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undiscovered-horizon · 3 years ago

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"War of the Roses" - Mafia!Billy Russo x Reader x Yandere!Matt Murdock

[TW: mafia themes + yandere trope/obsessive behavior + arranged marriage + explicit language]

Next Part: [Ring around the rose]

SUMMARY: Being the daughter of a mob boss came with various difficulties and limits, like not being able to choose your own husband. Things get a little more complicated when a certain lawyer interested in your fiance intervenes.

Word count: ~3.9k

Author's note: This is a shower thought brought to life. Yandere!Matt Murdock is highkey a great concept.

You stared at your engagement ring in slight dismay. It was simply a marvelous piece of jewelry but its implications made your skin crawl and stomach churn. Truthfully, you only had yourself to blame - it was obvious things were going to end this way since the day you were born, so your anger was more than misplaced. You knew, and yet you didn't accept.

The sounds of New York traffic barely reached your ears, somehow the roar of car engines and impatient honking was merely a whisper when compared with your spiraling thoughts. It was the first warm night of the year.

Billy placed his hand on your knee in a reassuring manner. He took the arrangement a lot better than you, already used to jumping hurdles in life. Something in his otherwise disinterested and ambivalent behavior made you think if he even cared about the engagement in the first place. You couldn't shake off the feeling that your marriage was nothing beyond a mean to an end to him - something that just has to happen if he wants to achieve his goal. That thought bore a new wave of worry inside you: if he doesn't care about you, even in the most mundane, "Christian" way, just how miserable will your life be with him? You knew plenty of men like him, practically growing up around such a crowd: immovable mountains with neither empathy nor shame.

Your last glimmer of hope was, ironically, your father, who must have thought that Billy Russo was a good enough candidate for your husband. That is, of course, if your well-being was in any way taken into account while discussing the 'alliance'. But, he was your father, he wouldn't just give you away to a less than humane man. You had to believe that.

A wave of pleasant, warm air hit your bare skin and you realized that the car had stopped and now a chubby, smiling porter in his sixties was holding the door open for you, patiently waiting for you to get out. He was wearing a double-breasted white suit, his thinning, gray hair was combed elegantly to the side.

"Madame," he said in a bright, warm voice and extended his gloved hand towards you. You noticed his slight French accent.

"Thank you," you mumbled under your nose and took his hand to leave the car. A pang of guilt hit your chest upon the realization that you were quite rude to the older gentleman but there were more important matters on your mind.

"I don't want to be here any more than you, princess," Billy's low voice made you jump in surprise, feeling his breath brush against your bare neck. The smell of his musky cologne was more pleasant when mixed with the warm air. "Try not to look so angry and let's get this over with."

Even outside, Mozart's Ascanio in Alba played by the orchestra was audible. The gentle wind carried the bright tune, muffling it slightly and making it somehow elusive, like a wood dryad happily calling out to lost travelers.

Most of the time, Billy was frank with you and, although sometimes he came off as cheeky, his honesty was refreshing and somehow comforting: he said what he meant. He had no desire to impress you or woo you, which was better than being stuck with a man who wants to take from you whatever he wants. Such straightforwardness seemed quite intimidating in its fearlessness.

The vestibule was filled with people, leaving you only guessing the number of guests present in the main hall. Most of the faces were vaguely familiar to you but their names remained forever unknown to your memory. It wasn't the first banquet you have attended, truthfully, you took part in such parties biweekly. This time, however, you were the talk of the town or rather the fact that you were now engaged, to everyone's surprise, as there was no indication before that you and Billy were interested in each other. Before becoming his fiance, you have seen him exactly three times. In some bitterly funny way, you were like a Disney princess.

Your appearance became nearly instantly noticed by a woman in her forties or fifties, dressed in a glittery red dress and gold jewelry. She was some senator's wife if you remembered correctly.

"Billy and (Y/N)!" She was like that one aunt you see only on Christmas or Thanksgiving. Never both. "I heard about the engagement. You kids grow up so fast!" She stared at you with a wide smile while gripping your and Billy's arms. The lady leaned in to add something quietly. "I shouldn't be saying this but your children will be so pretty!"

"Lizzie, are you coddling the youngsters again?" A man called out. As if he could sense how mortified you were at the woman's comment, her husband showed up.

"Senator Bloomberg, it's great to see you," Billy shook his hand, pretending as if the awkward remark never happened.

Right, Henry Bloomberg III, the senator mostly known for embezzlement allegations. His wife, on the other hand, was surely mixed up in human trafficking but so far no lawyer was able to prove anything. You played basketball with their son Louis in the summer until he left for Harvard.

"There is someone who wants to meet you, mister Russo," the senator spoke while vaguely gesturing his glass-holding hand to the crowd he came out of.

"I'll be back soon, princess," Billy said to you with a smile and followed Bloomberg into the mass of Stuart Hughes suits. You felt sick at his impression of a loving fiance, although you had to admit he was convincing.

"Oh, I remember when we were like that with Henry," Mrs.Bloomberg spoke in a dreamy tone. "It gets even better after the kids move out. Have fun, darling!" And with that final exclamation, she rejoined the circle of wealthy housewives whining about their husbands and discussing the latest polo tournament.

You looked around, unsure what to do with yourself. Letting out a heavy, defeated sigh, you made your way to the open bar, hoping that a drink would ease your nerves and make the whole evening more bearable.

The Kir Royal you were drinking was probably the best one you've had so far: not too sweet, refreshingly dry and cool. Leaning against the bar, silently watching the bartender casually make the most complex of drinks, you started to regain your hope. Maybe you made it all a lot worse in your head than it really was. It was just a banquet, like many you have attended but now you had a ring on your finger.

"Girl, you've done harder things, come on," you whispered to yourself.

"Excuse me." You heard a male voice behind you. You turned slightly, facing the stranger with your side, only to see a lean man with unkempt hair and attention-grabbing red-tinted glasses. He had a good-looking, kind face. Thick fingers tightly held the cane, keeping it glued to his torso. "Are you miss (Y/l/n)?"

"Do we know each other, sir?"

"I'm afraid not. My name is Matthew Murdock. A pleasure to meet you, miss."

You thoughtlessly extended your hand towards him only to realize your mindless action a second later. A burn of embarrassment crept onto your cheeks.

"You just went for a handshake, didn't you?" he asked.

"I am so sorry, mister Murdock, I didn't mean to be rude," you apologized and he chuckled.

Your worried bashfulness pluck at a string in his heart he has nearly forgotten about. It was the same string that, when grazed, makes one's abdomen tighten in burning excitement. It was an uncomfortable and yet entirely addictive sensation.

"Does anyone ever?" he asked humorously. "No worries, miss." His smile was convincing. He truly did not mind your faux pas. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask a few questions about your fiance, Billy Russo."

Unfamiliar men asking about your family was never a good sign but with the unexpected change in your marital status, such occurrences were bound to happen.

"And why's that, mister Murdock?" You furrowed your eyebrows and yet his expression remained ever so pleasant as if he wasn't committing a dangerously suspicious act right now.

"I'm curious, just that."

As if anyone in this line of business was ever just 'curious'.

"Well, sir, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. I don't know Billy well."

A weird, intense sensation appeared in his gut when you called him 'sir'. It was both fascinating and unpleasant but entirely uncomfortable and curious.

"Aren't you engaged?"

"Believe me, sir, that it doesn't mean as much here as it does in your world. In here, women are more of collateral damage."

It escaped your attention that he gripped the cane even tighter, if that was ever possible, along with his lips. He swallowed hard and was about to ask something again, when Billy reappeared from the lavish crowd, visibly displeased at the sight of your conversationalist.

"Matthew Murdock, what brings you here?" Billy asked. Although his tone came off as polite, his raised cheeks revealed the contempt boiling in his viscus. He loosely wrapped his arm around your waist, making you momentarily nervous in your discomfort. Unaware, you started rubbing your hands. None of those details escaped Matt's sharp senses. Whatever relationship you actually shared with the young mob leader, the close proximity to him wasn't something you wanted.

"I see you know each other?" You were slightly confused, even more so when you noticed Billy's stark gaze drilling a hole in the other man's forehead. Matthew's expression had also changed. In a matter of seconds, the pleasant smile was exchanged for a cold demeanor.

"He's the lawyer that put Wilson Fisk behind bars, only to spectacularly lose the people versus Frank Castle case." A scornful smile appeared on your fiance's face. Billy didn't look at you. "He did tell you he's a lawyer, didn't he?"

You furrowed your eyebrows yet again and opened your mouth to answer Billy but Matthew spoke up first, taking up the verbal joust your fiance instigated.

"I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind." Matthew didn't try to hide the dishonesty of his apology.

"Make sure my name slips your mind too, mister Murdock. For your own good."

Billy grabbed your elbow and forcefully pulled you away from the lawyer, marching through the hall to a more secluded part of the mansion, away from prying ears.

"What did he want?" His voice pierced the tense silence between you.

"To talk about you. Said he's 'just curious'."

"And did you tell him anything?"

"Didn't have a chance to. Not that I would, obviously." You made a pause, sighed and added quietly: "He's onto you, Billy."

Somehow, your statement didn't make him worried and even if it actually did, his expression didn't reveal it. Billy Russo remained confident as ever. He leaned back, creating more distance between you and pulled up a corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry, I won't give him the satisfaction."

Days went by and you have nearly forgotten about the curious encounter, as the persona of the suspicious lawyer didn't remind you or Billy of its existence. That was until one day Billy came home weirdly silent and visibly tense. He stood in the middle of the living room, ran a hand through his hair and down his beard. He surprised you when he was willing to share what had gotten him such a sour mood: Daredevil. Apparently, Billy was next on the vigilante's 'hit list', which caused many of his underground operations to be busted and the illegal commodities to be requisited by the state. Little did you know, the noticeable drop in his income was just the beginning of troubles.

It's been maybe two months since you had run into Matthew Murdock when you were walking home after dinner with your friend. You knew Hudson Yards like the back of your hand, having spent most of your life here. There was something heartwarming and comforting about the unchanged streets of the lavish neighborhood - the world could be falling apart and Hudson Yards would yawn over its breakfast serving of imported caviar, completely disinterested in the adversities of the little people.

Two stocky men suddenly blocked your way, hovering over you in a menacing manner. Although their behavior confused you, it would be a lie to say that you were scared. You've seen things that would give them nightmares. Their puffed chests didn't impress you.

"Come on, pretty lady, give us the bag."

In a swift, calculated and practiced motion, you pulled a gun out of your purse and aimed it straight at the man's chest. His friend suddenly tensed up, clearly understanding that they might have underestimated their target group.

"How about you fuck off."

As you figuratively ended the sentence with a full stop, a shadow emerged from the darkness of the night, skilfully taking down the two men with exceptionally flashy, impractical and yet impressive moves. The yellow light of the streetlamps shone on his clothes ever so slightly, revealing their maroon hue. You were left doubtless about the identity of your "savor".

"It's you," you said not really knowing what to expect from the man. Would he kill you for the mere fact that you were his enemy's spouse-to-be? Should you treat this strange occurrence as a form of a threat? "What do you want from me?"

He was standing only partially in the shadow. You could make out his general silhouette and the angry, red eyes. It was like meeting a ghost, really: you don't believe until you are haunted.

"I don't want you to get hurt for the crimes Billy Russo has committed," he spoke in a low, tense tone. Something about him was strangely familiar but you couldn't quite put a finger on it. "Find the lawyer that asked you about him, he can help you."

"I was raised in this life. It takes a bit more than red spandex to scare me."

"I'm not trying to scare you. Billy Russo will face justice and you shouldn't get hurt by the ricochet."

"Thank you for the unsolicited advice but I'll pass."

And with those words thrown in the quiet of the night, you turned around and went your way, leaving the vigilante to his own devices. He was unsure whether your confidence and stubbornness were fascinating or irritating. Could it be that a man can feel such conflicting emotions at once? Whatever it was, his passionate, burning interest in you only grew. Daredevil began to wonder what he should do next.

Billy gave you a sharp and yet amused look as you threw your bag on the table. He's never seen you this worked up.

"There is some deep bullshit going on and I'm going to find out what it is exactly. I was walking here when suddenly two guys jump me, you know, in the neighborhood that hasn't seen as much as littering in the last fifty years. So I'm already thinking there's something weird going on but then, the Daredevil himself chivalrously comes to my aid. This is Hudson Yards, people don't get mugged here, especially me, so what the hell was he doing here, and who paid those idiots to play thieves? That's not even the end, it gets weirder. Stop laughing, I'm dead serious. He takes down those morons and, guess what, tells me to go find that Murdock lawyer I talked to like two months ago."

Billy nearly thought that the way you got excited over the whole thing was adorable. Nearly.

"What do you wanna do 'bout that?" Sitting with his arms folded, he appeared more stern than usual. The tone of his voice was, too, giving away the tension inside him.

"Go there, obviously. Don't make that face, Billy, just hear me out, okay? First, there's this lawyer who wants to talk to me about you, he gets nothing and disappears. Then, the local vigilante targets your activities and things start going to shit. The said vigilante also saves me, miraculously, and suggests I talk to the lawyer who wanted intel on you in the first place. If this is all some cosmic coincidence, I'm righting my wrongs with God and joining a church choir."

"Are you trying to say that a blind man puts on a spandex suit and runs around the city destroying my business? Really?" In his disbelief, he was about to question your comprehension of reality.

"I'm trying to say that there's something fishy about these two and it's obvious as hell. It might be your business, Billy, but in a few weeks, it's going to be my life and I'll be damned if a Halloween kid ruins it."

Billy chuckled and shook his head hearing your tirade. He was laughing at you, not with you. To him, you were less than defenseless and powerless, nothing more than a toothless puppy trying to gnaw on someone's hand.

"Since when are you so tough, flower?"

"Since my surname gives FBI migraines. Lawyers and vigilantes too, apparently."

Maybe, after all, you had more to offer than your father's power. Billy began wondering whether you had some potential to be used, while simultaneously knowing that you're treading on thin ice and he was convinced you lacked the experience and subtlety to navigate it safely. Nevertheless, part of him remained curious as to what your courage, newly-discovered to him, could bring. You have stepped on a tightrope hanging over a gaping hole of fire and Billy Russo comfortably watched, doubtful of your success and yet, deep inside him, curious that it may happen.

Hell's Kitchen wasn't your usual destination. Truthfully, you couldn't quite remember the last time you set your foot on its streets. The reason was quite simple: Hell's Kitchen had nothing that could delight you. And it seemed that both of you knew it, never getting in each other's way.

However, to anyone unfamiliar with your agreement with the streets of Hell's Kitchen, you might as well have been a regular visitor. The discrepancy came from a curious phenomenon - many pedestrians seemed to have recognized you from somewhere, like a local celebrity, and greeted you with visible surprise at the unforeseen meeting. But a diligent observer would notice another, even more curious, tendency: all of the people that have stopped to wish you a good morning, had a fleur-de-lis pin on their clothes. French lilies in New York had only one, very well known to you, meaning.

New York Saints.

Matt listened to the slow, hesitant steps approaching the door of his office. He knew that specific clicking of high heels and suddenly grew nervous at the thought of meeting their owner. Weeks had gone by of him waiting for that moment, carefully planning each word that would leave his mouth should the opportunity arise. But now those fantastic make-believes were to become reality and, as reality tends to be, he couldn't quite predict just how off the rails the confrontation will go, what unanticipated impediments the future held.

The knob turned, clicked, and the sound of heels became sharper. He listened to you exchange short, assertive phrases with Karen, who was less than pleased with you. It was obvious to him that she wouldn't be fond of you, at least not right away: expensive clothes, confident manners, quick wit and an attitude of someone who thinks they can do and get whatever they want. The difference was that you could have anything you wanted and should you wish, their lives would be at your whim's mercy. What Karen might have thought was just a gimmick, was, actually, a mere indication of the real capability.

He smiled to himself when you entered his office, hearing your heartbeat quicken and breaths become more shallow. You were tense and tense people often make mistakes, become too obvious and too impulsive. Maybe he could use it to his advantage. You shut the door behind you before sitting down across from him and speaking.

"What do you want?" you asked in a cold tone. He was playing some kind of a game and it irritated you, more so because you were unable to discern its rules or goal.

Your demanding tone nearly made him answer honestly: he wanted you. He's been thinking about you since the first time he heard your voice, replaying your sweet tone every waking minute. He wanted to save you from that savage mutt you called your fiance. But that confession had to wait to be revealed.

"I don't know what you mean, miss (Y/l/n)."

"That's bullshit, Murdock, and you know it. It's too late to play dumb."

"I don't like bullies and took it upon myself to stop them. Your fiance is nothing more than that."

The sole thought of Billy made Matt want to go on an animalistic, completely feral rampage. It was a mortal sin to simply give you away to a man so undeserving. Could that villain take care of you? Would he appreciate your existence? Did he have the humility to worship you? No, that crude man knew nothing besides violence and padding his way to the top with corpses.

You sighed heavily and rubbed your face in exhaustion. He seemed like a hard-headed man and so it shouldn't be a surprise to you that he was stubborn, even in the face of death and mutilation. A gut feeling told you that, maybe, this suicide-adjacent act made him especially stubborn, somehow earning a twisted, masochistic satisfaction from it.

"Mister Murdock, whatever mission you think you're on, this act is not gonna fly any longer if you set your vengeful eyes on either the Saints or Billy Russo. You may be good at hurdles but this is a pole vault. Leave this, for your own well-being."

"I'm a fast learner, miss (Y/l/n)," he answered in a confident tone.

"Faster than a dozen rounds from an assault rifle?"

"You'd be surprised."

His reckless comment made you scoff. Maybe Matthew Murdock was too far gone, beyond any hope of rescue. Sitting comfortably in his office chair, with a smile on his lips, he seemed somewhere between charming and completely deranged.

"I admire your work and morale, mister Murdock," you spoke while fishing for something in your purse. "But I'm afraid playing on the wrong team will end your prolific career disappointingly soon."

Matt heard the clicking of metal against his desk. He didn't have to touch that little object to know exactly well what your little gift was: a golden fleur-de-lis pin. An offer.

He gave you a bright smile and slid the pin back towards you.

"Thank you, miss (Y/ln), but I'm afraid this time we have to fight on opposite sides."

"You will thank me when you make it out alive."

The door shut behind you when you left and Matt took a deep breath, delighted with the sweet fragrance of your perfume.

Old people often say that "in war and love everything is permitted". Matthew Murdock took it as a suggestion rather than a warning upon his realization that this time, to meet his goals, war and love have merged into one. What a thin line runs between devotion and cruelty.

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watevermelon · 4 years ago

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✧ MSBY Soulmate!Atsumu x Reader

➳ Summary: You knew all about his personality, whether through the rumor vine or the numerous warnings your friends gave you. But there was no avoiding it - he was your soulmate after all.

➳ fluff; mutual pining; small jealousy; slight angst with a happy ending ➳ Navigation

—-xXxXxXxXxXx—–

When he first met you, Atsumu hadn’t wanted to hear it.

This was in the prime of his life, being scouted for a Division 1 volleyball team was his life-goal and the only thing standing in his way was the upcoming Olympics. Which, of course, he was rumored to be included on as well.

Even back in high school, there were tons of fans and girls alike who would willingly fall to his feet. Regardless of his reputation, they were eager to share a single night despite knowing it would probably be their last. And Atsumu reveled in the excitement of the attention, feeding off the cheers and shallow admiration many threw at him both on the court and in the bedroom.

Atsumu didn’t want a soulmate, someone whom he was shackled to for the rest of his life.

No, initially he didn’t want you.

As for you, the feeling was mutual to a degree. Soulmates were a touchy topic for many, conversations about colors and contrast was something you could not personally relate to. The moment you met your soulmate, it was described to you as suddenly bathing your entire life in color.

A part of you was curious about your soulmate, where he was in the world, what was he doing and who he was with. But never had you centered your life around it, more like a passive curiosity that you hoped would one day be satiated.

You were a student of Inarizaki during its prime, the members of the volleyball team very popular among the student body. You had made acquaintances with Osamu and Suna through one or two classes, but never were you particularly close to them.

Your close friends often warned you about the leader of their trio anyway - Atsumu Miya and his drove of fuckboy energy.

There was no doubt that the twin had multiple fan-clubs and obsessive flings surrounding him. You remembered once feeling sympathetic for his soulmate - thinking about how hard it would be to get him to saddle down to a single person. Especially, with the way he lived his life, it seemed the setter could care less about the concept of soulmates to begin with.

No, Atsumu would be a terrible soulmate for whoever was unfortunately linked to him by the red string of fate.

And while he was admittedly very handsome, you did not particularly care about the setter to actively reach out to him.

Besides, it was not like he even knew who you were to begin with.

The years went by and any thoughts you had about the setter were filed away in the quiet recesses of your mind, only appearing once in a while when Miya Atsumu showed up on some article or newspaper cover for something regarding volleyball. You were silently proud of his accomplishments and representing your school and perfecture, achieving his dream and all, but hadn’t particularly cared about him in the first place.

That was all until one day, you walked into Onigiri Miya years later.

Even though Osamu was the quieter twin, he either had a good memory or was oddly sentimental, since he remembered your name immediately when you took a seat at the bar.

“I see the years have treated ya well.” Osamu started casually, almost making you blush at how the twin could say something like that as if totally normal between old friends. “How’ve ya been doin’?”

“I’ve been working in the city, just something temporary while I finish grad school.”

“Ah, you’ve always been smart.” He complimented.

“Nothing compared to you though.” You countered, “You look really happy doing this. And you have a few branches opening, I heard.”

“Keepin’ tabs on me?” He baited.

“Just like hearing about the success of our classmates.” You shrugged.

You were sure Osamu had something sassy to say back to you before he got called away by another customer. He motioned for you to stay as he walked to the other side.

Your eyes followed him for a few seconds, watching how despite working around food constantly, he still had an athletic build after all these years.

(Really, the dude was built like a dorito chip.)

