#'It's always me whether I'm pulling the pin or not everyone who gets close to me dies' A;FKDJNLGBH

[cuchufletapl]

I see your point, but I still think she might have thought she killed him because, even if she heard rumours about him, I doubt she would've heard about the specifics of his disappearence, which also happened not too long after their fight.

Here's my guess at the timeline of events. It's not too exact because to be honest the show plays fast and loose with establishing when the fuck anything is happening, but this is my understanding:

Battle on the bridge, she sets off the grenade, it nearly kills her and injures him.

Over that night and most of the next day, Singed does shimmer surgery on Jinx while Ekko (I guess?) rests under the bridge until he meets Heimerdinger.

I'm pretty sure it's the night of that very same day when Jinx kidnaps Silco, Caitlyn, and Vi and shoots the rocket at the Council.

Season 2 kicks off with Cassandra Kiramman's funeral, so it's probably been no longer than a week (despite the fact that Zaun immediately went up in flames of infighting between the chem-barons vying for Silco's seat).

Memorial and attack on the memorial happens the next day.

I think Viktor wakes up the next morning, but it might have been a a couple of days later to account for how long it must have taken for Caitlyn to put her team together and for Jayce to make their hextech weapons. It can't have been more than a couple of days, though, because when Viktor wakes, Jayce was sleeping at the lab, shirtless and in his bloodied bandages like he was in the scene at the forge in the previous episode.

We see Ekko again for the first time in season 2 right after that; he and Heimerdinger go to the lab and find Jayce there, properly dressed. When Heimer inquires after Viktor, the show cuts to him as he's just gotten to the Sumps of the Undercity. This leads me to deduce this is all happening on the afternoon of the same day that Viktor wakes up.

Ekko, Heimerdinger, and Jayce go to the Hexgates that same day and they get shucked off into alternate realities for months in the original timeline.

This means that, between Ekko and Jinx's fight on the bridge and Ekko disappearing, about two weeks transpired. Less than ten days, if they didn't take an entire week to bury Caitlyn's mother and my assumptions about Viktor waking up next day after the memorial attack are correct.

I also think that Ekko spent those days at the Firelight hide-out recovering from the damage that the grenade blast inflicted on him (he's not being treated with shimmer, after all) and managing their growing population crisis, so nobody but the Firelights (and Heimer and Jayce) saw him in Zaun.

Furthermore, the Firelights are kind of secretive (out of necessity, of course). They conceal their identities when out and about in season 1, they managed to keep the location of their base out of Silco's knowledge for years, and they'll welcome anyone who needs a safe place, but they lead them there with bandaged eyes until they know they can be trusted. This is to say that if, and that's a big if, news of Ekko disappearing made it out of the Firelight community and, say, Sevika found out, I don't think she'd have all the details of the exact timeline of events. And although I don't doubt the Firelights searched for him extensively, there was no sign of him for months; they painted him on the mural, which means they eventually gave him up for dead, and that might as well have been what Sevika was told.

I think Jinx is predisposed to think she did kill him, too. That quote embershroud108 brought up in a previous reblog: "It’s always me. Whether I’m pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies." Ekko was one of the very few people remaining from her past when she was still Powder, which would make his death another one in the list of people who cared for her that she's killed. So when she starts hearing the rumours that Ekko is MIA all of a sudden, and it happened around the same time as the first attack on Piltover, she'd jump to the conclusion that the explosion blast killed him and his body must have fallen over the bridge and into the river, and then she would not inquire further about it because it would hurt too much to know the details and confront (what she perceives to be) the truth that she'll jinx whoever comes close to her.

Someone pointed out that it's likely that until Ekko said, "See if I can talk an old friend out of blowing us up," Jinx thought he was a hallucination. That's why she didn't hesitate to pull the ring in the first loop, but jumped off the platform the second that he implied the explosion would affect him too and therefore he was actually there. And that got me thinking that she hadn't seen him since their fight on the bridge. That it had been months and there had been riots and movilisations in Zaun that the Firelights were involved in and Ekko wasn't among them. She didn't see that he managed to get away when she blew up that grenade. She thought she'd killed him. Jinx thought she'd killed Ekko months ago and was hallucinating him in her final moments. I'm fine.

[8km-2]

Apparently the way to heal and redeem our war criminal blorbos is to have them adopt a kid lol. We should just give them all random kids. That’ll fix them.

(i have not recovered from that second act send help)

I'M STILL CRYING OVER ITTTTTTTT

They were so happy and Vander was slowly getting his humanity back (that whole scene where viktor and sky go through his memories oh my goddddd). Like I KNEW. I KNEW. It was too good to be true but I still hoped... T_T

This part right here had me sobbing

Isha helped Jinx love her past self again and the writers just had to do it. They just HAD to traumatise all of us (she also had to watch Vander die again yayyyyy TT_TT)

[randomhealer]

Okay but- Boothill (sfw-nsfw)

warnings: GN reader, not reviewed, nsfw, I lost everything and I'm living on a bench in Penacony. this is crack don't take it seriously pls, hmmm tetanus :)

okay but- Boothill likes to rub his cheek against yours, just because he can't feel you with other parts of his body.

He blushes when you kiss his face but secretly (not so secret since he says it openly) it's his favorite thing

He gets upset easily with anyone who is close to you and this always causes problems for you because he doesn't like it when people touch you, whether they are men or women.

then he follows you behind you like he's your shadow and one second he's behind you quietly and the next he's on the other side of the street fighting with a guy who was looking at you for 5 seconds longer than Boothill would like...

he is vindictive, yes. Once a guy complimented you by giving you a light kiss on the cheek and Boothill spent a week calling this guy and saying threats like: "I know where you live, and I'm going to put a bullet in your head before learning not to touch something that isn't yours"  ends up coming out as "I know where you live, and I- I hope you have a good day" because of his filter

And when did you take him to the Express with you? guy could make a second explosion wanting to fight with everyone until you fight with him so he stays quiet and he will sit on the couch, opening his legs completely while looking at you, waiting for you to sit on his lap. He has no shame as he buries his face in your neck and stays quiet for just a minute before he starts teasing you by biting or licking you. (in front of everyone at Express)

He gets extremely upset if you deny him something (especially a kiss) he will be grumpy all day, mumbling all day almost dramatically. he will complain about this even with a Warp Trotter, But it won't be long before he gets to you and pins you to some surface to take what's rightfully his.

Boothill loves it when you encourage him in something or when you praise him. See you looking at his body with curiosity in your eyes? He can't help but have a smug smile. he smiles more seeing how small your hands are on his chest gives him slight satisfaction but he'll still pat you if your hands wander too much.

He can drink the most variable things possible but he won't drink Himeko's coffee, for some reason his body warns him as if it were a dangerous substance so he always passes the coffee to you as if it were a bomb and an apologetic look...

You may or may not wake up to him in the morning eating bullets from his gun next to your in the bed and he will just look at you with a smile and offer you one even though he knows it's impossible for you to eat it 

NSFW (pls don't read this far if you are underage)

His favorite thing is probably fingering you, he loves doing that because he can occupy himself on your neck while you squirm

but he loves to eat too, to stay between your legs for hours while you get to the point where you start crying and whining while trying to pull his head away from you. His hair is a bit sensitive so he might end up growling and blushing when you pull it.

Does it bite you in every possible place, chest, thighs, neck? yes! your curves? yes too... 

He misses his body, how he could feel your chest on his, the heat of your body on his and how good it would be to feel how hot and tight you are inside, he hates it but he still feels a surge of satisfaction in him as he feels it. see what he can do with just his fingers and his mouth on you.

He may or may not be jealous of vibrators... I mean... are those things giving you more pleasure than him? Ugh but it's okay, he can use these things to his advantage...

Give you more compliments than degradation, not because he wants to but because it's the only thing he can do...

"I know you can give me one more, aren't you my little sunshine?" (this was supposed to be a my little bitch)

He loves to be mean to you in bed, if he can't put words into words then he will act, he loves pulling your hair to kiss you, bite you hard, make you beg for not giving you anything and make you cry for giving you more than you asked for.

His day ends more satisfied when he sees you getting out of bed, shaking with wobbly legs and dirty with your own juice and sweat... aren't you the cutest thing he's ever seen? almost like a little bunny...

[edenmemes]

arcane (s2) sentence starters

ep1 - 8. warning for spoilers !

