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#so much potential for him to haunt them but tbh he just wants to keep looking at the stars
ew-selfish-art · 10 months
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Dp x dc AU - If the Internation Space Station orbits the Earth 16 times a day, then so does the Watchtower.
Danny’s on track to move out of his parent’s house and move to Gotham for college (He swears that Sam bribed the board to let him in- and she wasn’t even going to that university!) but the dorms don’t open for another three days and he cannot wait to escape. Seeing his parents try to perfect yet another weapon to use against him while he changed out the ecto filters on the portal was too much. He’s completely over the idea of staying when he already has everything packed and ready to go.
The solution? Take all his boxes into his haunt in the Ghost Zone, leave them there and then spend some time in camping in space. He’s already explored the Infinite Realms enough to be bored of it for a minute (not to mention he wants to avoid getting more ‘favors’ to do from Clockwork) and hell, he just wants to see some stars.
He grabs his tent, a sleeping bag and all the food and things he could need and brings it into the atmosphere with him. Keeping it all tethered to him, Danny stays in a fixed position above Gotham (Cause that’s where he’s going next, duh) and treats himself to some quality Me-time.
Only problem is that several times a day he has to make himself intangible while he lets satellites and things pass through. Easy enough and honestly pretty interesting to observe as a wannabe engineering student.
He doesn’t know when exactly it happened the first time- but it turns out the Heroes of Earth all congregated in a satelite office building? It was bigger than the ISS! What the heck!?
Going intangible but not invisible, the JL spot Danny and are incredibly confused how an ‘Alien’ teen just happens to appear in their meeting rooms disappearing at the rate (slowly but surely) of the Watchtower moving through space. Was that camping gear? How was he roasting a marshmallow? Did propane camping stoves even work in space??
16 times a day they get the opportunity to ask Danny a few questions. He mostly ignores them or gives them joke answers. Eventually Martian Manhunter phases through the Watchtower to join him.
They talk about how hard transition periods in life can be and having strained relationships with family. J’ohn returns to the watchtower on its next cycle and reports that the kid is just fine, being an adult is just a hard thing to do.
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sarahjtv · 1 year
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So, My Hero Academia Chapter 387 (MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD)...
That was a really, really good chapter, but hoo boy that fucked me up real bad and I need to get some thoughts off my chest before I go to sleep.  Tumblr is the best place to post this; I’m not spending $8 on Twitter Blue to type this out.
First off, more eugenic stuff yay...  This time with Rei’s family, the Himuras.  So, turns out that Geten (the ice villain following Re-Destro) is a part of that family which means that he’s the Todoroki’s cousin at best.  I think Rei would’ve said something if he was her brother. 
And that the Himura’s have been inbreeding to keep their bloodline “pure” and their ice Quirk in tact...  And forced marriages were also desperate attempts to keep this in check.  UM WHAT THE FUCK, HORIKOSHI???  I’m not saying this is a bad thing story-wise, but it makes the Todoroki Family situation so, so much worse if that was even possible.  And sadly they’re not the only family to do this... 
So, if Rei was a product of inbreeding, then (and correct me if I’m wrong) the Todoroki children are technically inbred too on top of being born out of a quirk marriage to begin with INCLUDING SHOUTO WHO’S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH (I need to clarify that I’m not criticizing Rei or her kids, it’s not their faults. I’m criticizing the practice of inbreeding itself).  I feel ill just thinking about that.  This is some royal family shit that should never be a thing to begin with.  I don’t care if marrying your 2nd cousin shouldn’t fuck up the kids too badly, it’s still extremely fucked up period!  This is honestly worse than the quirk marriage imo and that was bad enough as it was.  I kind of wish Horikoshi didn’t include this because it’s sadly kind of warpping my perception of them, but I’m not going to fly over to Japan and throw hands with him over it.
And this puts more context into why Rei chose to marry Enji because agreeing to be bought into a marriage with Endeavor to create the perfect offspring with Fire and Ice is somehow better than MARRYING YOUR FUCKING COUSIN AND HAVING A CHILD WITH THEM!  She never had a good choice to begin with; she just chose the best one that was given to her.  God, I feel bad for this woman.
I honestly need a few days to process this because it was dropped so casually and now I need to sit down and think of the implications of it while working on my finals 🥲
Onto Dabi who is fighting his dad with like half of his body remaining.  How the hell this man is alive is a goddamn mystery because he looks like a burning skeleton.  And this whole thing has caused his Quirk to evolve to the point where he’s now producing ICE ❄️!  HE HAS AN ICE QUIRK NOW TOO!  IT’S EXACTLY THE THING ENDEAVOR WANTED THIS WHOLE TIME AND NOW HE HAS IT IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE!  I WANT TO SCREAM!  SHOUTO AND DABI ARE REALLY 2 SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! 
There really is no way of knowing if Touya would’ve unlocked this part of his Quirk if he trained more with Endeavor, but the fact that he actually had the potential to become exactly what he was born for is devastating.  He could’ve been what his father wanted him to become, but his Quirk was too dangerous to himself to try.  If this happened, Natsuo and Shouto might not have been born (I’m glad they were born tbh), but at least the family would’ve been spared a shit ton of trauma.
Oh, and it looks like that massive fire punch he threw at Endeavor completely burned off his right arm and now he’s right armless like Endeavor.  That one panel of them “dancing” with right fire arms is haunting.  You could write a whole short essay on that panel.  Horikoshi loves parallels and I do too.
Honestly, I really expected Horikoshi to just kill off Endeavor and Dabi at the same time this chapter.  It looked like that’s where it was going.  There are a lot of ways their fates could be going and I can see it happening all those ways.  Personally, I want them to live at least until Shouto finally gets there.  I think Horikoshi is setting up that “Todoroki Family Reunion” he’s been planning since Chapter 300 or something especially with Rei entering the battle field.  What happens next is something we’ll have to wait for.  I want Endeavor to live honestly.  But, I can definitely see Dabi dying at the end because I really don’t think he’s going to survive at this rate.  Horikoshi cooked him too well 😂😭.
And finally REI TODOROKI!!!  The block or whatever her and her family were being transported in was stopped right below Gunga Mountain last chapter and they were forced to go up to the surface to make sure they avoid Dabi’s fiery explosion.  That’s why she’s up on the surface to begin with.  I do want to know how the hell she got to the battlefield so quickly though.  I don’t see her as a fighter, but maybe she trained her Ice Quirk to glide on it like Shouto does.  I’m really curious to see what she does because she does hold some responsibility for how Dabi turned out and I think she’s trying to atone in a way too.  This better not mean she’s dying though.  I don’t need the Todorokis to deal with more trauma, especially Shouto.
Anyways, there’s a lot to unpack in this chapter and there’s probably more to dive into.  Um, I’m glad to see Mr. Compress again like Horikoshi promised.  He’s probably still assless though.  Where are the 2nd year UA students you promised, sir???  But, yeah, the Todoroki drama continues to be more and more fucked up by the weeks.  Please let this family have peace one day I’m begging  🙏.
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trashiewrites · 2 years
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MW Halloween HCs
Happy Spooky day yall! Here are some HC’s i cranked up for the boys plus Farah 👀 spending time with you of the fateful day!
Price:
+No....
+you tried to do something at least decorate the house. He shut you down so fast.
+Plus, He doesn't believe in it and thinks it's a waste of money.
+You told him "THiNk AbOuT THe CHilDrEn JoHN" and I shit you not his response was "Sure I'll give them a good scare" As he pulls out his gun he carries.
+ You then make him aware of the potential lawsuits for you know BRADISHING A GUN TO CHILDREN
+He proceeds to put the gun away "No decorating"
+You ignored him, you bought small decorations anyway with your own money so he couldn't complain. Your favorite is a skeleton bowl that you placed on his nightstand one night after he fell asleep, woke up, and yelped because he woke up with a skeleton in front of him.
+Proceed to laugh in his face. To be honest, he laughs too cause it did get him pretty good.
Soap:
+ Wouldn't be surprised if Soap signed up for a decorating contest cause I feel he would love to decorate these types of things
+He even makes custom stuff
+you help him OFC, mainly by going out and getting supplies when he needs them.
+ He takes such pride and you as an extra touch Help Soap Get costumes that help match the theme of the decorations for the wear so that way when you guys hand out treats together you guys look in character and can trick a few scared in!
+Soap loves interacting with the kids. Honestly seeing the kids walk up amazed at his work on the house is why he does it.
+DadTavish energy vibes are especially high. Like he is so close to having a full-on baby fever episode.
+He gets really sad the day after because he knows he's not gonna be able to keep his props. But you guys sell the props online because they actually have a big market for this kind of stuff. Saves up money for next year's theme!
Ghost:
+He tries so hard...
+He usually doesn't pay any heed to such a holiday but he wanted to try it
+TBH the only reason he never did is that kids are normally scared to talk to him due to his mask. He's always been marked as intimidating.
+he bought simple decorations for the outside of his house and a silly little skeleton bowl for the candy he was gonna give out.
+He asked you to help him set it all up. But it was really just for the nerves
+ Day of Halloween, he didn't really dress up per se. He just kinda wore the uniform.
+Halloween became his favorite holiday that day :)
+ "Wow Mister! I love your Skull Trooper costume!" He doesn't know where exactly it's from but it meant so much to him
+ After that night he was so silently happy. Whenever it happens, he looks over at you every time with a glow in his eyes. It is so fucking cute
+Now he looks forward to Halloween every year!
Gaz:
+COUPLE COSTUMES AND YOU KNOW IT!
+He spent the entirety of the month chatting with you about different duos you both could be. This is the heaviest debate every year cause you two can never agree.
+you want to do a duo from your fav show while he would want to do the cliche couple ones like Peter pan and Wendy; just some Disney.
+You guys compromised this year by doing a duo from your favorite animated movie. (For example, Chihiro and Haku from spirited away, but you choose whatever) 
+ Once the whole costume problem ends, you can finally decide what you guys go do for the holiday itself. Which is something you guys luckily can easily get behind each other's ideas. At least, you guys have civil conversations about it.
+ he usually tries to bring up doing a haunted house and then heading to a party. This year Shut him down on at least the haunted house. Why you may ask, well Gaz doesn't do haunted houses very well... Like horribly.
+ It's either he gets too on edge and almost kills an actor, or he panics and passes out. Two years in a row... So you really don't want to deal with another hospital bill. Despite him saying He'll be okay and he won't do it... You highly doubt that... Cause he has always been pretty jumpy.
Roach:
+He wanted to go trick or treating... REALLY BADLY. 
+ Yeah you didn't believe him at first when he asked you about you, "Aren't you too old for that Gary?" You wouldn't believe how loudly he gasped.
+ "YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD FOR FREE CANDY!"  Gary shed a single tear as he ran to your shared bedroom. You couldn't hold your sigh as he went off on his dramatic antics again. Every time, this happens every single time...
+ When you finally agree to it, he celebrates and does a little happy dance. God the shit this GROWN MAN does that makes him the world's oldest 5-year-old. 
+ That happy dance stops when you ask one question, "So, what are you going to be?" He stops right where he is and stays for a bit before looking back at you... "u h h, shit... I don't know." 
+ He dragged you to the Halloween shop with him so he can try out the costumes, which might I add, took about 3 hours of your day.
+ He couldn't pick between being Michael Myers or some other creepy monster you didn't know the name of. Of course, he asked your opinion, aka you choose which one he picks cause he's so damn indecisive. 
+ On Halloween, he was practically jumping off the walls in the evening! 
+For you, enjoying a nice stroll in the cool breeze but seeing Roach so happy is nice too. Even better when you two stop for a break and he reaches into his candy sack and hands you your favorite candy cutely. "Thank you for coming with me (y/n)." 
+ Before anyone asks, yes, yes, he does get really weird looks because he is semi-tall... Like they aren't going to say anything cause he's wearing a mask and even if he wasn't wearing one, he has a baby face so he still would get his candy. 
Alex:
+I'm going to be completely honest with Ya... He seems like the guy that likes true crime.
+ SO, instead of typical Halloween stuff like Horror movies and cobwebs. You both are watching true crime documentaries while making little knife cookies! 
+Honestly you two get really sad at the end because you can't help but feel horrible for the victims of these killers you had watched. So, after the documentary binge, you both just relax and watch normal things. 
+Honestly Alex forgot it was Halloween until someone came to the door for a trick or treat. Sadly, he had to bear the bad news to the kids. He didn't have candy but offered a knife cookie. 
+ With the consent of the parents, he put them in a little sandwich baggie and gave it to them. 
+You looked back at him with a small glare at him giving the cookies, "what you want me to leave them empty-handed?" You nodded, "Oh come on (y/n), not like you're going to eat them all anyways." You took that as a challenge. 
+ you got sick the next day :D Alex was also mad that you legit ate all the fucking cookies. He only got to have like 3 out of the 14 or so.
Farah:
+ So, Farah doesn't really get the purpose of Halloween. But she gets one thing. It is the one day she can scare the living shit out of you all day and you can't be mad at her for it. 
+She hinds in the most obscure places and somehow knows where you are going to go at all times.
+ Honestly, it freaks you out how many times she can scare you in one day... Her record is 20. 
+ Poor you get so anxious and somewhat competitive cause you want to catch her before she can scare you. Have you done so? no, currently you have zero points on that front...
+ "Boo!" you screamed and fell backward, "Haha! got you again (y/n)!" she lends you a hand as you proceed to tell her that this isn't what Halloween is supposed to be. "Well, it is this for me and I quite like this holiday. Keeps your senses sharp, doesn't it?"
Alejandro:
+ You two don't really celebrate Halloween, the most you two do is buy decorations and make little Halloween snacks. Also, Alejandro has a weird obsession with candy corn...
+ You guys also watch Horror movies but that really is for Halloween, nothing special. 
+ You guys celebrate Dias de Los Muertos, which is really big for him! You guys have an ofrenda in your house and his family usually hosts a big party to celebrate the day which you are happily welcomed to! 
+ If you have ever been to a Mexican party, you can probably expect what it's like.  If you don't know, just know its fucking amazing! fresh food of all kinds, all kinds of booze, and top that with a loud stereo or a live band! 
+ Personally believe that Alejandro would bust out a guitar and play a song or two! Aka, I believe he has a killer Spanish singing voice, English... He's okay with it.
Graves:
+Take this as you wish, But I'm telling you right now this man is way too fascinated with slasher films... I MEAN IT, HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH!
+ Legit you guys prob had a bucket that you would handle the trick-or-treaters because he won't leave that screen. HE'S SO FOCUSED!
+ It honestly shocks you how many of these types of movies this man can watch in one sitting cause honestly it prob gets boring after about 3 of them. I'm sure he watched maybe 14 movies throughout the entire day.  MIND YOU, THIS ISNT A FLEX!
+ Cheers and makes comments about the character deaths, "That girl totally deserved to die, like who the fuck is that stupid to go that way like honestly dear fucking god..." 
+ One character's head got, you know, smashed and I SWEAR, the first thing out his mouth was "Haha! Pop!" LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!!! not even a flinch... I refuse to believe this man isn't a walking red flag
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sowthetide · 2 months
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GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS this is teainabowl AND IM BACK WITH MORE NONSENSE AS PROMISED. family crisis almost averted?? i havent slept in 2 days but lmao who cares. (you cant see me rn but i want you to know that im doing a happy little jump skip dance as im writing this)
BECAUSE!!!!! ok. lets talk about genderbending in fandom. i think what usually gives me the ick in those fics is they do nature vs nurture wrong??? like a lot of the time they’ll just change the NATURE of the character and use the different gender as an excuse which. idk idk it runs me the wrong way. BUT QUENN!!! shes very much still theon?? just, nurtured differently. am i making sense? i have been traumatized by some bio-essentialism bs in the past when trying to look into similar fics bc i love gender fuckery PEOPLE JUST DONT GET IT LIKE I DO (or you, appearantly hkdhhfjh i love your story it means so much to me) 
and asoiaf is SUCH a gendered world??? like it has so much untapped potential where even a single characters gender can have SO MUCH IMPACT (can you imagine if joffrey had been a girl?? or if sansa had been a boy???) 
but what originally started my spiel was the realization that jon wouldnt have gone to the nights watch if he was a girl. and. what then?? slightly horrifying tbh, and makes me wonder if one of the other character had been male (read; they had been given more agency and autonomy in their lives) what would have changed???
but back to jon, bc then i immediately thought, ok, lets backtrack a bit, who would jon even BE. bc a lot of jons character revolves around his (lack of) a relationship with catelyn, his siblings mother. but she would have a harder time avoiding him if he was a she, right?? am i making sense???? a girl isnt seen like as much of a threat to her children i thinks?? idk i love cat and jon so much a love picking apart their relationship bc bc bc ARGHhhgg yk? also i like to think of ned being haunted by lyannas carbon copy who happens to be great with swords (would he be permitted to practice swordplay??) idk
ANYWAYS no we come to the part where i tie it up to what you mentioned in your answer. bc as much as JON being a girl might change his relationship with cat, it would be much more fucked up if it were robb, me thinks. (i too am a bit guilty of using robb as an accessory to cat) but but but. are. are you seeing my vision. catelyn stark with her three daughters when ned leaves for the greyjoy rebellion. catelyn whos convinced that the reason her husband wont send his bastard away is because she cant give him any sons. in the books she calls bran her special little boy and. idk the double meaning this would give it. and bran!!! being the heir!!! hiw would that change things??? would the reception to his accident be different?? and speaking of, what about king robert and his obsession with joining his family with neds? i havent talked about how robb (robyn?) would be different in this au but i cant think hed be as pleased as sansa was? his first shown interaction with joff is him trying to curb stomp the fucker lmao. i dont think he would be likely to have a different opinion bc of gender changes. in the books hes often rash and impulsive and prideful, and id want him to keep those traits, but peoples reactions to them would be different?? and so he would shape them in different ways??? am i making sense i feel like im just rambling. this is getting way too long and wayy to incoherent i need to stop. ok bye for now ill be back (threatening)
GO TO BED!!!! GET SOME SLEEP!!!!! But yay! to family crisis averted? Maybe?
Okay. I'm gonna indulge in some haterism for a second cause I've actually poked around the ASOIAF genderbending tag quite a bit. Unfortunately, a lot of those fics? Lame as hell. There's a preponderance of genderbent Jon Snow, which I think is totally cool! Very interesting genderbend to explore because of how much it changes the trajectory of his story. But then the character isn't really written as Jon at all? Maybe I'm just picky about characterization, but oftentimes fem!Jon just becomes this cookie-cutter "strong/feisty" female protag and it's like...
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Sorry. I'm being mean. Obviously, there is no singular "correct" take on a given character, as we're all influenced by our own experiences and perceptions. My take on Theon isn't the exact same as yours, or goddcoward's, or Ashen's, or GRRM's. A unique Theon exists in all our heads, each one a bit different from the others.
But! Genderbends are so much more fun when you can see the underpinnings of the character you know, and there are moments where those aspects really shine through. And it's like OH!!! (pointing vigorously) THERE THEY ARE!!!! Otherwise, why not just write an OC, or adopt a minor character with very little canon characterization? (Admittedly, this can become a problem when you start collecting minor characters like Pokemon cards. I am my own evidence of this phenomenon.) If it ain't Jon, then why have it be Jon at all, y'know?
ngl female Joffrey has been rattling around in my brain lately... 👀fem!Joffrey would definitely be betrothed to Robb, which would be a complete and utter shitshow (appreciative/affectionate). Joffrey as a true mini-Cersei has such insane juice to it as a story idea, especially considering that Joffrey never liked Cersei all that much lol... the mother-daughter dynamic would be BONKERS.
Back to Jon though:
First, you're definitely right that fem!Jon wouldn't be seen as much of a threat to her siblings as Jon was. She would probably be married off pretty quickly once she came of age, as high as possible for a woman who was bastard-born. I don't see Catelyn liking her per se, but Catelyn wouldn't have the same misgivings about her as she did about Jon. Since fem!Jon probably wouldn't become the vessel of the wildling/Others plot, she might have an interesting role to play if she went south... to marry Robert's royal bastard Edric Storm, perhaps? I could see Robert "having his Lyanna" by marrying fem!Jon and Edric. But then shit hits the fan with the usual plot of AGOT, and maybe fem!Jon gets taken hostage by the Lannisters in King's Landing? Or gets caught in Renly's shit since she was with Edric at Storm's End? I am NAWTTTT talking myself into writing another fic. Go to hell. I need to finish Sow the Tide first.
fem!Robb (Robyn between myself and goddcoward) is even crazier. Catelyn would NOT be fucking happy to have Ned's spitting image hanging around Winterfell, while all her sons are under 10 and have the Tully look. I could see Catelyn successfully arguing that Jon should be fostered out, perhaps in the Vale (as a favor on the part of Jon Arryn)? Like, oh, Ned, you and Robert became such good friends fostering together in the Vale... that way, Jon is waythefuckoverthere and can't make any allies in the north.
