#absolute cringe fail energy

[tsukimefuku]

The broken idealist: Higuruma Hiromi

And how the world of JJK viciously punishes idealists.

Before we start, let’s set some premises:

This is an essay based solely on my opinions and my own knowledge of criminal justice. I’m no professional writer/essayist.

JJK is a critique on unfair systems that reward selfishness and nurture individualistic (oftentimes destructive) behaviors.

One of the main motifs in JJK is (un)fairness.

Even when rewarded by these systems, individuals usually end up alienated (Gojo being the utmost example, but so is Sukuna to some extent).

The world of JJK punishes idealists very harshly. 

I might've read waaaaay too deep into his character (apologies in advance).

I am ABSOLUTELY biased in analyzing this character because I kin Higuruma very hard and identify profoundly with many of his struggles.

[queue “Pigs” by Pink Floyd] Let's do this.

The ideal of truth and Higuruma choosing to be a criminal defense attorney

Higuruma shows up in the manga as one of the top players of the Culling Games. Throughout a few chapters, Gege introduces him to us as a former criminal defense attorney that has lost it after one of his clients gets his innocence verdict overruled and is unfairly convicted for a crime he didn't commit, triggering Higuruma's cursed technique to awake, ending up in the deaths of the Judge and Prosecutor that contributed for the wrongful conviction.

Along those chapters, we get to see two very interesting things: Firstly, the fact that Higuruma actively chose to be a lawyer, instead of pursuing a career as a judge. Second, his stance and lines about truth, especially this one: "Even if no one else does, I want to keep my eyes open."

Higuruma, for me, is a prime example of how someone moved by truth and justice can become a self-righteous, cynical individual (I'll refrain from the word "villain" because he wasn't ever an actual "villain" in the story). From the get go, when we get more information on his past, we can see his mental state slowly declining as he gets progressively more overworked fighting an unwinnable fight. 

We have some very important pieces of information from chapter 158: Japan has a 99% conviction rate. The public opinion about defendants is that they're always guilty. Higuruma earns little, works a lot and his job is usually trying for a miracle, to be that 1%. And, finally, that Higuruma chose to fight an unfair system from within. 

That not only has huge parallels with the world of cursed energy, but is one the most important messages I feel that JJK is building up to — you can't reform a broken system from within, because structurally and systematically unfair systems will always push things back into a state of unfairness / status quo. We see this when Gojo says, at the beginning of the manga, that even if he killed all the higher ups at that point in time, other assholes would just take their places. To a more fundamental level, we see it in Yuki's failed efforts to end curses from the perspective of a jujutsu sorcerer, and the way the story is progressing towards a complete rupture with the current state of cursed energy altogether to give place to something new.

The message is: To fight an unfair system from within and by its own rules is and always will be a losing game.

Now to Higuruma's fallout, we have a perfect storm for what happened to him — an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. 

I'll dive a little into criminal law (and c.l. procedure) and make many oversimplifications to get a point across, so I apologize to any other criminal lawyers out there reading this and cringing at the oversimplifications.

In theory, the Criminal Justice System should be preoccupied with the truth. Criminal Law, in essence, is attributing a penalty (prison, fine, death, etc.) to an act (to kill, to rob) described by law as a crime. In that regard, then, one could only suffer said penalty if they actually committed the act that the law described as being a crime. 

Where does truth come into place here?

To investigate if something happened in the world of facts (the real, concrete world) is essentially a search for truth, which to me is very telling of Higuruma's choice in becoming a criminal defense attorney. 

In an unfair system in which 99% of people are convicted, it'd make no sense for this man to become a prosecutor. The prosecution is already benefiting from the system, considering the way the scales are tipped. That's a given.

But regarding the judgeship, things become more interesting. In a fair criminal justice system, the judge is forbidden to engage in probationary activity (which means, basically, that the judge cannot search for evidence, investigate or look for witnesses, he can solely analyze what the defense and prosecution bring to him in order to give a verdict — the judge does not engage in the most important activity in finding the truth).

Why can't the judge do that?

Because when the presumption of innocence is in place, anyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, ergo, if there is not enough evidence to convict, the person must be acquitted. If the judge engages in that activity, they'd be taking on the prosecution's job — to prove the occurrence of a given criminal act. We have separate places for judging and prosecuting for a reason.

The scales are already in favor of the prosecution (they literally have THE STATE’S aid ikn the form of police forces to investigate and taxpayer money to foot costs during criminal lawsuits), so anything that might end up harming or weakening the presumption of innocence is strictly forbidden, including having the judge engage in probationary activity. If the lack of evidence is enough to acquit someone, then having the judge searching for evidence automatically harms the presumption of innocence, because if there is not enough evidence to convict someone, the judge MUST acquit. 

In that scenario, then, the best place for someone who wants to search and defend the truth against unfairness is the Defense stand, clearly. 

Everything said up until now about how the criminal justice system should work is just the theory, however. The reality of it is far sinister. The criminal justice system is a machine perfectly conceived to chew out those who fight for fairness, because fairness is not one of its main goals. It's main goal is serving as an instrument of power (in the most Foucaultian sense of the word) and control over citizens and, to some degree, appease collective concerns about crime rates and violence by making examples out of people, whether they're guilty or not (I could go on a tangent here for hours about the criminal justice system, capitalism and protection of private property by the state, but let's not do that, lol). 

That's why Keita's trial is the perfect storm to break Higuruma's psyche so deeply. All the systematic unfairnesses that exist in the Japanese Criminal Justice System chomp away his ideals — one might say, what constitutes the very core of who he is — and unceremoniously spits it right back in his face. 

Independent defense lawyers are systematically in a worse position regarding resources to gather evidence in their client's favor; it's easier to convict someone who's already under the gavel than to start a new investigation on somebody else and spend even more taxpayer money; to convict a person whom the people deem as guilty soothes the public opinion regarding how well the criminal justice system actually works to "keep society safe from these foul criminals" (not human beings); the appeal is a limited resource in most criminal justice systems, so after one gets their innocence verdict overturned, to get it back is extremely hard.

Everything worked perfectly to break every inch of Higuruma's ideals. It's no use for you to be the only one willing to stare truth in its eyes if everyone else looks away because it's more convenient to let the unfair gears keep turning the way they do. You'll give yourself to unnecessary suffering meanwhile nothing ever changes. This could even help draw a parallel between Higuruma's and Geto's fallouts: to realize how broken the system is, how you can't break a wall with the toy hammer the wall builders give you, and how lonely/depressing/infuriating of an experience it is to realize all this and still know there is absolutely nothing you can do. 

The game is rigged, and if someone ever so chooses to not play by those rules, they're viciously punished.

Now that we've gotten to the breaking part, let's see how it manifests in Higuruma's own cursed technique and domain expansion.

The broken idealist and the cynicism

Someone had made an amazing post about how Higuruma's domain expansion was a perfect demonstration of his own cynicism at the moment his abilities were awakened, but I couldn't find it! So OP, if you by any chance end up reading this, HMU, because what you said will be featured here. (Edit: found it. Thanks, Eugie! The post can be accessed here, and @wolke17 made a deeper analysis after it, take a look at their profile)

In order to talk about Higuruma's cynicism stemming from his disappointment with the criminal justice system, we need to talk about his domain, so that's what we're gonna do now.

In his domain expansion, we meet his shikigami, Judgeman, who is an all-knowing creature responsible for giving off the verdict at the end of the debates between the two parties. According to Higuruma, Judgeman knows absolutely everything about someone's life the moment they enter his domain.

All is well up until now, isn't it? Hm, not so much. There are some very serious philosophical conundrums to having an all-knowing being bestowing judgment (skeptical catholics went crazy over this for many centuries). 

Think about this: in a Courtroom, we have a judge who needs to get to know the facts, and is presented with two different hypotheses about the facts (prosecution and defense), for which the evidentiary activity (collecting evidence) is needed to support one hypothesis or the other. Given that we abide by the presumption of innocence, you don’t even have to prove the defense’s hypothesis to get an acquittal, as long as the prosecution one isn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

What’s the issue with having a judge that is omniscient? 

First off, why would two hypotheses need to be confronted if the judge already knows the answer — if the person did or did not commit the crime?

On another note, now going into more of a “well he’s just judging based on the allegations”, it gets deeper. We have a judge that knows what happened, but simply decides based on the parties arguments. This is a huge issue because firstly, it obliterates the value of truth in the justice system — if criminal law is attributing to a particularly reprehensible action a penalty, and judgeman knows if that action took place or not, yet doesn’t decide according to what happened, but according to who best defends their point of view, it annihilates the very own reason for collecting evidence, the reason that a judgment needs to take place and the reason for criminal law even existing.

In Higuruma's domain, then, truth becomes the least important thing. In there, who has the better argument wins the debate. The judgment that happens within Deadly Sentencing is not about truth, it’s about the game's rules (or, more specifically, his domain's rules) and who plays them better, which makes it all the more ironic that Higuruma sees so much “potential” in the Culling Games due to its rules and established mechanics.

In a courtroom setting, having an omniscient judge is always, in any scenario, a cynical game of wits, and it fits perfectly with the philosophical fallout Higuruma experienced after Keita's conviction. His perspective got switched from "who deserves to win according to the truth" to "who plays the game better". He lost faith in the criminal justice system, and to a deeper degree, he lost faith in fairness in the world as a whole.

And that's why we can arrive at the conclusion that Higuruma is, in essence, a "broken idealist" character: he's not pandering to the idea that "the winner should be the one who plays the rules better” because he truly believes it; he's doing it out of resentment, because he got time and time again punished and was subjected to a hell of a lot of suffering for upholding his own ideals of truth and fairness. He's not acting, he is reacting to being unraveled and broken the way he was.

It also shows in his discourse regarding the weak, and the way he tries to place himself above what he dubs “the ugliness of people”, as the only one who sees the truth (“darkness is only darkness / people are ugly”). It’s a mirror: he experienced his own helplessness (or weakness) with Keita’s conviction, so in an effort to try and protect whatever is left from his own psyche, he’s actively denying how helpless he really feels by putting himself above the “truly weak”. 

In the end, however, Higuruma kept his idealistic essence alive instead of giving himself over to the story that he told himself as a defense mechanism, unlike Geto, which is why it was possible to bring him back.

Even broken, he remained an idealist at heart.

written by tsukimefuku ㋡ comments and reblogs are appreciated. do not copy, translate or repost. copycatting is for losers.

[mapofsouthdakota]

Caffeine, chemistry and Caleb VI

Synopsis: The café was supposed to be just another coffee shop. For a law student who enjoys her morning coffee and a shy newbie still learning the ropes, it should have been nothing more than part of the daily routine… But then there’s Caleb.

Details: 2000 words. Non-MC!Reader as the law student. Expect cringe, hot af barista Caleb, mission and romcom plot with the newbie.

Parts: intial, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 7, part 8

Tags: @gavin3469 @unstablemiss @i-messed-up-big-time @mipov101 @zukini-01 @ariakamil

Ambushed by Academia | pt. 6

Caleb had looked so pleased when you walked in earlier. That smile—slow, crooked, like he’d been waiting for an excuse to light up—and just like that, you’d forgotten every last article of your notes. Forgotten your looming deadlines, your carefully calibrated emotional boundaries, and the way your heart was absolutely not supposed to skip at the sight of an apron and forearms.

And the way his eyes had tracked you through the room like you were the only person that mattered?

Obscene. Practically grounds for academic collapse.

Now, though—

The café lights are dimmed for closing. You’re squatting behind the counter—not because you work there, but because at this point, it feels like you might as well. Your blazer’s folded over a stool, your laptop’s wedged between stacks of drink sleeves, and your dignity is somewhere near the trash can labeled “compostable materials.”

And still—you’ keep coming back.

Because you’ve got to figure out what, exactly, is happening to your brain every time he says “Golden girl”.

… Or tugs your pony tail on his way out—grinning like it’s nothing, like you’re not going to be replaying it for the next six hours.

You help the newbie stack cups. They don’t protest anymore. You think they’ve accepted your presence as a natural part of the ecosystem.

They suggested K-pop to pull you out of the Taylor Swift spiral you were clearly mid-descend into. You vetoed it on principle. They vetoed your playlists out of spite. You both eventually settled on a random café mix—the kind with acoustic guitar so faint, the clink of ceramic and the flick of the newbies tongue piercing against their teeth sounded louder by comparison.

So to spare them the dental work—you brush a crumb off the bar and ask, “You got any plans this weekend?”

They shrug, sorting the last of the tip jar. “Might hit the farmers market before my shift.”

Mid-wipe, you pause. “Really.”

They glance over, catching the tone. “…What?”

You raise an eyebrow. “You don’t exactly scream artisanal tomato energy.”

The newbie sighs. “Okay, fine. I overheard Caleb on the phone.”

That makes you stop.

They keep their eyes on the cash tray. “Something about meeting someone there. It sounded… like a plan. Then he asked me to cover his afternoon shift.”

You blink. Once. Twice.

Chewing their tongue piercing, they confess: “I figured I’d casually suffer and then tell you,” they say, voice dry.

