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obeymeluv · 2 months ago

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In Your Defense [PT 3 - Ignihyde]

You decide to work at Sam's for Valentine's Day and your crush just happens to hear a customer hitting on you. If they get arrested, can you be their alibi?

AKA: This person has a death wish and you find out your crush might be jealous?

Note: Each one is random and some will be longer than others. If I made everyone the same length this thing would be MASSIVE and I would probably die.

Not proofread because of the length.

Whatever part Ortho is in will be platonic, obvs.

Happy V-day!

**Need to go to bed for work tomorrow so Diasomnia will be on my next day off. Can't stay up long enough to squeeze it in**

If there was one thing Idia hated, it was going out in public. He hated how the sun burned his eyes, all the bugs flying around, the way people looked at his hair, and almost had a heart attack at the idea that he'd have to talk to people.

Major bummer. 0/10, don't recommend.

But he'd suck it up and soldier on because the call of sweets was too tempting to resist. The trek to Sam's isn't the longest from Ignihyde but it's enough to make him pace himself.

Yeah, he's not really an outside person. Or a physical activity person outside of dancing to Premo or working on his projects.

He briefly wonders if Ortho put Sam up to this as he finds his second wind and ascends the hill. Who has a bomb sweets sale and DOESN'T ALLOW ONLINE PURCHASES?! WHY WERE THE DISCOUNTS IN-PERSON ONLY?

Idia breaths a sigh of relief and fixes his hoodie before mustering up his courage and opening the door. He's throwing himself into the proverbial lion's den, into an introvert's worst nightmare!

The noise and people are almost too much but he distracts himself with all the pink and red. Mercifully, the candy is spread out around the store so he doesn't have to stay in the sea of people. Idia doesn't discriminate when it comes to sweets; he gets soft cake rolls, pixie sticks, little donuts, a few chocolate bars, and a couple of limited edition dessert drinks. He's secretly glad Sam's regular stock didn't take a hit because of the holiday; his snack stash needs replenishing. Packs of ramen and little things of convenience bury his sweets stash but he's careful not to crush anything.

He can almost hear Ortho nagging him to get something green or slightly healthy. If he doesn't, Ortho will be mad at him for a week. It becomes a battle of wits between the Shroud brothers and Ortho is the king of juvenile inconveniences. Idia has learned the hard way; Ortho resets his alarms, throttles his wi-fi, messes with his lights, takes apart his tablet or takes it off charge in the middle of the night, and just about anything else he can think of.

Idia begrudgingly puts some green smoothies in his basket. Along with some pudding cups.

Satisfied with his raid, he waits in line. He's chanting to himself the whole time: just walk, don't make eye contact! Just walk, don't make eye contact! The line stalls enough for someone to bump into him and he panics, stumbling forward into the person in front of him. His hair flickers and flares a little in his panic.

People give him space and he babbles a quick apology. He pulls his hoodie up over his hair but it doesn't hide everything. It makes him feel safe, though. He relaxes a little.

Then, he hears it.

HOW MUCH DO YOU COST?!

Oof. MAXIMUM cringe. NO ONE on campus has a charisma stat high enough to make THAT work! Except Kingscholar and Schoenheit, maybe.

It gets worse when he realizes someone said that TO YOU.

OH NO! HE HAS COMPETITION!

The tactic looks like it failed, though, so he's comforted. You wouldn't go for something so cheap and cheesy! This guy looks like a D-level tank AT BEST. You're an SSR easy. D-levels and SSR's don't go together!

He's an SSR when it comes to stealth and technical skill so maybe one day you guys can link up or whatever. Your choice. The tips of his hair turn pink and he blows on the closest strand to mute the color.

The guy is doubling down. "You're rolling a one, pleb. A hard one." Idia whispers to himself.

"You say somethin', Shroud?" the guy turns to him.

FUCK, HE KNOWS HIS NAME?!

Idia's hair roars to life with surprise. He yanks the hoodie down before the fabric singes and crisps. His strands are wild, untamed, and yellow. His instinct is to stutter and deny it, to backtrack, but your eyes are just shy of pleading and it makes him swallow the word soup.

"I-I said you're rolling a hard one. Y-You're failing!" Idia doesn't know if he's going to faint first or if his legs will give out. His heart might go first.

The guy clearly doesn't get the reference. The brain is buffering and the lag is too great. He shakes his head with a sharp, toothy smile, unable to help himself. Dumb normie, Idia gives a breathy chuckle. Idia has that unfortunate condition where his face talks for him and it must've said some shit because the tank is now laser-focused on him.

You're over the counter before he can process anything, grabbing the guy by the back of his shirt and telling him to leave. The guy just jerks his shoulders and stays the course. Idia sees you get ripped over the counter and tumble to the floor. You recover decently and grab the closest thing to you but something about the sound of your body hitting the floor sends him into a rage he'd only felt in online arguments.

It feels like his veins are burning. He can tell by the size of his shadow and the light dancing across the floor that his hair is long and ferociously orange. Raging orange. Lethal orange.

"Caution," Idia manages somehow through his rage. "C-Contents are hot." he knows he has to stay put. If he approaches the guy he will LITERALLY catch on fire. It's not a bad idea, and he can see the gears spinning in the guy's head. He's wondering if Idia's going to do it or if he has enough time to hit the door.

The guy chooses the door.

It takes several minutes for Idia to calm down. His hair seems to shrink as he deflates into his usual quiet mannerisms. It's shorter than normal! "Used up all my fuel," Idia complains as he drags himself to the counter. "Need calories." he melts pitifully into the counter.

"You need to buy what you burned, too." Sam points to the singed chips and snacks. He already has a few packs that are beyond saving in his arms. Idia realizes the shop is basically empty now and finds the energy to blush. Pink cheeks look really cute against his blue hair!

"Does this mean I'm done for the day?"

"Yes." Sam looks at you. He's not mad or disappointed, but he means you're done. "I think you're a bit of a fire hazard." he teases.

You both blush.

None of this was in his decision tree! WHAT DOES HE DO?

"You, uh, you want to come by Ignihyde and, um, watch some stuff? You don't have to if you don't want to, of course. I just, you know, since it was my fault and all--"

"Is that a nat twenty in the wild? I think I have to now!" you joke.

"You get that?" Idia's mouth hangs open in surprise.

"It might have different names but I think it's the same thing in my world." you shrug. He's so down to discuss games from another dimension!

A nat twenty indeed!

----

Ortho was doing his best to fill the gaps with whatever Sam's shop had to offer. Idia's grocery order was a little delayed due to the Valentine's holiday so he needed something decent to tide him over. Determined to keep his brother from an early, sodium-induced death, Ortho took it upon himself to shop. He wasn't totally heartless, though, so he'd throw in a few bags of chips to make Idia feel better.

A lot of this chocolate was out of the question! The sugar was through the roof! Then again, Idia was hopelessly addicted to sweets. He's pretty sure his brother broke some kind of record for sugar tolerance.

Equipped with Vil's suggestions and the things he researched, Ortho started hunting for healthy foods. He filled the basket with smoothies, yogurts, dark chocolate, fruit, and protein bars. There should be enough texture and flavor variation there to make Idia happy. Well...relatively.

Ortho floated patiently in line, subtly recording the conversations around him for later playback. Organic human interaction was interesting and would help him improve his algorithms and processes.

It's not like it hurt anything! All of the conversations were innocent and--

WAS SOMEONE TRYING TO MAKE A MOVE ON HIS FRIEND? HIS BESTEST, MOST PRECIOUS FRIEND?! ONLY HIS BIG BROTHER CAN DO THAT!

You may not totally get that he's a techno-organic construct (and not a boy who just really loves pretending to be a robot) but HE GETS that YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE AND THAT'S NOT OKAY!

"Excuse me, pardon me," Ortho weaves carefully through the people, playing a little 'wee-woo' alarm through his speaker system.

He floats beside the guy, staring at him with those big gold eyes. Pinching his thumb and pointer finger together turns up the alarm.

The guy is ignoring the alarms! How ridiculous! Is this what Idia means by natural selection and survival of the fittest?

A red light pops out of his shoulder, spinning in place.

HE'S IGNORING THAT, TOO?!

"You're being interrupted!" Ortho glares at him now, tuft of blue hair dancing angrily. "This conversation is clearly inappropriate for the setting and is henceforth terminated!"

"Terminated? Big words for a little boy! Go away, big people are talking!" the guy tries to shoo him away.

"Don't be rude to him!" you snap, "And he's right! The conversation is terminated!"

"Terminated!" Ortho echoes, pumping his fist. "Terminated!" he repeats, laughing when some of the people in line begin to join in and chant 'terminated, terminated!'

The guy leaves without buying anything and Ortho is happy to take his place. He pays for the the snacks. "And here's a sticker for you for being so sweet!" you put a sticker on the back of his hand. It's a heart wearing sunglasses.

Ortho laughs despite himself. One day he'll get Idia to explain it to you in a way you understand. He's surprised nothing like him exists in your world but he's glad to be here with you in Twisted Wonderland.

#twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #Idia Shroud x Reader #Idia x Reader #Ortho Shroud #Ignihyde

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devoutekuna · 8 months ago

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Midnight activities

Includes- Toji, Sukuna, Nanami, Gojo, Geto

Sukuna-

"Mama" poking at your side as she tried to wake you up. "Mama, mama" words repeating as Sukuna shuffled about, trying to shut her out. "Mama, I want to sleep here tonight" he absolutely hated how his daughter always wanted to be close to you, leaving no room for one on one intimacy. "No go away" pushing her hand off your sleeping body. "You go away!" Of course she had the confidence to talk back to him, swiftly getting out of bed as he knew that no servants would be awake at this time, grabbing the girl's wrist as he dragged her out of the room. "Hey!" "I'll eat you if you don't shut up" he always threatened her with that as it was the easiest way to get her to stop.

