#I always have such a wonderful time reading your stories!
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And there you go. There's a leek is bee's
I love this latent implication that a bee derives a life directing joy from the passive production of honey
#gonna have to assume I have always had access to both sides or alll sides or however you feeling like labeling#when I put things in perspective you are a good girlfriend who has been with me the entire time in this life#I actually said out loud yeah I was hanging out with two dudes online but no it was just one you#one fateful day she throws me here take this picture when we were just two foola peeking through wondows#and sometimes I would wonder if you were in the dark watching my window through yours#it is so hard to come to terms you were fully aware of my thoughts on things the entire time#but I gave them to you long before and after ao it makes sense#presence#we had plenty of those for each other all fall that's for surely#it is quite a rudimentary alphabet occult in the deathly hallows#I like this because it is my favorite story if all time#people are like itsya kids book kinda and U was like I don't give a fuuuuuuck#to a cuban: yeah I am going to a book party have you ever tried reading#sure show me the dotted line#I have a son I don't really care#like new bikes but can't throw me a few hundred ok#god...go do that on my own fuck thT#I talked to the mexicans did the fucking job and went home#Isauro: a girl mentions Wranglers (I didn't hire them....dumb Hector is) Isauro goes and asks her for sex but he is willing to pay her#only in Florida can you go into a swamp and listen to the Mexicans and their ways#Mayans? Builders? sure I've worked with and for them all amd none of them#e wallet#she told me she gave me her wallet at mons....she didn't even have a place to carry cigarettes and a lighter#just kidding you knew I was holding#what if I would have been like hey nah I don't have any cigs#yeah right a amoking show from you too#me: yeah yeah here you go me: 👁️👁️#I wanted to put my arm around you being in that state of dress in this place
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I'm reading Life in Code by Ellen Ullman, writings on tech and philosophy.
I love the chapter "Is Sadie the Cat a Trick?", where Ullman talks of the 19 years she had with her cat Sadie, and - while reflecting on Artificially Intelligence - wonders whether the relationship between them was an illusion.
Was Sadie merely behaving according to her "programming"? Was Ullman merely imagining sentience?
Ullman considers various aspects of her relationship with Sadie. First, companionship. Second, familiarity:
[H]er coming to meet me at the door (even when her bowl was full, so it was not in the hope of getting dinner). There was mutual recognition of ritual: I knew the time of day when she moved to her favourite chair to take the sun, so I anticipated it and raised the shade. She knew I wrote in the morning, and, before I got to the desk, she was lying on her pillow by the heater, which had not yet been turned on. If it were just warmth she'd wanted, she could have stayed in bed with Elliot, who was living with me by then. Instead, she decided she would wait for me by a cold heater.
I love this paragraph very much. This reflection on the familiar behaviour of a pet, ostensibly to work out if there's a difference between a pet and sufficiently advanced AI. But also, it seems to me that this is an investigation into love itself.
Did Ullman's cat love her? Do any of our pets love us?
Instinctively, we think "yes". Ullman has applied a programmer's mind - and a philosopher's mind - to the question:
Companionship, familiarity, expectation, mutual recognition, bodily comfort: if this is not a definition of love between aging creatures, I don't know what is.
I'm away from home for a few days, with gigs in London and Birmingham. I always miss my wife when I'm away, and this essay hasn't helped at all thank you.
It makes me think of our own rituals. Sometimes - not often - I'm awake before Elanor. I know what time her alarm will go off, so I join her in bed a minute before, so she wakes up gently to a cuddle before the cold brutality of the alarm. When I'm working in the study, Elanor will sometimes open the door a crack, and wait to be invited in.
This is the difference between love and programming. Last time I was away, Elanor defrosted the freezer - an accomplishment of immense bravery and determination. She didn't tell me this, but when I came home she challenged me to work out what chore she'd done while I was away - knowing that, letting me discover this action by opening the freezer would be the best possible way for me to find out she'd done this.
How did Elanor know this? We've been together 20 years this month. Perhaps she reflected on the fact that I'm delighted by surprise, and by playfulness. Maybe she thought about the way I like stories - and that investigating the house, searching for new jobs completed, would give me the thrill of an adventure. It's possible she considered my love of novelty and shared experiences - and came up with this way of presenting her accomplishment according to these principles; these techniques for controlling the reveal.
All of this *could* be true. That Elanor consciously processed, analysed the data. Her understanding of me. Maybe, perhaps, possibly.
But I think she just knew.
Familiarity. Expectation. Recognition. Love between aging creatures!
People are so excited that generative AI can produce ugly pictures and bland copy. But I don't think it would curl up in front of a cold heater in an empty study.
Because any relationship with a program is an illusion. It isn't love. Because love isn't defrosting the freezer. Love is defrosting the freezer while your partner's away, anticipating their response, looking forward to their joy.
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When we collide
Chapter 8
Read on AO3
Fic masterlist
Chapter Summary: By the lake, after a very tough day, things start to inevitably shift. Playful exchanges give way to unspoken truths and revelations, while you and Agatha begin challenging the expectations that once defined you.
Word Count: 2.5k
An indefinite stretch of time passes in the quiet of the forest, enough for Agatha’s tears to dry, her trembling to subside, and the puffiness around her eyes to ease. You both sit beside the lake’s edge, her hand still in yours, warm, solid.
A quiet reassurance in a world that suddenly feels different, as if the rules have shifted without warning. Neither of you pulls away, as if you’ve silently agreed to hold onto this small moment for just a while longer.
The silence isn’t uncomfortable, but it gives space for thoughts that have been dormant. Thoughts that, over the past two days, have surged to the surface like waves, eroding everything you once believed.
The idea of holding her hand would have seemed ridiculous, maybe even repulsive, if you’d imagined it just a couple of days ago or any day before. But now, sitting here, feeling the gentle press of her skin against yours, you realize how little you actually know about her.
You can’t help but think of the way you’ve always viewed her as an opponent, someone you were supposed to face off against someday. The entire coven expected it, assumed that as the daughters of two of the most powerful witches, you’d inherit the bitterness and ambitions of your mothers. They’d built up an entire narrative around you and Agatha, as if rivalry was etched into your bones. And so, you’d accepted it, allowed their stories to fill in the gaps, to shape the way you thought about her before you even knew her.
How strange, you think, to have hated her without cause, simply because you were told to. You realize, with a pang of guilt, that you’ve never given her a chance. And, looking at her now, you wonder if she’s ever truly hated you either.
With her hand in yours, the absurdity of it all hits you. Hard.
Here she is, not a rival, not some looming threat, just a girl sitting beside you in the quiet of the forest. A girl who has suffered, who hides her own pain and frustration behind a tough exterior. How much of her sharpness, her defiance, has been carved out of her by the coven’s expectations, by the endless reminders that she is Evanora’s daughter? And how much of your own distance from her has been a shield, a way to avoid the inevitable comparisons, the pressure to be someone you’re not?
The resentment you thought you felt, that you assumed was mutual, feels hollow in the face of this silence.
The rivalry, the supposed hatred… all a farce now. You’ve been characters in a story that wasn’t even yours, bound to roles that you never chose. You wonder what things would have been like if no one had ever told you to hate her. If circumstances had been different, if your lives hadn’t been shaped by the ambitions and fears of others, would you even have disliked each other at all?
You find yourself looking at her, studying the lines of her face, the way her gaze is now fixed somewhere far off, as if she’s lost in her own thoughts.
And in this moment, it’s impossible to hate her.
Agatha’s hand shifts in yours, a subtle movement, almost unconscious, and the gesture draws your attention back to the red burns along her wrist. The sight stirs something fierce in you, a flash of anger that’s quick and unbidden, simmering beneath your skin. The idea of anyone, especially Evanora, leaving these marks on her is somehow infuriating.
It’s as if Agatha senses the shift in you, the unspoken intensity of your thoughts. Her head turns slowly, her gaze meeting yours, and for a moment, something quiet yet charged passes between you. You can see a hint of question in her eyes, but you release her hand before she can say anything.
Without a word, you lean forward, dipping your hand into the cool lake water and letting it pool in your cupped palm. Murmuring words in a language older than any of the trees around you, you allow the magic to flow, a quiet warmth emanating from your hand. You watch as the water shimmers, faintly glowing with energy. Then, carefully, you pour it over Agatha’s wrist, watching the marks fade, the raw, reddened skin smoothing out until there’s no sign of what had hurt her.
Agatha’s expression is unreadable as her eyes are fixated on her now-unmarked wrist. “Thank you…” she murmurs, her voice soft, as if gratitude is a foreign language she’s still learning to speak.
And then she stands, the suddenness of her movement leaving you momentarily disoriented. You blink, half-wondering if you’ve done something wrong, until she extends her hand, her fingers open in a silent invitation. Hesitating only for a moment, you take her hand, and she pulls you to your feet with a strength that surprises you.
Now, standing, you find yourselves closer than you expected, close enough to see the shards of ice in her irises and the way her dark hair catches the light.
As she releases your hand, you realize the silence has stretched on too long, and you break it with the first thought that comes to mind. “I… I’m actually glad you didn’t volunteer.” you say, the words slipping out before you can question them.
Her voice casual but carrying a hint of amusement as she replies to you “I didn’t volunteer because, frankly, the whole thing is pointless. They’re just men, a few hunters sticking to their own side of the forest. They’re hardly a threat to anyone here.” She pauses, her lips quirking in a wry smile. “Besides, your mother practically jumped at the chance. I think she would’ve volunteered herself twice over if she could.”
You blink, her words hitting you like a splash of cold water. “She… wh-what?!”
Agatha raises an eyebrow, clearly entertained by your reaction. “Excuse me, but…weren’t you there, too? How did you miss that?” There’s a look in her eyes, a mix of confusion and barely restrained laughter, as if she’s trying to figure out how you could possibly have missed the whole scene unfolding.
You open your mouth, then close it, scrambling for a response. You can’t exactly admit that you were too distracted staring at her to catch a word of what was being said. Her gaze sharpens, clearly noticing how you’re having a hard time coming up with an answer to such a simple question, and her smirk widens. “Aw was someone… daydreaming?” she teases, her tone edged with curiosity.
You scowl, fighting the warmth creeping into your cheeks. “I had other things on my mind.” you say defensively, though you know it sounds weak.
“Other things, huh?” Agatha’s voice is low and teasing, her eyes glinting with amusement. “More important than listening to your own mother announce she was going to lead the group? I’m curious, what could possibly have been more interesting than that?”
You shift uncomfortably, trying to deflect. “I just…didn’t think it was worth paying attention to.”
She laughs softly, shaking her head. “You really are something…”
You don’t reply, but as the humor of the moment fades, a realization settles over you. Strangely, you don’t feel worried about your mother’s departure. In fact, the thought of her leaving for a few days brings a wave of relief, like a weight lifting off your shoulders. With her gone, you’ll be free of her relentless critiques and expectations, free to spend time at home, or in the forest, or however you please.
But almost as quickly, another thought takes root, a darker one. The only reason your mother would jump at something so trivial would be if she had her own agenda, some scheme to satisfy her endless hunger for power. A sense of dread settles over you, sharp and sudden.
“She’s going to kill them, Agatha. She is going to kill the hunters.” you say, your tone grave.
Agatha’s brow furrows slightly. “Why would she even bother?”
“You don’t know my mother.” you reply, glancing away, a bitterness creeping into your voice. “All she thinks about is power. This is just another way for her to prove herself, to show off to the coven.”
Agatha nods, her expression turning thoughtful. “Then I guess that for both of our mothers there’s always some angle, something they’re trying to gain.” She pauses, a flicker of frustration crossing her face.
You nod, sensing the understanding in her words. Even though, it’s still a bit a strange to think that, despite everything, the two of you see things the same way. “Yeah, I’d say so. She’s probably going out there looking for a fight, just to make herself feel strong, taking it out on some weak men.”
As if sensing the tension and wanting to lighten the mood, Agatha’s mouth curves into a grin, and the playfulness returns to her gaze. “Still…” she says, arching an eyebrow “You said you were glad I didn’t volunteer. Should I take that as some kind of compliment?”
You roll your eyes, but there’s no mistaking the faint smile tugging at your lips. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Oh, I think I will.” she replies, her tone casual but carrying a hint of mischief.
“Please.” you huff, “I was just worried about the forest. It could really use a break from your purple.” you add, a teasing yet gentle smile spreading across your lips.
For a second, you worry you’ve pushed the joke too far in light of recent events, a tiny flicker of doubt tugging at you as you wait for her reaction.
But then Agatha gasps, bringing a hand to her chest in a theatrical display of mock outrage, her mouth falling open in exaggerated shock.
You stifle a laugh, rolling your eyes at her display. But as her hand drops and her expression settles, you catch her gaze lingering on you, her eyes glinting with something that looks almost like approval.
“Bold of you.” she murmurs, her voice soft as a faint smile plays at the corner of her mouth.
You feel a strange warmth spreading underneath your skin at her playful and almost challenging expression. There’s a small, unexpected comfort in seeing her slip back into her usual sarcasm, the teasing edge to her words a familiar part of the mask she wears. It’s hard to believe that only moments ago she was the image of pain, raw and exposed, as if the weight of the world had almost crushed her. But here she is, standing again, slipping back into the familiar armor of her wit and resilience. Agatha Harkness, you realize, is so much stronger than her magic.
As you find yourself watching her, a question slips out before you have time to second-guess it. “Agatha, are you… ok?”
The second the words leave your mouth you almost want to slap yourself.
‘After everything that’s happened today, that’s what you ask?!’ you scold yourself. It truly feels ridiculous, like trying to sum up a storm with a single raindrop.
For a moment, she seems unfazed, as though she might deflect or offer some sarcastic reply. Then, her gaze softens just enough for you to understand. She does’t answer, not verbally at least, the layered question hanging between you.
You decide not to push it. She’s been through more than enough in the past hours, and you’re beginning to see just how much it costs her to share her feelings and let anyone glimpse that vulnerable side of her.
Glancing up at the sky, you realize the evening has begun to settle around you, a breathtaking full moon growing brighter with each passing minute. Time has passed quicker than you realized, and the thought hits you that it must be close to dinnertime. You remember your mother’s instructions to be home in time for supper, an order you promised to obey.
You sigh in disappointment before another thought occurs to you, sitting uneasily in your mind. She’ll have to go home too, back to Evanora. The idea unsettles you, stirring a quiet worry you’re not sure you can ignore.
“Are you heading back soon?” you ask, the question more tentative than you intended. The thought of her returning to that house, to Evanora’s shadow, makes you feel oddly protective, even if you can’t quite voice it.
Agatha’s eyes narrow just slightly, as if she’s read the concern in your expression. She shrugs, her tone lighter than you’d expect. “I suppose so.” she says, but there’s a weight to her words, something lingering beneath the surface that she doesn’t elaborate on.
And suddenly, you wish you could keep her here just a little longer, away from whatever awaits her there.
You think the conversation has ended as the silence stretches, half-expecting Agatha to turn and leave. Yet somehow, neither of you can bring yourselves to move, to turn away, not after everything you’ve just shared. The weight of the whole day seems to settle over you both, rooting you in place.
You clear your throat, trying to summon the resolve to say goodbye. “I should go… my mother’s expecting me.” The words feel heavy, reluctant, and you hate how much you don’t want to leave.
Agatha keeps her gaze steady, her expression composed, as if the idea of parting doesn’t faze her. “Of course. You’d better get going then.” She shrugs lightly, adding a casual wave, “I’ll see you around the village. When it happens.”
