#That won't make you a bad person you don't need to force the text into being PureTM
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I'm trying to articulate a thought: while a moral reading of a text is necessary and I'd say unavoidable, a judgement of a text cannot begin and end in its value as a didactic piece for teaching morality to the reader (or reinforcing their sense of moral selves).
This doesn't mean people should read books that make apology of things the person finds morally or psychologically repulsive, just because there's some artistic value in them anyways.
But I have seen people for whom reading (and engaging with media in general) becomes a moral race in which their enjoyment of literature must be thoroughly justified by the -often only superficially ascertained- moral value of the themes and lessons of the text, and for whom the things they read are a letter of presentation of the moral principles they spouse.
In other words, instead of the moral principles of the person delineating the framework through which they approach the text, it is a checklist of things the text must explicitly contain in order to be seen as having any worth at all.
Which is a rather sad and superficial way to engage with things.
#Pick say Dracula#to mention a book I disliked#yes part of my dislike is the treatment of Mina's character and also the approach of the lower class characters and the foreigner danger#But also the book has a very strong promising first half that quickly descends into idiot ball convenience so that Mina can get bitten#And it goes downhill from there#I can understand why people enjoy the novel#And also point out the futility and delusion of trying to say that Bram Stoker had a feminist and inclusive perspective of women#The book can be written by an author that doesn't care about women and it bleeds through the text#and you still can derive enjoyment of the interesting concepts characters and dynamics in it#That won't make you a bad person you don't need to force the text into being PureTM#The other way around#yes War and Peace features two adult men falling in love with a young teenage girl and that's yikesy#But it's also a story about how she represents life#and the way their relationship with life creates a contrast and a reflection about the meaning of life and love#Is this a good treatment of Natasha? No!#Does that mean that the whole book is bad because Tolstoy was a bad husband and in general not good to women? Also no!#So yeah it boils down to#you can enjoy quote unquote problematic media and be a good person#Your reading list does not define your morality#The way you engage with the text on the other hand yes can tell things about what you believe and the principles that direct your behavior
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More Boyfriend Headcanons: Donnie Edition
• "my head hurts." "aw sweetie, i'm sorry. go lay down." "really?" "dr. donnie is in the house."
• please help him keep his glasses clean
• you're more than welcome to sit on his lap while he works
• forehead kisses for days
• please ask him questions about what he's doing, he loves educating you
• can't really cook but makes very good coffee (if you drink it)
• insomniac so usually he'll nap with you instead of sleeping with you at night
• science pick up lines that you may (or may not) understand but it's cute cause it's him
• stares respectfully
• will call you princess if he's annoyed at you
• call him donatello and he gets very nervous cause he knows you're mad
• silent treatment? okay, have fun trying to crack the virus code that randomly got on to your phone or laptop
• trying to get your attention? stare intensifies
• loves the feeling of your skin, it's just so soft, expect constant arm caresses
• you have homework? you have your very own personal tudor
• "having a bad period? i know just the right temperature to help with cramps."
• "don't use that razor on your face, use this kind. your skin won't break out."
• "you look so cute when you're tired."
• "no, don't give me that face. y/n! ugh, fine, we can do that."
• if he's feeling playful, he will start messing up your hair
• door dashes your favorite snacks to you
• fixes everything around your apartment
• the reason why you had to buy a longer couch (he's 6'8, he needs to be comfy)
• stomach sleeper so do with that what you will
• churrs in his sleep
• not the greatest hygiene in the world so you will have to force bathe him at times
• tv show binges for date nights
• giant puppy when excited
• texts you throughout the day to let you know he's thinking of you
• makes you little trinkets
• compliments, compliments, compliments
• shows off his tech/fighting skills cause he can
• hand holding is his favorite
• no problem getting you tampons/pads if you get periods
• no problem helping you tuck/bind if you're transitioning
• therapist and sounding board in one
• tries really hard to balance his work, brothers, and you but sometimes has poor execution. this can lead to arguments but he's trying
• disorganized organized and it's amazing how he's survived this long
• chronic apple juice drinker
• sometimes misses emotional ques but tries his best to stay intune with your moods
• when he does get mad, he shuts down, so if it isn't a fight with you, don't take it personal. he'll open up eventually
• loves hugs and will just hug you randomly
• you said 'i love you' at the same time
#rise of the tmnt#tmnt 2012#tmnt ask blog#tmnt bayverse#tmnt donatello#tmnt leonardo#tmnt michelangelo#tmnt raphael#ask blog#tmnt 2003#tmnt imagine#tmnt headcanons
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Everybody needs a magical star in their life! ✨
HSR characters x Glitter Clover! NB! Reader
Part 2!
Featured characters: Asta, Arlan, Argenti, Blade, Kafka, Silverwolf, Ruan Mei, Dr. Ratio
Warnings: Fluff, and friendly sparring with Blade!
Notes: i don't know how to link part one in here 💔
Asta
Asta knew you were gentle and calm, but she didn't know of what you were capable of.
Someone was spreading bad rumors about her, the second you found out, you didn't let the person go until they weren't apologizing on their knees, crying.
Asta was shocked when she saw you walking, and dragging the person by the wrist towards her, forcing them on their knees and apologize.
"Oh jeez, someone is spreading rumors about me again..." Asta cried as you peeked and looked on her phone. "Leave it to me." She looked a bit confused at your passive aggressive tone.
A few minutes later, Asta saw you, pulling..? Someone towards her? "[Name]? What are you-" forcing the person on their knees, made Asta squeal "Eek!" You glared at the person who was on the ground signaling them to apologize. "I'm so sorry Lady Asta, i promise i won't ever spread rumors again! Forgive me please!" The person begged Asta for forgiveness. "I- i-it's alright, i forgive you."
After the person left Asta hugged you so tightly. <3
Arlan
Poor boy, he wanted to help you and protect you, yet you ended up protecting him!
He was SPEECHLESS, all he could say, were just stutters.
"Arlan? Are you alright?" You asked him, poking his cheek. "I- Uh.. y-yeah.." He was starstruck by your sudden change. "You look like you're seeing stars." His next statement led you to giggling. "Am i not tho?" Raising your finger up your lips you spoke. "Can you keeps this a secret?"
Argenti
He loves the way you look as a Glitter Warrior, and actually asks you to join him on his travels.
He even thinks you were either blessed by Idrila or are Idrila's child, he made it his mission to protect you no matter what, even if you're fully capable of doing it. <3
"Oh my, you are more than blessed with this beauty!" Argenti kneels down, takes your hand within his own and kisses your knuckles, you remained silent due to his action. "I promise you that i will protect you with my life! Please, join me on my travels!"
Kafka
She already knew your secret, Elio forseen it.
Her knew hobby was to tease you about your secret around the others, hinting at it but never actually giving it away.
"[Name], do you mind showing me that clover shield again?~" You slowly looked at her, your smile fading, trying to play dumb. "What shield..?" The others looked at you confused. "Oh, y'know, that shield. Oh wait, my bad, wrong person." The others still looked suspicious, but they didn't bother asking.
Kafka came close to your ear, whispering. "You secret is safe don't worry, i won't give it away..."
Blade
He didn't like it. Too many bright for him. He also thought it made you childish and immature.
Yet you were an even better sparring partener, but he still went easy on you, he doesn't want to hurt you. <3
You both couldn't speak about it through texts, since Silverwolf likes stealing his phone and going through his texts...
"Tch you look so immature and too bright.." Blade scoffed as you finished your transformation. "Oh shush you grumpy man."
Dashing towards you, Blade was ready to strike you, but you manage to perry by using your Clover Reflection, he kept slashing at your shield forcing your to backaway, you managed to get a small opening, and kick him, knocking him to the ground. "You.. you're getting stronger." Blade spoke while getting up.
Silverwolf
She literally thought you were either a video game character, or a hologram made by the IPC, you had to reassure her.
She liked the dynamic of your team, she would be the one hacking systems, making portals, and you would be defending her and fighting.
When Silverwolf saw you as a Glitter Warrior, she panicked. "H-hey! Where's [Name] what did you do to them?!" She was panicking, until you detransformed. "'Wolf it's me! Don't worry!" You reassured her. "Oh, i thought you were a hologram made by the IPC, i was almost gonna send you into the galaxy.."
Ruan Mei
Ruan Mei, this is a hard one, you can't tell if she is curios or if she doesn't care...
She carefully inspected you, your Glitter pad, Glitter charm, EVEN YOUR CLOTHES, it gave her a new idea for a new critter..
"How interesting.." she lifts up your arm, checking out your new outfit. "Can i look at your Glitter pad?" She looks back at you, waiting for approval. "Uh, sure go ahead." Grabbing your Glitter pad, she carefully inspects it, then hands it back to you. "I have an idea, i'll get back to you about it in a few days."
As promised she texts you to come visit her for a bit. "Ah, here you are. Come. I have a surprise." Ruan Mei gestures you to follow her. She then shows you her new creation, a critter that looked like you.
Dr. Ratio
Hates everything about it, it makes you look even more like an "idiot" in his eyes, and even immature. But you knew he didn't ACTUALLY mean it.
He secretly likes it, and makes him like you even more, especially after you helped him defeat a stinger...
"you look so childish. It accentuates your idiocy." Dr. Ratio scoffs, crossing his arms. "Oh.." it made you a bit sad. It didn't take long for him to "apologize", he doesn't apologize through wrods, rather through affection.
As you were looking down at the tip of your boots, Veritas walks closer to you, and embraces you. "Huh..? Veri-" Dr. Ratio cuts you off. "Shut up.. don't tell anyone about this and i won't tell anyone about your secret.
#dr ratio x reader#blade x reader#hsr x reader#asta x reader#arlan x reader#argenti x reader#kafka x reader#ruan mei x reader#silverwolf x reader#reirei writes
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how seventeen take care of their sick s/o
requested by @cinnamoroxie : "agh i think ive been getting sick 😭 could u write svt w a sick reader / or just a reader w a sore throat and cant speak w out it hurting pls? love u hope youre doing well "
notes: i :(((( want :((( a joshua :((((
masterlist
seungcheol:
cancels all your plans for the rest of the day when you wake up in the morning barely able to speak. won't let you protest, saying that you need to prioritise your health okay bc these people you're meeting aren't as important to him as you are. if you've just got a sniffly nose n sore throat, he'll let you sleep on him but if you're coughing n sneezing everywhere then sorry, he loves you but maybe stay away from him for a few days?
jeonghan:
will do everything for you. even tho he doesn't have the loudest voice, he'll try his hardest to yell over the other members to get them to quieten down so he can listen to your hoarse whispers n get you whatever you need <3 gives you so many cough drops that you constantly have one in your mouth the entire time. you can taste them still on your tongue for like a day after you feel better
joshua:
gives you head massages if you have a headache, makes you honey tea if your throat hurts, always has tissues on hand if your nose is running. The Best™ at looking after you. won't leave your side, even if you're spraying germs everywhere, and he has a cold that lasts for three weeks by the end of it, but you're happy and healthy n that's all that matters to him
junhui:
kind of a fluttery mess when you get sick, doesn't rlly know what to do. pats your head constantly, asking if you're okay, and swaddles you in blankets. also gives you so many painkillers and antibiotics bc he doesn't Know what else to do okay and please you sound so terrible n croaky pls take this medicine bc it's meant to make you better and he hates when you're ill :((
hoshi:
coos and baby talks to you when you're sick and a blocked nose mess. speaks in a whisper back to you if you have a sore throat and can barely speak, makes those canned soups for you and spoon feeds it to you. he's a messy feeder tho, n most of it gets around your mouth but he wipes it away vv gently afterwards. hoshi is probably so, so soft when taking care of someone when they're sick tbh <3
wonwoo:
accompanies you everywhere you go. insists you lie down and sleep but if you don't, then he's hovering around you like a concerned mother to make sure you don't overdo it. tells everyone you meet that you have a sore throat and so you can't speak, and Will drag you away if you start coughing too hard, scolding you lightly and pulling a scarf out of nowhere to wrap around your neck
woozi:
wants to take time off working so bad to help take care of you but he rlly can't </3 sets medicine and a glass of water on the table for you to take in the morning, regularly calls you (or texts, if you can't speak) to see how you're doing. checks up on you at night, smiles and kisses you on the forehead if you wake up and blearily murmur his name. he's busy, but he'll still make time to be soft for you
minghao:
always has tissues. and hand sanitizer. and cough drops. and paracetamol. has literally everything, really. says well done and pats your head when you drain a whole glass of water while swallowing the medicine, bc drinking water and flushing out toxins is the best way to get rid of an illness. another person who baby talks you if you're all sick n pouty
mingyu:
makes soup. makes tea. forces both liquids down your throat even if you complain bc it's good for you and he spent so much of his precious time making it for you how dare you try and refuse???? it definitely helps with your sore throat the next day, though, and he looks so smug as he ladles you another bowl of soup to have in the morning.
dokyeom:
almost starts crying when you tell him u have a sore throat through barely-there whispers bc the pain :((( of not being able to speak :((( that breaks his heart to think about. knows the struggles of runny noses So Well, whips out a tissue and presents it in front of your face if you so much as sniffle quietly. hugs you the entire time, wakes up the next morning with a sore throat and then Actually starts crying
seungkwan:
your personal megaphone whenever you're sick and can't speak. yells at the other members to shut up and listen when you have something to say, and then repeats what you whisper in his rlly loud voice. won't let you have meds (they are!! the demon's pills!!!!) but learns from mingyu how to make rlly good chicken broth for you
vernon:
gets so sad for u when you croak out to him that you can't speak bc your throat hurts so bad. makes you gargle with salt water after brushing your teeth bc it helps disinfect your throat (this is true actually n it really helps). randomly holds his hand to your forehead to check your temperature, but he can never tell if you're running hot or if it's just him
chan:
is all "oh no you're sick :(((( that's terrible also pls don't come too close to me" but pulls you in for a hug immediately if you even vaguely hint at wanting one. googles if throat massages are a thing when you tell him you can't speak bc it hurts, gives you lemon honey tea bc he finds out that helps. kinda ends up massaging your throat? his hands are always warm and they feel nice when placed on your neck
request guidelines
#fairyhaos.works#seventeen#svt#seventeen fic#seventeen drabble#seventeen headcanons#seventeen imagines#seventeen scenarios#svt x reader#seventeen x reader#svt fluff#scoups#seungcheol#jeonghan#joshua hong#hong jisoo#junhui#hoshi#wonwoo#woozi#jihoon#minghao#the8#mingyu#dokyeom#seokmin#seungkwan#hansol#vernon#dino
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Орлёнок Demo Release
Finally, the demo is here! It's not exactly January anymore, but better late than never, right?
You can play it right here!
I also made a post on the CoG forums, if you want to check it out: Link
Features include:
Meeting your family! And getting bullied.
Getting executed!
Rising from the dead!
Celebrating life by slaughtering some rebels!
(Being extremely miserable!)
Feedback:
This is, quite obviously, a work in progress. It is made available so that you, the reader, can give feedback that improves the game.
So, while you can - and should - obviously tell me whatever you want, a specific list of what I need most in terms of feedback can be found here:
Language. English is not my first language (actually, not even my second one), and I mostly read non-fiction academic works when I read in English, so my writing is certainly not at the level it should be. If you have any concrete issues, please tell me, and I'll try to learn how it can be improved.
