#and i guess you can say it did. he gained purpose but at the cost of barely being anything else besides being a blind devotee for 33 years

[artuurle]

So what happened to Gru's eye anyways?

This will be very very tied into my personal headcanons about both Grujaja and a little about the drain so be warned:

info under the readmore for sanity reasons hope u understand<3

My interpretation of the drain is a very bad place to raise someone. The whole place is essentially the slums of a city- though the most dangerous part of the place isn't because of anything living, but because the place is actually crumbling from poor infrastructure. Gruja was from a very low income family that lived in that area; just trying to live like anyone else.

The infrastructure expectedly ended up failing and in the collapse he got cut really badly by some of the resulting shrapnel across his face and left arm. He was one of the "lucky" ones. If you could even call it that.

He sure didn't.

[beesmygod]

oh, so. there's this story thats semi-local to my hometown that ive been keeping up on via the reno subreddit. ive been gawking at it from afar in wonder bc i didnt know people could make this many bad decisions on purpose.

joey gilbert was a boxer who was forced to retire bc he's a cheating bitch who was roiding up and doing meth before fights. the list of drugs in his system would scatter an average human's atoms like dust.

as a shining example of the kind of education i paid for: joey gilbert graduated from my alma mater, UNR, with an english degree and then passed the nevada bar using a law degree gained from a diploma mill that is no longer accredited. so now gilbert practices law. this is the advertisement that greets you when you get off the plane at reno/tahoe airport.

every time i see this i want to laugh my ass off. the vague use of meme formatting even though he doesn't understand the conventions of an impact font meme. he has the dead doll eyes described by clint in jaws. he looks like if lowtax attended his own funeral. there's no phone number or website. google me bitch.

anyway, that's not the point. gilbert evidently fried what was left of his tenderized boxer brain with speed and has tried to fashion himself as the VIP in douglas county/vegas conservative circles. i guess he fits right in because they willingly embraced him. he was at the jan 6 riot and will loudly espouse basically any belief as long as hes getting paid. he tried to run for gov and lost the primary by over 20k votes. somehow he claims this is election fraud. he has yet to explain the mechanisms that would explain how douglas county and its republican chapter manufactured over 20000 votes for a republican primary without anyone noticing during a time when election fraud is a hot button topic, all because they feared that the guy they test research chemicals on was a legitimate threat.

hold up my bad. actually gilbert says HE won by over 50000 and the city of las vegas is suppressing the results. his case was thrown out and he was fined 88k for wasting everyone's time.

okay now: in july of 2023 (insane link btw lol. they keep saying shit like "yeah i did that. problem, bitch?",) the conservative douglas county board of trustees had a bitch fit over their lawyer, who has been in the position for over 20 years, for refusing to enforce a transgender sports ban. in an act of retaliation he was fired by a narrow vote and replaced with........

JOEY GILBERT!!!!!!!!

pros of this exchange:

cons of this exchange: he costs more, has no formal law education, the ACLU is going to rip them a new hole, its now october and he has charged the school district an eye-watering 100k in two months. the previous firm charged 18k a month.

in response, the board of trustees is convening in order to fire......the superintendent who has been in the position for 30 years bc he was against gilbert from the start.

nevada is so dedicated to being number 50 in the nation. its honestly heartwarming to think that even the dumbest, toothless hick can make it there by simply lying nonstop. thats the american way, baby!

[atamascolily]

TBF Theory: Human and Demons Have A Common Origin

The War of Fading Dusk happened 200 years before the start of Thunderbolt Fantasy, but it overshadows everything that happens in the present. The reason so many magic swords exist is so humanity could fight the demons invading their world. They succeeded, but at a cost--the country of Wan Yu was separated by a vast wasteland full of monsters and divided into Xi You and Dong Li, with no interactions until Shang Bu Huan hacked his way through.

We don't know why exactly the demons invaded, or why exactly they stopped, only that it was a unilateral decision from the Demon King to order a retreat and forbid contact with the human world. The exceptions are holdouts like Xing Hai, Zhao Jun Lin, and Azibelpher who said "fuck that" and kept on doing their thing for various reasons of their own. But given all of the established themes, I'm going to hazard a guess that a major twist in S4 will be the reveal that humans and demons have a common origin, and/or the human world and demon world were originally one and the same, just like Xi You and Dong Li were once one nation.

Humans and demons are different, but they're not that different--while demons come in a wide variety of shapes, at least some of them are humanoid, and we know the two races can interbreed with each other. In real life, that usually implies some degree of relation or common ancestor, but this is a fantasy world where magic exists, so all bets are off. Nevertheless, Lang Wu Yao's existence demonstrates that it is in fact possible for humans and demons to produce viable offspring, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they aren't as different from each other as we've been led to believe.

And I think Azibelpher knows this, because why else would he fuck around with Ling Mo Yan in the first place, and why is he so interested in his son? Why did he defy the demon king's orders and interact with the human world--sure, it was for the lulz, but I doubt that's the only reason. We may not know the full extent of his plans, but Azibelpher has an agenda, and unfortunately for poor Lang, he's right in the middle of it. (Like every Urobuchi villain, Azibelpher has an obsession with fate, destiny, and chessmastery; he may or may not be winging it, but he's got something particular in mind.)

This would also explain something that's puzzled me about S3 on rewatch, which is to say that it sure seems like Azibelpher deliberately sends Shang Bu Huan back in time to the Wars of Fading Dusk to meet Bai Lian and learn the secret behind the magic swords: they were either ordinary swords carried over from another world that gained unexpected abilities as a result of the transfer, OR were forged specifically for that purpose in a location that transferred from another world (Bai Lian's estate). They weren't divine gifts from the gods, they were just one poor confused guy from another world making the best of a bad situation. You know, the sort of thing anybody would do in that position.

(But why does Azibelpher want Shang to know this? What purpose does it serve? And it can't possibly be a coincidence, not when Juan Can Yun, who was right there when Azibelpher interrupted the three of them, gets left behind. What is he planning?? TBD.)

Given the theme of duality as well as the theme that things that are of both worlds have special powers, it's not hard to imagine this information being used in some fashion in future installments. There's already a few hints of it--the "blade whose existence is beyond reality" that Huo Shi Ming Huang claims is the only thing that can kill him, and there's Lang himself, a child of both worlds--and probably more we don't yet know about. Certainly, the trailer and promotional materials for S4 seem to imply that Lang's voice is somehow the key to everything.

Perhaps once upon a time, humans and demons and/or their worlds were the same, and perhaps there are those who would like to see that again, even as there are plenty who would prefer to keep them separate. (Can you imagine Xing Hai's reaction when she finds out??) If that's not as least some of the politicking going on in the demon world in S4, I'll be shocked.

Just as I think Xi You and Dong Li will be reunited before the end, I think the same will be true on a much larger scale for humans and demons as well, though whether that means a literal merger or a metaphorical one is not yet clear.

[harrowharkwife]

🚨🚨🚨 uh oh clown alert!

listen. listen to me. buck is going to win the lottery in the 6b finale "pay it forward" and then give all of it to his friends and family. possibly via anonymous "angel donation?"

and i can prove it too - spec under the cut!

these are all from 6a&6b episode transcripts. opening and closing a season with "let the games begin" and "pay it forward" can't be a coincidence! and we know hen filled out lottery tickets for everyone in the firehouse, so there's a ticket with buck's name on it that's already been played.

maddie's joked with buck twice now this season about buying lottery tickets- the second time, she told him he should play the lottery because he "got so lucky," referring to him surviving the lightning strike.

pre-lightning, we had buck telling hen in cursed that he was "having a run of bad luck" but that it would "turn around tomorrow," in reference to a non-anonymous DONATION (!!!) not going as planned.

what if the lightning, cleansing fire that it off symbolizes, basically "burned through" the rest of his bad luck, clearing the way for one helluva lucky streak?

we got the buckley diaz family joking that he might "gain more powers" as he "gets stronger." sure, math helps with poker i guess, but you know what else would help? luck.

the symbolism of buck, someone conceived for the express purpose of making a bone marrow donation he had zero say in, someone who only recently donated sperm (partially) because he felt, in his own words, like he "couldn't say no," receiving an unexpected windfall of cash, and having the freedom and the privacy to make financial donations on his own terms, of his own free will, with zero outside pressure, as opposed to making organ/tissue donations out of obligation? SO poetic.

he's not the guy who tries to fix things, anymore- he knows his own worth, and he knows he's loved, and he no longer values himself solely on what he can do for others. he doesn't think he has to earn people's love, anymore- he knows his family loves him anyway. but he'll always be buck. he'll always want to help. and there's a massive difference between helping someone just because you want to, and trying to fix everything for someone because you've convinced yourself it's what you have to do in order for them to love you back.

so: buck wins the lottery. he regifts all of it to the people in his life, quite literally paying it forward, echoing athena and hen's conversation in 911 what's your fantasy about winning the lottery and giving it all away "to people" in your community, rather than to charities. maybe some of it's anonymous, maybe some of it isn't- realistically, if everyone in the 118 suddenly gets anonymous checks in the mail, they're going to figure out it's buck eventually. but it's the spirit of the thing.

they were filming at a cruise ship dock for the finale- buck gifts bobby and athena tickets to a cruise, to replace the honeymoon cruise they missed. he probably makes a donation to bobby's AA chapter.

we know madney get in trouble with the IRS in 6x15 death and taxes, so maybe he helps them out of that jam. pays off their mortgage, helps with the renovation costs, maybe chips in towards a wedding celebration.

maybe he pays off hen's med school loans, or makes a donation to help karen's coworkers injured in the explosion, maybe a recurring monthly stipend they can use to buy fun toys for any new foster kids, something like that.

maybe he's moving in with eddie anyway, so he buys out the rest of his lease from his landlord and transfers the apartment to taylor, on the SOLE condition that she CANNOT run a news story that he's the guy who won the lottery. (i despise taylor just as much as the next girl, believe me, but megan west was on the fox lot for a hot minute, so if it ends up being for 911 and not some other show, then, well, here we are.) he did admittedly put her in a real shit situation, re: her lease and all the move-in drama. this might be a nice way of clearing the air. fucking with someone's living situation is a tremendously shitty thing to do, and i think he knows that. plus, it would make for a good parallel to abby leaving buck to housesit her place indefinitely with zero closure, and also, i just hate the loft and want it gone forever, sorry!

college fund and surfing lessons for chris, obvs.

vegas couples' trip for him and eddie.

which brings me to the connor and kameron of it all- i remember seeing a (very blurry, zero context) behind the scenes picture that looked like it MIGHT have *MAYBE*, *POSSIBLY* been buck talking to a pregnant woman in his loft. and connor's been acting real shady. and 6x13 mixed feelings had entirely too many lines about "blaming someone else for lies YOU told" re: fathers and sons. soooo... i think there's a fair chance connor could flake on kameron and leave her last-minute. he thought he wanted to be a dad, but he wasn't actually ready. or maybe he thought he'd be okay with using a sperm donor, but turns out he's not. or maybe he just liked the idea of being able to give kameron what she wanted, but he realizes it's not actually what he wants for himself. something like that. (side note: this would be SUCH a good opportunity to contrast him with buck and highlight all buck's character growth!) and he skips town- in the end, he's the one who winds up "being a father and walking away."

but buck has a chance to draw a real boundary, here! he's not this baby's dad, and he knows that. maybe kameron's ready and willing to take on being a single mom. buck already has his own family, with eddie and chris. he's not this baby's dad, because he's a dad already. but he *is* "responsible for the creation of new life," as he put it, and we heard an awful lot of talk from oliver about buck "owning his choices" and taking responsibility for them re: this plotline. so, boundaries: he's not the dad, just a friend who wants to help- he knows firsthand from eddie how hard single parenting can be, and connor taking off was a real asshole move, and kameron is a grown woman perfectly capable of raising this kid on her own, and she really wants to be a mom, but she DID get left in the lurch through no fault of her own, and that's not fair to her. so buck offers to set up a standing payment from his lottery winnings to help her cover childcare expenses and whatnot, at least while she finds her footing and tries to work some kind of formal divorce agreement out with connor, if not in perpetuity. (hell, maybe she's who he gives the loft to, not taylor!) but he helps her in some way- a sperm donation he was always sorta on the fence about, paired with a financial donation that he's certain is the right choice, and one he wants to make. standing by his past choices, honoring them, and helping nurture them.

