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#The Girl Boss squad didn’t deserve that
genshin-side-piece · 11 months
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RIP to Melus and Silver. Y’all were Navia’s true ride or die. You didn’t deserve what hoyo did to you. We’ll miss you. 🌷🌺🌹💐
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I'm sorry to bother you. May I request an Angry/ fluff?
I saw this one episode from Helluva Boss about moxie. He has a toxic father and being forced to wed, and Millie saved him from a forced marriage.
Can you put the fem!Reader in the same situation? Being forced to wed and their partner rescue them?
141 squad + Valeria .
If this is too much writing for you... You can ignore it.
a/n: hi!! Guess who just wrote all of this and didn’t save! Also- no writing is too much for me :)
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Gaz:
-you didn’t tell him, just imagining the tears in his eyes was enough to make you feel horrid. He was so sweet to you, he didn’t deserve this but you didn’t have a choice
-he didn’t know until he came by to say hello after a long mission only for one of the maids to tell him you were off getting married!
-his heart was racing, did you not love him? Were you actually doing this? Why? No. No it wasn’t you. It had to be your family.
-even though he wasn’t invited, he walked in anyway, sitting in the front seat with a mask to cover his face and his nerves on edge
-and seeing you walk down the isle was enough to make him cry before he sprang into action, grabbing you by the wrist and walking you outside before anyone could do anything
-“next time I see you on an isle it better be you and me, luv. Yah?” Gaz hummed as he kissed you right outside the churches doors, a smile gleaming on his face
soap:
-he always had hated your family, their little comments against you and their glares at him always making his blood boil, if he could punch all of them he would in an instant and would have fun doing it
-the second you told him, all teary eyed and sobbing? He felt a sickening sense of jealously overwhelm him. You were his girlfriend and if a single rich jerk wanted you they would have to put up with him
-he of course, showed up to your wedding, knocking open the door with pure adrenaline shooting through him as he picked you up over your shoulder and carried you out
-he was a mix of emotions, and his adrenaline didn’t calm down until you were with him in the car, in his arms once again
-“yer alright ain’t ye, Bonnie? or should I go back ‘n and punch one of ‘em for ye?”
ghost:
-pretended to be okay with it, pretended to be fine with it, pretended to be okay with losing you even if he knew you were the only girl he had let in for a long time seriously
-he even saw you get up to the altar before he snapped. He couldn’t take it! He didn’t care if the fucking body guards hauled him away in the end he just couldn’t see you be unhappy
-of course everyone was shocked, including the poor groom who was just as uncomfortable as you were and was shoved aside by ghost
-ghost practically took you and ran. Didn’t even process what he did until you two were all the way at his apartment
-“fuck…. Hey, luvie- any idea on what we’re gonna do now or should I just hope your family doesn’t come and find you?”
price:
-oh now he’s just amused. Your family trying to take away you? From him? Ain’t that just sweet. he didn’t take them seriously even at the wedding. He knew he could pull this off and hopefully keep you with him where you wanted to be
-inside he was honestly scared though.. what if you did want this? What if he can’t think of a way to keep you safe? What if he fails?
-he treated it like a mission. Step one; show up with a fast get away car and grab you before you even get to the church, step two: cuddle with you till he forgets all the stress (although he wouldn’t admit that part until you let him)
-he got you home in the end, still in your dress and still stressed from the entire ordeal.. but now he has you back, that’s all that matters to him.
valeria:
-much to her men’s surprise, she didn’t… go in guns blazing! She simply payed people off. Oh your family is sending you to a country to marry someone? Too bad she’s there and the groom disappeared. Your family hides where you are? Whomp whomp, she’s already at the door ready to kiss you all over and simply walk out with you next to her
-over time it was practically a game for her, she knew you and her would marry eventually. Although she was starting to get bored of the white wedding gown she had seen you in at least five times now. Although you looked stunning in it all the same
-“you know, mi vida; when I marry you I should buy you a different dress. I’ve seen this one so many times it’s not even a surprise anymore, maybe you can choose it out and you can show it to me on the isle, hm?”
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dandelionette-9 · 2 years
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Guys my decision to play Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon lapsing between sleep and Victorian boy sickness where I must gaze out at the river wistfully was a horrible decision, but I’m having a great time! Im on chapter 9 right now and my team is looking a little something like
Marth - He’s actually been really good!! I haven’t used him for jsckshit, but he’s on par with everyone, has been leveling up well, and has been able to handle himself. So like. Yay!! Also busted ass rapier win.
Caeda - I knew she was good but DAMN. DAMN??? Wing spear is wild too, shes just absurd. She’s gotten a lot of strength too, which I know dosent usually happen. She could probably solo a chapter me thinks. Also like, love her personality, glad she gets to have one!
Cain - CRITICAL KING!!! He’s literally been stat blessed, his strength and speed and skill are all just so good. He’s just tearing through shit left right and center, I really want to give him a refined steel sword. He deserves it.
Abel - I love dropping him in a pile of units and watching him somehow come out alive. He’s been doubling people for a while but is still struggling to solidly pick up kills. No dig on that though, I only bring it up because he’s so good at literally everything and I can stick him anywhere.
Norne - Im playing on normal just for her, and GOD does she suck but I love her so very dearly for the times she doesn’t. She’s finally starting to double people! Also I gave her a refined steel bow called “Bell Toll” because she always reminds me of bells. She’s sitting at a solid 6 strength rn, but, I’m remaining hopeful!
Cord - The best looking of the 3 axe man, and you can fight me on that. I only tried using him when I learned he made a pretty decent black mage, and DAMN does he actually make a pretty good black mage?? 100 hit rates, doubling, actually leveling magic… also I gave him a personal refined fire tome, “Wildfire”. I’m headcanoning he awakened his magic after I killed Bord off with no remorse. Also my boss killer!
Lena - Staff homie! Keep it up please!! Im begging!!!
Matthis - “Wouldn’t it be funny if I used him?” Yes, and then he became good?? Like, he’s not great, but god damn it he can tank and dish out a good attack. Granted he hits. I’m taking him to end game though he’s my sad little fuckboy. I gave him a javelin called “GAY RIGHTS” because he genuinely supports them, like it’s a canonical thing. Wishing nothing but the best for him
Wolf - The only surviving member of the Coyote squad (I was using Sedger too but he ACTUALLY died without me sacrificing him like a nerd) and like. Reclassing him to a hero was so sexy of me. He’s just murdering the competition. He’s gotten basically all stats up when he levels up. He’s unstoppable. Also I gave him a steel axe called “Pack Blood” to reference the dead homies (ironically Sedger was still alive when I gave him it, but he died that chapter, so, call me a prophet)
Athena - Did not know she came at level 10 but I love her so much for that. She’s like… refusing to crit, even with a killer sword, but she’s still absolutely slicing through units so. No notes! Keep it up girl! Please!
Radd - The reason I didn’t reset when Sedger died is because he died right at the end and I spent Radd’s entire introduction chapter trying to train him in the arena and got some not horrible state growths. He was really making me question using him though after I had to reset like… 7 times because he kept dying in the arena. He’s so bad. He’s a cavalier now. He’s illiterate. I’m gonna make him work if it kills me.
Everyone else, and I mean *literally* everyone else has been sacrificed except for Julian. Call me a gravedigger. Im not sure who else im gonna keep around in the future (definitely Minerva, maybe Midia, Dolph, and Jake, *maybe* but not likely Jorge) but y’know, we’ll see!
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casliveblog · 1 year
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Custom Toonami Block Week 136 Rundown
Spy X Family: So the group finds out they actually failed getting into Edin College despite what happened last episode but it’s okay since Elegance Man punching out the asshole dude did bump them up to the top of the waiting list and there’s almost always a dropout or two. Yor’s just immediately on board for murdering someone to improve their chances which is fucking funny but luckily it doesn’t come to that and like one night later they get a call that they’re in. They have a mini-party with Count Scruffyhead (I didn’t learn his real name and that’s what they call him for this episode so that’s what I’m gonna call him) and him and Yor get drunk off their fucking asses and convince Loid that Anya deserves a reward for getting in and that somehow turns into him calling in thousands of dollars worth of Spy Resources to stage a Lupin the Third style phantom thief rescue mission in an unopened theme park for Anya’s favorite show. So basically Loid gets to show off his spy skills in the Disney castle to J-pop while Count Scruffyhead hams it up as the villain and drunk Yor vibes in the background. The final boss actually is drunk-ass Yor and luckily she passes out before she can fucking accidentally kill Loid and I have no idea how any of these people have alibis around each other anymore like I guess Loid just thinks Yor’s some Rock Lee style drunken boxers who can flip cows over idk everyone’s really smart about their own secrets and really dumb about everyone else’s secrets but that’s the name of the game I guess but if they ever try to pull an actual reveal where they find out what’s going on there’s gonna be a like ‘You know there WERE signs…’ deal. But yeah, not it’s time for the greatest challenge of all… private school.
Inuyasha: It’s the start of the Naginata of Kenkon filler arc and if you told me this was a recycled script from a scrapped Inuyasha movie I’d believe you. We start off with Kagome sucking at school as usual for someone that goes to school like ten days a year, when Hojo busts in like ‘yo check out my family tree there’s a girl named Kagome that means there’s logical precedent for us getting together right?’ and Kagome’s too full of school-related despair to even acknowledge it at the time but she’s the only know that knows it’s technically possible that it could really be her since they do know Hojo’s ancestor from the second movie. I remember being so confused as a kid because I DID see the second movie but it’s not like they played them in order or anything so I kinda forgot Akitoki was in it by the time this episode came around. But yeah the plot does kinda a decent job of weaving into canon with Akitoki saying he wanted to get his cursed family blade purified at Mt. Hakurei but since Mt. Hakurei kinda blew up at the end of that arc and a bunch of demons flew out it prolly won’t work so Kaede directs them to the second most holy and thankfully much closer shrine around. Along the way Hojo’s Milo Murphying his way through shit because of the curse which I guess having an enormously cursed half of a demon naginata translates to ‘being kinda clumsy disturbingly frequently’ and also they’re being attacked by Demon Ninjas… which are demons that are also ninjas. I feel like playing that scene from DBZ Abridged where Piccolo calls out the filler villain squad every time because we basically always get the same group which is weird because Inuyasha doesn’t do villain squads all THAT often and getting non-Inuyasha fights is usually a nice change of pace but usually there’s not much to the design besides an elemental demon for one of the lesser guys to fight, Anyway they get bombed by the demon ninjas and Kagome and Hojo get thrown off a bridge, the end.  
Yu Yu Hakusho: Now that Kurama’s starting to put together the pieces of how Gamemaster’s power works, he realizes that the kid will die when he loses the game since the Goblin King dying is part of the game’s ending, unlike players that have continues and can start over. Apparently Sensui’s nihilism made him pick a game that will off one of his teammates even if he does exactly what he wants, probably a ‘better to die in a game than be killed by demons or live in this corrupt world’ kind of villain motivation. He tells Gamemaster this right before the game starts and the kid who’s only motivation is ‘the apocalypse cancels school right?’ fucking breaks down knowing now that he’s playing the villain the only way out is death. This comes into play as Kurama’s game against him is what I can only describe as Sudoku Tetris which sounds ridiculously hard. Gamemaster thinks back to meeting Sensui which is a scene FULL of stranger danger at this point and it looks like he does have at least some idea of what he’s gotten himself into but was mostly in it to make video games real. The realization that he’s going to die kind of makes it hard to focus even for the guy that knows the fucking code of this game inside and out because apparently Sudoku Tetris isn’t as predictable as the quiz show. Kurama’s not about to hesitate to kill a kid though and brutally ends the game with less than half his screen full. Kurama’s fucking pissed Sensui led a child to throw his life away without even knowing it and Hiei’s just like ‘yeah we kill kids all the time no biggie at least I didn’t have to play a fucking video game’ which I kinda wish we got a scene of Hiei playing Fruit Ninja or some shit but yeah now we’ve got a dead kid and we’re at the final boss and now Gourmet and Kuwabara are in the boat instead of the psychic monk guy so Kurama’s ready to murder everyone because he does not like being forced to murder kids though this series is terrible with sticking to sad death scenes so I doubt this’ll stick.
Jujutsu Kaisen: So yeah Sukuna’s out and about now and challenges Megumi to a fight to celebrate his new body-having…ness but not before ripping out his own heart since if Yuji switches back while he doesn’t have a heart he’ll die but for Sukuna it’s a mild inconvenience. Megumi wants to fight him to force him to heal enough for Yuji to come back but this guy’s the final boss and Megumi’s Part 1 Sasuke levels of ‘stronger than he should be but not strong enough to break the story flow’ and he’s also dropping shadow puppets left and right. We get a little of his backstory which is your standard ‘mom was cool and died but dad named be after a girl and left’ backstory, you know how it goes, hopefully we’ll get more info on that later because we seem to be getting driveby flashbacks without much depth for these backstories. But yeah before Megumi can do his super ultimate shadow technique deal, Yuji comes back and fucking dies on the spot. Gojo’s mad and says it was probably people pissed off at Gojo himself and wanting to spite him for getting Yuji’s execution on hold but that’s kinda fucked up because they had not guarantee it’d be Yuji that died or that it wouldn’t also kill Nobara and Megumi. But yeah, Yuji’s dead and only took three fingers with him, so uhhh… short series, guess we’re focusing on Megumi and Nobara’s survivor’s guilt now. We also meet the second year squad, discount Nanao Ise, Rice Ingredient Man and Pandaman, because we learned from Tekken that if you just throw a Panda into a fight it’ll be way more fun. They invite Megumi and Nobara to your local shonen tournament dealie and their friend just died because they couldn’t beat up a giant naked man without the help of their friend’s four-armed hollow tailed beast deal so they’re like ‘yeah sure training arc sounds good’. Also Yuji’s not dead because of course he’s not but it still is pretty creepy to think that he’s like a corpse and the original heart and hand he was born with are gone now like it’s like the Ship of Theseus how much does Sukuna have to heal him before he’s a completely different person from when he started?
Chainsaw Man: Picking up immediately where we left off with Denji about to feel up Power, aside from her padding her chest the whole experience isn’t the world-shattering nirvana-inducing eternal bliss he was expecting. He brings it up to Makima in a similar yet more crude way to Fullmetal Alchemist: if the pursuit of the dream is more enioyable than attaining it then what’s the point? Makima basically tells him that pleasure is fleeting but you can extend it with torturous teasing and actually giving a fuck about the person by forming a parasocial relationship with them, so basically the same model used by OnlyFans. She also wins him over by promising to fuck him if he gets the big head honcho arc Devil so we’ve basically reset the goalpost of the arc to introduce a real villain. We also get a little of Aki’s backstory and get to see his whole family killed by the Gun Devil which should probably be called the Nuclear Bomb Devil with how it fucking obliterates shit in seconds (if this took place in the 1960s it would definitely be the Nuclear Bomb Devil). But yeah when there’s supernatural devils running around everywhere people just start buying up guns so the whole world became America for a bit and America became SUPER AMERICA so there was a terrorist attack that shot that through the roof (I like how there’s a number of actual attacks this could be referencing but since it’s America it doesn’t even narrow it down a little and probably for the best since relating it too close to an actual attack in your manga about groping boobs would probably offend people). So then the world basically banned and censored guns to cut off its power but peeps are still afraid of it because who wouldn’t be. Also I’m like 100% sure America didn’t actually sign on to the bans because the most American thing to do is be like “GUN DEVIL!? WE CAN SOLVE THAT WITH MORE GUNS!!” But yeah now they gotta collect the jewel shards since enough bullets will act like a compass to the real Gun Devil. Aki Squad and Himeno Squad go to a hotel to hunt down one such bullet-eating devil and spend way too much time talking about smooching Himeno and Denji pretends to be monogamous for like 0.00001 seconds before going balls to the walls on getting smooched. Turns out Himeno and Aki used to be partners and while Aki decided to become Sasuke with a boner for his superior, Himeno decided to literally just fuck around and find out, I mean that’s her prerogative, also she got a ghost hand, feels like a literal embodiment of the fear of ghosts should be able to do more than squeeze shit but I guess that’s all you get for the payment of an eye. Also the hotel is doing some PT-Shining shit and looping and we’ve got a perfect cast of horror movie dumbasses so this should be fun.