❝ everybody wants to be my enemy. ❞ ❝ you’re our leader. they follow you. i follow you. ❞ ❝ i've seen miracles spring from the hands of mages many times, but so often, they turned to horrors. ❞ ❝ why does anyone commit acts others deem unspeakable? for love. ❞ ❝ in my experience, no one in power is innocent. ❞ ❝ i don't wanna hear another word out of your mouth. ❞ ❝ i keep telling myself that you're different. but you're not. ❞ ❝ i haven't insulted your intelligence. do not insult mine. ❞ ❝ if you see the opening...take the shot. ❞ ❝ it's me. your vile villainess. the author of your nightmares. ❞ ❝ you have no inkling what family is to me. ❞ ❝ our paths diverged long ago. it was affection that held us together. ❞ ❝ i'm done blaming myself for your mistakes. ❞ ❝ there's one thing i know in my bones. there is no force in this world that can control you. ❞ ❝ your talents can be used to build, instead of destroy. ❞ ❝ no beast is more savage than man. ❞ ❝ i am the dirt under your nails. nothing's gonna clean me out. ❞ ❝ the dirt was on both our hands. ❞ ❝ stick your head in the dirt if you want, but this fantasy you've been living out here, it's not gonna last forever. ❞ ❝ now people avert their gaze when i roll by. ❞ ❝ still giving me the silent treatment, huh? ❞ ❝ you think it's so easy? to turn your back while your city looks to you for salvation? ❞ ❝ playing coy doesn't suit you, love. ❞ ❝ is it bad that i'm making friends with my demons? ❞ ❝ can i do the right thing for the wrong reason? ❞ ❝ ever since you dropped into my life, it's like i put on glasses. ❞ ❝ jeez, lady, you crazy? talking to dead people. ❞ ❝ sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind. ❞ ❝ that's a past life, kid. and it was about as sweet as last year's milk. ❞ ❝ why is peace always the justification for violence? ❞ ❝ haven't i done you enough favors? ❞ ❝ i must say goodbye to this place now. to you. ❞ ❝ you got that look in your eye again. what are you planning? ❞ ❝ people have lost their heads for less. ❞ ❝ everyone in my life has changed. promise me you won't change. ❞ ❝ wrath must be met with wrath. ❞ ❝ what you've stolen…is more precious than any gold. ❞ ❝ i apologize for the intrusion. i was attempting to sneak in. ❞ ❝ address me with respect, or keep your mouth shut. ❞ ❝ this is what you asked for. heavy is the crown. ❞ ❝ and then what? you take what you need, hang me out to dry? ❞ ❝ do you realize how easy it was for me to track you down here? ❞ ❝ awful, isn't it? losing a loved one. ❞ ❝ i'm sorry. i’m not comfortable trusting our fates to chance. ❞ ❝ you think it's so easy? to turn your back while your city looks to you for salvation? ❞ ❝ whether i'm pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies. ❞ ❝ you walk along the edge of danger and it will change you. ❞ ❝ your youth betrays you. patience is a product of age. both of which i possess in abundance. ❞ ❝ we gotta choose right now whether we're gonna throw in the towel or make a stand together. ❞ ❝ i had a different name back then, you know. ❞ ❝ when will you admit that this is just one of your fantasies? ❞ ❝ my arrogance led me to take on more than i could handle. ❞ ❝ such force must be a final resort. ❞ ❝ in my experience, only guilty men answer accusations with silence. ❞ ❝ every time it seems like we might catch a break. ❞ ❝ you're a monster. why? why do all this? ❞ ❝ i must ask you to surrender your weapons. this is a place of peace. ❞ ❝ i still think it's a dumb idea. but i guess you won, and a deal's a deal. ❞ ❝ it’s nice to know there are still good ones left. ❞ ❝ i promise, it's the last offer you're gonna get. ❞ ❝ no matter what i do, i just can’t seem to die. ❞ ❝ maybe i underestimated you. maybe you have the strength i do not. ❞ ❝ you don't actually need my help. you haven't for a long time. ❞ ❝ like it or not, we're in this mess together. ❞ ❝ compassion. hate. two sides of the same coin. ❞ ❝ i have a plan. you’re not gonna like it. ❞ ❝ come closer, will you, babe? ❞ ❝ i'd feared i wouldn't have the chance to speak with you again. ❞

❝ you here to finish me off? ❞ ❝ i thought you were on our side. ❞ ❝ what is up with you? you've been out of it all day. ❞ ❝ as good as it feels to pour everyone's drink, you need to fill your own cup every now and again. ❞ ❝ you must destroy it. it corrupts. consumes. ❞ ❝ sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind. ❞ ❝ we do not lament a warrior's death. we avenge it. ❞ ❝ for the gifted, arrogance is the ultimate threat. ❞ ❝ why do you persist? after everything i've done? ❞ ❝ you're not alone. look at my shadow right behind you like a ghost. ❞ ❝ there is nothing to gain from this senseless bloodshed. ❞ ❝ i choose wrong every time. and because of it, i've lost everyone. ❞ ❝ go. before i do something i regret. ❞ ❝ i don't wanna lose what makes me "me" chasing some wild dream. ❞ ❝ i'm gonna find a way back, with or without you. ❞ ❝ i'm sorry. i've been an idiot. and an ass. you're hurting too. ❞ ❝ one's thoughts are more easily gathered in isolation. ❞ ❝ all right, out with it. what do you want from me? ❞ ❝ hey, in case i don't remember to tell you tomorrow, you've always meant the world to me. ❞ ❝ you ever wish you could just stay in one moment? ❞ ❝ if you're here to kill me, make sure to finish the job. ❞ ❝ i think beneath that mask you're scared. ❞ ❝ i must say that since i've met you, i've truly lived. ❞ ❝ never seen you give up on anything. ❞ ❝ i have the feeling that you'll be running this place soon. ❞ ❝ i think beneath that mask you're scared. ❞ ❝ i'm choosing to fight. and i pray that you will join me. ❞ ❝ this place will grow on you. you'll see. ❞ ❝ you're never gonna give up on me, are you? ❞ ❝ i think the cycle only ends when you find the will to walk away. ❞ ❝ hating you…i've hated myself. i just don't have the energy for it any longer. ❞ ❝ greatest thing we can do in life is find the power to forgive. ❞ ❝ oh, don't get all mushy on me now. ❞ ❝ i'm always with you. even when we're worlds apart. ❞ ❝ just 'cause you're having a bad day, don't take it out on me. ❞ ❝ look at the price of your ambition. you've sacrificed everything. ❞ ❝ you taught me the best lies come wrapped in truth. ❞ ❝ i feel like i woke up in the wrong universe. ❞ ❝ oh, spare the sympathy. ❞ ❝ uh, you do realize code phrases don't work when you make them up on the spot? ❞ ❝ desperation is the doorway to oblivion. ❞ ❝ it was a mistake to come here. ❞ ❝ this will have consequences. ❞ ❝ i know it's my fault that i'm here all alone. ❞ ❝ if you choose to flee, don't stop running. ❞ ❝ go and make some mistakes. you live and you learn. ❞ ❝ let me guess. you think i'm holding myself back. ❞ ❝ i have people back home who need me. ❞ ❝ i’m sorry i haven’t been around. ❞

[nefelibatat]

I like the lowkey running gag of people using Smeech's words against him.

Smeech: “You don't do much of anything anymore, do you, magpie? Bird without a wing's just a funny-looking rat.”

Sevika: “Tell me, who's a funny-looking rat now?”

Smeech: “Think on it. But I promise, it's the last offer you're gonna get.”

Smeech: “Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! There's a deal to be struck here!” Sevika: “You forget, Smeech? You already made your last offer.”

Smeech: “But don't think I won't skewer out those peepers. Drawback of you long-range types. Me? I'm the kinda guy who likes to get in close.”

Jinx: “It's always me. Whether I'm pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies. Wanna know the real kicker? You're the kinda guy who likes to get. in. close.”

It's like he's trying so hard to be cool and witty but he can't say anything without it getting thrown back in his face.

[weirdsht]

Disillusioned 15 . Limelight

a/n: ngl I'm starting to hate this, it's just that my writing style doesn't seem fitting for a series. maybe next time I'll stick to one-shots lol

also I'm so so sorry for the late update. I'm so busy I haven't slept for like a week now. However, I found some free time to write huhu.

tags: injuries, blood (it's cale what did you expect), self-doubt, war

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read pinned)

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_____’s time in Vegas City had been relaxing. There’s no way it wouldn’t be when everyone, mainly Cale, made sure it was. And the healer is grateful to all of them. It gave them time to think and lament over the devastating news they had received.

In turn of that kindness and space, _____ made sure to recover after they left the Caro Kingdom. It wasn’t easy, all they wanted to do was lay on the bed all day and cry. Getting energy for the slightest task, even eating, was so hard. But they still pushed themself, because war was approaching.

The battlefield is calling and its first target is their new home.

So the healer pulled themselves by their bootstraps. Even as everyone tried to assure them that it was fine to not be okay they still spared no effort to recover from their depression and be back to normal.

“Basen-nim will handle communications. The Count and Countess will be on the battlefield. Lily-nim is too young.”

Currently, Cale and _____ are having a disagreement.

“That doesn’t mean you’re the only option left. The Henituse have a lot of retainers and people we can use.”

“But can you really go all out if it isn’t one of your direct people guiding the citizens?”

Cale could only furrow his eyebrows at that retaliation. The two are currently disagreeing whether or not _____ should be in charge of leading and guiding the citizens once the Paerun Kingdom attacks. 

Silence lingered for a few seconds. Cale knows that _____ is right. Especially after that northeastern nobles meeting… Cale can only have peace of mind if the one in charge of the citizens is someone he knows. Someone he trusts

_____ reached out towards the redhead, holding his hand to show their resolve.

“Cale, I’ll be fine.”

The healer can feel Cale squeeze their hand back.

��Fine…”

Cale pauses for a moment and _____ thinks they are nearing the end of the discussion.

“But let Raon cast magic on you for disguise.”

Apparently _____ thought wrong.

No way are they allowing the young dragon to cast and maintain magic on them when they need his mana to maintain the barrier. It would also be dangerous to ask another mage for a disguise when there’s always the possibility of their enemies bringing mana disturbance tools.

“Cale you know we can’t do that.”

“Yes, that’s why you better just stay inside the castle walls or beside me and Raon.”

“I can’t do that either. I promise I’ll be safe, plus I’ll be wearing my hood and mask. There’s no way anyone would recognise me.”

Cale sighed as he used his free hand to push his hair back. 

Honestly, everyone listening in (the kids averaging 8 years old) doesn’t know why the young master is fighting this losing battle. If it had been anyone else Cale would’ve agreed in a heartbeat. 

Plus sooner or later they know he’ll give in to the healer’s wishes.

He always does.

True enough, Cale’s resolve did not even last 5 minutes before he agreed to _____’s request. It’s now official that they will be leading the citizens towards safe zones. They would also be the first line of defence in case enemies get past the barrier and start attacking the city. 

Of course, if Cale or someone else from their side gets injured then _____ will run immediately to aid them.

The other people who didn’t listen in on the conversation didn’t even have to ask how it went. Results were obvious from the way _____ was humming on their way out with Cale sighing and petting On and Hong.

“Knight-nim please check if there’s any people left on area d. If you need me I’ll be double-checking our inventory and supplies.”

It’s been a few hours after Cale and _____’s talk. Right now the healer is making sure that everything is in order while their friends are fighting the Indomitable Alliance.

As the Medicus sees Choi Han and the others attack they remember a conversation they had with Cale last night.

The two are the only ones in the room. Well, the only ones awake. The children are with them but Cale has forced them to sleep because they need the energy for tomorrow. A serving of blueberry crumble paired with jasmine tea is being enjoyed as they talk.

“I plan to create a new history. To bring new heroes forward.”

“And I assume you won’t be part of those heroes?”