(besides, he's saving on rent anyway, now that he's moving into the diaz house.)

maybe kameron, as a token of gratitude towards buck for helping her fulfill her dream of having a child, as a gesture of reciprocity for his assisted-reproduction donation, offers a parting quip of "well, buck, if you and your boyfriend are ever looking for a surrogate or an egg donor, you know who to call. i'd love to return the favor!" as her own way of paying it forward.

anyway, the point is this: in a season about games and money and paper trails and gambling and luck and winning and lottery tickets, i'd bet good money that we're gonna see buck win the lottery this season. how he'll actually wind up spending the money is just a guess on my part, but the actual lottery bit itself? that much i'm sure of!

[landofzero-archive]

Battle on the Sugoroku Board - God Won’t Roll The Dice 1

(Location: “Battle on the Sugoroku Board” program set)

(Meanwhile)

(CosPro Team’s Amagi and NewDi Team’s Mikejima have surrendered.)

Natsume: …… HmM. Looks like Mikejima-senpai has been defeaTED.

He’s the weakest member of the NewDi Team…… I don’t mean to sound clicHÉ, but it’s not something to panic aboUT.

What bothers me is that they both went into the “State of Surrender” at the same tiME.

It’s only natural to think that Rinne-senpai and someone from CosPro Team were togethER, but they seem to prefer to act alONE.

Either a third party gained the fisherman’s profIT (1), or, against our expectations, Yuuta-kun and Ibara-kun were accompanying hIM— 

RegardlESS, as the leader I’m having trouble thinking of when to bring back Mikejima-senpAI.

…… HM? GPS information has been updatED?

Kaminari-san is approaching ME?

Arashi: Ahh I found you! So you were hiding in a place like this, Natsume-chan.

But why are you climbing the roof? I wouldn’t have known where you were without GPS.

Natsume: I can’t afford to cut corners when it comes to winnING. The golden rule of ground warfare is to secure a viEW.

Arashi: Ufufu. Natsume-chan doesn’t like to lose either.

Then, let me walk through the building and get there too……

It looks like Mama’s in the “State of Surrender,” so what should I do? You can revive him by paying money, right?

Natsume: HmM. As I said befoRE, the first time will cost 100G, and from there it’ll double as the game progressES.

In other worDS, if I spend too much, then I’ll end up with an amount that can’t revive anyone at the end of the gaME.

Aren’t there many teams anticipating this and also making the decision to not reviVE?

I’m a bit puzzled over whether Mikejima-senpai’s abilities are irreplacaBLE.

(…… Even sO, I hate losING.

I have no intentions of losing “Battle on the Suogoroku BoaRD.”

It could just be that I hate losING, but by winning, I can get closer to the production director and management of NETV.

It may be cut from the broadcaST, but it’ll remain in the recordiNG. If I want them to come cleAN, that’s where I have to question thEM.

As a condition for my appearanCE, I was allowed to bring in a few film crew members who are close to us at NewDI. I’d like to hear their answers through the recordING.)

………

Arashi: Natsume-chan?

Natsume: I thought about it for a whiLE…… The question of whether or not to revive Mikejima-senpAI.

Considering that it’ll be an all-out war at the eND, wouldn’t it be appropriate to leave this aloNE?

Let’s save up some gold for a whiLE. It’s better to let Mikejima-senpai go on a rampage latER.

Let’s let the beast rest in the cage for a whiLE♪

(Location: Cage)

Madara: Help’s not coming, huhh? And yet our fellow prisoners are watching our every move…… It’s exactly like a bed of needles.

Rinne: Even though we’re the ones trapped in a cage, they’re lazing around. …… I guess they didn’t notice that we were caught?

Madara: No, since it was announced on set, I guess they’re not bringing us back on purpose.

I wonder if my leader’s thinking “In the end, it’s going to be an all out war so we’ll just let other agencies compete with each other for now.”

That seems like something he’d think.

Rinne: Looks like we were thinking the same thing…… I think Mikeneko-chan and I are similar even if we’re in different positions.

Madara: But, compared to Maizuru Manor, this is a lot more easy going, isn’t it? You don’t have to try to pacify others to make them like you, and it’s okay for them to hate you as much as they’d like.

Rinne: “Maizuru Manor?” What’s that? Did you get banned from a hotel or somethin’?

Madara: Haha. It has nothing to do with you.

More importantly, let’s have a fun little chat♪ We won’t gain anything from staring at each other, right?

…… It’s difficult to say if there’s anything particularly worth talking about. I know, how about talking about Rinne-san and I’s experiences?

Double Face, Crazy:B, and MaM…… None of these units are straightforward, and I think they’re worth hearing about.

Rinne: Oh, then let’s talk about our funny friend, hm? I’d like to hear about how you see Kohaku-chan.

Help isn’t coming anyway. Let’s have a chat♪

Madara: Let’s. As long as the cameras are rolling, we can’t talk carelessly. It’s convenient if we talk about that.

For example…… How about the story from when Kohaku wore a suit for Double Face work?

It was funny seeing him struggle to tie his necktie, don’t you think?

Rinne: Great! I looove stories like that♪

Then I’ll also tell you an anecdote that won’t disappoint!

You guys should join the sharing circle too. It’s boring just watching silently, isn’t it♪

TL Notes:

A fisherman’s profit is a Japanese proverb wherein a third party effortlessly benefits from two parties being in conflict with each other.

Previous | Directory | Next

[blackjackkent]

OK so. Rakha's primary objectives now:

find Balthazar, use Balthazar to find the Nightsong, disable Ketheric's immortality, exact revenge on Ketheric for tadpole

follow up with Halsin about Art Cullagh and the shadow curse

actually get the tadpole removed somehow

follow up on the whole Gortash situation since he's apparently also involved in this mess

Unfortunately, of these objectives, the only one she actually has a lead on is the business with Halsin. (I do have a quest marker for the Thorm Mausoleum, but I am choosing to believe Rakha doesn't actually know where it is, since it gives good reason for her to wander around and find all the other sidequests on this map.)

So that means going back to Last Light. Rakha is not happy about this. The last time she was there she spent the whole time struggling against the beast in an attempt not to kill Isobel, and she doesn't really another visit will go any better.

HOWEVER... she hates the Shadow Curse even more than she fears the beast (although not by much). And Halsin is working on a way to end it.

She hasn't told Wyll or any of the others about Sceleritas, or about the urge to kill Isobel in particular. The whole business is uncomfortable and frightening, in a strange way she wouldn't have pictured of herself at the beginning of this journey. She does, however, deliberately keep to the lower floor, hoping to avoid exposing herself to more temptation.

There are plenty of people to talk to there besides Halsin, too - the prisoners from Moonrise made it to the inn, and Jaheira is still there as well, looking grimmer and more tired than ever.

-----

Quick cycle through the available conversations. Still very weird hanging out in Last Light without the tiefling kids or Alfira or Rolan, but Lakrissa is here! Although she doesn't have much to say.

"Things in Moonrise were... bad. Real bad. Thank you - for getting me out of there."

On a lighter note, Danis also made it back, so we can go see him and Bex have their sweet reu wait fuck, paragraph canceled, I forgot Bex is dead too. :( Fuck.

"She's dead. Bex. How can she be dead? After everything - Elturel, the druids, this place... it makes no sense at all..."

:( This fucking sucks. And the more so for Rakha because she knows there was no purpose in these deaths, and yet the beast exults in the back of her head at the news of each one.

-----

Jaheira, tell me some good news.

"The shadows haven't consumed you. Good."

I mean, I guess that counts.

"I saw Ketheric. He regenerated before my eyes."

"Gruesome, isn't it? I'm glad you survived the encounter, at least. Did you learn anything more?"

"Not yet. Parts of the Tower aren't open to me yet."

Jaheira smiles faintly. "The great General is paranoid. Good. That means he's protecting something. I'll wager it's the source of his invulnerability. He'd protect that at any cost."

"Ketheric is calling himself a 'Chosen of the Absolute' now."

(A/N: I actually kind of forgot that Ketheric name-dropped the word "Chosen" during his little "mad dog" spiel to Rakha. Makes me think Rakha, quick as she is, has probably made the leap that Gortash is one of the other Chosen (since she knows from the original Absolute encounter that there are three total).)

"Chosen." Jaheira looks tremendously unimpressed. "That's three masters Ketheric has served. Our paladin isn't very picky. He's aligned himself with mind flayers, but I cannot see what he gains. Perhaps we can force it out of him once we have him up against a wall."

Deep down, Rakha suspects that when she finally has Ketheric at her mercy, even her hunger for knowledge won't be enough to slow her blade down. But she doesn't say this out loud.

[thebananwithaplan]

.......Hmm. The battle was won, but at what cost? Normally, this would be the part where he'd make a quip about things just taking time to get back to normal.

...But, you know. Not the time. Not because he actually read the room, but because the 'room' around them was deforming at an alarming rate. Still standing on the now-deteriorating railing, DB stumbled to get ahold of the bars.

The room was only getting smaller, smaller, and smaller, until...

BOOM.

Whatever was the last of the Foise's toon magic sent him flying down one of the NTV hallways. The Banana had little tome to brace himself as he bounced off the floor a couple times before slowly skidding to a stop.

Normally, these unexpected bouts of force and toon damage would have left him with a few bruises and stinging of pain...

...But if he gained any, it already healed up by the time he realized what happened. Maybe too well...

"....Why am I not bruised, pain, and limping on one leg, here?"

😇 "Oh! We... I think we still have a lot of that pure healing energy left. 😈 probably held on to a LOT of it like a sponge." 😈 "...snork mimimi...."

"...Right. Guess it was a lot more than we ever expected to receive at once."

😇 "Well, we never gained that much in a large amount, and much less of that level of purity."

"....I thought I saw Death having a strange new form. He's healed me a few times before with a similar energy, but..." It was a normal amount, and not enough to completely pacify his bad-leaning self. And also not when the reaper's hair was as red as burning flames. Who knew reapers had their own 'super' form?...

😇 "...Maybe we could make this last as long as we want."

A moment of quiet.

😇 "Just.. think about this. This is, like, the healing factors of all healing factors! We don't have to worry about bruises! Or people trying to hurt us! Or humiliation or pain from anything! We can finally just... smile. And laugh. And dance without the fear of death threats! It would be like our beginning days!"

Another moment.

...It all sounded promising. But there was no denying the hesitation of something that was too good to be true. Maybe it was true. But maybe...

"...You and I both know that would be selfish thinking." Having seen and heard most of the last important bit, he knew that there were others who did not have this luck of being healed properly. Perhaps it was cheating that he had the powers required for soul-related 'purposes', but he stood firm that he never asked for them in the first place. He didn't ask for making 😈 a part of his life either, but on the other hand... He's the reason why he's learning from pain and suffering. To learn how to grow a backbone. To realize that the world isn't always fair and that one can't always expect for things to get easier by themselves. Of course, he also comes with the negatives - snarky behavior, occasional rudeness, short temper, stubbornness, and whatnot.

But 😇 also balances out the more negative traits with positivity. And empathy to those whom he can relate to. And occasional kindness regardless of the other's existence. And love and compassion... It's just that they dislike confrontation and only wishes for the 'easy' way possible.

"...As the saying goes - no pain, no gain. If it wasn't for all the pain that we went through for the last couple of years, we wouldn't have learned anything at all. Besides, if I'm gonna step up as a better toon at one point, then death threats would be the last of our concerns." After all, 'real' toons can't die. And pain is only temporary, anyways.

😇 ".....I suppose we're right. I know there's many others who could use it a lot more than we do right now."

...He wondered if he can return enough of it back somehow. Maybe to whoever remained at NTV, at least...

[cheshireliam]

While i play IkeGen, there are a lot of question in my head -Why did Shigehira finally join the shogunate and what makes Yoritomo spare him and later makes him become his ally -What is Akihito and Yasuchika purpose to against the shogunate? -I was curious about Rikka both personality and the reason he joined the shogunate. Is he related to Yamata no Orochi or something else? -I still clueless about Yasuchika's personality specifically. Would you like to explain it?

yasuchika’s route and half of yoshitsune’s route are the only main stories i’ve played in genjiden because i ditched the game for more than a year due to lack of time to play any of my games, so i’m really not the best person to ask about genjiden. if you want better answers, you should ask @/ga-yuu instead.

