#EricAdams and #KathyHochul aren’t changing tunes cuz THEY saw a video of a young black homeless man being held in a chokehold for 15 mins and dying…nope!!Their changing tunes cuz WE saw a video of a young black homeless being held in a chokehold for 15 mins and dying!!

There was people who warned ny voters during the mayoral and governor elections not to vote for these two candidates

The idea that you protect people by excusing killing the mentally ill and homeless is an argument for fascism and eugenics. You protect people with housing, healthcare, compassion. The bloodlust of conservatives is the real sign of what they want, not their empty words.

When i say conservatives I'm including people like Eric Adams and Kathy Hochul. This country is so far right that some Democrats would would rather defend this killing than house and care for people. And they are also the problem

I recall seventeen months ago, I was ridiculed for not being in “full support” of everyone’s favorite candidate running for a particular position. Or, sympathizing with a bigot-lite from Long Island. And seventeen months later… I was right about both of them.

As of this week reading that they’re a bunch of inhumane dinos (democrats in name only) they’re all like “I told you so “

I know cause I’m one of them

FQ Eric Adams and Kathy Hochul a nigpine and a hew! I’ll be feeling like this again after they get voted out of office mark my words

Val! Heya love.

So, for your birthday ask game. I was gonna choose a trope from the office relationship, but it got out of hand when I liked more than 5🥹.

Can we please have something for Steve and Reader, where at SHIELD they’re incredibly close and have feelings for each other?

Lots of sticky notes on laptops, doodles on briefs, texts to one another under the table about coworkers, fixing ties and hair, and maybe sporadic texts about something to do with“work/meetings” when they really just want an excuse to talk to the other?

Sab, darling!!!

A/N: I loved this request so I hope you like what I wrote for it. Also send in all the other request I promise I don’t mind!!

Between sticky notes, meeting rooms and elevators.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Warning: pining and fluff, some America puns (I’m so sorry they’re only like two but I couldn’t help myself)

You were late and your boss hated when you were late. It didn’t help that when you finally got to the briefing all eyes were on you when you got to the only available seat.

“Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Ms. Y/L/N. Now we can finally get started.” Your boss announces.

You take a deep breath as you look up to find Steve sitting right across from you. He raised an eyebrow at you and shook his head in mock disappointment. You rolled your eyes and smiled before your eyes landed on the disposable coffee cup in front of you. There was a little smiley face with your name on it in Steve’s handwriting. You mouth a thank you and he winks at you before turning his attention to the front of the room. Those pesky little butterflies that made your stomach their home since the day you met Steve took flight again.

~~~~~~~

“Hey Y/N,” Steve calls out to you as soon as the meeting is over. The sea of people in the hallway parts for him. “So how was your morning?” He smiles, the mischief behind his eyes lets you know he’s just joking.

“It was wonderful. My alarm didn’t go off, traffic was horrible and I had this meeting right at the beginning of the day with the most annoying of my boss.”

You hear someone clear their throat behind you. Steve is already holding his laughter as you turn around with a horrified look on your face. Your boss glares at you for a moment.

“Don’t let your tardiness become a habit Ms. Y/L/N.” he states before walking away.

Steve just gives a long whew as he watches your boss walk away. You cover your face behind the files you’re holding before Steve pulls them away in order to hold them for you.

“Did you know he was standing behind me?” You look up at him with a pout.

“Absolutely not. I would never let you embarrass yourself like that even though it was entertaining.”

You just glare up at him, mostly playfully. He laughs as you both get on the elevator. As others get on you’re pushed back more until you end up back to chest with Steve. His free arm comes up and around your waist to keep you up right. You hope he can’t hear your heart beating faster the longer you stand that close to him.

Once you are on your floor you get out while Steve stays on the elevator. Neither of you would really look at each other so you couldn’t see the pink tint on his cheeks and the sheepish smile that played on his lips.

“I’ll-uh I’ll send those reports to you as soon as I can.” You say.

“I’ll be waiting for them.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.” He says and then the doors close.

*****

Just as you said the reports were ready for Steve. With a pep in your step you go up to his office to drop them off even though there is someone that can do that for you. You frown when you get to your destination as you see that the lights are off. Grabbing a post-it you always carry with you and a pen you write a quick note and leave the file in his drop box.

A few minutes later you get a text.

Steve: Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Attached to his text was a picture of the sticky note. It was a drawing of a stick figure saluting and it says. ‘I know you ameriCAN do it.’

Y/N: You’re welcome. ☺️☺️

Y/N: let me know you make it back safe!

Steve: Always do. 😉

You smile at your phone before putting it away and working on the next set of reports.

~~~~~~

Steve: This guy’s voice is so monotonous that he's making himself fall asleep.

You try to hide your laugh behind a cough while Steve has the nerve to send you a message shushing you.

Y/N: not fair! Don’t make me laugh like that.

Steve: 🤷🏼 it’s true though… don’t look now but I think Linda from accounting is asleep with her eyes open.

You slowly look over and you watch as one of her coworkers nudges her. She starts slightly and then sinks into her chair further.

Y/N: 💀💀 oh maybe you should recruit him for the avengers. He could just give this speech to any bad guy and they’ll turn themselves in just to avoid hearing him anymore.

It was Steve’s turn to huff a laugh and try to cover it by clearing his throat. You were seated in different sections because of your jobs but still managed to be in each other's line of sight. Every time you looked over he would pretend to be nodding off, you shook your head every time before looking away.

****

“I thought that guy would never stop talking.” You say as you meet Steve in the hallway.

“Yeah, that was painful.”

“Oh, here are those analyses you requested.” You hand him a few folders. “Everything is arranged from what I thought would need priority down to low grade issues.”

“Thanks. Here are my completed reports.” He hands you a folder. “Everything is signed, all it needs is your review and it can be filed.”

“Thanks. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.” He smiles at you. That boyish grin that makes your knees weak.

When you get to your desk and open the first folder you laugh. Paperclipped to the first report was a doodle of the speaker from earlier except Steve has made him look like a sloth. You take the doodle out of the folder and place it in the small box you keep all of the doodles Steve gives you.

~~~~~~~~

“Hello?”

“Hey Steve,” you say as you look over some information that he needed. “I have that report you requested but you aren’t in your office.”

“Oh yeah, I was called back to New York for a mission with the avengers.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No,” he shakes his head even though you can’t see him. “You’re never an interruption. Is everything ok?”

“Yeah I just wanted to know what you wanted me to do with the report , you know, since you’re not here.”

There was a protocol in place for this occasion. You knew that and so did Steve. Still neither of you could wipe those dopey grins on your faces as you spoke to each other.

“Why don’t you hold on to them and I’ll get them once I get back?”

“That works.” There’s a small silence before you break it. “Well I’ll leave you to it. Please-“

“I don’t have to hang up yet. I mean if you have time, we can talk.”

“I’d like that.”

“Have I missed anything in the office since I left?” He asks as he sits back in his bed at the tower.

“You mean in the three hours since you left?”

“Yup.”

“Of course you did. Now you didn’t hear it from me, but rumor is that Linda from accounting is having an affair.”

“No!”

“Yes. And you’ll never guess with who?”

“Who?” Steve asks excitedly.

“Sloth man.”

“There’s no way.”

“It’s only what I’ve heard, it hasn’t been confirmed.”

“I wonder what she sees in him.”

“A good night's sleep.” You murmur.

Steve throws his head back and laughs. Once he calms down he starts giving you theories about the supposed rumor. Then the conversation turns into other topics. Before you know it you’ve been on the phone for at least two hours when he needs to leave.

“Please be safe.”

“I will. See you in a day or so.” Steve says before hanging up.

~~~~~~~~~

The day had dragged on. Maybe it was because you didn’t have much work for the day. But you had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with a certain blond haired, blue-eyed super soldier not being around.

It wasn’t until late in the evening and you were working extra hours that you received a very long overdue break. There’s a little knock at the end of your desk. You push yourself a little bit to turn your chair around. Words die on your tongue when you see a bruised up Steve standing there.

“Oh my god what happened?” You raise your hand to lightly touch a bruise on his cheek.

He wraps his fingers around your wrist and you immediately realize how inappropriate it is. When you go to pull your hand away he doesn’t let you. His thumb is drawing a lazy circle on your wrist as he brings both your hands down.

“Just some bad guys. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Why are you still here?”

“I think my boss is still mad that I called him annoying and I’m stuck doing more paperwork.” You shrug your shoulders.

“Well I hope you haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Nope.”

“Good.” He smiles at you and then pulls a bag from behind his back. “Because I brought your favorite.”

“My hero.” You beam before turning and clearing a spot on your desk. Steve places the bag down and pulls a chair from an empty desk and sits down with a bit of a grunt. “So spill it.” You motion to him.

“Just a mission.”

“I need a play by play. Come on please. I read all of your reports, they’re basically a book at this point and I need the next chapter.”

He huffed a laugh. “Fine. But it’s rather boring.”

“You could never bore me.”

“Could I get that in writing? I’d like to have proof for Tony.”

“Sure, I’ll even have it notarized.”

He laughs again and shakes his head. Then he starts talking about the mission. You could sit there listening to Steve talk about anything. After he finished that story you moved on to other topics, work now long forgotten.

~~~~~~~

As much as you hated it, Shield was requiring a certain number of their employees from each department to attend a gala. Because your boss still had it out for you, you were selected to attend.

You were fiddling with the necklace you’d paired with your dress as you walked through the already crowded venue. Someone grabs you by your forearm and pulls you into an empty hallway while you try to throw a punch.

“Woah calm down, it’s just me.” Steve said as he let go of you.

“Why would you grab me like that?”

“I’m sorry I just didn’t want anyone to realize I was here. Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, it’s just I thought I was being kidnapped.” You frown a bit.

“I’d never let that happen.”

Heat rushed to your cheeks, you knew he meant it as a friend but sometimes you wish it was more than that.

“Is everything ok?”

“Honestly, I’m kind of nervous.”

“You are nervous? Why?” You ask incredulously.

“This function is for World War Two vets. I don’t know it’s not the same as if I was dealing with someone that didn’t fight in it. They ask questions and I can play it down a bit but with the vets… It makes me feel exposed.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I have to give a speech. If I find you a seat closer to the stage would you take it?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you .”

“Don’t mention it.”

His large hand takes yours and he pulls you down the hall with the intention of leading you to the seat he mentioned. You tug on his hand so that he stops and turns to you. Pulling him a bit closer you reach up and fix the bow tie. Then your hands instinctively run across his shoulders and down his chest in order to smooth out his tux. He smiles at you then. His eyes light up when he sees you return it. The moment is far too intimate for two friends to be sharing but it feels right nonetheless.

Steve graciously walks you to an open seat and heads to the stage. Just like you knew it would, the speech was a success. Still every once in a while he’d look down at you and you’d return an encouraging smile.

****

“May I have this dance?” Steve had his hand stretched out in front of you.

“Why yes you may.”

You place your smaller hand in his and he leads you to the dance floor. Steve places one hand on your waist and the other takes your hand. As a slow song starts playing he begins to lead, the scent of his cologne is intoxicating in the best ways.

“I thought you didn’t dance.”

“Only with the right partner. Besides, Sam bet that I wouldn’t dance with the most beautiful woman here. I had to prove him wrong.” He says just as he turns both of you and Sam comes into your line of sight, raising a glass of champagne and smiling.

“Steve…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just thought it was time I told you how I really felt. It’s ok if you don’t feel the same but I learned my lesson the hard way.” He spins you around and pulls you back in. “I like you as more than just friends. Seeing you makes my day, I can literally be having the worst day and you make it better. If it weren’t for you working at Shield would have been a nightmare. You saw me for more than just Captain America and I don’t think you realize what that means to me. It’s never bothered you to have to do things differently or having to spend time teaching me something because I just don’t know about all of the new technology. Most importantly you don’t mock me for it, you accept me as I am. And I’m so grateful you’re in my life.”

Steve dips you and as he pulls you back up all you can do is stare up at him with wide eyes. He smiles fondly at you as he takes your hand and presses a kiss to your knuckles.

“I have to go on a mission. But would you be willing to talk about this some more when I get back?”

You just nod, all words had escaped you at the moment. How were you supposed to respond? You adored Steve but never in a million years did you think it was reciprocated. Steve leans down and kisses your cheek before walking towards Sam. Then you watch as they both walk out. By the time you leave the gala you’re still reeling and trying to figure out how to respond.

~~~~~~~~~

Steve didn’t get back until Tuesday. It had been four days since the gala and since he told you how he felt. He was supposed to be back today. You knew for a fact he was because some of the people on your team had mentioned seeing him. Without being able to take much more you rush to the elevator and press the button for his floor.

Everyone around you rushes out but you are glued to your spot. Standing at the doors is Steve, looking as handsome as ever. His eyes light up when he sees you even though there’s a really bad bruise on his cheek and it’s obvious the mission was worse than expected. Still he steps into the elevator and no one dares walk in, leaving the two of you alone. The elevator starts to ascend but Steve pushes the stop button.

“Hi.” You manage to squeak out.

“Hi, I am free tonight by the way.”

“Oh, good.” You say as you try to hide your smile.

“But another America joke really?” He holds up the post-it note you had placed inside a folder for him to find.

It simply reads: on a scale of one to America, how free are you tonight? With a few stars drawn around it.

“You are Captain America, I have to use that to my advantage.” You giggle at his fake huff of annoyance. “Since you’re a superhero does that mean you’re super free tonight?”

Steve genuinely laughs this time before he turns to you. He finds that you’re already looking up at him with a soft smile.

“You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

“Oh so you think I’m cute.”

“Yup.” He takes a step towards you, forcing you against the wall. His hands rest on the small handrail, effectively caging you in.

“How cute would I have to be to get you to kiss me?”

“I think you’re there already.” Steve says before his lips are on yours.

It was better than what you had imagined. His lips were soft, the kiss was sweet. Unfortunately it was short lived.

“If you two are done holding up the elevator, I’d really appreciate seeing Captain Rogers in my office. Now.” Director Fury’s voice came through the speaker and you pulled away quickly.

You giggled at the fact that you had been caught. The butterflies in your belly were in full flight as Steve smiled at you. When the elevator came to a stop he pressed a kiss to your cheek and stepped out.

“I’ll see you tonight.” You smile at him as the doors close. A few seconds later you get a text.

Steve: It's a date. 😉

Titles Tag Game

Thank you @roalinda and @groundzero-v for tagging me! ❤️ Took me a while but here we go. :)

List the titles of your top 5 priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers)

An upcoming scene, event or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which of the top 5 wips are they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

(None of these are posted on AO3 yet.)

1. While You Were Sleeping AU (Prongsfoot)

James falls for a stranger (Regulus) he sees at his workplace and ends up pretending to be his fiancé after the man becomes comatose. But then James meets the more handsome and taller big brother (Sirius) and has to ask himself which one he's actually falling for.

Based on the 90s rom-com. This was supposed to be for Prongsfoot fest, but you know what, we ain’t quitting a story just because a deadline passed. :D This is something I can’t wait to share, but I need to finish it for my own sanity first. It’s coming along slowly, but we’re getting there.

2. Jilypad

James and Lily realise they’re both into Sirius and do something that could jeopardise their friendship with him if he ever found out. I can’t really say much more, except there will be smut.

3. Rem_Reg (Remus/Regulus)

Remus is an unlucky Prefect who has to stand in for Slughorn for a bit while a student is having detention. That student is Regulus Black. Their snarky exchange of words sparks an unexpected interest between them. Includes some Prongsfoot in the background.

4. Kiss this (stripper Sirius/office worker James AU)

James and Sirius were childhood best friends but lost contact. Many years later, they meet again by chance. Turns out, their lives have taken very different paths, but the connection between them is still there. A fic based on this beautiful art by @jollyrolls.

5. CEO Black (Prongsfoot, AU)

Sirius Black is the CEO of a media company and James Potter is his communications director. Right before James started his new job, he had a one night stand with a stranger...who turned out to be his new boss. Sequel to my drabble First day of work. This is still in its early stage but I know there will be more innuedos and hot meetings in the office. 😏

Upcoming scenes:

1. Peer pressure forces James and Sirius to kiss.

2. Lilypad scene with James watching them. You know he will be clutching his wine glass tightly.

3. A scene where Remus and Regulus argue. Regulus doesn’t care about any of Remus’s self-pitying excuses, and Remus doesn’t accept any of Regulus’s prejudiced bullshit.

4. Sirius gives James a private dance.

5. Someone flirts with James, and Sirius is not happy about it. Not that he cares much. But...he does. In fact. Care. Very much.

Tagging @heartofspells @squintclover @plecotusauritus @narcissa-black-supermacy @solitaire-sol @myprongsfootera @fiendishfyre if you want to do this. <3 (No pressure, I know some of you already did this before.)

Episode Ten: Random Rewatch Observations

Here we go. I’ve honestly held back so long from doing this one, in part because I never want to series to end, but also I had to gear myself up emotionally for the trauma...

1. God is it any wonder Little looks so miserable when you see the vast expanse of grey nothing he’s staring out at? There’s no real hope left but no real choice but to keep going.

2. Also strikes me that wee George Chambers is the last Boy standing, isn’t he? Young and Evans are dead, Golding’s gone to the dark side.

3. It’s so cruel of them, Le Vesconte especially, to let Little go on his inspirational rant before they drop the truth bomb about the vote but it’s also clear to see why it’s done that way. If they’d discussed it privately beforehand then each could’ve argued their case, and Little might more easily have been able to refuse (for all the difference it would make in the end). But telling him about it right out in public, in amongst all the men, is very deliberate and completely forces his hand. Just godawful!

I also have to wonder if it’s that old problem of them sticking so rigidly to rules and procedure again, even unconsciously. He’s the highest-ranking officer now, perhaps it’s protocol to wait until he speaks first?

4. Note that he says “two able-bodied lieutenants” here. Like, it would be one heart-breaking thing if deep down they resented Jopson his new position, didn’t see him as equal, but they do! They clearly see him as one of them and that’s worse because they leave him behind anyway!

5. God they’re all so deliberate in the way they talk about things as well, like they’ve been rehearsing it and justifying it to themselves over and over again. The ill won’t be ‘left behind’, they’ll just ‘stay’.

6. Might just be me but I believe the pitch of the title theme has been lowered significantly in this episode – a sign of their sharp, terrible descent? I’ll need to go back through the other episodes at some point and note if it’s altered at any other point, but I don’t think it is.

7. Oh Goodsir, baby girl! He’s so shaky and sore and unsteady on his feet and clouded in his mind already here, it’s gut-wrenching.

8. Also interesting to note what he remembers about David Young, even if he can’t remember his name – “he was afraid, he wanted us to run”. Young’s death was awful and memorable enough on its own, but it’s got to be extra-traumatic as a doctor, I think – to see someone so afraid and know that even with all your knowledge and skill, you can’t do anything about it.

9. The piles of cans left outside the tent are just a complete slap in the face, they really are - serving only to comfort those leaving, not those ‘staying’ behind who, with the exception of Jopson, are completely unable to leave the tents to get to them anyway.

10. Something about Goodsir dying with no shoes and just his little woolly socks on is so personal and horrendous to me.

11. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that they had a better on-screen death for Tozer but ran out of time/money to film it and that’s a tragedy to me. Like, even if it was just him going down swinging and getting a good shot in as he goes (as the off-screen sound-effects imply here) then I’d love to have seen it. Tozer and Hodgson in particular are both worthy of redemption in my book.

Does anyone know more specifically what they’d planned for Tozer’s death?

12. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – “Close…” takes EFFORT. I have to imagine that a person literally seconds from death would be hard pushed to speak at all or make any sound beyond vague groans of pain, but he doesn’t just do that. He puts physical and mental effort into croaking that one last and very specific word and the fact is that we’ll never truly know why!

13. Another thing we’ll never know is why he’s separate from the others too. It echoes Hodgson’s isolation actually, now that I think about it – just as with the chains, we don’t know if it’s something he did to himself or something that was done to him by the others, and we’ll never know.

14. Also! Crozier would it kill you to touch the man! That hand holding back by mere millimetres from brushing through his hair will haunt me the rest of my days. Here’s a man who throughout the entire story has been well-established as showing comfort, affection, and solidarity through physical touch and he doesn’t truly get it in return even in his final moments! (I know Crozier touches his shoulder etc. but it’s just not the same to me and I’m still distraught!).  

Do you have any head cannons for if Miguel had been paroled at the end of season 5? Thank you

Ooooooh this is interesting. Like, everyone knew he wouldn’t get paroled, but what if Ruiz took pity on him. Saw a little of himself in this lost barrio boy.

Miguel Alvarez Gets Paroled (S5)…

“You’re so fucking beautiful when you’re angry…”

He’s seething. His parole might be in danger. Maritza might be in danger.

(Poor boy doesn’t know about Ronaldo yet💔)

When he gets in front of the parole board, he’s jittery

He’s thought about every question ahead of time and gives his answers

He can see on their face that they don’t believe it

“What the fuck makes you think you should go free, you little prick?”

He feels it… the anger. The red in his eyes that wanted to hurt Ruiz. That tingle in his hands before he hit someone. 🔥

He took a deep breath.

“I really believe I’m rehabil…”

He can’t even make himself say the words😢

He was going to spend the rest of his life in Oz

So he opted for the truth

“I don’t know if I’m rehabilitated. I know I want to be different. I know I want a life. I know I don’t want to hurt people anymore. Feel their blood on my hands. Their voices in my head forever. I don’t know if rehabilitation is possible… but I hope it is. I hope it is because it’s my last shot. My last shot at having something to hold onto.”

