#the way they both deal with the idea that sometimes we can’t get rid of the inner demons and insecurities we battle

[meiliarotten]

Midnight Waltz

🔞MINORS DNI🔞

Pairing: Spy x Fem!Reader

Summary: An impromptu dance lesson quickly turns heated

Tags: Dance lessons, sexual tension, multiple orgasms, fingering, praise, teasing, begging, scratching

Word Count: 4.3k

The Masterlist

“What do you mean, you don’t dance?”

You sat in Spy’s smoking room, watching as the man in question struggled to grasp the concept that you didn’t dance. It was as if the idea of someone who didn’t know a thing about dance was completely foreign to him. You found it odd, given that you had spent most of your life in the mercenary business, that he would take you as someone with that specific skill.

Spy rarely let anyone simply loiter in his smoking room. It was his private sanctuary away from the chaos of mercenary life, but the two of you were particularly close, and more importantly, you were quiet. You would simply relax in a corner with a magazine and a glass of wine, sometimes so silent that he forgot you were even there. Today however, it seemed you were both in the mood for some conversation, and the topic ultimately led to an upcoming gala hosted and sponsored by Mann Co. itself. Of course, all the mercenaries were expected to attend.

“It's more like I can’t dance, actually,” you clarified, watching Spy take a final drag from his cigarette before snuffing it out in a nearby ashtray, exhaling the smoke with an exasperated huff. “I was never taught. Especially not the kind of dancing they do at these fancy parties.”

You recalled some time long before you took up mercenary work, back when you would go clubbing with friends. Even then, you weren’t a good dancer, but in the drunken neon haze of the nightclub scene, no one really cared. The people on the dance floor were like a single complex organism fueled by the painfully loud base that left you half deaf by the end of the night. Once you joined them you were simply another miniscule part of the whole made up of flailing limbs and whipping hair.

So yeah, needless to say you weren’t exactly cut out for social dancing among polite company.

You shrugged. “Is it really such a big deal? It's not like anyone will notice if I stay on the sidelines, chatting over some fancy finger food.”

“Au contraire, mademoiselle. You would be surprised how much conversation can occur over the course of a single waltz,” he said, gesturing as if he were a professor giving a lecture. “And that ‘fancy finger food’ is more commonly known as hors d'oeuvres.”

“So, fancy finger food for people who like long, contrived names.” You ignored the way Spy scoffed at your simplification of his precious French terminology. “You’re acting like this is an opportunity to impress employers. In case you haven’t noticed, we have a pretty steady job.” Sure, it consisted of murdering clones of yourselves on the daily, but that wasn’t important.

Spy seemed to consider your point. There really was no need to network when you were in such a strange, yet stable position. Plus, thanks to the respawn machine, employment wouldn’t be terminated anytime soon. After all, who in their right mind would get rid of mercenaries that could literally come back from the dead?

“Honestly, I think the only reason our boss is putting on this party to begin with is to show us off,” you continued. “He’s letting all his fellow billionaires know that they shouldn’t mess with him. Why else would people like us be invited to something like this anyway? Especially since Soldier is almost guaranteed to try to sneak fireworks into the event hall.” He had done it before, and you were sure as hell that he would do it again.

“What you're saying could very well be true, but even so, someone may still ask you to dance.” Spy hesitated a moment before continuing. “You are quite an attractive person, after all.” You glanced up at him with wide eyes and a slight smirk. If it weren’t for the balaclava, you may have noticed the slight pink flush that came over his cheeks when he realized what exactly he had just said. Spy quickly shook his head, changing the subject. “The point is, I simply can’t have one of my colleagues making a fool out of herself at such a prestigious event. It would ultimately reflect on all of us.”

You laughed, not even trying to hide the way you rolled your eyes. “Wow, alright. So what, are you offering to teach me?”

“I am, in fact.”

You looked up at Spy, scanning his expression for any sign of a joke- a slightly upturned corner of the mouth, a glint of mischief in his eye- but all you were met with was sincerity. “Seriously?” you asked, still a bit surprised by the offer.

Spy simply nodded, offering his hand with a soft smile. The whole gesture was so genuine, you couldn’t bring yourself to turn it down. Maybe just one or two dances. By then Spy would probably be sick of you tripping over your own feet and you could go on with your life.

You took his hand, resisting the urge to caress the smooth leather of his gloves. Already you could feel a bit of warmth in your cheeks. “So, where do we start?” you asked, trying your best to remain casual and not stare at the floor. If you started blushing like a schoolgirl just from holding his hand, you weren’t sure how you would get through the rest of this alive.

“A waltz is quite simple, a perfect starting point,” Spy declared. “Do you know the proper positioning?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Why the hell did you say that? You didn’t know shit about the waltz. Proper positioning? What did that even mean? Who decided that formal dances should be so complicated?

“Would you like to demonstrate, my dear?”

Spy’s voice snapped you out of your racing thoughts. “Oh, right. We’re doing this.” You thought back to cheesy romance films, particularly ones with dance scenes. Shakily, you placed a hand on Spy’s shoulder. You barely suppressed a gasp when his hand dropped to your waist in turn, pulling you closer.

“Perfect. It seems you know more than you thought,” Spy said, almost sounding proud. “Now, with one hand on my shoulder and the other…”

His words seemed muffled, fading into the background as you found yourself unable to focus. The two of you were so close. God, you were nearly flush against him. Is this how you were expected to dance with complete strangers? Or was this something specifically for this lesson?

“Are you still there, chérie?”

You shook your head. “Sorry, I’m listening!” That was a lie, but Spy was being uncharacteristically patient with you today, especially given that this was the second time you had completely zoned out on him. He even cracked a smile, noticing how flustered you were.

“There is no need to be nervous. As I said before, this is quite simple. Now, a waltz follows a count of three beats per measure…” And with that, Spy could already see your eyes starting to glaze over, so he abandoned that approach for a more active method. “For now, simply follow my lead, and I will correct your technique as we go along.

“Oh, okay,” you said. It seemed you were just jumping right in, thrown into the deep end of the metaphorical pool with no life jacket. Of course, your steps were clumsy at first, and you struggled to follow Spy’s lead.

“Step with confidence, my dear,” he said. “Don’t hesitate, or you will throw the whole dance off rhythm.”

You did as he said, trying your best not to overthink this. Slowly, you allowed yourself to be led into the dance, following along as Spy guided you and offered occasional corrections. After a while, you found that you were doing a decent job. It wasn’t amazing, but it was passable, and you felt quite proud of yourself.

Still, every so often you found yourself staring down at your feet, trying to examine the steps only for Spy to chastise you. “Don’t look down, dear. Eyes up. Stay focused.” He tilted your chin upward, giving you no choice but to meet his gaze. You could’ve sworn that you were being pulled closer, ever so slowly.

It felt like you were practically flush against Spy when you stumbled, falling against him with a gasp. Quickly, you tried to brush it off. “Damn, right when I thought I was finally getting the hang of this,” you said, laughing nervously. Spy, however, remained stone-faced. He didn’t look upset, but he seemed deep in thought, and it made you a bit nervous. “Hey, is everything alright?”

“I meant what I said earlier, chérie.”

You tilted your head to the side, noticing that his arm was still wrapped around your waist, practically supporting your weight as you leaned on him. “What do you mean?” you murmured, genuinely unable to remember anything prior to these moments of closeness, of what you could almost call intimacy.

“When I said you were attractive, I meant it. I would be a fool not to take the opportunity to be close to you.” His grip tightened subtlety. It sent a pleasant shiver up your spine. You weren’t sure what to say, so you simply cupped Spy’s cheek. He leaned into the touch, eyes drifting closed for a peaceful moment before he looked down at you again, meeting your eyes with an intensity that you hadn’t seen before. “May I kiss you?”

“What?” Your mind was numb, blank, devoid of anything but the need to be as close to this man as you possibly could. You could barely process the question. It felt too much like a dream to be real.

“I asked permission to kiss you, chérie,” Spy repeated. You quite liked this new petname he was using for you.

“I would like that,” you whispered, afraid that if you spoke too loud this whole perfect situation would somehow shatter, or reveal itself to be some kind of cruel facade. “Please.”

Spy hesitated a second longer, and that proved to be the motivation you needed to take some initiative, finally closing the distance between the two of you. He melted the moment your lips met his, pulling you tightly against him with a soft moan. Your hands gripped the lapels of his suit, pulling him forward as you deepened the kiss, running your tongue along his lips experimentally. Spy reciprocated, lips parting slowly as he allowed you free reign of his mouth. His hands squeezed your hips, making you squirm. You parted with a gasp when you felt him buck gently against you, feeling a telltale hardness against your thigh.

“I want you.” You felt breathless, your words coming between pants, barely able to piece together a full sentence. When you looked up at Spy, he met your gaze with a look that could only be described as ravenous. “I want you to fuck me, please.”

Oh, the way your voice took on a sweet little whine as you pleaded for him. Spy wondered if you knew you could ruin him like this. “Mon Dieu, I thought you would never ask.”

The next few moments were a blur. Inconsequential articles of clothing were shed, a tie here, a jacket there, just enough to lessen the amount of layers between the two of you for now. A trail of garments led across the room until the back of your thighs hit a nearby desk, which Spy quickly cornered you against. One of his hands tangled in your hair, pulling your head to the side ever so gently to expose your neck to him.

You let out soft moans as he began to kiss the sensitive skin there, working his way up along your jaw and then down to your collar again. Kisses turned to sucking on the delicate skin, no doubt leaving a trail of hickeys that you would need to hide tomorrow. It was when he began to graze his teeth along your pulse, teasing you with the possibility of a bite, that you started whimpering.

You were sitting on the desk by now, having hoisted yourself up onto it after your knees threatened to buckle under the tension. Your legs wrapped around Spy’s hips, yanking him forward suddenly. He nearly fell on top of you, finally pulling away from your neck to see you smirking up at him with a devious glint in your eye. It was so very tempting to wipe that smirk right off your face right now, to have his way with you until you were a sweaty, trembling mess.

However, Spy stopped himself. No, not like this. In all his fantasies of finally having you, touching you, feeling you, it was never so cheap or frantic, and it certainly wasn’t on the hard, unforgiving surface of his desk. You deserved better.

He pulled away, nearly undone by the pitiful noise you made when he did. His hand brushed against your cheek and you leaned into the soothing touch, looking up at him with a mix of confusion and desire. “Why did you stop?”

“I thought you might like to move somewhere more comfortable.” Spy motions towards his bedroom. It was an offshoot of his smoking room, something he had no doubt hassled Ms. Pauling for back when he was first hired. It was exactly the kind of thing he would do, but it was definitely worth it. His room offered more privacy than any of the other mercenaries’ quarters, save for perhaps Medic’s.

Your eyes were wide, clearly anxious to accept Spy’s offer, but you managed to reel yourself in. It was adorable really, how you tried to restrain yourself, not wanting to come off as overeager. “I would like that,” you said, trying to keep your voice even. “As long as you’re alright with it.”

Spy smiled softly, finding it amusing that you were so shy, even now. “Of course, ma chérie.”

You were swept up that instant, giving a surprised yelp as Spy carried you off bridal style. Now it was your turn to melt, swooning as you rested your head on his shoulder, giggling softly to yourself. If Spy wasn’t holding you aloft, you would probably be kicking your legs in excitement.

Spy’s room was nearly as decadent as his smoking room. It made you wonder how much carpeting and curtains it had taken to disguise that the room was once a bare barracks like all the others. However you didn’t get much time to contemplate that as you were quickly sat upon the bed where Spy continued to kiss you passionately until you had to pull away for air.

You gasped, cursing under your breath, your voice shaky. For a moment Spy wondered if you were having second thoughts. “What’s wrong, darling?” He tilted your chin up gently so that you were looking at him.

“Nothing,” you said, shaking your head. “I just need to get out of these clothes.”

Spy grinned, the concern melting away from his expression and replaced with an eagerness that you had never seen from him before. “I can certainly help with that.”

You stood up from the bed and Spy quickly joined you in removing any remaining fabric he could get his hands on. He lifted your shirt up over your chest and made quick work of your pants as well while you unclipped your bra. You had barely laid back on the bed before he began lavishing you with affection, trailing kisses from your lips to your neck and letting his breath tickle your ear. It all happened so quickly, you didn’t even have a moment to feel self conscious about being completely naked in front of Spy for the first time.

Reaching up, you tried to touch him, to stroke his cheek or pull him in close. He caught your hand in his, kissing the knuckles before placing it back down. A gentle squeeze of your wrist made it clear that, at least for now, he would be the one doing the touching. Spy took his time too, mapping out your body with his lips and hands, kissing and caressing every inch. He took note of where you were sensitive, where a touch would cause you to squirm, or whine, or moan. He would be certain to pay special attention to those areas later.

Your face was flushed, and you hid your face behind your hands after you made a particularly embarrassing noise as Spy squeezed your hips. He looked up at you, amused by the gesture and intrigued by how nervous you seemed to be, even now. For a brief moment he wondered if you had ever done this before. It didn’t matter, he decided, putting the thought out of his head. Whether this was your first time or your hundredth, he was going to make you feel absolutely divine.

“What would you like from me, ma chérie?” The question seemed overwhelming. You uncovered your face and began to stammer, unsure of what to say. Spy quickly threw out some offers, trying to put you at ease. “I could start with my fingers,” he said, brushing his hand against your inner thigh. “Or my tongue.”

You shivered. He was being genuine, but it still felt like teasing, especially since he was making you say what you needed out loud like this. Your face flushed, embarrassed by the words that were about to come out of your mouth. “Just play with my clit for now,” you blurted out, resisting the urge to once again cover your face with your hands. “Be gentle though, please.”

“Of course,” Spy said, his gaze softening as he pressed two fingers into you. You barely had a chance to react as he withdrew just as quickly, those fingers now slick with your arousal and allowing for frictionless pressure on your clit. You felt your head spin as Spy gently applied pressure, rubbing small circles around that sensitive bud. He watched you closely, easing up when you seemed to be getting overwhelmed. He upped the intensity slowly, and always with your permission. “You make such lovely expressions when I touch you like this.”

You were definitely blushing down to your neck now, biting your lip to stifle a whimper. Spy decided that he quite liked leaving you flustered, all red and desperate, but he wanted to see much more. If you were this alluring now, he needed to see what it looked like when you came for him. He doubled his efforts, pressing on your clit firmer, moving his fingers faster. It wasn’t long before you were falling apart, stumbling over your words, little tremors of pleasure causing you to shudder.

“Oh fuck, I- wait, Spy, I’m gonna-” Words failed you as you hit the point of no return. Your back arched, mouth agape in a silent scream as you came. Your muscles went taut before relaxing and causing you to go limp. Spy continued to touch you, guiding you into the aftershocks of pleasure, only stopping when you began to squirm and pull away from overstimulation.

“Fuck,” you panted, giving Spy an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I tried to warn you-”

“Mon Dieu,” Spy whispered, causing you to fall silent. “You are beautiful when you come, darling.” You didn’t think your face could get any redder, yet it did. Your skin felt so hot as Spy kissed you again. This time it was desperate, almost sloppy, but the sheer passion and eagerness made up for it. “I want to see it again,” Spy moaned between kisses. “Please, mon amour, let me make you feel good.”

That gentlemanly demeanor was beginning to slip. Spy was practically rutting against you. You could feel his erection against your thigh and it sent a wace of renewed arousal straight to your core. “Fuck me,” you whispered. When he didn’t react you reached down to grab his cock. He went still with a gasp, clearly not expecting you to be so bold. “Please, fuck me already!”

Spy laughed, a bit taken aback by your sudden attitude. Perhaps in a different scenario he would have taken the opportunity to teach you a lesson, delivering punishment in the form of edging or even some swift spanks. Now was not the time for that kind of fun, though. He needed you as much as you needed him, and he was going to make sure that you felt the same ecstasy he would.

He ran his cock along your slit, pulling away whenever you tried to grind against him, much to your chagrin. Spy could tell you were wet enough to take him, and he wasn’t about to torture you any longer. In one quick motion he thrust into you, hitting deep and making you gasp. You shuddered beneath him, fingers immediately digging into the sheets as you adjusted to the feeling of finally being filled.

Spy leaned down, placing a soft kiss to your forehead as your breathing evened out. “Does this feel good, darling?” he asked,

“Fucking move!” you groaned through clenched teeth, offering a quick “please” at the end.

“I will take that as a yes.”

Despite your eagerness, Spy took things slow, just out of habit. He was used to gradual seduction and the benefits of a steady build up in tension. Admittedly, it was quite difficult on his end as well. You felt so good, and he couldn’t stifle the soft groans that spilled from his lips as he felt you clench around him.

“You’re so warm,” he whispered, being met with only impatient whines in response. Spy gasped when you suddenly raked your nails down his back, perhaps in an attempt to spur him on. It seemed you could be quite a brat once your inhibitions were completely gone. It was amusing, and certainly worth exploring on some other day, once Spy was finished spoiling you, of course

Finally, he gave into your ceaseless demands of “more, faster, harder…” You wanted him to fuck you until you were tearing at the sheets with a white knuckled grip. Your legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him deeper into you, assuring he hilted with every thrust.

“Such an eager little thing,” Spy crooned, running his hands up and down your body. He admired the way you shivered and arched into his touch whenever you could. You were so willing to let him explore every curve and edge on your body until he had committed it to memory. “Tu es si belle.”

You had no clue what he just said, but it was hot as hell. Spy smirked when he felt you tremble around him. He gently took you by the chin, tilting your head to maintain eye contact with him. You blinked a few times, trying to focus your gaze.

“Do you like it when I speak in my native tongue?” Spy asked, although the knowing look on his face seemed to imply he already knew the answer. You were dazed, nearly reaching your limit, yet you managed to give a shaky nod. If you were able to speak, you would have said that he could read the damn phone book in French for all you cared, and you would still probably find it hot. You just barely heard a soft laugh before Spy leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Tu es à moi. Tout à moi, my beautiful girl.”

The way he spoke seemed to send you into a frenzy. Desperate and fucked out of your mind, you were barely aware that you had started muttering a soft mantra of “please, please, please,” that eventually escalated into a shrill cry. You weren’t even sure what you were begging for.

Spy was nearing his limit, planting his hands firmly on the headboard for better leverage. Speaking without his voice breaking became a struggle. “Go on, ma chérie. Come for me, let it go,” he said, voice low but perfectly audible to you. You certainly didn’t need to be told twice.

It was like something within you snapped, a tight coiling finally finding release. You squirmed, nearly writhing as the pleasure overwhelmed you in waves. You heard a high pitched cry, and it took you a moment to realize that you were simply hearing your own moans. When the aftershocks began to ebb, you were still shaking.

Spy was much more reserved in his climax, his thrusts growing sloppy before going still. He whispered sweet nothings between moans, only some of which were in a language you could understand. His immediate instinct was to collapse, to roll aside and bask in the afterglow, but he reminded himself that you could probably use some attention.

Your face was red and tear streaked, which alarmed him initially. However your breathing was steady, and you gave him a reassuring smile to indicate that you felt no distress. You were simply overwhelmed in the moment. Spy leaned down to kiss you, nearly stealing what little breath you had. He held you against him as he rolled to the side, taking you into his arms and pulling you close, as if the very thought of being apart from you was unthinkable.

His hands brushed over your back, his fingers tracing mindless patterns across your skin as you settled into his embrace. Your limbs were tangled with his, both of you breathing slow as exhaustion began to set in. The late hour of the night along with the strenuous activity you had engaged in was finally catching up with you both, and you let your eyes flutter closed. Just as sleep was about to overtake you, you let out a soft chuckle.

“You know,” you said dreamily, already half asleep, “If all of your dance lessons end like this, I wouldn’t mind a few more.”

#tf2 x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #merc x reader #minors dni #smut #tf2 smut #team fortress 2 #cross posted on ao3 #tf2 #spy x reader #tf2 spy #spy tf2 #spy team fortress 2 #spy x you

[winterchimez]

Love Me Right | Ju Haknyeon

summary: perhaps you and your best friend Haknyeon were destined to be lovers after all

pairing: best friend Haknyeon x f!reader

genre: best friends to lovers, fluff, slight angst & suggestive (only in the beginning)

warnings: bad breakup & arguing (with ex), lust (slightly)

word count: 3,530

a/n: me? writing fluff? unheard of 🤪 jokes i'm usually much better at writing angst/crime fics, but our precious boy hakkie deserves a sweet fluff fic 🥺 i love him sm he's literally my fav comfort person ever, and yes he is my bias wrecker alongside hyunjae lmao 🤧 hope you guys enjoyed this! 🫶🏻🩵

buzz buzz!

The alarm on your smartwatch goes off, giving you the signal that indicates the end of your shift. 

It has already been 14 hours, and you stood up from your chair and did a stretch as you submitted the final report of one of the patients you had to deal with throughout the night.

You originally would’ve ended your shift 2 hours ago, if only one of the ER nurses didn’t call in sick this morning. You shrugged, it happens almost every fortnightly in your department, always being understaffed that is. 

Packing up your belongings, you waved goodbye to all of your co-workers where some were just finishing up as you were while the others had just clocked in for the day and headed straight to your car. 

To make matters worse, it was snowing pretty heavily as you made your way to your vehicle. You had to use your handy-dandy ice scraper to get rid of the snow that formed on the windshield and the sides of your car doors. With that, the first 10 minutes right after your shift ended were gone in the blink of an eye. You hopped into your car real quick and gave yourself a heavy sigh, hoping at least the car ride home wouldn’t be too bad.

Stepping onto your front porch, you dug into your backpack for the keys to your apartment. You wasted no time trying to unlock the door and quickly kicked your boots off as you closed the door behind you. 

Making your way into the living room, you spotted the familiar figure laying down on the couch.

Your boyfriend, Daniel. 

At the beginning of your relationship, the two of you would gladly wait for each other to arrive back home and chat away about how the day’s been for both parties. Now, getting a “welcome home” from your partner is already better than nothing. 

However, tonight was different as you muttered those two words to your boyfriend laying down on the couch. Instead of responding, he stood up with his back facing you and muttered a deep “we need to talk” right back at you.

Already exhausted from your shift, you so badly wanted to ask him to save it till morning when both of you are in much better shape, but that won’t happen tonight as he wasted no time trying to make his way to you.

“I can’t do this anymore, Y/N. This relationship we’ve been having? I don’t see the spark nor commitment no more.” 

“Please Daniel, what are you trying to imply here-” 

“You work for 12 hours straight each day, God. Sometimes even more than that. I’m off to work while you’re asleep, and you're only back in the house during the wee hours of midnight. What happened to us spending quality time as a couple?”

Your boyfriend certainly had a point there. It has been months since the both of you truly had a good bonding time with one another. As work started piling up for you, you had to always sadly turn down the multiple ideas of your boyfriend’s well-planned dates and vacations. 

Of course, he’d be frustrated and sad. But it was also his responsibility to understand your situation here. You’re a nurse gosh darn it, and he should know damn well how whenever duty calls, you can never say no. That is what he agreed with when you both started your relationship 3 years ago. 

