#Student State Rep | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wonsroyalty · 1 month ago

Text

predictable, 박종성

pairing/warnings - 2.3k,, spider-man!jay x f!reader, college/uni students, switch!jay x switch!f reader,, smut, blood, wounding 🔥

a/n: no fancy theme because i’m writing this on a whim: inspired by this tiktok i saw earlier, no doubt mv has actually changed me and i loveeeeee jay so enjoy🤗

masterlist

You sat in your bedroom tapping your pen unconsciously at your desk.

“I need the report in for tomorrow, Yn. You’ve already had a week.”… You remembered the head of the school newsletter scolding you earlier.

How on earth did she think that you could gain access to the football team in order to ask them about their frat lifestyle AND write up everything from your seven-hour interview as a small section in such a short amount of time.

You thought back to your best friend Jay.

He’d always had a way with words and you knew that if he were with you he’d say something like, “Sunghoon said he’s ditching his playboy rep to focus on himself, weirdo because he literally threw himself at you during this interview, you can simplify it to ‘I’m a lame loser who doesn’t get any hoes because I fucked around and found out’, done!”

A giggle slipped from your lips at the thought of imaginary Jay but you quickly gained composure because the thought of having to pull an all nighter, in order to finish, didn’t seem appealing.

And the fact that Jay had turned down your plan of him helping you because he claimed he had “important business” whipped you into shape.

Ding!

7 messages from mother🐻

hey pumpkin!

i may be later than usual tonight

just been told to prep for emergency surgery

left your dinner in the oven to heat up

first aid kit above the front cabinet

don’t hurt yourself pls!!!

love you bye 🥰

You reacted with a heart and wished her luck then threw your phone onto your bed.

The upper half of your body slumped onto the desk.

“I’m so screwed.” you whispered in defeat.

Your phone then began to ring causing a loud groan to leave your throat as your body lugged itself to the source.

“Hey Jay, what’s up?” you sighed. “What do you want?”

“Open your window.” he panted out.

You could hear sirens in the background and Jay didn’t sound too good.

“Whats happening right now? Are you okay?”

“Open the window, please.” he begged. “Trust me, just open it!”

“I don’t trust you.” You joked. “Besides which one would I open, there’s three.”

Jay started shouting at someone on the other end of the line.

“Fuck!” he groaned in agony. “The- the one facing central park.”

“Uh.. okay. I just did it.”

“Step back! Like backkkk.” he warned.

“Moving back as I speak.” you sighed. “Is this the super important thing you had to do?”

You had spoken too soon.

A man precisely shot his body through the gap of your window then slammed it shut behind him and slumped onto the ground.

“Spider-man?! What the..” you stepped towards him tentatively. “Are you- wait Jay! Oh my, I think he’s hurt.”

You began to type out a message to the boy when Spider-man ripped his mask off.

“Jay Park?! You have got to be shitting me!” you gaped. “What the fuck?!”

Jay winced in pain as he shot a web at your jumper to pull you down towards him.

He’d pulled you off balance and while your legs straddled his hips, your hands fell onto the gaping wound in his abdomen.

“Stay down.” he whined. “Can’t let them see.”

“Them..?” you mouthed.

“I was in the middle of a fight.” he rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

“We’re gonna talk about this later, I need to close that up.” you glared at him.

His head hit the wall behind him as he began to register the state he was in.

You crawled out of the room and ran over to the cabinet that your mother left the first aid in. Nimble fingers turning the oven and a timer on your way out so that Jay would have something to eat before he left.

If any other friend of yours were in this situation, you would’ve patched them up, scolded them and sent them on their way.

But with Jay, you always wanted to keep him around because you… liked him.

You had to stop yourself from checking him out when you got back to your room, he’d pulled his suit down to his hips, toned stomach on display.

“You sure you know what you’re doing..?” he frowned.

Instead of responding you shoved a piece of cloth into his mouth.

“Bite on it.”

Jay used his free hands to pull the cloth out. His hands reached into the box to grab a painkiller and swallow it dry.

“Ew.” you sneered. “I have water..”

He ignored you. “There’s nothing in the wound, I already checked.”

Taking alcohol, you cleaned the outside of the wound and prepped your synthetic polymer fibres.

As soon as the cool metal pierced Jay’s skin he began to squirm around.

His jaw flexed as he groaned out in pain.

“Please stop moving, Jay,” you begged. “It’s gonna hurt more if you keep moving.”

Despite your plea, he continued to twist and turn.

You groaned in frustration.

“Stop moving!”

The cloth was placed in his mouth again and you got up onto your knees to snatch the scarf that dangled off your bed frame.

Your hands grabbed his wrists and tied them behind his back, double knotting the scarf so that he wouldn’t move.

Jay thrashed around trying to rip out of the restraints.

“Okay, calm down, I’m starting again,”

You slowly but surely sutured the wound and wrapped his waist in a bandage.

Jay whimpered.

“Huh?” your head snapped up as you took the cloth out of his mouth.

Without missing a beat, he leaned forward and kissed you.

Your fingers automatically made their way into his hair as you licked along his bottom lip.

He opened his mouth and pressed his tongue flat against yours before fighting for dominance in your mouth.

You couldn’t get enough. Your lungs gasped for air as you continued to practically eat his face off.

Subconsciously you lowered your hips onto his, rolling to get friction from his semi hard on against your pulsing core.

“Fuck.” he whimpered. Again.

“Always whining,” you teased him. “Never thought you’d be such a bottom, Jongie.”

He ripped the scarf as he broke free from the restraints.

Now you were the one whining.

“All I did was rip the scarf and you’re already dripping into my lap, who’s the real bottom here?” he mocked you with a fake look of shock all over his face. “Always wanted to have you under me..”

His words had your hips rutting against his, pathetic moans leaving your throat.

“Do I even have to do anything or will you get off just like this?” he grinned, marking up your neck.

A faint beeping broke you out of your trance.

“AHHHH! THE OVEN!”

You got up immediately, ignoring the way your fuzzy cat pyjamas clung to your lower body, and ran to the kitchen.

Thankfully the food wasn’t burnt but you clutched your heart as Jay launched himself onto your waist.

“I meant to say thank you.” he whispered.

His fingers made their way to where you needed him most, circling your clit through the fabric.

“Yeah- right. You.. You’re welcome.” you moaned at the end of your sentence, the pressure building up.

“Is this okay..?” he asked.

“Yes.” you nodded.

Jay pulled away laughing at your protest.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

You kept your lips shut. There was no way in hell that you were gonna submit to him so easily.

“Come on, baby.” he stared down at you through half lidded eyes. “Tell me where you want me..”

You shook your head, stubbornness radiating off your body.

“Is it here?” Jay asked.

His fingers unbuttoned your shirt, gasping at your uncovered chest as he tugged at your nipples.

A loud whine left your lips.

“Sensitive.. I see.” he looked determined.

“I’m not.” you grumbled.

He grazed your left nipple with his teeth, fondling the other with his warm hand.

“Fuck.” you moaned as his wet tongue circled the sensitive spot.

“You’re not huh?” he shook his head at your lie.

“Jay please.” you whined, hips chasing his.

“Please what?” he leaned away.

You swallowed your pride for the sake of your pleasure.

“I need you.” you moaned. “Need your fingers inside me.”

Jay lowered his head as an overwhelming wave of pleasure hit his body. He always knew that he’d liked you, but those words sent him over the edge.

He needed to have you immediately.

“Say it again.” he growled.

Once his lust filled eyes made eye contact with yours, you clenched your legs together.

“I need you so bad, Jay.” you whined.

He manhandled your body onto the kitchen counter, ripping off your pyjama bottoms and underwear in one go.

His tongue licked a stripe up your dripping hole, collecting the slick that leaked out.

Jay closed his eyes, taking in the taste.

“You taste so fucking good.” he whined.

Without missing the chance to take advantage of his submissive state, you tugged at his hair.

“Fuck..” he moaned loudly.

“You’re so hot.” you whimpered.

Seeing him like this made you feel a certain way.

He eagerly embraced your clit with his tongue and shoved his fingers into your cunt. They scissored you open before curling into you at a rapid pace.

Your hips thrashed up, chasing your high, not even caring about the loud sounds leaving your mouth and lewd sounds coming from Jay.

“You close?” he asked between moans.

You nodded, unable to form proper sentences.

“You have to ask.” Jay firmly stood his ground.

“Jay, please. Please let me cum!” you pathetically begged.

“Okay, princess.” he nodded. “Come for me..”

The orgasm hit you like five trucks, it truly felt never ending as Jay helped you through it.

