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melbatron5000 · 4 months

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My murder board

Updated 4/22/24

I'll add links as I can, but here's what I've got so far on the Good Omens season 2 puzzle/game. I feel it's important to note that I think we've been given all the puzzle pieces and a bunch of helpful hints besides.

The continuity errors:

Crowley's hair (POV thing)

Crowley's sideburns (POV)

The Bentley, "our car" but then it is Our Car in 1941 also -- WTF (There is a line in the book about someone being powerful enough to make something change and then make it so the change always was that way, but damned if I can recall the line or context now. Need to re-read AND re-watch! Found it! It's when Crowley first meets Adam after he's come into his powers -- he reads Crowley's mind and history like it's a book and this is the impression it leaves Crowley with. Adam's power is very similar to how the Book of Life is described in the show. Curiouser and curiouser!) (POV!)

Eccles cakes when Crowley leaves the shop, it's still morning, the continuity of time is messing with me. When they get the eccles cakes, it's light out. When Crowley leaves, it's dark out. He throws a lightning temper tantrum. He comes back after 9 by the clock in the shop. I still think it's not unreasonable to assume Aziraphale simply tidied away the eccles cakes in that time. Nina would have liked her plate back, after all. But all of this begs another question: 4a. Why is it around 11:30 when Aziraphale leaves Maggie's shop with the record and says he knows what he'll be doing for 21 minutes, but after 4 pm when Gabriel shows up? What happened for those 4+ hours? See 6. Clocks are wrong. Time is wrong!! (4.b the eccles cakes are prominent in at least one promo poster. Even if they don't disappear, do they mean something else??)

Portal rug it's a faded rug right up until the ball, when it becomes a thick red rug, then it's back to faded once the ball is tidied away. It just got made pretty for the ball, then changed back. The change is a nothingburger.

Clocks are wrong -- all over the damn place!!

Cross on Gabriel's statue -- appears to disappear. (POV)

Honolulu roast sign -- appears out of nowhere. (POV)

Title/location cards -- but there are some spots where the S1 title cards are used, what's going on there? (POV clues? -- this needs a closer look)

Drawing of Gabriel -- the one Aziraphale draws in the shop is NOT the one he shows the pub owner in Edinburgh. Why? (POV)

Wet roads/series poster -- what is up with all the rain??

Lights at Marguerites -- on again, off again. (POV? Or is it just when she's closed and open? It's a cafe, after all, they won't be open in the morning.)

Aziraphale's chair position in the Final Fifteen

1941 photo, Crowely's hand

Repeating extras -- not just repeating, but acting oddly -- walking back and forth, touching things, not eating, dressed the same every single day, etc. Do the people on the street in Edinburgh behave the same way?? (POV?)

Resurrectionist sign at the pub -- one with a scalpel, one with a butcher's knife. And it makes me think -- was Mr. Dalrymple a surgeon and a scientist with a scalpel, or a butcher with a cleaver? (POV. Wait, Aziraphale is the only MC there -- whose POVs would we be seeing?? Crowley's. He calls to tell Crowley what he found, what we're seeing is Crowley's idea of what happened.)

Store front signs -- appear and disappear. (POV)

Whickber street as seen from Heaven vs. on location -- the one Saraqael looks at in Heaven is the Google Maps picture of SoHo from 2019 with the book shop added in. It's not even from 2023! There is a building being torn down in it. In person on the show, it's different -- and the building is long gone in actual Google Maps 2023. (I think Saraqael is trying to hide the big miracle. She's showing the arc angels the book shop when it got reset by Adam in 2019.)

When Shax talks to Crowley and he takes off driving. When she appears, he is parked further up the street than when he leaves. Noticeably so. (POV? Or scenes out of order and this is a different time than it looks like?)

Edinburgh castle -- when Aziraphale arrives in Edinburgh, the castle is behind him. When the camera switches angles to behind him, Edinburgh castle is in front of him. The street he is on (streets, actually) are real streets. The castle was put in the first shot deliberately, but exists for real in the second shot. (POV)

Edinburgh streets -- when Aziraphale arrives in Edinburgh, the street he parks on is cobblestone. When the camera switches to behind him, the street is paved. (POV)

Weird sounds of all kinds?? (POV? Some of them yes.)

Crowley's sunglasses. Could this be explained by POV switches? If so, why do they change halfway through and then stay that way?

Questions about things the characters do:

Where did Crowley go during the Job flashback? And why was he wearing his spy turtleneck? (To meet up with Saraqael, perhaps? Seeing as Shax interrupted their meeting earlier that day?)

Where else did Aziraphale go in Edinburgh? And why did he go to the graveyard?

What did Gabriel need to bring to Aziraphale? What happened to it? (God's voice? A message from god? The Book of Life?)

Why does Micheal do the magician's "nothing in the box" display with the matchbox? It's a very specific action. Something's in that up with that damn matchbox. We're being asked to look at it, while something else happens that we're missing. And someone noticed that her nails are in terrible shape when she does it, but our eyes are on the matchbox.

What else did the Metatron say to Aziraphale? (Anything? Are we getting the whole, accurate story? Most of it? Any of it?)

How long was Crowley in Heaven, and what happened while he was there? (Did he sneak around and steal something? Did they harm him? He's acting a bit weird when he comes back.)

What happened to Aziraphale's briefcase? The one he took to Edinburgh. Where he did who knows what. (Is that a POV thing??)

What, if anything, is wrong with Crowley's memory? (Or is he just dissing Furfur and Saraqael?) (OR! Given the Gabriel removed HIS OWN MEMORY AND PUT IT IN THE FLY, so apparently angels ((AND demons??)) can affect their own memories, did Crowley deliberately do something to himself to get rid of unwanted memories??? He seems pretty untroubled by not remembering Furfur or Saraqael or why they made gravity -- almost as if he doesn't care the memories are gone. Okay, maybe he's gotten rid of some memories himself, but then WHY??) This could be a big old nothingburger. Or is he dissing Furfur and offering plausible deniability that he's met with Saraqael before -- like, when he was wearing his spy turtle neck??

What is Shax's mission? She says she's Crowley's replacement, but then she asks for "what she needs" from Crowley on the bench. Huh? What does she need?

How does Crowley know about hand washing in the Resurrectionists minisode? (This strikes different than the "lead ballon" remark on the wall. It's hard to say if Crowley knows about lead balloons, or if they're speaking an angelic language and it's being translated for us and the translator has a sense of humor or is trying to convey Crowley's sense of humor. The hand washing is actual, concrete, specific knowledge of the future.) Ah, I just re-read the book, where he mentions helicopters to DaVinci, and also Neil said this. It's something Crowley can do. He's a demon, he knows things.

What is going on with Maggie? I don't think she's a demon, but there is something up with her. (Also, one of the men in the graveyard in Edinburgh has a tattoo that says "no regerts." That's a real tattoo that circulates around the internet every once in a while -- I think it's a subtle reminder that humans aren't necessarily great at spelling, either.) But she has a Mason symbol on her necklace, and I still think the Masons are significant somehow; Aziraphale can't miracle-influence her; Aziraphale expects her to feel the arc angels arriving.

Why does Gabriel speak with god's voice? (Was that what he needed to bring? That message? But he says he needs to give Aziraphale something, and both times he speaks in god's voice, it's to Crowley. Hmm. IS that God's voice? It's a woman, but who is it?)

How did the pub owner recognize Gabriel's picture so fast? He says himself, "Look pal, I see a lot of people -- oh, yeah, I remember him!" ?? Was it just because Gabriel was weird at him?

Why is Crowley throwing books? It gives us a laugh, but is there a reason for it? He even seems confused as to why he's carrying them right before he does. (This is a POV thing -- the lens is "Aziraphale's" lens, so I think we're seeing Crowley tell Aziraphale what happened while Aziraphale was gone, and how Aziraphale imagines it would go.)

Why is Saraqael the only angel to react with fear before anyone else recognizes the Metatron? (Is it because she's been working WITH Gabriel, Beelzebub, AND Crowley and Aziraphale to thwart the second attempt at ending the world? Neil says he had some secret things for Sandalphon to do, but the actor wasn't available, so Saraqael does some of those things instead . . .)

Aziraphale gently laughs at Muriel's Inspector Constable persona, but then IMMEDIATELY adopts a just as over-the-top reporter persona. Is he doing it deliberately, or is he that un-self-aware? If he's doing it deliberately, why? Who's he trying to convince he's not that savvy? The pub owner? Anyone who might be spying? US?? Is that a POV thing? And if so, whose?? (AHA! I think this is Aziraphale telling Crowley what happened, and Crowley picturing Aziraphale being adorable in his disguise. Aziraphale is not that silly actually, but probably not as slick as he wants to think.)

Why the heck did Maggie and Nina go talk to Crowley while the Metatron was talking to Aziraphale? What they had to say wasn't important enough to leave Nina's shop during a rush, and I definitely don't think they derailed Crowley from what he needed to say to Aziraphale, though it might look at first as if they did. So what was that about?

When Shax stops Aziraphale for a ride, he says, "Oh, I really need to get to --" and then is cut off. He really needs to get to where? It's an easy assumption to think he means the book shop, or London. But is that all he means? Or was he on his way somewhere else? And if it was just the book shop, what does he mean he's late? Late for what? And that lens is still Crowley's lens -- Aziraphale is relating the story to Crowley. Crowley also knows where Aziraphale was going besides Edinburgh.

Crowley can tell something is wrong. Something. What?

Good God, this questions list just keeps getting longer. Why would the Metatron allow Beelzebub and Gabriel to leave, after trying to stop Armageddon 2.0, but come after Crowley and Aziraphale like that? Just because of the big miracle? (Which I'm not sure they did.)

Why does Crowley say "Oh, God," right before his confession in the final fifteen? To let Aziraphale know that he understands what Aziraphale is saying? That God (or the Voice) is there? Seems possible.

Why didn't Gabriel come down the lift in the Dirty Donkey? He also says he had to carry that box for sooo long. Where was he wandering around?

When Crowley leaves Heaven, he tells Saraqael and Muriel to come, too. But in the elevator, Michael and Uriel are there! When the fuck did they show up??

The whole time Aziraphale is in Maggie's shop asking about Every Day, he is looking out the windows and is VERY nervous. Is he just concerned about leaving Gabriel on his own, or is he nervous about something specific? He does react to the car horn outside as others have noted, but he is already jumpy and checking the windows repeatedly, the car horn isn't anything particular, he's just already fixated on the windows.

Why does Beelzebub tell Shax to attack the bookstore? Aren't they worried about Gabriel being harmed? And they know Hell is understaffed. Maybe that's why they command it? Because they know Shax won't be able to get the demons?

Questions about the world:

What about the Masons? It's such a specific thing for the pub owner to bring up, what is the meaning of it? And Maggie has a Mason symbol on her necklace. Did the Masons carve the statue of Gabriel? When did they see him?

The only narration we hear in the entire season is Aziraphale in the Resurrectionist flashback. Why? (Maybe to throw us off? I think we have multiple POV characters in season 2, not just Aziraphale, but we only hear Aziraphale so we assume he's the POV for the entire season. But still, why do we only hear him narrate 1 flashback? Argh, is he reading the diary to himself in the present day? That would explain the end, "And that was the last I was to see of Crowley for some time." If he is reading it in the present day, why? What made him think to go back to THAT entry?? Oh, duh! He JUST heard the story of the jukebox from Maggie. And Gabriel appearing -- same city that statue is in. Of course he thought of something important from that diary entry! Now, what did he notice?)

Is the Book of Life a real threat? We hear two stories about it, that it's real and that its ability to erase beings was something to scare the cherubs with, this is inconclusive. Crowley gets nervous after Beelzebub talks to him, but he could just be upset that their little break is interrupted, and now Heaven and Hell have taken an interest in them again.

Is reality fucked up? How? Whickber street bubble, Aziraphale's power turned up (how?), etc.? A LOT of it is POV shifts!

Job 41:19 on the matchbox: 1941?? YES. Bullet catch/kiss scene!

Where TF is God? "There was nothing for Her to do" my ass. She narrates. That's it. So there was nothing for her to narrate? Hm. (Because there was a host of other narrators? Are the Crowley/Aziraphale through the ages flashbacks in S1 narrated by God? I don't think they are, but I need to rewatch. They are not! And they aren't narrated by God because Crowely and Aziraphale are the POV characters in them.)

So many promo posters show Aziraphale, Crowley, and Jimbriel together, or symbols of them. Three feathers: two white, one black. Tea cup, cocoa mug, wine glass. The three of them. Not with Beelzebub, not with Muriel, the three of them. And all three of them have been Jesus-coded in some small way. No one else. Those three. What. Why. Are they the sacrifice required to bring about the new world? Why not Beez, then?

Wait. Two Crowleys?? WTF. There are two Crowley puppets in the magic shop, and Crowley doesn't remember Saraqael or Furfur. Is he dissing them, or is that the second Crowley that never did meet either of them? Am I insane? I have no theory here, just some wild speculation that needs a lot more time to simmer. Two actual Crowleys, or two ideas of Crowley? Or something to hurt my head?

Why are they in a cave in the opening sequence? The guy who made the opening sequence says they are in the fly that Gabriel stores his memory in. Okay, why? And Crowley lights a match to see. Hm. What else was in that fly that Gabriel didn't take when he got his memory out?

An album on the wall in Maggie's shop says "Rat Keith." This seems to me to be an allusion to The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett. In the book, some men have tied several rats' tails together to create a rat king that keeps the wild rats under control -- except that the rat king has too much power and is doing way more than just that. People die. So who's been given too much power and is now running the show instead of being a puppet? The Metatron, perhaps? Hm . . . Also, Keith is the young boy who plays the part of the Pied Piper for Maurice's scam. He leads all the rats out of town, never mind that the rats can talk and are in on the scam.

Things I think I know:

NEIL GAIMAN IS A LYING LIAR WHO LIES. Except when he's dropping hints or answering straight out. All of his answers to anything anyone asks about GO are suspect at best. (I cannot blame him or anyone else on the cast or crew -- they spent A LOT of time and energy building this very meticulous puzzle game for us -- why would ANY of them give ANY of it away? That would ruin all the fun!)

God has been removed/has vacated. Where did she go? I wonder if anyone knows. Is She just standing back and watching? In the book, Crowley says that anyone who can create a whole universe in six days doesn't let a war of rebellion happen unless they want it to. But that he and Aziraphale wouldn't understand, because if they understood, they wouldn't be them. It's INEFFABLE. He also then FORGETS what he was talking about a minute later.

God doesn't narrate because She's busy being Maggie. Aha!

The Metatron is working for himself. The dice on his tie seem to imply that while God does not play dice with the universe, this jerk surely does. Also, see the rat king observation above, #10.

Gabriel was bringing Aziraphale a message, the box is a red herring. But that brings me to another thing I suspect -- there was something else in the box, and the box is deeply important. Ah, damn -- is that what Crowley gave to Aziraphale in the kiss? Whatever was in the box? Was that what he found out while he was in Heaven? What Gabriel took? Did Gabriel put it in the fly with his memory?

Heaven did something bad to Crowley while he was there. That coffee is a red herring to draw our eye away from him. But that brings me to something else I suspect -- Crowley's knackered and a bit off when he returns from his TEN HOUR JAUNT in Heaven not because they did anything bad to him, but because he stole something very important. Maybe the thing he gives to Aziraphale during the break up?

Crowley and Aziraphale did NOT perform a huge miracle. I don't know what happened, but it wasn't them working together. (Or did they? Are angels and demons more powerful together? Did the Fall create a schism between them that weakened them all? Or are they and Saraqael hiding who did do the big miracle?)

This is a 2 man con. Of course it's a 2 man con. I read American Gods. Crowely and Aziraphale have a plan. This might be version B or C, they might be springing it sooner than they hoped, but that break up was a ruse. A hard, painful ruse, but a ruse. They knew their respite would be short-lived, they've been putting something together for years now.

Crowley put something in Aziraphale's mouth during the kiss. I don't know what, but something he had to swallow. obligateweirdo pointed out that he seems to palm something out of his mouth when he touches his lips the second time, and that Houdini's wife used to slip him the keys to his cuffs with a kiss before his shows. Whatever Crowley gave Aziraphale, it's physical. And Michael Sheen has said he doesn't want to share what's in Aziraphale's pockets -- because Aziraphale put whatever Crowley gave him into a pocket?? Was it the fly? (But didn't that go into Gabriel's eye and stay there?) And if it was the fly, what was inside it?

Gabriel went somewhere else before he went to the book shop. He didn't come down the elevator at the Dirty Donkey. Did he go to Edinburgh? Is that why the pub owner recognized that picture so fast? "Oi! That's that naked bloke was in here last week!" (Or was him walking down the street because we first see him from Nina or Maggie's perspective?? POV muckery?)

SECRET SONGS??? Why are the songs secret?? I'm losing my mind, what is happening??