And while you would have liked to stay and flirt with the pretty onigiri twin, a similar voice started from the door. A light chime signaling the front door opening, you heard a greeting toward Osamu, making you turn in your seat in interest.

Only to double-over in surprise as your world was suddenly too bright.

You had no time, not even seconds to get your bearings. Your life of white and black tones was suddenly full - the table covers were black and red, the plants at the windowsill were green with different arrangements of orange. You took in your surroundings quickly, soaking up colors for the first time in your life.

It seemed the other man was just as surprised, cursing as he went before you lifted your eyes simultaneously to look each other in the eyes once more.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Atsumu asked under his breath, but you heard it all the same.

What on earth could you possibly say to that?

Within seconds, the situation was whirling around in your brain that this was possibly the worst possible moment of your life.

You were soulmates that didn’t want each other - for opposite reasons, surely. You did not want to be with Atsumu since he was too much of a player to take the concept seriously and attempting anything with him would only result in heartache. And Atsumu didn’t want you because he surely had an endless amount of women he would rather be with.

“That’s what a girl wants to hear.” You countered as you crossed your arms.

You hadn't expected your first meeting with your soulmate to be met with expletives and it seemed Atsumu finally remembered a semblance of his manners.

“Sorry, ya caught me off-guard.” He started, “Now ain’t the greatest time for me.”

“Oh boy.” You murmured as you turned back in your seat at the bar, Atsumu taking the open one next to you.

“Wait, (L/N)? From Inarizaki?” Atsumu asked after he motioned toward Osamu in greeting.

“That’s me.” You formally introduced yourself, extending a hand out to him. He regarded you quietly before taking his phone out for you to take and put your number in.

“I knew it, I don’t forget a pretty face like yers after all.” Atsumu smoothly said. This was your soulmate and all you felt in response was resentment, thinking about all the women he probably used that line with. You handed him back his phone as he continued, “Wow, look at ya all grown up.”

“And look at you, a professional volleyball player.”

Atsumu looked at you with a critical eye, not one that you could really decipher, but it was clear he was looking at you very thoroughly. “Been to one’ve my games before?”

“Only a few times in high school.” You replied, facing his stare head-on as his smirk only widened. You weren’t sure what this was, but with a player like Atsumu, you were sure he was already sizing you up in a way you didn’t want.

Something told you that if you looked away, you would lose.

And so you held your ground, matching his intense stare as your onigiri meal waited for you at the bar-side.

Thankfully, his name was called out by his twin and Atsumu’s attention was grabbed away before you could break.

“I didn’t know ya knew each other?” Osamu started as he returned, a glass in hand as he wiped it dry with a towel.

“We don’t.” You said instead.

Atsumu’s smirk tightened as he answered, “Just found out we’re soulmates, actually.”

Osamu put the glass down and turned to you, “'Tsumu fucking with me?”

“Unfortunately, no.” You answered.

“Unfortunately?” Atsumu emphasized as he turned to you more fully, the infuriating smirk still on his face for some reason, “I’ll have ya know that Imma great catch.”

“Debatable.” Osamu countered.

You laughed at his quip before looking at Atsumu, “Yeah, but I’m sure you don’t even want to be ‘caught,’ right?” You shot-back at the setter, “Unless you’re going to try to convince me that you still don’t want to entertain the droves of women at your feet?”

“Think ya have me all figured out?” Atsumu asked as he leaned closer to you, a quirked brow on his face. You looked toward Osamu who looked strangely amused, eyes going between you and Atsumu.

“I think I know enough to know why ‘now ain’t the greatest time’ for you.” You replied sassily as you shot back his first words to you, pushing at his chest to give back your personal space.

Atsumu just took your hand and put it in his own, calling your bluff. “Oh? Like how my time and attention are on Olympics while I’d rather treat my baby properly?”

“Oh god.” You said as you laughed.

You laughed.

To his face?

All the setter could think about was how interesting you were.

He had expected his soulmate to ‘fall at his feet’ as many had in the past. To cling to him for attention and to demand an exclusive shackle to them. But here you were: beautiful and independent and even physically pushing him away.

You grabbed your hand out of his light embrace and turned back to your food, smiling at what you thought was just another line he would feed to his other one-night stands. Atsumu bit his lip in frustration and looked briefly at Osamu, who was watching the two of you like his own personal source of humor.

If you were any other girl, Atsumu would wave you off. Say that he didn’t have time for one girl who didn’t care, he had dozens who would willingly take the spot instead.

But you weren’t just any other girl, you were his soulmate.

And he could already feel the strange draw towards you.

Not even a few months ago he would scoff at the supposed soulmate bond. All the other members of the Black Jackals had found their other half and what they ranted on and on about made him sick. Bokuto somehow found a way to insert something about Akaashi at almost every conversation and Atsumu would constantly catch Hinata, even during midgame, staring at Kageyama.

They sickened him.

And yet somehow he now understood.

Seeing his soulmate before him, you were one of the first few people in a while that he felt like he had to prove himself to. There was probably an endless amount of expectation against him, he was sure. Being old classmates and seeing his name on a tabloid almost every other month would definitely do that.

And somehow only minutes into speaking to his soulmate, Atsumu wanted something different.

“I could always prove it to ya.” He shot toward you, making you laugh again.

Alright, this shit ain’t gonna cut it.

Atsumu licked at his bottom lip before pulling your bar stool closer to his, relishing in the way your eyes widened in surprise as he did so. “Come on, ya lookin’ at yer soulmate. Just say what we both want and we can leave here together right now.”

You shot him back an incredulous expression, a challenging look in your eye as he put the ball in your court. It was strange to feed off the provocation of someone else; a new type of adrenaline in him as he wanted to get to know you.

“Sorry, but I’d rather not leave with a man who has hickies down his neck from some other woman.”

Atsumu almost felt himself click his tongue in frustration, but you were not exactly wrong. Just a few hours ago he was inside someone he couldn’t even name with a gun to his head, but that was a world before you.

A world before color and the sassy soulmate who seemed to want nothing to do with him.

And while Atsumu wanted to prod a bit more, or at least get you to concede that he was the greatest option in the world, his phone rang out with Sakusa’s icon flashing on the screen.

Your eyes were drawn to the noise and you commented, “I’m sure you already have plans today anyway.”

Dashing that thought away, he lifted his phone to your eyes and showcased the proof to you. “Think again, my teammate is on the other line ready to chew my ass out.”

“Oh.” That shut you up, before shrugging and turning back to your food, “Well, I’ll see you around Atsumu.”

He leaned toward you, lips dropping beside your ear and lightly stating, “Keep ya schedule open this week.”

You hesitated for a second before saying, “Maybe.”

Atsumu answered the call and started gathering his things, his thoughts only half on Sakusa as the spiker complained about his cleaning habits in the locker room.

“We should probably exchange numbers again.” Osamu took out his phone, motioning it in your direction.

You took it with a smile, to which Atsumu scowled and made a point of reminding his twin. “Yer better know she’s my soulmate.”

Osamu sighed outwardly and you just laughed adding, “And he’s the better twin afterall.”

Atsumu’s eyes darkened, phone completely forgotten as he took a step toward you, “I’ll remind you later who really is the better twin.”

He made it so easy to tease him, to challenge the world Atsumu built-up around him. You wanted to break it for some reason, to knock him down a peg for being stuck with a player as a soulmate.

And so you shot back, “I’d like to see you try.”

Atsumu smirked as his hand casually grazed up your thigh and squeezed at the skin there. “That’s a promise.”

He shot both of you goodbye’s before returning to his phone call and walking out the door. Atsumu had the last word for now, but you weren’t going to fall to his feet so easily. Turning back to Osamu was no help either, his expression amused as he watched the entire moment play-out.

“An here I was wantin’ to ask ya out.” Osamu stated plainly before shrugging as you sat still in your chair at the irony.

You expected that to be the last you’d see of Atsumu for a while - weeks or months or maybe even years as he entertained the long list of women that would be much easier to maintain than a soulmate.

He called you the next day, inviting you over for dinner and a movie before the weekend started.

You steeled your spine, telling yourself that the gorgeous setter was not going to get to you in a single night. He lived on the better side of Tokyo, just his zip-code alone was a flex of his wallet. And so when you reached his penthouse floor, you took a deep breath in the elevator before you entered his domain.

Again, you expected him to make good on his promise before, to make a move and prove to you that he was a playboy, asshole that you knew from high-school, but instead you had a pleasant first night.

Atsumu Miya entertained you with a home-cooked meal of all things, the two of you sat across from each other at his mahogany dining table.

“Who would’ve thought you would know how to cook well?”

“Ya know who my brother is?” Atsumu joked, “As if 'Samu will me live if I was an ass in the kitchen.”

“Of course, you’re just an ass in other places then.” You shot back, receiving a playful look of offense from the setter, before continuing. “But this tasted amazing, so thank you.”

Atsumu had that smirking expression on his face, like he was carefully watching you, picking you apart in his mind as he thought about the next ten moves in this strange game.

The setter put a hand on your knee under the table and you expected that to be the move, for it to slide up the rest of the way. But instead he tapped the area twice before he stood, grabbing your empty plates and motioning for you to go to the living room.

“Why dont’cha get comfortable for the movie while I wash these?”

You weren’t disappointed, per se.

Just surprised, if anything.

And the night continued on just as tamely, playful and even flirty banter between the two of you over the action movie that played out. At one point he draped a casual arm across the back of the couch, resting his hand on your shoulder and pulling you to lean against him.

You had witty banter back and forth and when the movie finally ended, Atsumu commented how it was getting late. Surprised again, you took the out and allowed him to call a car for you. Atsumu walked you down to the street and only when he was opening the door for you, did he lightly pull you at the waist to chastely move your lips together.

Lasting only seconds, he pulled away just as quickly and ushered you into the car and whispered in your ear, “See you soon, (F/N).

Everything you had expected of the playboy you thought you knew was shattered, no sudden move to get you on your back on his bedsheets. Yes, he still said plenty of flirty things to you, but he had yet to actually act on it. Was that simply a bluff before? Or was he playing a longer game to get you off the defensive?

“Yer so cute, (F/N).” Atsumu complimented you once as you lounged on his couch another day, “There are days I can barely keep my hands off ya.”

And before you could recognize how quickly your life was changing, that first initial date snowballed into more dates and somehow you had gotten to the point where you would visit his place fairly often. Whether for dinner or a simple hangout, it seemed Atsumu was keen on inserting himself into your life little by little.

And somewhere along the way, you started to doubt your earlier musings of a fuck boy with no regard for a soulmate. Maybe he had changed from high school? Or maybe, he had changed when he met you?

Or at least, that’s what you wanted to believe.

He had convinced you one night, when you came over for dinner or whatever it must have been, when it started to absolutely downpour outside. He insisted that he did not feel safe sending you home in this weather, to which you countered that you had travelled in worse.

That did little to subdue his worries and instead you found yourself in an oversized jersey getting tucked into his bed that night.

“What’s that face about?” He asked as you laid there together, bed sheets up to your shoulders as he placed an arm beneath your head.

“Nothing, just thinking.”

You thought the first time you’d ever see his bedsheets would be when he was inside of you, not tamely laying beside you and kissing your forehead goodnight. And when he pulled you closer to him, cuddling you to sleep that night, that was one of the safest times you had ever felt.

If this was just a game, if you were just another one of his girls, he would have made a move that night, right?

And so you believed that Atsumu was honestly as earnest in his actions as he said, trying to get to know you for you. Not because you were just another woman to put as a notch on his bedpost, but because he was genuinely interested in you.

That was until you saw the first dating scandal since you had met the setter.

He had plenty of other scandals before this, many women had been attached to his name before, but never had you cared in the past because that was simply his reputation and you barely knew him. But now you had an active role in his life, how could you not know about some woman he was apparently also spending time with?

You did not want to believe some random tabloids over the trust of your soulmate. At least, that was until one day you overheard Atsumu on the phone with his twin.

“Listen, I took out (F/N) that first time cause ya told me to.”

That shit hurted.

The entire foundation of your relationship was based on the fact that his twin pressured him into getting to know you? Did Atsumu even want to get to know you in the first place? Was he really playing with your feelings this whole time?

You turned and went back to his living room, filing this away in your mind as you took a seat. If Atsumu didn’t actually want you in his life, then you would surely give him the space he wanted to begin with.

But you had missed the rest of that phone conversation.

“But I feel like I’ve already fallen for her. I don’t know, she’s different. Ya, ya. I know, I won’t fuck it up this time.”

And so you resolved to put between each other the space he wanted initially.

When you first met, he was pretty vocal about not wanting a soulmate at the time. But he had convinced you along the way, that maybe this was something the both of you wanted.

You were wrong.

Phone calls went ignored and you stopped replying to texts after a few curt replies. You needed distance if you were going to get over Miya Atsumu and his inevitable line of one-night stands.

Your soulmate was supposed to be the one person in the world who completed you, who understood you whole and made you feel loved. And while you were on the precipice of those feelings, it all quickly came crashing down with reality.

Atsumu Miya did not want you.

One night, as you were studying for grad-school, you were working on your part of the group project and were expecting a call any moment now from your other partners.

When the phone rang out, you picked it up without regard to the name on the screen until it was too late.

“Hey, (F/N)? Haven’t heard from you in a while.” Atsumu’s voice started immediately and it was not like you could hang-up on him now.

“Sorry, I’ve been busy trying to make rent, y’know. Not everyone can be a world-renowned professional athlete.”

There was a small pause on his end before, “... you could always stay with me if you have financial problems.”

What?

Why would he offer that? Just to make you suffer when he brought other women home?

“Don’t say things you’ll regret, haha.” You try to put back that earlier distance, “I’m sure you have a laundry list of girls who are eager to hear back from you after all.”

“What? (F/N), that’s not--”

You cut him off there, “Listen, I’m waiting on a couple people for a school thing. I’ll see you around, Miya-san.”

Miya-san.

Where had he fucked up?

In the weeks Atsumu had gotten to know you, it was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that he hadn’t felt for anyone. It was like the unspoken bond crap that Kita had explained to him in high school or that Suna, who recently found his own soulmate, raved about was actually real.

For the first time in his life he wanted to spend time with a woman for longer than a single night. He wanted to bring you home, kiss you good morning, and possibly have a home with both your names on the mailbox.

And while not even a few months ago he would have scoffed at shit like that, Atsumu wanted it and felt that for the first time it was in his grasp.

So where did he go wrong?

The last thing he ever wanted to do was actually make you feel unwanted and he feared that his initial words might have sparked something within you.

It was no surprise when Atsumu showed up at your apartment unannounced the next day.

Not expecting any company, you waltzed over to the door, thinking it might be a package delivery, and opened it in your pajamas.

Atsumu walked right past you and into the living room, words striking with the specificity of a cobra. “Are you just fucking with me?”

You sputtered before closing the door, “What?

He ran a stressed hand through his hair, but maintained eye-contact with you. “Yer my soulmate and I wanna get to know you. Am I alone in wantin’ this?”

“Shouldn’t I ask that of you?” You shot back, “You made it clear as day that you didn't want me as your soulmate to begin with!”

Atsumu sighed and took a step closer to you, closing the distance to lightly grab at your elbows. “For fucks sake, that was months ago. Don’t tell me that all that time together meant nothin’ to you?”

“Of course it meant something to me!” You exclaimed back, before pushing at his chest while he did not budge a single inch away. “Don’t act like I’m the one half-assed in this.”

He scowled back, “What is that suppos’ed to mean?”

You did not hesitate, "I know you only spent time with me because Osamu told you to.”

Atsumu recoiled in surprise and you took that as your escape, pushing his lingering hands away as you made for the kitchen. But the setter was out of his stupor quickly, trailing behind you.

“Fuck, what did ‘Samu tell you?”

“He didn’t have to tell me anything, I found out the truth myself.”

You could tell Atsumu’s stress level was skyrocketing, from the way his hair was mused without care and angled strangely in certain ways.

“Ya got it all wrong, it was just that first time!” Atsumu replied right behind you.

“What do you mean?”

“‘Samu was the one who told me to call ya the next day, but I was going to eventually ‘cause I wanted to get to know ya myself.”

You slowly took in his words, but it was hard to make any sort of decision with the setter right in front of you. A part of you, one that attributed it to the soulmate bond, was basically begging you to forgive him and wrap yourself in his embrace. That part wanted to feel those muscular arms around you once again, to feel safe in the arms of the one person in the universe meant for you.

But, afraid of getting hurt and without much argue left within you, you tossed back. “Yeah, eventually.”

Atsumu put a strong grip on your waist, holding you there in place before you could run away again.“‘Samu told me to, but I could’ave easily not done nothin’ that first night or any time after.”

You bit your lip at his words, Atsumu was laying all his cards on the table and he wanted a response from you.

And he wanted it now.

“Please, ya know me better by now.” Atsumu turned you in place to face him, leaning down to whisper his words against your forehead. “I know Imma bad deal - I can’t imagine what ya thought of me back in high school and even earlier this year. I have a bad history and an even worse reputation.”

“But after just a few weeks, I don’t want ya out of my life ever again. Just hearin’ ya call me by my last name yesterday nearly killed me.” Atsumu continued, trailing his lips further down until your foreheads were touching, “Lets give this a try - a real one. Give me the chance to make you happy for the rest of our lives.”

You closed your eyes, trying to ignore the insistent inner tug on your heart and how the setter was encompassing all your thoughts. “Atsumu… I--”

“Stop overthinkin’.” He interrupted, “I don’t want to bombard you. But I promise I won’t ever purposely hurt you.”

You took in a harsh breath, wondering how on earth this could be the same Miya Atsumu who plagued your high school. He had changed, not just from then but from the short amount of time you had already shared together. Opening your eyes slowly, Atsumu was still clutching you around the waist, but his eyes were carefully scanning your expression.

“Okay.”

You replied, leaning into his touch more as the smile on the setter’s face widened.

He did not waste a single moment, leaning down to capture your lips with his. You stood surprised for a second, before pushing up to meet his gentle touches. There was no sudden epiphany, no instant speech of undying love after. But there was no denying the harsh flutter intensifying after every inflamed touch.

Your heart pounded hard in your chest as you leaned more into the setter, knees going weak as his tongue roamed your open mouth. Your only focus was on how soft he felt against your mouth, how addictive it was to have Atsumu invaded all your senses. From the intense smell of his cologne to the light tickle of his blond hair against your head, Atsumu was dominating your every feeling.

And so it was quite a surprise when Atsumu gave you one final peck, before moving to your forehead and placing a light butterfly kiss there and backing off entirely.

“Fuck, just look at you.” He commented as he leaned back, looking at you up and down. There was no doubt the sight that greeted him, you messy with drool, tousled hair, and rumpled clothing. “Even in your sheep pajamas, it’s hard for me to keep my hands off ya.”

Your blush intensified at his words, putting a playful hand on his chest and muttering a small, “Shut up.”

“Never.” He quipped back, putting another kiss on your forehead before pulling away, only your hands still joined. “Now let’s get your apartment packed.”

“What?” You asked, confused. Your mind was still nothing more than a cup of spilled milk after Atsumu had all but ravaged your senses.

He smiled before pulling you back to your living room. You followed wordlessly, his previous statements slowly pouring into your brain after the intense liplock. It was hard to focus on anything when the attractive setter was making a point to kiss you at an open chance.

“As in packed to move in with me.”

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jean-does-not-have-a-horseface · 4 years ago

Note

Hello!! Could you please write an scenario where Levi got hurt (not badly) during an expedition but he refuses to go to the nursery when they got back, making the reader worried for him so she asks if she can tend to his injuries and he lets them? (Maybe while she's at it they kiss if u want) Just some care for our Levi:)) Sorry if my English isn't good, it's not my main language

Yoooo that was a rather hot thing to write 👀👀👀👀 I hope you enjoy, also, don't worry about your English. In fact English isn't my first language either❤️

Pairing: Levi/ Reader

Tags: fluffity fluff, smooches, slurpy hot smooches, yes I'm doing God's work, awkward Levi brrr

The Moon Is Full, I Guess

It was outdated at this point. Your hand clenched in a fist probing onto the dark mahogany door, the beating of your heart that throbbed inside your chest as the though of the person on the other side of the wall swirled through your mind, your ratched breaths, gulped by the lump in your throat, everything was tiring, dull.

The feeling was embarrassing and overwhelming. They way it overtook you, they way it threw you off tracks at his mere presence was causing anger to dwell in the pits of your stomach. But even if you had to look past that, you couldn't get over yourself for wanting to be of help.

It was an egoistical act before it was a selfless one. You wanted to be the first to reach out to him, you wished to be the only one to help him and you felt disgusted with yourself that your twisted brain created scenarios in which Levi felt enamored by your generosity. But love did that to you. And even if you despairately wanted to fight it, you couldn't realistically pick a fight a feeling.

Because if you could, love would have gotten your fists.

"State your name business."

"It's (y/n)." You puckered your lips as your name sourly slipped out of your mouth.

There wasn't anything that didn't plainly scream mechanical and awkward as Levi's grumpy voice ordered you to state your name and business and you anathematized it, cursing softly under your breath as your shagged, hardened palm reached for the door handle upon hearing the familiar grunt of approval to your request. That was it. The small victory of your ego dwelled inside you, poisoning the spit under your tongue.

You panicked, only momentarily, and only at the thought of a sour breath that tingled on the top of your tongue. Your eyes widened below puckered eyebrows as your mind repeatedly alarmed you of the bitter taste inside your mouth canal. Your cool though wasn't bugged further, with a stern inhale you composed your weaker side in the binds of your fond chest.

"Levi."

You stuck your palms to the door, bum extended on them as you leaned with your back on the wood, your goal to simply shut the door tenderly achieved as you heard the tiny click of the handle. It was your footstep that was heard next, the heel of your boot that clashed with the mahogany tile overpowered Levi's hiss of your name. You simply let your footing roll naturally in trying to approach him, although your lungs, agreeing with the part of your brain that accused you of being a rotting egoist, protested.

"Sit." He hissed and your breath hiccuped.