“…and if you were free?” -Ruiz ⁉️

“I’d hug my mother, because I know she tried. I’d tell my sisters I love them and I’m sorry I went away where I couldn’t protect them. I’d get a job and complain about it but I’d love every minute of it. I’d join community theatre. O’Reily’s mom was really nice and I think I found something I care about. I’d try. I really would.”

The board is silent for a moment. Ruiz beckons the lady next to him to lean in to a whisper.

“Thank you, Mr. Alvarez. We’ll get back to you.”

He leaves, not feeling good about his chances. He tears off the suit with an anger, waiting in Sister Pete’s office.

“I’m gonna stay here, Sister. Those motherfuckers ain’t ever gonna let me free.”

A woman in a suit entered, reading something off a form. He didn’t listen to any of the words except the last three:

“They voted yes.”

His heart stopped in his chest.

Was he going free❓❓❓❓❓

He released a long breath that he had been holding onto since he got to Oz. He’d be free. Maybe not fully safe, Chico wasn’t gonna let him get away that easy, but he was free.

He signed all the forms, collected all of his belongings, and said goodbye to the one prisoner he’d miss.

Rebadow congratulated him, giving him a word of warning before he left:

“Hold onto life, Miguel. Hold on with both hands.”🙌

He mulled over those words, unsure of what they meant completely.

He knocks on Mukada’s door, whose sad eyes trail up towards him. Even he wasn’t sure if Miguel was safe to put on the streets.

They’re silent for a moment, Miguel dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, a leather jacket over it. No cuffs in sight.

“I’m sorry for all the shit I’ve caused.” -Miguel says after a moment.

Mukada thinks for a moment.

“Then don’t cause shit, Miguel.”

Those were the last words they spoke to each other for a month.

The sun is bright, and Miguel realizes how much he’s missed being outside.

His sister, Jimena, drives him.

He stares out the window the entire way, watching the blank fields turn to houses turn to buildings.

She asks if he had any friends to invite to his parole party

“No” -he says a little too quickly.

The party is small. His mom and sisters and cousins who cared to show up.

Honestly, after being in solitary for years, all the people were a little much for him

He goes for a walk afterwards, walking through his old neighborhood. Nothing changed and everything did at the same time.

He visits Maritza, who refuses to let him inside… when he sees Ronaldo’s hat on the chair.

There it is again… the anger. The seeing red. He wanted to drag them both across the floor.

But he didn’t. ❤️

“Yeah… this… this is done. You too, Ronaldo.”

He throws himself a pity party for the night, downing Michelada after Michelada. 🍺🌶️

He made good on his word and joined e community theatre the next day🎭

It was… strange.

He’d been used to inmates who hated acting and were playing it like a joke… and now everyone was so serious.

He starts off in lighting and sound, teaching him all the tech spots one by one

He makes friends, real friends, who invite him out after shows.

They tell crazy stories, and though he knows his stories could beat them all, he stays silent and just listens, laughing along with everyone.

He gets a job as a mechanic at first. He hated it but went every day and stayed clean.

A few weeks later, after jawing with one of his clients, he offers Miguel a job at a video game studio.

He stays quiet and takes notes at meetings, trying to show everyone he belongs there

He wears a suit to work, getting teased (friendly) as everyone else was wearing whatever they please

But he likes his suit, so he still wears it🕴️

As he’s walking one day, he meets Ronaldo on the street, who looked instantly afraid of him.

Miguel rolls his eyes and tells him that Miguel died in solitary confinement

Ronaldo, not reading the situation, offers Miguel a bump of his coke and says he has a job that’ll get Miguel back into El Norte

He thinks about it for a second, but declines both

Ronaldo calls him a pussy and even though he’s seeing red again, he walks away.

He gets a therapist and stays on his meds this time💊

He binges shows he missed and judges them on their technical prowess

He stays away from trouble, and even when others try to start some, he stays out of it.

Chico tries shit from Oz, sending people to mess with Miguel.

Miguel keeps his head down and does what he does best… survive.

After a while Oz starts to fade away into Fourth of July BBQs and oily popcorn fingers at the movies.

He hangs out with his sisters’ kids. They think he’s the best uncle.

Miguel doesn’t know how to talk to kids but they’re just drawn to him. Feel protected by him.

He hangs up every card they make him.🎨

He stays in that community theatre, working his way up to stage manager.

It’s years later but he’s finally in charge again.

He plays basketball and soccer and even beer pong if you catch him in the right mood

He even buys himself a sketchbook and starts drawing (very much keeps it to himself)

Miguel starts to understand Rebadow’s words.

He reaches out to Mukada when he’s feeling no feisty or violent. After seeing Mukada at one of his plays unannounced, the two had become closer. He realized Miguel was serious about getting his life together.

They chat at a coffee shop the next day.

Miguel is… surprisingly calm for losing his girlfriend and being released into nothing.

“Y’think… maybe… God’s listening to me again, Father?”

“He never stopped, Miguel.”

Years later, years and years, as Miguel is sitting on the couch with his family, and his kids are playing on the floor, his significant other just watching, happily… Miguel realizes he did exactly what Rebadow told him.

Bonus: his kids were baptized by Mukada. He wouldn’t have it done by anyone else.

Mr and Mrs Liars Chapter 21

Chapter 20 TW: Conversations of sexual content and references to abuse. I have tried not to put so many strong so as not to bother much more than it should already bother, but it is part of the story. Apologize in advance 🙏 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *MC POV*  I order an infusion like I told Jake to calm down. I've always been able to beat guys like Manfred, I don't stay quiet and I don't stay still either, but this time it's different. For some reason, in that office it caused me a lot of discomfort. Schneider was too comfortable doing such things.  When the notification sound rings for me, I reaches for the phone, hoping it's Jake. But it's Alena. Ugh… I don't feel like talking to her right now… ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aleena MC! I have good news!  MC What is? Are the votes as favorites going up?  Aleena No, it's much better Jake and I have kissed! 🥰 Well, he has kissed me 🤭 Although I was a little uncomfortable, I told him that I want to go slow Isn't it cool? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This doesn’t make the situation from before something unimportant. Really, it just adds to an accumulation of things I hate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MC I'm very happy for both of you Two of my friends together Aleena Hehe, thanks~ I'm looking forward to a third date with him Next time maybe it's more than just a kiss 😋 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't want to talk about this right now. It's not the moment. My mind is elsewhere. I avoid answering by keeping my phone in my bag. It has finally happened. I am… Happy for him, that he has turned the page… Very happy…  Okay, the important thing now is that Manfred hasn't done anything to Peter, so maybe he's not involved and he's just a pig asshole? No, there is something else.     "I can't stay focused." I murmured, remembering what happened in the office.      A strange chill runs through my body. I've known that man since I was a teenager… What if…? My stomach is upset. I want to vomit.  I squeeze my eyes shut, covering my mouth. I shouldn't have stayed and waited for Jake, I want to be home. I want to go home.     "MC…"      I open my eyes looking up. Jake looks at me concerned by my way of acting.     "Jake…" I whisper his name. Even though I don't show it, part of me is glad to see him "There's... There's a lot to talk about..."     "Let's go home." He offers me his hand to lift me up and I accept it.      I take my things and walk slowly.  Getting into the car, I don't comment on him and Aleena. I have to prepare for the conversation about Manfred. I don't care about his love life now, I have to stay focused.  Even if it costs. *Jake POV*  I'm worried she didn't say anything. The state in which I saw her through the glass had made all my emotions jump. I control myself not to drive to the police station and, even if I get pulled over, beat up Schneider.     "MC, what happened?" I ask worried.      She doesn't answer, she just looks out the window hugging herself. I think… The next time something happens, I'll have to take her back to Duskwood. She can't take this case anymore. Is going to kill her. We get to the apartment and she goes directly to the stairs with the words 'I'm going to change'. I hardly hear them because her voice was so low. Gizmo rubs against my legs and I pick him up, stroking him.     "Hey kid." Gizmo rubs under my chin, happy to see me. "MC is not feeling well, so let's be good, okay? No jumping."      I carefully set him down on the floor and I decide to get comfortable as well.  I wait in the living room for MC, while I go over everything we've discovered so far, adding her father to the mystery. I delete the word 'guilty?' quickly, I don't want MC to see this.     "Sorry for making you wait." MC sits next to me and I put the computer on the table "I needed to calm down for a moment."     "Don't worry," I answer calmly "What have you discovered?"      She lets out a long breath and looks directly at me.     “I think Schneider didn't kill Peter” the way she says it sounds disappointed, as if it's something she'd wished it to be “but he was involved in Oskar's murder, the way he was acting gave him away when we talked of the case."     “We just have to get him to talk somehow,” I commented, crossing my arms thoughtfully. "But it will be complicated, I don't think he'll confess to you so easily."     "And I prefer that he not be near me." She puts her legs up on the sofa and hugs herself again, but this time I see her expression. It's scary. "Jake, don't let me talk to him alone again."I clench my hand into a fist and ignore the pain. Carefully, I place a hand on her shoulder and she looks up at me with red eyes. I think she's too tired today to continue.     "What has he done to you?" I ask furiously.     “He hasn't done anything to me, but... the way he acts... Maybe I'm exaggerating, forget it.“     "You never exaggerate when it comes to investigating," I try to calm down for her. She doesn't need to have me angry now, she needs me to be focused. "MC, tell me, maybe I can help you."     She gives me a small smile, her breathing seems calmer. Then she starts playing with her engagement ring, as if looking for something in it.     "He... I don't know how to explain it, but the way he... talks, touches me-"     “What he touched you?" I ask nervously. I'm a second away from getting off the couch and going for him.     "Well... he placed his hands on my shoulders and then, he wanted to caress my hair.“ She explains, making gestures very slowly, with a lost look remembering at that moment “How to explain it? He made me feel very uncomfortable, I've never had this feeling before. I think it is not the first time that this man has behaved in this way.“     "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't go right now and smash that wretch's face in?" When I say those words, her look changes to one of surprise. I never usually get angry like this or nobody has given me so many reasons to do so.      I can't let something like this happen again.     “The reason is that something is still missing,” She answers slowly, “and that something is Charlotte, the missing girl. We have to find out what happened to her."     "Do you think she is the key to solving this?"     "I'm more than sure of that," her voice wants to sound firm, but it's impossible. She doesn't seem to have the strength to focus "Is Aleena going to look at the files?"     "Yes, she's going to... she's going to help us." I answered, remembering the worst moment of the afternoon. At least little by little I no longer noticed her lips. "I haven't told her that you're investigating Charlotte Spencer, she would surely discuss it with Lilly and the rest."     "Yeah, better not tell her." *MC POV*  I wait for the moment when he tells me that he kissed Aleena, but he remains silent. He doesn't tell me. I guess he doesn't want to hurt me. But that's already the past.     “Did you know that Aleena is adopted?” Jake asks me, his expression serious.     "No, she's never talked about that." I answered, trying to remember if she had ever talked about her life in an interview. It is the most common for people to empathize with you.     "Something very strange happened," I pay attention to Jake, putting what happened aside to focus on the new information "she changed his attitude too quickly.     "Really?"     "It was a very sudden change," I see how he remembers, concentrated. "She also said something along the lines of 'It's sad that some people don't get what they deserve.’ "     "She has a grudge against someone."     "Yes, and I would say a lot."     "Has anything else happened?" I ask curiously. Avoid looking at my face. I notice him uncomfortable. "Good then…"     "We're at a dead end."      I nod hiding my face between my legs. I hate this day. I feel Jake coming up next to me and he hugs me. Little by little I’m calming down. I have to think about everything that has happened so far…  Or maybe tomorrow… I'm mentally exhausted. *Jake POV*  We fell asleep on the couch. When I opened my eyes, I saw her hugging my arm. That's why I started not to feel it.  I slowly pull her away from me, slowly laying her down on the couch. I go for a blanket and cover her, so she doesn't catch cold.  I pick up my phone and look at various notifications from the group.     “Oh no…“ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jessica JAKE! CONGRATULATIONS!! Aleena told me! 🤭  Cleo What? What has she told you?  Hanna What happened? Jake, what has happened? 🙁  Jessica Oh! Well, finally she and Jake are together!  Lilly Jake, you already have a girlfriend?! Without telling Hannah and me?! 😠  Thomas Oh! Such good news! 😁  Daniel Hey Jessy, I'm glad you're excited But I think you have commented on it in the group where MC is  Jessica … Sorry, I had this group first 😩 But how is she with Phil, I don't think it bothers her, right? I mean… MC! IF YOU READ THIS! SORRY! 🙏😓 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Little by little, I start to get angry with Aleena. Why did she lie? What does she get with this? Now I don't have to worry about that, I have to do something important first.  I sit at the foot of the sofa with the computer, monitoring MC's sleep while trying to access Schneider's computer for evidence against him. I told myself that I would leave it, but if MC is at stake, I am not going to sit idly by.  Even though it's late, I get a message. I'm quite surprised who sent it to me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Hey Hackerman! I'm sure you're wondering why I'm texting you  Jake A little. The truth is that it surprises me.  Daniel The group chat It seems that now you are aiming high  Jake Are you writing me just to tell me this?  Daniel No, actually, something I'm sure would interest you Jessy wasn't the first person to find out you're with Aleena  Jake I'm not with Aleena. I don't even know why she lied.  Daniel I imagined Because the first person to find out was Phil He was at the bar working when he told me  Jake Phil is the most interested in knowing that I'm with her. You know, because of MC.  Daniel Hah! What a guy So everything has been a plan between him and Aleena  Jake Something like that.  Daniel Look, I haven't always liked you But before you disappeared, I saw MC always very happy And that I respected you  Jake Thank you :)  Daniel We are all adults and in the end I have learned that only she makes her own decisions So I don't like Phil's behavior at all At least you weren't in control of what she did when you were together Or her decisions  Jake I already told her once that I didn't like Phil. But I never thought that he would do something like this. Way too nice when he apologized for punching me.  Daniel Well, it's true that once you get to know him, he's not a bad guy But from there to wanting you to stay away from MC even being his friend, it's something stupid  Jake Sorry to leave the conversation here, but I have to keep working. It's been a pleasure talking to you, Daniel :)  Daniel No problem Hackerman I hope one day we can sit down and get to know each other better I might have misjudged you  Jake Haha. Don't worry, I totally understand. Goodbye Dan.  Dan Until next time, Jake 🤝 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's good to talk to someone who thinks the same as you.  I gain access to Schneider's computer and search through the files. This program that Dog gave me is much faster than I expected. Everything seems normal: Criminal files of all kinds of cases, some stolen cars, closed cases, accumulated complaints from some people... He has everything controlled from his computer.     "It can't be that he doesn't have anything else…" I muttered to myself.      Browsing through folders, I come to a point where there is a folder with a password. I had to go through folder by folder until I found it.     "This is interesting." I activate the program to unlock the password. If I had time I would find out, but there isn't. His computer is idle right now, I have to take advantage of it now.  I stretch out on the floor and turn to go check on MC. Still sleeping. I caress her cheek gently and see that she smiles. It's a relief to see her calm. But everything will be the same in the morning.  I get up off the floor to make myself some coffee while I let it continue to figure out how to unlock the folder. I hear how MC complains while sleeping and I take her hand caressing it slowly.     "Relax…everything's fine." I murmured, though I know she didn't think she was listening to me. "I am here with you."      She sighs and stops complaining. I smile when I see that it has worked.   The folder gets unlocked, I start to get nervous. I wonder what I will find.  PDF files, videos, photos... What will he hide here? The first photo I give surprises me to see a teenage MC walking out of a mall. I'd love to screw up his computer, but that would mean losing all the evidence. I'm not going to risk doing it.     "Wait, these photos are different..."      I select one and see Charlotte in it. I put the coffee aside, stopping to look at the photo. I take a deep breath afraid to watch the video. What will I find there?  I can't continue watching the video. I stopped looking at it as soon as the screams of that scared girl are getting louder.  I get up from the ground approaching the window, to rest my forehead on the cold glass.I don't know how long it will take me to forget myself in those images.  Charlotte and MC were the same age judging from the dates on the photos and video. They match the same time.     "Shit..." I can't help but think about the atrocities that have been done to Charlotte, "If I had known, I would have helped her..."      I clench my fists tightly. I have to concentrate, there are still many things to see. The documents remain to be read. I try to calm down and go back to the computer. Luckily I didn't wake up MC...  I open the first document, which is a chat between Peter and Schneider. No... I can't show this to MC... At least not for now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter I think he knows how you look at his daughter That's why he doesn't want you to be around her  Manfred It's not my fault. She is just as attractive as her mother. That bastard is very lucky, I don't know how he doesn't fuck them both.  Peter Damn, because he's not as sick as you Me because I control myself when I see his daughter, otherwise I would fuck her  Manfred So I am the sick one.  Peter At least I don't pay someone to do things to me And all this, is it worth it?  Manfred The girl needs money and I offer it easily. We both came out winning.  Peter But is she just as hot as MC?  Manfred Of course. A threesome with them would be spectacular.  Peter PHEW! Especially since they have so little strength that it would be easy to control both of them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm about to throw the computer across the room reading this conversation. Not only are there conversations like this, but also photos of Charlotte were shared. I don't know if what I want to do is throw up or pick up a gun and…     "Why didn't you ask me for help?" I mutter under my breath, gripping the computer tightly, "Why did you do this to yourself, Charlotte? I could have helped you."      The only thing I can think of why Schneider would save these conversations is to make sure that if he went down, Peter would go down with him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manfred What happened to the girl? Where is it?  Peter I don't know, damn it!  Manfred I left you alone with her for a second, and you lost her?  Peter We were drinking after we recorded that video I guess I fell asleep when I got drunk...  Manfred You are an asshole!  Peter But look on the bright side! I don't think Charlotte is going to the police Surely she must be afraid of us  Manfred I don't care if she is afraid of us. We have to find the girl. She can speak perfectly.  Peter Okay, okay I will try to find it  Manfred Fuck… Make sure he doesn't find out about all this. If he knows you're hiding something, we're going to go under.  Peter I'll stop it from happening, but that guy knows how to smell lies It's enough how hard it is for me to hide that I like his daughter.  Manfred Then I will take care of him if he finds out anything. He is a family man, sure he would do anything for them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm relieved that MC's father isn't involved in this matter just like I thought. I think is the only good thing in all this. I open the last document. The most important thing was here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter What happened to the journalist? Did you manage to catch him?  Manfred That rat is not going to bother you anymore. He is already dead.  Peter Fuck… Why did you do it? You've gotten us into quite a mess!  Manfred Do you forget who you talk to? I've been in this business for more years than I know what to do. You'll take over the case, you'll make any evidence disappear. You'll even keep an eye on forensics. Although I have taken care that it is impossible to identify it in any way.  Peter Not even he can find out?  Manfred Not even him. So act completely normal. The girl, do you know anything?  Peter No What do we do?  Manfred We will continue to search for her. Who knows where the journalist will have hidden it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    "Just what we needed." I smile proudly imagining Schneider's career sunk "What is this? Another video?"      I play it back and what I can see is that the camera is hidden. It looks like an office and Schneider is waiting at his desk.  A man in a gray suit walks through the door. I can see his anger when I see his eyes.     "It was you, right?" He asks Schneider. "You're behind all this?"     "Why don't you sit down and we'll talk about it?" Schneider waves his hand, inviting him to sit down.     "I'm going to tell everyone the truth!" the mysterious man pointed at him accusingly. "I don't know what you and Peter are hiding! But I have noticed!"     "Sit down. Now."      The man obeys and sits in the chair, squeezing the hand tightly. If looks could kill, Schneider would be dead. The police chief gets up from his chair, pacing the office.     "His daughter is gorgeous." Schneider smiles and I watch the man in the chair set his jaw. "MC is a good cop-to-be, just like you. I also see her having a hard time with this case, I think it's better that she leave it."     "Are you afraid that she will find out too?"     "Adolescents tend to have heroic ideas," he laughs mockingly, "if she continues like this, then I'll have to take care of her too."     “Lay a finger on her and I swear I  killed you, Manfred!” MC's father rises from his chair, grabbing Manfred by his suit jacket, shoving him against the wall.     "I won't do anything to you if you keep your mouth shut and drop this case." Schneider grabs his wrists, squeezing them hard. "If not, proof will mysteriously appear that it was you, because you were being investigated for sleeping with a minor."     He release the grip to walk away slowly.He turns around and I can hear his nervous breathing.    “And that would destroy his beautiful wife and daughter.” Schneider continues, his hand tightening on his shoulder. ”Daddy, a criminal of the worst kind, poor thing MC...”     "No one would believe that I am like that."     "Test me, because I can do it."      MC's father turns to see him. With time he turns pale, scared of that man.     "I need you to take care of the dead man's wife." Schneider returns to his chair and sits down. ”Hires a couple of criminals and they take care of her, make it look like a robbery Ah! And... you can't denied.”      The man looks down at the ground, dejected. He now he had a stain on his career. This man would do anything for his family.     "Be thankful I don't ask his daughter in exchange."      MC's father controls himself so as not to punch him.  The conversation ends with the two leaving the office. The video continues to record until Schneider returns and turns off the video.  I copy all the files onto a USB stick, leaving the computer on the table. I look at MC, hurt. Her father had saved her and her mother from going through hell with Schneider, although I'm sure only MC would go through that hell. I caress her cheek again carefully, her breathing soothes me after all I've been looking at. I rest my forehead on hers, stroking her hair with care.     "We already have everything, MC," I murmured, almost pityingly. "Pretty soon you're going to wake up from this nightmare and you'll be home with Phil. I promise."      There are only a few hours left until dawn. I better get some rest too.It's going to be a long day. Chapter 22 

I Broke Her Heart ‘Cause She Was Nice

(Read on AO3)

Isabelle pulls her hair back, taking one more scrutinizing look in the mirror.