Several narrators. I'm not even sure how many, but we're seeing the world through the eyes of characters, not God or a faceless narrator. This is part of why things are weird. I don't think that's the full explanation for the whole season, but I think it's a big part of the weirdness. A book that comes up often in the show is The Crow Road by Ian Banks. A brief description of the book says that it is written from the point of view of several characters and the story is told out of order and in no particular fashion, with changes from character to character POV coming at no particular interval and with no warning. AHA! (I did come up with the idea before I saw this post, but @highlandwhackamole beat me to writing it. Well done!) NOW I'm wondering if we aren't also seeing the story as told by the characters we see, but as heard but an as-yet unknown character . . .

The scenes are out of order. The DAMN SCENES ARE OUT OF ORDER! I don't know their correct order, but they are out of order. The Crow Road, again, is told out of order, forcing the reader to piece the scenes together (from a brief description, I'm thinking more and more I need to read this book rather than try to skim it). Is it as simple as watching the scenes in chronological order??

Our angel and demon have hidden something in the book shop. Something important. I have no current guesses as to what. Crowley still has his crank from starting up the nebula. What else might he have taken with him? Is that it? Or something else? HOLY SHIT ARE THEY HIDING JESUS??? Is THAT who did the miracle??

When Aziraphale tells Crowley that their Gabriel miracle set off alarms in Heaven, he sort of raises his eyebrows and says it in the same way he says other things he doesn't mean -- the same tone he says "I forgive you" after the Kiss, or how he says "He says he's Bildad the Shuite," in the Job minisode. It wasn't the Gabriel miracle that set off alarms in Heaven, it was whatever Saraqael was doing, or whoever Saraqael is hiding, and Crowley is well aware of it and whatever Saraqael is up to. Aziraphale just told Crowley that they have to take responsibility for whatever Saraqael did to allay Heaven's suspicions. They are talking in code through more of this season than we first think.

The rainbow lens flairs sure look like eyes. Like a pupil and iris. Is this a subtle hint that we are seeing through someone else's eyes?

When Crowley and Aziraphale argue about what to do with Jimbriel, behind Aziraphale is a privacy screen, and behind Crowley is an open door. Does this reflect how each of them feels, that Aziraphale believes they are speaking in private and Crowley believes they are being listened in on?

Repeating themes:

Beverages of all kinds -- tea for Aziraphale, wine or whiskey for Crowley, cocoa for Jim.

Time -- lots of clocks/mentions of time

Love/partnership/togetherness being stronger than separateness

Queer couples -- is literally everyone in season 2 in a non-cis-het relationship?? Even the guy in the graveyard says he uses his phone for Grindr -- a gay men's dating hook-up app. Nothing wrong with it, but it's an interesting writing choice. Why? Equality and representation -- or a Clue? (I think it's a POV Clue!)

Memories/forgetting/remembering

Payment -- money comes up in both the Resurrectionists minisode and the Flesh Eating Nazi Zombies minisode, but no one pays for anything in present. There is bartering, but no money.

Rising from the dead -- Job's kids (even though they weren't actually dead), bodies used for science, Nazi zombies, the Second Coming.

Unreliable narrators

Death in general -- but 9a., I'm a dirty pagan, why didn't I make this connection sooner, death always leads to REBIRTH, change, something totally new and 9b. there are tarot cards in the magic shop, and even if you're not a dirty pagan, the Death tarot card means transition, something must die before a new thing can be born. Hmmmm.

Morality and what is "good" and what is right

Recognition and identity

Repeating words and phrases OMG the list goes on:

Technically

Properly

Isn't it just?

Too late

Funny old world

Not as such

Made for each other

EVERYWHERE

Obviously

Hints:

Powell and Pressburg films

The Crow Road

Catch 22

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Terry Pratchett in general

Jane Austin

Book Good Omens

The titles of episodes, minisodes, places, etc. 7a. The Arrival: a book and a movie, though the book seems far more relevant. And lovely. The Clue: a movie. Companion to Owls: a line from a Bible story. I Know Where I'm Going: a movie. The Resurrectionists: two novels, each called The Resurrectionist, singular. Both look unhinged. The Hitchhiker: a Twilight Zone episode. Nazi Zombie Flesheaters: Literally no other reference. ?? Nazi Zombies do appear in a LOT of movies, comics, and video games, usually as a dark joke. The Ball: a video game. Irrelevant? It's a puzzle-based game, so maybe not. Every Day: a song AND a movie. Some themes repeat here: Puzzle games, being re-directed from one's path to find true love, death and being brought back to life in a gruesome and unpleasant way.

That's what I have so far. I'll try to update with new ideas and information, as well as links to things that support my theories as I find them.

#good omens #good omens 2 #aziracrow #good omens fan theory #good omens puzzle game #crowley #ineffable husbands #good ineffable omens #good omens meta #good omens theory #aziraphale #i can't stop thinking about good omens #help i've fallen into a fan theory and i can't get out #ineffable mystery #good omens clues #good omens speculation #good omens season 2

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xomakara · 8 months

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SUMMARY | When you stepped into an adult store looking for new toys, you didn’t expect to step out of one with your office crush, Jungwoo. PAIRINGS | Jungwoo/Fem!Reader GENRE | smut, unprotected sex, oral sex (both male and female giving/receiving), dirty talk, sex toys RATING | Mature LENGTH | 3,696 words AUTHOR’S NOTE | Here’s one for you Jungwoo stans. I really couldn’t think of another title but oh well LOL. Enjoy!

You did not go into that shop intending on having sex, and certainly not having sex with the kind of big cock stud you just met. You went in to pick up a couple of new dildos, maybe a few porn movies, but you never imagined running into Kim Jungwoo, a colleague at the company you worked at.

Jungwoo was widely admired in the office. He was well liked, funny, a great worker, always there when you needed him, and incredibly good looking. Everyone talked about how he looked, but no one really knew anything about him outside of work. Everyone knew he had a 4 year old son that he clearly loved very much, and everyone also knew he was single.

You knew he wasn’t married because he was upfront about it, saying he wasn’t ready to commit yet. When asked if he was seeing anyone, he would smile and shake his head. There were rumors going around the office that he was gay, and that he had been briefly involved with another guy while in college, but no one really knew what had happened between them or why they broke up.

You only ever heard stories like this from co-workers who felt jealous of Jungwoo, as he was well off financially and got to do pretty much whatever he wanted. It seemed to be part of his appeal; you saw it all the time, people trying to get close to him, asking him out for drinks after work. Some would even come on to him right in front of you! He seemed to enjoy the attention, though, flirting back sometimes, giving people compliments or friendly nods.

But you were sure he was straight, as you had seen him around other women plenty of times. In fact, he made a point of being extra friendly whenever he ran into any of your female friends. He was respectful and sweet, not trying anything, just making conversation. It wasn’t until tonight that you realized just how close to Jungwoo you actually are.

After a day of training for a project you two were working on together, you walked down the street to an adult toy store near your apartment. The plan was to grab a few videos, maybe try something different in bed, as well as some anal lube and vibrators. But when you entered the store, your plans changed.

Your first stop was a section of toys labeled “For Her Pleasure Only.” This is where you usually stopped, picking out things that looked interesting. But tonight, as you picked up a few items, you noticed a few men staring at you. At first you thought it might have been due to you wearing an outfit that showed a lot of skin, but soon you began to wonder.

You were annoyed by their leers and were about to lash out at them but you felt a muscular arm wrapped around your waist. "Did you find what you wanted, babe?"

You turned to see who had grabbed you and was stunned to see that it was none other than the object of your office crush, Jungwoo. You noticed that the other men looked away immediately, embarrassed. "I…uhm..not yet."

"Ah. Well...let's look for something together."

As you stood there in disbelief, you began to notice that the other men in the store had backed off, leaving you alone with Jungwoo.

"Finally they backed off." Jungwoo said, taking his hand off of your shoulder. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Why are you here?" You asked him instead.

"Well, I live a few blocks from here." Jungwoo answered. "And I needed to pick up some supplies before heading home."

"You live around here?" You said, impressed. "I'm surprised we haven't run into each other before."

"I don't leave my house much these days." Jungwoo laughed. "My son and work take up most of my time, so I tend to stay at home. Are you here alone? You should be with your husband or boyfriend when you come to these stores. There are creeps around."

"Ah..." You bit your bottom lip. "I'm single. And I'm just looking for some stuff for myself since I obviously don't have anyone at home waiting for me."

"Oh...well then..." Jungwoo looked you over. "So, what kind of stuff are you looking for?"

As you tried to think of something sexy to say, Jungwoo interrupted you. "Come on, I know you want to look. What's stopping you?"

Suddenly, it hit you. Why was he here, shopping at an adult store with you? It was almost as if he knew you were checking him out, as if you two had planned this beforehand. You couldn't help but feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment as you remembered his hand resting on your bare hip earlier.

Your eyes drifted down to his crotch, which was bulging through his jeans. As you watched him shift slightly, you could make out the outline of his hard cock pressing against his zipper. His breath caught in his throat as you continued to stare at his crotch. It wasn't long before your curiosity got the best of you.

"So...are you interested in me?" You finally blurted out, feeling a little bolder now.

Jungwoo chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you can say that. I mean, I've definitely had those kinds of thoughts. We work together, you know? We spend a lot of time talking, laughing, joking around, you know? It's hard not to notice someone like you."

You blushed. Was he flirting with you?!

He must have realized your confusion because he added, "I know what guys at work think of you. I guess I'm the same way. Maybe not quite so obvious, but you definitely turn me on."

"Wow..." You whispered, unable to believe your ears. "Are you serious?"

"Damn straight I am." He smirked, walking closer towards you. "Let's just say I like watching you walk around the office in those skirts."

"That's crazy!" You laughed nervously. "No one has said anything like that to me before."

"Have you really never noticed how hot you are?" He smirked again. "Maybe you're not used to guys thinking that about you."

"What do you mean?" You gasped, completely taken aback by what he was suggesting. "This is a strange conversation for us to be having."

"Maybe it is, but then again this is a strange place for us to meet outside of the office, isn't it?" He winked.

You suddenly became aware of the fact that you still hadn't looked away from his crotch, and realized what you had been doing. Your face burned red as you looked away, wondering if he noticed.

"I…" You started to say, but trailed off as Jungwoo placed his hands on your shoulders, pushing you gently towards the vibrators and dildos.

You looked back up to see him holding the biggest dildo you'd ever seen. "Um...what about this one?"

You stared at the huge thing, unsure if you wanted it. "It looks too big." You replied.

"Nonsense." Jungwoo shook his head. He grabbed your hand and placed it on this clothed crotch. "This is a good size to stretch you out so that you can take on the real deal later."

You bit your bottom lip, eyes darting back to the front of his pants.

"That's why I like you." He smiled, as he watched you. "You're adventurous enough to give it a shot, aren't you?"

You nodded quickly. "Yeah...yeah I think I am."

"Good girl." Jungwoo leaned forward and kissed you lightly on the lips. "Now, let's check out these movies, shall we?"

You nodded slowly, a grin growing on your face. "Yes sir."

He pulled your arm and led you towards the movie section. After grabbing a few movies, you headed towards the checkout counter. Jungwoo paid for everything without a word, smiling politely at the cashier.

Once he was finished paying, Jungwoo moved to stand behind you. "So, where are we going now?" He asked.

"Uh..." You took a deep breath. "My apartment. It's nearby."

He put his arm around your waist once again. "Perfect."

As you followed him out of the store, Jungwoo let go of your arm and tucked it under his arm. He held onto it tightly, turning your body so that your breasts were pressed up against his chest. With his free hand, he squeezed your ass cheek, causing you to shiver with pleasure.

"Mmmmmm...you're getting awfully horny, aren't you?" Jungwoo smirked.

"Mmmmmm..." You moaned. "Maybe it's the fact that you're practically groping me in public?"

"Maybe." He chuckled. "Or maybe it's just that I've been imagining fucking you for the past hour."

"Oh god." You breathed, not able to resist his charm anymore. "You have no idea how badly I need you."

With his hand still holding yours firmly, Jungwoo guided you across the parking lot and down the sidewalk. Once you reached your apartment building, he released your hand and helped you climb the stairs. As you opened the door, he pushed you inside.

"I've been dying to fuck you ever since we met." He groaned, lowering his mouth to yours.

His kiss was intense, and you were shocked to discover how talented he was at kissing. His tongue swirled inside your mouth, exploring every inch, as his other hand explored the curves of your body. Before you could respond, he pulled back, breathing heavily.

You gazed at him, surprised by his sudden retreat. Did he just reject your advances? Before you could ask him about it, Jungwoo dropped his bag and pinned you against the wall, slipping his hands underneath your shirt, cupping your tits. You moaned as he began to squeeze your nipples between his fingers, biting your lower lip to keep from moaning out loud.

"So sensitive." He growled, as he worked your nipple into a rock-hard peak. "Goddamnit, I can't wait to get you naked."

Before you could answer, Jungwoo gripped the hem of your shirt and lifted it over your head. His eyes widened as he surveyed your bare body.

"You're so beautiful." He sighed, reaching out and running his hands down your stomach. He paused briefly at your navel, massaging it lightly, causing you to gasp softly. "Is this okay?"

You trembled with desire, overwhelmed by his passion. “Yes…”

“Touch yourself for me, baby.” He urged, helping you get your pants and panties off. “Do whatever feels good. Use any of the toys we bought if you want. Just touch yourself for me.”

His words sent a thrill through your entire body, causing you to shake uncontrollably. Before you knew it, you had reached into the bag of toys that you bought and pulled out the small black vibrating bullet.

Slowly, you brought it to your clit, sliding it in between your lips. The cool silicone sent waves of pleasure radiating throughout your body, making your pussy throb. When it finally slipped inside, it brushed against your swollen g-spot, sending chills throughout your entire body.

“Tell me how good that feels.” He demanded.

You moaned as you ran the vibrator up and down your wet slit, circling your clit as well. “It feels amazing…so good…”

“Keep going. Do whatever you want with that toy. I wanna hear you moan for me.”

As you continued to tease your clit, squeezing your muscles, you could feel the familiar tightening of your body. A low guttural moan escaped your lips as you cried out, falling over the edge of climax. The pulsing vibrations filled your pussy as you came all over the toy, forcing you to clamp your thighs shut in an attempt to hold back another orgasm.

After a minute, you began to relax, letting go of your grip on the toy as your orgasm subsided. Jungwoo watched you carefully as you regained control of your breathing, mesmerized by the sight of you riding the high of climax. He couldn't believe how incredible you looked as you fell apart right there on the floor.

Without warning, Jungwoo dropped to his knees, positioning himself between your legs. With a wicked smirk, he grasped your hips and positioned them directly above his head. He spread your pussy open with his hands, licking his lips as he stared at your dripping pussy.

“Oh god…” You gasped, feeling lightheaded at the site of him staring at your pussy. “Why are you doing that?”

He smiled. “Because I want to taste you. Because I've been dreaming about tasting you all day.”

With that, he buried his face between your legs, sticking his tongue out and dipping it inside your moist slit. The pleasure almost caused you to come again as he teased your clit with his tongue, nibbling on it lightly. He continued this until you were shaking with pleasure.

"You taste amazing." He panted, looking up at you. "You're such a dirty girl. So naughty."

"Fuck…that feels good." You moaned, unable to help yourself.

“But first, I want to eat your pussy some more. Then I want to fuck you so hard that you scream my name.” He whispered, taking a slow lick up your inner thigh.

You felt like you were going to die from the delicious sensations. “Please…oh god…do it. Fuck me. Eat me. Fill me with your cum. I want you to fuck me so bad.”

Jungwoo sucked on your clit harder, moaning as he devoured you. Finally, after several minutes, you screamed out as an orgasm ripped through your body. Your body shook violently as you struggled to maintain your balance, letting out muffled cries as the pleasure kept shooting through your body.

Finally, the tremors died down, leaving you weak and breathless. Jungwoo didn't stop sucking on your clit however; instead he increased the pressure of his tongue, coaxing another powerful climax from you.

Jungwoo licked his lips, panting. “Oh god…baby…I love how dirty you get when you cum. That was so damn sexy.”

You ran your fingers through his hair as he looked up at you. "Jungwoo...let me return the favor. Let me suck your cock before you fuck me."

His eyes lit up, as he nodded vigorously. "Are you sure?"

"God yes!" You cried. "Let me suck your cock. Please."

The look of lust in his eyes caused a chill to run down your spine. "Go ahead."

Jungwoo stood up and began undoing his belt. Once it was undone, he undid his zipper, pulling his pants and underwear down to his ankles. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and threw it off. He stepped out of his clothes, allowing you to stare at his muscular form. You saw his balls hanging beneath his dick, his thick shaft curving downward slightly. He was so incredibly gorgeous.

Jungwoo walked over to the couch and sat down, spreading his legs so that they were wide open.

