#-> in regards to pretty much any plan that begins to form at the dorm

[emilycollins00]

Tsuzuru: I have some worries as well as some concerns that could potentially turn into outright-

Tsuzuru: Oh, there they go. Uh oh, see, they're fears now

[carefreecoffee]

Flufftober Day 12: Baking together w/ Sato Rikido

Word count: 2.7k, Gender-neutral reader

It was a nice summer day but not just any day– Seros birthday! Everyone had planned to get together for a surprise party for him to make sure he had one of the best birthday memories to date! However you had been put in charge of the cake and now that everyone was out shopping for gifts and making sure he hadn't come back to the dorms, the pressure was on.

Sato had mindlessly entered the kitchen, surprised to see you in the kitchen as well. He hadn't expected anyone else to be there yet but was pleasantly surprised. ‘Are you baking?’

You flinch a little, looking back and just noticing Sato. “Oh, yes! It's for Sero’s birthday today! Everyones throwing a surprise party for him so I got stuck with the baking half of it.” You rub your neck sheepishly as you regard your baking abilities.

Rikido chuckled and walked over to you. “Don’t sound so down.. he’s going to like it no matter the quality!” You’re lifted by his positive affirmations slightly as he looks at the ingredients and utensils you laid out. “Have you ever baked before?” His eyes meet yours briefly before looking over the utensils.

“Only if you count those pre-made christmas cookies. However, i've never been in charge of a whole cake before! Would you like to help? It's just a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.” You glance at him in a silent plea. He looked a bit shocked that you asked him for help. He couldn’t believe how inexperienced you were and felt slightly intimidated by taking responsibility in teaching you.

“Sure! I’d love to help. It’s pretty simple so we’ll get it done in no time!” You gleam up at him and nod your head before scanning the ingredients once more. “Alright, we’ve got everything we need right?”

He looked over the ingredients you have laid out, and then at your face. He smiled at you and patted your head softly. “You definitely have all the right ingredients but they aren’t measured. I’ll set up the baking sheet and you measure them. Sounds good?”

You nod eagerly and begin measuring the ingredients. One after the other, cleaning up your station as you went. After measuring all of them you look to see Sato finishing up with the lining of the pans. Rikido looked at you and chuckled. You took so much care in measuring the ingredients even while looking adorable. He just wanted to pinch your cheeks and tell you what a good job you are doing. He then spoke to you as he watched you work.

“You’re doing a very good job so far! I’m glad I agreed to help. You seemed very nervous!” You silently thank any force out there that sent him to your aid. Haha yeah just a little. I wanna make sure everything's perfect and not too over or undercooked” You bite your lip, remembering all of your previous baking endeavors, hoping to make this one better than the rest.

He smiled and chuckled a little. You were so determined to make this cake perfect you were even worried that you’ll over or underbake it. He found it cute. “Don’t worry, under or over baking is a hard thing to do. I’ll be here to help you, let’s just focus on making a very delicious cake. Okay?” His smile put you at ease, the way he moved languidly like baking was second nature was surprisingly calming.

“Yeah, let's finish this up” You smile and look up at him pridefully, feeling just a little bit better about your abilities. You begin to add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients as sato had told you to. His guidance was greatly appreciated in your eyes, keeping you captivated with every move he made or instruction he gave.

He just stayed beside you, leaning against the counter beside you, closely watching you work, ready to step in if something went wrong. He then spoke to you as you mixed the dry and wet ingredients. “That’s it, keep stirring. You’re doing a great job. Make sure no lumps form.”

You nod, engrossed in your whisking as your arms begin to ache. However, your persistence is strong, fighting through the ache to make sure every lump of flour and sugar is finely mixed into one another. He looked over at your face, your expression was concentrated and focused. A slight frown between your eyebrows. Your tongue peaked out of your mouth as you worked. He couldn’t help but find it adorable. He chuckled softly before saying to you.

He couldn't help but blurt out, “You’re so concentrated.. It’s cute.” You break out of your concentration momentarily and look up at him curiously, “What did you say?” You stop your mixing, lifting a brow at his comment. He blushed furiously trying to get out of what he said. “N-Nothing! No, I meant you look cute when concentrating… I-I mean- you’re doing a great job! Haha!” He appeared clearly embarrassed by the end of his rant.

You feel your face heat up slightly, chuckling at his antics. You decide to save him the embarrassment as much as you could, feeling your own face heat up. “Haha don't worry, i'm appreciating your help, Sato!” He smiled warmly at you, glad that you didn't take what he blurted out as anything weird or creepy. He thought he embarrassed himself for a second but hearing your response calmed him down.

“That’s good to hear.. I’m enjoying helping you.” Rikido watched you as you finished mixing the batter, taking all the lumps out. He couldn’t help himself but think you were really cute, especially when you giggled at his one off comments throughout the process.

“Okay, now what?” You lean on the counter a bit. “Now we’ll have to prep the pan and oven to bake this bad boy!” Rikido grabs the cake tin and begins greasing it lightly, with you being intently watching. “Got it!” You begin pouring the batter in slowly until you reach about half way into the round pan. “Is that enough?”

He looked at the batter level in the tin, and nodded his head. “Yeah, that’s perfect! That’s exactly what we wanted!” He smiled at you, he was happy with how well you were doing. His heart felt at ease and he couldn’t help but find you pretty adorable when so concentrated.Your eyes light up as you proudly pour the rest of the batter into the other pan. After every last drop enters the tin pans, you move onto putting the bowl into the sink.

“Well done! Now we just need to put the pan into the oven.” He grabbed the cake pan from your hands and pushed it into the preheated oven. You begin to tidy up the surrounding area and put the rest of the unused dishes within the dishwasher. You were used to this when living with the others within the common rooms so it came as second nature.

He stood next to you silently as you cleaned. He always respected those who cleaned up after themselves while doing something, it shows how responsible they are. He smiled at you as you finished cleaning and wiped his hands on a tea towel next to him. “You’re really neat, you know that?” You perk up out of your tidy ministrations, “Hm? Oh I guess so! It's nice to have a clean work space.” He chuckled as he agreed with you. He looked at the clock on the wall. “The cake is going to be baking for a while. Anything you want to do in the meantime?”

“Hm, well since the frosting is already pre made we might as well kill some time. Oooh! We can put up some banners for the surprise party! I think it’s in about 3 hours so we might as well be early with it.” You point over to the bag of decorations behind the main table. He looked over and nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah we should start now. You said the party is in 3 hours, right? I think we’ve got plenty of time.’ He approached the table and started going through the items you had laid out on the table. There were banners, streamers and hats. He chuckled at the last one and looked back at you.

“Hats?” You chuckle and nod, “Yeah Mina thought that would add a nice touch. I think Sero'll like em!” You take out one of the banners and grab the step stool to hang them above the dining room entrance. He watched you grab the step stool to hang the banner, a smile on his face. He liked how you were trying to do things that please others. He spoke to you as you began hanging the banner. “You sure went all out…I’m sure he’ll love the decorations, especially these silly hats.”

You watch as he fiddles with the hats, then taking out the plates and napkins and putting them on the kitchen counter. “Haha, especially the hats.” As you two decorate a bit, time flies in a comfortable silence. The only thing breaking the silence being the timer of the oven.

Sato quickly retreats to the kitchen, “Whoa! Time went by so quickly.. I guess we did a good job.” He walked over to the oven. He opened it and smiled at how the cake had risen and coloured. “It looks good and smells lovely too!” You smile in his direction as he places the cakes in the fridge to cool. You climb down the ladder to approach his side. “Alright and then all we'll need to do is ice it and write happy birthday! Does 20 minutes sound good for them to cool off?” You inquire, staring into the fridge at the beautiful confectionaries. “Yeah, 20 minutes sounds perfect. We have about 2ish hours left, correct? The cake will definitely be ready by then. Just in time!”

For the remaining 20 minutes, you and Sato talked about school life, training and even everyone's whereabouts. “Mina and Denki are so loud.. I don’t understand how Midoriya and Iida handle them.” You chuckle at his comment toward your energetic peers, leaning on the counter as you nod. “Haha i guess so! Though they're their friends, it gets easier the longer you know 'em.” You check the time and decide to pull out the now cooled pans.

“Yeah that’s definitely true. Let’s get to frosting, I’m sure they’ll like the way this cake will turn out.” You take the frosting out of the fridge and mix it up as Sato takes the cakes out of the pans and places them on a cake tray. He layers them on top of one another as you put the frosting in between them, working like a well oiled machine.

He watched you as you mixed the frosting as he layered the cakes. The cake was slowly starting to look perfect in his eyes, he was proud of you. He spoke softly. “You’re doing a really good job, you know. You and I make a great team.” A warm feeling curls within your chest as you try to concentrate. “I'm glad you think so, Sato! I think we do as well and I appreciate all the work you're putting into helping me!” You send a grin up to him as you begin smoothing out the icing on all sides of the cake thoroughly. He returned your smile with one of his own, a soft one. He can’t help but find your smiles so cute. He watched as you smoothen out the icing on the cake. He saw how carefully you applied it on the cake, doing the best you can.

“You’re doing amazing. I can tell you really want this cake to come out perfect.” You nod, “Definitely but would you mind writing on the cake? I'm not too good when it comes to writing with icing.” You nervously rub your neck and pass him the tube of white icing. He chuckled at your request and took the icing tube from you. “Don’t worry, I’ll do it!” He then looked at the cake and found an open space to write ‘Happy Birthday!’ on the cake. And he started icing the cake with a careful hand. And after a few minutes he turned his head to you with an unsure smile. “How does it look?”

You look at it with wide eyes and clasp your hands together. “Looks awesome! Let's put it in the fridge until the others arrive!” You lean over to hold the fridge door open for him as he slides the cake carefully into the fridge once more. “Here we go..” He gently put it inside and closed the door. He then looked back at you and spoke with a soft smile on his face. “It looks great.”

You lean on the wall of the kitchen and huff. “It was! I can't believe you bake all the time, that was so tedious!” He chuckled as he watched you lean on the wall, a little tired. He understood why it tired you out, baking is truly a lot of work. “Haha, I do it all the time, so it’s not a bother to me. I guess to a first timer like you, it’s super difficult.” He crosses his arms, leaning on the counter adjacent to you. You dramatically hold my chest and sigh. “First timer!? Sato you wound me!”

He chuckled at your reaction, clutching your chest and feigning distress. He knew you were only joking, but he decided to play along. He walked over to you and grabbed your shoulders, a stern look on his face. “Hey now! You know damn well you’re a first timer so don’t you go trying to pull off that act with me!” You chuckle at his advances before slowly noticing how close you two had gotten to one another, his large frame practically towering you. You shuffle as your eyes find sanctuary within the floor. “Haha, yeah..”

He took notice of your change in attitude. His hands were still on your shoulders and realized how close his face was to yours. He felt his cheeks warm up a bit. “A-Anyway..” He said softly, his face growing a shade darker. He slowly removed his hands from your shoulders, his eyes still on you. Before you could continue the conversation, the others had walked in. No Sero in sight thankfully. They approach the two of you with grins and waves. You quickly break out of your embarrassment and wave back. He took a step back as the others walked in, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment. He quickly composed himself and waved back at them, a smile on his face.

The rest of the day went as planned. Sero got his surprise party and it was time to take out the cake.Everyone gathered around the table, with anticipation for the cake and the party. As you placed the cake down on the table and flipped the lights off, they all clapped. Sato watched you with a smile on his face, happy that you and he managed to do a good job on the cake. You thank everyone for the compliments on the cake, giving Sato his credit as well, nudging him playfully.

He smiled and felt his heart skip a beat when you nudged him. He liked being acknowledged for the work he and you did, he especially liked it because it came from you. His eyes stayed on you for a good few seconds as he watched you smile and accept everyone’s thanks. He couldn’t believe how cute you looked at that very moment.. he felt something in his chest, a fluttering feeling, as he watched your radiant smile in the dimly lit room.

As the night went on, Sato found himself constantly thinking about you. He couldn’t deny it anymore, he was beginning to like you.. more than a friend. He didn’t know how you felt about him, or if you even saw him like that… the thought of it made him nervous and anxious. Maybe one day he would have the guts to ask you out, no matter how many cakes it takes.

[gravityfallsrewritten]

Chapter 1: Beginning

"Congratulations, Pines."

Stanford Pines had just accepted a $100,000 check for his scientific research. He shook the old man's hand, smiled at the camera, and was congratulated again. He regarded the cheque with pride and joy, plans for how to spend the large sum of money in his possession already forming in his mind.

Back in his dorm, he sat pondering with his chin on his hand. His entire life, he's been teased about his six fingers. But it got him thinking about anomalies: strange, unusual, statistically improbable events. And, based on Ford's investigation, one location had a higher concentration of these things than any other.

A small lumber town in roadkill country, Oregon: Gravity Falls.

***

***

Ford's attention was drawn to the blueprint in front of him. He went through each space, deciding what to put where. There's also an attic and a basement where he can keep his other inventories, as well as his office, which will also serve as his bedroom because he imagines himself staying up late researching and discovering new things.

He then looked around the woods, curious about what he would find in this town. So far, nothing unusual had occurred, as he had hoped. Just then, a massive hand grabs his car and drags it all the way until it is nowhere to be found. Ford jumped so hard that his glasses were slightly knocked off. He adjusted it with an excited smile.

The house was eventually constructed. It was perfectly situated in the middle of the forest, away from people but close to the creatures he'd undoubtedly encounter.

Ford started packing everything he needed for his trip right away. He went into the woods and saw some beautiful scenery. Tall trees, colorful plants, and organisms he'd never seen before surrounded him.

He was quietly following a flying fairy. He assumed these were myths, but they were true! Everything was in one place!

Ford dashed back to the cottage and towards his office after only an hour of his adventure. He reasoned that there are so many more things to discover, and he wanted to document each one, saving the information he gathered. As a result, he began keeping a journal.

His writing had been interrupted by a loud screech. And Ford raised his head in delight. He hurried to the front door, his pen and journal in the pocket of his trench coat.

He took a step outside and looked around, bracing himself for the second wail. Ford adjusted his glasses and looked around his front yard, but found nothing.

His shoulders sag with regret, but he will not give up. Not right now, when he's just getting started!

On his first day of adventuring, it took him the entire day to discover an entire ecosystem. His journal was only halfway finished, but he's willing to fill a million more pages with fascinating creatures!

"You're new."

Ford was startled when he heard a new voice. He hasn't heard anyone speak to him in quite some time. When he turned around, he noticed a young girl. She appeared to be human.

"Who- who are you?" Ford cleared his throat. "Why are you here?"

"You can call me Y/n," she said, shrugging. "And I live pretty much everywhere, including here, and I haven't seen you before..." She raised an eyebrow, suspiciously.

Ford narrowed his eyes at the girl before surveying the woods, and there were no homes available that she could fit into. Perhaps underground? Does she have the ability to shrink and grow?

"So, what's your name? I told you mine."

He looked back down at her. "I'm Ford. You shouldn't be here, you're just a little girl."

He started to walk away, but she followed. "I'm short, but I'm not that young."

"You look like you're 5."

"Hey!" she stopped walking momentarily but Ford continued, "Ford, wait up! Can I come with you?"

"Go home, kid. I'm gonna tell your parents."

"The thing is, I don't have any."

Ford came to a halt, his face flushed with embarrassment. He returned your stare with a frown. "Oh, I'm... I'm sorry."

"No!" the girl shook her hand, laughing at Ford's misunderstanding. "I literally don't have any parents; I guess I was just... born in this world; my memory is kinda hazy."

Ford returned to her, kneeling to her level. "You looked human, but you don't sound like you're human," he said, resting his chin on his thumb and finger. "How could you possibly exist?"

"Wow, rude-"

"I'm going to have to take a blood sample from you." Fortunately, Ford had brought his DNA test with him in his large bag.

She looked at the equipment in intrigue because she had never seen it before. "Woah."

Ford presented a syringe, hesitantly because he was about to draw blood from a child. But he had no choice but to do so in order to satisfy his curiosity and finally have an answer. "This might hurt..."

He inserted the sharp needle into her skin as quickly as he could. Ford waited for her to flinch, but nothing happened, not even a small ow.

He finally took out the syringe, watching her reaction, but she was only staring at the inside of her elbow where he drew blood. "When does it hurt?"

Ford looked at her, puzzled, but eventually shook his head and inserted a small amount of blood into his test vial. They both waited for the results. Ford stared at the screen until Y/n appeared, crashing into his left shoulder.

"Incredible," Ford had muttered under his breath. Although the machine stated that the girl beside him was 100 percent human, he refuses to believe that she did not exist without her parents.

He gave her an observant look, and she returned it, albeit innocently. He might have to just take her word for it. Gravity Falls is an odd place, and this seemingly human child was interesting.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Y/n, but I better get going."

"Let me join you! Please!" Y/n pleaded in her little girl voice.

He contemplated for a moment.

"I can help you! I know almost everything about this part of the forest! I'm smart!"

Ford was amused by her eagerness. It reminded him almost of himself when he was younger. "Oh, alright. Come along then."

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, raising her fists in the air.

On that day, Y/n and Ford met their first true friend in Gravity Falls.

***

CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 2!

MASTERLIST

DVOXLNV YZXP

[siriusmydeer]

valentine’s day tease

george weasley x fem!reader

summary: you and george celebrate valentine’s day together.

word count: 2.7k

warning: full on penetration, unprotected sex (PRACTICE SAFE AND PROTECTED SEX), fem receiving oral, spanking, size kink, creampie, manhandling, daddy kink, mentions of eating, dom!george & sub!reader, mentions of subspace, fingering, breeding kink, edging, size kink, orgasam denial, mentions of punishment, praise kink, like 2 maybe degrations?

all. damn. day.

you had been teasing george fabian weasley. you had him up on his toes every breathing moment of the day.

you looked at the clock magically hanging in the great hall, 7:07pm- it read.

sitting beside your boyfriend and all of your friends he tried, and pathetically failed, to cover his rock hard cock through his dress pants.

you hand rested right above his knee, while his other knee profusely bounced in anticipation. you fingers made small little patterns upon the dress uniform he was wearing, you moved your hand up less than an inch for a reaction.

you almost saw him flinch at the move of contact, you must’ve made him sensitive from the touches in potions, the make-out sessions in the broom closet at lunch and the neck kisses and teases between classes.

any other day you would’ve almost been scared at what he would’ve done with the amount of teasing you’ve given him all day. alas a punishment was duly in order but it was valentine’s day, and all you wanted was to rile george up so you could have him all night long.

but then again, you liked when he punished you.

i mean you were a brat after all, even though you would only admit it if he made you.

“darling.” his voice was hoarse, and full of lust; just how you liked it. “yes, m’dear?” you looked to your left to see him, maybe a few inches from your face. you had a false-pout on your face while batting your eyelashes trying to fake innocence to the fact that once you got to his dorm your clothes would’ve been sprawled on the floor and you would’ve been bent over his knee.

george being george, he had bribed all his dorm mates with free butter beer for a month and a few galleons each. they blissfully accepted his money along with a few teasing comments and eyes flicking between the both of you all day.

george knew he had eyes on him, and someone catching wind of him attempting to cover the fact that he could cum in the middle of the great hall even with the mere touch of your hand would not have been the best thing in the world.

fred and ginny would absolutely never let him live that down, and surely rob and harry would tease him as-well. surely he didn’t want the embarrassment of it all for the remainder of his time at hogwarts.

“‘m feeling a bit full, i was thinking of going to the dorm... you?” he whispered in your ear, kissing below it. you narrowed your eyes playfully before answering, wanting to drag the teasing as long as possible.

“hmm, suppose ‘m finished.”

he smiled in your direction, smiled? no he has the biggest shit eating grin on his face knowing that he was absolutely going to ruin you in the next ten minutes.

instead of normally waiting for you to grab your things and grabbing your hand, whisking you away to his dorm; his hands trembled while collecting your things, slinging your bag over his free arm. his bag previously discarded in his dorm after quidditch practice had finished for the day.

he took ahold of your waist and bid a goodbye to fred and his friends, while you waved at angelina, katie and alicia; they all shared knowing smirks and looks while you flushed and looked in george’s direction.

“freddie, lee i hope you have an excellent sleep on the couches tonight. my regards.” he smirked at them then walked you out of the great hall.

“foul git.” fred and lee both muttered under their breaths then returned to their dinner.

“you’ve been teasing all day darling, that’s not very nice of you.” george whispered to you, following a pout and faking innocence like you had done previously.

“well i wanted to see if you could bring your a game tonight georgie, it is valentine’s day after all.” you teased and smirked playing the back and forth game with him, knowing he wouldn’t last long.

“oh love, now that’s just mean. are you telling me i wasn’t bringing my ‘a game’ when you were begging-“

you quickly came to a halt shoving your small hand over his mouth, he looked at your flushed face and smirked before walking again to the common room.

he said the password to the gryffindor portrait and came to a stop in the middle of the common room. you turned to your side to look at him, a confused look washes over your face and an eyebrow arched.

almost a way of telepathically asking him ‘why’d you stop?’

before you can psychically form the words to ask the question, he bent down slightly and in a fast swoop you were placed on his shoulder and a slight smack to your bum.

‘oh this was just the beginning’ you thought, as he marched up the stairs to his dormitory.

he basically manhandles you when throwing you on the bed, casting several muffling and locking charms. because he knew fred and lee would get curious later on.

he quickly takes a hold of your throat, not squeezing yet just holding you in place. too let you know who was in charge of what was happening tonight.

“pretty girl, you’ve been mean all day. that deserves a spanking, doesn’t it pet?”

he was already starting to put you in a submissive head space, and it was working. the praise mixed with slight degration of him treating you as his pet made your knees wobble as your stood up to place your torso over his lap and a light wiggle of your bum in the air.

“eager, are we?” he mocked, as he started to knead the flesh of your ass in between his lanky ring-clad fingers. he placed a kiss to where the flesh started to change a lighter hue to your regular skin tone.

“how about... ten swats, sound fair?” he faked a pause in the middle, pretending to think but his punishment plan had begun the second you kissed his neck right before transfiguration.

“mhm, yes georgie.” you agreed, knowing he would add a few more for not calling him something filthy.

“pet, thats not my name; is it?”

“no daddy, m’sorry.” you whined, looking at him with an innocent look displayed on your features.

“15, for breaking your rules. yeah pet?”

“yes, daddy.”

he landed the first smack on the right cheek, you whined a bit before he continued.

by number eight you were withering and squirming in his lap begging him to stop this pleasureful torture. he placed a kiss to your reddened cheeks while tears threatened to escape your waterline.

“poor baby, already about to cry?” he showed fake sympathy before continuing, “too bad.” he finished and landed another smack on your bum.

you squirmed and whined in his lap, he finished his last few smacks and kissed your reddened cheeks from the previous spanking you had just received.

“darling girl, you did so well for me yeah?” he said, you nodded as he kneaded you between his hands again.

“up, up pet.” he motioned you up, your legs straddling his lap, over his muscular thighs.

“mhm daddy, jus’ wanna feel you.” you whined, your vision already becoming blurry. his hand slid from the top of your knee to the middle of your black lace panties.

he started in circular motions through the cloth, feeling the wetness spread over your lace. “you’re already sopping wet darling, barely even touched you.” he said he said mockingly into your ear, and moving your panties to the side so he could start circular motions at your clit.

you gasp at the sudden contact, this wasn’t the first time that george had touched you. but every time his magical fingers made their way to you, it felt thrilling.

he kept a steady circular motion on your cunt as middle and ring finger teased your entrance, you whined as he continued to barely dip his fingers inside you.

he slowly maneuvered his fingers into you, letting you clench around him a few times before moving and keeping a teasingly slow pace.