I'd love for Robyn to have some of the same anger and pride, and she'd probably be similar to Catelyn in that she was raised as the heir for a good bit of time before the "real" heir came along years later (Bran+Edmure). Also, Catelyn would absolutely NOT trust Theon around Robyn. Not At All. Kinda fair though? Robyn would also be older than Sansa was in AGOT, so I think she'd be at least a little bit more worldly and pick up on Joffrey's... Joffreyness. Robb/Robyn are still dutiful characters, but I think there would be a lot more immediate friction between her and her betrothed. Double genderbend Throbb is my true love, however (Quobyn my beloved).
I've gotta finally go work on chapter 40 now, so I can't answer everything, but do come back... I'll be here... revolving all of these genderbends around in my head...
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If Danny Phantom Got A Reboot👻
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* 2D Animation.
* The ghost concept to be dead people like it was originally. Also make less antagonistic and more like people with unfinished business. A lot of the ghosts seemed capable of having redemption. Perhaps more ghosts who become allies or atleast morally grey associated to Danny.
* The Ghost Zone explored more.
* Danny at first to see all ghosts as evil and dangerous because that’s what he was taught and eventually realize a lot of them are people like him with unresolved issues and tries to help them, later becoming allies with the majority of ghosts.
* Have Sam be etheir less judgemental/stubborn or have that be played straight and have her work on that. Maybe a bit of both. There's been a lot of criticism on her character.
* Tucker. Perhaps had been Danny's friend longer than Sam and when he becomes a ghost and they start drifting away, especially after he gets with Sam, making him feel like a third wheel.
* Sam to be a huge fan of horror stuff, ESPECIALLY Ghosts. Have her enjoy reading into legends and myths on the ghosts they face and find out their past and what could stop them. And it would give the Trio more distinct roles, Danny's the one who can fight ghosts, Tucker's the brains and one who can do tech stuff and Sam's the expert on the specific ghosts and figure out what makes them tick.
* Go into Jack’s obsession for ghost hunting. I’m rewriting Maddie here more interested in understanding ghosts rather than hunt them. It be cool to see how they got into it in the first place. Especially why Jack himself specifically hates ghosts and sees them as bad. Perhaps a traumatic experience with one when he was young.
* Jazz to use her psychology learning to try to help the ghosts with their unresolved issues.
* Have the A-Listers should more redeeming qualities. They’re still jerks but develop into better people like Valerie.
* Another thing I wanna change is Mr Lancer. I prefer him to be a jerk with a heart of gold type, him to be a stern guy but cares. He genuinely tries to help Danny and keep jerks like Dash reigned in, Dash isn’t able to get away with as much but being the school’s best player and having maybe parents that help the school or just really important, the school tends to let things slide which frustrates Lancer. With that said, he also wants to help Dash, seeing he has issues he needs to work out.
* Valerie after realizing ghosts aren’t all that evil, help Danny take the badder ones down. Also her dad joins the Fenton’s family and get financial stability back. Perhaps she bonds with Jack about realizing not all ghosts are evil.
* Vlad.
Make it not about trying to get back on Jack by taking his family and destroying Danny. Backstory change. Have it stay almost the same(Jack accidentally opens the portal, hurting Vlad and making him a ghost). Jack wanted to defeat ghosts, where as Vlad felt the ghosts could be used to help humankind under their control. Jack thought was too risky while Vlad felt Jack was overlooking the bigger picture and paranoid They. They had a fight and in the heat of things accidentally opened the unstable portal, causing Vlad to take the brunt of it. Jack tried to reach out to him but the damage was done and things were over. Jack's been haunted ever since by that. Years alone, dealing with the ghost affects made Vlad bitter and stubborn. His motive is to continue and what he wanted to do and show Jack wrong, in the process trying to control things he shouldn’t and going down a dark path. 
I want it to be more personal between him and Jack, and more so sees Maddie as a potential ally in hopes she can get Jack to help him. Tbh I want Vlad and Jack to have ex vibes.
Vlad-Join me Danny, ur father will never accept u! He’ll only reject and leave u with a bitter and broken heart. 
Danny-…When u said u and my dad were ex-partners, did u mean lab partners or…
Vlad-Ok this got akward, LETS BRAWL!
He still grows a soft spot for Danny and sees him as a son, wanting to take him under his wing, to embrace his ghost side.  At the end I want him to realize just how much he put everyone in danger for his goals and reconcile with Jack, both seeing each other’s perspectives and no longer resenting him for the accident, becoming an ally of not just Danny but the Fenton family as whole. This version he still does crazy things but isn't as bad and more dark gray. I see him develop into being better from Danielle’s influence, caring for her in this version.
* Perhaps Jack, Maddie and Vlad could be a dark parallel to Danny, Sam and Tucker, what could happen if Danny closed himself off from everyone, if they didn't fully listen to each other, let their pride get the better of them. The tension's more between Jack and Vlad but Maddie was affected by what happened between the Trio and tried to be the tired peacemaker but just couldn't keep it together.
* WES!!!!!!
* Have Maddie be more interested from a scientist perspective, while Jack’s more obsessed with the ghosts. Perhaps at first she was sceptical but perhaps after meeting Jack and him showing his work to her as well as a IRL experience, makes Maddie curious and want to know more with him. She still continues with other scientific explorations and makes inventions outside of ghost hunting, especially to pay for expenses, but her main interest is in the ghost discovery. At first she assumes ghosts are more like creatures seeping into their world. When she realizes though Ghosts are genuine people and that her own sons a ghost, try safer, non dissection stuff on ghosts.
* Have more struggle about Danny being a halfa. Have that talked about more. Perhaps for an arc he realizes whether he's Fenton or Phantom he'll always be Danny.
* It was said Jack's family has been through the Salem trials, perhaps someone was wrongfully accused as a witch and killed, thanks to one of Jack's ancestors and wants revenge. Perhaps they make Jack realize his own mistakes of letting fear cloud his judgment and hurting people based on ideas based on fear and how he endangered his own son because of his fear of ghosts, thinking they're all evil.
* Perhaps when Jack and Maddie find out about Danny being half Ghost, Jack and Maddie make a vow to never hunt any ghosts, giving up their hunting career and become overprotective of Danny. They'd realize their work can still do good, especially for the more dangerous ghosts. They just try less extreme methods.
* The guys in white to have more screen time.
* Have better build up of a big bad hinted throughout the series for an epic final battle. Maybe Pariah. Say Vlad in his pursuit of ultimate power over the ghostly forces, accidentally unleashed Pariah or some other big threat for an epic finale. I feel like Pariah should’ve had bigger impact.
* Dark Danny.
* Have less emphasis on Danny/Sam hint.
What do u think? Any ideas u have for a rewrite? I’d love to know💖
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bohemian-nights · 5 months
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Tbh I’m kinda glad nettles isn’t in this season.. hear me out, this season of House of the dragon is going to very depressing with everyone. The real shit starts once the dragon seeds come together, we see Jace starting to act like an actual leader instead of a little kid trying to prove himself. I feel like nettle’s storyline will be a bit darker like yeah addam claiming Seasmoke is cool and all but I feel like Nettles and Sheepstealer have a interesting relationship and bond kinda like Daenerys and Drogon. They won’t need words to ‘claim’ each other. In the book they say Sheepstealer is an ugly skinny brown wild dragon with nettles being a skinny brown wild girl which is kinda racist, but there are judge on appearance before even getting to know them. While in reality I think Sheepstealer is very gentle and genuine with Nettles he can feel that’s she not some mad girl who wants power but rather she’s like an equal to him. A nettles headcanon that I like is that she likes to read or sing to sheepstealer and he listens. While most people think she used magic or voodoo I think nettles took a chance with him. Imagine their first Flight sheepstealer isn’t wild of trying to buck her off rather he’s letting her take the lead so that’s she’s comfortable. Another reason why I’m okay with her not being in this season is because even if Addam claims Seasmoke it could be Laenor because stupidly they let him live and run away without his Dragon and if im correct you can’t claim an already claimed dragon, only way you can is if the rider is dead take their son Joffrey he tries to claim and mount Syrax but ends up being bucked off and fell to his death. I say this all the time it’s great Rhaenyra loved Laenor like a friend but letting him live and run away will come back to haunt them. Let Dumbyra shippers and House of the dragon racist fans and etc have there little moment because as soon as nettles is casted and is there it’s over for them.
I understand and respect your point anon, but my main issue with potentially pushing Nettles back is that it feels like she’s being purposefully being excluded. Yes this might be a dark season, but she still should be included.
They still should make time for her. You shouldn’t include every last dragonseed and be like oh we don’t have time for her/time to properly flesh out her character because they obviously have time to flesh out others even with the shorter episode count.
And we have to keep in mind what kind of show this is.
This is HOTD/GOT. This is about a war. It’s always going to be somewhat depressing. The show won’t stop magically becoming depressing in s3, s4, or s5(if they). The train is just going to keep moving and building on itself. Nettles shouldn’t miss out on that train.
It’s not like s3 is going to be any less jammed packed. We have the Battle of the Gullet in the first part of s3 and the Blacks taking Kings. Maidenpool could happen towards the end of the season. That doesn’t leave a lot of room to flush out Nettles claiming Sheepstealer. She’s going to need to be battle ready within a few episodes.
Which is my main problem with them making such a big deal about Addam claiming Seasmoke.* It seems like that storyline will be dragged out for 4-5(he’s rumored to be coming in at episode 2 or 3) episodes which is the kind of treatment Nettles deserves.
*Laenor allegedly will die off screen which is why Seasmoke starts following him around. Seasmoke won’t be having two riders at the same time. There is nothing special about Addam who is half-Valyrian despite his looks claiming his dead brother’s dragon.
Her claiming was much more interesting and shocking than his in the novel since she was the only dragonseed to claim a wild dragon. A wild dragon that almost killed countless dragonseeds and almost cooked Alyn Velaryon.
I’d like to see them show Nettles claiming Sheepstelaer was different, but time is precious.
I can’t see this show getting more than four or five seasons so they have a lot of ground to cover.
Nettles shouldn’t be a one or two season character. Shes always going to share the screen with other people cause she’s a secondary character, but she’s much more important than being reduced.
This goes past shipping drama, or Addam, or anyone else. She should be there now with everyone else.
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flowers-of-io · 1 year
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Eris and Toland for the character ask thing?
Eris:
favorite thing about them: there's an endless list of things I love about her, but one of the main ones is that "recovery is a spiral, not a circle" aspect of her. How sometimes your experiences change you so much that you can never return to the way you used to be, but that doesn't mean you can't heal. How these shadows will always remain with you, but you can use them to your advantage and draw something good out of them. It gives me a lot to think about, what with my own journey of wrestling with mental disorders for almost 8 years and slowly moving towards the realisation that maybe I will never recover = revert to the time before the illness
least favorite thing about them: there are a few instances of her just... forgetting fun exists? Like she *does* have a quite dry sense of humour and she can be witty, but at a few moments in the game she berates other characters for joking around in a way that doesn't feel natural at all to me, as if only to keep the veneer of her being the Serious One. It's odd, and a bit cringe
favorite line: "Be safe, Gensym Scribe. A storm is coming. And I will not be at your side when it finds its way to our shores."
brOTP: asher <3
OTP: toland probably, lol. tho I like drifteris and eris/sav a great deal as well
nOTP: eris/guardian, if only for the reason that I've never seen it done in a way that's interesting to me personally. But there *is* potential there
random headcanon: she lost a toe in the hellmouth
unpopular opinion: fireworks (among other things) send her into a panic attack because ptsd from mare imbrium
song i associate with them: oh I have a whole (albeit short) playlist!
favorite picture of them: that artwork in Grimoire vol 1 of her with Touch of Malice..... I want it framed on my wall
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Toland:
favorite thing about them: probably his eagerness to help us slay oryx as the proof of his devotion to the sword logic. I'm so !!! about it!
least favorite thing about them: his eagerness to fuck with people's minds to get what he wants
favorite line: his monologue in the Awakening mission!! "You walk blind above an abyss, full of trust for a friendly voice" and the rest of it <3
brOTP: eriana and sai and sjur!!!!
OTP: eris. and ir yût, of course :p
nOTP: tbh I've never encountered a *bad* toland ship, maybe because there are so few toland ships out there in the first place, so I dunno
random headcanon: he is/was being haunted by the nightmares of his fireteam on the moon as well
unpopular opinion: before the hellmouth, he'd told eris and eriana point blank that he was not here for crota and he'd be showing himself out to ir yût's dwelling place the moment he got the chance
song i associate with them: I have a playlist as well, but if I had to choose just one it would be Firelight by Young the Giant OR Leave My Body by Florence + the Machine
favorite picture of them: lol kek imagine having pictures of toland. Tho there is that one drawing someone made of two guardians playing tennis with him as the ball
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heytheredeann · 2 years
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Whumptober, Day 24 - “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
Tags: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Post-Canon, Sci-Fi Elements, Immortal Napoleon Solo, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Napoleon Solo, Napoleon Solo Whump, gen or pre-slash or pre-ot3, Drowning
Notes: This scenario was inspired by what happened to Quynh in the movie The Old Guard, which tbh haunts me to this day because what the fuck This is also part of a series of stand-alone fics exploring the same general premise in different ways, because it has a lot of potential for whump. You don't need to read the others to follow this, though I'd say that the first fic in the series might have the most in-depth explanation of Napoleon's situation. Also, as always in this series, the CNTUAW is just because I'm not sure if I should tag MCD, none of the other major warnings apply. Enjoy!
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There’s always a few seconds when he doesn’t remember, when he’s only cold and confused and he tries to breathe in, only to find out that he can’t. That he is underwater, that he can’t move.
The panic always sets in even before his conscious mind catches up, remembering what happened, that he was thrown at the bottom of a lake and he is bound and he can never stay conscious long enough to get free, he just keeps drowning and waking up and drowning and waking up and—
No, please, I don’t—I can’t do this anymore, he keeps thinking as he goes, but there’s no way out, not until whoever or whatever decided to make him this way will finally decide to stop and let him go.
He doesn’t immediately realize that something is different, this time. He doesn’t realize that he’s moving, because the only thing that he can register is that there’s water and he can’t breathe—there’s something wrapped tightly around his chest, so he doesn’t immediately realize that his arms and legs are free, that he can swim, that he’s moving up—he starts trashing without thinking, too numb to be coordinated and yet still desperately wanting to get to the surface, now that for the first time in what feels like years he might have a chance to get out.
The hold around his chest goes slack, and for a second he finds himself sliding down, panicking once again as his lungs burn from the lack of oxygen. There’s someone, sliding up from behind him and looking down as he falls, and while Napoleon can’t for the life of him recognize them in the blur of water, much less venture a guess, he somehow manages to take a hold of them, desperately hoping that they will hear his silent prayers and take him out—
They grab him once again, quickly swimming up and up and up, until the surface seems so close, the light is right there and somehow the only thing that he can think about is that he’s going to pass out now and find himself at the bottom of the lake again, bound and just dying and dying and—
When they break through, he chokes on the first mouthful of air, coughing and panicking when it makes his chest hurt and his lungs burn, but he can’t stop, and the only thing that’s keeping him afloat is the arm wrapped around his chest. He can’t see much of anything, between the water falling down from his air and the tears filling his eyes as he keeps coughing, and he isn’t sure why he still can’t breathe, he’s out now, there’s air, he should be fine—
There’s a voice calling for him, slowly rising above the ringing in his ears until he turns blindly and somehow manages to make out Illya as he takes off his mask and draws him back to his chest.
[More on Ao3]
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ok so ep 15 was a lot... but here are some thoughts anyways:
I think first things first: Yu Rim and Hee Do
It's heartbreaking, and in some ways beautiful how they've depicted the growth of their relationship over this whole show. I'll probably end up talking about this again tomorrow. But they've gone from a fan-idol relationship with the addition of an anonymous online friendship, to a rivalry, to best friends who can be entirely honest with each other, to now becoming rivals by circumstance. So much of this show has been about how your circumstance shapes and defines you, and this has certainly been true in this ep. It was heartbreaking to see how by being separated they lost the other person as the one friend who truly, truly understands their circumstances. Watching their match was also nervewracking, becuase despite knowing that Hee Do won, they did so well in using the match to show how they've been forced into beocming rivals again: everyone is pushing for Hee Do to win so she can keep the gold in Korea, pushing for her to prove that she too isn't a traitor, that she isn't just what they had left after Yu Rim chose to move. Then Yu Rim, she's being pushed to prove that she can keep her gold, to prove that she's good no matter where she is, that she is not someone they can hate for not winning. I think Hee Do made the right choice in refusing to see her before the match tbh, it hurt but so much had happened they wouldn't have had enough time to sort it all out before the match and she needed to win. Also nice little call back there when Hee Do protested the refs call... And can we talk about how haunting the moment after Hee Do won was? When it sounds like everything is underwater, all muffled and disjointed? Only for the sound to come back as they take their masks off and both are crying?
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Then Hee Do and her mom + Yi Jin:
I'm happy to see that their relationship continues to improve. I adore the fact that other than the potential struggles they will face because of tehir careers her two bits of advice have been: get along, and, don't fight. Also that her reaction to finding out that they're dating was basically "finally". She has her faults undoubtedly but she does love her daughter and it seems as if she's trying to be more open in her support. The little moment she and Yi Jin shared when Hee Do won the gold was very sweet. Him quietly congratulating her, her tearing up, her congratulating him on having a girlfriend he can be proud of. And while in some ways yes her advice/point about their relationship struggling with their careers may seem a it harsh I'd like to say that a) keep in mind that their primary manner of communication some 4 years previous was yelling, and b) that she was honest and in some ways that was probalbly an act of kindness from her as well. She did just watch her duaghter deflate after finding out Yi Jin couldn't come to dinner.
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Finally: Hee Do and Yi Jin
there's both so much to say and also nothing... Once again we see the role of circumstance: I'll be honest I had entirely spaced on the fact that yes 9/11 would be sometime around this time, but that being the situation which separates them is both heartbnrekaing and realistic. It was a massive event with consequences that no one could entirely foresee, and Yi Jin is a young reporter who has just transfered to another department who we the audience know to be highly emphatetic and willing to cover the stories with the most human angle possible. It's the perfect combination which would result in him being away from Seoul for a period of time. It is hard to watch them be separated but it is both entirely in charcter and realistic. While I obviously want to see them happy and together, I will admit if they have to get separated at any point I do much prefer another case of realistic circumstances than the option of him having to cover a story about her and their rleationship being ruined by that. But seeing them happy and giddy and in love...? Oh it was beautiful. Love the fact that he is such an unbashedly clingy boyfriend, so much so that his colleagues bring him updates about her.
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Honorable mentions:
What is the necklace Hee Do wore the entire episode? It looks a bit like a key?
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Coach and Hee Do: I love their relationship, it was fun hearing Hee Do repeat what coach said about only picking winners. Though I think my favourite moment was when they were filming the training and Hee Do told coach that it was creeping her out that she was being so nice
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Glad to see Seung Wan and Ji Woong doing their thing and Ji Woong and Yu Rim still going strong. Also Seung Wan's mom calling Hee DO her loach baby... fabulous, and Yu Rim's mom congratulating both of them...
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Anyways, I will be sad for this show to end it has truly been a pleasure, still maybe hoping against hope for a happy ending and barring that at least a satisfactory one!
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yesimwriting · 3 years
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Do you think Kirigan would go for soft girls or the ones that has the same personality as him?
a/n ahh okay ik ive been bad at updating and making content on here and been on a kinda unofficial break but im doing a little better mentally so more content soon!! anyways i had to answer this the SECOND i saw it bc i have SO many opinions.
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okay,, this is going to sound like such a cop out answer, but i think there's no wrong answer bc it depends on how you interpret his character (which i'll explain really soon) but basically, in short, my personal opinion is that he'd go for a balance but be more drawn to someone that presents as one extreme and has the opposite hidden in them,,
personally, i think he'd be drawn to someone that presents as a 'soft' girl with a hidden 'darkness' in them, i don't mean like secretly evil but someone who wants to be good so badly but something in them is just a little too hurt or impulsive to always be the bigger person, even though they want to be.
