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onceinablueberrymoon · 2 months ago

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one final game: swan lake | husband!salesman x mom!reader

scenario: it’s time. gi-hun and the salesman play russian roulette. unbeknownst to them, you’re listening in. setting: during season 2, episode 1; directly after stick to the plan (please read this first!) warnings: major character death; murder; major deception/betrayal; fem!reader; second person and third person POVs; i’m so sorry (˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥); spoilers for season 2, episode 1! word count: 3k notes: the end is finally here! thank you for all the love you’ve given this series. both this ending and nocturne no. 2 start the same way and diverge at around halfway through the russian roulette scene. also, i would love to know what you thought of this ending. please enjoy! this was written before the release of season 3, so i had to make up my own version of how the games ended. i might change that after season 3, if it works with the rest of this story. this is one of two endings to the intentionally by chance series. you can find the other here: nocturne no. 2. borders by @strangergraphics-archive!

Thump. Thump thump.

Your heart was pounding.

Soon after your husband left the room, you tried to distract yourself by caring for your son. Thankfully, he was calm, his eyes heavy with sleep as you rocked him in your arms. Even though he was resting against your chest, he didn’t seem to notice your racing heartbeat, which you were grateful for. The last thing you needed was a crying baby.

Your thoughts wandered to Gi-hun, who didn’t know what he was about to walk into.

Or maybe he did, you wondered.

While unlikely, it was possible that he figured out that the salesman’s baby was Min-seok. But then you reminded yourself that this was Gi-hun. He wasn’t exactly the most observant person. Still, you couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that continued to grow in your chest.

As the minutes ticked by, Min-seok had finally fallen asleep. You gazed at his face, pure and innocent. A stark difference from his parents, who were instrumental in the deaths of thousands of people. Would he grow up to be the same? To harm with no mercy, to act purely for his own gain? Or would he reject his family’s past and fight to help others, including those who no longer deserved a chance?

Like Gi-hun, you thought.

You had to keep reminding yourself that, although well-intentioned, Gi-hun was foolish. He had won the Games and gotten his money. Why was he so obsessed with stopping them now? Even though he had told you his plan to catch the salesman, he never revealed how he would stop the Games themselves.

Perhaps that’s what drew him to you after your first meeting. His blind faith.

Even after the Games, where he had seen his childhood friend die in his arms, he had faith that things would work out. As time went on, he eventually placed his trust in you.

In return, you had betrayed him. Used his intel to manipulate him effortlessly, to play him like a fiddle. His faith in you had made him none the wiser.

When you had first devised this plan to help your husband, you had no intention of meeting Gi-hun regularly. You had one goal: to learn about his plans. But then, you met Seong Gi-hun. Even though you were a complete stranger, he showed you nothing but kindness. He had somehow wormed his way into your heart, and it had made everything so difficult.

You hated to admit it, but a part of you actually cared for Gi-hun. Over the past year and a half, you thought nothing of it, that meeting with him was just your job. That you didn’t actually care if anything happened to him.

But now? Knowing that this would be the end?

You were terrified.

Terrified for him, but also for your husband.

Gi-hun had been searching for him for almost two years by now, and even though you knew your husband could protect himself, your heart ached at the thought of losing him.

You let out a deep sigh. Now that Min-seok had fallen asleep, you settled him into his bassinet.

Gi-hun should be arriving any minute, you thought. You were drawn to the front door, so you walked over.

Opening it slowly, you checked for any noises.

Silence.

Looking back at the bassinet, you took a deep breath. Min-seok will be fine for a few minutes.

The anxiety of the whole situation was eating at you. Closing the door with a soft click, you quietly climbed the rear stairs of the motel.

Room 410.

You tiptoed up to Gi-hun’s room, freezing when you heard voices. Gi-hun had arrived.

Pressing your ear against the door, you listened intently.

“Seong Gi-hun-ssi. Do you think you’re special because you won the game?” You heard your husband say, his voice hostile.

A pause.

“Someone like you could never know or understand how I made it out of there alive.” Gi-hun’s words were hushed, but they sent chills down your spine.

You heard the faint click of a gun, but no gunshot.

Then, in his usual recruiter tone, your husband said,

“Let’s play a game.”

The muffled melody of Time to Say Goodbye caused your body to tense. As your husband explained the rules of Russian Roulette, you felt your breathing quicken.

“But I’d like to make this game a little more serious. Because you’re special, Seong Gi-hun-ssi.”

Your mind raced. You knew he was tasked with killing Gi-hun, but why did he choose this game again?

“We’ll take turns pulling the trigger without spinning the cylinder again. The bullet will be fired within six attempts, and the game will be over.”

Your breath hitched, your vision blurred.

Was he insane? You screamed internally. There was such a high chance of death – 1 in 6. You felt dizzy. How could he do this to himself? To you? To your family?

Shuffling could be heard behind the door. Who was going first?

Click.

Your heart stopped. No gunshot.

But no talking either. You were in the dark.

Click.

Nothing but music in the background.

Then, a voice. Your husband’s.

“My wife and I always wondered how you made it out of there alive,” he chuckled. “For one thing, you were even terrible at ddakji.”

Your heart caught in your throat.

“A monster like you has a wife?” Gi-hun’s raspy voice was laced with confusion.

You heard a scoff.

“You might know her… ” Your husband said coolly. “Unfortunately, she’s preoccupied with our son.”

Another chuckle.

“You might know him too.”

You didn’t need to be in the room to feel the sheer weight of your husband’s words. You heard Gi-hun’s soft gasp, the pressure of it crushed your heart.

Now, Gi-hun knew.

Knew of your betrayal, of the lies, and of the coincidences that hadn’t really been coincidences at all.

This wasn’t how you expected to feel.

Click.

For a brief moment, you had forgotten about their game, that they could die at any moment.

There had been three clicks so far, if you recalled correctly.

A clatter of what you presumed to be the gun falling on a table shook you from your thoughts.

Seconds passed. Again, no talking. Only the sound of music.

Click.

Still, no gunshots. You were surprised. Usually, the gun would have gone off by now.

Your husband’s voice chimed in again.

“What’s the matter? Is your mind starting to race?” He teased. “Now your odds of death are 1 in 2. That’s pretty high indeed.”

You guessed it was Gi-hun’s turn to shoot.

Your husband continued, “I’m sure you’re afraid. Lots going through your mind.”

Gi-hun didn’t respond.

“Let me guess what you’re thinking right now. ‘The gun is in my hand. Screw the rules. Pull the trigger once or twice, and I can blow this guy’s face off. Isn’t that right?’” He paused. “If you want to meet the person you mentioned earlier, the key is in my pocket. You can simply shoot me with that gun and take it.”

Your eyes widened in disbelief. Why would he even suggest that?

He continued, “But I’ll have you admit one thing.”

A lengthy pause.

“That you’re a piece of trash, just like everyone else. A piece of trash who got lucky and made it out of the dumpster.” You could hear him chuckle.

Click.

No gunshot.

That means…!

You gasped sharply, hands flying to cover your mouth. You hoped that they hadn’t heard you.

After what seemed like an eternity, Gi-hun spoke.

“What’s the matter? Is your mind starting to race?” He mimicked your husband’s words. “That’s right. Screw the rules. Now, with a single pull of the trigger, you could kill me.”

He paused.

“I must know,” Gi-hun’s voice was pained. “Why would you choose this game, knowing you have a wife, a family?”

“I never understood what my wife saw in you. But now, I get it.”

Your husband’s voice was quiet. Reflective.

“Your naivety. Your blind trust in everyone. Your foolishness. She found it so endearing. So easy to manipulate. You trusted her in a heartbeat.”

He let out a soft chuckle.

“I was skeptical at first. But then I realized that you wouldn’t have been able to hurt her even if you wanted to. She had you wrapped around her finger.”

Gi-hun spoke, “Then why? Why play this game, knowing you could lose?”

Your husband ignored him, raising his voice. “My wife and my son are my entire world. If what she says about you is true… Please, spare them.”

You felt your heart stop. There was no way that he would-

That’s when you realized.

He was buying you time to escape.

He had accepted his fate, and was distracting Gi-hun so you could take off with Min-seok. Surely, Gi-hun would be after you once he realized you had been in the motel. Your heart lurched in your chest.

Your husband was sacrificing himself.

You sprinted down the hall as quietly as possible. Once you got to your room, you gathered Min-seok and your belongings, praying that your husband would buy you just a few more minutes. You only had time for one trip to the car, so you had to leave the stroller behind.

Just as you were about to go out the rear exit-

Bang!

To your horror, Min-seok started crying, his sharp wails ringing throughout the walls of the motel. You had no doubt that Gi-hun would appear at any moment.

There was no time for you to process your emotions.

You kicked open the back door and threw everything in the back seat of the car. You haphazardly clicked Min-seok’s bassinet into the car seat before jumping in the driver’s seat. There was no time to spare. You floored the accelerator in a hurry to get some distance before Gi-hun could catch up.

All the while, Min-seok continued crying from the back seat. Maybe he sensed that his father was dead, somehow. That his favourite person was gone.

It was only when you arrived at the pier to meet Captain Park that his sobs weakened into quiet whimpers.

Four years later.

“Mini, be careful, okay?”

Your son, now 5 years old, grinned at you and gave you a thumbs up before running towards the playground.

“I love you!” You called, smiling when he yelled it back. You rolled your suitcase to a bench under a tree not too far from the playground. The park wasn’t too busy, which was good. Fewer witnesses was better.

A few weeks before, you sent Gi-hun a letter. Ever since your husband’s death four years prior, you cut contact with everyone. It was like you never existed.

You were certain that Gi-hun had been hunting you, just as he hunted your husband during the Games. But now that the Games had been terminated and the Frontman destroyed, you had no doubt that you were his next target.

The letter had said to meet at the playground. You had taken great care to ensure that no one could find you, and so far it seemed to have worked.

You were watching your son slide down the slide when you noticed a figure in the corner of your eye. You exhaled sharply.

This was it.

You turned to face him and clapped your hands together.

“Gi-hun-ssi, you came.” You kept your voice steady, a smile on your face. “Please, sit.”

He did so wordlessly. You looked behind him and saw that handsome cop he had befriended. You figured he was probably here to arrest you.

The two of you sat on the bench in silence and watched the children play. Then, Gi-hun spoke.

“Why… Why did you befriend me in the first place?” His voice was calm, as if he’d practiced saying it in his head a million times.

“You were interfering with my husband’s work,” you said curtly. “I only did what I thought was necessary.”

Gi-hun turned to face you, his brows furrowing. “For the longest time, I thought we were friends. You helped us in our investigation. I trusted you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You even introduced me to your son. Was that necessary too?”

Your chest tightened at the thought of your son. You pointed at Min-seok who was chatting with a little girl.

“You know, he reminds me so much of his father,” you spoke softly. “I know he wasn’t kind to many, but he was so good to us. He treated us so well.” Your voice choked. “I miss him every day.”

Although he was upset, Gi-hun couldn’t help but feel sorry for you. He didn’t doubt your words. He remembered the salesman’s last words, when he had asked that Gi-hun spare you and your son. The only selfless act he had probably ever done, Gi-hun thought.

“Speaking of which, I have one last favour to ask of you.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this.”

You turned to face him and reached out to cover his hands with yours.

“Please…” You took a deep breath. “Please, take care of Min-seok. There’s no one else who can take care of him.” Your voice was reduced to a whisper.

“He has no one left but me.”

Gi-hun’s eyes softened at the mention of your son’s name. The baby boy who he’d seen a number of times during his investigation, who always brightened his day when you brought him by.

But he was also confused. You would surely get released from jail at some point, or perhaps make bail and get out earlier. Unless you meant temporarily?

“Here are his things…” You gestured to the small suitcase beside you. “H-he likes going on walks. His favourite drink is yakult, and…” You continued listing off everything Gi-hun needed to know about your son. He was about to stop you, but you gripped his hands tighter.

“I can’t keep this up any longer. Please. Just as you trusted me, I entrust my son to you.” You paused, turning back to make eye contact with Gi-hun. Your eyes were misty, tears threatening to fall.

Your voice wobbled, “He’s my whole world.”

It was then that Jun-ho came up from behind Gi-hun and placed you under arrest. As he put the handcuffs on you, you sent Gi-hun a final look of pure desperation. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

As you were escorted away by Jun-ho, Gi-hun watched you walk away. His gaze then turned to Min-seok, who was trying his best to climb the playground structure.

Bang!

Gi-hun whipped his head around at the sharp noise and saw your crumpled figure in the distance. He ran up to it, falling on his knees once he realized that you had been shot.

Jun-ho, who had been unharmed, pointed at the roof of a building, and Gi-hun saw a flash of pink before it disappeared. Turning his attention back to you, he noticed that you had been shot in the head, your blood oozing out onto the grass.

He froze.

How could this have happened?

Gi-hun’s thoughts sped through his mind. The Games had been terminated for good.

…Right?

Jun-ho placed a hand on Gi-hun’s shoulder.

“Gi-hun-ssi, please step back. I’ve dispatched other officers to catch the sniper,” Jun-ho said calmly, although he seemed shaken from the attack as well. He continued, “Go check on her son. Make sure he’s okay.”

Gi-hun stood up slowly. He took Junho’s recommendation and started walking towards the playground, his eyes frantically searching until he found Min-seok on the swings.

Walking up to him, Gi-hun realized the reason why you had entrusted your son to him. Not because you would have gone to jail, but because you were going to be killed as soon as you were arrested.

Gi-hun knelt before him, the little boy’s head tilting ever so slightly. His heart dropped even further in his chest. He hadn’t noticed before, but the boy resembled his father so closely that it gave him the chills.

“Min-seok-ah, I’m your mother’s friend. Do you remember me?” Min-seok shook his head. Gi-hun didn’t know what to say. How could he tell this innocent boy that both his parents were dead?

He felt tears forming in his eyes.

“Where did she go?” Min-seok asked inquisitively.

Gi-hun took a shaky sigh. He spoke softly, “I’m not sure. But she wanted me to tell you she loves you.” He paused. “And that your father loved you too.”

Min-seok broke out into a lazy grin, one that Gi-hun remembered distinctly. It was identical to the one that the salesman wore during their bout of Russian Roulette all those years ago. The thought made him shiver.

“I love them too! But I don’t remember my appa,” Min-seok pouted. And just like that, he looked like you.

Gi-hun grimaced, knowing he was partly at fault for the salesman’s death. But he returned to the matter at hand.

“Your mother told me to take care of you from now on. You can stay with me, okay?” Gi-hun placed a hand on Min-seok’s shoulder.

The little boy nodded, seemingly unaffected by the news.

He’s probably too young to understand, Gi-hun thought.

Wanting to distract the boy, Gi-hun proposed that Min-seok go play with the other children on the playground. His eyes lit up.

“Come play with me, ajeosshi!” He tugged on Gi-hun’s arm.

Gi-hun relented after seeing Min-seok’s pleading eyes and pouting lips. He let himself be dragged towards the playground, his heart aching.

Even after everything, after all the pain and suffering you had caused him over the years, he still felt compelled to respect your wishes. If anything, he had to be strong for Min-seok, who no longer had anyone else in this world. Gi-hun believed that he deserved a chance at a good life. While he didn’t agree with his parents, he knew that they ultimately wanted the best for their son, even if they had to sacrifice themselves in the process.

Min-seok’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he let go of Gi-hun’s hand to climb onto the playground.

“Come on, ajeosshi! Let’s play a game!”

but wait! what if, somehow, the salesman did live? check out the other (non-canon-compliant) ending, nocturne no. 2!

tags: @muchwita @hkssfjsjs @ruby-the-scholar @beebeechaos @preppyfella @buckitostan @luvr4miya

#squid game x reader #the recruiter x reader #the salesman x reader #gong yoo x reader #the salesman #the recruiter #reader insert #squid game #squid game fanfic #squid game season 2 #the salesman imagine #the salesman x you #the salesman squid game #the recruiter imagine #the recruiter x you #the recruiter squid game #squid game salesman #squid game 2 #squid game recruiter

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downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le · 4 months ago

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Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 9

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 4983 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together.

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

Y/N sat by a fire pit alone, stoking the flames absent-mindedly as her mind raced with the events that occurred on the beach.

In that respect, she couldn't recall much, but she remembered an unfamiliar power coursing through her - how strong she felt when it took over. And that was another thing, she didn't feel like she was the one in control.

Y/N stared into the fire and thought of the white flames that encased her and her lance before. She'd felt another presence in them, coaxing her, guiding her to using the new power.

'But who are you,' she whispered.

'Hey.'

Y/N flinched as she turned to find Dick standing there, both hands carrying two legs of lamb. His head tilted as he gave her a confused look. 'Who are you talking to?'

'No one,' she answered, shaking herself back to reality. 'Just... clearing my thoughts.'

Dick nodded in understanding. 'Oh, okay...' The two awkwardly looked at each other in silence until Dick held up the two lamb legs and said, 'So... you hungry?'

As if her stomach was listening, it growled loudly before she could give an actual reply. The two chuckled at the comedic timing.

'I think that was answer enough, don't you? Y/N asked, happily taking one of the lamb legs off Dick's hands. She hadn't realised until now how hungry she actually was. The smell of the lamb had her salivating so she took a massive bite from the leg and almost groaned with delight.

'Whoa, someone's hungry,' Dick said amused before taking a bite of his own out of the moist meat. 'Whoa!' he exclaimed. 'This is really good!'

'Much better than MacDonalds, right?' Y/N asked.

With another mouthful of meat, Dick replied, 'You bet!'

It didn't take long for Dick and Y/N to finish their meal, although if Y/N had kept up with time correctly, there was only three or so hours left until sunrise. The fight had gone on longer than she'd imagined, but then there was that whole point of the battle she couldn't recall. It frustrated and scared her to think that she could forget something so important so easily.

A hand on her shoulder brought her back out of her thoughts to see a concerned Dick looking at her. 'Hey, where'd you go just now?'

Y/N shook her head. 'I don't know, really,' she answered. 'I just... I was just thinking about the beach. I don't really remember what happened down there.'

Speaking of it, Y/N's gaze drew to the beach just down the stairs she was situated atop. She saw the fires of the lanterns the Guard that Calliope had set up, saw their light reflect off the dome that still stood around the whole of the mountain Themyscira sat upon. But that just meant she saw the wall of darkness all but pressing up against the dome.

No doubt the monsters remained in case the dome broke down, but they also didn't appear to be doing anything but waiting. What was Echidna planning? That unknown answer was the one that scared her most.

'Well, to put it plainly, you saved all of us,' Dick answered matter-of-factly, his gaze also moving to the beach.

'Don't mess around with words, Dick,' Y/N warned, though her threat was weak at best. There was no heat behind her words, no animosity, just truth. 'I meant... what happened to me down on the beach? When, you know...'

Dick hummed in understanding. 'Yes, that... Well, I don't have the answer specifically, all I know is that you had this... power that just... I don't know, it was like nothing I've ever felt or seen before.'

Y/N chuckled. 'That's saying something considering all we've been through, too.'

Dick let out a soft chuckle, the kind that could warm even a freezer up. 'I'm glad you can find the humour in all this. I can't imagine what you must be feeling all things considered.'

The honesty in his words caused Y/N to face Dick, and she found an equally honest expression on his ridiculously gorgeous face. She spared him a grateful smile before she looked down to her hands that fiddled with the stoker once more.

'I have a theory, you know,' she said. 'About what possibly happened to me.'

'And?' Dick encouraged.

'And... I think it wasn't my power that helped us just now.'

'What makes you say that?'

'When I... blanked, I do remember hearing a voice. It wasn't clear but I know the voice was guiding me, telling me exactly what to do. The most clear statement from the voice, however, was a question: But who are you? I think it was Athena herself speaking to me.'

'Athena?' Dick was stunned. 'You mean, the goddess of warfare and wisdom, as well as your ancestor, technically?'

Y/N nodded. 'I know it sounds crazy, but who else could it be that held such mighty power when it comes to weaponry and warfare.'

'Apart from Ares, no one else but Athena, I guess...' Dick gave Y/N a confused look. 'Why would Athena want to possess you for you to then use her power? If she wanted to help so much, why didn't she just fly down and help us herself?'

Y/N rolled her eyes. 'First of all, Gods don't have wings, Dick. They don't fly down, they would just... appear. Secondly, I don't know why she would want to help us, but I do know Gods never help without a reason.'

'Or a price,' Dick added solemnly.

Y/N nodded, recalling the power she'd held. The danger it possessed if she wielded it wrong. The scene of the monsters simply disintegrating into nothing but minuscule dust particles replayed at the back of her mind constantly.

'I'd like to think she'd help us because we are her blood and bone,' Y/N said, curling her fingers inwards to form frustrated fists. 'But her power... I don't know if I can wield it as she does. So precisely and destructively. What if someone innocent gets hurt because I can't control it. Goodness, I can't even remember half the battle just now; how am I supposed to control the power if I can't control myself?'

'Okay, whoa, ease up,' Dick said, holding his hands out in a "calm down" manner. 'I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself here. You don't even know if you still have the power. What if it was a one time thing?'

'But what if it wasn't?' Y/N argued.