"No, Levi, I won't." Refusing to sit on the loveseat by his desk you set your fiery gaze onto him. "In fact, I'm not here for any reason you'd like to hear."

The movement of Levi's orbs was adorned with a short blink of his eyelids. It caused you to bite the side of your top lip harshly but your heart was already heaping at the sight by the time you felt your canines dig into the soft piece of flesh. You figured Levi didn't notice, whereas it was usual for him to pick up on any reluctancy in your antics, it seemed as if the pain of his injury overpowered his mind. And somehow, in some twisted way, you were thankful for that.

It meant you couldn't really degrade yourself more to him.

"Why didn't you line up for the infirmary when we arrived? You got injured!" You pouted, (e/c) eyes burning brightly into his.

"There were too many who were heavily injured and needed immediate help. My minor injury is not something anyone should be bothered by, probably a shitty broken rib, I'll be fine if I lay on the low for a while." Levi sighed and kept his voice low as he spoke to you calmly.

He averted his gaze off of you for a moment, his own foot started tapping obnoxiously without any certain rhythm on the floor beneath him. In a nervous movement he run his hand through his hair. There was sulk written on his face after he licked his lips. In an attempt to mask his pain, he even bit his own lip, mimicking your previous actions. Whether you considered this a symbolism or not, was completely up to you.

"You're not serious."

"I'm shit serious."

"I figured you'd deny anything actually, but," you sighed "can you at least let me tend to you?"

You were hesitant as you extended your arm to him, (e/c) eyes meeting his for the upteenth time in such a short period of time. There was no denying; the confidence it took for anyone to handle Levi like was something you didn't lack of, you could blame that for having spent half of your life with him in the underground but your stubbornness made up for that abomination of self respect you had. Thus yet, when you were definitely sure you'd have to pull your empty hand back to your embrassed self his palm confidently clasped over yours and your stubborn stomach immediately started churning in a mixture of emotions.

In only a matter of seconds you felt your head drifting and Levi's gaze somewhat softened as it landed on your linked palms, the man finally deciding to balance his weight between his foot and your grip. You forced your strength to gather on your hand to support him as he slowly got up, never letting his hand go off his side.

Levi's boot missed numerous steps as you took the task of carrying him onto yourself and grunts of pain filled the air with every marching you made towards his private quarter. The small chamber smelled incredibly strong of lemon and vinegar, but you chose to ignore it with a scrunch of your nose. You knew what it meant; Levi had pushed himself to meticulously clean the room in the early morning before the expedition began, probably due to his immense amount of stress and you were in no place to bring it to his attention right now. You shouldn't even try to interfere with anything else other than tending to his injury.

But that tiny little day dreamer in your head refused to let you get through with what you had in mind.

Setting him onto the edge of his bed, you clapped your hands on his thighs in a silent instruction for him to stay put. Levi simply bored his eyes into yours, watching as you bucked on your knees in order to straighten your posture and then marching straight to his dresser. You stopped absurdly, seemingly puzzled as you balanced your weight on your right leg, popping on your hip at the process.

His gunmetal gaze was nervously averted at the sight and his cheeks stung as if a thousand needles were punched through his skin; he felt noticably guilty and vague when he caught himself looking at you in such way. It was definitely something he could manage to hide well, he had figured that much at least, because he didn't want to cause anything awkward to inflict between the two of you.

"Where do you usually keep gauze and bandages?" You inquired, throwing your head over your shoulder to look over to his direction.

"In my underwear drawer, top right corner." As Levi spoke, you puckered your lips, despairate to turn your hot head away from him, setting your goal to find the medical supplies you needed to tend to him.

Turning around in triumph, you suppressed a smug smile from spreading on your face as you held the bundle of bandage tightly in your hand. Levi shot you another bored look followed by a sigh as he pushed his lips in a thin line. You couldn't figure if he seemed disappointed in your actions or he was just as bugged as he'd be most of the time, and your stomach punched the insides of your torso in quick anxiety.

Sitting next to Levi on the bed did nothing to stop your coiling stomach, if anything, it sent your whole body in churning fury. You felt miserable and vague, bringing yourself in this very position, but you couldn't simply resent it in the last moment, it probably would make things look worse for you.

Nevertheless, you let out a sigh and avoided his look as you brought your hands on top of his shoulders, quickly slipping them on the inside of his camel leather jacket and sliding them down his shoulders in order to push the piece of clothing away from him to save him from excessive movements. Levi darted his chin away from your direction as not to have his head collide with yours and you almost let out a hitched breath at that.

"Wait," Levi said as you tagged on the collar of his button down shirt. "I have broken rib, bandaging me up won't do any good."

Your head dropped when he finished speaking, your gut burning in the somehow gory defeat of your ego. You sweared under your breath and onto his clothed collarbone, cussing your silly clouded brain for not even considering his actual injury. Your lungs demanded to punish you by refusing to be satisfied with any oxygen you would try to fill them with and you knew you deserved it for being so engrossed with the thought of taking care of him instead of actually doing so.

"You good, brat?"

"Yeah, I- I'm just stupid aren't I?" You spoke, lifting your chin up to meet with his gaze.

"Once a moron, always a moron." He confirmed, almost playfully.

You fondly inspected the skin on his face and neck, trying to worry your guilty eyes away from his; you felt as if he was reading you like an open book, which he could easily do, yet your chest was dwelled with too much pride to allow him to speak any other word of concern.

Pushing any poisonous thought to the back of your brain you demandingly bit on your lip and pulled a few inches away, just enough so you could directly look into him. With another look at his gunmetal eyes you stopped your next breath from exiting your body, feeling your heart throb inside your whole body. With trembling hands you searched for his, engulfing his short calloused fingers into your palms almost immediately upon your blind discovery.

It was now or never.

Yet, you barely spoke. The inability to utter even the most incoherent sounds was conquering your body, probing you to duel with it in any case you wanted to expose the nature of your feelings. Nevertheless, you stomped your foot on the mahogany floor and furrowed your brows dangerously before you parted your lips. Though the line you chose to utter was supposed to be nothing more than an internal thought.

"Thinking of you is a poison I drink often."

"You into poetry yet or what (y/n)?" Levi blinked his eyes boringly into yours as he spoke, never flinching for even a mere second.

You knew, under any other circumstance you would have burst laughing in his casual sarcasm, but as all air exited the room, you weren't sure you could bring yourself to make another sound.

"The moon is full, I guess," Levi sighed, pulling his hands to his face, causing yours -thst never loosened their grip on him- to tag along. Your pointed and middle fingers delicately hung from the space between his thumb and his face, lingering just enough to make your presence still know to him. "I'm a lost cause. If you're looking for romance that is. That's as much as I can do."

Nervously looking back and forth you contemplated on the meaning of his words for a couple of moments, your heart churning as your mind hazed over every single syllabus he had just spoken.

Reluctantly, and only when you made up your mind, your hands came to loosely cup the sides of his sharp face while the gaze you were set to spared on his lips was hesitant and lingering. Your thumb idled with his cheek in soothingly soft circles as your breaths paced back and forth, forming uneven masses of fog inside the frozen room. Yet despite the jawbreaking cold that smothered the two of you in the well known piercing manner, in this very moment everything around you seemed to have gone extinct. Time was slowing down, just for the two of you.

You didn't know what pushed you to act upon that little flicker in your heart, but your head was immediately sent in vertigo as you felt his pointed button nose bump into yours. Nothing could break that moment, nothing could rip you off him now that your lips were hovering dangerously over his. With your trembling hands you pulled him closer, hoping on closing the gab between the two of you.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you steadily engulfed his bottom lip with your own mouth; you moved mellowy, painfully slow as you tried to warm him up, eliciting occasional whines to come out of your own self. It was painful and overally miserable to think about how you managed to drag the actions of your lips against his but your knees were weak with every passing second as you savored his taste.

There wasn't another way to make Levi understand how this over the border peck ignited every flame you had inside of you, but you wished the looked you spared him as you parted could do the job. His gaze was furiously set on you, eyes blinking hard into yours as if trying to predict your very next move. You couldn't simply leave him hanging; there was hunger in his eyes, you recognised as much because you knew him so damn well, thus as if on cue you pressed your lips to his, briefly.

And then you did it again.

And again.

And once more.

And then, before you could repeat the -now familiar- peck you felt his own hands cup the back of your head and in furious movements you were pulled into him, lips colliding and teeth clashing against eachother. It wasn't a serene kiss just like the ones you shared before, this one was sloppy and raw, it took all the air out of your chest and it made you unable to try and seek for oxygen.

Your head was prohibited from moving freely, yet you were mostly dominating over the kiss. With a speactacularly quick wit you sucked on his lips roughly, passionately enough to make him gasp more than a few times. Pulling away from each other wasn't an option -no- you weren't going to take such dispicable chance, you simply tagged on his shagged raven locks before daring to dart the tip of your tongue out of the crevice of your own mouth.

Levi accepted it eagerly, sending his own tongue to welcome yours inside his mouth, occasionally pressing it into his pallette before guiding it on the underside of your tongue. You couldn't know, but he wished your tongue was longer, long enough to reach deeper, simply because he needed it to. There was no explainatiom as to why he enjoyed such sloppy, saliva dripping kiss, but the way you scouted every single inch of his mouth was exciting to a point of no return.

It was only after letting you win over his mouth completely that he pulled back, his hands finally letting go of their grip on the back of head. You stayed in your position, however unable to move, unable to speak, unable to find enough oxygen to fill your lungs with.

"That much.. Sure I can do." Levi coughed.

You simply moved your orbs towards him, wide in despair and surprised by his unmatched sarcasm. Out of breath and flustered enough to ignore the fact that your brain had completely shut off, you hung your head lower before muttering something about having to bring him a cool pad for his injury. Now, you really needed to tend to him in order to repeat that again.

You couldn't help the enchanted smile that masked your face as your finger grazed over your lip, making sure to mesmerize the tingling sensation that boiled inside your swollen pieces of flesh.

Taglist go off 👉🏻👈🏻: @sasageyowrites (love you thanks for reading half of this hshshshhs and telling me it's good) @nobody-knows-anymore (full credit for the line you sent me to include my dear) @ladyofpandemonium @ackermans-freedom-inc @hawkssnugget @berrijam @callmepromise @alrightberries still am I forgetting anyone :( pls tell me if I forgot you, I only have one brain

#levi ackerman x reader #levi x reader #levi ackerman imagine #levi ackerman #levi #levi attack on titan #captain levi #aot #attack on titan #snk #shingeki no kyojin #snk x reader #aot x reader #snk imagines #aot imagine #aot season 4 #snk season 4

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shihalyfie · 3 years ago

Text

The differences between Takato and Haru

(This meta was requested by @digitalgate02, who also assisted me with a large portion of it. Thank you for your help!)

Takato and Haru often beg a lot of comparisons because of the fact they go so against the usual “brash hero” archetype common to not only Digimon but also shounen franchises in general, being significantly more mild-mannered (on a language level, they’re also the only Digimon protagonists to date who use the more polite boku first-person pronoun instead of the more assertive ore). Haru himself even points out in Appmon’s very first episode that this kind of personality would normally be more suited towards a side character than a protagonist!

Because of that, Haru is often considered to be a spiritual rehashing of Takato, and many have tried to make close parallels between the two, but while the desire to make comparison is naturally understandable, the truth is that beyond surface temperament, the two characters actually have very little in common. In fact, both Tamers and Appmon take rather different approaches to their definitions of a “conventional hero”, and that results in both Takato and Haru having very different roles in the plot.

In many cases, the role of a protagonist in a narrative has a deep relationship with what kind of narrative it is in the first place, and especially what kinds of themes it wants to present. For instance, in the case of 02, you could argue that the story is more “about” Ken than it is about Daisuke, since both major arcs in the story are about his fall and reformation, but when you consider the major themes present in 02′s narrative about purpose in life and pragmatism, Daisuke’s way of life and overall attitude are vital elements in relation to them, and it’s why he ends up being the “protagonist” (or, more accurately, the character at the forefront of the story) despite Ken’s heavier connection to it.

Tamers and Appmon have a number of similarities in storytelling, mainly that they’re both “hard sci-fi” stories in comparison to other entries that have stronger fantasy elements, and do have a certain amount of crossover in terms of dealing with AI-related topics. However, the actual “nature” of each work ultimately turns out to be different, and thus impacts how each of their protagonists is presented.

I heavily dislike calling Tamers a “deconstruction” of the monster collecting genre or of Digimon Adventure, mainly because of how much that term has been exploited to stereotype works in a genre as being things they’re not, or less nuanced than they actually are (as one Twitter user aptly put it: “a deconstruction is when I like something in a genre I disrespect”). I absolutely do not care for the idea of claiming that Adventure or 02 were somehow less nuanced or “deep” than Tamers just because they were more idealistic or more subtle about it, because they sure as hell had a lot of deeper things hidden between the lines if you bother to look out for them, and I also don’t like the implication that Tamers exists to criticize Adventure for supposedly being too naive. It is true, however, that Tamers re-examines a lot of Adventure (and 02)’s concepts in a different context; while Tamers isn’t as strong of a theme narrative, and it’s much more difficult to say there's an overarching message that encompass most or all of the series as much, it does indulge in a lot of thought experiments and smaller subplots that wouldn’t be possible in Adventure, and Takato thus has an important position in facilitating those kinds of thought experiments. The overall franchise metaphors of “growing” (evolving) alongside your Digimon (or, at least, something different from you) and the symbolism associated with it are still more than present, so the Tamers way of showcasing it is in mainly presenting the question of how that kind of goal would even be achievable in the first place when things aren’t as clear-cut.

In particular, Takato serves to address how someone who doesn’t fulfill the typical protagonist mold would cope with situations that somewhat resemble those in Adventure, what would happen when a Digimon partner is fundamentally different from oneself, and how one would still be able to grow alongside such an existence. Thus, his own character arc is more relevant to his own personal growth in accordance with interacting with Guilmon and what he gets out of his journey. This is especially because one thing particularly unique to Tamers is how it portrays Digimon as significantly more feral and different in mentality to humans, which means that he had a much higher personal hurdle to begin with, and thus his personal story and what he gets out of it becomes of significantly more importance.

Appmon, on the other hand, very much is an overarching theme narrative and isn’t exactly subtle about it, with one of its biggest questions being about what’s important in a world that’s getting increasingly controlled and regulated by modern technology that’s getting more and more intelligent. Haru is thus the embodiment of Appmon’s answer to that question: “to choose to be kind” -- and the less-than-subtle invocation of the word “protagonist” ends up having a very different meaning invoked in its final episode.

At the very least, on top of both being rather unconventional protagonists, both Tamers and Appmon do start with Takato and Haru both expressing a desire to be more like one who could go on some kind of adventure (Takato’s version isn’t as verbal, but his way of enthusiastically putting on goggles as proof that he’s a Tamer in Tamers episode 2 carries heavy implications of wanting to emulate the heroes he saw on TV).

However, this is where we get our first difference: Takato proudly claims his newfound status as the series protagonist, whereas Haru is unsure and self-conscious about it -- Haru himself is the one who initially considers himself not cut out for the role despite Yuujin personally believing he does and Gatchmon trying to urge him into it. And, in fact, this is actually the difference that kicks off where their paths entirely diverge.

Takato is often said to be unconventional for a protagonist, but when you really think about it, it’s not like Taichi or Daisuke were exactly models of typical protagonist tropes; while you could call them “hot-blooded”, in the end, Taichi’s standout traits have more to do with natural charisma and sometimes even being too chill, and Daisuke, for all he seems assertive, is actually extremely deferential. So why is Takato still such a standout in comparison?

Well, when you look at the detailed profiles of all twelve of the main Adventure and 02 cast, you might notice something: all of them are naturally selfless people who put others before themselves without a second thought. On the other hand, when you look at Takato, you might realize that this is very much not the case, especially during the early parts of the series. As much as Takato is a “soft” person, he’s not necessarily very “kind” or “nice”, especially during the early parts of the series; he can get possessive or clingy, petty, or even a little arrogant (Tamers episode��11 basically has him go on a mini-power trip based on his card combo having worked so well in the prior episode, which ends up becoming part of his isolation from Hirokazu and Kenta in the following one). Moreover, Takato loses his emotional composure and becomes a crying mess as early as Tamers episode 2, and while it’s not like other characters in Adventure and 02 hadn’t been prone to emotional outbursts, combine it with the above facts and you get the take-home that Takato isn’t “soft” out of an active choice to be so as much as he’s just really, really lacking in emotional mettle to begin with.

To be fair to him, Takato has to deal with quite a bit more stress during the early parts of Tamers than Haru has to during the equivalent parts; having to deal with a Digimon partner that’s outright feral at times and doesn’t have a fully intelligent understanding of how to communicate is a pretty rough thing to start off with. That said, Takato is fairly cowardly even in situations that don’t necessarily have to do with this, it’s just that this makes it worse -- but it means a lot that Takato himself is willing to put in that much effort in bonding with Guilmon despite being initially intimidated by what he’d just created, and that perhaps is what’s the beginnings of how he continues to develop that strength of heart for the rest of the series (and also extends to how he’s the one who connects with Grani).

This is in contrast to how Haru is described by Yuujin at the end of Appmon episode 1, in which Yuujin states that Haru is already cut out to be a protagonist because he’s a kind person -- in other words, Takato is someone who is not cut out to be a protagonist of any kind of adventure at the start of Tamers, even though he thinks he now gets the luxury of being one due to the circumstances he’s thrust into, whereas Haru is already someone with the potential to be one even at the start of the series, but initially lacks the self-confidence to consider himself able to be so. Thus, Takato’s character arc involves having to actually grow into someone worthy of the position, whereas Haru’s involves coming to terms with the aspects of himself he already has but doesn’t quite understand yet.

One very important thing to reiterate is that “unconventional” does not necessarily mean “better” by default, and, on the flip side, just because Takato isn’t as virtuous of a person at the beginning doesn’t mean he’s a worse character (after all, these kinds of things are what makes one interesting). Rather, it’s more important to consider why these characters are this way based on the context of the narratives they’re in.

In the case of the Adventure/02 kids, getting twelve naturally kind kids wasn’t exactly accident, nor was Haru and the other Appli Drivers also being that way; said kids have a bit of selection bias in that they were deliberately chosen by various entities (”the one who wishes for stability” and the Agents, the Holy Beasts, or Minerva) knowing that a massive world- or humanity-threatening crisis was on the horizon and quite understandably picking kids who had the greatest potential for the kindness that shouldering the world’s burdens would take (in Adventure and 02 this manifested in having the kids resonate with Crests and Digimentals that represented virtues, and in Appmon this involved Minerva actively testing them). After all, it’s only natural that anyone with the chance to recruit people to help with a monumental task would ideally go out of their way to pick people who seem best suited for the job, whether it’s something as grand as fantasy chosen hero picking or something as simple as job recruitment. But at the beginning of Tamers, none of the involved parties were really aware of any kind of grand, looming threats on the horizon, and whatever the DigiGnomes were thinking (or not thinking) when giving Takato his D-Ark is arcane to us all, and so Takato ended up becoming a Tamer by functional accident, resulting him starting off very poorly equipped for the job and having to learn how to do it on the fly.

This also means that the “motives” Takato and Haru have for taking action at the beginning of the series are accordingly different. Because any concept of “stakes” was not immediately apparent at the start of Tamers, Takato’s motivations for being a Tamer are more self-centered and selfish than Haru’s are for being an Appli Driver at the start of their respective series.

Takato’s motives at the beginning of Tamers really just revolve around “I want to be able to play with Guilmon more and not lose him,” and there’s no indication at said beginning that he’s really prepared for or even understands the part about having to protect others from harm. That doesn’t mean that Takato’s a selfish person to the extent of not caring about others at all -- in fact, by the time of Tamers episode 15, he demonstrates an understanding that they’re not playing a “game” anymore when things get difficult (and even puts his foot down in front of the other kids for it, a huge improvement from his rather cowardly outlook at the beginning of the series), so the issue largely had to do with the fact that the early parts of Tamers didn’t immediately make such high stakes clear, and Takato himself was thus in a situation of not worrying about others because that necessity wasn’t there yet. But even in the same episode, Takato still has a clear motive of wanting to show off his cool Digimon partner to the others and bask in his “status” as a Tamer, and it’s still a huge contrast to Haru who was initially too humble to accept his role as part of such a larger narrative until his desire to “protect everyone” won out. It’s a big deal that Haru understood the stakes that would be involved in the fight against Leviathan from day one, and actively chose to opt in because of his selflessness.

Another major reason for this difference is that Haru has a certain character trait explicitly ascribed to him that isn’t with Takato: Haru enjoys reading books and is actually rather book-smart and intellectual. On a certain technicality, Takato being characterized as not particularly skilled in that department actually brings him a little closer to the conventional shounen protagonist archetype than it does a “bookish” character like Haru, because such a character is often considered too nerdy for the protagonist position -- but in Haru’s case, the fact he’s actively thoughtful and ruminates on things means that he spends a lot of time thinking about “what’s the right thing to do” in a given situation.

For all it’s worth, I really hope that the above won’t be taken as an implication that Takato is a fundamentally bad person for having more selfish immediate priorities than Haru or the Adventure/02 kids do; having to carry the weight of such a large thing is a huge thing to ask of someone, especially when we’re talking about someone who kind of got thrown into this whole mess and has been spending the entirety of this series trying to figure it all out without a lot of reliable sources of help. On top of that, it should also be noted that Takato is ten; if there’s anything that can be said to be not entirely true-to-life with the Adventure and 02 cast personalities, it’s that a lot of the emotional awareness and levelheadedness they exhibit usually come from people much older than 8-12 (it’s one of the “acceptable breaks from reality” employed in kids’ shows that kid protagonists are often a tad bit more mature than actual kids would be at that age, otherwise a lot of said kids’ show plots wouldn’t function), and real ten-year-olds in Takato’s situation would often have more difficulty knowing what to do with such great burdens at this age. It’s actually fairly significant that Haru is 13 and from a group composed mainly of middle schoolers, in contrast to the older series having elementary school kids (the youngest Appli Driver, Astra, is actually the same age as a classic Digimon series protagonist), and thus it’s probably not surprising that they’re more willing and able to deal with such huge issues much earlier on.

