for those of you who donât know, the creator of pressure, zeal, has raped the composer for pressure, ren. this situation is absolutely unbelievable and revolting and i recommend you to go read the doc she has written about it as it is extremely heartbreaking.
with this information, iâd like to say that in the foreseeable future, i will no longer be writing for pressure. i wonât take my work down, but all of my unfinished works that iâve been writing the past couple of months will likely never be released or completed.
as this situation progresses, please note that this decision is subject to change. but as of right now, i would rather not be associated with pressure in any capacity as my disgust is immeasurable.
please, show your utmost support for ren in this time. our community may be broken and soon destroyed, but the least we can do now is give ren the support and respect theyâve always deserved.
tags. â romantic, fluff, suggestive, flirting, mutual pining, teasing, forced proximity-ish, caught in the moment, episode 6 spoilers, jax is a menace, guns, gender neutral reader, doll/dollface is used as a nickname, ragatha and kinger special appearances
a/n. â been jax pilled since the latest episode and it got me back into writing so enjoy (i need him so bad)
paired with ragatha and kinger for the âgunâ adventure, you find yourself separated from your teammates with a decreasing hope to not be spotted by another team.
giving all the circus members guns has got to be caineâs worst idea yet, just behind the whole teams thing. you give him the slight benefit of the doubt, considering he was obviously displeased by everyone hating his adventures, but you have never felt more on edge because of an adventure.
you managed to team up with ragatha and kinger. not necessarily the most skilled teammates, but probably the best option. after all, you would rather not be stuck with jax when he has a gun, though you admit that facing him may end up worse. plus, pomni graciously offered to pair up with him to spare everyone else, so thereâs no worry there.
and naturally, gangle and zooble teamed up which was no shock to anyone except jax, who had planned to torture gangle. thankfully, zooble stepped in and denied him the pleasure of pestering gangle. i mean, thereâs definitelyâŠsomething going on between the two of them, so you donât think you have any business messing with that narrative anyway.
that left you with ragatha and kinger, who are trustworthy at least.
the adventure began with your team traversing through the main circus area, which in hindsight may not have been the smartest decision. kinger returned ragathaâs initially lost heart and found guns for all of youâthough, you quickly discovered yours was out of ammo when testing its effectiveness. you shrugged it off, reminding yourself that kinger is actually somewhat lucid and would likely be able to help if needed.
you and ragatha have been hesitantly following behind him as he sneaks around, both feeling equally uneasy about this situation. she takes the diligence to speak up while you look around for the other two teams.
âuh, are we really gonna be shooting each other with these?â she asks, momentarily glancing at the gun in her hand. she copies kingerâs movements of hiding behind different objects. you stay behind, worrisome about finding yourself in a clearing.
kinger looks back, regarding ragatha with the closest thing to a shrug a chess piece with no shoulders can manage. âitâs either shoot or get shâAH!â
all of a sudden, heâs cut off by a snipe to the head from the second floor balcony.
you jump in fright before running over to kingerâs shattered body. ragatha gasps and stands startled as you shout kingerâs name in concern. âkinger! are youââ
he abruptly respawns in front of you, eyes facing in different directions. a heart above his head disappears, leaving him with only two.
âTEAM! thereâs a sniper around this corner.â he states in his own odd manner before he aims up and shoots at where gangle and zooble are hiding.
you and ragatha freeze at the multitude of events youâve just witnessed, sharing a mutual look of unsettlement. unfortunately, you have no time to process it as kinger continues with his commonly unusual behavior.
âtactical roll!â he exclaims, clumsily rolling away before signaling for you and ragatha to follow in suit.
ragatha heads toward him, but you stay put from anxiousness. you feel incredibly unsafe and not certain how much to trust kingerâs judgmentâor rather, cognitive ability. ragatha, noticing your complacence, turns around and glances in your direction with confusion and worry.
âhâhey, are you coming?â she gestures in kingerâs direction with a shaky smile. you smile softly in return, appreciative of her concern. though, you have an inkling of a feeling that this wonât end well.
âi uhâi think iâm gonna split up. cover more ground, you know?â you discreetly express your disconcertment, willing her to recognize your feelings.
she gives a short nod in response, understanding of your hesitance. thereâs an unspoken feeling between the two of you within the silence; equal apprehensiveness. after a moment, she glances back towards kinger, whose pace has not slowed in the slightest. her temporary resolve is pushed away by her need to get moving.
âoâoh! well, good luck then!â she calls out while turning to catch up to kinger.