Spelling. I don't expect much in the way of outright errors, but I do know that I mix up British and American English all the time. The intended style is American English, so please point out spellings that are wrong in that regard.
Inconsistencies. There are a lot of variations between scenes, and I'd like to make the story as immersive as possible; so, if a phrasing, a character's behaviour etc. feel like they don't fit into the choices you previously made, please tell me. In detail, if possible, otherwise I won't be able to amend it.
Sensory descriptions. AuDHD makes my brain process sensations, including visual impressions, very differently, which means I often end up forgetting those exist. Please tell me about scenes that lack description in that regard. (My first grade elementary school report card called my writing 'efficient and devoid of feelings', and I'd very much like to move past that.)
Technical problems. The code should be pretty solid, but with how complicated it is, it'd be weird if there weren't at least some problems. If you find them, please try to include as much detail as possible when telling me about it. (CS Quicktest and Randomtest are not usable due to the complexity of the code, lol.)
You liking the story. I remain thoroughly convinced that I am a worthless person who isn't able to, nor deserves to create anything, and currently my only motivation to continue this project is derived from pure stubbornness. So, if you, for some reason, actually like this demo, please tell me. It won't change my mind about how bad I think it is, but it will force me to continue in order to avoid being even more of a disappointment.
Additions. If I like your idea, I'll probably add it right away; if I'm unsure, I'll do a poll. You can get me to do almost anything if you say you're sad if I don't do it.
Formatting. Although I try to playtest as much as possible, it's not that easy with how many variations there are, and in VS Code it's sometimes hard to see how well or badly readable text passages actually are.
CWs/TWs (v0.0.1):
Graphic violence and gore
Attempted sexual assault (against the player, avoidable, f!MC only; also against an NPC if massacre route is chosen (is dealt with quickly))
Suicide attempt (by the player, avoidable; f!MC only)
Loss of loved ones
Massacre of civilians and/or PoWs (avoidable)
General misery
(please let me know if you think this needs additions)
As of yet unfinished content:
Autistic variations do not exist yet for the latter part of the demo
Only one of three locations for taking a walk available for now
Tooltips are incomplete
Asexual is not available yet, as it requires a lot of additional scene variation text
Special (psychopath) routes are missing from some scenes as they were added late in development
Choices that are locked and marked as (WIP) are unfinished
Interaction routes for Semyon/Selena, Mikhail/Marina and Leon/Leah. They are top priority for the first set of updates
It is recommended that you play this with a stable state of mind. If you choose the suffering paths because it's relatable and/or as a coping strategy, please make sure you have support available and avoid triggering yourself too much.
The whole point of this game (apart from the dress-up part) is that, no matter how bad things get, you shouldn't stop fighting. It's your enemies who deserve destruction, not you.
Please keep in mind that I am both literally insane and pretty reasonable, so: if there is anything you find grossly offensive, don't assume I meant anything bad by it. Just explain to me why you think it shouldn't exist, and if I am convinced, I will amend it.
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Hello! Could I ask about scenario where The Joker has been very distant lately to Y/N always busy and almost never around her anymore which left reader very confused and upset. (((Now obviously he’s not cheating or anything like that he’s just too busy with his sick twisted plans on how to take over Gotham or something —but ohh well your insecurities get the best of you))). It’s been about good 3 months since she saw him he wasn’t replying to her texts and when you called him it always directed you to voicemails. It could be only two things he could’ve moved on from you or he is too damn busy to even pick up your calls…. So you decided to go on a date with some rando to push your feelings aside. Because at the same time, you couldn’t just sit around and wait for The Joker, that was just stupid. You aren’t even sure what’s going on?? It was exciting at first, in the heat of the moment because you were a bit attention-starved to be fair. But now as you’re getting ready you’re having second thoughts about it all and how risky it could be. Joker is a very very jealous and possessive man and he could be literally everywhere you knew he had his goons looming around you to make sure you’re safe. But you gulped those thoughts away and went out anyways. Well that was worst decision of your LIFE as long behold he found out …..now it’s up to you how you continue and interpret all this because I’m really bad at it (sooo sorry) he either ruins the date or is waiting for reader at her apartment….literally however you want it you can even change some stuff in the middle I really don’t mind 🙏🙏 I just need more jealous joker in my life (I have serious issues) it could be angst fluff smut🤭🤭🤭🤭or even everything as I said I really don’t mind. Thank youuuuu✨💕🪷
His Lighthouse: J Stands for Jealous (LedgerJoker x f!reader)
J Stands for Jealous - Oneshot
Did someone ask for some Jealous!Joker wayy back on Sept 5th? I come bearing gifts with an unexpected twist!! 🤧 please don’t hate me anon if you don't like it!
Get ready for some angst, fluff, and of course Jealous!Joker but not in the way you think... I won't lie this was a tricky request to fill but in the end, I went a different route with jealousy! I hope you enjoy! 🖤✨
taglist:
@blackreaderatrisk @twinkledinkle @clemdango04 @l3ejm @tears-of-amber @what-an-angel @darthjokerisyourfather @thatsnoteii @dollster @cheetahspy @kaidennnnn @urdariingdoll @motivation-idontknowher @ins0mniac-whack @spaghettificationandpretzels @reneisance @alittlesmartcookie @ninacutebee16 @carydorse
Let me know if you wish to be added to the official His Lighthouse taglist!
The number you have dialed has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet. Please try calling again later.
You groaned in frustration and tossed your phone on the bed. If your hair wasn't up in protective braids you would've ran your hands through your hair. When did it get like this? Calling, waiting up, and wishing for a smidgen of communication from Joker– only to receive absolute silence?
Joker being distant was putting things mildly. He had up and ghosted you.
One night you were kissing him goodbye and the next GCN reported that Joker had gone M.I.A. Funny how he was seen two days later shooting at Batman's tank of a car down Dini Hwy but sure.. Joker was 'missing.'
Joker was actively terrorizing Gotham City streets, he was only M.I.A from your life. A part of you wanted to create a missing person's report but that wouldn't end well.
The entire GCPD force would be breaking down your door by the time you uttered, "Yes, I haven't seen my boyfriend, The Joker, in months."
You weren't quite sure who put a label on this ill fated relationship but the minute it was established, everything started to fall apart.
You would lie awake at night thinking about the downfall to you and Joker's relationship. Maybe you should have been content with the uncertainty and kept things vague. Not knowing where you stood with the infamous clown— but still together, was better than a missing boyfriend and an empty bed.
You found yourself watching the news like a drug addict trying to catch a glimpse of your man to make sure he was alive and well.
Perhaps he was just busy with his sick twisted plans on how to take over Gotham or whatever he does when he's out messing with Batman. You couldn't bear the thought of Joker cheating on you.
If Joker was cheating on you with Batman, you'd kill your self with a spoon but J really wanted the vigilante dead so you breathed a bit easy on that front.
That didn't stop you from freaking out anytime Joker grabbed a female on live tv. You watched with an envious eye for any inkling of Joker being attracted to her. Killing the poor girl put your mind at ease but then you'd feel awful for your lack of remorse. For now Joker had eyes only for you. But how long would that last was the burning question.
It became a vicious cycle of waiting for Joker to come home, calling his cell, it going to voicemail, or him straight up ignoring your texts, to crawling into bed and trying not to cry about it. But you couldn't deny the inevitable.
Joker abandoned you and you weren't some heartbroken blonde in an early 2000's romcom.
You refused to cry and mope around the penthouse. You would not stoop to eating buckets of ice cream and gorging on assorted candies to overcome your heartache.
You happened to be a young, sexy, and intelligent woman of color with access to online dating apps! There were plenty of eligible men in Gotham who would kill to be with you.
You can and would move on. Screw Joker and his inability to provide basic necessities in a relationship. Being present was a requirement!
Your hurt feelings morphed into petty vengeance and you snatched your phone from where you tossed it earlier in a blind rage.
Your thumb hovered over Bruce's profile until you sighed and scrolled past it. No matter how much you wanted to rebound date anyone to get over Joker, Bruce didn't deserve your toxic energy.
So you kept scrolling until you found the DO NOT CALL EVER AGAIN and the GURL HAVE YOU NO STANDARDS contacts. You should have deleted these contacts ages ago but you simply forgot.
You almost hit the dial icon on one of them until you swore you heard the front door slam shut– but alas it was just your broken heart playing tricks on you.
Joker wasn't coming back and you had to accept that to move on. Your thumb hovered over one of your past tinder hookups.
"This is stupid! Just call the number, Y/n. If he answers, then flirt! He's a classic tool, he definitely won't care if this is only a one night stand. Get what you need from him and onto the next one!"
Your pep talk was good but you just couldn't commit. Even after Joker left you high and dry, it felt wrong to move on.
You threw your head back and groaned at the ceiling.
Why did you have to love Joker so much?! You still clung to the possibility of him returning and loving you unconditionally but that was a fool's dream.
"He's gone Y/n. Maybe a walk will help clear my head and do me some good." It seemed to be a tried and true coping mechanism whenever your head was in a tizzy. It's what got you in this relationship in the first place.
You went out to clear your head and met Joker that fateful night. If the chance rose to go back in time and avoid meeting Joker, you'd hesitate to do so.
He gave you so many fond memories. You couldn't erase that even if it saved yourself from heartbreak now.
You donned some good walking shoes that matched your current outfit and headed down to the ground floor.
It was a beautiful morning and you let your mind disconnect to breathe in some fresh air. This is what you needed. Some time spent outside and not cooped up in your depressing apartment thinking about your failed relationship.
You felt more like yourself already the longer you stayed out.
You were mindless during your wandering and you didn't notice your surroundings until strong hands grabbed and yanked you back onto the sidewalk.
You yelped at the unexpected rescue and tuned out the honking and the slew of curses a taxi driver shouted at you through his window.
What did your carelessness cause this time? You were using the designated crosswalk and you had the right of way, so what gives?
Your eyes followed the bulky arms still holding you, up to a handsome face animated in concern. It was then you noticed the guy who saved you was talking.
"—be more careful! These taxi drivers don't yield to pedestrians anymore. Hey.. are you listening to me?" He eyed you up and down, mostly in concern but admiring your beauty all the while.
You were doing the same. A ray of sunlight beamed down and highlighted your hero's honey brown eyes and you blinked in awe at his model-like features staring at you.
Finally someone was giving you attention and the man was drop dead gorgeous. Who could blame your brain for malfunctioning?
He smirked at your lack of response and flashed his pristine teeth your way. He was checking off all of your requirements for a potential partner so far or perhaps your standards were just at an all time low. A flaw of your separation anxiety no doubt.
Joker was the last thing on your mind when this man was in front of you giving you attention.
"Uh sure.. um.. T-Thank you." You said after a few beats of awkward silence.
"Don't thank me just yet. I gotta say, I'm thinking impure thoughts about you." He said.
You quirked an eyebrow at his brute honesty although his baritone voice made you forget in an instant. You were a sucker for a sexy voice and much to your delight, he kept talking.
"Sorry, has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are? Because d__n. You are."
Another checkmark on the 'yup he's datable list.'
What were the odds of someone as attractive as him showing you affection ever again? You were lonelier than ever before and quite frankly you were ready to risk it all for an ounce of attention.
You ducked your head to hide your smile and he wanted nothing more to tilt your chin up and see it in all its glory.
Your smile was so radiant, he was a goner at a mere glimpse.
"I'd love to know your name, your number.." He sucked his teeth and admired your beauty, "your favorite position in bed..."
He probably meant to say that last part more so to himself but you still heard it.
You had to pump the brakes on that one. "Easy there.. At least take me out to dinner before you slut me out." You laughed in jest but he leaned into your personal space, taking your words seriously.
"Oh bet? What're doing later?"
Wait, that pickup line actually worked? You were so out of practice.
You shielded the sun from your eyes and stared up at your newfound crush. He was waiting for a response with a flirtatious grin etched on his face. So you gave him an answer.
"You tell me. What do you have in mind?" You flashed him another smile that rivaled the sun.
He chuckled and subtly moved so he blocked the sun rays for you. A small gesture that you instantly noticed. He was tall but not overly so like Joker. You hated your brain for comparing this new guy to your estranged clown but you couldn't help it.
Would this be a new habit; comparing insanity to normal? You really missed Joker..
"Confident and sexy. I like that. How about..." The guy dug inside his pockets and procured a business card. He clicked a pen and jotted something down on it before handing it to you.
You were so caught up in his charm that you didn't acknowledge his attire.
He was dressed for the office with his dress shirt folded up to his forearms, showing off veins that made you swoon, and a hint of ink crawling up his bicep. The writer in you was having a seizure.
He was the perfect sexy corporate alpha male and he locked down the troupe by handing you his business card with a wink.
"Get home safely, call or text me– whichever you prefer sunshine, and we'll make plans for tonight. Sounds good?" He waited until you read the embossed cardstock in your hand.
Tristan J. Price. | Marketing | Court OwlHouse Books
You knew the publishing company personally. They presented you a nice offer before Cindy counter offered with a contract that you couldn't refuse. You pocketed his phone number and nodded.
"Yeah, it sounds great! I don't have a card but um.. my name's Y/n." You played with one of your braids and went for it. "I'll call you later, Tristan."
He tested your name on his lips. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I look forward to it."
You gave him a small wave and began walking back the way you came. Something told you to look back and sure enough, Tristan was watching you leave, biting his lip. He had no shame at being caught. His smile just grew bigger as he sent another wink your way.
A whirlwind of butterflies were going crazy in your stomach. You finally had options besides Joker for a partner. Things were looking up for once after all these months spent alone.
You flushed in embarrassment and turned the corner– not once noticing your undercover security detail watching your every move and reporting in.
Above all, Tristan was a gentleman and a shameless flirt.
You didn't waste time and called him the second you got home. He was more than pleased with your eagerness.
"I'm glad you're home safe, sunshine. Now let's talk business. Any allergies I need to be aware of? I really want to go all out and take you somewhere nice. You are definitely worth maxing my credit card."
You laughed and tried not to let the nickname used get to you.
A subconscious part of you was still Joker's Light, his Bunny, and every other pet name in between. You had no business being someone's sunshine. It felt like you were betraying Joker.
Talking and flirting with someone else was an act of betrayal and you began to have second thoughts about all of this.
"Girl! Joker has clearly moved on! Get over him and let Tristan bend you over!" Your mini devil appeared on your coffee table and tried setting you straight.
She enlisted help from her arch nemesis and you were shocked when your figurative angel materialized next to her, nodding along.
"She has a point Y/n. It's been months. It's time to move on although.. I suggest taking this slow so no bending on the first date." She glared at your imaginary devil in disdain.
Tristan stole your attention when he asked if you had been to a certain restaurant. You totally forgot you were on the phone with him! You were quick to reply and shake your head clear of any imaginary angel and devils talking to you.
You and Tristan talked all afternoon and at one point you asked if you were keeping him from work.
"Technically I'm on a very important conference call Y/n.."
You could see his flirtatious smirk over the phone and your heart warmed knowing you were important enough to take up his entire day.
You didn't mind the long conversation since you've been alone for months and needed human interaction. You honestly didn't care that things were progressing way too quickly with Tristan. It beat moping around with a broken heart and wishing for Joker to return.
