#also why does her face look entirely different than the previous one

[dailydegurechaff]

Today's Daily Degurechaff is… another mincing mockingbird quote

[coconutdays]

going crazy

s. your boyfriend, handsome and secure suguru geto, doesn't get jealous

w.c. 4.8k

w. fem! reader, biker!geto! x reader , fluff!, smut!

a/n: based on my seat taker biker!geto au! also I feel this does not live up to seat taker! but I tried my best! so I hope you can still enjoy! likes reblogs and comments r always appreciated to know y’all liked it!!!

your boyfriend does not have a single jealous bone in his body. it’s convenient you suppose?

you’ve heard nightmares of insecure men who have to know where there girlfriends are every second of every hour, the direction they’re even going to utter a breath in. the occasional story of a girl who can’t speak to any men whatsoever because her boyfriend will berate her for doing so. 

although you do always keep suguru in the loop about what you’re doing and don’t really talk to guys because at the end of the day, more often than not, they always do not plan on just being your friend, he never expected those things out of you. It was a silent form of showing your respect for him. and he did the same out of instinct too, first too. 

but aside from that, he doesn’t show any jealousy.

there was a time he even tried to set you up with toji zenin when he was still crushing on you. 

your boyfriend is a little peculiar, you’re very well aware of that, but you find his confidence in himself sexy. because you couldn’t look anywhere else if you wanted to. he was handsome, his face chiseled so prettily it was painful. his smooth voice that always had you reeling to get him to talk more. and his spine tattoo that always made you blush at the sight of it befriending your scratch marks after a particularly rough night, 

so you don’t care about the way you dress, because he won’t control what you wear. in fact, it’s one of the things you both love about each other, a recent discovery now that you’ve been dating for a month. suguru is an avid fan of the way you dress, relishing in what new outfit he’ll see you in whenever he sees you that day, and if not possible, asking for a picture. and you love how he loves it. appreciating the fact that he loves when you wear booby shirts to campus or dates with him or particularly tight jeans that attract eyes aside from his, but are worn for the sole purpose of serving cunt–and riling your boyfriend up.

it all comes together to why you wear the dress you do tonight to go clubbing with him and some friends. it’s honestly the hottest thing suguru will have seen you in so far. yes, your previous halloween costumes were something alright, but this…was different. halloween was like a month ago and the outfits for those events were meant to be slutty, purely slutty. this look was meticulously planned by you the moment you ordered the dress online. the sheer dress and its sparkles had been running across your mind that entire week of shipping with the perfect sultry way you planned to do your hair and makeup. 

you 

hey can we carpool later tonight, my dress isnt motorcycle proof :/

suguru

sure princess.  can i get a peek?

you

don’t feel like it hehe wait for it sugu <3

suguru

tease

any other time, he would’ve more than likely have gotten his peek at your outfit, you are weak to his demands naturally, but this was something he genuinely would have to wait for. pictures would not do you justice and you wanted to catch your boyfriends raw reaction when he saw the look for the first time . 

and you were right.

when he went up to your apartment to pick you up and you opened the door, the reaction was worth the wait. the constant warmth your boyfriend’s gaze always held fell the moment his eyes landed on you and took a moment to breathe you in. 

you saw his pupils dart to your cleavage first, staring for a hard second, then to the tightness against your waist and hips bringing attention to your figure. the small quirk of his eyebrow seconds within that let you know he spotted the thong hugging your body under the sheer dress. he did a once over of your legs, looking at what shoes you were wearing, before he brought his eyes up to look at your face again.

he doesn’t say anything, instantly moving forward and getting rid of the space between the both of you to take your head in his hands and plant his lips on yours. you press a hand against his chest when you feel him swipe his tongue across the top of your mouth so hungrily. 

“you’re going to kiss off my lipgloss sugu.” you giggle, heaving a little as you press your forehead against his, blinking up happily at him. 

his stare is firm as his blown up pupils stare back into you, “sorry pretty girl, couldn’t help myself.”

“and why’s that hm?” you bite your lip through your smile, eagerly waiting for his answer, still forehead to forehead with him, his hands still holding you in place.

his hair is in that half up half down duo you go so feral for, you realize this detail when he says, “you know why.”

“no I don’t,” you drag on, a teasing lilt in your voice

“because,” he drags one of his hands down to caress your neck softly with his thumb, you can see a slight crease in his eyelids at your playfulness, “my girlfriend is trying to get away with first degree murder right now.”

“you like the dress?” you give him a toothy smile and you can slightly catch his gaze turn hungry at the sight of it

suguru suddenly raises you up by clasping his arms behind you, below your butt and on your thigh, so you’re above him when he looks at you lovingly, “like is an understatement.”

“well i like your hair today,” you compliment him, still giggly

“yeah?” he smiles, “i’m glad.”

it’s your first time ever going to the club with suguru, so there’s some sort of powerful feeling lingering when you enter the loud building holding hands with him. you’re going in belonging to someone and so is he, as opposed to other people going in and hoping to catch a body tonight or at least a good grind on the dancefloor–satoru cough cough.

the white haired maniac’s influence gets all of you a vip table with liquor already waiting for you and when you get there, suguru sits and plants you on his lap, arms loosely wrapped around your waist.

It’s when you look forward, you see toji zenin give you a quick once over from where he’s seated near satoru. and you ignore it, you always do. he’s never made an advance on you ever since you and suguru became a thing, he’s respectful of the relationship, but his eyes can never lie, he’s into you. it’s why you’ve never uttered a word to him and why he doesn’t either. and you can’t really blame him if the purpose of tonight's look was to turn all heads, not just your boyfriend’s.

“you smell good baby,” suguru mutters into your ear as he brushes a hair away from your face, “are you using the perfume i got you?”

you wrap your arms around his shoulders when you respond with a nod of your head and, “yeah. I finally ran out of my old one.”

“good girl.” he smiles appreciatively before placing a tender kiss on your neck

the softness of it makes you giggle a little and crane your neck a little, suguru pinches your side to tease you for it. 

it’s when a certain lullaby of a song comes on that your ears perk up and your boyfriend observes the reaction, looking up at you and rubbing circles into your waist, “what’s up baby?”

within an instant all the girls at your table begin to get up and rush to the dance floor and you turn to suguru, already starting to unwrap his arms from your waist.

“i have to go dance this babe,” you say hurriedly, like a little kid leaving their mom the moment they see the bouncy castle go up.

suguru can say nothing before he watches you run off to join the other girls on the dance floor, eyebrows raised in amusement at your antics then in reaction to your immediate inclination to start dancing. 

you look pretty, he thinks as he reaches over to serve himself a glass of whiskey. 

and he continues to think it as he ‘talks’ to his friends, nodding and giving small mhms when all he’s really doing is watching you live it up at the center of the club. 

you’re ethereal, the only star in that murky puddle of bodies. maybe your dress is part of the reason for all that shine and glow you’re giving off, but nothing beats the pretty little smile on your face that says you’re having a good time. it’s turning him on to be honest. he always wants to shove himself inside of you when you bear that toothy smile at him. 

and other people think the same, he notes. 

he’s always seen the stares, he knows you’re a sight to behold. there hasn’t been a day where he isn’t aware that so many other people want you. he knew it when you were merely the smart, hot girl he had a crush on his lit class, with so many other guys obviously paying a little more attention when it was your turn to speak, and he knows it even more now with your male following on social media and the way he constantly gets sized up just for being next to you. for fuck's sake he's heard toji zenin talk about how bad you are before he knew about your thing with suguru at the halloween party, hell, he still catches the frat president unable to control the way his eyes eat you up when you're near.

“done already?” satoru asks haughtily when he sees all of the girls that went to dance come back heaving a little

it’s been an hour since they all left at the start of that first song.

“y/n’s still there though,” one of them breathes, taking satoru’s drink from him, “she does not stop.”

“yeah, she doesn’t,” suguru laughs a little, looking back at you, still as energetic as when you first got there.

fuck, you're beautiful.

speaking of before,

he’s painfully more aware of it when he notices the number of eyes gravitating towards you from the dancefloor, tables, and the bar.

it’s like a bunny in a room full of wolves. or those scenes where scooby and shaggy are in a dark room and a thousand red eyes pop up to blink at them. the eyes to you ratio is beginning to get a little mind boggling now that he sees it in a real life setting. this is not the handful of guys checking you out when you go to the library with him or the nth guy staring at you when you walk past with your boyfriend next to you. this is a huge club with you in the middle and catching the eye of almost every guy in here, most of whom come to this place with plans of taking a girl home or putting moves on her. 

the thought manifests itself when a blonde frat bro walks up to you and tries to dance with you. suguru’s heart stops a little for some reason. he’s seen guys come up to you before, actually talking to you and trying to get your number, so he shouldn’t feel this irked when he knows the guy is going to be disappointed by your answer. he actually wants to go up to the guy and beat his face in.

the surge of pride that courses through his body is immense when he sees you put a hand between you and the guy and you make an annoyed face, all before strutting off and making your way back to the table. 

he manspreads a little more for you to sit between his legs, draping one arm on your thigh, the other holding onto his whiskey.

“a guy tried to dance with me,” you huff when you sit down, reaching for suguru’s drink, which he hands over without a second thought, now using the other free hand to fully hug you.

“I saw,” he says, perching his chin your shoulder, watching as you take a sip of the whiskey and cradle the cup in your hands.

“dance with me,” you turn to look at him and pout, “i don’t want guys coming up to me.”

“but you look so good rejecting them.” suguru teases, smirking a little at you

when your face deapans, he laughs and hugs you tighter, “we’ll go in a bit. rest your pretty feet for a second, don’t want them to tire out.”

“okay,” you slump into his hold, pouting

and suguru did keep his promise, like always. he took you dancing after a few minutes of rest and letting you drink the rest of his whiskey.

he protected you from any other guys trying to come up to you, evident in the way no guys even dared get close from a ten feet radius.

he kept you close and let you dance with him, hands appreciatively holding onto you when you pressed your body against his. it was much different to the dancing from that first time at satoru’s party, he was really holding onto you this time. his hands always found your ass, your hips, even the underside of your boobs during every second of every song.

and suguru isn’t a jealous guy, so it was a little weird to you when you saw him notice a guy oogling you and he immediately pulled you in to makeout with him on the dancefloor. it was unlike any other makeout session you had ever had with him before. he was gripping your ass while his other hand held your neck, that wasn’t new, he always did that, but his energy about it was so…all consuming. 

all you know, is that instantly had you horny and you couldn’t help the mewl you let out after he squeezed you in his hold.

“let’s go,” he spoke a bit tensely into your ear so you could hear him past the music.

and you were never one to go against him because everything suguru did always made sense and worked for you, so you nodded mindlessly and said, “okay.”

when you got to suguru’s apartment, he immediately pushed you against the door and resumed the makeout session he had started at the club. one of his hands was planted against the door while the other roughly gripped your waist to keep you close to him. 

“If you ever see toji, i want you to run the other direction,” he spoke ominously against your lips

the command had you furrowing your eyebrows, you mean of course yes you'd do that, but you never would’ve thought he’d ask it from you. he never really cared to address your actions when it came towards other guys. suguru wasn’t ever jealous…nonetheless, you agree meekly, taken aback by his roughness, “okay.”

all your boyfriend did in response was let out a gruff sound of acknowledgement before pressing his body further against yours and beginning to tug your dress off. he started by pushing down the straps, then pushing the upper half down, including your strapless bra until your tits popped out. 

he pushed both of them together the moment they peeked out and then let a glob of spit drop down onto one of your nipples rather obscenely before he went down to mouth at that same breast. it had you keening, you could feel your thong becoming nonexistent with the way you were starting to drench through it.

a bite from suguru had you squeaking before he continued his ministrations on your other breast while his hands worked on pushing the rest of your dress all the way down, even your thong since it caught onto the tight material of the dress.

you were left completely naked in front of him now and he manhandled you by suddenly picking you up and pinning you against the wall next to the door. he let one hand hold one of your legs to his waist, while the other went under and quickly swiped a finger across your folds with ease due to the wetness

“so easy baby,” he muttered against your lips before plunging a finger all the way in and curving it upwards

“you’re being mean,” you complain, feeling completely flustered at his brash actions

“what’s so mean about making you feel good hm?” he leans back to get a good look at you when he plunges another finger in and starts to push them in and out quickly, watching as your eyebrows knit and you start to mewl, “atta girl.”

“nothing,” you mumble, brainless as you wrap your arms around his neck and hook him in closer with your legs, “ow!”

he started adding a third finger when he felt like you were starting to open up more, however your small complaint started dying into a moan when he increased his pace with the third finger. 

“that’s a lot sugu,” you heave through delirious breaths, flustered at the fact that he was staring so intensely at how you were sucking him in

your comment had him finally looking up at you and you dont know if you’d rather he go back to staring at your pussy, because he was giving that same intense stare to you now. the all heavy pressure of his gaze was entirely being directed at your own eyes now, and how could you meet that same gaze equally when he was three fingers into you and making you moan like a slut.

suguru might have granted you a quick mercy when he leaned against you, quickening the pace of his fingers so you could get louder, and breathed into your ear, muttering lowly, “my cock’s a lot more than three fingers but you always cream all over it.”

the dirty sentence has you pulling suguru closer to you, and trying to trap him where he was so you wouldn’t have to look at him in the flustered state he put you in. but your boyfriend didn’t have it, forcing himself out of your grip, and craning his neck back to go back to looking at you.

he pulled out all three of fingers just to land a sharp slap across your pussy before plunging all of them into you again, “let me watch you baby. be good for me, okay?”

he honestly expects you to be able to answer him when three of his very large fingers are stretching you wide open and curling on that one spot that always has you crumbling, you know he expects you to because he turns his head a little when you don’t answer and lands another slap before going back to fingering you.

“speak up princess,” he orders so easily and so sweetly, like he’s not torturing your body right now

and you do your best to force the words out of you, legs quivering and resisting the urge to writhe in his grasp when you gasp, “ok–okay.”

“good girl,” he almost groans with a snarl as he suddenly stops fingering you open and hoists you over his shoulder, a squeal leaves your mouth at the action.

he’s walking you both to his bedroom, you notice from the path of his hallway made out from your view, and the realization doesn’t last long before suguru brings you down again, then pushes you down and bends you over his bed. he lands a slap to your ass and you can makeout the rustle of him getting naked when he says softly, “grab the pillows and put them under your stomach angel.”

and you listen, reaching easily for both of his large and fluffy pillows, and putting them under your abdomen.

you feel suguru’s heavy length press against your ass and bare pussy when he presses up against you, gripping onto the crease between your thighs and ass, and starts mouthing hot and heavy kisses across your spine. you whine a complaint at the fact that you feel so good, but you know you could feel so much better if he just put it in already.

“what?” suguru notices the pitch that you always make when you’re complaining, continuing his line of affection down your spine

“put it in,” you pout, wiggling your ass for emphasis and hissing a little when you feel his cock graze your lips at the action

suguru gives a last kiss to the bottom of your spine before coming back up and grabbing a fistful of your hair and bringing your head up so he could look at you, “how bad do you want it?”

“really bad sugu.” you mewl, feeling gratification from the sting of his hold on you

“you want me to fill up your little hole? even when we both know you’re gonna start crying that it’s beating your pussy up, yeah?” he questions cruelly 

“mhm,” you nod pathetically, “even if i do.”

his lips twitch a little at your admission and he yanks on your hair a little harder when he lands a sloppy kiss on your lips that has a string of saliva connecting both of your mouths when he pulls away.

he stands back up and lands another stinging slap across your ass, groaning, “my pretty fuckin ass.”

as if he couldn’t get any dirtier, suguru then grabs either of your cheeks and spreads them apart to get a good view of your sex, the sudden exposure of which makes you feel even wetter. that last fact seems of no use to suguru when you feel a large glob of spit land and run down your hole.

you suck in breath when you feel suguru start to rub his tip across your folds.

“sloppy little pussy,” he mutters before pressing into you. and you both groan when he starts to inch himself in even further.

the moan you let out when he completely pulled out and slammed back in was sinful and the noises that followed when he started doing that again and again at a faster pace without mercy had you outright screaming. 

you felt like you were constantly breathless, constantly trying to breathe. he hadn’t ever been this hard on you before.

and you thought you knew what hard was from him before.

“i know, i know,” he whispered against your neck when he pressed himself down against you and started jackhammering even closer to your cervix, so on point with your gspot too that you felt your orgasm starting to build up

a particular gutteral squeal from you had him breathing a “so cute” while he never relented his brutish force against you

“sugu–sugu,” you reached around for one of his arms, heaving, grabbing onto it while he violently moved the both of you, “i’m gonna–mmm–i’m gonna cum, i’m gonna cum!”

the confession had suguru suddenly changing positions, hooking his arms up and under your armpits to pull you up to stand flush against his body while he slammed up against you ferociously. it unexpectedly had your high crashing against you after a graze of your gspot.

“that’s it baby, that’s it.” suguru consoled when he felt you twitch in his hold and your juices dripping all over his abdomen and cock, “such a good fucking girl.”

all you wanted to do was fall down and rest, but the most you could muster was letting your body go limp in your boyfriend’s unrelenting hold, letting him use you as he pleased.

“ ‘s too much sugu,” you whined as the overstimulation started kicking in

It didn’t get him to stop at all.

“remember what you said earlier hm?” he brought up, breathing heavy as he lifted a foot up to plant it against the edge of the bed. it was leverage for the scream worthy pace he started forcing on you now.

tears started to fall down your cheeks at the overstimulation. it was so good, too good. It was all so sinfully good. 

you felt your walls start to flutter again at your second nearing orgasm when you sniffled from the tears. and although your boyfriend still evilly abused your pussy, he leaned down and moved your face to the side with one hand so he could be face to face with you. 

you thought he was going to kiss you, but instead he started licking your tears off.

it was the catalyst for your orgasm and you thrashed rather hard against suguru, who you could feel suck in a breath at the sporadic clenches of your pussy.

“fuck,” he breathed harshly, pulling you even tighter against him to more easily meet his thrusts and you could feel his cock twitch as a symptom of his incoming orgasm.

that, and he started to speak up filthily.

“Mine–mine–mine–mine.” he reiterated quickly, punctuating each time with a thrust, “fuck ‘s all mine. god can’t get enough of you pretty baby. so fucking slutty and pretty. fuck–fuck–next time i see toji giving you heart eyes im gonna pump my cum inside you so he can see it running down your fucking legs. fuck–you like that baby? what–a–good–good–fucking–girl. tell me you want that baby.”

scrambling for any piece of sanity just to tell your boyfriend what he wants to hear, in hopes of spurring his lust, you moan out weakly, “i want it sugu i want it.”

“yeah? you want him to see me dripping out of your pretty fuckin pussy? god–i fucking–want–it. he’ll never get to fucking know what it’s like to cream this little hole.”

“so–so dirty sugu,” you moan sheepishly at the embarrassing realization that he might just make you cum a third time because of the added spur of his pussy drunk words. 

“pussy’s fucking dirty,” snarls back at you, pulling you closer to him, “can feel you clenching around me. know you fucking like it.”

the shut down of his words had you shaking in attraction to his ability to shut you up like no other.

“never–forget–you’re–mine,” he thrusts through, “ ‘s fucking pussy, your ass, your tits, your body, your pretty fucking face, ‘s all mine. you don’t need anybody but me. i’m yours i’m yours i’m yours. ‘s dick ‘s all yours, everything, baby. take it–take it–take it.” 

his breathing was starting to get heavier and you could feel his abs start twitching against you, a sign of his orgasm building up just as yours was all over again.

so it surprised you when suguru pulled out and threw you onto the bed, your legs hanging off the edge before he picked them up and slanted them up against his body by hugging them close. “come here, come here,” he quickly let one arm go for a second to guide himself into you again before wrapping it around your legs again. he repositioned the one leg of his back on top of the bed for his leverage and leaned forward a bit to go back to his brutal thrusts. 

“wanna see your face when you cum again.” he muttered as he stared at you squealing and moaning lewdly at his ministrations

suguru started kissing and mouthing at your calves while keeping you in a deadlock of eye contact. his cheeks and ears were tinged pink and his hair had fallen out of the half up half down do he had it in earlier. 

the worshipping of your legs and eye contact had to have been the last straw for you, because after a certain lick of your skin, you started crashing, feeling yourself let go across the entire lower half of your boyfriend, resisting the urge to cover your face in embarrassment because he recently made it a point that he really really liked seeing your face when you came.

the point was proven when he followed soon after you, thrusting half haphazardly into you as he blew his load inside of you in time with every squeeze of your cunt. it was accompanied by a litter of painful bites across your calves and heavy breathing from your boyfriend. he looked like he came hard, it felt like he did, considering how every spurt of his cum was sharply thrusted into you, making you wince in pain every time his tip kissed your cervix.

both of you were breathing heavily after, especially suguru, his skin covered in a thicker veil of sweat than you, who was simply taking all of that force he was exerting. he was still holding onto your legs, resting his forehead on the bare skin of your foot that wasn’t covered by your heel. 

his eyes were closed and he licked his lips, a bit tired, as he spoke, “i think i do get jealous after all, i’m sorry.”

his confession made you slightly clench around him, making him suck a breath in at the sensitivity while you breathlessly giggled, “that’s okay, i never said you couldn’t.”

suguru lazily bit your calf again as a sign of retaliation, "you could sound less excited."

[flamingpudding]

Part 3 of Ghost Kid in Gotham

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Feral brother of mine

When Damien first saw the video from Todd's helmet he only thought of his older brother as an imbecile that apparently couldn't handle children that was until Drake paused the video on the child's face before the video cut off.

Then Richard pointed out the similarities to Damien and of course his first thought was that his mother had made another clone again that they would need to dispose of. That was until he took a closer look at the image when Drake zoomed in. It was still blurry but Damien would recognise that face anywhere and in any state.

Despite his memory being faded it was the face of someone he never wanted to forget and would let freely hunt his dreams. Even if it was to recall the good times or even the bad times through nightmares. Freckles that mirrored constellations and scar by the ear from a training session when the others' dodging ability had not yet been up to par when they were five. Hair longer than his own and less tameable.

Danyal Al Ghul.

His twin that he killed at the age of eight when their grandfather forced them into a fight to death. This was not a simple clone of Damien himself and the teen was pretty sure that his mother must have lost it. Because what else then a clone of his own brother could this be, she probably must have preserved some of Danyal's DNA if not his entire body for this. He must also applaud her cruelty, for the clone was at the exact age his brother had died at.

He does not know why nor how his mother had managed to cause glowing Lazarus green eyes. None of his clones had ever shown these before but a part of him didn't want to know. It already made him sick enough to know that his mother would go so far as to clone Danyal.

All he wanted was to get rid of this cruel clone that wore his long dead brother's face. The knowledge of his brother was something Damien held dear. It was something that belonged to him only and the burden of his death was not something he ever wanted to share either. Besides what use would it be to his family to mourn a member they never would have gotten to meet.

Even as he glared at Todd, who had let loose the feral clone. He could not bring himself to tell them that this was most likely not just a simple clone of himself.

"Come on guys, there is a child running around the Bat Cave. You can fight later about how to safely keep the boy in check."

Clicking his tongue he turned away from his older siblings and drew out his katana. "<tt> I will get rid of that thing myself."

A thing, that was what it was. Damien didn't need his personal feelings or his memories of a twin that could smile brighter than the desert sun despite their pain, get in the way of his rationality. He could not allow this mockery of his twin brother to live on.

He went for the darker areas of the Cave knowing the league trained mind and he was in luck as he was the first to find the feral child hidden away in the area that lead to the medbay. By now the thing was even armed. Damien recognised the dagger as one of his training once, he probably had accidentally left it out of its casing after training right before patrol.

The ex-league prodigy did not give the clone time to react as he attacked without warning. Chasing it through the Bat Cave as it avoided his attacks yet made no move to attack him the way it had Todd. At times the way it dodged made Damien stutter slightly something that never happened before. He slashed at it, ignoring his siblings that shouted for him to stop from the side lines. Ignoring the flashes in his mind of a fight years ago that was similar yet so different.

"I will not let this mockery run free." He muttered pointing his blade as it hissed at him in return. What a feral thing it was, he waited for it to make the first move this time. Clones were not perfect, their forms were lacking, They might retain skills of their original but they rarely were the same let alone cable of thinking outside of what their creator, his mother wanted. He pointedly ignored anything he new about certain clones. They weren't created by his mother, therefore did not count in regards to his conclusion. Yet it was painful seeing this mockery of his dead brother appearing like a perfect copy.

The stance it held with the dagger, despite the feral hissing and movements, it was the exact same his brother had. Sword stances, like martial arts stances had a basic form, every wielder learned and then developed further into their own unique one with time. Danyal had one where he tended to hold the dagger or even swords backwards in his left hand while his right arm covered his empty side with a slight tilt to the back, always ready to reach for any weapon he would carry in hidden pockets on his back.

It was painful to see this clone, this thing mimicking his brother's stand this perfectly. Damien could only narrow his eyes in determination, or was it desperation by now? This was just one more reason to get rid of it. It just hurt even more when with a quick gaze towards the hand that held the dagger Damien also noticed a bad habit his brother had always retained and the league had also never been able to train out of him. It was a small habit, unnoticeable if you wouldn't look for it, yet dangerous to the sword / dagger wielder if they were inexperienced.

Danyal tended to let his thumb rest against the guard if the blade had one or against the blade itself even if it didn't have one. He knows that his twin used to have scaring on his thumb from this habit, especially from their early training years.

This thing was even imitating his brother's habit.

He wanted it gone. Rip it apart and present it to his mother with all the anger and grief it brought to him.

"Guys stop Damien now! That is not a clone!" He heard Drake yell from where the Batcomputer was but he didn't care. This was a clone, so he lunged at the it again. Ignoring how the clone had studied him like he had it. Ignoring how its stance had changed the longer they had watched each other and how that thing let its guard down all of a sudden.

"Damien! Stop!"

It dropped all defenses and Damien could only see that as his chance to deal the final blow to get rid of it. But what he didn't expect despite the dropped defenses was for the clone to also just drop the dagger, close its eyes and smile. The same smile that still hunted his nightmares. His mind flashed back to eight years ago.

"Demon brat! Calm the fuck down!"

The blade stopped inches from the same fatal placement that had killed his brother before. Drake and Richard were right behind him while Todd was by the clone's side gripping at the blade with his bare hands, most likely bleeding already.

"Why?" Damien uttered quietly, his eyes trained on the thing. Richard must have thought that his question had been directed towards them stopping him but that wasn't the case.

"Look Dami, how about listening to what Tim found out first before we decide what to do with that child?"

"Not you." He couldn't help but snap back at them as he withdrew his katana, hearing Todd mutter something about sharp blades and bandaids as well as several curses under his breath. His eyes stayed on the thing. "Why would you let me kill you? Why drop your defence ces? Why not dodge?"

