#Official Meeting of Boss and Subordinate

[madeinjapan-thailand-blbambeyond]

MCF: MADE IN THAILAND

TRISANU SORANUN

[Nickname: MAN]

BUNYAPOL LIKHITAMNUAYPORN

[Nickname: BEN]

[gremlingottoosilly]

Mafia konig x pregnant reader. She's already curvy but the further along she gets the more crazy he gets for her and her body especially her belly

Konig having a thing for his wife isn't a new story. Every dumb fucker in the criminal part of the country knows that Konig has a wife - and they are terrified at the thought since Konig not bothering to hide you could only mean he is very sure of your safety...and after a few relatively big syndicates were caught dead and eliminated by him after they almost got you hurt, everyone else knew not to mess with you. Konig having a thing for his pregnant wife is news, however. The boss was never the one for children - most of his subordinates thought he got a vasectomy, thinking it would be easier for him to fuck around without leaving tons of illegitimate children with a claim to the criminal throne...they didn't know his borderline sociophobic ass just didn't fuck, period until you chimed in and he started fucking you instead of going on important meetings. The point is - everyone knew he didn't like children. Never had kids, never cared for them, and would always roll his eyes if anyone would try to use their children as a leverage or an excuse... Konig does, however, adore the sight of your pregnant body. The man invests in the most luxurious brands of maternity clothing and establishes a few new ones simply because he won't have his pregnant wife wearing rags. You're going to be wearing designer brands even if they never made a maternity collection - if needed, Konig is more than ready to simply kidnap a designer and a small army of seamstresses to make sure you're getting the best treatment out there. God forbid you're coming to the store and the staff acting even the slightest bit snobbishly. Konig will have to start an illegal clothing business or buy out an official one. It's nothing new to anyone who comes into his office and sees the boss kissing his wife's belly. You're the only one who is embarrassed in this whole situation - Konig is too smug and way too in love to actually care, and the poor servants or his goons are way too terrified of upsetting the boss with their unwanted attention. Konig just loves nuzzling his face into the softness of your belly, even making an effort of actually properly shaving, so you won't feel uncomfortable as he presses his face closer.

[originalaccountname]

I am treating the Cannibalism stage play as, like, an official fanfic, but it gave me emotions about Chuuya and he is my blorbo I need to share more details about the infamous "Chuuya cries" moment with full context:

Since they did not have a costume or actor for Poe, they got rid of Chuuya and Ranpo getting stuck in his story, and instead gave Chuuya a mini arc about leadership. They made Chuuya doubt his own legitimacy as a leader (for the Port Mafia) every step of the way.

He started out by saying that as the ex-leader of the Sheep, an enemy organization, it made no sense for him to be the interim boss of the Port Mafia. He even told Kouyou she should take the role because he used to be her subordinate. Kouyou convinced him to step up to the challenge by pointing out he usually didn't hesitate to lead people ("but those times I was acting on the boss' orders") and that she had 8 boxes full of Steel Oracles written by subordinates who wanted and trusted him to be up to the task.

Steel Oracles were the stage play's answer to the Silver Oracles. If the Silver Oracles are the boss entrusting a subordinate with power to act, the Steel Oracles are the subordinates entrusting an individual with the power to lead them. They are check notes with the name of the individual being entrusted written on the back, signed by the person submitting it, and symbolizes the submitter entrusting that individual with everything that they have and are. Chuuya had 8 boxes with his name on it.

He later (obviously desperate) goes to request Verlaine help them assassinate Fukuzawa. Chuuya says the PM his family that he needs to protect. He wants Mori to live. He's having a very rough time. (Verlaine refuses but makes him realize Dazai is plotting something)

When all is said and done, he meets with Mori and Chuuya says he'll be returning the Steel Oracles to the subordinates. Mori jokes about Chuuya being more popular than him, so shouldn't he name Chuuya boss instead? Chuuya refuses immediately, saying that the people were only saying he was strong, not that he had their respect, and says he could never be a boss like Mori. He makes a comment about Mori having already said he wanted Dazai as the next boss anyway.

Mori agrees, Chuuya looks a little resigned and starts walking away. But then, Mori produces 5 new Steel Oracles: they're all signed by the Flags. Mori says he was given these long ago, by "experts" who had seen Chuuya's potential way back then. Mori says he had promised to look after Chuuya until the time came. He says that the people he considered family also considered him family. Chuuya hears the voices of the Flags calling out to him, takes the Steel Oracles with a stiff nod and excuses himself (the first anime ending, namae wo yobu yo, starts playing then). He avoids looking at Kouyou, who asks him if he's crying, and exits as quickly as possible.

During the outro section, we see Chuuya again, holding the Flags' Steel Oracles. He smiles (smirks really) and puts them in the interior pocket of his coat, before joining in on the choreography.

For bonus points, when Chuuya was the interim boss, he still had that "nobody needs to be hurt more than necessary" attitude he has in the manga. He fought Kyouka in Mori's room by using martial arts instead of gravity. He was also ruthless in filling in for the role of the Black Lizard for this story: he wanted to use Tanizaki as a hostage to get the ADA, and told him that once Tanizaki was no longer of use, he would be disposed of, just like every ADA member would be killed off until they got Fukuzawa. He wanted to cut Tanizaki's ear off to send to the ADA to tell them the deal was off. It was clearly business for him. He said he took no pleasure in it.

All in all, with tone, acting and context, Chuuya's hesitancy to lead the PM here was clearly an issue of self-confidence. Nobody would trust him with the role. Someone else would be better for it. He has too much baggage to be up to the task. People fear him more than they respect him.

And that issue is "resolved" (big word) when it turned out people he held in high esteem and cared about actually believed in him too. They saw him, they knew him, they cared for him, and they thought that, in time, he would be great. And that's what got to him.

[dresden-syndrome]

Possessive whumper!!! Where someone else comes and DARES to touch THEIR whumpee?? Inexcusable

Whumping in EESU: Possessive whumper

Whumper receives their newly designated whumpee from detention. They don't allow anyone to deliver them; they take the properly restrained and branded whumpee into their car and bring them into their home/office, whispering "You're only mine now..."

Whumper deeply hurt by the fact they can't take their favorite, precious, beloved class 1/2/3 whumpee to themselves.

Whumper, a high rank EESU government official, is obsessed with someone they met. As their obsession grows, they plan an investigation, collect evidence, use State Security spies and finally order them to be arrested for a class 4 offence. Delighted to see them in a detention cell, they make a designation request.

Whumper calling all their subordinates in the building and showing their whumpee, warning everyone not to touch them.

Whumper threatening their colleague for coming too close to their beloved pet.

Whumper punishing their whumpee for coming too close to someone else.

Whumper making their pet hug them, kiss them or sit on their lap.

Whumper secretly making orders to buy clothes or stuff from the West because they just want their whumpee to look as pretty as they can.

Whumper in a position of civilian authority - a boss, a collective farm chairman, a local Party committee worker - threatening to report on their whumpee to State Security and get them arrested if they won't stay close to them.

Whumper making their new pet a room in their facility - a small, lovely, comfortable room with little bars on windows and lock on the door; they're the only one allowed to enter.

Whumper always carrying a few restraints to tie up and punish their beautiful defiant pet on their own.

Whumper refusing to give their sick pet up to the local lab for treatment and having to take care of them by themselves.

Whumper giving their pet to the lab and staying with them for the whole time: watching every medical procedure they have to endure, holding them every time the doctors are about to do something painful, sleeping in their little room.

Whumper talking to their comrades about their new pet, telling how beautiful they are, describing them in an absolutely dehumanizing way. (Bonus points if the whumpee is here, hearing their owner's every word, not allowed to say anything).

Despite it's explicitly stated that class 4 offenders cannot be reeducated or rehabilitated, whumper always tries to make their "property" to become as loyal and ideologically passionate as they can; after all, their pretty little pet needs to be perfect, and for them loyalty to the EESU regime is the best kind of perfection.

Whumper forcing their whumpee attend all their meetings and celebrations. If the meeting is too public to bring a class 4 subject in, or the place doesn't allow that, they lock the poor whumpee up alone in a cell.

Whumper leaving a mark on their whumpee's body - a tattoo, a scar, a touch of a melting iron rod. An ID tag on their ear shows the whumpee belongs to the state; a whumper's mark, however, shows they belong to them.

After a propaganda movie session for everyone ends, another one begins - just for the whumper and their whumpee together.

Whumpee has finally escaped from EESU. Too bad a person who organized their escape now controls their every move and convinces them they'll be caught and returned if they run away.

[Masterpost link]

[eeveleon]

something like inemuri

and so it starts hehe this event rlly is so motivating ShikatemaMonth24 - Daydream + Family Bonds

Read here on AO3

Temari turned the lights on to her room and immediately groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping.” 

Her husband didn’t even bother opening his eyes. “Maybe I’m still tired.”

She sat down heavily next to him. “That doesn’t matter. You’re always tired. If I waited around for you to not be tired, I would literally be wasting my life here.”

“Tch.” Shikamaru scoffed. “You’re getting dramatic - spending too much time with Ino.” He blindly reached a hand out, trying to pull her closer. 

“You’re getting dramatic.” Temari retorted half-heartedly. 

Though there wasn’t really anything else for her to do until dinner time, so she let him drag her onto the bed and push her down on a pillow. Temari draped an arm around his chest, settling in. 

For a few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of their breathing resonating in the room.

Temari played with some hair that had gotten loose from his ponytail. “How was your week?” 

She was answered with a low, drawn-out groan.

“Troublesome.”

Shikamaru reached up to rub his eyes, moving his fists in slow circles. He took a deep breath as he began to recount his week. “The office is always behind on paperwork, but it went from bad to worse when some idiot submitted an unfinished draft for our trade policy with the Land of Calm Seas. Meetings delayed, discussions interrupted, all to track down and replace it with the real thing. But that was still shit, so I had to rewrite the entire damn thing, and then apologize to the Nagi officials for the inconvenience.” 

He let out a long-suffering sigh, as if even thinking about work on the weekend was exhausting - which for him, it probably was. “And this was on top of all the usual rubbish that goes on in the Tower.”

Temari hummed in response, using her fingernails to scratch lightly at his scalp, a favored act of his, from his frequent naps on her lap. Though, thinking about it, they hadn’t lounged on their back porch for a while now. She was busy with their family, home, and special jounin trainees, and his work days had long since bled into nights.

“Sounds like you need a real vacation then, huh.” Temari said as she got up, resting on her elbow. 

“Yeah, but with Naruto’s never-ending drama, I’m going to have to leave the village if I want a break.” He only half-joked.