Nodding slowly, you set the rag down like it personally betrayed you. “And you’re going?”

Then, softer—trying to sound offhand but failing they say: “Maybe I’ll stop by before. Just to… you know. See the crowd. But chances of running into him are basically zero…”

The newbie shakes their head, fast. “I took the shift.”

You raise an eyebrow. “You took the shift?!”

“I panicked. He was being nice. I didn’t think it through. I’m a simp.”

You stare.

They flick their piercing against their teeth and mutter, “I am so mad at me.”

You lean your elbows on the counter. “So what now? You just… suffer in silence?”

“No,” they say, looking up at you with quiet desperation. “You go.”

You blink. “Me?”

“You peek,” they say, nodding like it’s a battle plan. “Just a quick loop. You don’t even have to talk to him. Just recon.”

You cross your arms. “And why would I do that?”

The newbie looks you dead in the eye.

“Because I’m working a shift I did not emotionally prepare for, and I need to know if he’s with her so I can spiral in peace.”

You stare. “You’re the worst.”

They smirk. “No, I’m relatable.”

Just then, the newbie’s phone buzzes on the counter.

Caleb: tell golden girl I hope her books aren’t killing her. can’t wait to make her a monday madness latte. we’ll invent something amazing for her, newbs.

You and the newbie both stare at it.

They look back at you.

You shrug, fingers slipping through your ponytail with casual ease. “Cool. He’s multitasking.”

“Emotionally or logistically?” they ask.

“Unclear,” you mutter. “Both feel illegal.”

You sigh. “Fine. I’ll go.”

They hold out a hand—tentative, a little amused. “For the case.”

You eye it.

Then give them a small high five.

It’s quiet. Awkward.

But it feels good.

——————————————————————————

Later that night

——————————————————————————

You’re at home.

Wrapped in a hoodie you pretend you don’t sleep in when stressed, laptop propped on your knees.

You open a fresh document titled:

To Market or Not to Market: An Objective Analysis of Strategic Stalking and Emotional Recklessness.

You start typing.

Pros of going to the farmers market:

Possible intel on Apple Girl.

Caleb in natural lighting.

Surprise outfit advantage.

Get closure. Or proof. Or content.

Cons:

Potential heartbreak.

Ethical… murkiness.

May buy shit I don’t want or need (f.i. apples).

Obvious spiral behavior.

I could… should be studying…

You close your eyes.

Then, in your mind, underline Caleb in natural lighting. Three times. In red.

Because unfortunately, that’s starting to feel like reasonable justification.

——————————————————————————

The weekend

——————————————————————————

You are not dressing up.

You’re just… choosing strategically.

You stare at your closet like it’s the witness stand. Everything feels like a statement.

Too casual? You’ll look like you’re trying not to try.

Too nice? Obvious.

Too “I just rolled out of bed”? Untrue, and you’re not a good enough liar.

You pull out your favorite blazer.

Then put it back.

You eye a button-down. Too stiff. You grab a cropped athletic zip-up instead. It’s fitted. Sleek. Slightly smug. The kind of outfit that says: yes, I studied commercial law for four hours this morning but I still have enough emotional bandwidth to look hot in daylight.

You pair it with high-waisted black pants and crisp white sneakers. Hair: tight braid. Lip gloss: faint shimmer. Jewelry: minimal, but coordinated.

You nod at your reflection.

Classy. Clean. Slightly intimidating. Entirely unnecessary.

You are a rational adult who just happens to be dressed like a walking case study in tactical thirst.

This is fine.

You toss a canvas tote over your shoulder, because you might buy produce, okay?

Totally casual.

Totally not a stakeout.

——————————————————————————

You walk through the rows like you belong here.

Like you’re not casing the scene for one (1) specific barista.

Like you came for kombucha samples and not evidence.

It’s bright out. Stupidly pleasant. People are smiling and holding hands and buying overpriced jam like they’ve never had a breakdown over a man with purple eyes, rolled sleeves and a dog tag.

Your sneakers crunch on gravel. Your tote bag is empty.

You’ve passed the honey booth twice now.

Still no Caleb.

You keep your pace casual. Normal. Totally not scouting like an undercover agent.

Your eyes sweep the crowd in slow, professional intervals. Like you’re assessing jurors. Or suspects.

Your phone buzzes.

newbie: did you go?

You glance around like someone’s watching you. Then type:

you: i plead the fifth.

newbie: i KNEW IT. i’m manifesting espionage results.

you: there’s a woman here with a floral dress and a baguette. she’s winning.

newbie: does she look like she ruins lives?

you: yeah

newbie: …apple girl vibes?

you: TBD

You pass a booth selling hand-stitched tea towels with puns on them. One says “You’re the apple of my pie.”

Bleh.

You keep walking.

But he’s definitely not here.

Yet.

You try not to care.

So you tell yourself that you’re just curious.

Collecting information. Restoring balance to the universe by confirming his romantic status through low-key surveillance. Completely normal.

You pretend to admire a display of lemons. They are aggressively yellow.

You check your phone. Nothing from him.

Your reflection in a mason jar tells you you still look composed.

You squint.

You do not feel composed.

You move on.

Past herbs. Past candles. Past a woman in a long dress buying tomatoes with main character energy.

Your tote bag remains empty.

So does your sense of purpose.

Your phone lights up again.

newbie: i’m emotionally holding your hand from behind the espresso machine.

You smile. Just barely.

Because no, Caleb’s not here yet.

But you’re not alone in this.

And you’re not leaving.

Not until you know something. Because until you see him, or her, or anything, you’re just a girl in a zip-up jacket, pretending to shop, and waiting for the truth to walk out of the crowd.

You’re halfway through pretending to examine a stack of organic zucchinis when you hear a voice behind you.

Familiar. Too familiar.

“Ah, my favorite overachiever outside the classroom context!”

You flinch.

You turn slowly—like a horror movie extra who knows what’s coming—and there he is.

Professor Litt. Infamous for bad jokes and a relentless obsession with “real-world application.”

And just your luck?

You’ve run into him in public.

The real world. Exactly where you didn’t want to see anyone who assigns 40-page readings for fun.

You blink. “Hi. Hello. Wow. Hi.”

Litt is wearing a straw hat and holding a bundle of radishes. You are not emotionally prepared for any of this.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” he says cheerfully. “Shouldn’t you be in a library intimidating someone with civil code citations?”

You force a laugh. “Haha, yeah. Just taking a mental break. Nature. Veggies. Fresh air.”

You are absolutely sweating.

“Good,” he nods. “It’s important to have balance. Mind, body, stress-induced academic panic.”

Litt’s eyes flick toward your bag. “We all saw the forehead-to-laptop-case moment…” He lets out a quiet tsk of exaggerated sympathy. “Right in the middle of the WTO compliance slide, no less. Tragic timing.”

You open your mouth to agree completely and apologize for that episode—and then you see him.

Caleb.

Walking out from between two booths, just a T-shirt clinging to him in… Ways…

You can see the definition of his arms from here. The line of his abs pressed subtly beneath soft cotton. That stupid apple charm bouncing once, catching the light against his chest like it knows what it’s doing.

You freeze.

But he’s alone.

Which somehow makes it worse.

Because now your spiral has no villain.

Only opportunity.

Professor Litt is mid-sentence about the contractual implications of carrots when you drop behind a crate of leafy greens like your life depends on it.

“Whoa,” he says, stopping. “Is this a—? Are you okay?”

You pop up just enough to peer over the kale. “Yup! Sorry! Low blood sugar.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You’ve never dropped out of a cold call from me. Why are you ducking for cabbage?”

You wave him off. “Unrelated. Entirely unrelated.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“No, but if I die, please delete my search history and submit my latest outline. It’s color-coded.”

You duck again.

He blinks. “…Is this about romance?”

You peek back up. “I’m legally not allowed to confirm or deny.”

He leans in, whispering. “Is it that barista you wrote about in your contracts hypothetical?”

You stare at him, betrayed. “You read that?”

“It was very vivid.”

You hear Caleb’s voice somewhere nearby—low, casual, too close. You sink lower behind the kale, heart pounding like you’re in mock trial but worse.

Litt studies you for a second, then says, “Well. I suppose if you’re going to lose composure, it might as well be in a public venue full of root vegetables.”

You sigh into your hands. “This is the worst day of my life.”

He pats your shoulder, kindly. “At least you look fantastic.”

You peek over the kale one last time.

Caleb’s browsing apples now. Of course. Abs of temptation, and he’s staying on brand.

Professor Litt adjusts his straw hat like this is perfectly normal. “Well. I’ll leave you to your… fieldwork. Try not to faint in public. It messes with your grades.”

And then, mercifully, he walks off.

You crouch lower, heart pounding, surrounded by leafy greens and academic humiliation.

You fumble for your phone and text the only person who’ll understand.

you: he’s here. alone!! his abs are illegal. help!!!

The dots blink.

newbie: omg great intel! proud of you. is the necklace still on???

You stare.

Then sigh and type:

you: still on. ofc it is. this man is clinging to symbolism like it’s a tax exemption

You don’t even hit send before ducking back behind a crate of cucumbers.

Operation Spiral: still in progress.

——————————————————————————

Part 7

——————————————————————————

Writer’s note: Aaaaaaa I loved writing Litt’s scene—pure joy. People, I’m proofreading and editing like a champ over here! Another chapter’s coming this weekend, so stay tuned for more romcom chaos and feelings. I’m officially done being an adult—I just want to write, hike, doodle, and listen to music for the rest of my life, lol. Seriously though, thank you so much for all the lovely comments and feedback on the last chapters. It means the world! Okey then, thank you for reading 🫶🏻

[nothomegal]

Mmm, this isnt a fic request (or maybe yes) but i NEED for reader to break and finally give in for their cuddle session with Danny, oh! And finally start to fall in love with him

Aww you're right anon! I guess it's only the matter of time for the reader to eventually give in and accept the weird ghost guy that keeps sneaking into their life (and house).

And I know it took me way too long to do your request, I apologize for the wait, had some trouble writing this since I never liked how it turned out -.-' Luckily though, I think I finally got something decent!

"Favorite person"

(Ghostface x GN Reader)

Summary: everyone has a limit, and unfortunately today is the day you reached yours as life wasn't all too kind to you for the last 24 hours... But hey, at least your dear intruder has your back, so not everything is that bad! Right, doll?

Warnings: mild example of unhealthy and obsessive behavior, the rest it's all fluff.

Word count: 2.2k

The grip around (Y/N) remained tight. The intruder kept holding their tied form closely in complete silence, something very out of his character.

But such oddness didn’t come from nowhere, and (Y/N) was the one who indirectly caused it. Today was probably the worst day of their life, everything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong. It's honestly incredible they still had the emotional strength to return home without bursting into tears on their way.

They’re not quite sure how or when they fell asleep, their mind been a mush of blur since they entered their home. All they can remember is waking up already laying in bed with their arms tied behind their back and their body pressed against the chest of the masked man, the same one that would often come to mess with them.

Sometimes he would reveal himself willingly and others just stay in the shadows and observe them from afar or straight from the corner while they’re in a deep sleep.

This night however, apart from tying their hands, he haven't done anything from his previous visits. No cheeky remarks about anything specific they did that day, no rants about some random topic and no attempts to scare or tease them... Heck, he didn't even run his hand through their hair or body. Absolutely no additional touches beside holding them close.

This really threw (Y/N) off. Ghostface, who's been a huge pain for them, the authorities and basically everyone in the town, was... Acting so thoughtful, nothing like the selfish villain he's been portraying himself as for the past numerous nights.

It's not the first time he hugs and holds them in his arms, he's actually super touchy with them and never fails to express his amusement of how helpless they always look. But now?... Now it doesn't feel like any of his shenanigans, but a genuine attempt to comfort them while not pushing too much, though the effectiveness of said attempt remains questionable.

Their thoughts and wonders were interrupted when they feel movement and then something grab their chin to then gently move their head up until they're face to face with that unsettling mask that resembled a ghost.

—“Feeling better?"—

They don't make a sound, quite the opposite, they press their lips in a thin line as they stare into the dark eyes of his mask.

—"If I take off the tape, will you talk to me?"—

Their body tensed at such question. Is he... Is he actually going to?...

—"Of course as long as you don't try anything funny... But you know better."— he leans closer to your face. —"Right, (Y/N)?"—

They gulp nervously, but Ghostface is right, they do know better than to gamble with their luck. Besides, they have no energy to fight or struggle anyways, so of course they'll play along... For now, at least.

With a more defeated look, they slowly nod.

The man releases a pleased hum and without a warning yanks the tape off of their moth, making them yelp from the pain and surprise.

—“There you go, hope it didn’t hurt too much.”— he snorts at your cringed expression.

—“It… It did… A bit.”— you mutter quietly. —“But not as much as a stab would…”—

The killer paused at the sound of their voice, but the calm was short as out the sudden he grabbed them by the chin again and squeezed their face a bit.

—"Aww, look, your first words.”— he remarks playfully before tilting his head. —“Well? Isn’t it just sweet to finally be able to talk, hmm?”—

(Y/N) remains quiet for a couple of seconds, unsure if they should speak again or not. But when It became clear that the interaction wouldn't progress without their contribution, they force themselves to talk.

