#uneven ground

[seijorhi]

I gotta say, aside from All In, this has to be one of my favorite installments from the betaverse series. It had some of the classic elements from your old yandere works like and a bit of mystery and horror sprinkled out. The vibes were very Outrunning Fate and Means to an End.

Btw, I was the anon that predicted this segment would feature Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo and couldn't be even more proud. Also not sure if you ever received it in your inbox, but I predicted that Uneven Ground MC might had experienced a noncon scene similar to Power Keg's MC since you did mentioned she'd be the more isolated betaverse MCs to come out.

Moving on to the actual review, what the actual fuck Bokuto? Why did you leave our girl in that state (the first noncon scene)? 😭 knowing that the MC in your fics tend to be an unreliable narrator most of the time, was she just a random pick for his rut or has she been on his radar for a while? And why did Akaashi and Kuroo not go back for her or send some medical assistance at least via anonymous call? Were they prioritizing Bokuto, were they afraid there was a chance her presence was going to influence/start their rutt too, or did they just not give a damn?

What was their gameplan too? Drop in after a few years to see how she's doing then if she doesn't budge and eventually use an omega proxy if she doesn't have too much progress?

Sidenote, out of all of the guys, I actually likes the scenes with Akaashi the most. You could just brush it off as him being an awkward guy. But I do like that UG MC could kind of tell that he wasn't actually being the most loving partner towards Himari. Speaking of Himari, her overall presence and role in the story kind of gives me the same vibes as All In's Aya. Without the co-depence Aya displayed, it almost seemed like Himari wanted MC to be included the most in the pack before the revelation of the other three's true intentions.

Already seems like the answer is obvious, but would Himari still be included in the pack or would it be another doomed yuri situation? 🥀

Regardless, love love love this betaverse installment! The Japanese Volleyball association is slowly building up an orgy of betas and their alphas lmaoo.

aw thank you nonnie!

to clarify tho, bokuto was actively fighting to get back to the reader, and the strangers who interrupted weren't kuroo and akaashi, they were his (now ex) teammates. kuroo and akaashi never would've been dumb enough to try and get between an alpha in a rut and his mate, even if they weren't pack. she was, however, just a victim of wrong place, wrong time, wrong alpha. bad luck babes :/

there wasn't a grand plan to begin with. they had next to nothing to go on. bokuto's delusional (and determined) enough to believe it's a matter of when they get her back, not if, but i think both kuroo and akaashi are more realistic about it. they still warned himari, as they did with every omega they got involved with over the years – even if they hadn't bitten her, even if she had slipped the leash, she was still theirs. like if your wife runs off on you and you never get any divorce papers, she's still your wife y'know?

if she was ever unfortunate enough to wander back into their periphery, they'd be keeping her.

i will say that himari is definitely a rose tinted glasses kind of omega. she fawns over the little things with akaashi because it's all she gets. little moments. the bare minimum. she stays with alphas who, if they truly, really wanted her, would've bitten and bonded with her months ago. that isn't to say that they aren't... fond of her, in a certain way. when i was writing the last few scenes, one of the possibilities i considered was himari coming back after they'd all bonded with the reader with idk dinner or smt domestic, and bokuto's hand just twitching where's he's holding the reader. forced brightness, the beginnings of cracks starting to show, but i think sending her home to spiral on her own is somehow worse.

sure, she doesn't have to confront the reality of what she did, but being left outside like a bad dog while your family plays with the new, cute little puppy they brought home? ouch.

[seijorhi]

I was so excited to read a new installment for the betaverse, and it turned out amazing as usual. Sorry if it's a little chaotic of a message, but it's 4am and i really wanted to share my thoughts

It was stated in the beginning that the reader was afraid of being near alphas, i knew the reason behind it was going to be devastating. But I didn't expect it to be that bad. Your writing is always so immersive, that sometimes i just cry for the mc's in your fics.

During the party, i had a strong impression that Akaashi and Kuroo recognized reader, but then i wasn't so sure. I just assume that they learnt the truth after Himari told them, that's why Bokuto barged into reader's house. I really apprecited the scene in the bathroom bc it reminded me of my own struggles with socialising, you captured the inner turmoil really well

I decided to read more about honeysuckle and apparently it has the meaning of love that has been lost, and it's kinda true. I'm not sure about the others but Bokuto sure missed his beta and the omega was a temporary replacement for him.

