#comforce

[pexfections]

💭 + if he witnessed it, how would nice feel watching lin ling pretend to be him to the public?

​` 𖥔 ݁₊ 𐔌 . ⋮ ohohohhh,  this  is  a  good  question  !!  i'm  now  thinking  really  hard  about  this . . .  at  first,  i  don't  think  nice  would  really  care.  he  remembers  watching  the  e-souls  fight  on  television  live,  he  understands  heroes  can  be  replaced  just  as  they  trend  and  fall  off.  it'd  almost  be  amusing,  watching  someone  forced  to  his  schedule  and  blush  over  stinky  moon—  but  quickly  it  would  turn  into  dread.  it's  not  something  he'd  want  to  watch  or  think  about.  everyone  around  nice  finds  themselves  miserable,  becoming  nice . . .  he'd  try  to  ignore  all  of  his  troubles  suddenly  landing  on  lin  ling  and  instead  hopes  the  other  quits  quickly. 

it  wouldn't  take  long  for  his  opinion  to  change once again . . .  nice  is  obsessive  by  nature,  and  as  he  watches  lin  ling  live  his  life  and  do  better…  well.  it's  not  a  feeling  he  could  label.  he  wonders  if  this  is  what  shang  chao  was  like,  similar  in  appearance  but  better,  actually  perfect.  lin  ling  exceeds  where  nice  had  repeatedly  failed,  and  while  i  think  nice  could  have  made  it  to  the  top  ten  without  a  manager  breathing  down  his  throat,  had  he  been  given  the  same  choices  as  lin  ling,  he  wouldn't  have  made  the  same  decisions.  it  reminds  me  of  how  nice  is  an  infj  and  lin  ling  is  an  enfj  ~

his  obsession  could  bloom  into  other  feelings  —  disdain,  jealousy,  something  romantic.  while  the  broken  doll  might  not  recognise  lin  ling,  i  feel  as  though  he's  one  of  the  very  few  who  could  get  through  to  him.  (  read  this  hehe  ).  there  would  be  some  complicated  feelings  to  unpack  if  he  gets  back  to  his  old  self,  but  lin  ling  would  certainly  take  up  a  good  portion  of  nice's  mind  for  a  long  while.

𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼 — send 💭 + a topic

[qwertybyte]

[  TXT  ]  :  which  one  of  us  would  survive  a  horror  movie?  and  who’d  die  in  the  dumbest  way? ( @ zac…. we ignore how they even started talking )

∙ ∙ ∙ ZAC HAD REACHED OUT TO LIN LING — to the Commoner, as he was now called — with every intent of signing him to FOMO. Shang De simply sank his teeth in quicker. Damn vampire. After everything that came to light lately, from Moon’s murder to Nice’s jump, it’s still surprising Lin Ling stayed. They clearly couldn’t care less about him there.

To each their own. Zac is pleased enough with their ongoing text rapport. It gives him something to look forward to during the monotony of more heavily scheduled business days.

[ TXT ] to 超凌 : you’re the superhero, aren’t you? [ TXT ] to 超凌 : i wouldn’t die, though, bc obviously you’d come save me <3 [ TXT ] to 超凌 : …right? [ TXT ] to 超凌 : would be mean to let me go out like that, mr hero :( :( :(

[scarredroyal]

❝ i don't mean to be too forward, you just seem like you could use a friend right now. ❞ he won't claim to know what she's going through, nor expect to have a proper answer. still, lin ling decides that having someone is better than having no one at all - even one of the best can have the worst days. ꨄ︎

prompted. status: accepting

— ✦ BEFORE QUEEN CAN STOP TO THINK OF A GENUINE ANSWER , she shakes her head. “ I’m… ” fine, she wants to say. This time of year is rough for every hero. Lin Ling doesn’t yet know. He’s new. Green, though not in an unhealthy, sickly sense. Rather, in him, Liu Yuwei is reminded of spring days and sunlit foliage: hopeful new beginnings. His naivety is awfully pure.

She wonders if he means to lift her spirits, in which case, he’s aware how far she sank. With situations like these, she should turn him away. He doesn’t deserve to crumble with her. Besides, she’ll stagger to her feet eventually; she always does, no matter who’s there to support her, or who isn’t. 