- according to the first chapter of yoshitsune’s route, shigehira joined the shogunate because the heike were defeated by yoshitsune in the genpei war. yoritomo says that their defeat wasn’t due to shigehira’s incompetency as a commander, but rather because yoshitsune is just that insane of a warrior and the heike was already barely hanging by a thread. shigehira says that yoritomo spared him for “some unknown reason”, which also remains unknown to me because i have played neither shigehira or yoritomo’s routes. i’m guessing it’s due to common beliefs and goals… idk.

- again i’ve only ever read one route so this is just my personal interpretation and inference. akihito wants power and control, possibly of the entirity of japan. yasuchika is merely helping him achieve his goals because akihito is pretty much like a father figure to yasuchika. after seizing control of the imperial court in kyoto, the next step would naturally be to eliminate the rulers of other regions i.e. yoritomo the shogun of kamakura. for all of akihito’s life, even during that seemingly short period he was the emperor (while he was alive), he never had any real power. he was shunned, betrayed, seen as a taboo etc. so i think it’s understandable that he became hungry for power.

- hmm i’m still at chapter 2 of my first act II route (yasuchika & akihito), so my impression of rikka is only… horny LOL. i don’t know whether he has anything to do with the yamata no orochi. as for why he joinded the shogunate, i’m sure there’s a deeper reason, but for now it’s because his old friend tamamo asked him to.

- ah yasuchika. on the outside and to people who don’t know him very well.. he’s a weirdo, goofball, eccentric, you name it. while those traits are indeed part of his character, he’s also extremely intelligent, cunning and manipulative. you can see it in his main story by watching how his actions since the very first chapter are all part of his grand plan to betray the shogunate for akihito’s sake. from making use of yuno, to manipulating the court nobles and exploiting their greed for his personal gain.. he’s an expert tactitian and manipulator through and through. i’d say he’s a villain character in the genjiden storyline and he’d remain one if not for yuno’s involvement. but underneath his carefree and eccentric personality, hides how broken he is due to his painful past of being abused and exploited because of the special abilities he was born with. he’s the second coming of abe no seimei, but at what cost? he grew up thinking he’s deserving of all the pain, no one should respect him, and that he’s beyond saving. it was yuno who was strong enough to save him from himself, although the self deprecation will surely remain for many more years.

[duskamethyst]

love.

a/n: happy valentines day! have this spicy content for now but if you’re looking for high-cocky bastard-suna, this ain’t it. sorry.

word count: 2.3k

genre: smut, nsfw, fluff

warnings: soft dom, orgasm denial

pairing: pro!suna x f!reader

summary: suna got you a gift for your anniversary. wonder why he likes it so much..

“hm? a bracelet?” you take out the shiny jewelry out from the crimson box, inspecting it in your hands. there’s a letter ‘R’ that gleams with its rhinestones and a bell that chimes as you jiggle it. 

“close,” your boyfriend smiles when he catches the fascinated look on your face. “it’s an anklet.”

suna takes the ornament from you and drops down to his knees to fasten it around your ankle. he takes a good look at it, pondering briefly over how he made a good choice to get it for you as an anniversary gift. 

you look over your ankle intriguingly, shaking it slightly to hear the bell ring in response. 

“it’s so pretty!” you beam excitedly and kiss him in thanks as he raises back up on his feet. “then you have to put on the perfume i gave you too.”

suna raises an eyebrow, “perfume?”

“shit–” your hand flies over to cover your mouth instantly by reflex and you shake your head. “i didn’t say that.”

your boyfriend laughs as he takes the nicely wrapped present and shakes it in a feigned attempt to figure the not-so-mysterious content, “gee, i wonder what it could be.”

“oh, i don’t know. guess you have to find out.” you reply in the same sardonic tone, suppressing giggles as you watch him rip off the paper unceremoniously. 

suna blinks once, twice at the box and glances at you before looking back at the box that is engraved with a name that he’s aware to be high end. he’s not very materialistic but he knows for sure that it costs more than you can afford for yourself and the thought of you forking out so much money on it makes his heart swell. 

“well?” you grin sheepishly as you wait for him to say something. 

“babe, this is..” he sighs, brushing a hand through his brown locks. “how did you even–”

“don’t mind that! put it on!” you chide.

suna shakes his head and chuckles as he opens the packaging to pull out the expensive bottle. he takes off the lid and takes a whiff of the manly scent, yet has no idea what the contents are. he guess he should wear it often if you like the scent so much, especially since you’re the one who chose it for him. he sprays the cologne on his wrist and rubs it with the other before applying it on the back of his ears.

you don’t remember how many bottles it took to find the one that you absolutely would like on him but you know you’ve made the right choice when the aroma has proven to suit his character very well; sexy and alluring.

“you smell so fucking good.” you sigh in content as the scent begins to fill your senses.

“is this your way of saying that i always stink?” he forces an offended frown but the slight upturn at the corner of his lips tells you it's only superficial. 

“yeah, you reek. especially after your practice.” you tease before suna envelops you into a warm hug. 

“but i won’t wear it to practice.” he mutters as he caresses your hair gently. “it’s a waste if the guys are the only ones who are going to smell it.”

“that’s fine. you can always wear it around me.”

suna pulls away to look at you, blankly staring at you with his dark and narrow eyes. “and, you shouldn’t be giving me expensive stuff. i won’t even mind if you didn’t get me anything. you’re more than enough for me.”

“but–” 

“no buts.” he places a small kiss on your lips. “still, thank you for this.”

you smile and counter back with a kiss, “happy anniversary, rin. i love you.”

“i love you, too.” he taps your nose with his finger before picking you up off your feet and cradling you in his arms, making you squeal in surprise. “now that we’re done with that, time to put that to the test.” 

“put what to the test?” you look up at him with curiosity as he carries you towards your shared room, leaving the empty plates of your homemade dinner behind. 

“why do you think i got you something with a bell on it?” he grins slyly before throwing you on the bed and causing the bell around your ankle to chime from the result of the impact. 

warmth creeps up to your cheeks as you put one and one together, “you wouldn’t..” 

“oh, yes i will.” suna climbs on top of you, pale yellow irises swirling like flames as he gazes deeply into your eyes before leaning down to slip his tongue past the barrier of your lips in an amorous kiss. your hands find their way to his nape, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

suna swallows down your moans as he hastily works on taking off all his lower garments and grinds his erection against your sex, soothing the throb that he has been keeping inside his pants the moment he put on the ornament around your ankle since his mind just kept on wandering at the thought of how he has been wanting to put it on to good use. 

he breaks the kiss to plant wet, soft kisses down your throat, suckling and nibbling on the sensitive skin that he knows will have you whining underneath him while his large, calloused hands massages your mounds through the flimsy dress. 

“you’re so pretty,” he whispers against the crook of your neck as tugs down the straps off your shoulders and lets it fall on your arms. “i love you so much.”

with a little maneuvering of your arms, you manage to slip out from the band and allow suna to pull down the dress completely. your nipples harden from the cold air yet they find heat once he wraps his lips around one, tongue dancing and circling around the erected tit while he tweaks the other between his thumb and index finger that sends jolt of sensations down to your bundle of nerves.

your lips part in soft, heavy pants while your fingers seek refuge in his dark hair by tugging it lightly before he pulls away with an audible pop to suck on the other. his hand trails down on your inner thigh, drawing circles with his fingertips on the erogenous zone and purposely avoiding from tracing closer to your heated core. 

“rin.” you whine while the bell resounds from underneath as you part your legs wider and buck your hips reflexively. 

“hmm?” narrow, hooded eyes look up at you mischievously from below. suna unlatches his mouth, watching as the nipple perks up harder and becomes more swollen from his ministrations. “you’re ready for me, aren’t you?”

you feel your cheeks warm up, “i don’t know, why don’t you get down and see for yourself?”

“whatever you say, princess.” he chuckles and shifts downwards until his head is settled in the space between your thighs.

“shit, you’re really a mess down here.” he muses, thumb grazing against the dark patch that has formed on the thin fabric. “all from me just sucking your tits?”

suna tugs the sodden garment down, tongue darting out to sweep his bottom lip as his eyes dissolve into red of passion and lust. it’s more intense than you imagined, but an impassioned loop twists in your stomach as you study his next, calculated step. 

shivers of pleasure rushes throughout your body the moment you feel his warm tongue flattening against your wet slits. with skills and practiced strokes, his tongue laps off your slick greedily before teasing and sucking on the throbbing clit. your toes curl and the bell rings as you attempt to close your legs together, but suna spreads them apart from crushing his head.

his lustful gaze fixes up at you, observing every twitch of pleasure and the way your lips part in soft, needy whimpers. you gasp at the abrupt intrusion of his long and slender fingers, yet you gladly welcome him as the muscles clench to keep him within.

“does it feel good?” he whispers, kissing the soft skin of your fleshy thigh when he notices your legs tremble. 

“s-so good, rin.” you mewl, nails digging into the sheets while the fabric crumples in your fists as you find purchase. his fingers curl and drag against the spongy walls, making you keen in excitement that your hips begin to pump desperately to match his rhythm. 

“you’re so needy.” a sense of pride soars in his chest, conscious of how much your pleasure lies in him and only him. he continues rubbing and digging, somewhat in search of something; certainly the spot that he’s aware that’ll make you beg for him hopelessly. and when he finds it, he doesn’t miss the way you tense up and giving him the drive to stroke the same spot mercilessly. 

“shit– right there!” you look like you’d almost cry. the way your hips are jerking uncontrollably is telling him that you’re going to break soon and before that happens, suna draws away his fingers and you immediately throw a scowl his way. 

“what?” his voice is taunting and he wears a smirk of a victor which makes you all the more frustrated. 

you huff, “so mean. on our anniversary night, too.” 

suna lifts himself off you to get out of his shirt. no matter how much you’ve seen him bare and naked, your eyes always marvel over his toned chest and chiseled abs; those he gained along by being a professional athlete since a couple of years ago. you lick your lips to return moisture on dry skin as you watch him pump his throbbing cock in front of you while he puts on an expression of bold seduction.

“you don’t have to look so scared. you wanted to cum so bad, didn’t you?” he sneers, obviously confident over how thick his cock is and how it can stretch your tiny little hole so good.

you roll your eyes playfully, retorting in a snarky tone, “oh, i’m so scared. please don’t put that thing inside me!”

his lips curl into an amusing smile, finding it endearing how you played along with his pretense. “don’t worry, i’ll treat my princess very gently.” 

suna leans down to lick a fat strip of your essence and mixes with his saliva before propping up on his knees and dragging your body closer to him by the waist. he carefully throws the leg adorned with his gift on his shoulder and kisses on the side of your knee before fixing his dark gaze downwards, where he slowly guides and observes the way his cockhead slowly disappears into your dripping entrance. 

a low grunt rumbles in his chest as the walls suck him in deeper, clamping around him like a vice and refusing to let go as he continues to bury his cock deeper inside your pussy. your eyes flutter close, lips part slightly as you revel the way he stretches you while the veins and ridges brush against your muscles deliciously. 

“so good for me, princess.” he praises with a sharp breath, having you completely filled to the brim before he finally snaps his hips and making your body jolt in return. his pace is unforgiving and with the angle he has set you in, his tip keeps on pounding against your cervix. 

the slapping of your skins fills the cold air, mingling with the sounds of your moans and the erratic chimes from your bell that he was so eager about. an unknowing grin etches on your lover’s lips as every jingle that fills his ear fuels up his ego and he finds himself to pound into you faster while the sounds behind him follow in accordance.

“hah– rin– so deep!” your orgasm is quick to build up from the prior interruption, the muscles in your stomach begins to tighten and your legs quiver. 

“you hear that, baby? the bell telling you how hard i’m fucking you right now.“ he rams his cock senselessly to make the bell jingle wilder in a way to prove his point.

“rin– i–” 

“baby wanna cum?” he coos, smirking down at you as the image of your writhing body ingrains in his mind.

you nod your head affirmatively, face contorting in one that expresses bliss as your mind swirls with excessive gratification. yet your eyes snap open as soon as you feel a sharp sting on your thigh. 

he releases the pliant skin from between his teeth, “use your words, princess.” 

