#Its all about how they managed to survive all the suffering they had been through

[kacievvbbbb]

Hello there. I really do love the post and how you discussed about Yor and Anya’s bond and it’s importance but there’s something in your hashtags I feel misleading.

Yor is still the nurturer. Far more than Loid has ever been. She’s the one who comforts the entire family. And what do you mean by inversion of gender roles?

Hi! Thanks for the ask and the compliment! 😊🌸

And sorry about that my tags are usually just ramblings that I feel I can't explain well enough to include in the post so they are often my thoughts in their purest most half-formed half intelligible When I said Loid takes on the "nurturer" role I didn't mean to imply that Yor wasn't a nurturer she's the emotional backbone of the family of course often helping Loid see things in a way a child might see them or a family. she makes their family work. But what I meant is that she doesn't do things a traditional society would assign to the "nurturer" aka the woman in fact she often flounders in those roles Loid takes up the cooking, the shopping, he does some cleaning (even tho I believe they mentioned Yor mostly handles that as a balance) Loid is the one mostly in charge of Anya's schooling and general enrichment, he does the entertaining when they have guests. These are things that society would usually assign to the mother for all intents and purposes he manages the household, he's the "homemaker" and part of that is because he's a control freak and he's so desperate to make this work for the success of Operation Strix that he will happily fill in all of the spots that Yor cant and have her focus solely on being a "believable" mother to Anya. And we know this kind of gender stereotypes exist within the world because of Yor's friend's reactions to her inability to cook (I think they mentioned she'll never get a man or how did she get a man without these skills or some variation of the phrase) and we see it when the interviewer derides her for having her husband cook at the start of the show. So it is a subversion of the expected gender roles and it is a big enough worry that Yor has been shown to be scared that she will be reported to the secret police. so it is a deliberate gender subversion at that. now think of the role Yor plays in Anya's life, how she fits into it. Shes a symbol of strength and protection in a very physical sense this isn't a role usually ascribed to women and mothers especially in anime. It's a role usually given to a father. The person that you call when your in trouble, who you think is the strongest person in the world, who is your own personal hero. Think of Jiraya, Shanks, Nanami, Whitebeard, Roger etc. Yor fulfills all those roles for Anya. Yor is the one that any goes to for sports lessons, and advice on how to beat up bullies and its Yor that any first and foremost calls out for when shes in a tight spot. It's Yor that teaches her these lessons about strength and self belief and maybe shes not as gruff as the typical adopted anime dad but she fulfills the same role. Its not a mistake that when Loid is reassuring Yor on her skills at being a mother because Yor thinks shes doing terrible because she cant do all the stereotypical "mother" things. Loid tells her that her strength is enough.

he says this specifically after saying that all he remembers about his own mother was that she was strong too so why would he think Yor was the perfect mom? If through all the trauma and the pain loid has experienced the only thing he remembers about the life he used to live is that his mother was strong why wouldn't he want that for Anya? so yeah that's kind of what I mean by gender inversion. I dont know how much of this is intentional or if the mangaka is specifically doing this. but he's not outright subverting gender expectations but he is breaking them wide open examining them picking them apart and turning them on their head. Like look at the fact that its Yor that gets all the cool anime fights with the flashiness and pushing human abilities to the limit. Their fight scenes in code white showcase this especially. Yor fights the inhuman machine in this giant sprawling battle full of flash and hype while she performs superhuman deeds while Loids fight while very artisticly rendered and still fun is very basic hand to hand which makes sense for them Loid is a spy fighting is his last resort its about efficiency while Yor is an assassin she literally fights and kills for a living. The manga is not afraid to showcase to you at every turn that if Yor and Loid where to engage with straight fisticuffs Yor wins 10 times out of 10. And like now really think about the last time in a shonen especially a female protagonist fight had even near as much hype as even a secondary main male character never mind the male protagonist. And here Yor consistently has the most intense attractive fights we are waiting for her fights that's an inversion if I've ever seen it. Again I dont know how much of this is intentional and it is definitely way more complex than this and I am not calling any other anime mom weak or whatever but I just think about when I took a Classics class and we were on the section about greek heroines my professor mentioned how in greek mythology Greek heroes are marked by their ability to overcome (even when it ends in tragedy) while Greek heroines are marked by their ability to endure. And I think about that alot

Its all about how they managed to survive all the suffering they had been through and dont get me wrong the ability to endure is a great strength but it is a "passive" one and so is thereby assigned to women

[whimsicmimic]

once again thinking about my post-trimax legato somehow miraculously survives despite everything au and vashgato agenda aka The Worlds Most Miserable Roadtrip

[melliemell]

HEYA GUESS WHOS BACK~

THE FIC U WROTE W THE POCKY PROMPT WAS SO GOOD LIKE ONG?? SOO NOW IM BACK FOR MORE >:)

IM THINKING.. CHRISTMAS THEMED DATES!! COZ ITS THE XMAS SEASON WOULD THEY HAVE ANY CUTE DATES U NORMALLY CANT HAVE IN THE SUMMER? (EXAMPLE; ICE SKATING) (also I’d prefer if u wrote for Dazai and Ranpo again i cannot get enough of those idiots 🙏🙏🙏) THX IN ADVANCE~ -Annon who still hasn’t found their glasses… seriously where are they😭😭

Omg hi again!! I'll have you know I've been listening to Christmas songs on repeat as I wrote this. My brain is fried and so ready for the Holidays. I blame u for this.

And please don't go around blind like that, I pray for you and your glasses, nonnie

BSD Cast ft. Christmas Dates

(Dazai, Ranpo, Fyodor, Sigma, Chuuya, Atsushi)

Dazai - Drunk Decorating

“Whaat? Gimme the unicorn here, I have a feeling about this.”

And you’d watch in horror, giggles bubbling out of your lips as the dumbass would duck-tape the poor plush to your Christmas tree, eyes sparkling with child’s delight. The alcohol swirling about in both your veins would’ve started manifesting at some point during the evening, all according to Dazai’s precise calculations. Totally.

If there was one thing Dazai was good at, it was being unconventional. Decorating for Christmas while being drunk off your asses was not on your to-do list, but boy does it leave an impactful memory. Nobody remembers whose idea it was. Most of the night consisted of snippets of hyper-intense clarity… followed by what the actual fuck random scraps of memory. 

Did we really snatch the Agency’s decorations from reception? Of course not, duh. Why is Ranpo’s overcoat hanging from our Christmas tree? How mysterious. You’d be giggling uncontrollably at everything as the night progressed.

You’ve never struggled so hard for your life as when you had to outrun Dazai’s lanky frame, his sticky fingers at the ready to steal whatever shiny ornament you fought tooth and nail to secure. All efforts would end up futile though. Especially when you’d find yourself barely keeping your balance atop Dazai’s shoulders with no clue as to how he managed that.

With tape in one hand and his encouraging instructions as your guide…

Your ceiling had never looked this sparkly and hideous.

Get prepared for an intense hangover and even clingier Dazai the next morning. He will not, under any circumstances, let you leave him alone for the whole day. Suffering together is an act of love, after all.

Ranpo - Snowball Fight

The moment the first snow hit, it would be like a switch had turned on in Ranpo’s behaviour. He’d be used to your antics by now so being extra aware of his surroundings–just in case–was a mandatory tactic for survival on his part. Especially the more it snowed…

You knew how much Ranpo loved being coddled and cuddled all the time, so it came as no surprise his complete despise of cold weather, the sensation of freezing in wet clothes making him shudder in distaste. 

He always had a grumpy face on, cheeks flushed and lips pouting as you waddled through the snow every time you had to leave home. 

He was adorable… and completely at your mercy.

You both knew what was to come. The first snowball would barely scrape his hat, Ranpo’s body spinning around quickly to face you, eyes betrayed. 

“Aw, come on! I knew it.”

He’d whine a lot, making you giggle even more as you prepared for the upcoming battle.

Ranpo’s not a very agile person, but his observation skills combined with years of practice being with you made him nearly impossible to hit, dodging like his actual life depended on it. There was no mercy for you either, taking every hit with pride as you chased each other down the snowed path. 

It would go on until you were both freezing, you grinning like a lunatic and Ranpo’s face of defeat bordering on exasperation. He’d absolutely not like you tackling him down on the snow either, hair soaking and nose as red as it could get. Shame he looked so cute like that; it’s not like you could help it.

Get prepared for extra snuggles as you get back home. That and Ranpo’s cold feet being shoved against your calves the moment he had you locked in an unassuming hug. 

Sweet, sweet revenge, here it comes.

Fyodor - Ice Skating

Fyodor’s not a very social person if he could help it. Spending quality time in a quiet, peaceful place was more down his alley than being jammed up beside people, most of whom were probably barely able to stay on their skates to begin with. An unpleasant hassle, in his opinion.

It would take some convincing and a good dose of bribing before you had him sighing in defeat, your hands interlocked as you towed him along to the skating rink. 

Of course the bastard knew how to skate. Of course. 

Very careful around you, and absolutely refusing to hold onto your hand until you got the hang of how to balance properly. Ungodly amount of patience, even if you caught a whiff of annoyance from him here and there– it was mostly directed towards people veering too close for your comfort, making you clutch harder to the railings, your progress forgotten every time. 

A surprisingly encouraging teacher, with praise where praise was due. Yet strict enough for it to feel more like a coaching session than an actual date. That is, until you figured out how to glide your skates without support, smile wide and exited as it matched Fyodor’s content nod of approval. 

Hands interlocked as he pulled you along, the fun of it engulfed you more as your worry slowly dissipated. Dragging Fyodor to the centre of the ring on wobbly legs was harder than expected, but the sappy kiss you managed to pry out of him was all worth it. 

There was something about silly little romantic moments like those that melted your heart on the spot. And having Fyodor pull you flush against him, hands cupping your cheeks as he rubbed some warmth into them–yeah, you could only look at his lovely violet eyes, your gaze filling with affection.

Sigma - Christmas Shopping

You know how a cat looks when it gets excited to see its human get back? No? It’s the exact same thing with Sigma. 

He’d be all swirling emotions and anticipation on the inside, yet barely any signs of it slipping through his demeanor of collected calmness. You might even mistake it for indifference for all the Christmas shopping you have to do. Maybe even a chore that needs to be done than a fun activity for you two.

You’d be so wrong. 

Christmas is a family holiday; the time of year you spend with your loved ones. At home. He’ll be home, with you. And he has to choose whether orange or red garlands would go best with your kitchen curtains. Sigma’s this close to losing it and having a full breakdown from how happy he actually is that Sigma.exe has stopped working properly. 

Constant battle between being happy with whatever you choose to buy, and the internal desire for everything to be perfect. He has to give you the best Christmas you’ve ever had. Would absolutely go crazy on the shopping lists. You mentioned something offhand that you liked? There’s three of it waiting for you the next day. Can’t choose on a tree? Why, you can have one in the living room, and one for your bedroom too. He’ll take care of it, don’t you worry about anything.

Sweats the whole time as he tries to take care of it all.

Absolutely needs reminders that you’re in this together, and no, you being there with me is enough, Sigma. I don’t care for anything else. Refuses to let go of your hand anywhere you go, basking in the warm feeling of being loved to the fullest.