There’s a forced ease in her tone, a practiced nonchalance that barely hides what you sense, that she doesn’t want this moment to end any more than you do.
You linger for a heartbeat, searching for something else to say. “If you… if you need anything, you know where to find me.” you offer, your voice softer than you intended. And before she can respond, you turn and walk away, your steps firm as you force yourself to keep moving, needing to get away before you change your mind.
But just as you take those decisive steps to put some distance between you, Agatha’s voice reaches you in a barely audible, almost hesitant whisper. “Thank you for… caring.”
The words stop you dead in your tracks, a chill washing over you as you freeze mid-step. Your pulse quickens and you find yourself torn, suspended in a heartbeat of indecision, caught between the urge to pretend you didn’t hear her and the pull to turn back. You hesitate, breath shallow, feeling her soft voice tug at something deep inside you.
Finally, giving in, you turn.
And there she is, her gaze already fixed on you.
#agatha harkness x reader#agatha harkness x you#agatha harkness x female reader#agatha x reader#agatha x you#agatha x y/n#agatha harkness#aaa#agatha all along#agatha coven of chaos#agatha all along fanfic#kathryn hahn x reader#when we collide#aaa fanfic
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Banters and Domesticated
Note: This is Dedicated to the user (I forgot her/his name) who says that Zayne's Moonlit Dream and Heartstring Note is unsatisfactory.
My first question is, are we reading/watching the same memory? And 2nd, do you really know Zayne?
It's a bit unfortunate that indeed, Zayne's memory/cards have seriously less detailed kindle part. But if you go through the whole story, MC and Zayne have the most solid and steady relationship among all LaDS men.
This is not to compare MC's love for Xavier, Rafayel, and Sylus, but rather take this as how different LaDS men love and handle being in a relationship.
So Let's Go back to the "Moonlit Dream" card. You can go through the memory again if you want, but notice that when they get reunited, the background music is just so heartwarming. I know that it was not animated with MC and Zayne together, but their dialogue and action speaks louder than any outward love confession. They're familiar with being close to each other is not common with other LaDS men.
Another fact to consider is, Zayne and MC are the only pair that was on a date when Wander in Wonder Event Happens. They are always showing that whatever time they have left for themselves, they always spend it with each other. In line with this, Zayne confirms in Heartstring Note that he is not the only busy one, because when it comes to work, they are pretty much the same.
Kindly note as well that MC always willingly let Zayne hug, carry, cuddle, and be intimate with her. She even tests Zayne's resolve by sliding her hands inside Zayne's sleeves. And he cracks..
In Heartstring Note, they are being mistaken as parents and their love has been compared to how wife and husband love each other. This is seriously the most heart melting scene and yet they playfully banter with each other. Being able to laugh at each other's dry humor and still ending a day with a hug is just the perfect example of unconditional love.
I know I've been spouting random scenes but it will all make sense here.
Zayne is a very private and conservative person and this was shown on all of the Kindle part of his memories/cards. You have to understand that Zayne is not the type to go feral or dominating to show you that he loves you. He prefers to share his feelings and pure intentions through gentle touch and act of service.
Zayne is the type of guy you would want to be with when you are old and grey. Someone who is content just being with you.
Zayne is not like Xavier who can unknowingly and/or innocently express his love (its like rizzing you unknowingly). He shows his love in precise and calculated matter that you will not mistake his feelings for you.
Zayne is not like Rafayel who can easily make jokes and be light hearted about it. Instead his dry humor will make you laugh because he is kind of awkward sometimes.
Zayne is not like Sylus who monitors you 24/7 because you already and willingly communicates with him.
It's the quiet moments with him that stand out. And it may not be shown yet on any of his Kindles, but MC likes going to sleep/waking up in his arms (source: drunken intimacy, snowy serenity, hidden motive, mystic adventure event) They are practically sleeping in either on thier home.
Please don’t let your disappointment from the developers blinded your love for Zayne. Also note that this is how a real life love story works, you have to sometimes look beyond what eyes can see to know how different your man shows affection for you. Yes, sometimes Zayne’s Kindle Part is short and less eventful, but to say his memories are unsatisfactory, sorry but I have to oppose you in that.
Let’s be mindful of what we say and review facts before posting so no negativity will spread in our beloved game… PEACE OUT!!!
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AND HERE'S THE FIRST HALF OF THAT LIST!
These three stories (and a sequel) are what's kept me wrapped up warm and snug in my Nora's Arc blanket.
Please be sure to give the authors some love if these stories move you!
Jaune isn't sure how much longer he'll survive being stuck on Nora Duty, so he hatches a plan to fight fire with fire... or maybe lightning with lightning? Crazy with crazy! Yeah, that's it! And while he's at it, he should also try convincing her that his hoodie is NOT a substitute for pants!
Jaune and Nora had given everything to this war, more than most and as much as any. And after 20 years of this nightmare they could finally rest. He could go home! See his family, a warm place full of people who loved him. And Nora could... and Nora... was coming with him!
It's become a routine now, him checking in on her and the kids, but maybe it shouldn't have. "Uncle Jaune" was always there to help. A handyman, a playmate, a warm shoulder to steady her on her feet. He had become so much, meant so much, and she was so grateful. Too grateful to be greedy.
Sequel to Will You Stay?
[Here's] some music from a channel I like to listen to when reading romance fics. Fun fact, music with soft tones and high keys, like in nurseries and music boxes, tend to improve your mood, relieve stress, and helps release those puppy-love chemicals in your brain. Everybody wants sharp keys with extra bass 24/7 and wonder why they're so anxious all the time! Listen, read, and relax.
#nora's arc#fanfiction.net#nora valkyrie#jaune arc#rwby#hurt/comfort#fanfiction#fanfiction recommendation#rwby ships
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“I really want to be friends.”
We’ve both said that so many times, and I honestly don’t know what to say about us anymore; I’ve lost all words, reason, and rhymes.
Because we are just friends.
I know it’s what we both think will cause the least hurt, and we keep speaking it into existence while we brush off any I love you’s that annunciate the wrong word.
I know every friendship looks different but, people always seem to have questions when it comes to me and you.
I’ve been told the way we look at each other is not in a way that normal friends do. I know my eyes linger on you, and now I’m wondering if your eyes find me when you gaze around a room.
But, we’re just friends.
I think we’re rather good at it too. It’s not like we’re playing out a script that millions have tried before us and hoping no heartbreak ensues.
And, I think it’s fine that I love looking at your eyes and finding new shades of blue; surely, that’s just a normal platonic thing to do?
I really want to be friends, because I can’t imagine losing the conversations where you tell me not to worry about the words I said after too many wines.
I can’t imagine losing the feeling that we were meant to meet each other and trade stories, laughing at all the ways we are so very much alike.
So, let’s practice being friends.
We’ll get better at not reading between the lines. I’ll stop smiling when your name pops up on my phone, and you’ll stop looking at me like you’re wondering if things could’ve been different in another life.
just friends - t.k.o
#poets on tumblr#poetry#writing#new poets society#poetsandwriters#female writers#poem#poem of the day#writers on tumblr#poems and quotes#love quotes#quotes#short poem#original poetry#love poem#the tortured poets society#spilled thoughts#poemsdaily#original poem#poetic#poesia#writers and poets#dead poets society#poet#writersociety#writblr#excerpt from a book i'll never write#writerscorner#writing inspiration#aesthetic
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reblogging comment review from @zyafics
i said i was gonna read when u edited and now u given me the signal 🫡 let's see if i'm ready to let go of pretty maybank and rafe <😭3 ⬇️
Some gave you that look—you know, the one that said, “Oh, sweetie, you again?”—while others just shook their heads, probably wondering when you would finally stop playing caretaker and start looking out for yourself.
maniacally scribbling down this sentence into my notes bc i am in love with how it flows?? i have a writer-crush on u bc of the way u string together words so elegantly
Brand new driver’s license, barely knew how to parallel park, and boom, you’re getting woken up at like 2 a.m. because your dad’s been arrested.
don't even know if im gonna to even talk about the story atp but one of my FAVORITE things about ur writing is how u add these little specific details that makes the characters come alive !!!
It wasn’t the first time you’d seen him wasted or bruised up, but this time felt different. This time, it hit you that this was gonna be your life now.
why did this line hit me so deep???
Now, sitting in the small, stuffy waiting room of the sheriff’s department, you glance around, feeling a knot of tension tightening in your stomach, the fluorescent lights doing little to help, making everything appear sterile and unforgiving.
love the word fluorescent lights, could never learn how to spell it without google
JJ’s next to you, his leg bouncing like he’s got caffeine running through his veins instead of blood. You’re already annoyed, and it doesn’t help that Rafe is sitting on your other side, looking just as pissed off.
THIS IS MAKING ME GIGGLE SO BADLY THE DYNAMIC TRIO
"You wanna talk about sisters too?"
the way i went—
JJ nods, fiddling with his shark tooth necklace, the one you’d given him when he was seven.
u mesh so well with canon events 🩷🙂↕️
You glance at the two men beside you, each representing a different part of your world. Your brother stubs out his cigarette, glancing over at Rafe with an exaggerated sigh. He smirks, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
thought this man was gonna be nice and offer rafe a cigarette but i guess wer're not there yet
It’s been a month since the nightmare with your dad, and you’ve pretty much been living at Rafe’s new place ever since. Sure, you’ve got your own house, but it just doesn’t feel like home anymore. Rafe’s apartment though? It’s like your little safe haven now. You don’t officially live there, but who are you kidding? Most of your stuff is in his drawers, he’s stocked the bathroom with all your skincare, hair stuff, even a toothbrush. He tried to go all-out, buying you everything, and you kept telling him to stop, but it’s like talking to a wall. You gave up eventually.
so bf of him
“Anyways,” He rolls his eyes, ignoring the way you tried to cut him off, his hand now lightly squeezing your knee, “You were out there showing off, catching wave after wave. I was so fucking annoyed."
why is this so funny LOLL
“You know, it’s funny. Back then, I thought you were just this arrogant piece of shit who was always trying too hard to fit in.”“That’s so sweet.”
im literally gonna miss them sm 😭
Ward’s expression turns cold once more, but there’s a flicker of something—maybe regret, maybe just a reflection of his anger.
FEARRRR
“Let’s go home." You nod, a smile spreading across your face. “Yeah, let’s go home.”
such a cute ending <3
FINAL THOUGHTS • i literally am going to miss them so much, it was such an adventure to read this series (and despite how late it is), and with the new edits, i can just see how much you grown as a writer. it's glorious and im so happy to have been there for the ride! can't wait to read more of ur things and also, how the fuck do u write so fast? i blink and there's 15304 different rafe fics out by you??
THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE - rafe cameron (+18) - seven (finale)
request: "a rafe enemies to lovers 🫣 the reader is jjs sister the whole drama before but then she gets left behind on the ship and rafe ends up comforting her and then yea that’s all I got you can do whatever else the rest 😛" + "def some little smut during the enemies part and a long story"
word count: 6.3k
warnings: last chapter <3
You’ve been to Kildare County Sheriff’s Department way more times than you care to admit
Being the oldest kid in your family—and somehow the only actual adult—you lost count of how many times you had to drag your dad out of jail between the ages of sixteen and twenty. It felt like a full-time job.
Then there were the countless times you’d been there for your friends.
JJ, for instance, had been taken in more than once for public disturbances. It was almost a given that he'd end up in that shithole whenever there was a party or some kind of trouble brewing. You knew every officer by name, and they knew you too. Some gave you that look—you know, the one that said, “Oh, sweetie, you again?”—while others just shook their heads, probably wondering when you would finally stop playing caretaker and start looking out for yourself.
But you always showed up, no matter what, because that’s what you did. You took care of your own.
The first time you had to pick up your dad, you were sixteen. Brand new driver’s license, barely knew how to parallel park, and boom, you’re getting woken up at like 2 a.m. because your dad’s been arrested. You were shaking the whole time, gripping the steering wheel like your life depended on it, eyes blurry with tears. It wasn’t the first time you’d seen him wasted or bruised up, but this time felt different. This time, it hit you that this was gonna be your life now.
You were stuck.
You remember pulling up to the station, parking all kinds of crooked because your hands wouldn’t stop trembling. You ran inside, still half-asleep, and the officer at the desk gave you this sad little smile. “He’s in the back,” he said, like you didn’t already know.
When you saw your dad slumped over, bruised, and barely awake, something inside you just... cracked. He looked up, and for a second, he recognized you. “Hey, kiddo,” he mumbled, still drunk, still out of it. Back then, there was still some part of him left, some shred of the man he used to be.
You signed the papers, helped him stumble to the car, and drove home in silence while he passed out in the passenger seat. It was the first of so many nights like that. And you knew it wasn’t gonna be the last. When you finally pulled into the driveway, you helped him inside and onto the couch. He mumbled a thank you before passing out, his snores filling the room.
Now, sitting in the small, stuffy waiting room of the sheriff’s department, you glance around, feeling a knot of tension tightening in your stomach, the fluorescent lights doing little to help, making everything appear sterile and unforgiving.
You wish you could be anywhere but here.
JJ’s next to you, his leg bouncing like he’s got caffeine running through his veins instead of blood. You’re already annoyed, and it doesn’t help that Rafe is sitting on your other side, looking just as pissed off.
“Will you stop bouncing your leg JJ?” You grit out, already irritated from waiting longer than an hour.
“Why the fuck did he have to come?” JJ mutters, throwing daggers at Rafe with his eyes.
“JJ, not now.” You put your hand on his arm, trying to keep him from starting something. The last thing you need is another fight.
JJ glares, but his jaw clenches shut. “This is so messed up,” he grumbles.
“Messed up is leaving your sister alone with your drunk piece of shit father.”
“Like I knew he was there, you dumbass?” JJ shoots back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Maybe stop leaving her alone.”
“Oh, here we go,” you mutter, feeling the tension rise again. The last thing you need right now is for these two to start another fight.
Ever since JJ came back to the mainland only to pick you up from Taneyhill, things had been…tense. It was one thing to talk about you and Rafe, it was a completely different thing to see you together.
You know your brother hates every second of it.
“Oh, but you wanna talk about drunk pieces of shit? How many times did your daddy bail you out?”
Rafe’s eyes narrow, his fists clenching, “How many times did you make your sister bail you out, huh?”
"You wanna talk about sisters too?"
You shut your eyes, attempting to ignore the way they’re clawing each other’s throats out with tainted insults. It was a miracle they're standing in the same room without killing each other, but you can only take so much. It’s like they’re about to throw punches, right there in the middle of the sheriff’s office.
"Shut the fuck up Maybank."
“Fuck you, Cameron!” JJ snaps, standing up so fast his chair skids backward, “You think you’re better than us?”
Rafe stands up too, stepping closer to JJ, “Better than you? Yes.”
“Don’t act like you’re doing this for her,” JJ scoffs. “You’ve never helped anyone but yourself, you manipulative asshole.”
“That’s enough,” you snap, standing up and stepping between them, pushing them apart. Your voice is shaking with frustration. “You two are going to shut the fuck up or take this shit outside. It’s nine in the morning. I didn’t get a wink of sleep, and I’m not gonna sit here and hear you two bitch it you.”
JJ glares at Rafe over your shoulder. “We don’t need this asshole’s help. We can handle it ourselves.”
Rafe sneers. “Handle it? Like you’ve handled everything else?”