Ranking of Kings: Turns out Kage was in Bojji’s bag the whole time and that’s why it protected his head after he fell off the tower and why it returned to him randomly after it got stolen, and it was even Kage protecting him from eating the poisoned food by the campfire, honestly that’s really good foreshadowing, enough to make you realize something’s going on without outright giving it away. Turns out creepy snake dude actually sent Kage to protect Bojji while trustworthy sword dude was the one trying to kill him, real Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone switcheroo. Kage gives Bojji a new crown and leads him down deeper into the literal hell hole saying that the king of the underworld will help make Bojji strong enough to fend off all the attempts on his life. Meanwhile Daida is having a Rick and Morty style montage of multiple things being murdered to create a simple drink including throwing his dad’s corpse into a wood chipper and super murdering a phoenix to make a good ol’ dad shake just in time for father’s day. Turns out creepy snake guy’s full of good advice since Daida flashes back to him telling him struggling for strength is what makes him strong and he throws the dad shake away, fully pissing off his magic mirror but given it’s just a pane of glass it ain’t gonna do shit, though weird Spear Guy who Daida almost had killed is on his way down to find him so who knows. Meanwhile Domas gets confronted by the other guard guy that actually likes Bojji and Domas is flashing back to Daida being like ‘wow you sure are untrustworthy for verbally betraying your student, to prove you’re trustworthy to me you should kill that student’ which doesn’t make any kind of sense but okay. Anyway second guard dude is pissed but he can’t do shit so Domas knocks him out and cuts off his own hand as punishment or some shit idk this episode got real bloody real quick between dismemberments and turning people into milkshakes.
Vinland Saga: With Thorfinn now trapped on the ship of the guy he wants to kill he finds screaming about murder isn’t enough to keep him alive and almost dies of thirst before Askeladd’s crew hit land at another village and Thorfinn passes out long enough for the real pillaging to start. Thorfinn finds Askeladd sleeping and is about to just fucking murder him in his sleep but takes at least part of his dad’s pacifist message to heart and decides if he’s gonna commit bloody murder he’ll at least commit Odin-sanctioned bloody murder and kill Askeladd in a duel. The funny thing is it looks like Askeladd was awake and was ready to let him kill him if he tried to jump him in his sleep but as soon as he gets challenged to a real fight he just beats the shit out of Thorfinn since the kid’s using a sword that’s basically the same height as him. Thorfinn does a mini training arc in the woods and figures out he’s better off with his knife since he can swing it easier and throw it. We also cut back to Ylva and she’s working through her grief in her own way by overworking and as soon as she’s forced to take a second’s rest she breaks down crying (if this series was about Ylva hunting down her father’s killer and being a badass Viking lady I’d still watch that) also Leif says he’s gonna find Thorfinn but apparently they didn’t think to look too hard when they lost him like it’s not a big boat where the fuck did they think he was I really wanna know what happened in that scene. Thorfinn’s basically doing the camping montage from the All is One, One is All episode of FMA and gets like 10% more deadly which is pretty good for what’s implied to be a long weekend but it’s not enough to take down adults so Askeladd just kicks his ass again and tells him he’ll fight him again when he’s proven himself as a real warrior. So now we’ve got our kid with borderline Stockholm syndrome ignoring his father’s wishes to live up to the toxic masculinity of his culture, basically the exact inverse of How to Train Your Dragon.
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fromasgardandback · 3 years
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Sisters
Stella Kidd, Gabby Dawson, Sylvie Brett x Reader
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masterlist | oneshots
a/n: mixed the timeline up, not consistent with the current
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Sisters. Sisters will be there for each other. Sisters will answer your call at four in the morning. Sisters will help you through a break-up. Sisters will spend the night, drinking margaritas, eating pizza, watching romantic-comedys and gossiping about what’s new in their life. Sisters will always be there. Thats why you are grateful and blessed to have Stella, Gabby, and Sylvie.
You practically slammed your body onto the bed in the bunker room, “I am in desperate need of a girls night. I don’t care when. Just some time soon.”
“You okay there, Y/L/N?” Stella sat down next to you.
“Yeah, just overwhelmed and stressed. Being the only girl on Squad is kind of daunting and you know I love Kelly, but sometimes, I feel like he’s harder on me because of my gender.” You sat up, “Not in a sexist way, but in a protective, “show them what you’re capable of” way. Which is really sweet and kind, but man is it kicking my ass.” 
She patted your thigh and smiles sympathetically. “He does care. And we do in fact need a girls night. Once Brett and Dawson get back from their call, we’ll talk the details.”
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Girls night was in full swing. As promised, there was pizza, the best in the city; margaritas and beer; romantic-comedy's and chocolate to throw at the television when a sappy and too happy scene comes on; and plenty of drama and gossip to dish about Firehouse 51. 
“Casey is driving me crazy. The other day, he told me that he needs to change his ‘diet’ which means I need to change the ‘dinner menu’. He printed out and handed the recipes to me.” Gabby sighed sipping her drink.
“Please tell me you shoved them up his ass?” You gaped. 
“I place the folder on a skillet and place it on his desk with a sticky note. ‘Have fun cooking’ with a smiley face.” You all laughed.
“Well, Kelly’s been amazing. He’s loving, and attentive, and he cares. I mean he actually cares. I know we had a rocky start in the beginning, but he’s changed and oh,” Stella put a hand over her heart, “the sex.” 
“Ew ew ew. Nope, that’s my boss. I love Stellaride, but I cannot hear the sex talk when I respond to his command every day. He’s gonna ask me to get Cruz’s Slamigan and all I’m gonna think is about you two doing it.” You cringed. 
“Alright, well then what’s your relationship gossip?” Sylvie nudged.
It took a minute for you to gather yourself in finally telling them, “Uhm,” You cleared your throat, “Peter broke up with me…”
Stella, Gabby, and Sylvie sat around you, hugging and holding your hands. 
Their comments of “Sweetie, I’m so sorry.” And, “I had no idea.” Followed by, “He doesn’t deserve you, Y/N.” It helped, but didn’t make it completely better. 
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You’re not going to lie. Peter breaking up with you did hurt. It was like your entire happiness, faith in love, and ability to let yourself break down the walls was for nothing. Those walls built back up higher. Your happiness got dimmed. Your faith in love lessened. Your ability to let others in decreased. But if you didn’t have your sisters, you wouldn’t be able to get through it. This time together, with your sisters, is exactly what you needed. Sisters, will always be there.
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cinnamonrusts · 3 years
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i’ll see you in the village -- 5
parts: 1 2 3 4
Chris and his team home in on your location. He comes to learn just what Miranda has done to the woman he loves. (chris redfield x f!reader)
(tags: @moonlightnumbsthepainifeel)
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                                                   ✧.* ✧.* ✧.* ✧.*
Chris sat inside the armored van and lit his cigarette. The darkness of the village was thick and the air felt heavy but in the moment, he felt calm. He was finally able to pinpoint your location and although Miranda had you in her clutches, his team confirmed to see you alive before she took you underground into her domain. Chris inhaled the cigarette deeply and recalled the many naggings he received from you regarding his habit.
“You should really stop smoking, Chris,” you complained as you waved your hand around in the air inside of Chris’s truck. “I’ll stop smoking -- when you stop gambling,” he blew a puff of smoke out of the window. You huffed, “I’m telling you, you can’t win if you don’t play!” Chris shook his head and turned toward you with cigarette in between his lips, “I’ll stop when you do,” he winked and your eyes rolled, “I’ll remember that when I’m a millionaire, Redfield.”
His eyes closed as he exhaled, “I’m coming, baby,” he whispered to himself, then exited the vehicle. Chris approached the team members that were staked around the general area and pointed out the location where Miranda was held up at. Around the exit of the village where you were last seen at was blocked with gigantic black roots that writhed about in a hostile manner. Helicopters flew overhead and on the side of the flying vehicles were the BSAA’s logos. Chris took the rifle from Lobo and looked through the scope to observe the situation and took note as to what his former agency was up to. They would only cause more issues for his mission than what he already had dealt with, but the Alpha wouldn’t let this stop them, they would continue on. “BSAA... They’ve gone too far,” he said as paratroopers exited to the ground but the chopper was soon attacked by a root and spiraled out to the ground with an explosion.
Redfield instructed his team to head for the main source of the black roots and destroy it. “I’ve got your back, boss. Let’s get to work.” said Lobo. Chris’s plan was clear in his mind: destroy Miranda, rescue Rosemary, and ensure your safety. With guns at ready, Hound Wolf Squad made their way through the village that was on the brink of destruction. He would fight the Hell and high water to finish what had been started.
✧.* ✧.*
Miranda brought you to the ceremony site and you shivered in the cold under the lab coat. You pondered an escape route but the area around you was mostly frozen forest and certain death awaited you if you tried to venture out into it, so you shifted your focus to the woman. Miranda led you down a small path to the ritual area where she would complete her life’s work. Your body soon began to feel weak and you could barely stand on your feet. When you arrived to the area, you dropped to your knees and struggled to listen to Miranda as she started a speech.
“That damn Ethan Winters turned out to be more of an issue than I expected...” she began. “I originally wanted him to merely dispose of my false children and awaken to the beautiful Megamycete, but he proved to be too troublesome for me to deal with any longer.” she turned to face you and dropped down to her knee, she took your chin into her hand and tilted your head back to meet your gaze. “Winters managed to destroy the four lords and take the pieces of his child back. But now he’s gone and the ceremony may continue.” she let go of you and raised to a stand. “T-Then what do you want with m-me then?” you struggled to ask. Miranda tapped her cheek with her finger as she pondered whether she felt you deserved to know her reasoning for infecting you with the Cadou. “You will be my high priestess for said future, my new Lord, if you may; but if little Rose fails to be a suitable host for Eva... Well, that’s what you’re here for, my dear..” your blood ran cold, everything that had just happened up until this moment was pure chance and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Miranda didn’t choose you because she thought you were something special. It was because you seemed to be a good enough guinea pig for her trap.
“So- so, I’m just a fucking experiment?”“ your teeth gritted and your fingers closed into a fist. The last bit of strength inside boiled in your stomach and you pushed yourself to stand before taking a lunge at her. She merely slapped you to the side with the back of her hand and you flew several feet and sprawled out on the ground, face first. Miranda approached you slowly and pushed into your stomach with tip her foot as she rolled you onto your back. “Poor, girl. Soon, you’ll crystalize and wait for your mutation to finish. There’s nothing you or that man can do about it.” Man?! “C-Chris?!” you called out and weakly reached your hand upward toward the darkening light but Miranda simply chuckled, “It is useless, child. The Cadou is taking hold of you now and it won’t be long until you’re under its and my, control.”  Your arm began to stiffen as you could see a white crystallization spread out from where the Cadou buried itself in your body. Soon, you were completely frozen in place within a white crystal shell, almost like a cocoon. Miranda turned you from a living human, into a frightening beautiful statue for her to do with as her plans pleased.
✧.* ✧.*
Chris fought his way through the Lycans that popped up from every nook and cranny of the village. The homes burned brightly and the horrors seemed to worsen as he got deeper into the bowels of the area. Soon, he came across the Megamycete underground and planted an explosive that would destroy the village and every evil that dwelled within its boundaries. “Any sight of, [Y/N]?” Chris asked into his earpiece but none of his team members were able to confirm anything. “We do have sight of Miranda however at the ceremony site... wait...” Umber Eyes paused, “I have eyes on [Y/N] but...”
Chris’s heart jumped in his chest, “What!? What is it!?” he yelled as he hurried up a path of steps that led toward the surface. “She -- she isn’t moving. But I can’t see her too well,” his voice dropped and Chris stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean?” he barely could spit the words out. “I’m not positive but I can confirm she is there with the target. She seems to be laying on the ground but Miranda is in the way,” Redfield needed to get to the ceremony site as quickly as possible but found himself in a laboratory first. He examined the area and the notes that were scattered around on the many tables, and stumbled upon a connection that he would’ve never guessed. Oswell E. Spencer was Mother Miranda’s subordinate! It all started here, in this European village... Umbrella... everything that Chris had been through started with Miranda and hopefully would end here. This small room held another secret that was tucked away behind a barred cell. Chris’s rifle had its sights on nonother than Mia Winters! The man radioed in to his team to confirm that this was not Miranda and they informed him that she was still in the same spot along with you.
Chris asked why she was there and she told him the story of her being captured and used in experiments. He turned to leave and spoke into his earpiece, “Stick to the mission. I’m headed for the ceremony site.” but Mia followed him and demanded that she went with him. She reminded how Chris promised to keep her and her family safe but those words burned the Ethan shaped wound in his heart. The man struggled to inform the woman that Ethan, her husband, was gone. Dead. But he was done with the secrets, she needed to know and he had trouble with telling her the news. “I’m sorry, Mia. But we have to leave and destroy this village.” Mia wouldn’t let him leave until they would get her husband. Chris grew angry, “Mia! We need to get Rosemary and [Y/N], then we will get the fuck out of here! That is it. Understand?” When he spoke your name, it triggered a disturbing memory of the trauma the Winters spouse witnessed.
“That woman... [Y/N]… Miranda -- she did -- things to her.” Mia’s eyes flickered from Chris to the table that you were previously strapped to. Chris grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with eyes of desperation, “Is she alive?!” his voice cracked. Mia nodded her head slowly, “Y-Yes. But Miranda implanted her with her “gift” and I don’t know what happened after they left.” Chris sucked in his lower lip as his thoughts raced, “Gift? The Cadou?” he asked, his core shook but his composure remained solid. Mia nodded once more and a shadow of fear overwhelmed the man. “We need to go. Now.”
Chris was going to get you back and make Miranda pay.
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vs-redemption · 3 years
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This is the first piece out of seven written for the one year anniversary collaboration event for the @konoblog-simps discord. I encourage everyone to check out the masterlist for today's prompt and support the other creators. Some content is not suitable for minors so please pay attention to the warnings.
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Prompt: Fluff (Finral Roulacase x Fem!Reader)
Word Count: 1.3K Warnings: None
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Anyone could tell by a glance that the mixer wasn’t going well, and by the look on Finral’s face, you knew that he was coming to terms with that unfortunate fact as well. The other two magic knights sitting with him were either the only people in the restaurant oblivious to the disaster, or they just didn’t care as the one who’d likely arranged the gathering in the first place frantically grasped for conversation.
“You know,” Finral looked completely distressed by this point, gesturing desperately to the two who were meant to be acting as his wingmen. “Four members of the Black Bulls were actually recruited into the Royal Knights. Asta and Luck are two of them. They’ve been on some really crazy missions lately.”
The girls sitting across the table just force smiles before going back to picking at their food. No matter how much The Black Bulls had done recently, people were still stuck in their ways and looked down on the squad known for causing a little more trouble than they should. In your opinion, it was really a shame that all the girls Finral had ever invited to his little mixers failed to see what was right in front of them.
Time after time you watched him act like a complete gentleman; making polite conversation, giving just the right amount of respectful compliments, and even using his spatial magic to bring unique flowers or special treats from around the Clover Kingdom, just for girls to turn up their noses because of the Black Bulls symbol on his cloak. Well, that and maybe he did seem to try a little bit too hard at times. It was endearing though and obvious with the way he acted that he was genuinely looking for a real relationship with someone special. The poor boy had so much love to give, but nobody seemed to want it.
“Can I get three slices of chocolate cheesecake for table four?” You peek your head into the kitchen to ask the owner. The man gives you a weird look before checking the receipts.