“princess, are you close?” he talked to you like you were so much smaller than him, like he owned you; but that had only made you wetter.

you nodded, a slow moan pulling from your throat. he pulled his hand away abruptly, a pout on your face, tears emerging from you waterline again.

“but daddy, i’ve been a good girl.” you whimpered, legs rubbing against each other friction.

“have you? because today you’ve been a bad girl.” he mocked, separating your legs.

he paused for a few seconds before speaking again.

“have you learned your lesson?” he asked, head tilting and eyebrow raising.

you nodded feverishly, placed both your hands on his shoulders pecking his neck.

“take off your clothes, now.” he demanded, without any hesitation you got up from his lap legs still wobbly and quickly stripping off your tie, unbuttoning your blouse and quickly taking off your (h/c) skirt along with your stockings leaving you in just your undergarments.

he grabbed your hand and you tumbled towards him, he pushed your small body underneath his lanky one as he hovered over you.

he kissed and caressed down your body and his mouth was in direct view of the black lace set you were wearing. you whined as you felt his breath on your clit, he looked at your squirming body and slight shaking legs from the denied orgasam previously and stripped off your underwear throwing them across the floor.

he kissed and sucked your inner thighs leaving little marks, almost to claim his territory. his mouth finally came in contact with your wet folds, his tongue going in circular motions.

you let out a hoarse moan from your throat as he continued to lick and suck. you legs started to shake again, you couldn’t even think clearly as he had one hand pushing down on your abdomen and the other holding your legs over his shoulders.

your ankles locking over his head, his favourite position. he could devour you for hours upon hours, he could never get enough of your taste and the way you whined in overstimulation.

he could tell you were close again by more of the moans releasing from your lips and your breathing more ragged and getting heavier.

you had promised george that you were going to good for him, so he thought you deserved a reward; even though he had been put through mind torture all day, he couldn’t help but get even harder at you whimpering, whining and moaning at his touch.

he rode through your orgasam, as a splash of euphoria had washed over your entire body. you were seeing stars in the air as your attempted to catch your breath, he kissed back up your torso all the way to your neck.

he quickly unbuttoned his shirt, as well as loosing his belt, tie and slacks slide down his tense legs in the process.

you brought your head the slightest bit forward catching his lips with yours and you leaned your head back, bringing his along with it, both your hands interlocking behind his head and bringing him to rest in between your legs. one of his large hands held your waist meanwhile the other rested beside your head so he could keep himself up and not crush your body.

while your tongues danced in passion, he ran his hand behind your back. you arched your back so he could unclip your bra and toss it across the room right beside your panties.

his lips pulled away as he went to kiss your breasts, leaving little purple and red hues across your chest. one hand at your waist and the other squeezing your left breast pulling little whimpers from your throat.

the hand that held your breast made its way between your legs to feel the overstimulation begin, his two fingers teased your clit again in slow figure eight motions.

you cried out, “no more daddy, wanna feel you..” attempting to look into his brown lustful irises.

“please.” you begged slightly, even though you were well on your way to subspace a tiny bit of pride ran through your veins.

“i wanna help you too.” your hand slithered to his boxers, running your hand up and down. you palmed his erected cock, feeling a wet patch of precum erupting from his dick.

you could’ve gotten on your knees for him right there, but in the back of your head you knew he wouldn’t have let you because he wanted to tonight to be about your pleasure.

he grabbed your wrist pinning it above your head. he finally had pulled off his boxers, his tip was angry and red leaking with precum almost begging for a release.

“wanna feel you inside me, please.” you begged breathily. he adored when you begged for him, you knew it made his ego feel good but you needed the contact between you both or you might’ve exploded.

he slid into you, a small hiss leaving your lips. you always had to adjust to his large size when having sex, he always waited for your go ahead because no matter if it was rough, soft or passionate he would never want to hurt you.

“mhm, move please.” you braced your free hand across the sides of his torso. one forearm leant against your head and the other interlocking your fingers together beside your hand. he began a slow but 𝙤𝙝 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 pace.

his big calloused hand, from years of being a quidditch beater and your small, and smooth hand interlocked with his. both of you let out moans and grunts almost in sync with each other.

the candles around the room had almost went unnoticed, and the fireplace (let’s pretend the dorm has one) erupting in beautiful pink and red flames. as rough or as dirty as george was he wanted to make you feel special and loved. you brought your legs into an ankle lock on his lower muscular back feeling his muscles contracting. at the feeling you arched your back while he kept a steady pace.

tomorrow for quidditch practice he knew his team mates would’ve teased him, but knowing your pleasure was at his complete disposal was the only thing that mattered to him.

the hand with a hard grip on your waist came to hold your throat and squeeze the sides, your eyes rolling back to your head in pleasure.

“pretty little baby, i want you to come for me. let go for me, love.”

you let out a moan and a barely acknowledgeable nod in response.

your legs were faltering, shaking, and he knew you were close to your second orgasam of the night. his pace was faster but still close enough to his your cervix and your g-spot with ease.

he was close too, but it felt wrong almost disgusting if he had came before you.

he brought down his thumb rubbing it against your cunt to bring you over the edge, right back into the wash of euphoria you were in before. his hot seed shot into you, he let out a grunt while riding out both of your highs together.

he pulled out and made his way down your legs while panting and breaking a low sweat, looking at his cum seeping out of you. he took a mental picture of you, one of your most glorious and relaxed looks.

hair disheveled, face hot and flushed, legs shaking in pleasure. something so stunning, so beautiful and so incredibly 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙮. all because of him.

“my little cumdump, yeah? gonna fill you with my babies?”

“y-yes, daddy.” your voice faltered.

he crawled back up your torso, leaving little kisses as he got closer to your lips.

he kissed your plump and red lips again, before asking you.

“round two in the shower?”

[redhoodedwolf]

Happy Halloween!

AU - College/University | Sterek | 2.2K | AO3

“Dude,” Stiles exhaled heavily, hands reaching up to cup Derek’s furred cheeks. His breath smelled of cheep beer, but his eyes were mostly clear, so Derek knew he wasn’t completely inebriated. “This is new.”

Derek snorted and hoped the low lights of the house party hid his blush because Stiles was only further trailing his fingers up and down Derek’s face, tracing the ridges over his nose, fingertips brushing his lips where his fangs pushed them out. “It’s a special occasion,” Derek joked. “Low budget costume.”

Stiles stared at him with wide eyes. “Really? Wow, okay.” Stiles’ fingers found his ears and traced the pointed tips, and Derek felt his eyes flash icy blue and a growl build up in his chest. It was more of a purr, but Derek would never admit that.

“You constantly amaze me,” Stiles sighed again, pressing his body closer to Derek’s as a group of three inebriated people with overfull solo cups wedged their way by them. Derek instinctively (carefully) brought a clawed hand up to rest on Stiles’ back and keep him out of the splash zone. 

Derek dropped his gaze away from the passing crowd, back to Stiles, and found the younger man’s gaze was trained on his lips.

“Are they sharp?” Stiles asked.

Derek bared his teeth. “I could rip your throat out with them,” he responded with a light snarl which choked off in his throat when Stiles moved his wandering hands towards said fangs, pressing pointer fingers against them. 

He hummed. “Very solid,” Stiles added, after a beat, thumb brushing Derek’s lower lip. 

This... this was flirting, right? Stiles was flirting with him. Right?

Because Derek had been pretty obvious (he felt) about his feelings towards Stiles for the past few months, since Stiles declared himself “recovered” from his last disastrous breakup. And Stiles had seemed receptive, teasing Derek back, ogling him during pick-up basketball games, and inviting him over to his dorm despite the fact they they literally shared a suite. 

But he’d never made any kind of definite move. This felt pretty definite. And he was feeling more of Stiles than he ever had, except for that one fainting spell incident that Stiles refused to let Derek ever bring up to anyone. 

Stiles was pressed against his front now, and Derek hovered his hand still at his back. Even when Stiles was given the space, he stayed put. Stiles met his eyes, and Derek swallowed thickly, visibly, and the younger man’s gaze wavered to watch the motion.

“Tell me, Wolfman--”

“Stiles.”

Stiles chuckled. “Sourwolf, then. How, uh. How interested are you in staying at this costume party?”

Stiles had mostly divested of his costume within the first forty-five minutes of the party. He went with a last-minute sheet ghost with an old painting drop cloth Derek had shoved in the back of his closet from the beginning for the semester. Now, it was tied around his waist like a really weird looking skirt, his white tank top plastered to his skin with sweat. 

“Not much left of your costume anyway,” Derek chose to say, allowing his sweeping gaze to linger on Stiles’ exposed neck before meeting his eyes once more.

Stiles licked his lips. “I think I’d rather just chill tonight. Got the free booze. Would rather pop on Hocus Pocus and...” his words trailed off as Derek found the courage to reach for Stiles’ hand, still on his face, and intertwine their fingers. 

“Movie night sounds good to me,” Derek followed up with in the ensuing silence between them.

“C-cool, cool, um. I’m just gonna--” Stiles cut himself off, squeezing Derek’s hand with his while the other cupped the back of Derek’s neck. Derek’s breath hitched, and he felt his eyes flash again. “Before I lose the nerve.”

And then Stiles’ lips were on his, and Derek exhaled a groan, finally allowing that hovering hand to wind around Stiles’ waist and pull him close. Stiles made a surprised noise that turned dark and husky as he pulled back from the kiss, meeting Derek’s eyes. 

“Oh thank god,” he breathed, and Derek chuckled softly. 

“I wasn’t sure if--”

“Me neither,” Stiles interjected, his face flushing a delicious red. 

“Shall we?” Derek indicated to the door, and Stiles pushed himself off of Derek’s chest slowly as he nodded. 

They held hands as they walked from the off-campus house back to their dorm, the full moon lighting their way, and Derek retracted his claws, so that he could properly squeeze back, and Stiles responded by brushing his thumb over Derek’s knuckles.

Stiles fished out his keys when they arrived, ushered Derek into the building and then raced ahead so that he could open the door for Derek to his room.

“Ever the gentleman,” Derek commented with a smirk.

“But of course, only the best for my sourwolf.” Derek snorted. “Speaking of which,” Stiles started wiggling out of the drop cloth sheet around his waist and Derek resisted the initial urge to help, “we should probably de cos--...tume.” Stiles stared up at him with wide eyes and let the sheet pool to the floor. “When did you...?” Stiles wiggled his hand around in Derek’s face.

Derek narrowed his eyes in confusion before he realized what Stiles was asking. “Oh, after we left the house I shifted back. In a house of intoxicated people I can get away with it, but even on Halloween a werewolf has to be careful.”

“Right, yeah, uh-huh.” Stiles was nodding his head like he understood, but his jaw was still dropped, and his heartbeat had suddenly sped up. “Of course. Wouldn’t want people to think it’s real. Or anything.”

Derek shuddered. He recalled childhood threats of hunters in their territory, tense weeks when he was forced to stay home for everything except school, always on guard. “Yeah. There’s not any hunters around here that we’re aware of, but they can hide even easier than we do.” 

Derek shook his head. He didn’t want to get into that kind of talk right now. He’d finally kissed Stiles, and he was planning on turning this evening into a date, if he could manage it. 

“Anyway,” Derek said, and Stiles’ jaw snapped shut. “I do want to change into something more comfortable. Want to set up the movie while I do?” Derek jerked his thumb towards the bathroom that connected their rooms. 

“Sure!” Stiles squeaked. His heartbeat was still fast, but Derek hoped it had to do with them growing closer, not something like... like Stiles regretting his choice.

Derek closed himself into his room and shook away the thought. This was Stiles, he reminded himself as he shucked off his jeans and looked for his comfortable sweatpants. He knew Stiles, trusted Stiles, in a way that he had rarely been able to with other humans. 

After changing, Derek rapped his knuckles on Stiles’ bathroom door to announce his entrance. Stiles’ heartbeat spiked, but leveled once Derek slipped back in to the room. Stiles had changed into sweats as well, keeping the tank top on. The sheet was on the floor next to his laundry bin. He was settled in bed, facing the TV atop his dresser, the Disney+ app loading on the screen.

“Still feeling Hocus Pocus?” Stiles asked as Derek took a seat next to him on the bed, a hand’s width apart.

“Sounds great,” Derek agreed, and watched Stiles scroll down to the Halloween section.

He highlighted the movie, but Derek saw Stiles hesitate to press the play button. Derek tensed, a sense of dread running through him that Stiles was about to admit he’d made a mistake.

“So you’re a werewolf,” Stiles said instead.

Assuming Stiles was setting up for a question, Derek responded with a flash of his eyes, “Yes. And?”

For a man like Stiles, Derek had been surprised at the lack of questioning regarding his supernatural status, but had always expected it to come eventually. He settled in for an interrogation that was months in the making.

Instead, what he got was another slack-jawed Stiles with wide eyes. 

Derek felt the sudden drag of fear slip down his spine, like someone had shoved an ice cube down the back of his shirt. Derek scented the air, and Stiles smelt of fear.

Derek jumped off of the bed and crossed the room, getting as far form the human as possible, wishing he had never learned what Stiles scared (of him) smelled like. 

“Wait!” Stiles shouted as Derek hastened. “Don’t leave!”

“You want me to stay?” Derek shot back, hysteria filling his voice. “You’re scared of me!”

“Like a baby bit, but honestly I’m more amazed than anything. How did I not know this?!”

“I thought you did!” Derek shouted. “I never would have shifted in front of you if I had--” Derek cut himself off, shaking his head. He clenched his fists at his sides and dropped his gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“I’m not scared, Derek,” Stiles responded, voice closer, and Derek raised his gaze to see that Stile had stood from the bed and was inching towards him. “Surprised, totally. Flattered that you trusted me enough to tell me, even if, you know, you didn’t. Why did you think--?”

“It just seemed like you knew,” Derek stated. “You’re smart, almost too smart. I mean, I never stay in the dorms on full moons, and when we decided to share a suite this year you said--”

Stiles’ eyes widened as he seemingly recalled their conversation.

“Other than your full moon excursions,” Stiles had wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively, the breath sizing in Derek’s chest at the sight, “I know everything else I need to know.

“A-and you’re okay with that?”

“Derek. I wouldn’t agree to this if I wasn’t, dude. You be you.”

Stiles flailed his arms and shouted, “I thought it was a booty call! Which made me extremely jealous of your moon-day lover, but I was willing to deal with it if, um...” Stiles scratched the back of his neck, gaze drifting, “... I could still be with you.”

“I go to the woods. Usually,” Derek blurted, and Stiles’ head snapped back up. “I wanted to spend Halloween with you, since we always do, even if it’s a full moon tonight because I can handle it, I don’t need to, ah, let loose. It just is nice to have that option. So other than things like this, with you, I just camp in the woods.”

Stiles’ lips quirked into a little smirk. “The woods? I feel like you’re a cliché, Derek.”

Derek ignored the blush he could feel on his face. “It’s perfectly usual. And I do it alone, by the way. Unless my family is visiting, or I’m home with them.”

“A lone wolf cliché, too,” Stiles teased, and Derek groaned. “I can work with that.”

Derek unclenched his fists. “You were jealous?” he asked, remembering that little bit of revelation. “But that was before the summer. You--”

Stiles rushed at him and slapped a hand over Derek’s mouth, hissing, “I know, okay, my crush on you has been long and pathetic.”

Derek pulled Stiles’ hand off of his face, stopping himself from licking his palm instead in revenge. “But your ex?”

“Got over him immediately. Well, after my week of mourning.” Stiles admitted. “I was enjoying having you dote on me, a little. You didn’t spend a ton of time with us before you were forcing me out of bed to rejoin the world. And then after that, you didn’t go easy on me.”

Derek licked his lips and inhaled, then stilled the words on his tongue. Stiles stared at him expectantly, gaze darting about the room every few seconds. Derek scented him, just a bit, and there was no fear left at all, just the usual scent of Stiles, a bit of embarrassment, and an undertone of arousal. 

Derek took another deep breath and then said, “Okay.”

Stiles arched an eyebrow. “Okay?”

Derek dropped Stiles’ hand and put some space between them. “Stiles,” he declared. “I trust you, and I have for a while now, and you know that’s not easy for me to do. I also really like you, romantically, but that is not why I want to tell you this.”

“Derek--”

“I am a werewolf. My family are werewolves. I’m sure you have questions, and I will answer as many as I possibly can, but what I’d really like to do now is have a nice date night where we relax and watch some movies and maybe kiss for a while. And I promise to keep the fangs away.”

“You charmer,” Stiles cooed, reaching for Derek’s hands and pulling him back towards the bed and their previous spots, this time pressed against each other. Derek took hold of the abandoned remote and pressed play on the idle screen.

Derek was proud that Stiles lasted five minutes before opening his mouth. “So, you were smelling me earlier, right? You can smell emotions?”

Derek tipped his head back and groaned. “I regret it,” he declared.

Stiles pulled him into a kiss and forced him to take it back. He did. 

[honeyrose-tea]

this has been a strange start to the new year for sure. how are you doing? what did you think of the situation in the capitol? any thoughts or worries about the rest of the month? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on everything. -🌙

thank you so much for the ask💞 almost every day I check my inbox anticipating the next time I'll hear from you. just knowing that someone cares.... it really does a lot for my self-esteem. I don't have many friends right now and the few I do are very busy and have a lot of things they would rather do than talk to me. thank you for making time to listen to me and ask me how I'm doing. you wouldn't believe how many people don't. I haven't always been the most consistent presence for you and I'm sorry. I'm trying to do better and be less selfish because I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of that. thank you for always being kind to me, pen pal.

there is a lot I want to say regarding the capitol and the situation in the country in general. as a social science student (and hopefully one day a professor!) these situations are of great academic interest to me. as a bisexual woman and an informed US citizen who cares about my rights I am also very personally vested in American issues. but first I would like to tackle your question regarding how I'm doing:)

I'm doing pretty good. classes have started back up but most of mine are online. I'm thinking of switching to online exclusively because of how much emotional (and sometimes physical) labor in-person classes are, and also for the sake of my health and my parents'. it's funny how so many things we did with ease before the pandemic seem so burdensome now. even small interactions are anxiety-inducing now, and I find myself having a hard time socializing even casually. like a muscle that has atrophied without use, my social skills are awful now. on a happier note, my productivity and creativity are both at all-time highs since social interactions aren't using up all my energy anymore. I brought my record player to my dorm room and I've been listening to a bunch of music, I've also been writing and recording some music of my own. I have a couple of demos and if you or anyone else is interested, I'll post them on here. once I record and edit full band versions I'll put them up on my soundcloud. I've tried sharing some of my stuff with some friends but none of them really care and I don't want to annoy them. besides, it's more for myself anyway. I wang to prove to myself that I can make music and that I can say something worth saying. a lot of my struggle over the past 6 months has been that I feel as though nothing I do or say can change anything, that none of my actions matter. I struggle a lot with control and I've been working on it for years, but it's still really hard for me. anyway. I'm enjoying class and what I do outside of it. I've been in my element living alone again (in my dorm) and feeling free to wear/do/say what I want, when I want. I wash my dishes and sing to myself and manage my time and drink lots of artificially sweetened and heavily flavored coffee without anyone around to judge me. and I get to cry and masturbate when I want, both of which are helpful in regulating my moods. I don't know. it's not like I'm doing anything exciting, but I am doing each thing I do well and with a happy heart. I feel like this portion of my life is something of a hibernation- the winter seasons combined with the pandemic have me in a cozy little daydream, reading and self-reflecting and getting back in tune with myself and my passions. I have a feeling that the spring and summer will be very vibrant bustling months so I am trying to enjoy my rest and soak in as much knowledge about myself and the world around me as I can. it's hard for me to live in the present and not get antsy (connected to control issues, I think) but I'm getting better at it. on the subject of the future, I've also been using this time to look into grad school and prepare for the GRE (a standardized test required for most grad school applications, similar to the ACT/SAT). I'm learning a lot that I didn't know since neither of my parents went further than undergrad, and I'm getting excited. I'm really looking forward to doing research. I've already been collecting some thesis ideas for an undergraduate-level thesis that I have to complete next year for the honors college, and hopefully I can turn that into a masters and/or PHD thesis when the time comes. now, on to more important matters than my silly little life.

I have very complicated feelings about america. I do have some attachment to some of the original ideas that are at the foundation- "bring me your huddled masses...", "all men are created equal", the general spirit of democracy, etc.- all of these are valid and worth keeping (in some form) to me. I think a lot of good people and ideas exist around us and I believe that we must be as empathetic and kind as possible to one another in order to navigate the current climate and preserve the good that we do have. that said, america was also founded on some pretty terrible, bigoted principles and our history- as well as our present- is marred by injustices. our society has become highly individualistic because of capitalism, and it has resulted in considerable division on every level. the competition that fuels capitalism is like an invasive species of plant, it does not only exist within our economy but it slithers out into our social world and the way we relate to others. I think capitalism coupled with our post-enlightenment founding is the source of most all of our problems as a country. capitalism has taken root in america in a way more malicious and all-consuming than in any other culture, because it was there at the beginning of our country and all of our social norms have grown out of it. many other cultures have existed long before capitalism and though it has modified their culture, it has not altogether become it. because america was founded on capitalism, we have no cultural identity outside of it. america is, itself, capitalism. that is precisely why america is experiencing all of the best and worst parts of capitalism at their most extreme. it is why, as I mentioned previously, we are perhaps the most divisive and competitive society in the modern world, and probably in history. we are the richest and most powerful country but we have the largest wealth gap and incarceration rate, among many other extremes.

all of this is to say that the rise of Trump and fascism in this country has been a long time coming, and unmistakably inevitable. to defeat it we will have to break america down to its fundamentals, throw out everything that is unethical and unjust, and rebuild our entire society from there. this is radical and hard to imagine, it will also be very difficult to execute, but I strongly believe that much of our societal systems just cannot be reformed, they must be thrown out and replaced.

the capitol riots were inexcusable and sickening but decidedly inevitable. this has been steadily building for america's entire existence. I think it will get worse before it gets better, as there are already plans for bigger and more numerous protests across the country in the following weeks. that said, I feel hopeful as I see the anti-fascist movement grow in the wake of fascism, I am hopeful as I see many people being radicalized and awakened to the realities of this country's failings. I don't know how exactly we will even begin to rid ourselves of the biases, prejudices, and downright hatred that plagues our country. I don't know how we will relate on an individual level to those with such deeply-ingrained hate in their hearts. I don't know how we will change our systems of government and economy to reflect new cultural values that we begin to build together. I am not sure what the future will hold. I do believe, however, that we will triumph over this moment and that the future will be better. I think that the only way to radically change and unite so many vastly different people and remove the blinders from their eyes is through a terrible, historic awakening like the one we are having now. the situation itself is awful, but I am hopeful that out of this mess we become a nation more committed to justice and to some of the ideals which we have falsely claimed to be emulating for our entire history.

so yes, I am worried about the next few weeks, months, and even years. there is no end to the pursuit of a just society, and I think every informed citizen is always a bit apprehensive about certain aspects of their culture. there will always be problems to combat and injustices to rectify, but I think that we will soon be moving to a better place, that we will remember these moments and say, "never again". I am hopeful, despite seeing some of the worst of humanity in recent days, that these atrocities will bring positive change.