“I’ve always thought that, once you retire from being the advisor, we’d move to Suna.”

“Retire?” Shikamaru snorted, a little sadly, folding an arm behind his head on his pillow. “Who's gonna let me retire?” He muttered bitterly.

Temari leaned closer to him. “I am.” 

Shikamaru gave her an odd look. Why would she be the one letting him retire? Temari was the last person on earth who would let him laze his life away - she wouldn’t even let him do it for a weekend. 

She covered his eyes with her hand and sighed dramatically. “Close your eyes, and imagine this.” She started, her voice lowering almost seductively. 

“We wake up in our room in Suna, around eight, eight-thirty-”

Eyes dutifully closed, Shikamaru made a noise of complaint. 

“- we have sex -”

He hummed, satisfied. 

“- and you go back to sleep.”

Cue a much more pleased sound. 

Temari tapped her fingers on his chest. “Meanwhile, I go back to work at my old job at the political diplomacy training office, yelling at and bossing around my subordinates. Once I’m done giving them a good scare, it’s twelve o’ clock and I come back to wake you up for lunch.” 

Shikamaru’s brow furrowed at the thought of getting up in Suna’s midday heat, but stayed silent. He’d gotten more than his usual amount of sleep. 

But Temari wasn’t done. She dug her nails into him lightly, scratching circles in his skin through his shirt. “First, we have more sex, then you make me lunch as I shower.” 

And Shikamaru couldn’t see anything wrong with that. Sleep and sex was a very enticing combination, and he could definitely make his wife some food after that. “Temari,” he mumbled. “That sounds really good.”

“Quiet, I’m not done.” She shushed him. “After lunch, I go back to work and you let Gaara pick your brain for solutions to the problem of the day. Don’t make a face,” she scolded. “It’s how we live for free - and you like having discussions with Gaara.”

That was true, he did like talking to his younger brother-in-law, as Gaara was harder to rile up than his sister yet more serious than his brother. They had had many thoughtful conversations over the years, both for work and just for their own entertainment. And Gaara was certainly a more reasonable Kage than Naruto. 

Also, living for free? That was a perk on its own. 

“Besides,” Temari continued. “I can’t let your intelligence rust away like that. Or do you think I’m with you for your body?”

“Definitely my body.” Shikamaru chuckled, followed by a laugh from Temari. 

“Yeah, maybe twenty years ago.” She punctuated her tease with a light slap to his stomach.

“Hey!”

She didn’t give him any more time to complain about that comment. “Shut up now, this is only half our day. Once work is over, I go and train with Kankuro for a few hours, maybe bully him and beat him up while I’m at it, the usual.” 

Shikamaru nodded, waiting for her to tell him what he would be doing during that time. He wasn’t at all surprised with her choice of activity. It seemed like the older she and Kankuro got, the more childishly competitive they got with each other. 

“Meanwhile, you go to that little park near the Council’s hall - you know, the one with the training ground? They have these tables set up for old people like you to play shogi on, so you camp out there and play a few games against your fellow elderly men as they leave their musty offices.”

“All this talk about my age.” He groaned, though there was no real aggravation in it, he’s still too pleased with the idea of spending half his day in bed followed by a late afternoon full of shogi. “Which one of us is older here?”

Temari pinches the side of his stomach, jiggling it a bit. “Remember when there was no fat here?” She retorted.

“Hey!”

“Anyways,” She went on without a care. “I come pick you up at around six. We take a nice walk through the town market - I can’t have you get too out of shape - and then go out for dinner at a different place than the day before.”

After a minute, when Temari didn’t say anything else, Shikamaru peeked an eye open. His wife was staring off into space, an unusually soft look on her face. 

“Temari,” he called quietly. “What next?”

She blinked and turned to look at him, the small smile growing into his favorite toothy grin. “Next? We take a much slower, long walk through the dunes on the east side of the village.” She laced her fingers through his. “We hold hands, talk about our day, make fun of each other, reminisce about when we were younger... then go home.”

“And then we sleep?” Shikamaru asked, closing his eyes again as he imagined this perfect scenario. 

All the day-dreaming was lulling him to sleep, and wife’s soothingly husky voice wasn’t helping for that matter. 

He felt Temari settle closer to him. “Well. First we have great sex again, and then we sleep.”

Shikamaru laughed, his eyes shooting open. Sleep, shogi, and sex. His wife really did love him.

Temari was smiling down at him, her loose hair obscuring some of his sight. “And the next day we do it all over again.” She finished, and closed the distance between them with a kiss. 

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body half on his. He sighed happily, murmuring in her ear. “It would be... amazing, to live like that. With you.” 

“It will be.” Temari corrected him, leaning above him again. “That’s going to be our future; I’ll make sure of it.” 

He loved the determination and commitment in her words. While he was more than happy with how their life was now, it felt good to know that she was planning for the rest of their lives already. 

“Of course, it’s going to be a looong while before it becomes a reality. And not just because of your duty to our dear Hokage.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Wanna know why?” 

Shikamaru blinked at her. He wasn’t sure if he liked that look in her eyes. In fact, he was hoping she would join him for the nap he was about to take - all the thinking and imagining had really tired him out. Still, he played along a little longer. “...Why?”

Temari pressed a finger to his lips. “Just wait and listen.” She rested her head next to his, and they lay in silence for 3, 2, 1...

“Mom! Ayuna is being a little brat again!”

“No I’m not! Dad!”

Temari shook her head at their children’s yells. “That’s why.” The fondness in her voice gave away her true feelings on the interruption, though. 

Shikamaru groaned, trying to sink deeper into his pillow. He should have known. His life had been going peacefully for far too long. 

His wife noticed his discomfort and just laughed. She patted his arm. “And who wanted to be a father?” She said mockingly.

“Temari, I love our kids. Very much.” He sighed loudly. “But you practically had me in a genjutsu for the past half hour, so I’m going to need a minute.” 

Temari threw her head back and laughed, obviously pleased with herself. She sat up and started to slide off the bed. 

“Take your time. I know I’m pretty powerful.” She shot over her shoulder, her hand trailing on the doorframe as she disappeared down the hall. 

Shikamaru stayed where he was sinking into the mattress, just listening to the distant sounds of his family’s chatter. He heard the back door to the porch slide open and closed as the laughter faded. 

All of a sudden, the urge to sleep for the next couple days wasn’t that strong anymore. 

Those dreams of a simple life weren’t so far away - they were just outside.

Shikamaru set his feet on the floor and got out of bed.

[diagonal-queen]

Concept: Chuuya being the one who recruits you into the mafia and he gives you his choker when you join

Welcome Gift

♡ pairing: Chuuya Nakahara x gn!reader

♡ synopsis: "It's tradition in the Port Mafia that the person who recruits a new member is responsible for their wellbeing. To symbolise that, they hand down one of their belongings."

♡ wc: 1.25k

♡ cw: Swearing, and I made Chuuya and reader friends before reader joined the Mafia, hope that's okay ❤︎

note: You can't possibly expect me to see a prompt like this and NOT write it. Thanks anon ♡︵(ゝ。∂) sorry it took so long and apologies for spelling/grammar errors

To be honest, you assumed that your official induction to the Port Mafia would contain a plethora of trials and tribulations to determine your strength, resolve, and perhaps the darker aspects of your character. You'd had the idea that you might be asked to prove loyalty by committing a crime, whether that be killing someone or something equally heinous.

No. Absolutely none of that happened.

Apparently, when you're friends with a mafia executive, it's as simple as just asking them to work there. Such was your case, at least, being close with the infamous Port Mafia executive Chuuya Nakahara. 'Close', in theory, was supposed to be code for 'in a relationship', but the 'friends' aspect was certainly throwing a wrench into that plan. Perhaps by joining the mafia you could get closer to Chuuya? You always knew how important to him his work was.

To your luck, Chuuya was happy to take you in as one of his subordinates and act as your guide to organised crime. You'd initially wondered how he would be testing you to see if you were a good fit for the occupation, but that time never came. Instead, you were called and asked to meet with him to go over a few basic rules so he wouldn't 'find your ass in a dumpster on day one'. Those were his words, and you had initially scoffed at them.

"How do I get other people to respect me? I don't think I'm that scary," you asked. This was not the first question but rather one of many you'd been asking Chuuya during your slow evening wander around what you supposed was the wide expanse of the Port Mafia's turf. The size of the area you'd travelled so far led you to believe that perhaps you may have been biting off more than you could chew with this new job. Clearly, the Port Mafia didn't fuck around.

"Well, you're a mafia underling now, but more importantly you're my subordinate. People who know me are gonna respect the people I recruit. In fact, you'll probably eventually have troops of your own."

"Ooh, like henchmen?" You asked.

"No- this is the actual mafia, not a Saturday morning cartoon," he shook his head. "Listen. Being part of the Port Mafia is serious business. I know you're not stupid, but just try not to be too...friendly with people you don't know."

At that point you weren't really sure if there actually was anyone you didn't know in the Mafia. Of course, you'd never known anyone in real life aside from Chuuya, but he'd already gone through all the important ones. The other executives, Akutagawa, the Black Lizard, and even the boss himself whom you were still quite terrified of meeting.

"I'm gonna be fine. It's not like I won't have you to protect me anymore," you grinned, nudging his arm. He didn't return the smile. "Don't worry about me, Chuuya! I'm gonna be alright."

"You're too optimistic, Y/N," replied Chuuya who continued his stroll. You quickly shuffled to catch up with him.

"I'll do my best. I promise." You told him firmly. He let out a sigh. You continued to walk alongside the mafioso quietly, wondering what exactly was going through his head. You had thought that you were the only one who had your concerns with this job, as much as you tried to conceal them. Did he really care about you so much that he'd worry like that?

"Oh, right, I almost forgot about this." Chuuya stopped and turned to face you. "There's a tradition here, where the person who recruits you gives you something of theirs which represents that they're responsible for you. It's how I got this," he explained, jerking a lazy thumb towards his hat.

"...you weren't born with it?" You asked, and Chuuya rolled his eyes. "I was joking!"

"Very fuckin' funny, Y/N. Anyway, this means that I now give you something as a new member of the Port Mafia, which will be..."

You were about to say something but stopped as you eyed his next movements; that is, him removing his choker from his neck and presenting it to you. You stared at it, almost in awe.

"...your choker?"

"Your choker," he corrected, and you glanced up at him. He was giving you a reassuring smile. You shook your head.

"I can't take this- no, it's important to you."

"...that's why I'm giving it to you, Y/N," Chuuya replied, cocking an eyebrow. "That's kind of the point."