Tristan was a breath of fresh air and offered you a new start in your dating life. You were ready to jump all in even if it was risky.
You nodded and answered his question. "Yeah Σtella is perfect. Will you make the reservations for us or let me guess. You know a friend of a friend that can get us a table on short notice?"
He laughed to himself but mentioned he did have connections, 'None like that I'm afraid.'
You could tell the connections were nothing nefarious since Tristan didn't have a single criminal bone in his body. After being around Joker for so long you could single out people's evil intentions. It was one of the many habits you had to quit cold turkey.
It would take some time to purge Joker from your life but you had to. He abandoned you and you couldn't dwell on it anymore.
Tristan ended the call to make the dinner reservations. He offered to pick you up but you politely declined.
Something told you it was best to keep him far away from the apartment until you knew for certain that Joker wasn't coming back. You were still optimistic that your dark clown would return and things would go back to normal but until then, you had to fend for yourself and take care of your own needs.
A black dress was selected from your closet with a low back. It would go great with your braids and the heels you already picked out. You spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready and desperately trying to shake off your cold feet.
Halfway through your glam session, Tristan texted you with a time and a suggestive line about saving room for dessert.
It made you flush red and make a split decision to change your underwear into something more racy.
If tonight was just dinner that was okay but if Tristan turned out to be a man of action and not just all talk, then you wanted to be prepared. You could be a slut for one night. It's secretly what you wanted.
You twirled in the mirror and liked what you saw. A strong confident woman moving on and taking the initiative.
You liked Tristan and he made it very clear that he liked you too despite just meeting earlier in the day. He wanted to see where this could go and you readily agreed being attention and touch-starved due to Joker's absence.
You were ready to date again but you did stop and consider the possibilities of Joker finding out.
Joker was very possessive and he had eyes and ears all over Gotham City. It would be nothing for him to find out you were going on a date but his actions as of late showed that he didn't care anymore. Joker ignored your numerous phone calls and texts.
Each one went unanswered. It was safe to say you were single now so you would act accordingly.
But with all the guesswork floating in the air, you weren't going to think about Joker tonight. He was banned from your mind. Tonight you were going to have fun and enjoy yourself with another man and begin anew.
Tonight was about you and your needs. If Joker couldn't provide, you'd go out and find someone who could. You kept that thought in mind all the way to the restaurant.
"I still think that waiter was staring at you too much. I get it, you are stunning– d__n, this dress will be the death of me– but my brother. She's on a date with me. I'm the luckiest man alive!"
You tried your best to ignore his happiness and keep things cordial. The two of you had come to a stop at the main entrance to your apartment complex.
"This is me." You pointed to the locked door.
Tristan admired the tall white building with a nod but there was an awkward air floating between the two of you. You just wanted to go home, Tristan was expecting more from the date.
Unfortunately Tristan was terrible at reading your body language. Or maybe you were just a good actress.
"Y/n did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?" It was a lame excuse to stay in your presence a little bit longer. You awkwardly laughed and dodged his hand reaching up to hold your cheek.
By all accounts dinner was textbook perfect. Tristan was ever the gentleman all night but his eyes were anything but. He listened to you talk and sprinkled in his opinions all the while complimenting you as a person.
There was a connection between the two of you and he made sure the conversation kept flowing to allow that spark to grow. Yet his eyes devoured you as if you were the main course and gave away his true intentions.
You wished his lust could ignite a flame within you; it didn't.
The food was amazing and you lost the fight on who would foot the bill. Tristan simply winked and said you could pay next time.
He was so confident that there would be a next time, you found yourself almost agreeing on another date. Everything was just so natural with Tristan. Normal was... nice but you longed for the unpredictable insanity that Joker brought to the table.
You shook your head in frustration. No matter how much you tried to forget about Joker, he was always in the corner of your mind, bearing down with his larger than life presence.
Even in the restaurant you felt like he was watching your every move.
You knew Joker's stretch of power knew no bounds. Your stomach was in knots at the thought of being discovered. Joker's goons could be anywhere; Joker himself could be seated at any of these tables ready to ruin your date, kill everyone in the vicinity, and drag you back home.
The possibilities were endless and before you knew it, you were in the early stages of a panic attack until Tristan cupped your cheek and distracted you.
Tristan was right there with his suave demeanor and sultry smirks.
"You okay sunshine? I hope you're not having second thoughts about the chef's choice. If you don't like it, you can always order something else." He smiled in the low lit room.
Any girl would fall head over heels for a man like Tristan. He was attractive, successful, and he had an air about him that was alluring. He was the perfect man, that is, if you liked boring.
Joker spoiled you for other men. You could never go back to charming businessmen or witty accountants.
You didn't want someone you could bring home to Mom. You were hooked on grease paint, cigarettes, heartache, and dark clowns that blew up hospitals for fun.
It was either before the main course or after one of Tristan's stories about his latest project that you realized, this wasn't going to work.
You smiled through the date out of respect and waited until he walked you home to let him down softly.
Tristan was a great guy, just not for you. Even worse, the guy was oblivious to the fact that you weren't interested anymore.
He was unfazed by your change in demeanor and flicked a wayward braid back over your shoulder. "I'll tell you again, you are gorgeous. I'm kinda tempted to take this dress off and see what's underneath. I bet she's beautiful too."
He moved in to hug you while you stiffened up in his arms. His attempts at flirting were now trashy and rude in your mind.
You didn't want Tristan anymore. You wanted Joker's warm arms holding you close— although you felt awful for still craving Tristan's attention. It was all you had. Could beggars be choosers?
Your hands wrapped around your date against your better judgment. You'd regret this later for sure. Your eyes wandered around the area as you berated yourself for stringing Tristan along.
Hugging him back went against your plans of kicking him to the curb and going upstairs to sleep off this terrible date. Your big citygirl plans of moving on were all for naught and you wasted perfectly good lingerie for a lame rebound date.
The street lights were on and oddly enough, it was just you and Tristan on the street.
The area usually had foot traffic even at such a late hour but it didn't register in your brain as odd. It was only when Tristan's hands moved to cup your backside that you locked eyes with a figure across the way.
He had a hood on but you saw him shaking his head at you in disappointment.
He lifted his head and your eyes widened seeing the familiar clown mask Joker always left lying around the penthouse after heists. That's when dread settled in your stomach.
You forgot Joker had eyes and ears everywhere. How could you be so stupid? He never left. You yelped and pushed Tristan away.
"Woah! Is everything okay, sunshine?" Tristan held up his hands while you began to hyperventilate on the sidewalk.
You didn't imagine things. Joker was still in your life. He was the most jealous man you ever met and you did the unthinkable and gave him a reason to be angry. You weren't safe. Tristan's life was in danger.
"I-It's not safe. I-I-I have to go..." You rambled on.
Tristan arched an eyebrow as you stumbled over your words. He couldn't understand a word you were saying but he knew all too well what was going on here.
"I get it." He smiled and gained your attention with his calm attitude. "I got competition, I'm not surprised. I mean look at you! You are... something else." He frowned when you continued to look away.
He hoped he wasn't being too forward but he felt the spark between the two of you.
Tristan leaned down and kissed you on the lips. It was passionate and sweet, a tad bit addictive but you were too mortified to acknowledge that aspect.
"Have a good night, Y/n. I'll text you later." Tristan gave you one more glance and walked away, leaving you frozen in place.
Tristan had it all wrong. There was no competition however he just signed his death certificate kissing you just then.
You were worried about your psychopathic, jealous boyfriend killing Tristan and then you for cheating. Joker had explicit rules. No one touches what's his.
Not only did you go on a date with someone else, you let that same man kiss you. You knew exactly what was in store for you.
Your eyes darted back across the street where you last saw the goon. They were gone and that sent icy cold fear in your veins. It was only a matter of time that Joker found out about your little tryst.
You were counting the days to your death.
You couldn't sleep to save your life.
It had something to do with the fact that you tossed and turned, gave up and paced the room back and forth, sat up expecting a phone call, text, heck; even a visit from your jealous clown all night. But nothing came. Surely your security detail had already reported his findings to Joker.
If you opened a dictionary and searched for Jealousy, a picture of Joker would be present. It was only a matter of time before J flipped out. You kissed someone else. Joker would be livid.
The silent anticipation was the worst.
You chewed your nails to the quick expecting Joker to barge into your penthouse and go insane. Scared was an understatement. You were petrified of Joker's wrath.
For two days, you walked on eggshells expecting Joker's return. He didn't and as the days grew in number, you panicked all the more.
Tristan also ghosted your phone calls and texts and you mourned the potential romance you gave up all because you were spooked.
You didn't question what you saw that night. You knew Joker's gang mask by heart and Joker was overly protective for it to be some fluke. He made sure you had a security team to watch over you at all times, no matter the circumstances. He would find out soon enough what you done.
Waiting for Joker's arrival was driving you insane to the point that every little noise made you jump.
It was nearing a full week after your failed date when you gave up and lowered your guard. You cut your losses and decided to stop living in fear. A good nap could calm your nerves.
The remnants of the day were bleeding from the sky in warm pastels when you woke up. The room was quiet until the bathroom door opened and your eyes darted over in fear.
Joker was walking out the bathroom, already dressed in loose sweatpants and nothing else.
He was towel drying his hair but immediately locked eyes with your frightened ones once he stepped into the room.
Time stood still as your brain caught up with the moment. You weren't dreaming. Joker was actually here. You weren't ready to face him.
Granted this was not how you expected to reunite with Joker after three months of radio silence and especially not after your brief moment of infidelity.
"J-Joker... you're home." Was all you could gasp out.
He looked the same, albeit a bit fatigued. He was devoid of makeup, letting you see the pure exhaustion etched on his handsome features and the unmistakable hurt swirling in his vivid green eyes.
One look therein had you self aware. Of course Joker knew. Nothing got past him.
"Please, I-I-I can explain!! You were gone for months and I t-thought.. I thought you didn't want me anymore. That you moved on! I was such an idiot! I.. Joker that date meant nothing, regardless of what your henchman told you–"
Joker said your name with such a dejected tone it made the hairs on the back of your neck bristle. "Y/n, shut. Up."
Joker tossed his towel across the room and didn't care that it barely landed on the leather couch before falling to the floor.
He'd worry about that later. His Light was on the verge of hysterics and he was not in the mood.
Joker walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He sighed when you flinched from his touch but he cupped your brown face in his hands nonetheless.
"Y/n. Calm down and look at me." You slowly opened your eyes to glance at J. He was patiently waiting, blinking owlishly at you with an unreadable look.
You couldn't get a good read on Joker and that made you fear him more. Joker noticed and decided to go about this as plainly as possible to not scare you further. The last thing he wanted was you to fear him.
"I know about your... date. 'M not mad at you doll, rather.... at myself for allowing it to happen.Ya see.. I never wanted to leave." He sighed.
You blinked in confusion but let Joker continue.
"I didn't abandon you, Y/n. Never. I'll never do that. I got caught up in a errr.. pickle.. that kept me from my Light. I stayed away to protect you." Joker's thumbs gently stroked your cheekbones as you looked at him in shock.
His rare genuine smile spoke volumes. "It was toooo risky to come back soooo I stayed away. I tried to message ya but it was sabotaged and.... The point is Y/n! It was not my in-tent-ions to leave you all alone. I will always come back to my Light. Believe that pretty girl."
You felt like the biggest fool in all of Gotham. Joker was out risking his life to make it back to you and you gave up on him.
How was he not angry? It didn't make any sense.
"You weren't there. You were gone for months and I felt so alone. I was hurt and..." You tried not to get emotional but Joker's gentle touch and the way he stared straight into your soul with those abnormal green eyes of his was getting to you.
Joker's soothing touch had you breaking down in record time.
"I couldn't help myself! T-Tristan didn't mean anythi–"
In seconds, Joker's tender hold on you turned aggressive. His hands slid down to your throat and squeezed tight before you could finish your sentence. Your startled gasp rang out in the room.
"Don't.. ever say another man's name in front of me! I'll kill him. I'll do it. You. Are. Mine. You got that?" Joker waited until you croaked out a yes before loosening his grip. It was then you saw just how jealous Joker really was. His calm, cool, and collected attitude was all an act.
Underneath his exhaustion was the Jealous psychopath you knew and loved.
He sighed and let go to fuss over you. He smoothed your braids in place and nodded to himself when you were presentable and breathing properly. You were frozen in shock. He didn't even hesitate hurting you.
Joker's fluctuating mood was befitting his personality but it still made you wary. You eyed him sideways and Joker whined knowing you were thinking bad bad thoughts about him.
"M'sorry bunny I just... Argh! You just needed some attention, I. Get. It.. I'm not angry. I'm. Not. Hey.. ya wanna know a little secret?" You slowly nodded and Joker smiled wide before leaning in, almost as if he were to whisper in your ear.
"It was torture for me too. All those nights spent a-parT? Mmm I was thinkin' about you." His fingers played with yours resting in your lap.
"Really?" You asked.
Your mind quickly forgot about his random spurt of anger a moment prior, in favor of his suggestive tone at present. Joker was here and he was finally giving you attention. What more could you ask for?
He knew you loved his hands (and he knew you were touched-starved) and made sure to keep contact with you as he spoke.
"I missed my Princess and I knoooooow–" He yawned mid sentence, "..you missed me. C'mere, my Light. I wanna hold ya."
You hid your smile witnessing Joker be so unguarded and so unlike himself. You could tell he didn't sleep at all these past few months. Dark circles weighed down his gorgeous eyes and he literally made grabby hands at you. It was refreshing to know you weren't the only one touch-starved here.
Joker was the world's lightest sleeper. He could only sleep a full eight hours if he had his Bunny to cuddle up with. You had just woken up yourself but Joker needed his rest and he needed you.
You fell into his arms and he quickly maneuvered the both of you so he lied on the bed with you nestled on his side. You tossed your leg over Joker's hips and he held it there, rubbing his hands along your plushy thighs.
His hands became restless and began re-tracing all of your curves, (as if he could ever forget them in such a short amount of time) and came to a stop at the crown of your head. He hummed contently and left a kiss in your hair.
"I'm sorry you felt alone, Bunny. The plan wasn't supposed to take that long 'n especially not months. I can't promise I'll be able to return quickly, but I will always come back to my Light. Just... just don't give up on me, mkay?"
You nodded and glanced up at Joker. His eyes were closed, yet you knew his focus was solely on you. To prove your point, he opened his eyes and stared directly at you.
His emerald green eyes were drowsy but you could tell his words were sincere. His unique speech pattern was nonexistent the longer the conversation went. You had a raw and honest Joker lying beneath you.
So you decided to be honest in return.
"I promise, J. I won't give up on you. I only want you."
"Gooooood." He closed his eyes again and repositioned his head better on the pillows. "Cuz no one touches what's mine. Expect your uh.. punishment later." He yawned.
"What?!!" You tried to get up but Joker's arms tightened around you, keeping you lying atop of him. You wiggled in his grip and he growled in warning.
"J, I thought you said you weren't mad at me!"
He didn't see you pouting, however his hand still came down hard on your thigh. The sharp sting made you yelp in shock.
"I'm. Not. But ya still need to L-earn a lesson. My Bunny can't be sneakin' off and.. playing with others while I'm away. Tsk. Tsk. I'll uh f__k ya when I wake up. OH! You should rest too. Heh, you'll need your energy."
