jsclarissa

Chapter 7 + Ash Hangout Early Access

Finally, we are starting to get into the ROs' first hangout sessions. Of course, to start us off, we'll have Ash's hangout session 😁This update adds around 31K of new words, bringing the total word count so far to around 356,701K words!

I've also implemented the autosave/reload function to each chapter, so you should be able to have some freedom to go back to the beginning of the chapter and try out different options 😉 Also added another skip-chapter point: Chapter 3.

For the Early Access demo, I'll be using moody.ink. It has limited save slots and you'll need to be signed in to use the save function, but the upside is that moody.ink saves are actually saved in the web's server instead of in each individual user's browser. So, you'll still be able to access your save files across different devices as long as you're logged in.

Anyway, enough talk about technicalities 😁 

What you can expect in this update:

• The set up to the ROs'  first hangout sessions
• Ash's first hangout session
• Go down the memory lane and see snippets of MC's most cherished memories.
• Some more Viktor 😔
• A mix of angst, wholesome, and even potential fluff 🤭
• 🔥🧡😉

New stuff added to previous chapters:

• Added autosave/reload function for Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5.
• Added another skip-chapter point to Chapter 3, in addition to the already existing Chapter 6.

In case you haven't read the previous progress update, demo links are now shared through Discord. So, please, connect your Discord account to Patreon so you can access the demo. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a DM here or on Discord and I'll try to respond as soon as I am available 😊

How to connect: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/212052266-Getting-Discord-access 

Progress Update (22 Feb 24)

Hi guys! I have some important and exciting announcements in this progress update 😁 

First of all, I'm so sorry for not being too active for the past month. I was really sick and had to spend the latter half of January staying in bedrest and recovering. I couldn't really bring myself to do a lot of stuff during those horrible days.

I ended up having to make up for all of those lost progress as soon as I got better. And thus, I have been working really hard to get this huge update done before the end of the month and I did it!

The update is coming tomorrow (or in the next few hours or so depending on your time zone 😆). It's a pretty huge one with around 31K new words. This update sets up the base system for the ROs hangout sessions and most importantly, bringing Ash's very first hangout session as well 😏😉

The update also brings a pretty huge overhaul to some of the existing coding because I have implemented the autosave/reload function for each chapter and added another skip-chapter-function so you can either skip to Chapter 3 or Chapter 6.

And finally, another important announcement is that for this update and future ones, I'll be sharing the demo links through Discord. So, if you haven't linked your Discord with Patreon, please do so. Not only is it crucial for you to be able to access the demo, I'm also more active there and I'll be able to answer questions easier and engage in discussions there with you guys 😊It's also more practical to make short announcements/updates there.

Here's how to link your Discord account to Patreon so you can get all the benefits you're entitled to: https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/212052266-Getting-Discord-access 

Once you've linked your account, you should be automatically assigned the Patron role by the Patreon bot, so you'll be able to access special Patreon channels 😀

Thank you for all of you guys' support and I'll also continue making Patreon contents after the update is up 💖

Happy New Year + Sneak Peeks

Hey guys! 👋 First of all, happy new year to all of you! I hope you guys have been having a good new year so far. Here's to hoping for a better year for all of us in 2024! 🥰

Also, I've been really busy working on the update and I'm back to the full swing of things. Now, I'm here to share some snippets and sneak peeks for all of you 😊

*  *  *  *  *

Ten minutes later, you step out of the shower and dry yourself off before putting on clothes for the day. You wonder if Ash is still asleep or maybe ${ash_he} has left and do whatever it is ${ash_he} has to do. Turns out, it's neither of those as you hear sounds coming from the kitchen area as soon as you exit your bedroom.

As you make your way towards the kitchen, you check the notifications on your phone. 

[There will be eight potential variations on how many and whose texts you will get based on your relationship with Rin, Skylar, and Santana. For the sneak peek, I'll choose the one where you have good relationship with all three of them.]

There are three texts from Rin, Skylar, and Santana respectively.

Whose text are you going to open first?

# Rin's.

# Skylar's.

# Santana's.

*  *  *  *  *

[Rin's text if you are romancing them and Ash]

You decide to open Rin's message first, since it is the earliest one. Somehow, you feel like ${rin_he} intentionally sent this so early so as to beat the other two to it. $!{rin_he} said:

"Good morning, $!{nick}. If you're free today, I would like to fulfill my promise of taking you to one of my favorite places."

"Oh, and tell Ash that ${ash_he}'s free to tag along as well."

Oh, right, you almost forgot that Rin kind of promised to take you out yesterday in front of the whole group. Not only that, ${rin_he} had also invited Ash. You immediately feel your heart beating a bit faster and you decide to leave it on read for now.

You move on to the next text…

# Skylar's.

# Santana's.

*  *  *  *  *

[Santana's text if you have good friendship with them but no romance]

It's from Santana, who just sent you the message around fifteen minutes ago. $!{san_he} said:

"Hope I'm not bothering your rest, $!{name}. I just want to tell you that I'm planning to go look through the archives to try narrow down some suspects from the info we have so far."

"Can't promise it will be fruitful, but at least it will feel like we're making progress."

Sorting through a bunch of papers and folders doesn't really sound appealing, but if it can help you get closer to your quarry even by a bit, you'll gladly do it. There's also something else you've been thinking about asking Santana for, but you're not sure whether ${san_he} would agree to do it or if you even have the courage to go through with it in the first place.

But still… It might be something worthwhile to do. You're not ready to give your answer right now, but you'll think about it and make your decision before you leave.

*  *  *  *  *

"Morning, Ash," you greet ${ash_him} as you as you turn the corner and enter the kitchen. The sight that greets you, however, stops you in your tracks.

Ash is currently sandwiching a piece of sliced bread in between ${ash_his} bare hands. $!{ash_his} palms are glowing reddish-orange and the smell of the bread being toasted wafts out with the wisps of smoke. Ash, in the meantime, is watching the process intently, the tip of ${ash_his} tongue poking out between ${ash_his} lips in an adorable display of concentration.

“Are you seriously using your power to toast bread right now?” you ask incredulously.

$!{ash_he} jolts slightly and turns to look at you, a sheepish smile plastered on ${ash_his} face. “Uh, yeah. Tried to make some with the toaster, but it broke,” ${ash_he} explains, nodding in the direction of the said toaster. $!{ash_he} lifts ${ash_his} hand to check on the bread. It's a beautiful golden brown on both sides. Ash nods and grins in smug satisfaction before taking a bite.

You just blink in half-amazement, half-bafflement. “You know you can just use the stove and a pan, right?”

“Eh,” ${ash_he} waves your suggestion away. “Too lazy to do that, and I don't want to wash too many dishes; I have somewhere to be after this.”

“Oh, what's your plan for today?” you ask ${ash_him} as you pass by to make a cup of ${drink}.

Suddenly, ${ash_his} smile falters and ${ash_he} fidgets in place, betraying ${ash_his} nervousness even more. “How about we have breakfast first?” ${ash_he} says instead, flashing you a tight smile.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🎉

Hi guys! Just want to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you 🥰 I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and are enjoying the holidays 😊 And, as always, I also want to say thank you for all of your amazing support! Without all of you, this wouldn't be possible.

As for the update, I'm currently still working on it and cramming as much writing as I could these past few busy days. I'm hoping to post a little sneak peek/snippet in the next few days 🤭😄

Anyway, that's all I have for today. I'm writing this post to wish you all a happy holiday and thank you for all the support 💖 Please, do enjoy the rest of the holiday and stay safe!

Side Story Poll (for January 2024)

Hey guys! 👋 The time has come to vote on ideas for this month's side story.

I'll list out the ideas below and then you guys can vote on which one you want to see for next month. There are quite a lot of new suggestions made, so all of the options for this month would be different ones than from the previous ones. 😁

1.)  What-if Skylar attend MC's birthday party and meet them. Skylar and their family were actually invited to MC's birthday in Chapter 2, but they didn't attend 😆 So this is a what-if they actually attended the party and met MC there for the first time instead of at the Agency building later on after the whole stuff with Yvette went down.

2.) Luka's or Grandpa's POV of watching MC grow up over the years. Specifically, MC who grows to be taller than both of them. It would be bittersweet, seeing MC grow up but Viktor is not there to see it himself 😢 I'll decide whether I'll do Luka's or Grandpa's POV once I get to write it.

3.) Continuation of Winter Soldier AU story. Last time, we left off with Viktor finally finding MC. The next part will continue with Viktor bringing MC to the family compound and him, Ash, Luka, and Grandpa trying to see how much MC remembers of their past. It might be written in MC's POV this time.

4.) Skylar discussing Ruthless Superhero MC with Yvette. Ooh this one's interesting 👀 Basically, Skylar who's dating a ruthless Superhero MC having discussion with Yvette after MC kills one or more villains during an altercation.

5.) Drunk Tsundere MC accidentally confesses to Skylar. This one would be funny to write for sure 😆

6.) Ash's POV of being with MC when MC first met Yvette in the comic store. A what-if where Ash didn't get grounded and actually got to join MC and Viktor to the comic book store.

The poll will be open for around a week 😁 (around 2nd January) Let me know which one you guys are most interested in with the polls, and feel free to leave some comments on them below if you want to 💕

Extra Side Story - One Autumn Morning (Pt. 2)

Here's the second part!

[PART 1]

* * * * *

You let the conversation die off and Luka seems content for now to let you eat your brunch in peace. However, he doesn’t seem to have much appetite as you see him merely pushing pieces of his apple pie around in his plate after taking a few more bites. The vanilla ice cream has all but melted, mixing with the caramel sauce and making the smiley face look more like a crying face with a faltering smile. How apt.

“If you’re not going to finish that, then just let me have it,” you huff in annoyance. You still have a stomach for dessert.

“Hm?” He glances up. “Uh, sure.” He then pushes his plate to you before standing up. “I need to use the restroom,” he tells you before walking off.

You, for one, are relieved to have a little bit of alone time to try sorting out your messy feelings about all of this. What do you feel about Luka? Do you love him like he does you? You’ve never thought about it--or maybe you actively try not to.

But now that he has opened the can of worms, you let yourself think about what would it be like to finally be with someone who you can trust, to not be lonely again, to not have to face everything yourself, to have someone who supports and truly cares for you. It’s something you have not dared imagine since you were just a young boy. It has always felt like a faraway dream, an unreachable goal.

Now, suddenly, it doesn’t seem like such an impossible thing anymore… And your first instinct is to run away from it. You’re such a mess…

The important question is whether that someone for you is Luka. You think about his stupid, handsome face, those little smiles that you know are only reserved for you and his family, the way he gushes (or complains) about his beloved niblings to you, the way his eyes light up when you ask him questions about some random films and you know he’ll start ranting about cinema like a nerd he is--

You stop as you realize you’re smiling and your heart is, once again, beating faster in your chest.

Fuck… You’ve got it just as bad as he does, do you?

The realization hits you like a truck and you have to forcibly shove as many apple pie bits in your mouth to get rid of your smile and to distract yourself just in time for him to come back, looking slightly more refreshed.

He plops back down to his seat with a weary sigh. “Tyoma…” he starts and you try to keep your face flat as you hum in reply. “I know this is probably the worst time and place for me to lay my feelings bare for you.”

“You don’t say…” you can’t help but deadpan.

“Look, I’m not going to coerce you into saying yes. If you’re worried that the protection agreement we arranged will expire if you say no, then I’ll reassure you that I won’t do that. It will keep standing the way it is until either of us says otherwise.”

You can’t help but realize that’s the least of your worries right now. Concerns about his future safety is more paramount in your mind. But you just stay quiet as you let him continue.

“If… If you have no romantic feelings for me at all and have always seen what’s going on between us to be nothing more than some fun phsycial thing, then I promise I won’t ever ask you this question or ever talk about it ever again,” he says quietly. “And maybe… Maybe we can keep the thing between us the way it is…”

You know you should take this lifeline given to you, say that it has always been strictly fun physical thing for you, shut this whole thing down before it can bloom into something that may hurt people around him. After all, that’s all you’re good at, bringing trouble and misery wherever you go.

Fuck whatever you’re feeling; they are insignificant. Maybe a decade from now, you’ll find yourself thinking back on the days spent with him fondly and picturing what could’ve been, and you’ll end up regretting the decision you made and hate and can’t forgive yourself for it.

So… nothing new. And that’ll be a problem for future you to deal with--if you even made it that long.

You open your mouth to say it, but you find that… you can’t do it. Your throat and chest tighten, as if in cahoots to physically stop you from uttering the words. So, you end up closing it again without saying anything. You must’ve looked like a goldfish right now.

Of course when it is time for you to finally do something selfless, your heart and body rebel against you. What a selfish bastard you are, huh.

You don’t know what kind of expression you’re wearing right now--you’ve stopped caring like about five to ten minutes ago--but whatever it is, it causes Luka to quickly add, “No pressure, though. I want you to think about it very carefully so I don’t expect you to give me an answer today. Just… Don’t make me wait forever, please…”

“Okay…” you answer stupidly, still feeling overwhelmed with… everything.

“Good,” he sighs in relief, his tense shoulders relaxing. “Now, if you’re done eating, how about we go to a movie? If you’re free, of course,” he clarifies as he puts his gloves back on before getting up to do the same with his overcoat.

“Sure, why not,” you answer as you move to stand as well. You suppose he’s really gonna pretend like he didn’t just bare his heart and soul to you just a few minutes ago. “Let me go pay first.”

“No need,” he says, brushing down any wrinkles from his jacket. “I’ve paid for our bill when I went to the bathroom earlier.”

“You sly bastard,” you groan. “It was supposed to be my treat.”

He smiles apologetically, “Consider it an apology for dropping such a bombshell and ruining our brunch.”

“Fine. But you gotta let me pay for the popcorn and drinks at the cinema later on,” you warn as you walk toward the front door. The chilly air and the sun's rays immediately hit you as you step out of the diner, making you pull your cap down even lower instinctively.

Luka falls into step beside you, hands casually in his pockets. “Are you cold?” he asks. “Here, you can borrow my coat. I think I’ll be able to handle the cold until we get to the car.”

“What? W-Wait, no, no,” you quickly grab his arm to stop him as he starts to shrug the jacket off. “I don’t need it okay? I’m already wearing a windbreaker and I’m not made out of glass,” you huff as you feel your cheeks warming up.

He stops and smirks slightly at your clearly flustered response. “Alright, if you say so,” he shrugs.

The parking lot building where Luka decided to park his car is just a couple of blocks away. He wanted to just park in front of the diner, but you told him that would be too flashy. You don’t really want to attract the wrong kind of attention. It’s a beautiful day anyway, you don’t mind a little stroll in a beautiful autumn noon.

Pulling out your phone, you type in a quick search for movies that are currently showing in theatres. “So… Which movie do you wanna watch?” you ask Luka as you scan the list. You don’t really know any of them.

“Your pick,” he answers with a grin.

“What? But I don’t know anything about movies…” you complain.

“You don’t need to be knowledgeable about movies to choose which movie to watch, you know,” Luka says amusedly. “Just choose which one interests you the most.”

“Hmm… So, you don’t mind if I wanna watch this one movie about…” You enlarge the poster. “Sharks falling out of tornadoes?” you grin as you watch his reaction.

Luka’s grin becomes visibly strained. “Suuree…” he grits out. The expression he’s making is gold and you quickly open your phone’s camera and snap a picture, laughing all the while.

He immediately drops the smile and pouts adorably. “Hey, delete that. I don’t want an embarrassing pic of me smiling being spread around on the Internet.”

You bring your phone to your chest protectively. “Never. And don’t worry, this is for my eyes only. I won’t ever show this to anyone else, okay? Maybe your niblings can see it too actually.”

“Please, no,” he groans. “They won’t ever let me live it down.”

The rest of the walk is peaceful as the two of you continue talking about trivial things. It is moments like this that you really enjoy. For most of your life, you don’t have someone you trust enough to let your guard down like this. To imagine going back to a life without his company after years of moments like this… It’s almost unbearable.

There’s a lull in your conversation and even though most of the awkward tension between the two of you has dissipated, it’s clear that the confession incident from earlier is still fresh at the back of both of your minds. You take a furtive glance at him when you are sure he’s not looking.

It hurts because you know deep inside, you really want to be with him, and if not for your shitty circumstances, you would have said yes without any hesitation. A little part of you says that after all you’ve been through, you deserve to be a little bit selfish, that you deserve to finally be truly happy, even if it might only be temporary.

Just say yes, you fool… Maybe everything you fear won’t come true and you’re just letting your one chance pass by for nothing.

The beep sound of the car doors being unlocked brings you out of your reverie. “Are you okay, Tyoma?” you hear Luka ask you softly, tone laced with concern as he looks down at you.

You blink and look around; you don’t even realize that you are already in the parking lot building. To be fair, you’ve got more important things to mull about on the way here.

Do you dare? To be selfish again? Even if it might hurt the only person you care about in this entire rotten world?

Instead of answering, you reach out and take one of his hands in yours. “Did you really mean it?” you ask quietly before clarifying, “Everything you told me back there in the diner.”

Luka snaps out of his surprise and answers without a moment of hesitation, “Yes. Every single word. I can’t keep denying it; I love you… And whatever predicament that will come our way, we’ll figure it out together. I promise.” He takes your other hand. “Do you… feel the same way about me?” he asks nervously, his eyes full of hope as he looks at you.

“I do,” you simply say before grabbing the lapels of his coat and pulling him down for a kiss, eyes closed because you just want to savor it and get lost in it.

He gasps before returning the kiss eagerly, his hands instinctively closing around your waist, pulling you even deeper into his embrace until your body is flush against his. This is far from the first kiss between the two of you, but somehow, this one feels more different than the usual ones you’ve had before.

It’s slow, gentle, soft even, and the passion and feelings the two of you have seep through the kiss clearly, unlike the rough and rushed, lust-filled ones you’re familiar with. There are underlying hints of angst and pining coloring it as you feel him tighten his hold, as if afraid you’ll run away after this is all over.

No… No more running…

But mostly, there is a sense of relief, a catharsis as the feelings that the two of you have suppressed and ignored for years are finally acknowledged--and reciprocated by the other person.

This will either end badly or you’ll probably have your happy ever after. But honestly, right now, you’re too busy making out with your boyfriend to think further about it.

Extra Side Story - One Autumn Morning (Pt. 1)

Hey guys 👋 I have an extra side story for you guys this month.  It's 4.5K words total and it wouldbe split into two parts. Once again, the extra side story is from Jackal's POV. It tells the story of how Luka and Jackal became an official couple 🤭This also doubles to further extend the backstory of the two's relationship.

I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * * * *

It’s a beautiful and sunny autumn day. The whole day of rain yesterday seems to have washed away the pollution of the city, leaving the sky crystal blue today with only hints of wispy white clouds. You’re not a superstitious person per se, but it almost feels like the weather is currently reflecting your good mood.

You’ve just got paid good for a recent job you finished and you decide to take Luka out for a casual brunch—as is the usual tradition between you two after a… steamy night, although most of the time, it’s Luka who took you out to some fancy places in the city. Sadly, you don’t have that amount of spare money to spend on that kind of eatery. So, you chose to take him to this one old diner you love going to every now and then, located in the less fancy part of downtown.

You and Luka are sitting in ‘The Vinyl Booth’ diner, sitting in a booth that’s securely tucked at the back corner. You would have preferred to sit in one of the seats right by the windows at the front to enjoy the scenery, but Luka is too paranoid for that.

Speaking of him, he painfully stands out from all the other people here, like a fish out of water, with his designer black turtleneck and expensive overcoat. You already told him not to expect you to bring him to one of the fancy places he frequents and to just dress casually He said that this is as casual as he can get.

The two of you ended up discussing and bantering about what is casual and what can be considered one the whole way here.

Well, at least he has taken off his overcoat and folded it neatly beside him. He’s sitting across from you, and you find that, instead of the menu on the table in front of him, he’s studying you with an inscrutable expression on his face. You notice that he’s been looking at you weirdly ever since you woke up this morning in his bed. Okay, maybe from last night too, but you didn’t really trust your tipsy self’s perception.

You can feel that he wants to say something, the words are practically at the tip of his tongue, but something is holding him back somehow. You hate it, and the fact you can’t discern whether it’s something good or bad just adds to your anxiety.

Maybe he has finally had enough of your little liaison. Why? Maybe he has snapped back into his senses and realized that harboring and sleeping with someone highly sought by a family of the Triads is not the best choice he has made in his life.

Or maybe he has just simply grown bored of you.

That last one hurts the most, you’re not going to lie. You’re aware that the biggest possibility that he even agreed to sleep with you in the first place is because he considers it a novelty—as is the nature of most rich people. If he were to look for someone more handsome, or richer, or more influential to sleep with, he would have no shortages of them in this city alone and you’re 100% sure most of them would happily throw themselves at him.