I know that was long and instead of discussing issues about the capitol, or even just current political issues, I expanded the scope considerably and dragged in a lot of things from history and grander sociopolitical theories. still, I think it is hard to talk about the insurrection attempt without talking about a lot more. thank you for reading my takes and caring about them. I spend a lot of time thinking about these things, and it feels nice to share them with someone other than my annoyed professors who want me to shut up so they can finish the lecture and stick to their semester schedule.

I hope you're well and that you're staying safe and healthy. are you in school now too? have you or your family had the virus? thank you for coming to talk to me, I always enjoy it. I'll talk to you again soon💞

[lunasilvermorny]

Magical Creatures Everywhere SQ (Where I basically fangirl over Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn 90% of the time...)

But, as usual, we start with some bad photoshop edits!

MC: Acromantula?

Kettleburn: Chimaera?

Charlie: DRAGON!

:)

And now, to the SQ!

(with all the characters that I tagged. I promise I don’t just tag stuff without reason!)

It started with Charlie.

Yep, that’s going to be a good one.

Also, regarding what he said - you do realize that would be fatal for the students, if there were a real dragon. right? Nope, he doesn’t care.

Sane people?

So it’s good we’re the Loony Squad!

If Trelawney were here, she’d say it means:

Also, I want to point out - Charlie, Liz, Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn all in one location? This is my dream SQ!

Just the two of you took all the creatures in one go?

Whatever happened, you deserve it.

Of course he’s happy about it.

Be honest, you freed them, didn’t you?

MC: Y-you want me to help you?... HA! SUCK IT, LIZ!

Liz: ...?

MC: I still love you, though!

So, headcanon here - I feel like Luna has this special ability when it comes to animals. Yeah, it’s pretty much canon that she loves creatures, but my MC has something beyond that.

She has a special connection, not just with her pets or creatures she adopted, but any animal she encounters. It’s not like being a Parselmouth, she doesn’t directly understand the meaning of what they’re saying (except for Owls, since that’s her Animagus form), but she can feel what they want to communicate to her, and animals have a higher tendency to trust her, even wild ones. That’s the reason she can approach even dangerous creatures with confidence, because she makes them trust her and so they don’t attack most of the times.

So yeah, she’s perfect for this SQ.

Yep, that’s definitely it.

You let them loose, come on, be honest.

That’s one of the best days of your life, isn’t it?

You’d think they prefer a living tree...

Normally I’d choose the option with the book, but this time I have to go with the more headcanon leaning option - she’d probably try to talk to them in a soothing voice to calm them down.

I do have to say, it’s going to be pretty disappointing if this entire quest is just a fetch quest and nothing more.

Magic!

They look like cat grandpas.

MC: You’re going to tell Papa?

You should really know the difference, as a professor.

Wait, so you do know?

Sure... let’s go with that.

Fine, you know.

MC: 

Why does he look so terrified? Poor thing.

Grass?

You too? Wow, that’s almost overwhelming.

MC:

Aww, it’s so cute.

Oh...my god.

Anybody else hear - “Ooh, heaven is a place on earth.“ playing in their heads?

It’s not funny, it’s amazing. She just found her heaven!

Throw Barnaby into the mix and it’d be perfect.

Very convincing...

I wouldn’t call it maturity, just sheer happiness.

Oh wow. Umm.. Thank you?

That’s impossible!

Crazy idea - have you thought about using magic? You know, since you are wizards!

Back off, Filch.

Probably...

The truth?

Okay, MC, don’t freak out.

MC:

What do you mean “pretend”? You’re already a puppy.

Also, look at him!

Ah, my heart is so full right now.

Sure thing, mate.

She’s not thinking about the task, but about how she’s going to gather them all in her dorm room.

This is adorable! I can’t handle it... I just want to watch him all the way through this task.

And the Crup that sleeps next to him... Okay, THIS is MC’s heaven.

(Also, Barnaby Jr. and that Crup behind them! So damn cute!)

Because he’s a cold-hearted, murderous Death Eater.

Your soul is too pure for your family, Puppy.

That’s a bad thing, Lizard.

Alright...

Oh, you precious angel...

You do that!

Anything for Papa.

MC: Well, obviously.

Again, crazy idea...

MAGIC!

Oh yeah, that’s how he lost his eye, right?

Oof. That’s rough, buddy.

Not the moustache!

I love that that’s her reaction to what he said.

This SQ is so damn cute, I can’t...handle...it...!

It’s all fun and games, until you figure out he was behind Dumbledore’s death all along. His thirst for power knows no boundaries.

Haha, nice one, JC.

I like that.

Yeah, and questionable judgement about children’s safety.

You don’t have any authority here anymore, old man! The bowtruckle is in charge now.

So, wait...

My first instinct was for her to blame herself, but I don’t think it’s really necessary. I doubt Dumbledore would actually be mad about this whole thing.

It’s probably best to tell him the truth. (Also - blue book!)

Because they tried to move them all in one go. It was inevitable...

See? He appreciate her honesty and instead of getting mad, he’s glad she helped.

Throwing yourself under the bus is not always the best solution.

Injuries? Oof... Well, at least Papa would be happy.

Jesus Christ, Merula. If you actually hurt a creature, I would never accept any type of your redemption arc!

Is that why, in the past, you suggested making creatures fight each other for your entertainment and even straight up killing them? If that’s your kind of love, please, save it for people only.

You do you, Puppy.

What does it say about me, if it actually interest me?

It’s supposed to be a joke about Rowan’s dorkiness, but it’s a really interesting premise for an essay.

Because Dumbledore asked for more, you cheap.

The option “You’re a generous person” is just objectively wrong, also, she’s not a major suck up.

Mmm... He does have empathy, even though he’s trying to hide it. Maybe the first option?

I know he doesn’t like children, but he can’t really leave them injured like this when he has the supply for their medications.

Time to impress Papa.

Don’t worry, she aspires to become a healer, so you’re in good hands.

Yeah, and don’t forget who helped you out - your favorite student and mentee!

I want him to tag along, but maybe he should rest a bit. We don’t want him to lose another limb. (OR DO WE?)

Dammit, I’m not sure he’s going to like that answer. I hope he wouldn’t find it too boring.

That’s not a satisfied Papa...

Dammit.

Oh.

Wait, so it was the right choice?

MC: Yes! Suck it, Liz!

Liz: Seriously?

MC: Sorry, love.

That’s a big snail. I can’t wait for MC to have one of those!

Is that a huge Niffler next to Merula?

What the-?

Also, Ben is not terrified - that’s the spirit, buddy!

Wait, didn’t he say something about it earlier?

Yeah, at the beginning of the quest:

Barnaby can see into the future, confirmed!

Merula alert:

Dammit. Barnaby can see the future - busted.

I really don’t get how people can look at this screenshot and think- oh, she’s amazing.

She’s laughing at the thought of ruining people’s lives.

That’s not endearing, that’s a major character flaw and shouldn’t be celebrated.

Not to mention, a stupid plan that’s easily reversible, so she’s not just being a huge douche, she’s also being really dumb.

Mean and dumb - some people’s type, apparently.

I’m sorry, she’s just so incredibly pathetic.

Even if you like “the bad guy” type in stories, she’s incapable of even doing that correctly.

Unless you like the type that constantly humiliate themselves and showing how incompetent they are, because if so - she’s your ideal character!

Girl, you have serious issues.

Oh look, it took us 3 seconds to fix.

You’re such a mastermind, Merula.

I’m sorry, was that supposed to be a threat?

Oh, honey...

MC: DUMBLEDORE!! SHE’S HERE! THE ONE THAT DID ALL THE MESS!

To be fair, Merula is so incompetent that I doubt she’d be able to hurt anyone on purpose...

No one is going to believe you, you nimrod!

Are you really in a position to judge anyone else’s appearance, Ismelda?

Characters in this SQ: Let’s test your knowledge.

MC, a Ravenclaw:

Wow, muggles are really the true victims in this SQ, aren’t they?

Yeah, skip...

Eyes.

You’re not very reassuring, Mr. Diggory.

That’s better. Thanks, buddy.

Wait, it’s getting gradually better... Does this mean-?!

Awww! Papa’s stamp of approval!

Aww, it’s such a cutie pie!

Obviously.

That can’t be good...

Oh, right. Stalling...

Fine, but in the headcanon, she did it on her first try.

Here we go... Such a good boy.

Instant BFFs!

Thanks, Papa.

We did it! (Not that there was any real challenge, but still...)

Aww, such a nice little SQ.

Conclusions:

I really like this one. 

I spent most of my time just fangirling over Barnaby and Professor Kettleburn, which is not necessarily a bad thing, in my eyes.

I did find it a bit boring at times, but mostly it was just cute and wholesome.

I really enjoyed the company of Barnaby and Liz, though I wish they’d included them more in the plot of the SQ and not just the background. Also, I wish Charlie had a bigger role.

But overall - really cute. Good job, JC.

Bonus:

Not part of the SQ, but I just love how they sit together.

It makes much more sense to me that Barnaby would hang out with Liz than Ismelda or Merula.

[katcadecascade]

Owl Be Here

Qrow Branwen does bird shenanigans at five in the morning. James and Clover suffer. 

Ao3

James was honest when he said it was good to see Qrow again. He missed his oldest friend, missed their banter and how Qrow would be the first to push against his logic, force James to rethink his less than sound plans.

It was nice to have Qrow and his kids in Atlas. He missed having real company who weren’t suits or soldiers.

Although, he could do without the bird fights in four in the morning.

Gods, James hasn’t dealt with this in years and yet it feels utterly normal to be awakening to the noise of what can only be described as a screaming death match. He recognizes the high pitch squalls of Qrow, too loud to forget.

So for the first time in a long while, James leaves his warm bed in search for the source of the commotion. His apartment is located far too close to his office to anyone’s liking so it’s a short walk from here to the apex of the dormitories.

There’s a main lobby and lounge area with access to the outside courtyard where James spies a crow and an owl roaring at each other.

Yep, that’s his closest friend alright.

James spends who knows how long sighing at the open doorway, thinking about closing it just to muffle out the two birds. This is by far the most effective alarm clock, albeit rather annoying but he knows Qrow’s not doing this to annoy him.

It doesn’t change the fact that James is annoyed though. He doubts he’s alone on that since this is the school dorms so he hopes Qrow will finish his argument with his nocturnal enemy.

Mindlessly he wonders which niece of the shapeshifter will snap awake first. He bets it will be Yang who convinces Qrow to stop while Ruby throws something at him.

But his guesses are wrong when it Clover who joins him on this not so quiet night.

“Sir, what,” the captain yawns and trudges over to see the broken symphony of screeches. “What is going on? It’s too early for whatever this is.”

“Tell that to Qrow.”

“Huh?”

“That’s Qrow up there, screaming at that owl.”

It was refreshing to see Clover out of uniform and in sweatpants and an academy standard muscle tank. The fuzzy socks are a nice touch.

According to his wide eyed staring the captain is shocked to catch his general in a similar state. Perhaps his silken robes are a tad surprise. It is practically the only thing James pampers himself with.

Sleepiness falls away from Clover as he processes the situation. The high branches of a courtyard tree are the stage for the opera of a crow and an owl. That may sound whimsical or majestic but trust James when he describes it as the most annoying thing to wake up to.

It’s a real shame that he’s used to this crow shit.

Clover, new to the bird shenanigans, asks the logical question, “Should we stop him?”

The first time James interrupted Qrow’s spiel, he made the impulsive and rude decision to fire his pistol in the air. Whether he spent a minute debating on aiming at either bird is a lapse in judgment James will keep to himself.

That resulted in both birds targeting James in the classic, enemy of my enemy is my friend tactic.

“If you’re eager to get pecked and clawed at, by all means go ahead Captain Ebi.”

It must be the lack of sleep that has Clover disregarding the chain of command to glare the general.

Clover steps passed him and made his way to the base of the tree. He yells up, “Qrow, please stop!”

James scoffs at the pleasantries. Qrow would always takes please as a challenge to further play up his antics. That and Qrow just loves to mess with James by getting a straight-laced man like him arguing with a bird. Glynda thought James as insane before Qrow revealed his magic trick.

Honestly that was more embarrassing than that time when James mistaken a regular bird as Qrow. That memory was more depressing than humiliating since it happened weeks after the Fall of Beacon.

He had really hoped Qrow visited him.

Any amusement left in James mellows out to curiosity as he watches Clover take up the mantle of persuading Qrow and the owl to shut up. Maybe Clover has better ways of words than James since eventually the owl flies off.

Qrow’s still in the tree. He flaps his wings in agitation and caws again.

“Qrow it is four in the morning,” Clover complained.

“Five,” James corrects as he studies the remaining stars above and the phase of the moon fragment.

He continues without missing a beat, “It is five in the morning! Get down here right now, please.”

Another fluttering of wings and then the crow glides down. He ignores Clover’s offered arm to land on his brown hair.

Yep that’s the Qrow James had missed.

“Clover,” James cocked his head a bit, gesturing for him to follow.

Carefully, the man walks with his general all the while balancing a bird on his head. Qrow squirmed around, shaping the strands into a fitting nest as James lead them to the closest communal kitchen. That just happened to be the one linked to the dorm assigned to Teams RWBY and JNOR.

This definitely promises coffee machines.

Almost instinctively, James goes through the motions of preparing three mugs of coffee. The beginning smells of it has Qrow shifting back into his human body, just as James predicted from the countless morning they did this.

And if memory serves, Qrow might not be entirely as human as he appears.

“So,” James politely begins like he always did, setting the mugs at the table, “what happened?”

A series of squawks and trills are the answer, along with Qrow dramatically waving his arms around like he still has wings.

James nods in key moments, letting Qrow rant in a language that, justified, he quite cannot comprehend.

Next to him, Clover is jaw slacken and can’t form a single thought as he bears witness to James and Qrow seemingly having a normal conversation over coffee.

Despite the obvious fact there are no pronounce-able words in the human tongue, of course.

“Wow that owl really said that to you?” James queried, a little dully but Qrow’s not going to call him out.

In fact the shapeshifter takes it as genuine, too caught up in his anger as he recounts the argument with the owl. Probably, James is just guessing but he’s had practice on reading Qrow’s body language.

There’s still that hunch in his spine, straighten up in his fury as more violent squawks leave his vocal chords. James once berated Qrow for such posture but that man never listened. He has to note that there is a difference in his stature since arriving with the kids.

Stress and grief always hung upon Qrow’s shoulders, mirroring James, but lately there has been less tension. This is likely the results of the kids’ influence. James can attest to that, finding relief and comfort in the children’s optimism.

Yet he can’t help but be pleasantly surprised by Qrow’s other source of happiness.

As arrogant as it sounds, James takes credit and pride for setting Clover in Qrow’s path. It’s about time one of his plans goes accordingly.

On a strategic perspective, both huntsmen are skilled fighters with styles that complement each other in the field. That’s proven correct from the success their mission reports.

But on a personal level and as their friend, James had high hopes the two of them would get along.

Both have their own grief and tragedies and struggles regarding the concept of partners, something James himself can also relate to. Qrow’s team was a story of fire constantly dying and reigniting while Clover’s lack of partner is a fable of the ocean’s tides claiming and withdrawing without a second thought.

An empty space of a partner is something they both want to fill back up, whether either would admit that or not. So James took it upon himself to appoint their team set.

Their unique semblances on the other hand are something he cannot speak for. That is private conversation for Qrow and Clover alone, James will not dare to interfere further on that matter.

He’ll just have to trust that whatever bond is growing between Qrow and Clover will be good for the both of them. It can grow from the heat of battle or the chill morning like right now where Qrow is currently far too nuzzled in his bird habits.

He focuses more into the bitter taste of coffee, enjoying its slowness compared to the rapid talk of Qrow’s trills. While he’s goes off about how much of an asshole the owl was, James notices Clover trying to get his attention through painfully confused facial expressions.

James hides a smile with his mug.

Subtly, something that Qrow won’t bother to care about, James shrugs in a way to show that this is pretty normal.

Clover still gives Qrow a concerned and baffled frown as more squawks are uttered.

A sort of cooing noise emits from Qrow’s throat. James flickers his eyes back to the bird man, crossed arm and waiting for his response.

Lying through his teeth, something that will for sure impress or anger Robyn Hill, James speaks with great certainty that he has been paying attention, “Yes, Qrow, I completely agree with you.”

Qrow nods in approval and this sets him off to rattle out more coos and clicks.

Meanwhile Clover stares dubiously at James, takes a long gulp of his coffee, and does a little shake of his head. A small sigh of defeat and resignation leaves the man.

Good, it’s best to accept this all.

Of all the insane things that could happen, having a conversation with a shapeshift still speaking as his namesake is a blessing compared to anything else Ozpin had a hand in.

Still, to Qrow this is a normal conversation so at some point in James turning off his brain to just drown out his mug, Clover is prompted to speak.

“Um,” he blinks owlishly with an uncertain smile, “I think…”

His teal eyes dart around, seeking help but James is ignoring them, closed eyed but the tiniest of amused smiles is there. Clover nearly wants to kick him underneath the table but no Clover can handle this.

Still, having Qrow’s red eyes peer into him expectedly is a bit nerve wracking.

Beautiful and bright, Clover admits but it’s not the time or the place what with only one cup of coffee in his system.

“I think,” he continues, a slight hesitance in his tone, “that um.” Well he could always fall back on one thing, “I think that you’re absolutely amazing. That owl has nothing on you.”

Apparently that is the right thing to say. Clover could kiss his lucky pin when Qrow blushes and does a low coo. Maybe it’s a deflection, Clover has no idea but it doesn’t appear so as Qrow  continues his clicks and caws.  

Then finally, Qrow takes a sip from his coffee and as if he hasn’t been speaking in chirps and clicks, complains, “That ratty flying piece of roadkill better not show his awful peak here again or I will bring down the full force of Harbinger on that fucker.”

His two companions nod in agreement, James’ was a bit lazier and tired while Clover’s was kind of jerky and surprised.

It’s so nice to have pleasant company in the morning.

[littlemisssquiggles]

What do you think of the possibility that the relic Ironwood gave Ruby is a fake made by the Staff of Creation? Possibly to monitor the others, serve as bait to lure out Salem's people or both?

Hiya Miki-chan! Chels @che1sea-xiao-long actually told me about your theory the other night and I also liked your original post. I think it’s a pretty interesting concept.

[Spoilers Ahead! Nuff Said]

Here’s the thing. I’m really conflicted on how I feel about Ironwood right about now, especially after V7CH2. In the beginning, I was all ready to concoct theories labeling Ironwood as—not exactly a traitor per say—but more along the lines of he’s been brought to such desperation by his own Baobab that nothing was going to stop him from doing what he believes is best for his people; not even our heroes—his supposed allies—who rise up to challenge him. Y’know that type of deal.

And in some way, I still feel that way about James but on the other end, I…low-key don’t want Ironwood to be revealed as traitorous or shady at all. Like I’m actually hoping there’s a legit twist where our heroes spent most of V7 believing that Ironwood and their Atlesian allies weren’t to be entirely trusted only for the twist to be that the Atlas Posse have been completely trustworthy and honest from the get-go whereas our gaggle of heroes were the ones being deceitful and shady due to their mistrust of their own allies. 

It’d be interesting if we’re left thinking that Ironwood and his forces are paranoid when in actuality, it’s our heroes instead. Basically, with Ironwood, I’m like “…Iknow you’re probably most likely going to be super shady. I mean I expect you to be…but at the same time, can you not though? I want you toprove me wrong…”

Because seeing Ironwood’s genuine relief at hearing that Ozpin is back and him kneeling before Oscar and not coming a step closer when he realized the poor kiddo was understandably uncomfortable—not to mention his little bro-hug moment with Qrow afterwards—dagnabbit, you got me Jimmy I!

It’s moments like that that made my heart melt a little and it genuinely made me empathize with the General. It reminded me that he’s not as cold and heartless as people often interpret him to be. He’s a broken man who, at the end of the day, lost one of his long time closest comrades and is on the verge of losing his entire kingdom if he didn’t act quickly.

While I’m still not a fan of big master plan, James is still a solider whose been hardened by the battlefield (I almost forgot that Ironwood is part Terminator) whose been made the way he is because of his past experiences. James is Altesian Ozpin hence why the two got along and why they also butted heads at times. 

Again, I know Ironwood could potentially be up to no good and is probably withholding more information on the true nature of the Amity Tower and its purpose that he didn’t say in the hero’s presence. Nevertheless, I don’t want him to be secretive and undermining like what he did with Oz back in V2.

I’m actually hoping that Ironwood has learnt from his experience in Vale and Beacon so his trust in the heroes is genuine. I want him to be a freaking dad to Oscar man! As I said in my Musing post from yesterday, I feel as if Oscar is going to grow to share a close comradery with the General that will probably remind him of his friendship with Oz. As matter of fact, it’d probably be nice if while training with Ironwood, James also tells Oscar stories of his time with Oz. Because I’m curious to know just how long has Ironwood known Oz. We know Qrow knew Ozpin from since his time as a student of Beacon and Oz was said to be the school’s young headmaster during that time as well. So it makes me wonder if Ironwood has known Oz from since the two were like young adults themselves.

Perhaps…James was one of the first people Oz trusted with the secret of Ozma’s soul after he was paired up with the soul of the King of Vale?

The way how Ironwood told Oscar that Oz disappearing wasn’t normal, makes me wonder how much about the nature of the Man with Two Souls does Ironwood know about. Very curious about that.

Anyways, regarding a fake Relic made with the Relic of Creation?

Like I said, that’s a pretty cool idea and theory. Like imagine if... Ironwood tried to clone the Relic of Knowledge with the Relic of Creation under the impression that he could potentially manifest himself a collection of lamps with the power to answer all of his questions any time he desires.

However, I’d like to believe that there is a catch to using the staff similar to its lamp counterpart. The lamp of knowledge can possibly find the answer to any question asked, however the catch with the lamp was that a) you only get three questions that could only be used every 100 years and b) you can’t ask the lamp about future events.

So imagine if the Staff of Creation can be used to make anything but what if…one of its disadvantages is that it can’t be used to create life or restore life that was lost (I doubt the Brothers would give it this kind of godly power, especially to leave it the hands of mankind, right?)  while another is that the staff cannot be used to create other Relics.

It can probably replicate it in form but not in power since another part of the Relics seem to be beings that embody them. I’d like to think that the Lamp of Knowledge wouldn’t be as important as it was if it weren’t for Jinn. The same can be said for the Staff of Creation. I’m assuming that too has a being embodying it as well (and I hope it’s the Blue Fairy).  

That being said, even if the Staff of Creation was able to make a perfect replica of the lamp of creation, I doubt it’d be able to behave like the actual real lamp, right? It’d probably be just a regular old lamp that stays the same size.

If the lamp in Ironwood’s possession had remained the same size when Ironwood gave it back to Ruby then I would have assumed that it was possibly fake too. However as we saw from the episode, the lamp behaved exactly like the real lamp. It floated on Ironwood’s desk exactly like how it did when Oz first explained its purpose to JNR_RWBY and Qrow back in Mistral.

It even changed its size exactly like how it always did. So…unless the Staff of Creation is that good at replicating other Relics…I dunno. I’d still like to believe that the beings of the relics created by the Gods to aid humanity in the pursuit of the four ideologies they were built on contribute to the nature of the Relic.

