#That was the one person I was concerned about the MOST-
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shalom-iamcominghome · 2 days ago
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My jewish community, friends, rabbi, and educators: We are very invested in helping you be jewish. Do you want to help read the haftarah? Here's a chanukiah! You can have it!! Borrow these books! Here's some books! You need more books... Come to pesach! Come to the chanukah party! When are your classes done? We need a minyan for once!
Me and my 50000 IQ: What if I am Secretly Appropriating judaism? What if I am doing a Cultural Appropriation........
#jumblr#jew by choice#jewish conversion#personal thoughts tag#there comes a point where your concerns about if you are an Appropriative Cultural Appropriator hinders your jewish journey#i think a comforting thing is knowing that my incessant fear about this is confirmation that i love judaism#i love it with my heart and soul and (i feel) i'd be a less realized person without it#and i think people who genuinely engage in cultural appropriation just Do Not Care about the cultures they appropriate from#they don't love the culture enough to respect it and that is a big reason that it even IS appropriation#especially when jewish people are INVITING you to do things... it's not appropriation#i dunno last night i was feeling very anxious about lighting the chanukiah candles because i'm alone#but i've also lit shabbos candles. and it's just like... why would i choose not to engage in this when one day i will have to?#this time next year i will have to light candles. as a jew. and if i have no clue how to do it myself then i'll just avoid it#plus... i love my chanukiah and i want to use it. it is currently decorating my room because i love it#i hope they'll let me take pictures of all the chanukiah that'll be at the party#i'm sure they will because they're very open and they are very accommodating. in fact i'm bringing my clarinet too#i haven't touched that thing in well over four years 😭#but jewish music without a clarinet is like a body with no soul. it's impossible. it is not what g-d wants i think.#i just hope my ability to play by ear hasn't been affected by my lack of playing. i don't have perfect pitch tbc#but i fully believe you can know your instrument so well that you develop an ear for perfect pitch#in fact... i refused to memorize my marching band music because i DID develop that 'perfect pitch' ear. that's my dirty secret#i didn't practice in part because i can't have a space where noone could hear me practice and it's embarrassing and private to me#literally EVERY jew in my life has been almost TOO ecstatic about my jewish journey. i'm very thankful for it#i guess i just didn't think i deserved to have people as happy about me being in judaism as i am#so to be clear this is my brain being rude and dumb. this anxiety has NEVER been reinforced by anyone but myself#so i take full responsibility for it. but i think that anxiety is something many/most converts/jews-in-progress feel
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solxamber · 1 day ago
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Pomefiore, 7, Comedy/Fluff
everytime i see a pomefiore request, an angel gains its wings
Always Watching || Rook Hunt
For the Holiday Event! || Prompt: "For you, anything" ; Genre: Comedy/Fluff
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You slumped against the bed, your head drooping as you let out a pitiful groan. Rook sat beside you with a concerned expression, holding your hands gently in his own.
"Mon amour," he said, voice dripping with theatrical worry, "you look as though the very life has been drained from your enchanting form."
"That’s because it has," you muttered. "Crowley’s got me running around like his personal errand mule. I’m doing everything except polishing his tailcoat at this point. I’m so tired, Rook. I think my soul is trying to escape my body."
Rook's eyes narrowed, and a dangerous glint flickered behind the veneer of his charming smile. He tilted his head, his golden hair catching the dim light. "Ah, such a grave injustice cannot stand."
You sighed, too exhausted to argue. "Unless you’ve got some magic solution to deal with Crowley, I’m just gonna have to suffer until I keel over or he decides he’s bored of me."
Rook’s smile sharpened. "Leave everything to me, ma chérie. For you, anything."
You didn’t think much of it. Rook often said dramatic things, and you figured he was just trying to cheer you up. You kissed his cheek, thanked him, and promptly fell asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow.
The next day, Crowley summoned you to his office. Expecting another list of unreasonable tasks, you dragged yourself there, only to be greeted by something completely unexpected: a visibly nervous Crowley.
“Ah, prefect,” he said, wringing his hands. “Good news! I’ve decided there’s no need for you to handle all those tasks. I realized that as a benevolent and magnanimous headmaster, I may have been… overly reliant on you.”
You stared. “...Really?”
“Yes, yes,” he said quickly, waving his hand. “Go, enjoy your youth or whatever it is students do. No need to thank me. Now, off you go!” He ushered you out of his office, looking pale and slightly sweaty.
You blinked in confusion but decided not to question it. After all, a reprieve was a reprieve. And who were you to argue with divine intervention?
Later, you met up with Rook in the woods. You relayed the strange encounter with Crowley, still baffled. "It’s so weird. He looked… spooked, almost. But hey, I’m not complaining. It’s about time he stopped using me as his personal assistant."
Rook chuckled, his emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ah, ma douce étoile, perhaps the universe has finally decided to grant you mercy."
You raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn’t happen to know anything about it, would you?"
He leaned in close, his cryptic smile widening. "Moi? I am but a humble admirer of beauty. How could I possibly influence the decisions of our esteemed headmaster?"
You squinted at him. "Rook—"
Before you could press further, he grabbed your hand and twirled you dramatically. "Come, my love! Let us revel in the splendor of the forest! The beauty of nature is calling, and I refuse to let you waste another moment thinking about mundane matters."
And just like that, you were whisked away into another one of Rook’s adventures. His enthusiasm was infectious, and soon you forgot all about Crowley’s odd behavior.
Unbeknownst to you, Crowley had indeed woken up the previous night to find an arrow lodged inches from his head, attached to a note written in elegant, looping script:
Mon cher directeur,
While I greatly admire your leadership, I must request that you cease overburdening the prefect. I have many talents, as you know, and it would be a shame for them to be used against you.
Always watching.
Crowley had nearly fainted. By morning, he’d resolved to do whatever it took to stay on Rook’s good side—even if it meant giving you the break you deserved.
And Rook? He kept his secret, because in his eyes, what mattered most was your happiness.
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jxwl4k · 3 days ago
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.𖥔 ݁ ˖ Christmas Eve .𖥔 ݁ ˖
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☘︎ . . . genre. fluff
☘︎ . . . pairings. bakugou x reader
⤿ a snowy cityscape on christmas eve.
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Snowflakes swirled in the chilly night air, the city glowing with festive lights and bustling with holiday cheer. It was Christmas Eve, and while most people were home celebrating with their loved ones, Pro Hero Dynamight was finishing up his patrol. Katsuki Bakugou trudged through the snow-covered streets, his sharp crimson eyes scanning for any signs of trouble.
It wasn’t like he hated Christmas; he just didn’t see the point in making a big deal about it. Work always came first.
As he rounded a corner, his comm crackled with a familiar voice.
“All clear in my sector,” you reported. Your voice had a calm warmth to it, one that Bakugou had grown to appreciate more than he cared to admit.
“Same here,” he grunted.
You had been paired with him for tonight’s patrol, which wasn’t unusual since you often worked together. As a pro hero, you were one of the few people who could match his intensity in the field, though your personalities were polar opposites. While Bakugou was fiery and brash, you were calm and steady—a balance he never knew he needed until he met you.
As your shift came to an end, you and Bakugou met up at a small park in the heart of the city. The place was almost magical, with twinkling fairy lights wrapped around the trees and a large Christmas tree standing in the center, its ornaments shimmering in the soft glow of the streetlamps.
“You don’t look very festive,” you teased as you approached him, pulling your scarf tighter around your neck.
“Tch. Like I’ve got time for all that crap,” Bakugou muttered, though his gaze softened slightly as he looked at you.
You chuckled, reaching into your bag and pulling out a thermos. “Hot chocolate?”
He raised an eyebrow but accepted the cup you poured for him. After taking a sip, his lips curved into a small, satisfied smirk. “Not bad.”
“You’re welcome,” you said playfully, sitting down on a nearby bench.
For a while, the two of you sat in companionable silence, watching the snow fall and the occasional group of carolers pass by. It was rare for either of you to get moments like this, away from the chaos of hero work.
“So,” you began, breaking the silence, “any plans for the rest of the night?”
“Just headin’ home,” he said with a shrug, though there was a hint of something else in his voice—maybe hesitation.
You tilted your head, studying him. “No family dinner? No holiday party?”
He scoffed. “You know I’m not into that crap.”
You smiled softly. “Yeah, I know.”
There was a pause, and then, to your surprise, Bakugou spoke again.
“What about you?”
“Me?” you echoed, a bit taken aback. “Probably just going home too. Maybe watch a movie, eat some leftovers. Nothing exciting.”
He frowned, his gaze flicking to you. “That’s dumb.”
“Gee, thanks,” you said, rolling your eyes.
“I mean—” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s Christmas Eve. You shouldn’t spend it alone.”
You blinked at him, caught off guard by his sudden concern. “Are you saying I should find a party or something?”
“No, idiot,” he muttered, looking away, his cheeks faintly pink. “I’m saying… maybe you should spend it with me.”
Your heart skipped a beat at his words. “Are you asking me to hang out?”
“Call it whatever you want,” he grumbled, avoiding your gaze. “Just don’t make it weird.”
A grin spread across your face as you stood up, brushing the snow off your coat. “Alright, Dynamight. Where to?”
“Back to my place,” he said, finally looking at you. “I’ve got food, movies… and more of that hot chocolate crap if you want it.”
You couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like a plan.”
As the two of you walked side by side through the snowy streets, the city lights reflecting in your eyes, you realized this was probably the best Christmas Eve you’d had in years. And judging by the small, almost shy smile on Bakugou’s face, he felt the same way.
Maybe Christmas wasn’t so bad after all.
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paragonrobits · 9 hours ago
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honestly this whole thing being treated as an exclusive problem to superhero tropes in general, or implying that superheroes as a concept are inherently bad because I guess people assume they were specifically created to Keep The People Down or what-not, REALLY ANNOYS ME A LOT so this seems a good opportunity to make a point:
this trope is not specific to superheroes, and has been a thing for quite a while in fiction overall, specifically in TV and films (and at the risk of being snappy and letting irritation doing the talking, thus in mediums that get the most coverage and it makes people sound like a series doesn't exist if its not in TV or movies)
At its worst, this is basically a low-effort way to give a villain some nuance without putting much thought into it. It's not really meant to imply, at least in most cases, that their goal or motive is BAD, as some people seem to suggest. This is probably an outgrowth of the common idea of a villain being the hero of their own story; its common to suggest that a villain MUST have some kind of moral point or heroic quality to them, and that's basically where this comes up; its a less well-written handling of that concept by using it to get some pathos into a villain that can often be counterproductive.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that its not suggesting that their cause is BAD; indeed, the writer implicitly means that their cause is good, because that's where the villains Good Cause Points come from; if it wasn't a good cause to them, they wouldn't be trying to humanize the villain by rooting them in that cause.
It's not exclusive to superheroes by any means, and the general trend predates the modern superhero genre in film and television, at least in the post-MCU sense.
The other point to be made is that sometimes, the supervillain isn't actually concerned by a problem at all, and they're just using it as an excuse to satisfy their own personal grudges, because it gets them support as they pursue their own goals, or because they're cynical manipulators who never gave a damn about that problem but it furthers their own goals to manipulate others who DO care about that problem.
There is also one other aspect; sometimes the villain does genuinely believe in solving a problem, but their understanding of it is completely divorced from reality, or their intended plans are inherently a bad thing. For example, lets take the common idea of Poison Ivy as a heroic eco-heroine fighting corporations who pollute the planet. All well and good, but Ivy actually doing that is an extreme outlier in her established character. More often than not, what she's actually doing it is causing massive destruction that gets a lot of completely unrelated people killed because her explicit end goal is the complete genocide of all human life, and at extremes, all ANIMAL life as well. This makes her a textbook ecofascist of the 'kill all people, especially the ones that have no power to do anything about ecological destruction' kind.
This is closer to the sort of villains you're actually likely to see; their stance on a problem is completely destructive, counterproductive and generally just kind of evil. Thats why heroes stop them; because their entire plan is to kill lots of people while making vague comments about 'x thing is the Real Evil' or something like that.
This, uh, also tends to be the actual nature of villains that fandoms often present as enlightened True Heroes unjustly antagonized by heroes. Almost every time, they only give lip service to any real goal and mostly just want to kill lots of people or do large scale disasters to satisfy their own grudges, and as such they're not really meant to be taken seriously.
And from another point of view, its like this: the reason we don't usually see the hero solving that problem is because that's not the focus of those sort of stories. If you're going in for an adventure story about someone with fantastical powers have action-filled showdowns with larger-than-life antagonists, its not really reasonable to expect it to suddenly swerve into a political treatsie about sociological phenomenon just because the villain of the week makes some vague references to societal ills as they start kicking orphans into a giant blender to fuel their giant robot that's going to burrow to the core of the earth and blow it up.
Its a fairly basic writing bit to give a villain some apparent nuance without having to do much more, and that's basically it. And to follow the metaphor, I don't think its really reasonable to give a go-ahead to the sort of person who kicks orphans into blenders just because they make some vague references to a greater good and then never follow up on it. As a villain, their only real purpose is to be an entertaining roadblock, rather than 'a hero but kinda edgy' as the term seems to become around some fandoms.
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backseatsoldier · 2 days ago
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"Broken", Not Stupid - 1
Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x OC
CW: Omegaverse; "selling"/"adopting" omegas; alpha!Simon "Ghost" Riley; omega!OC
Author's Note: I have... been encouraged to write this (dammit, @lostintransist lol). It was an idea I had a while ago. We'll see where it goes, I guess?
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The last person Simon expected to see that night was Henry, an accquaintance from basic training. Johnny had been raving about this omega he'd met recently when Simon heard someone call his name. So he turned to face the voice.
"I thought that was you, Riley!" Henry exclaimed with a bright smile. He was always overly cheery.
"Hey, Henry. How have-"
Henry's eyes narrowed at Simon and he tilted his head ever so slightly.
"You're still not settled down, mate? Why are you in a bar? You should be at one of the Salvation facilities!" He didn't seem to be judging Simon. In fact, he seemed more concerned than anything.
"Aye. Name's Johnny," Soap poked in the conversation finally, offering Henry his hand and a welcoming smile. Henry responded in kind. "Aren't most of the Salvation facilities... no good?"
"Most of the newer ones were hurriedly staffed - lots of omegas in need, you know - so the living conditions are... less than satisfactory. But Salvation's working hard to fix it," Henry explains with a knowing frown.
"What the hell is 'Salvation'?" Simon chimes in, completely lost.
Johnny and Henry exchange a look before Johnny sighs and looks at Simon directly.
"They... take in omegas who, for one reason or another, are deemed 'unfit'," Johnny explains hesitantly. "Everybody's a bit... on edge about them, though. They 'take in' omegas by searching for the 'unfit' ones and purchase them. Omegas aren't property. Or at least they haven't been in too long for something like this to be even remotely legal."
"It's... complicated. They house and care for all of these omegas but it just doesn't settle right with a lot of people. Which is fair, especially with the recent rushed staffing and problems that came about from such," Henry adds. "There's a facility in the next town over, actually. One of the original ones that hasn't had issues. You two should drop by there sometime. See what you think and, maybe, find a mate for doing so."
Simon and Johnny exchange a look that implies a silent conversation. Henry seems to take the hint and says his goodbyes. The rest of the night continues without talk of Salvation, it's strange ways, or it's facilities. That doesn't mean Simon can keep his mind off of any of it, though.
Maybe an 'unfit' omega is what he needs? As strange as it may sound.
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trippinsorrows · 2 days ago
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dreamland: leya's battle
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authors note: this is an expanded version of the short i posted a few days ago.
warnings: angst, depiction of ocd in a child, slight themes of childhood suicidal ideation
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words: 3.8k
The sound of horns honking startles both Leya and Tama, the latter of which starting to stir in his car seat, single handedly exacerbating an already nightmare of a situation.
“Hurry up!”
It’s a single voice that’s followed up with several others, all expressing the same level of pressure and rudeness.
Solana is seconds away from marching over to the woman directly behind the SUV behind her car when Tama’s soft, sleepy voice serves as a deterrent. “Mama, I wanna go home….”