Except, she thinks of Cyan, of Little Johnny, and of his mischievous cat-like son. Friends. She could use them. They’re away at the moment, occupied on missions elsewhere, and… Might that be the reason she feels so low? It seems silly — so silly she wants to dismiss it. 

“ I’m tired, that’s all, ” she says. It is a half-truth. Better than a lie, she supposes. Tucking strands of hair behind her ear, she sighs. “ Thank you, though. It’s kind of you to check on me. ” She seems to take a moment, contemplation causing her to twirl silvery white around her fingers. 

Could she allow another person into her life? Do the benefits of friendship outweigh the risks? As high up in rank as she is, danger may come for her loved ones any day.

Selfishly, she parts her lips. “ Would you… like to order takeout together? I’m not in the mood to stick to my diet. ” Fried foods and milkshakes sound way too pleasant right now.

[qwertybyte]

[  TXT  ]  :  tell  me  a  secret  you’ve  never  said  out  loud.

[ TXT ] : I’ll say one back. Or is that too bold of a question? [ TXT ] : If it is, don’t worry! I was trying to be bolder than usual in the friend-making department but now it just sounds weird. Sorry! ( to nuonuo … )

∙ ∙ ∙ SO MUCH SECOND-GUESSING . What else could she expect from Lin Ling? Nuonuo snorts lightly as she scrolls through his messages. It took some time for her to adjust to, well, him. From an apparent nobody to the actor behind Nice to his very own hero, he took the world by storm — and as a former fan of Nice, she understandably had mixed feelings.

She’s warming up to him, now. Not as the Commoner. Just Lin Ling.

[ TXT ] to 林凌 : no, it’s okay!! you doubt yourself too much, you know? don’t do that. :> [ TXT ] to 林凌 : hmm let’s see… [ TXT ] to 林凌 : i talk to myself in the mirror sometimes. like, full-blown pep talks. especially when i was still doing job interviews. [ TXT ] to 林凌 : what about you?

[qwertybyte]

accidentally bumps into nuonuo as he’s carrying two full bags of groceries he got on sale. “ oh, sorry! ” could he have had someone else get these for him? yes. did he? nope because old habits die hard. he’s still a broke boy at heart. perhaps he should’ve though, lest he risks knocking over more people. regardless, he sets his stuff down to help her up. “ are you alright? i’m so, so sorry! “

∙ ∙ ∙ WHY DOES THIS KIND OF THING ALWAYS HAPPEN ? Nuonuo topples over, wincing when she hits the ground. “ I’m sorry! ” she exclaims. She’s yet to process what happened, and already, she has assumed she is the one to blame, all vocal cues to the contrary. “ I’m okay. Are you? I wasn’t looking where I was going. ” Fumbling with her phone, she accidentally hangs up on the person she’d called. The device is shoved into her pocket as she reaches for the hand offered to her.

“ It’s my fault, I’m so sorry, I— Oh my gosh. ” The stranger she looks to bears no unfamiliar face. A top hero — Lin Ling, the Commoner — stands before her. Nuonuo crumbles. Sensation dwindles from her legs, and she slides rather unceremoniously back to the ground, hands over her mouth to keep her from blabbering more apologetic nonsense.

Luo Li is never going to let her live this down. Once Nuonuo shares her story, she won’t hear the end of it. It won’t even matter that she made this last-minute shopping trip to pick up their favorite sodas as a surprise. There’s no way.

…It wouldn’t come as a shock if by now, all of Hero Tower knew her as That One Girl who makes a fool of herself every chance she gets. Does she have the worst luck? Flustered, Nuonuo inhales deeply. “ Your stuff. ” Lin Ling set his bags to the side, but still, she’s worried. Sheepish, she laughs. “ I didn’t break any eggs or anything, did I? ”

[killthisdestiny]

“ erm… ” he shifts his weight from foot to foot. an ever slight sheepishness in his demeanour, but lin ling tries not to let his shyness get to him. so his eyes dart forward to hold his gaze, the smallest smile lifting his lips. “ happy birthday. hope it’s a good one. ” from your friendly neighborhood commoner …

╳ — THE COMMONER IS ONE HELL OF A SURPRISE . A pleasant one, in truth. He is a flower grown from concrete. Circumstances never lay in his favor, and yet against all odds, he flourished, a grand hero.