Your brother lunges forward, but you push him back, your voice shaking. “Sit your ass down or leave, I’m not going to repeat myself.”
They both just stare at you, their harsh words still hanging in the air of this stuffy room. The tension is almost suffocating, but there's no way you’re letting them keep tearing each other apart. You’re exhausted, emotionally and physically drained. The last thing you need right now is to play mediator between them… again.
Rafe finally sits down, arms crossed, biting his tongue—for your sake, you know. JJ’s sitting too now, still fidgeting like he always does, tapping his fingers against the armrest.
"Look," you say, your voice still firm, "We're here for a reason. Let's just get through this and get out, okay?"
Your brother just grunts, glaring at the wall like it’s personally offended him. Rafe lets out a sigh and gives you the tiniest nod, like a reluctant “fine.” You sit back down, feeling a bit of the weight in your chest ease up. Rafe leans in and gently takes your hand, mouthing, "I’m sorry." You give it a little squeeze—apology accepted, for now.
JJ notices but looks away too quickly for you to read him. You know he’s pissed, but at least for the moment, he’s staying quiet.
The minutes crawl by, each one feeling like forever, and finally, a cop shows up at the door, calling your name. The three of you stand up at the same time, and Rafe and JJ follow behind you, silent but close, as you walk down the hallway.
The clanging of barred doors shutting behind you makes your stomach twist, and you eventually end up in a small interrogation room. The officer gestures to a chair, "Take a seat." He heads off to get paperwork, and you glance at Rafe, who’s watching you like he’s afraid you might disappear. You know he won’t relax until your dad is completely out of the picture.
Your brother, on the other hand, leans against the wall with crossed arms, a brooding expression on his face. He's always been protective, even if his way of showing it often led to clashes with others. You wish things could be different.
Officer Malcom comes back with a stack of papers, but before you can even look at them, Rafe’s lawyer, Mr. Johnson, walks in. Rafe's had him on speed dial since the whole mess started, and honestly, he's been a lifesaver. He sits beside you, reviewing the papers calmly, and just having him there makes everything feel a little less scary.
“Alright, folks, let's go through this step by step. The first form here is the petition for a temporary restraining order. It outlines the incidents and reasons for seeking protection.”
“Are these incidents documented with the sherrif’s office?” Mr. Johnson's expertise is evident in the way he examines the document meticulously.
“Yes, sir. We have reports dating back to—" Officer Malcom stops for a second, checking the data, “About eight years ago, give or take.”
Rafe’s head snaps in your direction, brows furrowed, clearly pissed off that this has been going on for that long without anyone doing anything. You try to ignore it, focusing on the papers in front of you instead.
“What happens after I file this?
“Once filed, a judge will review the petition. If approved, a temporary restraining order will be issued, usually effective immediately. Then, there'll be a hearing within a few weeks to determine if a permanent order is necessary.”
“What if he doesn't abide by the temporary order?”
The officer only nods sympathetically. “Violating a restraining order is a criminal offense. He could face fines, jail time, or both.”
Rafe’s still looking at you, “Does she have to serve him personally with these papers?”
“It’s crucial that he’s officially notified. We handle that part, though.”
Rafe’s lawyer is taking notes when he speaks up again, “If he contests the order, he’ll have the opportunity to present his side at the hearing. Both parties can bring witnesses or evidence. But based on your father’s behavior, that’s unlikely.”
You hope to God he doesn’t. The thought of seeing him again makes you feel like you might throw up. You take a deep breath, hands itching to twirl a piece of your hair.
“How long does the process usually take?”
You feel a hand touch your shoulder, gently tightening the grip around the skin, you don’t have to look back to know it’s Rafe. By now you know the lines and the ridges of his hands as if they are your own.
"The timeline can vary, but typically, from filing to the hearing, it might take a few weeks. It depends on the court's schedule and any potential delays."
You nod, absorbing the information while trying to steady your breathing. None of this feels real. Not the legal stuff, not the fact that this could actually be over soon. As the conversation continues, Mr. Johnson outlines the next steps clearly, discussing what will happen during and after the hearing.
The officer quickly gathers the papers in his hands, “I’ll get everything started then. Just a moment.”
As he leaves to process the paperwork, a brief silence settles over the room. You exchange glances with JJ and Rafe, both of them entirely too interested of the concrete floor.
“This is the right thing to do, right?”
You know it is. You’ve known for years, but it’s still hard to understand how it came to this. Your life could’ve been so different.
JJ nods, fiddling with his shark tooth necklace, the one you’d given him when he was seven. “Yeah. He shouldn’t be able to just...” He trails off shaking his head.
Rafe squeezes your shoulder once more, then lowers himself to your level and plants a quick peck on your temple, “You’ve got this. It’ll be okay.”
Mr. Johnson finally puts his pen away, turning to you, “I’ll stay on top of the filings and keep you updated on any developments.”
This moment is a culmination of years of struggle. It's daunting, but you’re not alone.
"Thank you.”
JJ shifts his weight, his agitation visible. "I hate this," he mutters.
"I know," you reply, not knowing what else to say.
The door swings open again, and Officer Malcom re-enters, holding a stack of papers. "Alright," he says, handing you a pen. "Just sign here, and we'll get this process started."
You take the pen with shaky hands, knowing there’s no going back after this. As you sign your name, you can't help but sigh in relief.
This is a step towards freedom.
Rafe watches you intently, his eyes full of concern. He reaches out, placing a hand on your back, a little reminder that he's here for you. JJ stands close by, his protective instincts on high alert.
After you finish signing, Officer Malcom takes the papers and gives you a reassuring nod. "We'll take care of the rest. You should hear from us soon about the next steps."
You stand up, feeling a little lighter, but the emotional toll of the day still kicks your ass. As you make your way out of the room, Rafe keeps a steady hand on your back, guiding you.
Once outside, the morning sun feels almost blinding after the harsh fluorescent lights of the station. JJ immediately lights a cigarette, taking a long drag and exhaling with a sigh.
Rafe looks at you, his expression softening. "You're good?"
You nod, managing a small smile. "Yeah, I think so. Thank you for being here, both of you."
JJ smirks, though there's a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Where else would I be?”
You glance at the two men beside you, each representing a different part of your world. Your brother stubs out his cigarette, glancing over at Rafe with an exaggerated sigh. He smirks, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
“Gotta admit, I never thought I'd see the day when 'Rafe the Retch' would be helping us out.”
A laugh escapes your lips before you can stop it, but you quickly cover it up, turning it into a cough. You’d forgotten about that one.
Rafe’s eyebrows shoot up. “'Rafe the Retch'? Seriously, what the fuck?”
“Ask her,” JJ nods in your direction.
“You called me that shit?”
You bite your lip, “To be fair, I called you worse things.”
Rfe tilts his head, hands on his hips, “Like what?”
“You don’t want to know.”
The three of you start walking toward the parking lot, as you reach the cars, JJ pulls you into a quick, tight hug. “We’re gonna get through this,” he murmurs, his voice filled with determination.
You hug him back, “I know, Jay.”
Rafe stands a few feet away, watching the exchange with a thoughtful expression. When your brother finally lets you go, he steps closer, “Ready to go?”
JJ looks at you, the concern in his eyes clear. "I gotta head to work. Do you want a ride home? It's on the way.”
You glance at Rafe, then back at JJ, sensing his reluctance. “No but thank you.”
JJ’s shoulders tense, but he nods, trying to hide his disappointment. "Alright. Just... call me if you need anything, okay?"
You smile, appreciating his concern. "I will. Drive safe."
He nods again, glancing one more time at Rafe before getting into his truck and driving off. You watch him go, knowing that things are still far from being okay between the two of you.
You know he’s never going to change his opinion about Rafe, maybe not until he witnesses the changes in him, but you hope that one day they’ll find some common ground. It’s a lot to ask from your brother, you know that, and it’s why you never push him.
“You sure you’re doing okay?”
You nod, leaning into Rafe now that he stands behind you, “Yeah, just a little tired.”
He wraps an arm around your shoulders, guiding you towards his car, “Did you get any sleep last night?”
"Barely," you admit. "Just couldn't stop thinking about today.”
He unlocks the car, opening the passenger door for you. "Well, now that it's done, you can rest. I’ll even put that bullshit show you like.”
You gasp ready to punch him in the shoulder, but by the time you turn he’s already on the other side of the car, “Love Island is not a stupid show!”
He chuckles as he starts the engine. "If you say so.”
“You watch it too.”
“Only because you force me to,” Rafe counters, a playful glint in his eyes.
It’s been a month since the nightmare with your dad, and you’ve pretty much been living at Rafe’s new place ever since. Sure, you’ve got your own house, but it just doesn’t feel like home anymore. Rafe’s apartment though? It’s like your little safe haven now. You don’t officially live there, but who are you kidding? Most of your stuff is in his drawers, he’s stocked the bathroom with all your skincare, hair stuff, even a toothbrush. He tried to go all-out, buying you everything, and you kept telling him to stop, but it’s like talking to a wall. You gave up eventually.
As he pulls out of the parking lot, his hand slides over to grab yours. It’s such a simple thing, but it makes the tight feeling in your chest ease a little. You’re both quiet for most of the drive, but it’s not awkward or anything. It’s actually kind of nice. You never imagined he’d be so...attached. Things between you are still...somewhat undefined, but it definitely feels like a relationship. That thought is pushed to the back of your mind for now. It's just not the right moment to talk about it—not with his father’s trial only weeks away and your own dad still recovering in the hospital.
When you pull up to his apartment, the building feels familiar in a way that makes your stomach flip. He hops out of the car and, as usual, rushes around to open your door for you. It’s such a small thing, but it always makes your heart race.
Once inside, the place feels so different from the craziness of the day. It’s cozy, warm, and just... safe. You kick off your shoes and flop onto the couch, sinking into the cushions.
“Wanna watch your show?” Rafe asks, giving you that half-smile you’ve come to love.
You chuckle, feeling lighter than you have all day. “And you say you don’t love it.”
He grabs the remote and turns on the TV, navigating to the show. As the familiar theme song starts playing, you snuggle closer to him, finding comfort in the routine. It's all trashy drama and ridiculous contestants, but it’s the distraction you desperately need. Rafe’s arm stays around you, like always. But as the episode progresses, your eyelids grow heavy. The events of the day, combined with the sleepless night, catch up to you. You feel yourself drifting off, your head resting against Rafe’s chest, his heartbeat a steady rhythm lulling you to sleep.
“Rest, baby,” he murmurs, his voice a soothing whisper. “I’ve got you.”
Next thing you know, you wake up to the smell of something cooking. Blinking your eyes open, you realize Rafe’s in the kitchen, and the living room is dimly lit. A blanket slips off your shoulders as you sit up, and when you look over, he’s already smiling at you.
You’ve seen him smile more times over the past month than all the years you had “known” him combined. It looks good on him, makes him look younger.
Stretching, you ask, “What’s all this?”
“Dinner. Figured you could use a good meal,” he says casually, like it’s no big deal that he’s cooked for you.
You sneak up behind him and wrap your arms around his waist. “Look at you, Chef Rafe.”
Ever since he moved in on his own, he’s been slowly learning how to take care of himself. You’ve caught him watching cooking and deep cleaning videos more times you can count. You find it endearing. It makes your chest ache, in a good way, to watch him slowly turn into his own person, not the Rafe his father shaped him to be.
He chuckles, giving you a quick forehead kiss. “Eat before it gets cold.”
You sit down, and the first bite has you practically moaning. He snorts at your reaction, but you can tell he’s proud of himself. As you eat, though, you notice he seems a little off. His shoulders are tight, and there’s something in his eyes that makes you pause. You reach across the table, placing your hand over his.
"What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Rafe. What’s wrong?”
He hesitates, then sighs. “Got a call from my lawyer. About Ward.”
The mention of his dad sends a chill down your spine. “What about him?”
Rafe’s thumb brushes your knuckles as he looks down. “He wants to talk.”
“Do you want to talk to him?”
Rafe's jaw tightens, and he lets out a slow breath. “Yeah. But every time I’ve tried to stand up to him, it’s backfired."
You squeeze his hand, “He can’t hurt you anymore, you know that, right? You're not the same person you were before," you remind him gently. "You've grown so much, Rafe. You’ve made your own life."
He looks up at you, his gaze softening. The intensity in his eyes is clear—vulnerability, determination, and a deep-seated fear. It's as if he’s silently pleading for your reassurance, for the strength to face his demons.
“You think so?”
It's in the way his eyes become softer when they meet yours, the slight quiver in his lips, the way he holds your hand just a little tighter.
“Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“Okay. I…I’ll think about it.”
The two of you finish dinner, the conversation shifting to lighter topic. After cleaning up, you find yourselves back on the couch, the TV playing quietly in the background.
Everything feels so domestic it pulls at your heartstrings. And it hits you how much you love this, just being here with him.
But you can still feel the tension rolling off him. You turn to him, tracing little patterns on his chest. “You’re still worried, huh?”
He sighs, throwing his head against the cushions, his hand coming up to rest on yours. "Yeah. I’m scared talking to him will pull me back into that dark place.”
You press a kiss to his clothed chest. “You won’t go back there. Not while I’m here.”
He tightens his hold on you, “You know you’re too good for this world. It’s ridiculous.”
You narrow your eyes, “Am not.”
“Yeah, you are, Pretty Maybank.”
There it is. That nickname. “You know that’s so stupid, right?”
He grins, completely unbothered. “You love it.”
You nudge him with your elbow. “I tolerate it.”
He catches your hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. “Fits you perfectly.”
You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the grin tugging at your lips.
“If you say so.”
His eyes soften as he looks at you, his thumb tracing gentle circles on your hand. “I do.”
“Shup up,” You feel a blush creeping up your cheeks. “Don’t even know how you came up with that shit.”
Rafe laughs, the sound low and rumbling, his hand moving to rub your leg. “It’s really stupid.”
You raise an eyebrow, teasing. “’Course it is.”
“Remember when we were fourteen, and we were both at the beach for that huge surf competition? You were this cocky, skilled little girl with an ego bigger than the waves.”
“And you were a suck-up mother—"
“Anyways,” He rolls his eyes, ignoring the way you tried to cut him off, his hand now lightly squeezing your knee, “You were out there showing off, catching wave after wave. I was so fucking annoyed."
You raise an eyebrow, giving him a skeptical look. “Oh, so you were secretly in awe of me?”
“Maybe,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “Or maybe I was just bitter because you made me look bad.”
“I made everyone look bad.”
“Okay, Gabriel Medina. You were out there showing off, making everyone watch you like you owned the ocean. All the boys were ogling you, calling you pretty, and you were loving every second of it.”
You smirk, remembering the day. "I was pretty good, wasn’t I?”
“Good?” He snorts, shaking his head as his fingers trail up and down your thigh. “You were more than good, you were unreal.”
"Yeah, yeah, so how does that tie into the nickname?”
“You came out of the water, hair all messy, sand on your skin, but you had this huge smile. One of the boys called you 'Pretty Maybank,' and you just laughed, brushing it off. But I— I guess I remembered it. It fit you.”
You blink, momentarily thrown off, "I...I didn’t know you remembered that."
“You’re kinda hard to forget Maybank.”
Your heart flutters at his words, the sincerity in his voice making it hard to breathe, “Shut up.”
He leans in, capturing your lips in a gentle kiss, his hand cradling the back of your head. It only lasts a few seconds, before you’re pulling away, mumbling against his lips.