“You look amazing, Iz,” Clary says from her seat on the edge of Izzy’s bed. Her green eyes are wide with excitement and admiration. Little does she know that the role Isabelle is preparing to accept will pretty much signify the end of any potential future the two of them may have.

“Thanks,” Izzy manages, a flicker of a smile crossing her features at the compliment even as she tugs the side of her dress down and wipes a smudge of mascara away to perfect her appearance. ‘Amazing’ is not good enough for Maryse and Robert Lightwood, unfortunately. It has no qualifier, so it falls short of the perfection expected of her by default.

“Are you ready?” Clary asks.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Isabelle admits. She watches Clary extend her hand. Clary’s waiting to pull Isabelle out of the room with her, and for a moment Isabelle debates not taking it. It hurts too much to keep pretending that this is something she deserves, something she can have… but she does it anyway. She allows herself to have this moment, to have Clary, while she can.

“Let’s go.”

---

Isabelle watches Clary train. She clocks the smile on Clary’s face even as the redhead gets knocked down and picks herself back up, grateful for the chance to be here. Excited to learn and grow and explore, eager to morph herself into the Shadowhunter she was always meant to be.

Isabelle wishes she could see their world through Clary’s eyes. To look at the Shadow World with wonder and see nothing but possibilities, instead of the cages and fences Isabelle sees all around her. She knows she’s trapped here - trapped within familial expectations with the road ahead of her a singular path of obstacles to overcome.

Isabelle knows she has to be the person her family needs her to be. A leader. A Lightwood. She has a name to make for herself, and she can’t spend her free time breaking rules and following her heart.

When Clary’s done training she finds Isabelle in her office.

“You can spare half a day, Iz. Come on! We haven’t spent time together in…” Clary trails off, and Isabelle’s struck with the same realization Clary is - neither of them can remember the last time they had one-on-one time.

“I can’t, Clary. Not today.”

“An hour. Please?” Clary pleads.

Clary comes to Isabelle in a swirl of warmth and light, but Isabelle can’t be that back for her. She’s making a name for herself here, and she can’t do that if she keeps running away… even if running into Clary’s waiting arms is all she wants to do sometimes.

So, like a midnight rainfall, Isabelle closes her eyes and shakes her head.

“I’m sorry, Clary,” Isabelle says. She means it, and she hopes Clary can see that.

“Me too,” Clary replies. “Me too.”

Isabelle takes a moment to watch Clary leave before going back to the report in front of her. She hopes that Clary can find what she’s looking for.

---

She thinks about Clary sometimes, at midnight when her mind refuses to quiet, knowing that she won’t cross Clary’s mind until the next family reunion or required Clave voting where Isabelle will stand front and center as Consul.

It’s been months since Isabelle last saw Clary. Clary found her joy in a relationship with Jace, one where they spend their time raising a kid and working on her art and his piano playing in equal measure to their Nephilim abilities. Isabelle’s happy for Clary, for both of them.

She’s happy for herself, too. This is the legacy she’s been after, and she knows her own happiness will be found here, and it’ll all be worth it in the end.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐸𝓎𝑒𝓈 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 12

Explanations and Meetings Long Over View

Pairing: Alastor x F!OC (Theia, The Demon of a Thousand Eyes)

Chapter Summary: Time to meet Rana in Imp City! We have a lot to discuss and it's not even been a full week at the hotel! Rana has lots of opinions on what has happened, mentions some rumor about the Vees keeping something secret from the last extermination, and finally introduces us to her boss.

The results of the poll about Chapter 14: Theia and Sir Pentious with a 53.8%! I also got an additonal comment this morning hoping as such, and frankly as soon as I posted the poll I immediately wanted this to happen but I'd already decided to post the poll so I'm happy about the results, too! Not to worry if you voted for Angel because of Fat Nuggets. We'll see Fat Nuggets soon. I promise. I won't forget his perfectness in this little fic. It might have to wait until the events of Masquerade, but he'll be there.

Word Count: 6.2k

Warnings: Cannibalism

Humming, you step out of the alley and out into the streets. Every now and again someone might be surprised to see you, but since you weren’t dressed too fancy no one paid you much mind. Sinners come to Imp City sometimes, you were aware, but you didn’t travel here for any of those reasons. You were just here for Rana. A few streets over, and you see her sitting at an outdoor table at your favorite cafe. She’s average height for most female imps. She’s dressed today in a simple black dress that looks similar to your own, minus the eyes, of course. Her dark red skin and tail contrast well with her black hair and black and white striped horns. Her hair is short, about neck-length, but she’s tufted it so that it almost looks like ears. In her hair, she has a crescent moon shaped hair clip. You’re quite fond of it. Perched on the bridge of her nose, she is wearing a pair of hot pink cat-eye frames. Around her neck on a chain, she has a pair of neon green square shaped frames. You’re certain that if you requested she turn out her pockets, she’d have at least one monocle and a few more pairs of glasses.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” You smile as you sit beside her.

“Nothing to worry about, Theia. I’ve already ordered for both of us. I knew you’d be along shortly, with that network of yours.” She sips from a teacup in front of her. “The waiter will bring your drink soon, now that you’ve arrived.”

Just as she’d spoken, in mere moments the waiter arrives with a second cup of tea. You thank him and reach into your fridge to procure a pair of eyeballs for your cup. “So I know we just spoke on the phone a few days ago, but how have you been, Rana?” You ask curiously as you sip your tea.

“I’m quite alright, Theia, thank you for asking. Work has been messy. My boss managed to set the entire office on fire. Nothing to worry about though, I managed to get the fire under control and ordered some extinguishers for the next time we inevitably need them. The souls under your keep are all doing well. Rumor has it that the Vees stumbled across something big in the last extermination and have been keeping it a secret from all the other overlords.” Rana sips her tea and her tail flicks with conspiratorial amusement.

You shrug as you sip yours. “Well when that rumor becomes substantiated let me know. I can’t afford to be out of the loop about something so important. I may have the most eyes in Hell but even I can’t be everywhere at once.”

“Enough about my work, though. How have you been doing? You’re at the hotel now, right? What’s that like?”

“It’s a hotel. Charlie’s got us doing these trust exercises to bond with each other? It kind of works. I’m making some friends like Rosie said I would.” You shrug again as you sip your tea.

“‘Charlie’, huh? You’re on a first name basis with the Princess?” Rana raises an eyebrow, surprised.

You shrug a third time. “She introduced herself that way. For royalty, she really likes to keep it low-key. It surprised me, too.”

“Hm, that is very different from any royalty I’ve ever been around.” Rana frowns, swishes her tail, takes a sip of her tea, then says, “And what’s it like now that you’re around him?” She leans in conspiratorially as the waiter brings a plate of finger foods for the two of you to snack on together. Not actual fingers though, as this isn’t Cannibal Town. The tray is piled high with cookies, cakes, and a few sandwiches of various kinds.

Your smile wobbles. You let it fall. It’s hard to not keep that poised smile affixed. You raise your arms to rub your temples. “He’s driving me insane, Rana. I mean we’ve talked about him before. I’ve kept my distance ever since I arrived, made sure to observe him through the network to avoid running into him. He’s a cold-blooded, heartless killer. He’s quite close with Rosie, and I know she can be a softie when she wants to, of course, but she has a similar taste for murder and vengeance. All overlords have it to some extent. I know I enjoy the satisfaction of tearing apart some sinners now and again myself. Alastor is…more than I anticipated. I expected him to be arrogant, smarmy, smug. I knew that he was polite, charming, as a facade, and I’ve always been fascinated by his powers, his shadows, his tentacles…”

“Theia, please, I don’t need another twenty minutes of you telling me how hot he is when he uses his tentacles on his enemies. The last six of them were more than enough, thank you.”

You huff a laugh but continue onward. “Meeting him in person…threw me off-kilter. He was charming to me in front of Rosie, of course, but he never stopped being charming to me. Even when I got up in his face. I assume he finds me fascinating because of, well, you know.”

“The secret you’ve painstakingly kept hidden from the entirety of Pentagram City?” Rana rolls her eyes. “Of course I know, and of course he would find that fascinating, but it seems to me there’s more to the story you’re not sharing.”

“He…took me on a date?” You pick up one of the cookies and stare into the eyes in your cup instead of looking at her.

“He what?” She nearly screeches. Someone yells at her to shut the fuck up, and she flips them off. You’re so proud. She’s come so far. “Elaborate immediately.”

“So I was running out of eyeballs that I’d bought from Rosie and Charlie gave us the day off. I decided I’d pop in and thank her for giving me the push I needed to join the hotel, make view lens. Since I can’t use the network to travel in and around most of the hotel, I had to walk to the front doors. Alastor was there waiting for me. When I told him where I was headed, he insisted he’d take me out to lunch, and then we’d go to Rosie’s to buy more eyes. I reluctantly agreed.” You munch on a cookie.

“And?” She hops excitedly in her seat.

“Well, I thought it was going to be a diner, right? I was sightly overdressed for a diner, but that wouldn’t have stopped me from enjoying any good place, especially if they’ve got fried eyes.”

“You and your obsession with eyes.” She rolls hers, amused.

“You and your obsession with eyewear.” You smirk back, gesturing to her.

Just to spite you, she takes off the hot-pink frames and fishes into her pocket, pulling out a pair of neon-yellow ones shaped like daisies to put on instead. “We all have our quirks. Now, tell me about the diner.”

“That’s just the thing, Rana. It wasn’t a diner. It was Tourniquet.”

“The fanciest restaurant in Cannibal Town? The one you’ve never actually eaten at because it’s intended for couples?! How romantic!” You are struggling to take her seriously in those glasses.

You nod and finish off the cookie. Sipping your tea, you continue, “I’m getting ahead of myself, though. So on the walk over, I ask him eye he keeps calling me ‘my dear’ and ‘my darling’. He refuses to call me ‘Theia’. Did I tell you that?” Rana shakes her head, and raises an eyebrow. She sips her tea so you continue. “He won’t call me ‘Theia’. When I asked him why, he told me he knew it wasn’t my real name, so he didn’t have to call me by it, and that he likes how it flusters me when he calls me ‘my dear’ or ‘my darling.” You sigh, letting it shudder through you as you pick up one of the mini cakes. You take a bite, sip your tea. “Rana I can’t take you seriously in those frames. Can you put anything else on instead?” She switches to the librarian chain ones around her neck. “So to escalate the situation because I’m apparently a glutton for punishment, I ask him what he’ll do to further fluster me when these little pet names cease to rile me up in a manner he’d intended, ask him if he’ll whisper nonsense in my ear or shower me with useless trinkets to see me flush, or if that’s too much for him to handle.”

“You didn’t!” She exclaims, and immediately flips off the imp who’s been yelling at her to shut the fuck up, doesn’t even glance his way. “What did he say to that?”

“That’s when he leans in so close I can feel his body heat. We were already walking arm in arm at this point, so it wasn’t far, but still.” You take a breath, and she leans in closer, practically halfway onto the table at this point, completely enthralled by your story. “He whispers in eye ear about how he doesn’t care for romance or love, that he believes it’s all a waste of time, and that he doesn’t give gifts, but if he did, they’d be the most interesting, captivating, useful items I’ve ever owned, that if he’d decided to woo me, I’d be ‘smitten, drunk, obsessed, addicted’ and that I’d crave to spend every waking moment with him.” You drink your tea, and don’t bother to hide your flush. “And then he told me he’d tell me that he doesn’t love me, that he never has, and he never will.” You grimace.

“That bastard. Of course he would!” She exclaims again, finger already raised in the objector’s direction as she does so. “What did you do then?”

“I didn’t have time to react before he declared that we were there at the restaurant. I was so deep in thought I didn’t even realize where we were until we were already sitting down in a secluded booth. So there we are, sitting only a foot or two apart from each other in one of the nicest restaurants in all of Hell. There’s a candle on the table, and all the couples around us are looking into each other’s eyes, smitten with each other. I can’t help but wonder eye he’s doing this. Surely he knows this place is for couples? I ask him why he decided on this place, and he says something about any excuse to try a new place with a lovely lady?” You raise your hands to emphasize your shrug, then finish off the mini-cake. “So I drop the subject for the moment. The waiter offers blood wine for the table. He accepts it, and I barely manage to not down an entire glass as soon as it’s in my hands, I’m so nervous. Then we order. I’m punning up a storm, of course, to try and keep myself calm. It’s not working, and he starts punning back. The worst part is, it’s not my puns that help me calm down. It’s his.” You emphasize this by picking up one of the sandwiches and biting into it. “So I decide fine, I’ll let myself relax. He can’t win if I decide to relax on my own, right?” You sip your tea, not buying your own product you’re trying to sell. “So we start chatting. He says he wants to know about me, and I tell him that I won’t share anything about myself if he won’t talk about himself.”

“Fair, fair.” Rana nods. She picks up one of the cookies and starts to nibble. “So, how did he take that?”

“The usual response. Denial that he had anything to share, that what I see is who he is. I called him out on it, of course. I rattled off all this knowledge I’ve acquired about him from all the time I’ve spent watching him and listening to others talk about their encounters with him. I point out that all the things about him that he lets the world see are just the mere surface traits, that if he wants to understand more of me, that I’ll need more from him. Seeing my point, he concedes, and asks what kind of peek into his real life I had in mind. So I tell him I want to see inside his radio tower.”

“Ooh, bold move. How’d that go?” Rana asks as she finishes her cookie and reaches for a sandwich.

“Well, my soup just arrived, so I made sure to emphasize that we’d finish our meal and still go to see Rosie as planned, that we would go see his radio tower afterwards, and in exchange, he could ask me a question, that if I didn’t like the one he asked, I’d let him pick another. He liked the idea, tried to make a deal with me over it. I couldn’t help but laugh. A deal, over such a trifle thing? I might have talked smug about how everyone warns others about deals with the Radio Demon but they never warn them about deals with me. I didn’t elaborate because his venison dish arrived, along with my main course. So I of course I get distracted. The soup was good, sure, but the grilled eyeballs? Marvelous. They had tapetum, Rana! Tapetum! While I’m experiencing the closest thing to Heaven I’ll ever get to witness, I see he’s enjoying his meal too. He catches me staring and offers me a bite.”

“Really?” She raises an eyebrow again. “He likes his food raw, right? Did you try it?”

You blush as you nod. “He cut a piece and held the fork up for me to bite off of, and it was surprisingly good. Not usually to my tastes, of course, as I prefer mine cooked, but full of flavor and the texture was interesting. So…then I offered him some of mine, and he tried it too, wrapped his stupid tongue all the way around it before he ate it. Told me it wasn’t spicy enough for his liking, and that he should make me his Jambalaya some time.”

“He said he wants to cook for you?” Rana is causing all sorts of a ruckus. You’re lucky this is Hell, and Imp City at that.

“He said it was his mother’s recipe. So I latch onto that. I say that he loves his mother very much. This led to him asking about my relationship with my mother.”

Rana raises an eyebrow. “So what did you say?”

“As little as I could. Told him that my mother wanted what was best for me, even if her actions didn’t always match her words, that she didn’t get along with Dad much but that Dad’s word’s law. I deflected and mentioned that it was basically the average family dynamic, then turned it back on him, focusing on how I suspected that he was an only child, raised by his mother. He was surprised by that, of course, asked me if I was a psychiatrist when I was alive.” You laugh, amused. Rana laughs too. “I told him that it doesn’t take a psychiatric degree to be observant, that he acts like an only child, and that part of the reason I act the way I do is because of my three younger siblings. He made some comment about how my parents were awfully busy, which I think was the closest to a sex joke I think he’s ever made? I elaborated to explain that while my dad was desperate for a son, he ended up with three girls before Mom got pregnant with my younger brother, and that my family was always a little archaic. Then I focused back on him, that he was never married, that he was a bachelor, and that his mother was always begging for him to settle down with some pretty girl but he’d had no interest in anyone of any kind in life or in death. He was surprised by this too, of course. I told him that just because I didn’t live in the time when he was alive doesn’t mean that I’m not aware of what the expectations for people back then were, and that it was just expected for him to marry and have children, even though he never did.” You sip your tea.

“So what did he say to that?” Rana asks, hands cupping her chin, tail swishing with intrigue.

“He asked me if I was ever married. I told him no, that I’d run from an arranged marriage.” You sip your tea and let one of the eyeballs fall into your mouth.

Rana is mid-sip when you say this. She spits half of her mouthful out, and it nearly hits the tray of food. “You told him about Lloyd?!”

You shush her emphatically. “Not by frame! I managed to get the subject to drop because the waiter came by to ask us if we wanted dessert. He told the waiter no, that we were going to get dinner elsewhere, and requested the check. So…I told the waiter to get two checks.”

“You didn’t.” Rana looks amused.

“Of course I did. I told him that if he didn’t let me split the check I’d tell Rosie he took me on a date. So of course he’s all guarded, and tries to negotiate, tells me that I won’t tell Rosie about our meal and that I have to pay for the next one we share together.” You sip your tea and snag one of the cookies. “I ask him what’s stopping me from telling her anyway, and he says that he’ll order the eyeball pudding and I’ll pay for the next meal if I won’t tell her. So I tell him that I’ll pay for the next meal we eat together, he orders the eyeball pudding, and I get to tell Rosie we ate together but don’t say where. The eyeball pudding was quite delicious.”

“You devious little minx! So then what happened after Tourniquet?” Rana asks as she polishes off a mini cake.

“Well, Rosie could tell we smelled like fancy food and wine as soon as she got a whiff of us, so she immediately suspected we were on a date. I tried to brush it off, but it was hard to with her. She can be rather persistent, after all. So then Alastor asks me what I wanted for my shopping, but he calls me ‘Theia’. I give him a strange look, but don’t say anything. I’m a good sport after all, and as much as I’d like to tease him about him finally choosing to call me by what I’ve been practically begging him to call me, I really want to see inside his radio tower. So I explain to Rosie that I was just hoping for another jar. She tells me she doesn’t have any more, but that I can see what else she has while she waits for another to come in next week. As I’m looking at the options, Alastor decides he’s going to tell Niffty, the maid of the hotel and a new friend of mine, to move my room in the hotel to one with a suite, so I’ll have my own kitchen to cook in. Then he summons Niffty and tells her to move all of my things into the new suite. Niffty then looks at me and asks about the subspace portal.”

“The maid knows about your subspace portal?! And now he knows about your subspace portal too?!” Rana practically shrieks.

You shush her again. “It’s one of eye minor powers, Rana. It’s fine. Niffty found out because she was scurrying through the vents and saw my hand going into the jar. She thought I was a thief. So I explained that I use it to have better access to my eyeballs. I explained to Alastor that it’s a minor ability of mine and that I only have the one and that I’m quite comfortable with it, that I would probably have more if I had more souls, but that I’m comfortable with how many I have and have no intention of becoming an overlord someday, despite what Vox might say.”

“Ooh, bringing up his rival. Don’t let me forget to ask you how that’s going, by the way,” Rana pokes you in the side. You wiggle away a second too late, “but sticking with the current story, how did he handle it?”“

“There’s nothing to tell about Vox, Rana. We fuck when he can’t get Tino to put out. Which happened to be a few days ago. I left a note covered in eyes on his desk and he put it next to his monitors so now I can see into his office while he’s hooked up to his display.” You shrug, and Rana widens her eyes and her smile is manic with glee. “As for how Al reacted, he accidently slipped and called me ‘darling’ instead of ‘Theia’ in front of Rosie, who immediately jumped further to the conclusion that we were on a date, and he knew there was nothing he could do to deny it, that it would only make it worse. So then he asks me if I’ve decided what I want to order and when I say no, that he’d been so eager to move me into a suite with a kitchen, that I hadn’t had a chance to decide, he insists that I get one of everything and then graciously allows me to pay for my own food, but only if I cook and share a meal with him. I get snippy at first of course. How dare he allow me to pay for my own food, and I have to cook? But then I realize, if I pay for this food and cook him a meal, it will count for the meal he also wants me to pay for next time. So I agree. I pay, and we leave Rosie’s.”

“So then what happened at the radio tower? What questions did he ask?” Rana asks as she sips her tea.

“I’ll get there. There’s more first. So we’re walking back to the hotel, and I’m stupidly infatuated. I have a problem, Rana, and my problem is stupidly tall attractive sinners who have no interest in me beyond my secrets. I want them to like me for more than what knowledge and abilities I have, apparently, and it’s going to get me in trouble someday. My idiot brain starts imagining what it would be like to kiss him, and then I’m realizing that he wouldn’t want me to kiss him, and then he notices that I’m thinking too hard and asks me what I was thinking about. I don’t answer him, determined to change the subject, when I notice the most beautiful knife I’ve ever seen in all of my existence in a shop window.” You pull out the knife for Rana to see. “I wore it and the belt it came with today. I take it with me everywhere now. Pure angelic steel, genuine Carmine, and look at it, Rana. It’s like it was made for me.”