X has his doubts ( hard not to for anyone associated with an agency ) but it’s sweet to see someone bright-eyed, humble, and sheepish despite their popularity. Trust places the Commoner in the tenth position, right? Something like that. One wouldn’t be able to tell from how he acts now, shifting weight between his feet, a nervous fidget.

The following change is subtle. The Commoner manages to hold eye contact and smile. Ah, no. ‘Change’ isn’t the right word, is it? This was always in him. X reminds himself: one hell of a surprise.

He smiles back, shoulders sloping from their former raised stance. What he doesn’t need reminding of is the Commoner’s true name, the one exposed on live television right before the world begged him to stand. “ Thank you, Lin Ling. ” How could anyone forget?

[pexfections]

​` 𖥔 ݁₊ 𐔌 . ⋮ it's    not    noticeable    from    a    single    glance,    which    is    probably    why    no    one    had    ever    pointed    it    out,    not    even    in    those    rare    moments    when    curiosity    softened    their    scrutiny.    only    when    you    look    for    it    and    spot    the    smallest    of    details    can    you    notice    the    similarities    between    the    once    simple    office    worker    and    a    hero    known    for    his    beauty.    his    western    features    are    what    separates    them,    a    slimmer    face,    broader    shoulders    and    smaller    waist  —    a    soft    laugh,    nice    doesn't    see    it,    not    at    all.

lin    ling    is    cute,    and    that    certainly    isn't    a    word    nice    uses    for    himself.    his    gaze    traces    the    younger    below,    from    the    single    patch    of    white    hair    to    his    flustered    face,    down    to    his    exposed    collar    bones    and    bare    stomach    that    rises    and    falls    with    shallow,    uneven    breaths.    ❛❛    mm    ❜❜

he    moves    down,    hands    tracing    each    dip    and    curve    of    the    body    beneath    him.    all    that    training    and    still    nice    remains    far    more    defined,    muscles    flexing    to    hold    himself    back,    serratus    anterior    making    it    look    as    if    ribs    threaten    to    peek    through    alabaster    skin    whenever    he    exhales    too    sharply,    a    testament    to    discipline    and    a    life    spent    dancing.

❛❛    you    look    tense    ❜❜    a    passing    comment    as    he    places    a    kiss    upon    soft    flesh,    first    right    above    the    belly    button,    then    below.    once    more,    smiling,    threatening    to    lower    still,    letting    the    anticipation    hang    heavy    in    the    dim    room.    icy    hues    flicking    up    to    meet    brown ( @comforce )  staring    down.    cute    indeed.

14. a kiss to the stomach

[pexfections]

​` 𖥔 ݁₊ 𐔌 . ⋮     it's    much    too    easy    to    tease,    a    temptation    too    compelling    to    resist,    especially    as    he    watches    brown    brows    shoot    up,    the    faintest    tremor    of    surprise    across    his    face    before    it    blooms    into    an    embarrassed    flush.    it    doesn't    take    much,    just    a    shift    of    weight,    a    quiet    step    forward,    leaning    in    close    enough    for    his    breath    to    ghost    across    the    younger's    skin.    it's    only    a    small    thing,    a    tiny    cut,    it    barely    even    bleeds,    but    it's    enough    to    call    to    him,    the    faint    scent    of    iron    an    invitation    the    man    about    to    take    his    life    didn't    even    know    he    sent.    nice    has    never    been    one    to    deny    himself    the    things    he    wants,    and    certainly    not    the    indulgence    of    something    —    or    someone    —    so    warm,    so    near,    so    irresistibly    alive.   

❛❛    if    you're    planning    to    jump,    how    about    you    let    me    kill    you    instead,    hm ?    ❜❜    a    soft    lilt    of    mockery    and    curiosity    intertwined,    as    though    the    offer    were    no    more    than    idle    conversation    —    a    cruel    kindness    wrapped    in    velvet    words.

happy halloween @comforce