His warning hardly held any weight with the boyish grin plastered on his face. Without his clown makeup, Joker was a sight to behold.
You would prepare yourself for his tough love later. Right now you wanted to bask in Joker's presence. Three months was too long without him.
You snuggled up closer to your clown and began running your fingers through his hair. He loved when you did that. He was already snoring by the time you leaned up to kiss one of his scars.
"I'm just glad you're back." You whispered.
#thanks anon!#thanks for the ask!#ledger!joker x reader#joker your yandere side is showing#ledger joker x reader#joker x y/n#black!fem!reader#reader insert#dark knight joker#joker x reader#heath ledger#romance#ledger joker#jealous!joker#clingy!joker#give this man a hug#you weren't expecting this were you?#a different spin on jealously!#cross posted on ao3#cross posted on wattpad#his lighthouse#heath joker
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛.
steven conklin x fem!reader
🗯 ! swearing, flirting, mentions sex once if you squint, pretty much a cute lil fluff !
synopsis; after being forced to go to the country club by your mother you realize that maybe the country club isn't so bad and that you'll visit more often. especially if you get to see the cute boy handing out drinks. — ♡ ᵎᵎ
A bored facial expression had been plastered across your face ever since your mom instructed you to go to the country club located in Cousins. She told you to take something to one of her fellow mom friends who was currently relaxing at the country club's pool. Too busy with whatever she had invested her time to, she texted her friend saying you were going to bring said thing to her. Now here you were trudging yourself through the front doors of the country club, accidentally dragging in a few speckles of sand from the nearby beach that had collected in your flip flops.
You were at point where you just want to get this over with. Technically speaking, you weren't supposed to be here. You were supposed to be with your friends at the beach, swimming in the freezing cold ocean, getting sand stuck in places you'd surely find later. But clearly your mom had other plans for you, instead wanting you to do her chores for her. Who were you to argue though, not like it would've ended well on your part. You'd much rather be a few minutes late than not be allowed to go at all and spend your afternoon cleaning the house.
So now, you're here making your way to the country club pool. As if she has a sixth sense for you, your mom's friend, who was laying in a chair with sunglasses and a large hat on, immediately looks over to you waving you over to her with a big bright smile on her face. You awkwardly fumble over your feet and towards her.
" Oh my goodness! It's so good to see you " She announces pulling you in for a tight hug.
" Yeah, you too! " You speak with a fake smile now on your face.
Once you give her the item she so desperately needs from your mom, you assume you'd be on your merry way to the beach. How horribly wrong you are. She spent the next 20 minutes or so talking to you about anything she could think of in which you replied with short, simple answers hoping she'd get the hint that you want to leave. To your misfortune she did not. The thing or more so person to end her talkative streak with you was when she noticed her son was scurrying towards her with blood dripping out of his nose. You quietly excuse yourself, not caring too much if she had heard you or not. You pull your phone out of your pocket, noting that you were now almost half an hour late from the time you were supposed to be at the beach. As you're about to leave you decide that few more minutes so you could get a drink wouldn't kill your friends and now you're walking over to the bar. Hoping onto one of the stools set up at the bar a boy you hadn't seen here last year swoops around the corner, offering you a cute smile that subconsciously formed butterflies in your stomach.
" So what could I get for a pretty girl like you? " The boy's nervous flirty tone melts your heart ever so slightly and brings a soft red hue to your cheeks.
" Can I just get a coke, please? " You tell him in a hurried voice and as he ducks underneath the bar you lean forward as if you don't want to let him out of your sight, afraid he might leave and you won't see him again.
He pops open the can and sticks a colorful straw in with ease, a gesture that many wouldn't notice but you did as you were often just given the ice cold can, " Since you asked so nicely. "
The smirk that was now forming on his features, as you assume he finally notices the red color of your cheeks, makes your brain go feral at how a man could be so adorable yet so hot at the same time.
You stay seated at the bar for quite awhile, ignoring the buzzing of your phone in your back pocket, probably from your friends. The boy introduced himself to you as Steven and you introduced yourself. For the most part you tried to leave the boy be as you didn't want to be bothersome to his job, but he didn't make you feel that way at all. He dominated the conversation and talked to you more than you talked to him. Some would think that you clearly weren't interested in whatever Steven was talking about or asking you, but he knew better than that by your body language. He watched as you shyly sipped your coke, how you remembered everything he talked about, and how you stared at him through your eyelashes. God, he loved when you did that. It made his heart speed up and he swore their were hearts in his eyes when you would laugh and giggle at one of his jokes, no matter how corny it was. And when you had quietly and sweetly asked Steven for his number, he pointed to the napkin lying underneath your drink. Your eyes widen as you realize a set of numbers with a cute heart was written on the napkin and you had no idea how you didn't notice it before.
With a giggle you say, " Smooth. "
A few minutes to get a drink ended up turning into close to one and half to two hours. You had told your friends that you weren't going to be able to make it to the beach which in your case wasn't a lie.
Here you are now, sitting on the same stool you had been for a over an hour. You watch tentatively as Steven removes his hairnet and offers you his arm in which you gratefully wrap yours around.
" You don't have to walk me home. " You inform him as you guys exit the country club.
" And let a girl as beautiful as yourself walk home by your lonesome, I'd feel far too guilty. Plus, who wouldn't kill to spend more time with someone as lovely as you. " Steven fed you compliment after compliment and it made your increasing crush on him speed up.
You hide your smiley, blushing face into Steven's bicep which causes him to tilt his head more towards you, hoping to be able to see your face. You stare at how close he is through the corner of your eye and you wonder how people could think love and romance is dead when here you were being admired by a boy a you met a few hours ago. He looks at you as if you're a rare type of flower in a field full of common flowers when you've felt like a common flower your entire life. You felt special. He made you fell special.
And as he walks you up the steps to your house you wish your house was farther from the country club. You leave Steven's hold to unlock your front door, but you halt your movements as you hear Steven begin to walk away.
Turning around to be able to see him, you yell, " Steven! "
He spins around on his heels and when you don't say anything he jogs over to you. As much as he was hoping he'd be able to see you again, part of him knew that there were some girls who just liked to flirt and not talk to the guy again. Deep down he didn't really think you were that person, but he didn't want to assume anything too hastily, so when you called out for him it pulled at his heart strings and within seconds was right in front of you.
" Do you think-, " You cut yourself off trying to find the right words, " Would you want to hang out again, like possibly go on a date or something? "
" I would absolutely love to, pretty girl " The mix between the nickname and his whispery voice had your face turning an unnatural shade of red.
You internally gulp not knowing what to do next. Steven was a sweet boy, you hadn't been with many of those so this was partially new to you. You were used to being made out with and then the guy wanting to fuck you.
Seeing as you were clearly nervous and weren't making a move, Steven took this as his moment to shine. He grabs hold of your hands, bringing them to his lips as he flutters his eyes close and presses a sweet, sincere kiss to your knuckles. Your heart stops and you have to stop yourself from fainting right on the spot. Which leads you to unconsciously leave a kiss on his cheek.
Reghistering what you did you sqeauk out a, " See you! " before hiding yourself in the comfort of your own home.
You rush to your room throwing yourself onto your bed letting out fangirl like squeals and giggles from the mere thought of the boy who had just miraculously altered your perceptive on love.
While you kicked your feet in your room, Steven stood awestruck on your front porch lightly touch the place where your lips still lingered. He walked like that all the way home. When he walked in the door he was met by odd looks from Conrad, Jeremiah, Belly, and Laurel while Susannah had a curious smile and a spark of light in her eyes.
" Dude, who gave you the lipgloss mark on your face? " Jeremiah announced what everyone was thinking.
" What? " Confused, Steven takes a peak at himself in the nearby mirror and on the same cheek you had kissed minutes earlier was a clear lipgloss outline of your lips.
Without thinking Steven's eyes soften and a giddy smile is stamped onto his face as he carefully glosses his fingers over the mark.
" Woah...dude, you have to tell me who gave you that kiss. I need to kno who's got my best friend crushing as hard as that, maybe she has friends she can hook me up with, " Jeremiah laughed as he wraps his arm around Steven's shoulder, earning a playful glare from Steven.
Not wanting to talk about it at this very moment and just wanting to replay the moment in his room by himself where he didn't have to worry about teasing. He made his way up the stairs, pulling his phone out of his pocket only to be met with a message from you asking if he'd like to call you. As if his body knew him better than his mind, his pace quickened as he popped into his room, shutting the door and hoping to get privacy as he called you.
☆ | for my steven girlies <3!!
#luv₊˚꒰🩰꒱‧#tsitp#the summer i turned pretty#tsitp steven#tsitp steven conklin#steven conklin#steven conklin x reader#tsitp steven x reader#tsitp steven conklin x reader#tsitp x reader#tsitp fanfic#x reader
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When your phone's battery runs dry, you plug it in. A series of complete miracles happens that slowly refills it, so that you can go back to playing exploitative video games. This sort of thing is so commonplace, that it's easy to forget that only a few short years ago, we would have had to carry around some kind of weird-looking Game Boy, or even a paper magazine, if we wanted to avoid talking to people on the train.
Of course, it's not all roses. Distracted driving is the menace of our age. Folks so hooked on their text messages that they drive a perfectly good car, without even any obvious steering damage, into a ditch, or daycare, or lightpost. That's ridiculous. Samurai of old would consider your Honda Accord to have died a dishonourable death. In other words, if you're gonna drive your car off the road, you need to earn that shit.
Personally, I never drive while looking at my phone. For one thing, my cars are in such mechanical disrepair that to take my eyes off the road, even to check the speedometer, could cause a lapse in concentration. Some of them are being held together entirely, I am convinced, through a concerted psychic effort, a sheer mental force causing my hands and feet to make the micro-adjustments required to hold the car together at highway speeds. You don't see fighter jet pilots looking at their phones, and there's nothing for them to hit up there. They wouldn't last a minute playing the classic game of "is that rattle my glovebox, or my front subframe?"
My political advisors have told me that it's a bad idea for me to assume too much similarity between myself and the common person. They, of course, went to expensive private schools, and exist in my life only because of the rich asshole bankrolling my "proletarian" and "grassroots" campaign for mayor. I won't listen to them. I'll listen to you. And the first way I'll help you is by making sure that your car is in the shittiest possible condition. No vehicle newer than thirty years old will be allowed within the city limits. We'll give every citizen a voucher to just go and pull whatever car they want out of the junkyard and put it back on the road. Hurry, because that Nissan Axxess that's full of pigeon shit is gonna go fast.
And I guarantee you, you won't take a single minute of your drive for granted. No "best value" five blue eggs for $3.99 deal is going to compete with the thrill ride you're about to embark upon.
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🔪 | blood means love
GhostfaceNatalie x F!reader hcs
a/n : tysm anon<3 hope you like! nswf and swf, pre-crash, bad writing and small text,
Warnings: desagration kink, knife play, GP/Nogp, death/threat(??
is possessive and out of control when it comes to
you
When you argued with a yellowjacket she knew she couldn't kill her even if she wanted to because the topic was very popular, so she needed to hold back so she wouldn't stick the knife in Shauna's throat.
She forces you to go to her house to watch the entire stab franchise, and she won't take no to be honest.
When she goes to a party she always makes sure to watch you even if you don't notice, are you too drunk to notice that a drunk man is coming to touch your waist? Don't worry, Natalie won't embarrass you, but she will come to you before he does and put her hand on your ass and whisper things like "you look so hot today" or kiss your neck while you're still dancing, and press your body hers against yours for the man to leave
She would never tell you about her plan, because it would be like "I was bored" or for some personal reason that you wouldn't understand, but when you were looking for your cell phone in her drawer and saw her outfit you already knew everything
OBVIOUSLY there is a list with names of people who flirted with you, fought with you or people she doesn't like who she thinks "like" you a lot, every time she kills someone on the list she crosses out their name in red and makes sure the name is impossible to read, you can't know
She can change her mood very easily, if something goes the way she wanted she will be a sweetheart, giving you kisses on the head and being the kindest person on the team, asking thank you and giving sweet smiles even to you, but if some plan doesn't work out, Whatever she wants, she gets easily irritated, scoffs, rolls her eyes and thoughts of killing pass through her mind.
God, you're lucky to have any power over her, when a player from the opposing team "accidentally" pushed you and made you hit your head on the iron fence and your head got a red mark that she felt so angry that she gave a punch that almost broke his nose, you weren't in a position to tell her to stop so it took all the girls on the team to get together to tell her to stop otherwise she would break the player's nose
I thought Shauna liked you and made funny jokes and made fun of her and called her names when she passed in the hallway, then there was one time when they had a fight because of Natalie and they didn't speak to each other for months, making the team lose because they didn't want to give the ball to each other.
On Halloween he dressed up as Ghostface and made you dress up as Casey Becker
Let your thoughts of killing be exposed unintentionally.
Natalie can feel herself blushing when she sees the damn nerd the principal told you to introduce to the school, it could have been anyone chosen to help him, Misty or even Laura Lee, but she chose you, and she could feel her blood boiling when you smiled so openly for him " I could take his head and put it as a lamp in her house" Natalie lets go and automatically regrets it and looks sideways at Taissa and sees her with a provocative smile "ohh Someone call the police... Natalie can do dangerous things guys.." and look at the van to see if she heard
NSWF
loves to take advantage of you when you are drunk because she knows you are defenseless, but who could blame her?..look at the way her little dress is almost transparent, look at how your breasts are so visible, your nipples marking and becoming hard from the cold air, and from the drink, look how accentuated her thighs are and her ass looks so soft to squeeze...it's not her fault
he certainly loves having sex while dressed as ghostface, and makes a point of remembering all the times he killed someone for you, or just for fun
Natalie raises one of her hands to her now bite-marked, red and pert, visibly sensitive breasts and curls two fingers against them while never stopping her fingers in your pussy " God...you're a whore..." natalie murmurs as she goes to your neck and bites the sensitive part " I knew you wanted me to kill that guy... you knew that if I didn't do something you would give yourself up and give your filthy pussy to him, yes?.." her sarcastic and arrogant smile grows and she increases "you are really a fucking bitch..are you going to cum just for that?..." "s-sorry..I'm sorry.." You mumble as you feel a knot forming in your stomach with every second that passes and you try to look at Natalie but you roll your eyes and drooling over things " Sorry what?..." natalie hums heavily and brings one hand to her swollen clit that begs for attention and rubs heavy circles "sorry ghostface..let me cum...please please...I'm going to cum.." A low laugh dripping with sarcasm leaves Natalie's lips and she slurs " Come for me, yes?..you are mine..just my bitch"
if we are talking about g!pNatalie is even worse, this girl will always show your erection, she is a pervert so whenever you are wearing the shorts of the normal yellowjackets(yellowjacket!reader) uniform she will always notice your ass,
At parties she comes up behind you and sticks her erection through your buttocks and puts her face in your neck, poor you, you just wanted to dance, but it seems like she had other plans for you.. whispering things like "look what you did to me" or "I'm in so much pain, could you help me"
He loves writing her name on your thigh, he loves seeing the blood flowing and when you complain it's even better, there are times when she's in a good mood and sucks your clitoris while she does it because she knows the pain lessens
loves to leave as many marks as she wants on you, it can be in visible places and in places that only she can see, She knows that if she bites her shoulder it will show on her uniform and that's why she always does it
she loves superstimulation, he denies his orgasms more than 5 times and when he finally let you cum, she will never take her lips off your poor clit
loves to have sex with a fake knife in your neck, but won't tell you that the knife is fake
#natalie scatorccio x reader#natalie x reader#yellowjackets#yellowjackets x reader#natalie scatorccio smut#Natalie scartoccio
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The Duff 14
Warnings: groping, insecurity, food and body issues, manipulation, and the usual. Proceed with caution.