You’re not delusional either, you know sooner or later, this little weird protection arrangement mixed with the friends-with-benefit thing will end. The fact that this even goes on for years is already insane. Your luck is bound to run out one day.

But still, doesn't mean it won’t hurt. The thought of returning back to the life of running that you have known for almost the entirety of your adult years… Back to being all alone again… Leaving him and probably never seeing him again for the remainder of your life…

You bring the menu up in a snap to cover most of your face, as if the face mask and cap you’re wearing are not enough. It’s been a while since you last felt such intense emotions like this. Sadness, trepidation, dread, and hints of anger at yourself all swirl and broil in your chest, resulting in an almost nauseating concoction.

Before you can steel your nerves enough to tell him to spit it out, the waitress comes back to take your order, lifting the tension slightly.

“May I take your order, sirs?” she beams at you and Luka, eyes lingering seconds longer on Luka, making you frown slightly.

“Steak, please, extra rare,” you smile widely, making sure it reaches your eyes.

That seems to unnerve her a bit and her own smile falters. “Extra rare…?”

“Yes,” you answer in faux-cheerfulness before carrying on as if it’s something completely normal. “Oh, and fries instead of mashed potatoes, please. And one chocolate milkshake.”

She decides to not question your choice further and just jots down your order dutifully before turning to Luka, her smile returning.

“And you, sir?” she asks.

“Uh, just your apple pie and black coffee, please,” he says, handing her the menu back.

“Coming right up,” she says enthusiastically before bending down to grab the menu in front of you as well and skipping away.

Luka sighs as he takes off his leather gloves and sets them aside on the table. He reaches into the pocket of the coat beside him to dig out his fancy case of cigarettes and an equally exquisite lighter. You watch his movement carefully, the way his elegant and long fingers deftly open the case, and pluck a cigarette out before snapping the case back close with a satisfying click and putting it beside his gloves.

“Thought you are quitting smoking,” you point out.

“I am,” he answers with the cigarette in between his teeth. “But I need one right now.” Bringing the lighter up, he lights the cigarette.

You purse your lips; you know he only smokes occasionally when stressed out. “Any particular reason why?” you ask anyway despite your suspicion.

He takes a drag languidly before turning to the side and blowing the smoke out away from your face; you appreciate it. “Tyoma… I… I need to tell you something,” he says. If the smoking hasn’t betrayed his nervousness, his tone certainly does.

Tyoma… Sometimes, it still feels weird to get called by your nickname. No one else other than your mother has ever used that… Maybe your father once, but you were too young to properly remember.

Anyway, the words that come after that are what’s making your heart beat uncomfortably hard in your chest. It’s ridiculous how that simple sentence—coming out of the mouth of the right person—can give you anxiety more intense than the ones you’ve felt even in years, surpassing even those you felt in a close fight.

“Only if you promise that it’s not something stupid,” you try to joke, but the tightness in your throat ends up making it sound more like a curt and annoyed statement.

He frowns as he brings up the cigarette again and takes another, deeper drag, drumming the fingers of his left hand on the table as he does so. He seems even more nervous, which, in return, feeds into your anxiety even more.

Grabbing the ashtray from the side, you push it towards him in a bit of agitation. He takes the cigarette out and hovers it over the ashtray so the ashes fall in it instead of on the table.

“Well, stupidity is subjective, isn’t it? I don’t think what I am about to say is stupid, but you might think otherwise,” he mutters, and even you can see clearly through it for what it is: an attempt to buy more time and stall the inevitable.

You’re not in the mood to entertain that at all. You just want him to get it out of the way as quickly as possible, like ripping a bandaid off.

“Luka,” you sigh, looking up at him. “Please, just fucking say it.”

Years ago, the prospect of cursing at the Head of the Morozov Family was unthinkable to you—maybe it still is… But right now, Luka is sitting across from you not as the Head of the Morozov Family, but simply as himself…

Luka closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time now…” he starts.

This is it… you think to yourself. He’s going to end the relationship… and most likely, the protection arrangement too… You bite the bottom of your lips so hard that you taste your own blood trickling onto your tongue as you brace yourself.

Opening his eyes, he sets his gray steely gaze at you. He stubs the cigarette in his right hand on the ashtray almost aggressively. His hands snap out as quick as a snake as he reaches out and holds your hands in his. The action takes you by complete surprise, but it doesn’t compare to the next words that come out of his mouth.

“I think I’m in love with you, Tyoma,” he declares.

You blink owlishly at him, frozen in place. “W—What…?” you whisper, almost inaudible.

“I love you,” he repeats again. “And I think—maybe we can go steady…?” The tone of his voice lilts up at the end in hopefulness; it reminds you of a kid asking for something.

This gotta be a joke because no way…

You start chuckling and Luka shifts in his seat, tilting his head slightly as he tries to discern whether it’s a good kind of chuckle or the derision kind. Honestly, you don’t even know. A bewildered one maybe? “Luka, April was months away. It’s October now.”

“I’m being serious right now,” he frowns and you can see hints of hurt in his usually cool grey eyes as he grips your hands tighter, as if to make a point of showing his seriousness.

Once again, the waitress comes to your rescue because she somehow chooses that time to return with your orders. You quickly withdraw your hands from Luka’s and Luka also pulls his hands back, although more reluctantly. The waitress’ eyes glance back and forth between you and Luka as she serves the meals.

“Enjoy!” she beams again, and maybe it’s your imagination, but her smile seems to have a hint of mischievousness to it, as if she knows what’s going on between the two of you now. She probably does after the hand-holding thing.

Taking the chance to avoid the conversation at hand, you decide to dig into your rare steak--well, you asked for extra rare, but it seems the chef had taken the liberty to translate that as rare. You feel Luka staring at you and you glance up to see him smiling slightly as he watches you.

Seeing that he has been caught red-handed, he looks away and starts poking at his apple pie. The waitress seems to have given him an extra huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and has drawn a smiley face with the caramel sauce on the side.

“First time ever confessing my feelings to someone and this is how it turns out. Just my luck, huh,” Luka chuckles mirthlessly before scooping a huge chunk of pie into his mouth.

“That’s your fault for confessing to me,” you mumble, stabbing a poor piece of french fry with your fork harder than you mean to. “If you have done it to anyone else in the city, I bet most of them would be elated and some probably would have passed out at your feet,” you scoff before continuing to cut into your steak.

“What does it matter if it’s not someone I love,” he sighs, settling his chin on the palm of his hand pensively.

“I don’t understand,” you say, gesturing with the fork and knife in your hands. “You could’ve literally anyone in this goddamn city that you want. Someone more handsome and less scarred, someone more influential, someone richer, someone who’s… I don’t know, less abrasive? Why me? A foreign nobody?”

“I don’t know. My heart never really tells me why. It just did, as cheesy as it sounds.” He pushes the bits of pie on his plate, not looking at you. “Also, don’t worry, your scars add to your charm for sure,” he grins as he glances up at you.

Your cheeks heat up and your heart races in your chest--a different kind from the one you experienced before, this one is slightly more pleasant but also weird at the same time.  “That’s not what we agreed to,” you point out weakly.

“That was years ago, Tyoma,” he sighs. “Things change and I think somewhere along the line, I caught real feelings for you.”

“Then you should’ve nipped those feelings in the bud before they lead to… this,” you wince. “Believe me, nothing good will come out of being with me, Luka… Or have you forgotten that I am being hunted down? I’ve told you what I did right? They won’t stop until either I am dead or they are.”

“Then we’ll face them together.” His voice is soft, nothing more than a whisper.

You shake your head gently. “How can you be so naive? You’ll put your whole family in danger, the people you truly care about.”

“You are one of the said people,” he insists. “And I’m already taking you under my family’s protection anyway. What will this change?”

He still doesn’t get it, does he? You should’ve known that it would be a mistake to sleep with him. “Because,” you groan in frustration. “If you hadn’t caught feelings, if it only stayed the non-committed and non-emotional thing we agreed to in the first place, it would be easier for you to just stop the protection when things get heated up for real. It would be easier for you to… I don’t know, just hand me over to them to keep your family and yourself safe.”

He blinks in surprise. “You expect me to throw you under the bus like that? Is that the kind of person you think I am?” he asks.

You send him a grim smile. “It’s what logical and the best course of action for you to take. And not the first time someone tried to do that to me. I would not hold it against you if you did that.” You shrug.

“There’s no way in hell I’ll even think of doing that. Never to you,”  he says in determination. “Even if you rejected my confession.”

“See… You just prove my point… You’ve become too attached to me for your own good,” you sigh. “I thought the Morozovs have ice for hearts like their name implies. That’s what all people told me, you know.”

Luka scoffs, “At the end of the day, no matter how ruthless, we are still human beings and saddled with emotions and loved ones.”

[PART 2]

Side Story Ideas Request (for December 2023)

Hey guys! It's time for you guys to request what this month's side story is about and who it is going to feature! Feel free to request any characters, scenarios, and AUs (either wholesome or angsty). These requests and ideas will then be further voted on by you guys.

I'll be open and receive the ideas for around two weeks or so this time (until around 23 December, GMT+8). Feel free to leave them here in the comments or in the #side-story-request channel on the Patreon section of the Discord server!

There are also still some ideas remaining from the previous months and some of them might return for the upcoming poll, especially if there are not too many ideas/requests this month. Feel free to let me know too if you want to see some of them in this next poll! 🥰

Here are some ideas from last and previous months:

• Continuation of Winter Soldier AU.
• What-if Ash was there with MC when they first met Yvette.
• Skylar discussing Ruthless Superhero MC with Yvette.
• Drunk Tsundere MC accidentally confesses to Skylar.
• Luka's or Grandpa's POV of watching MC grow up over the years.
• Ash's POV of the Voice reappearing.
• Anyone's POV of MC birthday after Viktor died.
• Viktor's POV of the night he died.

Progress Update (15 Dec 2023)

Hi guys 👋 First of all, I'm sorry for the period of silence the past couple of weeks.  I've been really busy with IRL stuff. My parents decided to do some renovation and wanted it done preferably before the Holidays and New Year, so I've been helping them. The renovations are really close to finishing now, so I've been getting more of my free time back.

Despite the business of the past couple of weeks, I still tried and managed to keep writing and chip on the update every night when I finally got home. I didn't have much energy to spare so I decided to focus the remaining energy I had for the day in writing.

Speaking of writing, I've decided to switch the order of the schedule around a bit, so instead of working on the Christmas side story this month, I decide to work on the next update for the main story first, since I already have a pretty clear picture on what's going to happen in the update in my head (except for some unplanned scenes or sequence that might pop up as I write 😆). I hope you guys won't mind reading a Christmas side story a bit later after Christmas.

What's the next update gonna be, you might ask? It's going to be the LONG-AWAITED FIRST HANGOUT SESSION WITH ASH 😁 I'll talk more about it in detail in future progress updates but I'm really excited to write it and and see you guys enjoy it!

I also have an Extra Side Story for this month for you guys! It'll be posted tomorrow and will be available early for all patrons across all tiers.

I'll also be opening the monthly side story request tomorrow for those in the Morozov Enforcer and Morozov Ally tier 😊 And for those in the Morozov Ally tier, I have just posted a poll to determine which RO would get their portrait commissioned this month yesterday, please do cast your vote if you haven't, especially since right now, by the time I write this post, it's in a three-way tie 😭

That's all I have for you today, guys! As always, thank you so much for the support and I hope  you guys have an amazing day and week! 💖

Nov 2023 - Spicy Side Story

Hey guys, sorry for the delay on the November spicy side story. I've been really busy these past few weeks and I will talk more about it in the Progress Update coming tomorrow. But it's starting to die down now and I'm having more and more free time to work on the main story. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this spicy side story! The pairing is Male Ash x Female MC.

* * * * *

You are sitting in the living room, lazily lounging on the sofa when the front door unlocks and opens roughly. The sudden loud sound makes you jump slightly and you quickly turn around to see… Ash stomping into the living room area where you’re sitting.

“Ash…? What’s wrong?” you ask worriedly.

The glower on his face immediately softens as he lays his eyes on you. Now, he just looks more tired and stressed out than pissed off. “Sorry for scaring you. I thought you’d be in bed at this hour,” he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck in guilt.

“I missed you and I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d wait for you here,” you tell him. “Come here.” You pat the sofa you’re sitting on. He obliges and plops down right beside you with a weary sigh. You immediately get on his lap and he leans back slightly with a chuckle to accommodate you.

“So, tell me what’s wrong. Are you hurt?” you gasp and quickly scan him for any injuries.

“Not physically, but my morale is,” he groans, resting his forehead on your shoulder. “You know the guy I’ve been tailing and hunting for the past month or so?”

“Yeah, you told me about him and your mission a while back,” you frown.

He nods. “Well, today was supposed to be the day he died. But somehow, he found out, and when I got to his safehouse, he was already gone. Everything’s cleaned out too so now, I have to start the hunt all over again, and this time with a quarry that knows it’s being chased.”

He sounds so tired that it’s breaking your heart. You embrace him, cradling his head to your neck as you run your fingers through his tousled hair soothingly. Almost immediately, the tenseness in his body melts away and he closes his eyes with a pleased sigh.

The two of you stay that way for a couple of minutes or so, just enjoying each other’s company as you try to soothe your boyfriend. Pulling away slightly, you cup his face in your hands lovingly. “Just ask Uncle Luka to hand the assignment to someone else. He’ll understand,” you tell him before leaning down and peppering kisses on his face. “Or I can ask him for you tomorrow.”

He tries to shake his head in your grip, chuckling as he grabs one of your hands and brings it to his lips to kiss it. “No need for now, love,” he whispers. “I’ll try to finish what I started. But I may need his help in finding out the possible traitor that screwed up this whole mission,” he snarls.

“Alright, but promise me you will ask him to reassign the assignment if it ever becomes too much for you,” you say sternly.

“I promise, okay? So, don’t worry too much about it,” he smiles before leaning in to kiss you.

As always, his lips run much hotter than you expected; you don’t think you’ll ever get completely used to it. His hands slip under the hem of your oversized t-shirt--well, not yours exactly and that’s why the size doesn’t quite fit you. With the hem falling down to your mid-thighs and the sleeves reaching the crooks of your elbows, it is a very cozy shirt indeed.

Well, coziness is not the only reason why you make a habit of wearing his clothes. You’re also aware that he loves it and that it always gets him going whenever you do it.

Ash seems to realize this too because when he pulls away to take a breath. “You’re stealing my t-shirt again,” he points out with an amused--and also a hungry--grin on his face.

You pout playfully, “I’m borrowing, not stealing!”

“How can you be so adorable?,” he cooes before leaning in and starts nipping at your throat, undoubtedly leaving marks there for the next couple of days.

The hands underneath your t-shirt moves upward, leaving trails of goosebumps as his fingers glide lightly. You are not really wearing anything underneath the oversized t-shirt other than a pair of underwear. He cups your breasts in his warm and calloused hands before kneading and massaging them while the thumbs play with your sensitive nipples.

In return, you start grinding down onto his lap and you can feel him getting hard. You move to take off the t-shirt to give him better access, but he pulls away and stops you. “Don’t. Keep it on.”

You cock an eyebrow, lips pulled into a grin. “Yessir,” you tease him before getting off him, patting him in the thigh as you do so. “Now, wait for a second here.”

Skipping over to the big and sleek coffee table in the middle of the living room, you open one of the drawers and reach around inside until you finally manage to grab the item you’ve been looking for: lube. Ash watches your every movement, seemingly captivated as you bend down and unbutton his jeans.

You hook your finger on the band of his briefs and grab his straining member; it’s already half-hard. He sucks in a breath sharply through his teeth as you squirt a generous amount of lube and starts stroking.

“Sasha…” he gasps and you look up just as he gazes down at you. You just grin as you hold his gaze, continuing to drag your slick palms up and down and bringing him to full hardness.

Climbing back onto his lap, you slowly lower yourself, relishing in the feeling of him entering you and scraping your sensitive walls. Ash groans as he throws his head back from the sensation. You take the chance to dive forward and pepper kisses on his jaw and throat as you move up and down at a languid pace.

It doesn’t take long for Ash to begin thrusting up in time with your bounce. You gasp in pleasure as you feeI him penetrating you even deeper. It never fails to amaze you how hot his cock is even when he’s literally buried in you; a little perk of being a pyrokinetic, you guess.

His hands move to hold your hips as he starts to make love to you in earnest and you happily let him set the pace—and do most of the work as well.

“Sasha…” you hear him whisper right in your ear, his hot breath tickling your earlobe. “Hold on, just let me—” He doesn’t even bother to finish his sentence and that’s the only warning you get as he immediately embraces you and swings you to the side so you’re now lying comfortably on the sofa with him on top of you, but not before making you yelp in surprise and grip his shoulders tightly.

“Ash!” you scold him in an incredulous tone. “I need more warning than that next time.”

He just grins sheepishly, “Sorry, Sasha.”

Ugh, how can you stay angry at that adorable face? You pout before moving your hands up to the back of his neck and pulling him down for another kiss, which he gladly obliges.

He starts moving inside you again and this time, he can angle his thrusts better. You moan and gasp as he finds that one spot that sends lightning of pleasures running up your spine. Your moans and gasps are devoured in the kiss and they soon devolve into shrieks as Ash pulls away from the kiss and focuses his effort on hitting the same spot over and over again.

It doesn’t take long for you to come undone, writhing underneath Ash as bright pulses of pleasure assaulting every senses in your body. Ash plunges into you even faster--a sign that he’s close as well. And sure enough, after a couple of strokes, he finishes inside of you with a loud groan, hips stilling as he buries himself deep. You instinctively circle your legs around his hips, making sure he doesn’t pull away and relishing in the the feeling of his hot seed filling you.

The two of you take the time to wind down, the only sounds in the room are both of your ragged breaths that you’re trying to calm. Ash gently drops on top of you, careful not to squish you too much. He lays his head on your bosom and you bring your hand up to run your fingers through his hair soothingly.

“Do you feel better now?” you ask him.

He nod.  “Far better,” he sighs. “Thank you, Sasha…”

You hum in response. “You’re still going to talk with Uncle Luka about reassigning the mission, right?” you pout. “If you don’t… I’ll go do it myself.”

“Alright, alright,” he chuckles, raising his head slightly so he can look up at you. “I promise I’ll do it tomorrow.” He then gets up to his elbows before leaning down to press an affectionate smooch on your brow. “Thank you for always worrying about me.”

Nov 2023 - Side Story (Part 2)

Here's the second and last part. For the first part, click here!

* * * * *

She hasn’t told you yet how the talk went. You really hope she didn’t flake on that and that it went well.

In an attempt to curb your boredom, you decide to check what people are talking about on social media. You take a peek at Twatter trending page, and… Yup, as expected, nothing good. Disturbingly enough, you saw not a few people seem to share or at least sympathize with the Nemesis Project’s vision.

You are aware that the superheroes and the system that all of you reside in right now are far from perfect, but whatever it is the Nemesis Project is doing… It’s not the answer too.

Having enough of Twatter, you check Facegram next; It’s the platform you’re most active in right now. And oh God, your DM requests are in the hundreds and you don’t even need to check to see they’re mostly from your fans asking whether you’re doing okay and to stay safe. The comments on your latest post are also the same.

You suppose it’s kind of sweet of them to think of you when you’re not even the target right now. Hmm… Maybe you should make an update post to assuage their worries later on.

You are so absorbed in your own thoughts that you don’t even notice that someone else has arrived and sat in the armchair next to you. Glancing up from your phone, you look at the newcomer. They’re scrolling on their own phone, unaware of you inspecting them.

You’ve never seen the person around the Agency Headquarters before, not even a glimpse, and you’d know because you pride yourself on being able to recognize and memorize faces pretty well.

There’s something familiar about the person sitting beside you, you can’t really place it but some of their features remind you of someone. And you won’t lie, they are kind of hot. Maybe it won’t hurt to introduce yourself and get to know each other.

“Psstt… Hey,” you whisper-shout at them.

They look up from their phone to send you a quizzical look. You notice their eyes scanning you from top to bottom; you wonder if they know who you are. Perhaps they’re just pretending to not know that you’re ‘Phase’ so as not to make things awkward. Your pride refuses to acknowledge that they probably have no idea who you or your superhero persona is.

“You look familiar…I’m wondering if we’ve ever met before?” you hum, telling them the truth. “We must’ve not, because I’d certainly never forget someone as gorgeous as you are,” you grin, winking at them charmingly. There’s no harm in doing a little flirting.

They scoff and turn away slightly, but not fast enough because you catch what looks like a hint of blush on their cheeks. That just makes your shit-eating grin even wider. “Soo cheesy. How many people have you used this line on?” they groan, glancing at you.

"Well, you might not believe me, but not a lot, honestly," you reassure them, the infuriating smile still plastered on your face. That’s kind of half a truth; you do have a lot of other pick-up lines in your arsenal other than this. "I only flirt with those I have an instant and special connection with," you add, which is… you have to admit to yourself, not really true, but in this case, it kind of is.

