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#maybe I'll organize it by universe
lieutenantselnia · 1 year
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I got irrationally sad about shipping with Davy today and it honestly ruined my day a bit :(
I think it's because his canon relationship is such an integral part of his (back)story, that it almost feels kind of "wrong" or disrespectful to ship him with anyone else than Calypso, especially if it's an OC. What may add up to that is probably also that I haven't really done writing or art on my OC yet (I'm in the process of developing a story for her though). I know it's stupid but it kind of makes me feel like I'm not worthy of his love ...
I know it's all fictional, and in the end I can make up any story I want (just like everyone else can make up their own stories and headcanons and it's all valid), but the emotions I feel are still real and in this particular situation they can also be a bit painful.
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(I ended up finding the perfect gif of him for this situation I guess)
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viti-ocs · 5 months
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Idk why, but I still refer to my ex best friend's ocs and keep them as having once been part of my characters' lives. We all share an ex in a way, I suppose
#but yeah so I see all of his oxs that had relationships with mine asmy oc's exes#like yknow how I've referred to Nicco in the past posts tagged with Gesshoku's name? yeah thats one of em#tho canonically (before my ex bestie and I stopped talking) Gessy and Nicco weren't together anymore#the last rp we had with them both involved Nicco abandoned Gessy while she was pregnant with their son Shinichi#because of his mother and the cult/organization they were a part of. Nicco was like their puppet cause he's psychic (so is Gess)#but he didn't want Gessy getting involved with thecult and used like him. yet alone their kid because he's more powerful than his parents#so Im keeping that canon#but for others who were in pretty committed relationships yeah obviously thats over#my favorite ex of my ocs is my ex best friend's favorite oc who was originally dating marik and then seth#tho in rps seth dated the guy first cause they met in college and marik met the guy later. that's still canon in my oc universe#and the main reason for it is because seth is dating gresher now who's marik's big bro and it makes marik sooo pissed lmao#like imagine meeting a guy who turns out to be your niw ex's ex and now that guy is your brother's significant other#also I like to imagine marik was always getting compared to seth while mar was dating his ex#mostly because (in my universe) seth left the guy 'cause he was a toxic manipulative narcissist (just like my ex best friend#which was by hs design btw idk how I didn't see the signs)but the guy was legit in love with seth and was crushed to lose him#so he goes for the rebound with a badboy like marik but obv it isn't the same. also mar reflects back some narcissism which the guy hated#so it led to a pretty toxic relationship#now marik has to be reminded of all of that when he sees seth around because he is around often (might become an inlaw soon)#I just love how messy that all is#maybe it helps me cope with the fact I'll never get to interact with or rp with my friend anymore#those characters were like my stepchildren. Yknow? I still love them even if my ex bff and I aren't talking anymore#ocs and rp were what brought us together in friendship. it's hard to cope without that even all this time later#its been 5 years since we stopped being best friends. and a year since I cut complete contact. ik Im better off#but I miss this part of what we had together. in that case maybe keeping his ocs as my character's exes is a way to still keep him around#in spirit at least.#or a way tp show that even those he's gone from my lufe he's still left am Impact#viti shoosh
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hoshigray · 10 months
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Had the most random thought, but what if you caught Miguel by surprise and sneaked a kiss on the back of his neck when he's stressed out?
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An: Don't mind me, just feeling soft for Miguel because he's corrupting my brain at the moment, lol. Also, wanted to write this to distract me from the fact Pleasurable Practice got smacked with a community label ffs. But, tysm for the love on that fic <33, and [MAYBE] I'll work on pt ii for next week! Thanks again, you lovelies, and enjoy!!
Edited Note: Also, here's an ATSV masterlist I made earlier for your convenience!!
Cw: Miguel x reader - fluff - stressed Miguel bc when is he not - you give him a kiss on the neck - pet names (amorcito/little love, mi alma/my soul; amor/my love) - just you and Miguel being adorbs and him being whipped hehe~
Wc: 902
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"Aaaaaarrgh!!!"
You snap away from what you were doing to find where the noise came from. Not to your surprise, it's from your boyfriend — Miguel O'Hara, who's expressing his dismay by throwing another tray full of empty containers you got from the cafeteria.
The man is descending from his [godforsaken slow-ass] station, tapping his feet and huffing by the second. His brows are furrowed in anger, and he moves a hand to soothe his forehead with his fingers. When his post finally stops, he jumps down to sit on a chair and groans into his hands.
That was the third time this week. A villain was supposed to be captured and brought into the Spider Society to be sent back to their own universe; however, that was two days ago. And for some reason, this evil-doer has been hopping in and out of multiple universes. It's been a hassle for the other Spiders to grab hold of them; Lyla has to have eyes on them within every minute of every hour, and Miguel...Obviously, he would like to have this matter taken care of already.
You get up from where you're sitting and walk up behind Miguel, whose face is still covered by his hands with inaudible curses that you can tell are in Spanish. "You okay?"
The rise and fall of his broad shoulders entail a huge sigh seething out of his system. "No, mi amor." He frees his face only to rest his forehead with a hand propped by his leg. "This game of cat-and-mouse has been going on longer than necessary, got Spiders who're tired of the chase — I'm tired, yet there's more stuff piling up and—" He stops himself with another deep sigh, and you place your hands on his shoulders. "I just can't right now...."
All you can do is hum aimlessly while massaging his shoulders, his trapezius and deltoids tense with stress. You understand that a lot is going on for Miguel, giving him his space and letting him do what he does best: being a hero. But of course, being a superhero isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and you're bound to get hit with obstacles that'll hinder your progress. Annoyingly so, if you're a leader of an organization like your boyfriend.
Nevertheless, he's only one man, and you know he forgets this fact when he's too wrapped up in work. He's dedicated to protecting his peers, his home, and you. And although you appreciate the sentiment sincerely, you wish he'd remember to not go too hard on himself before he's burnt out.
You sigh through your nostrils, your hands kneading out any remnants of tension while Miguel indulges before storming back to work. That's when an idea hits you when your eyes land on the back ends of his hair, a smile creeping in slowly. Your hand brushes the lower tufts of his brown strands, and you lean down to press your soft lips on him after pulling his suit to expose his neck.
Immediately, Miguel goes rigid at the feeling of your lips on him. And his breath hitches when your hands wrap around him, pulling him closer to you as you lay your chin on top of his head (which you realize is a rare opportunity as he's taller than you).
"Mi lindo araña," You chuckle to yourself when you notice hints of red sneaking on the lobes of his ears. "The more you stress yourself, the more you look like a grouchy face."
"A grouchy face?" His tone holds slight confusion. "You've been hanging with Peter B. too much, amorcito." He shakes his head while you giggle, and you two sink into each other's presence for a little while, taking in the silence outside of the calming breaths Miguel takes. If he were to confess, it's as if almost all his fatigue has vanished into thin air when he's in your embrace. But he doesn't say anything — he doesn't have to. Because you already know.
You set your lips on his temple. "Feeling okay now?" His body vibrates from a tiny purr, and you remove yourself to stand up straight. "Alright then, I'm gonna go to the cafeteria to get something to share. Because you clearly need a snack. And while I'm gone, pick up that tray and those empty containers off the floor before Lyla has another reason to call you a 'grumpy man-child.'"
His face molds to a deep scowl from the mention of his pixelated peer's name-calling. "I am not a man-child."
You give him a look. "You kinda are."
"And what gives you that—"
"Muñeco," Miguel quickly refrains from arguing when you call him by his nickname, the name only you can use. "If you're not a man-child, why haven't you stood up and done what I asked yet?"
The man opens his mouth, yet no words dare leave. Reddish-brown eyes are honed in on your figure as you survey his reaction, and he exhales in defeat when he stands up from his chair. Your smile flourishes. "I'll be back," is what you say as you turn to exit his domain and head to the cafeteria.
Miguel watches you leave until you're out of his line of sight, unable to fight the twinge of his lips while he moves to pick up his mess like you instructed him to.
"Sólo tú puedes darme órdenes, mi alma."
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lxkeee · 2 months
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I absolutely love your writing!! And don't get me wrong, I love Lucifer, but they way you write Azreal and the Eveningstar family lives in my head 24/7. The AU where reader ends up with Azrael is my absolute fav to come back to, along with the main series it stemmed from. I'd love to see more content of him in general. I've been driving myself crazy imaging a part 2 to the AU with Lucifer wanting to reconnect with reader and having this family unit with them, only to realize that he lost them completely when he fell and that they've moved one and found happiness without him. Very hurt/no comfort for Luci while reader finally experiences a returned unconditional love with Azrael.
TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN
—ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE
Pairing: Azrael Eveningstar x Seraphim Angel! Reader
Genre: angst
Warnings: hurt and no comfort for our short king
Notes: an alternate universe where [y/n]'s family is complete, Xavier doesn't have any daddy issues nor has any hatred for Charlie as he doesn't give any crap about her and Lucifer (well, he did at some point but forgave them), where it was simply the wrong person and wrong time. Where it was Azrael who is endgame. This isn't canon to the fanfic storyline, simply an au.
Additional notes: I LOVE IT WHEN READERS WANT MORE AZRAEL CONTENT OMG
CH. 1 | CH. 4 | NAVIGATION
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They finally have done it. Hazbin Hotel is finally booming in business, many sinners are finally checking in and giving redemption a try.
Though, Lucifer cannot help but be nervous. Heaven or specifically, the Seven Virtues requested a meeting with him and his daughter and along with Vaggie, they wanted to talk about the hotel and also about his punishment.
Why wouldn't he be nervous? The last time he was in a meeting with them, they absolutely crushed his hopes and dreams and to add to the fact that his first wife, now ex-wife is part of the organization.
Lucifer doesn't know how to handle it, he's afraid of how he'll act once he sees her and the fact that Charlie told him about his son that he left her with. Absolute guilt.
He misses her, he misses [y/n] so much and he regrets how he treated her. He neglected her, abandoned her and their son. Even after all these years, his heart still longed for her.
“Dad? You okay?” Charlie asked worriedly, holding her bag. Currently, they are waiting for the portal to heaven to open for their meeting tomorrow. She noticed that her dad seems to be in deep thought, she knows what's plaguing his mind—meeting his ex-wife again and seeing his son for the first time. She too is nervous about what will happen when that moment comes.
“The portal seems to be taking a long time to open.” Angel Dust snickered and Vaggie elbowed him on the side, somehow both Alastor, Niffty, and Angel Dust wanted to join them. Leaving the hotel underneath [f/n]'s care, another overlord who joined the hotel.
“You're really complaining when you're not even invited,” Vaggie muttered before turning to look at Alastor, “I am even surprised that even you also decided to join us, how come?” Vaggie deadpans at Alastor and the taller demon just laugh, radio static filling the air, “Myyy~! I am merely curious what the heavenly realms looked like. Nothing more~” He grins, quite mischievously. Vaggie narrowed her eyes at the radio demon.
Lucifer sighs and shakes his head and gives Charlie a small reassuring smile, “I'll be fine, I'm just a little... Nervous.” he admits softly and Charlie nodded in understanding, placing a hand over her father's shoulder. She understands him, she too is nervous in seeing her half brother. Last time she saw him, he was giving her judgmental looks.
“I'm sure we'll be fine... Maybe this will be your chance to reconnect with them?” Charlie suggested, hopeful that somehow the two families can find a neutral area to get along with each other. After all, she always wanted an older sibling or siblings in general. She hopes that she and Xavier can get along.
Lucifer smiled, he too is hoping that this meeting will be fruitful and won't go so horribly.
A golden portal opened in front of them and they looked at each other, nodding as they finally took a step inside.
Heaven, is very bright compared to hell. Too much white, gold, and blues.
The crew looked at Lucifer, urging him to take the lead as he did come from here. Lucifer sighs, despite the nervousness, he decides to approach the pearly white gates of heaven. Standing in front of the counter of Saint Peter. The others are following him.
“Welcome to heaven, can I get your names please?” Saint Peter asked, opening his book. Lucifer sighs, twiddling his thumbs nervously.
“Lucifer... Morningstar...” Lucifer says, almost a whisper. Cringing slightly as he watched the Saint slam his book close, “Oh... Fuck!” Saint Peter exclaimed with a nervous chuckle.
“Um... I wasn't aware that you will be visiting today...” the Saint said with an awkward chuckle, Angel Dust just smirked while Alastor just grins, clearly interested in what heaven has to offer.
Charlie stood nervously beside Lucifer, unsure what to do next.
“Saint Peter, please grant them access. They are here for an important meeting.” a young masculine voice says, surprising the hell citizens. Turning to look at the gate and their eyes widened to see an almost exact replica of Lucifer—except for the eyes and height.
Lucifer's eyes widened and Charlie can be seen to become more nervous as the young man approached their group.
Saint Peter eyes widened, not expecting to see the young general today. “R-right. Please, come in.. heaven officially welcomes you.” Saint Peter says, opening the gates wider for the group.
Lucifer couldn't think, his ears ringing as he looked at the newcomer. Lucifer examined the angel's appearance���an almost exact replica of him and of course, he knows those eyes very well. The same [e/c] eyes his ex-wife has. The angel wearing a white military-ish uniform with gold shoulder pads, elbow length black leather gloves and knee high leather black heeled boots.
Charlie gave his hand a gentle squeeze in assurance, he squeezed it back, grateful for her support.
Alastor grins, not expecting a twist in the scenario.
The young man turned to look at them with a gentle smile, “Greetings, I am Xavier. I am tasked with showing you guys where you will stay for tonight.” Xavier says.
Xavier looked at his obvious half family from hell, before, he had anger for them but because of his mother's influence, he was able to manage his anger on them. But it doesn't mean he'll accept Lucifer and Charlotte his family, he already has his own family in heaven. He doesn't need them.
“Please follow me and keep up.” Xavier says, almost emotionless. It's a habit of his, it might come off as rude or cold to people he just met but he doesn't care. His mother is the angel of kindness, he needs to inherit her kindness instead of his father's pride.
The hell citizens just looked at him with slight nervousness—aside from the smiling one—before eventually following him.
Lucifer just stared at the back of Xavier's head, the golden halo shining brightly against his light blonde hair. He wanted to speak to him but words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He just follows in silence, his demon kind just looking at him in worry—except Alastor, who just gave him a teasing grin.
They followed him, it took a while but they finally arrived at their destination. A large white mansion with black and gold accents, surrounded by fluffy white clouds and trees. Sunflower and tulip fields decorating the front garden. [Y/n]'s favorite flowers.
“This is where you'll be staying so please, come inside.” Xavier says, the gates to the large mansion opening for them.
They admired the scenery, it is completely different from hell. Clean and tidy. Almost blinding to the eye.
They finally arrived inside the large mansion, completely in awe with its exterior and interior designs.
“Don't worry about the palace being too crowded, it's just me and my family living here.” Xavier explained, ushering them to follow him. Walking towards the supposed living room, they weren't able to see the large family portrait on the wall as it was mounted on a wall that they couldn't see.
“I am surprised we're staying somewhere luxurious this time unlike last time. How come?” Charlie asked and Xavier gave her a raised eyebrow before sighing.
“The guest rooms are currently full while waiting for new buildings to be created for the new souls. The seven thought it would be a good idea if one of them houses you guys.” Xavier shrugs before continuing to tour them around. Angel whistling in admiration.
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“And this will be your room.” Xavier says as he showed Lucifer his room. The others are already settled in.
“Thank you.” Lucifer says, almost a whisper as he went inside the large luxurious room. Xavier nodded as he stood at the doorway.
“It's nothing, I'll get going now and if you need me, I'll be in the living room.” Xavier says before turning around to leave.
“Wait!”
Lucifer doesn't know what he was thinking, he just acted out on impulse. Xavier stopped, turning around to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What is it?” Xavier asked, looking down on him. Mom, why is he so small? He thought.
Lucifer gulped, clearly nervous, “Are you... My...?” he couldn't get all the words out as his ears were ringing.
“Son?” Xavier completed, crossing his arms to look at his blood father, “Yes.” he says flatly and Lucifer's breath hitched.
Xavier sighs, already done with this, “Look, I am going to be straight with you dear father of mine.” Xavier says flatly, Lucifer looking at the taller boy in front of him.
“Just because you're my blood father doesn't mean I want you back in my life, whatever you're trying to do. I don't welcome it. I couldn't care less about you or my half sister. Do you understand? So, stop. Don't give me and my family a hard time. You've done enough damage already.” Xavier says coldly, catching Lucifer off guard. The fallen angel's heart shattered at the boy's harshness.
“Excuse me, I still have work to do.” Xavier says as he quickly walked away. Lucifer nodded, almost robotic. He went inside the guestroom and cried.
Lucifer doesn't blame Xavier for acting that way. After all, he's a horrible husband and father to [y/n] and Xavier.
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Dinner was oddly awkward, a tension between the three blood relatives. Xavier didn't join them, opting to only have a drink instead.
“Aren't you going to eat?” Charlie asked hesitantly as she sat beside her dad, Xavier didn't bother looking up from his golden holographic screen that came from his wrist watch, his other hand typing into the hair and into the hologram.
“I'll eat later.” Xavier answers nonchalantly, they can clearly see him texting his mom.
M: Don't be too harsh on them sunshine.
X: I'm trying.
D: Well you better try harder, kiddo.
X: 🙄
X: What time will you come home?
D: Late as usual.
M: Indeed, there are still many things to finish but your father and I will make it quick to join you for dinner.
X: Alright, stay safe.
D: Love you, kiddo. Goodluck lol.
M: We will, sunshine. Love you<3
X: love you guys too.
Xavier was grinning slightly as he texted some people, Lucifer assumed it was [y/n] and somebody else he doesn't know of.
Lucifer avoided Xavier after that, clearly heartbroken. Lucifer assumes the D and M profiles meant Mom and Dad and Lucifer assumed that [y/n] remarried and he can clearly see how happy Xavier is talking to them.
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To shorten this all up, the meeting went smoothly. The Seven Virtues promised to fund the hotel and also asked for Lucifer's forgiveness for how harsh they treated him. Heaven took back his punishment and he can freely visit heaven anytime. Lucifer was able to find out that Azrael married [y/n] and she's happily married to the man. Though, she doesn't hate him and forgave him but she did make it clear that she doesn't want him back to her life and so did Xavier and Lucifer respected their wishes.
Finally returning back to hell, Lucifer was extremely heartbroken. He lost before he even got to start. But part of him is glad that [y/n] found a better man than him, someone who treats her better than him.
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End notes: I got a little lazy at the end lmao.
TAGLIST:
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ane-doodles · 3 months
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A little help please
update: we did it!!! (you can read in my reblogs)
Greetings
I'm not one to write or tell things about my life here, but I'm here to ask for a little help.