_____ asked in a joking manner as they refilled both of their teacups.

“Of course not. I only want to win this war and then go rest at the underground villa peacefully.”

Cale stopped speaking to take a bite out of the dessert.

“I’m telling you this because I want to ask you if you’d like to be part of that history. This battle would be a good opportunity to show everyone that you are alive.”

“I… thank you but it would be unneeded.”

The healer’s immediate answer made Cale look at them in confusion.

“Hmm well, that’s a shame the crown prince was also thinking of giving you the Perduellio’s assets as all of them have been found guilty.”

“Is he? I didn’t know such a thing.”

Of course _____ didn’t. Only Cale and Alberu know of such a thing. They're also the only ones who know the sorry state that family is currently in.

“But still… While I do agree with you that this is a good time to do that I still don’t want to do it. My time in the spotlight was not a good experience for me. It would be enough for me to see our friends be known and bask in that light.”

_____ sipped their tea before continuing.

“There’s also the fact that my adoptive family had committed a grave sin. I don’t think it’s right for me to strive for fame when I am still legally part of that family. I will reveal myself, but it won’t be now. I hope Cale and the crown prince can understand…”

Cale nodded in understanding. He's not cruel enough to force someone to do what he wants just because he wants to hide in the shadows. There are already more than enough heroes that he can push into the spotlight.

“I understand, I’ll inform the crown prince don’t worry about it.”

_____ snapped out of their daydream to focus back on their task. 

At least tried to.

Right about when _____ is about to talk to another knight they saw Cale bleed. The healer would have left it to the priests and healers near the field if it was just Cale’s normal bleeding. But it wasn’t.

Cale is bleeding from basically every orifice of his body.

And his too far away for _____ to accurately see if he's okay.

“I’ll leave the rest to you knight-nim, I must assist our Commander.”

So the healer runs. 

They run the fastest they’ve ever had in their entire left. _____ ran so fast they got there before the healers could.

“__– healer-nim you shouldn’t be here.” 

Countess Violan made sure that the healer’s hood and mask were still intact. The fabric on their face had been removed to aid catch their breath from running. Good thing the hood was still intact so it’s unlikely that anyone has seen their face.

“Countess Violan It’ll be fine. Our priority should be the Commander right now.”

_____ has no way of knowing how at that moment, the Henituse’s respect for them grew even more.

The healer turned to Cale to see him talking to what seemed like the air. That must be why his parents are even more worried right now. It looks like the redhead is hallucinating.

Good thing _____ knows the truth. They know that he isn’t hallucinating and that he isn’t talking to thin air. Good thing they know that the words the young master was uttering are directed at a certain invisible dragon.

"It's fine now, I'll be supporting too."

Those words may seem like it was directed at the Countess and Cale but it was directed towards Raon. It's the healer's way of saying that everything will be fine so Raon better follows Cale's instructions.

_____ can’t see Raon nor can they hear his voice in their head, but they’re sure that the dragon has quieted down since Cale had stopped muttering

“Does healer-nim need help?”

The territory’s healer finally arrived. Meanwhile, _____ has not only aided Cale’s vitality of the heart, but they were also healing Choi Han while supporting Mary.

“Yes please.”

Short responses are the only thing _____ can form right now. They must focus all their strength on supporting three people. Choi Han is especially hard to heal. It’s because the Medicus had only known long-distance healing in theory and had never tried it in person.

The far away and moving Choi Han proved to be a difficult patient but _____ is certain that his recovering little by little from the wounds they are slowly absorbing. 

Drip

Drip

It’s a good thing the colour coding for this event is black. Even as blood drips down their sleeves no one would notice from far away.

But not the people near the Medicus.

Cale’s hand that had been holding onto _____’s arms tightened at the blood dripping down the ground. On the bright side, they are now certain that Choi Han’s shoulder wound is getting better.

Meanwhile, supporting Mary is easier but still proves to be a bit of a challenge. The Medicus has to support her as stealthily as possible to not give away her location. Usually whenever _____ uses her ancient power droplets of water would appear. Then they would cover those droplets with their light ability. 

But they can’t do that right now.

Both would be too flashy and would reveal the necromancer’s location.

So they did the next best thing. Which was making their power travel through the cracks of the ground and the wall.

Doing this while doing long-distance healing and supporting the Vitality of the Heart made _____ use more power and energy than they usually would.

“Leave some of the work to the healers and priests.”

The still pale, but doing much better now, Cale whispered. _____ looked at him to assess his condition using their power. 

“I’m okay Commander, and it looks like you’ll be okay soon too.”

_____ heard Cale sigh but ignored it. Seeing that his being ignored, Cale proceeded to gather himself so he could stand up again.

And that made the healer relieved.

Sure they knew his fine. _____ knows that the young master has a regeneration power. But seeing him being in commission again made it feel real. Especially after seeing them bleed that much.

That relief was short-lived.

Because tell _____ why was the first thing Cale did was use his powers again. The healer swears that one day Cale is gonna give them a heart attack.

Fortunately, the healer and the redhead have similar temperaments. Both can work well under immense stress and pressure while making it seem like they aren’t breaking that much sweat. Thanks to that _____’s composure didn’t falter and they were able to do what they needed to.

Choi Han is still a problem though. Because of the distance, the healer can’t fully heal him.

‘If only I was stronger’

_____ tries to push unnecessary thoughts away.

‘If only I was a saint’

Just as _____ was about to get pulled in by their thoughts, they felt a familiar chubby paw on their shoulder.

“Kind _____ hang in there a bit more, we’re close to winning! I’m going to go help out Choi Han now okay?”

Raon’s bright voice had served as a wake-up call for _____. Thanks to him the healer can fully focus on their task until the very end.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“I didn’t know I could too.”

Cale and _____ are currently on their way to the underground dungeon. Both of them are pale and their clothes are covered with blood but they are walking as if nothing’s wrong.

“When you were at the Paerun Kingdom I started thinking of my powers in a different light, and this was the conclusion of that.”

“But doing this is harder for your body right?”

“As if, you’re one to talk.”

_____ laughed as they saw Cale scrunch his nose at the comment.

“Yes it’s harder but it’s very useful at times like this. It's all thanks to the anatomy books Ron bought for me. Having a more in-depth idea as to how our bodies work allowed me to assess them even from far away.

It’s good to know that as long as someone is within my eyesight I can heal them. Haaa, but I must say, healing Choi Han-nim while he was riding those flying bones is hard.”

Both of them stopped at the entrance of the underground dungeon.

“Since it’s hard and you overexerted yourself, does this mean you’ll leave Choi Han in the hands of other healers?”

The healer laughed again as they waved goodbye. There’s no way Cale is allowing them to enter the dungeon and they have better things to do.

“No promises Cale.”

And if one of those ‘better things to do’ is healing Choi Han, then Cale can find out for himself later.

[bloody-cupcakes]

Yandere/dark! Chuck Bass and yandere/dark! Blair Waldorf x reader; they remind you just who you belong to after you're flirted with at a party

Tw: yandere/dark content, gender neutral reader, nsfw/smut, jealousy/possessiveness, swearing, threesome-ish, car (limo) sex, dom/sub dynamics (dom Chuck and Blair/sub reader), fingering (not specified whether it's vaginal or anal since the reader is gn), hickeys/marking kink, light praise kink

A/N: I really need to write more poly stuff for this blog tbh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you were, standing in the centerfold of the party in all your Upper East Sider glory. Everyone else might've been focused on Chuck and Blair, the power couple of the century, but they only had eyes for you.

It was the first time they'd made a public debut at an event like this since your relationship with them was publicized, and they were desperate to keep an eye on you and make sure no one would be there to make an attempt at stealing you away. Not that they didn't trust you to be loyal, but you were far too nice for your own good and didn't always know when to set boundaries with certain people.

Take now, for instance. Blair had taken her eye off of you for one second and suddenly looked back to see Georgina Sparks of all people trying to sink her claws into you. To say you seemed a bit out of your depth was an understatement.

"Chuck," the brunette hissed out as she snapped her fingers to get his attention, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him off to the side. "Look."

He'd been a bit confused as to what was going on until she directed his attention towards where you were standing. It had taken Georgina all of five minutes (or less) to get you pinned against a corner, one of her hands placed on the wall behind you in an effort to make you feel trapped in.

His gaze darkened immediately, glowering in a way that matched how his girlfriend felt almost perfectly. "That bitch," he snarled under his breath, looking ready to rip her throat out at any given opportunity. If you hadn't been currently caught in the crossfire, he had no doubt Blair would let him.

"Come on," she commanded once he'd been shown what and where the problem was. "We need to go rescue our little pet from the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side before she decides to turn them into her own personal flying monkey."

The two of them made their way forward immediately, Blair's heels clacking loudly on the floor as she marched over while Chuck stalked quietly behind her. "Just what do you think you're doing?" She demanded once reaching where Georgina still had you trapped against the wall.

A wave of relief washed over you the moment you saw your two partners approach, feeling incredibly thankful that you wouldn't have to deal with Georgina by yourself for much longer. While she was distracted by Blair, you managed to slip past her and slink away over to where Chuck was, seeking his protection and comfort.

He wrapped an arm around your waist immediately, pulling you in close. You pressed yourself against him, almost as though you were trying to sink your body into his as a way to hide.

"What, I'm not allowed to have a bit of fun every now and then?" Georgina replied before taking a lazy sip of her champagne glass, appearing unbothered. "They certainly seemed into it," she added while pointing to you.

Blair let out a scoff of offense and Chuck's arm tightened its grip on your body, neither one of them amused by her response in the slightest. "I don't want to ever see you near them again, do you hear me?"

While Blair spoke to Georgina, you turned your head away and pressed your face into Chuck's shoulder, clearly just as upset over the situation as they were. They both knew that you tended to get clingy at times, especially when someone else dared to fraternize with you in a way that went beyond a mere cordial conversation.

"I wanna go home," you mumbled just loud enough for him to be able to hear, your hands gently clutching at his suit as a way to help ground yourself.

"I know you do, baby. We're going right now," he gently reassured while rubbing your waist in a comforting manner, leaning in to press a light kiss to the top of your head.