But apparently, the spark that the two of you have been sharing for the several years you both had up till now, has been completely burnt out. 

“Let’s end this, Y/N.” 

To say that you were in tears would be an understatement. 

Hell, you have been bawling your eyes out for the past 2 hours and breaking down in your living room as your boyfriend left your shared apartment after a heated argument. 

You kept blaming yourself, for how much you have ruined this once so-called perfect relationship you have built with your now current ex. Everyone around you said that you both were perfect for one another, that you both were a match made in heaven and the wedding invitations are bound to arrive at your friends and relatives' doorstep in another 2 to 3 years' time.

Including your best friend, Ju Haknyeon. 

Feeling weak and vulnerable, you desperately needed a warm embrace, and to hear some comforting words from someone who cares about you deeply. 

It was now 3 in the morning, and there was only one place you know that you’ll be accepted in. 

You stood right outside of the door that reads Apartment 309. 

You knew this apartment from the back of your mind. The drive route from your apartment, even up to the passcode or where the extra pair of keys are hidden on the front porch.

Instead of trying to open the door on your own, the owner of the apartment has already been expecting your arrival and they were the ones welcoming you at the front door instead.

The brunette male, wearing a white t-shirt with black sweatpants, opened up the door for you. His eyes widen as he examines your red swollen eyes, puffy cheeks, and a wet soaked nurse uniform you were still wearing. 

Before he could ask you what happened, you were pushing the male into the apartment while slamming the door shut with your leg. Guiding him all the way to his bedroom and pinning him down on his bed. You climbed over him and were about to kiss him right on the lips. 

What was going on in your mind? Has the break-up made you feel a sudden surge of lust towards your best friend? Desperately wanting a hug and a kiss to see if it could make you feel better or at least forget about your ex. 

But the male was clearly stronger than you were and he turned the tables over within seconds, and now you’re the one who’s being pinned down on the bed instead.

“Y/N, what is this all about?”

With that one sentence, you then broke down into tears again, leading the male to pull you up and hold you tight against his embrace. 

It’s been a while since Haknyeon has witnessed you in such a fragile state, the last time probably being in college when you and your ex were going through some tremulous times to fight against all odds in order to be together. 

And he hated it. Hated how vulnerable you were at that moment. He hated seeing you cry the most. 

Especially when he still had feelings for you after all these years. 

After calming down for a bit, you finally fill Haknyeon in with all that has happened the past few hours prior. You can’t help but to sob and sniffle from time to time and Haknyeon manages to wipe away your tears and calm you down each time. 

Without having much thought, you blurted out “Haknyeon, be my boyfriend” right there and then. 

Deep down you know very well that this was your best friend’s dream for the longest time, and he would definitely be delighted to accept the offer.

Or will he?

What you didn’t expect was the straight rejection he gave you right after you said that.

“Why not Haknyeon? You’ve had your eyes on me and loved me since day one of high school. Isn’t it always your dream to date me?”

“Y/N. I love you with all my heart. Hell, I would give up anything if it’s for you and to make you the happiest girl alive. But not like this.”

Haknyeon then lets you out of his embrace and cups both of his hands on your cheeks, staring deep into your eyes. 

“I want you to love me when you’re at your best. I want you to truly see the man that I am, and how much I’ve grown. I want you to truly make up your mind because I will not let you go when you’ve decided to begin a relationship with me. I want you to love me right.” 

You have been crashing at Haknyeon’s apartment most weekends for the past two months, and he couldn’t be happier if it makes you feel better. 

During the weekdays though, Haknyeon would make the effort to come to visit you instead while bringing you the best take-out meals from all of his favourite restaurants in town. Your best friend clearly does not mess with food. 

Knowing how messed up your eating schedule was, he has even taken the initiative to plan out your diet.

No consuming those nasty junk food when you’re already low on sleep.

You’d constantly be reminded of your bestie’s words every single time you’re about to head to the drive-thru at Mcdonald's at two in the morning after your shift at the hospital. 

Tonight was different though as your manager informs you that you get to finish your shift way earlier than your usual post, as your department is getting a handful of transferred nurses from the capital. That was good news especially how your hospital has been understaffed for like two to three years now. 

And that 2 - 3 years had to be the time when you were with your ex. 

You shook off the negative thoughts you had in mind and quickly got out your phone to text Haknyeon about you coming home early for the night. 

You were certain he was definitely on his phone when you sent the message because it took him less than a minute to give you a reply. 

Hakkie 🐷: sweets!! I’ve had a big night planned ahead of us, can’t wait to see you at home 😊

You can’t help but smile at the message, thinking about how cute he was at times when he was all giddy and excited, which makes you wonder if you both are really the same age at all. 

Your co-worker noticed your excitement and how a big sincere smile was plastered all across your face. It has been a while since you’ve been this jovial anyways. 

“You got a date tonight?” She nudges your shoulder while giving you a wink. 

Smiling back at your co-worker, you looked back down at your phone staring right at the newly changed picture your friend has chosen for his iMessage profile. 

“I guess you can say that.” 

“Woah Haknyeon, what on earth have you done with your apartment?”

You were astounded by what your best friend has done. The entire living room has been cleared out and Haknyeon took the largest blanket he owned and turned it into a fort. A comfy throw was laid out nicely on the floor with pillows scattered above it. As a finishing touch, fairy lights were hung around the blanket to give it that true cosy movie night experience. 

“You sure are an ambitious young man.” You replied. 

“Since when have you ever gotten off work this early Y/N, I’d say this calls for a celebration, and of course thank heavens that tomorrow is the weekend!!”

“Okay okay, kiddo. What are we watching tonight?”

“Big Mouth, the infamous K-drama everyone’s been talking about recently.”

“And why is that?”

“Well, both you and I are huge fans of crime shows, and we love Im Yoon-ah, so I’d say it’s a win-win situation!”

“More like you are the one who’s obviously obsessed with her.” You protested. 

You couldn’t help but laugh at your bestie's enthusiastic comment. Eventually, you gave in and decided to make yourself comfy. Haknyeon went ahead and made some warm honey butter tteokbokki in his so-called best portable pot that he owned. Of course, a comfy night movie wouldn’t be complete without a warm mug of cinnamon latte according to the food master himself.  

You never expected to have enjoyed the drama this much as it’s been such a long time since you've been to the cinemas, let alone watched a tv series or show at home. You missed this feeling of excitement as you engross yourself in the show’s plot, and of course, having someone to share the same experience with you in the same room. 

As the show progressed, you can’t help but have tears well up in your eyes whenever a sad or frustrating scene appears on the screen. Haknyeon notices your demeanour and quietly puts an arm around your shoulder. Naturally, you decided to lay your head down on his shoulder. None of you said anything but just enjoyed this little comforting moment you both were having. 

Haknyeon truly was your best friend, you definitely didn’t deserve a fine young gentleman like him. 

“So where are we off to this time Mr Ju?”

It was another rare occasion where you’ve gotten a day off from work as your manager has seen all of the extra hours you’ve accumulated over the past several months. 

Since the hospital wasn’t understaffed anymore, your manager has even managed to free up your Sundays from now on. It definitely has improved your physical and mental health as compared to your previous self when you were working 14-hour shifts straight for 7 days a week. 

Your best friend was beyond ecstatic to find out that you’re free for the day, and he wasted no time coming to pick you up early in the morning, insisting on bringing you on a day trip.

So now you are sitting in Haknyeon’s car, and god knows where he’s bringing you to because he wouldn’t tell you what the itinerary even was for the day ahead. 

It was now the beginning of summer, and Haknyeon clearly was taking you somewhere away from the city. Both of you passed all of the highways and eventually ended up on a riverside road just a little outside of Seoul. 

It was kind of a long drive, around 4 and a half hours to be exact. Many times you’ve offered to take over the wheel, but the male insisted that he was fine and you deserve to be in the passenger seat instead. 

“Rude Haknyeon, I’ll show you that I’m just as good as a driver like Sangyeon and Jacob oppa.” You pouted and crossed your arms. 

“Yeah, rather convincing, Y/N. Remember how you were desperately calling for me in the middle of the night back during your first year in college when your car swerved right into a tree because you got too nervous to drive on your own? And oh, may I add, you were also crying over the phone and it took me a good minute to try and figure out whatever you were trying to tell me.” 

“Shut up. We don’t talk about that.” 

Haknyeon was clearly winning this whole debate, and he begin singing his lungs out on his so-called victory song, Young Tak’s Jjin-iya. You on the other hand, were sulking and decided to turn your head towards the window, trying your best to ignore the ever-so-slightly annoying song that was getting on your nerves while taking in the scenery in front of you. 

After 10 more debate topics and bickering (because your friend is a tease like that), you both eventually arrived at your destination. Your friend has brought you to Haeundae, one of the famous beaches in Busan. As you both stepped out of the car, Haknyeon immediately went to the boot of his car and brought out a huge basket filled with whatever items he brought for the day.

He quickly grabbed hold of your wrist and brought you to the beach. There were quite a number of people here today, reasonable as most families and couples would’ve come to spend the good weather out at the beach. But Haknyeon manages to find a quiet spot where the both of you could truly enjoy the peaceful time today.

Haknyeon wasted no time in taking out the first item from the basket, a huge blue beach cloth and laying it down on the sand. Slowly, he took out all of the remaining items from the basket, most of them being food, to be honest.

What surprised you was that he picked out all of your favourite food and snacks that you literally consume whenever you wanna have a cheat or fulfilling day. Japanese fruit sandwiches, onigiris, chips, you name it he has got them. Oh, and yes he brought along his handy-dandy trustworthy Bluetooth speaker he’s been using for years that he loves and swears by it. 

“Since when have you become a chef, Mr Ju Haknyeon. I thought you were a business consultant, not a restaurant owner.” 

“Anything for my bestie, am I right?”. He gives you his signature cheeky smile, and you have to mentally ask your heart to stop beating so quickly. 

Stop being so cute for the love of God. 

With every bite you had, you couldn’t help but constantly give out this mmmmm pleasure sound, indicating how delicious every single meal was, and your friend couldn’t be much happier as it felt like he had gotten a trophy from a race or something. 

You both enjoyed the meal and had a good chat about every single topic that comes to mind. You both reminisce back on the good old high school and college days, where multiple times Haknyeon has saved your ass from being called to detention for being late to class to almost missing your graduation day in college because you somehow lost the high heels that you planned to wear with your matching dress that day. 

It was hilarious catching up with all of the crazy adventures you both had throughout the years, and Haknyeon with his bright and gagman persona made it a lot more memorable.

“I’m so glad you were with me from the beginning, Haknyeon. Never would I have thought to have gone through heaven and hell if I was alone.”

“Likewise, Y/N. I couldn’t have had a better bestie than you.”

You smiled and gave your best friend the biggest hug. “I just wish for us to be together for as long as we can.” 

With that, Haknyeon breaks off the hug and grabs hold of your shoulders, looking deep into your eyes. He hesitated for a few moments, before deciding that it was the right time for him to speak about that certain topic that he has been desperately wanting to for the past couple of weeks now. 

“Y/N. I know you’re probably sick of hearing this from me, but still, I want to make it clear to you. I still love you, even after all these years. I’ve never once given up hope on you.” 

“And?” 

He swallowed. “A-and. I mean, y’know we’ve been getting a lot closer for the past few months, crashing into each other’s place throughout the weeks, having tons of fun and cute movie and date nights at the restaurants in town. I just… wanna let this thing that has been bothering me for weeks now. I don’t mind if you don’t give me an answer, but just hear me out. I-I just… I want-” 

“I’ll be your girlfriend.” 

“Wa-wait what?”

You chuckled. “Oh my god, Haknyeon. I swear I’m gonna be dosing off to sleep waiting for you to blurt those words out. I know you still love me since the first day we met back in high school in the science laboratory. I gotta say I admire your persistence, young lad. Even what I was still with the ex who shall not be named.” 

A burden was taken off of Haknyeon’s shoulders, and he immediately jumped right back into your embrace while rubbing his cheeks against yours. He was like a puppy who has just gotten their biggest treat yet. 

“Thank you, Y/N. Thank you thank you thank you!!!” 

The hug lasted for a good few minutes, both of you taking in each other’s scent while resting both of your heads on each other’s shoulders. 

That was until Haknyeon broke off the hug for the second time now, as he moved his fingers right onto your plump lips. 

“May I?”. 

“About damn time, Ju.”

No words were needed. He lowered his head and crashed his lips onto yours. It’s like you both have been waiting for eternity for this to happen, how long you both have waited for this day to come. He wasted no time in exploring your lips, kissing you deeper as he tilted his head, and you did the same. 

Breaking off the kiss, he eventually scooped you up bridal style and brought you straight into the waters. As the sun starts to set, you both spend the rest of the remaining time kicking and splashing each other with water at the shore. By the end of the day, you both were soaking wet, but no regrets were made.

Haknyeon then lifts you up in his arms once again, giving you another kiss on the lips as you lean down and wrap your legs around him, both resting your foreheads with one another.

“I love you, Y/N. More than you could ever imagine.”

a/n: yes there will be a part 2 😌

masterlist

taglist: @deoboyznet @flwoie @hokupi @kyusqult @tinkerbell460 (join my permanent taglist here!)

#deoboyznet #kvanity #the boyz #tbz #the boyz x reader #the boyz imagines #the boyz scenarios #the boyz fanfic #tbz scenarios #haknyeon #ju haknyeon #haknyeon x reader #ju haknyeon x reader #haknyeon imagines #haknyeon scenarios #the boyz fluff #the boyz angst #the boyz suggestive #haknyeon fluff #haknyeon angst #haknyeon suggestive

[bengiyo]

Be My Favorite Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Kawi went on the class trip that he missed in the past and encountered incredibly frustrating hazing rituals. His affection for Pear was used against him, and he ended up mildly embarrassed when Pear turned him down as gently as she could. Pisaeng, after being chided by Kawi, also directly turned Pear down. Max was glorious and unbothered. Not and the seniors suck. Pear is absolutely someone worth admiring, and I get why people like her. I’m currently impressed by how well this show is enabling everyone to grow by having one person start down a path of becoming more emotionally honest and forthright.

Curious that the show went out of the way to make sure we know that Not gets no bitches.

I like that Pisaeng is tippy-toeing to confessing to Kawi. He told him he made things clear with Pear because he cares how Kawi sees him and he needed to know if he was still going to pursue Pear on his own. He doesn’t want Kawi to know that he and others heard him being rejected.

Oh, it’s cool that Kawi is having a hard time taking advantage of the lottery.

Kawi building an interactive friendship with Pear is also a huge relief.

Big fan of the way the time travel rules have been established, because we have a reason to stick around here.

Kawi, please don’t knock yourself for being a subtitler. They are the most important people for the international audience.

I feel like Pisaeng is properly dealing with his own queerness for the first time, and I really hope he goes back to the gay club later.

Not is really making himself appealing to the girls by being condescending and an asshole.

Big fan of Max. Don’t be moody about your problems if you don’t want to tell me the tea. Also, it’s your issue not your potential suitor.

He went back to the club! This is definitely his first time being in a queer space.

Nooo! Don’t run away from Max!

I feel sad for Kawi that Not and co. took his joy for songwriting.

Oh, yes, Max. READ HIS ASS.

I need to learn the name of Pear’s friend because she just delivered a WORD. Being kind and offering encouragement costs so little! Stop being so mean!

I am in love with Max. He was a bit harsh with Pisaeng, but baby gays need to get over themselves a little bit sometimes.

Look at that. Just a little bit of encouragement and Kawi’s already doing better.

This show just said we have a duty to be kind to each other and ourselves, because the world is just a place. Oh my goodness.

This the third time we’ve seen someone get rejected kindly on this show. In each case, it has seemingly made things better between the pair. I feel like we will be writing about this more later.

This show just said “changes are more important than miracles.” What the absolute fuck? I am kinda losing my mind over a Jittirain show once again.

Gawin is so fucking good at playing a gay man learning to love himself. This is the third time!

I love that someone else saw potential in Kawi after he put himself out there. It wasn’t the chance he wanted, but it’s the one he found. This is actually really nice.

Curious whose perspective they want us to read this final montage from. Both? Neither?

Gawin played freshman Pisaeng differently. That was so well done. He’s talented.

Wow. I think I actually really like this show. It feels like it’s trying to gently deprogram the audience. It’s like it knew a lot of us were bringing a lot of hostile energy to the viewing and said, “Would you mind being just a little bit kinder?” and you know what, maybe I will be. This has been really lovely so far, and I think I need to soften my stance with it. There are some incredible ideas here about the important of community and treated each other with just a little bit more kindness and respect. I also like that the show said plainly that it hurts us all to withhold our feelings from each other, because even if we can’t reciprocate them we can still build something good for everyone out of it. I will be seated for the rest of this ride.

#be my favorite #be my favorite meta #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

[nanowrimo]

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: Writing with Chronic Injuries

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Mimi Matthews is here to share her advice on how to set yourself up for noveling success:

Dear Fellow Writers,

In an ideal world, we’d all be starting our manuscripts this November, bright-eyed and clear-headed, limited by nothing but time and the scope of our imaginations. In reality, many of us—myself included—are dealing with physical or mental health issues that impact our productivity. That doesn’t mean we can’t write a novel in a month. It just means we have to prepare a little differently. 

I’ve written all of my books while struggling with pain from a cervical spine injury. There’s no secret to it, only a little self-knowledge. Pain is a part of my life I have to manage along with all the rest of my responsibilities. It can be discouraging at times, but it’s never once prevented me from completing a manuscript. With that in mind, here are a few of my personal strategies for starting (and finishing!) a novel.

1. Be prepared.

Before you begin your manuscript, arm yourself with all the implements you’ll need to support pain-free writing. For me, this means a huge collection of neck pillows, ice packs, and a never-ending supply of Aleve. The more supportive I can be of my neck injury, the better success I have in my work.

2. Be flexible. 

Get rid of your preconceived ideas about when and where you should write. Instead, write when you can and where you can, in whatever way best supports your health. A story is no less compelling because you wrote it while propped up in bed at 2am instead of sitting at your desk at eight in the morning.

3. Listen to your body. 

If writing is hurting you, then stop for a while. Don’t give in to the panic about failing to meet your writing goals. Yes, it’s scary to fall behind, but there’s really no such thing as powering through to reach a daily word count when you’re in pain. You might be able to do it once or twice, but the work always suffers.

4. Write less to write more. 

It seems nonsensical, I know, but I’ve found that stopping work for the day when my neck starts to ache is the best way to ensure that I write more later. If I continue working while in pain, it sometimes takes me days or even weeks to recover from the ensuing flareup. Conversely, if I stop for the day, I almost always write double or triple the words at my next writing session.  

5. X marks the spot. 

I write historical novels, which necessitates a great deal of research. That can mean a lot of stops and starts as I’m writing. I sometimes lose the rhythm of the scene. Even worse, the stress of changing course so often can trigger my pain. To combat this, I use XX to mark things I need to research later. I also use XX in place of character names, locations, or clothing descriptions I haven’t thought up yet. Doing this allows me to get the bones of the story arranged much faster, without those frustrating (and pain triggering) stops and starts. 

There’s no one size fits all way to finish a manuscript, especially if you’re struggling with challenges to your physical and mental health. Be mindful of your needs. Be flexible in your habits. And, above all, be kind to yourself. Writing a novel is a huge undertaking at the best of times. A little preparation—and a generous supply of grace and patience with yourself—will make the experience a lot less painful.

xx Mimi Matthews

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

#nanowrimo #writing #nanowrimo 2022 #chronic injury #writing advice #by nano coach #mimi matthews

[peninkwrites]

Lines Drawn in Sand & Concrete - Ch 9 of ?

Tubbo deals with an especially pushy door-to-door preacher and Quackity deals with his paranoia being right.

[CW: violence, guns, threats of violence/murder. Referenced abuse]

crossposted to ao3

Ch 1

Ch 8

Ch 10

Mafia AU

~ Tubbo & Quackity ~

Tubbo can’t remember how old he was when he first saw someone die.  He’d been young.  He remembers a lot of deaths, but they blur.  He can’t pin down what the first one was.  To Schlatt’s credit, however miniscule that is, Tubbo wasn’t meant to see dead bodies that young.  Tubbo was curious and went looking where he wasn’t supposed to or sometimes people tried to kill Schlatt and got killed instead and Tubbo happened to be there.  And not to Schlatt’s credit, Tubbo did get drawn into things deliberately far too young.  He’s been counting blood money since he was nine years old.  That had been his first job in the family business.  First, counting blood money under the sharp supervision of his father, and then a few years later going to collect from businesses that didn’t need actively bullied into coughing up.  That has been his life for as long as he can remember.  He never actually had a childhood.  So he assumed adjusting to adulthood would be easier.  Not that he imagined a life free of fear or burden, but he thought he knew what that weight would feel like.  Maybe he did know, but knowing the responsibility and the risks didn’t prepare him for how lonely it would be.

He’s thought about running.  He’s thought about running since he was little, but he knows better now.  If he were to leave, that means more harm caused by the people he let run wild.  His loved ones would get hurt and he wouldn’t get to repair the damage Schlatt did.  Maybe Tubbo doesn’t know how to exist without a fight.  He doesn’t think he could leave this city until it burned to ash in front of him.  And of course there’s the fact that the only person he would want to run away with, who would be willing to run away with him, well.  He and Tommy aren’t talking anymore.  He’s not entirely alone.  He still has Jack, and that matters, but Tubbo needs to keep his distance, even from him.  They live together now, they share a modest flat on the East side, but that doesn’t stop Tubbo from keeping his cards close to his chest.  His breakdowns merely remain quiet.  He’d wanted to live with Tommy.  That wasn’t an option.

Tubbo is so fucking lonely, and he has no idea who he can tell that to.

Maybe his isolation is self-inflicted, but it’s not like there’s no precedent for it.  If he keeps people close, he cannot keep them safe.  If he could get rid of Jack at this point he would, but the man literally refuses to leave him.

Eventually that was going to hurt them.

Initially, it had just been a meeting with Fundy.  That is, until Tubbo saw something on the news.

“Mayor Hedge ends prohibition after 26 years, stating: ‘It never really worked, though.  This way we can regulate it.  A… a buddy of mine, it was the drinking that killed him.  I’m doing this for him.’  This decision raises serious questions about Mayor Hedge’s chances for reelection”

That had both annoyed Tubbo and made him burst out laughing, but it wasn’t until Fundy spoke that awful pieces fell into place.

“Do you see this bullshit?  He’s talking about fucking Schlatt,” Tubbo scoffed.  “It was the drinking that killed him?  I didn’t realize a birthday boy with a .44 was the drinking.”

“Oh, yeah,” Fundy laughed, more focused on the paperwork he had been going over with Tubbo, explaining to him in detail just how screwed he is.  “I can’t believe Quackity got him to break that easy, but that’s Big Q for you, right?”

“What d’you mean?”