The stranger scrunches their nose in response. Oops, it seems like they’re not buying your sweet talk. "Oh, yeah? Which must've been at least half of the strangers you've just met. We don't even know each other's names," they sigh exasperatedly.

Ouch, they really have to call you out like that, huh? Also, contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually flirt with any strangers you meet. Sometimes, your friendliness and charm get mistaken for genuine flirting.

"Ah, I see. I gotta admit that it's pretty smooth how you're asking for my name without asking it directly," you tease them, ignoring the direct callout.

Their eyes widen instantly and this time, it’s clear that their cheeks are flushed. "W—What?! Don't be stupid! I don't wanna know your name!" they sputter out, crossing their arms defensively.

Awww, aren’t they just adorable? You’ve met a lot of people who respond to your flirts shyly, some who manage to match your level of flirting toe-to-toe, and others who just put up with it and are a bit irritated. But this is the first time you’ve ever met someone who reacts like this--denial mixed with irritation; your flirtations seem to be working, they just don’t want to admit it and actively try to fight against it.

"Too late to take it back now!" You shake your head playfully and snicker like a little kid. "Name's Skylar Moore, or more commonly known by the city as 'Phase'." You study their face, trying to see some kind of reaction to the revelation.

They look surprised--and not really the good kind if you have to say. In fact, they look a bit shaken. That’s not how people usually react to your identity, both private and the superhero persona. And just as quickly as it popped up, it disappeared, being replaced with more irritation. "Whatever… I already told you I'm not interested in knowing your name," they grumble.

Interesting… You really have to find out who this person is exactly; the curiosity is killing you right now.

They seem to get more annoyed and agitated the more you stare at them. “What are you smiling for?” they blurt out, the words less biting than intended.

"Nothing…" You shake your head softly before continuing as you mutter, "I wasn't kidding when I said you look familiar though."You tap your chin in contemplation before perking up and holding out your hand to them. "May I know your name, then?"

“Sasha Viktorovich Morozov,” they answer gruffly, taking your hand in theirs and not even three seconds have passed, they quickly pull their hands away with an awkward cough.

Ah, you see how it is. What a cute lil reaction!

It almost distracts you from the fact that the name Morozov gets brought up again, but this time, it is actually a Morozov sitting in front of you, in the flesh. You immediately know who they are as soon as they say their last name.“Oh! You're my mentor's child!” you exclaim excitedly.

So, this is the ‘young Morozov’, the one who just became one of the most sought-after bachelors/bachelorettes in the city.

But most importantly, they’re also Yvette’s estranged child. Huh, it seems the talk Yvette was dreading actually worked out pretty well. That’s the only reason why Sasha Morozov is sitting here right now, right?

“I should've figured that one out,” you continue before grinning, “After all, you're just as pretty as your mother! And that's saying something because she's one of the most beautiful superheroes in North America!”

That’s the truth. She has been mostly dominating the beauty section of Superhero awards for decades. No other superheroes, young or old, can compete with her so far. Her beauty is also one of the biggest draws of her superhero persona, turning a lot of people into her diehard fans.

"W—What are you—" they stutter, the flirtatious compliment taking them by surprise and flustering them again. "A—And no, she's not my mother…" they blurt out. "Well, not really anyway…"

“Oh—I’m sorry. I just thought that since she gave birth to you…” you trail off awkwardly.

They shake your head lightly. "Being a mother is not simply giving birth to someone…" they sigh. "No more questions, please. I don't wannna talk about it."

That’s fair and you understand what they meant. It amuses you slightly how both mother and chid are just as unenthusiastic to talk about each other, which is a shame because you’re really curious about what happened between them, the rich history. But you’ll still respect their wishes and stop prodding.

Maybe once you’ve befriended or dated Sasha—and yes, you will achieve both—they’d be more willing to open up to you.

“Of course! Of course! And I can see your point,” you quickly reassure them. “But still, my compliment stands true.”

They pout at the firtarion and turn away—probably to hide their reddening face again. "Thanks… I think you look decent as well," they mumble quietly, so quiet in fact that you almost fail to catch it—but you don’t. And thank God, because you’d be so pissed off at yourself if missied that little concession.

"How about we take a selfie together right now and I'll post it on my Facegram story and maybe we can let the people vote on who's prettier, hm?" you tease.

"What? No way! I'm not taking a step near you," they scoff. "Also, your diehard simps will vote for you anyway. So, it's not fair." They cross your arms in indignation.

You ought to be at least slightly offended that they just called your fanbase simps, but honestly, they’re not that wrong. Most of them are attracted by your charm and looks, and some by the status if your family, instead of your awesome powers.

"Haha! I'm just teasing you," you chuckle, although deep down, you’d really be down for the little friendly competition.

Maybe one day…

You continue, “So, you're here for the meeting too, right?”

“Yeah, but it seems like your CEO is still busy, huh?” They click your tongue in annoyance as they check the time.

You check your phone’s homescreen. It's 1:03 PM. You’ve been waiting here for a little over half an hour.

“I don't think it'll be much longer,” you hums. “I say, let's use this time to get into the next step in our relationship. How about you ask me questions now to get to know me better?"  you offer, flashing them one of your most charming smiles, ones that are meant for TVs, ads, and interviews.

They blink in surprise as they stare at you. Not to feed your ego, but they might be a bit dazzled by your smile. And then they pout again, which is such an adorable expression on their face, as they contemplate on your offer.

Ever since you become a superhero, you haven’t really had the time to actively pursue a serious romantic relationship. Not really out of fear of your career’s downfall, which is a concern that a lot of your colleagues seem to have, but more because or business and no one in particular have really caught your interest. Until now.

Maybe some people would call you privileged for being so financially secure that you don’t really care to be particularly careful about your career. Honestly, your reason is simpler; you just refuse to let these unhinged and parasocial ‘fans’ dictate how you live your life. You just want to be happy doing what you want.

And right now, one of those wants is to woo and hopefully have a serious relationship with Sasha Morozov—who also happens to be your mentor’s child. You’re pretty confident Yvette would approve, but for the Morozovs, it’s harder to say since you’ve never interacted with any of them before. But you’re sure you’ll be abe to charm them—it always works!

As for your parents… They’ll be ecstatic as hell, probably gonna throw a big party to celebrate you gettinf together with the supposed Morozov heir. Ughh… You can already see your mother’s smug face and your father telling you that he and your mother have always known what’s best for you. The image almost makes you shudder.

But you’re nothing if not determined and you won’t let these little roadbumps get in the way of love. Okay, there’s also a major roadbump, namely Sasha’s mother being targetted by the group, but you’re positive and confident that your little task force group will be able to stop it before the two-week deadline—or at least keep Yvette alive if the deadline passed.

Either way, whether you’ll succeed in your little quest for love, it should prove to be an interesting and memorable experience.

Finally, Sasha seem to make up their mind, and you can practically feel the questions just dripping on the edge of their tongue as their own beautiful grey eyes swirl with as much curiosity that you have for them. You just smile wider as you patiently wait for their very first question—the first step towards a friendship… and maybe even a relationship.

Nov 2023 - Side Story (Part 1)

Hi guys 👋 Here's the side story for the month! This story is written from Skylar's POV and is basically an insight into what they thought when first meeting MC. I decided to choose Tsundere MC who's crushing on them because I think it would be the most interesting dynamic to write from Skylar's perspective 😆

It's 3.5 K words long and as always, I'll split it into two parts. I hope you guys enjoy it! I'll now get to writing the spicy side story next 😁

* * * * *

You yawn and stretch as you lounge languidly on the leather armchair. It has only been five minutes or so of waiting, but you’re already itching to move and get on with your day. The hallway you’re sitting in is silent, except for the ambient sounds, which include the faint instrumental music playing on the speakers and the muffled voices talking coming from Mrs. Kim’s office.

It doesn’t really help with your feeling of restlessness.

Mrs. Kim have summoned you to her office today to become an unofficial representative of the Agency and to meet with the representative from the ECPD, which you assume, will be whichever poor detective it is that handles this whole Nemesis project case. She hopes that the two institutions will be able to better organize and pool their resources for a more efficient and better effort in hunting down and stopping the group once and for all.

Why you’ve been chosen? You aren’t really sure, but after seeing your mentor being the next target, you are more than happy to take on the task.

A rhythmic sound of high heels clicking against the marble floor echoes down the corridor, making you turn to see the newcomer. A tall and elegant woman is striding your way--or more like towards Mrs. Kim’s office. Her brown hair is pulled up in a tight ponytail that makes you wince inside at how it must’ve felt pulling on her poor scalp. She’s wearing a clearly expensive red jumpsuit that matches her equally red lipstick.

Even without her domino mask, you clearly recognize her; she’s the superhero known as Phoenix. You’ve never really talked much with her other than some cordial exchanges of words and greetings. She’s a difficult person to get along with.

You consider greeting her, but she looks even more irritable than she already usually is, and right now, she doesn’t, she doesn’t seem to notice you. Her ire brews around her like a cloud of storm, and you happily let her pass you by.

She raps at the door three times before immediately opening it, not even waiting for Mrs. Kim to let her in or for her response at the very least. You hear the discussion inside die down a bit as she enters but it quickly picks back up again as soon as Phoenix closes the door behind her.

You totally understand all of these senior heroes' concerns and frustrations, of course. Two of their colleagues have been murdered and a third one is now marked for death in two weeks. Who knows who would be next in Nemesis’ crosshair?

This reminds you of your talk with your mentor yesterday. As soon as you saw the broadcast, you quickly contacted her, but she didn’t respond to any of your messages or calls that night. The next morning though, she finally texted you and asked to meet up and talk.

So you did…

You offered to meet up in an inconspicuous cafe somewhere downtown, but she refused. You couldn’t blame her for being paranoid after what happened last night. Nemesis seems to know almost everything about her, even things that you didn’t know, like how she has a kid all this time. And you had always considered yourself to be one of the few people who can be considered close.

The two of you ended up meeting in the Celestial Lotus Hotel. It is a luxurious place--actually might be the best hotel on the West Coast. As soon as you stepped into the hotel’s restaurant, you saw Yvette sitting in a more isolated corner, right beside the expansive wall of glass looking out into the city below.

“So… Any reason why you chose to meet here? Or is it simply because it’s high-class?” you teased her as a greeting, pulling out the chair to take a seat across from her. During these awkward hours between breakfast and lunch, the restaurant seemed pretty deserted, except for a few patrons spread here and there.

She looked up at you, a strained and weary smile on her face. Even with her make-up on, it was clear that she hadn’t been sleeping well--if at all. “Well, this is simply one of the most secure places in the city. I don’t think the Nemesis group would foolishly try to carry out an attack in here.”

A waitress sauntered over to ask what you were going to be ordering. You randomly picked a drink and a dish that sounded delicious, trying to get her away so you could continue your talk with Yvette.

As soon as she was out of earshot, you asked her, “Really? What makes this place different from any other public place in the city?”

“Because this place is owned by the Aikawas,” she answered, keeping her voice low and hushed. “This place might look unguarded but it--along with the casino just beside this… This is the bastion of the Morozov-Aikawa syndicate. Nemesis would be foolish to piss them off… more than their leader already did last night.”

Okay, she was starting to lose you with all of these. It’s not like you are unfamiliar with the names Morozov and Aikawa. Your parents have talked enough about trying to arrange a meeting between you and ‘the young Morozov’, telling you that if you manage to get them, your future will be set for life.

You’ve always managed to weasel your way out of meeting this mysterious Morozov, including not attending their supposed birthday yesterday. But now… After such revelation, they intrigued you.

“Morozov…” you savored this seemingly feared--and revered--name in this city. “They said it too last night. Something about your uh… boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, I suppose,” you quickly added the last part.

She sighed, “I didn’t know he was a Morozov when we first ‘dated’.” She made quotation marks with her fingers when she said ‘dated’. Made sense since she must’ve not wanted that relationship to be official and known by all people.

Whether you agreed as to how she treated her love as something that had to be hidden like that…

“You never told me you have a kid,” you point out, not accusingly, more like amusedly.

She scoffs, “Because it’s no one’s business. Also, there’s just no good way to bring it up in a conversation, right? You expected me to just one day drop the bombshell on you casually?”

That image made you laugh. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. So… Is your kid a Morozov too then? Are they the young Morozov that people have started to talk about?” you asked again.

“They are,” she groaned. “Somehow, the Nemesis knows about them too and I’m willing to bet they intentionally timed that broadcast with their birthday.” She raked her fingers through her hair in frustration.

You didn’t really know what kind of relationship she had with her child, but from how she handled her ex-boyfriend and how no one even knew that she had a kid, you could guess that it was probably not pretty--or non-existent. But still, you were going to try bringing it up subtly.

“Were you there at their birthday party when the broadcast dropped?” you asked.

She grimaced before shaking her head. “No. I was not invited. The Morozovs hate my guts,” she spat the last sentence.

“Including your kid?”

“I… I don’t know,” she whispered and she looked like she was about to burst into tears right here and now.

Okay, so that was a very sour topic for her and it wasn’t the primary reason for you to meet her this morning. “How are you doing? I was so worried you weren’t answering my calls or messages last night.”

“Sorry about that, I was panicking and the Agency’s people came to take me to one of their safehouses,” she explained. “I didn’t really have time to sleep or to do anything else, to be honest.”

The waitress returned with your order and you decided to shift the topic of the conversation. You started telling her about your day yesterday and today, anything that might help her get her mind off her predicament even for only the duration of this brunch.

It worked… Somewhat. She looked less stressed as she listened to your story. At the end of the brunch, she told you something that surprised you.

“I’ve made up my mind. I think I’ll go talk to them,” she said to you. “Maybe they’d be able to help. But either way, it’s time for me to stop running away from it.”

You smiled at her, “I think that’s a good idea. I wish you the best of luck.”

[Part 2]

Progress Update (21 November 2023)

Hi guys 👋 I hope all of you had a great weekend!

First of all, I just want to recap the results of the side story and spicy side story polls that just wrapped up a few days ago. 

The winner for this month's side story is Skylar's POV of meeting MC in Chapter 4! 😁 It was pretty close with the Continuation of Winter Soldier AU, but in the end, Skylar's POV won out by mere 4%. Meanwhile, for this month's spicy side story, the winner is Ash/MC pairing with some soft and gentle actions for a stressed out Ash 😔 I'll get to write this month's side stories, starting with Skylar's POV before moving to the spicy side story 😊

Secondly, an Interactive Side Story is coming! Last year, we had one for Halloween and for this year, we'll have one for the Holidays/Christmas 🎄🥰 A few days ago, I was suddenly struck with a cute little idea for an Christmas-themed Interactive Side Story 🤭  It will be expanding further on that Christmas where little MC first met Grandpa and Grandma, and will feature some adorable bonding time with Gramps as well 🥺

I'm thinking of trying to make it in Twine, but if it proves to be too hard for now, I'll go back to writing it in Dashingdon, because I really want to release it by Christmas or at least before the New Year 😊 I'll tell you guys more about it once I started working on it in other progress updates.

As always, thank you for your support! 🥰 And I hope you guys have a nice day!

Side Story Poll (for November 2023)

Hey guys! 👋 The time has come to vote on ideas for this month's side story.

I'll list out the ideas below and then you guys can vote on which one you want to see for next month. There are quite a lot of new suggestions made, so all of the options for this month would be different ones than from the previous ones. 😁

1.) Continuation of Winter Soldier AU story. Last time, we left off with Viktor finally finding MC. The next part will continue with Viktor bringing MC to the family compound and him, Ash, Luka, and Grandpa trying to see how much MC remembers of their past. It might be written in MC's POV this time.

2.) Skylar discussing Ruthless Superhero MC with Yvette. Ooh this one's interesting 👀 Basically, Skylar who's dating a ruthless Superhero MC having discussion with Yvette after MC kills one or more villains during an altercation.

3.) Drunk Tsundere MC accidentally confesses to Skylar. This one would be funny to write for sure 😆

4.) Luka's or Grandpa's POV of watching MC grow up over the years. Specifically, MC who grows to be taller than both of them. It would be bittersweet, seeing MC grow up but Viktor is not there to see it himself 😢 I'll decide whether I'll do Luka's or Grandpa's POV once I get to write it.

5.) Skylar's POV of meeting MC. See what Skylar is thinking about when meeting MC for the first time in Chapter 4 🤭

6.) Ash's POV of being with MC when MC first met Yvette in the comic store. A what-if where Ash didn't get grounded and actually got to join MC and Viktor to the comic book store.

The poll will be open for around a week 😁 (around 19th November) Let me know which one you guys are most interested in with the polls, and feel free to leave some comments on them below if you want to 💕

Oct 2023 - Spicy Side Story

Hey guys 👋 Here's the spicy side story for October. It is the longest one I've written so far at around 3.8K words and this is probably the spiciest as well, in my opinion 😳 The pairing is Female Ash x Male MC x Female Rin. I hope you guys enjoy it! 💖

* * * * *

Tonight is a good night. You just had a dinner date with your two very special and dear ladies in one of the fanciest restaurants in the city--and it’s not just any fancy restaurant, it’s Rin’s favourite. The past month has been a very busy and tense one for the three of you as you work together behind the scenes to get rid of another gang that has been growing too big and bold, nipping it in the bud before it can become a real threat.

You’re proud to say that it’s a success. Simply cut off the head and those loyal to him with surgical and precise hit jobs, the vacuum of power will handle the rest. The remaining ones have already started to bicker and compete against each other on who will be the new head.

So, you decide to take everyone for a night of celebration and winding down. Of course, the night doesn’t just end with the dinner. The three of you are now just continuing to your ‘dessert’ part of the course… in the bedroom.

You’re helping Rin get out of her dress by unzipping the back zipper while Ash is sheepishly getting herself out of her suit in the corner of your shared bedroom. Since the place you went to was pretty fancy, Rin had insisted on Ash putting on at least a shirt, dress pants, and a suit--the bare minimum for a formal outfit, according to Rin. It still amuses you greatly how Ash is still so shy in the bedroom, even after the three of you have been together for quite some time.

Rin, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. As soon as her beautiful white dress is off, she turns around, grabs your tie, and pulls you in for a passionate kiss. Her deft hands swiftly unravel your tie and unbutton the front of your shirt. You feel another pair of hands--Ash--grabbing your suit and pulling it off you gently. Rin breaks off from the kiss first, hand traveling from your chest down to your crotch and groping the front of your dress pants excitedly.

You growl lowly as you feel your blood rush south at the touch. Ash circles her arms around your torso, pulling you back towards the bed. The back of your knees hit the bed and Ash pushes you down, forcing you to sit at the edge of the bed. You feel the mattress behind you dip as Ash kneels on it. Rin walks--or more like stalks--towards you, a hungry and devilish grin on her face; it sends a shiver down your spine. Tonight is going to be a long night, is it?

Rin plants her hands on your knees before spreading them open as she gets on her knees--thankfully, Rin had the foresight to install a plush and warm rug right under the super king-size bed you had to custom order. Her dainty fingers unbutton and unzip your trousers in one swift movement.

She pulls down the waistband of your boxer just low enough to free your member, giving it a few strokes. You hiss at the sudden sensation and Rin shushes you, patting your left thigh soothingly. At first, you expected a long night filled with edging--as is usually Rin’s favourite thing to do--but it seems she’s just as pent up as you tonight.

Leaning down, she glances up at you. The hungry grin on her beautiful face is the only warning you get before she takes all of you into her mouth. You moan in surprise, bucking your hips up reflexively. Rin gags a bit before planting her palms on your hips, pushing down almost irritatedly as she sends you a glare.

“Sorry, love,” you chuckle, reaching out to run your hand through her silky smooth hair.

That seems to pacify her a bit, but she still holds your hips down hard. That’s the Rin you know, alright, always the one to set the pace as she pleases. She doesn’t start slow like normal, instead, she begins to bob up and down your quickly hardening cock almost at a punishing pace and it makes you wonder whether this is some kind of little payback from you accidentally gagging her before.

Throwing your head back, you sigh and lean further into Ash’s embrace as you feel Rin’s tongue swirl around your shaft eagerly. Ash wastes no time peppering your jaw and throat with kisses, nibbling on your sensitive skin. You might need to wear some turtlenecks for the next few days, it seems.

Ash’s warm and calloused hands roam all over the planes of your chest and abdomen, sending shivers down your spine as she caresses your pecs and abs. With all of these stimulations going on at the same time, it doesn’t take long for you to go over the edge with a groan. Rin hums as she greedily gulps down what you offer.

She gives another suck, her tongue pressing down against your still-sensitive glans. “Fuck--” you gasp out loud, writhing from the overstimulation and probably trying to get away from Rin at the same time.

Alas, Rin is not finished with you yet as you feel her tightening her grip on your hips, forcing you to stay in place as she laps up and down your length. After what feels like an hour of overloaded senses, Rin finally lets go of your still-hard dick from her mouth with an almost obscene pop.