I’d like to believe that without Jinn, the Relic of Knowledge wouldn’t work the same way. And even if the staff can recreate another lamp, I doubt it can recreate Jinn which is why the lamp behaves the way it does.

I dunno. I could be wrong. I like your theory Miki-chan but I’m going to need a bit more proof from the show to support it because right now, all evidence is pointing to the lamp returned to Ruby being the real deal. 

If the episode hadn’t highlighted the lamp behaving like it normally would, I’d assume fake one time just like you. But for now, I actually think thatIronwood genuinely returned the real Relic back to Ruby in an act of trust. It may have even be a test on his part. More on that in a bit. 

Not to mention…I have to ask this question…how did Ironwood get theRelic so fast? When we last saw the Relic it wasbeing confiscated from Ruby by Clover Ebi of the Ace Ops. He and his team then Spiderman’d themselves away into the night taking the Relic with them. 

So…do the Ace Ops have their own personal airship that somehow moves twice as face as a regular military airship? 

How did they get to Atlas so quickly so that by the time the heroesgot there, Ironwood already received the Relic from Clover? I’m assuming theAces got a jet or whatever.

Anywhozzits…moving along; when Ironwood returned the Relic of Knowledge to Ruby, I was of the assumption that the Relic must no longer be useful. My original hunch was that Ironwood probably used the last question himself since he probably knew more about the Relic of Knowledge (and other things) which is why he asked Ruby to sort of clarify what else Oz told the hero team about the lamp.

I figured what Ruby is actually carrying around is a lamp that can’t be used, even by the enemies to answer more questions since all the questions from this era were already used up.

Now that I think about it, my initial theory doesn’t make much sense at all since even if the Relic of Knowledge was used up, I’m assuming it could still be used with the remaining three Relics to summon the Gods back to Remnant. 

So questions or not, the lamp is still a very important artifact and still needs safeguarding. This only makes Ironwood’s move to return it to Ruby all the more odd and suspicious at the same time.

Then again, what if…Ruby tries using the lamp and when Jinn doesn’t appear before her, she assumes it’s because of what she told her back in the V6 finale.

“…I’m sorry. I don’t have a question for you, I just…I just need a little bit moretime.” 

“I know, and while you don’t seek knowledge, just this once, I shall give it freely. I will not allow you to use me without a question again. Even if this was clever.”

Jinn told Ruby that she wouldn’t allow her to use her without a question again. So perhaps this statement will be relevant for V7 at some point where Ruby becomes suspicious of the lamp but doesn’t want to either waste a question or  summon Jinn again without one given what the mystical genie told her before. That could be something too.

What if...Atlas doesnt even need to make a fake Relic to monitor our heroes? 

Right now JN(P)R_RWBY are staying at Atlas Academy while their weapons are being upgraded by Atlas’ scientists.

How do we know Ironwood doesn't have heavy surveillance installed in the dorms of the academy? 

Hidden cameras in the wall that are naked to the human eye so Ironwood could keep a watchful eye on all of his students and monitor them for any suspicious activity. 

Imagine...our young heroes being disgusted when one of them---probably Nora--- accidentally reveals one of the cameras that’s been secretly spying on them since they enrolled at Atlas. 

You might be thinking that cameras in the dorms are a bit much since it’s aninvasion of privacy but what if…that’s part of Ironwood’s paranoia too.

Imagine if...Ironwood even fears that one or more of his students might be traitors; masquerading as one of their own and plotting against him exactly like what Cinder, Emerald, Mercury and Neo did back at Beacon for the Vytal Festival?

Ironwood could even have his scientists bug the heroes’ weapons too. I mean I’d assume they might have to be in order to be authorized to even use them within the kingdom walls, both in Atlas and even Mantle.

As I said before, what if...Ironwood really did give Ruby the real Relic back as a symbol of trust and also a test. 

Like the real Relic is back with our heroes but Ironwood used other means to spy on them during their time at Atlas to ensure that the trust between them was being held up on their side.

I’m also concerned about Ironwood upgrading their weapons (without their prior knowledge and consent to be honest). If huntsmen have to be authorized to use their weapons in Atlas then…what’s stopping Ironwood from having his scientists introduce a kind of locking mechanism that immediately prohibits huntsmen from using their weapons with a touch of a button.

Like imagine...betrayal is in full effect and our heroes square up to oppose Ironwood in his office, only for him to casually push a button underneath desk. 

The heroes all suddenly drop to the floor like flies as Ironwood turned their own upgraded weapons against them. Suddenly they’re all electrocuted on the spot by their own weapons. All except Nora who is immune to the shocks cause of her semblance. However she is then  begrudgingly forced to surrender when one of the Ace Ups—Vine Zeki—takes Ren and threatens to snap his neck on orders from the General.

What do you think of that?

To reiterate, the Fake Relic theory is pretty cool. However I’m not so sure about it considering that it behaved exactly as normal. Like I said, I will need more proof from the show to see if the hunch holds up. But for now it’s a good one to leave on the table of possibilities along-with Ironwood potentially rigging our heroes’ weapons.

That’s my take. Hope that helps answer you Miki-chan!

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019) 

[kisskissbanggang]

Taken By You

[~4.5K Words -- Doyoung x Female reader -- 50/50 Plot/smut -- extreme roleplay, femdom con-noncon, bondage, face riding, and more]

[Bar dates and kink experiments with Doyoung for anons♥️]

[IMPORTANT A/N: Before the Read More is the set-up. It'll help set the scene and the mood and help you get into it if you prefer to know how everything works in these scenarios. If you'd like, you can skip to after the Read More.]

Doyoung sat perched on the barstool, pensive and worlds away as he nursed his glass of wine. It was hard to watch. This was a nice bar, in a nice part of town, with beautiful people everywhere -- and here was Doyoung, whose bags under his eyes were defeating even the strongest of skin care products. You rubbed the back of his hand, and he blearily met your gaze. "What's on your mind?"

Doyoung shrugged as he gathered his thoughts, "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the group is doing so well. I'm glad we're touring. I'm just so tired. My voice cracked last night."

"I know," you admitted, "I saw the video on Twitter."

"That video!" Doyoung reeled, grabbing his wine glass in his fist and suddenly energized to drink more of it. "That girl was waiting for us when we left last night, too. She shoved her phone in my face with the flash on and I actually wanted to punch her. I felt guilty the whole way home."

"I'm sure," you soothed, putting a hand on his, "and you know, it's alright to not want to interact. At least, it should be."

"I really wish I could. I appreciate the love, and I appreciate the support, but I don't need the crazy ones." Doyoung looked absolutely exhausted. He sighed, laughing to himself as he thumbed the lip of his wine glass. "You know," he admitted, "some of them are pretty wild."

"In what way?"

"I've had people try to pass me hotel key cards, underwear, all sorts of stuff. The staff is usually pretty good at catching it, but sometimes..."

"Sometimes what?" You set down your glass and eagerly leaned forward. Doyoung looked at you smittenly and set his glass down.

"This is crazy. I'm surprised there wasn't a video of this or something. We came home one night, and this girl is there. And the staff try to step in front of us because they think she's going for Mark in front, but she heads straight for the back of the group where I am. And she grabs me by my shirt," he leaned forward, exaggeratedly grabbing a handful of your blouse as he laughs, "and she goes -- no kidding -- 'Doyoung-oppa, let me have you.'" Doyoung took a breath, gasping as neither of you could stop laughing.

You fought for air, taking a sip of your drink to help calm down. "Alright," you laughed, "what else happened? Is that girl dead now?"

"Not at all," Doyoung snickered, still composing himself, "A manager did run up and grab her. The staff is literally carrying her away, and she's still struggling, and she's screaming! Oh my god she was screaming loud enough for the whole block to hear. 'Just wait; I'm going to have you,' and, 'Oppa, you'll love what I do when we're alone.'" Doyoung sipped at his glass, a small shiver running down his spine at the memory.

Your eyes widened. "Wait," you interjected, "how old was this girl?"

"You know," Doyoung sighed, "I always hope they're older than they look -- for their own sake. I don't want to think about young girls throwing themselves at us, let alone me."

"Does this happen a lot?"

"More than I'd like sometimes. But... Can I tell you something?"

You eagerly nodded. You'd only really first met a few weeks ago but already seemed to be getting much cozier with these regular midnight rendezvous. Doyoung leaned in, clearly buzzed but holding it together for the most part.

"Okay," Doyoung whispered, close enough to make you shiver, "when we first met, I really did have a split second where I wondered if you were a crazy fan and if I made a mistake by coming here."

Reflexively, you pushed him, at least far back enough that he could see how bewildered you were. He laughed, pulling himself back to you by your arm. "Super embarrassing, right?"

"I'll say. What did I do to make you think that?"

"You looked excited the first time you and I looked at each other! I don't know, you kept glancing and looking like you really wanted to walk over and say hi, I'm really embarrassed about it. Especially when, you know, you reminded me that we sort of first met at that press event. Sorry again, by the way."

You let yourself laugh, easing off of being more defensive. "Alright," you giggled, leaning close again, "what would you have done if I was a crazy fan?"

"Well, you're pretty."

"I'm sure more than half of them are."

"And I like you."

"You could like them, too."

"I've thought about this, you know."

You backed away again, raising your eyebrows. "You've thought about what, exactly?"

"After that girl grabbed me outside our dorm? I furiously beat off that night. It was so exciting to be wanted like that, I sort of just forgot everything I was stressed about for a second."

A lightbulb crackled to life in your head. What if you could combine your mutual infatuation, and help Doyoung sort out this obvious frustration? You flagged down the bartender and ordered a couple waters to start winding down your night and took Doyoung's hand in yours. "What if," you nervously bit your lip, "what if you could see what she would do? You know, if you were alone?"

Doyoung looked intrigued. "How?"

"What if I wanted you like that? I could make that happen for you."

Doyoung's eyes widened, mirroring yours. "Yes," he breathed, "God, yes. Would you really? I've wanted to be with you for a while now but this would be amazing, but how would--"

"We need guidelines," you interrupted, "and a whole plan, actually. Meet me here next Saturday and we'll talk it out."

Doyoung nodded eagerly and leaned forward, planting a kiss on your cheek.

🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤🔗🖤

It wasn't necessarily hard for Doyoung to sneak out at night to see you. Some nights it was as easy as telling one of the staff that he would be out at a gaming cafe for a few hours. Sometimes, like tonight, he was lucky enough to run into the manager who knew he just needed to get out every once in a while. Doyoung was at the bar shortly before you, eagerly waiting at your usual spot. This time, however, you walked in and waved him over to join you in a booth in the back corner. Shrouded in more darkness than usual, Doyoung almost looked innocent by contrast.

"Drinks?" Doyoung greeted, kissing your cheek. You politely declined.

"Nope," you said, "and none for you, either. We need to be sober for a date like this." You waved away an approaching waiter. There wasn't any ill-regard to worry about, though. The only reason you and Doyoung had any privacy here was because you were friends with the owner, so not drinking was hardly an issue here. You were able to make small talk for a while, but you both knew you were too excited to keep it up for long.

"Enough," Doyoung playfully slammed his hands on the table, interrupting your conversation, "I have to know what's in store for me."

You smiled, gently cupping his face in your hand. He almost blushed. You'd forgotten how much and how little he was experienced with. "First order of business," you declared, "is that I need to know what you want. Will you be in charge? Will I? I'm fairly flexible on that."

Now Doyoung did blush. "I did a lot of thinking," he admitted, "and I haven't been able to shake this one terrible fantasy of mine. The only reason I'm telling you is because I trust you and I hope you can help me."

"Anything, Doyoung. I'll listen to anything. I won't guarantee you'll get it, but I'll listen to anything."

That seemed to encourage him. His jaw unclenched, his shoulders softened. "After that incident with the fan I told you about last week, I'd had a dream about her. She had sounded so... Rabid, almost, that it escalated to me dreaming that she kidnapped me. God, this sounds terrible. She took me to a private location and she could do whatever she wanted to me."

Your eyes trailed all over him, taking him in. You saw his Adam's apple rise and fall as he gulped through his admission. A small bead of sweat was nearly forming on his brow in the humidity of the busy bar. His hand holding yours had grown clammy in its tightened grip. A noticeable bulge was beginning to form at the top of his thigh. You wrenched your eyes away, desperate to not get distracted; you had to make sure you agreed on everything, despite how excited you already were by the idea.

"So," you breathed, "you want to give up control? That's doable. I love being dominant. Anything more specific?"

"I..." Doyoung looked absolutely distressed opening up this much. You knew he needed to relax or this would never happen. Carefully, you took both his hands in yours and made him meet your gaze before you leaned in, closing your eyes. Your lips brushed his for the first time, modest but purposeful, and you felt him relax once more. "I've been interested in face riding and face-sitting, and I'm really into panties lately," he said, still entirely nervous but more contained. You, however, had to lock your ankles together under the table as you felt yourself grow excited at the thought. You nodded modestly, sure to encourage him to be as open and comfortable as possible.

"Anything you don't want?" You asked.

"Hmm," Doyoung hummed, thinking, "I don't want to get injured. No stomping or particularly hard hitting of any kind. No visible marks if I can avoid them. I actually am interested in being -- what's the best word -- degraded? I've always secretly liked that idea. More than anything I just don't want any control."

You stroked your thumb over the back of his hand and leaned in to kiss him again, "Then you're in luck," you whispered against him, "because I can definitely make that happen."

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Following his routine, it wasn't difficult to figure out when Doyoung would get here. He stepped out of his taxi right on time, making a beeline for the bar. Stepping out of your hiding place in the shadows of the side alley, you grabbed his wrist as he passed you on the sidewalk. You pulled him into the alley, pushing him up against a wall and closing the space between you. He reflexively pushed back against you, but the cover of darkness and the feel of your soft body made him give into the temptation to let you kiss him out on the street. Your fingers ran through his hair, gently tugging and pulling him into you as you bided your time until your assistance arrived.

The nice thing about being friends with the owners of the bar was that it was easy to rent the small apartment they owned above it for the night, as well as a couple bouncers that had the night off to help you. They felt uneasy at first, but a little extra money was all the convincing they needed. Just in time, you heard two sets of footsteps approach behind you. You glanced, confirming it was them before you shoved Doyoung back up against the wall. He grunted at the impact before letting out a muffled yell as you grabbed a gag from your coat pocket and shoved it in his mouth. From your other coat pocket you produced a pillowsack, which you swiftly threw over his head. Your assistants stepped up next to you to grab Doyoung as he struggled, and together they brought him up the stairs beside you, up to your secret hideout for the night. He actually did sound distressed, you realized, but couldn't deny the dampness it was already causing between your legs.

Doyoung reeled as the sack was pulled off his head. He gathered that he was flat on his back on a bed. In the adrenaline he didn't quite register all that had happened since he first kissed you in the alley, but he knew you couldn't have taken him far. He felt a pressure on his hips and, as his eyes adjusted to the warm light of the room, noticed you sitting delicately on his lap. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of you -- you had decided that you would throw him off by dressing as cute as reasonably possible. This meant a flowy and short skirt, a thin and airy blouse, and you even forewent some heels and chose a modest pair of Mary Janes. You looked younger than you felt in a while, but it was exciting. He tried to grab at you and push you off but only felt the metallic clang of the handcuffs attaching his wrists to the bars of the bed's headboard. In trying to kick you off, he found each of his ankles tied to the corners of the bed as well. You smirked, grinding slightly on his lap to get him to groan into his gag. The soft burn of arousal pitted your gut as you saw how embarrassed he was to be noisy. You knew he was modest about his appearances. The newest goal on your list was to make him as noisy as possible. You leaned down, pressing your lips to his before grabbing the gag between your teeth and slowly pulling. Your fingertips brushed the hem of your skirt and you lifted, encouraging him to glance down and notice that you were bare in between your legs. As you pulled back on the gag, his eyes widened again and a groan escaped his lips as he realized you had gagged him with your own panties. You giggled, playfully slinging the panties over his head so they hung around his neck.

You dove into him again, your lips kissing and nibbling on his neck as you played with the buttons on his shirt, taking your time undoing them. He twisted and turned under you, cursing as he tried to throw you off.

"I've been waiting for this," you whispered in his ear, making him struggle beneath you, "do you know what I'm going to do with you, now that we're alone?"

"What are you going to do to me? Why don't you let me go?" Doyoung asked, nearly moaning again. You slowly ground your hips down against his, your wet pussy rubbing against the growing hard-on he was fighting in his jeans. "I'm going to do whatever I want," you breathed as you finally undid the last button of his shirt, leaving the pristine skin of his chest exposed to you. You teasingly, lightly raked your nails down his chest, making him whine and struggle. You leaned back down to whisper in his ear, "Doyoung-oppa, I can't let you go until we're both satisfied."

Doyoung thrashed and struggled, an actual moan escaping his lips at the affectionate term. You took the opportunity to slap him -- lightly but purposefully -- across the face. His expression was shocked but the unmistakable erection pressing up against you didn't wane. He settled back into the bed, a look of simultaneous fear, excitement, and arousal on his face.

"Do I need to shut you up again, Oppa? I hope not," you giggled, taking your time unbuckling his belt, "you know I love your voice but it makes me too excited when you make such a fuss." You couldn't help but notice Doyoung's breath was wavering, he was so aroused.

"Come on," Doyoung gasped, "let me go and there won't be any trouble." His demands were pathetic and he knew it. As much as he ever tried to imagine this situation to prepare for it, he never could've predicted how commanding you'd be. "What do you want? Do you want a date? Let me go and we can go out for real."

You smiled as you leaned down once more. You kissed his forehead before sliding down his body. Your lips hesitated at his collarbones. Doyoung met your gaze right as you bit down harshly on the thin skin there. Doyoung clenched his eyes shut, his back arching as he cried out.

"Agh! You fucking bitch," he seethed as he wriggled beneath you, "let me go and I won't fucking kill you!"

You laughed out loud at the feeble threat, fully unbuckling his belt and unceremoniously pulling his pants open. You grabbed his hard cock in your hand, causing him to throw his head back and moan. You teasingly threw the belt around your neck, wagging the loose ends in front of him, taunting him with the lost prospect of closing that belt around your neck and squeezing.

"Oppa, I think you want this too much," you admonished, "do you hear how loud the bar is downstairs? No one can hear you up here. So I may as well shut you up myself." Doyoung sank back on the pillows as you climbed up, soon sitting on his chest, your knees to either side of his head. He trembled beneath you, your warm pussy just inches from his face. Smiling evilly, you grabbed the bars of the headboard and pulled yourself up, slowly easing yourself back down on Doyoung's lips. It was your turn to shiver. His hot breath on your core, you could tell he was fighting the urge to immediately lick your bare pussy.

You threaded your fingers through Doyoung's raven hair and swiftly pulled, making him yelp. "Oppa, Doyoung," you whined, "this will all be over so much faster if you help me. We'll both be so satisfied."

Doyoung moaned into your pussy, breathing you in. He pulled at his restraints, the metal digging into the fabric ties you put between the cuffs and his skin. You resisted the desire to play nice. You pulled Doyoung's hair again, grinding yourself down on his tongue once he opened his mouth even the smallest bit to whimper. He kicked, pulling at the restraints on his ankles. You couldn't help but notice how much sexier this felt with the two of you being mostly dressed still. You decided you wouldn't strip him or yourself much more. In fact, you wanted to get a better vantage point. You gently got up, letting Doyoung gasp for air beneath you as you turned. You took in the sight of him: sweating and flushed, his eyes dilated and glazed over, his usually soft hair matted to his forehead with perspiration. You felt a small pang of arousal in your tummy as you noticed the telltale sheen of your juices on his lips and chin. You carefully turned -- bracing yourself on the modestly low ceiling of the apartment -- before settling back down onto Doyoung's face, this time facing his feet. Doyoung moaned and whimpered beneath you again, but you could feel the distinct sensation of his tongue on your clit. You moaned cutely, wriggling your hips on his face as he licked and breathed you. You let your hands wander down his torso to where you had previously unbuckled his belt. You reached for his rigid cock in his briefs, playfully stopping when it made him groan louder. You took him in both hands, leaning forward and off of his mouth to softly flick your tongue over his swollen head. He gasped, struggling to moan while he was fighting for breath again.

You took your time, adopting an excruciating pace for licking and sucking Doyoung's hard cock until, finally, you heard him beg. "Please," he whimpered, "do something."

You smiled to yourself, sitting up and turning to face him. "What was that, Oppa?"

"Please," he struggled, "you want me to cum, right? Just make me cum and you'll please me and you can let me go."

You shook your head, laughing as you let a bead of saliva drip from your lips onto his dick. His body jerked at the sensation. "No, Doyoung," you purred, "I know you're too sweet to be satisfied with just that. You want me to cum, too, don't you?"

Doyoung had actually broken into a sweat, he was so painfully aroused. He chewed at his lip, conflicted by any answer he came up with. "Then come up here... Baby," Doyoung bargained, "Come back here and I'll make you feel good."

You grinned devilishly back at him, happy to have broken him down. "You're so good to me, Oppa, just like I knew you would be," you sighed as you leaned back onto his eager tongue. You were much meaner this time, really making him fight to breathe between licking and suckling at your wet folds. Doyoung was bringing you closer to your climax and you dug your nails into his chest, causing him to cry out underneath you just as he made you cum. Your nerves exploded, the sensation making your spine turn to jelly and making you dizzy for just a moment as you rode and came on his face like he was a useless toy under you. You climbed off, the both of you gasping for air as you immediately slid yourself down his body to sit back on his lap. You admired his face, red and slick with your glistening juices.

"Come on, baby, please," Doyoung begged, looking desperate, "help Oppa cum and you'll be done pleasing me and let me go."

You smiled sweetly, gladly sitting up to tease his cock against your soaked pussy. Doyoung froze beneath you, rigid. "Wait, what are you doing?"

You rubbed the soft head of his cock around your entrance, "I'm getting what I came here for," you moaned.

"But I thought you would suck me off some more," Doyoung anxiously wondered.

"Why would I do that," you pondered out loud, "when I can tell all my friends that I fucked Kim Doyoung?"

Doyoung bucked hard beneath you, trying to shake you off. "Don't you dare, you bitch!" He pathetically cried out, only getting giggles from you in return. "You've had your fun, and now you're taking it too far. Let me go, I mean it."

You lovingly cupped his face in your hand and you settled for a second, savoring the silence between you for just a moment before you slapped him again. His cock twitched against you at the sensation. You both moaned. Now that you really got his attention, you slapped him once more, this time sinking down to fully take his cock. You cried out at the fullness. Doyoung threw his head back into the pillow, gripping his wrist restraints and clenching his jaw as his whole length disappeared into your wet depths.

"Oh, fuck," Doyoung moaned loudly, his hips subconsciously rolling up to meet yours, "I told you no, you fucking bitch, I'm going to kill you," he breathed.

"Awh, Oppa," you playfully mewled, "you're so cute when you're mad." You lifted yourself almost completely off of Doyoung before dropping yourself back down. Doyoung cried out, so overstimulated by now that he was nearly on the verge of tears. He pulled hard on his restraints, the skin of his wrists turning an angry shade of red.

Carefully, you bobbed the sensitive of head of his cock into your pussy, barely dipping him into you each time. Precum flowed freely from his tip, just adding to the mess you were making of him. Doyoung clenched his eyes shut, gritting through his teeth as you continually teased him. "Please, you cunt," he groaned, "if you're going to do this then at least make me cum. Please, please make Oppa cum. I feel like I'm fucking dying."