The thing titled its head its glowing green eyes were trained on Damien and he noticed how they flickered into a blue that was so familiar yet so different with the way they glowed. It made chirping noises before it whispered something.

"ahbak, Dami"

Damien froze for a moment there at the quiet words the thing had whispered. How was he supposed to react now? Was this even a clone, no he knew this was a clone. There was no way Danyal was alive let alone still eight years old. He had killed his own brother, he had held him in his own arms as Danyal took his final breath, smiling at him and uttering the same words he had just heard again after so many years.

Even if Danyal had survived somehow then he should be the same age as him. Not the age he had died at. Besides, their grandfather would have never allowed them to use the pits to revive his twin.

"FUCK!"

Intentionally or not Todd's outcry had ripped him out of his thoughts by a rather pathetic yowl of pain. It was like a switch had been flipped in the clone's mind as his brother had reached out to probably detain it again. The moment Todd had touched him, the thing had bitten into his hand before letting go, hissing and running away from them once more.

But instead of running after that thing Damien stood frozen in place, his mind still racing. He could feel Richard's hands on his shoulders, grounding the teenager with the warmth they provided. "You okay there Baby Bird? You seem rather out of it suddenly."

"<tt> I am fine." His only offered answer, ignoring the worried looks he was getting as he moved to wipe Todd's blood off his blade. He needed a distraction before his mind became any more chaotic and unreasonable. "What did Drake find out?"

"Right… you sure you want to hear that right now?" Giving Richard an unimpressed stare, the oldest sighed looking over towards Drake.

"Well I got good news and probably bad news." Side eyeing his brother Damien kept silent waiting for him to continue.

"I can safely say that the child is not a clone. His DNA does not 100% match yours. It differs too much but - and this is where it's probably bad news - it matches with you to 45%, with a matching to Bruce to about 50%, same with Talia. If I run a paternity test I am sure it would be a hit for Bruce and Talia."

Damien swallowed taking in that information, knowing what it meant. Was he horrified? Yes. Did it also awaken a strange sort of hope? Also, Yes.

"But there was a third compartment of the child's DNA structure which was impossible to test. It could even corrupt DNA samples if not taken apart from the rest. It probably has something to do with the green specs I found in his blood too. So I ran a substance analysis and - you probably won't like this - but it got a hit from a substance we have recorded in our database."

"What substance?" Damien knew, he just knew he wouldn't like the next words Drake would say. He could feel Richard squeezing his shoulder as if to help him keep stable.

"Lazarus Water. It matched with what we have recorded from the Lazarus Pits."

"Drake, are you telling me that after eight years, my mother who apparently had preserved my dead twin brother's body, dropped said body into the Lazarus Pits to revive him and then drop him off with Todd of all people?"

"Yes, wait… dead twin brother's body?"

[halcyonfawn]

the meaning behind "face the raven" theme in "wild blue yonder" and more

a continuation of this post. i need to talk about this otherwise i'll explode.

some people have also said that this theme is playing in "last christmas" and "hell bent" (thank you for pointing that out, i'm going to die) which makes it all even worse (better). therefore, this post is, more or less, destined to turn into capaldi's era brainrot. but not all of it, i promise.

you've been warned.

first of all, allow me to refresh your memory. let's look into the context of the scenes where we heard this music theme before.

"last christmas"

according to series 8 official soundtrack, this theme is a part of "every christmas is last christmas" and is heard quite clearly two times. they're both important scenes for the doctor and clara.

too late.

a moment full of regrets and nostalgia. the doctor thinking he's lost clara again, wishing he would have come back sooner. clara reminicing her life without the doctor in it.

"so no one matched up to danny, eh?" "there was one other man, but that would never have worked out." "why not?" "he was impossible."

it is (heavily) implied that "one other man" is the doctor. does the doctor himself realise that she's talking about him? open for interpretation. but what this small exchange truly does is showing a game of saying something without actually saying it.

"can you really see no difference in me?" "clara oswald, you will never look any different to me."

yet another way of dancing around words. there's something special and touching about this last line. it is sort of a confession of unconditional love. but the word itself - love - is never spoken out loud.

then again, twelfth might be face blind.

second chances.

now, this scene is a complete opposite of the one mentioned above. it's full of hope, anticipation, happiness. a beginning of a new arc. he is given a second chance and he takes it. the doctor asks clara to run away with him once again. and she says "yes" without hesitation, takes his hand, kisses him on the cheek.

conclusion? these two scenes are focused entirely on the doctor and clara's relationship. it is there to show their strong connection, how much they mean to one another. utter devastation at the thought of their time ending and the absolute joy of reuniting after being separated. a chance at a happy ending. which also makes the music that plays on the background their theme.

"face the raven"

"every christmas is last christmas" is now turned into "face the raven" and is asocciated with clara's death. it also makes the previous name even more heartwrenching since last christmas was literally clara and doctor's last hurrah. we can hear this piece of music appear in two scenes as well.

clara's monologue about facing the raven.

"if danny pink can do it so can i. die right. die like i mean it, face the raven. maybe this is what i wanted. maybe this is it. maybe this is why i kept running. maybe this is why i kept taking all those stupid risks, kept pushing it."

she's accepting her fate and aknowleges her recklesness all the way throught the season 9. it was meant to be. there wasn't enough space for two doctors in the tardis.

"i let you get reckless" "why? why shouldn't i be reckless? you're reckless all the bloody time! why can't i be like you?" "clara, there's nothing special about me. i'm nothing but less breakable than you. i should've taken care of you."

this scene is also about how a human life can be so very short compared to the time lord's and how easily it can end. it's fragile. and it's the doctor's curse: bearing the pain of losing his loved ones.

clara meeting her fate.

as she approaches the raven, ever so brave, the doctor watches her. he hears clara scream, then witness her collapsing onto the ground. it is extremely painful, but this is, i repeat, the doctor's curse: watching his companions leave. there's no use in running away from that pain, it haunts him every step of the way.

"hell bent"

next time, "face the raven" theme can be heard during the memory wipe sequence. there is no name given for the background music in this particular moment, but it's quite obvious it represents loss and... letting go?

the doctor is about to make clara forget their time together (does that ring a bell, anyone?).

it is worth pointing out that the music becomes the loudest at the exact moment the doctor says:

"look how far i went for fear of losing you. this has to stop. one of us has to go."

it is the culmination of their relationship. companions that push each other to extremes. together they might destroy the whole universe in order to keep each other safe. there's no other way but to separate. they've formed such a strong connection than one is ought to forget the other.

even though at first the doctor is determined to wipe clara's memories, he then admits she is right: it is unfair to take away all that wonderful time they had from her. so he gives her a choice. or, more like, an offer to play a russian roulette. it's either you or me. i'm not going to press that button. we will do this together.

to summarise: all of these moments featured a strong connection between clara and the doctor. it also tells us a story about how hard it is to lose someone you care about deeply, especially for the doctor.

how is it all connected to the doctor and donna?

memory wipe

the doctor has to make donna and clara forget about him in order to keep them safe. expect that he doesn't give donna a choice, wiping her memory almost instantly, without saying a proper goodbye to her. obviously, he didn't have enough time to think of a better way to solve the problem since donna wouldn't have lasted long. however, it is still a decision he regrets making.

from "the star beast":

"i'm so glad you're back, donna. it killed me, it killed me, it killed me."

if we take a look at clara's situation, it's a bit different. i've already mentioned it above: at first, the doctor wants to do the same thing to clara that he did to donna. make her forget. expect, this time he is confronted for doing so (even threatened, at some point).

"these have been the best years of my life and they're mine."

i think this line triggers something in the doctor. because this is when he realises that this is not the right thing to do. not exactly. he'd already done it once and he regretted it. so this time, he offers a slightly different solution. someone still has to forget, but they'll press that button together. it's a mutual choice.

now, i know it's not entirely related to the dialogue in "wild blue yonder", but i think it's worth mentioning that donna and clara's stories are somewhat similar. i'm sure it's been said before, but it's still important.

donna's story was incomplete because she wasn't given a choice. now, that she remembers, 14th doctor makes sure their time together is worth-while. a second chance just like in "last christams".

too alike

another similarity between these two stories is that clara and donna are not entirely humans. not anymore.

donna's half timelord. even though her head is still not big enough to fit all the doctor's memories, she still has a part of the doctor in her.

clara's frozen in time, that makes her practically immortal. she risks her life, she reverses the polarity of the neuroblock, she gets her own tardis, she's even reffered to as "clara who" at the end of "hell bent". she has become the doctor in a sense.

but there can only be one doctor. so where's the story heading to at this point, i wonder? but we'll come back to this question later.

"but what really happened?"

before i say anything, it is obvious that the doctor's silence before and after he says "a lot" is him reminicing all that'd happened to him during the 11th, 12th and 13th reincarnations. all of the loss and pain he went through.

but why "face the raven" theme of all things? it could be a general theme of grief/nostalgia/painful memories, nothing else implied.

but please let me be delusional for a bit longer!

just as that scene in "hell bent" brought the doctor back to the moment he made donna forget him, could it be that bringing back his best friend's memories in a whole universe that "he absolutely loves", also reminded him of another important person in his life with similar story? just like "hell bent" mirrored "the journey's end", "wild blue younder" gave us a reference to "hell bent".

this is where we get back to the question about the current story direction.

foreshadowing?

donna's story is not over. and there are a lot of possibilities how it can end.

say, there is a connection to clara's story here, i wonder if that's where the plot's heading. in one of the trailers, the doctor does say "i'm not sure if i can save you this time" to donna. and it worries me. then again, maybe they're just tricking us into thinking something bad will happen (oh the drama).

i'd say it's unlikely donna's going to die because that would be absolutely devastating after just bringing her back. at the very least, the ending wouldn't be completely "happily ever after". perhaps, sacrifices will be made in order to prevent something truly horrible from happening.

why did this face come back?

in "the girl who died" twelfth doctor finally realises why he got his face. it is a call-back to "the fires of pompei" (don't even get me started on its being the episode with 10th and donna).

the message the doctor was giving to himself turned out to be:

"i'm the doctor and i save people!"

but what is 14th trying to tell himself?

i think it's about donna and more.

he's fixing his mistake of erasing her memories and depriving her of the right to remember amazing things that'd happened to her.

it's a reminder to actually tell people how much they mean to him. as we can see, 14th's more open with his feelings and constantly shows signs of affection towards his loved ones, even breaking the "never say i love you" rule.

it's about being honest and open with people because they deserve to hear it from him and he deserves to hear it back. because "things happen and then it's too late".

again, take 12th doctor, for instance. he constantly represses his feelings. but in my humble opinion, the reason why he's changed by season 10 was clara. she pulled him out of the dark place. and even though her death almost threw him back to that state again, he is still a better man by season 10.

but there were things left unsaid. love and care were always there but it was never said out loud. kind of the same thing happened with 13th.

i strongly believe that donna is that person for 14th. they're best friends who love each other deeply. and after the doctor lost her and got a second chance to fix everything, he does, he's being affectione. he's finally open with his feelings.

conslusion: why did you make us read all fo this?

to answer the question in the title: it's all tied with how memories are important and priceless, fixing past mistakes, moving on and learning to treasure every moment with people you care about like it's your last.

it can also be a foreshadowing for something terrible, but i choose to hope for the better.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

aaaand that is the end of my doctor who rant. thank you for getting this far, if you did!

my feelings about all of this can be described with this one meme:

[dearanakin]

trust you | anakin skywalker: episode VIII

Summary: Anakin gets dragged into a mission with Poe Dameron, while something unexpected happens at the Jedi Temple, where you and the others face the incoming threat. (don't forget I use characters from different timelines)

Warnings: mentions of blood, vulgar language

Word count: 3.2k

previous chapter | read on Wattpad

--

Anakin:

I was on a mission with freaking Poe Dameron. I would like to think I haven't lowered my standards when it comes to the assignments I usually do, because this one sure fucking isn't it. But I was literally dragged to do this with him, it wasn't the first time either, so I know what he was on about. I didn't have a choice matter-of-factly, because I refused too many times the past two days, but he just made me come with him saying he needed my assistance. He also made me wear a stupid helmet, but I reassured my decision and disagreed. 

He works with the fucking Resistance, what does he need me for? He flies a T-70 X-wing starfighter, which is high key superior to my Eta-2 Actis-class. He knows many attack techniques, and he also has an entire group with him flying around. 

Poe was using his comlink to communicate with his partners as we reached closer to find the First Order's headquarters. It reminded me badly of the Emperor, but I tried to suck up the feeling of rage inside of me. It's been years already, what is done is done. 

While the man next to me focused on his own mission, I thought back to two days ago, when I met (Y/N) in the coffee room. I honestly didn't expect to meet anyone there, hence why I decided to get a drink in the middle of the night. It caught me off guard seeing her after what had happened the last time we were together, which made me feel completely flimsy being close to her. 

And it pissed me off that she thought it would be a good idea to bring his lightsaber up after everything he had done before he left me behind. I didn't regret breaking that stupid piece of shit of grip, I should've done that the first time I came across it when she had it in her hands. It drives me insane the way she just trusts everyone she meets, without even realizing how much they can harm people. And worse than that, trusting Obi-Wan fucking Kenobi. 

I can't trust anyone after everything I've been through, after I've been left behind from my former Master. Most importantly, I trusted Palpatine's words that he could help me save Padmé, and he betrayed me as well. My issues all lie around the ones I devoted my life to. 

Dameron snaps me out of my distraction when he finally speaks up to me, handing me a blaster gun. I rolled my eyes, thinking he definitely believes I would need a blaster gun when I have my lightsaber. 

"We're moving forward to attack them, assault their army and gather intel" He removes his helmet, which has features of the Resistance's symbol mixed with a red and black design. 

"Jesus, Dameron. You guys know what you're dealing with, right?" I try to stand on my ground and not stick my nose where it wasn't my issue. Obviously, my body was probably going to boil from all the control I'm holding back. 

"Yes, Sherlock? We've been here before, but we couldn't find them" Poe moves his head to the sides, looking for a hidden place to land, which was pretty nonexistent. 

Why the fuck did he call me Sherlock?

"You couldn't find them" I laughed in disbelief. He truly believes it's that easy to fight against the First Order. "Can you imagine what they're capable of if they find us first?"

He seemed to ponder for a moment, but gave me a reassuring smirk before unbuckling his belt. I did nothing but huff in annoyance over his shitty idea. I was going to help him and his trope, but only because he made me come, and I owe him as well. 

"I've led attacks and been to many before, and they were all terrible people. This is no different" Poe tried to convince me he would make it out of here. Again, my trust issues aren't really helping me here. 

"Yeah, but they weren't Snoke" I muttered and he shot his head back at me quickly, surprised with my words "I can sense the motherfucker from miles" 

We stay glancing at each other for what feels like several minutes, only then he took in what was really happening and how much he was willing to risk himself and his group in a suicide mission. Because that's what it really is when it comes to Snoke. The artificial humanoid was as powerful as Palpatine. 

"You're telling me you made me bring you into this shit show and didn't tell me who we're dealing with?" He raised his voice, almost squeaking with desperation, and I furrowed my brows. 

I shake my head, not exactly catching on what he's saying. "You didn't fucking know we were literally walking into death?"

"I thought we were fighting off Stormtroopers?"

He's really unbelievable. If I wasn't here, he would be dead by now. Poe would've been sliced into a million pieces and would've taken his entire group down with him. 

"Poe! For God's sake, do you ever think before you go on these missions?" I can't even begin to tell how much I'm frustrated with him and his lack of self consciousness. "This is the fucking Supremacy headquarters, it's literally his lair!"

He became desperate and started to communicate through his comlink, letting the others know what we were really getting ourselves into. I swear to God this is why I don't trust people at all. I should've known better than to just follow Poe into the assignments he finds. This is beyond crazy of him. 

I decided to take over the yoke of his ship and maneuver it until we start to lift off the ground, swinging it. The moment we started to leave, the stormtroopers finally made their appearance and started shooting at us. 

It was really hard to find the right setting for the attack, but I managed to hit the defense laser cannon, trying to blast them and take them down. Poe was in a mix of trying to warn everyone, while he shoved my hands off the yoke. 

"You're gonna get us fucking killed!" He screamed before taking control and flying up, far enough to hit the men on the ground.

"You're the one to talk!" I yelled back at him, looking out the window to realize his teammates were still taking off and struggling to fight back. My senses heightened when I felt something really disturbing ring in my head. 

At first, it was confusing because it came all at once. The high-pitched noise started to pound in my head and when I looked back at the headquarters, I noticed Snoke coming out of the Supremacy, walking slowly to the edge of the place. He was staring at us, but didn't move a finger. 

"Pull the lightspeed gear!" I shouted at Poe, startling him. He looked at me and creased his brows. "Do it now!"

He didn't question my demand, pulling the gear immediately and we crossed the galaxy in a matter of seconds. He looked over his shoulder to get a glance behind us, to see if his teammates were right after us. I unknowingly heaved out a sigh, listening to Dameron do the same next to me when we noticed their ships behind us. 

Still, the vertigo and the ringing in my head hit back, and I looked over the transceiver on his  control panel. There was a hissing noise and a faint voice on the other side, speaking words we couldn't understand. He managed to spin a few buttons, trying to tune it in so it became clear. 

"Code nine thirteen! Nine, one three!" The other voice spoke, and we both looked at each other at the same time. It's an emergency code. 

Was that Cal Kestis? My blood ran cold, and I felt a shiver down my spine, and my limbs became numb. I watched as Poe took the lead and gripped the transceiver speaker and spoke to him, I was utterly shocked and couldn't say a word. I started to zone out, thinking about Luke and our groups of people. Even (Y/N) came into my mind. 

"It's the General Grievous' army! We are under attack! Where the hell are you guys?" His voice came rather desperate, like he couldn't fathom what was really happening. 

"We're coming, landing is in a few seconds!" Poe sped up and quickly we were near the Temple. 

"Luke, is he okay? How bad is it?" I was still under a daze, my eyes roaming around the place looking for something dreadful happening down there.I start to unbuckle myself as soon as Poe lands the ship, barely waiting for him to open the doors and I immediately sprint off the hallway of the Temple looking for my son.

From the corner of my eye I noticed Cal hitting his lightsaber incessantly against the army of droids, his face covered in dried blood. He shot me a knowing look when I came over to where he was and assisted him with my weapon.

"Where is Luke?" I hear my strangling voice ask him as we managed to keep ourselves shielded from them. He didn't answer and I raised my tone at him "Where the hell is my kid?"

"He's hiding with (Y/N), she took him!"

"Where?" My hands were swinging the lightsaber as fast as they could, even though I could feel them trembling.

"I don't fucking know- ah!" He grunted and I looked over at him.

One of the droids slashed their sword against his upper arm, ripping a pained groan out of him. I kicked it off and shoved mine against them, beating it into pieces. Kestis watches me with wide eyes and nods when I face him back.

I rush out of the hallway, running aimlessly. I needed to figure out a way of getting to Luke, but I had to think about where she would hide with him in the first place. And I had no idea, given that I still don't know much about her. So I tried the only thing I have to my advantage. I focused my senses and shut down the background noise. A few seconds later, I gathered a few whispering down the other end of the Temple.

My hands were shaking really badly, I thought I was going to pass out from the distress. It was agonizing not knowing where he was and if he was ok. I walked slowly through each closed door, until I could hear shuffling against the smaller one. It could barely fit two people in there. Usually they use force shields so any other force sensitive people wouldn't get ahold of it, but I've worked on mine for so long it can literally overreach it.

"Luke! Are you in there?" I ask, resting my hand over the door knob while leaning my ear against the door. There's still faint noises on the other side. It was faint, but I could hear them. "It's me, it's dad"

"Don't open the door, Luke. It could be a changeling" She whispers to him.

"But I know it's my dad. I can feel it" Luke whispers back, leaning against the door. I can feel his energy dissipating through the room.

"It's me Luke. It's not a changeling, I'm right here!" I try to whisper to him as well, maybe he will sense it too.

For a brief second, he mentioned opening the door but (Y/N) caught him in the middle of it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"No, young boy. Did your father not tell you to not trust anyone?" Her words hit me hard like a brick.

I know I've been clear about that, but it felt too weird to be on the other side of the story this time. She knows how I feel about trusting people, (Y/N) is trying to keep him safe using my own advice.

Again, he shuffled on the other side and I felt his body moving further away from the door. This time, she was standing against it.

"Stay back, and hold onto me" She asked in a low tone and slowly turned the doorknob.

I didn't wait until she opened fully, making myself step into the tiny room as I felt a whip of laser coming inches across from my face. She really needs to start practicing her freaking aiming. I watch as she holds tightly to the blaster gun and sighs in relief when she notices it's just me.

I kneel down and hold Luke tightly against me, resting my chin over his small shoulder. His arms cross around my neck and he holds me back with urge.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I ask in a rush and feel my hands pull him tighter, almost merging our bodies together. He mumbles a "no" and clings to me.

I have to be faster if I want to get ourselves out of there alive and in pieces. I hold him up and place both of his legs around my waist, looking back at (Y/N) who watches the closed door, apprehensive.

She looks back at me for a slight second, nodding before preparing herself to walk out of the room.

"Thank you" I mumble almost silently when I stare back at her, both of us getting in position.

We ran across the hallway looking for any kind of cover, while I used my free hand to deflect the blasts and hit them where I could. Whereas (Y/N) attempts to aim and shoot them, miserably failing at it. But at least she's trying. I get to one of the giant metal doors that leads us to the underground, where we keep gears and machines running. There isn't really a path to follow under there, giving us time to reach outside the hangar.

We are met with a couple of battle droids, reaching out to them with Luke still on my hold, while he keeps his head low on my neck and his arms still around my body. I take a sharp inhale and decide to pass him over to her. I have to do it fast otherwise I'll regret it. She darts her eyes at me with furrowed brows and a concerned look, but still does so.

She realizes what I'm on to when I grasp the blaster out of her hand and start to shoot them while using my lightsaber at the same time. The spinning helps me get through the blasts, giving me advantage when I finally beat them down. But there are screaming and rumbling on the other side of the hangar, our teammates fighting them off as well as trying to get rid of their attack.

I step forward trying to figure out a way of getting them down quicker, but my plans get interrupted when something blows them up into flames. My mouth hangs open when I snap my head to the left and watch a ship as it fires off another laser cannon over them.

We all watch as whoever is in charge starts to get off, turning the aircraft around and speeding up in seconds. When I look back to the blown up droids, I notice they took down each one of them and the screaming has finally stopped.

We were safe. Whatever that was, they saved us.

From the distance, I see Poe and Cal running towards us. The redhead seems to be a little beaten but could still stand up, even though his face was covered in small cuts and splits, which was manageable. The pilot, on the other hand, kept holding his side, while his head was wrapped in cloth. You could still see fresh blood spreading against it.

"Holy shit" Poe was out of breath, he dropped all his weight over my shoulder where he kept his hand rested on. "Holy shit"

Holy shit indeed. I should tell him this battle is still nothing compared to what he was about to do.

I snake an arm under his body and lift him up, supporting him while we walk slowly. Louise walks past me still carrying Luke as she carefully uses her free hand to rest on Cal's face.

"Jesus, Cal. Are you okay?" She asks him, concerned about his injuries even though he gives her a nod.

Her thumb ghosts over his cheek, and he holds her hand with both of his, squeezing it. Kestis gives her a sided hug, ruffling Luke's hair.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Poe grunts next to me and I give him a quick look.

"What is it?"

"I don't know, I sense something... weird" He murmurs, using my shoulder for support. "I think it's jealousy"

"What the fuck, Poe?" The pilot is holding a cheeky grin on his face, and I feel my jaw clenching.

"Is that even an emotion you have? Is it possible?" He asks and I dig my mechanic fingers into his shoulder blade. "Ow! Ow! Okay, I'm sorry!"

"Shut up, before I change my mind and feed you to the Ewoks" I hear him chuckling, even though he's definitely in pain.

"Ewoks and Wookies love me, you're gonna have to try harder" Poe muttered.

I swat my hand over his head carefully, not wanting to hurt him even more than I wish I could. "I'll handle you to the fucking First Order next time"

He opens his mouth with an offended look and I display a victorious smirk at him.

There are dozens of injured people at the medical bay, it's definitely going to be a difficult job for all the medics, we were probably going to have to ask for a backup. Both him and Cal get assisted, while we watch them leave our sight. I feel Luke's small hands grab my neck, pulling himself against my body once again.

I shift his weight and whisper him some comforting words. He was really disturbed and I feel bad he had to live this shit. From the corner of my eye, I see (Y/N) trying to get rid of the dried blood from her trembling hands. I reach over and hold her wrist gently as she looks over me with a confused look.

Yes, I hate her sometimes, and she annoys me a lot. But I need to be friendly over the situation.

"We're fine, we're safe now" I speak through a comforting tone and she nods.

"Wasn't prepared for all of this" She tries to keep her head up, but her lips form into a thin line and I know she's in shock.

"I know, we never really are" My flesh hand gives her a reassurance squeeze and I feel my skin burn.

I can't handle the touch. I mean, I can handle touching my son. But when it comes to a woman, I just can't. It still reminds me of her. I jolt it back and try to cover up my reaction. Poe fucking ruined it for me. How can I be jealous of her if we can barely stand each other? This is probably a nonsense statement.

She doesn't say another word, holding her body with affliction.

I clear my throat before I choke out another "thank you". She glances up at me again, this time surprise washed over her face. "Thank you for taking care of him when I wasn't here. And for reminding him about trust"

This is a bit of a big deal to me. As much as I try to keep my distance from her, she keeps being pulled back like a damn magnet. I force myself to stay away from her but things always take a turn and we're once again facing each other. It gives me anxiety, and it's not a good one. If there's even a good kind of anxiety. It makes me feel like I'm taking many steps back after struggling with my reality.

I don't deserve someone in my life anymore, except Luke. All I did was hurt the people I love the most, and if I can keep them alive I can't allow myself to be too close to them. I mean, all of them. I don't want to be a friend for Cal, or Poe. I don't want to be a friend for (Y/N) either. This was an exception, she had to do it because I wasn't there for him. But I won't let it happen again.

And what happened today at the Temple was my fault. Whoever got killed or injured, it was because of me. It was because I still go after those who hurt me before. And General Grievous won't stop until he gets to me. I need to work on getting to him first before it's too late for me. I have to do this alone, this is my fight. I won't have anyone's blood in my hands anymore.

Only my own.

@adorbzliz @himesuedi @kingdomhate @cl0esblogg @littlecoffeenerd @readingthingsonhere @js-favnanadoongi @twilightzone24

[riverssongs13]

First, let's just get this out of the way for I'm still seething about the storytelling mess that was Familiar By Thy Side (and parts of Darkest Hour). I want to appreciate the fact that this masterpiece of an episode is more than 10 minutes shorter than the previous one, which had so many unnecessary parts; this half hour of an emotional roller coaster ride has done so much more to progress the ENTIRE show's plot. We finally pieced the puzzle of Lilia's kookiness and her "jumps". We got so much more Teen lore from this than the Teen episode itself. We now have resolution to all the (previous) trials, Alice's… state, Rio's real identity, Jen's importance… We even dealt with the damned Salem Seven as a bonus. So many things happened but it was not overwhelming at all. If this were a suit I'd say it's bespoke indeed.