Once your body recovered, you jumped down onto shaky legs attacking Jay’s lips as you pushed him backwards.

He absentmindedly followed the direction, tripping backwards as his legs made contact with your bed.

“Close your eyes.”

Jay made himself comfortable, lying down with his eyes closed.

“Wait- what!” his eyes shot open.

You’d handcuffed him to the headboard.

“Now why do you have these..” he questioned.

“Was saving them for when you’d come around.” you whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine. “Now i’m gonna help you, with your little problem.”

You gestured to the way his cock painfully throbbed in the tight material of his suit.

“It’s not a little problem- Shit.”

He closed his eyes as you grabbed at his crotch.

You left kisses down his body, licking his abs before pulling the rest of his suit off.

His cock slapped up against his stomach causing him to moan loudly.

“How are you so wet..?” you questioned in awe, staring at him in disbelief.

“Stop staring at me..” he blushed.

“You weren’t lying about this not being a little problem.” you praised, licking a stripe along the underside. “You’re so big, so thick.”

Jay’s hips thrusted up, more precum leaking out.

“Please.. help me.” he cried.

“Don’t cry, baby,” you wiped away the tear that left his eye, babying him. “I’ll help you.”

Instead of sucking him off, you lowered your hips onto his dick.

Jay felt like he was going to explode.

“Fuck! You’re so tight,” he moaned.

The stretch had your eyes rolling back.

Hands falling onto his chest for support, you slowly found your own pace to bounce at.

“Please let me touch you..” he begged.

“No.” you scolded. “I’m going to go at my pace and you’re gonna get off this way.”

Tears were fully streaking down his face at this point.

His balls were heavy and tip throbbing, the sensation being too much for him to handle.

You continued to bounce on him, eyes closing at the pleasure of his thickness rubbing against your walls.

The moans leaving your throat increased in volume as slick gushed out of your pussy. The thought of using Jay had you excited.

Seeing you on top of him, using him for your own pleasure had Jay going insane.

He broke out of the handcuffs and flipped you onto your stomach.

“Fuck! Jay, right there!” you cried out in surprise.

His palms smacked at your ass, rapidly pushing you back onto his dick.

“Wait.. wait I wanna see your face when I cum.” he whined, flipping your body over.

Your legs rested on his shoulders as you cried at the newer, deeper angle.

His balls smacked against your ass as he slammed his hips against yours.

“Jay, I can’t,” you moaned.

“Yes you can.” he growled. “I’m so close.”

His hips began to falter before they stilled, shooting cum deep inside you.

You came right after him, his whines and moans setting you off.

Jay slumped onto your body, cradling your face with his hands.

“I like you so so much.” he confessed, kissing you sweetly.

“Well I think I’ve liked you for longer.” you laughed.

“If you say so.” he giggled, hugging your chest. “That was so good, I don’t think I’ll ever let you have anyone other than myself.”

“Same here.” you played with his hair. “WAIT FUCK MY PAPER!”

THE END.

bonus scene:

After getting cleaned up and eating (Jay forced you to) you sat on his lap at your desk, typing onto your desktop computer.

He read out the transcript and helped you summarise it into text.

“Sunghoon says that he’s ditching his playboy rep to focus on himself, weirdo because I remember him throwing himself at you during this interview hoping that you’d give him attention, you can simplify it to ‘I’m a lame ass bitch who doesn’t get any hoes’ he truly did fuck around and find out!”

You laughed at his words.

“I knew you’d say something like that.”

He snuggled up to your back.

“So I’m getting predictable now, huh…”

You shook your head. “Never..”

“Guess our date will have to be something you wouldn’t expect.”

He was right, you really didn’t expect lunch on top of Brooklyn Bridge.

549 notes · View notes

keepingitformyself · 27 days ago

Text

marry, kiss, or kill me?

SYNOPSIS: in a quiet high school-like tenderness you find yourself again.

pairings: natasha romanoff x reader

genre: fluff.

warnings: no???

MASTERLIST

please do not repost my work anywhere for any reason at all. if you do see this happen to any of my stories, please let me know. thank you x.

natasha romanoff always knew she wanted you.

from the moment she laid eyes on you for the first time.

she was so smitten. natasha romanoff was smitten, absolutely enthralled by another girl. not just any other girl though. you.

it wasn’t common for grad students like natasha to bud heads with undergrad students. but the exception was there when thanksgiving break had come around and the only people left in town to hangout with was yelena, kate, and kate's best friend, you.

and another brunette right behind you, clinging onto your arm. cassie was her name, natasha briefly recalled.

you’d heard about natasha romanoff before. yelena’s infamous, badass, scary, older sister. it wasn’t hard for her to earn a rep based on everything kate had told you.

to which yelena had always rolled her eyes at stating, “don’t worry, underneath all that leather she wears is actually a big softie.”

and then when kate showed you a picture of her, your eyes almost burst out. no one had told you yelena’s older sister was also devastatingly gorgeous.

still, you kept your cool. or you tried to. even after having had met her and realized just how intimidating she was in person.

it didn't help when you could feel natasha's gaze on you. subtle but unmistakable. a soft smirk tugged at her lips every time you laughed at something someone had said or done.

you remain close to cassie, your girlfriend, for most of the night. hoping that being close to her would serve as a shield for you. but deep down you knew the intimidation was really just how unfairly attractive you found natasha.

when cassie had excused herself to use the restroom and your efforts were short-lived and natasha found a moment to make conversation, just the two of you.

“how come yelena never brought you around sooner?” she sits beside you on the couch, her arm draping over it, casually. her gaze holds you steady as she brings the beer bottle in her hand up to her lips.

all you can do is shrug and say, “beats me.” you let out a soft laugh.

natasha considers you, then turns away with a soft smile, almost wistful. “such a shame.” she rasps out.

your eyebrows furrow and you have half a mind to ask what she means, but then

yelena notices all of this, because of course she does.

“sestra, accompany me to get more drinks from the kitchen, please.” it was a command. the redhead nods and follows yelena into the kitchen.

and when yelena finds herself alone with her sister she finally says,

“i don’t appreciate you making lustful eyes at my friends.”

natasha slowly moves to face her. pausing her actions to refill the glasses. yelena is there, arms crossed, looking at her with a slight disappointed look.

natasha shakes her head with a quiet laugh. a knowing smile tugging at her lips. though, it wasn’t like she was trying to hide her intentions.

“didn't think you'd catch that.”

yelena snickers and turns back to her task at refilling drinks.

“well, you weren't exactly subtle.”

natasha huffs a quiet laugh. she won't deny her actions, natasha wasn't the type to lie. "relax baby sis, i was just...getting a feel for the crowd."

yelena snorted, shaking her head as she finished up with the drinks. "well don't bother. cassie and Y/N are together. have been for years.

that made natasha pause. the smirk she wore faltering slightly and all she can muster up to say is a silent "oh."

despite the obvious disappointment, natasha masked it well enough. natasha wouldn't wallow over something like this. she didn't need to, especially when it was something that was out of her control.

natasha nodded in silent understanding. her expression unreadable, but yelena had caught the brief flicker of emotion.

the weeks after thanksgiving went by in a blur. cassie and you had returned to your usual routines, but something had shifted. it was subtle at first. she still made you laugh, and you still blushed when she'd whisper cute somethings in your ear.

you'd loved cassie lang for ages. you were so sure she'd been the one for you, but sometimes life decides to change it's course.

it wasn't anyone's fault, just the unraveling of something that once fit so perfectly together.

you kissed her with tears in your eyes before you officially called it quits.

the following days were heavy on you. you kept your distance from crowds for a while, opting to just hang out with kate or yelena.

word spread quickly in your circle of friends. yelena mentioned it to natasha one night.

"Y/N and cassie broke up," she said so casually, a handful of popcorn being stuffed into her mouth.

natasha froze for a second, trying to mask her reaction. "oh?"

"yeah. it was mutual i think." yelena added. she turned to natasha. "you're not gonna...?"

natasha scoffs, turning her gaze back towards the television. "i'm not an idiot, yelena. i'm not about to be someone's rebound."

still, the news was heavy on her chest. she contemplated what this could mean. natasha still wanted you, just like she always has, but not like this. not when you were still so fresh out of something so heavy.

you found yourself slowly spending time with kate and yelena, and by extension that also meant natasha.

natasha was still an ever-present force. she stayed in the periphery, keeping her distance, not wanting to push. but she was always there.

you'd catch her laughing at one of your jokes, or your hands would brush on accident whenever she'd hand you a drink. you still weren't sure how to go about the tangled mess of your emotions.

one thing was for sure, you had gotten out of a four year relationship, you had no idea if you’d even be entertaining the idea of jumping into anything so soon.

but natasha romanoff had made you think otherwise.

yelena had invited you to her apartment, everyone would be there. it could be fun, she said. you hesitated, not sure if you were ready to face people, let alone natasha.

she was already there when you had arrived. sitting on the couch next to yelena, her presence just gushing with confidence.

someone had suggested playing marry, kiss, or kill. and you internally groaned at the possibility of having to face your weird feelings for someone you were sure you shouldn’t want.

you didn’t know what to make of it when kate started ripping pieces of paper and scribbling names onto them.