Feedback is always welcome. Love you and thanks for the wonderful responses so far.♥♥♥♥
Image credit (I want to give dues where due but don’t want the creator to keep getting tagged in my posts as I have been approached by some before that they don’t want me in their notifs)
You skip lunch, trying to make up for missed time. The hours fly by and you only look up from your desk as Marnie packs up. You wish her a good night and Taylor leaves soon after without a word.
You cradle your forehead and pull your phone closer, flipping it over. Notifications stack on the lock screen unnoticed as you keep it muted in the office. You don't need Gloria lecturing you again about professionalism.
That most of the notifications are messages from Curtis both surprises you and doesn't. You fully thought he was too mad to bother yet he's left a scroll of texts. He's a bit much, too much.
Ugh, you don't know. You put down the phone and rub your eyes. It's just all too fast. You're panicking. And clueless. You just really don't know if you're blowing it out of proportion.
You retrieve your phone and flip up the lockscreen. You thumb through your contacts and hit Stephanie's name. You hesitate, hovering over the keyboard.
'Hey, sup?'
Hopefully she answers. You can ask her about Curtis. Or maybe you're better off just forgetting him. You're almost too embarrassed to tell anyone. You're probably being stupid.
You go back to your work. Gloria is already gone. You barely saw her before she left for the courthouse and Charles dipped out after his lunch. You might be the only person left in the office.
You enjoy the solitary. You feel like you haven't been alone in forever. You never realised how much you actually enjoy it.
Your steady typing fills the silence. You ease into the lull, the sky dimming through the windows, casting a haze over your cubicle. You save the file and check the time. You should go. At this point, you're working for free.
The click of a door handle frightens you. You assure yourself it's just the cleaner but the scuff of a sole assures you otherwise. Andy lets out a garbled noise.
"Shoot, sorry, I didn't realise anyone was still here," he says.
"Just about to leave," you grab your phone and make a face at the new alert. Even more messages and none from Stephanie.
"Avoiding home?" Andy wonders as he pulls shut his office door.
"Not exactly," you shut down your computer and grab your bag from under your desk, "just… not in a hurry."
"I know the feeling. Not rearing to sit down to a microwave steak and powdered potatoes," he kids, "you know what people never warn you about when you divorce? The cooking."
You force a laugh. It's nice of him to humour you. You suppose your problems could be worse. You don't have to worry about custody or alimony or really anything but yourself. Maybe that's why Curtis is making you so anxious.
"Not tryna be inappropriate but you have any suggestions? Might be better off grabbing something on the way."
"Er," you shoulder your bag, "the taco place isn't too bad from what I hear. My friends said it was amazing.:
"You didn't go?"
"Uh, no," you admit as you rub your neck, making the awkward shuffle towards the door ahead of him, "I was busy."
You won't admit that they didn't invite you and that you were at home watching their Insta stories about the ghost pepper salsa. No one needs to know that. You wish you could forget that altogether.
"Hmm, I don't mind Mexican," he follows you through the door, "how about you? What's for dinner?"
"I don't know, cereal," you scoff as you head down the stairs, "easier than cooking."
He's quiet as the stairs creak beneath his feet. The old building groans as you come down to the main floor. You don't even feel much like eating.
"I hate to be… too forward but you wanna join me for tacos? My treat."
"Hmm?" You pause at the door and glance back at him.
"I mean, you want something quick and I hate eating alone. Every night. In front of the TV."
You feel a pluck of sympathy. You can't tell if he's playing it up or joking. You also don't know how acceptable it would be to have dinner with your boss.
"You don't have to stay. We can grab take out and you can enjoy it at home."
You keep your hand on the door and tap your toe. It's just food, right? You hate to turn down a free meal and Andy's harmless.
"If I'm being honest, I really just don't wanna walk in by myself. I feel like a bit of a sad sack," he lowers his voice. "So?"
You tilt your head back and forth. It will be a good excuse not to look at your phone. You tuck the cell phone on the side pocket of your bag and give a smile.
"Sure, why not? If you're paying, I'm not complaining."
#curtis everett x reader#dark curtis everett#curtis everett#dark!curtis everett#snowpiercer#au#drabble#the DUFF#series#andy barber#defending jacob
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angst prompts 20 + 6 with seventeen dk but with a fluffy ending please? thank youu <3
...why am i always writing angst with svt's sunshine? i'm not complaining at all but poor minnie. anyway, thanks for requesting ♡
DK (Seventeen) | Crying together & Waiting, not knowing if they'll come back
angst | 0.6k | gn!reader
It's only been hours but it might as well been days since he's left.
Now you understand why you’ve agreed to never leave the house upset, which turned into yet another empty promise - like many of them did lately. Never to fight, never to sleep in separate rooms if angry, never be mean just for the sake of it, never to ignore each other’s calls and messages…
The tears rolling down your cheeks get heavier as you go through the list. Where did it all go wrong? You love each other, so why would you be so terrible? There's no excuse; no bad timing and stress and awful coincidental clash of bad luck and life happening should make you forget to appreciate what you have.
…have? …or had?
You can't imagine Seokmin going through practice fine after that fight. You can’t imagine the others forcing him to. So where is he?
Will he come back? Tonight and at all…
He's made it clear that he won't text you anymore if all he gets is a seen …which, yeah, fair. You wouldn’t bother either. And you understand if he decides to stay at the dorm but not knowing for sure? That's cruel. And you suppose it’s also what you deserve. It's just that you can't stop wondering if maybe he's just never going to come back again. Without a message, without a goodbye.
He's a good person. Kind. But he's also fragile and sensitive. If coming here or explaining would hurt him more, then you're alright with suffering all the more for it yourself instead. Even if just the possibility of it makes you cry harder.
You think you officially lost it when you hear a key rattle in the lock. Cautiously, as if expecting to see a very polite robber, you creep closer to the hall, only to see a red-eyed Seokmin trying to kick off his shoes. He wipes at his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt with little result.
“Min?” you’re proud your voice barely breaks. He whips his heads up like he indeed is a robber that has been discovered. Forgetting about everything but you right in front of him he stumbles forward until he falls into you, his arms squeeze the life out of you.
“I thought you’d be gone,” he whispers through a sniffle.
“I live here,” you smile, hugging him back with just as much strength.
“Me… too,” he hesitates. It breaks your heart that it sounds like a question, so you nod and kiss the side of his head.
“I'm sorry I was so horrible to you,” you’re getting his hoodie all wet with tears and call it even with your own shirt that he got tear-soaked.
“I'm so sorry too,” he cries, “I hate it. I hate what’s going on with us.”
“Maybe we just need to cry it out,” you joke - but in all honesty, you don't think you could make yourself stop crying if your life depended on it. Maybe if your relationship did.
“Let's do that,” he nods like a man possessed, “Let's cry and then we can talk about it.”
…you don't talk about it. Not for the lack of trying, though.
Turns out crying and clinging to each other for hours is exhausting. You try to talk between sniffles and sobs and choking on words but it's pointless. So you lie down and cry together, wrapped in each other, and you kiss, you caress, and you hold.
The next morning you exchange good morning messages. You pick up each other’s calls at lunch.
And when it’s time to come home, you know it won’t be cold and deserted.
#seventeen scenarios#seventeen reactions#seventeen imagines#seventeen angst#seventeen x reader#dk scenarios#dk angst#dk x reader#seokmin x reader#svt reactions#svt scenarios#svt angst#drabble#angst#requested
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White Lies 🤍 2: Sleep sweet, pretty
Yoongi is everything you could ask for. He is attractive, confident, and smart. And his partner Taehyung is as possessive as he is beautiful. Too bad a relationship would be a major conflict of interest.
You need to have them, at all costs.
🤍 Yoongi x Female Reader x Taehyung
🤍 word count: 7.4k + screencaps of conversations
🤍 college au, cop au, partial social media au with a lot of written story, strangers to lovers & established relationship, yandere, hurt/comfort, smut, fluff, angst, slash, poly, minor character injury & death, graphic violence, nsfw, 21+.
🤍 warnings: a lot of deception; very forward flirting; use of date rape drug; effects of being drugged against one's will. there is no assault of any kind, just fear.
🤍 notes: ignore the fact that the chats switch from dark mode to light mode. i use dark mode on my phone, but sometimes it gets switched and i forget to change it back. these screencaps result from me literally texting myself haha it's a labor of love okay. also don't forget mc's fake name is Sandra. she won't be referred to this for too many chapters.
🤍 written parts beta read by @neoneunnajimin
🤍 posted nov. 2023 | read on ao3
PREVIOUS | INDEX | NEXT
* * *
You pace around beside your couch and stare at your phone as it rings, watching as the 212 number takes up the screen. With shaking thumbs, you halt in place and accept the call, anticipating what Vante's voice may sound like.
"Hello?" you ask as demurely as possible, squeezing your eyes closed.
The voice that greets you is deep, rough, and with an accented lilt that makes your heart race. "Well, hello, pretty."
It takes a split moment to get your bearings. How could someone's voice sound like honey and barbed wire all at once?
"H-hey, V," you finally say, biting on your bottom lip and opening your eyes. Although your apartment lighting is not terribly bright, you have to blink a few times.
"Wow," Vante says, "your voice sounds so sweet."
You huff out a quick, quiet sigh, lips upturning as you catch the bottom one between your teeth, and then you begin to pace around some more. "Yours is very…"
"Very…?"
"Handsome," you respond meekly. "Very handsome."
Vante chuckles, and it is a sound so rich and deep you physically swoon, knees weakening some as you twist your body in the direction of your bedroom, needing to move around and let out some energy.
"So…" Vante begins, and you smile further as you mirror him, asking, "So…?"
"So, what are you wearing?"
After a pause, he clarifies, "To the date, I mean," with a tone that is playful and seductive.
With your free hand, you fidget with the bottom hem of your black sweater and almost regret considering an outfit so plain. You remind yourself that the plan is to string him along, at least for now.
Playing along with V's demeanor, you giggle, doing your best to sound shy. "Nothing too flashy…I was thinking a black tee tucked into black jeans. It's cooling down, so maybe my favorite oversized forest green flannel. And some black boots."
"And this tee…will it be a crew neck, or maybe a v-neck?"
You mentally pat yourself on the back for being the most clever person alive as you say, "A v-neck, in your honor, of course."
"Of course."
"And you?"
"I was thinking about wearing a tight white tee tucked into some tight black jeans. With boots, and maybe a flashy designer jacket."
You hum and close your eyes, attempting to remember Vante's body type in the many photos you have seen. As far as you remember, he is a bit muscular and seems on the taller side. Broad and masculine but not overly ripped.
"Emphasis on the tight," you tease.
Vante chuckles, forcing your eyelids to flutter closed, then he says, "God, there are so many things I want to say in response to that, but I feel I should save them for the second or third date."
"Wow," you respond, feeling a sudden shyness that only increases as he continues to laugh.
"Alright, pretty," he finally says, "just wanted to hear your voice quick, but I should let you get back to winding down. I have to finish up here and then catch my flight home."
"Sounds good. Safe travels."
"See you soon," Vante sing-songs, and you feel yourself swaying when you say, "Looking forward to it."
And then the call ends, snapping you back to reality. Your eyes focus on the top of your wooden dresser and you heavy-blink, reminding yourself that this is a mission and that you are not, under any circumstances, supposed to get close to either of these men.
But god damn does Vante sound real fucking sexy. This might be a problem.
* * *
The Marías play loud and dreamy as you twirl and sway through your room, holding your soft green flannel in both hands. It fans out with each movement, and you twist it dramatically to drape it over your shoulders.
Although you are dressed down in a tee and skinny jeans, you look good. The garments hug your curves nicely, and the shirt shows off just enough cleavage without it feeling like too much for a casual night at the bar.
You apply a little makeup to your eyes and cheekbones, then look over your jewelry, deciding on a simple pair of gold hoops and the necklace that you always wear – a small gold charm in the shape of a rabbit's foot dangling from a thin gold chain, for luck.
Although there is plenty of time to eat a meal before heading to the bar, you feel so antsy that you only manage to pick at a salad and some fruit. You chug some water and then check the time.
And with a deep breath, you decide to head out early and text your boss.
// these two conversations take place at the same time - you can use time stamps to track the back and forth if you want to //
With the phone you were using to text Vante slid into your small black leather purse, and the phone you were texting Seokjin with sitting facedown on the countertop, you swivel to the left in time to find the man who had been sitting across from you taking a seat one stool away.
"Hey," he mutters, head tilted down too far for you to see his face clearly. "I hope you don't mind that I join you on this side? Things over there got a bit too wild for my taste."
Two things stand out about the way this man speaks. The first is that there is a hint of an accent, especially on certain consonants, and it seems that he is speaking in a slow and measured way that almost makes his words feel somewhat forced. The second is that, despite feeling forced, his voice is very deep but also quite mellow and soothing.
Although he does not sound like the man you spoke to on the phone last night, there are enough hints of similarities that remind you of him. At least you are somewhat certain that this man is not Vante based on physical stature, but you decide to stay alert just in case.
"I don't mind," you respond, making your voice sound as sweet and inviting as possible.
The man, who seems to be wiping at his drink-dampened black shirt and jeans with a grey bar rag, looks up and regards you with a familiarity in his eyes that causes you to pause. You watch as his face comes clearly into view beneath the visor of the black baseball cap, and his eyes linger on you.
Time feels as if it slows down as you watch this stranger's eyes trace over your face. And then he blinks rapidly, gives his head a quick little shake, and chuckles.
"Sorry, you…" he begins, turning his attention back to his shirt, then glancing your way briefly to say, "you remind me of someone."
"Oh?" you ask, swiveling on your stool enough to fully face him.
The man hums, then sighs and lets his arms drape at his sides. He looks defeated; the wet mark on his shirt is pretty large.
"Lemme buy you a drink to make up for that person's sloppiness?" you ask with one of your wide, winning smiles.
He shakes his head and tosses the rag onto the bar, turning his body to face the counter but staying angled slightly toward you, tilting his chin at the two shots that have been neglected beside your purse.
"Looks like you're expecting someone."
"I was," you clarify, dragging out the 's' as you rotate toward the bar but keep yourself slightly angled at him. You glance back at the shots of Fireball. "I think I got stood up."
From the corner of your eye, you watch the man straighten up, and you smile to yourself as he mutters, "Oh! Oh, that's so unfortunate."
Although you should check to make sure Vante is still not receiving or responding to your messages, you feel bold enough to turn to the man and slide one of the two shots his way.
"Join me?" you ask. "Not as a date but just as…a person who can help me with these shots."
"Are you sure?" the man asks, reaching for the glass and eyeing it suspiciously. "What is this, anyway?"