'Then we will cross that bridge when we get to it,' Dick answered cooly, without hesitation. 'Look, Y/N, you are not some tyrant who uses power to harm others. In all the time I've known you, I don't think you're even capable of harming innocents. Your worst fears of yourself, they are never going to come to fruition because you're-'

Dick cut himself off and Y/N couldn't help but notice the red flush creeping up from his neck. The intensity of which his blue eyes were looking at her made her feel simultaneously vulnerable and impenetrable. The silence that hung between them had her heart stuttering. Out of hope, out of fear, she couldn't tell the two apart anymore.

'I'm...?' she asked, not daring to try and finish that sentence, It was silly really. They were in the middle of a war and here she was thinking about all the almosts, all the close calls. The moment back on the balcony before Echidna decided to wage her war on Themyscira. It was stupid, but Y/N couldn't help it. Even after all this time, she couldn't help it when it came to Dick Grayson.

'You're... you're the best person there is,' he finally finished, but his words sounded strained. As if he had planned something else to say. 'You're a good leader, Y/N. You are strong and compassionate and I've never known anyone else to hold onto their resolve and values as much as you can. If it's Athena's power that possessed you, then, well, I couldn't think of anyone more suitable to wield it.'

Y/N wasn't sure why she was surprised anymore. Her heart deflated at his words, or more so at the words he didn't say. She couldn't believe she was still hoping after all this time that he would ever say what she wanted him to say, to feel all that she felt for him and more.

But she wasn't some heartbroken eighteen-year-old anymore. Dick was right, she was a leader now, and they had a war to win above all else.

So she smiled her gratitude, but couldn't help a chuckle as she said, 'Athena's not a demon, you know. I don't think gods "possess" people.'

'Well what would you call it then?'

Y/N shrugged. 'I don't know. I just... I don't want the women to think I'm weird, you know?'

'Too late for that I'm afraid, Princess.'

Y/N glared at Dick at the mention of her title, but eventually dropped it and sighed. 'I more meant I don't want them to think I'm a god or something. I don't want them to fear me.'

Dick looked thoughtfully down at the beach for a moment before returning to look at Y/N. 'God or not, everyone should be right to fear you. I mean, you're an actual Amazon warrior who can lift cars above her head with one arm and can fly with just a single thought. Who wouldn't be a little fearful of you?'

'Are you really trying to make me feel better?' Y/N flatly asked.

'I'm getting to that point,' he countered. 'What I'm trying to say is, yes, you are terrifying to certain people. But anyone who knows you and cares for you knows who you truly are.'

'And what's that, Grayson?'

'A good person,' Dick answered, eyes locked with hers. 'A true leader with a heart of gold. Echidna messed with the wrong Amazon, and she's gonna regret it. I just know it.'

Despite his joking demeanour, Y/N could tell he was being sincere now. Better yet, he was being honest, and while it didn't appease the fear in her heart, she appreciated his kindness.

Another thing she frustratingly loved about him.

She smiled at him. 'Thanks. I really needed that.'

Dick smiled in return. 'I know you, Y/N. Just like you know me. I'll always be here to help keep your head on straight.' With a tired groan, Dick stands up. 'Speaking of which, you should probably get some sleep before the sunrise. Who knows what Echidna has in store for us next.'

Dick offered his hand to help Y/N up, to which she graciously accepted. He pulled her to her feet and the two of them walked to the tent that was setting up cots for soldiers not on duty to sleep on until it was time to get up.

At the first empty cot they found, Dick said, 'You take this one. I'm sure there is another one nearby.'

'Thanks,' Y/N said, offering him a sweet smile. 'And thanks... for before.'

'Don't mention it,' Dick replied, but instead of walking away he continued to stare at her. It was like he was contemplating his next move. Just as Y/N was going to go to bed, he swiftly stepped close enough to her to place a kiss on her forehead.

The action caught her so off guard she just froze, aware of nothing but his lips on her skin. Even when he stepped away, his kiss felt like it was burning into her forehead.

'Goodnight, Princess,' he said softly, and then he was turning away and striding down the aisles of cots in search of an empty one.

Long after he'd disappeared from her sight, she still looked on into space, fingers delicately pressed to her forehead. What in the name of Aphrodite was that about?

~~~

Y/N didn't remember falling asleep, only that one moment she was frozen with confusion over her conflicting emotions regarding a certain dark-haired batboy, and the next she was waking up at the first ray of sunshine.

Y/N sat up and threw her legs over the side of the cot. Her muscles ached slightly, but that was possibly the cot's fault. It really wasn't the comfiest of bedding to use. But they were at war, so they would have to make do.

It suddenly struck Y/N how quiet it was. She looked around her; everyone was still asleep. She strained to hear for any outside noise but could not register any. That's odd, she thought, and so stood up and made her way outside the tent.

Even when she had first entered the tent, there were Amazons sitting around chatting and laughing and cooking. In general, there had been a huge commotion even in the early hours of the morning. But as she stepped out of the tent, it alarmed her to see nothing but white fog around the campsite they had set up in the streets.

What in the world... Y/N walked around the fires that had long since died when they should've still been burning. She noticed the absence of warriors heavily. Where is everyone?

A thought had her running for the stairs that lead down to the beach. She could barely see the next step as they came up, but she didn't care. Some horrible feeling inside her said something was wrong.

Distracted, Y/N tripped on the last step and landed face first in the sand with a heavy thud. But she didn't waste time getting up as she spat out sand and scrambled to her feet. There should've been torches, but the fog was too thick even almost standing next to them.

Y/N walked slowly through the fog, unsure what direction she now was heading. I really should've brought a weapon, she thought, berating herself at how vulnerable she felt.

After a few metres of blindly walking, she saw a torch stand through the fog. She ran for it, but upon closer approach she noticed the flame had gone out. Y/N looked into the pit in which the flame would've been burning, and found still warm ashes sitting there.

This went out recently. Now Y/N was really regretting not bringing a weapon. She spun around blindly, expecting an attack at any point. But what was she going to do if they did? I need to get back to camp and wake everyone up.

Just as she took a step in the direction she thought the stairs were, she kicked something quite solid, almost tripping over it. She had to bend down to see through the fog to see what it had been.

To her horror, it was the body of an Amazon. Well, just her torso that is. As Y/N inspected closer, she found more body parts scattered nearby. Blood and guts littered and stained the beach, and Y/N finally realised that it wasn't just the parts of one body she was looking at. It was the entire Guard they'd assigned to watch the dome.

Y/N covered her mouth to stop her from both screaming and throwing up the lamb she had only a few hours ago. What could've done this? Unless...

A growl emanated somewhere in the fog, and Y/N put aside her disgust and picked up one of her dead comrade's swords. Again, she spun around in anticipation of an attack, but she couldn't tell where the sound was coming from. It sounded everywhere and nowhere all at once.

She backed up and to her relief her feet met with stone. The stairs. Y/N took a step up backwards, keeping her eye and sword aimed on the fog in front of her. She was trying to be quiet, but the fog made the steps slightly wet. One step she didn't quite make, and her foot slipped down, causing her to yelp in fear. Y/N quickly balanced herself, but she'd given herself away.

A giant dog-like creature leaped from the fog, its fangs bared sharp and ready to bite. Y/N reflexively put the sword up as a block and pushed the hound off. When it lunged at her again with an open mouth, she plunged the sword into the roof of the hound's mouth. It howled in agony, but Y/N only pushed the sword even more until it pierced the creature's brain.

It fell lifelessly to the ground as Y/N pulled the sword out. As she did, she noticed the fog clearing slowly and revealing more hounds and other creatures waiting on the beach. They stared up at her hungrily, snapping their jaws as if imagining how she would taste when they got to her.

Y/N didn't wait to find out that answer, instead turning and sprinting as fast as she could up the stairs and back to camp. She heard the howls and hisses of the monsters, felt the stairs tremble with their paws and hooves. Y/N ducked as a giant wasp-like monster swooped at her, but she just swiped at the monster's wings and didn't look to see it plummet to the earth.

As she approached the top of the stairs, she cried, 'Get up! Get up!' Assume offensive stations!' But as she reached the city, she was horrified to see that the fight had already begun. The fog had been a hiding place for the monsters, as well a way to keep everyone but her asleep, it seemed. Giving them enough to infiltrate the edges of the city.

The dome hadn't held, and now they were well and truly under attack.

Remembering the creatures that followed her, she turned and began slicing her sword at any that came near her. She sent some tumbling back down the stairs, knocking others down as well. But they just kept coming.

'Princess, look out!'

Y/N turned around to find some warriors about to roll a barrel down the stairs, so she dove out of the way as they did. The creatures howled as they were taken out and rolled back down the mountain. Out of nowhere, a flaming arrow arced over the mountainside and landed perfectly on the still-moving barrel, causing an explosion that sent monster guts and marble stone flying everywhere.

Y/N looked to her left to see archers lined up on the roofs of houses, some flaming, some normal. They aimed at those on the ground, as well as the giant insects and harpies that flew in the sky.

Y/N caught the eye of one of the flaming archers, no doubt the one who'd blown the barrel up, and gave a nod of approval. The warrior returned the gestures, then returned to her duties.

'Keep this up! Don't let anymore up the stairs!' she called to the barrel soldiers.

'Yes, Princess!' they replied, already moving onto their next barrel filled with, Y/N figured, explosive powder.

Satisfied that the area was being taken care of, Y/N looked to the skies. The harpies and insects were dropping rocks and attacking from on high. The screams of her friends compelled Y/N to run towards a tall pile of rubble and leap onto a harpy flying by.

The creature screeched and spun around in the effort to shake Y/N off. But Y/N gripped the scruff of the harpy's neck nape and pulled backwards. The harpy, midair, reared up like a horse, but still Y/N held on. Now with a better grip, Y/N guided the harpy to fly high and forwards. Guiding the harpy with one hand, Y/N used the other hand to slice and stab the other harpies and insects attacking her friends.

One by one, they plummeted to the ground. The insects splattered while the harpies either fell on the rubble or they were killed by nearby warriors.

A certain large gathering of hounds on the ground caught Y/N's attention, and as she flew the harpy closer she saw what brought the hounds there. Quickly, she plunged her sword into the harpy's head and leaped off it as the creature fell lifelessly to the ground.

She tumbled right into the middle of the gathering and pressed her back up against the meat that drew the hounds there. 'You sure know how to pick your battles, Grayson,' she said as she spun around with her sword at the ready.

'Hey, it's not my fault I'm so appealing,' he countered, that arrogant charm of his unfaltering even now. 'Though I have to admit, this isn't the target audience for my charms.'

'Gods, you know no shame, do you?'

'I know, it's both a flaw and a super power.'

Y/N rolled her eyes. 'Less talking, batboy, and more fighting.'

Simultaneously Y/N and Dick swung out at the hounds, causing them to leap at the two of them. It didn't take long for them to behead the creatures, leaving the two of them standing in the middle of the circle of death heaving for breath.

Dick finally broke the silence when he turned to Y/N and said between gulping breaths. 'Batboy? Really? That's low, even for you.'

Y/N shrugged. 'Sorry. Slip of the tongue.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Y/N noticed something was happening to the slaughtered hounds. It looked like green energy was being sucked out of them, slowly causing them to completely disintegrate.

'What's happening to them?' Dick asked, coming to stand beside Y/N.

'I don't know,' she answered, eyes following the trails of green energy back to the camp. A cold stone feeling settled in her stomach. 'But we better go find out. Come on!'

Y/N and Dick ran back through the damaged streets towards the camp, leaping over fallen statues and jumping over giant holes in the cobblestone ground. Y/N had never been more grateful for her call to evacuate the city two evenings ago. Who knew how many more bodies, how many more innocents would be lying dead on the streets with their fallen warriors.

Y/N and Dick raced around the corner but stopped at the sight that greeted them. The energy from the hounds - along with the other monsters, both fallen and still fighting - wasn't just going anywhere. It was being sucked and sourced into creating something larger than all the monsters Echidna sent. The last of the energy from its fellow monsters finished the third head of the serpent-like dragon creature, causing that stone cold feeling in Y/N to spread over her whole body in terrified realisation.

'Hydra! Take cover!' Y/N cried as she grabbed Dick's hand and dragged him towards a building that had pillars out the front.

The monster reared its three heads back before spitting out fire all over the camp. Y/N and Dick ducked behind a pillar just in time, but Y/N felt the heat of the flames at the pillar's edge. Dick must've felt them too, as he quickly pulled Y/N into his chest and held her close. Y/N instinctively clutched onto his back, and there they held each other until the heat died down and they could move.

Y/N took a peep of the damage that had been done. Warriors - friends - that hadn't taken cover were melted into the ground, the walls of buildings, into carts too. Some laid screaming from where the flames had just caught them. The flames had been so intense they'd melted off the body parts unfortunate enough to be caught.

The screams threatened to consume Y/N. She couldn't take her eyes away from them all. But one girl caught Y/N's eyes. She laid just a few metres away from where Y/N stood in the safety of the building. She was on her stomach, crawling towards Y/N, towards safety. Her head was partially burnt, leaving behind only tufts of brown hair. Her legs had melted off, and still she struggled.

As the warrior's eyes met Y/N's, and she reached out with one hand and cried, 'Princess! Help me! Help me, please!'

Y/N realised what the warrior meant. She'd saved them all on the beach last night, she could pull off another miracle again. But Y/N couldn't feel any power surging inside her. In fact, she'd never felt more powerless in her life. Athena was not coming to help them this time, and there was nothing Y/N could do about it.

But I am here. I can help.

Y/N shook herself out of her thoughts and made to go down the steps of the building. 'I'm coming-'

Y/N stopped when the hydra slammed its foot down on the warrior, spraying her blood and guts all over Y/N. It took Y/N's brain a moment to compute what just happened, and even after she did, Y/N did not move. The image of the warrior pleading to her to help froze her; the feeling of blood and guts all over her made her want to hurl, but she was - for the first time in a long time - too scared to move.

The world had gone quiet, all senses but her sight had gone numb.

'Y/... /N... Y/N!'

One moment she was staring at where the warrior had just been squashed, the next Y/N was rolling along the bloodied cobblestone streets, Dick's arms around her.

Once they'd stopped, Y/N looked to where they'd been standing to see another foot of the hydra's standing there. She'd been so out of it, she almost ended up like the fallen warrior.

Y/N's attention turned to Dick as he placed a hand on her upper arm and heaved her to her feet. 'Come on, we've got to move!' he cried, dragging her to follow the other warriors who were fleeing the camp area.

It was like his touch activated her senses once more, as she was able to regain balance and a sense of surroundings in order to run alongside Dick. Together, the two scrambled through the city, following the remaining warriors that fled for the palace. The palace possessed ancient magic that dispelled any unwanted visitors. Y/N hoped that included unwanted and unexpected hydras.

As they drew closer to the palace gates, Y/N recognised Calliope was the one holding them open, ushering everyone. 'Hurry up, get inside!' she cried, then she turned and spotted Y/N and Dick. Relief softened her expression, but her eyes quickly widened as her gaze drifted somewhere behind them. 'Hurry, it's right behind you!'

Both Dick and Y/N turned to briefly look at the hydra. It had turned the pathway they'd just run on into a scorched wasteland, nothing but burning houses and scolding hot rocks in its wake. Its triple green gaze fell on the two of them and reared its three heads, ready to strike.

Y/N and Dick didn't wait to see what happened next, as they turned back around and sprinted with all their energy and will to survive to the gates of the palace.

'Come on!' Calliope called, and soon she was joined by others.

'Keep going!'

'Run faster!'

'Hurry!'

'Come on!'

They'd reach the gates as the hydra blew its fiery attack. Y/N, Calliope, Dick, and whoever was nearby gripped onto the palace gates and yanked them as hard and as fast as they could to close them.

Calliope yelped as some of the flames squeezed through the gap of the closing gates, stumbling backwards before falling into a crouch with her hands tucked tight to her chest.

Everyone stood back from the gates, waiting for fire or smoke or the hydra itself to burst through the gates. But no matter how much it attacked, nothing came through.

'We're safe,' one of the Amazons nearby said with immense relief.

'For now,' Y/N added, turning to crouch with Calliope. 'What's wrong? How can I help?'

In the time Y/N had known Calliope, she had never seen the brave warrior cry. But her she was, crouched, almost folded in on herself, offering her burnt and blistered hands out to Y/N with tears pouring like waterfalls down her flushed and dirty cheeks.

Horror and guilt tore through Y/N like a sword to the heart, piercing what she thought was a soldier's composure. She reached out to Calliope's hands and gently cradled them, avoiding actual contact less she cried more.

'I am... I am sorry, Calliope,' Y/N murmured softly, unsure how else to express the pain she felt for her friend. The pain she had caused her friend.

Y/N looked to the crowd that was huddled in the courtyard of the palace. There were, by the looks of things, less than one quarter of the warriors that were based at Y/N's camp standing before her. That including the injured, the barely standing, the barely breathing. She could hardly tell if anyone but herself and Dick had come out of the hydra encounter unscathed.

Princess! Help me! Help me, please!

Y/N swallowed the stomach acid that threatened to come up and stood up, addressing the crowd. 'Anyone here a medic?' Three girls put their hands up. 'Good. Take General Calliope and any other injured warriors to the Palace Infirmary and assist with their care. Everyone else, head to the kitchens and find some food. Then get some rest. I will... I will...'

This is where her mind went blank. Even with all her training, all her experiences with bad guys and death, she couldn't unsee the poor girl, who couldn't have been much older than herself, reaching out to her, expecting Y/N to save her. She couldn't unsee the blood, the guts, the melted bodies.

She couldn't see what their next step was.

'You heard the Princess,' Dick suddenly interjected. 'Now go.'

The remaining warriors nodded their heads in agreement and scurried away, many helping the injured to the infirmary as they went. One of the medics and another warrior came to collect Calliope, who still cried with pain.

Her howls echoed well and truly past when she left the courtyard, leaving Y/N feeling more empty and sorrowful than she'd ever been.

~~~

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amyoffline · 7 months ago

Text

It's done! The outline for—

—is below the cut. The goal of this project is to explore the following phenomena with as much context and nuance as I can manage, tracing our history over the past 15 years:

What about us, and what about Dan and Phil, drew in and continues to draw in a very specific audience. If they are a ranch metaphor, we are a pizza metaphor ��🍕🫶🏻

Why we were Like That™, by which I mean so parasocially invested in them that we became, at times, the most annoying people on the internet. Much of that reputation is undeserved, and the videos on the phandom to date have been strongly negative. So, uh, I guess I'm going to put my face on camera and (mostly) defend us.

Reblog, share in your Discord servers, reply, or send me messages/anon asks with feedback or resources if you have any! Especially if your experience being in this fandom community has been dramatically different from mine. There are TIT spoilers near the end of the outline, but I'm not tagging because certain individuals seem to be lurking over there. Thank you!

Chapters:

Full outline:

introduction

cold open

felt personally attacked by jonathan haidt's last press tour

showed up to the phrenaissance 11 months late

had an unexpectedly strong response to their new content, needed to find out why

what the hell are we doing here?

- phenomenology (academics are professionally insufferable) - research question 1: what drew the audience in? - research question 2: why were we Like That™?

what we're NOT doing here

- a strict content analysis or "wow we sucked" video - providing sources for things best left uncirculated, thank you

reflexivity (personal biases)

- american zillennial in public health - in the youtube audience by spring 2010 - lurking in the phandom on tumblr 2013-2015, back* since 2019 - fan behavior i did and did not engage in

(----): truly necessary background information, i swear

(pop) cultural trends, tech, and their intersection

- nerd/geek identity and the first online weirdos - broadcast tv & the music industry vs the internet - defining "emo" - blogging & vlogging - early internet comedy

broader social/economic trends

- so the U.S. economy collapsed in 2007 - a decade that sucked except for rom-coms and square enix games - the flip/slide phone + digital camera + mp3 player loadout

(05-8): early youtube and early phil

youtube: a great video uploader without a clear purpose

the content on the website

- crossposts, corporations, and creative/social outlets - omg guys it's amazing phil - contemporary youtube-to-legacy success: justin bieber

the audience of "early adopters"

contemporary social media sites and forums

(2009): origin story

a wild dan appears… in the comments

the global constant that is teenagers being messy online

daring my old school district to sue me

- "one town's war on gay teens" (literal rolling stone headline!) - epidemiology 101: rates of… ugh… "unaliving" oneself - ways kids cope when it seems no adults will help them

the earliest days of dan & phil

- hello internet + pinof - a chronically overexamined timeline - file deleted ---* so how big WAS the audience at the time? ---* acceptable funny/edgy language was just different

contemporary youtube-to-legacy success: lucas cruikshank

omg it's meeeeeee

- how amy & friends were using youtube - ways i was just destined to end up here - being in social environments with peers 3-6 years older

(2010): is it "twenty-ten" or "two thousand ten?"

youtube is a platform about to explode in popularity

- the algorithm before it was The Algorithm™, lost site features - let's take a trip through the wayback machine :3c - actual dan & phil content in 2010 - the green brothers found vidcon - contemporary youtube-to-legacy success: darren criss

social media: also about to explode in popularity

- facebook was cool at the time, believe it or not - law of equivalent exchange: 2010 amy cringe compilation - the birth of instagram and pinterest - youtube slash livejournal (the first phanfics… sort of) - shockfic and its place in the overton window

the beginning of "the great rewiring" as haidt calls it

- ways social media is about to dramatically change - third spaces become online spaces - confounding variable: changing expectations of teens

(2011): the end of an era, the start of an age

a very long tangent on fandom and pop culture

cultural exchange

counterculture and teenagers as concepts

the first british invasion: the 1960s

- beatlemania and its descendents - moral panic about the virtue of tween/teen girls - tv/film/fashion trends being imported from the uk - in parallel, star trek births the modern fandom

the second british invasion: the 1980s

- synth/new pop that came out of the punk movement (hi, emo?) - confined mainly to music and fashion - cool britannia

it's harry freakin' potter

- absolute titan of pop culture influence - the rise of online fandom: examining the horrors ---* what is "wank" ---* flaming, sockpuppeting, and general cyberbullying ---* censorship: ffnet purges, boldthrough, & strikethrough ---* other fandom shenanigans of the time (yaoi paddles, anyone?)

harry potter's over. now what?