“You know, it’s funny. Back then, I thought you were just this arrogant piece of shit who was always trying too hard to fit in.”
“That’s so sweet.”
You cup his face, brushing your thumbs across his cheeks, “Hmm. You were always showing off, too.”
“Well,” he drawls, pulling you a little closer, his arms wrapping around your waist, “We both grew out of that phase. Mostly.”
“Mostly,” you agree with a grin. “But I guess some things never change.”
“Yeah,” He doesn't take his eyes off your face, “Some things don’t change.
There’s a brief silence, filled with the quiet sound of the TV and the comfortable presence of each other. His fingers continue to trace patterns on your hand, and you can feel his earlier stress easing if only a little.
“I don’t want to mess this up,” He admits quietly, “With you.”
“We’ve come this far, haven’t we?”
Rafe’s fingers gently brush a strand of hair behind your ear, “Yeah, we have.”
“I’ll keep you in check, Cameron.”
He holds you tighter, his breath mingling with yours. “You're too good for me, y’know that?”
You laugh, “I know.”
Before you can react, his fingers are dancing across your sides, tickling you mercilessly. You squeal, wriggling and trying to escape his grasp, but he’s relentless.
"Rafe!” You gasp between fits of laughter.
"Say sorry,” he demands, his fingers still working their magic.
"Never!" you manage to choke out, tears of laughter streaming down your face.
He grins wickedly, the movement driving your tummy insane.
"Wrong answer."
You squirm in his grip, the tickling intensifying. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" you finally relent, breathless and giggling.
Rafe stops, his hands coming to rest on your waist. His grin is triumphant, but there's a softness in his eyes that makes your heart skip a beat. "That's what I thought," he muses, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to your forehead.
You catch your breath, still smiling. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be a tough guy, you’re surprisingly good at this domestic stuff."
He chuckles, pulling you closer until you're nestled against him.
"What can I say? You bring out the best in me, Pretty Maybank."
"I like this," you admit softly. "Being here with you, just... us."
"Me too," Rafe murmurs, his hand gently stroking your hair. "Feels right, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, it does.”
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Three weeks later, Rafe finally agrees to visit Ward in prison.
His lawyer arranged the meeting, emphasizing the importance of having this conversation to find closure. Despite your protests, Rafe insisted on doing this alone. Plus, prison's security measures are stringent, and there’s no way you could accompany him inside.
Instead, you’re stuck waiting outside, the anxiety killing you slowly. You're sitting on a bench outside the high-security prison, your foot tapping nervously against the ground.
The sun is blazing, making the wait even more unbearable. You wish you could be in there with him, supporting him. You glance at the ugly building, feeling desperate to get the hell away. Your phone buzzes, snapping you out of your thoughts. It’s a text from JJ.
"how's it going?"
You quickly type back.
"he just went in. kinda losing my mind out here."
"he’ll be okay. devil spawn and all yk".
"not helping???"
"my bad sis, just trying to lighten the mood. seriously though, he's got this."
You sigh, putting your phone down and glancing around the barren surroundings. The high walls and barbed wire of the prison seem to loom even larger now. Time drags on, every minute feels like an hour. You find yourself looking at the entrance every few seconds, hoping to see Rafe walk out.
Inside, Rafe is led through a maze of corridors, the echo of his footsteps bouncing off the cold concrete walls. The guards are stoic, their faces expressionless as they guide him to the visitation room. His heart pounds in his chest, but he forces himself to stay calm, to stay focused. He's going to be just fine.
When he finally walks in the room, he sees Ward already seated, the older man looking surprisingly composed. Of course he'd care about his appearance even when he's locked up. There's a glass partition between them, with phones on either side for communication. Rafe sits down, picking up the phone with a shaky hand. He wishes you were here.
Ward's eyes are piercing as they lock onto Rafe's. "Look who finally decided to visit," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Took you time, boy."
Rafe takes a deep breath. This is it.
"Only came to tell you something."
Ward raises an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Oh? And what's that? That you’re an ungrateful piece of shit?”
Ignore him, your voice echoes in his head. He knew Ward was going to try to get a rise out of him and he hates that it might work.
"I'm done," Rafe says, his voice steady. "You don't control me anymore."
“After everything I've done for you?"
Rafe's grip on the phone tightens. "You didn't do shit for me. You did it for yourself."
Ward leans forward, his eyes narrowing. "You have no idea what you're talking about, boy. You need me."
"No, I don't," Rafe retorts, “No one needs you.”
Ward's eyes flash with anger, but he quickly masks it with a calculating smile. "Is that what you really think, son? That you can just walk away from everything? From me?"
Rafe feels a rush of anger fighting it's way up his throat, but he holds it back, remembering your words. He takes another breath, steadying himself, “I don’t care.”
Ward's smile fades, replaced by a sneer. "You think you're so strong now, don't you? Do you think you can survive out there without my influence? The world is a cruel place, Rafe. You won't last a day. You think that Maybank trash is gonna solve all your problems, huh?”
“You’re not getting under my skin.”
Ward's eyes narrow further, and he leans in closer to the glass, his voice dropping to a whisper. "So, it’s about her now, is it? What makes you think she’ll be any better for you than I was? She doesn’t know you like I do."
Rafe’s temper flares, but he forces himself to stay calm. He can’t take the bait.
"Keep her out of this.”
“You think you’re so righteous, so superior. You’ll need more than just some girl to get you through.”
“I don’t need you,” Rafe insists, his voice firm. “I never did.”
Ward’s expression turns cold once more, but there’s a flicker of something—maybe regret, maybe just a reflection of his anger. “You can pretend you’re free, but you know I’m not so easily forgotten.”
Rafe takes a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed. “I don’t need to hear anything else from you. I’m done.”
“You won’t be able to keep her safe.”
He knew the conversation wouldn’t be longer than five minutes.
He stands up abruptly, the phone clattering against the partition as he drops it. He doesn't need to hear Ward any more. He turns his back on his father and walks out of the room, the door clanging shut behind him. As he walks back through the maze of corridors, his thoughts turn to you, knowing you’re outside overthinking and ready to hug the live out of him.
He’s striding to you the moment he sees you. You're still on the bench, trying to distract yourself with your phone, but it’s no use. You jump up, rushing over to him. You’re always so endearing to him it pains him to know he hurt you so badly over the years.
“You okay?”
Rafe’s arms wrap around you, finally breathing normally. His breath is warm against your ear as he whispers, “Yeah. I’m okay.”
You wrap your arms around him, holding him close as if you can protect him from the Ward’s harshness. “I was going crazy waiting out here.”
“Sorry for making you wait,” Rafe murmurs, his voice muffled against your shoulder.
“I don’t care,” You pull back slightly, your hands moving to cup his face. Your fingers trace the lines of his jaw, feeling the faint stubble beneath your touch, “You did what you needed to do. And I’m proud of you.”
He smiles a small, tired smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, “Needed to hear that. Thank you.”
You nod, your thumb brushing against his cheek. “For what?” you ask, leaning into him again. “You did great, baby. You stood up to him. That takes so much strength.”
You take his hand, your fingers intertwining with his as you lead him away from the prison. His grip is strong, his palm warm against yours. The two of you walk in silence for a moment, the only sound the gravel crunching beneath your feet. You glance at him, noting the way his shoulders have relaxed a litte.
“I felt it. Like a weight lifting off me. It’s not completely gone, but it’s lighter.”
You stop walking, turning to face him fully. Your free hand reaches up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. It had grown so much over the past few weeks. “And it’ll keep getting lighter,” you assure him.
“You think?”
“I know. You’ll keep needing to stand up to him,” you acknowledge, “But it will get easier each time.”
His hand brushes a stray hair from your face, copying your earlier movement. “And you’ll be here with me?”
“Always.”
Rafe’s expression softens, the hard edges smoothed away by the promise in your words. He leans in, pressing a kiss to your forehead.
His lips linger there.
“You really are too good for me,” he murmurs against your skin, the sound blending with the hum of the car engines in the distance.
“I know.”
He pulls back slightly, his eyes searching yours. The intensity in his gaze takes your breath away, but it’s a different kind of intensity than you’re used to seeing in him. It’s softer, more open, and entirely focused on you.
“Let’s go home."
You nod, a smile spreading across your face. “Yeah, let’s go home.”
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Camus character analysis: games VS anime
If you finished the Uta no Prince-sama anime and your opinion of this man is "wow, he's kinda terrible," I don't blame you. in fact I've seen a lot of people say this
In this post, I want to talk about his characterization in the games and give my two cents on what the anime was trying to do with him, especially in his single focus episode Saintly Territory (S3E6).
Disclaimer: I wrote this on a whim because I'm sick and stuck at home so if anyone reads this, sorry I might go all over the place
Spoilers for all of the games!
The "be my slave" thing
Starting with Anime Camus's most egregious crime: treating Haruka like a servant/slave (however you want to translate it)
Basically in his focus episode, Haruka is tasked with writing a song for Camus. She wants to learn more about him in order to write it, but Camus will only let her follow him if she acts as his servant. She accepts without complaining, Cecil is rightfully angry, Haruka continues anyway and the song gets completed.
Now, am I about to say that Game Camus would never do this? No because he literally does lmao.
The anime doesn't pull this "servant" plotline out of nowhere, here's the context in his route:
Haruka accidentally overhears Camus talking about a plot to assassinate Saotome on the phone. When he notices that she heard everything, he basically tells her that he has to kill her now. But if she served him, he'd be able to keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't leak anything, so she could escape death.
Okay uh "work under me or DIE" isn't exactly better, nor is it a good start to a love story, but I'm not finished!!
(A side note: I have to add that the anime made him look like an even bigger asshole and borderline dumb when it came to the things he made her do. Like he expected her to know that snapping your fingers means you want coffee without prior explanation. bro
^This might have been for comedic effect but I promise he can be actually funny and endearing.)
What the anime couldn't cover
The Camus episode wraps up with Haruka pulling through and writing a song that makes Camus "sincere," he says it's cool at the very end and that's the episode. I think the problem is that we technically didn't see him being sincere or what that even means to him, besides when he was singing (banger song btw)
It's a shame because in a 20-minute episode you really can't show the game experience of slowly piecing together what this man's problem is.
First of all, in Debut and AS you'll be quick to notice that he always has homeland and duty on the mind, constantly reminding himself that he's in Shining Agency/Japan for a reason, and it's NOT to have fun or make friends
The truth is, he slowly starts to appreciate the banter with his colleagues, music, and working there in general.
But because of his initial mindset, he has to rationalize & justify every connection he forms, like "it's just for work" or worse: "actually it was ALL A LIE and I NEVER ENJOYED A SECOND OF THE TIME WE SPENT TOGETHER, I'm such a great actor haha"
He uses that to fool himself and to push the other person away so it doesn't happen again. This scene is probably the best example:
(I'll be using google lens because it's faster but I checked that the tls were okay)
He also does this in the Non-Fiction drama, which may or may not have actually happened, but I think it's still a pretty good reflection of what could happen in reality because he tells Ranmaru their bond was a lie, then mopes around in his guilt thinking about the good times and wondering why he's sad, and THEN later doubles down on the "it was a lie, I don't care about you" because he just can't let himself get attached to anything.
Basically, he's terrified at the thought of forming actual bonds because he genuinely thinks he's nothing if he stops being a cold weapon:
At one point he does admit he sucks (as a love interest)-
-which is pretty huge by utapri standards. I love these games, but the amount of times where a male lead does something icky, and everyone, including Haruka, acts like it's normal or like it's Haruka's fault is ehhh but I digress
Upbringing
Of course he's very proud of his homeland and status, but sometimes it's to the point of thinking he can't be anything other than his title. So why is he like this?
We got to hear about his childhood from Camus himself a few times, and it often ended with Haruka thinking "wait? that's kinda messed up?" and Camus insisting it's nothing/it's normal so yeah that's something...
His parents were in an unhappy arranged marriage, and his mother was forced to birth an heir which traumatized her so much that she can't see Camus without falling ill. Overall it's a pretty tragic situation since what happened to her was horrible, though not Camus's fault either. Even now she refuses to see him, and I wouldn't say that makes him sad because he never really met her, but simply knowing of her sacrifice probably adds a lot of pressure. As in, he only exists for this one purpose (inheriting his father's title and serving the country), so if he doesn't play his part correctly, it would have all been for nothing.
He was raised by his father not as a child or son but as the heir, always treated and judged as an adult (even during physical training apparently, make of that what you will)
When Haruka asks about childhood memories he has a very hard time finding something that doesn't have to do with his duties or the nation. And then admits he didn't truly have a "childhood" since he was never treated like a child
As for the queen, I think his love for her is sincere: she taught him a lot of things growing up, and according to him, she's also a victim trapped by her duties so he wants to ease the burden.
So hypothetically, if he found things or people that made him happy in Japan, he would feel obligated to lock them away because that happiness is incompatible with his life: he'll have to leave when his mission ends, he shouldn't be spending time on things that aren't "useful" as he doesn't have the free will to pursue them
In his mind he's completely tied down by the fact that he was born and raised for a single reason, and the fact that he does want to serve the queen.
(This is Saotome describing him btw)
Also it might sound ridiculous to bring his self-worth into question because of how pretentious he is, but I've counted a few situations where he seemed to have complete disregard for his own life, only worrying about Haruka and Cecil's safety in scenes when they were present. And he thinks wanting to be loved unconditionally is a childish thought he shouldn't have.
"Double Face" was a lie. There's like at least 10 layers
On the surface he does have two personas, his perfect polite butler act for the media, and his cold bitchy attitude off camera. But honestly, even when he's not acting as a butler, he's often putting up a front to hide any form of vulnerability (from himself as well)
His main struggle is finding who he is outside of what he's being told to do. Before, he never actually stopped to think about what he WANTS because it just never occurs to him, or if it does he ignores it.
That's why realizing that he has his own desires is essential to his character development, and him staying with Quartet Night (and Haruka in his routes) is so important. It's why Reiji feels the need to reach out and when he does, Camus either freezes up or tears up;
This all makes him the opposite of Ranmaru (being true to yourself and sincere), and similar to Ai (gradually learning to view the world in a less cold and logical way), but I kind of want to save that for another post lmao
He is especially hard on Cecil because Cecil says & does whatever he wants, and everything still works out for him, which is a way of life that Camus can't imagine for himself at all (despite maybe wanting it?)
That he can realize this and eventually admit out loud, despite all his pride, is also one of my favorite things about him
Season 2 does hint at something, so that's pretty cool!
Side note, I really love that his theme in the new Oracle series is "Change," the melting of ice.
So what was the anime supposed to do??
Of course there's no way to show all this in a single episode or even during the runtime of the anime, and I never expected them to because the story is very surface-level (that goes for all characters).
It's just unfortunate since the anime is the most accessible and well-known utapri media in the western fandom, and the character's main episode is bound to leave the biggest impression.
I understand the choice of being laser-focused on the servant plotline, it's supposed to be funny (?) and waters him down to a trope that's easy to understand at first glance (the step-on-me guy I guess)
Still, I can't help but compare it to Ranmaru's episode, who was also hard to work with in the games but was chill in S3E7 and got to pet cats. Anime onlys will never know how much Camus loves to dote on his dog smh.....