"Suck it, baby." He encouraged, opening his eyes.

Taking his cock into your mouth, you swirl your tongue around his shaft while you slid your hand up and down his length. You licked the underside of his cock, tickling his balls, teasing him with each stroke.

Jungwoo moaned loudly, digging his fingers into your hair as you pleasured him. He closed his eyes, moaning quietly as you slid your tongue up and down his hard cock. His arousal was evident, causing his cock to swell even larger in your mouth.

"Mmmnnn." You hummed, bringing your mouth to the tip of his cock. You flicked your tongue over the soft skin, stimulating his sweet spot. Jungwoo gasped, his body shuddering with ecstasy. He grabbed the back of your head, holding you in place as he began to thrust his hips.

With his hips bucking rapidly, you bobbed your head faster and faster, covering more and more of his cock with each stroke. Soon enough, you had wrapped your lips around the base of his shaft and sucked it deeply into your mouth, eliciting a throaty moan from him.

"Do you like that?" You breathlessly asked, licking the tip of his cock with your tongue.

"Yes…" He grunted. "Yeah…yeah…yes."

You brought your mouth back to his cock, swirling your tongue around his soft skin. At this point, you were giving him one hell of a blowjob. His cock felt amazing in your mouth. It was warm and hard, and you felt like you could do nothing but please him.

"Fuck, swallow my cum, baby." He moaned, grabbing your head.

Tightening your grip on his cock, you quickly swallowed every drop of his cum. After he finished coming, you gave his cock one last kiss, allowing his hot seed to coat your tongue. When you released his cock, it was glistening with your saliva and his cum.

"Jesus fucking christ..." He moaned, laying back on the couch, resting his arms behind his head.

Reaching out, you touched his chest gently, causing him to turn his head toward you. You leaned forward and kissed him softly, trailing your tongue along his lips.

"Did you enjoy that?" You asked, smiling seductively.

Jungwoo groaned, as he slowly moved his hands down to your ass. He gripped your cheeks, pulling your body closer to his. "You have no idea what you do to me, Y/N."

Grabbing your waist, he began to grind against you, sliding his hard cock against your dripping pussy. "That feels so good."

Your legs began to shake, trembling as he pressed himself against you. "I need to be inside of you." He groaned, moving his hips.

Jungwoo pushed his hardness inside of you, burying himself deep within your tight warmth. Your walls gripped his cock tightly, welcoming him. It felt amazing. He felt incredible. You couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh as he began to pump his hips, fucking you deeper and deeper with each thrust.

He bit your neck, nipping it softly, causing goosebumps to cover your entire body. Every time he did this, you felt as though your insides would explode. It sent shivers throughout your body, causing your heart to race.

"You're so fucking tight, Y/N." He moaned, gripping your ass tighter.

"Ahh…god Jungwoo." You whimpered, your walls contracting around him. "This is so good."

He squeezed your ass cheeks tightly, grinding against you roughly. "Look at me, Y/N. Look at how much I'm enjoying this."

His words sent shivers throughout your body. Suddenly, his lips met yours, tongues intertwined as he fucked you hard and fast. "Tell me what you want, Y/N. Tell me how much you want me to fuck you."

Gripping his ass harder, you clenched your teeth as you tried to focus on his voice. "I want you to fuck me so hard that I forget everything but you."

With that, Jungwoo slammed his hips into you, slamming you onto his cock as hard as he possibly could. It was enough to make you scream out loud, moaning his name. The sensation was so intense, that you wanted to cry out. As soon as the word left your lips, Jungwoo began to increase the pace of his thrusts, thrusting himself deeper and deeper inside of you.

He stopped kissing you, his mouth remaining pressed firmly against your neck. “Do you like that, baby? Does my cock feel good? Is it filling you up nicely?”

Wrapping your legs around his waist, you dug your nails into his back, moaning loudly. "Fuck…god Jungwoo. This feels so good."

Your body trembled, shaking violently as Jungwoo's relentless thrusts became too much to bear. "Ahh…I can't take it anymore! Jungwoo...oh god!"

He held your hips tightly, ramming himself as deep as possible, his moans becoming louder and louder as you began to scream his name over and over again.

"Come for me, Y/N." He growled, pushing you harder against his hips.

"Jungwoo!" You cried, as your pussy contracted around his cock, milking him dry. You heard him grunt as he came inside of you, coating your insides with his hot load.

After a few moments, you felt him begin to pull out of you, releasing you from his grip. A small amount of his seed remained trapped inside of you, seeping out of your hole and running down your thighs.

"Y/N, you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead.

You smiled softly, pressing your face into his chest. "I loved it. And no, you didn't hurt me. I just need a minute to catch my breath."

"Are you sure?" He asked, cupping your cheek.

"Absolutely." You assured him, pressing your lips to his chest.

"I'm glad." He said, rubbing your arm. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."

Smiling widely, you hugged him tightly. "I did. It was better than I ever imagined it would be."

"We should definitely do this again sometime." He whispered, wrapping his arms around you.

"Are you saying that you want to keep seeing me?" You asked him. "What will our coworkers think at work if they see us together?"

Jungwoo smirked. "If we're being honest here, I've been wanting to date you since day one."

Shocked by his words, you raised your eyebrows. "I never realized that you felt that way."

Jungwoo pulled you close, wrapping his arms around you once more. "Don't worry, Y/N. We'll figure something out. For now, I just want to spend some quality time with you."

Your body relaxed as he continued to hold you. "That sounds perfect."

Jungwoo cleared his throat, breaking the silence between the two of you. "Speaking of spending time with you, I really don't want to go back home tonight."

"What about your son? Won't he be worried about where you are?"

"He's with my parents tonight." Jungwoo told you. "Besides, there's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone tonight after all that happened."

A small smile spread across your face. "You want to stay the night?"

"Absolutely." He answered, bringing his hand up to caress your cheek. "If that's alright with you."

Smiling brightly, you nodded. "It's more than alright with me."

#nct #nct stories #nct fanfic #nct imagines #nct 127 #nct dojaejung #nct smut #jungwoo #kim jungwoo #nct jungwoo #jungwoo smut

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archivalofsins · 2 months

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The Prisoners (All the characters who label themselves as prisoners in their "Thank You" messages.)

The People they're imprisoned with (All the characters who don't label themselves as prisoners in their "Thank You" messages)-

I highlighted where they say prisoners under the cut with a few more fun facts-

Haruka, Futa, Mu, and Kotoko all don't put their names on their thank you messages. Mu only puts her song title on hers in Japanese but she has English lyrics from the song highlighted on their as well. Shidou states that this is Milgram Season 2 before putting the title of his song/contribution then signing his full name like an actor would.

Something when coupled with Jackalopes statement in the second trial commencement notice-

Along with Shidou blatantly stating,

"Please listen to me, Es. I've killed people. Lots of them as well. It was for such a selfish reason too. I'm a fine specimen of what a genuine murderer ought to be."

It's really suspicious and funny to think of the implications behind how he signed his thank you message. Especially since in the same interrogation Es notes,

"In comparison to all the interrogations thus far, this one has been progressing far too smoothly. It feels somewhat unsettling."

All of that is a really interesting thing to think about when put all together. At least I think so.

(Star here though Gunsli assisted me with sorting this out some- I find the idea of Shidou being a mole very amusing. It would recontextualize the fact that he's a doctor within Milgram.

Giving the impression that Shidou's inclusion was more of a failsafe, in the event that something like Kotoko jumping her fellow prisoners occurred. It's incredibly convenient that Milgram happened to incarcerate not just one but two people who seem to understand first aid.

Considering Shidou's statements about Amane,

22/10/24 (Shidou’s Birthday)

Amane: ……Kirisaki Shidou. How long do you plan on continuing this foolish behaviour?

Shidou: I wonder what you might be referring to there. I’m just doing what I need to do. If anything, I’d be happy if you would lend me a hand.

Amane: I warned you. I can no longer turn a blind eye to this wickedness taking place right in front of us. You’re bringing ruin unto yourself. Do you understand?

Shidou: No, I don’t understand. It’s my job as an adult to teach you that throwing a temper tantrum isn’t going to make everything go your way. If it’s a test of endurance you want, I’m happy to oblige, Amane.

This idea would also recontextualize his immediate response to the events between trial one and two being to tell Es,

"I think we should put an end to Milgram as a whole. Both for our sake and for yours."

Along with his confusion when Es responds with,

That's impossible.

"Why?!" I can't think of any method of stopping it... or any way to get out. "...!" Milgram won't end just because I want it to. That's all I know. It won't end until your judgment has been completed. That's the crux of it. "Your...the same as us, aren't you?"

Ultimately Shidou recognizes that Es is pretty much in the same position as they are. However, under this framing Shidou would be aware that Milgram is an experiment that can be stopped at any time but not aware of who could stop it or how to himself.

This would give more context to him proposition Es in trial one as well,

During the first trial's proposition being asking for the death sentence off the bat:

"That’s just my personality. I just simply don’t think bad of it—this place, I mean." You mean, Milgram? "Yeah, this place will put me to death." What? "I might not get a golden opportunity like this again, so I’ll get straight to the point. Es… You decide how the prisoners will be dealt with, right?" Yeah. That’s right. "The death penalty is what I’m hoping for. Thank you in advance." I won’t have that. The lot of you can’t decide what your own treatment will be. Only I as the prison guard have the authority to do so. "Exactly. You as the prison guard have the right to do such a thing, Es, so that’s why I’m asking you for this favour."

The "unflappable" attitude that Shidou has here can be read as opportunistic complacency with the idea of him being a mole in mind. This mindset is also alluded to within his MVs, a prime example being where he sits down smiling to himself in Throw Down.

Furthermore, this highlights the progression of his view of Es and how much power they wield within Milgram as a whole. Going from the first presumption of Es having the ability to decide the prisoners' treatment to outright asking them to stop Milgram in trial two. Though, he is swiftly corrected about how much administrative power Es has, as pointed out earlier.

On top of that Shidou is the first of the prisoners to bring up the concept of someone dying due to Milgram and the death penalty at all.

Even going as far as to state,

"Hm… But, this place does smell of the dead though. I’m sure that some sort of death will lie at the end of Milgram."

If Shidou is a mole put into the experiment by Milgram then him asking Es for this could be framed as him raising the stakes. It could even be something management told him to do so the audience would know there was a chance of their actions leading to someone's death. Along with why he's genuinely perturbed when someone else almost dies despite stating he knew some sort of death lied at the end of Milgram from the start.

It's definitely an odd change going from kill to we have to make this violence stop before someone actually dies. Yet, it would make a bit more sense if he thought he was in on the lie but began to find out this was more out of control then he thought. He could still very much be a murderer and they just let him be in on it because he wanted to die anyway so didn't see the harm in using him in this way before he does.

This would also play on this line in Undercover well,

"Even with accusations full of faults and mistakes. You will for sure, with a smile for sure- Be pleased and satisfied."

Because regardless of how this plays out he'd still get what he wanted at the end of the day.

Along with fit the line referring to Shidou too,

"“UNDER” Which way will you throw down your weight? To be the deceived, or the deceiver."

This would also explain why Kazui would refer to Milgram as a prison game in his second voice drama,

"If that happens this prison game would probably come to an end as well." - "So this is unpleasant, hurling slurs of “hostage game”, you do know that it’s up to me?"

I asked @doctorbunny about Kazui's wording here and he said,

He says 監獄ごっこ kangoku gokko kangoku meaning prison and gokko meaning pretend/make believe

The one person known to talk to Shidou the most out of the prisoners and work alongside him. Now what would give him the impression this was all pretend.

Like some sort of a-

20/05/25

Mikoto: ……I’ve really got caught up in some trouble, huh. What even is this place? It’s probably a TV reality show or something. …but to think someone in this day and age would try to do a project that could land them in so much trouble. Uh……

Mahiru: Ah…… I’m Shina Mahiru! You can just call me Mahiru. And you are……?

Mikoto: Kayano Mikoto. I’m fine with just Mikoto too. Ahh, I’m glad there’s someone here who’s easy to talk to…… It’s nice to meet you, Mappy.

Mahiru: ………… ……Mappy???

20/05/31

Mu: Hey, Mikoto-kun, aren’t you scared of this place……? You can’t think of any reason you ended up here, right……?

Mikoto: Ahh, yeah. Of course, it’s not like I’m not scared at all. But just between you and me…… I still haven’t dropped the thought that this could all just be a TV show. I mean, I really haven’t ever murdered anyone. ……and if that is the case, we’re definitely being monitored. For like a prank setup or something. Wouldn’t it be super uncool and embarrassing to get angry or lash and have it shown on prime time?

Mu: Is that what you think……? A prank, huh…… I hope that’s all it is……

Mikoto: Ah! If that is the case, then you’ll probably be super popular since you’re so cute, Mucchan! There’s a lot of girls out there who make their big break coming off reality shows like that!

20/06/15

Mikoto: Hey, it’s kinda a bother having you be so angry and tense all the time. You should stop trying get everyone to pay attention to you. You’re a uni student, right? You can’t act like that once you start working properly.

Futa: Huh!? Shut up. Not like I care what you say. Even though we’re in this shitty situation, you’re just chatting away, it’s stupid. Aren’t you the one who’s acting out of place here? ……also the fact you give everyone nicknames is just gross.

Mikoto: *sigh* It’s more stupid to be taking this all so seriously. I mean, it��s definitely just a reality TV program. There’s no way a real prison exists that’s this lax. Also, I don’t give nicknames to everyone. I don’t give them to young kids like Amane, or to the hard-to-approach types like Shidou-san. I mean, I’m not giving you one, right?

Futa: ……oi, which group are you trying to say I am?

Television show or something.)

This was definitely not supposed to be this long but it was interesting going over all of this with Star and I think it's a fun thing to highlight overall.

#milgram

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girls-alias · 6 months

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Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester P2

Title: Have A Little Faith - Dean Winchester Part 2

Words: 1,079

Relations: Dean Winchester X Reader

TW: SPOILER S1E12.

Part 1

It had been a few hours since Dean and I talked. Nurses came in and out to do checks on us and other people in the room. My doctor came in with the same fake smile as always. I chuckled as I sat up and perched on the edge of the bed as he put his gloves and face mask on.

"I'm getting too predictable," He joked so I chuckled as I waited.

"Almost, you had soup rather than a sandwich today," I explained as he positioned himself behind me to start dressing my wounds. He chuckled.

"I still have no idea how you always know, you're like a psychic," He chuckled. "Sharp pain," He added nonchalantly like he had said it a thousand times. I sucked air through my teeth. Groaning from the pain of applying the cream to sterilise it.

"You have a spot of red on your shirt that isn't blood," I explained through my groans. He seemed to pause for a second probably to look at his shirt. He laughed seemingly noticing it.

"Impressive," He added before applying my bandages and smoothing them down. I gripped the side of the bed as the pain jolted my whole body. "All done, you can relax," I sighed with relief and relaxed. "The nurse will come in with your morphine," He added making me smile, ah the good stuff! I rested back in bed, my muscles tensing when I sat back and a sharp pain ran up my spine. I groaned slightly and rested my head back. The doctor walked out. I looked over at Dean to see he was watching me with sad eyes.

"It is as bad as it looks," I joked, Dean chuckled but his eyes still showed his sorrow.

"When will you be able to leave?" He asked softly like he was afraid to hurt me. I thought for a second.

"I don't know," I explained sadly, looking away to try to hide my tear-filled eyes. I hate emotions and crying. It's a waste of time but being stuck here is really taking its toll on me. Dean seemed to understand and respect my want for silence and didn't press for me to talk. I was given my morphine and not long after fell asleep.

I woke in the middle of the night when I heard shuffling around and groans of pain. I quickly looked over to Dean in a panic. I saw him struggling to get up so I rose to my feet and helped him.

"You should have woken me if you needed the bathroom," I sleepily informed but he chuckled at me as I helped him stand up.

"I'm not going to the bathroom, I'm breaking out," He smirked at me. I didn't even hesitate to help.

"They're not just going to let you walk out, Take a wheelchair, I'll be back in a second," I said and hurried into the hallways. I approached the nurse's desk.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could page Doctor Raylor, he's urgently needed." I lied to the new nurse. She started training today so didn't question it.

"Wait here. I'll be right back with someone who can do that." She said rushingly. She hurried down the hall so I walked around the desk grabbed her jacket from the back of her seat and threw it on. I saw a guy's hoodie from another doctor and grabbed that too for Dean. I walked back to see Dean in a chair trying to push himself but from the pain, he was struggling. I threw the hoodie at him and started pushing him towards the exit. He put the hoodie on.

"What's the plan?" He asked.

"Walking out the front door," I shrugged.

"What? That's a stupid idea." He sighed. There was a stand of equipment so I pocketed a couple of bottles of liquid morphine, sterilising cream and bandages just in case. "Walking out isn't going to work…" He added in a knowing tone. I shushed him as I approached the front desk. The guy behind the counter looked at me.