Nanami-

His daughter tried to stay awake since 7pm but she occasionally fell asleep, fortunately she woke up just in time for her father to come back from his mission, he was due back over 6 hours ago, so she was pretty upset when he was so late, and not even bringing any food for her back. "Daddy" scaring the man as he expected nobody to be awake at this time. "Hey sweetheart" dropping his stuff to twirl her around. "Did you bring anything back?" Hands placed on his shoulders to look over his body towards the bag. "Like food?" The only thing he brought was a bag of small donuts, despite how unhealthy they were it was the only thing he liked in the corner shop. Nodding her head. "You can have some donuts.

Gojo-

He was a light sleeper so it was expected that he would wake up when he heard the bedroom door open. "Papa!" The toddler holding the plushie he bought him a few weeks ago, wearing matching pyjamas to his, with a backpack on too? "Look what I found!" Pointing at the bag. Fortunately you weren't awake right now, still tucked in. Quickly glancing at you before rushing out of bed. The pair of them had a sweet addiction, taking any chance they could to stuff their face with food. "I found the secret stash!" His heart dropped as he saw the contents in the bag, normally Satoru would buy a bunch of food whilst visiting a new city and then stash them away at the top of the cupboard, where only he could reach... Somehow his son got up there and raided the whole thing, but atleast eh was nice enough to share it.

Geto-

His twins were supposed to be fast asleep in there bedroom after tucking them in, but somehow he wakes up with a girl sat on his shoulder trying to open his eyes to see if he was awake or not. "I think he's asleep" replying to her sister's question, the pair of them were trying to find the leftover cake from this morning. "I'm awake" scaring the girl as she almost fell of the sofa, fortunately he had quick enough reflexes to catch the girl, sitting up as he placed her back on the sofa. "What are you two up to?" Putting on his slippers as he stretched his muscles.

Toji-

"Ready?" Passing his baby girl a full water bottle, apparently he thought that his daughter wanted to work out with him when he saw her crawling towards the living room. Furniture moved to the side to give him more room as he sat his daughter down on a floor pillow. Disappointment overlooking his face as she dropped the bottle, letting it roll towards him. "I thought you wanted to train with me?" The poor girl didn't even know what was happening she just wanted to see her father.

#geto fluff #gojo fluff #sukuna fluff #toji fluff #nanami fluff #geto x reader #gojo x reader #nanami x reader #sukuna x reader #toji x reader #geto suguru #gojo satoru #toji fushiguro #sukuna ryomen #nanami kento #jjk drabbles #jjk x reader #jjk #𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚎𝙺𝚞𝚗𝚊

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siasthoughts · 13 days ago

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⍣ ೋ roses 'n golden apologies.

nanami kento x gn!reader

PREVIEW;

your dear ol' husband who's always passively loved you, has always been pretty distant. but for some reason, these past 2 years, he's become unbearably neglectful.

CONTENTS; has plot . sex is used as an apology . gojo is a homewrecker . lowk angst at start . i actually write the sex this time no way! . long kinda??

💿 JEALOU$Y - THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ♫

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

nanami sighed, finally shutting off the computer that burned his eyes for hours on end. he checked his watch, nine-thirty. shit. he promised to finally take you out for dinner tonight, he should at least buy you something, no? he stood from his leather office chair, the movement creaking under his weight as he slid his arms into the sleeves of his coat.

the space was now dark, he was the only one to stay once again. the sight made him groan to himself as he stepped into the elevator. recently, his home was growing quieter, the warmth was fading. no– you, you were growing quieter, your warmth was airing out.

ding. the elevator opens to reveal a similar view, empty and dark. he walks through the lobby, his oxfords echoing through the empty space as he finally makes his way to his car, bringing the engine to life. you still like roses, right? maybe he should get you some donuts too. he quietly grips around the wheel, swerving it out into the road and making his way to your favorite bakery.

he arrives at the bakery, you introduced this place to him and it quickly became one of his favorite places too. he recalls the ways you hoard the puffs and strawberry-filled donuts, the memory forming a small smile on his lips as he enters, a familiar chime greeting him.

a nostalgic scent of bread and cinnamon permeates the air, almost thick enough to taste as he calmly walks straight for the donut corner. he frowns, his eyes scanning the labels to land on the strawberry ones—

empty.

“good evening! is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” a kind, chocolate-haired girl asks as she clasps her hands together.

“ah,” he speaks in thought, “cream puffs?” he asks in monotone.

“yes, right this way!” she leads him to the cream puffs, a hand out to showcase the shelf.

the place has changed a bit since they last been here, which is… a year and a half ago.

he takes two, and heads to the counter without wasting a second. roses, yes, roses. he thinks as his feet quickly find themselves in the floral shop conveniently placed next to the bakery.

he quickly buys a bouquet of roses, and hurried back to his car, carefully stashing the gifts onto the passenger seat. his eyes linger on the seat for a second too long—recalling when it was you sitting there. alright time to go home.

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

at some mcdonalds.

you sat comfortably against the cushioned seats, a white-haired man in front of you, blabbering all sorts of nonsense, pulling out hearty giggles from you. god, when was the last time you've laughed like this?

"and then, i swear, i saw a vein in utahime's forehead burst!" he laughed out, taking a big bite out of his quarter-pounder.

you laugh, taking a sip of your drink. luckily enough, the story he's telling doesn't include kento. and for the past hour, you've completely forgotten about him.

"yeah? what happened next?" you entertained, keeping your eyes intently on him as he enthusiastically continued on.

"then nanami walks in and sees the mess in the classroom!" he chuckles, leading to a few stares.

your face drops as your phone coincidentally receives a notification, your eyes flickering to the screen.

nanami kento

honey? where are you?

your silence doesn't go unnoticed. "what's wrong?" satoru asks cautiously, tilting his head down to try get a peek at you, then at your phone.

"na... na..." he begins to slowly read, "oh-" he blurts out, "do you have to go now?" he thoughtfully asks, recognizing the situation.

you've opened up to him about the situation, not fully, but just a quick summary that's enough for anyone to understand.

"well..." you huff, staring at the screen hesitantly for a few moments, then shutting your phone off. "i guess." you sigh, stuffing your phone into your bag.

"aww, c'mon..." satoru pouts playfully, watching you stand. "thanks though," you smile softly, "this really helped." you thanked as he stood, following you over to the exit.

"want me to drive you home?" he asks cockily, clear with intent. it'll save money, you think. "sure." you accept.

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

nanami sat at your couch, the silence of the empty apartment defeaning. a warm, dim light of the floor lamps illuminated his features as his gifts sat untouched next to him. he stared at the blank phone screen, waiting for a response. anything, anything will do.

creak.

his head snaps toward the door, to see you stepping inside. a soft yet almost aching smile paints his face, "dear, you're home." he greets, standing to his feet and gently grabbing the gifts.

you look up at him, your eyes devoid of amusement at the sight. he picks this up, his own smile quickly falling away as his grip on the flowers tighten.

"hi..." you reply flatly, your jaw as tense as the air. "oh, uh- here, i got these for you." he still persuades, handing the bouquet and puffs over to you. your gaze drifts to the offerings, forcing a smile as you take them from him.

"thanks."

"so... uh-" nanami rubs the back of his neck as he stuffs a hand into his pocket, "what were you... doing?" he asks, watching as you walk past him, setting the bouquet down onto the center island of the kitchen, and storing the puffs almost carelessly into the fridge.

he swallows his words, feeling his heart sink at the scene. "oh, i was just with..." you hesitate for a moment, "satoru." as the name falls from your lips, nanami feels his heart fall even further.

"satoru?" he repeats, not sure if he believes it, "well... what did you guys do?" he asks, walking towards you. "we just had a good simple time at mcdonald's." you respond, shrugging casually.

he recalls the lavish presents he gives you, and upon hearing your 'simple' indulgences, it makes him feel like a stranger.

"really..." he hums bitterly, his arm falling to his side as his hand balls into a fist, "well," he clears his throat, "i'm sorry i didn't get to take you out." he forces the words out as he tries to keep the eye contact.

"it's fine." you respond shortly, "i had a good night anyway."

were you doing this on purpose? your words rubbed salt further into the wounds, your steps scatter across the floor as you head towards your shared room.

"sweetheart," he calls out, his voice bordering on either a demand or threat, "i'm... i'm really sorry." he walks up behind you as he realizes you weren't gonna even stop in your tracks.

"i said it's fine."

"please-"

"kento," you interrupt, "it's okay."

he frowns down at you as you turn to him, your eyes looking as if they were challenging him. and as you turn back, he speaks before even realizing, "please, i know it's my fault," he starts, "but how do you think i'll react if you just mention another man? especially someone like gojo? an old friend?"

you sigh, running a hand through your hair. "and how do you think i'll react if my husband just decides to act like a single man for two years?" you shot the question back, "goodnight, kento." you groan, turning back to continue towards the bedroom—

a hand finds your wrist, and before you realize it, you feel a pair of lips against yours. you grunt against him, your back hits the bedroom door, his mouth greedily, desperately invades yours.

"i'm sorry."

kiss.

"i'm so damn sorry."

"let me-" you stammer before yet another kiss.

his hands work swiftly to open the door, you stumble back until you hit the bed, your hands gripping onto his shoulders. you don't know if you want your breath back, because one thing's for sure, you miss him taking it away.

finally, he pulls away only to quickly move down to your neck, "kento- wait..." you breathe out, almost a gasp as you grip onto his hair, "hey..."

"for my peace of mind, please let me pay back for all the nights i made you sleep alone," kiss, "the forgotten dates," kiss, "the cold love," kiss, "sorry for leaving you empty."

you feel his warm hands burn down across your sides, trailing down to your aching hole, making you yelp. his legs were in between yours, "kento!" you gasp as he pushes his hands into your sweats and into your underwear.