Here's why I think that personality would draw him in most (i'll also explain the opposite personality bc like i said at the beginning, i think it really depends on how you interpret his character)
- okay, so it's clear that manipulation is kinda his love language (all he did was manipulate my girl Alina and i personally do think that that was the only way he was capable of loving her, so his issues weren't an absence of love but an inability to love in a healthy way--but that's just my opinion)
- so someone in that mental state that wants to be good and for the most part is but sometimes does foolish things bc they're human and have to deal with complex emotions (emotions that remind him of his personal struggles), would be really easy to manipulate bc he's clearly not an upstanding moral guy
- so when he tells someone with those internal conflicts that he sees seeds of darkness or something beyond the exterior they show the world, that person is inclined to believe him. (like when he tells alina that he saw her power and didn't run away, but can Mal say the same?)
- and after planting those seeds, he would be quick to reap them,, what do i mean by that??
- well, a major, personal headcanon of mine is that the Darkling definitely craves the acceptance and assurance of a partner to keep away the solitude that haunts him but he's afraid/hates the idea of losing control and giving someone so much one sided power over him
- so that's why he would be drawn to someone with a softer exterior for deeper connection purposes, bc he could feel like a protector/comforter and maintain some control (i also could very easily see him having an innocence/corruption kink but we're not here for that)
- also,, i think he'd see someone like that (or just his SO in general) as super good, and there would be some level of comfort in him to be able to look at his SO and be like 'they care for me/need me so i cant be that far gone, that lost' or maybe even be like 'if someone as good as them is allowed their impulses, i should be allowed mine'
- i also feel like he'd instinctually convince himself he HATES any 'soft presenting' person he's even somewhat attracted/intrigued by bc anything he sees as pure good he'd be at least a little jealous of in a way he doesn't understand (bc keep in mind, his darkness didnt come from a place of true malice originally)
- but i think he'd bore of someone that's completely soft just bc he's attracted to power bc even when he's not working on his plans, he is,, and if the potential SO doesn't have that power physically (as in political influence/grisha ability) he'd ideally need some strength of will/personality,, which is why he likes to press on that person's fear of being 'bad'
- he'd also like to prey on someone with this personality's fear of being a bad person so that he could feel better about himself bc like i said earlier,, a small part of him would be jealous of their goodness and i think at times he'd even be insecure
- especially if his SO started spending time with someone that's a better person than him bc he wants/needs to be the person that his SO cares about most bc it's not like he cares about a lot of ppl and if he cares more about them than they do about him,, that's not a type of control he'd be willing to relinquish
now why i think ppl could believe that he'd 'go for' someone with a similar exterior to him but has a secret soft inside:
- well,, that's basically him
- i believe opposites attract way more in complex characters (which is part of the reason i lean towards the first dynamic), but he could def be with someone with such a similar personality bc two people that crave power could create such a great couple
- first off, there would be a natural challenge there, bc the two could keep each other on edge and motivated (and victory/adrenaline of competition sex would hit hard,, let me tell you)
- he'd feel comfortable being himself a little more with someone that expresses the same level of ambitions as him and that would be easier than a relationship with someone that presents as soft
- tbh i think someone with a similar personality to him as his ideal hook up but for more serious connection,, he'd connect to someone softer bc they could give him approval/assurance he needs easier
- i think that a similar personality to him would keep him on his toes and entertained which is important and someone that's as driven as him would be beneficial for multiple reasons
- they could connect to him through his struggle and validate his actions
- and if that person had a soft spot,, he'd see even more of himself in them and he'd be able to feel like a protector a little more
- he'd def like to push at that softness in order to feel like his SO is important to him, even his SO is good at hiding that part of themselves
--
honestly the reason that how you view his character is so important in answering this question is bc it depends on whether you think that motivation/being pushed while still being needed is more important to him or being validated while still feeling like he's in control is more important to him.
but yeah,, in general i think he'd be drawn to softer girls but would end up going for girls more like him bc of more assured sexual chemistry and bc it puts him less at risk at opening up to anything beyond the face he wants the world to see
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apixrl · 3 years
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DRIVER'S LICENSE.
katsuki bakugou x fem! reader
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WARNING(S): angst. cheating. swearing because it's bakugou.
word count: 4.5k
song: drivers license // olivia rodrigo (i wonder why...)
note(s): so i captioned this *at the time of writing* 'hello and welcome to i've had the worst two weeks ever so i wrote a katsuki oneshot to cope' and it's probably one of my most personal pieces of writing tbh
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"-come Tuesday and we'll potentially see an end to this heavy downpour of rain. Temperatures will be on the rise to around-"
The talk on the radio cut short at the jab of your finger, heaving a great sigh which faded into the muffled pitter-patter of rain from outside. The streets had been showered with heavy downpours for the last week or so, no sign of sun or a still and restful day. Notwithstanding the miserable outdoors, the windscreen wipers on your car never ceased in their duty to grant you a clear view of the road ahead. And whilst you were grateful for their devotion, it didn't feel clear in the slightest. In fact, the road had never felt so blurry.
Shivering against the cold night chill and tucking your knees cosily to your chest, you eyed the raindrops on the windows. They raced against one another before they dripped down to your car's body, their glossy presence obvious thanks to the many hues of street lamps that surrounded them. You could have watched them for hours, being honest. Something about the droplets of water battling it out quite enticing. Anything to take you away from the cruel reality you were living in.
Your heart ached and yearned. But to no avail, the one you ached and yearned for didn't love you back.
Not anymore, at least.
Just the mere thought provoked a pulsating pang to resonate throughout your entire body. A pang filled with grief and sadness. Anger and hurt. You missed his sun-kissed face on the sunny mornings. You missed his eyes and how they gazed at you from across the room. You missed the smiles and laughter he would only show for you and you alone. The sense of glee and euphoria that came with that honour. Yet all of it was gone and there was no way you could get it back.
The memories of what had been triggered more waterworks. Hot, salty tears dug at the corners of your eyes and trickled down your face. Your motionless car concealed your cries and sobs. Every thrash against the wheel as you questioned to nobody in particular what went wrong and why. How you didn't see the signs sooner. What you could have done better. When he stopped loving you. If he ever planned to stop loving you. Whether it would have hurt more if you found out sooner.
All these questions with nothing to answer them.
Katsuki Bakugou had always fascinated you. From the very moment you met. You accompanied your friend on a double date, and he was the guy who she matched for you. Whilst he originally acted as though a blind date was the last place he wanted to be, underneath the aggression you could tell there was something much more genuine and true.
And your assumptions were correct. Truth be told, Katsuki Bakugou was one of the most genuine and truest people you had met (at the time). Once it was just the two of you, he allowed his true colours to unveil. Through the smallest of kind gestures that still haunted your mind to this day. Then upon confrontation, as you bid each other goodbye at your back door, his denial resulted in a flirtatious contest which then proceeded to an intimate night that changed your life forever. From there your mind was set.
He was the one.
Emphasis on was.
So blinded with a fairy tale love you grew so accustomed to, you never saw it coming. Never in your two-year relationship - that had so much strength and commitment built on top of it, never did you think that Katsuki Bakugou would throw it all out of the window like it was nothing. Disregard your loyalty and adoration for a drunken one night stand that slowly became an occasional hookup. Which soon became a mandatory pastime once a fortnight. Then twice. Maybe more than that. You wouldn't put it past him with what you knew now.
He kept it from you for nearly six months. Six months. The only reason you discovered his lies and deception was because you were let off early one night from work. You worked a night shift, see. Your last job had fallen to shambles, and it was temporary whilst you searched for a new one. And whilst that did take a toll on your relationship with Katsuki Bakugou, mostly finding time for intimacy since his working hours were during the day, none of that gave him any right to go and do what he did.
That wasn't one of the only reasons, you knew that for sure. There were other motives for his lack of loyalty. But you were never told. After you froze at the sight of another woman under his hold and stormed straight back to your car to flee. After he chased you down the flights of stairs in nothing but baggy pants into the streets of a twilight Musutafu. After you screamed into the darkness and belted your fists against his chest. Fists that were driven with rage and hurt and every emotion that burned like the hottest of fires and froze like the coldest of ice. He never even told you. He never made an effort to address it. Nor had he attempted to call or even try to visit your Mom's house - where you stayed as you searched for a permanent place to live. Just because you retreated for your car and cried that it was over, he never tried. But that didn't mean you weren't allowed an explanation. An apology. Something to give you a form of closure and a reason to move on. But you never did.
That wasn't even what hurt the most, either.
As silly as it was, the thing that hurt you the most was the very car you sat in.
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EIGHT MONTHS AGO . . .
The red glow of traffic lights hit Katsuki's vermilion irises as he stared dead ahead at the long line of vehicles, the ash-blond heaving a sigh into the air. His finger tapped impatiently against the steering wheel he gripped with one hand, the spare rested casually against your upper thigh affectionately.
"I can't believe we have to sit through this torture just to go to some damn party," Katsuki grumbled, taking a glance over at you. His brows furrowed when he met you peacefully slouched down, nose dug into your phone as you presumably played some sort of game to pass the time. Like you had no care in the world for your predicament.
"It's your best friend's birthday, love," You mused back, Katsuki surprised you even listened based on your focused expression directed towards your phone. "It's not like we can just miss it,"
"Yeah, but we could have missed all this pain by taking the train instead of driving across town during rush hour,"
"Trains are icky, the seats would have ruined your suit and my dress," You pointed out, looking at the blond over your screen, sending him a sweet smile. He cocked a brow, a smirk creeping its way onto his lips as a scoff of a laugh broke out between them.
"Right, and laying down like a sloth is gonna help keep your dress uncreased?" He returned, amused at your realisation. At his comment, you sat up faintly and pouted your lip.
"Driving means more time to play Gravity Pops, and so does traffic,"
"Seriously? That's the game you're playing? You're such a dumbass,"
"Yes! I'm in the top 11% globally! I need to get to number one!" Was your protest, your arms flailing ahead of you briefly for dramatic emphasis. Katsuki clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, though the small smile plastered over his lips betrayed his initial reaction. Unable to deny your determination, he spoke with confidence and almost a sense of pride.
"Number one, hm? Clearly rubbing off on you aren't I?"
"In a way, yes,"
"That's my girl," Katsuki remarked, earning a giggle from you that was uplifting to hear. It was there your attention went back to your phone, but Katsuki wasn't done. "So, speaking of cars, Y/N," Hearing his chosen tone - which sounded suggestive, you eyed him closely. Hesitant to reply as you had a sense of what he planned to say.
"...Yes?"
"Have you thought any more about getting your driver's license yet?"
Called it.
"...No,"
"What?" Katsuki began, tilting his head. He was surprised that he felt surprised. You had said those words in regards to this topic countless times. Still, he persisted. "Is that a no meaning you haven't or no meaning that you don't want to?"
"Both?" You half-guessed, sheepishly grinning at the look you were sent. "Look, cars scare me okay? And so do roads. And people. My nerves wouldn't be able to handle it! I can barely communicate with people face to face, so me being on the road is a recipe for disaster!"
"I know but -," Katsuki exhaled sharply, understanding your reasoning. You had voiced these concerns when confiding to Katsuki about your fears of the road. Something built and corrupted from social media as well as phobias and fears in general, it was a battle you had yet to overcome. You wanted to drive but was terrified of messing up or causing chaos on the road. Potentially inflicting harm to someone and yourself. You still weren't sure what triggered it all, but over the years it had manifested into something quite irrational, to say the least. Katsuki had been supportive of it and whilst he truly would love to always act as your personal taxi - you couldn't hide from it forever. It wasn't his job to keep you in your comfort zone. That, and he couldn't always be there for you that way. What if he was miles away and you had somewhere urgent to go like the hospital? "It's not as scary as you think. I know it's hard to believe that but seriously. The freedom you get from driving is amazing,"
"I'll think about it a little longer, okay?" You said with hesitancy, looking at Katsuki for a sign of confirmation. He nodded in defeat, knowing you probably needed more time and felt put on the spot. So he averted his eyes back to the road to check if the traffic had moved at all. It had not.
"Okay," Katsuki said. "But I can't be your taxi service forever,"
"But I like you being my taxi service," You jokingly said, a little sadness in your tone. "Your road rage is funny and I like watching you get out of the car and walk to my door after pulling up in my driveway,"
"What do you mean?" Katsuki asked, catching the twitch of a smile on your face upon saying those words. It struck his interest in what you could mean.
"You know, like when you say you're coming to pick me up?" You explained. "You pull up at my driveway and I don't know... simple things like that just remind me of how much I love you. It's dumb really, but it's important to me,"
"Really?" Katsuki questioned in disbelief. How something so small and meaningless could mean so much was puzzling. He couldn't understand why it was so special to you. But that didn't invalidate it in any shape or form. So he pushed that aside, replacing his wonder with gratitude. He returned to your bashful and flustered features, feeling a smile grow on his face.
"Yeah," You said, shrugging to downplay your words. "I love you. Stuff like that means a lot to me,"
"I love you too, even though you're a dumbass," Katsuki said, humbled by what you had said. The two of you shared a gentle exchange, your hand grabbing hold of Katsuki's as you gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back, and silence ensued. Had he realised such a thing sooner, then Katsuki would have pulled up in your driveway much more than he had been doing. But at that a thought struck his mind, victoriously smirking as he had an idea on how to potentially sway your worries. Or begin swaying it. Something was better than nothing, after all. "But what if I wanted you to pull up in my driveway one day?" His words caused you to look over at him in curiosity, hearing the seriousness in the question. It caught you off guard momentarily, having to contemplate as you gradually concluded that he had a point.
"Well one day, maybe I will," You vaguely replied and sat up a little bit. The hand holding yours pulled back and lifted to land on your shoulder, gripping reassuringly tight.
"I hope you do, I'd like to get in on this driveway action," He joked and smirked, faith riddled in his expression. You giggled ever so slightly, tempted to lean forward and peck Katsuki on the lips in thanks, but never a thing was to happen as the alerting red light from outside switched to warm amber.
"Ah!" Katsuki yelled in triumph, his attention leaving you swiftly as he got back into the driver's seat. Giving you no opportunity to respond to him and overall ruining the moment. "Took fucking long enough!"
The light turned green, and he set the car in motion, leaving you with your thoughts and the words he had uttered that day as the traffic stood still.
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All your efforts, all your time devoted to getting over your fear of driving and the road as a whole... all of it was pointless. You did it for him. You promised him you would overcome your fears and better yourself. He built that motivation up brick by brick until you could grab hold and seize control. He wasted all that time to get you to reach such a stepping stone only to abandon it once it was through.
Just so you could pull up in his driveway, just like he requested. And what did you get in return when you finally did? A stab in the back and the loss of your other half.
You wiped your eyes via the sleeve of your hoodie, dampening the cuffs. Sniffling and exhaling a shaky breath, your gaze landed on nothing in particular. Yet somewhere within your clouded mind, you found interest. As that was where your gaze remained for a certain amount of time. You weren't sure how long exactly. It could have felt like an hour and only been five minutes. Or it could have felt like five minutes and was actually an entire hour. Either way, the clock ticked on and didn't wait for you to stop.
It was a good thing you had pushed your fears down and rose above them. It just pained you that you didn't even do it for yourself. Without Katsuki Bakugou, you never had any intentions of doing so. As a matter of fact, you had set out to take the train or bus for the rest of your life. Hell, you were going to use a bike and scooter if you got desperate. Had he even acknowledged how much work you put in just to get where you were? Was all that effort part of the reason why he decided to cheat? There was absolutely no telling. Absolutely no telling at all.
You wondered what he was doing now. Was he laid in bed resting peacefully? Out with his friends for a boy's night only? Maybe cooking his favourite curry? Possibly on a late-night jog despite the harsh weather? It never stopped him other times.
Did he ever think about you? Regret what he did and the actions he took? Had he ever considered apologising? Would he ever apologise? What if he was celebrating the fact you were no longer in his life? Had there ever been any love there for you in the start? Did he ever actually want you to get your driver's license because he believed in you? Or was it so he could get rid of you with much more ease? Make his departure less severe and less selfish? A way to justify his choices because it's not like you were hopelessly left to suffer everyday life now that you had a means of transport. Was he really that cruel?
Your thoughts were interrupted by the sharp jingle of your phone, the device lighting up as it sat in the passenger seat to your left. It took two or three rings for you to glance over at it, E/C eyes sore and drained from crying out. You squinted them to read the caller, seeing the name 'Work' fade in and out on the brightly lit screen. For a second or two you argued back and forth on whether to even bother picking up. Something about reaching across for your phone requiring a magnitude of energy you no longer possessed. Having spent it all on your cries of agony and the deprivation of your old life as a whole.
However, you had ignored your work in the last couple of weeks too many times now. So many times that pulling the same stunt again would probably risk you losing your job. It's not like your work was interested in why you felt such overwhelming pain... all they cared about was you turning up to do what you were hired to.
So using a forceful hand, you leaned over to pick it up. You fumbled to grip your phone and accepted the call with a dainty tap of your thumb. Then you blinked away your tears and subtly sniffed, pressing your phone to your ear to address the caller.
"Hello?" You practically croaked, quick to clear your throat and push any signs of upset down. It was presumably dry from how much you'd cried in the last two hours.
"L/N! Hey! Glad you finally picked up!" Unlike the droll and unvarying tones of your boss, the person on the other end was much more lively and greeting. So much so you could only assume it was none other than your work colleague, Etsuko. Probably the only person you genuinely liked where you worked, and the only person who made the time pass by faster. "I was worried you were gonna leave me on answer phone again,"
"Hm, what? Oh right. Yeah. Sorry about that. Haven't been feeling too great," You lied, even though it wasn't a complete fib. You hadn't been feeling great at all. You had never felt so rock bottom. It all just originated from your mind over anything else. But when did work care about that?
"Sounds like it, I hope you've been okay!" Still cheery as ever, Etsuko followed up with a laugh to fill the silence you created by not saying anything. "Is everything well? It's nothing serious, is it?"
"No. It's not. Just some dumb cold I caught," You excused. "I'm better now, though," Slouching down in your seat, you decided to ask the question that had been roaming your mind the last minute or so. "So why are you calling?"
"Oh, right!" Etsuko said. "Mr Kobashigawa was just wondering when you planned on coming back - for schedule reasons and to get people to fill in for your shifts,"
"I er...," Not entirely sure how to answer, you stuttered as your words cowered away in your attempt to speak. "I don't -,"
"It's okay, he doesn't need an answer yet," Etsuko reassured. "Maybe in the next day or two, though? He wasn't really specific, being honest,"
You sighed at the guilt brewing in your stomach. You weren't even sick for crying out loud! Why were you lying just so you could wallow in your own sadness?! Like that was going to change anything! Sitting around and crying wasn't going to give you what you wanted. You weren't getting him back. Katsuki Bakugou wasn't yours anymore. He made that clear by cheating. By making minimal effort to give you an explanation. By causing you so much pain with little care or concern. Why couldn't you get it through your thick skull that your feelings didn't matter anymore?! That they were being wasted on a lost cause. A lost relationship!
"Well I mean -," You started, running a hand through your hair as you tread carefully on your words. "I could come in tonight? Has Mr Kobashigawa got someone to fill for me yet?"
"Um... no? I don't think so?" Etsuko answered, uncertainty in her voice. "Let me go check. Be right back!" And with that, the line fell dead. The call didn't end, just Etsuko placing the phone down to get an answer for you. Leaving you all by your lonesome once more.
Reflecting, you could see the logic in your thoughts. The best course of action would be to hold your head up high and live life the way it was before. When you were happy. Just... excluding the factors that actually made you happy. Which was him. Wouldn't that be healthier than crying all the time?
Yes, it would. But was it what you wanted? Not really.
"L/N!" The voice in your ear startled you to the point you nearly dropped your phone, panicking through a gasp as you fiddled to grab hold of it again.
"Wa-! Careful you nearly scared me half to death!"
"Oops, sorry!" Etsuko giggled softy, sounding as perky as ever. "I'm just excited to tell you that nobody's filling in your shift! You can still come in for ten-thirty!"