“please–” you let out a broken cry. “wanna cum–” your toes curl with anticipation as you will yourself from coming undone before you are granted to do so.

“that’s– fuck– better.” he grunts, thrusts turning sporadic as you begin to squeeze and clamp down on him. “then cum, baby. you deserve it.”

suna brings up his thumb to your aching bud, generously pressing tight circles in order to push you over the edge and a wave of pleasure washes throughout your body as you moan his name in a chant. your pussy gushes around his cock, which makes it all more stimulating for the male and he pounces harder through your high in pursuit of his own orgasm while the noisy rings from the bell soon becomes white noise.

“that’s it– you feel so fucking good.” he feels his balls tightening before his cock twitches and he bites roughly on your leg as he shoots warm load inside your tight cunt. you squeal from the pain, wiggling your leg away and he completely lets go. 

he chuckles lightly and gently rubs the dents on your skin, “sorry.” 

once he’s sure he has emptied, he pulls out his softening cock and finds his place next to your warm body. you turn to face your lover and he gladly welcomes you into his warm embrace. 

“i love you.” he whispers, pushing aside the damp and matted hair from your face to place a soft kiss on your forehead. 

you hum in content, vision darkening as he continues to play with your hair soothingly while the sound of his heartbeat sings you a lullaby. “i love you, too.”

duskamethyst © 2020 • do not modify, translate or repost anywhere.

[sortasirius]

“Unity” and the Broken Boys

BOY Y’ALL BETTER SIT DOWN BECAUSE THIS IS AS LONG AS CAN BE AND I TOOK OFF WORK TOMORROW SO I’VE GOT TIME

This is....one of the best episodes in the show.  Yeah, in all 325 of them, this is hands down one of the best.

First of all, stan Amara for clear skin.

That silent treatment babey, right out the gate with the Angst.  Tbh Dean deserves it.

“Like I said, killing Amara, Jack dying...that’s the only way.”

“The only way.  Our one shot.  Our Last chance.  You ever get tired of saying stuff like that?”

“We don’t have to like it, alright?  But you and me, we gotta get it done.”

Amara is such a welcome energy in this whole episode.  She’s warm and understanding, whip-smart and probably more powerful than Chuck.  I love her.

Sam is a wonderful, understanding, loving dad.  I love him eternally.  He loves Jack so much, he’s trying so desperately to do what’s right for Jack but also what’s right for the world.  Jack made this choice, but he can’t live with it.  How do you support your child when their life is at stake?

“Come on man.  Blindly following orders, lying to Amara, sending her to her death. Does any of this feel right to you??”

“It doesn’t matter how we feel!  You know what?  Stay.  Stay.  Someone has to be the grown up here.”

“Yeah well someone has to keep fighting for Jack!”

“He knows what he signed up for!”

“Last I checked, we don’t give up on family.”

“Jack’s not family.”

Y’all should have heard the noise I made.  What a fucking line.

“I know how you feel about the kid, I care for him too, I do, but he’s not like you.  He’s not like Cas.  He’s just not.”

“I’m- I’m ready.”

You can see the regret, the heartbreak in Dean’s eyes.  You can see how he wants to take those words back the moment he said them, and for Jack to hear them?  It’s unthinkable.

Sam and Cas I’m just so fucking emo dude.

“Sam, you stayed behind to find another way huh?  I woulda done the same.”

AMARA

First of all, LOVE this structure.

Amara and Chuck have such a fascinating dynamic.  Rob and Emily do a great job (as they have all along) by clearly being siblings but...heightened.  You can just tell they both exude power, and the other is the only one they consider an equal.

“You and Dean had that whole weird...thing.”

“That wasn’t you writing?”

“Ugh, not that part.  Gross.”

What I took away from this is what I’ve suspected all along.  They HAVE free will, just not total free will.  Dean and Amara’s connection wasn’t Chuck, there are parts of the story he didn’t write.  Obviously, this comes into play later. 

I also have a hunch that Chuck doesn’t write romance.  I also think that in particular will come into play.

“Balance.  Something we’ve never tried before.  Creation and destruction, light and dark, brother and sister united again, but on behalf of one world, this world.  True balance.  The way it was always meant to be.  But you can’t.  You only care about your pleasure, your story.  Well, I guess that makes you the villain.”

“Villains get all the best lines.”

We see again and again this season, Chuck is irredeemable.  He doesn’t care about the angels, he doesn’t care about the world, he doesn’t care about anything.  He is a petulant toddler who has broken his toys. And when he realizes he’s trapped, he gets angry, he shouts and screams, completely at odds with Amara’s peace.

“You can’t hold me here forever.”

“I can hold you long enough.”

DEAN

Pain is the name of the game in this section homies.  Because not only are we dealing with Dean’s pain, we’re also dealing with Jack’s.  Jack says he understands why Cas and Sam mean more to Dean, but Dean clearly doesn’t, he, once again, wants to say more, but is stopped, still stopped by his fear: his fear of not beating Chuck.

Alright guys, gals, and non-binary pals.  Let’s talk about Adam and Seraphina.

Adam.  The first man.  And Seraphina.  The angel.

“My old lady.  She’s the only one who could put up with me all these years.”

Yeah okay.  Volume at 100 I get it lmao.

But also: Adam wants God dead not because he and Eve were kicked out of the Garden, but because he went after their sons.  The theme of protecting the children strikes again.

“Killing God is your plan?”

“Yeah, Billie’s been giving us a hand but Sera and me, this is our baby.”

This juxtaposed directly with Dean’s own pain at what he has to do to kill Chuck, to gain his free will: the cost of his child.

Adam’s rib.

And who else might get his ribs hurt, only to be likely healed by an angel?

It’s fine, that’s fine.  I’m fine with that.

“Jack, I don’t know how to explain it but, when I found out about Chuck, it’s like I wasn’t alive.  Not really.  You know like my whole life I’ve never been free, but like really free.  But now?  Now me and Sam, we got a shot at living a life, without all this crap on our backs.  And that’s, that’s because of you.  So, I want to say, I need to say...thank you, Jack.  Thank you.”

I’m gonna have to do a separate post about just Dean in this episode, because there is so fucking much to talk about, but there are a couple of things that I think are important:  Dean realizes how wrong he was, to say what he said.  He knows that it’s not true, this is the way he’s always coped with loss, by pushing the person to be lost away, but for Jack to hear it?  He can’t stand for that.

And:

Dean has finally pushed through the barrier.  He won’t be quiet in the face of his doubts anymore.  This is a breakthrough for him, and, of course, there are more to come.

SAM

Sam and Cas, my chaos duo.

The box, the inscription, the door.

Death’s library, filled with dead reapers.

And there it is.  The Empty.

It tells Sam the plan, the plan for Billie to take God’s place.  For everything to go back to the way it’s “supposed to be.”

This has always been the game, since season 13.  This is the longest of long games.

Sam fuckin Winchester, lying his way out of a confrontation with the Empty like the legend that he is.

He comes back with a new purpose: to stop Billie’s plan, and here’s where we get to the heart of the episode and maybe the heart of the season.

“You hear that?  Dean, brought to the edge of doubt.  His sense of duty, his rage winning out in the end.  And poor Sam, always gotta know everything.  Can’t leave well enough alone.  This is my ending, my real ending.”

The gun comes out, pointed at Sam.

Hmm...what did I say during 15x05?  Oh yeah, this.

And:

Dean would never survive killing Sam, but he’s willing to do anything, anything to earn his freedom.  His ending, where one brother kills the other and then kill himself.

Why, you might ask, did Sam not mention that the angels would be sent back to Heaven, why does he not mention Cas?  I’ll tell you why, or rather, Becky will.

Plus, Dean looks back at Cas IMMEDIATELY when Sam says that, when he mentions Eileen, and THAT’S the first time he hesitates.  He can’t lose Cas.  But at the same time, he’s willing to do anything to have his freedom.

“Sam we don’t have a choice, Jack’s about to blow!”

“We always have a choice!”

You know me, just sitting here thinking about choice, the ability to choose, and how that translates to their free will.

And Sam...I don’t think there will ever be characters I love as much as these.

“I don’t care if Billie gets what she wants!  I don’t man, I’d trade it all, I’d trade em all for Chuck.  In a heartbeat!”

“What about me?”

“You’d trade me?”

“Chuck has to die.  He has to!  Otherwise he’ll keep us tap dancing forever, and I can’t live like that man, I can’t live like that, I won’t!”

“I know you feel like that right now, okay? I know you do, but you gotta trust me.  My entire life, you’ve protected me.  From Dad, from Lucifer, from everything.  I didn’t always like it, you know?  But it’s the one thing in the whole world that I could always count on.  It’s the only thing I’ve ever known that was true.  So please, put the gun away.  Just put it away.  We’ll figure it out, Dean, we’ll find another way, you and me.  We always do.”

Okay I feel like this is going to be one of those scenes that I cry watching for years to come.  Because fuck.  After fifteen years they finally admit that not only did Dean protect Sam from Lucifer, but he protected him from John.  John.  On a par with Lucifer.

Dean and Sam have, for so many years, sacrificed themselves for the other.  Dean’s demon deal, Sam and the trials, every season they have fought to see who can die the quickest for the other.  But this?  This is them fighting to stop the violence, to stop from killing the big bad.  This is them growing, in our eyes, in real time.  Sam has always been able to get through to Dean when no one else had a prayer, but for Dean to listen, for Dean to take his words to heart, to stop the hunt for Sam, for their family, that’s how you know they do have free will.

(Btw Chuck’s eye effect when he dusted Amara was sick as fuck but I’m emo for my boys so.)

Chuck knows it’s a loss, he knows that his story has, once again, been thwarted by the boys making their own choices.  And he’s pissed, but in his anger, we get a bomb dropped on us.

“Spare me your contempt Castiel, the self-hating angel of Thursday.  You know what every other version of you did after “gripping him tight and raising him from perdition”?  They did what they were told.  But not you.  Not the one off the line with a crack in his chassis.”

Are you fucking kidding me?

Also, just worth bringing up this one as well:

Every Castiel pulled Dean out of Hell.  Every one told him the same thing.  And yet, immediately, with this Cas and this Dean, something was different.  Because what has everyone seen about Cas, from the moment he met Dean?

And there’s our endgame people.  Laid out on the line.

But we ain’t done yet, fam.

We’ve talked about the handprint, but you know:

So there you have it, our prep into the “monumental” 15x18.  I have spec on that, of course, but I think a novel is long enough for this.

What to take away: Dean’s rage was always Chuck’s plan, they do have free will, their love for each other, for their family, is what will stop Chuck’s control, Death is about to come back with a vengeance, Cas’ deal is at play, and, most importantly, Castiel and Dean Winchester are a blind spot for Chuck, something he has never, not once, controlled.

[mrs-tsunderemeitantei]

What do you think about the real aim of Sherry's research?? I don't think is to create poison or gain immortality, I'm sure it's related to BO's secret project 50 years ago

I've been wanting to write about this for soooo long but my thoughts were all over the place so thank you for your patience 😅 and sooo sorry for the delay 😔

Before I get into what I think is the drug's real aim, I agree with you that the drug wasn't created as a poison, nor was it to resurrect zombies as Haibara mentioned before:

When it comes to her comment about "not many people would see the benefit in that", many thought Haibara was referring to the BO's goal of creating APTX-4869 without explicitly stating what it was. But I honestly think she was simply just referring to Conan's suggestion (who thought the drug's purpose was to resurrect zombies), and let's be real, I don't think many people would want the dead walking among us 😂

As for immortality, Gosho debunked that theory in a 2014 interview:

Please! Please, let me ask 2 more questions! What is the BO’s goal? Going by the APTX4869, I would think immortality… Aoyama: That’s wrong. It’s true that you’d think that, isn’t it? You see, right now, something really big is happening within the organization.

Source: detectiveconanworld.com/wiki/Interviews

Now coming onto the real aim of APTX-4869...

To explain it, let's start with the mysterious project the BO started 50 years ago. At the time, Carasuma Renya would have been around 90 years old. As we can imagine at that age, his health must have been declining. Knowing of his selfish and materialistic personality, it's not far-fetched to assume he wanted something to halt or even reverse his ageing and stop his health from deteriorating. That's why I think the research into what we now know as APTX-4869 was launched 50 years ago.

