current wife. The woman who hired him was devastated but…devastated doesn’t pay the bills so she was out twenty grand, and went back to being single a few states over.

They don’t always end in misery but he’s used to it now. He wonders why he still does it, maybe helping these people will erase the thought of killing someone’s soulmate when he’s contracted for his other job. He can’t think about that one too much.

“Hello Santiago speaking.” Dave glances down at the file once more to be sure.

“Ugh yes I’m Dave York calling to reach Francisco Morales?” He hears a low curse on the other end and some apologies.

“Oh ya, just give me a second.” He can hear ruffling and the sound of a sliding door. My patience is already wearing thin.

“Thanks for returning my call. I’m actually hiring you on behalf of my friend Francisco.”

This wouldn’t be the first time he was contracted to find someone’s soulmate because some friend or family member couldn’t keep their nose where it belonged. There would most certainly be drama and resistance. Two things Dave did not handle well.

“That’s very generous of you. Is Francisco eager to find his soulmate?”

“He ugh…well…yes, yes he is.” Fat chance

“I would need to meet him of course to go through with this, you understand?”

“Of course, that won’t be a problem at all. I sent you the details of when and where we can meet and provided you with the deposit.” At least he means business, either way Dave doesn’t care about the in’s and outs of why people do it. He knows it’s important… or at least he did.

He finishes going over the rules with Santiago that will hopefully get relaid to Frankie. He’ll find your soulmate and set up a meeting. If the person does not wish to pursue the relationship he will relay that to you to avoid any in person embarrassment. No stalking or harassment involved. If he can’t find them within 30 days you get your money back.

Some people frowned upon what he did. Purists thought you should meet your soulmate organically. They were rarely alone for more than a few years before they found theirs so he didn’t like listening to what they had to say.

He wasted years trying to find his love. When he did find her…it was already too late. Those six months were the best and worst of his life. Knowing he’s found his soulmate and gets to spend every waking moment with her only to have it ripped from his grasp.

If he had to spend the rest of his tortured life helping others not waste time then he would.

****

Why the hell did Will make them wear bow ties? This must be Amanda’s suggestion, there’s no way he decided they should all be this uncomfortable on his wedding day.

Frankie looks over at Ben and Will having some brotherly talk as if the younger miller has some wise words of advice having been married for all of six months. He loved rubbing it in that he was able to tie the knot before the rest of them of course excluding Tom who got married years ago when they were all in basic.

He tries really hard not to be bitter on these days but he can’t help himself. Of course he ran that risk when he married someone who was not his soulmate. He loved Sophia so much it didn’t matter to him. It’s worked out for plenty of other people and it worked for him…until it didn’t.

He didn’t try very hard to find his soulmate. Between being in the military, not being able to put down roots for so long and the fact that his soulmate probably hated him for all his scars and tattoos he can’t say he put much of an effort into finding them.

The hummingbird tattoo on his wrist practically taunted him his entire marriage. He pretended he didn’t care and so did she. She always told him they would try for kids when she was ready and he never pushed. He thought she was finally ready when she told him they needed to talk. Never in a million years did he expect her to say she found her soulmate and she was leaving him.

Their baby boy should be a year old by now, Sophia was pregnant within a month of the divorce being finalized. This was information Santiago insisted despite the others protests that he needed to know so that he could move on.

He can’t put the blame all on her. He left for Colombia to bring home money so they could start a family and he came home with nothing but news that her best friend's husband was dead.

It must be some kind of fucked up karma that they went back for the money and now he’s alone. If he’s really being honest with himself, he knows they never really loved each other. It was convenient for both of them. Frankie doesn’t like being honest with himself so he'd rather continue on painting her as the villain in his story.

“Hermano, you need some help with that tie.” Santiago starts fidgeting before he can even answer no. He slaps his hands away and Santi backs away with his hands up in surrender.

“Why are you being so nice?”