To explain myself, I would have to tell you that the computer I currently work with art and comics is not mine, it belongs to a friend of my father who lent it to him during the pandemic (2020) so that he could work from home and I would have a place to do my University's homework. It's not a super-cool computer but it got us out of trouble back then.
It's been a while since then, but last year my dad has mentioned the idea of ​​returning it soon. The problem with that is that if he does then I won't have anywhere to draw or work or study.
My current job as a graphic designer and illustrator from home depends entirely on this computer, which in itself is not very good…
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The monitor burns my eyes after a certain time, the memory and processor is limited so it does not support several programs, it does not have a graphics card and even the mouse has started to fail recently.
This is why I come here to ask for a little help… I have a goal of approximately $400 to buy a new computer (including a good monitor, but not a keyboard or mouse). The budget is not fixed due to the constant changes in the country's economy that make it difficult to save in the long term. But if we get over that line I admit it would be something great…
I am willing to work on commissions to reach the goal, I plan to organize my time between work and studies for that. Unfortunately I am in the process of writing my thesis so sometimes it will take time, but if you are willing to wait I promise to put all my heart into my drawings.
I'll be doing special commissions, some discounts, YCH, adoptables and maybe giveaways… Whatever comes to my mind at the moment, so stay tuned.
Donations are also highly appreciated!! If you do I will give you a huge hug.
And that would be all. For now you can check my pinned post to see my commissions, or check my Kofi page directly and check if they are open. If you don't have the opportunity to contribute monetarily, don't worry, sharing this post is also a great help.
I hope you have a beautiful day/afternoon/night :)
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joeys-babe · 2 months
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Joey B Imagines: Maneater
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Summary: Joe meets the Bengals’ new female athletic trainer and finds her infatuating, but other guys on the team warn him of her and her reputation.
(Part one to - part 2, part 3)
Warnings: None
Pairing: Joe Burrow x *athletic trainer* reader
Imagine Universe: Misc.
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August 9, 2022
“Yo, do you know what this last-minute meeting is ‘bout?” - Ja’Marr
“There's a meeting?” - Joe
I was just sitting at my locker after practice when Ja’Marr came striding up to me.
“Something about a new trainer, I heard.” - Sam
“Oh yeah?” - Joe
“Heard its a female.” - Tee yelled from around the corner
“Why do all of you people eavesdrop?” - Joe shook his head with a laugh.
——
“Okay, settle down everyone!” - Zac
At once. the entire meeting room went silent at the sound of our head coach's voice.
The franchise owner, Mike Brown, was standing next to him, seemingly about to announce something of his own.
“Mike you can take it from here.” - Zac
The older man gave Zac a nod and stood closer to the middle of the floor.
“Thanks for all of you coming together at such short notice, but I'd like to introduce you to our newest hire. She's an astounding athletic trainer and is here to keep you guys healthy as well as get the injured healthy. y/n, would you please step out?” - Mike
The new athletic trainer, y/n, stepped out, and she was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever laid eyes on.
“Woah.” - someone mumbled
“Hey guys, I'm super excited to be working with the Bengals this season! I grew up in Cincinnati as a Bengals fan, so this is a full-circle moment for me! I'll be in my office if you have any questions you'd like me to answer.” - you smiled
When everyone left the meeting room, there was a bustle in the locker room, with almost every player talking about y/n’s striking beauty.
Unlike everyone else, though, instead of talking about her, I went to her office to talk to her.
Firmly, I knocked on her office door.
“Come in!” - you
After taking a deep breath, I opened the door.
She sent a warm smile my way, and I sent one back.
“Hi, Mr. Burrow! Do you have a question, or is there anything I can help you with?” - you
“No, actually. I just wanted to welcome you to the organization.” - Joe
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Burrow.” - you smiled
“Just call me Joe.” - Joe smiled
“Will do.” - you grinned
Just as I was about to reply, Nick Cosgray, the director of rehabilitation, opened the door.
His eyes darted to me, then to y/n.
“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?” - Nick
“No, I was just leaving.” - Joe
I stood up and reached to shake y/n’s hand.
“It was nice meeting you.” - Joe
“Vice-versa. I look forward to working with you in the near future.” - you
After nodding, I exited the office.
Ja’Marr was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed while shaking his head.
“What?” - Joe
“You just flashed her with your blue eyes and charm, huh?” - Ja’Marr
“Maybe.” - Joe shrugged with a sly grin
——
August 10, 2022
I was getting lunch in the cafeteria today, scooting my tray around and picking through all of the healthy options.
One last banana, thank god.
As I reached for it, another hand brushed mine, and I pulled my hand back.
When I looked at the person next to me, my stomach fluttered when I saw it was y/n.
“Oh, shit, sorry. You can have it.” - Joe
“Nah, it's okay. I might have one in my car.” - you
“Ew, car banana in the summer? Absolutely not.” - Joe
She laughed and I couldn't help but grin at the way her nose scrunched up.
“I'm not taking a banana from QB1.” - you
“And I'm not taking a banana from the new girl, either.” - Joe
“How about we split it.” - you
“Great idea.” - Joe winked
y/n grabbed the banana and nodded her head to tell me to follow her.
In the corner of my eye, I could see Sam at our usual table, giving me a confused face as I walked in the opposite direction.
She sat her tray down on the table and unpeeled the banana, y/n broke it in half, and placed one piece on my tray.
“Pleasure doing business with ya.” - you
“You too. Are you gonna sit over here by yourself?” - Joe
“No, I'm going back to my office.” - you
“Oh okay. If you ever want to, you can come sit with me, Sam, and Trey.” - Joe
“Thank you for the offer. Have a good lunch, Joe.” - you
That was the first time she’d ever said my name, and it rolled off of her tongue perfectly.
“You too, y/n.” - Joe
She nodded with a smile and walked away. I watched her till she disappeared around the corner and then walked over to my table.
Sam and Trey were giving me weird looks when I sat down, along with Ja’Marr and Tee at the table beside us.
“What?” - Joe furrowed his brows
“The hell was that?” - Sam
“What are you talking about?” - Joe
“You don't share, especially not your fuckin’ food.” - Ja’Marr
Rolling my eyes, I tried to come up with a feasible excuse.
“We reached for it at the same time, only fair to split it.” - Joe
“Joe, dude, I know she's pretty, but have you heard about her?” - Sam
“Heard what?” - Joe
“She's been a trainer for like five other teams. Before she leaves the team, there's always this article saying she hooked up with a player. After she left the Niners, Nick confirmed that she got with the player she was rumored to get with. She's weird about it too, like explicitly telling the guy he’ll never be more than a one-night stand before getting with him. Usually, she's gone in the morning and has filed her two weeks' notice with the team.” - Sam
“What the fuck? Why do teams keep hiring her then?” - Joe
“She's good at what she does, athletic training-wise. But, really, dude, the woman's wild.” - Sam
“Watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up.” - Ja’Marr
“For real, she's a total maneater.” - Sam
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Authors note: This fic came from my very own brain! 😆
Hope you enjoyed! 💕
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1nyourdr34ms · 1 month
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100 days of mark
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+18, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!
pairing: mark x fem!reader
synopsis: just before your wedding, karina convinces you to go on a 100 day trip to europe where you meet mark lee.
warnings: unprotected sex; p*ssy eating, doggy, missionary (guys, always. ALWAYS PROTECT!).
a/n: 1) jonas is fictional. 2) do you need a part 2 of this? then pls let me know ✍️🏻
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"I'll miss you so much," you murmured, clinging tighter to your fiancé under the blanket. The dimmed light of the room reflected off your face, your cheeks almost crushed against your fiancé's chest. You felt his lips in your hair. "Me too, sweetheart," he replied in almost a whisper.
You and Jonas had been engaged for 6 months. You met at a software development company where you both worked, 2 years ago. He had much more professional experience than you and introduced you to the workflow. Right from the start, he fell for you.
He was taller than you, with a sweet smile, doe-like eyes, and a muscular build. He was always kind to you, mostly taking care of you when you felt misunderstood or rejected by others. With him, you could share your sorrows, whether they were work-related or personal. You knew he was always there for you.
Three months after your first acquaintance, he confessed his love, and after eight months, he proposed. He was quite determined... You knew everything was moving too fast, but you surrendered to him. That's just how it was in your relationship: Jonas knew what was right and guided you through life, and you trusted him completely. With him, you felt like a winner.
Karina, your childhood friend, watched as your life changed rapidly. You were 25 and on the verge of becoming a married woman. She was happy for you, yet at the same time, she was sad that she wouldn't see you as often as in the old days after the wedding. She believed Jonas wouldn't allow it.
Naturally, you found the idea absurd. Jonas wasn't the type to forbid you things or limit you, but maybe Karina wasn't entirely wrong... You feared that after the wedding, you wouldn't be able to experience your old freedom anymore.
So, you came up with the idea to join your old scholarship group from university on a 100-day trip to Europe: London, Vienna, and Brussels. Jonas - and especially his mother - were initially skeptical about this idea, but somehow, you managed to convince him at least.
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"Did you remember your ticket? And you have provisions too? Very good... Ah, what about your phone credit, do you have enough?" Jonas pressed, as he checked the necessary documents for your flight.
Karina rolled her eyes as she hurried along beside you and Jonas. You kept nodding and assured Jonas that you were perfectly prepared.
"Take care of yourself, love, and call me as soon as you arrive at the hotel," he reminded you with care. You gave him an affirming smile and a final kiss before heading off with Karina to your plane.
"Finally, you can breathe again. It's okay to still feel sad, but as soon as we're off the plane, you're switching off from all that stress, promise?" By stress, she meant Jonas. You rolled your eyes, "Yeah, whatever."
Karina glanced at your hand and frowned, "And take off that stupid ring," she noted. "Are you crazy? I can't just take off my engagement ring!" you protested. Karina sighed, "You can't fully enjoy the trip if you're constantly reminded of Jonas every time you see your ring. These might be the last 100 days we spend together as friends. Take it off," Karina urged encouragingly.
You felt uneasy about it, but ultimately you followed Karina's advice. After all, these were indeed the last times you would spend unmarried with your best friend, and a little break from thinking about your relationship might do you good.
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Day 1 to 33 in London
A trip organized by a scholarship foundation is not quite a real vacation at the end of the day. That means you sometimes get assignments to explore the history of the city and present it to the other participants in the form of a lecture, or to participate in discussion rounds.
Despite this, the trip was a lot of fun for you because it didn't really feel like school. It was much more relaxed, and you weren't obliged to do anything you weren't interested in.
In the first few weeks, solid groups formed. There were a total of 40 participants. You and Karina were initially always assigned to the same people during group activities: Johnny Suh, Mark Lee, Nakamoto Yuta, and Wendy.
Therefore, it was no surprise that you continued to stick together in the following days. Most people were quite likable and easy-going. The evenings were always full of laughter, fun, and joy. You also met a few times just the six of you without the other participants, which helped you get to know each other better.
With Johnny, Mark, and Yuta, it was never boring. These guys always managed to make you laugh. You found it particularly funny when Mark became the center of the jokes. He was such a naive, genuine boy that you always had to laugh at, even when he did nothing special. Just the fact that he would burst into laughter at every little thing Johnny did was hilarious to you.
You even created a group chat, which was also always filled with laughter and silliness.
Mark: dude, I'm serious ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Wendy: you're in the same room
Wendy: but can't manage
Wendy: to communicate
Wendy: ´_´
You: hahahhaa
Johnny: the thing is
Yuta: I'm telling you
Johnny: we don't want to go
Yuta: I can go
Johnny: -_-
You: hahahhaa
Karina: ahhahahaha
Mark: soooo?!
Wendy: okay okay
Wendy: who wants
Wendy: to accompany Mark?
Wendy: not me
Yuta: ME!
Johnny: nope
You: I can go too:)
Karina: too exhausted
Yuta: yesss, so Mark, y/n, and me??
You: okay:)
Mark: 👍🏻
"Geez, what’s taking him so long?" Mark muttered as you both waited outside for Yuta. It was 11:11 PM, Mark couldn't sleep and wanted to buy something to drink at the hotel's café.
By chance, you couldn't sleep either and didn't mind the idea. Mark sighed as he read the message on his phone, "Yuta canceled." You nodded, "Then it's just the two of us. Come on, before they close the café," you called out and started walking ahead.
You had never been alone with Mark before. It felt odd to be with him without Johnny and Yuta around. You got a cup of cappuccino while Mark ordered a cup of black coffee. "You know that's going to keep you up even longer, right?" you suggested. Mark shrugged, "I can't sleep anyway," he clarified. You both thanked the waiter. "Why not? Are you suffering from insomnia?" you asked. "I'm not sure. Since college, I haven't been able to sleep properly."
Mark looked at you for a long moment, "It's more than just insomnia. Sometimes... sometimes my mind is just too loud. Too many thoughts, too many worries keeping me awake at night." His voice was softer, more reflective.
You took a sip of your cappuccino, letting the warmth spread within you as you studied Mark. The contrast to the Mark you knew was striking. The ever-cheerful and carefree boy in front of you suddenly seemed vulnerable, almost fragile. "I never got the impression that something was weighing on you so heavily," you said gently.
Mark forced a small smile, more sad than joyful. "Well, guess, I'm good at hiding it."
You pondered over Mark's words, wondering what could be troubling him so deeply. Just as you were about to delve deeper into your thoughts, Mark broke the silence.
"You know what's weird? I read somewhere that if you can't sleep, it means…um… you're awake in someone else's dreams. Well… Maybe someone is constantly dreaming about me, and that's… y’know… why I can't sleep. Imagine it's a total stranger taking me on weird adventures in their dreams," Mark said with a crooked grin.
For a moment, you couldn't believe he had just said that. You stared at him, unsure whether to laugh or shake your head.
"Are you serious?" you couldn't help but ask, trying to suppress your grin. "So you're saying, somewhere out there, someone dreams about you every night, taking you on imaginary adventures, and that's why you can't sleep?"
Mark's smile widened as he realized how absurd his statement must have sounded. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty crazy, right? But…. who knows, maybe it's true.", his voice cracked.
Both of you burst into liberating laughter. What was going through his head to come up with such nonsense?
You didn't know why, but you liked his quirky ways. It was like a breath of fresh air to talk to someone who could freely express his thoughts without worrying about how they might come across.
The next day, a trip to Regent's Park, one of London's Royal Parks, was on the agenda. You were quite excited to visit this place known for its beautiful gardens, expansive green spaces, and sports facilities. You, Karina, Johnny, and Mark naturally formed a group as usual.
The day was sunny and warm, perfect for an outing. Mark was unusually energetic and seemed to particularly enjoy the sunny day today. He was almost hopping with excitement and made charming comments about everything encountered on his way.
"Yo, see that dog over there? We had one like that at home when I was a kid. They're known to be brave. Kind of crazy, because they don't look brave... Reminds me a bit of myself," Mark said, pointing to a dachshund chasing a squirrel.
"Dude, if you're already identifying with animals, what kind of bird would you be then? A parrot does not sound bad, right?" Johnny teased.
During your walk through Regent's Park, you encountered a particularly lively squirrel that approached you curiously. Mark looked fascinated and began talking to the little creature,
"Hey buddy, what's up? Come here, buddy," as if it would understand him. He didn't notice that he started to dance with his feet unconsciously while his entire focus was on the squirrel.
You watched him from behind and couldn't help but smile when you noticed Mark's unconscious foot movements. You quietly pointed it out to the others – Johnny and Karina – who also couldn't help but giggle as they watched him.
While Mark was still occupied with the squirrel, you carefully stepped closer behind him, directly into his field of vision, and began to mimic his foot movements.
When Mark turned around and saw you directly in front of him, imitating him with a charming smile, he burst into a heartfelt laughter, delighted and surprised by your attention.
However, the sudden closeness and your smile made him momentarily nervous, which he hid behind a smile. Despite the nervousness that arose within him, he wasn't overwhelmed by it; he shook his head laughing and continued on.
During the days in London, your bond with Mark deepened increasingly.
It seemed as if you were magnetically drawn to each other, whether you were participating in a guided tour through London's historic quarters, relaxing in one of its numerous parks, or exploring the local cuisine in small, hidden restaurants.
It had almost become a matter of course that you always sat next to each other; your places were always side by side.
During group meals, you instinctively sought out Mark's proximity. You shared dishes, tasted from each other's plates, and exchanged glances and smiles that was sus to others.
You believed you had found a good male friend who understood you just as well as Karina did, maybe even more. And you had never had a male friend before, so the whole friendship thing with Mark was entirely new to you.
Jonas texted and called you regularly to ask how you were doing and what new things you had seen or learned. He mostly talked about his day-to-day life but also listened to you now and then. You decided not to tell him about Mark, unsure how Jonas would take the news that you got along so well with another man. Besides, it was unclear when you would see Mark again after the 100-day trip was over.
In the evenings, when the group settled into cozy pubs to wind down the day, you and Mark often found yourselves in deep, personal conversations.
The topic unexpectedly turned to fairy tales, perhaps inspired by the historical settings of London you had explored earlier. Mark, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, leaned back and played with the rim of his glass.
"You know," he began, choosing his words carefully, "fairy tales have this incredible way of fascinating us, no matter how old we are. They speak of courage, adventure, and, of course, love. But I…um..  often wonder, like…  how much of that is really transferable to our real lives."
You nodded as you absorbed his words. "Fairy tales have always fascinated me. The romance, the heroics, the happy endings... but somehow, they seem too good to be true. Real life is more complicated, unpredictable."
There was a brief pause as both of you took a sip of your drinks, contemplative about what had been said.
Then, with a crooked smile you had come to like about Mark because it always brought a certain lightness, he posed an unexpected question.
"Do you believe in the prince on a white horse?" His voice was gentle, almost cautious, as if he didn't want to stir your innermost feelings.
You paused for a moment, taken aback by the directness of the question.
"I'd like to believe that there's such a thing as a 'prince,' yes. But not in the literal sense. More like someone who's there for you, who understands and accepts you as you are. Someone you can team up with."
Mark's eyes lit up as he heard your words, and it seemed like he had wanted to hear exactly that. But then, almost hesitantly, he asked another question that changed the atmosphere.
"Have you ever thought that there could be such a 'prince' in your life, or might be?" His voice was softer now, almost whispering, as if he was intruding too closely.
This question caught you off guard, and for a moment, you felt as if the ground beneath you was giving way. Your heartbeat quickened, and you felt a knot forming in your stomach. Thoughts swirled through your head—Jonas, your engagement, the expectations, and the uncertain future.
You tried to keep your emotions in check. Your gaze lowered, and you nervously played with the rim of your own glass. The silence between you was oppressive.
Finally, with a voice quieter than intended, you shook your head. "I... I'm not sure." Your words were a whisper, almost lost in the noise of the pub. "I thought I might be certain... but now, I'm not so sure, to be honest."