Maybe I'm wrong, but i think Himari's feelings were genuine, she definitely shouldn't have told them about mc's traumatic past, but she deserves to be happy.

“Are you this prickly with everyone, or am I just lucky?” “The polite thing to do is say hello. He won’t bite.” No wonder reader doesn't like him the most. Can you also clarify, please, what was 'the thing' that Bokuto mentioned?

The nsfw part was idk what to say. I enjoyed reading it too much. The way Bokuto needed to be as close as possible, how the bond started to cloud reader's judgement (those several mentions of your alpha, your mate). Also when Akaashi said that you don't need to think, you have your alphas for that – that was so hot. And then Kuroo entered the scene and i forgot how to breathe all over again. Now this is my favourite smut from all of your fics

Rhi, thank you a lot for another beautiful work.

the bit about the meaning behind honeysuckle was definitely planned. 100% intentional. absolutely 👀

as far as the rest goes, kuroo and akaashi knew from the start. not the reader's identity – obviously, they weren't there that night and bokuto himself didn't know who she was, but they were already pack at the time. they knew there was a beta out there who slipped the leash. their beta.

kuroo finds her through chance. the night she's dragged out for drinks and meets him 'properly' for the first time (as opposed to him creeping on her in a packed elevator) is a confirmation of sorts. from there, everything was set up to drag her in, including, somewhat unwittingly, himari.

but yes, kuroo is obnoxious and irritating and deliberately trying to rile her up because he's a bastard <33

the 'thing' was, as kuroo said, a shopping trip. they were going to tell her that they planned on formally bonding himari and they wanted her help picking some things for her nest. bokuto (who wasn't supposed to be crashing the party) likely thought it was gonna end in them dragging her home to fuck in said nest. kuroo, who was slightly more realistic about the reader's apprehension and feelings towards them, knew that it was never going to get that far before they spooked her. nevertheless, being the antagonistic asshole that he is, planned on enjoying himself by seeing how far he could push her up to that point. and maybe crowding her in one of the quieter corners of the store, pushing her up against all that soft fabric...

[seijorhi]

The joke the reader makes about being married 💀💀💀 how would the packs plan change if she wasn’t just joking 👀 also I love Akaashi’s reaction in that scene

i've mentioned before that the concept of marriage is really only a thing betas do, and it's definitely looked down upon as a lesser imitation of a mate bond by alphas and (to a lesser extent) omegas.

that being said, they're still pissed about it. and while i don't doubt for a second they all indulge in the thought of straight up killing the guy, it invites a little too much attention if his wife, who has a known history with alphas, suddenly ends up mated into a pack the same time her husband dies/goes missing.

i think they'd probably have the reader write a dear john letter, leave her wedding ring behind (by threatening him ofc). either he pouts for a bit but slinks off to go lick his wounds somewhere else, or he doesn't and he becomes a problem.

and then he's really doing their work for them, because 'officer, this man has repeatedly shown up at our places of work and our home to harass and threaten us over his ex, we defended ourselves after he broke into our home with the intention of harming us and our mate' is a much better murder defence than 'promise we didn't kill this guy just so we could forcibly mate his wife :))'

[seijorhi]

Hey Rhi!

Uneven Ground was amazing! Thank you for blessing us with your amazing work 🩷

I wanted to ask - when did they realize that Reader was the Beta that got away? Were they just interested in her at the beginning, maybe drawn to her scent like Bokuto was during his rut during uni, but didn't realize it until later?

<33 ty bby!

so kuroo's been trying to get close for a while. they work in the same building, he's very aware of the little beta with the subtle amber scent who gets all anxious any time an alpha steps into the elevator with her. it takes a while for him to get the info he needs from her coworkers without it seeming like he's taking too big of an interest, but he does.

there's a vague description of their missing beta in mind. it was dark, and bokuto wasn't so focused on her face as he was in knotting and claiming the poor thing, but it could be a match. and if not, well he's not against the idea of testing out this beta so to speak.

he doesn't tell bokuto but he does tell akaashi. the party itself is the confirmation, both that she's caught akaashi's eye, and that boktuo'll come home and lose his shit, the scent of their beta permeating so sweetly through their home.