“I’m always nice.” Frankie scoffs at that. Santiago was never nice unless he wanted something from you.

“You picked up my tux, gave me a ride here and now you’re offering to fix my tie?!” He gives him a look and Santi knows it’s only a matter of time.

“I have a surprise for you.” He resumes fixing his tie despite Frankie’s protests.

“The last time you surprised me someone died.” Santi clears his throat but doesn’t protest, it must be bad.

“I hired a PI to find your soulmate.” That last part is rushed out but Frankie hears him clear as day.

He shoves him back a few steps which draws the attention of Ben and Will. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Chill out Fish, what’s your problem?” Ben steps between the two of them as Frankie looks as though he could spit fire.

“I told him about the PI.” Ben whips around to Santi.

“I thought we were gonna wait until tomorrow.” Frankie looks over at Will in disbelief.

“You fucking knew about this?” He can see it in their eyes and how no one will look at him directly.

“Can we please talk about this tomorrow? I’m getting married in an hour.”

Sure he’ll talk tomorrow, they can all talk about staying out of his life and meddling in his business. Pope can call off the PI and they can all go back to being happy with their soulmates and Santiago can go fuck off somewhere in another country as he always does, leaving Frankie to mope alone with his thoughts.

“Ya we’ll talk tomorrow.” Ben comes over to fix his tie and Frankie clenches his fists at his side.

This is going to be a long day.

****

The new Mr.& Mrs. Miller do look very in love on the dance floor as Frankie enjoys his second piece of cake. Cake never betrayed him…his ex wife and his best friends maybe but never cake.

Ben dips his wife and it sorely reminds him of his wedding day when he and Sophia ended up with calloused feet from dancing all night.

His chest tightens at the sight of Molly dancing with her girls. She stayed so strong through it all and she looks so happy, maybe it’s just a front or maybe she’s choosing not to be a miserable sap like him. She lost her soulmate and never once judged them for what they did. She knew how Tom could be. Frankie doesn’t know how someone could treat their soulmate the way Tom treated Molly. He’s better off alone than with a soulmate who doesn’t love him back.

Santiago makes his way over to the table and gestures to the seat next to Frankie. He nods his head for him to sit down while he watches the dance floor. They sit in silence for a moment and Frankie thinks about how selfish he is for being so petulant about the whole thing.

Santiago never cared about finding his soulmate, maybe because of their line of work or maybe it was the nature of his being. He’ll never forget the look on his face when his tattoo’s disappeared. He told the guys it was fine but they could hear him trying to muffle his cries in his bunk.

“I’ll do it Pope.” Santiago looks at him with a mixture of shock and excitement.

“I came ready for an argument.” He slides Frankie’s plate closer to him to steal a bite of cake. “We meet him tomorrow.”

“Jesus what if I said no?” Frankie slides the plate back to himself, not ready to let go of his precious dessert.

“You might want to lay off the cake if you’re going to meet your soulmate soon.” Frankie flips him off as Santi grabs the plate and saunters off to the dance floor.

****

Dave’s always early to meet a client, but never this early. He couldn’t find a lot of information on Francisco Morales but he did find out he was Delta Force and so was the man that hired him on his behalf. He always met potential clients in a public place of their choosing to get an idea of who they are. There's no doubt in his mind that this coffee shop holds no significance to the two men and will most certainly not help him figure out anything about Francisco.

He knows it’s their military training that they will never seem to break free from. It doesn’t make it easy for your soulmate to find you when you're as mysterious as Francisco Morales. No social media, no parking tickets, no convictions. A minor hiccup with his pilot's license but his record was scrubbed clean a few years ago. It takes a lot of money to completely wipe your record.

Their trip to Colombia wasn’t as off the books as they thought. With Dave’s connections he can find out a lot more about the average person than they think. It’s true he is paid to find your soulmate but he has a duty to uphold to not put said person in harm's way. Frankie’s sketchy past and interesting finances make him a little wary to just introduce him to the person he’s supposed to spend the rest of his life with. He doesn’t know the circumstances behind his wife leaving him and that also has his guard up. Who just up and leaves after 8 years?