Mark's expression shifted from curious to contemplative, perhaps even concerned. He leaned in closer, his presence strangely comforting. "It's okay not to know everything," he said softly, finishing the alcohol in his glass in one gulp.
The days in London flew by, and with each passing day, the bond between you two grew stronger, woven from shared experiences, shared laughter, and quiet moments of closeness.
On the evening after another eventful day in London, the group gathered in a cozy cabin, somewhat secluded, to wind down the evening. The atmosphere was lively, with music, laughter, and the sound of glasses clinking. You played various games, from card games to truth or dare, and everyone seemed to enjoy the moment to the fullest.
Mark, in the midst of one of the games, suddenly became the center of a challenging task that led him to sing spontaneously. His voice, surprisingly soft and emotional, filled the room, and his eyes half-closed as he immersed himself in the song.
In that moment, as you saw him like this - vulnerable, authentic, and completely in his element - you felt your heart beat faster for the first time. It was as if the world around you fell silent for a moment, and all that remained was the melody of his voice. An unfamiliar twinge shot through your stomach.
Without really understanding why, you suddenly felt the urge to leave the room, to escape the loud voices and laughter. You quietly retreated to your room and sat on your bed, gazing out the window into the night sky. The stars twinkled as if they were harboring a secret that was simmering inside you.
Your grasp on your phone, an attempt to cling to the familiar, led you through the gallery of shared moments with Jonas. Yet, as you scrolled through the photos, you felt a strange distance from these memories, as if they were part of another life. The images no longer seemed capable of filling the emerging void that Mark's unexpected performance had left in you.
On the last evening of your stay in London, the group decided to come together once more to drink, play, and fittingly conclude the time you had spent together. The mood was lively and cheerful, a perfect ending to the unforgettable days you had shared.
During the evening, as music played and the group was in high spirits, the idea suddenly came up that everyone should take a turn dancing. Naturally, you were chosen.
At first, you hesitated, as you weren't usually one to take center stage. But the others, led by Karina, cheered you on with shouts and encouraging calls. Even Mark's expression, full of anticipation and an infectious smile, gave you the final push you needed.
Finally, with a deep breath and a tingling feeling of excitement, you stood up. The song "Nobody Knows" by KISS OF LIFE was playing. Thankfully, you could dance the choreography from start to end and were even quite good at it, having danced extensively in your past. You began to dance, initially with hesitation, but with every move, you became more confident. Your movements started to become more sensual and alluring.
Mark, who had been cheerful and boisterous until now, felt as if he had been struck by the sight. Each of your fluid movements enchanted him, making his heart race. A dry feeling spread in his throat as he tried to hide his reaction from the others. The way you moved to the music was mesmerizing, and he found it increasingly difficult to look away from you and your body. He suddenly saw you in a completely different light and was scared of the feelings and desires that had been stirred within him.
As the dance ended, the energy in the room was electrifying. The group stood up, cheering and applauding, impressed by your unexpected performance. Mark, forcing himself back to reality, began to clap slowly, nodding in appreciation while he tried to sort his thoughts and emotions. His heart was still beating faster than usual, evidence of the effect you had on him.
You, now back in your seat, tried to calm your breathing and ignore the rising blush on your cheeks.
Your eyes met Mark's. You noticed that his expression had suddenly changed, and his gaze seemed to penetrate deeply into you. Without knowing why, it sparked an inexplicable warmth within you that you relished. At the same time, you felt proud of yourself for having such an effect on him.
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Days 34 to 66 in Vienna
As the group arrived in Vienna, a new chapter of your European adventure began.
The city, with its rich history, magnificent buildings, and cozy coffee houses, provided a perfect backdrop for deepening the bond between you and Mark.
You felt freer in Vienna than ever before. You could be yourself, without restraint, and Mark seemed to appreciate every facet of your personality. It was as if you could unleash your inner child in his presence, without fear of rejection or judgment. Something you hadn't experienced in a long time.
Since meeting Jonas, you had been trying hard to stay on his level, to be mature and not disappoint the image he had built of himself. Vienna unleashed the exact opposite in you. Mark, for his part, just went along with it, his lightness and humor often made you forget there was a world outside your little bubble.
On a rainy evening in Vienna, the group decided to gather in the cozy lobby of their hostel to play games. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with the gentle pattering of rain on the windows and the dim lighting creating a cozy mood.
Someone suggested playing Twister. The group enthusiastically agreed, and soon the Twister game mat was spread out on the floor, colorful and inviting.
Mark and you were both players in this round, along with a few others from the group.
As the game started, Mark and you quickly found yourselves in precarious positions. Each spin of the wheel added another layer of closeness and intimacy to the game. You felt your cheeks flushing every time you had to bend or stretch, feeling Mark's warm body so close to your own.
Mark's breathing was calm and focused, and despite the humorous and light-hearted atmosphere of the game, there was a certain tension, an electrifying feeling in the air, every time your hands or feet found touchpoints.
In a particularly memorable moment, as Mark tried to place his left hand on green while simultaneously maintaining his balance to avoid falling on you, your eyes met. In that brief, silent exchange, there was an unspoken question, a curiosity, and perhaps even a hint of desire.
Suddenly, Mark stretched out his right leg, positioning you beneath him with his lower part pressing against your abdomen.
The intense impact of his body made your heart pound loudly in your chest as if it were the only sound you could hear over the laughter and cheers of your friends. The warmth of Mark's body, separated only by the thin layer of your clothes, sent a tingling through your entire body that you hadn't known before.
When the game finally ended, amidst general laughter, you felt oddly dizzy, almost as if in a dream. Mark, returning to his usual boisterous self, gave you a broad, irresistible smile that made your heart skip a beat for a moment.
The next day, as the clouds cleared and the sun began to shine over Vienna once again, the group decided on an outdoor game to enjoy the free time.
Dodgeball was the chosen activity. In a nearby park, which offered ample space, two teams were formed. You and Mark naturally ended up on the same team, again.
Mark, proving to be surprisingly agile and skilled, quickly became the central player of your team. With his quick reactions and clever handling of the ball, he managed to eliminate opposing players multiple times.
You noticed how safe you felt when you were near him. Instinctively, you began to position yourself behind him to shield yourself from the incoming balls. Mark quickly seemed to notice this and almost naturally assumed the role of your personal protector. He strategically positioned himself to shield you with his body while still keeping an eye on the game.
Every time a ball flew in your direction, Mark was there to deflect it or catch it skillfully. His protective instinct was impressive, and you couldn't help feeling a bit flattered.
You noticed your teammates and even some opponents chuckling as they saw Mark repeatedly shielding you.
In the shade of the trees, as the group relaxed and talked about the funniest moments of the game, you found a moment to quietly thank Mark.
"Thanks for being my personal bodyguard today," you said with a mischievous smile. Mark returned the smile. "Anytime," he replied, his voice full of unspoken promises.
After the successful day playing dodgeball, the group planned another game for the following day to promote camaraderie and fun among everyone.
This time, they decided on a game of Capture the Flag in a larger park in Vienna, which was perfect for it with its many hiding spots and open areas. The group was divided into two teams again.
During the game, you often found yourself alongside Jaemin, Mark's cousin, who proved to be a skilled strategic planner.
You worked well together, carefully planning your moves and supporting each other in defending your flag as well as attempting to capture the opposing team's flag.
Your collaboration was purely platonic and focused on the game, but from the outside, it could appear differently, especially in moments when you leaned in close to consult or patted each other on the shoulder to congratulate on a successful play.
Mark, who was on the opposing team, noticed the close cooperation between you and Jaemin. Even though he knew it was just a game, he couldn't shake off an uncomfortable feeling.
Watching you laugh and devise plans together, he felt an unexpected pang of jealousy arise within him. The obvious chemistry and shared laughter with Jaemin caught him off guard and awakened a deep-seated insecurity in him.
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Days 67 to 99 in Brussels
Upon arriving in Brussels, you sensed a noticeable change in the group's dynamics. The city provided a perfect backdrop for many adventures. Yet, despite the breathtaking surroundings and numerous new experiences, you increasingly felt uncomfortable with the evident changes in the behaviors of Johnny, Yuta, and especially Mark.
During communal meals or while exploring the city, Johnny and Yuta made insinuations and exchanged meaningful glances that obviously concerned Mark and you. It was as if they were hinting at a subtle connection between you and Mark, one you hardly dared to dream of yourself.
The situation came to a head one evening when the group gathered in one of the cozy Brussels cafes to play "Truth or Dare."
The mood was relaxed, and the game seemed a welcome distraction from the day's exhaustive explorations. When it was Mark's turn, he chose "Truth" after a brief hesitation.
A tense silence fell over the group as Johnny posed the question: "Mark, who in this group do you feel most connected to?" All eyes were on Mark, and you felt your heart skip a beat.
Deep down, despite knowing about your engagement and the inappropriateness of such feelings, you hoped he might mention your name.
Mark was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those present, and it was obvious he was wrestling with himself. Finally, after a deep breath, he mentioned the name of another female participant, Giselle. His answer came as a surprise and raised a few eyebrows in the group.
Johnny and Yuta couldn't suppress a giggle, as if amused by Mark's attempt to conceal his true feelings.
Their reaction only added to your confusion and discomfort. Deep down, you felt hurt, even though you knew you had no right to.
After all, you were engaged, and any hope for something more between you and Mark was nothing but an illusion.
Despite the sharp disappointment that threatened to overwhelm you, you put on your best smile and continued to participate in the game as if nothing had happened.
It's incredible how much change 50 days have stirred within you. You hardly recognized yourself anymore.
The following days in Brussels were marked by a subtle distance you built up towards Mark.
Although you remained part of the group activities and Mark was always friendly and accommodating, you couldn't help but wonder what was really going on behind his facade.
Was his answer in the game a conscious decision to hide his true feelings, or did it actually reflect his sentiments?
You increasingly spent time with other group members to fill the growing void left by Mark's distant behavior.
Among these was Jaehyun, a likable and charismatic participant who proved to be pleasant company. Your joint outings and conversations offered you some comfort and distracted you from the simmering emotions.
Mark, observing the growing closeness between Jaehyun and you with increasing unease, found himself in a whirlpool of conflicting feelings.
His eyes betrayed a mix of irritation and concern every time he saw you laughing or discussing together. You, unable to ignore Mark's glances, felt a growing restlessness in your heart.
You missed the ease and depth of your earlier interactions and longed to bridge the gap.
Determined to break the silence and bridge the unexplainable distance, you summoned the courage one night to call Mark to your room.
With trembling hands and a heart full of hope, you typed a message to him: "Can you please come to my room? I need to see you."
After sending the message, you lay awake, clutching your phone tightly, staring at the screen, half expecting, half fearing his response or the lack thereof.
Minutes passed like hours, and a part of you started to believe he would ignore your request, that the gap between you had grown too wide.
But then, you heard a soft knock at your door. Your heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, you hardly dared to breathe.
With hesitant steps, you approached the door and opened it to find Mark standing there.
You and Mark sat next to each other in silence on your bed. Despite the tension between you, you felt a deep longing to be even closer to Mark than mere physical proximity allowed.
Your thoughts were running in circles, caught between what was wrong and what you secretly desired.
Mark broke the silence, his voice fragile and hesitant. "You know, sometimes, when I see or think about you, thoughts come to my mind... thoughts that feel wrong."
His words hung heavily in the air, laden with the fear of the consequences of his confession.
Your heart pounded in your chest, your nervousness mixed with an unexplainable excitement.
You turned your head to him, your eyes seeking his, as you quietly asked, "What kind of thoughts?"
Mark's gaze met yours, filled with an intensity that shook you to the core. "Instinctive ones... the kind of thoughts that one should think twice, if not three times, before indulging," he confessed.
You felt the air around you start to vibrate. It was clear to you, what he was trying to say.
With a lowered gaze, barely audible, you whispered, "And what if I... would like it, when you just do?"
Mark was taken aback from your response, his "What?" was a whisper, fearful he might have misunderstood you.
You swallowed hard, your throat felt dry, your eyes fixated on a point at the window behind Mark, "I… I want to experience something new, Mark. Something... special?." you confessed.
Your eyes didn't move away from the point you were fixated on.
Mark searched your face for certainty but was even more confused than in the beginning, he frowned, "I need more words, y/n. What… what do you want to experience? Tell me."
"I… I don't know. Kinda emotional, physical intimacy, I guess. I want someone who accepts me as I am. Someone I don't have to pretend with to be someone, who isn't me. Does it make sense? I... I just want to let go and... feel, without thinking about whether it's right or wrong."
"Do you want it now?"
"What do you mean?" you asked, confused. You were disconnected from reality for a moment, sharing your deepest desires with him, that you totally forgot, that he was actually listening to you.
Mark shifted his position on your bed to face you fully. "I mean… what if I can give you the emotional… and…" he cleared his throat, and even in the evening light, you could see a hint of pink on his cheeks. "…the physical intimacy. Here and now."
"Here and now?" Your eyes widened.
"I can give you all of that if you want it. I mean… I'd like to… very much."
"So you're willing to accept me as I am?"
"Yes."
"Trust me completely?"
"Exactly."
"Not judge me for my weird choices?"
"Of course not."
You pondered for a while.
"If that's the case… then… would you like to… kiss me?"
Mark chuckled, "i’m dying to, actually."
He slid his hand to the back of your neck, before leaning in, while you looked down at his lips.
Your eyes closed right before the small gap between you two closed. Mark sighed as though he had just sunk into a hot bath after a long day.
You dropped your hands to his thigh, feeling the solid muscle below his denim. Marks free hand came to rest on your hip, his fingers dripping under your shirt to graze your bare skin.
The contact made you shiver slightly before he slid one of your hands up his thigh. You couldn’t help but smile into the kiss as you felt him shiver too.
You fell back onto your bed, pulling Mark with you. Your mouths opened simultaneously.
Mark groaned as his tongue slipped into your mouth. His grip on your hip thightened while his other hand pushed up into her hair.
He pulled gently your hair, making you moan as your kiss broke.
Mark used this opportunity to kiss your buttom lip, then your cheek, down your jaw and setlling into your neck, where he left opened mouthed kisses, allowing his hand to glide further up under your shirt until his fingers were resting underneath your bra.
„Mark“, you whispered and he mumbled into your neck, the vibrations pulling a soft moan from you.
„Do you... want to have sex with me?“
Mark pulled away from your neck and pulled his hand out from under your shirt, both of his hands were now cupping your face.
He gently pecked your nose, revelling in the little giggle you made before leaning his forehead against yours.
„You remember, when you had danced in Vienna? Then I knew, I wanted to have sex with you, but was too afraid, since I thought, you would reject me."
You remembered that day. Even then, it was clear to you that there was more between you and Mark, but you were too afraid to dig further and admit to yourself that you were attracted to him.
"Jesus, I want to give you everything you need, y/n.“
"What about you? Why don't you tell me what you need?", you said while your voice trembled. You couldn't believe you were in this situation, in Brussels, in a hotel room, with Mark Lee.
You felt inwardly relieved that you had insisted on staying alone in a room from the beginning. Without Karina or another roommate. Otherwise it would be very difficult to have him on your bed right now.
„You. I need you.“ Mark sucked the side of your neck lightly. Your lips lifted at the gesture, though your eyes remained shut. „Do you like this?“ he asked.
„Mmm…“ you hummed.
Mark moved his mouth to the opposite side of your throat. „I want to give you pleasure, y/n. I wish to make you cum today, does it sound good?“, he asked to reassure.
You swallowed at his choice of words. The abrupt change in him surprised you a bit, but at the same time, you were excited about what was about to happen.
You coaxed hum down with a twitch of your fingers, bringing his mouth to yours. The kiss was softer this time.
Your mouths barely parted and lips slowly caressed each other, and only parted for the cruel necessity of verbal communication.
„How can I say no to that?“, you said, stroking his face. „But, please… be gentle. Take your time.“ You shyly remarked.
„Gentle. I got you.“ Mark confirmed. Then, he pulled away.
You made a small noise of protest, but that didn't stop him.
Mark grasped your breasts and groped you tenderly, rolling the flesh within his palms and brushing your erect nipples with his thumbs.
You gasped at his light touches and he could smell sweetness of your cunt as you started to become wet.
With mooth, broad sweeps of his hands, he moved down your belly as he inched lower and lower. He kneeled between your legs, parting them, so he could rub circles into the insides of your thighs.
Above him, your breath quickened.
„May I-„
„Just do as you like.“ You stated.
Mark kept his approach gentle and slow as you wished, lapping at the outer folds, his tongue only incidentally dipping inside your clit.
You groaned and tried to close your knees around his head but he kept them still, forcing them back down on the mattress.
He kissed at the tantalizing mound until your muscles once again unwinded; then he resumed, this time licking into the dripping source of your torment.
When he focused his attention on throbbing bud at the apex of your inner folds, passing the flat of his tongue over it again and again, your hands weaved into his hair and begin to tug it.
He ignored it at first but then he heard a breathless, “Mark,” which made him lift his head immediately.
You gathered his face up in your palms, thumbing away at your juices on his chin.
Your eyes became dark and heady, pupils blown wide and skin hot as fire.
Mark wiped the liquid out and hovered back on you so that you were face to face.
„Mark,“ you moaned into his mouth as he kissed you hungrily while his hands were busy playing with your breasts.
„Do you want to try out a certain position?“ he whispered in your ear before nipping at that turn on spot just below your ear. Earning another moan from you before you nodded your head enthusiastically.
„Can I help choose one?“
„Of course“ Mark assured you as he pulled out his shirt and placed it out on the floor in front of you.
„Can we do this position, where…“ you tried to form a sentence, but were too taken aback from the sensation the situation gave you.
„What position?“ Mark queried as he climbed back onto the bed with you, now both only in your underwears, before kissing your neck tenderly.
„I want to try that…um.. you know which one.“ you were too try to speak it out.
„No, I don’t, tell me baby,“ Marks begged as he kissed you again just under your ear before returning his kisses to your neck as he lied on top of you.
He could guess which position you wanted but just wanted to hear the words roll off your tongue and out your mouth first.
„The… doggy… style one,“ you murmured, making Mark grin as he allowed his hand to snake back up your body.
He gently started to kiss down your neck, over your collar bone then down the valley in-between your breasts bevor kissing over your stomach.
„Do you want to take off my boxers or shall I?“ he asked before he kissed the top of your thigh.
„I want to do it,“ you breathed out as you sit up and him wathching you how your hands slowly slide down the hem of his grey boxer shorts until his hard member appeared.
„Arch your back a bit,“ Mark murmurrd into your ear before you could admire his member any longer.
You did as told and wihtin the next second he had your bra unclasped and thrown on the floor with the rest of your clothes.