“Sorry, about that, dear,” she hums with a smirk on her face that clearly says she’s not remorseful even a bit. “Can’t have you go soft just yet. You still owe us some… ‘mind-blowing orgasms’, right?”

Oh, she’s using your own words against you.

Before you can even gather your thoughts to answer her, she pats your thigh playfully before standing up. She saunters over to one of the nightstands, opening the drawer, and grabbing a bottle of lube.

“Yeah, and I will deliver,” you answer defiantly, watching her make her way back to where she left off.

“Well, who do you want to go for first, hm? Me or Ash?” she asks casually.

It’s true that most of the time, you have to take turns when making love to your lovely girlfriend--and to-be fiancées. But this time, you’ve got an idea on how to please both ladies at once, and you tell them so.

“This time, I’ll try to please both of you at the same time, how about that?” you grin.

Rin raises an eyebrow amusedly at your proposition before glancing at Ash, whose expression you can’t see.

“You don’t need to force yourself, you know?” Ash mutters behind you. “I can wait after Rin--or even tomorrow if you’re too tired.”

Oh, sweet Ash, as considerate as ever. Turning your head to the side slightly, you look up at her before bringing your hand up to pull her face down to give her a passionate kiss, which she happily reciprocates.

You pull away first and tell her, “Don’t worry, love, I have an idea in mind that I want to try.”

“Okay, if you say so…” she replies adorably; you can’t help but lean forward and give her a peck on the lips.

“You can get out of your underwear now,” you grin at her teasingly.

Her face goes red and you can feel the heat literally emanating as she sputters and moves to the edge of the bed to get out of her bra and underwear. Unlike Rin, who’s always confident enough to prance around the bedroom fully naked, the more shy Ash usually prefers to keep her bra and underwear on unless she needs to take them off, like right now.

“Confident, are we?” Rin chuckles as she looks down at you from where she’s standing. “I think I know what you’re going for. Now, be a good boy and make some space, will you?” she commands.

You do so until you are no longer seated at the foot of the bed and your legs are no longer dangling. Rin climbs after you, parting your legs apart slightly so she can get in between them. She opens the cap of the lube bottle in her hand before squirting it generously on your member. You can’t help but hiss as the cold liquid touches your still-sensitive dick. Rin slathers it evenly, stroking your length at the same time to get it back to full hardness.

The bed dips behind you, signaling Ash’s return. “W--What do you need me to do next?” she asks bashfully.

Laying your head down on the bed fully, you look up at her. “I need you to sit on my face,” you tell her with as much seriousness as you can muster.

She blinks before she realizes you’re being serious. “B--But Sasha, I’m not exactly small and I don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

It’s true that the position might be less awkward with smaller women than Ash, but you don’t care. “Ash, I’m going to be honest with you right now. If I were to die suffocated between your thighs, I’d die a happy man,” you tell her in a deadpan manner to show her that you’re serious.

Her face goes tomato-red again and you half-expect to see smoke rising from her head, but there isn’t, thankfully. “Sasha!” she gasps. “Don’t say such a ridiculous thing!”

“Ha!” Rin laughs. “I believe he’s being genuine when he said that.”

“See, Rin gets it,” you smirk. “Now, come.”

She hesitates for a moment before finally doing so, carefully planting her knees right beside your right and left ear respectively. But she’s still kind of hovering a bit too high; how are you supposed to eat her out like this without straining your neck? Clicking your tongue, you bring both hands to her hips and pull her down closer.

She barely has time to gasp before you immediately get into it, lapping up and down her slit but purposefully leaving her clit for now--you don’t want to immediately overwhelm her like that. She squeaks out loud from the sensation. You’ve eaten out Rin a lot of times before, but this is Ash’s first, so the surprise is to be expected.

You continue your ministration to help Ash get accustomed to the feeling and while you do so, you can feel Rin busy with her own stuff. After making sure you’re properly hard, she climbs on top of you, and without any fanfare--possibly because she doesn’t want to drag your attention away from Ash right now--she slowly lowers herself onto your dick, letting out breathless moans as she sinks lower and lower until she bottoms out.

The feeling of the tight warmth enveloping you makes you hum in pleasure. After a few seconds of relishing the feeling of having you inside of her, Rin starts to move, putting her hands on your abdomen as support. Thankfully, this time, she starts out at a languid pace for now.

But unfortunately--or maybe fortunately--for Ash, you choose this time to start ramping it up. You flick your tongue on her clit, and she gasps, instinctively trying to close her legs from the sudden burst of pleasure. You lick one more time before finally taking the sensitive nub into your mouth, swirling your tongue around it, and sucking on it mercilessly.

Ash whimpers and you feel her quiver under your hands, skin hot to the touch. That seems to get Rin worked up as well because you notice her starting to pick up the pace as she continues to ride you.

It doesn’t take long for Ash to finally reach her orgasm, shrieking in ecstasy as the overpowering ecstasy runs through her body. You feel her bud pulses against your tongue and her juice leaking down onto your chin and neck. To give her a break, you release her clit from your mouth before diving a bit further down to delve back into her folds, darting your tongue and lapping up some remaining juices.

Even though you’re sparing her bud from further teasing, what you’re doing right now seems to still be too much for Ash to handle right now. “N--No, please, no more,” she breathes out shakily, dislodging your hands from her hips and getting off you. She rolls to the side, trying to catch her breath. Getting on your elbows, you raise your head and turns to the side to plant a kiss on Ash’s lips. Ash barely reacts, probably still too-dazed from her intense orgasm.

After pulling away from Ash, you focus on Rin, who’s bouncing up and down your shaft, obsidian eyes filled with hunger and lust locking with yours. You break the eye contact frist as your eyes involuntarily wander down her neck, following the glistening bead of sweat trailing down in between her ample breasts as you admire her figure.

You reach out your hands to touch her moving hips, your fingertips gliding up across her supple skin until you reach her tits. Cradling them in your palms, you enjoy the feeling of them jiggling as she moves. You can’t help but circle your thumbs around her nipples teasingly.

Oh, how you’re tempted to just take control, reverse your position, and pin her down on the bed as you continue thrusting into her and take her nipples into your mouth as you do so. Well, maybe you can try…

Taking your hands off her chest, you surreptitiously slide your arms down and around her hips as you start to sit up and lean forward. Alas, Rin seems catch up to what you’re up to. She plants her palms on your chest and pushes you back until your back hits the mattress and you’re back lying on the bed.

She stops for a second to rebuke you, leaning down until her face is mere inches away from yours. “Didn’t think I’d notice?” she tuts, a smirk plastered on her face. “Such a naughty boy,” she purrs before starting to move again, hands still keep you pinned to the bed.

This time, she immediately sets a punishing pace, her hips slapping against yours hard. You take in a sharp breath at the sudden increase in intensity. All you can focus on right now is the feeling of your length scraping against her walls over and over again, the lube and her slick making the process painless--there’s only pleasure.

Without even realizing, you’re starting to buck up in rhythm, thrusting up every time her hips come down, plunging in even further into the all-enveloping warmth. She’s now moaning out loud as she keeps bouncing up and down your length even faster, chasing that sweet, sweet orgasm.

Your own peak is approaching and you can feel the pleasure building up. Soon, your own grunts join Rin’s breathless moans, the sound of flesh hitting flesh filling the room. After a few more strokes, Rin suddenly comes. She throws her head back, leaning on her hands, which has moved to your legs behind her. She lets out a keening whine and shuts her eyes as the pleasure runs the course through her quivering body, grinding her hips down and moving them in little circles.

The sensation of her walls tightening and pulsing around you is enough to bring you over the edge. You groan as you come, hands gripping her hips hard to keep her in place as you shoot deep into her. After you finish filling her, you drop your head back onto the soft mattress, closing your eyes as you try to calm your racing heart and ragged breaths.

You feel a hand running through your hair gently, you crack an eye open and see that it’s Ash stroking your head soothingly. Rin’s hands glide back to your chest, and you look down to see that she is leaning in closer slowly, a satisfied grin on her face, reminiscent of a cat that got the cream. As she does so, you feel a little bit of your own cum trickling down your member, which, you realize, is still in her.

She kisses you passionately, both of your tongues dancing with each other. After a minute, she pulls away to catch some breath. She lies her head on your chest and you feel her soft chest pressing against your torso. You bring a hand to stroke her back.

“Can you uh… get up a bit for a second so I can pull out?” you ask her.

She hums questioningly, still not moving an inch. “Why? Surely, you don’t think we’re finished yet for tonight, right?”

You gulp, “W-We are not?”

“Jesus, Rin, would you let poor Sasha rest? Didn’t he already cum twice earlier?” Ash frowns in concern, still patting your head softly.

Rin pouts, lifting her head up slightly to send you a pleading look--it reminds you a bit of a cute kitten. “One more, please?”

How can you say no to that? You sigh, “Alright, alright… But give me like a few minutes to catch my breath, okay?”

October 2023 - Side Story (Pt. 2)

Here's the second part! Enjoy! 💖

First part here!

* * * * *

This time, the door swings open and Sasha stands there, still bedraggled and sleepy. A slight frown is gracing their otherwise perfect face. Seems like you caught them at a bad time. They blink as they seem to finally register what they’re looking at and recognition lights up in their eyes.

“Sorry for the wait,” they say flatly, stepping aside and opening the door wider. “Please, come in.”

You do so. “Good morning, Mastress Morozov,” you greet them as you step in. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“No problem,” they say, closing the door behind you and you hear the automatic lock latches shut; it feels like the final nail in your coffin.

They pass by you and make their way to the kitchen. You trail after them slowly, looking around the penthouse a bit. It’s… nice and clearly expensive. You have to begrudgingly admit, if there’s one thing you approve of Luka taking care of your child is that they would live comfortably and would never have to worry about money again.

Dropping your disguise, you wait for the inevitable, and as you wait, you inspect your child. Of course, this is not the first time you see them all grown up. You might have followed some of their social media accounts on your side and anonymous accounts, but to actually see them in person… It feels unreal.

They finally turn around, probably still sensing your presence, and completely freeze as they see you. Just as you took the time to inspect them, they seem to do the same to you now, looking just as shocked and surprised as how you felt inside.

You fidget under their intense gaze, wringing your hands nervously. “Um… Hi, Sasha,” you say hesitantly, sending them a sheepish smile.

That snaps them out of their trance and they reply, “Please get out before I call the guards.” Their tone is calm and firm, but you can feel the wave of disdain hitting you.

Can you blame them? You would’ve hated yourself too for what you did in the comic bookstore on that fateful day–Heck you already are sometimes.

“Sasha… Please, just hear me out—” You try but they immediately cut you off.

“No. Get out now.” They stride back toward the front door and as they pass you again, you reach out and grab onto their arm out of pure desperation.

“I know you hate me, but please, just hear me out for a few minutes. It's about the murders and your father's killer,” you plead, instinctively gripping the arm harder.

You don’t know whether it works, but they stop in their tracks and they look at you again, clearly contemplating on even giving you a chance to explain yourself. But after a few more seconds, they finally relent.

“Fine.” They tug their arm out of your hold before muttering, “Go and take a seat, I gotta make my coffee.”

Sighing in relief, you obediently saunter over to one of the plush sofas and plop down. You want to look at your child in more detail from afar but feel Sasha staring at you, so you decide to look out of the big panoramic window instead. The outside world looks muted from the fresh layer of fallen snow, a total disconnect from the anxiety and turmoil you’re feeling right now.

Almost reflexively, you reach out to gauge the full depth of what Sasha feels about you. Is it only pure hatred like the one you felt before? You poke a bit, making sure to be discreet… And oh, what’s this? It seems like there’s a hint of… love? Or maybe it’s yearning.

You quickly pull away. Knowing this now just makes you feel even guiltier. But you’re here to make things right… Hopefully.

The sound of the coffee machine beeping almost makes you jolt in surprise. It seems to rouse Sasha from their reverie as well as they turn back towards the counter and grab the cup of freshly brewed coffee. They sip on it as they walk over and take a sit in one of the big armchairs right to your left.

“So, talk. What do you want from me?” they ask straight to the point.

You squirm uncomfortably under their gaze. “Sasha… I’m not going to lie, I desperately need your help,” you tell them honestly, meeting their grey eyes properly this time.

“Why?” They ask coolly, but still, you can sense the hints of anger, confusion, and incredulousness simmering just below it, barely concealed. “You have the biggest company in the city and the ECPD backing you and focusing on the case. You don't need my help,” they spit the last sentence bitterly.

That’s a reasonable assumption to make and you would’ve thought the same too. And so, you tell them everything you know about the investigation so far--or more like about how little both the ECPD and the Agency know so far.

They keep their face and feelings carefully neutral as they listen to your explanation. Your uncanny ability to read people allows you to notice the spark of interest in those stormy grey depths.

After you finish explaining, they shrug. “Sounds like their problem… and yours,” they say coldly, staring her down. “I couldn't give less of a fuck about the Constellation Agency's superhero mess.”

That’s a fair response, you guess, even though it’s not really what you want to hear. "I know, Sasha… Don't worry, I don't really want you to put yourself in danger. I just need you to use your family's web of connections to help find this killer. Please, it's not really a matter of the Agency needing your help. I need your help, desperately. I feel like I'm living on borrowed time…" You frown, shifting restlessly on the sofa, agitated and anxious as you wring your empty hands nervously on your lap.

They scoff bitterly, lips pulled into a snarl, “Oh, now you come to me and acknowledge me because your life is in danger and you need access to my family's resources.” The hatred and anger you felt earlier are amplified this time as they don’t bother trying to suppress them this time.

You flinch and cringe. Those two are such unpleasant emotions to feel and they feel even more rancid when they are directed at you… and from your own flesh and blood too. What hurts even more is that it’s a very justifiable and understandable reaction. You honestly didn’t even expect to come this far…

Maybe, it’s time to actually face what you have done because only then can you make a step towards repairing your relationship with your child--if it’s even still possible. You hope it is.

Gathering your courage, you take a deep breath before finally saying, “I know we'll have to talk openly about… all of this. Ask me about anything you want to know and I'll try my best to answer all of them.”

They stare at you sternly, but their eyes are filled with uncertainty and you can feel their clashing emotions roiling together into something undecipherable even for you. For a second, you thought they would say no and finally dismiss you for good, but it seems the temptation to get answers best their resolve and they finally ask their first question.

“Why did you do it?” they ask, voice soft and quiet. It’s a simple question, but one that’s loaded and you don’t even know where to start.

You can’t make eye contact with them, so you turn away to focus on some distant building in the distance. “Which one?” You realize how many wrong things you’ve done to them and Viktor, even if some of them might be indirect.

“Any. Everything,” they breathe out.

Nothing better than to start at the very beginning. "I… I can't really be seen with you in public as something more than a fan interaction…" you mutter, looking down at her lap. "I didn't really mean it to… go that way, I suppose."

You really don’t. You know now that there might be better ways you could’ve handled it, but you were put on the spot, and that was the only thing that came to your mind. It’s… cruel and you wish you could go back to that time and not do it.

They let out a short bitter laugh. "Like what? Making everyone laugh at me? Is that how you've always treated your 'fans' then? Humiliating them? Or is it just me? Because I'm an… an embarrassment to you?" They spit out the word harshly.

You shake your head vehemently, you rush to reassure them. "No! You've never been an embarrassment to me. Nor your father."

Liar, your thought calls you out. You were totally mortified just from simply having them, that’s why you chose to distance yourself.

That might be true years ago… But you’ve had years to mull and reflect upon it, and you’ve changed. You’ve fully accepted that they are your child and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about it.

"Then why couldn't you just be in my life? Marry my father and be my mother?" they reply back,  voice is breaking a little from the emotion, despite their clear effort to keep it all together. "It's not like being a superhero and having a family are mutually exclusive."

"That's true, but I was not really ready to settle down and most who did that have their career stagnating and fanbase dwindling. Hell, even just openly having a relationship can be a career suicide," you explain.

It’s the truth but it still feels like such a shitty excuse, especially now that you’re older. But still, that fear of falling into irrelevancy haunts you to this day--maybe even more than before. As they say, ‘The higher they rise, the harder they fall.’

"It has always been about your career and public image with you, isn't it? Even now, you come here to me partially to help you salvage whatever remains of them after that night," they seethe.

"I have sacrificed too much to just let the legacy I've built over the years to crumble just like that…" you whisper hoarsely, and you feel almost numb saying it. It’s something that you’ve repeated to yourself over and over again whenever you started to doubt your own choices.

"Including me and my dad," they accuse and you grimace.

"Yes… All the more reason to fight for it," you state, glancing back up to finally meet their eyes. It’s a very expensive price you’ve paid and because of that, you swore to make the most out of it--and you did. “Anything else?” you sigh, head hung in guilt.

“Did you regret it?” they ask next, voice trembling slightly from long-buried emotions bubbling up.

Another heavy question; one that you’ve asked yourself many times before, and deep down, you think you know the answer, no matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise--that you’re happy and you don’t really need them.

“Don’t lie,” Sasha adds, growling in warning, probably thinking your silence is you trying to lie your way out.

"No, it's nothing like that…" you quickly reassure them, making a placating gesture. "It's just… It's the question I've been asking myself for quite some time now," you sigh, leaning back into the armchair.

"It is?" they ask skeptically. The disbelief in their voice almost makes you bark out a laugh if only you’re not so stressed right now.

You take a deep breath before finally answering truthfully, fully opening yourself and baring your heart to them. "Yes… I think I do regret my decisions. I don't really know when the thought really started brewing in my head, but honestly… I have not been that satisfied with the state of my life right now. This is supposed to be my dream life, but I haven't been able to enjoy it for years now." Your voice quivers until it finally becomes a full-blown sobbing as you unleash the years-old buried regrets that you’ve never told anyone. "And I'm starting to think I might have ended up being happier right now if I had just taken Viktor's offer to marry me decades ago instead of pursuing… this."

You said the last word with no small hints of disgust. It’s true… Viktor was the only one who’s got you feeling that loved and cared for genuinely--not because of your career, status, fame, or wealth. To this day, you have never found someone like him.

It broke your heart to know that you’ve missed the chance to ever reconcile with him, to change your mind and go back to him now that he’s long gone. He exists now only in your memories of him and in your imagination of what a life with him and Sasha would be like if only the younger you were wiser.

Sasha blinks in surprise, totally not expecting this sudden heartfelt revelation and they seem lost on what to do, seeing you cry like this. You can practically feel the conflicting emotions battling inside of them like waves crashing against each other; one is bitterness and anger and the other is… pity and empathy?

They seem to be equally caught off guard as you are by the other feeling, and they whip their head to the side, glaring pointedly at the far wall instead of you crying. You try to stop the sobbing, but once the tears flow, it’s like a dam has been broken and you’re having a hard time composing yourself again.

But after a few long minutes, you finally calm down enough for them to hit you with another question, "Are you sorry for everything you did in the store too? How you tried to manipulate my feelings about you and how you humiliated me and my dad?" you ask accusingly.

"Of course I am. I'm sorry for trying to manipulate your emotions at that time… It's just—I didn't feel comfortable when people… disliked me, much less hate me. Not to mention when it came from my own flesh and blood. But I do realize now that it was the wrong thing to do and I'm sorry." You shake your head in shame.

What even possessed you to even attempt such a despicable thing to your own child? While it’s true that you’ve played with other people’s emotions ever since you were a kid yourself, including your own parents--as if you weren’t spoiled enough--but Viktor and your kid with him should be the exceptions.

"How about what you said about my dad? About him being delusional and implying that he was another one of your weird fans." They cross their arms.

"It has haunted me ever since your father's death…" you whisper quietly. "To think that those are the last words he heard me from me and they were ones that mocked him. I'd do anything to take them back; he didn't deserve it."

Oh, what you wouldn’t give to say something else to him. Maybe tell him that you still loved him, or beg him to reconnect, or maybe that you’ve changed your mind and that you wanted to be with him. The answer varies according to the nights you ruminate on it while lying in bed.

"You didn't deserve him," they hiss, but the words don’t really come out as biting as they must’ve wanted.

You can only nod silently in agreement; they’re totally right. "That's true…" You sniffle a little as you pull out a clean handkerchief and start dabbing on your wet cheeks carefully, so as not to mess up your makeup even more than you already do by crying.

For a couple of minutes, there is only silence between the two of you; Sasha is probably digesting all of the answers you have just given them, their brows are furrowed as they lean forward on their knees, clearly thinking hard. You’re just grateful for the little break so you have a bit more time to get your emotions back under control.

Viktor had always said that you’re beautiful no matter what kind of face you’re making. Still, you believe you’re an ugly crier at the very least and Viktor just didn’t want to say that to your face. Your breath hitches a bit as more tears flow from just thinking about him. You really miss him a lot.