"I-I can?" You asked. After an upbeat 'yeah!' filtered through your ears, you considered your options. Remaining in the serene, quiet confines of your car with only the downfall of rain to accompany you sounded like utter bliss, given how you felt. But you felt an internal kick up the backside which told you - no... demanded you to just get over this moping attitude of yours and look on the bright side. To get over the lack of closure and simply... move on.
Yeah... if he found out you were an utter train wreck thanks to the damage he inflicted; Katsuki Bakugou would probably revel in it. He had a history of gaining pleasure from other's misfortunes... or it was rumoured he did (during his younger years, anyway). You had never wanted to believe it but you couldn't find a reason to refute it anymore. After all you had been through, it seemed to fit his character and personality more than ever. So with that fact apparent, you held a firm forefront and searched for a determined tone, and made your answer to your friend.
"You betcha I'm coming in! I'll see you in half an hour!"
Too enthusiastic? Probably. Still, it was better than acting pessimistic and hopeless. No matter, however, because that was exactly the attitude Etsuko had been hoping for.
"Alrighty!" She exclaimed, smile audible in her voice from the other end. "I can't wait to get our dynamic duo going again! I've missed you!"
"Yeah, me too, 'Suko," You hummed in agreement.
"Great! Catch ya later my partner in crime,"
"Heh. You too, dumbass," You found a reason to smile from her childish behaviour, though your choice of wording seemed to hit a nerve. It did more than that, it practically reverted all that confidence and progress you had made in the last ten minutes of being on the phone. All from one innocent word that escaped your lips.
Dumbass.
That's what he used to call you.
The phone call had ended without you even noticing, your phone still pressed to your ear as a small buzz sounded into it. You stared dead ahead, flashes of all the times he had said that word to you running through your memory. It was his form of a pet name. Some might see it as a little degrading on the surface, but you never minded. Once you learned the deeper meaning of the name, it became something equivalent to the likes of 'Sunshine' or 'Angel'. If anything, you ended up preferring it to those sorts of nicknames. Hence why Katsuki Bakugou had called you it on so many occasions.
No. Stop it. You can't let something like that bother you. Not after the efforts you just went to. Stop. Shaking yourself out of it, you returned to reality and permitted your phone to drop onto your lap. Your hand once holding it gripped onto your steering wheel, the other following shortly behind to do the same.
"I love you too, even if you're a dumbass,"
That rung in your head one final time, tormenting and mocking your present. The things you'd be willing to do to hear him say that to you one last time...
"No," You firmly shook your head, banging it lightly against the headrest to return yourself to reality. An attempt to knock those words to the back of your mind where you could lock them in a securely tight safe for the rest of eternity. "Just... just don't think about it. Easy. Just focus on what you're doing now," You reached for your keys which sat in the ignition, taking hold and turning them ever so slightly. Your car stirred to life, engine rumbling and the dials lighting up in a form of warm greeting. "You're going to work. No more feeling sorry for yourself,"
No more feeling sorry for yourself.
Your eyes set themselves on the road ahead. The vacant, dark and solitary road that didn't wait for you to make your decision. Life moved on after all, so if you were going to do anything - it was to catch up and take the winning lead.
So despite your circumstances; your inner desires and wishes and begs for what you wanted back but to no avail would ever get, you pulled out of your parking space (which had long exceeded the time limit, thankfully nobody was around to see) that drowned in pitiful rains of the night, and began to make your way down the street. In search of a place better than the one you were trapped in.
An endless road that wasn't all that clear, you were going to tackle it. Not for anyone else, unlike the last time you met difficulty and hardships. No, no, no. This time it was for your sake. All the mental energy to recover and become a better version of yourself, in the endgame it was all for you. You could push past all the deceit and lies you had been told and you could push past your normality which was him. Katsuki Bakugou. The man that hurt you as nobody had ever done before. You could create new normality without him.
A thought of forever he created and destroyed, resorted to driving alone past his street, never to be thought of again.
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snackhobi · 4 years
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pairing: yoongi x reader // word count: 15.8k // genre: smut
summary: your idea of a good night certainly doesn't involve being stood up by yet another blind date and finding yourself alone in a fancy bar; fortunately for you, there's an attractive man playing the piano to keep you busy, instead.
warnings: sexually explicit content (NSFW), cursing, minor consumption of alcohol, oral (m and f receiving), protected sex, fingering, multiple orgasms, pet names, slight exhibitionism, slight praise kink, light dom/sub undertones if you squint ig (reader is kind of subby)
– –
Throughout the years of your life, you've learned a few things. Some of them are pretty obvious (buying suspiciously cheap sushi from a petrol station is like playing Russian Roulette with food poisoning and diarrhoea), some of them are less so (just because something is 'on sale' doesn't actually mean that it's cheaper if they'd increased the overall price beforehand), but one thing that you're only just starting to learn is that— for all that Jimin says otherwise— blind dates will always stand you up.
jiminnie is he there yet??
you to my entire lack of surprise, no. i'm starting to wonder if this 'hoseok-hyung' of yours even exists tbh i should have been suspicious from the second you called him a 'friend' bc that implies that you HAVE friends
jiminnie ok RUDE. we're friends??
you suddenly i can't read
The two of you had been outrageously drunk after a night out on the town, once, and Jungkook had come to collect his tipsy boyfriend, and you'd seen the fond way he'd watched Jimin despite his messy behaviour— how he'd given Jimin a piggyback even though it must have been hard with the way Jimin had been squirming and laughing and kicking his legs back and forth— and your heart had squeezed tight in your chest. (You'd been so drunk.)
It had honestly been a slip of the tongue when you'd revealed to Jimin that you were kind of maybe feeling somewhat lonely, a little bit, potentially. You'd had one night stands and short flings but it's been a long time since you've been in an actual relationship, a long time since you've really clicked with someone. Maybe part of you had been missing it, that connection with another person. Normally you're fine with being single, but Jungkook and Jimin are so in love that it spills out from them and you guess in the moment you'd wanted to feel that, too.
You blame the alcohol. You also blame your own loose lips. And Jimin, you blame him too, for persuading you to go clubbing in the first place. You don't even remember what you'd said, waking up with a headache the weight and size of a tectonic plate, groaning at the pain of the morning light stabbing into your eyes, but with no recollection of your admittance that maybe you were tired of being single. Your best friend, however— despite having drunk more than you— could recall the previous night with crystalline clarity, much to your horror and embarrassment. And, because Jimin is Jimin, he'd latched onto what you'd said with the tenacity of a dog with a bone.
Fast forward to where you're sitting now, on yet another arranged date that he's planned for you— and once again, you've been stood up.
you i'm starting to wonder if any of the people you've tried to set me up with are even real
jiminnie omg they ARE you had a nice time with lisa??
Okay, so you hadn't been stood up for every date. Lisa had been the only person who'd shown up, and she was cute and friendly and you got on like a house on fire, but you'd very quickly found out that she was actually head over heels for her best friend Jennie. You being you, your first date had rapidly turned into you giving your new friend a pep-talk and hyping her up— and suffice to say you've been having weekly girl's brunches with Lisa and her now-girlfriend Jennie ever since. So, yes, technically you haven't been stood up every time, but still.
you yes, my ideal first date involves telling the other person that their best friend is definitely in love with them too :))
jiminnie I'VE ALREADY SAID THAT I'M SORRY :(
you LMAO it's fine, it's always nice to make friends but seriously minnie, like,, if your friends are going to stand me up, could you at least have had the decency to organise the date somewhere less fancy? i spent ages getting ready and noah fence it kind of feels like i just wasted a bunch of my time,,
Jimin doesn't fuck around. From the outside the bar, Dionysus, exudes a quiet aura of exclusivity. Inside, however, it has a surprisingly understated atmosphere despite its namesake being the Grecian god of Getting Turnt, the sleek interior paired with soft lighting and stylish fixtures, elegant. 
Either way, it's the kind of place that warrants you actually pulling out the stops with your outfit and makeup; you rarely have a reason to doll yourself up like this and it makes a nice change of pace, but it seems like you shouldn't have bothered. What's the point in putting on a cute dress and nice heels, or doing your hair and opening your expensive Too Faced eyeshadow palette for the first time, if you're just going to be sitting alone at a bar all night? At least you don't stick out, which is good, you guess.
You are the only person who's alone, though. It's midweek and everyone else is seated around one of the tables, couples and groups that are engaged in quiet discussion or watching the show— there's a small stage where there's a quartet performing live music— but you're perched on one of the barstools, tapping away at your phone, alone. If anyone were to pay any attention it would be obvious that you've been stood up, but they're all too busy having an enjoyable evening to spare a glance at the girl sitting by herself at the bar.
The only person who's paying attention to you is the bartender. He's clearly good at his job, keeping an eye on you and making you feel welcome without seeming like he's hovering; he doesn't act like you're being an inconvenience, but you give him a hefty tip each time you order a new drink anyway. Hoseok might not be turning up tonight but if you've gone to the effort of dressing this nicely and getting a taxi here then goddamn you're going to make the most of it.
It takes forty two minutes and three virgin cocktails before the handsome bartender speaks to you, saying something beyond the customary back and forth you've had so far as he hands you your next mocktail. 
"Are your friends usually this late?"
You let out a little huff of laughter. "Something like that." Normally you'd be more hesitant to speak to a stranger like this, but the bartender's eyes are warm and his smile seems genuine and from what you can tell, he's just making that sure you're okay. "Seems like it'll just be me for tonight."
"You're welcome to stay and wait as long as you like," he says, and you can't help but quirk a grin at him.
"I bet you say that to all the paying customers."
He laughs and raises his hands in surrender. "You got me." And then: "If you want another drink, just give me a shout. I'm Seokjin, but everyone calls me Jin."
"As in, Jin and tonic?" You smile. "Sure. I'll be sure to remember that. I'm Y/n."
"Nice to meet you, Y/n." Jin gives you a grin before disappearing down the other side of the bar to make drinks for some other customers. Your own smile slowly fades, and then turns into a frown, eyes landing on the clock on the wall; Hoseok is forty five minutes late at this point. (You know he's not going to show.) It's been so long that the musicians on the stage have finished their set and are leaving, a different performer about to step on, and you sigh. You'll finish this last drink and then you'll go.
You use your straw to stir the mint leaves and ice cubes around, muddling the flavours in your glass. You haven't really been paying attention to the music before now; you couldn't name the songs that have been performed so far, but they're common enough that you'd recognised the sound of them, the sort of music that most people could hum along to but probably wouldn't know the origin of. Easy listening. Pleasant, but nothing new. It's clearly more about setting a nice backdrop to the bar rather than music for music's sake. A background noise, rather than acting as the focal point of the bar.
You assume this is going to be the case for the next musician, and so you barely pay any mind as the he takes to the stage alone; you're looking down at your glass as he sits at the piano and puts his feet on the pedals and places his hands on the keys, but then, he starts to play.
Your eyes snap up. A chord hangs in the air, extended, haunting; a crescendo into a light melody; the chords dip, waters dark and deep while he weaves the higher notes with infinite softness, ebbing notes that fade into each other, his fingers dancing across the keys with grace and ease. You notice with a throb in your chest that he has no sheet music. He's pulling this music from inside him, his mind, entirely from his own memory.
His eyes are cast down as he watches his hands, but you can see how they slip shut whenever he tilts his head back, fringe hanging over them. His hair is bleached blond but he clearly hasn't been maintaining the look, with dark roots starting to show through. His posture is horrible, his spine a little curved as he slouches forward, and he's not dressed as sharply as the other musicians had been— there's no tie around his neck and he has a multitude of earrings in, rings on his fingers, changing his outfit into something a little messy and different and entirely unique.
He's fucking breathtaking.
Without realising, you've swivelled away from the bar to watch him. Your drink is still clutched in your hand but you pay it no mind, condensation gathering on the cold glass and dripping down your fingers the longer you sit there, ice cubes melting as he finishes his first song and moves onto the next. Same as the first, you don't recognise it, the melody echoing deep in your chest, speaking of some feeling that you can't put a name to, each sliding arpeggio and chord reaching inside you and hanging there, little glowing droplets that shine out like moonlight.
Each of his pieces are entirely different and yet they all feel like him, somehow. Strong and soft and lovely and aching. The water from your glass has pitter-pattered onto your lap, darkening the fabric of your dress in some nameless constellation, but you don't notice. Your world has narrowed down to: the sound of his music, the motions of his hands, the way he bends into the notes, him. 
Your eyes trace his profile, the cat-like eyes, the round of his nose, the pout of his lips, falling into the way he lifts his chin and tilts his head; thoughtless, gorgeous.
You don't realise that it's over until it's over. The final notes hang in the air, crystallising, and then they fade. He finishes with little fanfare, tilting a polite nod at the audience that claps for him, and then he slips off the stage and is gone just as quickly as he had come. You blink, coming back to yourself; you feel like you're rising out of deep water, motions slow and heavy, and you don't know how long you've been sitting there, entirely entranced. You'd been too distracted to clap. You'd just sat and watched in silence as he'd turned to leave, barely sparing the room a glance.
"Good, isn't he?"
Normally you would have startled at Jin's sudden appearance. Instead you just blink again, still trying to shake off the daze you've found yourself in. "Yeah." Your voice is hoarse. You clear your throat and suck in a breath and put your drink down, dripping wetness that leaves a ring on the smooth wood of the bar, and try to speak normally this time, willing your voice to be level. "Yes. He's very good."
"Yoongi is here at the same time every week," Jin supplies, tone conversational, like he's just having a regular chat. Yoongi. His name is Yoongi. You wonder if Jin can hear how your heart is pounding, the galloping hooves of a wild horse that tumble in your chest. You try to keep your expression stoic as you look at him, scared that he'll be able to read what's written across your face— but he's smiling at you in the same way as before. Just a barkeeper who's trying to get a return customer. (Although, you'd swear there was a glint in his eye for the briefest moment, but then it's gone.) "He changes the set each time, if you're interested in coming back to hear something new."
Your mouth feels dry and you swallow, trying to wet your lips. Dionysus is too fancy of a place to ask customers for tips for the musicians, but— "Can I buy him a drink?"
Jin cocks his head at you. "A drink? For Yoongi?"
"Yes," you say. You feel a little shy when you spot his expression, biting your lip. "I just really enjoyed the music, and I'd like to tip him somehow? Is that a normal thing that people do?"
Jin pauses, and then smiles. This smile is a little wider than the ones he's given you before, different, but he seems pleased. "Who cares about what's normal? I'll get a drink to him. What would you like?"
"Um, whatever he prefers," you say. You figure that Jin would have a better idea about what that is than you, which is proven true by his almost instantaneous reply.
"He likes red wine, or whisky, neat. I think tonight is a whisky kind of night." He's already going through the motions of putting the drink together, and you slide him money as he begins to pour. You know nothing about Yoongi but you can't help but feel like the drink suits him— simple, classic, masculine. "Do you want me to pass on a message for you?"
"Um, you can just say that it's from someone who enjoyed the music, I guess?" You giggle a little, feeling awkward and off balance. Jin is looking at you like he's expecting you to say something else, but you just want to express your enjoyment of Yoongi's music and nothing more. You don't— you don't want to be weird, you just like the sound of his piano playing.
Jin disappears into the back with the glass of whisky, and you finish the watery remnants of your drink before you leave, ice cubes completely melted in the— wow— forty minutes that Yoongi had been playing. It hadn't felt that long at all.
It's not until you're stepping through your front door that you realise you haven't looked at your phone since before the beginning of Yoongi's set. Jimin's messages have been changing from apologetic to concerned to downright frantic.
jiminnie Y/N BLINK TWICE IF YOU NEED HELP
you how many times should i blink if i don't need help?
jiminnie omg you're ALIVE where were you?? i was starting to get worried
you sorry i got distracted! but i'm fine, i'm at home hoseok never showed
jiminnie yeah i know :(( he messaged me saying he had an emergency and couldn't make it tonight but he's free this weekend??
you … remember when i said that this was the last blind date i was going to go on?
jiminnie it doesn't count as a date if hyung never turned up!!!
you that isn't true and you know it omg minnie… i appreciate what you're trying to do but pls bb. let it rest
jiminnie i just want you to be happy :((
you i don't have to be in a relationship to be happy
jiminnie you said you were lonely!
you omg i was DRUNK let it GO besides being stood up by multiple blind dates isn't going to help me feel less lonely lmao i get that you're happy in your relationship with kookie and you want to spread that happiness but you don't have to!! i'm fine!! yeah i get lonely sometimes but what single person doesn't?? i'm happy being by myself hhhhh
jiminnie fine :(( but if you change your mind, hobi-hyung would still love to meet you!
As you kick off your heels, humming a bar of Yoongi's music to yourself, you think that Hoseok probably shouldn't bother holding his breath.
(That night, when you sleep, you dream of dark eyes and the press of a sinfully perfect cupid's bow against your own lips, a pair of large hands drawing noises from you like a glissando, rings cool against your heated skin.)
Wednesday nights become a ritual of sorts. You get dressed, do your hair, match your makeup to your outfit and shoes, coordinating your look into something that doesn't look out of place in Dionysus before you hop into a taxi and make your way to the bar.
You're a firm regular by now. Your seat has become just that, your seat, the same one you'd been sitting in the first time you'd been there; it's towards the dimmer lights at the back and so you're sitting further away from the stage than you might like, but at least you can see the whole room from here. You turn up twenty minutes before Yoongi's set and Jin always greets you warmly when he sees you: you've quickly come to enjoy your chats. Jin is always unashamedly himself and the two of you joke and laugh as he works, but he always knows to leave you alone as soon as Yoongi steps onto the stage. 
For the next forty minutes the rest of the world fades away as you drink Yoongi and his music in, listen to the lilting notes he coaxes out of the piano, watch how his fingers rest on each key before he slides into his next piece, reverent.
You never ever explicitly mention Yoongi in your conversations with Jin, though. The bartender seems to bring the musician up anyway; he does it smoothly, in a way that's utterly casual, and he seems to know a surprising amount about someone who is, by all accounts, a very private person. (You're not complaining about the fact that you now know that Yoongi wears Kumamon slippers because his feet get cold easily— "he's cold blooded, like a lizard," apparently— but you do wonder how Jin knows that.)
The Yoongi that Jin describes is just as beautiful as the man you see on stage, but less mysterious, less distant— and yet he still intimidates you. 
Jin might be his friend but to you Yoongi is unapproachable. Untouchable. To him you're just a nameless face in the audience, nothing more. His eyes will slide across the room before he starts his performance, but he never seems to notice you; it's no surprise, sitting where you do, in an area of relative darkness in comparison to the rest of the bar, and once he sits down he only looks at the piano under his hands. He has no eyes for anything else. You're far enough away and his lashes are cast so low that even when his eyes are open it's hard for you to see where he's looking, and the shadow of his fringe hides how his pupils scan his hands as he plays, anyway.
Every week, when the set draws to a close, Jin is already pouring Yoongi's whisky or wine and you slide him the exact amount of change. Every week, Jin asks if you want to pass on a message, and every week, you say the same thing: that it's from someone who enjoyed the music. And that's that. Jin will disappear to give Yoongi his drink and you'll finish your own drink in quiet solitude before you slide off your barstool to go home.
(The only thing that's changed over the weeks is that the music Yoongi plays seems to be a little lighter and— dare you say— happier? He still looks down at the piano with the same intensity, still lays his hands on the keys with the same delicate pressing weight before he begins to play— but with some songs he seems to be teasing the music out, flirting with each note, eyelashes fluttering as he lifts his chin and moves his hands.
You're not a musician by any means, so you don't know how to describe it with any sort of accuracy or terminology, but to you it's like the deep waters of Yoongi's music have been cut through with light, beams of sun rippling through the dark blue. You don't know what's caused this change, the slow uplift in his mood throughout the weeks, but you hope he manages to keep hold of it, whatever it is.)
Between work and studying and volunteering and making time to see friends, you don't often have time entirely to yourself, and so Wednesday nights are a rare moment of peace during your otherwise busy week. That's why when Jimin says that he's had to rearrange your weekly film night to Wednesday— because he and Jungkook are going down to Busan to see each other's families this weekend— you decline. 
Jimin is rendered speechless and demands to know why.
"I'm busy," is your answer. Jimin doesn't buy it.
"You're never too busy for movie night," he says. "Wednesday is the only night we're all free."
"Well, I'm not free, Minnie. Sorry," you say. His head is in your lap, your fingers gently stroking his hair, and you can easily see the way his face contorts with disbelief as he stares up at you.
"Do you hear that, babe? Y/n is too busy for our weekly tradition." Jimin sounds scandalised.