“childish.” yelena had muttered from across the room. she shook her head with a slight distaste.

it was childish. yet you couldn’t help the giddiness at the idea of it all. it felt so high school. like you were keeping a secret and no one knew it.

when it came to your turn to pick, you became nervous. everyone’s eyes were on you, but natasha’s gaze on you was a lot softer than the rest.

like she was anticipating something you both wanted to happen.

the names on the paper read,

cassie, kate, natasha

you read a loud the names.

“marry…kate.” you teased, smirking towards the brunette. kate whooping at your answer.

“kiss, cassie.” you said softly, the small smile on your lips alluding to your love for her.

you could feel natasha’s eyes on you piercing heavily as she anticipated your final answer.

“and kill….natasha.” you said and the room bursted into laughter.

“harsh.” natasha said, though the smile tugging on her lips told you she could play your game just as well.

the night went on. and eventually everyone settled on watching a movie, to which you were only really watching half-mindedly. you could tell natasha was too, as you kept catching her gaze from time to time.

you excused yourself after a while. “need some air.” and you made your way to climb into the fire escape yelena had.

it only took a few moments for natasha’s presence to follow yours outside.

“you okay?” you find yourself asking.

she snorts, “i should be asking you that.”

“i’m getting there.” your gaze turns back to the city in front of you.

it’s quiet for a few more moments. you and natasha both bask in the silence, but it’s impossible to not hear her think, even if she says nothing, you know she wants to. eventually she breaks the silence,

“so, you want to kill me huh?” she jokes and you huff out a laugh.

“it was just a game.”

“was it?” natasha’s lips curve into that that infuriatingly confident smile. she leans on the railing beside you, her face inches from yours. “i was kinda betting on all three for us two.”

her words almost catch you speechless. your heart was racing, and you urge yourself to keep it together. but all you can focus on was the way she was looking at you now.

you shake your head, barely able to meet her gaze, “i just got out of a four-year relationship, nat.” you tell her it with the utmost sincerity. you’re trying to let her know it won’t be so easy, even though you may want her just as much.

“i get that.” natasha nods. “i just…” she trails off, searching for the right words. “i wanted you to know that if things were different, i wouldn’t have wasted a second.”

and her confession almost makes you lose all sense of sensibility. the vulnerability in her admission hitting you like a wave.

the days that followed were slow, yet everything natasha did felt like some choreographed dance. like she was just waiting to take the wrong step.

natasha gave you space, but she never quite felt far away.

you were at yelena’s again. kate along with a few other friends were also there.

then you spotted natasha from across the room, talking to two men you knew as steve and bucky.

you’d known she would be here, but something about her gaze meeting yours and the way it made your heart race—natasha romanoff sure knew how to make you go crazy.

you felt like a highschooler seeing her crush in the hallway on her way to class, hopelessly smitten and completely out of your depth.

natasha romanoff was the hottest being you’ve ever laid your eyes on, you were sure of this.

it made me you feel so helpless. the way her eyes would strike yours and all you wanted to do was cower and hide away.

her eyes held yours as she maneuvered through the crowd to get to you. you were buzzing, you hadn’t felt like this with anyone.

when she was finally in front of you, you hade to take a deep breath in.

“hey.” she said. you could feel her breath hit your lips. and you were sure that if the hand that held her drink between you was moved to her side, you’d be close enough for your lips to touch.

“hi.” your lips twitched into a smile. your head tilted to the side and you bit your lip to refrain from trying to let out a giggle. gosh, you were a mess.

you were silent for a few seconds.

“you seem deep in thought.” she said.

“just thinking,” you admitted.

“about?”

you hesitated, then decided to screw it. “you.”

her lips twitched up in a smile. “yeah?”

“don’t get an airhead.” you joked.

“okayyy.” she drawled. and you both broke into a fit of giggles. you appreciated how easy it was for such an intense moment to become so lighthearted.

the night drew on. people slowly left and the small gathering slowly turned into a movie night. yelena had insisted on watching shrek 2.

natasha and you were sitting side by side, just a little to close for it to be causal. you could feel the heat of her body beside you, the small movements of her as she tried to act normal, but neither of you were really paying attention to the movie.

you shifted a little, nudging her knee with yours. natasha’s head snapped in your direction, her eyes meeting yours for just a second before she looked away quickly, like she was caught doing something she shouldn’t. you couldn’t help but grin.

"do you actually like this movie, or are you just pretending?" you asked, trying to keep the tone light, but your heart was beating a little faster than it should have been.

"it’s classic," she said, her voice a little too casual. "donkey’s a mood."

you laughed softly, a little too loudly for the rest of the group to miss, but it didn’t matter. natasha shot you a quick glance, her lips curling up at the corners like she was holding in a laugh of her own.

you sighed dramatically, rolling your eyes. "i can’t believe i’m sitting here next to you, watching shrek 2 with a girl who's way cooler than i am."

natasha’s head snapped toward you again, her eyebrows raising. "what? you think i'm cooler?" she asked, clearly caught off guard.

you shrugged, pretending to be indifferent, but the goofy grin tugging at your lips betrayed you. "maybe," you teased, nudging her knee again.

she shot you a playful look, like she was about to say something snarky, but instead, her voice softened. "you know," she started, glancing at you with a mix of curiosity and hesitation,

“i don’t mind the movie, but i wouldn’t mind doing something else.”

your heart skipped. "like what?" you asked, almost whispering, your gaze dropping to your hands.

natasha shrugged, trying to act casual again, but her fingers twitched. "i don’t know. just... hanging out with you." her eyes flicked to yours again. "it’s nice.”

you couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face. "it’s nice," you repeated, and for a moment, the noise of the group and the movie faded away.

it was just you and natasha sitting a little too close, both of you pretending like everything was normal even though your heart was racing.

the next few minutes passed in a quiet, comfortable silence. you weren’t sure what to say next, but then natasha, ever so subtly, slid her hand closer to yours. you glanced down at her fingers, already knowing what she was doing before she even did it, and before you could talk yourself out of it, you reached out and brushed your pinky against hers.

her hand stilled for a second, and then, just as quietly, she tangled her fingers with yours. it was the smallest, simplest gesture, but it felt like everything. your chest tightened in that stupid, teenage way, and you couldn’t stop the grin that spread across your face.

"you know," you murmured, barely above a whisper, "this is really embarrassing."

natasha squeezed your hand, her voice just as quiet. "what is?"

"this whole... thing. you know, us. being all... crushy and awkward."

she laughed, the sound soft and warm, and it made your heart flip. "i think it’s cute," she said with a grin, her thumb tracing the back of your hand like she was just figuring out the rhythm of it. "but i get it. i feel the same way."

you smiled, a little shy now, but the warmth from her hand in yours was enough to calm the nervous flutter in your stomach. neither of you had said it out loud, but it was there. the understanding that you were both on the edge of something more, and you didn't need to rush it.

natasha's thumb brushed lightly over your knuckles again, and something inside you melted. you couldn’t help it—the urge to move closer to her, to feel her even more, had become impossible to ignore.

"nat," you whispered, your voice almost shy now. your fingers tightened around hers, just a little, like you were afraid she might pull away.

she didn’t. in fact, her hand tightened in yours, too, and she tilted her head to look at you, her gaze lingering a little longer than usual.

this was the moment, and you both knew it.

you felt the pull. the need to bridge the space between you, to close the tiny gap that had always kept you just shy of crossing the line. your breath hitched in your throat, and your eyes flicked down to her lips before snapping back up to meet her eyes.

"can i—" you started, but the words seemed to stumble out before you could finish.

natasha didn’t give you a chance to say more. she leaned in, her hand gently cupping the side of your face, her touch soft but firm, like she was finally giving in to the same pull you’d been feeling all night. you didn't hesitate. your heart was pounding as you leaned into her, closing the distance in one smooth motion.

when your lips finally met, it was like the world shifted. soft and tentative at first, as if you both were still trying to figure it out, but then she deepened the kiss, her fingers sliding into your hair, and everything else fell away. the warmth of her, the sweet pressure of her lips, made your head spin.

when you finally pulled away, breathless and a little dazed, natasha smiled at you—a real, genuine smile, the kind you hadn't seen from her in a while.