Thus, although Takato’s character arc does involve him slowly growing into the role of becoming less shallow and selfish, and becoming more truly assertive while he’s at it, this fundamental difference in their natures ends up continuing to have a major influence by the time of the later parts of the series. The difference can be most starkly illustrated in Tamers episode 35 versus Appmon episode 41 -- in which Takato, upon seeing Beelzebumon kill Leomon, is utterly consumed by his emotions and decides that the best course of action to take would be killing Beelzebumon in revenge, even though this won’t bring Leomon back or accomplish anything productive (and, indeed, it does make things worse in the form of driving his own partner over the edge and traumatizing Juri further). (Adventure had already warned that prioritizing “revenge” over “protecting others” is foolhardy and tends to cause a lot of really nasty problems.)

In contrast, one thing you might notice about Haru is that he never “denies anyone’s feelings”, even when confronting someone like Knight. You could argue that Haru wasn’t necessarily dealing with direct trauma in front of him, but recall that Knight had caused tons of grief and misery for many (something Haru takes serious offense at) and had, along with Charismon, gotten very close to permakilling all of the Buddy Appmon at one point back in Appmon episode 37 -- so it’s not like Haru doesn’t have reason to have grudge against Knight, even if the severity isn’t as immediate. Note that Haru doesn’t “both-sides” this issue; he still insists on making his own case, it’s just that he still doesn’t have it in him to not acknowledge that Knight has a good reason for making the case he does given his background, consider his words to an extent, and fight against the idea of having Knight be killed for no good reason. Haru has a very strong belief in “thinking with one’s heart” and “respecting feelings” that he'd exhibited through the entire series (for example, very prominently in Appmon episode 12 with Rei), and because of that he has a ton of emotional control over himself even taking some very harsh things. It’s clear that Haru does have very deep understanding of what he’s dealing with -- and chooses to be idealistic and kind anyway.

(In addition, because Haru is so naturally inclined to be selfless, the one time he really does hit an emotional low in Appmon episode 49, it’s not anger or lashing out at anyone, but rather sadness and despair. Haru just really does not have the fundamental capacity to be aggressive.)

As said before, Takato’s character arc is very much a personal story of how he grew into the role of a Tamer, via learning to fight for what’s important and have a strong heart for it. As a result, his motives for fighting end up still having a much more personal streak to it than anything -- at the time of Tamers episode 49, technically speaking, the Wild Bunch was still being counted on to work on the D-Reaper problem, and his own family was urging him to stay home for now, but what tipped him over the edge was not some desire to protect people as a whole but rather the fact that Juri was calling for him. It’s not to say that such a thing is selfish -- he’s clearly doing it for her sake, not anything to do with his own -- but nevertheless his involvement was directly related to something that hit a little more personally moreso than it was for the sake of the wider picture.

As said before, this is fitting for someone whose story is really more of a personal character arc before anything else; the significance is more in line with the sheer amount of emotional growth Takato had to go through in order to get to this point at all, and how someone normally so divorced from the concept of heroism could come to do something so meaningful, especially thanks to his interactions with Guilmon and growing alongside him. There’s absolutely no doubt that Takato wouldn’t have been able to do this kind of thing at the beginning of the series, so it’s a huge accomplishment that shouldn’t be watered down. It also makes him a very good foil to the D-Reaper, an emotionless program that’s still fixated on rehashing the same destructive purpose it was originally created for years ago and has long lost its purpose, and while Takato isn’t technically the sole factor in putting it to rest (at most, the most valuable asset as part of the Wild Bunch’s plan), the contrast is quite apparent.

On the flip side, Appmon episode 54 not only involves the exact opposite -- in which Haru sacrifices something closely personal to him for the sake of everything else -- but also ties it very closely to its own series themes, which are assertively laid down in all of their glory during this finale. The reason Haru had been “chosen” by Minerva to begin with, and the reason he himself had been given an opt-in “choice” at the beginning of the series and again in Appmon episode 38, and so many other characters had been given “choices”, is that this story is about choices -- because Leviathan (and Knight, and any kind of “AI should manage everything” argument that this series fights hard against) believes that humans shouldn’t be allowed them, and that everything ought to fall in accordance with a “rational” system. Haru, on the other hand, believes in the human heart that can do unexpected things, and his constant choices to do things out of kindness despite understanding what they entail.

Over the course of the series, Haru hadn’t always been putting himself in a spotlight situation -- in fact, many episodes had involved him saying “we’ll support you!” and generally uplifting others before he’d ever tried to take charge. But in the end, the reason he ends up as the “protagonist” who makes the final choice for everyone’s sake is because he’s the one who understands that gravity of “making a choice with one’s feelings” that’s so vital to changing Leviathan’s mind -- plus, the fact he’d been so supportive and kind to everyone means that everyone else shows up for him when he needs it most. Note that when Astra and Eri are upset at Yuujin in Appmon episodes 48 and 51, it’s not so much out of the overall betrayal as much as the fact he specifically betrayed and hurt Haru, because that’s how much they’ve come to care for him in return.

Hence, why Appmon latently ends on a frame of redefining the concept of “protagonist” -- certainly, on a meta level, Haru became the “protagonist” of the narrative that is Appmon, but what it actually means in terms of what Haru became is that everyone, including the members of the audience watching this series, is “the protagonist of their own life”, meaning that being a “protagonist” is defined merely by said act of “making choices” and defining what your own path will be. And especially in a world where singularity is going to become more and more of a real possibility -- as the show indirectly reminds us, AI surpassing human intellect is something that’s been predicted and warned about in this very world we, the viewers, live in -- understanding this is going to become even more important.

Incidentally, in the end, as much as it might be tempting to try and draw parallels with Takato because both of them are in the franchise-mandated position of “protagonist”, removing that requirement actually brings up a character that might make a much closer parallel -- “making choices that are out of kindness” easily directly invokes a certain other character from 02 who had “kindness” as a huge part of his character arc, doesn’t it...?

Really, if you think about it, Haru has a lot in common with Ken, who’s also thoughtful, intellectual, very in touch with his own feelings, assertive, resilient, strong in heart, and kind out of choice even when he doesn’t have to be -- you could basically say Haru is what Ken would be like if he hadn’t gone through such a massive formative event of trauma early in his life, or, alternatively, Ken if he had a bit more of Daisuke’s more outwardly bright, friendly, and supportive traits. It may not be a comparison you’d be easily tempted to make because, as stated above, as much as Ken had a deep connection with 02′s plot, he’s not portrayed as the protagonist of his own narrative...and, hence, Haru is unusual in that the exact archetype that was formerly placed in the role of the series deuteragonist has now been recast in the role of the protagonist itself. But then again, from Haru’s perspective, it’s not like Ken wasn’t technically the driving force of his own story, right?

(I’m not just drawing this comparison because I usually blog for 02. I promise.)

#digimon #digimon tamers #appmon #matsuda takato #shinkai haru #takato matsuda #haru shinkai #shihameta

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the-irken-pony · 3 years ago

Note

You said to remind you about that Henry and the CCC thing...I can’t find it...

YES YOU'RE RIGHT

A lot has happened so I haven't been able to get to it for a while but THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME

So first of all, I want to emphasize the CCC's relative importance in the Henry Stickmin series.

Part 1: The CCC vs the other factions

All of the other major factions in THSC appeared in Infiltrating the Airship or later, not counting Winston Davis and Gene Fredrickson, two members of the Toppat Clan who were introduced before the Toppat Clan was formally introduced. The Government and the Toppat Clan were formally introduced in Infiltrating the Airship, and The Wall was formally introduced in Fleeing the Complex.

The Center for Chaos Containment, meanwhile, made an appearance as early as Stealing the Diamond, back when Henry was a simple thief with some bizarre abilities (which I will touch on in a bit). Since their initial introduction, the CCC has made brief yet consistent appearances in every following game, introducing at least one member who has not been seen prior (often more).

So, if they're so important, why are they so much less prominent than other factions? Simple: their job is to contain chaos from behind the scenes to try to normalize the world around them. Unless something major is going down that requires intervention, there's no reason to publicly show their face.

And honestly? It might actually be better for everyone that they don't. After all, the CCC has demonstrated power beyond what the Government or the Toppats could even dream of. Sure, the Toppats might also have giant space lasers, but they were only able to get them after major funding and numerous months--probably years--of preparation. Likewise, the Government may have access to nuclear (emphasis on "may" because this is unconfirmed), but the CCC is able to whip these out without a second thought.

Yet the CCC's power goes further. Also at the CCC's disposal are gargantuan robots (one of which is G.A.B.E.G.G., which forces the Govt to abort the Toppat raid), a calculator that can instantly vaporize the world by dividing by 0, the ability to stop time itself, and a "Dark Energy Blaster" (capable of instantly wiping out all life within a certain radius).

Sure, the Government may have Charles' helicopter which is capable of some wacky things, and the Toppat Clan and the Wall may have superpowered members, but none of it even comes close to just how far the CCC's power extends. And yet! No one! Talks about it!!

Okay, so I've talked on and on about just how strong the CCC is. How is this at all related to Henry?

Part 2: Henry Stickmin, a thief in need of cash

Before I can get into how Henry and the CCC are connected, I need to touch on who Henry Stickmin actually is, or at least how he started.

Early on in the series, before he was captured by the Govt, Henry's sole motive was getting money in order to pay for rent (and presumably other bills).

Over the course of the first two games, Breaking the Bank and Escaping the Prison, Henry learns two new things about himself:

1. Not only does he die in numerous alternate timelines, but he remembers these timelines in which he dies (or is otherwise inconvenienced) as though they were his own.

2. Some mysterious force which he had never before known (the player) has begun to provide him with various tools to help him achieve various degrees of success (or lack thereof).

The evidence for both of these are provided by one particular recurring object in the series: the Teleporter. Not only does Henry make direct eye contact to glare at the player in ItA, but the series has him show increasing reluctance to use the teleporter whenever it's provided (eventually becoming outright refusal in Completing the Mission). Additionally, the teleporter's use in Fleeing the Complex is mutually exclusive to its use in both ItA and CtM due to the teleporter appearing in an incompatible route, suggesting he's even aware of the routes that he does not take.

However, there's one more thing which points to this being the case, which is also were we can start to see a connection between Henry and the CCC.

Off to the right, we can see that Henry was brainstorming potential jobs around the start of Stealing the Diamond.

Janitor

Prison Guard

Test subject

All but one of these options have been crossed out: “test subject”, suggesting that this is the job that he’s decided to settle on. What’s especially interesting here is that the same game we see this is the same game that introduces the Center for Chaos Containment. The connections don’t end there, though.

Part 3: Henry and the CCC

As you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m making the claim that, by the beginning of Stealing the Diamond, Henry has started working for the CCC as a test subject. I mean, someone who regularly causes accidental chaos working for a faction whose job it is to contain chaos makes sense on its own, but add to that the fact that any major repercussions caused by the CCC’s reckless decisions are immediately undone with no lasting consequences? You could say it’s too good of a fit.

Plus, it would explain how they consistently appear in the same general area as Henry (even if Kyle Baxter doesn’t actually act in FtC). There are more connections between Henry and the CCC, though.

1) The CCC’s various tools directly interact with Henry at multiple points in the series, and Henry seems much less surprised by the CCC’s actions.

Meanwhile, others seem much less aware of the CCC’s influence.

2) Even with all of the major chaos incidents that Henry directly causes, Henry himself never catches the CCC’s attention.

The CCC repeatedly mentions “chaos readings” whenever chaos incidents happen in a particular area, yet either Henry himself doesn’t give off chaos readings or the CCC actively ignores him. The first option seems unlikely due to Henry’s, well... everything. Yet, if Henry gave off chaos readings and was unaffiliated with the CCC, then why wouldn’t they put more focus on containing Henry directly? Sure, they wouldn’t succeed due to Henry being able to undo their more harmful actions, but the fact that they aren’t even antagonists is... intriguing.

3) Adding on to 2, when the CCC doesn’t accidentally hurt Henry, they directly help him somehow.

While this is rarely their immediate goal, the CCC’s attempts to contain chaos often help Henry in some way or another. In Stealing the Diamond, the Tunisian diamond happens to get thrown right next to him after he escapes from the museum; in Infiltrating the Airship, Henry takes one member’s flying suit in order to make his escape with the Romanian Ruby; and in Completing the Mission, the CCC’s intervention leads the Govt to aborting the Toppat raid.

All of these are minor coincidences, but what really ties this together is the secret ending of CtM, the Multiverse Correction.

In this secret ending, the multiverse is “defragmented” and an anomaly is corrected. The way this anomaly is corrected is actually by spawning in the package seen in Escaping the Prison.

Up to now, I’ve mentioned multiple minor details that tangentially connect Henry to the CCC, but I’ve only mentioned in passing what is probably the most important part of this whole post: you, the player.

Part 4: The Player (You) and the CCC

As the various teleporter uses demonstrate, you (the player) are a separate being from Henry, and you provide Henry with different tools or make various decisions from him. However, there are very few times (if any) in which you exert full control over Henry. A major demonstration of this is with the hammer.

All identical looking options, yet depending on which of the three you select, Henry does something different with the hammer. Aside from subtle sound cues, you don’t get any clue what each option will do. All the decision making is done by Henry.

However, there are characters which you DO exert direct control over: Clyde Jenkins, Wilson Stone, and Ellias Bahtchin. All of them are members of the Center for Chaos Containment.

Every time you take control of these characters, you have a first person view of their options and, in the case of Clyde, your mouse becomes his hand.

At no other point do you control a character like this, not even with Henry. This is a trait exclusive to these three characters. And, quite frankly, it’s incredibly fascinating from a gameplay standpoint.

Is it possible that based on this, you (the player) also work for the CCC? Maybe, but it’s entirely likely that the CCC (excluding Henry) are unaware of your presence.

Conclusion:

The fact that Henry considered applying as a test subject in Stealing the Diamond as a direct result of his chaos and just so happened to keep bumping into the Center for Chaos Containment in every game since then feels like more than just coincidence.

#henry stickmin #the henry stickmin collection #thsc #center for chaos containment #theory #analysis #long post #ask #anonymous #mine

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along-came-atsushi · 4 years ago

Text

Hello, anon! :D And thank you for your trust in my opinions!

[The following quotes from Beast!AU are from @looking-for-stray-dogs.

A complete translation of the novel was made by @yanase-gr.]

~ ~ ~

Dazai’s and Atsushi’s relationship in Beast is very complicated to begin with.

During their scenes Dazai is switching between being respectful towards Atsushi and then being pretty cold to him in the next moment.

Apparently Atsushi is allowed to do things other subordinates are not allowed to do. He actually calls Dazai “Dazai-san”, and not “boss”. Although, the hesitant way of him saying his name implies that he’s uncomfortable to do so:

“Thank you……very much, Dazai-san.”

Head still bowed, Atsushi said so in a nervous voice.

Immediately, Chuuya’s low voice interrupted. “Haah? Call him ‘Boss’, brat. You wanna be killed?”

Dazai must have either offered or ordered Atsushi to address him that way for whatever reasons. I doubt that Atsushi was the first to call him “Dazai-san” without being giving permission, since he has an awed and dependent perception of Dazai in Beast.

We know that Beast!Dazai has the knowledge of other realities/worlds, so he may want that subconsciously (being called “Dazai-san” by Atsushi), because he knows that in other realities/worlds he has a good relationship with him. Which is kind of a parallel when he sits with Beast!Odasaku in the bar and actually calls him “Odasaku” (much to Odasaku’s irritation), because he knows in another reality/world they were friends.

Another thing Atsushi is allowed to do is being alone with Dazai. Chuuya as his bodyguard opposes to both these exceptions, calling Atsushi out to be more respectful towards Dazai and not allowing anyone to be alone with him, since that person could be trying to kill Dazai:

“Now now, Chuuya, it’s fine,” Dazai said while crossing his legs. “More importantly, I want to speak to him alone. Chuuya, leave us for a while.” [...]

“What’re you talking about. A mere member not even an executive member or your secretary seeing you directly, that’s already the exception of exceptions.”

“Why? Atsushi-kun’s a trusted subordinate.”

“It’s not about trust. What’re you gonna do if he’s controlled by an Ability, or a bomb was planted on him without his knowledge? There were precedents. Impossible that I’d give you permission for you two to be alone.”

[...] Dazai made a wry smile, and he turned to face Atsushi. “Be at ease, Atsushi-kun.”

From what I understand from the fan translation is that in Beast Dazai also trained Atsushi. Of course, these sessions must have involved physical force, too. There is also the fact that in Beast Atsushi has to wear a spikey collar in order to suppress/control his tiger powers. Since he isn’t an ADA member there, and Fukuzawa with his ability cannot make him control the tiger, it’s the only way for him to do so. Otherwise he would be blindly going on rampages (which apparently did already happen in Beast), or he would be waiting inside a cage.

But I still doubt the training was as violent as between Canon!Dazai and Canon!Akutagawa. Because:

1.) Canon!Akutagawa disobeys Canon!Dazai’s orders (killing people he should not kill), for which he gets punished. This is something Beast!Atsushi does not do, he strictly follows Beast!Dazai’s orders. But more on that later.

2.) Beast!Odasaku says about Akutagawa‘s ability something like: “Your ability is strong, but you’re physically weak.” Something that’s also not the case with Atsushi, since he has the tiger’s regenerative powers and so on. So training him that violently may not be necessary for Beast!Dazai.

3.) Beast!Dazai planned from the very beginning to not let Beast!Atsushi stay forever in the PM:

There is the sound of clapping, and Dazai congratulates them.

“Atsushi-kun. You’re fired.”

Atsushi’s eyes widened for a moment from surprise, then he closed them immediately.

“……understood.”

“In exchange, go live in the outside world. I’ve made arrangements for somebody to take care of you. Go into the world of light, together with Kyouka-chan.”

“Dazai-kun must have, in his own way, been worried for you for after he’s gone.” − Beast!Mori to Beast!Atsushi

He made arrangements that he would live a better life, after the incidents of Beast. Contrary to the canon storyline, where Dazai did not have any plans to bring Akutagawa out of PM. Also because at that time, he himself thought that he would stay there forever. Leaving PM was an impulsively made decision due to Odasaku’s death and last wish, and he didn’t bring Akutagawa with him. All these circumstances do not happen in Beast, and Beast!Dazai’s plans differ greatly from his canon self.

So from Canon!Dazai’s mindset it was important to teach Akutagawa how things work in the Mafia, and that he won’t survive there, if he ever shows weakness. Which isn’t the case with Beast!Atsushi.

Even when Atsushi disobeyed Dazai one time (He went back to the orphanage and killed the headmaster, something which Dazai advised him against), Dazai seemingly didn’t punish Atsushi in any way. Because Atsushi was already punished in dealing with his trauma and guilt for killing the headmaster.

[Sidenote: Yes, even in Beast we have that stupid “AKSHUALLY the headmaster was a gOoD gUY uwu” narrative. Thanks, I hate it.]

It’s not mentioned anywhere that Atsushi was once punished by Dazai for anything or that he’s afraid of him in (physically) hurting him. Instead Atsushi begs Dazai for orders and states several times that he saved him:

“Please, order me, Dazai-san.” Somehow, Atsushi squeezed his voice out from behind trembling teeth. “Immediately. I will never again, go against your orders. Never, never, never.”

“I’ll believe that,” Dazai said while coolly looking down at Atsushi.

“That person [Dazai] saved me. He saved me from hell, and invited me to this organization. I will never betray that person’s orders.” [...] “He told me to join. Said that I’ll be granted what I wanted.”

Of course, their relationship in Beast is far from healthy and good. And it’s very shocking to read for the first time. But it’s also not as terrible and cruel as it was between Dazai and Akutagawa in the canon story. That of course, doesn’t make Atsushi’s mental state in Beast any better, and it doesn’t excuse Dazai’s treatment of Akutagawa in the canon story.

In addition to this, I think that Beast!Atsushi and Beast!Dazai truly care for each other. Atsushi is visibly devastated when Dazai is about to commit suicide. And Dazai, as mentioned above, made preparations to have Atsushi live a better life. It’s just that they have complicated circumstances. Beast!Dazai’s main goal is to keep Odasaku alive, because Beast is the only reality/world where this is possible (which kind of gives Odasaku the role of a martyr in other realities/worlds). But to achieve this, he has to make everybody else suffer and keep a cold facade:

“Yes, this is a natural phenomenon.” Dazai’s voice carried the accompaniment of fatigue that had been thinly extended. “Nobody can stop it, nobody can fight against it. Even I cannot— if there’s one thing we can do, it is to love it. The truth that this world is one huge lie.”

“It was dreadful,” the young man muttered. “It was really dreadful. To fight against Mimic without you, to have to succeed Mori-san, to make enemies of everyone and expand the organisation. It was all for this world’s—”

− Beast!Dazai to Beast!Odasaku

There is a sad parallel where Dazai says the following to Odasaku:

“A life with someone to say goodbye to, it’s a good life. If there’s someone who would feel pain from the goodbye, I’d wish for nothing more. Am I wrong?”

And the only person who actually feels sadness for Dazai’s death is Atsushi:

It was true that, after Dazai’s death, Atsushi hadn’t known what to do and had left Yokohama, refusing food, wandering in remote places. Even he hadn’t known why. But—he couldn’t help but do so.

“You didn’t want to die, you just didn’t want to live. They are two completely different things.” − Beast!Elise to Beast!Atsushi

#Osamu Dazai #Atsushi Nakajima #Ryunosuke Akutagawa #dazatsu #dazushi #osamu dazai bsd #atsushi nakajima bsd #ryunosuke akutagawa bsd #Sakunosuke Oda #sakunosuke oda bsd #I'm tagging it as Dazatsu just in case ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#Bungou Stray Dogs #BSD #Q&A #beast au #bsd meta

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local-triggerhead · 3 years ago

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[Theory/Analysis] The Motives of Each Eugenicist

Wow, look at me rising from the graves and dusting off this account after 800 years like it's nothing. Your Trigger hype beast is back baby, if any of you still remember me.