Jimin is stretched out between the two of you— while his head is in your lap, his feet are in Jungkook's, the younger man idly massaging his boyfriend's ankles and feet. "Yes, babe, I heard," Jungkook says, indulgent.
"What's more important than movie night?" Jimin lifts one of his legs and Jungkook turns his attention to that one, digging his fingers into the arch of Jimin's foot. Jimin sighs in relief, but then turns the full force of his stare back at you. "We were going to watch Spirited Away. You love Spirited Away."
"I'm just busy," you say, and that had been your mistake. You should have had some sort of credible reason but you hadn't been prepared, and while he hadn't made it obvious at the time, Jimin had latched onto your vague excuse, sniffing out weakness like a shark with blood in the water. If you'd been paying attention you'd have noticed, but you hadn't paid attention and so you hadn't noticed. (Whoops.)
And so, Wednesday night that week is the same as always; Yoongi plays his music, you fall a little bit more in love, and pass your compliments to him with Jin as the mouthpiece. You go home, wash your makeup off, and arch into the touch of your own hand while imagining it's someone else's fingers sliding across your skin. Routine. Normal. Uninterrupted. Peaceful.
The next week, however, it all goes to shit.
Okay. Maybe that's a little dramatic. It's not as bad as all that. The night starts as normal: you're on your stool, and you have your drink, and you have ten minutes until Yoongi is due to play, shifting to get comfortable, crossing your legs.
But then: 
"Oh my God, you're wearing your come fuck me heels," comes Jimin's voice from behind you, and your blood turns to ice.
You turn on the barstool so fast you almost fall off it. You come face to face with Jimin who has an expression of what can only be described as sheer delight on his face. He's even dressed appropriately for the bar, a silk shirt tucked into his Very Tight jeans and a subtle smoky eye to top it off; Jungkook looks nice, too, but you have no doubt that he's only here under sufferance, if the infinitely apologetic look on his face is anything to go by.
"Jimin?" Your voice comes out as a hiss. If you were a cat your back would be up and your hackles would be raised and all your fur would be on end, your entire body going into fight mode. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see for myself what was more important than movie night," Jimin says simply, like it's obvious. "So here we are."
"Sorry, Y/n," Jungkook apologises from over his boyfriend's shoulder. Jimin ignores him.
You can feel how your face is starting to flush, your skin crawling with embarrassment. You change your outfit every week and your friends have managed to turn up on the one week where you've cycled into what could probably be considered your most promiscuous one, the hem of your dress high and the cut of it low, along with shoes that Jimin had rightfully named as your Come Fuck Me heels. It wasn't because you were trying to seduce anyone but you only have so many items in your wardrobe that are appropriate for Dionysus. 
"How did you find me?"
"I have my ways," Jimin says mysteriously.
"He stalked your Bitmoji on Snapchat. Ow." Jungkook pouts as Jimin slaps his arm. "Sorry, again. I said we should leave you alone but Jimin said we should check in case you'd been kidnapped because you never willingly go into bars."
You're interrupted by Jin, who'd been busy serving someone when your idiot friends had turned up; he leans across the bar and touches your shoulder and fixes Jimin and Jungkook with the most intimidating look you've ever seen on his face. You know Jin as a light-hearted pun master, harmless and goofy and approachable, a great friend— but right now he looks like some sort of beautiful guardian angel, broad shouldered and narrow eyed and honestly, pretty menacing. 
"Are you alright?" He keeps his eyes on the other two men as he speaks. "Are these guys bothering you?"
Jimin, rather than looking cowed, looks like he's reached a stage of absolute euphoria, eyes darting between Jin's hand on your shoulder to your face. Jungkook's face, meanwhile, is doing that thing it does whenever someone issues him some kind of challenge, his sweetness abruptly being swallowed by his competitive side and his stubborn refusal to lose anything. You're the only person who has the power to save this situation before it goes absolutely tits up, and you swallow down a resigned sigh.
"I'm fine, thank you, Jin," you say, looking at him with a smile as you pat the hand on your shoulder. "Unfortunately these guys are my friends, much to my infinite suffering. Well, Jungkook's alright. Jimin is the one who's the pain."
"Hey," Jimin whines. Jungkook looks quietly pleased, but pretends to scowl when Jimin looks at him, offended on his boyfriend's behalf.
Jin still seems unhappy but pulls his hand back. "Alright," he says, but then he pitches his voice low so that only you can hear: "If you need any help, just ask me for a rum and soda, okay?"
You always order mocktails whenever you're here, wanting to stay completely sober so that you can enjoy Yoongi's playing with all the attention it deserves. You've never asked for anything alcoholic, least of all a rum and soda. Although you really are okay, you can't help but be warmed by Jin's concern for you and how he's offering you this careful, considerate lifeline in case you need it. "I will do. Thanks, Jinnie."
He smiles at you and then gives Jungkook and Jimin one final frown before going to deal with a gaggle of customers who've gathered at the other end of the bar. While Jungkook remains standing, taking in the interior of the bar with wide eyes, Jimin slides onto the stool next to yours.
"He's fucking hot," Jimin says with no preamble, eyeing Jin without shame as the bartender starts to pour and mix different drinks. Jungkook makes a disgruntled noise but settles when Jimin pats him fondly on the butt. "I'm not surprised you're wearing those heels. I would too if I were you."
"Oh my God, Jimin." You hide your face in your hands. "Jin is just a friend, please don't make this weird."
"Come on, Y/n, it's okay," Jimin says reassuringly as he pats your shoulder, replacing Jin's touch with his own. "The blind dates might not have worked out, but you've met someone nice so that's good! I mean, you did meet him because I organised the date here in the first place, but I'll let that slide. Also I can't believe you missed movie night because of a boy and you didn't tell me, but I'll let that slide too because I love you."
Park Jimin is your best friend. Park Jimin meddles in your life despite your protestations and isn't beyond being passive aggressive to get his way, but Park Jimin is also one of the nicest people you know and everything he does is because he loves you and will do whatever he thinks is necessary to reach his end goal of making you happy. He's magnanimous and kind and caring, and he also has absolutely the wrong idea right now, clearly under the impression that you're attracted to Seokjin and have been flirting with him for however many weeks it's been since you were meant to meet Hoseok here.
"No, seriously, Jimin, it's not Jin." You look at Jimin through the gaps in your fingers. "He's cute, yeah, but I don't come here because of him."
Your friend looks genuinely baffled, hand stilling on your shoulder. "Then why are you here?"
And, with perfect timing— as if your life is some badly written film or romantic drama— the clock ticks over to 8pm and Yoongi steps onto the stage. His hair is dark, blond replaced with black a few weeks ago, though it's still long enough that it hangs in his eyes; he looks a little ragged around the edges, a little messy, a little tired, and altogether beautiful. You want to touch the coolness of your fingertips to the dark circles under his eyes, want to press kisses across each of his bony knuckles, want to let your tongue settle in the hollow of his neck that shows each time he leans back and tilts his head up just so.
You hadn't even meant to but you'd turned away from Jimin the second you'd heard piano notes begin to play, drawn in by the sound like a moth to a flame. Jimin's hand falls off your shoulder and you hear him breathe out a quiet oh of realisation. You tear your eyes away from the sight of Yoongi at the piano and turn on your stool to face the bar again, gripping your glass with both hands, shoulders hunched.
"I like to watch him play," you say, and your voice is near a whisper, so as not to detract from the music.
"It's beautiful," Jungkook says, speaking before Jimin can say anything. His voice is quiet, too, not wanting to break over the sound of the piano. 
And so you hear with absolute clarity as Yoongi shifts mid-song into something different and it startles you. Yoongi always varies his music, always has something new, but you've been here often enough that you had recognised the opening song— it was one of your favourites— and you know that he's cut himself off before finishing, soft melody jumping into the opening bars of something different, sharper, a little angry, maybe sorrowful. Something that pulls at you and demands your attention.
Of course you give it to him. You swing your head away from your drink to watch him once more, watch how his motions have changed, the way he surges forward and presses his weight into his arms and down into his hands, his fingertips, the keys. You turn your entire body at this point, settling in your usual position for when you watch Yoongi; you see how his head tilts and he shifts from a minor into a major key, the same notes and chords transformed from something pensive into something joyful as he leans away from the heavier hands he'd been forcing the keys down with.
"How long does this go on for?" Jimin asks.
"About thirty or forty minutes," you answer. Though you turn your head back over your shoulder so that Jimin can hear you, you keep your eyes fixed on Yoongi. It's probably entirely coincidental, the sudden change in his music coinciding with when you turned away from him and when you looked back. He's not playing for you, he's playing for the whole bar, and besides, he's been looking down at the piano the whole time. He hasn't been looking at you.
And yet. The idea that Yoongi has noticed you and wants you to watch him has something hot settling low in your belly.
Jimin leans forward so that his chin is on your shoulder, talking directly into your ear as his hands wrap around your waist from behind. "This is the guy?"
Yoongi finishes the song and you watch in captivation as he swallows and runs a hand through his hair before he starts the next one. He's never done that before. Fuck. "Yes. Yoongi's the guy."
"Do you wait until he's finished so you can speak with him?" Jimin asks, ever curious.
You pause. "No," you admit. "No, I've never actually spoken to him."
Jimin doesn't ask why you've been coming back to see a guy you don't know and haven't talked to. He just hums gently. Jimin is pushy but he's also understanding and empathetic and knows what to say, when to press forward and when to hold back. It's one of the reasons you love him so much.
Jimin lapses into silence as Yoongi starts the next piece. It's one you haven't heard before and it's a little fiercer than most of Yoongi's recent songs. Rather than each note sliding into the next, he hammers them out separately, each note a statement that builds into something larger, a provocation. A storm gathering above Yoongi's waters, threatening to pull you in, pull you under.
Behind you, you hear Jungkook and Jimin briefly murmuring to each other, then Jimin's hands slide from off your waist and you hear the sound of him shifting so that Jungkook can sit down, Jimin using his boyfriend's lap as a chair instead. You have to wonder if the barstools can actually support that kind of weight, but Jin doesn't come over to tell them off, so you figure it must be okay.
On stage, Yoongi's hands pause, an uncharacteristic caesura that breaks the flow of the notes he'd been stringing together before he resumes playing as if this hiccup had never occurred. To anyone else, it would sound like that break was meant to be there, but you know better. You know Yoongi had faltered.
No way.
No way?
He's paying attention to you.
(Oh, shit.)
No way.
You're suddenly so overwhelmed that you actually feel nauseous. You've been consumed with thoughts of Yoongi for weeks, had images of him playing you just as easily as he does that piano, thoughts of him laying you out bare beneath him, but the idea that Yoongi actually knows who you are? Is aware of you on some level? Wants your eyes on him?
Fuck. 
It's too much. 
You're already off kilter from Jimin and Jungkook's arrival— as harmless as their appearance was meant to be— and this is the cherry on top. You don't know if you can keep your composure right now and you need to get away from Yoongi before you end up walking onto the stage and pulling him off that stupid piano stool to show him exactly how much you enjoy his music.
"Jimin? Jungkook? How about you say we go to a club and get absolutely shitfaced?"
You haven't looked away from Yoongi in the time that you've said this, but you can just feel the confusion emanating from the men behind you.
"But you—"
"I thought—"
"We're already dressed up, aren't we? Besides, I still owe you for film night, so drinks are on me."
There's little argument from them after that. For the first time since you've been coming here you leave before Yoongi's set is done, slipping out of the bar without noticing Jin's confused gaze on you. 
It's not until much later, once you've drunkenly fallen onto Jimin and Jungkook's couch, that the sober part of your brain whispers to you: you didn't buy Yoongi his drink.
(That night you dream of stormy skies and tattered sails and a capsizing ship. Once you wake, the memory of the dream quickly leaves you, and the last thing you remember is the sight of someone reaching towards you, pulling you out of the water, skin pale and head ringed with blond hair, a halo— and then you forget that too, slipping through your fingers like quicksand.)
Of course you go back to Dionysus the next week. You make Jimin promise that he won't turn up without warning again, and then you make Jungkook promise that he'll at least send you a heads-up message if Jimin changes his mind. Despite both these promises, after the debacle last week with your outfit, you've actually bought new clothes, so at least today you don't feel as scandalous. (You still look hot, though.)
You're grateful when Jin doesn't press you for details or ask why you left early last week. He just greets you like he normally does and predicts your order with his usual aptitude, and as you stir your drink with your straw, you have to wonder at what happened. You're probably overreacting, overthinking things, grasping at nothing; there is not a chance in hell that Min Yoongi, reclusive piano savant, has noticed you. No way. Nuh-uh.
He's probably only aware of your existence because of the repeated drinks you've had Jin foist on him. If anything he's probably annoyed at you after not tipping him with last week— he's probably come to expect them by now and you'd forced him to miss out. Maybe you'll get Jin to give him two drinks this week? Ooh, then again, maybe not. Is two shots of whisky a lot? People drink doubles, don't they. How strong is the wine he likes, anyway?
Yoongi's appearance on stage pulls you out of your thoughts. He makes his way up the steps, towards the piano, scans the room— and then for the first time since you've been coming here to watch him, he stops.
He stops because he's looking at you.
It's only for the briefest moment, eyes resting on you for maybe five seconds, and then you breathlessly watch as his mouth twists into something that can only be described as a smirk, pleased at the sight of you.
Oh, God.
He looks away and sits at the piano like he normally does, but you would swear that his back is a little straighter— something in his posture that reads as cockiness, even. He launches into a song that starts light but then almost immediately dances into something flirtatious, seductive, and tonight whenever Yoongi glances at you, he makes sure that you know. He turns his head just so, looks at you through the curve of his lashes, each touch of those dark eyes against your own sending little shivers through you, punching the breath out of your lungs.
You've always been entranced by Yoongi and tonight is no different. The minutes slide by as easy as water, liquid, music gliding over you like the rising tide, kissing your skin like the ebb and flow of the waves. It feels like he's barely started when his set is over and he's finished, standing up with as little ostentation as always before he vanishes off the stage.
You already have the money counted out before Jin has made his way over. You slide it towards him as he pours the whisky, but rather than asking if you have a message to pass to Yoongi, a look of consternation passes over his face.
"The price has gone up," Jin says, and you blink.
"Oh, that's no problem. How much is it now?" You're reaching for your purse to get more money out when Jin puts the whisky on the bar in front of you.
"No, don't worry, I'll just go out back and get the right change for you," he says. He says it with such confidence that it takes you a beat too long to realise that what he's just said makes no sense— why is he getting you change if you haven't even given him enough money? Isn’t there change in the till?— but by this point he's already gone, the staff door swinging shut behind him. 
You tilt your head, beyond confused.
Someone chuckles from behind you, the sound quiet and low. "Ah, cute."
You twist in your seat to see who's talking and then freeze. Yoongi is standing right there, looking at you with his dark, dark eyes; it's the first time you've been subjected to the full intensity of his gaze, from this close, and your pulse picks up. He looks a little softer without the lights of the small stage throwing him into sharp relief but his aura is just as intense; your eyes dart across each feature of his face as you drink him in— the mess of his fringe hanging into his sharp eyes, the faintest freckle on his nose, his surprisingly cute cheeks, his pink mouth.
The mouth that's curving into a sly little smile, now, your eyes flying back up to meet his own.
"I'm guessing this is for me?" He points at the whisky. He takes it before you can answer, and there's something unfairly erotic about how he drinks it: the way he holds the glass, swirling the whisky over the chilled rocks inside; the way his mouth falls open as the tumbler touches his lips; the way his head tilts back as he lets the liquor flow into his mouth, adam's apple bobbing as he swallows.
You shamelessly watch him the whole time. He lowers the glass from his lips, still a little parted as he takes a breath in, and then he's looking back at you. You have to bite back a noise that's risen up in your throat, unbidden. Does he know how much he affects you? 
You adjust your position on the barstool, thoughtlessly uncrossing and recrossing your legs as you regain your balance. Yoongi's eyes fly down to watch the motion and you're close enough to him that you see how his pupils dilate at the movement. A breath escapes your mouth, a little pant of air that you desperately mask as a cough as you try to calm the racing of your heart, the flood of arousal that's pulsing through you.
"I'm glad you like the whisky," you say, your voice steady despite how your legs feel like they're about to give out. (Thank god you're sitting down.) "I'm sorry to have deprived you of it last week."
Yoongi's shifted so that he's leaning against the bar. He's standing while you're still sitting and you have to tilt your head back to look at him. "You did seem like you were in an awful hurry," he says, a teasing lilt to his tone, and yet his voice is still so low, deeper than you'd imagined.
Despite the levity in his words there's something heavy in his gaze. "Oh?" You can't help but react to it, helpless and unable to resist. "You noticed me leaving?"
Yoongi's eyes sharpen. Hooked. "Of course," he says. "You're the only thing I pay attention to when I'm here. You have been from the first night you walked in."
Your breath catches in your throat. You hadn't expected Yoongi to say something so forthright, to be so direct, more used to coy flirtation from the other people you've met in the past; it's like you've been dipped in cold water, a shock to the system, bracing and invigorating and refreshing.
"Oh," you say, at a loss with how to respond. Yoongi seems pleased to have gotten this reaction out of you, the corners of his lips curving upwards in a self satisfied smile.
"Besides," he adds, "I find it flattering that not only do you come here every week to watch me, you always make sure to make your appreciation known, too." He lifts the glass up and takes another drink, but this time he keeps his eyes locked on yours as he does, gaze unwavering as he finishes his drink. The rocks tumble over themselves as he sets the glass down on the bar, lower lip wet with a drop of whisky that lingers; his tongue sweeps across it and leaves a sheen, catching the light, shining. You can't tear your eyes away from the sight. "It would have been hard to ignore that even if I'd wanted to."
A shiver trickles down your spine. You'd really only ever meant it as a compliment, a quiet way to express your admiration about his craft, and you have to ask— "How long have you been playing the piano?"
This question seems to throw Yoongi off kilter. You see the way his lashes flutter as he blinks with surprise. "For as long as I can remember," he says, and then a small smile appears on his lips. "When I was young I had a toy piano that I constantly used to hammer at, so when I grew up a little, my parents bought the real thing so that I could learn how to play."
He sounds nostalgic and your heart squeezes in your chest. "You're self-taught, right?" You ask, remembering something Jin had told you before. 
Yoongi looks briefly startled. "Yes, I am," he says, and then his eyes narrow. "Did Jin tell you that?"
"Um, yeah." You squirm a little on the barstool. "Sorry, should I not have said anything about it?"
"No, no, you're okay. It's just that Jin says a lot of things, and I'm just wondering what else he said to you." Yoongi's tone is weirdly pained.
The concern is obvious on his face, and you wonder if Jin is to Yoongi what Jimin is to you— well-meaning but maybe a little overwhelming in their approach. 
"All good things, I promise. I love dogs, too." You smile up at Yoongi, who seems a little taken aback, and the smile starts to drop off your face. "Um. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." For all that Yoongi was smirking earlier, he seems a little unsure now. You feel confused, waiting as Yoongi clearly turns some thoughts over in his head, and then he says: "What exactly has Jin told you?"
You smile. You recognise that tone, the nonchalance that hides a little worry— it's exactly how you sound whenever you find out that Jimin has been speaking to someone about you, even if it's always positively. "Oh, just bits and pieces," you say. Feeling bold, you pat the barstool next to you, tilting your head invitingly. "Why don't you tell me about yourself instead so we can see if Jin was lying to me?"
Yoongi looks genuinely startled, his eyes widening imperceptibly before the expression wipes off his face as if nothing had happened. "Why not," he says, as if in equal parts to himself and to you, before he takes a seat.
Here's what you learn about Yoongi: he's intense, yes, and soft spoken, but as you continue to talk, he begins to loosen up, bit by bit. When he laughs he smiles so wide that his eyes squeeze shut and you can see his gums and you're so fucking endeared at the sight. He's sharp and smart and witty and just so, so intriguing. 
You prop your elbow on the bar and rest your cheek in your hand as he talks, wanting to take everything in, and you rapidly realise that Min Yoongi is less of an enigma than you'd thought, but just as complex as you'd expected— and you want to unravel that complexity. If he'll let you.
You've been talking for so long that the bar has started to empty out, patrons trickling away, the two of you so engrossed with each other that you barely notice. You find out that Jin and Yoongi are actually roommates, best friends, and that Jin is as chaotic as you'd expect and is also very good at drawing Yoongi into his shenanigans; you throw your head back to laugh at one of his stories, and when you catch your breath you find Yoongi looking at you, watching you with an expression on his face that makes you pause. He's been watching you intently all night, listening quietly whenever you talk, but this expression, this is new. He swallows.
