#I'm being so honest you could hold me at gun point and ask me to explain anhthing that happens post-Episode VI and I'd take the bullet | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dreamingundone · 2 years ago

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When The Morning Comes

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x OFC (could be read as reader-insert, no use of Y/N) Summary: Jake doesn’t do serious. He was really upfront and honest about that. So why is he he one getting really tired of saying goodbye every morning? Rating: PG-13 for swears. Words: 3K+ Author’s Note: Here I am again writing fic in the year 2023 because I haven’t stopped thinking about Jake Seresin since last summer. This is slightly Band of Brothers adjacent because I’m incapable of putting away that particular hyper-fixation but you don’t need to know anything about it to understand this. Disclaimer: I don’t own the character Jake or Top Gun: Maverick. Please don’t re-post or translate my work without my permission. There's probably some inaccuracies here though I did my best to Google a few things, but even so, please be nice.

He watches her as she works out of the corner of his eye. He tells himself that he's not seeking her out every time he wanders the corridors at the hangar, but it just happens.

She's impossible to ignore.

There's a sinking feeling in his gut as she very much doesn't make eye contact with him, and in fact, she brushes by him as she leaves the room without so much as a glance.

"All set?" He asks Rooster gruffly, who arches an eyebrow.

"Didn't think you cared so much, Hangman." He gets up from the exam table, hands brushing over the thin line of stitches near his eyebrow.

Jake rolls his eyes.

"Oh!" Rooster says suddenly, eyes lighting up. "It's not me you're here for--"

"Shut up."

Bradshaw's not lying though, which makes Jake grit his teeth even harder.

"Secret's safe with me." He says with a wink, leaving Jake standing in Sick Bay by himself, questioning basically every life decision he's made to get to this point.

Six months earlier

"Listen up!" Maverick calls over the din, and when he can't get anyone's attention except for Dagger Squad, Admiral Bates does the job with a sharp whistle.

The hangar goes quiet, and they sit quietly as they listen to the mission briefing. Three months of training, and then they'll be shipped out to God knows where for God knows how long.

While he's pretty used to this particular way of life by now, he sees some of the other squads he doesn't know sharing nervous looks.

There's a group standing closer to the door that he's never had the pleasure to interact with - the medical staff from Sick Bay. The doctors look bored, but there's a new medic who's caught his eye from the minute he walked into the room.

She's taking notes or something, and Jake smirks as she looks up, meeting his eyes briefly. She rolls her eyes and looks back to her notebook, which only makes him smile wider.

He introduces himself the first time he gets a chance, later at the Hard Deck.

"I'm Jake," he says, holding out a hand.

"Good for you." She says, not looking up from her phone.

"Waiting on someone?"

"Someone else, definitely."

There's something about the way she says it - there's no heat in her words really, even though he knows she's trying to put him off. Look -- everyone thinks Jake is an asshole, and he knows he can be sometimes, but he doesn't want to stick around where he's clearly not wanted, even if all he wants to do is sit here with her and learn everything there is to know about her.

"Enjoy your drink," he says, and leaves her there looking a little surprised, if the crease between her brows is any indication.

It's a few days later when he has an excuse to see her again, though not under the circumstances he would have wished.

He's being semi-held up between Javy and Rooster, and he's scowling. "I'm fine," he grumbles.

"Sure, tell that to the control panel you smashed your head off of." Javy says, and Jake would roll his eyes, it's just that he can't really see straight, so he thinks he'd just pass out.

Okay, so he had to emergency land. At least he didn't have to eject.

"Put him here." He hears her voice, kind but authoritative. "Lieutenant Seresin, I thought I told you the other night I wasn't interested."

Javy snorts, and Rooster bites back a grin.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures." Jake says, groaning as he lies back on the exam table.

Then she's there, looming over him, and the irony isn't lost on him that this is the first time she's looking him directly in the eye. Well, her and her flashlight, anyway.

"Pupils a bit larger than I'd like." She mutters. He finds himself really unable to do anything other than watch her as his vision wavers. "Concussion, obviously." She says. "Is the light bothering you?"

"A little." He answers.

She hums in sympathy. "You need stitches. Give me a minute." She says, and then her warmth is gone, and the bright light overhead is all he can see, making him close his eyes.

He sighs. This really isn't the impression he wanted to make.

Dimly, he registers Javy and Rooster leaving the room, saying they needed to go tell the rest of the Daggers how he was doing. He's sure Phoenix and Bob are pacing somewhere. Mav, too.

"Stupid." He mutters.

"What?" She asks, sounding offended.

"Nothing. Not you." He says, eyes opening as she leans over him again, hissing when she wipes an antiseptic over his forehead. "A little warning would have been nice."

"Don't be a baby." She chides, face full of determination. "Stay still."

He lets her work for a few minutes before he tries again. "I meant that I felt stupid for this."

She meets his eyes quickly. "Sounded like you did what you had to do so you didn't kill yourself."

"You were listening?" He asks, surprised. He feels dumber that he didn't realize that. Of course the medics were on standby.

"It's my job." She says. She pauses for a minute, glancing at her wrist. Her wristwatch is turned the wrong way round, so the face of it is on the inside. It's very military, and it makes him smile. It's how he can spot another Navy guy a mile away.

Hers is different than his, though, the face worn and scratched.

"Is that thing even ticking?" He asks as she gets back to work.

Her tongue is between her teeth as she completes the next few stiches, the sight making him a little distracted.

"It was my great-grandfather's."

He feels like he's bothering her, so he doesn't ask any more questions, but she surprises him by continuing.

"He's the reason I wanted to get into medicine. He was an Army medic."

"And that was his service watch?"

"Made it through the drop to Normandy and back."

Jake's eyebrows rise. "A paratrooper."

She nods. "He died before I was old enough to figure out what I wanted to do, but this watch has kept on ticking. Feels like I've got him over my shoulder advising me on what to do."

"That's really nice." Jake says honestly, and again he catches a surprised look on her face.

"I'm sorry," she says, maybe seeing the way his features droop. "You can sit up," she says off-hand before continuing. "I wasn't really fair to you. I've just-- to be honest, I've heard some things. Made me think..."

Jake nods. He knows what everyone says. And to be fair, he's never given anyone other than his friends any reason to doubt the rumors about him. What's the point? He'd rather let everyone on North Island think what they want than spending time fighting his reputation. It's not worth it, especially when he leaves often for months at a time.

"Anyway. That wasn't fair. I'm sorry."

He shakes his head, pasting on a smile he doesn't really feel. "No harm done. I don't really... I don't really do serious. So the rumors aren't far off." He doesn't know why he says it. It's the truth - he's scared of getting attached. He's no good at being someone's boyfriend and he knows it. But still -- it feels weird to say it out loud to her.

"Well. Okay then, Lieutenant. You're going to be grounded for awhile, unfortunately. Come back next week and we'll see how you're doing."

Over the next few weeks, they do more mission prep, which means the medical team and the Daggers are together more often than not. They'll all be together as a wing on the carrier, and it's important that everyone knows all the details of every minute of the mission.

They have enough downtime too, and that's where he really finds himself in deep trouble. All because of her.

Phoenix has taking a liking to her, and really, everyone else has too. It's hard not to like her.

He's watching her now, contemplative eyes as he tilts his beer bottle back to his lips, and his heart does a funny little flip at the sound of her laugh.

He's surprised when she makes her way over to him at the end of the night, elbowing him lightly.

"All alone, Hangman?"

He smiles wryly. "Only got room in my heart for one lucky lady, Doc."

The nickname was her great-grandfather's, and it's stuck to her too. The first time Mav called her that, she got a little misty-eyed, and Jake found it so endearing he could barely look at her.

She rolls her eyes. "You get back up in the air tomorrow."

He nods, having been cleared by the medical team earlier that day. He can't wait. He misses the adrenaline and the sound of the engines roaring underneath him.

"Thanks to you," he says, nudging her in return. She'd been like a drill sergeant the last few weeks, watching him like a hawk to make sure he stuck to paperwork and didn't overwork himself while he recovered from his concussion.

"Just doing my job." Her standard answer. He thinks it's interesting that someone so confident has a hard time accepting any praise.

"No, it's something else." He says, taking another pull from his bottle. "You were born to do this, I think. You've got a special touch."

She blinks rapidly, and for a horrifying moment, he thinks she might cry. She clears her throat. "How many of those have you had?" She gestures towards the bottle in his hand. "I said one beer, Seresin."

"Not even a full one." He assures her. "And I mean that, Doc."

The way she's looking at him sends his heart racing. Is she--? No, he's imagining it, that she looks like she's leaning in a little, her lips parted invitingly. That's impossible.

"Thank you, Jake." She says softly, and it's the first time she's ever called him by his first name. It takes everything inside of him to stop from leaning into her a little bit more, and in the end he doesn't fight it.

They sit there, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, in a comfortable silence for the rest of the night. And if her pinky brushes his just a little on the bartop, he doesn't draw attention to it. He just lets it happen, enjoying the warmth unfurling inside of him.

The briefing where they get their assignments for the mission is tense. This is a dangerous one. Top secret, and not even the medic team is allowed in the room with the Daggers while they get briefed.

There's some speculation that they won't even come along - that this mission is so secret, the fewer eyes on it, the better.

It makes something twist inside him, the thought that he might not see her until he comes home from deployment. He hasn't had that feeling in a really, really long time.

Afterwards, he's wandering the corridors aimlessly when he quite literally runs smack into her.

"Oh!" She says, surprised, and he grabs at her arms instinctively, holding her upright.

"Sorry, Doc."

"Are you okay?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Fine. I--" He looks up, meeting her eyes. "Will you go to dinner with me?"

She swallows. "What?"

"Look, I'm not looking for anything serious. I'm starting to think you aren't either. But I also like you, and I'd like to take you to dinner. If you want." It all comes out in a rush.

"Okay." She says quietly.

"Okay?"

"Okay." She repeats.

They don't even make it through dinner.

He's so distracted by the sight of her in civilian clothes that he can barely form a coherent sentence all night.

It must show on his face, and he really feels like an asshole for it, but she also responds to it, so he doesn't stop himself from staring at her, not this time.

Somewhere in the middle of the dinner course, she puts down her fork. "Are you going to take me home now?"

He doesn't think he's ever scribbled his signature on a check so fast in his life.

After that it's all a blur of heated gazes, wandering hands, and finally, mouths meeting. It's all flushed skin and, for Jake, trembling hands. He tries not to examine that particular fact too much.

In the morning, she leaves before he wakes up. He feels a little weird about it, but it's also how it has to be. It's how he's always done things. And if that's good for her too, even better.

They go on like that for weeks. He tries not to think about how each morning it's harder and harder to watch her get dressed in the haze when she thinks he's still asleep.

He tries not to think about how she always looks back over her shoulder before she goes, something soft in her eyes.

He tries not to count down the days between now and his deployment date.

On a Friday morning, he's making no show of the fact that he's awake when she slides out from under the sheets and starts dressing.

"You could stay." He says, voice a little hoarse.

She pauses, but pulls her shirt over her head. "Don't do that." She says, voice quiet but firm.

"Just for breakfast."

"This is what you wanted, Jake. I'm just trying to make this easy for both of us."

His face twists. "And I can't change my mind?"

"Actually, no." She says, voice harsh. "Because you've said to me a hundred times that you weren't looking for anything serious. Staying longer, spending days together... that's serious. I'm just doing what you wanted."

Maybe I don't want that anymore. The thought rattles around in his brain, but he doesn't say it.

"It doesn't have to mean anything." He says without thinking, and the look she gives him is withering.

"You've been doing your best not to let any of this mean anything, Seresin."

"We're going by last names now?"

"For fuck's sake, Jake!" She hisses, tugging her pants on. "I should have trusted my instincts with you. I should have listened to my gut."

He sits up straighter now, hurt lacing his tone. "So you've just been miserable for the last few weeks, right? None of this has been pleasurable for you, and that's my fault."

"I didn't say that."

"You know what? Don't let me keep you. Must have been a moment of insanity." He says, voice hard. "You're right. Keep it simple, keep it meaningless. That's perfect."

She doesn't say anything else as she gathers the rest of her stuff and slams the door behind her.

He doesn't see her again until the final mission briefing before deployment.

They're being deployed to the same carrier. That wasn't supposed to happen. The whole reason he decided to take a chance, to finally act on these feelings that he's afraid to identify... it was spurred on by the idea that he may come back in a year to find her elsewhere.

Their eyes meet across the hangar. There's nothing friendly in them now.

He swallows hard. This is going to be a shit-show.

They're out in the middle of the goddamned ocean when he, yet again, has to race to Rooster's rescue. It's not nearly as terrifying as the last time it happened, but he's still furious at his friend for risking his life once again. Rooster skids into the carrier with his landing gear barely hanging on, and the rough landing has him doing his best impression of Jake himself all those months ago when he nearly smashed his face into the control panel.

He has to help Rooster get to the Sick Bay because he can't do it on his own, and no matter how much he wants to avoid seeing her, he needs to get help, and Doc is the best, there's no doubt about it.

They ignore each other, though he watches her. He can't help it. She handles Rooster like he's the most important person in the room, and it twists something inside Jake, though he knows that's what makes her invaluable.