âyou too!â you reply, marking the official separation from your teammates. you hastily rush to find a hiding spot, not particularly eager to be caught off guard by gangle and zooble again.
you slide behind a wall just as a shot rings out, of which follows much commotion coming from the direction of your teammates. you mentally curse, deducing that theyâve most likely been found by pomni and jax as soon as you split up. you can make out a couple voices coming from the chaos, specifically jax complimenting pomniâs shooting. youâre quite glad that you separated by now, especially when you hear ragatha yelp after being shot again.
but your thankfulness quickly disappears as you hear rapid footsteps approaching your direction.
âs#$t!â you grumble under your breath, word censored by some dumb sound effect. with the knowledge that your teammates have already been ambushed, you realize they might be trying to pursue you now.
taking that as a cue to leave, you hurriedly search for a better place to take cover in and find a curtain that leads into some sort of structure. unable to test the safety of the area first, you run inside swiftly. you sprint through the entryway before turning into a seemingly endless hallway. pausing, you weigh your current options.
you could go back out and risk getting shot, or you could travel through here and risk getting shot. you grimace at the paths that are equally undesirable and dangerous.
with a small sigh, you make the decision to stay here and hope you donât end up brutally mutilatedâi mean, caine wouldnât allow that, right?
you walk through the area cautiously, keeping your guard up for any possible traps from ahead or behind. youâre not the most eager to find out how quick youâd be shot if found wandering around.
the long hallway full of bright colors makes you invariably feel more on the edge. you tighten the grip on your gun when sweat threatens to slip it from your hands. somehow being out of ammo doesnât relieve the slight discomfort you obtain from holding it.
youâre not entirely sure why the guns make you feel uneasy. naturally, being shot is not particularly the best feeling, but you canât die. though technically you donât know that just yet. nobodyâs lost all their lives, so youâre not sure what happens after. though you doubt caine would punish you with literal death, it doesnât help alleviate the pit in your stomach when thinking about your limited lives.
furthermore, you assume ragathaâs on her last lifeâhaving been bombarded by pomni and jax. you wonder if sheâs ended up losing it by now, but you find it unlikely since youâd hear the gunshots.
speaking of, it has been unusually quiet the past few minutes. the short transition from complete chaos to utter silence gives you whiplash. you feel like any second now someone may jump out and scare you, inevitably ending in the loss of a heart. you can only hope that if you run into anyone, itâd be one of your teammates.
you hold onto that small hope like a lifeline as you attempt to keep your focus set on your careful footsteps, trying to stop being so skittish. youâre probably just overthinking anywayâit could be silent because everyoneâs moved to a different area.
unfortunately, you were right to be skittish.
as quick as a snap, jax pops out from above, hanging upside down in front of you with a large grin.
âhowdy, howdy.â
you shriek embarrassingly loud at his abrupt appearance, roughly falling onto your bottom from surprise. your gun slips from your hands as you fall, sliding across the floor out of reach. his grin morphs into more of a satisfied smirk at your reaction as he jumps onto the ground.
you flinch, squeezing your eyes shut and covering them with your arm. you half-expect to soon be met with the sound of a loud bang with the unfortunate feeling of your head being blown off, but that moment never comes.
hesitantly, you bring your arm down and open your eyes slightly. thankfully, you arenât greeted by a muzzle to the face. in fact, jax is just standing there, staring at you.
you bite your lip through a small quiver, ââŠarenât you gonna shoot me?â
he raises an eyebrow at you and spins his gun. heâs clearly amused by your contradiction. though, he canât blame youâafter all, who wouldnât predict to be shot by him of all people.
âdonât sound so disappointed. unless you actually want me to shoot you.â he jokingly offers. though, he would probably do it if youâd asked.
sliding his gun back into its holster, he holds out a hand to help you up. now youâre the one raising an eyebrow at his very out-of-character actions.
ââŠno thanks.â you mumble, hesitating before grabbing his hand and standing up. for a moment youâd thought this was another one of his pranks, but he seems oddly genuine.
his touch lingers for a moment before you pull away. youâre more focused on studying his expression for any signs of abnormalities though.
you scan him, noting every small detail. youâre not sure if youâre looking for an indication that heâs messing with you or for any hidden guns that may be in his clothing. fortunately, thereâs none you can find other than the one in the holster on his hip.
he watches you carefully in return, probably equally as on edge as you are. yes, heâs doing this to mess with you. and yes, it is entertaining to see you squirm with nervousness, but unfortunately he does admit you are intelligent enough to trick him.
but in the process of his observing, he notices the quick flash of fright on your face when glancing at his gun. youâre quick to talk after that.