"Can I ask something?"
You blink. "Sure, go ahead."
"Why did you keep coming back?" Yoongi asks, and that's not a question you'd been expecting at all.
"Uh," you say eloquently. "Well. Honestly? I couldn't stay away, I guess. I'm not really a musician, and I don't know a lot about the piano, but there's something in your music and the way you play— every song makes me feel something different and new, or reminds me of something I haven't felt, places I haven't been to, but I feel like I know somehow. Like I'm nostalgic for something that I haven't experienced, that doesn't exist. It's almost like you're taking my hand and showing me around some hidden part of the world that only you can see— like you've made it into music because that's the only way you can communicate it. How could I not come back after that?" You pause. "Um. Does that make sense? I feel like it didn't. Sorry?"
Yoongi's been watching you as you've been talking, silent, and by the time you've finished his mouth has fallen open a little. He stares at you for a few moments longer, and then he says: "Holy shit." And then he says: "Oh my God." And then he says: "What the fuck."
"… I guess it didn't make sense, then?" Despite the ease of your earlier conversation you suddenly feel awkward, laughing a little as your legs uncross so that you can shuffle to the edge of your barstool. Ready to hop up and make a quick get away if you need to. Run away from the embarrassment. "Um."
"Y/n," Yoongi says, and you realise with a start that you haven't introduced yourself to him throughout your whole conversation— Jin must have told him your name— but then he keeps talking. "I thought you just— I don't know, that you just kept coming back because of me. Not the music. Then Jin kept talking about you and—" 
He makes a frustrated noise at the back of his throat and runs a hand through his hair; you stare at his bared forehead, and it says about how attracted you are to him that the sight of his forehead is enough to set your heart racing. "I thought that maybe if I let this happen just one time that it would be enough, but now I don't think it will."
"Yoongi." You're confused, unsure if you've correctly understood what he's just said. "Let what happen one time? What are you talking about?"
"Touching you," Yoongi says. "Fucking you." His voice is a rasp and the sound of it, the sound of his words, shoots straight through you and into your core. "I thought the drinks were— I don't know, an invitation. But they weren't, were they? You really meant it. You really like my music. And me."
Yoongi's voice is hoarse and you come to the realisation that he feels tense. Like he can accept that you want to have sex with him, but he's bowled over by the idea that you're attracted to the other parts, too, as few of those as you know. That you genuinely enjoy what he plays. That you think it's the most beautiful sound you've ever heard.
"Yoongi," you say, tone deceptively gentle. "I really, really like your music, and I think you're an incredibly talented musician, and I've been memorising everything Jin's been telling me about you because I think you're one of the most interesting people I've ever come across and I'd really like to get to know more about you. So I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to talk to you like this." You gesture between the two of you, sitting as you are, facing towards each other on your barstools. And then you brace yourself to take the leap, to throw yourself into uncharted waters. "However, I am also insanely attracted to you and I've spent the past I-don't-know-how-many weeks picturing you bending me over that piano and fucking me so hard that I can't walk straight."
Yoongi freezes in the middle of rubbing the back of his neck, a clearly nervous habit. Though your voice has kept steady while you've been talking, your heart has been thrumming in your chest the whole time, feeling as nervous as Yoongi looks. Something flickers across his face, and his hand drops away from his neck as he straightens, pushing himself off from where he's been leaning against the bar.
"Oh?" He leans towards you. Your legs unthinkingly part as he moves, the material of your dress hitching up as you spread your knees so that he can get closer. "So you do want me to fuck you?"
His nervousness seems to be entirely gone, emboldened by your words. One of his hands comes up to cup the back of your head, fingers sliding into your hair as he holds you in place, at his mercy. He's barely touched you but the feeling of contact makes you bite back a whimper. Even though it's darker here and you're away from the tables, away from the few remaining patrons of the bar, the two of you are in plain sight even under the dimmed lights; you're not doing anything illicit or inappropriate but a little thrill trickles down your spine at the idea.
"Yoongi," you breathe.
"What is it, babygirl?" He tips his head down as he moves closer, his nose brushing yours, each of his words a warm curl across your lips. "Tell me."
The pet name sends a shiver through you. Your hands rise from your lap, sliding over his chest to touch lightly at his neck, a little shy, a little bold. "I want you to kiss me."
"Oh?" Yoongi's mouth is so close to yours, and when you tilt forward to kiss him, he stays just out of your reach, leaving you wanting. "You think you deserve a kiss, do you?"
You can't help but make a little noise, a petulant whine at the back of your throat. He has you entirely at his mercy and he knows it. "Please," you say. "Please, Yoongi, wanna kiss you so bad."
The smile he gives you in reply is wicked. "How can I say no when you've asked so politely?"
Yoongi finally, finally dips his head down and then he's kissing you with such intensity it steals the breath out of you. It's open-mouthed and wet and dirty, his tongue sliding into your mouth in between taking your top and bottom lips between his own, alternating, sucking on them and lapping at them with his tongue. You chase after his mouth with your own, roll your tongues together, hands sliding over the smooth skin of his throat as they circle behind his neck, but then Yoongi pulls away; you bite that needy whine back again, kiss cut short far sooner than you would have liked.
Yoongi is taking the sight of you in, eyes lingering on your shining lips, and then he's rising to stand. You're shaken out of your kiss-induced haze when he does, a little confused, but he takes your hand in his and you let him lift up, pressing a surprisingly tender kiss to the back of your knuckles.
"Do you want to get out of here?" His voice is pitched low, deep with a promise of pleasure to come, and you shiver.
"God, I thought you'd never ask," you say in a rush, and he just laughs quietly at your obvious desperation.
"Come on, then." He helps you off the barstool, your hand still in his— god, his hands are so big and his touch is so warm. His eyes are dark as he watches the way you reach to rearrange the hem of your dress with your free hand, but he beats you to it, palm flattening the material against your legs; his fingers dance just under the edge as he straightens it, hand sliding over the skin of your inner thigh and lingering before he pulls away.
"You're shameless," you say, a little breathless, and Yoongi just smirks at you. Tease.
Your fingers remain tangled with his as he leads you behind the bar and through the staff door. Jin's out back, scrolling through something on his phone, but as soon as you walk in he abandons whatever he's doing and raises his eyebrows. He looks surprisingly severe. "Customers aren't allowed back here."
Your eyes widen, but then Jin's serious expression cracks and he starts to laugh. Although he's joking and clearly doesn't care, you feel a little guilty at breaking the rules and duck behind Yoongi, shy. Yoongi snorts and holds a middle finger up at the bartender.
Jin gasps theatrically, clutching his chest while looking askance. "I raise you from birth and this is the thanks I get?"
"You're one year older than me, hyung."
"I carry you in my womb for nine months and birth you into this world and you— oh, okay, you technically shouldn't be doing that either," Jin says, stopping mid-sentence as Yoongi decides his hyung has been talking for too long and turns away from him to start kissing you again, shameless as he tugs you close to him and licks into your mouth; you immediately fall back into him, unable to resist. "Jesus Christ, Yoongi."
Once you part, you bury your head into Yoongi's chest as his arms come around you, hiding your embarrassment in Yoongi's dress shirt. "Sorry, Jinnie," you say, muffled.
"You are absolutely not to blame here, Y/n, you are an angel and a sweetheart." Jin's tone is soothing. "Yoongi, however, is a tiny evil gremlin who needs to learn how to control himself. Though I can't blame him, you are very cute."
"Hyung, I need the apartment tonight," Yoongi says without preamble. You wriggle in the circle of his arms. You're not normally this timid but Yoongi is just so direct and blasé with Jin that you can't help but feel a little shy, as hot and bothered as you are.
"I'll crash at Joon's," the bartender says. He’s obviously not surprised. You lift your head from Yoongi's chest to look at Jin and find that he's smiling at you. "If Yoongi starts to bother you, just whap him on the nose. I find a rolled up newspaper works best if you have one to hand."
"I'll kill you, Kim Seokjin," Yoongi says.
Jin just laughs as he waves the two of you off and you take the initiative to start pulling Yoongi towards the back door. He comes easily, but once the door has swung shut behind you he takes the lead again and guides you towards his car. He lets go of your hand so that he can unlock it, swinging the passenger door open for you, and he's unabashed in how he watches you step in and eyes the way your dress hitches up again as you slide into your seat; he leans against the car and just stares at you.
There's honestly nothing sexier when someone clearly wants you as much as you want them. It makes you feel bold, drunk on the way he looks at you. 
You glance up at him through your lashes. "The sooner we get to yours, the sooner you can have me," you say.
Yoongi curses under his breath. "You're going to be the death of me."
Surprisingly enough, though, he keeps his hands to himself when he gets behind the wheel. You can't help but feel a little surprised; you don't know how close Yoongi's home is to the bar, but you very rapidly tire of waiting to feel his hands on you again and so you lean over the centre console and press a fleeting kiss just behind his ear.
Yoongi doesn't outwardly react, continuing to stare at the road, so you take this as a challenge. You slide one of your hands onto his thigh— for balance, of course— and kiss behind his ear again, tug his lobe with your teeth, mindful of his piercings, and then proceed to trail little kisses down his neck and the little slither of his collarbone that you can reach without his shirt getting in the way. You finally get to lick your tongue in the hollow of his neck that you've been thinking about for weeks.
Yoongi's hands tighten on the steering wheel. Jackpot. 
"Y/n," he says, voice low, and you're so close to his throat that you can hear the rumble behind his words. You love it. "You should stop now, or we're not going to make it to my apartment."
You go still. Yoongi continues to look at the road but his knuckles are white with how hard he's gripping the wheel, and when you glance down you can see how much you've affected him, cock hardening in his slacks. It would be so easy to slide your hand up his thigh and finally touch him, have him pull over and wreck you, but you want something more than a quick fumble in the seat of a car. 
So you just press your lips lightly against the line of his jaw one last time. You let yourself breathe in the dark scent of his cologne— pinewood and pepper and something deeper— before you pull back, folding your hands in your lap demurely, trying to force yourself to be content with waiting.
"Good girl," Yoongi says. You can't help but preen; you don't normally respond to praise like this, but something about Yoongi just makes you want to please him, hear him compliment you again. Yoongi glances at you, a little flicker of realisation as he sees how you've just reacted to his words, and his eyes darken. "You like that, baby? Like being a good girl for me?"
Fuck. "Yes." Your pulse is rising. You've been craving Yoongi for weeks, but god, if he asked you to go home right now, sent you home without touching you, you'd go, just to hear him call you a good girl again. But you don't want him to leave you untouched, you don't want that at all. "I want you to touch me, Yoongi," you say. "I'll be a good girl, please just touch me."
"Fuck." Yoongi's foot presses down on the accelerator. He's never wanted to live closer to the bar before, but the sight of you staring at him from his passenger seat and rubbing your thighs together in a desperate attempt to give yourself some relief is making him rethink his housing location. "I will, baby. We'll be there soon."
Soon turns out to be less than five minutes, scarcely any time at all, though each second is torturous in how long it feels. Yoongi's careless in how he parks the car, wonky within the lines of his spot, but neither of you notice or care. You fumble with the buckle of your belt, climbing out of the car as quickly as you can and slamming the door shut with more power than you probably need to, noise loud in the quiet of the night.
Before you can react, however, Yoongi is rounding the car and grabbing you, pressing you against the metal and glass of the door. One of his hands slips under your thigh, lifting your leg and shoving the hem of your dress out of the way so that he can grind against you; you gasp at the feeling of his growing hardness against the dampness of your underwear, and Yoongi leans forward to swallow the sound into his mouth. 
The kiss is rushed and desperate, but you love the messiness of it. Yoongi pulls away to press his lips against the side of your mouth, your cheek, your jaw, your neck, mouthing at the jumping pulse he finds there. You start to make small ah-ah noises when he laves his tongue over it, one of your hands tangling in his hair as you tilt your head back, each of his touches fizzing like electricity on your skin.
"P-people could see," you stutter, struggling to catch your breath with how good his mouth feels on you.
Yoongi smirks against your skin. "I thought you wanted me to touch you," he says, but immediately relents, pulling away from you so he can lead you into the building. You miss the heat of his body against yours but he keeps hold of your hand as you follow him; it's late and the building seems quiet, so you're mindful of just how loud your high heels sound as they clack on the floor, though Yoongi doesn't seem to care.
When you step into the apartment you reach down for the straps on your shoes so you can kick them off but Yoongi stops you with a hand to your shoulder. It's a light touch but you stop immediately, glancing up from your feet to his face.
"Let me," he says, and a hot trickle of arousal runs down your spine at the tone of his voice. 
You straighten up and watch as Yoongi gets down on one knee, hands circling around your ankle and lifting your foot. You rest the toe of your shoe lightly on Yoongi's knee, watching as he undoes the strap around your ankle and slides the shoe off, setting it to one side, before he presses his lips to the inside of your knee. You shiver at the light touch and Yoongi smirks, letting your ankle go so you can move and he can take your other shoe off, too.
He barely takes his eyes off your face the whole time, only glancing down when he has to. His motions are slow and unhurried despite his earlier rush, carefully setting the second shoe next to the first, and you can't help but feel like he's teasing you— drawing out your reactions just because he can. Before you can say anything about it, though, his hands trail up from your calves to your thigh before he hitches your leg over his shoulder, one hand staying on your thigh as the other grips at your hip.
You bite back a gasp. From his angle Yoongi can see everything and he's looking up with hooded eyes, staring at the dark patch on your underwear, wet for him; his gaze trails across the lace of the lingerie you're wearing, the small colourful flowers blooming across the dark material. It was something you'd put on to complete your outfit, the matching panties and bra making you feel expensive and pretty— even if you hadn't expected anyone to see it.
"Look at you," he says, hand lowering from your hip to trace lightly across your slit; it's a barely-there touch, sensation dulled by the material in the way, but you still jolt at the feeling of it. "Did you wear this for me?"
"Of course," you confess. You've wanted his eyes on you for so long. "Always dress up pretty for you."
"Fuck." He sounds reverent. "You've always been such a good girl for me, haven't you?"
A needy noise rises unbidden at the back of your throat when Yoongi spreads your leg wider and leans forward to mouth at you through the lace of your panties. Your knees go weak and you have to lean back against the wall for balance, grateful at how close you are to it when Yoongi draws his tongue upwards, wetting the fabric, your toes curling.
"Yoongi." One of your hands is resting in his hair and you can't stop your grip from tightening. "Yoongi, please."
He gives you what you want, fingers hooking into your underwear and pulling it down; he lets your leg drop so that you can step out of them, but as soon as you've finished he throws the panties to one side, one hand splaying across your stomach as the other lifts your leg again so that you’re spread open for him, immediately pressing his mouth to your clit.
"Oh!" You gasp. Yoongi seems to have tired of his teasing and is eating you out like a man starved, the slick sound of his tongue and lips filling the apartment as he laves attention on your dripping pussy, staring up at you as he drinks your reactions in. He dips his tongue into you and your hips try to buck forwards but the hand on your stomach holds you in place, firm, and you let out an embarrassingly loud keen at how good it feels to be this powerless.
You slap your free hand across your mouth and try to swallow the noise down. Yoongi frowns and stops, leaning his head back as he looks at you; his mouth is shining with evidence of your arousal, opalescent. "I want to hear you."
You bite your lip, forcing your hand away from your mouth; you don't want to be too loud, too noisy, but you want to be a good girl for Yoongi. He wants to hear you so you'll give him what he wants.
"O-okay," you breathe, and Yoongi smirks up at you; it's filthy, how he's looking at you like that while his lips are wet with you. You tilt your hips towards him, desperate to have his mouth on you again, and he immediately complies.
He's lapping at your clit when the hand on your stomach moves and slides down. You watch as he takes his tongue off you so that he can curl it around his fingers instead, before running those fingers across your lower lips to gather the slick there, wetting them even further. You roll your hips into the sensation, loving the press of his slightly rough fingers against your silken folds, wanting more, eyes wide as you watch how Yoongi's hand trails between your legs.
He puts his mouth back on your clit at the same time as he presses one of those spit slick fingers into you. You're so turned on that the initial slide in is easy, but he still takes his time; he's distracting you with the way he's sucking at your small bundle of nerves but you still feel when he presses his second finger in, longer than yours, the sensation of it even better than you'd dreamed.
He crooks his fingers and you throw your head back against the wall, dull thud barely registering over the sensation of Yoongi inside you. He sees how you react and continues to move his fingers in the same way, thrusting his fingers in and curling them as he pulls out, watching as you writhe; the pleasure inside you has been growing, the feeling building, and if Yoongi keeps doing that then you're going to cum. "I'm close," you gasp.
Yoongi responds to this by pushing a third finger inside you, rubbing his fingertips directly over your sweet spot. The stretch burns, just a little, but God, you love it. He purses his lips over your clit and flicks his tongue over it at the same time as he curls his fingers again and it undoes you; your spine arches away from the wall as you cum, ripples of pleasure sparking through your body as you tighten around Yoongi's fingers, sobbing almost deliriously at how good it feels.
Yoongi watches you the whole time, keeps his mouth on you as you ride out your high. He only moves away when you start to jolt from oversensitivity, pulling his fingers out carefully as he does. You feel empty without them inside you and you can't wait for him to fill you up with something better instead.
Yoongi holds you steady, his grip firm as you slip your leg from his shoulder and shakily push yourself off the wall. Once you've gotten your balance he stands up— his knees must hurt but he doesn't complain, too busy watching you lift his fingers to your lips, sucking them into your mouth so you can lick the taste of yourself off him.
"Jesus Christ." Yoongi stares at the way you flick your tongue across his skin, glancing at him coquettishly through your lashes. You reach out for him, hands moving towards his belt, but he shakes his head. "Bedroom," he says.
Of course you follow him. At any other time you'd be taking in the details of the apartment, the glimpses you get into the other rooms, but you're too busy looking at Yoongi to have a mind for anything else. He's been hard for so long by now that it must be driving him crazy and you want to give him what he wants. What he needs.
He swings a door open and flicks a light on. Yoongi's room is what you'd expected: neat and organised, with dark furnishings, the only mess being a few scrunched up balls of paper that have overflowed the trash-bin by his desk, which has a pile of notepads next to his laptop and a set up of musical equipment that looks far too complex for you to make heads or tails of. 
You forget about this instantly, however, when Yoongi captures your lips in another kiss, a hand splaying across your jaw so that he can control the pace, crowding you towards the bed until the back of your knees make contact with it and you fall onto the mattress. Yoongi cages you in with his arms and keeps kissing you, though when you palm him through his slacks he hisses through his teeth.
"Want you, Yoongi." You use your hand to stroke over the hardness of him as you nip at his lower lip. "Please."
"Fuck, of course, babygirl." Yoongi leans back and you move with him, sitting up as he stands straight. He unbuttons his shirt and you help him slide it off his shoulders, using it as an excuse to run your hands over the pale skin he reveals to you, sliding your palms down his chest and over his stomach; you dip your head to kiss where your hands have traced, letting your tongue flick across his skin. You lick shamelessly at one of his nipples and feel drunk on the way he lets out a surprised little breath, turning your head to do the same to his other nipple as your hands finally reach their goal: his belt.
You deftly unbuckle it, fast enough that the leather makes a snapping noise when you pull it, and Yoongi bites back a laugh— under normal circumstances you might be embarrassed by how obvious you're being, but you're desperate to finally touch him, especially after he'd made you cum as hard as he had. You look up at him as you reach for his zipper but falter when you notice that he's staring at you with something akin to awe, lifting your lips off his skin.
"What?" You ask, suddenly feeling shy.
Yoongi doesn't respond verbally. Instead, he quirks a little grin at you before he cups your face with both hands and bends down to kiss you again, deeper and slower than he has before. You match his pace, the two of you tilting your heads to get a little closer, but when you continue to pull Yoongi's zip down he laughs against your lips and you smile. He gets the hint, stepping back so he has room to kick his trousers and underwear off; he's not trying to be sensual about it, moving fast so he can get close to you again, but you're enraptured nonetheless.
You swallow at the sight of his cock when it’s finally freed. It's flushed red from neglect, fully hardened, curving up towards his stomach, and you can see how the head glistens with precum, slick and wet. Saliva floods your mouth. Yoongi looks briefly startled when you put your hands against his hips and lightly push him backwards, but then you slide off the bed and onto your knees in front of him and the shock immediately disappears from his face, tangling a hand in your hair as you settle in place.