He pauses his thoughts momentarily as he notices an old Jeep pull into the parking lot of the cafe. He hasn’t seen a Jeep like that in years. His suspicions are correct when two men around his age step out. Still relatively in military shape, the shorter of the two in a black t-shirt much too tight for him and black jeans. The taller one in an open flannel and blue jeans donning a dirty cap and aviators…that must be Francisco.

They both survey the area as if it’s their first time here and that confirms his other notion that these men wanted to meet somewhere not near their home. Probably thirty minutes to an hour outside of where they actually live if he would guess. Fifteen minutes early to be safe but still not earlier than him.

“I should’ve worn something nicer.” Frankie smooths his hands down the front of his worn flannel as they approach the coffee shop. This was his nice flannel but maybe he could’ve taken an iron to it or something.

“Relax hermano, he didn’t bring your soulmate to the meeting.”

“You vetted this guy?” Frankie couldn’t find much information on David York, which worried him a little.

“As much as I could.” Frankie holds the door open for Santiago as they enter and head straight for the counter. Coffee is much needed after imbibing too much at the wedding. He’s grateful in hindsight that he chose this location just outside of town.

“Corner,black suit.”

Frankie glances up, hopefully shielded by his sunglasses. “He looks smug.”

“Don’t start.” Santi hisses under his breath as he steps up to place their order. “ Two black coffees please.”

Best case scenario, this guy finds his soulmate and Frankie can’t even wrap his head around what he would do with that information. It scares him to even think about it.

Worst case scenario, Pope is out some money that he didn’t ask him to spend in the first place and he can go back to whatever semblance of a life he was living before all this.

Way to be positive Frankie

****

Introductions are awkward to say the least. Frankie and Santi seated at the small cafe table across from Dave who has set a notepad down next to his small coffee. The silence is deafening as he scribbled down a few things after giving them a once over.

“So I’m sure you have some questions for me. If you don’t mind holding those until I’ve gone over everything.” He’s not really asking and Frankie already had his hackles up at the grim outlook of the man in front of him.

He always hated ‘suits’ . This guy is obviously ex-government and he’s not really sure how someone like him ended up in the line of work of finding someone’s soulmate. Besides the obvious monetary aspect there is a lot of love and emotion involved and the man seated before him doesn’t strike him as the romantic type.

“Why did you decide to hire me to find your soulmate?” I didn’t hire you. Frankie looks over at Santiago hoping he’ll help him out a little.

“Well ugh…I actually didn’t.” Dave raises his eyebrows at that but lets him continue. “My friend here was kind enough to give me a push in the right direction.” After too many drinks and a lot of talking he reconciled with Santi that this was something he should at least try to pursue.

Everything seems pretty straightforward once he starts going over his normal way of doing things. Frankie understands after the initial round of uncomfortable questions that Dave needs to make sure he’s not some weirdo. He opted to return a few peoples initial deposit upon meeting them and not deeming them safe enough or sane enough to track down their soulmate and uproot their lives.

Frankie’s thankful he doesn’t pry too much into his reason for divorcing. Dave mostly wanted to make sure that he was not still legally married because he won’t set anyone up for heartbreak.

Dave has a thirty day guarantee, if he doesn’t find them in that time frame you get a full refund. Frankie is a little shocked at his confidence. People spend their entire lives trying to find their soulmate and he can somehow guarantee it.

“So, now that I’ve gone over all the logistics. Do you have any questions for me?” Frankie looks to Santiago who’s been uncharacteristically quiet throughout this meeting. Maybe out of courtesy for Frankie or perhaps he’s sizing him up. Either way, Frankie really only has one thing he is curious about.

“Why do you do it?”