“Oh, that was all Quackity,” Fundy nodded to the TV.  “He told me about it.  Crazy shit, man.  Guess it makes sense, the guy wants to run his casino… sorta above board.”

“Quackity ended the prohibition?”

“I mean, technically the mayor did, but yeah, pretty much.”

Tubbo’s mild irritation fades into something more sour.  Quackity of all people knows how dangerous a drunk can be.  Tubbo didn’t let the bitterness settle, he and Fundy had more important things to focus on, but when he met with Jack later that day, it was the first thing on his mind.

“The prohibition is ending, so, we’ll no longer be able to use ferrying booze to speakeasies as a source of income.  No clue what Puffy is going to do,” Tubbo was itching to talk about the thing that was actually bothering him, but that wasn’t allowed.  By his own rules, he shouldn't get vulnerable like that.

“Yeah, well, to be fair, we weren’t making much there, just transporting to like, Niki’s place and two others,” Jack points out.  He notices Tubbo’s solemn look.  “What?  What is it, man?”

“Quackity is responsible for that whole deal.”

“What?”

“The prohibition ending.”

Jack doesn’t follow.  “Oh.  Uh, good for him, then.”

“D’you think he thought it through when–?”

There’s a knock at the door.  Jack and Tubbo stare at each other.

This house isn’t a known location.  It is nothing of significance, merely a safe place to meet with the others and to keep talking shop away from their little apartment.  It’s derelict, in a bad neighborhood, and usually unoccupied.

“From your look, I’d say we’re not expecting anyone?” Jack says wearily.

Tubbo shakes his head.  “Look through the door.”

Jack nods, going up beside the door, one hand on his gun as he looks through it.

“Some big dickhead in a suit.  Not one of ours.  Should we clear out?” Jack asks.

Tubbo frowns, going to see for himself, jumping when there’s another sharp knock.  Still, Tubbo looks.  A man stares around the street, looking calm but impatient.  He looks directly at the door, and speaks, words muffled but audible through the wood.

“I’d open up, Mr. Underscore.  We know you’re in there.  And I don’t suggest slipping out the back.”

Tubbo steps back, dread only growing.  They know his name.   Jack stares back with equal terror, but he doesn’t dare voice it aloud.  He’s gotten his gun out.  He treads lightly through the house, leaving Tubbo alone for just a second, returning quickly.

“Two guys on the back porch.  And I bet the guy out front isn’t alone either.”

“Fuck.”  Tubbo is thinking fast.  He knows there are people after him, and while it’s unnerving that they had asked for him by his name instead of Schlatt’s, it’s not impossible.  He did announce himself at the funeral.  Dead men can’t pay, so if he opens that door, they probably won’t kill them.  Probably.  “Fuck!” Tubbo says far too loudly.  “Okay, okay, Jack, you stay behind the door, and I’ll open it–”

“Open it?!”

“Yes, open it!  You think these types of people aren’t above breaking doors down?!” He snaps.  “They’re coming in whether we like it or not, so I would prefer if it was with you hidden and with a gun.”

Jack can’t argue with that, despite it being clear he wants to, so he does as Tubbo asked and presses himself against the wall behind the door, gun at the ready.

“When I nod, you step out and level your gun with the first man you see, got it?” Tubbo says quietly.

“Got it, Boss,” Jack gives him a smirk.

Tubbo takes a deep breath.  He opens the door.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?” Tubbo says coolly.  He can feel his heart beating in his ears.

The man before him is big, yes, far bigger than him or Jack, but that’s not where the threat lies.  It’s in the calm of him, the polite smile, and the nod of the head, leaving the glares and intimidation for the two men who are with him, having lurked just out of sight of the doorhole.

“I hope so,” the man says.  “Mind if we come in?”

“I’d like to know why you’re here first, if that’s alright with you.”  Tubbo doesn’t step back, keeping his words amicable, but his stony expression nothing but.

“Hm,” the man tilts his head, seemingly mulling something over.  “You don’t know me, do you?”

Tubbo doesn’t know how to answer that.  The man steps forward, as if to brush past him into the house, but Tubbo doesn’t move.  The man pauses, taking half a step back as he considers this stubborn teenager in front of him.  The man leans in closer, close enough that Tubbo can smell his aftershave.  Tubbo still refuses to yield.  The man speaks softly, a polite whisper as if not to embarrass him.  “I’m playing along, I’m acting nice, Mr. Underscore.  Tubbo.  I think it’s in your best interest to play along too, okay?”

Tubbo calculates.  Then, he takes a step back.  “Please, do come in,” he says with that same mild-mannered facade.

The man crosses the threshold.  “Thank you.”  He scans the derelict living room.  “Where’s your friend?”

“Having a lie down, so I’d prefer if we kept it quiet, so as not to wake him,” Tubbo replies immediately.

The man laughs softly, looking at Tubbo with wry amusement.  “You… you really don’t know me.  You’re acting like you have an ounce of control here.  That’s…” he considers his words thoughtfully, “dangerous.”

“I think you might be underestimating me,” Tubbo doesn’t blink, staring the man down.  He nods.

Jack steps out from behind the door, gun leveled with the man at the front of the group.  Tubbo reaches into his own holster.  That’s as far as they get.

The man behind the ringleader tackles Jack to the ground, the gun goes off, bullet landing in drywall instead of the man’s skull and before Tubbo can draw his own gun the man has stepped forward, grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm back, and pulled the gun from his jacket.  In a matter of seconds, Jack is now pinned to the floor, a gun pressed to the back of his head, and Tubbo is pressed against a wall.  Tubbo finally feels that terror fully.  His sense of control had always been an illusion, but it is another loss to have it shattered so easily.  He’s back to being a helpless little boy at the mercy of men much stronger than him.

The man tuts him, but to Tubbo’s surprise, he lets go, stepping back.  Tubbo turns around, shaken and disarmed but doing his best not to show it.  He doesn’t look at Jack.  Silence.  Everyone in the room waiting to see what this man will do.  He makes them wait.

Finally, he speaks.  “You don’t know me, do you?”  He’s smiling with the kind of patronizing benevolence Tubbo associates with lazy social workers.  Tubbo doesn’t say a word, so the man continues, circling the room at a leisurely pace, sparing Jack a glance before returning his focus to Tubbo.  “I remember when you were just a little guy.” He holds his fingers close together, as if at one point Tubbo were nothing more than an ant.  “Your father and I, we knew each other a long time.  Over ten years now, and, well, it’s not a complicated relationship.  He owed us.  Meaning, you owe us.  You met some of my… associates a few months back.  Ring any bells?”

Tubbo is silent, staring daggers at the floor.

“You can answer.  I mean,” a laugh.  “Don’t tell me you’ve just been fucking around with no clue.  I thought I was being nice when I sent you a reminder, a nonviolent one, might I add.”

Tubbo doesn’t want to deign this pathetic man with a reply.  He knows that’s dangerous.  Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Jack.  He can see the gun pressed to the back of his head as he lies flat on his stomach, a man keeping him on the ground.  He doesn’t know if Jack is looking at him.  He doesn’t want to see.

“Hm,” the man sounds perhaps intrigued, not even annoyed that Tubbo dare not respond.  “Regardless, you know now.  And I’ve been patient.  Even as your father tested me I extended some of that patience to you.  You’ve had two months.”

“My father left behind a lot of messes to clean up, which one are you?” Tubbo asks, looking back up at this stranger, staring him down.

“Oh, me?” The man puts a hand to his chest, as if flattered.  “I’m just a lowly messenger.  Your father’s account manager, of a kind.  We’ve been in business together a long time.  I saw you once, maybe twice over the years, took inventory, y’know.  We usually met outside the house, so it’s okay that you don’t remember me.”

“I’m looking for a name, sir, an affiliation if you will,” Tubbo says snippily.  Better than considering the meaning of took inventory.  At some point when Tubbo was small, this man had seen him, and delegated him to the role of leverage.  Tubbo knew his father endangered his life on the regular, it’s different to have that information handed to him in such a procedural way.

The man laughs again, delighted by this boy’s audacity.  “Hm.  I’m sure you’ve heard of Twitch, haven’t you?”

Tubbo frowns, thrown for a loop.  “What, like the Church?”

“Sure, if you like,” the man nods amicably.  “Like the Church, like the banks, like the property management, I mean, food industry, manufacturing, the casinos, the unions, the booze smuggling, you name it, we’ve got our blood sweat and tears in it, isn’t that right, boys?” He gives a knowing look to his accompanying muscle, and they look amused.  “You… you know us from the Church, huh?  You could say I’m a missionary, then.  Spreading our message.”

Tubbo tries not to get lost in what all that information means.  He deigns never to tell Tommy one of the few things he had faith in is as filthy as the rest of this city.  Not that it matters.  He wouldn’t have the chance to tell Tommy anyway.  “And, Mr. Missionary, this call is about the money my dead father owed, correct?  That you now think you have the right to collect from me?” Tubbo says scornfully.

The man stops his pacing, less amused now, stepping up to Tubbo, who doesn’t step back.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I do.  Even your moronic father knew to fear us.  And I really don’t think you should be taking this lightly.”

Tubbo stares him down.  His arm still hurts from where the man had grabbed him.  He smiles.  “What’re you gonna do, kill me?”

The man doesn’t look surprised nor thrown off.  He just looks at Tubbo like something to be butchered and Tubbo hates that he reminds him of his father.  He gives Tubbo a once over, voice soft and calm.  “Something like that.”  He steps back, glancing at Jack once more like he’s a rather interesting rug instead of a hostage.  “A lot of your father’s boys are dead.  Although I’m sure you’re aware of that.”

“Yes, oddly enough, I am.”

“What about…” The man snaps his fingers.  “HQ?  You know, we’re not too happy with him either.  Casinos, that’s our business, but fine, we’ll… we’ll have a little pity, the guy’s partner just died.”

Tubbo feels the panic sharpen in his chest.  This man knows too much.  Maybe Schlatt’s boys talked, but why about Quackity?  No one outside Schlatt’s circle was supposed to know the details of their relationship.  “What about him?  Quackity– Quackity HQ was his lawyer, actually.”

The man laughs.  “Dunno if your old man slacked on teaching you the birds and the bees, but those two weren’t talking lawsuits, I’ll tell you that.”  The man watches Tubbo carefully, calculating something.  “You could always ask your buddy over there for some money from his whole operation.”

“We’re not buddies,” Tubbo scoffs.  “Does it seem like I was on good terms with my father?  Let alone his lawyer?”

The man sighs.  He adjusts the rings on his fingers and Tubbo steps back because he recognizes such a motion, but he’s still not prepared when the man’s fist nails him in the jaw.

“Tubbo!” Jack shouts from the floor, struggling frantically, forced to stop by the barrel of the gun dug in further to his skull.

Tubbo hits the wall, and almost keeps himself off the ground even as he stumbles, if not for the man knocking his feet out from under him.  Tubbo hits the ground, catching himself with his hands and tries to get up.  He has to get up.  The man kicks him sharply in the ribs, Tubbo gasps, breathless.  He has to get up.

“Leave him alone you stupid fucking bastard!” Jack shouts, still struggling despite the weighted threat of a bullet.

Finally, all of this done methodically, emotionlessly, he grabs Tubbo by the hair and slams his head against the wall, not hard enough to knock him out, but certainly enough to get Tubbo’s attention.  Then, the bastard has the audacity to offer Tubbo, dazed, a hand off the ground.

Tubbo struggles to get his bearings.  His lip is bleeding.  He stares at the offered hand unsteadily before spitting at the man’s feet, clawing at the wall behind him to stand on his own.

“I would prefer if you didn’t play games with me, kid,” the man sounds so scolding.  “And don’t straight up lie.  It won’t go well for you.  You need to understand that if you don’t cough up and cough up soon, we’re going to take away everything that you love.”  The man towers over him, and Tubbo, bloody lip and ringing skull, refuses to flinch.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Tubbo snarls, glaring up at him.  The audacity of this man to make assumptions based on outdated information.  Quackity had rejected him first, whatever lies in the past has no bearing on now.  It can’t.  “I killed my own father, and you think an attachment to his lawyer is going to faze me?  At all?  It’s downright pathetic, really.  So why’re you acting like I’m trying to play with the big boys unprepared when you clearly don’t know your mark as well as you think you do?”

The man considers this with the same maddening neutrality.  “Huh.”  A pause.  “Kill baldie.”

“Wait, no, please!” Tubbo screams and lunges for the man behind Jack, but someone grabs Tubbo by the arms and holds him back even as Tubbo struggles fiercely.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jack says, voice high and frantic, eyes closed and head turned, the gun digging into his ear.

Jack is still alive simply because the ringleader raised his hand.

The man is still watching Tubbo so carefully.  He raises his eyebrows.  “You look a little fazed, kid.”

Tubbo doesn’t say a word, staring at Jack, lump in his throat, he tries to keep his expression blank even as he knows it’s too late for them, the damage is done.

“That’s what I fucking thought.”  The man nods, and the goon holding Tubbo lets go.  Tubbo takes one step toward Jack and the so-called missionary places one hand against his chest, stopping him.  “You know, little bit of advice,” he says softly.  “Before you make a bluff, make sure there isn’t a big fucking weakpoint in the middle of the room.  You’re not cutthroat where it counts, are you, kid?” he glances at Jack again.  “We’re reasonable people.  I won’t ask for all the money by the end of the month, but if you don’t make a fucking dent,” the man tuts him and finally steps back, one wave of the hand, and the man poised to kill Jack gets off of him.  “Well, just don’t forget what we know.  Maybe you and HQ had a falling out, maybe you didn’t.  We’ll find out whoever it is you still want alive, like baldie over there, and we’ll decide if they get to keep breathing or not.  Or, maybe you decide! Eh? All it’ll take is 40 grand.  Let’s say… 10 by the end of the month.”  The missionary gives Tubbo one last once over, smiling.  “Good luck, Mr. Underscore.”

The front door closes.

“Jack?!  Jack, are you alright?” Tubbo scrambles to his friend’s side, giving him a hand off the ground.

“Me?  Are you?” Jack nods to Tubbo’s face.  He knows it’s going to leave a nasty bruise.  “Oh shit, you’re bleeding,” Jack stands on his tiptoes to look at the blood matting Tubbo’s hair.  “He really got you.  Fuck, man.”

“I’m fine.”

Jack gives him a look.  “Either I look at it, or I call in Ponk.”

“You… you don’t need to drag Ponk out here for… for a little blood,” Tubbo says exasperatedly.

“Good!  Now sit down,” Jack all but pushes him into a chair, going into the bathroom and pulling out a first aid kit from under the sink.

“When the fuck did you put that there-?”

“A while ago, now look down,” Jack says irritably.

Tubbo hisses as the pain sharpens, Jack dabbing at the blood carefully.  “That fucking hurts.”

“Yeah, probably ‘cause you almost got your head bashed in,” Jack points out.  “Talk.  It’ll distract you.  Like…” Jack holds him steady when he puts the anti-infectant onto the wound, Tubbo biting his knuckles.  “What’s the plan, Boss?”

Tubbo cannot say I don’t know.  That’s not an option for him anymore.  But he thinks the answer he does have is worse.  “We make ourselves Quackity’s problem.”

Jack frowns.  “You’re… you’re serious?”

“Obviously,” Tubbo shuts his eyes tightly as Jack closes the wound with butterfly stitches.  “Two birds with one stone, Jack.  Everything has said Quackity is dangerous to us right now.  If people keep on acting like Quackity was my fucking mother, it’s gonna get us both killed.  And… and if I don’t turn up some cash soon, that’s gonna get us all killed too.”

“And… the answer is to go fuck around at Las Nevadas instead of maybe… I dunno, working with Quackity to figure some shit out?” Jack asks doubtfully.

“Quackity isn’t interested in figuring shit out with me,” Tubbo says coolly.  “The sooner we make sure the rest of the world knows that too, it will be better for both of us.”

Jack is almost startled.  This is the most Tubbo has talked about something personal in weeks.  “Do you… do you wanna talk about it?”

Tubbo turns to look at him sharply, looking almost offended.  He doesn’t even bother replying.  “We have work to do, Jack.  Come on.”

~

The prohibition was repealed in a day.  Quackity isn’t entirely sure how, but Connor comes through when he needs to.  So, now along with preparing his card dealers, bouncers, and hosts, he has to track down a bartender.  Additionally, another petty comfort in his nerves, he’s hired Purpled to work the place opening night, just a little insurance in case anything else goes wrong.  They’re in the final stretch.  Five days until the opening night.

Getting the shit beaten out of him by someone he had once considered an ally wasn’t exactly a highlight of the week.  He also doesn’t know what to make of his newest staff member holding a gun to his father to protect them.  Even worse, when afterwards Sapnap was clearly holding back tears.  Quackity hadn’t known what to do with that.  He also hadn’t known what to do with Karl being the one to comfort him.

Regardless, that’s yesterday’s news, even if he’s still dealing with the consequences of it.  His head of security is back on crutches and Quackity is supposed to not strain himself considering he has a cracked rib.  Quackity is going through nothing but strain.  Most of the bartenders in the city aren’t confident enough to come work above board just yet, and at this rate Quackity is going to end up tending the bar himself.

Knowing Karl is safe is his one consolation.  Sapnap is clearly committed, and has been protecting Karl with rapt attention.  Karl says the guy is adorably awkward at Kinoko Bookstore, hovering and watching every customer like he’s expecting one of them to show up with a bomb instead of a book request.  As to whether or not Sapnap Halo is still a fucking pig, the jury’s not out yet.  As long as the guy stays away from their business, they should do just fine.  Although, Quackity is quite proud to say, Las Nevadas is entirely above board.  Now that alcohol is legal, there isn’t a shred of probable cause in the building.  Excluding the guns.  License to carry or not, there are limits.  That’s what secret drawers and hidden cabinets are for, right?

Outside of the personal side of things, on the business side of things, they’re going well.  They’re going to plan, and that makes Quackity even more nervous.  There’s always cracks, and things always break eventually.  Usually poised to crush him beneath the rubble.

Still, he keeps building.  He has the counter turned into the bar it was always meant to be, and even if he can’t find a bartender just yet, it’s easy to get in touch with Puffy to get ahold of some booze.  Not yet a fully stocked bar, but somewhere close.  Quackity is pretty sure he’s going to be one of the first upstanding businesses to serve alcohol in this new post-prohibition era.  Something to be proud of, he thinks.

It has to be perfect.  It has to be impressive.  And it definitely has to be worth it.

Quackity has put too much of himself on the line to get this to work for him.  If it fails, he thinks he might do something drastic.

Quackity has felt something inside of him slowly rising to a fever pitch all month.  The closer they get to the grand opening, the worse it gets.  It’s beyond nerves, beyond anxiety even.  It inches closer and closer toward paranoia.  Something is going to ruin this for him.

He just hadn’t expected it to be Tubbo.

~

Tubbo lurks outside Las Nevadas with Jack and half a dozen men he trusts about as far as he can spit.  He doesn’t want to do this.  He’s going to anyway.

Tubbo stares intently through the glass.  He can see Foolish.  He can see Quackity.  There’s no sign of Sam or any other hired gun.  “Ground rules, boys.  We are going to do as little damage as possible.”

“Why?”

“Because our end goal is for this to be an investment.  I highly suggest you don’t damage my investment, are we clear?”  Tubbo waits for some acknowledgement, an irritable nod.  “I’ll be generous.  You can each break one thing, but keep away from the especially expensive-looking machines and the stuff behind the bar.  I suggest breaking a barstool, or perhaps a card table.”

“Lucky us,” the man says dryly.

“Go home,” Tubbo says icily.  “Children don’t get to participate, so until you can act your age, I suggest you fuck off.”

The man glances at him, scowling.  They’re used to it by now.  They undermine Tubbo, they’re forced to leave, or they get shot.  Typically non-fatally, but it isn’t exactly pleasant.  Not to mention, getting shot non-fatally usually leads to a more radical retort, and that tends to lead to a more deadly shot.  The man leaves.

That’s one less person to intimidate with, but that’s far preferable to a loose cannon getting carried away and doing some serious damage.  Tubbo is being cautious, not out of guilt, but out of practicality.  He cannot be guilty for this.  If anything, he’s living up to Quackity’s expectations.  This was why he left, wasn’t it?  He saw the bits of Schlatt bleeding through as Tubbo took his place?

“If anyone gets hurt, I’ll fucking break you, do you understand me?” Tubbo says sharply to the remaining men.  “I will break every bone in your body and then I’ll end the job with a bullet.  We damage property, not people.”

No one here respects him.  Tubbo can only pray their selfish self-preservation will be enough to keep them in line.  Tubbo needs this to work.  He needs to back up his words with not just blood, but money as well.

Tubbo looks over at Jack.  If he had his way, Jack wouldn’t be here.  At the same time, he doesn’t think he can do this without him.  He wants to ask Jack if he’s ready, but he cannot show that type of caring in present company, so instead he walks across the street and enters the casino.

Quackity looks up the moment the door opens, and he knows exactly what’s happening.  He’s seen it often enough from the other side of things.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Quackity hops over the bar, almost wiping out as his cracked rib protests sharply, but he’s on a mission.  That is, to put himself between these fucking morons and his casino.  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

Tubbo’s prepared spiel of warning is stopped sharply as he sees Quackity’s bruised face, the thin cuts not yet scabbed over on his hands.  “What happened?”

Quackity too stops in his tracks, staring at Tubbo’s bruised jaw.  He can see where the rings made indents in his skin.  “Me?  What the fuck happened to you?”

Both of them frozen with the same thought, the same confusion, not at the bruises on the other’s face, but at the source.  He’s dead, so, how did this happen?

Both of their roles are briefly forgotten, staring at their injuries, baffled and even openly concerned, but it’s shattered soon enough.  Literally shattered, as one of Tubbo’s goons shatters the row of clean glasses on top of the bar.  At least he didn’t touch the alcohol.

“What the fuck?!” Quackity snarls, turning on a man twice his size.  Foolish, wide-eyed, grabs onto his boss’s arm, holding him back.

“Um, maybe better not, Quackity,” Foolish says, voice slightly higher as he knows everyone in the room is definitely armed.

So Quackity turns on a target more his size.  “You’ve lost your fucking  mind!” He shoves Tubbo back.

Tubbo ignores the dig.  “I have given you time to think, Quackity.  And now we have to get down to business.  If you don’t… accept my help, my protection, I will ensure Las Nevadas’ opening… well, let’s just say I’ll make sure it goes off with a bang,” Tubbo says with a mild, polite smile.

“Do you want me to call Sam?” Foolish asks.

Quackity doesn’t turn his gaze away from Tubbo, but replies nonetheless.  “What the fuck is Sam gonna do?  Call the cops?  Tubbo will be long gone by the time they get here and I don’t need them nosing around either.”

“So… so what do we do?” Foolish jumps when one of the tables he’d picked up a few days ago is flipped.

Quackity says nothing.  He does not flinch when one of his brand new card tables is smashed by a sledge hammer.

Tubbo keeps one eye on his men, but he returns his focus to Quackity.  “Yeah, Big Q.  What are you gonna do?”