You almost don’t notice Sasha scooting over to the edge of the armchair even more, staring at you intensely, their grey eyes filled with so many conflicting emotions you can literally feel them wash over you.

"Sasha…?" you ask hesitantly as you glance up at them.

"Can I give you a hug?" they ask back, looking a bit confused.

You can only gape in surprise; you can’t believe what you’re listening to right now. But you won’t look a gift horse in the mouth and before they somehow snap into their senses and take back the offer, you quickly reply, "Yes, please. I'd love that." You stand up and they do the same, opening their arms wide. Without thinking twice, you step into their hug and hold them for what is probably the first time ever. Your little baby is now all grown up from the little kid you saw all those years ago and it seems like they take after Viktor’s height.

You bury your face on their chest and you start to sob again. This is something that you could have only dared to dream of; you never expect something like this would even happen, especially so soon. But yet, it is Sasha, the one you’ve hurt the most, who first offers it.

Gentle strokes and pats to your back comfort you, anchoring you back to the present and calming your pathetic sobs into merely hitched breaths. But at the same time, you feel like a big portion of the weight that has been weighing down on you has been lifted, now that you have had a proper talk with your child again. Moreover, you’re filled with hope that maybe it’s not too late for you to reconnect with them.

But for now, you just want to focus on enjoying this moment, carving it in your memory. It’s been such a long time since you’ve had hugs like this from people who actually care about you that you almost forgot what it feels like--how warm and safe it is. The last time you felt this way was in Viktor’s arms, back when he was still alive… back when the two of you were still together and happy.

Now, all you have left from that relationship is Sasha, and you promise you won’t make the same stupid mistake you’ve done. You won’t squander this second chance given to you.

October 2023 - Side Story (Pt. 1)

Hi guys 👋 Here's the side story for October. It's 4.6K words long and as always, I'll split it up in two parts 😁 Sorry for the slight delay. This story will be written in Yvette's POV and it's about the talk she had with MC who decided to hug her. Hope you guys enjoy it! 💖

Part 2 here!

* * * * *

You’ve spent hours staking out this place and as soon as you saw the fiery redhead friend of your child zoom out of the underground garage and into the street, you know this is the right chance to get in and talk to Sasha. Well, that was fifteen minutes ago, and now, you’re still sitting in your car, and your nerves are starting to get the better of you.

This is crazy… you think to yourself as you stare up at the looming apartment building from inside your car. It’s not like this is going to be the first time you’re going to do this—You’ve done a similar thing before to slip into Viktor’s funeral ten years ago. But that’s also the problem, is it? There’s a big chance Luka would have put a security measure against your trickery this time.

You can still walk away, you know? And everyone will continue living their lives like they have been doing so far—Sasha will be none the wiser and they will blissfully be unaware of what could have been. It’s easier this way for all parties involved, your cowardly thoughts whisper to you again. You’re familiar with this rhetoric; it’s what you’ve been using as an excuse not to do this for years.

You shake your head resolutely. Not this time. You have to let them know about Viktor’s killer and maybe get them to help you. And more importantly… You want to make amends. It’s better to get this over with, like ripping a bandaid off. Whatever or however Sasha will respond to your visit… At least you’ll know and it won’t haunt you again on those quiet nights that you loathe the most.

Closing your eyes, you picture the cleaning lady that you’ve been spying on for a few days. By pure chance—or a more superstitious person would say it’s fate—you stumbled upon her exiting the building during one day similar to this one. You open your eyes and check yourself in the rearview mirror.

God… You look… old. Seeing so many wrinkles on your face feels like a nightmare.

You grab your handbag and this time, it’s easier to cover the illusion around it and mold it so it looks like a bucket full of cleaning supplies. Taking a deep breath, you steel your nerves before opening the car door and stepping out onto the sidewalk. You decided to park a bit further away from the apartment building itself just in case someone in the building notices you stepping out of your pretty luxurious car.

Mustering the confidence of your superhero persona, you walk towards the big and tall double doors. The doorman opens it for you but even without your empathy, you can feel the weird glances he’s sending your way. That’s when you notice that you’re posing as a cleaning lady who’s walking in through the front doors; the doorman might be too polite to say something—or maybe he’s contemplating it.

But before he can say anything, you decide to make up an excuse in place right away. “Sorry, I’m in a bit of a rush,” you send him an apologetic smile. “Don’t want to make Mastress Morozov wait.”

His eyes widen and he quickly ushers you in. “Of course, come in.”

You graciously step in and hurry towards the elevator, passing by the front table. It catches the receptionist’s attention and she looks up from whatever it is she’s typing on her computer. “Mrs. Lee!” she greets in surprise, immediately getting up to her feet. There’s a genuine smile plastered on her face. “I didn’t expect you to come today. Isn’t your shift supposed to be tomorrow?”

Shit… Well, time to do what you do best: lie through your teeth.

“I know,” you give her a guilty smile—intentional, mind you—before continuing, “I have family matters to attend to tomorrow, so I decided to come today instead.”

“Oh!” she gasps, looking around before leaning forward over the counter. “Are your youngest son and the infamous daughter-in-law coming to visit?” she whispers scandalously. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what Mrs. Lee thinks about this daughter-in-law.

“You’re right as always,” you sigh as you nod solemnly. “You know what, I’ll tell you all about it next time.”

She giggles quietly, “Spare no details, okay?” You can basically feel her excitement radiating from her. “Anyway, let me get you to the elevator and I’ll let the twin guards know you’re coming through.”

You follow her as she walks towards the elevators, the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor echoing all around the spacious lobby. Leaning forward, she calls the elevator. It doesn’t take long for one of the three to arrive.

As soon as the doors slide open, you step inside. The receptionist leans in, taps her keycard, and presses the topmost floor button, before stepping out.

She smiles at you as she pulls out a walkie-talkie and talks into it, “Hey, Boris! I’ve got Mrs. Lee coming up—”

The doors slide shut and the elevator starts ascending. The ride feels like it’s taking forever as you think up as many scenarios of what could possibly happen in the next few minutes and how to respond correctly.

Deep inside, you don’t really expect to be able to get in this easily, and now, your mind is scrambling for words to say when you finally meet your child again.

It’s still not too late to turn back now, Yvette. Your eyes drift up anxiously to see the floor numbers riding rapidly, getting closer to your destination floor quickly. You can still talk your way out again without meeting them.

It’s so tempting to run away again like a coward. But you’ve got this far. Who knows whether you’ll have a chance like this again? It’s better late than never, right?

DING!

The elevator comes to a halt gently as you arrive at your destination floor. The doors slide open, revealing a little seating area by the elevators and the long stretch of an opulent hallway, splitting the whole floor into two halves.

At the mouth of the hallway, stand two tall and burly guards. One of them glares at you, and you can feel his skepticism and distrust dripping from the gaze that for a second you thought your disguise had melted away without you noticing.

But it must’ve not been or else you would have been tackled to the ground by now—and you wouldn’t even be surprised too; the guy’s body is tense, the muscles taut as if ready to spring at any perceived threat in a second.

The other guy though, is more relaxed with a bored expression on his face, which quickly dissolves into a friendly smile as he sees you approaching. Your training combat though, shows that even though he looks at ease, his stance is alert and you know he’s ready to get into action at a moment’s notice. It makes you wonder whether his bored and laidback attitude is some kind of ruse meant to get people’s guard down around him. If so, it is being undermined by his twin brother beside him.

“Morning, Mrs. Lee!” the friendly twin greets you as you get closer.

“Good morning, boys,” you greet them, making sure to use your power to exude an extra warmth and motherly feel—subtly, of course; you’ve had a lot of experience using your empathy power discreetly. “Cheerful as always, I see,” you chuckle.

The friendly twin’s smile turns into a mischievous grin, “Me? Of course!” He then points to his twin brother and pretends to whisper, “He is too, actually, believe it or not.”

Shifting your gaze, you look at the other twin. He’s no longer glowering at you, only frowning now. Maybe a mix of your empath power and his twin’s joke managed to lower his guard. He scoffs in response to what his twin just said before looking away, arms crossed in front of him.

“You boys stay out of trouble, okay?” you tell them as you pass by, knowing that they will indeed get in trouble later on. You almost feel bad for them.

“No promises, Mrs. Lee!” the talkative twin calls out.

You drop the smile as soon as you are out of their line of sight. Your steps are filled with trepidation as you walk closer and closer to the penthouse.

Taking a deep breath, you turn your face into a calm and friendly expression before leaning forward and pushing the doorbell button. You can hear the chime inside faintly and you wait. Almost a minute passes and still nothing, so you press it again and wait. Still nothing yet.

You wonder if they’re even home. One more time, you press the bell again.

Last chance, you think to yourself. Whether it’s the last chance to turn back or to make this right… You’re not sure.

[PART 2] 

Side Story Ideas Request (for November 2023)

Hey guys! It's time for you guys to request what next month's side story is about and who it is going to feature! Feel free to request any characters, scenarios, and AUs (either wholesome or angsty). These requests and ideas will then be further voted on by you guys.

Last month, the poll for October's side story determined that the winner is the Yvette POV of the meeting with MC! 😁 I am in the process of writing it, but in the meantime, let me know what ideas or scenarios you guys have for next month

I'll be open and receive the ideas for around two weeks or so this time (until around 10 November, GMT+8). Feel free to leave them here in the comments or in the #side-story-request channel on the Patreon section of the Discord server!

There are also still some ideas remaining from the previous months and some of them might return for the upcoming poll, especially if there are not too many ideas/requests this month. Feel free to let me know too if you want to see some of them in this next poll! 🥰

Here are some ideas from last and previous months:

• Luka's or Jackal's POV of his date with Jackal in Chapter 3.
• Ash's POV of the Voice reappearing.
• Anyone's POV of MC birthday after Viktor died.
• Luka's POV of when he went back to save Viktor that night.
• Viktor's POV of the night he died.
• Vendetta Streamer AU (can suggest more detailed ideas if anyone's interested or has something in mind)

Progress Update (25 October 2023)

Hey guys 👋 Hope you've all been enjoying the new update 🥰 I just updated it again yesterday to fix a minor bug in Chapter 6 and a whole bunch of typos and grammatical errors fixes. If you still find any, don't be shy to let me know either in the comment section of this post or if you're in my Discord server, you can report them over in the #patreon-demo-bugs or #patreon-demo-typos-grammar channels.

Anyway, moving on, in this Progress Update, I wanna talk a little bit more about the Quickstart/Skip Chapter function and the Autosave and Reload function and about what's coming in the coming weeks.

So, first of all, the side story and spicy side story that was voted last month will be coming in the next week or so. I'm so sorry for the delay 😅 I was really absorbed in working on the update and figuring out on how to implement the whole new systems, which sometimes made me want to pull out of my own hair out of frustration 😂 What's worse is I'm the kind of person who will obsess over my problems, so I literally poured all of my focus, effort, and free time to try making them work and they finally do work great! 💖

I'll also be opening side story and spicy side story suggestions/ideas request for next month's batch of side stories! 🥰 So, get your ideas ready! 🤭

Okay, now time for me to talk about the Quickstart and Autosave/Reload functions. How do you guys feel about them? I hope they've been pretty useful and provide some convenience 😁 Let me know in the comment section below or in the #patreon-general-discussion channel in Discord! I'd love to hear what you guys think about them.

The reason why I spent so much time trying to figure out all of these systems--especially the Autosave/Reload function is because I'm planning to expand more on them as the demo goes on and becomes longer. I'm already thinking about adding another Quickstart point at Chapter 3 soon 🤔 And I'll be adding more of these Quickstart points throughout the story in either an important chapter or every three chapters or so.

Also, I'm really happy the Autosave/Reload function works perfectly because I will be able to bring that over to the final game where there will be no save slots like the demo currently in dashingdon. I'll definitely be adding this function to every chapter, and the way it works is that it will automatically autosave the state of  your stats once you begin a new chapter and you will get options to reload and try other choices and stuff either in the middle of a long chapter or at the end of the chapter.

I've also been thinking about maybe crating various automatic and permanent saves, probably at every Quickstart point, so if you're not that satisfied with what you have chosen or wanna try other outcomes, but the relevant events were a few chapters ago, you can go back to the beginning of that important chapter, even if you're already two or three chapters pass that. 

For example, I add this permanent save spot at the beginning of Chapter 3. You played through it, you chose kill the commissioner and you regretted it in Chapter 5 or 6, or maybe you just want to see different outcome if you did not kill him, then you should be able to reload back to the beginning of Chapter 3 and play again from there even though you're already many chapters pass that, instead of playing again from the beginning.

I think that would be a pretty neat thing to also have in the final game later on! 😁 I've always disliked how final games don't have save slots, and yes, I have replayed a game from the beginning because I accidentally clicked the wrong choice before 😂 So, once I make my own game, you bet I'll try to minimize the same possible detracting experience I've had.

Chapter 6 Part 3 + Major System Update

Finally, it's here! I'm so sorry for the delay and lack of updates this month. Despite that, I have been working diligently on the update whenever I could. Anyway, I'll be talking more about what's coming next in the Progress Update coming tomorrow.

Moving on to the update, this update brings in 24K of new words, bringing Chapter 6 wordcount in total to 89.4K words and the total demo wordcount to 325.3K words! This update brings Chapter 6 to a neat close, which is important because to me, Chapter 6 is like the end of the first arc of the book.

Not only that, but I have also added a few major coding functions with this update, namely, a skip chapter function, and an autosave and reload function. I'm aware that my demo is getting longer, so I assume a skip chapter function might  be a welcome addition.

It took me a long time to plan and figure out how to implement these systems, but in the end, after a lot of personal testing, I have finally managed to make them work. Right now, I'm only trying out the autosave and reload function to Chapter 6, but if it works out spectacularly, I'll add an automatic autosave system at the beginning of every chapter and once you reach the middle or the end of the chapter, you'll get an option to reload or continue.

For skip chapter function, I'm also currently trying it out on Chapter 6 only, but if it works out well, I might add some more. For sure not for every chapter, but for big/important chapters or every 3 chapters or so.

Anyway, enough of me yapping about these boring technical stuff. We'll talk more about that in the Progress Update. Let's move on to what goodies are coming to this update!

WARNING: It's highly advised that you either play from the beginning with clean saves (or try out the new skip chapter function). I messed with some of the old variables as well, including Santana's and Skylar's default relationship values. Do not reload the saves to avoid potential future errors.

What's to expect from the new update:

• Dropping Rin off to their apartment (and maybe, if you've been a good boy/girl, you can get a little smooch 😘)
• Have an angsty talk with Uncle Luka 😥
• But don't worry, there are potential wholesome moments too (if you choose them, of course 😉)
• Another POV of the killer 😈 To see more on how they think and what they know so far.
• Brand new skip chapter function! (Currently only for Chapter 6)
• An autosave and reload function! (Currently only for Chapter 6)

New stuff added to previous chapters:

• Chapter 2: Add proper introduction scene with Ivan and Boris, the twin bodyguards, highlighting their different personalities and their relationship with MC and Ash. They have changed quite a lot and become more fleshed out compared to the first time I wrote them.
• Chapter 4: For MCs who said yes to Yvette when she asked them whether they are interested in becoming a Superhero, you now have the option to accept her guidance and reconnect with her or reject her guidance but still have a choice whether to reconnect with her or not. This is in contrast to how those who said yes was forced to reconnect with her.
• Chapter 6: Meddle, fix, and add some background variables. Another reason to play from the beginning and to not load old saves.

Demo Link

Update Log:

25 October 2023:

• A minor fix of an if function bug when dropping Rin off at their apartment in Chapter 6
• A bunch of typos and grammatical errors fixes.

Some Sneak Peeks + Little Progress Update

Hey guys 👋 I've been really busy working on the next update and I'm here to show you guys some snippets of the part I've been working on and the one that will come this upcoming update!

So, I've been working on this huge conversation with Rin section. I don't know why I do this to myself, but I've decided to make tons of little different branches on how the talk with Rin after the mission can go based on your overall relationship with them (Romantically interested? Friends? Did you made them jealous earlier in the night? Or maybe you don't have the best relationship with them at all?) and also based on what you did in the mission (Did you fail the stat check with the bartender? Did you succeed but still decide to fight? Did you let them handle the guy? Did you decide to step in and intimidate the guy? Did you get hurt? Did you get saved by Santana or Rin?).

As you might expect, that's a lot of possible combinations, some of the main branches you can see in the first picture in this post. And in each of those main branches (rin_apt_1; rin_apt_2; rin_apt_3), there are more nested ifs in each of them 😵 I won't screen capture all of them because that will just be overwhelming. I'll just show some of the more interesting snippets instead!

The second picture is a variation of MC who shows romantic interest in Rin, but then decided to foolishly flirted with either Santana or Skylar while on the phone earlier that night 😭

The third picture is the continuation of the second one, but the variation where your MC failed the stat check with the bartender, causing an earlier fight.

The fourth picture is another variation of the continuation of the second one, but where your MC succeeded the stat check with the bartender, but still ended up starting a fight.

The fifth picture is the options of what you can pick to respond to Rin. I don't know why I tortured myself by making EIGHT different options 💀 But I hope you guys do enjoy them! Also, the first two choices are, of course, reserved only to those who have been loyal to Rin (or the poly) 🙏😌 "KISS?!" you might ask and you'll find out soon enough in this upcoming update! 🤭

The sixth picture is the more bold romance choice in response to the said kiss 😉

That's all I have to share with you guys this week. I hope you guys enjoy the sneak peeks! I'll also probably talk more about the update overall in the Progress Update coming soon, so keep an eye out for that! 😁

Also, I'm sorry if this post's format is a bit weird. I just found out that on Patreon, you can't really put pictures in between the texts, so this is the best solution I can come up with 😅

Aug-Sept 2023 Q&A Answers (Part 2)

Hey guys 👋 Here's the second part to the Q&A answers! This one contains NSFW questions but I'll make sure to put them at the very end. Thank you all for the questions! 💖 I really enjoyed answering them 😁

* * * *

"Azami: Does she like hugs? How often does she do it? What are her hugs like? (with close friends/family members)"

She’s not really a hug person (Takashi is though), but she enjoys hugging her children and her husband. She gives hugs to her kids pretty often, more often than giving them to Takashi (maybe because most of the time, Takashi is the one who initiates the hug first), but for strangers and friends, even close friends, I don’t think she would give any outside of family members. Her hugs are firm but not stifling 😊

"Viktor: Viktor arrives home late from work and falls asleep on a couch. While they're half-awake, little MC walks over to them and covers him with their favorite blanket. His reaction?"

This is so cute 🥺😭💖 Rest assured, Viktor is squealing so hard inside from the cuteness that he can’t barely contain it, and if his eyes are a bit watery because of the emotions he’s feeling, please don’t comment on it. He would wake up slowly so as not to accidentally scare MC and ask what they’re doing awake so late at night.

Upon hearing MC’s answers, he just bends down to scoop little MC up in his arms and carries them back to their room. He thanks MC for their thoughtfulness but he promises that he will go to bed properly now and that MC shouldn’t worry about him.

He’ll tuck MC in bed and stay with them until they fall asleep before finally cleaning up a bit and collapsing on his own bed.

"Yvette: In the hypothetical scenario that she did settle down with Viktor, how would bedtime be with her, MC, and Viktor? (Bedtime stories, using her illusion magic to do little shows, etc.)"

Ooh, yes! She would love to do bedtime stories for MC when she tucks them in. And yeah, she would use her Illusion ability to make the stories even more amazing. The stories she would mostly tell would be about her own experiences as a superhero and fighting crimes though 😆 She hopes it would inspire little MC to follow her footsteps.

"Grandpa: Would Deda ever dress up as Santa for little MC? 👀 (Sorry, it's just the image of a serious man in a Santa outfit xD)"

If it makes MC, Grandma, Viktor, and Luka happy… then yes. But only at home though! And fine… Viktor can take pictures to immortalize this event. Grandpa would still have that stoic and stern facial expression under the fake beard that contrasts his jolly and bright red outfit though 😭 But even he won’t be able to hold a little smile when MC calls him Santa.

Also, it is funny because I think in Russia, they have this Santa-like figure called Ded Moroz 😂 And the last name Morozov is indeed derived from the word “moroz” which means “frost”.

"Grandma: If Grandma were alive (Vikashi AU), how would she feel about an MC who is absolutely wretched at cooking/baking? Is Grandma good at baking? Would she bake with MC?"

She’s used to her family members being wretched at cooking and baking 😂 Her husband and both of her sons were (although Viktor did force himself to learn once he got MC). So, don’t worry, she is very understanding of MC, in fact, it might actually motivate her to cook and bake more often to dote on MC.

Grandma is pretty decent at cooking and baking. She does have some homemade recipes although most are not too complicated to make. Although she was often busy with the family’s business too when she was younger, so she didn’t really have much time to cook something for little Viktor and Luka. But some of the favorite foods she made for them both are pirozhki, pelmeni, and borscht.