- for those who needed coming-of-age hero's journeys ---* twilight and YA dystopia waiting in the wings ---* some pretty iconic tv shows start or hit their stride ---* the mcu's phase one ---* takeaway: the rise of "geek culture" generally - for those who just wanted to go to hogwarts ---* doctor who & the wider world of bbc programming ---* british vloggers, you say? where? on youtube? brb--

end tangent, back to your regularly scheduled programming

dan & phil in the first half of 2011

- a continuation of 2010… for now - the videos - british pancakes as a case study of bad fan behavior

streaming and social media

- the birth of snapchat, twitch, and younow - netflix starts developing original programming - multi-channel networks (mcns) - digitour

dan & phil in the second half of 2011

- and they were roommates (omg they were roommates) - fantastic foursome - youtube glitches out - the super amazing project - the first proper baking video + wait, is that the bbc?

~ baking interlude 1: christmas cookies ~

the family sugar cookie (sorry, delia)

amy's 2011

(2012): why is anyone nostalgic for this

the transition from desktop to mobile

- massive growth in smartphone ownership 2011-2015 - things one might do on mobile one might not do on desktop - non-online ways smartphones changed being a youth™

what is tumblr and why is my child using it

- how the site is meant to work - fandom, memes, aesthetics, and SOME public figures - want to be anxious and depressed in peace? come to tumblr - this site seems a little……… gay ---* tumblr's very queer, very neurodiverse userbase ---* legacy media representation in 2012: bad! ---* actual academic research on tumblr users (yes, it exists) - the tumblr experience for non-native english speakers

amy becomes a vibrating mass of panic and paranoia

- in context of the above - additional rant about the american public school system

the growing dan & phil audience

- investigating the origin of the term "phannie" - more collaborations = more viewers - more video uploads = more /invested/ viewers - younow and interacting with fans - watch time replaces clicks in the algorithm

online etiquette, or lack thereof

- mid-transition from the 2000s to the 2010s - "professional internet celebrity" is still basically brand-new - lack of boundaries - various ways to be an asshole online - unsupervised kids simply do not engage in best practices

the end of 2012

- dan and phil move to london - wikipedia vandalism - tiptoeing around a top contender for the phandom's greatest sin - super amazing project DONE, now it's BBC RADIO TIME

(2013): arguably the most important year

- wait. what's that six-second video platform over there--

[amy's curated vine compilation]

- a new wave of internet comedians (read: future youtubers) - the zillennial lexicon - other platforms start emphasizing short-form video content - magcon

emo is BACK - well, sort of

- fob hiatus ends, mcr breaks up. my god. you had to be there - more open ties to nerd/geek culture than in the 2000s - these things once again intersect at dan and phil

dan and phil in the first half of 2013

- siri, what's a "sex symbol?" why are you booing me i'm right-- - d&p are everywhere - radio shows, interviewing, hosting - youtube uploads on their individual channels

rapidly changing cultural attitudes towards queerness

- gay marriage will be legal in places other than canada soon - a lot of assimilationist rhetoric though tbh - parallels to the pop feminism of the decade

hey kids, let's talk about compulsory heterosexuality!!

- what is it and why do people do it - academic, tumblr-level, and anecdotal research - the dannies, the phillies, and the phannies

amy

- the closet™ - mental health stigma - 2013 dnp posts from my main blog

dan and phil in the second half of 2013

- subscriber milestones, vidcon - joint content before the gaming channel - phandom starts having a major presence outside tumblr

(2014): achievement unlocked!

it's time to talk about rpf

- definitions (a chance to be annoyingly pedantic) - academic perspectives and fan discourse on the ethics - when the subjects clearly aren't fine with it - so… we can acknowledge "shipping phan" was different, right? ---* sometimes the subjects are fine* with it, actually ---* how dan and phil started to handle the shipping ---* obvious differences between phan and other rpf ships ---* sharing my favorite passages as a first-time phanfic reader

dan and phil in 2014

- wikipedia vandalism 2: electric boogaloo - bbc request show → internet takeover - the 7 second challenge - youtube content, subscriber milestones, rewind - cons and award shows

tumblr reaches the peak of its influence

- yahoo's attempts to monetize the userbase - buzzfeed and aggregators steal our jokes and bait our clicks - legacy media dangles carrots and uses us for free marketing - the legend of korra breaks TV precedent, almost out of nowhere - the tumblr user experience ---* on mobile, without xkit ---* on desktop, with xkit ---* 2014 dnp posts from my main blog

gamergate and its long shadow

- trolling, renewed and revamped - algorithms push increasingly extreme content - the broad conservative backlash conglomerate - increased normalization of conspiracism in general

my greatest sin [not clickbait] [very funny]

- so, circling back to comphet… - the actual story

anyway, let's talk about danandphilgames

- a star is born: dil howlter - different types of gaming content on youtube at the time - why did 17yo amy not subscribe? well…

~ baking interlude 2: chocolate cupcakes ~

make your own frosting. it freezes well

roasting myself further

(2015): it's not queerbaiting when it's real people

facebook "pivots to video"

- mark zuckerberg lied. water is wet - causes other platforms to REALLY double down on video - the birth of musical.ly - corporate-branded creators (read: future youtubers)

queerbaiting enters mainstream public consciousness

- academic origins - early fannish and acafan writing - johnlock, destiel, and sterek - statistics 101: type i error, type ii error, and queerbait

dan, phil, and the phandom

- bbc, cons, & the brits - danandphilcrafts - phan conspiracies ---* japhan ---* body language experts ---* timeline truthers ---* floor plan investigators ---* no but seriously imagine it - regular youtube uploads ---* solo content ---* joint content ---* subscriber milestones, rewind - tatinof uk and tabinof ---* on "selling out" ---* revisiting the statistics 101 lesson: now with real people! ---* never meet your heroes (unless they're dan and phil)

amy's (temporary) exit from the phandom

- it's legal adulthood with a steel chair!! - growing discomfort with some fans' behavior - 2015 dnp posts from my main blog - the closer: final fantasy vii

(2016): season finale

vine's imminent demise

- content platforms behaving badly - content creators behaving badly

youtube after "the great rewiring" (as haidt calls it)

- version 1.0 of the modern youtube algorithm ---* deep neural networks for dummies ---* what's holding creators accountable, or not - advertising and sponsorships ---* basically every child and youth™ is watching now ---* the battle for our attention ---* regulators start to crack down on undisclosed ads - the rise of drama/tea content (and later, channels) ---* youtubers are now seen as regular celebrities ---* dan and phil as the butt of other youtubers' jokes ---* baiting the phandom for engagement

tatinof us and aus

- a proven new model for live show tours - show & documentary released to youtube red (now premium) - [sigh] the tour bus

sea change in online fandom

- the newer, sometimes queerer media in korra's wake ---* better and more representation in live-action tv shows ---* voltron (i'm sorry!!!) ---* the mystic messenger craze ---* alice oseman & heartstopper - the new dynamics of #discourse ---* proship is to anti as phannie is to phanti ---* the bad behaviors of the 00s get a new coat of paint ---* new, though: fans harassing creators ---* a personal note on ace discourse

dan and phil presence off-tour

- the internet takeover ends - regular content, subscriber milestones

so. uh. current events.

- brexit - sorry the united states is a font of chaos - ripple effects

closing out the year

- amy finally gets an anxiety diagnosis and treatment! hurray! - dapgo, rewind - bbc radio awards & the boncas - gamingmas

(2017): time for a rebrand

tangent - sit down!!! buckle up!!! today's lecture is on PSIs & PSRs!!!

"parasocial" as defined by the current zeitgeist

- summing up youtubers' and laypeople's opinions (not dan's) - an unfairly negative stance overall, imo

older academic literature

- the 1956 paper (yes, 1956) - with traditional celebrities - with fictional characters

current academic literature

- with youtubers and other content creators - positive effects on the audience - negative effects on the audience - broader societal implications

fandom spaces as a parasocial experience

- parasocial and truly social interactions with each other - phandom as a supportive, welcoming space for oddballs - what research i can find about neurospicy folks, + anecdotes - me and everyone else on planet earth move to discord

inherent transactionality

- the nature of celebrity - positive effects on creators - negative effects on creators

reexamining early phandom through a parasocial lens

- the good, the bad, and the ugly - the role audience demographics played in all of this - entering, exiting, and remaining in the phandom

end tangent, back to your regularly scheduled programming

vine is well and truly dead

- some had prepared to become primarily youtubers (smart) - some move to musical.ly, insta, facebook, or snap (less so)

the sun sets on danisnotonfire

- i am very normal about dan's hobbit hair, i swear. - the last dnp content before the rebrand - new apartment, new floor plan investigations

adpocalypse now

- youtube has become the village elder of platforms ---* increased scrutiny, increased responsibility ---* some youtubers had been getting away with !#$!#@% - the scandals ---* pewdiepie + logan paul ---* elsagate and being "family- friendly" (read: ad-friendly) - censorship and monetization ---* adsense revenue goes down as advertisers pull out ---* the glory days of posting whatever and making bank are over

amazingphil and ~daniel howell~

- youtube & younow content - that week in march - vacations and conventions - conjoined baking and the concept of a "soft launch" - daniel & depression → dan as a mental health advocate - truth bombs, ii announcement, rewind

(2018): the phandom vs the hiatus they told us not to worry about

interactive introverts

- "giving the people what they want" - in hindsight… - let's talk about dnp fans from the global south

youtuber burnout

- it wasn't just dan: (more examples than header fits) - the old model was simply not sustainable - newer contributing factors - research on burnout, plus personal anecdotal experience

other dan and phil videos

- phil's solo videos - gay and not proud - hometown showdown - other joint videos - phil's #shorts (sounds normal in american english)

panini updates

- vaccines soon, uwu??? + entrenched misinformation - pros and cons of remote work - pros and cons of remote school - pros and cons of remote socializing

you will get through this night

- younger me really could have used this book too, dan - thoughts as a professional in a related field - reflecting on some of my more unique circumstances

daring my old school district to sue me (again!!)

- updates: racism and transphobia - updates: right-wing freaks take over the school board again - residents vote against improving mental health resources

(2022): dan returns (still not on fire)

hey so politics are um getting worse

- americans lose the right to reproductive freedom ---* the quickest of histories on where these freaks came from ---* this shit kills people. - trans kids become the punching bag of culture war discourse ---* fuck off! (gently) ---* fuck off! (i have a knife) ---* checking in on terf island

we're all doooooooooooooooomed

- dystopia daily my beloved - the style, the substance, the metatextual analysis-- - not everyone loved it, though. why? - the promo - dan on tour + sister daniel

amy's 2022

- i got covid - then i got long covid: brain fog, pots-like symptoms

some more news (i will work on my warmbo impression)

- dan joins tiktok + danisnotinteresting uploads - phil: uploading less, busy doing remote crisis management - twitter is acquired by an idiot jackass - heartstopper on netflix! ---* the show and what it means to people ---* drama (revisiting "real people can't queerbait") ---* why this has anything to do with the phandom

~ baking interlude 4: cinnamon rolls ~

- lovingly, recipe changes and corrections :) - if i have an opinion about anything, it's sweet yeasted breads

(2023): the phrenaissance

phil

- joins tiktok! - youtube uploads through september - what even is phannie tiktok. i've never used this app. help.

dystopia daily b-sides

- dan memes of 2022 - the 2023 dystopia daily episodes

amy: the doctoral candidacy process

- purgatory, privilege, poverty, and free pizza - checking in on what this is like outside the united states

pretending the panini is over

- complaining about post-adpocalypse censorship standards - honest take about "giving up" on covid - who gets the short end of the stick

the youtube algorithm is BAD and UNINTELLIGENT, actually,

- unhinged rant about not hearing about the gaming rephrival - because i was offline from other platforms. like, @amyoffline.

pov: you are a phannie (not me) on october 15th

- what i was doing on october 15th - saying goodbye forever, spooky week, and november - gamingmas - phil uploads through december

(2024): fifteen years of terrible, terrible influence

hey what the fuck is going on

- dan and phil ---* joint and phil videos ---* jokes they never would've made ten years ago ---* a collection of emotional posts about how far they've come ---* people want fun and silly content again. we'll get to why ---* nostalgia, hope, and other warm and fuzzy feelings - the phandom ---* ancient parasocial attachments, reactivated instantly ---* people are way more normal now. let's discuss why ---* tumblr vs twitter vs tiktok phandom

we're all doomed, youtube version

- my thoughts - thoughts on "dan should/shouldn't" do video essays - i can't objectively evaluate anything he makes bc [gunshots]

terrible influence tour

- legally phlonde - the concept: healing one's inner child / taking it back - we gotta talk about phannies in the global south again - no but seriously imagine it? ---*ogres are like onions, they have LAYERS ---* [placeholder for whatever does(n't) happen]

anglosphere current events once again

- the likely us tiktok ban - the tories get fired - [placeholder for whichever hell americans manifest] - witnessing genocide and feeling powerless

ffx full-circle moment to the intro of this video essay

- the night i found out they came back - why i am doing this, now with context - reflections on a nearly 15-year (parasocial) relationship

whatever youtube uploads we get during fall/december

AMY SEES TIT (nov 14)

- the vibes at the phamily reunion - buying merch to apologize for eternal ublock origin use - how much should i document?? (not during the show) - phanspiracies confirmed - atlanta confessions - favorite bits - the alternate universe where i went to tatinof and/or ii

(2025): the horrors persist, but so do we

whatever 2025 content is out while i'm still working on this

our parasocial social club

- let me be philosophytube for a second ---* every interaction has a parasocial element ---* what are we obligated to do as a phandom, actually? ---* as people who parasocially care about these two dorks? ---* what else should we be doing socially to be at our happiest? - "they're my gay uncles" vs "i'm a little in love, even now" ---* riffing about the boundary/overlap between these camps ---* sibling reads me for filth in a single text (sister daniel...) ---* at least we're all in this together

what's going to continue to draw people in

- grown adults drawing our cat whiskers back on - updates on queer/nd kids - updates on anxiety/depression rates - updates on tech and the broader environment of content - world still feels doomed

tangent - the "hard launch" and why people want it

what are people referring to, exactly

- general definition and other examples - when it comes to dan and phil - maybe they hard launched already and we just missed the memo

the ludonarrative of phandom

- if you got here early on - if you got here in the mid-2010s - if you got here after they came out - if you got here post-hiatus - final fantasy comparison: ffvii's chokehold over first-timers

a rom-com for the ages

- the tropes in play - brief tangent on the evolution of the genre - queer romantic comedies - final fantasy comparison: ffviii's plot and squall/rinoa

phriends… or…

- wholesome influence, slice-of-life - projection - final fantasy comparison: ffxv's gameplay loop, the chocobros

humans don't like ambiguity

- from a media perspective (narrative tension) - research from the hard sciences - final fantasy comparison: fanille ---* the first gay final fantasy characters, actually ---* ffxiii's character development process ---* fang and vanille in the text. brb, clawing at the walls ---* so, if anyone is looking for a phyuri au prompt…

tl;dr: reality is not fiction. make peace with not "knowing"

end tangent, back to your regularly scheduled programming

the phuture

- phil's big solo project when??? - dapg is just the joint channel now - youtube has changed since when dan last "regularly" uploaded - nothing lasts forever, and that's okay

~ baking interlude 5: ranch + pizza ~

- ranch propaganda and ranch metaphors - showing off my dough and sauce skills

conclusions

- a lot has happened in 15 years - [placeholders: don't write your conclusions before you do your research]

Proof this project can only be done in consultation with Tumblr: no other platform we're on could accommodate a post of this length and formatting detail lol

#dan and phil #phan #dnp #daniel howell #amazingphil #this took so long to format oh my god please read it and talk to me #except it's 1am in my time zone so i'm going honk mimimimi soon enough #amy writes

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alllgator-blood · 1 month ago

Note

Hi Tumblr user allIgator-blood River #1 Sham(warm)ura(a) Apologist ,, I may have shown up in your ask box Maybe about three times now ...? I apologize for my cringe </3

The trend of drawing your Shamura has been funny to witness and Therefore I wanted to give in Finally to wanting to draw your design 🫴 ARRHHG. Your designs are eye candy to me

I drew the second one First 😓 They r SO fluffy 🥹🥹.... .... .......,, Awawawa I don't remember if they have pawbeans still But. allIgator-blood, residency of fluffmura 🥹🥹.... SORRY WAIG I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT'S MY SHAMURA ASKING THEM THAT --- GWHDJWJD

Quite honestly you've been a big inspiration for me and why I've improved on art for the past year, I'm somewhat new to digital art and following you has been the same journey I've been on for learning digital art :o)c

I lost track of my old asks soooo long ago so I'm very sorry if you sent in asks I never saw, bUT I DEFINITELY SEE THESE!!! Don't apologize for being "cringe" cause I've gotten some Questionable asks on occasion, and I don't think anything you'd sent in would've qualified as that...

The size difference is killing me, I know your mura is short and while I usually draw mine deflated and shriveled, they're still like the tallest biggest MF in my lore, so it's funny finally seeing these two side by side like this. ACTUALLY I'M JUST ENAMORED BY HOW BIG YOU MADE MY SHAMURA IN GENERAL. I'm sitting over here with my hands clasped together like "waow......" and kicking my legs. I draw post-schism shamura most often but my favorite version of them is for sure before the schism- you did a really good job capturing their vibe from back then, which I can only describe as like. "Kindly soul who has the capacity to throw you through a brick wall, but probably won't. Probably"

I'm happy to hear my art could help you improve with yours, and I'd say digital art is absolutely a worthy endeavor because of the sheer versatility/affordability after the initial cost of setup. I'm terrible at giving advice but if you (or anyone else reading this) ever has questions about how/why I do things, I don't gatekeep, so I'd gladly spill the beans on pretty much anything tbh. The answer is never that exciting but if it helps SOMEBODY then I'd take the time to do it!

#EVERYBODY LOOK #cult of the lamb #shamura #I HAVE A WEAKNESS FOR BIG SCARY THINGS WITH SOFT CUTE FACES

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a99jazzybean · 1 month ago

Text

Why do we Keep Playing These Games?

Chapter 7: Panty Thief

Ch.1/ Ch2./ Ch.3/ Ch.4/ Ch.5/ Ch.6/ Ch.7/ Ch.8/ Ch.9/ Ch.10/ Ch.11

synop: College TA au

Jayce Talis... He's your unrequited sworn enemy. You are the object of his obsessive affections. After discovering your disdain toward him, He decides to win your heart... Through playing games. Winner gets to make the loser do whatever they want. You'll take him up on the bet, but what will happen if he wins?

words: 5.5K

includes: jaycexfem!reader, pervy!jayce, angst, fluff, yearning, smut, masturbation, panty sniffing, panty kink, betting

a/n: I love pervy Jayce y'all, it's too good

Jayce sighed, turning his head away to think. How much did he wish to push you on this? It seemed like every time he could step forward, you would shove him right on back. No, he couldn’t risk you holding out on him again.

“I just want, no, I need you to know that I’m here for you.”

Sniffling, you nodded softly.

“I know.” Your teeth worried over your bottom lip. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be. Here, I mean.”

He gave you a soft smile, wiping away a stray tear on your cheek.

“Why do you think I don’t want to help you?”

“Because I’ve been an ass to you for the past four years?” You thought it was obvious.

“Meh, water under the bridge.” He waved you off. “You haven’t run out of time to be my friend, y/n.”

“You seem to shrug things off quite easily.” A soft smile was growing on your face.

Good. That’s exactly what Jayce wanted, to make you happy. He would do what he needed to keep you happy.

“I’m not one to keep grudges.” He shrugged.

“Clearly. I know if you had treated me how I treated you, I would be plotting my revenge.” You snickered.

“Who said I wasn’t plotting revenge? I don’t need a grudge to still find your behavior,” he paused, trying to find the right word, “distasteful.”

“Oh really? You plotting my demise now?” You joked.

Jayce relaxed, you were back to your teasing self again.

“Who says I haven’t already enacted my revenge?” His face drew closer to yours, making your breath hitch. The man noticed the action with a sly smirk.

“And what exactly would that be?” You said quietly, your eyes flitting between his eyes and lips.