„Are you sure you want to try this position?“ he confirmed with you and you nodded as you sit up and allowed him to put you in the position.
Mark got you to kneel in front of him with your back to his, and your legs opened enough for him to enter you.
„Ready?“ Mark asked to make sure, you were prepared.
„Just fucking do it already, Mark.“ you plead unpatiently.
Mark thrusted into you, revelling in the wetness and warmth of your dripping pussy.
After enjoying the sensation for a few moments, Mark beginned to pump in and out of you until you both found a speed that you could enjoy.
Marks cock was definitely enjoying itself as it slided into your wet folds and proded your g-spot every time.
„Oh, Mark, oh… god-“ you moaned out as you started to move back against him, making him groan in response.
„Ah- fuck, you’re doing so well, baby,“ Mark groaned but before you could answer, he thrusted into you with some force making you shout out in pleasure.
Just as he felt, you were beginning to get close to your release; he stopped moving in you.
Before you could protest, he had you lying on your back on the bed. All that before he plunged his throbbing cock back into you.
„Sorry, darlin', I want to see you climax. I want to see your face when you go over the edge“, he murmured in your ear before nipping at your neck.
You easily adjustee to the new position as you began to meet hum thrust for thrust, as well as rocking against him.
With each thrust, Mark went deeper and deeper into you until you both meet your end.
Mark kept moving in and out of you until you have both come down from your highs.
Once that has happended, he moved so he was laid down next to you on your side. He started to softly draw random patterns on your stomach as you both tried to catch your breaths back.
„Dude, that was…“, he to form the correct words, but there were just so many that he couldn’t think of the perfect ones to say.
„Explosive? Mind Blowing?“ you filled in, making him chuckle as he rolled you on top of him before connecting his lips to yours.
„Gosh, am I fucking glad, that I listened to the boys and agreed to this trip. Where else would I have met you instead?“ Mark mumbleed as he looks at you with lovely eyes.
You forced a smile to his words. Calm and worried at the same time. Calm because you will by no means regret that you have this thing with Mark, and worried because you will probably hurt him if he found out about Jonas.
So for tonight, you decided to enjoy his presence next to you and dive into a worryless sleep. At least, that was an important motto, you got from Mark.
To your surprise, he was also be able to sleep safe and sound next to you, showing no signs of insomnia. Guess, someone out there forgot about taking Mark on an adventure that night - while you had your best, you could ever wish for.
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pupyuj · 8 months
Text
[cw: exhibitionism, g!p, humiliation, degradation, choking, dubcon, breeding]
to all those that liked the stalker!yujin thought.. this is for ya'll ✊️✊️ we are expanding the universe 😭😭😭 BUT UMMMMM HAPPY BIRTHDAY WONY???? 😍💞💞💞💞 it's a shame i don't have an actual fic for her special day...
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hehe.. you've heard of voyeurism yujin now get ready for exhibitionism wonyoung 😏😏
wwhat if wony was like, your uber-rich two-faced friend who always has shit to say about you behind your back because you are, admittedly, a huge fucking whore but you keep her around bcs she's the only person who would be honest with you about everything and bcs she's hot, duh.
she keeps you with her for the same reason too, and bcs she wants to fuck you. again, duh.
wony has always had her eyes on you,, whenever you guys spend time together all she wants to do is drag you inside a bathroom stall and ruin you against the door :(( or maybe you guys are watching a movie,, sometimes she just wants to reach over and play w your pussy until midnight 😩😩 but her pride gets in the way and she settles with just glaring daggers at the back of your head, even though she so badly wants you begging for her cock 💔
so when she hears about this 'hot neighbor' of yours that fucked you in your bedroom in the party that you organized with wonyoung... yeah, she was pissed. like wdym you ditched her for some creepy loser??? her, jang wonyoung, your friend (kind of) who can fuck you so much better???
"i'm bored. i think i'll call her over when you go home. when are you going home, by the way?"
"what, are that much of a slut that you can't go a day without being filled up with dick? ...by her?" you were used to wonyoung doing a sudden 180 and turning into a mean bitch towards you for no reason, but something about this one felt different. bcs you actually felt threatened, and also bcs she was right in front of you. way too close.
"you could say that." you joked with a smile.
wonyoung chuckles mockingly. yeah, she was done hearing about this neighbor.
"allow me, then." and suddenly she was on top of you, one hand holding your wrist in a tight grip above your head and the other palming your pussy through your shorts,,, she's kissing you roughly, tasting her strawberry-flavored chapstick on your tongue and moaning when she softly nibbles on your bottom lip,,
before you knew it, your shorts and panties were off and wony was teasing your entrance with her fingers,,, not even putting her digits inside you, just rubbing them against your folds and drenching it with your slick :((( she was surprisingly strong too,, you couldn't pull yourself out of her grip no matter how hard you tried,, "don't resist me, (y/n). you know you want this." she's saying while kissing your neck :((
dudbfndkf finally seeing your friend's big dick when she pulled her skirt off ,,, as wrong as this was, you couldn't help but be turned on out of your mind,, and wonyoung noticed that look in your face,, a look she knows well bcs she has always watched you, and she knows when you wanna get fucked 😳😳 wony now pinning both of your hands down on the bed so you can't push her off when she climbs on top of you,, "see? this isn't so bad." she was grinning widely, finally getting what she deserved all this time!!
both of your wrists held up by wonyoung while she teased your entrance with her tip 🫣 not finding it in yourself to fight anymore bcs deep down you wanted to see this though :(( nearly screaming when she forces her length inside you, she was so big :((( "i know you've taken bigger than this, slut. don't fucking act out on me." and then she's moving in and out of you slowly, watching your face as you tried your hardest not to show her that you were enjoying this... but she knew,,, you were nothing more than wonyoung's slutty best friend, (y/n), you were always gonna enjoy being fucked, consensual or not :((
wony making you suck on her thumb while she thrusting faster 😵‍💫 she looked so pretty on top of you,, but then you remember just exactly how she went about this entire thing you get turned off 😭 "think that neighbor of yours is watching? hm?" wonyoung glances at the window across your own. "let's give her a show, yeah?" and you started panicking bcs what the fuck did she mean by that??? luckily, you didn't have to be confused for long... wony simply pulls out of you and dragged you towards your window, where she pushed you against the glass and put your entire naked body on display to whoever may be watching.
(the curtains were drawn in the window across from yours, but you knew she was watching. she always is.)
"i'm gonna fuck you so hard... show that creep the kind of girl you're really into." wony slams her dick inside you, and doesn't waste any more time before pulling out and doing it again. you couldn't believe the pain and pleasure that came with it,, "a-and we're a perfect match, aren't we, (y/n)?? down to the way we—oh, god—the way w-we get off to being seen like this... fuck. i knew your pussy would be fucking sweet." wonyoung brings down her hand to your ass, grinning at the way it made you push into her more. you didn't know it was possible for her to go any faster than she already was, but she did it anyway,,, both of your moans got louder, you even failed to say her name properly... if someone from outside were to listen closely, they would probably hear you... and that just contributed more to wonyoung's sick obsession with showing you off like you were some prized possession, one that belonged to her...
she really was going to show everybody.
"i don't wanna compare... but i will anyway," you feel wony's slender hand secure around your neck, choking you slightly. "you weren't this loud when you were with her... i doubt you felt half as good.. i know you, (y/n). that's why i can fuck you the best. that's why only i can fuck you like no one can." she pulls you back into her by your neck and kisses your cheek, once again glancing across, "don't you agree, baby?" she whispered, tightening her grip on you slowly.
😵‍💫 ugh, she made you feel so good that you couldn't bring yourself to hate what she was doing,, "i'm gonna come inside you, okay? fill you up more than she ever can..." she finally releases your throat from her grip, moving her hands to your waist and uses your cunt as she pleases,,, her grunting and groaning on your shoulder, so focused on trying to breed you, so lost in the way you clenched around her,, she just knew she had to fuck you stupid soon,,, she was never going to let you fall into the wrong hands just like that!!
her whining too omg :(( she might have a big cock and an even bigger ego but she's still such a baby,, practically hugging you while fucking you,, eyes shut tightly and mumbling whatever,,
"you're so p-perfect, (y/n)... i'm a fucking bitch but.. fuck, you're everything..."
"she can't steal you away... n-no.. not from me...! you're my best friend, she's nothing... right? a-ahh..."
"i'm gonna come...! i'm gonna breed your pussy f-full, (y/n)... (y/n)!!"
and as promised, wony comes hard 😵‍💫😵‍💫 feeling her warm seed seep into your womb, as well as hearing her cute moans, made you come too :((( and wony was so proud of herself,,, taking some of your cum that trickled down your thigh and tasting it from her fingers,, "you're delicious, (y/n)." she says while kissing your shoulder :((( she was sweet for a bit until she gets irritated again at the thought of your neighbour,, but at least she has shown you that she was a better fuck than her!
(truth to be told, it was debatable. but you weren't going to tell wonyoung that. not unless you want to get fucked until sunrise. you were going to save that mess for later 😉)
sdkhdsjncjd BUT IMAGINE IF SHE LIKE... GETS A LITTLE COMPETITIVE??? wony having just pulled out of you, sitting on your bed while you were laying down trying to catch your breath from everything that had just happened,,, your heart dropping to your stomach out of both excitement and fear when she suggests a crazy idea...
"you said she was good, right? call her over so we can see who really deserves to fuck you." aaaaackkkk 😩😩🤤
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seat-safety-switch · 29 days
Text
You can learn a lot about how something was built by watching it break. At least that's my excuse for watching over a hundred hours of YouTube "gone wrong" videos instead of actually getting any work done this week. Take, for example, the collapse of a bridge. If you'd never seen one crumble to bits and drop into the water, you wouldn't know they're made out of steel rebar with concrete poured over top. Any bridge you try to make without that knowledge would totally suck ass. In a way, that bridge gave its life so that others could live. Thanks for your sacrifice, bridge.
Among my friends who are especially productive – "capable," if you will – they get into these little funks where they get depressed about not being able to finish their projects. What they do then is create a little tiny side project, small enough that they can start and finish it quickly, and then reassure themselves that they can actually get things done. Even if those things are a little pipe cleaner kitty. Absolutely adorable, and confirms their place as creators of the universe. Destroying things is the same deal for me.
Nothing gets the old creative juices going like turning a perfectly good automatic transmission entirely into neutrals, for instance. It gets other juices going, too, but that's a problem for the highway cleanup crew to worry about. Once I've been freed of the constraint of "this car needs to run right now," then things can get kinda weird. Maybe I want to put a manual transmission in, push an extra pedal. Perhaps I want a Lenco drag-racing transmission, and I need to come up with a disguise so I can trick the guy at the swap meet into giving it to me ("Lenco inspector," I'll bark, "hand 'em over.")
So take it from me. If you're feeling stuck on a project, or otherwise uninspired, go recklessly destroy an object of actual value and watch that sucker fall apart. Holy shit! Did you know springs are in these things? I better save each and every one of these springs just in case they come in handy later. I'll probably need to build something to organize them...
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stealth-liberal · 2 months
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Whew, I have a lot to say, and I know for a FACT that not a single non Jewish person on here will give a shit... but I have to vent.
Antisemitism in America is so bad that I honestly don't know if it's safe to send my daughter off to college in 2 years. She doesn't know either. Both of us have discussed her staying home and doing as much of her university education online, so as to keep her safe. She has sensory issues and an anxiety disorder... and already she has been rejected all over the place in her high school campus since 10/7.
The Women's Empowerment Club? The club leader has made it so that no female Jewish student feels safe there, and all of them quit. The little leftist neo nazi in charge of it probably cheered as they left and patted herself on the back for her "praxis". Maybe she can start goose stepping and yelling "Heil Hitler!" while she's at it. But she's not unique. Feminist organizations the world over deny mass rape of Jewish women. Why? Because it's Me Too Unless You're a Jew. They want us all raped and in the grave. Period.
The Pride Club? Forget it. All queer Jewish kids are persona non grata there. Apparently it's cool if Jewish queers are the subject of violence... and I can't say more or I'll start wanting to kill people. I am bisexual, my husband is bisexual, our daughter is lesbian. I have been part of this community since I was 12 as an ally and since I was 15 as a bisexual (took me some time to figure out what I was). My daughter came out in 4th grade for G-d's sake. We've been there, fighting the fight and now... queer organizations all over the world are abandoning us. They honestly hope we will all die, the more violently the better.
I was a proud intersectional feminist and a proud queer woman my whole life. Or at least ever since I could make decisions about that sort of stuff and what I believed. And I have been abandoned, my daughter has been abandoned, for blood sport. Her friends are pulling away from her and we all know why... because she committed the unpardonable sin of being Jewish.
Funny part? The Muslim Student Union has done nothing to her or the other Jewish kids on campus. Ponder that thought leftists if you will.
My son is in 8th grade and for the entirety of his 6th and 7th school years he was relentlessly bullied for being Jewish. We live in a red town and it was right wing antisemitism. It was so bad that I had to remove him for his safety from the school for a while. Now? It's left wing as well, he's catching it from both sides and I don't know how to protect him.
No one cares. Frankly, if my 13 year old son committed suicide to get away from it all... they would throw a party. Another dirty Jew/Zionist down... am I right? None of you give a fuck.
I marched, I protested, I voted, I phone banked. I lived my beliefs in action, and the left betrayed me. They fantasize about me and my children being raped and murdered. The more graphically it could happen, the better for them. Frankly, I think they get off to the videos Hamas released in the privacy of their rooms at night.
There's nowhere to run. Israel isn't an option. I know everyone thinks Jews are dripping in wealth... but I frankly do not have enough money to move my family to the other side of the planet. My husband is in IATSE, the stage hand local. There are no jobs waiting for him there. There are no jobs waiting for me there. I have no family there. Neither does he.
Actually, my husband isn't Jewish. I am, our children are, but he is not. He supports us in our Jewishness 100%, but he is not a Jew and he never wanted to convert. Which is fine with me... but how the hell does that work in a country where there is no civil marriage?
I'm not Orthodox, I don't want to be Orthodox. I want full egalitarianism, so I go to Reform, Renewal, or Conservative synagogues, depending on what is closer to wherever I live. Israel is a VERY Orthodox country, and the options are Orthodox or completely secular. This is a criticism I've been laying at Israel's feet for DECADES.
And Jew Haters better not use this as a way to say how awful Israel is. Not when the countries surrounding Israel are either dictatorships or absolute power, divine right monarchies who kill dissenters constantly.
So... there's really nowhere for my family to go. So I guess I'll stay where I am being a liberal Jew and waiting for the sick marriage of MAGA and Leftists to come to my door and kill me and my family.
None of you care. All of you would cheer. I'll never trust any of you again for the rest of my life. Till the day I die... I'll never trust any of you in any part of my life (online or offline) again.
1 in 5 members of Gen Z think the Holocaust didn't happen. 2/3rds of Gen Z think stories of the Holocaust are exaggerated and that Jews were somewhat complicit in what happened to us. Blame the victim...amirite? The rates amongst Millennials are not as horrific... but they're still bad. You all are going to commit a 2nd Holocaust and pat yourself on the backs. And when history remembers you all as the Nazis part 2... you will babble in your nursing homes that you were "Just trying to save the world from the Zionist/Jewish scourge."
When that happens, I hope you die in a puddle of your own shit.
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catsfor2 · 1 year
Text
hit me, pt 1
word ct.: 2.3k, largely unedited gen: boxer!ellie x med student!reader au!!!, reader is a barista, ellie is mean (she has her reasons), reader is a pretty princess femme because i said so, also ellie says dyke (because i said so)(but not in this chapter lol) warnings: swearing/language, age diff (reader is 19 ellie is 23), drug use (alcohol), eventual smut, angst
a/n: this chapter is a kinda slow start, i mostly just wanted write some establishing dialogue type stuff. i want this to be a medium length ish fic. definitely nsfw in the future. i’m also going to (attempt) to have a more organized pov switching order? idk maybe each part switches between ellie and reader or maybe 1 switch per part? idk. lmk what u think. if you like my writing pls interact on this post or even visit my blog to submit a hc, drabble, or fic idea! requests are open
a/n 2: also, thank you sm to everyone who voted on the poll!!! will totally be doing more of those in the future
part 1.5
You were so drunk. Like, so fucking drunk. Legs wobbling and cheeks flushed, an idiot could notice how intoxicated you were. Hanging off of your friends and approaching strangers. A mess, is what you looked like. You'd learned to restrict yourself over the years, as your friends have informed you of all of the humiliating behaviors you exhibit drunk.
You weren't too worried about anything, though. It's your first night drinking in a while—you're up at university now. Rarely do you get to join Dina and her friends by actually consuming the alcohol—you usually just pass. However, tonight, you wanted to get fucked up. You wanted to forget. Fortunately Dina's a good host, and an even better friend. If anyone was going to be holding your hair back at the end of the night, it would probably be her.
The very first thought you had was holy shit, this is not Dina holding my hair. You shouldn't say 'holding', really. Whoever's hand was in your hair was gripping, hard.
"Shut up, you're fine. Here—drink. No, not sip, drink." A voice directs, bringing a cold cup of water to your mouth.
The first sip is disgusting, the stale tastes of alcohol on your tongue washing down your throat.
Oh Christ, is this one of Dina's friends? How do I not remember her? And her...huge shoulders?
"Seriously—fuckin' drink or I'll make you." The same voice says, meaner and harsher. This person talked to you like you were an animal.
The hand that clutches your hair lets go, and surprisingly gently, rakes over your head a few times to smooth it out. You absentmindedly lean into the touch, too far past the threshold to stop yourself.
The hand moves to your nape as you start to drink, cradling. Her fingers just barely reach around the sides of your neck.
You hesitantly gulp about half the glass of water before the brunette puts it back on the counter.
"Ewwww, is that sink water?" You whine, your face scrunching.
"What, it's not good enough for you? You want Fiji? Fuck is the problem?"
Her tone sobers you up for a moment, locking your eyes to the tiles. You couldn't look at someone while they yelled at you.
Slouching on the floor while she hovers over you, you pull the edges of your dress over your folded legs, only just now feeling the bareness. Your hands stay clutched in the fabric.
"Are you done now?" She says. Rudely, you think. She could've meant 'done' with your vomiting or with your complaining, you weren't quite sure.
"Yeah...I think so. Thank you. Um, really, thank you." You try to say, still feeling stuffy and weighted from all the liquor in your system. She looks at you so intensely you turn your head to escape her gaze.
"Dina asked me to." She takes a damp towel and wipes around your face. "Plus you're so drunk it's a fuckin' liability."
"I'm—m'sorry. Who are you? I've never seen you at one of Dina's...things...before, I don't think."
Her hand stills, wet rag still in it. Her eyes hold yours for a moment, closely and intensely, before darting away again.