Chuuya - Cabin Getaway

Absolutely his idea. 

As absurdly far away from the city as you could get, deep in the mountains with the most beautiful view that steals your breath away. You’re afraid to ask how much it cost. Better not. 

Warm blankets with and a fireplace to snuggle by, any ambitions for trying your skills at setting up dinner were soon forgotten. Not when Chuuya’s chest was firm against your back, his hands rubbing soothing circles on your shoulders. You were practically melting into him, losing yourself in his warm breath beside your cheek, the deep, low tone he talked with as you enjoyed each other’s company. He was so full of passion usually, the emotions spilling out of him in a constant stream of need for action. 

Not now. Now Chuuya was… here. All soft smiles and light laughter as he poured more wine into your glasses as the night progressed. Talking about life and its meaning, enjoying the moments to the fullest. Having his arm thrown around you as he kept you close was a bliss you never wished to end.

The night was long and filled with a sense of being right where you were meant to be. And when you rose up, pulling Chuuya by the hand as hooded eyes met yours, his grin widening–you found yourself kissing him then. And you didn’t stop until you were both stumbling back to the bedroom, your clothes leaving a trail behind you.

He was all yours for the taking, warm and willing for your every whim. Such a lovely place he found, it’d be a shame not to have a bit of fun… everywhere. 

Finding your clothes in the morning was definitely a hassle, one both of you couldn’t stop laughing about even as Chuuya’s hat definitely wasn’t supposed to be hanging from the chandelier.

Atsushi - Sledge Date

It was an idea you’ve both had for a while. Neither one of you knew how to navigate a thing like that, but hey–it was happening.

Atsushi swears he did not steal a sledge. He only asked Dazai if he had one by chance, and he was so kind to offer it half an hour later, all wide grins and wiggling eyebrows. You’ve never seen Dazai own a thing like that, let alone have it at such a quick disposal. Maybe it was best not to ponder too much over it.

The moment you saw the hill you were meant to glide gracefully down from, you stomach did a double flip. Yeah, you were both going to die, this was not the cute little slide rides you had imagined. 

It took Atsushi some encouraging words and a promise to not let go of you no matter what, and you were gingerly sitting behind him, hands gripping firmly around his torse as you glued your stiff body to his back. His hand rested atop your own, warm and soothing as he rubbed your knuckles.

Atsushi was surprisingly calm about this. Maybe he felt your need for a secure presence beside you or he just naturally took on the role. It didn’t matter, really. Not when he didn’t shut up the entire time, whether it be panicked rambling as you slid down or his general chatter. 

Atsushi kept throwing glances behind him, checking in on you each time you went down. And he held your hand firmly as you groaned from having to climb back up every time. His attentiveness was cute, even more so every time he asked you how you felt. Knowing you had someone who didn’t get annoyed at your complaints or belittled your worries felt… nice. Yeah, really nice. 

You couldn’t wait to shower him in kisses once you got back home.

[misspelledwordswizard]

May I request some Legend content?

Legend being so head over heels for reader that he's actually angry at himself for it. He doesn't want to fall in love and have to suffer the consequences for it (Getting teased for his feelings, the possibility of losing you, things like that)

And so, during some sort of situation where they are alone, and Legend is yet again battling with his thoughts and feelings, reader does something that makes him absolutely explode. Maybe he finally admits his feelings but like, in a way that makes it sound like he was being interrogated for hours and spews it out like "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO HEAR?! STOP TORTURING ME FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

(I read that you prefer it if it's descriptive so I hope this is good)

Guys, I think I got carried away with this one... Okay, I really loved this one, this was basically what I wanted his first fanfic to have been. Thank you so much for the request!

I won't say I'm in love

I went down the stairs of the inn where we were staying in a hurry. I had completely lost track of time and ended up sleeping too much. I was late. Yesterday, I had arranged with Legend to go to the village library. He wanted to look for something there, I’m not sure what, and I offered to go with him since I wanted to read a little too. 

I barely had time to get ready. I woke up with a ray of sunlight directly in my eyes. As soon as I realized my mistake, I just put on some decent clothes and ran out. He’s going to kill me for taking so long. 

I looked for the inn and there was no sign of the blond guy. It’s likely that he lost his patience and went alone. Maybe I can find him there. With that in mind, I left the place while trying to improve my situation a little on the way, taking advantage of the reflective glass of a random store to fix my hair. 

I walked through the busy streets, trying my best to avoid the crowds that dominated the place. It was a really big village, which ended up making the environment chaotic, but I managed to survive.  I arrived at the entrance to the library, and it was simply divine. It was located in a large, ornamental building with Gothic architecture; it looked divine. 

I mentally prepared myself to enter; there was still a possibility that the hero wouldn’t even be there, but if he was, he would probably be furious with me. I climbed the small staircase, staring at the large, open door, walking with controlled steps, until I heard someone calling my name. 

— Hey. – The Veteran’s voice caught my attention, looking in the direction where the sound came from, I could see him standing next to a pillar, with a relaxed posture. He then walked to my side, standing shoulder to shoulder and starting to walk into the library, with me following him. – You took a while. 

— Oh, sorry, I overslept. – I tried to explain myself and he snorted in response. 

— I should have guessed. 

— So, what did you come looking for? – I asked, curious. He was very vague about it yesterday. 

— Nothing that interests you, definitely. 

— Rude. – I said, sticking my tongue out at him playfully, making him roll his eyes. 

My attention turned to the place when I noticed how beautiful it was inside. The bookshelves went high, so high that each one had its own ladder attached that could be moved from one side to the other.  The ceiling was ornamental, with paintings on them like in a chapel, the windows were beautiful stained glass, the place itself was totally enchanting. 

— Are you going to just stare like a fool or are you going to find something to read? – The blond’s voice took me out of my reverie, making me focus on my objective. 

It’s been a while since I read, it’s kind of hard to do that when you’re constantly walking, from village to village, from era to era, having to fight monsters, and all that. It’s really nice to be able to have this moment of peace. 

I chose a book in the romance section and sat at one of the home tables while Legend looked for whatever it was he wanted. I got involved in the story enough to stop paying attention to my surroundings, so much so that I didn’t even notice the exact moment when the hero sat in front of me, with a large pile of books that almost completely blocked my view of him, and prevented me from seeing what he was reading at the moment. But, assuming it’s something similar to the rest of the pile, it must be something about... planting techniques? Oh, right, he probably doesn’t want me to know. 

I just shrugged it off, I’m not going to get involved in anything I’m not called to, or else he’ll end up mad at me. I continued reading the book I chose, but it didn’t take long for me to finish it, sighing in delight at the book’s happy ending. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever experience something like that. I got up to get another book, repeating the whole process again.  

◇ 

It was late when we finally left, I was starving and Legend seemed dissatisfied, to say the least. It seems his search wasn’t as successful as he would have liked. Well, at least I got to enjoy myself reading some good books. 

— Did you manage to find what you wanted? – I risked asking, trying to break the silence that remained between us during the walk back to the inn. 

— Hm, yes, it just wasn’t what I expected. 

— I see... 

The rest of the way continued in silence, I really didn’t know what to say, if I tried, I would end up asking about what he read, again, and I have a feeling he wouldn’t like that very much. 

When we arrived at the inn, some of the other boys had already returned, they were talking about something in the living room, probably disturbing other guests, and of course I’m going to join them. The Veteran, on the other hand, went straight to his room, without even greeting the others. This only served to make me more intrigued about what he was reading. 

I went to where Wind, Four and Wars were, debating about something I couldn’t understand. 

— You’re back! – The Sailor exclaimed when he saw me. – You won’t believe what I found in the city. There was an entire store just for sweets! Not a bakery, a candy store!  

— Wow, a store that only sells sweets? It sounds like paradise. – I replied, smiling at his excitement for something like that. 

— Isn’t it? But those two annoying people don’t want to go there with me. – He said, looking sullenly at his brothers. 

— Okay, I can go with you later, after I take a bath. 

— Really? Cool, you’re the best! – He hugged me excitedly, almost jumping for joy. 

— Ass kisser. – Wars accused, and received a little punch on the shoulder from the younger one, making me laugh. He deserved it. 

  

  

  

◇◇◇ 

  

  

 It’s been a few hours since I came back from the library with her, and since then I’ve been locked in my room.  I had to control myself, resist the urge to spend more time with her, I can’t give in like this. I thought we could have some nice time together today, but I ended up being so afraid that she might see what I read that we didn’t even talk. 

Oh, yeah, the book I was reading. Stupid, shameful, I can’t believe I’ve sunk to such a low level. It was a book of love tips. But, in my defense, I wanted tips on how NOT to fall in love. I have to admit, I’ve been running this risk for a while, but it won’t happen, I promised myself it wouldn’t happen again, I’m not falling in love. And I’m going to do everything I can to keep it that way. 

Even though it’s so, so hard to keep my distance from her. I’m trying, I swear I am, but what can I do if all it takes is a smile and a look for her to have me in the palm of her hand? That’s why it’s so worrying. Damn girl, why did she have to be so perfect for me?! 

I also can’t stand being locked in this room anymore, I need to go out, walk, I don’t know, anything to distract my mind. I got up from the bed I’d been lying on all this time, put on my cap and left through the bedroom door, going down the stairs lazily, without rushing. 

Laughter coming from the inn’s living room caught my attention. I had to be careful not to get hit in the face by a thrown object. The people responsible for this didn’t even realize it. She and Wind were playing pillow fights, or rather, cushion fights without even noticing their surroundings. What a mess. 

I felt my lips twitch into a silly smile and scolded myself for it. Shitty feelings. I need some fresh air. I hurriedly left the place, being welcomed by the calm night breeze, and I walked through the streets without a real destination. I ended up staying there for so long that it was already dark. I didn’t even notice the time passing, being lost in not-so-welcome thoughts. 

Not wanting to think about these things, I walked, walked and walked. Without stopping, picking up the pace, just to distance myself from all of this. I’m not sure how, I just know that when I realized it, I had left the village, now I was walking along a trail in the forest next door. That’s good, this is more my kind of environment, and it’s okay, luckily, I brought my sword with me. I never go out without it. 

The sounds of nature were welcome, they helped me distract myself, to not think about her. Oh, damn it, why won’t this girl leave my mind? No, no way, I know how this ends, that won’t happen, not again. I know very well how this works, it feels so good when you start out, in the end I’ll end up disappointed. I can’t, I’m a hero, I can’t have weaknesses, everything I love is taken away from me. 

I mean, I know she would never do anything to me, she’s not that kind of girl, but I just can’t 

I sighed and leaned against a tree, why do I have to deal with this now? This is not the best time for personal dilemmas. Well, it doesn’t matter, because no matter what happens, I won’t say I’m in love. 

— You won’t say what? – The voice that wouldn’t come out of mine said, making me jump in fright, turning around immediately. 

— What do you think you’re doing here?! 

— I saw you leave the inn and I got worried. It took me a while to find you, I ended up losing sight of you when you went into the forest. I tried to call you too, but you didn’t listen to me, you seemed lost in your thoughts... 

Damn, this girl is still going to be my downfall. 

— Look... forget it, I just wanted to clear my head, okay? Alone. 