"Hi," I said in a seductive tone and bit my lip. He smirked at me.

"Hello, beautiful," He replied in a deep voice.

"I was wondering when your shift finished," I smirked suggestively before sending him a wink. I heard Dean lightly scoff behind me as I made sure to rest on the desk pushing my boobs and butt out.

"3," He quickly said.

"See you then," I smirked again and started walking Dean out the door.

"This isn't going to work," Dean whispered but was silenced once we made it outside with no argument.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I sarcastically asked, gloating about my skills. Dean just laughed as we approached a random car. I pulled a knife out of the waistband of my underwear, Dean looked impressed and confused.

"A part of me wants to ask where you just pulled that from the other part of me is saying to leave it to the imagination," He commented making me laugh.

"I didn't realise you were such a flirt, Dean," I replied.

"I'm a dying man, I've got to make it worth it by at least getting one kiss from you," He smirked as I pulled the handle of an unlocked car and used the knife to hotwire it.

"In your dreams," I giggled but it was in my dreams too. what can I say? He's crazy attractive!

"We do more than kissing in my dreams." He added making me laugh before the engine roared to life. I winked at Dean before rolling him to the other side of the car and helped him into the passenger's seat before I got on the driver's side.

"So, where's Sammy boy?" I asked and Dean told me the place of a motel in which they were staying. I started driving for it.

"I still don't see how it worked, you flirted with the guy at the front desk, I mean I had a nice view where I was but you distracted him so much that he let us just stroll out," He spoke out of nowhere, I giggled.

"What can I say? It's a talent," I chuckled making him chuckle.

"You must have magical eyes," He added so I smirked. My eyes are a vibrant Y/E/C, everyone always loves them. I've been told many times that they sparkle when I'm flirting. It really is magical.

Masterlist

Working On

#fanfiction #fanfic #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester #dean winchester fanfiction #dean x reader #dean #dean winchester x reader

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fabraies-archive · 4 months

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HOW YOU GET THE GIRL K. DENKI x F! READER

summary having a non-committal boyfriend can be tough. What no one told you, was that having one that was more than committed could be a struggle, too.

warnings none. she's just a baby drabble to keep people happy (including me). Tooth rotting fluff ☝️maybe the ts title for kanye fans idk who knows

notes guess who came back from the dead!! It's been a little while, but here I am again (for how long is a mystery im not willing to uncover just yet). As an apology let me offer you this little drabble of mine that's been sitting in my drafts for quite a while..

You want to laugh. The situation is horribly, ridiculously comic. It was supposed to be your break from college, being back in your hometown and all, but your boyfriend does not seem to have the same definition than you when it comes to the word, 'break.

"What are you doing here !?" You shout at Kaminari, all the way from your bedroom, on the second floor of your two story house. "It's raining cats and dogs out there, are you insane ?" You release a little giggle you were unable to keep in, despite the urgency showing in your tone.

"For you!" The boy replies, moving the wet front pieces of his hair away from his forehead.

"Don't be stupid! You'll get hypothermia!"

"I can't go back home! It's past 11, the next bus is in thirty minutes!”

He did this on purpose, you think. He had to. No one willingly knows the entire night bus schedule, yet still decides to go stand in front of a pretty girl's house hoping she'll open her window to see which freak had the stupid idea to stand in the rain waiting for her. No one, except Kaminari.

"Come on, pity me and invite me inside, I know you want to!" He grins, hand above his squinting eyes, trying to minimalize the amount of droplets blurring his eyesight.

What an idiot, you think. He's right, though. You do want to invite him inside.

"See the ladder on your left ?" The blonde follows your instructions, looking around, until his eyes fall on a little red one, obviously made for kids, shining under the moonlight due to the cheap plastic material. He looks up at you in confusion, before you burst out laughing. "No, not this one, Einstein! The silver one, right behind the hedge!"

It takes him a hot minute and a few laps around the front yard to figure out where the ladder you're talking about is, but he gets there eventually.

"You need to be careful with that next part, okay?" You lean forward, hands gripping at your window sill in worry.

"If you scratch the facade, my dad will kill you and me both!" Kaminari nods fervently at your demand.

"Okay, alright. So just get this right under- Wait I got it. I got it!" Kaminari's tongue makes its way through his teeth as a sign of utmost concentration, and it takes everything in you to not start laughing, again.

You're about to stabilise the ladder under your window sill when the sound of footsteps can be heard all the way from downstairs, and your father's huffs gradually get louder as he goes up the stairs.

You whisper-shout Kaminari's name to get him to stand aside and hide while he still can, but the rain harshly hitting the facade muffles your voice, and prevent you from warning your not-so knight in his not-so shining armour.

Screw it, you think, as you make a run for your bed and swiftly slide under the covers, he'll figure it out!

As it turns out, Kaminari did not figure it out. Not only did your father catch you a leg away from being completely engulfed by the covers looking as guilty as ever, but he also had the great idea to look out by the window, only to find your stupidly loving boyfriend wave back at him, as if a late night rendez vous involving an impressively big ladder and a yellow haired idiot was more than normal on a random Tuesday night.

"What are you doing down there, son?"

"Um, I just.. I was looking at your geraniums, sir! Nice lot of flowers you have right there!"

At this, your father only sighs. Yours follows up only five seconds later, letting Kaminari know just how much he'd screwed this impromptu visit at his girlfriend's. Much to his surprise (and yours) your father's answer much differs to his reaction:

"Next time, just use the front door."

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flanaganfilm · 1 year

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Hey Mike! First off, it makes me so happy to see you out there fighting with your writer friends to ensure they receive a decent living wage for the amazing work that they do.

As for my question, I would love to hear about some of the inspiration for making Before I Wake. It and Absentia were the last two of your films that I watched, and BIW just absolutely destroyed me. No other movie, including and especially a horror flick, has ever made me bawl like a baby like that. The entire tone of the film is so spot-on, and the climax of the nightmare monster “dissolving” from its evil form after being embraced…. To me that scene just perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a parent, and human; sometimes we just need someone to hold us and let us know things will be all right. We spend so much of our time making sure that our children feel loved and cared for, that sometimes we forget about ourselves. And you just fucking nailed it, my dude.

Like I said, I would LOVE to read any backstory or inspiration that you have for this film! It’s so beautiful and underrated.

On the WGA front, don't be too impressed with me - I mean, I'm a professional writer, I've been a member of the WGA since Absentia, so I'm out there fighting for myself as much as everyone else.

But on the Before I Wake front, you know I very rarely get asked to talk about this one, so I'm happy to... fair warning for another long post!

Before I Wake was originally titled Somnia, which is latin for "dreams." It was part of an unofficial trilogy of sorts, comprised of Absentia, Oculus and Somnia. All three of those movies were meant to work together as a thematic triptych.

Ultimately, Before I Wake was brutally sabotaged by its own studio, who drastically undermined it creatively and then destroyed any hope of a meaningful release. It remains a particularly heartbreaking chapter of my career... but a film I have and will always have tremendous affection for.

A lot of people think that Somnia was made after Hush and Ouija: Origin of Evil, just before Gerald's Game, but this is entirely incorrect. It was actually the second "real" movie I ever made, and was actually shot before Oculus was even released.

The basic premise of Somnia focused around a little boy whose dreams manifested physically in the world around him, and was an original concept I carried around for a few years before Oculus got picked up by Intrepid Pictures. In fact, I've talked about my first meeting at Intrepid, where I pitched a few ideas that were rejected... Somnia was the first one I pitched. Trevor Macy opted to pursue Oculus that day, but he ended up producing Somnia right after.

This unofficial "latin trilogy" seemed to fit together well. Absentia was a somber and bleak look at the loss of hope, Oculus was more thrilling dive into the labyrinth of past trauma, and Somnia was meant to take that loss and trauma and end the triptych on a note of hope and healing.

In fact, the script for Somnia was written before Oculus was greenlit. On the page, it was my favorite of the three. I was very taken with the story of little Cody and his personal boogeyman, and of the revelation at the end of the story... that with understanding, even the most monstrous of our fears can lose their destructive power.

Cody's birth mother had died of cancer, and he had seen her just before her death. That final image of her, as well as a misunderstanding about the pronunciation of the word "cancer" had led to the creation of a monster in his mind, who he called the "Canker Man"... a gaunt figure who took away people that he loved. When he finally learns the truth about his monster, and about his mother, he begins to understand it all... and the monster loses its awful powers as empathy and understanding take root.

While Absentia finished its festival rounds and Oculus inched its way toward production, Somnia was my first script taken out to market by my new agency. I had signed with APA just as Intrepid engaged me on Oculus, which was my first studio writing and directing job. Jeff Howard and I finished our first draft of Oculus and turned it in to Intrepid, and immediately turned around and started writing Somnia.

The script got some interesting attention. While some of the more mainstream horror companies balked at the emotional ending and preferred a story that was "more about a boy and his monster" than the emotional wrap-up we insisted on, others understood it right away.

Elijah Wood and his producing partner Daniel Noah sought me out when they read the script. We met for drinks in Venice and I was absolutely starstruck, and we've remained friends ever since.

Jada Pinkett Smith was another big fan of the script, which led to a surreal afternoon at her stunning home where we talked about the story at length and watched an early cut of Oculus in her home theater. Will Smith joined us toward the end of the meeting, and I had a difficult time speaking.

I've written before about the drama surrounding Oculus' premiere and eventual sale to Relativity Media, so I won't rehash that now, but as Oculus raced toward release, Trevor Macy at Intrepid made an offer to produce Somnia for Relativity and I eagerly accepted. My first "real" movie was going to be released wide in theaters, and the same studio was going to double-down on me - Somnia was greenlit by Relativity for a big domestic theatrical release. We'd pre-sell our foreign territories on this promise, and they eagerly snatched the movie up. This was my own Hollywood dream, coming to life.

It wouldn't work out that way. In fact, Somnia would turn out to be the first nightmare of my career.

It started well enough. We had filmed Oculus in Daphne, Alabama, taking advantage of an aggressive tax rebate. We would do the same with Somnia, bringing back a lot of my Oculus crew and shooting in and around Fairhope. We began shooting in the fall of 2013, less than a year after we'd wrapped Oculus.

We hit the ground running. Very little time had passed since we wrapped Oculus, and the movie hadn't come out yet, so at first it felt a lot like we were just picking up where we left off.

Bruce Larsen, who also carved the Oculus mirror, working on a prototype of the Canker Man.

We had casting challenges. I was still a relatively unproven director, my first studio film hadn't been released, and this was an ambitious script. After a lengthy search (driven by foreign pre-sales, a process I knew nothing about and now quite detest), Kate Bosworth signed on to play Jessie, and Thomas Jane - who I admired greatly from his recent work in The Mist - joined the production as Mark. (Funny story - Tom arrived with hair down his shoulders, and vehemently didn't want to cut it. That disagreement put us off on an awkward foot, and I ultimately conceded the point to him... though I do regret that now.)

The major discovery was 7 year-old Jacob Tremblay as Cody. Jake had only made one movie before this, he had a small role in The Smurfs 2. His self-tape audition came out of nowhere and we knew was a a phenomenal talent. Right after we wrapped, I got a call that he was being considered for a movie called Room, and we shared some footage to help him get the part (that movie would establish him as one of the biggest and most sought after child actors in the world... but we had him first.)

We were committed to practical effects wherever possible, and creating a striking suit for our monster. It all felt like it was going to work. But the shoot would prove to be much more challenging than we anticipated.

The shoot itself was challenging for the typical reasons. There was a little creative tension on set with particular actors, we didn't have enough money to pull off our more ambitious visual moments, and we were forced to remove several production days at the last minute, throwing our schedule into a bit of chaos.

But none of these issues were particularly unusual for a lower budget film, and while it was more challenging and frustrating than Oculus had been, overall the shoot was just fine. I felt that our third act was pretty drastically under budgeted, and what was scripted to be a deep dive into a child's imagination was stripped down to a few vines on the walls and some moths... but other than that, I don't really have much to complain about.

(Fun fact: it was also the first time I would work with Annabeth Gish. We were fast friends, and though she was only with us for a few days, I knew we'd end up working together again.)

We wrapped the movie, I got to editing, and all seemed fine. It was a unique story, much less horror-centric and much more of a fairy-tale. This was, of course, by design. There was a delicate vibe to the whole thing, anchored on Jacob's arresting performance, and a shadowy magic. It felt innocent, wondrous, and ultimately cathartic.

Then, Relativity got their first look at the cut, and the problems started in earnest.

We had been clear (and aligned, I'd thought) about what kind of movie this was. But almost immediately, despite these conversations, the studio began to push the film more and more toward being a traditional horror movie.

We had designed a practical monster in the Canker Man. Our creature was tactile, practical, and - we believed - appropriately simple. After all, it was meant to have come from the mind of a child.

The studio kicked hard, and the directive came down to try to make the monster "much scarier."

There wasn't a lot we could do; we'd shot what we'd shot, after all. The decision was made to take our footage of our practical monster and drastically alter it using visual effects.

The Canker Man would be digitally warped and molded into a skeletal, grinning creature. The visual effects artists would be using footage that wasn't captured with the intention of being altered that way, so a lot of the artifice would be obvious. He'd become a little rough around the edges. We told ourselves that this would be okay... it was a dream, after all.

Early camera tests of our practical Canker Man suit

The final VFX-enhanced monster This began to nudge our monster away from our core concept. While our practical suit would always need some help from VFX, this was now tilting into an area that strayed from the true identity of the creature.

Another major sticking point was the plot itself.

In the movie, Cody's adopted mother Jessie is shocked to find a physical manifestation of her deceased son, Sean, after Cody sees his picture. She then goes about trying to "rebuild" her dead son in the imagination of her new foster child, hoping to see and interact with him more... "I just want to hear his voice."

This morally questionable exploitation of Cody was, to put it mildly, the entire point of the story. Jessie goes too far, and when she finally resorts to drugging Cody to force him to sleep in the hopes of seeing her lost son, he is unable to wake up from a nightmare and her husband is killed.

Jessie spends the rest of the film clawing her way back to redemption, and having to atone for what she's done, all while finally focusing on Cody's past and healing instead of her own.

As a character, Jessie does things we do not agree with, and they have serious, permanent consequences. And the moral murkiness of this was, frankly, the point.

The studio was flinching hard. "It makes her unlikeable," they argued. There was a push to try to back off of this, and to pull the punch... sure, she could exploit him somewhat, but they wanted to pull it back. Kate Bosworth's performance began to be altered in the cutting room, flinching away from some of the more decisive choices in favor of a more watered-down, morally generic heroine.

This middle ground would prove to be ill-advised.

As we were battling over the edit, something else happened. Oculus was released in theaters in April 2014.

If the movie was a huge hit, it would mean I would likely win more of these arguments, and Somnia would be restored to something closer to my vision. If the movie bombed, the studio could (and likely would) run ramshot over Somnia, twisting it into a more generic studio horror story and jettisoning things they didn't quite understand.

Ultimately, the movie performed... moderately. It was kind of right in the middle. It wasn't a failure, but it wasn't a hit either. Both sides dug in. And suddenly, Somnia was being twisted into something between two tones.

Citing the "disappointing" performance of Oculus (which, frankly, did just fine), the studio insisted that we write and shoot some additional "scares". Among them was one of the worst studio notes I'd ever receive (well, at least until I started working for Netflix.)

The entire premise of the film was that, when Cody slept, his dreams would manifest physically. When he woke up, they would vanish. This was, to put it bluntly, our only rule.

The note came in: "We need a scare set piece to occur when he is awake."

Now, I can't understate how nonsensical this is. It defied the entire premise of the movie. Their rationale (such as it was) was that the audience wouldn't ever be frightened when Cody was awake, because they knew the monsters only came when he was asleep.

"Well yeah," I said. "That's why it's important that the movie isn't just about scares."

But they were insistent. If a monster showed up while Cody was awake, that would be "truly thrilling" and "catch the audience off-guard."

It was the equivalent of saying "the shark in Jaws only attacks people if they're in the water. We need an attack to occur on land." I mean, that would really catch the audience off-guard.

I had no idea how to address this note.

It was early in my career, I didn't have a theatrical hit under my belt, and I didn't have the ammunition to fight it. So I had to address it somehow, and it had to satisfy the studio, or else we may not get our theatrical release after all.

So I ended up writing a scene where Cody is wide awake, only to be attacked in his bed by the specter of a deceased bully (a previous victim of one of his dreams).

How the fuck were we going to make this make any sense? Well, we had to write a whole other scene - much earlier in the film - where a therapist explains the concept of "waking dreams." Jay Karnes (who was a lovely person and one hell of a good sport) had to randomly say "you know, some people can dream while they're awake" to Bosworth, desperately trying to set up this moment.