"Are you sure?" You hesitantly queried, reaching out and nervously taking the choker from his gloved hand. It felt warm. "Because you know, you look really cool with this thing..."

Chuuya let out a snicker as you examined the new accessory. "How flattering. But I'm sure." After hearing that, you eventually hummed in acknowledgement and began to put on the choker. Or, at least you tried to. It turns out that putting something on your neck without being able to see it is quite difficult.

"You need help?" Chuuya asked after a moment of silence.

"Well, yeah. I don't have a mirror, Chuuya. Or, are you like, Mr. Nakahara now that you're my boss?"

"Fuck no," he answered, and you laughed. Chuuya took the choker from you and began to fasten it around your neck. In your close proximity, you could almost feel his breath on you each time he exhaled. You were worried that perhaps if he focused hard enough he would be able to hear your rapidly beating heart.

"Not too tight?" He suddenly asked as he carefully adjusted the choker.

"Nope." Could he notice your nerves? If he could, he wasn't showing it.

"Right, there we go. You look great." Chuuya took a step back and examined you, now clad in his choker. Your hand travelled to your neck and brushed against the black choker.

"I do?"

"Yeah- it suits you." He smiled. You didn't know what to say, bashfully casting your eyes to the ground. "Are you blushing at me? C'mon, now."

"What? I'm not...!" Your hands flew up to your face, which was admittedly pretty hot, as Chuuya leaned forward and eyed you roguishly. "Oh, maybe I am..."

"Don't let anyone else see you do that, alright?" He warned you, though he was still giving you a cheeky smile. "You keep this between you and I."

"Y-yeah..." you nodded. You figured that he was right- getting embarrassed so easily wasn't very mafia-like. But it almost seemed as if he were purposely trying to tease you. "But you know, people are gonna see me wearing the choker."

"Again, that is kind of the point of it all, Y/N." He told you as he straightened.

"Yeah, but I'm probably gonna blush about it again if anyone asks!" You exclaimed. "It's essentially a piece of jewellery. People might start thinking we're a couple or something."

Chuuya bit his lip. Then he shrugged.

"And?"

You opened your mouth to say something but quickly closed it. Dumbstruck, you couldn't think of a way to answer him. You truly couldn't tell if he was joking, apathetic, or if that was actually supposed to be some sort of confession. Chuuya sighed in amusement, before patting you on the shoulder and continuing to stroll past you. You turned to see him walk a few feet further, before stopping.

"You know what? I think you're gonna do just fine with me." He turned his head and beamed at you. "Welcome to the Port Mafia, Y/N."

i love chuuya ( 〃▽〃)

[moonlightspencie]

hustlin’ for the good life

part 9 of ‘the sweetest con’

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

A/N: AHHHHH it gets lightly spicy i am once again fully simping for aaron hotchner

<- PART 8

I sat at my desk, replaying the kiss from last night over and over and over.

And over again.

It was hard to get work done when she was all I could think about. Until a less-than-pleasant thought stemmed from our interaction.

We couldn’t let anyone know about us yet. If there even was an official “us” to talk about. I realized that I really should take her on a real date.

But first, I needed to talk to her about our situation. Few things would be worse than rumors flying about me supposedly fooling around with a subordinate. The team becoming suspicious after the night I fell asleep at her place was bad enough as is. I needed to take some kind of initiative in talking to her about it.

“Y/L/N,” I called from my doorway. “Can you meet me in my office, please?”

She looked up at me with wide eyes, presumably because she thought she’d done something wrong. I heard the jeers from the others as she came up the steps, and I decided to flash a tight smile so that, hopefully, they’d all get the hint that it wasn’t trouble.

I closed the door after her as she walked in, moving to sit at my desk as she took her usual seat in front of me.

“What’s up?” she asked, trying not to sound nervous.

I smiled softly, and could see her shoulders physically dropping as she eased the tension in her body.

“I just think we need to talk.”

She raised a brow. “About…?”

“Us. Especially us at work.”

She stared, and I realized I needed to be more clear.

“I want to make sure we’re on the same page about boundaries at work,” I started, leaning in a little over my desk. “Frankly, it would be frowned upon to start a relationship, so I’d prefer we didn’t tell anyone unless this becomes more serious.”

She smiled. “I know you’re in boss-mode right now, but you do realize we’re alone, right? It’s just me.”

I let out a breath. “I know. I’m just—”

“Nervous?” she inquired, though she didn’t really mean it as a question. “Don’t worry. I’ll refrain from checking you out in front of the others.”

She laughed lightly, especially as I reacted with raised brows.

“Really? You check me out?”

“Should I remind you that I kissed you first last night?”

I felt my cheeks heat up at that memory.

“Trust me, I remember it well.”

She smirked to herself.

“Good,” she said simply.

“So, everything is okay? You’re fine with being careful about this?”

“Hotch, I—”

“Aaron.”

“What?” she laughed.

“You said it: we’re alone,” I countered.

“Okay, Aaron, like I was trying to say, I am more than okay with being cautious. This is obviously very new and we’re probably better off not taking a bunch of risks.”

I let out a slow breath, nodding. Relief washed over me as I realized I had nothing to worry about in the first place. Of course she’d understand.

“However,” she started up, “I think you’re the one that needs to reel it in. I’m getting a lot more inquiries about your behavior than mine.”

“From who?”

“Everyone,” she said with a laugh. “Big, bad boss-man has been caught spaced out and smiling more often than usual.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, shaking my head.

“Get back to work,” I stated playfully.

She stood, smiling to herself as the gears turned in her head. She looked at me briefly before moving towards the door.

“I think you just like to see me bent over my desk.”

My whole body heated up at that insinuation. I was glad she left without checking my reaction, because I certainly felt like a teenage boy again with the way my face went red. On top of some other rushes of blood. I cleared my throat, and tried clearing my head of that very vivid image, preparing to finish the day.

Maybe I could make that date happen sooner rather than later. She certainly wasn’t holding back interest anymore. She also must’ve been spending too much time with Penelope.

The day went by unbearably slowly, and just as I was nearly wishing for a case around mid-day, JJ walked in with a sense of urgency.

My wish for a case felt like a terrible thing to want in hindsight. I certainly felt that on my chest as we flew through the sky in order to try and save two teenage girls from an abductor.

“How did neither of their parents realize they were missing? It’s been three days,” Reid said, looking through the file again.

“You’d be surprised,” Prentiss stated, seemingly unaffected by Reid’s shock. “The things I got up to as a kid when my parents thought I was staying with a friend… If they’d have known, I’d have been dead.”

Morgan laughed at that, “I’m sure you were a wild-child.”

She snorted a laugh, and Y/N lit up alongside her. I forced myself not to let my gaze linger on her.

Play it cool.

“Wait,” Y/N said suddenly, looking at her phone. “I had Garcia check some local records to see if anything like this had happened before, and, as always, I was right on the money.”

Rossi laughed. “Always?”

“Close enough,” she stated with a smile. “Anyways, there were two girls abducted just like this about 13 years ago. They were found two weeks later in a local river, no leads ever picked up. However, they were slightly older so there was less of a search since everyone assumed they’d gone on a trip together or something. They were 18 and 19.”

“That’ll be a good place to start,” I stated, nodding at her. “Have Garcia dig up as much information on that case as she can. When we touch down, you and I can meet with the parents of our victims first. Morgan and Prentiss, I want you to check out the abduction site. Dave, JJ, and Spencer, head to the precinct and start setting up there what you need to.”

They all nodded, though I couldn’t help but notice the small smile on her face when I separated us from the others. It was a struggle not to smile right back.

When we started in on the case, it was much easier not to be smiling. Especially after spending plenty of time with parents who were seemingly already grieving their daughters. At minimum, they were taking it extremely hard that they hadn’t realized sooner they were missing. It was hard to comfort someone who insisted they had somehow caused a horrible tragedy.

Y/N tried anyways.

It didn’t necessarily work, but we could at least leave the parents with a promise that there’s nothing they could have done different. We could certainly be sure neither couple had anything to do with it.

It was a grueling case with little good news to keep us going throughout.

Until Garcia called in to save the day.

We strapped on our vests, rushing into the boat house with little resistance once Derek tackled our unsub. If anything, we could be glad that we saved the two girls and potentially anyone else who might have been victimized in the future. As hard as it had been, it was a gratifying end to the case.

“Thank goodness,” Y/N breathed out, standing next to me as we waiting at the SUV for the others.

“I’m glad it’s over,” I said, leaning against the car with my arms crossed. “Glad we saved them, actually.”

She hummed in agreement, watching me.

“This is a bad time, I know, but I just want to say that you look really good right now,” she said quietly.

I snorted a laugh. “It is a bad time.”

She smiled softly, leaning against the car next to me. Her arm brushed mine.

“But thank you,” I said at last.

She laughed a little. “Any time, Hotchner. Something about that vest on you. And the arms being out. And the fact—”

“I thought you said you wouldn’t check me out during work?”

“I said I wouldn’t do it in front of the others. It’s just you and me right now.”

She smiled, proud of herself. I shook my head.

“Alright. Glad to know our mandatory safety measures do it for you.”

She laughed fully at that. “What can I say, it’s a good look on you.”

I sighed, looking out over the water as the soft buzz of the others finishing up with the locals provided a kind of white noise. The sound of her soft breathing next to me provided a sense of calm.

“Can I ask a question that is also definitely inappropriate for the situation?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“When we get back home would you consider going on a date with me?”

She looked at me with a sweet smile.

“I’d love to.”

In seconds we were surrounded by our team members again, everyone wanting nothing more than to get home. I told them all we’d take a personal day the next day, partially for their sake and partially for myself.

I went to my office when we touched down, starting on all of the paperwork for the night. An hour or so later, I heard a knock on my door.

“Hey,” she greeted, closing the door behind her as she walked in. “How are you doing?”

“Tired,” I stated with a partial smile. “You?”

“Same here,” she said, then sunk into the seat across from me. “So, did you really give everyone the day off just for a date, or were you just planning on sleeping the day away?”

I smiled, feeling found out.

“Would tomorrow be okay?”

“It would. Where do you want to go?”

I set down my pen at last, giving her my full attention. I leaned forward, arms resting on my desktop.

“That’s a surprise. It will have to wait until after I see Jack, though. I promised him we’d go get ice cream when I got back.”

“That’s fine,” she smiled. “What time are you thinking?”

“Maybe around five, if that’s okay?”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling seemingly more than usual.

“That sounds great.”

I looked at her for a moment, not yet breaking our eye contact until I noticed her tongue dart out to wet her lips.

“You’re gorgeous,” I mumbled, unable to stop looking at her.

She suddenly looked shy.

