#I already probably know the answers for gen z and gen x

[jellybeanium124]

further elaboration: did you, in general, wear sunscreen when you were playing outside for extended periods of time, particularly in the summer? were you generally forced to put it on by parents, guardians, or camp counselors? maybe you didn't wear it every time or avoided it for like, texture reasons, but like, most of the time.

[creamflix]

PERSEPHONE — ryomen sukuna x female reader [chapter 2]

summary: ryomen sukuna, ruthless tycoon of the alcohol industry, is used to crushing rivals. but when his former meek secretary walks into his office as his newest competitor, he’s blindsided. you’ve transformed into a powerful force, ready to go head-to-head in a high-stakes battle for dominance. as tension rises between you — both in business and something far more dangerous — sukuna realizes this fight might cost him more than just his empire.

content warnings & tags: enemies to lovers, modern au, business tycoon sukuna, angst, slow-burn, mentions of other jujutsu kaisen characters (suguru geto, choso kamo, uraume, yuuji itadori), mentions of sickness [puking due to alcohol consumption + past trauma] - this takes place in the same universe as my upcoming salaryman!choso fanfic

word count: 9.9k words

notes: thank you all so much for the positive response for our darling business tycoon sukuna, i'm beyond grateful. as i said, this will be a very slow-burn fic. i realistically have not planned out how many chapters i'm gonna write [ridiculous, i know] but i will make a masterlist soon! keep your eye out for that. and please, enjoy.

masterlist

this was a new low, even for sukuna. it felt like the earth had swallowed him whole, leaving nothing but his pride to choke on.

how the hell did i end up here? he thought bitterly, staring at yuuji, his fresh-out-of-high-school little brother, who was now sitting in his plush office chair, twirling a pen like it was the most exciting thing in the world. having yuuji be my intern as a marketing strategist... the words tasted like bile in his mouth. it wasn’t that his business was struggling — far from it — but the “experts” had insisted that “gen-z knows gen-z the best” and that ryomen’s brand needed a fresh perspective to appeal to younger audiences. a whole load of crap, but sukuna had grudgingly agreed.

and of all people, yuuji was the one sitting across from him, smiling like a kid who just found out he could have dessert before dinner.

“you get my range rover for the time you’re here, and an extra week to stay at the miami penthouse. deal?” sukuna offered with a grumble, the words almost painful to say.

yuuji, without missing a beat, grinned. “you strike a hard bargain, but i agree.”

“range rover with a chauffeur!” sukuna barked. “you are not taking that damn thing out by yourself —”

“can’t hear you!” yuuji sang out as he already started texting his friends, probably to brag about his temporary ride.

is this my life now? sukuna thought, eyes narrowing at his brother. the contrast between them was maddening. how did they look so alike yet end up so different? sukuna, a figure of intimidating presence and silent power, versus yuuji, the golden retriever of the family, bouncing off walls with enthusiasm that never seemed to dwindle. it was exhausting.

yet... sukuna sighed inwardly. it felt right. as weird as it was to turn to his younger brother for advice on how to steer his multi-million dollar company toward the hearts of gen-z, there was an unspoken reason behind this move. sukuna wouldn’t admit it out loud — not to anyone — but this was a veiled excuse to spend more time with yuuji. i want to see him grow up before it’s too late... before i miss out on everything.

the conversation replayed in sukuna’s mind, the phone call that had set this whole thing into motion. he remembered dialing choso’s number that monday night, pacing in his study like he had something far more important to discuss than the simple request he was about to make.

“what’s up?” choso’s familiar, calm voice answered, and sukuna could practically hear the eyebrow raise on the other side of the line. no doubt he knows something’s up...

“is the brat free?” sukuna asked, cutting straight to the point, though his tone held a gruffness that masked the underlying hesitation.

“you mean yuuji?” choso sounded amused. “yeah, he’s around. why? you finally listening to my advice?”

sukuna clenched his jaw. damn choso and his know-it-all attitude. “just tell me if he’s coming or not,” sukuna snapped. “i’ll have him picked up.”

there was a pause, and then choso chuckled, a low sound that grated sukuna’s nerves. “you’re really doing it, huh? alright. he’ll be there.”

sukuna grunted a reply and ended the call before choso could get in another word. the weight of that decision settled on him as soon as the line went dead. what am i doing? he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. he had run away from all that domestic crap years ago, leaving choso with the burden of raising yuuji while sukuna carved out his empire. now he was dragging his baby brother into the corporate world, hoping for... what? a way to reconnect? maybe. maybe even to prove to himself that he hadn’t completely abandoned his family.

yuuji, on the other hand, was overjoyed. from the moment he stepped foot into the sleek, glass-paneled office building, he was bouncing off every wall — metaphorically, at least. sukuna’s employees, most of whom had only ever seen their boss in stoic, business mode, were stunned by the whirlwind that was yuuji itadori. he was talking to them like they were old friends, cracking jokes, and asking questions about their jobs, all while everyone tried to reconcile the fact that this was sukuna’s little brother.

it’s insane how they look so alike, one of the marketing assistants whispered to another, but they’re complete opposites.

sukuna, watching from his corner office, didn’t know whether to be impressed or irritated. he’s not here to make friends. he’s here to work. but deep down, he couldn’t deny a strange sense of satisfaction seeing yuuji here, in his world, even if it was just for a short while.

as the days passed, sukuna found himself in unfamiliar territory. instead of barking orders, he found himself... mentoring. guiding yuuji through the nuances of marketing, albeit begrudgingly. at first, it was awkward, like two pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit. but yuuji, with his boundless energy and openness, had a way of easing into things, even cracking sukuna’s icy exterior, bit by bit.

maybe this isn’t so bad, sukuna thought one evening as yuuji chattered on about trends and social media engagement, something sukuna would normally roll his eyes at. but now, he listened, actually listened.

and if this is what it takes to spend time with him... well, sukuna could make the sacrifice.

“oi nii-chan, is it true you and miss persephone lady used to work togeth–”

“enough with that crap! i got you here to work, not read through some trashy tabloid!” sukuna snapped, slamming his laptop shut as he glared at his younger brother.

it had been a few days since yuuji started officially interning for ryomen, and to sukuna’s surprise, the kid wasn’t half bad. he had this knack for understanding what gen z wanted — though sukuna would never admit that aloud — and somehow, yuuji managed to get him on tiktok. tiktok, of all things.

“trust me, bro, just hold the bottle up, smile a little… no, not like you’re about to kill someone — there, that’s it! just smile like a regular human.” yuuji had been chirping as he filmed his brother, who begrudgingly lifted a bottle of his own product in front of the camera.

sukuna had scoffed at the ridiculousness of it, but the reel blew up overnight, racking up millions of views. comments poured in, and to sukuna’s dismay, most of them weren’t even about the product.

"who’s the hot dilf in the suit?!"

"omg i’d buy anything daddy’s selling 😩💦"

"daddy energy is off the charts!! does he need a wife?"

"i’m literally ordering a case just ‘cause he held it, help."

meanwhile, you and suguru were practically losing your minds over the viral tiktok. not that you had anything to really worry about — persephone was the "hot girl drink" among gen z, and tiktok was basically your playground. but as a businesswoman, it irked you to see a slight dip in your numbers. for the first time in a while, your usually devoted fanbase — the ones who’d raid your comments with praise and love — had migrated to thirst over at ryomen's instead.

“those assholes knew exactly what they were doing when they whored out their boss like that,” suguru muttered, scrolling through the comments of the video, eyes narrowing at every thirst post he passed.

“suguru! language!” you scolded, shooting him a glare, though you couldn’t deny the accuracy of his observation.

“what? it’s true! look at him,” he huffed, gesturing toward the screen.

you paused, hesitantly glancing at the video again. and, well… he wasn’t wrong. sukuna had the whole tall, brooding, dark look going for him. it was no wonder half the internet was drooling over him.

“if i had to hazard a guess, they probably had a younger kid think of this,” suguru added, now analyzing the marketing tactic. “they know their stuff. gen z eats this up.”

you let out a frustrated sigh. “whatever, it doesn’t matter. we need to bounce back.”

suguru grinned mischievously. “oh, i’ve got a few ideas. starting with—”

“suguru,” you interrupted, narrowing your eyes at him, “for the last time, i am not letting you get shirtless on camera.”

he laughed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “hey, just offering my services! we’re losing to thirst traps here.”

you rolled your eyes, already brainstorming new strategies. “we don’t need thirst traps to win. we’re better than that.”

“yeah, yeah,” suguru smirked. “but admit it, they played their hand well with this one.”

despite his annoyance at the flood of thirsty comments, the numbers didn’t lie. the reel translated into a surprising sales boost for ryomen’s wine. sukuna was on a high after that win, but deep down, he knew it was all thanks to yuuji's ridiculous idea. actually saying "thank you"? yeah, right. that wasn’t gonna happen. instead, he decided to take yuuji to one of the socialite parties he was invited to as a subtle reward, even though he warned him, “you screw around, and i’ll throw your ass out in front of everyone.”

yuuji had grinned ear to ear. “don’t worry nii-chan, i’ll behave!”

sukuna rolled his eyes, but there was a part of him that was secretly proud. the brat was doing well, and in some twisted way, this was also an excuse to spend more time with him.

the whole tiktok situation still irked sukuna, though. since when was his image the selling point? the product was solid on its own, but apparently, gen z loved "hot dilfs" now. ridiculous. but whatever works, he thought with a scoff.

as they pulled up to the socialite event, yuuji practically bounced out of the car, eyes wide at the grandeur of the venue. sukuna shot him a sidelong glance, grumbling under his breath, “remember what i said, don’t screw this up.”

yuuji gave a mock salute, “aye, aye, captain!”

sukuna couldn’t help but smirk, but quickly covered it up with a scowl as they walked in.

you and suguru arrived early at the party, mingling with some of the top players from all industries. dressed in a scarlet gown, you felt like you blended right in with the glamour, while suguru, matching in a dark-red suit, stayed close enough so that you two could exchange subtle glances as you navigated through different groups of people.

meanwhile, sukuna was keeping an eye on yuuji, who was fidgeting next to him. “oi, nii-chan, isn’t that —” yuuji began, his eyes locking onto your figure across the room.

“brat, stop staring,” sukuna growled under his breath, half-annoyed but mostly frustrated. it was almost guaranteed he’d run into you and that bastard suguru at events like this — but now? here? with yuuji around? his blood pressure spiked instantly.

where the hell is yuuji?

his eyes darted around until he saw him — of course — bouncing over toward you as you stood at the bar, ordering a drink. sukuna’s jaw clenched as he watched. martini. how fucking cliché, he scoffed internally. though, admittedly, it did match your dress. but that wasn’t the problem here.

“hi miss!” yuuji’s voice cut through the crowd as he stood in front of you, grinning like an excited puppy.

you blinked in surprise, turning to look at him. “hey, little guy, you lost or something?”

“why does everyone think i’m little?!” yuuji whined, puffing his chest out a little. “i’m literally eighteen…”

“eighteen is still pretty little,” you teased with a smirk. “i can bet you’re the youngest one here.”

yuuji pouted. “ugh, fine… anyways, my name’s yuuji! yuuji itadori, i’m sukun—”

“brat!” sukuna’s growl cut him off as he stormed over, eyes flashing with annoyance.

you raised an eyebrow, recognition flashing in your eyes as soon as you heard that name. "so... yuuji itadori, huh?" you mused with a slight grin, your gaze shifting from yuuji to sukuna, who now stood towering beside him.

sukuna glared at yuuji. “what’d i tell you about running off, huh?”

yuuji sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, looking between you and his brother. “uhh, my bad, bro…”

sukuna was caught between two options: curtly apologize to you for yuuji’s sudden interruption or yank the brat by the collar and lecture him about keeping his head in the game. but as you sipped that ridiculous martini of yours, eyeing him and yuuji like they were some kind of curiosity, he found himself staying put.

"this one’s yours?" you asked, an amused smile playing on your lips. sukuna grunted in response, gripping yuuji's collar just a bit tighter. yuuji winced, squirming under the hold. "ow ow ow — nii-chan!"

you tilted your head, a curious glint in your eyes as you took in the scene. "if i dare guess," you began, your gaze landing squarely on sukuna with a knowing smile, "is the little one part of your marketing team?"

before sukuna could respond, yuuji eagerly jumped in, clearly excited to explain. “yes! i did that! the tiktok i mean, did you like it?”

your laugh was warm and genuine, a sound that only seemed to irritate sukuna more. "a lot of people did," you replied, still holding his gaze as you gave yuuji a nod. "but persephone’s numbers didn’t. you did well, yuuji."

yuuji lit up like a damn firework, beaming as if you’d handed him a golden trophy. sukuna scoffed, his irritation mounting. putting down your own company just to kiss the competition’s ass? what kinda idiot does that? he thought, glaring at you like you were the source of his current migraine. meanwhile, yuuji’s grin seemed to be growing bigger by the second — wasn’t there a limit to how much one person could beam? he could practically light up a whole city with the way he was grinning at you.

disgusting.

“you don’t have to suck up to her,” sukuna grumbled, finally releasing yuuji’s collar and crossing his arms. “her numbers are probably tanking ‘cause of us, and she knows it.”

you raised an eyebrow, sipping your martini like the whole thing was a joke. “maybe so, but your brother’s the reason for that, right?” you said calmly, giving yuuji a wink. “it’s only fair to acknowledge talent where it’s due.”

yuuji blinked, clearly basking in the compliment. "thanks, miss! nii-chan doesn’t say it, but i know he's proud of me."

sukuna shot his brother a look. “don’t push your luck, brat.”

you chuckled at the exchange, swirling the glass in your hand. “oh, i don’t know. seems like he’s doing a good job. maybe you should keep him around a little longer.”

“yeah, nii-chan, maybe i should get a permanent job here!” yuuji chimed in, totally missing the sarcastic undertones flying between the two of you.

sukuna clenched his jaw. great. just what i needed — both of them ganging up on me.

before the banter could progress any further, suguru’s voice cut through the little bubble like a sharp blade. "well, am i interrupting something?" he asked, his tone deceptively smooth, though his eyes were locked on sukuna and yuuji with much less warmth. he smiled at you, a softer, genuine expression, but then he let his gaze linger back on the two brothers. “look what the cat dragged in. as if one wasn’t enough, we now have two.”

sukuna was already seeing red, his fist clenching by his side. you want to throw shots at me? fine. but take a swing at my little brother, and i’ll rip you apart. just as he was about to snap back, ready to tear into suguru, yuuji’s voice cut through the tension in the air.

“dude... what is that haircare routine?” yuuji asked, his eyes wide with genuine curiosity.

the sheer randomness of the question left all three adults in momentary silence. you barely managed to hold back a laugh, your martini glass pressed to your lips as you tried to stifle the sound. suguru, on the other hand, just blinked, dumbfounded, as if he wasn’t sure if yuuji was joking or serious.

“are you… are you serious?” suguru finally asked, his brows furrowing in disbelief.

yuuji nodded earnestly, clearly unaware of the tension that had been suffocating the air moments before. “yeah, dude. it’s, like, so shiny! how do you do it?”

the awkward silence that followed was broken by your quiet scoff of amusement, followed by a smile you tried to hide behind your glass. even suguru, momentarily disarmed, glanced sideways at you, but it was clear that yuuji’s completely unintentional intervention had somehow postponed the inevitable face-off.

for now.

sukuna, though still seething, was momentarily taken aback by his brother’s pure, childlike curiosity, his anger simmering into frustration instead. “are you fuckin’ serious” he muttered under his breath, not entirely sure if he should laugh or smack yuuji upside the head.

suguru shook his head in disbelief, running a hand through his admittedly perfect hair, before giving sukuna a pointed look. “well, i suppose the brat has taste. not everyone can pull this off,” he said, his smugness barely hidden as he flicked his gaze between sukuna and you.

you chuckled, finally lowering your glass. "i don’t know, suguru. maybe he’s got a point." you smiled at yuuji, enjoying the brief moment of levity that, for once, didn’t involve the constant tension between the two men.

“excuse us,” sukuna grunted bluntly, shoving past you and suguru as he dragged yuuji along with him.

“oi, ow ow, ouch — nii-chan, i can walk!” yuuji whined, trying to free himself from sukuna’s iron grip.

“can’t trust you to be ‘walking’ around anywhere anymore, brat,” sukuna shot back, his tone harsh but not without a hint of affection.

“but ’m eighteen! i’m practically a grown-up!” yuuji protested, pouting as he tried to keep up.

“grown-up? please. you’re still a kid in my eyes,” sukuna scoffed, shaking his head. “and you think you can just stroll up to a stranger at a party? she could be a gold digger or something.”

“she’s pretty, you know,” yuuji blurted out, his eyes wide with admiration as he glanced back at you.

“like hell she is! god, i swear the bar gets lower and lower with each generation,” sukuna replied, his voice dripping with disdain, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity about you.

“what’s wrong with being pretty? you’re just jealous!” yuuji exclaimed, finally breaking free and spinning to face sukuna. “you’re the one who’s grumpy all the time!”

“grumpy? i’m just realistic. just because you think some girl is pretty doesn’t mean she’s not trouble,” sukuna retorted, crossing his arms as he glared at his brother.