"that was..." she started, her voice a little shaky, but her eyes sparkled with something soft and happy.

"yeah," you replied, still in a daze, grinning like an idiot. "that was... perfect."

she chuckled, leaning her forehead against yours for a second, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "you’re not as bad as you think, you know that?" she teased, her voice low and playful.

you looked at her misty eyed, your breath hitting her lips. “i don’t want to be careful with you.” you found yourself saying.

natasha’s heart twitches at your words, giving her a quiet reassurance that you’d be letting yourself go now. that despite the risks here, despite how fragile in state your heart may be, you were willing to put it all on the line.

and in whispered words she says,

“you wont have to be.”

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #black widow #black widow x reader #marvel #natasha romanoff imagine

337 notes · View notes

reasonsforhope · 2 years ago

Text

"Illinois will become one of three states to require employers to offer paid time off for any reason after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law on Monday that will take effect next year.

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, Illinois employers must offer workers paid time off based on hours worked, with no need to explain the reason for their absence as long as they provide notice in accordance with reasonable employer standards.

Just Maine and Nevada mandate earned paid time time off and allot employees the freedom to decide how to use it, but Illinois’ law is further reaching, unencumbered by limits based on business size. Similarly structured regulations that require employers to offer paid sick leave exist in 14 states and Washington, D.C., but workers can only use that for health-related reasons.

Illinois employees will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked up to 40 hours total, although the employer may offer more. Employees can start using the time once they have worked for 90 days. Seasonal workers will be exempt, as will federal employees or college students who work non-full-time, temporary jobs for their university.

Pritzker signed the bill Monday in downtown Chicago, saying: “Too many people can't afford to miss even a day's pay ... together we continue to build a state that truly serves as a beacon for families, and businesses, and good paying jobs.”

Proponents say paid leave is key to making sure workers, especially low-income workers who are more vulnerable, are able to take time off when needed without fear of reprisal from an employer.

Bill sponsor Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat, said the bill is the product of years of negotiations with businesses and labor groups.

“Everyone deserves the ability to take time off,” she said in a statement. “Whether it’s to deal with the illness of a family member, or take a step back for your mental health, enshrining paid leave rights is a step forward for our state."

“This is about bringing dignity to all workers," she said at the signing."

-via ABC News, 3/13/23

#illinois #jb pritzker #workers rights #labor rights #employment #paid leave #pto #sick leave #burnout #family leave #good news #hope

5K notes · View notes

nemisuki · 7 days ago

Text

Silence

Secret Dating AU | When the two quiet classmates begin dating - chaos ensues. A small snippet of class 3A being dorks and finding out the truth of the hidden couple among them.

᧔o᧓ || shoto todoroki x f!reader, no manga spoilers, fluff, monotoned reader, aged up to third years, silly moments, class 3A included, third person pov, dense todoroki, reader is basically a female shoto lol, oneshot, 1.0k word count

Not many words were spoken between the both of you.

Your own classmates always wondered - when did the two quiet students of the class start dating?

The look of shock on everyone's faces when they first found out was almost laughable.

No one could've expected this outcome. Y/N and Todoroki weren't talkers whatsoever.

The duo was a pair of listeners in a room full of talkers. Often blending in the background of their extroverted peers.

If anything they seemed like the gender bent versions of each other, quiet individuals with occasional comments here and there.

The news of their relationship rapidly spread around the classroom on a random Tuesday.

It all started during their usual hero training class.

Todoroki wasn't a student who was often distracted during practice.

So it was understandable when everyone was visibly concerned - seeing their usually calm classmate, on the ground panting and clearly thinking about something.

Those who were around, immediately stopped whatever they were doing and rushed over to see what's wrong.

"Todoroki you okay?" Deku yells out, swiftly running over with a worried gaze. Not used to seeing his friend in such a state.

"We should help him sit on the sidelines, c'mon let's help our classmate everyone!" Iida interjects, fully embracing the role of class rep.

Waving his stiff hands around like he's guiding a celebrity down the path, which in reality is a bit amusing.

If it's one thing that's true about Class 3A - it's that they're a family.

After everything that's happened in the years they've been together, they understand each other like no one else.

With the help of everyone, they plop Todoroki down to rest against the wall.

All looking at him with worried gazes but with a collective question in mind.

He seems to already know what they're thinking and simply hums, "Thank you all for your help but I'm fine. Just overused my quirk is all."

With a thankful nod he grabs a water bottle - sipping away it's cold contents.

Though brushing off the question, his distant gaze says otherwise, something clearly on his mind.

Yet everyone was hesitant to ask, not wanting to overstep in case they were treading on a sensitive topic.

All but one person.

Seeing a small group of their classmates on the sidelines - she approaches silently.

Her gaze observing and focusing in on the boy, the gears in her mind turning until it clicks.

Without anyone noticing, she disappears from the crowd for a moment.

Returning only a few minutes later with something in her hands and walking over to him, who's now standing up and conversing with the others.

She stands by his side quietly, waiting for him to notice her presence in the array of students.

It doesn't take long for him to look in her direction - as if he knew she'll be at his side.

His multicolored eyes meet hers and without speaking she holds up a small container of strawberries, courtesy of her packed snacks she always prepped the night before, and just barely tilting her head towards him.

In an instant he understands.

For anyone that was playing close attention, they would've noticed his softened stare directed at her.

He takes the container of fruit with a small "thank you" and begins eating the meal provided for him.

Their classmates watch in shock at the silent exchange between the two. It was almost as if they talked with just their eyes alone, like their brains were in sync.

"Hey Y/N why'd you bring Todoroki some strawberries? To make him feel better?" Kirishima smiles, looking at the duo with curiosity.

"Shoto was hungry. That's why he was extra tired today, not because he was sad" she mumbles, looking around the group calmly.

"Oh- is that true Todoroki?" Deku asks, a bit taken back at this sudden revelation.

The entire class looks at the boy's direction, who seems to be unfazed, carefully munching on his strawberries as he speaks, "Yes. I didn't have time to eat a proper breakfast."

At his confirmation, everyone seemed to relax, laughter heard all around.

Seems they were worried for nothing - though one question still lingered in the air.

"Well that's a relief! But hey Y/N how'd ya know that Todoroki was hungry?" Kaminari mentions, stating the question that those around we're all thinking of.

"We both overslept at his dorm room" she casually replies, a neutral expression on her face.

Now that comment made chaos ensue, collective gasps heard across the room.

A teasing whistle from Kaminari echoed out loud, as Sero slings his arm around Todoroki with a sly grin, "Sheesh 'Roki I didn't take you for the kinda guy to sneak ladies into your dorm past curfew!"

"Todoroki you sly dog!" Kaminari cooes, shaking the stoic guy with pure amusement, giving him nudges of encouragement.

He finally looks up as he chews on the red fruit, unaffected by the growing uproar, "We were studying together and she fell asleep. So I let her stay over-"

"Uh huhhhhh funny story! You sure you guys didn't cuddle in bed~" Kaminari snickers, earning some giggles from the class.

Todoroki is quiet for a moment, seeming to be thinking but then speaks up with a nod, "I suppose that's a possibility. Though I was asleep so I wouldn't fully know."

"Wait wait wait! You guys slept in the same bed?!" Kirishima practically yells out in disbelief.

"Well we're dating so yes-" Todoroki says but is soon cut off by dramatic commotion all around him.

"Since when?!"

"What!"

"You and Y/N?!"

"Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Because you guys didn't ask" Y/N mumbles softly on his behalf, looking at her now-public boyfriend with a hidden message in her eyes.

Todoroki hums despite her not saying anything to him and offers the last strawberry, to which she takes it with an invisible smile only he can see.

It was as if Class 3A uncovered a secret that was evident right before their eyes.

On a random Tuesday.

✦ ⎯⎯⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨ masterlist || taglist || intro || socials ୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⎯⎯ ✦

a/n ||| wowww a todoroki fic?! gasp! kinda short compared to my other fics bc shoto is hard to write for with my lack of skills ໒꒰ྀི ౦ ̫ o꒱ྀིა was supposed to be a bkg fic but i think it suits roki better!