She leaves before he can say anything to her.

"All set?" He asks Rooster gruffly, who arches an eyebrow.

"Didn't think you cared so much, Hangman." He gets up from the exam table, hands brushing over the thin line of stitches near his eyebrow.

Jake rolls his eyes.

"Oh!" Rooster says suddenly, eyes lighting up. "It's not me you're here for--"

"Shut up."

Bradshaw's not lying though, which makes Jake grit his teeth even harder.

"Secret's safe with me." He says with a wink, leaving Jake standing in Sick Bay by himself, questioning basically every life decision he's made to get to this point.

In the corridor outside Sick Bay, she's lingering. Pacing.

Jake stops. He's not sure how to get past her without speaking to her. And truthfully, he knows he owes her an apology. He owes her more than that, but he doesn't know how.

"He's going to be okay," She says. "Just so you know."

"I know. Had you fixing him up, after all."

"You sounded scared on the comms."

He shakes his head. "He's reckless."

"He's your friend. It's okay to worry." It's okay to feel things, she doesn't say, but he hears it like she shouted it.

He puts his hands on his hips. "I worry a lot, actually. I worry about a lot of things."

She's just watching him warily, and he goes on, actually unable to stop rambling.

"I worried from the second I met you that I was going to fall in love with you, and that's exactly what happened."

Her mouth falls open, and he plows on.

"I worried that if I let myself get too close, I'd never recover when inevitably you found someone better than me. I didn't think we were getting deployed together. I thought I'd never see you again, that I'd come home and you'd have found someone that deserves you. So I put a boundary there, and I never should have. Even when you respected it, I got angry with you. Because I did want more."

"Jake, what the fuck?" She breathes, and he laughs.

"I know. I'm an asshole, and I'm sorry. I just-- I couldn't stop myself. With every little thing I learned about you, I just fell a little harder. And that was never the deal. So even when you acted like... like you could've felt the same way, I didn't give you the chance." He smiles, but it's more like a wince. "Call it self preservation, I guess."

"You're so stupid, Lieutenant Seresin." Her voice is shaky. "As if I would have thought about anyone else for a year, even if we were separated."

His head snaps back up to meet her eyes. "Doc?"

"I've been falling for you this whole time too, you idiot. And the only reason I didn't want to stay that morning was because I'd worked so hard to stop myself wanting more than you were willing to give."

"I'm sorry."

"You keep saying that."

"I can keep saying it, if it helps."

She takes two quick strides in his direction while they're alone, and kisses him. Quick and hard, it sets his skin afire and his heart pounding.

"Back to work, Hangman." She says against his lips as she lowers herself down to her feet. "We'll talk about this later." Her thumb presses into the dimple on his cheek.

"If I have to, Doc." He says, and this time when he watches her walk away, he knows it's for the last time.

He's not going to let her out of his sight for a long time, if he can help it.

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #top gun maverick fanfiction #HELP I'VE WRITTEN FIC AGAIN #you can thank my obsession with G.P. for this one

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save-the-villainous-cat · 1 year ago

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Villian x Hero dancing at a Hero/Villian Peace Gala, talking about how they are going to kill each other, then one of them is all like "well if you'd go through all that effort then you might as well xxxx" and then the conversation gets very dangerously suggestive.

Henchman and Sidekick drinking punch in the bg: If they're not already doing it, they start tonight frfr

"I don't know if I'm allowed to say this—" the villain pulled the hero by their waist against their own body "—but you look quite lovely tonight."

"Careful. I'm still very much willing to gut you. Right here, right now."

The villain faked a gasp.

"With all these people around? I admire such boldness." They smiled sweetly and the hero had the sudden urge to smack their dance partner. "You really don't care about being indecent in public, do you?"

Their voice was low and as sweet as honey. The villain really knew how to make an impression. After all, they weren't an unimportant player in all of this. Most people here didn't realise it but in reality, the villain was as powerful as the queen on a chessboard. Hidden from view, they had pulled the strings to arrange a peace treaty.

However. However.

The hero didn't know why. Which was why they were still on guard. All of the most important people gathering in one building sounded like the perfect opportunity to execute a plan.

"Well, you know I'm all action. We don't need to talk for too long." The hero's hand slid down the villain's chest and found their waist. They grabbed it and before the villain realised, the hero was taking over the lead, guiding the villain in dancing. As for the moment, the villain didn't seem to mind. In fact, their smirk only grew.

"Ugh, but I'm good at it," the villain replied. They let the hero guide them and rolled with their eyes. Had the agency agreed a little too soon to the terms? Was the villain hiding something? The hero scanned the room briefly but they couldn't spot anything too suspicious.

They noticed their sidekick's eyes on them, though. With the villain's henchman right next to them. Even though the hero had told the sidekick several times that communications with the enemy was dangerous, the sidekick kept talking to the henchman.

And pointing out to the hero that they were a hypocrite.

Suddenly, the hero felt a little too displayed for viewing and in that exact moment, they felt the villain's hand on theirs.

"Eyes on me, darling." They brought the hero's hand back to their own shoulder, seizing power once again when their hand went down the hero's body. "I want you to look at me when you're dropping my organs all over the dancefloor."

"You know that's not my style." The hero tried not to think about the people watching them. It must've looked quite intimate. The villain was close, was holding them gently.

And the hero — such a fool — was actually letting this happen.

"How would you do it?" the villain asked, quite softly. "You don't like the drama, I know that. So, I'm curious. Poison? Gun shot? Stabbing?"

The song changed to a much slower pace and the hero involuntarily grabbed the villain's forearm. If there was any danger, if the villain was betraying them, the hero wasn't sure if their little heart could get over that.

Unfortunately, the villain was good with their words and their promises. But they had lied before, they had betrayed the hero and they had (the hero would've never admitted this) broken their heart many times. The villain's apologies seemed to be honest and yet, both of them got hurt equally. The hero hadn't always been a sunshine either.

"I would strangle you," the hero answered and the villain looked at them as if the hero was their most prized possession. "With my hands around your throat. And your hands around my wrists."

The villain seemed to be satisfied with that answer.

"And you would look into my eyes?"

"Certainly."

"Kiss me goodbye?"

"Now you're taking it a bit far."

The villain chuckled softly and if the hero hadn't known better, they would've said the villain was blushing. Maybe involuntarily, they pulled the hero closer.

"That's the perfect way to go out," they said. The hero felt the villain's breath on their neck and goosebumps spread all over their back. If the villain betrayed them…"That's the only way I want it."

"What do you have in store for me?" the hero asked. The villain had the impressive talent to distract the hero so much that the hero couldn't tell up from down.

"I haven't thought about it yet," the villain mumbled.

"Boring." The hero looked at them and embarrassingly, their eyes dropped.

"Some painless poison maybe," the villain answered. Maybe the villain wasn't planning anything. Maybe this was the end of the cycle. The hero dared to hope. God, the hero really wanted more of them. Just a little.

"That's considerate," they whispered, rather talking to themselves than to the villain. Trusting the villain wasn’t easy. But the hero wanted it.

At first they just stared at the hero with that stupid smile on their face but then, slowly, the villain leaned towards them. Out of instinct, the hero grabbed the villain's forearm again as their heartbeat echoed in their ears. One hand was on the hero's waist, the other taking their hand.

When was the last time the hero had kissed anyone? God, it was months, maybe even years ago. The hero hadn't realised it but they had always hoped this one person would make a move. This one villain. They didn't know what to do, didn't know where to put their hands. A peck? A smooch? French kiss?

The villain was already close, lips nearly touching the hero's and as the hero excitedly panicked, they closed their eyes, trying to relax.

However, suddenly, right before the villain’s lips were on the hero’s, the villain's thumb pressed into the hero's side, making the latter giggle and jolt.

"Stop it," the hero hissed but the grin was glued to their face. They were diabolically ticklish and the villain was aware of that.

"You really didn't think you'd get a kiss for free, did you? You're really the indecent one." The villain shook their head, smiling, and the hero cursed in their mind. "I might know a place where we could get...some privacy."

The villain really knew how to handle the hero. They knew the words, the moves, the pace. They knew what the hero wanted and the hero was tired of questioning the villain's action every time.

In the corner of their eyes, the hero noticed their sidekick. But they didn’t care that much about what they thought of them anymore.

If the villain wanted to betray them, they would. If they wanted to break the hero's heart, they would. One last time, the hero was ready to trust them fully with no suspicions. One last chance.

"Yes. After you."

Unbeknownst to them, that was all the villain desired. Just one last chance.

#endo why are you taking a break you were cooking #writing snippet #heroxvillain prompt #heroxvillain snippet #heroes and villains #hero #villain #hero x villain #heroxvillain #request #an answer for an ask

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starrystormwritings · 2 years ago

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Something's Off

Master List <3 Request List <3 Criminal Minds Master List

Spencer Reid x Reader

A/n: Hey so I haven't written anything in over a year and this is my first criminal minds thing ever so any criticism is welcomed. This was written at 3am so any bad grammar or writing can be excused in my opinion lol. Please consider sending me some requests or ideas for anything on my request list, I'm desperate to get back to being active on here but I'm running low on ideas.

Summary: You and Spencer work at the BAU and after a lapse in Spencer's judgment you end up getting hurt.

Warnings: Murder, guns, shooting, stabbing, blood, hospitals, possible death, general criminal minds talk to gruesome murders

Word Count: 2669

(NOT MY GIF)

"There she is, we were starting to think you'd quit on us." Derek joked as me and Spencer walked into the briefing room hand in hand.

After a particularly long and emotional case I had decided to take some time to myself to recover from it.

It had only been a week but in this job that felt like years.

"Yep here I am, no need to worry. I know how much you all missed me." I said with a laugh while sitting down at the round table, Spencer going to grab our coffees.

"Can't argue with that, lover boy over there has been lost without you." Emily said with a laugh smiling at me.

Everyone else had taken their seats as Spencer sat next to me, sliding my coffee in front of me with an excited smile.

"Well as much as I wouldn't use the word lost I have missed having you around here." He blushed lightly, trying to speak in the least awkward manner as he could.

I knew he had missed me at work, everyday he came home to our apartment he'd be glued to my side explaining every detail of the case he'd just gotten back from, wanting to hear my opinions and spend time with me.

As much as hearing about work took away the point of taking time off from it watching Spencer ramble on passionately and excitedly to me was nice.

Plus if I'm being honest with myself I'd be bored without it.

"Six women have been found dead in a suburban town in Texas, all between the ages of twenty to thirty and have appeared within forty-eight hours of each other." Hotch explained whilst Penelope showed the pictures of the crime scenes behind him.

"All girls were found within sixteen hours of being deceased and had already been missing for more than a day, meaning he keeps them before murdering them. He has stabbed them all once in the abdomen, careful not to hit any vital organs so the body doesn't shut down. Instead he stabs them to leave them to slowly bleed out." Penelope added whilst handing folders of information out to everyone.

"So it's likely he already has another girl with him now?" Rossi asked with a frown as he flicked his folder open.

"More than likely yes, and with and increasing confidence and skill set we can only assume he's going to continue at a quicker or more brutal pace the longer he's able to." Spencer added, looking to the group with a smile that matched nothing that he just said.

I sighed and looked at the images in front of me, at least this case seemed fairly simple in comparison to some of what we've had to face.

~~~

"This guy is most likely a social younger man who holds enough respect and familiarity within the area for people to feel comfortable enough to get into his vehicle alone at night. He doesn't force his victims to comply they willingly trust him until it's too late due to his natural charm and charisma. Then he holds them for a day before killing and disposing of them. He doesn't hurt them in their time of captivity, meaning he most likely feels remorse or is unsure of his actions, but the thrill of the kill is to enticing for him to let them go. He's confident within his ability to kill, shown in the slow and precise manner he takes in the murder. He is most likely a local who has lived here his whole life due to his knowledge of the area and the trust everyone has toward him. He also appears confident in his ability to not be caught, since he dumps the bodies rather than hiding them. He believes he's more intelligent than most people and above the law, and his high IQ helps fuel this narcissistic ideal he has of himself. That is all thank you." Hotch walks away from the room of police officers who were noting down his profile, gesturing to Emily, Rossi and Derek to follow him into an interrogation room.

I jumped up from the table I was sat on and gathered my notes from next to me.

"I just don't understand how we could have such a sick individual in our community doing this to women. It's just shocking to me." Officer Davis said from beside me.

He was the head officer on the case and the chief of police in this town, he'd been assisting me and Spencer in the last few hours with trying to create an idea of where to begin looking.

"Yeah it always comes as a shock when a member of your community causes something like this." I offered him a small smile whilst gathering my stuff to head over to Spencer, Officer Davis following closely behind me.

"I just can't believe something like this could happen here."

"Can you think of any groups of people within the community that hold a lot of respect and trust? Like public speakers, church groups, large charity groups or public helpers?" I asked him flicking to the page of possible careers I had, smiling at Spencer as I settled my stuff next to him.

"Well apart from the obvious like the police and fire force, I couldn't think of anything. We're quite a religious area but none of our churches have any well known priests that everyone would know, we have too many churches and priests for people to form personal connections with. Although we do have a large neighbourhood watch group. They do nightly patrols in cars around the streets and main roads. They're a very large group of people."

Spencer's head shot up at the last bit. "Do they have a known leader people would know? Or any type of uniform they wear to be recognisable?" He asked Davis while scribbling something on his whiteboard.

"Not uniforms no. Although, the patrol cars they use do have these stick on lights they use to be recognisable. Pauls the leader, he tells people when their needed for patrol."

"So our unsub could be a patrol member, approaching women in his car so they know he's apart of the watch group and trust him enough to get into the car without any hesitation!" Spencer said turning to Davis "I need a list of names of the leaders of the group."

I opened my phone, calling Penelope "I'll get a list of the people on patrol the nights that these girls were taken, see if there's anyone that was working every night."