“but she’s not trouble! she’s cool! she even said i did a good job on that tiktok!” yuuji defended, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

“yeah, well, that’s probably just her being nice to you,” sukuna replied, rolling his eyes. “i bet she’s just buttering you up.”

“she’s not!” yuuji insisted, his voice rising. “i really think she likes me—”

“likes you? please, she’s probably just being polite,” sukuna interrupted, clearly annoyed. “you’re not exactly a catch, you know.”

“that’s mean!” yuuji shot back, his bottom lip jutting out. “i’m a great catch! i’ve got mad skills!”

“mad skills? like what, jumping around and acting like a fool? you’re a kid, yuuji. stay in your lane,” sukuna scoffed, his tone lightening just a bit.

meanwhile, back at the bar, suguru’s usually composed face is clouded with concern. “you’re okay, right? he didn’t say anything? hurt you? touch y—”

“sugu, i’m fine! really,” you reply, an exasperated smile tugging at your lips. he lets out a grumble, clearly still irritated, as he plops down next to you on the perched bar stool. his hand reaches out for yours in a quiet, almost shy gesture of reassurance.

“sukuna may be an ass, but he won’t compromise on yuuji’s safety by starting a scene,” you add, trying to ease his worry.

“you know that kid?” suguru asks, eyebrows raised in mild surprise.

“more or less. i used to make monthly bank transfers to a ‘yuuji itadori,’ so i’m guessing it’s him,” you explain with a shrug.

“huh, guess that pink-haired fiend actually has a heart somewhere in there.” suguru scoffs, shaking his head.

“suguru!” you nudge him with your elbow, stifling a laugh.

“no, but seriously,” he softens, his gaze searching your face. “you good, vino? I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“yeah, i’m fine. i was... kinda expecting him here, you know. and besides, i’’m over it,” you say, a hint of finality in your tone. you take a breath, glancing around the room before turning back to him with a playful roll of your eyes. “and can you please stop calling me vino?”

“what! it sounds classy,” suguru grins, clearly enjoying your reaction.

“classy? it sounds like i’m a bottle on the top shelf at a wine shop,” you reply, feigning annoyance but unable to keep the smile from spreading across your face.

“hey, if the shoe fits…” he teases, his grip on your hand tightening briefly, a small reminder that he’s always got your back — even when sukuna’s around.

“no, but seriously,” suguru leans in, his tone soft yet firm. “you don’t need to worry about sukuna. you’re in your own element right now. don’t let pinkie pie over there ruin it for you.”

you let out a laugh, his words pulling you out of your thoughts, and suguru's smile deepens as he watches the corners of your lips lift. god, he loved seeing you smile like that. it’s moments like these that make him grateful you came out stronger. though he hated the rough patches you’d been through, there was nothing he admired more than your resilience. he realized just how much he loved seeing you happy, and he hated the thought of you ever hurting, especially because of someone like sukuna. that bastard had taken enough from you, but here you were, standing taller than ever, glowing even. and suguru loved that about you — the way you’d come out of the storm stronger. even when things got tough, you always found a way to push through.

but it didn’t stop him from worrying. it never would.

“you know i got you, right?” he asked quietly, almost as if he needed to remind you — but also himself. his grip tightened just a bit, an anchor in the noisy room.

when you smiled and squeezed his hand back, saying, "of course i do, sugu," it was like the weight on his chest lightened just a little.

screw sukuna, he thought. no matter what came next, as long as you had him, you wouldn’t be facing anything alone. and that was all that mattered.

he nods, but there’s a twinge of frustration simmering beneath the surface. he wants to protect you from all the bullshit that comes with this industry, especially from someone like sukuna. he knows you’re tough and capable, but that doesn’t stop him from wishing he could shield you from the chaos.

“just… keep doing what you’re doing. you’re incredible, and you deserve every bit of success coming your way.” his gaze holds yours, sincere and unwavering. he knows you’ve faced challenges, and he’s proud to stand by you, no matter what.

“thanks, suguru. it means a lot.” your voice is soft, and for a moment, the noise of the party fades into the background, leaving just the two of you in your little bubble of understanding.

“cursed vintages: sip the darkness, savor the power? you can’t be serious.”

you stared in disbelief at the large billboard advertising sukuna’s latest venture. of course, it was dramatic, leaning into the over-the-top theatrics that fit his brand. cursed vintages was a direct competitor to your upcoming release, spirited whispers: a hauntingly light sip for your eerie nights! the timing was too convenient, almost as if sukuna had planned it just to outshine you. you couldn’t help but scoff at the absurd tagline — sip the darkness, savor the power — it was so him.

as frustrating as it was, you knew sukuna’s bold play was part of a larger strategy. he'd always aimed to dominate, but he wouldn't dare cross the line by doing something illegal, like price-fixing. that wasn’t his style. sukuna might be ruthless, but he wasn't careless, and losing face over something so reckless wasn't in the cards for him.

you cast an irritated glance at the massive advertisement towering over your office’s commercial district. sukuna and a model posed elegantly on either side of his new wine, their faces shadowed by the bold branding. sukuna’s smirk was infuriating, like he knew exactly how much it would annoy you. it was clear he was leveraging his good looks to boost sales and push his brand, playing on his appeal in the most obvious way.

but you weren’t one to back down. as you studied the billboard, an idea sparked in your mind — something bold, something that could turn the tables.

“sugu! i’ve got an idea,” you burst into suguru’s office, a mischievous grin on your face. “but…you need to get shirtless for this.”

suguru’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “what now?” he asked, leaning back in his chair, clearly skeptical of whatever plan you had.

“you heard me,” you replied, undeterred. “we’re gonna hit sukuna where it hurts — if he’s going to flaunt his looks to sell wine, then we’ll do the same.”

suguru gave you a half-laugh, half-sigh. “so…your genius marketing plan involves me stripping down?”

you nodded, a grin playing on your lips. “trust me, it’ll work. we need something bold, something viral. a frat party-style ad, with you right in the middle of it. everyone will be talking about it.”

he shook his head, chuckling. “fine, but only because you asked.”

within days, your ad was everywhere. people couldn’t get enough of it — the combination of modern-day recession pop music and the carefree, chaotic energy of a frat party resonated across generations. the low-budget aesthetic only made it more relatable, especially with suguru’s shirtless appearance front and center, surrounded by a crowd of partygoers. spirited whispers became the go-to drink for college parties, nostalgic millennials, and even curious onlookers who wanted a piece of the action.

sales skyrocketed. within a week and a half, your six-month stock was completely sold out. spirited whispers had blown up in ways you hadn’t anticipated, becoming a cultural phenomenon. and the best part? sukuna was furious.

back at sukuna’s office, yuuji was taking the fallout personally. slouched in one of the chairs, he sighed. “it’s my fault, right? we didn’t work hard enough, and now persephone’s–”

“it’s not your fault, brat,” sukuna cut him off sharply, his frustration evident but not directed at his younger brother. seeing yuuji’s dejected expression made sukuna bristle. “you’re just an intern. whatever you did, you did it well, so stop moping around like this.”

yuuji looked up, surprised by the rare hint of praise. “i’ll work harder, nii-chan! i’ll make you proud, i promise.”

sukuna’s heart clenched slightly at yuuji’s words. despite his tough exterior, moments like these reminded him why he was so driven to succeed. everything he did, all the ruthless business tactics, it was for his family, especially yuuji.

before sukuna could respond, uraume, his most trusted employee, stormed into the office, looking uncharacteristically rattled. “sir, you need to see this,” they said urgently, handing sukuna a tablet. the headline blared in bold, sensationalized text:

"former secretary to powerful business mogul becomes rival: y/n’s rise to stardom amidst scandal"

sukuna’s jaw clenched as he read the article. of course, they were dredging up old rumors, trying to link your past employment under him to some scandalous narrative. the tabloids had clearly caught wind of your recent success, and now they were out for blood, twisting your story into something salacious.

this wasn’t just business anymore. sukuna’s anger simmered beneath the surface, but his mind was already moving. it was time to put an end to this.

“schedule a meeting,” sukuna said coldly.

“with who?” uraume asked, though they already had a good idea.

“with y/n,” sukuna answered, his eyes narrowing. “it’s time we settled this.”

“you got mail, vino,” suguru teased as he stepped into your office, holding up his tablet with a faint grin. “pinkie pie wants to set up a meeting tomorrow.”

you raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-skeptical. “all it took was you getting shirtless for him to come visit us, suguru,” you teased, trying to keep the mood light despite the hint of tension beneath your words.

but suguru didn’t laugh. instead, his expression shifted slightly, his tone more serious. “not us, y/n. just you. he… asked for you, specifically.”

the way he said it made your stomach drop. “what do you mean, sugu?”

suguru sighed, his easy demeanor replaced by something more somber. “y/n, this meeting… it’s not just about the wine. someone published a full-length tabloid piece. on you and sukuna.”

your blood ran cold. all the teasing left your body, replaced by a sinking feeling of dread. “sugu, tell me you’re lying,” you said, your voice shaky, desperately hoping this was just another one of his jokes.

he looked at you with regret in his eyes, shaking his head. “i’m not, y/n. i’m sorry. we’re already working to get it removed from our end, but it’s all over the place.”

his words felt distant, muffled, as your thoughts spiraled. the whole reason you’d thrown yourself into this business, the late nights, the strategy, the risks — it was all to make a name for yourself. to not be associated with sukuna, to stand on your own feet and build something without his shadow looming over you. but now it felt like all that effort had been undone, like your entire identity was being dragged back into his orbit.

why did it feel like no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t escape him? were you that devoid of luck, of any hope for a clean slate, let alone a happy ending?

your hands gripped the edge of your desk as you fought to steady your breath, your mind racing. suguru stepped closer, concern softening his voice. “y/n, we’ll figure this out. this isn’t the end.”

but all you could think about was tomorrow. the meeting. facing sukuna again.

sukuna strode into your office building, lips curling into a sneer as he scanned the crowd of employees milling around. "what the fuck is this place?," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing at the laid-back environment. 

some people were dressed so casually he had to wonder if they were on their way to a beach party instead of working. baggy t-shirts, sneakers, and even someone in what looked like pajama pants — it was a far cry from the cutthroat atmosphere of his own office. how the hell did you run a successful business with this ragtag bunch?

but, sukuna wasn’t an idiot. persephone’s numbers were some of the best in the industry. these kids — these kids were the ones who’d been fucking with his sales for weeks now. and he couldn’t deny it, no matter how much he hated it. never trust a book by its cover, right? even if this office looked like a frat house, it clearly delivered results.

still, the sight of it grated on him. made his skin crawl. "what a goddamn joke," he thought, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets as he made his way to your office.

the moment he pushed open the door, though, expecting to see you, he stopped dead in his tracks. it wasn’t your figure behind the desk — it was suguru, leaning casually back in your chair like he owned the place.

“what the fuck is this, now?” sukuna's voice was harsh, his frustration immediately bubbling over. he hadn’t come here to deal with your right-hand man.

suguru, unfazed by sukuna’s usual brashness, just smiled, sitting up slightly. “sorry, y/n’s not here right now. emergency shipping issue. had to send her out across the city. guess you’re stuck with me.”

sukuna’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “you really think i’m gonna believe that shit? sounds like a fuckin’ excuse to avoid me.”

suguru shrugged, clearly not bothered by sukuna’s attitude. “believe what you want, man. i’m just telling you how it is. besides,” he added with a smirk, “what’d you need y/n for anyway? i’m perfectly capable of handling a little business negotiation.”

the office was large, sleek, and modern — surprisingly professional compared to the chaos outside. it pissed sukuna off more that everything was in perfect order, like you’d been expecting him to show up. the leather chair, the spotless glass desk — it all looked ready to welcome him. except it wasn’t you sitting there, it was this fucker.

sukuna gritted his teeth, the itch to throw suguru out of the chair gnawing at him. he wasn’t used to being thrown off like this. this was supposed to be simple, just get in, handle things with you, and get the hell out. now he was stuck, dealing with suguru and his cool, unbothered demeanor.

“look, i don’t got time for this bullshit. where the hell is she?” sukuna growled.

suguru leaned forward slightly, still maintaining that infuriating smile. “she’s not avoiding you, sukuna. but you showing up like this… it’s kinda unnecessary, don’t you think? it’s not like y/n’s going anywhere. if there’s something you want to talk about, i’m right here. what’s the rush?”

sukuna snorted, anger barely restrained. “don’t fucking act like you know what this is about.”

suguru tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. “actually, i do. i know about the tabloid. i know why you’re here. but that doesn’t mean y/n has to deal with your shit, sukuna.”

sukuna felt his blood boil. this asshole, stepping in like he knew everything. like he could stop him from getting what he wanted. "you're lucky you're still in that chair, you smug piece of shit."

suguru’s calm never wavered. “and you’re lucky i’m still talking to you. trust me, y/n doesn’t need your bullshit right now.”

sukuna glared daggers at him, the whole situation making him want to smash something. "fuck this," he thought, but deep down, he knew suguru had pulled a fast one on him. he could feel it, a tightness in his chest, like the whole reason he came here was slipping out of his grasp. you. he’d wanted to see you. confront you. and now… now he was just left fuming at a man who wouldn’t budge.

sukuna, jaw tight, took a deep breath. as much as he wanted to throw suguru through the fucking window, he knew they needed to get this over with. he wasn’t the type to drag out bullshit conversations, and if this was the only way to move things along, then so be it.

“fine,” sukuna growled, leaning back in the chair across from suguru. “let’s talk business then. i’m proposing a collaboration between ryomen and persephone.”

the words sounded alien coming from his mouth, like some kind of bitter aftertaste. sukuna wasn’t one to collaborate with anyone, let alone with someone who had been running circles around him lately. but he wasn’t dumb. christmas was coming, and after that, new year’s — the prime season for wine sales. speaking purely from a business perspective, it made sense. persephone had the youth market in their pocket, and sukuna had the high-end crowd. together, they could dominate both.

suguru raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that. “a collaboration? you’re serious?”

“do i look like i’m fucking joking?” sukuna snapped, running a hand through his hair, the irritation visible in his body language. “look, i don’t like this shit any more than you do. but it’s smart, and it’ll work. your low-alcohol crap and my high-end shit? we could wipe out the competition through the end of the year. christmas, new year’s — people are buying like crazy. we take advantage of it.”

suguru leaned back in your chair, crossing his arms as he watched sukuna. “what’s the catch?”

sukuna narrowed his eyes. “there’s no fucking catch. it’s a straightforward deal. we both profit. easy as that.”

but suguru wasn’t buying it. “yeah, sure. but what happens when you sideline us? when ryomen suddenly take the spotlight and persephone’s pushed out of the picture?” suguru’s voice was steady, but his words were sharp. he wasn’t falling for any tricks.

sukuna clenched his fists, his temper flaring again. “you think i’m a fucking cheat? that i’m gonna fuck you guys over just because i can?” he stood up, looming over suguru. “i might be a lot of things, but when it comes to business, i don’t fuck around. if i say we’re in this together, we’re fucking in it together.”

suguru didn’t flinch, even as sukuna loomed over him, radiating barely contained rage. “you’ll forgive me if i don’t take you at your word, sukuna.”

sukuna let out a bitter laugh, stepping back slightly, but still glaring down at suguru. “you’re paranoid, geto. but fine, i get it. i’m not asking you to trust me. i’m asking you to look at the numbers. this works. you know it does.”

suguru studied sukuna for a moment before responding, his tone calm. “even if i do entertain this idea, what’s stopping you from trying to bulldoze us in the future?”

sukuna’s patience snapped. “because i don’t need to! i got my own goddamn empire to run. you think i’ve got time to fuck around with your company? this is a one-time deal. you either take it or you don’t. and trust me, geto, if you don’t, you’ll regret it.”

there was a heavy silence between them, the weight of sukuna’s words hanging in the air. it was clear that, while he was brash and crude, sukuna wasn’t here to mess around.

as much as suguru wanted to tell sukuna to fuck off, he knew this wasn’t a decision he could make on his own, not without your input. he couldn’t afford to be reckless, no matter how tempting it was to tell sukuna exactly where to shove his so-called “collaboration.”

suguru gave a tight-lipped smile, standing up from behind your desk. “we’ll think about it and get back to you.”

sukuna’s eyes flashed with frustration, his jaw clenching as he stepped closer to suguru. “you better make it quick,” he growled, the warning clear in his voice.

suguru didn’t flinch, holding his ground. “we’ll be in touch,” he said, his tone firm but not aggressive, making it clear that the conversation was over.

with a scoff, sukuna turned on his heel and stormed out, the tension in the air still thick even after he was gone. suguru let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, sitting back down and rubbing his temples. as much as he hated dealing with sukuna, he knew this was something you’d need to decide.