It doesn't quite work, to say the least. Cody looks under his bed, sits up, and is attacked by this eye-less specter. Then, he's dragged screaming under his bed, until the attack just... stops, for some reason.

We filmed it, and I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever shot (it wasn't, though - the stupidest thing I've ever shot remains the on-screen stalking and murder of a cat in the pilot of Midnight Mass, a truly braindead scene that Netflix insisted on adding.)

Along with this scene, which would become the crux of Relativity's trailer, we shot several other random scares that were peppered throughout the movie. Now, this wasn't enough to tip the film entirely into being a horror film... just enough to make it exist awkwardly in between two genres.

It got worse. The addition of all this new "horror" material made the film longer (go figure), so the directive came down to begin removing other elements to make room. Those elements were character development and context.

The cut began to get bumpy. The fairy-tale tone of most of our original footage was at odds with the overt horror tone the studio was insisting upon. Every time we tested one of these cuts, the audience was understandably confused... they really loved the concept, they really loved Jacob, and they all loved the ending revelation - but along the way, what was this movie? Was it a horror film? Was it a drama? A fantasy?

Even with this, our test screenings were actually pretty good. We were testing in the high sixties and seventies - which is, infuriatingly, right in that middle zone: not good enough to kill the studio interference, but not bad enough to let them take over.

So we kept fighting. And we kept cutting. And we kept testing. And with each screening, the studio forced it further and further into this no-man's land.

There were a few victories, though. Danny Elfman came on board to collaborate with the Newton Brothers on our score. Some of our non-horror sequences, like a scene involving Christmas-light butterflies, were being called out by our test audiences in the best ways. But the tug-of-war over the basic identity of the film was tipping decidedly toward the more horror-centric approach.

Finally, the studio came after the title. Somnia was too confusing, they said. Nobody knew what it meant. So, we added a scene where Jay Karnes - once again having to naturally sell force-fed exposition - literally defines the world "somnia" during a therapy scene (these therapy scenes were basically being used to spoon-feed material to the audience.)

That wasn't enough, though. The studio began workshopping other titles, and they landed on perhaps my most hated of all of the options: the ultra-generic Before I Wake, a title already used by a handful of low-budget thrillers over decades. We conceded after it was made clear that it wasn't really up to me in this case, and we limped into what I consider to be the worst title of my career.

With our new uneven tone, a new and "improved" monster, and a groan inducing title, they finally agreed to stop messing with the movie and honor their commitment to releasing it wide.

You tell yourself a lot of things in this business, and I told myself that the heart of the story - the revelation about where the concept of the Canker Man came from - was still intact, so all would be well. Viewers would be able to look past some of the bumps because the payoff was worth it.

But we didn't know what else was happening at Relativity.

They announced the release date for the film, posters started showing up in theaters, and we were anxiously awaiting our big wide theatrical release... when suddenly everything stopped.

We didn't know it yet, but Relativity Media was having huge financial problems. They were on the verge of bankruptcy, as a matter of fact, and though they weren't admitting it yet, internally they were in a state of absolute chaos.

Without warning or explanation, the studio moved us off our date. The movie wouldn't be released after all. We immediately knew something was very wrong, despite Ryan Kavanaugh's insistence that our date was "just a bad date," and that he'd moved the movie in order to make it "an even bigger success." No, this whole thing stunk. It stunk bad.

They set another date, and we watched and waited. But no trailers. No marketing. And then... that date was pushed as well. Again, they insisted everything was fine. But we knew. Something was deeply wrong with the company, and they were lying to us.

Some of this played out publicly. Kavanaugh and I got into a spat on Twitter when I suggested that the studio wasn't able to release the movie theatrically after all (I still don't regret saying this, and man oh man, was I proven right).

Meanwhile, our international distributors were scrambling. We'd sold a lot of international territories off the promise of our big theatrical release in North America, and they weren't going to wait forever. By the third time Relativity pushed our release date, the whole house of cards fell down, and various international territories started releasing the film haphazardly on whatever platforms they could.

There was no coordinated release strategy. Suddenly, the film was just available in Argentina, for example. Or it was On Demand in Russia. I remember being shocked when a German Blu-ray appeared on eBay without warning.

There was no rollout to critics, no coordination at all. Within a few weeks, it was pirated and available on torrent sites everywhere. And without a proper press rollout, the only reviews available were trickling in from these international markets, or random blogs in other countries. A slew of reviews - many of which were from obscure blogs in Russia and Turkey, not even written in English - hit Rotten Tomatoes. With no counterpoint from any credible critics, we debuted with a 30% rotten rating.

It would stay this way for years.

Relativity finally admitted the truth, declared bankruptcy, and went to court. Our movie was dragged down into the vortex with it. Our abysmal tomatometer score suggested that the movie wasn't released because it was bad, not because the studio had gone bankrupt. This assumption stuck to us like glue as the film languished in bankruptcy court.

Heartbroken, we turned our attention elsewhere. I would write and direct both Hush and Ouija: Origin of Evil before the whole distribution saga of Before I Wake was finally resolved.

In the years that followed, very little would be said about Before I Wake, and whatever was said was absolutely not positive... how bad must this movie be, after all, to be so unceremoniously pulled from the release? Some theaters just left the poster up, still saying "Coming Soon." I know of one theater in LA that had it up for over a year.

By the time Relativity finally settled their mess, and the film was unceremoniously given back to us with the most lackluster apology imaginable, and our chances of a domestic theatrical distribution were entirely obliterated. The film was already available online through piracy and a tiny handful of foreign blogs had defined our critical reception. No other studio would touch it.

We were able to arrange one screening of the film once it was unencumbered... we had a single showing at Fantastia in Montreal, a festival I adore. Instead of a huge worldwide theatrical release, the movie would play exactly one time, to one audience.

It was sold out, it played wonderfully, and it remains one of my favorite screenings of my career.

With Mitch Davis, Fantasia's artistic director, Kate Bosworth, and my wife Kate Siegel.

In the years that had passed since we shot Before I Wake, Kate Siegel and I had gotten married. At the premiere, and in the picture above, Kate was pregnant with our son.

We named him Cody, after the little boy in Somnia... the little boy whose dreams came true.

In 2016, Netflix acquired the North American rights to Before I Wake, and quietly dumped it on the service. There was no premiere, no rollout, no screeners sent to critics. One day it just appeared on the service without fanfare, as Netflix does to so many titles.

It didn't even appear on the New Releases tab.

A few critics found the movie on their own, and slowly some new reviews started to trickle out. Bloody Disgusting led the charge, discussing how the film had been wrongfully maligned over the years, and correcting identified it as a "haunted fairy tale" that was being handicapped by the expectations that it was a horror film.

Our tomatometer began to slowly rise. After some time, it tipped out of "rotten" into "fresh"... and today stands comfortably at 66%. Those early, malicious reviews are still there, the movie is still scarred by them... but despite Relativity (and eventually Netflix's) efforts to rebrand the movie as a straight horror film, most critics were able to see it for what it truly was.

Our audience was as well, for the most part. Some viewers yawning their way through the Netflix original horror feature section would find it, and get something maybe just a little more thoughtful than they were expecting. A few people reached out to me to talk about losing their own loved ones to cancer, or about how the sweeter elements of the story impacted them. I've always been grateful for that.

But ultimately, the movie was just brutalized by its studio. I've never again had so much damage inflicted on a project by a creative partner and supposed collaborator. And while Netflix did the bare minimum when it came to releasing the movie, I am still very grateful that that they even did that much... if it wasn't for Netflix picking it up, I think there's every chance Before I Wake would have never been made available at all.

I'm proud of the movie. It's not perfect, by any means - it was an ambitious sophomore effort and I had a lot to learn about a lot of things - but it has some beautiful ideas and some moments that really work. I see its flaws clearly, too, and while I tell myself some were out of my control (like the awkward scares forced on us by Relativity), others were most certainly entirely on me. Not everything works, and that's okay.

But man, Jacob Tremblay is phenomenal in this movie. And I absolutely adore the final ten minutes.

My son Cody is almost 7 now, exactly as old as Jacob was when he was cast to play his namesake. I hope Cody's dreams come true; that's why we named him what we named him.

Sometimes, our dreams don't come true quite how we might expect.

Hollywood is just kinda like that, I guess.

#before i wake #behind the scenes

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aita-blorbos · 2 months

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Am I the Asshole for Sucking People Dry?

Perhaps I should not rely on public opinion to soothe my bruised ego, but I have, quite frankly, had it up to here with the baseless accusations and slanders leveled against my respectable name, and thus I demand clarification from an objective crowd once and for all.

I (M, stopped counting at 14) happen to have inherited the legendary and historically meaningful title of the "Dark Sorcerer" from the spirit of the previous Dark Sorcerer at a young age. Of course, a title such as this bear responsibilities and expectations, namely the dedication of my life to the amassing of as grand an amount of magical power as ever possible to further the prestige and status of the title. The traditional way to accomplish this is to absorb magic energy from outside sources, an ability that is generally inherited alongside the "Dark Sorcerer" title. Now, for the most part I have always preferred to rely on helpless targets for my purposes: magical artifacts, natural nexi of environmental power, lingering magic of the deceased... But, occasionally, I have indeed, ahem, taken passing sorcerers back to my abode for a, let's say, "extraction". Not all (or most) of them willingly, of course, but it all had its purpose. The majority of them were children and young teenagers anyway. What good could they have possibly done with such impressive power on them? If you ask me, I have done them a favor for relieving them of the responsibility of such grand strength. If they do not resist it barely even hurts!

Now, one or two of them may have perished in the extraction process, but am I really supposed to take responsibility for that, when they were appropriately warned to just calmly wait in their cells? They all were aware of the dangers it entails when they began practicing the craft of sorcery, I am sure.

In any case, my collection of power progressed quite well. Until one of my vict-- I mean, targets escaped.

Let's call her "A" (F, 16+). She was a young sorceress with power she clearly was not capable of using appropriately, so I decided to swiftly relieve her of that burden. She did not agree with my assessment, humiliated me in a duel in front of the entirety of my hired staff and left, leaving my underground abode a mess. Now, as she won our battle fair and square, I would not take issue with her just having gone on her merry way until the next time I attempt to take her for my own... If that had been all she had done!

Instead, ever since our initial encounter, she has insisted on making a fool of me and spreading entirely untrue and baseless rumors about me among everyone she comes across! Branding me as a "creeper" or "skeezy" and shamefully misinterpreting my words in any way possible, just to make fun of me! Treating my every attempt to challenge her to a serious, respectable battle for her power as a joke, no, a game even! As a result, there is an entire township now where the magic-using population know me only as a weirdo and a joke and has absolutely no respect of my prowess as the "Dark Sorcerer"! I suspect A is doing this all in a sort of attempt at revenge, to make me feel as if I need to change my ways and "settle down". She has indeed insinuated things of that sort in the past. But all I am doing is living by the ancient tradition of the title passed on to me! How can she not understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with ravaging the weak if it is to maintain the ancient order of sorcery itself?

You all agree, don't you? She is being ridiculous, isn't she! I am just acting the way I am supposed to act! And I am NOT a skeezy creeper!!

I require validation!!!

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 9 months

Note

Am I (33, f) the asshole for bringing up a childhood story that made my cousin (36, f) uncomfortable in front of others?

Obviously based on the title alone, I'm an asshole, but I think I might be justified and would like a second opinion.... thanks!

So a little back story for context....I love my cousin. I truly do. We all grew up together so all of us are more like sisters than cousins. my cousin is beautiful, loud, and boisterous. She's loves to get attention and will try to get it anywhere she can. She posts on FB multiple times a day about her job, kids, or relationship. She's the golden child and she tries her hardest to live up to that reputation. She's the type of person who will get out of her car after a good song dancing and singing at the top of her lungs, especially if there are other people around to watch her, much to her kids dismay lol. She just knows how to have a good time and I honestly love that about her. I tend to be more reserved and relaxed, so I get a kick out of our differences.

But with that, she tends to be.... disingenuous... when someone steals the spot light from her, even when it's unintentional (which is the majority of the time, like they will just be sharing a story from work or something). She will act unbothered by it, but then her attitude will totally change. she will be fake nice and then bring up something that will make the person either embarrassed or want to retreat... then go right back to being content when the attention is back on her again. She does it so often, I kind of expect it to happen every time we hang out.

So here's the part where I may be the asshole... we're at a playzone for one of our other cousins kids' birthday and we're in a good handful sized group of adults chit chatting. A few people I've never met before but she knows them and we were all getting along just fine.

People tend to naturally be drawn to me because I try to be open and get along with most people, so I've been on the receiving end of my cousin's attitude a handful of times and this was one of those times lol. I'm typically not bothered by it because I'm a pretty confident person for the most part and I know my cousin well enough not to take it personally, but this time annoyed me because this is now the 5th time she's bringing this story up. It was like she didn't get the reaction out of me that she wanted the first 4 times, so now she really needed to land it this time. So I gave her a reaction....

A few minutes before I was sharing a story that the others were impressed by, I guess, but we moved on from it and I didn't think any more of it. Then while we were all talking, I believe I excused myself because I let out a small burp. So she goes, loudly so the group can hear, "do you remember when you were 6 and you were crying to your dad because your butt was itchy and you wanted him to scratch it? I don't know why, but your burp reminded me of that". So I'm like "ok? So?" Kids cry for stupid shit all the time and I was a stupid kid lmao. So I brushed it off but she decided to keep pushing it! And was like "yeah you were crying because you didn't want to scratch your ass and you sat there crying until it went away"

I was and still am unbothered by the story she brought up but I was more than a bit annoyed that she wouldnt let it go, so without much thinking I said "no I don't remember that as clearly as you do.... But I do remember my sister slapping the fuck out of you for saying something racist (we're half Asian) and out of pocket. Then you cried to your mama then she told your mom that you were lucky that all you got was a slap to the face... do you remember that?" She went ghost white, looked around the group and said "family is funny like that, huh?"

So am I the asshole for bringing up a story that made my cousin uncomfortable?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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queen-shiba · 16 days

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[Insert title here]

@killersweetie

"I should remind you, I'm not helping you."

Those were the words Leona had to say to the prefect. After she returned from one hellacious encounter with two eels! After he overblotted! After he caused a great inconvenience!

Reign looked up from her lap, her pondering having come to a stop. She looked incredulous... Offended.

"Not helping...?" She stood up, "After all that trouble you caused me??"

"I won't repe-"

"MY ASS!!" A pillow was thrown his way, which the housewarden caught, "You don't get to look at ME and tell ME you're not helping!! No no, you OWE ME!!"

Now it was Leona's turn to get angry, "Owe you? I don't remember you doing me any favors, herbivore." If looks could kill, the prefect would be dead ten times over.

"Oh I remember saving your punk ass life! Did you forget how you overblotted already?" Reign crossed her arms, "I sure the fuck didn't! Mind you, ya also went outta your way to be the biggest thorn in my side while we were investigating this fuck ass dorm y'all don't even have the sense to clean!"

Ruggie and Grim took several steps back, watching the two go at it. They were like a married couple...

"But y'all want me to come in here and be your fuckin maid when I came here in need of a place to stay tryna help these raggedy ass kids because not nan none of y'all got sense! No home training whatsoever!" She went on, waking most of the dorm with her booming voice.

Leona strided over to her with a snarl. She picked a bad night to challenge his dominance... AND keep him awake! He could be sleeping right now but this woman....

"I told you that if you were gonna stay, you'd pull your weight. We don't need anyone useless staying here."

Reign locked eyes with him, unafraid. It didn't make it better that she wasn't much shorter than he was, hardly having to look up at all.

"I remember specifically stating that I wasn't gonna fucking clean this room! It's yours! Not mine! I don't wanna be here! This is by far one of the MOST unwelcoming spaces for me! But I don't wanna go anywhere else! This is the only place I can go where I have SOME freedom and where people are familiar!" Just what didn't this guy understand!? Honestly.. None of these boys had any respect! He was a lion! You'd think he'd understand that concept at most!

Fuck, she felt like crying... Why did this have to be so damn hard!?

"I've done nothing but slave away for everyone here and be the school's bitch! I'm not doing that anymore! I'm.." She trailed off, trying to collect herself, taking a step back with a shaken exhale.

"I'm not going to fight with you... I'm sick of the disrespect... You're going to help me regardless of whether or not you want to. I'll drag you by your tail if I gotta." She threatened, turning her back on him to sit down.

The prefect ran her hands down her face, clearly distressed. She couldn't cry in front of them... They wouldn't care... No one would... No one ever had...

This was so stupid... She just wanted to go home.. Now she was stuck mothering a bunch of babies! Man babies no less!

Leona thumped his tail against the floor, looking over her.

Dammit... Why did she have to be so damn testy...

It would make him mad if she were anyone else... He would have put her in her place by now, but damn, he couldn't... He couldn't even look at her without his heart racing...

She looked distressed.. He caused that... Everything did.. He was just a contributing factor, really.. If he could ever hope to impress then he should... He should help... To at least make her more comfortable.