#please don't take this too seriously#i just wanted to cry about camus#uta no prince sama#utapri#camus (utapri)#quartet night#cecil aijima#ranmaru kurosaki#reiji kotobuki#ai mikaze#tag for me yapping about utapri
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Isn't It.. Lovely? (Chapter 3#)
One month.
You had one month to make the biggest decision you'd ever make in your life. Part of you wondered why you didn't tell Alastor to have a field day with your Father's corpse, until you remembered that the other part of you still loved and cared for him.
He was still your Dad and once upon a time he was a very good Dad. Your parents were practically a power couple when your Mom was alive, after her death, depression fell on him like a bag of bricks. Leading him to find feeling again in glasses of wine and bottles of hard liquor.
Everyday you pondered on this, wondering if something would finally push you over the edge. If you'd snap and take revenge for yourself.
You didn't like having those thoughts. Yes, the idea of liberty made you feel elated but at the cost of the last family member you had? It was conflicting to say the least.
All that worrying came to a halt once Alastor began to solidify his place in your life.
Every night at 9pm sharp, when you were dressed for bed and your despicable abuser was asleep. Alastor used his powers to turn your radio into your own personal hotline. He was ever so happy to hear from you, happiest when he saw nor heard any traces of harm inflicted on you that day.
He soon found out that you were a curious one and a terrible over-sharer. It was obvious you never really had friends before and if you did, they left you behind long ago. You were as innocent and pure as the driven snow. Always asking questions about him, about Hell, and what it was like back when he was on Earth.
You loved when he told you more about his life. It was like he was reading you your own personal bedtime stories. Tales of speakeasies and the depression, parties that lasted from dusk to dawn, and of course, all of the completely justified crimes he committed before his demise.
As payment for his stories, you told him about your own and caught him up on modern day issues. He seemed especially interested in World War I, disappointed that he died a few years shy of when it started. You told him about your health science classes, your school, and he even became a good study buddy to help you out with your tests.
“Alright darling, last question.” He stated, a drum roll playing in the background. “If your patient performs a forward lunge, which plane of the body are they moving in?”
You chewed on the end of your pencil. “..Coronal?”
A bell dinging made you smile. “Correct! Well done darling, but I'd like for you to work on your confidence when you answer. No one wants a doctor that's unsure of what they're doing.”
“Yeah..I just get so unsure sometimes. I think I'm more scared of being wrong than being right.”
He chuckled. “Do not fret my dear! I've been doing these little pop quizzes with you long enough to know you have a sharp mind. Confidence is a tool that will solidify your place in the career you plan to pursue, so don't be afraid to utilize it more.” His voice was so kind and mentoirish. It felt like he was giving you life lessons almost every time he talked.
On one hand that made you embarrassed. Like these were things you should have already known but you didn't, but you decided to give yourself some grace. Life was different for you than everyone else, so obviously there would be some things you didn't experience to gain knowledge from.
You placed your pencil down and sat cross legged in your chair. Not being the type of person who could sit still, nor do things normally. “Is that how you become a radio host? Because you were super confident?”
There was a pause. “Well, it was something that helped. Being a professional at what I do required more than just believing in myself. Most people think it's easy, but it has its challenges. For example, I used to rehearse my script in the mirror to stop myself from unconsciously going ‘umm’ every 10-30 seconds. It also aided in preventing myself from fumbling my words.”
“That sounds like solid advice.” You smiled. “I should start keeping a journal when you're around and call it ‘Life Lessons As Taught By The Radio Demon.’”
A loud cackling broke out over the radio. “Ah, so the girl does have a sense of humor. A good one at that!” He said proudly. “And here I thought you were all doom and gloom.”
“Hey! I'll have you know staying positive at all times can be very exhausting.” You huffed, placing your hands on your hips in a pouty attitude. “It's really hard to smile when it feels like the world is against you...”
There was a stagnant silence in the air as you turned your head to gaze out the window, watching the rain drizzle from the grey sky. It was your favorite weather, even more so because of the friend it allowed you to find.
Alastor pondered over your words before he took a deep breath. “That leads to a question that I've been meaning to ask you for some time now. It's a rather sensitive one so if you'd prefer not to answer, I would understand.”
Giving the plushie your attention, Alastor's tone turned concerned as he asked. “I can’t help but wonder, Darling, where is your mother..?”
Without missing a beat, you replied. “Oh, my Dad murdered her.”
A sharp microphone screech omitted from the radio. It was safe to say he most definitely was not expecting that..
Not because he can't see your degenerate of a guardian doing something of the sort, he was actually more curious as to how someone as sloppy as your Dad could get away with something like that. No. What got him was even though you were saying words that no child should ever say until they're well into adulthood, you smiled. A soft one, filled with unspeakable pain and a lust for something you could not yet gain.
You could feel him hesitating to ask you some more questions on the topic, so you decided that you could quickly give him your life story. “Whenever anyone asks about it, I always tell them that she passed from cancer but, that's not true..”
Alastor’s signal chirped in curiosity, but he made sure to sound sympathetic. “What happened?..”
You chuckled a bitter melody.
“She was born a diabetic and I was around twelve.. Everyday my Mom took her medicine, the diabetes is actually what led her to becoming a doctor in the first place. Every morning my Dad would make her coffee, as a way of telling her he loved her. I snuck a few sips before only to find out she made it black, when she caught me she told me “Mommy can't have sugar…”
When I turned fourteen, they started arguing. A lot. I can remember hearing them sometimes. Mom threatened to leave him because he was starting to grow a gambling issue and she was tired of taking the brunt of most of the bills. He promised to change and that's when everything started to go downhill.. Weeks went by, she just started getting sicker and sicker seemingly out of nowhere. Still had her morning coffee though. I'd make it for her sometimes and she reminded me “Mommy can't have sugar.” Hardly able to do anything for herself, much less take her medicine. Of course he said he'd do it, he promised me he did when he took me to school..He still made her coffee, before he went to work and after she had been made bed bound..I thought it was a lie, that it wasn't true until I realized that she died that morning with a cup of coffee in her hand..”
A sour laugh left your lips, as you recalled that day you came home from school and found her lying there with blood on the pillow, blood that she had been coughing up for almost a month.
“That bastard was poisoning her with fucking sugar… Everyday he was putting a little bit in her morning coffee and not giving her the insulin she needed. She was a Type 1 diabetic and he did all of it for some fuckin insurance money..” You sighed, running a hand through your hair. Before yanking it in frustration and punching your fist through the nearest wall, your face was blank and unmoving for a second not even flinching as you removed your bruised fist from the drywall. “Mama couldn't have sugar..”
Alastor listened as you explained your mother's demise. His distaste for your father grew more and more as he recalled memories of his own childhood. He'd never tell you to your face, but he could see parts of himself in you from his younger years, if lead in the proper manner, you could become quite the promising killer.
He shook his head. Not the best thoughts to be having right now, not while you're on the edge of a mental breakdown.
“I..Would be lying to you if I said I knew what to tell you about such an awful situation..” He stated hesitantly. “But I can say that I am sorry, that you had to deal with something like this so early in life.”
“Don't be sorry, there's nothing to be done about it…She's gone now and I have to get away from him.” You declared, looking at your now bruised hand. “Now you understand why I made that wish. On any day, at any time, for any reason, that man could decide to kill me. To kill his own daughter in cold blood..”
Alastor hummed. “If you know this, then let me help you." He demanded. "I cannot sit idly by forever my dear, these links to your world are only good for short times to prevent other demons from causing other problems. No one understands the severity of this situation more than you. I would love to help you exact revenge on that putrid sack of skin but you must choose before it is too late and I am no longer around..
You sat in silence as Alastor did his best to help you come to a decision. As much as you hated being rushed, you couldn't deny that he was correct. But the decision was hard, harder than you thought it would be considering the fact that you still loved your father and the man he used to be…
All these thoughts ran through your head on a daily basis, everytime they made you wanna curl up and cry. Snatching up the plush doll, you gave it a good squeeze and hid your face in your knees, wishing that your Mom was still around.
The Radio Demon pursed his lips in thought, he wasn't good with others emotions unless he could feed off of the entertainment from it, much less comforting them. There was nothing entertaining about this, about you being sad. He didn't like it for a reason he couldn't explain, perhaps because you were so bubbly in the beginning?
You weren't trying to do anything miraculous, you just wanted to live your life in peace and possibly get justice for your mother. That was something he could understand. He wouldn't mind completely decimating your Dad, truly he wouldn't! It'd be on the house for you, truly you're the most pitiful soul he's come across in a long while.
He supposed he could pull a few quick strings to make you feel better in the moment. To bring back that smile of yours, full of wonder and a desire for life.
As you continued to seek shelter in your knees, you felt a gentle touch caress the top of your head, sharp claws softly scraping your scalp in an attempt to comfort you.
Wait..
WHAT?!
Quickly yet carefully, you snapped your head up to see none other than The Radio Demon crouched down right in front of you. His hand still rested on the crown of the head as you both stared at each other for a moment.
“I'm sorry.. am I dreaming?” You blurted out.
Alastor smiled, laughing in a low tone at your completely gobsmacked expression. “Fortunately for you, the answer is no my dear. As a gentleman, it'd be rude of me not to at least attempt to help a lady in emotional distress.”
You were still dazed and confused about him being here, much less t o u c h i n g you!! “Ida..I-- I didn't know you could-”
“Travel through the radio? It is quite possible but I only do so on rare occasions since it requires a fair bit of my power that cannot be overexerted in one day.”
Standing up to his full height, you realized how tall he was and thanked God that the ceiling was high enough for his antlers not to scrape. Crawling out of your chair, you immediately felt like an ant compared to him, the top of your head barely came to his collarbone.
“Holy crap you're tall." You blurted again. "I mean, I knew that you were tall but, you're really, really tall..”
Smirking with pride, he twirled his cane expertly like the show off you knew and loved. “7”0 exactly my dear, a foot taller than I was when I was a mortal! Though I suppose that was the universes funny way of punishing me for my crimes, I've bumped my forehead on door frames a good 50 times in both life and death!”
As you examined his real life appearance, you couldn't help but laugh. “Yeah well, the heels don't help.” You pointed to his shoes.
He huffed in feigned offense. “They are not heels, darling they are tap dancing shoes and it was quite common for them to have a bit of height back in my day.”
“Okay, Fred Astare.” You snorted as he settled himself on the side of your bed as you marveled at the fact that he was still taller than you even while sitting down. “And here I was preparing to offer you a dance in hopes of lifting your spirits, only for you to insult my tastes in fashion.” He hmphed, crossing his arms and legs while sticking up his pointy nose towards you.
In a daring moment, you sat right next to him crissed crossed, careful not to to touch him while he continued to play offended. “C’mon Al, don't be so huffy. I didn't mean anything by it.”
“ ‘Al’ huh?” He hummed. “Sounds like someone is getting rather familiar.”
“Hey, you call me 'Darling' and 'Dear' so often I think that it's only fair that I call you 'Al' on occasions.”
“I suppose you have a point. Nevertheless, I came here to try and boost your spirits, you seem to be doing better so if you wish to be bratty I can just go back home..” He teased with an evil grin.
“Wait!” You said just a bit too loudly. “Would you like to play a game with me? Ya know, before you go..”
Alastor raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he parted his lips to deny your offer, until you pulled out the big guns and gave him your best puppy girl eyes. A chill went down his spine from your usage of such cheap tactics, remembering his years as a lad and doing the exact same thing when he wanted something desperately from his dear mother.
“Okay! Okay!” He said, placing his hands up in surrender. “I shall subject myself to whatever game this is for one round, as long as you stop making that revolting expression..”
He watched as you smiled with pure enthusiasm. Such a beautiful smile you had, it made him irritated that you didn't do it more, yet proud that he typically was the source of it sprouting in the first place. Crimson eyes followed your movements as you shuffled off the bed to grab a small deck of cards off of your shelf. A part of him hoped you heard the chuckle that left his lips while you struggled to stand on your toes to retrieve this game.
“It's called ‘Uno’ “ You explained, walking back to him with a red box in hand. “It's a pretty simple game and the rules are easy.” Dumping the cards out of the box, the two of you sat parallel with one another.
”However, this simple game has been known to end more friendships than Monopoly and Mario Kart put together. It shall truly test our bond as companions, only the strongest survive it's trials..” You spoke in a dramatic tone while shuffling the cards and placing the proper numbers out for the both of you. Once you were finished, you placed the extra cards in the middle and looked the Radio Demon square in the eye. “Are you ready?”
“Yes yes,” He replied aloofly. “There isn't any possible way this silly game could cause such a staggering amount of broken relationships. I refuse to believe it's that bad.’
You chuckled bitterly. “You beautiful unsuspecting fool.”
---------------------- ( 2 Hours Later) ---------------------
“That's against the rules!” Alastor hissed underneath his breath as you threw out a fat stack of +2 cards.
“No it's not Alastor, you said you wanted to play stacks and this is how it's played.” You muttered.
The first round between you two consisted of showing Alastor the ropes. The confident man he was, he assured you that the game was easy enough for an infant to play and win effortlessly, especially since he won the first round. You then decide to spice things up by teaching him how to play stacks. He claimed that was easy as well and you allowed him to believe this as the next round consisted of him losing, and so did the next round, and the round after that, and the round after that…
Before you knew it, two hours had gone by and Alastor was determined to beat you at least once. It had gotten so intense that he resorted to taking his tail coat off and even putting his hair up, leaving him in his tight red office shirt and hair that framed his face like the scrumdiddlyumptious being that he was. The sight of his bare arms totally didn't have you blushing up a storm behind your cards.
While he was stewing over his next move, you got to confirm a few fan theories and ogled at his appearance.
Respectfully, of course.
But, the game wasn't over yet. Alastor sat across from you, irritated and with at least eleven cards in his hand, while you had three. The air was tense as he scratched his head and finally decided to throw out a small handful of 8’s, bringing his card count down to five.
Your poker face remained unmoving as you calmly threw out a wild card. “Blue.”
A warble of interference omitted from Alastor's person as his eyes scanned his cards carefully. You were actually surprised at how the tables had turned personality wise. In the beginning, it was Alastor who was calm and collected, but every loss slowly chipped away at the pride that fueled his unwavering persona. His usual smile was now looking more forced, making his disdain obvious.
Throwing out a blue card, you threw out two on top, leaving you with one card as you stated that dreadful word. “Uno.”
With a growl, Alastor tossed out a draw +4. “Red.” He stated blandly. A quick glance at the clock let him know he was late for a meeting with Charlie, but formalities be damned because he was going to win this game.
You took your cards quickly and deemed your hand an amazing one. He replied by tossing out a 2 and leaving three cards left. Victory was close and he swore that once he won he would ‘kindly’ rub it in your face.
But, just as you had been doing for these past five rounds, you had an ace up your sleeve. You tossed out the red ‘Skip’ card, costing Alastor a vital turn that could have turned the tables, only to metaphorically slap him in the face by cheering “Uno!” and dropping your final cards in the middle of the messy deck.
He suppressed a scream of irritation as you did your little victory dance, glaring at you both with gaiety and pure spite. He stood up and snapped his coat back on and his hair back down, he pinched your cheek just a little too hard. “That's enough cutting a rug darling, especially for someone that has two left feet such as yourself.”
“Stop trying to cease my dancing, I must wiggle out my joy.”
With a roll of his eyes, he tuned the radio on to his station to prepare to go back home. “Well you can dance until your heart's content, unfortunately I have to return back home to handle some business.”
Immediately your uncoordinated movements stopped, as you frowned. “Oh, right..”