“Mmm, I feel like making you hangout with me is revenge enough. Don’t you think?” His eyes also flitted to your lips.

Neither of you closed the gap though. Just sitting there, with slightly labored breathing as you waited for the other to react. No one did. Instead, you pulled back. The movement making Jayce briefly frown, but he shook it off quickly. Perhaps it wasn’t best to take advantage of you in such a vulnerable state.

Now that he was thinking about it, he realized that you were still almost fully naked. With just the sheet covering the front of your body. His eyes unconsciously trailed down your back, spotting the lacy panties you had left on. Your cheeks heated up as you caught the man staring.

“Hey!” Jayce’s attention returned to your face, enjoying how red it was. “My eyes are up here, Talis.” You growled.

He chuckled awkwardly, not knowing what to do with himself after being caught. Red embarrassment blooming on his cheeks, making your faces match.

“Sorry.” He mumbled.

Though he was very much not sorry seeing you like this. His eyes took one more quick peek at the panties, before he composed himself. He knew he would be thinking about that article of clothing on you all night long. A cute white lacy piece, something he would gladly drag down your beautiful legs.

“Jayce?” He hadn’t spoken for a moment, too lost in his thoughts.

“S-sorry!” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Can you blame a guy though?”

Narrowing your eyes you huffed. You hopped off the table and quickly turned around, finger pointing to the door.

“Out. I’m putting my clothes back on.”

“But I wasn’t done with the massage.” He whined.

You grumbled.

“Well you should’ve thought about that before perving on me.”

Head hung down, he began to walk out of your room. Sad puppy dog eyes pleading with your irritated gaze. You shook your head as he slowly exited your bedroom. When the door was shut you sighed.

“What am I gonna do with that man?” You quietly asked yourself.

You quickly put your clothes back on, then opened the door. You were met with an apologetic looking Jayce. His puppy-dog act wasn’t going to work on you though.

“How many times can I say sorry to make you not look like you want to kill me?” He pleaded with you with both his words and eyes.

Jayce was met with a huff and a roll of your eyes as a response. You moved out of his way and motioned for him to pick up his things. He gave an airy chuckle at your response.

“Seriously? The silent treatment?” Those damn puppy dog eyes were staring into your soul at this point.

Puppy-dog eyes be damned. You steeled your resolve. Again giving no verbal response. Instead, you opted for a grumble of annoyance.

The man conceded, turning from you to pick up his items. A soft quiet fell in the room as Jayce methodically cleaned up your space. Something that he had probably done dozens of times at this point.

“If you don’t mind, I do need some help with the table. The locks on the legs are kinda janky.” He flipped over the table and motioned you over.

As irritated as you were with him, you weren’t going to be that much of an ass. You knelt next to him as he instructed you to help him disengage the locks. A warm hand softly brushed against yours as he unlocked the leg. A small smile appeared on your face at the tender action. Jayce let out a huff of amusement at your expression, a content smile of his own on his lips.

When you had completed folding the table back together, Jayce was finished with picking up his setup. Brushing off his hands, he turned to you expectantly. Neither of you spoke. Your mouth opened for a moment, then closed. An unspoken question stuck in your throat.

There it was again, that gnawing fear. The one that turned your stomach when you even thought about being vulnerable. What exactly was there to be scared of though? Jayce had obviously proven himself to be dependable, but part of you was still afraid.

“You look like you want to say something.” He was in no rush.

Clearing your throat, you geared yourself to be vulnerable once more. Fists clenching and unclenching as you allowed the question to escape your lips. Your eyes unable to meet Jayce’s.

“Would you like to spend the night? With me, I mean.”

You didn’t want to be alone, and despite your previous grievances with the man, Jayce made you feel significantly less lonely. Perhaps it was because he was practically connected to your hip when he was around, but his presence had now become something more comforting than it was annoying.

Jayce hadn’t responded. His eyes widened at your question. Wondering what prompted the sudden shift in your dynamic with the man. Though, maybe it wasn’t so sudden. Ever so slowly he had been working away at your barriers, and it seemed that you had offered him an opening all on your own.

His expression softened, the smile on his face made your heart flutter. Why were you doing this? Why now? Was it all because he had witnessed that upsetting phone call? Or maybe you would have ended up like this regardless of the call. You didn’t know. Did it really matter though?

“As much as I would love to. I do have work I need to get done.” Jayce had battled himself internally, one side desperate to accept your offer. However, his logical side had somehow managed to win.

Your stomach sank. Of course, it’s a weeknight after all… You reasoned with yourself, despite the feeling of rejection settling in.

“Right, of course.” Your arms curled around yourself. “Sorry.”

A frown found its way to Jayce’s face. This is not how he wished to end the night with you. He needed to come up with something to bring up your spirits.

A warm hand cupped your cheek, turning your face to look at Jayce’s.

“Another time though? Maybe next Friday?” He gave you one of his classic smiles, you couldn’t help but return it.

“Another time then. And next Friday sounds great.” That fluttering in your chest returned with newfound strength.

“Next Friday it is.”

Before Jayce exited your apartment he quickly turned around. Suddenly, his lips were on yours. Leaving you wide eyed and breathless. It was a quick kiss, but still made your head dizzy. He pulled away a smirk playing on his lips.

“Almost forgot something.” He chuckled before making his way out. The man leaving you open mouthed and blushing.

That night, it took you forever to fall asleep. Tossing and turning, all you could think about was Jayce. His lips, his laugh, his puppy-dog eyes. You had to wait almost two whole weeks before he would be spending the night. Shooting up, only now had you realized the implication of your request.

Shit. SHIT. While you certainly had thought about sex with Jayce, you had never really thought it would happen. And maybe you did want to sleep with him, but truly your question was innocent. You just didn’t want to be alone that night. Hugging one of your stuffed animals to your chest you contemplated how you would go about discussing this with the man. You wondered if he knew that you weren’t implying sleeping with him.

He did, it was clear you were asking for a comforting presence. If it turned into something more, the man would not complain. Though, he personally didn’t want the first time with you to be spur of the moment. There was a romantic in him that held a desperate bleeding heart and he wanted that moment to be perfect.

Unbeknownst to each other, you both laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Wondering what comes next.

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

“YOU asked him to spend the night?” Mel was perplexed. “You?”

You looked down, cheeks ruddy with embarrassment. Finally, you had admitted to Mel about what had been happening with Jayce. Sure, she had an idea that you were softening for the man, but she didn’t realize you had pretty much become gelatin.

“Yes I did.” You weren’t going to deny it, that would be futile. Mel always got the answer out from you.

“I would say I’m shocked, but…” She paused, a smirk dancing on her lips. A teasing glint flashed in her eyes. “I’m very much not.”

You huffed in annoyance, crossing your arms over your chest. Pouting like a petulant child. Your gaze slightly heated as you glared at her, but she didn’t waver.

“Don’t give me that look, darling. I know you, you know that. And I knew as soon as you actually got to know Mr. Talis, you would like him.” She continued smirking at you. “Though it seems you might like him a bit more than I had previously expected…”

“You don’t have to be so smug about it.” You mumbled.

“What was that? Did I hear a ‘Mel you’re so right, I should have listened to you from the start.’” She chuckled as your expression grew more irritated.

“You know, I came to you for some advice. Not so you could tell me you were right.” You harshly pointed at her.

She gently reached for your hand, pushing it away from her face.

“And I am right, am I not?”

Grumbling, you shifted in your seat. You did not want to admit that she was right, but she was your best friend. And dammit, she always was right. Reading you like the back of her hand. While oftentimes annoying, it was still beneficial.

“Yes… you were right.” You mumbled.

“What was that?” She raised a hand to her ear. “Were you finally admitting that I know what I’m talking about?” She gave a faux gasp. “I never thought I’d see the da-”

“Yeah, yeah. You were right.” You cut her off, eyes narrowing. “But again, I came for advice.”

“I don’t really understand what there is for me to advise you on. It seems like you have it covered quite well.” She said pointedly.

“But I don’t know how to handle all,” You motioned around yourself, “this.”

“‘This’ being your feelings for Jayce?”

“Yes.” You admitted with a harsh breath.

“Just accept them.” She said it as if it was such a simple task.

For god’s sake, you considered him your enemy for four years! How could you just accept your developing romantic feelings for the man? That prideful part, a clawing beast inside of you, preferred you wouldn’t. It screamed for you to return to your original status quo.

“You still wish to see him as an enemy, don’t you?” As always, Mel could read your inner turmoil with extreme accuracy.

“I think it’s easier to think of him that way.” You admitted.

“Easier how?” When you were always competing with him, you were constantly stressed out.”

It was true. When you had been driven to view the man as your adversary, you had used up most of your energy waging a one-sided war against him.

“Despite being in one of the most difficult masters programs, you appear significantly less stressed than during your undergraduate. Like a burden has been lifted off of your shoulders.” She gave you a knowing look.

You rubbed a hand down your face in frustration. Yes, it was true. Somehow you had found yourself less stressed than ever. The only thing that managed to cause you frustration was your course work, which was to be expected. With Jayce no longer being someone you viewed as an opponent, it seemed your body had finally regulated itself.

“Since you asked me to give you advice, I’ll give you some words of wisdom.” She softly placed her hand on top of yours. “Allow yourself to feel.”

It sounded so simple, but inside your stomach churned with nervousness. Feel. Instead of arguing against it, you nodded. Maybe, just maybe you could. At least you had around two weeks to figure it out. That is unless Jayce did something to impede that progress.

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

Impede the man would. The days since you had him over trudged on till you found yourself beginning the next week. Meaning you were going to be holding another game night with the man. While there was that nervousness swirling in your gut, you still found yourself excited. Surely you could win again, and the man would be at your mercy.

What would you have him do? This time you didn’t have a sore back begging for attention, so you could spend more energy thinking about what you were going to wager. The thought of Jayce winning didn’t pass through your thoughts, you wouldn’t allow it.

“And what has you looking so thoughtful this morning?” The man himself had sidled up as you made your way to the physics building.

“You.” You said bluntly, a smirk creeping on your face as you spotted a blush flush to the his cheeks.

The man regained his composure, attempting to give you a cheeky smile.

“And what about me is so intriguing?”

“Ha. Don’t flatter yourself, Talis.” You looked up at him with that smirk. “I was thinking about my wager for tonight.”

“Oh? That’s tonight? I almost forgot.”

“Liar.” You chuckled.

He gasped dramatically at your accusation.

“I would never!”

“Mhmm, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

The two of you continued to the building in a comfortable silence. Occasionally you felt Jayce’s hand brush against yours. Shivers shot up your spine with each touch of his fingers. At one point, his pinky looped with yours for a moment. The tender action made your heart flutter and cheeks hot.

When you arrived at the lecture hall one of the students was waiting by the door. Spotting Jayce, a bright smile grew on her face.

“Jayce!” She exclaimed.

“Uh, good morning!” He said, plastering a smile on his face.

“I came early, cause I have a lot of questions.” She bounced on her feet, pink dusting on her cheeks as she stared up at the man.

The interaction had you smirking. You patted Jayce on the shoulder before making your way into the lecture hall. The man held back a groan as you left him with his admirer.

The rest of your day went by with no issues. No Heimerdinger request you had to complete. Instead, just a regular day that ended with your office hours.

While you dealt with the occasional student, Jayce had been stuck with the girl from that morning. He had managed to circumvent her questions by telling her to come to office hours. Little did he know she would spend the entire three hours of his time working with him. Other students were in and out and worked with you, while he was stuck with this lovely thorn in his side. Who was intermingling her actual questions with attempted small talk. Jayce did his best to return to the coursework, but it was becoming quite frustrating.

As he dealt with the student, you reveled in the interaction that unfolded before you. It was mean, but the situation greatly entertained you. Especially when you knew that the man only had eyes for one woman. His heated gaze occasionally flitting to you, melting at the amused smirk on your face. Revel all you want, he had his own plans for you later. When he beat you at whatever game you had chosen.

Finally, office hours had ended. Jayce unsubtly checked the time to indicate to the student that it was time to go. You audibly yawned as the clock ticked past your office hours. Jayce groaned, making the girl give him a concerned look.

“Are you doing alright?” She asked.

He rubbed a hand down his face, trying not to reveal his clear annoyance.

“I’m fine. It’s just my…” He looked at you. “Our office hours are over.”

“Oh.” She said quietly, expression souring.

“I would love to continue assisting you, but I can’t go overtime. We get in trouble if we do too many hours.”

Her expression softened at his explanation.

“Oh I didn’t know that.” She went to pack up her things. “I’ll just come to your next office hours then. That’s okay, right?” She gave him a pleading look.

“Of course. Those are the times the school allows me to work.” He gave her one of his dazzling smiles before ushering her out of the room.

When she had left, Jayce closed and locked the office door. The action making your heart rate pick up. Attempting to shake off your nervousness, you decided to tease the man.

“You’re quite the ladykiller, Talis.”

He gave you an annoyed look.

“It’s not intentional, trust me.” He sighed.

“You’re just genuine… most of the time.” He raised a brow at your comment. “And people like that about you.”

Jayce made his way toward you, making your skin warm up. He stopped in front of you, large frame towering above as you remained seated. An expectant look on his face.

“Do you like that about me?”

“Of course. You know I’m not one to mince words.” You admitted.

“True, but you do try to lie to me.”

“And you see through it everytime.” You mutter.

He smirked. A warm hand reached for your face. You unconsciously leaned into his touch as he caressed your cheek.

“So, what game are we playing today?” He asked, hand still stroking your face.

You gave him a cheeky look.

“You’re gonna hate it.”

“Am I?” He chuckled.

With that, you reached for your bag. From the backpack you procured a familiar game. Jayce let out a chuckle.

“And you were mad I made you play a children’s game?”

“This is payback.” You stuck your tongue out at him.

Placing the box on the table you smiled at it with fondness. Chutes and Ladders, a game you hadn’t played since you were a child. The three and older symbol on the box made you cringe slightly, but you still wished to play. It was only fair after making you play Old Maid.

You pulled out the board, spinner, and character pieces. After choosing the red-headed girl for yourself, you motioned for Jayce to make his pick.

“Damn, I wanted to be the ginger chick.” He chuckled. “Guess I’ll take the racially ambiguous brown boy.”

“I’ll let you go first.” You said.

“How generous.” He smirked.

The two pieces were placed on the start space. Jayce’s large fingers flicked at the spinner, landing on a 4.

“Would you look at that! I already got a ladder.” He slid his piece up the ladder to the row above.

“Oh don’t look so smug, it’s the first ladder on the board. I’m for sure going to make it to the top first.” You gave a hearty chuckle.

“We’ll see…”

The two of you continued to spin and move your pieces. Then Jayce was the first to reach a chute. His piece slid down from space 48 to 26. He pouted at the loss.

“Oh you poor thing.” You said, flicking the spinner.

Your face dropped as you also hit the same chute Jayce had. He snickered at your expense, making you give him a glare.

“Now we’re even.” He smirked at you.

Jayce loved this. Even with a silly children’s board game, you two were competitive. While it wasn’t a battle of wit, he still enjoyed your determination to win. The game was fully luck based, yet you still tried to pump yourself up to succeed. A quirk that the man adored.

“Fuck yes!” You exclaimed after taking your turn.

Your piece managing to reach the tallest ladder. With glee you slid up to the second to last row, buzzing with excitement.

Jayce bit his lip in concentration. He could still have a chance. Technically you needed an exact number to reach the end, that could hopefully work in his favor.

Quickly, you managed to reach the second to last space. The win was in the bag. You spun the wheel again, hitting a three. As you were about to reach for your piece, a strong hand stopped you. You gave the man a confused look.

“Nuh uh. You need an exact number to win.”

“What? That’s not true.” You argued, you couldn’t lose. You were so close.

“It is.” He still hadn’t let go of your hand.

“That’s not how my family plays it.” You huffed.

“Your family plays wrong then.” Jayce reached for the rule pamphlet. Flitting through it till he found the rule he was looking for. A thick finger pointing at it as he read aloud.

“To win, square 100 must be reached by an exact spin on the spinner.” He said, a smug grin on his face as he saw your annoyed look.

“Fine,” you grumbled, “I can still win.”

“Of course you can.”

Oh how wrong you were. As Jayce continued to move up the board, you were finding yourself constantly spinning a four. Growling in frustration at another spin landing on the damned number.

Cracking his knuckles Jayce wished for any being to grant him mercy. He was two spaces away from a ladder leading straight to the end. If he could avoid having to fight for the last space, he would greatly appreciate it. Sucking in a breath he flicked the spinner. Sweat prickling on his forehead as he watched the plastic arrow slow. As it landed on two, he jumped from his chair and cheered.

“Yes!” He laughed in your face. “I won!”

You clenched your fists in annoyance.

“All cause of your stupid rule!” You jabbed.

“Don’t hate the playa, hate the game! I didn’t make the rules, sweetheart.”

He had brought back the pet name. And it felt really nice that he called you it again. Heat flared in your cheeks as the man did a victory dance.

“Now what?” You asked quietly.

“Panties.”

“What?” Your eyes widened.

“Your panties, I want them. For the entire week.” He smirked.

“Seriously?” Your cheeks grew redder.

“I’m very serious, sweetheart.” He reached out a hand toward you, awaiting for you to deposit your undergarments.

“Turn around.” You growled.

You were wearing jeans and did not want him to watch you undress. The man frowned, but obliged. His smile growing wider as he heard your zipper slide down, then the shuffling of your clothes as you removed your panties. When you were done, you sighed. He did win, fair and square.

“You can turn around now.” You grumbled.

Jayce giddily faced you as you held your panties out to him. A black lacy thong, it had his mouth watering at the sight. He plucked them out of your hand, sliding his thumb and fingers along the lacy hem.

“Cute.” He said to himself before pocketing the pair.

“What do you mean about the entire week?” You asked, voice dry. You knew what he meant, but really hoped you were wrong.

“Every time I ask for your panties, you have to give them to me.” He enjoyed the way your face continued to grow more red.

“Every time?” You croaked with embarrassment.

“Every time.” He confirmed. “So I suggest wearing something that makes them easier to remove. I like it when you wear skirts anyways.”

“You’re insufferable.” You groaned.

A warm hand grabbed your chin, making you face the man in front of you.

“You love it.” He chuckled lowly. “You’re a bad liar, remember?”

You tried turning away, but he wouldn’t let you. Instead he pulled you toward him. His free hand landing on your hip, holding you close.

“I don’t know why you won’t admit it.” He leaned down, nose to nose with you.

Your breath hitched at the close proximity. The man never failed to make you flustered, but you realized you weren’t really complaining. Even if his bet was irritating.

“I feel like your bet can fall under the public humiliation clause.” You said.

“That’s a bit of a reach, isn’t it?” He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver through you.

“Keep trying, I like it.”

“I’m not here to entertain you.” You gritted your teeth. There was no way out of this bet.

“You sure about that?” He pulled you so your chest was flush against his.

Instead of answering, you turned away from him. Biting your lip you tried to find a comeback. Then you decided instead to fluster him back.

“What exactly are you planning on doing with my panties?” You looked up at him with a sultry look.

“I-I don’t know what you mean…” He stuttered.

“You don’t? So you’re just going to take my panties and what? Look at them fondly?” Your voice was low, making the man shiver.

“I guess I was.”

“You’re kind of a lousy pervert if that’s all you’re going to do.” You teased, fingers lightly tracing along his chest. Slowly you moved your hand lower, enjoying the feel of his abs under your touch. Your hand stopped right at his waist.

“If that’s all you want, be my guest.” You removed your hand, smirking at the whine Jayce tried to suppress.

No, he needed to get the upper hand in this situation. You were the one that was supposed to be flustered, not him. Though he wouldn’t mind you touching him some more.

“Are you telling me to use your panties to please myself?” He asked bluntly, carefully studying your expression.

Your eyes slightly widened at his brashness, but you kept up your sultry act. He might have won the game, but this one you’ll be the champion of.

“Is that what you want to do, Jayce?” The way you said his name had the man gasping. He could feel himself grow hard, pants becoming tighter.

“Think on it.” You said, pulling away from the man.

As you grabbed your bag, you continued to watch his reactions from your peripheral vision. It was as if he was entranced by you. Unmoving, eyes following your every move. Before you left the office you gave him one request.

“By the way… if you’re planning on washing them, put them in a laundry bag on the delicate setting. I prefer unscented detergent.” With that, you left the man alone in the office. Extremely hard, and extremely turned on.

Jayce rushed back to his apartment. As he burst through the door, he startled Viktor who was sitting in the living room.

“Good evening to you too, Jayce.” Viktor looked at the man with a questioning gaze.

“Goodnight.” Jayce said quickly, attempting to sprint to his room.

With surprising speed, Viktor had managed to snag an item from Jayce’s back pocket as he rushed away. He smirked as he unraveled your lacy panties.

“What do we have here?” Viktor purred, circling the fabric around his finger.

“Give them back.” Jayce practically growled.

“Touchy, touchy. I’m assuming these are from y/n? Another win for Talis during your little game?”

“Yes. Now give them back.” Jayce went to snatch the pair, Viktor allowed the man to take them. Hands up in surrender.

“Have fun.” He said, with a knowing smirk.