Why was this his concern!?

"Fine... I'll help..." He sighed.

Reign looked up, surprised, "What..?"

"I'm not repeating myself..."

The prefect processed for a moment before a small smile, one of relief adorned her features.

"Thank you..." She exhaled, seeming to have a lot of weight lifted off her shoulders.

It made Leona's heart swell...

This was gonna be a long night for sure....

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bugs1nmybrain · 7 months

Note

Have you heard the song “give your heart a break” by Demi Lovato imagine that as a cute love story for Shigaraki with the female reader?

(I was thinking about just using the song as a story title and then use your imagination and get creative with whatever you choose and just have fun with it?😅)

Give Your Heart a Break - a soft Tomura Shigaraki x fem!reader series

CHAPTER 1 (Minors Don't Interact)

You can read Chapter 2 here.

Notes: You asked for a love story, and you're getting a love story XD. I plan for this to be a continuing series. No overarching goal with this series, just a sweet story about how Shigaraki fell hard for the reader. It will be messy! Shigaraki is not a healthy guy and would be a vile boyfriend, but I will make this as fluffy as possible. Underneath all that homicidal rage is just a boy who was never loved. This is admittedly a very, "I can fix him," kind of story lmao.

Summary: First encounter between Shigaraki and the reader. The whole chapter is literally Shiggy freaking out in GameStop because you walked in and you're so pretty and he wants to talk to you but doesn't know how.

Warnings will come and go as each chapter comes out.

Warnings: The canon of BNHA is altered; quirks still exist but Shigaraki is more of a domestic gang leader than a domestic terrorist lmao. NSFW (no sex in this chapter), Shigaraki is a creep, fluff, blue-haired Shigaraki (season 4ish), CHEESY, Shigaraki hears voices and has very loud intrusive thoughts (they are highlighted in blue and red), POV swings, CLIFFHANGER

Notes about Reader's Appearance and Personality: HEAVILY based off of me. She's shy and polite up front but silly and vulgar with people close to her. She is short and a little thicc. Alternative clothing style and she's messy looking. She is a gamer! She is insinuated to be Shigaraki's age (20), maybe even older. She likes anime! She has crooked teeth.

Tomura wasn't unlike other 20-year-old men in that he found himself checking out girls from time to time. He usually didn't do more than look in his peripheral vision, actually, love and romance and even sex were all things Tomura wasn't acquainted with. There's no way someone so twisted could ever be loved.

Tomura loved giving off the impression that he needed nobody. Even in the League, he isolated a lot while the other members would be doing something together. He'd retreat to his own room and play games or plan out operations, but sometimes he'd retreat so that he could cuddle up with his favorite body pillow and just lay there.

He'd probably kill anyone who ever found out about it, but he was starving for love. To be touched, held, kissed. For someone to play with his hair and be comfortable around him. Everyone's so afraid of him, and that's a good thing! However, sometimes he just wished he had someone, just ONE person who wanted his company. Someone to listen to him rant for hours about how much he hates heroes, someone to play games with, someone to make love to, or someone to just hold for comfort when he was stressed.

He'd commit mass genocide if anyone knew he'd had imaginary girlfriends.

Now, a big scary bad guy like Tomura could get a girlfriend, right?? Just use those scare tactics, hold her by the throat with one finger up, and tell her she has no option but to love him. Steal her, hide her, keep her to himself? Sure, the fantasy was a little hot to him, and he could so easily do it. Tomura didn't want that though. As possessive as he is, he wanted to be loved. Not feared. He's feared plenty.

He'd kill if anyone knew how much pain he's in every time he sees a cute couple walk into GameStop. It pisses him off so bad. Why can't he have that?

"Well, doi, Shigaraki. You're a murderer, a psychopath, and a villain. Just one touch and it's over. What girl is going to want your hands all over her?"

"Whatever."

Shigaraki was currently at GameStop looking for a video game he'd been wanting to play. He picked the game and came up with a few fingers, turning it the other way around to read the details. As he was reading, he heard a ding from the door, meaning someone was entering the store. Shigaraki always looked when it went off because he could never be too sure that some hero bounty hadn't tracked him down. He looked over to the door, expecting it to be nothing special.

Whatever Tomura was feeling right now started in his eyes. Goodness, you were so...colorful. Not even! It was funny, considering you were wearing mostly black. However, your pretty hair that was put up in pigtails and your sharp black eyeliner made you stand out like a sore thumb.

You were little, too. Tomura looked in comparison as you stood at the door, seeing that you were only around the 5' mark on the height scale.

The feeling started going to his brain now. You stepped closer and closer to the store, your pumped boots making you seem all big (even tho ur're small), bad, and mysterious. He worried you were going to walk over to his area, but you made a beeline toward the anime section.

"Hehe weeb."

Tomura didn't want to stand out, so he just stayed put, looking at games he was never going to play. He didn't even read the labels, he merely pretended to so he could observe you. He saw the other losers in the store eyeball you, too. That made him wanna kill them for some reason. He wanted to get a proper look at you, but he didn't want you to know that he was blatantly creeping on you. Even if he just looked at you, you'd probably leave the store like that. After all, he was wearing a black hoodie and the parts of his face that were visible were his rather creepy features. He'd scare you off.

He's planned some pretty crazy missions before, surely he could gather intel on you in your short time in GameStop, right?

He wanted a better look at you, so he switched from the PS area to the T-shirts. He even pretended to do a little "aha" at the shirts to make it seem like he wasn't purposely there so he could see you better. When he could get a solid look, though, he instantly needed to know everything about you.

Goodness, he's a simp, huh? You were just so goshdarn cute. Sure, he saw gothic and alt girls around the mall all the time. You looked a bit silly, though. Your makeup wasn't bad, but it was messy. Your hair could probably use some brushing too. You held a phone that had a case of some anime guy, though he didn't know which one.

"Hehe weeb."

Fuck, you were heading his way. He didn't know if he should leave before you were near him or just stay. You kept your distance anyway, as you were standing very far off to the side. Surely, you weren't able to get a good look at the shirts. He stepped back, hoping that you'd be able to tell he was giving you room. You smiled and said, "thank you," going to step forward.

Now the feeling was going to his nuts.

Now that you were in front of him, he got a nice view of the back of you. Not only could he see up close how small you really were, but he got a great view of your more intimate areas. He could tell from your skirt that you had wide hips and thick thighs, which made him pop a tiny smirk while you weren't looking.

"Grab her."

Oh, come on, not now.

Stupid fucking voices. Though, they had a point. She's small and seems polite enough to manipulate. She's thick but probably isn't that heavy in the grand scheme of things. Alone. And she ain't getting nowhere in those shoes.

While his voice distracted him, you had managed to end up at the registrar with a t-shirt in your hand. Tomura didn't really think as he bolted over behind you, he wasn't ready for you to leave. He already had his game that he had to buy so it wasn't like he was in line for no reason.

The feeling started going into his blood. He felt hot, and it was because of the stupid cashier making jokes with you and being friendly. Your laugh. He could tell it was fake, but you were so warm?

"Pet her hair."

Wow, ok, Tomura thought. Sometimes they'd say very bizarre things. Voices were confusing because he could never tell if they were deep-seated desires of his or if his brain just purposely wanted to fuck him over.

She started to pull out her wallet to pay but ended up dropping something. It landed right at Tomura's feet, so he bent down to grab it. A debit card!

"I'm sorry," you laugh nervously.

Tomura made sure to read your name intently before handing it back to you.

"No worries, hah. Guess I got to be somebody's hero today," he joked. Fuck. That was a bad joke wasn't it?

"That'd be the first time a hero has done anything helpful for me, then, haha."

...!

"That was a jab at heroes, wasn't it?" He thought. Now the feeling was in his chest. Maybe he's running with too little information but that sounded like an "I hate heroes," joke. Oh, now he's really got to know you.

"Yeah, maybe if they got off all those stacks they make they'd actually save a life, huh?"

"Hehe! You get it!"

You were smiling at him. And laughing. But not the fake laugh you gave the cashier. Your cheeks also flushed up as you giggled at his insult to hero society and he even got to see your teeth. Crooked, like his. He felt paralyzed, being able to look at you without sneaking it this time.

"I like your hair," you said to him.

Shit. He didn't even notice his hoodie fell off when he grabbed your card. Hopefully, the shopkeeper didn't know what "Shigaraki" was supposed to look like.

"I don't see many guys with blue hair like yours."

His eyes lit up when you said that. He may have even felt a small blush creep on his cheeks. Tomura knew he had an ugly face, one that made people whisper and steadily move away from him. But you complimented his hair instead of getting creeped out by him. "Really?"

"Yea. I like it a lot. Most people go for dark blue, but your color is prettier."

Pretty?!

He could swear that he can see you flustered. Is he making you blush? He didn't even do anything but have blue hair.

"Sorry, that was weird," you stammer, realizing that the word "pretty" could've offended him.

"Oh, no. You're fine! I like your hair too, the way you styled it is cute," he beams, hoping to earn some flirting points. You flashed him an adorable smile back, so he must've struck a chord.

"Ma'am, I don't mean to interrupt, but there's a line," the cashier says, getting your attention.

"Oh, right."

The way your voice shot down maybe two octaves was so funny to Tomura. You were so bubbly and flustered with him and yet so dry and indifferent with this guy. You were so interesting already. It's a good thing he made sure to remember the name on that card. Your name fits you so well, too.

You paid for your shirt and started leaving the store. Fuck, no! He didn't want you to go just yet.

"Stop her."

"Grab her."

"Tell her she's hot."

"jesus christ shut the fuck up!" Tomura mutters to himself as quiet as he could. He was trying so hard to think of how to get your attention again, but before he could, you had already been no where to be found.

"Stupid short bitch, I'll find you."

He may have thought of that one voluntarily.

#shigaraki x reader #shigaraki tomura #shigaraki tomura x reader #tomura shigaraki x reader #tomura shigaraki #shiggy x reader

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short-honey-badger · 7 months

Text

Life Imitates Art Part 2

Part 2 is finally out! Buggy meets his lil Shadow! Enjoy!

Warnings! Some violence.

Masterlist

@writingmysanity @browneyedhufflepuff @kenkenmaaa @foggyturtleknightangel

Buggy the Clown paced back and forth within his ship. They had already overstayed their welcome on the little island, but the rumors that his copycat had him stalled. He wanted to meet the person who dared to dress like him of all people. He had sent out the Funan Brothers to go look for someone dressed like him, and while obviously confused, the tightrope walking trio left without a word.

Buggy couldn't decide if he was outraged or impressed by your audacity to copy his flashy look. Why in the world would someone want to copy him? It confused him, and it annoyed him even more because apparently, it's been years of this going on, and he is just now finding out about it. Well, you must have gotten sloppy with whatever your angle was because now he knows about your sneaky ways.

A commotion at the entrance of the tent has Buggy running for his chair and propping up in it as if he hadn't just been pacing a hole in the floor. He fixes his hat and lounges in his chair, slinging one leg over the arm and propping his chin on his fist. The Captain needs to paint a frightening picture for his guest.

"Found em, Captain!" The tallest of the brothers shouted and shoved a figure into the tent that has been set up on the Big Top. Another brother shoves them again and they yelp as they stumble to their knees in front of him, "Sneaking around the news station dress up just like you."

"Yeah! Probably out there making fun of our Captain!" One of them hissed at the kneeling figure.

"Good job, boys. Pick out some booze from our latest haul," Buggy called to them, and the three brothers cheered about how amazing their Captain is before running off.

Now alone with his shadow, Buggy examines them. From here, all he could see was the stripes bandana and the tan overcoat that covered them. He could tell that they were smaller than him, and he wondered if this was just come kid parading around to make fun of him. The thought made him clench his teeth, embarrassment and anger ringing through him.

"Look at me," Buggy demands, voice low and threatening.

You raise your head, fear and nerves rattling your down to your bones as you stare up at the man who changed your life. He is glaring down at you, but even from here, you can see the surprise light up his face. The Captain hadn't expected to be faced with a woman, especially one as lovely as you. Despite his rage, Buggy is man enough to admit when he likes something, and you all dressed up as him tickles his fancy.

"You're a woman?" Buggy demands and you blush under your face paint, nodding quickly to his question.

"Yes, Captain," you say. You don't want to make him angry. You've seen how cruel and monstrous Buggy can be when provoked.

Buggy scoffs, what right did you have to call him by his title when you've been parading around as him for who knows how long? He slings his leg down, boots thudding loudly on the deck of his ship, and then he stands, walking forward so that he looms over You.

You flinch when he grabs your bandana and uses it to jerk your head back so that you are forced to stare up at him. You flush at having the man you admire so close to you, heat pulling heavy in your lower stomach despite the position he has you in. Buggy is silent, eyes flickering over your face as he examines you.

"Not a bad job for a copycat," Buggy murmurs, and you could die happy in that moment at hearing the mild impressed tone. His hand tightens, fingers pulling your hair hard enough that you whine, and Buggy leans in more, red nose almost close enough to bump into, "But I want to know why."

You open your mouth to explain your actions, but Buggy just keeps talking, and you shut your mouth with a click.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you? Going around, having a jolly good time spreading rumors," Buggy snarles hotly, voice pitching up into a yell, "Telling anyone who will listen how much of a coward Buggy the Clown is!"

He's getting worked up, the smile on his face terrifying and manic as he stares down at you. He lets go of your bandana to stalk a circle around you, and you wait with baited breath as he comes to a stop behind you. Something cold and sharp is suddenly pressed against your neck, and you are careful not to move as Buggy fists your braid.

"I bet the Navy put you up to this, didn't they? Told you all about me and my crew to try and get close, huh?" He snarled, and you whined again when the blade against your throat pressed down. Buggy watches in fascination as a bead of blood wells up and trickles down your pale throat. He has a sudden want to know just how you taste.

The Captain's mind works overtime, thinking about everything that the Navy could have told you about. His heart thuds in his chest, fear corsing through him at the thought of someone finding out his biggest secret. No one needed to know that he had been part of Roger's crew. Fuck, did you know? The Navy didn't even know.

There was always someone out to get him, and it made him even angrier when he thought of the blasted Navy paying off someone to spread misinformation about him. No wonder he and his crew have been so lucky lately. They had been watched this entire time!

Your eyes widen. Is that what he thought? Shit. You shouldn't have been so surprised. Your captain, even if he hadn't accepted you yet, was a paranoid bastard. You needed to set the facts straight now!

"No!" You exclaim and heedless of the knife, turn your head to desperately stare up at the blue haired man. You wince when it cuts you, but it isn't bad and can easily be ignored, "Thats not it at all, Captain."

"Ohhh? Is that so?" Buggy mocks you and rolls his eyes dramatically, "Or are you lying just to save your skin?"

You bristle at the insult and try hard not to let it show on your face, "The only lying I have ever done has always been for you, Captain Buggy. Why do you think you've had such an easy voyage around East Blue the past couple of years? The convenient treasure maps and the obvious directions you've found? That was all me, trying - and failing - to get your attention!"

You don't realize how loud you are until you hear your voice echo inside the circus tent and you heave a mighty breath once you've finished your tangent. You look at the blue haired man to find his face the very picture of shock. You look away, suddenly embarrassed by your passionate shouting.

Buggy stares down at his copycat, at his shadow in a new light. Thinking back on it now, Buggy should have been much more suspicious of all of his good luck in the past few years, especially considering the kind of luck that usually followed him.

He swallows harshly and steps away from you, untangling his hand from your hair and tucking away his knives away swiftly, "...Really?" Buggy asks slowly, and you give him a miffed look from where you still kneel in the middle of the floor.

"Yes, Really," you tell him and you try to not show your surprise when the blue haired man circles back around and plops right on the floor, cross cross apple sauce in front of you.

"Why?" The Captain demands, and you huff at the suspicious tone he uses with you. Though, you shouldn't be shocked to hear it. Your Captain is a paranoid bastard.

"You saved my island. Left us poor wretches alone and plundered Top Town," you explain to him and blush at his intense stare, "After you left, those rich bastards tried to take it all back, so, I started dressing like you. No one bothered me like this, and I was able to make sure that stupid door Richie knocked down stayed down."

Your eyes never once leave the pirate. You needed him to understand how much he had changed your life and how he had shaped it.

"I saved up some money and learned how to sail. That's when I started to follow you, as best I could anyways, helping when I could to try and get the Navy off your back. Now we're here," you finish with a lame shrug.

Buggy is silent for a while, mulling over your story. Your voice is sincere, and drips with truth, and Buggy can't help but want to believe you. He vaugly remembers the island you spoke about, but the Captain has been to so many since that he can't remember the details. He hums in thought. What to do? What to do?

"Well then, since you've been so honest and so... helpful," he begins and a mischievous grin spreads across his face, "I think you deserve a reward," he leans up on his knees, gloved hand tucking his knuckles under your chin and bring your face up, "I've got a couple things in mind."