A shared sentiment, one that makes most sense for him, as he’d either be back in bed by now or cuddled on the sofa with her while he takes a nap. 
Obviously, that’s not an option. 
“I know, baby,” she comforts. Solana does take a step back but instead of acting out of character, directs her clear, unmistakable command to Jacob. “Shut them up.”
With a nod, she only catches his face shifting into that infamous scowl as he walks over to the cars lined up behind her, a line that has to be backed out into the street at this point.
With that handled, Solana moves back to the issue at hand. 
Leya continues to cry, sniffling, her little chest moving up and down. Solana can see the tips of her fingers turning red from the repeated, forceful buckling and unbuckling of her seatbelt.
“Leya….” Solana’s voice breaks. As best as she’s doing to maintain her composure, it’s a slowly losing battle. “Baby, it’s okay. We can g—”
“No!” Leya cries, shaking her head, still not looking at Solana as the concerned mother continues to gently stroke her hair. “I gotta—I gotta do it right, mommy, or something bad will happen!”
“Cataleya, I promise you nothing bad is going to happen, baby.” A reassuring statement she’s had to have stated at least ten times now over the past almost half hour that’s passed since the start of this episode. “But, you have to get out the ca—”
“No!” Leya begins to cry harder, once again going to remove her seatbelt, counting to three with her fingers and redoing it. A repeated, consistent, obsessive act that’s led to the situation they’re in now. A situation Solana has no idea how to handle. This is the first time it’s ever been this bad.
“What’s wrong, Leya?” Tama asks in his sweet voice, worry filling his little face as he tries to comfort her. Unfortunately, that only does the opposite. Leya cries out and jerks her body away, swatting his helping hand, prompting his bottom lip to poke out as he too starts to cry. 
“Leya, please don’t hit your brother.” It’s hard for Solana to be upset with or even scold her daughter, because she knows Leya can’t help it. Knows that it’s only because anyone else’s touch other than hers feels “wrong” to Leya, thus her reacting the way she did.  “Tama, it’s okay, baby boy. Leya just doesn’t feel good.” 
Solana is sure none of them are feeling good, especially herself, her hand moving to her small baby bump as a sudden wave of nausea washes over her.
God please, not right now.
Of all times, not now.
She just can’t handle this.
Solana moves to open the passenger door and reaches over to grab her cell phone out of the cupholder. Shaking, trembling hands move to Roman’s contact, as she too quickly hits the call button.
Three rings followed by a soft, feminime voice. “Mr. Reigns office, how can I—”
“Shit,” Solana curses and closes her eyes. She dialed his office number instead of his personal cell. “I’m sorry, Alicia, this is Solana. I need you to put me through with Roman.”
“Oh, hi, Mrs. Reigns,” she greets, voice kind but almost unsure. “Ummm—Mr. Reigns is in the middle of—”
“Alicia,” Solana doesn’t hesitate to interrupt. “Get my husband on this line now.”
The woman nervously clears her throat. “Of course.” A pause. “Just a minute.”
And it’s just about a full minute that passes when Solana hears her husband’s deep, baritone voice on the other end. “Solana? What’s wr—”
“I need you to meet me at the school,” she cuts in, emotion in her voice, her eyes start watering all over again. “I can’t—I can’t get Leya out the car. She’s—she’s stuck in a ritual, and I’ve got Tama, and he’s crying, and I can’t—I don’t know what to do.” Her voice breaks at the end, the overwhelming nature of it all finally trampling her
“Mommy, don’t cry,” Tama comforts, eyes focused on Solana from the backseat.
Solana is unsure if Roman can hear their five-year-old, because he’s doing the same, “baby, don’t cry. It’s okay.” It provides some solace but not as much as Solana knowing how to help her daughter could provide. “I’m on my way.”
The time between the phone call ending and Roman arriving feels like an eternity, Solana becoming more overwhelmed and feeling every bit as helpless as is while trying to defuse a terrible situation.
“Move out my damn way!” Roman’s rough, urgent voice prompts Solana to straighten her back from where she was leaning into the car, trying to help her daughter. Just laying her eyes on him is an instant, soothing thing.
“Thank you,” she murmurs as he presses his lips to her temple but quickly moves to replace where she was leaning in the car.
And she doesn’t need to be looking at him to know how devastated he must be at the scene before. “Leya, baby, what’s wrong?”
Leya cries and wipes at her eyes. “I can’t get it right.”
Solana walks over to the other side of the car to work to settle Tama whose combination of sleepiness and worrying about his sister have him stirring in his car seat.
“Leya, it’s fine the way it is, sweetheart.”
She shakes her head as Roman moves to cup her face, the other hand on her leg. “No! I have to do it right or something’s gonna happen to you or mommy or sissy or Tama!”
“Baby.” Tears burn Solana’s eyes hearing how deeply in the throes of distress her daughter is along with the devastation in Roman’s voice. “I swear to you, nothing bad is going to happen. To you. To your sister or brother or your mom, okay?” Solana watches how Roman’s hand has shifted from Leya’s leg, gradually up to where the seat buckles. “Daddy’s always going to protect you guys.” It’s a risky but necessary move as Roman undoes the buckle for her, Leya’s eyes widening when she realizes what’s happening.
“Daddy, no!”
“It’s okay,” Roman comforts, forced to ignore the way Leya’s cries intensify in volume and intensity as he takes the seatbelt off and pulls her out of the car. He moves to cradle her head as she holds onto him, crying into his shoulder. Solana can’t make out the hushed whispers he presses into her temple while walking her away from the car, clearly trying to put as much space as possible between herself and her trigger.
“Is sissy gonna be okay, mama?” Tama suddenly asks, Solana holding him on her hip. A fair question with an answer she cannot provide in this moment. Not the truthful one.
“Ye—”
“Leave me alone!” 
Solana’s ears instantly perk up at the familiar, angry voice. 
Lina.
Quickly placing her son back down in the car, Solana instructs him to stay there, knowing security won’t let him wander. Rounding the vehicle, her shoulders drop when she sees her other daughter, angrily pushing her little fists at the school's security that are trying to restrain her. 
Anger fills the mama bear as she marches over, demanding, “get your hands off my daughter now!”
It only requires one time for Solana Reigns to make her command, the guards easily moving to the side, Lina running over to her. Solana crouches down to meet her little girl. “Baby, what are you do—”
“Where’s sissy?” Lina forces out, her eyes searching for her sister. Solana would guess Roman has taken her for a brief walk out of their line of vision in an attempt to help calm her down. “She needs me, mommy!”
And just like that, an already sad situation is made even more sullen, even if in a tragically beautiful way. Solana adores the closeness of her girls, but as protective as Lina can be of her sister, she’s still a little girl, too.
She doesn’t need to be so caught up in this.
“Leya’s gonna be okay, honey. Daddy and I are gonna take her home and stay with her until she feels better.” Because there’s no way in hell Leya can go to school today. Not after this episode. “But, you’ve gotta go back to school.”
“But, what about Leya?”
“Daddy and I are gonna take care of her,” she repeats and reassures, stroking Lina’s cheek. “I promise.”
Still unsure, Solana goes for a bargain. “How about this? You go back into school, and either I or daddy will pick you up an hour early so you can spend time with Leya?” Both the girls have excellent grades, and whatever Lina misses for her last hour, Solana can help her make up. “Is that okay?”
It’s not preferred, but it seems agreeable, Lina nodding. 
Pleased, Solana moves to take her daughter into a hug, kissing the side of her head. “I love you, Lina.”
Catalina hugs her back just as tightly. “I love you, too, mommy.”
—-------
Roman and Solana don’t take Leya home.
They end up taking her straight to her therapist, Roman having called and explained the situation, thus Brie squeezing them in for an “emergency” appointment. 
Jacob escorts Tama home, and Solana, sitting in the back of the SUV, on one side of Leya, Roman on the other, texts Bayley and Naomi asking one or both of them to go to the house to stay with her son. 
He really doesn’t need to be alone. He should probably be with one or both of his parents, but whatever conversation transpires during this appointment is most likely something he doesn’t need to be present for. Thus, another painful sacrifice. 
Leya is still upset but no longer crying when they arrive at Brie’s office, thus allowing her therapist to take her back first, a welcomed thing as it gives both parents a minute to just breathe.
Or not.
“I couldn’t help her.” It’s a terrible, gut-wrenching thing to admit, but it leaves Solana’s mouth in a pained whisper as they sit alone in the lobby. “She’s…..she’s my baby, and I couldn’t….I couldn’t help her. Why couldn’t I help her?”
“Hey, hey,” Roman starts, moving to pull his wife onto his lap, wiping at her tears. “Please don’t do that, Sol. This is….this is beyond anything we’ve dealt with before. Just like she’s learning, we’re still trying to learn.”
Sniffling, Solana murmurs, allowing the emotions to flow freely. “It kills me to see her struggling so badly. She doesn't—she doesn’t deserve that. She’s just a kid, Roman.”
She should be laughing and enjoying her life for all of the merriment that it carries, but she instead is battling just to live a normal life because of something beyond anyone’s control.
Sadness appears in his warm brown eyes, agreement strong and evident. “I know.”
He doesn’t say anything else, and Solana doesn’t either. Just lets him hold her until Brie walks out with Leya. 
Both parents notice immediately she seems even calmer than when she went in.
“Alright, Leya, I’m gonna talk to your mommy and daddy now, okay?” Leya nods, as Brie instructs, “you go in the playroom, and we’ll come get you when we’re all done. Sound like a plan?”
Again, Leya nods, looking once at her mom and dad before walking into said therapy playroom. Brie then motions for the adults to follow her, closing the door behind her when Roman and Solana take a seat on the sofa.
Roman, forever the one to bypass introductions, jumps straight to it. “What are we going to do about this?”
Normally, Solana would be the one to try to ease into the conversation, to prioritize pleasantries. But, this isn’t one of those days. “This….this is the worst it’s ever been.”
Brie’s expression is solemn and knowing, the combination of Leya’s explanation as well as Roman’s phone call cluing her in to just how bad this is and what exactly occurred. “As I’ve mentioned before, Cataleya’s presentation of OCD is pretty severe for a child her age. I know we’re meeting once a week, but if possible, I’d like to bump her to twice a week.”
“That’s fine,” Roman answers, not even needing to consult with his wife. They’re most definitely on the same page there.
Brie nods, admitting, “I don’t know if I have after school availability for the second appointment—”
“We’ll pull her,” Solana answers. Because getting Leya the help she needs for her mental health trumps everything else, including her education. “That’s not a problem.”
Another nod of relief that’s quickly followed up with trepidation. “I know we’ve already discussed medication, and as her parents, I fully respect your stance on it. Nor would I ever try to sway you one way or another, but—”
“She needs it,” Roman interrupts, voice low and heavy. “I—I see that now.” He thought he’d seen it just a couple weeks ago when she made the comment about her brain, but then she’d done relatively well. Her episodes had been well managed, but after today, after this, Roman can’t deny it anymore.
She needs to be medicated.
It’s unfair to his daughter to continue to deny her that.
“Can you resend that list of child psychiatrists to us?” Solana asks. Before, she was thinking they could go through the kids’ pediatrician, but now, the same way Solana benefits from having a prescriber who specializes in mental health handling her medication, so could Cataleya.
“Of course,” Brie agrees, reaching over to her desk to grab a colorful piece of paper. “There is something else I need to show the two of you. Leya wasn’t very happy about it, but I tried to help her understand it’s only so we can keep her safe and better hel—”
“Safe?” Roman cuts in, sitting up, shoulders straightened. “What about safe?”
With a closed mouth sigh, Brie stands and walks over, handing them the paper. “Please read it.”
Roman shares the paper between himself and his wife, the two of them immediately recognizing their daughter's handwriting.
My brain is really bad and won’t work right. I have all these bad thoughts, and I can't stop them. I know it makes mommy and daddy and my sissy and brother sad, and I don't want them to be sad. If I was never born, I wouldn't have these bad thoughts and my family wouldn't be sad.
I wish I wasn’t born.
“Oh my God.” One hand goes to her stomach, the other over her mouth. Years. It’s been years since Solana has experienced such heartache, has had the brutal, visceral feeling of a knife being sliced across her chest over and over again. Tears filling her eyes, she looks up at her daughter’s therapist. “Is she—”
Solana can’t even bring herself to say the word, Roman reaching a hand over to her knee, clearly wanting to settle his wife before her own panic arises.
But, it’s a difficult thing when he himself feels gutted.
To see those words written by a child is one thing. For it to be his child is an entirely different thing.
It’s soul crushing.
“No,” Brie’s answer is the only semblance of relief either parent can find in this situation. “Cataleya assured me that she has zero desires or intentions on hurting herself, and truthfully, I wouldn’t even consider this passive suicidal ideation. I truly believe she’s just severely struggling with managing something she’s almost too young to have, let alone understand..”
“Is this my fault?” Solana blurts, eyes returning to the haunting words written by her seven year old—daughter. “Does….does my PTSD have anything to do with—did I give this to her?” Breaking down in front of her husband and daughter’s therapist definitely wasn’t on the agenda for today, but it’s exactly what’s happening. 
Because this added on top of everything that’s occurred in this single day with the fact that she’s pregnant and hormonal, and Solana being an emotional mess right now is truly the only outcome that makes sense.
Crying into her husband’s shoulder, Solana does her best to listen to the logic that should counter her emotion driven fears. 
“No, Mrs. Reigns. Of course not. OCD can have a lot of origins. There is a genetic component, but nothing that ties to PTSD.” Somewhat helpful, it doesn’t change the fact that her daughter feels the way she does. “I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this must be for the both of you.”
“We just want her to be happy,” Roman finally enters the conversation, the concern in his voice betraying his visibly “calm” demeanour. A front, for sure.
“And she will be. She is a happy child. I can’t tell you how many times she speaks with such happiness and pride about you two, about her sister and brother. Even the new baby. She’s excited to be a big sister again.” The continued sharing helps to soothe the ache that throbs at the heaviness of it all. “Cataleya is going to be okay. We’re going to make sure of it.”
Both Solana and Roman do their best to keep that last sentence on repeat for the duration of the meeting that has a lot of information sharing, reminding of ways to help Leya when episodes occur, and the importance of working to help her manage her emotions as best as possible.
It’s all appreciated, and the encouragement of Leya having therapy twice as week on top of starting medication is also helpful in alleviating some of the apprehension.
The two find their sweet little girl playing quietly with the dolls in the playroom. All of the girl dolls are piled together, just as the boy dolls are piled together. Same with the kid dolls. All organized and methodical. Another aspect of her OCD.
“Hi, baby,” Solana starts. How she was able to pull herself together is a mystery, but it’s also necessary, especially given what she now knows about her daughter’s insight into this situation. “Can we join you?”
Leya nods, and both her parents move to sit on the floor with her. They allow a few minutes of silence to pass when Solana speaks again. “Leya?” She looks up from the doll that she was playing with, eyes open and curious with an unspoken ‘yes?’. “Brie….Brie showed us what you wrote, baby.”
And just like that, Leya’s gaze is downcast and solemn, something noticed by both adults. 
Roman doesn’t hesitate to pull his daughter into his lap. “Cataleya, I need you to listen to me.” And she does, pulling her focus up from her lap to his heartfelt expression. “You, your sister, and your brother are the best things that have ever happened to your mom and I. We love each other, but that’s nothing compared to how much we love you. And yes, it does make us sad to see you’re hurting and struggling, but that’s because you’re our little girl, and we don’t want to see any of our kids sad.”
“Leya,” Solana murmurs, tears brewing once more as she caresses the top of her baby girl’s head. “You are the bravest, strongest, sweetest little girl we have ever met. We love you so much, baby, and it would kill us if anything—” Her voice breaks, just the thought of it crushing her. “—if anything were to happen to you, okay?” 
Leya sniffles, voice soft and wavering. “But…but I’m not like sissy. I’m not strong like she is…..”
“You’re just as strong as your sister, sweetheart,” Roman comforts, thumb brushing away her tears. “Strength looks different on everyone. Lina is a lot like me. She has my type of strength, but you are a lot like your mom. You have her strength, and there’s not a damn grown-up on this earth I know who’s stronger than your mom.” 