But baking and cooking with MC? Of course! She would be delighted to and teach MC her recipes and how to cook!

"Cara and Takashi: What would they be like as a best friend? Towards each other or others (Luka and Viktor)."

Cara and Takashi as best friends? Chaotic but fun 😂 Would be spending a lot of time gossiping with each other and probably teasing and torturing poor Luka (and probably trying to get him someone, if this is before Jackal, if it is after Jackal, judging his choice of romantic partner).

Meanwhile, for Cara’s friendship with Luka and Viktor, it’s very tight that she’s practically a big sister figure for them both (she’s older than Viktor by a year or two, probably around Yvette’s age if I recall correctly)—a teasing big sister but one who genuinely cares about them.

"Cara: How would she act towards Jackal if she were alive? After first hearing about him and after getting to know him."

She would be very distrustful of him the first time she heard and met him, but over time, hanging out with him (it started out as keeping an eye on him), they would actually get along splendidly! Both were superb enforcers and experienced in executing people. They’d bond over talking about their own experiences, maybe exchanging and sharing optimal and creative torture methods, and talk about Luka or something (Cara would definitely be sharing embarrassing little Luka stories with Jackal.

"Jackal: How much would he remember about Luka or people close to him? Does he remember every little detail mentioned in passing, or does he kind of forget everything?"

If it’s about the people he really, really loves and cares about, like his mom, Luka, and his kids (in the sequel), he would remember almost every single detail about them, even some that might only be mentioned in passing. But don’t expect him to mention it or even bring it up like in conversation. Instead, he’ll show it more subtly and through his actions, like getting someone food and making sure they’re made the same way the person usually orders.

But other people he doesn’t really care about or are not as close to him? Yeah, he won’t remember shit other than probably their names and general things about them.

"Luka: Does he get sick easily? How does he act when he's sick? Is he stubborn and saying he isn't sick? How would he act when being looked after by people close to him?"

He had his fair share of getting sick when he was little, especially compared to Viktor who was just a very healthy kid who rarely got sick and if he did, it wouldn’t take long for him to recover. But as Luka grows older, he gets sick less and less, and today, if he gets sick, it’s probably from stress 😭

And yeah, he’s the stubborn type when being sick. He’ll keep waving you away saying it’s just a slight cold and he’ll be fine after a night’s rest so he can keep working and doing his duties. Even Jackal would have to use every weapon in his arsenal to get him to actually rest.

As for how he’d act when being looked after by people close to him, he’d be pretty embarrassed and keep trying to convince them that he’s fine. All this coddling is too much, he’s not dying, don’t worry. But inside, he’s also touched by the care shown to him of course.

NSFW QUESTIONS

"Ash and Santana: What is something that will never fail to get them horny?"

For Ash, it’s simple, it’s whenever MC asks whether they wanna do it, and they just immediately go 😳👉👈 “L-Like right now?”.

For Santana, it’s a massage or a hug from behind followed by neck kisses.

"Rank booba, bun and dick sizes for the ROs, Biggest to smallest."

Oh my… the question that has been haunting my thoughts 😂 I honestly can’t set on a definite rank, but I’ll try my best.

Booba ranking:
Santana → Rin → Skylar = Ash

Bun ranking:
Skylar → Ash → Rin → Santana

Dick ranking:
Ash → Santana = Skylar → Rin

"NSFW Alphabet for Skylar (excluding C, H, and X)"

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Skylar’s a bit lazy after doing the sexy time, so their aftercare is more likely be cuddling, talking about the activity you guys just did, and maybe watching tv series/shows if MC feels like it.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

It’s hard for Skylar to choose a favorite body part of theirs since they are really proud of their body overall, but if they have to choose, then fine… Maybe their striking sky-blue eyes or their soft and luscious hair?

While of their partner’s, it really depends but they always care more about the personality of their partner than their physical appearance. However, they have to choose, then lips are always a safe bet for them.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

They are really interested in trying to do a semi-public spicy time in the Agency’s building 😂 Might be in the sparring room, or maybe on their rooftops, or does MC have a better idea for a location?

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Yes, they are pretty experienced and I am pretty sure they are the one with the most experience out of all the ROs. So, it is safe to say that yes, they do know what they’re doing, but of course, there’ll always be chances to surprise them and for them to learn more 😉

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Skylar likes most of them and it depends on the mood. But if they have to choose favorite position, it is the standing missionary (Both partners standing facing each other, with one partner's back against the wall. The receiving partner can wrap one or both legs around their partner's hips, so they're suspended in the air.) 😳

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Skylar is rarely serious during spicy moment. They are always lightheared and teasing, trying to make their partner laugh or just relax/not tense.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

As stated above, they are the more lighthearted type and probably less intense to a degree. They show their affection with their grins, laughs, and little jokes/quips.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Uh, sure, they masturbate a healthy amount I suppose 😆 And yeah, if they have a crush on someone, they don’t really have a problem imagining naughty scenarios with them 😏

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Semi-public, voyeurism, and role-play.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere exciting or new 😂 Including their workplace. But they also like doing it in their own home, but maybe in other rooms than the bedroom? Like in the living room with the wall full of glass panes looking out over the city.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

A teasing partner and risk of getting caught or seen.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

Anything disgusting or non-consensual for their partner or them.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

They prefer receiving, but their giving game is not so bad. Probably because they know the most sensitive parts to stimulate.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

They are more of the fast and rough type, but if asked, they could also do slow and sensual and still as skillful in both. They don’t really mind which one, they just often default to the quicker pace.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

No problem with quickies at all and they’d be up to it whenever either them or their partner needs to blow some steam off and they’re both up to it.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Yes, they are always down to try new stuff out but not before making sure that those are safe for both them and their partner though!

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Quite a lot of rounds. Could probably go the whole night depending on how tired they are that day. As for how long they last, just average I guess?

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Yup, they do own some, but nothing crazy, mind you 😆 And yes they do use them to masturbate as well and use them on their partner occasionally.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

A lot, they like to tease a lot. But they’re a fair person, so they would take teasings from their partner like a champ as well.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Depends on the place. If it’s at home, then they’d be the loud type, but if it’s outside, then they’ll try to keep their voice low; they enjoy the risk of getting caught but not actually getting caught with their pants down 😂

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Pretty easy to convince them to use their official superhero suit for spicy role-play purposes 😉

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Pretty high. I think Skylar’s up there in second place among the ROs in terms of horny level.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Depends on their energy that day and how tired they are, but usually, they can fall asleep pretty quickly, especially when cuddling with MC.

Aug-Sept 2023 Q&A Answers (Part 1)

Hey guys 👋 Here are the answers for the Q&A questions you guys sent in last month. As always, I'll split it into two parts. I'm more than halfway done through answering all of the questions, but it's getting late for me, so part two will have to wait until tomorrow 😅

In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy this first part and let me know what you guys think in the comment section or in the #patreon-general-discussion if you're a member of my Discord server! 😊

* * * * *

"How did Luka convince his father to allow MC to stay with him? Grandpa seems the type not to change his mind. Did Luka dare him to try anything or did his mother come to his aid?"

It was not an easy task, especially since Luka didn’t have any experience raising a kid (other than babysitting MC), and he’d have to raise MC in the city where they knew the killer would still most likely roam around in. But ultimately, the most deciding factor is that it was Viktor’s last dying wish for MC to get taken care of by Luka instead of Grandpa, and of course, Grandma Alina would honor that even though she really wanted to raise MC.

It’s not that Grandpa didn’t want to honor Viktor’s last wish, but he was trying to think logically and practically, prioritizing MC’s safety and the family’s future, even though it felt wrong to go against his late son. But in the end, Grandma and Luka together were firm in what they believed was right for MC and Viktor.

Plus, Luka promised Grandpa that he would make sure to always keep MC safe and under his supervision and to teach/train MC how to defend themself at the very least and master their abilities.

"What happened to Ash's father?"

His name is Edward Flynn. He was also a trusted enforcer just like Cara, but he died a long time ago when Ash was still little because of a mission that went wrong. Ash doesn’t really remember him too much and Cara didn’t really like or want to talk too much about him because it hurt. She tried her best to take it on the chin, move on, and raise Ash. She was aware that she was lucky because she had Luka and Viktor around who helped support her emotionally.

"Obviously, there will be a Heir/Hero/Vigilante/Civilian/(Dead?) ending for the MC. What "could" be the endings for everyone else, taking into account whether they are romantically involved with MC or not? (So long as it isn't too spoilery)"

Ooh, alright, I’ll try to sum it up in the least spoilery way possible. As most of you might be already aware, all the ROs have a hidden stat tracked for each of them that will impact what “path” they’ll choose in the epilogue (except for Rin, I’ll explain further), including whether they’ll stay with MC who goes down a certain “path” that they might be opposed to. Although, the stats might be able to change Santana’s and Skylar’s paths more than Ash and Rin.

For Ash, the hidden stat tracked is whether they’ll try to change and be more… well not exactly merciful, but more “restrained”. It won’t affect whether they’ll be with MC or not because they would always be willing to be with MC no matter what they choose at the end, but it might affect a part of the epilogue. I’m not dead set on it yet, so we’ll see whether I get some new ideas later on.

For Rin, the hidden stat tracked is their trust level, and the more it is, the more open they are to MC, and in the end, they’ll be able to accept MC who chooses to be Vigilante. They won’t change much other than that because from all the ROs, Rin is the one that is 100% confident about what they’re going to do in their life.

For Santana, the hidden stat tracked is their cynical level, which is basically how far they’d be willing to “bend the rules” so to speak. The more it is, the more disillusioned they are with the ideals that they try to cling to, but it doesn’t mean they’d become a totally bad person. They’re just willing to see the world in more shades of grey and would tolerate some stuff they might otherwise wouldn’t, including continuing their relationship with Heir MC. Also, this stat might affect their job in the end 😉

For Skylar, the hidden stat tracked is their vigilante points, which is basically how disillusioned they are with the superheroes and the Agency. If enough points, then they’d be willing to be with Vigilante MC, and same as Santana, this stat will affect their epilogue as well.

Of course, if you’re romancing them or just simply taking their hangout routes later on, you’ll have more chances to actually impact these hidden stats 😁

"If MC goes the superhero route and reconnects with Yvette, since Yvette is Skylar's mentor, would some of their own lessons be at the same time as MCs? Like maybe they'll have sparring lessons? (Cue Skylar getting their butt whooped after teasing a tsundere MC)"

Yeah, they will and they will spend a lot of time hanging out together on and off camera. Dare I say they’ll be the biggest darlings and hottest couple in Elysium City’s history ever and all of their actions in public would be under scrutiny. So, kinda be prepared to say goodbye to anonymity forever 😨 Also, Skylar getting their butt whooped after teasing a tsundere MC is something inevitable 🤭 Maybe I can insert it in the epilogue for Superhero MC and Skylar 😁

"Would the Aikawa twins be possible ROs for the sequel MC? (Another chance to have Azami as a mother-in-law?? 👀) I probably already asked this one."

Hehe yes, they are currently planned to be two of the ROs in the sequel 😁 And yes, for all of you who stan Azami, this will be a second chance to have her as an in-law 😆

"How much do Nariko and Kaito's personalities change after growing up?"

Not a lot actually, but they for sure would be more mature (at least Kaito would be 😂). Nariko would still be kind of a troublemaker and feisty while Kaito would act more as her impulse control instead of always becoming her partner-in-crime (that doesn’t mean that he won’t still support and fight tooth and nail for his twin sister though). It’s just, they are more careful now because their stakes are higher now.

"Do they have any hobbies? Can they play musical instruments?"

Yes, they do have hobbies and yes they can play some musical instruments. They had more free time and fewer responsibilities growing up compared to Rin, so they did have time to learn how to play some instruments casually (although not as good as their mom).

Other than training in combat and martial arts, Nariko loves playing video games and racing (mostly car). She enjoys playing the electric guitar. She can also play koto, but not a lot of people know that, mostly because people don’t expect it.

Kaito enjoys gardening, archery, and various snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding. He actually enjoys and has more patience and passion in learning musical instruments and the instruments he can play are shakuhachi, piano, and violin.

"Hypothetically speaking IF the twins were to appear in the sequel, since they're like less involved with their dad's yakuza stuff, would they be more easily spooked by ruthless MCs?"

Oh, they and Azami are less involved right now in Vendetta, especially since they are still very young and there’s already Rin to step up as the heir anyway, but they do grow up getting way more involved in their family’s business, helping Rin and Takashi.

They might actually be entrusted a district or two of the city to be their domain/turf and they’ll lead their own division of members (a lot of them are young members around their ages as well) that will guard the area. So, yeah, the adult Nariko and Kaito would be different from the innocent little ones that the reader will meet if they take Rin’s hangout route.

"Skylar: When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?"

I’d say that they would start revealing things about themselves pretty early. They’re a pretty open and trusting person, so once they actually get to spend more time with people they trust and those who they find to genuinely want to be their friend, they’ll start to talk a bit about themself or their life.

"Ash: What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss MC? Where do they like to be kissed?"

Shy, tentative, and inexperienced at the beginning of the relationship, but passionate and fiery once they are more confident 🤭They like to kiss MC in the neck/throat area as for where they like to be kissed, I’d say lips or cheeks 🥺

"Rin: How affectionate are they? How do they show affection? Favorite things to do with MC?"

They are the least outwardly affectionate out of all the ROs, mostly because they are a very private person. They are not a big fan of PDA (public display of affections) and they don’t really like to use pet names in public (although, they’d love to do it in private though, and they’ll probably have some stupid pet names for MC as well 😆).

They show affection mostly through spending quality time with MC and subtle acts of caring, such as cooking food or baking for MC if they have the time and feel like doing them.

Favorite things to do with MC other than spicy times? 😏 Well, just hanging out and relaxing with MC I guess, talking with each other about their days or problems or just anything, maybe over a nice homecooked dinner. They’re usually pretty busy during the days, so every little moment they can spend with MC, they cherish a lot.

"Santana: How are mornings spent with them?"

Mornings for Santana are usually either they are already awake because they couldn’t sleep or didn’t have a restful sleep, or they would still be in bed because they finally could sleep soundly 😭

But during those perfect days when they actually woke up in the morning with restful sleep, and if MC was awake as well, then they would love to just brew coffee and make simple breakfast for both them and MC (MC is welcome to join and help too if they want) and just chat together as they enjoy a peaceful morning.

Side Story Poll (for September 2023)

Hey guys! 👋 The time has come to vote on ideas for this month's side story.

I'll list out the ideas below and then you guys can vote on which one you want to see for next month. There are not really any new suggestions made, so I'll list out the remaining choices from last month's poll.

1.) Continuation of Winter Soldier AU story. Last time, we left off with Viktor finally finding MC. The next part will continue with Viktor bringing MC to the family compound and him, Ash, Luka, and Grandpa trying to see how much MC remembers of their past. It might be written in MC's POV this time.

2.) Beach episode with little MC, Ash, Luka, Viktor, and Cara (and maybe little Rin and Takashi too? 🤔). I already have an idea for this one as well and even though summer is already ending, if you guys would still like to see more wholesome beach story, then please vote for this.

3.) Ash's POV of the Voice reappearing.

4.) Luka's/Grandpa's POV of an MC birthday after Viktor died. The requester said anyone but I'd probably choose Luka's POV or maybe even Grandpa, not sure yet 🤔

5.) Yvette’s POV - Her conversation with MC who gives her a 2nd chance (and gives her a hug too).

6.) Viktor's POV of the night he died. Pretty self-explanatory as well and so goddamn angsty 😥

The poll will be open for around a week 😁 (around 15th September) Let me know which one you guys are most interested in with the polls, and feel free to leave some comments on them below if you want to 💕

August 2023 - Spicy Side Story

Hi guys 👋 Here's the spicy side story for the month of August 😊 I apologize for the slight delay. It's around 1.3K words long and the pairing that won the poll is Female Rin/Female MC/Female Ash with the scenario being overstimulation.

I hope you guys enjoy it! 😳

* * * *

Your moan fills the room as the wave of your first orgasm hits you hard. The pleasure is wrecking through your body making you melt even further into Ash’s warm embrace. Your breathing is ragged as you recover from the high and you try to ignore the dull buzzing coming from between your thighs.

Looking down, you see Rin still hasn’t taken off the vibrator off your clit, her eyes locked on yours. She must’ve seen the hints of frustration on your face because her smirk widens into a grin, and she finally turns off the vibrator and puts it away.

Your sigh of relief, however, is short-lived as you feel her hand settling on your mound and her fingers parting your folds.

“Rin—” you start but are immediately cut off as two of her fingers plunge in and start moving in and out.

“Surely, you didn’t think we were done, were you?” she teases and you simply groan in response. Of course, you should’ve known; Rin has never been the one who’s satisfied with only one round.

You’re still slick from her previous ministrations, making it easier for Rin to pick up her pace. At the same time, her thumb starts to rub on your still-sensitive bud, increasing the spikes of pleasure running through your body and turning your pants and low moans into gasps and loud yelps.

Ash tries to soothe you by trailing soft kisses down the nape of your neck. But by the time she reaches your throat, those pecks start to turn into little bites that will undoubtedly leave marks for a couple of days. You hiss as Ash sucks the tender skin in between her teeth, the little sting of pain somehow enhances the pleasure you’re experiencing.

It seems Ash is still not satisfied with merely claiming your neck since you feel her hands move up from where they were resting and stroking your stomach. They seize your breasts, massaging and kneading them almost in reverence while her lips are still worshipping your neck. Her calloused palm sweeps gently against your soft skin and the sensitive areas around your nipples, which are quickly hardening. She swiftly turns her attention to the two sensitive nubs instead, pinching them lightly and rolling them in between her fingers.

That seems to be the final straw to your already overloaded senses and you come for the second time with a loud yell. You’re pretty sure you see stars for a second before you’re back on Earth, in your room. Your chest is rising up and down fast as if you’ve just finished a marathon and you can feel the throb of your racing heartbeat reverberating in your head.

Rin’s hand stops, and a quiet, almost inaudible squelching sound mingles with the sounds of your pants as she pulls her fingers out of you. Oh God, you’re dripping wet down there.

“Ah!” you gasp. As teasing as ever, Rin decided to give your groin an appreciative pat, making your body twitch a bit.

“You know,” Rin starts. “I could feel your hole trying to suck my fingers in again as I pull them out. It seems twice might not be enough after all. How greedy,” she tuts playfully.

Your mind is still in a haze, so you don’t really catch her words right away. Instead, you intelligently answer with the classic, “Huh? What?”

Rin chuckles at that. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure Ash and I are still up to the task of pleasing you until you’ve had enough, right Ash? And actually, how about you take over this time instead?” she asks Ash.

“Finally, I’ve been waiting for you to say that,”  you hear Ash mumbles grumpily as she moves to switch places with Rin.

Only then, does your brain finally manage to catch up with what’s going to happen next. “Ash, Rin! W—Wait—” you start, panic leaking into your voice as you try to scramble back, but Rin is already there, trapping you in an embrace from behind and leaning your head gently onto her soft and smooth bosom, and damn, you couldn’t have asked for a better pillow. “No more, please,” you plead. “How about we just relax now? I don’t think I can—”

Rin shushes you, bringing her right hand up to your lips. “Just one more, love,” she whispers in your ear. “You don’t want to leave poor Ash hanging just like that, don’t you?”

You drift your eyes down and you see Ash, who is now on her stomach with her face leveled at your groin, looking up at you with what can only be described as puppy eyes. Ah, damn it. She knows you’ve always been weak against that. Oh, the things you endure for love.

Both Ash and Rin must’ve felt your tentative agreement—or more like lack of further complaints—and take it as a sign to continue. Ash leans in and immediately starts lapping up your slit. As soon as her tongue touches your clit, however, you can’t help but jolt and shriek in surprise.

Your poor clit has not been given proper chances to recover from two orgasms. The pleasure that runs up your spine from there is tinged with pain now as it gets overstimulated.

Rin takes the opportunity to put her fingers into your open mouth. “Be a good girl and clean them for me, would you?” she coos as she runs her free hand through your hair soothingly.

You obediently do so; at least it will keep your mouth occupied and lessen the embarrassing noises you’re making. As your tongue wraps around her fingers, you realize that these must be the same fingers she used earlier, since you can faintly taste traces of yourself lingering still on them.

Ash, thankfully, has decided to spare your clit for the time being, focusing her efforts to lap at the juices from your previous two orgasms. You feel her tongue moving up and down your inner lips, prodding into your core in between the licks, as if making sure that she won’t miss a spot. You seem to unconsciously mirror Ash’s action as your tongue swirls around her fingers obscenely, low groans muffled.

Being impatient as ever, you feel Ash’s mouth returning to your clit and that’s the only warning you get before she starts sucking on it. The overstimulation sends shocks of intense pleasure mixed with pain running throughout your body, making you writhe and jerk. You shriek as Ash’s tongue repeatedly flicks your sensitive nub, the feeling of her tongue swiping on the still-tender bud is driving you insane. Your legs automatically try to close, but Ash’s hands move from your thighs to your knees, firmly pushing down to keep them open.