“Yeah, you haven’t.”
She rolls up her sleeves before wiping over your collarbones and you spot her tattoo. It takes your gaze up the length of her arms, and you simply let your eyes wander over her figure for as long as you want.
"You should probably throw that dress away. Y'got shit all over it now." She states.
Well.
You look down and see that the moisture on your dress has made it completely see through. Your arm moves to drape across your chest to cover your vibrantly patterned bra and your breasts awkwardly spilling out of it.
"Come on, that's jus mean," you complain. "...ignoring me like that. Please, please, pleeease tell me your name..." Your voice is drunken, high-pitched, and definitely annoying. The woman in front of you grimaces.
"No."
"Why not?" You giggle a bit. "I'll tell you mine."
It was kind of your specialty. Annoying people. Her eyebrows shift downwards. No response.
"Hm, ok. I'll ask Dina." You say, a tiny smile trying to break through your face.
"Do it. See if I give a fuck."
"Woooaahhhh, somebody's got a bee in her bonnet! Who peed in your wheaties?"
"You did. And you're at least sixty-fucking-years-old for even saying that," She tosses the rag behind her and puts her hands on her knees to stand all the way up. "y/n."
Your face lights up an in instant. You scramble to your feet.
"How--how do you know mine? But I can't know yours!?"
"Just how it is. I have to go now." She says, throwing her khaki jacket on her back.
"But--hey, hold on, I don't have a ride home anymore! Everyone's left by now!"
"Not my problem. Call your fucking boyfriend or something." She barks, hands now defensively in her pockets.
A laugh promptly bursts out of you, and you impulsively reach out to grasp her shoulder. Your fingers brush over the collar of her jacket.
"O-kay," you quip, "hold on--cause, I don't have a boyfriend, silly," Her eyes bore into yours as your face draws even nearer. "I'm a lesbian..." You whisper giddily, as if it's something only she gets to know.
Her eyes flit away from you as her mouth purses and flattens, like she's contemplating on how to deal with you. In a moment her pupils are locked with yours again.
"Wow, so fucking special, aren't you, princess?" Her last word is a little less bold, less certain than the rest, like it wasn't entirely intentional. You blush, full body and wholeheartedly.
Princess. Princess?
Your grin widens uncontrollably, and you feel yourself giving in to the hazy pleasure of the alcoholic buzz in your blood. Your hands palm your own thighs as you speak.
"Oh...princess? I like that. I've never—I've never been...called that, before. Before now." You breathe out, eyes fluttery and tired.
She didn't snap at you immediately this time. No, instead, she begins to smile. A lazy, smug, confident smile that burns your stomach.
"You're gonna be real fuckin' embarrassed when you remember this tomorrow. Fuckin'—prissy bitch like you acting all shameless."
“You don’t know who I am,” You mutter, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. "and this? This is not shameless. Do you wanna see shameless? What that actually looks like?" You ask, voice quiet on purpose.
"...No. Fuck no." She denies, that microscopic crack of a smile still evident on her face.
She's very pretty when she smiles. Sooooo pretty.
"You swear way too much, you know that?"
"No, I didn't fucking know that."
Her eyes don't leave yours, like she's waiting for something. Finally, something breaks.
The hand that was resting on the doorknob jiggles it open and she stands in the frame for a moment, just staring. Her compelling eyes force your words out.
"Ok but before you go. One question. Just—just one question.”
"What."
You freeze. What did you want to ask her? You remember it being something about her age.
“Well fucking spit it out. I’m trying to leave.” She urges.
Before you can even recall, another thought appears in your head.
"Okay, okay. Call me princess again? Pleeease? Just once before you go. I don't even want a ride anymore.” You take a glance at the bathroom. “I'll just...sleep… here." You whisper, a little upset thinking about how after this woman leaves, you'll be standing in this bathroom, alone.
"..."
She steps forward, mostly expressionless, pulling up the straps of your dress to cover some cleavage you didn't realize was showing. Your face heats shamefully.
She lets out a sigh.
"Dina has a pull-out in the basement. There's another bathroom down there too if y'need it. Go to bed," Her eyes scan you up and down so quickly you almost miss it. "and finish that glass of water."
With that, the door shuts behind her.
And she's gone.
_____________
You did end up talking to Dina about the person you met last night. Around noon, of course, as you both had slept through the entirety of morning.
"Wait...that's Ellie? Are you fucking serious?!" You clamor, barely comprehending what she’s saying.
The person who helped you out last night knew you, and it also happened to be Ellie. You wanted to hit yourself. Knock yourself out. Be unconscious.
"I thought you knew! She doesn't look that different."
"Dina. I haven't seen her in four years, cut me some slack. And she has like—a whole new energy now. It's....different."
She smirks at you. "...Different?"
"I—yes, different. I know I'm not wrong. I'm not."
The last time you saw Ellie, she was 19 and you were 16. You hadn't come out yet, and hung off of your asshole boyfriend's arm for as long as you could when he was around. Ellie hated the guy. You were insufferable, but Dina must've seen through it enough to befriend you. You’re eternally grateful.
Ellie is a family friend of Dina's, so naturally your paths crossed pretty frequently back then. Until two days before her 20th birthday, when she ran away only with plane tickets and a plan to 'elope' with her girlfriend of three months. They broke up a month later.
You haven't seen her since—excluding last night, of course.
"Oh—oh, fuuuuck. Dina, I know why she was so mean to me last night." Your hands reach up and you drop your face into them.
"She was mean? You didn't say that, the hell?"
"Yes—she was mean, Jesus Dina, keep up. Listen I didn't even recognize her. Like, at all. I kept asking for her fucking name, like, over and over and over again! Oh god, she probably thinks I'm such an asshole." You sulk, rerunning the things you said and did last night in your head.
"Yeah, she totally does."
"No! shut up! You're not helping. How was I supposed to--? She has these arms now, she didn't have those three years ago! And her shoulders? They're so much...wider!" You exclaim, bewildered by this entire situation.
"Hah, ok--"
You cut Dina off.
"And the tattoo, oh my god the tattoo! She's basically unrecognizable!"
"Calm the fuck down, perv. She got a new job three years ago and it just changed her a bit. She does a lot of...physical stuff, now. But she's basically the same, I swear."
"Yeah? Ok. That's...reassuring, I guess..." You say, half truthful. Dina looks at you with something you can't identify. "so...what job."
"Uhhhh—well, not my place to say. You'll...definitely have to ask her. Yourself." Dina winces, trying her best to not let out more info than she should.
"Hm. This is getting...less and less reassuring as you go on. But, thank you Dina."
"So you want her number?" She grins, holding up her phone.
"Are you kidding me." You reject. "I do not text first. You know that."
“You freak, not for that,” Dina shakes her head. “but so you guys can fucking make up and not hate each other, maybe?”
She laughs before getting right on her phone and looking for Ellie's contact.
"I'll just send your number to hers then, jeez."
"No, don't do that either. If Ellie's all upset I couldn't tell who she was, she can be a big girl and tell it to my face. And I don't even care if you tell her I said that. Honestly."
Dina looks up at you. Eyes unmoving and apathetic.
"Both of you are so fucking dramatic. Don't think I'm on your side or her's at this point. I’m completely out of this.”
She throws her phone on the couch before tossing her whole body on it as well. She grabs the remote to turn on the TV.
“Oh shit,” Dina laughs.
“What?”
“Ellie’s gonna fuckin’ flip when she finds out you’re gay now,” Dina says with an acute smile.
I already, accidentally, drunkenly told her. Problem fucking solved, you think.
“Ok? Why’s that?”
“Oh, no reason. Just, pure shock, probably.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” You respond lightly. “…I guess she still pictures the me from highschool, right?”
“Is that your way of asking me if she still hates your ex-boyfriend? Cause yeah, trust me, she does—”
An impeding stream of knocks cut her off. You both whip your heads towards the sound.
The door swiftly opens and in steps Ellie.
Nobody speaks for a few seconds.
“…I have coffee. Thanks for leaving the door unlocked, morons,” Her leg kicks backwards and loudly shuts it. “I hope you get fuckin’ robbed one of these times.”
She walks ahead and hands a hot cup to Dina, and then, to you.
Her thumb rubs along the inside of the carabiner clipped to the loop of her jeans. There’s a smidge of silence before she looks up, only really looking at you.
“I need to show you something.”
And that’s all she says. No context, no elaboration.
“Uh—now?” You question, still in the beat up makeup from last night and hair sticking in all different directions. You couldn’t go out in public like this.
“Uh, yes, now.” She unclips the carabiner and spins it around her pinky. “Let’s go.”
“But what if—what if I have plans?”
“Do you?”
“Well no, but I’d like to at least—”
“Jesus Christ both of you are like this? Here: your hair looks great, your makeup is perfect, your boobs are huge. Can we fucking leave now?” She tells you, completely causing you to forget anything you were saying.
In a moment of panic, you glance at Dina.
Her eyebrows and shoulders only give a limp shrug, as if to say, ‘I don’t know what this is about, but you’re on your own!’
Naturally.
“Yeah, we can leave,” you take a sip of your coffee. “…Ellie.”
The second you say her name, her head is turned to you. Her eyebrows creasing and eyes unwilling to break your gaze. So now you know what the stare was about.
You wonder if your cluelessness last night genuinely hurt her. Made her feel unwanted. Unknown. You felt like shit. You just hope she doesn’t feel similar as you do right now.
She says nothing.
And in that silence, with Ellie cutting in front to get the door for you, you leave.
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nightingaelic · 3 months
Text
Things that are Now Fallout Canon
(according to the Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News that preceded the Fallout TV series' teaser trailer release on December 2, 2023)
Vault 33, the focus vault of the Fallout television series, is located beneath Santa Monica, California. It's also implied to be very, very expensive to get into.
Bottle and Cappy, the mascots for Nuka-Cola and its theme park, Nuka-World, were about to embark on a seventeen-movie-long series of animated films before the bombs fell.
The sinking of the RMS Titanic happened in Fallout's alternate universe. The news announcer jokes about the world going down like the infamous ship, including the deadly lack of lifeboats.
Camels exist in this universe, too! The news announcer actually fucks this one up, because he says dromedary camels have two humps - dromedary camels have one hump, while Bactrian camels have two. Or maybe we'll get a sound bite from Todd Howard in a few months where he claims the camel breed names are swapped in Fallout, who knows.
Pets were not allowed in the commercially-advertised vaults. The news announcer regrettably informs listeners that they can't bring their cats, dogs, or even fish with them due to logistical concerns and safety hazards, but they are more than welcome to purchase Vault-Tec-branded gravestones and hold pet funerals before they move underground. Hypothetically-speaking, it wouldn't surprise me if people tried to smuggle their animals in, anyway.
Someone stole the Fallout universe's original moon landing flag from the Museum of Technology in Washington, D.C. - another headline report, with no further details. It was in the same exhibit as the Virgo II lunar lander, which stayed put for at least 200 years.
Vault Boy was named "World's Sexiest Man" in 2077 (when the report is being aired) - no word about which publication or organization bestowed this title upon an animated mascot.
Vault-Tec trademarked the thumbs-up emoji in the Fallout universe - which is very much in character for the company, but something about there being emojis in the world at all hit me wrong.
Vault-Tec instituted a "breeder search program" alongside vault placement purchases, and encouraged polyamory to get people to procreate (and buy more vault spots). I'll admit that this one seems plausible but shaky, because by this point in the report the news announcer is losing his mind while stalling for the vault door to open, and he might just be making shit up.
Nuka-Cola ran its own version of the Pizza Hut "BOOK IT!" reading program, called "ZAP IT!" Kids were required to read over 10,000 books to win rewards. If we use picture books for the math, and allow for five minutes to read each book, that's about 833 hours (34 straight days) of reading to get some soda.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville and the ancient Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus both exist in the Fallout universe.
Resulting Thoughts
"The ghoul" in the show is possibly named Howard - unsure if that's a first or last name. In the teaser trailer, Walton Goggins (who plays the ghoul) is shown dressed like a Hollywood cowboy on the day of the Great War, riding a horse to try to escape the nuclear bombs that hit Los Angeles with an unidentified child. Meanwhile, the Galaxy News headlines report that a box office hit called "The Man From Deadhorse" is getting a sequel, which is currently filming at California Crest Studios, and the news announcer says the film is "Howard-led." Whether the ghoul is the lead actor, we don't know, but it seems like a solid enough hint at his origins.
I'm glad that the show is going to delve more into the idea of the haves and have-nots, what with vault entrance being both selective and expensive. The most recent games in the series don't talk about this enough, in my opinion.
This isn't specific to the show adaptation, but it's becoming more noticeable to me that the Fallout series is crawling forward in terms of relating to modernity. I'm not sure how to feel about this - for example, I don't really mind if the soundtrack of Fallout 76 features the Beach Boys and other 1960s songs when it used to be strictly limited to 1930s and 40s music. On the other hand, I thought that using a news announcer that sounds more like a modern podcast host than a Transatlantic-accented journalist was an odd choice, and as I said above, I really did not like the idea that pre-war America knows what an emoji is. I'll get over it, but I'm anticipating that there will be some more artistic choices in the adaptation (and future games) that rub me and others the wrong way because they don't fit our definition of what Fallout "is." I'm not saying anything new, people have been arguing about that forever.
Overall, I'm excited. We're probably not getting a new Fallout game until 2030, so I might as well try to enjoy this. I will be keeping my bingo cards handy, though.
Anyway, I transcribed the damn report because I'm very normal. Feel free to use!
Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News
with occasional commentary from yours truly
[An upbeat, strings-led orchestral jingle plays, and black-and-white picture focuses on a spinning, silver globe. The globe is being circled by a vintage toy rocket. The words "GALAXY NEWS" fly in, and are quickly wiped and replaced by script declaring "Vault-Tec Presents..." The picture is circle-wiped and transitions to a high view of a vault entrance, with no visible script or markings to indicate which vault it is. The large, circular vault door is closed, and the access bridge to the door is not connected. A timer counting down from 60 minutes is overlaid in the bottom left corner, just above the Galaxy News globe logo and a signal tower graphic next to the word "LIVE." News headlines scroll along the bottom of the screen, the first of which reads "GALAXY NEWS SIGNS 10-YEAR PARTNERSHIP DEAL WITH VAULT-TEC." The headlines are separated by small lightning bolt graphics. The music continues throughout, and a male news announcer's voice cuts in.]
Good morning! Or, afternoon! Or evening, depending on where in the world you are. If you're just tuning in with us now, you're in for a treat. Welcome to the unveiling of Vault 33, one of the flagship vaults of Vault-Tec's arsenal of vaults.
[The second scrolling headline reads "VAULT-TEC VOTED AMERICAN COMPANY WITH BRIGHTEST FUTURE."]
Galaxy News is here live with an exclusive look at the next generation of apocalypse-proof, purpose-built luxury housing, sponsored by our friends at Vault-Tec. Vault-Tec: Revolutionizing safety for an uncertain future.
[The third scrolling headline reads "ROBCO INTERPLANETARY PROBE PROBES DEEPER INTO SPACE THAN ANY PROBE HAS PROBED BEFORE."]
If you're a regular viewer of our programming, we consider you an astute, engaged citizen, doing your part to stay informed on the latest news impacting this beautiful country of ours, and so it will be no surprise to you that we are on the precipice of a nuclear armageddon. But, fear not, Vault-Tec is building the ultimate shelter-in-place solution for the more doomsday-savvy customer: A veritable ark meticulously designed to weather the geopolitical storm surely headed our way any day now. And for the first time on live broadcast, the fine folks at Vault-Tec will be giving you a tour of their newest product unveiling, from the comfort of your home.
[The announcer takes a break, and the music swells. The vault remains closed, and no activity whatsoever is visible around it. It might as well be a static image. The fourth scrolling headline reads "NUKA-WORLD BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR. GALACTIC ZONE GIVEN CREDIT FOR INCREASED NUMBERS." The initial song ends, and a new strings song with a more staccato rhythm begins. The news announcer returns.]
Welcome, once again, to Vault 33, nestled in the coastal west side of sunny Los Angeles County, and minutes from the yet-to-be-destroyed, bustling downtown promenade. Should nuclear annihilation one day come for this quiet beach-side town, you can take comfort in knowing you are safely buried deep, deep below what numerous trade publications once called "one of the best places to live." Right now, ladies and gentlemen, what you're looking at is peace of mind. Billions and billions of dollars and decades of R&D funneled into the high-grade protection engineering that only Vault-Tec can bring you.
[The fifth scrolling headline reads "WE ASKED OUR VIEWERS TO ANSWER A SIMPLE QUESTION: WHAT IS THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH AND WHY IS IT AMERICA? HEAR THE RESULTS TONIGHT AT 10PM EST." At this point, the news announcer starts to sound less formal and more excited.]
Aren't we a bunch of lucky ducks! Vault-Tec has tapped us into their closed loop security feed to bring you a sneak peek behind a vault entrance airlock. That large, fortified steel blast door you see there is the only thing standing between you and the rads.
[The sixth scrolling headline reads "UNITED STATES AGAIN ACCUSED OF ATMOSPHERIC COUNTER-ESPIONAGE BY THE REDS."]
Very soon - very soon, I'm told - Arnold? Are we - yeah - and we're very soon, and we're very soon. Very, very soon, I'm told, that gear door will open, and Galaxy News will be on the ground to give you all a walking tour of the facilities! Including the accommodations one might expect in a state-of-the-art, modern residence thanks to a partnership with RobCo Industries and some of your shelf-stable forever favorites like BlamCo and Sugar Bombs! There's nowhere to hide from explosive good taste! Boom!
[The news announcer disappears again, and the strings conclude and are replaced with a meandering clarinet-led number. Several scrolling headlines go by: "U.S. RENEWS DEFENSE CONTRACT WITH WEST TEK, HERALDS VALUE OF POWER ARMOR IN ALL THEATERS OF WAR." "ESPIONAGE THREAT SUBDUED IN DOMESTIC URANIUM MINES." "PRESIDENT DECLARES NUCLEAR STOCKPILE 'SAFE ENOUGH.'" "BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENCES SETS DOOMSDAY CLOCK TO HALF A NANOSECOND TO MIDNIGHT." "ATLAS OBSERVATORY CHRISTENS NEW TELESCOPE, RE-COMMITTING TO A NON-VIOLENT PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE." The song ends, a new one begins, and the news announcer returns. The vault still hasn't opened, and he's dropped what was left of his professional tone.]
And we are... stalled out. We're still... having technical difficulties. You know, sometimes things go bad and there's just no way you can plan. It's kind of like what's happening with the world right now, there's no way you could've been born into the world and know how you were going to end - know how the world would end. How will the world end, in fire or in ice? Well, it turns out -
[laughter]
It turns out it's gonna be fire...