—"I… Y-Yeah… It is nice."— you answer while studying his masked face. —"But… Please, don’t get too mad at me for replying slow... I'm not used to talk to... Killers, after all. {Or people in general...}”—

—"...Mad? At you? Oh silly..."—

His head then straightened and he squeezed their face a bit tighter.

—"You're so comically shy that I wish I could just cut you up and pull out some confidence out of your body."— he says in a playful tone, though it sounded way more sinister than intended. —"But it's not that you aren't good at speaking, it's the people you call 'friends' that made you believe that..."—

His tone then became significantly colder at the last part, which made (Y/N) tense and go quiet. But despite the dread, they couldn't help but agree with the killer, their friends indeed aren't as good as they thought.

It's another of the many bad things that happened to them today. They weren't supposed to discover it, they just got in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up overhearing the few people they thought they were close with talk about them. Nasty comment after comment, disgust and disrespect lingering in their tones as they said their name between insults and cruel jokes…

They didn't even bother to listen to the end of the conversation, they just fled the scene and did their best to not cry until they arrived home. And in the entire day, in this whole period of time they looked so pathetic and miserable, none of their other ‘friends’ bothered to see if they're alright or help with any other issue. Absolutely no one took a moment to even say 'hello', and that made (Y/N) feel the loneliest, like they're just a ghost in other people's life, being acknowledged only when they announce their presence.

They get pulled back to reality when the hand lets go of their face and their body is pressed closer to the masked man, making the embrace feel more intimate.

—"...Sorry I can't take the angst as easily as I take people out."— he mutters, his hand slowly traveling up and down your head. —"But I can prevent said angst in the future. These assholes will not disturb you again, I made sure they won't..."— his grip tightens, turning almost possessive.

A shiver traveled down their spine at his words.

They should be afraid, panic that this stranger so deliberately admitted of harming, and most likely murdering, their friends like it’s the most mundane thing to do. They definitely should at least freak out or give any other kind of distressed reaction, they should… But they don’t.

To be completely honest, they weren't even upset at what Ghostface did. After today's interaction their view on his character changed quite drastically. Though he still had that playful and cocky behavior, they now know that whenever he says or shows them care... It's genuine, or so they think. Could this be a trick to make them let their guard down? Definitely. Does it make sense? Uh... Not really, but this man likes to do odd things to throw off any bystander with his shenanigans.

But even if their strange relationship is just a game to him, then damn he's good at it. They almost feel like them matter, like they can be loved and it's just bad luck people around them can't see or appreciate them... Unfortunately though... They know it's not true, it can't be true, they're too pathetic for that, so much that even a psycho killer had pity over them to pretend-

A surprised gasp escaped (Y/N) when their body was suddenly flipped and tackled against the mattress, with Ghostface now looming over them.

They didn't even need to see his face to know what type of expression he had, the atmosphere was all it took to know he was upset.

—"I am not pleased with how you keep viewing yourself, (Y/N)."— he finally says after a pause. —"And I am certainly pissed that you're doing it around me."—

All (Y/N) could do is stare at the ghastly mask in dead silence. Despite having their mouth untapped, they couldn't bring themselves to make a sound, as if paralyzed from fear and anticipation of what he would do if they happen to upset him more.

When the killer began to lean down lowly, they held their breath by instinct.

—"I'll say this one time, and you better not force me to repeat it."— he said in a low and slow tone. —"You are my favorite person in this whole cursed world. And I swear if you dare to think badly about yourself again, I'll fucking stab you."—

He pauses, either letting his words sink in or re-evaluating what he just said or is about to say.

After not coming to a clear conclusion, he sighs with mild frustration.

—"I... Look. I'm aware of my reputation and the image you have of me. And though I do like to amuse myself with these visits of mine, not ones I did it to mess with you, not in the way you think..."—

He pauses again, the eyes of his mask staring directly into theirs, either studying their expression or thinking.

—"I wanted to end you ones..."—

As he speaks again in a lower voice as he extends his hand, aiming for their neck.

—"...But I don’t want it anymore."—

The hand was drastically redirected towards their face, covering their eyes in a quick movement. Whatever sound of surprise or confusion (Y/N) was about to make is shushed when something soft and warm was pressed against their lips, the sensation sending shivers through their body.

—"{Or ever again.}"—

That's all they heard before their eyes were uncovered and Ghostface plopped on the mattress right next to them, his head placed on his hand as he waits for their reaction.

(Y/N) can only cluelessly blink while staring at the ceiling, wondering if the warm sensation they just felt on their lips was actually Ghostface-...

Their face starts to get progressively redder as the realization kicks in. My god. Ghostface, from all people, actually!-

Their head snaps at his direction when that famous deep raspy chuckle left him, clearly entertained by the fifty shades of red their face is going through.

—"What? Never had a kiss stolen before?"— he teases.

—"I- Uh... No. Not really..."— you answer as you look away, face even redder.

—"Good, all for me then."—

Now it's (Y/N) who lets out a snort, finding his behavior silly yet quite charming. Huh, strange how quickly they moved on, the previous dread and fear they felt when he pinned them was now like a long forgotten dream...

Is the famous Stockholm syndrome affecting them already? Why are they suddenly so okay with his presence? Even when knowing about his mood swings they can't shake off this strange sensation of comfort...

Is it because his actions and intentions are now confirmed to be genuine? Because he really seems to like and cherish their company? Cherish them?...

...

...You know?

Fuck everything.

They're too tired for this 'BS' about morality and shit. It will be a tomorrow problem to overthink, now they should just give in and take this night to relax and... Well, maybe even put into use this little freedom of speech they got and actually chat to the man, maybe even get to know more about him.

They look at killer again, the dark eyes of his mask still fixated on their form as he observes them in silence, almost like he's looking at a piece of art rather than another person.

—"So... Are you going to stay here all night?"— you finally ask.

He's silent for a little while.

—"You want me to?"—

—"Kinda. You... You're not too bad of a company, I guess."— you shoot him a timid smile. —"And even if I didn't I doubt you would've leave."—

He lets out a snort at their last comment and then lies down, a bit closer to them.

—"You're right, you're now haunted by me either you want it or not."—

There is a small pause between them, both just laying and looking at each other, a strange atmosphere of calm now lingered in the room, making this moment feel oddly right.

Out of the sudden, they feel a pair of arms snake around their form and bring them ones again into that warm and intimate hug. And this time, they welcome the gesture by snuggling closer to the man and letting out a content sigh.

—"So."— he then says as he tilts his head to look at you, now in his arms. —"What's your favorite scary movie? I never got an answer to this question."—

—"Huh? Aren't you supposed to know that?"— you arch your brow. —"Y'know cuz of the whole stalker thing and all..."—

—"Yes, but want to hear you tell me that. I just really like the sound of your voice."—

They can feel their cheeks warm up, and they can't avoid to get even shyer when the man chuckles at their expression.

—"W-Well... I have a couple."—

At first they sounded awkward while speaking, as if expecting him to interrupt them or laugh at their preferences. Nevertheless, he never made a sound and seemed to pay close attention to what they're saying, sometimes even asking more things about the movies when given the opportunity. Overall, Ghostface is a very nice guy to talk about any kind of nerdy horror stuff!

At some point, they even forgot that the man holding them was a serial murder. It actually felt like talking to an old dear friend rather than a criminal.

And as they talk through the night, (Y/N) finally understands why Ghostface always became so touchy and clingy whenever he had a bad day.

Cuddles and rants indeed help, especially if done with your favorite person.

And though they're certain he's not one yet... Just by seeing how the night progresses.

They wouldn't be too surprised if he somehow sneaks his way into such spot.

[ducksido]

Brazilian Yuu by any chance??👀👀

Grim:

“Wait, you guys celebrate by setting off fireworks and dancing in the street?! That sounds AWESOME!”

Loves feijoada but is suspicious of farofa at first. Ends up stealing Yuu’s food constantly.

Tries to keep up with Yuu’s energy but gets tired halfway through.

The NRC Student Body:

“Your country is just… endless parties and food? That’s amazing.”

Confused but fascinated by Yuu’s chaotic mix of slang, Portuguese, and occasional Spanish.

Learns about Brazilian folklore and immediately regrets it. "WAIT, YOU HAVE A GHOST WHO STEALS CHILDREN?!"

Tries brigadeiro. Immediately obsessed.

Crowley:

"Ah, my dear Prefect, Brazil sounds like a marvelous place! Perhaps we should host a Carnival at NRC?"

Has no idea where Brazil actually is. Probably thinks it’s near the Scalding Sands.

Tries to claim he introduced samba to Brazil. Gets death glares from Yuu.

Crewel:

“Your country values fashion and flair? Finally, someone with taste.”

Absolutely respects Yuu’s love for bold colors and patterns.

Learns about Brazil’s superstitions on wearing white for New Year and approves.

Trein:

“Your people respect their elders? Finally, a student with proper values.”

Horrified by the idea of celebrating the dead with parties instead of quiet mourning.

Vargas:

“SOCCER IS LIFE! YOU UNDERSTAND ME, YUU!”

Immediately tries to play futebol with Yuu. They absolutely school him.

Loves Brazilian martial arts like capoeira. Tries to get the entire school into it.

Sam:

Already sells Brazilian snacks. Somehow has pão de queijo before Yuu even asks.

Uses “meu chapa” (buddy) like he’s fluent in Portuguese.

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts:

“Your country has strict etiquette but also absolute chaos? I am… conflicted.”

Horrified when Yuu dumps condensed milk into coffee. “THAT’S NOT HOW YOU MAKE COFFEE.”

Slowly warms up to brigadeiro.

Ace Trappola:

“You call your best friends ‘filho da mãe’? That’s brutal.”

Learns cursing in Portuguese just to impress Yuu. Uses it wrong.

Challenged Yuu to a futebol match. Lost. Badly.

Deuce Spade:

Respects Brazilian rebels and independence stories. “Your people fought hard. That’s so cool.”

Doesn’t understand capoeira at first. Gets kicked mid-sentence. Now respects capoeira.

Keeps calling Yuu “mano” (bro) even though they told him to stop.

Trey Clover:

“Wait, wait—your desserts are mostly condensed milk and chocolate? That’s genius.”

Immediately tries making Brazilian sweets. Succeeds. Yuu cries in joy.

Cater Diamond:

“Samba? Funk? Reggaeton? Yuu, drop that playlist NOW.”

Uses Brazilian slang but makes it sound so cringe.

Spams Yuu with Carnival filters on Magicam.

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar:

“Your people take naps in hammocks? I approve.”

Lowkey respects Brazilian jaguar myths. Won’t admit it.

Watches futebol games with Yuu but pretends he doesn’t care.

Ruggie Bucchi:

“You have street food with cheese and meat? We’re best friends now.”

Loves that Yuu knows street smarts. Finally, someone who gets it.

Learns about Brazilian trickster folklore and immediately relates.

Jack Howl:

“Your folklore has werewolves?! That’s actually cool.”

Lowkey horrified by the Curupira (fire-haired forest spirit with backwards feet).

Tries to do a traditional Festa Junina dance. Fails miserably.

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto:

“Your country values negotiation and charm? My, my, I think I would thrive there.”

Offers Yuu a deal in exchange for cachaça (sugarcane liquor). Yuu refuses.

Wants to monopolize the brigadeiro market at Mostro Lounge.

Jade Leech:

“Ah, your land has mushrooms in its cuisine? Excellent.”

Finds Brazilian myths about enchanted forests fascinating.

Wants to hike through the Amazon. Yuu warns him. He still wants to.

Floyd Leech:

“YOUR COUNTRY HAS A PARTY SEASON THAT LASTS WEEKS? I WANNA GO!”

Loves the chaos of Carnival.

Calls everyone “meu chapa” just because it sounds fun.

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim:

“Your country sounds SO FUN! Samba, festivals, and street parties?! I WANNA SEE!”

Insists on throwing a mini Carnival at NRC.

Wants to dance samba with Yuu. Tries. Falls. Laughs.

Jamil Viper:

Respects Brazilian street food. “Your country knows how to cook.”

Slightly scared by Brazilian folklore. “Wait, your legends involve HEADLESS MULES?!”

Rolls his eyes at Kalim’s attempts to samba but secretly enjoys watching.

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit:

“Brazilian beauty standards are fascinating. Natural, bold, and confident.”

Insists on a skincare routine using Brazilian ingredients like açai.

Admires Carnival costumes for their extravagance.

Rook Hunt:

“AH! The land of passion and rhythm! I must see it with my own eyes!”

Disappears for a week. Comes back fluent in Portuguese.

Compliments Yuu in poetic Portuguese constantly.

Epel Felmier:

“Your cowboys are called vaqueiros? Sick.”

Loves Brazilian rodeos.

Tries speaking Portuguese with a countryside accent. Sounds ridiculous.

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud:

“Wait… your mythology has MONSTER FISH? Giant snakes?! NOPE.”

But also: “Brazilian gamers are terrifyingly good… are you one of them?”