This post contains spoilers for both Gridman and Dynazenon.

Ahem. I want to make this post to gather my thoughts and better understand the antagonists of the show, as they aren't heavily featured and explored like Akane. It's just my own analysis based on what I can observe in the show, so some parts would be more vague and generate different interpretations. This analysis may seem obvious to some and not so much to others, but I hope it'll offer some clarity regardless. Tl;dr at the bottom.

The General Motive

It's pretty much given in the show. The Kaiju Eugenicists wanted to destroy humanity and create a world where themselves and kaiju can live and be accepted. They believe that the world is a better place as you're no longer being tied down by human bonds, granting you unrestricted freedom beyond even the laws of physics. This is their shared goal. However, each of them have separated purposes and things they want to achieve along with this.

Onija

Let's start with the 2 more obvious cases. Onija clearly stated what he wanted to do - kill all humans. How many times did he yell this out? It's kind of shoved-in-your-face. No other Eugenicists expressed this desire as strongly as he did. At the base level, he simply wanted to live. He was brutally killed once and was determined to not let it happen again no matter what. This is why "I thought I was dead" was a constant running joke. It's also why Onija had a deep personal grudge towards Gauma and humans, who were the cause of his death 5000 years ago.

Juuga

Juuga had a deep admiration for Gauma and looked up to him. Unlike Onija, he didn't wish to oppose Gauma, but to make an alliance instead. When the Eugenicists first appeared, Juuga said:

It's clear from this line that he wanted things to be the way it was 5000 years ago, where they were a group of friends working towards the same goal. He missed and yearned for that carefree time. The original Eugenicist group was the most important thing to him. You can see that he never fought with any other Eugenicists, but remained calm and passive towards them at all times. This attitude only extended towards the Eugenicists, as he had no qualms about killing anyone else for his goal, including the Dynazenon crew.

Even when Mujina stole Dyna Striker, the first thing that came to his mind was using it to negotiate with Gauma and get him back.

Mujina

These last 2 Eugenicists are slightly more complicated to pick apart, as they process things more internally.

At first, Mujina was very indecisive and didn't buy much into this kaiju thing. All she wanted was to finish it quickly so she could leave. She was lost in life and just followed the other Eugenicists around because she had no directions of her own. Then Mujina found Koyomi, someone who also didn't have anything going for himself and just plainly a loser in his life. He was someone she could feel related to. Mujina's attitude supposedly changed after she was tackled by Koyomi, but I believe this just pissed her off and only played a part in her personality shift. The other cause, I think, was Sizumu's encouragement, where she "realized that kaiju is all [she has] got" and that she had to take responsibility for her actions.

Koyomi came to play a major role in episode 11, when Mujina witnessed him starting to look for a job. The only person who she could feel related to was unaffected by the aftermath of the kaiju and moving forward with ease. Meanwhile, Mujina, who had just found her purpose in life, lost it once again and was now completely stuck, as the future where the Eugenicists could live and be accepted was destroyed. When facing such a crisis, one would seek to put the blame on something for all of their problems, and Koyomi just happened to be the perfect target.

Sizumu

Toughest one to crack here, but I'll shoot my best shot. In the beginning, he opposed the Dynazenon crew the least among the Eugenicists. He suggested against killing them, had the most interaction with Yomogi and Yume, and suggested Mujina to return Dyna Striker for seemingly no reasons at all. His main reason for not killing Team Dynazenon was to see more kaiju, and getting close to Yomogi and Yume was for his kaiju to absorb their emotions. However, I believe there was another underlying reason that tied his actions together. He was looking for an alliance.

Contrary to Juuga, the alliance he was looking for didn't only include Gauma, but Team Dynazenon as a whole. To understand why he searched for this, we must first look at what he was. He had an ability that allowed him to hear kaiju voices, which gave him a much deeper understanding of kaiju compared to the other Eugenicists. Due to this, while the others more or less thought of kaiju as a mean to create a world where they can live and be accepted, Sizumu would consider kaiju as his own kind, so much so that he had a severe disconnection with humans. He distanced himself away from even the Eugenicists, almost as if he only tagged along because they shared the same basic goal.

He didn't seek to understand humans, but instead for humans to understand kaiju. His goal was to create a world where not only the Eugenicists were accepted, but kaiju themselves were accepted. He believed that the world was better off like this, because, from his perspective, kaiju could liberate people from human bonds and offer them unlimited freedom. To me, this is rather hypocritical as he never understood why people tied themselves to these bonds in the first place, so he wasn't in a position to say what was better and what wasn't.

Sizumu was the only Eugenicist to mention this kaiju power and express his distaste towards human bonds. He explained this very early on to Yomogi and Yume, and why did he do this, you may ask? Why, to help them understand his views and create an opening for a potential alliance, of course. If his only purpose was to absorb their emotions, then that's quite a lot of unnecessary effort to make himself look friendly and approachable to an uncanny degree, especially when being "friendly and approachable" wasn't his forte. No, he was testing the water to see if he could get them on his side.

Then came an unexpected opportunity for him to determine once and for all if Team Dynazenon can understand and accept kaiju. He let a failed kaiju run free and distracted the Eugenicists away from it (with a tactic he learned from Chise) to see what the Dynazenon crew would do. Some people said that it's to test if any of them were kaiju user, and while that's possible, I think it's a little unlikely. Sizumu only observed them at 2 instances, first was when they started the search for the kaiju, the second was when their beam destroyed the kaiju. Unless the kaiju voices could tell him, there would be no way for Sizumu to know if any of them used Instance Domination, until the very end when Yomogi used it on him. The likelier hypothesis would be: he saw them searching for the kaiju > he saw the kaiju being killed > he surmised that kaiju couldn't exist peacefully with Team Dynazenon, and didn't seem to be particularly happy about it.

From then on, Sizumu decided that they couldn't be his allies thus no longer approached Yomogi or Yume. It seems that he arrived to this final conclusion:

And this is where the series itself left off. Kaiju simply can't co-exist with humans. They are irregulars to the human society. Furthermore, the freedom that they offer can't be allowed to exist as running away from society and real human connections is wrong, even if reality is ugly and difficult to face. This is what make the series similar to Gridman. However, unlike Akane, the antagonists of Dynazenon failed to realized this and didn't get their happy ending.

(A detail that I'd like to mention is that Sizumu was silent during the entire final battle in contrast to the other Eugenicists who were pumping themselves up. It was like he was saying, "Didn't want to do this but I guess you left me with no choice". Though silence can mean anything so it's not a concrete evidence.)

TL;DR and Final Words

This is so much longer than I thought and I really apologize for it. I just don't want to make anyone do logical leaps when reading this post.

Tl;dr:

- Onija wanted to live and had a grudge towards Gauma and humans for causing his death.

- Juuga wanted Gauma to join them again and for things to be back the way it was 5000 years ago. He cared for nothing outside of the Eugenicists group.

- Munija wanted a purpose, found one, then lost it again. She envied Koyomi for regaining his sense of purpose and moving forward with his life.

- Sizumu wanted humans to understand kaiju and a world where kaiju can set humans free from their bonds. Initially considered an alliance with Team Dynazenon, but concluded that them (and people in general) couldn't understand kaiju after all.

- Final message of the show: Go touch some grass and talk to humans you fucking weebs.

Misc

When using Instance Domination, the palms of the Eugenicists always face towards the kaiju. The only exception is the last battle where Sizumu's palm faced towards himself, indicating that the kaiju was inside him. I believe that it was located at the center of his chest, where he shot out that weird magical light beam. Just a small thing I find interesting.

If we want to take it a step further, I believe the seed inside him had already grown into a kaiju, but it was still relatively small until he used Instance Domination on it. Eerie, huh?

And this is more of the theory territory and leaving the analysis, but this could possibly be why he was able to hear kaiju voices. Chise was able to understand Goldburn and translated for him at the end, so maybe having a kaiju inside of you would allow you to understand other kaiju somehow? If this is the case, he would probably have had the kaiju inside of him since 5000 years ago.

There's also this big brain moment from a 4chan user. The resemblance between Yume and Juuga is kinda uncanny considering they're both obsessed with the past.

That's it boys. I'm gonna crawl back into my hole until next century, or until Trigger drops Edgerunners. 8/10 show, VERY underrated gem. Trigger won't stop saving anime.

This post but on Reddit:

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idorkish · 4 years ago

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Herman Kozik SFW Alphabet

Alphabet by @snk-warriors

Warnings: Fluff, some sexual mentions. I needed some more Herman Kozik in my life, so here we are.

Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Kozik likes to spend his free time hanging around the house, fixing what he can or just watching movies with his s/o. If he’s feeling up to it, he will drag s/o out of the house for walks around the neighborhood or a drive to someplace to do a hike. Whatever he’s doing, it’s a time to relax and get his minds off of everything.

Beauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

He admires their view on life. He and his s/o had such different paths in life that it’s sometimes hard to see the good in life for him. When his s/o starts talking about their passion, he finds them the most beautiful. He can’t get enough of their bright smile, the bounce they do in their seat and their animated hands as they explain something completely foreign to him.

Comfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Kozik is no stranger to dark thoughts clouding his mind. For a long time, it’s why he turned to drugs to tune it all out. So when he finds his s/o having a panic attack, he’s right at their side doing whatever they need him to. Do they just need someone to remind them to breathe? He’s having them take in breaths for a a 5 count, hold it for 7, and release for 8. He will keep repeating until their breaths even out and he can figure out what triggered the attack. Do they need someone to just let them sit on their lap and curl up? Well then, grab your favorite blanket and crawl into his open arms because he will hold his s/o for as long as needed.

Dreams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Kokiz still dreams of a picaresque life. He wants the little white fence, a dog running around the yard chasing after 2 or 3 little kids. He wants his s/o home, taking care of the house while he is out taking care of everything else for them.

Equal - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

Kozik is always the Dominant. What he says goes. He does it out of love for his s/o and his desire for their safety.

Fight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

This is going to depend on what caused the fight. Cheating, lying, or hiding something behind his back? There is going to be a big fight that will take a while to get over. He knows he’s not always around, physically and emotionally, and he has cheated in the past so he knows in his gut that it’s bound to happen eventually.

The fights are loud, he will never lay a hand on his s/o but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to take his frustration out elsewhere. He might go out shooting, to the gym to box off some steam, or he might tag along with Happy for a job or too that require more physical brute.

In the end, he is going to take the deepest breath he can and head back home. He doesn’t want things to end and wants to work stuff out, even if it’s tough.

Gratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

Kozik is eternally grateful that the universe decided to send him his s/o. They dote on him when he’s home and understand when he has to keep them in the dark. When his s/o leaves him a packed lunch for days he’s working at the garage, his heart swells. It’s all the little things that his s/o does that makes him want to be better.

Honesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

At first, there were so many secrets. Kozik has been through this before and did not care to be an open book. He kept the happenings of the club a secret, the drugs, the drinking, everything. He wanted to keep the two bubbles of his life separate, and it stayed that way for a while, until it became too much for him. It took him time to slowly open up, but open up he did. He told his s/o about his history of drug abuse, how he was trying to stay sober from it but switched to alcohol and sex. Even if it wasn’t much of an abuse of the 2, he knows he used them as an escape. He slowly introduced his s/o to his other life and the relief at acceptance of that lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders. He doesn’t share 100% of what goes on at the club, but that’s the agreement that him and his s/o came up with. They just want to know when he’s traveling, who he’s with, when he’s coming home, and a few texts to know he’s safe.

Inspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or help them overcome personal problems?

They helped inspire each other to be better at something. Kozik always wanted to find a hobby that had nothing to do with the garage. His s/o encouraged him to take up blacksmithing or leatherworking. Kozik found he very much enjoyed the heat and pounding on steel. His first piece was a small pointed steel pendant that he added to a chain and gifted his s/o.

For his s/o, they always wanted to learn to ride a horse. So he put money aside and bought them lessons. As they got better at it, and wanted to do it more, he paid for more and then bought them their very own horse and a spot at the local stable.

Jealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Kozik gets jealous very easily. He still has intrusive thoughts that make him wonder why his s/o is still there when there are others with less dangerous targets on their heads. So if anyone starts flirting with his s/o, Kozik is there to wrap an arm around their shoulder or waist and pulls them close, kissing on their neck and letting the other know that this person is HIS.

His s/o also has jealousy issues. Kozik has cheated in the past, they’ve worked through it and have acknowledged it but when the crows pay Kozik a little too much attention, it’s hard not to let the green monster rear its ugly head. His s/o will take a seat at the clubhouse and nurse their drink for as long as they stay.

Kiss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Kozik has had time to perfect his kissing skills. The first kiss was awkward, it always it but it didn’t take him long to figure out what his s/o liked and he used that to his advantage.

Love Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

It was a slip of the tongue honestly. Things were so chaotic with the club and life in general. There had been an extended lockdown and he couldn’t get you off his mind. He knew you were safe in the clubhouse but he was on edge. When it was all said and done, and he made his way to his room and found you laying on his bed, laptop next to you playing a movie, he blurted it out, scaring his s/o so much they fell off the bed.

Marriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

He is terrified of getting married, even the thought of getting married. You were his partner, you lived together, shared everything. What was the point of getting married? When Opie and Lyla tied the knot, he caught his s/o’s wistful looks and sighs and he know, oh boy did it hit him like a ton of bricks, but he knew. He needed to marry you and make everything official. He got his brothers and Gemma involved. Gemma kept his s/o out of the house while everyone else got it prepped. His s/o had no idea what was going on, until Gemma dropped them home and all the lights were out inside, the only lights coming from the backyard. And there he was, fairy lights strung up all around, him in a button up shirt and slacks, and a candlelit dinner smack in the center. Once married, there are still plenty of ups and downs. Kozik and his s/o still have jealous moments, they still fight, but at the end of the day, Kozik remembers why they married.

Nicknames - What do they call their s/o?

Kozik calls his s/o the classics - babe, baby, sweetheart

His s/o gives him various names - babe, Kozzy bear, Hermie, Hermiester, Manny, sweetie

On Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

It is sickeningly obvious to everyone around them that Kozik and his s/o are in love. It was obvious before they dated, while they dated, and after they married. They express themselves with touch, a hand on the back, arms wrapped around the others’ shoulders or waist.

PDA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Gods, they wish Kozik would sometimes just shut up about his s/o. The only times he shuts up is at the parties, when his s/o is planted firmly on his lap. His is never hesitant to kiss or grab a feel, who cares if anyone sees.

Quirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Kozik is a mechanic and super handy around the house. Who needs to call a handyman when s/o has their own Herman to fix everything.

S/o makes sure Kozik takes care of himself. He gets too wrapped up in others that he often puts himself last.

Romance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

It honestly depends on the day. There are some days where Kozik is the epitome of romance - flowers, bubble baths, and a fancy night out. Other times, it having his s/o put on their riding gear and traveling up to Tacoma for the weekend.

Support - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

He tries, he really does, but there are days he has no idea how to support his s/o. If they were trying to start a business, well you have as much financial support as he can muster. Are you wanting to learn some new hobbies, well he’ll do what he can to find you someone to help. Want to learn to ride your own bike, as much as he would love nothing more to help, he knows he doesn’t have the best patience for teaching, so he asks Clay or Bobby for help. No matter what, Kozik believes 100% in his s/o and hopes they do the same for him.

Thrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

There are very few things Kozik will say “no” to. Threesomes, public sex, sex under the stars? Check, check, check. Bondage, whips, sensation play? Ooooh, check-a-roo-galore! He’s always up to try something new, the only no so far has been sharing. He knows they’re both too jealous to bring another in, so he’s all too OK to keep his s/o to himself.

Understanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Kozik’s s/o is far superior in this, he can admit to that. He tries but he is not that empathetic. He gets when his s/o is upset and does what he can to cheer them up, he gets the dark voices in the head that lead to a spiral of insecurities, he can handle all that dark stuff. But if someone says something, which in his mind is insignificant and unworthy to be listened to, he doesn’t get what it does to his s/o. Who cares what the cretins of the town had to say anyway?

Value - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

At first, it scared Kozik how much the relationship meant to him. So he did what he thought he was best at, he found warmth in another woman’s arms and tried to push you away. As his s/o stuck it out and proved they were willing to work on the relationship, it became one of the most important parts of Kozik’s life. He has said that we was willing to give up the club if they ever made him pick them or his s/o.

Wild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

When Kozik is sick, he is the biggest baby ever. He doesn’t want his s/o out of arms reach. He will whine and pout until his s/o is back by his side and lets him rest his head on their lap. He loves the way his s/o will run their fingers through his hair, make sure he is fully wrapped up, and has everything he needs close by. He loves being pampered and babied, and will even feign sickness for another day or two to keep it going.

XOXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Kozik is SUPER affectionate. He doesn’t care whether it’s in public or private. His hands are always somewhere on his s/o, whether it’s their hip or shoulder. He loves being able to pull them close and press kisses to their temple.

Yearning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Runs are the worst. For his brothers. Kozik will whine and constantly be on his phone sending texts back and forth with his s/o. He is bound to have something of theirs tucked away in his pack for the night. Whether for a few hours or more than a day, he is pining to be next to his s/o.

Zeal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Kozik has often “joked” he was willing to kill someone for his relationship with s/o. He had hoped it would never get to that, but his s/o knows he is 100% serious on that “joke”. Kozik has had so much taken away from him in life that he refuses to let anything happen to his relationship. Even if it means killing.

#herman kozik #soa imagine #herman kozik x reader #herman kozik imagine

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mc-critical · 4 years ago

Note

I remember not too long ago, I had read an analysis on Kösem and Ahmed’s relationship, namely its development and whether or not it was truly healthy. I remember the sudden development of Kösem’s feelings for Ahmed were ascribed to stockholm syndrome, which as you dissect it further, even later in the series after Ahmed has passed away, makes total sense. However it made me wonder, why stop at Kösem/Ahmed? Truthfully, I think stockholm syndrome, trauma response and survival instinct were the primary factors in all of the sultanas “love” or attachment to the sultans. Hürrem, Mahidevran, Aysë, Halime, Handan..all of them. Hürrem had initially thought her fiance was murdered when she came to the palace, and within what looked like a couple of months if even, she was shown to be totally head over heels for Suleyman. No one can simply discard their former love interest so quickly unless trauma was a catalyst..and even when Leo came back to the palace that whole time period where he was in such a close proximity to her visibly caused Hürrem so much pain mentally and emotionally. Or with Handan and Kösem going on to fall in love after their sultans had died..it makes me think of when Handan was confessing her love to Dervish and called being a member of the royal family “her prison.” None of these women were truly in love with their sultans, nor do I blame them for it. Love is what develops when there’s no consequences, no strings attached, which is entirely untrue in the harem’s enviornment. Even with Mahidevran’s arc way back when Hürrem was first introduced and she started to feel like she was losing Suleyman. It looked to me Mahidevran ultimately feared lonliness rather than losing Suleyman himself. Harem rules wouldn’t permit her to fall in love with someone else if Suleyman lost interest in her. He was pretty much her only confidant and the only person she had been intimate with and likely from a very young age, unhealthy attachment is bound to develop due to those curcumstances. We all feel so sorry for royal borne sultanas when they’re forced to marry men they don’t love..but this courtesy is seldom extended to their mothers. It’s all very sad when I think about it. How do you feel about this perspective?

(~Fun fact: I got yours and the last ask in the same day and they are both somehow related to Kösem and Ahmet!!~)

Anyway, I have also read that analysis and it's really nuanced and awesome, Joanna always does such an amazing job with her blog and these posts! <3 It gives an amazing perspective to the nature of Kösem and Ahmet and makes us think hard on whether there are more relationship cases in the franchise where Stockholm Syndrome can be applied and how many women there are in the harem that aren't so in love with their sultans.

I also fully believe that, just like motherhood, love in the harem can't not be toxic in a way, because the environment itself won't ever let healthy dynamics happen, thanks to its very roots. And while mothers of children still have the small chance to forge some kind of a relationship with genuine affection despite of the toxicity, we have a totally different situation with the sultans who are basically on the top of the system that brought them in this mess in the first place. It's not easy to let go of the people you loved and it's even harder to get to truly love a person you not only don't know at all, but one you know you're supposed to at least try to win over by sheer force.

Survival instinct plays a lot into this, because sooner or later you see that you don't have a choice. You do what you have to do or else you'll either rot in this palace with everyone always bossing you around or be done for. Something I see some viewers forget is the way Hürrem was ultimately "convinced" to try her luck out with Süleiman. She wanted to get out of this place and let it burn in hell until Nigar told her what it took to win the game. Keep in mind that she hadn't met Süleiman yet back then and that faint was merely an act she pulled to gain his attention and she gained some kind of an affection for him only after some time had passed. This sheer pragmatism could've turned into something more eventually, but the beggining was precisely this survival instinct that was kept intact throughout the entire relationship and the birth and living of Hürrem's children. I think she had let go of Leo by the time when she met him again, but that letting go pained her so much, as seen by all her breakdowns when she saw him and lost him completely. It's something she knew she had to do; notice how she kept telling him to leave for "his own good" and for "the good of both of them". There is this looming, prevailing fear that if they had escaped, the consequences would be severe and Hürrem had already planted roots in the dynasty: as if she gained attachment after attachment she felt the need to protect. She's now responsible for these children and can't leave them behind for her own possible desires to get out of the system. Ibrahim did threaten the children in front of Leo and Hürrem in the S01 finale and that's a big reason why she decided it would be for the best to lose him in this particular situation, no matter how much it hurt afterwards. Hürrem already had a set goal to fulfill in the dynasty and letting go of Leo became the only plausible option for her thematically and narratively. Everything these women do in the harem they do is to survive, adapting to their circumstances and forging some kind of relationships with their sultans is the peak of it. A healthy dynastic is far from one where you have to be opportunistic at every turn. Even the favored women have to be as careful as ever, because a mistake can cost everything. They have to make sure they always have his approval and be in his good graces, behaving like he wants them to behave, not the way they actually are. The goal they have set for themselves in the harem is tightly linked with their love for the sultan. He isn't only love, he's also power, prestige and reassuring. The Sultanate of Women are probably even the most affected by this, because they are the ones who want to break the boundaries of power and by doing that they have to put the leg work to make him happy and pleased. These relationships need so much work and decisiveness for their flourishment, with the women having to be mindful of the sultan's moods and unpredictable nature. (especially when you have an unpredictable, very short tempered sultan like Murat!)