“Table four didn’t order any chocolate cheesecake,” he folds his arms, “and we usually save that for special customers anyway.”
“You can take it out of my paycheck,” you tell him seriously while grabbing the dessert and skipping back out into the dining area.
Chocolate was a little more expensive since it had to be imported from the Heart Kingdom, but your boss was a hypocrite. By ‘special customers,’ he’d meant magic knights. Finral and his friends fit the criteria, even if they weren’t in one of the more glamorous squads. Taking a hit to your wages wouldn’t set you back too much, and anyway, you hated seeing Finral’s mixer flopping so badly. He didn’t deserve such poor luck, and you hoped maybe you could do this one thing to help him out a little.
“Three slices of chocolate cheesecake, as requested for the lovely ladies,” You gently slide a plate in front of each of the girls. Their eyes light up immediately, hands reaching for their forks so they can dig in as soon as possible. Finral, on the other hand, looked panicked.
“Excuse me, I didn’t order that,” he leans in towards you and whispers.
“Not to worry,” you wink playfully, ignoring the flutter of your heart caused by his closeness. “Consider it a thank you for all your hard work while protecting the kingdom. It’s on the house.” He didn’t seem to believe you, but you don’t give him the chance to ask any more questions. You straighten up and nod to the girls, telling them to enjoy the rest of their evening and then hurrying off to get back to your duties.
Things seemed to pick up for Finral a bit after that. The girls seemed a little more inclined to give him a chance, listening to his stories and being a little more forthcoming when he asked questions about themselves. You had to roll your eyes a little. Seeing the cautious optimism on Finral’s face, and seeing him smile without the usual underlying stress and self-consciousness was worth it, even if you didn’t think those girls deserved a moment of his time or attention.
It was a little before closing time when the mixer finally seemed to be wrapping up. You took that as a good sign and watched curiously as Finral and his friends walked the ladies to the door, thanking them politely and bidding them good night. You turn away, expecting them all to go home for the evening, but jump in surprise when you feel a tap on your shoulder.
“O-oh!” you feel heat rise to your cheeks when you find yourself face to face with Finral. “Can I help you?”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He smiles, looking embarrassed. “I tried to thank your manager for sending those desserts earlier, but he said to thank you instead.”
“He wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” you mumble, averting your eyes and wishing the owner had just taken the credit. This was such an awkward situation to leave you in.
“I don’t understand,” Finral replies, his soft purple eyes searching your face for an answer. “Why’d you do that?”
“It just looked like your group needed a little pick-me-up,” you shrug, shifting from foot to foot nervously. “Just thought I’d help you out a bit… I don’t know.” Finral looked surprised by your explanation, and regards you in wonder for a moment before his face falls.
“Well,” his shoulders slump in defeat, “I still managed to get denied a second meeting from all of them. I really appreciate the thought though. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
“That’s not necessary,” you tell him, a mixture of annoyance and relief swelling up inside you. As you’d predicted, those girls didn’t deserve a guy like Finral, and part of you was glad they’d rejected him. “Magic Knights are supposed to get free desserts anyway,” you reveal. “Just don’t tell anyone that I told you that.”
“But, you have to let me do something to repay your kindness,” Finral pleads, that anxious look coming back to his face. You fight the urge to reach out and try to smooth away the wrinkles caused by his stress, and start to fiddle with your hands as a crazy idea comes to mind.
“Well,” you glance up at him shyly, “You could always invite me to your next mixer.”
“What?” His eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline, somehow blown away by the suggestion until it clicks in his brain why someone would insist on inviting themselves to a mixer. Realization blooms across his face and you smile when his cheeks turn red.
“You don’t have to bring your friends though if you don’t want to,” you say, feeling a little bolder now. “Or invite anyone else at all really.”
“But that would be…” Finral blinks at you, struggling to accept what was happening.
“Only if that’s something you’d be comfortable with,” you decide to give him a chance to decline, not wanting to bully him into taking you out.
“I… really?” He stumbled over his words, “I mean, yes. I would be… very comfortable or… are you comfortable?”
“Yes,” you nod your head in confirmation, letting out a small laugh at his nervousness. “So, it’s a date then.” You finally say the “date” word and a look of excitement and disbelief takes over his features.
“O-ok, yeah.” He lets out a breathy chuckle, “Are… you really sure?”
“Yes!” You exclaim in amusement, “Just let me know the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“All right!” He promises, “I’ll make arrangements and let you know as soon as I can.” He pauses to shake his head as if he really thought he was stuck inside a dream. “I’m… really excited.”
“Me too,” you admit.
After a slightly awkward good-bye, Finral finally headed back outside to join his friends while you got back to work. Butterflies danced around your stomach as you tried to imagine what the magic knight would plan. You’d been interested in him for so long, and you hoped things would work out well between you. If it did, perhaps you’d never have to watch him suffer through a failed mixer again.
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writingdayandnight · 3 years
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Line Without a Hook - Rafael Barba Imagine
Pairing: Rafael Barba x Reader (Fem. Pronouns) 
Word Count: 2650
A/N: Inspiration struck, perhaps a little OOC. Will probably go back later and edit. Just a little treat for everyone who misses Barba like I do. 
10:56 PM.
There was not a doubt in Rafael’s mind that he would not be home until after midnight. This case had been excruciating--brutal, really. Everyone had been pushed to their breaking point. Blood, sweat, and tears were poured into this case.
And here Rafael was with a pen cap fastened between his teeth, struggling to write an opening argument. It all seemed trivial. That words had the power to make or break a month’s worth of hard work. And that all he could think about was going home to his partner. 
He wouldn’t allow himself the privilege of a break until he finished his opening and prepped the summations, which was always his least favorite part. Tying everything together with a neat bow seemed to minimize the effort put into seeking justice. But it was his strong suit. There wasn’t a jury he couldn’t convince if given enough leeway during summations. 
His mind wandered yet again, back to the person that was waiting for him. He knew she would still be waiting for him when he got home, undoubtedly doing work of her own. She found solace in the quiet of the night. She would sit at the dining table with papers scattered across the surface, highlighters uncapped, lukewarm tea cooling unforgotten. 
Then there were her expressions. A furrowed brow while drafting a proposal. A lip bite accompanied by pensive tapping on the table. Her head slowly moving to the beat of the music that was playing from the speaker in the corner of the room. An exasperated sigh escaping as she typed another after-hours email. All of these things were the tiny details that Rafael loved noticing, learning, anticipating.
Finally, Rafael caved and placed a long-awaited phone call.
“Raf,” she answered, voice as tender as kiss goodbye.
“Cariño,” he replied, feeling a million times better just knowing she was on the opposite end of the line.
“When will you be home?” He could hear her trying to hide a yawn behind the scenes.
“Not any time soon.”
“Rafael, please take care of yourself,” she pleaded, yet it was to no avail. She knew this.
“I have to finish this prep, Cariño.” He could hear her eyes roll from across the line, “I bet you’re still doing work, too.”
“That’s none of your business,” she retorted, with a guilty shift in energy. 
“Take care of yourself,” he repeated, “I’ll be home soon. Don’t wait up.” 
“I love you.”
His heart grew full, “I love you more.”
Rafael ended the call, reclining in his leather chair. He had been overcome by love, both for his partner and for the way his life had been going lately. Despite the monstrosities he witnessed at work, everything had been going well. Even then, he enjoyed working with his coworkers; they acted as a support system, making the job a little more bearable. 
Then there was his love life. For once, everything was going right. He felt loved, supported, and capable of doing the same for his partner. It had been too long since he had that privilege. He knew too well the outcomes of a loveless life and he was trying desperately to escape them. Deep down, he understood that he didn’t deserve that. 
But there were times where he thought he didn’t deserve the love he had stumbled into. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would have fallen in love with the girl from the bar. 
The rain had finally let up outside, encouraging a few stragglers to clear the bar. Rafael remained, nursing a scotch on the rocks, muttering to himself about the news on the television overhead. It was a bunch of nonsense about the news anchor he and the SVU squad had just charged. He couldn’t listen much longer. 
A gust of wind hit as the door to Forlini’s opened; it sent shivers down Rafael’s back. Inquisitively, Rafael turned to see the person who just waltzed into the bar. Much to his surprise, it was a beautiful woman. He smirked and returned to his drink, secretly hoping that she would find her way to the bar.
She did just that, taking a seat two stools down from Rafael. He continued to watch the television, discreetly listening to her conversation with the bartender. Small talk. Nothing more, nothing less. Aside from her order--a vodka cranberry. 
“Will you get a load of this idiot?” She chirped, scoffing at the story of the news anchor. Her head was tilted in Rafael’s direction. 
He took a moment to answer, pausing to make sure she was directing her remarks towards him. 
“He’s surely a handful,” Rafael replied. 
Just then, his face appeared on the television screen. They had played his interview on the courthouse steps. He had been ambushed by the press, and even though he delivered better than most, it was not his best work. He silently thanked the Lord that the sound was off.
“Is that you?” She asked, spinning in her seat to face Rafael.
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s a shame, you look better in person,” she tisked, taking another sip of her drink.
Rafael couldn’t respond out of awe. No, that wasn’t the right word. He couldn’t respond because he was flustered. That was a first. 
“Sorry, it’s the vodka talking,” she retracted, making a face that suggested she was embarrassed. 
“No, I’m flattered. It’s not everyday the pretty girl at the bar tells me how attractive I look while sulking alone.”
“This is your version of sulking? Sitting at a bar surrounded by a bunch of people?”
“Perhaps,” he smirked, “Rafael,” he offered his hand.
“Y/N.”
“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”
“I was named after a comic book character, please don’t give my parents that kind of credit,” she laughed. It was contagious, infecting Rafael with an affliction that could not be easily cured. Not without an exchange of numbers and a couple of dates.
The memories of their first meeting flooded Rafael’s mind. It further distracted him from the task at hand. But how could he not think of the most impactful night of his life? Screw graduating from law school or getting promoted; nothing could top falling in love with Y/N. 
Nothing could top her love. From the little notes she dropped in Rafael’s briefcase to the silent support she offered when Rafael was not strong enough to ask for it. That’s when his mind wandered even farther, thinking back to the night he decided he was in love with Y/N. 
Rafael sat on the couch in a near-catatonic state. He couldn’t muster enough energy to move. His mind kept circling back to the horrors he had witnessed over the past 24 hours. In his ten years, never once had a case hit him this hard. It just cemented the callousness of man, something he had been trying to deny for so long. There was no such thing as a good person.
There was a knock at the door, a sound that should have startled him. Instead he was too lost in thought to react. He simply got up from the couch and headed to the door, only to be greeted by Y/N on the other side. 
“Rafael,” she mused, before noticing the hurt behind his eyes, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
She invited herself in, dropping her overnight bag by the door. Concern washed over her.
Rafael tried to speak but no words came out. He couldn’t find the right thing to say. His choices were to expose Y/N to the horrors of his job or simply keep it bottled up. His choice was the latter; he couldn’t bear the thought of unloading this grief on her. 
“Raf, please talk to me,” she quietly pleaded. 
He did not respond. Instead, he made his way to the couch, taking a seat in the same spot he had been sulking in for the past three hours. 
Y/N followed without command. She rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her hands gently around his arm. She placed a kiss on his cheek. It made Rafael’s heart jump, yet he still remained silent. 
But that didn’t deter Y/N. She remained glued to his side, occasionally laying a gentle kiss on him or drawing circles on his bicep. She didn’t push; she knew better than that. Still, just her presence brought Rafael to his knees. 
After an hour or so, Rafael could feel her heartbeat slow. He could see her eyes fluttering shut from the corners of his. 
“I love you,” he whispered, hoping that she wouldn’t hear. Rafael felt guilty saying those words for the first time in such a terrible state. 
“I love you more,” she replied, drifting into a slumber in his arms. 
Rafael knew this could never be true. 
The hands on the clock seemed to turn at an unprecedented pace, yet Rafael had gotten little done. It all seemed pointless. There had to be more to life than this. Hours spent in some poorly-lit office drinking dirt flavored coffee, waiting for his mind to stop running a marathon so he could focus. Watching people suffer everyday for some little bit of justice. Doubting the existence of good in the world with every passing moment. 
But the thing he couldn’t stand was being away from the love of his life. For such a pointless endeavor. It was pointless, but it wasn’t what he wanted. Not anymore. Not with the prospect of love sitting right in front of him. In that moment, he decided to be the most spontaneous he had ever been. 
He whipped open the bottom left drawer of his desk, pulled out a copy of his resignation letter, signed it, and placed it in the mailbox of his boss. He grabbed his jacket, briefcase, and cellphone before practically running to the lobby of Hogan Place. By a stroke of sheer luck, a taxi had been idling outside. Rafael got into the taxi without hesitation--or permission--and called out the address to the apartment he had shared with Y/N. Getting to their front door was his only objective. 
As he settled into the taxi, he reached inside of his briefcase and felt a small item lodged at the bottom. Rafael quizzically pulled it out, determining that it was cube-shaped. As it was illuminated by the passing streetlights, he recognized it instantly. And that’s where he decided to make the best decision of his life. 
“Mami, are you going to be okay if I’m gone for two weeks on vacation?” Rafael asked, changing a lightbulb in his mother’s apartment. 
It was a Saturday which meant it was his day to do chores around his mother’s apartment, with much reluctance on behalf of Lucia, while Y/N went through her laminated chore checklist back at their apartment. Rafael had come straight from his office, totally forgetting his to-dos. Until Y/N reminded him--a pretty common occurrence. 
“I promise, Mijo,” she said, taking his hand and guiding him down the step stool, “I’m just happy you’re taking time off.”
“Me too,” he sighed, a wave of bliss flooding his mind as he thought of going to Greece with Y/N. He’s dreamt of her sunburnt cheeks and wine-stained lips since the moment he bought the tickets. 
“It seems like an awfully romantic vacation. Have you thought about asking yet?” Lucia hinted, pointing to her ring finger. 
Rafael didn’t want to say ‘yes.’ He didn’t want to let her know that he had been planning it since their six-month anniversary. He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved. 
“I’ve considered it,” he teased, “but Greece is too cliche. She wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“You underestimate her, Rafi. She loves you.” 
“And I love her. More than anything.” 
Lucia scoffed, furrowing her brow in disgust.
“Besides you, Mami,” he sang, pulling her in for a hug,
While in Rafael’s arms, Lucia slyly removed a small box from her pocket and slipped it into Rafael’s briefcase. It was his grandmother’s ring, the one she always talked about leaving for him. The one she made sure to mention everyday she was sick. Lucia would never forget something that important. 
Rafael grabbed his belongings with haste, basically throwing $50 at the cab driver, telling him to keep the tip. He slammed the door behind him, jogging to the apartment elevators. He was too lost in thought to greet the doorman or the security guard at the front desk. He was focused on one thing and one thing only.
The elevator couldn’t come fast enough--Rafael tapped his foot anxiously, cursing the damned thing. As soon as it opened, he pushed the 8th floor button at least ten times. He felt a rush of nausea, excitement, fear run over him. The elevator dinged and Rafael ran, rummaging through his pockets for his keys. 
He opened the door as fast as he could, revealing Y/N calmly making a cup of tea in the kitchen. Lamplight illuminated the living room. Her laptop was opened to a document, purple and yellow sticky notes scattered on the table. 2000s Pop Hits playing in the background. He had captured her in her natural element; he was witnessing the essence of Y/N.
“Baby, it’s midnight,” he spoke, calmer than he had been all day. 
“I know, but I was in the zone. I thought you wouldn’t be home tonight,” she answered, walking over to place a kiss on his lips, before strolling back to the kitchen to stop the whistling kettle. 
Rafael’s heart was beating out of his chest. His hands were shaking, mind racing. This was it. This felt right.
“Y/N?” 
“What’s up, babe?” She gently blew on her tea to cool it down. 
“I quit my job today.” 