Leya gasps, pointing out innocently. “You said a bad word, daddy…”
Roman chuckles, and Solana laughs, also wiping at her own tears. “Leya….” Solana works to find the right words, not wanting to necessarily open up this box fully, but to some extent, at the very least. “Did you know that you and your sister saved mommy’s life when you were just babies in my tummy?”
Her eyes widen, her jaw dropping. “Really?”
Solana smiles with a closed mouth, nodding. “Sure did, baby girl.”
Turning more towards Solana, Roman kisses the top of Leya’s head and keeps his arm around her, firm and protective. “How?”
Solana chuckles, carefully easing into a decline. “It’s a long story, and when you and Lina are older and can understand the full thing, I’ll tell you, okay?”
And, she will. Will share with them how they very much did in fact save her life and subsequently, themselves as well.
“Leya….” Roman waits until her eyes are on him again before resuming. “We’re gonna start taking you to see Ms. Brie twice a week now, okay?” She nods, a small smile on her face that sparks joy from both parents. “And mommy and I are gonna take you to a doctor who can give you medicine that can maybe help you."
“Medicine?” She repeats in a quiet, unsure voice.
“Yes, sweetie. Mommy takes medicine too, because even though I don’t have OCD like you do, I have something else called PTSD, and it means mommy gets scared and sad sometimes, and the medicine helps me to feel better.” A much simplified, child friendly answer that will hopefully help sway Leya to the side of openness.
And, it apparently does. “Will medicine help me with my bad thoughts?”
Roman nods. “It will.”
Leya looks away, clearly trying to use all of the information to formulate a response. “Okay.” One word. Simple. Very fitting for her. Looking between the two of them, she asks so sweetly, “you guys are gonna help me get better….right?”
Roman’s eyes shut as he kisses the top of her head again, “of course, sweetheart.”
Scooting closer to join in the hug and revel in the much needed warmth of this moment, Solana kisses her cheek. “We will always be here for you, Cataleya.” Always. “I promise.”
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hazzashouse · 11 hours ago
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Hii, I hope you are doing great !
I saw that your requests are open and I was wondering if you could write something about y/n not being famous and she is not accepted and treated badly by Harry’s celebrity group of friends which will put to test her relationship with Harry.
Thank you so much, and happy holidays !! 💕
A/N: This was such a fun request to write! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. It’s a mix of angst, fluff, and a lot of emotion. Thank you for trusting me with this idea, and I hope it resonates with you!
Triggers: Emotional manipulation, unkind behavior, insecurity
Pairing: Harry Styles x Female!Reader (Y/N)
Word Count: 2,167
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You knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Being with Harry meant stepping into a world so far removed from your own that at times, it felt like you’d fallen through the looking glass. It wasn’t that you doubted your love for him or his love for you—it was undeniable, unshakable. But you weren’t naïve. You knew his fame came with its challenges, and the hardest one wasn’t the paparazzi or the scrutiny from strangers on the internet. It was his friends.
They weren’t all bad, of course. There were a few who made an effort to get to know you, to see you for who you were beyond the label of “Harry’s girlfriend.” But most of them… most of them didn’t.
Tonight was one of those nights.
The party was at one of Harry’s favorite spots in Los Angeles, a sleek, exclusive venue where everyone seemed to glitter with a level of confidence and beauty you couldn’t help but envy. You’d been nervous from the start, clinging to Harry’s hand as he introduced you to people whose names you struggled to remember.
“Just stick with me, love,” he’d said earlier that evening, pressing a kiss to your temple. “It’ll be fine.”
And for a while, it was. Harry stayed close, his arm around your waist as he guided you through the room. But then he was whisked away by someone wanting to discuss music, and you were left standing near the bar, nursing a drink and feeling utterly out of place.
That’s when the whispers started.
At first, you tried to ignore them, telling yourself you were imagining things. But the pointed glances, the half-smirks, and the subtle head tilts in your direction were impossible to miss.
“Does she even know who she’s talking to?”
“She’s cute, but… I don’t get it. Harry could do so much better.”
“She looks so uncomfortable. It’s kind of painful to watch.”
The words stung, each one landing like a small, sharp jab. You kept your head high, determined not to let it show. But when one of Harry’s friends—a model you’d met once before—approached you with a patronizing smile, your resolve began to crack.
“So,” she said, swirling her cocktail as she looked you up and down, “how’s it going, Y/N? Adjusting to all… this?”
“It’s fine,” you replied, forcing a polite smile.
“Must be overwhelming,” she continued, her tone dripping with faux concern. “I mean, it’s not really your world, is it?”
You clenched your jaw, searching for a way out of the conversation. But before you could respond, she leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
“Don’t take it personally,” she said, her smile sharp. “It’s just… we’ve all known Harry for years. We’ve seen him with people who… well, let’s just say they were a better fit.”
Her words hit you like a slap, and you felt your chest tighten with a mix of hurt and anger. You didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing how much she’d gotten under your skin, so you excused yourself, heading for the nearest exit.
The cool night air was a welcome relief as you stepped outside, leaning against the railing and taking deep breaths. You tried to shake off her words, to remind yourself that they didn’t matter. But they did.
“Y/N?”
You turned to see Harry standing in the doorway, his brows furrowed in concern. He crossed the distance between you in a few quick strides, his hand coming to rest gently on your arm.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft but urgent. “I’ve been looking for you.”
You hesitated, unsure how to put your feelings into words. “Nothing,” you said eventually, though the shakiness in your voice betrayed you. “I just… needed some air.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed slightly, and you could see the gears turning in his head. “Y/N,” he said, his tone firmer now. “Tell me the truth. What happened?”
For a moment, you considered brushing it off, pretending everything was fine. But then the hurt bubbled up to the surface, and before you could stop yourself, the words came spilling out.
“I don’t belong here, Harry,” you said, your voice breaking. “I’ve tried, but your friends… they don’t want me here. They think I’m not good enough for you.”
Harry’s expression shifted from concern to something darker—anger, though not directed at you. His jaw tightened, and he looked away for a moment, as if trying to rein in his emotions.
“Who said that?” he asked finally, his voice low and controlled.
“It doesn’t matter,” you said quickly, not wanting to cause a scene. “It’s not just one person. It’s the way they look at me, the things they say when they think I’m not listening. They don’t think I’m… enough.”
Harry’s hand moved to cup your face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “You are more than enough. You’re everything. And if they can’t see that, then that’s their problem, not yours.”
You swallowed hard, leaning into his touch. “But what if they’re right?” you whispered. “What if I’m just… not the kind of person who fits into your world?”
Harry shook his head, his eyes meeting yours with an intensity that made your breath catch. “Y/N, my world is wherever you are. None of this”—he gestured toward the party inside—“means anything without you. And if anyone thinks they can make you feel unwelcome or unworthy, they’ll have to answer to me.”
You let out a shaky laugh, the weight on your chest easing slightly. “You can’t fight all your friends for me, Harry.”
He smiled then, his expression softening. “I won’t have to. Because once I’m done having a word with them, they’ll know better than to treat you like this again.”
Before you could respond, Harry pulled you into a hug, his arms wrapping around you like a shield. You felt the tension begin to melt away as you rested your head against his chest, his heartbeat steady and reassuring.
“I love you,” he murmured into your hair. “And nothing—no one—is going to change that.”
—————
True to his word, Harry didn’t let the matter drop. When the two of you returned to the party, he made a point of staying by your side, his presence a clear signal to anyone who dared to question your place in his life.
Later, you found yourself sitting on the couch in his dressing room as he paced back and forth, recounting the conversations he’d had with a few of his more tactless friends.
“They’re idiots,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I told them that if they can’t respect you, they can’t call themselves my friends.”
You watched him, your heart swelling with gratitude and love. “Harry,” you said softly, reaching out to take his hand. “You didn’t have to do all that.”
“Yes, I did,” he said, sitting down beside you and pulling you into his lap. “You’re the most important person in my life, Y/N. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you know that.”
You smiled, resting your forehead against his. “Thank you,” you whispered.
He kissed you then, slow and sweet, as if to remind you of everything you shared. And in that moment, you knew that no amount of judgment or criticism could ever come between you.
Because what you had with Harry was real. And nothing else mattered.
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cheshireliam · 2 days ago
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"Wrapped in Wicked Romance" Story Event: Chapter 1
Ring Schwartz
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This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.
Read this before interacting
Kate: Why did you… kill them…?
Ring: “Why”...? Is it not natural? 
Ring: I’ll kill anyone as long as Dari orders me to.
His face, splattered with blood, showed not even the slightest bit of doubt about the murder he just committed.
It was at that moment when I finally realised it.
He, too— was utterly evil. 
One night, I stumbled upon a secret I never should've known, which led to me becoming Fairytale Keeper for a month.
A week after, Vogel, an organisation consisting of Cursed Ones similar to Crown, appeared and seemed to be hiding something. 
A few days after my encounter with them, I was called upon by Vogel’s chief— Darius. 
Darius: I’ve heard about it. To deepen your understanding of Crown’s members, you became their lover for a day.
Darius: We want you to do the same thing with us. The kind Miss Fairytale Keeper will surely agree to it, right? 
Unable to make the decision on my own, I quickly went to discuss it with Victor. 
Victor: Lovers for a day with Vogel? 
Kate: Yes. They also mentioned that they want me to show them around the city at the same time. 
Victor: I see… I don't have a problem with that arrangement. I happen to also have been thinking about giving them a tour of the city. 
Victor: What are your thoughts, Kate?
Kate: I… I can't stop thinking about what Harrison said to me that day. 
Victor: That Vogel is lying, is it?
Victor: I understand your concern, but we still can’t say for certain whether their lies are harmful to Crown. 
Victor: I doubt that they would be so reckless as to harm you in this situation. Therefore… 
Victor: The most important factor we should consider is what you want to do.
(What I want to do…?) 
(Victor did say he'd turn them down if I don't feel comfortable, but…)
(Since I’m going to have interactions with Vogel as a Fairytale Keeper, I’m personally curious about what kind of people the three of them are.) 
(So in order to find out… I’ll accept this request.)
(But before that…)
Kate: Excuse me, who is that tailing me? 
Ever since I left Victor’s office, I’ve had the gut feeling that someone was following behind me. 
When I voiced it out, a man emerged from the shadows.
Kate: Ring…? 
I called his name, although I still wasn't used to doing that because he only said very recently that I could address him as such without the use of salutations. 
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Ring: Y-you misunderstood. I didn't mean to tail you today.
Ring: There’s something I want to ask you about… I just couldn't figure out when to approach you.
Kate: … Something you want to ask?
Ring: I wanted to ask who you’re choosing to be your lover for a day. 
Kate: Umm… and what do you intend to do with that information? 
Ring: Depending on whether you choose Nica or Dari, I’ll need to change my route and method for being their escort for security purposes. 
Ring: With the close, intimate distance of being “lovers”... who knows what tricks you’ll pull on the two of them. 
It appeared that Ring was wary of me and planned to protect them regardless of who I chose.
(Hm? But in that case…) 
Kate: What happens to the whole escort planning thing if I choose you to be my “lover”?
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Ring: ME!? 
Ring: I- I don’t understand… Normally, either Nica or Dari would be chosen for this sort of thing. You don't need to consider such a possibility. 
Kate: But Darius said to choose “one member from Vogel”. 
Kate: So choosing you isn't a problem, right?
Ring: I-it’s a HUGE problem…! M-me as your l-lo-lov-lover…!? 
… Initially, I asked the question because I was genuinely curious how he intended to go about the escorting. 
But seeing Ring turning bright red and panicking sparked a mischievous impulse in me.
Kate: I’ve decided! I’m choosing you as my lover for a day.
Ring: WHAT!? You absolutely CANNOT do that! 
Darius: Really? I think that's a wonderful idea, though. 
The voice cutting into our exchange was Darius, who happened to be passing by.
Ring: D-Dari… why?
Darius: Somehow, it sounds like it’d be interesting. 
Ring: But what if she “cajoles¹” me into doing her bidding…!? 
¹ The word for “cajole” is 篭絡 (ろうらくrōraku). Here, when Ring’s says it, it was written in hiragana as “ろーらく” to express that his pronunciation of the word wasn't very accurate; possibly because his first language is german and not english. 
Darius: You know such a complex phrase as “cajole”? Good job, good job. 
Darius: But don’t worry. Miss Fairytale Keeper could never be a threat to us.
Darius: Have I ever been wrong about such things? 
Ring: … Never.
Darius: Then there's no problem at all. 
Darius: Go on, Ring. Pass auf dich auf (have a great day²). 
² For the record, I don't understand German at all. I’m only translating based on the Japanese translation provided by the game in the form of furigana.
As soon as Darius said something to him in their native language, Ring became obedient like a well-trained guard dog. 
Ring: … Alles klar (understood). 
The next day, I became Ring’s lover for a day and was tasked to give him a tour of the city.
Kate: I look forward to spending the day with you. 
Ring: … Oh, uh, yeah. Dari ordered me to “pretend to be Miss Fairytale Keeper’s lover for a day”. 
Ring: Going on a… d… da… date… with you… I- I’ll do it just fine. Just you watch…! 
(Ring looks extremely nervous…)
I was a little nervous myself, but seeing how tense he was actually made me feel better. 
Ring: S-so… the first destination is The Scala, right?
Kate: Yes. Since it’s a date, I decided to take you to some of my favourite places today. 
Kate: We could take a carriage there, but the weather is pleasant today. Shall we walk instead?
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Ring: … Got it. Also, um… 
Ring looked like there was something he wanted to say as he stretched his right arm out in my direction. 
Kate: …?
Ring: Ah! No… nothing. T-this is just me warming up! 
He pulled his arm back and started rolling his shoulders in circles.
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esouliie · 1 day ago
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Christmas at the Romanoff’s
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(natasha romanoff x reader) & (platonic!yelena belova x reader)
tags | christmas headcanon – friends to lovers, first kiss, fluff and comfort!
notes | hello, pls take this small headcanon as a thank you for reading and supporting all my fics even though i cannot keep up with demand lmao. i promise to do better in the new year. merry christmas! <3
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It’s your first Christmas with Natasha, and you quickly discover that the Black Widow is… not exactly a holiday enthusiast. At least, not in the traditional sense. When you first arrived at the apartment she shares with her sister, you were greeted by Yelena’s unholy mix of holiday cheer and chaos. Mismatched ornaments hung precariously from a tree that was way too big for their living room, a plate of burnt cookies sat on the counter, and garish Christmas music blared at an almost concerning volume. Natasha, however, looked like she was about two seconds away from wrapping the excessive lights around her neck.
“I hate Christmas music,” Natasha mutters under her breath as you hang up your coat. Yelena’s halfway through yelling “All I Want for Christmas is You” with a Santa hat perched at an angle on her head. “She’s been doing this for weeks,” she adds, her voice low like it’s some covert confession. It takes you all but twenty minutes to realise that Natasha has a very complicated relationship with Christmas. She doesn’t hate it exactly—she just doesn’t really know what to do with it. With all the joy. When you try to hand her a burnt gingerbread cookie, she looks at it like it’s some kind of alien artifact. “Why would I eat a cookie shaped like a man?” She asks flatly, before breaking it in half like it personally offended her.
She then proceeded to argue how she’d be more likely to eat one of these ‘monstrosities’ if it was shaped like a woman…
But there are little moments where she tries, and it’s adorable in the most understated way. You catch her quietly fixing the crooked ornaments on the tree when she thinks no one’s looking, muttering under her breath about how “the reds need to go next to the greens.” One night, after Yelena goes to bed, you find Natasha scrolling through YouTube tutorials for how to wrap presents, muttering curses in Russian every time the tape sticks to her fingers.
And then there’s the stockings. Yelena insisted everyone have one, even though Natasha grumbled about it. But before you went to bed on Christmas Eve, you noticed that Natasha’s stocking was the most stuffed. There’s a random assortment of things crammed in there—protein bars, an extra pair of thick socks, a tiny first aid kit. You don’t have to ask to know that she filled her own stocking, long before Christmas Eve. The thought makes your heart ache in the sweetest, saddest way. She spent so many holidays alone that it just… became her normal.