“hey, vino, how was the shipping —”

“geto, why did you lie to me?”

your voice cut through the room like a blade, sharp and cold. suguru, lounging comfortably on the sofa like he owned the place, straightened up immediately, the usual warmth of your voice replaced by something far more biting. being called "geto" instead of "sugu" was all he needed to know that he was in trouble — deep trouble.

he glanced up at you, eyes widening slightly at your expression. you were pissed, more than he had anticipated. “wait, hold on — what are you talking about?”

you slammed your bag onto the nearest table, glaring at him like you were about to explode. “you lied to me about the emergency, suguru! what the hell? you sent me on some bogus errand just so i’d miss sukuna showing up at the office? are you out of your goddamn mind?”

suguru winced at the bluntness of your words. he knew you’d be mad, but this? this was worse than he’d thought. “look, i just didn’t want you dealing with that asshole today, alright? you’ve been stressed, and —"

“so you thought lying to me and sending me on a wild goose chase would help?!” you snapped, pacing angrily. “you made me look like an idiot, suguru! and for what? to protect me from sukuna? i can handle myself, you know.”

he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “i know you can, but —"

“no, you don’t know!” you cut him off, your frustration bubbling over. “you don’t get to decide how i handle my shit. i needed to be there for that meeting, and now you’ve just made it ten times worse!”

he opened his mouth to respond, but you weren’t having it. “you’re not my babysitter, suguru. stop treating me like some delicate fucking flower.”

as you stood there, fuming, suguru got up from the sofa and walked toward you with that irritatingly calm demeanor of his. “come on, sweetheart, calm down for a sec,” he called for you softly, even though you wanted to stay mad at him. his hand found its way to your arm, rubbing slow, calming circles as he stood close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating off him.

you hated how easily he could chip away at your anger like this. you let out a tired sigh, the fight draining out of you, leaning your head lightly against his shoulder. “suguru, this was still messed up,” you muttered, though the sharpness in your tone had softened.

he felt his heart race at the contact, but kept his expression cool. “i know, i know. i was just trying to look out for you, but i get it — you don’t need me to do that.” he paused, his voice dropping slightly, “about the meeting... sukuna proposed a deal. a collaboration for the holiday season.”

you pulled back just enough to look at him. “a deal? with sukuna?” the skepticism was clear in your voice.

“yeah. i don’t like it either, but it could be good for business,” he said, his thumb still tracing soothing patterns on your arm. “i figured we’d at least consider it.”

you sighed again, your frustration ebbing into something more like exhaustion. “alright. let’s take the deal. but next time, no more bullshit, okay?”

he gave a small smile, relief washing over him. “okay.”

suguru pulled out his phone and quickly texted your secretary to notify sukuna that they’d agree to the proposal. as he sent the message, he couldn’t help but glance at you, still leaning slightly against him. his heart was beating faster than it should’ve, but he ignored it, focusing instead on getting business done.

“don’t ask, the brat insisted he sit here.” sukuna scoffed, gesturing at yuuji, who was practically bouncing in his seat, excitement radiating off him. it was hard to blame him, though; after all, they were making history here — ryomen collaborating with persephone.

“so, pretty simple — we start a joint venture solely for the christmas and new year’s season, walk out with the profits, and pretend this never happened. deal?” sukuna stated, leaning back in his chair with an air of casual confidence.

“wow, nii-chan, you make a multi-billion deal sound so simple,” yuuji chimed in, his wide eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. he received an annoyed glare from sukuna in response.

“he’s right,” you spoke up for the first time since entering the room, your voice steady. “we still need to discuss a lot more things in detail.”

sukuna scowled at you, torn between respect for your attention to detail and irritation that this wasn’t as straightforward as he’d hoped. “what more is there to discuss? we’re splitting profits, that’s it.”

you leaned forward, resting your elbows on the table. “for starters, we need to decide how the marketing will work. are we promoting under both brands or focusing solely on one? and how do we plan to handle distribution?”

sukuna shrugged, leaning back as if your questions didn’t faze him. “we just let our teams figure that out. they’re good at what they do. just make sure to keep your eye on your side of things.”

“that’s not exactly a solid plan,” you replied, your tone firm. “if we don’t have a cohesive strategy, we risk losing customers on both sides.”

“so you want to babysit my team?” he shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“no, i want to ensure that this partnership is beneficial for both of us,” you retorted, holding his gaze. “we need to figure out our target audience and how to appeal to them. plus, we should set clear expectations for each party involved.”

yuuji, sensing the rising tension, jumped in, trying to diffuse the situation. “what if we create a special holiday blend? something unique to this collaboration? that way, we can market it together and have fun with it!”

sukuna looked at yuuji, momentarily surprised by the suggestion. “not a terrible idea, brat. but what’s your point?”

“it’ll give us something to push on social media, too! and if we make it limited edition, people will rush to buy it. we can use both of your brands to create buzz,” yuuji explained, his enthusiasm infectious.

“i like that,” you said, nodding in agreement. “it adds value and creates urgency. plus, we can promote it as a holiday exclusive, which will draw in more customers.”

sukuna crossed his arms, still skeptical. “fine, let’s say we go with that. but what’s next? i’m not wasting time on endless meetings.”

“then let’s set a timeline,” you suggested, jotting down notes on your tablet. “we need deadlines for marketing materials, production schedules, and launch dates. if we want this to work, we need to be organized.”

“alright, let’s lay it out,” sukuna relented, though he still had that signature scowl on his face. “but you better not fuck this up for me, or you’ll be hearing from me.”

you smirked, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “trust me, sukuna. if anyone’s going to fuck this up, it won’t be me.”

the collaboration between ryomen and persephone was the talk of the town post-halloween. the launch of your joint christmas and new year holiday special didn’t just turn heads — it seemed to capture the attention of every major sector. market analysts were buzzing with reports about the wine industry’s trajectory, forecasting the impact your collaboration would have on both your companies’ market shares. singers and actors began endorsing your holiday blend, and even some of the biggest names in the industry wanted in. you and sukuna even managed to rope in mariah carey herself — a massive investment that nearly drained both of your wallets. but with profits flooding in almost immediately after, it felt more like a minor hiccup than a real setback.

tabloids, unsurprisingly, had a field day with it. their favorite narrative? that you were using your past connection with sukuna to get ahead in the market. "she’s leveraging her history with him,” they’d gossip. but just as quickly, the defense came: “they just hate to see a girlboss winning.” the tabloids were shut down by the people, who were more focused on how well the collaboration was doing rather than who was behind it.

honestly, working with sukuna wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought it’d be. sure, there was the occasional scowl or blunt comment at board meetings, but sukuna seemed to have more of a professional demeanor when it came to business. you only saw him once or twice during presentations or negotiations, and whenever you did, suguru was always close by. he’d be leaning in with a quick comment, making sure you felt comfortable, making it easier to shrug off sukuna’s sharper remarks.

things were actually starting to look good for once. there was hope, a sense of optimism that maybe things could keep going this well. your company was thriving, the collaboration was a success, and your name was gaining even more recognition in the industry.

until that damn christmas party.

the festive atmosphere had been building up for weeks — holiday music, the smell of mulled wine and cinnamon, twinkling lights strung up across your office’s ceiling. persephone and ryomen had decided to throw a joint christmas bash for both companies to celebrate the success of your holiday line. everything seemed to be going smoothly. 

that was, until things started to go a bit too smoothly.

everything was fine and dandy until you thought, why not have a sip of ryomen wine? after all, it had been so long since you'd last tried it, right? but the moment that familiar taste hit your tongue, you knew it was a mistake. was it the wine itself, or the flood of memories that came rushing back — of nights you'd rather forget, when alcohol was more of a crutch than a choice?

your stomach turned violently, the nausea creeping up your throat until you couldn't hold it in. before you knew it, you were dry heaving, the sound breaking through the music and laughter in the room. then, you lost it. you puked, right there in front of everyone — the guests, the business partners, the employees, all staring in shock.

"sugu, i–" you tried to say, but the words were caught in your throat as you bent over, heaving again.

"shit, y/n, hold on," suguru rushed to your side, worry etched all over his face as he gently gripped your shoulders, guiding you away from the crowd. "breathe, okay? just breathe."

uraume, always quick on their feet, swiftly called in a medic who had been on standby, just in case. “i’ve alerted the medic,” they said calmly, though their eyes betrayed the concern they felt seeing you like this.

but sukuna? he stood there, silent. frozen. for the first time in a long while, he didn't know what to feel. frustration, maybe? anger? embarrassment? or was it something else entirely — something closer to concern, though he’d never admit it, even to himself.

"fuck," sukuna muttered under his breath, the scowl on his face deepening as he watched the scene unfold. why the hell did she even drink that? part of him was annoyed, but there was a tug, something gnawing at him that he couldn't quite place. maybe it was the realization that seeing you like this affected him more than it should.

suguru glanced up at sukuna, his expression hard, almost daring him to say something. “you gonna stand there, or help?” he spat, one arm still supporting you as you struggled to get your bearings.

sukuna’s jaw tightened, but instead of snapping back, he turned and walked away from the scene, his fists clenched. "fuck this."

everyone seemed more interested in sukuna’s abrupt departure than the fact that you had just puked. the whispers and gossip quickly shifted from your heaving to the sight of ryomen sukuna walking out of the party without a word. sure, it wasn’t uncommon for people to get a little sick during the holidays — too much food, too much wine — but for sukuna to just up and leave while his business partner was clearly unwell? that was unheard of.

“did you see him just walk out? what the hell’s his problem?”

“seriously? with y/n being sick? kinda heartless.”

you could hear the murmurs from the washroom as you splashed cold water onto your face, trying to steady yourself. was it the wine? the memories? you weren’t sure anymore. your throat still burned, the taste of bile lingering as you rinsed your mouth. but it wasn’t just the physical reaction that made your chest tighten — it was everything else. why now? why here?

yuuji stood by the door, fidgeting awkwardly, his usual energy subdued. “you okay? need any more help?” he asked softly, his voice full of genuine concern. “i brought some mints if you want,” he added, pulling a small tin from his pocket, as if that could make things any better.

“thanks, yuuji,” you mumbled, forcing a small smile despite the situation. the sweetness in his gesture almost brought a tear to your eye.

suguru, on the other hand, was more serious, standing next to you as you dabbed a towel to your lips. “i knew this was a bad idea. should’ve pulled you out earlier,” he muttered under his breath, his hand hovering near your back, ready to steady you if you faltered again. “screw sukuna for making things worse.”

you shook your head, trying to dismiss the weight of it all. “it’s not his fault. i mean... i should’ve known better than to drink that.”

suguru’s expression darkened slightly at your words. “don’t defend him, y/n. he walked out like a dick while you’re here puking your guts out. that’s all i need to know.”

outside the washroom, uraume stood with quiet composure, offering their silent support. they didn’t say anything, but you knew. they couldn’t show outright sympathy — not with their loyalty to sukuna so visibly on display. but their presence alone was reassuring, as if they were silently letting you know that you weren’t alone in this.

“uraume...you don’t have to wait outside, you know,” you called out, your voice a little shaky.

“i know,” they replied evenly, their tone cool yet gentle. “but i’ll remain here, just in case.” their respect for boundaries was evident, but it didn’t make their support any less felt.

you let out a long, shaky breath, staring at your reflection in the mirror. your eyes were red-rimmed, but whether that was from the nausea or the emotional weight, you couldn’t tell. the memories tied to that damn wine were coming back, thick and heavy, clouding your thoughts.

why did it feel like this partnership was costing you more than you ever anticipated?

“this isn’t just about tonight,” you finally admitted aloud, though it was more to yourself than anyone else. suguru caught the shift in your tone, a flicker of worry crossing his face.

“what do you mean?” suguru asked, frowning.

you shook your head. “nothing... it’s just... all of this. it’s taking more of a toll on me than i thought.”

“then maybe it’s time to pull back,” suguru suggested, his voice steady but protective. “you don’t have to keep pushing yourself for this partnership. not if it’s dragging you down.”

you wiped at the corner of your eye, the unshed tears barely noticeable. “i don’t know if i can afford to pull back.”

suguru reached for your hand, his touch warm against your cold fingers. “then we’ll figure it out. together.”

with a small nod, you let out another deep breath, grateful for the support of the people who stayed, even while sukuna — and your past — walked out of the room.

sukuna sat at his desk, shoulders tense as he glared at the numbers flashing across his computer screen. he wasn’t reading them — hadn’t been for a while now. the only thing running through his mind was the scene from earlier, of you heaving in front of everyone at that damn christmas party. it left a bad taste in his mouth, one he couldn’t seem to wash away. and it wasn't just the wine or the party.

he heard the quiet creak of his office door opening but didn’t turn. he knew it was uraume before they even spoke.

“how’s she?” he asked, his voice blunt, the edge of irritation barely masked. he didn’t look up from the screen, but his mind had already drifted far from his work.

“she’s alright,” uraume said, tone calm despite their own weariness. “your brother and her partner were there for her.”

sukuna grunted. he was relieved but didn’t say it. the fact that you had been taken care of wasn’t the issue — it was the nagging frustration gnawing at him. he wasn’t sure what to call it. anger? guilt? neither of those felt right. his brow furrowed deeper, fingers tapping impatiently on the desk as uraume lingered in the doorway.

they stood silently for a moment before finally daring to speak, stepping into the lion’s den with a quiet firmness. “you know, walking out like that…” uraume started, carefully choosing their words. “it wasn’t your best decision.”

sukuna’s eyes flicked up at that, narrowing slightly. “the fuck are you getting at?” his voice was sharp, a bite in his tone that dared them to continue. uraume had always been one of the few who could speak openly to him, but even they knew the risks of poking at the king of curses when he was in a mood.

“she was sick. and you left.” uraume crossed their arms, unshaken by sukuna’s glare. “it’s not just about appearances. it’s about how you handled the situation. or didn’t handle it.”

sukuna’s jaw clenched. "she’s not my fucking problem, alright? i don’t owe her anything," he snapped, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “i’m not her babysitter. she got too into the wine, and it’s not my job to stand around coddling her like some fuckin’ weakling.”

uraume’s gaze didn’t waver. “it wasn’t about babysitting her. it was about showing you gave a damn. even if you don’t owe her anything, she’s still your business partner for the time being.”

sukuna scoffed, pushing his chair back and standing up abruptly. “don’t lecture me about giving a damn, uraume. i’ve done enough, and i’m not gonna sit around and play nice just because she puked at a party.”

but uraume wasn’t done. they stepped closer, their calm demeanor unshaken by sukuna’s rising frustration. “you’re not stupid. you know that partnership took more out of her than you think. her past with you, everything… it’s all coming back to haunt her. you walking away just made it worse.”

sukuna’s fist slammed onto the desk, the loud bang echoing through the room. “what the hell do you expect me to do? pat her on the back and tell her it’s all sunshine and rainbows? fuck that. she knew what she was getting into.”

uraume remained calm. “maybe she did, but you didn’t have to make it harder for her.”

sukuna’s eyes darkened, tension crackling in the air. “don’t tell me how to handle my shit. i’ve got enough to deal with without worrying about her.” he was almost growling now, but uraume held their ground, unflinching.

“you may not need to worry about her,” uraume said quietly, “but that doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to hurt her. you left for a reason tonight. you felt something, even if you won’t admit it.”

sukuna stared at them, his lips pulled into a scowl, but he said nothing. the silence stretched, heavy with unspoken tension. he hated that uraume was right, even if he wouldn’t admit it. he had felt something. a pang of discomfort, maybe even guilt. watching you like that had stirred something inside him, and that feeling had only made him angrier.

he didn’t know how to process it, so he had walked away.

with a sigh, uraume took a step back, sensing that pushing further would only provoke him more. “think about it, ryomen,” they said softly before turning to leave.

as the door closed behind them, sukuna sank back into his chair, his mind racing. he hated feeling like this — like there was something clawing at him from the inside, something he couldn’t control. and the worst part? it was all because of you.

he scowled, running a hand through his hair. "fucking hell," he muttered under his breath. you had gotten under his skin, and he wasn’t sure what pissed him off more — your presence or the fact that he cared enough to notice.

hi lovelies <3 taglist is still open, please have your age displayed in your bio to be added. this will gradually deal with darker themes, and i wish everyone to be of age (AKA 18+) before adding them. thank you for understanding! let me know how you liked this chapter (: if you don't have your age in your bio and you still ask to be added, i'll just ignore your request. please read the above! produced by creamflix on tumblr. all rights reserved. do not copy, steal, modify, repost — support your writers by liking and reblogging. ♡ banners by cafekitsune

[isthisrealliiife]

Lawdamercy

tl;dr: life has happened in mostly good ways but consequently progress on an echo a stain has been necessarily delayed.

Next chapter will be up probably in mid-July.

First of all, Dave Chapelle is a transphobe piece of shit and I won't forgive him for it. But also a thousand years ago, when I was just a little baby teenage deviant in my first year of undergrad, I imprinted on a half-baked as my stoner movie so thoroughly that I feel certain that the above moment in that movie is a reflection of my very soul when I'm in distress. Also, Killer killed Nibbles. I will never pay another dime for anything he's done and it can be argued that by posting this gif I'm contributing to him remaining in the cultural consciousness of the West or the US or tumblr or whatever, but listen, y'all, sometimes there's tension between the things we connect with and there is no way to be ethical in the current late capitalist imminently apocalyptic hellscape, so I'm just gonna keep half-baked.

I'm Gen X and tired af. I will provide seasoning when Gen Z eats the rich and the boomers and whomstever else (lol not me I'm a public servant / educator / librarian who will never own property nor submit to these PWI motherfuckers for love or money), but just let me sit here in middle age with my smoke, my edibles, and my gotdamb movie lines. I love y'all. So in case you hadn't guessed (and why would you have? It's very unlikely you've read this far -- but if you have, maybe you HAVE guessed), I'm fucking exhausted.

Despite my well-laid plans, some things have happened in the past few weeks that demanded my attention. 1. My mom injured her knee and needed me to help her, so I did for about two weeks. 2. I finished my fucking project from hell.