148 notes · View notes

neurotic-sinkhole · 7 days ago

Text

oh boy another hermitcraft court case. watched it and my brain exploded like a cuboom firework. the things i've seen as a real life judicial aid and law school student will never compare to the trial.

so here is my analysis of said case:

- glad the judge kept the plaintiff going first! he is right, the defense doesnt know what case to argue against without knowing the case to begin with

- while i love the addition of a jury, typically juries are selected before either side makes a single argument. theres also a whole jury selection process that takes a while, but seeing how one side chose to not prepare anything (which is a real defense i've seen used in a real case before) maybe this was for the better lol

- also, to my knowledge most of the jury (in some way) was a part of the case - i mean the defense even brought this up. the jury was never going to be impartial. however, what confused me more was the usage of "hermitcraft" in the overarching hermitcraft v mumbo case. this verbiage implies not just beef or xb, but the whole server are claiming harm from mumbo's actions.

- furthermore, outside the courthouse there was a banner boasting "xb vs mumbo" but bdubs said "hermitcraft vs mumbo" so i'm going with the words of the judge and what would be on the theoretical court record. this continues to make me wonder what "hermitcraft" classifies as. is it a sovereign nation? is it a state? is it a confederacy of hermits? if hermitcraft, in this specific case, entailed the server as a nation then this should have been a criminal case.

- i need to stop thinking about this aspect of the case or else my brain will explode but i desperately hope for some case law defining this in the future.

- similar to the zombiecleo v docm77 case, defense's lack of witnessess was alarming. defense having only one witness in comparison to the plaintiff's three is severely unbalanced, it only gave the defense a third of the oppurtunity to prove mumbo's innocence (not that they were claiming mumbo didn't commit the actions accused of him)

- i appreciate the judge not allowing for party reps/witnesses to act as agents of the case (objecting, arguing, ect). when bdubs asked jevin where his bar card was i actually felt tears welling in my eyes from laughter.

- the plaintiff's case did a good job in throwing a lot of stuff at the defense. however, i feel they spread themselves too thin with having so many elements to the case (vandalism, noise pollution, enviromental pollution, lost wages, ect), and if they had focused on one or two aspects their case would have been much stronger

- specifically i think they should have focused on the enviromental damage perspective. the other "charges" focused too much on the social ramifications of actions taken by both mumbo and "hermitcraft"

- as for the defense, i think they could have completely gone with the defense of "freedom of expression".

- every single charge could have been easily knocked aside with this defense. it would play to bdubs' (american) brain's inherent obsession with freedom of speech, protest, assembly- just the first amendment overall. oh, the bricks? that was a protest. it is mumbo's right to protest against actions he does not agree with. the noise? the "toxic" enviroment? that's mumbo's expressed creative thoughts. it's his own individual style. he's expressing his own thoughts.

- i think the defense was right on about the train of the food prices too high, but they focused on it too much.

- i also appreciated their use of their singular witness in cub- it is absolutely right to point out there are no written peramiters for zones of builds and such.

overall i think this trial was slightly more on par with a traditional american trial than previous tall claims court cases!! i think bdubs' judgement was just. and most importantly, i can't wait for more cases to analyse (:

#hermitcraft #hermitcraft season 10 #hermitcraft 10 #tall claims court #hermitcraft v mumbo #hermitcraft vs mumbo #xb vs mumbo #xbcrafted #mumbo hermitcraft #bdubs #bdoubleo100 #goodtimeswithscar #docm77

182 notes · View notes

wilwheaton · 2 years ago

Quote

Rarely have we seen anything like the past few days in Tennessee. Three Democrats, for joining with thousands of students walking out of class and in many cases, going to the Nashville statehouse, after the latest school shooting right in that city, were threatened with expulsion from the chamber. Did they molest children? No, that was a GOPer who was allowed to remain in the state legislature. Domestic violence? Nope, he got to stay. Were they under federal investigation? Yet again, a Republican. Nope, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson & Caroline Johnson were "loud" and "behaved wrong" (read "uppity") by joining with protestors. This same logic did not apply to a former GOP state rep who peed--yes, you read that right--on another member's chair. That was totally cool. And, of course, in the state where the Ku Klux Klan was founded...what do you think the end result was? Here's a video to explain exactly what happened, why, how this will affect the 2024 election and how it fits in with so much else the GOP is up to these days.

Guns, Racists, And Predators: A Guide To Approved TN Decorum

Say it with me, and say it loud: Republicans are garbage.

2K notes · View notes

aurae-rori · 6 months ago

Note

Wanna ask if you have any headcannons for aventio modern au

( cause I am obsessed with modern aus)

hellyeah brother i'm here to serve the masses

hcs about ratio:

still a doctor still has 8 phds

knows about student debt and hates it with a burning passion

has a duck keychain that he puts on his keychain with all of his keys like the keys to his house

once crushed a soda can in his hands during his student years bcs he was that fucking mad about the homework questions not being stated in a clear manner (he just like me fr)

has several duck plushies in his bed and theyre all named after either greek philosophers or roman politicians

can speak latin fluently and mutters curse words and creative expressions in latin during the classes that he teaches because he is that pissed off

used to be a full time doctor, but decided to turn to teaching instead after some time

hyper-empathy due to childhood neglect (he just like me fr)

eyebags that he covers up with makeup, he still has those from his student years and cant fucking get them to leave no matter how many hours he sleeps for

enjoys occasionally a rum & coke

really likes lattes and london fogs

had a british accent once because he travelled to the uk and picked up on it, when he came back he was mortified

fucking loves ducks so much he has a camera roll dedicated to duck photos

he got to pet a duck once he was happy for the rest of the week thats how much he loves them

massive nerd & dork

undiagnosed autism with a side of gifted child trauma

really likes jazz and lofi it calms him down fast and makes him happy

wrings his hands when he's really happy

touch starved

makes really good soup

hopeless romantic

more mentally unstable than you think he is. he is actually suffering from burnout but doesnt want to let people around him down.

doing his best. sometimes on the weekends he just nestles into a cocoon of blankets and refuses to leave. texture....

cannot not wear socks he will die without them

cat magnet for some reason??? all neighbourhood cats are at his doorstep even when he and aven already have three. ig hes just cat dad now

aventurine hcs:

still has those glasses, his eyes are more sensitive to light too

really fucking likes fluffy stuff he loves the fluffy he loves the fluffy he-

big fan of sheep and peacocks

eternally terrified that ratio secretly hates him even when they start dating

bpd & adhd & probably autism (ALL BPD HAVERS FUCKING WIN WITH THIS ONE!!!!! I SEE YALL)

masks so often its insane

used to smoke and drink heavily, but has started to lay off ever since he met ratio

still an adrenaline junkie and still has his stupidly good good luck

really likes coffee too, coffee addict, has horrible eyebags, a shitty sleep schedule, and overworks himself half to death

cant fucking cook what the hell is a kitchen

very fond of stelle/caelus and sees them as his surrogate younger siblings. stelle taught him how to play video games and now he plays with them whenever his thoughts get really bitchy to him

horrible at relying on other people but is slowly unlearning that

can do a backflip (why? idk)

high pain tolerance

has a collection of sheep plushies that his friends bought for him

numby and him get along really well. he and topaz still have that sibling esque relationship.

i think he still works for the ipc in this au but its not as bad as it is in canon

starved of touch and does not really know what a healthy relationship is before ratio comes along

loves blankets he has like ten blankets on his bed at once idk why

once poured monster energy into coffee and then drank it. he suffered the consequences. even good luck can't save you from that

listens to generic pop (lie. he actually loves indie guitar)

MENTAL ILLNESS REP IN THIS MAN

accidentally big brothered some kids. help how does he deal with affection

buys stuff for stelle and caelus too. he buys them sheep plushies. they will defend said sheep plushies with their lives. they buy him racoon plushie in return. he does not cry.

his fingers shake so bad sometimes (PTSD goes hard)

motor skills can and will die on him occasionally

unhealthy coping mechanisms but hes getting better guys

he does relapse occasionally but hes putting in effort. finally got his ass to therapy thanks to ratio :)

second cat dad. he loves his cat children he will die for his cat children.

the cats like laying next to him as he eeps if ratio isnt there. they purr and help him with his nightmares.