— Hm, too bad I followed you then. – She replied with a mischievous smile. 

— Oh no, not at all! Look, little girls shouldn’t be wandering around the forest in the middle of the night, it could be dangerous, now get lost. 

— Sexist! 

— What? That’s not what I meant! 

She just laughed in my face. Oh, that laugh... No, nah uh. 

— Look, if you tell me what’s wrong, I swear I’ll leave you alone. 

— No way, you should leave me alone just because I’m asking. 

— Oh no, that’s not going to happen! 

I rolled my eyes. Stubborn girl. I was going to complain about her attitude again, but when I turned to face her, I saw something in the shadows behind her, something dangerous that was approaching quickly. I acted instinctively, pushing her aside and putting myself in her place in the process, which ended up causing the thing to hit me hard in the back, instead of hitting her. 

I let out a muffled scream of pain feeling the cut that had been inflicted on me, I could feel my blood running down, but the only thing that was going through my mind was if she was okay. I ended up knocking her to the ground, but thanks to Hylia she didn’t seem hurt. I let out the breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding, and turned to face my attacker.   

A lizalfo with a sword, that was my current enemy, who had the audacity to try to hurt my girl. I quickly drew my sword and went towards the monster that tried to attack me again, I dodged it easily and slashed its back. Sweet revenge. I took advantage of its moment of unpreparedness to decapitate the creature, which turned to dust, putting an end to all this. 

I returned the sword to its sheath and ran to the side of the girl who remained on the ground, still trying to understand the series of events. I was able to do a more careful inspection, making sure she was not injured, and I felt relieved about that. I sighed and stood up, helping her to do the same. 

— See? That’s why I told you not to follow me! – I scolded her, I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but I couldn’t let that happen again. 

— You’re hurt, let me see! – She ordered, completely ignoring my complaint. 

— It’s okay, it’s nothing. Now let’s go back to the inn and... 

— “It’s okay” my ass, Link. You have a huge cut on your back, if we go back with you like this you’ll die of bleeding on the way! Now, can you let me examine you, damn it? 

I think it was pretty clear on my face how surprised I was. I never imagined I’d see her so angry, much less for a reason like this. I huffed, looking away from her without saying anything else, hoping she couldn’t see my red cheeks. What? It was kind of attractive. 

She didn’t say anything else either, just turned me around so she could see my wound, trying to push aside the torn clothes to get a better look at the cut, making me hiss in pain. 

— Well done, that was for being reckless. – She started to scold me, but I kept quiet, with a frown. – Come on, you were trying to die? Do you realize how stupid you were? 

To avoid saying more than I should, I kept quiet. She kept talking while cleaning my wound with a small kit that each of us carried. 

— Look, I’ve noticed for a while now that you’ve been acting strange, talking little, distancing yourself, not even looking at me. Are you avoiding me? Did I do something to you? 

Okay, I knew that at some point these questions would come up, but I’m not ready to deal with them, not yet, I can’t, I won’t. 

— Why are you like this? What’s wrong? Don’t you trust me? If the problem is me, I understand, but you shouldn’t keep this to yourself. I care about you, Legend. 

I can’t, I won’t say this. 

— Say something, don’t just stay silent. Is the problem with me? Does this have anything to do with what you were reading earlier today? 

I won’t say! 

— Come on, say something! What’s wrong with you?! 

— I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU, OKAY?! – I screamed, losing control, turning to face her, I could see her backing away because of that. – I ADMIT, I’M IN LOVE, EVERY MOMENT I THINK ABOUT YOU, I CAN’T GET YOU OUT OF MY MIND! I’M AVOIDING YOU BECAUSE I’M SCARED, I’M AFRAID OF FALLING IN LOVE, BUT EVERY MINUTE THAT I’M AWAY FROM YOU SEEMS LIKE ETERNAL TORTURE! I LOVE YOU, DAMN IT! NOW, IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? HERE IT IS, THE TRUTH! NOW PLEASE, DON’T TORTURE ME ANYMORE!   

When I finally stopped screaming and venting, my breathing was irregular, I was gasping for air, and regret washed over me at the same time. Holy shit, that was the worst way to confess in the world. Fuck, I yelled at her! What kind of jerk yells in the face of the girl he loves? Anguish overcame me, there was no way she would take this well, she should give me a big slap in the face. 

— I... sorry, I didn’t- 

My speech was interrupted when, with impressive speed, she kissed me. Just like that, she held my face between her hands and pulled me close, kissing me intensely and leaving me motionless for a moment. When I finally understood what was happening, I was quick to reciprocate, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer, closing my eyes to better enjoy this moment which I only imagined was possible in dreams. 

Unfortunately, we had to separate to get some air. I intended to go back at the same time, not at all willing to miss this opportunity, but she stopped me, which caused me some despair. Did she regret it? 

— I love you too, idiot. – She said smiling and then went back to kissing me, but quickly pulled away again, concluding with a more serious voice. – But don’t yell at me again! 

I just nodded frantically, she smiled and went back to kissing me, and I couldn’t feel more satisfied. I think it’s okay to say I’m in love. 

[hyperbolicreverie]

an au of It's on the tip of his tongue where sanji recognizes law's accent 

Interesting! This diverges from the point in the fic where Robin originally realizes what Law's saying.

As Law stomps off, Sanji finds himself rooted to the deck where he's standing, memory tripping back through time to a point in his life he does his best not to linger on.

He's heard those same words before, said not in anger but in desperation, in the voice of a parent so driven to the edge that they'd sought help for their family's plight at the hands of the North Blue's old enemy. Because while Germa was anathema to any good citizen of the sea, their scientific prowess was undeniable, and medicine and society both had failed them so far. A deal with the devil was all they had left.

Sanji remembers Judge's interest in the Amber Lead, even before those wayward souls had landed on the Germa flotilla. He'd spoken at length about its potential as a toxin, as a resource to be exploited just like everything else that came under his thumb, and he'd complained at just how hard it was to get his hands on the stuff, now that the World Government had put on embargo on the material.

That family had been his chance.

He'd pulled the stuff out of those people just as he'd promised, but Sanji was pretty sure those afflicted hadn't survived the process. Judge never cared about relieving suffering with his methods, just what he could get from the results. At the very least, Sanji had never seen them again after they'd disappeared into the laboratories.

Eventually, Judge had discarded the idea of working with Amber Lead. It had been too unreliable a resource, and he'd disparaged it as being useless for his purposes. Just a shiny trinket that lesser peoples had used to adorn themselves, to their eventual ruin, and not worthy of Germa attention. He had turned to other endeavors, and the North Blue had driven the rest of the people of Flevance to extinction.

Well, all but one it seemed.

Law's fear was not an unfounded one; Sanji knew with bitter familiarity what fear looked like when it was based on lived experience. The fact that he'd survived was a miracle in itself, but Sanji had no doubt that it had been the rockiest of roads.

The question of how he'd survived wasn't a question at all: if Law could pull body swaps with something as nebulous as a personality, then removing poison from his body would be child's play, wouldn't it?

How old was the other captain, anyway? Older than him, he's pretty sure, but underneath the tired, grumpy old man demeanor, Law has one of those faces that's hard to accurately date. But...Sanji had been five when news of Flevance reached Germa. Unless Law is quite a bit older than he thinks, that brings to mind a whole host of horrors he does not have the bandwidth to entertain right now.

He fixed up the kids at Punk Hazard. He was as prickly as a sea urchin about it, and scared Chopper half to death, but he did.

"Sanji?" Robin's voice cuts through the frenetic pace his brain is going at.

He looks up, and sees the expression on her face. She knows, but of course she must know. If he had finally managed to put the clues together with just an old memory, then their language specialist knowing was no surprise at all. Still, it hurts to see the same fear and hurt he'd seen on Law reflected on her face, when they'd done so much to try to erase it.

Sometimes, things just struck far too close to home.

"I think," he says slowly. "That I am going to go make some onigiri."

Because if he needs to do something with his hands to process the enormity of what he's just learned, then the topic of those thoughts might as well benefit from it.

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

just wondering, do you know about the cross-collar rule in asian attire? (if not nbd, just thought you might have some interesting thoughts on it in regards to the first ninja)

YES!!! I do actually!!! ;DD Tho admittedly I only discovered it a few years ago and while I 100% incorporated it into my First Ninja headcanons, I didn't have a chance to share it, I guess, haha. ;D

For those curious about the cross-collar rule: Japanese kimono is traditionally worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased.

Tho in RC9GN character sheets designs - ALL kimono wearing characters with the right side wrapped over left.

While I have no idea if this was an animation error due to negligence of research, or a deliberate choice with or without that clothing rule in mind (considering they travel to past and technically all people they saw are dead in the future lol), but you sure as hell can believe me that my mind run absolutely feral with that tidbit.

In some of my posts I mentioned my hcs about how First Ninja is incredibly loyal to his Clan and the siblings he lost, about how much survival guilt he must have suffered, and how much effort and energy he puts into making sure that the Ninja - the culmination of all their efforts - must survive and live on, all in order to keep the Sorcerer contained and their newfound home (and the world) safe and secure. To the point that he would immerse himself completely into his role of the protector and erase any other identity that he had left - an incredibly utterly noble and stupidly horrifying gesture of self-sacrifice for the continuous survival of his clan even at the price of his civilian life.

I trust you can see where the cross-collar rule comes into play with this. ;)

Because in First Ninja's mind - he is a dead man walking. Whatever was left of his semi-normal life with his siblings had been slipping away from him with every loss, until there was nothing left but the duty his clan had taken on. Whatever he was before that, whatever he could have been - has been dead for a long time. And contrary to harsh wording I use, I do not really see First regard it as a great loss - it is still a loss, but here comes a rule of 'the sacrifice of one for the good of many' (something this Clan will surely understand) - if anything it would seem like a logical progression for all the events of his life.

There is a reason I built my headcanons around First Ninja as the youngest of the Clan: if your whole life revolved around an important duty, it would not seem like the great sacrifice for you to devote your entire life to it to that kind of point considering all the circumstances. I mean from an outside perspective it is pretty horrible, but when you literally grew up in the situation? Its a different matter.

But the rule also can be interpreted in a more (?) uplifting manner because, if you took notice - his Ninja suit is also wrapped right over left, and in this case I chose to interpret it as not sign of death but rather continuity, an immortality of sorts if you will - because even if what was left of that young Norisu lord is dead - the Ninja will live on through inheritance, and no matter how much time will pass, how many inheritors will come and go - Ninja itself will survive. And isnt that an immortality in itself?

Admittedly while I have a great deal of thoughts about this, I'm not good at sharing my headcanons (even now I reread what I wrote and wonder if its even coherent haha...), and so far I only managed to allude to the cross-collar rule in one of my MIS posts:

Where First Ninja is still a mortal but who wears his clothes like a dead man, and Chase Young is an immortal who would not even think of dying, lol.

But trust me, while Im struggling to express all of that - every time I draw First, that rule and all the angsty implications of it are constantly on my mind. ;)

[shyvioletcat]

Day 1 of Rowaelin Month! I thought it might be fun to revisit this one for Long Distance Surprise. Head over to @rowaelinscourt for more Rowaelin Month goodness.