[seijorhi]

Who were the four figures the night of the attack? So many thoughts and questions.. new favorite fic ever

initially this was gonna be explored a bit more in the fic, but then there was never the right place for it without it feeling just like narrative exposition, and considering bokuto's loose relationship with the truth (even stepping aside from the fact he was out of his mind in a rut) it just didn't fit.

basically they were his teammates from the first team he joined after graduating. he was new to the team – hence the 'rookie' bit. it was not a good fit and there was tension before that night.

they were drunk, out celebrating something and bo caught the scent of our pretty little reader and went off on his own to chase her down.

his teammates found him and dragged him away, thinking that he'd done it by mistake and they were 'helping' him (and low-key annoyed he'd ruined their night out).

the aftermath was not pretty. what was already a somewhat rocky relationship went south because bokuto blamed them for the loss of his mate (he also blamed the reader for not?? somehow miraculously coming to track him down???) and his game suffered for it, which in turn made things even more strained. he had arguably his worst season ever, but thankfully there were other coaches that saw potential being squandered and he managed to get a trade to a new team.

to be clear, if it was bokuto and/or akaashi there with him that night, bokuto wouldn't have gone off on his own in the first place. if it had happened with his msby teammates, they first of all wouldn't have been dumb enough to rip him off her mid-knot, but they wouldn't have dragged him away and left her there. i'm not saying that would've been a happy ending for the reader, but it would've been slightly less traumatic.

[seijorhi]

Oughhh ty forthe new beta fic gu7bliugilyyitsykd

H O T

[seijorhi]

Okay Uneven Ground was a PERFECT fic! Omg I could literally feel the readers unease and then terror!! Your writing is so wonderful at conveying the dread of knowing there’s going to be no way out for the reader!!

I have to ask - what’s the dynamic like between reader and her alphas? I can see how overwhelming, overbearing and obsessive Bokuto would get, especially the longer he is away from her. As well as the way Kuroo clearly loves to see his beta uncomfortable. I really loved the cafe scene because I get the vibe that Akaashi is domineering and controlling, him telling her what pancakes she should order and that he didn’t laugh at her “joke” the whole time I was getting this underlying controlling vibe from him and at the end even more so when he tells her she doesn’t have to think. On the surface you wouldn’t think he would be like that but I really feel like when it comes to reader he would be much stricter and controlling than the other two!

Can’t stop thinking about this fic! I can tell I’m going to be rereading it so many times!!!

bokuto's actually the easiest to appease. sure, he's needy as hell and neither quiet nor subtle about it, but so long as his mate stays within grabbing distance or he's on the court, he's usually a happy camper.

i would say kuroo gets easier. not softer. but half the trouble in the fic comes because they're playing two entirely different games, and she's blindfolded and doesn't know either sets of rules. i mean he's still very much an asshole, still enjoys winding her up, but he's not out to pull the rug out from under her feet again.

akaashi's... intense. it isn't that he wants to control her every move and make every decision for her – it's that she doesn't have a choice in the matter if he decides he does. he's thrilled with her. thrilled by her.

all in all, she's straight up Not Having a Good Time :))

[seijorhi]

love your writing !! how did bo feel about the reader being separated from him and how did kuroo and akaashi react when bo said he mated a beta?

... you are asking me how bokuto, the man who canonically gets all depressive when he isn't centre stage in one (1) volleyball game, reacts to losing the beta he just mated??

not well gfhdjkhgvfjd

the immediate aftermath was in the fic – the snarling and fighting against his teammates who dragged him away. eventually someone has the bright idea to call akaashi and kuroo to come deal with their packmate.

they're expecting somewhat of a 'thanks for helping him dodge a bullet' response, because they think he made a mistake. they wouldn't have wanted to come out a rut to find they not only attacked a beta, but bitten her too. mated her. like, thank fuck it's only temporary and they got him away, right?

only to be met with two seriously pissed off alphas. ultimately it doesn't matter who the reader is, her designation, whether bokuto bit her by accident, because he thought she was an omega, or if he did it intentionally – she's his mate (and by extension, theirs), pack until they decide she isn't. if they make that decision. they've effectively lost her thanks to the interference; the very last thing they're feeling is thankful.

beyond that, it affects bokuto heavily. i mentioned in another ask that both his relationship with his teammates and his playing suffer. he vacillates between intense anger and mopey depression in the weeks and months that follow.