~~~

Less than a day, that's all we had to find this woman before it was too late.

I was stood in an office with Spencer and Rossi, bouncing ideas off of each other, hoping something stuck.

"Penelope got him." Derek said with a smile walking into the room.

"Paul Fredrick, thirty-five years old, lived here his whole life, was arrested ten years ago for an assault against an twenty-one year old woman, and in charge of the neighbourhood watch patrol schedule." Spencer read from the paper Derek just handed him.

"Hotch, Emily and that detective are already heading there. We need to go this girl probably hasn't got that long left." Derek said gesturing us out of the door quickly.

~~~

"He's confessed." Spencer said with a smile, kissing me on the head as he took a seat next to me.

I'd been sat in this empty office in the police station for an hour now, something just doesn't feel right.

"Really? Doesn't that seem strange to you? I mean according to the profile this guy is confident and intelligent. Surly he wouldn't confess after an hour of interrogation." I bit my lip lightly as I re-read my notes again and again.

"Well sometimes the profile isn't completely correct. Plus they found the girl in an abandoned warehouse a ten minute drive away from his house." Spencer shrugged "he isn't as confident as the profile indicates, he was also quite anxious and stressed when confronted which was surprising, but the evidence points to him and he's confessed. All of the logic adds up."

"I guess. I just don't feel right." I sigh and look up to him with a frown.

He matches my expression and stands up, kissing my forehead lightly before collecting his stuff. "You probably just need some rest it's been a long weekend. The plane leaves in an hour, I'll go collect our stuff for us."

He gave me one more smile before leaving the room. As I glanced after him I saw the rest of the station basically empty and the time was three in the morning.

With another sigh I gathered my stuff and headed out the door. Maybe ten minutes outside in the fresh air would chill me out.

"Everything alright?" A voice from behind me asked, making me jump.

"Davis hi you scared me." I said with a laugh, holding the door for him as we both walked outside. "Everything's okay yeah I'm just rethinking the case."

"What's bothering you about it?" He asked, lighting himself a cigarette.

"I don't know, the whole thing just seems off, I mean why would Fredrick confess so quickly? He doesn't match the profile at all, he's awkward and of a lower intelligence. I just don't see how he could do this alone. Plus why would he take these woman to an abandoned warehouse that could be accessed to the public or the police whenever rather than his own house? He lived alone in an remote area with no neighbours. It just doesn't add up." I shrugged and pulled my arms closer to me since the cold was nipping at my arms.

All of a sudden I felt a blunt pain hit the side of my head.

~~~

(Spencers pov)

"Everything alright kid?" Derek asks me with a concerned look.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Y/n." I reply, fidgeting with my fingers as I talk "She's been questioning the case and I'm starting to think she might've been onto something."

"What do you mean?"

"Well didn't Fredrick seem odd to you? He had a low IQ and no charisma at all, even if you knew of him I doubt many people would willingly get into his car. Plus he transported the girls for no reason, he put himself at risk by doing it in that warehouse rather than his own home. There's no way he could've done this alone."

"What are you getting at here kid?"

"Well didn't he come across to you as more of a submissive personality?"

"You think we have two unsubs here? A team?"

I shook my head quickly calling Y/n as I spoke.

"No not a specifically a team. A dominant who lured the girls and killed them, and a submissive who picked the girls out, disposed of the bodies and took the fall. It would make sense, Fredrick was to easy to find, this unsub would be to intelligent to be this simple. Fredrick was on patrol the nights the girls were taken, he most likely saw them first and then alerted the other unsub of them so he could then take them."

"Well if this unsub was so intelligent how come it was so easy to find his partner?"

The phone rang out, that's strange Y/n always picks up.

"He wanted us to. He pointed us in that direction to throw us off, he didn't need Fredrick and he knew he would stay loyal if he was caught. He wanted us to catch Fredrick so we'd leave."

Derek's eyes went wide as he got his phone out of his phone to call someone.

"You know who told us about the neighbourhood watch and the list of likely suspects?"

Derek asked with a frown.

"Davis."

~~~

"Has anyone seen Y/n?" I asked as I walked into the room that the rest of the team were in.

They all looked at me with worried expressions as Emily handed me my bulletproof vest.

"According to the CCTV she was last seen leaving the station with Officer Davis" Hotch said clearing his throat, trying to remain stern and collected even though he was as distraught as the rest of the team.

"What?" my face fell as I scanned the room, everyone either looking away from me or straight at me with concern.

Derek's phone beeped and everyone's heads snapped up to look at him as he stood. "Pen's got an address, lets go."

~~~

"FBI!" Derek yelled as he kicked down the door, letting himself into the house as I followed behind, gun trained ahead of me.

"What am I looking for here Reid?" he asked, clearing the first room.

"A basement most likely." I said walking ahead, spotting a door that appeared to be heading downstairs.

I nodded my head toward it and Derek went ahead, opening it slowly and walking down.

I followed close behind him, a loud smash was heard from in front of us and before I could even see Derek shot, leaving Davis on the floor.

"He tried to run, threw something glass at me." Derek said, gesturing to the blood from the new cut on his arm.

"Can you see her anywhere?" I pushed in front of him as he flicked on the light switch.

I scanned the room before my eyes landed on her figure in the corner, laying on the floor looking pale and bleeding from somewhere. "Y/N!" I ran over there, putting my gun away as Derek called for a medic through the radio.

"Hey your going to be okay. I'm so sorry, I should've listened I'm so sorry. Y/n please. Come on open your eyes. Please..." I felt Derek's hand on my shoulder as I started to cry.