Watches futebol but only for the memes.

Ortho Shroud:

“Brazilian robotics are advanced! Your country is incredible!”

Learns Portuguese in two seconds. Now translates Yuu’s insults for everyone.

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia:

“Your people respect legends and the supernatural? How wise.”

Finds Brazilian folktales about enchanted forests intriguing.

Wants to dance forró (Brazilian partner dance). No one has the courage to tell him no.

Lilia Vanrouge:

“I knew a Brazilian warrior once! Excellent fighter.”

Attempts to make feijoada. Yuu takes one bite and almost cries.

Loves Brazilian rock music.

Silver:

“Your ghost stories… are terrifying.”

Mistakes a Carnival parade for a battle. Yuu has to explain.

Sebek Zigvolt:

“YOUR PEOPLE RESPECT LIGHTNING GODS? EXCELLENT!”

Yuu: “No, it’s just summer storms.”

Still respects it.

RSA & Noble Bell

Neige:

“Your country looks so colorful! I want to visit someday!”

Thinks Carnival outfits are beautiful.

Chenya:

Steals Yuu’s brigadeiro. Yuu chases him down.

Loves Brazilian pranks. They become a chaotic duo.

Rollo Flamme:

“Your festivals are… excessive.”

Secretly fascinated by Brazilian fire-related myths.

[honeytonedhottie]

HONEYS IT GIRL MAGAZINE june edition⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🎀

welcome back to honeys it girl magazine, this is the june catalog. get ready for the inside scoop on data that i've collected, things i've learned/started doing, and just general info like that organized in kind of a teen-magazine inspired fashion. a magazine for it girls ✨ and now please enjoy, the it girl magazine.

LIFE UPDATE ;

as you may or may not have noticed, i've been hiatus for most of the month now. and i disappeared because of personal reasons, and one of those reasons being that i felt i needed to reflect. here are some things that i've learned and realized during my reflection time.

in that post i go into things that i went thru during the month of june and the reason behind my absence. something that i mentioned but failed to elaborate on in that post was what i plan to manifest next and i'll talk about it later on in the post.

FOR THE WELLNESS GIRLIES ;

this summer is a hot one, and one way that i've been getting my vegetable and fruit intake is through smoothies. smoothies and juices are perfect for the summer because they're SO refreshing so im going to talk about some smoothie recipes.

adriana limas smoothie recipe ; (1 cup cold water + 1/2 avocado + honey). candice swanepoels smoothie recipe ; (1 frozen banana + 1 cup blueberries + 1 tsp protein powder + 1 scoop collagen powder + 1 tbsp chia seeds + 2 tbsp almond butter + 1 tbsp spirulina + 1 1/2 cup coconut water)

smoothies make amazing breakfasts or just amazing drinks to have when ur craving a sweet drink. for me, i like to keep my smoothies simple and use ingredients like strawberry and banana, but lately i've been loving mango in my smoothies.

LETS TALK MANIFESTATION ;

because of my period of reflection i had time to focus on what i wanted to manifest next and i wanna manifest a trip to italy for the summer + other mini things within that trip.

i've already created a script for it, and im gonna start affirming for it on the first of july. im so so excited to go and share this with you guys...💬🎀 furthermore i wanted to share some manifestation reminders and posts that have been helping me so far.

ABOUT WAVERING

YOUR NOT A VICTIM, YOU NEVER WERE

HOW TO IGNORE THE 3D AND BE UNBOTHERED

PATRICIA NAVIDAD STYLE DISSECTION ;

patricia navidad in “la fea más bella” is an over the top, feminine queen who i absolutely adore. she was easily one of my favorite characters so ofc i wanted to make this editions style dissection about her.

she has beautiful blondish hair that is similar to and complements her skintone, making her look super put together and gorgeous. she wears jewelry that she coordinates together. but my favorite outfit of hers HAS to be the one shown above on the left.

if theres one thing patricia knows how to do is to make her outfits work for HER which is why i thought she'd be the perfect candidate for this months style dissection...💬🎀

in this outfit shes wearing a matching pink set, the shade of pink is very soft and matches beautifully with the white (what looks like a corset-ish top) underneath. the color coordination is superb and she makes the shirt pop more by only using one button beneath her bust which draws attention to her figure and the top underneath.

THE CRINGE STIGMA ;

to be a victim to the cringe stigma is to be caged in ur own mind bcuz ur so scared of what others may or may not think of you. lets talk about it. the way others perceive u isnt ur business. lets think about how many times that you've stopped urself from doing something that u rly wanted to do, or something that you've really loved because u were scared of what others might say? imagine all that wasted time and energy worrying?

its not ur responsibility to keep urself small or digestible for someone. u can't grow where ur comfortable so to grow u have to get uncomfortable even if that means being called cringe by others. bcuz when others call u cringe thats their own projection onto you and it rly doesnt matter. dont take someone else's judgement too personally and just enjoy yourself no matter what...💬🎀

[kianaisspiraling]

*inhales*

WILD LIFE WILD LIFE WILDLIFEWILDLIFEWIL—

Okay okay so so far I've only watched Grian's pov but I'm gonna be binging soooo many others right after this.

First off- Skizz, Mumbo and Grian is just. Such an unexpected and silly group, I love them. Skizz, loyal to the bone. Grian, loyal but can switch sides if needed; won't betray you first. And Mumbo; the least loyal guy on the server, goes completely bonkers the moment he turns red

They also all just like. Carry themselves so seriously? But will very quickly devolve into being incredibly silly? So so silly. They will NOT last long, they're gonna fall apart faster than the Southlands for sure with the cheating allegations Mumbo is throwing at Grian, but it'll be hilarious :)

Grian: apologizing for knowing the wild cards beforehand

Me: smiles and adds it to the pile of Watcher Grian lore

Moving on from them:

*inhales again*

MISSING DOG FOUND-?!?

AND WE GOT TREEBARK BACK!!!!!! :D

The sheer happiness I felt when I saw Ren back oh my void, we missed you buddy. Martyn immediately pairing up with Ren whenever they are on the same server has my heart. They're theatre kids your honor. Can't wait to see Ren pull out his guitar <3

We also have TEAM CRINGE-FAIL-?! Lizzie, Scar, Jimmy all on the same team-? That's amazing. It would be hilarious if THIS is the season Tim wins. SURELY having such a high concentration of loser (affectionate) energy will circle around to make them clutch. Surely. It's their moment.

Smth smth, Lizzie and Scar were the only two people alone last season. Smth smth, Lizzie died first and Scar last. Smth smth, Scar reaches out an unconditional hand to Lizzie, offering her an ally because he knows what it's like to be without. Smth smth, Lizzie accepts because she knows waiting for allies leads to none. They're friends now :)

I also heard Scar brought the reputation points back?? If that's true then oml we're so close to getting a Third Life parody. So so close, especially with Scar falling off a cliff and dying while singing, claiming that everything that touches the light is his. It is SUCH a good season for us folks that never left the desert. Bonus points if Grian ends up with Scar after the Sub-One Club inevitably crumbles.

We've ALSO got the op, terrifying duo of Gem and Joel. They are going to be SO unhinged. They will be the chaos group this season, mark my words. They will inevitably fuck shit up and I am WAITING for it. Manifesting Gem or Joel win >:)

And over here we've got three of the divorce quartet (Scott, Pearl, and Cleo) allied with the local supportive dad (Impluse). Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone outside or in between, we once again have the girls, the gays, and ImpulseSV. Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss, girldad <3

The three of them just reminiscing on Double Life while Impulse stays quiet, internally remembering his little life in the suburbs with Bdubs as they stirred the pot and watched drama unfold. He DOES NOT have anything to add to this conversation on messy divorce.

Also apparently Scott canonically believes that HE'S the reason Jimmy broke the canary curse and Scar won in secret life?? Because he stopped them from allying together last season or something?? That's just wonderful to me. I don't think he's entirely wrong either, they would've destroyed each other SO quickly

Now, getting on to BigB and whatever he's got going on. Something DEFINITELY happened to him in that hole last season, because he is getting increasingly cryptic. OF COURSE he would live in the Pale Garden with the Creaking. Where else would he go??

I absolutely love everyone making BigB a Creaking hybrid, but hear me out: BigB has ALSO been made a watcher by the fandom in previous seasons because of things like the Nosy Neighbors in Limited Life and his Whole Thing in Secret Life, right? You know what the Watchers are often compared to? Biblically accurate angels. You know what the Creaking has been compared to? Weeping Angels. BigB is a Weeping Angel.

(Maybe Weeping Angels are a type of Watcher. they're closely related to the Creaking; perhaps they made it?)

(I have not watched Doctor Who, though I'd like to. All I know is that Weeping Angels are VERY Watcher-core to me <3)

Finally we have a classic trio of Etho, Bdubs, and Tango. They're taming horses, they're non-stop bickering, they DO NOT share, it's every man for themselves. Tango is third wheeling Ethubs so much rn. They get on each other's nerves. They're besties, after all they keep putting themselves together no matter how much they bicker. Team BET ily <3

Love that Etho IMMEDIATELY tries to ally with the local Watcher for inside information, but Grian refuses to give it to him. It was worth a shot, buddy. I adore every second of screen time in which Grian and Etho interact. They are SUCH a good duo for me. One Stick Wither and Etho's Dishwasher, you will forever be famous <3

Anyhow, I think that covers everything I have to say for now, having watched one pov and scrolled Tumblr for a while. I cannot WAIT for this season, as there's a lot of stuff from previous seasons coming back, with Renchanting, the divorce quartet, Scar bringing back reputation points, and more. I can't wait to see this unfold :D

[authormars]

I'm so sorry to ask, but what do you think about Luci x extremely Paranoid, depressed, and some kind of "polite but very sarcastic" mc?

And no offense really, i...just...I've been dealing with paranoia and depression for many years, and I really just need a bit comfort. If you don't want to do it, just ignore, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or think I'm some kind of cringe weirdo.

Dude, that MC is basically just me. But of course! I'll take any request, don't worry, you're not a bother

As always, with any of my x MC content, MC is gender neutral!

Lucifer read your file, so he already knew about the depression. He and Diavolo had already agreed upon some accomodations for it. You wouldn't be penalized for missing RAD and all of your work would be online, if you wanted to skip the day or the whole week. They had a therapist on hand, both human and demon, if you wanted someone to talk to, and you were free to ask Satan or Lucifer for help if you were behind on work because you missed an important lecture.

Lucifer kept his distance from you mostly. He was busy man and, outside of your penchant for pacts, really only interacted with you if you came to him or if he needed a report for Diavolo.

That was, until he heard you hadn't come out of your room in days. He had researched depression before signing off on your file for the exchange program, but even this was out of the ordinary. No matter who texted you or knocked on your door, you didn't answer. Eventually, he had to take matters into his own hands.

To say it was terrifying when he busted down your door in demon form is an understatement. You had already been feeling absolutely awful and had barely left your bed outside of grabbing the occasional snack to not die. Thankfully, none of the more high energy (Mammon) brothers were with him.

"MC. Why haven't you been answering your DDD?" Lucifer seemed annoyed to even have to come here, making you feel even worse. You were a burden to him. "I know about your depression, but you must complete at least a little work or at least answer our texts." And now he was scolding you.

"So Pridey McPrideface doesn't ever miss texts on his phone? Or not want to do work?" You snapped at him. You were annoyed and the response slipped out. You immediately regretted it, at the angry expression Lucifer gave you. After a moment, the look softened.

"MC. I understand you don't want to complete your work, but perhaps I can be of service. If you do not understand the material or simply need someone to be with you as you complete it, the door to my office is always open." He seemed to have realized his presence was making you uncomfortable so he retreated to the doorway.

"Just please answer your texts. I haven't heard the end of it from Mammon and you can only string him up for so long before it isn't a real punishment anymore."

After your interaction with him, you slowly became more comfortable with him. He stopped being the scary demon who could and probably would kill you, given the chance, and became something of a friend.

He didn't yell at you when you joined him in his study or office. He didn't get mad when you were failing your classes because you couldn't find the motivation for work. He simply offered to tutor you when he could and he didn't bat an eye when you snapped with a sarcastic comment when you got annoyed.

Lucifer started walking you to class when you felt up to go to RAD. As the walks became more frequent, he started noticing all your fidgets. How you would glance at any demon passing by, as if you were scared one might jump out at you and try and hurt you. He noticed how you would narrow your eyes when he made a statement, as if you didn't trust what he was saying.

Eventually, he worked up the courage to ask you about it. He didn't want to pry, but he wanted to make life in Devildom as good as it could be for you. Your answer was not what he expected.

"Paranoia?"

"Yeah. I mean, I feel like everyone is always watching me. Talking about me. Trying to hurt me. Always plotting against me. Even you. I know it's irrational, but I can't stop it. I'm always on the defensive. No one can be trusted"

"Is there... any way I can help? I want to make your experience as good as it can be here, MC."

"I... I don't know"

"Well, if you think of anything, tell me. I will help in any way I can. I promise you, you can trust me."

Over time, Lucifer slowly learned your triggers. He learned not to assume you knew what he meant or that you trusted him. He made sure never to lie to you. No matter what, he wanted to be someone you can trust.