Dave takes a sip of his lukewarm coffee. It’s pretty bad if he’s being honest but he needs a moment. He always needs a moment when this question is brought up. It’s usually one of the only questions he hates answering. Truthfully answering would require to let people in ‘strangers’.

These same strangers trust him enough to do this so as uncomfortable as it is he provides enough of an answer to suit both parties.

“I hate to say that it pays well, but I have to state the obvious.” For the first time during the meeting Frankie can see his hard exterior crack a little. The first time where he seems nervous and unsure of what he’s going to say.

“Also…I wish I had met my wife sooner. I may have had more time with her.”

Santiago excuses himself from the table. He doesn’t do well with emotions. Frankie knows that probably stung a little. He’s not sure if it’s worse that Santi never got to meet them or if meeting them briefly makes it all that more painful.

“I appreciate your honesty Dave.” He sends him a tight lip smile that doesn’t meet the eyes.

“If that’s all you have for me I’ll be in touch in the next few days hopefully with an update.”

Frankie shakes his hand, a firm handshake he notes to himself. Dave has a nice build, he’s not sure why he makes a note of that as well.

Frankie finished the rest of his coffee and headed outside. Santi leans against the back of the Jeep scrolling idly on his phone. He looks up at him but says nothing as they both get in, Frankie in the driver's seat.

“I just needed some air.” Santiago looks out the passenger window seemingly fixated on the passing cars.

“I know hermano.” He doesn’t need to say anything more.

Neither of them speak for a while, too many thoughts on their minds as they ponder the meeting and what all of it means. Seeing Santiago still struggling with losing his soulmate makes Frankie want to give this his all.

****

Santi can’t shake the thought of Dave doing all this because he didn’t have enough time with his soulmate. At least he got to spend some time with them. He's lied to himself all these years after his tattoos and scars of his soulmate were long gone. This was not about him though, this is about helping his friend move on and be happy. That’s all he wants for them after the chaos he caused in Colombia. He has to make things right for him. Frankie may not see it as his fault but Santiago can’t help but think maybe Sophia would’ve stayed if things hadn’t gone so poorly.

Santiago would never know that things started to sour in their relationship long before that Ill fated trip to steal someone else’s money.

Frankie was the one who had it all together. A real job he could be proud of , a wife he loved , a house for their future family. Things quickly fell apart for him after they returned and he was no longer the one that they looked to for guidance.

Santiago made it his mission to help Frankie get back on his feet after they went back for the money. Frankie got his license back, he bought a home that didn’t remind him of all his memories with his ex wife, now all he needed to do was find love.

Santi rubs his hands across his jeans trying to shake himself from the trance. Frankie eyes him cautiously from the driver’s seat.

Santiago leans forward to turn the radio down. “So how are you feeling about all this?”

“Considering he has a guarantee, a little better than I felt going in.”

He doesn't want to get his hopes up too much but he’s starting to get that feeling like things may be taking a turn for the better.

Frankie pulls up to Santi’s house and puts the car in park.

“I know what you’re gonna say, I’ll be fine I promise and I’ll call you later after I sleep off this hangover.” Frankie smiles at that,Santiago only lets a select few into his world and he won’t push it any further.

“I just want to say thanks Pope. This really means a lot.” Santi waves him off and hops out, he knows how much it means but he’s not gonna get any more emotions out of this day.

“Love you hermano, this time next year we’ll be planning your wedding.” Santi calls out over his shoulder before he enters his house. Frankie wants to roll his eyes at that but he secretly hopes that he’s right.

****

“Alicia! We’re gonna be late.” You stand in your bedroom in front of the floor length mirror putting the finishing touches on your makeup. The modest yellow sundress and strappy heels you bought ages ago are finally getting some use.

“I can’t decide on what to wear.” You faintly hear her yell from her bedroom.

You’re not particularly excited about this singles event she signed you up for but you certainly didn’t want to walk in late and have all eyes on you. She’s your best friend so you agreed to accompany her on one of her many schemes to get you back on the dating scene.