After having successfully chewed Georgina out for her overstepping when it came to your personal space, Blair turned back in your direction, softening her gaze somewhat when she saw you. "Come on, sweetheart. We can go now."

The two of them led you out of the party, one on either side of you so nobody else would think it was okay to come bother you. Once you got outside, Chuck opened the door of the limo and Blair helped you get in, your body sandwiched snuggly between theirs as the limo began to drive away.

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry she messed with you," Blair cooed in a soft and sympathetic tone as she placed her hand on top of yours and gave your face a gentle kiss. "You're ours, nobody else's, got it?"

You nodded your head in understanding at her words, letting out a slight gasp when you felt Chuck's hand begin to move between your thighs. "Of course. Only yours, nobody else's."

"Good pet," he muttered next to your ear before brushing his lips along your jaw. "We're going to show you just how much you belong to us. Is that alright, sweet thing?"

A shiver of arousal went down your spine at his words, his voice smooth and deep like a glass of whiskey. "Y- Yeah, it's alright. It's more than alright."

He let out a hum in response to your words as his hands moved to help you remove the bottom half of your clothing, Blair leaving behind a trail of kisses on your neck as he did so. Your eyes fluttered shut as you let out a sigh of content, a breathy moan being pulled from your lips when you felt Chuck's fingers plunge deep inside your aching and needy hole.

Your walls clenched around his fingers as he thrusted them in and out in a slow and methodical approach while Blair continued to lavish you with kiss upon kiss. They both spoke loving words of praise as they pleasured you, your girlfriend resting her hands on your thighs in order to help keep them open so your boyfriend could continue to finger you without having to worry about your legs closing around his hand.

Their mouths both remained on your neck, your head tilting back on instinct as they kissed and nipped and sucked, covering the previously unblemished skin with dark purple marks. Your desperate noises filled up the back of the limo, whiny pants and moans escaping from you with each touch, with each kiss, with each word of praise.

It wasn't very long before you reached your peak, your back arching and your toes curling as you felt the tightly wound coil inside you snap, a wave of intense pleasure washing over you. They used a spare towel kept in the backseat for moments like this to help clean you up, Blair telling you just how proud of you she was while Chuck held you in a comforting embrace, nuzzling his face into the back of your neck.

You ended up dozing off in the backseat on the ride home, which was perfectly fine with them as they had more private matters to discuss anyway, namely what was going to be done about Georgina. If you thought they were just going to let something like this go, then you'd be sorely mistaken. They'd find a way to get payback on her soon enough, but for now they were just content to watch you sleep.

[shauce]

I just realized—Viktor dies holding the cog that fell because of Jinx during their conversation. Symbolically he got himself 'jinxed' by interacting with that piece of machinery.

"It's always me, whether I'm pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies."

IM BAWLING MY EYES OUT

[tumblezwei]

Jinx: It's always me. Whether I'm pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies.

Dipshits in this fandom: YOOOOO what if Isha got close to Jinx and then she died!!!!! That would totally be a benefit to her character arc and not confirm her worst suspicions about herself for the third time🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[gotjynxd]

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 ;; mental health in regards to vision of self and s*icide

please proceed w caution if these topics are upsetting to you

it's just been rattling around in my brain the difference in jinx's mental health between seasons 1 & 2 and how specific people play a part in what we witness on the screen. even just writing up responses and threads, it's something you sort have to keep in the back of your mind depending upon when the setting of these things are. and i'm not talking about the fractures and voices she hears in her psyche, i'm more specifically talking about how jinx views herself throughout s1 and how we get to that lowest point in s2.

throughout both seasons, the main things that jinx has to deal with is 1) how she sees herself and 2) how that's managed, because i don't think she ever really holds herself in high regard throughout the entirety of the show. there's always this sense of guilt and of knowing that it was HER that caused so many of her loved ones to die and seemingly abandon her. she was the one who didn't listen to what she was told. she was the one who really didn't understand how the gemstones worked but tried anyways, causing catastrophe, and she was the one that inserted herself because she wanted to have just one moment of feeling valuable to the team. jinx just wanted to prove herself and had to watch what happens when she thinks she can actually 'do something'.

i think the only reason we don't see her slip far down into the depression void is because of how quickly silco not only picks her up, but distracts her by playing into her strengths. she is smart. she is handy and talented. give her things to do and something to focus on, laud her successes and she doesn't really have the time to fall. those fractures we notice seem to only really happen when a) something goes wrong/triggers her and b) when she's left alone too long to listen to herself.

season 1 jinx has purpose. silco, for all of his flaws and manipulation of her, gives her purpose. she can put distance between her guilt and shame. and i think it's what overwhelms her in the final episode and leads her to say 'fuck it, i'll burn it all regardless'. its the start of her slippery slope because that moment shows her 'oh look. i did it again. i thought i could become valuable and prove myself to my dad, only to kill him the same as i killed my other one and my friends.' that episode shows her that all the voices and things she heard about her were true. and they've caught back up to her.

season 2, however, is genuinely such a clusterfuck. between the explosion and the council and finding isha, i think it was the start of jinx's s*icidal ideation. you have the line "you feel that? ... because you know in a moment it could all pew. . .' and then 'you ever need to curse a sibling, or a family, or a society, that's my card.' (AND THEN THE LYRICS SAYING 'GOOD LUCK KILLING ME BECAUSE I'M ALREADY DEAD INSIDE) exemplify exactly where jinx's head is at. everyone was right. i'm a jinx. i ruin everyone's lives. i may as well be dead. she's alone. she's lost her purpose, there's no one around to give it to her. it's just her and the voices telling her she's a fuck up. her accepting that in the lines to smeech 'it's always me. whether i'm pulling the pin or not, everyone who gets close to me dies'. hell she still ghosts around the office because she knew offhand the time she'd normally go help silco with his 'medication'. she's just on autopilot with nothing to do.

enter the crew. between isha, sevika and warwick, jinx sees this all as maybe just one more instance where she can, what? how did she say it to sevika? 'it was something i can fix.' it started with her arm because it was digestible. tangible. something she KNEW she could do and is extended out to isha who wanted someone to help her and look up to because that fix and success of sevika's arm gave her a modicum of confidence again. (i'll be going over e3 i think later, because i need to develop my thoughts on that, but the important line she says that, again, exemplifies this first 'lowest' that jinx is in would be 'then stop me. because no matter what i do, i can't seem to die.' it leads me to believe this is more of a 's*icide mission with her hoping maybe she'd bring vi down with her and isha stepping in is what she needs to sort of 'snap out of it'.)

isha, then finding out about warwick, again we are shown that the second jinx finds purpose, or what she believes is purpose, she's able to put all of her effort into it and stave off these feelings that threaten to overwhelm her. because again. . . there's light in her eyes and hope as we walk through those episodes.

then, once again. as seems to be the pattern. she watches as she brings both of the people she loves into a situation where the outcome is their death. again, she's shown how she causes people to die around her. and how many more times should she be shown this before she has to start thinking that maybe. . . just maybe. . . the world would be better off without her in it. and again. she is forced to sit there alone, in a cell, and let these thoughts prevail. where we finally see her accept it all. she's tired. she's over it. nothing she gains after this would make the rest of it worth it. 'i'm done running in circles.' there's nothing left in her that's worth saving, not with all the death and destruction tied to her name.

in knowing that there's nothing vi would stop at to pull her out of the darkness, she has to take her out of the equation. clearly putting herself in the path of danger constantly, hoping that it will do 'the job' for her isn't working. and her monologue while leaving vi in the cell is, in a way, her goodbye letter. it takes ekko reframing her thought process (and i'm sure this took way longer than we're shown in the show, considering there's that cut content) and just, frankly, existing quietly with her, that once again helps drag her out of it. for now.

in summary: i don't think, after the events of s1, act1, that jinx ever really thinks highly of herself. i don't think she ever escapes that guilt and shame. but if you give her purpose, if you let her feel needed, in whatever form it is, that staves off these feelings and keeps them at bay.

[glitchheart1828]

"Don't cry, you're perfect"

"You don't get it, huh sis, I'm always with you, even when we're world's apart"

"Always with you, sis"

"Whether I'm pulling the pin or not, EVERYONE who gets close to me dies"

😁

Home address? For fun :>

[trailingnightshade]

Visit of the Aged Vulpes - Reunion

Orfeo pranced on the sidewalk, humming to himself. The light posts' bulbs blinked, making the midnight view half-illuminated by moonlight more often than not. He wondered if the blood smear from a few days ago was cleaned up. The body had to be, but the traces might not've been. ['Probably didn't bother'], he assumed. ['The police here are, apparently, a joke.']

Suddenly, a hand pulled on his arm, closer to an alleyway. He turned to look. Just as he expected, and exactly how he remembered. Ryder.

After getting a better look at Orfeo's bright face, his eyebrows pinched together. “What are you doing here?”

“How else am I supposed to find you? I never see you anywhere.” 

“That's the idea.”

“So, I asked Ruya about the… rift. She let us in there, and we all explored a little.”

“Oh goodie. Was it fun?” He said, a tinge of sarcasm coating his voice. 

“Ah… ehe… it was definitely, uh- something.”

“Uh-huh. Are you done?”

“Hey- come on, I'm getting somewhere with this.”

“Then get there already.”

Orfeo had a lot of mixed feelings on everything that happened since the night he died and came back. He did not know what Ruya's true motivations were. He did not know whether those series of bus disappearances that Idris chattered on about were related to their own. He did not know why Terrell kept looking at him after the rift like they were both in on some secret.

But he did not care about those things.

He was far more interested in Ryder.

Someone who knew so much about the situation, but spoke so little of it. An outsider who was still deeply enmeshed in the situation. 

And then, there was what that spirit said.

[“Idris, you can't be trusting this… thing so easily.”

“Awwwh, he’s no fun!”, the reddish worm-like spectre said, directing his tip towards Orfeo.

“Leave it be”, said the white spectre with many hands. “It is in his nature to listen to his Eurydice.”]

He was curious. Too curious. Those two had said many enigmatic things, but he couldn't help but to wonder.

“Can you go into the rift with me?” Ryder's expression hardened. “Alone.” That caught his interest.

“....Why?”