Y/N almost did a spit, “I’m sorry, what?” She exclaimed.
“I couldn’t do it anymore. It broke me, Y/N.” He sighed, walking to her side, “There are better things in life than case briefs and court.”
Y/N was shocked but supportive, “Well, I’m glad you’re finally free. Why don’t you get ready for bed and sleep for the first time in a decade?” She laughed, placing her hand on his shoulder. 
“There’s one more thing,” Rafael said, reaching into his pocket and for the emerald box that housed his grandmother’s ring, 
Rafael expected the words to escape him; he hadn’t prepared anything in the taxi. These weren’t summations, he needed guidance.
But that didn’t stop him. 
“Y/N, you made me realize that I don’t want to live my life circling the drain and going through the motions. You have brought color to my black and white life. The joy you bring me everyday is immeasurable. Every second I spend away from you makes me feel like the world is ending. I can’t live without you, Y/N. That’s why I’m asking you-” Rafael began to bend his knee before Y/N cut him off.
“Yes! You don’t even have to ask. Yes, yes, yes!” She exclaimed, a tear already sliding down her cheek.
Rafael pulled out his grandmother’s golden ring from the box and slipped it on Y/N’s finger with extra care, as if she was made of glass. Tears had formed in his eyes as well, seeing the ring that reminded him so much of the other most important lady in his life. The most romantic person he had ever met. 
“I love you, Y/N. I wish I could have given you a better proposal, but I couldn’t wait,” he chuckled, once again admiring how well the ring hugged her fingers. 
“If you waited any longer, I was going to ask you,” she laughed, kissing him again and again. “Let’s go to bed,” she whispered, placing a kiss on Rafael’s neck.
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Text
Hated Love Part 1
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This is a new series between Rafael Barba x Reader 
Warnings: Smut, Swearing
"Y/L/N, head over to Barba and drop this file off for the Paisley case before you go home for the weekend", Benson barked out to you. She has been pushing you to work with barba for a while. You and barba hated each other; every time you are near him, the pair of you constantly arguing, Shouting in each other's faces. It usually ended with you storming out of the office after Barba told you that you didn't deserve to be a cop, never mind the detective. You packed up your stuff in your bag, put your coat on and left the station. Heading down the street, you dropped into the coffee shop next to the ADA's office and picked up a black coffee for barba and a vanilla latte for yourself.
You knocked on his office door and entered. "Hey Barba, Liv sent me over with the Paisley file that you needed." Barba groaned, hearing your voice, "ah, Y/L/N taken a job as a secretary, finally taking my career advice." he snatched the file out of your hand as you put the coffee cups on his desk. "For fuck sake, Y/L/N cant you do anything right? this file is for a case that was closed twelve years ago." You felt your blood boil with anger. "You know what, Barba, you are an asshole. Liv handed me the file on the way out of the door. I have done you a favour. Yes, it's the wrong file, but the intention was there. Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass and stopped wearing it as a hat, you might be able to see that."
Rafael's eyes went all dark, and suddenly you were all wet. God, you hated the man with every fibre of your being, but he was sexy as hell, and you always admired him from afar. He got right into your face, "wanna do me a favour, Y/N? Let me fuck you over my desk. Let me show you how much I hate that your wrong for the job, much I hate that you will always get the last word in our arguments, but most of all, let me show you how much I hate that I want you." You go weak at the knees at his declaration, and you kiss him as if your life depended on it.
Rafael pulled away from you. "You sure you want to do this? Use your words, detective." Rafael searched your face for any signs of wavering. "I'm very sure, counsellor" he connects his lips with you again and lifts you onto his desk by your ass cheeks. You strip each other's clothes off, throwing them away from each other, not caring where they landed. Before long, you were bent over his desk as he plunged into roughly. "Such a slut for daddy, aren't you, detective? you come in here prancing around my office every day teasing me" he spanked your ass and continued to pound into relentlessly. "I'm going to cum, barba." you barely whispered out "me too, cum with me" his thrusts started getting sloppy "Y/N cum now", you cummed all over Rafael's dick as he shot his load deep inside of you."
Once you had both controlled your breathing, Rafael walked around the room and gathered your clothes. " I trust that this will stay between us. No running off telling Rollins or your partner Y/L/N." You look at him with hurt and hate. "Of course, barba goes without saying," he threw your clothes to you. " Good, no one needs to know about this little mistake. No one needs to know I fucked the shit detective to relieve my stress." You stare at him, tears threatening to spill." you are an asshole. I thought it was an act but guess I got that wrong." your anger returning "screw you, Barba." finished tieing his tie. "get dressed, sweetheart and see yourself out, I have work to do." the son of a bitch was even cocky when doing his let down. You scrambled to get dressed and ran out of his office onto the street and hailed a cab home.
*7 weeks later*
It was your annual check-up at your doctor's. You had done the examination, provided a blood and urine test. The doctor called you back into his office. You sat waiting for your doctor to grab your file. You weren't waiting too long. When he did come back into the room, he had a massive smile on his face. "Well, congratulations are in order, miss Y/L/N. You are about 6-7 weeks pregnant." You are stunned. "What?" the doctor handed you some papers " I have made you an appointment with OBGYN for next Thursday at 11 am. You can discuss your options with the doctor then." Your brain kicked into gear. "No, I'm keeping my baby. They are half me." You curled your arms around your stomach as a defence. "I will email your health check to your bosses Miss Y/L/N. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch."
You walk back to the station you pick up lunch for you and your partner Carisi. As you step off the lift, Benson was waiting for you. "I'm sorry, Y/L/N, the entire squad know. Tucker came into my office furiously shouting the odds about your pregnancy and that you are on desk duty." she gave you a sympathetic smile and walked you to your desk.
"Congrats, Doll. I'm happy for you. If you need anything, call me." Carisi cuddled you "Who's the father Y/N," Finn asked cautiously. "Carisi, Lunch is on my desk. I'm going to the break room," you storm out of the room.
*2 Hours later* Barba walked in off the lift, all smug and happy. "Y/L/N, what did you do to get yourself desked. At least I will have decent detectives in the field," Barba singsonged. "Leave her alone, Barba. She is pregnant" Carisi weighed in.
He was stunned. Here was a young woman who was like a breath of fresh air for him. He built many barriers and walls around his heart, and you broke every single one of them. He hated the way you made him feel. You gave him hope. You brought colour back into his life; he hated that. But most of all, Rafael detested the fact he had fallen hard for you. "Your pregnant? It's mine, isn't it Y/N?" Rafael asked. The whole room went silent in shock. "Yeah, it is. Don't try and tell me to get rid of it. I can't do that." He nodded at the girl. "I know you can't. I need some air." He walked out of the station and headed towards his mother's apartment.
*The next day* You are sat at your desk running checks on suspects. Everyone else was out on the field. You heard footsteps coming towards you, you looked up, and there stood Barba. "Hey, can we talk Y/N?" he asked. "What do you want, Barba?" You fumed "I'm sorry Y/N, Your right; I am an asshole. The way I've treated you, I was very wrong. Baby, I'm sorry." Barba pleaded "You called me baby?" you quizzed, confused. "I love you Y/N Y/L/N.  I know I'm a moron, but I promise that I will be the best father to our child no matter what". You nod your head while tears were flowing down your face. "I know it probably too late, but can we see how things go between us. Take it slow, baby?" you grin up at him and pull him in for a crushing kiss. "I promise, baby. I will do right by you and our child."
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xjoonchildx · 4 years
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guarded | jhs x reader | chapter five: italian leather gloves
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summary: you’ve tried to separate yourself from your infamous crime family, but a new case has your carefully-constructed world crashing down around you.  now you have to figure out how to heal old wounds and handle the new man who enters your orbit.
pairing: hoseok x reader
genre: mafia AU, E2L, slow burn, tsundere, smut
rating: 18+
word count: 6.0K
A/N: so the smut warnings start to go into effect in this chapter, guys! i can’t believe how many kind messages i’ve gotten about this story. please just know that i read every single one and i promise they all make me so happy.  i really hope you guys like this chapter and i hope it answers some questions.  of course i must thank the squad @ladyartemesia @taetaewonderland @ppersonna for being an amazing support system and kick ass beta readers.  love you guys.
Chapter 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | EPILOGUE
****************
Everything hurts.
The moment you open your eyes, you wish you hadn’t.  Late morning sun streams bright and unforgiving into your bedroom, making the ache in your temples even more pronounced.  You spend a good ten minutes lying flat on your back, staring at the ceiling and remembering everything that went wrong last night.
So terribly, terribly wrong.
Your punishment today -- apart from the pounding headache and sour stomach -- is that despite doing your very best to drink yourself to blackout, you remember every minute of last night in painstaking detail.  There’s a cruel clarity to the way your mind replays the awkward dinner with your boss and the confrontation with Donghyuk.
And your fight with Hoseok.
Shame curls in your gut when you recall the nasty things you’d said to try and get a rise out of him. The nasty things he’d said in return when your goading finally worked.
“People like me do the dirty work so people like you can impress rich assholes at stupid parties.”
It’s not like you didn’t already know Hoseok saw you as some kind of entitled rich bitch -- but that didn’t make hearing the words spoken out loud any easier.  It didn’t make the anger you provoked in him any less jarring.
And it didn’t make the moment he saw your scar any less humiliating.
That’s when you feel like you might be sick -- when you remember the way Hoseok went completely still at the sight of your damaged skin.  The way he’d tried so hard to look like he wasn’t staring and failed.
You get out of bed and slip an oversized sweatshirt over your head, take a few deep breaths to try and calm the wobbling sensation in your stomach.  
That’s when it hits you. 
You don’t smell coffee.
****************************
Kim Seokjin looks like he’s made himself quite at home when you finally work up the nerve to leave your bedroom. He’s reclined deep into your couch, long legs propped up on your living room table, tablet in hand.  He looks up from the screen to take in your bedraggled appearance with wide eyes.
“Rough night, huh?”
“Something like that,” you say quietly.  You make your way to the kitchen in search of a glass of water and Seokjin stands up from the couch to follow you.
“Hoseok, uh --”, he pauses for a moment, rubs one hand across the back of his neck,  “ -- said he needed a couple of days to take care of some personal stuff.”
You pour lukewarm water into a glass, take one tentative sip and say nothing.
“So you’re stuck with me,” Seokjin continues slowly, “For a little while, anyway.”
You stare into your glass, unwilling to meet Seokjin’s eyes.  It shouldn’t surprise you one bit that Hoseok took off after what happened between you last night.  It probably shouldn’t hurt either.
But it does.
The little water you’ve managed to get down feels like it might come right back up.
“You okay?” Seokjin asks after a long pause.
“No,” you admit.  “I don’t feel good.  Probably going to stay in bed for the day, so it’ll be a quiet one for you.”
Seokjin nods sympathetically. 
“You know what’s good for when you’re feeling sick?” he asks.  “Samgyetang. I found some in your fridge.  It’s pretty good too, kinda --”
Your stomach lurches at the mention of that goddamned soup.
You leave Seokjin mid-sentence to retch in the privacy of your bathroom.
*****************************
The next time you open your eyes, it’s to complete darkness.
You wake disoriented, not sure if you’ve slept for hours or for days.  The last thing you remember after getting sick was barely getting down some painkillers and a little more water before crawling back into bed.  
Then it was lights out.
Physically, you feel better.  The hammering headache is gone and the motion sickness is gone with it.  But as you lie awake in the darkness, there’s no way to escape your tumultuous thoughts.  The ones that keep going back to Hoseok and that fight.
“People like me follow orders so people like you don’t have to.”
No doubt the story of how you left the Gajog has been distorted over the years, passed between gossips in some twisted game of telephone. No doubt the story that’s told now is not about the scared teenager desperate for any semblance of stability; it’s about some spoiled little girl who decided she was too good for everyone else.  
“People like me stay behind and handle our responsibilities so people like you can walk away from yours.”
That was definitely the worst blow of the night, though.  
There is just enough truth to that accusation to make it stick, to make it sting.  You did walk away. You did leave your brother behind.
You run a hand through your hair and reach for your phone to check the time.  9:30 PM.  
You feel almost human by the time you get out of the shower and walk out into the living room to find Seokjin dozing on the couch.  You feel guilty for rousing him, but it’s his job.  You know this is something you have to do right now.
“Jin,” you call out, nudging him gently.  His eyes blink back, unfocused as he tries to get his bearings.  
“Yeah?” he’s alert at once, looking around.  “You okay?”
No, but I’m going to be.
“I’m alright.  I need you to take me to see my brother.”
****************************
Namjoon has a beautiful penthouse on the water, a luxury apartment high above the Han River.  But there’s no wife, no children waiting for him at home.  Nothing in that place but echoing walls and modern art.
So he spends most of his nights at the office.
Seokjin called ahead, just in case -- but you knew your brother would be there.  He’s still dressed in his suit, a tumbler of scotch in hand when you arrive.  Seokjin doesn’t have to be asked to leave.
“You don’t look well, Amsaja,” he says quietly as you sit in the chair opposite his grand desk.
“You are not the first person to allude to that today,” you say with a humorless laugh.  You look down at your giant sweatshirt and jeans, and shove a hand through your still-wet hair. “Message received.”
His eyes are soft with concern.  “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing,” you say, blowing out a heavy breath.  “Everything.  I just -- I just needed to see you.”
You were still a little girl when you learned the hard way that tears were futile and pointless and only served to make you a target. But you feel them welling in your eyes anyway.  The reflex feels foreign and rusty after so many years of disuse.
“I’m so sorry, Namjoon,” you choke out, voice thick.  “So, so sorry.”
Namjoon sets his tumbler down on the heavy wood of his desk, walks around it and over to you. When he gets down on one knee and reaches out a hand to brush your cheek you don’t see the grown man at the helm of Seoul’s largest criminal empire.  You see the brother who took care of you when no one else would.
Despite your best efforts to stop them, the tears come anyway.
Namjoon holds you close, strokes your hair while you cry into the jacket of his expensive suit.  He doesn’t say anything for a while, just waits for your body to stop shaking with the force of your sobs and for your breathing to even out. 
“Why did you let me leave?” you ask once you’ve managed to regain some control.  “Why didn’t you ask me to stay?”
Namjoon sighs, standing to stretch his legs.  He grabs his drink before walking over to the window to peer down at the lights streaking by below.
“One of us deserved to have a choice,” he says quietly.  “It was never going to be me.  I didn’t want the same for you.”
Your heart breaks all over again, hearing Namjoon say those words out loud.  Your brother, born into a legacy he never asked for and a responsibility he could never run from. Your protector who let you walk away from the life he couldn’t escape.
“You saved me,” you whisper.  “He would have killed me if I hadn’t left Seoul.”
“I know that,” Namjoon admits, “I saw it coming, too.  The worse his drinking got --  I couldn’t let that happen.  I refused to let that happen.”
You stand out of the chair to walk over to the window.  Your brother’s profile is illuminated by the passing lights, mouth set in a grim line.
“You forced him to let me go.”
It’s not a question. Namjoon nods.
“I told him I would disappear if he didn’t let you leave.  And then what? He’d have spent his entire life grooming me for nothing.  He was just weak enough from the drinking to agree. He couldn’t fight me on it anymore.”
You shut your eyes against the fresh tears that come.
“I’ve been so selfish.”
“We’re all selfish, Amsaja,” he sighs.  “We all want things we can’t have. That’s human nature.”
It makes your chest squeeze -- how desolate that admission sounds.  You think about your brother’s massive, empty apartment.  Who takes care of him? Who does he have to talk to?  You swallow past the taste of guilt in your mouth.
“We could leave all of this behind, Jaegyueo. Start over.  Make our own choices this time.”
Namjoon huffs a sad laugh into the rim of his glass.
“How I got here is not the point anymore,” he says.  “You think if I dismantled this organization right now that all of this would just stop?”
He turns away from the window to look you in the eye.