"i want you to hear it before i get drunk on you," he rasps out, his middle finger circling your entrance, "i love you," he murmurs, "i love you so much."

he slowly pushes his fingers into you, stretching you out. he nuzzles his head into the crook of your neck as he shuts his eyes tight, feeling you tight around his digits. god, he just wants to bury himself inside you.

but he'd be too greedy, no? hold yourself together, kento. he hisses against your skin, curling his fingers inside you. "you're so tight..." he grumbles out, "do you want me to stop?" he asks lowly, his fingers stopping.

"are you serious?" you mutter, breathless though feeling as if the tension now cracked, "i'm just... loosening up, we haven't done this in a while." you frown.

a slight red flushes against his ears at your words, "i'm sorry." he huffs out before slowly picking up the pace once more. "i just... wanted to make sure."

you roll your eyes at his words, though truly appreciating the sentiment, "just keep going." you groan, circling your hips eagerly.

his pride beams at this. at the fact you're still eachothers. he pulls his hand out of the fabric momentarily, and a small mewl escapes you as he pulls back.

he raises his arm to take off his watch, then rolling up his sleeves to his elbows before getting back down to work. he knows you love it when he does that.

you lay, aching desperately for him as he inches off your bottoms, sliding them from your legs and throwing them aside. you eye the growing bulge in his pants, a mischievous grin creeping onto your lips.

"i think it's okay now," you announce abruptly as his fingers hover over your entrance, "what?" he asks in a stammer, "—i mean, you can put it in now."

"but it'll hurt." he quietly fights back as he rests his hands on your hips. "aren't you desperate?" you teased, reaching down to his hardened arousal, eliciting a low groan from him.

"see? you'll do good for the both of us if you just put it in."

he hisses, his fingers fisting the sheets. he's struggling. really struggling.

"my love- please-"

you continue to grind your filthy little fingers against him.

"c'mon kento, you know we both want it."

your fingers slowly inch towards his belt, unbuckling it, then pulling it off teasingly. next, you slowly unzip his pants and he makes no move to stop you.

"you can do it on your own now can't you?" you grin, pulling your hand away. his jaw tenses, staying silent before he begins to slowly pull the fabric down.

you chuckle, watching as he let it hang below his hips, just enough to reveal his desperate cock. he feels your stare, "do you want to touch it?" he laughs lowly.

it sinks even deeper, he finally realizes how much his own body has been craving you. you reach out, wrapping your hands around his length, pumping slowly.

he throws his head back, deep growls reverberating from his throat as his dick twitches under your touch. your thumb slides across the tip to spread the beading precum, using it as lube.

"haah..." he breathes out, his chest heaving, "that must be enough..." he murmurs impatiently as he brings his head back down to look at you, pulling your hand away from his arousal.

"oh so you're getting bold." you giggle as he positions himself against you, feeling the tip of his dick nudge against your entrance.

"didn't you want that?" he shoots back, holding your hips firmly as he slowly, gently pushes into you. his jaw and muscles tense at the sensation, fuck.

"hng!" you whine softly, feeling the size invade your long untouched hole, your legs shivering before you realize he's been still for too long, "hey, why aren't you moving?" you frown, observing him.

you notice his torso twitching, you look up to see his creased beows and small beads of sweat forming at his forehead, you can't help but let out a cut laugh. "kento... are you already going to..." you laugh, clenching around him, making him sigh.

"st-stop that..." he huffs out, trying to compose himself, "it's just- been long okay?" he excuses as you wrap your legs around his hips, pulling him closer, "ngh- shit! don't-" he stammers, his dick twitching around your tight muscle.

"okay- okay, i'll move..." he speaks with halfhearted confidence as he begins to slowly pull out before slamming back inside, "so... tight..." he mutters under his breath.

"uff..." you watch as his cock slides in and out of you, your fingers clawing at his forearms as you feel each and every inch of him, "have you... ever considered the fact you're just big?" you wittily reply, throwing your head back.

"it's alright though isn't it? you've always been able to take me." he groans, nuzzling his head against the crook of your neck once more as he begins picking up the face.

"ah- ah-" your moans slip out in time with his thrusts. "and... you always practically suck me in, such a greedy little thing." he rasps out as he feels your heat grip him, the resistance of your muscle driving him crazy.

you slowly feel a familiar feeling building in your stomach, and in sync, his fingers tighten on your hips, he's close too. his pace slowly falls out of a pattern, becoming more erratic than controlled.

"k-kento..." you moan, "i-i'm close..." your voice breaks in the words as his teeth nip at your neck. "i know, i know, me too." his warm breath trickling down your neck as he leaves light marks on the tender skin.

closer, closer... just a bit more. his hips drive into you, with the only goal of hitting that sweet spot. he moans quietly against you as he pumps himself, "i'm gonna cum- take it all for me, okay? take it all-" he growls as he buries himself to the hilt.

a whine escapes your mouth as your body writhes under him, that knot in your stomach finally snapping as you feel his warm seed fill you up. he keeps you close, basking in the afterglow.

"you did so good, so good." he whispers, kissing your cheek as he caresses your face tenderly, his cock subtly twitching inside you as you feel bits of cum drip down your ass.

god how you missed him whispering in your ear like this. how you missed all of this.

"again..." you murmur.

have to make up for lost time, no?

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

this is obviously self indulgent 🤤🤤🤤 nanami fics r going extinct so i had to take matters into my own hands, first time fully writing the sex hope i did good 😈😈

#[💮] sia.#[📝] sia.#x reader #nanami kento #nanami x reader #jjk nanami #nanami x you #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk x you #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu nanami #nanami kento x reader #nanami kento x you #nanami kento x gender neutral reader

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pony-central · 2 years ago

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PonyCentral: Here at PonyCentral Incorporated, we need to make sure that our customers are satisfied with their order. So, I'm selling Boyfriend's Donut Stash for $5. With free delivery, and free shipping directly to your door. Just one simple rule - Don't tell Boyfriend anything. Shh! 😁

#Donut Stash #ponycentral

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ihangelic · 3 months ago

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as a girl who worked in the otter section of a zoo, lemme tell you a little about otter hybrid!riwoo (gn!reader, pure fluff!)

otter!riwoo is a velcro boyfriend. he’ll be holding your hand, playing with your fingers or fidgeting with your clothes 24/7. usually it’s unconscious— like you could be grocery shopping and as you’re picking things off of the shelf, his hand is still glued around your wrist. or when you’re at the register handing the cashier your card, he has two fingers hooked around the belt loop of your jeans T^T

otter!riwoo falls in love every time you randomly buy him little snacks! once you bought him a donut while on the way to hang out with him and he could smell it on you before you even revealed the pastry to him, small excited squeaks coming from his throat as he hugged you before happily taking the treat in his two hands and eating it. literally, you can’t give him a snack if you’re not prepared to have him all over you for the rest of the day. riwoo baby just wants to be in your arms and cuddle after eating and stare at you with hearts in his eyes.

otter!riwoo secretly steals small things of yours because they remind him of you and he likes having them when you’re not around :( like a keychain, piece of jewelry, a forgotten shirt or hoodie you left at his place. you finally find out one day when you stumble across his stash in his closet. and when you tell him what you found he’d be sooooo adorably embarrassed and kinda worried you’ll be upset >~< of course you assure him that it’s fine, you actually think it’s super cute— and he’d blush so hard omg <3

otter!riwoo loves to give you random little things! like yknow how riwoo’s always catching confetti n’ stuff for ihan? he does that to you too T^T if you’re at the park together or walking on the sidewalk he’ll suddenly hand you a lil flower he saw in the grass or a rock he thought was pretty. (also, if there’s butterflies, he gets super entranced with them and follows them with his eyes and follows it around. will try to get the insect to land on his hand so he can show you that too— OMG IM CRYING) and when you keep the random things he gives you he gets SO HAPPY UFJDNDJJD. not to mention that if you give him a random thing back— marriage. you literally have to marry him now because that couldn’t mean anything else in riwoo’s mind other than a proposal. (like actually, he’s shopping for a wedding tux the very next day.)

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psychic-pigeons · 11 months ago

Note

hey if you write a pattern for the chilchuck amigurumi I will buy it instantly

ive gotten multiple asks about this, so ill just answer them all here in one go.

i wrote down everything while i was working on it, but i theres some stuff that i would do diffrently and i also didnt take a lot of process pics so it wont be a full proper pattern for those reasons, but ill add all that i have under the cut!

i dont want any compensation, but if you wanna do me a favor you can donate to esims for gaza, unrwa, any of these gefundme's, or another trusted charity of your choice.

now to the pattern! i would love to see the results of anyone making a squeakychuck, feel free to tag or dm me :)

the dimensions of this depend on the size of ur squeaker and yarn, i had a 4ish cm squeaker and somewhat thick 4/8 cotton yarn (kinda 6/8ish thickness). depending on ur yarn and squeaker u might need to follow a different pattern for the body.

if youre using a different body base pattern, the tunic and blouse pattern are pretty easily adjustable. ill add some notes for that at those sections of the pattern. ill also link some videos i used at relevant sections.

if theres an Action store near where u live, see pic below for the yarn i used for the skin, reddish brown, black and light brown. i got 3 of these but 2 packs was enough. the dark brown and creme were from my stash. i also got the squeaker from a donut dog toy from Action.

abreviations list (all in us terms):

mr = magic ring

sc = single crochet

hdc = half dubble crochet

slst = slipstitch

ch = chain

bobble = 5 double crochet in one stitch

4inc = 4 sc in one

4 inc = increase in the next four stitches

BLO = back loop only

FLO = front loop only

what you need:

-skin color of choice yarn

-creme/white yarn (normal for body, thin for blouse)

-greyish creme (for boot flaps)

-black yarn

-dark brown yarn

-light brown yarn

-reddish brown yarn

-green yarn

-4 tiny buttons (for arm joints)

-cardboard (for shoe sole

-3.5mm hook

-squeaker

-needlefelt needle

-stuffing

-stitchmarker (optional, i always mark the first stitch of the round)

once again disclaimer, this is not a propper pattern, this is just what i wrote down while i was crochetting. it may not nessecarily be the best way to do it. i wanted most clothes to be removable, but you have to partially disassemble the doll if you want to remove them. if you dont like how something looks or works ur free to do whatever you want. big fan of fucking around and finding out personally.

if you have any questions feel free to dm me, might take me a while to reply though.