“It’s just that, ah… I want to look into it. But I don't want anyone else in the group to know. Except I'm not exactly strong, am I? I wouldn't be able to hold my own!” 

Ryder glared at him. He instantly saw through the lame lie Orfeo usually managed to get away with. He panicked, grasping at Ryder's arm.

“Please? I- I really… I… need you there with me.”

Ryder's eyes went wide. His expression cycled through surprise, understanding, and…. sorrow, as Orfeo understood it. He closed his eyes, and had a long sigh. “Fine.”

Orfeo laughed in relief, letting go of his arm. “Thank you.”

Ryder smiled, the same sort of flirtatious, sly smile he always wore when he teased Orfeo. “Couldn't say no, you're helpless without me.”

Orfeo finally could pin it down. Familiar in every way, yet worlds apart. An unspoken secret that everyone knew.

“I can help myself perfectly well.” He nearly winced at how shaky his voice was.

Ryder hummed, then moved his hand towards Orfeo's neck, adjusting his shirt's collar. “And yet, you're here.” Orfeo trained his breathing, but felt warmth crawling up from his neck and into his face. His fingers trailed a little, moving to the inside of his shirt. He wanted to grow used to it, to stay unaffected. He wasn't going to. It was tantalising, something he'd ached for for so long, but felt like it came from a stranger. He may very well be one.

His hand trailed up, towards his collarbone, then towards the back of his neck. He tried to hold back a sigh, but was unsuccessful. “There it is.” His voice was feather soft as he started running his fingers up the back of his neck, feeling his hair. Orfeo did his best to not move an inch, or make a single noise. “Repression isn't good for you, you know.” That earned him a sharp glare. He smiled in delight, and removed his hand. It felt cold afterwards, like it was supposed to be there.

“Right, then. Time is short. Let’s go.”

Orfeo was still a little shaken. “W-What, like, now?”

“When else?”

Orfeo shrunk a little. “...right. Let’s just go.”

The rift was full of things, yet empty.

A big darkness, with dancing lights within. Most were white, but some bore other colors, all of which he saw either on creatures or spirits.

He, somehow, could see perfectly fine. At most, with a small tint, like if sundown were black and white.

Ryder was clicking a retractable dagger into place. Orfeo knew he had one, considering he pulled it out that night, when he threatened to cut a man's fingers until he talked. 

“Are you sure a knife is enough?”

“Yes, I am. Turns out, pistols aren't very effective on these.”

“So, you've… been here before? If you know how to deal with what's here.”

“Always with the questions.”

“Well, there’s one very easy way to shut me up that you keep avoiding.”

He turned his head towards Orfeo, smiling slyly. “What way would that be?”

Orfeo felt warmth crawling up his neck. “Ugh- answering my questions properly, that's how!”

“Mhm. Too bad.”

Orfeo weighed the wooden baseball bat that Ryder gave to him on the way. It definitely saw its fair share of hitting people, not baseballs. But, whatever kept him from having to win a fistfight against an enemy would suffice.

They stepped forward, and walked down the tunnel. Orfeo glanced all around, warily, but Ryder was focused on looking ahead.

Soon enough, out came the same spirit that accosted him and his group on their first outing.

“Ah, The Lamenter… you are back already.” The spirit of many hands said, standing ahead and looking on. “And you bring The Forsaken with you.”

That title felt… strange. It insisted on calling them by titles. The Queen, The Third Sister, The Oracle, The Tragedy… Orfeo was Orpheus, The Lamenter, as painfully expected. But why The Forsaken, for him?

“Ignore it.” Ryder said, not even pausing.

“Why?” Orfeo held his arm.

“They won't help you. Most of the time, they just rattle off enough things to make you unsure of your footing to make you leave. Or die.”

“Well. I… Want to see that with my own eyes, then.

Ryder sighed, softly. “Fine. That one in particular isn't too bad to talk to.”

Orfeo stepped forward.

“You have questions, Lamenter. I cannot see the future. And I cannot tell you what you are not meant to know.”

“Why do you call us… that? Lamenter, Tragedy, Oracle….”

“The stories of the past repeat, again and again. Some in more wondrous ways than others. You were fated to meet them, such as you were fated to be here. And you were fated to repeat the past.”

“That… doesn't quite answer my question. What past are we repeating?”

“I believe you know the answer to your own, Orpheus. Did you not look back?”

Orfeo lowered his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to control himself. Ryder placed his hand on Orfeo's shoulder comfortingly.

He took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. “I'm… I'm fine. What about the other names?”

“That is not your fate to know. But they also have executed theirs before this current moment.”

Orfeo risked a glance at Ryder. He'd been looking at Orfeo, with some concern, but after that glance, he shifted. “You’re not seriously planning to pry on me, are you?”

“What is it that you don't want me to know? What are you trying to hide?”

“None of your damn business is what!”

“So you get to know so much about me, but I don't get to know anything about you? Or what's going on?”

Before the argument could go on, the spirit with many hands spoke.

“Your friend, The Beauty… how is she?”

Ryder's head snapped towards the spirit. He pursed his lips, then answered. “She is doing fine.”

The spirit hummed. “I cannot see her fate, at this moment. You are shackled to your fate, in the meaning that you cannot control what others do. But you are capable of choosing your own actions.”

“I know.” His eyes had a tiredness to them, but also some form of determination.

“Let's… keep going.” Orfeo tentatively said. Ryder nodded.

“Your questions will be answered, in time. Both of you.” The spirit faded away.

They kept walking, in silence.

“So… The Beauty, was it?”

“One of them used to make fun of her for that title, sometimes. Say she wasn't particularly hot enough for it.” He almost sounded fond.

“Did you ever find out why she got that title?”

“She dated some creep before the fox took her here to deal with the rift. If you ask me, it's probably that.”

“The fox…”

“If you’re thinking of finding her and asking her anything, don't. She has amnesia. She doesn't even know about the rift.”

“And the others who came here with her are-”

“Dead.”

A hush fell over them as they kept walking.

The two came across a strange creature, inching towards them. A sort of pillar with two arm-like extremities and a mouth-like opening, entirely made of a green, slimey material. Ryder stepped back.

“What are you doing?”

“You can take this one. Go on.”

“Ugh- are you trying to punish me for prying, or something?”

“How else do you plan on training when you insist to your comrades that you're some fragile little maiden?”

Orfeo huffed and weighed his bat. He dashed towards the creature, and swung his bat across what could be seen as its neck. Its ‘head’ splashed on the floor, but its ‘arms’ stretched to grab him. He swung his bat wildly at them, then started clobbering the thing's main body. He kept swinging, again and again and again, until it stopped moving.

He stood up, shaking all over. “Disgusting… filthy…!” He felt a hand on his head, petting his hair.

“Good job, darling.”

Orfeo moved away. Ryder laughed softly. “Wait, come over here.” He hesitantly stepped towards him. Ryder carefully fixed Orfeo's hair. He looked up at Ryder, who kept looking at him longingly. He sharply turned towards the path ahead.

“Uhm- let's- keep moving. Time is short!”

That earned him a genuine laugh out of Ryder.

He stepped out of the entrance of the rift, thoroughly sore from the variety of fights he got into.

“I'm not sure if you even helped…”

“What do you mean, now? I covered your back. And gave you quite a lot of encouragement.” He nudged Orfeo's cheek with his knuckles, seemingly the most calm and content Orfeo had seen him ever since he met him on his first day in the town.

“L- Lot of good that did me.” He wasn't sure if his heart was beating so quickly because of all the exercise, or if it was because Ryder seemed dedicated to keeping his hands on Orfeo as long as he could.

“Ah, right. Hand me your bat.” He wordlessly handed it over. Ryder set it on a corner of the entrance. “You should use this the next time you train here.”

“As much as I, believe you me, hate saying this… I'm not going in there alone.”

“No problem, then. I'll come with you. I end up around here at night, anyway.”

That surprised him. “What happened to ‘staying away from me’?”

“Well, if the only way to get you to train is for me to come with, I'll come with. Trust me, your silver tongue won't be enough for what you'll go up against.”

“You just like seeing me hit things.” Orfeo nearly instantly regretted saying that once the sly smile returned to Ryder's face.

“What, can't I have multiple reasons to do this?”

“Good night, Ryder.” He hissed out, before turning and hurrying his step.

“Good night!” He could hear from slightly far away.

[tatakaeeren]

thank you for being so kind >-< i never like rambling problems bc i am very apathetic when it comes to well, anything dealing with anyone else's problems so i never meant to ramble out to you I'm still so sorry ;-; it won't get less stressful per se, I'm graduating in December and getting my PhD (or at least want to) so i have applications for that and scholarship and grant writing for more research projects <///33 I'm too much of an overachiever for my own good <//333 BUT ENUFF on that i refuse to be sad and wallow in an unproductive state so i will instead talk about something else.

What are some of your least favorite romance/shoujo tropes in anime and in manga? Whether it be bl stories, yuri, webtoons, mangas, anything! I shall go first~ (of course i will ask you what are your faves are in the next ask~)

My least favorites

Tsunderes.

i KNOW it's so common to have it and kuudere and tsunderes are very similar but GAH I HATE TSUNDERES SO MUCH because it's usually used as a he or she is a total bitch but don't worry guys it's bc they are shy <3 LIKE WHOT. yes yes they get "warmer over time" but this is why i had to stop watching kaguya-sama love is war because i can't stand that show i couldn't 😭

Needless pining, the "chase"

see kaguya-sama love is war (sorry to flame this show but it's also a perfect example). I know people say the development gets started in the second season and i know it's like critical acclaim and popularity is deserved blah blah but idk man, the first season just turned me off SO MUCH that i haven't been able to pick it back up ESPECIALLY THE END ARC AT LIKE THE FESTIVAL idk i just pining and missed chances and mind games i can only do for like 2 episodes but after that i NEED TO SEE SOME PROGRESSION otherwise i get so annoyed

Starts off a bitch, gets better

could be put in the same category as a tsundere but this gets its own category because bl mangas fucking love this trope and i hate it like i know everyone loves BJ Alex, and are probably fawning over Jinx right now but GOSH i could never read either because i just like I DONT GET IT IF ASSHOLE WHY HE GET LOVE???? i do nawt care if he had some traumatic life experience YOU DONT GET TO BE A ASSHOLEEEEEEEEE. And this doesn't count as enemies to lovers because usually in that one they're both dicking each other over and it's mutual versus like nice guy simp gets trampled on.