Now, what I truly loved about this episode is how it was able to paint a non-linear narrative with so much finesse, with each twist and turn taking us to different parts of a single timeline, without making it nauseating, all while pulling the threads to secure the stitches in place and make sure the seams are tight without it puckering. Like embroidery that adds patterns on different areas, we finally sew it all up to see the final tapestry.

The whole fandom has definitely theorised all about how Lilia's weird "inserts" are connected, each episode giving us more pieces to make sense of. But of course it feels infinitely better seeing it ourselves, and how they make up a whole linear timeline in Lilia's mind-POV, while Agatha and the gang are left confused with the breadcrumbs of phrases left for them at different intervals. I absolutely loved how this time discrepancy was used. No more boring-ass unnecessary flashbacks filled with drivel. This time, the past is completely enmeshed with the present, and is used to decide on what's needed to be done to get the desirable future outcome.

This "time is non-linear, it exists simultaneously at all points" phenomenon has certainly been used in countless other media (Fringe and its Observers come to mind), but I love how actively Lilia used it. Her being in that tea-leaf reading lesson held so much significance to her as a Trial Subject, as a Coven Member, and as an Individual Witch. Her time in the gazebo reminds me of The Time Traveller's Wife; existing in all the times, getting sent and pulled back and sent again.

That gazebo was both her prison and her escape. Being stuck in that place made her think her life is a rigid series of unfortunate events, and she can't do anything but be helpless in the face of tragedies that befall everyone she ever cares about. Having had the power to see the future yet be unable to prevent her original coven's death perpetuated her self-depreciation, thus she spent 450-ish years giving in to the usual witchy tropes and misconceptions (the palm reading and tarot tents and the minor scams here and there, but a girl's got bills, ya know), even if it hurts her in the process.

So then, prison AND escape, right? Being tethered to that specific point in time, with her mentor guiding her path to self-rediscovery, was crucial to Lilia's ability to escape her shackles, because she needed to realise she put the shackles on herself. Having a powerful but dangerous gift and being actively afraid of it is quite the self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. You're scared so you stop using it altogether but then you can't control it so all that suppression does more harm than good (looking at you, Charles. What you did to Jean was cowardice. Also, hello? Elsa??). Lilia exclaiming "I was bad at tea leaves" at her literal first day of training might just have been the reason why she spent her life believing she's bad at it. She planted the very idea in her brain (Inception? lol).

This whole forward and back travel from the Road to the Gazebo is instrumental to Lilia coming to terms with the idea that time for her does not move in a straight line. Her confession to Jen, paired with her mentor's wise words, makes her admit that she does, in fact, have a problem. First step to recovery and all that. This then leads to her unravelling the next layer of her issues, which is death to all she holds dear. Granted, she has seen so much death within her lifetime. 450 years of life would do that to you. Something she cannot possibly control.

But that's the thing, isn't it? She was never supposed to control anything. Her job as a Trial Subject, a Coven Member, and an Individual Witch is to SEE. See the trial with the eyes of 450 years simultaneously happening, the heart of someone who wants to protect her coven, and the power of a witch who can walk through the threads of time's tapestry. Once she sees that, and once she accepts that Death is not a Bad Thing, and once she lets go of control, the pieces started to fall into place.

Which then makes her SEE that she's the Traveller. This tarot reading is about her, and she has been sprinkling the answers throughout her timeline, waiting to be plucked by the Awakened Calderu of Now. Give credence to who she is, and her power that Must Not Be Feared. Recognition that she needs her Coven in order to succeed. Acceptance for what she has lost along the way. Welcoming the path ahead no matter where it leads her. Embracing heartbreak, sorrow, and grief. Undertaking miraculous transformation. And finally, the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning.

How fitting is it that we see the start and realise it was actually the end? The fall, initially thought as something dangerous, was in fact just part of the journey. Death, once feared, now embraced like an old friend. Something that perpetuates the cycle. The past, shrouded in darkness, now illuminating the path ahead.

So now we see, she wasn't actually falling. If you ask me, she was flying. Flying to that gazebo in a garden somewhere in Sicily, 450 years ago, about to start her very first lesson in reading tea leaves. Her mentor saying, "Let us begin", and her ultimately saying, "I loved being a witch".

[dvilkings]

how i would write and wish the rest of the bridgerton show would go (following the books but putting the spin onto things as the show has done): includes spoilers!!!

s3 p2 ~ colin and penelope

colin and penelope are engaged, announcing to her family and his. but eloise, upon finding out, forces pen to tell colin that she is lady whistledown. and she does with much nervous anticipation. maybe after she speaks with colin more about his own writing, encouraging him to publish his work. colin’s reaction to her being LW is angry of course — though not like he was when he said he would “ruin” lady whistledown's life upon finding out who the writer is. he is angry at pen for putting herself in danger of getting caught, and the backlash she will undoubtedly face if the ton finds her out.

this will lead into colin demanding pen retire. though she does not want to, for colin she would. she makes her last entry and calls it quits and continues on with her engagement to colin in a peaceful manner...

(this is where part of me wants a different outcome. that pen does not retire as LW and instead keeps writing, after convincing colin why she must, and his anger and jealousy turns to acceptance. i want this outcome a little more because it will keep the mystery of lady whistledown with the show for longer. and keeps a good narrative for the story to move -- and it would be so sad to not have julie andrew's wonderful voice taking us through regency london. the only downside i see to this is the rest of the seasons, which are notably not in the limelight of society and the eyes of the ton like the previous ones are. they are more on the outskirts and the quiet life of the regency era. and thus, LW would not be able to see much of the goings on for the rest of them. and besides, now that penelope will be married, and to the man of her dreams no less, she doesn't much have need for LW anymore. that comfort and wall will be replaced with colin and her future with him. so there are definitely pluses and minuses for each)

during this time, the queen will announce a bounty put on LW: whoever comes forth and exposes LW’s identity will receive a certain amount of money. this spurs cressida to make her announcement that she is LW, thinking the money could help her and her family so she is not forced into an arranged marriage with someone older who she will not like at all. except pen will not let cressida be known as LW and essentially take her work. so she posts her one last issue of exposing cressida, and then she is confronted in her home where cress explains how she knows pen is LW, and pen's slip up.

since finding out pen is LW, colin has been very tense with her, realizing that he is more jealous than anything, that she had a purpose for so long and her writing while gossip filled, was truly very good. and something he thought he could never live up to. but pen keeps insisting he is wonderful.

pen goes to colin, where he sets up his elaborate scheme with anthony, just like in the books, and announces to the entire ton that pen is LW at the last ball of the season, coincidentally, a masquerade ball. which is also where benedict meets the mysterious lady in silver, aka, sophie (opting not to use her last name in case it is changed due to any ethnicity changes the show (hopefully) makes for her), and he falls in love with her at first sight, having their private moment and kiss before she flees from the scene, most likely when colin makes his big announcement and uses it as a quick escape.

upon the ton accepting pen as LW is how s3 will close, leading to benophie's story for s4

s4 ~ benedict and sophie

time jump ~2 years into the future… benedict is stuck and fixated on his lady in silver, trying to find her after 2 years of searching, to no avail. not knowing her name, what she looks like as she was wearing a mask, knowing nothing about her but for her smile and mysteriousness and the raw need of needing her as his wife.

we will receive flashbacks throughout of sophie’s life with the cowpers, living with araminta as a mother and cressida as a sister. her biological father, lord cowper, not seeing her as anything more than a burden, and lady cowper suggesting she’d make a much better use as a mere servant. i believe at the end of s3/into the time jump, lord cowper will pass and araminta and cressida will be left with close to nothing, especially after cress' embarrassment after trying to announce herself as LW. she is a spinster at this point, something nobody ever thought would happen to her. but we see sophie and cressida as children, growing up as friends and the closest thing to sisters either will have (going off of cressida mentioning to eloise in s3p1 that she had a friend when she was young). but the cowper's dislike and disdain for sophie is clear from her childhood.

when the last ball of the season, the masquerade happens (s3ep8), the other servants helped sophie be able to attend for one night, but she is later on discovered by the cowper’s for her efforts and casted out. forced to find work wherever she can.

this lands her in a wealthy home as a servant. she meets benedict here when he attends a party at the home, where he saves her from the hands of her master’s son with filthy intents to touch her. and he takes her to the closest and safest place he can think of: the mondrichs, parents to the new and young lord kent.

they stay there with them for some time while sophie decides what to do with herself, where we see some of the mondrich's life and their son being raised to be the next lord kent as he is older now (early teenhood i believe?). benedict has no idea that sophie is his lady in silver, and sophie is beginning to fall in love despite her never being able to be with ben. and eventually, ben starts to feel the same, and while he wants to have her as his mistress, knowing she wouldn’t be a fit wife as she is a servant, and he still must marry a woman of proper lineage — she refuses, as she does not want to end up like her mother and have a child who would live just as she has. so he takes her to his mother’s new home (having moved out of the bridgerton house as kanthony have started their own family) as that is the only place he can take her where she will still be close to him — where she becomes a lady’s maid for the girls, eloise and hyacinth.

things follow closely here from the books for benophie. meanwhile, francesca has married john sometime during the time jump (presumably right after s3 ends, close behind polin) and travel between scotland and london. now we are introduced and see some of michael and his life and maybe longing for frannie. this season john most likely dies and we see the beginning of frannie and michael’s story start to unfold, both dealing with the heartbreaking loss. she finds she is pregnant with john's child, and thus the wait happens to find out if her child is a boy, and whether michael will become the new lord of kilmartin or not. but she has a miscarriage, and michael is to become the new lord of kilmartin. and frannie needs him in her time of mourning and strife, but he cannot see her and instead leaves for india, most likely because he had a recent discussion with kate about all the places to see and visit.

and with sophie living with violet and the girls, she grows close to them all, even eloise who has been writing letters mysteriously. sophie is the one to notice this and inquire more about it but eloise is still stubborn and tight lipped.

some time goes by until sophie is spending time with kanthony's children who are visiting violet's home and hyacinth, leading to the scene with her wearing a cloth to cover her eyes and leaving only her mouth exposed. benedict walks in and immediately knows that sophie is his lady in silver. they discuss, they argue, sophie reveals who she is and how she is the illegitimate daughter of the late lord cowper. and she runs away. right into lady cowper discovering sophie is working for the bridgertons and she schemes to get sophie thrown in jail for stealing immediately. which leads then to benedict and violet saving her from being hanged, even cressida becoming involved (sophie was her very first friend, and close to a sister, her character being a perfect mixture of rosamund and posy from the books). and benedict announces their engagement, unbeknownst to anyone, even sophie, right there.

upon finding out ben is now engaged, and the recent letter from phillip (her mysterious letter writing receiver) that she has still yet to respond to, she decides to run away to him, to see if she too could find happiness as half of her siblings have found thus far.

the season ends with sophie and ben engaged and planning to live in the country where it is quiet and out of society's prying eyes, frannie being a widow and losing her unborn baby while michael has offed to india, and eloise running away to sir phillip crane.

s5 ~ eloise and phillip

marina crane has died a year or two earlier (while she thought her life could be full of happiness and contentment with her children, she did not find it to be good enough to keep on going), and her children are older now, but phillip does not know how to act as their father as they are out of control and he did not have good parentage growing up. he has been writing back and forth with eloise bridgerton for some time since his wife’s death and he would like to meet her in hopes she will be a good wife and mother to his children, something he is desperate for. and then eloise shows up without notice.

they discuss, and go on as planned, where they can see if each of them will make an acceptable spouse. both finding the other to be not quite what they imagined after a year or two of corresponding. the children do not want eloise there, and in fact continue to lay traps and prank her in hope to make her want to leave - though she is not deterred. and after a particularly nasty prank that leaves eloise harmed, things change from there between all of them.

her family still has no idea where she is, even after many days away. but it doesn't matter to eloise, because during her stay with phillip and his children, she is growing attached and she believes she could be falling in love with them all. but one night post the accident of the children causing her harm, ending up with a bruise on her face, all of her brothers appear one night to confront the situation and phillip, questioning what has been happening. and though nothing that would warrant scandal, it will still come upon them since eloise ran away, without a word and without a chaperone (despite her being a spinster) and thus leads to a proper courting. eloise is taken to stay with benedict and sophie, living not too far away out in the country and phillip goes back and forth to court her every day as such is proper, while they are chaperoned by eloise's family.

we also see some of francesca living with being a widow, and missing john more than anything. her struggle with wanting a child but not being ready to find a new husband. and missing michael since he has left to india with a list of places to visit from kate. she is still lady kilmartin while michael is away, and taking care of the estate in scotland, which keeps her mind and body busy enough to not stop and think about her grief for too long during the day. and hyacinth is now out in society still, on her first or second year out and while she is from the bridgerton clan (notorious for their attractiveness and looks and popularity), her prospects dwindle due to her "un-lady like" personality that seems to scare off any man. seeing her try to navigate the marriage mart differently than her sisters, with her mischeviousness and stubbornness and unable to stop talking and picking arguments. then seeing a little bit of gregory as an eligible bachelor now, still young and nowhere near wanting a bride, but wanting to find a purpose for himself like all his siblings have seemed to have done. and also seeing a glimpse into kanthony's marriage family life. kanthony as the viscount and viscountess with their children, maybe one or two by this point. and hopefully some sight into daphne and simon (hopefully have recasting simon by this point, sad to say) and their numerous children. hopefully polin will have a child by now, or at least pregnant.

when eloise runs away to benophie's home after one of her fights with phillip, instead of their son getting sick, i believe it will be sophie, in the middle of her being pregnant - benedict is distraught and when phillip shows up to find eloise, seeing a tenderhearted moment of his understanding on the fear of losing a wife and child all in one. and later phillip explains to eloise how marina died in fact compared to the story they were telling the public, and how they will get married. that eloise is not leaving, contradictory to phillip's fears. they find their way into loving each other as they continue to court more, with the chaperone of anthony, and their dynamic as a family - how eloise comes to love phillip's children despite them not being his, and not being hers. and how they decide to navigate parenthood together, promising that they are not their parents or the ones that came before them, and will be better.

[this is where my thoughts will become shorter just because we don't have much build up from the show, aka the supporting characters and what not, so my thoughts will most likely be just as they are in the books, hoping the show will try to stick closely to them]

s6 ~ francesca and michael

michael decides to return to london after some years in india. and francesca has decided to rejoin society, end her mourning, and find a new husband so she may have children of her own. and while michael did run away after becoming the new lord of kilmartin, and needing space from francesca, he is still very much in love with her, unbeknownst to her. but we see more of this, of the heartache he has put himself through over the years. watching his cousin and the woman he loves be happy together, and then the one thing that was keeping him from her happened, and he couldn't let himself take that happiness.

watching frannie and michael reunite, and try to find their friendship again, to michael learning frannie wants children and will be looking for a husband this season, to frannie seeing michael as more than just the friend/cousin he once was to her when john was still alive, to michael making frannie jealous with his numerable admirers.

more people start to notice michael's feelings for frannie, most notably violet and colin (surprisingly). and even seeing their new closeness. as frannie frequently visits michael's home to care for him and his malaria he contracted in india. their relationship becomes more than friendship as francesca battles with her feelings towards michael and not knowing what to do with them. and after finally giving in to their desires, francesca flees back to scotland in the middle of the season. leaving michael confused and unknowing of what to do. colin is the one to spur him into action, telling him it is better to try for his happiness than to not, just as he had with penelope. i can imagine even violet will mention such the same to frannie as well, violet finding another happiness in marcus anderson, lady danbury's brother. that it is okay for frannie to go after her own happiness in someone else, that she can still honor her late husband, and live for him even after he is gone.

and so michael pursues frannie, running after her to scotland. accepting that john would have wanted him to be happy, even if it was with frannie. and francesca continues to battle with herself over her feelings for michael. and after finding her in the kilmartin estate, confronting one another, and asking frannie to marry him, her not knowing an answer, to getting stuck walking through the hillsides in the rain, fleeing to the land's caretakers old home, sleeping together again - michael almost wanting to prove to frannie she could get pregnant after her insecurities that she could not. to frannie speaking with john's grave and accepting that this is what john would have wanted for her too.

and so she says yes to michael, she will marry him.

the rest of the married bridgertons have started their families, found happiness with their spouses, something that drove francesca into jealousy because why not her. (i don't have much idea to what the lives of the supporting characters and other bridgertons will look like at this point as we don't see much of them in the books and the timeline is all off now, so this is what i have thus far) :

violet will have found happiness with marcus (i hope so at least)

kanthony will have several children by now, and have long completely taken over the bridgerton name and kate becoming a wonderful viscountess. anthony is proving to be an excellent father, something he seemed to have been born to do, showing so with his siblings in earlier seasons

daphne and simon are still happy and with several children of their own

polin are as in love as ever, with a child or two now, having spent some of their early life traveling together. and colin having a book published and working on more.

benophie are happy in the country, living the quiet life with a child or two, living close to

philloise and keeping a good friendship between their families, as eloise and sophie grew close when she was el's lady's maid. and their children while years apart, grow up together as friends as well.

[hyacinth's story will follow and then gregory's, though i have yet to finish hyacinth's story and have not started gregory's. i will update the thread once i have done so!!!]

s7 ~ hyacinth and gareth

tbd

s8 ~ gregory and lucy

tbd

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 14 - Welcome to Heaven

Word count: 6,179. Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: (Only slightly takes place during the events of episode 6. The rest is preguel storeline.) Alastor is going into rut but a new arrival in town may threaten what is usually a happy time of year for him and Mina. TWs: Possessive Alastor. Dirty talk. Oral - Alastor receiving. Biting and scratching. P & V. Creampie. Multiple orgasms. Tentacles. Rough sex. Anal play. Use of a vibrator.

Series Summary:

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

Chapter 14 - Welcome to Heaven

Present Day

Mina was really trying to be patient.

Charlie was bouncing off the walls as she awaited her trip to Heaven that was only a day away. It was endearing, in a way Mina wasn’t used to, to see someone so hopeful and excited at the prospect of making a difference. She may not actually want to see redemption succeed, but Mina had to admit, Charlie’s determination to improve their lives and her continued expression of genuine care for everyone at the hotel was finally starting to defrost the cold bitterness in Mina’s heart.  

The meeting was all anyone could talk about. Which was fine. It was very important, Mina did realize that, so she kept her little problem to herself.

Alastor had been gone since the afternoon before and that was also . . . fine. He at least gave her a heads up he would have to be M.I.A., something he could do now, given that she knew about his deal. He just couldn’t tell her the why or the where or exactly how long he would be gone, he could only say that it wouldn’t be for very long.

And yet an entire night had passed, it was late into the next morning, and he was nowhere to be found. It was only a matter of time before one of the other residents mentioned his absence, since he and Niffty were usually the ones to prepare breakfast. And even on the days he didn’t assist her, Alastor always made an appearance by this time of morning.

Mina had been confident he would be back by now, given what day it was. And as each minute went by, she was feeling that old sting of abandonment, and was currently trying very hard to push it down.

Everyone but Charlie and Vaggie were downstairs, drinking coffee and sharing a tray of muffins, while the couple was upstairs going over their itinerary and packing for the millionth time that week.

Not usually one to be glued to an electronic device, Mina kept checking her phone. It didn’t even make sense because Alastor didn’t own one, but she still kept fidgeting with it, looking for some kind of notification from anywhere as to where he was.

She didn’t notice that Angel and Husker were both side-eyeing her, very aware of her irritated state, and given her history of lashing out at others whenever Alastor had upset her, were visibly nervous.

Niffty, however, had also noticed, and had no such reservations about bringing up sore subjects.

“Where’s Alastor?” she asked, after Mina had sighed and set down her phone for the tenth time that hour.

“He’s . . . busy,” Mina answered, trying to appear like she wasn’t bothered by his absence and that she was well aware of where he was. She failed at both.

“Isn’t today your anniversary?” Niffty asked.

Angel and Husk looked nervously at each other while Sir Pentious remained clueless to the sudden tension in the room.

“Really?” he said excitedly. “I didn’t realize you two had tied the knot!”

Everyone in the room stared blankly at him and Pentious sat back, realizing how clueless he had been all along.

“They’ve been married for like . . .” Niffty thought for a moment, and Mina stayed silent, hoping the maid’s math would be wrong. The shorter woman gasped, clapping her hands together, and Mina groaned. “40 years! You two have been married 40 years today!”

“Wait,” Angel interrupted, “I thought you guys said you've been together for 70 years?”

“Took a while to put a ring on it, didn’t he?” Husker laughed, glancing at her over the rim of his coffee mug.

“It was a mutual decision,” Mina snarled back, very uncomfortable with the sudden attention. “We didn’t feel like it was necessary.”

“So, what changed your minds?” Angel asked.

He was being genuine and not invasive, but it still made Mina shrink back on herself a little. While the wedding reception itself had been a public affair, Alastor’s reasoning behind finally tying the knot was personal. No one outside the two of them knew all the details and Mina wanted it to stay that way.

Niffty started giggling.

“Niffty . . .” Mina said, warning the woman to keep quiet.

No one outside the two of them knew all the details . . .but Niffty knew most of them.

“It was because of Kassandra,” Niffty pressed.

Sir Pentious gasped. “Another woman?”

Mina shot him a glare and he slunk back into his seat once more.

“Don’t be stupid, of course there wasn’t.”

“Not like that, anyway,” Niffty said, with a hand on her hip, nearly as defensive. “Kassandra was another Overlord that almost killed Mina.”

“Whoa, what?” Angel and Husker said in unison.

“Please, Niffty. It was a long time ago. And that was not the only reason, okay? And I do not want to talk about this right now.”

“Awww c’mon kittens, this is just getting good!” Angel protested.

Niffty, ignoring Mina’s protest, jumped up on the coffee table and turned towards the others.

“Rosie had been pestering Alastor for forever to propose but he just wouldn’t, I think because it was expected of him at some point and he doesn’t like to be told what to do, but then this lady came to Hell and already had a ton of followers that she brought with her, and tried to get to Alastor through Mina. And Alastor lost his mind, locked him and Mina in his tower for days, and then when he finally came out, Kassandra’s church suddenly went up in flames and her and her people were never seen from again, but you can still hear her screams on his radio station. OOOoooohhh! I bet when he gets back today, he’ll play them for you again! Anyway, they got married less than a month after that, so it’s probably what finally got him to pop the question.”

“Thank you, Niffty, for once again doing as I say,” Mina said.

The three men turned their heads slowly from Niffty to Mina, once again looking a bit nervous. Niffty, however, looked happy as ever.

“You don’t own my soul,” she shrugged, before jumping back down.

“And with that, I think I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me,” Mina said, standing up and making her way up the stairs.

“Damn. Smiles is gonna be in hot water when he shows back up,” Angel said after he was sure Mina was out of earshot.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Niffty said. “He’s never forgotten an anniversary. Except, I guess, for the last seven. Hmmm, definitely going to have to play those screams for her.”

“Say,” Husker said, “I’ve never even heard of this Kassandra lady. How come, if it was such a big deal, no one ever talks about her?”

“Ooooh,” Niffty laughed, “they doooooo, just not around Alastor. There’s a reason why no one before her, and especially no one after her, ever tried to hurt Mina. Even when Alastor was gone all those years. He wiped Kassandra out like SPLAT!” she clapped her hands together in front of Husker’s face. “Nothing was left!” she cackled but then quickly turned her voice into a hushed whisper. “But that’s not all. What others don’t know is Mina was there, and she made all of the cult members start eating each other while Alastor made Kassandra watch as he hung her upside down from the ceiling. And he was dressed like a nun to scare her even more. Then, on top of all the blood, and guts, and screams, they had sex on Kassandra’s altar while she burned alive above them!” Niffty jumped up on Husker’s lap, grabbed him by his suspenders, and got very close to his face. “Don’t tell them that I know that or they’ll kill us all!”

Niffty leaped down from Husker and danced out of the room, laughing maniacally.

The three men watched her leave in silence, Sir Pentious looking the most bothered and scared.

“What. The fuck?” Angel said.

1984

Alastor had been agitated for weeks.

It was one thing to live with and love someone like him, who really needed space and only became more agitated with affection if he was upset about something. It wasn’t uncommon that Mina went a couple days without even a hug or a kiss from Alastor. Keeping up appearances, staying in charge of the souls he owned, having to deal with other Overlords and occasional royalty, sometimes took its toll on the Radio Demon and often left him in very adverse moods.

Mina understood and respected all of this. She would simply keep herself busy with her own work and make sure she was there for him when his mood changed. He was never cruel to her during these times, just very distracted and distant. She would always know he was coming back around when he would begin initiating touch with her again, usually when he would finally give in to exhaustion and wrap himself around her as he fell asleep next to her in bed.

It was a pattern that, after thirty years, Mina knew the the ins and outs of well, and had become comfortable with.

But the time for Alastor’s rut was approaching and he still seemed very wrapped up in whatever had held his attention from her for so long. She was beginning to worry that he had forgotten, and she was going to have to figure out a way to carefully remind him of it.

She was already seeing the signs of it in him. He was swearing more, sleeping even less, in some state of half dress whenever he was home, and almost constantly talking shit about the other Overlords, even the ones he usually got along with. Increased aggression and competitiveness were always the first signs so she knew that any day now, his rut would be in full swing, and they would have to either lock themselves in his tower or get away for a few days to some more remote part of Pride Ring.

There was a large part of her that was looking forward to it, after having very little physical contact with him for so long, but another part of her that was growing more apprehensive by the day. If he continued to ignore the signs and went into the aroused state of his rut as angry as he was, she wasn’t sure how much of his attention she wanted on her.

And the worst part was she had no idea who or what was bothering him so much. If it was Vox, she was sure she would have been subjected to several rants by this point, but Alastor wasn’t saying anymore about his old friend than he was about any of the other Overlords these days. Mina was truly at a loss but knew she should probably bring it up tonight before it was too late.

As soon as her shift was over at The Pit, she headed home, rather than using the downtime to see her friends like she normally did. Stepping out of her cab, she looked up at the radio tower where she had lived for the last twenty years. Shortly after it became obvious they had found themselves in a serious, committed relationship, he had done something with his Voodoo that she couldn’t comprehend, but allowed the essence of the radio tower to recognize her if she was in close enough proximity to it, and she could teleport herself via shadow into the upper rooms of the building. It had been a learning curve for her at first but after several decades, she was as good at it as he was.

She materialized inside the main control room and Alastor was on her within seconds.

Mina had a moment to take in the empty room before her, the view from the large windows of the city below, his neglected workstation, a scattered mess of food and coffee mugs, his jacket, monocle, bow tie, and cane all tossed in a corner. All things that were red flags for a very overstimulated and irate deer demon.