Quackity feels the familiar, sour taste of humiliation rise up like bile in the back of his throat.  None of this is new.  It’s some bastard so terrified of seeming weak, he breaks what little belongs to Quackity to feel better.  Quackity isn’t able to put a stop to it, he isn’t allowed.  He’s supposed to stand there, and be docile, and maybe he’ll be rewarded with keeping the wreckage.  And of course, of fucking course, the man responsible this time around shares the same blood as the last.

“What the fuck happened to you?  Huh?  What, did the power already go to your head?  Still, this is fucking low.  Especially for you,” Quackity spits bitterly.

“This is low?” Tubbo tilts his head, assessing Quackity.  “Well, I’d hate to hear your thoughts on my plans for the grand opening.”

Quackity steps up until he and Tubbo are nose to nose.  “I fucking dare you, Tubbo,” his tone softens into something more dangerous.  “Just go ahead and try to ruin this for me, and I will fucking destroy you.”

Tubbo doesn’t step back, instead, he raises an eyebrow, scanning the room and the damage done, deeming it sufficient.  Quackity realizes with a twist of strange unease, that Tubbo is taller than him.  He doesn’t know when that happened.  Tubbo has spent so much time trying to make himself smaller, maybe he’s been like this for a while and Quackity just never saw it.  Quackity steps back.

Tubbo doesn’t engage with Quackity’s threat, proceeding as matter-of-factly as possible.  “I will give you until the opening to back down, to agree to give us a cut.  And in exchange, we’ll offer protection.  I mean that, not just protection from, well, us, but from everything, from the Badlands, from the other casinos, from all of it.”

“Why the fuck would they be a problem for me?”  Quackity is wary.  There’s no reason for Tubbo to know about the Badlands visit, not unless there’s a mole, and considering the company he keeps, that’s not unlikely.

Tubbo shrugs.  “I think it’s a safe assumption, at least enough to be worried.  I want to protect you, Quackity.  From all of it.  I hope you’ll let me.”

“You’ve lost your fucking mind.  You know who you sound like, don’t you?”

Tubbo briefly looks impacted in some way, a flash of hurt and anger he’s quick to bury.  “Don’t you dare say it, Big Q–”

“You sound like Schlatt,” Quackity spits viciously.

Tubbo buries the urge to shout at him, to sound weak and hurt, instead he proceeds with icy composure.  “Interesting from the man building the most predatory business in the city, hm?  He was the one preying on innocent people and taking their money, and what exactly is it you’re doing?  You know what kind of harm this could do–”

“No, no you don’t get to make that fucking comparison, it’s nothing like what he did–”

“You ended the prohibition, Quackity!” Tubbo shouts at him, sharp and almost shrill; for once there’s that hint of childishness that should be there for someone so young.  Quackity falls silent.  Tubbo continues, voice trembling, clinging to an ounce of calm.  “You ended it.  The Mayor did, whatever, you made that happen, Big Q.  I know you did.  And I know it hasn’t exactly been contained in this city before now, but I dunno, maybe it never brought you any comfort knowing if Sch–” Tubbo stops when his voice breaks, mouth a thin line.  He drums his fingers on the desk.  “Knowing that even if they couldn’t get him for anything else, sometimes it was nice.  Thinking he could’ve spent a night in jail for drinking on a bad night.  And you know he’s not the only man like that in this city.  I fucking guarantee you made someone’s life harder.”  Silence.  Quackity doesn’t say a word, he can tell Tubbo has more to say, and there’s something in the past eight years that despite everything means Quackity will let him say his piece uninterrupted.  Tubbo does.  “You were stuck there too, I know, but that was my home my whole life.  It’s different.  And I know we can’t blame everything that man was on the alcoholism, but–” Tubbo sighs heavily.  “I dunno, maybe I thought the prohibition was one thing this city had done right.”  Tubbo’s anger returns.  “I thought you of all people might understand that, and not forsake it for your profit margins.”

Quackity hadn’t expected that.  He doesn’t know how to protest it in good conscience, despite the damage Tubbo has done.

Tubbo straightens his tie, loosening it slightly.  He takes a deep breath.  “You have until the opening to get back to me, otherwise, there won’t be an opening, understood?”  Quackity doesn’t reply.  Tubbo understands.  “Alright.  We’re done here.  Lads?” Tubbo nods them back to the door.  He gives Jack another nod, indicating he wants him to leave too.  Tubbo knows Jack will want to have words with him about all this.  He’s not looking forward to it.  Tubbo waits, hands in his pockets, for the others to exit, watching Quackity with a carefully shielded expression.  For a moment, it’s just the two of them, Foolish mumbling something about getting a broom for the glass and Jack having left with the group.

Tubbo turns to leave.

“Hey,” Quackity grabs onto Tubbo’s arm, stopping him from leaving, staring Tubbo down with a promise weighted with blood, “if I go down, you go down with me, got it?”

Tubbo stares back, calculating and still too calm.  He replies, easily, as if this is exactly what he expected.  “Yeah.  Thought so.”  Tubbo pulls free from his hold on his arm and leaves him.

Quackity doesn’t know what to do with that.  So he can only assess the damage, and decide what lengths he will take to protect what remains.  He's not proud of it, but maybe Bad's visit has him a little inspired.  If Schlatt taught him one thing, nothing quite as effective as a hostage.

#my writing #mafia au #writer's block has been fucking me up!!! #but cabinet duo angst! here we go! #cabinetduo

[plinkcat-gif]

📓 im requeeeeeeesting the babys momo and mosu

send me a 📓 (book emoji) and i’ll share a brainrot idea!

ehehehehe momo+mosu part one it is :33

info to note:

- zetsu is still alive. madara has been taken care of though!

- obito knows about zetsu’s plans and the infinite tsukuyomi, but zetsu has yet to make any appearance since he left so there’s no point in chasing that until a clue comes up.

- obito is bad at dying because he has hashirama cells. the kids have seen him chop off a finger while making dinner and grow a new one in minutes. kakashi and rin are not that way. kakashi and rin are very human and far more vulnerable.

so for the first few years, all is well because obkkrin deserve a goddamn BREAK AJSJSKSJDJ.just raising the kids, no big killer missions, just taking enough to keep themselves afloat and then some. it’s really just peaceful and nice and they actually have the time to relish in the break and realize that just. they can have peace in their lifetimes. it does exist for them.

momo unlocks her sharingan first, though. i’ve mentioned a few times that it’s because of a breakdown, because she was already very emotionally/mentally/sensory overwhelmed and overstimulated. it was just a bad day :( rin tells her she needs to come inside, she can’t play in the rain for long or she’ll get a cold, and it Sets Her The Fuck Off. she explodes, yelling about how she hates everyone and she never wants to live here anymore, grabs her stuffed wolf and a peach, and leaves. obkkrin don’t wrangle her back, they let her settle in the emotions, and kakashi finds her about ten minutes later crying at the base of a tree not even two minutes from the edge of their land. he recognizes the sharingan of course, and it literally sends his heart and stomach DROPPING. same with obirin, who are like oh hell. oh she hates us. oh we are The Worst. because something in her obviously emotionally shifted to make her like this, and it was their fault.

momo is fine. they calm her and themselves down, and talk through the sharingan and what she was feeling, and it’s a bit of a mess of a conversation and she’s only six years old so she doesn’t really understand all these abstract concepts of feelings being thrown her way, but they’re back. they’re normal again.

fast forward to age 12 or so, and momo finds out about sakumo’s suicide because kakashi finally feels comfortable enough to just. tell her what happened. and she obviously feels sad for him, but it doesn’t like Haunt Her like it haunts kks obviously, she didn’t even know the guy. bc autism makes it hard for empathy sometimes, yk the deal

anyways! zetsu comes back. momo+mosu are on a mission together, low c-rank mission transfer, and they get separated from their group. zetsu approaches, intending just to make his presence known to obito and to manipulate the kids for his future plans, because obito still has been manipulated by him before and kids are the perfect targets. how does he do this? in the most traumatic way possible of course <3 he puts momo in a genjutsu where kakashi is the one that commits suicide, and she has to find him. this is Obviously traumatic!! and she unlocks the two-tomoe sharingan and breaks herself out of the genjutsu that way.

mosu’s traumatic dream consists of watching kakashi “kill” rin. he has no context to this because of course obkkrin haven’t told them anything about how they got their scars except “i was crushed in a rockslide” and “i was impaled. isobu saved me though!” and scars are just a part of the shinobi experience. so mosu finds out kakashi was the one to hurt rin and nearly kill her and he’s. not furious. but he is very confused and upset. he unlocks his sharingan and breaks free in the same way as mosu.

they both run back home, completely abandoning the mission and even though they Know it was fake the blood is still on their hands and they can’t get rid of the image and they Have To Check. they get home and momo is immediately running to kakashi crying, can’t let go of him, is very clingy. mosu confronts kakashi and rin about what happened in his genjutsu, and of course kakashi can’t lie about that. so mosu finds out. rin has to smooth it over bc kakashi loves to make things his fault even though she did everything. she takes full credit for her actions, tells mosu as such, and there’s no like. child hating parent thing that goes on or whatever.

this does, unfortunately. result in the children playing favorite parents. and they can’t Really help it, they don’t mean to leave obito out, but. obito can care for himself. rin and kakashi cannot.

#kirpy answers #kirpy ocs #obkkrin #also in theory. this will get written eventually #sometimes after nsmap sjdjsksjd

[scopeclean]

What to Know About Mold Remediation in Los Angeles

Have you begun to worry that there might be mold in your home? Were there recent rains in the Southern California area and you’re concerned that something just feels, well, wrong where you live? Then you very well may have problems with mold. Fortunately, we can help. Here at Scope, we’ve been providing mold remediation in Los Angeles and the surrounding area for many years. Now, we can put that experience to work for you. Yes, there are some small steps that you can take to mitigate mold damage. However, the best possible course of action is to leave the “heavy lifting,” so to speak, to the pros.

DANGERS OF MOLD “It’s just a little mold. How bad could it be?” For some of you, that may sound a bit absurd. But, it’s certainly a question that, in one form or another, has crossed many folks’ minds. After all, as busy as everyone is these days, it’s entirely possible to either try to ignore that you may have mold in your home or, more likely, to procrastinate doing something about it. Both are bad ideas. The truth is that mold can lead to serious health concerns for you and your family alike. Mold can trigger allergies, or worse, cause serious respiratory problems. Mold is, quite literally, one of the last things you would ever want in your home. Thus, it makes sense to get rid of it as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

WHERE MOLD COULD GROW The easy answer to this is essentially “anywhere there could be moisture in your home.” If there’s sitting water in your home or on your property for any length of time, then you may see mold growing in there. That said, there’s also plenty of mold that grows where it can’t possibly be seen by the naked eye. That can be some of the most insidious kinds of mold, in that they can cause serious damage to your property and your person without you having the slightest idea it is there.

Where could those areas be? Well, it could be behind your wallpaper or your paneling. You’d like to think that, if mold were in those areas, you’d be able to see it, through stains or something similar. While that may sometimes be the case, it’s far from always. Essentially, mold can grow anywhere moisture can get.

So, often, we’ll find moisture on the back of drywall, inside ceiling tiles, on the underside of carpets, piping in walls, and similar locations. Remember: mold doesn’t need to take long to grow. It can happen anywhere from as long as ten days to as short as one.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE The truth is, as a homeowner, there’s only so much you can do to deal with mold yourself. Serious mold problems require serious techniques, serious machines, and experts – all of which we can provide. That said, there are some steps you can take to mitigate the damage mold can do in your home. The key to controlling mold is to control moisture in your home. Thus, you want to do what you can to keep moisture from creeping into various parts of your home.

How can you do that? Dealing with water problems as quickly as possible, for starters. Do you believe you have a plumbing leak or something similar? Deal with it fast. If you do see mold, scrub it with water as well as detergent. Water, by itself, may not be enough.

Then, the next step is to dry it completely. It’s easy to overlook that, to just think “well, I washed it off, I’m good.” No, dry it. That way, you get all of the moisture.

PRO MOLD REMEDIATION IN LOS ANGELES More often than not, if you have a problem with mold, the best course of action is to reach out to us. As mold remediation experts, we have access as well as experience with all kinds of techniques and technology that the lay person doesn’t.

The first step of our mold remediation is, often, to conduct a thorough inspection. That way, we can determine exactly how much mold there is and moreover where it is. You now know that mold could be in areas invisible to the naked eye. However, that mold is not invisible to us. We can find it and do something about it.

Professional trained and certified by the IICRC in mold remediation as well as in water damage restoration, we know how to take care of mold in a way that, often, can return your property to a pre-damage state.

Don’t hesitate to call [phone] when contacting SCOPE Environmental Remediation Company if you ever need mold removal services.

[movedtodykedvonte]

If you’re not busy how bout a headcanon for how the four lords would react to their s/o, a doctor/field medic, somehow healing them of their cadou parasites and returning them to their normal selves

If you can't afford medical treatment just get your doctor S/O to do a quick surgery. It's legal and fun!!

Here's a cut cause this bad boy is long

Alcina Dimitrescu

You two had discussed it and agreed that it needed to be done. The girls would be in constant danger from BSAA/Blue Umbrella if Alcina was still such a strong bio-weapon.

She had worries; would she be weaker? Would she need to worry about her blood disease again? How would she protect her daughters? You assured her that you two would figure it out, that you would never do this if you thought it would do more harm than good.

The girls protested, saying they could handle whatever was thrown at them but Alcina hushed them, explaining that it was for her sake as well. It was only so long until BSAA stopped letting her get away with literal murder, no matter how necessary.

You had explained the most likely and best outcome, that she'd be cured and all the effects reversed, that she'd need regular infusions of blood and may feel weaker. You tried to treat her like a regular patient, the coldness of being a medic, but the worry loomed over you.

It was a quick procedure, the cadou just as it had smoothly integrated with Alcina, had been slipped out, the changes almost just as quick.

Her skin became humanly pale, no longer a porcelain white, wrinkles showing the age she was when infected, her height dwindling. You didn't account for her to wake up as quick as she did and had to dive to catch her as she wobbled of the operating table, not yet used to her smaller size.

"A mirror" "Are you sure, Alcina? Maybe you should-" "I want a mirror now" She was demanding, but you understood how justified that was. You only had a small one for operating on you but it would have to do.

She pulled at her face, a look of disdain as she inspecting the face of a mortal woman instead of an immortal lord. Seeing this you came up behind her, wrapping your arms around her waist like you were never able to fully do before, and planted a kiss on her cheek, now noticing how warm it was compared to her previous form

"I look horrid" "You look beautiful" The comment drew a smile from her, but you could still sense the doubt in her.

She stayed in her room for a while, you being the only one allowed entrance to tend her: Infusions, getting her used to human food rather than humans for food. Alcina insisted she fully recovers before her girls saw her as to not incite panic.

It was tough on her to be distant with her girls, but tougher on them to not see her after such a harrowing surgery.

When the girls first saw her it was as if they were interacting with a valuable and fragile vase, none of them wanted to get close in fear of hurting her, but they desperately wanted to inspect their mother.

"I'm not made of paper, an embrace won't kill me." It was lovely seeing them perk up at their mother's usual sass and even more relieving when they practically dove into her arms, bombarding her with questions on how she felt.

There were many things to still discuss, but for now, everyone was happy.

Donna Beneviento

Donna surprisingly brought it up to you first. You were having tea having a calm conversation with Angie for once. The mood felt off for that alone but for the whole day it felt off, now you knew why.

She wanted a normal life with you, one free of the mold and her dependence on her dolls. It was all a crutch and she wanted to start to walk without it.

You asked if she was sure, the dolls, especially Angie, meant so much to her, you didn't want to do it unless she was positively certain

"We've made our mind up, Y/N. We want this." Angie's serious response and Donna's nod were a startling confirmation. You set a date and prepared the tools for the procedure

Before all of that, you set up a party for Donna and Angie, placing all the dolls for one last goodbye. "Surprise!" You pop out with all the dolls, you suspect she knew as the dolls came to life to yell as well but she was crying tears of joy either way.

She said goodbye to all the dolls individually, thanking them for being there for her as she shut down her cadou in each of them. Donna told you that Angie didn't want to go until she had to. You understood completely.

On the day of the procedure, you knelt down to Angie and hugged her. She was always a little bit of a pain to you and she found you a bit dull but in the end, you cared and you were going to miss her rambunctiousness. You spared yourself the tears of a verbal goodbye as you placed her on the operating table next to Donna, she feigned unconscious to mimic her sedated friend.

It was slow and grueling to remove the cadou carefully from her face and skull, you wanted to leave as little scarring as possible. Donna had just stopped wearing the veil and you had no desire to be the reason it came back on

The procedure was no less easy as every amount removed, you noticed Angie appearing even more lifeless.

When it was done, she woke up, her working eye blinking under the bright lights of your operating chambers. She did not address you but immediately turned to Angie. You had not an idea of how she knew she was lying next to her

"Angie?" There was no response and you could see the tears forming as she slowly reached for her best friend, caressing the inanimate face. You took her other hand and squeezed it, before lifting it to your lips and planting a kiss.

Recovering was less physical than mental. Occasionally she'd ask her dolls a question, you'd catch her staring sorrowfully at them as they stared back unblinking. It was even worse when you heard her call for Angie, knowing it was impossible for her to respond.

Sometimes you'd find her staring out the window, holding Angie as she took in the horizon.

"It's difficult... She was always there for me." She stared at Angie, brushing the veil from her face as the setting sun leaked in. You sat next to her, leaning in close so you could support Angie's slumped head... Donna smiled at the action. "But, I suppose there's a lot else for me too." Donna rested her head on your shoulder, now looking at the broad horizon before you both.

Salvatore Moreau

It hurt you like nothing else to see Salvatore live in constant pain and suffering. You had done wonders for the hurt of loneliness but physically he was still in agony.

He has insisted not to burden yourself with him and that he was used to it, but the more he assured you the less you actually felt comforted. It came to a head one day that all he was doing was vomiting. You were sure you saw red at some point

"Stop saying you're fine!" "I'm used to it, Y/N" "Well I'm not!" You were a medic, it had become an instinct to stop people from being in pain, and Moreau made it flare up.

He refused to be operated on, making up excuses or insisting it was not a big deal to him after all these years. Clearly, you could tell it was something else, something he wasn't telling you but he refused to let it slip. It became a strain on your relationship. It felt bad but you had to threaten to leave if he was not going to be honest. He owed you that.

You felt even worse when you found out. "I'm scared it would get worse!" You realized that the last time Moreau was likely on an operating table, it turned him into what he was now. It was beyond inconsiderate to try and force him through it again.

For a while, you dropped it, letting the waters calm... until another vomiting fit happened and you thought you might lose him.

Luckily you didn't and unluckily for Moreau he had to see you're tear-ridden face the whole time, unable to assure you he would be fine due to the wretching. A day later he agreed to let you try.

You were relieved but now it went on to how you were exactly going to do this. You were unsure if removing the cadou would be enough to rid him of the tumors or if you would be on that too, you had no intention to make things worse like he feared.

A while passed as you collected the tools and set up an area in the reservoir to operate, everytime you made progress Moreau strayed farther from the area.

You finally finished and Moreau was off lurking in the waters, much like a child hiding from getting a shot. "Are you ready?" "Yes." "Are you lying?" "Yes." You were happy he found humor in the situation but you needed confidence.

You practically held his hand the whole way to the table, both to keep him from escaping to the water and a half for comforting, his grip did not slip until you had fully sedated him.

The procedure was more difficult than ever expected, the tumors were gelatinous and blocked the way to his cadou. You had to be careful not to burst one as well as not to accidentally paralyze him due to the proximity to his spine. It was slow and meticulous but eventually, you got it all.

Nothing happened. He laid unconscious on the table, cadou thoroughly gone, you made sure... but nothing happened. Did you fail? Was there another one? You pondered the possibilities but quickly stood up as the tumors began to swell, becoming enflamed before one burst, an acidic substance barely missing you and melting part of the floor. As more popped you took cover as not to get burned.

The grotesque sounds of bursting meat slowly faded, becoming less frequent until they stopped, but you waited, ensuring you did not accidentally get splashed by a straggler.

"Y/N?" The sound of your name from a familiar deep but the somehow less nauseous voice made you peer from around your cover, a man all too foreign and all too familiar sat dazed-looking on the table.

"Salvatore?" {Insert your own description of Moreau, I don't want to intrude on anyone's interpretation.} "Y/N!" He immediately tried to get off the table to come to you before you quickly stopped him, remnants of acid a very real danger. You covered a path and made your way to him, stopping at the edge of the table. "Did it work?"

Something about the question seemed laughable as you assumed the feeling would be completely different, but you still pulled a mirror close and let him marvel at a face he had long forgotten.

"Did I make it worse?" It was a snarky remark at his previous fears, probably a little insensitive but at the moment he smiled, suddenly pulling you into your first full kiss in your relationship. "Not at all."

Karl Heisenberg

You were helping him in the factory one day, decommissioning the more specialized soldats at the request of BSAA. You being less tech-oriented focused on the less mechanical soldiers while Karl took on the scrap heavy ones.

Having used some Cadou in them, you had to carefully remove that too, to ensure they would not resurrect after the metal was removed. It took no time for Karl to piece together who else that skill could be used on.

"Make space for me on your schedules, Y/N" He lit a cigar after the sentence, not explaining further. "Excuse me?" "You heard me, sweetheart." He ripped a core from another soldat before putting it on the belt to bring it towards you. You stared in disbelief.

"You want me to remove your cadou?" "Yep." "But I thought BSAA was." "I don't want those dick heads snooping in my body like I'm some labrat. You do it." The conversation was quick and honestly, it should have been expected.

Karl had joked with you before that you could take away his cadou. Just snip and a rip and it'd be done. You explained it wasn't that simple and he would chuckle out an agreement, but you could tell that the jokes had an air of seriousness around them. It had been his goal for a while to reverse what had been done to him

Picking a date was the biggest issue. Karl wanted to do it as soon as possible, get it out and be rid of it. You had to explain you needed time to prepare as the place was delicate and a risk. You knew it was out of excitement and anticipation.

When you finally made time, Karl was on the table before you had even put on gloves or disinfected it. "An eager beaver I see?" You tried to bring the humor Karl often did to scenarios like this, but you could see a sense of series on his face, even the glint of his glasses seemed steeled. "I want every trace of that bitch gone."

You nodded, pulling out the syringe to sedate him as you laid him down on the table. Removing his glasses you looked directly in his eyes, there was a trust in his that made you that much more determined. "You ready?" You asked as a medic protocol. "Just stick me doc." You rolled your eyes as he smirked before relishing in the slight scared look he gave the needle when you lifted it before him

The silence of it all unnerved you. Karl was always making wisecracks or jokes to alleviate the dreary mood of the factory. Having him laying silently before you, face still somehow serious while completely relaxed, made it all the more discomforting.