I FINISHED MY FUCKING PROJECT FROM HELL.

I have to give a presentation on it Friday but then I'm going to be DONE with that fucking thing and the last class of this MLIS and I cannot describe in human language what it has taken for me to reach this point looooool lord bless Google Slides I guess

3. I completed two trainings, one to be a mandated reporter (which I already am but the laws have been updated) and one to learn how to prevent school violence and they were long and tedious and annoying to do because I'd already completed both and knew pretty much all the content already from being a public school educator for 10 years but the school where I got my MSEd lost my paperwork so here we are.

4. Secured a practicum / internship, the last missing puzzle piece to unlock my Master of Library and Information Science achievement, so my fatigue-d ass as been exhausting myself daily interning for a fuckin DOPE school librarian who is queer and my age and went to pride with her wife and two daughters and I've learned so much in the past two weeks I don't even know where to begin. So all that is to say, despite my previous promises, obviously, I have not posted any updates to an echo, a stain, nor will I be until at least mid-July because I'm going to sleep for a week once all this shit is wrapped up and my status as a Mistress of Library and Information Scientists is secured.

(Mistress Library and Information Scientist? I need it to be clear that I will not only be a Mistress of Scientists, but also a Scientist myself. If you want to know if my Mistress status will be as a kept woman or as a domme, the answer is yes and I'm currently accepting applications and formal proposals via asks and dms/pms/whatever tumblr calls them. All genders and identities welcome except stupid people with no imagination. GTFO. But if you've read this far, while it's plausible you're fucking unhinged, it seems highly unlikely that you're stupid OR unimaginative. WELCOME <3

So anyway please make any propositions or promposals fun and funny, and if you gonna be nasty, use your words and please make it hot. The world doesn't need more unsolicited nudes, genital pics, or milquetoast descriptions of sexytimes.)

ANYWAY Once my plate is clear and I can do other things with my time besides grind my bones to dust to prove to the PWI powers that be that I've humbled myself sufficiently to be worthy of their blessings, I'll be getting back into aeas with a thorough reread, revision of the next chapter (which yes, is already written, but is not fit for human consumption until it's been properly revised), and I guess its third act? I honestly don't know how many acts there are. I know I should. Maybe there are four. I know this is something I should know but I'm not a fiction writer by training or trade so I don't know how y'all frame these things. Anyway some wild shit is about to go down, don't think I've forgotten or gone soft. Errybody hold on to your panties because when I get back up in that shit we got some reckoning to deal with.

But first deadass animal antics because I WANNA AND IDGAF.

loooool OK seriously I'm crazy sleep deprived and I have a job interview Thursday and I need to create a slide deck for my internship mentor so I'mma go work on that byyyeeeeeee

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

why do you think byler is less popular than mlvn on instagram?

on tiktok, tumblr, twitter and pretty much all other platforms byler is the more popular ship, but for some reason mlvns is more popular on instagram.

This is a good question! I’m not sure there’s a definitive answer, but if I were to take a stab at it, maybe it has something to do with the age demographic/type of fan on each platform?

Tumblr is very gay platform, and it’s also a platform for theorizing, so it makes sense that Byler is more popular here. Mlvn just kinda exists right now. There’s not much to theorize about. Like if you really believe that the monologue fixed everything and Mike and El will live happily ever after, then okay. It makes sense why a lot of them believe Mlvn will get married young and have children, cause where else is for them to go? All the other ships have unfinished business, even Jopper, the ship that’s probably in the best place after S4. They still have to figure out how to work together as a couple with a blended family.

Byler is inherently exciting to Tumblr cause it’s all about theorizing and anticipation. And it’s queer. Age demographic-wise, it seems like Byler Tumblr is all over the map too: from millennials who’ve been through this before with other ships that turned out to be queerbait to Gen Z adults my age to younger Zoomers who are truly excited about a ship becoming canon for the first time. There’s probably some of Gen Alpha here too, as well as people from Gen X. This shows that Byler is exciting and appeals to a wide range of folks.

With TikTok, it’s a younger skewing platform, and fandom-wise, there’s an emphasis on edits as well as Byler theorizing. And honestly, Season 4 genuinely didn’t give Mlvns that much to work with when it comes to edits. I mean, Will is in most of the shots. And Mlvn theories don’t seem that exciting. The GA already sees Mlvn endgame as the foregone conclusion, and he monologued to her. What else is there to theorize about? Since TikTok is a newer platform, it seems like there’s just less Mlvn-loyalists making content there, and Byler shippers have just taken it over. This is in large part due to Stranger Things as a whole exploding in popularity during summer 2022 and a lot of people switching sides to Byler during that time. There was a lot of content to create. I also think to some extent angsty edits perform better. And Byler obviously has a lot of angst.

Twitter honestly seems like the biggest war zone to me, which is why I stay away from ST Twitter for the most part. There’s just a lot of petty fights and arguments. Clearly we have a strong presence there, as evidenced by us causing the whole Byler script fiasco in august 2022. Mlvns there seem to be the most toxic, and I’ve noticed they always have Regina George tendencies (a lot of them have PFPs of Millie, Regina George, Barbie, or Olivia Rodrigo for some reason). I don’t know if it’s true that there are more Bylers than Mlvns on Twitter, but if that is true, that’s once again because Byler is just more exciting lol.

I think Instagram is a weird creature overall. It’s older than TikTok, so the fandom presence was likely established in 2016 when Mlvn mania began. It’s not really algorithmically based in the same way (with clear trending topics), so I think it’s easier for people to just follow and interact with accounts they support. I’ve noticed that a lot of the Mlvn accounts are Fillie accounts or Fillie-adjacent accounts often run by young girls (but not always- there are older fans too).

They tend to overly romanticize Mlvn and genuinely see it as the height of romance, even denying that they have any problems whatsoever. And they tend to bombard ST comment sections with extremely overzealous pro-Mlvn stuff, sometimes bordering on bizarre. Maybe part of this is due to IG basically being Facebook for younger millennials/older Zoomers? I think it’s a substantially more normie and less queer space than Tumblr. It’s also picture-based, so Mlvns often post screenshots from the show and pictures of Finn and Millie.

And obviously reddit is pro-Mlvn to an extreme too, with Bylers basically been exiled to the Byler subreddit. But there it’s largely middle-aged men who can’t fathom their favorite nerdy 80s nostalgia show becoming “woke” and gay.

[chibishortdeath]

Fuck it, Simon Belmont, because why not you basically themed your blog after him

You don’t have any specific numbers, so I’m just answering every question >:3c mwahahaha—

1. “Why do you like this character”:

A lot of reasons!!! First off, most of his games are super fun and some of my favorite platformers just in general. I replay CV1, Simon’s Quest, and SCV4 most often cause they’re a real joy to play! I also absolutely LOVE Simon’s story, I’ve considered making comics about it if I could ever get out of recent art block whoops, even though I’ve seen many people say he doesn’t have one (´TωT｀). His designs are really cool, he’s got great music in his games, there’s just a lot to love and I’ll explain more in detail in other questions.

2. “Favorite canon thing?”

I really like the concept that he looks up to Christopher as this legendary hero and then ends up considered the same kind of legendary hero by Juste and others after him. It’s pretty ironic, kinda bittersweet, especially after being hated for so long. Castlevania loves its cycles like that. Also just Simon’s Quest in general, I love that game.

3. “Least favorite canon thing?”

Ooo that’s very hard. There’s kinda a lot of things about him that aren’t explained or confirmed, especially personality wise, but I kinda like that in a way cause it leaves room for interpretation and whatnot. Idk hmmm. I’m gonna go with Grimoire of Souls in general. I had some hopes for it, but it ended up being kinda lame. A lot of the characterization was weird and don’t even start me on things like the Cursed Whip theory being in there 💀. So I just choose to ignore it and not consider it canon.

4. “If you could put this character in another media, what would it be?”

I have thought about drawing him as if he was a character in other series for ages lol. I’ve already drawn him as a Pokémon trainer, I’ve thought about drawing Castlevania and Soul Eater crossovers before, and I tried drawing him in the style of Resident Evil 1 but could not get the art style down. Idk put him in Fortnite or something that’d be funny we already got Solid Snake so Konami has been in talks with them I guess X,,,,,,,,,,D

5. “What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think of them?”

Probably either Simon’s Theme (of course lol) or Bloody Tears, but I do wanna mention that I have a YouTube playlist of songs I wanna make Simon animations with eventually (alas animation is HARD).

6. “What’s something you have in common with the character?”

Mostly negative things unfortunately d(;w; ). Like self comparison, doubt in my own abilities, trouble making and keeping friends, etc etc. Although a lot of these are based on assumptions and interpretations, as a lot of him usually is. Simon does have a really similar hair color to me on the NES box art tho so that’s cool.

7. “What’s something the fandom does with this character that you like?”

There’s a lot of really nice art of him!!! Usually portraits, but sometimes there’s other doodles and whatnot too :3. Cool fan redesigns too! I also have seen a lot of neat headcanons, a lot of which I’ve adopted. I also appreciate the Captain N reunion stuff for the most part, it’s pretty wholesome.

8. “What’s something the fandom does with this character that you don’t like?”

I’ve seen a lot of comics, especially around when Smash Bros Ultimate came out, that were really… weird. I think all of them could kinda be boiled down to “old = bad” in the way that the artists probably just found out he was from the 1600s and then decided to make him the Boomer to Richter’s Gen Z for whatever reason (ya know despite Richter being from the 1700s but anyway). Simon would either be the jerk in the situation and/or the butt of the joke. I don’t think that Simon would have any issue with any of the female characters’ outfits let alone start harassing them for it. I saw some comics that made fun of him for not speaking very much in some genuinely disgusting ways too. Like making him not able to read or practically just the generic caveman stereotype. Especially in cases where the artist would depict other silent NES protagonists really nicely after making Simon out to be a complete idiot and asshole. There was also the trend of making him generally be all “oh no witchcraft!!!!!!!!!! What sin!!!!!!! The horror!!!!!!!!” about like anything and everything. I guess a lot of this comes from Smash Bros fans not usually being fans of Castlevania, but I’ve seen it in the Castlevania fandom too just less frequently. There’s also the “Simon has no story” thing oof. I’ve seen people tell people to skip his games or play fan games instead before :(

9. “Could you be roommates with this character?”

Realistically, no, my room is too small for another person :(. If that wasn’t an issue, then yeah probably :).

10. “Could you be best friends with this character?”

I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO—

11. “Would you date this character?”

No, he’s probably married, generally feels more like a bestie, and I’m aroace lol

12. “What headcanon do you have for this character?”

Too many oh my god. I think he probably makes things. That’s a very vague sentence lol, but think like armor, knives, general woodworking, all his necklaces and headbands and stuff, etc. He generally seems like he keeps to himself and lives mostly alone, so I can see him doing all that by himself. He keeps some bones and teeth of things he hunts most of the time. A lot of people have him as the most super Christian of the family, but I see him as like Christian but really not organized or strict about it, if that makes sense? I’ve seen someone else describe the Belmonts as like “Christopagan” before and yeah I think that fits. Idk why but I have consistently drawn him with his cross necklace in his mouth sometimes. I headcanon him as semiverbal (I think that’s the correct term for it, basically like inbetween speaking and nonspeaking). I like to think he’s like really average height for the 1600s cause he’s about as tall as other townspeople and skeletons and stuff. Which is funny cause that’d make him like 5’5-5’7 ish and that’s kinda short in modern day lol. And I guess that makes his 8bit sprite being used all the time make more sense XD. I have way more, I didn’t even get into Simon’s Quest related ones, but I don’t wanna make this too long aaaaaaaaaaaa

13. “What’s an emoticon that reminds you of the character or you think they’d use a lot?”

Ok this is funny cause I actually do have one for this and it’s got context. It’s the “:3”. So I was watching a bunch of people’s playthroughs one night cause I was bored and ran into a channel with a toooooon of speedruns of maps from Harmony of Despair. Whenever they’d get to a boss battle they’d use the typing feature just to go “hi” with a different cutesy emoticon every time, but when they got to Dracula they specifically went for the “hi :3” and then went “oh no :(“ when Dracula started attacking and now that’s the way I think he’d text I guess.

14. “Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character”

How does one properly explain how much this guy slays in one aesthetic term—

15. “What’s your favorite ship for this character?”

Oooooo, in canon probably like his wife (Selena) and/or the Mysterious Woman (who could be the same character depending on what theories you go by), but outside of that Simon Belmont x Getsu Fuma and I can’t even explain exactly why, but it’s pretty cute.

16. “What’s your least favorite ship for this character?”

Any BelmontXBelmont shipping ugh, it’s unfortunately really common on some places… also the whole Lucas or Pit or whatever other child character thing the smash bros fandom had ugh. I guess I also just don’t see the appeal of shipping any of the Belmonts with Dracula.

17. “What’s a ship you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite?”

I’ve also seen people ship him with Solid Snake, Palutena, or Bayonetta before. Ummm he doesn’t really have a lot of other characters he’s shipped with tbh. Idk I saw someone ship him with one of the priests from Simon’s Quest once.

18. “Relationship in canon you admire?”

Unfortunately he doesn’t really talk to people enough in game to form canon relationships 😔

19. “Relationship in canon you don’t like?”

I don’t even know if I can answer this one for the same reasons as the above 💀💀💀. I guess the townspeople hating the hell out of him, but I don’t hate that cause it’s kinda integral to the plot???? Yeah idk lol

20. “What character is the ideal best friend for this character?”

Simon and Shanoa would get along a lot I think. Sara too. Hmmmm… I think he and Alucard would probably also be good friends. Christopher too for many reasons. Simon just really needs friends my poor dude is out here in Dracula’s Castle and the Romanian countryside after being cursed alone like this poor guy :’(

21. “If you’re a fic writer, what’s your favorite thing to do when writing this character? What’s something you don’t like?”

I have not written much at all, however what small comics I have done I looooove to make sure to sprinkle in whatever symbols he has in the games into it. He has a lot of cool things ranging from like rose thorns to The Hanged Man card and a lot of them end up meaning things like martyrdom and whatnot idk I made a post about it a while ago :3. I also like specifically Simon’s Quest speculation stuff, like what if scenarios for the vague, left open spots of it. If it’s not something super angsty or lore heavy, it’s usually just wholesome character interactions or doodling him being comforted by Christopher or Trevor cause I was sad or something lol. As far as things I don’t like writing uh idk that’s hard, maybe just any kind of filler scenes cause I’m not very good at those oof. Dialogue is hard too 💀💀💀

22. “If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like/don’t like to see in fics?”

I’ve mentioned a lot of things I don’t like seeing in uh question 8, but things I do like is when people really try to go full horror with him. I’ve seen some Simon’s Quest fics (sadly there’s very few :’3) that really try to get that same feeling of anxiousness and dread the game does and I love that honestly. It’s a really dark story in the series! I also saw one that went psychological horror with it with him kinda losing himself a little at night it’s just ough it’s cool :D! Simon is a horror protagonist! Make him afraid!!!

23. “Favorite picture of this character?”

Again, too many!!! X3

24. “What other character from another fandom reminds you of them?”

Not from fandoms I am in (yet, hopefully I’ll get into these), but Ragnvaldr from Fear and Hunger I’ve heard is just directly inspired by him and Alfred from Bloodborne also, to me, seems heavily inspired by him. The whole Vilebloods section seems very Castlevania inspired tbh. From other fandoms I’m in, that’s hard to say, there’s not really any I don’t think.

25. “What was your first impression of this character, is it the same as now?”

Well I got into Castlevania through Smash Bros and at first was completely indifferent about him, he was just kinda fun to play as. Then Richter got me to play SotN and actually get into the series more. I had no idea I had SotN on XBOX360 for a long time, but that made it pretty easy to start playing. And now I am absolutely hooked and Simon is my favorite character so uh yeah X3.

26. “Freebie!”

I guess I just say anything? Ok, I am currently half trying to cosplay Simon’s Simon’s Quest design rn! I have like everything but the armor, but I’ll have to wait a while to be able to get materials for it oof. But yeah :). Hopefully that works out. 

Ok yeah that’s pretty dang long wow, but yeah, thanks for the ask!!!! I am happy to rant about Simon anytime :3

[yuuana]

Music Monday #252: BE:FIRST x ATEEZ - Hush-Hush release: July 2024 genre: Jpop cw: flashing, cyberpunk surrealism

It may or may not even be Monday any more by the time you read this (probably not), it's been one of those days, but I am determined, dammit. XD Or maybe just exhausted. Or both? Could be both...

As is all too common in Jpop, we didn't get a whole lot of lead time on this release, though looking back, it's pretty obvious this was one of the things ATEEZ was working on earlier this year and why they seemed to be spending extra time in Japan during NOT OKAY promotions. I knew it was going to be something special, because ATEEZ always bring innovation to the stage, but I wasn't prepared to be completely blown away.

I feel like I should start with the caveat that a lot of collaborations coming out of Kpop right now tend to feel less like a cooperative project and more like someone doled out lines and even if there is an MV, there's very little interaction between collaborating groups. Combined with the trend starting in late 3rd gen of lines being treated like the sole property of one member at a time, and that ability to interact gets even smaller. It's never zero, there's always the chorus (in theory), and the Japanese idol system has its own expectations ... that I am, admittedly, not as current on for reasons, so I was coming to this with that Kpop experience and expectation.