~ Masterlist Pending ~

~~~~~

Aelin knew what she was getting into when she decided to enter a relationship with a global singing superstar. She was no stranger to fame herself with her highly successful talk show and it had been what had brought her and Rowan together in the first place. It still didn’t make certain aspects any easier. She could brush off the constant rumours plastered on the front of the tabloids, the lies for a quick sell didn’t bother her. They were both old hands when it came to the lack of privacy and they did the best they could in that regard. It was the time spent apart that took its toll, now more than ever. 

They were newlyweds and they were having a baby, a time they should have been basking in their overabundant love. But instead Aelin was alone and absolutely miserable about it.

This pregnancy wasn’t planned and that came with some obstacles. Rowan still had obligations, locked in months in advance, and he had done his best to work his way out of the non-essential ones. After they’d had their fun with the stunt on Aelin’s show they’d taken a fortnight off work. Those two blissful weeks were far too short and then Rowan had needed to leave for a tour in Rifthold. For more than a month Aelin had been moping around, missing her husband and trying not to think about how sad she was.  

Rowan hated it too. He was very vocal about his displeasure and the tirade he’d directed at Lorcan in their living room the night before he left had been one for the history books. Lorcan, the levelled headed manager than he was, calmly explained Rowan was under contractual obligations and the fallout from breaking those was not worth it. Rowan was ready to throw the remainder of his career out the window, but Aelin had managed to convince him that they could survive a few months, there was no reason to risk giving up doing what he loved. Right now Aelin had regrets about her practicality. 

She was alone in her dressing room, the call to be out on the soundstage was in about 15 minutes. The phone call she’d had with Rowan this morning had left her in tears and she could still feel the lingering effects. It was usually a video call, but Rowan explained he didn’t have enough service for it to work properly. He ran on her schedule so sometimes he only had a few minutes. Aelin had got used to seeing his face and giving him a bump update, soaking in his words of pure adoration he had for her and their baby. This morning she’d missed that, luckily she had been able to keep it together until she hung up the phone. As soon as the red button had been pushed Aelin had promptly burst into tears. Her face still felt puffy and her eyes felt heavy. If she didn’t have work to do she’d just sleep. 

It was the hormones, she was sure of it. They had to be the reason she was so teary all the time. Everything set her off, just last week one of her guests had told a story how they missed out on their favourite doughnuts and Aelin had been reaching for the tissues. That had been embarrassing to say the least and it had taken a lot of placating and a spicy kind of call with Rowan to make her feel better.

Just like that and her thoughts were back on Rowan. Aelin looked up to the mirror in front of her and watched as her eyes mist up her reflection, threatening to ruin the make-up that had just been finished. She had to pull herself together. Another hour and a half and she could hide in here, lock her door and cry her eyes out. Then she would go home and eat an entire block of chocolate and wait for her evening phone call with Rowan. It was as easy as that. Aelin stood, snapping a photo of herself and the bump, another ritual for her and Rowan while they suffered through this hellish long distance separation. The flower bouquet on her vanity that Rowan sent her every week was starting to wilt, she was more than confident another one would appear today. She was surprised it hadn’t already. 

By some miracle Aelin had made it through the whole show without shedding a tear despite her horrid mood. The segment on the local animal shelter had pushed her close to breaking, but she held out. Phone in hand, Aelin was headed back to her dressing room, ready to try and call Rowan despite knowing he wouldn’t be available. When the message tone pinged Aelin excitedly flipped the screen into view, hoping it was a text from her husband. It wasn’t. It was a reminder from her doctor about her scan appointment tomorrow. 

She was meant to get it when she was closer to 20 weeks, not 23 weeks that she was now. But Aelin, miserable and busy as she was, had been delaying it. Now her doctor was insisting and there was no real reason for Aelin to delay any longer. It was routine and the doctor had no real concerns so she hadn’t felt too guilty in waiting. Of course she had wanted Rowan to be there, and that might have been part of the subconscious reasoning behind her avoidant actions. This unfortunately was one of the sacrifices they had to make. It wasn’t like he was missing the birth and he promised he’d be able to video call her through the whole thing. They were meant to find out the gender, and that was a moment Aelin had wanted to share in real life. 

The first thing she noticed walking into her dressing room was the giant bouquet of kingsflame obstructing her mirror. It was damn hard to miss, even with the smallest of glances that she given the room. With a heavy sigh she turned and locked the dressing room door ready to follow through with her plan so that she could wallow in peace. 

“Locking the door without even knowing I'm in here?”

Aelin whiled, hand going to her stomach. Rowan was sitting on her couch, arm draped along the back of it and looking devastatingly handsome and right there. Not a grainy image, not a voice through a phone, the man was physically in her dressing room. 

“Should I be worried about your lapse in personal security?” he raised a brow at her, the corner of his mouth following. “Or did someone give me away?”

“Rowan?” Aelin said she didn’t know why it came out like a question, like maybe she had fallen asleep and was dreaming. 

“Aelin,” he said far too smoothly, his eyes darting over her. She saw the way his gaze softened when it landed on her stomach. 

They were locked in that moment for a heartbeat and then Aelin was striding forward as fast as she could manage. Rowan was on his feet a second later waiting to catch her once she threw her phone on the couch cushions. Aelin threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, breathing him in and just so happy to be holding him. Rowan’s arms gently wound around her too, and he pressed a single kiss to her head before resting his chin there. 

“What are you doing here?” Aelin asked, voice thick and tears already falling.

Rowan’s hands were gentle as he cupped her cheeks, wiping away the dampness from her cheeks. “It’s the scan tomorrow, I couldn’t miss that.”

Aelin broke completely, a sob shaking her entire body. Rowan just held her, running soothing hands down her back. He knew she just needed to let it out, he would wait. Her ever patient husband was everything she needed right now. 

“Come on, love. Let’s sit down,” Rowan insisted after a while. 

Aelin’s laugh came out on a bit of a choke, it had been five minutes and he was already fussing. Rowan sat down first, helping Aelin to ease down with him. She did the best she could to sit so she was facing him but her bump was making it a little difficult to get her legs how she wanted them. When she managed to get comfortable Aelin sighed, smoothing a hand over her dress. Rowan tracked the movement, his hand reaching out and resting on her stomach.

“You’ve gotten so big,” Rowan said, awe in his voice. If it hadn’t been for his pure amazement Aelin might have hit him, but he quickly realised his mistake, glancing up with a shy smile. “You know what I mean.”

She did. The last time she had seen Rowan, Aelin was really just starting to pop. Now she had a defined 23 week old bump. There had been some necessary wardrobe updates and she only saw more in the imminent future.

Aelin was never more thankful for her choice of couch. The seat was deep and the cushions were soft—it made her impending plans all that much easier. Tired of being so far away from Rowan, she shuffled over and despite the baby between them she manoeuvred herself to sit straddling his lap. Rowan was more than accommodating, helping her until they were both comfortable. It was a little difficult but thanks to Rowan’s hulkish size it made things easier, and Aelin managed to rest her head on his shoulder. 

“I missed you so much,” she sighed. 

“I missed you too,” Rowan said. 

Then he tilted her head up and kissed her and Aelin was cursing herself for crying and not getting to this sooner. She ran her hands over his shoulders, his neck, wanting him closer like she would never have to let him go again. Rowan wasn’t idle either, his hands were a heavy presence on her thighs, holding her steady as she took everything she needed from him. Aelin could feel the scratch of his stubble under her fingers and her lips as she kissed a path to his neck. She would have kept going but the baby moving startled her out of her plans.

Aelin sat back, hand on her stomach. “That still feels so weird.”

Rowan’s hand followed to cover hers. “I still won’t be able to feel it, right?”

”Not for a couple more weeks, but I know that won’t stop you from trying,” Aelin said. 

The smile that Rowan gave her had Aelin’s heart lodging in her throat and she was crying again.

“I’m fine,” Aelin assured her husband before he started fussing again. “It’s the hormones, I’m crying at everything these days.”

Rowan’s chuckle was light, refraining from wording the teasing that was in his eye. Then his expression turned thoughtful, head tilting as he looked at the door. 

“Why did you lock the door?” He asked. “You’ve never bothered before and we’ve been interrupted so many times. We have literally traumatised Lorcan.”

Aelin couldn’t look her husband in the eye and hoped he didn’t notice the flush on her cheeks. Being caught out about her crying session shouldn’t be this embarrassing. But she was so dedicated to keeping up the appearance that she was one hundred percent okay while he was away, she didn’t want him to know about this. 

“Aelin,” Rowan said, the name half scolding and half pleading. 

Aelin sighed, her head tilting to the ceiling. “I locked it so no one would walk in on me crying my eyes out.”

”Fireheart,” Rowan said sadly, like that admission broke his heart. 

“I just missed you so much.” Aelin looked at him and brought her hands to rest on his shoulders. “I just needed a good cry to make myself feel better.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Rowan said resolutely before his voice dropped lower in a way that had Aelin leaning closer on instinct. “Let me make you feel better.”

This time when Rowan kissed her, Aelin held nothing back. Nothing would distract them now, not when they were about to get utterly lost in each other. Today might not have started out terribly, but it was ending much better than Aelin could have ever predicted.

~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

[constantcrisis19]

Home

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

AN: I don't normally write smut, but things do get a little heated in this particular fic, so... enjoy the treat I guess, lol. Though, that being said, I can't say that adding smut is going to be something that I’ll do often, but on the off-chance that it does, I'll be sure to tag properly just to make sure that I don't catch anyone off guard. Thanks!

Word Count: 1,544

Main Page

You had just started on wiping the dust off of the kitchen countertops when you heard the shrill squeak of the front door opening, intentionally left unoiled to act as an alert for uninvited visitors. You and Ghost had installed a proper security system of course, but it didn’t hurt to do things the old fashioned way either. 

The flat that the two of you stayed at while on leave was modest, rented mostly because there was a fire escape outside the living room window and another window had a good view of the entrance to the building.

So Ghost would often occupy himself by watching the door when he couldn’t manage to sleep, tormented by memories of things he wouldn’t speak of. But he didn’t keep pieces of his past from you out of distrust. 

He refrained because, by the time he’d finished telling you about how he’d been betrayed by his CO and was tortured for months as a result, you were in tears at the pain and suffering that the love of your life had endured, despite your best attempts to be strong and keep the tears at bay as you listened.

Though, it seemed that Ghost didn’t really mind that you were crying instead of being the solid support that he deserved and could lean on while recounting something so horrible, the man simply pulling you into his arms and sitting down right there on the floor while holding you close.

He never brought it up again and you were hesitant to ask if he wanted to talk about it since you had reacted so poorly to just one of the many horrors that he had survived, especially for a soldier that was chosen to be on the most elite task forces that the British military had to offer. 

In your defense, you had been on leave -in this very flat, actually- when that disaster of a conversation happened, miles away from work and allowed to be human for a few weeks. So you had made no attempt at suppressing the onslaught of emotions that had torn through you like a bullet, leaving a gaping mess of grief in its wake.