“Aaron—”

“After what you said to me the other day, a little something about you and your desk, you are not allowed to act all coy,” I stated with a smile.

She smiled, “You got me there.”

“I mean it, though. It’s hard not to stare.”

“You’re one to talk. I don’t know how I didn’t fall for you the second I met you.”

I snorted. “You flatter me.”

She stood suddenly, circling my desk to stand almost fully in front of me. I looked up at her, then glanced into the bullpen.

“Everyone went home a while ago.”

I swallowed, nodding my head. I reached out for her hand, rubbing my thumb over the top of her hand. She lifted her other hand, rubbing her fingers through my hair. I looked up at her in time to see her getting closer. I instinctively moved in, close enough to breathe her in.

“We shouldn’t,” she said softly.

I nodded. “We shouldn’t.”

My lips pressed to hers, the hand in my hair pulling lightly. I breathed deep, pulling her closer and closer until I stood, practically flush against her. I felt her smile against my lips as my arms snaked around her waist. She threw her arms around my neck, moaning softly as my tongue delved into her mouth.

She kissed back with the same passion, pressing her entire body into mine. I couldn’t help but let a small laugh escape me after a few minutes. She pulled back slightly.

“What?” she asked with a smile.

She looked a little tousled. Her lips were pink and slightly swollen, and her eyes were dark and wide as she looked at me. My heart beat faster in that moment.

“We’re making out in my office,” I said simply, the smile stuck on my face.

“We are,” she nodded. “Can we keep going, or?”

I kissed her briefly. “How about we save the rest of this for someplace a little more private?”

She chewed at her lip, nodding softly. I bid her goodnight after a few more soft kisses and quiet conversation, having a very hard time letting her go when the time came.

The next day couldn’t come fast enough.

I woke up early, picking up Jack as soon as I could. We spent much of the day together, doing pretty much whatever he wanted to. I knew I needed to have more structure and boundaries when it came to him, but after a hard case I frankly didn’t care. I just wanted to make him happy.

“Do I gotta go?” he whined as I put his jacket on.

I sighed, rubbing his little arms as I was crouched in front of him.

“Yeah, buddy. You gotta get back to mommy for the night. I promise you’ll stay and sleep here for the whole night soon, though, okay?”

He nodded, falling into me for a hug. I held him for a long time, not wanting to let him go. But, Haley showed up soon enough.

“Great, so you filled him with sugar before sending him home? Nice,” she said, bitterness in her voice after I told her we’d gotten ice cream.

“I promised him days ago.”

“Right. And you always follow through on promises.”

I stared a moment, holding myself back from an unnecessary argument. I looked at Jack.

“Hey, I love you, buddy,” I crouched down again. “Be good for mom, okay?”

He nodded, holding onto her hand. I kissed his soft little cheek, bidding them a goodnight.

I wandered back into my apartment, letting out a heavy breath. I hoped arguments would be over when the divorce finalized, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was exhausting.

I sat on the couch for a while, trying to put all of that out of my head. After all, I had a great day with my son. I was going to have a great night with my…

Oh no.

I sat up, suddenly nervous. It hadn’t yet occurred to me that this was a real date. All of the apprehension I would usually feel for days beforehand hit me at once, and I started frantically getting ready. My head was a scramble as I moved around my apartment, getting ready with as much calm as I could manage.

Soon enough, I was walking up to the door of her apartment. I knocked, swallowing as my heart pounded in my chest. She opened the door after a moment, smiling brightly at me.

She wore a dress I hadn’t seen yet before, and it was absolutely stunning. She was stunning.

“I hope this is okay,” she said, gesturing at the outfit. “I wasn’t sure what to wear.”

“Y-you’re beautiful. It’s— It’s perfect,” I said, stuttering as I tried speaking.

Her eyes softened. “Are you nervous?”

“I’m never nervous,” I said, hoping she’d take the joke and drop the subject.

She didn’t.

“You don’t need to be. It’s just me.”

“But it’s a date.”

She raised a brow. “Not much different than us building a table in your living room. It’s just that we can kiss now.”

I smiled.

She kept on, “And when your ass looks good, I’m not scared to actually look now.”

I blushed again. “Okay, let’s get going.”

She closed and locked the door behind her, taking my hand in hers as we walked down the hall together.

NEXT PART ->

—————

Aaron Hotchner Taglist:

@mrs-ssa-hotch @hyunjaebaby @ssamorganhotchner @criminalskies @simp4olderm3n @sbeno22 @a-cloud-for-dreams @igotbannedfromtheasylum

the sweetest con taglist:

@evee87 @spottedzebrasinpartyhats @rousethemouse @lalalove-56 @comfortzonequeen

[starlightshadowsworld]

A lot of shows and stuff try to convince me that insert group are a family.

When really they aren't.

And it's something Bungo stray dogs has managed to accomplish.

The Detective Agency feels like a family.

Everyone but Noami and Junichiro were against saving Atsushi until Fukuzawa ordered them too.

Saying Atsushi is one of them, he is family and that's all the reasoning they need to save him.

And I thought that's were this ends, they'll remain as coworkers.

But they don't.

Kunikida and Atsushi choose against going with everyone on the murder Mori express and it doesn't cause an argument.

Doesn't cause any divide between them.

Ranpo, the one arguably taking this whole thing the worst, is reaffirming Kunikida's ideals and that he's the best of them.

He extends an olive branch to Atsushi so he can contribute in a meaningful way and not feel like a burden.

Even against the entire Port Mafia, with the stakes this high, the Agency sticks together.

Kunikida and Dazai are constantly at each other's throats, and yet they care about each other so much.

To the point Kunikida doesn't know what he'll do without him. That without Dazai I can't even face the Port Mafia, nevermind this threat.

And the first thing Dazai says to Sigma upon his release is that he missed having Kunikida around.

Kyouka wasn't even an official member, the city was going to be destroyed and Dazai spent the time telling her that people can change.

So that she'd pass her entrance exam and could survive.

In the Manga after Fukuzawa agrees to take Kyouka in, the police Detective comes in for a job and wonders if Kyouka is the killer they're after.

Atsushi makes up a story and when that doesn't do it, Fukuzawa straight up says she's his grand-daughter.

All this seconds after she becomes one of them.

Junichiro in his first mission with Atsushi, gets injured and tries to get him to leave them behind.

To save himself.

Kenji enters his rage state after Tecchou tells him that Atsushi is going to be tortured.

Fukuzawa literally breaks his own vow to work alone, every single time he recruits someone.

They are a family.

And it's not just them.

Kouyou was genuinely worried about Kyouka leaving the Port Mafia because she knows how it ended when she tried to leave.

She doesn't want the same fate for her.

Higuichi and the black lizards essentially defy orders to go rescue Akutugawa.

Because they care that much for him.

The scene of Kouyou, Chuuya and Mori drinking one of Chuuya's expensive treasured wines after saving the city really hits that home for me.

And that's without touching on Chuuya and Dazai's relationship, both in and out of the Port Mafia.

There's a lot of jibes, a lot of insults and a lot of care and trust.

And with family being such a theme, it makes me wonder if the two organisations that fell apart, were in part because they weren't a family.

The Guild and the Hunting Dogs.

Both organisations where everyone was essentially coworkers.

Lucy was dropped the minute she wasn't seen as useful anymore, becoming a traitor when she bonded with Atsushi.

Poe didn't care for the Guild, he just wanted to meet Ranpo.

Fitzgerald had a family he wanted to save (funny how he's the strongest member) and saw anyone else as pawns.

Nathaniel... Is fucking crazy but went off the deep end because he truly cared for Margaret and couldn't exist in an organisation he believes used her.

Leaving behind Fitzgerald and Louisa, who's bond becomes a lot more than simply a boss and his subordinate.

They genuinely care for each other and it's their teamwork that allows Fitzgerald to possess the eyes of God surveillance company.

As for the Hunting Dogs, Fukuchi wanted a team of soilders and realised too late they were more than that.

Tecchou throws aside justice to find Jouno.

Jouno found what it felt to care and help others and that fundamentally changed him.

Tachihara cares for them but he found his family and his place in Port Mafia.

He was able to go of his revenge for his brother, because he had already gained what he lost. He didn't need to keep hurting and hunting anymore.

One by one they all turn on Fukuchi, a man who believes in sacrificing 500 people to potentially save thousands.

He sees them as simply pawns, a means to an end and they turn their backs on him.

Breaking the hunting dogs and his rouse apart.

The irony being Fitzgerald was doing all of this for his wife and Fukuchi was doing it all for Fukuzawa.

... Idk if any of this makes sense but yeah 😅

[addictedtostorytelling]

i’m sure you’ve written about this before, but i would love your perspective on the age-gap between GSR - not in a ‘is it good or bad?’ sense, just in how it affects their relationship.

because on one hand, i think that on a day-to-day basis they don’t think about it at all. (particularly once we reach the end of the show, when sara is in her mid 40s and grissom in his late fifties, the difference is pretty much negligible). but on the other, we have sara saying she ‘looks for validation in inappropriate places’ and grissom’s ‘younger woman’ monologue in butterflied. when they meet she’s a student and he’s a professor; then later on he’s the boss and she’s the subordinate.

personally to me GSR is much more a ‘kindred spirits’ relationship than a ‘the boss and the hot young woman’ relationship but at the same time that fifteen-year difference is definitely there. i’m just interested in how you feel that informs - or doesn’t inform - their whole relationship.

hi, anon!

so i have two different metas that touch on the age gap issue:

this one conjectures on whether or not the age gap plays a role in grissom’s initial reluctance to be with sara.

this one considers whether or not the age gap is ever a problem once grissom and sara are actually together.

more discussion after the "keep reading," if you're interested.

__

to answer your question more specifically:

i, like you, tend to believe the age gap plays more of a role in their dynamic before they get together than it does once they’re actually a couple.

as discussed in the posts linked above, i think prior to when they start dating, sara is somewhat concerned grissom will look down on her for being “immature,” and she is so largely because she misjudges grissom’s level of romantic/sexual experience, based on his age. she sees him as this dashing, worldly older man who knows his way around the block and worries she will come across as some naïve, young ingénue by comparison. she doesn’t want grissom to think she doesn’t know what she’s doing, which is why she uncomplainingly tolerates a lot of his more maddening behaviors (and particularly his chronic unwillingness to commit)—i.e., for the sake of convincing him she’s “cool” and can “keep up.”

meanwhile, on grissom’s side of things, he does harbor fears about how his and sara’s age gap might affect her willingness to stay with him in the long term, were they ever to get together. while he is fairly assured of her feelings for him at present, when they’re officially unattached—because she’s not exactly quiet about them, after all—he can’t help but wonder what might happen if he and sara actually were to end up as a committed couple someday. sure, she may be fine with the idea of being with an older man now, when he’s in his forties, but what about as he ages? as a twenty- and thirtysomething, issues like declining health and mobility probably aren’t even really on sara’s radar at the moment, but grissom worries someday they might have to be, on his account. particularly as he grapples with hearing loss during s2/s3, he can’t help but picture a day when he is elderly and potentially disabled and sara is still middle-aged and on-the-go. how would she react if he could no longer keep up with her? would she still want him then? and especially if there were things she might want in her life he (due to age) might be unable to give her—like children or adventure or even just an active lifestyle? he has always been afraid if sara gets close to him, she will eventually recognize his inadequacies and her love for him will cool, and his concerns about his age definitely factor in to that fear for him.