Finally, it’s Christmas morning and Natasha is draped over the couch like a cat, one leg tucked under her, watching as you and Yelena clean up the mess from last night. She’s quiet, sipping a mug of tea, but you’ve learned by now that quiet Natasha doesn’t exactly mean unhappy Natasha. In fact, she looks content—eyes crinkling every time Yelena grumbles about your “lack of enthusiasm” in picking up all the decorative pillows.
What really steals the show, though, is the mountain of presents you’ve brought. You didn’t mean for it to get out of hand, but once you started, it was impossible to stop. You’d see something and think, Yelena would love this, or Natasha would smile at that, and next thing you knew, you were hauling six bags into their apartment like some sort of festive mule. When the gift exchange begins, Yelena dives into her pile like a kid on sugar overload. Her laughter is infectious as she opens each one: a set of retro pins for her jacket, a waffle maker, a framed picture of you and her after a mission (that one earns a rare hug). She’s glowing, grinning so wide it’s almost blinding. Natasha just sits there, watching her sister, her fingers loosely holding the edge of the blanket draped over her lap.
You notice she hasn’t opened her gifts yet—not even the ones with her name written in your careful handwriting. You nudge her gently, teasing, “what’s the matter, Romanoff? Afraid you’ll cry if I outdid you?” She gives you a half-smile, the kind that makes your chest ache a little because it’s soft in a way she rarely lets herself be. “Just... enjoying the show” She says, her gaze flicking back to Yelena, who is now holding up a pair of horrible light-up slippers you found at a charity shop.
When Natasha finally opens her gifts, it’s much slower, deliberate. You’re nervous, even though you know she’ll never let you see it if she doesn’t like something. But the small things you picked—a leather journal, a new cream scarf, a rare first edition of a spy novel she once mentioned—earn a quiet “thank you,” each one accompanied by that little smile. It’s the last gift, though, that gets you. It’s a snow globe. Inside, there’s a tiny replica of a mountain standing tall in the heart of Russia, the one Natasha had mentioned missing when she told you about her childhood. The one she only saw once and yet managed to comfort her throughout her life. Her fingers tighten around it, and for a moment, her expression shifts—just enough for you to catch it. Sadness, maybe, or longing.
She doesn’t say much after that. But when you look at her later, as Yelena’s dancing around in her ridiculous slippers and yelling about how she’s making everyone waffles tomorrow morning, Natasha’s looking at you like maybe you’re the best gift she’s ever gotten. And maybe she wouldn’t mind Christmas each year if you were around.
Later that night, you find her in the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate she swore she didn’t want. The two of you stand there in the soft glow of the tree lights, listening to Yelena snore on the couch. “I don’t really get Christmas.” She admits softly, her voice barely audible over the crackle of the fake fireplace video Yelena left running on the TV. “But… I think this year was nice.” And when she looks at you, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips, you know she means it.
Without thinking, you step closer, reaching out to brush a stray curl from her face. “It’s more than nice. I’m so happy.”
And that’s when you hear it—a distant jingle. You glance up, realising Natasha’s holding a tiny branch of mistletoe above your heads, her expression smug but her cheeks just the faintest flush of pink. “Well, would you look at that…” You murmur, before giggling at her antics. She leans in slowly, her breath warm against your skin. The kiss starts soft, hesitant, like she’s testing the waters. But when you cradle her face in your hands, she melts into it, kissing you deeper, with a tenderness that leaves you breathless.
And when you finally pull back, her forehead resting against yours, she exhales a quiet laugh. “Okay,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper, “maybe Christmas isn’t that bad.”
From the living room, Yelena’s snore breaks the silence—loud and obnoxious. Natasha groans, but you can see the affection in her expression when she shakes her head. “Don’t tell her I said that.” She adds, smirking. And just like that, the moment is gone, replaced by the familiar warmth of Natasha’s dry humor.
But later, when you catch her adding an extra blanket over Yelena on the couch, you realise that maybe, Natasha likes Christmas more than she’d like to admit. And maybe this Christmas might bring more than just holiday cheer.
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m00nkissedlover · 2 days ago
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・。tasty confessions 🥮
you've ordered: a vanilla gingerbread tart! enjoy!
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"this is falling, falling in love"
leona kingscholar x reader | word count: 1,418 words
summary: holiday confession gone wrong...and right? 🥮
warnings: none!
note: i don't celebrate christmas, so in the fic, i didn't specify the holiday (used "holiday season" instead)
"trey, a little help here?" you yelled, attempting to carry two trays of tart shells out of the oven.
"ah, coming! you've gotta be careful, y/n." the green haired boy reminded you, rushing over and taking one of the trays.
the cozy holiday season had settled upon night raven college rather nicely. decorations were put up and plans for celebration were in full swing. and you intended to make this one extra special.
you'd decided to bake tarts for your friends in the various dorms and even a few for the night raven staff. as you filled the shells with various creams and custards, trey helped you out, offering up his baking expertise when you were caught in the weeds about how to do this.
as you now cut up various fruits and other sweets for decoration, the door to the kitchen opened and in walked cater, holding grim in his arms.
"i couldn't get him to stop. he somehow smelled your tarts from down the hall." cater said, seeming like he'd put in a lot of effort in trying to stop the cat-like creature.
"hey, you better save some for me, henchman!" grim exclaimed, hopping out of cater's arms and onto the counter.
"don't worry grim. after i'm done, i'll make you all the tuna tarts you want." you smiled, scratching under his chin.
"hey y/n, why are these tarts different than all the others?" cater questioned, pointing to a small batch of tarts that were obviously different from the others.
your cheeks colored a bit upon being questioned, your hand almost dropping the spoon you held.
"those are...for leona." you admitted, cater letting out an excited "ooh!"
it was no secret that you had a crush on leona. the lion beastman had caught your attention the first day you'd arrived. you used to think he was lazy and rude, but after being around him for a while, your outlook changed. and so did your feelings.
"i plan on writing a note to him in which i confess my feelings and...putting in in his tart bag..." you murmured, your cheeks warming up in embarrassment.
"confessing to him with tarts? how cute." trey quipped, placing a tray of finished tarts into the fridge to chill.
"yeah, i just hope it goes well..."
"oh trust me, i'm sure he likes you too. leona isn't keen on putting up with people just like that." cater said, swiping a bit of cream onto his finger and tasting it.
"cater!" you scolded, rushing to grab grim before he dunked his whole head in the bowl.
"alright, alright! enough fun. i've gotta get back to baking." you playfully grumbled, shooing them out.
a day had passed since you cooked up your delicious sweet treats. each person had 5 tarts, all in a clear bag with a colored ribbon on top. you went around to each dorm handing out the tasty tarts and to your surprise, everyone loved them!
you finally stopped in front of your final destination: the savanaclaw dorms. you clutched the basket in your hands, glancing down at it to do one last check. one for ruggie, one for jack, and obviously one for....?! you then realized you were short one bag...and it was the most important bag of all. just where was leona's bag??
in haste, you quickly scrambled back over to heartslabyul, ignoring a nagging riddle as you barged into the kitchen. you looked everywhere, every nook and cranny. absolutely nothing.
you grabbed your phone, calling trey.
"hey trey. have you seen the tarts i made for...you know who?" you asked, praying that he knew something.
"no, sorry y/n. the last i saw of them was when i left last night, and they were still in your basket. did something happen?" he asked, seeming concerned.
"uh, you know what? don't worry about it. thanks trey." you said before hanging up.
it wasn't like the tarts had grown legs and ran away! you didn't have time for this. and you definitely didn't have the time to make new tarts. you asked across the dorms (except savanaclaw) if they'd seen the tarts, to which everyone responded no. what were you going to do?
as you paced around the hallway, someone called out your name. turning, you were met by ruggie, a member of savanaclaw. upon seeing your panic, ruggie made his way over to you, tail flicking.
"y/n, what's wrong? you look more stressed than leona when he can't get his favorite sandwich." he asked.
you let out a sigh of defeat, leaning against the wall. "i made tarts for everyone to celebrate the holidays. i also made...special tarts for leona. i was going to tell him how i feel today, but...i can't find his damn tarts!" you groaned.
"well, what did they look like?" ruggie asked.
"they were in a clear bag like everyone else's. but his had a yellow and black ribbon on it, whereas the ones for you and jack were just yellow." you could already see the guilt on ruggie's face.
"spit it out."
"i may or may not have found said package of tarts...and given them to leona-" ruggie mumbled, visibly sweat-dropping.
your mouth fell open in horror as you realized the situation you were in. leona...had already gotten your tarts!
"ruggie, where is leona right now?" you asked urgently, shoving the basket into his arms.
"oof! uhhh...i think he's in the botanical garden. that's where i gave it to him."
you made a mad dash down the hall, bursting into the garden. your eyes frantically looked around, spotting a tail in the corner of your eye.
when you got closer, your stomach dropped as you saw leona, already breaking into the sweet treats.
"need something, herbivore?" the beastman asked, his tail flicking.
you swallowed, taking a breath before walking over and snatching up the note.
"you didn't read this, right?" you asked, leona smirking as he licked cream off of the corner of his lips.
"and what if i did?" he challenged, your heart dropping.
"h-how much did you-?" "all of it."
the note fell from your hands, your heart aching as you looked leona in the eyes. damn...this was embarrassing.
as you tried to keep yourself from panicking, you stepped closer to him, kneeling down to his level. "so...how do you feel about what you read?"
leona let out a soft "hm", as if he were thinking of the perfect response. "come a little closer." he said.
you shuffled a bit closer to him, mumbling a soft "yeah?" as you did. the lion man just smirked, beckoning you closer.
"come on herbivore, get closer. just a little. and close your eyes."
you moved closer till you were practically touching noses with leona, your eyes fluttering shut. you felt like your heart would leap out of your chest at any given moment.
thwack! you pulled back, your eyes opening in surprise. leona had just flicked you in the forehead!
"what the hell, leona?" you exclaimed, your hand flying up to caress the spot he'd flicked.
"you really are dense." "what-"
leona leaned in a bit closer this time, his breath tickling your cheek. "you think i ate your tarts out of pity? if i didn't want 'em, i could've easily given 'em away. seems i've taken...a liking to you, herbivore."
you froze right there, on the spot. you couldn't believe what you were hearing. THE leona kingscholar just confessed to YOU. you didn't have time to think before leona captured your chin between his thumb and index finger, his emerald green eyes locking with yours.
"hm, you still don't seem very convinced." before you could even think...leona's lips were on yours.
the kiss was soft and warm and made you feel all fuzzy inside. you slowly eased into it, your hands coming up to cup his face as a warmth flowed through your body.
when it was over, you nodded your head, a slight flush on your cheeks. "yeah...i get it now..."
leona let out an amused chuckle, pulling you down to lay with him, a soft yelp leaving you.
"don't you usually sleep alone?" you mumbled, your face warming up.
"you owe me. all your tarts made me sleepy. your punishment is to lay with me and not move a muscle."
you laughed a little, reaching up to tuck a bit of hair behind his ear. "should be easy enough."
and just like that, your holiday was one to remember.🥮
© m00nkissedlover, 2024
96 notes · View notes
eetherealgoddess · 2 days ago
Note
hey girl more can I request more male reader x bonten 😭 you write so well that my pussy wants to be a dick instead
ꨄBloody Tiesꨄ
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Oneshot - Dark Content - Soulmates - Kanto Manji Era - Bonten
❦Who knew your soulmates would be a part of the opposing gangs?❦
Manjiro Sano, Sanzu Haruchiyo, Kokonoi Hajime, Kakucho, and Haitani Brothers x Male Reader
❣︎Been a while since I read the manga so if anything in the timeline is wrong or messed up, I am looking back for reminders but there might be mistakes. Might even change the story a teensy bit❣︎
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Not fully proofread
MY TR FANDOM WORKS ARE ONLY ON TUMBLR, WATTPAD, & AO3 UNDER EETHEREALGODDESS! REPORT IF YOU SEE IT POSTED UNDER ANYONE ELSE BUT ME!!!
I apologize if I get any Japanese etiquette or culture wrong, I literally have to research the culture for some of my fandom stories so if anything is wrong, please excuse my ignorance.
Notice:
✩Y/n is 18+. I picture him as a black male but you can see him however.
✩Some parts of the story may not be realistic or factual. After all, this is a work of fiction.
✩Although it's a dark 'romance,' I do not condone any of the behavior displayed.
✩Dark content such as: gore, violence, triggering topics, graphic scenes, vulgar language, explicit sexual content, etc.
✩There may be scenes that involve non con and/ or dubcon so don’t read if that makes you uncomfortable.
✩Characters are 18+ as always.
✩That being said, this story is for 18+ only.
Enjoy!
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Bloody Ties
You couldn’t believe it. The outcome of the battle of the three deities had been one of the bloodiest and gruesome gang wars you had ever experienced in your life. You are currently kneeling with one leg on the ground while your arm rests on the other propped knee. Your breathing is ragged and your body hurts. Scars are layered over your skin as well as bruises from the beating you received from the other gangs.
For a while, you had been winning, your gang Brahman holding their own. It was rough but you were getting through it. That is, until the beast who created Kanto Manji finally decided to fight. It was disturbing. The former Toman leader you used to hear so many positive things about had become a purebred monster who wouldn’t hesitate murdering those in his way. Even his loved ones.
You eyed the scene with concern as Senju, your most trusted higher up, offered up everything she built for the sake of saving the life of Takemichi, a weak and yet determined man you had met recently. A former Tokyo Manji member. Although you had seen what the invincible Mikey could do, you were ready to defend your leader to the fullest, ready to pounce if needed as she kneeled in front of the blonde man.
You watched the ground as blood leaked from your nostrils, the drops splattering as your vision became blurry. Everything had been so intense. Even South, the maniac from Rokuhara Tandai had been beaten almost half to death. Honestly you were terrified for your leader having been in the face of death itself. She was too close.
“S-Senju-!” You spit blood through your teeth as you shakily made an attempt to stand on your own two feet, failing in the process. A hand on your shoulder stopped you in the process.
“Stand down. For your own sake.” Akashi states with a stern look on his face, staring at the scene in front of you down. Abruptly, a burning sensation crawls up the chest where your soul marks are embedded within your skin. It caused you to bring a hand to the area as you held on for dear life, eyes shut tight.
Once you open your eyes, your breath hitches as you make eye contact with dark voids. You can only hear your heartbeat as your eyes widen. You notice the holographic red tie that connects both of your chests throughout the distance.
No.
No, no, no!
You watch as five more red ribbons spread all around you. Having been too focused on the main person that stood at a distance in front of you, the shocked expressions of the other five were missed.
“This can’t be!” You breathe out as the ribbons disappear. Akashi looks down at you with confusion. Nobody else could see the ties that had just appeared. Only the person and their soulmates are able to see their ribbons. The only thing others can see is the mark embedded within your skin. You watch in horror as the blonde man who wore no expression on his face walks towards you.
You used Akashi’s arm to try and reach your feet, but you were still too weak to make your goal.
“Fuck!” You hissed as Mikey got closer. Before he could reach you, Akashi took a stance in front of you.
“Mikey! We already disbanded our gang! Let it go!” He had no idea why Mikey was coming towards you. He knew he had to put a stop to it.
Once Akashi held his arms up, Mikey quickly stomped his stomach, causing the man to drop to his knees. As he kicked his face to the side, Kokonoi stood on the sidelines watching with sweat trickling down his concerned expression.
“Mikey! That’s enough, okay?!” He yells out to his leader in desperation not for Akashi, but for your safety. His soulmate’s safety. The last thing he expected was for you to present in Brahman. He thought his soulmate died in a fire.
Kakucho hangs onto Ran from the side, breathing heavily as the bewilderment of the presentation wears off. The Haitani brothers watch the display with their droopy eyes opening in realization of your ties. They’ve never even noticed you before so how could this be?