It doesn’t take long for you to come for the third time, and even harder this time as well. Your vision turns white for a second as you reach your peak, the intense orgasm is almost too much for you to handle. You wouldn’t be surprised if you actually pass out and you half-expect that the next time you open your eyes, it’s going to be the next morning.

But thankfully, you don’t. You feel Rin’s soft kisses first upon your brow and soon, you return to your senses. She has taken her fingers out of your mouth, and you didn’t even realize that, lost as you were in the throes of pleasure.

“You did so well, love,” Rin says, stroking your hair lovingly, and you let yourself relax more as she shifts your head down to her lap. “Right, Ash?”

Ash only hums in satisfaction as a response, drawing back a bit from between your thighs, before planting a teasing kiss on your mound that tears a surprised yelp and a leg twitch from you. She then moves up and trails adoring kisses up to your stomach where she finally lays her head down, still trying to catch her breath too.

The three of you stay like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence for the rest of the night.

Progress Update (4 September 2023)

Hey guys 👋 Sorry for the lack of progress update posts. I really didn't have anything much to report for last month because August was a really busy month for me. 

During the first half of the month, I was preoccupied with one of my close friends's wedding since she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. And the second half, I was busy helping my brother pack up, set some stuff up, and just spending some more quality time with him since he's leaving for university abroad.

I managed to work a bit on the main story in between all the hecticness, but I mostly focused my free time on working on finishing the side stories since I could work on them even when I was outside thanks to Google Docs. 

I'll finish up the spicy side story and the Q&A answers in the upcoming week and then I'll continue working on the main story next. I'll see you guys in the next progress update! 💖

Oh also, Patreon just released a new feature called Collections that will be able to help you guys navigate and find posts, especially the older ones, easier and more conveniently. This is especially useful if you're a new subscriber or haven't been keeping up with the posts 😁 I have made a bunch of collections for most of the posts, such as Character Art posts, Side Stories posts, Spicy Side Story posts, etc.

You can find it by going to the homepage of my Patreon page and click on the "Collections" tab beside the "Home" and "Membership" tab! Or you can also click this link! 😊

August 2023 - Summer Special Side Story (Part 2)

Here's the second part of the Summer Special Side Story! 💖

Click here for Part 1.

* * * *

Getting up, you decide to try helping Santana prepare the BBQ lunch. They are pulling out the burger patties, waiting for the grill to heat up a bit more before putting a couple on it. Immediately, the smell of grilled beef wafts up to your nose.

“Hey, Santana,” you greet them as you stop beside them. “Do you need any help with anything?”

“Hey!” They nod at you. “I don’t really need any help right now. Although, maybe you can fetch your uncle and his boyfriend over?”

“Sure,” you reply.

“Oh also, what do you want on your burger by the way?” they ask.

“I’m okay with everything, except pickles and tomatoes,” you explain.

“Gotcha,” Santana nods as they flip a burger patty. “Your burger should be ready by the time you come back.”

“Thanks!” you say as you turn and start making your way to the bar.

The seaside bar has mostly open walls, providing natural lighting and fresh seaside air and breeze. There are quite a number of patrons just lounging inside, but it doesn’t take too long for you to find the familiar and towering figure of Uncle Luka sitting at the bar with Jackal leaning on his shoulder.

As you get near them, you hear what they’re talking about.

“Alright, I think that’s enough alcohol for you for the whole day, Tyoma,” your uncle says, moving the glass of drink to the side, out of Jackal’s range.

“Noo… One more sip… One more sip, and then I’m done. I promise,” Jackal whines pleadingly, words slurring a bit against each other as he hugs your uncle’s forearm.

Luka sighs, “Fine. One sip and that’s all, okay?” He hands the glass to his boyfriend.

Within the blink of an eye, Jackal takes the glass to his mouth. Throwing his head back, he swiftly gulped down the drink in one go.

“Hey—” your uncle gasps, grabbing the glass quickly, frowning as he looks at the now empty glass and then his boyfriend.

Jackal, in the meantime, only grins cheekily. “One sip.”

You decide it’s a good time to step in. “Hey, Uncle Luka, Uncle Jackal,” you greet, patting Uncle Luka’s shoulder amicably.

Luka turns to face you and so does Jackal, whose face is pretty flushed now. “Oh, hey, Sasha. What’s up?”

“I’m here to fetch you guys for lunchtime and we have started grilling,” you tell them enthusiastically.

“Aww, are you guys inviting us to have lunch together?” Jackal cooes. “That’s sweet of you. Of course, we accept!”

“Yeah, we are coming. Let me just pay the bill first,” Uncle Luka mutters, digging for his wallet and flagging down the bartender for the bill.

After that’s all done, the three of you make your way back to the group. Rin is helping Santana with the burgers, assembling them beautifully while Santana focuses on grilling more patties and sausages. Noticing you approaching, Rin hands you a paper plate with your burger on it.

“Yours,” they say. “No pickles and tomatoes, right?”

“Perfect,” you smile as you take it. “Thanks.”

“Oh, also, instead of ketchup and mustard, I used the special homemade garlic aioli I made this morning. Let me know how it tastes,” they whisper conspiratorially.

You take a bite and oh… it’s gotta be one of the best burgers you’ve tasted. The beef patty is juicy and perfectly seasoned and the garlic aioli gives it that bit of extra kick of flavour that tastes way better than ketchup and mustard.

“Whoa, it tastes great, Rin,” you tell them and you see them preen from the compliment. Turning to Santana, you also praise them, “You grilled this patty better than most restaurants, Santana.”

“Aw, thanks,” they say, scratching the back of their head bashfully. “Glad you like it!”

Attracted by the savoury smell of the burger, Jackal stands by the grill, eying the food hungrily. “Can I have one too, please?” he asks.

“Of course!” Santana chirps. “How would you like your burger?”

“Raw and bloody,” Jackal grins sharply.

Santana blinks before chuckling nervously, “I think I can’t give that to you based on good conscience alone, sir.”

Luka steps over, dragging his boyfriend away so he can stop bothering Santana. “Sorry, don’t mind him. He’s a bit of a troublemaker when drunk. As for our burgers, we’ll take it just like… normal I guess. We’ll leave the details to your good judgment. Thank you.”

“Of course…” Santana trails off and only stares in confusion as Luka pulls Jackal for a relaxing stroll by the sea.

You walk over to the cooler box to grab something to drink with your burger, but Ash is already bent over it, mulling on which drink to get. They look up at you as you approach, their face lighting up.

“Hey, Sasha. How’s the burger?” they ask.

“Really damn good,” you answer honestly before taking another bite.

“Huh, I know Rin is a good cook, but Santana? It’s a bit of a surprise to me honestly,” they say. “By the way, what do you want to drink?”

Before you can answer, a group of young people, followed by another group of teenagers, run past, talking to each other excitedly. You, Ash, and Skylar—who has dealt with the group of fans earlier—all look at where they are going.

The two groups melt into a bigger crowd that seems to surround something or someone.. You wonder what is happening but also have no desire to go there and leave your burger to get cold.

It seems Skylar is curious as well and luckily for them, they just need to fly up high enough and hover close to the site. You even see them wave their hand before flying back with a smile on their face.

“What the hell is happening over there?” Ash asks, looking at Skylar curiously.

“It seems there’s a photoshoot going on there,” Skylar replies.

“Ah,” you reply. “Whose is it? I feel like a fourth of the beachgoers flock there. Must be someone pretty famous.”

A tinge of tenseness infects Skylar’s wide grin. “Uh… How do I say this? It’s your mom, Sasha,” they sigh finally.

You choke on your burger a bit and Ash quickly hands you a bottle of diet coke, making sure to open it first for you. You quickly take a huge gulp which forces the remaining bits lodged in your throat down.

“Did you tell her that we’re here?” you croak, sending an accusatory look at Skylar.

They raise their hands in surrender. “No! I swear I didn’t. I did hear her telling me about her upcoming photoshoot but I didn’t know it’s going to be here as well. I guess it’s just a coincidence.”

“Did she see you? I saw you waving your hand,” you ask again.

Skylar scratches the back of their neck nervously. “Haha, yeah, she happened to look up and saw me. So I just waved at her in greeting.”

“Great. Now, she knows we’re most likely here as well,” Ash groans, bringing their palm to their face.

“Let’s hope she won’t come here then,” Rin pipes in as they bring Skylar’s and Ash’s burgers before going to grab their own.

As the four of you start your lunch, you call out to Santana to invite them too. They tell you to not wait for them and to start first. They’ll be joining soon after they finish cooking their own burger and both your uncle’s and Jackal’s.

A couple of minutes in, you notice someone approaching your group out of the corner of your eye, and so do Ash, Skylar, and Rin. Your heart sinks a bit as you notice that it is indeed your mother. How she even managed to slip away from the throng of her onlookers and fans? You have no idea.

“Oh, so it was you, Skylar,” she greets Skylar. “At first, I wasn’t sure whether it was you who was hovering above me. Thought my eyes were deceiving me.”

“It’s common for eyesight to deteriorate with age,” Rin comments cheekily. “I remember having to convince my grandfather to get a pair of prescription glasses.”

Ash snickers quietly beside you.

“Thank you for the unsolicited advice,” your mother says in a saccharine voice, smile obviously strained.

Skylar’s mouth is agape from the exchange and they quickly try to redirect the conversation back to safer waters. “So, Yvette, how did you even manage to get here without any of your fans noticing? I might need to take notes,” they chuckle.

Your mother’s face lights up. “Oh! I just did the good ol’ misdirect-and-slip-away with my Illusion power. So, sorry, can’t really teach you the trick with this one,” she grins playfully, which makes her look younger than her age. “Although you can always fly away.”

“Oh, yeah. But I always feel bad—” Skylar is cut off as your uncle and Jackal pop up out of thin air with Jackal still clutching onto your uncle’s arm like a koala. And boy, your uncle doesn’t look pleased at all as he glowers down at your mother.

But instead of being deterred, your mother flashes him an eerily fake smile. “Ah, Luka! Didn’t know you were here as well. What a pleasant surprise.”

You see Uncle Luka’s eye twitch almost imperceptibly, probably from the fact that she called him by his first name as if the two of them were on a first-name basis.

Jackal squints at her. “Oh are you the witch Luka has been talking about?”

You almost choke on your drink from the blunt statement. Your mother’s smile now looks almost more like a snarl now. “I’m afraid I don’t know who you are nor have I ever seen you around before. Although, I did hear rumours that Luka Morozov is no longer single. I couldn’t believe it until now.” She gestures at Jackal.

“You don’t know me? Good,” Jackal answers.

“My friends and colleagues have speculated on the identity of Luka’s partner or even whether the rumours are even true in the first place. It seems I’ll have to be the bearer of bad news and dash their hopes of bagging one of the city’s most wanted bachelors,” she sighs exagerratedly before adding, “Although, I applaud you for succeeding where others fail. Maybe being a nobody is the key after all.”

Before Jackal can answer the insult, Luka interjects, “If your friends and colleagues are remotely similar to you, then they never have any chance to begin with. Now, let’s cut to the chase, and let me ask you: What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was having a photoshoot there,” she replies nonchalantly, pointing at the crowd still gathered. “And I saw Skylar, so I decided to come here to greet them and it turns out, my child’s also here!”

“Your child…?” Uncle Luka growls quietly, and you quickly intervene before he pounces on your mother.

“Well, we are just enjoying the beach before summer ends,” you say awkwardly to her. “It’s a nice day.”

She turns to you with a soft and genuine smile. “It is! And I’m glad to see you well and making new friends other than these two.” She gestures at Ash and Rin.

Ash’s face twisted and you guess if they were not currently chewing on their burger, they’d have something snarky to say. Thankfully, Santana comes to the rescue—most likely unintentionally—as they come bringing Uncle Luka and Jackal’s burgers and their own. They stop in their tracks though as they notice the tense atmosphere and that your mother is present.

“Uh, hi, Ms. Toussaint,” they greet politely. “I didn’t know you’d be joining us for lunch”

“Oh, no, no,” your mother says. “I’ll not be here for long—”

“Thank God,” Ash mutters under their breath.

Your mother continues as if Ash hasn’t said anything. “I’m just here to say hi to Skylar and check up on Sasha.” She turns to you and steps closer to where you’re seated. You almost jolt as she strokes your hair lovingly. “Have you made sure to put on sunscreen? And drink a lot. It’s a hot day.”

“Alright, mom,” you whine before catching yourself as you realize what you’ve just done. You glance up at her and you see her surprised face morphs into a joyous one with a smile wider than the ones she has shown in front of the camera. “Uh, I mean, yeah, I’ve done all of that. Don’t worry,” you quickly try to amend, but the damage has been done.

The moment is broken by your mother’s phone ringing in her handbag. Her face falls as she reaches into the bag and checks her phone. “Well, it seems I have to go now,” she sighs before dropping the still-ringing phone back, not bothering to answer it. “You have fun now, darling,” she smiles, patting your head one more time before turning around and making her way back to where she came from.

You and the rest of your group watch her retreating back quietly until Skylar decides to break the awkward silence first. “Did you just—”

“Please, don’t,” you cut them off.

They raise their hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I won’t bring it up again today.”

“Or ever,” you add.

“No promises,” they say under their breath before stuffing their mouth with a huge bite of the burger.

August 2023 - Summer Special Side Story (Part 1)

Hi guys 👋 Here's the side story of the month, which is a Beach Episode with the gang. It's around 4.6K words long and I'll split it up into two posts! 💖 I definitely had a fun time just writing the dynamics between the ROs in a setting where they are just hanging out and I hope you guys enjoy reading it too! 😊

Part 2 here!

* * * *

It’s another sunny and beautiful summer day with a clear blue sky, and it’s also the perfect time for a beach outing with your friends. To your surprise, Uncle Luka agrees to join too and he manages to tow Jackal with him. Or maybe it was the reverse and Jackal was the one who convinced him to join.

All of you are making your way toward the beach, and each of you is carrying things you’ll need for the day. Skylar is carrying a portable BBQ grill with ease, Santana brings a case filled with food materials for lunch later on, Ash’s hands are filled with beach towels, a couple of folded beach chairs, and a beach umbrella, and you yourself are carrying a little cooler box filled with drinks. Meanwhile, Rin is simply carrying a big duffel bag containing other necessities, such as spare clothes.

There are not as many people on the beach as you first expected, probably because the end of the summer holiday is nearing. As you scan for a good place on the shore, you see Uncle Luka and Jackal. Both of them are wearing simple beach shirts, and somehow, Uncle Luka managed to get a dull black and grey one.

Your uncle’s wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses, but that doesn’t seem to be enough as he still shields his eyes from the sun with his hand. Jackal, on the other hand, is still wearing his baseball cap and face mask, and both arm and leg sleeves under his buttoned-up beach shirt, covering as much skin as he can while being on the beach.

It seems their decision to go separately from your group is a wise one since they managed to stake you a pretty nice spot. In contrast to your group, the two of them pack light for the outing with only a duffel bag that is slung on your uncle’s right shoulder. Jackal is rummaging around the bag, looking for something.

You point them out to the rest of your group and you all make your way toward them.

“Hey,” you call out to both of them. “Have you guys been waiting here for long?”

Uncle Luka turns to look at you with a slight pout on his lips. “Took you long enough. Been roasting here for half an hour now.” You take a look at him closely, and sure enough, there’s a reddish tint on his usually pale skin.

“Oh shit, sorry,” you say. You see Ash starting to lay out the beach towels and Skylar setting down the BBQ grill that they’ve been holding.

Jackal clicks his tongue. “He’s fucking with you. We’ve only been here for like, fifteen minutes max. Your uncle’s just prone to getting sunburnt and like the genius he is, he forgot to wear sunscreen,” he explains.

“Damn, no need to call me out in front of my nibling like that,” Uncle Luka chuckles. “But yeah, we decided to wait for you guys here instead of at the bar there to hold this piece of land for you.”

“Thanks, Uncle Luka,” you smile. “This is a really nice spot.” And it really is. It’s right in front of the beach volleyball “court” and not too far from the bar and the sea itself.

“Ah, finally!” Jackal breathes out as he pulls out a bottle of sunscreen. Opening the cap, he squirts a generous amount on his hand before slathering it on your uncle’s right arm first.

It’s kinda sweet of him to be looking out and caring for your uncle like this and you know your uncle is thinking the same thing because he’s looking at his boyfriend with a slight genuine smile on his lips.

After he finishes putting sunscreen on both of your uncle’s arms, Jackal starts dragging your uncle away. “Excuse us, Sasha,” he says. “It’s time to make sure your uncle is properly protected from the sun. C’mon, Luka.”

“We’ll see you later, kiddo,” Uncle Luka tells you. “Although, I think we’ll be spending most of our time in the bar after this, so you can also find us there.” He points at the seaside bar nearby.

“Alright. Have fun, Uncle Luka!” you give him a thumbs up. He gives you a wave as Jackal pulls him toward the public bathroom.

It reminds you that you also haven’t put on sunscreen. You turn back toward your friends, setting the cooler box in between the two beach chairs under the shade of the umbrella. Rin is already making themself comfy on the beach chair to your left.

You bend down to fetch the bottle of sunscreen from the duffel bag that Rin carried and start slathering it on your skin. “Rin, do you need this?” you ask them, offering the bottle.

Rin shakes their head. “No, thank you. I’ve put it on before leaving the house.” They put on a pair of wireless earphones before lying back.

You strain as you try to reach your upper back and shoulder areas properly, making a noise of frustration that catches Ash’s attention. “Let me help you with that, Sasha…” they say shyly as they approach. “I—If you want to, of course!”

Smiling at them, you hand the bottle to them. “Thanks, Ash. Appreciate it.”

“You're welcome,” they mumble quietly, hands touching your back gingerly.

“Have you put on any, Ash?” you ask them as they spread the sunscreen on your back.

“Do they even need to?” Skylar pipes up, cutting off Ash before they can answer. “They are immune from getting burned by literal fire.”

“Well, sun rays are different, okay? The UV might still harm their skin,” you point out. You remember Aunt Cara always made sure Ash was wearing sunscreen during the few beach outings you had before.

“No, I haven’t,” Ash answers your question, standing back up. “I’d rather not take the risk to prove Skylar’s theory,” they mutter as they start squirting the sunscreen on both of their arms.

“Fair, I wouldn’t too,” Skylar snickers, bending down to grab a volleyball and throwing it up and down idly. “That’s why I put it on before we arrived here.”

“Sasha… Can you help me?” Ash asks bashfully, cheeks flushed. “With my back?”

“Of course.” Taking the sunscreen, you start covering their back and shoulder areas. Ash hasn’t even spent that long under the sun, but already, their skin is pretty heated up.

“Ooh, I see why you didn’t put it on at home,” Skylar grins, wiggling their eyebrows. “Ash, you sly dog. Maybe I should have… forgotten too, so Sasha can help me.”

“W—What?!” Ash blurts out. “I actually forgot, you asshole! I’m not like you.”

Santana saunters over. “Wait, don’t Ash and Sasha live together anyway? Your accusation doesn’t make sense then,” they point out Skylar’s logical fallacy and Ash nods enthusiastically.

“Oh shit, yeah. I actually forgot that,” Skylar chuckles.

“Idiot,” Ash breathes out in slight irritation.

You clap their back lightly, signaling you’re done. “There you go. All done.”

“Thanks, Sasha,” Ash sighs as they get back up from the beach chair.

“So, what do you guys wanna do first?” you ask.

“Well, seeing that the volleyball court is not used right now, how about we have a few matches now?” Skylar suggests, bouncing the ball in between their hands.

“Sure, I’m up for it,” you reply, getting on your feet and doing a little stretch.

“I call dibs on teaming up with Sasha,” Ash chirps, already making their way to the court.

“Alright, who wanna be on my team then? Rin?” They turn to Rin.

Rin takes off one of their earbuds and says, “Whatever it is you’re trying to rope me into, I’m not interested. I’ll just watch.”

“Maybe you can help keep tabs on the scores then,” Skylar sighs and Rin just gives a noncommittal shrug. “Santana?” They turn to Santana next, this time, putting on puppy eyes.

Santana looks at them for a couple of seconds before sighing, “Fine… Just a couple of rounds though, and then I’d love to just relax, if you don’t mind.”

“Yes!” Skylar cheers, pumping their fist. “Of course, of course. Just a few rounds, promise.”

The three of you walk over to the court where Ash is already waiting. For the next fifteen minutes or so, the four of you have fun, playing a casual and lighthearted match. Skylar scored first, followed by Ash, and then by sheer luck, you.