To explain the next part of my theory, I'll be using 'the Gathering of the Great Detectives Case' as an example. In the case resolution, Senma Furuyo explained how her father (who was an archaeologist) was summoned forty years ago along with other archaeologists to find Carasuma the treasure hidden in his Sunset Manor. Carasuma was so impatient and cruel that he began killing the archaeologists to motivate the others to hurry and find the treasure.

If he used such extreme methods to find the hidden treasure, I can only imagine the lengths he went to with the scientists hired for the project, especially if he felt like he was running out of time. He must have been incredibly impatient to find a solution no matter the cost.

Based on all that, I think that there was an old APTX-4869 prototype made by researchers around 40+ years ago. This was the prototype that Carasuma was in a rush to try. I'm guessing the drug's effects weren't what he was looking for, otherwise it wouldn't make sense why the project remained ongoing all the way until the current timeline. Maybe all the first prototype achieved was halt the ageing process but it did not cure his declining health nor did it de-age him. It's not also far-fetched to assume that Carasuma punished the researchers like he did with the archaeologists in Sunset Manor.

If we assume the drug's research came to a halt, Carasuma would have found himself in limbo (his health isn't getting any worse but it isn't improving either). Then came the Miyanos...

A common misconception is the Miyanos joined the BO 30 years ago when Atsushi sold his childhood house to his friend and left to a facility to work on his research. But the truth is at the time, he joined the Shirohato Pharmaceuticals as part of the drug development team. Haibara even mentioned a larger company (the BO) tried to buy the pharmaceuticals company but things did not end well forcing Shirohato pharmaceuticals to close down 25 years ago. Shiho's parents ended up opening a clinic, instead. Anyways, it's safe to assume that the BO noticed Atsushi's research. I'm going to go out on a limb and say his research was to look into ways to cure diseases caused by ageing using apoptosis and telomerase.

This part of my theory is very science-related so please bear with it because it ties a lot to the rest of my theory 🙏🏼

I started to believe Atsushi's research had something to do with curing age-related diseases after I did my own nerdy research into telomeres and telomerase. Like Haibara said, telomerase is an enzyme. Its job is to lengthen 'telomeres'. Telomeres are sequences of DNA at the end of our chromosomes that get shorter every time our cells divide until they get too short causing the cells to die (therefore telomeres act like our own biological countdown timer). So, if telomerase kept lengthening telomeres, our cells will virtually never die and remain healthy. Scientists found that injecting telomerase in mice that lacked the enzyme, resulted in significant improvement in the mice's health and their cells rejuvenated. However, it is worth mentioning that activating telomerase in all body cells will activate uncontrollable cell division (aka triggering cancer). The 'de-ageing' effect was possible only if telomerase was active in stem cells (cells that can generate new specialised body cells). Therefore, selective telomerase activity is important (and I'll explain why this is relevant for my theory later in this post).

(Sources: https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.635 , https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180227142114.htm)

As for Apoptosis, I'm guessing its purpose is to target sick cells, killing them off until telomerase allows the generation of new cells in place of the old cells.

Anyways, I believe Atsushi's goal was to create a drug that helps cells rejuvenate and potentially cure diseases caused by age.

Seeing as Atsushi's research was slightly similar to Carasuma Renya's goals, he became adamant on scouting and hiring the Miyanos. After almost 10 years of pressure from the BO, the Miyanos finally joined. The BO might have given the Miyanos an ultimatum; in return for funding Atshushi's research, they had to take over the project started years ago and advance it or Akemi's life will be in danger.

Based on all this, there were two drugs in the making when Shiho's parents joined the BO:

The first one is: The Silver Bullet - Atsushi's original research about curing diseases caused by old age. (With such a noble goal, it makes sense why Elena called it a "dream drug", a "terrifying drug" and a Bullet of justice.)

So, if the Silver Bullet was such a great drug, why was Haibara crying in regret and felt it was a drug that shouldn't be made? My guess is she was talking about the new APTX-4869 that the BO forced her to make, not the Silver Bullet. She's probably regretful that her parents' drug never got to develop to its full potential and instead the poisonous APTX-4869 was advanced because of the organisation's selfish agenda.

The second drug is APTX-4869 - Based on the BO's demand this drug took priority in drug development compared to Atsushi's research to achieve de-ageing.

One thing I noticed about the APTX-4869 created by Shiho's parents, is unlike Shiho's version, their drug was poisonous and killed victims without leaving any biochemical trace. This could be because of two possibilities:

The balance between the apoptotic activity and telomerase tipped in favour of apoptosis, killing all cells and causing death.

OR Telomerase activation was not selective, triggering cancerous cell division and killing its victim.

Either way, the BO found out about that lethal effect and began using it for untraceable murders such as the case of Haneda Koji and Amanda Hughes.

And just like Shiho disliked the drug being used for murders, maybe her parents opposed the drug to be used for the same means. Fearful the Miyanos could do anything drastic, as well as the lack of their progress, Carasuma probably ordered their death but only after Shiho's birth, so she can be raised by the BO to eventually take over the project again. Meanwhile, the Miyanos sensed their looming death, so Elena recorded tapes hoping Shiho would one day be able to get them and find out the truth about how and why they joined the organisation, as well as the truth behind her father's research.

After her parents' death, the BO hid the truth of Atushi's research from Shiho. And if the BO asked Shiho to create a de-ageing drug unlike the poisonous APTX-4869 her parents created, it makes sense for Shiho to say "what they really wanted me to make was another drug". Basically the BO never told her to create a poison, but a de-ageing drug. This is reinforced by a number of events:

Her visit to Mermaid Island that had rumours of an immortal elder.

Haibara saying there will be punishment for those who try to go against the stream of time.

Pisco being impressed when Shiho shrunk in front of him saying her parents would have been proud she was able to advance the drug to that extent.

I also think Shiho ended up blindly using both sets of data relating to either APTX-4869 or the Silver Bullet, to recreate the current APTX-4869 (which the BO called the incomplete detective). Unlike her parents' APTX-4869, that killed all its victims, so far all those who ingested Shiho's drug, were shrunk and not killed (Shinchi, Shiho and Mary). I don't think the drug Vermouth forced on Mary was Elena's but it was Shiho's. Some would question then why does Mary seem more ill compared to Conan and Haibara? Drug side-effects vary widely among individuals and let's not forget that Mary ingested the drug at a much older age compared to Conan and Haibara. Also, unlike Conan and Haibara, Mary fell into the river after she ingested the drug and that might have had an impact on her health.

Sooo there you have it. I would like to reiterate these are all just assumptions and I could very well be wrong. I've yet to find an explanation for Vermouth's link to the Miyanos' research and Itakura Saguru. Also, Wakasa's access to the APTX-4869 victim list is intriguing.

I hope my very long, nerdy post was worth the wait and once again, so sorry for the delay 💛🖤

[a-snow-decahedron]

Learn to Dodge

Ok but imagine being Frisk and sucking at dodging bullets

it's 3 am im not apologizing for this.

warning for Frisk cursing a lot, because they deserve it and also because it's really funny to think the only reason they don't have dialogue is because it would change the rating of the game

sans: haven't i done a great job protecting you?

sans: i mean, look at yourself, you haven't died a single time

sans: hey, what's that look supposed to mean? am i wrong?

Frisk: That's such bullshit.

sans: language, bucko.

Frisk: No you shut up! I died so many times i can't count and you didn't do shit a single time.

sans: you did what-

Frisk: yeah you fucking heard me. I get to swear all i want after that.

sans: *realization hitting him like a brick* look, kid, there's a lot to unpack here. but first, when did u die?

Frisk: Oh now you care, don't you? Pretty much everyone's killed me at least once. I died like 10 times to Undyne alone and you were fucking napping!

sans: *lowkey feeling regret at his words* wait... everyone? even my bro?

Frisk: nah, Papyrus' cool. Still scared the crap out of me the first time he captured me. He's a little lost about humans but he's got the spirit.

sans: the dogi?

Frisk: 3 times

sans: Greater dog?

Frisk: twice

sans: alright, i guess that's valid. but i can't think of anyone else that could do some serious damage kid. seriously, did ya die to some teens? to jerry? to a woshua?

Frisk: Say that last name again and i'm throwing a chair.

sans: oh boy, how much didja die...

Frisk: Sans, look at me in the eyes. I'm opening them wide for you. Look at me, at my armor.

sans: what about it.

Frisk: you know temmie village?

sans: yeah

Frisk: Tem sells this armor for so much money you could pay your tab at Grillby's

sans: did u pick up a fight to get the money. come on kiddo, of course you got hurt doing that.

Frisk: I'm not done yet. So outside the village there's this dark as fuck maze and it's filled with Woshues and Moldbyggs and all. But every time I died, Sans. Every time you let my soul break into little tiny pieces. Temmie sold the armor for cheaper.

sans: how the he...ck would temmie know how many times you died?

sans, to himself: i could visit the village for research, bet they know something i don't

Frisk: Hey bonehead, wanna know how much it cost?

sans: sure, go ahead

Frisk: it started at like 4500 G. I already died a few times beforehand so it was probably more expensive than that. But that fucking maze is worse than my old neighborhood in the surface, man. I died so much the price got to 1400G I think.

sans: holy crap.

Frisk: it was still too much yknow, every time I died I lost my progress so I had to keep saving every penny I got. Anyways, see what I'm wearing? How much do you think it cost?

sans: uh... 500G

Frisk: close enough, 750, it didn't go lower than that. Before you ask: no, I did not die on purpose to find out.

sans: ...

sans: how many HP do humans have?

Frisk: I learnt what HP was like yesterday, I don't think I can tell you. I have 20.

sans: ok yeah that's low. i figured you'd have like 200 at least

Frisk: I know that if I kill people it somehow increases but that's awful so next time I came back to life after dying I was back to before I murdered someone. I chose to do as much as possible to never kill again on purpose or by accident.

sans: wow, kid. you really are, uh, determined.

sans: hold on, so you can travel back in time

Frisk: *shrugs* I guess? Still hurts a fucking lot when it happens after I die. but I think I can try at will.

sans: buddy, let's do something. you can come back to a few minutes on the past right?

Frisk: Yeah

sans: ok, so hear me out. i made a codeword some time ago, so if someone tells it to me i know they're a time traveler. get closer (whisper, whisper)

Frisk: Sans what the fuck.

sans: i hope you come back and tell it to me.

--one loaded SAVE later--

Frisk: hey you told me to tell you this and if it's a fucking joke i'm going feral.

sans: language, bucko.

Frisk: (whisper, whisper)

sans: who told you this? what a liar. *Frisk's eye twitches* but yeah that's a codeword. come closer, to really gain my trust you need another code (whimsper, whimsper).

Frisk: Oh for fuck's sake.

--Another loaded SAVE file later--

sans: hey, kiddo what's with that look

Frisk: This better be the last fucking codeword or I'm going insane

sans: language, bucko.

Frisk: *says the codeword*

sans: oh, so that's what you meant. It kinda explains a lot.

Frisk: Sans listen, I'm so fucking done of doing this. Let's just go eat, ok? Time traveling doesn't help wtih my hunger, and I reaally need to take my time to just explain what just happened because I know you got questions.

sans: *mentally preparing* here we go

-- some eplanations later --

sans: wow, kid. i'm impressed. for one thing i believe you. you knew what i was about to do before i did it.

sans: and, uh, guess i can't really make the past go away for you even if i don't remember that happening but... i'll do better, ok?

Frisk: Can I really trust you?

sans: you said your stats were low, mine are even worse so it's not like i can defend u without dusting myself in the process... but we can practice dodging, until you get better. and that armor's gonna help a lot too.

Frisk: For real?

sans: yeah, i made a promise after all. i gotta do a better job at keeping it.

sans: hey, buddy... you have not told this to anyone right? you haven't told the door lady.

Frisk: No fucking way. She also killed me once, telling her would destroy her. And I think she was trying not to hurt me too but somehow I managed to walk into her flames.

sans: ... why do you trust her?

Frisk: I don't know... it's complicated. She has good intentions. Better than some people on the Surface, anyways.

sans: you are a special kid, you know that? alright buddy, we can keep talking outside. let's take a breath and then do some training. even folks with low HP like us can find a way to survive. howzabout that?