He's so hard that you don't feel like teasing him. Instead, you take the precum that's gathered at the tip of his cock and rub it down his length, hand wrapping around and twisting as you dip forwards and take the flushed head into your mouth. You can't swallow him all the way down, thanks to your gag reflex, but you give it a damn good go— you relax your throat as much as you can as you lower your head, using your hand to touch the parts of his cock that aren't in your mouth. You tongue at the vein on the underside as you lift back up, using your free hand to cup his balls, and Yoongi curses, his hand tightening in your hair as he pulls you off.
You blink up at him in surprise, mouth still open after he's slid out of your mouth— you feel like you'd barely started— and you can see how his cock twitches as he drinks the sight of you in.
"That mouth of yours is downright sinful," he says, running his thumb over your lower lip. You go lax under his touch, which seems to please him. "As much as I'd like to cum down your throat, I think you want something else instead, don't you, babygirl?"
Your breath shudders out of you and you nod. You want Yoongi's cock inside you, itching for him to finally fuck you stupid, the way you've been yearning for so long. "God, yes, please."
Yoongi's lips twitch at your shameless desperation. "Stand up then, baby," he says, and you comply. "Turn around."
You turn towards the bed to show Yoongi your back, and he slowly unzips your dress; it slides off your shoulders easily, slipping down your body and pooling on the floor as Yoongi drags his hands over the revealed skin. You tremble under his touch, sensitive to each of his motions as he unclasps your bra, and finally you're entirely unclothed, lingerie carelessly tossed to one side before Yoongi pulls you close.
Your back is pressed to his chest, and you can feel the heat and hardness of his cock pressing against you, but you forget about that when his hands move to cup your breasts, rubbing his thumbs over your nipples. You tilt your head back against his shoulder and he takes the opportunity to kiss down your neck, using his tongue to lick down the bared length of it, and your breath hitches in your throat as he pinches one of your nipples between his fingers, the perfect mix of careful roughness.
"You're so fucking gorgeous," Yoongi breathes into the crook of your neck. You whimper and grind back against him, feeling the wetness of his cock as it slips against your skin, and he bites back a groan.
"Yoongi, I need you," you say, so close to finally getting what you've been craving for so long. "Please," you add, voice high with desperation.
You feel how Yoongi bares his teeth against your skin in a silent snarl before he's turning you around in his arms, and you squeal in surprise as he hitches you upwards onto the bed, your head falling onto the pillows. It wasn't a rough motion, Yoongi still careful even when he's clearly as hungry for you as you are for him, but you find yourself whimpering at how he's manhandled you, loving it. Seems like he's helping you discover things about yourself that you hadn't realised before now.
Yoongi settles between your legs, staring down at you, bare and helpless underneath him. You reach out your hand to touch his chest, sweeping your fingers down the line of his stomach and over the trail of dark hair that leads down to his weeping cock, still shining with your spit. He curses, leaning over you to paw at his nightstand drawer; he fumbles with the lube and condom when you wrap your fingers around his length again, stroking him hard and slow.
"Yoongi, please," you say again, practically begging, wanting him inside you as quickly as possible. He curses under his breath again but then wraps his fingers around yours, pulling your hand off his cock. You pout at him. "I've been a good girl, haven't I?"
"Good girls are patient." Yoongi leans back on his heels and you make a small whining noise, but you quieten when you watch him rip open the condom packet; you reach forward again to help him roll it down his cock, wanting to keep the feeling of his hardness and heat under your touch, but he fixes you with a stern gaze. "Hands."
You pause, wondering exactly what he means. You settle on pulling your hands away and stretch up to let them rest on the pillow above you. You must have done the right thing because Yoongi smiles, and you give a squirm of delight. He shifts closer and hooks one of your legs over his shoulder, turning his head to kiss your inner ankle.
"So perfect," he says, and you squirm again, pleased. He reaches for the bottle of lube and uncaps it with a quiet click, drizzling it directly onto his cock and biting back a noise at the coldness of it— but then he squirts more into his hands, warming it between his fingers. You make a small questioning sound, and Yoongi smiles before kissing your ankle again. "This is for you, baby."
Your eyebrows raise in quiet surprise. You're already so wet, dripping with a mix of your own cum and Yoongi's lingering spit, but he's still being this careful and considerate. He dips his slick fingers between your flushed lips and draws them upwards, making you arch your back as he grazes over your pearl of nerves, pleasure shooting directly into your core. 
"Oh, fuck," you gasp. "God, please, Yoongi, please."
"I've got you, babygirl," he murmurs, and you marvel at his self control, his restraint even now. He grips your leg with one hand and uses the other to guide himself into you. Finally. You moan as he sinks in, stretching you, slowly pushing in inch by inch; you can feel the way your walls stretch, parting for him, until he's bottomed out, and you feel so full.
"Holy shit, Yoongi." You've moved your hands and you're digging your nails into his back, trying to pull him closer even though it's not possible, Yoongi's cock so long that you can feel it filling you completely. "Oh, God."
Yoongi's fringe is hanging in his eyes but you can see how his pupils have almost swallowed the dark of his irises, the way he's drinking in the sight of you beneath him— your pupils are blown too, hair a messy halo against the pillows, nipples hard from arousal, chest heaving as you hiccup in air. He pulls out, just as slowly as he'd pushed in, the drag of his cock against your inner walls sending electricity shooting through your nerves; he stops before he's completely out, only the head of him still inside you, and you bite your lip in anticipation, waiting for the next slow thrust in.
You're completely blindsided when Yoongi snaps his hips forward suddenly, fucking sharply into you, and you choke on a surprised breath. He sets a brutal pace, the sound of his skin slapping against yours almost drowned out by the way you wail. Your hands fall away from his back and to the sheets, fingers gripping at them, twisting under your hands. His brows are drawn together with focus, but when you raise a hand up to touch his face he goes easily, letting your leg slip off his shoulder so he can kiss you.
His motions slow somewhat as you kiss each other, but he keeps the roll of his hips just as deep, and you end up all but panting against his mouth instead of kissing him; he swipes his tongue across your lips and you let them fall open so he can lick into your mouth, sloppy and wet. You can feel an orgasm building again, surprisingly fast— especially as he's not even touching your clit— and you clench around him, wanting to hit that peak again.
Yoongi stops kissing you to rest his forehead against yours, staring into your eyes as he slows his thrusts, grinding into you each time he pushes all the way in, hips flush with yours. "Such a good girl." His voice is a low rasp, dark and heavy. "So pretty for me."
Yes, yes, yes. "Wanna be your good girl," you breathe. "Make you feel as good as you make me feel."
Yoongi actually growls, wrapping his hands around your waist and pulling you up. You grab his shoulders for support, legs spreading so that your knees hit the mattress, his cock still inside you as you look down at him, both of you kneeling now. Your breasts are pressed against his chest, stomachs flush, and Yoongi grinds up into you. His hands slide from your waist, to your ass, fingers digging into your flesh as he pulls you up; the change of angle has the curve of his cock dragging right across your sweet spot and you gasp. "Oh, yes, there, just like that."
You press down as Yoongi's hips snap up, and you can feel how his motions are starting to get a little jerkier, staccato, the way he speeds up. With the drag of your nipples against his chest, and the way he's hitting your g-spot dead on each time, you're close to hitting your peak, pleasure riding up into a crescendo— and then Yoongi slides one of his hands between the two of you to rub at your clit and you're gone again, gasping and shaking as your orgasm hits you like a tidal wave, all the air escaping your lungs in a drawn out, shuddering wail.
"Fuck, baby." Yoongi's motions grow a little more hurried and sloppy, thrusting up into you as your walls pulsate around him. You try to match his pace, drinking down the way his face twists as he chases his own release— and then his grip on you grows tight enough to bruise and he cums with a surprisingly quiet moan. He grinds upwards, his cock twitching inside you as he empties himself into the condom; you shiver at the sensation, squeezing your legs around his hips in an instinctive attempt to draw him as deeply into you as possible, as futile as that is.
Your legs are shaking. You remain tangled around each other, sweaty and panting, but then Yoongi is grasping your chin and tilting your head down so that he can kiss you. It's soft, and gentle, and you melt into it, going lax and boneless in his hold as you tighten your hands in his hair. 
You feel how he smiles tiredly against your lips, and when you pull back, he looks thoroughly fucked out; his hair is a mess from how you've been running your hands through it and lips are kiss swollen, parted so that he can suck air in and try to catch his breath. You must look similarly wrecked. You feel hazy, though Yoongi feels solid beneath you, grounding you as you slowly come back to yourself.
"I'm going to lean you back, beautiful," he says, and you entwine your fingers together behind his neck so that he can tilt you onto the mattress, careful and reverent. He slips his softening cock out of you and you let out a small sigh at the sudden feeling of emptiness, though as soon as he's done tying the condom off and throwing it in the bin he comes back to you, lightly kissing you as he draws a hand gently between the valley of your breasts. Despite the tenderness behind the motion you're suddenly struck with wondering if he's about to ask you to leave, but then he asks: "Do you want to come wash up?"
You pause. "Oh, God, my makeup," you say with sudden realisation as your fingers come up to touch under your eyes. Your eyeshadow and mascara must be a mess by now. You splay your hand across your face, as if trying to hide it— which you know is stupid, especially considering the fact the rest of your body is naked under Yoongi's gaze. He huffs out a laugh and takes your hands with his own, pulling them away. "Nooo," you whine. "Don't look at me."
One of Yoongi's eyebrows rises. "Why would I ever want to look away from you?"
You wriggle. "Yoongi," you whine again, equal parts pleased and embarrassed, but you let your hands go limp and Yoongi pulls you to your feet. "You're shameless."
"And you're gorgeous," he says, simply. "Come on, you'll get cold."
Yoongi lets you clean up first. It's weird how comfortable you are as you navigate your way around Yoongi and Jin's bathroom— you pilfer one of Jin's makeup wipes to clean your face— and how natural it feels to accept the shirt Yoongi gives you, an oversized, stretched-out old thing that's gone soft from years of wear. You're perched on the bathroom counter as you slide it on, glancing down at the design on the front, and you instantly perk up when you see what it is.
"You do love Kumamon," you say with delight. 
Yoongi stops in the middle of brushing his teeth, looking a little ridiculous with the minty froth around his lips but still just as kissable. He rinses his mouth and spits, wiping his lips with a towel before he makes a face at you.
"Jin told you about that, too?"
"I want to see your slippers," you say in reply and Yoongi groans. You can't help but giggle, feeling sleepy and soft and affectionate, and you touch your fingers under Yoongi's chin so that you can press a quick kiss to his lips. "I think it's cute."
By the time you've both finished your ablutions and you slide off the counter, you feel tired, what little energy you had after being fucked by Yoongi completely gone from you; you slide onto Yoongi's bed gratefully, glad to be off your feet. You hold your hands up and beckon for him to join you, but then let out a sharp laugh of surprise when he tugs his rumpled blanket off the bed from underneath you and lets it drop to the floor. "Yoongi!"
"I'll be right back," he says. While you wait, you decide to stretch, eyes slipping shut as you extend your limbs. You know you'll feel the ache between your legs tomorrow, a little thrill skating through you at the knowledge that Yoongi's touch has left a physical reminder, something only you can feel and no one else can see.
When your eyes flutter open again, you see Yoongi standing at the bottom of the bed, a different blanket gathered in his arms. He's staring at you, and you realise that the material of his shirt has moved as you've stretched, hitching up over your hips. Even though you're both tired, Yoongi's eyes still darken when you shift your legs, and you bask under his attention.
"A different blanket?" You ask, curious, and Yoongi's eyes slide away from your still-bare core back up to your face.
"It's Jin's," he says. "I wasn't about to let you sleep on sweaty sex sheets."
"I don't mind," you say, honestly, but Yoongi proceeds to lay Jin's blanket across the bed anyway. "Jin's not going to be happy about this," you add, but you say it with a laugh, instantly curling up into Yoongi when he lays down beside you.
"He'll live." Yoongi's arm comes around you, fingers trailing over your shoulder; you lapse into silence and let your eyes shut, focusing on Yoongi's movements. It feels like he’s pressing piano keys down and playing a silent song against your skin. You can't help but smile, starting to drift off, when Yoongi speaks again. "Let me take you out for breakfast."
"Hm?" Your eyes open and you blink away your sleepiness to look up at Yoongi, who's still watching you. "Breakfast?"
"Yes." Yoongi's fingers still on your shoulder, and then he slides his hand down to tangle your fingers with his. "Or lunch. Or dinner. Whichever you prefer." He pauses. "Unless you don't want to," he says, and though his voice stays steady, you see a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. He's worried that you've gotten what you want and now you'll be done with him.
"You're so silly," you say softly, and you can see how Yoongi's face twists with confusion, unsure about how to react to being called silly— you can't imagine many people have said that to him, as outwardly intimidating as he can be. You squeeze his hand. "Of course I want to. But how about we plan it tomorrow? I don't know how long it's going to take me to be comfortable with walking in a straight line, so breakfast might be off the cards for now."
After a moment, Yoongi's face takes on a satisfied expression. "That's what you said you wanted," he says, and you huff out an amused breath.
"I technically said I wanted you to bend me over a piano, actually," you point out, letting your head settle in the crook of his neck again, and Yoongi brushes his lips against your forehead.
"There's a piano in the living room," he states casually, and you can't help the shiver that runs through you, even as your eyes start to fall shut again.
"I'll keep that in mind."
jiminnie y/n!! tae said you called in sick for work? are you okay??
you i'm good! just a lil busy
jiminnie with what?
you [image attached]
jiminnie … why have you sent me a photo of a piano?
you yoongi's gonna fuck me on it omg on that note i've gtg BYE LOVE YOU MINNIE xoxoxo
jiminnie WHAT??? OMG??? GET THAT DICK QUEEN!!!
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obeiii-mee · 4 years
Note
Hi there! Im back, tysm for doing my HC ;;/ it was super cute, i really liked Mammons and Satans!! If you dont mind if i ask for another? Hdjsks Recently, i slipped while walking home with some pals and scrapped my knee. It wasnt too bad, but it sure looked bad lmao If you can could you do HCs for the boys reacting to MC slipping and scrapping there knee while walking w them? Im sure Mammon would have a heart attack hfjd Tysm!! Keep up the good work♡
Thank you so much! I hope your knee gets better and that it wasn’t too painful! The brothers would all be panicking in their own way but I agree, Mammon would faint or something lmao.
Hope this was OK.
————————————
The Brothers with an MC who fell and scraped their knee:
Lucifer:
-It was a miracle you managed to convince him to come out on a walk with you at all
-The man doesn’t know when to take a break from his work
-He’s more likely to accept if it’s you asking tho, he has an obvious soft spot for you
-The others call him a suck up behind his back because of it
-You were so happy that you managed to pry Lucifer away from his desk, you were basically skipping alongside him
-Long story short, you tripped over your own two feet and fell
-Luckily, your knees and palms were the only things that got a bit scruffy
-Well, actually your right knee looked as if someone tried removing your entire knee cap with a scalpel, skin and all but adrenaline was kicking in and you couldn’t feel much
-You’ve never seen Lucifer freeze the way he did then
-His mind just drew a blank
-You were about to shrug it off and call it a day, get up and continue your walk but daddy Lucifer can’t have that
-He has six younger brothers (and a younger sister at some point) he is pretty experienced when it comes to treating injuries
-You aren’t walking for the rest of the day, let me make this clear
-He will carry you back to the House of Lamentation no matter how much you protest
-In case it wasn’t obvious already, Lucifer gives off massive dad vibes and now he’s bandaging your leg while you’re laying down on his bed
-While the rest of the brothers watch the two of you from behind the door frame because they are all equally worried
-Get ready for the three hour lecture coming your way
-He’s pissed and amused at the same time tbh
-Silly human, falling over like that and hurting themselves
-Lord Diavolo forbid you try to get out of that bed, he will drag you back and make sure you stay there until your knee is better (kinky)
Mammon:
-He was on his merry way to the casino to blow off all of Lucifer’s money and you tagged along solely for the purpose of making sure he didn’t spend all of Lucifer’s money
-You’d both be done for if he did
-But I guess fate really had it out for you on that day since your foot slipped on....something and you tripped
-Both of your knees looked bloody and damaged as hell but you were more irritated than anything
-Mammon on the other hand did a fucking double take and almost passed out
-He screeched his lungs out
-One look at your injured knees and he was ready to drag you all the way to the human realm on foot to find you a doctor
-“MC ARE YOU OK WHY THE FUCK IS THERE SO MUCH BLOO-HOLY SHIT STAY STILL DON’T MOVE! THE GREAT MAMMON WILL FIX THIS...SOMEHOW.”
-It was very dramatic, he cried
-You stood up to prove that you were alright because you thought he was going to have a seizure soon enough
-OK, that helped him calm down a little
-At least now he knew your legs weren’t about to get torn off and you weren’t on the verge of death
-Fuck the casino, you were going home
-Like Lucifer, don’t expect you will walk home by yourself
-He will carry you, a bit embarrassed by his initial freak out but still eyeing your wound, concerned
-As soon as you get home and the other brothers help you out because he’s shit at bandaging, he just sits in his own pool of misery and guilt
-Your poor knees wouldn’t be so jacked up if you hadn’t come along with him today
-He was so determined to make it up to you, he stayed by your bedside like a loyal puppy with a wagging tail (flashback to the animal event)
-Overall, he almost went into cardiac arrest and was too panicked to realise you were fine
-You thought he was smothering and overprotective before? Good luck for the rest of the week
Levi:
-“See, this is why I don’t like going out. There’s always some normie laying on the groun- OH MY LORD DIAVOLO, MC IS THAT YOU?? ARE YOU OK?”
-HIS HENRY ALMOST DIED ON THE NEWLY POLISHED FLOOR OF AN ANIME CONVENTION, HE HAS VERY MIXED EMOTIONS
-You fell knees first and hurt them quiet badly but you could stand, even if the pain made you twitch a little
-This confused Levi because you looked fine even though your knees certainly didn’t
-You told him you felt alright and it wasn’t that big of a deal and he absolutely rolled with it
-But you guys still went home after that
-He said it was because you bled all over your cosplay but that’s just him being a tsundere
-Levi is usually very shy when it comes to physical contact but he firmly insisted that he help you walk home
-I mean, he knows you said you were feeling OK and maybe humans just have a lot of tolerance for injuries like that
-But he still felt it was necessary that he took you home and checked out your injuries
-He kept the mood light while disinfecting you’re wound with some help from Satan by talking about how the convention went
-High low-key relieved seeing you walk around like normal two minutes after that
-He started bitching to you about how you made him miss his the event but he didn’t mean any of it
-“Stupid normie, making me miss my favourite Ruri-chan event. You’re lucky I love you and think you’re cute....did I just say that out loud??”
Satan:
-Oh dear, why would you go out for a walk in the middle of a rainstorm? What were you thinking?
-Actually, it was Satan’s idea
-He may be a demon and the prince of Wrath no less, but he is such a sappy, cheesy bastard at times
-He definitely thinks that walking and kissing in the rain is very romantic (bet he read something like that in an erotica)
-You know what’s not romantic blondie? Slipping on a very small puddle and potentially fracturing your leg
-It was just a scraped knee but you were frustrated enough to be extra
-He’s helping you up before you even have the chance to realise you fell in the first place
-Your knee was looking pretty bad so you guys went home just to avoid any further casualties
-He’s actually chuckling all the way back while you playfully glare at him because how dare he laugh at your misery?
-Date night was ruined but at least he got to take care of you
-He knew your knee must have hurt and he felt bad but he couldn’t help but giggle a bit to himself because your fall was so comical
-Ah but he does enjoy fussing over you for the rest of the night a bit too much
Asmo:
-You thought Mammon was melodramatic?
-Take a look at this fucking guy
-He actually screeches even louder than his brother and probably falls to his knees too (but not really because those pants were expensive)
-His screams definitely got the attention of at least 10 random passerbyers
-He’s actually on the verge of crying
-I mean, can you blame him?? Look at your beautiful knees!! They were ruined
-He felt so bad for you, he actually babied the hell out of you that day
-“Asmo, it’s fine. It’s just a scrap.”