You cross the hall to her room and find a mountain of clothes on her bed and more clothes flying out of her closet.

“Let me see what you’re wearing.” She emerges from her closet in a slinky black dress to match her long black hair. She was a bombshell in anything she wore so you aren’t sure what the hold up is.

“Alicia that looks hot, wear that.” She gives herself a once over in the mirror as she smooths her hands down the front.

“You don’t think this is sending the wrong message?”

“Babe you said yourself you need to get laid.” You glance down at the time on your phone. “Shit we’re gonna be really late.”

“You’re right, I did say that. Thanks for talking me off a ledge.” She grabs her phone from the nightstand as you follow her out of the room.

“You’re gonna need to pretend my room is yours if you bring someone home though.” You gesture towards the disaster she left on her bed.

She turns to you, grabbing your face and kissing your forehead. “Only a true friend would let me defile her bed for the sake of a hookup.”

You laugh as you shoo her along out the door. “That’s what friends are for.”

****

The bad news, you were indeed late. The good news is no one seems to notice as you both enter the hotel lounge for the event. Everyone is talking and mingling amongst themselves so you and Alicia have an opportunity to grab a drink and settle in.

You haven’t been on a proper date in years so she thought this would be a nice way to ease back into things. No pressure or obligations and no awkward first date etiquette. People were just here to simply talk and get to know each other. If you made a connection that was great but if you just didn’t like someone then there were no hard feelings.

“Cute guy at twelve o'clock is checking you out.” You try to do a subtle scan of the room as you sip your fruity drink.

“Alicia I don’t know what that means…Wait how do you know he wasn’t checking you out?” She steps in front of you to slightly block your view.

“He’s in the gray button down on my right .” She half whispers as she attempts a head nod. “Do you see him?”

“Oh shit he’s coming over here.” You both do your best worst to act casual as a tall and very attractive…distractingly attractive man walks over.

“I do have to say yellow is definitely your color.”

“Told you.” Alicia says under her breath as she leaves you at the bar with this stranger.

You thank him politely for his compliment and introduce yourself as you try to ignore the lewd gestures your best friend is making with her hands behind his back. Thankfully she’s interrupted by a man with a tap on her shoulder. He’s noticeably not the type she goes for. He’s much too tall for her…she prefers to tower over her love interests ‘it makes me feel powerful’ in her words.

Jeff was nice enough as he engaged you in conversation. He mostly droned on about his job in finance and his hobbies, his five year goals and now come to think of it…you didn’t really get a chance to talk about yourself. He excused himself from the conversation when he saw someone he knew in the crowd, leaving you in your comfortable silence once again.

Your moment of reprieve is short lived when a woman approaches you. You actually enjoy talking to her and you can tell she’s listening intently. She’s beautiful, funny and smart. Perhaps another time you would be interested but she mentioned she just got out of a long term relationship and you don’t have the energy to be someone’s rebound. You’ve spent years repairing your broken heart and if this is your one attempt at trying to find love again it just wouldn’t be fair to either of you.

You still exchanged numbers after she’d said how nice it was to meet you. Your eyes immediately find Alicia’s across the room with a man who could be her grandfather. He doesn’t seem to notice her look of save me etched across her face. You take this moment to tease her a bit, making the same hand motions she did earlier. An older woman looks on in shock when you realize a little too late that you’ve caught the attention of others in the room.

After offering an apologetic smile, you gather yourself and join her across the room.

“Sorry to interrupt, Alicia, can I borrow you for a moment.”

She loops her arm in yours pulling you close to her side. “It was nice to meet you Irving.”

“The pleasure is all mine dear.” He takes her free hand, planting a sloppy wet kiss on the top. You bite your cheek to stifle a laugh as she waves him off. You can feel her eyes on you as you exit the lounge.

If looks could kill you’d be a goner.

“Irving seemed nice.”