You were dragged out of your somber reminiscing when your ears picked up on the crinkle of weighted grocery bags as they were set onto the small kitchen table for two, followed by the nearly inaudible tap of Ghost’s worn black combat boots drawing closer to your turned back. 

You hadn’t even realized that you’d stopped cleaning -just blankly staring down at the damp rag being strangled in your grip- until one of Ghost’s hands tentatively settled on your back, his warm touch grounding.

“Solid, love?” He asked, his pleasantly raspy voice having dropped to a low timbre that was gentle and reassuring all at once.

“Yeah, sorry. Got lost in my head for a minute.” You sighed, leaning into the contact with a slow inhale, your attempt at controlled breathing rendered useless when your exhale turned into a soft huff of laughter as soon as you felt Ghost press his scarred lips to the back of your neck in a fleeting kiss that made your chest ache with affection.

You found yourself awfully tempted to turn around and kiss that reverent mouth until neither of you could think of anything beyond finding the bed but, before you got the chance to act on that particular desire, the hand that was on your back suddenly slid down to your hip and pulled you backward as he simultaneously stepped forward in order to crowd up behind you, his body a solid wall of muscle.

"You're a menace, Simon. I never get anything done when we're on leave because you try to get into my pants every five minutes." You laughed good-naturedly, your hands reaching behind you to grip the back of his thighs, just under his deliciously round ass.

“Don’t know what you’re on about. I’m just comforting you, you’re the one copping a feel.” Ghost retorted dryly, though there was a noticeable heat to his tone now, his short stubble scratching against your skin as he nuzzled the back of your neck.

“You don’t seriously expect me to believe that, do you? I can feel your dick begging for attention, Simon.” You deadpanned, your brow raising as you leveled an unimpressed look at the cabinets directly in front of you, knowing full well that Simon would know exactly what expression was on your face despite not being able to see it.

Lord knew that he had gotten that exact same look from you enough times to have it memorized. 

“Well don’t start neglecting it now.” Ghost grunted with a particularly dirty grind of his hips and you tightened the grip that you had around the back of his thigh, heat pooling in your gut as your lips parted on a silent gasp. 

You could feel Ghost smile against the sensitive skin behind your ear -the smug bastard- and just for his cheeky attitude, you decided to be petty and play hard to get. You allowed Simon to do as he wished for another minute or two before turning in Simon’s grip in order to face the man, who had immediately loosened his hold the moment that you began to move.

“Get off me, you slag. I have to finish cleaning the kitchen before we can cook.” You stated as you met his questioning gaze, the man staring at you blankly for a moment as he processed your words, his eyes darkening when he finally caught onto your scheme.

“Slag? Must be rubbing off on you.” Ghost said with a low chuckle that never failed to send a bolt of pleasure down your spine and, going by the amused twinkle in Simon’s eye, he knew exactly what his voice did to you and was shamelessly using it to his advantage. 

You resisted the urge to squirm under his calculating gaze, since that would mean losing this little game that the two of you were playing, as the man’s fingers teasingly brushed over the slip of skin visible where the hem of your shirt came untucked from your jeans.

“Not yet, you’re not.” You mused with a wicked grin as your hand darted down to catch his wrist before his fingers could slip up under your shirt. You traced the delicate blue lines crisscrossing under the thin, pale skin of his inner wrist with your thumb, your smile reaching shit-eating levels when Simon’s breathing visibly became more labored, his pupils blown wide as he stared at you like you were the sole object of his desire.

“Fuckin’ hell.” Ghost murmured breathlessly, the fingers of his free hand twitching like he wanted to grab you and pin you up against the nearest flat surface, and you didn’t bother repressing the smug grin that spread across your lips as you watched every individual thought that went through his head, every sinful things that he wanted to do to you clearly advertised on his maskless face. 

Simon really wasn’t as hard to read as he wanted people to believe, he was actually quite easy once the mask was off. So while Simon greatly enjoyed when you were rough with him, easily following your lead as you manhandled the man where you wanted him with a firm grip, more tender and reverent contact always had more of an effect on him.

“You love it, you insatiable bastard.” You said with a laugh, Simon leaning forward in order to rest his forehead against yours and you didn’t hesitate to curl an encouraging hand around the back of his neck, letting him have a moment to collect himself since you felt pretty bad for teasing him when you weren’t able to follow through right away.

“Yeah.” Simon admitted quietly, his tone openly affectionate as he tilted his head in order to draw you into a kiss. Words were no longer necessary since the press of his lips told you everything you already knew, the heat that had been bubbling up between the two of you easing as the intense bout of lust that came from your mutual flirting transitioned into something softer, slower.

You were the first to break the kiss when the lack of oxygen made your lungs burn, though you didn’t go far, choosing to instead linger in his personal space. Your nose brushed against his as you basked in the euphoria that came with being with Simon, each of your breaths mingling with his in the small space between the two of you, creating a sort of peaceful bubble where only the two of you existed.

“Didn’t you have some pressing matter to attend to?” Simon’s voice pierced through the quiet and you startled, flinching a bit as you sobered from the trance you had been in, before the words registered and you leaned away in order to scowl at your grinning husband.

“Very funny, Simon.” You said with a fond roll of your eyes, giving his solid chest a friendly pat before finally prying yourself out of his grasp, turning on your heel and making your way back to the kitchen in order to finish what you’d been doing before you got distracted.

_

Home

A place where I can go

To take this off my shoulders

Someone take me home

Home - Bebe Rexha, Machine Gun Kelly, and X Ambassadors

[allwormdiet]

Extermination 8.5

Skitter is now one for three on interacting with New Wave kids without making them hate her.

Also fun fact I actually hit the image limit while making this post so I had to nix a few of the smaller observations made, there's just that much shit going on

Neat to meet more of New Wave, but boy I wish it was under different circumstances

Also Taylor you were so close to making that descriptor of their anguish work, you shouldn't have acknowledged it

How fucking harrowing must it be to let your daughter go anywhere near the fucking thing that killed your son.

Also I like how even as Skitter realizes that this is not the time or place, she's still indignant at being called "the girl."

What an awful fucking day for all of them. What can even be done, what can even be said?

Just a wet fucking cat of a girl, being carried through the air.

Oh hey Coil, bet your asshole is clenching really fucking hard rn

I wish there was a way for Coil to drown down there without killing Dinah too, but alas

Also absolutely insane that this has all been in the span of, what, an hour? Maybe a little more? What the fuck

And here's Parian proving that she's actually a huge badass

"Why manipulate cloth" honestly my first assumption is that it's bc her power is cloth control

Really fucking funny that people apparently keep thinking that superpowers are magic, though

We hardly knew ye.

I did learn that this is a retcon; Browbeat survived in the initial version of the story, although he quit the Wards in the wake of this attack and never comes up again. The retcon was in... 2019? Reasoning is speculative but I guess people kept making stupid jokes about Browbeat and he got tired of it?

Hey you know what though, really good showing overall, better than a bunch of other capes today

Okay so did this attack go through Leviathan? What the fuck is going on with this Flechette girl, that is utterly fucking cracked. Armsmaster's fucking nanothorns couldn't hack that, what is she doing where her shots do this kinda damage.

Leviathan likes playing with its fucking food, which is weird as hell

This dramatic fucker

God that's so cool, just opening up a fucking chasm in the middle of the battlefield.

...I wonder if it was trying to get into the bunker like Coil was afraid of. I know enough about Noelle to know that could've gone really fucking poorly.

Laserdream is cool, does she get much love in the fandom or is she too peripheral a character for that?

This is kinda funny ngl

That's a lot of fucking dead people, Jesus H

Taylor you are genuinely being too cool about this, your arm is still broken

He can do anything he wants down there, it's terrifying

Very funny that Armsmaster's brand-spanking-new halberd is being put to better use in this fight by people who aren't him and for purposes he didn't intend

Haha, wuh oh!

First indicator that Coil's got some pretty remarkable commercial ties considering he managed to sneak his own fucking Endbringer shelter in for private use and nobody noticed.

Also, god that's gotta be fucking terrifying

...I think like 99% of things that have come up in this arc are fucking terrifying if we're being real for a second but I'm gonna keep saying it

Seeing someone who treats you like dirt and have a happy life outside of treating you like dirt is a certain kind of agony. Also fuck Gladly on principle tbh.

Ah fuck

She could have so easily given into spite and let them all suffer and die. She was under no obligation beyond her own drive to be good, to be better, to be better than Gladly. And that's why she's among the best of these fucking people.

And so the bug girl, both creepy AND wet, goes in there and saves everyone left standing by shoving the Halberd up Levi's nonexistent asshole and baiting him back out the shelter

She's a bigger hero than so many of the others

This might be one of the most intensely and personally terrifying moments of all. Paralysis and drowning hand in hand. A slow and insidious kind of horror.

Rachel Lindt MVP

Well hey, cool of Rachel to be concerned though

They should be giving Bitch the key to the fucking city for this, honestly

This poor girl sacrificed the closest thing she has to family to buy even a fraction of extra time for this asscrack of a city

And then there's this fucking asshole

Imagine if God thought you, personally and specifically, fucking sucked. What a weird feeling that must be.

Skipping past the downturn in the fighting and the teleportation bc we have to get to the conclusion of the chapter

Taylor did more to save this whole city than any of these people can even imagine, and they manhandle her into a cot and cuff her broken-ass arm because y'can't be too careful with villains, can you

This is going to go so poorly

Current Thoughts

Taylor did more, in the moment-to-moment breakdown of tracking, fighting, and responding to Leviathan, than like 90% of the other capes in this whole fucking deal, and nobody will ever know the full extent of it. She might have honestly saved more lives than Armsmaster, because he was too busy fucking grandstanding in the moments leading up to his, ahaha, disarmament.

Skitter is a hero, idgaf what anyone says. She earned better than what she's about to be fucking put through, that's for sure.

[paigemathews]

(According to wiki at least,) Prue's death was today, May 17th. So, in honor of the oldest Halliwell sister's death: have you thought about how the cover up must have gone? Because, let's be real, that is not an easy death to cover up.

First of all, there is another dead body there, even if he was quickly forgotten about. He was thrown through their back window and was last seen hanging over it, so there's always the possibility that someone saw something. Plus, the house is wrecked.

As for Prue herself, she was thrown through a wall. She clearly would have suffered some kind of blunt force trauma, and we see a pool of blood underneath her head, so there was definitely some kind of damage to her body that they wouldn't be able to hide.

Honestly, I have no idea how they would've spun this. That's not really what I'm interested in talking about rn admittedly, because:

Imagine Phoebe, finding both of her sisters seemingly dead (and knowing that if she'd had been there, they'd both be alive). Imagine Leo, finding his wife and her sister seemingly dead and only able to save his wife (the guilt that must've caused). Imagine Piper waking up to find out that they didn't just fail to save an innocent (and Piper, who always took it the hardest as seen with the doctor's death, never mentions this again because), her invincible older sister is dead from the same attack that Piper herself survived (the survivor's guilt there alone.)