(ily people w bpd you deserve this rep!!! enjoy :3)

them together hcs!!!!

ratio already had background information on bpd due to his psych degree beforehand but did more researching into it when he realized that aven had bpd because he wanted to support his partner as much as he could :)

ratio is big on physical touch but aven needed some time to get used to it and he was very big on it

aven really likes spoiling the absolute shit out of ratio and likes getting him gifts because sometimes he doesn't know how to word how much he appreciates ratio

aven likes to wash ratios hair for him and visa versa, non sexual intimacy always fucking wins

ratio still worries about aven and doesn't like him gambling all the time, aven makes an active effort to better himself for him even if it's really hard

at the start it was really fucking shitty between the two of them but eventually aven started to learn how to properly and safely communicate with ratio and ratio learned how to phrase his thoughts in a way that wouldn't trigger something, and although they both make mistakes they are doing their best for one another and generally have a good impact on one another's stages of healing (im not projecting im not projecting i-)

aven will hold ratio in his arms and tell him that he's good enough when the thoughts get really bad

they love cuddling, who's big spoon and small spoon switches regularly because they both like being held and holding the other

aven will stop by ratio after his classes and take him home when hes too tired

ratio shuts down sometimes and aven messes with his hair and just stays with him until he reboots

they kiss <33333333333

they cuddle so much they hold one another going to bed

ratio likes giving aven little headkisses and peppers his face with them

they are gay and in love and healthy actually

they were never toxic yaoi never will they be. they are healthy.

they get married <333

this is so much more than what you asked for probably but here you go.

#aurae answers #hsr #hcs #dr ratio #aventurine #aventio #ratiorine #modern au #cat dads #they are cat dads #aven has bpd #fight me #i will die on this hill #my partner has bpd and they deserve this rep #healthy relationships #BECAUSE THEY ARE HEALTHY #FUCK YOU

203 notes · View notes

meret118 · 5 months ago

Text

In an effort to paint Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as a far-left liberal, the Trump campaign has chosen the nickname “Tampon Tim” after a bill Walz signed last year.

The law, which went into effect in January, requires schools throughout Minnesota to provide menstrual products — like sanitary pads and tampons — to “all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12.”

But the nickname may not have pulled off what Trump supporters intended.

Minnesota state Rep. Sandra Feist, who authored the bill, told Yahoo News the goal of the bill was to support student health and ensure that any student doesn’t have to miss school because they can’t afford menstrual products.

The Wall Street Journal reported in July that the cost of pads and tampons has increased faster in the last few years than the price of food. The average cost of a pack of pads and a box of tampons is $6.50 and $8.29 respectively.

“The bill was brought to be by students saying that this was something really important to them and it was something that was really impacting their ability to get an education,” Feist said. “That was the goal of the bill.”

In January 2023, a 16-year-old student told lawmakers at the Minnesota capital, “We cannot learn while we are leaking. … This is a fear everyone knows, and it is happening in our schools all of the time.”

Another 15-year-old emphasized how important it was to remain inclusive, fighting against efforts by Republican lawmakers to amend the bill to be exclusively for female and gender-neutral restrooms.“

It will make it more comfortable for everyone,” they said. “People can use whatever restroom they want without being worried.”

“There are a number of states that have already done something similar,” Feist said. “Period poverty is something that impacts all students who menstruate.”

-----

I heard someone on a podcast today say they should embrace it, and sell t-shirts saying:

Tampon Tim

Stopping the Red Wave

I'm not sure about t-shirts, but definitely sell little zippered bags to keep tampons in with this printed on them.

#Walz #2024

217 notes · View notes

bestrongglobal · 2 years ago

Text

April 2023 Student of the Month: Texas Student Leader Kiran

Meet Student State Representative Kiran, Be Strong’s April 2023 Student of the Month! “We all need kindness. Having kindness is like a domino effect, you start off with kindness then it leads to trust and dependability. If we all can have kindness we can live in a peaceful world with a reduced amount of violence.” Be Strong Student State Representative Kiran is a force for good in her community,…

View On WordPress

#BeStrong #iCanBeStrong #Be Strong #bullied #bully #bullying #depression #emotional health #kindness #mental health #peer network #peer support #positive attitude #positivity #relational health #Student Leadership #Student State Rep #Student State Representative #Texas

0 notes

fairuzfan · 8 months ago

Text

"Israel also secretly hires Jewish Americans as spies to work out of its Washington embassy and its consulates around the United States to covertly surveil and monitor fellow Americans, including students. Thoroughly vetted to ensure loyalty to Israel, many of those hired have spent years heavily involved in pro-Israeli activities from the time they were in college and before. Among them was Julia Reifkind, who led a pro-Israel group at the University of California at Davis before moving on to become an activist with AIPAC. After she graduated in 2016, she was hired by Israel and assigned to its embassy in Washington.

Reifkind had good preparation for her assignment. Thinking that Kleinfeld was a fellow pro-Israel activist, over dinner at Washington’s Mari Vanna restaurant she revealed that while at AIPAC she spent much of her time deceiving college students about her covert connection to the organization. “Obviously, I’m an AIPAC-trained campus activist,” she said. “When you’re lobbying on behalf of AIPAC, you don’t say AIPAC, you say, ‘I’m a pro-Israel student from UC Davis.’ And when you’re meeting with students on campus I would never say, ‘I am the AIPAC campus rep.’ I’d say, ‘My name is Julia and I’m a pro-Israel student.’”

At the embassy, Reifkind focused on developing intelligence on fellow Americans, including students on college campuses. “So nobody really knows what we’re doing,” she said. “But mainly it’s been a lot of research like monitoring BDS.”

In a different conversation, Reifkind explained: “It’s mainly gathering intel, reporting back to Israel. That’s a lot of what I do. To report back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, and make sure they have the right information.” Among the ways she spies on pro-Palestinian activists and Palestinian human rights supporters is with phony Facebook accounts. “I have my fake Facebook that I follow all the SJP [Students for Justice in Palestine] accounts. I have some fake names. My name is Jay Bernard or something.”

Once Reifkind collected the intelligence on her targets, she passed it on to her boss at the embassy. Then it was sent to the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and other offices over a secure encrypted system called Cables. It’s “really secure,” she said. “I don’t have access to [it] because I’m an American.… I’ve seen it, it looks really bizarre…. And then they’ll send something back and he’ll translate it and tell me what I need to do.”

Since the brutal Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7 and the Israeli invasion of Gaza, the ICC and its US-based spy networks are no doubt working overtime. But there is little likelihood of interference by the FBI—well trained to look the other way when it comes to Israel. It was a situation that even frustrated a former head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. When I asked him why no one would talk to me about Israel’s massive espionage in the United States, he simply shook his head.

“You don’t think Israel’s a sensitive topic?” he asked, requesting that his name not be used. “So, Israel has been looked at and is being looked at and that’s all I can tell you,” he said. “But nobody’s doing anything.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“You can imagine,” is all he would say, implying high-level political involvement. I then said that I was planning to write about the topic. “I hope you do. I hope you do,” he said. Sighing, he added, “I’ve been there done that. I know it. I’ve brought cases to the Department of Justice on Israel.” Cases that were never opened."

— Israel’s War on American Student Activists by James Bamford on The Nation

#palestine

1K notes · View notes

shsl-analyzer-guy · 7 months ago

Text

In-Depth Character Analysis On All The DR Characters Because What, Are You Gonna Try And Stop Me? Who Are You, My Mom? Yeah, I Didn't Think So- Part 1: Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Yes, I'm aware the title is ungodly long, it's called comedy. Behold, a series inspired by my overwhelming hubris! Despite my better judgement, I love this series and (almost) every single one of its characters, so I decided to do this little series of posts on the side, just cuz!

So part 1 of like, 88 I think?, going through the characters from THH, DR 0, SDR2, UDG, DR3, and DRV3 with as much objectivity as possible, analyzing their character using only canon material from the games/anime/novel/canon adaptation they're present in. So sit back and enjoy while I go feral! Or just scroll, if you aren't interested. Whatever works for you.

Part 1- Character Design

Kiyotaka Ishimaru is depicted as a very aggressive honors student, and is shown as such through his very expressive facial features and his choice of clothing. He has large eyebrows and big eyes, and is given a uniform meant to make him look more like a soldier, reflecting his rigid dedication to the rules and his ethics. This uniform also includes an armband meant to signify his authority within the class as Hall Monitor and as the unofficial class rep. His sprites are very animated, with big gestures using his arm(s) and his mouth often wide open, whether in a wide smile or while yelling. This makes him one of the more expressive characters in THH specifically, as most of those characters are pretty restrained on a day-to-day basis and only become more exaggerated when put under high levels of stress.

Something interesting about Taka is that his talent changes from the original Japanese to the English translation. His official talent is the SHSL Public Morals Committee Member, meaning his original talent was that of discipline and social order. This was translated to Ultimate Moral Compass in English, as most western schools don't have a Public Morals Committee. This change in translation unintentionally shifted the perception of his talent from discipline to morality. This change in distinction has had a bit of a negative impact on the Western perception of his character, as rather than appearing to impose order on the other students, it instead appears at the beginning as though we, the audience, are supposed to view him as a beacon of morality. We're not.