You took mercy on him. "Alright Oppa, you can cum... But only inside of me."

Doyoung's eyes flew open. "Are you insane, you crazy bi--" His venom was interrupted with a strangled moan as you sank all the way back down on his cock.

"Cum in me, Oppa," you begged sweetly, grinding your hips down against his. He couldn't resist meeting your thrusts. He knew he was in trouble.

"Don't make me do this, baby," he sweet-talked you, "Oppa can please you a different way."

"No, Doyoung-oppa, this is the only way." You gave him an affectionate kiss on the lips before he jerked his chin away from you. You picked up your pace on his cock, knowing he was close to the tipping point.

You rode him harder as you kissed his face, making poor, wrecked Doyoung cry out from under you. Your lips trailed back down to Doyoung's collarbones. Your pace didn't let up as you grazed your teeth over the delicate skin.

"No, don't, I'll--" Doyoung choked out as you firmly bit down on the flesh, shocking Doyoung into having a screaming orgasm. He thrust hard up into you, his cock flooding your pussy with hot cum.

You kissed his brow, smiling cutely. "See, Oppa? It doesn't take much to please me." Doyoung whimpered as you eased off of him and casually walked into the bathroom of the small apartment to clean up, very aware of the cum spilling down your thighs.

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Doyoung was still catching his breath and coming back to the real world, almost lucid when you returned from the bathroom. He looked up at you, sweating and grateful as you unlatched the handcuffs and released his ankles from their restraints. Taking gentle hold of his wrists, you helped him extend his sore limbs back down to his sides as you examined him for any major marks under the extra fabric you'd tied as a barrier for the cuffs. You took the damp cloth you'd brought from the bathroom and gently cleaned him up, being careful of the light bruises and scratches decorating his skin. You inspected the sizeable, regrettable bite mark you left on Doyoung's collarbone in your frenzy. It was too late to do anything about it now. Once you were both clean, Doyoung watched intently as you stripped down, removing your cute outfit and leaving it in a pile on the floor. You were careful as you finally removed the rest of Doyoung's clothes and helped him into a new resting position on his side to give his spine, shoulders, and hips some relief after being stuck in the same position for so long. Lastly, you freed Doyoung of your lacy panties that you had hung around his neck. The frilly garment joined the rest of your clothes on the floor as you climbed into bed next to him. "What time is it?" Doyoung asked, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you close.

"Why," you laughed, "do you have somewhere to be? The guys outside will be there until sunrise. We won't be bothered."

"Sunrise sounds good. I should still be able to get back before everyone wakes up." Doyoung kissed the top of your head as you held each other, excited to see what your future dates would hold.

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[pagsys-writings]

Got any Sanrai ideas for us? Not sure if you shipped them or not

Hello anon! Sorry I’m just seeing this. So it has been a hot second since I last wrote anything related to Daiya that wasn’t directly connected to my miyunori parent au. And I don’t have anything planned for sanrai but I admit that it is such a cute pairing so I threw something quick together for you anon :) because I love getting messages and what not! But since it’s been so long and I haven’t been keeping up with the manga, I’m sorry if my descriptions of the characters are off ^^;

also I love a flustered, socially awkward, stuttering Raichi mess. Fair warning. So um yes, have this little thing. I’m going to put a cut here because it ended up a little long.

Raichi loved school because it meant he could play baseball with all of his friends. Because that’s what his teammates were now - his friends. The thought always brought a smile to his face.

But school was not like baseball. He wasn’t confident in it. He had to study and work hard just to pass, but it always helped that he wasn’t the only one and he had his teammates to help him. So the schoolwork wasn’t the worst.

What was the worst for Raichi were the classmates that weren’t his teammates and trying to socialize with them. After the hundredth time of failing to get his words out, he’d pretty much decided to stay quiet and keep to himself. It made the moments when his teammates (and Sanada especially) decided to visit his class that much better.

And then there were the dreaded… presentations. Raichi could stay afloat in regard to classwork. But presentations were just another hurdle that Raichi struggled to get over. They were a different kind of breed all together.

He always ended up a stuttering mess with clammy hands and a face flushed in embarrassment. Raichi couldn’t forget the unimpressed looks of his classmates and the frustrated sigh of his teacher before telling Raichi to return to his seat. It was frustrating, embarrassing and the feelings stuck with him long after the event passed.

Sanada knew that too. So when Raichi was given notice that he’d have to present his work, Sanada decided to help. They spent the entire week leading up to the dreaded day preparing and practicing. It took days for Raichi to become comfortable enough to keep from stuttering in front of Sanada.

And Raichi memorized and memorized every word he planned on saying. He could probably recite it in his sleep. So Sanada decided that it was time for one last practice. They gathered the team together in a dorm they set up as a mock classroom.

He thought he could do it. These were his teammates, who always had his back. He could do it… should be able to do it. Yet… as soon as Raichi stood in front of them and all eyes were trained on him, he froze.

The paper in his hands wrinkled under his tight hold. He looked down at the words to find they no longer made any sense. They might as well have been written in some unknown or dead language. All the confidence he had felt just evaporated and Raichi wondered if he had imagined feeling comfortable at all.

It’s no use, he thought and felt as if he’d failed Sanada. After all they’d done together to prepare, he couldn’t even utter a sentence. He couldn’t even remember where to start. Probably his name, but… his mouth felt detached from his brain.

The shut down was inevitable. Raichi lowered his head and stared at the ground. He hadn’t realized tears had started to form until the feet under his gaze began to blur.

“Alright,” Sanada’s voice touched his ears. “Thanks for coming guys. We appreciate it.”

Raichi refused to look up. He heard all the confused mumbles and grumbles. He felt a twinge of guilt run through him. They probably had better things to do then sit and watch Raichi fall apart. And that’s when he heard it. “I don’t understand how he can be so different on a baseball field.” It was mumbled, but Raichi heard it. He didn’t know why either. He wished it wasn’t so different.

The door closed and the room fell into silence. Raichi sniffled and shut his eyes, feeling the tears trail down his cheeks. It was pointless after all.

“Hey.” Gentle hands cupped his cheeks and lifted his face. There were no hints of annoyance or disappointment on Sanada’s face. The only thing Raichi could see was concern. Concern for Raichi. “It’s fine. You did great.”

Raichi shook his head. He didn’t trust his words. His throat felt too constricted to even voice a syllable, and the feeling got worse as Sanada began wiping the tears away, his calloused fingers slightly catching against Raichi’s scar. All he could do was stand there and freeze.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Sanada spoke again. “You stood in front of all our teammates somewhere besides the baseball field. Be proud of that.”

Raichi took in a breath but it was unsteady. “B-but…” But I couldn’t do it, He wanted to say.

Sanada guided him to the bed and had him get under the covers. He wrapped him up in the blankets. Raichi had to admit it made him feel better - safer. He pulled them closer and covered his face. Blocking out the world seemed like a good choice for now.

The silence didn’t even seem so bad.

“They have a point, you know?” Sanada said. Confused, Raichi lifted his head enough to see the other. “If you were playing a game, this wouldn’t be a problem.” Raichi knew that, but what was he supposed to do to fix that? He watched Sanada lean back on his arms. His face told Raichi he was thinking seriously about it. “It would be nice if we could bring the field to you.”

Raichi thought about it and nodded. That would be nice but it’s not like they could actually do that. He reached out and touched one of Sanada’s hands. He ran his fingers over the calluses there. Evidence of how hard Sanada had been working. It calmed him for some reason. “It’s… okay.” He said slowly to get his words out clearly.

And it was okay. He’d just repeat the past. It’s not like his teachers were going to expect something different from him this time. It was fine.

Sanada still seemed pensive as he watched Raichi’s fingers against his hand. And then it was like he realized something. He took one of Raichi’s hands and opened it palm up. His fingers rand across the multitude of calluses and scars from hours of batting practice. Raichi watched him curiously.

“This might not work,” Sanada began, “but I want you to try something tomorrow.” When Sanada looked at him, Raichi nodded to tell him he was listening. “When you get up there and all the people are staring at you.” Raichi felt himself tense at the thought. “I want you to feel your calluses and imagine yourself holding a bat. Think of practice and playing baseball. Maybe it’ll help you relax.”

Raichi nodded it was worth a shot. Sanada smiled and it made Raichi feel a little more at ease. Yet not calm enough to sleep through the night. He tossed and turned. Dreams of classrooms and presentations keeping him from a restful sleep.

By the time he sat in his classroom, he was an emotional wreck. He couldn’t stop fidgeting. Everything his teachers were saying went in one ear and out the other. The only thought Raichi could focus on was the impending presentation.

“Todoroki Raichi.” His head snapped up at the sound of his name. Instantly, he felt every eye in the room turn on him. “It’s your turn to present.” Raichi felt the blood drain from his face. They were already doing the presentations?

Robotically, Raichi stood from his seat, almost knocking his materials to the floor. He heard someone snicker behind him and instantly his face flushed. Holding onto his paper, we walked to the front of the room and glanced at his teacher. She gave him a nod to begin.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He noticed that no one was really paying attention to him. They don’t think I can do this either.

Raichi looked down at his hands. They were shaking and felt colder than usual. He took a small, shallow breath. Looking at his hands, Raichi thought of Sanada and his words of encouragement. If Sanada believed in him then he should believe in himself too.

He closed his eyes and took another breath - deeper this time and thought about holding a bat in his hands. He imagined it weighing his hands down instead of the light paper and felt his shoulders relax. Maybe he could do this.

“Todoroki?” His teacher looked at him. “You can begin.”

He nodded sharply - too quick to be considered natural. “Y-yes!” He yelled a bit too loudly and slightly higher pitched than usual. His teacher seemed surprised and nodded for him to continue.

Turning to his classmates, Raichi looked down at his paper and began. He watched confusion and surprise appear on all of their faces. He felt hot and cold at the same time as he stuttered through most of the areas of his presentation, but he was getting through it. The nerves were threatening to take over but he continued to remember the feeling of his calluses and what made them. He could do it.

When he finished, he felt lightheaded like he was seconds from passing out, but he held it together. He barely registered his teacher offering congratulations as he wobbled back to his desk. His classmates continued to stare at him but for different reasons than expected.

Once seated, he stared at his paper as the next student took his place.

He did it. 

He really did it.

And the only thought besides that was that he had to tell Sanada because it was thanks to him that he managed to complete it.

Before he realized it, the chime signalling the end of class and beginning of lunch rang through the school. Raichi watched as all of his classmates put their things away in their bags. Some pulled out homemade lunches while others left the room to find the cafeteria.

Raichi waited a second before realizing that meant he could leave. He could find Sanada. He hastily packed his bag and left it at his desk. Moving as quickly as he could without bumping into his classmates, Raichi made it to the door.

He had every intention of finding Sanada, but Sanada must have had the same idea because he stood just across the hall. When he saw Raichi, his face became worried. “Hey,” he said as his eyes looked over Raichi, looking for signs of distress, “how did it-”

Raichi took three quick strides and pressed his face into Sanada’s chest while wrapping his arms around Sanada’s torso before the question was even finished. “Raichi, are you okay?” His voice was filled with concern as he wrapped Raichi in hug.

Raichi nodded against Sanada’s shirt. He felt all the nerves and stress leave his body like Sanada was able to absorb it for him. When he felt well enough, Raichi looked up at the other’s worried face and grinned. “I- I did it!” He exclaimed happily.

A bright smile spread across Sanada’s face as he gave Raichi a tight hug in response. “That’s great! I knew you could do it!”

Closing his eyes, Raichi leaned into Sanada’s hug. He almost felt as happy as he would be playing on the baseball field. And then he felt something warm touch his forehead. It was brief and when Raichi opened his eyes, he saw Sanada pulling away. 

He felt his face flush before glancing around to find the hallway empty or at least no one paying them much attention. So he quickly pressed his face back against Sanada’s chest, finding comfort of the weight of the hug. He smiled as the sound of Sanada’s laughter reached his ears.

[hale-of-stiles-heart]

hearts on fire tonight

Alright fall fic done; two in one day! For the sentence starter: “I’m having a bonfire tonight, wanna come?” Also on ao3!

Bakugo wiped his sweaty palms on his pants for what seemed like the hundredth time since leaving his room.

The walk to Kirishima's room from his own lasted no more than thirty seconds but today it felt like a fucking eternity. Like he was wading through quicksand or sludge instead of just walking a room over.

It was an odd feeling, this rush of uncharacteristic anxiety surging through him like he had been hit by one of Kaminari's electric shocks. It was fucking ridiculous.

His Quirk naturally made him sweat at an accelerated rate compared to most people but with how nervous he was his palms were absolutely drenched. He wiped them on his jeans again.

Fuck. He would probably have to change his pants after this. And figure out a way to stop his fucking palms from sweating.

Before him, Kirishima's door was like a beacon, a lighthouse calling out to him from the shore as he trudged through the stormy waves. But at the same time, it had never looked so intimidating.

Bakugo shook his head, hating himself for feeling so fucking nervous. It wasn't like he was fucking proposing, he was just asking Kirishima if he wanted to hang out with him. At his house. Alone. While his parents were out of town visiting distant relatives.

Ugh, who the hell was he kidding? He had good reason to be nervous and he knew it.

Because as much as he tried to tell himself that he was just inviting Kirishima to hang out like they had a million times before, that he shouldn't be such a fucking wuss about it, he knew damn well that it was more than that. Because Bakugo was finally going to tell Kirishima that he had feelings for him.

Feelings that could completely shatter the friendship they had built together since the beginning of the year. Because his feelings weren't the kind that friends typically had for each other.

At least, he didn't think so. He didn't have much as a frame of reference. But he had never wanted to shove Kaminari or Sero against a wall and kiss the living daylights out of them. So he was pretty sure Kirishima was special in that regard.

The feelings he had for Kirishima were romantic feelings, loath as Bakugo was to admit it. But today he was. He was finally going to.

It had taken weeks for Bakugo to figure out how exactly to go about confessing his feelings. It wasn't like he had ever done it before.

Hell, he had never even really been attracted to anyone before. And he had always prided himself on that, on not being like the rest of the idiots he had gone to elementary and middle school with who had obsessed over dates and school dances and first kisses.

He'd always had more important things to worry about. Like becoming the number one pro hero.

Then he had met Kirishima. Just like that he was daydreaming about going on dates with Kirishima to see the newest All Might movies and making out in Kirishima's room instead of studying. Fuck, he was pathetic.

He shook himself again, pausing outside of Kirishima's door to take a deep, bracing breath. Clenching his jaw, he finally raised his hand to knock on Kirishima's door, for good measure calling, "Yo, shitty hair!"

Grand entrances were romantic, right?

Barely a moment later, the door swung open to reveal Kirishima's brightly smiling face, sharp squaloid teeth on full display. Smile somehow growing even wider when he saw Bakugo, he cheerily greeted, "Hey, man! What's up?"

Bakugo was immediately distracted. Kirishima had clearly been working out before answering the door. He was shirtless and flushed with a white towel draped around the back of his neck, glistening with sweat.

Kirishima shirtless wasn't necessarily an unusual sight, his hero costume revealed a lot of skin after all, but that didn't mean it didn't affect Bakugo. He prided himself on not being ruled by his hormones but he was still a teenaged boy face to face with his unfairly good-looking, shirtless crush.

Besides, even if Bakugo didn't have a crush on Kirishima, a chest that tanned and sculpted, artfully dotted with sweat like Kirishima was in some kind of bordering-on-pornographic commercial for men's underwear or something, was enough to make any male-attracted person's mouth go dry.

Bakugo had to force himself to focus on Kirishima's equally distracting face in an attempt to keep from drooling like some kind of objectifying asshole. Desperately hoping he wasn't blushing (the capillaries in his cheeks were fucking traitors) he cleared his throat. "I'm having a bonfire at my place tonight. You wanna come?"

"Really, dude? Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Kirishima beamed, just as excited as Bakugo expected him to be. He was like a big, overgrown puppy, wagging his tail and jumping around at the prospect of a long car ride around the neighborhood.

Bakugo imagined Kirishima would react the same exact way if his friends asked him to root through a dumpster with them in the middle of the night. He was like the Energizer Bunny of disproportionate enthusiasm and Bakugo was completely ass over ankles for him.

"Who else is coming?" Kirishima asked, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against the door jamb. Leave it to Kirishima to immediately want to include others in anything he thought they would enjoy.

"No one," Bakugo said, rolling his eyes. He tried to shrug casually, not wanting to let Kirishima know how eager he was for it to just be the two of them. "I just figured we could hang out. Y'know, just us."

"Oh, yeah, no problem. Keeping it low-key, I dig it," Kirishima immediately replied, not at all fazed by Bakugo's dismissal. Still smiling widely, he looked back over his shoulder at his hideous flexing arm clock on the other side of the room, checking the time. "What time should I head over?"

"Uh, I figure we can go in like an hour," Bakugo answered, scratching the inside of his wrist. Sniffing, he belatedly tacked on, "That alright?"

"Yeah, man, that's perfect!" Kirishima nodded excitedly, turning back around to face Bakugo. He dabbed his forehead with one end of his towel, wrinkling his nose and commenting, "It'll give me time to grab a shower. I stink."

Bakugo just nodded, not trusting himself to not say anything stupid, and turned on his heel to walk back to his own room. He heard Kirishima's door shut behind himself him with a soft click.

Walking into his room, he kicked the door shut with a deep, shaky sigh. The first phase of his plan had gone off without a hitch, now he had an hour to get ready for the next part.

And find a way to get his palms to stop sweating so fucking much.

The look of pure shock and awe on Kirishima's face upon seeing Bakugo's backyard made all of the anxiety and sweaty palms worth it.

"Dude," Kirishima breathed, absolutely wonderstruck, as he spun in a wide circle in the middle of the backyard. Arms outstretched, he made a full three-sixty, taking in every last detail, from the professionally manicured lawn to the laid stone patio and designer porch furniture.

Like a little kid let loose in a candy store, marveling at all the sweets laid out before him, Kirishima aimlessly wandered around the backyard, investigating whatever happened to catch his eye.

He let out an impressed whistle at the brand new grill Bakugo's dad had purchased only a few months ago, eyes widening comically at the gleaming sheen of the stainless steel. No doubt Kirishima was imagining all of the meat that could be cooked on the grill, licking his chops at the thought of burgers and steaks.

The well-maintained flower beds that ran the length of the tall wooden fence drew Kirishima's attention next. He oohed and aahed at the bright orange chrysanthemums and fiery red asters that Bakugo's mother had painstakingly planted and weeded and watered.

But what really drew his attention was the main attraction: the large steel fire pit in the middle of the backyard, nestled in the lush green grass. A cushioned patio swing stood against the back fence, parallel to the fire pit.

Kirishima's eyes had nearly bulged out of his head at the sight, jaw slack. Bakugo didn't think he had ever seen anyone so excited to see a backyard.

Then again, Kirishima had reacted the same way when he had first seen Bakugo's house. He had been over to Bakugo's a handful of times before they had moved into the dorms, often walking home with him despite the fact that he lived in Chiba.

And every time, Kirishima had been similarly awestruck by different facets of Bakugo's house. First, it had been the exterior, then the spacious interior followed by his weird obsession with the fact that there were two sinks in Bakugo's kitchen.

When Bakugo had pointed out that it wasn't a big deal, Kirishima had reminded him that he had grown up in a tiny apartment with his parents and horde of siblings.

"Your backyard is so awesome!" Kirishima announced, turning back around to Bakugo with a wide, toothy grin. Bakugo just rolled his eyes as he continued filling the fire pit with logs and kindling in the form of old newspapers and a few pine cones.

Kirishima helped himself to a seat on the swing, keeping one foot on the ground to rock the swing. He pulled the other leg up, setting his chin on his knee as he continued watching Bakugo carefully arrange the logs.

As he lit the bonfire with a small controlled explosion, Bakugo watched Kirishima from the corner of his eye. After his shower, he had changed into a gray sweatshirt and a pair of faded dark blue jeans that had a hole in the left knee. He looked beyond cozy, perfect for a chilly fall night.

He hadn't bothered re-styling his hair after showering, leaving it down. It somehow made him even more attractive than usual. Bakugo was fucked.

Which is why it took him a second to realize that Kirishima had just asked him something. Blinking a few times, Bakugo hummed, "Huh?"

It was Kirishima's turn to roll his eyes. "I asked where your parents are. They working tonight or something?"

"Nah, they're visiting my great aunt or some shit," Bakugo succinctly explained, tossing a few more sticks into the fire pit to crackle and burn. Taking a deep breath, he stood and moved to sit with Kirishima on the swing.

"You didn't go with them?" Kirishima asked, turning his head to keep his eyes on Bakugo. He frowned a bit, clearly confused.

"Obviously not," Bakugo scoffed, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back against the cushions of the swing. "Why the hell would I wanna go visit some old bat I don't even know?"

Kirishima snorted a laugh, shaking his head fondly. He pulled his other leg up onto the swing, tucking both beneath himself as he leaned against Bakugo's side, as tactile as ever.

Bakugo took over rocking the swing for them, basking in the feel of Kirishima leaning against him. They sat together for a while, watching the flames of the bonfire in companionable silence. Predictably, it was Kirishima who broke the silence while Bakugo desperately tried to figure out what the hell he was going to say.

"Thanks for inviting me, tonight," Kirishima said quietly, tilting his head up to flash a soft smile at Bakugo. "This is really nice."

Bakugo swallowed heavily. It was now or never.

"I, uh, wanted to tell you something," Bakugo managed to say, nervously licking his lips. He looked down at Kirishima, at those big red eyes and soft smile, words catching in his throat.

His trouble speaking didn't go unnoticed by Kirishima. Raising his head, Kirishima scooted a few inches closer. "What is it?"

"I like you," Bakugo blurted, the words bursting out of his mouth like one of his explosions, frenzied and louder than he had intended, potentially hazardous. But there was no going back now.

"Oh," Kirishima whispered, eyes wide, his mouth forming a perfect o. He blinked a few times, slowly digesting Bakugo's words.

Bakugo waited with bated breath for Kirishima to say something else, anything else. Even a rejection would be better than the silence, so uncharacteristic of Kirishima.

But Kirishima didn't say anything. At least, not at first.

He simply reached over to slide his hand into Bakugo's, interlacing their fingers. He didn't seem at all fazed by Bakugo's sweaty palms.

"Thank you for telling me," Kirishima said, ducking his chin with a small, self-conscious smile. Running his thumb over Bakugo's knuckles, he admitted, "If you didn't, I probably never woulda worked up the nerve to."

He raised his head to meet Bakugo's eyes again, smile still shy and reserved. "I like you, too, Bakugo. A lot."

Lifting their joined hands, he dipped his head to brush his lips against Bakugo's knuckles, kissing the back of his hand. Lowering their hands to his lap, he leaned more heavily against Bakugo's side, resting his flushed cheek on Bakugo's shoulder.

Bakugo let out the breath he had been holding, relief and happiness and disbelief rushing through him like a typhoon. But Kirishima — his rock, his lighthouse — was right there with him to guide him out of the storm. Sweaty palms be damned.

Send me Kiribaku prompts!

[satyr-syd]

Momo spends her evening making a chess set.

The purpose of making the chess set it twofold: firstly, to practice forming small, intricate figures made of both wood and paint, and secondly, to play chess. Chess was always something she wanted to try, but never had the chance to. That’s not entirely true: she’s played against a computer before, so she knows the rules and a bit of strategy. But she’s never played with a real person. She wants a real game, during which she can physically move the pieces and see the board in three dimensions. She wants to play against a real person she can clearly see in front of her.