“It’s a magnificent blade, and it certainly suits you. So what did he want in return for it?” She asks as she polishes off another cookie.

You sheathe the blade again and reply, “He pulled me close and whispered in my ear that he wanted to watch me tear apart its first victim in front of him.” You shudder, blushing at the thought.

“Theia don’t get horny in front of me. That’s just plain gross and rude. You know my love life is dry right now.” Rana shoots you a half-hearted glare.

You just roll all of your eyes at her. “That’s your problem, Rana. There are plenty of imps and other species out there who you could consider sparking up a relationship with.”

“And when would I find the time for that in between managing the imbecilic behavior of my boss and the rest of his employees while also wrangling your souls when they get out of line, hmm?” Rana raises an eyebrow at you.

You shrug. “I suppose I’ll be in better spirits soon and I’ll consider taking the souls off your hands for you?”

“You? In charge of your own souls? That’ll end well. Not. You need me managing them.” She huffs out a laugh.

“You like having this much to do, Rana, I know you too well. You’d get bored otherwise. You could easily make time in your schedule if you found someone who sparked your interest, and I know someday you will, if you allow yourself to consider the possibility.” You place a hand over hers and squeeze it gently.

She squeezes back. “Thanks, hun. Now, tell me, what happened next?”

“So we get back to the hotel and he uses his shadows to make us appear in his radio tower. There are eyes on the lamp behind his broadcasting desk, so I can look out on him working at any time.” Your eyes sparkle with mischief as you continue. “So I take a look around the space, and he comes up and wraps an arm around my waist, just above the belt he’d just bought me. He startled me, and tells me he didn’t mean to glare me. I pun back in surprise, asking him if he’s eyeing to peep me off my feet. He asks me if it’s working, and I ask him if that’s really the question he’s going to ask me. So then…he asks me what my powers are that Vox finds so intriguing. So I glass, of course. No thanks. So then…he asks me what I was thinking before when I pointedly refused to answer him when he asked.”

“When you were thinking about kissing him? What did you say?!” Rana squeezes your hand so hard it hurts for a second. You’ll never get over how surprisingly strong she is.

“I told him that I think he’s quite good looking when he’s smiling genuinely, which is the other half of what I was thinking at the time. So not a lie.” You sip your tea.

“He didn’t buy that.” She states, as if she’d been there. She’s known you for so long that it’s easy to understand all the little nuances in your expressions.

“No, he didn’t.” You agree. “He asked me if I was considering kissing him.”

“OH MY GOD DID YOU GUYS KISS?!” She screams, startling the other patrons. You’ve never been more grateful that you’re outside.

You shush her even louder. “No of course not! Rana, he asked me with disdain, not affection! He was doing all of this to get me to tell him eye secrets, and I fell for it! So I let him have an earful instead, going off on him about how he didn’t have to pretend to woo me to get access to my secrets, that I would have been more than willing to make a deal with him to know what I could tell him, in exchange that he would never be able to tell anyone or write down the knowledge that I’d given him, if he had something worth my time in trade. I told him that now he’d never know, that someday I’d tell someone, and the only way he’d ever find out was if all of Hell itself knew, and by then he’d be unable to use any of it to his advantage. I decided to keep the knife and the rooms, despite the intent he’d put behind them. He moved me to the suite right next to his, by the way.” You huff. “I said I’d keep my promise to share a meal with him, but that I’d cook and we’d eat a single meal together.” You sigh, then stare into your mug. “That’s not even all of it.”

“There’s more? Well, what are you waiting for, Theia? Tell me!” Rana is back to that death grip on your fingers.

You try not to wince. “So I got drunk last night because of what happened. There’s a bar in the lobby of the hotel, and the bartender is the former gambling overlord, Husk? Apparently Alastor owns his soul now. Anyway, Husk and I have a bit of an understanding after Charlie and I paired us together for a bonding exercise. Angel was there too. We’re not close yet but after all he’s been through I’m hoping we’ll be friends someday.”

“Angel?” Rana raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, right, my bad. Angel Dust, Tino’s soul contracted employee?” You sip your tea and chew and swallow the second eyeball.

The plate is empty so the two of you are just staring at each other, fiddling with your empty teacups. “He got away from Vee Tower? Good for him!” She smiles happily. She knows about the mistreatment you’ve witnessed through the eyes in Tino’s studio.

“So I told Husk and Angel about what Alastor tried to pull with me. I tell them both about how I got to make Alastor uncomfortable when I told him that I fuck Vox sometimes–”

“–way to bury the lead!”

“And then I thanked Angel for leaving Vee Tower and pissing Tino off so I could get laid–”

“Why do you always leave the best parts out until last?!”

“Who’s telling this story, me or you, Rana?”

“You.”

“Thank you. So then I get wasted. Completely sloshed. Had way too much to drink. I carry one up the stairs with me as I go, and I know I’ve probably had too much and that it’s going to be a very long walk up to the top of the building. And I run into Alastor. I am my usual drunk self.”

“Swaying heavily and punning nonstop, yes.” Rana nods.

“He is the perfect gentleman, picks me up as I fall, and I pass out.” You smile, fiddle with your teacup.

“You did that weird thing where you look through the eyes around you when you get passed out drunk didn’t you.” Rana leans in further, positively intrigued.

“Yep.” You pop the ‘p’ as you emphasize it. “He had Niffty dress me in my nightgown while he wrote me a note. He wrote two, put one by my bedside, and one in the trash under my desk. He also came and sat beside me, brushed my hair off my face, apolog-eyes-d for not telling me what all of his intentions were, and then told me that I captivate him?”

Rana practically screams again. It’s unintelligible.

“At first when I woke up, I thought the part I saw in my passed-out-seeing-through-the-eyes-in-the-walls state was a dream, but then I noticed that my room mirrored what I saw.”

“So what did the note say?” Rana asks curiously.

You pull the notes from out of your pocket to hand them to her. “Tell me what you think.”

With speed, she is done in only a minute or two. She’s always been an incredibly fast reader. “HOLY FUCKING SHIT THEIA, HE LIKES YOU!” She screams. You snatch the notes back from her, fold them back up, and slip them back into your non-subspace pocket.

“I mean I know I intrigue him, but—”

“No buts, Thiea! C’mon, ‘You captivate me?’ The way he wanted to call you pet names even when you told him he didn’t have to in order to learn your secrets? The way he said he wanted to explain his true intentions? The way he wrote about discussing your future together? AT BARE MINIMUM HE LIKES YOU.”

“Enough of this bullshit.” A voice you don’t recognize cuts in, and next to Rana stands the tallest imp you’ve ever seen. “You gonna fuckin’ introduce us or what, Rana?”

Rana glances next to her at the imp who she’d been flipping off this whole time. “Oh finally decided to join us instead of just spying from over there, huh, boss? Good. Theia, this is Blitzø, my boss. Blitzø, this is Theia, The Demon of a Thousand Eyes.”

“The ø is silent.” He says, which confuses you for a moment, but he barrels on as if he hadn’t said anything. “Well, shit, I’d say you’ve got less than a thousand. Why do they call you that?” Blitzø smirks.

You smirk back. “Piss me off and find out.” You flash all of your eyes red for a moment.

He laughs. “How the fuck do you two get along? Little miss buttoned up over here wouldn’t even flip me off or drop a swear when we first fuckin’ met.”

You shrug. “I tend to keep the swearing to a minimum myself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t drop one now and again. Rana’s mentioned you before, though, says you love to get into trouble and chaos. Sounds like a fun time. She never mentioned what you do, though. Always so tight-lipped about work, this one.”

Blitzø rolls his eyes. “That does sound like Rana. Wouldn’t even fuckin’ tell me why she was headed all the way over here so I had to tail her and find out for myself.” He takes a chair from a nearby table without asking and sits in between the two of you. “I run I.M.P. You might have heard the commercials?”

“Immediate Murder Professionals? That’s your gig? Color me impressed. I don’t have any beef with anyone alive but I appreciate your work. Rana, eye didn’t you tell me you were working for I.M.P.? I’m happy you’re helping with freelancing.”

“You’ve got enough on your plate, Theia. Why would I want you to worry?” Rana looks nervous.

“Wait, I thought view were their secretary. Are you going topside too?” You look between her and Blitzø, who can’t pull a poker face to save his life. “You are? You’re killing humans? Damn, girl, good for you! I never thought you’d have it in you!”

“Wait, you’re…okay with this?” Rana asks carefully.

“Okay? I’m thrilled. You need to loosen up a bit more, get out of your shell. Hell, maybe you’ll finally meet someone because of it, who knows?” You grin at her. “Now of course, be fuckin’ careful.” You turn to Blitzø. “If she so much as loses a hair because of some stunt you pulled, I will rip your eyes from your skull and eat them in front of your family.” You flash your eyes red and let a silhouette of your tentacles emerge from your back. The thousand eyes blink at him threateningly. You let them retreat.

“Thousand eyes. Fuck, now I see it.” He gulps. “Course. Nothin’ will happen to her. M&M do most of the work anyway.”

You raise an eyebrow. “M&M?”

“Moxie and Millie.” Rana explains easily. “They’re Boss’s other two employees.”

“Hm, okay then, now the nickname makes sense.” You smile, then catch the time from the clock on the wall. “Well, I’ve got to be going. I have shopping to do and a roast to make.”

“You’re going to make him a roast?” Rana smirks and narrows her eyes. “You like him too.”

“You knew that already.” You point out as you shrug and stand.

“Making a roast means something, though, Theia, especially to someone as old fashioned as himself. It’s practically a ‘see how good of a wife I can be for you’.” She smirks harder.

You freeze, a blush coloring your entire face. “Fuck, no wonder Niffty said I should make a roast. I should have known she was plotting something!”

“Wait, the maid suggested you make a roast?” Rana asks, perplexed. Blitzø just watches you ping pong dialogue back and forth.

“Stop calling her that. She’s more than just the maid, especially to me. She’s a friend.” You smile weakly. “She told me the same thing, that he likes me. She knew I made a promise to make him a meal and suggested the roast.”

“She sounds like a great friend, and she clearly knows him well, too. Go make that roast and go get him, Theia. You’ll get your man yet.” Rana grins manically at you.

“I still don’t—” You try to argue, but she cuts you off again.

“—Just go!” She shouts, and stands to shove you. “I have to get back to work and you have a roast to prepare!”

You nod, chuckle, and wave. “It was nice to meet you, Blitzø. Remember what I said about keeping her safe.” You flash your eyes red once more.

You notice he gulps again, this time quieter. “Nice meetin’ you too, Theia, even if it did take fuckin’ forever. Good luck with your man or whatever.”

“Don’t you start, view.” You roll your eyes. “You don’t even know what you’re getting into.”

“Sounds like you want him to get into you though.” He smirks at you.

You roll your eyes harder, but can’t help but smirk back at him, and give another wave. “Funny, but I don’t know what I want.”

You walk down the street back the way you came, and walk into the once again empty alley. You close your eyes, open the ones in Hell, make sure no one is around to observe you, and then manifest a block away from Cannibal Town. You have some deer sinner meat to acquire and a roast to make.

A/N: THAT'S RIGHT RANA WORKS FOR I.M.P.! I had so much fun writing for Blitzø. I *adore* him so much and love Helluva Boss, so of course I'm working to incorporate it into this story! I hope you all like Rana too. She's a sweetie and a fun character to shake things up a bit. If you want to see a glimpse of what she looks like in this chapter (minus any of the glasses; the picrew didn't have eyewear as an option, the *heathens*), you can see it on Theia's Tumblr: the-demon-of-a-thousand-eyes.

So Chapter 13 will be Theia meeting with Rosie again (after Rosie straight up gatekeeps her from her sinner meat unless she has a talk with her about what happened in the radio tower with Al the other night, because of course they've talked already) and then discussing with the rest of the residents of the hotel about your plans to have dinner with Al the next evening (much to some of their amusement and others' alarm).

First || Chapter 11 || Chapter 13

“Hey, Auntie Yesi,” Jordyn said, beaming as she saw Yesenia outside of Bluewater General Hospital. “I can’t believe I get to intern with you this year!” “Me too!” Yesenia said. “Zarro Health Incorporated is excited to have such a bright young mind on staff. And so fashionable, too!” “Thanks,” Jordyn said, swishing her skirt around. “It has pockets!”

Nathan had worked his entire career to get to where he was. After a hard childhood fraught with trauma and grief, he was Chief of Staff at the hospital, and he loved every minute of it. It was often stressful and full of tough decisions, but he knew he was doing what was right. He often thought back to how his Uncle Ryan helped guide him through his tough paths in life, and tried his hardest to emulate him every day.

“Knock knock,” Yesenia said before walking into the office. Nathan furrowed his brow, surprised to see his cousin and niece waltzing through the door. “Yesenia?” he asked in a quizzical tone. “Jordyn? What’s going on?”

“We have an appointment with you, unc,” Jordyn said as she took a seat. “Wait, is now a bad time?” Nathan shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine,” he said. “Sorry, I’ve been so in my head today, completely lost track of time. Please, sit.” The two women did so.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Nathan asked. Yesenia looked to Jordyn and nodded, encouraging her to take the lead. “Well, as you know Uncle Nathan, I’m currently the Patient Advocacy Coordinator with Zarro Health Incorporated, and we wanted to discuss how we can better work with hospitals in our network to provide simple solutions for patient payment,” Jordyn said, trying not to stumble over her words.

“Health insurance is a nightmare, Nathan,” Yesenia said simply. “We’re just trying to find a good workaround that can ease patients’ minds without bankrupting them.” “I’ve drafted several proposals that could mutually benefit both Bluewater General Hospital and Zarro Health Incorporated, while maintaining integrity of our patients’ billing situation,” Jordyn said. “Looking at the trends of past health insurance premiums and deductibles, I think I’ve found two strong cases for us to merge our services that could result in significantly lower patient costs.” She pulled out some files from her bag to show Nathan.

Nathan looked over the information, taking it all in. “This is great work, Jordyn,” he said with a smile.��“And I’m all for making our patients’ lives easier. Health insurance is a confusing mess, and it’s commendable that you’re working so hard to help patients financially.” “I’m sensing a ‘but’ at the end of that sentence,” Yesenia said.  “But, a financial overhaul like this would need board approval, as well as a team to train our staff on new billing codes,” Nathan said. “I’m not saying no. But this is an uphill battle.”

“One we’re ready for,” said Jordyn. “I’ve already set up training sessions for administrative staff, and scheduled a meeting with the board to present my same findings. I think I’ll have a stronger argument if they know the hospital’s Chief of Staff is already on board as well.” Nathan smiled proudly at his niece. “You really know your stuff,” he said. “Indeed I do,” Jordyn said with a smile.

Jordyn stood up and stuck her hand out for Nathan to shake. He stood and quickly shook it. “You’ve got my vote,” Nathan said. “For this, and for when you become president.” “One step at a time,” Yesenia said. “We need her to nail this before we start running a campaign.”

Jordyn hugged her uncle, proud of herself for her achievements.  “Thanks, Uncle Nathan,” she said. “Um, I mean, Dr. Zarro.” “Thank you both,” he said. “Jordyn, great presentation. The board’ll love it.”

Contingent Fee

Kang Hyewon

Tags: Rough-sex, Face fucking, Daddy Kink

Words:2.3K+

Last story was pretty heavy, hope you’ll enjoy this one too.

Thanks for: @panchatea​ and @iznsfw​ for helping making this

You did it. You actually fucking did it. Everyone told you it was impossible. But you did it.

“Gentlemen, thank you for agreeing to our terms.” You place your hands on the desk to support you standing up. Looking around the room, the representatives of the 8 different companies congratulate each other, shaking hands after months of negotiations. Everyone told you it was impossible but you just did.

After picking up your suitcase containing the signed copies of the contract, you head out to break news to the people who will be affected by it the most. The twelve girls sitting and standing agitated outside the conference room not knowing what will happen to their future together.

“Oppa, did you do it?” Hyewon jumps from her seat with her eyes wide open desperate to know if there is good news.

You first breathe out then nod a yes.

Hyewon charges at you, giving you the biggest hug in your long years of friendship, as you embrace her in your arms, those memories starts flooding back:

You have been friends for as long as you could remember. Playing at the park, sharing secrets, and telling each other your dreams in life.  She always wanted to be a K-pop Idol ever since she started dancing and singing. Finally, when she did convince her parents to allow her to leave her hometown and to study at Hanlim Arts Highschool at Seoul. 

After graduating from high school, you pursued your own dream and went to Seoul National University School of Law. With both being together at Seoul, you kept close even despite the different career paths. She was waiting for you as you exited the examination room for the BAR, giving you flowers and chocolates even if you told her that you won’t pass. 

You were at the live broadcast as she was announced to be the 8th member of IZ*ONE. Not being much of a WIZ*ONE yourself, but you always supported her by buying albums, going to concerts, and voting in music shows and awards.

The other girls come around and celebrate the renewal of their contract extension. Seeing them, embrace each other with the widest smiles you have ever seen in your short career.

“Girls come around,” Eunbi says, as the 12 members gather in a circle and shout.

“I-I-IZONE!” then raising their hands in the air, shouting in joy.

Yena suggests that they should go to a restaurant to celebrate another 2.5 years of being together. 

After listening to the 12 girls and their petty arguments on what they want to eat. Eunbi, out of frustration, just tells everyone they’ll have pizza. With most of the members standing there and not objecting, they finally started heading out.

“Oppa, will you be joining us?” Hyewon asks, as Eunbi also looks at you waiting for an answer.

Due to your overworked body, you turn down their offer. “Sorry, I can’t.....”

“Oppa, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just want to rest.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Hyewon wraps her arm around your shoulder

Everyone moves around the empty office towards the elevator, while the others members talk about how exciting it is to continue being IZ*ONE, finally going back to music shows, fan meetings , maybe live concerts. and all the other countless ideas they still haven’t done as idols

At the elevator lobby, Yena kicks the down button then the doors open immediately, she looks in excitement at how it was waiting for them like it was her destiny. Each member one by one walks in. 

When it was your and Hyewon’s turn:

*OVERLOAD* *OVERLOAD*

You step out first.

*OVERLOAD* *OVERLOAD*

“Argh.” Hyewon steps out of the elevator too.

The warning ends.

As the doors close, Hyewon waves at Eunbi, “I’ll see you at the pizza place?”

Now it is just you and Hyewon waiting for the next elevator, pressing the down button again to call for another one. The empty halls echo into the distance with the sound of your tapping foot.

“Oppa, I never really thought you could do this. I owe you a lot.” Hyewon interrupts your empty chains of thought.

“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends are for. Plus, my boss will be impressed.”

“Do I smell a promotion nearby?”

“Don’t flatter me. I just did what I had to do.”

Hyewon blushes as she tucks her hair behind her ear, “Have you been meeting other people?.”

“The only people I meet are for work. I’m too busy to talk to people except you of course.”

“So, you haven’t dated any—”

*DING* The elevator interrupts before Hyewon can finish her question.

Both of you enter the elevator, pressing for the ground floor as she answers a call. With the silence on the way down in the elevator, you can infer from her side of the call that she won’t be able to join Eunbi and the others.

*DING* You have arrived at your destination

“After you,” You say whilst you gesture her to leave the elevator 

“What’s your plan for dinner?” Hyewon asks as the two of you exit into the busy street from the afternoon rush.

“I don’t know. Chicken maybe.”

“Let me treat you. It can be my thank you gift.”

Free food from Hyewon is always a good idea. She knows what you want to eat even before you do, it is like she has food telepathy. Tonight, she read your mind and got Snowing Chicken from your favorite restaurant. 

As you enter your apartment, Hyewon jumps onto the brown bouncy leather couch. You place your suitcase on your office desk, and come out to the kitchen.

“Want a drink?”

“Mm... What’s there?”

“Ah! I have this for special occasions.”

You rush to your wine chiller, and pull out a bottle of Dom Pérignon Champagne, raising it in its marvelous shine.

Hyewon clapps her hands in excitement.

“Hyewon, Shall we?”

After pouring two glasses and leaving the bottle inside an ice bucket, you serve her one, and as she scoot over to give you a seat, placing one leg over the other.

“Cheers! To IZ*ONE!”

Hyewon takes a quick sip and places her drink on the coffee table. She stands up in front of you, leaning on one side and holding her hip.

“I want to personally thank you on behalf of the girls. We couldn’t have done this without you.”

Hyewon straddles on your lap playing with your tie, as she removes her blazer and undo her lavallière. 

She leans in your ear and whispers, “I think I should reward you for your hard work.” Her left hand trails to remove your jacket while the other pulls onto your tie to bring you near. 

“Let me take that,” Whispering as she grabs the drink off your hand and places it on the kitchen counter as she leads you to the bedroom.

Tossing you onto your bed, she begins to slowly unbutton her white blouse. Like in a slow-motion replay, stepping closer to you revealing her full chest being covered by a pearly white bra and dropping her top on the ground. Her smooth perfect body right in front of your eyes, close enough to smell her fragrant perfume.

“You are my daddy now. I’ll do whatever you want.”

You just sit up and  start quickly unbuttoning your own clothes. Stopping you and placing her index finger on your lips.

“Hush daddy, slow down. Let me do it.” Hyewon kneels in front of you like a puppy for her master and helps take off your long sleeves polo.

“Now, what does daddy want me to do?” Hyewon grabs the bulge in your pants, “I see someone is ready.”

Standing up and commanding, “Belt. Pants. Off. Now!” 