âsâso, youâre notâŠgonna shoot me?â
the theatrical smile falls from his lips at your question, replacing it with a small frown. he sighs, ears drooping in the slightest, âno, doll. iâm not gonna shoot you.â
heâs not entirely sure why his heart quenches at the sight of your shoulders relaxing from his reassurance. it also doesnât take him very long to deduce that youâve got a fear of guns.
normally, he would consider it irrational. but when he sees your little trembles, he is a weak man.
âgosh, here.â he grumbles, throwing his gun to clatter across the floor and land next to your discarded one, âcomfortable now?â
you donât know why the act of supposed kindness he begrudgingly committed makes your heart ache so softly. maybe itâs the thought that somehow, jax managed to find the part of himself that cares. or maybe itâs the unusualness of the fact that he assisted you in a place he would normally be competitive.
whatever the reason is, it doesnât falter the small curve of your lips.
ââŠthanks, jax.â you express your gratitude with a small nod and he groans at your formality.
âyeah, yeah. donât get all sappy. youâre coming with me.â he turns around, gesturing for you to follow him. your mouth drops from a mixture shock and confusion. you donât make a move towards him.
where could he even take you? why would he want to take you with him anyway? you start to think being shot may have been the better alternative than whatever heâs got in store for you now.
he flashes a grin in your direction, giving a clear affirmation that he is, in fact, planning something. âcâmon doll, youâre my hostage now.â
âhâhostage? you canâtâŠyou canât make me go with you.â you stammer, stepping back in alarm. you try to hold your ground, but struggle when he takes a step towards you in return.
âdollface, i think youâre forgetting who has the gun here.â he leans forward from his torso, tone teasing but with a slight hint of a threat.
âbut you donât have a gun, itâs over thââ
just as you move to point at the gun he threw on the floor, he reaches behind his back and tosses another gun into the air, catching it smoothly. you shudder, humming uncomfortably at your new discovery of his well-hidden gun.
pushing down the question of where the hell that came from, you start to deeply wonder why heâs so determined to take you with him. but, on the contrary, you are a little too stubborn to give in that easilyâeven if heâs attempting to use your fear against you.
âwâwhy do you even want me to come with you? what could you possibly earn from keeping me hostage?â you ask him accusingly. unfortunately, his confidence doesnât falter one bit.
âoh, so you wanna know huh?â he steps even closer, shrinking the distance between you to just mere inchesâor in your mind, enough to make your cheeks flush a dusty pink.
swallowing hard, you nod rigidly. it canât possibly be that bad right? your curiosity is too prominent to be overshadowed by timidness.
jaxâs grin impossibly widens as he lets out an intimating chuckle. he smoothly slides his right hand around your waistâhis other unavailable because of his gun. you yelp in surprise, instinctively tensing and backing up. he follows until you inadvertently hit the wall behind you.
your flusteredness couldnât be clearer than when he leans in close, voice low in your ear. âdonât blame me if you regret this later. remember, you asked for this.â
you have little time to question what heâs talking about before he kisses you. jax, the resident jerk, currently has you pinned against the wall with his lips pressed onto yoursâand youâd be lying if you said you didnât enjoy it.
after the initial shock wears off, you melt into it, tilting your head and slowly wrapping your hands around his neck. the moment distracts you from the stakes here, allowing you to focus on the bliss subjected by this stupid purple asshole.
time passes with the two of you interlocked. at some point, of which you have no idea when, your right leg wrapped his hip. your breath remains heavy on his, inhabiting your ever so empty mind with his abrupt affection.
though, the moment comes to a brief halt at the sound of ragathaâs voice echoing through the hall. sheâs calling your name, likely searching for you after escaping jax and pomniâone of which became more occupied by you. you predict thereâs only a couple seconds before she finds you. frankly, it would be desirable under normal circumstances, but not in your current position. your eyes open with surprise, though jax seems completely unbothered and continues attacking your lips.
as ragatha turns the corner, she immediately spots yourâŠpredicament. though, sheâs only given a mere moment to be shocked before jax lifts his left arm and shoots her blindly, taking her last life.
âjax!â you scold him as you pull away, feeling partially responsible for the death of your own teammate. not to mention the very present embarrassment from being caught.
âcâmon dollface, you really think iâd let all of you live?â he says with a wink, smirking at your betrayed face. you frown at him in return, ignoring the slight flutter in your chest.
âyouâre an a$#.â you hiss, grabbing his overalls and pulling his face down to yours. he seems relatively unaffected by your attempt to intimidate himâif anything, heâs more amused.
âthatâs bold coming from you.â he teases, eyes glancing toward your leg thatâs still wrapped around his hip. you flush, frustrated that heâs right.