Wow this was long. Sorry if I strayed off topic or didn't do the request correctly!

If you have any requests for x MC content or Character x Character stuff, feel free to send me an ask. I will write basically anything!

[corruptimles]

Grocery shopping, except one of them is significantly worse about it than the other (I know absolutely nothing about Mob but Reagan looks like he’d be a cringe fail loser at mundane things)

Understandable BUT a fun thing about Reigen is that he's actually really good at mundane things even with the cringefail energy

Mob and Serizawa are more anxious duo, and Serizawa specifically was isolated so he'd probably take a bit to get used to grocery runs

[woongisi]

Gym Buddy // Seok Matthew

dom!Seok Matthew x sub!gn!Reader // SMUT

WC// 1.9k

Synopsis// You were no stranger to visiting your boyfriend to hang out while he did his workout routine. Some days, you fail to hide how watching him do so drives you absolutely crazy.

Warnings// degradation, facefucking, choking (on dick, reader receiving), minimal dubcon (reader is somewhat hesitant), blowjobs, sweat + scent kink

Author's Note// This quite literally came to me in a dream and changed my life. Absolutely wasn't into sweat or anything of the sort prior... also may have accidentally killed @gothlcsan !!!

---------

Situated in his little home gym, fashioned from an unfinished basement, you'd been spotting Matthew for a couple hours now. Perhaps your definition of “spotting” was liberal at best, but what mattered was you were with him while he worked out. You always had some great chatter when you came to visit. Listening to his stories, blasting music a bit too loud, and serving as his impromptu cheerleader.

These sessions always had an unfortunate side effect, which you tended to ignore, but your patience ran thin today. Watching Matthew do his sets in his tight white tee with sleeves rolled up and green basketball shorts that rested just above the knee always left you aching between your legs. Sometimes, you wondered if he forced his strained groans just to drive you up the wall.

Crawling off the leg press machine and stretching his arms above his head, Matthew had caught you staring off into space. Certainly not thinking about his strong arms around your waist when he’s pounding into you or anything of the sort.

“Hey, you ok?” Matthew leaned over to meet your eye level and cocked his head to the side.

Snapping out of your daze and in turn nearly toppling off the bench you were perched on, you cleared your throat awkwardly.

“Uh… I'm fine. Just thinking about a couple things.”

Matthew popped a knowing smirk.

“You're blushing, you know.”

“Fine,” You started. “If you wanna play this game.”

Staring directly into his eyes and messing with the hem of his tee shirt, you spoke quite slowly and deliberately. “I… need you… to take your cock out.” You paused. “After you take a shower.”

Matthew huffed, pretending he couldn't feel the redness rising on his cheeks. Of course he knew how he bothered you but it wasn't common for you to be so direct.

“After I shower? That's no fun. You look like you're about to explode and you insist on waiting?”

Asshole.

The way you looked from his face to his bulge with furrowed brows was telling enough for Matthew to laugh at your neediness and take you into his arms. Telling you that's what he thought and pushing you to your knees once he replaced where you were previously sitting on the bench.

Part of you was still determined to act like this wasn't exactly what you wanted, glaring up at him with faux anger. Another part of you wasn't keen on having your face anywhere near his crotch when he'd just been sweating like crazy for two hours straight. The view of his chest outlined by his damp t-shirt and strong arms crossed over one another was enough to push your doubts to the side, at least mostly.

Matthew’s breathing was still heavy, his mouth hanging open, finding it harder to recover from his workout when he was now looking at you placed between his legs. Your hand slipped up beneath his shirt, running along his abs, but causing you to mentally cringe at the wetness his sweat created on your palm. You could feel his patience already running then, he had plenty of pent up energy left and the intensity his gaze held as it rested upon you was enough to convey it.

“Shirt.” You mumbled, prompting Matthew to pull his tee over his head, nearly tearing the thin white cotton in the process. God, he really was hot. The sheen of sweat accentuated the contour of his chest, his abs, and everything in between. The way you ogled at his figure simultaneously stroked his ego but fueled his impatience.

“That's enough. You wanted this so badly, yeah?” He growled and put one hand on the nape of your neck. Matthew pulled you forward, smushing your face against his groin cheek first which coated the side of your face in his sweat. Your startled gasp caused you to take in his scent in its entirety, sending an electric shock from your stomach straight to your groin.

“Matthew, that's f-fucking gross.” You whined and the way he flashed a pretty smile at you almost pissed you off.

“You're enjoying it, you slut.” His words were cruel in contrast to his expression but you had no rebuttal. As filthy and hot as he was, his natural smell was more intoxicating than you were willing to admit to yourself or to him.

Opting not to say another word, you licked a sloppy stripe along what of his cock you could reach while he held your head in place. Matthew's sigh of relief was music to your ears. “Good…” he muttered under his breath, removing his hand from your neck only after giving it a brief reassuring rub.

Placing your hands on the outside of both of his thighs, you breathed in his scent, rubbing your head against him while you kissed at the outline of his dick. He gradually hardened under your touch, throbbing under the soft fabric of his shorts that was slowly shifting from light green to dark, becoming wet with precum and your saliva.

Matthew’s soft pants filled the air, his breath catching each time you granted extra attention to his tip. You rubbed the expanse of his muscular upper thigh with one hand, using the other to fondle his sack through the fabric.

“Shit, baby,” His head dropped back against the wall. “So good to me, thank you.”

“You smell so good…” Your own words surprised you and your gasps against your lover made his head spin. He chided you for being so adamant about him showering which left your face burning with embarrassment. You aided Matthew in pulling off his shorts, his cock slapping against his stomach. You cupped his balls lightly and peered up to see the way he smiled down to you.

“Fuck, dude, you're so full.” You scolded yourself for calling your boyfriend such a name when his cock was right in front of your face. “When's the last time you jerked off?!”

“I haven't, sweetheart. Knew you were coming within a week.” He carded his fingers through your hair. “Thought I was gonna die, but now I'm thinking it was worth it.”

He’d even taken the time to trim his hair for you. The way you pulsed against your underwear quickly began to frustrate you, forcing yourself to remember that if you're patient you'll get exactly what you want. Wrapping your hand around the base of his length, you took one of his balls gently into your mouth.

“My poor boy must be so sore.” You feigned empathy between breaths. Lolling your tongue around him eagerly. You took careful note of what Matthew seemed to enjoy most. What made his hips shudder, fingers tighten their grip, and high moans fall from his lips. He seemed to particularly enjoy each time you gave his balls a light suck and tug. The weight of his sweaty dick in your hand felt so filthy yet only made you squirm more. You were well accustomed to his taste by now, finding the added salty flavor to be a bit jarring, but more exciting than anything.

Matthew tapped your shoulder a couple times, grabbing your attention.

“Babe, babe please~” He never needed to beg you for a thing but you didn't mind this desperation. “Need my cock down your throat. Missed those pretty lil’ lips around me so badly.”

“Hmm…” You pretended to ponder his request, knowing full well you've been craving exactly that. “Since you did so well keeping your hands off yourself I’ll reward you. You can use me, as hard as you want.”

Matthew's face lit up, thanking you profusely for treating him so well. You stuck your tongue out, allowing him to place the end of his cock on it once he stood up and positioned himself in front of you. He gathered a ball of spit in his mouth, leaning over so that he could let it dribble down onto himself. Your lips closed around him, Matthew harshly grabbed a fistful of your hair, lending his free hand to brace your cheek.

“Deep breaths, baby, tell me if it's too much.” He started carefully at first, pumping in and out until you were accustomed enough for him to completely bottom out. Matthew’s hips bucked forward unintentionally once he hit the back of your throat, feeling you gag against him. He was girthy, so weighty on your tongue and adorned with prominent veins. As soon as you gave his thigh a reassuring stroke, Matthew thrusted into your wet mouth harshly.

You relaxed your throat, allowing him to fuck into you with ease. Your nails dug into the flesh of his thighs, leaving crescent moon marks in their wake and making Matthew’s cock twitch. He picked up the pace, holding your head in place as repeatedly bottomed out.

His hips connected with your face haphazardly with every thrust of your hips. Each time you choked on him sent shockwaves throughout your whole body. In the moment, you were nothing but a hole for him to fuck to his hearts content and it made want to melt.

Pulling out to allow you to breathe for a moment, you coughed harshly with your chest heaving. Tears rolled down your cheeks in steady rivulets. Allotting you little time to prepare, Matthew shoved his entire length down your throat, letting out a strangled moan when your muscles clenched down hard around him. You scarcely had any time to take in air, feeling dizzy and painfully turned on while Matthew abused your throat for all it was worth.

Thick strings of your saliva and Matthew’s leaking precum created a lewd visual of a hot sticky mess on your face and the base of his dick.

“Such a good fucking toy for me,” Matthew spat. “Taking my cock so well like the worthless piece of meat you are.”

It was rare for him to be so harsh to you, so degrading and so cruel. It only served to deepen the building coil in your stomach. You were lightheaded, eyes rolling back in your head at the lack of oxygen.

“Just a little longer, know you can take it. Be good for me, alright?” You weren't sure you truly could handle more without losing consciousness but the resounding moans and strings of curses falling from Matthew's mouth had you determined to stick it out.

Suddenly, Matthew buried himself deep in your throat and forced your head to keep in place. White hot ropes of his cum gushed down your throat, choking you in the process for what felt like forever. He tasted so good, so mouthwatering, you wondered briefly if he'd been changing his diet just for this too. Once he pulled out, you sputtered out whatever of his seed hadn't made it completely down your throat. Your chest was heaving, fresh air relieving the burning in your lungs. Your legs were trembling, heart slamming against your chest, shakily moaning as you recovered.

Matthew took your hand into his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze and caringly stroking your hair.

“Are you alright, love?” He pouted with a tinge of worry. “Was I too rough?”

You shook your head eagerly. “S-So good, Matt, so fuckin good.”

He helped bring you up on to the bench, peppering kisses across your face. “You did so well for me, my favorite little slut.”

“Matthew…” Your eyes set heavy with lust, intensely staring at your lover while taking in his scent that had only increased.

“Hm?”

“Need you in me. Now. Think I might lose my mind without it.”

“Shit, after what you just did? How could I ever deny you?”

Maybe you'd have to visit his gym more often.

[happypotato48]

List of Thai BL dramas i've watched with short opinions about them i guess :P

Thai BLs that i finished:

A Boss and a Babe. It's cute for what it is, i loved the gaming friendships and i'm a sucker for forcebook. 7/10 need more unhinged energy from book.

A Tale of Thousand Stars/Our Skyy 2 : Bad Buddy x A Tale Of Thousand stars. this show reminds me a lot of early to mid 2000s lakorns. it's a beautiful by the book love story, i appreciated that a bl got to take a spin on this kind of quiet thai story. 8/10 loved it but still too vanilla for my taste.

Bake Me Please. Guide Kantapon is the cutest man alive and CAKES! that it, that all i have for this show. 6/10 it's a show that exist.

Be My Favorite. damn fluke gawin is so pretty what was this show about again? :P i'm kidding, i actually really liked this show. i watched it when i had zero knowledge about bl industry, i was oblivious about krist's controversy and i find krist acting to be charming and think kawee is very relatable as a cringe fail human myself. 8.5/10 this show made me want to collected weird thingies.

Cherry Magic (Thailand). oh boy this show. it's was everything to me also the only show so far that i've written extensively on this site. here is my personal feeling about this show. 9.5/10 would kill for taynew.

Cooking Crush. what! the fuc$! look look, i just learned that both offgun are older than me. when i first saw the show i thought they were some rookie actors with how young they looks. watching cute bl is gonna be the death of me. anywho this show is supercute don't have a lot of thought about it though. 7.5/10 cutting half a point cause of no samsee x metha.

Cutie Pie/Naughty Babe. what a fuckin legend of a series. all the characters have zero braincells and somehow all the rich pretty boys are engaged to each other and by arranged marriages nonetheless. wtf is this fanfic version of thailand and where can i get hit by a truck and get isekai to it. 7.5/10 still haven't watch Cutie Pie 2 U, i hope it get dumber.

Enchanté. this show is so dummmb it should've go full camp reverse harem yaoi nonsense but it didn't and ended up being kinda boring. 6.5/10. meh, i'm still a sucker for forcebook.

Last Twilight. UGHHH!! i'm still so mad. this show was going to be THE SHOW for me then ep 11-12 happened i legit mentally check out halfway through ep 12 and i basically blocked the ending from my mind. this show came out at the right place and the right time for me, the first 9 episodes helped me through a very tough time in my life. the story of two people helping each other finding their way out of the dark was very compelling to me. ughh. 5.5/10 (9/10 for ep 1-9) P'Aof why are you like this!!