[The twelfth scrolling headline reads "CHRISTMAS TOY TRENDS: RETAILERS REPORT SHORTAGE OF POWER ARMOR FIGURINES."]
Arnold! What's that? Okay. Yes.
[sound of paper pages being flipped through]
Okay. Arnold just handed me a fun fact. We're gonna do fun facts, fun facts.
[The thirteenth scrolling headline reads "NUKA-COLA QUANTUM GETS FDA APPROVAL, FOUND TO CONTAIN 'HEALTHY AMOUNT OF RADIATION."]
Fun fact about the construction of these massive vaults: They use concrete. Hm. That hardly counts as a fun fact, Arnold. Now is there an update on when the door... the door's gonna be open? Arnold? I'm sorry, is there an update on the door? Is there an update on the crane? Is it a crane problem, or a door problem? Is it a pr- is it a crane problem, or a door problem? Arnold? Arnold! Arnie!
[sigh]
Okay...
[The news announcer gives up, and a song with a lot of muted trumpet comes in to serenade more scrolling headlines. "NO ONE'S BEATING THIS DEADHORSE. 'THE MAN FROM DEADHORSE' TOPS BOX OFFICE. A SEQUEL IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS AT CALIFORNIA CREST STUDIOS." "ATLAS WEATHER EXPERIMENT BELIEVED TO BE THE CAUSE OF UNEXPECTED SNOW FLURRY IN LOS ANGELES." "DEVELOPING: REDS CONTINUES TO DENY EXISTENCE OF STEALTH SUBMARINES, US INTELLIGENCE SUGGESTS OTHERWISE." Woodwinds replace the trumpet, and the news announcer returns, pivoting to an unrehearsed sales pitch for his sponsor.]
If you have the money, please - please, guys - get a Vault-Tec vault. Get in there! Think of it as a life raft, a bit. Our country is the Titanic, and these vaults are the life rafts - right? - attached to the side of it.
[The seventeenth scrolling headline reads "NUKA-COLA MASCOTS 'BOTTLE AND CAPPY' TO APPEAR IN ANIMATED FILM FROM CALIFORNIA CREST STUDIOS. WILL BE THE FIRST IN A SEVENTEEN PICTURE DEAL BETWEEN THE COMPANIES."]
Now, were there enough life rafts on the Titanic? If you remember - no, no there weren't enough, and so many, many people died, and so, it's a nice allegory actually, because they're not going to die in the freezing ocean, which would be - actually, it's a little faster to die by fire than it is by drowning in the cold, so it is kind of an advantage to be dying now, th- rather than on the Titanic, the RMS Titanic.
[The eighteenth scrolling headline reads "SUPPLY LINES FOR RED FORCES BREAKING DOWN." Sort of like this announcer. He pivots again.]
Now - can you call a survivor of a nuclear holocaust a person, anymore? I don't know. Their brain is going to be cottage cheese, and they will be crawling... crawling on the ground, stuffing sand in their mouth, their blind eyes melted out, like the white of an egg, just dripping and dribbling out of their eye sockets.
[The nineteenth scrolling headline reads "VAULT-TEC ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF VAULT 33 UNDER SANTA MONICA, CA."]
They raise their face towards their... god... and scream, "Nooooo! Whyyyyyy! What did it all mean?" It turns out it didn't mean much if you didn't get a spot in a Vault-Tec vault."
[The twentieth scrolling headline reads "MILITARY UNITS SENT TO QUELL UNREST IN SEVERAL STATES."]
"Now, let's talk about the luxury interiors of Vault-Tec vaults. We have camel leather. You've heard of cow leather. Probably. Camel leather is a great deal softer, isn't it? It comes from the camel, who keep their water on their backs in a hump. Sometimes two, if they're a dromedary. Now, let's talk about camel leather and why it is more supple, and why it is cooler to the touch, and we can talk about it forever but what you want is luxury, what you need is safety: Where you go is Vault-Tec. That's it.
[I feel like I need to point out that dromedary camels only have one hump, and no camels store water in their humps: It's actually just fat up there that they can live off of while traversing deserts. Regardless, the announcer is gone again. The scrolling headlines remain. "NUKA CORP SPINS OFF ATOMIC RESEARCH ARM INTO SEPARATE CORPORATE ENTITY AFTER SEC APPROV." "SUPER DUPER MART ANNOUNCES RECALL OF BLAMCO MAC & CHEESE FOR TRACE AMOUNTS OF DAIRY." "VAULT-TEC STOCKS SOAR AS US ECONOMY BECOMES FEAR-BASED." "BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND LASERS TAKE DOWN NATIONWIDE WEAPONS SMUGGLING RING." Another woodwind-heavy song starts up, and so does our announcer.]
Um... Arnold?
[throat clearing]
Arnie! Can we- do- do we have a- can we start a clock? Can we - is there, like, anything we can do? I feel like people need something to hold onto, there's a lot of empty air. There's a lot of dead air, here. People need something to hold onto, people are freaking out, and I'm freaking out because I like to have - I like to bring people comfort - uh, in, in this crazy time. There's, there's only a few things you can predict -
[laughter]
In - in the world, and uh, I thought that opening the vault on time would be one of those things.
[The twenty-fifth scrolling headline reads "MILITARY SETS THREAT LEVEL OF POSSIBLE BIOLOGICAL WEAPON ATTACK FROM REDS TO HIGH."]
I was kind of counting on it as a - a thing that would bring some amount of normalcy, some amount of comfort. Something happening the way it's supposed to in a world that feels like it has been turned upside down by evil. But, unfortunately that is not the case. Here we are. Another thing we don't know. Another thing we have to grapple with.
[The twenty-sixth scrolling headline reads "TEDDY FEAR MANUFACTURER SETTLES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, DENIES TOY BEAR CAUSES SLEEP PARALYSIS NIGHTMARES IN CHILDREN."]
This particular vault and these technical difficulties that we're having right now have absolutely nothing to do with the product that you will buy when you buy a Vault-Tec vault. Now, Vault-Tec vault living is living the dream, and it's the only way to safety unless you're... the President of the United States, or something like that, and you have a mountain in Colorado to go under and direct the events of the world. Not many of us are that, there's only one of those... uh, and his various and sundry advisors, I'm sure they'll be fine, but you won't! You won't be fine!
[The twenty-seventh scrolling headline reads "WERE TEDDY FEAR BEARS MISUNDERSTOOD? ONE PSYCHOLOGIST THINKS SO."]
If a vault is out of your price range, there are lower-cost alternatives to purchasing a spot with Vault-Tec. They don't sound... good, if you ask me. Anti-radiation pills? Good luck with that. Not sure how anti-radiation pills will hold up against temperatures rivaling the surface of the sun, for example. But maybe that's just me!
[He's gone again. We're 15 minutes into the countdown, and the woodwinds have really started to outdo their own whimsy, at this point. Headlines continue. "TEDDY FEARS SKYROCKET IN POPULARITY AND PRICE DUE TO SCARCITY CAUSED BY RECALL." "VAULT-TEC ANNOUNCES NEWLY AVAILABLE SINGLE VAULT SPACES FOR SALE." "THIS YEAR'S FALLOUT SUIT DESIGN FEATURES ENHANCED PROTECTION, 20% MORE ZIPPERS." The whimsical woodwinds finish up and a bouncy, brassy horn piece takes over. This summons the announcer.]
When you see that vault, it's all gonna be worth it, fellas. It's all gonna be worth it when you see that vault. Now kids, you're probably wondering: Can I bring my pet doggy, or my pet kitty, into the vault? You can't. Unfortunately... it's a hazard in so many different ways. Uh... tch, uh, their hair can get caught in the ventilation system, you'll have endless problems, where do you put their waste? Where do you put... their food? So many, so many problems, so... we have specially-made Vault-Tec gravestones.
[The thirty-first scrolling headline reads "VIRGO II LUNAR LANDER NOW ON DISPLAY AT MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY IN WASHINGTON, D.C."]
We have specially-made Vault-Tec pet gravestones for your children to have many funerals for their pets before you go into your Vault-Tec vault. Memorialize your pets now with Vault-Tec mini pet gravestones! Dig a hole in the sand, put the pet in there, and put that gravestone - and it's got a space where you can write the pet's name - right before you go in the vault, no pets in the vault. Not even fish. No, not even fish.
[The thirty-second scrolling headline reads "FLAG FROM VIRGO II LUNAR LANDING STOLEN FROM MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY." The news announcer is really getting aggravated.]
What is happening? What is - Arnie! What is - what is happening? Okay - okay! Alright!
[The music and the headlines fill the space again. "NUKA-WORLD TO RAISE TICKET PRICES FOR UPCOMING SEASON, EXPECTING AN 'EXPLOSIVE' YEAR." "GWINNETT ANNOUNCES NEW PALE ALE SO PALE IT'S TRANSPARENT." "HAPPY NATIONAL SOCK HOP DAY!" "VAULT BOY NAMED WORLD'S SEXIEST MAN." The news announcer tries again, attempting to play up the complete inactivity happening onscreen.]
So much is happening here, we've got... the crane, as you can see, it's - it's about to be lowered, and I'm told - and I'm told... the weather. The inclement weather is - keep - I think the weather... there's a pressure cha- it needs to be - yes, of course. The pressure needs to be right to open the vault, or else the differential pressure between underground and overground will cause... a, uh... uh, the furniture to, uh...
[The thirty-seventh scrolling headline reads "VAULT-TEC REGISTERS TRADEMARK ON THE THUMBS UP EMOJI." This one made me physically recoil.]
L- Look... get a Vault-Tec vault. If you can't afford a whole vault for your family, that's fine. Buy time in a timeshare, one of our timeshares. And it's not the kind of timeshare you're going to regret, this is one that's not a scam, because you can look down at your intact body in a Vault-Tec vault and say, "Look at me! I'm whole!"
[The thirty-eighth scrolling headline reads "NUKA-COLA PATRIOTICALLY SALUTES SUCCESS OF NEWEST FLAVOR LAUNCH - NUKA-COLA VICTORY. EXCLUSIVE REDESIGN COMING NEXT YEAR WITH 'A TASTE AS SWEET AS FREEDOM.'"]
Stay whole in a Vault-Tec vault! Keep it together, meaning your corporeal form! Keep it together in a Vault-Tec vault! You'll be skipping around in a workout area, and... check out those barbells! Why not work those biceps while you're down here? What if there's an emergency, and somebody breaches your Vault-Tec vault door? Well, you're gonna want to be in shape to fight off that rageful beast!
[At this point the scrolling headlines loop back to the beginning.]
Now, is it a human? If you kill it, will its soul go to heaven or hell? Don't worry about it! Just get it out, because even its presence in your Vault-Tec vault could kill you and your entire family! These people are irradiated. It's not healthy, right? It's like putting your hand on a radiator. Don't do it.
[Music break. That vault still isn't opening. The song ends, and the news announcer clears his throat.]
We don't... have the exact scoop yet, ladies and gentlemen, so Arnie, why don't we put some music on while we wait for the skinny?
[noticeable pause]
I- I- I- I- don't know what song, put on anything, I'm dying up here.
[The next song opens with energetic trumpets that sound like they're charging through a movie theater snack stand. It's followed by a big band track that seems to re-energize the announcer.]
And, if you're just joining us, we're preparing to head inside the latest and greatest product offering from Vault-Tec. Vault 33, a pristine subterranean society purpose-built for America's best and brightest to wait out the nuclear fallout. There's no telling what will remain once this global conflict reaches its inevitable conclusion: That's why it's important for patriots like you to purchase a guaranteed spot in America's future. It's up to you to keep our golden society going, propagating forth until we have the ranks to repopulate the world outside.
"What if I don't have a partner or family right now?" you may be asking. "Don't give up on love so soon!" I say. Where better to meet eligible partners than in a cherry-picked community of like-minded individuals? If you find you need a bit more assistance, Vault-Tec has breeder search programs to help you find the one, or the two, or the three, four, five! Vault-Tec is a very open society, so go ahead and purchase that single vault space, and that single may become a double before you know it! And what better place to find someone to love, than safe underground?
Please stay tuned as we prepare to bring the crew, and the world at large, inside our Vault-Tec facility.
"But what if I don't have the money for a vault right now?" you may be thinking. You should never let not having the funds today stop you from reaching your dreams. You can always pay tomorrow, into perpetuity. Vault-Tec is reportedly constructing financial packages that allow for customers to continue payments on select economy vaults, in the event of total societal extinction. So don't worry, purchase away! Vault-Tec upholds traditional American values, and they believe no one should be excluded from the pursuit of life, liberty, and debt.
[Music break, wherein the song concludes and switches to something more pensive and staccato.]
A- Alright? Yes? Arnold is telling me - yes? We are moments away! Moments away - from having some kind of movement here. I'll believe that when I see it. Sorry Arnie, but your credibility with me could not be any lower at this point.
Let's talk about the amenities in these concrete miracles. Radiation King will be providing television sets, modern kitchen appliances.
[throat clearing]
The sofas will be... I'm sorry, do we know who makes the sofas? I'm sorry, do we - do we know who makes the sofas? Do we know who makes the sofas? Arnold, do we know who makes the sofas?
[Arnold does not reply. The announcer is miffed.]
What else is new. Yeah.
[Dejection turns to anger immediately.]
If you could please just give me something? If you could please just give me something to update? I'm sitting here with nothing! I'm sitting here... with nothing! This isn't my job! I'm a journalist! I report things, I don't... vamp! Is there even a - is, is there a clue? Is there, do the crane people - have the crane people chimed in? Have the door people chimed in? Is it all one person?
[Arnold presumably says some inaudible form of "I don't know." This does not please the news announcer.]
Well maybe con- maybe connect yourself to them. You should get yourself a radio. Get yourself a radio, Arnold. That's your job, to communicate with me the facts about what's going on, and it's my job to communicate to the people who are watching - we're trying to save their lives - you know, and this isn't advertising for me. This is a product I believe in!
Arnold, what do you do? What skills do you - are you somebody's son? Are you - are you somebody's kid, or something?
[Arnold can finally be heard, somewhat garbled from distance or technology: "My uncle is, uh, is the general manager of Galaxy News, your employer." The news announcer considers this.]
Your uncle is the manager of Galaxy New - mmm. Well, that explains how you got this internship. I'm sorry for everything I said, but... you can understand my frustration, here.
[The music concludes, but the announcer keeps going.]
The, uh, vault foreman is out here, and he is, uh, uh, doing hand signals. Ooh, yes, it's going to be a while, let's play some music for the people, Arnie.
[A new song starts. We're nearly 30 minutes into the countdown before the song switches over and the news announcer starts up again.]
All right folks, we have an update! They've got eyes on the gatekeeper out walking the grounds. It appears he was attempting to retrace his steps after misplacing the key and his wallet - still no word on the key itself, please stand by for more on the wallet, as this story continues to unfold.
Still on standby as we wait for the situation in the vault to resolve, but folks, there is plenty to get the American public up to speed on in the meantime. World news stories! Breaking, breaking news from the international desk. Peace negotiations between America and her adversaries crumbled in Anchorage, Alaska, this past weekend, a city recently liberated from foreign occupation, leading experts to believe nuclear war is indeed on the horizon. One more reason, America, to tune into the presentation Vault-Tec has for us today. Preparation, resilience, and smart spending are the only way our precious republic makes it through that long, dark night.
[This revelation approximates the date of the broadcast, which is happening not long after the Battle of Anchorage. The clash in Alaska officially ended on January 10, 2077: This news bulletin proves that attempted peace negotiations followed, then failed.]
Going the way of the dinosaurs has never felt this fun! If only the dinosaurs had Vault-Tec technology. Now, the dinosaurs died because... a meteor came from space, right? They had nothing to do with it. We have everything to do with our own demise. It's almost like… people are a virus that is destroying the Earth, we're a planet-killing virus. And people do say, "Oh, well, you know, well, the cockroaches... will outlive us and the the aardvarks or whatever will outlive us." Well, they won't. They're going to die too, because this is the real deal, guys. This is the end. So if you're not underground, I don't know what you're doing.
I wonder how we'll evolve. Will we develop a different kind of skin, some kind of leathery, plastic skin to fight off the nuclear fire? Who knows, but the only way to find out is to purchase a Vault-Tec vault, or a space in one of our timeshares.
[Music break again. It's a rather lively waltz.]
For those gathered around their Radiation King TV sets today, thank you for your patience. Rome wasn't built in a day!
[laughter]
Very soon you will witness… one of the greatest modern advances since the Virgo II moon landing - you won't want to miss this, the future of you and your future children depends on it.
[Exasperation sets in.]
Honestly, who wrote this copy?
[Arnold presumably raises his hand.]
You did, Arnold? Well, that's not surprising. It leaves… yes, well, it leaves a lot to be desired. They couldn't hire a professional writer? You look like you're 15 years old.
[Arnold inaudibly corrects him.]
You're 23? Yeah, well, 23-year-olds look like they're 15 now, still too young. What could you know about the - what could you possibly know about the written word, Arnold? Goddamn it. What could you - what do you know about writing and oratory? Nothing, I'll answer y- for you, nothing. The lack of professionalism - myself not included - disgusts me. The lack of professionalism disgusts me, Arnold!
Speaking of nuclear fire, you should see the muffin tray they left out for me. People want a blueberry mu- you want a muffin, okay? A muffin. Not a little squirt of dough, with a little powdered su- give me a muffin, give me a real thing, okay? Give me some snacks! You're going to give me some coffee? Good. I need a snack, to balance it. I'm not the only person in the world who needs a little bit of fat in their stomach when they eat a... big haul of caffeine.
[throat clearing]
Stand by as we wait for the situation in the vault to resolve.
[The music does some flourishes, then finishes.]
Ladies and gentlemen, it's official: We're experiencing some technical difficulties. And before we can open the vault - Vault 33, our flagship vault, full of the, uh, finest luxury items available to mankind, a- as of now - maybe we could put something on to keep people company while we figure out the technical difficulties. Sorry, these difficulties of course have nothing to do with Vault-Tec's vault tech. In- in- indeed…
Look, I need to have a whole cigarette right now. Just put on the song. Where are my smokes?
[The music starts up again while the announcer burns through a cigarette at the speed of a Corvega.]
Well, well, well! Here we are again! Ladies and gentlemen, we're dealing with a hiccup. Now, hiccups... might seem like a momentary stoppage, but this is a big hiccup. It's like God is hiccuping.
Vault-Tec is reporting that there's only one gatekeeper and one key on this vault model. The keys for these vaults are one of one, it fits like a glove, but it's - it's - these - these locks are very, very complicated.
God, it's so good to be on the other side of this. I don't think people know. People really don't know what's coming, and that's probably good. If you haven't watched… if you haven't watched the news up to this point, don't pick it up. Don't… just try and stay ignorant, uh, really don't find out what's going to happen because… it's bad, um, it's over.