#fanfic #reader insert #one piece #op buggy #buggy x y/n #buggy x you #buggy x reader #buggy the clown #opla buggy #captain buggy #buggy one piece

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literallykenmaandshoyo · 1 year

Text

YKWIM

Satori Tendou x Female!Reader

Warnings: Language, Angst, Reader was really just trying to help Tendou through some rough times and Tendou snapped at her >:(, sad Tendou

Word Count: 2.7k

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I've noticed that everyone really liked the Tendou smut I posted a couple of days ago and I've been so happy to see the reblogs and likes that its gotten! I've been recovering from being sick for the past six days and I don't know why I'm on such a Satori kick lately! He's a huge comfort character for me I feel, so I wrote SO MANY fics for him. I'll post them all and then I'll move on from posts about him, I'm sorry😭 Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this angst! Feel free to send in an ask if you have a request or even just some feedback:)

Author's note pt.2: I listened to YKWIM by Yot Club while I was writing this, so you can tell why my title is the name of the song hehe lolol. I reccommend listening to it while you read, I find that it really adds on to the atmosphere at the beginning of this :)

~Mod Shoyo

“How long has Tendou-senpai been like this?” A worried Goshiki spoke up.

Semi sighed. “Since he snapped at Y/N the other day.”

Tendou looked like a mess. His normally spiked hair was disheveled and limp. The bags under his eyes got darker. (which mostly everyone thought was impossible) His ruby eyes were puffy and bloodshot. No one knew what to do or how to help him. But Tendou didn’t want any help. He just wanted his apology to be accepted finally so he can have her back. He needed her back.

“He snapped at Y/N?” Reon queried in disbelief. “Man, I wonder what got him so riled up,”

Goshiki looked at his upperclassman with teary eyes. He’d never seen Tendou look so dejected, so depressed. Tendou was always the morale booster. He was the teammate to make everyone feel better and to lift them up. But who was going to make him feel better?

Their middle blocker had lost his smile.

Ushijima stared at Satori from the opposite side of the court. His eyes held the same monotone nature that most people assumed, but in reality, he was actually worried for his friend. Wakatoshi shifted his gaze to the left and noticed the rest of the players just staring at the guess blocker from afar. Nothing was going to change if someone didn’t at least try and help. As the player that Tendou was closest to, Ushijima took it upon himself to make the first move.

“Satori-san,” Tendou looked up, his eyes widening slightly when Ushijima stood in front of him. “You’re going to severely hurt your back if you keep slouching. You should get some rest.”

Tendou looked down at the floor and sniffled. Tears welled up in his eyes for the umpteenth time and fell onto the gym floor. Ushijima didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how Tendou liked to be comforted in times like this. Hell, he’d never thought he would ever see him like this in the first place.

“Come on Satori, let’s get you some water.” Ushijima blurted out.

Tendou walked away with the ace of Shiratorizawa, sniffling and letting his sobs rack his shoulders a bit louder now. Once they made it to the vending machine closest to the gym, Ushijima pulled out some loose coins from the pocket of his jacket and paid for water. Tendou looked at his reflection in the glass of the machine and sighed.

“I made her cry Wakatoshi-kun,” Tendou admitted. He shut his eyes tightly and let out another sob. “I made her cry.”

Ushijima remained silent. “She was just trying to help and I made her cry.” While most figured the only thing that was ever on Ushijima’s mind was volleyball, he actually was very attentive to the ones close to him. Tendou being one of them.

He knew all about Y/N. Tendou liked to talk about her a lot. She was a manager for Karasuno, Ushijima had actually seen her in person and got introduced to her when they played Karasuno in a match. Tendou was on fire that day. He was trying so hard to impress Y/N, and while Ushijima could argue that she served as a distraction for the guess blocker, she actually fueled him to play his best. Everything about Y/N brought out the best in him, and Ushiwaka knew how much she meant to his friend. He felt horrible for him.

Tendou was in a slump. That was easy for Y/N to notice the second she walked into his dorm to visit him. Her eyes softened at the sight of her boyfriend looking so glum. She dropped everything she had brought with her right next to his door and rushed over to him.

“Tori, what’s the matter love?” She cooed, sitting next to him on his bed. Tendou just stayed quiet. This was worse than she thought. “Do you need anything?”

Tendou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need space.”

Y/N’s heart dropped to her stomach. “Sp-Space?” Did he just need a few minutes of alone time? Or did he need space away from her completely, from their relationship? Y/N tried to not let her overthinking get the best of her, but the way he phrased his answer really didn’t help that at all.

“What?” That’s all that she could muster up. Ask him to repeat himself; ask him for clarification.

An annoyed growl left Tendou’s lips and he stood up from his bed. Y/N straightened her posture and jumped at how suddenly he moved away from her.

“Space! I need you to not breathe down my neck and ask me a million questions like you always do! I need you to leave me alone so I can sort through all the shit that's going on right now!”

Y/N was shocked. She was paralyzed and found it difficult to move her limbs. “T-Tendou whatever it is, I’m here for you! You’re not alone,”

“That’s the thing, Y/N.” Using her first name rather than the million pet names he had given her always did something to her. Hearing him use it in such a vain and angry tone was enough to make tears well up in her eyes. “You can’t just let me sort these out on my own. You always have to squeeze yourself into the midst of the problem and I just want five fucking minutes where you just shut the hell up and stop asking me so many fucking questions!”

He was yelling now. His voice was echoing throughout the room, even worse, his words were echoing in her mind. Did she really annoy him that much? Pester him with so many questions that he could never think straight? Did that mean he lied to her whenever he told her how much she’s helped him work through issues?

She’d never heard him so angry before. “Tendou, why didn’t you just tell me?” He scoffed and adorned a smile on his face despite his anger.

“Because I have a million other fucking things on my plate, Y/N. God for fucks sake, are you really that stupid?" Her heart stung with that one.

"That school in France I applied to? Rejected me. I haven’t heard back from any of the safety schools, I don’t have the money even with a scholarship to make it to my culinary school, and I can’t find any jobs right now that are gonna hire me in time to make the payment! The least of my worries right now is telling you that you ask me too many questions and fucking hound me like a lap dog trying to get answers and reassurance out of me!”

Y/N burst into tears, her sniffles now joining the sounds of his anguish. She wiped at her eyes vigorously (Something she did because she hated when people watched her cry).

“Dear god, stop with the tears already.”

If looks could kill, Tendou would be gutted, sliding against the wall of his room drowning in his own blood. The tears burned as they slid down Y/N’s face. The second Satori finished his sentence, he saw her heart shatter right before his very eyes. He didn’t have the right mindset to calm down and realize what he had just done. His chest was heaving with anger, but the look on Y/N’s face was finally snapping him back to reality.

She couldn’t even bring herself to say another word. She simply stood up from his bed and went to the front of his door where she had dropped all of her things. She picked everything up off the floor and opened the door.

“I’m going home. I’ll give you your fucking space.” She choked out.

She slammed the door to his room behind her and he could hear her footsteps retreating. He sank to the floor and brought his knees up to his chest, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed into his palms. His shoulders were racking with cries. He let out harsh screams into his hands and cursed at himself for hours. He fell asleep on the floor, phone in his hand.

He was waiting for her to text him that she had made it to her house safely, but it never came.

Ushijima sighed. As the water fell into the crater at the bottom of the vending machine, his tall figure stooped down to grab it and hand it to Tendou. He popped the cap open for him and shoved it in front of his face.

“Drink this. It’ll help you calm down.”

Tendou let out a shaky sigh and took a sip from the bottle with quivering lips, even as he sipped on the drink, he was sniffling and tears were still gliding down his cheeks. The red head lowered the bottle and now just held the cold drink in his clammy hands.

“You need to apologize to Y/N.” Ushijima stated. “What you said really hurt her feelings and not apologizing is what’s keeping you like this.”

Tendou sniffled. “I can’t lose her Wakatoshi. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I- I let bad habits from my past push her away from me.”

A soft grunt left Ushijima. Tendou looked up at his best friend with a newfound respect. “Go apologize to her. That’s what will make her realize that she misses you as much as you do her.”

Ushijima went back into the gym and left Tendou by himself. The silence gave him the willpower to realize that Ushijima was right. He needed to show her that he’s been a mess ever since he made her cry and he needed to get her back.

Tendou was quickly on the next bus to Karasuno. He knew that she would be at the practice helping them. So would the entire team, but they were an obstacle he was willing to overcome to get to her. The bus hissed and the brakes squeaked as he rushed off. He dashed over to the Karasuno gym. His ears rang with the sounds of volleyballs hitting the waxed gym floor. He threw the door open and the sound alone was enough to get everyone’s attention.

Tendou bowed quickly. “I need to speak with Y/N,” He blurted out. “Please.”

Y/N looked at him with wide eyes.

“You have got a LOT of fucking nerve to show up here after what you did Satori,” Daichi scowled from across the gym.

“Coach,” Y/N bowed. “I’m so sorry for the interruption. May I be excused for just a couple minutes?”

Ukai turned and looked at Tendou. He couldn’t help but think about how much this kid looked like shit. Serves him right for being the reason Y/N showed up to practice so sad. Not even Ukai could bear to look at her looking the way she did.

“You let us know if you need some help, alright? I’ll send Noya and Tanaka out there if you need anything.”

Noya and Tanaka puffed their chests out and walked their manager over to Tendou. Once she stepped out the door, Tanaka grabbed Tendou by the collar of the black hoodie he was wearing. Noya scowled and got up in Tendou’s face.

“Listen here, if she comes in here looking half as bad as she did a couple days ago, we will beat you into a fucking pulp.” Tanaka threatened,

“Our manager means everything to us, so the second that I hear a sniffle or a tear drop hit the floor, you better count the fucking seconds you have left before we beat your ass. And that’s a promise from the whole team.” Noya growled.

Tendou cleared his throat. He had so many smart comments to say to the two second years. But right now, the only thing that mattered was that he got to talk to Y/N.

“I’m here to set things right. I know how much she means to you monster children, but she means more to me. Now fucking let go of me,”

Tanaka shoved Tendou out of his grip and watched with narrow eyes as he stepped outside with Y/N. Contrary to popular assumption, the entire Karasuno team, including the coaches, went to the windows to listen in on their manager's conversation with Tendou. It was so wrong of them, and all of them knew that, but not only did they wanna make sure Y/N was okay, they needed to hear how apologetic that cocky Shiratorizawa blocker really was.

“Paradise, I came here to tell you how sorry I am about the other night. For me to push all of that frustration and fear onto you wasn’t right of me at all and you didn’t deserve to be yelled at the way you were.” Tendou began. “The second I saw those tears fall from your eyes I knew I fucked up. I-I was just so angry and I fell back into my old habit of just pushing everyone away. Now that I have you, I understand that I can’t do that anymore.”

Y/N looked up into his bloodshot orbs. He was being so sincere, she was glad he finally realized he fucked up. But she wasn’t going to just forgive him without speaking about what was on her mind. He needed to feel like shit for what he put her through.

“Thank you for finally speaking up about it. I was waiting for you to apologize.” She admitted. “Look, I know that I can get annoying with the questions I ask, I’ll give you that. But what you need to understand is that I’m throwing everything aside in my life, EVERYTHING, just so I can find solutions to your problems. All I ever want is to help you Satori, and for you to just blow up at me and fucking tell me you need space? You can’t tell me that there wasn’t room for me to think that you wanted to break up with me.”

Tendou froze. She really thought he was breaking up with her? Maybe that’s why she was as upset as she was, and why his words stung as much as they did. She thought that he was leaving her.

“I’m glad you realized that you were wrong. And thank you for apologizing to me. But I need to know that something like this isn’t going to happen again.”

Tendou stammered. For once, there was no snarky comment, no immediate answer for what she was asking of him. The middle blocker looked down at his feet, then he met her eyes.

“I’ll communicate with you more. I should’ve told you about my schools and everything and letting it build up wasn’t good at all. I’m going to be more upfront with you even about the things I’m scared to talk about. I can’t lose you Y/N, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me; you’re my paradise.”

Her heart melted at his words. “I promise you, I will never ever make tears fall from those pretty eyes ever again. It broke my heart to see you leave so angry at me, and it hurt me even more to know that it was my fault. Please, please forgive me.”

She paused. Tears welled up in her eyes once more and Tendou’s face fell. She missed him so much and it had taken her so long to not go and find him, to grovel at his feet and apologize for leaving him the way she did.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. He placed his head onto the top of her head and squeezed her tightly. He missed her so much.

“I missed you 'Tori,” She mumbled into his hoodie. “I’m so sorry,”

“Don’t apologize paradise, I’m just glad to have you back now. For good.”

Tendou lifted her chin up towards him and stooped down to place his lips onto hers. The slight chap on his lips meant nothing to her, she was just glad that she had her Satori back. She missed how his lips molded with hers. He missed having someone to run to when he was feeling down.

She was his everything. And he was so glad to not have lost her.

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itwasntimethatdidit40 · 27 days

Text

Protect Me From What I Want.

Pairing/Au: Hot Priest JoelxAFAB!original character, alternate universe/no cordyceps outbreak.

Words count: 4477k

Rating: This chapter is safe for works, the others will not be so you are warned. Minors, please don’t interact.

Warnings: POV third person, Religion, religion references, Catholicism, she yearn for her priest OK, slow burn, mention of infidelity, Catholic guilt, no smut for now but it will come, just trust the process lol, original AFAB character, no physical description or ethnicity but she has long hair. I didn’t mention her precise age (but she’s definitely over 30 in my mind), Joel is around 40.

Summary: She moves to a new neighborhood to start a new life, she meets her neighbors and her new friend invites her to church where she will meet a very particular priest. What could happen?

Notes: English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for any errors.

I really want to thank my friend Pixxie for supporting me and putting up with me all the time while I was writing it, she also took the time to edit it but in any case anything wrong is only my fault, just know that.

I would also like to thank my friend Veronica who literally took the time to brainstorm with me when I had the initial idea and gave me some great advices throughout the whole process and some really nice compliments that I cherish in my heart.

Thank you so much, my friends, you’re wonderful people and deserve the world❤️

FF title is a Placebo song that I love and the title of the first chapter is obviously a Hozier song that I listened to hundreds of times while I was writing this. Plus, I love Hozier so much, I had to mention him and maybe it won't be the last time I do.

I still don't know how to insert gifs and above all give proper credit to whoever made them and I'd hate not to, so I can’t do it, I’m sorry.

Thank you so much to everyone who reads, I hope you enjoy it. Any polite advice is welcome.❤️

Chapter one: Take me to church

She had just moved into a new house and she really wanted to make a good impression in the neighborhood. Find some friends, maybe at least one person who cared enough about her to call the fire department if they saw smoke coming from her house.

She was emptying a box of books when a lady knocked on the door.

She was a woman about his age, tall, long blonde hair and brown eyes and a beautiful smile. She was wearing a blouse and jeans and was holding a basket of muffins that looked homemade.

She opened the door confused “Good morning! Do you need something?"

“HI! I'm Lily, I live across the street, I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!” she said “These are for you, I baked them myself, I hope you like blueberries"

“Thank you, I love all kind of berries and these look amazing! I only arrived yesterday, I didn't expect such a welcome!”

“It seems strange nowadays huh?” Lily laughed “Usually everyone minds their own business but not here. We all know each other and we try to welcome new arrivals in the best way possible”

She was pleasantly surprised, they talked a little bit and she seemed like a very good person to her.

After a few days Lily invited her to a party at her house. She met some people, chatted with several women that couldn’t stop rumbling about their children and some men who were awkwardly flirty.

She politely excused herself, wondering if being a single woman was a valid pass for them when their wives were literally in the same room. Apparently, yes, it was. But she wasn’t interested at all.

Despite everything, she appreciated Lily's gesture and came to the conclusion that this new neighborhood seemed quiet enough and her neighbors were overall nice people. As long as she never stayed in the same room with Richard for too long.

She got a new little house on the other side of the street from Lily, with a little garden and a front porch.

Lily quickly became a friend and when she asked advice for a Chinese take away, Lily recommended a very good one and then suggested they could have dinner together. They chatted, laughed a lot and discovered that they were both single, Lily recently divorced from her asshole cheating husband.

“Have you ever been married?" Lily asked, whilst sipping margaritas on her porch after dinner.

"No, much to the disappointment of my ultra-Catholic mother."She replied.

“Good for you, never get married. I shouldn't say this since I'm a churchgoer but marriage brought me only troubles” Lily laughed.

She felt a knot in her stomach while she thought about the irony of that, given her past relationship with Brian. She smiled at her new friend replying “I’m so sorry about that”.

“Ha! Don’t be! It’s a blessing that I got rid of that asshole” Lily laughed again.

Lily was a fun and very caring person and easily stepped into her life with her funny personality and her great cocktails skills. She was happy to have found a new friend.