Part of him felt bad. Not that he would tell you outright, but he didn't exactly want to leave you behind either. The thoughts of what your father could do unannounced made him concerned for your safety, but there wasn't anything he could do. Instead, he smiled genuinely and lifted your gaze up with his finger.
“Chin up, dearest. I shall check on you tomorrow as always and don't forget, you still need to make up your mind about what you want from the options presented to you.”
You didn't reply verbally, but you did nod your head sadly which would have to be enough for now. As he prepared to walk off, he was suddenly stopped by a tight embrace from behind. Anyone else who would have ever dared to think of such a thing would have been a splatter on the wall and he was just about to give you a kind yet serious talk about personal space until he felt something wet soaking through his clothes.
“..Thank you.” You mumbled through the fabric. Inhaling his scent as you sniffled and tried to calm down, honestly you were surprised he didn't push you off.
As mentioned before, emotions were not Alastor's think nor was physical affection. However in this moment, with you crying lightly and hugging him as if he were your only hope of survival, he decided that maybe, just this once, he would let it slide.
For his comfort, you didn't allow the hug to last longer than a minute. Once you pulled away you were embarrassed to say the least and prepared for him to possibly scold or never talk to you again. But, to your surprise, he simply pat your head and whispered, “Sleep tight, cher.”and was gone with a blink of your eyes.
To say you were sad was an understatement, but you knew that he'd be back tomorrow like he was everyday. The idea of talking to him tomorrow. To hear his voice in real time, talking to you and to offer comfort because he actually cared made your heart pound in your chest. As much as you didn't want to think this way, you couldn't help it. He seemed so concerned about you, in a way that no one else has until now.
You did your best to still your beating heart as you began to clean up your fun from earlier, only to find your cards were missing. You looked everywhere and still couldn't find them, ultimately you claimed into bed and decided that maybe Alastor snapped them somewhere you'd never find so that he wouldn't have to loose, I mean, play anymore.
Meanwhile…
“Alastor you're late!” Vaggie snapped as he came waltzing down the stairs, following her to where the rest of the group sat waiting.
“I am aware Vagatha, I was busy doing something else.” He replied calmly, only to make the fallen angel more irritated. “Whatever, I hope you brought something because it's your turn for a group activity today..”
“But of course! How could I forget?” He smiled impishly, before pulling out a red box with a familiar word on it. Once with the rest of the residents, Alastor clapped his hands together and pulled out a chalkboard seemingly out of nowhere.
“For today's activity being hosted by yours truly, we shall all be playing a game suited for bonding and the strengthening of relationships,” He beamed, writing out the title of the game in big letters for everyone to see.
“The name of the game is...UNO!"
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(Thank you for coming back for Chapter 3# of this story! I hope you stick around for the next one because I plan to make it the last. I've been so busy with life and stuff, it's kinda hard to find time or motivation to write, but I do want this to come to a close while still making room for a bit of fun between Al and the Reader.
For those who asked me to make a tag list, I'm not entirely sure how to 😅. Though I will try to figure it out for the next time I write a short story. Don't forget to leave your opinions behind in the comments and thank you for all the love you guys give me, it means a lot 💜
Stay Tuned! :D
Taglist: @twistedvanillacoffee @diffidentphantom @boldlyenchantingfox22
#alastor#hazbin hotel#alastor x you#alastor x reader#hazbin alastor#alastor x oc#drabbles#alastor the radio demon#fanfic
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TYSM FOR ANSWERING MY LAST QUESTION EEEEEEEE
Sorry to be back so soon- but I had another question I was curious about. Again, if this one happens to be stupid you don't have to answer it heh.
But anyways, my question revolves around Hanako's names and how he's referred to. Like, I guess it's hard to consolidate into one specific question, but I've always wondered why Hanako lets Tsukasa call him Amane, and why Tsukasa calls him that. Well, then again, Tsukasa does whatever the hell he wants, but Hanako doesnt correct him either.
Similarly, Tsuchigomori only calls him Number 7, despite knowing his real name. Doesn't even call him Hanako. And that struck me as odd because since he cares so much about him, why keep it so professional? Is he just trying to distance himself? Or did Hanako get angry in the past and pull rank or something, telling Tsuchigomori to refer to him that way?
Nene is a whole nother story. She knows Hanako's name is Amane. You'd think she'd bring it up or call him that, right? Even once? And on top of that, in the fictional world, Hanako used his real name. Like he KNEW Yashiro already knew it too. He had to have known, because otherwise I don't think he'd use his real name if Yashiro didn't know it. Especially since he doesn't want to share his past with her. And to avoid confusing her further in the pp world, bc he wanted her to know it was him- well, alive version of him. Since the whole point he stayed was to see what it was like to be alive with her.
I wonder, if anyone else tried to call him Amane, how would he react? (Outside the pp world of course) Would he get flustered if Nene did it? Would it piss him off or make him uncomfortable? And what would happen if Tsuchigomori referred to him as Yugi again? Ugh so many questions I don't have answers to.
I'm probably reading way too much into this. I know it's likely that Tsukasa refers to him as Hanako because he knew him as Amane, and Tsuchigomori refers to him as Number Seven to be respectful. And Nene calls him Hanako-kun still because, well, "Toilet Bound Hanako-kun". But idk, thought it could be interesting to think about!!
Thanks again for answering my other question btw!! I loved your take on it
hahahahaha yeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!!! happy to see you happy!!!!! XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.
Don't worry, don't worry 😉
So, in JSHK we have a meaning for names, not just the literal meaning of the thing, but the sentimental meaning.
If you notice, Hanako is the only one who calls Nene "Yashiro", and she said so herself.
In addition to including the fact that she likes the way he calls her. There is a sentimental meaning here, only he calls her that.
In Hanako's case, Tsukasa never called him that way because Amane is his brother and he always calls him that, maybe because he doesn't see the point in calling him by any other name than his real one or because he doesn't agree with hiding the truth.
Tsukasa has always been very truthful about everything, including about their past. And Tsukasa was willing to tell Nene the whole truth about Amane, so it simply doesn't make sense for him to call his older brother Hanako.
Tsuchigomori apparently made a deal with Amane that he wouldn't talk about absolutely anything about his past to anyone, including his real name.
Tsuchi used to call him Yugi, as a sign of respect, he followed Hanako's wishes, not calling him by his false name, but by the title he now has, leader of the seven.
Hanako wasn't surprised to see that Nene knew his name because Tsukasa called Hanako "Amane" in front of her, so he probably deduced that Nene knew his name because Tsukasa mentioned it several times.
So, he did know that she knew his real name.
He wanted to show Nene his "true" side in the PP arc, even though Nene called him Amane-kun a few times, it's like she doesn't associate that name with the boy she knows.
She wants Hanako, that fun and "happy" Hanako that she lived with for so long, Amane is like a version of him that died, that refers to sadness, that refers to something that she doesn't recognize as the person she likes.
Nene associated the name with the past, she discovered his name when she saw that he was suffering in the past. She was the one who was curious about him, and the first thing she discovered was his name and the short story of how he gave up on his own life.
So, the name Amane has this weight for her.
No matter what reality she is in, or what version of Amane she meets, she will call him Hanako.
I still imagine that this will change at some point, her calling him Amane would be like a symbolic way of saying that she has accepted him completely, that Hanako is Amane, that they are the same person and that she has to understand that there is not only the "happy Hanako" but also the "sad and lonely Amane".
They are both the same person, but ever since she found out about Amane's existence she seems to want to run away from it, so I imagine that's why she always calls him Hanako.
About how he would react if someone else called him that, he would probably try to understand how they found out, but only if it was someone important. He doesn't seem to care much about that.
🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 Thank you!!!!! I'm glad you liked it!!!
#tbhk#jshk#toilet bound hanako kun#jibaku shounen hanako kun#amane yugi#hanako kun#aidairo#yugi twins#hanakokun#jshk spoilers#yashiro#yashiro nene#tbhk yashiro
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all my works can be found here
Don't Speak
part one
song for chapter link - here is part two of my dream inspired story!
Summary: you’ve been friends with mingi for a while now. finally, you’ve confessed your feelings and it seems like he feels the same… but not without complications.
WC: 2.3k
Tags: smut, fratboy!mingi, fem!reader, angst, some fluff, car sex, praise, oral, come eating
It was driving you crazy not hearing from Mingi. By the third day of being ghosted, you should have given up. But you didn’t. Maybe it was a trauma response from your past, having always ended up in codependent situations, or maybe there was just something deeper and logical as to why he was avoiding you that you didn’t know of yet and could sense. Maybe it was both. Even Hongjoong took notice, trying extra hard to distract you from your distress, which helped momentarily, but not enough.
In a moment of frustration, you pulled out your phone and recorded a voice message for Mingi. “Fuck you,” you seethed into the microphone, “you’re such a dick, Mingi. I hope you know that,” you swore. “Ugh! Quit avoiding me already!”
You meant to delete it, but instead you accidentally hit send. “Oh, fuck,” you groaned, burrying your head into the couch pillow. “This is wonderful,” your voice dripped with sarcasm. You decided to read a book to distract yourself from your horrible error, hoping that Mingi would somehow not receive the message.
“Y/N,” Hongjoong sighed, plopping down on the couch beside you a few minutes later. “I know you’ve been coming here every night in hopes of running into Mingi…”
“And what about it?” You snapped, glancing up from your book. Hongjoong winced slightly at your sharp tone, and you immediately felt remorseful. “Sorry,” you apologised, “I just… I don’t know, Joongie. I know he does this to a lot of people he fucks, and I’m fucking pissed, obviously. But it just feels like there’s a reason beyond him just being an ass as to why he does it.”
“He is an ass.”
“Joong,” you whined, “then why the hell are you friends with him!?”
“Fair enough,” he said, “he’s actually a great guy, he’s just going through a lot.”
You narrowed your eyes suspiciously. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“It’s not my place to tell you,” Hongjoong responded, standing up from the couch.
“W-wait!” You tried to call after him, but he kept walking towards his bedroom. “Dammit,” you hissed. Now you really had to find him so you could talk.
It’s not like you and Mingi were the best of friends, but the number of your interactions with each other certainly amounted to a level of friendship, and one high enough to take interest in him on a deeper level.
Deciding you felt too claustrophobic inside of the house, you settled on going for a walk outside. You knew of a nice spot nearby that overlooked the town with a mountainous backdrop. It was where you’d often go to think when times were rough.
“Later, Joongie,” you shouted before exiting the house and slamming the door shut behind you.
Once at the clearing, you sat against a tree stump. You closed your eyes, breathing deeply for a few moments to create a sense of calm. It was short lived, because you heard distant chatter that began to increase in volume with each passing moment.
“I told you, I’m fucking done!” The lower voice hissed. It sounded oddly familiar…
“Shut up, we’re not done until I say we are,” the second voice, more higher pitched, threatened.
“Why the fuck did you follow me all the way here, Violet?” The first voice seethed, “don’t you know how boundaries fucking work?”
Then it hit you. It was Mingi talking, to whomever this Violet person was. You peered up from your spot on the stump, careful not to make your presence known. You were far enough away and blocked well by your position against the tree that they would have to look extra hard to notice you. When you saw the two figures, you took note of the woman that was beside Mingi. You’d seen her around campus before, but never around Mingi. Is she his girlfriend? You questioned, watching the scene before you. She was trying to latch onto him, but he kept refusing.
“Please,” Mingi sighed, feeling defeated, “just go home.”
“Mingi,” Violet whined, “c’mon, don’t be like that! We can work this out.”
“I said no!” Mingi responded, with as much force as he could muster.
There was a long pause before Violet spoke again. “Okay.” It seemed like she finally got the memo. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“No the fuck you won’t.”
Violet laughed loudly, “Why haven’t you reported me already if you hate me so much?”
“You know damn well you’d find a way to get to me regardless, so why the fuck would I bother?”
An almost sinister smile spread across Violet’s lips before she turned from Mingi and began to walk away. “Later, Ming.” She sang.
Once Violet drove away, Mingi let out a long, deep exhale. “Fucking hell,” he muttered, kicking the rocks angrily at his feet. He took a seat on the nearby bench, burying his face into his hands out of frustration.
Slowly, you emerged from your spot, quietly stepping towards him. “Mingi?” You whispered softly, being careful not to scare him.
He jumped slightly, looking up at you who was now standing in front of him. “Y/N?” He asked, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just relaxing over there,” you pointed at the tree stump a few feet away, “then I heard you and that girl talking, I think you said her name was Violet?”
His face paled, a frown forming at his lips. “Yeah. Violet.”
“Are you okay?” you questioned, taking a seat beside him, “the conversation seemed… intense.”
He sighed. “I will be. She just won’t leave me alone and I don’t know what to do. She always finds a way to insert herself back into my life.”
“May I ask who she is?”
“She’s my ex.”
“Oh.” You both fell quiet, the only sound coming from the rustling leaves of the trees surrounding you. After a few moments, you spoke again. “Is she why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“Yeah,” Mingi nodded, sprawling himself out across the bench with a loud exhale, “but it’s not for the reason you’re probably thinking.”
Admittedly, you were thinking he had been cheating on her this whole time. But after seeing how they interacted, it definitely seemed like that wasn’t the reason.
“What’s the reason, then?”
“Since we broke up last year, every time I’ve tried to be with someone else, she pries and manipulates so they’ll leave,” he spat. “She’s always trying to control me, refusing to believe that we’re no longer together.”
You frowned, taking in his words with concern. “That sounds awful,” you said empathetically.
“It is,” Mingi groaned. “No one has ever given me the chance to explain the situation. They just take her words at face value and never come back.”
Ah. So Mingi wasn’t the ghoster in those past situations. Though, you were starting to wonder why he decided to do that with you this time around.
“So this is what Hongjoong meant,” you blurted.
Mingi furrowed his brows. “Hongjoong?”
“He insisted you were a great guy, just going through a lot.”
“How much did he tell you?”
“That’s it. He said it wasn’t his place to share.”
Mingi let out a sigh of relief. “Good to know he’s trustworthy, unlike some people,” he rolled his eyes, making a clear jab at his ex. “I appreciate him keeping his mouth shut.”
“Then,” you started, “how come you ghosted me these past few days?” Mingi looked at you. “You’re telling me these past lovers of yours left you, so that doesn’t explain why you left me.”
Mingi looked slightly panicked, but only for a moment. He exhaled, pulling at his jeans bunched up on his knees. “I-I was afraid,” he admitted, “I really, really like you, and I was scared you’d just leave me like everyone else once I told you the truth. Or that she’d get to you first. I freaked out,” his eyes met yours, glistening apologetically. “So, I thought I’d just leave first. I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”
“I see,” you said, smiling gently. You reached over and rested your palm over his, rubbing your thumb across his knuckles comfortingly. “I understand now.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologised. “It was extremely fucked up for me to do that to you.”
“It was,” you agreed, “but I understand why you did it. I’d probably done the same if I were you.”
“I really want to be with you, Y/N, I do,” he paused, “but I don’t know if it’s going to work as long as Violet’s around. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.”
You shook your head. “I’m willing to stick by you, Mingi. It would take a lot more than her games to keep me from you.”
Mingi smiled, relief rushing over his features. “Do you really mean that?”
You nodded. “I do.”
“Then, let’s have a do-over?”
“Sure,” you grinned, “Can we start it by kissing here on this bench? The sunset is so pretty, I feel like I’m in a romcom,” you joked.