Before I could comprehend what was happening a group of medics came in and surrounded her, Derek pulling me out of the room.

~~~

I paced the hospital waiting room floor, it had been hours and we'd heard nothing.

Emily was asleep on two chairs. Hotch was sat looking at the floor, tapping his foot anxiously. Rossi had been standing up to speak to the receptionist every ten minuets, and Derek had be constantly picking up calls from Penelope who had kept ringing for updates despite Derek promising to call her as soon as we knew.

And I had basically paced a hole through the floor.

"Reid sit down and eat something. Stop punishing yourself." Hotch said with a frown.

I shook my head and continued pacing. "I can't, I should've listened to her, or stayed with her. I didn't even try first aid I just froze when I saw her..." I replied, voice cracking.

A doctor cleared his throat behind us "Y/n L/n?"

We all looked up at him with matching worried expressions.

I held my breath as we waited for him to say something.

"She was stabbed in the abdomen but luckily suffered no trauma to any organs. She's lost a lot of blood but she's going to be okay. She's just woken up so she's a bit out of it but she can take one visitor."

I felt my whole body relax as I took a breath.

"She's okay?" I asked again with a shaky breath.

Derek put his hand on my shoulder and nodded with a smile "She's going to be okay kid."

I let out a little sob and nodded my head with a small smile.

"Reid you should go see her, let her know we're all here." Hotch said patting my other shoulder.

I nodded at both of them and followed after the doctor, taking a seat next to her bed, holding her hand in mine as carefully as I could.

She opened her eyes, slowly turning her head to look at me.

Somehow she was still smiling as bright as ever, provoking my face to mirror hers on instinct.

"Hey you." she said with a small laugh.

"Hi." I kissed her knuckles, a few tears escaping my eyes as I looked at her.

"Why're you crying? I'm the one who's be stabbed dumbass." she joked with a small laugh, causing me to chuckle.

"I love you so much, don't you ever do this again. I really thought I'd lost you. I don't know what I would've done."

"I'll try my best to stay alive then, just for you Spence."

She smiled sweetly at me with another small laugh, I admired her face for a second before leaning in to kiss her lips softly.

#fanfiction #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer read x y/n #spencer reid x you #x reader #mathew gray gubler

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thatanimewriter · 1 year ago

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LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

➳ request: I was wondering if u can like oneshots Bakugou x reader where reader is similar powers to Ruby and Weiss from show rwby and has weapon like Ruby I hope this makes sense

➳ character/s: bakugou katsuki

➳ warnings: canon typical violence, swearing, bakugou being in denial and very competitive, mineta being weird (mentioned to be looking at the girls, reader not specified to be in women or men's change rooms), bro is pining hard

➳ word count: 0.8k

➳ notes: what a cute little conceptt, he'd mistake a crush for an enemy-

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 / 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 / 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

bakugou hates cool people. that's what you think, anyway. you've never seen him smile - not smirk - to anyone in the class regardless of if their quirk or combat abilities were good or not. in fact, you're not sure his face could ever show any form of happiness. there's a few reasons for this theory.

once, you were at the training grounds and you'd perched yourself on a ledge, shooting at whatever 'enemy' was in range with your gun-scythe (his words, not yours) and all he did was scream at you from afar. if you were being perfectly honest, you couldn't actually make out what he was saying because he was so far away. to entertain yourselves, you shot at him instead and earnt yourself what you thought was a middle finger.

another time, you'd been running late to class, so you'd sped there in a flurry of petals. supposedly, bakugou was about to enter the classroom before you whooshed past him and plopped in your seat panting obnoxiously. soon after, you heard a series of coughs and the door slammed open to reveal his spiky hair and deep-set frown.

"oi! flower power! you nearly fucking killed me!" he claimed, pointing an accusatory finger at you and holding a fistful of petals in the other hand.

admittedly, that one was your fault.

however, the day after that incident, he was sparring against you and seemed to be getting quite the ego boost since he was kind of kicking your ass. his cockiness quickly morphed to anger as your gaze flicked to midoriya, who had managed to sweep kaminari from his feet. taking bakugou's temporary distraction, you copied midoriya's move and pinned his shoulders to the ground. you got a lot of spit on your face that day after he berated you for not having your full attention on you.

the rest of class 1-a was unsure if he was really into you and was scared of the feeling or if somehow you'd become worse than midoriya and bakugou's very limited world. there's a couple times jirou thought she caught him staring at you from across the room but she wasn't sure if glaring can still be considered as staring.

in the changing rooms one afternoon, mineta was peering through a small hole in the wall and admiring the girls'... assets. this was no surprise to anyone in the class, but midoriya had a suspicion that he would eventually act on when mineta mentioned your name and a large explosion set off immediately after. typically, bakugou grumbled under his breath and maybe hit mineta over the head for saying disgusting things about women, but that particular day, it seemed your name was way over the line.

after another series of situations that made bakugou's feelings on you ambiguous to everyone but you, midoriya decided to ask him on a class camp whether he liked you or not.

"huh?!" the look of shock and disgust on bakugou's face would've indicated no if not for the fact that that was his default reaction to anything ever.

"i don't know, you just seem to be a little more... activated when they're brought up or when they're around," midoriya mumbled, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"no i'm not!" bakugou protested, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing indignantly.

"you blew up mineta for even mentioning their name when we were getting into our hero costumes."

"that doesn't mean anything!" crackles started emitting from his palms in rapid succession as he continued to think about midoriya's implication. "i don't catch their petals when they fly around and feel them and wonder if their skin is as soft as the petals. i don't wonder if maybe their shampoo smells like strawberries and i don't hug a pillow at night thinking about how it feels to cuddle them!" the sparks died down the further he rambled.

"do you ever think about, i dunno... what it might feel like to hold hands or something?" this was a stretch and there was a high chance that midoriya might get blown up in a minute, but technically bakugou brought it up first.

"sometimes, it's no big deal or anything," bakugou grunted, scuffing his shoe along the dirt and kicking up dust clouds.

that night, bakugou went to bed with a very erratic heartbeat and a very twitchy eye. maybe he's not getting enough quality sleep. he just thinks your gun-scythe is cool and you have a cool quirk that could maybe, totally not likely but maybe could destroy him in a fight. he didn't want you to surpass him in any way, but he liked watching you do your thing and that pissed him off. how dare you look really attractive when you're training?

"stupid red riding hood," he scoffed, rolling over and thinking about the red hooded cape you always wore. maybe he could try it one day. would it bring your bright smile onto your face?

#my hero academia #mha #boku no hero academia #bnha #bakugou katsuki #my hero academia x reader #mha x reader #boku no hero academia x reader #bnha x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #my hero academia imagines #mha imagines #boku no hero academia imagines #bnha imagines #bakugou katsuki imagines

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b00ks1ut · 1 year ago

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It’s All About Trust

Joe Liebgott X Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, war, fluff (an attempt anyway I think), swearing, Briefly mention of reader being a medic, reader has a shit ton of siblings (relatable), not that many physical descriptions if any, mentions of death, normal Band of Brothers stuff

Sorry if this is bad. I’ve never written any BoB fanfiction and really have like hardly any writing experience at all so hopefully this isn’t horrible. Please give me feed back if you want. Thank you! Also sorry for the ending. It’s kinda abrupt but it’s the best I could get lol

Bois Jacques is hell. A very very cold hell. Nothing could truly combat the cold that seeps into everyone around me. Not even the plainish slop they feed us in an attempt at food. Or in the current case, cold, hard “pancakes”, or that’s what Domingus says they are.

Don pokes at his and calls after our ever so kind cook, “Joe these smell like my armpit!”

“At least your armpit is warm.” Skip grumbles from Malarkey’s side as he holds his pancake up for emphasis.

“You want syrup with that?” Domingus sasses back to him.

“Joe, be honest, what’s in these things anyway?” Don asks the retreating man.

“Nothing you won’t eat, Malarkey.” He replies.

“I won’t eat Malarkey.” Spina shoots back quickly causing us all grouped up to let out a chorus of laughs.

Julian brings back the topic of Babe and Spina’s run in with a German on their search for 3rd Battalion. “Hey, maybe Hinkle would like your share, huh?”

This happens to hit my funny bone and I let out a snort leading to the rest of the men’s laughter to only further increase until Peacock comes around looking for Dike.

“Try battalion CP, sir.” I tell the man. The rest of us wait for him to walk away on his hunt for the company CO before we break our into giggles again.

“Try Paris.” Skip laughs.

“Try Hinkle.” Malarkey adds, only increasing our laughter and before I know it tears are pricking my eyes.

Spina begins his less than great German impression and I have to leave before I piss myself laughing.

I seem to run into a brick wall in my way back to my foxhole, tears of laughter still stinging my eyes.

“Sorry ‘bout that (y/n/n).” A deep southern voice speaks from above me.

I take a look and send a smile at the blonde who’s got me held by the shoulders.

“You’re all good Bull, no harm done.” I tell him as I step out of his hold. “Sorry about that.”

“No harm done.” He repeats before walking away with a smile sent to me.

I continue to make my way back to my temporary home of a frozen foxhole. I look down to find none other than Joseph Liebgott.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the rageful Jew. I don’t think it’s any specific thing that made me so drawn to him but rather his whole entire being.

On the other hand he’s never shown any direct attraction to me. Sure nearly all the men of Easy have sent me a glance at least once but I don’t blame them, I’m one of the few women they’ve interacted with past a single night in around 2 years. But past a glance none of the boys have soberly tried anything.

Especially Joe. He’s not unfriendly to me but he’s never really gone out of his way to interact with me. Not until now.

He’s sitting alone in my foxhole, hands tucked under his armpits, gun leaning in the dirt next to him, and his eyes intensely trained on the line.

“Joe? Did you get lost?” I ask him with a small laugh.

“Uh?” He looks up at me and gives me a small smile. “Not lost, just looking for someone to talk to.”

“Luz’s hole is like 2 over that way.” I told him pointing in the direction of the jester’s own hiding place.

“Well good thing I wasn’t looking for George then, yeah?” He says with his trademark smirk. “I can leave if you’d like me to, though.”

"You're fine, but can I ask a question?" I asked as I began the short descent into the frozen foxhole.

"Shoot away (y/l/n)." The Californian told me, looking back at the line across the cold, white field.

"Why are you talking to me? I'm don't mean to be rude but you've never put any effort into having any interaction with me." I asked sitting across from him and stuffing my frozen hands into my jacket pockets.

"I'm just trying to be friendly. No time better than the present, right? Do you have a problem with that? I can leave if you need me to." Joe had begun to get a little defensive but that's hardly surprising when he'll jump at a chance to be upset, whether isn’t reasonable or not.

"Why now? There's hardly a point in making friends when fucking Babe and Spina barely just ran from a Kraut fucking foxhole so excuse my confusion at your extremely sudden olive branch when we're all about to be sent home either on a stretcher or in an enveloped as a piece of shitty metal with our names stamped into it!" I grabbed my dog tags and shook them for emphasis. It took all of my self control to not start yelling or crying, but I could feel the sting of unshed tears at my eyes. "We're all going to be blown to kingdom come by all of this damned artillery." I whisperd.

"Hey. That's not true. We've made it this far but look at us. Sitting in this frozen hell hole and you're alive, I'm alive, and so is Bull and George, Don, Babe, Doc, Skip, Penkala, Perco, and Buck and Lip." He began listing some of the guys we had been with for so long. "I know it's scary and there's not a single thing I can promise you to make anything seem ok, because I'm scared and I have no clue what's going to happen even 10 seconds from now but one thing I can tell you that might make you feel slightly better is that you've made it this far. You made it through Sobel's shitty personalty, Normandy, Carentan, and I know that if you have made it this far without a scratch then what can take you down? You’re what, one of nine kids back at home, you managed to talk and work your way into the airborne and then continue to be an absolute badass throughout boot camp and combat!” He took a break to really look at me and I took that as an opportunity to defend myself and my feelings.

“I’m really flattered but don’t you think I’ve been too lucky? I’ve come so far with nothing more than a bruise and I’m sure the next thing you know I’ll be blown to pieces! I don’t know why I thought I could do this, Joe! I’m fucking terrified and there’s no where to go!” I can feel the tears beginning to well in my eyes and in a sorry attempt to stop them I look to the sky. “I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore.”

“Hey, you can’t go thinking like that. You’re going to make it out of here alive. I need you to believe that because trust me when I say that you are the toughest damned woman I’ve ever met in my life.” He scooted closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

The tears couldn’t be held any longer and the dam broke, salty waves rolling down the sides of face into my hair line. A sob escaped my lips before I could muffle it with a fist that had been stuffed between my lips only seconds too late.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, (y/n), we’re all feeling it, you’re the only one brave enough to let anyone see it.”

I let out a scoff. ‘Brave’ is not the right word to use. “I’m pathetic. I’m sitting here crying, doing nothing to help anyone around me who has it worse. I’m a a medic for fuck’s sake, I shouldn’t be crying when I routinely see how bad I could have it.”

Joe had only pulled me closer and wrapped his other arm around me, essentially cradling my shaking form. “Don’t you see? That’s what makes you so brave, (y/n). You see all these men in so much pain and put yourself in harms way to make sure they get patched up and safe. You are completely allowed to be overwhelmed and scared and cold and any other feeling a person can have. Not one man here would blame you for being upset right now. They know that as long as you are safe so are they, because when shit goes down you’re always there to help us.” He was talking so softly and so gently that I couldn’t help but cry harder.

“Oh fuck.” I muttered , wiping at my eyes. “I’m sorry Joe.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for Doll.” He gave me an affectionate pat. “Just know that you are such a light in the dark here, and not one of the men in these woods would judge you right now.”

I gave him a weak smile and sniffed, wiping at my eyes and nose. “Thank you, Joe, really. I’m forever grateful.”

“Oh don’t mention it, just don’t go telling anyone that I give out cuddles, I can’t have my reputation ruined like that.” Joe snickered with his smirk and a pat to my side.

“Your secret is safe with me as long as you don’t go telling people I cry.” I tittered and wrapped my arm around his neck.

“Your secret is safe with me, (y/n).”

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

“It’s all about trust. I trust you, you trust me; that’s how this has to work, yeah?” I was nearly bumping noses with him and if I wanted to I could just lean in a little and kiss him. The thought quickly crosses my mind but part of me knows better.

“I trust you, Joseph Liebgott.” I meant it, with more of my heart than I thought was still there.