You worked diligently, careful to find all traces of the cadou and to remove them into a jar you had set aside. It was long but you did it with dutiful ease, Karl had waited so long for this and you must do it right

When it was all finished you took the jar, disgusted at the somehow living organism inside. How could she put this in someone she considered her child. Bitch, was too kind a word Karl used for her. You took the jar to a furnace, throwing it in and watching the thing wriggle frantically before burning to a crisp.

Coming back to the table you found Karl stirring awake, groggily holding himself up on his forearms. "So, how'd it go?" "You tell me?"

Karl looked around the room, his hammer resting in the corner. Focusing on it he waited for the item to float toward him, yet it remained still. After a minute of nothing he stopped, a slow chuckle emerging from him, melding into a proud laugh.

"Well, I'll be damned, Y/N. You've outdone yourself." He began patting himself in search of a cigar. You pulled one from the side table and offered it, snatching it away before he could get a grasp on it. "No smoking until you're fully healed."

He shook his head, chuckling a little more before sitting up and pulling you close. Tilting your head up he locked your lips together. Pulling apart he smiled, "Whatever you say, doc."

I completely forgot that Moreau was a doctor and honestly I should've added something about medical knowledge but its super late and I have a job interview to get up for.

#resident evil 8 #resident evil #resident evil village #re8 #alcina dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu #dimitrescu daughters #dimitrescu sisters #angie the doll #salvatore moreau #moreau #karl heisenberg #donna beneveinto x reader #lady dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu x reader #salvatore moreau x reader #moreau x reader #karl heisenburg x reader #ask #anon #I have a salvatore like human headcanon but i'll keep it to myself

[noodles-and-oodles]

Hi, there~! So, I have this really fun idea in my head. I would like a headcannon in which the fem! reader asks the Dorm Leaders to be her pretend boyfriend. But what happens if the boys fall in love for real? Super fluff, please! Thanks!

OH MY GOD HEHEHE 🙈 I’m sorry that this one took so long, I had a tiny bit of writer’s block djdjdjdj.

Also, Malleus’ section was a little angsty I’m so sorry I just think that him having to pretend he’s someone’s boyfriend is probably gonna hurt him T_T

Thank you for requesting and I hope this is to your liking!

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Riddle Rosehearts

When you come to Riddle in distress one day, the dorm leader is immediately attentive to you, bombarding you with questions including all the who, what, when, where, and why’s. When you explain to him that a student has been persistently trying to court you despite you rejecting them, he’s baffled

How dare they? You said no, what part of that didn’t they understand? Harassing a lady, no, harassing anyone is just unforgivable and he’d sooner off their head if he knew who they were. Riddle asks what you would like him to do to help, all for getting rid of this scum bag by any means possible

The proposition of pretending to be a couple was not apart of those means, at least Riddle never considered it. He’s wide eyed and sort of turning red, you guys were friends, wouldn’t it just be weird to start “dating” all of a sudden?

Despite all of his internal protests, Riddle agrees, thinking that if he can at least help you out it would be all okay in the end. Well, except for his heart that is

The two of you begin to subtly make your “relationship” public. Hand holding while going to classes, eating lunch together, and even studying together. The two of you are hardly ever seen apart from one another aside from when Riddle has dorm leader duties to attend to

During all of this, Riddle can’t help but find that spending time with you is really fun. He smiles more when he’s with you , enjoying your company greatly. You made him laugh, feel relaxed, and just a bunch of things that he doesn’t normally get to experience

So is anyone really surprised when Riddle falls for you? Being with you is now one of his most favorite things to look forward to each day and it doesn’t take an idiot to know what that means

Soon enough though, gossip about the new “couple” spreads like wildfire around the school and sure enough, your pursuer confronts you about it. Questions of when you and Riddle got together will be first along with why but you just get upset, saying it’s none of their business and that you had since rejected them

Before things can escalate, a loud “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” is heard and the students head is offed just like that. Like a knight in uh…uniform armor, Riddle is by your side and defending you, scolding the student so harshly that they run off before Riddle can even drop the magic on them

The both of you are pretty sure that the student won’t be bothering you anymore after that and you thank Riddle for all the help he’s given you these past few days

Well, now is better than never, is what Riddle thinks before admitting that he’s grown fond of you during your time together and shyly asks if you’d like to join him for tea sometime— alone

And of course, Riddle secures the bag hehe

Leona Kingscholar

Leona is livid when you come to him and tell him that someone’s been harassing you into dating them. We all know about Leona’s respect juice for women so to hear that you, his friend, was being bothered in such a way made him more all the more angry

His first offer is to beat them to a pulp talk to the student and maybe threaten them a little but you instead counter with asking if he could pretend to be your boyfriend, just until the student finally gets the idea that you’re not interested at all

Leona agrees thinking it’s not a big deal, forgetting the things that has to happen in order to prove the two of you are dating. Such as attending classes, skipping naps, and accompanying you to lunch…he didn’t realize how much of a pain in the ass it all was but for some reason, when he’s with you it doesn’t feel all that bad

The lion may or may not also say that napping on your lap is totally something girlfriends let their boyfriends do 👍 so that’s a bonus in his pocket if you let him lol. He loves the warmth of napping on your lap, it’s so much better than just napping on the ground or wherever he pleases

Believe it or not, he comes to like picking you up and taking you to classes, the sight of your face in the early morning brings a foreign warmth to the prince’s heart and he always looks forward to spending more time with you

Your most often hangout spot though is the garden and many know that, even the student that’s been harassing you. Even if they did it while you were alone, it was still a bad idea to confront you in the garden, it’s Leona’s territory and he doesn’t take well to intruders

One of the savanaclaw students will tell Leona about what they saw and he’s racing to the garden immediately, ready to get rid of this pest once and for all. Sure enough when he gets there, he hears the two of you talking

Your back is facing Leona, so when the student turns white like a sheet as you’re speaking, you become extremely confused. That is, until you feel an arm wrapping around your shoulder and you don’t have to look to know it’s Leona that is scaring the student

“This herbivore is mine, so bug off before I disintegrate you” Leona will let out a low snarl and just like that, the student is racing for the hills, with their imaginary tail between their legs. That was pretty easy, huh?

After the student is gone, you’re thanking Leona, you feel that after his little intimidation stunt that the student won’t be bothering you any longer. Leona stops you before you can leave though, clearly looking like he had something to say

When Leona tells you he meant every word he said, you’re stunned but Leona just smirks at you. You didn’t think you were going to get out of this freely did you? He’s not that kind. He’ll tell you that you owe him one and a date should be payment enough ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Azul Ashengrotto

Having Azul as a friend means that it’s unlikely that people will mess with you, afraid that the dorm leader will sick the tweels on them if they did. But one student didn’t seem to care as they continued to ask you out and each and every time you would reject

At first you didn’t want to bother Azul, you know he’s always busy with dorm leader duties, managing the Mostro Lounge, and handling his own school work. But when the harassing comes to the point it’s on a daily basis is when you finally cave

Azul’s disturbed and a bit upset that you didn’t come to him sooner, he could have had the twins get rid of this problem as soon as it started but you just reply that you’re well aware of what that would entail and instead offer up the proposition of pretending to date

The cecaelia would normally strike up a contract in turn but you were his dear friend, and the twins were quite fond of you as well so he decides against it and agrees to help you under the condition of you owing him a favor at the end of it. That’s a pretty fair deal to him after all

As much as he’d like to, Azul can’t be with you every moment of the day, he is a busy guy after all. But the time that he can spare is religiously spent with you and through that he begins to see little habits of yours or cute things about you that he’s never really noticed before

Azul is a touch starved merman, he’s not used to receiving affection but in order for it to look like you guys are dating, it’s practically required. His heart beats rapidly when you excitedly greet him with a hug, saying you’ve missed him and that he was gone far too long

Don’t even get me started on the hand holding, Azul’s favorite part about it is the warmth that you guys share as you walk down the halls. He’s never felt anything like it and before he knew it, he was slowly beginning to like the idea of the two of you being together

Honestly, Azul had forgot all about the reason you guys were faking to begin with until he sees said reason confronting you in the Mostro Lounge. The student had followed you, and started bombarding you with questions in the middle of the lounge, causing a scene which had everyone watching

Azul handles it like a bad bitch gentleman and he’ll first ask the student not to yell at his girlfriend, it’s quite rude after all. With the tweels as his back up, he smoothly tells the guy that he doesn’t have a chance with you not in heaven or in hell before telling the tweels to put the trash on the curb

Once the trash is gone, the two of you go to Azul’s office where you thank him profusely for his help but he’ll stop you there before you can thank him any further. Remember that favor you promised him? Well, now he’s decided what he wants and that my dear, is a date with you <3

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim is downright flabbergasted when you tell him about the harassment you’d been dealing with. He’s almost even outraged but the boy is too kind for that, anger not being one of his strong suits. He just couldn’t believe that someone would be so rude!

He’ll ask what he can do to help and when you ask him to pretend that you guys are dating, he’s immediately on board. He’s not too sure on how to pretend to be a boyfriend but he’ll give it his all!

Honestly, Kalim sort of already acts like one with his overly friendly gestures but now it’s just times ten. Normally he’ll reign himself in after a hug upon greeting but now he’ll continue to hug you tightly and cling to you as you guys walk through the halls, chatting your head off all the while

Your every moment in school is practically dedicated to spending time with Kalim, his sunrays easily keeping away any shadows that are following the two of you around (not that Jamil isn’t also on the lookout)

Holding hands, going to class together, lunch together, even feeding you some of your food, Kalim is selling his role so well that people can’t help but gossip about how cute the two of you are and that your relationship is “#goals” as Cater would put it

Even with all the time he’s spent with you, Kalim probably won’t realize the crush he’s developed on you, but Jamil surely has. The dorm leader talks about you all the time when the two of you are apart, saying how how he misses you or wondering how you’re doing. Honestly Jamil is at his wits end, if he likes you THAT much he should just tell you

And he does just that, unintentionally though. The student who you were trying to avoid had decided to confront you after class and Kalim was quick to notice your disappearance so he went looking for you. When seeing the student cornering you, Kalim jumps in between you guys

He’ll give his best glare and tell the student off, something along the lines of “I won’t tolerate you harassing the girl I like- I mean, my girlfriend!” He’s a cutie and Kalim hugs you for extra measures, and thankfully the student takes his defeat and leaves

If you point out Kalim’s mistake, he’ll be embarrassed but also admit that it’s true. He’s not a good liar nor is he one to hold his feelings in so right there and then is where he’ll pour them out to you

Vil Schoenheit

Never in a million years would you ever think that you’d be asking the Queen to help you with a problem as minuscule as yours. You didn’t want to but at the same time, you knew that Vil was one of the best people to ask for help when it comes to such situations

And now let me tell you, you must have guts of steel if you’re asking THE Vil Schoenheit to pretend to be your boyfriend when there are thousands, maybe millions, of people out there who want to date him for real. Friend or not, Vil won’t be too keen on agreeing to your favor even if he is appalled by the nature of this student

But he can’t exactly deny the truth in the fact that this student is clearly blatantly harassing you to the point where you felt that you needed to ask him to do something like this. Vil ponders on it, he’d be risking his reputation and if anything you might gain even more harassment from his fans…that is, if they find out

It’s a tough decision but Vil agrees in the end. He can’t promise to be with you at all times, but he’ll try to find some time for you. He’ll have Rook keep an eye on you in the times that he can’t escort you to classes (side by side of course, no hand holding allowed, too scandalous UwU)

But the time he does get to spend with you is very refreshing for him. Vil finds that you’re very understanding of his work and always encourage him to speak how he wishes since it’s just the two of you. He finds himself letting his guard down more often around you and the dorm leader can’t help but think he wishes he could spare you some more time

And slowly, that’s what he’ll do. The fact that it’s under pretense of “fake boyfriend duties” helps him hide his hidden motive of wanting to be with you, always saying that isn’t it better for him to be around so that he can protect you?

It’s a particular day when Vil had managed to get out of some duties early and had sought you out, only to find you being confronted by someone, he figured it must be the student. There were some lingering students in the area but Vil could care less as he marched up to the two of you

Vil will scold the student harshly, making sure each and every one of his words hit a nerve within them and for the cherry on top, he’ll bring you into his embrace and say “don’t you get it? I’d never let some rotten potato like you have my girlfriend”

You’re practically a blushing mess after Vil is through with the student, having since noticed the crowd that’s gathered and all the phones that were recording what just went down

Vil doesn’t seem bothered which worries you but your doubts cease when Vil turns to you with a confident smile. Why don’t you two give the crowd something to stare at?

Idia Shroud

Believe me, Idia is upset when you come to him and elaborate on the problem you’ve been dealing with for some time. He couldn’t believe that you had to go through that and will offer to give you some behind the scenes help, unfortunately for him, that’s not exactly what you were aiming for

You’d either have to be A) Idia’s best friend in the whole wide world or B) his crush in order to get him to do something like pretending to be a couple. His poor little anxiety ridden heart will not be able to stand the pressure of such a role not to mention he’s horrible at confrontation

He can’t say no if you plead, especially with some puppy eyes, he’ll be like putty in your hands. Idia will have to gather up his life span’s worth of courage which isn’t much in order to do a good job as your pretend boyfriend, only the Great Seven can help him now

He’ll eat lunch with you in a secluded area, walk you to class (you guys will be the last ones to trickle in), and invite you over to his dorm room more often. Idia will probably apologize a lot when he shies away from your hand holding or affectionate touches, he just really isn’t used to it to which you understand

However, slowly, Idia will get used to being around you, loving that you don’t seem to be annoyed or disgusted by anything he does. It’s strange to him but he’s appreciative of it and eventually may even find the courage to hold your hand, even if it’s just for a few seconds (in private of course) and despite the dangerous number his heart rate is reaching, he’ll enjoy every second of it

Believe it or not, news about you two does spread. It’s extremely rare to see the Ignihyde dorm leader out and about, especially when it’s spending time with another student. All of the dorm members are shocked at their own leader’s behavior and can only assume that it’s because the girl he’s hanging out with, you, is his girlfriend

Aaaaannnddd here comes the drama, dun dun dunnnn! The student that you told Idia about confronts you about this newfound information they’ve come across and when you say it’s true, the student is upset. Idia is there at the time of the altercation but he’s frozen still, unable to say anything really so you have to take matters into your own hands

You hug Idia’s waste before reaching up to peck his cheek, practically sentencing the blue haired teen to death as his face turns an impossible shade of red. You tell the student off and ask them to no longer disturb you as you have a boyfriend that you’re madly in love with. The student, in all their defeated stupor, leaves the two of you alone

Idia is practically a statue by the end of it and you poke his cheek a few times in an attempt to get him out of his frozen state. You’ll tell him that you were just pretending and ask what he’s so worked up about and it’s then that Idia speaks up.

He’s red and rambling all kinds of nonsense, the last words sounding a little something along the lines of “would you be able to act so calmly when your crush kisses you?!” And then he runs off like a girl in a teen drama. It takes you a moment to realize what he said and when you do, you’ll have to chase him down to get a confession out of him lol

Malleus Draconia

I’d honestly feel bad for the student harassing you, Malleus doesn’t take kindly to people messing with his friends, and an angry Malleus is never something one should want to see. At first, you didn’t want to tell him but Malleus practically drags it out of you with his bazillion questions as to why you keep looking over your shoulder and have a nervous look on your face

When you tell him about your problem, you can feel the aura around Malleus changing from peaceful to one of displeasure. He’ll ask who the student is and say that he’ll personally deal with them but you object, afraid for the student’s life. You’ll suggest that he can help, in a more calm and peaceful way, which you then ask him to pretend to be your boyfriend

Malleus is easily the best and sort of worst person to come to for help. Easy because of his reputation, everyone fears the tall fae and no one would dare try to cross him. Worst because of him being a late bloomer when it comes to romance, well the beginning parts of it

You’ll explain that hand holding, hugging for slightly long periods of time, and even cheek kisses is all the norms of pretending to date. Malleus is a bit embarrassed at first, he knows that these things are what you do with the one you like but he also has that reminder in the back of his head that this is fake

Unfortunately for him, he’s touch starved in the romantic sense. He’s never had anyone treat him as gently as you do with the way you’ll reach up and brush some hair out of his face or even just holding his hand. His heart pounds painfully when you do these things but it also fills with a sense of dread, you were only doing this because you guys were pretending

So this is love…huh? Who knew it could be so sweet yet painful at the same time. Regardless of his growing feelings for you, Malleus will continue through with this til the end because that’s what he promised, even if he does end up getting hurt in the end

When news about you and Malleus’ relationship gets around the entire school, you would have figured that the student would have tried to confront you by now but instead, you just find a letter on your desk from them stating that they are happy for you and will no longer be bothering you

You’ll show the letter to Malleus and thank him for all his help, to which the fae will give a sort of half hearted smile. He’s happy that you no longer have to deal with that student but now his own heart is troubled with the feelings he grew for you during your short time together

If you happen to notice Malleus’ distant behavior and question him, he’ll apologize and tell you that it seems he went out of his way and thought more into the situation than was needed, essentially confessing that he caught feelings lmao he’ll feel bad but don’t worry MalMal, your feelings are not getting rejected heehee (unless y’all are evil 😳)

#twst headcanons #twst #headcanon #heartslabyul #savanaclaw #octavinelle #scarabia #pomefiore #ignihyde #diasomnia #riddle rosehearts #leona kingscholar #azul ashengrotto #kalim al asim #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #malleus draconia #noodlewrites

[samwisethewitch]

Banishing Nasty Spirits

If you’ve been following this series of posts, you know why a witch might work with spirits, how to establish a relationship with a spirit, and how to communicate with spirits. What we haven’t yet discussed is how to get rid of spirits that are bothersome, annoying, or malevolent.

I was planning to talk about pathworking and astral travel before getting into banishing, but in light of some asks I recently received on Tumblr, I think it’s important that we take a moment to discuss how to get rid of spirits that, for whatever reason, you don’t want around.

There are lots of reasons you might not want a spirit in your space. Just like with people, some spirits just aren’t a good fit for you and your practice. Part of being a spirit worker is cultivating a “spirit team” of beings that you can have healthy and beneficial relationships with.

Some spirits are mischievous and like to cause trouble. If you find yourself on the receiving end of lots of spirit pranks, you may want to gently encourage them to move along. And there are some spirits out there who just genuinely hate humans and will go out of their way to cause mental, emotional, and even physical harm.

Don’t get me wrong — malevolent spirits aren’t common. In my experience, the vast majority of unwanted spirits are more annoying than dangerous. I’m not saying this to scare you or make you paranoid. But these things do exist, and it would be negligent of me not to mention them in a series on spirit work.

There’s a reason that one of the most common truisms in witchcraft is, “Never conjure something you can’t banish.” If you’re going to be working with spirits, it’s a good idea to know how to banish them just in case. With that being said, here’s how you can clear out any nasties that may be lingering in your space.

Cleansing

The first step is to kick those unwanted spirits out of your space. There are lots of ways to do this, so choose the one that is the best fit for you.

Cleansing with fire and smoke is a very old and very simple method. If this is the way you decide to go, there are several magical substances you can burn to banish spirits. Burning sulfur or asafetida will clear out just about anything, but they both smell awful and are potentially toxic, so you’ll want to get an okay from the other people living in your home, burn a little at a time, and make sure you have lots of windows open. (Some people say sulfur and asafetida will banish all spirits, not just the unfriendly ones, so you may have to invite your spirit team back in later.) For something that smells a little more pleasant, you can try a mix of frankincense and myrrh resin, or burn a mix of dried rosemary, sage (garden sage, not endangered white sage, please!), and bay leaves — but again, make sure you have windows open, because these get smoky. Plus, you want the windows and/or doors open so the spirits have somewhere to go when the smoke chases them out.

If smoking up your living space isn’t an option for you, you can manually clean your space with a wash or powder. If you have hardwoods, you can make a floor wash with water, salt, lemon juice, rosewater, lavender essential oil, and either bay laurel or rosemary essential oil. (This is adapted from an uncrossing bath in the book Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison.) Use this mixture to mop your floors, as well as to wipe down your walls and furniture. If you have a humidifier or essential oil diffuser, diffusing some of this mix would also be a good idea.

If you have carpet, you can make a powder by combining salt, dried lemon peel, dried roses, lavender flowers, and bay leaves. You’ll need to ground this really fine, so I recommend using a coffee grinder or food processor. Sprinkle the powder on your carpet, let it sit for a few minutes, and then vacuum it up. I would supplement this by also diffusing a mix of saltwater with rosewater, lemon juice, and lavender and/or bay laurel essential oil. If you don’t have a diffuser, at least sprinkle some saltwater around the room and on your belongings.

No matter which form of cleansing you decide to use, it’s important to verbally state your intention to banish these unwanted spirits from your space. Tell them out loud that they are no longer welcome here and that they need to leave. Don’t be rude about it, but be firm and speak clearly and with confidence.

After you cleanse your space, it’s a good idea to cleanse yourself as well to remove any psychic ties to the spirits you’ve just banished. The easiest way to do this is with a ritual bath. The floor wash recipe mentioned earlier can also be used as a psychic cleansing bath. Other options include a bath with salt, frankincense, and myrrh or a bath with salt, rosemary, sage, and bay laurel. You can use essential oils for your bath, or add the resins and herbs to a cheesecloth bag and drop it into the tub for easy diffusing and cleanup.

If you don’t have a bathtub, you can cleanse yourself in the shower. Place two cups of salt in a bowl. Add lemon juice, rosewater, lavender essential oil, and either bay laurel or rosemary essential oil. If you don’t have essential oils, you can add dried lavender and crushed bay leaves. Add some of your favorite body wash to create a scrub (if you don’t have body wash, use olive oil). While in the shower, use this mixture to scrub your skin — visualize yourself scrubbing away any psychic gunk you might have picked up.

Protection

Once you’ve removed any unwanted spirits from your space, you want to lay down some protection to keep them from coming back. There are as many ways to ward off spirits as there are witches, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

One option is to create a ward. You can do this by anointing the door frames, door knobs, and window frames of your home with a protective oil blend and/or by creating lines of salt across your doorways and just inside your windows. You can use other protective substances if you prefer. As you lay down these protections, visualize a protective shield around your home, and speak aloud your intention to keep harmful spirits out.

Iron is said to repel spirits. Keep a railroad spike or other large piece of iron under your bed to prevent nightmares and to keep spirits from messing with you while you sleep. There’s an old superstition that says that hammering iron nails into the four corners of your home protects it from spirits — this may not be possible if you’re renting, but you can create a similar effect by displaying a piece of iron in each of the four corners of your home. Hematite is a crystal that is high in iron, so it can be used in a similar way to ward off spirits.

Aloe is said to protect from negative spirits, and to bring protection and good luck more generally. It’s also a common house plant that is easy to care for, so this method of protection is especially great for witches who need to keep their practice a secret. Keep several aloe plants in your home to protect those who live there.