“Shut up.”

You both burst into a fit of giggles as you make it safely to the hotel lobby out of sight of anyone trying to vy for your attention.

These were the moments you lived for with your best friend. The reason you were able to get back on your feet when you moved across the country to start your life over. She took you in like a stray cat, no questions asked when you replied to her ad looking for a roommate. You didn’t find out until later on that she didn’t need the money, she just hated living alone.

She came from a wealthy family and traveled the world before settling in Naples Florida. She never had a soulmate…it wasn’t out of the ordinary for people to go their entire lives without so much as a mark or tattoo. It makes you wonder if the universe chooses at random or if people are destined for that path. She is such a free spirit it almost makes sense why she can’t be tied down to just one person. Her biggest problem is making sure her current interests aren't only after her for money.

“So…what’s the plan for the rest of the evening babe?” You both step out still arm in arm. It’s a beautiful sunset starting just over the tops of the buildings downtown. You could walk down to the beach or drab a drink at another bar.

You can feel your dress starting to cling to your back from the humidity and you made a huge mistake wearing heels that weren’t broken in yet. Alicia looks at you and then pulls out her phone to call a car to come get you. “Let’s go home and eat ice cream while we discuss what a train wreck that was.”

You let out a sigh of relief as you push back trying to stand on the heels of your feet. “That sounds like a perfect night.”

****

“At one point he actually took his dentures out to show me.” Alicia buries her head in the pillow as you make a disgusted face.

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” You’re laughing to the point of a stomach ache.

“Ya, you sound really sorry.” She throws the pillow at you on the other end of the couch. “So tell me about the girl. You were talking to her for a while.” She raises one eyebrow at you as she reaches down to the coffee table for the carton of rocky road.

“She was nice.” You lean forward grabbing the carton from her hands. “She was more than nice actually…but she just got out of a serious relationship.”

“Ugh…no one wants to be a rebound.”

Your thoughts exactly.

You swear sometimes you share a brain, or maybe you have just spent so much time with each other that you can’t help but think alike.

“I’m glad we went, I needed to break the ice. It’s not like the love of my life is gonna waltz into the record store.” You loved your job, you always had a love for music. There was something so special about the medium of records standing the test of time. That’s the kind of love you wanted.

“Let’s just marry each other if this dating thing doesn’t work out.” She holds out her pinky as you wrap yours around hers.

“Deal.”

You raise from the couch gathering your plush blankets. “I’m gonna turn in for the night, love you leesh.”

“Love you too hon’, get some sleep.”

****

Sleep

That was a joke in its own right. The problem with having anxiety is the one time where your brain should quiet down is when it wants to be the most active.

You brush your thumb along the etched roses on your ring finger. It’s such a fine and delicate tattoo, the line work is beautiful and the stem of it perfectly curls around coming to a point at the end of your finger.

You hate to assume, but it’s always felt feminine in nature. It doesn’t seem like a drunken mistake or a rushed decision. The tattoo feels intentional. You had a lot of tattoos in a short amount of time when you were in college. These tattoos were overtly masculine. A small Blackhawk tattoo on your left wrist, almost mirroring your hummingbird. A gun of some kind on your left ankle…you weren’t familiar with firearms. A tiny elephant on the inside of your left thigh, by far the most adorable of the set.

In short succession they all adorned your body before you graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a minor in arts management and a major in music history. Your step mother always said it was a waste and your father couldn’t be bothered to defend you. Your mother would have been proud though.

It was years before the roses showed up on your finger one beautiful spring day. It was so unlike the others it turned your world upside down.

The reason you moved across the country to escape the control and the pressure of someone who couldn’t love you with those scars and tattoos. Resenting you more and more each day knowing that you belonged to someone else.

It’s those thoughts that keep you up at night. The nightmares and horrible things that only your mind thinks up. As much as you try to push those thoughts away, you know deep down someone is out there. Made for you.

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.

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