#band of brothers #hbo war #easy company #joe liebgott #joe liebgott x reader #bob fanfic #bob fandom #bull randleman #donald malarkey #medic reader

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blackwolfstabs · 4 months ago

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songs & lyrics that resonate with Laura Franco

towards Jacob Sullivan

Grenade - Bruno Mars

gave you all I had, and you tossed it in the trash. you tossed it in the trash, you did. to give me all your love is all i ever asked. ⦁ you know I'd do anything for you. I would go through all this pain, take a bullet straight through my brain. yes, I would die for you, baby. but you won't do the same. ⦁ if my body was on fire, you'd watch me burn down in flames. you said you loved me, you're a liar.

2. Mr. Perfectly Fine - Taylor Swift

// literally the entire song

3. Where It Ends - Bailey Zimmerman

then you told me that you don't love me no more. you're the last thing that I thought I'd lose, all I ever wanted was to be loved by you. ⦁ you're the best thing that ever happened to me. you showed me what true love shouldn't be. I found myself the second I gave up on us.

It Ain't Your Place - Ashley Cooke

// the entire song

4. 10 Things I Hate About You - Leah Kate

// again... the entire song

5. Over For You - Morgan Evans

you don't have to stay, no, but can I say before you go? I would've searched the whole world over for you, took a flight through the night to be that shoulder for you. I would've let go, if you wanted me to. how many times did you say you loved me when it wasn't true? ⦁ what do you tell your parents? what do you tell yourself? was it something I was missing? or is there someone else? ⦁ maybe someday, I'll be okay, but right now, I don't know... you used to tell me everything, and that's what hurts the most. it would be easier if I hated you, but I still miss the person that I thought I knew. ⦁ I'm just wondering, how long has it been over? I'm still wondering... how long has it been over for you?

6. All Too Well - Taylor Swift

maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, but maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up. running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well. and you call me up again, just to break me like a promise. so casually cruel in the name of being honest. I'm a crumpled-up piece of paper lying here, 'cause I remember it all, all, all too well. ⦁ 'cause there we are again, when I loved you so, back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known.

7. Better Man - Taylor's Version

I know I'm probably better off on my own than loving a man who didn't know what he had when he had it. and I see the permanent damage you did to me. never again, I just wish I could forget when it was magic. ⦁ push my love away, like it was some kind of loaded gun. oh, you never thought I'd run. ⦁ I hold onto this pride, because these days, it's all I have. and I gave to you my best, and we both know you can't say that. ⦁ I wish you were a better man. I wonder what we would've become, if you were a better man. we might still be in love, if you were a better man. you would've been the one, if you were a better man.

8. Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

I don't like your little games, don't like your tilted stage. the role you made me play of the fool. ⦁ I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time. ⦁ I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined. ⦁ I'll be the actress starring in your bad dream. ⦁ I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead.

thank you to @thornedclover for letting me take this idea of hers and make one for Laura!

here's her original post of Anora Mikheeva's version ♡

these, ofc aren't all the songs + lyrics i could put with this character but people lose interest at some point, so i tried to put the ones that hit hard.

i plan on doing more of these in the future, especially one for Sam and another for Laura but towards Monster 🥰

#laura franco #your monster #your monster movie #your monster 2024 #lyrics #songs #character analysis #jacob sullivan #melissa barrera #thank you thornedclover #blackwolfstabs

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thegeekcloud · 2 years ago

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⚠️ BSD MANGA SPOILERS ⚠️

This is some theories I've gathered from tiktok and some i made myself and whether I agree with them or not.

Number 1: everything was part of sigma viewing fyodor's plan - although comforting i don't think thia theory is fairly stable. First of all, there are a lot of things happening in a lot of different places that are shown among the same pages and can't be part of fyodor's plan (particularly anya and bram). Furthermore, Sigma's ability is to exchange information and what he asked was fyodor's secrets. Though this could apply to his plan, the amount of secrets fyodor holds was so large that it overwhelmed sigma (as shown) and even if we got fragments of them in those pages they wouldn't be our characters but rather some more groundbreaking to sigma information . Now, is Sigma alive? Usually fyodor kills with a particular style, meaning that there is ALWAYS some form of blood splatter.

As you can see, there is none. Fyodor could had killed sigma but didn't. He seems to be just overwhelmed the way atsushi was.

Which brings me to

Number 2: Fyodor has a double personality ability. - although I doubt that is his whole ability, i believe it is a side effect from it. Fyodor's true ability remains a mystery to all but sigma. Fyodor told sigma about his other persona and then proceeded to say he lied about it. So the information sigma uncovered by touching him would not surprise him that much if that was all to it. However, the fact that I believe fyodor left sigma alive, also suggests that there is a part of fyodor who made the decision to show mercy. Ergo, the second, scared persona we saw in the last issue.

And now.

For the elephant in the room

Number 3: Dazai is still alive. - i honest to God want to believe that. As a writer myself I understand the decision of killing a character such as dazai. He is in the role of the "mentor", someone who accompanied the mc since the beginning and became a role model/father figure to them and ultimately dies to urge the hero forward. There is sense in killing the mentor. However, this does not seem an opportune moment for it. Other reasons for killing dazai would be to push tragedy into the story, chuuya waking up after the world is saved and realising that he was the one to kill dazai, or simply demonstrating the unfairness of life (basically how game of thrones shocked). Both these options seem reasonable for this case anf Asagiri might have chosen to walk down one of these paths. However, since atsushi is also incapacitated, if asagiri chose the former he would place the entire burden of saving the world to anya. Though jt would make a statement to have a little girl do what all these anility users can't, it would lowkey render the rest of the story meaningless as anya is not as explored as a character as others are. Not in the least. As for the second one.....i'm worried about that one cause asagiri is a f*cling masochist sometimes.

Now, how could dazai still be alive?

First clue that we all agree upon:

Though people have stayed conscious after being shot in the head, we are talking about a

Close up forehead shot

The gun was touching his fucking SKIN

There is absolutely NO WAY for dazai to have survived that shot and take another and also have life to chat.

That shot didn't fire a bullet. Even if a gun doesn't fire a bullet it can still ignite the powder and burn the skin, especially if it's touching it like in here. Someone on tiktok noticed this:

Could it be a design of the jacket? Sure. But it could also be the bullet that never got fired. In the end there are three fracture point on the wall tiles:

The first one happens when dazai is shot on his right shoulder

We see a characteristic blood splatter. Thing is, only two out of three holes have that trail.

Since he was definetely shot in his left shoulder as well we have to assume that hole is from there. So what is the third one at the bottom?

Did chuuya stop the bullet at the gun's barrel, brought it behind him and shot it at the lower wall along with his third gunshot ?

Guess we'll see. All i want is for my baby to stay alive. We should always keep in mind that both dazai and fyodor as also poisoned. My guess is that vampirism will be released in the next episode for at least one of the characters, so that is what anya's contribution.

He can definitely stretch it but he already pulled that chard with fukuchi escaping twice. It's gonna get boring and annoying at some point.

Question for then:

Will akutagawa return as a corpse afyer he is released? Or will he be healed?

#soukoku #skk #bsd skk #chuuya nakahara #bsd fukuchi #bsd #bsd atsushi #bsd akutagawa #bsd sigma #bsd dazai #dazai osamu #osamu dazai #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #asagiri kafka #fyodor dostoevsky #bsd fyodor

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thedragonchilde · 6 months ago

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All right, episodes 7-11 now!

"Prepare to Fight! Desperate Fugitive"

-Chico has to be a nickname that stuck, man

-oh my god Bunny

-uh yeah that Speedo leaves nothing to the imagination, by which I mean there's nothing there

-”but to be honest I'm getting a bit tired” yeah, anyone following Domon would

-I wonder if this guy is an early bird Schwarz disguise

-Chibodee like “did I get caught up in a government plot to assassinate a Gundam fighter again?”

-team nobody, man. Chico’s plan was short-sighted, but Domon's logic doesn't make sense

-okay, I can see where this feels a little weird for siblings

-Domon, you can't call Chibodee out for trying to butt in when you did the same damn thing to George

-so that conversation had to be within the cockpits, otherwise Chibodee just blew the whole plan

-”then I'll be reborn too?” okay that actually hurt

"Old Grudge: Revenge of the Space Police"

-how is it that Andrew changed so drastically in five years, but Argo looks the exact damn same? At presumably 21 years old??

-oh my god Domon and Rain are so immature at each other

-lol Domon likes being grappled

-oh my god Nastasha is so hot

-that was a stupid move, Rain. Noble, but stupid. Sometimes we get these glimpses of her being, well, 20

-I mean, the report being from your government isn't necessarily trustworthy, but on the other hand, they wouldn't have any reason to make Argo look good, so if they came to the conclusion he wasn't at fault, that does say something

"Powerful Enemy! Chapman's Heroic Challenge"

-George has a fairly sizeable butt, but it's not very shapely

-Domon, where and when would you have learned to play poker?

-he smiles when a gun is pressed against his face. Hmmm.

-George shows up in his trace suit, and then suddenly shirtless under a blanket, all seemingly without leaving the room. Uhhhh he stripped in front of Domon and Rain?? I mean, they probably turned around, and he had to take it off so she could patch him up presumably, but still

-why is he taking stimulants late at night?

-ooh, Chapman has chest hair

-the first and only mention of terraformed Mars

-the Chapmans sound like they're discussing inviting Domon into their bedroom

-Rain, why did you taste the unknown pill? And how do you know from taste that it's a stimulant?

-that is NOT how you take stimulants! Lord almighty, just chomping on a handful of pills (capsules, even, which you're supposed to swallow whole), what do you think is gonna happen?

-”that's how he can see through this dense fog” not how stimulants work!!

-what do you mean he doesn't know???

-damn, what a downer ending

"Terror! The Phantom Fighter Appears"

-man, I don't like this episode. It doesn't do Sai any favors

-I love Stalker

-ooh, survivor's guilt

-Sai, you're the one who suggested a ghost, how did Domon scare you?

-I guess he doesn't have to go anymore

-”That's nice, goodbye”

-crocodile tears from the monks, gotta love it

-”I survived, but don't ask me how” damn, Rain

-I find it hilarious that they built a whole damn pyramid for this guy

-it's not the fear that annoys me, it's that it's treated as comic relief and reinforcing the “little kid” image

-Domon took to the big brother role quite nicely

-okay Domon holding just the top half of Dahal’s body was actually kind of an uneasy visual, even knowing it's a cybernetic zombie at that point

"Reunion in the Falling Rain"

-I shouldn't find it funny that she recognized his voice by a grunt alone

-I'm not sure why I'm thinking of this now, but there's some digging to be done in a mechanic and medic preferring to dress in micro-miniskirts and heels, even on the job

-I wonder when/how she got her mech certification then

-”rain on earth is so inconvenient” it occurs to me that the Fight might be the first time Rain's ever been to Earth

-so was Rain's mom Anglophone? (Is Rain mixed race?) Or is English a lingua franca that's wormed its way into Japanese naming conventions?

-now I'm wondering how many fighters are scouted versus trying out, and if it differs by country

-hmm, I wonder how they'll treat Saette once he's healed. Neo Turkey is gonna have to be let into the loop a little bit, right?

-I forgot where I saw it, but apparently the proper Arabic transliteration of his name would be Sayit?

-I mean, she didn't lose interest then, but she seems content to leave it in the past now

#g gundam #thinky thoughts #series notes #meta

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golbrocklovely · 1 year ago

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This may be an odd question,but is the Sam Pepper prank fake? I ask mostly cos it's being brought up a lot by the sceptics to prove Sam is acting in the Conjuring videos and I was of the opinion that it was not completely fake and some parts of it were real (namely the rooftop stuff) cos I never believed Sam to be that good of an actor. I was of the thinking that they said that it was fake to get the heat off Colby, but am I mistaken with this thinking since everyone keeps saying I'm wrong and that it is evidence that Sam was acting at the Conjuring House?

according to snc, the prank was fake and both of them were in on it. i forget what video i saw of sam talking about it, but he explained it like "if i wasn't in on it, how would they have gotten me to the roof of that apartment building without anyone seeing me? you don't think i would have been screaming and kicking the entire time getting up there?" which honestly…. valid lol

but i'll be so totally honest with you, anyone trying to use that as proof of snc lying now is really dumb in my eyes. that's like saying bc i lied when i was kid that now i'm also still lying. like… that's not how any of this works.

it would also be like using their vines of following fat ppl to prove that they're assholes. even tho in that instance, the ppl they followed were also in on the prank bc they asked them a head of time if they could follow them and then make a big stink about it.

if ppl want to argue that sam was lying and that was his real genuine reaction just to get the heat off of colby, it's possible. but i think ppl have to remember the main reason they did that prank in the first place was bc they were desperate and hungry and wanted attention. the very early years of snc were spent like that bc they WANTED to gain an audience. and they did gain one, and they hoped that those that stuck around got to actually know them for who they were and not just their attempts at fame or attention.

snc have no reason to lie at this point in their careers. there is no reason for them to go above and beyond for this past series when it was gonna be major regardless of cody and satori. and look, i don't believe cody and satori fully, but i also don't think they are fully lying either. i just can't explain how they do it. and tbh idc to either. and any "proof" that has been given as proof of them lying isn't proof. unless you catch them physically lying, like popping their joints and shit, then everything is hearsay and assumptions. and ppl just need to give it a rest at this point.

if you don't believe, then don't. this isn't a life or death situation. snc didn't hold a gun to your head and tell you to believe. they just showed their experience and said "if you can debunk it, please do" and everyone's attempts have just been too fucking much and extremely hateful. believe what you want, and let others do the same.

and side note, i fucking HATE the ppl that are trying to use "snc's fandom is too young to understand" or whatever as an argument. first off, that's very dismissive and also not completely true. of course there are young ppl in this fandom, i know that. but there are plenty that are older too, most of which i interact with all the time. and the only reason anyone is saying this fandom is young is bc it's easier to toss aside the general opinion of "i believe snc" or "i believe cody and satori". just bc someone is young doesn't mean their opinion is invalid, especially when it goes against your own. and let's be fucking honest here, the older ppl that are literally berating the young fans on reddit (and not on twitter where they are pulling these opinions)…. yall don't care about the kids. you just want to feel validated and cool so it's easier to argue with teens than it is to debate ppl your actual geriatric age.