For witches with a crafty side, making a witch bottle is another option for protection. There are lots of different recipes for witch bottles, but the basic method is to fill a bottle with sharp objects, add something from your body, and hide it somewhere outside your home (traditionally buried on the property, but leaving it in an outbuilding works just as well). The idea is that any nasty spirit that comes looking for you will be attracted to the bottle (because it contains part of your body), get caught by the sharp objects, and be trapped. To create a simple witch bottle, fill a mason jar about halfway with sewing pins, then add a bit of your hair and some of your fingernail clippings, and finally fill it with liquid (traditionally, this liquid is your own urine, but if that makes you uncomfortable vinegar will also work). If you want, you can also include some of your favorite banishing herbs, resins, or crystals.

Religious symbols can also keep nasty spirits away. If you identify strongly with a religion, display protective symbols from that faith in your living space. For example: a Christian witch might hang up a crucifix or set out a statue of Archangel Michael, a Norse pagan witch might hang up an image of Mjolnir, a Hindu witch might display a statue of Durga, etc. Sometimes the most effective way to keep nasty spirits away is to let them know that you’re under the protection of someone more powerful.

When dealing with unwanted spirits, the most important thing to remember is that you do not need to be afraid. You are a powerful witch, and you are more than capable of getting rid of them. Be confident in your abilities and know that whatever happens, you can handle it.

Resources:

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin

Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

#baby witch bootcamp #baby witch #witch #witchcraft #witchblr #spirit work #spiritual #spirituality #wicca #wiccan #pagan #folk magic #magic #magick #cleansing #banishing #exorcism #protection #protection spell #pagan witch #christian witch #witchy #paganism #long post #my writing #mine

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Request: Mine (Alec Volturi x Reader)

WARNING: GORE!

You had to stay clear. Heidi was bringing in the tours and Demetri was around to make sure all would run smoothly, no one being left behind. Whilst you could only smile at a few of the tourists who locked eyes with you. You figured it wouldn't hurt, they'd go one way and you'd go the other, completely clear of what would happen next. Suddenly you heard your name. 

The voice was familiar but before you could recall who it was, they stepped out of the line of tourists, walking up to you with a smile. You felt your stomach drop. It was your ex boyfriend. Heidi and Demetri both looked at him but said nothing. "Well I'll be damned, I never thought I'd see you here." Your ex smiled. "It's good to see you." You said politely. Although you found it difficult to mask your unease. "Do you work here?" He asked. "Yeah." You nodded. "How have you been?" It was clear he was determined to get a conversation to you reluctantly gave in. "I've been good. Working mostly." You smiled gesturing to the room. "How have you been?" “I've been great. Travelling with friends. Partying. You know me." He winked. You hummed in 'amusement'. 

"Well hello there." Heidi glided up to you both. Your ex looked her up and down and smirked. "Hey." "(Y/N)'s considered new around her and doesn't know anyone." Heidi smiled, pulling you into her side. She rubbed your arm slightly. Although you were uncertain if that was her way to say she had your back. "So who's your friend?" She smiled wider, showing her teeth. "Oh he isn't my-" You began but your ex interrupted. "I'm an old friend. (Y/N) and I have quite a history together." He replied sending you a teasing flirtatious smile. "This is my ex boyfriend." You finished. "Oh I see. Well, you only have a couple of minutes, the tour is about to start and you..." She lightly tapped your nose with her free arm. "...have to get back to work." She broke away but kept at a close distance. Supposedly not paying attention anymore but you knew she was keeping close for you. 

"How long have you been here?" Your ex asked. "I've been here for nearly a year now."  "Wow. No one told me you'd left. Your mum told me when I went looking for you but she had no idea where you went. She said you had just up and left." You wanted to kick yourself and groan. This wasn't going to be easy. "Why...why did you speak to my mum?" You asked. "I was looking for you. I went to your house but your mum said you had been gone for months." "Yeah, I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I needed the space and time to build a new life here. My...my life back there was pretty much ruined." Thanks to him. "Ah, yes, that wasn't my finest moment." He said quieter. "It doesn't matter now. What's done is done. The way I see it, it would have been worse if I stayed." "In my eyes, the worst thing I've ever done is what I did to you." He responded. You were certain that your ex had cheated on you. If he hadn't then it would be a matter of waiting until he did. Waiting for your heartbreak. Not to mention he wasn't exactly apologetic for the flirting with others, and generally tiptoeing the line of cheating. 

When you ended things with him, he was determined to ruin your reputation with rumours about you such as being controlling. You saw the storm he was itching to give you. So you figured if you left, you'd be rid of him and any damage he caused, as well as he'd have no choice but to pick someone else or be his own downfall thanks to that oncoming storm. 

You shrugged. "Hey...can we talk? A little more privately?" He asked softly. "I don't think I can. I really need to get back to work-" "It'll only be just a minute." He said quickly. "Alright everyone, the tour is starting, if you could all please stick together and not wander. This place is very big and who knows if we'll find you again!" Heidi's voice rang out. The last sentence received a couple of chuckles. "Enjoy the tour. It was nice to see you again." You took a step back. "Please, it's important." He said hurriedly. You didn't know how to answer.  "One moment everyone!" Heidi smiled brightly as Demetri placed a hand on her back and guided her towards the corner in hushed chatter. 

"Make it quick." You said flatly. "I've been thinking about us. How we left things and I've really missed you." You sighed. "I know- I know we had our issues but if we try we can work through them." "No. I think the past is in the past and I want to leave it there." You responded. "If you didn't care you wouldn't have left everything behind." He said. "You know, I have more reasons to leave than you making up stories about me whilst you play around with others feelings." You frowned slightly. "I don't blame you." He answered. "I don't care and I don't need your validation. You made your choices and I made mine."  "You're just not thinking straight. You left your family. They don't even know where you are." He said. "That is none of your business." You said firmly. "Would you stop acting so entitled and being overdramatic and listen to me? It's no wonder we broke up. You do this every time!" 

"Excuse me, I think that's enough now." Demetri interrupted calmly. "The tour is about to start." "Buddy... you're really not involved in this and we're having a conversation so mind your business." Your ex said through gritted teeth. Before Demetri could respond, you jumped to his defence. "Don't speak to him like that! You can speak to me like that but don't speak to him like that!" "No, he can't speak to you that way." Heidi said, sending him a pointed gaze. Her hands on her hips. Your ex looked at her. Knowing him, he wanted to snap at her like he had Demetri but as soon as his eyes landed on her, they softened and he said nothing. He wore the same look he had back then. "You know that's why I'd get to angry with you." You said softly. "You always tried to convince me that I was crazy but even now, you have a wandering eye." "What? You'd want me to blind myself? Is that what would make you happy?" He said with snark and you didn't respond. Demetri nodded to Heidi . "Are we done here?" You asked him. "No." Your ex said flatly. You sighed before turning to Heidi. She was about to speak up but you cut her off. "It's okay Heidi. I can handle this." "You make it sound like I'm the problem here." Your ex frowned. "If your colleagues didn't hover around you then perhaps we wouldn't be disagreeing right now." "It's alright, Heidi." Demetri said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You go ahead with the group. I'll make sure he catches up." Heidi thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Very well." With a flick of her hair she moved towards the front of the group. "As I said everyone! Stay together!" She began to walk down the corridor, heading towards the throne room. 

You knew at this point your ex was just shutting down. He knew that wasn't what you meant but everything he'd say from that moment forward was out of pure spite. "You do this every time!" He said in anger. "I don't want to fight with you! I'm trying to talk to you." "There's nothing to talk about. What you and I had is over." "No, it's not." He responded quickly and confidently. "You can't do that. You can't just speak to me like we just shared a ride home." He said, stepping closer. "You and I are more than that, we always have been." "We aren't anything. I've moved on and I'm happy." You responded, standing your ground. "Moved on?" He laughed. "No. No, I don't believe that. You're still standing here and we both know that when you're done with someone that you don't give them the time of day." "I'm trying to be civil and not make a scene." He laughed again, completely convinced. "Alright. Where is my replacement then, hm? Is it him?" Your ex nodded behind him towards Demetri. "No and I don't want you meeting him." You folded your arms. "Or I won't because you're lying." Your ex smirked. "You don't have to be like this babe. We can start again. We can have that happy life together we talked about. Laugh about all of this later. You and I were solid and we can be like that again." You shook your head. "No. I already told you I'm with someone else." "And do they love you like I do?" He asked. You paused. You knew Alec loved you. He just didn't tell it or show it all the time. Not in the way your previous relationships had. Alec wasn't like other people and sometimes that had challenges but you'd take that. You'd rather someone loved you and barely told you rather than someone constantly telling you they loved you merely because they loved the idea of you and wanted to keep you around. "My guess is that he loves me more." You answered quietly. It had been a long time since you had to deal with how your ex was treating you and you couldn't help but wonder if you were losing. Your ex hummed in amusement. "You tell yourself that a lot, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. Well let me tell you babe, loving you is easy." He moved closer, his voice lowering. "I promise you, I loved you more than anyone ever has and I still do. You're hurt. I get that. I hurt you but I can fix it just as easily. Just as easily as you light up my world with that beautiful face of yours. Come on, you and me." He took your arms and you shook your head. "No." You said quickly. Demetri stepped forward but you shook your head at him. "It's fine, Demetri. I can handle this." You said hurriedly. "In fact, don't you have somewhere else to be?" Your ex sneered at Demetri behind him. His grip on you tightened. "Stop it. You're getting angry at him for no reason." You said hurriedly. "Yes, I am because this dude doesn't know when to take a hint and clear off." Your ex said sharply. Demetri's eyes narrowed on your ex before turning on his heel and briskly heading down the corridors, the same way the rest of the tourists had. 

"Come on, you and me." Your ex said quieter and softly. "We had amazing times together and we should never have ended things the way we did." "You're not listening to me. It is over." You emphasized. "No, it's not." He said simply. Before you could pull back, your ex pulled you in by your arms and kissed you. You immediately pulled your head away. "You can't do that!" You cried out. However you cry was drowned out by a very loud scream of rage. 

Alec was in front of you both in moments and looked absolutely livid. With inhuman speed he grabbed your ex, throwing him to the ground. Alec was moving so fast that you couldn't see anything but a blur. Your ex screamed in terror as Alec dragged him by the legs, down a different corridor behind you. "Alec!?" You cried out but before you could move, Demetri held you back as Felix and Jane stepped around you, heading after Alec. Demetri forcibly made you turn in the other direction. 

You thought he was taking you to the throne room but her turned a sharp corner and instead led you to the kitchen. You could only say Demetri's name, unable to form a coherent sentence. You wanted to ask him a million questions but nothing came to mind. "Your arms..." Demetri said quickly closing the gap between you to inspect your arms. You looked down to see red scratches down your fore arms. "Do these hurt?" He asked. 

Now that you were aware of them, you acknowledged the burning sensation they left but you weren't even remotely concerned about that. You were worried about Alec. "No!" You said hurriedly. "I'm more concerned about Alec. He was- where did he go? What just happened!?" Demetri didn't answer, simply staring into your eyes. "Let us deal with this, understand the situation better so I can be accurate, alright? Just, let me take you to his room and be patient.” You let him, taking a glass of water with you for Demetri's peace of mind. 

Jane turned around to see Demetri approaching. "How bad is it?" He asked. Alec's screams of rage and the sound of breaking furniture very loud despite the door being shut. "Bad." Felix responded. "The human is basically soup in there." "The humans final minutes were nothing less of excruciating." Jane smiled darkly. "Is the human in pieces?" Demetri said in somewhat horror. Not because he suddenly had a concern for humans. More so because humans are basically bags of fluid and if your ex had been even slightly ripped open, blood and everything else would utterly destroy the very old carpets, rugs and walls. Not to mention Alec was currently destroying everything in sight. "Friend, I'm going to say this as delicately as I can." Felix said to Demetri. "That human was very much alive when Alec ripped him apparent and tore out his organs. He then threw the organs all over the room and has since been stamping on every bone. That human is a puddle of mush and then rest of him is across the room." "How lovely..." Demetri trailed off. Although he wasn't surprised. This was Alec after all. "He needs to calm down soon. (Y/N) is worried about him." "They'll need to wait." Jane responded flatly. "It's been a long time since he's been this angry." Jane spoke of it like talking about the weather and not that her brother was completely destroying a room whilst creating a gruesome scene. "I'm surprised you're not in there and helping him." Felix said to Jane. "He wouldn't let me get close. He wanted the human to himself." Jane smiled proudly as she thought fondly of her brother. "That human was in just as much pain if I got to him." Felix blinked. "Alright, what's the plan?" "You and I go to (Y/N) and explain the situation, then we go and inform Aro. Jane will stay here with Alec until he calms down. Jane, do not let him go to his room afterwards, (Y/N) is in there and they can't see him like that." Demetri said and Jane nodded as Felix moved towards Demetri. 

"Okay you're telling me not to worry but now there are two of you and you won't tell me what's happening." Your eyes narrowed on the two. "It's complicated and we don't know how to explain without crossing a line." Demetri responded. "Wait, Demetri, can we even tell them? Is it our place to tell?" Felix asked. "I don't think we have much of a choice. Do you think Alec will?" Demetri turned to Felix. You looked between the two. "If you don't tell me what's going on then I will scream." You warned them. The two simply looked at you, seemingly unconvinced that you would. You inhaled a deep breath. "Wait! Wait, hold on little human!" Felix said quickly raising his arms. "We'll tell you just don't do that." Demetri said quickly. Neither of the two wanted to find out what you screaming would do when Alec is already off the rails. It could be those two next for all they knew if you did. 

Before Felix could talk, Demetri cut him off. "I'll tell them. You are awful at breaking news to anyone." Felix huffed, annoyed he couldn't but at the same time slightly offended with the lack of faith his friend had in him. Although Felix knew his friend was right. He really was the worst at that. "You know that Alec can be temperamental and is very driven by his emotions when he wants to be." Demetri began. "You also know that sometimes be can be so aggravated that he has..." Demetri trailed off. "Tantrums." Felix said flatly. Demetri sent him a pointed look. "What else can you call this? We'll be here all day if we want to look at this with rose tinted glasses. It's tantrums." Felix continued in his defence and Demetri sighed. "Just as Jane does. You know of this but haven't ever experienced it for yourself. This is one of those times. Alec has disposed of the human and is currently on a uncontrollable rampage of destruction. All we can do is wait for him to calm on his own." "Why...why has this provoked such a reaction?" You asked. "Well-" Demetri was cut off again by Felix. "Because the twins do this every time they don't get their own way or something happens they don't like... usually the first one." "Felix!" Demetri scolded him. "It's true! (Y/N) lives here, they might as well know that when the twins don't get what they want, this is what happens!" Felix said to defend himself again. "What I was going to say is," Demetri said as he narrowed his eyes on Felix in warning. "Alec is very... protective of you." "Yeah but also possessive." Felix interrupted again. "Felix, I swear-" "I'm just telling the truth!" Demetri quietly growled in slight frustration. "Alec doesn't really know how to channel his emotions and his past has very much to do with that. He can't express himself correctly and so sometimes the twins have all this pent up emotion that they don't know what to do with it and...this happens." You blinked. "I can't do anything to help him?" "Darling, there is no reasoning with Alec right now in these states. It's best you leave him be and when he's ready he'll come to you." You sighed sitting on Alec's bed. "Might I speak with you about something for a moment? Something that has caused some concern?" Demetri asked. You nodded. "What's up?" You asked quietly. Demetri moved closer to you. "The way that human spoke to you. You know that isn't okay, right?" Demetri asked. You could see concern matching in both Felix and Demetri's eyes. "No one who ever claims to love you should ever treat you like that. You know that, don't you?" You nodded slowly. "I know." You said quietly. "I couldn't make excuses for him after some time and I know that when someone treats you like that... it'll only get worse. So I left. I told myself I deserved better and that I'd never go back." "Right on." Felix smirked softly from the doorway. "Did Alec hear?" You asked. Slowly, Demetri nodded. “He heard the human doubting him, shall we say? Although he was under control. He was approaching when I left when the human kissed you, Alec lost control.” You recalled the rage filled scream that rang through your ears. That must have been Alec. "Do you think he was worried? That I'd go back?" You asked. Demetri thought about it for a moment. "I think he doubts himself. How deserving he is of you. That being said, he'd hold you to him regardless." Demetri cracked a smile and you couldn't help but giggle. That sounded like Alec. "As I said, he's protective of you. You mean everything to him and when someone disrespects you. He will take that very personally." Demetri assured you before stepping back. "Give him some time. Maybe a couple of hours. He'll calm down and come back to you." "What did he do to him? My ex?" You asked. "I think it best that you don't think about that. It's better if you don't know." Demetri responded. 

Once Demetri closed Alec's door, Felix let out a sigh of relief. "They nearly screamed when we didn't tell them. Can you imagine if Alec heard them scream right now in this state? You and I would be done for!" "Now we'll be screaming next if the twins over heard what you said about them." Demetri's eyes narrowed. "We'll both get Jane's gift for that." "It was nothing but the truth!" Felix said. Demetri sighed, walking with more purpose. "(Y/N) is with us now, they'd figure that out eventually! Demetri, don't walk away from me!" Felix strode after his friend. 

After an hour of worrying, Alec returned to his room. He stood in his open door way, staring you down. "Are you okay?" You asked before you could even think. "You shouldn't have seen that." He said lowly. "Alec..." You trailed off with worry. After a moment of staring you down, he marched towards you. 

Alec collided with you so hard that you fell back upon his bed. His lips were on yours before you knew it as he climbed further on top of you. You pulled back and hurriedly said his name before he moved back in for another kiss. "Alec! Alec!" You said hurriedly, taking his face into your hands. His eyes were a deep red, an improvement from the pitch black ones that met your gaze before but it was clear that Alec was still very much upset, even as his control was gradually returning. "Are you okay?" You asked. Alec swallowed, his stare intense. "Sweetheart, everything is okay." You said weakly, feeling tears begin to build in your throat. "You're the only one that matters." You assured him, stroking his cheek his your thumb. 

You needed him to be sure that only Alec mattered to you. Unable to stand even the thought that Alec doubted that. Alec caught sight of your arm and a quiet sound that resembled a whine escaped him. The red marks that streaked down from your elbow to your wrist. Alec began to grow irate, unable to tear his eyes from your arm as he immediately pulled back from you and your hold to grasp your arm. You knew Alec was trying to figure out if he had done that but you couldn't tell him. You didn't know if it had been Alec or your ex when Alec grabbed him with such speed, tearing him from you. 

"It's okay." You said to him softly. "I-I didn't even feel it. It was so quick and with everything going on, I didn't even realise what had happened." "Does it hurt?" Alec asked. His voice made it clear that he was grasping at every straw of control he had. All the while his voice tone was slightly higher, almost like whine he was trying to hold back. "It stings a little every now and then but it's honestly just a scratch." That Alec knew. There wasn't any bleeding or even a break of the skin. However that didn't make him any happier about the situation. He exhaled and you barely heard the small whine before Alec pulled your arm to his cold lips, pressing kisses against the scratch. "I'm more concerned about you and if you're okay." You said to him. Whilst you had been told about how angry Alec could get, this had been the first time you had ever witnessed it. Alec's gaze met yours once more. "Kiss me." He said lowly before pressing his lips against yours.  You returned the kiss, without any further questions. When he was ready and if he wanted to, he'd say what's on his mind. "Come here." You said to him quietly and he leaned back slightly, allowing you to move up to the pillows on his bed. He followed and you pulled him into your chest.  "I'm not going anywhere." You whispered as Alec's eyes fluttered shut, surrounded my your scent. One hand played with his hair, the other across his back. Alec wrapped his own arms around you sliding under your back. Every so often he'd squeeze you that little bit closer to him.