Laws Of Attraction. yassssssss this show slay(literally :P) the show is a breath of fresh air for me despite how very lakorn of it is. i'm glad that there is a bl that feel this soapy and campy cause like i do love my angsty and innocent school bls but the industry really need show like laws of attraction. jamfilm also were very great in their roles espically film, charn is the most babygirl corrupted cute evil lawyer of all time. 9/10 no note headempty only charn's evil smirks in my mind

La Pluie. now, this is a romance. this show is one of the most romanctic media that i personally have experience. i loved that the show took the cheesy premise of soulmates and work it so well to do both deconstruction and exploration of the trope. i think using rain, thing that isolated people as a narrative tool for love connection is absolutely brilliant. last but not least pat is just the perfect bl love interest, he's an very idealized character but he do feels like an actual person. i want to give a shout out to Pee Peerawich the way he said "มันหนาวอ่ะ" in ep 8 sent me, the raspy voice, the eye twich and combo those with a back cuddle, sir! you just commited a mass murders with that move. 9/10 plz i need season two with my baby boy tien.

Love in Translation. the unhingendness of that first meeting is probably my favorite bl meet cute. look if you don't get into a fistfight with the guy you destined to be with then what is the point of life. this show fake date is very well done it's doesn't feel forced like in a lot of other bls and it make the growing attraction feels very genuine and it pay off in one of the best sex scenes in all of bl, yang is such a freak and i loved him for it. 8/10 the last two episodes did got slightly off the rail for me but i still enjoyed the show.

Moonlight Chicken. one of the most beautiful shows i ever watched. when watching this show i can feels, smells and tastes everything it depicted. from the comfort khao man gai to jim's loneliness, from alan's heartbreak to liming and heart's midnight motorcycle ride. this show gave me all the feels and i still can't completely shake it off. 9.9/10 this show is a healing.

My School President. These boys!!!! i can't, i loved these boys so much, all the boys, YES ALL OF THEM! this show is on the opposite spectrum of Moonlight Chicken for me. while MC give me the good heartaches this show give me unbridled joy it's like heartstopper on cracks. i absolutely adored tinn and gun and the show relentless optimism about thier first love. love is awesome no matter the romantic, familial or platonic kind and i think this show hit the marks with all three. 10/10(i'm super bias but fuck it idc i even liked the singing) this show made me started watching thai bl and it always will have a place in my heart.

My Ride. this show is lacking in intimacy but making up by being all heart. could this show be better if they fleshed out and explore more of tawan and his cheating bf's relationship, maybe but i'm happy for what we got. 8/10 mork and tawan were very cutie patootie, i don't remember much about the het and the side couple were just st ok.

Step by Step. man trisanu is exactly the same height at me and i want everyone to know that is the only reason i started this show🤣 . i feels like this show have a lot to say about stuff but i kinda got lost staring at man trisanu while watching. one thing i really loved is the very fem *ตุ๊ด coworker who got to be a real character not just a jokey sidekick and having a loving relationship with a hottie. 7.5/10 can i get more man trisanu in bl plz.

Triage. asshole doctor stuck in a timeloop for him to find the meaning of life, yes plz give it to me. i loved stories about assholes who need to better themself for love and other junk. tinn and tol are both grumpy bitches and i just loved that the show use the timeloop to soften these nerds. at the end i just want to wrap them in blanket and let's them cuddle each other forever. 8.5/10 the last ep is bit convoluted but i forgave the show for that cute clocktower kiss.

You're My Sky. i started this show for my boy suar and he did not disappointed. the pining and the longing for an older boy who been there for you most you life, chef kiss. this show also very beautiful to look at. 8/10 i'm kinda meh about the side couples, i do think they all got the "good ending" for their stories.

Thai BLs that i didn't finish or gave up and skipped to the ending:

Bad Buddy. Oh boy, am i gonna get murder for this??? sorry but idk why i didn't wholeheartedly love and give this show my undivided attention. i watched this show very weird and out of order, i started with the last ep than just watch other episodes in bit and peice. i think i've seen 70% of this show. plz forgive me this is the first thai bl i tried to get into but can't. maybe i need to give this show another chance and watch it properly. or idk maybe cause the way i watched it, it's ruined for me forever. 6.5/10 i loved the rooftop kiss plz don't kill me.

Dangerous Romance. this show is trash and not the good kind, how this show depicted relationship between a rich asshole and a poor boy feels very gross to me. i fast forward a bunch and gave up after the not just dumb but very cruel breakup. 4/10 it's watchable if you ignore the plot and the chatacters.

Hidden Agenda. wow this is the most nothing show that ever nothing for me. it's a perfected white noise while playing chill video games. i stopped watching after ep 8 cause look like there going to be a dumb break up, i have no desire to revisit this show. 5/10 joongdunk were kinda cutes.

The Miracle of Teddy Bear. this show is too god damn long with too many side plots the one and a half hour per episode killed the momentum for me. i liked the show and do think i want to revisit and finish it one day. 6/10 for now.

Vice Versa. why are they giving jimmysea this show. this show is so boring for me, i gave up in episode 6. 4/10 gmmtv give my babies better shows!!

Thai BLs that i've watched all the sex scenes and have no intention of watching the actual show:

Kinnporsche: heheehehhehehe everyone were so hot, too bad i don't like rich mafia story. mile being a nepobaby also significantly killed the mood for me. 55555/dead bodyguards (idk how many there are but i don't care) the ost are bangers though.

Venus in the Sky and Love in the Air. cringe gay sex for the wins. 69/420.

ok, whoo that was a lot. gonna pin this cause i don't think anyone want to read all that in one sitting. i think i'm gonna make another post for non thai BLs in the near future. thanks for reading my unhinged opinions hope i'm not gonna get moider for it 55555555.

[tojiscumdumpster]

CHAPTER EIGHT - READER

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀✧ summary page

 Today has literally sucked every single last bit of energy I had left inside of me. Dark coffee with six packets of sugar and a fruit bowl could not have prepared me for the day I had. 

 I’m not sure if it’s because I stayed up late last night to put together lessons or how active my students have been during classes, but a bottle of wine is well needed right now. 

 Days like this make me want to quit my job and move out of the country. Usually, I would feel this way if I was teaching elementary school kids. Not high schoolers. 

 Sometimes they refuse to listen to you. Somehow, they magically forget about their homework, so they beg for an extension. And a lot of times they talk while they’re supposed to be silent reading. 

 It’s overwhelming being a teacher. Anyone who does it, is simply for the passion because the pay isn’t the greatest. 

  Thank goodness for my savings. 

 Anyways.

 I’m ready to go home. This parent-teacher conference is going on longer than expected, and it absolutely has nothing to do with the divorced single dad in front of me that won’t stop flirting. 

 Cons of being a younger teacher. Dads. Lots of them. Some are handsome, but I didn’t become a teacher to be hit on while trying to discuss their child’s grades and curriculum. 

 “Mr. Anderson, your son has been falling behind in class,” I begin. “He’s been on his phone lately and tends to talk over students while they're reading.”

 “I see. I’ll be sure to talk to him about that, Mrs. L /N.”

 I give him a tight smile— “Miss, —” correcting him. “Any other questions? I believe we discussed enough these past ninety minutes.”

  Even though the conferences are expected to last only thirty minutes, max, forty-five . 

 “Apologies thought a woman as attractive as yourself would be married,” he says with a smile that might’ve been charming if I was drunk, but right now—it makes me cringe. 

 I nod. “Well, I appreciate your compliment, Mr. Anderson. If there’s nothing else, then I do have to go-”

 “Dinner?”

 “Excuse me?” I stuttered. 

 He lets out a nervous laugh. “Sorry. That was my failed attempt at asking you out to dinner.”

 And here I thought I almost had him out the door. Like I said, some of the dads are attractive. I can’t deny that about Mr. Anderson. Tall. Smooth skin. Nice smile. Salt and pepper hair action going on. I would say he’s probably in his mid-forties. 

 However, I’m not interested in building a roster full of DILFs to keep in my bucket whenever I need sexual relief. 

 One should suffice.

 “Mr. Anderson, although I’m flattered, it’s best to keep this professional. I don’t want to get involved with my student’s father that way. So, I’ll have to decline.” What a hypocrite I am . “Come, I’ll see you out.”

 He gets up and follows me to the door. The woman in me knows he’s staring at my ass right now, so I turn to my side. And of course, I caught him in action. 

 “Apologies if I made you uncomfortable, Miss L /N.”

 “Apologies accepted. Enjoy the rest of your day,” I tell him, sounding sarcastic as ever. 

 Actually, two bottles of wine are much needed. 

 After two more excruciating hours at school, I eventually made it home. I think to myself one day I’ll leave work before it hits four, but I guess that’s inevitable when you’re an overachieving teacher like me. 

 To prepare myself for the next day, I usually stay later than usual to lay out all my lessons. However, I think it’s time for me to use one weekend to plan a month’s worth of lessons so I can stop staying so late. 

 Isn’t this what I complained to Nanami about? I remembered being tired of him staying after hours or bringing work to our home when all I wanted to do was read a book and lay under him. 

 It seems like his habits grew onto me. 

  The irony. 

 Probably if I had someone to come home to, I wouldn’t be thinking about work after I clocked out. Being single and thirty isn’t the worst thing ever, but I honestly thought I would’ve been settled down by now.

 That was the plan with Nanami. 

 I still can’t believe the nerve he had the other day during brunch. To ask me if we could try again after I already gave him two chances? Like I would ever sacrifice my happiness just so he could get his shit together. 

 My patience is high but not to that extent, and I refuse to wait for anyone to love me properly. I just hated that it had to be that way with Nanami. 

 We felt right together. He loved me. Made me feel beautiful. Extremely kind and gentle with me. I was one of those girlfriends that would “ my boyfriend” people to death because he made me happy. 

 Our way of meeting was such a cliché and it convinced me we were going to last forever. It’s only right to feel that way in a five-year relationship. 

 But after a while, what Nanami and I built became dull. Our relationship felt more like a chore than love between two people. It was transactional in a way that benefited him more than it did me. I didn’t want that anymore. 

 I didn’t want to become a wife and bring a child into the world with the possibility of being a single mother in a marriage. Nanami knew how much I wanted to start a family together, but he chose his principal duties over us. 

 I deeply sigh. “See what happens when you drink wine, Y/N,” whispering to myself. 

 Gosh, I shouldn’t even be drinking on a school night. I check my phone to not only see that it's eight-thirty, but also to be left with no new messages or missed phone calls from…

  Toji . 

 He’s had my number since yesterday, however, I have yet to hear from him. I mean, which is understandable. He works a late night job and has a fifteen-year-old son, so I’m not first of his priorities. Though, it would be nice to hear from him. 

 Thinking about Toji Fushiguro makes me feel like a high school girl who’s excited that her crush finally notices her. His gruffness, demeanor, how he carries himself. . . It’s different. I’ve had my fair share of relationships in the past before Nanami, but I’ve never come across a man like Toji. 

 At least, I don’t think so.

 A complete stranger Toji is to me yet the comfort he gives me is weird. Weird in a good way. I can only imagine how it’ll be the more we learn about each other. That’s if he doesn’t back out. 

 Only time will tell. 

 It’s time for me to go to sleep. If I stay up any longer, I’ll finish this bottle of wine and throw my mind into a frenzy for the rest of the night. But the minute I slipped into bed, my phone rang. 

 A number that I’m not familiar with calls me and I’m left to believe it’s only one person.

 “Hello?” 

 “. . . Hey .” I know that voice from anywhere. Deep, soothing, and spreads chills across my body. 

 “Mr. Fushiguro. Calling me after school hours? I’m not on the clock, you know?” I tease. 

 He chuckles, a little more faint than usual, but still a sound I enjoy hearing. “Remember you saying I can use your number however I please.”

 “I did say that didn’t I?” I can’t help but smile and stay up a few minutes extra to talk to Toji. “What’s up, big guy? You okay?”

  “Sounds like I’m not?”

 “A little.”

 He hums. “ I see. . . How was your day? ”

 It’s clear there’s something on Toji’s mind, but I’ll listen to him when he’s ready. 

 “It was… long. Draining,” I answer. “I was close to pulling my hair out.”

 “ Want to talk about it? ”

 I sit up in my bed.  “It’s just work being work. Not much to say that won’t cause you to get tired of hearing me talk.”

 The laugh he lets out this time has a little more life in it. “ I called you to hear you talk. . . Your voice is calming. ”

  He says things like this and expects me not to feel warm inside?

 “You need some calming?” I query. 

 “. . . Maybe .” 

 “Tell me, Toji.”

 I can only picture Toji staring into nowhere to see if he wants to open up to me or not. Whatever he shares, I’ll take it and offer my comfort. 

 He sighs. “ Was trying to have small talk with the kid about school and I guess that annoyed him. ”

 “What did he say?” I asked, knitting my brows together. 

 “ That he wanted to eat in silence, so he went to his room. ” 

 “He’ll come around.”

 Toji snorts. “ Yeah, I hope so. Took him school shopping earlier and he didn’t even want to be seen with me. ”

 “Did he tell you that?”

 “. . . No, I just assumed .”

 Although Toji isn’t physically here, I give him a reassuring smile like he could see me. “Assumptions will lead you to spiral. Next time try to be around him while keeping a comfortable distance,” I tell him. “I doubt it’s because he doesn’t want to be seen with you. I mean, Megumi is an exact replica of your face. It’s not like he can hide that you’re his dad.”