*cue lana del rey singing “will you still love me when i'm no longer young and beautiful?” here*

of course, in addition to their hang-ups regarding how the age gap might affect any potential relationship between them from within, i also believe, prior to getting together, they—and i'm talking 99% about grissom here—have some concerns about how it also might come into play from without, specifically in terms of optics.

grissom knows how older men dating women young enough to be their daughters tend to be looked at by society at large, so while he is himself no larry king or mick jagger, he’s fearful he might be seen as one, were he and sara to get together. (just check out his wince when catherine and brass’s mockery of the may-december couple in episode 03x03 “let the seller beware” hits a bit too close to home for him.) he’s also aware of how such a relationship might negatively affect sara’s reputation, especially on a professional level, and is loath to subject her to that particular brand of slander.

while on sara’s end of things, she is less concerned with “how things appear,” she also isn’t entirely oblivious to the fact grissom does care about that kind of stuff, especially after she overhears his monologue at the end of episode 04x12 “butterflied” and so has to care herself by proxy; she gets he has some serious inhibitions about being with a younger woman, which makes her somewhat cautious about how she might be perceived in relation to him on his behalf—which is at least part of why she is willing to keep their relationship on the dl for so long once they finally do get together (i.e., to spare him of having to confront his fears for her sake).

of course, all of the above said, i think these fears are eventually allayed for the both of them.

in sara’s case, she gets over her fears of being "too green for grissom" because she finally realizes where grissom is concerned, his age does not necessarily translate to experience. while he may have fifteen years on her, he isn’t at all the don juan she had initially imagined him to be. just as she has to this point never had a serious long-term relationship, neither has he.

hell, he may even have less sexual experience than she does!

hearing his confession to dr. lurie during episode 04x12 “butterflied” offers her some first hints as to the fact he has no more idea what he’s doing in love than she does, but, frankly, i think the thing which really helps her to place her old misconceptions regarding him to bed is simply just being with him, for realsies.

once she finally starts seeing him up close (and especially in intimate contexts), i think baby girl finally realizes just how artless grissom is when it comes to romance, and contrary to what he might fear, she isn’t disappointed by his general lack of experience but rather charmed by it and even relieved. for so long, she had thought he was playing chess while she was playing checkers, but now she realizes he was never really (purposefully) playing any game at all; he was just fumbling along.

and upon coming to that conclusion, i think she is no longer daunted by him being older because, frankly, it doesn’t matter—because it’s not like he has had decades and decades of experiences she hasn’t. he is literally just figuring things out in real time alongside her, which is very comforting to know.

then, on grissom’s side of things, i think the thing which helps him overcome his fears about sara potentially rejecting him once he becomes “too old for her” is just her dogged persistence in wanting to be with him and the passage of time.

after so many years of them working together and her continually pursuing him, it becomes clear to grissom hers is not just a passing interest. she’s not just a young woman infatuated with her former teacher—which, side note, he was never her actual professor, just the guy who ran a seminar she attended at a professional conference—and her attraction to him isn’t based in ignorance of who he really is or what he can (and cannot) offer.

while he had always feared the more she got to know him, the less she would like him, the opposite is true. she spends 5+ years in vegas looking at him with eyes wide open, seeing all of his flaws and failings up close, watching him age in real time, and her desire for him never diminishes but rather grows into a deep, grounded love; one which compels her to stick with him, even when he has been less than at his best within her view many, many times over. the fact she sticks around that way finally after many years convinces grissom she knows what she’s getting into and will face the future by his side, whatever it may hold.

as for his concerns about what others may think of the age gap, i think grissom forgets them around the same time he realizes he cares more about making sara happy than he does about anything else—i.e., circa the events of episode 05x13 “nesting dolls.” at that point, he just seems to make an active decision he no longer cares about what being with sara might do to his career and/or reputation; all he cares about is showing her the love she deserves, regardless of what anyone else may say, you know? furthermore, since she doesn't seem to care about how a relationship between them might affect her reputation and is willing to accept whatever consequences there are, he follows her lead.

of course, it does also help matters that for the first few years he and sara are together, their relationship remains a secret at work, so they don’t actually face any scrutiny down those (or any) lines from their coworkers—and by the time they finally do make their relationship public, he’s already largely over the whole issue, no longer bothered by it because he’s so blissfully happy being with sara, no matter what anyone else thinks.

as for how the age gap actually comes into play once grissom and sara are together, as stated above, 90% of the time, i don’t think it factors in at all—aside from maybe in the form of some good-natured intergenerational teasing, of the kind we see in episode 07x02 “built to kill” pt. ii.

while grissom and sara may occasionally have different frames of reference for pop culture, honestly, all other age-related discrepancies in their relationship are fairly negligible. between grissom being a something of a social novice for his age and sara being an old soul for hers, they meet up fairly nicely in the middle. though they may occasionally discuss variances in his upbringing in the 60s vs. hers in the 70s and 80s in an anthropological way, they’re squared enough on their worldviews, politics, life philosophies, core values, interests, hobbies, etc., regardless of generation or age, they just generally align.

the only place i can ever see the age gap as being at all more of a pressing issue between them is in terms of their future planning and some difficult conversations they may end up having to have.

while all spouses regardless of age should talk about issues like power of attorney, advance directives, organ donation, end of life and palliative care wishes, life insurance, funerary and burial preferences, legal wills, etc., for may-december couples like grissom and sara, those discussions can take on an air of urgency and even inevitability that can be difficult to swallow, especially for the younger partner.

grissom is pragmatic enough i'm sure he’d want sara to be prepared for what might be waiting around the corner for them, in terms of his health and life expectancy. however, i can’t imagine it’d be very easy for sara to talk about those eventualities with him, and especially not in a brass-tacks kind of “here are my wishes and here’s what i'm leaving you and here’s what i hope for you once i'm gone” kind of way.

while she manages to deflect away from the topic at the end of episode 06x24 “way to go” deftly enough (“i'm not ready to say goodbye”), there would come a point when grissom would want to sit down and actually talk though the ins and outs, and she might have a very hard time reckoning with some of what he has to say to her, even though she knows—on a logical level—what he’s saying is all valid.

the same might also be true to a lesser degree when the time comes to discuss grissom's retirement. of course, he's long gotten out of the csi game, but what about when he's ready to stop being an active conservationist (and particularly given the job is integral to his and sara's seafaring lifestyle)? would she still want to keep working after he called things quits once and for all? or would she take an early retirement with him? if she didn't retire with him, how would such an arrangement work?

of course, it's never quite clear how grissom and sara make money on the ishmael, but there are practical concerns to consider regarding savings and having enough to live on not just for the rest of his life but hers.

likewise, given the rigors of seagoing, they might also have to mull moving inland at some point, depending on grissom's health.

outside of those few and far between “tough talks,” though, i think most of the time, grissom and sara pay little mind to their age gap overall and are probably only really reminded of it when others perhaps react to it—which, honestly, most likely happens less and less the older they both get, and especially sara.

like you say, especially by the time sara is in her fifties, i think the difference not only feels insignificant to them on the inside of their relationship but also looks insignificant to onlookers on the outside, too.

though the gap might eventually come more to bear as grissom ages, i think for a long, long time, it's just a nonfactor—something to occasionally smirk about but on the whole infinitely less important than someone uninitiated might suppose.

fifteen years or no, they're just so intensely compatible with each other, the time doesn't really much matter.

soulmates are forever.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Clumsy Brat.

Yandere! Human Colonel Miles Quaritch x Female Mutant Scientist Reader. 

Set in Avatar 2009.

Hell's Gate Base.

The Colonel was trying to meet you officially but fate would always fuck with him and make him a fool. Now, you came to him in an unexpected way. Not that he was complaining.

Warning: Huge Age Gap. Much older man and younger lady. Unhealthy love and obsession. Yandere. Mean spirited Quaritch. Trouble prone and Naive Reader. 

Beautiful was an understatement. Perfection and Ethereal along with the word surreal was what described you. 

The youngest mutant woman at the base under Parker Selfridge who never met the Head of Security. It pained the man’s cold stone heart that you didn't know he existed. 

He blamed you but he knew he shouldn't. He met many soldiers and others who went to Avatar training in the orientation room.

Never Coal Miners or those loser Science Pukes. 

That was why Quaritch was shocked he never saw you before. He would have noticed you. How could he not? You stood out like a sore thumb.

But thanks to all the unwanted attention, you were obviously scared and would hide from the majority of men. Including him. 

Oh, he didn't like that one bit. 

You looked as if you feared you would be assaulted. He didn't blame you…. Not this time.

You should be in his arms of the most powerful man in the base. 

He would protect you till the day he dies. 

He tried to accidentally meet you. But somehow, life would be a bitch and interrupt. 

His subordinates would cause fights and act unruly. 

His dumb leader of a boss would need his help to correct his mistakes. 

Or he gets last notice to pull a double shift for his work. 

You would always escape him. Getting desperate, he was tempted to kick your room door down and fuck you mercilessly against the wall. 

Punish his spoiled kitten for teasing her master.

Making him a simp. 

The leader of the Pandora Marines.

Always annoying him 24/7. Daydreaming and sleeping about you. 

A damn pathetic fool he became. For a weak woman. Who looked like she can't even run around the perimeter of the base. Unfit. Not athletic. 

You will pay for that. 

Maybe degrading you might make the Colonel forgive you. 

Should he make you suck his dick?

Record you with him then send it to your elderly father?

Chain you naked in his room begging for food?

Not a bad idea. He grinned to himself. 

He was in the hallways and saw you. Your lithe back was towards him. You appeared to be organizing the cabinet of one of the science labs. 

The Colonel saw cans of food inside the trash bin he was standing next to. Before he could step towards you. He didn't have time to see the heavy yet small jar of chutney which landed on his nose. 