Jayce only huffed in response, turning back to his task. He quickly entered his room, dropping his bag on the floor with a thump. In his hand he held your lacy panties. Sure, you might have just been teasing him, but now all he could think about was the article in his hand.

Tentatively, he brought them to his face. Pressing the cloth to his nose, he deeply inhaled. A shuddering moan escaping his lips. Fuck.

He knew you would smell good, but fuck, you smelled mouthwatering. And that was only the remnants of your essence. It only made him want the real thing even more.

The tightness in his pants was beginning to grow unbearable. He knew he shouldn’t. It was perverted enough that he asked for your panties. To use them, well, that would just be even worse. But god, he couldn’t stop his hand from moving to his belt. Unhooking and sliding it from his pants before unbuttoning them and sliding them down to his thighs. The only thing in the way was his boxers. The prominent tent in them dotted with a wet spot of precum. Groaning, he released his cock from the confines.

Hot and throbbing, it slapped against his stomach. Groaning again, he reached for his cock. His large hand gripping the base, then sliding up. He couldn’t help the moan that escaped his lips. Pressing your panties to his nose again he continued his debauchery. Hand pumping his length as he breathed in the scent of your sex. Picturing himself with his head between your thighs, smelling and tasting all of you. Making you cum on his tongue. The thought alone made a spurt of precum release from the head of his cock. He continued to to fuck his hand as more lewd thoughts entered his mind.

The thought of your mouth wrapped around him. Warm, wet, allowing him to fuck your throat. You moaning around his length as you felt him cum. Then the thought of taking you. First pushing you into his bed in a deep mating press. Cock buried deep in your velvety warmth. God, he knew you would feel like heaven.

He groaned, feeling his climax nearing. Balls growing tight as he continued to picture the ways he would use you.

Pushing you face down ass up on his bed. Easily sliding into your wetness. He already knew what your moans sounded like, but he bet he could have you screaming around his cock. He would fuck you the way you deserve, hitting your sweet spots just right. Making your walls flutter around him before clenching down as you came. Imagining the way you would squeeze him.

Fuck, he was close. His hand pumped faster as he neared the end, but he needed something more. Fuck it, he was already so debauched, might as well continue. He brought your panties to his mouth. Tongue flicking over the cotton bit that pressed against your core. The remnants of your salty sweet essence made him go over the edge. He leaned over as hot spurts of cum were forced out of him. Groaning as he continued to taste what little he could of you.

As he came down from the high, he pulled your panties from his mouth. Moaning as your taste left his tongue. Fuck, this was bad. He was bad. You were right, he was a fucking pervert. But how could he not be? You placed your panties in his hand, you teased him to use them. He attempted to argue with the idea of you.

The black lace in his hand seemed to stare back at him. Reveling in his perverted antics, just begging for him to do more. Already his cock was hardening once again. Although rubbed raw, Jayce reached down once more. This time wrapping your panties around his length.

Filthy, he was fucking filthy. But it didn’t matter. Besides, you had given him instructions on how to wash them.

#a99jazzybean #jayce arcane #jayce arcane x reader #viktor arcane #mel medarda #college au #modern au #arcane #arcane fanfic #jayce talis #enemies to lovers #smut #jayce x you

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cheesus-doodles · 1 year ago

Text

Going Home: Chapter 4

Yandere Platonic Toman + Time Leaper Darling

Masterlist

‎

Going Home: Chapter 1 | 2 | 3

I kept my promise!! Editing tmr, I'm dead on my feet rn

The neighborhood that Takemichi and Naoto found themselves in was a far cry from the dazzling city lights of Shibuya City that Draken once called home: a suburb outside of the bustling city, where houses and apartments alike that lined the streets as far as the eye can see with the occasional shop breaking the facade. Yet even with the shop entrance nestled off on a side alley, the roads still noticeably buzzed with life as the time drew closer to noon, the hustle and bustle of non-stop traffic and office workers swarming through town that Takemichi remembered had instead been replaced smaller, livelier groups of students filing past with nay a glance at the duo, too caught up in their chatter and gossip of the day.

It was jarring, the former Toman member had to admit, watching the rest of the world go by uncaringly at its own relaxed pace when compared against the urgency of the sticky situation he was in the midst of. Whatever time he spent in the present was time that he couldn’t spend twelve years in the past fixing the future after all. Blue eyes nervously glanced around at every passing soul, before they turned to meet gray ones for the umpteenth time. “Are you sure this is the right place?” The former delinquent asked again, anxiously wringing his hands. He couldn’t help himself, even if Naoto’s sympathetic look had long given way to an annoyed frown. “Maybe we should ring again?”

"No, just give it a minute."

Something felt wrong, yet this ordinary bike shop was precisely where the detective’s digging had pointed him too, the name on the business license unmistakable. So why did it feel so strange? So out-of-place? Takemichi glanced at the shop sign again, the unlit signboard ominously looming over the small alley.

The questions quickly faded as footsteps started to thunder down what must have been a flight of steps after the doorbell announced their presence outside the nondescript motorcycle shop, the sound of annoyed mumbling growing louder as the footsteps approached. Takemichi held his breath. The door rattled for a brief moment before it was yanked open.

"What?"

The single word was growled out before the figure behind the door was fully visible, and Takemichi’s soul nearly left his body as he came face to face with a clearly pissed off Draken. The former Vice Captain of Toman had only grown taller and more intimidating with every passed year, and now twelve years in the future, he made for one formidable figure, blond hair now back to its natural black. A minute of silence as Draken looked between the two, before recognition sparked behind those abyss eyes. “Takemichi?”

“It’s me,” was all said man managed to squeak back.

Letting out a sigh, the bike mechanic dressed in overalls visibly relaxed, the hand clutching a wrench dropping to hang loosely by his side. “It’s been years.”

"It has been," Takemichi nervously laughed, before waving over to a very calm Naoto. “This is Naoto, a friend of mine.”

"So what do the two of you want?"

Straight to the point huh. The time leaper took a gulp of air, steeling his nerves. “W-well, um, Draken-kun, we actually wanted to ask about the… seventh founding member of Toman.” They wanted to ask about you was what Takemichi wanted to say, but all those instances of being drilled again and again by Chifuyu to avoid saying your name at all costs twelve years ago stopped his heavy tongue from spitting it out.

Another pause as the larger man stared him down, and this time, the stillness was palpable. Takemichi could feel the sweat rolling down the side of his head, waiting for a reaction. His gut only churned more. This was not good.

Quicker than he could see, the next thing the time traveller could process was him being lifted cleanly off the ground by the front of his shirt, his face suddenly leveled with a furious Draken’s. “What?” The Toman founder hissed, the vein on his forehead throbbing. “Wanna repeat that?”

Fuck.

ㅤ

Slamming the door shut behind him, the once-Toman Vice President cursed under his breath as he stormed out from the back room. How fucking dare he. How dare Takemichi come asking for information on you. He had been inches from turning that turd face into a smear on the ground for soiling the memory of you with his thoughts.

Yet for all the anger smeared across his face in plain sight for customers and passers-by alike to see, it was an uncomfortable turmoil that brewed in the base of his gut, one that Draken knew came from a lack of closure. Of course he had been keeping his ear to the ground all these years - how could he not, when you meant and still mean the world to him - but the last thing he expected to happen today would be to be reminded of you and your sudden disappearance twelve years ago and the quick downfall of everything else that followed. You had always been the center of the Tokyo Manji Gang, after all.

In a vain attempt to distract himself from the sudden flurry of memories and thoughts, the former delinquent picked up a socket wrench and pulled out a stool. There was nothing more he could do at the moment, Draken tried to convince himself, busying his hands with loosening the bolts of a motorcycle engine; all Takemichi and his detective friend had brought were more questions instead of answers, but he was certain that he would have heard of any news regarding you.

A buzz as the bell to the backroom door went off once more, and every last shred of concentration the man with the dragon tattoo had left instantly went down the gutter. His mind leapt straight back to Takemichi as the vulgarities and curses started to flow once more. If it was that bastard again with his questions, he swears- “What?!” He barked out as the door flew open once more with a bang, not sparing a second glance as to who it was.

But it wasn’t the two black mobs of hair he had expected to see standing outside, instead being greeted by an awfully familiar swish of a ponytail that Draken hadn’t seen in years, the green of an apron with the logo of a pet shop striking against the backdrop of a dull, gray alley. Those distinct yellow eyes of Baji, once sharp and methodical, were instead completely blown wide with panic, the other shoving the screen of a smartphone straight at him. “It’s- it’s-” The words died away before they could leave his tongue; the former Toman’s First Division Captain clearly too shocked by something to say a hello or even notice Draken’s foul mood. And the temperamental pet shop delinquent would have never let that kind of tone drop without a fight.

The motorcycle engineer simply snatched up the phone to take a better look himself. “What am I looking at?” A pause, a sudden silence as Draken continued to squint at the screen while Baji collected his thoughts and emotions.

“It’s her.”

Draken almost dropped the phone as soon as the other blurted out those two laden words. “What?” The man muttered, his voice lost to disbelief. He knew, of course, who Baji was referring to. “That’s not possible.” It simply wasn’t. He would have known if you had been seen.

“Look.” Snatching back his phone, Baji clicked into one of his conversations, before turning the screen back around. “A message from her number. Yesterday night. I only saw it when I woke up.”

Draken’s mind instantly jumped to his earlier visit, and Takemichi’s probing questions about you. Was this related? Did he know something that Draken did not? Logic told the tattooed man otherwise - as much as he would have liked for you to have appeared out of thin air, there must be a different explanation. “Could it have been Mikey?” It must be, since they both knew that Bonten had continued to maintain your number all these years, Mikey having never really gotten over your sudden disappearance.

“So you don’t know about this either, huh?” The once First Division Captain shook his head, frowning as he concentrated. “Why would he send something like this?”

And that was true: the way the message started with a very hesitant “to whoever this number now belongs to” and directly addressed to a “hopefully Baji-kun”, there was no doubt that it must be you. What was the chance someone else with the same name as you would also know that this was Baji’s personal number? But how?

Any conversation left between the two died away, the two men left to ponder. The world, of course, simply kept turning, passersby eagerly making their way to unknown destinations, strolling past the small alley without a second glance at the duo, while the occasional vehicle rattled and raced down wide, empty roads.

Letting out a sigh, Draken stepped aside, waving at his once close-friend into the dimly-lit backroom. “I think you best come in. I’ll close up shop for the day.”

ㅤ

Twelve years in the past, despite your best efforts, you once again found yourself in the thick of things.

You sighed. “This is a bit of an overkill, don’t you think boys?” The rattling of chains seemed to agree with you, the metal links rubbing and clanking against each other as they followed the cuffed hand you raised to shake amusedly at the Toman founders huddled around you. Back twelve years in the past and once more separate from Takemichi’s time leaping woes, things were hardly going any better for you. “I’m really not going anywhere, I promise.”

To no one’s surprise, the boys disagreed, and they were far from afraid to make that known despite your assurances; you could tell from the tightening clutches and tugging on your shirt, and that was if you could ignore the immediate protests and whining and whimpering that broke out. But you couldn’t really blame them, you suppose, musing to yourself as you rested your chin atop a shifty Mikey’s head, unchained hand moving to gently hold Draken’s much larger one as Kazutora tried his best to snuggle his way into the crook of your neck and probably under your skin as well. After all, it had been just a single night since you had made your sudden reappearance in the small alley a stone’s throw away from your school in a gust of wind, and three nights since you first disappeared. You were sure this was the first and longest time your boys had been apart from you ever since they entered your life.

“You did disappear though,” Mitsuya’s voice cut above the others, those dark, heavy eyebags that clung to the bottom of his and everyone else’s eyes telling you everything you needed to know. “And we still haven’t figured out what caused you to… vanish.”

“To time travel,” you corrected gently. It was easy to tell that the delinquents around you were still uncertain about how you managed to slip their grasp without their knowledge, let alone accept the idea of you having somehow leapt into the future, somewhere that they were unable to follow you to. They had always been protective of you, perhaps because of the difference between their strength and yours.

Allowing your gaze to take a wander away from the mobs of hair of various colors gathered around you, your bedroom was exactly how you remembered it had been even twelve years in the future, your belongings having been left in the exact same spot all those years. Well, aside from the unmade bed where you had fallen asleep amidst the pile of delinquents the previous night, that is. Your present blankets were left still tossed aside into a messy pile, and you couldn’t help but wonder how your Toman friends knew how to fold them back the same way you always had. Did they also take turns keeping your home clean all those years? You wondered if they had managed to share such a difficult task that would have carried so many possibly painful memories. Which inevitably led your line of thought straight back to the various questions that had been plaguing your mind: where was the future you? What happened to Mikey that left him in such a state? And where were the rest of your Toman friends?

Yet all you had were more and more questions. Shaking yourself out of your ponderings, you focused your gaze back onto the lively group of delinquents. “I don’t know what’s going on either, but it’s probably linked to the onomori you boys gave me for safekeeping.” The same purple-and-gold charm from the very founding of the gang, the same onomori that had been stabbed during that life-threatening attack on Ken-chin you tried in vain to stop, the same one that Sanzu had accidentally discovered could summon you back from the future: it now hung from a metal chain under said Vice Captain’s shirt, pressed tight against his sternum where it could get constant skin contact, and more importantly, safe from the grabby fingers of Mikey and Kazutora.

The blond-haired delinquent with the intimidating dragon tattoo only instinctively reached for the onomori once more, as if to assure himself it was still there, the collar of his shirt crumpling as he closed his fist around the bloodstained, amateurishly-patched charm. Now that they had it, you mused, there shouldn’t be any more issues.

Baji, who had earlier been shoved aside by a bawling Kazutora, grumpily poked your side, and you jumped a little in response. “So what happens in the future?” The black-haired boy asked, as you beckoned him closer, patting an empty spot to your right where he could lean up against your shoulder.

Ah, you had hoped that their line of thought wouldn’t have gone there. Because how were you supposed to respond? You hesitated, the white-haired bony, tired figure of the future Mikey roaring straight back to the front of your mind with that question. Should you be telling them about the future? Sure that would be the easiest way to ensure that that particular timeline never happened, given you were sure this would be the first time your boys will have ever heard of this predicament you found yourself in, but what if you accidentally changed the future for the worse? What if you did something irreversible that only made a bigger mess?

Maybe it would be better if you kept things to yourself first - you could always tell them the full truth later on if you needed to. Keeping that in mind, you were quick to school your face back to a neutral expression, though the brief flash of internal panic across your face at that question was enough to raise suspicion. Kazutora instantly leapt to his feet, tears that had already been dried starting to well once more at the corner of reddened eyes, lips starting to quaver once more as he jabbed a finger in your direction. “Y-you left us,” his word ladened with accusation, those sandy brown eyes clouding over as the waterworks flowed. “You did, didn’t you? You m-married someone else in the future.”

And he sounded so convinced by his own words too, you amusedly noted, as if it had already happened because he said so. “I did not,” you stated simply, reaching over to affectionately pat his knee. “I told you, you boys will always be my priority.” You weren’t sure how the delinquent with the duo-colored hair came to that particular conclusion, though you supposed it was simply just jealous.

Draken raised an imposing eyebrow. “And you don’t want to tell us what happens because?”

“Because I’m afraid it changes the future for the worse.”

“What can you tell us?”

You hummed, your eyes glancing momentarily towards the ceiling as you thought before returning to meet Draken’s gaze. “My room was still exactly the same in the future.”

“Really?” Pah looked intrigued at the idea.

“Yup! Whoever did it did a good job too, my blankets were even folded back neatly.”

Outside, your neighbor was quiet as it always was right at noon, with students yet to be released from their classes and workers still congregated under the big city lights. It was strange, looking over roads and houses that you knew would stand the test of time, leaving you to wonder if the neighbors you were well-acquainted with still occupied their homes in the future you came from. Letting out a sigh as you leaned back onto your bedroom wall, you stretched out lazily as best as you could. “Say,” you ventured. “Did you happen to meet future me?”

Kazutora sniffled, just as Mikey lifted his head to stare blankly at you, as if your question had been asked in Martian. “W-what?” “What?”

”Nothing,” you hastily concluded. Seems like the ‘future you’ was somehow missing, and you noted that down mentally in case you needed that.

ㅤ

Thankfully the subject of your apparently strange question was dropped before you had to elaborate any further on your awkward question, with dirty looks immediately being exchanged between the two still clung to you, though the black-and-yellow haired boy’s ire was quickly stolen

You hadn’t missed Mitsuya’s unwillingness to mingle with the rest for the entire length of the time the six boys had been gathered, the lilac-haired boy keeping a careful distance from Kazutora in particular, nor did you miss Kazutora’s and Mikey’s seeming aversion to each other’s presence as well, the ugly stink eyes they shot at each other over your shoulders while attempting to jab at each other when they thought you weren’t looking hard to pass over. It was clear that your disappearance had sparked a fight between the Toman founders, and though the exact details were still lost on you, it wouldn’t do to leave this crack to split any further as far as you could help it. Huffing at Kazutora’s more insistent grip around your waist, an indulgent smile pulled at the corner of your lips as you beckoned at Mitsuya to join the huddle, before your hand moved to gently stroke a pouting Mikey’s back. “Have you boys been fighting again?”

“No.” “No.” The immediate denials, combined with their gazes instantly dropping from yours, were suspicious to say the least. You imagined that they had, in fact, been fighting while you were lost to the flow of time. You wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.

Tutting, you dished out forehead kisses to the beefing delinquents, feeling them melt away against you. “If I cook some tempura for everyone for lunch, would you be willing to make up?”

You didn’t need to wait long to get your answer.

ㅤ

Days started to pass, the hours slipping through your fingers like water. Every minute brought you further and further from your little trip to the future, your disappearance from this present. Your boys had yet to let up with their obsessive observations of you as you expected. It had, after all, just been four days since your return. You simply took it in stride, having no qualms about them wanting to tail you anywhere and everywhere, clinging to a limb or to your back as you went about your day; it definitely beat being confined to just your bedroom and cuffed to your bedpost. With enough reassurances about how you really wouldn’t leave them, and that no, you couldn’t control your time traveling, you even managed to convince your delinquents to let you back out into the wider world for accompanied trips to the supermarket and snack shops. School, however, was still out of the question for the foreseeable future (you tried).

The afternoon sky overhead was unusually overcast, the threat of rain only growing more convincing with every passing minute. Strong gusts of wind rattled windows and doors, ferrying the heavy gray clouds straight in your direction as the humidity only seemed to climb higher and higher, and you were very certain that a thunderstorm was brewing despite the continued absence of thunder. Yet here you were, you mused, as you sat on a curb with a drink in hand, alone outside for the first time in a week while you waited for Baji to settle some differences with the other delinquents inside the store. Come to think of it, you couldn’t remember the last time you had been left truly alone ever since your disappearance, though clearly, Baji not wanting you to watch him fight sat higher on the priority list. It probably wasn’t going to take long anyway.

A pause as you scratched mindlessly at your skin under the cuff. Did Baji from the future also like to fight as much as your current Baji?

Despite the possibility of you returning to that particular future being close to zero in your opinion, given that the boys had a good handle on that purple-gold charm, but you couldn’t help but think back on the white-haired Mikey from the future that had melted in your arms, that you had left behind. Ah no, not left behind, you corrected yourself, as you tried to wave away the instant guilt that settled in your heart. Technically - technically it was just one of many possible futures, and that particular future where your friend had suffered so much could have already been changed.

But something deep in your gut told you that you were wrong. Pushing that line of thinking to the back of your head, you instead opted to amuse yourself with the shenanigans of the past few days as you waited.

You had, for one, been cooking almost non-stop for your boys ever since your return: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks. Unusual, certainly, and you didn’t have to of course: no one was forcing you to, even if your clingy trio had the strongest pouty faces and watery eyes you knew, but you did feel like you had to make it up to them for all the worry. You did however get a lot of amusement attempting to send them to the supermarket with a grocery list.

And then there was the matter of Sanzu and the residue guilt that you couldn’t shake off. Sure, this Sanzu was not the same as the pink-haired man from the future with the crazy eyes, but you still wanted to put things right. Consoling yourself that even if it did change the future, a Sanzu that you were on amicable terms on was much better than dealing with someone that absolutely hated your guts for reasons beyond you, and apologizing in advance never caused any harm. It did take a lot of pleading, cajoling and outright bribery, but you finally manage to get Mikey and Draken to reluctantly agree to allow you to meet with the Fifth Division Vice Captain, though the two did remain very suspicious of how you knew the other.

Your lips were sealed from any further details, and you said your apologies and your thanks without giving out much information to the confusion of the boy with the mask, though thankfully for everyone involved, the meeting went rather uneventfully. Much to your dismay, the other was most likely forbidden from speaking to you, simply opting to listen quietly and then nodding at the end of your rambling, but you didn’t want to give him any more trouble - you didn’t trust your boys’ usual excuse that Sanzu was just quiet by nature and didn’t like to talk; they have been using that excuse for years by now. At least, you comforted yourself, you did manage to slip him another bag of karaage while a pouting Mikey was distracted.

You breathed out, watching another car whizz by as you took a sip from the bottle of iced tea. Beaded sweat that clung to your hair was dabbed off with a handkerchief, the humidity of the already hot afternoon only rising as the rain-laden clouds, gray from their load, rolled threateningly closer.