 “ You’re good with your words, Y/N. ”

 “I’m good at a lot of things, Mr. Fushiguro.” My tone came off way more suggestive than I expected but fuck it. I’ll blame the wine. 

 It’s like I can hear the smile on his face. “ You can’t say shit like that while calling me Mr. Fushiguro and expect me not to get turned on. ”

 “And what if that was my intention? Maybe to help get your mind off of things?”

 “ I can think of other ways for you to help. ”

 “You called me for some late night action?” I begin baiting. “What’s next? You’re going to ask me what I’m wearing?”

 “. . .  No... Well, if you want to share- ”

 I giggle, cutting him off. “Toji, anyways.” Hearing Toji genuinely laugh makes me feel better because I know how much mending his relationship with Megumi means to him. “I think you should continue with what you’re doing. I don’t know much about Megumi, but he seems like a kid that has to warm up. Even if you’re his dad, after years of neglect, comfort isn’t automatic because you’re blood. When he feels it, you’ll know.”

 “You’re right.”

 “Your mind feels cleared?” I try to contain my yawn, but it slips outs. I don’t want Toji to think he’s keeping me up because hearing from was actually the highlight of my day.

 “ After this walk and talking to you? Yeah. ” 

 “Don’t think it’s too late for you to be walking?” 

 “ Worried about me, Y/N? ” He asks, and I can hear the playfulness in his tone.

 I shrug. “Maybe. You’re a big boy, though. I’m sure you can take care of yourself.”

 “ I’m glad you know. ”

 I admire the comfortable silence Toji and I have sometimes whenever we talk. In a way, and hopefully he feels the same, it’s like we’re soaking in each other’s energy. And maybe Toji does feel the same since he decided to call when he needed help clearing his mind. 

 “ I’m keeping you up, Miss L /N? ”

 “Hm, I don’t mind giving you some of my time,” I pick on. “Just next time, schedule a conference.”

 He keeps the banter, saying, “ I’ll be sure to do that. . . I’ll let you go, though. Need your energy saved for Friday. ”

 “You’re going to put me to work on our date?”

 “ You’ll see, ” he says, smiling. “ And Y/N? ”

 I yawn again. “Yeah?”

 “ Thank you. ” An explanation of his admission isn’t needed. I know exactly why he’s thanking me. “ Night .”

 “Good night, big guy.”

 After we disconnect, I smile and internally feel giddy inside. It’s almost embarrassing how Toji makes me feel. I can’t help myself. 

 Going to sleep will be easier these next few days knowing I have something to look forward to on Friday. 

 As I described before, Toji Fushiguro will definitely be a beautiful catalyst that I’m excited to see. 

PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER

discussion question #4 — reader has made it clear that she doesn't want to reconcile any romantic relationship with nanami anymore, do you think he will become an issue to reader and toji's developing relationship as the story progresses?

[erikahenningsen]

Rejanis. Dealer’s choice. ;)

32. A kiss while someone watches

Regina barely slept last night. Actually, she hasn't slept well for at least a week. Her body feels sluggish while her brain moves fast, thoughts whipping by like she's in a car with a steering wheel that doesn't work.

She picks at her thumbnail while her friends gather into a circle, and Kyle places the bottle in the center—an empty wine bottle Regina had pulled out from the recycling bin in the garage.

Regina tries to think of a way out of this game but comes up empty; she's positive that if she protests, everyone will somehow, suddenly know.

They'll know that Regina's been spending her nights staring at her ceiling, trying and failing to think about anything or anyone but Janis. That she runs her phone battery down scrolling through Janis's personal and art Instagram accounts and her camera roll, full of photos of them together or just random photos of Janis, for hours. That last night, Regina hesitantly typed am I gay? into Google.

As Kyle and Karen make juvenile jokes about kissing, Regina gets the creeping, panicky feeling she did when she got on the biggest roller coaster at Six Flags last summer—like she's being strapped into an experience she doesn't want to have and handing the controls to her life over to someone else.

Kyle's big, boyish hand lands on her knee, and Regina jumps.

"You good, babe?" he asks, and Regina fights not to cringe like she does every time he calls her that.

"Good, all good," Regina says, hoping she sounds cool and casual. Not that she expects Kyle to pick up on any nuance in her tone.

They've kissed a few times, and it hasn't been particularly enjoyable. Kyle's lips are rough, and he presses in too hard, is too eager to use tongue. Every time, it leaves Regina with the unsettling thought that there is something deeply wrong with her.

"I'll go first!" Karen says enthusiastically, reaching forward and giving the bottle a spin.

Regina sits back on her hands, watching as the bottle slowly spins to a stop, pointing right at Kyle. All the eyes in the circle turn to her, and belatedly, Regina realizes she's supposed to give a shit.

"Watch yourself," Regina says, pointing at Karen. Everyone laughs, but there's a distinct tense energy in the room—probably because Regina knows for a fact half the people here have never kissed anyone.

Karen shuffles over to Kyle, resting a hand on his shoulder and leaning in. Karen, at least, has kissed a few people already, so she's playing for fun, not to increase the number of fingers she can put down during a game of Never Have I Ever.

The kiss is short and relatively chaste, because Regina knows Karen would never actually kiss her boyfriend, and certainly not in front of witnesses. But Regina knows she's supposed to be jealous, possessive, so when they part, Regina slides her hand into his and gives him a look.

"Sorry, babe," Kyle says sheepishly as Karen scoots back to her spot.

Regina presses a brief kiss to his lips and reaches for the bottle, saying, "I'm not watching you kiss someone else again so soon." In truth, she just wants to get this fucking over with.

Regina stares, almost hypnotized, as the bottle spins around and around. She's so focused on the movement that it takes her a moment to realize that it's stopped.

On Janis.

For a minute, Regina has no idea what to do. Of course she wants to kiss Janis. She thinks constantly about kissing Janis. She has dreams about kissing Janis. But she's spent every night for the last month praying to anyone who would listen that she could stop wanting. Stop wishing.

Regina realizes that she's been frozen too long, and Janis is starting to shift uncomfortably. The only way out is through, she figures. So she crawls over, sets her hands on Janis's shoulders, and leans in before she has time to think about it too much.

It is absolutely nothing like kissing Kyle. Janis's lips are so soft, and she tastes like the Twizzlers she had been eating. She inhales just a little when Regina makes contact, so that Regina can feel it, and it takes all of her willpower not to shiver.

This, Regina thinks absently, is what it's supposed to feel like.

Regina's whole skin is buzzing like she's electrified, and she tilts her head a little so they fit together more seamlessly. It's like everything suddenly falls into place, and she understands what she's been missing this whole time when her friends talk about their crushes.

Janis tenses beneath her, and Regina pulls back abruptly, realizing with a start that she's taken way too long. There are a few giggles behind her, and she feels her face burn hot. Janis is looking at her, wide-eyed, an expression Regina has never seen before.

Regina hears a whisper behind her, maybe Gretchen to Karen, and she has to do damage control. Now.

Regina slides back to her spot in the circle, a coy smile forced onto her lips.

"I knew she'd let me do that," she says, like she's saying it only to Kyle but she makes sure it's loud enough for everyone to hear. "She's like, obsessed with me." She smirks and flips her hair over her shoulder and she feels sick, like she might throw up all over Gretchen's Steve Madden boots.

More giggles and whispers, but this time they're looking at Janis, and Regina feels a sense of relief knowing that it won't be her they're talking about at school on Monday.

Regina chances a glance at Janis, who is looking at Regina like she's never seen her before. Regina looks away, desperately trying to think of a way to let Janis know how much she didn't want to do that without toppling her carefully crafted house of cards.

Maybe it would be easier if Janis hated her, actually. Sure, it'd hurt, but maybe it would stop these thoughts. These feelings. It's you or me, Regina tries to silently tell her.

And Regina will always pick herself.

[thevindicativevordan]

Thoughts on the new announcements on absolute comics

Anonymous asked: Hello! How are you feeling? What do you think of the new creative teams DC announced for October?

Anonymous asked: So ! What are your thoughts on the All In initiative and the new creative teams for the existing books like Action ?

txtmasterblast asked: On a scale of 0 to 10, how much are you looking forward to the upcoming Absolute Universe line?

Thought I'd save this for SDCC since there are still some rumored books that are yet to be confirmed, but I can save my thoughts for when those are officially announced. Short version is that this is extremely exciting.

Dawn of DC was DC playing it safe, and they botched the initiative because of how they spammed low quality events like Knight Terrors. Now they're stepping up to the plate and trying to tap into the energy created by Marvel's Ultimate Universe and the Energon Universe. They're trying to take a big swing and hit a home run. After multiple attempts by Didio to create something like this, it's downright ironic that Snyder finally is the one to do it given the two of them clashed at the end of their tenures. Once again Snyder seems to be trying to infuse the DCU with the essence of Metal, and at least this version appears to revolve less around Batman. I won't lie, hearing Snyder name drop Doomsday Clock and talk about "Darkseid Energy" in the promo video made me cringe.

The success of Hickman's Ultimate Universe and the Energon Universe came because they broke free of the usual shared universe comic nonsense. The Maker is an evil Reed Richards who eliminated all the heroes who couldn't be turned in order to build his perfect world. Energon was a reboot with no prior knowledge required. Simple! If the Absolute Universe requires me to know about the "Metaverse", throw it the trash because it's doomed. If the first issues of these books are not able to be read standalone with zero prior knowledge required, it's going to fail. The All-In one shot should tell us why this universe exists, what the pitch is, but it needs to be free from the kind of esoteric meta commentary which has poisoned DC for the last decade or so. Darkseid meddles with an Earth in order to understand his foes better is an easy concept to grasp. Don't make it any more complicated than that.

Absolute Batman by Scott Snyder & Nick Dragotta - Least exciting of the bunch. Unless Snyder is going to radically change up his writing style, we know how his Bruce sounds. Even without the wealth Batman usually has, I expect this will feel very familiar. Since I've dropped all the other Bat books however, I plan on getting this and two others for my Bat fix. Snyder has teased that Scarecrow and Bane are the two Bat villains he wished he could've done more with during his first run. Scarecrow is my favorite Batman villain and the thugs in the ashcan look like thugs of his to me. I think this Batman will be juicing himself with Venom, explains why he's huge, which is a much better justification for why Bane seeks this Batman out than anything they've come up with elsewhere. That logo sucks but I assume it's because this Batman has to make use with whatever he can scavenge, maybe that is a literal bulletproof plate to guard his chest which he shaped to look like a Bat as best as he could.

Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson & Hayden Sherman - Thompson was a fan of the Azz/Chiang New 52 Wondy up until the reveal about the Amazons being rapists. Between the reuse of the silver/red color combo for this Wondy's armor, and how she doesn't have access to Paradise Island or other Amazons, I'm getting very similar vibes. I was a fan of Azz's run even though I acknowledge he "broke" her in several ways, I'm up for a second stab at a Wondy like that with Thompson. Tattoos show Hecate's symbol from Historia, perhaps this Wondy got her powers from Hecate only? My theory is Hippolyta went with her Bana sisters to war, and was never Queen of Themyscira. When she had Diana then, it was in Man's World. If this is dark urban fantasy Wondy, that would make for a good contrast with King's current political thriller run.

Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron & Rafa Sandoval - Bizarro arc was great, Sandoval is one of the best artists in DC's roster, I'm all in (hehe). No Fortress is a shame but since Bats and Wondy don't have their bases either I accept it. No family and no home is particularly intriguing. Seen a lot of speculation about what that entails, from this Superman being raised in an orphanage like the Action #1 origin, to Kal being sent from Krypton when he was old enough to remember it. If it's the latter then Absolute Kara will likely be dead, since she would overlap too much with this Superman. I love the design, grey suit with Morrison's first All-Star shield that Quietly only drew for one panel is a peak look. Hairstyle reminds me of Corenswet's "Clark" hair only longer, also reminds me of Anakin/Luke Skywalker which might be exactly the intention. His "cape" appears to be made of solar energy, perhaps this Superman has trouble controlling his powers? His solar battery biology might work differently here, with him "leaking". Or perhaps he even has a different powerset entirely? Seems like he can channel power into his arms/fists, if we get heat/ice fists instead of vision/breath, that would be the kind of silliness I love. Don't think this Superman will be paired with Lois, which frankly is a good thing. All the other major Superman projects focus on the Clois romance, for this to stand out I believe Absolute Superman needs to be dating other people. Since he seems to be a drifter, Aaron might eventually have him travel to other planets, where we could get Maxima or someone entirely new.

Other books have leaked and are probably right considering Bleeding Cool accurately called the Trinity, but I'll wait until they get revealed officially - likely at SDCC - before giving my thoughts.

For the mainline universe:

Justice League - Superman is apparently building a new JL that will be going after Darkseid and reshaping the cosmic hierarchy of the DCU. If DC had any brains left in their collective heads they would give this book to PKJ, but he's denied being on JL. Ram V still has a book to announce, maybe it's him? I would've said Waid but without Mora I don't think he'd take the job. Aaron is a possibility albeit not one I'd want. Seen some people say Lemire, and he did write the JL crossover with his Black Hammer verse. Please let it not be Taylor.