“There would be ten syndicates ready to fill the hole we would leave overnight. And I promise you,” he shakes his head, “None of them would conduct business as neatly as we do. This organization keeps everything from going to shit. This is our way of balancing the scales.”
You wrap your arms around yourself and look back out the window, out to the lights that make the city glow at this time of night.  You know your brother is right.  
This is his destiny.  
“You talk about being selfish,” he continues quietly,  “How’s this for selfish?  No matter how much you’ve suffered in the past, I still want you here by my side.  I still want you to come back.”
Your heart squeezes in your chest.
“Namjoon, I --”  He interrupts you with a raised hand.
“You don’t have to defend your stance.  You have every right to leave this all behind you forever. Just know that you are the only person on this Earth that I trust without question.”
The ice in his scotch tinkles in the quiet of the office as he swirls the contents of the glass.
“Just know that there is a part of me that will always be waiting for you to come back.”
*********************
HOSEOK
Hoseok had to get out of there.
He had to put space between you and him or he was going to lose his mind.  
Thankfully, Seokjin didn’t ask too many questions when he’d phoned in the middle of the night asking to be relieved for a few days.  Seokjin didn’t press too hard when he asked about how you were doing and Hoseok nearly took his head off.  And Seokjin hasn’t asked why Hoseok is texting him every day to make sure you’re alright.
Sometimes -- rarely -- Seokjin knows exactly when to shut the fuck up.  
Hoseok knows he should be using this time to get his shit together. 
He knows he’s this close to doing something stupid.  He knows he’s got to figure out a way to release the pressure building inside of him before he explodes.
He thinks about how satisfying it would be to put his fist through Kang Donghyuk’s face.
He stares down the stone-and-glass entrance to Kang’s apartment from the driver’s seat of his car, one hand tight around the steering wheel.  He tightens his grip on the wheel and loosens it, over and over and over.
A call comes through.
“Hey, it’s Jimin.”
“Yeah,” Hoseok says flatly, eyes never leaving the entrance to that apartment building. “What’s up?”
“I already briefed Namjoon but he wanted me to call you, too.  We finally got a hit on Lee Hyejin.”
Hoseok sits up straighter in his seat.
“What did you find?”
“We got access to her accounts.  Regular payments, every two weeks -- coming through an offshore wire.  Started about three months ago.”
“Shit,” Hoseok says under his breath.  “A Ssijog account?”
“We’re still working on confirming that -- but yeah, like 99% sure.”
Hoseok scrubs a hand down his face.  
Who gets to break the news to you that your only friend has been fucking with your case -- fucking with your entire life? He thinks back to how blank and despondent you’d looked the night of the snake incident, how withdrawn you’d been the night of the charity dinner. 
How much more of this pressure can you withstand before you explode?
“What about the guy?” Jimin asks, after the line is silent for too long. “Any news on him?”
“Not yet,” Hoseok murmurs, tightening his grip around the wheel again.  “But it’s coming.  I know it’s coming.”
“Okay.  Tae is still trying to get a complete list of accounts linked to that offshore one.  If we find out more, I’ll make sure you know right away.”
Hoseok ends the call just as another call comes in.
He takes one look at the screen and rubs his fingers across his tired eyes before sending it to voicemail.
He knows he could have handled the situation with Dae with more care. He knows he could have done more than end their casual arrangement with one call.  Dae had been furious, demanding he give her some kind of explanation so she could understand why it was over.  
Hoseok hadn’t been lying to her when he said he didn’t know why.
But as he sits in the dark -- staring at the entrance of Kang Donghyuk’s apartment building -- he considers for a moment that he might have been lying to himself.
His phone rings again.
“Jung,” Namjoon’s voice comes over the line. “You in the middle of something?”
“Nah,” Hoseok lies easily.  “Just relaxing.  What’s up?”
“Come have a drink with me.”
*********************
It’s nearly midnight by the time Hoseok makes it across town.
Namjoon appears to be in a contemplative mood tonight, glass of scotch in hand, long body leaned back into his plush chair.
“You’re off-duty tonight,” Namjoon says, taking a sip of his drink.  “Scotch?”
Hoseok makes a face.
“Definitely not.  Have any whiskey?”
“Yeah, I think I’ve got a bottle around here somewhere.”
Namjoon picks up his desk phone to reach his assistant, who makes quick work of finding a bottle and a clean glass.  She delivers both with practiced silence before slipping out of the room.  
Hoseok can’t help but notice his boss’s gaze lingering on the pretty young woman as she retreats. He keeps his mouth shut because he’s not an idiot.
Once he has a tumbler of whiskey in hand, Hoseok leans back into his own chair, undoes the top buttons of his dress shirt.
“Something specific you want to talk about?” he asks, sipping his drink.  
“Just checking in,” Namjoon says quietly.  “I’ve barely seen you these past few weeks.  Want to make sure everything’s alright where you’re concerned.”
“I’m fine,” Hoseok says.  “Jimin called me about the shit he found on the Lee girl, though.”
“Yeah. I don’t think my sister’s going to take that news well,” Namjoon murmurs.  “She’s not exactly the trusting type.  A betrayal like this -- ”
He trails off, abandoning one thought for another.  
“Does she talk to you?”
Hoseok clears his throat. 
He tries not to think about the last time he saw you and the terrible things you’d said to one another.  He tries not to remember the look on your face before you turned away from him.  
“Not really.  Keeps to herself a lot.”
“Yeah, well.  She’s had to put up with a lot of shit over the years,” Namjoon admits, rubbing his fingers across his lips. “She keeps things close to the vest.”
Hoseok sags deeper into the plush chair and takes a drink, welcomes the burn that comes with it.  He already knows Namjoon is not looking for some kind of dialogue tonight.  Namjoon is looking to unload.  
Hoseok keeps quiet and lets him do just that.
“My sister has been punished for things beyond her control since the day she was born,” he continues.  “My role was clear from day one and hers much less so.  My father was too ignorant to figure out how to raise a little girl without a mother and too disinterested to even ask for help.”
Hoseok’s fingers tighten around his glass.
“She spent half her time trying to get his attention and the other half regretting when she finally did.”
The image of that scar comes into Hoseok’s mind, unbidden.  The jagged lines of it, the deep indent of it.  All of the tiny details that speak to the brutality behind the wound.  
“He hurt her,” Hoseok says quietly, looking past Namjoon to stare out into lights outside the window.
“A thousand different ways,” Namjoon sighs, shoving a hand through his hair.  “I did what I could, but I couldn’t keep her from all of it.”
The ice in his glass tinkles as he empties his drink.
“I know what people say about my sister, Hoseok,” Namjoon exhales.  “None of them know what they’re talking about.  She was going to be damned either way.  She did what she had to do to survive.”
Hoseok swallows the last of his whiskey around the knot in his throat.
************************
He almost took the night off.
Hoseok’s body could have used the rest, and his mind certainly could have, too.  But every time he closes his eyes he sees you, hears your brother’s words.  
The pressure inside him keeps building.
He woke up this morning thinking about that photograph inside Namjoon’s desk -- the one taken inside your apartment.  The one taken while you were sleeping and at your most vulnerable, inside your own home.  
Every cell in Hoseok’s body is telling him that Kang Donghyuk took that picture.  
That’s why he’s in his car tonight, following Kang home from the office again.  That’s why he’s pulled into a space just outside the man’s high-dollar highrise prepared for another night of waiting and watching.  
Fuck, he’ll do it every night until he gets the answers he’s looking for.
A call comes in from Seokjin.
“Hey,” Hoseok answers on the first ring.  “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Seokjin sighs.  “Quiet.  She’s busy working in her room or something.  Why do I have the feeling you’re not at your place taking the personal time you said you needed?”
“Mind your business,” Hoseok mutters. 
Seokjin laughs.
“Honestly, I just called because I’m bored.  Wondering if you ever plan on coming back to your post.  I’m going out of -- “
“-- Shit,” Hoseok interrupts, sitting up straight in his seat.  “I gotta go.”
He ends the call before Seokjin can ask why.
Hoseok squints against the dark when he sees Kang Donghyuk walk out of the entrance to his building.  Kang stands on the curb, hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants.  Even from a distance, Hoseok can see he’s looking up and down the street.
He’s waiting for someone.
Hoseok’s entire body is tense as he watches a sleek silver car pull up outside the building’s entrance and Kang slip into the passenger seat.  The car takes off and Hoseok’s pulse picks up.
This is it.
He waits until the sedan is a few hundred feet ahead to pull out into the street.  He’s careful to keep pace with the surrounding traffic so he doesn’t give himself away.  And after a short drive, the silver car parks outside a run-down warehouse in one of the shittier parts of the city.  
Hoseok pulls into a dark space, cuts the ignition and hides the bright display of his phone.
He watches Kang Donghyuk get out of the passenger seat, followed by the driver of the car.  A man Hoseok recognizes as Ssijog right away.  The men have a short conversation in the street before disappearing into the warehouse.  
Hoseok’s hand tightens around the steering wheel, then loosens.  Again and again and again.
He knows the protocol.  He knows he should have called this in five minutes ago.
He hasn’t.  
He won’t. 
Instead, he reaches into the console to pull out his favorite pair of Italian leather gloves.
*************************
Dressing the part has always served Hoseok well, even in this line of work.
Tonight -- his meticulously chosen suit and tie are his ticket inside Kang Donghyuk’s secure high-rise apartment building.  Hoseok walks right past the security guard on duty so casually that the man barely looks in his direction.
It takes him only a few minutes to find the door to Kang’s apartment and the entrance to the service elevator nearby.  Hoseok stands back into the recess and balls his hands into fists.  He concentrates on the stretch of his leather gloves.
Then he waits.
Kang Donghyuk doesn’t keep him waiting long.  
Just a short while later, he’s at his apartment door, fumbling with his keys.  Hoseok waits until he nudges the door open before making his approach.
One firm hand to the back of the neck and one firm shove is all it takes.  
Kang Donghyuk falls through the entrance to his apartment just as Hoseok is closing the door behind him.  He rolls onto his back on the floor, eyes wide and sputtering.
“What the fuck man?”  
Hoseok doesn’t bother to answer that.  
He pulls out his pistol and points the barrel at the cowering man.  Kang’s pupils blow wide and Hoseok feels a pulse of satisfaction at his obvious fear.
“Start talking,” Hoseok says, voice low and controlled.
“About what?” Kang squeaks -- voice slipping out an octave too high.  
Hoseok clicks the pistol’s safety into place and off again just to ensure Kang hears the sound.  The coward reacts immediately, covering his face with his hands.
“Alright man, I’ll talk.  Just chill -- “ he wheezes.  “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.”
“I need to know everything, Kang,” Hoseok says between clenched teeth.  “Start fucking talking.”
Donghyuk sits up slowly, hands raised and eyes fixed on Hoseok.  
“They came to me a few months back.  All they said is they wanted her to fuck up the case.  That’s all, I swear.”
There’s no feeling of satisfaction for Hoseok when he hears the words spoken aloud.  There’s no victory in confirming the guy he thought was a piece of shit all along is actually a piece of shit.  
The pressure inside him continues to build.
“You’re working with the Lee girl?”
“Yeah,” Donghyuk admits miserably, eyes unmoving from the barrel of Hoseok’s gun.  “She would help me make copies of her keys and shit.  She knew where the important files were, too.  I mostly had to keep her out of the apartment when they needed to get in and -- ” he clears his throat, “ -- other stuff.”
Hoseok sees red. 
Fury ignites inside of him at the innuendo packed into those two short words.  His pistol seems to warm in his hand. 
“You took that picture,” he whispers, finger tightening around the trigger. Donghyuk winces, swallows so hard Hoseok can see his Adam's apple jump in his throat.
“Yeah,” Donghyuk admits, curling in on himself.  “They asked me to.”
Hoseok turns the gun in his hand so fast Donghyuk barely has the time to put his hands over his face again.  He cracks the butt of his pistol against the side of Donghyuk’s skull and the man whimpers as he rolls over in pain.
The pistol whip should have been enough to take the edge off of Hoseok’s rage.  
But it’s not enough. 
He holsters his gun and Donghyuk stares up at him from the floor, terrified.
“Get up,” Hoseok hisses.  
Blood has started to seep from a gash on the side of Donghyuk’s head but the man complies.  He stumbles to his feet just in time for Hoseok to take him off balance again.  He wraps one hand around the man’s throat and squeezes tight, pushing him back against a wall.
Donghyuk’s eyes bulge as Hoseok pins him to the wall with that hand.
“Never, ever --” Hoseok spits the words, grip crushing the man’s neck,  “-- go near her again.  Do you understand me? That’s not something I have to repeat even for someone as stupid as you, right?”
Donghyuk’s face is mottled, features frozen in fear as he attempts to nod his agreement. 
 Hoseok tightens his grip and the man starts to turn a satisfying shade of red.  The color deepens as Hoseok squeezes harder and all he can think about is how easy it would be to end him, how just a few more seconds of this pressure could cause his windpipe to collapse. How one more hard press of his fingers could solve the problem of Kang Donghyuk forever. 
But protocol.
Hoseok finally releases his grip on the man’s throat and Kang immediately slumps down the wall, into a pile on the floor.  He gasps, hands clutched to his chest as he fights to regain his breath.
Hosok stands back, straightening his coat and adjusting his jacket underneath.  
He gives Kang Donghyuk one last glance before walking to the door.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” he warns quietly.  “I’d hate to have to pay you another visit.”
Hoseok waits for the door to click closed before pulling out his phone to call Namjoon in the quiet of the hallway.  He’s a little breathless when his boss picks up on the first ring.
“Regarding Kang Donghyuk,” he murmurs. “There’s been a development.”
**********************
Namjoon’s call comes late the next afternoon.
“Hey,” Hoseok breathes into the receiver, balancing his phone between his shoulder and ear.  He drops his hand back into the bowl of ice water at his side.  “What’s up?”
“I need you to come in,” his boss says evenly.  “So we can discuss next steps.”
“Be there in ten.”
It’s a little pathetic, the way Hoseok perks up at having somewhere to be.  
Even meeting with his boss to explain how he broke protocol and nearly choked a man to death beats sitting in his apartment, icing his sore hand.  It sure as hell beats sitting on his couch, staring at the TV and trying not to think about you.
Namjoon takes the news of Kang’s involvement and Hoseok’s insubordination surprisingly well.  
He’d listened to Hoseok’s account of how he’d tracked Kang to the warehouse and ambushed him outside his apartment with quiet calm.  Maybe it’s his imagination, but Hoseok could swear he almost saw Namjoon smile when he described pistol-whipping Kang inside his apartment.
Yoongi -- pragmatic as ever -- laid the options out plainly.  
He argued that the Gajog could get rid of either Lee Hyejin or Kang Donghyuk, but not both.  Killing both, Yoongi reasoned, would put an entirely different kind of target on your back.  Both Hoseok and Namjoon agreed with that assessment.  Yoongi has always had a mind for strategy, even if his delivery leaves a bit to be desired.
Namjoon promised to think over the options before dismissing them both.
*************************
Hoseok’s hand still aches.
He’s been driving around the city for more than an hour now, not ready to go home and not certain which move to make next.  Each turn of his steering wheel sends a throb of discomfort through his grip.
Fucking up Kang Donghyuk was satisfying, no doubt.  But it’s not enough.
Hoseok doesn’t feel the sense of relief he’d expected to enjoy after choking that man to within an inch of his life.  There’s still a dull ache inside his chest too insistent to ignore.  
He tries to focus on the street signs that come and go, the traffic lights that glow against the backdrop of the setting sun.  He drives until the night takes over completely and then he drives until he parks outside of your place. 
When Hoseok cuts the ignition, it’s like he’s just come out of a fog.  He looks up at your high-rise and takes a deep breath before climbing out of the car.
******************
Seokjin’s bag must have already been packed.  