Then he was grabbing her from behind, his hands quickly finding their way under her sweater, his face to her neck, and breathing in her scent loudly.

“I missed you,” he whispered, using his nose to brush away a bit of her hair and then sucking hard on the bit of skin he had succeeded in exposing.

She wasted no time in responding and lifted an arm up and behind her, her hand finding the side of his head and gently grabbed a fistful of hair, as she tilted her neck and encouraged his amorous bites to her skin.

“Mmmm, I’ve missed you too,” she said, reaching even higher behind her and giving a playful flick to the top of one of his ears.

He let his grip on her loosen enough so that she could turn and face him.

Alastor was black eyed, his antlers already increased in size to three points each. He was completely disheveled and wild looking, and Mina knew no talking would happen – at least not well– until she had sated his needs. His rut had begun but it was just the first day. If she satisfied him now, he would calm soon enough, and she could ask him then about her concerns.

He began kissing her nearly before she could process the state of him, only breaking away from her for a second as he pulled her sweater up over her head. His hands roamed over the bare skin of her shoulders, teasing at the straps of her dress, before hungrily going lower and groping her fully clothed breasts.

Honestly, she was fine waiting. It had been two weeks since he’d touched her like this, and she was nearly as desperate for this as he was.

Mina was quick to escalate things and instead of losing time with worrying anymore about their clothes, her hand went to the tent in his pants. She wasn’t surprised to find him already fat and hard beneath her palm and he sucked in a breath against her lips when she grasped him through the fabric.

“I need you,” he said darkly, voice full of static and lust.

She nodded and eagerly returned to kissing him as she undid his zipper and pulled him free, giving his cock several long, slow strokes before she got down on her knees and took him in her mouth.

“Good girl,” he sighed, holding the back of her head with both hands, and encouraging her rhythm as she began sucking him off. “You know just what to do, don’t you?”

She felt the wetness begin to gather in her own panties, a reaction to his words of praise and the musky flavor of his cock on her tongue. Alastor in rut was so different from the lover she normally had in her bed. While she never felt like anything was lacking in their sex life, having him like this was her annual special treat. He said such nasty things to her once he was in full swing, often even degrading. Things he would normally never say, even if she asked him to. And he let her do things to him that were otherwise a rarity. Encouraged them, even. Mina was far from a pillow princess and enjoyed focusing on his pleasure, but she only really got to act out those desires this time of year.

She worked the base of his cock with her hand with short hard strokes as her mouth did the rest and in just a couple minutes he was cumming with a grunt, and she swallowed every bit of his hot seed, reveling in the salty taste of him.

He stayed hard as she licked him clean, his desires far from sated, and she pulled off her panties as she stood.

“No need for that,” he said, and grabbed her. For a second, they disappeared, lost in shadow, but then she was back in the same room, only now they were a few feet away, both naked, and he had her up against the wall.

He cupped her ass and obediently she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his hips. She squirmed a little, impatient for him to line himself up just the right way so that he could begin properly fucking her.

“Are you going to cum inside me this time?” she teased with a wicked smile when he finally had himself at her entrance.

“More than once. And you're going to take it all, aren't you?" he asked, though it sounded like a command, as he thrusted into her, biting down on her collar bone once he was fully buried inside her.

He groaned, pressing his forehead against hers. “God, I love you. You’re so wet for me already,” then paused, pulling back enough to really look into her eyes. “Are you . . . was that enough-“

“Yes,” she said quickly, and kissed him, “please just fuck me already.”

Of course he was still checking in with her. Foreplay was not something he skipped, even when lost to his deepest desires in rut, but the treat of going down on him had been more than enough to get her ready for him.

His smile broadened and he began moving, rocking his hips in the quick, shallow movements that their position allowed for. The angle of his penetration and the weight of her body bearing down on him made the friction just perfect, stimulating her inside and out.

Alastor kissed her hungrily, his tongue wet and forceful against her own.

“I love it when you taste like me,” he said as he broke away, giving her an extra enthusiastic thrust, “when you taste like your mine.”

This is what she had been waiting for and the delayed gratification was pure bliss. After having him so wound up in his work that she was left utterly neglected to suddenly fucking her brains out with little warning, her touch starved body was on edge and ready. She growled as her pleasure grew and she bit down on his shoulder, her large canines sinking into his flesh and drawing blood, and she felt him shudder against her before beginning to pound into her with renewed vigor.

“Oh, you evil little thing,” he panted into her hair, “can’t get enough, can you?”

She was breathing hard too now and let go of his shoulder to throw her head against the wall, exposing her own throat to him and gasping for air in between her moans and sighs.

His antlers were growing even larger now, spreading from four, to five, to six points as she watched them expand above her head. She was so, so close, but he must have been even closer. Mina used the one hand not grasping the back of his neck for support to wander down his back, searching for his tail but finding her access to it blocked by her own legs that were wrapped tightly around him. Crying out in frustration and on the brink of orgasm, she reached up instead, and grabbed hold of one his antlers to force his head back.

She kissed him hard, and he bit back in response, drawing blood from her lips as he came, filling her up to the point she could already feel his seed spilling out of her as his thrusts slowed down and then he finally stilled. 

Desperate for more, she could feel her walls clenching his shaft, her body begging for continued movement. She could feel him soften inside her but only just a little and she smiled against his kiss, blood spilling down her chin, matching the crimson trails coming off his shoulder from her own love mark.

“Don’t stop,” she said, half teasing and half begging.

“Show me how much you want it,” he replied, and pulled them away from the wall and began falling backwards.

They fell, merging as one into shadow, and landed softy on their bed in the next room over, with him beneath, still inside her, and already fully hard again.

Alastor was propped up slightly against their pillows, his antlers retreating back to a more normal size now that he was a bit more in control of himself, but his eyes were still black with desire. He sat up just a little more to reach behind her and slap her ass.

“Ride it,” he demanded, and she did as she was told.

The change in angle stimulated her swollen sex in new ways, and she was quickly back on the edge, bouncing her body in rapid motion on his cock, riding him just as he had commanded her to.

She leaned her body back, resting her palms on his thighs and he took the opportunity to begin rubbing her clit with tight, quick little circles that finally got her the relief she had been seeking.

Mina rode out her orgasm and it was the long lasting, powerful kind that she felt deep in her belly and left her feeling her pulse all the way down deep in her sex.

Alastor sat up as she began to come down from her high, sucking hard on her right breast and digging his claws into the upper curves of her ass, just hard enough to leave impressions in her skin, as he waited for her to pass the point of overstimulation, his member twitching impatiently inside her.

When her cries of pleasure turned back into heavy breathing, he released her red and hardened nipple and pulled her face to his for another deep and needy kiss, licking up the blood that was still seeping from his bite mark, before dragging them both down to the mattress until her chest was flush against his.

Slowly, he began moving again, his hips thrusting up to meet hers.

She let go of the kiss, burying her face into the pillow next to his, and moaned his name into his red and black locks of hair.

“Still want more?” he asked, though he was already beginning to quicken his pace.

“Please,” she whined.

Too impatient to switch positions, he fucked her from beneath, as she did all she could to just hold on, with one hand pressing against the mattress and the other holding vice-like onto a handful of his hair.

“You feel so good,” he sighed when she began kissing a line down from his hairline to his jaw, down his neck, and finishing at the still bleeding bite mark she had left on his shoulder.

“You’re so fucking perfect,” his voice changed to a low growl, and she responded to his words by gently pressing her lips to his wound, soothing the red and angry edges of her teeth marks.

Her pleasure was beginning to rebuild, and she joined in Alastor’s rhythm, bearing more of her weight down on his cock as she moved with him. She was soaking him, between her own wetness and his cum still inside her, and she could feel the combination of their fluids gathering at his base as her swollen lips rubbed against the neatly groomed black curls around his sex.

Alastor groaned loudly as she pumped herself up and down on him, and she could feel the vibration of his lusty filled sound against her lips as she sucked on the tender skin of his pulse point.

She hissed in a breath, a reflex to the sudden but wonderful pain, as his claws raked across her ass, leaving long shallow lines of red across her lower cheeks, and she could feel the tickle of fluid on her skin as some of the cuts began to lightly bleed.

“Are you going to cum for me again?” he asked as his shadows began to sprout from beneath him, tendrils of darkness that lightly traced across the skin of her back before pulling her down, forcing her to be held tight against him.

Mina was enjoying the thorough rough fucking she was getting but she wasn’t close to another orgasm yet, so she squeezed her inner muscles tighter around his thick cock to encourage him to keep moving.

“Don’t worry about me,” she assured him. “Just fill me up, love. Cum in me as much as you need to.”

Her words seemed to do the trick as she felt him beginning to lose sense of rhythm, his thrusts into her becoming more frantic and harder than before.

She cried out in response, feeling the increase of intensity herself, and in between her own wanton moans and whimpers, she whispered to him all the kinds of things he didn’t normally like to hear. How much she wanted him, how good his cock felt inside her, to fuck her harder, to mark her and breed her so that everyone would know she was his.

His hand grasped at the base of her tail, pulling it sideways, and she could feel a cool slender tentacle begin stroking the bottom side of it before dipping lower, playing and teasing at her ass and Mina’s body responded to the added sensation. That tight hot knot began to form again as she felt another orgasmic wave begin to build inside her.

But then she felt the warm rush of more cum being pumped inside her and she let herself relax as Alastor’s body began to still beneath hers. This was just the first few hours of the sex-driven part of his rut, and she knew she would have more orgasms than she could stand in the next two weeks.

Mina felt the shadows slithering away from her body and with the restraints gone, she pushed herself up enough so that her face could hover above his and he responded immediately by kissing her softly. Lips and tongue danced across each other as his post-orgasmic bliss settled his systems. Once she felt his cock begin to soften, Mina pulled herself off him and lay beside him.

Alastor chased her mouth with his as they settled into the new position, her on her back with him half on top, as he continued the long and sensual make-out session. After a minute, his left hand began to wander down her body, cupping her breast, stroking down her rib cage, and then teasing across her lower belly with a ghostly light touch.

“Still close?” he asked, lovingly rubbing his nose against hers.

“It’s okay,” she said sincerely, “consider it saved for later.”

“Not a chance,” he said, and she sighed at his stubbornness. He was such a top, even when he was in rut. “I have a present for you.”

Her brows knitted together in confusion as he sat up and turned away from her, reaching under the bed.

“Consider it an apology for being so . . . unapproachable . . . these last few days,” he said, and he turned back towards her, now holding a rather phallic looking slender device, but Mina was still confused.

“A dildo? Al’” she giggled, “you hardly need one of those.”

His smile spread mischievously, and he twisted the flat bit at one end of the strange sex toy, and it began to buzz. “I can’t make a shadow do this.”

Mina stared at the toy, suddenly intrigued.

“It’s called a vibrator,” Alastor stated.

“How creative,” she deadpanned but it was all for show. She couldn’t deny her heart rate was increasing a bit, even though she wasn’t sure what to expect.

He chucked at her. “Apparently they’ve been around a while but . . . well, I suppose we’re a bit old, aren’t we?”

She laughed a little at that as well but then he was leaning further over her, running the vibrator up the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh, and suddenly there’s was nothing funny about her situation.

“Allow me?” he asked and Mina nodded, her breath caught in her throat as he brought the toy up higher. Then it touched her clit and she flinched upwards a little, sitting up on her elbows.

“Oh, fuck!” she gasped, watching as the device Alastor was holding to her sex began its magic.

Alastor’s smile widened to a near unnatural state and Mina flung herself back on the bed. He followed her down, kissing her deeply and then began moving the vibrator up and down between her lower lips, using the cum seeping out of her as lubricant.

Mina began making the most lewd, senseless noises she thought she had ever made, completely helpless to the wonders the vibrator was working on her cunt.

Alastor began using his mouth on her body, sucking on her neck and then the top upper curve of her left breast, and then finally settled on her nipple, giving it a hard tug and flicking his tongue over the sensitive bud.

It was too much, and Mina came hard and fast, practically screaming beneath him, and then pulled away when the overstimulation took affect seconds later.

How long had she lasted with that devilish device? 15 seconds? Maybe 20?

“Holy shit,” she panted, taking in several rapid, deep gulps of air, and then looking sheepishly at Alastor who was grinning even more like a mad man than usual.

“Well, that was a wonderful performance,” he said, clearly very pleased with himself.

“I think,” he lowered his voice, leaning over her to press a kiss to her forehead, the tenderness a stark contrast to the darkness in his tone, “that you’re going to lose count of how much I make you cum for me tomorrow.”

___

By the time Mina had come out of the bathroom after relieving herself and cleaning up the mess between her legs, Alastor had changed the quilt on the bed that had suffered a rather large wet spot after their ravenous love making and had already started falling asleep.

Although she wasn’t truly tired herself, she crawled in next to him. Barely half awake, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her naked chest. The tips of his long ears occasionally tickled her neck, but his antlers were back to their manageable two-pointed length, and Mina was able to settle in comfortably and read a book, while she absentmindedly ran her fingers through the soft two-toned locks of his hair, keeping her lover soothed and asleep with her purring as he caught up on some much-needed sleep.

After a couple hours, movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she watched as his shadow extended across the floor from its resting place beneath their bed, and traced upwards along the opposite wall, a tell-tale sign that Alastor was waking up. Then he began to stir, and Mina heard the little staticky radio buzz click on, so she set her book down, looking down at her love as he slipped off her onto his back beside her. Alastor slowly blinked and yawned, showing off all his sharp yellow teeth.

“Good evening, darling,” she smiled at him as he rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles, returning her smile.

“How long was I out?”

“Not too long,” she assured him. “Probably should be longer considering the state of you.”

He scoffed and she heard the bath water beginning to run in the adjacent room. She rolled her eyes at his stubbornness and proactively got out of bed, knowing he was going to just insist on it anyway.

____

Their bathroom was like their own personal oasis.

Over the years, Alastor had worked on learning how to use his magic for less nefarious and more decorative means. He had learned how to keep plants alive with artificial light sources and create false images that looked like windows. The room was steamy and humid, but never dank or reeking of mildew. It felt like a jungle . . . or swamp in the deep American south. There were vines everywhere and a willow tree grew half within the wall next to the shower, its long leaves reaching across the ceiling and dangling over where their tub sat. Part of the wall was made up of a large glass window that looked over what appeared to be a quiet, serene lakeside view at sunset. Mina could even see deer grazing at the distant edge of the water and an osprey circling overhead. It was all just imagery though; none of it was real. Alastor could and often did change the scenery to fit his moods but this one was one of his personal favorites.

Once they were settled into their large, clawfoot tub, Mina felt he was finally in a calm and pleasant enough mood to voice her worries with him.

Her hair was pulled up into bun, just behind the base of her ears to keep it out of the water, and she leaned against Alastor’s chest, her back to him, as he lazily rubbed her arms, occasionally dipping his hands into the bath water to coat her skin with a fresh layer of warm water and bubbles. He had tied up his own hair as well, though only halfway, and his bangs kept brushing against the side of her face, pleasantly tickling her. It was such a peaceful, intimate moment between them, making her almost hesitate to speak up.

“Will you talk to me?” she asked softly after several minutes. Her tone wasn’t accusatory or demanding. She just wanted him to know she was concerned for him. “About whatever or whoever it is that’s had you so on edge lately?”

Mina felt his chest rise and then fall with a sigh, though his body still felt relaxed beneath hers. She could tell he wasn’t frustrated with her question, just thinking about his reply.

“I take it you haven’t heard then? About this new self-proclaimed Overlord that has arrived in our city?”

Mina gave a small shake of her head. She really didn’t get involved in the politics of Hell and didn’t read the paper every day like Alastor did. So, unless he or Rosie brought it up, she mostly stayed out of the loop on things like that.

“It’s nothing to worry about, really,” he began. “She’s just this awful bitch of a woman who thinks she can already rank with the likes of me because she showed up with quite the following already. I guess she was a cult leader or something while alive. Mass suicide in her name or whatnot. It doesn’t matter. I suppose the timing of things made my inclination to be bothered by such petty behavior stronger than usual. But I promise, the next two weeks are all yours, ma cher.”

He pressed a lingering kiss to the bend of her neck and shoulder and then a smaller one further up on her jugular.

“I’ve neglected you something awful, haven’t I?” he said quietly.

Mina pulled his arm down from the edge of the tub and snuggled lower as she wrapped his limbs around her.

“I haven’t felt . . . neglected,” she said, though it was a little bit of a white lie. “I’ve just been worried about you. And I thought that, maybe, there was a chance you had forgotten what time of year it was.”

“Oh, I could never do that,” he said with a quiet laugh. “Not for the last 30 years, my dear. Your presence makes that impossible to ignore. It’s quite a nuisance.”

“Well, if I’m such a bother, I could use my time off from work for a personal vacation then,” she said, pretending to be offended. “Leave you alone so you can be less distracted.”

She tried to take her mock display of anger further by sitting up as if she were going to get out of the tub, but Alastor wrapped his arms tighter around her naked torso, forcing her quickly back down to him.

“You,” he said with a dangerous tone, “are not going anywhere. Not for several days.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, my love,” she replied, “but I do have one quick errand to run in the morning.”

An odd hissing noise came from the corner of the bathroom where his shadow had been lounging and Mina suppressed the urge to tell it to hush up. 

“I’m just getting some books; it’ll just be an hour at most. I think you can manage that. I’m going to have to have something to do besides you while we’re locked up here together,” she teased.

“If you’re not too exhausted,” he replied, his voice still dark with annoyance, but the tension had left his body.

Mina settled herself as well, leaning the back of her head against his shoulder and resting her eyes, and they enjoyed the rest of the evening in peace, both unaware that the morning would bring a permanent change to their eternal lives.

Next Chapter ->

Author's Note: This is the beginning of a sub-plot that I've been the most excited to share with you all! It's going to get DARK from here for the next few chapters, so please mind the TW's at the top. But there will be lots delicious, smutty, romantic of rewards to reap at the end.

@inuhalfdemon, @saccharine-nectarine, @whoknowswhoiamtoday

[khunyuki]

"I've lived my life with blade and you always in my mind"

ꜱɪᴅᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ: 𝚌. 𝚆𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚎?

Synopsis: After their very first mission as Defense Force Officers, Kagami and Soshiro promised to take care of each other when they got injured. That means taking the entire day/week off just to nurse them back to health. A few years have passed since then without any significant injuries, that's why it came as a surprise to Kagami when a certain someone came knocking at the First Division's front doors.

Pairing/s: Hoshina Soshiro x Fiancee!OC

Note/s: I'm posting this first cuz jealousy, jealousy was hard to write hahaha. It might take long but i'll definitely be posting that later tonight. Don't worry cuz reading this first doesn't affect anything hehe. Also, I changed the synopsis so readers won't be confused hehe. Enjoy <3

Genre: Fluff

Masterlist: TOC, Previous, Next

A few years back, when Kagami and Soshiro were still in the same division, they made a promise to each other.

"You were pretty reckless"

Kagami scolded the purple haired guy laying on the hospital bed with a bandages on his legs. Her words, heavily laced with concern.

"I could say the same with you"

Soshiro side eyed the black haired girl who was laying on the hospital bed besides his own. Her injuries were as bad as his, with the bandages on her head instead of her legs.

Kagami just averted his gaze, focusing instead on the fruits basket placed atop the drawer besides them. She picked up an apple, along with a small knife and plate, and started cutting it.

Soshiro could only sigh at his fiancee's evasiveness, though it did bring back the smile on his face. It wasn't unusual for them to be injured during a mission given their line of work. Most of the time, they'll get a few minor scratches here and there but not enough to guarantee a hospital stay. He was glad she only required a few stitches and that there weren't any lasting effects to her head.

"That, I want mine cut into bunnies"

Soshiro noticed that she finished cutting and requested for her to style it into bunnies. Without question, she did just that. He watched as she struggled to peel only the skin and not the flesh, laughing when she failed to do so.

"It's not funny"

Kagami complained with a pout, knowing full well that her struggling gives him joy. She once again heard his chuckle as she successfully massacred another slice. She looked at the mess in front of her and frowned. Cutting things was easy but peeling them was harder, especially if it's as small as this apple.

She can't complain though, this was one of her duties as his future wife. She's been practicing for this her whole life yet continued to fail over and over again. It didn't mean she'll give up as she uses her failure as her drive to do better.

"Want me to do it?"

Soshiro offered his help, still smiling in amusement as she shook her head no. Every little things she does brings a smile on his face, even something as small as failing to peel an apple properly. He'd find her words and actions as funny no matter how she thinks it isn't. Her reactions are so amusing to him, causing him to not stop trying to tease her.

Thank goodness she was skilled enough not to cut her fingers though or else he would've snatched that knife faster than she could react. No way he'd allow her to be hurt on his watch. It was already unfortunate enough for them to be in different squads thus resulting in their current situation, had he known he would've done better.

"I'm done"

Kagami declared and ate the massacred apple slices by herself.

"Wait, wait! I thought that was for me?"

Soshiro tried to stop her from eating it all and not leaving some for him.

"It was... but it's ugly so I can't give it to you"

Kagami was kinda upset she didn't get to make apple bunnies properly so she decided to eat it as to not waste food.

"Feed it to me"

Soshiro, in all seriousness with open eyes, demanded she stop and feed it all to him. No way he's letting all her hard work go to waste. She cut and peeled it for him so he'll eat it no matter what.

"W-what?"

Kagami was surprised at his sudden demand. She couldn't resist him, especially not when he opens his eyes to show her how serious he is.

"I said feed it to me~"

With a mischevious grin, he was back to his foxy attitude. He opened his mouth in an 'ahhh', showcasing his want to be fed.

"Y-you can do it yourself!"

Flustered, Kagami tried to look away. Offering him the entire plate so he could eat by himself.

"But my legs are injured and I can't move"

His eyes were closed but how was it possible to see him making puppy eyes at her? Paired with that pout, a fox like him acted like a sad dog.

"You can move your hands though"

Resist. Resist the temptations Kagami! Do not move your hands! Stop moving your hands!

"Ahhh~"

Opening his mouth, Soshiro was successfully fed by the red faced Kagami. His purple eyes bore holes into Kagami's own as he teasingly licked his own lips as an expression.

"Yum~"

Uzui Kagami.exe has stopped working.

"Excuse me but can you do your flirting elsewhere? The rest of us wants to sleep in peace"

A random officer mustered his courage to speak up. He tried to hide his flustered face by pretending to cough. The rest of the officer were looking away from them, red in the face, yet still nodded in agreement.

Kagami dropped the plate she was holding and teleported inside the blankets of her own bed. The plate of apples was fortunately caught by cackling Soshiro who was well aware of their audience.

Nobody said they were the only ones in the room hehe.

.

"Kagami? Why are you still here?"

Kagami, who was discharged yesterday, came back the next day to take care of her fiance.

"I took a day off"

"Why?"

Surprised by her actions, Soshiro couldn't help by ask why she would specifically ask for a day off when she's never done so before. Also, he was supposed to be discharged later today.

"I want to take care of you... because you're my fiancee"

"Then next time, I'll be the one to take care of you"

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~•~•~•~

Whenever Soshiro visits the hospital, he thinks of that moment fondly. When they were still rookies, they would sometimes end up getting injured thus resulted in taking care of each other. Now that they were a bit more experienced, they no longer had to take care of each other in the hospital. It was better that way as it signifies that they were healthy and safe.

Still, as he reads the newspaper on his hospital bed, he couldn't help but let his mind wander in his wish to have his fiancee be there to take care of him. It was fine though, cause he didn't know how to break the news of him moving to the Third Division to her just yet. Also, he never really told her he got injured during his visit there.

When Captain Ashiro and Platoon Leader Ebina visited him earlier, he thought it was her. He was a bit disappointed but the offer they brought was enough to lift his spirits. He'd been wanting this for a long time. Someone who recognizes his efforts and need his strength. Somewhere he would be needed and not be treated like a tumor.

Kagami had always been by his side, supporting him, and finally there was someone else who believes in him like her. He wants her to join him there so they could leave the past and look forward.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and a familiar head peek inside. Soshiro saw the face of the person he'd been expecting to see the whole time. His heart fluttered when he saw her after thinking about her like he manifested her visit.

"I'm sorry I'm late. There was a long line at the cafe so it took a bit too long to buy this"

She headed inside and showed him something she was hiding on her back. In her hands was a small box with a dessert inside.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yeah. Mont Blanc!"

Kagami mirrored his excitement and confirmed his thoughts. She immediately prepared it for him, getting a plate and taking the dessert out of the box. She carefully placed it so as to not destroy its looks and offered it to him, which he accepted gratefully.

"By the way, I saw Captain Ashiro exiting the hospital earlier. Who do you think she visited here?"

Once she passed him the dessert, she took a seat at the chair beside him. He also took a bite before answering.

"Oh that, Remember how I went to the Third Division for a meeting? This and that happened and Captain Ashiro asked me to join the Third Division"

Soshiro recounted the story of what happened as soon as he got to the Third Division, the sudden appearance of a kaiju and how he helped with it, how he saved that kid and them being saved by Captain Mina, then the lastly, the offer given to him by the captain. Kagami attentively listened to his tales, reacting appropriately during significant parts. Soshiro greatly appreciates her lending an ear.

"Oh really? What was your answer?"

Finally, Kagami asked him what his answer to the offer was. It was something he had to prepare himself first before telling her as it was a big decision.

"I said yes"

Soshiro was filled with certainty at his decision. He didn't know how she'd react but he wanted to ask her to be with him as he moved too.

"Kagami, do you--"

Soshiro was cut off by an excited Kagami.

"Congrats! That's amazing! I knew there would be someone else who will recognize how great you are! I didn't think it would be THE Captain Ashiro Mina herself!"

She was so hyped up, so happy for him that he couldn't help but chuckle fondly. The tension he felt earlier disappeared and was replaced by fondness, feeling incredibly light.

"I'm sad that you'll be leaving but this is your chance to show the people from our division that they never should've underestimated you"

Her smile dropped once she thought that him moving was him leaving her alone. But still, she was smiling.

"Do you want to come with me? Captain Ashiro said her offer extends to you, as well"

Soshiro with greater courage now, seeing her smile drop, wanted to lift her spirits up. If he's moving to a better place, he wanted her to come with him too. At least they'll be together and won't be sad.

"Ehh? Really?? She's offering me to join the Third Division too???"

Surprised, Kagami couldn't believe her ears. Even her eyes as he nodded to affirm her words were true.

"Yeah, so what do you say?"

Soshiro turned back to his Mont Blanc to finally finish it as there only a few bites left. In doing so, he couldn't notice the storm brewing in Kagami's eyes.

"I'm sorry but I will have to decline"

Soshiro almost choked at her flat-out refusal. She offered him water in which he gratefully drank. He didn't think she'd refuse him like this. Sure she'd have doubts but usually she's agree with him.

"Why?"