Part 2- Character Introduction

Taka is one of the first characters to actually speak to Makoto directly, berating him for being late on the first day of school, despite the fact that he and everyone else had experienced a strange warping of memory. He also goes on to interrupt your first conversation with Sayaka, stating that their time is being wasted by 'ridiculous back-and-forth'. Despite this, when it's his turn to introduce himself to Makoto, he goes off on a tangent about how cool Makoto's name is. He's described by Makoto as a 'flawless honors student' and is most publicly known for his work on his local Public Morals Committee. He believes in putting 'every ounce of effort' into living, and imposes this belief on those he interacts with, something Makoto finds irritating(This guy is... kind annoying.").

So in short, Taka's first impression on the player is that he's a mildly obsessive honors kid, and a bit of a hypocrite that isn't fully aware of his own presence or the effect it has on the rest of the cast. The game goes on to use this lack of social awareness as a source of comedy, as he takes Monokuma's initial greeting as Headmaster fully at face value. He struggles to grasp the concept of the killing game at first, opening the discussion upon Monokuma's departure from the welcome ceremony with dialogue that sounds like it was pulled from a customer feedback survey("So guys, how would you define what we just experienced?"). He's not a malicious or hateful figure; he wants to work with the class but isn't quite sure how to.

Part 3- Early-Game Events

The game spends the early-game establishing Taka's more negative traits. He's shown to be inobservant and wrapped up in his own ideals and need to command authority to even notice Kyoko is missing and, upon being informed of her disappearance, cares more about her punctuality than her safety. "Not only is she late, she didn't tell anyone she would be late! A most unbecoming personality trait..."

He's also established as hypocritical once again, and a bit egotistical, as he has trouble fathoming the others' lack of discoveries but overinflates the importance of his own.

He then goes on to agree to Celeste's suggested nighttime rule for all the boys in the class, without letting them speak for themselves. While ultimately, no one has a problem with the rule, this is the first real instance of him doing something that, on paper, is beneficial to the group, but without considering how the others actually feel about it.

Taka doesn't show up in-story again until the day of the motive, when he goes around to the entire class demanding that they will now all have breakfast together every morning after the morning announcement. Although this is a good idea, allowing for everyone to bond and creating a morning headcount, he makes this decision for the entirety of the group. Leon and Makoto both complain about this if you speak to Leon outside the cafeteria, but ultimately go along with it because they don't want Taka to continue bugging them about it. So we can see that his efforts are perceived negatively by his classmates and go unappreciated.

Already we've seen Taka act overbearing and commanding over and over, inadvertently separating himself from the majority of his peers. He's direct and to the point, forming the breakfast meetings expressly to 'become friends and build trust' with the rest of the class. So we can see in no uncertain terms that he wants to befriend his classmates, but that his lack of social skills leads him to fail at every turn. He doesn't ask the class to join him for breakfast, he tells them. The strategy he employs doesn't leave room for choice, and ends up building resentment from his classmates.

It's not until the first body is discovered and the rules of the class trial are revealed that reality fully seems to set in for Taka. He, along with everyone else, are given the rules of a game they don't really want to play- that should they fail in the trial, all of them will be killed. And it sends Taka to a breakthrough- that some regulations can be harmful to those they're imposed upon.

There's now a shift in his actions- he's still trying to push for the class to follow the rules he's set, yes, but there's a newfound urgency to them. When Byakuya disappears in chapter 2, his concern has shifted from punctuality to his classmate's safety. He's the one to lead the search for Byakuya when he doesn't answer. Despite all his harshness, we can see that his strictness now comes from a place of genuine concern for the people around him, a direct parallel to earlier in the game when Kyoko went missing- "I'd like to think so. But I'm worried something might have happened to him."

This growth of character, though not focused on, is undoubtedly present. The dedication he has to his discipline and his ego are still fully intact, but now that dedication has moved beyond just order. It's an act of protection, for him and everyone else. The invisible threat of death has become all too visible with Sayaka's absence from their last breakfast meeting. If he can keep track of everyone, then he'll know they're still alive. He can prevent another murder. It imposes upon him the responsibility of the leadership he craves.

Part 4- Relationship(s)

Unincluding if the player actively seeks him out through FTEs, Taka only ever develops a real relationship with one character of the other fourteen in-game, though he does have some important dynamics with others. We'll continue moving in chronological order.

4.1- Ishimondo (these bitches gay?)

Throughout the game, whenever Taka is saying or doing something stupid, Mondo is typically the one to call him out on it or shut him down. While this doesn't start to take real shape until chapter 2, it is visible here and there in the early game.

But their connection doesn't really start to take focus until chapter 2, as Taka's failings as leader and Mondo's constant correcting him puts them at odds. Mondo's attitude is the antithesis of Taka's, living a life of complete risk and impulsiveness, yet has a matching level of energy, and despite being more intimidating on a surface level, he's able to actually befriend characters like Chihiro, Hina, and Sakura, while Taka's left on the out. One of the best examples of this is found not in the game, but in the stageplay adaptation, where both characters attempt to help Chihiro feel better about her weakness in the daily life segment.

When Byakuya starts mocking Chihiro for her fear, Mondo threatens him, and insists that Chihiro's weakness doesn't matter because she's a woman. But when this makes her upset and Sakuraoi call him out on it, he offers to help Chihiro train as an apology, acknowledging that his behavior was irrational. But when Taka tries to give her advice by telling her not to be weak anymore and is told to be reasonable, he can only insist that Mondo's words don't matter anyway.

In the game itself, Taka's barely present for this exchange, as it chooses instead to focus on Chimondo's relationship. Regardless, the animosity between Mondo and Taka is still made very clear in-game.

Mondo and Taka are both demonstrating the desire to protect their classmates here, but in different ways. Taka is the more logical of the two, focusing on keeping track of resources and devising a system of check for everyone to keep watch over each other in the breakfast promise. Mondo, meanwhile, wants to push the importance of actually getting everyone the fuck out of there. While their endgoal is the same, they disagree on how to go about it, and both their stubbornness drives them to butt heads as time continues to pass, leading to the sauna scene.

After being slowly built up in the background, Ishimondo's mutual anger finally comes to a head, with both not understanding the position that the other is in. Taka still believes Mondo's value to be what he provides to society, and as a biker gang leader, that's not much to a man that lives by lawful discipline. Meanwhile, Mondo can only see Taka as an egomaniac with a stick up his ass and doesn't know the background to why(and neither does the player without actively seeking out his FTEs). They each follow a different code of ethics, and view themself as the protector of the class, leading them to see each other as rivals. Yet, despite that, both of them still share their core value of total dedication, and so when finding a way to prove themself the better man, they end up with an endurance competition. For Taka, this reflects his belief that men connect by baring their souls, and do so by baring their bodies(something only learned in-game by approaching him for FTEs).

(This also leads to the implication that, while Mondo insisted on entering the sauna with all his clothes on, at some point, he was, in fact, naked while with Taka that night.)

The information as to what happened in that sauna is intentionally left unanswered, remaining fully private between both men in-game. The only thing either of them will say is that a brotherhood was formed between them, and that who won their initial contest no longer matters. Finally, Taka has found someone. Someone he can confide in and lean on, someone who'll support him and that he can support in turn("And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back! That's how you can overcome any storm!" -Taka ch 1).

And then Chihiro's case happens.

At first, when the motives are introduced, Taka is one of the few to vocally insist no murder will take place. He has newfound confidence in the willpower of his classmates, and puts faith into everyone else for the first and only time. Even when presented with his own unknown secret, he finds it ridiculous that anyone would kill over the embarrassing memories and secrets. It's here that we truly see the highest high of this character- when he comes up with the idea to share secrets. When he presents this idea, he moves forward as usual, preparing to be the first one to reveal their secret and take the pressure off. But when his classmates insist they can't (Toko & Celeste) he doesn't keep chugging along, and he doesn't completely shut down, either. He looks around at his classmates, and he asks Chihiro. He actually steps back and asks for someone else's opinion.

And when she isn't yet comfortable, he backs off. He respect her wishes, and he stands with the class, ready to help them face their secrets the following day. Finding a friend in Mondo has softened his rigid exterior a little bit, enough to actually consider the opinions of the others. He's gotten comfortable. All that comes crashing down with the discovery of Chihiro's body the next morning. After finally taking a step back and letting his classmates- his friends- make their own choices, it directly leads to the murder of one of them("Dammit! I'm sorry, Chihiro... It's all because I wasn't strong enough!").