“Yes, daddy.” She undoes your pants, fingernails slightly starching your skin, and slowly pulls them out. Leaving one thing between her and your cock, your boxers.

“Kiss, daddy’s toy.” While making out the outline of your cock, your pre-cum starts leaking ,leaving a stain on your underwear.

“Can Hyewon now play with daddy’s toy?” 

Placing her hand inside your boxers, giving it a good feel, before removing your boxers showing the long hard cock that has been waiting to be used.

“Wow, daddy is very big. I cannot wait for daddy to fill me up.”

“Daddy will tell you when Hyewon wants to be filled up. Now you have to lick it.” Hyewon drags her tongue around your hard shaft, slowly placing her lips on the head, completely swallowing it after.

“Daddy wants Hyewon to suck. Suck it harder.”

 She moves deeper in engulfing your entire cock inside her mouth, wrapping her tongue all over your veiny stick. The sound of her slurping echoes all around the room, bobbing her head back and forth tasting every inch of it. As she removes her mouth, but still leaving her hand vigorously stroking it

“Is Daddy satisfied? Is Hyewon making Daddy happy?”

Your satisfied look gives her more encouragement to go back swallowing. As she returns to your cock using both her hand and mouth, increasing her pace. Her big eyes looking up and staring at you waiting for your approval.

“Daddy wants more.” You suddenly grab the back of Hyewon’s head and shove her entire mouth on your cock.

She gargles for a couple of seconds before trying to release herself from your grip.

“Did daddy allow you to stop?” Scolding her now pushing hard her throat down at your cock..

Finally, as she furiously taps on your thigh for mercy, you let go of her head. While coughing and catching her breath

“Da—daddy... H—Hyewon …doesn’t like… that.” Her words stutter after each gasp for air.

“Is Hyewon disobeying daddy? I am going to punish you even more.”

Making Hyewon bends over and places her hands flat on the bed, her round ass in full view.

“Is Daddy mad? Is he going to fuck me?”

“There is going to be more than just fucking.” Pairs of eyes staring at each other  while hands and fingers work on undoing her bra with your hand in one swift motion, giving a good squeeze of her breast. They are soft like pillows, but her nipples are rigid and hard. You caress her ass and slowly pull up her black pencil skirt.

“Is Hyewon too wet already? I think daddy’s toy needs to visit Hyewon’s pussy.” You rip her pantyhose while giving a good slap on her ass cheek as it ripples, then after licking your fingers, slowly rubbing them on her pussy. 

“You are so wet.” Fingers pushes to explore her rough insides,trying to locate her pleasure spots deep inside and between her folds.

Hyewon starts moaning louder as you inch deeper inside her folds. Finally finding it, she twitches again and again as you play with her pussy, “Daddy, when can you use your toy?”

“Are you asking or begging?”

“Please daddy, I want to play.”

“I can’t hear you!”

“Please Daddy, I want to play!!” screaming with her ruined throat from all the sucking of your cock.

“Good girl, I think you deserve to play with Daddy’s toy.”

You guide your cock on the edge of her pussy, teasing your tip on the edges of her pussy. Hyewon’s whimpers and begs could only encourage your teasing. Eventually, you slowly insert your cock inside her tight folds using her hips as support. The walls of her pussy continue constrict as you enter deeper, slowly pulling you and testing if she is still tight.

“Fuck, you are tight...”

Hyewon looks back. Her face shows the pain that is caused. Unknowingly, that you aren’t even halfway in.

“Daddy, stop it hurts. It hurts.”

You ignore the pleads of her misery. You push in deeper and go balls deep, slapping and leaving a large red handprint on her ass,pounding her tiny pussy, her breast jiggles back and forth from all the movement you force upon her.

Hyewon shouts in pain, “Is daddy happy? Does daddy like hurting me?”

 “Daddy needs to punish you.” Your hips slam harder onto her ass, groaning as her walls become even tighter after every thrust. The continuous motion makes her leak fluid that coats your cock allowing you to move even faster.

Hyewon shouts in a mixture of pleasure and in agony, “Fuck me daddy, fuck me harder.”

You pull her hair, forcing her body inches in front you. Breathing down on her neck towards you and squeezing her breast, her screams asking for mercy only encourage you to hammer her pussy more painfully.

You whisper, “Can Hyewon take more?” 

She turns her eyes on you and nods. 

“I can take more daddy.”

You start pounding her harder, making her pant louder and more frequent. Breathing on her starts to make her goosebumps appear. From her shoulder up to her neck then to her cheek, you attack her with your mouth, alternating kissing and biting.

“Where do you want daddy to cum? Do you want it inside? In your mouth? On your breast?”

“Not inside please... I beg of you.” As her sweat rolls down, it lubricates both of your layers of skin, making you hold a tighter grip on her. Loud screams coming from both parties reverberate around the walls of your bedroom.

“As you wish.” 

You pull out of her pussy still drenched in Hyewon’s fluid and forcefully push her down on her knees.

She opens her mouth and wiggles her tongue expecting the cum to spread onto her face, looking at you with her not so innocent face anymore.

But you had other plans. You shove your cock inside her mouth and start facefucking her, Making use of your strong grip to substitute her pussy with her mouth. Her gags even louder this time produce saliva coming out of her mouth.

“Daddy is cumming.”

Your cock releases its entire load inside her mouth, making Hyewon taste every single drop of your salty, bitter, white liquid. 

Even after you finish unloading, Hyewon continues to suck your cock dry and makes sure that nothing is left behind. Opening her mouth wide open, revealing her clean empty mouth.

“Wow, Fuck, that’s amazing!” You lie down on your bed, naked and exhausted. But looking up, Hyewon is already putting on her clothes.

“Where are you going?”

“Let’s eat. The food is getting cold.”

~The End

Capcom's Official AA Fanclub Surveys - DGS Edition

Many Western fans may be familiar with the Turnabout 4koma comics that get posted on the official AA fanclub site that Capcom runs, thanks to some lovely fans on tumblr and elsewhere who have shared their translations. What fewer people seem to know about is the character surveys.

Back in the old days, they used to hold a survey on Capcom's official AA fansite every few months where they'd write about the seasonal activities of a handful of characters and ask fans to vote for the funniest/most pleasant/strangest/etc answer.

They stopped doing them in like... 2016? 2017? The original text is lost for good as far as I can tell. Even the wayback machine couldn't help because the content was password locked and you can't get past the password wall while remaining in the archived version.

Fortunately, I saved some of my translations of them so I thought I’d share them.

Cut for length...

"February has begun, and the DGS cast is nearing the end of their journey aboard the RFS Alacrei. Which of them acted the most strangely?"

Ryuunosuke ~ Exhausted from his intensive study session, he decided to try some katana swinging practice as a change of pace and to combat his recent lack of exercise. But because he wasn't used to handling the katana, he swung it too hard and it went flying out of his hands and got stuck in the wall right next to Sherlock, who had just entered the room. Sherlock asked him, "aren't you supposed to be studying right now, Mr. Naruhodo?" and handcuffed him to his desk.

Susato- worked on developing a curriculum for Ryuunosuke. 'If we keep going at this pace, he won't be able to learn it all in time... It'll be hard on Naruhodo-sama, but we'll have to work hard through a couple of nights together.' With that thought, she created a harsh study schedule, and almost seemed to be looking forward to it for some reason.

Sherlock- Driven by excitement over the thought of returning to England after a long absence, he went up on deck to stare at the ocean. Being February, it was very cold out there and he ended up being chilled all the way to the tips of his fingers. He returned to the ship cabins and amused himself by putting his frozen hands on Ryuunosuke, who was stuck in his room studying.

Van Zieks- Upon hearing from Vortex that there was a Japanese exchange student coming to England to study law, he smashed a Lord's Bottle. He apparently also didn't care for the fact that that Japanese student wouldn't be alone, because he proceeded to shatter his chalice, too.

Hosonaga- in order to provide a respite from studying, he provided some hot chocolate. They enjoyed a pleasant tea time, marveling over how sweet and delicious the drink was until Sherlock piped up with some unnecessary trivia: 'Actually folks, chocolate has long been used in Europe as an aphrodisiac!' Everyone promptly spat it out."

"The long winter is nearly over and spring is on it's way, putting the DGS cast members in a celebratory mood. Who found the best way of enjoying spring?"

Ryuunosuke: the Yuumei University faculty members were holding a flower viewing event, and he joined the assistance committee. He exhausted himself keeping the blankets clean so the intense shower of flower petals wouldn't pile up too high on them, delivering sake and snacks, and mediating whatever pointless fights arose. To top it all off, for some reason his compensation was only a single piece of leftover candy. Talk about a sad result!

Susato- her father and the others living in his dormitory were  holding the flower viewing event, so she got up early to prepare the bentos. But her father carelessly forgot to tell her that they wanted tea cakes, so she had to go around the house and neighborhood collecting sweets. For some reason, she ended up being able to gather caramels, biscuits, candy sticks, basically everything but tea cakes, for the tea ceremony.

Sherlock- he disguised himself as a beat officer and infiltrated Scotland Yard to have some fun. There was a real beat officer napping on his feet in the spring sunshine, and while observing him, Sherlock ended up falling asleep too. Detective Gregson gave them a good scolding when he found them, but then Sherlock revealed his true identity with a "hey, it's me, folks!" "What the blazes do you think you're doing?!" Gregson shouted, his rage growing even more, and Sherlock ended up making a run for it.

Van Zieks- went to the vineyard to oversee the production of the contents of his Lord's Bottle. As he viewed the still unopened grape blossom buds, he thought about how they would someday grow up to fill his Lord's Bottle, and ended up going around to look at each one. But the farm hands couldn't stop wondering whether the bottle itself or its owner's heel might come flying at them and were quite uneasy.

Asougi: exhausted himself running around since early morning helping with the professors' flower viewing event. When it was over, he took a break, sharing his reward candy stick [the name of the candy literally translates to 1,000 year candy] with Ryuunosuke, who had also been helping out. 

"I wonder if the candy's effect is halved if you share it with someone."

"That still gives us 500 years."

They laughed and enjoyed looking at the flowers until dark. Then they parted ways with a handshake and a "see you later, best friend."

(This one was something about celebrating New Years. For some reason I didn't save the original question)

"Ryuunosuke ~ To celebrate New Years, he planned to pound mochi with everyone at the office. He somehow managed to get his hands on some mochi rice and he and Sherlock started pounding. Iris was having such fun watching them that she steamed a whole bunch more mochi rice so they could have some to share, and he and Sherlock spent the whole evening pounding mochi like crazy.

Asougi~ Because it's New Years, he went around to a bunch of shrines. When he drew his new year's fortune, he got a "horrible luck" result. "I'm not worried about it," he claimed, and headed up to the mountains early on New Years morning and work hard on a full training course of purification by water, meditation under a waterfall and wooden sword practice. It seems that he was working really hard to clear his mind of all earthly thoughts

Sherlock- Agreed to help Ryuunosuke pound mochi. As Ryuunosuke was flipping the mochi over, he carelessly dropped his badge into the bowl and Sherlock mixed it in without noticing, so they had to crack open both the hard and soft mochi to look for it. Fortunately they found it in the 4th one they checked, but apparently Sherlock got his hands and face covered in sticky white mochi in the process.

Susato- Wore a furisode and went with her father to do the first shrine visit of the year. The shrine was incredibly crowded and they had to wait in line for a long time, but she brought the Encyclopaedia of British Law and a copy of the Strand Magazine in her sleeves to secretly read as they waited so she actually ended up enjoying the wait.

Van Zieks- Ryuunosuke cheerfully gave him some mochi as a New Year’s (which at that time was celebrated at the same time as the Chinese New Year) gift, which he accepted confusedly, wondering “...Can the Japanese not even keep track of when the New Year is?” Because Ryuunosuke referred to it as a rice cake, he tried to eat it like a regular cake without softening it with heat first. It was so hard that he couldn’t imagine how it could possibly be food, and ended up misunderstanding the Japanese even more!

"Autumn has arrived, and the weather is starting to cool off, which means that everyone is becoming more active. Which character chose the most pleasant autumn activity to keep busy with?"

Iris was making bread but her hands are small and it’s difficult for her to knead the dough, so she asked for Ryuunosuke’s help. She wanted to make enough to hand out to Gina and all the other homeless children in the East End, so she made a massive amount and Ryuunosuke was stuck kneading this massive mountain of bread dough all day. Apparently he became such a expert at kneading that he could be a baker now.

Asougi was practicing with his sword, slicing autumn-colored ginko leaves as they fell from the tree. He cut so many leaves, though, that he ended up making a big mess on the ground, the number of fallen leaves now having increased, and it took him a long time to clean it all up.    

Sherlock: Ryuunosuke told him that he was making anpan (bread filled with sweet red bean paste, the bane of my Asian-dwelling existance) and asked Sherlock to help by being in charge of getting the poppy seeds they’d need to sprinkle on top, so Sherlock went out and gathered a ton of poppy seeds. In fact, he got so many of them that no one knew what to do with them all cuz they had a huge amount of leftovers. Sherlock said, “Well, they’re only the size of poppy seeds! Surely you two can deal with them somehow! Ahahaha!” and Iris scolded him.   

(I couldn’t capture it in English, but Sherlock’s line contained a pun, and a pretty stupid one at that, so that’s part of why he got scolded)

It’s grape harvesting season, so Van Zieks commutes to the winery regularly to direct the production of the contents for his “Lord’s Bottle.” He demands perfection in everything from the selection of the grapes to the way they’re squeezed, and the winery staff is terrified by the “grim reaper’s” gaze and heel swinging (i.e. the leg thing he does in court) so they grumble as they work. 

"Hearing that there’s a holiday in the West called Halloween, the people involved with the court in Japan decided to try it out themselves. Naturally Halloween is a big deal in England as well. So, which member of the DGS cast had the best celebration?"

Team Ryuunosuke and Asougi- Asougi got Naruhodo up on his shoulders and they draped a white sheet over themselves to make a ghost costume. They went out like that, but Naruhodo had such exaggerated reactions to the fear of the people who saw them and to bumping his head on tree branches that they ended up losing their balance and falling on top of each other?!   

Sherlock Holmes- went wearing a horse’s head mask. Iris used her skills to make it a fancy horse covered in stars, but the eye holes weren’t well made and he had to wander around blindly. Because of that he tripped hard over a pile of coal! He ended up getting so dirty that the stars on his costume were covered up!

Van Zieks- took inspiration from his nickname and dressed up as the grim reaper. He covered himself up with a skeleton mask and hood figuring no one would know it was him. Unfortunately he got angry when he saw Megundal (McGilded) pass by and started throwing bottles and glasses and ended up giving himself away.

"November has arrived, and autumn is nearing its end. However, the DGS cast is still keeping busy, even on their days off. Which character chose the most interesting way to spend their late autumn day?"

Ryuunosuke- Thinking that he’d better learn more about British culture if he was going to be a defense attorney in Britain, he went down to the East End with Gina for a little observation. However, because an Asian like him stood out so much, he got mobbed by the other children. On top of it all, his arm band got stolen from him and he had to send a replacement request to Yumei University on the other side of the ocean.

Asougi- He went for a meal at La Quantas. The customer at a nearby table got a persimmon for dessert and scarfed it down, saying “Mm! This is it! This sweetness makes it worthy of being called a treasure among foods!” Asougi tried to comment on this by saying, “The customer at that table sure is enjoying his pershim--gak!” but he may or may not have accidentally bitten his tongue in the process and been unable to finish his sentence.

Iris- She accepted Ryuunosuke’s request to learn more about British culture and prepared a bagpipe and kilt costume for him. “This outfit sure is breezy,” Ryuunosuke said shyly upon trying it on. With Ryuunosuke now dressed, he, Iris, and the others from their office headed over to Gregson’s place to get him to treat them to some fish and chips.   

Sherlock- He accepted Ryuunosuke’s request to learn more about British culture and cooked up some European style curry for dinner. Thanks to the fact that his secret ingredient was a large amount of Chinese herbal medicine style spice, it caused some strange side effects and Ryuunosuke, who’d eaten it, ended up passing out and falling over.

“Another taxing trial for Ryuunosuke has finished and now it’s December. As the year draws to a close, which character acts the strangest?”

Ryuunosuke- he was recruited to help with snow removal around Yumei University and the courthouse and he enthusiastically began his task with the help of a large shovel. He got a little carried away, though, and ended up accidentally burying his umbrella, which he’d left propped up against the side of the building, in the snow he’d just finished shoveling.  He had no choice but to share Asougi’s umbrella on the way home.

Asougi- On the way home, he nods silently to Ryuunosuke’s question of whether he’d finished his travel preparations and changes the subject: “...Come to think of it, it seems that tomorrow is celebrated in the West as God’s birthday.” “I’ve heard that they eat chicken as part of the traditional celebration. Wanna try it?” Ryuunosuke asks invitingly. Asougi is strongly opposed to that particular menu item, however, and they end up going out for their usual beef stew that night instead.           

Susato- in addition to her year-end travel preparations, she also was busy with straightening up the book room in her home. She managed to get the law books in order when she suddenly stumbled upon some old issues of Strand Magazine! She hurried through the rest of her cleaning, then began flipping through the magazines she’d found, trying to decide which to take with her on her trip. She accidentally lost herself in her reading and didn’t realize it until it was already the middle of the night.

Sherlock- he was in the middle of a long ship voyage when Christmas night came. His mind on his partner in a far-off country, he made a toast alone on deck, when suddenly the crew began shooting off fireworks with a cry of “Merry Christmas!” Sherlock had to dart back and forth across the deck to prevent the fireworks from hitting him and setting off the explosive chemicals he carries with him.

Main series edition

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ot7 x reader || ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 6.1k || ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: smut - rated 18+

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ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: orgy slash train, jk-centric eightsome, oral (m receiving), rimming, fingering, orgasm control, edging, unprotected sex, mxm sex, sub!jk, dom!hoseok, dom!yoongi, dom!jimin, dom!namjoon, dom!taehyung, dom!jin, sub!yn

A/N: it's voting time folks !! both votes are in this google forms sheet. as usual, it requires sign-in with an email. this is to limit votes to one per person. i don't collect the emails or do anything with them, i just take a screenshot of the pie chart for reference. if anyone has a more private way to limit votes please do let me know! i know it's not ideal. this time i'm leaving the vote up for a week, so until sunday 27 10pm KST!

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT

Sejin’s not pleased.

On the contrary, he stares you two down like a disappointed parent as you step inside the production van out the front of the Villa.

Arms crossed over his chest, eyes tired behind his smudged glasses, he lets out a sigh once you close the door behind you. “I’m sure you’re well aware of why you’re here.” He pauses enough to let you meekly nod. “And I’ve made the rules clear, have I not?”

You swallow hard, guilt swirling choppily in your stomach. This was your choice, your idea, and it had landed you in hot water. Taehyung meets your gaze for a moment, but apart from a tinge of fear you can’t read his expression.

“So I have one question for you. Do you enjoy making my life difficult?”

“No, Sejin,” you insist in a near-whine. “That’s not what it is at all.”

“I would hope not. You’ve put me in a very awkward position here. The rules dictate that if an eliminated member has sexual contact with Y/n, that they’ll be sent home immediately.”

“But I kissed him,” you put in frantically, voice wobbling. Taehyung’s looking at you but you can’t bear to pull him from your peripheral.

“And if I saw correctly, he returned that kiss.”

You chance a look now. Taehyung looks ill. “I didn’t touch her, sir. And it wasn’t sexual.”

“No? Before you were eliminated, what did kissing lead to?”

You flush hot even as it feels like all the blood is leaving your head. “Then you should’ve waited to call us. Taehyung didn’t touch me sexually, Sejin. Don’t kick him out.”

Another chesty sigh leaves Sejin. He looks truly exhausted. “As true as that may or may not be, it doesn’t change the fact that you, Y/n, certainly broke the rules. Correct?”

This you can’t deny. “Yes.”

“Then there needs to be consequences. Fortunately for you, Jungkook needs to complete his prompt before the meeting tomorrow morning, so I can’t cut you off for twenty-four hours, and I am certainly not willing to be handcuffed to you during that time. So I’m running up empty on how I can maintain some order and authority in this house without scarring myself or making things worse. You see my dilemma?”

Your brain comes up empty on solutions. Taehyung, too, still sullen though not as scared, wets his lips but doesn’t speak. Sejin stares at you half-expectantly from behind thick lenses. Eventually, you clear your throat. “Why don’t you make the other guys decide the punishment? At least that’ll add some drama in the show.”

Sejin considers this for a moment, eyes slowly shifting around the room, and after a moment he sighs in resignation. “Alright,” he allows, “I’ll be in to talk with you all at 10. In the meantime, kindly leave my office and let me sleep. If there’s any more funny business I’m kicking the both of you out. Don’t think I’d hesitate in making this a show just for twinks. I haven’t slept a full night in two weeks thanks to your antics.”

You and Taehyung send Sejin a deep apologetic bow before hustling out of the van and back to the house, shoulders bumping like co-conspirators, but being careful not to get too close. Sejin seemed at his rope’s end enough that funny business was probably a significantly wider pool right now.

Though you were wired no more than ten minutes earlier, once you slip back into the pre-dawn silence of the villa, you feel exhaustion tug at you, and you can tell Taehyung feels the same with the way his slippers scuff on the floor.

Voice hushed even though the others are upstairs probably fast asleep, you rub your eyes and give Taehyung a tired smile. “I think I’m gonna get some sleep, too,” you decide after a moment, fighting the gravity that pulls you closer to him.