SQUEAKY CHUCK PATTERN 3.5mm hook

head (skin)

r1: sc 6 in mr

r2: (inc) x6

r3: (sc 1, inc) x6

r4: (sc 2, inc) x6

r5: (sc3, inc) x6

r6: (sc4, inc) x6

r7: (sc 5, inc) x6

r8-15 : sc 42

r16: (sc 5, dec) x6

r17: (sc 4, dec) x6

r18: (sc3, dec) x6

r19: (sc2, dec) x6

r20: (sc 1, dec) x6

r21: sc 12

slst, fasten off

ears x2 (skin)

r1: sc6 in mc

r2: (inc) x6

r3: (sc, inc) x6

r4-6: sc 18

r7: dec 9. slst fatsen off.

Body - leg up (skin, black, thick creme)

start with skin

r1: ch 6, inc in 2nd from hook, sc 3, 4inc, sc 3, inc

r2: inc 2, sc 3, inc 4, sc 3, inc 2

r3: inc 3, sc 5, inc 6, sc 5, inc 3

r4: BLO sc in all

r5: sc 3, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 6, dec 2, sc 3, dec 2, sc 3

r6: sc 1, dec, sc 4, dec 6, sc 4, dec, sc 1.

r7: sc 6, dec 3, sc 6

stuff

-r8 dec, sc in all

change color to black [color change video]

r9-23: sc in all

1st leg: fasten off

2nd leg [joining legs video]:

r24: sc7, ch 1, sc join in 1st leg after last sc, sc13, sc1 in visible v loop of ch1, sc 7

r25: sc7, sc 1 in remaining v loop of ch1, sc21

r26-31: sc 28

r32: sc 7, change color to creme/white, slst 1, sc 20

r33-35: sc 29

r36: (sc 8, dec) x3

r37: (sc7, dec) x3

r38: (sc6, dec)x3

add squeaker

r39: sc21

r40: (sc 5, dec) x3

r41-42: sc18

r43: (sc 1, dec) x6

fasten off

Arms (skin, dark brown)

i made the arms movable with button joints, but after looking at some videos i discovered that what i did is not called a button joint and i dont have a video explaining it, so i hope this drawing helps.

the red bits are the buttons inside of the arms and body, and the thread (blue for clarity, i matched it w the skin) should be pulled tight and finished off with a double or tripple knot inside the body.

or you could just sew on the arms that also works. but wait with doing that until youve finished the blouse as the hands dont fit through the sleeves. i have a seperate section on assembly at the end of the pattern.

start with skin

r1:sc6 in mc

r2: inc x6

r3(sc, inc)x6

r4 : sc 18

change color to brown

r5: sc 18

1st arm r6: sc 3, bobble, sc 14.

2nd arm r6.2: sc 14, boble, sc 3

[i matched the top loop to the bobble color but i think it would look better if u didnt]

r7: sc 18

r8: (sc 4, dec)x3

r9: (sc 3, dec)x3

r10 sc12

color switch to skin (you might want to do this a round earlier, i didnt initially plan on making the gloves flared, and this color change part can sometimes be seen and look kinda weird)

r11-14: sc 12

r15: (sc4, dec)x2

r16-19 : sc 10

r20: (sc3, dec)x2

r21: sc8

insert button joint

r28: (sc2, dec)x2

slst, sew shut

glove flare (dark brown)

r1: ch 15, slst join LONG TAIL

r2: (sc4, inc)x3

r3: sc4, inc, sc8, inc, sc 4

r4: sc 2, slst fasten off

sew 2 rows below thumb bobble

boots (light brown, dark brown, greyish creme) [video]

these are removable but they dont go on easily, so you gotta patiently massage the feet in there.

start with light brown

ch 7, start in 2nd from hook:

r1: sc 5, 3inc, sc 4, inc

r2: inc, sc 4, inc 3, sc 4, inc 2

r3: inc, sc 5, hdc inc 7, sc 5, inc 2

r4: slst fasten off. sew in holes/tails, fray ends for flat gluejob. trace onto cardboard for sole.

switch color to dark brown

r1: BLO join slst, BLO sc in all

r2-3: sc in all

glue in sole

r4: sc 8, dec 5, sc 12

r5: sc 7, dec 4, sc 10

r6: sc7, dec2, sc 10

r7-10: sc in all

switch color to greyish creme

r11-12: sc in all

r13: slst, FLO sc in all

r14-16: sc all

slst fasten off

flip the greyish creme flap over.

blouse (thinner creme)

this is a standard raglan pattern, if you need the whole thing bigger/smaller you need to have more/less chains at the beginning. this change also carries over to the collar. the increases are evenly spaced for me, and unless your doll has a very broad chest this shouldnt have to change.

if the arms need more space you need to either add more rows to the r3-7 part and/or add more chains in r8 (this part should fit pretty sugg around the body)

i was experimenting a bit w using BLO to minimize the gap where the sleeve and body seperate (r8). it worked p good but you can ignore it if you dont understand it and just sc in all.

(edit: if this confuses you, understandable. I answered an ask abt it here but feel free to ask if its still unclear)

r1: ch24, slst join.

r2: (sc 5, inc) x4

r3-7: inc in first of previous inc. last row should have 10 sc between increases.

r8: sc5, blo sc 1, ch 5, blo sc join in 1st of next inc, sc 11, blo sc1, ch5, blo sc join in 1st st of next inc, sc 5

r9: sc6, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc1, sc11, blo sc 1, sc 5, blo sc 1, sc 6

r10-13: sc in all (36)

r14: (sc8, inc)x4

r15: sc in all (40)

slst finish off

Sleeve

r1: join mid armpit, slst ,sc2, sc in the leftover bits from the BLO stitches, sc 11, sc in leftover BLO bits, sc2

r2-6: sc in all

collar

join left-middle front, sc 7, inc, sc8, inc, sc 7. turn

r2: sc7, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 7. turn

r3: sc8, inc, sc 10, inc, sc 8. turn

cuffs

r1: join mid body-facing side, FLO sc 20

r2-4: sc 20, slst fatsen off

Tunic (red brown) [tunesian entrelac crochet]

if you want to make this bigger i recommend keeping the same square layout, but making the squares bigger. its a bit of measuring and math to figure it out.

the tunic is made in tunesian crochet and i dont really know what written patterns for that look like so i hope this makes sense.

for a single square:

r1: ch4, start in 2nd back bump from hook. pull up a loop from ever back bump. you should have 4 loops on your hook total. simplestitch in all

r2-4: simplestitch in all.

r5: slst in all. fasten off

for the slanted parts i did the decrease by pulling through the middle 2 loops in one go on the back pass

this is how the full thing should look, its worked from bottom left to top right.

sew together the shoulders together, then sew in all of the ends

:) good luck

tunesian crochet has a tendancy to curl, so if you used cotton i def recommend blocking it

i defined the grid a little bit with a dark brown pencil.

cowl (green)

BLO sc 7, repeat till desired lenght, then BLO slst join the last row to the first.

scalp undercut bit (dark brown)

r1: sc 6 in mr

r2: (inc) x6

r3: (sc 1, inc) x6

r4: (sc 2, inc) x6

r5: (sc3, inc) x6

r6: (sc 4, inc)x6

r7: sc36

sew on back of the head (recommend doing this before the ears and face, see end for more detailed assembly instructions)

hair (reddish brown) [hair video]

disclaimer, this is kind of a mess. the lenghts didnt line up the way i intended so i improvised by adding loose strands and spent a lot of time pinning every strand in place before glueing them down.

i used bison kit contact glue since its sturdy, transparant, flexible and waterproof. you can use hot glue as well, i just personally dont like it because its bulky.

r1: sc 21 in mc. join BLO slst

r2: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join

r3: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, gdc10, BLO slst join

r4: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join

r5: ch13, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 11, BLO slst join

r6: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join

r7: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, BLO slst join

r8: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join

r9: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, BLO slst join

r10: ch 14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12, BLO slst join

r11: ch 12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10, BLO slst join

r12: ch 10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, BLO slst join

from now on, join in the FLO's of previous round

r13: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8, FLO slst join

r14: ch10, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 8 , FLO slst join

r15: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join

r16: ch12, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 10 , FLO slst join

r17: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join

r18: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join

r19: ch 18, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 16, FLO slst join

r20: ch16, sc in 2nd form hook, hdc 14, FLO slst join

r21: ch14, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 12 , FLO slst join

1x ch 6, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 4

2x ch8, sc in 2nd from hook, hdc 6

2x ch 10, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 8, slst in same, fasten off.

2x ch 12, sc in 2nd from chain, hdc 10, slst in same, fasten off.

3x ch14

pin all in place until it looks good, tie +glue loose strands first. then glue back pieces, crown, and lastly bangs/ top back layer. some of the lose strands go behind the ears, one is the left sideburn, and the rest is to cover up the crown. these pics are the best i can do as a guide, this was my first time doing this so i was struggling lol.

i didnt fully glue down the bangs and the top back layer bc i thought it would be fun if u could ruffle his hair, but my friend who i gave the plush to has significantly abused him (its been 2 days) and his hair is a mess so im gonna have to glue it down again lol. might as well do it all the first time if u plan on throwing him down the stairs or something.

Face

for eyes + eyebrows, embroider outline with dark brown, then needle felt [video] the inner parts w unraveled dark brown fluff. the dark brown i used was probably acrylic. cotton doesnt really work well for this.