Rather than answer, you watch the man lift the shot glass to his nose and frown. Through a giggle, you say, "It's Fireball," and reach for the second one.
"Cinnamon," he mutters in understanding rather than a question, and you nod, swiveling once more to face him. He concedes with a shrug, saying, "Alright," and your smile wider.
"Cheers," you say, holding your shot toward the man who mutters, "Yes, cheers. To accidentally having poor judgment and winding up beside one another."
You laugh as you tap your glass against his and lift the shot to your lips. The cinnamon flavor kicks you square in the mouth, cloying your senses with a bittersweet assault of artificial earthiness and heady whiskey.
The man winces and shakes his head, slamming his glass against the counter ungracefully and sticking out his tongue. You take the opportunity to tease him about his toast, asking, "Poor judgment, eh?"
With a deep, pretty chuckle, he says, "You made a date with a flake and I humored conversation with a slob."
Briefly, your gaze flicks to the woman who had been talking to him before, and she is shouting something while waving her arms emphatically, thankfully not holding a drink. When he finishes his statement with, "And here we are," you rip your gaze away and regard him.
This man is very attractive up close, with soft lips and a sharp stare. If you squint he would look similar to the photos you have seen of Min, only his nose is more straight and pointed, and his eyes appear to be a light hazel green.
You offer your right hand and introduce yourself as Sandra, sitting tall on the barstool and watching as he hesitates to lift his own.
"My English name is Cody."
"Cody," you mutter, feeling your lips fight the urge to smile, and you know that your eyes are widening, but you attempt to stay as straight-faced as possible. Cody is such a bro name, you would not have guessed it was his. Cody grabs onto your hand in a warm, firm shake that does not last long enough, and you ask, "And your non-English name? Or is that impolite to ask?"
"Not impolite," Cody responds, "just reserved for those close to me and when I travel back to Korea."
What are the odds that you meet someone from Korea while being stood up by Vante? At least you feel justified in the swirling thoughts that insist Cody seems similar to Min.
You even wonder if Min Cody, or Cody Min, could be someone's name. You hope that another drink will quiet those thoughts enough so you can have a pleasant conversation with him before walking back home. Once there, you can do some searches just to put your mind at ease.
"This round is on me," Cody insists as he sits high in his chair and reaches for the wallet in his front pocket.
Another loud group enters and files around the bar to where the two of you sit, and as you get the bartender's attention, Cody begins looking around behind the two of you.
"There's a hightop in the corner. Would you be comfortable going there?"
Although the bar is not too dimly lit that retreating to the corner would shroud the two of you in shadow, there is some comfort in being seated at the bar with a tender nearby. But the crowd only seems to get bigger and louder, settling on stools to your right while others stand behind those seated, and so you nod, already fed up with this group.
"Sure, yeah," you say as you slam back the remnants of your drink. "I'll secure us a spot."
"Gin and tonic?" Cody asks, stopping you in your tracks. An icy chill works down your spine, and you wonder how the hell he knows what you are drinking. But then he adds, "Or was it something with vodka?"
Although his addition assuages some of your discomfort, there is a nagging feeling that he somehow knows what the bartender poured for you, making you uncomfortable. Your drink was clear, so gin and tonic is a fair assumption.
"Y-yeah," you respond, testing him by saying, "It was gin and tonic. Tanqueray."
Had he watched the bartender, he would have known the man poured you Hendrick's. Cody seems unfazed.
"Sounds good," he says, adding, "I think I'll have that too," as you turn away with your purse clutched tightly in your hand and approach a tall round table in the corner with two stools sitting vacant beside it.
As you take a seat on the little wooden stool, you attempt to settle your pounding heart and unravel this situation mentally. The feeling nagging at you to be weary of Cody is quite present, but you are unsure whether it is him that makes you feel this way or if you are struggling to set aside the case that you are working on.
Seokjin has been going to great lengths to keep things secretive, which in and of itself causes disquiet. And now Cody carries similar enough traits with one of your targets that the foreboding nature of your job is all that you seem to be able to think about.
It is unfair to you for these thoughts to cloud your mind so heavily, and you hope that this next drink will help you relax. Sure there are a lot of coincidences, but this is a large city with a diverse population. Coincidences certainly can happen. Unfortunately, as soon as Cody approaches with the glasses, your bladder begins to ache.
"Thank you," you sing-song as you stand from the stool that you only sat on a moment ago. "I need to run to the bathroom quickly."
Cody responds, "Have fun!" and you giggle as you walk toward a small doorway off to the right that opens into a hallway containing two gender-neutral restrooms. As you enter the closest of the two rooms, you click the lock on the door handle in place, then begin to shimmy your jeans down and take a seat, fishing through your purse for the other phone and finding that Vante has, in fact, never seen your last messages.
You wonder if there is a chance that he has somehow found out that you are an officer attempting to make contact with him. But it would make more sense for him to simply still be in Europe, possibly just playing a game with you because he takes pleasure in toying with people. It seems dramatic even when you think about it, but what else could it be?
As you put your phone away, reach for toilet paper, and wipe yourself off, you take a deep breath in and out and try to center your thoughts. Tomorrow, you will regroup with Seokjin and form a new plan. If you have to wait a little while to get onto Min's tutoring list, it is not the end of the world. For tonight, you should just enjoy yourself.
With your pants buttoned and everything in place, you wash your hands, inspect your face and hair to verify that you still look as amazing as ever, and exit the restroom. Some top 40s song from the 90s plays that has a lot of the college kids shouting, and you return to your seat while Cody types something on his phone and then slides it into his front pocket.
"So do you always come to the bar alone and wear a baseball cap to hide your identity?" you tease, unsure where any of this is coming from but feeling a strange burst of energy. You reason with yourself that you still need verification that he is not Min.
Cody laughs, reaches for the hat, and pulls it off. His hair is clearly bleached blond and colored mint green, which is a little more difficult to see in the less well-lit corner. It falls over his forehead, parted down the center, nearly covering his eyes, and he looks dreadfully pretty.
"Is this look less threatening?" he asks, running a hand through it only for it to fall neatly in place again.
Once more, the nagging voice in the back of your head tells you that this haircut seems similar to the one in the surveillance photos of Min. You remind yourself that you have never seen the man in person and that your brain could simply be filling in information in an attempt to create patterns because that is what human brains do best. But the similarity is striking.
"Yes," you say after too long of a pause, angling yourself toward him, slightly to the left from facing the table.
"This one's for you," Cody says as he slides a full drink in your direction.
You take the chilled glass and lift it to your lips, then you playfully say, "And you didn't drug it, I assume?"
Cody does not immediately respond to what you say; he stares blankly for a split moment before blinking and chuckling. The pause makes you worry, but then he says, "I assure you I did not, but if you would like to switch—"
"No, no," you insist, feeling awkward for saying anything at all. If it weren't for all the time you spent shadowing the special victims detectives over the summer, you would likely not instantly assume that any drink offered from a stranger could be tainted.
With a sigh, Cody says, "Nah, here, switch with me. We'll just swap out the straws because I had a sip of mine."
Before you can respond, he gently pulls the drink from your fingers and replaces it with his own. You watch as he swaps the straws, feeling your mouth tug into a smile, and when he is finished, you pull the drink to your lips and have a sip.
"When the drug kicks in, you might have to walk me to a cab, though," Cody jokes, insinuating that he has now drugged himself, and you nearly spit out the gin and tonic that has barely had a chance to settle on your tongue.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry," he laughs as you struggle to keep your composure and swallow your first sip. You set that glass down and raise your hand as if threatening to backhand him, making him flinch and dramatically gasp.
Without thinking, you say, "You're a pain in the ass," making him laugh harder.
"It's not funny to joke about that, I know," he says, still chuckling. "But in my defense, you started it."
Rather than respond with words, you simply hum and have another sip through the straw. This seems to amuse him, causing the laughter to continue.
Conversation with Cody is nice and easy. He tells you that he is a student at a nearby university, and you tell him that you are also a student – the same lie you tell to everyone.
He talks about growing up in New York with one American parent but visiting Korea often, hoping that once he graduates he can spend more time with his family. You describe your past and relationship with your family with very general, distant details, excluding a lot.
The parents that come along with your fake identity are not too exciting; mom is a legal aid and dad is a veterinarian. You attend such a prestigious school to follow in their overachieving footsteps, blah blah blah.
By the time you discover Cody can speak three languages and has a deep love of anime, your drinks are empty. And although you should stop while you are ahead and call it a night, a large part of you wants to keep drinking.
"Another?" Cody asks, and you sigh, nibbling your bottom lip.
"I want to," you say, uncertainty in your tone.
Cody must pick up on it, saying, "But…"
"But I also don't want to get very drunk."
"We can switch to non-alcoholic," he offers, shifting around on his stool. "Or go somewhere else." You raise an eyebrow, and he lifts his hands as if in surrender, insisting, "No funny business! Just thought we could hang out somewhere quieter. Doesn't have to be one of our places. I don't live too close by anyway."
This surprises you a little. "No?"
"Nah," he shrugs, "I just like the atmosphere in this area more than where I live so I cab over to waste my time and cash here, instead."
Although you should not blurt, "I live nearby," you do anyway. In an attempt to not sound like you are trying to get into Cody's pants, you add, "But I don't know what we would do. I don't really watch TV."
"Have you eaten?" Cody asks, seemingly unfazed by your word vomit.
As if on cue, your stomach grumbles, and you giggle while shaking your head. You remember the meager amount of food you managed to eat before shuffling out into the evening.
"I had something light, so…no. Not really."
"Why don't we grab a bite nearby? Maybe that will give us the reprieve we both seek…I'm sure most food establishments aren't this loud and rambunctious."
The reprieve we both seek… It's nothing too big or wild, but it is just austere enough to make you think about Vante. Although you feel frustrated that your mind is so eager to continue circling back to him, you consider that if this were Min sitting before you, there is a good chance they both speak similarly. It could be a slip up.
"Or…not…" Cody says, and you rapidly blink out of your thoughts and shake your head, offering a smile and a giggle.
"I space out," you supply plainly, "a lot. Sorry."
"Ah," he responds, sitting up a little higher. "No problem."
"Do you eat meat? There's a burger shop nearby that I really like."
Cody smiles and shrugs. "I eat everything."
As you stand up to stretch, the room tilts. It catches you off guard, and you halt your movement, then do your best to breathe through it and blink it away. Cody has his head tilted down, putting on his hat, and you are thankful that he does not seem to notice.
With a smile, he lifts his hand and says, "Lead the way," but there is something different about his voice. Deep and inviting in a familiar yet unfamiliar way, and far more accented than it had been all night.
You shake it off and nod your head. Despite only having two drinks and a shot, you are not a heavy drinker as is, and on an empty stomach, it is enough to weigh you down and make you paranoid. You just need to get out into the cool open air and you will feel much better.
But your feet are heavy. Each step that you take feels weighed down, and there is a lightness to you that feels as if fog is simmering through your system. Alarm bells begin beaming through your body, and you worry that perhaps you should try to get rid of Cody and call Seokjin.
Cody places a hand on your lower back. "Everything alright, space cadet?" he asks in the same tone he has taken all night, and you nod.
You are certain he could not have done anything to your drink while you sat there and drank it with him. And if he drugged both drinks, he should be equally affected.
But if he did do something, you are not eager to draw attention to feeling sluggish. You think it would be best to just get rid of him somehow. It just becomes a matter of how much time you have before the effects hit you harder, if at all.
The two of you make your way through the bar, and you oddly feel much more in control when you are moving steadily rather than little by little. You forget all about getting rid of Cody and walk right to the burger spot around the corner.
But standing on line at the counter in the brightly lit space feels overwhelming, and it all comes back again. You open your mouth and say, "So," but catch yourself. So you really did drug my drink, huh?
"So?" Cody asks, leaning close, and you notice a musk that cuts through the deep-fryer stench. It's nice and rich, inviting but not cloying.
"So I usually get the bacon cheeseburger," you ramble, "and fries. But I imagine everything here is pretty good."
"Good to know," he responds, voice bright. You think his hand may be on your lower back again, but you are not quite sure.
When it is your turn to order, your mind screeches to a halt. You stare up at the white menu board with red text, and you cannot find words.
"Was it a bacon cheeseburger?" Cody supplies. "A number two?"
"Y-yeah," you respond, looking at the bored teen behind the register. "No tomato, please. And a soft drink."
"You?" the teen asks, eyes moving to Cody.
Cody hums, soft and dulcet. Hypnotizing. "I'll have the same, but with tomato please."
Without asking, Cody pulls out his card to pay. Only, when he begins to hold it out, he quickly pulls it back. "Actually," he mutters, "I should use this cash."
Although you are unable to see the name on it, you notice that it is a black card, which feels far too prestigious for a university student to have access to. You realize that neither of you told one another your age – you just assume he is close to yours.
The cashier gives the two of you a number and two empty paper cups, and you make your way over to the soft drink dispenser and stare at the options. Caffeine could make you feel better, but then you risk the chance of staying up late. Sugar might cause you to have a hangover in the morning, but you think you could risk it for some lemonade.
"Preference?" Cody asks, holding up the beverage cups.
You have gravitated to the ketchup dispenser to fill two tiny paper cups, still thinking about beverage options.
"Lemonade, please. With like…half ice? Not too much."
"Got it," he responds, holding one of the cups under an ice dispenser.
"Ketchup?" you ask.
"Two please."
You manage to get all four tiny paper cups of ketchup into your left palm, then turn to watch Cody securing plastic lids over both drinks and grabbing two paper-wrapped straws. The two of you sit, and you take your drink and straw with a small, "Thank you."
Perhaps it is the prospect of having food in your system that is causing you to feel more energized, but maneuvering through the booths and finding one along the wall is easy. You begin to wonder if maybe something about the gin and tonic was just off. Maybe you got hit with a wave of intoxication.
Once you get settled, Cody takes out his phone and smiles at the screen before typing out what you assume to be a response to a message. His smile lifts, showing off his gums and pearly teeth, and you catch yourself staring before blinking your gaze elsewhere.
Out of curiosity, you pull the phone from your purse and check to see if Vante ever saw any of your messages, and you frown at the discovery that he has not. His behavior is weird, but you suppose you were also planning on playing games with the guy. Still, being stood up is being stood up, and it is hard not to take it personally.
Cody continues typing away at his phone while you wait for your food, chuckling quietly from time to time and making you feel awkward for sitting here with nothing to say. It is not that you don't have people who you can also text, but it feels rude to do it when you are with someone in a restaurant.
Not that it is a date, nor do you two owe each other anything, you remind yourself, feeling silly for forgetting that simple fact. The two of you are just strangers who happened to meet and who decided to share a drink and a burger. Nothing more. In fact, if you remember correctly, Cody removed what looks like a wedding band from his ring finger earlier in the night.
Another grumpy teen brings your food in bright red baskets, and Cody finally puts his phone away. He smiles and says, "This looks great," and lifts his gaze to you for only a split second before looking back down.
Something in his eyes seems different, but you are unable to put your finger on what. They seemed sharper, somehow…almost seductive.
You reach for your food and dig in, doing your best to not moan when the grease hits your tongue. Conversation continues to be non-existent with the exception of Cody groaning through a mouthful about how good his burger is.