Frisk: I guess... that's alright. Yeah, that can work.

* * *

[shoichee]

Hi! Might I request a scenario which takes place after the match with team Jabbawock, where Murasakibara’s s/o is doting on him and his broken arm? Thanks for readibg this :3

HEHE HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR USING THE SUBMISSION IT MADE MY LIFE ALOT EASIER BLESS UP, and thank you for stopping by! 

Murasakibara x Reader

Word Count: 1300

»»—————　☼　—————««

“Jeez! You’re absolutely nuts! Have you ever considered that I might’ve gotten an actual heart attack in seeing you not only getting knocked back with a bleeding wound but also getting completely crushed by that very same basketball player?!”

“… You’re mad, Chibi-chin.” He merely glances at you in the corner of his eye as he simply reaches for another snack amongst the many cradled in his arm sling. Both of you were walking around the city for sightseeing before returning to Akita tomorrow.

“No—! I…” you hesitate, exhaling a long sigh before you cool your head from the pent-up adrenaline from the frustration, anger, and excitement in the momentous game prior. “I was just… really, really worried, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” he drawls, his mouth filled with chips that Riko’s father had splurged on earlier. “My awrm is fine.” He casually moves around his wrapped arm to make his point, but you immediately pounce on him to stop him from possibly further straining it.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop!” You held down his arm to his side with both your hands while giving him a glare. “You’re gonna strain it even more! Just… take it easy! You already gave it your all in the game, right? So…” He merely frowns at you while chewing.

“I wazn gervin it my all, though,” he pouts, finishing his bite before he continues. “Right when I got fired up, that happened, remember?” He tried to move his slinged arm around to prove his point, but your glare stopped him from having any ideas.

“Okay, I see what you mean,” you say, giving him a consoling look but then let out a laugh when you see Murasakibara quite unbothered about his predicament despite what happened. “How about to make it all up, I’ll treat you to any snacks you’re craving for today?” Immediately, he turns to you with a childish sparkle.

“Really?” Honestly, how could you say no to his puppy eyes?

“Duh,” you say, playfully rolling your eyes. “Besides, I thought you were really cool on the court. Think of it as a reward for finally giving all your effort into something, and… maybe as a future incentive to work hard? Uh… Atsushi?” He’s already eyeing the takoyaki stand across the street, his mouth practically drooling at the vivid display of the finished product at the front of the cart. You must admit, the aroma of the dish was way too irresistible to ignore. But, upon looking at the menu pricings, you died a little on the inside. You always knew how pricey takoyaki was, but being Murasakibara’s personal wallet for today, it killed you a little bit. Just a bit.

“… Um, Atsushi,” you cough. “The prices are pretty daunting.”

“But Chibi-chin, I want takoyaki.”

W-well…” In seeing your hesitation, Murasakibara stares at you before he reaches out to ruffle your hair, something that shocks you out of your inner dilemma.

“Actually, I want konpeito, so let’s hurry Chibi-chin,” he says, reaching for your hand with his uninjured hand to tug you along. “They might run out if we don’t get going.” But before he walked away with your hand in his own, you immediately pulled back.

“W-Wait!” you protest. “I’m hungry, and um—takoyaki could be a sufficient meal for the both of us—” In seeing how vehement you were, Murasakibara only gives a look that says that he saw through your bluff.

“If it costs too much, it’s not a big deal,” he says with a languid shrug. You, on the other hand, begin to drag the giant to the takoyaki stand regardless with a gained odd sense of determination.

“It’s a special occasion! We always get konpeito anyways so… something different would be nice, don’t you think?” you mumble. “Besides! I can always earn money back! And I did say that I’ll treat you to anything you crave today. Hurry up, or the line will get long!”

———

“You take too long to eat these, Chibi-chin.”

“You—you literally shoved every single one of these in single bites!”

“But they were good.”

“Atsushi, you’re not savoring these delectable flavors! The octopus bits and seasonings and—”

“If you’re not gonna eat the rest, can I have them?” He’s incredibly fixated on the takoyaki stick you were waving around in trying to scold him, and you immediately draw them away from his clutches before he had any funny ideas.

“No way! Don’t you need to save your stomach for other food we’ll eat later?—Actually, never mind, I wouldn’t doubt that you’d have a bottomless stomach for these things…” You turn your attention back to your last takoyaki and sigh in amusement. “But I guess if you still want more I’ll let you have this last one. I can’t really afford another serving of takoyaki, so this should suffice…”

You really should’ve expected this from someone like Murasakibara, but he simply stood there with his mouth slightly open, with a finger pointing to it expectantly. He wanted you to feed it to him.

“Oh come on,” you groan. “You’re way too tall for me to reach up to your head! No way I’m gonna do something this embarrassing in public!”

“But you said you’ll treat me,” he says with a slight whine.

“W-What does that have to do with this?!”

“Food always tastes better for sure when you feed it,” he insists. “You said that you’ll let me eat anything I crave. No other vendor can replicate flavors the same way you can.”

“That’s not how it works!”

“Besides, can’t do much with a broken arm, now can I, Chibi-chin?” He sends a smug look your way with a slight twinkle in his eyes, all the while slightly moving around said broken arm to sell his argument.

“I… wow,” you say, looking dumbstruck. “Fine… but at least… bend down a bit so I can reach you halfway, and make it quick.” But of course Murasakibara descends in the slowest pace possible, never once letting your eye contact leave his gaze as he somehow makes eating a single takoyaki somewhat risque. You stand there holding your stick, frozen like a statue as your face heats up faster than a vendor grill.

“Yup, that was really yummy~” he says, immediately standing up straight again and turning around to look for the next dish to feast on. Like he totally just didn’t seduce you a second ago. “Chibi-chin, we should just buy snacks from the store and go home. Walking around is tiring.”

“Uh…” you cough to recover yourself. “Yeah, whatever you wanna eat, Atsushi.”

“And you’ll feed me them too, right?”

“Y-You! You totally did that on purpose, you��”

“Hah? Dunno what you’re talking about, Chibi-chin.” He tugs your arm when he realized you stood there like a wide-eyed kid, completely red like a tomato. You would’ve believed his words if it wasn’t for that slight smirk he had when he turned back to look at your state. “Nothing tastes as good as you though.”

“A-Atsushi!”

“Hn, my muscles feel all sore from the game and walking around. Let’s hurry up so we can cuddle together.”

“Oh no, you don’t! We’re not gonna pretend like you didn’t just say what you said!… But, ahem, cuddling doesn’t sound like a bad idea… Wait! We can’t strain your arm! I’ll have to check it up once we get home!”

“… Do you really have to? That’s annoying… my arm’s fine.”

“If you let me check it, we can cuddle however much you want.”

“Really?”

“Duh, think of it as another reward for today!”

You suddenly get déjà vu from your own words, and you really wonder if you accidentally dug yourself another grave when Murasakibara shoots you a gleeful closed-eye smile. But you just can’t help it when it comes to him.

[bonjour-rainycity]

Double Heart | Chapter Twelve ~ Cosima

|previous part|

Pairing: Haldir x OFC

Rating: PG-13

Word count: 3433

Warnings: None

**Read on Ao3 under the user “bonjour_rainycity if you prefer!**

A/n Sorry for the delay! Thanks for your patience and for reading :) Also, I’m so glad you liked the cuteness of the last chapter <3

I wake to an insistent pounding on my door.

I grumble against the noise and the sunlight, pulling the thick duvet over my head.

“Cosima,” a voice sings from behind the wood. “Rise and shine, it is well past lunchtime.”

I crack open an eye. The sun shimmers aggressively, forcing me into a state of awareness. Too early. But Rumil’s wake-up calls and knocking are insistent, so I haul myself out of bed and dress quickly, running a washcloth over my face and a brush over my teeth. When I’m decent, I swing open the door to fix Rumil with what I hope is a withering glare.

He grins brightly. “You look tired.”

“Wow, thank you,” I deadpan, opening the door wider to allow him in. He jaunts to the chaise lounge and reclines on the pillows, evidently in the mood to borrow the luxury of my guest room.

I offer him a glass of lemon water and pour one for myself, then sit on the couch opposite him.

He gives me a sly look. “You know, Haldir came into our room quite early this morning.”

I freeze mid-sip.

Rumil nods gleefully. “Woke me up—quite rude, if you ask me. Though I do have to wonder, what kept him out so late? Surely he was exhausted from his long day at the borders.”

I take a deep breath, trying to relax the tension that has shot its way into my shoulders. Rumil just likes to tease. You didn’t do anything wrong or scandalous — not even anything of interest.

He continues. “And then I come to visit my friend out of the goodness of my heart and find her sound asleep at two in the afternoon. She greets me at the door with such dark circles under her eyes — did she sleep at all? What was so interesting that kept both my brother and my good friend awake into the early hours of the morning?”

I roll my eyes, trying to seem nonchalant about it. After all, there’s no reason to feel cornered like Rumil is so obviously trying to achieve. “I couldn’t sleep. I was on my way to the gardens when I ran into Haldir and he ended up coming with me.”

“To the gardens?”

“Yes.”

“Late at night?”

“Yes.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, Rumil,” I huff.

He looks positively delighted. “And what did you do to pass all that time in the gardens late at night by yourselves?”

I squirm under his gaze then force myself to stop. It looks suspicious. “We talked a little. And then stargazed. At some point I fell asleep, he woke me up and walked me back to my room. The end.”

“The end,” Rumil echoes dubiously.

“Yes,” I insist, just about done with this conversation. It’s ridiculous — we did nothing to warrant this questioning. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask your brother.”

“I did.” My eyes blow wide in disbelief. Somehow, Rumil looks even more smug than he did a second ago. “He quite forcefully told me to leave him and you alone. Such a strong reaction over a little thing, wouldn’t you agree?”

I fight the urge to groan loudly and instead take a sip of my water. I cross one leg over the other. “Is there something you would like to say or are you just here to interrogate me?”

He shrugs, looking completely unapologetic. “No, I think I am done for now. I’ll let you know if that changes, though.”

“Please do,” I snark.

He stands, placing his glass on the table. “I did actually come here for a larger purpose. Orophin and Lavandil went riding and missed lunch, so we’re having an impromptu picnic in one of the towers. It has some lovely views. Would you join us?”

The emptiness in my stomach begs me to agree, but the word ‘tower’ gives me pause. Rumil guesses the direction of my thoughts and huffs. “The tower is encased in stone, it is perfectly safe. You would have to jump onto the barrier and lean over to be in danger of falling off.”

I consider his words. That doesn’t sound too bad, and I am hungry. “Alright,” I agree. “But I’m inviting Alex.”

Rumil makes a noise of general acceptance and gives me directions to the tower. Before leaving, he snatches one of the thicker quilts from a storage basket. “Cost of attendance is the blanket we use to sit on. See you there!” With a cheeky wink, he disappears, leaving me feeling whiplash from the quick turns in our conversation.

Before leaving to find Alex, I pull a few pillows from the seating area. They’ll make for some extra cushion on the hard stone. And, since Rumil annoyed me, he will not be getting one.

Ha.

At my knock, Alex throws his door open, greeting me with a wide smile. “Hello, Cosima.”

Well, that’s not what I was expecting. I blink and step into his room, careful not to tread on one of the many books and scrolls scattered around the floor. “Uh, you’re more chipper than I thought you would be after yesterday. How are you doing?”

He shrugs, throwing his hands into his pockets. “I mean, it didn’t feel great to find out that Elrond can’t help us, but I am holding out hope for Lady Galadriel. In the meantime, though, I’ve borrowed some materials from the library to see if there’s anything I can learn to help in getting us home. Most of them are in that Elvish language—Sindarin—so I’m having to learn the basics of the language first. Baranor offered to help — we’re meeting this evening after he’s done with his shift in the healing wards. Want to read the English ones with me and then come along? I’m sure he’d be fine with teaching you, too.”

“Um…” I trail off, feeling guilty. I’m attending a picnic with my friends while Alex is pouring over resources and learning the language of this land — he’s doing something helpful to try and get us home.