The pain was hell. Quaritch felt his eyes tear up from the sensitive abuse of his nostrils. Blood rained down as he grunted from the awful feeling. 

 

In confusion, you looked over your shoulder and saw a muscular blonde man in a marine uniform on the floor clutching his bloody nose.

“Oh, my Gosh!” You ran to him. You tried to help him stand back up on his feet.

You kneeled down to his level but your knee hit his already injured nose. The man was knocked down to the ground. 

Holy Shit. 

You killed him.

AU: Should I get a part Two?

[sitp-recs]

Anime Recs Pt 3

Hello hello! I’ve been sick on and off this month and had a blast revisiting my fave anime for this rec series. Following the queer friendly list and the sports anime list, I finally bring a selection of BL (boys love) titles. Most are Japanese 🇯🇵 except for Mignon 🇰🇷 and Tian Guan Ci Fu 🇨🇳 I’m not gonna lie, there’s a fair amount of adult themes and hardcore angst here, but you’ll also find sweet romance and a couple coming-of-age stories. One of my favorites from this list - Ai No Kusabi - is an old classic (I recommend the 1992 OVA series over the 2012 remake) and the quality is not the best, but all other shows are pretty recent and can be found online or on Crunchyroll. I initially planned for this to be my third and final rec list, but I got a few additional recs in the action/fantasy genre for a potential new list, if anyone’s interested? Stay tuned!

1. Ai no Kusabi (dystopian, tragedy)

Summary: This futuristic tale is set in a world ruled by a super computer Jupiter, where its cyborg creations, the Elites, rule over the human populace. Iason Mink, a high-class "Blondy" elite from the capital runs into Riki, a "Mongrel" from the slums, and makes him his "Pet". As Riki learns of the dangers Iason faces by keeping him, he finds himself developing feelings for his master.

2. Banana Fish (mafia, tragedy)

Summary: Set primarily in New York City in the 1980s, the series follows street gang leader Ash Lynx as he uncovers a criminal conspiracy involving "banana fish", a mysterious drug that brainwashes its users. In the course of his investigation he encounters Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer's assistant with whom he forms a close bond.

3. Doukyuusei (movie - school, romance)

Summary: Rihito Sajo, an honor student with a perfect score on the entrance exam and Hikaru Kusakabe, in a band and popular among girls, would have never crossed paths. Until one day they started talking at the practice for their school’s upcoming chorus festival.

4. Given (school, music)

Summary: High schooler Ritsuka Uenoyama is the guitarist for a band composed of himself, bassist Haruki Nakayama, and drummer Akihiko Kaji. He becomes a reluctant guitar teacher to Mafuyu Satō, a shy classmate, after repairing the broken strings on Mafuyu's Gibson ES-330. See also: Given movie.

5. Mignon (short series - vampire romance + the hottest smut you’ll see today!!!!🥵)

Summary: Centered on BL Vampire themes, the story portrays Mignon, an underground fighter in love with his doctor, who is coincidentally a vampire. The doctor's revelation triggers complications as their relationship unfolds.

6. Saezuru Tori Wa Habatakanai | Twittering Birds Never Fly (movie - mafia, drama)

Summary: The sexually masochistic yakuza boss, Yashiro, isn't the type to warm up to others easily. But when Chikara Doumeki, his newly hired bodyguard, catches his interest, he reconsiders his "hands-off" policy with subordinates. See also the side story: Don’t Stay Gold.

7. Sasaki and Miyano (school, romance)

Summary: Shy and easily flustered Miyano harbors an embarrassing secret - he is a "fudanshi", a boy who likes boys' love manga. Intrigued, the clueless delinquent Sasaki requests to borrow one, marking a shift in their strange dynamic.

8. Tiān Guān Cì Fú | Heaven’s Official Blessing (romance)

Summary: Crown Prince Xie Lian ascends to the heavens for the third time as the laughing stock among all three realms. On his first task, he meets a mysterious ghost who rules the ghosts and terrifies the heavens, yet, unbeknownst to Xie Lian, this ghost king has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time.

9. Umibe No Étranger (movie - romance)

Summary: On an island off the coast of Okinawa, two young men meet on a beach. Shun Hashimoto is gay and aspires to be a novelist. He is interested in Mio Chibana, a somber high school student, and starts to flirt with him. Day by day, the two of them grow closer, but then, suddenly, Mio decides to leave the island.

10. Yuri!!! On ICE (sports, romance)

Summary: Japanese figure skater Yuri Katsuki faces a crushing defeat during the Grand Prix finals and heads home, unsure of whether or not he wishes to continue his skating career. After a video of Yuri mimicking Russian figure skater Victor Nikiforov's routine goes viral, Victor decided to become Yuri's coach, much to the dismay of his coach, his fans, and his fellow Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky.

[1902touyatc]

(Headcanon) Officer!Dabi • If he works in the office •

I'm not joke, i really have a obsession about Dabi quirkless, so yeah, we have this shit piece! Yippieee!

Warning: Quirkless AU, officer!Dabi, f!Reader, Dabi is a bastard

Don't ask why his arrogance came from, it's all thanks to his own "unusual" background: His father is the CEO of this damn company.

The type of person: "Do you know who my dad is?", "Be careful, my dad will fire you now!"

Goes to work because he likes to defy his father (Or is forced to come here because Todoroki Enji is afraid that if he opens his mouth, the company and business he built will be ruined)

He hates being directed by someone, but because his dad said "Before you can be a master, you must be a servant", he is forced to be a normal office worker, also having to make coffee, print, and staple documents. ,…

Defaming, humiliating and secretly degrading employees in the company because they don't do a good job (Actually, if it were me, I would also judge)

He's not the type to have a relationship easily, let alone fall in love. That's why women in the company (or not) are not on his radar. That means not dating. Even Touya himself will realize there is no need to search, his dad will do it.

Ready to grab the remaining hair of bosses, and shareholders or grab other employees' collars because they dare to look badly at the plans and projects he proposes. And again, who needs Dad? Todoroki Touya.

Not go to lunch with other employees in the company because he has a lunch box that his mother made or eats out alone. Sitting at the same dining table with his old man, he would probably choke to death.

Will send an email to anyone who looks at/glares at him in the company: "If you want to survive in this barren company, you'd better be reasonable!"

(*) How did he meet you in the company?

In a situation, you are his subordinate, he will not hesitate to order you around like a cheap servant. If you ask how bad it is on a scale of 1 to 10 it's a 9, the other 1 is when he shuts up or hasn't seen you anywhere.

Is the only person who can endure his taciturn, sometimes crazy, incomprehensible temperament.

Even though you're a subordinate with a low salary (I mean when you are a trainee), you're still not very satisfied with being with someone like this, let alone establishing an official relationship. (Sorry doll)

With him, the best thing you can do is do your job well, don't go against his wishes. That's right, of course even flirting with him is in the "No Doing" box.

(*) What if he likes you?

I didn't know what to say. If he likes you because of the romance, it's not necessarily a healthy thing, or if he likes you just because you do a good job at your assigned tasks, then congratulations, there's no salary increase here, you can only exchange for peace when living in this life.

If he likes you romantically, then you're 100% sure you don't know a damn thing. The only thing you feel is the eyes staring at you for 8 hours working at the company.

He won't be someone who can confess his love early, he will come and tell his old man that he wants to meet a girlfriend from the same company and Enji is like: "I'm a dad, not a joke." Please don't ask about the 40 PowerPoint slides he brought along. And somehow (based on the power of course), he will arrange a blind date between you and Touya.

I think that's enough, happy delusions, I love you doll!

Oh well, if you're interested in what I write why not try sending me requests, I'll do my best!

[what-thehellishappeninghere]

(Spoiler) A theory that might explain why Ineffable Bureaucracy speedrunned in season 2, for fun only.

First of all, I'm not a native English speaker, so forgive me if I make grammar or vocabulary mistakes in this post.

Second, I've seen the theory about Metatron editing the Book of Life (you can read it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/193IXS11XN46lziHRb6eUpM17yK0BQkRqke1Wh64A_e0/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR3ypsS1ZTo26rbP65zV8Nib0LH29m_N9IyU7r3VHJLP6cpoWEsBYH5_47w) (I'm not the author of that theory btw). So I came up with this: The relationship between Gabriel and Beelzebub might be a result of Metatron's works in the Book of Life.

So far we've seen only 3 or 4 scenes of them meeting each others and such. It's too fast for a relationship to be formed. I've also think that there may be other meetings, which aren't on screen, but yet the scenes we've got weren't enough to explain some aspects (Beelzebub's "I've just found something that mattered more than choosing sides" like how? Where? And why? It's not merely the power of love. It must be something more particular than that). And Neil Gaiman is a professional, he definitely will explain it thoroughly for us, but he didn't. The only reason that sprung up in my mind is that Metatron - a bad writer (like the theory in Google Doc above suggests) - made this relationship come in reality.

I have no other proofs to prove this matter, other than how fast the Ineffable Bureaucracy become canon in only 4 years with 3 meetings on screen, or Neil Gaiman left some details of this ship unexplained, but I thought about a reason for that:

As far as we know, the second Armageddon was planned, and it is about to be executed (until Gabriel protested it). Maybe Metatron thought about a way to weaken Hell somehow, just to ensure Heaven's victory. Satan is definitely out of question, and the subject left to be removed is Beelzebub. Hell has been functioned for about 6000 years by Beelzebub, so when they leave, this place is likely to become utter chaos. Without the orders and management from such a leader like them, I doubt that Hell's legion will eventually collapse (or not. Leave this to season 3. Satan may come back and be in charge for this, but it seems that Beelzebub did more works other than merely ruling Hell like Satan, so there might be some difficulties for Satan managing Hell).

(And Metatron can't just erase Beelzebub from the Book of Life. The time of their reign in Hell is too long - simply eliminating their existence will cause a gigantic void in history (unlike deleting a mere passerby with a shorter period of existence and lesser importance), and it is a great burden to fill in all the (plot?) holes, especially for a bad writer like Metatron, as mentioned in the edit-the-Book-of-Life theory above.)

And why it is love with Gabriel that made Beelzebub leaving behind their position in Hell? Probably because of Ineffable Husbands reference that Metatron took to edit the relationship between these two bosses this way. Gabriel is the counterpart of Beelzebub in Heaven, making the interactions and conversations going more naturally than choosing a lower-level angel to do that job.

(Also, if a Prince of Heaven - Gabriel Fall, he will become Beelzebub's subordinate, and strengthen the power in Hell instead. Metatron's plan will backfire that way. So by threatening Gabriel with erasing his memories about himself AND Beelzebub, Metatron can ensure that Hell can't claim him - he is not a fallen angel - as well as make him escape from Heaven, simultaneously and indirectly forcing Beelzebub to be out of Hell and run with him. That's the only way they can be together.)