After a quick debrief he’s out the door in seconds, leaving Hoseok alone inside the quiet apartment.  He sinks down onto the couch and stares at your closed bedroom door.
He should knock, he thinks to himself.
He should get the apology sitting on the tip of his tongue out of the way so the two of you can move forward from what happened the other night.  He should apologize for the way he’s treated you and he should beg for your forgiveness.
Hoseok scrubs a hand down his face before resolving to do just that -- at the same time your bedroom door opens.  He watches you walk to the kitchen without so much as a glance in his direction and then he hears the sound of running water.   
He follows you.
Hoseok worries for a split-second that you might drop the glass in your hand when you finally spot him.
“Oh,” you breathe, “It’s you.”
Hoseok thought the last time he’d seen you -- when you’d worn that incredible gown and pulled out every stop -- he thought that was the most beautiful you’d ever looked.  But somehow that pales in comparison to how you look right now, figure swimming in an oversized sweatshirt, hair loose and framing your bare face.  He can’t even bring himself to look lower because you’re wearing those godforsaken shorts.  Has Seokjin seen you in those things?
His brain derails and it takes a moment to get back on track.
“Sorry,” he says slowly.  “Yeah, it’s me.  I’m back now.”
“Okay,” you exhale, setting your glass of water down. 
“I’m sorry.”
Hoseok had planned on saying something a bit more heartfelt, something with a bit more depth.  He had not intended on blurting out his apology the moment he saw you.  
“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me,” you say softly.  “I don’t want your pity or anyone else’s.”
Hoseok steps closer and you tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, a nervous gesture.
“That’s not what I said,” he insists, shaking his head. “I’m not sorry for you, I’m sorry for me.  I’m sorry because I’m a fucking jerk.”
You blink back at him.  “What?”
“I’m sorry -- ” Hoseok takes another step forward, “ -- that you have to put up with assholes like me who think they know everything about you when they really don’t know anything.”
Hoseok ignores the voice inside his head warning him not to press you too hard, not to take this too far.   
“I’m sorry anyone has ever tried you because I promise you they are going to pay,” he vows, stepping even closer.
You lean back against the heavy stone of your kitchen island, eyes wide. 
“And fuck -- ” Hoseok practically chokes the words out, “-- fuck, I am so sorry for wanting you as badly as I do when I know I have no right.”
There is a moment after those words tumble out when Hoseok thinks he may have just fucked everything up for good.  A moment when your mouth drops open but you say nothing and Hoseok is certain you’re going to make him leave.
But you don’t.
So he kisses you.
Hoseok swallows the sound of surprise you make when he slants his lips over yours.   You reach your hands around his neck to pull him closer and go up on your tiptoes to make up for the difference in height. Hoseok groans into your mouth when your nails scrape against the back of his neck.  
Any moment now -- any moment now he’s certain you’re going to come to your senses.  You’re going to demand he take his filthy fucking hands off of you.  He braces for it.
But you don’t.
Instead, you melt into his touch and whimper into his mouth and what’s left of Hoseok’s sanity evaporates. The sounds of panting and groaning echo off of the stone in the kitchen as you meld your body to his.
“I want you so much,” he whispers, gripping your waist to lift you onto the counter.
It’s easy to ignore the way his hand aches in protest when you’re wrapping your legs around his waist and sinking your fingers into his hair.  His cock is so hard in his pants he feels like he might explode.
You pull away from him, breathless, to lift your sweatshirt over your head and Hoseok’s chest tightens at the flash of doubt that crosses your features.  The heat that creeps into your cheeks when your scar is bared and on display.
He leans close to brush feather-light kisses against it, lips soft against the rough skin. “Every inch of you is perfect,” he whispers, sucking gently at the indent in your collarbone. “Just the way it is.”
You suck in a sharp breath and release it with a strangled sigh as your fingers grip the back of Hoseok’s neck.  He trails kisses from your scar, slowly down your breast, onto one aching nipple.
“Hoseok -- please,” you beg.  “I want -- “
Your plea breaks apart he takes your nipple into his mouth, teeth teasing at the straining bud.
“Tell me what you want,” Hoseok murmurs, burying his face into the soft skin between your breasts, “Tell me and I swear to God, I’ll give it to you.”
Your fingers fumble for his belt and Hoseok groans when you work it apart.  There’s no way he’s ever been this hard -- ever.  He’s certain he could come just from rutting against the counter with your voice in his ear.
“Hoseok,” you whisper again.  “Hoseok -- “
He doesn’t catch on to the panic in your tone until you go rigid in his arms.
“There’s someone at the door,” you whisper, eyes wide. 
“Shit.” 
Hoseok shuts his eyes, leans his forehead against yours.
You slip out of his hold and he leans over the kitchen counter, arms braced against the stone while he tries to collect the last remaining scraps of his self-control.  You pull your sweatshirt back overhead and run quietly to the door.
You’re back only a moment later.  
“It’s my brother,” you whisper.  “And Yoongi and some guy I don’t know.”
Holy shit.
Hoseok grits his teeth, takes a deep breath, and silently wills his rigid cock to stand down. Thinking about Kim Namjoon’s face on the other side of that door helps, actually.  It helps a lot. 
The door knocker thuds again loudly and Hoseok can hear Namjoon’s voice coming from the hallway.  You wait until he’s managed to straighten his shirt and secure his belt before opening the door.
He can see your brother’s frown from ten feet away.
“Hoseok should really be the one to answer the door, Amsaja,” he says, eyes narrowed.  “Is he not here?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Hoseok calls out, hoping like hell that his voice sounds even.  “Sorry. I was just -- uh, in the middle of something.”
Actually, I was trying to be in the middle of something.  That something being your sister.  That’s not going to be a problem, is it?
Yoongi looks between you and Hoseok and Namjoon but says nothing.
“So what’s going on?” Hoseok asks, desperate to move the conversation along.  “Something wrong?”
“Jeon is going to stay over tonight,” Namjoon says, pointing to the youngest man on his team.  Jungkook walks into the apartment and bows to you before taking a seat on the couch.
Namjoon nods at Yoongi before turning to Hoseok.
“The three of us have somewhere to be.”
**********************
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womenofwonder · 3 years
Note
*Ahem* Royai, duh?
✋How they met
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Surprisingly, they didn’t meet at her father’s house. Not, actually it happened way back in kindergarten. Riza was quiet, and she dressed funny, and she always seemed dirty, so she was an target for bullying in the rather well to do private school they were in. On the first day of school Roy (who was a Casanova even at age six) decided this would be a good time to rescue a helpless damsel from the bullies surrounding her, taunting. Unfortunately, he underestimated the number and size of the kids teasing her and got his ass kicked. Luckily for him Riza quickly stepped into help. She smashed one bully’s nose in with her book and then pulled out a pocket knife. They all left in a hurry. And at that moment, Roy realized he was in love.
😘First kiss
Ah...so the first kiss wasn’t exactly a happy one. It was during Ishval. They had won a pretty important battle and everyone was celebrating. They both got drunk. The kiss felt good, and Riza probably would have been ready for more despite the circumstances (screw it, she was going to die soon anyway) but Roy walked off. Even drunk he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he didn’t deserve her kisses, especially during a ‘celebration’ of him frying more innocent people. Riza honestly thought he had a problem with her and that was the first time she cried in Ishval.
🤯First fight
It depends on what you mean by fight. They got in a lot of fistfights as kids, but that wasn’t ever personal. They bickered constantly but the only big, painful fight they ever had was on promise day, when she almost had to shoot him. The first lighthearted, bickering fight they ever had was when he was apprenticed to her father and she would remind him to do his homework. Not much has changed, honestly.
🍷First date
When he was still an apprentice to her father, they used to wait until he was asleep and then Roy would take her places. He did it mostly to be nice, because Riza didn’t get a lot of fun and growing up in a brothel met he knew exactly which bars would give a couple of kids drinks. But they were honestly dates in everything but name.
💍How they got engaged
Well, they didn’t make the decision. Grumman declared they were getting married at one of his press conferences. “I have decided to end the anti-fraternization and allow my granddaughter to finally marry General Mustang.” Riza just looked at Mustang and said “Okay.” Later on he did do the entire fancy dinner date and gave her a expensive engagement ring.
💒Wedding
Actually, it was surprisingly small and private. It was really sweet and quiet. To everyone’s surprise Roy made Fullmetal his best man, mostly as a joke. Other than a very insulting speech about how Riza was probably out of her mind to marry such an idiot, he was really nice about everything. Riza’s wedding dress had a very high neck (to hide the scarring) and a very short skirt. She still has a gun holstered to her thigh, wedding or no wedding. Rebecca is the maid of honor, and as Riza honestly doesn’t have many friends both Olivier and Winry are bridesmaids. Of course, Elicia is the flower girl despite being a bit old for it. Hayate is the ring bearer. Just kidding. Maybe.
👶First kid
Riza got pregnant after the first year of the their marriage. It was an accident. Their feelings on the matter were conflicted. On one hand, both were thrilled to have a baby, but in the other hand, it didn’t really fit very well into their plans. How did being a parent figure in with the possibility of future with the fire squad? Not mention both were really worried that they would be horrible parents due to everything they’d done in Ishval. To make things slightly more complicated, it turned out they weren’t going to have one but two children. But when the babies do come: a little Rianna and Thomas, they’re beautiful. Of course, Riza and Roy are great parents and the kids actually help them have more faith in themselves.
🥰A random fluff moment
Riza had forgotten exactly how cold it was up north. Shivering, she blew on her hands in hopes of warming them.
“Here,” Roy said, offering her his coat.
“Don’t you need a coat sir?”
“I had use my flame alchemy to heat myself up,” he said.
“Since when have you mastered that ability sir?”
“Just take the coat.”
She took it.
“You’re shivering an awful lot sir. Are you sure you’re not too cold?”
“N-nope. I-I’m g-r-eat.”
“Sir, really, you can have this coat. You’re going to get frostbite.”
“N-no. You k-keep the coat-t. T-that’s an or-rder.”
Olivier gave them both a look. “Mustang, either freeze to death quietly or kiss her now so we get on with this meeting. I would personally prefer the former, but anything would be better than watching your painful attempts at being a gentleman.”
Riza took advantage of his shock to give him back the coat.
😭A random angsty moment
“Thank you,” she says, as if there’s anything to thank him for. As if he’s not about to torture her.
Roy was good at torturing people. He had plenty of practice at this point. He knew exactly how much of his flame it took to cause a certain amount of pain. At least he could make it hurt as little as possible.
“I won’t scream,” she promised.
“Yeah, you will,” he knew exactly how loud it would be too. He had heard it countless time from countless lips and now he was going to hear it from her.
She nodded, so calm about the entire thing. Took her knife, torn off some of her white coat and wadded it up in her mouth. Stepped forward. Turned around to him.
He told himself to hurry up and do it. Waiting would only hurt her more. It shouldn’t be this hard. He’d done it a hundred times before. What was one more person?
He snapped his fingers, and a familiar smell of burning skin filled the arid desert air.
😩A random hurt/comfort
Riza was exhausted. She wasn’t sure how doing just menial tasks could drain someone so much, but it probably had something to do with the fact that her boss was a homunculus holding her hostage. To make things worst, even coming home was no relief. The shadows were everywhere, even in her small, bare apartment. The second she let herself feel safe, or stopped thinking about the fact that she was being watched constantly, he (or rather it) would remind her. Maybe it was a sudden sense of a creeping bloodlust, or the glimpse of slitted eyes and slices of teeth, all which disappeared the second she looked. She had no privacy. These last few days she hadn’t even dared to bathe.
To make things worst, today someone had broken into her apartment. She couldn’t even fathom why they would do that. Wasn’t the constant surveillance enough? But it was too well down for a common thief. If she hadn’t know better she wouldn’t of even noticed it was broken into. But she had placed a slip of paper in the door when she went out, and now it was gone.
“You’d better have not made a mess of things,” she muttered, hoping Pride could hear it. She opened the door and for a second was frozen in shock.
They hadn’t broken into her apartment at all. Roy had.
Flowers filled up the entire place. Some in vases (really expensive looking ones), some hanging from the ceiling, some just randomly scattered about. In the middle of her kitchen table was a note and bottle of whiskey.
Black Hayate ran up to her, barking happily. She reached down to pet him, rather absentmindedly.
“That idiot,” she murmured, fighting a smile. “He’s crazy.”
She went over to the table and picked up the note.
To 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye,
Look, I’m sorry, but I really didn’t know what to do with the flowers. Please don’t shoot me.
I hope you enjoy the whiskey. It’s really good stuff. And you sounded like you needed it.
Roy Mustang. (Riza had to squint at the doodle next to his name. Was that a heart made out of flames? Really? Yes. Yes it was.)
PS: before you ask, yes, I’m doing my paperwork.
Riza rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t stop smiling. The flowers left plenty of shadows, but for once she couldn’t bother feeling scared. She took a swig of the whiskey and enjoyed the burn down her throat. Black Hayate jumped into her arms, and she cuddled him.
Leave it to Roy. The first time he sent her flowers and he had to give her an entire cart worth.
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badass-at-fandoming · 4 years
Text
Just Little Ventrue Things ~
I finished a Camarilla Ventrue run of VTMB. Mostly, the only thing Ventrue these days know how to do is Dominate, run screaming, eat hot chip, and lie, and [high falsetto voice] here’s a list of other nonsense I discovered:
PC’s name is Christina; she’s a Dominatrix because I’m bi. Her sire was one of her clients, and she’s actually very, very angry about his death. She doesn’t mind being a vampire. She’s Wiccan and part of a coven
In this Camarilla run, I decided I would only do quests given by Camarilla members. My justification was that, while Christina is intelligent and curious about lore, she focuses on tasks that immediately relate to her and her goals. She’s not curious about others; won’t go out of her way to talk to them. She’s not a bleeding heart, like my other PCs, and she believes in the Camarilla’s laws. She just hates LaCroix for killing her sire. Her plan during the game is to curry as much favor within the Cam as possible and cozy up to LaCroix so she can stab him.
Enough backstory
Nonsense time
Smiling Jack laughs at you if you don’t eat a rat in the tutorial. LOL. The Ventrue dialog is like “I could barely choke down the homeless man: please don’t make me eat a rat!”
The blood in the Santa Monica haven’s fridge is now blue blood. Does regular blood make Ventrue sick? I was too scared to experiment.
[spots Mercurio] I am going to steal that ghoul
Rosa: The people you’re looking for are up there. Christina, assuming Rosa is a Cam agent: Okay, thanks, bye
Never spoke to the Thin-Bloods again (sorry Lily baby ;-;)
Everyone except Julius still leaves when the PC reaches Hollywood
If you try to feed on Julius, he WILL kick you in the head and you WILL glitch into the fire, be on fire; run away screaming in Prada
You can skip the whole basement of the Ocean House Hotel if you manage to jump over the hole in the staircase???? Like?? You mean the spookiest fucking level has been optional this whole time I”M
[ghost appears] [Christina smacks it with an axe] None of that.
Club girls speak to Christina and I’m on the FLOOR
Therese “kills” Jeanette, even though I had enough oompa to make that not happen.
Therese joins the Camarilla and says she’s in good position to be the next Prince??? Hello??? Where is our Prince Voerman ending????
Went straight to LaCroix, called him “sir,” and he name-dropped Napoleon.
LaCroix tells Christina to go visit the Anarchs. She blows the Anarchs off (Nines made a growly face, Damsel dialog yowl-exited out after I asked if she wanted to join the Cam; Skelter threatened to murder me twice). When LaCroix told Christina that, while he admired her Cam loyalty, she must listen to her enemies to understand what they wanted, it felt like he was actually being a good sire and mentor.
That’s weird.
When Christina asked for his history, he very carefully explained his lineage, like the important part of Ventrue culture it is.
Overall, I found LaCroix-being-nice-to-me extremely unsettling.
Sir. Stop smiling at me, sir. Stop being impressed I don’t ask for money. STOP MAKING ME UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE LIKE YOU, SIR.