Kagami took her time to answer and Soshiro found it hard to read her in that moment. Just when he started to think that something might be wrong, she looked him in the eyes with a determined expression.

"I also want to be recognized by my skills and not just because of goodwill. I want to prove myself to her so she'd be the one asking me to join herself"

While he didn't think she'd refuse him earlier, her explanation made a lot of sense. He'd refuse her too if it was him in her position. He only got this far because she and he believed in himself. They've both been doing their best to be the best version of themselves hoping someone will notice their efforts. So he wanted to believe she can do the same too.

"If it's you, I know you can do it"

Filled with the confidence that she shared with him, he ruffled her hair as they shared a hearty laugh.

They spent the entire day with each other. Kagami taking care of him until it was time to leave and Soshiro not wanting her to leave at all cuz he's such a baby when it comes to her. He didn't have to worry though cuz her days off lasted until he got better.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~•~•~•~

True to her words, Kagami finally got someone else to see just what she is made of. While it may not be the captain of the Third Division that she caught the eye of, it was still a significant someone. That someone being the previous captain of the First Division and now the Director General of the Defense Force, Shinomiya Isao. It took a long time but she was finally there.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that being in the First Division was hard. With everyone exceeding expectations by being capable of eliminating honjus on their own, the stakes are really high. Especially for a recently promoted Platoon Leader like Kagami, who didn't know just when she'll be kicked out. She wonders why she got promoted at all despite there people being stronger than her in the First Division.

It also wasn't an exaggeration that the kaijus appearing near the Ariake Maritime Base were stronger than most. So when the new recruits in her squad finally had their first mission, she had to be more alert than ever. Cuz new recruits are prone to danger, like the one she just saved from accidentally killing himself. Unfortunately for her, being around danger means she's also prone to getting injured.

"I'm really sorry, Platoon Leader Uzui!"

The new recruit she saved once again bowed down in front of her. He was the reason her left arm is in a cast, letting it heal naturally. It was an accident where a hidden yoju suddenly appeared catching them off guard. Kagami chose to prioritize her subordinate's safety than hers which lead to the current situation.

The application of using the regenerative ability of the kaijus in medical treatments was still being researched and is currently in its experimental stages, thus making it exclusive only to Defense Force higher ups.

Being a Platoon Leader, Kagami was lucky enough to be able to take part in it. Instead of suffering from a mangled arm requiring surgery, the treatment made it possible for her arm to heal quickly by mending her broken bones. In the end, it is still required for her to heal naturally and not move it much.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're safe. I don't want my subordinates to get hurt under my watch"

Kagami reassured the officer in front of her by placing her right hand on his arm. The officer was overwhelmed by the kindness she's showing that caused him to be emotional.

"Platoon Leader..."

"If you're really sorry, make sure you work hard to get stronger from now on"

Knowing what she said wasn't enough to remove his guilt, she encouraged him to be better.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The soldier saluted and finally left her alone. Kagami was about to leave as well when Vice Captain Hasegawa approached her. She greeted him with a salute and he nodded in return.

"You are as kind as ever, Platoon Leader Kagami. I know you want to save as many people as possible but you should not sabotage your health"

He complimented her, referencing about her interaction with an officer. He also scolded her for getting injured badly in concern.

"My apologies, sir. Umm... Is there something wrong? Is Captain Narumi causing trouble again?"

She gave a sheepish smile knowing she'll do it again if it mean saving someone. Though she couldn't help but noticed the troubled expression on his face which only means one thing: Captain Narumi.

"Somewhat. It has something to do with your visitor"

"Eh?"

Captain Narumi was causing trouble because of her visitor? But she wasn't expecting anyone to come visit her? Also, she didn't understand why the Vice Captain himself would tell her the news.

"You'll understand soon enough. Follow me"

Noticing her confusion, Vice Captain Hasegawa led her to where Captain Narumi and her visitor were.

As they got closer to the meeting room, she could hear Captain Narumi's boisterous voice. It was so loud that she didn't have to strain her ears to know that it was him. And there was also a familiar laughter coming inside the room. There's no way...

When Vice Captain Hasegawa opened the door for them to enter, she finally understood why Captain Narumi was reacting that way. Her fiancee, Vice Captain Hoshina Soshiro, was sitting in front of her Captain. His smug smile and foxy expression was clear enough for her to know that he's been teasing the guy the whole time.

"Vice Captain Hoshina?"

"Ahhh, you're here?"

Soshiro averted his gaze at his self-proclaimed rival to look at his fiancee, pointedly staring at her casted arm. His smile, straining a little bit with a frown.

"Today, I am here to request that Platoon Leader Uzui Kagami take a day off from work while she heals"

He finally revealed his intentions after seeing the two sitting down. Captain Narumi and Vice Captain Hasegawa were shocked at his request. They were expecting something else and didn't stop to think of such an absurd reason.

"Haaaa??? Who are you to ask for that with my Platoon Leader, haaa??"

Captain Narumi, having composed himself first grew more irritated. How could his rival talk for his Platoon Leader like that? His friend has a mind of her own and can request to rest by herself. He knew she was injured and wanted her to rest himself but having his rival demand that bring a bad taste to his mouth. It's not like he's forcing him to work, damn it.

"I'll say it in word you can understand. My fiancee is hurt and I demand you let her rest"

Fiancee?? They turned their heads to look at the blushing woman, embarrassed for being the source of this mess and the attention she's getting.

"Don't tell me you specifically came here just to ask that?"

She tried to compose herself by looking his way. Surely that wasn't the sole reason he came here?

"Of course, you wouldn't do so otherwise. Ah don't worry, I got permission to leave from Captain Ashiro so I could take care of you"

That's it. That's the end of her. How could he say such things so calmly in front of her superiors? She's sure as hell this would reach the ears of the whole division and they would not let her live it down. She couldn't even hide her face cause her free hand is too small to cover it.

"I have paperwork"

"That's fine. You can just bring it home and I'll help you"

Kagami can't do this anymore. Her superiors are digging holes into her and her fiancee's finds it too amusing to help her.

"Captain, Vice Captain, can I request for a leave until I heal enough to get back to work?"

Kagami asked for permission herself, trying to save herself despite it being a futile attempt. There's no stopping Soshiro when he's this stubborn.

"I'll grant you paid leave"

Vice Captain Hasegawa felt pity for his subordinate, who clearly want to bury herself in a hole, thus granting her wish.

"Thank you, sir"

Kagami stood up as fast as she could and left to go to her room. She ignore the curious glances thrown her way by confused onlookers, who rarely get to see her running and flustered.

Soshiro who was left inside the room stared at his rival, who was uncharacteristically quiet. He felt pity and at the same time doesn't for he knows what the male in front of him feels for his fiancee.

His phone vibrated indicating that he received a message.

"I'm heading down soon. Meet me at the lobby. Also, please stop torturing my Captain"

"Well then, i guess I'll have to leave now too"

Soshiro stood up and said his goodbyes and thanks as he pocketed his phone. He's looking forward to the spending the rest of the day, and the days after that with his fiancee.

<- Previous Next ->

[sweetadonisbutbetter]

Can I ask for an hsc in which Adam is betrayed by his third wife for the third time (reader)

How would Adam react if he found out about this? Would he give a damn and go to whores or despair?

Thanks you

OH MY GOD ☹️☹️☹️☹️my face when i was writing adam fluff and I saw this notif pop up in my ask box. i think this one might be shorter than anything I write and I apologize for that.

Third time is NOT the charm | Adam x Fem!Wife! Reader

relationship: romantic warnings: mentions of cheating, aruging and just kinda angsty

OHHH HE IS SO HEARTBROKEN

He already had some slight trust issues with you cheating in the past, never fully able to trust you again, so he followed you. Sue him, he wanted to make sure you weren’t seeing someone.

Then he saw you enter an apartment you had never been to before, only to come out way later in the day to you looking so disheveled. He may not be a genius, but he knows for sure that you slept with someone else. 

he gave you chance after chance, and yet you went behind his back once again

it is at this point, that he truly thinks that all of his failed relationships are his fault, that all of his inadequacies outweigh his better qualities, and that he is truly unloveable. 

I would think he would fall into despair. since he forgave you two previous times, I think he was really in love with you. When he loves, he loves hard, making this all the more painful for him. 

He spends a good while mourning the relationship, the love, and just everything. 

Outwardly, he becomes more bitter, more of a dick than ever before. Everyone in heaven already avoids him like the plague, especially since his reputation wasn't the best due to his…whole personality. Now everyone avoids him in fear of him snapping at them. 

But inwardly? He is so insecure and just looking for someone to hold him. A part of him wants to crawl into your arms and curl up like a wounded animal. Hoping that you would tend to it with such care, love, and grace that you once gave him.

Cries and gets drunk to Lute, telling her everything (Lute may or may not be planning your murder)

Begins to overthink your relationship.

Did you ever love him? Did you ever care for him? Were you like this in your life or just to him? Why even stay with him? What did he do to deserve this? Sure he was a shitty person, but he wasn’t a half-bad husband. He had never cheated on any of his wives. 

When he finds the courage to confront you, he is trying so hard to keep it together. He does well, up until you go into detail about why you did it.

Why? You just felt like it.

If it was with three different guys, it would hurt him, yes, but it would hurt him far less than if you told him it was with the same guy. It would uproot his entire being if he found out you slept with Lucifer (once or three times it doesn't matter)

If you did get with Lucifer, this breaks him fundamentally. He lost his first wife (unknown that Eve also slept with him) to that fucking devil and he got nothing for it each time. Just the feeling of betrayal and another wall around his already guarded heart.

He gets so angry at your nonchalance that he bursts for you to get out and that you both are getting a divorce. 

If you don’t care about it, it would hurt him more. In his mind, it shows that you never loved him, truly for him. 

If you care about the divorce, it makes him more angry. Where was this remorse when you cheated on him the first time? What about the second time? Why is it now coming up that he is ending things for good?

Overall not a win-win situation. 

Post-divorce, he vows to himself to not get with anyone. Now he is more of a dick, more nasty, vulgar, and everything under the sun. The pain of your cheating already hurt him in so many more ways that he is emotionally stunted romantically. 

If you tried to get back with him, to start over, he would laugh in your face and spit at you.

I WAS LITERALLY MID WAY THROUGH WRITING THE PREGANT READER FIC WHEN THIS ENTERED MY ASK BOG anon when i catch you when i catch you anon /lh also hope this is what u wanted anon :D

anywayss hope yall enjoyeedd hehe

[linkspooky]

Hi! Thanks for your tremendous work, it's always a pleasure to read your blog! I just wanted to ask your opinion on Hidden Inventory / Premature Death Arc. I know this one is important to make parallels on different characters' stories, but I for me this arc is a surprise. I mean why would Gege suddenly make us involve in the future? 🥲 I just don't understand how he could come to telling us the stories from the past. Do you find it fitting?

Jujutsu Kaisen is a story primarily about cycles: the previous generation giving way to the newer one, spring turning into summer. In particular it's about the passing of the torches between generations. The elders in Jujutsu Society resist what is natural, they are such hardline traditionalists they often sacrifice the young because they refused to give way and let the new generation replace them.

Gojo Satoru's ideals which are in opposition to the elders state that not only should children be allowed to live out their youths, they should surpass their elders. Gojo is staunchly opposed to say, the elitist Zen'in who believe themselves the strongest, or even Sukuna the greater sorcerer of all time, in the fact he wants the kids he's raising to grow stronger than him.

On the flip side, Jujutsu Kaisen is also about negative cycles, like the curses which can never truly die so are exorcised only to be reformed. It's also about the cycle of abuse, such as Toji being abused by the Zen'in, only to abandon his own son in turn. The flashback arc is necessary, because the problems the current generation are facing started with the previous one. These problems persist because the cycle is unbroken.

Tengen in their explanation states that the distortion that caused Kenjaku's plans to succeed in the modern day happened eleven years ago, and he lists two reasons why, first Zen'in Toji who was not affected by cursed energy, and second Geto who could control curses.

Toji is hailed as the destroyer of destinies because he's free form cursed energy, but as for a more meta-textual reason why Toji gets as much focus in story as he does, is because much like Maki he's a product of the worst abuses of sorcerer society.

There's a reason for this line here when Toji appears before the collected members of the Zen'in Clan, Naobito the head, Maki the Toji of her generation, and Megumi who was almost sold to them and is Toji's son who he abandoned therefore another link in the chain of abuse.

All of these characters are effected by the cycle of abuse in the Zen'in Clan, yes, even Naobito and later on Naoya who appear to be at the top. It's that whole "Toxic Masculinity harms men" thing too. Naobito was not born a drunken, abusive jerk and he was likely not a good father in any capacity considering the way Naoya acts.

They're all trapped in the cycle known as the Zen'in Clan, and they all stare on in envy to the one they think is free, Toji, who escaped and became the sorcerer killer. Toji who, the whole clan was secretly fearful of because they believed he had the capability of killing them / also according to Naoya's take looked down on him because he was an otherworldly strength they did not recognize and tried to suppress him to make themselves feel superior.

Either way, Toji is someone who they have put down their entire life because he wasn't born to meet their standards, because he's something new and different from tradition and the big three houses are the worst traditionalists of Jujustu Society. The Toji they all fear however, is a monster created by the Zen'in Clan themselves. Despite being abused by toxic masculinity, Toji is also toxic masculinity incarnate. He drinks, gambles all of his money away, he's an absentee father, and his greatest onscreen time is shooting a girl who's about Mai's age in cold blood. If Mai was the ultimate victim of the Zen'in Clan's toxic masculinity, then Riko is also the ultimate victim of Toji's masuclinity which didn't just target sorcerers but reached out and targeted innocent girls (Riko) and children (Megumi).

The explanation of who Toji was in the past, how he both killed Riko and drove the wedge between Geto and Gojo's friendship creating the first dsiruption in the cycle is important because in the modern day the Zen'in Clan has not broken the cycle. The abuse of the Zen'in Clan is so bad, that one generation later they've already manufactured another Toji.

While Maki's rise to power is glorified a little bit too much, in story the fact that the cycle has repeated itself is not a good thing. Maki's lost her chance of happiness and reconciliation with Mai, she's won against the Zen'in but it's a pyrrhic victory, she's now strong at the cost of everything else. As I said before Mai is also a clear parallel to Riko, someone who just wanted to live a normal life cut down in the prime of her youth by a member of the Zen'in, who's death then sparks another person to spiral.

They're just girls who longed for an ordinary life and be together with their loved ones, and Maki and Geto are both haunted by the fact that they were unable to save them in the aftermath. Geto's actions are spurred by the way the world carelessly killed Riko, and Maki gives up on reforming the Zen'in Clan and chooses destruction after they swallow up Mai.

The flashback chapters do more than just give parallels between say Gojo and Geto's friendship and the current friendship between Megumi and Yuji, or even give us Gojo's backstory and insight to his character they also go to great lengths to show us how much things have not changed in the modern day Jujutsu World.

While the distortion that drove Toji to do what he did began in the Zen'in Clan, Geto is basically driven by the faults of Jujutsu Society as a whole. The death of Riko is his eye opening moment where he learns the truth of their society, the young are sacrificed for the old. It's not just the fact Riko died, but afterwards he witnessed crows of people appluading for it, and Toji acting like that death was nothing. There's also the fact her death / sacrifice was ordered by Jujutsu Society in the first place, but Geto thought he could overcome that cycle with strength alone until he couldn't. Geto's monologue that leads to his slow breakdown even refers to being a sorcerer as "an endless cycle."

The three years of Geto and Gojo's youth is referred to their spring, whereas Premature Death takes place in summer. Not coincidentally, in story Summer is referred to as the worst possible season for curses because curses accumulate during that time.

Jujusu Kaisen is about cycles, and the inability to escape them. Geto and Gojo's springtime of youth turns to summer, Geto begins to have doubts because of his inability to protect Riko, and his witnessing of sorcerers dying around him.

It's not just Geto's superiority complex, or his increasing antipathy for the weak normal people who demand sorcerers exorcise curses for them because they can't defend themselves. Geto also bears witness to the continued death of children around him. It's not just a hazard of the job, sorcerer society continually sacrifices young people to uphold the strict traditions of the elders.

Geto is moved by the mistreatment of the young in a way Gojo is, Riko's death is what opens his eyes, a few days Geto goes to the village he witnesses the brutal death of Haibara and Nanami's own feelings of helplessnes to stop it, and then his breaking point is when he sees two twin girls who are sorcerers ganged up on and imprisoned by an entire town, the same way that the indifferent crowds cheered for Riko's death and the same way sorcerer society considered Riko an expendable sacrifice to maintain Tengen.

Sorcerer Society's callous indifference to both the deaths of their sorcerers, but especially the young is what drives Geto to his breaking point. This is also the source of Gojo's ideals, because he realizes something went wrong with Geto and he doesn't want that mistake to repeat.

“For people like us, we naturally know how to get rid of the poisons within their heart. But for youths who hold onto a lot of sentimental feelings, it’s another matter altogether. Their heart might collapse just from getting struck by poison once.” “Isn’t it an adult’s duties to rid poison from a child’s heart? As a teacher, you should know this better than me, right?” [Light novel 1: Ressurection Puppet]

In Gojo's case he is actively trying at least, to raise kids in a way that they won't break like Geto did. It's the loss of Geto which inspires his current ideals. However, to dwell on this briefly Gojo is also still a very flawed mentor because he's a product of the system who raised him.

Kenjaku comes back in the form of Geto's body to defeat Gojo. Then Sukuna ends up taking Megumi's body away from him. There's a pattern here, two people who Gojo has a strong connection too have their bodies taken away from him. In Megumi's case this is where Gojo has failed to break the cycle because of his stated intetions, because Gojo didn't adopt Megumi to help him after his father died, Gojo swooped in to take Megumi because he was a potential weapon he could use against the elders.

The flashback arc ends with Gojo making his slightly predatory deal with Megumi, by threatening his sister's happiness unless he complies and lets Gojo train him instead of the Zen'in. Megumi is shown to be a child that's continually having trouble growing up throughout the story, because of his broken home situation.

The ending of Hidden Inventory could have been Gojo learning his lesson and breaking the cycle in regards to Megumi, but he deliberately did not, and so once again the problems the main characters are facing now is created by the failures of the past.

Gojo Mr. "I can totally beat up on Megumi, it's fine."

In this case though, Hidden Inventory is also about how the problems of the past are plagueing Megumi's life, because the primary villain of it is his father, and the ending of the whole arc is us seeing his first encounter with Gojo. Megumi is in this case the latest youth swallowed up by the old, because Sukuna is quite literally a member of the previous generation physically stealing his body away from him to prolong his life long after he died.

Tsumiki's death is also a repeat of the death of Mai Zen'in, and Riko Amanai. It's once again the death of an innocent being swallowed up by the toxic masculinity of Jujutsu Society, all while the person who wanted to protect them is completely helpless to stop it. Gojo also took responsibility for Megumi, and Tsumiki both and later on couldn't live up tot hat responsibility, Tsumiki is dead and Megumi is possessed.

The Hidden Inventory flashback arc is there to establish what is basically the beginning of the cycle in the story, so we can see later on how this cycle is repeating itself again and again without being broken even this late (200 chapters) into the story. With the eventual hope that if the adults like Gojo can't fully break the cycle, then the kids he raised will be able to do so in his place.

[sizzleissues]

I loved the Paris special and all the hype leading up to it and after it and I just love how it went. I was so afraid it would disappoint my expectations, do something basic and trite but no, it went for something and I loved it.

Like for the most part the art, discussions and fics I saw previous to the airing were kinda goofy. We heard 'evil Marinette and Adrien' and constructed two evil little guys to swing around while we waited. They were bratty and overly dark and unapologetically cruel and conniving. Of course people did explore the possible reasons for them being different but we didn't know what the reverse world was like, where it broke off from our canon so we could only make guesses. People concluded they either did it for the heck of it, or that it was a lashing out against their circumstances. Whether the behavior followed them into being civilians, especially before all the designs were released, we didn't know and we made beautiful noise based on assumptions.

Then we got the episode.

The two kids weren't evil for the heck of it. They were tricked by someone greater, similarly how Master Fu told our Marinette and Adrien to use their power for the greater good, to better the world, the Supreme told them to use it for the greater evil, with some sort of reward in return for accomplishing this goal. It pit them against each other. They couldn't wholly work apart, neither were strong enough to do that, but they were never entirely together because if they worked together, they would simply turn against the Supreme. By telling them that only one of them could get what they wanted, the Supreme became a far cleverer and eviler villain than whatever Gabriel became by the end.

Bad Marinette and Adrien became trapped in the cycle of abuse they likely faced in their civilian lives. Marinette lived under the thumb of Chloe and her worse world and instead of being empowered as Toxinelle, she was trapped in a cycle of failure as it slowly killed her for ever wanting a chance at something better. She has the same capability as our Marinette to be good and to be resilient but the power of one toxic voice is demonstrated in her fall. At the midpoint of the special she knows that how fucked she is and how its entirely by the Supremes' design but she can't do a single thing about it other then finish what they came to do. It takes the hope Ladybug installs in her for her to overcome the manipulations of the Supreme. Bad Marinette loses the chance to get back what she wanted in the first place, whether that be freedom from Chloe or something in her home life but she accepts that she can improve things in a different way. Find Alya, join the resistance, carve out something new for herself. The lack of mention of her father makes you wonder and the bitterness about her mother is another open question. Is her Sabine mean or did something else happen to strain their relationship?

Adrien similarly became trapped in his grief and instead of Griffe Noire being a release from it, he toyed with his life in desperation to get his mother back, like our Gabriel did towards the end. I don't think Good Gabriel was a terrible father like our Gabriel but he was misguided. I think he likely didn't want to address Emily's death because by the looks of the opening, it was quite emotionally distressing and having to face that would mean admitting some terrible things (like that his actions resulted in her death, and that Adrien's 'birth' was the catalyst that had her killed). So he stayed silent and allowed Adrien's resentment to build. This Adrien is also still home schooled. I think again that Good Gabriel does this because he thinks allowing Adrien out into the world would put him in dangers way, since the Supreme obviously hasn't reclaimed the miraculous yet. But again he doesn't explain why, evidenced by Adrien working for the man responsible for his mother's demise. Adrien doesn't know, he thinks his father is pretending like nothings wrong and keeping him cut off from the world. Its likely that the one day Adrien runs away to school, the Supreme finds him and gives him the miraculous before he's whisked away again. Proving Gabriel right, but he doesn't know it.

The Supreme is also just fucking with Gabriel. He knows Gabriel's identity so he's using his son to fuck with him further. He kills his wife and then turns his son against him. His son who is now doomed to die if he doesn't retrieve the butterfly miraculous.

Both character's now reflect paths our versions could have gone down. Yes the world isn't run by the Supreme but miraculous has taken time to show the other ways the city can be terrible. Their Mayor's corrupt controlled by the whims of his daughter and investors, a greedy business man holds a monopoly on artists and the cities biggest fashion designer works with the smartest business woman in town to make rings to spy on everyone, who is literally a super villain with no known motive. Things are pretty shit and it’s not like the show isn't directly pointing to these things as terrible.

Ladybug and Chat Noir see this steaming pile of shit and decide to save it anyway, overcoming their personal challenges along the way. Like why not overthrow the mayor, why not take down those who don't need to be akumatised to be evil? It’s proof of their inherent goodness, even with everything they'd been through prior to origins that they don't do this. Versions of them are only compelled to be evil because someone different gets in their ear, someone promises them better "if they paid only a small price". Neither want to do it, but its all they have left after choosing that path instead of the other. We know that this darkness is in our versions as well. Adrinoir asks why not use the wish to solve everything? He could have his mother back, his father would revert from this cold mess to his distant but loving father. He acts out, plays a different character and doesn't think when he should. Maribug is constantly tearing herself apart trying to balance things and ends up abusing her power occasionally (especially in the earlier part of the show). She sometimes acts selfishly and is misguided. These aren't two entirely different sets of people, but the same set if the wrong traits are amplified.

And omg I love this show.

Instead of going, look at these two evil guys, doing evil things for no reason we get these morally complex renditions of our favorite characters. There's nothing wrong with the previous interpretation but it says little about our own characters in turn and only offers a chance for some hijinks and fun before the episode ends. (I wish they'd been dating and revealed like all our hearts dreamed but if that would have been true they'd have been too powerful and defeated Better fly in like five seconds so they could get back to making out - this lovesquare is even less functioning now)

Anyways be cool, watch miraculous

[occasionallyprosie]

A Thousand Ways

Chapter 14: "Passing Through"

Linkle and Warriors would 100% rp royalty as kids and Legend and Hyrule are theatre kids... also, the ballad didn't work.

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"So, is she staying with us?" Wild asked after they took out the monster camp with Linkle's help. Her mere presence had set Warriors off and the two were constantly bantering, more than any of the others ever did with each other and that was saying something.

At first, some of them were concerned, then they collectively realized that Warriors was more relaxed than they almost had ever seen him. It really showed when the fight began, and Linkle and Wars basically handled the entire thing. They fought together incredibly well, Linkle using crossbows and Piyoko--Legend was surprised at how attached Piyoko was to Linkle, she adored the heroine who loved her in return--as weapons, Piyoko definitely had the time of her life, while Warriors used his sword and shield to control the entire camp with ease... with the exception of the couple black bloods that Legend and Hyrule, and Time and Wind handled 

Honestly, Legend saw half their group just hanging back and he joined them in time to see both siblings gang up on a giant, and bring it down in record time.

Both were grinning at the end of it all, high-fiving and throwing insults at the other's form and battle choices.

"If she wants to," Warriors said in response to Wild's question. He shrugged. "I can't stop her if she does."

Linkle scooped up Piyoko into her arms. "I'd love to, goddesses know I miss this kind of thing, but I have to pass." She turned to Warriors. "One of us needs to stay back home, and tell Ma about that pretty little lie of yours."

"I told you--"

"Yeah yeah." Linkle waved him off. "Whatever. I'll tell her that it's a new development and her baby boy didn't lie to her face."

"I am literally a grown adult--With children!"

"Kids you adopted during the war so they wouldn't be sent to an orphanage don’t count."

"Hey!" Wind exclaimed.

"Rude," Time grunted.

Warriors gestured at them. "Does it look like we care? Why does Mom trust you more than me when my kids are actual children and not animals?" 

"Because I have more than you, and they're better trained. Mask dyed Impa's hair green!"

Legend glanced at Hyrule, leaning over to whisper to him and Wild.

"Bets that Mask is the Old Man?"

"No way," Wild hissed back. "It's totally the sailor."

"Ma would side with me that actual kids are far harder to take care of than a flock of cuccos!" Warriors argued.

Linkle scowled. "You know what? Fine! I'll adopt two of my own!"

"Wha--You’re going to--"

Legend and Hyrule both broke when Linkle raised an eyebrow at them.

"Us?" Hyrule pointed at them.

Linkle nodded. "I like you two, besides, I bet you'd beat Mask and Tune."