In hindsight, that was a complete mistake because of course ATEEZ brought Edenary with them to this project to co-produce at every level alongside the BMSG team. From the first line, we get a genuinely collaborative vibe that flows through the whole song where the rapping sections are the majority of the solo lines, traded between the two groups equally. BE:FIRST and ATEEZ share such similar tone and range that until the video came out, other than the raps and Jongho's signature high notes, I spent a lot of time being very unsure who was singing what. And surprised and pleased at how often it was at least two voices blending together. And don't think I didn't catch that line about the underdog who now wears the crown. ;) The lyrics are pretty meta, actually, talking about working hard and not backing down but also not looking to fight about who's the best because they already know the answer and don't feel the need to argue it out with anyone.

Speaking of the music video... look, I stopped counting how many times I've watched this days ago and I'm still stunned and amazed and picking out little things. Obviously this was a whole lot of green screen ... which actually makes it even more impressive in some ways because any time you have to green screen in an element (or two or ten), the artist is acting against a blank. At best, they might have had some early animatics to give the artists some idea of what would be going on around them, but a lot of the video was filled in after the fact. And yet all fifteen of them sell it like they really are in grand sweeping spaces.

For obvious reasons, I'm not ticking this as lore, but if you told me it was, I would believe you. Between Z-team's history of cyberpunk aesthetics and A-team's history of dreaming... I could easily buy this as the start of an alliance - eight men can't save the world all on their own, after all.

2024 is definitely shaping up as the year ATEEZ takes on world domination with a vengeance. BE:FIRST are still relatively new to their career, having only debuted in November of 2021 (plus their youngest is an '06-liner, oh god, the babies are taking over) and are already dominating in Tokyo and see this as a first step onto the world stage. Which is both fair and wise. ;) This one-track single is available now for streaming and/or digital purchase on most of the major platforms, as is a remix by m-flo's Taku Takahashi.

Want to see Music Monday deep dives more often? Sponsor a song selection! For the low, low price of one (1) KoFi, I'll write up the song of your choice. ANY song of your choice. Yes, even that one that's been played to death. Yes, your obscure faves too. With sponsors, I can stop skipping weeks and falling further and further behind in the releases! Sponsor a current CB for the next open Music Monday slot or sponsor a throwback for a Thursday feature! But seriously, if you've been enjoying my selections and analyses, we (me and the foster kittens) would love a KoFi in thanks. DW | Twitter | Mastodon | Bluesky | Ko-fi | Patreon | Discord | Twitch

[nowoyas]

Actually just for like nuance purposes bc I'm sure OP of that post is probably annoyed as hell by the notes already but I HAVE to nuance this shit since there's a lot I want to add to that post, re: ao3 etiquette

kudos when you feel like it. different people use kudos for different reasons. I use them because I actually liked the fic. it's like giving a thumbs-up. apparently some people just use it to say they finished it. that's not standard, there is no standard. consider it like a facebook "like" in that it kind of ticks a number up but doesn't really tell you anything further than that.

comment when you feel like it. it's nice to do. a lot of authors enjoy comments that aren't worded super rudely and will enjoy anything from "<3" to "asdkljfhdksljfhdjksh" to an essay about why you loved it.

"pls update" comments are a toss-up. some people love em, some people hate em, some are ambivalent. comment how you like but understand that some people see requests to update as pushing them along while others think of them as really nice reminders that that fic they've been avoiding eye contact with IS liked by people, and it's difficult to tell which a particular fic author will be.

general rule of thumb: if they didn't ask for concrit, they probably will consider it rude if you give it. before you start whining in the notes, yes it's the internet and you can do what I want, you're very entitled I get it. it's still rude to walk up to someone painting on the street or something and tell them how they can do x y and z better when they didn't fucking ask. no matter how combative you get over the right you do have to be an asshole on the internet, you are still being an asshole. some people on the internet are kids. sometimes a fic is intensely personal to someone. sometimes they're just starting out. sometimes they're just having fun and not particularly interested in learning the nitty gritty of grammar and story structure. sometimes they just didn't fucking ask because they don't want it. you're never going to make it not rude by insisting on leaving concrit anyway. if you really really want to, there's a really simple solution: leave a comment POLITELY asking them whether they'd be open to constructive criticism, and then respect the answer they give you. in this case, silence is an answer, too.

metas and theories are allowed under TOS. ao3 is for "noncommercial, non-ephemeral fanwork... that is fannish in nature". ao3's faq explicitly calls out meta as allowed under TOS.

what is not allowed under ao3 tos: "help me find this fic!" requests posted as "fanworks", links to or mentions of donations or patreons/monetizing fic, posting a request for someone else to write a fic/rp with you as a fic, posting straight fic prompts

ao3 has a goal of "maximum inclusiveness". it was created with the express intention of allowing "as many fanworks as possible". it was created in response to fanworks on other sites being removed for "decency", "moral reasons" (anything from "this is harmful because the characters are x age" to "this suggests the existence of queer people"), or simply not being appealing to advertisers.

you are in fact responsible for your own reading experience. if you find something you don't like, the back button is always there. tags exist for a reason. if you think it's morally reprehensible or whatever, okay, cool, hit the back button. it's not for you.

from the ao3 tos faq: "One basic consequence is that users are responsible for reading and heeding the warnings provided by the creator. Risk-averse users should keep in mind that not all content will carry full warnings. If you want to know more, you may also wish to consult the bookmarks that people other than the creator have used to categorize the fanwork." (emphasis native to faq)

that being said, if it's very obviously incorrectly tagged ie "gen rating on a fic with explicit sex and gore in it" you would be within your rights to ask them to update the tags accordingly and/or report the fic.

subscribe whenever you want even if the fic is complete I promise you unless the author is super obsessive they likely won't even notice let alone think it's weird

delete your fics if you want. you're not required to keep them up. it'd be nice if you orphaned it or added it to the anonymous collection instead for others to read, and I personally would encourage you to do so as I've personally regretted a lot of fic deletions I've made, but it is your content and you don't have to let it be archived forever if you decide that you hate it/it's no longer representative of you/etc.

character/character is indeed intended for romantic/sexual pairings. character & character is intended for platonic pairings. most people searching the '&' tag for a ship tend to be annoyed if you tag a fic with both unless it's explicitly intended to be read either way, because they are in the & ship tag because they DON'T want romantic and/or sexual content for the involved characters.

the only tagging you are required to do is ratings and specific basic warnings, however you are also allowed to use "not rated" and "creator chose not to use archive warnings". tagging helps people find your fic and also helps people who aren't right for your fic avoid your fic, so it would be nice to do more than just rating + archive warnings for your sake and others, but at the end of the day, it's your choice.

if tagging confuses you, my rule of thumb is "would someone in x tag who found this fic be annoyed that it had this tag?" and "what would someone looking for this fic generally be searching for, tag-wise, to find this?"

ao3 is not social media. there is not an algorithm. there will never be an algorithm. it is a place for storing fan content from basically any fandom. the closest thing to an algorithm is the front page of recently updated fics for a fandom, and it's extremely poor taste to use tricks to stay on the front page. depending on the fandom, it's also an extremely losing battle. (eg. there have been days where I've posted a bnha fic and it was IMMEDIATELY pushed down to page three of the fandom simply bc the fandom's so big.) I recommend posting your fic and then going to like take a shower or take a nap or something to step away.

[likelikedirtycute]

I’m really thinking a lot about Gen X parents right now.

There’s a lot of discussion of Gen Z’s swing to conservatism, understandably. And two of the big factors are of course the internet and school systems (specifically the impact of NCLB). But that accounts for two of the three largest influences on the kids that are now young adults of voting age.

What is the deal with Gen X parenting? How did trends in Gen X parenting contribute to how Gen Z young adults view the world?

We know (and obviously these are all huge generalizations - that’s inherent to any discussion of generational differences) that Millennials and Gen X overall massively conflict with our parents. The stereotype of both generations as teens, especially Gen X, was the moody goth/alternative/emo screaming “I hate you mom/dad, you’ll never understand me!” Of course all teenagers rebel against their parents to some degree, but there doesn’t seem to be that same generational hatred/resentment of parents from Gen Z.

That suggests that maybe Gen X did a better job than the Boomers. And in a lot of ways they probably did. But why were these kids still so fucking lonely? Why do they seem to crave hierarchical systems? Especially the boys and men - Gen X chafed against the strict gender norms of their parents, so why are their sons displaying the same repressed emotions manifesting as anger and entitlement to women’s bodies that their fathers did? What did they learn about what it means to be a man at home?

Again, we know a huge portion of these ideas are coming from grifters online. But again, we’re not really seeing Gen Z boys and men disparaging their parents the way Millennials and Gen X did. If the parents of Gen Z were demonstrating the “woke feminist emasculation” their internet idols decry, wouldn’t there be a similar backlash to how we reacted to our parents demonstrating the repression and bigotry that our media influences were against?

So then, what happened in these households? These kids aren’t really kids anymore - because of how fucked wages and housing costs are, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily moving out of their parents’ homes, but they are past the point of their parents’ strongest influence on them, even if they are still living with them. So what happened during that period of influence?

We see criticisms of Millennials as overly involved helicopter parents, practicing a false idea of “gentle parenting”, never saying no, giving the babies iPads, etc. With Boomers it was either the “don’t come back til the streetlights are on” or the “don’t ever leave the house/my sight” depending on whether we’re talking about the older or younger boomers, poor emotional regulation and continuation of cycles of trauma, insulting your kids, refusing to acknowledge mental illness or queerness, insisting that you just need to hit the pavement and pull yourself up by your bootstraps to make it in life. Of course these are all stereotypes, and some are more unfair than others. But what are the stereotypes of Gen X parenting?

I’m genuinely curious, because I feel like this is a portion of the equation we are missing. Why did Gen Z grow up feeling so isolated and so unstable that fascism is appealing to them? Of course the state of the world is a big answer to that, but it’s not the whole answer. Millennials felt unstable and isolated too - we still do. So did and do Gen X. And there’s certainly very conservative factions in both generations, partially influenced by that isolation and instability. But there’s still more to it.

Boys that fell down the alt right pipeline were already feeling lonely. Were they seeing their fathers at home freely showing them emotion and affection, but something kept them from internalizing that support? Or were they seeing their fathers conform to more traditional gender norms and remain distant from their children to some degree? Or something else entirely? How do they feel about their mothers? Are they frustrated and isolated because of having two working parents like the earlier latchkey kids, but with less freedom? Do they see their parents’ marriages as models to be followed or cautionary tales to be avoided? Are they picking up on sexist ideas their parents had internalized, even if the parents didn’t explicitly teach those ideas like many Boomers did? Or are they frustrated with the dynamics they saw at home and want something different?

I genuinely don’t know the answers to these questions - I feel like, true to the joke about Gen X always being overlooked, we don’t really have any defined cultural ideas of what Gen X parenting is and was like. But I think it’s an important component of figuring out how we got to where we are. I’d be interested to hear from any Gen Z or Gen X individuals who have thoughts on this.

(I’ll also say again - these are HUGE generalizations. If you’re going to reply “not all Gen Z/Millenials/Gen X/Boomers”, you’re going to be ignored and likely blocked - I’m aware it’s not everyone. I’m aware generations are not clear concrete distinctions and that there are people who straddle the lines and experiences of multiple generations, and that location and life circumstance can make a huge difference in whether you relate to the generalizations about your generational category. Pointing it out doesn’t actually lead to productive conversation. This is ONE lens of many that can be used to analyze how people think and act, and there is value in analyzing things through different imperfect lenses, because ALL lenses are imperfect.)

[cheemscakecat]

I also think Gen Z [outside of narcissistic/ignorant people] is becoming more aware of the toxicity in social media and the effect on children. And we’re wanting to protect the next generations, including our kids.

The Gen Alpha kids who have no patience for learning have basically been given their own iPads or phones from the time they were learning to speak. Some of that was because of Covid, but there are plenty of Millenial parents who would have done this anyway.

But Gen Z was already traumatized in our middle/high school years by all the adult content available that our parents didn’t know about; many assuming that the internet was still a learning tool first and foremost. We were the ones traumatized by gory, sexual, and swear-filled parodies, comics and shipping pieces made about MLP, FNAF, and multiple kids shows like Gravity Falls. We understand what modern Content Farms are going to do to the toddlers and children who end up watching it.

And we’re also the ones watching ignorant people with the worst political and social takes [on both sides] spew their brain dead beliefs on Tik Tok, X and other platforms like they’re modern philosophers with all the answers. Including people who paint everything beige whether it belongs to their child or not, Van life influencers, “family” channels, only fans women, and men with millionaire/alpha male pyramid schemes.

For the Gen Z who are planning to have kids, it doesn’t make sense to expose our children to this madness and let them end up the same way as us or Gen Alpha. Our kids, Gen Beta will be born between 2025 and 2039. And personally, I’m looking forward to being a mother and exposing my kids to something worth watching, like old cartoons that had censorship rules and morals.

That, and we understand how predatory modern Apps are when it comes to time wasting and in-app purchases. I still struggle with my own internet addiction, but it’s getting better. Hopefully someday the internet will have some sort of regulations for these addictive practices, but it will probably take decades.

something i have noticed lately: as a collective, a lot of gen z are simply getting tired of their phone

[troglobite]

alksdjflkdsj

https:// twitter.com/chescaleigh/status/1704457124959637787

Thoughts re: that tweet and this whole topic and exchange, but i'm really fucking tired and need to sleep so i can't be coherent so i'm not joining the convo on there

chesca is a black woman and that 100% has something to do with this. people CONSTANTLY ask marginalized folks incredibly stupid, easy to search, simple, basicass questions and DEMAND that they spend their time and energy holding their hand and answering them thoroughly and catering to their millions of potentially bad-faith questions

so telling her that it's a normal wonderful human socialization i'm like stfu what are you even talking about

this is a manifestation of an already extant behavior that was learned because of social stratification and prejudice

it doesn't exist in a vacuum and it's ridiculous to act as though it does

ALSO

there's a difference btwn

'this is a really interesting topic! is there somewhere specific that i should start looking for more info abt it?'

and

'what is this book abt? does it cover x? where can i get it? does it have an audiobook?'

the first question recognizes a broader category of something that might be more complicated and nuanced and implies that you trust the person's insight--or the fellow commenters' insight--and so you're seeking guidance to start looking yourself, bc you want to make sure you're reading reputable stuff to begin with. important and cool, esp in this day and age w everything being completely fucked over by "ai"

chesca gives an example here too https:// twitter.com/chescaleigh/status/1704453512871264448

the second question is purely entitle to that person's time and energy and a lack of curiosity abt your own fucking ability to look shit up yourself

for example, a comedian who--on EVERY platform they have, on EVERY post they make--says "here are my current tour dates. to find out when i'm in your city, sign up for my text and/or email list"

and people comment "when are you coming to my city?"