In contrast, LaCroix sounded genuinely betrayed at the end
Also made it more obvious when he started to lose track of his marbles
Ventrue PC seems juuuuuuust tall enough for her forehead to glitch into the ceiling of literally any confined space
The dirty Elizabeth Dane policeman didn’t psspspspsp at Christina so the whole ship was 15 white-knuckled minutes of making police dance and scuttling about
There is!!! A lot less!!! Talking in this game!!! Than I remember!!! She is only good at talking and ordering people around i am bEGGING
All EXP goes to Dominate and making Christina extremely charismatic and buff.
Ventrue himbo????
Beckett un-himbo-ifies her
She insults Beckett on their first meeting, spitting out “What do you want, wolfie?!” I thought this was appropriate because she died like, 4 times on that warehouse mission and was Extremely Stressed And Under Duress
Beckett’s response of “Oh, you’re too young to have mouthed off to the truly old ones yet.” makes his later snide remark of “the young ones are so temperamental” 900% funnier. Yeah, LaCroix! Beckett thinks I’ve grown and am now more mature than you! XD
Missions involving sex workers hit different when you’re a sex worker.
Christina was incandescent with rage at the Brotherhood
Grout’s mansion mission was a lot of “I have no interest in this nonsense.”
For the first time ever, I didn’t kill anyone during the Museum quest! This is because Christina ran very fast and Dominated every guard as quickly as possible. Every single fucking guard knew she was there, but could do nothing about it, because they were dancing. The door to the sarcophagus locked (it will do this if too many guards are agro), but locked doors are no match for noclip hack.
Entertaining image of a tall woman absolutely blasting into this museum room and Beckett tackling her to the floor like wait! I must snark at you! You are legally obligated to speak with me!
Isaac is still somehow a pretty chill guy to work with if you’re Camarilla.
Christina didn’t visit VV or Ash. Interestingly, Ash didn’t show up at the hunter monastery later. Did he just die in his club? Is he still there, waiting, deciding?
Christina @ Andrei: what the fuck is this shit
“I don’t care. It’s ugly. Clean it up.”
SEWERS.
Not as bad as I was expecting
Did take shortcut, run away from fights, ducked out in the middle for a snack, and bring 7 blue blood packs tho
Gary threatened to shred her face with a cheese grater, which I thought was Toreador only dialog?? It must be connected to the Appearance Stat. Which Christina has maxed out.
When Heather became Christina’s ghoul, I was delighted because I thought this meant Christina would always have fresh blood.
No
If you ask to feed on her too soon after the last time, Heather says she feels light headed and wants to lie down. The dialog exits out
I love you, Heather bb
Perfected the art of nudging NPCs into corners
Mitnick’s quests now feature Enforced Nap Time for all guards
Seriously, Dominate is ridiculously powerful, hooooly shit. I get why people like it. I also like it when people do things I ask them to do.
Christina can’t sneak, but she CAN strongly encourage everyone to choke on their own tongues.
Very high contrast in the beginning of the game: 2 punches would knock her over, but anyone she spoke to would obey immediately and without question
Chinatown goes by ridiculously fast if you can’t sneak and don’t do any sidequests besides Mitnick’s.
For the first time ever, Zhao survived! This is because Christina made him take a nap.
He just told her to leave
You’re welcome, my good dude
IDK if it’s a game glitch, but Christina would vocalize? In battle, she grunts with effort and pain.
Got to the point where I kept expecting Dominate dialog in every interaction and would get disappointed if it didn’t show up. What do you mean I have to actually convince people? That’s lame.
Christina was polite and charming to Ming Xiao, who also conveyed a deeper betrayal than normal at the end. ;-;
I promise to give you a Ventrue boy toy soon, Xiao
Finale arc quests went by VERY FAST because Christina can’t sneak for shit. Just run in, Dominate blazing
You can skip the outside bit of the Hallowbrook Hotel if you find the open door on the top level what the fuuuuuuuuuCK
[“A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” plays while Christina wipes out the Sabbat in 10 minutes]
Andrei disappeared mid-fight and didn’t come back until I complained that only I was allowed to run away from boss fights
I’m categorizing “triggering the interaction to save Heather” as something quite difficult to do. The timing has to be just right. I’ve missed it twice now. BUT hacking into the game to save her is easy.
I love you, Heather bb
Final Beckett talk had the vibe of “You’re a very different person than me, but you’re also High Humanity and trying to do good. You don’t deserve to die.”
Damsel threatens to kick the shit out of Christina and is extremely reluctant to tell her where Nines is
“Out of all people, they send you? All right, let’s just talk terms.” - Nines because Christina was short with him one (1) time
WEREWOLF HARD
You can just?? Walk out of your haven?? Without speaking to Jack at all???
I didn’t do that
But I could have
[”Dust in the Wind” plays while Christina kills entire Camarilla hit squad in 3 minutes]
You can visit Mercurio and Trip on your way out of Santa Monica??
Mercurio makes no comment on the blood hunt. Business as usual with him. This is fine.
Christina: I’m SO going to adopt that ghoul. And perhaps Isaac can be convinced to part with Romero...
(For the first time ever, my PC boinked Romero. Twice, to receive the break up email)
This is definitely a glitch, but Christina brushed up against Caine, and a worried voice said, “Are you all right?” It sounded like the same voice actor, but a higher pitch?
Always nice to think about Caine demonstrating care
Christina asked Caine who he is, and Caine replied that he “gets people where they’re going. [He’s] a driver,”  which is a nice nod (lol) to both his literal job as a driver and as a shepherd/creator/god to Kindred. Caine creates and makes fate.
Caine triple checks with Christina that she’s sure Strauss won’t betray her. Thanks, Vampire Dad. :’D
For some reason, only other Ventrue guarded LaCroix’s tower. I wonder if this is intentional. Like all the other Camarilla Clans backed Strauss and left? So only LaCroix’s Ventrue lackeys remain? Anyway, it created some weird moments where Christina fought her double.
KILL YOUR DOUBLE
Sheriff laughed in haughty joy that he was to kill Christina. I don’t remember him laughing in other playthroughs.
Christina ruining Caine and Jack’s prank oh noes
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homerjacksons · 3 years
Text
Sonny Carisi Week Day 2: off duty Word Count: 1847 Pairing: Rollisi, pre-bensler? Summary: Sonny and Amanda host a dinner party for the squad. AO3
As Jesse chattered away to him, stirring the pot diligently, Sonny heard the door open again, a string of barely-discernible greetings ringing through the apartment, and his heart felt fit to burst.
He’d been wanting to do this for a while; have everyone get together, cook for them, pamper them, show his found family just how much he loved them. He’d never had the space to host in his tiny apartment, though, and he couldn’t ask someone else to host just on his behalf, so more often than not, on the off chance they did all get together, it was for takeout, and a kid-free night.
This was different. Special. This was what he’d been wanting all along.
Amanda slid up behind him at the stove, winding her arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his shoulder which Jesse pretended to find gross despite the absolute glee in her eyes.
“You doin’ okay in here?” She asked softly.
The question was directed at Sonny, but Jesse piped up with a very happy, “We’re great, momma,” which startled a laugh out of Sonny.
“Yeah,” he said gentle, turning in her arms to press a kiss to her cheek. “We’re great.”
“You’re behaving?” She asked Jesse, who nodded solemnly in return. “Good.”
“Go,” he said, punctuated by a chaste kiss to her lips. “Entertain our colleagues.”
“When you were planning to use my apartment to host this, you said they were our friends.” She tried to look stern, but she couldn't quite manage it and he laughed, turning back to the stove.
“Go,” he insisted. “I’m doing what I do best here. And it’ll be done in 10 minutes so make sure the kids have washed their hands.”
He could feel her watching him, and he turned to shoot her a smile before she left.
 --
 He felt warm and fuzzy again as he brought out plates piled high with homemade spaghetti and meatballs for everyone. He couldn’t help but watch as his friends helped themselves to salad and garlic bread, laughing and talking all the while, as though his food wasn’t an interruption to their previous conversation but merely a welcome addition.
“This smells great,” Kat exclaimed, eyes wide and hungry as she grinned at Sonny.
“Tastes great,” Fin added around a mouthful of pasta.
“Thank you for inviting us into your home,” Garland said gently, giving his wife’s hand a squeeze.
“Uh, it’s Amanda’s home, but—“
“Shush,” she said, swatting his arm playfully. “It’s just as much your home as it is mine.”
His heart melted at that, and he had to take a moment to let that sink in as the conversation started up around him once more. On a surface level, he’d known this was his home too. He spent just as much time here as Amanda did, maybe even more now. But he still had his tiny apartment going to waste, slowly emptying of everything he could ever need as his belongings migrated here, and they hadn’t discussed him moving in, officially.
“You okay?” Amanda asked, mouth close to his ear so they wouldn’t be overheard.
“Course,” he said with a grin, squeezing her hand under the table.
And he meant it. He was sure he’d never felt better.
 --
 “Never known you to be this quiet,” Elliot said, settling beside Sonny and handing him a beer.
Sonny laughed. “You barely know me at all.”
“Touche.” 
Elliot was quiet for a moment, watching Liv and Amanda where they sat on the couch, heads close together, cheeks flushed with wine and eyes alight with laughter.
“Feel like I do, though,” he said after a beat, not tearing his eyes away from the scene across from them. “The way Liv talks about you all, I feel like I’ve known you just as long as she has.”
Sonny turned to look at him, not sure how to respond to that. He couldn’t return the compliment—Liv had never mentioned Elliot directly in the time he was gone, and even since he’d come back, she’d kept whatever was going on between them private, barely spoke about him unless prompted—but it felt wrong to leave a comment like that hanging.
“She’s a good woman,” Sonny said thickly, looking down at the beer in his hand.
“The best,” Elliot agreed with a grin, clapping Sonny on the shoulder. “Although you didn’t do too bad.”
That startled a laugh out of Sonny and he looked back over to Amanda again, warmth thrumming through his veins.
“Yeah,” he said a little breathlessly. “Still pinchin’ myself, y’know.”
Elliot nodded slowly, finally tearing his gaze from the women to look at Sonny. “I know exactly how you feel.”
“So you and Liv…” he trailed off, not sure it was really his place despite Elliot starting this thread of conversation.
“Getting there,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. But she’s worth it.”
Sonny nodded. He knew what that felt like, knowing someone was worth every bit of effort and pain, knowing someone was worth waiting forever for.
 --
 “Carisi!” Kat called from the kitchen, beckoning him over excitedly.
Sonny feigned annoyance, grinning the whole while, as he left Fin and Garland to continue their conversation without him.
“Watcha doin’ in my kitchen?”
“Your kitchen?” She raised her eyebrows. “Thought your kitchen was on the other side of Manhattan.”
Sonny felt his cheeks heat up, and he hoped the alcohol and warmth of the room would have already given him enough of a flush that she wouldn’t notice.
“Yeah, yeah,” he waved a hand, still grinning. His cheeks hurt but he couldn't quite stop.
“This s’posed to be you?” She asked, pointing to a stick figure drawing pinned to the fridge, front and centre, Billie’s name scrawled in the corner.
“Yeah,” he said proudly, almost like he was challenging her.
He knew he was listed as daddy in the drawing, knew that topic had stayed between him and Amanda as they worked out exactly how they wanted to proceed and what was the right way to go about all this, but in that moment, with love and affection and alcohol flowing through his veins, buzzing in his brain, he couldn’t help the way his chest puffed with pride or the way he stood a little taller in the face of someone else seeing, someone else knowing.
Kat softened, giving his elbow a squeeze. “I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah,” he breathed out, turning to grin at her. “Me too.”
He was about to say something else, but at that moment, Billie barrelled into his legs, tears welling in her big eyes, and everything else was forgotten in favour of helping his little girl.
 --
 “Noah, come on,” Liv insisted from the doorway, exasperated and tired and fond all at once. “It’s time to go.”
All she got in response was a shriek of laughter and pounding footsteps as Jesse and Noah continued to chase each other around the table, high on far too much dessert and the leftover excitement of being part of a ‘grown ups party’.
Liv sighed, rolling her eyes, but she didn’t insist again. Instead, she settled a hand on Sonny’s arm, expression soft and warm.
“I’m really happy for you, Sonny,” she said quietly, giving his arm a squeeze for good measure. “You deserve this; to be happy.”
Sonny glanced past her out into the hall where Elliot waited, checking his phone for their Uber.
“So do you,” he said with a nod in Elliot’s direction.
Liv followed his gaze, a soft, wistful look taking over her face for a moment before she turned back to him, looking so much like his boss again that he instantly stood a little straighter.
“I know,” she eventually said, expression softening again. “Just making sure he knows that first.”
Sonny laughed, covering her hand with his own where it still rested on her arm. “Trust me, he knows.”
She studied him for a moment before looking back over at Elliot, who was now looking at them in return.
“Uber’s here,” he said, waving his phone.
Liv turned to call for Noah again, but he came bounding towards her just in time, eyes bright and curls bouncing.
“Thanks again,” Liv said softly, taking Noah’s hand in hers to join Elliot.
“Thanks, Uncle Sonny,” Noah echoed, waving behind him.
Elliot nodded to him from the end of the hall, raising a hand in farewell, and then they were gone.
He closed the door behind him, resting against it for a moment, letting the success of the night sink in.
“Uncle Sonny!” Jesse squealed, wrapping her arms around Sonny’s legs.
“Shh,” Sonny stage whispered. “Your sister’s asleep.”
“Uncle Sonny,” Jesse repeated in a whisper. “Read me a story?”
Sonny looked up to meet Amanda’s gaze across the room where she was gathering plates and glasses to take back to the kitchen. She gave him a small shrug and a warm smile in response, and he, once again, felt awed that she trusted him enough to make any decision about her children without consulting her, even if it was just a bedtime story way past her actual bedtime.
“Okay, Jess,” he agreed, ruffling her hair. “You go get ready for bed and pick out a story and I’ll be in in a moment.”
He gathered a few stray plates and glasses, following Amanda to the kitchen to dump them beside the sink.
“Hey,” she said softly, turning to face him at the counter.
“Hey,” he echoed back, heart thumping against his ribs almost like he was nervous, or excited, or both.
“We’re real adults now, huh?” She joked, straightening his collar before winding her arms around his neck.
His arms fell easily to her waist, pulling her in close. “Dinner party, tick.”
She laughed, tilting her head back, eyes shining in the light, and god, she looked so beautiful she took his breath away.
“I love you,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
She kissed him properly, pulling him in close, almost desperate, like she’d wanted to do this all night and was just waiting to have him all to herself.
“Careful,” he mumbled into her mouth, reluctantly withdrawing. “I still gotta read Jesse a story.”
“Your mistake,” she said with a sly grin, pressing one last kiss to his lips before letting go. “Off you go, then.”
He watched her for a moment, just as she had done earlier that night, thinking of the ring he had tucked away back at his apartment, the only thing of any real meaning he still had there.
If anyone had asked him even a month ago, he would have said he wasn’t sure she’d say yes, but as he watched her washing dishes after helping him host their first ever dinner party as a couple, with her eldest waiting for him to put her to bed and her youngest already calling him daddy, he knew. He knew he could ask at any moment, and she’d say yes without a moment's hesitation.
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I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Zuko ain’t nothing like Draco Malifoycent or Kylo Render. And Zutara is a faaaaaar cry away from Reylo or Dramoine, and even to suggest that they are anything alike is an insult. I said what I said.
Zuko was an antagonist to the avatar yes, but as a person Zuko was never evil. Even in the earliest episode he prioritized the lives of his ship crew over the hunt of the avatar. When he was starving, he couldn’t rob a pregnant couple from their food even when he was practically falling from his mount due to hunger. He saved a family from oppressive earth benders that terrorized a town. He confiscated food for refugees on a boat (note it wasn’t just the freedom fighters and Zuko & Iroh who got better food on that trip, others around them did too) and even Zhao, who had genuinely tried to kill Zuko, when the ocean spirit grabbed Zhao to drag him into the water, Zuko still tried his hardest to save a man who didn’t in the least deserve saving, but it wasn’t in Zuko to stand there and let a man die.