But still, Gabriel is an useful Archangel in Heaven; losing him could be a huge lost. Or not; Metatron has seen Gabriel's failure to make Armageddon happen, so he might have decided to take the role to lead Heaven himself and restart the Apocalypse. Yet he isn't in the official hierarchy of Heaven (Neil Gaiman confirmed this: https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/671442482580570112/good-day-mr-gaiman-idk-if-youve-been-asked-this) and the Supreme Archangel position cannot be left empty. So he chose Aziraphale, a pure, kind and innocent Principality, and of course, easy-to-be-manipulated, into that chair. Aziraphale, if my theory is true, is now not as this flashy title suggests, but a figurehead instead. Orders will be given to Aziraphale "in the name of God" by Metatron, and things will work Metatron's way, not God's way.

Another rather bold assumption is that Metatron did something to God (the reason why he can edit Book of Life at his own will). Maybe caged Her, maybe killed Her (Nietzsche reference? That's why we didn't get Her narration in season 2). Gabriel is the closest to God beside Metatron; so if something shady occurs, he is likely to find out first. Though his memories can be erased, suppressing that news from being spread to both Heaven and Hell, that could be a real hassle to bear (if that must be done from time to time - it can't be just one time that Gabriel could perceive the truth). Casting Gabriel out is the best choice to keep all mouths that-may-know-and-speak shut - since he's considered a traitor now, no one in Heaven will believe his words. Aziraphale, as I mentioned above, has a lower chance to find out (religious traumas that were induced to him will prevent all doubts about "the will of God" from Metatron's words. Or prevent only the most of it - this might be the premise for season 3, if what I'm saying is true).

(Another note is that: Despite not getting Her narration, when Jim got his memories of Archangel Gabriel, we can hear Her voice overlapped upon his voice. Gabriel is the Messenger of God after all. This adds to my theory that even if Gabriel or other angels don't find out the truth themselves, God has Her way to tell them through Her Messenger. Maybe we will see more of this in the next season.

And I've just remembered a few theories saying that the Second Coming refers to the Birth of God's Child - like Jesus did - and the next season could be about the 2nd Birth of (another?) God's Child? Gabriel, who once announced the same event, might come back in season 3 to do it again somehow?)

However, Metatron didn't expect this: Gabriel was sheltered by Aziraphale and Crowley when he lost his memories, thus making him own them a lot - if the Ineffable Husbands need help from them, they are liable to repay the favor. And now when Beelzebub and him are far away from Heaven and Hell's watch, they can be useful helpers for the Ineffable Husbands - if they ever seek support from these two, the former bosses can smoothly execute the Ineffable Husbands' requests in secrecy, and together, these four will strike when least expected.

With all that said, I will prepare myself for the probable angst and hurt from both Ineffable Bureaucracy and Ineffable Husbands ahead of me in season 3. Neil Gaiman doesn't tend to give any ship a bad ending, but can't be too careful. The final 10 minutes of season 2 taught me that.

[hekates-corner]

The Apothecary Diaries | WN Translation | Arc 9 - Chapter 1

Hey there! Whether you found this on your own, or if you might've been redirected by a later chapter: Welcome.

For a number of reasons I ended up here. I play the wine-aunt that tells all that happens in the WN chapters, post light novel 9.

You can find a revised introduction in the Masterlist.

I relay everything from the chapters, to the best of my abilities, so be warned that all the spoilers are down below. If you'd like to get spoiled, but less? My dm's/asks are open!

Chapter 1

We re-enter the story with an explanation of it being spring - yet even in the carriage, the heat is more unbearable than in the capital at the hottest of times.. so, those that weren't in a carriage were suffering extra.

Like Chue said, as soon as they arrive they're summoned to be split into groups. One of the medical officers then explains that they'll split into three groups/groups of three before being stationed in the buildings. The confusion begins here, as they expected the groups from the ships to stay how they were.

Now it goes over to the middle ranks and Tianyu would end up with MaoMao and the quack. MaoMao agrees that she also thought he was/should be with Li/Lee.

We then get a whole paragraph about how the last name is so common that usually the people with it will just go by their first name - Lihaku is one such example.

As we already know, Tianyu/Tenyuu messed up a few times with a high ranking official that came to the medical room on the boat.bThe doctor that splits them into groups says that he can return to his original group.. if he behaves and Maomao takes silent note that the palast her and the quack are in has lower class people in it so despite them attending to more, it seemed easier.

The quack(?) then goes on to say that Tianyu should be fine with them, given that while he's bad at giving out meds, he's outstanding when it comes to surgery. Maomao mutters to herself "look at the quack.." but idk if anyone overhears it. At that point the quack's self doubt kicks in and he fidgets as he questions aloud if he can even teach Tianyu anything.

Tianyu says it's nice to meet the quack, then/while patting Maomao on the shoulder. Maomao responds with the usual “I look forward to working with you.”. She's already in front of the quack but the latter goes red in the face and shy and hides behind her xD Tianyu goes about the usual as well (calls the quack ojisan aka old man/uncle as well xD) and the quack can only shyly give back a “Ehm.. it's nice to meet you.”

I think it's the quack who then proceeds to say that while the location might change, the job of a doctor remains the same. Checking patients, that's it. If something happens, everyone has their subordinates and to contact them.

Maomao internally remarks that the person talking is an easygoing one - an understanding/easy to understand boss. She'd assumed they only picked people who could react flexibly despite a location change, but now she questions if they really have the atmosphere of people working in the field.

Tianyu then asks if they should move, he’s carrying his luggage and we get the info that the place where Maomao and the quack are meant to stay is Gyokuens villa. There’s mention of another major house that also appears to belong to Gyokuen (pls note that translators really struggle with the char names) and notes on how it shows how strong his power is that two of the three houses/palasts are his. The public office and main residence are even next to each other, with the annex being about a five minute walk away.

It then jumps to Maomao being in a room in the main residence. It’s a fancy one, a guest room that they decided to repurpose as medical room - in her eyes a tasteful room.

The palast is in the center of the town, yet it’s not as noisy as expected. Maomao mentions internally how it must be due to the size of it, as well as the walls and trees that block out the noise.

Outside of Maomao, the quack and Tianyu, there’s a messenger as well - the four were guided to their place by a local.

At long last, the quack says how it’s all exciting - “if his beard was still intact it would be swaying and dancing”. Despite being timid, the commotion of the town seems to get to him now.

Tianyu remains suspicious - while he does look around, it appears almost as if he’s judging it all instead of enjoying what he sees. Maomao ends up thinking to herself that he’s hard to grasp/understand.

The next paragraph is tougher to crack but the gist I got is that Maomao admits internally that she doesn’t know what he’s thinking. She can tell he has the personality type that would latch onto things he finds interesting and could imagine what his behavior would be like then but she can’t figure out what his interest is/could be.

There’s a “Hello?” coming from the door, Tianyu tilts his head and just as Maomao wonders what’s going on, she sees a familiar face. The other person seems to be of the same recognition impact mode.

“Long time no see” - Of course, it’s Rikuson.. who comes in, bowing respectfully. The tactician's former Lieutenant.

He’s still a good looking man, but he’s more tan than before (don’t shoot the messenger, it’s Maomaos mind and I can’t control it). His tan likely comes from the strong sunshine in the city. There are two people with him that appear to be holding documents.

Maomao & Tianyu reply with the same “long time no see” and Rikuson gives a “it’s been a while” back - the only one that gave a “who’s that” look was… the quack, of course.

Maomao wonders if Tianyu knows Rikuson.. and then kinda answers her own question by adding more filler. Tianyu is a medic student, but was already serving before her. The doctor's station is close to the military one, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they knew one another.

Maomao then glances at Tianyu, who despite saying hello doesn’t appear interested. The quack doesn’t know Rikuson so he’s shy as ever - given that they can’t just ignore him, Maomao admits defeat to the fact she has to do the talking.

She tells Rikuson that the quack is the head doctor/medical officer and she’s there to help him out and Rikusons like “head doctor?” while tilting his head as he looks at the quack.

Maomao, in her head, tries to remember the quacks name but it’s like.. not her forte. She almost forgot it again but then recalls it’s something along the lines of Guen.. and starts with a “Gu….” but just as she’s about to say it Tianyu steps up/in.

He says that the man is famous and Rikuson will understand if he says as little as that the man is a senior medical officer who’s been in the inner/rear palace for a long time. This whole thing goes back to the quack being a fake-out for Luomen/Maomaos adopted dad. Maomao was about to blow their cover but Rikuson takes the bait and is like “Oh, that guy” and kinda slaps one hand into the other.

For a moment Maomao’s confused, but then she understands what Tianyus intentions are and internally recalls that the quack is her old man's stand-in.

The next bit is another tougher one but I think it basically mentions mistreatment and that if Tianyu had the same idea as her then it would be better for Guen to be thought of as her old man rather than himself - ‘cause eunuch and all that.

Plus, she thinks that there’s no way Rikuson doesn’t know about the strategists uncle, Luomen, so Tianyus suggestive way of speaking making it clear that there’s only one medical officer in the inner/rear palace was fortunate.

Don’t ask me what that next line is supposed to be, however I look it up it’s her thinking that she doesn’t know where her eyes or ears are - I think it’s trying to say she’s confused or getting brain fog or something but like… I’m trying.

We then get a reminder that while this city is in the same country, it can be called foreign land. The two attendants Rikuson has with him are both from this town - so one has to be careful of what to say and what not to say.

Maomao then notices something, it could be Rikusons dirty clothes that we’ll come back to next chapter, but in short she ends up having nothing to say, while Tianyu doesn’t seem to have more to say either so she’s like “Rikuson-san seems busy, I’m sorry for taking up your time” aka a friendly just leave already.

Rikuson doesn’t take the bait and instead explains that he just returned from an outdoor trip. He also shares that he gets depressed if he stays in his office all the time, so every now and then he’ll go out.

Despite smiling, there was mud caked on the hem of his clothes - dried mud, though originally dark brown aka the fertile kind. Maomao wonders if he was out in the fields (throwback to locust/grasshopper mania).

We then get, you guessed it, more filler. It’s a dry city, with no puddles by the roadsides. Even if there were, it would likely be of a more whitish, nutritious color. The only place where fertile black mud would be found would be in irrigated fields. In that case, he would be on his way back from somewhere far and it would be better to think he’s not there by chance but that he purposefully came back when Maomao and the others arrived from Li/the capital.