Belt and pouch (dark brown)

the belt is a 3 strand basic friendship bracelet! [video]

sew together the ends and hide it with by sewing the pouch on top.

i didnt write down the pattern for the pouch, but from the top of my head its the same start as the squares for the tunic

r1-9: simple stitch in all

r10: simple stitch 1, decrease by putting your hook through 2 vertical bars when pulling up a loop, simple stitch edge 1.

r11: slst in all, finish with a long tail

use tail to sew together the sides, and sew the pouch onto the belt. use some yellow thread to make a button.

ASSEMBLY.

put on the blouse, put the arms in their place and finish the button joints.

put on the tunic, lace the sides with dark brown yarn, finish with a knot and hide the tails underneath the chest part of the tunic.

slide on the belt and boots.

sew the scalp undercut bit to the head

sew the ears to the head

tie + glue the loose hair strands behind the ears

glue the back of the hair

glue the middle circle part of the hair

glue the top back layer and bangs

sew the head to the body

put on the cowl

i hope this is somewhat clear, feel free to dm me is you have questions.

enjoy your squeakychuck :D

#ask #crochet #chilchuck #dungeon meshi #mine #talk #crochet pattern

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ficsbyabby · 2 months ago

Text

Mornings After a Mission

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x female!Reader

Warnings: nothing, could be interpreted as implied smut but it doesn't have to be

Words: 1194

a/n: This is for @omgrachwrites 1k follower celebration! I chose the prompt "Stop moving and let me braid your hair!" Check it out; this girl rules! And thanks for the love on the last post!!

Russian is google translate, so my apologies. Feel free to leave a correction if this is wrong!

милый= darling

дорогой= sweetheart

It was the morning after a mission. You had gotten back late last night, and with the debriefing and how gross you felt, you hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Nat. You had recently started dating, and while you weren't to the point of sleeping together, you usually talked to her before bed and gave her a kiss. Stretching (and wincing when you realized how sore you were), you got up in search of Nat and maybe, breakfast.

In the kitchen of the common floor, Nat was feeling guilty. The mission had been rough. You had gotten hit pretty good by a couple of agents, and she had been busy trying to get to the hard drive, so she hadn't been able to check on you. She knew you were tough; it wasn't about that. Nat wasn't used to this feeling, the way she felt about you. She had fallen head over heels for the newest avenger, this girl fresh out of the SHIELD academy, the one who bounced on the balls of her feet when shown a new weapon. You were pure, something Nat wasn't used to. So here she was, attempting to make your favorite breakfast, planning out a day with you.

You shuffled into the kitchen, yawning. You were so focused on getting coffee that you hadn't noticed your girlfriend standing at the stove. What you did notice was your coffee, made the way you liked, set in your favorite mug, already on the counter. Looking up, you grinned.

"Nat! Thank you, my saviour!" you gushed dramatically.

"You're welcome, I wasn't able to check on you last night, милый, so I'm making up for it." she replied, snorting a little at your theatrics.

"There isn't anything to make up for! I didn't come to see you either! And check up on me? I'm a big girl, I'm fine!"

"Too bad, I'm spending the day with you. We're doing the dorky couple stuff, movie, dinner, whatever you want." Nat answered, ignoring your protest at her checking up on you.

"Whatever I want? I've got some thinking to do." you considered your options.

"Whatever you want, дорогой."

"Okay, first I want you to not burn the tower down trying to make... that." you told her, scrunching your nose up at the smell of burning.

Natasha whipped around, groaning at the burnt mess she had created. Scraping away what was meant to be a nice breakfast, she was grateful for her forethought to have a backup. Slipping away to her room (the greatest hiding spot, no one went into her room), she returned quickly, proudly holding a box of donuts from that little place down the road from the tower. You smiled and took your favorite from the box, happily eating.

"Donuts! Thanks, Red!" Tony exclaimed, walking in, much too peppy for this early and going for the box.

"Nope!" Nat answered, swiping it before Tony could get it, "These are for y/n."

"Come on! This is my tower, share the donuts!" he argued, a pout forming on his face.

Grinning at the exchange, you passed Tony a donut. Though Nat groaned outwardly at the action, inside, she was beaming. This was why she loved you. You were so kind to everyone. She expected this to happen, which was why there were more donuts stashed away. She retrieved them and set them on the counter as more avengers filled the common room. After a few minutes of quiet, filled with the sounds of eating and the occasional groan, Tony suddenly spoke up.

"So why does y/n get donuts? We were all on that mission!"

"Because y/n's her girl, that's what you do." Steve answered.

"That's right! We're spending the day together doing that coupley stuff so don't you dare call me down to the lab because you accidentally blew yourself up! Call dum-E.," you told Tony.

"Ooh, Red and y/n/n are going to be gross today. Thanks for the warning." Tony snarked back. "And I certainly will not call Dum-E. I like the building intact.

Nat shook her head, a fond smile on her lips. The rest of breakfast was filled with similar exchanges. You and Tony could go head to head for hours. You were the only one on the team that could match Tony without ending up in a snit for hours afterward, a trait Natasha and the rest of the team admired.

Soon the group dispersed. With a day off, the team had the freedom to do whatever they pleased. When you and Nat were the only ones left, you both started on cleaning up. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, you started talking.

"So let's definitely watch a movie. Maybe one of those silly rom-coms, and then we can go out for lunch. That can be your choice because I am not deciding everything we do. After that, we'll change into pajamas and do absolutely nothing. Take-out for dinner in one of our rooms if we want to be alone, or we can see what the rest of the team is doing."

"Sounds good, дорогой. But for lunch let's just go for a walk until we spot something that we want. Just a nice casual day." Nat replied.

"Awesome!"

With a plan in place, you finished cleaning up the mess that the Avengers tended to leave when eating and made your way to the movie room. Snuggled up next to Nat, you put on some cheesy movie and relaxed. An hour into it, you got bored; after all, you were used to being busy. You brightened up as you got an idea.

"Tasha, can I braid your hair? My hands need to do something." you whined at her.

This was a pretty big request. Natasha was quite proud of her hair. It was always perfect, something you were quite jealous of. You expected her to say no, for her to take your hands and lay back, but Natasha Romanoff was full of surprises.

"Okay."

Natasha shifted a little so you could reach her hair. You thanked her repeatedly as you got to work making the perfect Dutch braid. Nat sat still for a few minutes, watching as the man on the screen made some declaration to a girl who was not interested. Soon though, she reached a hand behind her and stroked whatever part of you she could reach. Soon that progressed to her snuggling closer. Finally, she turned her head to try and kiss you.

"Nat stop moving and let me braid your hair!" you complained, but your laughter and smile betrayed you.

Utilizing her skills, she wiggled out of your hold without pulling her hair and grabbed you. Pulling you close, she started kissing you, anywhere she could reach. You soon did the same. The two of you were delighted, close to each other, until...

"Oh come on! When I said you guys were being gross, I meant, like being cheesy and giving me cavities. Cavities not nausea!" Tony exclaimed, interrupting your moment.

Nat stuck her middle finger at him, pulling you up off the couch and into her bedroom.

You never did finish that braid.

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha x reader #natasha x you #natasha x y/n #avengers fanfiction #marvel fic #marvel fanfiction #mcu imagine #mcu x reader #marvel imagine #abbywrites #abby writes

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year ago

Text

Steal Your Heart (Part 1)

When the calling card of the infamous Knave of Hearts arrives, he’ll rob his victims blind of their most treasured items on the appointed date. Enter ace detective Yuu accompanied by rookie cop Deuce Spade, both seeking to apprehend the Knave and bring him to justice.

Will they succeed, or will the phantom thief steal their valuables--and their hearts--first?

This was originally meant to be one fic, but it was getting to be WAY too long. I decided to split it in half and release this part now and the second part (which I am still working on!) later. This first part focuses more on Yuu and Deuce; the second part will be more Yuu and Ace.

(Please note: there are slight romantic implications in the form of an Ace/Yuu/Deuce love triangle, but those elements could also be interpreted as platonic or as just playful teasing with no additional meaning. It’s all in the eyes of the reader!)

Imagine this...

The police station’s waiting room was a familiar sight.

With time, the shiny checkered floor had grown matte, marred with scratches and scuffs from the boots that crossed it on a daily basis. Someone had taken to attempt to pretty up the otherwise dull space by hanging out abstract paintings on the cream-colored walls, and a vase of white roses dripping with red paint at the check-in desk. There was as even a glass tank which housed a small family of colorful hedgehogs.

Maybe they were meant to be welcoming—but really, they were more clashing than anything. Certainly not a fit for the stiff atmosphere of the station.

Still the fluorescent lightbulbs buzzed faintly, flickering in and out on occasion. The sound distracted from the old television mounted in a corner to entertain guests. It seemed to play commercials on a loop more often than it played actual shows. Currently, an Olympus Corp. branded tablet was being toted as the next big technological marvel—though the TV’s audio was fuzzy at best, and the image half static.

A coffee table pushed to the wall, stacked with a new stash of magazines. Whoever updated the reading materials—most likely the friendly senior officer with orange waves for hair—was into the latest trends, often selecting fashion magazines with high gloss finishes. A dangerously beautiful man graced the covers of many of them, dressed in the hottest summertime styles while looking the part of an untouchable ice queen.

As usual, the station was scented with coffee and tea, the beverages of choice for many officers burning the midnight oil or working overtime. The chief demanded it at times to meet deadlines and goals—he was such a stickler for them—and the caffeine helped those under him stay sane as they went about their duties.

In the afternoons, most were either out on lunch or on patrol, lessening the foot traffic at HQ. There was only one man in uniform, seated behind the desk and filing some papers.

Yuu shifted in their own chair, adjusting the rim of the baseball cap upon their head. They were suited in an inconspicuous jacket and sneakers, fingers toying with a badge in a pocket, hidden out of view. To the common man, they were a jogger--but one flash of their lilac gemstone bound to a black and white striped ribbon, and there would be no doubt as to what their true identity was.

The smell of coffee and tea grew stronger, and Yuu glanced up from behind the bill of their hat.