Taehyung, hair bouncy like a poodle, smiles softly back. “I’ll go upstairs and act like I’m not replaying that kiss over and over again in my head.”

A surprised laugh bubbles out of your throat, and you punch at him playfully, padding towards the stairs. “That kiss almost got you kicked out,” you jibe, but the reality of it dampens your mood slightly.

Always so in tune, Taehyung picks up on it and reaches out to briefly squeeze your hand, eyes unusually sober. “Hey,” he states intently, “I don’t regret that risk. And I certainly don’t regret being kissed by you again. Okay?”

“Okay.” You begin to ascend the carpeted steps, reluctantly breaking his gaze to follow your feet in the dark. “But we better wait next time, just in case. I don’t know what shit the others are gonna pull tomorrow.”

“I’ll convince them to go easy on you,” Taehyung assures, and you can hear the grin in his voice. You reach the top, dividing up to stand in front of your respective doors.

“Goodnight, Tae.”

He looks like an angel with a soft, caramel halo and a radiant smile. You want to kiss him silly all over again, but keep yourself tethered to your bedroom doorknob. He leans back against his, eyes fixed on you in bemusement. “G’night. I love you.”

You grin, melting. “I love you, too.”

As you quietly crack open your door, still not wanting to fully leave him, he presses a slow, careful kiss to his fingertips, and waves them to you. You reach out, miming grabbing it, and press your hand to your chest, feeling your heart thump joyously beneath your ribs. “Goodnight,” you whisper, realising belatedly you’ve already said it.

Taehyung cocks his eyebrows once cheekily. “So I’ve heard. Get some rest, petal. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Even after Sejin had dropped the possibility of Taehyung leaving, it’s not until your lover himself utters those words that the last shred of anxiety in your chest dissolves, and you fall back asleep much lighter than before, the memory of his lips on yours the last thing on your mind before you go.

“Jungkook, be honest. What did you do?”

“It’s not me! We’re probably in trouble because hyung broke the blender.”

Seokjin’s back stiffens in petulance. “It’s not broken. It’s just resting.”

“Tell that to my protein shake. I’ve never swallowed anything so grainy before.”

“That’s what she said,” Hoseok fires off automatically, before he belatedly cringes at his own joke. “God, ignore that.”

Jungkook knits his brows in mock concern even as his lips twitch. “I’m so sorry to hear that your nut isn’t smooth, Hobi-hyung.”

“It’s perfectly smooth, thank you,” Hoseok spits, face twisted in a grimace. “Anyway, where is Sejin? He told us to be on time but he’s not even early. It’s suspicious.”

“Everything’s suspicious to you,” Jimin complains, looking particularly regal in a deep purple blouse and a single pearl earring. He hadn’t been dressing up as much these days as he usually did, but it seems this morning his old wardrobe is returning. If you squint, you can make out his catlike eyeliner. “It’s a miracle you’re not wearing a tin foil hat.”

“I have a little more fashion sense than that, thank you. My accessories are real silver.”

Jimin’s mildly bewildered face is overshadowed by Sejin hurrying in at that moment, a yawn wracking his face and a two thirds-empty takeaway iced americano. It looks far darker than usual, but he sits down on the edge of the coffee table and chugs the rest of it, leaving the plastic cup at his side.

“Good morning, everyone, you may be-”

“-wondering why I’ve gathered you all here today,” Jungkook interrupts, pitching his voice lower to imitate Sejin’s. He swallows, all but shrinking under Sejin’s miffed gaze. “Sorry, I had to.”

“For those unaware, Y/n and Taehyung broke the rules of the game last night at roughly 2:43am.”

Namjoon, silent up until now, turns to look at the two of you sharply, though his face is smoothed out to mild surprise. Jimin is looking between you with an inquisitive look, Jungkook has his jaw dangling.

Hoseok smirks, shaking his head in bemusement. “Taehyung, you dirty dog,” he drawls, “couldn’t resist, huh?”

You press your hands against your cheeks, feeling the embarrassed blush heat your skin. “It wasn’t like that,” you defend on Tae’s behalf. “We… we kissed.” It feels somehow absurd saying it out loud, like you’re a schoolgirl admitting a crush. You avoid everyone’s gazes, cursing your prior self for even suggesting this as a scapegoat.

“Because of that,” Sejin continues, “there needs to be a punishment carried out to prevent the breaking of rules in the future. Which is where you come in. Y/n suggested herself that you gentlemen be the ones to decide what it’ll be. I’ll stay here until you’ve reached a decision.”

Jin narrows his eyes slightly, seeming uncertain. “I mean, what can we do? What’s the ballpark here?”

“Nothing that lasts for longer than 24 hours, and nothing beyond her regular limits here. Aside from that, be creative, I suppose.”

Jungkook raises his hand immediately. “She has to go and buy us a new blender.”

“Preferably something inside the Villa, Jungkook. This is a reality show.”

“She has to construct a blender from things inside the house.”

“Okay,” Sejin sighs shortly, “anyone else?”

Namjoon bites at his lower lip. “I don’t know… This feels mean.”

“Y/n could order a blender online,” Jungkook slips in again, before Taehyung catches him around the waist and pins him back against the couch. “Fine, I guess you guys can decide.”

“I have an idea,” Jimin says slowly, eyes heavy on you. You swallow, not trusting the glint in his eyes. “She follows our every command for the next 24 hours. Sexual or otherwise, as long as it doesn’t break her limits.”

You bite down hard on your lower tongue, glaring daggers at him, but the others are already bursting into noise around you, and it takes less than a minute before Sejin calls for a vote, six hands going up immediately and a seventh following after a moment’s hesitation.

“I won’t use it,” Namjoon promises you from your left side. His eyes are rounded in concern, and you don’t doubt his words for a second. “I’m sorry.”

“It won’t be that bad-” you begin to say, but Jungkook wrestles himself out of Taehyung’s grip and puffs his chest, and you know it’s going to be a long day ahead.

“Boy, I sure am thirsty.”

You flatten a thinly-veiled glare at the oldest member in the house. “Just spit it out.”

He beams at you, eyes glittering with amusement. “Y/n dearest, would you mind fetching me a cool, refreshing bottle of water from the fridge?”

“I do mind, actually,” you grumble, but you’re already getting up for the millionth time to fetch something. It feels like it’s been days already, an eon of regret, but less than two hours have passed. “Still or sparkling, sire?” you drawl, voice dripping in acid.

“Still will do me just fine,” he responds from the living room with a dreamy sigh. He has one arm slung over the back of the couch, torso twisted to watch you, eyes dipping low.

Beyond embarrassment, you huff and use your free hand to tug at the too-short skirt you’d been put into. Part of an initially-humiliating French maid costume (where the fuck did Hoseok find it on such short notice?), the fabric threatens to expose your panties at the slightest bend.

Namjoon remains on the couch, nose buried in a thickly stapled academic paper, teeth latched onto the cap of a highlighter that he hasn’t used for the past fifteen minutes. In an effort to be respectful, it seems he’d decided that looking at you at all was crossing the line.

Apart from the two of them, Jimin is the only other that currently remains in the room with you. Once you pass off the water bottle to Jin with perhaps a little more force than necessary, you catch Jimin’s expectant look and sigh, sinking to your knees on the carpet beside him.

There’s a pillow there, thankfully. You haven’t actually put your ass on a proper seat since your punishment was decided. For a while, Taehyung commanded you to sit in his lap, wrapping his arms around you with a pout that failed to prevent the others from commanding you to move. Now, you’ve been instructed to remain at Jimin’s feet as long as he desires.

Out of principle, you’re miffed, but deep down it’s strangely peaceful to be so physically reminded of your submission to him. If he wanted, he could certainly be a dick about it, but he’s done nothing more than smile down at you and run his fingers lazily through your hair. You feel taken under his wing, safe beneath him and in his proximity.

The four others are upstairs, helping Jungkook prepare for his Sunday camming stream. He’d instructed you to wait downstairs and watch it, and his team of older men flanked him up like they’d rehearsed it. You’re suspicious, but Jimin’s low murmur of approval keeps your mind from gnawing on it too much.

Content with his water, Jin doesn’t request your service again, though his eyes occasionally dart over the top of his phone to drink in the sight of you on your knees in such a ridiculous getup. Namjoon focuses on his study like his life depends on it, and Jimin’s hand slides down between your shoulderblades, holding you to his side and rubbing there softly. Time blurs under his fingers, and you rest your chin on his knee and zone out.

When the four horsemen of the porn industry come clambering downstairs, it gives you a fright. Taehyung is first, clearing his throat and stomping his foot to gain your attention like an enthusiastic squire. “Introducing, for a special-edition livestream, gukked97!”

Namjoon puts his paper down and claps automatically, faltering when nobody joins in. Taehyung seems content enough with the lukewarm response, waving behind him to the doorway.

Everyone holds their breath, struck silent by curiosity. One thick boot peeks around the door, followed by a black-clad leg, a chunky belt, and soon Master Jung is in full view, dressed to the nines in his dom gear.

One hand swings freely at his side, but the other is stretched behind him, out of sight. He pulls it forward, and you see a leather strap wrapped around his fingers. A strange, wet huff sounds from behind, and Hoseok steps forward leisurely, the strap extending until it finally meets a neck.

Jungkook rounds the corner, leashed, gagged and stripped down to his underwear. He’s breathing past the rope in his mouth, drool running down his chin with every pant. His eyes are lidded, but flickering around the room without pause. In front of him, his hands are bound together with a chunky rope. You know Hoseok well enough to sense that this setup is intended to look primitive, animalistic.

He grins, carefully tugging Jungkook closer to his side by his throat, the younger man shorter than him thanks to his heavy boots providing some advantage. “I caught a sub for us to play with,” he announces casually, like he’d returned from a weekend hunting trip. “Y/n, clear the table.”

Jumping up, you rush to shift Jin’s water bottle, the TV remote, and some of Namjoon’s stationery off the low coffee table, dumping them on the main dining room table between the couches and the kitchen.

When you turn back, the final member of the party has come into view. Yoongi has a camera in his hands, eyes tracking the screen as he centres it on a squirmy Jungkook being lowered back-down onto the coffee table. The doctor watches the screen with a lopsided smirk as he leans in close.

Not that you’re complaining, rushing back to the couch and almost sitting down before you catch yourself and fold at the knees on the carpet again. This position puts you at eye level to Jungkook’s heaving chest, back arched up slightly off the table.

“Are you gonna be good for us, little bunny? Let us play with you?”

Jungkook remains silent at Hoseok’s words to your surprise, even as he wriggles on the table and a hiccuped breath bubbles from behind the gag. He does, however, nod furiously, gaze pleading. He looks painfully hard, stretching the cotton of his underwear taut. You can’t blame him, feeling hot between your thighs yourself.

Hoseok spreads his legs wide around the coffee table, looming over Jungkook. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieves a delicate chain, hanging from which are two metal clamps. Your own chest aches at the sight, Hoseok swinging them lazily with his Master’s grin. “Starting off so quiet, huh? Cat got your tongue? Let’s see if we can change that.”

Jungkook huffs a breath again, squeezing his eyes shut and stomping a single bare foot dully against the carpet. He refuses to make any real noise, even as Hoseok sits on his thighs, flicking clinically at Jungkook’s nipples to make them perk up. He squirms, trying to rock Hoseok off of him, but bites down hard enough on the gag that you can see a vein pop in his neck when the metal teeth close their jaws around him at his most sensitive points.

He’s breathing heavily, head shaking back and forth not in discontent but in overwhelming sensation, foot thumping. “Still nothing?” the dom above him questions, but all he gets in response is a weak gurgle.

“Well, then,” Hoseok announces, lifting back up off Jungkook with a sigh, “I guess I’ll need backup.” He glances up and smirks at you before his gaze is directed to the gentlemen in the room. “Give him a go. If he makes a noise, he’ll fail his prompt. Isn’t it getting to that point in the competition where it’s time for a little strategy?”

A sharp exhale leaves Jungkook’s noise as he glares accusingly at Hoseok, bound hands curled into fists. The dom bends down above him, a teasing look of sympathy on his face. “Oh, poor Kookie; thought I was helping you. I’m not going to let you fuck Y/n until you can take the others without a peep. If you don’t want this, just safeword out. You know the drill.”

Jungkook’s eyes steel, he grits his teeth around the gag, but doesn’t make any moves or noises. The only motion is the semi-regular heaving of his chest.

“I see,” Hoseok sings, “you don’t want to end this because you really think you’ll win, don’t you? Let’s see how far you last.” He sets his sights to the oldest. “Jin-hyung, you’re up first.”

Seokjin seems surprised to be called up, but he gets up off the couch willingly and approaches the sprawled out sub, letting his broad palm run lightly up Jungkook’s side. The younger sucks in a breath at the feathery contact but his body leans into it, seeking Jin out.

“What should we do with you?” Jin murmurs under his breath, almost like he’s thinking aloud. He lets his fingers trail over Jungkook’s mouth, breathing a laugh when the boy’s lips twitch, unable to respond like wants to.

To your surprise, Jin makes his way back down again, and settles on his knees, Jungkook’s thighs splayed on either side of him. “Let’s get this pesky thing off,” he comments absentmindedly as he removes Jungkook’s underwear one leg at a time.

The moment the elastic slips below Jungkook’s waistline, his cock slips out and smacks audibly on his lean lower abdomen. If you strain your ears you think you can hear the beginning rumbles of a growl, but the sub suppresses it, thighs clenching.

Jin doesn’t allow him to lock up, instead gripping at the flesh and tugging him further down the table, pushing up to fold Jungkook’s legs. He’s spread open unceremoniously, fully bared to the therapist.

Right as you expect Jin to lower his mouth to Jungkook’s aching erection, he goes lower, and Jungkook’s back leaves the table at the exact second you see a flash of pink.

Jin teases Jungkook’s rim, alternating long laps that almost reach his balls to pointed plunges inside his hole. The younger man is whiteknuckled, breathing heavily through his nose and flexing his pelvis - whether to escape or to seek more out, you don’t think even he knows.

The eldest in the house is an expert with his tongue. You’ve experienced it firsthand, and you feel yourself dampening at the memory of it. In Jungkook’s silence you’re left with the obscene wet sounds coming from Jin’s ministrations as he enthusiastically eats him out, occasionally pausing to nip at the paler flesh of his inner thighs.

Yoongi still remains close, perched on the edge of the couch with the camera leaned in close. His lids are heavy but beneath them his gaze is sharp with focus. He’s taking his role as cameraman seriously, hands steady.

Hoseok has Jungkook’s leash in-hand, standing above so Jungkook doesn’t forget his presence, his role. You shift slightly, wishing that attention was being spent on you, but equally aroused to be the observer. The others on the couches above you are clearly just as invested as you are. Jimin’s hand has stilled in your hair, half-gripping the nape of your neck as he watches Jungkook’s expression intently.

Jin’s slurping at him now, leaving behind all manners to focus on Jungkook’s erogenous zone, but still the boy manages to hold back his noise. His cock twitches on his stomach, precum the only physical sign of his arousal beyond the way his body can’t sit still.

Eventually Jin growls between Jungkook’s legs and comes up for air, a displeased look on his face. “Bunny really does want to keep his lips locked, hm? If you’re going to be rude and hold back your precious sounds, then I’m certainly not going to give you an orgasm.” Jungkook pouts through the gag, fingers curling and uncurling in frustration, but Jin is already wiping his mouth and sitting back down, knocking Taehyung on the shoulder. “Have at ‘im, kid. He’s a stubborn one.”

“Come on, Jungkookie,” Taehyung chirps, hopping up with a considerable pep. “You’ll be a good boy and moan for, won’t you? I’ll touch you so nicely.”

Unsurprisingly, Jungkook has nothing to say for himself, but when Taehyung comes close he wraps his ankles around the masseuse’s waist and brings him even closer.

Tae’s attempt is making use of his golden hands. He sits on the edge of the coffee table, Jungkook’s legs dangling up and over his thighs, spitting into his palms.

The younger’s whole body seizes up when his length is enveloped by two wet hands, pumping him with the kind of intensity that would otherwise have him crying out for more. While his body certainly keens up, his voice remains dormant, hair sticking to his forehead and temples with sweat.

If you could hear Seokjin rimming Jungkook, Taehyung jerking him off is deafening, the rhythmic sound echoing in the room with no other noise to muddle it. Taehyung grins at the volume of it, his biceps flexing past his sleeveless tee.

“I wonder what your viewers are saying right now, Kookie,” he teases, not pausing his thorough movements for a split second, “turning up their speakers, their headphones, wondering why they can’t hear their gorgeous boy moan for them. They must be so disappointed. You don’t want to let them down, do you? You don’t want to let us down?”

Jungkook’s legs wiggle in frustration, his eyes clenched so tightly shut that his lashes barely peek through. His hips won’t stop rocking into Taehyung’s fist, and it looks like he might be close. Just as his nostrils flare and the huffed breathing picks up the pace, Taehyung lets out a frustrated growl - no doubt played up for dramatic effect - and takes his hands off, giving the glistening cock a single smack.

Jungkook jerks like he’s been electrocuted, but instead of making a noise, he throws his head back, knocking it against the table to express his need.

Having successfully edged the camboy, Taehyung lets his annoyed persona drop with a grin, glancing up at the cameraman. “If he’s not going to moan for us, why don’t we put his mouth to better use?”

With a resound agreement, Yoongi moves around, Taehyung happily untying the soaked gag and letting it drop to the floor. Jungkook’s first move is to close his jaw and wet his lips, but Taehyung only gives him a moment’s respite before he’s hooking two fingers behind his upper teeth, opening his mouth up again, ready to receive. It takes very little navigating to get Jungkook’s head tipped slightly over the upper edge of the coffee table so that his rounded lips are in better line with a kneeling Yoongi.  The latter keeps both hands steady on the livestreaming camera as Taehyung unzips his jeans for him, guiding the tip of his cock into Jungkook’s awaiting mouth.

Yoongi lets out an indulgent sigh when he slowly buries himself to the halfway, Jungkook’s lips stretching. Taehyung leans down to Jungkook’s left and gives the younger no warning before he’s lifting off the closest nipple clamp, bending in to soothe the blooming red with his tongue.

Jungkook gurgles around Yoongi’s cock but any noise that may have escaped is muffled. Neither man seems to mind, Yoongi slowly and carefully fucking Jungkook’s mouth hands-free, groaning at the feeling of his throat relaxing and periodically swallowing around him.

For a few moments, the rest of you watch in thick, aroused silence as Yoongi gradually picks up the pace, Jungkook drooling hopelessly and pressing his thighs together as Taehyung turns to the second clamp and gives that aching nipple the same sloppy treatment.

Yoongi’s groans begin to deepen into grunts as his hips loose their rhythm slightly, and he has to take one hand off the camera to prop himself up on the table, Jungkook’s throat bobbing as he sucks the doctor off. Yoongi spills into Jungkook’s throat enough that it floods his mouth, slipping out the corners. He pants, praising Jungkook. Once he slips his cock out, Jungkook swallows again and lets out a dopey sigh, eyes hazy. Still, the only sound out of his throat is laboured breathing.

The tension racks up a notch when Taehyung gasps, giving one last teasing flick of his tongue before he jumps up and grabs Namjoon. The academic is tugged to the foot of the table with wide eyes.

Taehyung reaches down Jungkook’s legs and slips a finger inside casually, hoping to catch the younger off guard. Sadly, his breath only hitches before he’s rocking his hips back into the touch, gasping and letting the masseuse finger him open two and then three fingers at a time.

“You just need a big cock to fuck you dumb, don’t you, Jungkook,” Taehyung wonders aloud. “That’ll loosen your lips. Namjoon?”

Namjoon hesitates, even with the sizeable tent in his pants. From his knees, perfectly poised between Jungkook’s open legs, he glances up at Hoseok for guidance.

The master bends down to Jungkook’s ear, tucking his hair behind it before lowering his voice to a whisper. “Just pinch him if you don’t want it, Jungkook. Real hard; give him something to write home about.”

Jungkook’s lip bite and shuffle closer is a clear signal that he does, in fact, want it. Namjoon swallows hard and takes out his swollen length, the tip an angry purplish-red.

When he aligns himself at Jungkook’s entrance, Namjoon pauses once more, but the boy nods hastily, toes curling, and he gives in to his desire.

Post-orgasm, Yoongi’s slow to move down to get the shot, and by the time he focuses in on their union, Namjoon is buried deep inside Jungkook, his hands clasping the camboy’s hips tightly. He groans, pulls out almost all the way, and snaps up again.

The breath is punched out of Jungkook but he quickly sends his hands up and bites down hard on his knuckles.

Hoseok lets out a laugh, smacking him once on his already-pink chest. “That’s a good boy. Don’t hold it back, now, let it out.”

Jungkook refuses, however, muffling himself with intention as Namjoon fucks him in earnest, every stroke rocking him on the table. You find yourself unable to sit still as you take in the sight. At perfect eye-level to watch his cock disappear into Jungkook, you grow even needier and restless.

How much more did Jungkook have to withstand before he could fuck you? How long before anyone fucked you? Your eyes focus in hazily on the blissed-out look on Jungkook’s face, and you adjust your position so that your right heel falls perfectly between your thighs. It provides a small amount of much-needed friction, and you rock your hips in time with every deep thrust.