“You told me that your mom is Catholic, what about you? Do you go to a parish?" Lily asked her one day, while they’re having lunch together at the mall’s foodcourt.

She was silent for a moment, eyes on her salad, weighing her words carefully before answering: "I used to, then I fell out with my mom and stopped going for many years”.

Her life had revolved around a parish, thanks to his mother. She had met her first friends in Sunday school and they remained friends throughout her teenage years until she went to college.

She hadn't spoken to her mother in years and she still found a friend who frequented one regularly. She thought fate had a strange sense of humor.

“What happened?” Lily looked at her full of curiosity and concern.

She felt an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach as she tried to find the right words. She took a sip on her diet coke, thinking about what to tell her, not wanting to make up a fake story.

“I don't feel like talking about it, I’m sorry. Maybe another time” she replied, hoping for her friend to drop the subject.

“Don’t worry, it’s all good” Lily replied, pausing before carrying on,"When you feel ready to try again you should come to church with me. I bet you would like our parish priest!"

“What's different about him from other priests?" she laughed, remembering the one from her old parish, a cold and intransigent man to whose age she had never been able to guess, he seemed ancient when she was a child.

“He's a lot younger than most of them, for one thing, I'd say around 45, he has a more modern approach. And he tries to involve people, you know, you can see that he really believes in it” Lily said.

“That sounds good. I’ll think about it” she regretted it instantly, the moment she spoke.

She wasn't at all sure she was ready to immerse herself in that environment again. It reminded her of her mother, reminded her of what had happened and reawakened her guilt.

She must have looked worried because Lily patted her arm and said, "Hey, don't worry, you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

She laughed trying to hide her nervousness “No, it’s okay.”

Lily smiled at her "Come on, finish your salad, I saw a fantastic skirt in a window when we came in and I want to try it on! You can judge whether it looks good on me."

She smiled back, grateful for her friends response and feeling guilty.

Maybe this priest would help her face the ghosts of her past once and for all, and find a way to forgive herself. The only way to be sure was to try and so after a couple of weeks, she found herself accompanying Lily to church.

“What's wrong?” Lily asked.

“Nothing, I just haven't been in a while."

“It'll be fine. You'll feel comfortable here"

Lily gently placed a hand on her back and invited her to come in. She sat on a wooden bench and watched people walk down the aisle. Her neighbors in Sunday’s clothes, well-ironed shirts, ties, silk blouses and elegant gold earrings. Yawning children, held by the hand of their parents and old ladies with perms scolding their husbands, who were probably more interested in sports than in Sunday mass.

She exchanged smiles with a few people, hearing her neighbor speak in a low voice "You'll see, you'll like our priest, he's really good and his homilies are always inspiring.”

The church filled quickly and the voices of the people echoed on the frescoed walls. She glanced around, noticing the splendid stained glass windows, the large dark wood altar, the imposing organ. It was a suburban church but very well maintained.

She kept looking around nervously as if her mother was going to come in at any moment to tell everyone she was a slut not worthy of being there. She was on the verge of telling Lily that she was going home, when a door opened at the side of the nave and suddenly the buzz around her died leaving the room filled with organ music.

A tall man came out, dressed in a green chasuble adorned with gold. She watched him walk towards the altar, her breath stolen by his presence. Lily was right, he wasn't like other priests. She had failed to tell her how incredibly handsome he was.

She froze on the bench, totally captivated. As soon as he started to talk she was mesmerized by the smooth, low, decisive sound of his voice invading the place, filling the air, making her forget, at least for that moment, that she was in a church for the first time after so long.

He gave a homily about the importance of welcoming, about how a community must always be open to new people, who can bring enrichment, teachings and new resources to make the parish flourish and spread the love of God. All she could think was that he looked so solemn and incorruptible, and gorgeous. So gorgeous that he seemed to have been shaped by the hand of God himself.

A scruffy beard adorned his chiseled jaw, his wavy hair was slightly graying, his plump lips looked soft and delicious right under a big, strong aquiline nose and mustache. His eyes were a captivating deep beautiful brown, they were eyes that had lived through a lot. She recognized part of herself, of her own life’s pain, reflected in his eyes.

She had been many things, a model daughter when she was little, kind of a rebel as a teenager, an outcast, someone who was trying to start over.

After the service Lily insisted that she go and introduce herself. She would have preferred to slip away in silence, blending in with the other churchgoers but once she reached the exit she found herself right in front of him.

Lily, just behind her, chirped out "Father Joel, I would like to introduce you to a new faithful" and immediately took her arm to introduce her.

She looked up at Father Joel who was tilting his head and looking at her curiously.

“Nice to meet you, I hope you enjoyed the service”. He held out a hand for her to shake and she shyly slipped hers into his feeling a firm and gentle grip. A shiver of pleasure invaded her body and settled between her thighs.

“God, he’s stunning” she thought “Stunning in a way that’s almost illegal. And he’s a priest, dummy.”

She smiled, trying to regain her composure, replying "It was really beautiful, thank you.”

She felt pinned by his eyes and for a moment she was afraid that he might see her guilt.

"Well, I hope to see you again next Sunday" he said gently.

“I can’t wait” She replied quickly, before rushing outside of the church before she could see Father Joel frowning and then smiling.

As they walked home she asked for some more details about Father Joel and her enthusiastic neighbor began to tell her how much he was immersed in the community, doing fundraisers, collecting food and clothes, always offering an helping hand to poor families, elderly people and orphans.

“So what do you think, will you come back?”

She nodded "Definitely. I would like to do something useful, I think I will offer to volunteer as well."

Lily complimented her, she remained silent, smiling politely, while inside she knew that she would not offer herself in the name of her newfound faith. It was more about atoning than doing charity work for others. And then of course, it was also about Father Joel.

She had tried to stay away from men for years after what had happened. After all, her mother had managed to instill something in her.

Shame.

Whenever a man flirted with her she heard her mother's voice. She tried to silence her, to think that after all she wasn't doing anything wrong but the truth was that it still affected her.

Brian lived in the same neighborhood as her mother. He was 10 years older than her and was married. His wife, Kathy, was a gentle woman, thin as a rake, and modest.

She had come home for spring break and her suitcase had opened in the middle of the driveway as soon as she got out of the cab.

Brian was in the garden and saw her chasing her belongings as they slid down the sloping driveway towards the street. He had crossed and picked up her deodorant which was about to end up in the middle of the road.

“Here you go" he told her smiling "I saved this"

She laughed and thanked him.

Brian was definitely attractive, he had an athletic physique, a beautiful smile, was slightly tanned and looked at her in an unmistakable way. She noticed it immediately. They began seeing each other secretly a few days later, he slipped a note with his cell phone number into her hand when they met in church. She had never been with an older man before. His peers were awkward, kind, some were absolutely arrogant and pretentious, none of them were experts in the art of seduction.

Brian had fascinated her right away, and she had fallen for him. He had kissed her for the first time during a neighbor's party, after following her into the bathroom. His wife was downstairs, unaware of everything and she hadn't even thought about it at the time. She just wanted it. The thrill of it blinded her eyes and mind and numbed her judgment.

They met secretly in out-of-the-way motels. He had made promises right away and she believed them.

Telling her "My wife and I haven't had sex in months, things aren't working between us, I'll leave her for you.”

Things that married men always say to their lovers. Yet she had believed him, because she was young and inexperienced.

She came back home for the summer, giving up a trip with her roommate. Just to be with Brian.

She had specifically looked for an art history course to enroll in, to have an excuse to leave the house and be with him. She actually attended it but always added a few extra hours or some workshops that she absolutely couldn't miss. It was the perfect cover. She had always loved art and attended an art history class in college. Her mother was thrilled that she had found something to do other than attending church.

Her mother was a rather strict woman, Catholic to the bone.

Her father had abandoned them when she was little and her mother had never remarried since then. She considered divorce a disgrace that would lead her to hell, and had decided that she would no longer have anything to do with men. There would only be one man in her life, Jesus. She could quote entire passages from the Bible by heart, never failing to quote them at her for anything that happened and she thought that sex before marriage was to be avoided.

During her teenage years they had had some disagreements when she came home after the appointed time, when she got drunk a couple of times with a bottle of wine stolen from one of her church’s friend and when she got some bad grades, which happened quite rarely.

She had been a teenager like many others, she had never done anything particularly serious but for her mother it was never enough.

It had happened more than once that she made her feel guilty for simply being a girl.

She had kissed her schoolmate when she was 15, at a parish party. Somehow her mother had found out and had given her a long speech about how inappropriate and wrong it was to kiss or, God forbid, do anything else with someone who wouldn't become her husband.

Despite their differences however, they coexisted quite peacefully because she had no way of radically opposing her mother's ideas.

After all, her mother had never let her lack anything and she was grateful for that.

Until she found out about her relationship with Brian.

She had seen them kissing outside a motel as she was returning from the mall where she had just done some shopping.

She had waited for her at home and started yelling at her.

She tried to deny it but eventually confessed.

Her mother had looked at her with a coldness and contempt that she had never seen before in her eyes and screamed at her "How could you do this? After what we went through with your father. How can you think of ruining a family just to indulge your dirty carnal desires? You're just a slut and you’ll go to hell!”

Her mom didn't speak to her for days, like she didn't exist. Things got even worse when Brian's wife found out too. A nosy neighbor told Kathy that she had seen them in a park outside the city, holding hands and kissing. As much as they had tried to keep the relationship hidden, the whole neighborhood had found out about it and they whispered behind her back, giggling and calling her a whore.

Kathy confronted her in front of the church one Sunday morning, her mother had practically forced her to follow her because praying and repenting was the least she could do for her corrupted soul according to her.

Kathy, despite her delicate appearance, brought out all the anger she was capable of, she slapped her with all the strength she had. And Brian….Brian was a coward as well as a liar, and didn't lift a finger to help her.

None of those present had said a word, they had just looked at her in a way she would never forget. They judged her.

She had never felt so humiliated in her entire life, at least not until her mother packed her bags and told her never to set foot in her house again. She put an envelope with money in her hand and told her that she would have to fend for herself.

She was 20 years old and the only person in the world who should have loved her unconditionally had turned her back on her.

After crying for days with her college roommate, she began looking for a job and somehow got through it, though things were very difficult. She waited tables in the evenings and studied during the day, her mother's money being enough to cover her senior year's tuition, considering she got a scholarship that paid part of her expenses, but not everything else.

Her affair had practically taken everything away from her.

For most of those years she thought that if only her mother hadn't been so religious, she would probably have forgiven her in the end. But it hadn't happened, she had humiliated herself in front of the entire neighborhood. For her mother it was a line that shouldn't be crossed. She had never entered a church again after Kathy's outburst.

How could she tell all this to Lily, a woman who had herself been cheated on?

Her public humiliation still rankled inside her, even though many years had passed. Years in which she had been diligent, attentive, she had not let herself be distracted by any man, denying herself dates, limiting herself to one-night stands to avoid getting involved, a friend of hers from university tried to court her for a while but she didn't give him any encouragement. She focused on her degree, on work, nothing was allowed to distract her, she needed to prove to herself that she could get by on her own.

Over time she also realized that Brian was largely to blame, after all he was the one who was married and cheated on his wife, he was older and should have been a more responsible person. Nothing had happened to him, as far as she knew, Katy had forgiven him and they had continued their lives while she had been branded as the neighborhood slut.

She had managed to start again from scratch now, finding a good job and a new house where no one knew about her past.

She hated feeling still so influenced by her mother's judgment and her faith, she just wanted to be able to follow her instincts and desires.

Father Joel had awakened something so strong and compelling in her, she had never felt vulnerable again after Brian, but as soon as she saw Father Joel it seemed to her that the walls she had so dedicatedly built were very fragile.

One afternoon two days later while she was waiting to order her usual cappuccino at the neighborhood café, Father Joel entered the place.

He smiled and greeted her “Are you a coffee lover too?”

“Yes. I’m pretty much useless without coffee”

“Me too” he admitted

“So even priests have vices! Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” She whispered laughing.

“I confess. Thank you for being discreet” He smiled, mischievously adding “And it’s not the only one.”

“What are the others?”

“I’ll never tell” he replied, in a low, confidential, vaguely malicious tone that made her knees buckle.

She paused for a second enchanted by his eyes until the waitress asked her what she wanted to order.

“Oh! A cappuccino please” She quickly said.

“Could you make one for me too?” Father Joel added.

She turned to look for a table and saw that there was only one free. As if the priest had guessed her thoughts he said “We can share, if you don't mind”

“Of course not” She certainly couldn't tell him that no, she didn't want to share the table with him because he made her feel like a stupid little girl who had a crush.

They paid, and walked over to the table. Father Joel pulled a chair out and gestured for her to sit.

“I've never seen you in the neighborhood before, have you just moved?” He asked.

He kept his eyes fixed on her as if she were the only person in the room.

“Yes, I haven’t been here long.”

“Well, let me welcome you to the neighborhood then! I hope you enjoy it here.”

“Thank you. It’s lovely here so far.”

“And you are friends with Lily? She’s a lovely person.”

“She is. She was the one who insisted that I come to church” she admitted.

“She did the right thing, we always need new believers” he smiled briefly “Was it your first time in a church?”

“Oh no, my mother always took me when I was little. It has been a while though, since I’ve been there”

"So, you were raised Catholic? That’s interesting. What happened that made you stop going?”

The question that terrified her and she wasn’t sure how to answer. She held her breath for a moment before replying “Nothing important, I just had the classic teenage phase, you know, I was kind of a rebel.”

“I see. And what made you change your mind?”

“Lily, mostly. She told me that your parish is different, it’s not as strict and severe like the others."

“She's right. Everyone is welcome. I feel it’s important that people feel welcome in the Church. I’m glad you have given the Lord a second chance.” He smiled at her, a dimple appearing on his cheek.

His warm voice was so attractive, almost hypnotic. She thought he would never have trouble attracting anyone. How could anyone resist?

“The prodigal daughter returns.” She joked.

He laughed, it was a very melodious sound that melted her to the chair.

The waitress arrived with the cappuccinos and brought her back to reality, she looked around and noticed that some people were looking at them. She wondered if they had noticed how fascinated she was by the priest but apparently no one was bothered.

“You have been so welcoming. I think I would like to be involved in the activities of the parish”

He leaned forward, smiling, and covered her wrist with his hand. His touch was warm and gentle.

“That is wonderful news. The kids will be putting on a play soon…are you any good at sewing? We could, well, I could use a hand making costumes for them. I’m not very good at it you see..last time I tried, I ended up sewing the cape I was making onto my trousers.” He laughed again and smiled at her.

She felt a tingle at the touch, his large hand on her wrist covered it completely.

“Sure, I would love to help make them costumes" she felt herself blushing hard, her stomach in a knot.

She wanted to ask him so many questions. She was so curious as to why he wanted to be a priest. He was so far removed from any priests she had met in childhood. She held back from asking, it wasn't a date, it was just two people who happened to share a table. And he was a priest, not a potential boyfriend.

There was something terribly wrong with the desperate, feral way he made her feel, surely she would have been better off just staying away from him and telling Lily she'd rather not go back to church. At least she had chosen to have a crush on someone who was off limits.

“No one will get hurt, nothing will ever happen." She thought.

He finished drinking his cappuccino and got up.

“I have to go, but thank you for the talk and for letting me sit with you. Will I be seeing you on Sunday?”

“Oh of course, definitely. I wouldn’t miss service” she told him, smiling shyly “I have to go too, I have some work waiting for me at home”

She got up too and they left the café together, they were standing on the sidewalk intent on saying goodbye one last time when a boy on skates bumped into her. She lost her balance and risked falling forward onto the pavement, but Father Joel managed to shield her and she found herself in his arms, her face hitting his chest, while she felt him holding her to keep her in place.

“Are you ok?" she heard him ask.

“Yes, thank you,” she stammered as she felt her face go on fire.

His broad chest hid her face completely, the fabric of his black shirt was soft and smelled clean, like laundry detergent with a hint of a very fresh and citrusy men's perfume.

She felt his hands on her forearms squeezing her lightly.

She pulled away from his chest and looked up at him, she felt hot and embarrassed and she knew she had turned a ridiculous bright red color.

He was smiling, she saw a sparkle in his eyes. She noticed that he was still holding her, his hands large and warm on her skin.

Her eyes fixed on his white collar.

The boy had already darted away without even worrying.

“I know who he is, I'll give him a little talk on Sunday”.

She laughed nervously as she felt his hands slide down her arms, leaving her free but unsatisfied in an instant.

“Well, thanks again” she murmured “I'll see you on Sunday”.

“You know where to find me” he smiled, raising his hand in a wave of greeting.

He turned and she watched him walk away.

She wanted him to hold her close, she wanted to stay in his arms for hours, talking and laughing and finding out everything she needed to know about him. His warmth, his smile, his restrained yet gentle manner, everything about him did nothing but fuel her desire.

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