Okie now your turn <33333 (if you dont' have any i will look like such a bitch asfdasdfasdf)

-lavender anonie~

You're welcome 💖 I'm always here to help everyone who needs to be listened and understood ✨. OOHHH nice!!! congratsss so you have to give your everything until December... and then apply to a PhD? (I'm sorry I don't quite get the educational system over there) and how many more years is that?

Hahahahah Such an interesting topic! haha least fav first and then our faves 🤣 ok.. let's see: "Tsunderes"... it depends if they are annoying because sometimes there are Tsunderes that are charming and adorable with a spicy feisty side... those I enjoy, but the ones that only scream and act rude or mean for no reason... I pass. The "pinning", I enjoy it when there is real tension and life actually, either pulls them apart or together (not the random unrealistic "coincidences", I like it if it is believable or one of the characters needs to fully develop before confessing (I need to see them accepting themselves before accepting the love of others) if pinning is well done the ending is well deserved in the long run. The "starts off as a bicth" Yeah I don't like it, I DO enjoy good enemies to lovers because both have very distinct goals or morals but then understand the other's point of view. But if the character is just a bitch for being one without further character development... I don't like that.

In my case I don't have "least fav tropes" but I see these types of content/story/character... I'm closing the page right then and there: Power abuse, gaslighting, mental health being treated as an "accessory" (not depicted as seriously and delicately as it should be dealt), I don't hate it but it is not my fav the "love at first sight" ... I need to see and feel the foundation of a relationship before realizing it is love. and my biggest turn of is if the characters are super annoying or super ..what I call "empty pretty and annoying" Im sorry they could be the prettiest in the universe but if they don't have a personality and are annoying... is a big NO.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

(ii)

I mean...Now that he's gone, he...won't have any use for it, but it belongs to ERR0RM3SS4GE. You should take it back.

He can keep it. We have no more use for that thing.

But if it aids the Future Foundation in their future endeavors...Well, either way, I'm sure 404 would have preferred Saihara have it than us.

Really? Well...Thank you again.

Don't get mushy...This is just one last favor I'm doing as part of our partnership. After I leave the walls of this building...You're on your own from here on. No matter what you say or do.

What do you mean?

I mean Future Foundation's partnership with ERR0RM3SS4GE is over. From this point on, should we be able to help it, you won't be hearing from our organization again.

Wh-Why not?

Simple...

Because I HATE you...

H-Huh...!?

Rantaro held all of you in high regard. And as an upstanding woman of society, I think it's only fair to him, and to you, that I express my true thoughts earnestly.

What Rantaro ended up doing went against everything we taught him at ERR0RM3SS4GE. He pulled us out of the shadows, unveiled his true identity to everyone, and put his life on the line for a mission.

But I let him do it. ERR0RM3SS4GE has always stuck to its beliefs, but with some younger members having recently joined with us, I thought it was time to let them take the reigns and make some changes.

We gave you this; we gave you EVERYTHING! ANYTHING it if meant bringing the Zetsubou chapter to a close! Our gear, our assistance, our secrets, our intel, EVERYTHING!

...And now what do I have because of that? I don't even have one of my prized agents anymore...

...Look, Himuro, I'm sorry, but this is not our fault...! Rantaro was his own person, and he made his own choices, ERR0RM3SS4GE and Future Foundation be damned. Because he CARED about us.

Shirogane's the one who actually killed him, and he knew exactly what it was that he was getting into when he signed up for all of this. I'm happy to take whatever responsibility you want me to take, but the truth is this isn't about me-!

The TRUTH Akamatsu, is that he's DEAD because of YOU! EVERYONE tonight who DIED, died because of YOU! Because SHIROGANE! HATES! YOU!

It's "not about you!?" EVERY BAD THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO THIS STUPID FOUNDATION, AND TO THIS WORLD! IS ALL! ABOUT! YOU!

!!!??

Hey! That's too far!

I said what I said and I don't regret it!

...I once believed in the Future Foundation more than I have any other powerful organization, even the government office that I worked in. But all that's left now of the company it once was is just death and ruin, all because they made the stupid choice to adopt a bunch of aliens into their ranks. A decision that singlehandedly caused the destruction of everything that once made this place something worth a shit.

And you know what? I'm experienced enough as an agent that I can pick up on subtle queue's you can't, so let me tell you something else...Your own men in here feel the same.

Wha...?

Kaede, don't listen to her. She's just spouting crap.

Oh, AM I now? As you walked down the hallway towards me, I spotted at least three people give you the death stare from behind. Like they also want to pin all their problems on you. Because Shirogane hates you so much that she's willing to kill everyone they love if it means getting to you.

Akamatsu. Have you ever once stopped to think about whether people ACTUALLY care about you at this Foundation? Have you ever considered that maybe the only reason people talk to you is because of your importance in this conflict? That you've never done ANYTHING worthy? That you and your friends are just a big pile of shit that Shirogane wants to clean up?

...I...

Hey, I said shut up!

*Kaito stands in the way and jabs a finger at Nico.

Love Across the Universe.

Kaede...Are you sure we should be doing this? Shuichi didn't seem like he was in the mood to talk...

I know Kaito...But we don't have to talk...

I just...need to let him know that we're in his corner for whenever he needs us. And that he's safe...He seemed kinda...self-destructive after reading Tenko's note.

I don't blame him. We all got repeatedly punched in the face by the bad news...And honestly, even after all we've fought for today, it feels like we still lost more than we gained.

You're right...This is all sucks so much...And I don't know what to do about it...

We can just keep going now...And...I know this sounds corny, but...

Now that I know that we don't get any more second chances...It makes me want to make sure that I do as much as I can with the life I have.

Zetsubou are still out there, there are still many other issues we've gotta tackle, but all the same...

I'm still going up to space one of these days...Nothing's gonna stop that.

...

*Kaede solemnly nods, and the two continue walking. However, as they make their way down the hallway, they suddenly spot someone.

...Kaito, look.

...Oh.

Hmph...There you are...I was wondering where all of you had gone to. Then I realized you were probably with Yumeno...

Hello, Ms. Himuro. Is...everything alright?

No, not really. I don't see how you thought it could be.

...Yeah...

Well...what are you up to?

As a matter of fact, I was just about to make my leave. I turned what was basically my 2-Minutes Notice in to Kirigiri just now, and as of now, our partnership is over. So I'll be heading back to ERR0RM3SS4GE now.

You're leaving?

Like I said, I have no reason to stick around, and I don't want to either way. Not after all that's happened.

There is something you should probably know. I discussed this with the agents back at our HQ, and they've agreed to let Agent 404's body remain here at the Future Foundation. That way, you can all hold a funeral for him.

So...you know that we can't...?

Bring Rantaro back? Tch...Of course I do. He knew it as well. Long before any of you did.

Wait...he did?

Then...why did he sacrifice himself-!?

Who knows? I could never truly understand that boy...He was a stupid child, depriving himself of his own potential, letting himself die while so young...

But what happened happened...Since you're the closest thing he had to family, you're the one's who should send him to the other side...Assuming he even gets there...

Thank you. That's nice of you.

Don't mention it...

Well, before you leave...Shuichi was planning on giving back Rantaro's Symmetra Matrix.

[swanimagines]

I can't tell if your requests are open or not BUT I had this funky ass dream about Kaz but it was like.... I was missing for a really long time and suddenly I resurfaced again?? So can I ask for something like that with a Kaz x reader where the reader is someone important to him like maybe his partner and they suddenly come back??

THE FREDDY EVENT HAS ENDED! Thank you everyone who requested during it! Freddy's characters preferences and requests for Jason, Tom and Ellis will stay open as I promised, they weren't exclusive to the event.

The Kaz taglist will apply for the remainder of content which came during the event, but after that it won't be used anymore and Kaz pieces will have the general Netflix show Shadow and Bone taglist, which contains the rest of the Crows, Alina, Mal, Genya, Darkling etc. You can apply to that if you want to catch the post-event requested Kaz pieces too!

A/N: If you aren't sure if my requests are open, it always reads on my pinned post, and it also read on the Freddy event post. But honestly my requests are almost always open, I think last time they were closed was about 3 years ago. Every time I close them, I seem to get the most inspiring and awesome requests from people who didn't read my pinned post and then I'm debating whether I'll let it slide or tell them to come back once requests are open, risking for them to go to choose someone else to get their request out quicker. So I changed it so that requests are almost always open and now I also write them in order I feel inspired in and not in order they came in (Freddy event + celebrations are exceptions though).

Word count: 2.7k

STORY OF BROKEN HEARTS

"I don't feel happy here, Kaz."

"Not happy here, or not happy with me?" Kaz asked. The boy you loved had his back to you, tightly gripping his desk. "I think we both know the answer to that question."

"It's not about you, Kaz. I'm done with this criminal life, done with fearing for my life, done with running and hiding from Stadwatch, being afraid of having to watch my friends, or you, being killed all the time." you replied with a shaky voice as you felt tears invading your eyes. You wiped them away quickly before they could betray you. "I want a normal home, somewhere safe where I can relax without worrying what might happen at any moment. I wish you'd come with me, but I know you won't."

"I belong in Ketterdam," he said quietly. He turned around slowly, but not meeting your eyes. You took in a shaky breath when you saw how hurt he was by your words. He didn't cry, Kaz Brekker never cried, he kept it all inside him, but you knew him enough to know he was devastated by your decision to leave. You nodded, biting your lip. Your heart screamed for you to take back your words, say you'll stay, say you'll stay with him, but your brains knew your heart wouldn't be able to handle yet another loss. Losing Rikke and Vera during the last job had been the last straw for you, and you knew you wouldn't be able to bear losing more friends.