Namjoon is finally comfortable and in his element, and you can imagine just how much ecstasy Jungkook is holding back behind the hand stuffed in his mouth. You wish to hear it, too, betting that every viewer on the livestream is wanting much the same.

This time, Jungkook is being jostled around so much that nobody sees how close he’s getting before he shoots his load in an arcing line up over his chest, spattering as high as his neck and chin. He makes a strangled, choking noise, and thrashes around so much that Hoseok bends down hastily and slips a hand behind his head to ensure he doesn’t hurt himself.

Still, he bites down and bears it without a noise.

From behind you, Jimin clicks his tongue and huffs. “Amateur hour,” he announces dryly and leaves you with a pat to the head. Pretending to ignore Hoseok and Namjoon’s stares (the latter slowing down his thrusts and panting himself, the white coating his cock indicating he’s met his end too), Jimin crouches down and presses his lips to Jungkook’s ear, resting a single hand on his spent and softening cock.

He whipsers something, a few syllables of which sound suspiciously like your name, and then it happens.

Jungkook lets out a guttural, unintentional whimper, clapping his hand over his mouth too late to stop it.

Hoseok scowls at Jimin, who stands back up dripping in self-satisfaction, and returns to his place, bending down to press a kiss on your temple, like he’s staking his claim over both the sub and the servant.

Having lost his challenge, Jungkook whines and reaches down to gently crade his own length, curling up. “‘S cheating,” he complains, but Hoseok is turning his focus back onto the boy, checking over the red marks left behind by the clamps. “Hobi-hyung, ‘s not fair.”

“You did well, Kookie,” the dom coos, helping him sit up carefully, untying his wrists. “Hyung’s got you.”

As Jungkook sighs out his simultaneous disappointment and deep physical satisfaction, you fight a frown. The heat still burns between your legs, unquenched, yet nobody is paying you any mind. You’d been promised Jungkook once he passed his trials, and at the last moment that promise was taken from you.

You turn, looking up at Jimin with pleading eyes. “What about me?” you whine with a pout, propping your chin up on his knee.

He shrugs. “What about you?”

Your frown deepens. “Do I not get anything?”

Jimin’s brow lowers, making your stomach drop. “We have the generosity to let you watch while you’re on punishment and still it’s not enough for you? That’s awfully ungrateful, little mouse.”

Mouth dropping open, you turn to Hoseok, knowing if one of them thought one way, the other was sure to disagree. Much to your disappointment, he continues stroking Jungkook’s back and stares at you with an even expression. “Perhaps if Jungkookie held out,” he states flatly. “But he hasn’t earned you, and you’re certainly in no place to earn anything else. Why don’t you go get Jungkook some fresh water?”

“Hoseo-”

“Y/n,” he cuts through firmly, though not unkindly, “we decide whether you deserve pleasure or not for the rest of these twenty-four hours. Do you want to get on our good side or not? Think very carefully.”

You bite your tongue, scowl, and eventually get up to retrieve a bottle of refrigerated water for Jungkook to sip at.

For the rest of the day, you’re an errand monkey for most of the men in the house. They’re never outwardly rude or extreme about it, pushing you just enough to make it a punishment and an inconvenience without angering you.

It seems that, despite this golden opportunity, the impending elimination has not left their minds entirely. While you have to follow their every command, you ultimately will have the power tomorrow to punish them right back should they take things too far.

So you run back and forth, fetching snacks and drinks, folding Jin’s laundry, keeping count of Jungkook’s reps in the gym, washing the dishes after dinner for Yoongi.

The French maid outfit makes you feel stupid for the first few hours; the hem never sits below your ass properly, and the lace gets in the way. After a while, however, you tune it out, and take the time doing mundane tasks to observe the guys.

Jungkook and Hoseok spend the day pinned to each other’s sides, the former growing needy and clingy, Hoseok all too happy to indulge him. In the late afternoon, Taehyung goes over to Yoongi in the kitchen and questions him about the cooking process. Soon, Yoongi is patiently instructing him through every step of a basic spam fried rice with vegetables, the masseuse focused in until moments of triumph make him beam and cheer.

Jimin takes a nap outside soon after dinner, with the sun still keeping the air warm but mild under the shade of the patio. Namjoon, wandering around the house with a deck of flashcards, sees him and quietly tiptoes around the blue-haired man to drape a blanket over him. He remains close to the windows for an hour or two, keeping an eye on him until he wakes up.

Jin, who calls on you most during the day, is in a quiet mood. The comfortable kind of quiet where he’ll request your help on a simple job, and then take his time sitting with you, folding a single sock at a time to drag it out.

You don’t talk much together, but it’s nice to just be in his company. When you get sleepy, he commands you go upstairs and chill out for a bit, winking at you fondly as you go.

If you take advantage of the command to stay locked away for the rest of the night to avoid more demands, nobody interrupts you. Instead, you have a long bath early on and lay in bed, winding down after a strange weekend. Both yesterday and today have blurred together in your mind because of your early morning trip to Sejin’s van, and the upcoming meeting feels both overdue and premature.

You scroll on Twitter for a bit, comforted to see that the public consensus seems to be as divided as you are on who to eliminate, and it’s jarring to see clips of yourself and the others from alien angles posted for all to see. Knowing you’re being filmed is one thing, but it becomes easy to mentally sideline, and seeing compromising videos and images of yourself with the guys takes you a moment to process and get used to.

You spend longer than you’d like to admit curled up under the blanket, reading through opinions of viewers, some incoherent keysmashes and others length threads analysing your every interaction. You see some focusing on the moments shared between two or three specific guys, others that are centered around you and one other of them. Countless accounts seem to be made for or at least themed exclusively around the show you’re on, and you go down a rabbit hole until you feel even more confused than you were before you investigated.

Though it may be foolish, you set your alarm for tomorrow and decide it isn’t a decision you have to make for another few hours at least. Monday Y/n can deal with that choice. Sunday Y/n is fighting a yawn every minute, and you figure it’s best to just give in, settling in for a long night’s sleep.

--

VOTE VOTE VOTE this is the funnest time in tgm !

Stress Relief

Characters: Dan Jones x Female Reader

Words: 2k

Warnings/Tags: Explicit sexual content (18+), a very angy Dan, consensual non-consent, gagging, mentions of masturbation, unprotected P in V, spanking, creampie

Author’s Note: This has been the single one shot WIP I’ve been holding onto during a writing drought, inspired solely by this TikTok by @anitaslibrary. Genuinely in disbelief I managed to get this written and finished. I can’t lie, the gif shown above helped a lot. Also, I have been fucking stressed lately and can kinda relate to Dan in this situation, so take that how you will.

~

You’d been waiting for hours. Sitting at your desk, idly scrolling through investigation notes, seeing the minutes slowly tick by until the evening had turned night. Dan hadn’t explicitly told you to stay until he was back from his meeting, but it felt wrong, unprofessional, to not be here to greet him in his office when it was over. You’d been working with him for months in preparation for this singular appointment with an infamously unavailable Senator, both of you staying back nights and weekends to collect every scrap of leverage to pull them into a vote in Dan’s favor.

The expression on his face when he finally burst through the door a little after 9pm gave you a quick indication that all of that hard work appeared to be for nothing.

Dan didn’t even regard you as he stormed past your stilled figure, gripping the door handle to his office so hard you thought he might have ripped the metal away from the wood. The slam that arrived afterwards made you jump, rattling the entire space with a resounding echo that eventually faded into an uneasy silence.

Your movements were slow, hesitant, as you followed Dan’s path, still feeling the heat of his palm on the brassy knob as you eased the door open. He was already yanking at the knot of his tie, suit jacket thrown in anger at the filing cabinets in the corner of the room, shirt sleeves messily rolled up to his elbows.

“I take it the meeting didn’t go well?” you asked timidly.

His eyes snapped to yours. “It couldn’t have fucking gone worse.” He barely took a breath before launching into a heated tirade, his hands flailing out wildly as he outlined every point of contention he’d fought his way through with words, and evidently been beaten.

You’d worked for Dan a decent while, seen him lose his composure a few times over the years, but not quite like this. Neck veins straining, forearm muscles flexing and tensing with each bellowing sentence, a slight spittle at his lips as he cursed the very institution you both found yourselves working under.

You’d never seen him so angry, so unhinged. And yet, instead of a heavy feeling of fear weighing down on your chest, you simply felt… exhilaration.

His speech became a distant drone in the background, having your focus pulled to more tangible things, like the impassioned breaths he took in-between blistering cusses, the brutal intensity of his voice, the ferocity setting alight in his usually honeyed irises.

You knew it wasn’t you he was yelling at. That you were simply a witness to this much-needed outlet of frustration he didn’t have in his lonely home life. Which is why you were able to withstand his wrath with an almost contented detachment, knowing you were really just doing a favour for your boss. Once out of his system, he would settle back into a reserved, rational demeanor, maybe even laugh with you at how heated he became.

Your prediction started to unravell when Dan ended his outburst and fell silent, still appearing tense with his eyes tracing down your shape, a manic energy seeming to buzz under the surface of his skin. This was different to normal. Very different.

You noticed how his knuckles had become white, hands locked into tight fists. Your entire body froze in anticipation when he stormed around his large desk to stand face to face, having to peer up to reach his determined gaze.

“Dan, are you al-”

“You know I respect you, right?” he interrupted, his question razor sharp.

You swallowed the saliva pooling on your tongue. “Of course. Why?”

Dan’s lips pursed with a twitch, seeming to ground himself with a breath before speaking again. “Because I’m about to fuck you with nothing but disrespect.”

In the following seconds there were a set of hands snatching onto your arms, ushering you around and forcing your torso flush into the desk still littered with censored documents. You let out a surprised squeal, only for it to be muffled as a palm landed onto the back of your skull and pressed your face into the paper.

“Just be quiet and take it. I need this.”

He didn’t need to tell you. You could feel it – him – hard and pulsing into the curve of your ass under the confines of his pants. The recognition filled you with an irrepressible surge of excitement, barely protesting against the body weight now keeping you locked into place.

This kind of scene had been a desire of yours for so long, something Dan had evidently been oblivious to, assuming he just didn’t see you that way. He was your boss, and you were sure you would always be just his lowly little research assistant. Even if tonight didn’t change that, you still wanted him to know he didn’t have to take anything from you. You were more than willing to give it to him.

“Dan, I-” you muffled out as he proceeded to thrust his still covered erection into your skirt. He allowed no more words to escape out, shoving your face downwards with more pressure than before. You heard a rustling behind you, coupled with a tugging movement, the hand on your head releasing its grasp. Just about to re-attempt speaking, a thick line of silk was snatched between your teeth, having a knot hurriedly tied above the nape your neck.

“I’m sick of words, and talking. Just need to hear you moan. That’s it.”

Well, if that’s the way he needed it, there wasn’t really a way for you to refuse. Not that you wanted to.

Dan’s urgency quickly took over, having him clutch at the hem of your skirt and wrench it upwards. He seemed irritated to find the pantyhose underneath reached to your waistline, huffing as he continued to scratch a nail through in the sheer, black material and tear a hole large enough to expose you fully. His annoyance turned into a thrilling rumble escaping his throat, humming as he hooked a finger under the thin line of your panties.

“Who in the office are you wearing these for?” he posed, making you shiver as he delicately passed over your pussy lips. “You wouldn’t have been putting these on for me would you?”

You tried your best to let out a sound of agreement, making sure to nod for good measure.

A pleased exhale occurred behind you with the jingle of an unclipped belt as Dan made swift work of releasing himself, spitting into his hand and smothering the saliva over his swollen cock.

“I fucking knew it. Knew you were waiting for me all this time.”

Your heart pounded in your chest, wishing you could just say the words out loud, everything you’d been holding inside for fear of a bitter rejection. Tell him how wet you’ve been every single day, from the moment he handed you your coffee order he always collected on the way to the office. Tell him the sound of his voice, even muffled through a closed door, kept you constantly distracted as you wondered what it would sound like whispered directly into your ear. Tell him the smell of his cologne on the single stolen tie you’d stashed in your bedside drawer had tipped you over the edge too many times to count.

It all suddenly became irrelevant information as Dan pulled the expensive lace over and slipped himself inside you, groaning in relieved satisfaction as he filled you right to the hilt. You’d not adjusted to the sting of his size before he was already moving his hips back and forth at an increasing tempo, causing you to whine into the wettened fabric trapping your tongue.

“I knew you’d feel good, but fuck,” Dan heaved. “I didn’t know you’d be this tight.”

Your nails scratched into the wooden oak, savoring the motion of his cock pumping into you at a heated pace. In this moment you were thankful your subsequent sighs and sobs were stifled for the fact you could properly hear Dan’s eager panting, seeming lost in his own mind chasing the high he so sorely needed. A succession of violent smacks into a single ass cheek soon followed, the burn they ignited lighting your whole body on fire.

It surprised you when he leant his body down flush to yours, keeping his speed steady yet punishing, the angle making him push deeper into your centre than you’d previously thought possible. A large palm coiled at your throat, pulling an ear to meet his mouth.

“Do you know how often I thought about this?” he grunted, drawing in a deep inhale to the intoxicating scent of your perfume. “Do you know how many times I came in this office just thinking of you? Sometimes while you were still on the other side of the door?”

You couldn’t allow yourself to be gagged any longer, not with this type of revelation. It almost made you furious, how long ago you might have been feeling this kind of pleasure. You disobediently snagged the tie from between your lips, finding it difficult to speak as Dan rutted into you so insistently.

“You could have had me any time you wanted.”

Dan’s grip at your throat intensified. “I didn’t know that then, did I? Wasn’t going to fuck up both of our careers because you made me hard every time I saw you.”

“But…” Your fingers reached back to claw into his hair, little whines creeping out as your ecstasy continued to build. “We could have been properly relieving our stress so much sooner.”

“We’re here now.”

Another moan slipped out, conceding to the truth of his words, feeling a smile creep onto Dan’s face as you melted into his embrace around you.

Having your full, enthusiastic consent made him slow down in his thrusts, more amenable to taking his time. While keeping you held within a light chokehold with one hand, the other slid down to your divide, beginning to swirl the pads of his fingers over your clit.

It was so much, all at once. The continuous exhales tangible on your skin. The repeated sensation of fullness striking over and over again. The nuanced way in which Dan swiped across your most sensitive point. You were sure it must have been painful, the tight-fisted clasp on his hair while your insides throbbed with an all-consuming rapture, yanking on the strands hard when it finally reached its peak.

You unraveled in his arms, rolling waves spilling from below right out to the end of your limbs. Through the haze of your climax, you noticed Dan’s thrusts became hasty, more haphazard, stuttered sounds seeping out into the dimly lit office around you both. His face buried itself onto your shoulder as a coarse groan vibrated into your blouse, making no attempt to disconnect with any part of you, letting his release remain trapped inside as his cock pulsed against your walls.

As breaths slowed, you gave adequate time to settle your racing heartbeat before moving to turn around. Dan’s cheeks were flushed with a radiant pink, expression slightly wary as his eyes wandered over yours.

“I… I really did need that,” he said softly, a set of fingers tracing your hairline.

Your lips curved into a smile. “I really did too.”

A synchronised chuckle came from you both, a by-product from the sudden awkwardness rising as the passion you’d just shared started to fade.

In the pit of your chest, a creeping fear appeared as you stared up at your boss, the man who’d single handedly stolen all of your focus for years, sensing you could be seconds away from an uncomfortable goodbye. And yet, you were met with lips pressing into yours.

A sweet kiss. Restrained and somehow uninhibited at the same time.

When Dan pulled away, he laughed again. “Sorry about the pantyhose. I promise I’ll buy you a new pair tomorrow.”

“Maybe… I just won’t wear them anymore.”

“Mmm,” he agreed. “Probably a good idea. Unless you want me to rip them apart next time.”

Your heart jumped through a few erratic beats. “Next time?”

“Oh yes,” Dan breathed. “There will definitely be a next time.”

~

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Paper Lanterns Part 13

Paper Lanterns is a community based IF game here on Tumblr.  I need something to fuel the creative fires while I chip away at The Night Market demo, and I want to give you all a little something in the meantime.  Here’s how it will work.

I will post a snipped under the cut every few days.  At the end of the post will be three options.  Comment below or send me an ask if you would rather be anonymous, over which route you would like to see.  I will tally them up and write the majority option and post it in the following days. From there, we repeat the process until we, as a community, have crafted our story.

Please reblog and share this with others.  The more people we have participating, the more fun I think this can be for us.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 under the cut

Winner of the last vote: Belladonna

Belladonna was waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs. It was clear her assignment was to both see you to the Baron and out of the cathedral without any given opportunity to snoop around.  You smile thinly at her as you step back into the main hall, wordlessly following her back down the marble path that lead to the cathedrals front doors.  Her hips sway beautifully in the false light of the moon, and you wonder if she is constantly putting on a show, or if the show had become so natural, that it is part of her identity now.

“Belladonna,” you say, as the two of you reach the entrance.  She looks over her shoulder, waves of ginger hair falling over her shoulder.  “I was wondering if I might inquire about your services.”  You couldn’t involve Hazel in this.  The girl would do anything for you, and you didn’t want to repay her with the guarantee of death.  As for Malcolm, it was doubtful he would help to begin with. While you could still feel the grip of his fingers, you knew that it didn’t mean anything when it came to work.  Belladonna was your only logical choice.  You hoped she was a good one.

“Which services, dear heart?” her voice was lilting and seductive, a woven braid of absolute focus and desire.  It was no wonder she was sought after the way she was.

Steadying your gaze with her, you try to convey what it is you want through your eyes. “I think you know.”

She smiles.  The cathedral doors open with a wave of her hands and she gestures you to walk on through.  “Meet me at my office in an hour,” she says. When the doors shut behind you, you feel like you can breathe for the first time.  

An hour.