#request #twilight #volturi #the volturi #reader #alec volturi #oneshot #one shot

[astrologanize]

2021 for the ascendants 

aries ascendant: man, it’s like you’ve forgotten what you want for the past few years but you’ve been trying with all your might to run through a list of desires with the hope that eventually something will provide you with contentment. worry not, you will be met with situations that highlight your principles so that you are able to decipher what it is that brings you oneness. ask yourself if the company you keep is meeting expectations and if there are behaviors you’ve been allowing, but more importantly, ask yourself if you are leading by example and what you are leading with. this is a time for you to make sure that you are taking the proper initiative towards your own fulfillment, if you’re feeling a disconnect then maybe you should seek for an understanding of the objective; how can you expect others to meet expectations if you aren’t doing the same for yourself? why are you tolerating what you shouldn’t have to? it’s time to up your ambition and strive for resolution by making sure that you are setting yourself up for greatness. “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” 

taurus ascendant: life has been a slippery slope for the past couple of years, the way life can change in the blink of an eye and the way we can get carried away without intending to is something you’re awfully familiar with by now. you’ll feel like you’re getting somewhere, you figure things are on the up ya know, and then of course something totally stops you in your tracks and it makes you question yourself - which has only made your taurus ascendant self clam up harder buuuut you’ve been trying to process it. you will be met with situations that allow you to reap the benefit of your efforts. it is time for you to go after what you want, this is prime manifestation time so if you are desiring change to circumstances make sure you are working towards it and utilizing the power of affirmation. if you don’t have a job then i would strongly advise this as a time to obtain one or attempt to obtain one; if you do have a job/are in a career then expect there to be change that is ultimately positive for you even if it may not seem like it at the time. 

gemini ascendant: you guys have been on a mission of self-discovery through the numerous voids we utilize to dissolving other parts of ourselves, i’m getting very “cranes in the sky” by solange - “i tried to drink it away, i tried to put one in the air, i tried to dance it away, i tried to change it with my hair” (etc. read the rest of the lyrics if you’d like!) sometimes in us getting caught up in excessive behavior we’re able to understand that there’s a bigger issue at play and we’re acting from a place that is without authenticity. you will be met with situations that reveal the answers that you’ve been searching for and your perspective will begin to breakdown and reform. this year you should try to think before you speak, in fact, let your actions speak for themselves so that you don’t have to start running off at the mouth. absorb and filter through the information that you have so that you are leading with the facts; no more following unreliable curiosities, bouncing back & forth, and wallowing in careless behavior. 

cancer ascendant: for a while you’ve had to take a hard look at family, support systems, what you bring the to the table, and how you can find liberation for yourself in relation to these things. it’s been easier for you to fall into a pity party because you’ve had to deal with and be met with responsibility in a new way, a way that has showed you where you’re needing to grow up, and this can make you want to sink further into your shell with all your vices of comfort (those ‘security blankets’ can be so pesky). you will be met with situations that can soften out your old ways and in doing so provide you with a chance to have a legitimate regeneration. finding acceptance and embracing vulnerability at it’s most candid is how you will find your footing. this is a time to try to re-evaluate your patterns of behavior so that you can work on creating new, healthier habits for yourself so that you are able to lay down those roots of security that you long for. you have been receiving the tools you need and all you have to do is utilize them instead of trying to shield up and be overly defensive. 

leo ascendant: i feel like life for you has kind of felt like someone took you out of your home, drove you to a forest in the middle of nowhere and dropped you off with the bare necessities and said, “okay, now figure out your way back.” thankfully you are getting a groove back for yourself and taking on a new outlook of the hindrances in your life. you will be met with situations that make you reconsider the way you’ve been carrying yourself, what you’ve been allowing, and the situations that you have been placing yourself in. it’s time for you to be more selective and imagine what you want for your life, what is your ‘dream life’? - answer this question and start taking the steps to getting there, decide what isn’t aligning with this dream, what you need to pull back from, and what is worth the effort. if you have family or a support system then examine your relationship with them - are they holding you back or are they willing to work on things with you and vice versa because it could be you who is needing to be more deliberate with people. if your home (life) isn’t ideal then find a way of to move elsewhere or renovate your space by getting rid of what has no use in your life so that you can add or rearrange accordingly. 

virgo ascendant: ah, attachments and feeling withdrawn, dissatisfied, ineffective are issues that you have been dealing with but this year you will be tending to the source of this by learning how to keep momentum. though you have been putting in effort, it’s you working harder and not smarter because you’re working from a place of inadequacy instead of working from a place of ingenuity. along with working harder and putting in unnecessary effort is you nitpicking to the very last crumb when really this is you just, again, being dissatisfied with where you are in life. you will be met with situations that force you back down to earth and emphasize what it is that you have been evading or how you’ve been evading. this is a time to make the transitions that you’ve been yearning for, this is not a time for waiting things out, if you want something then you need to act on it. you’ve been in your head in a very unhelpful way, you’re like “nope, this won’t work for me because xyz, i can’t do that because of abc, this is too wrong, this isn’t lmnop enough, blah blah blah” and it’s been excuse after excuse. get out of your own way and revise!!! make the best with what you have!!!

libra ascendant: gosh, why has everything felt like it’s been crumbling away? things are supposed to come together, not fall apart, right? as of late your efforts have felt as though they’ve been in vain - other people aren’t taking to you, you’re not attracting what you want, and everything has felt unfair. this balance beam has been feeling anything but balanced! you will be met with situations that bring you back to the notion that what we attract is based around what we’re putting forth. have you ever pointed the finger at yourself? are there any issues that could be stemming for you? maybe it’s you who is needing to learn how to keep yourself in check. after all this crumbling away you should be able to start piecing together the leftover fragments to gather an understanding of what life has come to be. omg i just envisioned the mulan scene: “when will my reflection show who i am inside” - this is your mulan moment!!! negativity has clung and been projected from you in recent years and it’s on you to mend those behaviors and in doing so your paths will narrow down, the indecision will cease, and you’ll see where you can go, where you’d want to go.  

scorpio ascendant: feeling as though you’ve missed something is not something you’re that familiar with because you like to think you have awareness but unfortunately recognition has not been your strong suit as of late. you’ve reached that “who am i?” stage of rock-bottom and the “what in the hell am i even doing?” but what a year 2021 will be for you in terms of being able to end certain cycles, which is a pretty major thing for your ascendant. you will be met with situations that force you to gather your bearings and revise your demeanor, which can be a nerve-wracking thing for someone who doesn’t like to adhere to what they would consider the follies of others. it’s a time for openness so lessen your grip and consider the possibilities rather than feeding into your sensitivities and fixations. how can you transform if you’re too busy digging yourself in deeper? the way scorpio is able to bring together both boldness and vulnerability is what you should be striving for, the self-sabotaging is for the other birds - you’re a Phoenix! 

sagittarius ascendant: i extend my deepest condolences for the past couple of years but you’re starting to get a better idea about the part that you play in matters and what you’re needing to improve upon so that you can find a direction, or better direction, in your life. hopefully you have been paying heed to the areas in your life that have accumulated to the point of no return and are planning a big ol’ yard sale because it is time to bring back some decency. you will be met with situations that test your ability to make the right choices/decisions by infringing upon your lifestyle. this is a time to explore inwardly and address the emotions that you’ve kept tucked away, seeing as your decisions are too often dictated by these unturned emotions. you’ve done enough wandering by now, these upcoming days should be about you tying up loose ends and bettering the circumstances you currently have so that you don’t feel the need to flee. don’t let things go unexpressed this year because this baggage is what is hindering you and freeing yourself of this as much you possibly can would be in your best interest. 

capricorn ascendant: ah, those dark feelings of being misunderstood and having a chip on your shoulder because let’s be honest, you’ve been having an identity crisis and haven’t been the most reassuring person to have around. all i’m hearing is “it’s my life!” and envisioning a person who is refusing to be told what to do, we get it - you think you’re above cooperation. you will be met with situations that challenge the security within yourself and in your life through having to face your own inability to properly articulate yourself to others. it’s time for you to take on the mindset of a novice. everything you’ve established or think that you’ve established? yeah, leave it at the door. try your best to pretend that you know nothing and that the world is brand new because it’s your own preconceived notions that are clamming you up. other people won’t be receptive to you if you’re not being receptive to them. not everything is about standing on the mountain or being ready to die on a hill, you should be enjoying the process and experimenting and considering alternatives because that’s how you find what works. 

aquarius ascendant: so you guys have totally recoiled into yourselves to the point of being lost within, huh? i just know y’all have been going full weirdo and doing shit that probably even you can’t grasp because it’s been coming from such a subconscious place. once you’ve hit a low point it’s easy to become a bitter betty and partake in not the greatest of coping mechanisms because you’re feeling alienated from yourself. there is a reason for this though - you have unacknowledged feelings! have you had any regrets or lingering emotion towards people or towards situations? perhaps these are stifling your ability to feel present. you will be met with situations that turn you inside out by taking away the option of preparing yourself so that there’s no time to go robotic about it. this is a time for you to revel in activity, get out of your ~woe is me, nobody wants what i have to offer~ and start showcasing your abundance! give for the sake of giving, have fun with your generosity, try to tap into that aquarius energy of playful but well-intentioned nonchalance. 

pisces ascendant: well, you have been trying to work on your celestial flow and have dove deeper into your visions and idealisms for life but your moods have never been more easily swayed. these have not been the sort of tides that you have cared to ride because they don’t lead anywhere! they crash and dissolve, crash and dissolve, crash and dissolve - when will they carry you somewhere you’d like to go? your escapisms and illusions have been getting the better of you and floating is a pretty accurate way to describe where you’re at. you will be met with situations that question/alter your reality and reveal to you what you’ve been overlooking. i imagine it as your *record scratch* *freeze frame* “yup. that's me. so you're probably wondering how I got myself into this situation.” moment. it’s time for you to gently pull back and take note of what you’re investing your energy into and what this has been producing in return. your energy is best left being funneled into yourself this year so that you can thoroughly examine where you’ve been pigeonholing yourself; in you examining such you will be able to tap into your intuition in a way that you have not been able to before, it’ll be like unlocking a new level of your own consciousness. 

#2021

[recurring-polynya]

Do I mind if I ask how you approach writing longer fic? I've always struggled to write anything more than maybe two chapters long and I'm curious if you have a particular method to how you approach such stories.

Thank you so much for this ask! I absolutely love it when people ask me for writing advice because it makes me feel like a Smart Person Who Knows Things.

Before we start, here is one grain of salt to take all of this with: I have a naturally long-form brain. It is very hard for me to write something less than 1k. Short fiction is great, and there is nothing wrong with sticking to short things if that's what your brain likes to do.

So. You have decided to write a story. This is going to focus on "stories". Some people write fic that's more freeform or whatever, I am not going to cover that. What I mean by a story is this:

It starts

Some stuff happens

It ends

It is highly probable that your story contains a change of state, which could be that a villain is defeated, or a goal is reached, but it could also be that character falls in love with another, or someone learns to like broccoli.

I like to start out by completing the sentence, "This is a story where _______". This is basically like coming up with a summary for an ao3 post, except that it doesn't need to be catchy. Lots of different kinds of things could go in that blank! It could literally be what happens: This is a story where Ichigo goes back in time and punches young Aizen in the nose. It could be about what you want to explore: This is a story where Hitsugaya gets a better understanding of his zanpakutou. It could be about the vibe you want to achieve: This is an AU where everyone is in a punk rock band and has cool hair and outfits. The idea of this is to clearly define what you, the author, is interested in writing. Make sure it feels right! Maybe you pick the first one, but when you say it out loud, you say, "You know, I really just want Ichigo to go back in time so he can horse around with young Renji and Rukia and punching Aizen in the nose is just an excuse for that." That may sound dumb, but it's fine, actually! Most people don't read stories strictly for the plot, they read stories for the implications of those plots! Will my favorite two characters kiss? Will there be funny interactions between these two groups of characters? Will there be sick fights? Stories are excuses to have scenes. Sometimes, you will have a story where the interesting sequence of events is the draw, but the point is to know what you're about.

Once you feel happy with your "mission statement", you need to decide the bounds of your story: where it starts and where it ends. It may be easier to start with the end. In some cases, it may be obvious from your mission statement: everyone gets home, a villain is defeated, Kenpachi realizes the meaning of friendship. On the other hand, let's look at that punk rock AU. You've picked a vibe, but you don't really have a natural story arc. It has to have a destination, though, otherwise, it's not really a story, it's a recipe for 3 chapters of an abandoned fanfic. So brainstorm a little: Maybe they get a record deal? Maybe they win a Battle of the Bands? Maybe Byakuya accepts that the band is actually good and tells Rukia he is proud of her. Do not settle for a plot just because it works. Pick something that makes you excited! You're the one who is gonna have to write it!

I said that we needed to pick a beginning point, too, but I'm actually going to skip that for now. The next thing I do is think of all the Big Scenes I want to write, the ones you are hype to write, the ones that pop in your head as you think about the premise. Make a bullet list. They don't need to be in order. The descriptions don't need to be super detailed, but write down anything about it that is important to you. If there's a mood or a snippet of dialogue or a joke you want to make, go ahead and jot that down so you don't forget it later. What you're doing now is putting broad blotches of color on a canvas, filling in space and leaving the detail for later.

Once you are pretty happy with what you have down, try to arrange it in chronological order. Put your end at the end (if it wasn't one of your big scenes, add it now). The next task is figuring out how to traverse your scenes. You've already picked out where you want to spend the majority of your energy. The rest, I regret to tell you, is your slog writing. Now, it often happens that you will find joy in some of these scenes and your best writing may occur there, but that's serendipity. These are the scenes that you are gonna have to make yourself sit down and write, so you honestly want to limit them to just the ones you need.

So how do we do this? Look at the first thing on the list. Can you start there? If so, congrats, that's your beginning. If you can't, what needs to happen to get to there? Where can you start so that you can get to your first fun scene as soon as possible? There. That’s it. You’ve picked your beginning, good job! Now, go through the rest of your list, and add in things that must happen, even if you don’t particularly look forward to writing them. The characters need to travel from geographic point A to point B. Shuuhei needs to say something that Izuru hears and misinterprets. The Central 46 makes a new law. If you have a good idea of how these things happen, go ahead and write them down, but it’s okay if you don’t know yet. Fill in all the blanks so that if you think of each bullet list as a scene, you could read it as a story, start to end. Once you get writing, you might add more scenes, or move things around or whatever, but you should have a thing that functions as a story.

If you struggle with this, an alternative is a story with a very strong structure that is going to guide you though what you have to write.Here are two examples from my own stories Hold On, Hold On (which is only one chapter, but the principle is the same) is structured around the 5 stages of grief. Not Broken, Just Bent takes place over roughly a week, and I just decided what happened every day of the week. See You on the Other Side takes place in the middle of a bunch of canon events, which worked at mile markers.

Congratulations. You’ve just made a rough outline!

Special note for avoiding burnout!: I am a slogger. I will drag myself through the broken glass of an interminable plot to get to a single thirsty scene. That's why, at this stage, I try to look at the ratio of what I want to write to what I must write. It's gonna vary for everyone, but this is a hobby, and if looking at this proto-outline makes you feel deeply tired, maybe this isn't a good story to be devoting your time to! Can you carve it down? Can you chuck two scenes you really want to write and get rid of 80% of the slog? Or maybe you can't! In that case, just write that thirsty scene as a standalone drabble! Or just go work on something else! Maybe in the future, this one will come back to you and you’ll have a fresh idea or a renewed enthusiasm for it.

Another thing I sometimes like to do at this point is to write out some notes about my characters and their motivations and moods. Character A is homesick. Character B is so determined to defeat the enemy that they are having a hard time being sympathetic to Character A. Character C cares for both A and B and is trying to support them both. This is sort of background info that you want to keep in your head as you are writing. Depending on the type of story you are writing, this might actually be the main plot, or it might be happening subtly, but adding to the emotional impact of the story. It’s very easy for me to write these sorts of emotional arcs, but if you struggle with that, you may wish to go ahead and made a more detailed outline for that, too.

Now, it’s time to start writing! I am great at beginnings-- it is very often the case for me that the opening scene was one of my Big Tentpole Scenes. (Before you hate me too much, I make up for this by being double horrible at endings; just let me have this) Usually, I will start at the beginning and write linearly for as long as I can until I get stuck. Then, I will look forward on my outline and do the next chronological scene that I feel like writing. In general, if I sit down to write and there is something I have an urge to write, that trumps everything else. Inspiration is a precious commodity, and you should embrace it when it hits! You can slog any day. I will occasionally hold off writing a scene that I really want to, because I am saving it, like a prize for myself for getting that far. This is a very personal process of figuring out what motivates your brain and then giving your brain what it needs to be its most productive.

Eventually, you will run out of things you are excited to write, but the good news is, you’ve got a bunch of story now! Odds are that what’s left is going to be a lot of those connective tissue scenes, and you’re just going to have to do them, except that now, because you’re connecting two concrete points instead of two abstract points, it will be a lot easier. You can continue running jokes you’ve started. Maybe you invented a cafe in an earlier scene where your characters hang out and you can have them return there. Try to think of ways to make these scenes more fun, both for yourself to write and for your reader to read. 

Around this time, I like to start refining that rough strokes outline into what I will call an “as-built” outline. (This is an engineering term where you update your plans or models for something to reflect any changes that had to be made along the way). This is a great activity to do at times when you feel like you have writers block. I write down every scene I have written as a 2-3 word blurb, in order. I break the scenes into what I think makes logical chapters, and I will do a word count on those prospective chapters and write it down. As you do this, you will realize that maybe you can move a scene from here to there, which will make it 1000% easier to write. Things may be happening too much, or you’ve got the characters eating three times in the same chapter. If you have subplots and dangling threads, this is where you make sure they get closure. I know this sounds very headache-y, but you are so far along in the story at this point that it’s really not-- it’s a way to look at the problems you have left. Use some sort of formatting (I like to bold things I haven’t done and sometimes I put them in red) and it gives you a very visual to-do list.

You specifically mentioned multi-chapter fanfics and I admit that I don’t tend to think in chapters, I tend to think of the story as a whole and just break it up where it feels natural. The as-built outlining I described is very helpful in making sure that my chapters feel balanced. They don’t necessarily need to be the same length, but I like them to have the same amount of stuff in them. One chapter may basically contain one long scene, and other may contain many short ones. I don’t tend to, but you can certainly have a fanfic that varies between short and long chapters, that can actually be an interesting effect. But like I said, I always like to know what I am doing, and so having it mapped out, you can say “welp, this is what I’ve done, how do I feel about that?”

Polynya, you may be saying at this point, do you write the whole fanfic before you post any of it? and I regret to inform you, the answer is yes. A lot of people write as they go, and I have made one attempt at this and I didn’t like it. I don’t like locking myself in, I just need to be able write out of order and go back and change things. Here is the story of a little in love: someone gave me an AU prompt and I got mildly obsessed with it, and wrote 5 snapshots drabbles in that universe, ending with a slight cliffhanger ending. I probably should have stopped there, but I decided to keep going. I wrote out an outline of 5 acts where the first act was detailed to the degree of each chapter being specified. The chapters here were much smaller than I usually make chapters: 1-2k. I wrote act i and ii and it was actually great, and then I hit act iii which required a lot of set up for misunderstandings and a mini romance arc. I couldn’t wing it, but nor could I figure it all out with outlining. I write dialogue in almost sort of an improv “Yes, and...?” style, so until I do it, I don’t know what’s going to happen. So, what I did was treat the second half of act iii as a complete story in the process I describe above, wrote the entire rest of it, and then posted it. One might notice that the chapter lengths grew to 3-5k each. I have two more acts to go, and I haven’t decided how I am going to do them yet, but I suspect I will treat each of them as their own mini-stories.

(I will admit that in Heart is a Muscle, I tend toward chapters that are about 10k long, and this is honestly too long, someone should smack me. If you like punchy chapters, 1-2k is good. I think 3-6k is probably an ideal chapter length. Is this how long the chapters are in my latest fanfic? Absolutely not.)

Okay, so there’s one more step, which is quality control. I am habitual re-reader-- I read my fanfics-in-progress over and over and over while I am working on them. I understand that not everyone does this, but I am usually the primary audience for my own writing, and this is the actual fun part for me. Nevertheless, you should re-read your work at least once, to make sure it hangs together.

This is purely optional, but I recommend it: get a writing friend (if you don’t like re-reading your work, I recommend this even more strongly). If you can get a full-service beta reader, that’s great, but if you can’t find someone, or if receiving that level of critique stresses you out, it’s perfectly valid to just find a friend who will read your stuff and a) shower you with compliments, b) reassure you about parts you aren’t sure about (or suggest ways to help) and c) point out any huge problems you missed. When I am writing a long fanfic, it is a huge motivational factor for me to be able to send my beta chapters as I finish them. If you are already an established writer, and you have people who consistently comment on your fic, they might be overjoyed to get a sneak peak at your work.

And that’s it! That’s the way I do it, anyway! Some people are able to sit down and write a very detailed outline and the write it start-to-finish. Good for them, I say! I have tried this and it doesn’t work great for me. I will admit that some of my fics (especially my early ones) I just sat down and banged out whole-cloth like an insane person and they are generally better than the ones I actually plan out, but that’s not a reproducible process.

As one final mechanical note, I usually write in Google Docs, which I can access on multiple devices (I used to write a lot on my phone), has convenient sharing functionality, and I use the ao3 html formatting script add-in. I generally have two documents for a single story-- one is the outline, and any other notes I want to have handy. I’ll usually put a trashcan space at the bottom for scenes that got cut but I don’t want to lose. The other is the fanfic itself.

I hope this is helpful! Please feel free to follow up with other questions and good luck with your writing!

#writing advice #longform writing

[yanderememes]

Manly Hands Anon here 💪

I just had this thought where if there's a Villain House, what would a Jojo House be like with an oblivious darling? Just as chaotic as the Villain House, or maybe a little more tame?

Y'all, I can't with you guys 😭 now we got Jojo house?!

Jojo house would be a bit complicated because they all have different tastes in a darling. Unlike villain house where they're all evil and fall for someone who's the complete opposite, everyone in Jojo house would like certain aspects of darling. More details below!

Jonathan

What he likes about darling: they're kind-hearted nature

Would be the sweetest pair in history

Both dote on each other but for very different reasons

Darling dotes on Jonathan because he's just so sweet! Darling thinks they have to return the favor to Jonathan whenever he's kind to them

Jonathan dotes on darling because darling is so receptive to him. They (unintentionally) enable his clingy and overbearing nature.

The other Jojos can't stand it. For one, Jonathan is hogging darling but also, Jonathan takes full advantage of his position as the oldest Jojo

For example, darling will be getting ready to go out. Of course, all the Jojos want to accompany them but Jonathan tells them to stay home and watch the house

"everyone, y/n doesn't need all 7 of us to go. You all can stay home and watch the house while I go with y/n. Listen to the eldest."

Why he's a threat: Jonathan is emotionally manipulative and knows how to use their feelings against them. He'd make the other Jojos feel bad for him and because they feel bad, they'll back off temporarily

The other Jojos would fight him, but he's actually scary. That menacing smile he puts on is no joke. Jonathan's smile is a oppose me and I'll make your life a living hell smile 😊

Joseph

What he likes about darling: they're fun to hang out with

It's never boring when he's around darling

He's a touchy yandere. He likes to have his hands all around them but plays it off as a joke

Definitely uses his height against darling to tease or take advantage of them

"You can't leave until you give me a kiss, y/n~"

Why he's a threat: the other Jojos forget that he's competitive because of his laid-back personality but rest assured he is 100% serious. Underestimating Joseph always bites them in the ass later

A pervert. Sometimes you'll find your underwear missing

Jotaro

What he likes about darling: they're understanding

Jotaro isn't the easiest to get along with but he means well. He's glad that darling understands that

He can be intimidating though. When he's hanging out with darling he's quiet (as usual) but when another Jojo tries to jump in, he'll give them death glares

he's like a constant bodyguard for darling. Except, darling didn't hire him. Jotaro sticks to them because he hates the idea of darling talking to someone that's not him (even though Jotaro doesn't talk at all lol)

when he's not around darling, he'll sabotage the other Jojos' chances

Why he's a threat: has one of the strongest stands but even without it, he has quick reflexes and can stop the other Jojos before they can try to take away darling

Josuke

What he likes about darling: they're open-minded

He's a very clingy and obsessive yandere

He hates that Jotaro is always around you! He wants to spend time with darling too

He's a bit insecure that darling might like Jotaro because even Josuke has to admit that Jotaro is cool

Just like his father he's touchy but not as perverted as Joseph. So he likes hugs and cuddling

He's a puppy dog who's got a bite. The easiest way to piss him off is insulting his hair or spending time with his darling

He doesn't care if darling hates his clingyness, he just wants to show his love and dedication

Why he's a threat: his childlike behavior makes him kinda cute to darling but annoying to deal with for the Jojos because he can't be reasoned with. Josuke is also a screw loose, in the sense that the Jojos can never predict what he's gonna do

He always wants to take darling out on dates and hold their hand. But his grip on them is so hard, you think he'll just break it.

"don't let go of my hand, y/n! Someone might take you away from me and I'll just have to kill them! 😁"

to many, it sounds like he's joking. If only they knew...

Giorno

What he likes about darling: they're passionate

He's a possessive yandere who wants darling all to himself. He hates living with the other Jojos because he just wants to lock darling up in a nice villa where only he can see them

But he holds back this impulse because he needs to think of a way to get rid of the other Jojos. Make it look like an "accident"

He's very charismatic and charming. He tries to win darling over with his money.

Very attentive to darling's needs and pays close attention to their likes and dislikes

He's always one step ahead of the other Jojos. Oh, darling was gonna go out with Jolyne to the amusement park? Too bad she "lost" her ticket. Luckily, Giorno has a ticket and will be more than happy to take her place

Why he's a threat: Mafia boss with the strongest stand. Do I even need to explain?

"Mista, Jolyne and y/n will be going out on a date. Ensure this doesn't happen. Y/N is mine"

Jolyne

What she likes about darling: they're warm and gentle

Jolyne would be the obsessive type

Like Josuke, she's clingy and touchy but lacks self-awareness. Josuke knows he's clingy but doesn't care. Jolyne doesn't know she's clingy

She thinks about darling ALL THE TIME

She sucks at flirting but there was an attempt

Why she's a threat: Jojo house is a sausage fest, so being the only woman there, Jolyne gets some privileges with darling

For example, Jolyne can sleep in the same bed as darling because she's totally harmless!