But attachment is still attachment and that's where Stockholm syndrome comes from. They do their best to win him over, but with doing that for such a long time, they learn to feel something for him. There is so much toxicity in the dynamic, but they get used to it and normalize it in their heads. The concept of the harem itself succeeds to make their life revolve around it and it's not something they question anymore. I absolutely agree that it's not limited to only Kösem and Ahmet - everyone is somehow subjected to it, no exceptions. The relationships each woman of the franchise has with the sultan certainly differ from one another, depending on the different personalities and goals, but its unhealthy core remains the same: it's still a toxic, dependant relationship with a massive power imbalance and will always remain so in these castle walls and rules. The big attachment makes it even scarier for one to discover that they might be losing everything, that's why there is such a resistence from Mahidevran, Hürrem, Kösem, Ayşe, Farya etc. when the sultan accepts or outrightly begins to favor other women and I always roll my eyes when these women get accused of "behaving like that while knowing the rules of the harem" without it being understood from a narrative standpoint - even though they know the rules, it still hurts, because the attachment is ultimately more self-centered than anything: they want the sultan to be all theirs, to have him all for themselves, perhaps for a validation of their efforts to forge and preserve their relationships. When they lose favor, everything seems to be crumbling and falling apart and that is so difficult to accept, you can't face helplessness like that, you can't face vulnerability like that and I guess for that it took Mahidevran so long to get over Süleiman. As you said, she got destructively attached to the person that seemigly gave her so much for years. (she herself even said that she's like a little kid in front of him in the second episode) And her suddenly not being regarded in the same way by someone she thought was her family (I still adore that thematic note of her character and perhaps it's the reason why we didn't get any backstory from her.) was catastrophic to her emotional stability and it took her 46 (55, if we begin from her direct confession) episodes to accept that she has lost and even then she was still trying to achieve vengeance at the very least, by thinking of her rule of the harem as a battle she fought with Hürrem, a last helpless try to prevail over her. (E63: "I congratulate you, Hürrem, you won.") That's also why Hürrem almost killed herself when Firuze seemed to have taken away her Thursdays, without having any regard for the children. It's like a chain, of sorts, that women are stuck in, fighting to the end to be the ones next to him, to the point of wanting to end their own lives if they lose. If they lose, that's the end. If they lose the favoritism or the sultan himself dies, leaving them to rest in the hands of the enemy, that's the end.

That's why Mahidevran and Ayşe getting over Süleiman and Murat respectively and realizing that it was more or less an unhealthy dynamic is so important, because these character arcs help spread awareness of the toxicity of this grown attachment to the sultan and the struggle it takes for them to take account of said toxicity, because of their attachments. Ayşe had a rough path accepting that Murat was the way he is, trying almost until the end to make things right with him, both missing in the process and slowly uncovering his unpredictability. While this realization rendered her to do the inevitable in killing herself along with the kids, her letter to Murat indeed felt so eye opening in this regard, putting this whole deal into perspective. Mahidevran, conversely, also found out his true nature and detached herself from it, daring to openly call out a root of the attachment (E139: "He decides the fates of all of us.") and put the free choice of everyone into light and question. (E139: "God, apart from reason, gave people free will.") It's rare for someone to gain such awareness of the system and that's a valuable quality to have, but in a future where Mahidevran and Ayşe aren't as grossly mistreated, would all this be possible to happen? No, I don't think so. And even from the ones that aren't favourites who are more likely to find this out, there are still people out there that probably would stay trapped in the attachment forever. And favourites would be the least likely to figure stuff out, judging by the series' themes. (Hürrem, E134: "I am the soul of all the women in the world and my existence is hidden in the love of the conqueror of my heart." - this assertion is honestly self-explanatory.)

[Handan's arc also extends on the traumatic response one gives the system and I think this aspect applies to her the most. She's a person with no real attachments that is so traumatized by fighting, she didn't even expect the possibility to win over players like Halime and Safiye. She's trying to adapt to her new role as Valide, give "cruel" advice to Ahmet in order to ensure it and make impulsive decisions, dictated by the fear it would all come back to square 1 again, but when she met Derviş, it turned out that nothing about the system made her fit. Hence, she "adapts out" from it by finding true love and killing herself for that love, leaving everything behind.]

So no matter how much these women come to idealize it, no matter how much they begin to think it is actually love or a "fairytale", there still are so many signs that it's not quite like that and that prevent it from being that. That truly includes everyone in the harem, it can't be denied.

#magnificent century #ask #stuffandthangs

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seimeinotaka · 4 years ago

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A waltz for two solo dancers (VilXFeMC)

For TwstOC Week Day 2. Relationships.

There is a lingering tension between Vil and Ann, like a waltz. A waltz for two solo dancers, each gliding at their own tune, so close yet so far. Wanting to get close, but not enough to touch each other. Yearning gazes being the only betrayal of those hidden thoughts.

Thanks to polyphenols@AO3 for beta-reading this!

Vil stood in front of Ann, fixing her tie and her hair, unaware or uncaring of the soft smile on her face. Her heart always beat this fast when she was with him, always aware of the way he made her feel.

She loved Vil deeply, ever since that day.

“That’s why I want to give my all to be able to vote for myself proudly.”

Her heart was taken by those words, the deep conviction in his heart.

But she knew things couldn't go the way she wished, because she was a person who did not deserve anything.

It was why she was content with these faint touches, these ephemeral interactions that would go nowhere. At times, it almost felt like Vil was affectionate, an elusive softness that felt like a mirage. But, even if her heart trembled, she pushed her delusions to the back of her mind while simultaneously surrendering herself to the moment until her mind reminded her of her own reality, which marred the moment with a deep shame and grief.

"I cannot enjoy this, no matter how much I desire this. No, it was wishing for anything in the first place that caused me to lose everything."

A risky double thought.

"I don’t like the Potato, Rook," Vil said dryly.

The vice leader arched his eyebrows, with a matching knowing, taunting smile.

"Sure you don't, Roi du Poison. That's why you're mesmerized by the trickster."

"How could I be?" Vil scoffed with disdain, glaring at Rook, a sign to wipe that smirk off his face. "She doesn't know her place and dares to talk back to me. She's untidy, she doesn't take care of her skin, have you seen how she's always yawning in art class?"

Rook nodded to everything he said. "Oui, she is exactly as you say. When you demand her to move, she asks you 'Why?', instead of 'Is this far enough?'. Instead of being mesmerized by your beauty, she waves you hello. You expect her to fear and respect you, admiring you from afar, but she invades your private space to tell you she doesn't like how you treat others. Didn't she tell you, 'I'm on a raid, don't interrupt me or I'll kill you' without batting an eye, when you were filming in the courtyard she was sitting in?"

"You are proving my point, Rook."

"Unyielding against your charms and uncaring at your status as the Queen. To call this a crush would be a mistake. No, your feelings run deeper than this, ahhhh~ the scorching and relentless feeling of love!"

If looks could kill, the hunter would have been buried thirteen times already, for saying something so ridiculous. Vil Schoenheit in love with her, of all people?

"The Trickster also seems interested in you."

The words aimed directly at his heart, why did he choose Rook as vice leader when he was not careful of his place? And why was everyone telling him things he didn't want to admit?

"Of course, isn't that obvious? I am Vil Schoenheit," he uttered, attempting to assert his dominance, to defend his wounded pride.

"You know that's not what I mean."

He turned his eyes away, she had seen through him, the ugliness he wanted to hide. She saw it and yet...

"Stop spouting nonsense, Rook. I'm in a foul mood. I will be in my room."

He entered his room and closed his doors, fist slamming on them. His heart ached, frowning deeply as how easily he could recall her face and her cheeky smile.

And how he desperately wanted her to look at him.

When she was nice to everyone...

How could he tell if she is looking at him...?

He slammed his fist against the door, once more hiding his blushing face on his sleeve, as he was only accompanied by the sound of his racing heart.

Her feelings were like an open box, the best way to hide something was to be upfront about everything. It was how she had managed to fool herself. Never had she tried anything to reach him, to try to get him to love her.

It was fine if her love was one-sided, as hurtful as it was.

She was okay with being just his ‘professional headache’, the girl who sometimes got scolded by him, the possible friend that sometimes hangs out with him. She enjoyed their talks, their accidental meetings, their bickering.

As long as that line was never crossed, she was fine.

There was a silly contradiction to that trail of thought. She was fully aware of her love, and always acted on it, whenever she greeted him or talked to him. Her reassurance came from the bottom of her heart. However, she had no intention of it being known, she wouldn’t go and confess to him or anyone. She was no idiot and she knew how to avoid the usual talks of romance and love between her friends. It helped that Ace and Deuce hardly talked about the matter, focusing on the day-to-day happenings, and less on whatever she was feeling.

So long she could see him, from an invisible wall she had erected to protect him, she would be fine with whatever they never were.

He was surprised to acknowledge she had similar traits to him, even if they looked like immediate opposites at first glance. She didn’t look much like it, but she favored hard work, that was his first surprise. All of her potato friends had been duped by Azul’s scheme, but she was the one who bailed them out. She had also a hidden passion as well, given her devotion to that game of hers she played, and the art she seemed fond of making. While she was young and inexperienced, given how she often lost track of time, it was precisely this trait that showed her ambition and determination. The fortitude to throw herself into a task she had to accomplish no matter what. It honestly annoyed him, she somehow thought it adequate to go to bed at unholy hours as long as she did what she wanted, her skin care be damned, but it somehow made her shine when he scolded her the next morning.

“Sorry, Vil-senpai, I was at a good part of my game and I couldn’t stop.”

With his cosmetics, he could somehow make up for a tired look on her skin, but at times, it was as if she was glowing instead. He wouldn’t have imagined she had pulled an all-nighter, even if she was supposed to be the potato and him, the beauty expert.

She did possess something he lacked. It was that kindness of hers, one not restricted to her friends. His world didn’t forgive the easily duped, the ones who did something for others, expecting nothing in return. The school they studied at held this principle deep in its roots, where being kind and soft would only leave you as prey to be used. He was far from the likes of Azul and Leona, but he wasn’t the kind to help others for no reason. To give out his secrets for free, it was a way to coddle laziness and neglect. In the industry, it was a sure way to get you killed. But it seemed this concept didn’t apply to her, as her webcomic was a way to help her study (one of the potatoes had come to read it often) and her Magicam was full of advice, the accumulated experience of a high-ranked player in her home world. Everything for free, nothing expected in return.

He himself had been on the receiving end, with her annoying encouragement and unwanted advice. With his own life being saved from overblotting, like she had saved the others. Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil. Some of them people who had attacked her or her friends. Yet she still helped them, she helped him, not asking for anything, not even a thank you. They had argued, he had been cold to her, but she still extended her hand to save him.

There was something Vil Schoenheit possessed that no one else had, a brilliance that lay deeper than his obvious beauty.

Ann knew he was beautiful, but it was the elegance he carried himself with, the strictness he had for himself and the diligence to reach his goals that made him who he was.

Vil never excused himself, taking responsibility for his faults, like his own admission of his failings for his Overblot and making amends for it. He never asked for help, he worked on his own. She had learned his father was a famous actor, and Vil, while loving him dearly, had never resorted to latching on his father’s fame as an easy way into the business industry.

Instead, he had worked hard, went to auditions and prepared himself. The few times she helped him carry props for his Film Appreciation Club, she had seen the worn out scripts, the hundreds of notes and stickers. He took care of everything with meticulous care, she might have found him rehearsing nonstop even on his busy schedule.

Vil worked out and prided himself on being perfect always, even though he was close to wearing himself thin, and it wasn’t out of simple vanity. He was complex, far from perfect, with his secret failings that didn’t make him less beautiful in her eyes. Someone who wanted to better himself, to reach perfection even if such a state was impossible from the start, how could she not love him for giving his all to a goal?

Even if he denied it, he was kind, secretly helping others being their best person they could be. As harsh and strict as he seemed, he looked out for everyone, not only those close to him or in his dorm. He wouldn’t even mind being painted as something he loathed, as long as that person got the drive to improve themselves. It was why for her, he was a true selfless hero, with shortcomings that he struggled with. And it was why she wanted him to achieve his dream, and had tried to help him in the only way she could, through words, written or spoken, and through art so that others might see him in a different light, the things Vil never mentioned about himself that were easily missed by others just looking at him at glance.

He wanted her to look at him. To praise him. To tell him he was the most beautiful.

"I don't care about your opinion. "

It was a bold lie, one to hide his own deepest feelings, the actual fear of her opinion of him. He was aware that he was in the eye of everyone, but...

He wanted to be in her eyes but feared hearing her thoughts. Because she saw right through his efforts. Through everything he did. Would she praise him?

He felt bare, exposed. And, he was unsure if he could handle her rejection. That was why he shut out her opinion fast, fearing the words he didn't want to hear.

Why wasn't she telling him he was beautiful, like everyone else? Why did she approach him easily? She didn't know her place, he kept repeating that to himself, but there was a lingering fear it was because he was nothing to her, hence why she acted so nonchalantly.

He wanted to be her very first thought in the morning and the last one at night, just as she invaded his dreams and haunted him everywhere with her presence or absence. But he couldn't easily go and tell her, "I saw you in my dreams again. We were together, you by my side, the place I yearn for you to be."

He sighed. There was no use getting upset over this. But these words didn't reach his heart, its pace increasing as he thought of her again.

(He knew that it was because she didn't say those words, that she looked deeper, focusing on his sweat, blood and tears, that he looked for her everywhere now.)

"You've worked so hard to get where you're standing on and that's really amazing."

He was in deep.

"I think your beauty doesn't only lie in how you look, you are beautiful, but it's your determination and hard work that makes you shine."

He stopped breathing when she said that, heart aching so much because she wasn't aware that her words pierced his heart, permanently latching on it like the sword in his crown. Whenever he repeated them in his mind, like a broken record, he clenched his chest, losing all strength, a sweet tasting poison that bewitched his soul. It hurts him but, he couldn't stop himself from yearning it.

"Please, look at me."

"...Please love me..."

He whispered quietly in the darkness of his empty room.

There was an irony of the Pomefiore Queen falling victim to her sweet tender poison.

(Was it really poison? Her words were sweet and gentle, beautiful and without any ill intentions. But they killed him slowly, so they might as well be the most dangerous venom in the world. And he wouldn't stop wishing for it, taking them all until there was nothing left.)

"Vil-senpai, good morning!"

She would smile brightly at him and he would avoid her eyes, feigning indifference because he couldn't hold her gaze back. He preferred to nitpick, to tell her that her lips were dry, that she should pay attention to her appearance, harshly scolding her as his hands carefully arranged her tie.

"I won't be always fixing you. You should be always presentable, what am I going to do with you?"

He fussed over her, giving her even some lipstick he had, after applying it to her lips that surely her potato friends would comment on later.

What was he going to do? Wasn't it obvious? He'd look for her next and fuss again over her appearance, because that was as close as he could allow himself to be, safely hidden by the pretense of her untidy appearance.

"Tell me, Trickster Ann-kun," Rook's piercing voice shot through the silence like the arrow from his bow. "Do you have feelings for the beautiful Vil?"

He had suddenly approached her, as she had taken a night stroll in the surroundings of Ramshackle Dorm to clear her head, even though she knew the chaos would remain.

She closed her eyes, she knew that looking away or up front would show the answer, a fawn in front of the perceptive hunter. Vil had already confronted her, her eyes telling a different story than what she wanted to say. Rook would surely suspect, no, she had a feeling he was asking to confirm his suspicions.

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes shine the most when you are next to him, even if you then look away moments after. You approach him often, during the free times he has or even when your paths cross, in between classes and your personal activities. There's a tension, a soft lingering warmth when you talk to him. I look at Vil the most, so naturally I would notice first anything that happens around him."

She looked up at the sky, her lips drawn in a thin line. There were no stars to reflect on her eyes.

"Would it bother you?"

"Non, naturally there are many who have feelings for him. In fact, I would be most bothered if people didn't realize his beauty."

"You did mention it before, you wanted us to see his beauty back during our VDC training."

"Oui, Vil has a beauty no one else possesses. It would be foolish to ignore it when close to it. But we are not talking about me, we are talking about you, Trickster Ann-kun."

"..."

"Befitting of your name, you try to fool your opponents and the people who surround you. But you should already know I am a hunter and it's my pride to say I do not let my prey get away.”

"I had a feeling you would say that, though whatever. Whatever I feel, it doesn't really matter."

She could feel his sharp eyes on her, carefully examining her every movement, conscious or unconscious. For a moment, she thought he was concerned, but she wouldn't engage in eye contact for her sake. She knew better than engaging in a fight she would lose.

"If I like him or not, it doesn't matter. Someone like him shouldn't be with someone like me."

"Do you think of yourself as inferior to him, Trickster Ann-kun? Vil is the kind of person who can appreciate beauty, no matter how unconventional."

"I don't really know where I fall in that category, and I don't think too much about it anyway," she said with a casual shrug, but it didn't shake off Rook's inquisitive gaze.

"You should be aware that you're already someone important to him. What happened in the VDC put you in another place in his eyes."

What would it be? Vil’s overblot and her desperate tries to save him? Their talk alone after they lost the VDC? She was sure Vil couldn’t know her punching Rook was largely due to her own anger at him for doing this to Vil.

But no matter the reason, it changed nothing.

"...It's because of that...Things are fine the way they are now. I'm fine with that. "

"Perhaps you are, but what about Vil?"

She unconsciously turned to him, his green eyes revealing a strong protectiveness and concern. She winced and looked away, though perhaps she had already shown too much.

"...He is better this way. I...I don't deserve him, that's all."

"Is this why you don't grasp for him? The yearning in your eyes, you cannot hide it from me, but you don't wish to claim him."

Ann couldn’t reply, and the look in the hunter’s eyes told him he knew more, her silence a confirmation for him. He pressed for no more answers, not that she would give them. Her love was doomed from the start and she was fine with that.

“But what about Vil?”

That was the only problem, though she prayed it never happened.

The truth is, I want him to love me. I want him to hold me.

But I can’t have him.

I have to look at him from afar, no matter how much my heart aches for him.

This was a waltz for two solo dancers, each gliding at their own tune, so close yet so far. Wanting to get close, but not enough to touch each other. Yearning gazes being the only betrayal of those hidden thoughts.

His lips touched hers and a bolt of electricity passed through his body, heart aching so much, as his tight chest reminded him to breathe. Her lips were so soft and tender, and when he pulled back in shock at what he had done, her warmth lingering on his lips almost made him wish to continue. Locking mouths, their skin needing to be one, to be this close always, it was a feeling he had been blessed to have just experienced and cursed, because it would never be enough.

Especially when her eyes reflected a pain he would have never expected to see.

The one time he had let himself be overcome with emotion, his relentless feelings deciding something so bold, it had to be the time where he quietly poured them all in one action only to feel a quiet unmoving slap in the form of her gaze.

She didn't have to say anything, too shocked to move but the rejection in her eyes was more than clear, and her lingering lips on his skin added insult to the injury.

It was the pain he felt as he left the room that let him know how hard he had fallen for her, how much he yearned for her love and adoration, and it was crushing him.

"Potato."

"Huh..."

The next thing she realized was his perfume so close filling her nostrils, his soft lips on hers.

And she felt her world crumbling, the small bubble she had crafted for her delusions rupturing and bringing her to the terrible reality she had to confront.

Something took over her, a violent mix of terror and guilt, of her realizing the thing she had done and how far her silly nonsense had reached.

She wanted his love, she yearned for it deeply, but she couldn’t accept it.

Vil was in love with someone else, right? Not her, someone like Rook or someone else who deserved him.

But his lips were on hers, a delicate blessing she wasn’t worthy of receiving. Hence she could only stand in horror, unable to move or react, because what was she supposed to do?

He pulled back abruptly, his cheeks light pink and brilliant violet eyes avoiding hers. He shook his head before vanishing through the door.

She pressed her fingers on her lips, they were warm, so tempting to keep bringing back the ghost of his skin over hers, the thing she had wished deep down for so long.

But the hurt in his eyes kept haunting her, and she felt like dying.

Thank you for reading!

#twisted wonderland #twstocweek #vil schoenheit #twstoc #vil x mc #twst #rook hunt

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aiorevelations · 3 years ago

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A Number, Not a Name: Part 19

Here’s another chapter for you all! Enjoy!

1 month earlier:

Milena stared blankly ahead. She took another sip of her coffee, trying to wake herself up. The last few weeks had seemed like a blur. All she had wanted were answers. She never could have envisioned the path it would set her on. Some days she didn’t have a doubt in her mind about the choice she’d made. Other days she’d question everything except her love for chess and cream brûlée. Everything had been much simpler before. Her life was set. At least that’s what she’d thought. She’d continue to run her father’s company. Eventually, take over for him. Most likely marry Lorenzo.

If there was anything she’d learned it was that nothing is certain. Inside she felt numb. Empty. The light had gone out of her eyes. It took her a moment to recognize the man who sat in the chair in front of her.

“Loren,” she said flatly.

“Lena” he looked down at his hands. “It’s been a while. You haven’t returned any of my calls.”

“I know.” It was clear things were awkward. She stared down at her mug, trying to avoid his eyes.

Lorenzo continued, his voice shaky. “I…I handled things badly earlier. What I said about you having to move on from your father. I was callous. I didn’t realize how much pain you were in. I’m sorry.”

Milena held up her hand. “Lorenzo…we each didn’t handle the situation as well as we could have.