You had an hour.

~~~~~~

It was an hour that passed all too quickly. As you stood under the pink lights of the pleasure district, you felt your heart flutter.  Ambrosia filtered through the air like soft iridescent glitter, making your cheeks heated, and that familiar heat begin to coil at the base of your spine. Swallowing, you try to keep your focus as you walk through the bright-eyed faces. The couples giggling within each corner, and the lewd displays of affection draped across each park bench.  Belladonna’s was located near a back entrance at the main hall, a beautiful gated paradise made entirely of wood and silk panels.  It glowed soft and unassuming in the overhead lanterns, casting a tantalizing invitation to whoever looked its way.

Outside the arched entrance, a man stood. His skin was dark and his curls fell across his eyes. It looked as if someone had tried to tame them, or had at least given him a haircut since you saw him last.  Yet he still looked disheveled. Someone who was overly thin and still skittish with the world around him.

Gabriel Caine. Belladonna’s lap boy.  You shake your head. Poor fool.  You didn’t know if you should feel sorry for him. With the way he panted after Belladonna, you doubted he was completely deprived.

“Evening,” you greet. “I had a meeting with Ms. Malady.”

He nods his head, shuffling aside.

You can’t help it. You tilt your head upwards towards him. “Do you just stand out here as a guard then?”  You doubted this guy could guard anything.  His arms looked weak and snapable.  Not the usual look Belladonna normally kept around.

His grey eyes skirt towards you, but look downwards almost immediately. “It is what is required of me. Yes.”

You shrug at that.  It wasn’t your place.

Navigating yourself through the silken panels of Belladonna’s “office” you come out on the other side to an open room.  It drips with luxury, fine pillows made of velvet and silk adorning every possible surface, with a bed dipped down into the floor sequestered off to the side in private. 

Belladonna sat at a tea table, a steaming pot in front of her. She was draped in a black lace robe that hid little to the imagination. Her legs were crossed and her eyes forward as she gave you a warm look upon entering.  “Tea?” she asks.

You clear your throat, wondering just how much of the ambrosia was getting to you, given how your body was reacting. Then again, it could have just been the sight alone causing your blood to stir.

You sit down, letting her serve you tea. Her hands are delicate and precise, and her eyes much kinder than they had been before. “Dear heart, do not look so nervous,” she says, her tone soothingly. You find yourself wishing to lean forward. To rest against her. It had been so long since you slept safely.  “Drink.”

You look down at the deep mauve liquid, steaming in front of you.  “Is it drugged?” you ask.

She laughs, the sound alone sounding like small chiming bells.  “No.  I do not drug my clients, dear heart. If I did, I doubt I would be as successful.”  You can’t help but agree with her on that. There was a certain truth to her words.  Picking up the rosebud embossed cup, you take a sip.  Hibiscus and nectar burst across your tongue, nearly causing you to moan.

“Now,” her voice says from across the table as she sips her own tea. “What kind of meeting is this, dear heart?  Before we get started, that is, what type of woman are you looking for here?”

Voting closed: Part 14 here

“I need the cold, hard bitch I know you can be. I’m in over my head and need a viper on my side.”

“I need kindness. I’m in over my head and don’t know if I’ll be able to get out of this situation alone.”

“I don’t know what I need.” Aka… you are distracted by her boobs.

Please check out the Night Market demo linked below if you haven't already. Reblogs and feedback are also love!

Patreon || Ko-fi || Demo

Take Me, I’m Yours

(the highest voted options on the poll were ‘Geralt rescues Jaskier from trouble’ and ‘Jaskier riles the Captain up in public’ so I teamed up with the ever-marvelous, stupendously talented @limrx to bring you this Swashbuckling AU oneshot/art piece featuring a horribly jealous Geralt and a frisky, flirty Jaskier)

------------------------

“Do you think he likes me back?” Jaskier asked. He leaned over the ship’s railing to look more closely at the dolphin following behind them. Lambert didn’t think he’d fall overboard but it would be kind of funny if he did. The strange young nobleman did have a way of always landing on his feet, though. 

“I know he does.”

“Well how come he hasn’t told me anything about it, then?” 

“You’ve met the Captain, right? About this tall, long white hair, weird yellow eyes, emotionally incompetant?” 

“You have a good point. Should I just confront him about it?”

“Yeah, sure.” Lambert rolled his eyes before shooting Jaskier a pointed look. “If you want to send your ransom note back to Lettenhove the following morning.”

“Fuck. I just want to kiss him, Lambert. Regularly. I want to know if he snores or not. I want to lay on the deck beneath the stars and talk to him like we’re friends and not just pirate and pseudo-pirate-captive. I really want to see what his ass looks like under those godsforsaken trousers, Lambert, it’s killing me not knowing.”

“You’re more insatiable than a siren during the rainy season,” the second mate teased. “But with fewer teeth.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you going ashore when we lay anchor?”

“Am I allowed?”

“I assume you’ll be allowed. You’re practically part of the crew. You’ve been aboard for nearly two weeks and you’ve pulled your fair share of the weight, if not moreso.”

“Why thank you, Lambert. I appreciate you noticing.”

“Of course, Jaskier. You may be an utter fool and a fop to boot, but at least you’re a hard worker.”

“Asshole.”

“Mhm.”

They both watched the dolphins for a minute in silence before Jaskier’s face split into the most heinous and dastardly grin. It filled Lambert with an unmistakable sense of fear and worry. “I have a brilliant idea. I know how to get Geralt to admit his feelings.”

“No, absolutely not. I am not getting roped into this, you horrible little minx. Don’t give me that look! I won’t help you this time!”

“But Lamby-bert,” Jaskier whined. “If he has someone to take all his frustrations out on in bed then I’m sure it’ll be easier to negotiate for higher shares next time we take a vessel.”

Lambert did not miss the fact that Jaskier said ‘we’ when referring to the crew. The second mate knew the little nobleman was here to stay; it had been clear that Jaskier would be sticking around from the moment Geralt first laid eyes (and hands) on him. The Captain hadn’t stopped looking out for the lad since. Lambert wasn’t even going to think about that singular flirty kiss atop the mainmast nearly a week and a half ago. Geralt had been pining after the acrobatic little idiot ever since and making absolutely no move to flirt back. It was driving the crew absolutely crazy. “Alright, you devilish siren. I’m in.”

----------------------------------------

Jaskier cleaned up nice.

And he deserved to clean up nice. He’d worked hard to put this outfit together. Billy had lent him a pair of dark blue breeches in return for Jaskier’s help with mending the mainsail. The shirt he was wearing was half a size too big, which was exactly big enough for the neckline to plunge even lower than he usually wore it. This way it revealed more of his toned (and rather hirsute) chest. He’d borrowed it from Starkey, who was the same height as him but who had much broader shoulders.

The Captain was going to absolutely die when he saw Jaskier.

He whistled a rather naughty shanty as he exited the bunk room and made his way towards the gangplank where Starkey, Lambert, and Eskel were waiting for him. He spun in a quick circle, arms out to show off his clothes. Lambert and Starkey whistled appreciatively and Eskel hid his face in the palm of his hand. “Ready, boys?”

“Absolutely not,” Starkey smiled. The first mate standing next to him tilted his head back to look at the sky, sighing deeply.

“Are you sure about this? What if the Captain tries to kill Lambert?”

“He won’t be killing anyone. Hopefully. If he does run his sword through anyone, it will most likely be me,” Jaskier joked. “Now, this is my first time drinking with real pirates. Anything I should know?”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Eskel suggested. Lambert bit back a laugh and Starkey snorted.

“Impossible.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

The four men made their way down onto the docks and through the sparse crowd of sailors and merchants still mingling in the evening light. Starkey led them to a decent tavern and found a vacant corner table, which gave them an excellent view of the door.

Geralt and Starkey had spent the morning selling their stolen cargo to various merchants, shopkeepers, and artisans. The Captain had divided up the gold between his crew according to their various contracts and Jaskier, more as a jest than anything else, was given two crowns as well. “For not dying,” Geralt had intoned seriously. The men were amused but Jaskier’s face had gone bright red with embarrassment. The young noble had talked them out of trouble with the Skelligan patrols twice last week and Geralt was repaying him with public humiliation? Lambert knew that the Captain’s earlier actions were about to make this evening a lot more entertaining (if slightly uncomfortable) and he was ready to get this show on the road. He flung an arm around Jaskier’s waist and ordered them all a round of ales.

“So everyone knows what the general goal here is, right?” Jaskier clarified.

“Yes,” Eskel nodded. “You’re using Geralt’s jealous nature to make him act on his less than subtle feelings for you.”

“Correct. Wonderful.”

Lambert squeezed the noble’s hip through his borrowed pants and Jaskier huffed indignantly in reply. Starkey chuckled softly at their antics and winked at the barmaid when she brought them their drinks. “Can’t wait, really. It’s been so boring lately and the last two ships we took didn’t even fight back. This is drama. This is entertainment!”

“Shut up, Starkey,” Jaskier pouted. He leaned back into Lambert’s embrace and gulped down half his ale.

“Slow down, kid,” the first mate teased. “Or you will be drunk when he gets here and your plan won’t work.”

“I need to get the pink in my cheeks or I’ll look suspicious,” Jaskier argued. “One ale should do it without getting me tipsy. Maybe two if it’s weak.”

“Method actors,” Lambert rolled his eyes.

Jaskier was sipping slowly at his second ale and the other three pirates were on their fourth or fifth when Geralt finally came barreling through the tavern door. “There you are!” Eskel shouted, waving the Captain over. Nobody missed the barely-hidden glare Geralt aimed at Lambert’s arm where it rested against the nobleman’s lower back.

“Captain,” the second mate nodded.

“Lambert. Eskel. Starkey.” Geralt greeted them all in turn.

“Heyyyy,” Jaskier whined, leaning forward against the edge of the table and pouting. “What about me, sir?”

“You.”

“Rude,” the brunette huffed. Lambert ran a lazy hand up and down his spine and Jaskier watched as Geralt’s eyes narrowed into slits. He sighed sadly and melodramatically into his mug and nodded once in the second mate’s direction. “Thank you, darling. At least someone in this crew likes me.”

Starkey saw Geralt’s eyelid twitch and slid Eskel two crowns under the table to settle their bet. He thought the vein on their Captain’s throat would show up before the eyelid went, but it must have been the first mate’s lucky night this time around. “Hey Eskel, let’s see if any of the lovely ladies here want to dance with us, eh?”

“You coming, Captain?” Eskel asked. “Seems like Jaskier and Lambert are a bit busy.”

“Yes, Geralt,” Jaskier egged him on. The Captain had a white-knuckled grip on the handle of his mug. The noble took a long swig of ale and licked a bit of foam from his lip when he was finished, noting the way Geralt’s eyes locked onto his mouth. “Why not go dance with a pretty lady. Certainly nobody else has your attention.”

The pirate Captain finally snapped. He slammed his mug down and reached around the table to grab Jaskier around the waist. He hauled him out of the second mate’s grip and onto his feet. “Captain, what are yo-”

“Yer coming with me, siren,” Geralt snarled. Lambert relinquished the nobleman with very little fuss, winking at Jaskier as the pirate Captain swung him up and over his broad shoulder. The young man flashed all three of his co-conspirators a thumbs up as he was carried out of the tavern like a sack of potatoes.

“A little rude to Lambert, don’t you think, sir?” he asked, resting his elbow against Geralt’s shoulder blade and settling his chin onto his hand. He crossed his ankles to make it easier for the pirate to balance his weight comfortably. “But they’ll be happy to know that our little plan worked out.”

Geralt stopped in his tracks but did not set his captive down. “Your what?”

“Our plan,” Jaskier explained as if bored. “To get you to finally do something about all this sexual tension between us. I kissed you on the mouth for fuck’s sake.”

“I thought it was an accident.”

“Oh, and saving you from hanging at the hands of some Skelligan officers, was that an accident? Not sending a ransom note last time we stopped for water and not turning you in for the reward in Novigrad, were those accidents too? There is a hefty bounty on your head, White Wolf, and I could be living independently in a castle somewhere right now except that I happen to find you endlessly attractive and fascinating.”

“Hmm.” Geralt resumed walking. Jaskier noticed with a smirk that his pace had picked up quite a bit. As if he was suddenly in a hurry to be somewhere.

“Hum dismissively all you like, sir, but you’re still carrying me back to your cabin to ravish me senseless, are you not?”

“Ravish may be the wrong word for what I’d like to do to you, but you do look rather tempting.”

“Thank you. I put a lot of effort into this ensemble.”

“You’re a calculating little nymph, aren’t you?”

“No, of course not. I only managed to secure a bunk aboard the Kaer Morhen and wrap its infamous captain around my finger in less than a month. I am but a silly nobleman with excellent dexterity and a penchant for climbing.”

“Lambert was right to call you a minx.”

“He does love that nickname.”

“It’s not an endearment.”

“Whatever.” The ground shifted and Jaskier knew they were making their way up the gangplank and back onto the ship. This was the part he’d been waiting for! Geralt kicked in his cabin door and stepped inside, turning to close and lock it behind them. Jaskier wriggled impatiently. “Set me down!”

“Hmm, no. I rather like the view from here.”

“Excuse me?”

Geralt gave him a gentle smack on the ass, almost a pat really, and huffed out a laugh at Jaskier’s offended noise. “You’ve been an awful lot of trouble for a nobleman and a captive.”

“I’m barely a captive, Geralt. Give it up already.”

“You haven’t signed the book.” He set Jaskier back on his feet and looped his arms around the younger man’s waist to pull him close. “You’re still a captive until you swear on the book and sign your name next to the others. Then you’ll be part of my crew.”

“I have yet to negotiate for my shares,” the brunette stated. He tilted his chin back, baring his neck slightly and offering Geralt his ale-damp lips. “Ten crowns after every capture and I get to sleep in here with you. That sounds fair.”

“You’re a good worker. Seven crowns, you can sleep in here with me, and you can borrow my bandannas whenever you want.”

“Even the red one?”

“Especially the red one.”

Jaskier’s soft pink mouth brushed against the pirate’s as he murmured his answer: “Deal.”

Geralt’s lips crashed against Jaskier’s with the strength of a wave hitting the side of his ship in a maelstrom. The Captain’s mouth was so warm and his lips moved against the younger man’s with almost frightening determination. As if he was trying to prove himself. His arms were strong around the nobleman’s lower back and his white hair brushed deliciously against the skin of Jaskier’s neck.

“You’ve bewitched me, body and soul.”

“Oh, Geralt,” the younger man sighed, opening his mouth to let the other in. I never thought the word ‘plunder’ could apply to kissing but here I stand, corrected by experience yet again. The White Wolf of the Seven Seas pulled away, made breathless by a young and foolish nobleman in search of adventure.

“I’m not a siren, you know. Not even a little. My family’s estate is landlocked.”

Geralt’s fingers rose from his waist and brushed against his cheekbone reverently. Those amber eyes, so cold and focused when he shouted orders or intimidated a merchant captain, were looking down at Jaskier with such devoted tenderness. The ex-noble felt his heart fill anew and double in size. There wasn’t enough room in his body to hold all of this feeling.

“Kiss me again, Captain. Take me to bed.”

“You’re too good at tempting me. You must be evil.”

“I assure you,” Jaskier smirked, ripping Geralt’s shirt over his head in one smooth movement. “I am.”

Could a request a nsfw Office or Doctor AU for Geto x Reader? More so can't get the image of Geto in a well fit dress shirt out of my head. Like when he flexes 😤 I very much appreciate a nicely tailored suit on a man more than them being naked sometimes. The baggy clothes he wears does no justice

YES YOU MAY

Time and A Half: Geto Suguru x Fem!Reader

wc: 2k

tw: NSFW

masterlist

"It's time we merged with the Geto Corporation." The news brings your eyes away from your computer screen and to the woman standing in front of you.

"What?"

"We've already taken a vote," your mother admits, sitting in the leather chair across from you and crossing her legs. "And your brother voted for you in absentia since you were... away with your little friends."

"You couldn't have called me? I was at a wedding, mother!"

"In any case," She waves her hand, shaking her head. "Suguru, the CEO, will be coming to the office around two o'clock." You look down at your outfit, unsure if your slacks and plain dress shirt would suffice for a merger meeting. "Don't worry, I sent your assistant to go get a new dress for you. Can't have you showing up in your day clothes."

Three hours later, you're dressed in a houndstooth print dress, and waiting in the conference room with your mother, fiddling with your pen nervously.

"Mrs. L/n," your assistant announces as she walks in. "Mr. Geto and Mr. Gojo are here."

"Send them in," your mother answers, smiling her best "teeth out" grin. Two men enter the room, both insanely tall and almost model-esque. One man has startling blue eyes and white hair and is smiling at your mother as if he stole the cookies from the jar just before he entered the room. The other one is smiling as well, but his eyes and long hair are jet black, and he's more casually dressed than the other. You inhale sharply, facing down the ghost of someone you used to know, but pushing the recognition down and sticking out your hand to greet both men.

"Mr. Gojo," you turn first to the suited, white-haired man, who shifts his gaze to you.

"Ms. L/n, you look stunning," he croons, shaking your hand.

"Mr. Geto," you state, avoiding his piercing gaze as he takes your hand and brings it up to his lips. You flush, pressing your lips together as he whispers,

"Ms. L/n." You take a seat, chest red from the encounter, but not completely unnerved.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

_____________________________________________________________

You rush back to your office after the meeting, trying your best to keep your cool. But before you can close the door and be alone, a foot is inserted into the doorway.

"Can I borrow a sliver of your time?" Suguru wonders, standing in the doorway with his black eyes resting on your face. Much like that night...

"Sure," you offer, letting him inside and then shutting the door behind him. Suguru looks around your office, humming at the decor, then taking a seat across from you. "H-how can I help you?"

"Wanted to make sure you and I would be alright when it comes to working together considering our past."

"Oh, of course," you chirp, shifting papers around on your desk. "My company will be absorbed by yours, so you're calling all the shots, boss. Shouldn't be too unlike that evening we--"

"And I would hope you would come back to the club," he interrupts, standing. "I'd like to see you there. We had a wonderful time, and I'm sure that can be replicated."

"I... I don't really dabble in that anymore," you lie, biting your lip and looking down at your fingers.

"You came back that next night hoping to see me, and I'm sorry I wasn't there," Suguru whispers, leaning over your desk and getting closer to you. You stay put, eyes flicking from his lips to his eyes, unsure of what to do while your stomach twists into a knot. Fingers lift to touch your curls, one swirling around his finger as he stares at it longingly. "I haven't dommed anyone since the night I met you, y/n. This has to be fate; the universe bringing you back to me."

"I--"

"If not the club, then come to my place tonight. I'll take care of you, I promise."

_____________________________________________________________

"Should've made you my sub that night," Geto breathes across your skin, fondling your hips through your velvet dress. "Not seeing you for several months after that night has been hard..." You press into his lap, moaning involuntarily. "But I'll make up for the time lost if you'll let me."

Lips connect with your neck, and hands move to cup your breasts, massaging them gently. You tilt your head over, exposing more of your neck for Suguru to kiss, and leaning into his touch with desire.

"You have to consent, y/n," Suguru reminds you, and you nod, licking your lips. "I need to hear you."

"Yes," you murmur, and he hums softly, pushing you up to a standing position. You look back at him in curiosity, but he's unbuttoning his sleeves and pushing them up his muscled forearms. They stop at his elbows, and then he stands, flexing as he stretches.

"Undress and get on the bed, ass up." You follow instructions and leave your clothes in a pile, resting with your stomach on the plush comforter. Suguru comes up behind you, fingers probing at your entrance. "God, you're wet. And that pussy looks just as beautiful." thick fingers dip around in your slick, dancing across your clit before sliding into you with ease.

"Oh," you moan, coming off your stomach a little.

"You feel especially tight," Suguru murmurs, moving his finger back and forth gently. "Been a while since you last had someone cater to you, huh?"

"Yeah," you admit breathlessly. "Been so busy--"

"Don't lie," Suguru admonishes. "Seems like both of us had a mind-blowing time that night." He pushes another finger in, making you hiss in pleasure and buck your hips. "Y/n, you're so wet..."

You have to admit, the squelching sounds your cunt and his fingers are making are beyond blush-inducing. You feel as if he's busted the dam in your pussy, bringing out the side of you that's been dormant for some time and willing to tease you to the brink.

"You need this," he mumbles softly. You agree, but you can't really speak while you're being fingerfucked and your g-spot is being stroked deftly. You feel the urge to pee slowly become more pronounced, but you know this isn't really a problem. Suguru loved it when you squirted last time. You peer back at him over your shoulder, batting your eyelashes as he tilts his head, leaning into his hand that's inside of you. "Does that feel good?"

"Feels good," you echo, reaching a hand back to pull his other hand to action. "I want you so bad, Su..."

"In a minute," he promises, smoothing his free hand over your back. "You cum first."

"No," you whine. "Want to suck your cock while you make me cum." He huffs a laugh, then grabs one of your nipples.

"Never thought you'd be the one giving orders. But I'll oblige this once." He unbuckles his pants and slides them down his thighs, along with his underwear, then fists his half-hard cock, eyes drifting over your body lazily. "Come here, baby." You move a little to the left, facing his cock and reaching your hand out to grab his length and licking the tip gently. Suguru groans while you taste his pre-cum with excitement, sucking on his tip as his fingers increase their speed inside of you.

"Ah," Suguru moans, knees buckling slightly. "Just as good as I thought you'd be." You lick around his head and under the tip of his cock, making his free hand come up and cradle the back of your head. You remove your hand and bob your head on his cock eagerly, feeling your orgasm speed to its climax. You push your inner walls against his fingers as you begin to cum, and you squirt liberally on his fingers, down your thighs, on his bed.

"Fuck!" you cry out, closing your eyes and bucking against his palm. Suguru keeps fingering you and your pussy squirts out a little more than you expected, making him hum thoughtfully, then pull his fingers out and take off his shirt.

"Stay like that, baby." You pant against the bedsheets, clutching onto them as Suguru places his knee on the bed and shifts you closer to where he's kneeling on the soaked sheets. "Perfect. Spread your legs a little more."

You do so, and he rubs his cock up and down your soaked entrance lazily, his other set of fingers rubbing at your clit slowly. "Be good for me, and I'll give you exactly what you want, babe." You nod your head, and Suguru presses into you, making you flinch while he stretches you out, a hand pressing into your backside as he finds purchase and rocks into you.

"So good..." you whine, and he grunts, balls slapping your cunt.

"Remind me of the four pillars of a dom/sub relationship," Suguru states, and you try to recall all of the information quickly.

"Respect... trust... communication... honesty."

"Do I have your respect?" He delivers a blow to your ass, smoothing his hand over the spot as he awaits your answer.

"Yes," you breathe.

"Your trust?" Another smack.

"Yes."

"Can you communicate with me?" Smack.

"Yes, sir!"

"Can you be honest with me, even when it's hard?" Smack.

"Oh, god, yes!" You press your face into the sheets and moan, feeling the sting of the blows enhance your high, bringing you to a tipping point that isn't orgasmic in nature, but will instead bring you to a place you've been only twice in your life. "Sir, I feel it; I feel... I fee--" Your breathing slows, something in you surrenders completely, and you know in your mind you're there.

Subspace.

Your head begins to swim, and you feel Suguru adjust his grip on you, but no pain. Nothing is in your mind, the emptiness of it almost comforting, and you lean into the lack of sensation, mouth sliding open.

"Talk to me," Suguru pants, but you hum in response, no words forming in your head. When he realizes you're deep in subspace, he stops, pulling out and turning you over onto your back gently. After swiping the hair out of your face, he kisses your swollen lips, then glides back into you. "That's a good girl."

As he resumes his strokes, you stare up at him indolently, eyes roaming over his muscular figure and well-defined abs. You don't even realize your fingers are tracing them until he brings them up to his lips, kissing each finger with care. He places your hand on his chest and holds it there, leaning over you and beating a familiar pattern into your cunt. Long black hair falls over your face, obscuring your view from anything else while he kisses you again, pressing his entire frame into you.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers against your mouth, and you hum again, trying for a smile but only succeeding at turning one corner of your mouth up. "Oh, I'm gonna cum..."

"Please," you whisper and his eyes stare into yours, fingers tracing your cheek.

"Want me to cum in you?"

"Yes." Suguru's hips stutter - as if he had already anticipated your response - and he shudders, filling you with his cum, which feels like someone filling you up until you're past full. You stroke his cheeks while he pants, his last exhales bordering on cries of joy, and press small, sloppy kisses onto his chest and neck.

"I don't want to move," he admits, wrapping his arms around you and nestling his face into your neck. "I can't move."

"Then don't," you reply, stroking the dips and curves of his back tenderly. "You have me all to yourself."

"And I'll be sure to schedule a few after-work meetings for the two of us to discuss... business." You laugh a little, and Suguru places a kiss on your shoulder. "Just make sure you're free. I'll get the sub contract to you by Monday morning at eight o'clock."

"And you'll pick it up at...?"

"Eight-thirty. Have your assistant block off eight-thirty to nine-thirty. I have a feeling I might need to collect my first share of the company then."