Maomao (?) gives him a short “See you then. Your old boss will notice you if you talk too much”. It didn’t seem like Rikuson had more to say for now, but he was likely busy as well.. and Tianyu chuckles as he realizes who “the former boss” is.

While there are many things to think about, Maomao recalls the words of one of the doctors: Doctors just do a doctors work. And Apothecaries..? Well, they just do an apothecary's work.

| Chapter 2 & Masterlist

If you'd like to get notified when a new chapter drops, I'm open to sending a dm or tagging you - just let me know!

(please note that there are content differences between the web novel and light novel. I'm using the web novel, which isn't as polished as far as I've heard and doesn't have as much extra content)

[purpureumwrites]

Darth Vader x Reader | Twin Moons | Bonus Chapter

A/N: Anon asked for more Twin Moons, I read the message, and for some reason, after not writing for so long, I just couldn't stop myself. So here is the bonus chapter. If someone has a good idea for another Vader one-shot or fic, I'd be happy to hear it. I really enjoy writing him, and it really bothers me when he's written ooc, which is way too often tbh, so I try to capture him as best as I can and it's quite fun. Hope you like this c:

Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1.5k.

A year ago, the two of you had reached an agreement. A fragile, very risky, agreement.

Keeping a curated public image, you continued your days behaving as the typical superior and subordinate would. No displays of affection, not a single trace of anything beyond a professional relationship. You mimicked the way everyone else reacted and conducted themselves around him: with caution, docility and a constant dose of fear. Not that you had to fake much of it. You may have gotten closer than most, but neither would pretend he wasn’t Darth Vader. It wasn’t just about being caught. He was a risk himself.

You endured the lectures, punishments and trials expected, some by his own hand, some by others. You trained and worked tenaciously, always dancing over the line of averageness. Enough to be useful and worth of working with him as your boss, but always short of presenting yourself as competition in the intricate game of power within the Empire.

Your training with the Force never finished. There were no official sessions anymore, but he hadn’t stopped teaching you and testing your abilities. You had managed to damp it down, restrain it. Even though it would probably be useless if you were to meet the Emperor himself, it could save you a lot of trouble and attention from everyone else. It was a constant effort that had gained you a finesse and control over it that you never thought you would have.

It felt unnatural at first. This energy had been something natural and flowing, not to be reined in and obfuscated, but to be felt and experienced just as the wind or the sun could be. You worried sometimes about bursting. But if there was something that could push those thoughts aside, it was fear and of that you had plenty.

After a few weeks of routine, you got used to the rhythm. What you couldn’t get used to, was him. Actually him. Intimate, personal him.

Sex had so many shades. It was needy and abrupt when you had spent too much time apart, each on your own missions. It was slow and steady if you had the time and privacy. It was harsh and overpowering after you misbehaved.

You couldn’t say he had become open and vulnerable to you. Most probably, that would never happen. But he was more tolerant and more aware of your cues, and he seeked your presence unlike any other. He may not love you, probably wouldn’t admit it even if he did, but at least he seemed to feel some warped version of it. You weren’t sure if you did anyway. The power balance was so off that lines blurred where they shouldn’t, and feelings were a convoluted mess. It would hurt if he discarded you and you missed him dearly when apart. That was all you needed to know.

As he kneeled before his master, Vader focused only on his current objective. There was nothing else, not until this business was done and he was out of there. Just as he had done countless times before.

Once you had established the nature of your relationship and its rules, he easily compartmentalized that new side of his life. It was crucial that he did. He would feel the consequences, he would be punished for it, but you… you would pay the price with your life. You were the only thing the Emperor had no control over in his life. He would kill you in a blink to regain absolute power over him.

It was a necessity that he saw you struggle with the first few weeks. He treated you the same as anyone else which, to be fair, meant as cruel and brutal as the rest of his subordinates endured. He could see glimpses of sadness in your eyes, that the rest would mistake for horror. And you would be more quiet and withdrawn the next time you were together. He never apologized, there was nothing to be sorry for. He did what he had to do. Though he couldn’t deny that he may be more gentle those nights.

But as quick as you seemed to learn everything else, you adapted to it. He hated the intensity of his emotions around you but… god, was he proud of you. Maybe you weren’t a natural at many aspects your position asked of you, maybe you still struggled from time to time, maybe you were scared deep down. But you were resilient, strong and tenacious.

And the same way you got used to some things, he had gotten used to others. The closeness, the weight of your body on his bed, the warmth when you locked your arms around him, the intoxicating, glorious sex. He longed for you when you were separated in a way he was sure he never would again.

And together, you were serving the Empire with unrelentent determination.

***

A sudden tug pulled you out of your sleep. You looked around the red lit room, finding no one. The sea of lava outside the fortress was all that could be seen through the windows, an unexpected scenery for such a calm place, at least from the other side of its black, impenetrable walls.

“Run”, a voice roared in your mind.

You jumped out from under the sheets. That was his voice. He wasn’t in Mustafar, there were no alarms going off in the building and the outside looked exactly the same as any other day, which could only mean that whatever this imminent danger was, it was coming only for you.

Putting your clothes on, you went over the steps of the emergency plan: pick up your bag, run to the closest, most discreet vessel you could find and fly off to a planet with weak imperial presence. Probably stop on the way there in some space station (one dodgy enough for anyone with common sense to avoid) for some fuel and quick alterations to the ship. Pick a new name. Tiptoe around for the rest of your life.

You had no time to assimilate the situation. You ran through the corridors as if in a trance, your feet moving by themselves, everything feeling like a dream you couldn’t wake up from. It didn’t really hit you until you had been sat in the ship for a couple of hours. Once the adrenaline started to wore off and you were semi-confident that there were no imperials following you, you held onto the arms of your chair as you started sobbing.

It didn’t matter how much you thought you were ready for this, how aware you were of the outcomes of your decision. Your life ended here. Maybe you would die or maybe you would disappear. Whatever your future entailed, it was certain the person you were until that very moment would soon expire. You would be no longer.

After you reached the worst space station you had ever stepped in and agreed to some questionable customization for your ship, you rented a small, bleak room to rest for a couple of hours before you made your final trip to your potential new, depressing home planet.

You weren’t even deeply asleep, you were still too agitated, when the door opened. You felt him before even opening your eyes. You sat up in the bed, staring at your legs embarrassed by your own weakness, a tear already rolling down your cheek. He sat next to you in complete silence.

A few seconds passed before he spoke. “They are going through your room in my fortress. You’re still hours ahead of them”

You didn’t answer. Neither of you moved until you felt his arm around your waist pulling you to him. As he pat the bed, you moved instinctively to straddle him. You sighed, wrapping your arms around his neck and finally feeling some sense of release when he held you tight.

“You will survive this, girl”

“Will you?”

“I will not be crushed so easily”

After… seconds, maybe minutes, your sense of time had been warped since you woke up, he stood up with you still in his arms. As he loosened his grip, you put your feet on the ground.

“I have taught you better than this”

“I know”, you looked up to him. “I’m sorry. This is going surprisingly worse and better than I had imagined, at the same time, somehow”. You wiped the last tears off your face. "I will miss you"

“Go to your ship after I leave. Don’t look back. He will be searching for you”, he said walking towards the door, but stopped for a moment. “I will not forget you”

[hrokkall]

grimora for the ask game !!

Favorite thing about them: I feel like this is cheating because it’s so niche but I love the skeleton hand that rings the bell in the Finale (honestly Grimora’s whole aesthetic in the finale is phenomenal but if I had to narrow it down to one detail it would be that). Also a very small detail but I like how in her idle animations her hands are always folded over her abdomen; reminds me of the way people are laid to rest in coffins and really cements her undead status for me.

Least favorite thing about them: I wish she had some/more lines talking about her subordinates. We really don’t get to know much about how she feels about them which is sad. (I’d say the whole “killing everyone” thing too but… I don’t completely blame her on that one—similar to the other Scrybes’ Batshit Machinations, I can see why she felt like she needed to do it. Not to mention she didn’t technically succeed so I’ll give her a pass (I say that jokingly but holy shit did it catch me off-guard in my first playthrough))

Favorite line: This bit in her boss fight. Absolutely insane mechanic (just killing all of your cards but instead of the PG “turn them into gold” she just casually hands you back their lifeless bodies. Also pretty good foreshadowing in hindsight).

brOTP: I’ve seen a couple of works where Grimora has Royal as her right-hand man and they both get to be pirates together and you guys are absolutely correct. They should get to explore the high seas (or at very least I’d like to imagine Royal spins a lot of tales about his time when he was alive—a lot of which are pretty exaggerated—and she listens and makes sure to write them down regardless).

OTP: Her and any/all of the other Scrybes. She deserves better but the other three immortal shitheads she has to share an archipelago with will have to suffice. I’d say they’re all divorced but that’s probably putting it too simply. It’s more accurate to say they’re all fighting to see who’s the best at inventing a brand new type of complicated relationship. They’re all winning.

(I’ve also seen her paired off with the Woodcarver—not my thing personally, but I think it’s cute)

nOTP: Haven’t seen any Grimora ships that I don’t like honestly. But again I’m not super into shipping so that might be part of why this category has been blank the past couple of times—I’m not seeing many ships so there’s not any for me to report on.

Random headcanon: The dead can’t really “sleep” (and don’t really need to)—they just sort of “fall prone” into a state where they don’t really rest and don’t dream. As a result, a “sleeping” Grimora just looks like a corpse… more like a corpse than usual, anyway (she already rarely breathes and her heartbeat is so slow the event sometimes surprises her, but you know, completely lifeless). This would be disconcerting for the other Scrybes if not for her other far more concerning physiological traits. Like the first time she came to a meeting with her head in her hands—literally—and a needle and thread to sew it back on while the others talked. Not much got done that day.

Unpopular opinion: As much as I wish she did get more screentime I can see why that wasn’t really possible. Inscryption is already a pretty long game as-is, adding a whole card segment for Grimora—while it would be fun DLC—isn’t really feasible in the base game. Having said that, I do still wish we got to know a little more about her, even if it was just via some lines from her subordinates.

Song I associate with them: My knee-jerk is Necromancin Dancin by Bear Ghost just because it’s a batshit ridiculous villain song about the undead (she deserves to be a little more unhinged than how she gets portrayed by a lot of people; just look at the other Scrybes), but for something a little more fittingly melancholic I’d go for Grave Digger by Blues Sarcaceno or Dance While the Sky Crashes Down by Jason Webley.

Favorite picture of them: Please check out the official renders of her 3D model if you haven’t already seen them. She’s lovely. [Link]

Also a fan of this particular Stinkbug sprite (and the base sprite of course, but everyone knows what that one looks like).