[laughter]
The Earth is a slaughterhouse, and we are cattle!
[laughter]
We- we'll go back into, uh, a society resembling Bronze Age Mesopotamia. That's where we're going. It's not fun. Um... disease is… really prominent, um… we don't treat women well - let's just face it, it's - they - we don't treat them well now, but back then… oof. Rough. Rough treatment of women. You think we're racist now?
It's going to get bad. Where you want to be is underground. Vault-Tec vaults.
[A really tinny muted trumpet rises to its occasion as he disappears again for a bit.]
You know what else is great about Vault-Tec vaults? The air purification system. Let's talk about air. You need air to breathe, I need air to breathe, we need air to breathe. Vault-Tec's got it in spades! We've got oxygen candles straight from our finest nuclear submarines that you can burn, that turn nitrogen and carbon dioxide into oxygen molecules. Perfectly breathable, perfectly safe for your children, and your children's children, and your children's children's children in case we're there for three sweaty generations of sweaty living underground! In a fresh vault!
In fact, we put a family in a vault for 10 years and let them out just to see how it would go… and here they are now! "We loved it, uh… We loved it! That was great!" Uh… that's - I'm making it up! I'm making that up. I am imagining what could happen if I had more information about the vaults, but I don't have that information, so I'm making it up! Ha! Vault-Tec vaults, yes. Say yes to the tech!
[The music saves us for a bit.]
Unfortunately, we are back, the vault hasn't opened, and we have had absolutely no movement towards the vault opening, so! Hope you enjoyed that music. I know I was tapping my feet. Let's get back into it, where are we?
The US government has been quietly testing T-60 power armor suits as part of their long-standing defense contract with West Tek, following up the T-45 and T-51 efforts in the ongoing war with the People's Liberation Army.
[hisses through teeth]
How about that? How about that. The Man from Deadhorse gallops to a fast start at the box office! The Howard-led western is said to be the next smash for California Crest Studios.
[So the ghoul's name is probably Howard Something, or Something Howard. Interesting, but the announcer doesn't care and decides to throw another tantrum.]
Am I crazy or is this taking forever? I don't think I'm crazy, but I feel crazy! In fact, I might be the only person involved in this whole production who hasn't lost his mind! I'm looking at you, Arnie, I'm looking at you!
[Looking at Arnie yields nothing, again.]
"You don't know what to do, you don't know what to do." You idiot! I can't even get the word- I can't even get the information from you. Worthless!
[grunt of rage]
It's just me and Arnie here, I'm in hell, he's sitting there smiling at me, I'm in absolute hell!
Do you have a spot, Arnie? Do you have a spot in a vault? Oh! You do! What vault is that?
[long pause]
Oh, that's the one I'm in. Oh. Dear God.
[deep breath]
I guess we should get to know each other.
Ladies and gentlemen, we don't even know what's wrong here… but I can assure you that what isn't wrong is Vault-Tec technology, this has nothing to do with Vault-Tec's patented lock technology and everything to do with stupid people and human error. If you're this inefficient at work, what is home li- do - how do you wipe yourself?
[Uncalled-for, news announcer man.]
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this music while we figure out what's going on.
[Musical break number who knows. Just over 11 minutes remain on the countdown.]
In other sponsored news, Nuka-Cola is celebrating the success of one of their newest flavor launches, Nuka-Cola Victory, with an exclusive redesign release later next year. Students that read over 10,000 books can be part of the ZAP IT! Program, rewarding literacy with sugar!
[deep breath]
I don't like Nuka-Cola. Personally... I don't like Nuka-Cola. Too sweet. I don't drink it. But it's popular, I have stocks in it, I invest - I invest in it. I don't drink it. It's the way the world is. Just because it's popular, doesn't mean it's good, just because it's good, doesn't mean it's popular. A can of Nuka-Cola, what is that, it's energy slowed down, right? It's the energy of the universe slowed down, right? What are we, what am I? We are energy slowed down into the form of a human being. All that's about to stop.
[laughter]
All that's about to stop! All that's about to go away! Maybe there's life on other planets. Maybe there's not. Are they going to come save us, no! If I were on another planet, and I came here, I would have an endless belly laugh at our folly, I mean, the folly of man! It's funny, there's so much written about the "folly of man." I mean, read Moby-Dick. Read… uh… what di- what happened with the - the wax wings, the wax wing guy? Wax wing man, Mr. Wax Wings, Daedalus. What's his name?
[Arnold hazards a guess we can hear: "Shakespeare?"]
Arnold, Shakespeare? Arnold, Arnold, good god… Shakespeare? Where did you go - you went to one of these hippie schools...
[Arnold tries again: "I think it was Icarus?" The announcer is ecstatic.]
Icarus! Icarus. Wow! You are good for something. Wow, Arnie!
Now, Icarus, he was close to the sun. In a Vault-Tec vault, you'll be as far from it as possible. You will be up to 50 feet underground, in a Vault-Tec vault, safe and sound in the knowledge that the wax on your wings will not be anywhere close to anything that will make it melt, except our new Vault-Tec oven!
[The horns come in again.]
Where are you f- what's your family situation? Do you have kids or…
[Arnold probably shakes his head.]
No kids? Good for you.
[laughter]
Are you single?
[Arnold: "Yeah."]
Ahh, yeah. I wouldn't recommend going into a vault single. You might want to lock someone down and take you in there - if only to help you fight - and, uh, survive, it's good to have a partner. Yeah… oof!
Anyway, glad I'm safe and secure in my vault! Um… I'm in the tax bracket that kind of... automatically gets a vault, so, sorry everybody. Uh… I'll be, uh, doing this thing called surviving, while you are all burning.
[deep breath]
What's the point of any of this? What's the point of any of this? Nobody - nobody listening to this can afford one of these things. Everybody listening to this is about to turn into an idea!
[laughter]
Instead of a being! But, here we are! Let's whoop it up! Let's whoop it up! It's a big parade… for the end of mankind! It's a big parade! Here's the final celebration, Arnie! Here we are!
Let's stake our claim in a dying planet! Let's plant our flag in a dead rock, and see how we feel. Let's see how we feel after the flag is planted, Arnie.
[a deep sigh]
I don't know how much longer I can do this, man.
[another deep breath]
My voice hurts, I'm thirsty, we're out of water, the muffins they laid out at the top of the day are dry and old, I feel dry and I feel old.
I give up! I give up.
[chuckles]
What's the point of this? I mean, what's the point of anything? I'm... I'm broken.
[Emotion creeps in.]
I'm broken. I'm changed. I am broken and I have changed. I…
[one more deep breath]
Thanks to you, Arnie. Thanks to you, man. Thanks, you're the best, yeah, thanks to you, pal. Thanks to you, buddy boy. You are just awful. You disgust me. Yeah, I'm just - I'm sorry. I'm - I'm just… I'm fried, man. I'm - I'm fried, pal. I'm fried. Dead. Gravestone, dead. Oh yeah, that's, okay.
Oh, god. Where are we in the process of the door opening?
[Arnold: "Yeah, it's over."]
What?
[A record scratch stops the music. Two minutes remain on the countdown.]
What's that? Oh!
[The announcer clears his throat, and the music changes to a triumphant fanfare.]
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting word. Ladies and gentlemen... I've gotten word that we are star- we are starting, ladies and gentlemen. It's happening! Here we are! Here we are, we got it, we got it, and now…
N- and now, this afternoon is unlike any other afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It was the morning, now it's the afternoon - here we go! The crane is loweri- Here we go!
[relieved laughter]
Okay! Really close to the time where I can go, and get out of here! The crane is lowering, it is happening, the tumblers are tumbling! The crane is lowering, the tumblers are tumbling, we are… go! We're going! It's opening! It's opening!
[The static image of the vault has not changed in the slightest bit.]
You try doing this! You try doing this, Arnie! You try filling the time! Next time we'll switch places, Arnie, and you can try it! Oh boy, oh boy, here we go, thank god we're doing it and it's happening. I see motion, I see- I see Vault-Tec… I am convinced! Guys, this is great, it's been great, Arnie? It's been great. Arnie, it's been great. You know, I hope we are in the same vault. I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you, Arnie.
[slightly unhinged laughter]
As long as this happens right now, I am fine with spending the rest of my life with you! As long as the vault opens right now. The fact that nuclear fire could fall from the sky at any moment has made this broadcast that much more important. Thank you, thank you so much for joining us!
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pix3lplays · 2 months
Note
I've seen Drunk Ratio being portrayed as a goofball but what about a weepy and sad drunk Ratio?
After having one to many drinks, the man starts talking about how much he hates himself and how, no matter how intelligent he is, he'll never be good enough for the Genius Society. After letting out a humourless laugh, he starts silently weeping. But he immediately wipes his tears away when you walk in, concerned.
After cleaning up the kitchen, you drag Veritas to the bathroom and, after making sure he's no longer feeling sick, bathe him and dress him in comfortable clothes.
As you get ready for bed, he asks you if his existence matters. If all his hard work matters. Suddenly, he felt like throwing up again, not because of the alcohol but because of the amount of coffee he drank while working tirelessly for hours and hours on end.
Gently, you caress his face and tell him "Even if an Aeon or the Genius Society won't gaze upon you with favor, I'll always know that you work harder than anyone else, Veritas. You're someone who refuses to let anyone deter you from your goals. You want to see people become the best versions of themselves without relying on geniuses. Everything that makes you you are why I chose you, my love. You're handsome, intelligent, and hard-working, no doubt you'll achieve your goals, no matter how impossible they may seem. You're more precious to me than any crystal and gemstone in the universe. "
Though your little speech was short, it, along with your smile, made Veritas' eyes fill with tears of joy and his heart swell with love. You were really too good for him. Of course, just to save face, he decides to tease you a bit.
"For your information, crystals and gemstones are completely different things. Gemstones are crude and rare pieces of minerals, organic matter, and rock stones that are excavated, cut, and polished to perfection for use in jewelry production. In contrast, crystals are pure substances composed of atoms, molecules, or ions arranged in three-dimensional lattices." He says without fail and a barely concealed smirk.
"Hey! I was comforting you, Mister!" You say, playfully smacking him while pouting.
It then turns into you two playfully insulting each other before your insults turn to joyous laughter. As you lay in the comfort of each other's arms, Veritas felt like he had the best sleep in his entire life.
INSECURE DR. RATIO IS SOOOO IMPORTANT TO ME ANON, but the man HIDES it, he HIDES it so well. Because let’s be real. Everyone wonders why a man like him isn’t in the Genius Society. HE wonders why he isn’t in the Genius Society. After all his work, all his achievements…he’s just…not good enough??
But he’d never OPENLY admit he considers himself a failure of sorts. But a few too many drinks and suddenly the true feelings come out.
You know he doesn’t want your pity. But you just speak your mind.
Maybe it makes him feel a little bit better, but, he can’t let you know you have such a strong effect on him so…teasing it is.
Bratty man, I love him.
You know him well enough though. He’s just protecting himself. Be easy on him and…maybe eventually he’ll be able to open up to you completely, no alcohol required.
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bamsara · 1 year
Note
Prompt Drabble: Stitched up wounds 🧵 🩹
Sun-Centric | Wordcount: 1,217 | AO3 Version
You weren't exactly the best coordinated or well organized person. Or maybe you were just super unlucky at times, it would explain all the instances of misfortune you've had, small or big injuries that shouldn't have happened but did so like the universe was just trying to spite you.
So you're not all that surprised when you stick your hand into the murky water of the kitchen sink to start doing the dishes, feel something a little weird, and pull it back out to see a steak knife hanging from the middle of your hand.
You hear Sun dropping the plates behind you on the table before the pain actaully reaches you. "Oh. Uh. Oops."
"Oops? You're 'oopsing' right now?" Sun's form is immediatly to your side, his job of collecting the remaining dishware forgotten as the animatronic grabs your wet wrist. Before he flips over your palm, the knife falls right out of your flesh, bits of blood falling with it, now a dark stain into the dirty water. "Oh, dear. Oh me oh my."
Sun's faceplate turns briefly to the car keys hanging on the hook by the front door, and you're quick to speak up. "We are not going to urgent care for something as small as this. I'm not footing that bill." The animatronic gains a sour look, but you're firm. "Not happening."
A disapproving pause, but the Sun looks back to your hand.
The pain is starting, and your mouth pressing into a line, sucking in a hiss through your teeth as the sting of the water forms a bloody ring around the wound. "Ah, fuck-"
"We told you-" He's tutting at you, flipping your palm upwards and holding it firmly with one hand, the other grabbing a paper towl and dabbing the wetness away. "I think I've told you several times that just throwing knifes into the sink for later was going to bite you!"
"Not my fault!" You flinch as he brings your hand down underneath the faucet, running clean water over the wound, "Knives just have it out for me! Remember that time-" He turns it off, and all but dragging you by the wrist to the bathroom, with your complaining all the while. "-the time with the rabbit?"
"Not a funny joke!" Sun sits you down on the closed toliet seat, a firm press on your shoulders as an unspoken 'stay put', turning on his heel and opening the medicine cabinet up. "Not funny! Very upsetting! And I'll be hearing none of it right now!"
The pain in your hand was spreading, but you're trying to laugh. "C'mon, it's-"
"Oh, would you look at that! It's our good friend, disinfectant!" He pulls the bottle out with purpose, a small first aid in his other hand, and holds it in the air with a tense smile. "Very important to use. Let's make sure that dish water doesn't make anything infected, shall we?"
You cringe in on yourself. "I think I'll be fine with a band-aid."
"Please." The Sun washes his hands, then lowers himself, setting the supplies to the side as he crouches in front of you. He holds your wrist again, turning it over, and the tutting as blood dribbles out from the small wound, sliding off your skin and dripping to the tile. Not the worst injury you've recieved, but definatly an annoyance. "I think you'll need a stitch or two. Maybe three. And wouldn't you know that robots tend to have very steady hands."
You wrinkle your nose as he pulls as he dips the bottle of disinfectant onto a gauze pad, and positions it over the wound. "Said the robot that was programmed to juggle-aUUUghhh Ow! Ow, fucking. Ow."
Sun uses his thumb to press the alcohol pad into your palm with a gentle firmness, and sends you a look when you try to jerk your arm backwards. "We have four arms! Do not make us use them."
"Unfair." You pout, watching as he pulls the gauze away now tainted with a slight color of red. A bead of wetness swells in your eye at the pain. "Mean."
"Hush." He speaks, and sounds like his other half coming in underneath his tone. Sun tosses the gauze, pulling out a small kit with one hand and thumbing away the single tear with the other. "This will hurt a little."
The pain is evident and not leaving soon, and the blood was no longer dribbling down your palm, so you look away as Sun threads the needle with careful percision, (large fingers are not, he does have steady hands) and lines it up carefully. You flinch at the first stitch.
He presses his fingers down onto your wrist, keeping it trapped against your own knee, and uses the thumb of that hand to keep your palm splayed open as the other worked. "Try not to move."
You breathe hotly through your nose. "I'm trying."
"And you're doing a very good job!" He's quick, focused. The wonders of expertise. He's not nervous because he's seen you survive worse, so the habit of speech comes naturally to him. "Good, good. There you go. Open your hand little more." A third stitch, and you groan at the realization you'll need a few more, but Sun keeps going.
"Almost done." Sun comes to the last one. "You're doing very good, sweetheart."
"Shut up." Your face is both hot in embarressment and in painful discomfort.
"Oh, you'd rather we'd be quiet?" Sun's smile is teasing, but comforting. He's probably trying to be distracting on purpose. "Cranky."
You open your mouth to retort, but the final stitch and knot is finished, and you fight to appear stoic at the sensation as Sun wipes the now-closed wound with a disinfected wipe again, pulling out another roll of gauze. "No more dishwashing for you, I'm afriad. You can leave those things to little-ole me!"
He wraps your hand gingerly, covering the cleaned and sutured wound with bandages to protect it's healing. You don't say anything, but you know he glances up every other second or so to see if you wince if the wrapping is too tight. The wrap is finished, a knot on the back of your hand, and you sigh. "I can just put a glove over it."
"How about you not do that?" The animatronic leans back, gathering the left-over supplies and storing them away back into the medical cabinet. You rise to stand, and he stops you before you can brush past him. "Hold on! We're not done here!"
You raise a brow, but you see it coming before he starts. Carefully, grabbing the wrist and not the hand, his takes a hold of the injured one, raising it slowly and gently up to his faceplate, leaning downwards until the bandage barely graces his teeth. "Mwau. It'll heal in no time."
You laugh. "That's so corny!"
"And it works! Scientifically proven!" He chuckles, turning to his side and gesturing for you to walk past him and out of the bathroom like a knight would welcome a charge into their castle. "Now! Dishes away! Not for you though. I ban you to couch duty."
"...What's couch duty?"
He winks at you. "It's the duty you do when you don't do anything."
"....Boo."
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bbanghiitomi · 5 months
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| when things don't go your way
synopsis: what do you call someone you're not dating but someone in your arms? hanni asks that question herself often but always comes to the same answer: which is you.