MAYBE READ THE FUCKING TEN DOZEN CAPTIONS THAT FUCKING TOLD YOU WHERE YOU FIND THIS FUCKING INFORMATION YOU ENTITLED DIPSHIT

and also https:// twitter.com/JennyWHOA/status/1704348165426622465 this reply to franchesca

like ??? you have a world of information at your fucking fingertips but you won't do a quick google or other search engine search for a SIMPLE EXCHANGE? it would take, at most, 10 seconds. literally what the fuck.

i think the other part of this is like, mindless algorithm training.

everything has been automated and uses datamined bullshit. they simply purchase all of your information and i think gen z in particular has gotten into the habit of having everything fed to them

hence the whole thing w the use of ao3 and deleting/reposting their fics "for the algorithm" which again DOES NOT EXIST, AO3 IS A FUCKING ARCHIVE, among other things

i know we have joked in the past abt having to go past the second page of google results, but that was when it was an actually functioning search engine. and you'd probably find your answer within the first 5.

now? good fucking luck.

so on the one hand i can't entirely blame them, the enshittification of the internet is happening at the same time as they're being brainwashed and coddled by the algorithm training and all that shit

but it is ridiculously frustrating when ppl demand shit like this

get into the habit of looking shit up yourself, holy fucking shit

i cannot express the lengths i go to before asking someone a question

i think it through myself

i give it a few quick searches

i scout around a little bit more for context

and if i'm still somehow unclear and can't find anything, THEN--

i will evaluate whether this is crucial information or something useless and silly

and then if it's important or relevant to me, THEN i will ask what is going on

there's a chance that sometimes i swing too hard the other way bc i fear being irritating to other people, so ppl don't have to follow my example exactly

but also what i do really isn't that much and doesn't take that long

anyway the original video that it was all about/started by

https:// twitter.com/55mmbae/status/1703521133507862801

is this obsessive individualistic and entitled bullshit

this person apparently made a second video that was about how this is also emotional and moral immaturity and basically parading around trying to prove to other people how morally pure and perfect and superior you are by asking this kind of shit

and i think it's true, and also this sickening individualism and entitlement

like

"hey my algorithm is made exactly for me, so why is this video not made exactly for me? why didn't you think abt me before making it and appearing in my feed? >:("

i legitimately think that some ppl have so little thought abt this process that THAT is the way they approach these videos and this 'content'

the algorithm is for them, so why isn't everything? when the algorithm gets it wrong, it's like they considering interfacing w tiktok to be the same as interfacing w the specific person who made this ONE video

and i think this behavior has a more negative counterpart or flavor

and that is

"your positivity post made me, personally, upset, so i'm going to respond directly to you and to everyone who can see this post and tell you all to feel ashamed for enjoying it or having it make you feel better, bc it made ME feel bad, and you didn't consider that. how dare you feel positivity abt something that isn't actually harmful to anyone, but hurt my feelings personally and possibly hurt other people's feelings, too."

i JUST saw an example of this on here bc of how notifications work and it pissed me the fuck off, but i'll use something else as an example instead

the trend on here of the arguing over what counts as REAL self-care

that shit

someone will say "self-care is forcing yourself to do the chores and self-caretaking stuff you don't wanna do, bc it will actually help your health and help you feel better"

and someone goes

"wow this is so fucking ableist. i can't keep myself clean or brush my teeth and fuck you for holding us to this incredibly ableist standard."

doesn't matter if the original post said "in whatever way works for you" or didn't even mention specific methods of hygiene, this person gets angry and insecure and lashes out

and instead of making their own post about it to help other people like them

they respond to that post, where EVERYONE and op can see and will get notifs about it, and make them feel bad for sharing a piece of advice or a post that actually DID help them

bc like the video says: incredibly, sometimes, you are just NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THAT THING

have i read a positivity post and gone "wow this made me feel bad about myself. welp, doesn't apply to me, i'm gonna process my own feelings and move on, bc the post itself didn't actually do anything wrong."

for example

"i hope everyone knows that there's no deadline for relationship/dating experience or life milestones! just bc you haven't kissed someone by 25 doesn't make you immature or bad or anything!"

now am i 28, almost 29, and still have never dated someone? yes. did this fictional example post based on some stuff i've actually seen make me incidentally feel kind of shitty? yep, it did.

however--

25 was an arbitrary age they chose as an example. there's nothing in the text of the post that suggests they think that's "too old" or THE cut-off point, past which you're pathetic

the post itself was positive, and is likely aimed at ppl who think life is over at 25 bc they're super young and everything feels high stakes

and at one point, that would've been me--

but it no longer is, and so i am not the target audience.

and so what do i do?

i ignore the fucking post and move on with my life.

what do i NOT do?

reply to the post, so that it appears in the notifs of op and whoever rbed the version i'm seeing, to say

"WOW how fucking dare you cut it off at 25. so what, ppl who never have a relationship are failures? we still have to meet all these life milestones, period, to be considered a decent and successful person? what the fuck is this."

to do that would mean that i fully, in bad faith, read WAY too much into what they were saying, and made it about MY feelings and emotional reaction to a COMPLETELY INNOCENT POST THAT WAS MEANT TO HELP MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER

now before anyone does a bad faith "but what about" response to my own fucking point

a post that says

"it's okay to get married after the age of 25, a lot of ppl do it, the important thing is that you find someone and are married and can start building your family :)"

is a shitty post that holds people up to social norms and standards and has a lot of VERY CLEARLY baked in assumptions and judgments.

it would be totally fair, if you wanted to, to reply and say "hey dude have you considered that ppl don't actually have to get married or have a family to have a fulfilling life?"

bc you aren't responding to your own personal reaction/feelings abt the post and how it's not FOR you

it's about how this is a general standard that they are applying to ALL people, so EVERYONE is the target audience, and that is fucked up

there is a DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN THOSE EXAMPLE POSTS

i just think it's shitty to take someone's post that IS positive and does NOT perpetuate incredibly harmful assumptions about how life should work, and respond publicly to make them feel BAD abt not having psychically predicted that you in your specificass situation would NOT find the post helpful or positive

like hey if the advice or perspective is not helpful for you, then it's not for you. if it's helpful to other people, they don't have to ignore shit that's actually helpful for them just so it doesn't hurt some imaginary possible person's feelings.

like that is a ridiculous fucking thing to expect.

if positivity makes your teeth hurt and makes you angry? hell yeah be angry about it. get irritated! complain!

on your own post or with your own friends/acquaintances/groups/family who Get It

bc unless someone has actually done something hurtful and wrong, the post was just not targeted at you.

but bc you saw it and it pissed you off, you can (and should!) complain abt it somewhere else bc complaining and processing is fucking GOOD, man.

just don't fucking dump all over everyone else's nice, supportive time with each other.

or as the video says

don't fucking comment "but what if i hate beans" on a video about HOW TO MAKE A FUCKING BEAN SOUP

i really need to go the fuck to sleep i'm so tired

also here i am complaining about and sharing thoughts about other posts and stuff that i've seen because it irritated me or whatever

SO I AM CLEARLY IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT

JUST DO IT IN A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE NOT NEEDLESSLY SHITTING ON OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T REALLY DONE ANYTHING WRONG

[midnightdevotion]

Party of Three

Request: Reader is maverick's sister and is dating iceman, finds out she's pregnant.

@sebastianstangirl01

Pairing: Iceman x Reader (afab)

Tag list is open!

Requests are open!

Warnings: Some angst, some fluff, one punch. ( i did not proof read, bc it's midnight )

a/n: In true gen-z fashion I cannot write a fic without the use of cell phones so, were going with it. Everything else is pretty cannon i think.

You've been feeling off for almost three weeks before you realize you haven't had your period for 2 months. Your heart hasn't stopped racing since you came the realization of what that probably means.

Rushing to the store at a prompt 8:46 this morning to get pregnancy tests. You haven't been able to work up the nerve to actually take said tests. Anxiously biting your lips, even though they are already tender and you taste the tang of blood.

Sighing you look at the clock, and seeing it is 4:00 and you've wasted the entire day looking at the damn tests on your coffee table you stand. Finally grabbing the box you march to the bathroom in what you hope is confidence but you know is really just fear and mental exhaustion.

You've spent all day running through every possible situation that could come from this. No matter what your older brother is going to be pissed. You groan as you think about what he's going to say to you. Not ready for the onslaught of being told you are irresponsible and how could you be so reckless.

Opening the boxes to gather the tests out you have shaky hands and almost drop the pregnancy tests. It takes another ten minutes to actually build up the courage to sit down to take the tests.

Within a minute you have three tests sitting on the counter. You turn on your phone timer to 5 minutes, and god you'd rather plank for five minutes straight than wait for this. You sit on the ground, back to the cabinets that are holding your entire future on top of it.

Your leg is shaking as you anxiously wait for the results. Glancing down at your phone every 3 seconds feeling like it's been 30. When the timer finally does go off, you've never stood up so fast. Legs feeling like jello, and your palms are sweaty.

Swallowing hard you pick up the first test. Looking down to see a plus sign your heart stops. Quickly glancing at the other two you see they are also plus signs.

You can't take it anymore and your nerves are shot. Rushing to the toilet you let out all the contents from the sandwich you forced yourself to eat earlier.

Hearing your phone buzz on the counter you stand, leaning against the counter as you read the message.

My love: Hey sweetheart, we're all gonna go to the bar tonight, want me to swing by and pick you up.

It takes you a solid two minutes to come up with a halfway decent reply, hoping it sounds like you in any way.

You: I'm actually not feeling too hot, just a headache so don't worry about me go have fun :)

It doesn't take him more than 10 seconds to call.

"Do you need anything?" He doesn't even bother with a hello when he hears you pick up the phone. You try to control the shaky in your voice when you answer.

"No-no that's okay, I'm just gonna take some tylenol and try and sleep." You can picture him furrowing his brow, because usually you love cuddles when you aren't feeling well and you never say no to take out and icecream when you have a headache either.

"Babe are you sure? I can go to your favorite Chinese food and grab some ben and jerry's?"

"yea I'm sure, I just really feel tired, So go enjoy your time with the boys" You feel so bad lying to him, knowing he's got that confused look in his eyes and he's probably running a hand through his blond hair. Almost like if he does it enough he will solve whatever problem is wracking his brain.

"alright... but you'll call if you need anything right?" You hate yourself for the sad tone to his voice.

"Of course babe" you cringe because you know this whole conversation is a train wreck attempt at acting normal. You quickly say your goodbyes and love you's before hanging up. You call the only other person you know you can trust with this.

"Mav... I need you"

And thank god for Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, because he's outside of your place in less than 30 minutes. You do feel bad because he picks up your favorite Chinese food on his way over. An offer you just ignored from the man you swear is the love of your life.

"Oh mini Mitchell, what's got you all out of wack" is the first thing your brother says to you. The look on your face must say it all, because he is wrapping you in a hug without you even saying a word.

You called Mav for a reason, knowing he would give you the time you needed to get whatever is on your mind sorted before speaking. He's making idle chit chat about his day, knowing both of you aren't here to hear or talk about Mav and his dare devil ways. However, he does know that you aren't ready to tell him why you called him over so he's dishing out the food and distracting his sister the best way he knows how.

It takes two and a half hours before you blurt out your thoughts. Anxiety running rampant in your mind and seeping into your tone.

"Mav...I'm Pregnant" It can't be more than a whisper but you know he hears you because he freezes mid reach for popcorn. It feels like a lifetime could go by in the time you are waiting for maverick to reply. "mav... please say something" You're desperate, needing to know that maverick will support you in this.

"I don't know what to say" You can tell his answer is honest, and you can't really fault him for being shocked and stumped for words, because if you're being honest so are you.

"Please just be here for me...I can't do this on my own"

"you will never do anything alone" his blue eyes pierce into you as he says this, and you are so thankful to have a brother as loyal as maverick.

With the small weight of maverick knowing and knowing you won't be in this alone, no matter what Tom says, you feel like you can breathe slightly lighter now. Your brother is a man of few words in this moment though, and you let him, because you don't really have anything else to add either.

He reaches over and hugs you, and it's then you feel the exhaustion of such an emotionally grueling day hit you. You don't have it in you to stay up to face Tom when he gets home, knowing he prefers to sleep here instead of on base on weekends.

______

Maverick might not have said it to you, but boy oh boy was he pissed. First Kazansky had the nerve to date his little sister, now he's gotten you pregnant?!

After he made sure you had everything you needed and went to bed, he headed directly to the bar he was counting on Iceman being at. He keeps rehearing the phrase "I can't do this on my own" in your scared voice bounce around his head. Clenching his jaw, rage runs through him at the thought of Tom thinking he could just get you pregnant and leave you out to dry.

He whips his bike into a parking stall, seeing none other than Ice's car parked in the third stall over. He's seeing nothing but red as he makes his way into the crowded bar. Eyes searching for one person only.

Goose see's maverick walk in, brow furrowing as the brunette brushes right past him, anger radiating off of him in thick waves.

"KAZANSKY" is shouted as soon as Maverick lands eyes on him. It takes not two seconds for him to be within grasp and Maverick doesn't hesitate to send a brutal punch to the blond pilots eye.

"Maverick what the hell!" Tom reaches for his eye, confused as to why he's standing in searing pain when sure he and Mav have always had somewhat of a turbulent friendship but things had been sailing smoothly for a while now, since he started dating you.

"DON'T WHAT THE HELL ME, YOU THINK YOU CAN GET MY SISTER PREGNANT AND BAIL AND I WONT KICK YOUR ASS" and has never been more confused because... well what the fuck?

"Maverick what the fuck are you talking about?"

"Don't fucking play dumb with me!" and goose the level headed one-- an odd thing to say about the usual goofball, steps between the two.

"Mav... can you explain what's going on" and if it were anyone other than goose who was asking they probably would have been punched too.

"This fucking asshole got my little sister pregnant, now she's sitting at home terrified because he left her to do it alone!" and goose has to physically hold maverick to keep him for going in for another strike.

"She's pregnant?" and it's like a bucket of ice cold water gets dumped over the trio. Tom's head is spinning. Why didn't you tell him? He's gonna be a dad? Wait why did you think you were going to do it alone? Man his eye still hurts.

Maverick has immediate guilt wash over him, he didn't know you hadn't told tom yet, and maybe he shouldn't have punched the guy and caused and scene out in public before he knew the whole story. Maverick has always been an act first think later sort of person and usually it works out, but this time his gut is telling him he's not gonna be so lucky.

"You-you didn't know" and it's not a question, it's a statement. Iceman just shakes his head, shouldering his way out of the bar. Easy to ignore the throbbing of his eye when his heart feels like it might shatter.

_____

You wake up the next morning feeling slightly better about the situation than you did yesterday. Finding it weird when you don't see tom in bed next to you. Yawning you figure maybe he got too tipsy at the bar last night and had to get a ride with someone else, leading him to stay on base.

You slowly make your way into the living room, scanning the mess on the coffee table from your's and Mavericks movie escapades. Telling yourself you'll clean that up later you walk into the kitchen. Gasping at what you see, or rather who you see at the kitchen island.

"Honey what happened to your face!" you reach out to touch his cheek and feel a stinging in your chest when he moves away.

"Were you going to tell me" Your heart freezes at his words.

"t-tell you what" and you hate the stutter to your voice, feeling like you might explode from fear.

"You know what" is his cold reply.

"How did you find out" your voice is so quiet, and you can feel a tear leave the corner of your eye. He won't even look at you. This is exactly what you were afraid of, you two had never talked about kids, and god if he were anything like your brother then he didn't want them.

"Your brother told me, gave me this shiner too" and there's such a dead tone to his voice that it has you scared. He never sounds this monotone to you, so much like he just doesn't care.

"I-I...." and your voice catches on sobs in your throat.

"I'm sorry" it finally makes it's way out of your mouth, combined with an ugly sob. He finally looks up at you, and you see his swollen eye for all it's glory.

"For what exactly, sending your brother after me or--" and you cut him off.

"for getting pregnant... I know you don't want this, so it's okay if you go..." and you are whispering, any louder and you might break in half. You can't bear the thought of losing the one man you've ever really loved, but you don't want him to feel trapped to you and this baby.

You see his brow furrow, and you think here we go, he's trying to figure out how to tell you he doesn't want you or this baby, and to leave him alone.

"what makes you think I don't want this" You don't even have to think about your response.

"because you're a pilot, you don't want to be held back"

"I am not Maverick." You glance up at him, to see him now standing in front of you, just out of arms reach.

"Darling, all I've ever wanted was a future with you, and here you are carrying ours and thinking I don't want it?" Your breath hitches at his words, speechless as he moves closer, resting his hand on your non existent bump.

"I'm gonna be a dad" it's nothing but a whisper and maybe you aren't even supposed to hear it, but it makes you cry harder. All the anxiety of him not wanting this washes away in an instant.

He looks up, quickly bringing his hands to your face, wiping your tears off your face as best he can with how quick they are leaving your eyes. Softly he places his lips against yours, it's every bit reassuring as any words he's going to say to you.

"Sweetheart, I hate that you didn't trust me to come to me with this, but I'm not going anywhere, You are carrying our baby and you're my future wife. There's nothing that could keep me away from you" It sends fresh tears down your cheeks and you can't help but laugh.

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you first, and I'm so sorry maverick gave you that awful black eye. I was just- I was so scared that you wouldn't want us." He glances down at your stomach, full smile on his face.

"I'd take a black eye for you any day love, just give me a chance next time please?"

_____

You two spend the next three hours discussing plans, calling a doctor and him pulling you out of your anxious thoughts of 'will I be a good mom?'

"This little bean is going to make us a party of three tom!" You have anxiety pouring out of you.

"Can't wait to make it a party of four" comes his suggestive reply and wink. You throw a pillow at him.

"Can't you let me deal with this pregnancy first" you grumble, a happy smile on your face.

"Only if you let me marry you" and when you turn back around you see tom kneeling, ring out.

"this isn't really how i planned on doing this, but you're carrying my baby and I just don't want to wait any longer to have my ring on your finger" He lets out a nervous laugh, as you tear up again. If any one asks you're going to say it's pregnancy hormones.

"Oh my god yes!!" you can't help but to tackle the gorgeous aviator to the ground in excitement.

"we're waiting till after the baby though, no way I'm walking down the aisle with a baby belly" You add as an afterthought. Unable to stop yourself from joining Tom's laughter at your comment.

"God I can't wait for your baby belly... but whatever you want for our wedding honey" you both can't help but grin at those words. Our wedding.

Yeah maybe you had nothing to worry about in the first place but you'd live through it ten times over if it meant marrying the love of your life and having his kids.