The bespectacled man from behind the front desk had approached. He had a sheepish smile, bearing a paper cup filled with hot brown liquid and a napkin with a donut laid upon it. Bright pink icing dusted with sugared violet petals crowned the golden fried pastry.

“Detective.”

“Mr. Clover.” Yuu nodded—a terse, polite greeting. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Please, just ‘Trey’ is fine.” He offered the treats, which they readily accepted. “Sorry for calling you in on such short notice. I’m sure you’re busy juggling your other cases—but I think I speak for the entire department when I say we’re thankful that you were able to make it.”

“No worries, I’m used to it in this line of work,” Yuu replied. “It must be something pretty urgent this time around. The Chief sounded frantic over the phone.”

Trey rubbed at his chin, grasping for the right words. “Let’s just say he’s not in the best of moods right now. You’ll need that sugar to get through this in one piece.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“Just trying to avoid any trouble. You’d better finish them before you step into his office. You know how he hates it when there are crumbs or spills in there.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Yuu gave a joking salute before starting to pack away at their snack. The drink was the instant kind, and practically scalding, but it was easy to tell that the donut was homemade. The pastry, flaky on the outside and fluffy on the inside, dusted with sugar granules and sweet icing. “Wouldn’t want the Chief to be blowing a fuse again.”

“No, definitely not. He’s done too much of that lately.” Trey carefully eyed Yuu’s donut, now only half of it left. “Oh, but be sure to brush your teeth a thorough cleaning tonight, or I might have some problems with you. Cavities and staining are real dangers, you know.”

“Are you Assistant Chief of Police or my dental hygienist?” Yuu took a generous swig, then a bite just as big. “You worry too much about everything.”

“Ahahah… Do I? It’s a habit, I guess. Comes with the job.”

“That stressful, huh?”

“Well, I do what I can to smooth things over. Hopefully you can too. It’s been difficult on our department with the Chief all rattled up about the… situation.” He stopped himself. “I’m sure you’ll hear all about it from him.”

So the case is top-secret, Yuu concluded with the last of their donut. Not to be discussed in the public.

They ran their tongue across the length of their mouth, lapping up the remains of sugary residue. “I understand. The details are not to leave his office.”

“You catch on quickly. No wonder why the Chief thinks so highly of your abilities.”

“Flattery’s a part of your tool kit as well, Trey?”

He raised his eyebrows. “… You’ve worked long enough with us to figure these things out. Nothing gets by you, it seems.”

“UGIGIGIGIGGGGHHHH!!”

The remainder of Yuu’s drink sloshed around in its cup, set into motion by the bloodcurdling scream.

A familiar man with orange waves erupted from the chief’s office, hurriedly slamming the door shut behind him. His typically relaxed features were arranged in panic, his hair frazzled.

“How did trying to calm him work out, Cater?” Trey inquired half-heartedly. It was a courtesy more than genuine curiosity.

“What do you think?” the senior officer groaned, sinking where he stood.

Yuu quickly finished their drink, tossing their trash—the evidence they had been there—away and then stood, adjusting their jacket. “That sounds like it’s my cue.”

“Yeah, it is.” Trey sighed, frowning. “He’s in a tough spot right. Be kind to him, will you? That’s all I ask.”

“You got it.” Yuu tipped their baseball cap as they passed the officer. “Thank you for the pick-me-up. I’ll be seeing you, then. Officer Diamond—get some rest.”

“Good luck.”

“You’ll need it, Yuu-chan! Brace yourself.”

The Police Chief was a small but serious man.

His character came through in his office space: books on law and order neatly arranged on shelves, papers and files alphabetically organized in their cabinets, and pens evenly spaced apart and arranged in rows. A crystal vase with deep red roses was poised beside his writing implements. A plate polished to a fine shine was propped up at his desk, reading: Riddle Rosehearts, Chief of Police.

Perched imposingly despite his short stature in his seat, he impatiently tapped a finger on an arm. Riddle’s face was a telltale red and veiny, proof of his earlier outburst, but was beginning to cool into a faint, smooth pink.

There was already another man in the office, sitting across from the Police Chief. He was pale and jittery in a suit the color of the night and sewn with blue sequins and glitter. A top hat rested upon his raven locks, the brim of it shading his hauntingly golden eyes.

Yuu removed their hat and, keeping it to their chest, gave a shallow bow as they entered. “Sir.”

One move out of line, one hair out of place, and they suspected he, in his volatile and vulnerable state, would explode anew.

“Welcome, Detective. I’m glad you could join us today.” Every word was a gruff puff of air, a leash with which to wrest control of his rage. Riddle gestured to the empty chair beside the nervous man. “Sit.”

Yuu obeyed, sinking into the seat offered. They casted a glance at the stranger adjacent to them, who was fiddling with his velvet-lined gloves.

“Mr. Crowley, this is the independent detective from Stray Cat Investigations that I had previously mentioned to you. The force has collaborated with them for a number of difficult cases in the past. Their wit and strategic skills have made them an invaluable asset. I thought it prudent to have them return to join us for your case as well.

“Yuu, meet Dire Crowley. He is the esteemed director and curator for the Sage’s Island Museum, and he’s come to us with his woes.”

“Hello, Mr. Crowley,” Yuu said politely. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He responded with a tired attempt at a smile. “Yes, you too.”

“Now that we’re all acquainted with one another...” Riddle produced a file from beneath his desk and placed it before himself. “Do you care to explain, or shall I?”

“I-I’ll elaborate!” Crowley crowed. He picked at a collection of keys belted to his waist, glistening gold under artificial lights. “The Sage’s Island Museum is planning a new exhibition on the Great Seven. As part of the exhibit, we are having many priceless artifacts flown in from all over Twisted Wonderland. We have donations from even Briar Valley’s royal family!!

“There will also be a great number of important VIP guests present for the grand opening of the exhibit. Royalty, wealthy benefactors, important diplomats, businessmen, celebrities... All individuals who wish to see their history on display! This is very important, you see!! M-My reputation--er, I mean, the museum’s reputation--is on the line here!!”

“Right.” Yuu nodded as they parsed through the information. “I’m following what you’re putting down. And where does your problem arise, Mr. Crowley?”

“Ah, now that,” Riddle smirked, “is the question of the hour.”

He opened his file, pulling out...

A single playing card, its back facing Yuu.

“I trust you’ve been keeping up with the news?”

“As any good detective would. There have been several robberies lately. Terrible, really.” Yuu’s expression clouded with concentration. “Hmm... but if it’s a potential robbery that you’re concerned about, Mr. Crowley... Doesn’t the Sage’s Island Museum boast a state-of-the-art security system from Olympus Corp.? I doubt the average thief would be able to bypass it.”

“That’s just the trouble,” Crowley loudly lamented.

“We are dealing with no ordinary thief,” Riddle clarified.

“It’s not?”

“No. Far from it.” The Police Chief exhaled sharply. “The string of robberies from before--they’re connected by a single thread, perpetuated by the same lone culprit. And now that scoundrel intends to continue his crime spree.”

“I’ve never heard of this before.”

“You shouldn’t have. It was a top-secret operation within my force since the first of its kind.”

“Why am I being told of it now?”

“Because, loathe as I am to admit it, the culprit has managed to outwit us and elude capture each and every time, He employs a bag of cheap parlor tricks and smoke and mirrors like the coward he is,” Riddle confessed begrudgingly. The blue-grey of his eyes were steely and stubborn. “A case as important as this needs the additional man—and brain—power, Detective.”

He placed the playing card down and slid it toward the detective. “This arrived in the morning at Mr. Crowley’s desk, the same as all the prior robberies. It gave him quite the fright. He rushed all the way to the station to beg for our assistance.”

“This is...” Yuu gingerly turned the card over, revealing a message scrawled on the other side in bright red gel ink. Each letter was big and bubbly, bursting with cheek and pomp.

Their heart jumped.

To the Old Crow that safeguards the Museum,

Heyo~

Your pockets look a lil’ heavy there, so I’ll help you out. (Aren’t I so kind?) Three days from now, I’ll claim one of your most prized treasures at the stroke of midnight.

Stand back and watch as I perform the greatest magic trick you’ll ever see... and make the portrait of the Queen of Hearts vanish before your very eyes. It’ll be a show-stopper!!

Until then,

Phantom Thief Knave of Hearts <3 ;3

P.S. Send the cops my regards, they can’t catch me lol (especially when their teapot tyrant’s patience is in SHORT supply geddit)

“They’re just flat-out announcing what their intentions are,” Yuu realized. They were half impressed, half shocked at the gall. “You said all of the victims received messages like this?”

“Calling cards, yes.” The fury had returned to Riddle’s features, causing his voice to spike and strain. “It’s infuriating!! What does he get off on, misappropriating magic as cheap parlor tricks for crime, writing notes in such a cocksure manner, taunting us to pursue him?!

“Not only is he poking fun at my height and committing a crime, but for mere SPORT?! For the THRILL of it?! He’s making a mockery of the good people of this island and of my men and our efforts to secure the peace!!”

The Police Chief slammed a fist down on his desk, rattling his glass vase and setting his perfectly straight pens askew. Crowley shrunk back in fear. “That Knave of Hearts...!! He must be stopped at all costs!!”

“Y-Yes, absolutely!!” Crowley chimed in. “For my--er, I mean, for the museum’s sake, this criminal must be put behind bars!! That’s why I’ve come to you, my good people!

“My taxpayer dollars help fund the police force, so I’ve come to collect on what its promise to protect and to serve the community!! Well, here’s the community at your doorstep asking you to protect and to serve!!”

“That’s why you want to put me on this case,” Yuu concluded, clasping the calling card to their racing heart. “To prevent this from going down tonight.”

“And furthermore,” Riddle added, “to investigate the identity of this so-called phantom thief once the museum is safely secured.”

“That’s a tall order, sir.”