"No way!" Wind piped up. "We'd kick their ass! Besides, you can't take the Vet, he's my baby brother."

Time snorted. "Wow, Sailor. I'm wounded."

"You’re my little brother, there's a difference," Wind huffed, "Apple's my baby brother and Aryll's my baby sister."

Legend staggered a bit as Hyrule hugged him and declared, "My little brother now!"

"Daaad!" Wind whined, pouting at Warriors.

Legend couldn't help but laugh. Warriors sighed and tried to barter with Linkle, who stood her ground about adopting him and Hyrule.

Wild leaned over. "Would you let her?"

Legend looked at Hyrule, they shrugged.

"Sure," Hyrule agreed.

"Only when we're in this era though," Legend added, thinking of Dusk. "I don’t want to deal with... having to explain that to anyone. If she really wants, then fine, but only legally binding here... I'll let her claim it whenever, if only so we can fight the Sailor and Old Man."

"Yeah," Hyrule smirked, arm still slung over his shoulders. "We'd totally win."

Linkle gestured at them while Warriors groaned.

"Ha! I win! Next time you guys show up here, I'll have the paperwork ready," she swore. "Okay?"

"I can't believe you three." Warriors threw his hands up, turning away.

"Okay," Hyrule told Linkle. "Are you our mom now? Or...?"

"Sure. Next time, I'll introduce you to my Ma as her better grandchildren."

"Rude! Link, why didn't you ever introduce us to your Mom?!" Wind demanded.

"I-I--" Warriors floundered.

Legend could honestly tell that Linkle had only actually offered to mess with Warriors, and if agreeing messed with the Captain and the Sailor? Well, he was all for that.

What kind of 'baby brother' would he be if he didn't take whatever opportunity he was presented with to mess with his apparent siblings?

The portal came during the walk back to town, which was less filled with Warriors and Linkle arguing, and more filled with Linkle questioning him and Hyrule about their lives 'as a good mother would.'

"Well!" Warriors said loudly, interrupting Hyrule and Legend explaining their era and how it was different from his era to Linkle. "As fun as it has been to see you again, my dear sister, we simply must be going now."

Legend snorted, he heard Wild and Four sharing giggles too. Twilight and Sky had taken up the rear of the group, and both seemed especially amused.

Linkle pouted. She wrapped her arms around Legend and Hyrule. "Oh must you, Captain?" She replied, losing every ounce of her country accent in replacement of a posh, castle town accent. "Oh Captain please, my sons are only children, you need not take them away to fight battles for a higher power. Please spare them. Look! They are no soldiers, nor squires training to be such, doest thou not see their fear at facing warfare?"

Oh she is amazing, Piyoko clucked, Link, your new mom is amazing and I love her.

Warriors' face hardened, but the mirth was clear and it was a conscious decision to help bolster Linkle's argument by pulling on every part of his self control and acting ability to play the part of a scared kid. Hyrule's shoulders stopped shaking from holding in laughter and a glance showed that his successor was an excellent actor too.

"The Queen's commands are clear, these boys are to march to battle and face against the dark horrors of time," Warriors declared.

"You monster!" Linkle cried dramatically, playing up her part of a scared mother despite not looking even barely old enough to be their mother. "Child stealer!"

"Okay, okay!" Twilight intervened, choking on laughter. "Even if this is entertainin', we really do needa go. So say bye t' yer Ma, Vet, Traveler, and let's go."

On one hand, he could just cut the act, on the other... Legend looked at Linkle, and he was definitely pouting and using everything he knew to appear scared. "Ma, I don’t want to go."

Hyrule couldn't hold it in anymore and he broke, grabbing his stomach and wheezing in his laughter. Warriors gaped at him, as if surprised he was a decent actor, while Linkle immediately hugged him.

"I know, I know," she held firm to her own act, "but you must." She pulled away and held his face, he grabbed her hands and could see how she was starting to struggle to keep character too. He really wanted to break. "Be strong, and filled with courage. You will find your way back home, I know it."

A beat passed before they both broke, and the entire area was filled with various forms of laughter, loud and boisterous, high and wheezy, contained and quiet, someone's sounded like a fairy's even and another's was carried by the wind itself it felt like.

Legend wiped a tear from his eye. For a moment, it felt like everything was actually okay. For a moment, he was just joking around with friends, pulling stupid jokes and teasing each other.

The next, he felt Piyoko brush his leg, and the reminder of why she was with him hit him. With that, came the reminder of everything that had happened in the last few months. He managed to not let his renewed realization show to strongly, the laughter slowly fizzled out and he lent down to pick up Piyoko.

Link? She sounded concerned. He'd seen her fight with Linkle, but also needed Linkle's aid at every moment. All Piyoko could truly do was distract, and blind if she was lucky. Unlike heroes who accidentally harm cuccoos, monsters had no qualms with smacking them from the sky and he had seen so many close calls in just one fight alone. Linkle was used to accounting for them and ensuring their safety, Legend wasn't and he didn't want to risk her safety to learn.

"Let's--"

"Linkle?" Legend looked at the older woman, she was Warriors' twin, wasn't she? 

"Yeah?"

"Would you be willing to keep Piyoko?"

He heard several people freeze and inhale sharply. He wasn't sure exactly why.

Linkle frowned, crossing her arms. "Why?"

Warriors spoke up, instructing the others to go ahead and file through, to make sure they had their supplies and everything.

Link? Piyoko sounded hurt, though also concerned.

"I... She's a good fighter," Legend said, looking down at her in his arms. "One of my oldest companions, but... I don’t know how to fight with her, and I can't risk her in order to learn. More than that... You've mentioned you have a whole flock of your own, she's friendly and can assimilate, and... and Piyoko, we both know you prefer life on the farm rather than on the road. You also have said you love Linkle, if you’re both okay with it, I think this would be the best option for you."

Piyoko stared up at him, completely silent. He could almost feel her hurt, but the way she wasn't immediately pecking him and telling him he was an idiot--like she had when he suggested she stay with one of the farmers in Kakariko with the other cuccoos--meant he was right and she actually was considering it.

A part of him wanted to take his words back, to keep Piyoko with him. She'd been there in Holodrum, had always been someone he could trust. Din, he'd called her his emotional support animal for all the times he'd vent and she'd offer insight. But he also knew that no matter how much he wanted to cling to before--before his grandparents, before that cell, those days where he could feel his body wasting in that cave--and how Piyoko was a reminder of that, of days between adventures at his grandparents farm, of the lightness in Holodrum, of safety and warmth and peace... she was still a farm animal, and he wouldn't choose his own mental security over her physical safety. Not in a million years. Not ever.

If she's okay with it, Piyoko conceded, almost surprisingly so.

Linkle held her arm out and Piyoko jumped to her, wings flapping to aid the transfer.

"I'll take good care of her, visit when you can," while he can, Linkle gave him a pointed look.

He nodded. "Of course... Later, Piyoko."

...bye Link. Be safe.

"When am I not?"

Warriors and Twilight were the only ones waiting left, as per usual, the local Link would be the last to enter the portal. Legend left with Twilight, and everyone waited a few minutes longer before Warriors came through and it shut behind them.

During his watch, Legend watched the sun rise against all odds, and sure, astronomers of his era had determined the world to be a sphere and to revolve around the sun, but did he particularly care for that detail? No. The sun rose, that's why they called it a sunrise.

There were a million things he could think about.

Raven, how his ancestor not only was the grandson of the Fallen Hero, but how the people seemed to regard the Fallen Hero and in turn how they treated Raven... and what he did in spite of it. Additionally, just the fact that he'd never see Raven again... again. That's the second time he's lost the one man he's considered a parental figure, his uncle had been great but he... there was something there, he was always his uncle, never quite a father figure.

The fact he can't seem to die. That cell, he didn't look over to see the blood but he knew that no person should've survived what he did, and he didn't know how. But maybe Dusk had some special method of saving his life. Then the cave... the island and storms... he had been sick, so sick he couldn't move and didn't eat for days, he knew now he shouldn't have survived that--learning how long they'd been in the Sailor's era and the Traveler's era right afterwards--and yet, he did. He didn't know what Marley and Raven did either, but they didn't have access to things that would've done anything special.

He knew he should've died in that cell, he was certain of that fact, but that portal had come at the perfect time... More than that, the portal had come to that cave and had to of dropped Legend right on Raven in order for him to have survived that too.

He knew the goddesses wasn't done with him, this was just further proof of that.

Or... he glanced at the back of his left hand. Maybe my ancestry plays a larger part in that survival.

Three people here were his ancestors. 

Sky was the easiest to place and yet the hardest to come to terms with. Sky was from before the timeline got chaotic, the line from him to Legend was straight and simple. He was the easiest to understand and yet... how was he, Legend, a descendant of the goddess, and by extension, royalty?

Time was probably the easiest to come to terms with, his was a bit weird with the timeline and parallel worlds, but it was comprehensible. Time was the Fallen Hero, Legend had figured that out, Twilight's Hero of Time was from the exact same time as the Fallen Hero, the history books claimed him to have done the same things as the Fallen Hero... only he succeeded in the end. It was weird, but Legend could understand it. He knew Raven was his ancestor, and he now knew Raven's grandfather was the Fallen Hero. So sure, Time wasn't his ancestor, but in a weird parallel timeline way, he was. That was simple.

What wasn't simple was Twilight, what wasn't easy to come to terms with was Twilight. Because if they were related, it was confusing.

Legend knew exactly four things about his father: one, he was younger than his uncle, two, he looked almost nothing like his uncle aside from the bare minimum sibling similarities, three, his name had been Link and Legend was named after him, and four, he died around the same time Legend had been born.

Now, that paired with the fact that his uncle Alphon was his uncle, would lead one to assume that Twilight--well his parallel self in Legend's timeline--was his father. Easy, simple, timeline shenanigans makes it confusing but only a little more than Time.

Except that Legend has met Dusk and her two children, the children that are the parallels to him and Fable. He knows who their father is, and the problem is that their father is Alphon and Legend knows his father isn't Uncle Alphon.

That's the confusing part. Legend genuinely doesn't know how to place Twilight, his best conclusion is that Dusk and Twilight had some other variable that kept them from falling in love or at least having two kids that Legend's parents didn't. And knowing that Fable's counterpart was born... roughly two years after Twilight's adventure, meant that variable was probably related to his adventure.

But, how did Dusk's daughter look so identical to Fable if she had a different father, who bared little resemblance to Twilight? 

"Honestly, couldn't some part of my life been simple?" He muttered. He wished Piyoko was here--she's safer with Linkle.

"Did you say something?" Wild looked up from the breakfast he was working on.

"No, just thinking. Need a hand with that?"

The moment Legend opened his eyes, he knew things were wrong.

He shot up and almost expected to see lapping waves and hear cawing seagulls, only to see a familiar forest.

"What the..." he breathed, pushing himself to stand as he looked around. He dug out his ocarina and tried to play the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

The song reverberated in the forest—which it shouldn't have, the notes should've just expanded further—and thrummed all around him.

Nothing changed though. He almost began again when he heard a bush rustle.

He moved quickly, drawing his sword only to see a man rush through the small clearing to kneel by a tree. He put something inside it before quickly shoving his cloak into some sling at his chest.

“Excuse me?” Legend called, wary. He reached for the man’s shoulder.

Yelling caught his attention, familiar yelling. He tensed as he shifted his stance, the man shot up quickly.

“This way!”

“Find him!”

A squad of knights burst from the same direction the man had come from. The man moved past Legend in a way that should have bumped his shoulder, but he just went through him.

The realization near smacked him in the face.

This was a vision, he had some of those when he was younger but ever since Koholint he couldn’t differentiate them from dreams. He was seeing some scene, past, present, or future, and he couldn’t intervene. So he observed.

The cloak had been hiding a forest green tunic lined in golds, a golden crown, though Legend couldn't quite see his face from his angle.

“Stand down,” the leading knight commanded, and Legend froze when he saw that familiar glaze in the equally familiar knight’s eyes. “We only wish to kill the boy.”

“Over my dead body,” the man snarled, Legend felt a flash of familiarity at the voice.

“So be it.”

He swallowed thickly. What being had dragged him into some hell where his main torturer, visibly decades younger, was facing a younger and more composed Twilight?

Time grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled him back. “We’re only observers, Pup.”

“He can’t see us,” Twilight croaked.

Hyrule was waving a hand in front of Legend’s face, but their scholar didn't even notice. Time didn't know how exactly, but they were all sharing some kind of vision, except Legend was separate from them. He blamed the goddesses.

“There’s a baby here!” Wind exclaimed from where he and Four had investigated the tree the nobleman had been knelt by.

Wild suddenly yelped loudly, grabbing Twilight’s arm as he jumped back.

Time turned to look at what startled the Cub, and only due to his earned dark vision, could he see the nobleman's face. The darkness of the snowstorm overhead didn't help, but his face was very clear.

Though it lacked tattoos and scars, it was undoubtedly their rancher, or someone closely related to him. His jaw the same shape, his nose and eyes, the way Time could almost feel a connection to him...

Time tightened his grip on his pup as he felt him go rigid beside him. The man in front of them wasn’t much of a man, maybe Sky’s age, younger than Twilight at least.

“What in Hylia’s…” Sky breathed.

The lookalike cut down two of the knights before an arrow lodged into his bicep. He didn’t cry out and only barely switched his sword to his other hand to block another blade. Time didn’t know what they were meant to be seeing; between the alleged baby in the tree behind them, the young man fighting to save both their lives, and Legend’s exclusion from them.

Time felt his blood go cold as a blade sank through the bundle on the young man’s chest, and then through his chest too. He could see the sword protruding from the man's back.

“NO!” Wild screamed.

Twilight lunged to catch him and pull him back, Time pulled both back as he listened to Twilight promise Wild that it wasn’t him. Wind cried out too, and Warriors was quick to pull him and Hyrule to him as they watched the young man snarl, baring slight fangs. The young man swung his sword desperately, and it knocked the knight’s helmet off, but did little other damage.

“Agahnim will fail,” he swore, “you’ll fail.”

The knight laughed; Sky suddenly made a horrified noise upon seeing the knight’s face.

“With that brat dead, he will prevail,” the knight sneered. “With you out of the way, that wife of yours will be easy pickings, king.”

The knight shoved the noble off his sword, the man fell back and into the snow. 

In a reminder that Legend was completely separate from them, the veteran shot forward, dropping to his knees beside the nobleman.

“No, no, no—” Legend said as the knights all laughed. They boasted to one another, cheered how Agahnim would be pleased, and left the nobleman to die. “Don’t tell me—”

“No--Kit, it’s not him, it's not the Rancher,“ Sky tried as the young nobleman struggled to breathe, blood slipping from his mouth.

Time hated to see it, that was his pup—in look, at least—who was dying on the forest floor. It was that inn all over again.

A ripple of violet wrapped around their scholar for a moment, and just in time, Legend’s hand landed on the young man’s chest.

“He touched him!” Four gasped, voicing what Time knew they all were thinking. This was a vision, a dream, how could Legend interact with it like that?

“Who…” the man murmured, frowning and his brows knitting together in a way that Time could only see Twilight, could only see his descendent laying there.

“Wait—I have a fairy,” Legend shoved his hand into his pouch. “It’s going to be alright—You’ll be fine, you’ll get out of this—”

“Yer him,” the man slurred, and Great Forests, he even sounded like Twilight. “I… I got’ta see… ya grown up…”

Time held his pup a bit tighter as they all stared at the scene.

Legend made a strangled noise. “No, no, no—Where is that damn fairy?!” He suddenly froze as the man raised a bloodied hand to his cheek. “W-What--”

“If yer here…” the young man said, “s’means… yer not changin’ it… are ya?”

Time did not know their acclaimed Veteran Hero to be fragile, yet in that moment he looked like breaking glass.

“I can’t, can I?” He responded, voice breaking. He didn't sound his years either. “I’m sorry—I’ll fix it though! I—Agahnim doesn’t win! I stopped him, and-and I—I saved Zel—She’s—She’s okay too. You—You’re okay—You don’t have to worry.”

It hit him: Legend wasn’t seeing Twilight.

“I know… ya got the look of a hero… jus’ like y’r ancestors.” The young man smiled just as his hand slipped down from Legend’s face, leaving a line of blood down it. “I’m… ‘m proud.”

Legend caught his hand but otherwise didn’t move, his mouth moved as if to speak but no sound emerged.

“What the hell?” Warriors breathed.

“Is he okay?” Wind whispered, daring to try and touch Legend again while the veteran just stared at the dead man in front of him.

“I don’t—” Twilight choked out, “he’s not okay—Ordona, please.”

Wind’s hand went through Legend again.

A call caught their attention. Legend’s head jerked to the side toward the wider forest. He scrambled to his feet as that purple wisp wrapped around him again and the call grew clearer.

“Link!” All their heads turned toward the older woman. She was followed by an older man carrying a lantern, just outside the area. “Link! Baby, we came! Where are…”

“Leanne,” the man grabbed her arm, staring in their direction. “Is that…”

She pushed branches aside and entered the area, Twilight made a strangled noise while Legend, who saw them too, let out a pained cry as he dropped back to his knees.

The woman rushed to the body on the ground, her hand brushing through Legend’s shoulder and half of Sky’s body as he failed to get out of the way quick enough. 

She let out a horrid scream, one worse than any redead Time had ever heard, a cry of pain deeper than any injury, than any sword wound.

“LINK! NO! GODDESSES NO! NOT MY BABY!” She screamed, falling to the ground beside the dead man.

She screamed and sobbed and begged the goddesses not to take her child, her husband kneeling beside her and placing his hand on his son’s leg, eyes slipping shut.

Time couldn’t move, her cries froze him to his place, and it seemed all of them had the same reaction, except for their veteran.

Legend, with visible tears streaming down his cheeks, rushed over to the grieving couple and dropped beside the woman.

“Gran—Gran, please stop crying,” Legend begged, and Time felt the pieces click into place. At that same moment, Twilight fell to the ground just beside Time. Wild made a worried noise as he dropped beside the Rancher. “Gran, please, it’s okay, I’m so sorry—Look! Gran, look at him, he’s smiling. Gran please, don’t cry. I’ll fix it, I will.”

He sounded like a child, he sounded like Time when he had begged Navi not to leave, he sounded desperate and broken and like he just wanted to fix the one thing he had left.

“We shouldn’t be seeing this,” Four said, stepping back. “We’re not supposed to be seeing this.”

The woman faltered, her hand lowered to the man’s face and brushed his cheek, tugging the smile that had remained when his spirit moved on.

“My baby,” she sobbed, her cries quieting. “My baby boy.”

Another kind of cry caught all their attention, in the hollow of a tree came the sound of a crying infant.

“Oh,” Legend breathed. “That’s how…” He let out a pained laugh for seemingly no reason.

The old couple both went to the tree, and the woman cooed, it was strained and a bit painful, as she scooped an infant wrapped in royal blue from the hollow.

Time stumbled as the world suddenly jerked beneath their feet.

Next>>

[seventhedge]

Why Dubstep Drums Make FE3H Great

So, I wanna use this blog for something, and I figured what better than to yap about music, specifically video game music, which is about the only thing I'm passionate about these days. For this post I wanna talk about a game that is relevant right now, as it just had its 5th anniversary, Fire Emblem Three Houses.

MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING ahead

There are a million different things I could talk about such as the liberal use of motifs or the rain/thunder mixes, but I wanted to zero in on something I don't see too many people talk about, and that is the strange instrumention in the soundtrack, particularly the use of electronic instruments.

So, FE3H, as a medieval fantasy (sorta) style game, you'd expect the soundtrack to reflect that, and it definitely does with its heavy string usage and marching drums to represent the whole strategic army battle thing they got going on. This piece is a very good example of this:

But hold on a sec, what the hell is that at the 1:17 mark? Dubstep drums? And not just in this track, many of the pieces in this game feature similar drums and/or electronic synth sounds which would be very out of place in a traditional medieval fantasy soundtrack, and indeed this is an instrumentational quirk not found in any previous Fire Emblem game (to my knowledge, at least). Here are a few other examples from the OST which utilize electronic instruments:

This track doesn't so much use "dubstep" drums, but the drums are most certainly electronic, bordering on breakcore at times. Definitely more subtle though.

Once again, this one is more subtle, but note the drums again, most definitely electronic. Notable due to this not being a battle theme, but instead the main hub theme (pre-timeskip aka when everything was happy, more or less)

Okay, this one isn't subtle at all, it slaps you in the face with growling synths and hard hitting drums right from the get go.

Now, you're probably wondering why the composers decided to use these electronic instruments, especially considering how subtle their usage can be in some songs. Was it purely a stylistic choice? Not exactly.

Note the last song in the examples I provided - it is the main theme of the game, and is a song sung from Edelgard's perspective. Now, what group does Edelgard have ties to that completely flies in the face of the "medieval fantasy" theme that we established?

That's right, it's Those Who Slither In The Dark, or TWSITD because I'm not typing that out every time.

TWSITD formed from the remnants of the Argarthans, and utilize their highly advanced technology. We're talking missiles here, stuff that would be insanely out of place in any setting such as Fire Emblem, and it is! Throughout the game, Edelgard is quietly working with them in the shadows for her own gains, and the specifics of that aren't really important. However, have you caught on yet? The soundtrack represents TWSITD using these electronic instruments, quietly hiding in the music, subtle but in control. The fact that the drums are more often than not the electronic instrument of choice feels relevant, as drums are arguably the backbone of music (no bias. drummer here), and so using those to represent TWSITD further shows how they're manipulating events behind the scenes. So let's go back to The Edge of Dawn, a piece closely tied to Edelgard that bombards you with heavy synths and drums - it does this to show how connected she is to TWSITD, but cleverly this connection means absolutely nothing unless you know what the group is in the first place!

The connection between TWSITD and electronic music isn't just speculation on my part either - the soundtrack outright screams it at you with a few pieces. First, let's take a look at Those Who Sow Darkness:

Right off the bat it's obvious this piece is an entirely different vibe to the rest of the soundtrack. It is entirely electronic, and also just has a much more sinister vibe to anything else I've shown. This is a track used in cutscenes heavily featuring TWSITD. Keep note of that melody by the way, it'll be relevant later :)

Next, we have this:

So, this one isn't exclusively used for TWSITD but it's closely tied to Hubert who is in turn closely tied to Edelgard so I'm counting it (its other usages are in the same vein as that one sidequest in Xenoblade that uses A Tragic Decision which is also probably the funniest thing in that game but we're not here to gush about Xenoblade or else I'd be here all day). Note the more subtle but still very obvious electronic....noises, as well as the bass. The piano takes the lead here as Hubert isn't exactly open about working with TWSITD but his close ties with them manifest as little electronic flourishes and notably the bass, a important and grounding part of any musical piece.

Okay, enough stalling. On the Verdant Wind route, the only route where you really directly confront TWSITD, you will eventually arrive at their base of operations, Shambhala. And uh, I'll just let this one speak for itself:

Same melody as before, just a tad more intense. Fitting that in the belly of the beast they ramp up the dubstep to 11.

I do also wanna mention the battle theme used for the stage directly after this, after TWSITD are taken care of. Nemesis, an old historical figure, has been revived, along with his 10 Elites that fought alongside him in the war against Seiros long ago. As TWSITD have been defeated, and since Nemesis is from the past, it is only fitting that the battle theme for this chapter, which is also the final chapter of this route, features no electronic instruments whatsoever. A stark contrast to the piece before it, but very fitting in the story. It's also incredible in general:

So yeah, that is my ramble on the electronic influence in Three Houses and why the funny dubstep track is actually fairly relevant to the theming of TWSITD and the game as a whole. I'm not an expert on VGM nor on FE3H by any means, this is just a silly little thing I noticed that I wanted to yap a bit about. Also, this is my first longwinded post on Tumblr, so if you have any feedback feel free to let me know, and don't be afraid to DM me if you wanna talk about video game music (especially Xenoblade Chronicles X, don't worry I'll get to you soon my baby)

Look out for more posts like this in the future, yapping about VGM is my calling

[ficthots]

Resolutions

A/N: This photo of Josh really does something to me. Does that make me crazy? Probably, but I just adore photos that show his personality. Okay, this one has a happy ending, I promise! As always let me know what you guys think and enjoy.

Warnings: SMUT. DNI if you are under 18. 18+ Content only.

Word Count: 10.7k+

December 31st 

There truly is no holiday like New Years. It doesn’t get as much love and appreciation as it should, honestly. What is more exciting than a year full of possibilities and knowing that it could potentially be the best time of your life? Seriously, there’s nothing like it. 

It’s why New Year's Eve is your favorite day of the year. Sure, to some people it’s just another day, but to you, it’s an entire world of opportunity that is laid in front of you, just waiting to be given a chance.

Every year, without fail you would carefully select a resolution that you would try your hardest to make happen within the following 365 days. In your eyes it wasn’t just a superstition, but a sound way to attempt to meet a personal goal, whatever it may be. Getting excited about the year ahead and the challenges and achievements that would happen.

In years past, you had accomplished those resolutions. Getting into a new hobby had been one goal you set in previous years. Deciding that needlework looked like an interesting task and by the end of the year you were a master of it. Every now and then you still dabble in it after a long day of work or school. 

Another year was trying to get yourself more comfortable with doing things by yourself. Taking yourself out to a movie, dinner, running errands. Anything that you normally would have tried to find someone to accompany you to, you did by yourself. 

It ended up being one of the best years of your life. Doing things you normally wouldn’t have because you were embarrassed. Now, it seemed silly as you looked back on all the missed opportunities from other years simply because you had no one to go with.

This previous year, you decided that your phone was taking up far too much time in your life so setting the goal to four hours of screen time a day whilst also deleting all social media to ensure a good detox was your resolution foundation. You never even missed it anymore. Unsure how you were spending so much of your time on that device was truly mind boggling, but happy with the switch in the end. 

Standing in your best friend’s living room, helping her hang a New Year’s banner on her wall, you hummed to the tune playing in the background. “Alright, I’m dying to hear it.” Your brow furrowed, stepping off the arm of the couch, smoothing your skirt back down.

“Hear what?” She rolled her eyes, going to grab a streamer and toss it over the ceiling fan blades. “Your resolution. What is the big goal for the year?” Feeling heat creep up your neck and face, you felt sheepish in your reply. 

Clearing your throat, you caught the streamer as it sailed towards you before hurling it back in her direction. “It’s a big one this year.” She eyed you expectantly, exhaling a large gust of breath as you continued on. “By midnight of next year's New Year’s Eve I will be kissing the love of my life.” 

Her mouth hung agape, eyeing you in disbelief. “You’re being serious?” Shrugging at her question, you continued tossing the streamer back and forth. “Of course I am. I’ve accomplished all my other ones so why not this one?” 

She took the remainder of the streamer roll and sat it down on the counter, eyeing you as she continued on. “All I’m saying is that picking up a new hobby and finding the love of your life are just a tad bit different.” 