grow up, and move on.

(this is not directed at you anon, jsyk)

#ask #personal #snc bs

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eomma-jpeg · 2 years ago

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Hello again! So, I've got one for you Fic-specific Ask Game! (For In the Meadow, of course. XD) For Want of a Nail: So, I'm curious as to how this would turn out. Instead of the insurance gals having to head out to send in their resignations, instead it's Vash and Knives who have to leave for a few days for Reasons™️. (I'm imagining something related to their past? Like maybe a bounty hunter has been sniffing around and is getting too close to the farm. Or one of the Gung-Ho Guns survived or something. Or maybe it's something mundane like they have to go find a specific part to replace for the Plant and it can only be found in December. Either way, they gotta skedaddle!) I wanna know how you'd think it'd play out! I can only imagine the absolute terror Knives would be on a two day road trip when he knows he's missing the first tomatoes (and also Milly, but shhhh! He's being stupid about that still!) And also what would the gals be doing back on the farm? (Pining away, I'm sure. Omg, I bet Milly will be a mess when the first tomato comes in and Knives isn't there. 😭) Thoughts? 👀

oh veil,,,, you have put many thoughts in my head....

Knives and Vash road trip

I think.... it would be something like the eye of michael is still kicking?? and it would give me an excuse to include Livio (I WANT TO PUT HIM SOMEWHERE BUT I JUST CANT FIND A GOOD EXPLANATION)

Vash would leave, and I think at that point in the story, Knives would feel the need to come. specifically, he still wouldnt be comfortable around humans without Vash (even Milly. I think the thought of truly being surrounded by only humans would freak him out).

Unfortunately, Knives wouldn't realize how DESPERATELY HE WOULD MISS IT UNTIL HE'S GONE.

him and vash all alone in the desert, away from humans (which is what he wanted originally) but he just,,, he cant help wishing to go back. he wants to go back so bad, so he and vash work their BUTTS off to get this business done and over with cuz Knives just wants his routine and his girl back

this,,,,, could also be a good spot for vash v knives conflict vis a vis how the both of them feel about murder (knives feels its necessary especially when taking down the eye of michael, while vash it still on a pacifist route, despite his kind of..... completion of Rem's memory?)

because i'm mushy and i like parallels, if Milly doesn't have her scandalous dream in December... then Knives gets to have a mushy domestic one.

he dreams about Milly in the garden and the sunlight glistens in her shiny hair, they have a thriving crop, and milly just has the brightest smile on her face when she spots him, glowing with happiness. he wakes up after milly hugs him, arms wrapping around his body, pulling him tight and brushes a kiss on his cheek

He wakes up just,,, starstruck and makes Vash drive them home in the middle of the night. zero impulse control from this boy.

Milly and Meryl back at home

this change means that milly gets to pick the tomatoes without knives.

i ... i could absolutely see Milly doing good, like holding it together all morning, putting on a show that she's alright. she gathers them with ease and puts them in a cute lil basket she got from her mom

but then later when Meryl asks her how many tomatoes she gathered, Milly holds up each tomato individually and tears just kind of fall as she realizes that its the first time since the beginning of the garden that she had to do the work alone, and it hits her like a brick wall. she misses him so much.

Meryl: oh gosh i thought i was just asking about the tomatoes I didn't see this coming

I think it could be the trigger that Milly needs to realize that she really does like him.

if im being honest, this might speed up the romance process quite a bit, because if Milly falls first, its over. She would completely smother Knives in like welcome back kisses and he wouldn't know what to do LOLOL

okay, to stick with the slowburn, i could see Knives coming back and complimenting Milly on the harvest, and Milly unwittingly admitting that she had missed him. Then, quietly, mostly because Knives doesn't particularly want to admit it to himself, he tells her he missed her too.

Milly, being herself, just takes his hand and kisses his cheek, probably unable to tell him with words.

and then idk.............. thats a whole new fic.....

ty veil !!!!! i really liked thinking about this lolol

#im all mushy now....#my heart T-T #i saw mads say earlier that they just want milly and knives to kiss #and same #but it cant happen yet #they have too much holding them a part #specifically themselves ripppp #trigun #millyons #millynai #in the meadow #asks

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acourtofthought · 2 years ago

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I love your blog. I'm a huge fan of Elucien and I look forward to their story, although, I admit I do not think their book is next. Selfishly, I'd love both books back to back, but I know Sarah does not write as quickly as she once did, now that she has a growing family. I sure miss the TOG/early ACOTAR days. YES, Elucien are in in the book and SJM plots major seeds of their future in ACOSF, but in terms of the plot in "present" terms, Azriel, Nessian and the Valkyrie make most sense in the chain of events. Sarah said Nesta's story is not over and it make most sense now that we know she will have some involvement in CC3, the 8 point star was always a huge clue, and because she has a budding friendship with Az, and Az may be Gwyn's mate, her story would continue in a Gwynriel book, not an Elucien book. It just seems SJM main focus right now is the crossover and the characters most likely involved. Of course, we have yet to read the book and Elucien could be involved, not sure how, SF made it obvious they'd go to spring court and travel, but we never know. I'd be ecstatic if we got some elucien clues.

SJM is managing a lot of characters' a lot of plots, it not unheard off to put some initial favorites and plots "on hold" when new ideas come to mind.

I think some people are not ready to admit SJM is favoring other characters and plot lines more right now, it does not mean she does not love Elucien, I'd be so sad if she didn't do them justice, and if I'm being honest with myself, I rather she write their story when she is inspired and focused on THEM vs this crossover! Gwynriel make sense in the crossover, she set up the leg work for them to be involved, so I can envision it. Whereas Elucien, I just can't right now. I get what you're saying about how would Elucien be set up in a Gwynriel book, well, that is kinda why I think the rumors of a novella could be true, one to set up a tandem. But if not, I can still see Gwynriels book next, a Novella of some sort, then Elucien, but she is signed up for more books, so things could change.

But just given her recent interviews its night and day how she talks about Az. All she said about Elain recently was we'd see some form of her, and she did not sound excited at all, I think she was annoyed and not personal about Elain, but still, the interviews promoting ACOSF, before and after, she was overjoyed talking about Az. She specified his crumbs. If it was Elain and Lucien, I'd imagine she'd start to tease and hype readers, not keep it so secretive while talking about someone else, it makes no sense. When has an author ever kept the next main characters from conversation and major present plot lines?

He just seems to be a character she's grown attached to recently, maybe because she was able to write him into some of these CC3 plot lines, because you are right, before he did not have any major plots outside loving Mor in the triology! He seems to be the perfect candiante to work into the crossover and maybe that is when expanding his character and wanting to tell his story grew! She's done it before, she originally only planned for Chaol to have a short novella but she was so excited to tell his story it became a novel, he met the love of his life and I think it is some of her best work, even though it delayed KOA. I kinda look at Elucien as KOA.

With all that, if we do get an Elucien book next I would be happy! Like I said I love Elucien, Elucien was my first fave ship aside from Feysand, so I've been looking forward to their story for a very long time, so it is a win win for me no matter what, but if you held a gun to my head and asked me who's book I think is next, it is Gwynriel just given recent interviews since 2021 and the books right now.

I think you're in good company and that's what a lot of Elucien's / Gwynriels also feel so there's a good chance I'm the one viewing this all wrong. I won't bore you with all the ways I see it differently because I know I've done that with a lot of my recent posts. And I do see where the Gwynriel as ACOTAR 5 arguments come from, I'm not going to sit here and pretend they aren't completely valid. Really, it's a me issue. When something doesn't add up in my mind, I become very fixated on it, trying to twist it and view it from every which way until it all makes sense to me. And when I take at all the info, past interviews and plotlines, and add into it what we know of Elain as sort of this "mystery" as well as the only female to have a bond immediately snap, Elucien next and Gwynriel setting up the next round of ACOTAR books related to the crossover is how my puzzle pieces finally come together. But, the way my brain works is not any more valid than the way someone else's brain works (it's just different). And there's a good chance that SJM's thought process is more in line with what the masses are thinking and I'll end up the odd one out. I'm ok with that though. I want to put out my ideas just in case but if I'm wrong, it's no big thing and I'll be happy for everyone who ended up predicting it correctly.

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photogirl894 · 10 months ago

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11 and 17 for Kimber!

Also entirely separate thing, but I hope when the whole “Fall of Kamino” arc happens and Crosshair reveals that he had his chip removed a long time ago — and then he has the audacity to ask “does it matter?” When Hunter asks when he got it removed — Kimber throws up her hands and just screams “YES!!! THE HELL DO YOU MEAN ‘DOES IT MATTER”?!” Because that was me. That was me at that moment and to this day I’m STILL so confused about it. Like. What??? Crosshair it makes a BIG difference in terms of when you got your chipped removed. Bro. Dude. My man. You tried to kill your brothers multiple times. Then you say “I had my chip removed a long time ago,” refuse to elaborate when, and then are so hurt when they train guns on you whenever you hold a gun and don’t trust you. Crosshair, your a great character and I love you, but Hell frozen on a popsicle stick. You can’t just try to kill your brothers (multiple times), try to kill your sister (who was a kid at the time, and again, multiple times), follow the empire when they’re doing some of the most unethical stuff you saw separatists doing, disabuse your family of the belief that it was mind control that was making you do this, refuse to elaborate when the mind control wasn’t a thing, leave them wondering how many times you DID have the chip removed and still tried to kill them, and expect them to be like “aite, sounds good homie. Let’s go join the living and political embodiment of ‘these hoes ain’t loyal’ and help it kill a bunch of innocents and ruin lives, because screw finding our own purpose and doing what we want. Which is like — what being a Bad Batcher is about — but we can always rebrand. Also let’s ditch the literal child that we’ve been raising as our family too. Yep. Sounds sane and normal to us.”

I apologize for that tangent. TLDR; I hope Kimber goes off on Crosshair a bit after the whole “I had my chip removed a long time ago” thing because in my honest, humble opinion: someone should have. Bro was making no sense and then felt betrayed when his squad felt betrayed, hurt, and confused. Not to say Crosshair hasn’t suffered or anything, but he just didn’t seem to consider his family’s point of view.

Okay, for real, my dear anon...this isn't really a huge spoiler, honestly, but OHMYGOSH, I LITERALLY HAVE SOMETHING JUST LIKE THAT ALREADY PLANNED!!! 😆 Hell, I'm pretty sure I have the dialogue already written and I've had it for probably over a year or so now. Cuz I feel the same, I remember being with Hunter in that scene and just thinking, "YES!! OF COURSE IT MATTERS, YOU ASSHOLE!!" And yeah, with how her relationship is with Crosshair (and how strained it definitely will be by that point), yeah, Kimber is definitely gonna be going off on him about that whole thing. You can be sure of that!!

Now, to the questions:

11) What was your inspiration for your OC?

You know, Kimber just started off as a random OC idea I came up with for, like, a one shot-type of fic I thought of that was way different. I'd thought of Hunter being stranded somewhere after a mission or something and he's injured and his squad is trying to find him. However, he's found by a random woman, Kimber, who takes him in and nurses him back to health. He spends a while with her and, over time, falls in love with her and wishes he could stay and have a normal life with her. Eventually, the Bad Batch find him, he leaves but promises to return to her one day.

I don't know how exactly that idea changed into what I've done with Sun and Rain, but I think it was for the better. Kimber became a much more complex, dynamic and all-around fun OC with the direction I've taken her and I definitely think she's grown so much. And she'll continue to grow even more as the story goes on through the rest of the show 😊

17) If your OC has kids, are they a good parent? Do they ever feel guilty if they have to leave them?

I've been thinking about that a lot since the show's finale...(I won't say anything in case of spoilers, even though it's been a week by this point), but I think Kimber would certainly be a wonderful mother. She had a bit of experience with kids back on Tatooine growing up and then helping take care of Omega will prepare her for raising kids, as well. Her and Hunter would be amazing parents, no doubt! Like any mother, I think she would definitely feel guilty having to leave them for any reason.

Thanks for the ask, anon!! 💜

Secret OC Ask List

#sun and rain fanfic

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miss-oranje-disco-dancer · 10 months ago

Text

never penelope, always calypso

pairing: leon x reader

cw: infidelity?, p in v, alcohol usage, oral sex, angst, smut, possible misuse of words, questionable metaphors, allusions to the odyssey (i'm cringe), pseudo-poetic nonsense

summary: leon is married to ashley and they have an open relationship. you become fwbs when he visits dc. accidental feelings happen

a/n: the title is a reference to the odyssey (no discourse/analyses allowed on this post!!)

wc: 5.5k

taglist: @rigorwhoring @porcelainseashore @mrswint3rs @dilfprayers @pawrincss

link to join taglist in bio! link to commissions & ko-fi in bio! link to ao3 in bio!

Winter 2012

You first meet Leon at a bar near your apartment. Outside, it's freezing, yet you order your drink on the rocks. Drunkenness makes your cheeks match your ears, rosy and slightly numb to the cold.

It’s been a rough day for you and the way Leon’s head hangs as he looks blankly into his glass - half-empty - lets you know that he’s in the same boat. He’s got blonde-ish hair, icy blue eyes, and a hint of a five o’clock shadow. His voice, low and tired, holds a sympathetic chagrin, subtle and genuine. He must feel your eyes on him because he picks himself up as best he can and smiles at you.

He’s not drunk. Neither are you, only tipsy.

“Hi,” you say because you’re not good with pickup lines.

“Hey. How’s it goin’?”

“It’s goin’,” you say because it’s the best way you can tell the truth without being too much of a downer.

“Not great, huh?”

“A complete shitshow if I’m being honest.”

“I can relate.” He thrusts his right hand out and you take it. His palm is calloused with a life much rougher than you’ll ever know. “I’m Leon.”

You tell him your name and he releases your hand from his grasp.

You recount your disastrous day and he laughs at all the right times and keeps his smile sympathetic for the rest of your story. He doesn’t say much about himself, and the next morning you worry you were venting, but you come to find over the years that he prefers to listen rather than to talk. He has unparalleled patience. He’s not like other guys. You’re just like other girls.

The one time he speaks over you is to insist to the bartender that he is paying for your drinks too when he asks to close his tab.

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

He grabs his wallet from his back pocket and you notice on his left hand, a wedding band. It was all just friendly conversation, you realize. Your smile drops and you don’t have time to pick it back up before he turns to you.

“What’s up?” He asks.

“Nothing.” You give him a fake smile.

“You sure?” He probes you with minimal force. His questions never make you feel like you’re being interrogated, strapped to a metal chair despite the fact that a gun sits on his hip; not like an interview either with bright lights an audience; more like a surgery, penetrating, tearing and mending your organs while you’re numbed by alcoholic anesthetic.