But if I’m being honest, I don’t want to do research right now. It’s not like there’s likely to be anything we could do, anyway. The best option is to just wait for Lothlórien and see what Lady Galadriel says. I clutch the bulky cushions tighter in my arms. “Can I take a rain check? A few of us are going to the tower to have a late lunch. That’s actually why I came here. Want to come?”

Alex looks at me like I’ve grown a second head. “You don’t want to see if there’s something in these books to help us?”

I shift my weight uneasily. “Not now…I haven’t eaten yet, and I already said I would go to the picnic. And I mean, come on, how likely is it that there’s something in those books Elrond isn’t aware of? It’s his library.”

“It has forty-two thousand volumes.”

“He’s lived a long time,” I defend weakly.

Alex’s eyes tighten into a glare.

“Look,” I try, “I’m gonna go eat, but what if I joined you and Baranor this evening? It’s smart to learn the language. And then maybe later I can help you look through these books.”

He sighs and shrugs his shoulders, looking frustrated but resigned. “Yeah, that’s fine. We’re meeting at five-thirty on the second floor of the library.”

“Okay,” I exhale, relived to have avoided a larger argument “I’ll be there. You sure you don’t want to come eat?”

He shakes his head, crouching to the ground to pick up a particularly withered scroll. “No, I ate in the dining hall. See you tonight.”

“See you,” I mumble, backing out of the room. I feel bad for not helping him, but hopefully joining him and Baranor tonight will smooth things over.

Following Rumil’s directions are relatively easy and, before I know it, I’m navigating the hallways to one of the towers built into Elrond’s home.

“Cosima!”

I stop in my tracks and turn at Haldir’s call. He jogs to catch up to me, having just entered the long hallway, and greets me with a pleasant smile. As always, he looks perfectly rested and put together — not a strand of hair out of place. Today he wears a tunic of deep grey, his clear blue eyes standing out in stark contrast.  

“Hi!” I wait for him to fall into step beside me. Unbidden, Rumil’s gleeful teasing enters my mind, and I feel my face go hot. What? I clear my throat. “Are you going up, too?”

“Yes, it’s—here,” he pulls the four bulky pillows from my grasp into his. My arms drop limply at my sides, suddenly relieved from their task. To give them something to do, I tug on the sides of my dress, trying to smooth the wrinkles that have somehow already appeared.

Haldir continues. “Rumil insisted it would be fun and it’s such a nice day I figured, why not?”

We turn a corner and begin our ascent up a tall spiral staircase. I remember a snippet of our conversation from last night. “Has Glorfindel come around?”

The edge of Haldir’s mouth pulls into a frown. “No. I talked with Elrond anyway and he’s agreed to my plan. It has set Glorfindel and myself at odds though, since I went over his head.”

I purse my lips. Though Haldir doesn’t say it, he’s clearly bothered by this outcome — it’s obvious he hoped to resolve things peacefully with Glorfindel and gain Elrond’s support. I hurry to try and make him feel better. “You did the right thing. So what if you went over his head? If it keeps people safe, I doubt it really matters how the plan came to be. And as commander, isn’t it his job to recognize advantageous strategies regardless of where they come from? I wouldn’t worry too much about being at odds with Glorfindel — the two of you will reconcile soon enough. And in the meantime, it’s good that Elrond agreed with you. Now Imladris has more time to better prepare.”

Haldir pauses on the step above me, turning with his head tilted slightly to the side.

I freeze. “What?” Did I intrude? Did I offend him somehow?

“No, it’s—I…” He sighs, offering me a soft smile. “Thank you.”

Oh, good. I breathe out in relief, returning his smile. We resume our climb.

“Elrond gave the order to call up the entire force and rotate the soldiers — they should all be switched in about a week. He’s asked me to oversee their training, to teach the strategies I use with my own guard in Lothlórien.”

I snort. “You’re going to work while you’re on vacation? That’s the most you thing I’ve ever heard.”

He rolls his eyes, but the smile never leaves his face. “It’s important and something I enjoy, so I am happy to help. I haven’t forgotten my offer to you, though.”

I furrow my eyebrows. Huh?

“Do you still want to learn how to defend yourself?”

“Oh! Yeah, definitely, if you’ve got the time.”

He steps onto the landing, moving forward to make room for me. “Of course I’ve got the time.”

I step up next to him—

And immediately return to the staircase.

Haldir alternates between looking at me in confusion and scanning his eyes over our surroundings, wondering what would make me practically jump away from the landing.

He doesn’t have to wonder long.

“You said it was encased in stone,” I shout accusingly over Rumil’s wailing laughter.

“Did I say encased? I meant made of. Whoops, my mistake.”

“Rumil,” Haldir grumbles in annoyance, but that only seems to make his brother laugh harder.

The tower is not, as Rumil promised, encased in stone, but rather a circular platform with only a roof and four stone pillars to protect from falling. There is no guard wall or even a thin railing. And we are stories above the ground.

“Cosima, it’s alright,” Lavandil coos, though her encouraging words are damaged by her giggles. “Elves have wonderful balance, no one is going to let you fall. And look—we are set up right in the middle.”

“If it helps, I can shove Rumil off the tower to demonstrate elven reflexes,” Orophin offers through a chuckle.

This does make me feel slightly better, and I crack a small smile. On the step above me, Haldir waits patiently. Maybe I’m just being silly. I take a deep breath and step up to join Haldir on the landing.

And nearly sway in fear.

To my right and left are open sky — and too many feet below, the hard, deadly ground.

I suck in a sharp breath.

Rumil waves in joyful greeting. “Good to see you both. Now do sit down, Cosima, I worry you will faint and tumble over the edge.”

His words resonate with a very real fear and I scurry forward and practically throw myself onto the blanket. Haldir follows closely behind, offering a cushion to myself and Lavandil before using another to hit his youngest brother over the head. Even in my nervous state, I can’t help but join Orophin and Lavandil in their shocked laughter.

“Didn’t our parents teach you not to lie,” Haldir drawls, dropping the cushion to my left and sitting upon it. He tosses the other to Orophin, raising an eyebrow at Rumil as if asking him to challenge his choice.

Rumil grins, completely unaffected. “Then I apologize, dear Cosima, but your face was hilarious. And don’t you know we all like you too much to let you die?”

I huff, rolling my eyes and feeling better as long as I focus on the faces of my friends rather than the nearness of the edge. “Thanks.”

Lavandil wisely changes the subject. “No Alex?”

I shake my head. “He’s doing some research today. I’m supposed to meet him in the library at five-thirty — Baranor’s going to teach us Sindarin.”

A chorus of approval runs through the group.

“That’s a useful skill,” Rumil nods, taking a sip of what looks like orange juice.

“I’d be happy to practice conversation with you once you learn the basics,” Lavandil offers, and I accept readily. From the little I’ve spoken with her, I like Lavandil, and it would be nice to spend more time with her.

Tired of being the focus, I turn the conversation on my friends. I gesture between Lavandil and Orophin. “How did you two meet?”

Lavandil launches into an animated account of her relationship with Orophin from start to where they are now. Apparently, they met eight years prior when Haldir and Orophin were part of a company escorting Lady Galadriel to Imladris. Orophin was taken with her immediately, but it took Lavandil a little longer to come around.

“I always swore I would marry an architect—anyone but a solder,” she laments with comical exaggeration. “But eventually he persuaded me to give him a chance, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Orophin takes her hand in his and squeezes, staring at her like she’s the center of his world.

I don’t want to pry, but I do wonder how elven relationships differ from human ones. Just the time they’ve been courting—eight years—is much longer than I think is the standard for humans. I am lacking in memory, but surely with how short human lifespans are, they get married quicker? I make a note to ask Lavandil or Rumil about this later. Though, with all Rumil’s teasing of late, Lavandil is probably the safer option.

After I learn how Lavandil and Orophin got together, I have a lot of other questions about the lives these friends of mine lived before I knew them. As afternoon passes into evening, I discover that Rumil—unsurprisingly—has been the instigator of no less than four human bar fights, Lavandil once snuck from her childhood home to try and explore the mountains (and was promptly sent back to a furious mother), Orophin is apparently the life of the party after a bottle of Elvish wine, and, in his first few years of the guard, Haldir constantly challenged his superiors, to the point where they would send him off on solo trips just to be rid of the relentless suggestions. Before I know it, the first stretches of sunset streak through the sky and it’s nearing the time I set to meet Alex and Baranor.

I stand, sighing with no small amount of regret. I wish I could stay here with them all night. “I’ll see you tomorrow! I’ve got to get to the library for lessons.”

Rumil waves goodbye. “I’ll drop the blanket and cushions in your room. You know, as penance for tricking you.”

I roll my eyes, concentrating on his face rather than the open sky all too close to my feet. “That doesn’t even begin to cover it, but thank you.”

“Do you know the way?” Lavandil looks up at me with mild concern. I assure her that I’ve visited the library before and am mostly confident in my ability to not get lost.

Haldir wraps an apple and some bread in cloth and passes me the bundle. In response to my raised eyebrow, he quirks a knowing smile. “Baranor is likely to keep you well past dinner. He loves his lectures.”

I chuckle, agreeing that Baranor probably will, and thank my friend. After a final round of goodbyes, I hurry as quickly and carefully as I can to the security of the stairwell and head in the direction of the library.

{***}

Sindarin is complicated. Baranor seems to have an endless reserve of patience — how? I have no clue.

Alex struggles just as much as I do, but it is clear that he is more dedicated than I and pushes to keep his attention into the late hours of the night. I’m grateful Haldir had the forethought to send me with food, as are Alex and Baranor, who share the dinner. By the time ten o’clock rolls around, I’m fighting back yawns. I think I’ve got the alphabet down, though that isn’t even technically Sindarin — it’s the writing system called Tengwar — so I don’t even have any conversational phrases to try with Lavandil.

At midnight, Baranor finally calls it, acknowledging that he will need some sleep if he is to put in a full day tomorrow of researching with Elrond and doing a shift in the healing wards. But he graciously commits to teaching us three evenings a week after dinner and maintains that, after practice and time, we will improve.

We say our goodbyes and I practically stumble out of the library. I can think of nothing more than my plush duvet and cool mattress. Alex, on the other hand, somehow almost vibrates with energy. He seems rejuvenated, renewed, and for the first time, I recognize him as the same man in my memories — no longer is he weighed down by malnutrition, injury, exhaustion, and defeat. But it’s more than that. He’s no longer angry — hope lights up his eyes. He smiles broadly and insists on walking me to my room.

“Worried you’re gonna fall over, Cosi,” he reasons, sending me a wink. Even in my tired state, I have to blanch. It’s like being with a whole new person. But at the same time, I know this person. I like this Alex. At the very least, I know what to expect from him — he’s the friend I remember.

Though I do worry…what will happen to him if this search for answers is a dead end? What if we can’t get home?

I don’t want to think about how he would feel, then.

I don’t want to think about how I would feel, then.

We climb the stairs and reach my door, pausing outside it momentarily. I turn to my friend, giving him a sleepy smile. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me too,” he agrees, leaning against the doorframe. “I just needed something to do. Now I don’t feel so helpless. And you’re okay? After yesterday’s setback?”

I sigh against the drowsiness. “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Don’t you worry about me.”

He nudges my shoe with his. “Good. Alright, I’ll leave you alone. Sleep tight, Cosi.”

I smile, waving as he walks down the hallway. “Night, Alex.”

Entering my room, I see that Rumil kept to his word and left the folded blanket on my couch with the four pillows stacked neatly on top. Still doesn’t atone for all his foolishness today. Crawling into my bed, I instantly fall asleep.

A/n Thanks for reading! Let me know if you would like a tag :) Comments, likes, and reblogs make my day! 

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[sweetescapeartist]

MY DBS MANGA CHAPTER 70 REVIEW

We learn in the last chapter that the Cerealian Dragon's name is Toronbo when Granolah speaks Namekian. Toronbo grants Granolah's wish but can't make Granolah stronger than the gods.

Here's the confusion I have... Goku is a mortal beyond GoDs so making Granolah the strongest mortal is making him stronger than gods. If you wanna say Beerus has been training and is now stronger than Goku, there's still a problem. It was said that Goku and Vegeta were stronger than some GoDs right before the ToP (but that might be anime only, so maybe it doesn't apply here). So Granolah is stronger than GoDs no matter what. If the gods that Toronbo is speaking of are the Angels, then that means Granolah is Ultra Instinct level of power since Goku is the lowest in Angel tier. But whatever. Bottom line is Granolah is temporarily stronger than Goku who may or may not be stronger than Beerus.