Your eyebrows wiggled at her, a laugh emitting with it. “No shit sherlock. You’ll see,” as you finished, a knock sounded at the door, signaling the party was just beginning. You were so totally going to prove her wrong. Obviously, you knew it was a big deal, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t do it or had less of a chance to actually accomplish this. 

You’d prove her wrong. 

December 31st-One Year Later

Okay so maybe you’d overshot just a little bit. You thought that it was going to be possible. Especially with how this previous year had gone. You thought it was going to align the cosmos perfectly. 

Instead, the cosmos were now laughing in your face as your best friend hung onto her boyfriend, waiting for the countdown to start. Sitting lonesome in the corner of the party, this was the first year where you truly didn’t feel like celebrating the closure of the year and welcoming the upcoming 365 days with a warm embrace. 

Not without him here. 

January 

New year also meant new semester. Within the first few days of the new year, you would always get your supply list for your courses and go shopping for whatever you would need. It’s why you were standing in the aisle of a bookstore, trying to find a copy of some eastern European novel from the 1980’s. 

Sensing the presence of another individual next to you, you made a mental note to not stray into their personal space as you searched for this book. Eyes quickly darting over the figure, his hair was shaved on the sides, an almost mixture of a mohawk and mullet decorating the top and back. His features were sharp, facial hair highlighting them. Clothes basic for the large personality you could tell he was. 

The book in his hand caught your attention, perking up at the sight of it. “Oh my gosh, I loved that book. ‘You Are The Universe’ is life altering, seriously. Dr. Chopra is a genius. Have you read any of his other works?” His deep brown eyes settled on you, seeing the overjoyed smile on your face and feeling his own match yours.

“Uh-yes. I have one of his books on meditation, actually.” Your eyes lit up even further. Hand darting out and grabbing his arm much to his surprise, you fell into a quick chatter about it. “I loved his book on meditation! He has a new one coming out this year, oh gosh what was it called? Something about definitive meditation to live an ultimate stress free life. I can’t wait!” He laughed at your excitement, shifting the book to his other hand to offer his. 

“I’m Josh.” Your smile held true as you offered your hand and name. His cheeks pinkened as he held eye contact with you, trying to clear his throat as he nodded towards the cafe. “Are you busy at all? I would love to hear about other books you’ve read or studied. Only if you’re not busy, you know!”

Biting back a laugh, you nodded at him. “I am not busy and I would love to chat with you, Josh.” He could’ve melted into the floor right then as your name fell from his lips for the first time. Letting you walk by him first, you led the way towards a free table you had spotted. 

You and Josh sat there and talked for hours. Multiple cups of coffee, laughing so hard you could hardly breath, you were enamored with the man sitting across from you. He was animated in his movements and words in a way you had never seen someone else do before. An accent or twang on words you had never heard before. Incredibly handsome features that only became more attractive the more he spoke, face mirroring everything he was thinking.

When the store associate came over to the table you both were seated at, interrupting your conversation, your face burned in mortification as they informed you both that the store was in fact closed and you needed to leave. Both scrambling to gather your belongings, you stood by the front doors and handed a piece of paper to the boy. 

His eyes widened in surprise at your number scribbled on the scrap and gave a large, toothy grin. “I had a blast talking with you, Josh. That is my number. Sorry I took up most of your day.” You turned on your heel, waving over your shoulder at him as he stood rooted to his spot in shock. “I’ll call you, okay?” 

Giggling, you offered a thumbs up, continuing on our walk to your apartment just a few blocks away. The second you got home that evening, you grabbed your phone, hearing the dial tone echo into the quiet room, waiting for her to pick up.

Her greeting rang out and you spoke quickly. “I think I met someone special today.” 

When Josh got home that evening, his twin stood in his kitchen, not an unusual sight to see. He was there more often than at his own residence. Josh was overjoyed to see him tonight anyways. Throwing his stuff onto the sofa, he released a long breath, beaming at his brother. 

“I think my life changed today.” 

February

Nearly every weekend was spent together. Brunch, park afternoons, finding crystal shops, it was a blast. You had learned a good chunk about the man and felt yourself falling for him uncharacteristically fast. Whether it was his charm, wit, or humor you didn’t know. Perhaps a combination of it all. 

The only obstacle you had faced so far was him being a tad protective over personal information about himself. Honestly, you didn’t try to pry too much, but it was the simple things like what he did for a living that was guarded by him. 

You understood, not everyone is entirely forthcoming with information and that’s okay. You knew that if you were to ask him, he would tell you. What you did know, you adored. How close he was with his family, especially his brothers. Seriously, they were involved in almost every story he told. Passion coursing through him about music in a way you had never experienced with anyone else. Spirituality being such a large portion of his life. 

Josh was a complex and extremely interesting man. It was what continuously drew you into him. Whenever he texted you, you never hesitated to respond and vice versa. If he invited you out, it was almost always a yes unless it conflicted with previous plans although you hadn’t shied away from canceling other plans to see him. 

He was doing the exact same for you. 

If your name popped up on his screen, it was in his hand in a split second. He always wanted to find activities to do with you, knowing it wouldn’t be hard to entertain you given how similar you truly were. Jake was utterly annoyed at how often he was speaking about you despite his warnings of being careful. Josh didn’t have the slightest worry in his mind. 

Not with you. 

After a morning spent at the farmer’s market together, you were overjoyed with the items you had found today. Josh’s own tote bag holding goodies he just couldn’t turn away from. “Hey, I want to drop these off at my place, is that okay? It’s super close, just a couple blocks away.” 

Your eyes were glued to your screen, but when you looked up at the boy, his smile blinded you. Chatting the entire way to your home, when you opened the door to your apartment, Josh surveyed the area. 

“Come in and make yourself at home.” You spoke as you walked the ten feet to your kitchen, setting the bag on the counter. The entire apartment was visible from where you stood. No designated bedroom, just a bed with a sofa at the end facing the television. A small bathroom off the singular room. Decent sized kitchen given the small space, but you didn’t mind.

You loved this place more than anything. It was your home and the first place you could afford to get into by yourself. Who cared if it was small? You certainly didn’t. And neither did Josh.

He toured himself around the space, taking in any information about you that he could. A small gallery wall was next to the front door, images showing a slew of people he didn’t know, but wanted to based on the show stopping smile that adorned your face in each snap. Little knick-knacks were littered on the minimal surface space. Your colorful comforter reminded him of something from the mid-2000’s. The flower shaped rug in the living room and bathroom backed that up. 

It screamed you.

Plopping yourself down on the sofa, you watched as Josh continued moving around the space. Being respectful not to touch anything, his arms securely behind his back and joined at the wrists. A permanent smile on his lips, occasionally growing larger at small things he would notice. When his eyes fell to you once again after doing a full loop, he sat next to you. 

“I love your apartment. It’s very,” his smile grew softer as did his gaze, “you.” His finger booped your nose as he finished. Your chin tipped up, a large and proud grin placing itself on your features. “Thank you. I love it, too. First place I ever called my own.” 

He hummed in thought, eyes never leaving you. It happened within a split second. One moment you had made eye contact with him, the next you were straddling his waist, ingrained in an explosively passionate kiss. 

Tongue sweeping over every crevice of your mouth he could reach, desperate to get his fill of you in anyway he possibly could. A light whimper fell from your lips as his hips jutted upwards, quickly hardening cock pressing into the tiny amount of fabric that separates you two.

Dress bunched around your hips, the lacey thong you had opted for today proved to be a good decision. Practically dripping through the white material, he could feel the dampness pooling in between your legs.

When you pulled away from his mouth, a gasp escaping your throat at the sensation of the thrusting of your hips, he took the opportunity to leave his mark on your neck.

Fingers tangling in his locks, you tugged as he cupped your breasts over the fabric of your dress. “God, I’ve wanted to rip this off you all day. Walking around, begging to be fucked in this, huh?” 

Nodding feverently, you choked out a response, his thumb brushing over your budding nipple that poked through the fabric. “Yes, please, yes.” You didn’t care how desperate you sounded. 

Not when Josh was as rock hard as he was beneath you, feeling every inch pressing into your clothed core. Pulling the already plunging neckline down further, your breasts fell out of the top. 

A groan emitted from him at the astonishing sight. “No bra either? Fucking filthy,” he muttered as he took one in his mouth, entire nipple disappearing in between his teeth. Grinding down harder on him, he decided he didn’t want to tease. 

Not the first time, anyways. 

Switching to your neglected tit, he used his free hand to release himself from the confines of his pants. His weeping head immediately sank into your heat. 

Mouth falling open, no sound escaping, you savored the feeling of the stretch. Pussy walls fluttering around him as you sank further and further onto him, he was staggering through his breaths. 

Head falling back, his exposed neck was strained, veins popping with exertion. Leaning forward, the tip of your tongue traced up from his collarbone to his jawline, following one singular vein. Placing a chaste kiss at the end, he nearly whimpered.

Starting your movements quickly, his hands held onto your bare hips, fingers indented so deep, it was bruising. Knowing that this was going to finish fast, your pace matched the desperation you both felt.

His encouraging words filled your ears, the lude sounds somehow amplified as you chased your highs. It slammed into you, your body convulsing as you halted, not able to take the sensitivity as the overwhelming finish rocked you.

Josh was only moments after you, pulling out of your cunt despite that being the absolute last thing he wanted to do, but given he wasn’t wrapped and was unaware of your birth control situation, decided to play it as safe as he could.

As you both caught your breath, your hands rested on his heaving shoulders. The post orgasmic glow that decorated his skin made him look like a mythological god as he basked in the warmth. 

“Thanks for coming over.” You huffed out with a laugh as his barking one echoed through the small space. 

March

Hangs at your place became a regular after that day. Josh would wander over for dinner constantly, spending the night more often than not. You looked forward to those days, where he would show up at your door with either takeout from a new place he had heard about or ingredients for you two to cook together. 

It was after another shared night, sweat riddled bodies stuck together, cum painting your stomach after another intense release. He pulled you up, having you join him in your unbelievably tiny shower where he washed away the dirty details of the evening from your skin. 

Far too pretty to hold the remanentes of the night on you for longer than necessary. His aftercare was unmatched, always going the extra mile to let you know that the crude phrases and acts he performed on you were never what he truly thought. You informed him that you knew he never meant it, but he swore he needed to prove it to you. 

Who were you to fight that? 

His hand traced lazy circles on your bare shoulder, on the verge of drifting off to sleep when his voice broke the silence. “Star?” Tilting your head back to get a better view of him, you placed a chaste kiss to the underside of his jaw to let him know you were listening. “Do you want to come over to my place tomorrow?”

Smile growing with a true tiredness seeping into it, you nodded. Snuggling closer to his bare chest, a content sigh escaped him. Excited for what tomorrow would offer. Ready to answer the questions he knew you would have.

This had to be the wrong address.

Double and then triple checking the address he had sent you, you stared at the massive country house in disbelief. It resembled more of an estate than a house. The message stared back at you, Doors unlocked come on in :) 

This couldn’t be the house. Wasn’t he the same age as you? You could’ve sworn he said he was. Then what the hell did he do for work? Tech? Trust fund baby? All of these thoughts ran rampant in your head as your legs carried you to the door, pushing open the large wooden piece, and stepping into the foyer. 

“Jo-Josh?” Your voice wavered and cracked as you called out. The front entryway alone looked like it belonged in Architectural Digest. You weren’t entirely sure it hadn’t been featured already. His voice carried through the space, calling out to you from a direction you weren’t sure of. The place was so large you thought your ears were playing tricks on you. 

Trusting your gut, keeping your hands at your sides, you followed the sounds of music and the smell of cooking to get you to where he was. The enormous kitchen had him looking like a gourmet chef as he prepared dinner for you both. He turned when he heard you arrive, a beaming smile greeting you as he circled the counter. 

Lips landing on yours, both hands cupping your cheeks, you barely registered what was happening. “Hello, my stardust. Did you have trouble finding the place? It took you a bit.” He walked back to the stove and you shook your head, terrified to touch anything.

“No, no, I just wasn’t sure I had the correct address. This place is,” you trailed off, eyes scouring the high ceiling, falling to the dining room, “big.” You finally finished, settling your attention back on him. “I thought you were twenty-six?” You spoke before you could catch yourself.

A cackle fell from him as he plated your food. “I am.” Eyes quickly darting up to see your confused face. “Then, what? How?” Josh nodded at your question, grabbing the plates and bypassing the dining room. “Grab those glasses and that bottle. Follow me and I will tell you.” 

Doing as he said, you trailed behind him to the outdoor patio, seeing candles all over the space, table decorated for the occasion. Land stretching for miles past the house. Sitting with a large sigh, he leaned back in his chair after taking a bite of his food, seeing you still sitting stick straight, cautiously grabbing your fork. 

“It’s a fork, babe, not a diamond.” You felt silly for acting this way, but truly you weren’t sure what you were supposed to be doing right now. He laughed at your stressed expression. “Star, you gotta relax! It’s still me. I’m still, Josh.” Your eyes narrowed in his direction, taking a bite of the food. 

Shrugging, you stifled a moan at the taste exploding on your tongue. “I have a feeling I’m about to meet a very different Josh.” His head cocked to the side, watching you, trying to gauge how you were feeling. “Possibly.” 

Taking another large bite, you eyed him expectantly. “Well, I’m waiting.” He chuckled before continuing with the explanation you were sitting on pins and needles for. “Remember how I told you I spend a lot of time with my brothers?” You nodded, eyebrows knitting together. 

“You guys work together? Like a family business?” You said as you bit into bread. “Kind of.” He replied with a breathless laugh. “We have a band. It’s called Greta Van Fleet.” Trying to understand how that occupation would’ve gotten him this house was still attempting to connect. “You guys are,” placing the words in the correct order was extremely crucial at this point, “successful, then?” 

Chuckling at your question, he nodded, chin resting on his hands. “Yeah, I guess so. Millions of monthly listeners on Spotify, multiple tours, we actually just finished our first world tour, a few albums, another coming out soon, another impending world tour,” you laughed, holding your hands up in defeat. 

“Okay, okay, I get it. So what do you do?” His eyes narrowed, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “What do you think I do?” Tongue poking your cheek, you set your utensils down and eyed him in thought. “Honestly?” He nodded, taking a bite of his dinner. 

“Well, you have a soundboard guy vibe right off the bat, but I’m guessing that’s not it, right?” He erupted in laughter at your observation, throwing his napkin at you. “You son of a bitch! No, that is not what I do!” Giggles wracked your body as you made your actual guess.

Sighing, you took him in. Knowing his personality better than ever, what kind of aura that surrounded him, the energy he put out into the universe. “Front man. Singer. Showman. Am I right?” His cheeks tinted, pointing at your plate. “Finish your dinner before it gets cold.” 

Deciding to tease him, you sipped from your wine glass. “If I do, do I get a show?” Eyes dancing with mischief and badgerment, his jaw set in playful annoyance. “Don’t make me punish you.” 

Eyes squinting in his direction, you decided instantaneously how you wanted the evening to go. “Maybe I want you to punish me.” Watching as his jaw set, flexing that muscle in his cheek, your skin set aflame. 

Josh had the table swiped clean, plates and glasses crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. “Josh!” You exclaimed, but he had you up right after, face down on the wooden table, dress up, hand connecting harshly with your ass. 

His free hand held your face to the table, fist wrapped in your hair to hold you in place. “You want to be punished like the slut you are? I’ll punish you, mama.” Another smack left your unsuspecting ass aching. 

Thighs clenching together with burning need, his foot came between your own, pushing your legs wide. “No, you want to play this game, I’ll play. But you don’t win. Only I do.” A whimper left your parted lips. 

Underwear yanked down your legs, you hissed as his fingers ran up your slick folds. “God, look at you. What a fucking mess. All for me, right?” Nodding, you struggled briefly against his hold, but to no avail as he didn’t let you move an inch. 

Bringing his fingers to your face, you could smell your own arousal coating them. “Clean ‘em,” his fingers shoved into your waiting mouth where you hungrily accepted them, sucking them clean. 

“Disgusting,” he chuckled, but you knew he loved it. Josh got off on being the dominant one. Never the one to be incredibly domineering in other aspects of life, he craved it in the bedroom. Having utter control over you in this way was erotic in a way he didn’t know he loved so much. Not until you. 

He entered you in one thrust, tip of his cock brushing your cervix instantly. Your body jerked with the motion, causing the table to slightly shuffle on the floor. Standing on your tiptoes, ass facing up the way it was, Josh had never seen a more beautiful sight then this. 

Tonight wasn’t about you in the least. Not with how relentlessly he was fucking into you. When you felt a dribble of spit land in between your ass cheeks, an unexpected gasp flew from you. 

“I bet you’d let me do anything to you, wouldn’t you? You’d let me fuck your ass if I really wanted to, huh?” You nodded, a chorus of ‘yes’ escaping your parted lips.

His thumb landed on the hole, lightly pushing in. When you clenched around him, he faltered momentarily, almost stopping entirely. “You fucking like that? When I finger you?” Nodding, tears escaped your eyes.

Josh didn’t last much longer. The intense heat of your greedy cunt sucked him entirely dry, emptying out into you in a way he didn’t know was possible. It took him a few minutes to come down from that high, never pulling out from you.

You startled, feeling lips land on the center of your spine. “You’re an Angel, you know that?” Your fucked out face gave way to how gone you truly were. Not entirely sure when you had finished, you could feel it in your muscles.

Standing you both up, he turned you around, pulling your head towards him. Connecting in the sweetest greeting he could offer you, his forehead rested on yours. “Go get the shower going, I’ll bring up water and a snack, okay?” 

Eyes fluttering shut, you headed back in the house, Josh watching you in total awe. 

He was falling. Fast. 

But all you could think of was the fact that he was going to be leaving on a world tour soon and you couldn’t do long distance. You just couldn’t.

April

You had never experienced anything like this in your life. Not even remotely close. Flying first class, having a private car greet you at the curb of the airport, delivering you to a five-star resort where a suite was booked for you, VIP pass waiting on the desk with your name on it. You were in awe. 

The hotel room door opened and when you spun around and saw his figure there, you shook your head at him. “Josh, this is insane. I thought I was just coming to watch your show! What is all of this?” Your hands waved around at the enormous living room, but he knew you were talking about the entire experience as well. 

Hands landed on your hips, dragging you towards him with a deep kiss planted on you, he sighed into it, almost in relief. “I want your first time seeing us to be memorable. Unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before!” Your frown deepened at his words. “Just coming and seeing you would have sufficed and been more than memorable. This is a lot, Josh.” He could sense your unease with every word you spoke.

Fingertips landing under your jaw, he tilted your head back to look at him. “I wanted to do this for you, stardust. This is to make your trip even better. Just enjoy it with me, yeah?” His persuading tone, the lovey look in his eyes, you couldn’t fight it. 

“Yeah, yeah okay.” Literally jumping for joy in front of you, you erupted in a fit of laughter at his sheer excitement. Seeing the small carry-on suitcase that sat on the sofa, he released a large breath you didn’t know he had been holding. 

He would never admit it, but your pending arrival had been playing on his nerves. Pressure surmounting in a way he had never felt before. Wanting to impress you in any way he could, he finally understood why his feelings were as intense as they were. You didn’t care about all of this. 

No, you just wanted to see him perform. He knew that he didn’t have to do all of this for you and your reaction to it proved that. Making his heart soar, nerves releasing immediately, unsure why he was so on edge to begin with. 

Jake had told him that Josh had been driving everyone insane. Ensuring that everything was going to be utterly perfect for their show tomorrow night, spending more time than usual to secure that guarantee. 

Slightly dressier than normal, Josh told you that the day before the actual concert, his brothers wanted to go out for dinner to formally meet you. You were entirely freaking out. Not sure how to act around actual celebrities, rockstars, and the like which they all technically were. Telling yourself over and over that if they were related to Josh, they had to be good guys.

The restaurant was packed, but a small corner section of the restaurant was set for a table that had a Reserved sign atop it was exactly where Josh was heading. Being the first ones there meant you got another moment to take a breather, tamping down the nerves that wracked your frame. 

Arriving one by one, the tallest of the bunch greeted you both warmly. Immediately pulling you into an embrace, his bright smile was incredibly welcoming. “Ah, we finally get to meet! I’m Danny, only one not technically blood related, but a brother nonetheless. How was your flight out? Have they taken drink orders yet?” He was continuously speaking as he sat down across from you both, grabbing the menu and perusing the options. 

Falling into easy conversation, the next sibling arrived, Sam you could tell by the interesting fashion choice for the day. He offered a brief greeting to the group before diving into the plan for the show the next day. They fell into a chatter about it as you sat quietly, taking it all in and trying to understand some of the terminology they were throwing around. 

Instantly recognizing the final brother, Jake, you couldn’t fight the grin that took over your face at how similar yet strikingly different the twins were. Jake ignored his spitting image, focusing his attention on you solely, putting the rest of the posse into silence as he spoke. 

“Thank god we can finally meet in person. Maybe this will get him to shut the fuck up sometime.” Stunned at his first words to you, Josh reached over you to get to his brother, lightly smacking him in the face. “Sit the fuck down you imbecile.” Jake went to catch his hand, but Danny put his own up between them. “Jesus, we just got here. Everyone sit down. We have a guest!” 

You could feel your face burn, not knowing what to do. Josh’s reassuring hand landed on top of your knee, offering a light squeeze. The remainder of the night went off without a hitch, quickly discovering that the behavior you witnessed was normal for this group of siblings. A night spent full of laughter and enjoyment at the never ending stories they had of their eldest brother was endearing to bear witness to. 

Tips of his ears burning crimson, cheeks holding a permanent pink hue, embarrassment pummeling him as he could not get them to stop. Once the meal had come to a close, you all left the restaurant, earning a hug from each boy, all offering their kind words of how great it was to meet you and how excited they were for you to see them perform the next night. 

Josh and you walked hand in hand back towards the hotel, the crisp evening air still signaling it was spring, summer still a bit off on the horizon. It was a walk that was quiet, but not in an uncomfortable way. Not in the least. Just enjoying the company of who you were with, not pressured to fill the silence. 

“Everyone loved you, by the way.” Rolling your eyes at the statement, you gave him a knowing look. “That’s what you have to say.” He laughed at your statement, but tugged your hand back, forcing you to stand with him. “I’m serious! You fit in so well. You should’ve seen the first time we met one of Sam’s partners. It was horribly uncomfortable. Honestly, they love you.” 

Feeling a burst of pride, you stuffed it down, continuing to walk as he trailed behind you. “Yeah, they’re not too bad.” His booming laugh echoed off the surrounding buildings. 

You had never seen anything like it. The performance they put on was mind numbingly spectacular. Standing in awe the entire time, you wanted nothing more than to experience this over and over again. The fans were so enthralled with the boys it was unlike anything you had ever experienced. Seeing Josh in an element you didn’t know he could get to. 

When you caught his wandering gaze going towards your section multiple times throughout the performance, you eventually heard others around you shouting about who he could be looking for, that someone had caught his eye obviously. You played it cool, but the butterflies that erupted within you, you couldn’t fight off. 

As the show came to a close, following an encore you didn’t know they opted to do with most of their shows, you were dying to get backstage and see him. When you finally had found your way to where you were supposed to be, sitting in a dressing room waiting for him, you were on the edge of your seat in anticipation.

The door opened and Josh entered the room in only a towel. A bead of water dripped from his pec to his navel, slowly traveling further beneath the plushy material. 

Swallowing thickly, the tension in the room was unlike anything between you two. Buzzing around you both, it was incredibly intense. Slowly standing, you moved towards him, sinking to your knees directly in front of him. 

His eyes never left yours, on stage presence still clinging to him. The high of the nights performance sizzled on his skin. He put up no fight as you pulled the towel from him. Hard length already greeting you. 

Maintaining eye contact, you kissed the leaking tip lightly. He sucked in a shallow breath. Not a single word uttered between you, just accepting him into your waiting mouth. 

Eyes fluttering to the back of his skull the further down you sank, when his tip hit the back of your throat, he moaned. The sound vibrated all the way down to his dick, the sensation making you moan. 

Hollowing out your cheeks, you bobbed up and down his length, slowly and with intention. Both hands at work, one on the areas of him you couldn’t reach, the other cradling his balls. 

When you felt them tightening in your palm, you sucked harder on his tip only, knowing it always drove him over the edge. His cum cascaded down your throat in thick streams of creamy ropes. You didn’t let a drop go to waste, holding him still in your mouth until he decided he was done. 

As he came down, bracing himself on the chair to his right, he snapped back into the reality of himself. Your Josh was back. Pulling you up and into his embrace, he instantly began bombarding you with questions about the show. 

It was hysterical that the man had just finished in your mouth less than forty-five seconds ago and was now enthralled with how the show had gone. 

Only catch was you had to answer as he devoured your pussy like a starved man. You could do that. 

You knew that there was still one more day of your trip before you were bound to return home, Josh following only a couple days later, but he had planned a romantic day out for you two. What had been a splendid day spent in one another's company, had ended in sour ruin. 

After a wonderful dinner, you two sat in the luxurious hotel room, basking in the attention of the other. “I need to make sure I’m all packed. My flight leaves early,” you sighed out, seeing the permanent smile glued to his face. 

The expression on his face had you giggling, pushing hair from his forehead. “What?” He shrugged, doe eyes never leaving you. “Nothing.” You sat up, a smirk gracing your lips, persistent to figure out why he was looking at you that way. “Come on, what?” 

“I’m in love with you.”

Breath catching in your throat at his admission, you felt tears welling in your eyes. Jumping up from the sofa, you went to the adjoining room, attempting to occupy yourself so as to not have to deal with this. “Star!” Josh called out after you, hot on your heels as you tried to run. 

When you went to the massive closet, grabbing your clothes from the hangers and throwing them in the suitcase, you could feel the tremble in your hands. “What’s wrong? What did I do?” Your eyes squeezed shut, hands braced on the edge of the suitcase, trying to steady your breathing. 

“It’s this fucking room. This room is too big! Look at the size of that closet. It’s literally the size of my apartment. This is-is too much. It’s not meant for me,” Josh’s confused look washed over his face, monitoring your hurried movements as you tried to shakily fold a top. “You’re upset about the room?” 

Keeping your back turned to him, you went to the bathroom and grabbed your toiletries from the counter. “Of course I am, Josh. Look at this place. I don’t belong in this!” Your hands waved haphazardly around the space, hearing your panicked tone echo off the tiled walls. 

“Or you’re trying to find any excuse and reason to not say it back to me.” Your chest heaved at his words. Eyes connecting, your hands still trembled, head shaking ‘no’ as your eyes fell downcast to your feet. The plush carpet that looked like no one had ever walked on it before, soft underneath your bare toes. 

His hands grabbed your wrists, the cool touch of his fingers somehow scorched the skin it touched. “We can’t do this, Josh. Nothing has changed,” you sniffled, shuffling your feet nervously. His head shook, getting you to look at him.