Momo sits in the common area, laying the board she created first in front of her. Then she begins making the pieces, concentrating deeply while pieces fall out from her thighs. At first, Jirou and Tooru keep her company, but they soon tire and head off to eat. Aoyama compliments her on the shiny paint job. Iida asks if he would be allowed to play against her once she’s finished.

In total, it takes her two hours. By the time she finishes, she’s starving. Before she heads to the kitchen, Momo arranges all the pieces in their proper places. She’s pretty proud of her work; the pure white and pitch black armies look rather regal standing off against each other on the checkered board. As an afterthought, she pushes a white pawn forward.

Her stomach rumbles, and Momo head off to make herself a big dinner.

The next morning, she sees that the chess board is not as she left it. A black pawn has been moved two spaces forward, two columns away from the one she pushed forward last night.

She asks around to see who might have done it, but no one knows.

Before she goes to bed that night, she pushes her pawn forward another space. And the game begins.

It goes on like that for a week. Momo still doesn’t know for sure who she’s playing. She doesn’t think it’s one of the girls; since she’s friendly enough with all of them, they would most likely tell her directly. Her second guess had been Iida - he had said he wanted to play her. But when she had asked, he said it wasn’t him. She suspects it’s Tokoyami, or maybe Ojiro. They seem to have the disposition for chess, and might be shy enough to avoid confronting her about it.

She can’t bring herself to ask them, though, afraid that if she did, she would scare them off and the game would end.

But playing one move a night is agonizingly slow. They’re getting nowhere at this rate. So that night, Momo waits up, hovering around the kitchen while keeping an eye on the common area.

Evening fades into night, the natural light of the setting sun replaced by electric lights within the dorm. The hands on the clock tick away slowly, round and round, and still, no one touches the board. Each of her classmates head up one by one, until it’s only Tokoyami and Bakugou left. And then Tokoyami heads upstairs.

No way.

Sure enough, Bakugou gets up and moves a piece. He flickers his eyes up and glares at her.

Momo jumps. She didn’t think he realized she was there.

“Well?” he asks. “Your move.”

Momo treads warily out of the kitchen and sits down on the white side of the board, directly across from Bakugou. He perches on his shins, watching the board like a hawk, waiting for her to make a move.

She pushes a pawn forward, watching as his lips tighten into a line.

Logically, she shows this makes sense. Momo had never thought Bakugou would have the patience for a game like chess, or that he would play with her. Yet, he certainly has the intelligence the game requires; Bakugou is third in their class in terms of grades, after all. And he likes competition. Momo bets he probably couldn’t help himself when he saw a game with only one player.

Momo’s not sure how she feels about facing off against Bakugou. By chance or luck, she’s never had to work with or against him in any training exercise or otherwise. If she’s being honest with herself, she’s a little intimidated by him now. But she can’t back down now, not when the game has already begun.

Playing against a person is different than playing against a computer. Momo can read the minute expressions on Bakugou’s face. She can feel the anticipation rise as she waits for him to make his move. The moment after she makes her move and gauges Bakugou’s reaction is just as exhilarating as any villain battle.

Yet the atmosphere is completely different any battle she’s fought. Not just regarding the game, but regarding Bakugou. His silence surprises her the most. Apart from swearing under his breath a few times, he’s quiet, contemplative. After only knowing Bakugou as loud and abrasive, this quiet Bakugou throws her for a loop.  

Eventually she glances at the clock.

“Oh...it’s late,” she says. It’s been nearly an hour. It only feels like a few minutes have gone by.

Momo stands up, feeling a little woozy. She usually doesn’t stay up this late, and she didn’t realize how much brain power she was using for their game.

Bakugou glances up at her, eyebrow raised.

Momo looks at her feet, afraid to meet his eyes. “Could we, um, continue tomorrow?”

To her relief, Bakugou nods.

“You start next time,” he says.

Momo nods and scurries off to her room. When her head hits the pillow, she crashes into a deep, satisfying sleep.

If Bakugou Katsuki was a matroyshka doll, playing the game that night would be Momo popping open his first shell. At first she thought the Bakugou who played chess with her was different than the Bakugou who ravaged the battlefield. But she realized they were one and the same - the Bakugou on the battlefield was always calculating and strategizing too, even if it didn’t look like it. This Bakugou was just a deeper aspect of himself, a layer underneath his aggressive personality.

Momo wonders what lies at Bakugou’s very core.

Nearly every night from then on, Momo plays chess with Bakugou. It becomes a part of the common area routine. Iida places coasters under the stray glasses that dot the counters. Satou makes sweets for everyone on Saturday nights. Kaminari and Ashido play weird music really loud when they try to ‘study.’ Momo and Bakugou play chess in the corner every night.

Sometimes people will stop and watch them. Ashido and Kaminari became her personal cheerleaders, which Bakugou despises but everyone else finds hilarious. Jirou once fell asleep on her lap when a particularly tense point in the game dragged on past their usual hour. Sometimes Iida looks over their shoulder, mouth twisting and fingers twiddling like he wants to say something, give them advice about what moves to do next, but Uraraka stops him before he can say anything.

Bakugou wins the first game. And the second. But Momo wins the third. Now their sessions stretch out even longer, and the fiery glint of competitiveness in Bakugou’s eyes grows brighter and more focused.

They don’t talk much when they play. Momo doesn’t know what she would even say if they did. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t still a intimidated by Bakugou - but who wasn’t? Someone as confident and strong as he was, overpowering the likes of Todoroki...Momo could only hope she wouldn’t disappear in his shadow.

“Check,” Momo says, moving her queen opposite Bakugou’s king.

Bakugou grimaces, glaring at the board like it personally offended him. She’s thankful his quirk is confined to his hands: if he could make explosions with his eyes, the board would be in flames.

After a few seconds of debating, Bakugou moves his king over a square.

Momo anticipated this, so she knows what she needs to do next. But what if that isn’t the right move? Maybe it would be better if she went about this a different way. Let’s see, if she moves this piece instead, that could lead to a quicker victory. But only if Bakugou made the choices she thought he would make. But would he know she was thinking that he would make those choices, and change his course? What if -

“Hey. Your move.”

Momo purses her lips at Bakugou’s impatience. “I’m thinking,” she says.

“No shit,” Bakugou retorts. “Think faster.”

Momo rolls her eyes, trying to brush off his attitude. It wasn’t easy; this wasn’t the first time he urged her to go faster either, and she doubted it would be the last.

She glances at the board again. “Sorry,” she says, trying to flip through simulations as fast as she can. Maybe she should stick with her original move after all, but perhaps -  

Bakugou slams his hands against the table, making the board quake. Momo jumps back. “You just need to trust yourself, dumbass,” Bakugou growls. “Stop fucking second guessing yourself.”

Momo is reminded of the end of term test, when she and Todoroki were paired up against Aizawa-sensei. Awed by Todoroki’s quick thinking and control of the situation, she remembers unquestionably following his lead - even though she had an idea of her own. She knows she always compares herself to Todoroki, and she’s tried to stop herself from doing that lately, but ever since the sports festival, she’s realized her classmates are even more amazing than she initially surmised. It’s not only Todoroki’s who’s more skilled than her - she’s competing against people who are more determined, more qualified -

I’m telling you you were more qualified than me!

Todoroki’s words ring in the back of her mind, reminding her that they had prevailed that time, through the plan she came up with.

Bakugou’s right. She needs to have more confidence in her own abilities.

She sticks with her initial plan and moves her queen.

“Finally,” Bakugou mutters, already making his move. This time, Momo doesn’t let herself hesitate before countering back.

Immediately she regrets her move, but she holds her tongue, not wanting to test Bakugou’s patience. She’s a little more cautious the rest of the game, and Bakugou grits his teeth a little harder.

Momo wonders why Bakugou cares so much that she’s hesitating. At first she thinks it’s because he’s impatient. But then she remembers the sports festival, and how angry he’d been at Todoroki, even though he won. This was another layer of the Bakugou matroyshka: the desire to win fully and completely, to have no room for doubt that he was the stronger competitor. She doesn’t know anyone else, besides Midoriya, maybe, who would be so incensed by that. Where did that anger stem from? Was it because he was afraid of not being taken seriously? Did he think that those who didn’t give it their all against him thought he was weak?

Did Bakugou think she wasn’t giving it her all?

Wasn’t he right?

The myriad of thoughts spinning around her head distract her from the game in front of her. She takes even longer to make her moves, agonizing over each mistake she makes. Doubt seeps through the cracks in her confidence, causing frustration to trickle down to her fingertips. She falls into the exact trap Bakugou told her to avoid.

The game ends in a stalemate. Unsatisfied with the result, Bakugou demands they start another.

“In the morning,” Momo sighs.

Bakugou grunts in affirmation. “And this time, stop fucking hesitating.”

“So. Have you dethroned the king yet?” Jirou asks her during class.

“Once,” Momo says. “But that might have been a fluke…”

“It couldn’t have been,” Jirou tells her. “Bakugou would never let you win by accident.”

Momo smiles and thanks Jiro for the reassurance, but in the back of her mind she wonders if that’s really true.

The next night, Bakugou’s patience withers faster than a flower in the desert heat.

“What. The. Fuck. Did I tell you last time?” he hisses when her fingers hover a bit too long over the board.

Momo bites back a wince. “I know you said not to hesitate, but I need time to think my moves through. I can’t - I’m not good at making snap decisions like you or Todoroki…”

“The shit are you talking about?” he demands.

Of course he doesn’t understand. How could someone who casually declared they would win the sports festival understand what it was like to doubt your own abilities? Bakugou Katsuki is the last person who could understand her fears, yet she finds herself opening up to him anyway.

“I’m always second guessing myself!” she bursts. “I can’t trust myself to make the right decisions, not when I’m competing with people like you.”

These are feelings she’s carried with herself for a long time but has never voiced before. Speaking them lifts a weight off her chest, but it also gives them more power over her. She’s thankful that everyone else has gone upstairs, so only Bakugou’s ears and the empty air of the common area are privy to her secret.

“I’m not - I wasn’t strong enough at the sports festival, and I’m not strong enough now,” Momo admits. “People like you and, and Todoroki, and Midoriya and Uraraka - ”

“Don’t compare me to those dipshits!”

“ - you know what you’re capable of, you know what you’re doing. Everyone trusts you to succeed. Why should I even try if I know I’m going to lose to people like you?”

Bakugou stares at her, brows knitted in confusion. “The fuck are you saying? You got into U.A. on recommendation. You made it to the top sixteen in the sports festival. You beat Aizawa in the end of term exam. You - you made than damn tracker and fucking came to rescue me! After all that, you think you’re weak?!”

Does she think that? Momo doesn’t think she’s weak, per se, but she can’t compare to the others -

“Stop underestimating yourself!” he yells. Momo grips the sides of the chessboard to brace herself against his shouts. “You think I would waste my time playing against some dumb bitch?”

She winces. “I - I don’t know - ”

“No, of course I fucking wouldn’t!” Bakugou shoves a finger in her face. His blazing red eyes bare holes into her soul. “You’re smart, and if you stopped fucking comparing yourself to everyone else, you could actually focus on getting stronger!”

Her grip tightens around the edges of the board. The words hit her like a bullet, fast and unexpected and painful, because she knows they’re true, she knows they’re true but she doesn’t want to hear it from him.

“How could you know what it’s like?!” she shouts. “You can’t understand the fear of shone up by someone else - ”

The board explodes beneath her fingertips. A giant cloud of smoke instantly envelopes the room in a grimy darkness, clogging Momo’s lungs and stinging her eyes. Something’s ringing; she doesn’t know if it’s her ears or the fire alarm.

She accidentally breathes in a puff of smoke and keels over, breaking into a coughing fit. Bakugou had finally lost his temper. What had Momo said to finally cause him to snap?

The smoke begins to clear. The first thing Momo sees is the chessboard. Both the board and the pieces are blown to bits, charred wooden scraps scattered over the table and floor, flakes of paint peppering the room. Flickers of flame, still determined to burn, dot the table. Her eyes water; all her hard work, destroyed in seconds.

She looks up and sees Bakugou, thrown back into his seat by the force of his explosion.

His eyes are blown wide. He looks just as shocked as her, but his shock is mixed with something else. Is it fear? Regret? Whatever it is, it doesn’t match up with what he just did. It doesn’t match up with Momo’s idea of who Bakugou Katsuki is. Did he do that on purpose? Was it an accident?

He leaps up, takes one look at Momo, one look at the board, and flees upstairs, not uttering a single word.

The moment Bakugou is gone the room breaks into chaos. Nearly all of class 1-A comes flooding down the stairs. It’s all a blur - Jirou is immediately at her side, Todoroki puts out the remaining fire, Shoji reaches up and turns the fire alarm off, Tsuyu opens a window. Kirishima and Kaminari go back up after Bakugou. After checking to make sure Momo is okay, Ashido and Uraraka follow them.

Momo waves them off, tells them not to worry. The smoke clears from the room, slowly dissipating out through the window, and Momo sits in the same place, staring at the broken board and the blackened pieces.

The stinging in her eyes causes them to well up. That’s what’s causing the tears to drip down her face, or so she tells herself. Not because she was forced to confront her emotions. Not because she still doubted herself, even now.

The ruined board looks back at her. She sits there for a long time, until everyone else has gone upstairs.

She debates on whether to create a new one, but decides it isn’t worth the effort.

That night, tossing and turning in her bed, Momo gives herself time to calm down and reflect on their conversation. After the shouting fest with Bakugou and a good cry, Momo finds herself feeling better than she has in a long time. She’s able to reflect on their conversation - if she can call it that - with a clear head.

In some twisted way, knowing that Bakugou thought she was a worthy opponent is extremely validating, almost as much as when Todoroki told her he voted for her for class president.

Even after what he did, Bakugou’s right. She should have more confidence. She knows she should.

And even if it came from him...perhaps her anger was misplaced. Just before Bakugou had blown up the chess set, Mom had accused him of not being able to understand what it was like to not feel good enough. But maybe she was wrong about that. Looking back at Bakugou’s history at U.A. - from his frustration with Todoroki at the sports festival to his initial reaction when Midoriya beat him during their first training exercise - his fear of not being able to live up to the standards he’s set for himself makes sense. She thinks she understands him a little better now. The next layer of the Bakugou matroyshka - a fear, not so different from her own, of falling behind people he was able to best before.

Momo can’t find it in herself to be angry at Bakugou. She doesn’t think he meant to blow up the chess set – he just let his emotions get the better of him. That's something she can sympathize with.

It’s comforting to know that the people she’s measuring herself up against are just a human as her.  

The next morning, Momo gets up early to make herself some tea. This early, the muted glow of the rising sun colors the kitchen sepia. Momo brings her tea into the common area, and stops in her tracks.

On the table is a brand new chess set. Beautiful marble pieces in deep blue and ivory glint under the fluorescent living room lights.

She knows this is Bakugou's way of saying sorry. Looks like she has uncovered another layer of the Bakugou matroyshka - small and fragile, buried underneath layers of ego and spite and fear that kept it hidden well.

Bakugou could make the effort to make up for his mistakes and move on. Momo wonders if she can do the same.

She spends the rest of the day thinking about the chess set. She watches Bakugou out of the corner of her eye, but Bakugou doesn’t look at her once. She didn’t expect him to. But she wished she knew what he was thinking.

As she sits in her room that afternoon, thoughts of the brand new chess set sitting right beneath her distract her from her studies.

Suddenly, there’s a knock at her door.

“It’s me.”

Momo recognizes Todoroki’s voice and lets him in. He stands awkwardly by her door while she leans on the edge of her bed.

Todoroki looks for a place to sit, and standing by her door. She didn’t know how small the rooms would be when she chose to bring her bed here, so there's not a lot of room.

“You play chess? With Bakugou?”

Momo looks away. She knew Todoroki could be a bit dense, but surely he couldn’t have forgotten about last night already. “Not any more,” she murmurs.

Todoroki leans against the door. “When we were kids, you talked about playing chess.”

“You remember that?” Momo asks. She’s surprised Todoroki remembers that – it was a long time ago.

“I remember how you grew bored of shogi after I kept losing to you.”

Momo smiles at the memory. Those days feel like they were in another lifetime. “You should have put up more of a fight,” she says.

Todoroki just smiles. “It’s nice you found a worthy opponent,” he says.

Momo looks down. “I don’t think we’ll play anymore.”

“So that’s it?” he asks. “You’re giving up?”

“What?”

“If you’re not playing against him anymore, doesn’t that mean you’ve given up?”

Momo doesn’t respond. She’s still working through her feelings, and even with the peace offering of the marble chess set waiting below, she’s not sure if she's ready to approach Bakugou yet.

But Momo knows Todoroki means more than giving up on the game. If she did nothing now, she was giving up on Bakugou, and she was giving up on herself. Giving up now meant there would be no chance to grow stronger. If she kept herself from playing just because she feared the outcome, she would stay stagnant. The same mental wall would keep blocking her like it always has.

If you stopped fucking comparing yourself to everyone else, you could actually focus on getting stronger!

Bakugou was right. He might be an unstable asshole, in one way, they were both the same: they both wanted to get stronger.

She looks back to Todoroki, who waits patiently for an answer.

“No,” she says, trying to sound more confident than she is. “No, this isn’t over yet.”

That night, Bakugou sits in his usual chair, face buried behind a book. She pretends not to notice him peak over the cover as she sits down across from him.

“I-I’m not going to play nice with you any more,” Momo says. “You better watch your back this time…because I’m not going to let you win any more.”

Bakugou slams his book closed and grins. “I fucking hope not.”

She pushes a pawn forward two spaces. And they begin again.

ao3 | based on this hc | more like this

[texanredrose]

Okay, so, this is the other prompt fill! Taken from the second suggestion by @makas0ul, and my first time writing this pairing, too. Set in the same universe as the previous two, let’s have some fun with SolarFlare. Also, shoutout to @keena-kapu for letting me use their Remnants of Heart universe in this! (Also, bear in mind that Sun’s an unreliable narrator at times.)

Sun sighed, settling into the middle seat on the lounge's couch with the tub of ice cream in his lap and a new movie he'd been dying to see already flicking over to the menu on the wide screen television bolted to the wall. While the college had splurged on high definition televisions and a new gaming console for the various lounges in the dorms, they definitely didn't trust the students enough not to either toss them through the window in a fit of misguided amusement or move them into someone's room. Honestly, the monkey Faunus didn't mind, seeing as his room happened to be the last place he wanted to be at that moment.

Being from Vacuo and studying in Vale, Sun considered himself a pretty laid back sort of individual, especially compared to others in the study abroad program. No one started grief with him, he wouldn't start with anyone else, and aside from a few pranks here and there to clown on the Campus Police, he stuck to that policy. So, even though he didn't exactly like it, he couldn't really get too upset about the two students having ridiculously loud sex in the room next to his. Neptune usually just rolled his eyes when they started before excusing himself to either the library, the nearest coffee shop, or a jog around campus. Meanwhile, Sun chose the lounge, having a pretty solid grasp on their stamina and actually not minding the noise itself much, anyway. It usually had to do more with... well... picturing what was causing the sounds, especially since he was friends with one of them and didn't want anything awkward to come up because of it.

When he first arrived at the school- and found out that Vale had co-ed dorms, how cool- he thought he might be the only Faunus on campus. Come to find out, one of the people in the room right next door was Blake Belladonna, a cat Faunus from Menagerie. She turned out to be super chill and they became pretty good friends, although any hope of them becoming more were dashed when she started dating her roommate, who was... well.

Everyone called her the Bombshell Blonde, and she owned it. Beat up leather jackets, a motorcycle, aviators, arms that could bench press a truck- Sun thought he had great abs but, really, he had nothing on Yang Xiao Long, easily the school's most talked about wild child. Which was weird, honestly- aside from one bar fight before the beginning of term, she didn't get in trouble and actually seemed to avoid the parties all over campus, or didn't stay at them too long when she did make an appearance. Still, the reputation stuck, and from the few glimpses he'd caught of the woman ducking in and out of the dorm room next to his, he had to admit she lived up to it pretty well. She always seemed on the move, and though he knew she apparently boxed and played lacrosse for the school, he couldn't be sure if it was practice for both that took up all her free time.

Still, he couldn't really blame Blake, and she seemed pretty darn happy about the whole arrangement. So, to save her the embarrassment- and to keep himself from blushing and being unable to look her in the eye the following day- he would retreat to the lounge with a movie and a snack for a few hours. All in all, it worked out pretty well. One of these days, Neptune might join him, but for right now, he was perfectly happy starting the movie and shoveling a spoonful of the half empty cookies 'n' cream into his mouth- leftover from the last time.

About twenty minutes later, he heard someone shoulder open the stairwell door, looking over just in time to nearly choke on the bite he'd just taken. There, striding into the room while running a hand through her hair, was Yang Xiao Long. This was the first time he'd gotten a proper look at the woman, with her beat up leather jacket over her yellow tanktop, brown shorts and boots, that orange scarf she always seemed to wear around her neck and aviators set atop golden locks, she definitely looked the part of the Blonde Bombshell, just without the motorcycle.

"Uh..."

"Oh, is that the new Sensational Sister movie?" The blonde's expression pinched into one of mild consternation. "Man, I wanted to see that! Guess it's already out of theaters, huh?"

"Uh, yeah." Sun quickly grabbed the remote and paused the movie, as much so he could keep watching without missing anything important as to keep from spoiling the movie for the woman. "I picked it up today, actually." He raised a brow. "I, uh, though you were... y'know." Using the spoon, he gestured towards the hall. "With Blake...?"

"What?" Yang looked slightly confused, then reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her scroll, thumbing through it a moment. "Oh, she's got her girlfriend over again. Dang." Then her brows furrowed, lilac eyes darting up to meet his. "Wait... can you hear... uh, them-"

"Yeah," he said with a lopsided smile and a shrug. "Thought it was you two and figured I'd, ya know. Give you some privacy."

Almost immediately, the blonde laughed, putting her scroll back. "Wait, you thought Blake and I were dating? Nah, it's- well, someone else."

He narrowed his eyes slightly at the information being withheld but eventually shrugged; the other Faunus would tell him in time and, if she'd left the impression with her roommate that it shouldn't be disclosed freely, then there was probably a good reason. Or Blake was just being silly, which he thought she often was in regards to certain things. Oh well.

"So... guess that means your room's off limits now, huh?"

"Yeah." She sighed, shifting the duffel bag hanging from one shoulder.

"Well, you wanna watch the movie with me? I can start it over." He grabbed for the remote, heading back to the title menu. "I mean, since we're both not going back to our rooms for a while, might as well, yeah?"

Yang smirked, throwing her bag down by the couch and plopping down. "Guess so. Hey, what's that you've got there?"

"Cookies 'n' cream ice cream! Want some?" He offered her the tub with one hand and the spoon with his tail, ready to start the movie over.

"Uh, thanks, but..." The blonde peeked into the container. "Looks like you've only got a little left."

"That's fine; I've got some vanilla, too."

"Really?" Her eyes darted back to the stairwell. "Pretty sure my sis keeps a bottle of chocolate syrup in her room. We could have a sundae."

"Hey, I've got some bananas; we could make it a banana split!" He faltered a moment. "Not sure I have a big enough bowl, though."