Lorenzo took her hand in his. “I miss you. I’ve tried to give you space these past few weeks. But it seems every day we’re drawing further and further apart.”

“Lorenzo. You’ve been amazing to me. Everything a girl could dream of” she swallowed hard. “But right now I can’t…” she trailed off. Deep down she knew what she had to do. Though somehow she hadn’t been able to let go. Lorenzo was her only link to her life before. A life she was still struggling to say goodbye to.

Lorenzo found himself getting more nervous by the second as he had a feeling he knew what was coming. “Can’t what?”

Milena sniffed “Can’t be with you. I have some things I need to sort out. Things that need my full attention. I don’t know if I’ll ever…” she took a breath, “but I know it’s something I have to do.”

“I’m sure whatever it is we can take it on together.”

Lorenzo brought his other hand to Milena’s face. His eyes were large and luminous, shimmering with unshed tears. He gently stroked her cheek; her skin was smooth as silk.

Milena’s eyes fell to his lips; longing seized her—how wonderful his lips would taste, it had been so long since they’d been pressed against her own—Her eyes looked up at him—she was drawn closer—closer.

Using all her strength, she resisted the urge. In a moment, all other feelings receded as all her attention was focused on fighting her overwhelming waves of emotion. “No, no.” She shook her head. “This is something I have to do…alone. Trust me it’s better this way.”

“Trust you?”

“Yeah…”

“Milena...a few months ago we were talking about our future…possibly marriage, children.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you doing this?” His voice started to rise, the desperation evident.

She matched his tone. Her world had already crumbled, it didn’t much matter she figured if her relationship with Lorenzo did as well. “I already told you.”

“Yeah ‘it’s something I have to do.’ But that’s not an answer. It’s not good enough for me. We’ve been together for over two years now and you expect me to just sit back and let you throw it away!”

The cafe quieted down as other customers began to stare in their direction. Milena disregarded their curious glances.

“I’m not throwing anything away! You don’t think this is hard for me. I’ve thought about this. Gone over it a thousand times in my head. I’m not the same person I was. You deserve someone who’s not held back by the past. Who’s hopeful and optimistic. I don’t know…someone who isn’t nearly as messed up as I am. Someone who will love you completely.”

“I thought that was you,” he said sadly.

Milena pulled her hand back from Lorenzo’s and said softly, “It was.”

…..

3 months earlier:

Blackgaard knocked on the carved door of the brick house. Manicured bushes lined the outside of the house. The streets of Bulin’s Nakhar or lower district were almost empty at that time of night. He was sure though that she’d be awake. The door opened. A petite woman came into view. Her hair was raven black with a few streaks of gray, her eyes were dark amber, and she wore a clinging silk dress. For Regis, it was no surprise that she was able to enchant and subdue the most powerful of men with just one glance. Learn their deepest secrets with only a caress.

“Maria, you look as wonderful as ever.” Blackgaard extended his arms toward her.

She leaned against the doorway. Her eyes focused on the sharply dressed man before her. “Regis darling so good to see you.” The two shared an embrace.

“You as well.” Blackgaard offered a smile.

“Please come in,” she pushed the door open wider, “it’s a bit chilly this evening.”

Regis entered the parlor. The warmth of the room felt especially revitalizing after the brisk air of the outdoors. Plush wool carpet greeted his feet and the pleasant scent of candy corn met him from the candles burning throughout the room.

Maria closed the door behind them. “I was so sorry to hear of Professor M’s passing. You have my deepest condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“I actually had been meaning to pay a visit to my old friend…and you of course. But my work unfortunately has kept me very busy.” She motioned to the chairs by the fireplace.

The long-time acquaintances sat across from one another. “No need to apologize my dear. In fact, it is precisely your work that is one of my main reasons for coming here.”

Maria crossed her legs. “And here I was thinking you came by to say hello.”

“Have you ever stopped by an old friend’s house just to say hello?” Regis countered.

She let out a small laugh. “Same old Regis. You could always find a way to get out of everything.”

“Why thank you. Unfortunately, pure cunning and cleverness don’t provide much in the way of financial support.”

Maria held up her hand. “Let me guess you need a new backer. Someone who has enough ambition to invest in such uncharted research yet who isn’t nearly as cunning or perceptive as you. Someone you can easily make your puppet…and pull their strings so to speak.”

Blackgaard's eyes gleamed with admiration. “You truly are something, Maria. You always knew me so well.”

Maria leaned closer to Regis, closing the space between them. “As it happens I know just the man. One of my recent shall we say ‘clients.’ Not only does he have enough ambition for three men, but he also is actively plotting to achieve his goals. He was even behind the assignation of one of this country’s most prominent and powerful citizens…Norvan Ohanyan.”

Blackgaard’s eyes widened at the sound of Norvan’s name. He’d heard word of his cousin’s untimely demise in what apparently was a car accident, though it was soon widely reported that it was not just an accident. However, there were still no leads as to who was behind it. A smirk spread across his face. Fitting that his cousin would meet such a brutal end. If anyone deserved one it was him, especially considering the way he had looked down upon him. Regarded him as nothing more than dirt.

Now the joke was on him. Who was nothing but dust at that moment? What he wouldn’t give to see the look on Norvan’s face if he found out his demise would ensure his “revolting” cousin’s triumph. “I’m intrigued. Who is this person?”

“Davit Dalmar.” Maria coolly replied. A devilish grin spread across her. “I have to say though if I was in your shoes I’d do the same. Manipulating such a pompous blowhard…I can’t think of anything more enjoyable.”

“Yes, what could be better.” A sly smile slowly curled his lips. Dalmar was his.

…..

Present-day:

The metal door opened, sending shafts of light flickering through the room. Tasha’s eyes met those of Elias. “Get up,” he roughly grabbed her arm and began pulling her up to her feet.

“Let go of me. I can stand on my own.” Tasha gave him a defiant look.

Elias glared at her, face reddening with anger. He pulled her closer to him and threateningly whispered in her ear. “If I didn’t have to keep you ‘intact’ you’d regret that.” He scowled and tightened his grip on her arm.

Tasha didn’t react but kept his gaze. “Go ahead,” she smirked. “I’d like to see you try.”

A voice came from the doorway. “What part of my instructions didn’t you understand?”

“Oh, I understood them completely. This one can’t control her mouth.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing you won’t have to deal with her for much longer then.”

He let go of Tasha’s arm and backed away. Red marks, from where his fingers had been, lingered on her skin. As he stepped out of the room he uttered several crude words in Krudian.

“Come to say hello again?” Tasha asked her patience all but worn out.

Milena’s shadowy form came into view. “I thought you’d like a little time with your partner or whoever he is.”

“And then what next? What happens to us?” Tasha boldly asked, wanting to know as much as possible.

“You know that’s not up to me,” Milena snarkily replied.

“Then what is up to you? How did you even find out about us?”

Tasha hated having to rely on this woman for information. But she was out of options. Anything would be helpful to learn, perhaps provide her with a clue or idea about how to escape this predicament. Truth was she couldn’t mess things up more than they already were.

“If you’re thinking that you blew your cover, you didn’t. I knew about you before you even set foot here. My advice, the agency might want to think about who exactly they choose as their contacts. A person having a family may not be the best thing” She pulled out her gun from its holster and spun it around her finger. “As for what’s up to me. The future of this country. My sanity.”

“I didn't realize becoming a lawless vigilante was the only way to accomplish those things.”

“You know what, I’m done with this.” Milena stared down Tasha. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to question my actions. Tell that to yourself. You think you’re making a better world when in actuality you’re running around doing your government’s bidding. A government that can’t help but stick its nose in everyone’s affairs, tell other nations how to run things, and thinks it’s helping.” She scoffed. “Your government intelligence agencies have supported the assassinations of several world leaders. So don’t stand there and act like everything they’ve done has been above board while trying to give me a lecture.”

A moment passed without either one saying anything. The silence was deathly cold. Tasha knew any further reasoning with Milena was futile, she’d rather save her breath. Milena spoke. “So do you want to see your partner or not?”

…..

Every passing second was torture for Jason. Each moment the horrifying thought struck him that he was responsible for this—he had to fix this somehow. The consequences were overwhelming. He'd affected Tasha’s life drastically, all because he’d acted impulsively and she was the one by his side. But in what twisted world did trying to help others place you in danger every time? Everything about this world of spies and espionage—the intelligence community—was upside down. Those on the side of the free world, who tried to stand up to oppression, found themselves trying to be dragged down, crushed into nothing.

The door opened and Jason glanced up as he heard the door swing open. Fear ran through his veins from the agonizing thoughts he’d experienced over the last hours. In the doorway, he made out Tasha. Relief flooded through him. Thank God she’s okay. Behind her was a muscular man he’d seen earlier who threw her to the concrete floor. The door shut.

Jason made his way over to her, being tied up made it rather difficult to move. He was grateful though he wasn’t held down to the chair anymore. “Are you okay?!” he asked, his face etched with concern.

Tasha struggled to sit up. “I’m fine.” She eyed Jason up and down. “How about you?”

“I’m okay. Still a little sore from earlier.” He scooted closer to Tasha. “I’m so sorry. I got us into this.”

“Turns out it wasn't you after all. The people behind this knew we were coming before our plane even landed.”

Jason quickly responded. “That’s still no excuse for my actions. I was so intent on making sure our mission was a success I ended up compromising it and putting us at risk. I did more harm than good. When you’re out there and everything’s going as it should it’s easy to think that nothing is going to go wrong. You have to remind yourself just how risky this job is. I’m sorry it took something like this happening to make me see that. But I want you to know I’ll do whatever I can to make this up to you.”

Tasha could see the sincerity in Jason’s eyes. “I know you will.”

“So, are we good?” Jason asked softly, hoping against hope that they were.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Tasha said gently. They both slightly smiled.

Jason sighed. “Do you have any idea who’s behind this?”

“I thought at first it was probably Dalmar but then found out from a woman, who I’m assuming is the leader of this group, that he isn’t. Apparently, we’re being used in some plan of hers to bring down Dalmar.”

“That’s not much to go on.”

“No, it certainly isn’t. Right now all we can do is wait.”

“Waiting…not exactly one of my favorite things.”

“Really? You, having a hard time being patient. I never would have guessed.” She smirked.

“Not everyone can be a paragon of patience like yourself.”

“I’m not the one who brought this up” she wryly chucked. “Let me think, who was it? Oh, right it was you.”

“Well, that was different…I think…that was me talking about…me.”

Tasha shook her head. “Look at us. Tied up and we still can’t stop bickering with each other.” Tasha had never met anyone who could push and challenge her the way Jason did. Who could go toe to toe with her. Match her wit and banter. She found Jason’s sense of humor honestly annoying yet charming at the same time. At the very least it provided a distraction from their current surroundings.

“I guess we just can’t help it.”

“Yeah, how else could we possibly put up with each other.” The two of them shared an amused look followed by a light laugh. It felt comforting to share a moment of levity. To not be alone. For a second their troubles seemed to melt away, at least to a certain extent. Their banter made their lives seem more “normal” if that was possible. At least how it had been the day before. When they were just two coworkers together rather than two kidnapped NSA agents being held in an empty warehouse. Their thoughts began to once again drift to their present situation. Not knowing what was in store for them - that was what was most frightening.

The door suddenly swung open. Elias entered the darkroom and walked to where Tasha and Jason were seated. He violently tore Tasha away from the wall.

“What are you doing?! Let go of her!” Jason shouted.

“You all said I could be here,” Tasha responded.

“Time to go'' Elias responded as he dragged her to the door. Tasha didn’t resist. Better to save her strength for later when she’d need it the most.

All Jason wanted to do was help, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing except to be tied down and watch from the sidelines. The unfolding scene served as a reminder that their fate was in someone else’s hands, and at this moment there was nothing he could do.

As Tasha was dragged out Jason kept shouting “Stop!” over and over again. He felt shaken to the core seeing her disappear down the hall. Two burly men surged into the room; they grabbed him and shoved him up against the wall. They grabbed Jason’s arms and forced him through the doorway. He grunted and strained, trying to resist them but it was useless being tied up. The door shut behind them leaving them mostly in darkness. Jason was yanked and pushed down a long hallway. He wished this was a nightmare. One he could wake up from and forget - but it wasn’t. This was real. Uncertainty filled him, along with generous doses of fear, much more for Tasha than for himself. He was grateful his parents couldn’t see him now. They’d be consumed with worry and distress, especially after what had happened to Jerry. Losing another child was something they never wanted to experience again. The pain was unlike any other. Jason still vividly recalled coming from school. Seeing his mother and father desperately holding onto each other on the couch, weeping. They’d naturally been concerned for his safety when he told him he wanted to join the NSA but offered him their full support and prayers. He promised them he’d be okay. That was one promise he was determined to keep.

…..

Four days earlier:

Outside the sun crossed the sky and dipped down under the horizon. The moon appeared and the stars came out. Crickets chirped all around.

Milena lay in bed asleep. Her usual nights were filled with the memories and faces of the past. Her Dad, Mom, and Liana. Now a strange and twisted dream shook her. She saw a man who looked like Dalmar seated on a throne in the center of Izmirlian Square. Gold and red robes adorned him and a gilded crown sat atop his head. He held a golden scepter in his hand and was surrounded by a sea of people.

A woman in the crowd pointed at him and yelled, "You aren’t here to free us! You’re here to enslave us! Monster!!!” She was soon joined by all the other members of the enormous crowd. Suddenly, Milena was the person seated on the throne. The crowd began to press closer and closer. In their hands, they held stakes, pitchforks, and guns. Frantically, they cried out for her head. Milena stood from the throne. Panic gripped her eyes. She glanced down and saw that her hands were stained red with blood. In the corner of her eye, she saw something pointed to her head. She turned her head and saw a man standing before her holding a pistol to her head. His eyes were full of rage. She found herself shaking uncontrollably. The man’s finger found the trigger. “Please!” she pleaded. “I’m not a monster. This isn’t me!” The gun went off.

Milena jerked awake, gasping for breath. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her cheeks were flushed. She tried to reason and calm herself down. It had just been a nightmare. A very strange and horrifying one albeit. She shut her thoughts out. She wasn’t some power-hungry monster like Dalmar, to be reviled and despised. Who was deluded with dreams of power or of the world holding its breath at one word from her lips.

She ran her hand through her hair and glanced out the window at the night sky. It wasn’t like what she’d dreamed was an omen or sign of the future, so why did she feel so uneasy? Perhaps it was that she was soon reaching the point of no return. Today, in merely a few hours, 1131 and 2362 would be arriving. The countdown was nearly over. Time was running out. She could either keep going or stop altogether. Who was she kidding? She knew there was only one choice.

#aio fanfic #AIO Fanfiction #jason whittaker #tasha forbes #Adventures in odyssey #adventuresinodyssey #aio #adventures in odyssey fanfiction #adventures in odyssey fanfic

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httpswwwtbhkcom · 4 years ago

Text

“We’ll save them together.”

[Oneshot/Imagine]

Pairing: Nene Yashiro x Reader

[@httpswwwtbhkcom’s masterlist]

Summary: You tried on comforting your friend, Yashiro after she saw Hanako fade away from her. She was depressed. You saw the whole thing from outside the classroom. After Hanako was nowhere to be seen, you immediately went to Yashiro and hugged her. You both hang out in her apartment. The next few days, Teru and Akane invited you and Yashiro to go to the arcade.

Warning: Chapter 72 spoilers, swearing, mentions of crying, slight changes,

Genre: Angst,

Keys:

Y/n- your name, f/s- favorite show, L/n- last name, f/d- favorite drink,

A/n: I might add a part 2 if I read the new future chapter(s).

Edit: I will not make a part 2. I’m lazy okay?

Reader: Neutral

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

Yashiro fell to her knees, tears falling. “Why...?” You immediately opened the door, not caring about the loud noise it made. Yashiro slightly jumped but continued crying. You ran beside her, hugging her. “It’s fine, Nene-san....”

“B-but... He’s... Gone..” She whimpered. You circled your thumb on her back over and over while she is crying. You both stayed like that for a few hours. Finally, her crying had stopped. “Thank you, Y/n..” You smiled and nodded.

You stood up and extended your hand for her to grab. “Come on, it’s getting late. I’ll walk you home.” You softly said. She nodded after a few seconds and held your hand and stood up.

You walked out of the school with Yashiro holding your hand. You slightly blushed at this but you need to cheer her up! You were also saddened that there were no supernaturals and Hanako left in the school, meaning there is no more adventures.

Once both of you were in front of Yashiro’s apartment, she gave you her keys. You opened the door and turned on the lights. You gestured for her to enter first. She gave you a small sad smile then went inside. It was empty. So her mother must be somewhere busy with her work.

“Stay here, I’ll go change..” She was going to walk into her room but stopped. “Are you staying for the night?” She asked, her voice was desperate for you to stay for the night. You played at the hem of your uniform. “Can I?” You looked at the tv screen, not wanting to have eye contact.

“It’s fine, I’ll go grab the clothes you could borrow for the night.” She walked in the room and closed the door. You thought she might be finding some comfortable clothes for you. You sat on the couch and stared at the black screen of the television with dull eyes. You never saw Yashiro that sad before. You were slightly jealous and that you thought Yashiro had a crush with Hanako. They were surprisingly close. Of course they are.

Your thoughts were interrupted by Yashiro calling your name.

“-/n? Y/n? You there? I got the clothes.” You nodded then took the clothes. She left to the bathroom, leaving you all to yourself temporarily.

Your clothes were surprisingly comfy and it fits you perfectly! (Don’t ask)

The clothes had long pants and a plain shirt with long sleeves. Despite the color difference, it still matches you.

You sat on the couch once again. Wanting to watch f/s, you asked Yashiro for permission. You heard a muffled ‘Sure!’ so you turned the tv on to the show.

A few minutes had passed and Yashiro was finally finished with her pajamas on. You glanced at her then smiled to yourself. She sat next to you and watched the television with you.

“This is my favorite too.” She smiled. “Glad to know.”

“Oh yeah, I heard there's a new comedy show live right now! Want to watch it with me?” She nodded at your offer. You switched the channel to the comedy show.

Both of you laughed. Their jokes were funny, if not, just think it is.

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

You woke up with Yashiro’s arms wrapped around your waist while her head is laying on your chest. Your face began to dust red when you finally fully noticed that she was cuddling you. You immediately froze, panicking inside.

“Hmmm.....” She shifted a bit. Her arms still in place. “N-nene.. Please.. wake up...!” To your luck, she finally did. Once she noticed the position she was in, she moved away. “Gyah! I’m so sorry Y/n!”

“I-it’s fine.” Both of you blushed. “I’m going to change- bye!” Then she dashed to the bedroom.

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

You kept comforting Yashiro about what had happened, coming to the school hit her with the memories she made with Aoi and Hanako.

Yashiro tried her best on summoning Hanako but failed. Again and again.

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

One day, you were with Akane and Teru going to Yashiro’s house. Teru rang the doorbell as the three of you waited. The door opened revealing Yashiro still messy. ‘She haven’t changed yet..’ You thought.

“Eh?”

“Hey. Good morning, Yashiro-san.” Teru greeted. “Good morning Nene!” You exclaimed.

“Sorry for coming uninvited so suddenly- Are you free today?” Teru asked. “I.. I didn’t have any plans in particular...” Yashiro answered. “I see! That’s good~”

“Then, Would you like to go on a date with me today?” You pouted directly at Teru, you wanted to say that! Akane just wore a boring expression, rolling his eyes.

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

“Yashiro-san! L/n-san! Aoi! Get over here~” Teru looked excited over a... Arcade? Teru ran towards a candy machine(? what was those called?) “Look at this, It’s a tower of candy!” He exclaimed. Teru went to another machine. “It’s the thing with the salmon!” He looked to his side then saw the claw machine. His eyes lid up. “This is my first time seeing a crane game in real life!”

‘Why an arcade?’ You and Yashiro asked to yourselves. As you, Akane and Yashiro watched him.

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

Teru played for a while in the crane machine. While, Yashiro and Akane talked about Aoi and Hanako. You listened and watched them. You frowned until Teru came with a big plushie.

He thrown you three the extra plushies he got. “Crane games are surprisingly fun! Look, what a big catch!” He exclaimed. “No wait-”

“But I don’t want this many.” Teru smiled. “Then don’t dump it on other people!” Akane scolded.

“Let’s go karaoke next~” Teru said in a sing-song voice, Already walking. “Will you listen?!” Akane followed him as he scolded him. “Hold your own things yourself!”

Yashiro looked at the plushie she was holding. “Come on, we don’t want to be left behind right?” You nudged her. She nodded then smiled. “Sorry.”

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

“Oh~ So this is what karaoke is like!” Teru said while sitting and looking around the room. “How do i sing with this?” He asked.

“You enter the songs you want to sing on this machine...” Akane explained. “Wow~ Ah, there’s a food menu too.”

“What do you want, L/n-san, Yashiro-san?” Teru asked, his eyes not leaving the menu.

“I’ll have some tea...”

“I’ll have f/d please.” You answered.

“So Jasmine Tea for Yashiro-san, F/d for L/n-san, A Mango float for me, And a vegetable boba crush for you, Aoi!”

“Huh?” Akane looked at him, slightly confused.

“Ah! Look, there’s sugar toast, sugar toast~. Wow... Looks like it’d rot you brain~” Teru smiled. “Sugar toast fans would get you for that.” Akane muttered. “It says it’s a super-mega-sized version~ Sounds interesting~ We’ll be having this, Aoi. It’s settled.” Akane looked at him surprised. “Oi.”

‘Nene hasn’t been saying anything... I wonder if she’s ok..’ You glanced at the said girl beside you.

Before you could ask something to Yashiro, Teru had cut you off. “Do you want something too, Yashiro-san, L/n-san? Are you both hungry?”

“No, I’m good.” Yashiro answered. “I’m good.” You answered after her. “Is that so?” He looked at both of you.