âweâwell, are you gonna shoot me then?â you stutter in excuse, expecting the answer to be yes.
he pauses, contemplating his options. not even a moment later, his expression brightens as if heâs come up with a brilliant idea. he quickly flashes his signature smirk, eyes holding a glint of mischief.
âmmâŠiâm not done with you yet, doll.â he decides, leaning back in for moreâand who are you to deny him?
tags. â established relationship, short scenario, post-escape, romance, mutual flirting, teasing, sebastian is shirtless (or technically naked, but not explicit), sebastian calls you sweetheart, you and sebastian live together, painter not mentioned </3
evening productivity walks managed to be your least and most favorite part of your daily routine. though, it would be more fitting to refer to them as midnight walks, considering you often got home at midnight.
but you can hardly be blamed for spending nearly two hours out each night. at the very least, youâre making an effort to rid your mind of the desolate ruin inside of it. the blacksite single-handedly destroys every basic function and mindset of human lifeâsebastian would know. yet, he continues to belittle you for this habit rebuilding the foundations that crumbled.
you know itâs just his way of looking out for you though. if he were to start staying up late to go venture outside somewhere, youâd likely be concerned too. it still doesnât stop you from continuing, despite his occasional complaint.
tonight is no different, and as usual you find yourself wandering towards the door.
âyouâre going out tonight? sweetheart, you do realize itâs pouring outside, right?â sebastian questions you in a rasping tone, head turned in your direction. he makes no effort to move besides that, perfectly content in his slumped position on the couch. he also happens to be bare, which isnât necessarily abnormal, but it still flusters you each time. you tilt your head away when blush begins to rise.
ââŠiâll be fine, i have an umbrella.â you hold the aforementioned up to prove your point. he deadpans, clearly not impressed by your lousy excuse. he scans your form top to bottom, and you tense beneath his stare.
âand whoâs gonna clean up your vomit when you magically get sick from the cold?â his tail fins flap after he finishes speaking, showcasing his slight irritation at your stubbornness.
you sigh, unwilling to fight his resistance. heâs right; you probably should be wearing more layers. of course, you arenât going to admit that. rather than arguing, you move to your shared bedroom to partially comply with his request, leaving your umbrella behind on the kitchen island.
you search your closet for anything fitting the occasion, settling on a fuzzy black sweater and a heavy coat. sebastian lingers somewhere in the room, having followed you here. your back is facing wherever he is, leaving his position up to your sense of hearing. youâre well aware his gaze is on you, the weight of his three eyes fills you with a strange comfort.
when you finally turn around, heâs peering at you with an unreadable expression. though, he doesnât prevent you from leaving the room. he inevitably follows you once again, silent as you reach the door leading outside.
the metal knob cools your warm hand, reminding you of the temperature outside with a shiver. you turn the knob, lifting your hood over your head with your other hand. you are making the decision to sit in the rain, but ideally youâd still prefer to stay as dry as possible. you also have the decency to say goodbye before leaving the house, as one would.
âiâll be back in a bit. donât wait up.â you call out while opening the door. the sound of plummeting rain reverberates in your ears, but it doesnât obscure the sound of sebastianâs voice echoing from behind you.
âwait up? sweetheart, if you think youâre going alone you mustâve hit your pretty head.â his volume increases as he approaches, smirk plastered on his unbelievably handsome face. a laugh of disbelief escapes your throat, akin to a sarcastic scoff. despite that, your lips still upturn in a gentle smile.
âi was wondering when youâd start following me out. didnât think youâd last this long, honestly.â you tease in return as he leans on the door, opening it fully. naturally, he towers over you in this position, but you hold your ground. his face conforms into an unamused expression at your remark.
âkeep talking and iâll throw you in the ocean.â
you playfully put your hand to your heart, pretending to be offendedâyouâre pretty sure heâs joking after all. âyou wouldnât dare.â
(un)fortunately, your attempt to instigate sebastian works. he flashes his pointed teeth in cheshire cat grin, wrapping a hand around your waist and hoisting you on his shoulder with unmatched speed. you yelp and hold onto him for dear life as he drags you out into the rain.
âsebastian, wait i was kiddingâplease!â you plea desperately in between bursts of uncontrollable laughter. he neglects a response, instead you feel him hug you tighter. you see a slight smile gracing his face in your peripheral vision, illuminated by the cerulean glow of his own eyes.
being in his arms brings you such an irrevocable joy, and you wish you wouldâve invited him out sooner. you should probably be more concerned about being submerged though, but that doesnât stop you from planting a small kiss on his cheek. he pauses, momentarily distracted, and gives you a knowing look.
âyouâre not getting out of this.â
you sigh, accepting fate as it is. âworth a shot.â