Sanzu stands, pipe hanging from his hand as he stares with heavy lids and an expressionless face. Who even are you? Why hadn’t you presented earlier? Maybe you hadn’t been around until Brahman came about. He didn’t understand and was honestly too exhausted at the moment to even try. Mikey continues to kick Akashi before you attempt to stand from kneeling again.
“You fucking freak! Stop it!” You yell, attempting to lunge at Mikey only to fall over pathetically from your worn out body. You land on your hands and knees as Akashi finally falls over, knocked out cold.
Mikey crouched down before grabbing the collar of your uniform and pulling you up, feet hanging off the ground as he looked up at you. Senju runs to your aid, but before she can make it a pipe meets with her head before she falls back, a large bruise forming from the impact. Her skin splits and blood drips down her forehead.
“You stay out of this.”
Sanzu only glanced at her with disgust before his attention turned back to you. Pulling back his free arm, Mikey aims to punch your face before your hand lands on the hand holding your shirt up as you brace yourself for impact, shutting your eyes in the process and turning your head. You feel nothing before you’re dropped to the ground, landing on your behind before you look up in confusion. You stare at Mikey’s back after he turns away.
“We’re done here.”
Your vision blackens before you fall back in exhaustion, eyes rolling behind your head.
A bright light enters your vicinity as your eyes blink open. You hear beeping to the side and eye your surroundings to see that you’re lying in a hospital bed.
“You’re awake.” You hear a sigh of relief to the side of you. Turning your head, your eyes meet with the notorious money maker of the gangs. Kokonoi Hajime. You felt the burning in your chest once more as the ribbon appeared in front of you. Your eyes widen. He must be one of the other five ties.
You felt him gently grab your hand before bringing the fingers to his lips as he leaned on the bed with his head faced down.
“I was worried.” Your eyebrows furrow slightly. As much as you want to relish within your soulmate’s embrace, you couldn’t ignore the gang he had chosen. His poor judgement and enabling behavior almost led to countless deaths.
“Look Kokon-.”
“Hajime. Please, call me Hajime.” His grip tightened slightly against your fingers before you cleared your throat.
“Hajime. I would love to give you a chance. I really want to, but I can’t accept your choices when it comes to that sadistic gang you’re in.” You frown. A scowl forms on his face at your statement before he releases your hand.
“I get it, Y/n. I really do. I only ask that you try to understand my proposition. I will always choose the winning side.” You both make eye contact as he informs you of his reasonings. You shook your head in response. He released a sigh before fingers met with the bridge of his nose.
“There’s no reason for this topic of conversation. You don’t really have a choice but to accept the conditions. I’m not your only soul tie, right?” You eye him with a look of suspicion.
“It’s only a matter of time before you’re brought home. You might as well accept your circumstances now.” Your eyes widen at his statement.
“What the hell are you talking about?” You scowl in return. He sighs once more before crossing his arms and legs over the other. He leaned back in the chair before looking you in the eye.
“All of your soulmates are in the same gang. The Haitani brothers and Kakucho have now joined the Kanto Manji Gang. Soon, we will form a bigger organization and dive deeper into the industry. You’ll have to be right there with us.” You gasp before sitting up from your seat.
The memories from the last few days are embedded within your mind. Draken’s death. Mikey’s ruthlessness. The gruesome and disturbing acts of that day. Your gang disbanding for the sake of saving a life. Hell no. You won’t go down so easily. Fuck the status. Fuck the gods and fuck your soul ties. They made a huge mistake.
“I refuse to accept your conditions. I refuse to be a part of anything you do. I am sickened by the actions performed by your group. I will never be a part of something so evil. You all lost what it means to be a true delinquent.” Kokonoi shook his head before releasing a slight chuckle.
“You need to grow up, Y/n.” He stands from the chair and walks towards the door to your room. “I suggest you get a grip because we’re coming back for you soon.” You were left to yourself after the door clicks shut.
Once you were released from the hospital a few weeks later, you decided to visit Senju and Akashi at your old meetup. There had been a slightly grim atmosphere after everyone physically healed from the intense battle. Fortunately, the rest of your friends were alive. Today, when you informed your higher ups of the situation with your soulmates, they could only eye you with surprise.
“He really said that?” Senju asked.
“Yeah.” You respond with your head down.
“What are you gonna do?” Akashi asked with his arms resting on his lap, legs spread with feet on the floor as he leaned over in his seat.
“I don’t know, but I can’t accept this.” You huff out. You’ve never been big on soulmates in the first place. Forcefully tied to random people that were destined from the start instead of it being your own choice did not sound enticing. Especially six of them. Akashi sighed in response.
“You should probably make it easier for yourself and accept your mates.” He smirked. “You have my blessing.”
Both you and Senju’s eyes widened.
“You can’t be serious, Takeomi! That’s a death sentence!” Senju exclaims in frustration with her brother.
“They’re not gonna kill their mate. It’s honestly the safest bet for you anyway, Y/n. At least you’ll be protected.”
“Protected? More like owned. They didn’t even give me a choice. They were gonna let me die by Mikey’s hand!” You respond with an expression of anger before standing from your seat.
“Have you lost your mind?” Senju asked Takeomi with her hands placed on her hips. “You already know how twisted our brother is!”
“I gave you my answer.”
You scanned the book’s barcode before placing it in the correct area of the aisle. Although you’re a delinquent by heart, you’ve always enjoyed reading. Which is why you got a part time job at the public library. Pushing the cart down the aisle and turning the corner, you entered another before grabbing another book and scanning it before placing it correctly. You gasp once you feel a burning sensation in your chest before turning around. Once you swiftly round your body, you’re met face to face with heterochromia eyes and a finger to your lips.
“Mikey’s impatient. You need to make up your mind.” You snatch his hand away from your mouth and turn to the side to ignore him, continuing with your job before he forces you against the aisle with hands on your shoulders. The quick movement caused the book and the scanner to fall out of your hand.
“What the fuck, Kakucho!” You quietly exclaim, not wanting to make a lot of noise in the library. One of his arms bends above your head while the other one grabs your chin. Your face heats up at the intimacy and you avoid eye contact.
“I’m impatient, Y/n.” He whispered. “Punishing us for your losses will only make things harder for you.” The grip on your chin tightens as he forces you to look at him. “We’re being nice. You’re lucky Mikey hasn’t come after you himself.” One of your hands grabs his wrist as you give him a scowl.
“What’s up with all the ultimatums? I have a say on whether or not I want to accept and I don’t.” You spat quietly.
“That’s your problem. You think you have a choice. The only reason we haven’t caught you yet is because we’re giving you a chance to come willingly. We don’t have to be in a relationship. Soulmates need each other to survive and unfortunately for you, you are our life source. If you don’t come on your own, we will just take you.” It’s indeed true. Soulmates don’t have to be romantic, platonic, or form any emotional bonds. It can be a simple contract between individuals as a way to feed onto each other.
You’re more than willing to give it up as it’s not a need unless one is desperate for it. Sadly for you, your mates seem to have an obsession with growth, power, and greed so they need you to survive. They need your life source to become stronger. You watch in concern as his eyes shift to your neck. You attempt to shove him off of you, only to be overpowered by the tight grip on your chin.
In order to complete the bond, one’s DNA must merge with the other through their neck and teeth. You can tell he’s contemplating, but you know that he must have permission from Mikey, his leader.
“Fuck.” Kakucho hissed before diving in. Instead of using teeth, he begins to suck the skin of your neck. Your body is frozen under his grip as you feel the wet sensation tickle your skin. It sends shivers down your spine as you tense, your neck being a very sensitive spot on your body. Your face heats up as both of your hands hold onto his shoulders.
“K-Kakucho…st-.” You were cut off by the holographic red tie wrapping both of your bodies around each other, locking you into the hold before it disappears. The feeling of his tongue gliding up your neck before kissing down again to suck in the same spot began to warm your lower stomach. The room felt hot and you could feel your pants tightening. The arm that was above your head reaches your lower back. It felt like something was sucking the energy out of you causing your legs to weaken.
He uses the hand on your chin to lift your head all the way back as he moves to the front of your neck where your adam’s apple rests, slowly licking up the skin before kissing back down again and moving to the other side of your neck.
“Stop!” You hissed, coming back to your senses as he lets you shove him back. “You can’t just feed from me when you want to! I still don’t accept the conditions and I will fucking not. Now get away from me!” You pick up the scanner and book you dropped earlier and grab your cart and rush away from him, leaving the energy sucker standing by himself as you ignore your own hard on.
A few days have passed since the library incident. You couldn’t help but feel like you’re being watched every step you take. Whether it be in your own apartment or outside in public. The security you used to feel has almost deteriorated. Your paranoia is constantly growing day by day, to the point it’s almost unbearable. You’re honestly nervous.
You had invited a former Brahman gang member who’s always been a close friend of yours to your apartment so when you heard someone knocking on your door, you headed over to invite him in. You couldn’t help the unexplainable anxious feeling you got when the familiar burning sensation on your chest began. You shake it off before twisting the doorknob and pulling it in.
You gasp at the sight when the door opens. In your view was your friend in a bloody mess with half his body lying on the sidewalk and the collar of his shirt in the culprit’s hand. Standing there was Haitani Ran, twisting the braid in his hand with his baton placed over his shoulder by his other. Rin stood beside him with a grip on the knocked out guy and a hand on his hip. Both had their infamous laid back expressions and only began to grow a sly smile when they saw you.
“Yo, Y/n. Who’s this kid?” Ran greets as he steps into the apartment, pushing you aside. Rin followed behind after dropping the injured man in front of your doorway. You move forward to crouch down at the body.
“F/n! Are you ali-?” You were cut off by your own shirt being pulled back before the front door slammed shut. You swatt the hand off angrily as you turn towards the brothers.
“What the fuck is your problem?!” You exclaim at them, your fingers spread and hands open as you make a stressed gesture.
“No seriously, who was that dude? Why was he at your door?” Rin reiterated his older brother’s question as they gave you unimpressed looks.
“He’s just a close fr-! Actually that’s none of your fucking business. Get out of my house!” You point towards the door. You look at the hand that’s just been placed on your head.
“What’s with all the hostility? Relax.” Ran cooed with a smirk, pretending to be clueless of the circumstances.
“Anyway, we came to pick you up.” Rin states, crossing his arms. You raised an eyebrow.
“What the hell are you talking about? Nobody’s taking me anywhere.” You argue. A sigh came out of Ran’s mouth before he locked an arm with yours as well as his brother doing the same with your opposite arm. You struggle against the hold as they walk you to your couch.
“Those marks on his neck says someone got to feed from him before us.” Rin said to his brother.
“I agree brother. I think it’s time for us to get a little taste of what our mate has to offer.” Your eyes widen at the holographic ribbons wrapping around you three right before it disappears.
Reaching the couch, Rin pulls you on his lap before his arms wrap around your waist. One hand reached around your neck as he held you from behind. You helplessly watch as Ran pulls down your pants, bulge showing through your underwear.
“Shit! Put them back!” You feel the burning sensation on your chest again, this time flowing down to your lower stomach. With his knees connected to the floor, Ran pulls your shaft and testicles out of your restraints. You reach for his braids and yank him back, only for his face to heat up and a smile to reach his face.
“I guess I shouldn’t make it too easy for ya.” He says before undoing his braids and using the straps to pull his hair back into a ponytail, one strand falling in front of his face.
“W-wait!” You say before you feel Rin wrap his arm around your arms, trapping them within the hold of your waist. You tense when you feel warm lips connect with your outer ear.
“Hard already?” Ran says as he uses his index finger to rub along the bottom lining vein on your cock, causing a twitch from you as you shift in your seat uncomfortably. Four fingers go under your ball sack as his thumb stays up front, slightly squeezing the flesh as he wrapped his other hand around your cock, thumb still rubbing the bottom vein this time focusing on the tip.
“Jesus.” You breathe out. “Just let me go.” The hand around your neck reached your mouth and cupped your lips while the tongue ran up your ear before sucking the earlobe, causing shivers to run down your back at the delicate contact.
Your body freezes once you feel the wet muscle glide all the way from your base to the tip of your cock before you are suddenly engulfed fully, purple eyes gazing at you from below. Your face heats up as your stomach burns from the sensations.
Ran pulls his head back before sucking on your tip slowly, enjoying the way your cock twitches constantly with each suckle, all the while his hand continues to massage your testicles. Your head falls back as you keep your hips from moving upward. Your eyes shut tightly as Rin moves his lips to your neck, sucking harder than Kakucho did in the library, definitely aiming to leave darker marks. It feels as though both of them are sucking the life source out of you, literally. You feel your body weaken at the actions of your mates. You could feel Rin’s hard on stabbing you through his pants.
The older Haitani moans as he continues to tease you through sucking your head, still looking up at you. He slowly engulfs you once more, lips meeting your base before pulling back, repeating the process over and over again as he speeds his pace each time. This time you couldn’t hold back from the slight buck of your hips with each contact his lips made with the base of your cock.
To avoid any more eye contact, you look at the ceiling as you feel Rin slightly lift his hard on against you before sucking your neck harder, causing a little bit of pain to appear. You could tell he was holding back from biting you. You felt Rans lips circle around the head of your cock once more, this time sucking harder and faster as he brought you closer and closer to the edge. Before you could release your load, your front door slams open, almost breaking off the hinges.
“Knew it, fucking sluts.” Sanzu spits at them before walking towards you, katana hanging from his hand. Ran engulfs you one more time before pulling back with a pop and releasing your balls. Your cock is left tense from the lack of an orgasm, left right on the edge and it hurts. It didn’t mix well with the new sensation burning your chest, this time more painful than the others.
“Put his pants back on and let’s go. Mikey doesn’t like to wait.” The male with the pink ponytail demands before crossing his arms and watching you as you push your cock back in your underwear and snatch your pants from the floor, swiftly dressing yourself.
“I’m not going anywhere! All of you need to leave!” You exclaim before the end of the katana was close to your forehead.
“I’m not gonna tell ya again, Y/n. Let’s go.” Sanzu demanded with a half lidded gaze, mania still prominent within his irises. You stare at him for a moment before following along the Haitani brothers while Sanzu walks behind you with the weapon to your back.
“Awe he’s following like a good puppy!” Rin beamed as he teased you, looking to piss you off. You angrily scowl at the back of his head as you continue to walk to the car. Passing the bloody spot you wonder where your friend went and if he had run off.
“Oi, Sanzu. You should really get a taste of him, or are you gonna wait till Mikey gives you permission?” Ran pulls the strap from his hair as he rebraids his strands, a smirk on his face as he teases Sanzu from the passenger seat. Rin turns the wheel as he guides the car down the road.
“Shut up. Mikey doesn’t care anyway, as long as we don’t bite him yet.” Sanzu said next to you with his arms crossed. You try to tune them out, your own arms crossed glaring out of the window. That’s why you don’t see when the pink haired sadist unbuckled your belt and snatched your arm. Your head falls to his lap before his hand wrapped tightly around your throat. Your eyes widen in response as you grab the wrist that’s closest to your neck.
He pulls you, forcing your lips to meet his. Both of your lips shape the other perfectly as he moves his mouth against you, teeth scraping your lip before his tongue passes your teeth. He continues to choke you, making it hard to breathe and your face to heat up. You eye the ribbon wrapping around you both, strapping you in place before it disappears. He moaned when you felt the energy being transferred from your life source to his. It caused you to weaken in his hold. You accidentally released a small whimper before he released you, falling against his lap once more as your blurry vision made it harder to come back to reality, saliva running down your chin.
Soul ties are a bitch for the person at the center of it all when there’s more than two individuals. Not unless everyone actually cares about each other enough to fill each life source equally. Since there’s no fair share nor an agreement of some sort, they’re all just taking your energy from you. Surprisingly Sanzu didn’t push you off, he just couldn’t stop staring at your lips while breathing hard. Not until you reached your destination in front of their Kanto Manji headquarters.
You were yanked up and dragged out of the car, forcing you to stand outside before you all headed inside the building. As you went up the elevator and made it to the correct hallway, the beating in your chest became fast. The burning sensation becoming stronger the closer you got to the correct room didn’t help at all. You were truly nervous and had no idea how this was going to go.