ㅤ

Glancing at your watch, you decided that it had been a long enough period of time for you to venture back into the small shop, the plastic bag hanging from your wrist rustling as you stood - your delinquent friend should be about done by now. But all you managed to take was a single step before you were quickly stopped once more. “Oh-” You blinked, shaking off the surprise, the black of the other’s shirt that you ran into momentarily blocking your entire field of vision. “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

An annoyed tsk was all you earned it seemed as you quickly moved aside, and as your gaze was raised from the ground to meet the other, your obstacle was quickly revealed to be a boy with streaked yellow and blue hair, pierced violet eyes staring down at you through the circle lens of gold-rimmed glasses. A face you didn’t recognize from anywhere, not even the future. One that you would usually apologize again, write to the back of your mind, and then quickly move on to avoid any trouble, though the trailing blood leaking from the other’s nose and the bruises that decorated his face made you pause. “You’re hurt! Are you okay?”

”Fuck off.”

You didn’t let that bother you. “Don’t worry,” you assured, showing the other the scar left on your palm back from when you tried to save Ken-chin from that knife attack. “I’m a professional.”

That seemed to confuse the boy enough for you to leap into action as his violet eyes looked bewilderedly between the small mark and your confident gaze. Whipping open your bag, you produced a small bottle of ointment and a few bandages, basic supplies that you always kept on hand for your own delinquent boys. “What’s your name?” You asked cheerfully as you ever so gently dabbed the dark spots before sticking a bandage over.

“Rindo,” the boy answered. You replied with your own name, and that was that.

Carefully rinsing and repeating your procedure with each bruise till you were done (you were rather surprise he let you, if you were being honest), you passed him a tissue for his nose after with strict instructions to blow out the blood and not swallow it.

The other obediently held the tissue to his nose without complaints, as if silently asking if you were done now and to leave him alone. Not that you noticed, too busy rummaging through the convenience store plastic bag and retrieving a wrapped piece of taiyaki, to which you pressed it into his hand. “Here! For you,” you lifted your own open drink. “Sorry, I only bought one drink.”

The ring of the convenience store door opening again was a bell that cut off any further conversations, and you waved a short bye to your newfound friend before rushing over to meet an exiting and very grumpy Baji.

ㅤ

Once more separated from you by simple time, the gunshot shattered the tension weighing down the freezing air of the refrigerated warehouse, finally silencing the annoying muffled begging as the bullet cleaved through flesh as effortlessly as a butcher’s knife through tuna. A click as the used shell was expelled, yet hushness was quick to fall once more over the warehouse despite the area being far from empty. Mikey exhaled, his warm breath leaving a trail of fog behind in the cold air even as the man simply continued to stare blankly ahead, abyss eyes fixed on some unknown spot off from where the traitor’s head had been just a minute earlier, gun lowered to hang limply by his side.

A stone’s throw away, unusually alert green eyes framed by long pink lashes remained trained on the unmoving Mikey, the corners of Sanzu’s scarred mouth remained downturned as he contemplated what he had just witnessed. Far from the blood and death that bothered the made man, it was rather the sight of Mikey being there amidst the pooling blood instead of him, Bonten’s Hammer. After all, it was rare - unheard of - for the boss to personally bloody his hands with the dirty work, yet this was far from being the first instance of such an exception happening this week alone, be it to rivals, traitors or Bonten members alike. There had been several close calls for even the executives where the various members had found themselves at the business end of Mikey’s gun, Sanzu included, though fortunately there hadn’t been any accidental deaths yet.

And it was clear they remembered the past week’s incidents, Bonten’s Number Two breaking from his thoughts to throw an accusatory glance Kakucho’s way, given how everyone else was happy to let the boss stew, content with their quiet observation from a safe distance. Said black-haired man returned Sanzu’s icy look with a shrug that said everything: no one was too sure what was going to accidentally set Mikey off next, and with how trigger happy the man has been in the past few days, no one was quite keen to find out either.

Which left only Sanzu to do the job - the same man who had just been discharged from hospital after committing the ultimate sin and still very much neck deep in Mikey’s shit list - but still the only person left willing to risk his life. And he didn’t even have any drugs left - that shithead of a doctor in Bonten’s infirmary ward had confiscated his own stash on top of denying him any painkillers. Traitors, the whole lot of them.

The soles of Sanzu’s handcrafted shoes crunched atop the icy floor as he hesitantly took a few steps in the direction of his king.“Mikey?”

No response. Not a twitch.

The white-haired man seemed to barely even be breathing, lost to the breaking world in his mind. And there was no doubt about what caused this spiral. After all, it had been a mere three nights since you disappeared from his arms. Four days since Mikey had completely stopped eating or sleeping; and the few times Sanzu had caught the other nodding off for a few minutes before something wretched him back awake once more didn’t count. Short stubble dotting his chin, his mob of white, uncombed hair unkept atop his head, and still dressed in the same days-old clothes, it was as if he had ceased to function completely, and it was because of you that Sanzu’s king was rotting away, perishing before his eyes. A ruthless, cold man Mikey was as the head of the largest criminal syndicate in Japan, but twelve long years apart and for him to have only a taste of his darling you before some unknown force wretched you away from him again; it was as if the spark to keep slugging onwards had finally been extinguished from the broken man, and the strongman facade was starting to crack.

Despite the pink-haired man’s continued disdain for you, he understood, but there was nothing more he could do. Every available resource at Bonten’s disposal had already been committed to combing every inch of Tokyo, and all they could do now was wait. Letting out a sigh, Sanzu closed the distance, taking the few steps that brought him elbow to elbow with the boss, with just a couple of inches between the two. “Mikey? You alright?” He tried again.

Silence once more blanketed the area as his words drifted off and died, the freezing air in the refrigerated warehouse thick and heavy and hard to breathe. Off in the distance, Rindo shivered from behind the seat of a forklift, the chill finally getting to the younger of the Haitani brothers, but the world still fell silent.

At least this time Mikey did react, though not to Sanzu, the Bonten boss simply turning away from his right hand man, slippers making nay a sound as he padded away towards the exit, body listing from side to side with every step. “Ah, is it?” The ragged whisper that fell from Mikey’s lips seemed to echo louder than the earlier gunshot, unsteady steps threatening to give way under the man’s frail frame as he muttered to himself. “It was me? I see.”

All Sanzu could do was watch and grimace, hand moving to grip the bottom of his striped vest, knuckles turning white from his tight, frustrated clench. Mikey wasn’t speaking to any of the executives present, no, but to you: the whispering, taunting version of you that lived rent-free in Mikey’s hallucinations and delusions. Like a ghost that refused to depart, your shade haunting the white-haired man’s every move despite your absence, staying just beyond his grasp yet so mockingly close - who knew what kind of vicious words you were tormenting him with?

Even as he still questioned what had led to his intense dislike of you in the first place, he knew that the real you would never do such a thing, especially considering the tenderness with which he had previously witnessed you holding Mikey’s bony hand with. Definitely not to Mikey, but that was a matter for a different time. Shaking his head to clear his mind, the second-in-command tuned out those nagging voices, letting out a sigh that instantly fogged up into a cloud of white fog as he turned his attention back on the unstable man in front of him. Truly, having to live with this amount of clarity at all times was painful.

ㅤ

One step wrongly placed, and time felt as if it came to a crawl as Mikey’s slipper failed to get a grasp on the thin layer of ice that coated the cement tiles, the already lethargic man looked as if he would be meeting the ground under his own weakened legs, white hair streaming out behind the Bonten boss as he descended.

Sanzu moved. “Wait Mikey, you’re-” Calloused hands shot out in an attempt to catch his falling king, though it seemed too little too late, that signature black shirt brushing past the tips of his fingers.

But in that instant, the former up-and-coming delinquent was quicker, a speed reminiscent of his glory days as Toman’s President as he caught himself with little difficulty. “Don’t you fucking touch her,” the guttural growl reverberated across the tin-roofed building, and in one smooth move, the black pistol whipped around to lined straight up with the centre of Sanzu’s forehead, the black, heavy eyebags that clung to the bottom of Mikey’s eyes scrunching up as his gaze narrowed dangerously.

The world held its breath as green eyes met abyss ones.

A second ticked by.

A bead of sweat gathered along Sanzu’s pink hairline despite the freezing temperature, trickling down the side of his face. Was this it?

Another second.

Perhaps it was a mere moment of recognition that glimmered behind those exhausted eyes to which clung black, heavy eyebags, perhaps it was your specter taking pity on him, saving him from what was an unenviable fate. Whatever it had been, the heaved sigh of relief that slipped out from Sanzu’s scarred lips started his world spinning once more as the barrel of the gun was lowered, the other’s bony arm shaking from the effort of holding up the pistol. He hadn’t been sure if Mikey would squeeze the trigger, and even though he wouldn’t have been too angry to die by his liege’s hands, it was far from the right time to leave the other to those spiralling thoughts. He did, after all, swear an oath to keep the former Toman President safe; he had for all this time and he will continue to do so, even if it meant keeping Mikey safe from himself.

The palpable stillness persisted as seven pairs of various colored eyes watched Mikey turn once more to leave, soundless steps reverberating through the tense air as his abnormally delicate figure grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared behind the half-open warehouse door, long tendrils of cold fog lazily trailing out after him.

Running one hand through his mob of pink hair, Sanzu took a glance around at the rest of the executives present as a silent grumble slipped his lips; it was rare to see anything but amusement on the faces of these usually desensitized criminals, and even rarer for everyone present to be of the same thought. And if it had been anything but this conundrum, the pink-haired second in command wouldn’t have wasted any time in giving it to them for showing such useless emotions. But with the quickly deteriorating state of their boss as the hours and days go by and no sign of your return or your presence anywhere, there was little they could do but watch with concern as Mikey wasted away.

Despite the already ongoing search looking non-stop for you, all day and all night, a tightening knot at the base of his gut combined with a nagging feeling told Sanzu that they were unlikely to find you anywhere, his mind instantly leaping back to the pounding headache and the change in his memory back when he awoke in the infirmary four days ago. Why did he stop hating you with every fiber of his being previously? How did you do that? No matter what the others said, there was definitely something off about his sudden change of heart with regards to you, Sanzu knew without doubt, and he would get to the bottom of this.

For now, what he needed to figure out was what combination of begging and groveling would be enough to get Mikey to at least accept some water.

ㅤ

Yet just three hours later, Mikey’s situation had already taken a turn for the worse. Four days without food, let alone sleep, would do anyone in, and even the once undefeated Toman President was no exception. Now standing alone, consumed by the darkness of the last untrodden area in Bonten headquarters, Sanzu knew he was breaking every rule worth remembering, doing something so explicitly forbidden by his king. But as he rummaged through mostly empty cupboards and amidst the little belongings owned by the infinitely wealthy yakuza boss in a bid to find something, anything that could help, the black hole of spiraling thoughts that encompassed the events of the past thirty minutes overriding any awareness he had the items passing through his hands.

After all, it had been him who had come across Mikey, his near-skeletal figure sprawled unconscious across plush carpets halfway down Executive Row, just meters away from the worn white door of his bedroom. It had been him who had scooped the man into his arms and rushed him down to the infirmary, grimly noting how the man weighed barely anything. And it had also been him, on his knees and his forehead to the ground, pleading with a conscious Mikey to allow the doctor to administer a fluid IV, only for the other to reject his fervent imploring with a simple turn of his head, those exhausted abyss eyes breaking from his teary green ones wordlessly to stare blankly at the ceiling. Because no words needed to be said for Sanzu to know what the boss demanded: he would accept nothing less than your return and your cooking.

Despite the white-haired man not being present, allowing the light from the hallway outside to pour into the usually unilluminated room - the gloom and morbidness just as Mikey likes it - felt too much like the discretion of such a sacred space to the ever-loyal Sanzu, though this did leave him to conduct his hunt with just the sliver of light that sipped in from under the door. The cold sweat that gathered and pooled on his palms was hastily wiped away on striped pants as the usually high second-in-command attempted to focus back on his searching, green eyes scanning around in a desperate attempt to find something that could help, a clue that could point to where you were, anything.

This was all your fault. Was there nothing he could do but let fate play out?

It was only as Sanzu threw up his arms in exasperation did a glimmer from the furthest end of the room catch the corner of his eye; the small amount of light that reflected back seemed to sparkle even in the dark. The faintest shimmer of gold. What was that? A cautious few steps revealed the source to be a school bag - your school bag, judging from the neatly written name on the tag - that you had failed to take with you for whatever reason. And more importantly, hanging from the front of the bag from a zipper was that notorious purple-and-gold onomori that had him recoil his hand as if burnt.

No doubt it was the same one that still haunted his every step, one that marked you as off-limits all those years ago on the threat of torture and death. Yet -

The Bonten man reached out, gripping the onomori with one fist. He vaguely remembered something from many years ago, maybe twelve or more, when you first disappeared, when you first gave him that bag of karaage. He had been the one to find your charm, and if his scrambled memory hasn’t failed him, the simple of act of picking up this charm had summoned you out of thin air. Though after holding it for a rough five minutes, Sanzu sighed, undoing the simple note that kept the charm tied to your bag before standing. He probably just dreamt that particular one up during one of his highs.

Still, the man noted as he wrapped the small item ever so carefully in a clean handkerchief and tucked it into his breast pocket, it was probably precious to Mikey. Something to lift his spirits a bit maybe, if it did nothing else - anything that would keep his king going until you could be located.

And pressing it into said man’s weak hand later, and watching the charm disappear under sterile white blankets as Mikey retracted his thin arm, it was all too clear to Sanzu that the other was running out of time. If they don't find you soon, Mikey dies.

Turning to leave his boss to his thoughts, the right-hand man decided that he didn’t quite enjoy all the stress. He could use a smoke about now.

ㅤ

The sight of the empty lot where your school building formerly sat brought that familiar gut-sinking feeling back to your abdomen, one that you didn’t think you would be feeling again. Running one hand through your hair, you let a sigh escape your lips. You were back in the future again, it seems. Whether this was the same future or a different one, or even if you had skipped ahead the same number of years was something that was beyond you at the moment, and you had even less on you this time then the previous incident, having been caught in your literal pajamas right as you were about to head to bed. Which came with a secondary problem, one that you found by simply looking up - it was still the middle of night.

The neighborhood where your school once was was silent as it always was at this time of day, with most students and adults alike usually asleep by this time of day. Slipping your phone out from your pocket, you noted that the battery was dead once more: was it just a side effect of the time leaping?

Patting down the rest of your pajamas only confirmed that you had none of your house keys on you unlike your previous experience, which only meant that you wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. Though heading back home wouldn’t be a bad idea if this was still the same timeline, and your feet started to carry you down familiar paths once more. Yes, you were sure at least someone would know you were back if you waited by the front door.

ㅤ

Takemichi let out an exasperated grunt, ruffling his hands through his hair. He had been back and forth from the future twice in the last four days alone, plus that disaster meeting with Draken, and nothing. No clues, no progress, nothing. You were still nowhere to be found. Kicking a stone down empty roads, the former Toman delinquent felt truly helpless for the first time. If his time leaping ability was being overridden by yours, then there was no point to what he was putting himself through - he couldn’t change the future until they could figure out how to stop yours.

And that meant…

The black-haired man shook his head vigorously in an attempt to stop his thoughts from going down that beckoning abyss. No, he couldn’t give up now. Taking a deep breath, Takemichi looked up, fists clenched determined by his side.

It was the middle of the night now, and the streets were completely empty of souls, with the exception of him wandering down aimlessly. In the distant, an occasional rumble of the engine of a passing vehicle, though none passed his way. But Naoto had mentioned that this area was where your school once stood, plus you lived not too far away as well, and therefore if you were really a time leaper, then there was a high chance this was the place you would return to. It made sense, Takemichi agreed, but this was already the umpteeth time he had searched.

Pulling one hand down his face, a flash of hair in the distance caught the man’s eye before it quickly disappeared behind a wall, too fast for him to even register. That looked like…you? Was that a hallucination?

A quick jog forward took Takemichi to the bend in the street, but when he looked round the corner, whatever trace of whoever it had been walking the roads was already gone.

ㅤ

Across the bustling city of Tokyo, Rindo froze mid-step.

Yet the sudden lack of movement was lost on Ran. The evening traffic had yet to let up outside, the rumbling of cars and the occasional horn cutting through the unnatural silence that hung inside the tiny shop tucked just a street away from the main road, though it was precisely the quietness that had carried with it the promise of an earlier rest. Careful to avoid dirtying his shoes with blood, the older Haitani had already made his way to the exit, suit jacket casually swung over one shoulder, gun tucked away safely and out of his side under his vest. “Let’s head straight back to base, Rindo,” Ran groaned, running one hand through his short purple hair only to grimace upon realizing that said hand was caked with someone else’s blood. Today was really not going his way. “You can grab a drink at the rooftop bar or something, I don’t know.”

Yanking the front door open with a grunt, said Bonten executive didn’t stop to hear if there was a response from his younger brother, instead opting to step straight out and back onto the narrow side alley, the buzzing streetlight overhead as if a welcome back from the grim of that filthy store and its dead, traitorous owner. Taking a breath of the comparatively better smelling air outside, Ran stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, pulling out a sole crumpled cigarette and a handful of change - but no lighter. Not even a match. Fuck this fucking disgusting job.

Ran turned, hand already outstretched. “Rindo, do you have a light -” And it was only then did it hit him that his brother had not followed him out. Rindo was still in the store for some goddamn reason, and he had to go back in there. The feared mafia officer sighed. This had better be important.

Alas, he spoke too soon.

“I think my memories just changed,” was seemingly all that Rindo could bring himself to mumble at the chime that came with the opening door, the man with the long purple hair still standing by the row of unpowered display refrigerators where Ran had last seen him, violet eyes staring down at the blood pooling around the cooling bodies sprawled on the floor. The stench of iron didn’t seem to bother the younger Haitani, too caught up in his jumbled mind as Rindo tried to make head or tail of what had just happened.

Ran, however, was far from impressed, simply propping both his hands on his hips and raising one eyebrow at that statement. “Did you get into Sanzu’s drug stash?”

The sheer vileness of that statement alone was enough to shake Rindo out from his own little world, with said man snapping straight back into reality ready for a fight. “How dare you-” the younger of the two let out a cough, the sudden thick smell of death and blood that made itself known to his previously oblivious nostrils choking up his airway momentarily. “How dare you say that.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to say when you talk dumb shit?”

“It’s not dumb shit, fuck you Ran! My memories changed!” Rindo insisted, carelessly stepping over the bodies at his feet, Ran wincing at the blood splattering up and all over his brother’s shoes. That would be a pain to clean later.

But still, the older Haitani led the way back outside and into the fresher air of the alleyway, before turning around to better understand the situation his dear brother seemed to have found himself in. “Alright, if not pink pills, then what happened?”

Rindo himself still seemed to be struggling to make head or tail of what had just happened, letting out a groan as the man with the long purple hair rubbed his temple with one hand. “It was after we shot those two inside. All of a sudden, my head felt like it was about to explode for a second, and I suddenly knew…stuff. Things that I didn’t know before."

“Like what?”

“You know you were telling me about Mikey’s girl earlier?”

“Uh huh.”

“I’ve never met her, and before the job, I couldn’t tell you what color her hair was. I can pick her out from a line of schoolgirls now.”

“Oh.”

Violet eyes met each other, and as if on instinct, both men thought back to the Bonten infirmary just days earlier, where an eerily similar sentence had been muttered. Sanzu. Ran sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So it wasn’t the drugs.” This day was just getting worse and worse. “Let’s head back and sync up.”

“Sure,’ Rindo shrugged, scratching the back of his head as he nonchalantly followed his older brother, the purple-haired duo stepping out onto the busy main street and blending into the crowd, blood splattered shoes a distant thought. “I do remember her being pretty nice though.”

Ran raised an eyebrow, as he absentmindedly fiddled with his earring. “Pretty nice or pretty and nice?”

The younger Haitani audibly tsked, raising one leg to kick at the other’s. “You know what I said.”

ㅤ

The lighter, joky mood that the brothers shared didn’t last past their return to Bonten HQ, much to Ran’s disappointment, the usually silent place abuzz with a rare, panic atmosphere. Men and women alike dressed in neatly pressed suits rushing every which way, the small bulge under their suit jacket where their guns were strapped to an unspoken reminder of where they were - no doubt the communicators fixed to their ears were all but alight with barked orders and updates. Casually grabbing a passing grunt, it took a mere moment and single shouted objection for the poor soul to realize who exactly had grabbed him by the back of his shirt, the purple and green striped suits too iconic to be mistaken. “Ah- oh, Haitani-sama.”

“What’s going on?” Ran didn’t need to see through those dark sunglasses to see the other’s shifty look: the nameless Bonten grunt was definitely contemplating the chance of him being dead within the next five minutes as opposed to the next hour.

”Uh-“

Rindo reached threateningly into the depths of his suit, and sweat began to pour off the other’s forehead. “You know,” the younger of the two Haitanis started. “I’ve had a really bad day.”