“Mhm,” You respond. You are already falling into a dreamless sleep, breathing, but comatose.

“Okay. Do you live close? We could split a cab.” He places his hand on the small of your back and whispers while you walk to the exit, “Unless you want to come back with me to my hotel.”

You look at him, almost angry for her – the woman you don’t know – and yet, still wanting. He removes his hand quickly. “Whoa. I’m sorry. I clearly misunderstood the situation. I thought we were having a flirtatious conversation and that it was heading that direction. I apologize for overstepping your boundaries.”

“No, I was flirting, but…” You point to his left hand. “You’re married.” There is a part of you that is already willing. You’re his puppet, his ragdoll, willing.

“Oh, yeah,” Leon says with a smile, thinking of her. He holds up his hand, proudly displaying his wedding band. “I am married, but we have an open relationship.” He sounds so honest you’re tempted to believe him. But, there is still a sliver of your consciousness left.

“Prove it. I don’t want to be involved with a cheater.”

“Prove it? Alright. Would you like me to text her and ask if I can invite you back to my hotel room?”

“Sure.”

You don’t think he’ll do it, but he does. Her name in his phone has a heart next to it. You notice it when he shows you her response: Have a nice time :).

He calls her ‘baby’.

He calls you a lot of things during the act, but mostly your name once it’s over.

He calls you ‘gorgeous’ as in, “You look fucking gorgeous like that” When he looks into your eyes from above you. You’re on your knees with his cock down your throat while his hand holds your hair in a makeshift ponytail. You look gorgeous if gorgeous means messy - the mascara that was already smudged when you entered the bar mixes with tears and drips down your face. You look like a canvas drenched with paint water. Filthy and accidental. And in an abstract way, something that could be conceived as beautiful in the eyes of a downright horny beholder.

Leon holds your wrists above your head when he fucks you. His grip is firm just like yours is around his cock, though it’s not your intention. In fact, you want more of him, all of him.

He calls you ‘darlin’ as in,“Darlin’, you’re squeezin’ me so tight. I’m not gonna last like this.” When you’re on all fours and he’s feeding himself to you from behind. One of his hands guides his cock to your entrance while the other holds your hip – that one continues to steady you while he’s fucking you at a merciless pace. With the other, he runs his fingers through his hair – you can see him in the mirror, sweat beading on his forehead.

He calls you ‘babe’ as in, “C’mere, babe.” When he beckons you towards him, lying in bed with his head propped up enough to see you. “Want you to sit on my face”. When you comply and sit on his face, your thighs drown out his words but the noises he makes reverberate through your entire body. Much to Leon’s dismay, it’s the last orgasm you can handle that night. (You have to walk home tomorrow, right?)

There is a distinct difference between babe and baby. The difference being that he calls you one and his wife the other.

That first night, you go for three rounds, only stopping because Leon ran out of condoms and neither of you feel like going to the pharmacy to buy more. At least, not until the next day.

The next morning when his alarm rings, you grab his phone from the bedside table and hand it to him. You catch a glimpse of his lockscreen. It’s him with a woman. “Is that her?”

“My wife? Yeah.” He hands you the phone and lets you see her. She’s beautiful. More so than you. You understand why she lets him do this. And why he shows her off with no hesitation and a prideful grin. You’d brag about her too.

You imagine their first date, their wedding, the sex they have in their home that they share, and every other thing while Leon makes a trip to the drugstore across the street.

“Sorry I took so long,” he says when he climbs back into bed, “there was a long line at the checkout.”

It’s okay, you think, you gave me time to decide that it’s better if I leave now.

And yet, the second he lies down next to you, your decision changes. The prospect of lazy morning sex with Leon is too beautiful to resist. Even in retrospect, if it were purely about the sex, you wouldn’t regret any of it, it was even better than you imagined it would be.

When he takes the blue box from the plastic shopping bag and jiggles it in front of you, playfully asking the question, you nod. None of this requires words.

You sit up in bed, closing the gap between you and your objective, but he stops you. “Don’t get up. I’ll come there.”

He’s quiet despite the room being empty of sleeping children and nosy parents. The hustle and bustle of the city on Saturday morning covers up any sound. His wife knows anyway and she’s 1000 miles away. It’s for the sake of your ears, still acclimating to the ceaseless knocking at your eardrums that comes with being alive. He moves slowly, spreads your legs for you, removes your panties - the boring beige pair you wore to work the day before. He runs his hand over your folds like he’s petting a stray animal, getting you to ease up and let him in. Two fingers mold you to his liking. He fits you for himself despite being taken. He feeds your desire and sets you free when he’s finished. (You’ve finished too, so it’s not cruel, is it?).

He steps into the shower alone.

If getting some more material for your spank bank was your goal, then you accomplished it. Not just the sex but the sight of him with a towel around his waist, his toned body on display. It’s the first time you’ve seen it in the daylight. He only removed his pants when he fucked you from behind. And the night before, you only got a glimpse of his beauty in the dim of the lamp-lit room.

The ounce of self-restraint that remains in your being, holds you back from ripping the towel away from him and kneeling before him, begging him to use your mouth.

There is a piece of you that regrets not taking the opportunity while you had it. You would have another memory of him to fill the Leon-shaped hole inside you. Better yet, he could’ve called you pathetic and told you to leave, and ruined it all before your infatuation could turn into something worse. But, he wouldn’t do that. And that’s why you like him.

Summer 2012

It was supposed to be a one-time thing. Well, honestly, it wasn’t supposed to be anything at all. You had each other’s phone numbers but no plans were made and the goodbye hug didn’t feel like a ‘see you later’, more like a ‘have a nice life’.

But a couple months after your first meeting, he texts you. “I’m in town. Are you busy tonight?”

You happen to be very free and though you denied it at the time, very infatuated with Leon. In your mind, it’s simply the fact that he’s the best sex you’ve ever had and none of it has to do with the fact that during the second night you spend together you’re mere centimeters away from love-making when he bites your lip, tugging lightly before he flips you over to fuck you harder. You know he knows, it’s too obvious for him not to know, that’s why he refuses to look into your eyes, opting to push your face - which he reminds you is gorgeous - into the mattress. Your mascara still runs while you wonder if he’s still thinking about you when your face no longer serves to remind him of the woman whose cunt he uses.

But that happens later. You meet at the same bar because Leon is oddly unfamiliar with the area despite having lived here years ago. Maybe he wanted to forget. That’s a question you never bother to ask.

“I was constantly working. I went out with Ashley on the weekends when she wasn’t busy, but she always picked the restaurant. So, you’ll have to be my tour guide,” he says.

You amble around downtown because you’re not decisive like Ashley. You didn’t prepare anything besides the matching set of lace under your clothes. In June, the sun stays up late, and though they say that certain crimes of the flesh are only committed at night, for the two of you daylight can be far more dangerous.

Simply fucking in his hotel room one night was well within the boundaries of whatever “this” is; however, kissing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when the sun begins to set makes you feel like a teenager, being romanced for the first time and risking your overbearing parents finding out your dirty little secret. But, none of this is secret. Leon’s wife knows, passersby know, the statue of the 16th president of the goddamn USA who sits behind you knows.

But what truly feels wrong is how chaste it is, how his hands cup your cheeks like a chalice. In a crowded bar, you drink gin and tonics for the Eucharist. Tomorrow, you deal with the unholy hangover.

Still, you’re not sure if this is romance or friendship until you’re walking side by side and your pinkies inch their way closer until they brush against each other. You interlock them playfully for a second, but Leon pulls away rather than grabbing your hand fully. The one time he does take your hand, it’s to guide you through a crowd. He does not interlock fingers with you. He does not kiss your knuckles before he lets go.

Later you end up at your favorite bar because you are his amateur tour guide.

“If this is your favorite, then why weren’t you here the night we met?”

“Would you have preferred I were?”

“No. I’m just curious.”

“The other bar is closer to home. Quieter, too.”

You’re practically yelling at this point over the band that’s playing. It takes two drinks for you to stand up and dance. It’s not some sort of high school prom slow dance. It’s stupid and drunken, but Leon spins you around and his hands are on your body - the less intimate parts - for most of the duration. He doesn’t have to flirt with sensual touches because he doesn’t have to lure you into bed. You are already planning to accompany to his hotel room.

Usually, he is in town for a week at most, and busy for the majority of the time. You see him for a night or two each visit. However, one night after the usual routine of going to the same bar, drinking old fashioneds and Leon picking up the tab, he takes you to the apartment that he’s renting for the next 3 months.

“Three months?” you ask.

“Thought you’d be happy,” he says. “After you admitted that I’m the best you’ve ever had.”

“Cocky much?”

“Wanna find out?” He raises an eyebrow, daring you to take him up on his offer. He’s still unpacking in the bedroom, but you don’t find that out until later because you don’t make it that far into the apartment. You end up fucking on the couch. And then on the living room floor.

What you have is not romance but it’s dangerously close. You realize this when you accidentally take one of his t-shirts home and you wear it to bed again that night before washing it. Because it smells like him and you miss him. That’s not something you ever plan to admit to Leon, and because you don’t say it aloud, it’s not real. It’s only real when he says, “you should just keep a toothbrush here.”

So nonchalant that it catches you off guard. “What am I, your girlfriend?”

“Sorry for being logistical.” He huffs, though you can’t tell if he’s really mad or not.

On his next run to the pharmacy to buy condoms, he gets you the toothbrush.

It’s summertime and Leon has a balcony that overlooks the Washington Monument, so naturally, you eat your dinners outside. Leon cuts back on his drinking, so you often make lemonade instead – from scratch, like your mother used to.

Over dinner you ask him, “Why don’t you just move to D.C. if you spend so much time here?”

“I lived here for years – so did Ashley – and we both hated it. But her dad has a house in Vermont, and we spent our first anniversary there, and we realized we wanted to spend as much of our lives as we can there.” When he speaks, he doesn’t meet your eyes. He’s looking for the memory, reliving it with a smile on his face. You can feel the tranquility.

“Makes sense. If I had a father with a second home in Vermont, I would probably move there too.” Plus, I’m not tied to anything here. Except maybe you, Leon.

“It’s gorgeous in the summer. It sucks that I have to spend it here.”

“Wow,” you say, jokingly, “So, being around me really sucks that much?”

“No, you’re the only part of it that I like.”

You’re left speechless, flustered by his words, and you both know that he shouldn’t have said that despite the fact that it’s the truth.

“Anyway,” he transitions, poking at his salad, pretending to be incredibly interested in the lettuce in an effort to avoid your face. “This lemonade is great.”

“It’s my mother’s recipe. A little extra sugar.”

You take away the plates – his enthusiasm about his salad has faded. He stays on the balcony for a moment because he knows you want to do the dishes – “It’s kind of therapeutic,” you said to him. “Clean plates make you feel like your life is together”.

Regardless, when he comes in, he says, “You know you don’t have to do that.” because that’s in his nature. Other people make messes and he cleans them up.

“I know,” you say, and he doesn’t protest.

You have sex because it’s either that or watch TV. It’s rough and impersonal, and over relatively quickly.

And then, it’s five o’clock somewhere, and somewhere is right where you are, so you pull out a bottle and toast to something stupid like the sex you just had or the TV show you’ll watch until you fall asleep.

Leon doesn’t drink but when he does (which is only when he’s with you. Ashley doesn’t let him indulge like that because she’s more sensible than you are) your conversations venture into topics that you would typically shy away from. You find yourself talking to Leon about his sex life outside of you.

“Do you guys fuck, like, immediately, when you get in the door?”

“Sometimes, yeah. Depends on how long I’ve been gone and how gross I am.”

“Do you think about it a lot? When you’re not with her?”

“Of course I do.” The question sticks in your mind: when we’re having sex too? “But we have phone sex,” he says, oddly prideful.

“That’s good. I’ve never been very good at phone sex.”

“If you’re horny enough it doesn’t matter.”

And that’s probably true. You have sex again shortly thereafter and you wonder if he’s thinking about her. You notice that he does not say your name when he cums.

February 2013

The next year you see him on Valentine’s Day. “Shouldn’t you be spending this with your wife?” you ask.

“I would be if I were at home.”

“You could go home or at least, call her.”

“I could call her, and I did, earlier today. But, it’s just a day. It’s not like it’s our anniversary or one of our birthdays.”

It’s just a day, so I’m spending it with you. It’s just a day, you’re just a girl.

“When’s your anniversary?”

“March 16th,” he says without missing a beat. Because he remembers things. As do you. For better or for worse.

“Are you going to go home for that?”

“No, she’s coming to visit.”

“Oh. That’s nice.” You probably don’t sound very convincing but you’re already making new plans for that week mentally – not that you had any explicit plans with him.

“You could meet her,” he offers, and you think he must be joking but it’s not that funny so you don’t laugh. He doesn’t laugh either because it isn’t a joke.

“Wait what?” you say. “Don’t you see how that’d be a little weird?”

“She knows you exist.”

“Yeah, but-”

“-And,” he leans in to whisper into your ear because you’re in a relatively fancy restaurant where you probably shouldn’t be speaking too loudly about such topics, “I don’t know if you’re into women, but I think she’d be into you.”

It’s a blessing that your dress is black because you choke on red wine and it dribbles down your chest and onto your clothes before you can catch it.

“Sorry. I’m now realizing that sexuality is a sensitive topic and maybe I shouldn’t have broached the subject like that.”

“It’s not about my sexuality. It’s about the fact that you just asked me if I wanted to sleep with your wife.”

“Well, I was hoping to be there too in that hypothetical.”

“It’s your anniversary. I shouldn’t be there. You two should get some alone time.”

“You’re probably right about that.”

He asks you to help him pick out an anniversary gift for his wife. You study pictures of her to see what style of jewelry she wears. Apparently you’re good at buying gifts because you see a new picture of her as his lock screen in which she’s wearing the necklace you picked out.

It’s silver not gold, so it’s not the necklace you care about but the jewelry behind the glass that you gazed at while Leon talked to the cashier.

But before the necklace, before the picture, before Leon’s anniversary, you leave the restaurant together the same way you arrived except you’re covered in red wine. You complain about the way your heels leave blisters so he carries you to the front door - bridal style, ironically, but you’re the only one thinking about it. It’s just a name that comes from an old tradition. It’s like how Valentine’s Day is just a day. He gets down on one knee and because you’ve already imagined him in this position, seeing it play out in front of you startles you, but he’s just unbuckling your shoes. He sees the look on your face - you try to play it off - and he laughs because he knows what you’re thinking, but then again, he doesn’t know anything at all. To him, it’s a silly misunderstanding. To you, it’s a cruel joke you’ve played on yourself.

In his bedroom, where you spend most of your time together, he unzips your dress like he’s trying to save the wrapping paper on a gift.