You laid your hand near Kaz's, and he paused for a moment, before pulling his hand away from you, settling it a little further. You took it as a quiet ask for you to leave already, he didn't want to make it harder than it already was. He was trying to forget you already. So you turned, walking to the door, taking one last glance at Kaz's office you had spent in so many nights, cuddled up in that little armchair with an open book on your lap reading while Kaz worked. The window, where you and Kaz had first held hands as you had looked at fireworks of the Winter Solace. The couch, where you had fallen asleep on, finding Kaz's coat wrapped around you in the morning. And Kaz, working there, offering you a small smile when you entered his office, a smile reserved only for you. Now, he didn't even spare a glance at you. You swallowed back your wavering voice.

"Goodbye, Kaz." you croaked out, then walked out of his room. You stood behind it for a moment, leaning against the railing as you let tears fall, before making your way down and grabbing your bag, which you had left outside his bedroom door, slinging it over your shoulder. You wiped away your tears, clearing your throat and stepping into the hallway and head out.

You felt Kaz watching you as you made your way towards the harbor through the rainy Ketterdam streets, and tried your hardest not to look at him. You couldn't deal with meeting his eyes, since that would have reeled you right back to the Slat, and only when you were on a ship sailing towards your new life, you stared at the direction of the Slat until it disappeared into horizon.

***

"Os Kervo! Docking in Os Kervo! Next harbor will be Ketterdam!" The sailor shouted loudly from above deck. You sat at the prow of the ship, looking ahead of yourself, enjoying the brisk sea breeze whipping across your face. The cold air cleared your thoughts, or at least kept you from dwelling too much on them.

Five years ago you had left Ketterdam in search of new, better life. But during those five years, you hadn't been able to leave your past behind you. Your heart always belonged in Ketterdam. You had tried to get over Kaz, even trying to start a few relationships, but the first date always felt just... wrong. They all had been nice, polite and charming people, no red flags anywhere, and yet, it never worked out. You never even got to the point of kissing any of them. It was as though they could sense that you still cared about someone else.

You had finally come to realise with the past few months that you'd never get over Kaz. You belonged with him, he made you happy, and that would forever be impossible with anyone else. He had fought his way to show his love to you over and over again, and you had selfishly left him because you couldn't bear the thought of losing him. You had realised that even if he did die, you wanted to be the last one he sees, you wanted him to know you loved him til the end. Your heart would break into little pieces, but you wanted to be with him until the very end. He was your one true love, and you wanted to let him know that.

Of course, you dreaded some things. He could have already died. He could have found someone else. But you still had to see him, had to apologize to him at least if not else. Even visit his grave if he was dead.

You tucked your little bag under your coat and looked at the bright sky above. There wasn't a bright sky in Ketterdam, at least not very often. The sky was always covered in a thick layer of grey clouds or fog, or both. It didn't make it easy for the sun to shine through, and it always seemed to rain.

The plank was finally taken in, and the ship was undocked. And so you were sailing back to where you belonged, back to the city of crime and dark streets you had called home since you were thirteen years old.

***

The Crow Club was bustling with customers today. They were laughing, gambling, downing shots and hooraying to themselves occasionally. You smiled at the sight, taking a few steps further to the building.

"Y/N?" you heard a familiar voice from behind your back, and you turned around with a bright smile.

"Jes!" you exclaimed happily as Jesper embraced you tightly.

"Where have you been? We thought you're dead or something, Kaz wouldn't agree to talk about you at all. He just kept ignoring any questions about you." Jesper told you, squeezing you tight again. You nodded, smiling sadly.

"I'm sorry I left like that," you started, "I just felt like I couldn't take it anymore. All that death and bloodshed... It was too much..."

Jesper nodded, glancing at the top of the stairs and then at you. You followed his gaze, seeing Kaz standing there. Your breath hitched in your throat and you swallowed heavily. He didn't seem to recognize you, or at least he didn't let it show if he did. His eyes swept across you, before he started descending the stairs and walked towards you. You took a step forward towards him, expecting him to come talk to you, but he moved past you without a word or another glance.

You sighed shakily and looked back at Jesper who was watching you with concern. "He has someone, doesn't he?"

Jesper shook his head. "Not that we know. But he has become even more cold since you left. He quit talking to me and Wylan about everything else than work. He's just our boss now, nothing else."

You nodded, your mind running through your memory from the night you left. The memory was painful for you, and you could only imagine how painful it must have been for Kaz. You saw him slip outside, and without another thought you followed him. Maybe it wasn't wise, but you had to talk to him, you had to try to make him understand. You likely wouldn't be able to "fix" it right away, but you could try to mend it somehow.

He was standing against the wall, staring at the street full of people. You came to stand by him, and hoped for him to stay there, but instead he turned away as though you were no longer worth looking at.

"What are you doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"I want to say I'm sorry," you said softly, taking a step closer to him. "I shouldn't have left like that. I should have talked things out with you first. I knew what I was getting into, I just... I couldn't bear the idea that you would die and I would be left here alone." He slowly looked up at you then, his face blank, void of any emotion. You swallowed nervously, bracing yourself for his reply.

He looked down at the cobbled stone below him, sighing loudly. "I am not interested in hearing about your reasons, Y/N. You left us. Left me. You chose to leave because you were scared of this life. Don't come crawling back when it's convenient for you to do so because it serves your purpose."

You shook your head quickly. "No, Kaz—" your voice broke, but you forced it to come back together. "I didn't come back just to serve my purposes."

"Then why?" he demanded, still glaring down at the ground.

You sighed again. "Because I missed you." You felt tears welling up and had to blink them away before continuing. "I realised that even if I'm scared to lose you, lose any of you, I want to be here. I want you to know I'm willing to love you until the end, whether you die tomorrow or when we're a hundred years old. Because without you I'll never be able to truly live." He glanced up from under his brow, but otherwise said nothing. He let out another heavy breath and then he turned back towards the Crow Club.

"Kaz?" you called softly. He grunted and stopped for a moment, looking at you.

"What?" he snapped impatiently.

"Please don't hate me..." you begged him, the tears spilling over onto your cheeks. "I was selfish, and I was wrong, but please try to understand."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't have to understand," he said, walking past you.

You stood there alone for a moment, tears rolling down your face as you stared after Kaz. You hugged yourself, turning away, but then you felt a coat being wrapped around you.

"Oh, love," Jesper mumbled, looking at your face and wiping some tears away with his thumb. "It's alright. It's gonna be alright."

You sniffled and shook your head. "No, it won't. He hates me now, doesn't he?"

"No, he just needs time." he answered and you saw Wylan coming to stand at the door. He smiled at you sadly, and you returned it. Jesper guided you inside and up the stairs.

"Will Kaz allow this?" you asked as you sat on the couch.

Jesper shrugged. "You need rest, it's been a long day. We'll find out in the morning what happens next."

You nodded gratefully as Wylan took out a big, warm looking spare blanket and a pillow and it didn't take long for you to fall asleep.

***

The sun rose slowly, illuminating a new day that would hopefully lead to better things than last night had brought you. You sat up and smiled a little as you saw Jesper and Wylan spooning together on their shared bed. You stretched your limbs and yawned softly before realising you're thirsty. You put on your clothes carefully, trying your best not to make noise or disturb the two lovers still sleeping - yesterday had been a long day for them too, you wanted them to have a good night's rest.

The floorboard creaked under your feet, and you paused, looking over at Jesper and Wylan. Jesper hummed and snuggled closer to Wylan, but neither of them didn't wake up. You sighed in relief and made your way towards the door. You opened the door quietly, and closed it, and then almost screamed as you heard a click of a cane behind you. You turned around with wide eyes, seeing Kaz standing there, scowling.

Words flowed out before you could stop them "Kaz, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have come here, I—"

He cut you off by lifting his hand and took in a deep sigh.

"We should probably talk," he told you stiffly.

You frowned, your mouth opening slightly. You weren't expecting that. "What?"

He averted his eyes from yours. "Just... come downstairs. We can talk while we eat breakfast." He started walking past you without another word, down the stairs. You followed him after a moment's hesitation. He led you to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee, while you took an apple from the food storage room and sat at the table with your former boyfriend who, you noticed, was slightly nervous. To anyone else, he might have looked static and cold, uncaring, but you noted all the microexpressions which you had learned years before and knew better than anyone just how anxious he really was about this situation.

The two of you ate silently for a moment, before Kaz finally cleared his throat, getting your attention.

"I was too harsh on you yesterday," he said to you, staring at his now empty cup of coffee.

You shook your head, "No you weren't..."

"Let me finish," he told you sternly. "I was hurt because you just came back after leaving us, and I lashed out at you because it made me feel better in some way. But it wasn't fair, we were still very young when you left. Rikke and Vera were like siblings to you, their death hit you hard and you walked out. I should have understood enough to offer you a better solution, fitting for both of us."

"It wasn't your fault I left, Kaz." you told him quietly, leaning forward. "I was scared and didn't think about others, only myself. I made that decision in one evening and regretted it a few days after. It was stupid of me."

He waved your words away with a dismissive hand. "No, it was reasonable for you to leave. But I should have given you some time off rather than blaming you of abandoning us. You had decided to leave, but I still drove you away. I felt so guilty of not being able to offer you more, to be honest." He let out a sigh. "But you are here now, and hopefully things will go well between us again, once we talk this over."

You nodded slowly, your heart leaping a little in joy with his last sentence. "I hope we do, Kaz."

He smiled slightly then, that smile you had missed so much and that always made your cheeks hot, and stared at your hand on the table. Slowly, he inched his hand towards yours, and you followed suit until you had gently linked your pinkies together. You faintly saw a blush on Kaz's cheeks, even at the dim lighting of the kitchen, and felt your own cheeks burning up too, feeling like that lovesick teenager you had been before you first started your relationship.

He had grown a lot during these five years too - when you left, Kaz wouldn't apologize to anyone for anything, not even to you. At the very best, his apology was a flower or a book left on your bedside table, sometimes with a note "I hope you like it", but now he had used his words to apologize. He had felt guilt about the situation which he had tried to manage, and you coming back so suddenly had made his feelings go on an overdrive which had made him put his walls up high again, and it made you hurt just thinking about what he might have been going through.

But the important thing was that now, after thinking of it through the night, he had decided to forgive you, and that was all that mattered.