”No, please, Haitani-sama, I’m not sure-“

Fortunately for all three men involved, the interrogation was brought to quick and uneventful close with the appearance of an all-too familiar mob of pink hair just as Rindo pulled a lollipop out to pop into his mouth. The grunt was let go to scramble off as both sets of violet eyes snapped to the unusual sight of Sanzu impatiently tapping his foot soundlessly against the plush carpet of the foyer, smoking cigarette held between scarred lips as the man looked around before glancing once more at his watch.

A smirk instantly began to pull at Ran’s lips as he stuffed both hands into the pockets of his pants, strolling over. “Oh Sanzu~”

“I’m busy,” came the other’s curt reply, green eyes looking Ran up and down a mere moment before turning away.

”We know, we know,” the man with the short purple hair pacified. “It’s just that-“

Rindo quickly butted in, having closely followed his older brother over. It was clear that Sanzu, far from his usual drugged up and easily bullied state, actually had things to do and places to be. “My memories changed.”

Sanzu’s unusually alert gaze slid over once more to meet Rindo’s, and it seemed the severity of what the younger Haitani said set in quickly as his eyes steeled. “Mine did too. Again,” the Bonten second-in-command disclosed, though he said no more as the glass doors of the foyer slid open and Kakucho stepped out, gloved hand lightly touching where his gun was strapped to his chest under his jacket. “We’ll talk about this later. House alarm tripped again.”

Ah, your little pick-up party, Ran noted from the side, watching the two top Bonten executives slip effortlessly into a black, featureless car that quickly pulled away from the compound. So you were back - and your arrival must have something to do with the changing memories.

How interesting.

ㅤ

Across town, Draken cursed out loud as his feet flew over concrete paths down empty streets. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

You were a fucking time leaper.

He had been working late on a client’s bike as he always did, the closed garage a quiet refuge after the hustle of the normal work day. The headache had hit him like a clap of thunder, with his brain feeling it was pressing up against his skull; and memories of twelve years past suddenly started to flood back, a recollection he couldn’t control. But they were all memories that he didn’t previously have, freshly added memories: some of your reappearance in his past, some of a fight he never recalled having with the other Toman founders, and most importantly, memories of you telling them what had happened.

It changed him, Draken admitted. It gave him a renewed hope that he didn’t remember possessing, that they might be able to fix this entire mess, that you were somewhere out there. All this time you were missing - it was true. You couldn’t control it like you had admitted. But if the past him still had that onomori, then why were you back in the future?

Turning a corner, a quick step aside was the only thing that kept him from running straight into someone else, though those fast, honed reflexes also almost had Draken swinging his fist into an all-too familiar face.

Baji was panting as if he had ran a full marathon, his apron half undone and left swinging from his neck, his hand clutching his open phone. It seemed like the other Toman founder had been struck with the same revelations, Draken determined, judging from the half-dressed state he was in.

And then those two fateful words tumbled from Baji’s lips. “Time leaper.”

298 notes · View notes

ae-neon · 3 months ago

Text

RhystaWeekend2025

Day 1 - Rivals

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@rhystaappreciationweekend

Rhys glanced around. The usual staff were about but only half of the three dozen people who'd dragged themselves out of the aftermath of Rus Week were now left.

The sun had gone down and the soft glow of the overhead library lights were clashing with the bright spots of lamplight in the corner of his vision - threatening to resurrect the headache he'd arrived with hours earlier.

He stretched then slid his gaze across the table to peer at Nesta. The blue glow of her laptop screen made her grey eyes look alive with silver light, but it also drew attention to the dark skin under her eyes and the slight strain at the tips of her down-turned mouth.

She was dressed down again. A navy cardigan and black jeans, her hair up in one of the various styles she used to keep her hair from her face. A thin, black headband adding another layer of assurance. Of control and restraint. So unlike the night before, in that dangerously loose, silver halter top, hair falling around her face...the memory blanked.

"You're ignoring me." He said quietly, finally putting down his pen. It wasn't an entirely fair accusation, he'd barely said a word to her in the five hours they'd sat working. Not even to confirm her lunch order, he knew it well enough.

The soft clack of her fingers on the keyboard faltered but she didn't meet his gaze, "That's nothing new."

"True...but you also haven't written a single note in the past forty-five minutes." He jerked his chin at her side of the table.

She glanced down at where her notebook and pen sat abandoned, sighed, then finally slid that icy stare his way. "I guess we're both tire-"

"Is this about what I said yesterday?" Something flitted over her features and Rhys clamped down on the twisting feeling that had been building since he'd woken up on Cassian's couch. "Because if it is: I'm sorry. I was drunk. I didn't mean it."

The muscle between her brows twitched and for a second the only sound in the room was someone two tables away, packing away their papers. "You...didn't mean it?"

"Of course not."

She blinked and the hint of irritation that had been threatening vanished into the strangest expression Rhys had ever seen cross Nesta Archeron's face. Sadness. For a moment, she looked so young, so hurt. Had he really gone that far? Far enough to chip at Nesta's usually impenetrable skin? Enough to hurt? They hadn't tried to hurt each other since the end of first year.

But then it was gone, her eyes flickered back to the screen and her typing resumed, "Okay."

Okay?

Frustration flared in his gut but he calmed himself with a sigh. He sat back in his chair and settled into his usual nonchalance, stretching his legs and crossing one foot over the other, "So is that it? Are we done acting like this? It's been messing with my head."

"Sure."

Except seconds ticked and minutes stretched. And after another unproductive hour in which the library emptied further - though a handful of night owls also trickled in - he'd only managed to write 3 sentences and Nesta wasn't even pretending to work anymore. Yet he felt trapped, frozen in the something between them.

"You didn't mean it?" She said, so softly that she might have been talking to herself.

Rhys jumped at the opportunity to reassure her, to free himself from whatever situation yesterday's him had created, "Of course not."

Her shoulders fell in a tired sigh and Nesta leaned back in her chair, looking at him with some unreadable expression. He was almost certain there were tears in her eyes.

What the fuck?

Rhys grappled with his memory, tried desperately to piece together what he'd said and done. Remembered Cassian's; Nesta arriving with Gwyn and Emerie; the whispers; Mor rolling her eyes and saying into her cup 'look who actually showed up'; Cassian's smug grin. That he'd talked Nesta into tutoring him was one thing - he was a star athlete and she was a townie, the daughter of immigrant parents who owned a bodega. Money. It had to be. But then Nesta had shown up to Cassian's party at the end of Rus Week. Rhys could count on one hand the number of Rus parties he'd seen her attend over the last 3 years.

Even now the possible implications and likely gossip irked him. What use was this rivalry if when he beat Nesta, she wasn't the recipient of the Eight Pointed Star Award or the only other student set to intern at Amren's - what if she became relegated to reference, 'oh, you mean Cassian's girl'? Mother above.

Across from him, Nesta sighed and began packing away her things, quickly getting to her feet and making for the door in the hopes of leaving him behind. But the twisting feeling in his stomach was only getting worse and he rushed to slip on his coat, following her without making too much noise.

Outside, the air had begun to chill and moths circled the twin lampposts that marked the top of the library stairs.

"Nesta," he reached for her as she wrapped her grey scarf around her neck.

She swung around, not with the venom he'd come to appreciate but resigned, defeated. The thought irked him. His grip on her wrist tightened.

"Let go."

He loosened his grip but did not let go, "I don't remember what I said, okay? I have no idea-"

She was silent for a second, her face tightening first in suspicion then in irritation, "Then it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Clearly it fucking does." He took a step towards her, searching her face for some sign. And again desperately tried to piece it all together. Nesta dancing with her friends. Rhys drinking. Nesta smiling at Cassian. Rhys drinking. He'd finally slipped off in search of the bathroom. Then...sitting on the couch in the small, cut off spare room where he'd woken up...

"Why?" She asked.

"What?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I just spent 4 hours doing...nothing. And it's not just me, pretend all you want but I know you didn't absorb a thing back there. I can't beat you like this," and, if she fell below her requirements, her scholarship was at risk, "This isn't us."

Nesta scoffed, "Rhysand-"

"Rhys." He corrected almost automatically, surprising himself. He'd gotten used it. The way she said his name. First said in disdain, then with cold distance, and lately said with some strange familiarity. So why...

"Rhys," she said. The word reverberated through him, rang in his skull and dropped to his stomach. Slotted into place some intangible link.

He frowned at the slight reddening of her cheeks, the way she wouldn't look at him. The memory of his fingers brushing against that skin. Of words. Of speaking. Of being so close. He took another step forward, closing the distance between them.

The action drew her attention and she finally looked at him. Grey-blue eyes shone with moisture, now and in his memory. This close it felt like déjà vu.

He lifted his fingers, relieved the moment as the haze of it was lifted. The warmth of her face, the way her eyes fluttered closed for a second before they met his once more.

"'So fucking beautiful'."

Now, as then, he closed the distance between their lips.

Fin.

For @omnipresent-wanderer because your academic rivals never really left my head.

I originally wrote something very different but I wasn't happy with it so I made the collage but that ended up inspiring this last minute short fic.

*Rus just means rest. The idea is that there's a week of fun before they start prepping for exams. There is no room for realism.

#rhystaweekend2025 #rivals #rhysta #nesta archeron #day one: mirrors/rivals

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fleckficgirl · 6 months ago

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Heartthrob | Arthur Fleck x reader 💗 CHAPTER 14

Summary: Attempting to conceal her checkered past, a young dancer in Gotham (Y/N) lands a job at Ha-Ha’s and finds herself increasingly drawn to a shy, lonely clown named Arthur Fleck.

Warnings: sex, age gap, language, violence, mental illness, assault

Word Count: 3438

Chapter List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Wayne Manor stood on a huge, sprawling estate. Living in Gotham made it easy to forget that places like this existed in the world. The trees were greener. The streets were so clean, they almost sparkled. There were no sirens, no smell of rotting garbage, no hunched over zombies stumbling in the streets. This part of Long Island was like a little eden - a heaven on earth carved out and carefully guarded by the ultra wealthy.

“This is it,” you breathed as you and Arthur approached the gates. Fortunately, there were no angry dobermans prowling about the grounds today. Only freshly-trimmed grass and the towering mansion in the distance. You wondered if anyone was even home.

Suddenly, Arthur froze in his tracks. “Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

He turned to face you, shoving his hands into his pockets, throwing his eyes to the ground.

“What do you think he’ll say?”

Your heart broke for Arthur all over again. You couldn’t imagine all the emotions that must be careening through him right now.

“Thomas Wayne?” you drew in a breath. “I guess I don’t know what he’ll say. But we’re gonna get an answer out of him one way or another.”

“I just…” Arthur sighed. “I just want him to talk to me. You don’t think that’s too much to ask, is it?”

You reached out and stroked Arthur’s cheek.

“I don’t think so,” you shook your head. “After all, you said your mother’s been writing to him all this time and she hasn't gotten a response. I’m sure the Waynes have people who handle their correspondence - maybe they’ve ignored it or maybe nothing’s gotten through yet. Either way, I know I’d do the same thing if I were in your shoes.”

Arthur looked up at you. Those arresting, green eyes: filled with hope, hurt, anticipation. You said a silent prayer in that moment that whatever happened next, Arthur got the answers he needed. The answers he fucking deserved.

Arthur pulled his hands out of his pockets and clasped them over your wrist. “I’m so glad you’re here, Y/N. If I had to come all by myself, I don’t think I’d have the guts to-”

He stopped, his eyes catching hold of something in the distance.

“What is it?” You turned around. Nothing had moved or changed that you could see. It took you a minute of scanning the surroundings until, finally, you spotted him: a tiny, sad-looking little boy playing all alone on a wooden jungle gym near the front gates. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old.

“I think that’s his son,” you murmured. “I heard about him a couple times in the news.”

“Bruce Wayne,” Arthur said.

“That’s right, Bruce.” You stared at the boy, mystified. There was a distinct melancholy and isolation you could feel radiating off of him, even from so far away.

“He looks so…so…” You struggled to find the words.

“Alone.”

You pursed your lips and looked back at Arthur, nodding. And then another realization dawned on you.

“Oh my God,” you blinked. “If Thomas Wayne really is your father, then that would mean…”

Arthur swallowed, nodding. “I’ve thought about that, too. I know it sounds crazy, but now that I see him…I…”

You waited.

“He reminds me so much of myself when I was a little boy.”

“Oh shit,” you exhaled, looking back at Bruce, then back at Arthur. “I mean…I suppose given what your mother’s said…what do you wanna do, Arthur?”

Arthur took a deep breath and to your surprise, a warm, gently confident smile began to spread across his face.

“I’m gonna go say ‘hi.’”

“Do you want me to come with you?” You wanted Arthur to feel completely supported. You knew that sometimes being supportive looked like coming along, and other times it looked more like hanging back and letting the other person take the lead.

“I think I should do this part myself,” he said. “But I’ll come get you if I need to.”

“I’ll be right here,” you squeezed his hand. “I love-”

Wait, what the hell were you saying? Had you completely taken leave of your senses?

“Uhm,” you cleared your throat. “I love…waiting!” you finished brightly, hoping he’d buy it. “I’ll wait as long as you need and I’ll be right here. Be strong, okay? And if they give you any trouble, call me and…I’ll beat everyone up!”

Arthur smiled, lifted your hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it, sending chills through your entire being. If he’d somehow picked up on your almost-love-confession, he didn’t show it.

Arthur already has enough on his mind right now, you chastised yourself as you watched him approach the gate. He doesn’t need you muddling it further with your irrational emotions.

You couldn’t tell Arthur you loved him now. First of all, it was way too soon.

Second of all…

Well, the second part was embarrassing. And more than a little crazy. You knew your feelings for Arthur were real, but that didn’t stop you from recognizing how intense they were after only knowing him a short time.

So why, then, did it feel like the most natural thing to say? The thing you sensed he needed to hear?

You meandered further up the drive, away from the entrance, giving Arthur his space but staying close enough so you could quickly run to his side if necessary.

It was startlingly quiet here compared to the endless cacophony of Gotham City. So quiet, it felt like if you stopped and listened carefully, you could hear the wind in the trees singing to you.

Despite the peaceful surroundings, however, bitter memories began to weave their way into your mind. You knew a good faction of your former GU classmates hailed from this part of Long Island - hell, some of their families probably even rubbed elbows with the Waynes themselves: probably got invited to their fancy Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, toasting their continued privilege and fortune over a bottle of champagne that cost more than you made in a month.

You didn’t have anything in common with those people. So how on earth had you found yourself among them in the first place?

The answer was almost annoyingly simple: your parents had drilled the importance of getting an education into you since you were a toddler, telling you it would open doors, get you the better life you deserved…unlike the two of them who’d gotten jobs straight out of high school and lamented nonstop how much the lack of a college education had held them back from their potential.

“Potential,” you muttered to yourself under your breath. That was the word they’d always used and it still left a sour taste in your mouth.

“You have so much potential, Y/N,” they’d always say. “But you can’t let it go to waste. You have to work three times as hard as everyone else in order to realize it.”

You’d believed them - bought their promises hook, line and sinker and dutifully applied yourself like the good little girl you were. The truth was, you’d never quite fit in at Burnley High, either. Most of the kids there dropped out or phoned in the bare minimum to scoot by and pick up a diploma, but you’d been among the top five performers in your graduating class of over 400 students. You’d done the extra work, taken the hardest classes, stayed home and sacrificed any semblance of a normal teenage social life to mold yourself into the high-achieving student your family wanted you to be.

And it had paid off. At least for a brief moment in time. When the letter from Gotham University arrived saying you’d gotten in with a full scholarship, you’d cried tears of joy. Your mother had cried. Your father said he was proud of you. He never said things like that.

You remembered back to that day: the teary-eyed seventeen year old girl holding an acceptance letter in her sweaty, trembling hands like a golden badge of honor. That badge represented everything you’d worked your entire life for, everything you’d ever wanted: Validation. Recognition. Belonging.

Belonging. Yes, back then, that same girl believed she was finally being admitted through the golden gates to a place she belonged. You’d been naive enough to assume that at college you’d encounter more people like yourself, people who came from nothing but made amazing things happen through hard work and belief in themselves.

But Gotham U had been nothing like you’d expected.

Yes, the students were bright, but the vast majority were also spoiled and entitled. They seemed to take their enrollment at the school for granted, and the fact that their parents paid their tuition in full (were able to pay it in the first place) didn’t in any way accelerate their work ethic. These were kids whose parents owned country houses, summer houses and yachts. Kids who went to horseback riding camp every summer since they were six, learned how to ski when they were four, took vacations over spring break to places like Paris or Barcelona or the Hamptons.

You’d never even ridden on an airplane.

How ignorant that girl with the acceptance letter was, you mused. The dream of being a student at Gotham University had powered everything you’d worked for the first 17 years of your life…and all too late turned into a horrible nightmare.

“Potential.” What did it mean now? Of course, your parents were still holding out hope you’d eventually return to GU. But GU was just like the Waynes themselves: they wanted to portray themselves as a beacon of magnanimity and altruism, but when it came to actually stepping up and doing the right thing, their interests lay solely with themselves and their ability to maintain wealth and power. When the cards were down, a poor scholarship girl from Burnley High didn’t qualify for basic human consideration. And your biggest mistake was believing that they ever would.

After all the unpleasantness that had occurred towards the end of your first year - the school’s administration “generously” forcing you to take medical leave or be expelled - you’d started to believe you didn’t belong anywhere. You didn’t see a future for yourself anymore. And feeling this way not only made you incredibly sad, but it scared you.

But all that had started to change since meeting Arthur. Arthur, you imagined, who right now was probably feeling the same way you had on the first day of freshman orientation: Hoping, with the most optimistic part of his heart, that he just might find the love and acceptance he’d yearned for for so long.

But was life on the other side of those golden gates all that Arthur imagined it could be?

Suddenly, you felt extremely protective of him. You knew it was inappropriate to eavesdrop, but who were you kidding? Just the thought of Arthur going through something similar to your experience at that school was unthinkable. You tiptoed closer - not close enough to be spotted, but close enough to give yourself the best chance of overhearing…well, spying.

“Bruce! What are you doing?” Another man’s voice shot out accusingly over the quiet. “Get away from that man.”

Shit. Not good. Your heart started to race.

Please, you prayed, please don’t be assholes.

You realized almost immediately how useless such a plea was. These were the Waynes, after all.

“It’s okay,” you heard Arthur respond. “I’m a good guy.”

Resisting the urge to race to Arthur’s side took every inch of self control in your body. You reminded yourself that he’d wanted to do this alone. You wanted to respect that. Arthur could hold his own. He was a strong person, deep down. And dealing with rudeness was nothing he wasn’t accustomed to.

But if they were complete assholes to him, you didn’t know how much you could tolerate.

You crept even closer, still hidden behind the giant shrubs that surrounded the estate. The other voice couldn’t belong to Thomas Wayne, you reasoned. Thomas Wayne didn’t have an English accent.

“Can you tell Mr. Wayne that I need to see him?” Arthur asked.

At that moment, the wind picked up, compromising your ability to hear as clearly as before. You cursed under your breath, cupping your hand to your ear.

“...your mother was a sick woman,” you heard the other man say to Arthur in the coldest, most unfeeling tone imaginable. “She was delusional.”

Your jaw dropped. Your right hand fell from your ear and twisted reflexively into a fist.

“Don’t say that,” you growled under your breath.

Exactly who the fuck did these people think they were? Couldn’t they put themselves in another person’s shoes for just one fucking second? If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t they want the same answers? Didn’t everyone deserve that?

Deep breaths, Y/N, you told yourself. Deep breaths.

“Just go,” the man’s cruel, disdainful voice echoed up the drive. “Before you make a bigger fool of yourself.”

That did it. Fuck the deep breaths. Fuck taking the high road. And fuck this rude asshole.

The entire world blurred into raging red as you found yourself barreling like a fiery cannonball down the drive to Arthur’s side, ready to fight, to climb those gates like an acrobat and beat the living hell out of that asshole - any anyone else who wanted some, too.

How dare he talk to Arthur Fleck, your Arthur Fleck, that way?

When you rounded the corner, you were surprised and more than a little satisfied to see that Arthur had already reached through the gates and grabbed the dude by his collar, holding him in a semi-chokehold.

“Kick his ass!” you cried out. “Kick his motherfucking ass!”

The rude man’s eyes darted to you, filled with surprise, confusion, fear. And the inability to utter another word for lack of oxygen.

Good.

You pulled your right arm back and swung through the gates with all your strength, punching him square across the face while Arthur held him in place. The man’s nose started bleeding and you smiled. Your anger made you strong, increased your strength exponentially in the moments you needed it most. Though you’d never admit it to anyone, it was one of the things you actually liked about this part of yourself that you were supposed to reject, to work so hard to rid yourself of.

You liked feeling strong in a world where everyone was more than happy to step and walk all over you without a second thought. And you were tired of pretending you didn’t.

Arthur was a slight, diminutive man, but his anger made him strong, too. He had the asshole so tight by the collar, it looked like his face was turning red.

You were winding up, about to strike again when you suddenly registered the face of the sad little boy from before. Standing off to the side, he was now a very scared-looking little boy; frozen like a little Bambi fawn, eyes wide, terrified.

Terrified…of you. Of the both of you.