“You’ll have access to our force’s resources, and to my officers. You will assist in overseeing this operation, with maps and outlines of the museum’s security detail from Mr. Crowley. We’ll cooperate to create a plan of attack to apprehend the Knave.”

“You misunderstand me. I never said I wouldn’t take the job,” Yuu coolly informed the Chief. Their mouth cocked upwards with confidence. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

“Oh, blessed day!! From the very bottom of my oh-so-generous heart, thank you very much!!” Crowley cried tearfully.

For the first time the entire briefing, Riddle smiled back at Yuu. “Hmph. That’s what I like to hear. Happy to be working with you again, Detective.”

“Likewise, Chief.”

The sun had already set when Yuu exited the station, the stars blinking into existence. Several hours had been spent picking the museum curator’s brain with a fine-toothed comb, looking over layouts, and memorizing security detail. The information had been well-stocked, and now came the time to let it marinate and bloom into plans.

Stuffing their hands in their pockets, Yuu shuffled down the sidewalk and past rows of parked vehicles. Ahead, neon lights flashed in and out, and the trains rattled on their well-worn tracks, buses and cars honking at each other, the chatter of street vendors filling the air.

And something different than the usual tonight.

The city never slept, always buzzed with energy. Yuu had become accustomed to its sights and sounds, finding them even comforting. Their best ideas were conceived against the hum of the cityscape. It was just soft enough to not fully distract, but just noticeable enough to tug at their thoughts for long enough to stray into new territories and concepts.

Light from lonely streetlamps created tears in the darkness, illuminating the path to their favorite downtown thinking spot: the Mostro Lounge. A good (albeit overpriced) drink would chase away their tiredness.

Yuu continued with that promise in mind, every step catlike. First quick, next slow, then quick, moderate, slow, quick, slow, quick, moderate. Their speed, ever alternating.

Their ears strained against the sounds of the city, slowly parsing through the individual elements.

Trains, buses, cars, chatter… and the soft footsteps masked by them. Footsteps which matched Yuu’s pace.

There was no mistaking it now.

I’m being followed.

They didn’t look to see who it was—the first rule of tailing a target was to never alert them to your awareness. Yuu would know (as oftentimes they were the one in the position of tailer).

They cast their eyes across the street, which was busy with bodies. Once Yuu merged with the crowd, they could easily shake off their stalker.

Their feet picked up their pace again, hurrying to the crosswalk. It was a glaring red, advising pedestrians to stop.

Shoot, Yuu cursed.

They felt a presence step up beside them. From the corner of their eye, they could make out a dark form--clothes. Yuu pretended to check the time on their phone, and glimpsed him in the reflection.

He was in a hoodie, with the hood pulled up and head down to conceal his features. His hands, too, were out of sight, a sea of baggy fabric hiding identifying features, save for his frame. Lanky, but reasonably packed with muscle to keep up with Yuu.

The man shifted, and his sight grazed theirs. His eyes were hard and icy, a silent threat.

Yuu quickly focused on the crosswalk light. Their heartbeat became as loud as the surrounding sounds. Screeching above the vehicles, shouting from the rooftops. THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP, THA-THUMP.

At last, the light turned from red to white.

Walk.

They started--and so did he.

“Excuse me.” A hand came upon their shoulder. The other pulled at something with a sinister glint. “Do you have a second?”

No walking, Yuu corrected themselves. Run!!

They sprinted down the crosswalk, jostling pedestrians with a hasty “sorry!” thrown back at them. As Yuu weaved through the crowd as fast as they could, they could not completely shunt out the man after them.

“Hey, please wait!! Where are you going?! C-Come back, I need to talk to you!”

His voice carried above the others. People jolted back, the crowd parting to make way for the man to charge forth. His volume swelled louder and louder as he gained on them.

Towering apartments seemed to bear down on Yuu. Their windows, glaring.

A shop. Find a shop and get inside!!

Yuu pumped their arms, pleaded for their legs to move more efficiently.

Again, a weight fell upon their shoulder. It was a clamp, fingers biting Yuu’s skin through their jacket as they dug in and held firm.

The other hand wielded the same shining object that it had before. Yuu looked more closely this time, and the unease in them dissipated. It was not the pointed tip of a knife, but the glint of a familiar officer’s badge wreathed in golden roses.

The man tore off his hood with a sigh--though Yuu noticed that he wasn’t one bit out of breath. Navy bangs fell across his forehead, his eyes a peacock green-blue, much friendlier under the streetlamps than the crosswalk signs.

He smiled at Yuu as though he were greeting an old friend. His grip turned into a tender squeeze. “I finally caught up with you!”

The detective awkwardly pulled away, confusion scrawled on their face. “Um... Sorry, who are you? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“Oh! Uh...” The man jumped, retracting his hand. “That’s because we haven’t! Er, not officially anyway, but I’ve heard a lot about you!!”

Yuu pointed to his badge. “That. You’re an officer?”

“Yessir!” The man offered the proof of his identity and stiffly saluted. “Officer Deuce Spade, sir!! I’m a new recruit...!! I just joined the force a few weeks ago!”

Yuu mustered a faint smile. The darned fool was going to give them away. “... Am I in trouble, officer?”

“Nossir! Not at all!” His entire face shone with eagerness, earnest, and a slightly nervous energy. Maybe Yuu would have found it adorable (in the same way that a child trying hard was adorable), were he not blasting your occupation to the public. “Why would you be in trouble, sir?! You’re working with...”

“Okaaay, that’s enough out of you!” Yuu slapped a hand over Deuce’s mouth, silencing him.

Curious onlookers murmured amongst themselves. Some had taken to halt and full-on gawk. Children pointed, adults narrowing their eyes with suspicion.

Yuu frowned, removing their hand to shoo pedestrians away. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just a misunderstanding. Move along, Wonder Boy and I can settle this ourselves.”

“Wonder Boy?” Deuce, in a daze, pointed to himself. “Is that... me?”

“Who else would I be talking about?” Yuu folded their arms. “I assume you’re free now?”

“I am, sir! I was just let off my shift a little while ago, sir!”

“First, drop the ‘sir’. It’s giving me a headache,” Yuu instructed. “Second, if you’re free, then you’ll be joining me for a drink and a chat. We have things to discuss--chief among them being why you were following me.”

Ring-a-ling!

A bell sounded as the door to the Mostro Lounge swung open. Deuce stepped into a new world, Yuu at his side.

The interior itself was dim, but glass lights fastened in the shape of jellyfish projected swimming incandescent lights in purple, blue, and pink. Velvet booths lined one half of the eatery, the other, a glossy bar with tall, narrow stools, the shelves behind it healthily stocked with bottles in jeweled tones. Strangers poised with drink took residence in most of the seats.

The entire back wall had been repurposed into a massive aquarium teeming with aquatic plants and exotic creatures. Seaweed and coral gently swayed to the rhythm of the smooth jazz floating through the lounge, fish frolicking among them.

“Whoooa,” Deuce gasped, craning his head to drink in every detail. “I’ve never been to a place as classy as this. It looks so expensive. You think my salary’s enough to cover at least an appetizer?”

“Hang on tight to your wallet,” Yuu warned. “This place will squeeze you for every thaumark you’re worth and then some—and they won’t feel a bit of remorse about it.”

The detective raised an arm, flagging a nearby waiter.

Their uniform was simple yet sleek: dark dress pants, a white bow tie, spotless gloves, and a cummerbund and suspenders over a lavender button-up shirt. It allowed for slight variation—one waiter skidded by with his shirt buttoned as low as food safety regulations deemed safe. Another jotted down orders with a jacket thrown over his shoulders and a pair of glasses tucked into the crevice of his buttons.

The waiter Yuu called out to approached like a shark fin cutting through still water, neatly bowing to greet their waiting customers. He was prim and proper compared to the other servers, not a button out of place.

When he raised his head, Deuce marveled at his mismatched olive and gold irises, the teal of his hair marred by a stripe of black. Three diamond-shaped scales dangled from his left ear, as sharp as his eyes.

“I bid you welcome to the Mostro Lounge, honored guests,” the waiter said smoothly. He gaze immediately cut to Deuce. “I see you’ve brought a friend with you, today, Yuu-san. How delightfully rare.”

“Acquaintance. We just met outside under… less than ideal circumstances.”

“Oya, how quick you were to seize on that chance encounter. I may even deem you a bigger opportunist than our dear manager.”

“… Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Deuce inquired.

“Perhaps you will find the answer to your question, should you act as a patron at our establishment for long enough.”

“Quit toying with him, Jade. You know what we’re here for,” Yuu grumbled. “My usual.”

“If that is what you wish. And for this gentleman acquaintance of yours?”

“Just ice water is fine, sir!”

Jade maintained his polite smile. “Very well. One glass of ice cold water for you. I will bring you a menu as well, in case you begin to feel peckish late into the night.”

“Oh, thanks!”

“Right this way then.” Jade gestured for the two to follow him.

“He’s upselling you, you know,” Yuu pointed out under their breath. “Hoping that you’ll buy something when presented with the opportunity to spend.”

“E-Eh, he is?! I didn’t even realize…”

“Fufufu. Please, do not let your worries consume you. You have come to relax, correct? We at the Mostro Lounge ask that you put your fins and your feet up and enjoy yourself while the night is still young.”

They were escorted to two empty stools in a (relatively) quiet corner of the bar. The glass jellyfish lights were clustered in the center of the main dining area, leaving the corner like a slice of dark, uncharted waters. Jass music and conversation filtered into a muffled melody.

Yuu plopped down with relief, followed by an apprehensive Deuce. He slowly sank into the cushy seat.

“I will be right back with your drinks. If you will excuse me.” With another bow, Jade rounded the bar and rolled up his sleeves—the transition from waiter to bartender. Presenting his back to the duo, he set to plucking bottles off of the shelves.

Deuce blinked. He still hadn’t taken to fully processing his new surroundings. “Are we really going kick back and have drinks when there’s a serial thief on the loose?”