“It has wine all over it, and I got it on sale,” you say. “You don’t have to be so… gentle about it.”

“Would you prefer I rip it off of you?”

But it’s already slipping past your knees, dropping to the floor, revealing your bra and panties, revealing the secret - that you made an effort, that he is opening a gift, and the gift is a woman in lingerie. His face says enough, the way he looks you up and down, with arousal coursing through his veins but a certain fondness and admiration in his eyes.

You distract him by unbuttoning his dress shirt - slowly because you’re pretty sure this is the one he likes. There’s no tie to undo, no tie to pull him into bed by. He doesn’t like things around his neck. Once, he tried to wear one and couldn’t tie it himself, and you had to help. He only kept it on for a second because he felt like it was suffocating him.

You’re stuck in a mutual trance until you hear the neighbors fucking - not making love, fucking. You throw your head back laughing and Leon drags his hands down his face in faux-exasperation, laughter peeking through his fingers.

“Way to kill the mood,” he sighs.

“Should I go get the broom,” you ask, intending to bang on the wall between apartments.

“I think it’d be a little hypocritical.” Considering how much sex we have. Considering the fact that we’re about to have sex.

“Okay, but we don’t sound like that.”

He shrugs with a stupid grin.

“Oh God, do we sound like that?!”

“I hope not.”

“Leon,” you draw out his name, not quite whining, not quite begging. Not yet.

“Here,” he says, and sticks a CD in his stereo, something he rarely uses. He prefers the quiet. There’s too much noise these days, he once told you.

"You sound like an old man."

"I feel like an old man."

When he stands in front of you in only a white undershirt and a pair of slacks, his belt lost somewhere along the way, while you’re freezing to death in black lace lingerie because he keeps his apartment at 70 degrees maximum, you let go of all inhibitions, and let your surprise be a pleasant one when you realize what album is playing. Grace. As if you have any left.

“I love Jeff Buckley,” you say.

“Everyone loves Jeff Buckley.”

“Not like me.”

The soft music doesn’t fully cover the sounds of your noisy neighbors but the sentiment does. All you can think about is Leon when he’s atop you. You make out like teenagers, savoring it in a way that makes it feel like there’s no expectation that the two of you will have sex.

But slowly, it becomes more than that. His hands cup your breasts, his tongue flicks your nipple, his hands spreading your thighs, his fingers brushing over the fabric. And then the CD stops. It’s been 52 minutes. It’s like a parent knocking at the door, interrupting the magical moment. When Leon stands up to choose another CD, he sheds his shirt too.

Fade Into You plays as he walks back to you and you want to ask ‘How did you know?’, but you opt for taking off his pants instead. You lie face to face atop the covers with the lights only dimmed while he thrusts slowly in and out of you. You worry you’ll start singing along because you know all the words to this album. But Leon’s mouth rarely leaves yours - except when his face is between your thighs.

It’s slow, intimate, undeniably romantic. Only urgent when you’re both nearing the edge and he picks up the pace. You cum together and wade through the aftershocks with heavy breaths. So Tonight That I Might See fades out and covered in sweat, you bask in the shared euphoria that tries to fill the melancholy air. You fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

July 2013

Once, after a particularly terrible mission, you meet Leon at his hotel room and he fucks you so hard he has to keep his hand over your mouth for the duration to avoid a noise complaint. A second noise complaint.

Another time, he fucks you so hard the condom breaks. You’re on birth control but he has a wife, a wife that’s not you, so he offers to buy you the morning after pill, and since there’s no logical reason not to take it, you agree. Before you pop the pill in your mouth, you ask him, (mal)apropos of the situation, “Do you think you’ll have kids?”

You let him answer while you wash it down with a gulp of water.

“We’ve been trying actually.” You see the way he smiles and it makes you choke on the water. You wouldn’t have been surprised by a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, but you realize what his statement means: he would never buy her this pill. He wants to have a baby, but not your baby. He doesn’t love you like that. He doesn’t love you at all.

August 2013

You realize you love him right after he leaves. The best and worst part is that you do not see him until 2015. Almost 2 years later. You don’t hear anything from him or about him and sometimes you assume he was KIA, more optimistically, MIA. (Really, he’s just drunk and busy most of the time.)

If Leon died would his wife send you an invitation to the funeral? Who are you - the mistress, a friend of the family, a long-lost somebody?

Summer 2015

When he calls you in July, you half-assume that his voice won’t be the one on the other side. It’ll be someone else who recovers his phone from the ashes of whatever the fuck he’s fighting. You’ve started to forget what he sounds like and it terrifies you.

“I’m gonna take some time off,” he tells you.

“You deserve it since you’re always working so hard.” You understand what ‘time off’ means. It means time away from you too. It means he goes back to where he belongs – in bed, beside his wife.

“I never thought I’d get a vacation – I tried, but it got interrupted. Bio-terrorists don’t care about vacation time as it turns out.”

“How long is your time off going to be?”

“I’m not sure yet. We don’t technically have paternity leave, but I think the DSO feels-”

“Paternity leave?”

“Yeah. I forgot to mention, Ashley’s pregnant.”

The “trying” they were doing finally worked. She must be so happy – they both must be so happy. You force yourself to be because it’s cruel to hate a child. It’s not the baby’s fault that you’re in love with its father.

“That’s… awesome, Leon. I remember you saying you were trying, so, congratulations.”

“Thanks,” he says, and the smile on his face looks genuine but you see his hands come out of his pockets, only to retreat. He was going to hug you. But something holds him back. Though she’s physically carrying the baby, he takes on some of the weight it seems.

“You’re gonna be a great father,” you say. And that’s the one statement that you mean wholeheartedly.

The next words to leave your mouth surprise you both. “How far along is she?”

“Not sure about the exact number of weeks, but she’s pretty far into her second trimester.”

“Does she have a bump yet?” “Can I see a picture?” “What about the ultrasound?” You’re just tearing your own heart out so he can’t when he inevitably leaves. Or, maybe you’re not. Maybe you’re curious to a fault. Maybe you’re genuinely a little bit happy because you do love him. That’s what makes it worse.

You realize that this is the last time you’ll see him. He’s not dying, and will likely return to DC, but his wife will call him, ask him to switch to video so she can show him the baby that sits perfectly on her hip. In your mind, she’s walking around their kitchen, still in frame while the phone sits on the counter and he watches, imagining the joy he’ll feel when he takes on half the weight of parenthood while he lets her sleep in on the weekends.

You can’t be in the shower across the hall while he sings to a baby over the phone. You know he’ll sing.

He has a better voice than one might expect and you know this because he once got drunk enough for you to convince him to sing karaoke.

“C’mon,” you say, nudging him in the direction of the stage.

“I don’t sing,” he says, though he’s smiling.

“Everyone sings.”

“Even you?”

“Especially me.”

“I’ll make a deal. If you sing, then I’ll sing.” He’s already holding your hands, you don’t have to shake on it. But you do (and he spits on his palm first to seal the deal and you tell him it’s disgusting but mimic the gesture anyway).

You sing Like A Prayer, and though you can’t hear his voice over the surrounding noise, you can see him singing along by “Heaven Help Me”.

He sings Jessie’s Girl, and you would be enthralled even if he completely bombed, but you’re a face in the crowd of dozens, singing along with varying BAC’s, you’d guess. You’re not Jessie’s Girl, or Leon’s girl, you’re just a girl.

But the last night you spend together, you let yourself believe that you’re Leon’s girl when you fall into bed with him. When you interlock your fingers you pretend your ring is at the jewelers or on the bedside table. When he fucks you, he’s being quiet because you can’t wake up the neighbors or the baby in the nursery. In your mind, your husband is making love to you after he’s returned from the war.

He explains what happened at Alcatraz and you’re Penelope, he’s Odysseus, except there are no other suitors for him to kill. No bow to shoot, no olive tree bedpost.

But like them, you sleep together in a familiar room. Finally, fully, skin to skin, he gives himself to you. He gives himself to you temporarily, it’s sweaty and sickly sweet. You kiss until your lips turn red, catching your breaths forehead-to-forehead until you hold his cheeks in your hands like a pomegranate, ripe and rotting.

He grips your hips until they bruise, and barely pulls out in time to spill his seed on your inner thighs, only a bit ends up inside.

It’s not the first mistake you make together but it is the last.

His trip is barely long enough for him to stand outside the bathroom and pray for one line while you sit alone praying for two. Silently, you show him the result.

“What do you want to do now?” he asks.

“Watch TV, I guess,” you say.

You sit next to each other on the couch. He leaves in the morning as was always the plan. You kiss him goodbye and with the same lips, he kisses Ashley hello.

You were never Penelope. You’re Calypso, and he longs for home.

#leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy #leon kennedy angst #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy x y/n

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cptn-m · 10 months ago

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One Piece chapter 1112 review

It's good to be back! To be honest, I had a fairly busy April, so it feels like the big break has gone faster than previous years. I thought I would suffer more. Maybe we're all just getting more used to this now-annual tradition. Hope Oda's feeling more rested as well!

This is the chapter that could be the twelfth of volume 109, but I think it's more likely the first or second of volume 110 instead. Both Dorry and Brogy's arrival in chapter 1110 and the ancient robot standing in chapter 1111 are incredible end-of-book cliffhangers, but I think maybe chapter 1111 has a better volume opener, easing into its action with the wordless page of Mars breaking from the barrier while Jinbei looks up, awed. But we'll see, the opening pages here also do a lot to ease a returning reader back into the conflict in its present state. In a matter of panels, Oda reminds us of the Buster Call, Nusjuro's disabling of the Pacifistas and Bonney's power over them, and the giants' goals and location. But it's possible the return from the break was a motivator for this level of restaging as well.

After those opening two pages we're right back into the action. Even if it's brief, it's great seeing Franky get a win. The long tail of his speech bubble running under Redking's legs in the anticipation panel is fun as well. Bonney's methods are pretty funny as well, when compounded with Guillotine's shock despite having witnessed the transformation happen.

Mars is not wasting any time in the Labophase. There seems to be an electrical effect around his blast of energy, but I haven't read up enough on his specific brand of yokai to say if that should be interesting or not. It's cool that we can see the back of Vegapunk's lab here, and the side structures that looked like speakers from the front are plugged full of power and audio cables like speakers from the back too. I wonder how many design elements here were influenced by the knowledge that it would be used to send an important message really, really far.

Stussy and Kaku's dialogue in the following scene seems at odds with Lucci's immediate recognition of and deference to Mars in his bird form a few chapters ago. Maybe he's better at recognising voices than the two of them are, or he may simply hold a higher rank and have gotten more hints about the true nature of his bosses than the other two. I'm sad for Stussy's sacrifice, in part because this arc hasn't at all made the most of her as a character. Her betrayal of Cipher Pol was a compelling early twist, but then she lost her stylish and memorable original outft for the same leotard look every other woman in this arc got, dropped off the map through the middle of the story, just to get finger gunned and now make the ultimate sacrifice. This is a character who's been lurking on the sidelines of the plot for seven years. That's getting close to the point where there, at least in Japanese, the series might have readers younger than she is as a character. A minor character, sure, but I hope this isn't truly the end for her. Oda can offer far better.

That said, I did say a few chapters back that I expected the need for someone in the control room to turn off the dome to be a problem to solve, though I predicted a race against the clock to get on the ship before it launched, not fully staying behind. Careful what you wish for I guess.

And on the topic of sacrifices and problems to solve, I wonder what Edison has planned to help the Sunny make the distance. If you asked me to guess, I'd say something in the junkyard. Not the ancient robot specifically, but I think whatever he's going to get will be the excuse to bring someone from the Strawhats' side in contact with it.

It's a good moment for Usopp rallying the crew here, both to follow the plan and to improvise if it doesn't work. Confident leadership from a once self-proclaimed captain. Good for him.

The squished up Ju Peter head as he swallows the building is hilarious. Being able to capture the shape of the turret embedding in the back of his skull and the wrinkles of everything folding up around it in monochrome with only the white shading on his back body is some great artistic detail. It cannot have been easy to make that read clearly.

The situation gets more dire after this last little win though. Luffy's back in normal form, and even if we're handwaving away the exhaustion effect at the end of Gear Five, Oda is telling us clearly it won't be enough to stand up to the monstrous Elders. Love the detail of his hand still being on fire from Red Roc even as he clutches it in pain from Warcury's deflection. It makes such an absurd visual. The question does have to be asked though: was the sheer power with which this attack was rejected relate to haki, a monstrous ability, the strange regeneration that keeps these beats immortal or something else? It can't just be natural hardness like Kaido's dragon scales - that wouldn't hurt Luffy like this did. There needs to be an energy involved for there to be pain on Luffy's end. I don't want to sound too consipracy-minded though; haki is the most obvious bet. Look back to the moment in the Katakuri fight when they meet fist to fist and Luffy's hands are hurt by his superior haki. There's a similar trembling effect around the the injured hands, and though they were also swollen there, that would be hidden by the inflated fist in this case.

Saturn's spider limbs coming over the edge of the Labophase cloud is a wonderfully terrifying visual, as is the silhouette of the centaur Nusjuro, and each of them so bad for the groups they're confronting. Even with the inevitability of Zoro and Jinbei arriving in time to protect the group with the Sunny and Luffy and the giants close to converging with Franky's team, we still don't know how to deal lasting damage to one of these bastards. You have to hand it to them, as villains, they've all found their way to the worst places they could be for the heroes very, very efficiently, and at this stage no one is expecting any of them to be felled in this arc.

Mars' final scene with the snail just emphasises the 'game over'-ness of the whole last two pages. I don't think he'll succeed in stopping it, the broadcast is the most obvious thing to fulfill the promise of a huge, world-shaking event coming from this arc, but there'll probably be some kind of deception involved in why he can't cut things off from here. I'm curious to see what the inside of Punk Records looks like as well. Maybe it's just big computers, but it would be cool for it to be something with a bit more mad science cred, like a giant brain in a jar.

I'm determinedly not getting my hopes too high for a Toriyama tribute in next week's colour spread. Which isn't to say it's not likely, but I don't want to be disappointed if it doesn't turn out that way. With only a minute on the clock, Mars at the broadcast's apparent source and two groups of heroes being menaced by unstoppable foes, the climax of the arc feels afoot, so it's going to be time to start the big reveals, cavalry calls and final turnabout moments as the 110th volume escalates. Good time to have that post-break momentum, if you ask me!

#one piece #manga review #monkey d luffy

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