Taka fully blames himself for allowing Chihiro to be murdered, and as the guilt of failure starts to set in on him, he looks to his ethics and order to solve it. Chihiro may be dead, but the murderer will be condemned through the class trial("Justice always prevails! Right, bro!?"). A solution, a path forward, still exists for him. He still has Mondo by his side, and he and the rest of the class can surely prevent this from happening again, right?

The trial only validates him at first, revealing the existence of a serial killer among the group, someone so clearly immoral for her killing obsession. But it's not her. Why isn't it her? "Could such a heinous villain really be innocent!?" But his confusion is quickly stamped out- of course, it's Byakuya, the guy that's been threatening everyone and refusing to cooperate, the guy that has no regard for the rest of their classmates. "He kept calling this a game, right? So he'd totally be willing to do whatever it takes to 'win'!" But no, wrong again- he didn't know that the murder was in the boys' locker room, and was taken aback by Chihiro being AMAB. It should be him, someone so clearly antagonistic, that's how it's supposed to go, right?? But no, it's wrong! Why? And, who could kill someone like Chihiro at their most vulnerable?

He's failed. Taka's failed in every way conceivable. Mondo, the first person he's ever truly felt connected to, a murderer? Chihiro's murderer? That can't be it. Even long after Mondo's stopped arguing, Taka continues to push back against Makoto and Kyoko's accusations. It's a coincidence, that's not actually proof, anything to get them to stop, to save his brother, to save himself from the reality he's about to have to face. When sent into the BTB, it's Taka we fight in his despair, not Mondo. Until the very end, Taka won't acknowledge it. He can't. He can't bring himself to vote his Mondo a murderer, a killer. How could the man who gave him the chance no one else would, ever be so cruel? "I- I refuse to believe it... There's no way... no way he would kill someone! Why!? Why why why why why!? WHYYY!? Why did you do it!?"

He learns the truth of Mondo's story alongside the rest of the class, unable to process it all. It makes no sense. They were friends who trusted each other, who helped each other. And what about the man's promise? Doesn't that count for anything!? This doesn't sound right. This isn't Mondo, not his Mondo, not the man from the sauna. How could he have been so wrong about him?! It just can't be, but it is; the truth is but a slap to the face.

He was wrong. He stood by Chihiro's killer and defended him. He let his brother become the monster he saw himself as. He didn't stop it when he could have. He was blinded by his own beliefs, and as he watches Mondo's death, his spirit dies with him, the game cutting out all music as Taka screams, filling a deafening silence. "As Taka's sad screams invaded our skulls, we were each forced to realize once again..."

4.2- Kiyondo Ishida

Taka enters chapter 3 as a hollowed out shell of himself. He's gone near comatose, staring at nothing and saying nothing. He won't eat, won't speak, won't sleep, and although there are a couple weak attempts to get him back in action from Hiro("It's times like this where the committee chairman needs to get things going with a BANG!"), he's mostly left to grieve by himself, as the rest of cast is more concerned with the expanded school than the bossy guy they didn't like that much.

Monokuma even goes out of his way to torture Taka, to punish him for his grief, lying about the existence of a time machine just to fuck with his head and give him false hope, sending him further into despair- "Hmm... You sound disappointed. But actually, I was lying about the whole thing anyway. There's no such thing as time machines!" He's forced to become Monokuma's most successful project from the class, completely and utterly destroyed.

When he learns of Alter Ego, something in his head clicks. He can still talk to Chihiro. He can repent. He can apologize directly to him. So, with Makoto's help, he's brought to the laptop. His guilt finishes totally consuming him as he asks: "Do you... hate Mondo? And since I couldn't stop him... do you hate me?" His own self-hatred stemming from his failure is projected onto Alter Ego in one last attempt to come to terms with what's happened. The response he receives, unfortunately, is the culmination of all the toxic and unhealthy ideas of manhood the other boys carried with them via an attempted simulation of Mondo.

"You're not letting yourself get crushed under the weight of that responsibility, are you!? A man's only worth as much as the load he can carry! You get it, right bro!? Hell, what am I saying? Of course ya do!"

"So you're just gonna stand there, huh? Just wait for things to get better? Just take your time and get all depressed... Take the time to indulge your regrets... You might even start walking again without realizing it. Sure, that kind of mediocre thing might work for some people."

This speech, while attempting to inspire Taka to keep living for Chihiro's and Mondo's sakes, encapsulates the desperate need to be perceived as strong and untouchable that Mondo himself carried, and that Chihiro admired so much. It sinks its way into Taka, convincing him that the way to respond to his guilt is simple- pretend it isn't there! Mondo has clearly returned to him, and he's never letting him go ever again. He fully deludes himself, and he's fused with this idealized version of his bro. He permanently ties himself to Mondo's memory, and goes from the SHSL Public Morals Committee Member to something else entirely- Kiyondo Ishida, the unholy mixture of both men.

This revelation also leads him to an obsession with Alter Ego, viewing it as the vessel in which his bro was returned to him. He views it as another chance to protect his bro from ever being hurt again, as some divine second-chance he's been granted. All desire to be around the rest of his class is gone, replaced with this obsession. He's put at odds with Hifumi, who's also connected with the AI, and separates himself from the group that much more. When Alter Ego disappears, he can't handle it. He panics. He won't let his bro die, not again. And so he dooms himself, refusing to let go of the shadows of the past enough to see his own death looming before him, and he's killed in the early hours of the morning, led by desperation to his demise. And even so, the class can only worry about the semantics of when he died, barely mourning him.

5- Isolation (What's the point of this guy, anyway?)

Rather than learning from the mistakes both Chihiro and Mondo made by subscribing to the societal expectations of what makes a man, Taka ends up doubling down, burning away the optimism and more reasonable logic Taka used to have. Taka's story is that of a doomed fate to become the symbol of manhood and its self-destructing nature, leeching off of his first and only friend's unhealthy behaviors and sending him spiraling. And it's allowed to happen because of his social isolation.

From the very beginning of the game, Taka is singled out as annoying to be around. He's put in a negative light and viewed as unpleasant to spend time with. Every attempt to befriend or connect with a classmate is written off as a nuisance, a hindrance. Taka doesn't know how to make friends. He doesn't know how to do anything besides follow the rules and regulations he's been taught. He sticks to his regimen, because it's comfortable, and doesn't understand why others can't conform in the way that he does. He's very thoroughly isolated mentally and emotionally from his classmates at every turn, to the point where even in the very first trial he's standing with no one but the dead by his side(as Sayaka and "Junko" were positioned on either side of his podium).

All this is done with the deliberate intention to showcase his solitude, and more importantly, the loneliness that comes from it. It's to the point that when he finally does make a friend, he thoroughly idealizes him in his subconscious, coming to view him as some perfect person who'd even support him. It's inherently contradictory from his established beliefs going into the game, that a delinquent could be kind, but he accepts it wholeheartedly. He gets to know Mondo on some deeper level while in that sauna, and it's enough to rapidly develop a massive codependency on him. So when Mondo self-destructs and dies, so too does Taka.

Taka's purpose as a character is to suffer. He wraps himself in his moral beliefs, remaining steadfast in what he views as right and wrong, making judgement calls he's 100% sure of, and when they're challenged/disproven, he's thrown wholly out of whack. He exists to serve a purpose- what would've happened if Makoto didn't accept the truth about Sayaka? What happens when you let your idealism blind you to the truth? What happens when you blind yourself to the reality of the people around you, of the darkness in the people you care about? You self-destruct. He's tossed aside, killed as an accessory to the plot of someone who does nothing but manipulate the truth. He dies, and that's just it. His story is cut short; he doesn't get to heal or grow or come to terms with the truth. Such is the fate of the failed.

6- Afterword

...I didn't even touch his FTEs for this. Holy shit.

I'm gonna be honest, as much as I love Taka, I never expected this post would become as long as it did, or that I'd uncover such a dark fucking reason for why he gets as totally fucked over as he does. Don't get me wrong, I still really wish he'd lived and gotten to grow after this, but maybe his death was more well-written than I used to think. Good god.

#danganronpa #danganronpa trigger happy havoc #trigger happy havoc #thh #dr thh #dr thh spoilers #danganronpa thh #kiyotaka ishimaru #ishimaru kiyotaka #danganronpa kiyotaka #character analysis #character study #analysis #fan theory #DR character analysis #chihiro fujisaki #mondo owada #ishimondo #alter ego

260 notes · View notes