Mingi quickly pulled you onto his lap, pressing his lips gently to your chin, then cheeks, and finally landing on your lips. You giggled into the kiss, wrapping your hands around the back of his neck to pull him deeper into it.
You pushed your hips down harder against him, feeling a rush from his tongue suddenly swiping across your lips. You let out a soft moan, moving your hands from his neck to run your fingers through his hair.
“You know people could see us, right?” Mingi said between kisses.
“Car?” You suggested.
He picked you up and carried you over to his SUV, popping the trunk so the two of you could crawl in. He shut the door behind him. Thankfully, no one else was at clearing, so it made it a lot easier for the two of you to have sex, but at least you had some protection from his car if someone did decide to show up.
You hovered over him, caressing his hair as you nipped at his neck. He hissed and gripped your hips, pulling you on to him as you grinded against his clothed, hard cock.
“Let me please you, baby,” you cooed, sucking at his neck, “you deserve it.”
“I want you to feel good, too,” he frowned.
“Oh, I will,” you smirked, “and besides, you gave me the best fuck of my life a few days ago. Now it’s my turn to show you what I can do.” With that, you helped him pull down his pants and boxers, allowing his cock to spring free.
“Are you sure?” He asked.
You nodded. “Pleasing you brings me lots of pleasure, too.” You leaned down and kissed his tip. “Sit back and relax for me.”
Mingi softly groaned as you took all of him into your mouth, bobbing up and down his shaft at alternating paces. When you felt him begin to sputter beneath you, you slowed down immensely to keep him edged.
“Fuuuuuck,” he whined, “don’t tease me, please.” You giggled, the vibrations on his cock causing him to throw his head back against the side of the car. “You’re so good at this, baby, holy fuck.” As Mingi grew closer to the edge, you reached a steady pace as you continued to lick and suck on his cock. “I’m gonna-”
Before he could even finish the sentence, he let go, come dripping down your throat and the excess onto your chin. You released him with a pop, swallowing his load and licking the rest off of your chin.
“Please, ride my cock,” he begged, reaching to grab your hips so he could pull you towards him. You obliged, wiggling yourself out of your leggings before hovering your sopping core over his tip. You brushed it against your wet clit a few times, an ungodly groan erupting from him. “Please, I need to be inside of you, baby.”
You slowly fit yourself over him, humming in ecstasy as you begin to hop up and down on his cock.
“Just like that,” he mewled, holding your hips to help guide on you, “fucking just like that.”
“Yeah?” you teased. “Is this how you like it?” you moaned, picking up the pace.
“Oh, fuck yeah.”
Your moans began to match each other’s, your cunt growing slicker with each thrust. Mingi couldn’t help himself when he felt you begin to squirt on his cock.
“Fuck, I-”
“Inside, Mingi, please,” you screamed, pulling at his hair hard as you continued to grind on him. “Shit, I’m coming!”
You released your orgasm, your juices covering every inch on Mingi’s cock. He wasn’t far behind. His legs began shaking as he pounded his final thrust into you hard. “Holy fuck,” he yelled, still pushing himself up inside you as he road out his high.
You collapsed into his lap, pressing a few light kisses to his neck as you laid there for a few minutes. Mingi was still inside of you, but neither of you seemed to mind. It felt nice to be close like this, to be intertwined to that extent.
Suddenly, you were reminded of that voicemail you had sent to him earlier that day. “Hey, Mingi?” You said, catching his attention. You pulled back so you could look at him.
“What’s up?” He asked.
“Just… ignore that voice message I sent you earlier.”
He laughed. “I kind of already listened to it.”
You groaned, “I’m sorry, I was just so mad. I didn’t mean to actually send it.”
“I deserved it, it’s alright.”
You shrugged, then leaned down to kiss him. “Maybe you did.” you joked.
“Maybe I should get you mad again, huh?” Mingi teased, “if it means you’ll fuck me like you just did.”
“Hey!” You chuckled, slapping his shoulder playfully.
He wrapped his arm around your hips, flipping you over so you were now pinned beneath him. He dipped down towards your still dripping cunt. “Shall I start now?”
#ateez#ateez fic#ateez fanfic#ateez scenarios#ateez imagines#ateez smut#ateez x reader#kpop smut#smut#ateez mingi#ateez san#ateez yeosang#ateez hongjoong#ateez jongho#ateez wooyoung#ateez seonghwa#ateez yunho
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You don’t have to answer this question if you’re not comfortable, however I saw you discussing a bit about the election. Based on your response I figured you were anti-Trump. I will admit I am right leaning (not extremely but leaning) and I will agree that I am not pro-Trump. However I am also not pro-Kamala. I wanted to know your view on both candidates, pros and cons if you’re comfortable with that! For me I wasn’t able to vote this year but I will be able to vote next election (my birthday is after November 5th). But coming from a leaning republican here’s my pros and cons
Trump cons
-he’s very extreme in republican beliefs
-doesn’t support the LGBTQ (I am not apart of the community so I don’t know much on this controversy but I have heard from my friends in the community that he’s against it)
-very sensitive about his rally’s
-his multiple charges against him (though it can be noted that the time the charges came out was during a crucial time in his run for presidency so it could have been a plan to try and make him look bad, I’m not sure how many allegations actually were proven true or false)
-foreign involvement (he tends to get involved with other nations)
Trump pros
-very good at fixing the economy (when he was president it was one of the few time my family, a middle class family, actually was making excess money, we actually saved up enough to finally buy a home and my dad didn’t have to work 2 jobs and my mom worked night shifts to make ends meet. A lot more people got employed under his presidency)
-less foreign conflict (when Trump was president last time there was a lot less rumors of wars and wars going on since Trump was very firm with foreign involvement but we already are in some foreign conflict)
-immigration (I am Mexican, my mother was an illegal immigrant, but I do have to slightly agree that we need stricter boarder control. I’ve heard stories about the Cartels and them chasing people from Mexico and into the US and that’s terrifying)
Kamala cons
-controversy (Kamala has also had her share of controversy. She had ads about legalizing weed and showed mainly black people in the ad. Also she may be, I can’t confirm but I’ve heard it from others, that she is related to a past slave owners. Kamala was also voted in my the Democratic Party and not the people. Biden was the candidate that people wanted for the Democratic Party till he dropped out the. The Democratic Party put Kamala Harris as the new candidate. She had run against Biden to be the candidate before he dropped out and lost so she didn’t originally have the people’s support. Ect.)
-extremely left (I see being extremely left and extremely right as big problems)
-“middle class” (a lot of Kamala’s speeches were about helping the middle class yet in her actual speeches the middle class she described was the lower-upper class, not the true middle class)
-economic growth (currently under democratic leadership the economy hasn’t been good)
Kamala pros
-she’s very pro-environment and that’s a problem that has needed fixing for a while
-she isn’t against the LGBTQ
I’m curious to hear your response since it’s by hearing and talking to others without hate or prejudice that we can expand our own thinking and see things from new perspectives. I always wonder how media can manipulate perception so much, how two people can consume similar media from different sources but form 2 different opinions. I love your works and thanks for reading this!
Sincerely, me, a Mexican-Hawaiian girl
everything you put under trump's pros is completely false and further proof as to why misinformation is such a huge problem so lemme address your points one by one
"very good at fixing the economy"
firstly, when trump reigned it was under obama's economy. this is actually a pretty common thing for new presidents to inherit the economy of the previous administration (obama was president and had bush's economy, trump was president and had obama's economy, and etc.). their job is to either continue building that economy (if it was a good one) or rebuild it if it sucked.
when a president is elected, the economy doesn't just restart to zero and the new guy has to begin a new economy. no, they inherit it from the previous administration and they either inherit successes or deficits and they get to continue building it or destroying it
(the "president" being mentioned is trump btw)
source: here. other sources if you wanna check out: 1
and speaking of economy, here's what things are gonna look like once trump goes back into office with his stupid tariffs idea that people stupidly thought was a GOOD thing:
(also, i love how they CONVENIENTLY decided to publish this AFTER the elections...)
"less foreign conflict"
💀💀💀
idek HOW you got that info and i'm even more confused as to why you put "foreign involvement" in the cons above that, and yet switched up to say this.... but anyway there are SOOOO MANY sources from articles, interviews, videos, HIS OWN TWEETS, that clearly prove otherwise but here's a nice lil tiktok that managed to compile a good bunch of it:
"immigration"
this part killed me especially since you also mentioned that your mom wasn't here legally BUT i noticed that you said "was" as in past tense, so i'm hoping she somehow found a way to fix that
you want strict immigration control because you heard stories about the cartel chasing people here... but i don't see why you have an issue with that? the cartel is dangerous af, OF COURSE people would want to flee to protect themselves and their families? but you say you want stricter immigration and border control??? are you worried about the cartel coming here or are you saying you think the ones fleeing are dangerous?
kinda confused ^ but regardless, trump doesn't want "stricter" border control for the safety of the people, he just wants you all gone cuz he's racist af and so are his rabid worshippers 💀
also, did you forget he had kids in cages, forcefully separated from their families with no way to get back to them and had those kids FORCED TO GO TO COURT? (sources: 1, 2, 3, 4) or the time his insanely strict immigration restrictions caused the amount of drowning migrants to increase (source: 1)
he and his team are working their asses off to get started on their little denaturalization project (forcefully revoking US citizenship) 💀
from the loving words of michael davis, trump's chief legal defender:
"We're gonna deport a lot of people, 10 million people and growing - anchor babies [that's YOU anon, since you said your mom was an illegal immigrant], their parents, their grandparents. We're gonna put kids in cages. It's gonna be glorious."
ALSO!!!
for list of cons for trump you forgot to add:
has 34 felonies
is a rapist
incited an insurrection
shrugged off the possible lynching of his vice president (mike pence) during said insurrection
his abortion ban led to the preventable deaths of thousands of women and now that he's back, the numbers will increase
got impeached twice
got thousands killed because of how he didn't even bother to handle the COVID pandemic
also caused a lot of asian americans to be harmed because of his racist comments about them during said pandemic
caused haitian immigrants to be harmed because of his stupid "they're eating the cats! they're eating the dogs!" comments
he's a racist, a rapist, a misogynist, a sexist, a narcissist, a habitual liar, and has no idea on how to actually run a presidency
and many many more
since we're on the topic of misinformation, here's this:
this here shows how powerful misinformation is for the trump administration. a lot of the people who voted for him did it solely to be cruel yes, but there's also some people who just genuinely didn't do ANY research and foolishly voted against everyone's interests including their own
the people who believed the misinformation voted for trump, the people who knew the truth voted for kamala, and some of the misinformation is actually VERY similar to the things you just mentioned
"violent crime rates are at a near all-time highs in most major american cities" FALSE, but trump voters thought it was true
"inflation in the US has declined over the last year and is near historic averages" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false (this says "last year", implying under biden's rule, so trump voters believe that inflation did not decline under biden's economy when it actually did)
"the US stock market is at or near all-time highs" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false
"over the last few months, unauthorized border crossings at the US-Mexico border are at or near the lowest level in the last few years" TRUE, but trump voters believed it to be false.
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Hiii, I have a request for Caitlyn from Arcane x fem!reader whose struggling a lot socially headcannon / imagine (I still don't really understand the difference so feel free to decide).
Also since this isn't the first request I'm making, (I was the third Caitlyn matchup you did if I'm not wrong) do you take emoji anons? If so can I be 💐 anon?
Anyways enjoy your break
Hi, cariño! So basically imagine is something like a story and headcannon are points. For example I chose headcannons for this. And you can totally be my 💐 anon!
——————————
Caitlyn x socially struggling fem!reader hcs
Caitlyn is a wonderful listener, letting you express your social anxieties without ever judging or interrupting
Whenever she senses you’re nervous in public, she’ll give your hand a gentle squeeze, grounding you instantly
Caitlyn never pushes you into situations you’re uncomfortable with, always letting you take things at your own speed
She’s very intuitive, and if anyone makes you uncomfortable, she’ll politely steer the conversation or whisk you away so she can deal with them
Caitlyn’s perceptive and realizes that social settings can be overwhelming, so she never expects you to be someone you’re not
At gatherings, she’ll find quieter spots with you so you both can enjoy the evening without the crowd
If you’re unsure about social cues, she’ll gently guide you, helping you understand people’s reactions without making you feel self-conscious
When you’re together, she has a way of making you feel like it’s just the two of you, no matter where you are
She understands that social anxiety takes time to overcome and will never rush you or make you feel like a burden
A hand on your back, an arm around your shoulder—she’ll always be there with these small touches to keep you at ease
Every step you take socially, no matter how small, is a reason for her to celebrate and show how proud she is of you
Caitlyn will introduce you to new experiences but always checks if you’re comfortable first
She’s perceptive enough to know when you’re struggling and will step in to gracefully steer conversations or provide an easy exit
She’s always checking in with you, making sure you feel safe and respected, especially in social settings
If the environment becomes too much, she’ll find a way to bring you somewhere quiet, no questions asked
Caitlyn is quick to shut down any hurtful comments or disrespectful behavior toward you
In private, she’ll gently ask about your thoughts and opinions, helping you build confidence in expressing yourself
Caitlyn will subtly offer tips on social situations, knowing you might need guidance without making it obvious
She’s tactful about keeping you involved in conversation without putting the spotlight on you
Caitlyn genuinely admires your resilience and bravery, even if it’s just showing up to a social event
She lets you navigate social situations on your own but is close by if you need her
Caitlyn is perceptive and respects your social boundaries, helping you balance being present with avoiding overwhelm
In public, she’ll be discreet yet affectionate, making you feel loved without drawing attention
She’ll suggest quieter dates, like walks in the park or reading in a cozy café, where you can enjoy time together without social pressure
After you successfully handle a social event, she’s the first to congratulate you, making you feel seen and accomplished
She knows when you’re feeling drained and will offer to wrap things up early without you having to say a word
When making plans, Caitlyn always considers what will be most comfortable and enjoyable for you
Caitlyn’s affectionate but knows you feel most comfortable with private, intimate moments rather than public displays
After socializing, she’s there to talk it out, reassure you, and help you unwind from any lingering stress
Caitlyn helps you see the strengths in being a quiet, observant person, building your confidence in who you are
If others ever misinterpret your shyness as aloofness, she’ll step in to set the record straight
Caitlyn can sense when you’re on edge and will find a way to help you relax without drawing attention
She’s steadfast in her support, reminding you that you don’t need to change to be loved and appreciated
She’s always putting your comfort first, from choosing seating arrangements to suggesting quieter venues
Caitlyn encourages you to be proud of who you are, reminding you that your uniqueness is what makes you special in her eyes
#request#headcanons#arcane x reader#arcane caitlyn#caitlyn arcane#arcane caitlyn x reader#romantic caitlyn#caitlyn kiramman#caitlyn x reader
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Just wondering…are we gonna get a story with husband’s daughter anytime soon? Maybe like a lil cute princess tea party?
Oop. I sooooort of forgot about his daughter, but here's the fic!
Yandere husband thought his daughter’s version of princess tea time was ridiculous. If she had asked to be flown to Paris or Italy, where they could enjoy actual delicious crumpets and have people dote on them hand and foot, he would have agreed in a heartbeat. However, she seemed content to be in their cold, dark living room, and instead of having professional workers or servants, she enlisted her bratty older brother, Henry, to drop off the tea.