“I know, sweet girl. But I do love you.” Your bottom lip trembled, feeling tears start to fall down your cheeks. His thumbs brushed them away, offering a sad smile at your teary demeanor. He sighed, pulling you into a tight embrace. 

Returning it immediately, your arms wrapped securely around his torso, crying into his chest. His cheek pressed into the crown of your head, hands rubbing your back soothingly. “I know, stardust. I know.” 

Pushing his confession of feelings to the side, you both had decided that despite the intense feelings you had, that remaining friends was going to be the best course of action. For now, at least.

With another impending world tour, you weren’t up for trying the long distance relationship, especially with it being so early in the said partnership. In the meantime, friends were what you had settled on, and that’s what you were going to roll with. No matter how much it killed you. 

Josh’s birthday had sprung up just a week and half after your trip. No matter how much you had begged him to let him help you plan the party, he refused. Stating it was a massive surprise for everyone.

He was ecstatic that you were going to be attending and meeting the remainder of the Kiszka gang. You on the other hand were terrified beyond belief of meeting his parents. Of course, since there was nothing romantic happening between you both, there shouldn’t have been as much worry.

You were dead wrong. 

The minute you had stepped into the backyard where an enormous tent covered a good portion of his sprawling land, you had been snatched by the brothers and were paraded around to meet any and everyone you possibly could.

You spent so much time mingling with the party goers, you had only briefly seen Josh and that was when he had peeled you away for two brief seconds to adorn your facepaint for the shindig. Even still, he was only able to mutter a quick hello before you were dragged off by someone else. 

Exhausted didn’t quite cover it. The party had long since dwindled down, most of the guests having left, but you remained sprawled out on a rug, head propped up by scattered pillows, eyes soundly shut as you listened to the springtime creatures coming out for the night. 

A loud sigh startled you from the relaxing state you had just been in, but instantly melted when you realized it was Josh. “There’s the birthday boy. Didn’t think I was gonna get to see you at all today,” your fingers brushed a stray curl from his forehead as he smiled at you.

“Mm.” He responded, eyes shutting as he savored your touch. “Thanks for coming, pretty girl.” You giggled, snuggling closer into his arms. Placing a chaste kiss on his neck, his arms tightened around you. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked for your birthday gift yet.” 

His head craned back to get a better look at you, excitement taking over his features. “We already did presents. You know I don’t expect anything from you,” he smiled at you, sweetly in the way only Josh could. The way that set your stomach alight with butterflies. 

“Close your eyes.” He sighed, but did as he was told. Eyes slipped shut, his fingers laced together on his stomach, a small smile gracing his full lips.

It was silent for a moment, but when you spoke, Josh nearly choked on air. “Happy Birthday, Joshy.” You were laid there, entirely nude, against some of the pillows that had been set up for the party.

Legs spreading to offer an invite, you beckoned him over with a wag of a finger. “Come enjoy your present, birthday boy.” 

May

You did great things for friends all the time. Including spending an entire day with the age group you most despised for charity. Children and you simply did not mix. They were loud, almost always sticky, and to be totally brutally honest, were fairly incompetent.

However, given your best friend is a second grade public school teacher, you would do anything in the world for her. Which is why on the most gorgeous Saturday afternoon you were at the public library, out in the grass field directly in front of the building, reading a picture book to a large group of kindergartners. 

“Boy, was she surprised! She didn’t even get mad at me for interrupting.” As you continued to read the book, your eye caught someone towards the back of the group, smiling at him as he watched you finish the book. 

The group of kids erupted in clapping as did their parents as you closed the book. Thanking everyone for their attention, you stood and made your way over to Josh. “That was fantastic. I always thought Little Critter books were the high point of literature.” Nodding in agreement, you two strolled over to one of the set up tabletops, placing the book back in one of the bins.

“Oh, I agree. Grew up on them and they taught me everything I know.” Josh nudged you with a laugh, head tipping back in the direction you two had just been. “You were good with them.” You groaned, stopping and observing the large crowds in the area, stuffing your hands in your pockets. “I hate kids.” 

Josh choked on his spit before blowing up in laughter. Your giggles mixed with his belly shaking chortles. “Wha-what? I’m serious! I despise kids. I’m only doing this for that lady right there,” your finger pointed at your best friend, but Josh didn’t see her, hunched over trying to catch his breath. 

“God, you’re awful.” Josh spoke as he finally calmed down, wiping at his eyes. Your giggles still held as you smiled at him. “Thank you for coming. Really, you didn’t have to.” Shrugging, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. “I know the only reason you invited me is because I have a checkbook.” 

Feigning shock, you eyed the leather. “Wow. What an assumption to make. Not like I wanted to spend the day with my friend. It’s a beautiful day out and I thought we would enjoy each other’s company. It hurts me that you think so lowly of me.” He rolled his eyes, scoffing at your words. 

“Okay fine then. If you reached donation caps,” before he could finish the sentence, you grabbed his wallet, heading towards the donation table. “No, no, if you insist!” Josh laughed as he followed after you. 

When your best friend appeared at your side, out of breath and stressed, you turned your attention towards her. “God, kill me now. Seriously, please. Some of my students are here and they won’t leave me alone,” as she was speaking through gritted teeth, waving at the group she was talking about, you snorted.

“Hence why I dropped the teaching program,” she shot daggers at you, before realizing who was standing next to you. “Oh my gosh, Josh, right? It’s so nice to finally meet you. This one does not shut up about you. It was so sweet of you to come today. Gosh, you must be a really good lay,” she said as she smoothed down a section of your hair, offering what you knew was a sincere smile. 

Your eyes blew wide, about to speak again, but were cut off when she got called away by another volunteer. “And that was someone who speaks their mind without a filter!” You chuckled trying to play off the disastrous first meeting. 

Josh laughed in shock, but shook it off. “It was a compliment. Right?” You smiled at him, turning on your heel and changing the subject. “They need us over here!” You called over your shoulder at him, but he wasn’t letting it go.

“It was a compliment, right? Right?” 

June and July

It was coming to an end. The times of Josh being around whenever you wanted or needed him. He knew it was coming to a close soon, which is why he was trying to spend more time with you now than ever before. 

Laying in his backyard, a blanket underneath you, the sun's rays warming your skin, you felt at utter peace. Josh was seated next to you, scribbling things down in his notebook, humming to an imaginary tone. It was early in the day, having spent another night at his home, Josh told you he wanted to spend the morning outside before it became too hot. 

Popping another berry in your mouth, your eyes remained shut, savoring the comfort that was being offered to you right then. Something you weren’t sure when it would happen again. 

They were leaving in a week.

This was how most of the month of June had gone. Mornings and nights spent entangled in one another. Sex outside more often than you could count. Trying to be as close to each other as physically possible meant Josh was more often buried deep within you than not.

Not that you complained. It was euphoric whenever you were together, something you had never shared with another being. Especially one as magnificent as Josh. That’s why you knew parting was going to be even more difficult than it should’ve been. 

July was propelling through time at such a fast pace, you weren’t sure how time was moving so quickly. In the blink of an eye the fourth of July had come and gone, a wonderful barbecue invitation extended to you from the brothers. All of the days were melting into a blur.

Before you knew it, you were eyeing the packed luggage that was stacked by his front door, wondering where the hell the last six weeks had gone. “Okay, this key is my copy, but while you water the plants and check on the house, it’s yours.” He was running through a checklist, handing you his key, but stopped when he didn’t hear a reply.

Chin resting on the back of the couch, his sad eyes held your own. “I don’t understand how you’re leaving already.” You said with a humorless chuckle seeping into the words. His hand reached out and entangled his fingers with yours. “I know.” 

Trying to put on a happier demeanor for him, you blinked rapidly, fighting back the depressed state pushing forward. “But, you will send me pictures and videos from everywhere you go, right?” 

Thumb brushing over the back of your hand, he nodded, a smile finally holding his lips. “Of course.” Your free hand came up, making his eyes lock with yours instead of the conjoined fingers. “I expect a souvenir from every stop.” Rolling his eyes, he laughed, but it died in his throat with a heavy swallow.

“Two from every stop.” Sighing, your hand swept the smooth skin, admiring his features in the lowlight of his living room. “I love you,” he whispered out. What could only be described as a heartbroken smile formed on your trembling lips. 

A sniffle emitting from you as you nodded. “I know,” his watery gaze met yours, expecting a response. One you didn’t want to give despite feeling it yourself. Knowing that if it fell from you, you wouldn’t be able to get through this period of time with him gone. 

“You leave early.” You spoke out, but Josh abruptly stood, hands landing on his hips in anger. “Why won’t you say it back to me?” His pained expression was a solid view of his emotions. Letting your head fall forward, your eyes shut. “Don’t do this, Josh.”

Scoffing at your reply, he began pacing, thinking out loud. “Is it just me that feels this? Am I a loon for saying it to you? Every time I say it to you, I only get that reply back! Do you not love me?” His tone grew more harsh, volume increasing. 

“That’s not it,” he looked bewildered at your frame sitting on his couch. “Then what is it? Because I don’t understand!” You stood from the couch, stepping back and letting your emotions take hold of your logical reasoning. 

“Just because you say you love me doesn’t change anything, Josh! Neither does me saying it back. Because at the end of the day, you are still going to leave and I’m still going to be here!” Your chin wobbled at your words, trying to catch your breath as Josh crossed the room to reach you. 

Pulling you into his embrace, your muffled words fell onto his ears as you sobbed. “I can’t say it and then you leave. I can’t do it,” his hands rubbed your back, feeling regret seep into his bones. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. You don’t have to say it back to me. I’m sorry.” 

Josh left early the next morning. 

July-September

Summer is horrible. It’s too hot out to do anything past nine in the morning, bugs crawl out from the deepest pits of hell, and when you’re getting over a heartbreak, you want nothing to do with the outside world.

There was absolutely nothing monumental that happened over the remainder of summer. You concluded your required summer courses early and decided to take a part-time job at a bookstore to fill your time with something meaningful.

While you spent most of your days sulking around, Josh was having the time of his life on another world tour with his brothers. Or so he portrayed. 

He too was miserable without your constant company. It’s why he was texting you nearly every single day with updates on what he was doing, asking what your plans for the day were, and ending as many days as he could with a phone call to you to hear about how your day had been. 

Hearing your depleted tone on the phone was destroying him. Despite agreeing to remain friends, he had never struggled with something as much as he did with this. Trying to ask in nonchalant ways if you were seeing anyone whilst he was away. He made it clear to you more than once that he had no interest in seeing other people, but deep down, you weren’t sure if you bought it.

He was a grown man who had the world at his fingertips. Why would he not take advantage of that? Because it was Josh. When he knew that you were at home, he had no interest in anyone else. That was what you had become for him in such a short span of time.

Home.

October

Halloween was a great holiday. As a child, there was nothing easier than dressing as your favorite character from the previous year, walking your neighborhood, and getting free candy. Seriously, what could beat that? 

You didn’t care how nerdy you seemed, Star Wars was your favorite alternate universe to indulge in. Your best friend was notorious for throwing the best Halloween parties where everyone would dress up and enjoy the night. This year, your Ahsoka costume was literal movie quality. 

Being immensely proud of the work you had put in for this costume, you FaceTimed Josh, excited for him to see you in the full getup. Answering, but the screen being dark, you were ecstatic. “Joshy! Look, look!” Setting the phone on your dresser and stepping back, the closeup of his face was shocked.

“Holy shit! Well, your costume is much better than mine.” You giggled, asking to see his, but he shook his head. “No, the camera won’t do it justice. Just like I’m pretty certain yours looks even better in person.” 

When you went to respond, a knock sounded from your front door. “Hold on a second, Josh.” Walking over to the door and pulling it open, you stood rooted to your spot, jaw agape at who was standing there. 

“See, I told you, looks so much better in person.” A high pitch squeal left your throat, throwing yourself into his embrace. Savoring the feeling of his embrace, even if it was slightly altered due to his Jedi robes. Still in awe, you pulled back, taking the boy in before diving into questions.

“When the hell did you get here? When do you have to go back? Why are you here? Did you do this for me?” He laughed at the slew of queries, but answered them all. “About forty minutes ago. I had to change in the airplane bathroom, which was not easy by the way. I have a flight out of here tomorrow morning at six to be back for our show tomorrow night. Of course I’m here for you. You think I was going to miss this party and the chance to see your Ahsoka costume in person? You’re crazy.” 

Feeling tears well in your eyes, you smiled brightly at him. “This is the best surprise ever. Seriously, Josh, I can’t thank you enough. You didn’t have to do this.” He shrugged, playing it off like this monstrous favor for you was just another day in the books for him. 

“Come on, Ahsoka. We have a party to get to.” 

November

Why are the holiday’s always so incredibly stressful and busy? They’re supposed to be a time of relaxation and enjoyment spent with family. Yet here you were slaving away for a meal that was going to take less than twenty minutes for twenty people to consume. 

You wouldn’t have it any other way though. 

Flying home to spend Thanksgiving with your family had been a whirlwind of a time. Between classes, being bombarded with calls from your mother about an updated guest list for the holiday, and the job you refused to quit, you were stretched thin. 

So thin, that communication with Josh had been incredibly difficult. His schedule was so hectic and yours was almost never the same day by day, if you could ever catch each other to actually talk, it was rare.

Most of the updates you received were from various forms of social media and even then, they were few and far between. 

Standing in your parents kitchen, you poured the chocolate pie filling into the baked crust, trying to scrape the bowl for all its contents when your phone rang out from the counter behind you. Quickly, hitting accept, Josh’s cheery face filled your screen.

“Happy Thanksgiving, stardust!” You smiled, attention on smoothing out the chocolate for it to set properly in the fridge. “Happy Thanksgiving, globe trotter!” As you finished, a timer went off on the stove. “Mom, the turkey!” 

Josh’s amused chuckle rang out as your mom hustled into the kitchen. Her attention settled on the screen and her smile grew tenfold. “Hi Josh! Happy Thanksgiving, sweetie. Are you with your family? How’s your mom?” Your face burned as she chatted away with him like old pals. 

Grabbing the baster, you spread the juices over the bird as they spoke to one another, entirely ignoring you. Setting the pie in the fridge, you took the oven mitt, moving to place the turkey back in the oven. 

“Oh my goodness, you boys are so silly! Your poor mother has her hands full, I’ll tell you that.” You stared at your mom, holding the massive meat and tray in your arms. “Yes, mom and my hands are full as well. The oven door, please!” She jumped realizing the task she was supposed to be doing. 

When you turned back to the counter, your eye caught his, earning a wink from him as he spoke out again. “Well, I can clearly see you’re unbelievably busy, so I will let both of you young ladies go. Happy Thanksgiving!” Your moms cheeks burned at his endearing words, your eyes rolling at his cheesiness. 

“Bye Josh.” You waved as the call ended. “Gosh, he’s such a sweet boy.” 

Smiling to yourself, your mom turned her back, but you couldn’t help but notice your accelerated heartbeat as you thought of him. 

“Yeah, he’s alright.” 

December

Staring at the gift in pure wonderment, you had no idea how he had managed to do this. A first edition Little Critter book signed by Mercer Mayer with a personal inscription to you sat in your hands. 

The package had arrived on your doorstep this afternoon. Christmas Eve had rolled around in the blink of an eye. Josh’s Christmas gift to you had arrived today and he was adamant about you opening it the second you had it in your possession. 

Now, you had no idea what to do. “Do you like it? If not, I can get you something else. I just thought-” cutting him off mid panic thought, you stuttered through your own words. “This is the best gift I’ve ever received in my life, Josh. Ho-how did you do this?” His pink cheeks turned a deeper shade at your praise. 

“I know a guy who knows a guy. It wasn’t a big deal,” you shook your head, staring at the writing. “It’s a huge deal. I can’t thank you enough. Wow,” blinking away the tears, your bright smile glowed at him. “Okay, open yours!” 

Setting his phone up to give you a better view of his present unwrapping, you thought it was utterly adorable at how excited he was to be opening a present. When he pulled the items from the box, his eyes were blown wide, observing the materials with careful hands. 

Letting him take a moment to process, his head finally snapped up to see you waiting with baited breath for his response. “Do you like them?” You asked nervously. His head fell back down to the present, no words emitting from him. “I know you have a lot of art supplies, but I researched these and know they’re supposed to be fairly good. Getting them personalized might have been a bad call,” you trailed off, second guessing your decision.

His own design sat on the engraved leather front of the sketch pad. The pencils all had symbols created by him or that held inspiration for him. Paint brushes made of the best materials, wood carved handles with intricate designs. 

“I don’t, I just, these are,” he was stumbling over his words, blinking in rapid succession. Trying to piece together how long you had spent researching these items, specifically for him. Picking out each piece must have been meticulous work. Tracking down his previous designs that he had created over the years to create this for him. No one had ever put thought like this into a gift for him before.

He was fairly certain no one would ever again. It was ridiculously stupid how in love with you this man was. He just didn’t know what to do about it.

December 31

The countdown was being shouted by everyone in the room apart from you. Standing in the back of the room, you had never felt so alone. Deciding that resolutions needed to be kept smaller in order for you not to feel like a failure. 

In actuality, it had nothing to do with the resolution itself and everything to do with Josh. 

It made zero sense how fast you had fallen for him. How well you two clicked. A connection you didn’t know was possible had been kindled between you two. Seared into the depths of your soul, making an impression you would never be able to carve out. 

You knew how you felt about him and how he felt about you. That’s why standing by yourself on New Year’s Eve was such a punch to the gut. Knowing you had met the love of your life, but not being able to be with him was torture. 

Ten, nine, eight

A shaky exhale of breath escaped your inflated lungs. Burning with an acidity you despised. 

Seven, six, five

Not wanting to watch the countdown any longer, your eyes fell down to the floor.

Four, three

An arm wrapped around your waist, spinning you around into their embrace. 

Two, one, Happy New Year!

Lips you knew like the back of your hand collided into yours. Streamers, confetti, shouting took up the space around you, but it was like being in your own world. Like it was just the two of you. 

“Happy New Year, stardust.” Your glossy eyes held his gaze. “What’re you doing here?” Your voice was weak and strained, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. “Like I would miss your favorite holiday? Come on, you know me better than that!”

Crushing yourself to him, you uttered a small thank you, but he laughed. “I actually just didn’t want to have to kiss Danny again tonight.” A wet laugh bubbled up as you wiped at your eyes. “Ah come on, give him more credit then that.” 

Shrugging, you stared at the man across from you and realized in that instant that you had in fact met someone special almost an exact year ago. Completing a resolution only two days into the New Year had to be a record. “I love you.” Josh nodded, a big Cheshire grin pulling his face taught. 

“Oh, I know. You don’t act out a Star Wars fantasy with just anyone.” You were ready to face a lifetime of these types of statements. As long as they were coming from him, you didn’t care. 

[obsessedwithtoomanythings]

The Terrifying Ordeal of Falling in Love with Leon Kennedy

CHAPTER 2

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x Reader (female reader)

Series Warnings: Minor injuries, Leon teases reader a lot, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Drinking, Drinking followed by driving, DO NOT DO THAT THIS IS FICTION, Anxiety, Leon S. Kennedy has PTSD, Leon has an anxiety attack, Anxiety Attacks, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Nightmares, Leon S. Kennedy has Nightmares, Cuddling & Snuggling, Probably incorrect medical talk, Strangulation in one tiny little scene, Reader's brother was a cop who was KIA, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Grief/Mourning, Christmas Fluff, Mistletoe, Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Arguing, Love Confessions, Looking for Alaska is mentioned, Inconvenient Love Confessions, Penis In Vagina Sex, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Leon loves eating Pussy change my mind, Shower Makeout, romantic smut, Desperate Leon S. Kennedy, They are both desperate for each other tbh, They say I love you as they come, Scar Kissing, Enthusiastic Consent, Always pee after sex, UTI PREVENTION, POV First Person, No use of Y/N

Words: 1.4K

Masterlist

March 2004

We’re only getting older, baby

And I’ve been thinking about you lately

Does it ever drive you crazy?

Just how fast the night changes

-Night Changes, One Direction

The door opening pulls me out of the piles and piles of reports I have yet to file away, and I greet the distraction with a thankful sigh. Dr. Dalton stands in the doorway, his usual smile adorned on his features. In this lighting, it’s easy to make out the light dusting of freckles that dot across his face.

“Wanna take this one?” He asks, eyeing the stacks of paper littering my desk. I stand immediately, almost too fast, the hem of my purple scrubs catching and tugging me back closer to the desk with an unexpected huff. The doctor chuckles at my accidental antics, grabbing half the reports of my desk with a smile.

“Thanks, Dr. Dalton.”

“No problem, and hey, it’s Jasper,” he corrects, still smiling. “Oh! Before I forget, Lilian asked if you were interested in coming to dinner sometime?” Lilian is Jasper’s wife, and while I have yet to meet her, the way he talks about her? It serves as a gentle reminder of what love is supposed to look like.

“That would be fun! I’d love to meet her.” He lights up.

“Perfect, I’ll let her know. Now I wouldn’t keep him waiting, he seemed a bit irritable.” Oh. An irritated injured agent. Now I understand why Jasper offered it to me.

Striding out into the room, I adjust the diffuser silently as I breeze past, hopefully increasing the lavender scent before I look up and see him. Again. Standing in the middle of the infirmary.

“Agent Kennedy. Was hoping I wouldn’t see you back in here,” I say, disappointment etched on my features. It’s not as if I didn’t want to see him again, quite the opposite, actually. However, that desire also included that meeting not taking place in the infirmary when he’s injured.

“Was I really that bad of a patient, Nurse Nosy?” He asks, that signature smirk plastered on his lips as his arms fold across his chest, and I frown at the nickname.

“Nurse Nosy?”

“Yeah, seemed fitting after our last meeting.” His tone is infuriating.

“What do you need, Agent?” I cross my arms across my chest as well, a futile attempt at shielding myself.

“I’m having some lower back issues, so I figured I’d stop in and have someone take a look.” Agent Kennedy’s excuse seems kosher, and I gesture to the exam table with a wave of my hand, grabbing the gloves from the box.

“Remove your shirt and lay down on your stomach, Agent.” The words are devoid of any of my previous niceties, figuring he’d rather be in and out than make small talk.

“That tone’s a bit rude,” he mutters, but still doing as I asked. I turn back toward him and release a gasp. His entire back is covered in bruises in different states of healing, and I notice that the gash on his shoulder has become scar tissue already. I reach for the ice, but he notices this and quickly speaks. “They’re fine. I’ve been icing them.”

“Jesus, what the hell do they have you doing?” I ask as I move to press my hands against his lower back, right in the curve of his spine. Before I make contact, I notify him of where my hands are about to touch. He silently huffs, and I remove my hands like his back is a hot stove. “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was that tender.”

“It’s not. Your hands are cold.” The words are mumbled into the space between his arms, his forehead now pressed against the folded limbs to keep his nose off the exam table. I exhale a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.

“Oh, okay. I’m gonna run my hands down your spine, tell me if I land on the area that’s bothering you.” Even through the gloves, I can feel the heat that practically radiates from him and I find myself wondering if he has a fever.

“There,” he mumbles as I graze over one of the bumps of his spine.

“Does it hurt when you move or all the time?”

“Mostly when I move or stretch.” I remove the gloves and toss them into the garbage with a chuckle.

“Well, I figured out your problem, Agent.” Agent Kennedy sits up, turning to look at me with pained movements as I move away toward the cabinet.

“And that is?”

“You have a pretty nasty bruise right over that vertebrae. It pulls tight when you move, hence the pain.” The explanation is simple, and I reach over and drop two little pills into his hand, along with a water bottle.

“What is this?” If I didn’t know better, I’d say that was anxiety in his voice. But I do know better.

“It’s pretty intense. You need to be real careful with it.” I fain seriousness, almost losing it with a giggle that bubbles up in my throat. “It’s regular-grade tylenol,” I whisper, leaning in close as a smile spreads across my lips before I reach for a blank form on the counter. The blonde rolls his eyes at the theatrics, looking at them hesitantly before popping them in his mouth, followed by a small swig of water. As the bottle lowers, I rest my fingers on the edge, not raising it, but preventing it from dropping any lower. “Drink. You need more water in your system if you want those bruises to heal faster.” His mouth opens in protest, but with a single glare, he seems to think better of it, drinking a few more large gulps.

“Why are you here?” He questions. The pen in my hand stills as I look at him. Still shirtless.

“Because I work here?” As if that wasn’t obvious.

“No, why here? Why not somewhere else?” He wants to know more about me? Or maybe he’s just being nice? Do I even answer? A sigh falls from my lips as I rotate, resting my back against the countertop as my hands find my pockets.

“I used to work in pediatrics. You know, taking temperatures and handing out suckers after a shot, the whole spiel.” His eyes widen. Guess he didn’t read my file then.

“That’s one hell of a change. I bet you see a lot more injuries this way,” he mutters, almost chuckling.

“I’m used to it. My brother was a cop. I used to be the one to bandage him up whenever he came home beaten to shit.” The agent doesn’t hesitate, latching onto the subtle wording.

“Was?” Damn it.

“Yeah. Was. He was killed in a hit and run 4 years ago.” I don’t need to share this with him. Something about the blue eyes he’s sporting just draws me in, and I find myself struggling to look away, knowing I should. “You can put your shirt back on, by the way,” I inform, turning away from him and those whirlpools he calls eyes. I hear a slight rustle of fabric behind me.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” The words are sincere, and the tears spring into my own eyes without permission. Reigning them in before turning back to him, his muscular chest and abs now concealed under a loose black shirt.

“Thank you.”

“Used to be a cop myself, it’s not an easy gig. Your brother was brave.”

“Really? You? A cop?” The revelation takes me by surprise, although it probably shouldn’t have. My eyebrows rise in shock.

“Yeah, believe it or not. Ended up here through sheer dumb luck.” The way he says ‘dumb luck’, it sounds like there’s more he wishes he could say but can’t.

“Well, then it sounds like you’re pretty brave yourself, Agent Kennedy.” The clipboard handed to him. Him signing it with a scratching across the paper. His hands, bruised knuckles and all, returning it to me.

“I would be inclined to disagree with you, but I’m worried you’ll scold me again,” he admits with a teasing smile, stepping off the table again and heading toward the door. “And hey.” My eyes find his, actually facing me this time. “Call me Leon.” Then he’s gone. Again. Stepping back into the office, I hand him the report, dropping down into my chair with an exhausted sigh.

“So how did it go?” Jasper asks with a mischievous grin. I roll my eyes.

“It went fine. Thanks for making me do that, by the way,” I tease, crumpling an old post it and tossing it at him. It misses, landing in front of him on the desk, his own laugh resounding.

“Oh, I didn’t hon.”

“What?” But he said-

“Guy asked for you. By name.”

He what?

Leon: @house-of-kolchek @bonnibuckets @athanasia-day @muffimtv Everything: @chaosandbubbles @kassiekolchek22 @akiramoon8088