You make a serve; the ball flies over Santana’s head and Skylar effortlessly replies with one of their own. Keeping your eyes on the trajectory of the ball, you try to catch it but it’s clear that it’s beyond your reach. Thankfully, Ash behind you does, replying with a smash so hard that as it whizzes past you, you half-expected it to be ablaze and have smoke trailing it.

Understandably, Santana moves out of the way but not Skylar. They hit the ball hard, giving Ash a taste of their own medicine. You duck reflexively, even though it is not aimed at you. Ash slides on the ground, trying their best to not let the ball touch the floor, alas, they’re not fast enough and Skylar’s team gets another point.

“Fuck!” Ash curses under their breath, standing up and brushing the sand off their body.

“Oh my God, what the fuck was that you two?” you ask, glaring at the two of them.

“Yeah,” Santana pipes in. “I think that’s all for me for now. I have to start preparing the grill for lunch.”

“Me too,” you say. “I think you guys are better off playing 1 vs. 1 for now to resolve whatever rivalry is going on between you two. I’ll watch though.”

Ash and Skylar both turn to look at each other. “I’m up for that,” Ash says resolutely.

Skylar grins sharply, a competitive glint shines even through the aviator sunglasses they wear. “I’m gonna go all out this time. Prepare to lose.”

Ash rolls their eyes. “Keep yapping. That’s all you’re good at.”

You saunter over to the chair beside Rin’s and lean back as you watch the two of them get ready for their match. Rin leans close, pulling out one of their earbuds. “What are those two up to now?” they ask.

“They’re gonna resolve their rivalry through a match of volleyball,” you explain right to the point.

“Huh, interesting. I’ll probably watch too--a bit,” they mutter, turning their attention away from the book on their lap to the court in front of them.

“Reading a book? You know this is time to relax, right? You’re already busy enough in your day-to-day life,” you point out.

They raise the book and show you the cover, but it’s not like you can read it since it’s in Japanese. “Don’t worry,” they assure you with a slight and fond smile. “This is a novel, nothing work-related, and I’m reading it to relax. I usually don’t get time to read a lot, so this is a good chance to finish up this book.”

“Oh, great then,” you smile back. “But you won’t want to miss this match.”

“Agreed,” they chuckle as they turn back to watch Ash and Skylar starting their match, and you do the same.

Almost immediately, the two of them set a pretty brutal pace and the shots they send to one another are so hard and fast that the sounds attract some people who decide to stop for a little while to watch. And true to their words, they don’t really hold back.

The two of them quickly rack up scores, sometimes alternating, keeping the other on their toes constantly. You keep track of the score until they are tied. Skylar sent another smash and this time, Ash can’t react fast enough. Luckily for Ash though, the ball falls just right beyond the line by the slightest margin.

Skylar though, seems to not notice it as they jump high in excitement, pumping their fist enthusiastically. “Hell yeah! I win!”

Ash glowers at them and then the ball, putting their hands on their hips. “No, the ball was out of the court.”

“Ah, c’mon. Don’t be such a sore loser.” Skylar wiggles their eyebrows, which annoys Ash even more.

Ash turns and their eyes light up as they spot you and Rin watching. “Let’s ask them about it then,” they say, already making their way toward you. Skylar quickly catches up.

“Hey, Sasha, Rin. You guys saw what just happened, right?” Ash asks.

“Yes,” Rin answers calmly before you can. “And I saw the ball touching the line. Pretty sure that still counts as ‘in court’.”

Skylar grins smugly, radiating an “I told you so” aura.

Ash’s eyes widen in disbelief. “What?! No fucking way! I was the closest to the ball when it happened!”

Rin cocks an eyebrow and you see their lips twitch up in a teasing smirk. “Are you implying that I’m lying just to piss you off?” They bring their hand to their chest as if offended.

“Yes! And I’m not implying, I’m outright accusing you,” Ash huffs, pointing at Rin before turning to you, giving you the puppy eyes. “Sasha, you saw the ball fall out of the court, right?”

Argh, you were tempted to follow Rin’s lead and tease them a bit, but with the puppy eyes… You just can’t…

Sighing, you tell them the truth, “I think I saw it fall just beyond the line.”

Ash grins, “Yes! I know I can trust you, Sasha.” They turn to Skylar. “Well, we still gotta settle the tied score.”

“You’re just delaying the inevitable,” Skylar sighs dramatically. “But, finee.”

The two of them begin walking back toward the court but before they can resume, a group of three teenage girls stop by. They crowd around Skylar with their phones out.

“Oh my God! You’re Phase, right? Can we get pictures please?” one of the girls pleads.

Skylar looks around nervously to see whether other people around might have heard it. “Yeah, but on one condition: Please keep quiet okay? And don’t tell anybody else that I’m here.” They flash a charming grin for good measure.

The three girls squeal and Skylar quickly tries to shush them. They quiet down before the four of them start posing for group selfies. Ash moves out of the way to make sure they don’t get into the background by accident. They make their way back to where you’re sitting.

Well, it seems the match is over for now.

Part 2 here!

Side Story Ideas Request (for September 2023)

Hey guys! It's time for you guys to request what next month's side story is about and who it is going to feature! Feel free to request any characters, scenarios, and AUs (either wholesome or angsty). These requests and ideas will then be further voted on by you guys.

Last month, the poll for August's side story determined that the winner is Beach Episode with the gang! 😁 I'm going to start working on it tomorrow, but in the meantime, let me know what ideas or scenarios you guys have for next month

I'll be open and receive the ideas for around a week or so (until around 29 August, GMT+8). Feel free to leave them here in the comments or in the #side-story-request channel on the Patreon section of the Discord server!

There are also still some ideas remaining from the previous months and some of them might return for the upcoming poll, especially if there are not too many ideas/requests this month. Feel free to let me know too if you want to see some of them in this next poll! 🥰

Here are some ideas from last and previous months:

• Luka's or Jackal's POV of his date with Jackal in Chapter 3.
• Takashi x Viktor AU about how they got together.
• Luka's POV of when he went back to save Viktor that night.
• Viktor's POV of the night he died.
• Takashi x Viktor AU telling how they got together.
• Vendetta Streamer AU (can suggest more detailed ideas if anyone's interested or has something in mind)

Extra Side Story - The Luck of the Devil (Pt. 3)

Here's the third and last part of the story--for now. Maybe one day I'll find time to write the next part where we'll just see Jackal in action, if it's something you guys are interested in reading 😁 For now, please enjoy the story!

* * * * *

There are even more people now compared to before, but thankfully, most of them are quite far from the buffet table. You cut through the room and immediately make your way to the table. Grabbing a plate, you scan the available food. All of them seem to be appetizers, snacks, and other small bites, and you are not sure what half of them even are. You are so absorbed in your pondering over which food to grab that you don’t realize someone has slipped beside you.

“Who are you grabbing food for?” the man asks amicably.

You turn and find yourself face-to-face with Takashi Aikawa. The intimidating half oni mask he wears is jarring against his friendly expression. “Uh, Lu—I mean, Mr. Morozov, sir,” you reply, cursing inside as you almost called Luka by his first name.

“As I have expected,” Takashi sighs before chuckling, “I suppose I can’t complain since he attends my party in the end.” He then turns to look at the different food, searching for something, until he finally points to a plate filled with a mountain of golden brown buns arranged in a tasteful way. “Anyway, I think he’ll like that. I forgot what it’s called; it’s a classic comfort food in Eastern Europe or so he told me.”

Oh… You know what it is. “Pirozhki?” you supply.

He snaps his fingers. “Yes! That’s it. He talked about how he missed eating that a while back, so I ordered it specifically for him—preferably as some kind of bribe to get him to attend my party. Anyway, get him some of that; I’m sure he’ll like it!”

“Thank you, sir,” you say and he only nods as another guest approaches him again and he gets pulled into another conversation.

You’re not going to lie, you’ve missed pirozhki too, so you just load up the plate with a bunch of it before making your way back to the balcony. There’s a disgruntled guest standing in front of the balcony entrance who seems to be arguing with the guards.

As you pass by them, you hear the guest complain, “Hey, he just walks in like that?”

“He’s Mr. Morozov’s server for the night,” one of the guards answers curtly.

The guest scoffs, “So, what? A server is allowed to see him but not me? Do you know who my family is?”

“Yes, the server is allowed to see him and yes, I’m aware of who your family is. But, no, you still can’t see Mr. Morozov until he gives permission,” the other guard replies flatly. It sounds like she has dealt with this kind of thing a lot.

“I bring some pirozhki,” you say as you approach Luka, who’s still leaning on the balcony’s glass railing.

He turns around and looks at the plate you carry. “Pirozhki? That’s something I have not had in a long time.”

“Mr. Aikawa did say that. He told me that he ordered this for the party specifically for you,” you relay.

A fond smile graces his lips. “Can’t believe he remembers that…”

You wonder if there’s something more between those two and before you even realize it, you have blurted out the question, “Are you and Mr. Aikawa…?” You immediately stop yourself but the implication of the question is clear. Clearing your throat, you add, “Sorry, sir. Please, forget about that.”

“Me and Takashi?” he laughs in disbelief. “God, no. We are close friends, and that’s all. Also, he’s married and has a kid, you know?”

“Oh…” you say. “I didn’t know that. I’m still pretty new to the city.”

Luka just hums as he takes off both his mask and his right-hand glove before reaching out to grab a pirozhki and taking a bite. “Not too bad. Still not as good as the ones my mother used to make, though.” He inspects the pirozhki before gesturing at you. “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Feel free to eat some.”

You take one before realizing that you’ll have to lift up your mask a bit to eat it. Setting the plate on the nearby coffee table, you lift your mask enough to take a bite while also turning away from Luka.

“What’s wrong?” you hear Luka asks you.

“My face is not that appealing,” you admit and you’re not even completely lying. With the many scars on your face, especially the one on your lip, it’s not a particularly attractive face to look at—not like his own handsome one. “You won’t want to see it while eating.”

Luka just stays silent, but he also doesn’t push further, which you’re thankful for. With a few big bites, the pirozhki is done for. Luka’s right, it’s decent, but you prefer your mom’s as well. You haven’t been able to find one that’s as good as hers so far.

You pull your mask back down before turning back to Luka. He’s looking out at the cityscape again and you follow his gaze. There seems to be some kind of fireworks show from around the Chinatown part of the city.

“Do you know what they’re celebrating?” Luka asks, eyes still glued on the colorful blooms in the night sky.

“Lunar New Year,” you answer him.

“And you’re not celebrating it?”

“Nah,” you say. “It’s usually celebrated with family and loved ones. And I don’t really have any.” You see Luka sending you a sympathetic look, so you add, “Also, I still need to do my job. Who else is going to be brave enough to keep you company tonight?”

He chuckles quietly, “I do enjoy talking with you more than most of the guests attending the parties I’ve been to. I must admit, our talk… makes the party far more bearable, and it’s probably more stimulating than the rumor mills going on in there.”

You look at him in surprise. “I’m… glad to hear that,” you say. “I enjoy our weird conversation too.” And you find yourself actually telling the truth. Other than Mr. Tang, you don’t really have anyone you’re close enough to talk with for this long.

His eyes drift downwards and stop at the name tag pinned on your black vest. “Jason Choi, hm? I’ll make sure to let your boss know about the exceptional service you’ve given me tonight.”

Shit, he still thinks you’re actually a waiter. Maybe this is the perfect time to break the news to him and do what you’re here for. “I have something to tell you,” you start before sighing, “My name’s not Jason Choi and I’m actually not a waiter.”

Without hesitation, Luka pulls out his pistol from his overcoat in one swift movement and points it right at your head. It’s a fair response, to be honest, and you raise your hands placatingly. “Who are you then? Talk.”

“You might or might not have heard of me before. I’m Jackal,” you answer carefully.

“A fucking hitman,” Luka hisses. “I’ve heard of you, yes. And why are you here, dressed as a goddamn waiter?”

“I can assure you that I’m not here to kill or even harm you,” you say and Luka just sends you a “no shit” stare. “I’m here because I need to talk to you. I need your help, please…”

“First, tell me your real name and take off your mask,” he growls as he gestures at your face with his pistol casually. “I will not help a fucking stranger whose face I have not even seen.”

“My name is Artyom Zhang,” you mumble as you gingerly grab the mask and take it off completely, steeling yourself as you meet his gaze, getting ready for the reaction shown on his face as he sees the scars on your face. But instead of derision or disgust, you see his icy blue eyes trail over your face, stopping on the various scars for a little bit, and dare you say, you see a spark of interest in his face instead.

What a weird man…

“Artyom, huh,” Luka repeats slowly as if tasting the way your name rolls off his tongue. He does pronounce it accurately, the same way your mom did. “You Russian?”

“I guess I’m half-Russian; my mom was Russian and she was the one who named me,” you reply. “And before you ask, yes, I can read and understand Russian and speak it a bit.”

Luka hums before asking, “So, what do you need help with?”

“I… need your protection,” you start. “And in return, I can offer you all of my services.”

“And who do you need protection from exactly?”

“The Lam Family. They’re part of the oldest triads based in Hong Kong,” you reply, trying to keep the anxiousness out of your voice.

“I’ve heard of them…” Luka says quietly. “And they are still chasing you all the way here, so far from their base of power. What the hell did you do exactly to piss them off that much?”

You sigh. It’s a fair question, especially since he’s going to take some risks by bestowing his family’s protection to you. The question is how much you’re going to tell him. “I… I killed the previous head of the Lam Family… And his wife too. And for years, their kids have been trying to get my ass for that.”

You grimace a bit as you recall the story; you’ve never told anyone else about it before.

“Shit…” he curses in Russian under his breath. “Was the pay that good that you couldn’t resist fucking them over? Hell, how can I be sure you wouldn’t do the same to me to the first person promising you high pay?”

“It was not a job,” you hiss angrily. “I did it not for any financial gain. I did it for myself because they fucking deserved it. And I would’ve done it all over again if given the chance, even knowing that I’ll have become a runaway for the rest of my life,” you say stubbornly, head held high.

Luka blinks in surprise. “I see. Was it revenge then?” he asks. You don’t answer and it seems to be answer enough for him because he finally lowers his pistol slowly. “I’m familiar with that fierce flame—”

He’s cut off as the sound of what seems to be two heavy… things hit the floor rings out. The two of you fall silent instantly, looking at each other. And then come the quiet curses and your blood runs cold as you hear they are speaking in Cantonese. The noises seem to come from the left and behind you.

You turn around slowly and climb on the couch a bit to see over the hedge divider walls. You can feel Luka approaching too behind you, although he doesn’t need to get on the same couch to take a look. You catch a glimpse of two men getting up from the floor for a couple of seconds before you are suddenly grabbed from behind.

There’s a nauseating and dizzying feeling of lurching and the yelp you made is completely muffled by the hand clamped around your mouth. A blink later, you’re not where you were earlier. Your heart is racing as adrenaline pumps through your blood and in your panic, you bite down on the palm hard and you feel blood trickling onto your tongue.

“Fuck!” Luka hisses quietly, instinctively getting his hand off your face. “Calm down. I just repositioned us to a better place.”

What… You take a second to look around and indeed, you seem to be on another balcony of some kind, right above the one you were before. Looking over the edge, you see the two men lurking around, walking toward where you and Luka were standing just seconds ago.

Luka stoops slightly and you suddenly become aware of how close the two of you actually are. In fact, his left arm is still loosely wrapped around your torso as he hasn’t moved it from the moment he grabbed you and teleported you up here with him, and you can feel his chest pressing lightly against your back as he leans forward.

Even through the layers of clothes, it’s clear that he’s fit as fuck. Damnit, stop thinking about his body, Tyoma! It’s not the time and you certainly don’t need the distraction.

“Can you understand what they’re saying?” Luka whispers right beside your ear, sending goosebumps down your back. You shake it off and focus on listening to what the two intruders are saying.

“You said he is here. Well?” the taller man asks his colleague irritatedly, gesturing around the area.

“I swear! I saw a waiter going in here and I’m willing to bet it is him,” the younger man said.

“So, you weren’t even sure it was him? I flew you all the way up here based on a hunch?” the taller man growled.

“Well, the fixer did say he would be disguised as a waiter and if I were him, I’d get close to my target that way. And look! They were here,” the younger man points at the stuff the two of you left on the coffee table.

“Yes, but the important thing is that he’s not here right now. I should’ve stuck to my plan instead.”

The younger man scoffs. “Your plan is too passive. My plan would’ve let us grab the head of the Morozov family too. The price on his head might even be higher than the traitor’s.”

“Well, what are they talking about?” Luka asks again.

“They planned to ambush the two of us on the balcony and delivered us to the Lam family—well, at least I would be, I think they might just hand you over to the highest bidder,” you whisper to Luka.

“Greedy fools,” Luka derides. “I can teleport us back down there, right behind them, and we can knock them out. I want them interrogated.”

Maybe this is a good chance to kind of showcase your ability to him, to further sell on the idea of what a valuable asset you would be. It would take a lot out of you, but it would certainly impress him.

Also, you’ll be feasting in blood soon enough.

“No need, I can do it safely from up here,” you tell him.

“The two of them at the same time?” he asks incredulously.

“Yes,” you answer with some irritation in your voice. “Now, let me concentrate.”

You focus on the circulatory system of the two men below you, on the blood coursing through their veins. The heartbeat of the taller guy is faster than the other guy, probably from the physical exertion of flying and carrying the other guy all the way up here. Taking hold of their blood under your control, you begin to suppress their circulation, slowly stopping the blood from reaching their brain.

The bigger guy keels over first, groaning quietly, followed a few seconds later by his colleague. In just a couple of minutes, the two full-grown men are passed out. You let go of the control with a loud and strangled gasp. Already, you feel quite drained.

“Are you okay?” Luka asks. “Looking a little pale there.”

“I’ll be,” you groan. “Just a bit…lightheaded.”

“Alright…” he says, a bit unsure before asking, “What the hell did you just do to them?”

You’re not really keen on explaining the whole mechanics behind it, so you just answer, “Blood control.”

“So, you’re a haemokinetic, huh?” he hums. “And a very strong one too…”

“Thanks,” you reply cheekily.

Luka chuckles, “Well, I’ll bring us back down there. Get ready.”

You nod and close your eyes to hopefully mitigate the dizziness. His arm tightens around your midriff and it actually kinda works anchoring you through the lurching in your stomach as you get teleported. Opening your eyes, you find yourself standing right in front of the two unconscious men.

Luka lets go of you and walks over to the bodies, turning the shorter man on his back with the tip of his leather shoe. He scrunches his nose in distaste, before looking down to inspect his right hand,

Oh yeah, you did just bite him. You can smell the blood from where you’re standing and your mouth waters involuntarily; it doesn’t help that you just expended a lot of blood doing what you just did.

“Your hand,” you say. “Let me help.”

Luka raises an eyebrow at you before hesitantly holding out his right hand. You take it in yours and turn it over so the palm is facing you. It seems you bit him pretty deeply to the point where it’s still bleeding a bit.

You don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you lift his hand up to your face and start licking the blood off, savoring the taste while also coaxing the wound to close up. You’re so tempted to actually get more blood out of the wound, but you don’t want to piss Luka off more than he probably already is.

As you lift your head back up, you realize Luka is looking at you with wide-blown eyes and a slightly opened mouth, and… is that a faint blush on his pale cheeks? It’s hard to discern for sure under the dim lighting out here. But yes, you realize how… intimate it is to lick someone’s hand like that, and yes, in hindsight, you probably shouldn’t have done that.

You quickly let go of his hand as if it just burnt you. “It’s all good now,” you cough awkwardly.

He cradles his hand gently, rubbing the wrist. “Thank you,” he says.

“Our conversation got cut short by these two idiots last time,” you say, nudging one of them with your foot. “So, what’s your answer? Are you gonna help me?”

“I…” he trails off. “I need to think more about it.”

“How long?” you ask again before quickly adding. “I need to know so I can at least get ready to move out of the city again in case you say no.”

“A day or two at max,” Luka says.

“Alright,” you sigh. “Thank you.”

“I haven’t said yes,” he points out quizzically.

“For not dismissing me right away…” you reply. “And for the... nice talk tonight. I genuinely enjoyed it and I think I really needed it.”

“Likewise,” he replies, the cold blue eyes softening almost imperceptibly. “You’ll have your answer soon, I promise.”

You nod. “Well, in the meantime, I have some… cleaning up to do before the night ends.”

He smirks, “It does seem like you need to tie some loose ends. I wish you luck.”

“Thanks,” you grin before putting on the mask again and grabbing the tray.

As you’re about to make your way back inside, Luka calls out to you, “Oh, do you mind telling my two bodyguards to come here?”

You send him a thumbs up before continuing on your way. Tapping the shoulder of one of the guards as you pass them, you relay the message, “Mr. Morozov asks for your presence. The two of you.”

They send each other a worried glance before nodding and starting to move. You walk in the opposite direction, back towards the staff area. You can’t wait to pay your fixer “friend” a visit. And hopefully, you get to get your fill of blood too along the way.