Yandere husband adjusted the childish accessory on his head, which threatened to cut off his circulation, and muttered his thanks to the pre-teen waiter. Henry held out his hand, and your husband slapped another dollar into his palm with a scoff. The fake plastic tiaras hurt his scalp, and no matter how many times he insisted that his daughter get a real one, she was always drawn to the ones advertised on television. To be fair, the tiaras endorsed by her favorite child pop star did look pretty cool. Every Sunday, he’d see that ad. The moment he heard the mind-numbing lyrics, he knew Moira’s face would be squished up against the screen. The shiny effects made the tiara look ten times prettier, and the promise of 'real' gems must have been appealing to an infant who could barely read the tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the screen.
He hated the tiny, uncomfortable chairs he was forced to sit in for hours. His large frame was on the verge of breaking them each time, and he swore he saw the legs of the chair bend under his full weight. The table where they held their most important princess meetings was never tall or big enough, yet the little girl in front of him couldn’t care less about his discomfort.
Ah, Moira. The most perfect, beautiful, adorable, sweet, charming, caring, imaginative, headstrong, brave, lovely, smart, free-spirited baby he had ever created. And then, well, there’s Henry too.
It took yandere husband some time to warm up to Henry; he’d had his reservations. He’d always wanted a child who looked like his wife, and on the second try, he finally got what he wanted.
The man reached over to gently adjust Moira's tilted crown, smiling as she babbled in response. "Are you hungry?" he asked, reaching for the organic peach puree beside him. He scooped up the smooth baby food and brought it to her lips. "You must be—especially after telling me all about your plans to take over the neighboring kingdom," he said, amused.
Moira squealed, nodding her head excitedly. For a split second, a look of naughtiness crossed her face—a glint of mischief sparkled in her eyes as she clapped her hands together. Yandere husband just knew she’d raise hell the moment she could speak and start bossing him around. And it would be a job he’d carry out no matter the ask, as if his life depended on it.
“Eat up, dear. Sleep awaits you, and when you wake up in the morning, we’ll have another tea party,” Yandere husband murmured, watching as the infant swallowed her food and opened her mouth for another spoonful. “And perhaps we can discuss your plans to dethrone your mother, hmm?”
#Allurilove asks#yandere imagines#yandere husband named his daughter of course#it only seemed fair since reader named Henry#yandere husband likes the actor catherine o'hara and named his daughter after one of the characters she played#yandere husband still loves henry dont worry#yandere husband x you#yandere husband x daughter#just some fun quality time#yandere oc#yandere drabbles#yandere husband x henry
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ꕀ LUST FOR LIFE ꕀ 04
↳ sex money feelings die remastered .ᐟ cross posted on ao3
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��� they say only the good die young, that just ain't right 'cause we're having too much fun, too much fun tonight ”
↳ synopsis: a group of individuals find that their first taste of freedom in the world brings more obstacles than expected. some of them, find solace by drowning in liquor or in the backseat of somebody else’s car. a lot of them have got to get their shit together. a lot of them won't.
mdni » story contains nsfw content intended for 18+ audiences pairings » member specific, not listed for spoiler purposes ↳ ateez x female reader, ateez x ateez ↳ genre » coming of age ↳ word count » 2.3k ↳ general warnings » substance abuse & consumption, sexual content, morally grey characters, unreliable narrators, internalised homophobia, angst, basically every struggle young adolescence can go through ↳ a/n┆i hope u guys love this chapter as much as i do !! a little blast from the past always has me excited <3 p.s let me know which pairings ur rooting for after reading hehe (and yes next chapter we will be back at the party dont worry the drama has just begun)
04⌇memories of summer bring you
As San weaves his way through the crowd, past the drunken bodies of guys and girls alike, he finds himself reminiscing in just how much he had changed the past few years. Was it okay to live a life like he was right now? He’s not too sure. San first thinks of high school, then his thoughts float to you.
San watches the clock tick above his teacher’s desk, mind wandering as he scribbles on his worksheet with a ballpoint pen. He’s trapped in a god-awful environmental science class (which mind you would’ve been a free period instead), courtesy of not taking enough science courses earlier on to hit the credit minimum. It’s torturous, making him study about the world in a stuffy classroom when he could be out there learning by simply living in it.
San might just be a little salty, but the lesson isn’t actually that interesting either, so his mind has been elsewhere the last half hour. He’ll listen when it actually gets important, maybe. First he was daydreaming about buying a motorcycle and speeding off into the sunset, away from this boring sad old town to go live some larger-than-life bullshit.
Then he thought it’d be too lonely to do by himself, so he brainstormed an alternative. If he were ever able to do it, he’d probably try convincing someone to come with him. He hasn’t even finished his senior year, yet his ideas still don’t seem all that crazy to him. It might be farfetched to others, but San disagrees. If you aren’t dreaming big, could it even be considered a dream at all?
Then he starts wondering if his thoughts are too reckless most, if not all of the time, if attempting to move through life hastily would be too irresponsible and could scare the people around him. But he really doesn’t want to miss out on living, San wants to go see and do the things you have to go out of your way to experience. Something you make the journey for to begin with, not just a simple detour.
The type of stuff you have to just hold your breath for and jump into with no regret before it’s too late, the tide retreating, water becoming far too shallow. (He truly wasn’t lying earlier when he said he loves to be on the move, or that the thrill of exploring had always been dangerously enticing to him.) Those mantras, principles, whatever you wish to call them replay in his mind daily. They always have.
San knows the world won’t slow down and wait for him too. He sees it outside the classroom window right now, how the cars still pass down the street as the birds fly high into the sky even if he’s confined to his seat. San is well aware that it’s him who has to be the one to take the leap of faith and choose to start living. The problem is that sometimes he just can’t.
When San would think about the daredevils, adrenaline junkies, risk takers of the world, those who love to live on the edge of things, preparing for their big take off, he’d think of how he would love to be like that someday. Yeah, someday. The difference was he liked staying on the edge too much. Didn’t like the feeling of climbing to the highest point just for the glory if he could end up tipping over, see himself falling down and lose control of everything in the process.
When third period ends San makes his way out of class then down the hall, stopping at his locker so he can drop off the notebook and stationery he no longer needs till after his second lunch break. San knows he has PE next, so he quickly grabs his gym clothes. It’s not that he cares much about being late for it or missing out on any of the “action” though, he only really enjoys it depending on what sport they’re playing.
He likes the sports where his only role is to defend whenever a ball or something comes his way. It’s why he thinks volleyball is torture; trying his best to stay in his position once his team scores but then somebody is already telling him to hurry up and rotate. Those days are just endless cycles of torture. Actually, were. He started to sit in the nurse’s office on those days.
It’s a good thing they’re doing netball today (he doesn’t have any more passes to sit in the med bay now). San has a lot of fun playing it. He’s even claimed the goalkeeper bib before anyone else can so much that whoever he plays with just lets him have it. The people he usually plays with are good enough to the point where the opposing team never even gets to his third of the court.
Goalkeeper suits him for that exact reason, he enjoys getting to win without even having to take a shot with the ball. San liked how it was so much he didn’t think or want to try being a goal attacker or centre. Well, maybe sometimes he did a little. There were a couple instances where he wanted to try a different role for the first time. San had gotten as close as picking up a different position bib even. Thoughts like that were shoved away quickly however, and the bib would end thrown back into the crate. The mere possibility of letting anyone down in case he was terrible outweighed his curiosity (and potential) on multiple occasions.
Failure was a funny thing; it had given him a terrible feeling that would sit in the pit of his stomach or make him so nauseous it was awfully dizzying. The funnier thing was that San had never truly failed at anything in life, simply because he had never tried much to begin with. That was the case, for quite some time in his life as he knew it. He had been growing more than okay with that knowledge as time passed, then one day he wasn’t.
As he turned away from his locker, San spotted you walking the opposite way to your own fourth period class, clearly getting ready to ditch the rest of the day. His heartbeat had sped up and his palms were awfully sweaty but for the first time ever, he shut out every reasoning voice in his head and chose to do something he never had the courage to before.
The two of you were in the same grade, so he had seen you passing by in the hallways always with both earphones in (to drown out everyone else he assumes, you never talked to anyone when you had them in while carrying an almost sorrow expression). Despite how you looked, you would still be humming away to a tune he could never fully quite catch.
He also knew your lunch times were spent eating shitty snacks from the vending machines and that you really liked the strawberry lollipops from the cafeteria (which they only sold every Friday for some fucked up reason, he overheard you complaining about it to your friends in math).
San would also see you after school with all of your cooler, older friends too. You would all huddle around the corner near the bike racks in the parking lot, out of sight from teachers so you could bum cigarettes off of each other. You’d also listen to music while you were there, only with one earphone in though so you could still hear everyone talk. He liked seeing that, you always looked happy and smiley talking to your friends.
The two of you weren’t complete strangers, but nowhere close enough where he could feel safe calling you his friend either. You shared multiple classes with San, greeting him with a small smile when you’d walk by his seat to get to your own (he liked that you’d always say hi to him even when he never did first). The both of you even worked on group projects together, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to know more about you, to take even the smallest peek at the inner workings of your mind. To find out how you always seemed to not care when things went wrong.
He thinks of your reaction when you would fail a test, how you’d simply shrug before shoving the paper into the bottom of your backpack. Immediately after, smiling as you’d turn around to talk to your friends about whatever you all planned to do that weekend. Stuff like that didn’t make much sense to him. Why would you not opt out of hanging out just for one weekend and study harder to do better on the next test like he would?
San supposes that’s what separates the two of you into vastly different worlds, yet he wants nothing more than to just step over that line and join you.
When he had spotted you there, on that humid summer day in early June a feeling had begun to settle into his stomach again. The strange bit was that it didn’t feel humiliating nor demeaning, but there was still something unsettling about it. It felt extremely foreign at first but now, incredibly comforting. Because for once, it didn’t feel like failure.
So, he then decided to call out to you. It was the very first time he had ever greeted you, without you doing it first. Your name exceedingly foreign on his tongue when coming out of his mouth while you weren’t sitting at your desks in a shared class. You had turned around at the noise, both earphones still blasting music into your ears.
Once you had recognised who the voice belonged too, you immediately had taken out both of your earphones with a smile. The tune he had never been able to fully hear, was now playing into the world for him to hear freely. He felt the corners of his mouth beginning to prick upwards at that. Yet with no plan of what words he would say now, San was immediately regretting his choice to speak to you. His fists were balled up in front of him, grip tightening on his clothes ever so slightly as he lowers his eyes down away from you.
The edge he always treads so carefully on was now unstable and he felt it beginning to crack already. You don’t leave him any more time to freak out over it though. When he looks up, he sees you already opening your mouth to say hello in the soft tone you always use, ushering him over.
“Hey, San. You want to come skip with me?”
The cool breeze flowing through the corridor, cooling down his cheeks just had to heat up again when he locked eyes with you, of course they did. Because San had always found everything about you pretty, from the first time he ever saw you. Not a day would there be a doubt in his mind of that. But, in that very moment he found you strikingly beautiful. In a split second, where his brain and his heart finally worked in unison he had responded hurriedly, before he could overthink it and regret it for the rest of his days.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll come along,” As he chucked his gym clothes back into his locker, a switch had been flicked on in his mind. When he turned around and saw you then, one lollipop in your mouth and a second in your hand, held out to him, a realisation had been thrown into his face like a bucket of ice-cold water. San had ultimately discovered that dancing on the edge was fun, yet leaping off it was much better. Even if the water was too shallow down below, San thinks he would be okay with that.
While walking away from the gym and instead down the hall with you by his side, San had spotted your earphones tangled up and peeking out of your backpack. That day, he settled with the fact that maybe it was okay to be a little too reckless, to move a tad too fast. Even if it could scare people, even if it scared him.
If you asked San what made him love that summer far more than the previous ones, he might mention his drunken bike rides with you and your friends, or the nights he spent laying on the beach with you gazing at the stars. Hell, he even liked the part time job he had to take up thanks to the party you helped him throw (which ended in that broken window he had to pay for). Spending a portion of his summer working as a server wasn’t fun in theory but when you’d visit him on his breaks or pick him up after his shifts, San had found it pretty worth it in the end.
He was truly happy in every moment back then; he’s enlightened even now, because all the memories of summer bring you back to him. Despite existing only as a brief moment in his own mind, San is content because whenever he closes his eyes he finds a version of you is there with him. He’s able feel the sun on his bare skin, with your lips pressed against his own again. His favorite bit being when the lingering hint of strawberries followed as you both pulled away.
Yeah, that’s exactly when it was. Three summers ago. When San had first decided it was alright to embrace being him, to be the person he still was today. All thanks to you.
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#lust for life au#ateez#ateez fanfic#ateez x reader#ateez fic#ateez scenarios#kpop#atz#san#san x reader#ateez ot8#seonghwa#wooyoung#yeosang#hongjoong#yunho#mingi#jongho#atz fic#ateez reader#atz fanfic#angst#ateez au#x reader#lust for life#series#ateez smut
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Hello, hello, I hope your day's going well. I was wondering: Levi has always had a very traumatic life, so he's never really been able to meet himself outside of who he is when he's trying to survive. Not that we've seen, at least, save for the lollipop scene. With the opportunity, what sorts of hobbies do you think Levi would like if he tried them? (Or specific board games, since he likes board games in This Life, After?)
Ah, this is a great ask! Very insightful, I think. I love the way you put that, that he's never had an opportunity to meet himself outside of who he is when he's trying to survive. I think that really conveys the tragedy of Levi's life up to the end of the series, that he's literally been in survival mode since he was born. Thank you first of all for reaching out!
Hmm, you know, that really is one of the more fun things to think about, I think, in terms of Levi's life post-canon, how he'd really, for the first time in his life, get to discover what things he might actually enjoy and have fun doing. As you said, Levi's life has been such a struggle, and so difficult and traumatic, that I don't think he ever had the chance to indulge in much of anything. The most Levi probably ever got to relax in canon was through drinking cups of tea. Everything else consumed by a sense of desperation, fear and uncertainty.
As I've said before, I think who Levi naturally is, is a very quiet and gentle person. He only became violent because his circumstances in life forced it on him. But outside of the context of that desperation, I imagine Levi to be a very quiet and withdrawn person who enjoys simple things. I think Levi is probably most content just being around people he loves. I think that's part of why we see him settling down at the end and staying in one place with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon. I think Levi loves people and just wants to be with them, and he doesn't really need anything bigger or grander than that. I don't think Levi would have a particular inclination or need to see the world as long as he could be with other people. I think he would be happy and content just to have a roof over his head and clothes on his back and for the people in his life to have the same things. Just to have a general sense of security. I think that also means Levi would enjoy mundane, peaceful activities, like gardening, or maybe knitting, lol. As you pointed out, I have Levi playing a lot of board games in my story. I think he would enjoy building puzzles and reading books, etc... I also think Levi might enjoy cooking. Basically, I think Levi would enjoy family activities, too, having dinner with everyone, maybe listening to the radio, and so on. Anything he could do with other people. And of course anything he could do to help other people, like we see at the end of the anime, with him handing out candy to children, and on the cover for volume 35, helping to plant trees. I think Levi did and likely still does feel most fulfilled doing things for others, so whatever he's able to do in that regard, I think Levi would engage in that. Maybe he would also volunteer at a soup kitchen, or if he's able, help build housing for refugees, etc...
Anyway, that's all I can come up with for now! But hopefully it answered your question! Thanks again for asking!
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