When you finally made it to the room, you were forced inside. You saw Kokonoi sitting on the left of a long couch that rounded the large table in the middle. He sat with his hands on his lap as he looked ahead before he turned his head and your eyes met. Next to him sat Kakucho, one of his arms on the back of the sofa as he man spread. He wore a frown on his face, turning to you with an intimidating gaze.
You were left standing at the opposite table as Sanzu and the Haitani brothers took their seats at the right side of the couch. Finally your gaze fixed on the man of the hour, the blonde sitting in the middle of the couch with his arms resting on his lap. He had a dark expression on his face and when his eyes met yours the burning sensation in your chest almost became unbearable.
Your fingers twitched before you placed your hand on your chest. Your eyes widened. The atmosphere almost made it hard to breathe in this room. It was insanely awkward and uncomfortable, watching as everyone sized you up from their seats like you were supposed to put on some kind of performance.
You could see the red tie making a tree shape as all the ribbons connected straight to your chest before disappearing. The soul ties are already so strong and they have yet to even fully bond you to them. It’s intimidating, terrifying even. You knew that once it happened, there was no going back. You had to cut these ties immediately. If only their boss wasn’t so fucking scary.
“I want to cut our ties immediately. I don’t agree with the way any of you handle things. You’re ruthless and uncaring. You only want to use me for your benefit and I refuse. I am not someone you can just use. I want real happiness and connection with my soulmate and I know that I will not receive that from any of you. We are not a good match and I recommend you find someone else.” You tried. You really did try to stay tough throughout your speech. Honestly, you were surprised you even got as far as you did. Especially without any tears.
The silence was deafening, suffocating even. They held no expressions on their faces but the same ones you saw when you came in. They weren’t moved nor changeable by what you said. It was as if what you spoke hadn’t made any difference with their mindset. After all, it is the majority vs you. You’re not dumb. They could easily overpower you, but you had to try anyway. That way you could never say you hadn’t ever tried to save yourself. And you’ll continue for as long as possible. Right now you have to face them. Face him.
“Come ere’.” You hear Mikey demand. You almost jolted from your stance, thrown off by him speaking at all. Your eyebrows furrowed as you saw how all entrances to the couch had been blocked off so you have no idea what he wants you to do. Eyeing him with confusion after shifting your focus, he seems to lean over in his seat more with a threatening gaze forming on his face.
“The table. Crawl.” Your eyes widen, face already heating up. No way.
“N-no. I don’t want to do that.” You say in disbelief, desperate to retain some dignity after all the escapades from the past few days. You needed some kind of control. Some kind of comfort that everything was going to be okay. If you give in now, everything might as well be set in motion.
Kokonoi frowned while his fingers met his forehead. You’re going to give him a headache. You really are. Why not just submit and save yourself the hassle? You’re going to be forced to anyway. Sanzu’s teeth grits as he wonders what in your right mind made you think that you could defy his leader’s orders. Kakucho and the Haitani brothers just watch the display quietly with no expression on their faces.
“Five seconds.” Your breath hitched. A countdown?! Really?!
“In five seconds you’ll tell me which limb you want me to break.” Mikey states nonchalantly. You could die right now. His gaze is serious and everyone in the room knows that he’s not playing around. You wondered if there was a way you could run out of the room, but you knew you couldn’t outrun all of them.
“Fuck.” You hissed.
“Five.”
Do you listen or attempt to make a run for it?
“Four.”
What… what should you do? Either way, this shit is so embarrassing.
“Three.”
I mean what the fuck are you? A child being scolded by an abusive parent?!
“Two.”
Fuck!
Finally you bend over and put one knee on the table. The countdown halts as you begin to bring your other knee onto the table. This is so humiliating. Especially as a fucking delinquent. To get it over with faster, you push through and begin to crawl a little faster to get to the end of the table.
“Slower.”
Is he trying to humiliate you?! It seems like it. Clearly he wants you to know who’s in charge. This has to be some kind of dominance battle of some sort. You comply, avoiding eye contact with everyone even though you felt their piercing gazes. Please, please, please let this be over soon.
You pause once you finally reach the end of the table. Now you’re staring at each other head on while you await his next commands. Your eyebrows raise when you see a small smirk form on his face. You’ve never seen this man smile before, and you wish it would’ve continued that way because you’ve never seen such a smile that holds that much evil in your life. He was enjoying this.
He pats his lap, gesturing for you to take a seat. Your eyebrows furrowed. You hadn’t wanted to, but you’d be left on your hands and knees displayed on the table so you move to take your position. You awkwardly sit there with one of his arms circling your waist as well as the other reaching your neck, mocking Rin’s position from earlier as you're forced to face everyone in the room, and they were definitely watching.
You gasp when he unbuckles your pants with one hand and reaches inside your underwear, gripping the cock that had just sprung to life. His other hand reaches your jaw and cups your opposite cheek before forcing your head all the way to the side, exposing your neck.
“Wait! Mikey, don’t do this!” You cry out before he tugs your shaft and lips reach your neck. It was so quick it almost gave you whiplash once he shoved his fangs in your neck. The pain had your eyes shot as you shifted uncomfortably on his lap, the holographic ribbon wrapping around both of you snugly, keeping you in place once more. Blood leaks down your neck, reaching your shirt as it stained the fabric. He continued to suck from you, something mates usually don’t do when they bite.
The other men watch with intrigue, awaiting their turn for the claim to finally have their life source in their clutches. Their power source. Their soulmate. Somehow, you have a lot of pre-cum dripping down your groin that wasn’t dried from earlier. Mikey uses it to rub along, ultimately giving you an intense handjob. You watch as the ribbons appear once more, all tied to you as well as the one still wrapped around your body. This time, the one coming from Mikey changes to black.
Your vision begins to blur as you feel the pressure on your cock engulfing the shaft and the head. Your body weakens in his hold as he continues sucking your life source, forcing a euphoric feeling from the heaviness of the movement of his hand and the lips against your neck. Your own moans sound so distant that you hadn’t even realized you were releasing that sound. Your eyes roll into the back of your head as you almost lose consciousness, body tensing right before you’re brought to a hard orgasm. You shoot loads of cum into your underwear.
Mikey removed his teeth from your skin, licking up the blood that hadn’t dried from your wound as he continued hand fucking you through your orgasm.
“Messy.” He states quietly against your ear. You’re not sure if it’s because of all the cum or blood, but one thing for sure is that you feel like you want to pass out.
The rest of the men in the room are surely turned on by the display. The blood running down your throat, your moaning, the shifting of your body. Everything about that scene was divinely delicious. They all knew that they had to wait their turn, and wait patiently, they did.
A few moments later when you were barely pulled out of your trance, you felt your body rocking as you had been forced into a doggystyle position, a cock standing right under your face as you felt your own being sucked from under. A numb pain was shooting through your back as you felt a thickness stretching you from behind. Someone is also kneeling on top of the person in front of you with their cock right in front of your face. Ribbons were wrapped and swirling everywhere, entrapping you within the grasps of your soulmates. There’s major pain all over your neck, causing you to feel all the bite marks that had been made with your hand.
“Holy hell.” You breathe out as you feel a sharp impact on your prostate, as well as the mouth on your cock tightening. You looked to the side and saw that Mikey and two of your other soulmates sat watching the display. The black ribbon still connects between you and Mikey as he sits with an expressionless gaze, though the red on his face tells you everything you need to know. Your gaze falls back down as the person behind you starts fucking into you harder, darkness engulfing you again as you feel the energy literally being sucked out of your body.
It’s been years of pure hell. Your soulmates have become more ruthless since Bonten was created. Of course, they forced you into the criminal organization along with them, someone always accompanying you at missions and meetings. You didn’t really have to do a thing for the most part until they forced you to kill or torture someone for fun, though that was mostly Sanzu and the Haitani brothers.
You can’t believe Akashi joined and you always wondered why. You also wondered how Senju and your close friends were doing. Too bad you were always strapped to someone’s tie. You were rarely allowed to leave headquarters and when you did it was only for the missions and the clubs. It feels like it’s been a while since you’ve seen society or the sun except from a penthouse window. It was depressing.
You’re currently wrapped in blankets in a dark bedroom with an arm over your waist. The man is spooning you from behind all the while you stare straight ahead.
“Go to sleep.” Mikey’s husky voice reached your ear, feeling his hot breath as the black ribbon tightened around your bodies. You shut your eyes in response, awaiting for the deep slumber to take you from this reality.
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thewritetofreespeech · 1 day ago
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Could I request Yuji, Megumi and Inumaki with a reader who is a former delinquent?
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“Is it weird being back at your old school?”
“I guess,” [Y/N] agreed. “A lot has changed since I was last here.”
“Oh hells no!!”
“Or…maybe not….”
Yuji & [Y/N] turned around to see an older faculty member marching over to them. A vein nearly popping out of his balding head. “You aren’t allowed on the properly anymore, you hooligan!”
“Hooligan?” Yuji repeated.
“Wishful thinking, Baka-sensei.” The man growled. “I was never ‘banned’ just asked to not return the next semester.”
“Next semester?”
“Which implies you aren’t supposed to be here! I’ll talk to the principal and have you removed by the police!” The teacher threatened.
“Go ahead. He called us.” [Y/N] jeered at him. “Look, if you want me gone, talking is just prolonging our stay. Let us do our jobs and we’ll be out of your hair. What’s left of it.”
The man seemed fit to burst. Rather than argue, however, he just marched back off angrily. Arguing with himself in a mutter as he left. “Who was that guy?”
“An old teacher of mine.”
“What was he going on about? [Y/N]-chan…were you a bad student when you were here?”
[Y/N] chuckled. “I was, perhaps, a bit more spirited than most. I didn’t commit murder or anything.” Yuji was concerned that that was the part the listed as concern. “Come on, let’s find this curse and get out of here.”
“You think you know a person….”
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It wasn’t often that they got time off to hang out around the city. In fact, they weren’t supposed to have time off now. But since the mission had ended early [Y/N] insisted on stopping at a local fast-food place to get milkshakes. As a reward.
“Oh man, I missed these. Did you used to get these when you went to school around here Megumi?”
“No.” He told them as he sipped his vanilla shake. “I can’t say that I have.”
Besides money being tight when he was a kid, this area was run by another school’s gang at the time. Though Megumi wasn’t officially in a gang, just a lone wolf taking his anger out on everyone, he still knew better than to come on this side of town.
“Well, you were missing out.”
“Oy! Sea urchin head!” Megumi turned around to take note of the shouting. Realizing very quickly that a teen from a small group was pointing & talking to him. He didn’t know whether he should be confused or just offended. “What are you doing on our side of town?! I know you went to Saitama East, and you have no business being here!”
“I don’t go there anymore.” Megumi told the other teen calmly. “And, I’m just here with a friend.”
“A friend hn?” They repeat with a spit. “Well, that friend isn’t welcome here either. You gotta lot of nerve stepping your crew on our turf! So why don’t you….” The young man’s bravado died down quickly, and Megumi realized he wasn’t looking at him anymore, but past him. “[Y-Y-Y/N]-sama!”
“Yes,” they chirped as they came out from behind Megumi’s frame. “Do I know you?”
“N-N-No! I was a year behind you in middle school!” The teen began to recall the terrifying tale of [Y/N] the Slayer. How they defeated every foe that challenged them. How they single handedly brought all the other clubs and gangs at their school to heel. How they even drew the lines in the city between Saitama East and their school. “Your legend still lives on [Y/N]-sama! We still follow your creed!”
“Creed?” [Y/N] replied in confusion. “Oh…that. I didn't really mean it. I mean, it’s good to have rules. That no honor among thieves crap is for short timers. Hopefully you boys learned a thing or too. Like apologizing when you’re wrong?”
“We’re sorry!” The group unanimously shouted at Megumi. Startling him a little. “We didn’t know that you were with [Y/N]-sama. Please forgive us!”
“Uh…it’s ok…”
“Please let us buy you a new milkshake for the trouble!”
“Thanks…I already got one though. You can…go though.”
“Thank you sir!”
The group then ran off with their tails between their legs faster than his Divine Dogs, and Megumi turned to [Y/N]. “I seem to make an impact on people.”
“I guess.” Megumi agreed, as they left before more adulators showed up. “I didn’t know that we were both so much trouble in middle school.”
“Aww…I think it’s cute.” [Y/N] cooed as they linked their hands. “Like a modern-day Romeo & Juliet. Only with middle schoolers. And no suicide.”
“Who’s the Juliet in this story?” He asked, and [Y/N] laughed at his joke.
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“Uni, uni.”
[Y/N] turned to Toge when they heard his voice and saw him pointing to a wall with a bunch of graffiti on it. “Oh, yeah. They don’t really clean this place up that much. This stuff has been here for years.”
“Bento?” He asked. Meaning ‘who did it?’.
“It was a lot of students when I was here. Some just wanted to tag to be rebels. Others, I guess, just wanted to be remembered somehow.”
“Bento?” He asked again. Only this time meaning ‘who did this one?’.
[Y/N] smiled. “I did.” Toge seemed surprised and they put their finger to their lips. “It was a long time ago. Don’t tell anyone.”
“Bento?” ‘why did you do it though?’.
“I don’t know. I guess I was bored. Or…maybe I wanted to be remembered. Before I came to Tokyo High, I still always somehow knew my life would be short. I suppose I wanted a piece of me in the word.”
Toge could understand that. Their lives were usually short. Only the strong, or the clever, or just the downright lucky made it to old age. Who would remember the youngsters when they were gone?
Toge then fished around in his pocket and pulled out a marker. He then walked over to the wall and scribbled a little figure next to [Y/N]’s tag. A small little salmon nigiri with a ghost beside it. “Salmon.”
[Y/N] smiled at him. “I guess we’ll both be remembered then.” They then walked off. Their art and their memory resting into the stone. Maybe one day they would be able to come back and see it. Maybe not. But, it would always be there.
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aonemanarmy · 2 days ago
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Vincent's directness was something that Sephiroth could appreciate. He'd long grown tired of dealing with humans in general due to their evasive and treacherous behavior, so not having to do so was a refreshing change. Yet, he couldn't help but feel there must be some hidden motivation beneath the gunman's words as if he were setting up some sort of trap to ensnare him once more.
“I do not desire Jenova as a mother, she is my mother.”
After all this time Sephiroth thought that Vincent would've understood that fact by now. How many times did he have to explain that he was created from Jenova? Her blood ran through his veins and despite her vicious nature she was still the only mother he had and would ever know. It was ironically fitting that a creature such as her had birthed a monster like him, but unlike Jenova he intended to transcend beyond what fate she'd chosen for him.
So...What does ‘mother’ mean to you?
The only frame of reference that Sephiroth had for a mother was what he'd read in books or heard second-hand from others. What he was able to gather from those sources was that a mother was someone that was supposed to protect and care for their child, someone that wasn't meant to ever hurt or betray them. They were supposed to be the one person in the world he was capable of trusting, which was made the sting of Jenova's betrayal all the more devastating, but he'd come to realize what he thought he knew was only an idealized version of reality.
In reality everyone was selfish and would hurt each other so long as it benefited them in some way. So why would Mother be no different?
As he pondered the question he looked out into the distance where the cave hidden behind a waterfall was supposed to be. It would be an arduous and grueling trek back, but it wouldn't be the first time that the madman had undergone such trials and it certainly wouldn't be the last. If anything, through the use of his avatar he needn't be concerned about frivolous things such as food, drink, or rest because he was already far beyond basic mortal needs. All he needed to do was to walk and everything else would easily fall into place, but the same couldn't be said of the gunman who despite his alterations still had his limitations.
Vincent appeared to be aware of his own limitations at least, which was more than could be said about most humans. Still, looking the ex-Turk over Sephiroth seriously doubted the man could make another intense trip back, at least not without having some sort of recovery time.
A rumble passed beneath their feet from a distance causing snow to rain down from the scattering of pines nearby and several rocks to break free and tumble down the mountainside. The WEAPONS were on the move and sooner or later they would make an appearance, but Sephiroth was hardly concerned about it when he already had Jenova to contend with, who was clearly displeased by the current situation. She made that displeasure known with the persistent pain behind his eyes, one that spiked sharply at Vincent's mention of her name.