Taglist: @alanadetigy

[fbfh]

dad!tony + stark!reader (ft. peter x reader x harley) hcs pt 2

wc: 1.7k

Genre: domestic fluff, (found) family, eventual enemies to lovers (Harley x reader) and mostly one sided pining to eventual lovers (peter x reader), enemies to eventual friends (peter + harley)

Warnings: former scary situations and battles (obvs), you're worried about Tony, Tony's worried about you, you and Harley are very similar and butt heads, tony is a good dad, yall do not get along at first, everyone has daddy issues, no infinity war/endgame, Harley peter and reader are seniors at this point, cap is a grandpa

A/n: i want to make this a full fic but you're getting bullet fics for now bc I have to get this idea out and I desperately wish I was writing full time already lol

Also who's ready for Iron fam content!!!!!!! Young avengers/gen z heroes content!!!!!!!! Me!!!!! I am!!!!!!!! Also I really hope they characterize Harley the way I'm imagining him bc the way he is in my head is elite

Tags: @yesv01 @afidiofobia @thatmultifandomloser @babiesimagines  @lizziebitch33 @hopefullhearts @thatawkwardlittlefangirl   @dustyinkpages  @raajali3 @the-snake-pit

Siblings with my peter x stark!nepotism baby hcs

So go read that too if you want to lmao

Anyway

As previously stated, Tony is an amazing dad

Your formative years were often times spent accompanying him on business trips so you can go sightseeing and do fun stuff

You know, make boring meetings full of people with terrible opinions a little more fun

And you better fucking believe he's gossiping to you about EVERYTHING

He's called it quits on meetings for today so now you're eating takeout together in the hotel while he spills all the tea to you

"And Roberts was just on my ass all day about the same questions I already answered, so…" he shrugs, taking a bite of food

"Ugh," you shudder in your mutual distaste for the asshole, and mutter under your breath, “that’s probably why his wife left him”

He laughs so hard he almost chokes

Yeah taking you with him was definitely a good idea

Because of all the traveling and all the time spent in meetings

And the fact that you’re both incredibly elusive and have a ridiculously high net worth 

You decide to pick up the occasional modeling gig when you’re traveling with your dad

He’s in meetings and press conferences about the future of stark industries and the avengers 

And you’re doing shoots with chanel and dior 

Sometimes photo shoots, sometimes perfume ads, sometimes you’re on the runway

It’s always fun and it’s nice to spend time with other people around your age in a similar position to yours 

You didn’t expect to have made friends from something you picked up to pass time, but you got a few of the other models numbers and they’re pretty good friends

However, when you’re not jetsetting with your kickass dad

You’re probably spending time in the garage with him while he works

Sometimes you’re doing homework, or watching netflix, or working on your own projects alongside him

Sometimes you just like to listen to him talk 

To you 

To himself

To jarvis

To dum-e and u and butterfingers 

Just being in his presence is so comforting 

He notices when you stick around like that, knows what it means to you

He knows how much you worry about him, that you sometimes have jarvis secretly check his vitals 

Just to make sure he’s okay yk

After everything that’s happened, you can get really bad separation anxiety with him

It feels like as soon as you’re out of each others sight he’s attacked or kidnapped or horribly injured or missing

Or you are 

And Pepper’s great

She’s awesome

But she’s not your dad

Whenever something happens to Tony, you usually just end up worrying together

But there are sometimes where even Pepper has to join the fight

And then you end up exactly where Tony didn’t want you: alone and terrified with no one to comfort you or look out for you

And yes you’re strong

You’re so fucking strong and capable and brave

You even have your own suit

Strictly to keep you protected he’d reminded you many times

If you’re anything like me it’s 100% pink with a little heart cut out for the chest light

But the thing is you shouldn’t have to take care of yourself and protect yourself in times like that

He just 

He wishes he had a few extra pairs of hands

So when things get dicey you still have someone with you

That’s actually a huge part of his motivation for recruiting Peter onto the team

He needs extra hands, extra help

After the whole vulture incident, he knows when this kid gets his mind made up on something there’s no distracting him from that goal

So yeah he blatantly disregarded everything Tony was telling him to do and can’t follow orders half the time, but he did sort of meet his goal of proving himself to Tony

How can he say no to that?

All this

Moving into the compound, hero training after school, meetings with the other avengers (!!!!)

Is a literal dream come true for Peter

For all the normal reasons

But also because guess who also lives at the compound??

You!!! 

You, his beautiful ethereal brilliant celebrity crush

That he now sleeps a few rooms away from 

Totally not heart pounding very normal situation he can totally handle without looking like a total dork in front of you

And living in the same building as you has done nothing but amplify his yearning

He was spacing out in a meeting once and Tony asked Vision to see what he was so wrapped up thinking about

It was yet another balcony soliloquy turned spiderman rescue daydream of you confessing your undying love to him, then him responding with something quippy and clever that makes you laugh that cute little laugh and look up at him with those gorgeous eyes, sparkling in the deep city lights while you look at him dreamily 

Vision: it, uh… seems private.

Tony thought he was thinking about boobs or something 

But no

He’s just very obviously mushy gushy in love with you

With the amount of longing sighs and heart eyes this boy shoots your way you’d think it would be obvious

Which is is

It’s very obvious to everyone except Peter, who thinks he’s hiding it pretty well

Peter has a habit of trying to impress you in training

Which either works great or is kind of embarrassing 

His very, painstakingly obvious crush on you would be annoying

If he wasn’t so endearing 

God you really did not expect the spider kid your dad mentioned in passing to be so… sunshiney???

He’s like a golden retriever puppy

You can practically see his tail wag when you enter the room

He’s so excited and eager to please and ready to prove himself 

You kind of can’t get mad at him just because of how sincere he is

You and your dad won’t admit this for a while

But peter’s growing on you

Both of you

But he still has a lot to learn

And he still makes reckless decisions sometimes

And taking strategic, calculated risks can be okay on the battlefield 

But not when you’re on guard duty

Not when you have one objective - protecting you from any harm until whatever fight that’s happening is over

Between that and the fact that unfortunately for Peter, Tony is in fact aware of his crush on you

Again, he’s not good at hiding it

Which is yet another motivator for him to bring in the next new recruit 

Harley Keener

He’s a long way from the scrappy kid Tony met in Tennessee 

And now that he’s a little older, it’s clear as day that he’s ready to join the ranks of the avengers 

Like tony said, he needs as much help as he can get

Peter sees Harley and thinks friend?!

Text book golden retriever puppy

Harley sees Peter and thinks oh boy rivalry time

Harley takes one look you and his heart starts pounding

How could it not

He and peter are pretty similar in that way 

Again, you’re the drop dead gorgeous confident cool nepotism baby of tony stark

Of course he’s going to have a thing for you

Honestly???? You think he’s kind of fine too at first

Then you both open your mouths

And you find each other insufferable 

You’re both opinionated with a whole lot of confidence 

it was sort of inevitable that yeah, you’d butt heads almost immediately

For a long time, Harley really never thought he’d see Tony again

And yeah, part of that was the fact that once an adult left him they never came back

So now that he has this opportunity 

He’s not going to mess anything up

He’s going to excel

He’s going to so so far above and beyond that he cements his place on the team

He’s going to become such a valuable asset that they couldn’t dream of benching him

Which means he does everything he’s told to

And he does it to the nines 

Yeah he has his personal strengths and weaknesses that he’s working on 

But everyone on the team is surprised by how well he executes orders 

Even Cap the grandpa 

Who’s always going on about how kids these days don’t listen 

Which is always met with an “okay boomer” from everyone in a 5 mile radius 

Has no criticisms for Harley in that department 

And Tony notices this 

And he files that information away for later 

Peter notices something else about Harley

Which is the way he looks at you when you’re not looking 

Peter doesn’t like that

Between that and Harley’s very ambitious no bullshit attitude that seems to conflict instantly with Peter’s optimistic friendly attitude 

They don’t like each other that much 

And you and Harley definitely don’t seem to like each other much

And peter can’t even talk to you yet without choking up or blushing 

So yeah

The next generation of avengers isn’t off to the best start

It goes on like that for some time

You and harley butting heads, hoping you don’t notice the pink flush to his cheeks 

Harley and peter butting heads, both determined to be tony’s favorite 

Peter noticeably not being able to breathe right when you sit too close to him, something you’re actually starting to find

Cute???

Wow maybe you are going soft

The three of you doing homework together in the same room, silence deafeningly loud 

The tension is ramping up 

To the point where the others are starting to notice 

Nat checks on you guys while you’re doing homework together and is immediately thrown off by how tense the room feels

Nat: “...you guys okay?”

You, Peter, and Harley who just spent like 10 minutes roasting the shit out of each other in a way that’s totally not secretly flirting: “Yep, why do you ask :)”

It’s really just a matter of time before something happens

The next avengers battle, for tony to finally put in place the plan he’s been laying the groundwork for since he recruited Parker and Keener

Maybe a love confession or two 

Time will tell

Very, very quickly if the way you’ve been looking at each other is anything to go by

[effervescentslut]

dating a gen z girl | edward cullen

Pairing: Edward Cullen x Fem!Reader

Category: Fluff with a dash of sexual references (you’re welcome)

Content Warnings: Sexual references, maybe some curse words 

A/N: Friendly reminder that my requests are open if your thirst for Edward isn’t quenched ;) Here are the rules to read before sending in your requests!

first of all

he’s definitely your lock screen on your phone

it’s a candid pic of him laughing, which is a rare occurrence 

you convince him and the rest of his family to get iphones

rosalie, alice, and emmett would already have iphones, MAYBE esme and carlisle too

jasper and edward? ehhhhhhh

edward HATES his iphone

but his lock screen is a selfie of you two (you forced him into taking a pic with you)

to be fair, he is a little outdated

he’ll use it as little as possible

he’ll only use his phone to communicate with you when you’re not together (also a rare occurrence)

he just thinks that he has no use for it; he doesn’t understand why gen z raves about technology so much

fucking grandpa

you two facetime every night; it’s the only way you can fall asleep now

occasionally you’ll beg him to come over so he sneaks into your bedroom

edward literally cannot say no to you

he is WHIPPED

✿✿✿ soft spot!!!! ✿✿✿

so he sneaks in and lays with you in your bed

you two just talk until you finally drift asleep

he usually talks about life before he met you ;-; so many experiences

anyway

you try to keep him updated on pop culture but he feels... indifferent

“y/n, all of these apps are the exact same”

“honey, no, instagram and tiktok are completely different...”

you send him memes

a lot of memes

he’ll text you like, “Y/N, go to sleep. We have a test in the morning.”

“omfg edward but look it’s a dresser falling on three babies”

“I’m going to block you.”

“at least emmett appreciates my humor”

“You’re insane.”

“you love it”

“GOODNIGHT.”

after he sends that last text, you facetime him

... he immediately answers :’)

edward definitely has his read receipts off and you hate it 

“baaaaabe this is important i could be dying”

“I can literally read your mind.”

you definitely set up a group chat with the rest of his family

you and emmett send memes

alice occasionally joins in

aaaand edward and rosalie tell you to stfu

they probably have the group chat muted

edward also hates emojis

you BEG him to play 8 ball with you but he negotiates other games

he demolishes you at anagrams, word hunt, chess, checkers... sigh

whatever, you play 8 ball and cup pong with emmett

you demand aux powers whenever edward drives

you have similar music tastes so it’s GREAT omfg

he shows you old tunes, you show him new ones

i think we all know that you both share a playlist that’s meant for sexy times without the premarital sex heheheheh 

edward smirks to himself when he scrolls through the playlist and you melt

i’m getting spotify vibes for you both

you make playlists for each other

LONG ROADTRIPS!!! without interfering with quileute territory

when your parents go out of town, he stays with you at your house the entire time

you force him into movie marathons :-)

then you coerce him into makeout sessions oops

you’re going to be the death of him

figuratively

trying to get him into video games

i feel like if he did happen to enjoy a video game, it would be something like the witcher or zelda or something along those lines

definitely prefers playstation

but also there’s moments like:

“what’s the point of this???”

“do your tasks and don’t die”

he groans and collapses onto you, suffocating you with his weight

“get off! you’re freezing!”

he starts laughing as you try to free yourself from beneath him, “we could do something to warm you up”

he’s grinning omfg this shit. eating. grin. 

you get excited which turns into embarrassment

your cheeks turn red and you’re all flustered and shy, knowing he’s trying to get a reaction out of you

you hit him with one of your pillows and he easily dodges it

he’s laughing so hard now

you groan in frustration and leave your room, his laughter following you as you sulk down the stairs

[neoheros]

sneaking out headcanons feat. gym 3 squad ♡ — also this is all gonna be set in an au before or without the quarantine, so don’t leave your house please!! social distancing is important and people are dying!!

kuroo tetsuro

listen LISTEN

sneaking out is terrible and you should never do it because it’s dangerous and risky

and you as the woke and understanding gen z that you are definitely respected that

but , BUT , BUUUUT !

the minute your boyfriend snapped you a photo of him in his car with him rubbing his tired eyes captioned “couldn’t sleep, dreamt of u”

your morals were OUT THE WINDOW and now it was your turn >:// !!!

kuroo: i know it’s 4 am but what’re the chances you’d hop out for a quick trip to chick-fil-a 👉👈

you, purposely taking two minutes to reply: why are you still awake

kuroo, who knows you like the back of his hand: babe don’t lie to me, it’s embarrassing for the both of us x

so you agree !! because it was kuroo, the love of your life, the man you’d simp for, and he’s paying for food so hell fricken yeah

you throw on a hoodie, lock your doors, fluff up the bed to make it look like someone was sleeping in it just in case and you gently make your way towards your window

due to personal reasons, you want to pass away

you suddenly remember why you hated sneaking out and boy — the food kuroo was buying you better be worth it

the only way you were actually gonna get down from your two story house that idiotically doesn’t have a roof ledge was if you grab onto the tv satellite that latched by the sill

from your window you see kuroo’s car parked by the trash cans near your house and he’s got his windshield down signaling at you

mfer pulled out his phone from his pocket and waved as he zooms closer to your figure and he SMILED ?

you were in a dilemma?? and he had the audacity???? the fricken audacity???

kuroo, snapping you the vid he took: babe please you’re so cute you look like a tiny gremlin

you: had me in the first half, not gonna lie

it was a MOMENT for you !! but you just say what the hell and go for it anyways because you only live once apparently and sneaking out with your boyfriend at 4 am was better than sleeping

you grab onto the satellite ridge and you pray for mercy that it doesn’t make a sound or loosen up because if anyone found out you were doing this it was definitely kuroo’s ass on the line

while you’re struggling to get down, kuroo’s just in the car ??? laughing his ass off at your current state and you swear that he’s still taking photos

you get down on the cement safely and instead of him pulling up closer to your drive way naaaah he makes you walk to where he was at 😤

you, getting in the car: if i dump you by the end of tonight, just know that the only reason why i didn’t do it sooner is because i wanted food

kuroo, putting on your seatbelt: we’ll get back together in the morning, i’m not worried

so the two of you make your way to chick-fil-a, get food via drivethru and eat in the parking lot with the doors open and the windows down

he still looks very tired and before you even realize it it’s already 6 in the morning

you catch him yawn every few minutes and he always reassures you that he didn’t mind staying up this late :(

he’s baby

kuroo: lets get you home, are you gonna dump me yet?

you, kissing his cheek: no, i kinda love you

kuroo, less sleepy with a lazy smile on his face: aha simp

tsukishima kei

bro if you think he’s a goody two shoes boy who won’t ask you to sneak out at like 2 in the morning , you are so wrong

canonically, he is the most devious and logical character in the entire anime and if he wants to go out with you before the crack of dawn — he fricken will !!

he’s gonna be so sly about it too, nah, he gon make you think it’s your idea to sneak out

tsukki, texting you a tiktok of homemade shrimp rotini at 2:35 am: look what yamaguchi sent me

yamaguchi, who fell asleep three hours ago and absolutely is not in any state to send tiktoks:

so you’re there like ??????

bruv you were just tryna scroll through your twitter feed in peace, why the hell would he send you that like that’s so uncool

because now you were sleep deprived and hungry

you, close to tears: does your house in hell have a pool or

tsukishima, unnerved: i don’t like the concept of swimming

he’s gonna go on about how he didn’t realize what he did and how he’s kinda sorry for waking your hunger but you weren’t born yesterday !! you smelled BS !!

so you facetime him, ready to go off on how unsorry he is and you can already imagine the shit eating grin he must’ve had on

he answers after three rings and he’s in a MFING yellow hoodie with the dinosaur print in the middle, his hair neatly tucked and you just know that he’s got his keys on his fingertips

you, defeated: i’ve been played

tsukishima, heading out the front door: i deny all accusations

you’re not even upset though because this was a perfect opportunity to try the stability of your roof ledge and tbh? who wasn’t unreasonably hungry at 3 am

turns out climbing out your window was harder than you thought and you may or may not have gotten two new bruises on your wrist just by trying

safe to assume that you fell on your ass and since the universe has a particular hatred towards you, your boyfriend arrived at the perfect time to witness all of it

tsukishima: how are you gonna kiss me when you’re too busy kissing the ground

you, tears on your cheeks: if i wanted a bully instead of a boyfriend i would’ve SAID SO

when you get in his car, the first thing he does is ask if you’re okay though and he’s checking your wrists and hands for any scratches or bleeding because 🥺

tsukki: you’re such a clumsy idiot what the hell

tsukki, kicking down the pavement when you’re not paying attention: 💢🪓

you guys end up going to numerous places because most of the drivethrus in town were already closed

you see him get tired behind the steering wheel and you almost have the urge to offer to drive but you didn’t really feel like crashing his car any day soon so

you: lets just head to starbucks hm? get some coffee?

tsukishima, feeling bad because he knows you wanted to get food: we don’t have to

you, in love with him: if you say no i will willingly walk all the way to starbucks by myself , what , you think i won’t do it

so you guys go there and order a couple double shot espressos with a side of scones and muffins and the entire time you’re just trying not to shiver because name one starbucks you’ve been to that hasn’t been unreasonably cold huh i dare you

he notices this and he gives you his hoodie and ITS JUST THE SOFTEST THING OKAY BECAUSE HE’S COLD TOO BUT HE JUST WANTS YOU WARM

you: i knew it, you love me too huh 😌

tsukishima: unfortunately so

akaashi keiji

AKAASHI IS LEGALLY THE BEST BOYFRIEND IN THE WORLD !!