“We can’t talk about that in public, or risk blowing my cover. It’s safe to talk here,” Yuu reassured him. “What happens in the Mostro Lounge stays in the Mostro Lounge. Say what you want about the slimy staff, but they know how to keep their patrons’ secrets. Client confidentiality and all.”

The young officer brightened. “Ooooh, I get it!”

“… You’re not the sharpest tool in the shed,” Yuu remarked bluntly. They slipped off their baseball cap, letting loose their hair. “So? Let’s have it.”

“Have what?”

“Your reason for following me.”

“Oh!! That.” Deuce nervously scratched at the back of his neck. “That’s kind of…”

The detective drummed their fingers on the polished counter. Methodical, deliberate. “You mentioned that you recently joined the force. However, only senior officials in the police department and myself were privy to this operation. How did you come to learn about it?”

Deuce stiffened, thrown off his beat (if he had any to begin with). “Th-That’s…!”

“I’m asking you a question, Mr. Spade. Please answer me truthfully.”

“I… um… Truth is, I…” Deuce stared at his lap, unable to meet the detective’s eyes. “I might have eavesdropped when I returned from my patrol shift…”

“Go on,” Yuu coaxed.

“There was a report I had to submit to the Chief, but it sounded like he was busy in his office. It’s hard to not notice him when he raises his voice, sir. I decided to wait outside until he was done, and… well, I got curious.”

“Wasn’t Assistant Chief Clover also present? He just let you do that without a single protest?”

“Assistant Chief Clover was very nice to me! He laughed a little and said ‘make sure you don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar’!”

Darn it, Trey!! You could’ve been a LITTLE stricter with this guy…! Yuu groaned, massaging the bridge of their nose. “Okay, I think I’m starting to get a better picture of what went down. You followed me wanting to learn more about the operation.”

Like a curious child chasing after a white rabbit. Still immature, still wondering, and still way over their head.

“Yes, but that’s not all!” Deuce insisted. He abruptly stood from the table. “There’s an even more important reason than just satisfying my curiosity, sir!”

Yuu quirked an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”

“I had to talk to you—without the Chief around. I had to. That’s why I followed you in secret.” The officer nibbled his lower lip, as if biting back something harsh and bitter from coming up.

“Out with it, Mr. Spade.”

“Pardon the intrusion,” Jade coolly interjected. His tone was nonchalant but his bemused smile was a telltale sign that he was relishing in every second of the hot gossip. “Your beverages.”

He slid two glasses between Yuu and Deuce before departing. One was tall and slim—a highball—loaded with carbonated water and fruity gummies. Yellow for jeweled pineapples, red for ruby berries, green for frozen mint, black for floral cacao, and blue from pure azure salt. It was Yuu’s usual, the famed Mystery Drink. The other glass was, by comparison, an ordinary drink of water, a single large, clear cube of ice floating in it.

A bead of sweat ran down Deuce’s jawline. Condensation forming and racing on his glass of water.

Suddenly, the officer slapped both hands on the counter, slamming his face down upon its surface. His navy hair splayed, forehead touching the table in a display of humility.

Yuu almost spilled their drink. “What are you doing?”

“I’m begging you, sir!! P-Please put me on the mission!!” Deuce pleaded, his voice shaky but resolute. “I… I want to help catch the Knave of Hearts too!!”

“If that’s all you wanted, why ask me? Go through the proper channels to…”

“I can’t!! The Chief would never allow it.” His expression creased with shame. “He says rookies need to work their way up from meter maid to working on cases.”

“He’s right. You need to grow into these things, not rush in head-first in a burst of passion.” Yuu made to take a sip of their drink—but the officer’s fist collided with the counter, the liquid inside the glass sloshing overboard. Seltzer water splashed onto their pant leg, leaving a sticky wet spot on a thigh.

“P-Please reconsider! I know how to handle myself in a fight! I’m fast, I could easily catch up with him if it’s a race on foot!”

“Look,” the detective said irritably, “I don’t know what you’re hoping to accomplish here. Fact is, no matter how much you ask, I wouldn’t want to take you on for this case. You’re too green behind the ears—and sorry, but I just don’t see you as an asset.

“You may be strong and quick on your feet, but it’ll take more than strength and speed to catch the Knave of Hearts. There’s a reason he hasn’t been caught yet.” Yuu tapped at their temple. “It’s this. He’s got smarts, and we need to combat that with smarts of our own.”

“I-I can be smart!! I can try to, at least! Please, just let me try…!!”

Frustrated, Yuu scrutinized the young man again. Their eyes roaming, searching, for detail wrong, a hair out of place.

Years of sleuthing had built up a great amount of cynicism and distrust in the detective. How many times had they pulled back the curtain, revealing the ugly truths hidden out of plain sight? How many bruised egos--both clients and coworkers--had they encountered? People seeking status or to feed their own pride.

Yet when they looked at Deuce, none of that ugliness or ego came through. Here was someone who stubbornly stared right back at Yuu, unwilling to back down, even when his dignity lay in tatters on the floor the instant he prostrated himself.

Another selfish bid for recognition? They ventured, toying with the idea. Maybe personal ambition, looking to climb up in the world.

“... One reason,” Yuu said, holding up an index finger. “Give me one good reason why I should take you on. Convince me.”

Deuce recoiled--as though even he hadn’t expected to have made it this far, or to be taken seriously at all. His brows creased with effort as he racked the recesses of his mind to find the right phrasing.

A second later, he let out a piercing shout.

“GAAAAAAAAH!!”

With a grunt, Deuce grasped his cup of ice water and lifted it to his lips. He hammered the drink in a single swig, releasing a satisfied hoot. The liquid courage had revived the man, returning the spark to him.

In a voice as clear as the drink he had just downed, Deuce said, “It’s for my mom. She’s just about the sweetest, most hard-working person I know.”

He hung his head and slammed his empty cup down, shaking the entire table.

“She raised me as a single parent. Mom never once complained, only wanted the best life for me.” Deuce glared into his glass, speaking with scorn and anger--not at others, but for himself. “And how did I repay her? I... turned to delinquency.

“I acted out because I wasn’t man enough to do the mature thing and work on myself!! She blamed herself for my stupid decisions! I made mom worry for me so, so much...”

Plip, plip.

Deuce faltered, letting quiet tears dribble down his cheeks and landing on the cube of ice left in his glass. Once they made contact with the frozen block, it was impossible to tell what was water and what was salt.

“I swore to myself that I would turn my life around... to show mom that it’s not her fault, that she did all she could to raised someone who could contribute to society!! So I studied really hard at the police academy, and even though my grades were crappy, I managed to graduate...!!”

He choked up, a concoction of fiery passion infused in his stuttering words. “I can finally be that model officer and make a change in the community! But I haven’t done a damn thing...! I just play meter maid while bad guys are out there running free, when I could be out there making this city a safer place for mom and everyone that lives here...!!”

The noises of the lounge seemed to fade into a stoic silence around Deuce. His declaration reverberated loudly. “I have to do this. I need to do this.”

He bowed again, his forehead pressed hard against the surface of the table. The single word he uttered was hoarse, desperate.

“Please.”

Deuce pried himself up almost painfully. The eyes were aquamarine, wet with hot tears. Something shone through them in shades of blue and green, priceless as any treasure: an honesty that burned like an eternal flame.

Yuu startled, striken by a single, haunting revelation: He’s telling the truth.

“... I don’t think I’ve met someone like you before,” they said cryptically. “I don’t doubt your story—but as touching as it is, I don’t know if...”

Hesitation reared its head, and Yuu forced themselves to look away. Couldn’t bear to see him, that wide-eyed sincerity.

Emotion clashing with their sound logic. Two things that shouldn’t have belonged together colliding.

Wait... things that don’t belong together? Things I didn’t expect, surprises and twists to the tale...

A ex-delinquent turned into a policeman. A selfishness turned selfless. An anticipated lie turned into a truth. Something there that hadn’t been before.

The detective’s mind raced, quickly outpacing the words leaving their mouth. A solution which subverted expectations, a trap laced with honey for a man with sticky fingers.

That’s it. We’ll pull a trick of our own.

“Okay, I’ve changed my mind,” Yuu abruptly announced. “You’re in on this operation, Mr. Spade.”

“R-Really?!” Deuce’s face nearly tore in half, his volume revving up like a motorcycle engine. “You mean it?!”

“I do.”

Yuu took a cool sip of their Mystery Drink. Flavors from all over Twisted Wonderland cascaded over their tongue—a triumphant, fleeting pleasure.

They set their glass down and bent over, gripping Deuce by the strings of his hoodie. Yuu tugged, bringing the policeman lurching forward.

His clammy forehead against theirs. Centimeters away, his eyes widened. A flushed heat climbed to his cheeks, his voice set in a stammer.

“S-Sir, what are we...”

“You’ll have to follow my instructions very carefully,” Yuu replied with a devious grin. “Listen up, rookie: cuz you’re going to be the star of this show. Here’s the plan...”

The ambience of the lounge drowned out Yuu’s whispers. From afar, their words could only be read through the shapes of their mouth, the increasingly confused and alarmed expressions that Deuce pulled.

Jade observed them patiently, chuckling to himself. “My, my, it seems like our genius detective has found yet another solution.”

CLATTER, CLATTER!!

A tray piled high with empty plates and dishes was slammed down. Jade’s twin peered around the stack, leaning lazily against the bar.

“Eeeh, but I bet against them this time.”

“Playing the contrarian runs its risks.” Jade picked up a glass, staring at his brother through it. The golden orb called his left eye was clear as a topaz. “As for myself, I’m excited to see how this plays out.”

PAP.

A notepad came down on the table as a third waiter joined them.

“Both of you need to stop gossiping and get back to work,” their manager chided, sliding the notepad—scrawled with fresh orders—to Jade. “Leave the customers to tend to their own business. We’ll soon know the outcome.”

[To be continued...]

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