— nonidol!filmstudent!phanni! × nonidol!journalismstudent!fem!reader
ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^⁠ლ⁠) ლ⁠(⁠^⁠o⁠^
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
y/n, are u not coming to see me?
i miss you already...
haven't seen you for a month.
how's ur org doing?
received.
you find yourself smiling as you read her messages, it seems like just the casual hi and hello's, the simple updates that friends are supposed to be sharing with each other aren't enough to satisfy the pham's need to be able to see your face, hear your voice and touch you. she's right actually, the last time you've seen each other was a month ago, before your journalism organization started being busy once again and her life has been a lot more boring ever since. there have been lots of restless nights where you think to yourself that there's no such rest as good as hanni's hugs, you really need her embrace, her arms around your waist.
god i miss her…
you can't help but think to yourself whilst you sit in one of the journalism organization room swivel chairs, working in front of a computer for the next online publishing of the university's news publishing website. it's almost 9pm, the lights are dim and the last person who you were with inside the room was the radio broadcasting group's director — danielle marsh, who then left with the sports writer kang haerin. they've been going in and out together for the past couple of months, which went unnoticed by some members of the faculty as it was seen as “typical” and very on character for them to do so.
you weren't new to that thing too, it's pretty obvious they've got a thing for each other and they're pretty open about it if anything.
unlike you.
just seeing the two made you miss hanni so much more, and it's quite selfish to think of such things because everyone, including the sane part of your brain knew that there's nothing between the two of you except for friendship — worn like a cloak to hide a secret. you can't remember why this whole arrangement between you and hanni started, when did you start sharing kisses? when did you start taking her home? what was the reason you visited her place even if it was late at night? why were you even so adamant about being there for her when she needs someone? why did both of you agree not to put any meaning behind these things? those thoughts were at the back of your mind, it shouldn't matter actually and when you think about it you try not to pry yourself about how it should matter that much — at the end of the day, things are not going to change.
if the walls of your room could talk, your secrets would no longer be something shared between you and hanni.
well, you've been on thin ice for such a long time — at this point, you assume that everyone in your organization and her club already has an idea about your relationship with hanni and are quite in a stump about it but that's too far from the truth, in fact — there were hardly anyone who notices the little things you do. everytime you think about her, the shared secrets together, the things about you that only she knows — you can't even find a reason to hate yourself for entertaining something people won't find appealing. it's been so long, why would you even go back to where it all started to stop this from escalating even further when you could just go with it until the end.
you know, you're going to hold onto this till the end, thinking that there will be that time where you and hanni can settle things down and accept what needs to be accepted and leave what needs to be left behind.
maybe, things will get better eventually…
you just hope you can stick with this until — you can finally call her… yours.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
hm…
i'll think about it.
miss me already?
the org's doing just fine, hbu?
sent.
you drop your phone on the table as you close the tabs of the computer and then turn the computer off. you stay on the chair for a few more minutes, waiting for her reply as you fiddle the hem of your shirt with your fingers. quite nervous, confused as to why you were nervous — you can't help but just laugh, not having any explanation as to why you're suddenly acting like a giddy teenager girl over your so-called "friend".
crap… you think to yourself, it's really late now but you were hoping to see her again, at least even for just an hour or-so.
i wonder what she's up to now.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
oh! the club's doing well!
we just finished our project and were hoping to release it soon.
you know how giddy i get about it, right?
i wish you were here with me so i can tell you all about it.
received.
you feel the familiar heat crawling up to your cheeks, you tap at the screen only for a few seconds and then pick it up. you wonder why, even before you kissed her, no matter how many times you tried setting yourself up with other girls — it wasn't effective at all. behind those words you told other people is hanni lingering at the back of your mind, the image of her face clear in your eyes until you just gave up, leaving yourself falling into her arms.
just how many times have i tried?
i can't even remember.
you thought then just gave up.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
yeah…
i wish i was there, where are you anyway?
i mean, maybe i can come and see you.
right?
sent.
you stare at her message for a few seconds then you stand up and grab your bag that's been left unattended on the floor for a few hours since you first started working on the articles. you have absolutely no idea about what you're doing, it's just you doing whatever once again and doing it in the most random time ever but that's just because you missed hanni so much.
it won't hurt, right?
spending just some time to see her again.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
wait, really?
i mean…
that's great!
but what about your roommate?
will minji not look for you?
received.
that's the thing, minji has been your roommate for almost two years — yes, that long. she's practically like your sibling at this point, one that you can always trust and lean on when you need a shoulder to hold onto or someone to cry on. minji used to be also a part of the film making organization in your university. she used to work with hanni on some projects for school until she left to focus on writing her own stuff on her own accord. so, minji is someone hanni already knew before she met you.
minji knows your thing with hanni and is at first troubled by it, but then it's not like it's something unethical, right? it's just secrets and a relationship with no label, it doesn't hurt anyone aside from you and hanni. that's the thing, minji feels bad that you subject yourself to self-harm — which is a relationship where you have no right to feel jealous about. she knows it sucks, how many times have she asked you: “what’s really between you and hanni?” and you always answer her. “nothing, we're close friends.” even though she's seen you cuddling with hanni on your couch, awfully closer than normal.
she worries your mother might find out even before you make it official between the two of you,
you know, she knows you're screwed if it were to happen.
minji has basically given up prying her way into your business but still tries to watch out whenever you feel sad or frustrated. she's always there when you need her — she's obviously a great friend that even your parents trust.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
nah, don't worry
i’ll tell her.
she’ll be alright.
where are you?
sent.
honey ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ
great, i’m here at my condominium
just, you know? waiting…
hope you come here asap
;)))
received.
you grab your backpack and sling to your shoulder, making your way past the rows of computers lined and exiting the room. you see the dim corridor, your eyes follow along the lines of doors and the straight path to the stairways, and under the dark hall the pictures of when you first met hanni lingered at the back of your mind, right at the end of the corridor.
r u carps, min?
hey minji,
bro
i won't be home 2night
take care of the dorm and heat up the pizza
i got some money under the flower base and just take it to order sum whatever…
lov ur roommate, y/n
sent.
and with a blink, you come back to reality and start running your way to the stairs and reaching the ground floor — rushing as soon as possible to get to the open parking lot where your scooter is parked, you open your top box with your keys and immediately place your bag inside before locking it once again.
r u carps, min?
dude wtf?
why now? ur mom will be here tomorrow.
y/n?
hey!
BRO!!!!
ur such an asshole
you know that?
come on…
ur dead
received.
as the engine ignites, all your worries are pushed back behind before the motor accelerates and you finally find your way outside the campus then to her condominium.
“you’ve been away for so long.” hanni grumbles, arms wrapping themselves around your torso, you laugh at her expression, a cute pout adoring her pink lips and her eyes full of stars inside of them. it's almost like she has the universe in her pupils. “only for a month by the way, i’m guessing you really feel lonely here.” you tell her, raising your brows at her direction with a smile on your lips. she nods, snuggling closer to your body on the bed, she feels like a koala the way she couldn't let go of your figure.
“of course! aside from my parents, you're really the only one i want here with me.” she says, well it's nothing but the truth but hearing it made something inside you tremble. it's something you cannot understand but something you feel very deep inside, you only smile at her.
she could bring anyone she wants here.
and you would still not be able to tell her nothing, because you have no right to do so.
she's free to do whatever she wants to do.
and that must be your fault, right?
you place a hand on top of her head, patting her soft hair under your palm. “seriously, this is why you feel lonely. having a friend or two here other than me wouldn't be so bad.” you express out of genuine feelings, though it's nice to know you're the only one she wants, you can't help but feel guilty that you're making her wait or expect too much to the point she's not allowing anyone inside of her life aside from you.
at the end of the day, you only want her to be happy.
but that's not the case, for a relationship that doesn't have any label — hanni seems committed to it.
you haven't even said anything but she's already sure she's yours, and it honestly makes you feel bad even if it is a mutual feeling you two both share.
“i really only want you…” hanni buries her head on your neck, snuggling close for warmth and you can't help but wrap your arm around her, to keep her close as if anyone was going to take her away from you if you don't. “it's okay, i won't be away for any longer anymore. i promise.” you whisper, you feel hanni nod her head and feel her lips against your skin as she speaks. “promise me you’ll be here with me forever?” you look down on her, eyes directly on her cheek, her face hidden on your neck. “i will.” you smile at her.
maybe, you are really that tired that when you open your eyes it's already 9am in the morning yet hanni is still wrapped around your arms. the sun shines so much brighter on days like this, it must have been her presence beside you and everyday should have been like this if things were different.
there is still a chance for you to change it.
you start to see it.
“are you sure i can come to you and minji’s place today?” hanni asks, looking up from her plate of food, she tilts her head as she asks, eyes meeting your own pair. “well yeah, you know minji would never mind.” you say, bringing your utensils down before smiling at her direction. “besides, it’s not a busy day today.” you add.
you take the helmet in hanni’s hands and help her wear it on her head, making sure it's strapped tight. as your hands let go of the helmet, you notice hanni staring at your face and you raise your brows at her. “what?” you ask. hanni giggles and shakes her head. “nothing, i just… feel giddy about being with you today after what felt like forever.” she says and you almost saw the entire galaxy inside of her eyes the way it shines, the wait the light sparkles, you can't help but be mesmerized.
you nod at her and place a kiss on her cheek. “of course, it's not everyday we get to be like this together.” you huff and hop on the motor, hanni follows and wraps her arms around your waist.
when you get to your shared apartment’s front door you notice the weird aura of the place, you hesitate to open the door as you stand still looking at the wooden entrance, hanni peeks behind you and wonders why you haven't touched the doorknob.
now… i must be paranoid.
it's oddly quiet or somehow, there's a strange presence looming around the place and you don't know what it was.
you take the doorknob in your hand and feel its cold surface, sending shivers on your spine. you twist it and enter inside, slowly stepping a foot and looking around to see if anyone beside minji is present, hanni follows quietly but is still confused. your eyes widen when you spot your mom standing by the living room and seemingly pacing around, in panic and quite in a rush, impatient.
you feel a rush of adrenaline pumping in your veins as you immediately take a step back, pull hanni outside then close the door gently. “w-what’s wrong? is there an intruder inside?” hanni asks, worried that there might actually be an intruder, which ironically turned out to be your mom. you laugh sheepishly and scratch the back of your head. “uh no? i just remembered that minji wasn't around and… we can go grab food somewhere before coming back—” your words are cut off when the door opens to, none other than minji.
“minji..?” hanni looks behind you, to the door as minji stands with a hard expression on her face.
“where have you been?” minji asks, her tone is strict and impatient for an immediate answer, her eyes bore behind you and then dart back at hanni. “and why is hanni here?” she adds to the pile of questions.
you turn around and shake your head. “ah, i didn't know you were here… crap, i was at her place yesterday and i thought i’d hang around with her here ‘cause you wouldn't mind, right?” you shrug, minji kept her serious face but sighs, rubbing her temple with her fingers. “y/n, i won't of course. but you know who will?” she says, clearly frustrated.
hanni squints her eyes at minji. “who?”
“her mom, she's here today, waiting for y/n inside.” minji answers, you flinch at the idea before turning your head at hanni who frowns and looks away. “i didn't know she'd be here!” you whisper aggressively, rubbing your face with your hand.
“dude, i messaged you yesterday. you didn't even bother reading it.” minji argues, which was the truth but you were riding your scooter to hanni's place when you received the message — it was the reason you didn't have the time to read it.
with your face buried on your palm, you grumbled. “dude, i was riding my scooter that time…”
hanni sighs and places her hand on your shoulder, you put your head up and look at her. “i’m leaving for now i guess, you'd be in more trouble if she sees me.” hanni says, giving you a small smile.
you furrow your brows, you think to yourself that there must be a way — there's something you can definitely do, doesn't matter what there has to be something!
you stare at her, pursing your lips before reaching out for her hand and shaking your head. “no, you'll stay. don't worry i’ll take care of this, please just stay.” you tell her, minji’s expression turns into confusion — as if, your ways of salvaging you and hanni's relationship seemed absurd to minji's level of understanding.
“wait? y/n are you crazy? you're gonna get you both in trouble!” minji says, already scolding you even before the trouble happens. you look at her and shake your head, holding hanni’s hand tight. “no, that's my mom — i know her, we’ll be alright. i promise.” you look back at hanni to give her a small smile again, caressing the soft skin of her hand under yours to soothe the unstable feeling stressing her out.
the door opens once again but this time it's your mother who exits and her eyes dart at the three figures standing. “y/n? where have you been, young lady!” she yells, you laugh and look at her with a sheepish expression before pulling hanni slightly closer beside you. “i stayed somewhere only for a night. i swear, no troubles.” your mother seems to notice hanni’s presence beside you and raises her brow towards hanni, her scary aura unchanging.
hanni took a deep breath, opening her lips as if about to say a word but she fails miserably when your mother glares at her. “and who is this girl?” your mother asks, her voice asking irritatedly. you look at hanni before wrapping your arm around her torso, getting a look of doubt from your mother but mostly directed to hanni, who gulps a lump inside her throat. “hi — i’m y/n’s —”
“she's my girlfriend, mom.” you grin at your mother, hanni and minji both looked shocked at the sudden revelation — you were confident, this time you’re sure and there's no way you’ll take it back again, not this time or never again. hanni looks at you and her eyes shake when it meets your mother's gaze.
“oh, what..?” minji mutters, feeling her head spinning, she blinks in confusion and looks at the three people all facing one another. hanni blushes, aggressively gripping the hem of your shirt, looking up at you as if you said something crazy which is indeed crazy, out of character even.
“oh, really?” your mom adds, her voice softens but her eyes remain the same.
hanni looks at your mom, nodding her head gently.
“yes, i’m your daughter’s girlfriend, ma'am. nice to meet you…” hanni smiles, still quite hesitant, like a curious cat dipping its paws in something it doesn't know — but in hanni’s case she has her hand sticking out for a handshake.
somehow, your mother's eyes softened or is hanni just deluding herself into believing so?
she hopes, your mom did — because she shouldn't be seeing things, she's still sane after all!
yes, your mother did soften her gaze.
hanni may not be that crazy after all.
just a little, just for you.
“yeah! you're okay with it, right mom? hanni’s a very nice girl and she lets me sleep at her place when i stay at school late and she cooks me breakfast and she helps me with my homeworks. she helps me clean my room, helps me with my laundry and —” even before you finish rambling about how hanni basically keeps your life stable your mom raises her index finger to your way to shush you down before she steps forward to take a closer look at hanni.
your mother looks at hanni’s hand and reaches for it before shaking it, feeling hanni’s sweating and trembling hand. “nice to meet you, is my daughter too much work? i know she's a little handful sometimes.” you slump your shoulders as you mother jokes, hanni laughs— you notice the change in her voice, feeling your girlfriend starting to relax herself. “she isn't, i’m happy to be helping her.” hanni answers, feeling her cheeks flush and her blood boiling on her face.
“that's good to know, she's very dependent.”
minji nods and huffs. “yes, she is!” you roll your eyes at her.
you mother lets go of hanni’s hand and turns away to walk inside the door, but before she enters she calls for minji. “help me arrange the table.” she says, to which minji followed almost immediately.
hanni feels like laughing, there's a certain type of warmth blooming inside of her when she realizes what just happened. she blinks only for a bit, trying to do something to make sure she isn't daydreaming or dreaming whilst asleep — and she had just confirmed that she is indeed awake, none of what happened was fake and the warmth of your arm proved it.
“hanni.” you call out to her. hanni puts a hand on her mouth and looks up at you, starstrucked to actually see your mother up close.
“i’m your girlfriend?” she asks, to make sure you're not bluffing.
you smile and nod, giving her the type of gaze that means “i love you”.
“you are, you're my girlfriend.” you tell her.
hanni feels like crying this time, there's something about it that she can't explain — something about finally being able to hold onto something that isn't a thin thread of hope for something that will break apart in no time, without her knowing. something about finally being able to actually express her feelings without holding back sends waves of relief inside of hanni.
why has she not thought of this earlier? why didn't you tell her that earlier?
hanni embraces you in a tight hug, her face buried in your shoulder as she sobs. “oh my god…” you feel her speak. you laugh, petting her head. “hey now, i promise i’m not lying.”
hanni sniffs and looks up at you. “i love you.” she whispers, eyes covered with tears and cheeks are bright red, before breaking into a wide smile. “i love you too.” you tell her back before giving her a small kiss on her lips.
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dduane · 1 year
Text
BTW… re: Smut
... off my comment to this post the other day...
I'm an entertainer. Writing's a form of entertainment. (And not just for the readership: for me, too.) To be aroused by art one's experienced is (almost by definition) to be entertained, I'd say. If someone's jerking off to my erotica, then all I can do is lean back in the typing chair, smile a bit, and think, Good! I got the job done. :)
(...with the tags: #and no I'm not going to let on where the smut is#why would i deny anyone the delights of the search#and of being repeatedly mistaken#while possibly finding smut writers who're better at it than i am#:) ...)
...and then noting (with affectionate amusement) some responses:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Well, troops, better get busy filling in that bingo box. 😄
Also: I have to say (while stressing that I absolutely appreciate the humor behind "shocked, shocked, scandalized...") that the dissonance is, temporally speaking, a bit ill-founded. Because while I may be best known for the Young Wizards works these days... by no means did they come first. This did.
A soft chuckle in the darkness. “Lorn, remember that first time we shared at your place?” “That was a long time ago.” “It seems that way.” “—and my father yelled up the stairs, ‘What are you dooooooooing?’ “—and you yelled back, ‘We’re fuckinnnnnnnnnnng!’” “—and it was quiet for so long—” “—and then he started laughing—” “Yeah.”
Granted, from the here-and-now POV of readers with access to the hot-'n'-spicy shipfic or PWP on AO3, this sort of thing (and the numerous other lights-often-off or dialogue-only sexytiems passages in the traditionally published Middle Kingdoms works) would be seen as pretty small beer: soft, non-edgy stuff. Yet in 1979 apparently there were those who found the sex and sexualities on display in The Door Into Fire arresting enough that the book got me nominated for the Astounding Award (for best new author in the field) two years in a row.
There's no question that the broadly inclusive tone set by the Middle Kingdoms books went on to affect and underlie the YW universe in very basic ways. (There've been some scholarly works written by academics who've picked up on this, so [much to my relief] this perception hasn't been just me imagining it.) But I'll grant you that those who don't know the MK novels wouldn't be in a position to make the connection. (shrug) This is just one of those things that comes of having a lot of fragmented readerships who don't know about each other... a side effect of having done a lot of different things during a career. I can also understand how not knowing about the MK works could leave people who know me only, or primarily, as someone writing for a younger readership, a little bit disoriented (or maybe concerned) when the issue of me writing openly sexual material rears its head. But that wouldn’t be a change of direction. It’d be, to some extent, more a return to form.
Anyway: I consider erotica—and its more casually-dressed (or undressed...) cousin, smut—to be perfectly legit forms of literary expression; ones that can soar to unexpected heights if you're willing to put in the work. The sexy-stuff-writing muscle requires periodic exercise if it's to remain viable and/or useful. So I exercise it. And being a 70-year-old person who sometimes creaks audibly when she walks has done absolutely nothing to decrease my interest in the subject—the brain being, after all, the biggest sex organ, and the one least vulnerable to the depredations of time. If anything, nearly fifty years of experience (and three and a half decades of marriage to @petermorwood) have added... let's just say nuance. 😏
Now this whole concept will doubtless horrify some of the "Eww, You're Too Old To Be Writing This Kind Of Thing, Go Get A (Home) Life" types. To which all I can say is, "...Well, good!" By and large, such folks are not my readers anyway. And as for any of them who are, and can't deal…? They need to understand that (pointing off to one side) those people over there—the various kinda-straight and pansexual and bisexual humans, and the gender-fluid fire elemental, and the otherly-gendered Dragon, and the mostly-gay ones enthusiastically shouting "We're fuckinnnng!" down the stairs—are Nita's and Kit's godparents. Without the members of that extremely mixed marriage and their increasingly extended family, there might be no Young Wizards series... not least because it was the splash made by the first of the Middle Kingdoms books that got the Errantryverse crowd in through a major publisher's door. And the series’s continued (modest but still noticeable) success through the second and third volumes kept the writing of new YW books going for a good long while.
...So. For those who may have had questions: HTH. 😀
(And now back to the unending search for a more graceful synonym for “testicles”.)
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