like he cannot be a bad boyfriend ?? it’s impossible for him to be so ?????? he’s just built that way ????

he’s the ultimate mixture of respect and self love , god was just like “let’s make this one perfect !!”

he’s DRIPPING in love each other juice and he eats kindness for breakfast so ha !

he physically cannot say no to you because he flat out adores you

( except when he feels like you’re wrong or being irrational to which he’ll politely correct you and educate you because that’s on what? that’s on having a healthy relationship ♡ )

so when you hit him up at 5:23 in the morning after a series of tiktoks that he has yet to see and react to you about, he’s kinda alarmed

but then again he’s also not ?? because let’s face it, at this point, he’s used to you spamming his inbox

the last thing you sent him two minutes ago was a text saying “bro just imagine this: you and me at a maccas drivethru with two oreo flurry’s and a box of 20 piece chicken nuggets — immaculate”

and you didn’t really expect him to reply?

it was five am and you were absolutely shit talking but when you saw his face time status go online you were just like ?????

akaashi, snapping you a pic of him under his covers with very tired eyes: it’s 5:27 am

you, sending him back a photo of you and the 2000 piece puzzle you spent the last two hours doing: that’s not a no 💅

he doesn’t reply and you’re not really upset by it because he probably just fell asleep and that was really cute to you so !!

but then two minutes later he’s facetiming you and you JUMP at the sudden ringing

he’s all tired and his voice is groggy and tight but he’s still smiling as he says “i’ll see you in ten”

YOU ARE !!!! PUMPED !!!!!

you won the boyfriend lottery , holy hell

now the only thing keeping you from seeing your man and the mcdonald’s sign was the eleven foot gap between your window and the solid concrete

you’d usually take the stairs but you just know that your mom would absolutely murder you for trying to sneak out when you should be asleep 💆‍♀️

it was either climbing out by clawing through the pipes or not being able to give akaashi a hug and you were not gonna let that second one happen

akaashi, after reading your two paragraph rant on how unnatural it was for your window to be that high: please be careful

you, haven’t slept in 32 hours: screw careful ! i embody elegance !!

in which elegance was screaming every time your pipes squeaked because dear mercy you did not want to die yet

akaashi, who just pulled up your drive way and is now seeing you almost fall to the ground:

you, on the verge of tears: please catch me

AND he does 🥺

it was a close call and he barely even made it to you when you chose to let go but HE DID ANYWAYS

you kinda fell on him rather than landing smoothly in his arms but that’s okay you were just glad you didn’t die

when you both get in his car, he just takes a hot sec to dust you off and ask if you’re okay and he’s so concerned please tell him you’re fine

he’s such a baby please i can’t believe this shit

the two of you end up in a mcdonald’s parking lot with doja cat blaring on the radio and you guys do your best to hold back your laughter as you eat

it was pretty cold and the sun was rising but honestly you couldn’t find the urge to care since the moment just felt so surreal

you: i’m sorry for waking you btw 🥺

akaashi, showing you his new lock screen which is the picture he took of you when he first saw you climb out the window:

you: i’m less sorry

bokuto koutaro

BOYFRIEND OF THE MFING YEAR

i accept no arguments, go cry about it

i literally don’t care what anyone has to say, bokuto is the only man ever ? he’s so deserving of every right on earth i’ll cry

the way that this is the third night in a row he’s stayed up til 4 am and he’s not even alarmed about it

like at this point he’s just accepted that he is nocturnal and that’s that on that !

before he actually had the idea to ask you to sneak out for him, he debated whether or not it was worth it

you needed sleep and you barely got any so when he knew you were resting he absolutely refused to message you :(

but then he also thought about how you would love to have a large dunkin iced coffee right now

and he was already getting ready for his morning fix so why not just ask harmlessly?

if you weren’t going to respond then he’d be okay with that because he knew that you were resting well

but if you were going to answer his consecutive texts with a positive reply then HE IS 🥺 over the moon

you, barely awake: can we get a venti triple shot latté instead , my caffeine tolerance is SHOT

bokuto, snapping you back within a minute: babe you are delusional if you think i’m gonna let you drink that

so it’s 5 am and your parents are in the other room asleep but you know that their jobs start pretty early so you had to get a move on

your room wasn’t that high from the ground to be honest, so you weren’t really worried about falling off

what you were worried about was how dizzy and out of depth the melatonin gummies made you because in order to fall asleep you took 3 and now that you basically forced yourself out of a self induced coma, your body was on the verge of passing away

bokuto tells you that he doesn’t mind if you’re not up for the trip and he’d just bring you back your coffee BUT NAH

you’re not a quitter 🤬 you miss your boyfriend and you are gonna do whatever it takes to spend some quality morning time with him !!!!!

so you throw on a proper outfit, make your way through your window and gently do your best to refrain from yelping every time your hand would slip from the railing that’s keeping your balance

bokuto, pulling up seeing you on your roof: you’re so strong 🥺👉👈

you, barely alive: all for you baby ❤️

he helps you get down from where you stood and he had the prettiest smile on earth i SWEAR when you immediately sank in his cold chest

he apologizes for making you sneak out like that BUT NUH UH YOU DO NOT LET HIM

he is a gift !!! and you knew how tired he must’ve been too since he kept yawning but he still took the time and energy to pick you up 🥺

he fastens your seatbelt in the car and puts the windows up because he knew that the air would get in your face and you didn’t like that

he even brought you a spare hoodie of his because he remembered how much you swooned over this particular fabric

bokuto: we’ll get you some coffee but you can sleep while i drive, ok babe?

you, trying not to cry: are you single because i really want to kiss you

bokuto, kissing your cheek: i’m dating someone i’m sorry

[morizoras-cave]

Trespasser (Request)

Tom Holland x gn!teen!co-star!reader, Jake Gyllenhaal x gn!teen!co-star!reader

Genre: angst, fluff

Request Description: tom holland x teen!costar!reader and jake gyllenhaal x teen!costar!reader (or just one of them lol) where they're at the red carpet for the premiere of their new movie. suddenly, a fan sneaks onto the red carpet and inappropriately touches/attacks the reader. tom and jake are super pissed and get super protective over the reader. thank you!

Warnings: harassment, inappropriate touching, creepy dude, language

(A/N): LMAO NOT @ ME FOR ACCIDENTALLY POSTING THIS BEFORE IT WAS DONE EYE,,, anyway this is my first gender neutral post. im very happy to be able to include more people in my fics, and i apologize for previously exclusively having female pronouns :) also thank you to @goblinsbones​ for bringing the whole gender neutral thing to my attention!

“Alright, you’re on soon!” someone yelled from the backstage area. The crowd of fans and journalists was already cheering from behind the curtain. 

You and the rest of the cast of Spiderman: Far From Home were standing in your gorgeous suits and dresses waiting for the red carpet. You had all worked so hard on the movie to give it your all, and it had finally payed off. You finally felt the pride as you stood at the premiere. 

You hadn’t had a huge role in the new Spiderman movie. At least not yet. Kevin Feige, Marvel’s boss and the Man With The Plan™ had informed you, that you small character would be much more important in the upcoming Spiderman movie. Of course, you had to keep shush about that.

Either way, you’d grown very close to the cast. You had first feared that it would be awkward and that you would be an outsider, given that you were quite a bit younger than them, but that hadn’t been the case. 

You and Zendaya basically texted or hung out everyday, you and Jacob pranked everyone together, you and Tom had heated discussion about movies, and you kept Jake informed on Gen Z culture. You loved each one of them dearly. 

“You nervous?” Jake asked. He was looking in the mirror one last time, adjusting his tie. You grimaced and shrugged. 

“A little bit, but I’m okay,” you said, “I’m mostly excited. I can’t wait to see all the fans. I hope I lived up to their expectations.”

“Well, I don’t know about them, but you lived up to my expectations, kid. And I actually know what I’m talking about!” Jake joked and finally turned to face you. You scoffed and giggled. 

“Alright, it’s starting now!” the same man who had yelled before informed, and you saw him scurrying off to a distant corner of the backstage area. 

“I guess we’re doing it,” Zendaya said. She was beautiful as always, her amazing taste in style showing through her butterfly dress. 

First she went through the curtains, the crowd screaming and roaring. You felt a little bit more nervous then, wondering if they would cheer as hard for you.

Then Jacob went through, and then a lady gestured for you to walk through, which you did. A smile immediately adorned your face. The people cheered for you. There were so many smiling fans further down the carpet and the sky was blue and bright. The sun beamed on your skin, as you took a couple of steps down the red carpet.

There was nothing to be nervous about, you realized. It was awesome.

Jake and Tom followed after you, and then began the slow decent down the carpet. First, past the photographers and then the area with the journalists (arguably the worst part), before arriving at the most exciting part. The fans. The long stretch where fans stood on either side, eyes gleaming in adoration. 

You smiled and waved, expressing your joy. Tom and Jake, walking behind you, smiled when they saw your excitement. It was your first big movie premiere. 

You were too caught up in the moment, so happy you could burst, to notice or hear the bustle and yelling happening just a little bit behind you, between you and Jake. 

No, you didn’t notice that at all, not until you felt a hand on your waist and your shoulder, making you jump. The hand kept you from scurrying away, and spun you around the face the person. 

You just assumed it was Jake or Tom or a bodyguard or something. You were wrong. Spinning around you came face to face with a random man, probably 20 or so years older than you. You’d never seen him in your life, and the moment you processed that, his touch on your body felt like a burning, blaring alarm. 

“Y/N!” he yelled over the sounds of the fans talking and screaming. His spit hit your face. You tried to grab his arms and pull them off you, but his hold only tightened. “I’m such a big fan! Please! Please, can you sign my shirt?” 

You were thrashing and desperately trying to pull him off you, every inch of you showing discomfort and disgust with his hold on you, but he seemed oblivious, or maybe he just didn’t care. 

“Get off of me!”

Finally, a hand roughly pulled the man from you, releasing you. You almost fell over, your body hurling away from him. Your vision blurred for a moment, but remembering where you were, you blinked back your tears.

Jake’s hand was digging into the guys shoulder, and you saw the guy twisting in pain. Jake was yelling something, something about “how dare you!” and “what gives you the right to touch them?” His jaw clenched and unclenched.

Tom was marching over as well, and angry look on his face. He got close to the man as well, yelling now too (”You fucking scum!”). Then, across the carpet, he turned his head and his eyes caught yours. He halted. He saw you, hugging yourself, chest heaving, as you struggled to hold back your tears. This was supposed to be fun.

Tom’s heart broke. It broke because he knew the experience was ruined. You’d been so excited. And for what? For some jerk to mess it up for you?

He suddenly felt no urge to yell at the guy, no, he just padded over to you, and brought you into a hug without a word. You stood there.

“I’m so sorry, N/n,” he whispered. With him so close, you could finally hear. “He had no right to hold you like that.” 

“It’s not your fault,” you muttered. Tom didn’t answer then and you both just stood there in a hug, warm and nice, holding each other.

You felt a hand gently placed on your back and looked up to see Jake. He smiled at you gently, although you could tell he was suppressing a lot of anger. He and Tom made eye contact for a moment, then both looked at you. 

“Alright guys, we better go,” Jake said and both you and Tom nodded. 

You begun to walk, but this time you felt Jake settle on one side of you and then Tom at the other. They both grabbed the hand of yours that was on their side, and then you started walking down the carpet again. 

You saw some fans awwing, some still outraged at the man’s actions, and some completely clueless. Either way, you held on to Tom and Jake. The warmth of their hands in yours, made a sense of security and safety swirl in your chest. You smiled. 

“Thank you!” you said to no one in particular, but the squeeze of your hands let you know that they heard. Although, if you asked them no thank you was needed. No one should be allowed to scare their little sib, and goddamnit they would make sure of that. 

___________________________

Tag List:

@hera-the-writer @marvel-madness @40srogcrs @whatthefuckimbisexual @snarky–starky @garbage-potato @eviemarvel @lozzypoz321 @allthecreativeonesaretaken @missamericana713 @rororo06 @shady80smusicsingercolor @ireadfanficforfun​

[v-thinks-on]

Wanna Know a Writer

Thank you very much to @sparrow-ink for the tag - I love doing these when I get the chance! Incidentally, this is also my 1001st post on Tumblr!

How many works do you have on AO3?

It looks like I have 116 right now, but it will be 117 tomorrow (with a short Batman/Superman fic)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

716,792 apparently... I’ve been writing like crazy lately and I still swear that can’t be right, but there you go

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

It looks like I’ve posted fic for 30 (including crossovers and fusions) and there may be more I haven’t posted, so not listing all of them. You can see the whole list here

Following @sparrow-ink‘s example, I’ll let my filesystem speak for itself:

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Language of Chess has been the undisputed champion for a while (Kirk and Spock flirt using the Vulcan language of chess)

The Old Family Farm is a more recent fic that came up from behind while I wasn’t looking (Clark Kent takes Bruce Wayne to meet his parents)

The Gift Giving Game was my K/S secret santa gift for Herenya_writes (Kirk and Spock stir up rumors as professors at Starfleet Academy)

A Hidden, Personal Thing (Spock offers to mind meld with Kirk)

Human, Vulcan, and Everything in Between (Spock is ace, Kirk is polyamorous, and it works well for them)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to respond to every comment because there’s nothing I like more than talking with people about my writing and the stories that inspire it! I’m more than happy to answer questions on here too, if anyone has any!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

So, these days I’m generally a firm believer in happy endings, but in the pre-AO3 days, I used to mostly write death!fic and a few highlights actually made it onto AO3:

The Death of Spock - Spock dies during the original five-year mission and Kirk is left to pick up the pieces

Only a Fool - Watson dies at Reichenbach and Holmes is left to pick up the pieces

Honorable mention: Devoted - the inevitable tragedy of Mary Watson (nee Morstan)

Do you write crossovers? If so what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

As it turns out, the other thing I used to write is crazy crossovers, many of which were never finished, let alone saw the light of day. I’ve dialed back on it (a little), but here are some highlights:

Spock in Wonderland

Millennium Death Note - currently in progress! (What if Light Yagami solved the Millennium Puzzle?)

The Mysterious Mr. Jeeves - Jeeves and Wooster x Everything, but I think the most outlandish one in there would have to be The Phantom of the Opera

Honorable mention: my old BBC Sherlock x Harry Potter - the writing isn’t great and the plot is a bit of a mess, but it will likely always be my most viewed fic

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Only a little bit and mostly just on FanFiction.net - there was one person offended that my big Star Trek TOS x TNG crossover was “secretly” Kirk/Spock. More often I get people who like most of my fics, but then get annoyed about Kirk being polyamorous or Spock being ace or don’t like how I decided to end something, which isn’t terribly helpful, but could be worse.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Nope, don’t read it, don’t write it, just not for me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, thankfully.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! I’m honored that people want to translate my stories into other languages (and make podfic of them)!

The first three chapters of Devoted (the tragedy of Mary Watson) are available in Chinese

Enough to Drive a Man to Madness (Mycroft puts up with Sherlock Holmes angsting about Dr. Watson) is available in Russian

Once Upon a Dream (Holmes and Watson dance) is available in Russian

The Appearance of Dorian Gray (Bertie Wooster meets Dorian Gray) has a podfic

And I think someone did a podfic of a scene from A Crazy Little Thing Called Love (the progression of Kirk and Spock’s relationship over The Original Series), but I can’t seem to find it right now

What’s your all time favorite ship?

My first and dearest will always be Holmes/Watson from the original Sherlock Holmes stories

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I’ve gotten to be pretty good at finishing things I want to write, but there’s this huge Disney crossover I started writing with a friend that is glorious and complicated and almost 1/3 of the way done despite being over 90k already. Whenever I think about it, I always think that, yes, I will finish it some day, even though my co-author has lost interest, but the truth is probably not... But who knows, maybe I’ll turn around and have it done for next year’s @wipbigbang!

What are your writing strengths?

I’ve discovered a secret talent for finishing what I start, which is nice - a combination of planning and just keeping at it, slow and steady.

I think I do a good job of capturing characters’ voices, whether in dialogue or narration, and it serves me particularly well when I’m trying to imitate a style - I’m especially proud of some of my Jeeves and Wooster. I can also do some nice flowery prose if put my mind to it.

What are your writing weaknesses?

For all of my love of pretty prose, it’s easy for me to forget to describe things, so my writing can end up fairly sparse. I also feel like I could get better at integrating romance and plot - the romance often ends up getting drowned out by everything else going on, which is especially frustrating because I’m usually writing it because of the romance.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

That’s a good question. Probably Death Note (my friends and I used to ship L/Light) - that’s the oldest fic I have on my computer, at least, but I used to write on paper, so there may be something even older there. The first fandom I posted anything for is Harry Potter (a next-gen OC fic about the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange - it’s best not to ask). I also posted my first Holmes/Watson fic at about the same time (it’s pretty bad, but I tried).

What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I’m actually really happy with a couple of my somewhat recent longer fics:

Generations - my Kirk/Spock Star Trek: Generations fix-it

Bertie Solves a Mystery - Jeeves and Wooster get embroiled in a murder mystery and meet Hercule Poirot and Hastings (also Jeeves has a mysterious backstory)

tagging: I’m going to second @plaudiusplants and tag @the-z-part​ and @marlinspirkhall​ if you’d like to do it, along with anyone else who wants to go for it!