“Do you think yourself fit to make such a journey so soon?” He asked, studying the other man and wondering if the gunman might need to be dragged there as he doubted Vincent wanted Sephiroth to be left alone with his treasured person.
Vincent seemingly shrugged off his question and began to walk back down the mountain. Sephiroth was hardly deterred by that though, figuring the gunman was simply being stubborn and if he wanted to do that then so be it; he would drag him the rest of the way if need be. It was with that thought in mind that he set off after Vincent as they once more made their way out into the unforgiving wilderness and onto the road back south.
******
Progress had been slow – at least in Sephiroth's mind whose super-human standards were beyond any ordinary human's capabilities – but at long last they both stood before the waterfall that hid behind it the one that Vincent sought. Looking at it the madman was far from impressed, but even he had to admit there was a distinct beauty and serenity to the scenery. It made him wonder if the entire planet hadn't looked similar long ago back before the humans had corrupted it for their own selfish gain.
As he watched the steady cascade of water strike the crystalline pool below he wondered why Vincent's person would remain here after their initial meeting. If they had thought to remain hidden then surely they would've moved onto another location by now, but that didn't appear to be the case and simply looking at the place caused Jenova to sink her claws deep into his mind yet again.
'You waste your time humoring such nonsense.'
Sephiroth had considered that, but he also drawn the conclusion that he really had nothing to lose in the process either. Regardless of what Vincent tried to do the ex-Turk stood to lose far more than he ever did by trying to double-cross him.
'He seeks to manipulate you and willingly you go into his trap.'
Then I will kill what he treasures most.
In Sephiroth's mind that was the end of the conversation. He once more pushed Jenova back, purposely blocking out her voice and ignoring the steady stabs of pain behind his eyes as he glanced over at Vincent. The man certainly looked worse for the wear, but at the end of the day that was of no real concern to him since this was Vincent's idea in the first place.
“You believe that this person of yours decided to remain here after your visit?”
Though Vincent was keen to any sort of reaction Sephiroth might have expressed, Sephiroth remained poker-faced as ever. Though it was somewhat expected, it did give Vincent pause. He had hoped to see something to indicate whether or not Jenova still had her talons deep in the silver-headed man, or if Sephiroth was not independent. Unfortunately, the interaction yielded no fruit on this matter. Nevertheless, Vincent knew it was too premature to place assumptions. At the very least, it did tell Vincent that Sephiroth hadn’t gained any further knowledge regarding Lucrecia.
Perhaps Jenova was indeed actively stifling any and all connection with Sephiroth’s human mother. If so, Vincent knew what he was about to undertake was going to either yield disappointment, devastation, or a long overdue release of emotions. Sephiroth’s sanity was one thing. But Lucrecia’s safety was another. Even though death had become a stranger to Lucrecia, there was no guarantee Sephiroth didn’t possess the power to undo her from that prison, especially now that he was channeling new strength for his awakening. Regardless. If the world was indeed going to end, Vincent didn’t want to regret depriving Lucrecia of her son the second time. As soon as Sephiroth uttered his response, Vincent’s brows slightly lifted in confusion.
‘Claim’… ‘control’…?
It was a curious way of thinking. But the more Vincent listened to Sephiroth’s words, the more he began to understand. Instead of correcting Sephiroth, Vincent allowed the Ex-SOLDIER to express himself. Even being cherished or appreciated was something Sephiroth had no affiliation with. It was a truly a pitiful form of existence. Every ounce of positive human connection had been thoroughly barricaded from gaining access to Sephiroth. And yet if so, why was he so drawn to a motherly figure? Surely, his natural instincts for a paternal connection had been the driving force. Just as Vincent was about to speak, he saw Sephiroth flinch; whatever pain he had was enough to cause him to drop Hojo’s head. Instinctively, Vincent motioned to lift his hand to steady Sephiroth, but he withheld himself and drew his hand back in the event Sephiroth noticed. Though Vincent couldn’t be sure, he had a hunch the pain had been brought on by Jenova. Whatever her motives, she wanted to keep Sephiroth secured behind a wall of lies. This only made the ex-Turk more determined to carry out his plan. Alert to Sephiroth drawing his sword, he watched as Sephiroth made quick work of Hojo’s head and converting it into a hideous decorative piece. Vincent lightly furrowed his brow, not necessarily at the gruesome display, but more so at the message behind it. The threat was unmistakable. But so was the Meteor that was tearing through the clouds, not to mention his companions who he perceived to have either escaped or been caught by Shinra. There was a chance Sephiroth could kill Lucrecia, yes. But there was also a chance that Sephiroth would behold his true mother, and the course of the planet’s fate could be altered. And if anything else, he would have at lease broken the barrier between Lucrecia and her son. The disdain in Sephiroth’s voice didn’t go unnoticed, but Vincent remained visibly unmoving. “You’re mistaken,” Vincent stated boldly. “She doesn’t want to claim you, use you, or control you. You desired Jenova as a mother, did you not?” The gunslinger asked calmly. “So...What does ‘mother’ mean to you?” Allowing Sephiroth to mull over the question, Vincent looked out over the snowy horizon once more, the winds catching his cloak and brushing passed his long raven-colored hair. It was a long ways towards the cave, at least a couple days of brutal straight-shot travel and that was without any sort of delay or distractions. They would have to traverse through the entire mountain and snow, cross into the desert, and then traverse the mountains to cross Nibelheim. They had gone through it before. But if Sephiroth had indeed transcended into a higher form of power, Vincent knew he’d end up slowing Sephiroth down this time. Perhaps he could use it to his advantage… he had to also find out what had become of Cloud and the others. There was a chance they would also happen across WEAPONS along the way. “We might be able to make it in less than three days. It’s just beyond Nibelheim.” Vincent then turned half way to meet Sephiroth’s gaze. “You are your own individual with your own will,” Vincent assured. “She doesn’t seek to use or control you. She’s not Jenova or Shinra.” Vincent left off giving more details for the time being and turned his attention towards their destination, knowing the latter words would likely trigger something from Jenova. “This reunion… it’s been long overdue.” Taking a step into the snowy grounds, Vincent began to travel onward, the harsh winds tearing at his cape and once again sending a painful reminder of the bitter cold. But none of that mattered. Time was running out.
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5targh0st · 2 days ago
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NUMBER ONE GIRL
31. you're mine (written)
prev // m.list // next
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Neither of you talk much, but you have a great time nonetheless. It's almost as if you both know what the other is thinking and words weren't exactly necessary. However, something similar to fear keeps you from letting go; fear of your feelings not being reciprocated, of saying the wrong thing, and of messing up the weird and comfortable relationship you've built.
However, little by little the awkwardness disappears and everything seems to fall into place. You joke around and laugh. Everything feels easier without the weight of expectations and labels hovering over you.
"Can I ask you something?" His voice drowned by his own laugh.
"What?" For some reason, you can't help but smile.
"Why were you hiding in the bathroom?" He seems nervous, "I got worried for a second."
"I wasn't hiding," you can feel your face hot. "I was talking to my friends. Don't ask." You try to laugh but it comes out as a sigh.
And just before you go on a rant about everything and reassure him that you weren't hiding from him, he smiles and reaches for your hand. He knows. You're not sure how, but he knows; he wouldn't be smiling like that if he didn't.
Dessert arrives and you're so lost in his presence that you barely notice how people have started to leave the place. Has he always been so alluring?
When you finally have to go, you reach for your card just to be left waiting. "We haven't paid."
"I did. I paid in advance so you wouldn't pull any funny tricks."
You want to argue and say it's not fair for him to pay every single time you hang out. Then it hits you, are you really hanging out? This whole dinner thing has turned out to be more date-like than you anticipated.
"There's something I want to show you..." His voice interrupts your spiraling.
You just nod and follow him back to his car. Of course, you won't say it out loud but you just realized you'd go basically anywhere with him. Are you supposed to feel like this? Is it wrong?
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After a short drive, you finally arrive at the place he wanted to show you. It's a recording studio, although way different than the ones you have at school. This place has a lot more equipment and looks cozier.
"Is this like your personal studio?"
"Something like that," he explains turning on everything, "I share the place with Heesung."
"I didn't know he's also part of the music program."
"He's not. His parents are doctors so they wanted him to follow their steps and, after a lot of arguing and screaming, they compromised on psychology so Heesung could still have time for music."
"He sounds brave."
"He is, but don't tell him that, his ego is big enough as it is." He jokes, but you see the fondness in his eyes. He sure loves his friends.
"Like you're one to talk..."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
You both keep on bickering and laughing. Then silence sets in, but not the uncomfortable kind of silence, it's more like a natural kind of quietness. The same type of silence that comes before the sunrise; a breath of fresh air in the loudness of your lives.
"What did you want to show me?"
"Me."
You must look confused and maybe even concerned cause he laughs and looks away before explaining. "I know why your friends didn't like me, and I know at least one of them told you not to hangout with me or whatever.
I'm not saying they're wrong or that people misunderstand me, but they don't know the whole truth. They don't know me beyond the persona that, I confess, I've built to keep them out. But I want you to know me, all of me.
I'm an asshole, I was in love before and got my heart shattered, and I used that as an excuse to play around and maybe even hurt people. I'm not saying my actions were justified, but I did what I thought was necessary to not be hurt again..."
He is almost spiraling. This is the most honest he's ever been, but he sounds just so desperate.
"Yeonjun..."
"Please, let me finish. I like you. I'm not a good person, and I've hurt people and I'm a mess and I might fuck things up... and I like you. I know I was the one to say we should take things slow and see where it got us. From the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew you were gorgeous but now, after spending time with you and getting to know you a little, I like you and all of the things that make you who you are."
You don't know what to say. He likes you. You like him too, but you don't know how to say it or where to start. So kiss him.
You pull him in and he seems surprised. For a second you start to think that maybe you rushed a little with the physical contact but then you feel his arms engulf you and his lips moving against yours. Has he always been that good of a kisser? Your mind can't even begin to comprehend what got you here.
"I like you too..." you whisper when the contact stops. Too nervous to look at him.
"I kinda figured." He laughs and you feel his hands cupping your face and his thumb caressing your skin. Just a light touch.
"Shut up." You try to hide from his gaze.
He brings you closer and wraps his arms around you, as if he were scared you'd change your mind. "You ruined my speech, though. I even wrote a song so you'd hear about my feelings while I uncomfortably stare at you for four minutes straight."
You can't help but laugh, of course he would do something like that. "Play it for me."
"No way."
"Come on! I'll even pretend to be surprised and everything."
He gives in. Part of him thinks he'd say yes to anything you ask but that's a door he won't open yet. He just admitted he likes you, there'll be enough time in the future to worry about the intensity of his feelings.
he takes off his blazer and walks to the piano. "Please remember that you asked for it."
"You're doing great sweetie!"
He rolls his eyes and you can see his blush but he starts anyway, "This ain't for the best..."
His hands move swiftly yet hesitantly. It's been a while since he's felt so vulnerable. Your soft gaze follows his every movement and he can feel his skin getting warmer by the second. You smile for a moment enjoying the effect you had on him. Until he looks at you while singing.
Now you get it. It's not uncomfortable at all. It's rather intimate. Having someone so openly expressing his feelings for you in such an emotional moment makes you feel helpless and bare. It's almost magical.
"... delicate." He finishes and avoids your eyes.
"Don't get all shy on me now." You try to joke.
"I'm not shy!"
You bicker for a while and everything feels so natural. You don't know what made you feel so nervous at dinner, he's just Yeonjun.
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"I do want you to know that I don't expect us to put a label on this right away." He explains while holding your hand. "I want us to go on dates and have like the whole experience. I wanna court you or whatever it is old people call it."
"I'd really like that." You can stop smiling. You didn't know it was possible to smile this much but here you are.
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The drive home is different; the feeling of his hand in yours is comforting and yet it also makes you feel anxious. A good type of anxious though.
You talk about school and your plans for the week. It's all so natural and domestic, you've never felt like this before. Not even with Sunghoon. This is the first time you've let yourself be with someone after him and somehow it feels so much more real and authentic. Yeonjun doesn't make you feel as if you need to tone down who you are; you can just be yourself.
When you arrive at your apartment complex, he opens your door and tries best not to stutter while saying goodbye. You laugh and can't even figure out why. You're just so happy.
"See you tomorrow?" He asks shyly once you get out of the car.
"See you tomorrow." You confirm still holding on to his hand.
And then you seal your promise with a kiss...
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notes:
I was so excited for this chapter
once again we love a communicative king
had an issue with the format but it's ok now
happy holidays btw
taglist: (32/50)
@estella-novella @poetryforthesad @lisaswifey @angelzforu @ihrtlix @gloriousqueenking @domfikeluva @circus-of-thoughts @conwunder @miniature-tragedy @jeonginplsholdmyhand @sh0dor1 @yourenzoo @tkshairband @realrintaro @castingjinx @amara-mars @hwangrfrnd
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marauder-misprint · 2 days ago
Text
Tension
Post-Regulus Black x fem!Slytherin!reader, Pre-Sirius Black x reader is endgame
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4
Not happy with how this part went but it's filler to get the story where it needs to be. Sorry not sorry
3.2k words
cw: swearing, fluff, Y/N
The common room isn’t deserted when you get back from Hogsmeade. There’s enough younger students milling around, not allowed to go to Hogsmeade yet, and older students opting to suffer through homework that your return wasn't a break in the monotony of the room. Therefore, you didn’t garner attention as you slipped into the boys’ dormitories. It wasn’t like girls never went into the boys’ dorms to hang out, but it was better you went unnoticed. 
You found the fifth year dorms and creeped into the room. You look around the thankfully empty room. You were glad that Regulus was a Black for once; their family crest is branded onto everything he owns, including his trunk. You approached his bed and then his desk, looking for something but you weren’t quite sure what yet. Nothing was jumping out at you. Then you moved to his trunk. It was unlocked. You gently moved things aside until you saw it. A fairly ornate silver ring with tiny emeralds. It was beautiful. It was most definitely expensive. And best of all, it didn’t scream House of Black. You slid it on your finger, put everything back in its place and left the dorm. 
No one noticed you cross the common room to the girls’ dorms. Once back in your own dorm, you put the ring on a small jewelry tray on your desk. With your new treasure, you could be bitter. How had Regulus not known you weren’t a pureblood? Why did he have to hold enough of his parents’ beliefs? Why couldn’t he be his own person and see reason? How had he known you thought blood status was stupid and still let that ruin what had potential to be a solid relationship? 
You shook your head as if to get the thoughts to fall out of your head. You knew you were scowling, but you were less concerned about your face right now. You had your thoughts and anger to worry about. If you listened to your impulses, you would have trashed his room a little bit, or taken more than a singular expensive ring, or maybe you wouldn’t have left the Hog’s Head as calmly as you did. If you listened to every heinous thought you had during the walk back, you would likely be expelled, or at least serving detention from now until you graduated. Maintaining your composure was the most important thing.
Over the next few days, there was a palpable tension and awkwardness between you and Regulus. You started putting distance between the two of you at meals and in the common room. You stopped studying together in the library. Regulus seemed more than content to spend time with his less amicable friends, Mulciber, Wilkes, Snape, Avery. Evan and Barty watched as Regulus still couldn’t take his eyes off you, although they could tell it was for a different reason. His expression wasn’t the same anymore. They enjoyed teasing him when he enamoured with you; now, that was gone, replaced with something they didn’t quite understand. The Slytherins weren’t exactly aware of why you and Regulus couldn’t be in the vicinity of each other anymore.   
You successfully evaded discussing it for a while. At least until the girls cornered you in your dorm where you are holed up to do homework in peace. 
“Alright, that’s not due for a few days and we need answers,” Dorcas said, looking at the assignment you’re working on on your bed. She slowly closed the book.
“Answers for what? The Herbology assignment?” 
Dorcas laughed as she sat behind you on your bed and leaned back against your headboard. 
“Black, actually,” Beatrice said. 
“I don’t talk to Sirius,” you replied, adjusting your position so you were sitting, rather than laying down.