And not only are they confronted with the loss of their sister, but now they have to hide how it happened. Her body isn't even cold, but they have to figure out how to spin it so that they don't expose magic again. Realistically, that's when they'd probably have to call in Darryl, who is confronted with one of his close friend's death and the cover up of her murder in the span of one breath. (Which is worse? The idea that he finds out over the phone, sitting in the station and having to suddenly sit down as - who? Piper, tears in her voice? Phoebe, shaky and horrified? Leo, guilty and crying? Cole, on the rockiest of terms with Prue? - someone tells him Prue is dead - murdered - and they need his help covering it up or that he gets to the Manor, vexed and exasperated, only to see a battlefield with Prue lying dead, her sisters inconsolable, and realizing that he has to help cover all of this up while choking down his own grief about another lost friend?)

Victor had always thought that Penny calling him about Patty's death would be the worst phone call of his entire life, but this, a nightmare and worst fear come true, tops it as he finds the fastest way back to San Francisco.

Do you think about the fact that they'd have to coach each other on the cover story? Phoebe having to work to say the lies about her sister's death over and over again, always the worst at keeping secrets? Discussing potential plot holes and gaps in their story, trying to figure out how to fit it all together.

The fact that there was an investigation - of course there was an investigation, Prue's death was clearly a mystery - and at some point, someone may have pointed fingers at the sisters? (A rookie pointing out Phoebe and Prue's tense history and the former's return to take the house after their grandmother's death and the morally ambiguous boyfriend and what better way to get everything than get the oldest sister out of the way? Piper considered either as prospective victim or accomplice? I mean, Prue was noted to be the bossiest of the group and family is always the first place you look- and Darryl shutting it down, utilizing more influence than he maybe really had (and explaining his need to be promoted to Lieutenant a year later) to put a stop to it in its tracks.)

And they somehow manage to spin it as the murder it was, but imagine trying to explain how a human murdered her by throwing her through a wall. The sympathetic voices asking for statements and events and lies lies lies that the sisters and Leo and Cole and Darryl have to spin. All while Prue's body is barely cold, all while they each slowly realize that she isn't coming back this time, all while they realize that Prue Halliwell really and truly is dead for the final time, beyond their reach.

[peaceoutofthepieces]

could we have 20 with Andreil ???

you can always and forever have any andreil you'd like

20. Chest Kiss

Neil had begun to think his sexuality (or lack thereof) could have somewhat stemmed from how he'd been taught to view bodies from a young age. Bodies were nothing more than a limiting, physical cage through which you could experience harm and hunger. By the time he was ten, Neil had known which parts of the body bled most and which parts broke easiest; by his tweens, he knew how to take a body apart, either for the convenience of making its inhabitor suffer or to make it more disposable; by his teens, he knew how fast a body burned and he knew how many weaknesses a body resulted in.

He was a mosaic of those results—his parts had bled and broken and been taken apart and burned to ash; and then, reassembled.

This reassambly had never been his point of focus, before Andrew.

Before Andrew, bodies had been a pathway to pain, and little else. Even when Neil did manage to find pleasure in physicality, pain was its basis. Whether he was running himself ragged or his muscles were taut with anticipation or aching after hours-long practices, pleasure and satisfaction and relief did not come without first withstanding pain.

Before.

In the past year, Neil has learned what bodies are good for apart from survival; in the past year, Neil has learned pleasure and satisfaction and release; in the past year, Andrew has taught him.

But in theory, Neil had known the body was capable of these things. In theory, Neil had understood how bodies could warrant appreciation.

Recently, Neil has been learning the pleasure in admiration.

Andrew is teaching him.

Neil does not think it's an active lesson, but he is an attentive student. He'd worried, for a while, that Andrew's remarks about his staring were indicators of genuine annoyance, but he's come to know better. Neil had worried, knowing Andrew had been the focus of unwanted attention before, but they've come to the silent understanding that Neil's attention is wanted, and this is where the difference resides.

So while Andrew never necessarily presents the option, Neil frequently allows himself to admire. He has counted all the strands of Andrew's golden hair; he has memorised Andrew's profile, the slope of his nose and cut of his jaw and curve of his neck; he has measured Andrew's strength under his hands, layers of black fabric unable to hide the broad bulk of him. Unlike most things, he does this quietly, without remark. Like most things, he does not ask for more than he is given freely.

Which is why, in the end, it's nothing more than a pleasant surprise, and it passes (mostly) quietly. Andrew rises from his perch over Neil on the bed to lock the door, and on his return, he pulls his black vest over his head and tosses it aside.

Neil's breath hitches. He understands—the late summer heat has been unrelenting—and in a way, it is not so monumental as Neil sprawled already topless on the sheets. Andrew is not self-conscious or required to hide in the way Neil so frequently is, but there is a line, all the same, that he waries of crossing. The casual baring of skin is one thing, and is the only reason Neil has caught glimpses before. The intimacy of this—the two of them, the bedroom, the locked door—is something else entirely.

So Neil understands, but he doesn't, and his breath hitches, and Andrew notices.

Andrew rolls his eyes and comes to where Neil is sitting on the end of the bed, hands clenched tightly in the sheet either side of him. "Shut up," Andrew mutters, already sliding his hand back into Neil's hair.

Neil stares up at him quietly for a moment, and Andrew gazes calmly back, eyes clear. A smile begins to curve Neil's lips, and Andrew is rolling his eyes again even as he tugs at Neil's growing curls and tilts his head back to allow Neil's mouth to return to his neck. Neil obliges by pressing a kiss there once, twice, but then retreats to duck his head lower and waits.

"Yes," Andrew says, after a beat, and then it's his breath hitching as Neil presses his mouth to his chest.

Neil keeps himself contained, but makes use of the permission he's been given. He trails kisses under Andrew's collarbone, featherlight brushes and sharp nips that have Andrew's hand tightening in his hair. As he moves down over the swell of muscle, he mouths wetly at the smooth skin, and Andrew's other hand comes around his shoulders. Neil grins, and returns Andrew's second "Shut up" with another kiss.

send me a number + ship

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Shoot The Works-Tier Harribel x Reader

Apacci did not think that the first time she would be seeing your Resurrección would be in such a… dire situation.

Mila Rose was very much aware of why you were blasting the Quincy to bits and pieces, she just wished she was not caught in the crossfire.

Sung-Sun, was not at all wanting to deal with this right now.

However, they had to deal with it if they wanted to get Harribel back.

Though, that didn’t make hearing something as ominous as “Shoot The Work’s, Desperado” any better.

Especially when entire sections of the castle were being blown to shreds by bullets, Bala’s, and Cero’s.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

An hour and a half.

That is how long it took you to shoot through the skeleton crew left by the Quincy at Hueco Mundo.

This was, of course, concerning to the Tres Bestias.

Not because it had taken so long.

But because these were the foot soldiers.

Nonetheless, that didn’t make what was unfolding right infront of them right now any less nerve wracking.

Your Revolver was leveled at your opponent across the sands of Hueco Mundo.

The Quincy leveled his bow and arrow at you in turn.

Reishi was pulled from the air and into the vacuum the both of you made.

The moon hung high in the starless sky.

The wind blew the sands across the infinite plane.

Apacci watched with her breath held.

Mila Rose’s eye’s shot between you and the Quincy you were dueling.

Sung-Sun’s proverbial heart was beating out of her chest.

Then, it came down to two, simple things.

Who shot first, and who was still standing last.

The Quincy loosed his arrow.

The sound of gunfire rang across the plain.

Then, it was over.

The arrow found its mark, severing your right arm clean off.

However, your aim was truer, your bullet finding its target in the forehead of the Quincy, and exiting out the back of it.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After all was said and done, it was only by the grace of the Soul King you had survived.

Not just getting your arm blown off, but the other wounds you took in getting the Queen Of Hueco Mundo back.

The same went for Harribel herself from her fight with the Quincy King and her imprisonment.

During the time the both of you were recovering, Appaci was a nervous wreck, Mila Rose was reading over anything she could find about medicine, and the usually stone faced Sung-Sun was visibly concerned, checking in to make sure that the nurses were taking good care of the both of you.

Eventually however, after things had cooled down considerably, both you and Harribel were back to… well, not working order, but not teetering on the razor's edge between life and death.

And so, as if she had not just been nearly killed, Tier Harribel threw herself back into her work of making a civilized world out of the wasteland of Hueco Mundo, much to the irritation of the Tres Bestias who, after many hours of arguing, managed to persuade her into doing paperwork first before going back into full force.

And they had the perfect idea on who should be her secretary.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Apacci felt like withering under the gaze of you and Harribel as she turned in the report.

Within a minute of looking at the paper, Harribel was massaging the sides of her head as she let out a long, suffering sigh.

“Is this why Barragan was such a cantankerous old bastard?” Harribel muttered to herself, irritation apparent in her voice.

In the five days since Harribel had been put on leave by her subordinates, all three of them had managed to cause some sort of chaos that ranged from minor criminal mischief, to crimes that would’ve made Szylarapero balk.

“Emilou Apacci, please tell Franceska Mila Rose, and Cyan Sung-Sun that all three of you will receiving a lecture on why you cannot summon Ayon to, and I quote “Play Whack-A-Mole with the Menos Grande as the Mole’s” some time after I have made a full recovery.” Harribel ordered Apacci with a glare that would’ve killed anything lesser than an Adjuchas.

Apacci muttered a quick “Sung-Sun, you snitch” under her breath before bowing and saying “Yes mamm.” and shooting out the door.

Near instantly after Apacci left, Harribel slumped in her chair.

“It is like herding cats…” the queen of Hueco Mundo muttered in frustration before turning to you.

“Please tell me you have some good news?”

“Of course milady.” you responded with a slight bow before handing her a small grocery bag labeled with the words “Kisuke Urahara’s Sweets Shop”.

Ever since being broken out from the imprisonment of the Quincy and taking that strange medicine Urahara gave to the both of you, a sweet tooth had developed in the Queen Of Hueco Mundo as well as in you.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Over time, Harribel grew to rely on you as her second in command.

As it turns out, Loyalty is hard to find in Hueco Mundo.

And that was a trait Harribel admired in others.

And then, Harribel realized something about you.

Whenever she was alone with you, she didn’t feel on edge.

This was odd, not only because of who Harribel was, but because of what she was.

An Arrancar, a species that was, at its core, evil.

Traitorous, always looking over their shoulders, and constantly hungry, constantly on edge, wondering where their next meal came from.

Despite that, in the moments she was able to spend alone with you, she felt like she could breathe.

She wondered what this was, at least until she saw the title of one of Sung-Sun’s books.

That’s when it clicked.

“Love”.

Harribel wasn’t sure what to think about that.

It was something she had only ever heard of from Tosen when he was speaking with Wonderweiss.

And yet… It fits.

The comfort she felt.

The fact she felt that you would always have her back.

All of it.

She… liked that feeling.

[betweenthescarletmoon]

Hey 👋

So I saw your reblog and post about jayce, and I just wanted to say you managed to genuinely encapsulate what I was thinking about jayce and just how weirdly the fandom treats him and I am so happy about your post!!!

I wanna bring another discussion point to this. What do you think season 2 jayce's arc would have been had arcane not lost its political messaging because I was totally under the impression that after season 1, jayce was going to boarden his views and understand a lot more about zaun and the undercity through his interactions with other characters like ekko, jinx and vi. I thought we were gonna get jayce leaving politics and high society and going back to his roots as a labourer, understanding his original dream to help the people with hextech and improve lives. I thought we were gonna go back to jayce, who has a family that owns a forge factory and that the show was gonna go and link It back to renni and her kid. I thought we were gonna see jayce comment on the zaun child labour.