Superman - Mora joining the book took me by surprise, that is sure to have generated major fuming from certain corners. Doomsday arc is going to be a joy to look at

Action Comics - Waid and Henry are finally announced. Action going weekly was unexpected however. Only question I have is, does this mean Waid is staying on past that one arc? Not clear but since he will have more issues that the previous three Superstars I would assume so. Bitter as I am over PKJ getting kicked off before he could tell the Aethyr story he was building up to, Waid bringing in Morrison's Phantom King does make me happy.

Detective Comics - Taylor taking over made me breathe a sigh of relief. For now he remains quarantined to the Batbooks and Elseworlds.

Nightwing - Watters and Soy are going to finally give us the epic run Nightwing deserves. Watters deserves to be a "big writer" and with any luck this will be what elevates him to that level.

Batman & Robin - Damnit PKJ, you really going to make me read a mainline Bat book? Fine but you better continue the Olgrun plotline through this somehow. In all seriousness with Zdarsky and Taylor being on the other books I expect this will be the best mainline Batman book on the stands. Every previous time PKJ has written Batman has been enjoyable, and I trust him of all writers to do something different with Batman. Let this be the book that gets the general DC audience to take notice of how good he's been elsewhere.

Titans - Nah.

Green Arrow - Wish Montos luck, he deserves to be one of DC's A-List artists, but not interested in Green Arrow.

Exciting shake-ups are on the way, going to have to start trimming my pull again. Anything that doesn't wow me is getting dropped because I need the cash for all those Absolute books, which appear to be stacked creatively.

[ultraericthered]

One Villainous Scene: Nowhere For Rabbit To Run

In this episode of Sailor Moon R, all four of the Specter Sisters have spread out over town, and all four of them go after Chibi Usa/Rini when she accidentally alerts them to her presence in a failed attempt to travel back to her original time period. The episode very clearly builds up the idea that there's going to be a major battle, four on four between the Specter Sisters and the Sailor Senshi minus Sailor Moon herself, who has to protect Rini. Watching it for the first time, you're made to anticipate it, making it rewarding when it occurs.

And then you get something you probably weren't anticipating. When it looks like Sailor Moon and Rini are away from the fighting, with Rini safe in Sailor Moon's arms....glowing energy grenades rain down from the sky, and Sailor Moon, preemptively detecting it coming, takes the blow so that Rini doesn't get hurt. The assailant appears on the battlefield, and it's none other than the Specter Sisters' boss, Crimson Rubeus of the Black Moon Clan. The same guy who's been completely stationary and giving the sisters their assignments for the past several episodes makes a surprise in-person appearance to finish this job himself while the sisters are held up by the Sailor Senshi. Briefly explaining who he is, where he's from, and what he's after, Rubeus launches an all-out barrage of energy grenades at Sailor Moon, completely unrelenting and taking sadistic pleasure in seeing her run and struggle in vain to protect the frightened child.

As Sailor Moon lies on the ground, her back literally against the wall and Rini crying for her to get back up, we get the most striking moment from Rubeus that really peels back his exterior and gives us our first real look at the sort of guy he truly is - with a very genuine, pleased smile on his face, he slowly raises up his hand and readies another blast he intends to launch at Rini point blank. Before, the Specter Sisters weren't afraid to get rough with the little girl and they wanted to abduct her to bring her back alive. By contrast, Rubeus here seems to have absolutely zero problem with the notion of doing terrible physical harm to child in a way that would be deadly for her. This is not merely the first of plenty more in-person appearances from Rubeus to come afterwards, but the first of many displays of Rubeus being more than just another bad guy for the girls to be up against, but a callous, deliberately cruel, abusive monster who'll go to the nastiest of lengths to get what he desires, as he thinks only of himself and how he might attain a more glorious standing within the Black Moon Clan. It's what makes him such a memorable bad guy for a section of the show that's otherwise fairly subpar and downright stupid at points (I'll never forgive what Ikuhara did to Mamoru here, who incidentally shows up to help as Sailor Moon stands back up and then for a moment it even looks like Sailor Moon's about to kill Rubeus prematurely, with him only narrowly managing to escape.)

Last thing worth noting about the clip I chose here: the DiC dub is absolute cringe - Sailor Moon, Rini, and Tuxedo Mask all have awful, terribly unconvincing voices, Rubeus' dialogue repetitiously uses "Negamoon" four times, and corny lines like "You're dusted, buster!", "You just a schoolyard bully?" "Find out, cape boy!", and "This guy could use a little scepter therapy" are completely out of place for this urgent moment in the story. But I went with it rather than the Viz dub not only due to it being my first exposure, but for the one saving grace - Robert Tinkler as Rubeus. Steve Staley's an adequate fit for the part too, but he couldn't measure up to Tinkler, who just WAS the character. The smugness, the petulant fury, the all-encompassing malice just oozing from his voice saved most of his material from the scripts. That delivery of "Ready to go? TIME'S WASTING!" and the completely unhinged chuckling that accompanies it is what your childhood nightmares were made of. He just nailed the assingment.

(Also, while I like "Moon Revenge" in this scene too, I sorta prefer how there's no song in the background until Rubeus has appeared and launches his attack. Makes the scene feel all the more special.)

[rainypebble07]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ME!

Today, August 30th, is my birthday and (conveniently) also the day I posted my first fic, It Wasn't A Bad Thing (Do not read it, read the rewrite), on Ao3 and entered the Byler community as a writer and eventually artist.

It's strange to think that I've been here for 365 days now. I mean, that's a lot of days, but it's honestly been so fun to get to know some of the people here and I just love you guys. All of you. Seriously.

As a birthday gift, maybe read one of my fics and leave a fun comment (I have them all listed in my pinned past, but I recommend the superspy, pirate, and zombie Will ones)! If not that, give me a silly drawing request I'll take days to finally get around to or even just a fun little ask!!

And I love to talk about myself, but over the year, there have been some very impactful people I've met on this site, and I'd just like to thank all of them for being so wonderful (if you're not on the list, I still love you, I promise. I'd name every one of my followers if I could), so without further ado...

Rainy's Thank You List of Very Awesome People:

@foodiewithdahoodie you, my friend, are the best. One of my first ever followers, even before I was an artist. I've had your support since day 1 and I'm so grateful to call you my mutual!! You're seriously the kindest ever <333

@microwaveonwheels You're just the most fun person, my favorite kitchen appliance. You've got the best (and sometimes the most challenging) drawing requests and you never ever fail to make me laugh with your tags. Keep your energy forever and ever, my biology genius mutual :)))))

@sillylittlerock If I have one fan, it's you. If I have 100 fans, you're one of them. If I have no fans, you have left the building. SILLYLITTLEROCK you are THE ROCK and genuinely the sweetest person ever. Absolutely my favorite and I hope you have the most beautiful of days. Rock gang, rock gang.

@callmetheidiot I hope the ex fight was worth it, you've let me become a wattpad fiend (jkjk I haven't even touched wattpad in over a week). You are the kindest and most wonderful of people, callmetheidiot. And I would never ever call you an idiot bc you are the absolute definition of the opposite.

@th3-third-duffel-bag You're the coolest ever. And it makes me laugh when you leave angry comments on my Ao3. Much, much love <333

@cringengl I don't interact with you much, but every time you like one of my posts, I feel like you're saying it's cringe and it makes me laugh every time. Have the most amazing of days today! I love you!

@runninguplenorahills If I had to have my first pointless internet beef with anyone, I'm glad it was you. I'll admit, I was wrong about the barbie movie thing. I'm just stubborn. I think you're awesome though, even if we're worst enemies now. (jkjk we're not enemies... unless...) (no jk again) Have a wonderful day!!!!

@elsbianism You know what? I just think you're neat. Even before I started following you I was just like gee, they're pretty neat. And then I did follow you! And now we're mutuals! And you're still the neatest person here, El, so congrats on that one.

@miaisagirllover MIA I LOVE YOU! Thank you for helping me to break the barrier between dimensions. I look at your pinterest every day like ahhhh my stuff. And you've just got the best takes, I'm sorry so many people like Billy. I'll try to stop them. Have a lovely day, friend!!

@chaoticbyler Just had to give a quick shoutout to my pinterest spy on the inside. Never would have even known my art was breaking barriers without your help. Thanks, soldier. I owe you one.

@midget-is-a-simp I don't think I have one post you haven't liked. And I've had minimal interaction with you, but if my life was a TV show, you'd be the character who showed up once a season and you're somehow everyone's favorite character.

@yearninginblue you are my superspy buddy for life and I love you so so so much <3

@phaniella your comments make my day and I love you for it <3

@howtobecomeadragon IDK HOW I ALMOST FORGOT YOU OMG YOU'RE THE BEST. BEST FOR LAST, I GUESS. YOU, my friend, are the sweetest ever and I'm so happy to be your mutual. The fact that you like dragons so much is so cool. Never ever lose your passion! Dragons are awesome (and so are you)!!

Alright, sorry it's long, but I had a lot of people to be thankful for (and, trust me, so many more who I couldn't fit to the list). If you see this, just know I love you more than anything and I hope EVERYONE had the best day ever.

Bye-bye for now,

Rainy Pebble

[glitter-gutzzzz]

A dark and stormy night (Cliff Burton x reader)

author's note: This is the fic I was talking about in that post I made last Sunday. I finished it last night, I'm finally (somewhat) happy with it. It's been storming a lot where I live, cant really go out much, so I was inspired to write something about it. I'm sorry that there's no cute banner or whatever, I don't know how to make those yet ˙◠˙ Anyway, enjoy this cringe, lol.

summary: a typical hangout with your friend Cliff during a thunderstorm ends up leading to something more.

warnings: none, really, except a very brief mention of alcohol and cigarettes? It's just tooth rotting fluff, lmao

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚ʚ♡ɞ˚˚

The sound of rain drops against the living room windows coupled with the occasional roll of thunder in the distance created a sort of hypnotizing white noise, nearly putting me to sleep.

Cliff and I had been chilling on the couch in my living room for a little while now. We were just hanging out, not really doing anything, but still enjoying each other's company. Earlier in the evening, we were watching some crappy horror movie he had rented and laughed at till our sides hurt.

The film had ended a while ago. We had our fun. Now, it was just us in our little bubble, and the storm outside. The only light in the living room came from the dull glow of the TV screen and the sporadic flashes of lightning outside.

I made myself comfortable on Cliff's chest. He was warm and comfortable, and made for a perfect pillow. The steady up-and-down motion of his breathing was extra soothing, too. He just has this sort of energy to him that made me feel so safe. I rested my chin on his chest so I could take a peek at him. He seemed to be fast asleep. Eyes closed, arms behind his head, and a peaceful expression on his face. He looks so sweet, I thought to myself.

A smile slowly creeped onto Cliff's face as he opened his eyes. "You having fun there?", he jokingly asked. I guess he wasn't as fast asleep as I thought. Feeling more than a little flustered, I hid my face in my hands. "Sorry! You just looked so relaxed." He laughed lightly, and the sound was music to my ears. "It's all right. Not the first time I've caught you looking."

I felt my face heat up as he said this, and I attempted to cover my face even more. Cliff stopped me from doing so by taking my hands in his. "So....you know?" I timidly asked. He just nodded and kissed my hands, which kind of tickled because of his moustache. I couldn't help but giggle.

My attempts at hiding my love for Cliff had failed, it seems. He's just far too observant.

"How long have you known?" I asked again, though my shyness was slowly dissipating with every kiss he placed on my hands. "A good long while. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever tell me!" He flashed me a grin as he answered, that adorable grin that never failed to melt my heart. "I was afraid I'd ruin our friendship if I told you. You're so special to me, Cliff, the most special person in my life. I didn't wanna ruin our friendship if I ever told you.." I sort of trailed off and looked away from him.

He gently turned my chin so that I'd face him again. His expression looked to be the most focused I'd seen him all night. "You're not ruining anything. I love you, too."

Pure joy overtook me as I closed the gap between our lips. Kissing him was even better than I had imagined. I didn't care that he tasted like cigarettes and beer; in the moment, he tasted like absolute perfection. I felt his arms wrap around my back as the kiss deepened. I wish that moment could've lasted forever.

We stopped to take a breather and started giggling like idiots when we realized how disheveled we both looked. Cliff looked utterly gorgeous; messy hair, blown out pupils and all. "That was...." I started, but I struggled to describe the happiness I felt in a single word. He ran a hand through his long hair and sighed in contentment. "Yeah. I know." There were no words that needed to be said, it seemed. The two of us were on the same wavelength, and we both knew it.

A low rumble of thunder interrupted our little moment, reminding us of the downpour outside. Cliff turned his head to look out of one of the living room windows into the rain. "Doesn't seem like the rain's gonna let up anytime soon" he spoke softly. I only hummed in response, feeling that drowsiness from earlier coming back to me. "You don't mind if I stay the night, do you?" I heard him ask. I could hear a smile in the way he spoke.

"Nope. Not at all."

Thanks for reading! ♡