“Once again, wrong Black,” Beatrice said. “Why would we be talking about that one?”
You shrugged. 
“Okay, so I asked if you and Regulus were a thing on the train and you said no. You got really close. And now you won’t look at him at all. Care to explain?”
“No.”
“Oh, don’t be like that,” Cora said, leaning against your bed. 
Beatrice and Pandora were sitting on Pandora’s bed which is right next to yours. 
“Be like what?”
“Y/N, just tell us what happened. We know something happened,” Dorcas said firmly, although her voice was gentle. 
“Of course something happened. You’d have to be blind to not see that something happened between the two of ‘em. We just need to know what,” Pandora piped up. She gave you a kind look, as if trying to say that it didn’t matter what happened, the girls were just extremely curious and wouldn’t drop it until you gave them something to satiate them. 
“We, uh, may have gone on a few dates,” you mumbled, not making eye contact with any of them. Your hands were much more interesting than seeing what your friends thought of this revelation. 
“I knew there was something! A spark!” Beatrice exclaimed. She sounded far too pleased with herself for your liking. 
“The easiest spark to snuff,” you retorted as you gave her a scathing look. “There won’t be any more dates. Obviously.”
“Obviously?” Cora asked.
“Do you think we’d be avoiding each other if there were going to be more?”
“Was he a bad kisser or something?” Dorcas asked. 
“Can’t be his status or financials,” Beatrice stated. 
Pandora gave her a warning jab in the side. Pandora knew you well enough to know that neither of those were a concern to you, and frankly, all of the girls should have known that. You rolled your eyes before twisting your head to crack your neck. 
“He didn’t know that I’m not a pureblood,” you said monotonously. 
Cora snorted. “How did he not?”
“As far as I’m aware, it’s not a hot topic,” you said almost coldly. “Unless you lot talk about my parents when I’m not around. And it’s not like the rest of the purity fanatics disrespect me.”
“You don’t exile your supplier,” Dorcas smirked, nudging you playfully with her foot.
“Exactly.” You turned to give her a smile. 
“Still feels weird that he didn’t know,” Cora said. 
“Okay, but isn’t Snape half, too?” Pandora asked. “Not every Slytherin is pureblood.”
“He makes up for it with curses and knowledge of the dark arts,” you sighed. “If half bloods want to survive in Slytherin, we have to make up for it somehow. Or you accept that your common room is going to be tense when you’re around and you make friends in other houses, if they’ll have you.”
“Hufflepuffs take anyone, even Slytherin rejects,” Beatrice said. 
“Guess that means I should start looking at the Hufflepuff boys. Maybe one of them will take a fancy to this rejected Slytherin,” you said, keeping your tone light and joking. 
Judging by the look on Pandora’s face, it didn’t come across as unbothered as you had intended. It wasn’t like you were going to actively search for a rebound or a new boy to drool over in general. You still wanted time to be bitter before you fully moved on. And a new boy would catch your eye whenever he did. It wasn’t something you were too concerned with. 
---
It didn’t take Sirius long to notice that something had changed between you and Regulus. You acted about the same in the classes you shared, but outside of them, your demeanor had shifted. After a few meals of observing you sit on the other end of the table than Regulus, Sirius came to the conclusion that Regulus’ advances were over. He waited a few days before bringing it up to the rest of the Marauders. He wanted to be more than certain that he was right. “Regulus’ little crush has gone south,” he said out of the blue. 
“What does that have to do with the Transfiguration test?” Remus asked, already knowing that the answer was nothing and Sirius hadn’t been listening to the rest of their conversation since they sat down for lunch.
Sirius made a face. “Nothing.” As Remus predicted. “Just look though!” 
Peter and Remus turned around to find Regulus sitting between Snape and Wilkes with you at the absolute end of your friends, sitting closer to a group of second years rather than the boys. 
“Okay?” Remus said slowly and confused as he turned back around. “Do we care?”
“Means his dating advice isn’t as good as he thinks,” James laughed. 
“Oi! My advice is rock solid,” Sirius defended. “So, where do we think he went wrong?”
“Have you considered that maybe she isn’t interested?” Remus asked.
“Oh please, Moony,” Sirius sighed with a smirk. “Blacks don’t get turned down. We turn people down.”
“No, Padfoot, Moony has a point,” Peter said. “Some girls are very against dating younger blokes.”
Sirius frowned. “What do we know about Y/N? Is she the kind of girl to be like that?”
The boys shrugged. They didn’t know much about you. You were well liked and known by a lot of people, but you kept details about yourself close to your chest. You weren’t the kind of girl to go around dating every boy with curly hair or brilliant blue eyes. You didn’t date enough to have a hint of a type. While it wasn’t a secret that you were a half blood, you didn’t share too much about your home life with just anyone. You didn’t have anything to hide. You believed it was simply better to not be an open book. 
Remus started talking about the Transfiguration test again. While James and Peter listened to him list off topics they should review more diligently, Sirius continued to stare at you. Every so often, he’d glance toward Regulus. It would only last for a moment before he looked back at you. He still stood by what he said at that first party of the year: you’re pretty and he’d like to be in your personal space. 
---
The tension between you and Regulus doesn’t go away over the rest of the term. It lessens, but it doesn’t go away. Part of you wonders if it just feels less tense because you don’t spend any amount of time with him, unless you can’t avoid it. The most time you spent near him was at the quidditch matches, and even then, you surrounded yourself with the girls. He wasn’t even within an arm’s reach of you. The games were oddly quiet in your opinion. You had grown used to Regulus’ commentary, even if it was unnecessary. 
You both knew that things couldn’t go back to the way it was before. There wasn’t any friendship left. But, you were moving forward. Tension dispersed. It eased. You had your time to be bitter. You eventually reached the point where you could sit on opposite ends of the common room and not care if you heard his voice carry from where he was talking with Barty and Evan. You could sit only tables apart in the library. You could sit with less people between you at meals. 
Sirius found Regulus alone in the library. Regulus’ face was stoney as he studied the book in front of him. Sirius slammed his hands down on the table to get his attention. The younger boy didn’t lift his gaze nor said a word. 
“Regulus…” Sirius sighed, his voice quieter than how he usually spoke in the library.
“Go away.”
“What happened with Y/N?” Sirius asked, leaning down so his head was closer to his brother. “You don’t seem so close.”
Regulus looked up to glare at Sirius. Sirius returned his gaze with an intense one. Sirius needed to read his brother, but being Blacks, they had been taught from early on to hide their feelings. Being an open book wasn’t an option for them. 
“I said, go away,” Regulus repeated with his voice low. 
“And I asked a question, dear Reggie.”
“There’s nothing between me and her,” he grumbled. 
Sirius narrowed his eyes. 
“But there was.”
Regulus nodded slowly. 
“And?” Sirius pried. 
It was quiet for a moment. The sounds of the library seemed to amplify for that moment. The scratching of quills, turning of pages and low murmurs filled the air with a new thickness. 
“I was wrong about her,” Regulus finally said.
“Oh.”
Sirius knew exactly what his brother meant. Disappointment swelled in his chest. Regulus hadn’t been able to look past something so miniscule, so unimportant, so frivolous as blood status. If it had been something else, anything, Sirius might have tried to understand. But this? This was their parents’ doing. It was their parents’ beliefs that they had instilled in him. As far as Sirius actually knew, you could’ve been the most perfect girl for Regulus, but because you weren’t pure blood, it wouldn’t be. 
“Shame. Seemed like you really liked her,” Sirius said as he stood up straight. 
He got his answer and that’s all he needed. Regulus watched as Sirius walked away from his table. Regulus wanted to say that it was just a crush or that you were just a girl. Neither felt right to say and Sirius had been right. Regulus had really liked you, but he knew what was expected of him as a Black. With Sirius already being the disappointment that he was to their parents, Regulus had to be a proper heir, and the proper heir couldn’t be with anyone less than. He knew his parents would see you as less than. 
 Sirius didn’t see you anywhere in the library. If he had, he might’ve stopped by and dropped a compliment. Maybe you would warm up to him now that his brother made a fool of himself. Sirius only felt a little guilty that his brother’s actions would put him in a better light. He thought about it the entire way back to Gryffindor Tower. 
---
You weren’t sure what made you put it on, but you wore Regulus’ ring to class. As you tried to pay attention to your professors, you found yourself spinning it around your finger and tracing over the design. A fair amount of your classes were reviewing old spells and topics so you were more than bored. 
You didn’t notice Sirius staring at you. The shine of the silver ring caught his eyes and he frowned when he recognized it. It caught him off guard; why were you wearing Regulus’ ring when you weren’t seeing each other? If he remembered correctly, it was a gift from one of their uncles. He wore it every once in a while, but it wasn’t in his regular repertoire like the family crest ring or his Slytherin house ring. Sirius even had one that was similar to the one you were wearing. His had tiny rubies rather than emeralds. This uncle believed that Sirius could still be a proper Black, even if he wasn’t in Slytherin. Now, however, the uncle didn’t talk to Sirius; he had taken his rebellion too far for him. 
Dorcas leaned over and rested her head on your shoulder in History of Magic. Professor Binns droned on about some goblin rebellion and the notable giants who participated. 
“What do you think of a Christmas party?” Dorcas whispered.
“When the ministry hosts them, they are rather dry,” you replied just as quietly. 
Dorcas scoffed quietly. “No, Y/N. One here before we leave for the semester.”
“Like the start of term?”
She nodded. You hummed in contemplation. The party had been fun before Williams threw a fit. But then you remembered that Slughorn’s holiday party was coming up.
“Not sure how many parties I have in me.”
You felt her frown into your shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
“Slug Club’s party is this week.”
She groaned quietly. Then she lifted her head and gave you a curious look.
“So who are you going with?”
You shrugged. 
“Haven’t really thought about it. I’ll probably just go alone.”
“You can’t go alone!”
“And why not?”
“Isn’t Sluggy like super uptight about it?”
You rolled your eyes.
“Who would I even invite? Avery? Wilkes? Mulciber?” You shook your head. “No, I’d rather just go alone.”
“What if you invited Black?” Dorcas asked with a small smile on her face. 
You gasped and tried to turn it into a cough. Professor Binns gave the two of you a concerned look before continuing his lecture. You knew your face was bright red.
“We still aren’t talking,” you hissed back to Dorcas.
“Not that one. Again.” She looked like she was ready to start laughing. “I’m talking about the one who’s been staring at you all day. Sirius.”
You held in another gasp that became a choked noise. You turned to look toward the Gryffindors. Remus appeared to be paying attention, Peter was definitely asleep and James looked like he was trying to stay awake but failing. And then there was Sirius. You made eye contact with him before immediately turning back to Dorcas.
“Did you say all day?” 
She nodded with a wide grin on her face. 
“Invite him. It’d piss off Regulus too.”
“No. I’ll just go alone.”
“Fine. Be alone forever.”
“I won’t be alone forever,” you defended yourself quietly. “I just don’t want to bring him. If you had someone better in mind, preferably someone I actually know, I’d consider it.”
Dorcas hummed and slumped into her chair. You ran a hand through your hair. Had Sirius really been watching you all day? How had you not noticed? Either too focused on the consistent reviews or too zoned out to care about it… The latter. You knew it was the latter. 
You ended up going to the party alone. Dorcas and Pandora fretted about it all week, practically insisting that you needed a date. You didn’t. It wasn’t required. You dressed up enough as required, so a black skirt and nice top. You weren’t going to waste money on a new dress, even if your mum would’ve paid for it, and you didn’t feel like finding one to take. 
You did get some looks as you walked in without a date, but Professor Slughorn didn’t mention your lack of date. He greeted you as he did for everyone. After a brief talk with him, you found your way to the drink table. You could mingle easier with a cup in your hand. You tried to ignore Regulus on the other side of the room. Instead, you listened to a seventh year Ravenclaw tell you about the interview at the ministry that she was going to have over the break. 
 Regulus, like his brother, couldn’t take his eyes off you. He was wondering if sharing his parents’ beliefs was the right thing, but it had to be. He had to be the right heir for the House of Black. But you looked beautiful. He nodded at whatever Snape was saying from next to him. You just captivated him way more than any conversation could. He noticed a glint of silver and green on your finger. He felt curious about it, but he wasn’t going to talk to you. The tension between you was still there and he wasn’t going to make it worse by accusing you of stealing a ring from the bottom of his trunk. 
By the time you were boarding the train to go home, you were more than ready to leave Hogwarts for a few weeks. You didn’t really want to be at home, but it was better than seeing Regulus every day.
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tags: @nsr-15, @kabekusa, @made-for-oliverwood, @sunflowerscloudydays, @salvatt1, @sammyreid
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Note
One of the problems I had with the online radicalization of Jalil in reunion is how it actually occurs. Jalil is supposedly radicalized by a message board, but it’s provided by alliance and the AI mascot he uses is Lila. So it’s left muddled on what exactly is happening here.
Is there really an internet based opposition to LB and CN? You wouldn’t think it since Paris enlarge is shown to still support them. But the presence of message boards would imply at least some support for monarch even if it’s mostly trolls. Or is alliance fabricating it for Gabriel to upset people in a targeted way? Or is it just Lila with a bunch of alt accounts? It’s really hard for me to tell just how wide spread this is as a problem for Paris considering it’s dropped after this one episode.
I'm also not sure how seriously we're supposed to take the criticism shown in that episode. It feels very much like the sort of BS we get with Su-Han where he points out a legitimate concern but in the most obnoxious, inflammatory way possible so that the audience feels forced to disagree with him. It's terrible writing that isn't very fun to watch. Reminds me of all the awful live-action Disney reboots that try to engage with every critical take anyone has ever had, leading to a lesser story. They would be much better off to just ignore the criticism they don't want to properly address and have fun with the story even if there's an arguable flaw. That's what suspension of disbelief is all about!
You want Paris to support Ladybug and Chat Noir no matter what they do? Cool! That works! Just don't take an episode and introduce the idea that there is actually criticism out there because that makes us start to question things like anon is doing here.
Another great example is the "issue" that Gabriel never uses the butterfly miraculous to heal his wife when it feels like that should be within its power. The show was totally correct to never address that on screen because the butterfly probably should be able to heal her! The reason it can't is because then the show would end. If the writers tried to explain an in-universe reason, then it would be as nonsensical as their explanation of how the rooster works:
Gabriel: There! (to Orikko) You! You can grant me any power I want! (closes the Grimoire and walks toward Orikko) You will give me the power to travel through time! Orikko: No, you're mistaken! Time travel is Fluff's power and I can't grant the power that already belongs to another Kwami! Gabriel: Are you trying to deceive me?? Orikko: (nods) By all means! Read the Grimoire again! (Gabriel reopens the Grimoire.) Sass: Each Kwami represents a concept, and a concept can only exist once in the universe. Xuppu: Too complicated, Sass! Let's use an example to make things simpler. Take Tikki, she is the Kwami of Creation, and creation is creation, and if there's another creation than creation, then it's not "creation", it's "replication"! Gabriel: Then grant me the power to locate Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous! Orikko: Trouble is, that's not a power; that's a wish! Xuppu: For instance, if I asked Santa for a pair of socks, that's a wish. But if I want Santa to grant me the power to knit socks, then it means Santa needs to know how to knit socks in the first place so he can teach me! Gabriel: (groans angrily) Grant me the power to unmask Ladybug and Cat Noir's secret identities! Xuppu: No can do! Orikko: (shoves Xuppu away) I cannot give a power that would disrupt another Kwami's magic. And being able to conceal the person behind the costume, well, that's part of the magic of their Kwami. Gabriel: (enraged) So you're utterly useless!
If all of this is true, then how do the goat and the peacock make things? Isn't that Creation? And how was the butterfly able to make a time travel villain? That's Fluff's power! And how was Gabriel able to offer to make Marinette into a villain who could unmask people via the butterfly? That's going against the miraculous' powers!
The answer is simply that the lore was not thought out in a way that stands up to even the most basic questions. When that's the case, the only way to handle the problem is to just ignore it. Keep your on screen explanations as shallow as your lore. Don't try to add depth that isn't there. Trying to address it just highlights how shitty your world building is.
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