I thought so much more was going to happen but it didn't. In the end we didn't even get jayce introspection on the weapons he made and its not even clear why he made them (I have my theory as to why) and we don't get his reaction to cait gassing zaun because I can tell you for a matter of fact jayce wouldn't have been cool with that not after he found out what the hexgates were doing to the undercity and not after he came out from the AU where he had to consume pollution that included the grey daily (I fully believe that when jayce came back he was dying from all that pollution)

Jayce is a creator destined to die young and suffer a fate similar to his father

Thank you for letting me ramble

oh man you COOKED with this!!

i gotta say, this rapid-fire hype train after every weekend for s2 didn't help me think much about what could've been, but your ideas are so wonderful that i'm now even angrier that they reduced him to just viktor without properly expanding on his grief and his guilt about it ifywim? like, he lost cassandra too, he almost lost mel, i do see why he would lose that Very New unlearning of his biases after surviving perhaps the most traumatic event of his life before the Anomaly. i loooooove the opening sequence of s2. his shock and dissociation were absolutely delicious. but it's strange that we don't see any more of how that trauma affects him or mel.

i also feel so confused as to why nobody cared that the de facto Head Councilor and Man of Progress disappeared before publicly resigning. yeah we get it man, you love Viktor, but the people needed leadership, and the fact that they all just moved ON?? from him??? without a single explanation? they didn't even extend a notice to him about the meetings, nor mentioned that he was a "coward" in them bc they obviously didn't like him except for mel, etc.

i think what i was most excited about was that, given jayce is not a politician (and it would've been cool to explore him being forced to be a man he isn't given that's his whole s1 arc), but a man who sees the world through the people he cares about, it would've been so awesome for him to learn to work together with vi and ekko to help zaun. i still love his apocalypse arc, but i think it came too fast, too conveniently, and by separating him and ekko even in act 3 it just falls apart for me kinda.

and you're so right. not a SINGLE mention of renni's child? [points at the writers] what have you done to my boy? even just a quiet, short scene of vi and jayce just...processing, as he stares at the weapon that took the kid's life, but saved his, would've probably sent the message home as to why he once again, thanks to fear and trauma, he makes the weapons despite his massive guilt. it would've been nice for us to see him give vi and cait the weapons, and there we can see that he either isn't allowed to know what they'll do but he trusts them, or doesn't want to know bc he's sick of being aware of all this violence in a more selfish way haha. so many possibilities to express his moral dilemma and how the precarious growth he'd built started to fall apart, not JUST because of viktor, but because he is once again faced with the violence he thought for a long time was coming for him from zaun. it is a prejudice, viktor did call him out for it, but in jayce's mind, it could've been proven. he was attacked TWICE by the people he accidentally hurt the most (bc jinx is who she is thanks to hextech), but is he going to be aware of that, or think that all of zaun is out to get him now? a big part of him is his paranoia, to the point that his cave scene sountrack is called that, so it could've been a great theme to foreshadow from the very beginning. if we did all this, then that would explain what they had going for him in this season in a way that didn't erase his character the way they did

i loveee your points on ethical production and labor, and how that would question even his own name's business. all those hints about his father never went anywhere, and they could have if that was explored. but sadly i don't think there would've been enough time for that with the plot they set in motion of the anomaly and multiverse. (despite how i have grown to accept the multiverse ret-con of the mage, and that i adore ep7, it still irks me that we cannot let the multiverse rest, especially in a story that used to be so grounded in our social reality). also yeah i would've loved a bit more portrayal of his new disabilities!! how he struggles now even with his brace, and what that illness/corruption consisted of. but then he died so it doesn't matter :')

i think i've mainly been coping by writing fanfiction. a lot of my gripes with the season are going to be tackled in my ghosts in the hearth series. it may not be exactly what you're looking for bc it takes place after act 2 but i needed it for my sanity XD

thank you for sharing your thoughts! let's be moots :D

[goldenfoxxxe]

Johnny cage or Cassidy x reader (pref fem) where they think reader is not their type and after like something almost costing their/ readers life they fall hard

Johnny Cage's No Good Horrible Very Bad Day

Johnny Cage x Fem!reader

Warnings:: angst with a happy ending, near death experience, gore, medical inaccuracies

A/N: this is such a good fic imo with an amazing lackluster ending, cause i'm real like that. I’m just getting my mojo back. I could have made this more happy but i’ve got the angst bug, hope you don't mind anon. also its not proofread, thats for nerds.

Johnny Cage knew how dangerous this was. Knew how quickly one fight in the battle to protect Earthrealm could kill someone. So when you joined the team he never even kept you on his radar. He didn’t consider you his type enough to even bother flirting when he knew it was only a matter of time until this battle took either one of you. 

You had seen the way he flirted with damn near every female who crossed his path, even when they were trying to kill him. It bothered you sometimes, the way he barely even looked in your direction, as if you were invisible. You even went to Kenshi about it, asking if you had done something to offend Johnny but even Kenshi didn’t have any clue what was going on with him. You carried on with training, occasionally going on missions with the other protectors of earthrealm. It eventually became second nature to fight, getting used to being ambushed by Shao Kahn’s warriors. You managed to be friends with Johnny eventually, never quite understanding why he never flirted with you but sometimes liking that he didn’t. 

You managed to survive every mission, sometimes with injury sometimes not. You eventually got used to the everyday pain of  being a protector. The stabs, the cauterizations, the stitches. So it was a surprise when one day you almost didn’t make it. It was just another mission, nothing extreme. Nothing you and the others couldn't handle. In Fact it was one that all of you should've gotten out of without a single scratch. You somehow ended up with numerous deadly wounds and no back up besides Johnny. 

You had never been on his radar.. ever. Years of knowing you and he just never truly noticed you. Sure he knew you very well, you were friends. He would even say the two of you were close. Yet he had never noticed you in the way he did every other woman. So why does he feel this way now? After he's watched you come to the brink of death at the hands of Mileena, does he decide he's got a crush on you? It's all panic from the moment you call his name in anguish as Mileena bit a chunk out of your side. All your other injuries were superficial things he could patch up for now and have the medics fix completely when you got back to the others. Now you had organs showing and he didn't know what to do. 

He's just a movie star, he never should've been involved in any of this and right now it shows. Nothing but dread fills his body as he watches Mileena run off. He assumed she thought you'd be dead soon. Yet, he ran to you, adrenaline flowing so hard it might as well have been going into his soul. He barely ever paid attention when one of the others attempted to teach him basic medical procedures, he didn't need to know he was always with someone who did and now you were going to suffer the consequences. He did the best he could, practically ripping his shirt off and wrapping it around the wound, ignoring your screams as he tightened it as hard as he could.

In this moment he was glad for all the grueling workouts he had gone through, all the extra training Kenshi and Raiden made him go through. Comms were down meaning Johnny would have to carry you back to base. He could only hope someone would be there, that he could make it in time. You were unconscious blood soaking his skin even through the shirt wrapped around your wounds. He was keeping pressure on the bite the best he could as he ran for the base. You had traveled so far and with comms down he couldn't even be sure any of the medics would be ready for you. 

He didn't think you could hear him as he prayed to any god that would listen. As he asked why now. Why would he love you so much now as he runs with you dying in his arms. He also didn't think those prayers would work, that he would make it to base. 

He stayed by your side hoping you would wake up, that you would heal. There was none of Raiden's magic to help you, the god had gone on his own mission. The medics had done everything and now it was just a big game of waiting to see what would happen. So he waited. 

It was almost two months before you woke up from the coma, he honestly didn't expect you to wake up. Raiden had come back and healed what he could yet you stayed unconscious. During those two months Johnny stayed at your bedside, telling you what was happening around base and how the war was going. 

You woke up slowly, not shocked to see Johnny half asleep in the chair beside your bed. 

“Did you mean it?” you asked, slowly turning towards him. 

He startled awake, nearly falling out of the chair and causing you to giggle. A shock of pain ran through your side and you winced, gently grabbing it.

“Careful, it's gonna be sore for a while, Mileena got a pretty good bite out of you”  he says after he recovers, coming to stand beside you “Did I mean what?”

“Everything you’ve been saying. It's gotta be multiple times a day you say you wish you could take my spot…..that you love me” you explain, twiddling with the blanket that had been draped over you, barely even making eye contact with him. 

He nearly chokes on air, his entire face going red. “You heard all of that?” 

“Every bit of it.” you smile softly, looking up at him. “Did you mean it?”

He sighs, scooting closer and holding your hand “Every bit of it” he says, smiling and kissing your hand.

[spacebagfullofstars]

Honda Oddysey Scene but in Evolution

This is a snippet of my X Men Evolution Deadpool AU that's been on my mind lately. Inspired by the most talked about scene in Deadpool and Wolverine

It was hard to tell when exactly the night rolled around. It was still dawn when they arrived in San Francisco and they haven't left their beaten up meat truck since.

Wolverine was still driving without any kind of direction. His mask was on, but his frown was visible through it. Deadpool, driving shot gun, seemed to had completely dissociated himself from his surroundings. He was switching between radio stations and trying to find the right music. The mutant, unfortunately, had to suffer through each song whenever the other man changed his mind. Currently, they were listening to Cher's 'If I Could Turn Back Time'.

A few seconds passed. Another switch, they were listening to 'War' by Edwin Starr.

Another few seconds. 'Shake your Groove Thing' by Peaches and Herb.

Another few seconds. 'Sugar, Sugar' by the Archies.

Before another few seconds passed, Wolverine reached out and turned off the radio, momentarily returning his attention on the road. The lack of eye contact and how quickly it happened made it come off as passive-aggresive.

"I was listening to that." Deadpool said, in all his audacity. Logan didn't give him the luxury of response. The mercenary tried to focus on the window, but without the background noise, his need to open his mouth grew stronger.

"I was going to give you half of the cut, you know." He said after a second, looking at Wolverine, who still refused to give him time of a day. "I'd never make it not worth your time. Think whatever you want of me, I treat my business partners with respect."

"You lied to me." Logan suddenly growled. Somehow, he sounded even more angry than usual.

"Strike two, ferret man." Deadpool said, making a peace sign at him. "I said that I needed your help, and I said that the old Hydra base could be of interest to you. Not my fault they didn't have any info on your past. That didn't count as lying, I just didn't tell the whole truth."

The mutant snarled, making Deadpool jump. He saw him gripping the wheel, which he was sure would leave a few dents. Not that he planned on returning the vehicle at that point.

"What? Tell me honestly, would you help me if I came up to you and said: 'Hey, Wolvie! Some rich weirdo paid me to go and steal something from this place that looks like a horror rip-off of Area 51! Also, did I mention that this place is full of freaky water tanks? Also also, did you know that apparently, our healing factor isn't immune to drowning?'"

"Would've been nice knowin' that before you waltzed right into a trap." Logan retorted through gritted teeth.

"You've had your healing factor longer than I have." Wade said, leaning against his seat and crossing his arms. "That one's just on you."