Doesn't understand the concept of boundaries. Probably cuz she's the youngest and lacks relationship experience

Johnny

What he likes about darling: they're calm and relaxing to be around

Slight sadistic yandere

He can be a bit insulting to darling which irks the other Jojos

He likes to get a rise from the Jojos as he messes with darling

He's obsessive and probably has lots of photos of darling in his room.

Why he's a threat: Johnny has an undying and unyielding dark determination. He's not close to anyone in Jojo house, so he doesn't care if they drop dead

"what's wrong, sweetheart? Was I too harsh? I'll be nicer if you're good for me."

#yandere jjba #yandere #yandere jojo x reader #yandere jojo's bizarre adventure #yandere giorno #yandere jotaro #yandere joseph joestar #yandere jonathan joestar #yandere jolyne #yandere johnny joestar #yandere josuke #jonathan joestar x reader #joseph joestar x reader #jotaro x reader #josuke x reader #giorno x reader #jolyne x reader #johnny joestar x reader

[robininthelabyrinth]

🍊🍋Wen Chao and/or wen xu is a good guy and actually wants to end wen ruo jan's reign of terror (cloud recesses, lotus pier, xuanwu cave or all are elaborate ruses)

ao3

Untamed

“A-Chao,” Wen Xu said. “I think our father is insane.”

Wen Chao’s eye twitched visibly, his shoulders rising up to his ears. “You can’t say that! That’s treason!”

“I’ve already made sure there’s no one anywhere around us right now, not even people I trust.”

Down went the shoulders.

“Of course he’s insane,” Wen Chao said. “Some of his orders recently…”

He shook his head.

“Not much of an empire to rule if they’re all ghost puppets, is there?” he concluded. “I think the Yin Metal is poisoning his brain.”

“I agree,” Wen Xu said. “Now what do we do about it? He’s just ordered me to raze the Cloud Recesses.”

“…when you say raze –”

“To the ground.”

“What happened to just dominating the rest of the cultivation world?” Wen Chao complained. “I liked that plan. I was going to have a really great life. A palace. Servants. Good food. Even better wine. Enough clothing to keep Jiaojiao from complaining.”

“I…don’t know if that’s possible,” Wen Xu said. “Haven’t you given her three closets’ worth already?”

“I have no idea, and I’m too attached to my balls to ask.”

“Anyway,” Wen Xu said. “What do we do about it?”

“You’re asking me?” Wen Chao said.

“Well I’m certainly not going up against him by myself! He’ll kill me!”

“You think he would hesitate to kill both of us?”

“Ugh. Is there anyone we can ask for help? Anyone we haven’t pissed off?”

They both paused, thinking.

“…no,” Wen Chao said. “But in our defense, we never thought we’d need any of them, did we?”

“I don’t think anyone is going to buy that as an excuse,” Wen Xu said, scowling. “Fuck. Isn’t there anyone?”

“Well,” Wen Chao said. He did not continue.

“No,” Wen Xu said. “No. He literally wants to cut off our heads.”

“So does everyone else in the cultivation world,” Wen Chao said. “At least we know Sect Leader Nie hates Dad more than he hates us, which isn’t something that can be said about the rest of them.”

“Fuck,” Wen Xu said. “What’s our alternative plan?”

“…become ghost puppets?”

“Fuck.”

-

“You do remember that I want to kill you both?” Nie Mingjue said, scowling at them.

“We were betting on you wanting to kill our father more,” Wen Chao said.

“I’m not sure,” Nie Mingjue said. “You’re very obnoxious.”

Wen Chao scowled.

“He has a point, A-Chao,” Wen Xu said.

“Shut up.”

“Respect your elders!”

“If you two are going to start fighting, I’m leaving,” Nie Mingjue said.

They both squinted at him. “Does that mean you might not leave if we stop?” Wen Xu asked.

Nie Mingjue’s scowl got even worse, but eventually he begrudgingly said “…well, I really hate your father.”

They both exhaled in relief.

“What’s your plan?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“This was about as far as it went,” Wen Xu admitted, and Nie Mingjue gaped at him. “What? If we had planning skills, we’d be ruling the world.”

“Jiaojiao wants jewelry now,” Wen Chao agreed. “Lots of it. Keeping a mistress is expensive.”

“I’ll…take your word for that,” Nie Mingjue said, looking mildly uncomfortable.

“You’re always plotting against our father, right?” Wen Xu asked.

“No,” Nie Mingjue said. “If I could plot, your father would already be dead.”

“Good point,” Wen Chao said, but he wasn’t the sort of person to let little details like that discourage him. “But surely you know someone who can?”

“Just keep in mind that I’m on a deadline here,” Wen Xu said. “I have to leave to go raze the Cloud Recesses by the end of the week.”

“You want me to come up with a plan to defeat your father before the end of the week?!”

“Uh, yeah,” Wen Xu said. “That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” Wen Chao agreed.

“I’m going to go get Meng Yao,” Nie Mingjue decided. “And Huaisang, too, why not, somehow he always gets his way no matter what I do. Maybe he can come up with something for this.”

-

“I think we’re going to need expert assistance,” Nie Huaisang declared. “I’m thinking this is Wei Wuxian levels of plotting.”

“He can plot?” Wen Chao said dubiously. “Are you sure? He took nearly a week to fight a mildly ominous bird.”

“…is that so?” Nie Huaisang said, and sighed. “Okay, fine. Meng Yao, guess it’s up to you and me.”

Meng Yao was blinking his eyes very rapidly.

“What?” Wen Chao said. “You have an awful father too, don’t look so shocked about us wanting to get rid of ours.”

“That’s just how his brain works when he’s thinking,” Nie Huaisang assured him. “He’s kicking it like it’s a sleeping donkey that doesn’t want to get to work; give him a minute and he’ll be coming up with all sorts of ideas.”

“Good ideas?”

“All sorts of ideas.”

“…any good ideas? Mediocre ideas, even?”

“Listen, we have until the end of the week,” Nie Mingjue said irritably. “You’ll take whatever ideas we give you and you’ll like it, you hear me?”

“Is it too late to get Wen Zhuliu in on this?” Wen Xu asked Wen Chao.

“He has that weird thing for Dad,” Wen Chao reminded him.

“Fuck,” Wen Xu said. “I’d wiped that from my memory through the application of a great deal of alcohol, but yes, you’re right. Okay. Hit me with your worst plan.”

-

“That’s worse than I thought it was going to be.”

“Shut up and just do it.”

-

“I will now, in the name of the Wen sect, attack –” Wen Xu grimaced. “– this cave.”

“It’s a very important cave, actually,” one of the Lan disciples muttered.

“Be quiet,” Lan Wangji said.

They were all pretending not to notice the main force of Lan sect disciples, led by Lan Xichen, carting their precious books and treasures out of the Cloud Recesses right behind him.  

“I am attacking this very important cave,” Wen Xu clarified. “Of extreme importance to the Lan sect. So important, in fact, that it is clearly the correct target for an invasion.”

They stood around a while longer.

Someone cleared their throat. “Should we fight?”

“I can have my men beat you up if you really want,” Wen Xu said.

“…no thanks.”

“Then be quiet.”

There was a bit more standing around. Eventually Lan Qiren coughed.

“Would you like a chair or something?” Wen Xu asked, then frowned. “Never mind, I probably can’t justify that.”

“Probably not,” Lan Qiren agreed. He looked pained. Probably by the whole situation, but who knew, maybe he just had a bad back and the standing around was getting to him. “You will be taking Wangji hostage after this?”

“Along with most of the heirs of the Great Sects,” Wen Xu said. “As agreed, we’ll keep them out of the way.”

“Sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest place.”

“…yeah, that. Either way, they’ll be kept out of trouble.”

-

“This is not out of trouble!” Wei Wuxian shouted as they ran away from the Xuanwu.

“This stretch of river has never caused anyone any problems!” Wen Chao shouted back. “Ever! You’re the one who found the fucking cave!”

“Shut up and keep running!” Jiang Cheng howled.

-

“I really like your hair,” Wang Lingjiao told Madame Yu. “Also, that dress.”

Wen Chao sighed.

“Expensive tastes?” Wei Wuxian asked, pouring him some wine.

“You have no idea,” Wen Chao said glumly. “My allowance can’t cover it, so I ended up putting her as a line item in the military budget.”

“You did?” Jiang Cheng said. “Did your father, uh, object?”

“He’d have to notice.”

“I wonder how many other things he wouldn’t notice,” Wei Wuxian muttered to himself.

“You’re a young master of Yunmeng Jiang,” Jiang Cheng said, rolling his eyes. “What could you possibly want to fund that we won’t pay for?”

“I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian said. “Mad science experiments?”

-

“Can you pay him to stop?” Wen Xu asked. “I don’t even like flute music.”

“Shut up,” Wen Chao said. “You’ve been decapitated, remember?”

“Oh yeah, ‘decapitated’. And now I’m being force-fed lots of Qinghe barbeque,” Wen Xu said. “My life is really hard.”

“Why you…!”

Wen Xu sniggered. “How’s it going with Wen Zhuliu?”

“Fine, I think?” Wen Chao said. “He hasn’t actually noticed that the ‘demons’ we’re being hunted by aren’t really demons, but that’s because he’s been mostly drinking away his weird crush on our dad. I think Wen Ning is spiking his drink with something.”

They both turned to look at Wen Ning, who shrugged.

“Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person,” Wen Xu decided. “Are they attacking the Nightless City soon?”

“I think so.”

“What happens then?”

“Dunno.”

“Going to be kind of awkward when we ‘come back from the dead’ to take over.”

“I’m going to blame it on Wei Wuxian and his new weirdo cultivation,” Wen Chao decided. “We’re all sentient corpses he’s resurrected and using to puppet the Wen sect. Wen Ning, you in on this?”

“…sure,” Wen Ning said. “But only if I get first rights on ‘Ghost General’ as a nickname.”

“Oh, that’s a good one.”

-

“Thanks for the patricide,” Wen Xu said.

“Think nothing of it,” Nie Mingjue said. “Also, say nothing of it. Ever. In fact, let’s never talk again.”

“Can’t do that,” Wen Chao said. “Madame Yu told Jiaojiao that she got that fancy headpiece from Qinghe, so she wants to go there on a shopping trip.”

“Our economy could use the boost, da-ge,” Nie Huaisang said, and Nie Mingjue sighed. “It’s going to be a really big boost. Especially if she convinces Madame Jin from Lanling to come with her.”

“I still can’t believe they made friends,” Wei Wuxian marveled. “It must come from having more money than brains.”

“Brains aren’t exactly what I look for in a partner,” Wen Chao said. “Luckily for you, neither does your boyfriend.”

“Hey, I have brains!”

“You’re certainly intelligent,” Meng Yao – now named Jin Guangyao – told him.

“See?”

“That was an insult,” Nie Mingjue said.

“…hey!”

“When are you coming back to Qinghe?” Nie Huaisang asked Jin Guangyao, who blinked. “I mean, unless you want to spend all your time slaving away for a guy who thought Wen Ruohan was neat.”

“He’s right,” Wen Xu said. “Father or not, don’t do it. It’s not worth it. You’ll end up having to rebel and ask your worst enemies for help and it’s awkward.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Jin Guangyao said. “But I really can’t accept.”

“Why not?” Nie Huaisang asked.

Wen Chao pointed at him. “Seconded.”

Jin Guangyao grimaced at them both. Possibly it was meant to be a smile.

“You don’t have to go to the Unclean Realm, A-Yao,” Lan Xichen said.

“Thank you, er-ge.”

“You can come to the Cloud Recesses instead.”

“Er-ge…”

“Did anyone ever tell the Jin sect that we were working with the Wen heirs?” Nie Mingjue wondered out loud, and everyone frowned. “Because if they don’t know, and Jin Guangshan thinks he’s being subtle with the whole trying to hire Xue Yang thing, things are going to get really awkward.”

“…well, shit,” Jiang Cheng said. “I call not being the one to tell him.”

“Seconded!”

“Cloud Recesses, you said?” Jin Guangyao asked Lan Xichen, who looked pleased.

“I’m leaving,” Wen Xu decided. “I want nothing to do with this disaster. You all have fun now, I’m fucking off back to the Nightless City to live the rest of my life as a very rich man with no life goals.”

“I want to do that,” Nie Huaisang said.

“No,” Nie Mingjue said.

“But –”

“No.”

“Hey,” Wei Wuxian said. “Unrelatedly, anyone have any ideas on what should I do with the whole resentful energy seal thing now?”

“I don’t know,” Wen Chao said. “Play a giant game of keep away with it and then fake your own death?”

#mdzs #wen xu #wen chao #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #jin guangyao #wei wuxian #lan qiren #my fic #my fics #mutiny at the wen sect #Anonymous

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 1 - Decoy [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Here we go my loves, the first chapter! ❤ I hope you like it, and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

As always, I don’t own anything.

Word Count: 2200

Warnings: Mentions of blood, violence, death, manipulation, language.

Summary: Trouble has a way of following certain people.

Sometimes you wondered whether you would run away screaming when you were a child if you knew what kind of a person you would turn into.

It wasn’t exactly your fault though. For years and years, several people had put the blame on several different things. Eventually they would reach the same conclusion though; the psychiatrists, your superiors, the very few people you could call your family, they all agreed on one thing.

It wasn’t you, it was the abandonment.

The abandonment you went through when you were a teenager had somehow started this domino, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop this constant fall, not even you.

But as you would figure out soon, you were lucky. Instead of being consumed by your anger, you could direct it somewhere else. You were recruited and trained from a very young age, and somewhere along the way, you realized that if you wanted to survive you were going to have to sacrifice certain things.

Forgiveness was the first one to disappear. Guilt was another.

Then fear.

Then, love.

Ah well. Worse things happen in the world every day.

If anything it made your job easier.

You cracked your neck and opened the door to your apartment, the key sticking to your fingers because of the blood on your hands for a moment and you made a face as you shut the door, leaning back.

A very long shower and a bottle of wine sounded like a good idea.

You placed your gun on the table, took the dagger strapped to your thigh out of its holster and got the knives out of the heels of your shoes before flinging yourself onto your couch and turning the TV on.

“Also called Sokovia Accords 2.0 by the critics—“

“What the superheroes think about this remains a mystery—“

“The first time caused a huge rift between Captain America and Iron Man but nobody knows the new Captain America Sam Wilson’s comment on it—“

You didn’t get to change the channel again when your phone started vibrating in your pocket, making you sit up straight. You muted the TV, and checked the caller I.D before you answered.

“Hey there.”

“Hi, how’s Paris?” the cheerful voice of your best friend reached you, “Had enough croissants yet?”

A small smile pulled at your lips. After your only parental figure had left you to go God knew where, General had decided to adopt you and raise you like a daughter. His actual daughter Chloe had welcomed you with open arms, and you had been best friends since then.

Her being the top analyst of the division didn’t hurt either.

“Mm hm, because that’s all I’m doing. Eating croissants, visiting museums—”

“Killing and maiming targets...” she mused, finishing your sentence for you and you heaved a sigh.

“Somehow that last one isn’t included in the city guide,” you pointed out. “Chloe, you know this is a line for—“

“Official contact from General, yeah yeah,” she said, “In my defense, you didn’t pick up the phone an hour ago when I called you from my phone.”

“Do you know how hard it is to use touch screen when your hands are covered in blood?”

“What happened to your sniper rifle, did it fall into Seine?”

“It required close combat,” you said, “And the target swallowed the chip before I could get it, so I had to perform a spontaneous autopsy.”

“Just so you know, whenever you talk about your job I have to watch like a hundred cute videos after I hang up.”

“Happens.” you said, “How’s everything?”

“You missed us already?”

You grinned, “Maybe.”

“Good, because dad wants you back. He’ll contact you any day now.”

Your head snapped up and you stood up from the couch, “Really?”

“Duh. Have you seen how negotiations for these new Accords are going? It’s going to be a mess and we need you here.”

“The second one hasn’t passed officially.”

“Well no, but you know how my father thinks.” she said and you tilted your head.

“Are we sure it’s General who wants me there and not you?”

“Okay, that was one prank ages ago and I didn’t hear the end of it!” she protested, “Don’t you trust me at all?”

“Nope.”

“You know, I’m being the perfect friend and calling you to give you some good news but if you’re going to be like this, my news can wait until you get here.”

You pulled your brows together, “What news?”

“What do I get in return?”

“My endless gratitude,” you deadpanned, “Come on. What news?”

“You can’t tell anyone yet but I think you’re getting a promotion.”

Your breath got caught in your throat, “You’re joking.”

“Don’t forget about me when you become a handler, you hear me?” She let out a laugh, I need friends in high places.”

“Your dad runs the division Chloe. It doesn’t get any higher than that.”

“That doesn’t count!”  

You pressed a hand over your chest, “Just— what kind of a promotion are we talking about?”

“I mean I snooped around his files and casually committed treason.” she said, “But even I don’t know yet. They must be still making the adjustments.”

You opened your mouth to reply but then your phone vibrated again and you lowered it to check the message on the screen.

It was simple but again, all his texts were simple and to the point.

From: General

Time to come back. Jet leaves in 2 hours.

Here goes my shower and wine night.

“Chloe?” you said, walking to the sink to wash your hands so that you could start packing, “You want anything from here? I’m coming home.”

                                              ***

The best thing about being on the move all the time was that you could pack in minutes and the division would take care of the things you had left behind.

Apartments, belongings-

Not that you carried any belongings with you, or bought any more than necessary. It would’ve made you form a bond, which was less than ideal for any spy.

You suppressed the yawn splitting your face and made your way to General’s office. This jet-lag was going to make your life pretty difficult in the following 24 hours, and you were painfully aware of it, but it wasn’t like you could just ask for some time to rest.

That could wait. Your job was more important.

“General?” you knocked on the half open door and he raised his head to look at you before motioning you to enter the room.

“Y/N,” he said, “Close the door please. It’s good to have you back.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Take a seat,” he said and you cleared your throat, then perched on the edge of the chair.

“I’ve heard you eliminated the threat and got rid of our target quite fast,” he said, “And we have the chip now.”

You nodded silently, pushing your hair behind your ear.

“Well, that shows me you’re ready for the next step,” he said “No reason to beat around the bush, you’re getting a promotion.”

Pride burst through your system but you tried to control your expression to stop the grin threatening to pull at your lips.

“Thank you sir.”

“Here are the details for your next mission,” he said, handing you a file that was stamped as Top Secret and you flipped the page to find information about your next identity.

Alias: Shrike

“Shrike,” you murmured to yourself, turning the pages, “Like the bird?”

“Mm hm. I assume you’ve heard about the Accords issue?”

You looked up, “Only a little,” you said, “The first one was a disaster and the government had to drop it after The Blip due to the public’s reaction, resurrected people insisted that the superheroes were the ones who saved them, not the government. Then the government said they would go over the details and change it in a way that would benefit both the public and the superheroes, but I haven’t seen the new version.”

“There were some adjustments but to be honest with you, it’s the same deal. We can’t have superheroes running wild with no orders,” he said, “I need you on both fronts, one with terminating specific targets, and one with….well, you’ll see.”

You flipped the page and blinked a couple of times, your stomach dropping.

You were good, but you weren’t that good.

“You- you’re sending me after Captain America, sir?”

“Ah no,” he said, “Don’t worry. Wilson doesn’t have a past we can use against him, and trust me, we checked. The guy is an actual hero but we need a bad guy.”

You turned the page and shut your eyes for a moment.

Bucky Barnes.

Right. You should’ve known.

The government wanted and needed Captain America on their side, but Bucky Barnes could fall for all they cared.

“Sir I appreciate your trust in my abilities but not even an army could take down the Winter Soldier the last time—” you started but General shook his head.

“Y/N, you’re not going to kill him,” he said, “That’s the second front I was talking about. We need you to get close to him, to form a personal bond and gather intel we can use in the future.”

You gawked at him, “I’m sorry?”

“Barnes is the perfect candidate. He can help us with necessary information to prove to the public that superheroes need to answer to someone; us. Besides if it all goes bad, we can just say he was a threat. With that kind of past no one would think he was innocent to begin with.”

Your head was spinning. Scratch that, the whole room was spinning.

You were good at finding and terminating targets, not forming personal bonds or playing this

“When you say get close to him….” You trailed off, your voice way too weak and he smiled slightly.

“You’re an attractive woman, I’m sure you’ll have no problem with that.”

That. That was your promotion.

Not an operations officer, not a handler, but a lover who also happened to kill people.

They were going to use you as a honey trap for him.

“Sir, I don’t think-“ you started, but he held up a hand.

“Before you say no,” he said, “Let me remind you that this will benefit your career greatly, and you will have your own team. Show us you can handle it, and the position you want will be within your reach, you have my word. You want to be a handler, don’t you?”

You dragged your fingernails on the file, deep in thought.

“Barnes is one of the many dangerous people we may need to stop one day, and the only way to do it is to keep him under control and learn everything he knows until we’re ready to take him in.”

“But if these new Accords don’t pass—“ you started but he shook his head.

“Even if they don’t, and that’s a big if,” he said, “He’s still a valuable asset to have. We all have to perform certain missions, Y/N. Even if we don’t particularly like them. You will thank me in the future, when your career flourishes.”

Your blinked a couple of times, a bitterness appearing in your mouth.

“Of course,” you managed to say, “You’re— you’re right sir. It’s a good plan. I accept the position.”

“Great!” he clapped his hands together, “We have a target for you for tomorrow night, there’s this gallery opening. He needs to be eliminated, I think you can handle that? Start planning how it will go with Barnes as well, we can’t lose any time.”

You pursed your lips together and closed the file, “Of course.”

“Congratulations.” he leaned in slightly, “Your dad would be so proud of you if he could see you now.”

You tried to swallow the lump in your throat, but it felt like it was getting bigger and bigger.

“I don’t need his approval,” you rasped out and walked to the door, but stopped when you heard him speak.

“Shrike,” he used your alias for the first time and you looked over your shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I don’t have to remind you that this mission is top secret. If he figures out who you are, or what you’re up to…” he clicked his tongue, “Kill him.”

You paused for a moment, then tilted your head and smiled at him.

“As you wish, sir.” you managed to say, then walked out of his office as if someone was chasing you. You made your way straight to the bathroom and slammed the file on the marble counter, then pulled out the small picture sticking out from the corner. It was an old black and white picture of him with Steve Rogers, probably taken in the 40s, both of them smiling. 

When you lowered the picture to attach it back to the paper, your eyes caught the tiny print under his aliases.

Confirmed Kills: Exact number unknown (Credited with 100+ assassinations)

You were in way, way over your head now.

“Oh, fuck.”

                                  Chapter 2

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #the falcon and the winter soldier #falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws #the winter soldier #marvel #marvel imagine #marvel imagines #the winter soldier x reader #the winter soldier imagine #burn the witch