"Pretty sure I've got that part covered." Yang laughed, fondly shaking her head. "Ruby kinda keeps a big mixing bowl in her room at all times. There's no oven around here, but she makes cookie dough like nobody's business."

"Alright, then let's do it!" He handed off the tub and spoon, then hopped up, careful to keep the remote from falling to the floor by setting it on the couch's arm. "Here, you finish off that, and I'll get the vanilla and the bananas."

Jogging down the hall, Sun quickly ducked into his room, humming to himself to help drown out the noises coming from next door as he collected the vanilla ice cream from the mini freezer and two bananas from his side of the room, plus an extra spoon. He'd almost left when a video game case caught his eye, laying half obscured by the shirt lazily thrown on top of it. Some fighting game, the sixth in the series and at least one installment passed being recent, but he still liked playing it from time to time and thought it might be good to grab. After all, his initial plan involved taking a nap on the lounge couch, so maybe this would be a good substitute to fill the extra team needed until Blake... well, until the room wasn't off limits to Yang, at any rate. Plus, if the movie turned out to be a bomb, they could always pass the time beating the crap out of each other in the versus mode.

By the time he got back to the lounge, he could hear the stairwell door closing on the floor above and settled back onto the couch, this time a bit further over than his previous spot to give them some room between them for the bowl. When Yang returned, a full sized mixing bowl, a can of whipped cream, and a bottle of chocolate syrup in hand, plus his spoon from earlier, the two set to work peeling the bananas and cutting them with the spoons- which, actually seemed to work, surprisingly well. Dumping them into the bowl, they then started scooping out the ice cream, and that part... took a bit longer than he expected, honestly.

"Here, let me see it," she said, accepting the tub once he'd handed it over. She began rolling it between her hands, pressing against the sides of the tub, loosening up the ice cream within until she could upend it, the majority falling into the bowl with no problems at all.

He let out a low whistle, scooping out what little remained clinging to the bottom of the tub. "Wow, you really do have some guns there, huh?"

"Yeah, they're not bad." She flexed one arm, showing off the bulge in her bicep briefly before cracking a smile. "You've got a nice set of abs yourself."

"Thanks." He flexed a little, taking advantage of the view his open button up provided, but started laughing quickly after. Slipping the top back on the empty tub and setting it aside, he continued talking while she set about pouring the chocolate syrup over their creation. "I don't really work out much, though. I just like climbing trees and stuff."

That seemed to spark some form of recognition in the young woman. "Wait, are you the guy who climbed the side of the science building last week?"

"Oh, that." He held up both hands in a placating gesture at her raised brow. "Look, I was running late for a class and the professor had already walked in the front door; there was no way I was getting past him without getting seen unless I went a... well, alternate route. I really didn't have a choice!" He crossed his arms over his chest, a small frown coming to his lips. "Not that the Campus Police believe that. They somehow got it in their heads that I just climb buildings for fun."

"So, that wasn't you on the gym last month?"

"A ball got stuck on the roof."

"And the administration building two months ago?"

"The main door was closed for some reason and I had to go around; over is around!"

"The dorms the second week of term?"

"I was locked out of my room. And the window was open." He flicked his tail for emphasis. "Really, I should be getting credit for having that kinda foresight!"

Yang laughed, shaking her head as she put the bottle off to the side. "Dude, is there a building on this campus you haven't climbed?"

"Um... the library? Wait, no, I had to return that book one time..."

The blonde smiled, grabbing her spoon as he held his- in his hand, this time. "You know, I've heard all about the kid climbing buildings for f- perfectly valid reasons." She corrected herself, those lilac eyes shining just a bit with amusement at the little furrow that came to his brow. "But, I've never caught your name."

"Oh! I'm Sun, Sun WuKong." He held out his unoccupied hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Yang."

She seemed genuinely surprised but it passed quickly as she shook his hand. "Guess my rep proceeds me, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but you're also Blake's roommate." He chuckled, pointing towards the hallway again. "I kinda bugged the hell outta Blake the first time I met her. I was just so excited to see another Faunus, and one from Menagerie, too! I think it took two days for me to stop asking questions."

"Really?" Putting the cap back on the can of whipped cream, both of them inspected their work.

It... actually looked really good, and he kinda wondered why he'd never tried this before, but then it clicked. "Aw, we don't have any cherries."

"Dang, you're right... hey." She looked at him, her expression turning a bit more mischievous. "Do you usually eat the cherry first or last?"

"Well, last; it's the best part!" Honestly, he liked bananas better, but when it came to an ice cream dessert, his comment stood. "That final burst of sweetness to finish off the dish. Why?"

"I know something we can use as a substitute!" She turned, settling into the couch and facing the television. "But I'll save it for the end. Let's get this movie started!"

"Alright!" Sun couldn't quite tell what the woman had planned but decided to go with it, starting the movie up and helping himself to the first bite of the banana split.

They sat and watched the movie, occasionally trading little jokes about the events happening on screen while slowly working their way through the dessert. Apparently, Yang knew quite a bit about the old Sensational Sister comics, offering up little tidbits about which issue or run a certain line referenced, offering insight on how the designs came together to pay homage to all the different styles, and even providing context for some of the references to other characters in the universe yet to be introduced. The movie itself was awesome, too, mixing action and drama with a fair bit of humor and even a touch of romance, and he probably should've gone to see it while it was still running in theaters himself. By the time the end credits rolled around, their shared dessert was nothing but a memory and their guts were hurting from laughing so much over a somewhat thoughtless comment on his part.

"You- you serious- oh man." The woman finally recovered enough to look at him, wiping a tear from her eye. "Did you really just compare Sensational Sister to Beowoman? Like, really?"

"I just mean they both have awesome costumes! And they can fight!"

"That's like saying Perfectman and the Red Hare are similar! They're totally different!"

"Okay, so maybe I'm not as much of a comic book geek as you are, so sue me!" He shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "I obviously need to read more comics if I want to make accurate comparisons."

"Well, you should! Comics are awesome, dude; seriously, you don't know what you're missing out on." Yang took the bowl and set it on the floor, scooting closer slightly. "You... wouldn't happen to have another movie, would you? Pretty sure the, uh... room's still occupied."

With a smile, the Faunus grabbed the game case from earlier with his tail while using his hands to manipulate the controller into stopping the movie and ejecting the disc. "Well, it's not a movie, but are you into video games?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." She winked, reaching for the case. "I'm a well rounded geek." Lilac eyes flitted over the case, her expression brightening. "Hey, I know this series! Used to play with my sis all the time. Well, the second one, anyway." A few minutes later, the movie and game were swapped out and both of them were seated side-by-side, controllers in hand and ready for some friendly competition. "How about we play normal for the first game, then best two out of three gets to choose the mode."

"Sounds good to me!"

She nodded, tapping all the buttons as if to remind herself where they were. It might've been a while since the last time she played, especially if the second installment was her last game. "You ready to go down, WuKong?"

"As if!" Sun laughed, flicking over to the versus screen as an opportunity revealed itself, and he gunned for it. "We'll see Xiao Long you last against the champ!"

"Oh, that was a bad move, Sunny boy." He made the mistake of glancing over, catching sight of the fire that ignited in lilac eyes. "You just entered an arena you're woefully unprepared for, and now I'm going to beat you twice over."

"Oh yeah?" The Faunus couldn't help but encourage her, curiosity and amusement convincing him that whatever he'd just asked for, he wanted to see. "How do you figure?"

"'Cause I'm not monkeying around here, dude." A few rapid taps of the controller's buttons had her character selected and costume changed to one she'd somehow unlocked in the past few seconds and how did she even do that? "I'm hotter than the Sun with the skills to match. You'll be playing second banana to me the moment we start this game!"

"You know quantity doesn't beat quality, right?" He teased, selecting his own character. "Let's see if you can trash talk and play!"

"Bring it on, Wukong!"

The first match, they nearly broke even except for a last minute combo from Yang that knocked his character clear off the stage. On top of that, she actually could continue making puns and quips while playing, and though he felt like he met her step-for-step in that regard, the second round proved a bit more... difficult. The woman adapted to his play style rather quickly and Sun had to change up his tactics to compensate, squeaking out a win at the last minute. The third round, though, Yang upped the ante.

She leaned forward into the classic, hyper focused gamer position, the tip of her tongue peeking out between her lips as she intently focused on the screen. Not one to be outdone, Sun leaned forward, too, his tail curling around the back of the couch to ground him. When the third round kicked off, they both put their all into beating the other, using combos and quick reflexes to attack and dodge, dancing all around the playing area. He started leaning with his controller, hoping to get just a little bit more leverage, but Yang did the same, and it really came down to the wire before she managed to pull off one hell of a combo, blasting him to the other side of the stage. He tried to make a last minute save and grab the edge, but Yang hadn't planned on leaving anything to chance, rushing towards the edge and delivering a drop kick just as his character stood up, sending him flying into the awaiting abyss.

"Holy crap, you're good at this!" He leaned over, nudging her shoulder with his. "You couldn't go a little easy on me?"

"It's your game!" She laughed, elbowing him lightly. "Maybe a few more rounds and you'll warm up, yeah? Or are you turning tail after one defeat?"

With a raised brow, he moved his tail, turning to lock eyes with her as a distraction. "Your pun game is good, but you know what's more involved?"

"What's tha-a-A-AT!" Yang jumped where she sat, flinching away from the unexpected contact of his tail flicking in the dead center of her shoulder blades. "Hey!"

"Practical jokes!" The Faunus laughed, his amusement becoming even clearer when he received a light punch to his shoulder in retaliation. "Aw, c'mon, that was funny."

"That was cheating." She changed the settings on the game before starting up another round. "Here, we're going to play Sudden Death. Let's see if you're quick on the draw." And just like that, they were both competing again, racing to land the first big hit that would end the round, but he should've known Yang was leading him into a trap, soundly beating him three times in a row. They didn't even have to play the third round, but she insisted, likely to tease him some more. So, of course, he decided to be crafty himself, suggesting they switch characters. "That's not gonna help you."

He shrugged, deciding to call her bluff. "Humor me."

The next two rounds, he handed her sound defeats, causing the woman's brows to furrow slightly in agitation and her tongue to peek out through the entirety of both, though it didn't seem to help her this time around. Truthfully, he couldn't manipulate the character nearly as well as the previous one, but he at least had enough proficiency to hold his own. "Alright, you win."

"Is someone a sore loser?" Sun teased, bumping their shoulders together.

"No!" She bumped him back and offered a genuine grin. "Just kinda bummed I stopped playing these." With a chuckle, she motioned towards the screen. "Honestly, I only picked her to begin with because her moveset never changes. I haven't played fighting games in years, except to brush off the old system."

"And you're still scary good, dang." He hesitated on starting the next match- he'd switched it over to a low gravity mode for fun- and looked over at her. "What kinda games do you play nowadays?"

"You're not gonna believe me."

"C'mon, try me!" The Faunus poked her in the head with the tip of his tail, earning a playful swat in return. "I'll be honest, even though I like a good first person shooter every now and then, I'm big into open world RPGs. Just getting to run around and do silly stuff or side quests- that's my jam! Especially the ones that have some sort of morality system built in."

Yang smirked. "Oh, like playing the bad boy, is that it?"

"I am a force of chaotic good," he said with a wink. "Emphasis on chaotic."

They both laughed before she replied, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "I get it, though. I'm actually really into those games where you can sink, like, hundreds of hours into exploring and doing things. I mean, I like a FPS or those button mash types, too, and I love multiplayer games, but there's something just... really cool about exploring a whole new universe, getting immersed in your character, and living out an adventure, ya know?"

"Absolutely." Suddenly, he remembered his newest gaming purchase from about four weeks ago, mainly because he'd become so engrossed in it he hadn't bothered picking up another game since. "Hey, have you played Remnants of Heart yet?"

Her brows furrowed, as if trying to place the name. "I think I remember seeing a trailer for it, but no, haven't played."

"Aw, it's great! You get to be the Captain of a pirate ship, sail around and fight other pirates, pick fights with the navies of various Remnant nations from, like, four centuries ago, and you fight these gnarly beasts called Grimm- totally up your alley."

"That sounds awesome." Lilac eyes sparkled with wonder, a smile pulling at her lips while the fighting game was entirely forgotten, the woman turned her body towards him as she continued. "Do you get to create your own character? How's the story? What kind of weapons can you use?"

"Yes, excellent, and whatever you want!" Sun had been dying to talk to someone about the game but Neptune often played the 'PC master race' card and wouldn't listen to him, insisting a console couldn't support such an excellently rendered landscape as the Faunus claimed, despite it also being available for computers. Regardless, having someone just as interested allowed him to go full throttle in talking about it. He started with the opening- nothing too descriptive so she could experience it for herself firsthand, but enough to set the stage- and then went on to the mechanics, the combat system, and the ship design menu, all while his companion listened attentively, seeming more and more enthralled by the game with every little tidbit revealed. "The multiplayer is kinda shit, if I'm honest, but the story is top notch."

"Is there... uh." She reached up, tucking an errant lock behind her ear, almost as if suddenly self conscious. "Like, a romance side quest?"

"Oh, that's the best part! You can basically pursue any NPC!" He stopped short, thinking that last comment over and trying his best to not give away the big twist. "Okay, so not like any NPC, but a fair majority! Like, seventy five percent of the ones in the game, you can get with, and there's no restrictions! Straight, bi, gay, poly- your character can have whatever romantic life you want!" He dropped his voice conspiratorially. "I know it's probably not a good idea but, honestly, I recruited my love interest to be my first mate just so we could be a pirate couple. Her stats aren't great or anything, but it's about the emotional connection, ya know?"

"Yeah!" That seemed to erase any anxiety the woman might've had, her interest returning in full force. "Man, I get so attached to the companions in games like these, it always bums me out when the one I want to romance isn't an available option. I need to give this game a shot!"

"You really, really do." He shot up, leaving the controller behind while jogging for the hallway. "I'll be right back!" Sun went back to his room, quickly digging through the clothes strewn around until he found the game case for Remnants of Heart. When he found it, he quickly went back to the lounge, wincing slightly as his tail pulled the door closed behind him, the slam echoing in the quiet hallway. Ah, well, he didn't hear anyone poke their heads out to yell at him, so he simply went straight for the console and swapped out the game discs before reclaiming his spot on the couch, handing over the first controller. "Here! The first segment's super quick, once you get past character creation, and then you get your first ship!"

"But... isn't this one player?" She quirked a brow, nodding towards the loading screen. "You could just show me yours-"

"Nah, that's not as fun." He leaned back, throwing one leg over the couch's arm. "I mean, we've still got time to kill, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Yang nodded. "I... got a text from Blake. They're, uh, still using the room."

"Cool." Sun looked at the television as the cinematic intro for the main menu started. "I think you'll get a better feel for it if you create your own character. Mine's kinda tailored and I'm at a point in the game that could have spoilers."

"Alright." She noted before turning her attention to the screen.

Yang went through the whole process of starting a new game, quickly choosing her character's features- tall, tan, with blonde hair and muscles, plus a scar along her character's jawline- and selected the first group of abilities, the majority of which focused on hand-to-hand combat and a little bit in pistols. While he thought she might come to regret that later, she made a joke about being the 'hands on' type and he had to admit she probably would find a way to make it work. While he didn't do more than offer a little commentary every now and again, plus answer some questions, the Faunus found himself enjoying the role of observer, a small smile on his lips as she made her way through the tutorial section.

"So, what's your favorite ice cream, anyway?"

"I dunno, don't really have a favorite." He blinked, looking over at her with a raised brow. "Why?"

She shrugged, keeping her gaze on the screen. "You seem like a vanilla kinda guy, is all."

"Well... yeah, I can see that." Sun nodded slowly, scratching behind his ear with a chuckle. "Vanilla goes great with just about anything, so I'm pretty flexible in that regard. I might not wow anyone by being super flashy or unique or deep but... I can have fun, ya know? Or just chill." With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued. "Sometimes, it's nice to be a little bland."

"Hey, I didn't say you were bland." The woman glanced over at him, still wearing a smile, though it had shrunk slightly. "I was gonna make a joke-"

"I know." It wasn't often he could be smug about something, but crossing his arms over his chest and flicking her hair with his tail felt deserved right then. "I just wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of it."

"Oh, you play dirty, Sun." Yang laughed, mirth back in full force as she lightly slapped at his tail away. "And watch the hair."

Presented with the opportunity for a little mischief, he lifted his tail, hovering the tip just behind her ear and ever so slightly away from her blonde locks. "Oh? Does your hair do tricks?"

She chuckled, reaching up in a flash to grab his tail, those lilac eyes glinting with both light and intensity. "Yeah. Touch it again without my say so, and you'll find yourself able to go through walls!"

He probably should've been intimidated or at least apologetic. Instead, he just smiled bigger; this must've been exactly how she looked that night of the bar fight, when she truly earned the name 'Blonde Bombshell' and he could definitely see how apt a title it was. Yet, at the same time, there was something more- a seriousness that would rather not be tested unless forced, which he could absolutely respect. "As cool as that sounds, I think I'd rather sit here a bit longer."

"Great!" The moment she released his tail, he brought it back to wrap around his waist. "As long as we have that understanding."

"Anything else I should know about?" Sun looked at the screen briefly, confirming she'd nearly reached the end of the tutorial.

"My favorite ice cream is strawberry." She offered, turning her attention to the miniature boss fight that ended the tutorial, her tongue once again starting to peek out as she focused on keeping her character alive. Yang certainly hadn't opted to take the easy route in the game but she managed to triumph all the same.

"I like strawberry, too," he said quietly, not wanting to break her concentration as their conversation died. A few minutes later, the cinematic progressing the plot finished and the woman was out to see in her first boat, looking over the map and testing the navigation. With every new feature discovered, Yang became more enamored with the game, easily becoming lost in the rhythm of exploring and picking up side quests, completely ignoring the main storyline for a time- which, in his opinion, was how the game should be played, because the urgency hadn't quite kicked in yet, so it made the most sense to start farming the easy missions for experience and gear rather than charge into the next plot point. Honestly, watching her play was a total trip; she had a different set of priorities than he did but made everything work for her in a way that he admired, rolling with every bump in the path. Even parts when he thought for sure she'd get knocked back to the last save point, just barely clinging to the last bit of health in her bar, the woman would somehow pull through; really, not even the movie they'd just watched could compare to the drama and relief of watching Yang's character succeed when failure seemed like the inevitable outcome. Finally, after an hour of playing, she seemed to notice the time.

"Oh, wow, it got late!"

Checking his watch, the Faunus winced slightly. Thankfully, he had a late class tomorrow, so sleep wasn't a huge priority. "Yeah, it did. You think they're still... ya know?"

He bit down on the urge to make a joke about Blake's stamina- Yang would probably find it funny but, if word ever got back to her that he'd said it, the cat Faunus probably wouldn't be as amused- as the blonde shook her head. "Nah, the room's open. And I've got an early morning class, too."

"I'm sorry," he said, collecting the controller from her and grabbing the game cases while she got her stuff together. "You gonna get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, don't sweat it." She smiled, lifting the strap onto her shoulder. "Not my first late nighter."

He figured she'd head to her room, so he went over to the console and pulled out the disc, putting it into the movie case for the time being. He'd switch them all back later- or not, considering half his games weren't in the proper case and he'd gotten used to keeping mental track of what was where- and powered down the television.

"Hey, Sun." Surprised, he turned around, finding she hadn't left the room after all. Instead, she stood by the couch, with a smile that reached all the way to those sparkling eyes. "Thanks for this. It was nice hanging out with you."

"You too, Yang," he replied, beaming. "Just let me know the next time you get kicked out of your room. We can watch some movies, play some games- heck, if I can find another TV somewhere, we can play the co-op!"

She raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. "I thought you said it was shit?"

"Well, yeah, but we'll make it work."

"That sounds awesome." Yang started to turn away before stopping suddenly, snapping her fingers. "Oh! Before I forget, did you... still want that cherry?"

Sun shrugged. "Sure."

He didn't think much of it- maybe she had a cherry flavored candy or something in her bag- but then she walked over and...

And, then... she kissed him.

Full on the lips, lasting more than a few seconds, she kissed him.

He could hardly believe it, blinking in slight disbelief as Yang straightened up and winked. "Hope that was sweet enough for you."

"Yep." The word left his mouth automatically, something lodged in his brain preventing any cognitive thought from processing. "Perfect!"

"I'll catch you around." Just like that, she was gone, with a flick of golden hair as she turned and went down the hallway.

He just stood there, in the middle of the lounge, so surprised and so... just... kinda overwhelmed? Yeah, that was it; he'd come out, expecting to spend a night watching a movie and giving his friend some privacy and, lo and behold, he got to spend a few hours with a pretty awesome person! And she kissed him to boot!

"Heya, Sun, buddy... are you alright?"

Snapping out of his daze, the Faunus looked over to see Neptune standing just inside the lounge, one blue brow raised up in askance. "Heh, yeah! I'm... I'm fantastic!"

His roommate didn't seem entirely convinced. "Are you sure? Because I've been standing here for, like, ten minutes, and you've been staring at the wall for at least that long."

Shaking his head slightly, the Faunus checked his watch again and, sure enough, at least twenty minutes had passed since Yang had left. "Wha- huh, I, uh, well..." He trailed off, another moment passing before he started grinning. "Man, you're not going to believe this."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Neptune gave him a wry grin. "Try me."

"I got to hang out with Yang! Yang Xiao Long." He started pacing, throwing the cases onto the couch so his hands could be free to gesticulate. "We were waiting for Blake and her girlfriend to- well, you know, and so we watched a movie- which was good, totally recommend it- and then we played some games, and we shared a banana split, and oh!" He stopped, quickly spinning around to grab his friend by the lapels of his jacket, smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. "She kissed me!"

Although apparently amused by the previous display, the last declaration drew a skeptical look from his roommate. "She kissed you."

Sun nodded. "Yep!"

Very deliberately, Neptune reached up and disengaged the Faunus' hands from the fabric of his jacket, releasing his wrists a moment later to smooth out the material. Then, he seemed to register what his friend had said, brows furrowing slightly.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Yang Xiao Long, the Bombshell Blonde, the one that every guy, gal, and non-binary pal on this entire campus would like to just talk to one-on-one, she kissed you at the end of what most people would call a date, correct?" Sun opened his mouth to correct that last portion but, on reflection... it kinda was a date, wasn't it? Not one either of them had planned, but... yeah. That pretty much constituted a date, and it definitely ranked as the best he'd ever been on, especially since he was finding it difficult to come up with a runner-up, so he nodded. "Well, did you get her number?"

"Uh... no?"

Neptune sighed theatrically. "Sun, you silly, useless heterosexual. What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, man, it might've just been a one time thing!" He defended himself, setting his hands on his hips and frowning at his friend. "I mean, I offered for us to hang out again, but, ya know. This time was just because her room was occupied. And-"

Before he could continue, a finger was placed against his lips, effectively shushing him as Neptune pulled out his scroll and flicked it open. "Uh huh, okay, in the interest of saving all of us some headaches, we're going to just stand right here for a moment."

Sun furrowed his brows. "Why? Dude, it's not like-" At the pointed look he received, he dropped his objection, shifting his weight and tapping his fingers against his jeans while they stood there, waiting for... something. A few minutes later, the echo of the ground level door closing dully bounded up the stairwell, followed shortly by the door on their level opening. Almost immediately, the Faunus felt... entirely confused. "Hey... Blake... and... Weiss?"