-“A SCRAP, MC IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR KNEE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF YOUR POOR SKIN-“
-It was just a scrap but Asmo’s secret talent is being extra as fuck
-He totally spilled all the tea to the rest of the brothers when he got home
-And then he ushered you into his room
-Funnily enough, he’s pretty good with injuries. Not as much as Satan and Lucifer but still
-He pampered you for the next few hours but that image of your skin being all grazed like that will forever haunt him
-How can you not be so bothered by it?? He’d die if he was in your place
-I love Asmo just because of how dramatic he is
Beel:
-Your shoelaces were undone and of course that meant a fun little trip to the floor of Hell’s Kitchen
-Beel didn’t notice you fell at first, he was concentrating on his food and assumed you were next to him
-But then he realised that you weren’t and for a moment he thought you disappeared or something
-Before he turned to find you laying on the floor, curled up because life was pain and you were suffering
-“Are you OK? Or are you just tired? Belphie does that a lot when he’s tired.” Or depressed one might say
-But for real, he’s good at identifying serious wounds and less serious wounds since he’s an athlete
-He can tell your knees were bleeding way more than they should have from just a simple scrap
-He slinged you over his shoulder and carried you, calmly, back home, with a burger still in his hand
-He’s actually really collective and talked to you while cleaning up your injury to take your mind off the pain
-He knows humans are a little more fragile than demons so even though he knows it’s not a big deal, he can’t help but worry
-It’s kinda hard falling around him tho because chances are, he will actually catch you even if he happens to hold something
-He’s sad if you’re sad so please don’t cry he will bandage your scraped knee do you want the last bit of his burger to make you feel better?
-Comfort hugs afterwards!
-Which is awesome because Beel gives out best hugs :)
Belphie:
-Ah yes, another beautiful day at RAD
-Walking alongside with your grumpy and sleepy boyfriend when a random demon bumps into you
-Wel not bumps, more like shoves you so hard you fall down and tear the fabric of your pants
-While the dude shrugs it off and speeds away
-You were a bit pissed off because rude
-But Belphie was fucking fuming
-He felt so offended on your part
-I mean, the nerve of him
-He was tired as shit but he wanted to chase after him and throw hands, possibly fill his pillow with rocks and hit him over the head with it
-He forced himself to focus on you first before hunting the moron down
-He was a bit concerned when he didn’t see you come back up after you fell
-Turns out, you scraped your knee pretty horribly and now you were bleeding all over the floor
-He’s even more quiet than usual as he helps you up and half carries you to your next class
-He starts taking care of your knee in the middle of DevilDom history he doesn’t give a flying fuck
-He’s still furious by the time he gets home and most of his brothers know to leave him be when he makes that scary ass face
-No talk to him
-He angy
-“Does your knee still hurt?”
-“A bit but it’s not-“
-“Come nap with me.”
-“Why?”
-“Naps shall cure your pain.”
-“...”
-“Nah but for real come take a nap with me.”
-Next day at school, the dude from yesterday walks by him and Belphie smashes his head against the wall
-Before walking away as if nothing happened
-I stan protective Belphie
These HCs are really bad but I love them anyway
Al~
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butterflydm · 2 years
Text
starting my re-read of the great hunt (prologue-chap 8)
Some thoughts on the book and potential adaption changes (no spoilers past book 2 except for a line that I THINK is from book 2 but I’m not certain, but it’s just backstory stuff anyway, but I do talk about later stuff in book 2):
1. Okay, already introducing Siuan and all things Aes Sedai politics plus having Padan Fain make off with the horn & dagger in S1 completely cuts out at least the first hundred to hundred-and-fifty pages of the book right off the bat (excepting the Darkfriend social, of course. Man, I’d love to see a version of that in the show; not sure how likely it is). They will still need to introduce Verin, but Alanna’s already been covered as well, and in a lot more detail than she was given here. And Rand already knows he’s the Dragon, so he doesn’t need Siuan to tell him (though that IS a fantastic scene) and Min already told him about the Blood Snow as well. We’re probably going to lose most of the Fal Dara stuff tbh, maybe all of it, since they could easily start in media res with Perrin already hunting for the Horn with Ingtar, Masema, & Uno, and with E&N on the way to the White Tower or there already.
But it’s interesting to think about how the knowledge of Rand being the Dragon in the show could impact the characterization of the other characters. Where I am with my re-read, Egwene and Nynaeve know that he can channel but Mat and Perrin don’t even know that much yet (do they find out at Falme? I will keep rereading and find out!), and Rand is the only one of the five who knows that the Dragon Reborn is a consideration that’s on the table at all. In the show, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve have all had time to think about the possibility of one of them being the Dragon, which comes along with the assumption that said Dragon will be able to channel.
2. Not sad to be losing Moiraine stealing all Rand’s clothes. Moiraine 100% got a glow-up in the show. She’s still very political and a good player of The Game, but she’s not STEALING people’s CLOTHES. Like, just explain to him that you’re worried his old clothes can be traced by the Dark One’s forces! Or have Lan do it, if you’re worried he won’t listen to you. Rand absolutely would listen to Lan and you know it (of course, this is also the period when Moiraine and Lan start the process of pulling away from each other, so there’s that).
3. I imagine Rand letting everyone think he’s dead is going to be doing the work that him actively trying to push people away did at the start of TGH. Also this from Mat when he’s hurt and pushing back against Rand telling them he doesn’t want to travel with them: “If that is how you want it,” he said coldly. “I thought we were... However you want it, al’Thor.”  I mean, he was going to say friends, presumably, but those ellipses are haunting me this February day.
4. “He had grown up thinking he would marry Egwene one day; they both had.” Revisionist history! In EotW, he mentions feelings of confusion around Egwene, that she has been “making him increasingly jittery” for the “past year” and that “she did not even seem to be aware of it”. He’s obviously been getting a crush on her and his father thinks it’s sweet and his friends are teasing him about it, but there’s no mention of them having a future marriage agreement of any kind or even thoughts in that direction. And then, in their first actual on-page conversation in EoTW, Egwene essentially pre-breaks-up with him (this is all from my old 1990 copy of the book, btw, before the Ravens prologue was added).
In EotW, he asks her if she wants to dance later on and she pointedly lets him know that she’s old enough to get married now and Rand hilariously kinda freaks out about it and says “Just because someone is old enough to marry, doesn’t mean they should. Not right away.” to which Egwene lets him know that Nynaeve has told him that she can learn to listen to the wind and that Wisdoms almost never marry, and there is no indication that she’s breaking off a betrothal or going against even an unspoken agreement in the text (if they did have an ‘understanding’ of any kind then Egwene kinda pulled an asshole move there tbh, by first letting him know that she’s old enough to marry now and then immediately going ‘but I probably won’t lolz’). Rand is upset about it, because he’s been developing feelings, but it all comes across as pre-relationship stuff.
So right at the start of TGH is where the retcon of Egwene and Rand’s relationship to make it retroactively more serious happens, I guess, lol. I’m curious why RJ decided to do this tbh, since he was still planning on having them ‘break up’ again in this book (I think? I’ll see when I get there! Memory mildly foggy), and Min already gave her viewing in book one that “he was not for her, nor she for him, not in the way they both want” and then Min, I’m pretty sure, does some more weird sorta ‘claiming Rand as hers’ stuff at the end of this book, iirc (kinda glad this aspect of her character feels like it was removed or played down in the show tbh). Maybe just so that Rand could have more complicated feelings about ‘Selene’ and give him a reason why he wouldn’t just be all-in on her once she shows up? I’ll keep an eye out and see if I can spot the reasoning as I go. I wonder if this is the book where the bit about the village girls avoiding Rand because Egwene had essentially marked him as hers comes from -- I have a VIVID memory of this line, enough that I’ve basically woven it into all my cauthor stories so far as part of the Rand/Egwene backstory -- but could not find it in EotW during my re-read.
5. I am INTENSELY curious about what the state of Egwene’s hair will be in S2. They’ve made the braid have a personal and emotional symbolism to Egwene that it doesn’t ever have in the books (I think she stops wearing it like two days after meeting Moiraine lol), so I wonder if she’s going to keep wearing her hair in a braid for a while or if she will undo it once she’s a novice.
6. So far, the increased Egwene/Rand backstory seems to be used to goad Rand into action at Fal Dara to try to find her to protect her.
7. Hmm, I wonder if Moiraine sending the Red Ajah after Mat is meant to replace Fain stealing the dagger, plot/character-wise, since a lot of Rand’s motivation in book two comes from chasing after the dagger to try to help Mat, if I recall correctly. With how much emotional focus they put on Rand’s relationship with Mat in S1 (and how much they chose to parallel/contrast it against his relationship with Egwene), I’m... curious about what will happen in S2 in that regard, if they’ll still make Mat’s safety and health a priority for Rand or if they will focus on other things (by not having him find out about it).
8. The first reveal about Verin is such an amazing moment. I love her so much. Best Aes Sedai ever, no competition, no one was ever this much of a badass. I hope her introduction in the show gives me chills the way us finding out in the books that she’s figured out that Moiraine and Siuan are hiding the Dragon Reborn from everyone does.
I also love Verin poking holes in the whole “men and women can’t teach each other” saying about birds and fish. She’s just great.
9. Ah, this goodbye between Rand and Egwene at the end of chapter eight reminds me of what we got with them in episode seven, emotion-wise. Sort of the sense of a goodbye (more from Rand’s side than Egwene’s, as he’s sure he won’t see her again once he leaves and she’s determined that she will be able to help him -- so, yes, very like the scene in episode seven).
I’m 150 pages into the book and everyone is finally about to leave Fal Dara, lol.
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souvenirsofsurgery · 3 years
Text
monty’s horror movie list
no one follows me for this but i’m back in my horror movie obsession era so here we go. some of them are good, some of them are bad (but I love them), and some of them are kind of unacceptable, like, morally tbh, I’m sorry
anyway, in no particular order:
mother!: I just watched this one today so it’s on my mind. get ready to be stressed out by deeply uncomfortable social situations for like, the first hour and a half and then genuinely disturbed for the last twenty minutes. i finished this and then sat in my room mouthing “what the fuck, what the fuck”. v good, 10/10
Orphan: What if you adopted a kid but they sucked?
Absentia: I was really impressed, cause this was like a low-budget, crowd funded movie but it’s so so good. This one is about a woman whose husband went missing years ago, a creepy tunnel, and family relationships. V quiet and sad
Possum: Not very much happens in this movie for a long time but the atmosphere is so good, and it’s genuinely creepy. The ending also made me so uncomfortable I almost couldn’t watch it, so there’s that
The Wolf House: Incredible unsettling stop-motion animation, and I’m a sucker for good animation. Makes more sense if you know a little Chilean history, but it’s interesting even without that context
Amityville: It’s About Time: Jumping right from that foreign arthouse film into cheesy schlock, what if a clock made people evil and fucked up?
Hell House LLC: More! Schlock! This is a fake documentary/found footage movie about people trying to make a haunted house in an old hotel... but what if it was haunted for real??
Host (the 2020 shudder original): Unfriended if it was good
Hereditary: Made me sad :( This was one of the first movies to genuinely scare me in a while, and my sister-in-law won’t even let anyone talk to her about it. The story about a family dealing with grief and complicated relationships is also just so interesting to me, this one’s in my top 10
Anything for Jackson: Reverse possession movie: they try to put a spirit IN someone! Hell yeah. So many good, weird ghosts in here, I love some good, weird ghosts
13 Ghosts: (the early 2000s remake) Speaking of good weird ghosts. What if your estranged uncle died and left you a house but there was a ghost jail in the basement? I just rewatched this movie with my little brother and remembered how much I love it. Very schlocky, Matthew Lillard’s acting is off the fucking walls and I love it, why does he act like that??
Kindred: One of the only “is it in her head, or is it real?” movies where I actually really wasn’t sure. It’s about a woman whose husband dies right before she’s about to give birth, so she ends up staying with his family and slowly starts to question their motives
Parents: What if you were just a little kid and you started to suspect your parents were eating people?
Basket Case: I’m not crying over a B movie, I’m not crying over a B movie. In this one, two conjoined twins are surgically separated against their wills, with one of them getting thrown in the trash. As adults, they start hunting down the doctors who did it to them
The Poughkeepsie Tapes: Very depressing fake documentary about a serial killer. Just fucked up and sad
The Taking of Deborah Logan: One of the few found footage movies that I think is actually good. A small documentary crew goes to film a woman and her aging mother who’s suffering from dementia, but they start to think that... huh, maybe this is something a little worse than dementia...
Ju-On: The Grudge (the original Japanese one): this movie just freaks me out, I don’t like how Kayako moves around, I don’t like the sounds she makes, and I don’t like her weird little son
The Ring (the American remake): I saw this movie when I was like 8 bc someone recorded it over the Willy Wonka VHS I’d gotten from the thrift store, and I’ve been fucked up ever since. In it, a woman sees a cursed tape that will make you die in seven days, and has to try and figure out how to save herself before then. GREAT atmosphere, very creepy
Sadako Vs Kayako: What if the girl from the Grudge and the girl from the Ring fought each other? Hell yeah. Plus, love that a ghost hunter comes to help with the situation and he’s got a random mean little girl with him. People are like “why is she here?” and he’s just like “she’s my associate” okay?? Where did she come from??? I’m obsessed with this movie
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A classic. Rancid, nasty atmosphere, just feels gross, 10/10 
Society: Rich people suck so so bad and are very fucked up
House of 1000 Corpses: I love this movie and I’m sorry, its just some disgusting, campy fun. Like, what if your car broke down the night before halloween and ended up in a house with some terrible (but very entertaining) people?
Oculus: The idea of being a little kid, stuck in the house while your parents are slowly losing it, or potentially being possessed by something evil, is really scary to me. This movie does it so well. It moves back and forth from the main characters going through that in their childhoods, to them as adults, back in the house where it happened, and it’s so so good
Hellraiser: You tell me it’s about the blurry line between pleasure and pain and I watch it. The designs for the cenobites are so good. I like this first one a lot, but I also really enjoy the second one bc the torture dimension looks like MC Escher designed it and it’s sick as hell
The Others: This is one of my favorite, like, classic haunted house kind of movie. A mother keeps her kids inside an old mansion, with all the curtains drawn, because they have an illness that means they can’t go in the sunlight. Very, very creepy
The Blair Witch Project: This one just feels so real, I’ve never seen another found footage movie that reached this level. The actors knocked it out of the park, how am I so freaked out just by a couple of people wandering around the woods? It’s the blueprint, honestly
A Nightmare on Elm Street: You guys know this one, he gets you in your dreams! Probably my favorite of the classic slashers, I love some good old practical effects. my brother actually just bought me the WHOLE box set for my birthday so I’m gonna start working though the ones I haven’t seen yet 
Jennifer’s Body: What if your best friend, who you have a very homoerotic relationship with, started eating dudes? Iconic. No, but seriously, this movie has a lot more going on than you might think 
House of Wax (the 2000s remake): Bad, but so good. It’s really got that uncanny valley thing going on, love that fucked up wax museum
Ichi the Killer: Pretty unacceptable, I can’t in good conscience tell you to watch this movie, but it’s definitely an experience. Very very very violent, like super violent, but in the wildest fucking ways. Basically, what if you were a masochistic Yakuza member with a weird joker mouth and you just wanted a sadistic vigilante to beat the absolute shit out of you? Anyway, I think there’s something wrong with Takashi Miike and probably also me
Black Christmas: This is one of the og og slashers. It’s about girls getting killed in a sorority house, but surprisingly it’s like, not really an exploitation film, and I really like the characters. Good, unsettling killer, too
The Baby: WEIRD. Weird and uncomfortable. I’m not trying to kink shame anyone when I say this, but it’s probably definitely a fetish thing. In it, a social worker takes on the case of a family with an adult son who they’re claiming has the mind of a baby. This one’s probably kind of unacceptable too, to be honest with you
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Text
Obey Me x The Magnus Archives: Avatar MC (Belphegor/Web, 7/7)
Here we are, at the end of the first installment in my “Cursed TMAxObey Me crossover” series/collection. It’s basically what it says on the tin: what if the settings of the horror anthology podcast The Magnus Archives and the goofy dramedy demon dating sim Obey Me were merged in some way?
“average demon is enslaved to 3 Web avatars a year" factoid actualy just statistical error. average demon enslaved to 0 avatars per year. Spiders Belph, who lives in an attic and got Uno Reversed in the manipulation game, damning his entire family, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
For those unfamiliar with tma but intending on reading this anyway, I would like to warn you that this series is going to be horror-based, and include potentially disturbing content. Specific content warnings will be provided at the beginning of each fic, and some may be more upsetting than others. Please use your discretion when deciding which parts to read, if any. I can only warn you, I am not responsible if you decide to read and are upset by what you see.
Content Warnings: Horror, implied bad end, implied death, arachnophobia, tied up in sleep (nonsexually), manipulation/deceit, people-puppeting, implied sacrificing to a giant spider, implied giant spider, probably should have started with the giant spider tbh
Lucifer (X), Mammon (X), Leviathan (X), Satan (X), Asmodeus (X), Beelzebub (X), Belphegor (You are here)
All attics have cobwebs. It’s normal, Belphegor thinks. But ever since the human exchange student showed up, he’s noticed a lot more. He’s not afraid of spiders per se, but there comes a point where the amount of spiders is… uncomfortable. Especially when he once woke up partially bound in sticky gossamer threads.
But as much as he’d like to, he can’t blame the human for this. They don’t have any magic, and even if they did, they lack the experience to pull off anything he can’t dispel himself.
Still, he’s cautious, even as he asks for their help.
“So you want your freedom in exchange for pacts with your brothers,” MC summarizes.
“Don’t make it sound so easy. You’ll have to convince them and keep Lucifer off your trail. There’s no way he’ll agree to make a pact with you if he knows you’re doing it to free me.”
“Such a lack of faith. You think you’d be more supportive of the person who holds your fate in their hands.”
Belphegor balks at their confidence. Even Lucifer doesn’t scare them? Just who is MC?
“Whatever. Just don’t get in over your head, alright? You’re my only way out of here.” They smile and wave off his concerns, before saying they should head back before Lucifer gets suspicious.
They’re just some stupid human, he thinks as they leave the attic. They’ll die like any other.
One day, a spider hovers just above MC’s head while they’re talking in the attic. Belphegor yelps and warns them, but they just look up and laugh before offering their hand as a perch to the creature.
“Spiders are an important part of the ecosystem, you know,” they say, smiling fondly at the eight legged bastard in their palm. “They’re excellent pest control.”
“When they’re not poisonous,” he can’t help but retort.
“Venomous,” they correct. “Unless you eat spiders. You don’t eat spiders, do you Belphie?”
Belphegor isn’t afraid of spiders. They’re small. Kinda creepy looking, but what isn’t in the Devildom? He feels stupid for even entertaining the idea, but he is much bigger than a spider. They pose zero threat to him.
He shudders at the thought of dozens of skittering legs crawling about inside of him.
MC continues to visit him regularly, updating him on their progress with his brothers. The first to make a pact with them was Mammon, coerced into it via a threat to Goldie, no surprise there. Then Levi, Beel, Asmo, and finally Satan. That just left Lucifer himself. He isn’t sure how they plan on getting the Avatar of Pride to submit himself to making a pact with a mere human, especially one that must have been such a thorn in his side during their stay.
So when they saunter up the stairs, six pact marks blazing on their skin and a truly haunted looking Lucifer behind them, Belphie is shocked to say the least. The rest of his brothers fall in line behind the pair, their movements stiff and robotic. At first glance, they appear calm, but as Belphie pays close attention to their faces, he can see wild panic in their eyes.
He returns his focus to MC and realizes just how terrible a mistake he has made.
Silvery, thin strings stem from each of their fingers, one set leading to the younger brothers, and several tied around the eldest. They flicker in and out of view, as though catching the light. But most disturbing of all is the webbing around MC themself. Thick cords of silk cling to their wrists, ankles, and throat, with smaller cobwebs scattered around their body like bandages. The strings gleam in a rippling motion before vanishing entirely.
“You have a choice, Belphegor. Make a pact with me… or remain here while the rest of us prepare.”
“Prepare? For what?” he asks. “J-Just open the door, you did it! You have all the pacts!”
“I might… It depends on you. But I do suggest you decide soon.”
From the bottom of the attic stairway, something massive slams against the door. Once. Twice. Three times. Like a knock.
“We have a guest, after all. And they’re not known for their patience.”
Lucifer begins to shake.
“Do choose soon, Belphie. The Mother would love to have you for dinner.”
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