Zuko made mistakes. But even as young as 13, he was always good.
And you wanna compare him to bigot bullying wizard boy and fascist nazi space boy??????
The bad boy/good girl dynamic isn’t even applicable to Zutara.** Not when Zuko wasn’t always evil and Katara wasn’t always good. These are two people who couldn’t have started in two complete different situations, but are so much more alike in so many aspects; from their personalities to their trauma. The bad boy/good girl dynamic is a trope in which the good girl was the main if not the entire reason why the bad boy becomes a decent human being. Katara was nowhere near him when he changed his ways as early as book 2. Zuko did that on his own.
Like honestly, just say you don’t understand Zuko and Katara as characters, or their relationship at all and go. Shit is embarrassing.
**Also the people that said that Zuko fits some sort of Alpha Male trope as a foil to Katara’s Meek Princess trope; lmaaaaooooo!! Zuko the awkward turtle duck who couldn’t even notice when a girl liked him is your idea of an Alpha Male??? Katara who always has to be right about everything, the girl who takes charge of her entire squad and demands her rights like the boss ass bitch that she is, is y’all idea of a Meek Princess trope?? Like... is you good? Pls keep Zutara away from your clown shit. Wack.
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tinyboxxtink · 3 years
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“Warrior”
Awwwwww SHIT. She cannot be stopped, folks. 
So I thought about making this an Epilogue to “Helpless”, but I MIGHT turn it into a sequel, if that’s something you guys want. I have so many ideas!!! 
Anyway, here is a “Helpless” SEQUEL ONE SHOT as of now. 
TBH I love it so much. I was listening to the song and I just couldn’t get this idea out of my head. OH RIGHT, if you haven’t heard Demi Lovato’s “Warrior”, listen to it now. And/or as you read this. I listened to it the entire time I wrote it. Hell I’m still listening to it. LOL.
“Please, Liv?” 
Barba was begging his best friend, on his knees in his own office. 
“This is ridiculous, Rafa. You’re a grown man. Stop begging,” 
“Then promise you’ll do it,” 
“I..wha...WHY do you need me to take your girlfriend out?”
“Look she just went through a traumatic event--” 
“Um it was pretty traumatic for me too, if you couldn’t tell,” 
“Right. I know...Liv, you know I love you,” He put a hand on her shoulder. “But she ALSO lost the one person in the world that she’s had for most of her life. She has no one now,” 
“She has you, obviously,” 
“Well yeah sure she has me, but I--I can’t be her whole world. She needs friends. And she doesn’t meet anyone because she had to quit her job at Fazzoli’s. So she’s just been my Personal Assistant for the past month until she can find something else, and she’s just…. around, ALL the time,” He explained the past month of your lives.
“Sounds like you’re getting sick of your little hustler,”  Liv chuckled. 
“DON’T, call her that.” Rafael warned her. 
“Why? It’s what she did,” Liv scoffed.
“Olivia...look,” Rafael rubbed his temples. “You are my best friend in the entire world, and I love you. But you have GOT to let this little...grudge against Y/N go,” 
“Grudge? What-- She--” Olivia protested, but Rafael cut her off.
“Whatever happened, it’s in the past. We’re putting it behind us, and so should you,” 
“Whatever….” Olivia rolled her eyes.
“If you want to keep being my best friend,” 
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a plea, once again,” He took her hand. “If you truly love me, you will help me help her,”  He gave her those puppy dog eyes, the ones she could never resist, even if she wanted to. 
“Oh that is DIRTY, Barba,” She pushed him away with her hand over his face. 
“Again though, I don’t know what you want me to do. She obviously doesn’t think we’re going to be friends, and all of my friends are your friends-- also, they’re all adults,”
 “She’s an adult,”
“....Sure she is,”
“OLIVIA,”
“Okay okay, I just...Oh you know what, I could ask Lucy if her and her friends want to come,” She picked up her phone and flipped through it.
“See? You’re brilliant,” Rafael smiled.
“Whoa there counselor, I’m not sure how excited she is going to be to drag her friends out with her BOSS, her friends and your pet---girlfriend,”  She quickly corrected herself, but Barba heard it anyway. 
“You’re unbelievable,” He sighed. 
“Look I said I would ask her, I didn’t say it would be happy about it,”
“Alright, alright,” He nodded. “Thank you, Liv,”  he gave her a small hug then she turned to walk out. 
“Don’t make me regret this,” She eyed him. Just then, you came up behind her in the doorway.
 “Regret what?” 
 “Uh...my lunch plans, Rafael suggested a place I haven’t tried,” Olivia pushed her hair behind her ears nervously, looking everywhere around you but your eyes. Classic lying tells, but you really didn’t want to deal with her stuff right now so you left it alone.
“Oh, well have fun detective!” You gave her a cheery smile as she walked out of the office. You handed Rafael one of the two coffees you had brought in.
“Fuel for my baby,” You smiled, kissing him on the cheek. You could see the screaming behind his eyes when he smiled back at you. 
“...What?” you raised an eyebrow.
“What, what?” he asked, acting oblivious.
“Rafael, you know I know something is off,” 
“Wha… no, not--” he started but you gave him a knowing look. “You said you weren’t going to do that anymore, Y/N,” he was suddenly stern, referring to using your ‘superpower’. 
“And I told you, I can’t turn it off!” You reminded him, you had said it in your very first conversation. 
“Okay but you can...y’know pretend you don’t see things,” he pointed out.
“Or, you could just tell me why your eyes are screaming for help right now,” you crossed your arms.
“Wha--that--Good lord,” He sighed, taking a swig of his coffee. 
“I’m around too much, aren’t I?” You finally stated the obvious, tired of ignoring it anymore.
“No! No no no…” He put a hand to your face. Overly repetitive denial, meant yes. 
“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I don’t have anywhere else to be,” You bit your lip and looked down at the floor. You hated being this helpless, relying on him for everything. Ever since he had left the hospital, you’d moved in with him and took care of him while his shoulder healed. And then when he went back to work, you told him you had to quit working at Fazzoli’s because it was just too hard to go there every day after everything that had transpired there. You really had tried, but you just kept having flashbacks or panic attacks that Arianna would come walking through the door and take you away again. 
Rafael was totally understanding, as usual. He told you that you could be his Assistant for the time being, which really just meant you followed him around all day like a puppy. And he was paying you with his salary, so he was basically just giving you money. You hated it; you were used to being completely independent-- sort of. 
Sure Arianna ‘protected’ you, but it wasn’t like you were a baby bird. You had been through so many horrific things in your short life, all on your own. You knew how to survive in the mean streets of NYC, making your own money. You were like a bulldog, and now you were a lap dog. 
“Hey,” Rafael picked your head up back to face him. “I know. I’m not blaming you for anything,” 
“But you are sick of me,” 
“I just...I think you need more people in your life, that’s all,” he stroked your hair.
“Yeah, I know,” you shrugged.
He was right, but you weren’t used to having more than one person looking out for you, or vice versa. You didn’t really know what it was like to have a normal friend, and your serious trust issues really didn’t help the situation. Rafael had tried to get you to go to therapy to work through your “issues”, but you didn’t trust your therapist, which made the whole thing moot. 
“...Wait, so what were you actually talking about with Liv?” 
“She told you, I was--” 
“Can we not do this again,” You rolled your eyes. 
“....Alright fair enough,” He sighed, giving up. “I asked Olivia if she knew of any girls that might want to ‘hang out’ with you,” 
“Oh my god, Rafa!” You were humiliated. 
“God now I’m like that weird kid in class who eats paste, and her parents have to to talk to the teacher who makes the other kids be her friend,” 
“....That’s a weirdly specific scenario,” he raised an eyebrow.
“...Yeah, well-- not my first time,” You shrugged sadly.
“Aw honey,” He half laughed, taking your into his arms and kissing your forehead. “I would’ve been your friend, no matter what you ate,” 
“Yeah well considering you were probably in high school when I was in elementary, I doubt it,” You smirked.
“Ooof, below the belt,” He put both hands over his crotch with a pained expression.
“I’m sorry,” you stuck your tongue out with a smile. “But you kinda deserve it, trying to beg people to be my friend,” 
“I didn’t BEG…” He started, but saw that look in your eyes. “Okay but it worked,” He came clean. 
“Oh Olivia and I are gonna have a girls night? Are we gonna braid each other’s hair and talk about boys we like? OH WAIT,” You made sarcastic gestures. “We like the same boy!” You rolled your eyes. 
“I mean, I can’t blame you. He’s pretty awesome,” He smirked.
“And so not full of himself,” You pulled on his collar towards you.
“Not at all,” He kept smirking, as he placed his lips over yours. 
Just then Barba’s phone vibrated-- a text from Liv. 
 “KARAOKE NIGHT. TONIGHT. 8PM,” 
 “Uh….well, I guess you might be right?” He showed his phone. It vibrated again, another text came in as your were reading it.
 “LUCY AND FRIENDS, YOU BETTER BE THERE TOO. I’M NOT A BABYSITTER,” 
 “Well, she is just lovely,” you handed it back to him with a roll of your eyes. 
“Hey, at least she’s trying,” he texted a reply to Liv.
 “Can you try as well? Please?”  He asked you while looking at you with the same puppy dog eyes, Liv wasn’t the only one who couldn’t resist them.
“Fine…” you sighed, and he rewarded you with a kiss.
“I need something to wear,” You batted your eyes, to which he rolled his own and pulled out his credit card. 
“See? I’m leaving you alone, it’s working already!” You giggled, walking out of the office to go shopping.
------
That night, you and Rafael showed up to a place called TOP5.. It was a fun, trendy hipster  restaurant. There were several booths, some tables, even a few couches for people to chill. And in front of everything was a huge stage, with a piano next to it. But there was also a DJ, spinning records. 
Rafael noticed Olivia waving to him; he lead you to a giant half booth half table where Olivia, Rollins, Fin, Carisi, and four young girls you had never met before sat with drinks in their hands. 
“How did you get these guys out?” Rafael gestured to the squad.
“I asked them nicely,” She smiled.
“Yeah, if ‘nice’ means  it was either this or catching up on paperwork all night,” Fin rolled his eyes. 
“This is Lucy, my nanny,” Olivia pointed the young girl next to her, who gave a small wave. 
“And these are my friends Riley, Lexi and Brianne,” Lucy pointed to each of her friends, who also did a wave as they heard their name. 
“Rafael Barba,”  he nodded to the girls. “And this is my--”
“Y/N,” You interjected, introducing yourself. You were determined NOT to just be “Rafael’s Girlfriend” anymore. 
“So we were looking through some songs, I don’t think anyone’s brave enough to go up there though,” Lexi informed you, gesturing to a huge black binder in front of her and her friends.
“More like not drunk enough,” Lucy laughed.
“Hey we can fix that!” Brianne giggled, calling for shots from the bar.
“Great idea Barba, it’s like we’re chaperoning,” Amanda whispered to Rafael, who rolled his eyes and nodded to a waiter for a scotch. 
“May I?” You asked Riley, sliding the book in front of you. You flipped through a binder, until a song stood out to you. It was like it was screaming to you from the page.
You had heard so many “therapeutic” mantras over the past month, people trying help you get over your trauma. Talk it out, they said. You need to get it out. 
Well, this was one way. 
You excused yourself and walked up to the DJ, whispered something to which he nodded, and went to the mic. 
“Alright alright, looks like we have our first vict--I mean, superstar!” He joked. You seriously thought about punching him in the face for using “victim” as a joke, but you knew that was the trauma talking. And you were to fix that, not indulge it.
 The music started, and you just let the words spill out:
This is a story that I have never told
I gotta get this off my chest to let it go
I need to take back the light inside you stole
You're a criminal
And you steal like you're a pro
All the pain and the truth
I wear like a battle wound
So ashamed, so confused
I was broken and bruised
Thoughts of you and Arianna’s life together ran through your mind like a movie montage as you sang. The words were so scary accurate.
Now I'm a warrior
Now I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me again
 That first chorus felt like you were letting out a huge breath you had been holding in for God knows how long. You wanted Olivia, Rafel, the squad...EVERYONE to know, that you weren’t this helpless little lamb they had seen for the past month.
 Out of the ashes, burning like a fire
You can save your apologies
You're nothing but a liar
I've got shame, I've got scars
But I will never show
I'm a survivor
In more ways than you know
'Cause all the pain and the truth
I wear like a battle wound
So ashamed, so confused
I'm not broken and bruised
 Now the flashbacks of the real trauma you had been through came pulsing through your mind. Horrors that still kept you up at night; you’d have night terrors sometimes but had hidden them from Rafael so far. He didn’t need to know just how fucked up you truly were. None of it mattered now anyway, you were a survivor. And you had the scars to prove it.
 'Cause now I'm a warrior
Now I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me
 There's a part of me I can't get back
A little girl grew up too fast
All it took was once, I'll never be the same
Now I'm taking back my life today
Nothing left that you can say
'Cause you were never gonna take the blame anyway
 You thought of everything Arianna had taken from you. Sure your childhood was shit, but you were fairly young when she convinced you to run away with her. You could have stayed in your small town, found a decent job. Lived a normal life, with normal friends. But she sucked you into your life of crime and deceit, all while telling you it was perfectly fine, and that she loved you. But it was all bullshit, all of it. You saw that now. And now if she ever came back into your life and tried to convince you of anything, you wouldn’t fall back into her lies.
You took a breath before the last chorus, suddenly feeling your face getting wet. You realized you had started crying while you were singing, but for some reason you weren’t ashamed of it. It actually made you feel stronger, like letting your tears wash the pain and shame from yourself.
 Now I'm a warrior
I've got thicker skin
Now I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me again
You finished the song in a whisper as your head dropped to looking at the floor. You were exhausted from the mental journey that song had taken you on. You had never felt so...free. Before you could even look up, the room erupted in applause. 
You lifted your head to see everyone in the room giving you a standing ovation...even Olivia, who you could swear had tears in her eyes. 
You gave a sheepish smile and a curtsy, quickly getting off the stage and returning to your booth, where not a face was dry. 
“...Aww, guys...,” You didn’t know what to say; you had never been that open and vulnerable to ANYONE before, and here you had gone and ripped your soul open in front of a group of strangers.
“That was--” 
Olivia came around and hugged you, a genuine hug. It lasted uncomfortably long, so you had to break it with a confused smile. 
“I’m sorry I judged you,” She apologized, and you saw the absolute sincerity and guilt written all over her face.
“It’s fine, if I were you I would’ve judged me too,” you gave her an understanding smile.
She nodded, giving Rafael an apologetic look as well, to which he took her hand and pulled her into a hug. 
“So, who’s next?!” You smiled, pushing the binder to the middle of the table. Protests and laughs began at the table, bickering about who was drunk enough to follow you. 
Rafael leaned over to you, whispering in your ear over the noise of the crowd.
“You’re the bravest warrior I know, Y/N” He wiped tears from his eyes, kissing your cheek.
“Yes. Yes, I am,” you smiled, wiping the rest of his tears as you kissed him. 
And for the first time maybe ever, you believed it.
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katara0524 · 3 years
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Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo
In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)
-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)
-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!
-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!
-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee
-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???
-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life
-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao
-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!
-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?
-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol
-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")
-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO
-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)
-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that
-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)
-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.
-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol
-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao
-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.
-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm
-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)
-I Love Him, Your Honor
-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it
-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)
-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)
-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)
-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ
-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO
-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)
-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)
-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-
-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)
-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)
-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you
-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj
-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy
-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)
-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO
-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)
-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it
-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible
-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.
-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that
-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily
-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:
-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd
If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!
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