Those bewildered eyes were enough to stop you in your tracks. All at once, common sense and empathy rushed back into your heart like an ocean wave. As much as this surly jackass deserved a beatdown, you knew you’d never forgive yourself for permanently traumatizing a defenseless little kid.

Even if he was a Wayne.

As though he’d come to the same realization at the same exact moment, Arthur released the man just as you stopped yourself from throwing another, harder, right hook. The jerk fell backwards, clutching at his crumpled collar, and Arthur grabbed your arm. Without exchanging a word, you raced back up the drive together, running like two gazelles as fast as your feet could carry you.

The next few minutes were a continued blur. Wayne Manor receded further and further into the background as you drew closer to the train station. You’d been too afraid to turn back and see if anyone was chasing you, but by now the adrenaline was wearing off, and your legs felt like they could give out at any second.

“Arthur, wait!” you stopped, breathlessly, reaching out to grab him by the sleeve. Mustering up the courage to look back, you were relieved to see you hadn’t been followed. You’d managed to escape by the skin of your teeth.

“I think we’re in the clear,” you gasped for air.

Arthur stopped and turned to face you, panting. “Are you alright, Y/N? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” you shook your head. “I’m so sorry, Arthur. This is all my fault.”

A confused look came across his face and he took both your hands into his. “What do you mean?”

“I went crazy again. I werewolfed! I didn’t mean to, it's just…” your eyes filled with tears, realizing all too late of course, that the last thing you’d wanted in accompanying Arthur today was to do anything that would ultimately result in making it harder for him to get the answers he needed.

How could you have let this happen?

Arthur held up a hand to stop you. “I went crazy first,” he pointed out.

“Well, yeah, you grabbed the guy,” you conceded. “But I’m the one who made his nose bleed, for God’s sake! I never would’ve done it if I knew the kid was watching.” You shook your head, tears filling your eyes. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved…”

“No, Y/N,” Arthur squeezed your hands in his. “I’m glad you were there. I didn’t wanna scare the little boy, either. Seeing him brought me back to myself. I know what it’s like to be scared at that age…scared and helpless…”

Arthur’s words made the tears you’d been fighting swell over and you fell into his arms.

“It’s okay, Y/N. Shh, come here.” Arthur pulled you into a tight embrace against his chest.

“I didn’t mean to scare him,” you sobbed into his shoulder. “I’m a bad person, Arthur. I’m awful.”

“That’s not true!” he protested. “Why are you saying that?”

He stepped back and tried to look you in the eye, but you were too ashamed to face him. The mean, inner voice you’d suffered with in secret since you were a little kid had taken over and had you in its iron grip of shame:

You don’t deserve to be loved.

You’re defective.

You’re worthless.

You’re awful.

“It’s okay, Y/N,” Arthur whispered into your hair. “I understand. I understand what you’re feeling. But it’s not true. Whatever you’re telling yourself right now is not true.”

You cried harder into his embrace. You might have known he’d understand. You’d found the one person in the world who felt what you felt - or at least the one person brave enough to admit to it.

“Please don’t cry, Y/N.” You could feel Arthur’s heart pounding against your ears. “You're not a bad person,” he murmured into your hair. “You’re anything but a bad person.”

“But I messed everything up. Like I always do.”

“You stopped yourself from taking things further,” Arthur pointed out. “We both did. That means something.”

“But how are you gonna find out if Thomas Wayne’s your father now?” you wailed. “How are you gonna get your answers?”

“We’ll figure something out,” Arthur reassured you. “I don’t want you worrying about that.”

Arthur brought his hands to your face, cradling it. You looked up into his shining, green eyes, tenderness emanating from them. His fingers gently stroked back your hair, wiped away your tears.

“You need to breathe, Y/N. Can you take a deep breath?”

He breathed with you. In and out. And in and out again. Finally, you felt your pulse begin to slow, the maddening blur of self-hatred and negative vitriol shift from a wild gallop to a trot. It was a small change, but enough to allow you to start feeling human again.

Arthur stepped back and a small, shy smile spread across his face.

“Thank you, Y/N,” he said.

You wiped your nose, bewildered. “‘Thank you’? For what?”

“For coming here with me. For standing up for me the way you have. No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.”

“But, Arthur, I-”

“If you hadn’t been there for me, I’d be all alone right now,” he interjected. “Like I’ve been all my life. But I’m not alone anymore. Because of you.”

His shy smile shifted into a sly grin. He placed a soft kiss on your cheekbone.

“I love you, too,” he whispered, before tenderly bringing his mouth to yours.

Thank you for reading and for all the sweet, encouraging comments! I have struggled to write this as of late, but I'm committed to finishing this story and can't wait to share the rest of it with you. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

xx ghastella

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hetacon · 7 months ago

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So you guys know how the most recent thing I posted was a Sidlink fic? That was because I actually got into BOTW about a year ago (it’s been one of the fandoms that kind of just simmers in the back of my brain at all times), and that was pretty much my only knowledge of Legend of Zelda, just that one game…

Oops, now it’s all of them!!

Somehow I wound up getting invested in Linked Universe because of a Sidlink fic and now it’s the only thing on my brain as of the past month and a half! Unsurprisingly given how I got into it in the first place, Wild is my favorite, but I must say that they’ve all weaseled their way into my heart, particularly Twilight and Legend (and outside of the chain, Ravio as well)! The LOZ mania has gotten so intense that I actually bought and am playing through A Link Between Worlds right now and am legit making a Ravio cosplay, help-

All of the poses I drew here were from @mellon-soup’s wonderful references, I love using them for inspiration when I’m not quite sure what to draw, and when I saw the first one, I just knew I had to draw Legend and Ravio!

I’ll put a few of my thoughts on the drawings under the cut if anyone’s interested in hearing about them

1) I love Ravioli so much, their dynamic brings me much joy. I’m very proud of how Legend’s expression turned out

2) I’m absolutely obsessed with the fairy Hyrule headcanon, there are so many cute pieces of art people have drawn of him! I’m surprised I managed to get so much detail on his face given how tiny he is. Also Sky is a total sweetheart and the thought of him protecting Hyrule from the rain was simply too adorable for me not to draw the two of them!

3) I am very emotional over Twilight and Wild’s sibling dynamic! The idea of Twi getting caught sneaking food while Wild’s cooking dinner was very funny to me and so I drew it! I really like all of the little details in this drawing, Wild’s scars are probably my favorite detail. And though I’ve never drawn a wolf before, I think I did pretty good! Originally I was just going to draw Twi taking a small piece of meat or something but then I thought “Nah, it’s gonna be an entire fish!” I headcanon that whenever he’s in wolf form, his metabolism increases and so he needs to eat more food to maintain his energy. Since he mainly transforms to fight, track, or comfort Wild, he’s earned an entire fish! Also it’s important to me that you know that the fish is specifically a staminoka bass :))

4) If you find the pose reference I used for Wind, you probably will notice that I actually flipped it so that he was holding the Wind Waker in his left hand. As a leftie myself, I really love it when characters I love are also left-handed!

Also on the topic of hands in general, can I just say how proud I am of all the hands in these 4 drawings??? They’re so good, we love good hand days

#the legend of zelda #linked universe #lu legend #lu ravio #lu hyrule #lu sky #lu wild #lu twilight #lu wolfie #lu wind #tloz #lu fanart #stan art

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pinkthrone445 · 1 year ago

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-Let it burn to the ground- Part 6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 part 5

Pairing:Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

Gender:love, hurt, confort, funny

Warnings:Mention about past trauma, fires and dead

Summary:Melissa lets the fire of love consume her when she meets the new chief of the fire station.

After the fight, you have to think if everything is worth saving.

You were driving automatically, from the beginning of the day you felt horrible because it had already been 3 years since your husband's death, but now a new weight of pain had been added now that the redhead had treated you like this. You weren't so angry about what she said because you knew she might have a point, you were mad because she choose to say it in the worst day possible in the worst way possible. Instead of choosing a time when the two of you were alone and could talk calmly, she told you at a party full of people, to get your attention she decided to take one of her slobbering exes and on top of it all she wanted to throw the blame for everything on you. If she had said it in a good way at a good time, you would have listened to her, taken into account what she said and tried to change it as soon as possible, and the two of you probably would have gone home together.

Instead, you yelled at her, broke up with her leaving her in the arms of other men and came home as a single woman again.

Your son, smart as he was, didn't say a single word the entire trip, it wasn't until you were curling him up in his bed that he decided to speak

-"Mama... Are you okay?" - Your little one whispered seeing your eyes and you sighed

-"Today is not my best day..."-You answered honestly, you had always tried to instill in him that he did not scrutinize his emotions and that what he felt was valid and nothing better than the example to teach

-"I can see your sad eyes" - He whispered resting his little hand on your cheek, you leaned over him smiling softly-"Why Mel didn't came with us? She always makes you smile" - The little boy spoke and you sighed again

-"She... We... She said something hurtful to me and I needed some time alone, so she went home by herself" - You answered and he pouted a little

-"Can I sleep with you mama? When I'm sad sleeping with you helps" - Your child was trying to help you in the way that worked for him when he was sad

-"Okey my beautiful boy, let's go sleep together" - You whispered lifting him out of bed and carrying him in your arms to your room to sleep together and snuggle like when he was a new born. Even though he was very small compared to you, you felt like his love was protecting you from the sadness.

The next morning you were still hurting just as much, but you had a child and a job and you couldn't stay in bed and cry, so you drew strength from where you didn't have and went to make breakfast. After you ate and everything was ready, you went to take your child to school. At the entrance you managed to spot the redhead receiving the children, so you got out of the car and said goodbye to your son but you didn't approach the entrance, or even look at her. When you made sure your child got in, you got in your car, and drove off, the only time you decided to look at her was in your rearview mirror as you drove away.

The days started to go by, Mel tried to talk to you but you had blocked her, she came to see you at home but you were never there and at work they wouldn't let her go to the office because you had asked that no one bother you.

For your part, every day that passed hurt less and you missed her more, but that didn't take away the damage she had done to you with what she said and how she said it.

A week later, Mother's Day came and you were invited to the school to see the gifts and things the kids had prepared. Before leaving the house you looked at the photos on the wall, especially the ones with your husband and you sighed, sad and at the same time a little relieved to feel how his absence hurt less, it still hurts and forever will, but it was less... Now, though for different reasons, the redhead's absence hurt a little more than his.

When you got home, you entered the school with the visitor's pass you had been given and went to your son's classroom, greeting his teacher Barbara

-"Mama! Look at my drawing!" - Your son took your hand and led you into the hallway to show you the tender drawing he had made of you and him.

-"Thats gorgeous baby! You even draw me with my uniform" - You laughed and he nodded, you knew how much he liked that you were a firefighter

-"And I got you this!" - The little one took out a gift package and gave it to you, you pretended to be surprised to see a decorated mug inside, although a few days ago in the list of supplies you had been asked for a mug and things to decorate it...

-"I love it baby! The heart and the fire you made is perfect! I'll use it for work every morning"-You answered and he hugged you tigly while you pick him up. After thanking Barbara for her efforts and giving her some chocolates for Mother's Day, you headed to the gym to enjoy the food they had ordered for the mothers. While the children were eating and playing, the redhead approached you with a small bouquet of flowers and stood by your side

-"Happy mother's day..."-she whispered, handing you the small bouquet, but you didn't take it

-"Thank you" - was all you answered without taking your eyes from your son

-"Look... I'm so sorry for all I said and how I behaved... I let my insecurities get the worst of me..." - She started talking and you sighed

-"I don't want to talk about that here or now Melissa, I just want to enjoy my mother's day with Chris, that's the only reason I'm here" - You answered seriously and it was her turn to sigh

-"Okey...I really wish you a happy day..."-Mel offered you the flowers once more and finally, for the first time in the night, you decided to look at her. Dark circles under her eyes were marked as if she was not sleeping well and her eyes did not have their characteristic brightness, they were dull and hid a lot of sadness. Carefully you took the flowers and she smiled just sideways looking at you, wishing to tell you a million things now that you were finally close, but choosing to stay quiet because you asked. -"I will go back with Barb..." - She whispered before leaving and you smelled the flowers, not only did they have their normal scent, but her perfume had also stuck to the paper that wrapped them, which made you smile softly without you noticing.

At the end of the little party they had organized, you drove home with your little one and the bouquet of flowers.

While your child was bathing, you opened the paper covering the flowers to place them in water, a small envelope with a letter fell to the floor. Curious and confused, you picked it up and opened it to find the unmistakable handwriting of the redhead

"Hello... I didn't know if you would accept the flowers, but if you're reading this it means that you did and they didn't end up in the dumpster like I thought... I'm so sorry for everything I said and what happened. From the moment I met you I fell in love with you, but the more I knew about your husband and how perfect you were, the more I doubted if I was worthy of having you by my side. He was an excellent dad, a very brave man, an amazing husband and a very good person in general, perfect for you... And I'm nothing like that and, besides, I'm old... I was jealous of him and what an amazing couple you made and I felt stupid for being jealous of someone who had passed away, so I didn't told you anything. Every day that passed, I felt less deserving of you and because I did not to mention my doubts with you, my insecurities came to the surface in the worst way at the worst time.

You don't have an idea of how sorry I am for what I said and for hurting you and for doing so many stupid things. I miss you and Chris so much.

I understand now that I lost you, how much it hurts to lose the love of your live. I'm sorry for invalidate your pain.

I hope you can forgive me one day.

With love M"

You stared at the letter for a few minutes, the truth is that Mel's anger wasn't unjustified, maybe it wasn't well expressed but she was right. You carefully grabbed your phone and unlocked the redhead's number, admiring her profile picture for a few seconds. After a little more consideration, you decided to send her a message

-You: "Thank you for the gorgeous flowers Mel... Do you think we can talk someday about what happened... About us?..."-Once you sent the message, you were left nervously waiting for a response that came almost immediately

-Melissa: "Yes please... Tomorrow after school?"-The redhead replied

-You: "I'll be working... Is there any chance that you can come to the office?" - You answered a little nervous

-Melissa: "I will be there after school"-She replied and you smiled softly

-"You:thank you... I will see you tomorrow, have a good night Mel"-It was the last thing you sent before you went check on your child in the bathroom.

The next day Mel was very exited about seeing you again, even though she might have to face the hurt that she did to you and hear you scream to her, she really missed you and needed to see you again.

For your part, you also wanted to see her to clarify some things, even though you were hurt, you really wanted to try to fix everything. You were aware that there were times when we all say things that hurt and that no relationship is perfect and everything takes work.

Although you and Mel had a desire to talk, fate didn't care. Even if it seemed like it would be a quiet day at your job, a call to the fire station changed everything. Gas pipes in a large building had exploded, not only causing the building to catch fire but also cause it to collapse. Immediately your station had to go to the call for help. While they were riding in the truck, you sent a message to the redhead, because you couldn't call her since she wouldn't be able to hear you for the sirens

-You:"Hi Mel, I know we had plans to talk today, but a complicated call just came in and I don't know at what time we will finish, I'm so sorry. Maybe we can talk tomorrow... Also, can you tell Miss Howard that maybe I will be a little late to pick Chris up, please. Thank you and I'm sorry"-You sent the message a little nervous about the situation

-Mel:"Hi honey, yes, no worries, I'll tell her and we can talk tomorrow. Please be safe" - Mel's answer was short but calmed you down a bit.

By the time you got to the building, everything was more complicated than you expected, so they immediately got to work saving as many people as possible.

Meanwhile at school, Melissa was teaching her classes but she felt watched, and it wasn't because of her students as they were all busy doing their homework. She carefully scanned the entire room, looking for the reason why she felt that way. When her eyes fell on the door, she found the source. Your little boy was watching her hidden behind the frame, and although the redhead could see almost half of the little boy's body, Chris thought it was very well hidden.

-"Chris... Are you okay?" - The redhead asked and got up from the desk and walked over to your son and knelt in front of him

-"No... My head hurts and I wanna go home" - Your son made his best sad little eyes looking at the redhead

-"Did you tell Barbara? Why are you alone in the hallway?" - Mel asked worriedly, frowning

-"I told her I was going to the bathroom... I miss my mom, can you call her please?" - Chris pleaded and Mel picked him up in her arms

-"Your mommy is working saving people... But if you want you can stay with me until your mommy arrives, would you like that?" - She asked and the little one nodded hiding in her neck.

Melissa knew that when Chris missed you or had a rough day he would say he had a headache so they call you to pick him up, but since you were busy, she would take care of him until you arrived. Mel alerted Barbara of the situation and stayed with your little one in her classroom while she teached.

When the fire stopped and people were safe, everyone went back to the station. You immediately tasked one of your lieutenants with reporting the mission, took off your protective clothes, and ran to the car to pick up your son. The mission had gone on much longer than planned and the kids had already left school and you hadn't gone to pick up your little one. While you were driving, you called Barbara and she told you that Mel had stayed at school with him waiting for you.

The school was empty when you arrived, but as you entered the redhead's classroom you breathed a sigh of relief when you saw the two of them there. Mel was sitting at her desk and your son was asleep curled up in her arms, with his head on her chest and her coat on his back protecting him from the cold. The woman's desk was filled with toys, books, and an empty food Tupperware, showing you how well the redhead had taken care of him.

-"Hi Mel..."-You whispered without really knowing how to greet her, a hug might be too much for how delicate the situation still was, let alone a kiss, and if you make to much fuss, your son might wake up. So you just got closer to them without touching anything-"Thank you for taking care of him, the call was a mess and was longer than expected, I'm sorry that you had to stay" - You whispered a little embarrassed

-"Hi (Y/N)... Are you kidding? I'm happy that I had to stay with him, we had an amazing time and I missed him so much... And he missed my food too"-She joked and you laughed softly. The redhead carefully got up from her chair to hand Chris over to you softly, not taking off her jacket so that his body wouldn't get cold. Your son frowned when Mel pulled him away from her body, but smiled when he felt you and continued sleeping.

Mel frowned, looking at your face more carefully

-"Yeah, I got a little hurt and I didn't stopped to wash my face, but I'm okay..."-You whispered trying to calm her worry-"Thank you for taking care of him..."-You thanked again as she took her purse and the two of you walked down the hallway-"Did you come in your car?" - You asked as she opened the school door letting you out first

-"It's a pleasure, I love being with him... No, I came with Barbara and she's already gone, I'll ask for a uber to go home" - She responded by taking her cell phone out of her purse

-"I'll drive you home, it's the least I can do..."-You replied and she smiled nodding in gratitude. Once your son was secured in his chair, the two of you climbed up and drove home quietly, it wasn't awkward but there was a bit of tension in the silence. The trip went by too quickly for your liking, and even though you hadn't talked about anything, you realized how much you had missed having her by your side, it hurt you what she said, but it hurt you more no having her close. Mel was about to open the car door to get out but your voice stopped her

-"The new season of Bridgeton is out... Do you want to come home to watch it?" - You asked nervously and she looked at you in surprise

-"I would love to... But are you sure you want this? Having me in your home?" - She replied in a trembling voice

-"I'm sure" - You answered confidently and she took her hand out of the door and put her seat belt back on.

Once you got to your house and put your son to bed, you turned on the TV opening Netflix but Mel called your name from the bathroom, confused you followed her and saw her with a wet towel in her hands and the emergency kit

-"Come... Let me clean your face first, we don't want it to be infected" - The redhead spoke and you sat on the small bench that your son climbed on to brush his teeth, Mel sat on the toilet with the lid closed and began to wipe your face with the damp towel. Her hands were soft and delicate, carefully running the towel over your features, wiping a small cut on your forehead with special care, even though you had your eyes closed, you could feel her watchful gaze on you

-"I'm sorry" - You whispered with your eyes closed, and the redhead's actions stopped

-"For your cuts? I don't like that you are hurt, but I'm glad it was something small and not something more dangerous" - Mel resumed her actions and you took her wrist gently making her stop her movements, slowly you opened your eyes and raised your gaze to look into her eyes

-"I'm sorry for not loving you the way you deserve it... I'm not saying that what you did was okay, but I know that somehow I pushed you to said what you said and in part you were right... I couldn't let him go because he literally saved my life and I felt like I owned something to him, loyalty even if he wasn't here, I was scared of forgetting him or that Chris forget him... I know I will never completely forget him because I see him in the face of my son every day and I know that Chris won't forget him because he loves him and knows the kind of person his father was, but I also know that holding into him won't bring him back and will only take you away from us. You are part of our family now, you are everything that I need, you are here now, you love us, you protect us and you are everything that we were missing... I get now that you are not here to replace him, but you are here to complete us... And I'm sorry for pushing you away"-You whispered, still holding her hand, and Mel smiled, resting her forehead on yours

-"I'm sorry for being an asshole and for being mean, you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry for letting my insecurities get the worst of me... I don't want to lose you both and I don't want you to forget your husband or that Chris forget his father, I just want to have a place here" - Mel pointed to your heart and you barely smiled-"Because you and Chris occupied my whole heart..."-Mel kissed your forehead gently and you hugged her waist resting your head on her chest-"I also love the pictures that you put on the wall where we are all together... We look like a cute family" - Mel whisper against your hair

-"We are a family, you are our family... I really missed you Mel... I love you" - You murmured against her chest

-"I love you honey" - Mel gave you a little kiss and kept holding you tight

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