He recognized Blake- of course he did- but he couldn't really believe he also knew the woman with her. They'd met once before- when she'd lectured him for twenty minutes about watching where he was going, all because he'd accidentally knocked her books out of her arms when trying to not be late for a class- and she had a bit of a reputation beyond that. One didn't carry her surname without having a few... ideologies attached. Most of which didn't bode well for Faunus but, given how particular Blake was in regards to the company she kept, he was willing to at least find out what she was doing here.

"Hey, Sun. I guess you've never been properly introduced." The other Faunus gave him a happy smile, sliding an arm around the woman's waist in an instantly recognizable gesture, lending even more credence to the next words out of her mouth. "This is Weiss Schnee, my girlfriend."

... huh.

"We've met before, though under... less than ideal circumstances, shall we say?" Though couldn't seem to hide the slight note of disdain in her voice, the woman did offer him a rather sincere looking smile as she extended her hand. "I'm... sorry about that, by the by, and I'm sure you're not interested in the excuses but I assure you our previous meeting was... poorly timed. It's nice to meet you properly, regardless. Blake says you're both very good friends."

"Yeah!" He quickly grabbed her hand, wincing at how hard he'd squeezed and preparing to apologize when she met him force-for-force and damn she had a helluva grip. "It's, uh, nice to meet you too, formally I mean... although... um..." Shifting a bit, Sun reached up to scratch the back of his head as he tried to word his question just right even as it left his lips. "Just kinda curious... when did you two walk past me? I thought you were, ya know, still in the room..."

At first, Blake quirked a brow, but then her eyes widened slightly as it must've dawned on her that, even though his hearing wasn't as sensitive as hers, that didn't mean he hadn't been aware of what happened in her room more nights than not.

"You and Yang were entirely engrossed in that fighting game." Unaware of her girlfriend's realization, Weiss spoke with a slight chiding inflection to her tone. "We thought it would be better to leave quietly, though you should probably be more mindful of your surroundings in the future. Then again, that does seem to be a recurring issue..."

"I texted Yang to let her know we were heading out." Apparently resolving to address what the monkey Faunus knew at a later time, Blake tilted her head to the side in clear curiosity. "She didn't mention it?"

Sun slowly shook his head.

"Of course she didn't, because, dude." Neptune announced while taking a firm hold of his shoulder, blue eyes boring into his. "I'm pretty sure she's into you."

He couldn't help but blink. "Whoa."

Author’s Note: I’m considering doing a companion set to these three from the other partner’s POV. Haven’t decided if they’ll be set shortly after these three- to kinda tell the other half of the story from those presented- or further down the line as a glimpse of how the relationships have progressed (even though I’ve been telling the Monochrome one in the background the whole time lmao could not resist) but I’ll figure it out eventually. Trying to clear out my backlog of prompts. Once again, sorry these have taken so long!

[stuckinthekookiejar]

Spring Day pt 2

Pt. 1 || Pt. 2 || Pt. 3 || Pt. 4 || Pt. 5

Jimin x Reader

Series Genre: Angst/Fluff

Series Summary: You knew that married life with an idol would be challenging. You just didn’t know that it would be this challenging.

Word Count: 2092

“CHEERS!” The four of you clung your glasses together before taking the shots down. 

It’s been three days since your civil marriage, three days since Jimin’s audition and three days since his acceptance into the entertainment company. You along with Jimin, Nara and Jong Soo finally had the time to celebrate, although there was a mix of happiness and sadness in the air. This would be the last time you’d all be able to go out for drinks since Nara and Jong Soo both were both leaving tomorrow. 

Nara slammed her glass down on the table, “I still cannot believe you two got married without us!"

“Nara-ah,” you cooed, “Don’t be mad...we were just registering it. It wasn’t like we held a ceremony or anything.”

“Yeah, Nara. Why, did you want to witness them filling out the forms or something?” Jong Soo ruffled her hair,

“Yah! Jong Soo-ah, don’t you know how much this haircut cost?”

“If your hairdo was that expensive then I’m sorry Nara, but you’ve been snubbed.” 

“Tsk, whatever,” Nara swatted Jong Soo’s hand away and flipped her hair, “But Jimin! Congrats on getting in! Soooo should I get an autograph now? You never know, it may be worth millions later....” 

Jimin laughed, “Don’t get too worked up, Nara. I haven’t even signed the contract yet, and even then I am still a trainee. Who knows how long it’ll be before I even have the chance to debut.” 

“Don’t think like that, Jimin-ah. Trust me, with your talent and looks I’m sure the entire country will fall for you...Y/N-ah, I’d watch your back if I were you. You might be getting some competition...” Nara teased you all while poking at your shoulder, “Oh, what about Rae Yeon? How’d she do?” 

You and Jimin looked at each other solemnly. He put his glass down and let out a sigh. It was obvious from your expressions what had happened to Rae Yeon. Nara felt guilty for asking, “O-Oh...so is that why she’s not here? Uh...I mean, she told me that other companies had scouted her....I’m sure she’ll get into one soon.” 

Jong Soo poured himself another shot and drank it down in a blink of an eye, “Aish, that kid. Always keeping to herself ever since middle school...she never tells us what’s wrong, and when something does go wrong all she does is hide. She can’t even show herself when it’ll probably be the last time we’ll ever get to get together like this! Is she that selfish?” Nara pinched him hard causing him to flinch,

“Yah, Jong Soo, how can you say that?” 

Jimin knew best that the way Jong Soo was reacting was just his own method of worrying for Rae Yeon, “Calm down, Jong Soo. Rae just needs time. If I had been rejected, I probably wouldn’t be able to show myself either.” 

An awkwardness filled the atmosphere. You all were down because this would probably be the last time the four of you would be able to see each other for a long while, and because Rae Yeon wasn’t there, and because she had been rejected. You all felt bad for her and felt sad for everyone. 

You lifted your head and grabbed the bottle of soju. You poured yourself a glass and held it up in the air for another toast. The others looked up at you curiously, “For a brighter and happy future...for all five of us.” 

Slowly the others raised their glasses and smiled along with you. The clanging of your glasses along with the cheers was ingrained into your mind as you savored the happiness in this moment.

“Can you explain that to me again, sorry...” Jimin sat wide-eyed in his chair across from the staff member. He was at BigHit Entertainment getting ready to finally sign his contract. Before that, though, it was agreed that he’d have one of the staff come and thoroughly explain everything.

“From what we understand, you are already legally married, Jimin-ssi, and you have plans on living with your spouse.” That was true. Your apartment was closer to the company, and since you two got married you both had full intentions of moving in together, “That is okay, you may live with her during your trainee period. However, when you get placed into a lineup of a possible boy group, you will have to move into a dorm with the other members. In addition, you will have to keep your relationship under wraps.”

“So...so basically you’re saying I can stay with my wife, but I will eventually have to move out and live separately from her....and I have to keep her a secret.” 

“That is correct.” The staff member was stern and her gaze was indifferent. 

Jimin combed his hand through his hair, “Isn’t this a bit much?”

“Jimin-ssi, you do need to understand that being an already married trainee is quite an unusual situation. Normally, entertainment companies would renounce their offer or force you to break off the relationship in order to remain in the company. We were considering those options, but we’ve decided to allow you to retain your relationship as long as you agree to our conditions.”

He nodded and wiped his hand over his face. He knew that she was right, that being married and trying to enter a company as a trainee would be difficult. He was young, so he knew he’d most likely debut as a member of a boy group, and being a married idol...that was not a common sight to see. There were cases where idols have dated, and some situations turned ugly especially with social media and a few crazy fans. Being already married may have a detrimental effect on the popularity of the group, so Jimin did understand why the company would want him to keep his relationship a secret. Additionally, he knew it was normal for members of a group to live together. 

“There’s no way, at all, that I can convince you to change the terms?”

“No, Park Jimin-ssi. I’m sorry, but this is the best we can offer you in regards to your marital relationship.” 

Jimin rubbed his finger against his temple. There wasn’t really any choice, “Alright. Where do I sign?”

You hummed in the kitchen while making dinner for two. Jimin would be back at any moment from his meeting at BigHit. Since Jong Soo and Nara left, and Rae Yeon was still MIA, it was only the two of you who could celebrate his official beginning as a trainee. 

You wiped your hands on your apron as you heard the sound of the door open, “Jagiya, I’m home!” 

Jimin walked into the kitchen and gave you a hug and small kiss on the forehead, “Jiminie, shouldn’t you be calling me ‘yeobo’ now?” 

His cheeks blushed and he nervously licked his lips, “I...I mean if you really want me to call you that...” It was only a few days, and even though he was the one to suggest getting your marriage registered, Jimin was still trying to get a grasp on the whole thing. For him, it was still a bit awkward to call you ‘yeobo’, and you knew that....and you loved to tease him about it. Making him blush and flustered was fun for you because it only made your husband look even more adorable than he already was.

“I’m just kidding with you, Jiminie. You can call me anything you like.” You giggled before returning most of your attention to the food on the stove. 

Jimin set down his bag and pulled out a chair and watched your back as you continued to cook dinner. It was surreal to him that he was a married man. They had only graduated a little less than a week ago, and here he was already eternally devoted to the love of his life. It was him who proposed and it was him who suggested getting married this early, but somehow he felt that he was rushing it. Becoming a trainee and eventually, an idol was going to be a big step, and he wanted you to be there when he took it, but now that it was actually happening...he was worried he had made a mistake. Maybe he should have waited to get married...maybe he shouldn’t have dragged you into it. 

“Hey, Y/N-ah?”

“Hmm?”

“I need to talk to you about something...” He sounded abnormally serious, which scared you quite a bit. You turned off the stove and joined Jimin at the table. 

“What did you want to talk about?” You kept your tone happy, hoping that whatever you husband wanted to say wasn’t that serious. Jimin laid out his hand across the table with his palm up asking for your hand. You reached across and held his hand,

“Jagi...about the contract. I signed it.” 

A smile grew on your face, “Omo, you did? This is great news, Jiminie! We have to call Jong Soo, Nara, and Rae Yeon...they’ll be so happy...”

“But there were certain conditions, Y/N.” His grip on your hand tightened. He’d never called you just by your name in years, and so you knew he was completely and utterly serious.

“Like what?” Even now, even when you knew it probably wasn’t going to be good, you sounded optimistic which just made explaining everything harder on Jimin,

“As you know, being a trainee will take up a lot of my time, and I may not even be home for pretty much the entirety of the day.” You were fully aware of that, and you two had discussed it before.

“Yeah, I know. But as long as you get to come home and lay in bed with me by the end of the day, I’ll be content. I thought we already went over this.”

“We did...but there’s more to it,” he gulped, “After an indefinite amount of time when my trainee period ends, I’ll most likely be placed in a boy group. Which means that...that I’ll eventually have to move in...with them.” 

You slipped your hand out of his as you began to realize what he said, “So what you’re telling me is that you won’t be able to live with me anymore? You signed the contract knowing that you would have to move out? Why didn’t you wait to discuss this with me?” 

It may not have sounded like a huge deal to others, but you two just got married. You dreamed about a life where you got to move in with your husband and you were ecstatic now that it was actually happening. But now after hearing the news that Jimin would have to move out, it felt like your dream was crushed. What hurt even more, was that he signed the contract without consulting you about it first.

“Jagiya,” He leaned over the table and reached for your hand again, “It’s not going to go into effect until I’ve been placed into a lineup...I’m not going to be moving out anytime soon...”

“But still...did you not consider how I’d feel, Jimin? I thought we were in this together...” 

“We are...trust me we are, jagiya. It’s just that the official said that the conditions couldn’t be changed no matter what. Talking about it... the only options we would have to discuss is whether or not I become a trainee. If I didn’t accept their terms, then I’d have to give up my admittance altogether.” You kept quiet. Your hand wasn’t returning the grip Jimin had on yours. Maybe you were overreacting, but right now you felt really hurt. Again, you slipped your hand away from his and stood.

“I’m sorry, Jimin, but...but I think I just need to be alone right now...” You took off your apron and retreated to your shared bedroom locking the door behind you.

Jimin brought his hands to his face and groaned. He knew you’d react this way. You two were so sure that at least the company would be able to let you two live together, but it wasn’t the case and you were upset. He was worried for you, and how you’d feel. But what even worried him more now, was that he couldn’t bring himself to tell you the full truth. After seeing you this upset over the fact he’d eventually have to move out, he didn’t dare bring up that he had to keep your relationship a secret. He was terrified that you would think that you would be a burden on him, and so he kept his mouth shut. 

Gif not mine, credit to the owner

[transcriptroopers]

A Week in Air Force ROTC

The following is a submission from the marvelous @mrs-chief! If you’re ever planning to write about air force officers, consider giving this a good read through for all of your lovely backstory-writing needs! 

And a tremendous thanks again to mrs-chief for taking the time to write such a hefty post! It’s phenomenally thorough and it’s clear you went through a lot of pains to write it. I’m sure it’s going to be a huge help for someone. ^^ -Kingsley

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Howdy! It’s me, Mrs. Chief, who moonlights as an Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) cadet. I thought it would be helpful if I imparted some of my experiences on you wonderful people in the hopes that your works of fiction can be accurate, or your curiosity can be sated. Either way, I hope this is useful in some manner, and I apologize in advance for how long this is going to be. 

I’m going to try and break it down into just what a typical week is like for a cadet, such as PT, LLAB, and etc. but also some of the basic Customs and Courtesies (which I might call C&C because I’m lazy)

All of my information will be coming from my experience, my AFROTC class materials found on the Holm Center (only accessible to cadets, sorry), and several (public) DoD documents, including:

Jeanne M. Holm Center: Military Customs and Courtesies (not public, but the most used by my detachment for C&C)

Similar alternative: AFROTCI36-2010 (Literally everything AFROTC related)

AFI34-1201 “Air Force Protocol” (Literally everything possible. Ch. 8 is C&C)

AFH33-337 “The Tongue and Quill” (USAF document writing standards – very important if you’re going to have official documents in your work!)

AFI36-2903 “Dress and Appearance Standards” (Can your OC have hair like that in the military? [Chances are, no, they cannot.])

I want to try and keep this short, but there is a lot of information, some of it which I’m still learning, so if there’s something I don’t mention or you want clarification on, definitely check out all the links.

My other ROTC "handbook" is the Field Training Manual which teaches everything that will go down in Field Training, but for more general drill movements and ceremonies, I recommend AFMAN36-2203 if you want your characters to be doing accurate (to the USAF) drill movements, commands, and whatnot. 

Some definitions of basic AFROTC terms to start you off:

(more at: https://www.afrotc.com/glossary)

GMC: General Military Cadet. This is someone in their first and second year of the program. Anyone who hasn’t completed Field Training is a GMC.

POC: Professional Officer Course. This is a cadet in the third-and-four year of the program. Has completed Field Training.

Cadre: AFROTC faculty. The instructors (USAF Officers) and NCOs (USAF Enlisted Officers) that keep the detachment both learning and running as it should. They are in charge. 

PT: Physical Training.

FT: Field Training. 25 days spent at Maxwell AFB, Alabama learning how to become a POC.

FTP: Field Training Prep cadets. Second-year (or, as we say AS200s/250s) cadets preparing to go to FT in the coming summer.

PTU: Physical Training Uniform.

ABU: Air Battle Uniform. Our camo. 

PCA: Professional Civilian Attire. For cadets without ABUs, this is the Uniform of the Day (UOD) for our AS (Aerospace Studies) classes, LLAB (Leadership Laboratory), or meetings with the cadre. It’s often called the ABU Equivalent. 

PMT: Practical Military Training. An umbrella term for everything we do, ROTC-wise.

OPORDs: Operation orders. What we’re doing for the week. 

AFROTC at a glance: Alongside your bachelor’s degree, you also take ROTC classes. At the completion of both ROTC and your degree, you commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. 

A Week in AFROTC*:

(*as told by an FTP cadet at Det. 6XX. Subject to change detachment-to-detachment)

Sunday (Afternoon/Evening): OPORDs are typically sent out to the Cadet Wing by 2200, detailing the plan for the week, including PT exercises and locations, LLAB training objectives, and UODs. I check the OPORDs and pick which days I want to go to PT, and prepare for LLAB. Also I get any uniform parts in order and ready to go. For example, if I’m going to Monday PT, I put my PTU and water bottle and keys and etc. on my desk so I’m not groping around in the dark. 

Monday (Morning): If I’m planning on going to Monday PT, I set my alarm for 0515 so I have time to get dressed, eat, and mentally prepare for the day. UOD is PTU. I typically leave my dorm at around 0550. PT starts at 0630. I get to the Rec Center at around 0600. Upon arriving, if a POC or a member of the cadre is in the gym and they aren’t having a conversation with another cadet, I immediately say “Good Morning, Sir/Ma’am/Cadet [Insert Name]/[Insert Rank] [insert Name]”. No need to salute if indoors, and sometimes, people are rushing around so much that you’re lucky to even get out the “Good Morning” part by the time they’ve moved on, but it’s still important to say the greeting of the day. 

We begin PT by having whoever is leading PT that day fall in the flight. Basically, they stand at attention in the front of the gym, say “FALL IN” and we fall in properly (see above links for more info). They are the Flight Commander for the duration of PT, and all orders during PT will come from them. There is still a chain of command that they have to respect (i.e. if a POC overrides an order), but they are in charge, essentially.  The commander will guide us through warm-ups first. I have a feeling that every detachment does them differently, but basically we have timed exercises (high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, and jump ropes) and timed stretches, and between every exercise, we go to parade rest upon the command “STANDBY”, then the commander calls “RECOVER” and we snap to attention and respond with “AIRPOWER!”

After warmups and stretching, the commanders falls out the flight and then briefs us on the exercise of the day. It’s pretty straightforward after that. We do the workout, do a debrief in regards to the workout (what worked, what didn’t, critique of the commander), do some stretches, then leave. That’s it for required PMT on Mondays for FTP cadets.

Tuesday (Morning): FTP class begins at 0700. It is not mandatory, and it is not held at the same time or sometimes even offered by other detachments. It’s a good time for FTP cadets (AS200s/250s) to practice drill, leadership exercises, and etc. in preparation for Field Training. The UOD for FTP is ABU/PCA, and ours lasts an hour.  Tuesday (Afternoon): PT is offered by my detachment at 1600 on Tuesdays. I don’t typically go to it, but it would be the same procedure as Monday PT.   Wednesday (Morning): FTP PT. While regular PT is going on, the FTP cadets run our own PT session that is typically more intense and based on a learning objective, such as teamwork, adaptability, or motivation. Typically, a POC will supervise it, but the GMC cadets are basically in charge of the whole session. We still do the standard warmups/stretches, just do a different workout from the rest of the wing. It’s a great learning and bonding opportunity.

Thursday (Afternoon to Evening): Ahh, ROTC day. Thursdays are when my AS classes are, along with LLAB. UOD for classes and LLAB is specified in the OPORDs for that training week, but most of the time, it’s ABU/PCA. I begin my AS200 class at 1410, then go to my AS100 class at 1510. After AS100 is LLAB. When I leave my 100 classroom, I, being LRC (Low Ropes Course) Flight Deputy Flight Commander and an FTP cadet, get accountability for the AS100 cadets in my flight, then report accountability to either my LRC Flight Commander (an AS300 [POC] cadet) or to his superior, my squadron commander (another POC. AS400). We then move, as a squadron, out of the detachment and form up. An FTP cadet then assumes the role of Flight Commander and marches the squadron to the LLAB location. I’ll hit on some of the finer points of drill down below. Once in the LLAB location, we file in, stand at parade rest, and wait. A cadet leading LLAB will then ask the FTP cadets to lead the wing in the saying of the Airmen’s Creed. Then, the National Anthem is played (we stand at attention and face the flag). Finally, we’re typically asked to sit at that point, and we go about LLAB. LLAB consists of briefings, announcements, then we do whatever exercise for the day. Briefings will be about holiday-related safety (don’t drink too much on New Years’ Eve), general safety issues (wear your bike helmet), or events for the coming training week (such as Combat Dining-In for our TW12. They’re basically just a rundown of everything going on, or anything that needs to be taught to the whole wing, such as proper dress and appearance. Briefs are short, ~5 minutes, but there are proper procedures and ways that a brief should be set up and conducted. Announcements are shorter, typically just something like “hey, we’re getting a pet fish for the cadet lounge, there’s a donation jar in the det to help pay for it”. Exercises can be anything from combat waters (aquatic military training), to MOUT (in which we did a CQB Room Clearing exercise), to just learning drill. LLAB ends at 1800.  Friday (Morning): PT. In good weather, Friday PTs are Warrior Runs sometimes, and if the PT Flight Commander and the Army ROTC PT Commander so wish, we also have game days occasionally on Fridays. Other times, it’s just basic workouts (or sometimes a fitness assessment, but that’s a whole other type of animal…)

Most suspenses (due dates) for things within AFROTC are going to be at COB (close of business – 1500) on Fridays. 

Things to always remember: 

1. When a member of the cadre comes into the room, the room is “called”. The cadet closest to the door sees the cadre approaching, calls “ROOM STANDBY”, and we all stand and assume parade rest. When the cadre enters, the same cadet calls “ROOM TENG-HUT” (honestly, I can’t spell it. I tried). The cadre will then say something along the lines of “take your seats” or “as you were”. 

2. In my detachment, “flight” is NOT a preparatory command. We do not say “FLIGHT, FALL IN”. Instead, it’s just “FALL IN”. Also, commands are given the letter “H” in front of them. Instead of saying “READY, FRONT” we actually say “READY, HUNT”. Cadences are counted with the letter “P” added to the end of the number, so “HUP, TWOP, THREEP, FOURP” (1, 2, 3, 4)

3. There are a LOT of C&C things I just can’t go over because this is extremely long as it is, but things such as reporting-in and reporting-out are vital when meeting with the cadre. 

4. While there is a lot of lighthearted camaraderie, there is CONSTANTLY an air of respect, coming from both the cadre and the cadets. My detachment commander (who is also my instructor – which isn’t normal but we are really understaffed) who is a Lieutenant Colonel has joked around with me before, but we still afford each other courtesies and respect in doing so. A good rule of thumb is if a member of the cadre or a POC speaks to you, use sir or ma’am. A lot. 

5. If you really want to write a story about two cadets who are in love and dating, remember to have them report it to the det commander and fill out the proper paperwork. (I’m not kidding, that is a thing you have to do.) 

6. We do not handle weapons of any sort. (well, we had plastic M16s for MOUT but they don’t count)

7. Academics come first. You cannot commission at the end of your ROTC career without your bachelor’s degree. 

8. Emails are sent constantly. There are constantly extra things you will have to do outside of class for ROTC. Sometimes, it’s just your flight commander checking in on your week, or it’s paperwork, or it’s volunteer opportunities. In short, you never stop being a cadet. (until you commission)

9. An ROTC cadet will NEVER have enlisted ranks. Unless they were enlisted before joining ROTC, for example, a Navy ROTC cadet will never be able to be Master Chief, or an AFROTC cadet will never be able to be CMSAF. Enlisted ranks (including non-commissioned officers/NCOs/”enlisted officers”) are different from commissioned officer ranks. (I know it’s confusing, just bear with me) 10. SALUTE YOUR POC WHEN YOU ARE OUTSIDE. 

11. “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” – Cadet Wing Commander

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I hope this was at least somewhat useful to anyone trying to write military fiction, or anyone interested in ROTC.

V/R,  //SIGNED// Mrs. Chief, C/3C, AFROTC

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