Once you are down to just lemonade and some wayward fries, you excuse yourself to the bathroom. Unfortunately, your bladder is on a bit of a timer when you consume alcohol, and the added liquid does not help.
You are grateful when there is no line and make quick work of relieving your bladder and washing your hands. The mirror is covered in stickers, but you lean forward on your toes and do your best to take in your state.
To your surprise, your pupils are constricted quite small, and you begin to worry all over again that something could have been added to your drink. Somewhat sluggishly, you turn and grip onto the door handle, yanking it open and feeling tired from every small movement.
Cody is back on his phone when you return, but he regards you with a polite smile and glances at you long enough for you to notice that his eyes seem perfectly normal – a sign that he likely did not drug both drinks, and evidence that he likely did not drug yours.
This fixation only makes you feel paranoid, and you wet your lips, eye up the rest of your food, and decide that you should call it a night. Cody's fries are all gone, and he barely has any soda left, which you find rather disappointing because you would have liked to leave alone. You suppose you still can.
"Well, I'm just down the block," you say, rubbing your hands, which begin to sweat, down your thighs. "It was nice to meet you."
"I would offer to walk you home," Cody says through a sigh, leaning back in a stretch, "but being that I am still a stranger, it may make you uncomfortable to have me knowing where you live."
You hum and nod to acknowledge and agree with what he says.
"But if you'd like I could sit on a phone call?" he offers, resting his arm over the back of the booth.
With a shrug, you shake your head to decline, but your mouth betrays you by saying, "Alright, sure."
"Yeah?" Cody asks, smiling brightly and sitting up from his relaxed position. He takes out his phone, and although you only catch a glimpse of his lock screen, there is something familiar about the image. It's the colors. Tan skin, greyish fabric, gold jewelry. You wonder where you may have seen it before.
Cody breaks you from your thoughts, asking, "What's your number?"
Once more, your mind draws a blank, and you search your brain. What is your phone number? "Uh…212...555…55…26—wait."
Cody looks up from where he is typing on his phone, and you realize you had given him your actual number and not the burner number that Vante has.
"That's my work phone, it's 5505."
With a light chuckle, Cody finishes saving your number. And then he must call you because your purse begins to vibrate.
"That's me," he says with a smile and a wave.
"Alright," you respond, reaching absent-mindedly for your cup of lemonade and taking a large gulp. Although you do not look at Cody, you can feel his eyes on you.
Your phone stops vibrating, but you open your purse and pull the device out, ready to call Cody back once you begin your walk. Not that you think you need to, seeing that your block is relatively safe and you are not shy about walking at night. You carry pepper spray and a knife in your purse, but you are also worried you may not have the coordination to wield either.
With a limp lift of your hand, you begin to wave, muttering, "Uh, thanks. I would have finished my drink and gone home feeling a little defeated tonight. It was nice to have company."
Why are you saying all of this? Cody is attractive, kind, smart, and has a fun sense of humor, but you were planning on just brushing him off. Plus he might be married.
He smiles and it is bright and disarming. From where he sits, his head is tilted back enough to see under his baseball cap, giving a view of his handsome features and long, pretty throat that bobs when he swallows.
"I'm glad," he says, voices soft and deep. "You also made my night better. I almost forgot all about how damp my sweater and jeans are."
"Almost," you repeat, smiling. Suddenly, you feel shy – why do you feel shy? "Alright, well…I'll call you."
"Okay," he says, smiling as he sits up.
You turn to leave, and the room tilts once more. So hard, in fact, that it makes you queasy. From the corner of your eye, you notice Cody sitting at attention, and you wonder if you visibly lurched.
"Ugh, I'm a lightweight," you complain, hoping to brush it off, but before making another move, it begins to feel as if the floor is sinking away.
"Sandra?" Cody mutters, "You alright?"
"Y-yeah," you insist, but you are not alright. Something is definitely wrong.
"Maybe I should call you a cab? Or something?"
You shake your head, "I live too close. It's not worth it."
"Alright, then how about I walk you? I'll keep my head down. I won't look at where we go."
Although you mean to laugh, it comes out in a scoff. "Alright, fine."
Cody is quick to get on his feet and slot an arm around your waist, holding you loosely but making you feel secure. The two of you walk through the somewhat tight path between booths, hips pressed against one another and warm, but then he gives you space as soon as there is some to give, only resting his hand against your back as he reaches for the door.
"How many drinks did you have?" Cody asks in a way that is gentle and not at all accusatory.
"Just what you saw," you respond sluggishly. "Two plus the one shot."
The two of you walk to the left and down the block. In the fresh night air, at a steady pace, you feel much more comfortable. It's the stopping and starting that seems to fuck with you.
At least the weather is nice – a chill in the air but not cold. The seasons are certainly changing, but at a pace you can acclimate easily to.
Cody hums some tune, and you keep wanting to ask him what it is, but you find that you are unable to make yourself speak. This causes your palms to prickle with anxiety.
"How long have you lived here?" Cody asks after about a block.
"A few years," you respond robotically, curious why you are suddenly able to talk without issue.
"I was wondering why a college student isn't living on campus. Then again…you seem too old to be living in the dorms." This line of conversation feels strange, but you can't pinpoint why. "Did you take some time off in between schooling?"
"No," you respond before you can stop yourself.
"Did you study something else before theater arts and music?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting."
Fear spikes, and you worry that he may ask you what you previously studied. It is so odd that you are so easily answering questions that you would ordinarily lie around – your undercover persona did not study anything before becoming a theater arts major. She traveled and worked at her father's veterinarian office as a receptionist while taking some time to decide what career path she wanted to take.
Cody stops abruptly, muttering, "Shit, my shoe is untied," pulling you from your spiral.
As he bends to sort that out, you lift your gaze from where it had been glued and unfocused to the sidewalk and look around. Just up ahead is your building.
"Oh," you say weakly, "we're here."
You continue on without your companion, putting one foot in front of the other and reaching for your purse, which is slung over your shoulder. Although you use this purse often, you struggle to get the zipper opened, and you stumble while focusing on it too much.
The hand on your back returns, helping you to feel steady, and Cody asks, "Need some help with that?"
Luckily, you find your keys and hold them up, feeling triumphant. Cody walks you to the front landing, up four short steps to the high Victorian door, and waits patiently as you attempt to grab hold of the correct key, only to drop them to cement in a loud clatter.
You feel frustrated as you say, "Fuck," and Cody is quick to bend and hold them out.
"Large gold one," you say, and he lifts the correct key and leans to slot it into the keyhole.
The last thing you want is for this stranger to walk you to your front door, but your dizziness is only increasing, and you are unsure whether you can make it to your second-story flat alone.
The brownstone you live in is just like any other – tall and old as fuck. As you enter and begin toward the stairs, every footfall can be heard, creaking in a greeting you are all too familiar with. The staircase is tall, and you grip onto the railing and make your way up. Cody seems to hesitate.
"I don't have to continue if you think you got it," he says.
Without stopping or looking back, you grumble, "Need my keys."
Cody meets you on the stairs, and with a hand on your back, gently presses you to walk up. You are grateful for his warmth and for his assistance.
And, at this point, if he tries anything once you are in your apartment, it will all be caught on camera. Not to mention, there is a Glock in your nightstand.
"Thank you," you mumble as you reach the top of the stairs and turn right to the tall white door. "Small gold key."
Inside your front pants pocket, your main phone buzzes with a notification that there is someone at your door. You ignore it, seeing as that someone is you.
Cody is quick to find the correct key and unlock your flat. He holds onto your arm while you kick out of your boots, and he toes out of his shoes and says, "Just want to get you a glass of water, okay?"
From where the two of you stand near the front entrance, there is a camera trained directly on both of your faces hidden in a bookshelf. You accept his offer and hobble off toward your room.
Your flat is somewhat of a rectangle. You enter into the living room, and to the right, straight ahead down a hallway is your large master bedroom. Tucked away on the left as you walk through the hallway is a kitchen and then a bathroom.
It feels too warm in your flat, pulling you off kilter, and you throw your purse toward your bed, which rests in the center of your room against the right wall, missing and watching it hit the floor in a loud thud. Then you stumble forward and fall to your butt on the edge of the mattress and begin to yank at the sleeves of your green flannel, wiggling about in an attempt to shed it from you.
Cody appears with a large plastic white cup and halts in the doorway. He shifts, and you catch him averting his eyes.
"Just trying to get rid of this thing," you grumble impatiently as the garment falls from your left shoulder but won't comply to go any lower. With a sigh, you give up and smile at Cody.
"You can just set it here," you nod toward your small wooden bedside table. "The door will lock when you leave. Thanks for the help."
Cody approaches slowly, and you wonder if it is meant to put you at ease – no sudden movements – but the anticipation begins to weigh on you. You want to lay down and go to sleep, and you want Cody to leave.
He smiles and levels his face with yours, eyes searching for something. Then he places the cup on the table and says, "I hope you feel better."
"Thanks," you mutter, wishing he would leave.
Cody bends and lifts your purse from the floor, which is open and spilling its contents. He sets it beside the cup of water and hands you your phone. Then he stands straight and fishes his own from his pocket, thumbing around before calling you.
He lifts the phone to his ear, and when you continue to stare, he tilts his chin toward the vibrating device in your hands. With a knit brow, you cock your head to the side but answer his call, lifting the phone to your ear.
"I figure that if I am being trusted to leave on my own, I should give you some assurance that I am, in fact, leaving."
"Okay…" you respond, drawing the word out. You could have all the assurance you need by watching the video footage from your hidden camera, but you suppose this is a kind gesture.
Cody smiles, lifts a hand, and waves. Then he turns and leaves the room.
"It was nice meeting you, Sandra," he says, drawing your fake name out nice and slow.
"You too," you mutter, heavy with sleep.
"Sorry the night ended this way."
You sigh. "Me too."
"If you ever want drinks and a burger again, let me know. I'm just a short cab ride away."
Briefly, you wonder if the two of you hit it off. It was fun and comfortable talking with Cody, but you are still concerned with how drunk you became – if that is what you can call whatever is happening to you.
"Alright," you respond too late, hoping to be polite.
In the living room, you hear some soft sounds and then the door opening. Although it is faint, you think you hear it closing, as well.
"I have left your humble abode," he says as the phone in your pocket buzzes with another notification to alert you that someone is outside your apartment.
You assume that the reason he insisted on calling was so that once he was outside of the apartment, you would only hear his voice through the phone. It is a nice gesture.
"Thanks again," you say, sighing with relief.
Through the phone, you can hear the steps creaking as he descends the stairwell. "My pleasure."
You begin to fade fast. Although you know that you should drink water, you twist your body, lift your legs onto the bed, and curl up. You feel too warm to care about your comforter, but you lament not having enough energy to get out of your jeans.
The phone ends up under your face. Miraculously, your cheek does not end the call.
"Tired," you mutter, feeling your eyelids flutter.
"It was so nice meeting you," Cody says, and in an instant, your blood turns cold.
That is the exact voice you spoke with on the phone last night. The accent is much more prominent, just as it was last night, and it is much more gravely. It is unmistakable.
He adds, "Sleep sweet, pretty," before hanging up, and you curl in on yourself, panting and shivering, hanging in a horrifying liminal space of being too afraid to want to sleep but too intoxicated to keep your eyes open.
'Cause I know what you're thinkin' about
Babe, I'll let you spin me around
I know what you're thinking about
Babe, I'll let you spin me around
Babe, I'll let you spin me around
Babe, I'll let you spin me around
🎵 visit the playlist!
the feelings of being drugged are all kinda made up but also based on the drug ghb. please do not feel the need to sully your internet searches! i will explain it all in detail in upcoming chapters. and you may have noticed that because mc is a detective and trying to figure out who these men are, there is a lot of talk about facial features and accents. this is in no way meant to fetishize these characteristics, it is simply detective work - i tried to keep it as broad/general as possible. the little ploy that was played at the bar is based on something called "operation fireball" - google it if you're into true crime!
also!!! please never take a drink from a stranger or leave a drink unattended!!!
CAN YOU TRACK WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE THAT MC IS COMMUNICATING WITH??? everything will be made clear soon, but feel free to speculate!!! readers of the taegi pov probably already know what's going on, but mc pov purists will have all the questions answered quickly, as well!!! don't worry. 🤍
ARE WE HAVING FUN? QUESTIONS??? CONCERNS??? REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS SITE, BUT LIKES ARE ALSO SUPER APPRECIATED!!! 🤍🤍🤍 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I LOVE YOU! DRINK SOME WATER AND STRETCH YOUR NECK!!!
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White Lies is copyright 2023 theharrowing, all rights reserved. No translations or reposts allowed!
#yoongi x reader#taehyung x reader#taegi x reader#taegi smut#bts poly#bts yandere#bts angst#bts smut#bts social media au#undescribed#undescribed images#fic: white lies
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More Visored/Ichigo ramblings because I just love them so much.
Is it trauma, power dynamics, or hollow instincts? The world may never know.
Jk ~ If I'm writing it then it's all three.
⚠️ Visored/Ichigo because that's my jam and I'm partying alone ⚠️
💀💀💀💀
It starts as a joke, mixed in with the stupid shit they send each other. Sending Ichigo messages like remember to eat, moron. Or stg you better get a full 8 hours of sleep tonight or I'll kick your ass.
But Ichigo does a lot better when they remind him to actually take care of himself. As much as he takes care of others, he's terrible at taking care of himself.
They make him eat when he's with them. He'll eat about half before being distracted or say he's full and try to pass it to one of them. They shove it back at him and tell him to eat, not taking their eyes completely off him until he finishes everything. He never gets sick or uncomfortable, so they're not forcing him to overeat. They think he doesn't remember what it's like to feel comfortably full, usually eating just enough that the hunger doesn't hurt.
There's a gnawing hunger that comes with their hollows sometimes, a hunger for things that Ichigo isn't ready for yet. It's not real hunger in the way humans get hungry, but it does make eating hard sometimes.
Ichigo sends them pictures of what he's eating when he's not with them, sometimes making sure to include his unimpressed face, and something about not needing to be reminded about eating like a child.
They disagree.
They also text him to remind him to actually sleep, frowning when they get responses about hollows or doing homework. The low smoldering anger for Shinigami that constantly lives in them now burns a little hotter each time Ichigo shows up with new injuries and bruises under his eyes or when their texts show read at 3am. Especially when they know that there's shinigami assigned to the town who don't seem to do anything.
They get creative. They train him until he's so exhausted he falls asleep after cleaning up, slumped against their shoulders or curled up in their bed. Convincing him to use their bed took awhile, but his hollow desperately wanted a pack and Ichigo didn't fight it too hard. They like that he'll smell like them, even though it's a warning that no one but hollows will be able to sense.
Bed may not be the word to use when it's big enough to fit all of them comfortably and has more pillow and blankets than they can even count anymore.
They all sleep together, something that started from a combination of their hollows prefering it and safety in numbers. Ichigo naps in sheets that smell like them and leaves his own scent behind every time he drags his skin across the sheets. It should be upsetting, the scent of someone who isn't them in their space but it isn't, in fact it's comforting. Especially when he doesn't stay with them. They know Ichigo isn't there with them, which their hollows huff unhappily about, but it smells like he is and it's just enough to settle their instincts.