---

Tags: @scandalous-chaos @brekkers-desigirl @bb-skyrunner @ellora-brekker @hanabihwa @animalistic0 @story-scribbler @lovemenotplz @writingmysanity @directioner5life @thevipers-world @imaginesfire // send in an ask to be added, and specify which of Freddy's characters do you want to be tagged on! (This taglist is for Freddy event only, I won't take character taglists for anyone else than Freddy's characters. And note: after the event, Kaz pieces will get the full SaB taglist again, this taglist applies only during this event) ALSO IF YOU WON’T INTERACT BEYOND LIKING, I’LL EVENTUALLY TAKE YOU OFF THE LIST!!

[thewayshedreamed]

Congrats on the milestone!!! I was wondering if you could write a combination of the prompts 2 (“c’mere, you can sit on my lap until i’m done working.”) and 21 ( “i’m bored. come over and sit on my dick.”) from the smutty prompts for Nessian. Thank you and congrats again <3

Thank you for the prompt and the love, nonnie! I'm not going to lie, I shamelessly abandoned my word count limit for this one. I have no excuse other than I got carried away.

Hope you enjoy! This one's for you, lovely! (and everyone who enjoys a bit of Nessian smut. Except those of you in the gc. Y'all know who you are and why).

—

Nesta hated when Cassian's work ran late, especially when she hadn't seen him in days. She was temporarily placated by their active text exchange that afternoon, complete with work grumblings, friend gossip, and inside jokes. Cassian was her best friend and boyfriend all rolled into one deliciously built package.

His millionth text of the day interrupted her thoughts.

I'm bored.

I'm sorry, she replied. Me too. And I miss you.

Cassian: Miss you too, Sweetheart.

Nesta considered that. He must not have gathered her true meaning given the tone of his reply, but she supposed it was difficult to convey via text. What she meant was that she missed his callouses scraping over her skin, the heat of his kisses against her neck, his weight cradled between her thighs. They were several days overdue.

She typed a quick response to drive her point home. No, babe. I miss you, miss you.

The ellipsis pulsed, disappeared, and pulsed again. Nesta bit her lip to contain her smile. It seemed her boyfriend was on the same page.

Oh? he sent back. Then, almost immediately after, Come over and sit on my dick.

Nesta barked a laugh. Cassian wasn't shy in any capacity, especially in matters of sex, but his text was blunt even by his standards. She would be lying if she claimed it didn't make her core clench in anticipation.

I can't believe that worked, she admitted. Give me 20 minutes.

—

Cassian's door was unlocked when she arrived. Nesta was usually grateful that he worked from home considering the flexibility it offered, but she didn't particularly love how it interfered with her plans for the evening. He was seated at the dining table with his laptop in front of him, sitting on what sounded like a conference call and finishing up whatever data entry he needed to finish.

None of it was conducive to their arrangement.

He mouthed "sorry" over the screen of his computer, shooting her a wink for good measure. Nesta had already considered a number of possibilities on her way over, and the small gesture alone had her skin erupting in goose flesh. She tugged at the hem of her skirt and struggled to get situated on the couch nearby. Comfort seemed a distant goal when every movement she made riled her more.

A true test of her self-control came at hearing Cassian sign off of his call for the day, especially when every muscle in her body was poised to spring off the couch on a moment's notice. Rather than orient directly to her, his focus remained on the screen of his computer. His brows were furrowed in concentration, negating any possibility that he meant to antagonize her.

"You know," she challenged, "I didn't come over here to watch you work the whole time."

He glanced at her through his side eye, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah? What did you come over for, Sweetheart?"

Nesta's cheeks burned, but she squared her shoulders. "You'll have to refer back to our texts. It's not my job to remember your promises."

Cassian huffed a laugh and groaned as he leaned back in his chair. With his fingers laced, he reached his hands toward the ceiling in a long stretch. Nesta could see the impressive length tightening his pants, and her mouth went dry. At least she wasn't the only one affected.

He caught her in admiration and shot her a lazy smile. Her eyes trailed the handsome edges of his face, his broad chest.

"C'mere," he rasped. "You can sit on my lap until I'm done working."

His hand reached down to adjust himself, and he hissed against the contact. Nesta felt less self-conscious about her growing need to cross her legs to relieve some of the tension. Her voice was low, sultry.

"I didn't come over to sit on your lap either, Cassian."

His gaze darkened, his hand sliding beneath the waistband of his pants. "Then get over here and do as I told you."

A shiver ran down her spine. She sat transfixed by the movement of his hand and how he finally freed himself from his pants. Every part of her burned to touch him. The command in his voice had been her undoing; all good sense, gone. Her legs shook through her journey to close the space between them, but he didn't seem to notice.

Cassian groaned his approval as she straddled his lap, his large hand moving in a long stroke up and down his length. Nesta's position allowed him full access beneath her skirt, and he cursed under his breath when he realized she wore nothing underneath. Their lips crashed together, Nesta's hands poised against his shoulders. Cassian wrapped his arm around her waist to lift her over his cock and allowed gravity alone to ease her down until her hips sat flush against his.

Nesta moaned, desperate for friction. Her hips canted automatically until Cassian's rough voice and strong hands stopped her in her tracks.

He tutted his disapproval. "I never said you could move, Sweetheart. I still have work to finish."

"Cass," she whined, unashamed of her arousal. "Please."

"I'll take care of you, I promise." He pressed a kiss behind her ear, reaching behind her to resume his work. "For now, keep things warm for me, baby."

Nesta whimpered and gripped his shoulders. How could he ask that of her? Another couple of minutes, and her hips would be rolling whether she offered them permission or not. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the sound of the keys working behind her.

But then she was thinking about his deft fingers, how they wrought pleasure from her in immeasurable ways. How his hands always knew where she needed firm pressure of a delicate, teasing touch to—

"Nesta," Cassian warned, his voice hoarse. "What did I tell you about moving?"

He nipped her ear in warning. She forced her hips to settle, silently cursing them for their betrayal. The last thing she needed was Cassian holding out on her any longer.

"Sorry," she gritted out, "I'm— I don't know." Her mind was all over the place, reduced to some primitive by the need between her legs.

He made no moves to remove her from his cock, and she breathed a sigh of relief. His fingers resumed their work, but they would no longer serve to distract her in the process. She needed to think of something less promising, but she came up empty any time she tried.

Cassian added insult to injury, running his nose up and down the length of her neck. Nesta opened up for him, careful not to move her lower body in the process for fear that he would pull away. His lips left a path of soft kisses where his nose had left fire in its wake, and Nesta was a single kiss away from snapping altogether.

"Fuck," he rasped. Her hold tightened on him at the sound of his voice. There wasn't a thing about the man that didn't affect her. "Nesta, you're—" He paused to gather his wits, buried his forehead against her neck. "You're dripping."

To her horror, she realized he was right. Her arousal coated her inner thighs and the skin just above where their bodies came together. She was making an all out mess in her boyfriend's lap, and he had yet to move.

Nesta moaned, tilting her head back to encourage his affections against her neck. "Please hurry," she breathed. "I've done what you asked. Please."

Cassian growled against her skin. How he always reduced her to a begging, pleading mess was beyond her. There wasn't another aspect of her life where she resorted to it, but for him, she would do it shamelessly.

He placed another path of kisses, rougher this time, down the side of her neck and over her collarbones. When he refocused his attention on his work, Nesta let her forehead hit his broad shoulder. Her fingers were white-knuckled against him as she fought her most base urges.

Blessedly, she heard some clicking of the trackpad behind her. In another number of seconds, Cassian stood to lay her roughly atop the table. His hands explored her body, gripping her possessively in all the right places until she was a writhing mess, his order be damned.

"So eager." He moved to grip her wrists in his hand, pinning them over her head. The other gripped her thigh at his side. "Go on, then. Fuck me, Nesta."

She didn't need to be told twice. Her hips rolled against him, taking him deeper than before. Her feet pressed into the strong muscles of his ass in encouragement, but he remained still while he watched their bodies come together. Nesta couldn't think beyond his name rolling from her lips and how badly she needed more, more, more. Before she could say as much, Cassian's restraint snapped.

He widened his stance, spreading her legs farther apart and changing their angle. His hand left her thigh in favor of pressing a supportive arch to the small of her back, his hips snapping roughly into hers.

They dissolved into a symphony of muttered curses and groans. Nesta cried out her pleasure when her release barreled through her, earning a string of praise from Cassian.

"That's it. You're so tight around my cock, Sweetheart," he murmured, his breath leaving him in huffs with each punishing thrust. His eyes snapped up to hers, and she fought to keep her heavy lids open for him. His brow was drawn together in pleasure, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. Fighting his release was wearing on him, and Nesta could tell he wouldn't be far behind her.

"Gods," he ground out. "You were so good for me, baby. You know that?"

His thrusts came faster, and Nesta cried out. Another world-shattering orgasm was close, so close, when she hadn't thought it possible so soon. Cassian noticed when her pleasure ratcheted up once more, and a look of determination crossed his handsome face. He slid his hand from her back, and pressed it to her lower abdomen, using his thumb to draw broad circles around her clit.

Her hands fought against his grip, but to no avail. She wanted to touch him, to drag her hands all over his body and run them through his hair. More than that, she thought she would need to secure her body against his to ride out another wave of pleasure like the one before.

"Pleasedon'tstop," she muttered, her eyes screwed shut.

"I won't," he promised, his hips pressing into hers and making her dizzy. "Not until that pretty pussy comes for me again."

It took only seconds for Cassian to get his wish. Nesta's cries echoed off the walls of his small apartment, her body shaking through the aftershocks of her release. His hips slammed home when he met his own, his large frame leaning over her body as he spilled inside her.

Once he released her hands, Nesta moved them to his shoulders to draw idle patterns over his skin. Cassian lifted his head to press a kiss to her mouth before separating them and standing to right their clothes. They surveyed the area, how his work was scattered about and his cup of water lay spilled over the floor nearby, and broke out into laughter.

"What am I going to do with you?" he teased, pulling her against his chest in a hug.

Nesta hummed, her first thought sliding past her lips. "Love me."

Cassian placed a kiss to her hair. "Yeah," he murmured. "I will."