As Akane took the menu pad from Teru, you noticed Yashiro lost in thought. You unaudibly sighed. She misses them. You do too. But the goal you want to achieve first is to make her happy.

Yashiro looked down to the floor. Apparently, Teru noticed it, so he stopped for a second. “Well, since we’ve mostly finished ordering, I’m going to wash my hands.” He then softly hit Akane with the pad. He then left the room, but before he did, he told Akane: “Look after Yashiro-san while I’m out okay?”

“Wait- Come back here!” Akane chased Teru. “Wait! What do you mean “Look after”..-” You jumped as tears fell down her cheeks.

“What... What’s wrong, Nene-san?” You patted her back, attempting to comfort her. “I’m- I’m sorry. But I... Just don’t know what to do... About Aoi and Hanako-kun too...” You looked at her surprised then softly frowned. “I... I’m sorry for crying like that all of a sudden...”

“There’s no need to apologize.” You cupped her cheeks and made her look at you. “Right now, for you who’s lost your connection to supernaturals, the one holding the key for you to go to the other side is Minamoto-senpai.” Yashiro looked at you quite surprised. What do you mean? You looked at the floor.

You were tired on seeing Yashiro sad and gloomy everyday. So today, your going to help her (and Akane, if you have a chance) to get Hanako and Aoi back.

“I’m sure he knows something, we just have to get it out of him somehow.” You paused. “Nene-san, Will you cooperate with me?” You looked at her for her answer.

The tears finally slowed down. “... Cooperate...?” She asked. “That’s right. Our goals are slightly similar overall. Aren’t they?”

“To get Aoi-san and Hanako back, and Make you happy..” You murmured the last words.

“To be honest, you’ve been too soft on Hanako until now.. So I couldn’t properly get along with you.” The statement was right, ever since Hanako and Yashiro was close, you barely hung out with Yashiro. But if you join them in their adventures, Hanako and Yashiro would be close to each other.

“But now, Nene-san... I think we could do this together.” Then a pause. “Also with Akane’s help.” You added.

“Is there... Anything I can do?” She asked. “Who knows.... But Nene-san, Even you would be angry if things just ended like this, right?”

“Y/n-”

“Sorry for the wait!” You both jumped as the waiter went inside the karaoke room. “As you ordered, Jasmine Tea, F/d, Mango float, and Vegetable boba~” As the waiter said the names of the drinks, he placed it down on the empty space on the table. “And a Sugar Toast Fire Mountain Special Flash!! Enjoy~!” Then the waiter left.

You and Yashiro looked at the ordered food. “This is what Minamoto-senpai ordered... What’re we gonna do with something this big...? I’m bad at handling this much sweet.”

Yashiro took a fork and began chomping the food Teru ordered. You were surprised as she took a bite on the food. “Woah!” The word slipped past your tongue.

She didn’t stop eating, which made you concerned. “Hey... Aren’t you wolfing that a bit too eagerly? Binge eating? You might choke.”

“I’ll do it.” “Huh?”

“I’ll... Cooperate with you! Because I... Even I...!” She sniffed, she continued crying.

“You eat some too Y/n-san!” You took a fork and took a bite. “Then, here’s to working together Nene-san.”

Then the door opened revealing Teru and Akane. “Woah- I come back and now Yashiro-san’s become a hamster.”

“Mmph...!”

You looked at the Yashiro, who had her cheeks puffed out because of the food.

“Isn’t that on you for making an outrageous order?” Akane asked boredly.

“Are you okay, Yashiro-san? Feeling better?” Teru leaned in on the table. “Yes...” Yashiro nodded. “I see. I’m glad you seem to be in better spirits.”

You listened as you took a sip at your drink. But you slightly giggled at how Akane looked like as he took a sip of his drink.

“Then, here.” Teru gave Yashiro a Tambourine. “Are you free for the Evening too, L/n, Yashiro-san? Tonight? More or less... There’s something you both wanna talk to me about, right? Let’s go to my place.” Teru offered.

#yashiro nene #yashiro nene x reader #yashiro nene x y/n #yashiro nene imagine #yashiro nene oneshot #tbhk #tbhk x reader #tbhk x y/n #tbhk imagine #tbhk oneshot #jshk #jshk x reader #jshk x y/n #jshk oneshot #jshk imagine #x reader

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dalekofchaos · 4 years ago

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TROS A Dark and Grim Farewell to the Skywalker Saga: Or, why Palpatine is the ultimate winner of the Star Wars Saga

From the fan theories reddit

TL;DR Palpatine doesn’t die but actually achieves his goal in The Rise of Skywalker, possessing Rey and resetting the board back to its prequel era condition with him quietly operating as a smiling “good” figure to hide his actual dark deeds.

The Rise of Skywalker ends with a victorious Rey Palpatine (alias Rey Skywalker) burying the lightsabers of both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa on the ruined Lars homestead on Tattoine, symbolizing to the viewer the end of an era. Since Luke’s saber once belonged to Anakin we can extend the symbolism to include Anakin’s era as well. In all, Rey buries over 60 years of galactic and Jedi history in the wastelands of an Outer Rim backwater. A planet, which, by the way, bred a tremendous amount of suffering for beloved characters.

Anakin Skywalker: Raised as a slave on Tattoine until liberated by the Jedi but forced to leave his mother behind to be trained as a celibate monk. Returns a decade later only to learn that in his absence, his mother was sold, freed, married, abducted, and horrifically abused. She dies in his arms. He goes on to slaughter an entire village of Tusken Raiders (and not just the men, but the women and the children too!)

Luke Skywalker: Raised on Tattoine by Owen and Beru Lars as a moisture farmer; a hard life seriously lacking in excitement for young Luke. Luke is raised with barely the bare minimum of information about his father (not that Owen and Beru knew all that much anyway) and even the asking of questions on the subject seems to be taboo (see Owen’s line in ANH “I told you to forget it”). Returns to the Lars home one day to find his aunt and uncle savagely murdered by the Empire. Returns years later having to rescue his friends from literal slavery.

Leia Organa: Goes to Tattoine to rescue her lover from captivity only to be enslaved herself and made to wear a humiliating outfit while kept on a collar and leash by an obese alien slug. In context, that is humiliating for anyone, let alone a princess and military leader.

Point being, Tattoine, highly symbolic though it is, doesn’t hold great memories for the people whose sabers and legacy Rey is literally burying in the sand. Call me crazy but I feel like the choice of such a location for the final legacy of some of the most important figures in the history of the galaxy to be a tad insulting. After all, Luke and Leia were pillars of the Light; perhaps Anakin not so much but before he fell the man was extraordinarily selfless. And his final act was a return to his selfless “true self” (see Luke’s remark in ROTJ).

Sarcastic though he may have initially been, how was Tattoine once described by Luke?

“Well, if there’s a bright center in the universe you’re on the planet that it’s farthest from.“

So Tattoine is not a bright world. In fact, it’s fairly grim. One might even say dark.

People there have to eek out a living under oppressive, dangerous conditions. There are wild raiders, scorching heat, slavery, and space ports described by a man who has literally traveled the length and breadth of the galaxy as follows:

“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.“

Really, Obi Wan? Never? Not even in a Zyggerian slave mine where you yourself suffered as a slave for a short time? Tattoine must be pretty rough indeed.

In The Phantom Menace, Qui Gon Jinn says that Tattoine is “controlled by the Hutts.” Hutts. Plural. In the same film, Anakin says that he and his mother were sold to Watto by Gardula the Hutt, again telling us that more than one Hutt runs the show on Tattoine. So Hutt control of this dark, seedy backwater world didn’t end simply because Jabba the Hutt was assassinated. Again, in the same film, Qui Gon threatens Watto by asking:

“Perhaps you’d like to take this up with the Hutts? I’m sure they can settle this.“

Even a Jedi Master acknowledges that the Hutts are THE AUTHORITY on this planet. Imagine a world so dark and grim that the central authority are a bunch of slave owning (and abusing, I might add), drug smuggling, murdering crime lords who keep victims frozen in carbonite as wall decorations and feed their slaves and enemies to vicious beasts. Whose value of sentient life is so small that they callously bet slaves on the outcome of podraces. THIS is the world Rey buries the legacies of the Skywalker’s on.

All while calling herself a Skywalker.

She could have gone to Coruscant and the site of the old Jedi temple. She could have gone to Naboo, where Padme wanted to raise her children to begin with. She could have gone to Ach-to and the site of the original Jedi temple. But no, she chose Tattoine.

Granted, Rey may not know the importance of Naboo in the Skywalker history, but I know someone who does. Someone who has a personal, as well as philosophical vendetta against the Skywalkers and what they stand for. Someone who we know is capable of cheating death. Someone who has more than once tried to bait Jedi into striking him down....

In Return of the Jedi, Emperor Palpatine goads Luke into attacking him:

“Use it (Luke’s lightsaber). I am unarmed.” “Take your Jedi weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred, and your journey toward the Dark Side will be complete!”

We learn in The Rise of Skywalker that there is a Sith ritual whereby masters can in some sense apparently possess their murderer when their apprentice kills them:

“That is what I want. Kill me... and my spirit will pass into you. As all the Sith live in me... you will be Empress... we will be one.“

This adds new context to Palpatine trying to goad Luke into “killing” him decades earlier. Palpatine is looking for a new host body. In TROS Palpatine’s body is ruined. He is essentially a living corpse. In ROTJ he walks with a noticeable limp requiring the use of a cane; something he didn’t require in the prequels. Age is taking its toll on the Sith Lord and a younger, fresher body would be lovely.

And what does Rey conveniently do for him? She kills him.

Now granted, we don’t know the details of this ritual. Is it one of Palpatine’s own invention? Is it an ancient Sith technique? Is the use of a lightsaber always required for the ritual to work? It’s unclear. Technically, Palpatine’s own lightning destroyed his body. But he clearly asked for Rey to “kill” him. And Rey obliged. She did what he wanted her to do.

We know Palpatine can survive seemingly fatal destruction of his body; after all, he blew up in Return of the Jedi. And he blew up here as well. Why, exactly, can’t he come back from that? The film gives us no real explanation as to why this isn’t possible.

What it does tell us is that Palpatine wanted his granddaughter to kill him so that he could live on in her. This is what she does. Rey Palpatine then goes on to bury the legacy of Palpatine’s hated enemies, of the Jedi themselves, on a dark, oppressive, corrupt world devoid of any light for a single Skywalker family member. She buries the Jedi weapons and heirlooms in an unmarked “grave” on the grounds of a mundane ruin where both Anakin and Luke experienced heartbreak.

And lest we forget, when it’s all said and done, the Skywalker bloodline has been extinguished while the Palpatine bloodline lives on. Despite what the movie tries to tell us, the implication of all this is rather dark. I believe there’s enough evidence to assert that Palpatine ultimately won. He got the outcome he asked for. There’s no reason stated in the film to suspect that he can’t come back again or that somehow Rey is immune to his possession.

She may smile and look innocent and cute in the final scenes, but Palpatine is a master manipulator. He played the part of the smiling, kindly, grandfatherly senator/chancellor for decades. Now that he’s finally got that new body he’s been craving, what better way to stick it to his old enemies than by singling out the darkest, most oppressive place the Skywalkers knew, and dumping their legacy in the sand as his granddaughter masquerades as an adoptive Skywalker: The Phantom Menace.

#Anti TROS #Dark!Rey #Empress Rey #Dark Rey #Emperor Sheev Palpatine

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mydisenchantedeulogy · 4 years ago

Text

In Chains (Chapter Nine) Common Ground (Trafalgar Law)

A faint noise tore Law from his research. He sat down the map of the New World and puckered a brow in uncertainty. Was someone singing? Perhaps he was tired. The moment he got back to his room, he pulled a map and began plotting the next phase of his plan. The first was not nearly complete, but he’d given no thought to it; not since Samira came into his life.

She was a distraction – that was for sure – taking his mind off his past and his scheme to take down Kaido of the Four Emperors. No … the crew had no idea about this, but he was going to tell them. Right now was not the time, because Samira was in the way. Her power was unreal; he wanted to employ her help, but he wasn’t certain how she’d benefit him once he collected the hearts he needed to sway the Marines.

Her demons were becoming more of an issue as of late.

Put her from your mind, he thought. His head pounded; he need to rest his eyes. Later he’d figure out her purpose.

Law squeezed the bridge of his nose to relieve the pain and stumbled over to his bed. As he sat down, he heard the noise again. Someone was really singing aboard his sub. He stood, bringing his sword as he tracked the noise to the deck. It was late, he noted. Samira and Ikkaku were at the festival, and the voice clearly belonged to that of a female. His guard rose as he crept out into the moonlight.

Resting against the handrail was a woman he had never seen before, singing to the heavens as she faced the calm dark sea. Her voice was ethereal; the voice of a song bird.

“Care to tell me what you are doing aboard my sub? And who you are?”

She chirped a laugh and turned to face him. “Shame you don’t like music, Trafalgar Law. I know many songs.”

“You know me, but I have no idea who you are,” Law mentioned. He drew his sword as a warning; he was in no mood to play games.

The woman cooed and went into a curtsy. “Pardon me. I’m called Daryllyn; I came to chat with you about something.”

“You caught me at a bad time,” he mentioned. His sword remained drawn on her.

Daryllyn frowned. “You will want to hear this; believe me.”

“Make it quick,” Law retorted.

She pouted and leaned back against the railing. “Samira is in danger. There is someone other than Arsenio who is after her; someone who wants her dead.”

“And you know how?”

“Because she and I belong to the same crew,” Daryllyn answered. “However, our goals are much different.”

Law understood; he grunted in annoyance. “Samira. You’re another nightmare from her past.”

He paused to snort. “It would be less stress on me at this point to just let you take her.”

“In due time, however that depends on whether she lives or not. The fruit she stole is a high-priced item in the Underworld, and it took my master a long time to acquire it. Understand that if she dies, the fruit will not emerge for another two years, and I can’t take that risk; Master would be taken from me,” she explained.

Tears blurred her sight. The thought alone tore her apart; she couldn’t bare losing him. A sob tore from her mouth.

This woman made Law feel uneasy. She was obviously devoted to her boss, but a bit too obsessed in his opinion.

“Why not step in? Stop the person who’s trying to kill Amunet-ya.”

Daryllyn snarled at him and clutched her hands into a fist. “Because we have rules. I can’t interfere.”

“And you assume I care?”

Her eyes grew wide in doubt. Would he really allow Samira to die? Did he not value her as a crewmate? She got an idea, and dug through her rucksack, taking out a familiar item she knew would benefit him well.

An Eternal Pose?

Law stood in shock. How desperate was she?

“Take this as payment; it will lead you to the Isle where Samira is from.”

He snorted to cover his surprise. “I’m aware that the Isle resides inside the Red Line. I don’t need an Eternal Pose to get there.”

“I can provide you with information; whatever you want to know, like how to defeat Daiane.”

Law was unsure he could trust her, but she seemed desperate to save her boss. But from who?

“Answer every question I have,” he ordered.

Was it too late though?

Samira retreated as far as she could from the crowd, down a back street that wasn’t nearly as vacant as she had hoped; there were too many people to worry about. Shouting for them to evacuate the area, she wasn’t too annoyed that none of them listened. She was looked at like an idiot – perhaps they assumed she was drunk, and as a precaution she kept her Devil Fruit in check. Samira was horrified; she wasn’t certain where Daiane was or when she’d go in for the kill.

Rounding the corner onto the next strip, she noticed the street was barricaded at each end by a set of wooden sawhorses. She let out a long sigh and came to a halt – no one was around – but her relief was cut short as something took hold of her and yanked her off her feet. Samira hit the ground with a loud oomph, coughing as the air was knocked from her.

“Where are you going? There’s no place on this island you can hide from me.”

Samira wheezed and sat on her knees. “I’m not running. I was taking us somewhere private.”

She glanced around, but she couldn’t locate her. Where was she hiding? Her voice seemed to resonate from the houses, even when she laughed.

“You’re too cute,” Daiane cooed. “But that won’t save you.”

Again, Samira was yanked back. Her body spun and slammed into the ground; she cried in pain, landing on her casted arm. The hell was going on? How was Daiane able to touch her without being nearby? Did it have something to do with her Devil Fruit powers? She forced herself up and onto her feet. Something needed to be done; Samira wasn’t capable of taking on an opponent she couldn’t see. But how would she get her to come out?

An idea came to her.

“This is personal, isn’t it? That power hungry boss of yours would never let you kill me,” Samira panted.

Daiane snorted. “That much is obvious. He’d kill us, but I hardly care anymore. You took something from me; something he refused to let me take back.”

Her eye? She had both of them the last time Samira saw her; the day she escaped. Had she somehow injured her in the explosion? Her power went out of control that day, but she wasn’t aware anyone had been hurt. An overexcited laugh burst from her mouth, forcing her to cough.

“The hell is so funny?”

Samira wiped the tears from her eyes. “Are you serious? You’re mad because I unintentionally blinded you. I had no idea I even hurt you; it’s just so ironic … I mean you cause pain but can’t take it.”

She paused to stifle a pained cough; her side hurt so bad. “Want my honest opinion, sweetheart? It’s unprofessional to seek revenge over something you brought onto yourself.”

“Little brat,” Daiane hissed.

A sudden force sent Samira crashing through the wall of one of the homes near her. Before she could take a breath, she was yanked from the rubble and slammed into the ground outside. Her vision went black for a moment, but she forced herself to stay awake as the force lifted her into the air; her body rotated as something covered her, securing her arms to her sides.

“It’s unwise to rile me up,” Daiane sighed.

She was closer now; close enough to reach out and grab Samira by the hair.

“Look at me.”

Easing open her tired eyes, Samira noticed that she was inverted. Her brain pulsed in her head as she struggled to straighten her neck and see what had her bound.

Daiane snorted. “Let me paint you a picture since you’re having such a hard time concentrating.”

“Obviously,” Samira said with a laugh.

She groaned in pain as Daiane yanked her hair, forcing back her head.

“Listen – brats are so ungrateful these days. We barely got the time to chat during our sessions back then; to get to know one another. I never got to show to you the extent of my powers … it’s obvious now to me that you didn’t know I even had them.”

Samira hummed. “Unfortunately, no … a Zoan type, I assume; insect model.”

“Arachnid, in fact. I ate the Spider-Spider fruit; Black Widow model,” she clarified with pride. “And I have you in my web, suspended above the ground.”

She hummed again. What was she to do? To an insect, a spider’s web meant game over. It was hopeless; she’d never escape. She was faint; too drained to draw on her own power to assist her. Tears ran up into her bangs.

“Take it then. You want an eye for an eye … take it.”

Samira glared at her. A spider leg extended over the woman’s shoulder and got into position above her eye.

“Doesn’t seem fair, does it? You tried so hard, and for what?”

She had a point. What did Samira hope to achieve? She tried to save her homeland and the people turned on her; she tried to live a free life and now she was going to die.

Shachi and the others came to mind. She’d miss them.

“I made friends … for a short time I was hopeful.”

Daiane curled up her nose. “Don’t ruin this for me.”

She went to strike at Samira, but a sudden and familiar tune interrupted her. Her mouth twisted into a snarl; insolate brat.

Before she could react, someone shouted at her. Daiane glanced towards the voice, but was blindsided. A burst of color hit her in the face.

Samira coughed. What just happened? The netting around her came undone and she plunged towards the ground with a shriek. A familiar blue dome encircled her, however and before she landed, she was transported into someone’s arms.

“Shachi, get ready.”

She recognized the voice. Shaking off the unsteadiness from the fall, Samira glanced up at Law. He came for her. She choked back tears.

“Law––

He interrupted her. “Later … this isn’t over.”

She turned her attention back towards Daiane just as the powder dispersed. True to her word, she had been caught in a giant web; the vibrant colors from the festival exposed them, stretched from one home to the next. Said woman was perched on a thread using her extra legs to keep herself from falling onto the sticky webbing.

A snarl of annoyance tore from her mouth as she noticed Samira had been saved. Her anger was directed towards Law, however.

“It makes me sick to see someone as notorious as you taking sides with a traitor. Did she tell you about me? About my weaknesses?”

Law grinned. “She may have; hard to say what we agreed on.”

“Doesn’t really matter,” Daiane barked. “You wasted your chance. My eye won’t be used against me again.”

He disagreed with a shake of his head. “Don’t be so sure.”

“The nerve––

She was interrupted by a strange yet familiar smell. Was something on fire? Glancing towards the house on her blind side, Daiane noticed someone on the rooftop had ignited her netting using the powder as an accelerant. The flames consumed them so fast Daiane barely escaped in time. She leapt onto the opposite rooftop with a shriek and snarled at Law; he was much smarter than she gave credit to.

“Did that catch you off guard?”

Her face heated up. “Don’t mock me.”

She had no lead over him; no idea how she’d take him down, and worst of all, he was not terrified. The Boss’s pet had done her wrong. And for no reason at all. Daiane wanted to know why; she needed to find Daryllyn and ask her – wherever the brat had gone.

“We’re not done, pirate … far from it.”

Law grunted in annoyance. Before he could stop her, Daiane escaped.

“Captain,” Shachi shouted, taking a fire escape down the rooftop. “She went towards the square.”

Law hummed. “Let her go. She won’t come back until she knows more about us.”

“Yeah … but––

There isn’t a lot we know about her and Samira isn’t going to be any help in her condition, he decided not to mention. Law was right; it was best to let the spider woman go for now. He sighed deeply and looked over Samira. She was in bad shape, hanging onto Law, panting with each breath. How did this come to pass? Had he been with her, none of this would have happened.

“I can take her, if you want?”

Law shook his head. “She needs medical care, so I’ll take her. We need to leave this island before the Marines are called.”

“Where to? The Log Pose doesn’t reset until sometime tomorrow,” Shachi mentioned.

He frowned, recalling the information the desperate woman reveled to him. “We set sail tonight, for the Red Line. Gather the crew and once I see to Amunet-ya, I’ll update them about my new plan.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Samira and he had more in common than either realized.

#one piece #trafalgar law x oc #one piece fanfiction #trafalgar one piece

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