Ichigo always ends up finding the nearest person when he's asleep. If anyone gets in the bed to rest while he's in there, he always finds his way to their side and presses in as close as he can. It's a big bed, it has to be to comfortably fit all of them even though they usually end up piled on top of each other and tangled up.
If he falls asleep sitting next to someone, his head will find their shoulder or he'll slump down until his head is on their lap. He sleeps better with skin contact, the ever present frown on his face fading when he's made skin contact.
He's bad about letting them know if he's hurt, his mindset seems to be if he can still move, or as long as he's not actively bleeding, then he's fine. Bruises are the worst, big ugly ones that they won't know about unless Ichigo wears something that shows it, it gets exposed during a spar, or he moves stiffly and can't hold back a wince.
That also means he has the bruises they give him from sparring longer, and they never claimed to be good and proper okay? Ichigo wearing marks they gave him is appealing. They'd rather give him other marks to warn people off, and they want to say that they didn't know they'd end up wanting this but Ichigo was always going to be theirs.
Someday they'll be able to make sure he's constantly covered in their scent and they can bite and suck all the marks they want onto his skin. They'll be able to keep him in their bed every night and smell him when they first wake up. They'll be able to check him for wounds or bruises he thinks aren't bad enough to mention and remind him that just because he can tolerate the pain doesn't mean he should have to.
He starts to keep some spare clothes with them but they take every excuse they can to have him wear something of theirs. On one memorable occasion he even wore a pair of Lisa's leggings, blushing and mumbling that he was cold and they felt soft. Lisa rushed to tell him he could wear them whenever he wanted, eyes flicking down to where the dark material clung to his legs. It's a soft, thin material and borderline see through in some spots where the material stretched over muscle, like his hips and thighs.
At some point Ichigo seems to catch on, and they're all able to stop pretending they're just interested in friendship.
Ichigo does his own clumsy scenting, not quite right but it's clear what he's trying to do and they don't correct him. The furrow of his brow says he's going to figure it out eventually.
He rubs their cheeks together when he's tired or hurt, or when he knows they're upset or hurt, not quite scenting but it's adorable, and his hollow is trying very hard to figure out what feels right.
He doesn't hesitate to nudge food over to them if he thinks they aren't eating enough. If they get distracted training or doing something else, he brings them food and hovers until he's able to make them sit down and eat.
They can't resist holding out bites to him occasionally and grinning at the faint blush before he takes it.
He spends a lot more time in their bed. And the kid is a fucking tease once he gets going because the amount of reasons he find to strip before rubbing his scent all over their bed is unreal. So much bare skin means his scent sinks into everything and stays, everytime they roll over or land on the mattress a burst of Ichgo greets them.
Knowing he's barely clothed, or wearing theirs, and vulnerable in their bed is incredibly distracting. He's sleep warm skin and pliant limbs, little protesting noises leaving him when they pile around or on him.
Hiyori is the first one to leave a mark, the urge to bitebitebite becoming overwhelming and she's behind Ichigo, wrapping her arms around him to keep him still and biting down on the curve of his shoulder and neck. He doesn't react, just keeps talking like he doesn't have someone clinging to his back and chewing a dark bruise onto his shoulder.
It's fair game after that and he's always got marks on his throat and shoulders, the delicate inside of his wrists and inner thighs, and the soft skin of hips and lower belly.
He leaves his own marks on them, not near as dark or deep as theirs, and it fades quicker. He bites at them with dull human teeth instead of the sharp hollow teeth he needs to make a lasting mark, another thing he's still getting the hang of.
💀💀💀💀
Do I like to think that they would all text each memes and stupid shit? Yes.
Didn't get Kisuke added in this one but I like to think he's always involved too ~
#bleach#ichigo kurosaki#visoreds#ichigo x visored#ichigo x everybody tbh#hollow instinct au??#if i bite it its mine#reaping souls with greyskyflowers#going to drag all of you into poly andor qp visored hell with me#visored
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How much of interpreting characters as queer is supported by the text and how much of it is just personal wish fulfilment by queer fans who only want the "best" characters to be queer...
At no point should you be denying the canon queerness and/or queer coding within a text that a character receives in order to position those characters who have none as the epitome of queerness because you think they're better.
There's a difference between a character being queer and you wanting a character to be queer. The former puts their queerness in a greater context. Their queerness is in interaction with the context they're placed in. Wanting a character to be queer involves you projecting what you want on them.
It's not bad to want characters to be queer. The problem lies in denying queerness within the text that already exists, even if it's not explicitly canon, because their queerness makes you uncomfortable. Calling a character "straight" in a malicious way because you don't like them denies experiences they have in the text that are queer and worse, it denies anyone outside the text who identifies with and has lived with that same experience.
This is especially true for characters you don't like who've canonically experienced queerphobic violence. In that case, it doesn't matter if the character is confirmed to be queer. Someone within the text has identified queerness in them and they are punishing them for it. To then refer to that character who is punished as "definitely straight" is to deny the inherent queerness in their appearance or interactions punished within the narrative, as well as those who've been forced into straight acting in order to survive.
Queerness is morally neutral. It is not only bestowed upon people who you think are morally correct. That's respectability politics in play. You are also not a better person by denying one's queerness because you don't like them. You're enacting a kind of violence on them. You also need to understand that while it may be fun to play with canon by projecting aspects of our own gender and sexuality onto these characters, your interpretations won't necessarily be supported by canon and that lack of support is not an affront to you personally.
Something to think about.
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I just need to know if Im the only one who felt weird abt that Isaac scene. The one where he takes Colin's phone. It just felt ooc for Isaac to follow colin and yell at him to delete the pics like a mom nagging. I never got the impression that Colin was thought to not follow his captain word by anyone in the show. I get that Isaac needed to find out (tho id prefer if colin did it on his own terms) but I still want to know what you think
Personally, I'm sold on Isaac's actions largely because of Colin's in that scene. Meaning, he's the most vocal in his disagreement about deleting private photos post-breakup. I'm afraid I can't bring up the episode atm so I don't have exact quotes, but Sam and Jamie are in full support - lecturing to the group at various points, like Isaac - with the other members being sorta on the fence, but then eventually persuaded. It's Colin who keeps pushing back against the idea, citing (if I remember correctly) things like personal property and memories. That strong stance is important because it sets him up as being the one member out of the group who might feasibly ignore Isaac's order.
Another thing that's important is how open the group is about their relationships (and the ways in which Colin has been barred from that due to his sexuality is a whole other post). From the group hanging on Sam's every text back when he was messaging Rebecca, all the way to now where Jamie is making a (hilariously) impressed face at whatever Will is deleting, there's really no secrets among the team. Or rather, heteronormativity has made it so that most of them assume there are no secrets. They delete those photos in full view of one another... which in some way kinda defeats the purpose of keeping them private, at least on a small scale, but really it's about the good intentions here. They trust each other to do the right thing, but they don't trust outsiders, so they delete the photos so they can never fall into the wrong hands.
Now, toss these two things together. Looking at that combination from Isaac's perspective, I think it's less nagging than it is an understandable (if not excusable) response to his assumptions. Colin has been the most vocal about this being a stupid idea, so when he leaves the assumption is not "Colin wants privacy" it's "Colin is trying to get out of this." Now with Point #2: why would Isaac assume it's privacy in the first place? No one else is bothering to find a quiet corner because, again, no one else has anything to hide. It's also important that Colin doesn't explain this to Issac. To be 100% clear I am NOT blaming Colin for his defensive reaction, only pointing out that, again, from Isaac's perspective this seems even more damning. When Colin says "Fuck off" rather than something like "I am deleting everything, I'd just prefer to do it without you lot looking over my shoulder," Isaac's assumptions appear confirmed. So he snatches the phone. Is that an appropriate reaction? No. Is it an extreme one? Arguably. But Isaac feels very strongly about this issue, even more-so once he realizes that Keeley was a victim, so his belief that Colin is blowing this off makes him angry enough to force the issue. If you won't delete those photos, I will.
Then, of course, he sees what those photos are.
Honestly, I hope this moment of miscommunication and, frankly, privacy invasion is addressed in their (inevitable) confrontation because while Isaac is by no means a bad person for this mistake and while it's understandable how this mistake came about... that's still a huge breach of Colin's privacy, especially given his specific circumstances. Plus, as we see via the acting, it rightly terrifies him. Already we've seen that although Isaac isn't comfortable with this revelation, he's not outing Colin to the group either, so this is perhaps the "best" outcome of such a mistake, bar Isaac immediately reassuring and apologizing to Colin, which we obviously didn't get. But just because he hasn't gone on a full blown homophobia rant doesn't mean Isaac doesn't have shit to apologize for (both now and from the past), so I hope the writing addresses how they both got to this moment, not simply the internalized homophobia that Isaac needs to grapple with.
And yeah, I agree that generally speaking I prefer for queer characters to come out on their own terms... though in Ted Lasso's case I feel like that would have been a waste in some respects? Meaning, this whole arc is not just about Colin, but the community which he's a part of - football - and the horrific homophobia that pro-athletes face. We've just been reminded that there are NO out footballers in the pro league. We've also learned that Colin has no desire to be the poster-boy for gay footballers. So in the last couple episodes to have him suddenly come out on his own would a) undermine the extreme consequences of that and b) undermine Colin's personal wants and needs. I get that Ted Lasso as a whole is about the optimistic vibe and undoubtedly the show has demonstrated, in this season in particular, how far people can come when given support... but I still think it would have been pretty out of left field for Colin to suddenly go, "You know what? I will come out! I will shoulder the terror of potentially loosing these friendships, and the media frenzy, and being forever the first out gay man in pro-football, potentially putting my very safety at risk because the Lasso Way taught me to love myself!" That's a little too optimistically saccharin, even for this show. Personally, I prefer this version where the outing occurred due to good intentions - Issac trying to protect people from what Keeley is going through - while still allowing the space to unpack WHY Colin was scared to come out in the first place.
Basically, I expected Colin to be outed somehow because I've always figured that would be (and I do kinda hate using this word) the most realistic outcome for his scenario. In real life someone should NEVER go through this, but in a story sometimes a character needs that push, so that we can resolve the conflict by season's end. Given my other meta-writing obsession, I keep comparing this scenario to Volume 9 of RWBY. It rankled that RWBY had a magical universe force Blake and Yang to confess because they live in a homophobia-free world have nothing, absolutely NOTHING, personally holding them back. So why make a joyous moment so uncomfortable by taking away their consent? In contrast, Ted Lasso is all about that homophobia and Colin has a boatload of personal reasons not to come out, even though he may want to in a perfect world. In this case, the story "has" to force his hand somehow. Either that, or we'd need more time for Colin and the world he lives in to develop - time that Ted Lasso simply doesn't have.
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Welcoming Them Back Home (Kakashi, Adult Bakugou & Gojo)
A/N: This request was made by one of the only friend of mine on tumblr @seikohatake ! Thank you so much! You always come up with such cute ideas :3 You guys are welcome to suggest any other character if you want too <3 I'd be more than happy to write about others too.
Kakashi
It was around when Kakashi was hokage and would rarely come back home on time but regardless you'd wait for him, you loved having dinner with him no matter how late he is.
Since you get off early from work as compared to him you always had the dinner duty and he makes breakfasts even if you suggest otherwise because he needs his rest too. But it is his way of showing his love and affection for you.
So it gives you so much pleasure just preparing dinner for him knowing that he will be all tired and would come home to someone waiting for him and hot food. Given his past, this was your main priority ever since you both came together.
Doesn't matter how late he is you'd always wait for him to have dinner. It actually aches your heart thinking that he'll be having dinner alone when you're away on a mission.
As he enters you rush to greet him with a hug and a kiss and as he sees the dinner you are rewarded another kiss with a, "Oh honey you're spoiling me." and a masked smile. Which he takes off to kiss you again of course.
And as you both have dinner you can see in his eyes how grateful he is to have this and to have YOU. A person who cares so much about him and someone to come home to.
Katsuki (Grown Up Katsuki)
This is very often for you to get a text that he is stuck with some hero work or has to take someone else's patrol that day so he won't make it to dinner.
In the starting days when you two started living together, he'd force you to have your dinner on time and not wait for him. He loves the sentiment, don't get him wrong but he doesn't want you to have a bad schedule and develop bad eating habits.
It's his job so he cannot really do much about it but you can so, he calls you, again and again, to make sure that you've had your dinner and not waiting for him.
But you still want to talk to him at the end of the day so you wait for him to come back and help him serve his dinner and you two talk as he has his dinner. But not before he makes sure that you've had yours.
He used to shout at anyone who'd talk while having their food but ever since he started hero work and opened his agency this is the only time in the day you get to have a proper talk together and he gets to rant about how annoying and stupid everyone is. Although unlike before he'd stop himself and say, "Well, they're not stupid just annoyingly a bit too emotional. I can deal with that."
When he'd forget to call or text letting you know that he'll be late and comes back home to find you passed out in bed while waiting for him. He won't wake you up if you've had your dinner but if you haven't then it is dinner in bed as you two talk and he does the dishes regardless of how much you insist on doing that.
He'd ask you to go to bed as he quickly does the dishes and if you try to come out of the bedroom he won't let you but that doesn't stop you two from talking because even still you two talk through the walls if your kitchen and bedroom is close enough.
Gojo
We all know Gojo is way too spontaneous so whenever you're coming back home you never know if you'll enter in an empty home or you'll be served a freshly made matcha as you do.
He can't cook for his life but he still wants to give you the feeling that he made dinner for you so he orders the food and arranges it in the dishes like he made it himself. Well, it is the sentiment that counts right?
And if you're the one making dinner then he'll try to come back home as soon as he can. A. Because he wants to help you out in making the dinner B. Because he doesn't want you to feel like you're doing too much or he's not grateful for it all.
He's still getting used to this so he takes his time to realize that this is not a huge deal and you make him dinner because you want to.
And he sometimes (most of the time) makes a huge mess too while helping you. So you ask him to leave the kitchen but Gojo being Gojo stands at the door and talks from there if you have a kitchen table then slowly ends up sitting there and talking as you make the dinner.
For both of you, the quality time that you two spend together is very important and valuable. You guys could be doing anything from cleaning the house to grocery shopping, but as long as you two are together and able to talk, both of you don't mind.
If he ever comes late and you're fast asleep then the first thing he makes sure of is whether you have had your dinner or not and if not then he'll order something and wake you up and have the dinner in bed as he feeds you most of the time with dim lights so that you don't wake up completely and will be able to sleep again.
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Let me know if you have any other character suggestion for this!
Thanks For Reading and for the ask!
If you liked it you can check out the masterlist too!
A-Z Headcanon
#kakashi hokage#kakashi sensei#hatake kakashi#kakashi#kakashi imagines#kakashi x oc#kakashi fluff#kakashi week 2022#kakashi hatake#kakashi x you#kakashi x reader#kakashi x y/n#kakashi fiction#kakashi fic#kakashi fanart#kakashi fanfiction#hatake kakashi icons#hatake kakashi imagine#kakashi drabble#kakashi hc#kakashi headcanon#kakashi headcanons#katsuki x reader#katsuki bakugo x reader#bakugou katsuki#katsukibakugou#katsuki#katsuki bakugo my hero academia#katsuki bakugo headcanons#katsuki bakugō
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