And just like that, Wolverine's buttons were pushed. Without any warning, he made a sharp turn. Deadpool regretted not tightening his seatbelt when he had the chance as he crashed onto the door next to his seat. The truck fell off the road and down the hill. It was far from a pleasant experience, but thankfully, it survived to tell the tale. It landed on a beach right under their road. It was empty, so the mutant parked on its sand.

As soon as the vehicle stopped, he swung and punched Wade in the face. The mercenary screamed, hiding it in his hands. He was lucky that he wore his red mask because he was pretty sure Logan broke his nose.

"Dude-!" Wade shouted. Before he fully recovered, he felt a strong grip on his neck. Now that Logan wasn't focusing on the road, all of his rage was directed at him.

"You want an apology? Fine, I'm sorry!" The mercenary managed, holding onto the hand crushing his neck. "If I knew you'd be so mad, I'd ask that brute Sabertooth to come!"

Logan roared as he slammed him against the back of the seat.

"You lied to me! You wasted my time! And because of you, we're bein' hunted down like animals!" The mutant's voice was barely there with all those grunts.

"I didn't lie!-"

"Yes, you did! You used my lost memories against me! You knew how much it meant to me to regain them and you still manipulated me into doin' your dirty work! You used me as a weapon, just like everyone else!"

"... Oh, boo-freaking-hoo!" Deadpool frowned, growing more defensive. That shift caught Wolverine off guard. "Little Wolverine can't remember his first day in new school! Guess what, jerk, I don't remember much after my experimentation either! But I don't let that hold me back! Here are some hard pills to swallow: You're so desperate to know your past that you let me of all people make a monkey out of you! Me! Keep trusting the wrong guys and soon you won't even have a future to look forward to!"

After he finished, he looked back at Wolverine. He was staring at him with this empty look that freaked him out even more than the angry snarl. Suddenly, he let him go and Wade fell back on his seat. He coughed and massaged his neck.

"Look, Wolv. I'm sorry." He tried, because he couldn't handle seeing him like this anymore. "Really, I am. But take it from me, maybe it's better to just forget... No hard feelings?..."

He didn't know yet that he said too much. Wolverine was silent for a few more moments. Then, he wheezed. The mutant threw his back against the seat, and running his hand up his scalp, he succumbed to his laughter. It wasn't a pleasant sound at all. It was strained, almost hysterical, and obviously provoked more by his fury than actual amusement. Still, it was the first time Deadpool actually made him laugh.

"Oh wow!... " The mercenary said through his nervous chuckle that was muted by Wolverine. "So that's how you laugh! Just as terrifying as the rest of you!... I didn't say any joke yet, though."

"You didn't have to." Logan sighed deeply, partially regaining his posture. The next look he gave Wade was entirely venomous.

"You are the biggest joke I've ever seen! There hasn't been as much of an audacious, or insecure, or callous stain on humanity than this manchild I have the displeasure of sittin' right next to! You're good for nothin' but spreadin' mysery everywhere you go! You ain't got no morals, no friends, and you make it everyone's problem, 'cause you can't ever accept the fact that your actions have consequences!" Logan paused to catch his breath. Deadpool visibly shrinked in his own seat. Suddenly, the mutant's claws came out and he shoved them to the back of the truck, scraping its surface in a long line.

"Oh, how I wish I pushed you off that cliff first time we've met! Maybe that would've gotten the message through your dense skull, just how much I want to see you set on fire! Hate doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feelin' towards you! Ain't no wonder why that blue woman you keep yappin' about hasn't come back to you yet! You have to make up an imaginary girlfriend to protect your delicate feelin's from the fact that nobody will ever want you! How 'bout this hard pill to swallow: The doctors that tortured you didn't ruin your life! You did! You have to act like an obnoxious clown, otherwise no one would ever give you the attention you're so obviously cravin'! I can't wait for the day when you'll wake up and realise that you'll be spendin' the rest of eternity alone, and you can thank only yourself for that! But that's just wishful thinkin', 'cause you're-" His claws pulled back and he slammed his fist against the marked metal.

"-too-" Slam!

"-stupid-" Slam!

"-to think of anythin' outside of your own bubble of insanity!" SLAM! The wall bended and partially fell apart, just enough for them to see the inside of their cargo.

At long last came the silence. Logan used his hand to support himself from collapsing. He panted and bared his teeth at the mercenary who grew concerningly quiet. Not for Logan, though.

"No more jokes, bub?" He leaned closer and sneered, not being able to resist one last jab. "Come on, give me a real tear-jerker. I'm feelin' like laughin' for a change."

He looked directly into Deadpool's eyes. All he saw in them were two empty voids. The mutant settled back on his seat and tried to catch his breath. A second later and he would've regretted some of the things he said.

"... Take it back." Deadpool murmured softly. Had it not been for Wolverine's super hearing, he would've missed it.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" The mutant snorted loudly. It was his own enjoyment of seeing the mercenary be put in his place that led him to lower his guard. Before he knew, Wade grabbed the back of his head, painfully gripping a handful of hair and hood.

"I said take it back!" He roared with the anger he never let anyone see. Without any warning, he slammed Wolverine's head against the front of the car. Then he did it again and on his third time he accidentally turned on the radio.

'Why Can't We Be Friends?' by War started playing.

Slam!

'Express Yourself' by Madonna.

Slam!

'You're the One That I Want' from the musical Grease.

"Why you little-!" Wolverine wouldn't take it any longer. He grabbed onto whatever he could and prevented Deadpool from slamming his head again. He pulled out his claws and jammed them into the other's right shoulder. Wade cried out. Using the moment of distraction, the mutant freed himself. Then, he grabbed Wade's head, pulled him close, and then slammed his head against the radio. This time it played 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' by Elton John and Kiki Dee.

Despite being a taller man, Deadpool had to trouble slipping into a different position in his limited space. He kicked Logan onto the door, breaking the window and leaving a huge dent. The mutant growled, glaring back at him with pure fire in his eyes. Deadpool tried to throw a hit, but Logan caught his fist and then repeatedly punched him in the face. Wade dodged and a hit full of claws meant for him punctured the already beat down back of the truck.

The mercenary used this for his advantage. He managed to grab Logan by the shoulders and then threw him in order to take down the rest of the space separating them from the cargo. They both fell into the cold, smelly abyss where they could barely see each other. Not that it would stop them.

[datastate]

if sei satou survived he would have soloed tbh. death game wouldn’t have happened bc he’s too goated

see, now you joke about this, but i do consider it an interesting possibility to think of " what if sei survived " -- there are many directions this could go!

BOTH SURVIVE THE ASSASSIN'S TRIAL:

ah, the classic hunger games stall. unfortunately, i do think even if they had managed this (assuming asunaro would pick them up rather than letting one of them starve to death and then taking the other, in critical condition, and fixing them up again as the victor), that asunaro would instead demand a duel between the two of them upon being brought back.

if they needed stronger reason to facilitate the murder, they would likely give both a poison they haven't yet had the chance to adapt to. it is in this sense that killing would be a mercy: something that kai, for all his airs, would concede to under certain circumstances, and which i expect sei would follow through on promptly.

unfortunately, this scenario is a dead end for that reason. only one will survive, so let's see:

SEI TAKES KAI'S MISSION:

i've seen a few people regard this scenario, but i must admit i find it incredibly unlikely. sei is a good assassin; kai isn't, even though he's survived as long as he has. i've written this into practically all of my interpretations of kai, but the only way he survived those years without killing people was by learning to fake their deaths. he is the child of a renowned scientist, after all, and trained on the human body's limitations.

in any case: i cannot see sei being punished to the point he'd be outcast (without a proper expulsion) as kai was. and even if he was punished, it would not be framed in as much secrecy.

kai was sentenced to domestic life because it would be torturous and inhibit him due to the apparent facade of the chidouins being an unfortunate civilian family destined to suffer at the hands of asunaro, and more importantly, him. if sei was sent to guard them, as the victor of the assassin's trial, it would likely be in explicit terms of what would be expected of him -- because what would he do, really, knowing that mr. chidouin is the 'meister' of the death game? he's seen what happens when people rebel against asunaro. he's seen how hopeless it is. kai died for it. sara is just piteous.

SEI ENTERS THE DEATH GAME:

now, even with the above, i'm not ignoring the idea of sei entering the death game regardless. it's interesting to me seeing just how much focus is placed upon the mirrors of the satous & chidouins. prior to the mini-episode (though this can still work imo), i was under the impression that gashu was assigned as mr. chidouin's aide & that kai was mandated as sara's right hand specifically.

with this in mind, it's not out of the question that sei could be placed in a similar position to hinako: the heir for the family you've been assigned has been compromised, thus you will fit that role. a literal human shield, i expect... and sei would have no room to protest, because they'd kill him anyway, and if not him, then this young & innocent girl... who he sees much of himself in. they'd never call themselves hopeful, but asunaro takes what little they had and breaks it. thoroughly.

SEI STOPS THE DEATH GAME:

and of course, as for your actual joke here, i do think it'd be interesting to consider sei feeling like he's at the end of his life. i expect everyone involved with the death game to some extent was given a certain date by which they were expected to report back to asunaro to commence & honor its start -- the meaning of this, of course, being that there would be no outside influence.

(most notably, as hazard/corvidcrowned pointed out to me long ago and has made me Sickly over ever since, the floormasters are falling apart just the same... it's confidential. throw everything you have at this. you'll be bound for life, if you even manage to live)

while kai's plan failed (likely an attempt to extract the chidouins, or at least sara, with the program he curated that would fundamentally disable asunaro's security/monitoring) due to mr. chidouin's connections to it, which he could not have anticipated at all.

but sei... now that is interesting. he'd likely earn a nice reputation in this scenario, in hand with asunaro's trust. he'd have much more information at his fingertips as to what the death game entails, who the participants are, where they are... i truly think that part of asunaro's attempts to hold him down after the assassin's trial would simply be to isolate him.

see, kai was already alone. he had no interest in mingling with civilians, as that was a place he didn't belong and still struggles to feel belonging with. however, he is loyal and immensely dedicated to his ideals regardless of whether or not they align with asunaro. of course asunaro would then choose to break him down by expelling him from the darkness which he began to be comfortable in, forcing him to interact with and be indebted to civilians -- with nothing else to do, but allow them to guide him. a puppet on strings. poor, little marionette.

but sei needs people around him. you've surely read over his introduction to the satous more than even i have, and can gleam this much. even if he's reluctant to admit as much, it is this which grounds him and would... let him hope that there's more than just these skills he's been forced to hone over the years. as such, being introduced to the existence of these participants who would suffer a similar fate could be a dangerous thing. perhaps he'll take a look at the kizuchis since he's in the area, he's curious, and perhaps it'd hit too close. and it becomes harder to deperson these candidates as he would his usual targets -- not that he ever wanted to, but. well. the trauma of it all combined with asunaro's coping suggestions cannot be healthy in the least.

i won't get into much more detail, as this is long enough, but i'm sure you can see what i'm getting at... admittedly, this is reaching a similar route to 'deliver us from evil', but regardless: sei would have more resources at his disposal than kai ever would. if he dared to believe in himself again, believed he could make a change, believed it wasn't foolish to hope... maybe he could really do much more than kai did. stage a betrayal they'd never expect, for they thought they'd broken him down into a husk not unlike gashu.