Granolah gets his wish granted and the cost is shortening his life... cool. Not much to say except let's see how its executed.

(I recently read that in DBXV2, during the Infinite History Saga, Videl is enchanted with Towa's Dark Magic spell by Dabura shaving off her life but granting her greater power. So granting power at the cost of lifespan has been done in DB before. Not in canon but in the games.)

Also, Granolah's life being shortened to 3 yrs got me thinking... Currently it's almost AGE 781 in the DBS manga timeline. Goku leaves to train Uub in AGE 784. We got 3 yrs left. The original manga shows Bulma said she hadn't seen Goku in 5 yrs. How I see DBS is that it is an alternate timeline that just happens to have a similar outcome to the EoZ.

So... why is Vegeta learing from Beerus again if Beerus isn't that strong now? Is Vegeta being like Krillin and continuing his learning from a master weaker than him, but gaining wisdom & knowledge? I-is Vegeta becoming Krillin 2.0?! (More like dollar-store Krillin)

I do think beerus got stronger tho. He seems very confident that Vegeta can get stronger from learning from him. Beerus probably saw Goku get UI then decide to train aftet the ToP

Anyways, Beerus is teaching us about hakai/destruction energy. Its erasing something from existence, not just destroying it (we already knew that). But, Vegeta quickly figures out how to do it anyways. By destroying a tiny pebble...

A tangent again but I personally think Piccolo is capable of easily learning Hakai energy. Think about it. Piccolo can create clothing out of nothing, why could he not do the reverse?

Goku is uninterested in what Beerus & Vegeta are doing. I dont know about you, but it sounds like Goku thinks that he's above Beerus in strength. Beerus & Vegeta aren't considered a challenge to him in any way. Goku sees UI as more important & better than anything Beerus has to teach, and Goku is right. Plus Goku learned Hakai on his own while Vegeta needs Beerus to teach him. It's a waste of Goku's time to learn it again.

(God Comics is funny. I imagine Toribot writes them)

Goku says "Let's see which one of us can be the strongest in the universe!" Really, Goku...? At present time, Goku is the strongest mortal in the universe already. He should know that. Then Vegeta for some reason thinks he will become the strongest in the universe. The last time manga Vegeta was the strongest mortal in the universe was... never. He's always behind Goku or whatever new opponent arises. This scene is meant to be comedic that they're arguing over who will be the greatest but it's not funny to me. And yet Vegeta fans still hold on for hope.

But why is Goku concerned about being the strongest between him & Vegeta? Goku is far above Vegeta. They're not rivals at this point. Also, Goku was the strongest in the universe until just a few moments ago. Goku should be saying "I knew bein' the strongest wouldn't last for too long. Roshi did tell me there will always be somebody stronger out there. Hehe! This is gettin' me excited! I can't wait to meet 'em!" (This would alsp parallel Monaito giving Granolah the same advice Goku already knows.)

Also, I guess Broly isn't that strong after all. Bye Broly, you served your purpose. And to think that Goku had said that he thinks Broly is stronger than Beerus...

Oh yeah. So Vegeta destroys a pebble. Impressive? Goku kinda gives a compliment or he is practically saying "Good job Vegeta! You're doing great following in my footsteps!" Seriously, this would be so much better and cooler if this seperate paths of training began right after the Universe 6 vs Universe 7 tournament. That would be the perfect spot to have them train under Beerus & Whis. [Vegeta using Hakai against Merged Zamasu, Goku able to fight Merged Zamasu temporarily because he is getting better at letting his body move on its own, Toppo & Vegeta using Hakai against each other as Goku & Jiren use power above GoDs. That would work so much better.]

Then Vegeta says he's gonna destroy bigger things soon... is that supposed to be more impressive? Its not. But this it to build up Vegeta even though there is nothing amazing about anything he is doing at the moment. Maybe later tho.

So Cerealians can't grow beards. Also I guess Granolah's race don't age? His hair grew when his lifespan was shortened but he has no wrinkles. It seems that they age more gracefully than Saiyans. If he has some wrinkles he would have looked cooler imo. Or those lines under the eyes at the very least. If the wish shortened his life & made his hair grow, it should have also showed that he aged. (Here's an edit I made of "Grampa Granolah." You're welcome)

And remember Vegeta destroying a pebble? Granolah can suddenly destroy big rocks! Cool right?! No? Its not cool? Showing Granolah destroy a much larger object right afterwards kinda belittles Vegeta's accomplishment.

Oatmil is surprised by a boulder exploding. This means one of 2 things. Oatmil is stupid & never saw an Granolah explode a boulder. Or it's implying that the boulder exploding is some technique Oatmil doesn't know of. Idk how he can tell its any different from just blowing up a rock with ki. I think it's supposed to be destruction energy. If it is then, ok. If getting his wish was so easy, then why can't he suddenly learn destruction as well?

Yay! Monaito! (This really should be a Namekian focused arc)

Granolah reminds me of Zamasu with his attitude a bit. Monaito tells him somebody stronger will definetly appear. Granolah has become like Vegeta and is over confident, so he is destined to get humbled. And think about this. Goku can probably train a bit and surpass Granolah within a week.

Granolah can now sense ki. Meaning he can have the destruction technique or UI, because why not?

Monaito blames himself for Granolah's actions. Its not your fault Monaito! You did nothing wrong! Dont be so hard on yourself.

Whis being a creep and peeping on people lol.

Granolah's hair growing was pointless because he cuts it off soon after. Nothing changed visually. This kinda reminds me of how Moro lost his arm. Goku gave him a senzu, Moro grew it back, & then Moro broke his arm when attacking Goku. Then Moro tore his arm off & reattached his old one. There was no need for Moro to grow his arm back then tear it off. Similarly, there is no need for Granolah to have grown long hair then cut it off.

Maki still brings a smile to my face. She & Gas stand out the most out of the Heeters. Maki's personality is kinda like Zangya combined with a teasing Bulma. Gas reminds me of a Krillin/Piccolo fusion with dreadlocks. I also ship Maki x Gas cause they're short and look cute together. (please don't be siblings so I can draw them together🤞)

Granolah fights Oil & Maki. I'm not impressed. They seem like they could be defeated by Chaoitzu (he's stronger than Raditz and probably Nappa now too). Granolah's movements could be seen as UI. If it is or isn't UI, it doesn't matter. Showing off that kind of power is like Goku using Ultra Instinct during a rematch with Nam or King Chappa. Its not effective storytelling. There had to be a better way of showing Granolah's new strength than making him fight opponents that give him zero challenge.

The art is good as usual and the panel flow is nice. Toyotaro is improving at creating the illusion of motion. The environment being used in the fight was smart and a good visual. Toyo still uses a ton of panels almost every page tho. But he's still a better artist than I am.

Granolah appears to have used Hakai again. Not the explosive variant but the sand variant (yes I think there are 2 ways of using Hakai).

The "Sand Variant" that Beerus & Goku (& maybe Granolah) have used.

The "Explosive Variant" Beerus & Vegeta (& maybe Granolah) have used.

Maki thinks the "Hakai" is magic so that's interesting. I would say I'd like for the next enemy to be a magic user but, we know how Moro turned out... 😓

Maki has "ki claws" & I like the idea but it would be better if she had used it against an enemy she can defeat. It doesn't make her look useful in this fight. Gas seems confident when he is about to fight Granolah, but Elec stops him. Gas would've gotten beaten but it make ya wonder what Gas can do.

Granolah appears to be a person that is easily manipulated and persuaded. He even gave information they weren't even asking for. He'll probably be easily convinced and manipulated by Freeza/the Hedters or quickly have a truce with Goku.

The Heeters plan to go to Planet Cereal to get the Dragon Balls. As I suspected, the Cerealian Dragon Balls were created so that it would be easy for wishes to be granted. Gathering 2 Dragon Balls on a nearby planet instead of gathering 7 on New Namek or Earth. Plus these new Dragon Balls ensures no interaction between Earthlings & Granolah/the Heeters. A perfect way to write Gohan & company out of the story... *sigh* 😔😒

We learn Cerealians live for 2 centuries. How's that compare to other races in Universe 7? Freeza & King Cold apparently can live more than 200 yrs, But that may be because they are mutants. Namekians can live for like 500 yrs & its possible for them to reincarnate themselves too. So in a way, Namekians can live forever. Saiyans stay youthful & live to be in their 80's, but rapidly age when they reach their 60's or 70's. Average Earthlings appear live to be in their 80's or 90's but some are over 100 yrs old (Dr. Briefs, Panchy, & Ox King are in their 90's in GT) and others can increase their lifespan through elixers or the Paradise Herb. Just some thoughts of mine.

Maki says "If he ices Freeza..." Ha, an ice pun. Elec wants to defeat Freeza so he can control his army. Its revealed they wanna kill Granolah & that they worked with Freeza to destroy his planet & race. Well... that more than likely means they're gonna die by Granolah's hand or Freeza's. This info is also an attempt to make the reader more sympathetic for Granolah. Granolah is too bland (pun intended) so I don't feel any more sympathy than I already had for him. Elec plans to make Goku & Vegeta fight Granolah since Granolah hates Saiyans. Smart but we all kinda expected it. Not bad writing tho.

The final panel talks about fate bringing the 3 (Goku, Vegeta, & Granolah) together. Sounds like a repeat of the Broly movie.

We've had 4 chapters in this arc & not 1 panel of Freeza... If Freeza doesnt appear & do something in the next chapter then I will be disappointed in the writing. Showing Freeza here and there would give tension and build up until we get the encounter with him. We also have no idea who Oatmil is. Is he an A.I. or a person? Not that big of a deal yet, but I would like to find out soon. Either show Freeza or tell us more about Oatmil next chapter pleaae

This chapter was like oatmeal (the food not the character) without butter, brown sugar, milk, & honey or raisins. Not bad, but not very good either. 

So here's my thoughts on the things that could or could not happen in this arc.

Goku vs Granolah. I don't care for the fight because the power is at a point that it doesnt make sense for enemies to get to without cheating somehow. The fight will look cool but I have no interest in it.

Vegeta vs Granolah will have Vegeta being stomped as always and Vegeta fans will make excuses & complain how it's not fair. A lot of Vegeta fans often make fun of Yamcha & Krillin for getting beat up even though those 2 bravely fight opponents leagues stronger than they are. Vegeta has gotten stomped by opponents more times than Krillin & Yamcha combined but the fans gotta deflect somehow. I don't care to hear or see the complaining again.

The interaction and dialogue between Granolah & Vegeta is going to be more interesting than their fight. But I worry because Toyo isn't the best at writing dialogue.

I have no reason to care about power growth, certain interactions, or Goku & Vegeta's training.

What I am curious about/want to see?

Monaito's well being. I want him to reunite with other Namekians. But I think he's been set up to die.

Lore about the dragon gods & Namekian lore we probably wont get.

I want Piccolo, Krillin, Gohan, & others will be involved. Piccolo because of the Namekian & wosh granting dragon lore. Gohan because his interaction with Granolah eould be interesting since Gohan is half Saiyan & views himself as an Earthling. Krillin & other Earthlings because they can bring tensions where characters like Goku & Vegeta can't. Those 2 are too strong for there to be any real tension. However Earthlings aren't all powerful so them using wits to survive is more exciting. But I doubt any of their involvement.

How long a Cerealian year is? Is it shorter than a Namekian year? How much time will pass for the Cerealian Dragon Balls to be active? How much stronger than Granolah will Goku get? Hopefully the answers aren't lazy...

Will Beerus finally fight somebody? There are 6 mortals that are near or above his power (Goku, Granolah, Vegeta, Broly, Freeza, Gohan).

Who's the villian of the next arc & what explanation is going to be given for them having power on the level of Angels? Angel tier fights don't sound interesting to me anymore. After those kinds of battles, Goku will have no challengers left.

Will Goku disappear to train or something so the story can TRY to match up with the EoZ?

Will Goten, Trunks, & Marron hit their growth spurts within 3 yrs?

Will we get spin-off manga about other characters? PLEASE!? 🙏

Also DBS moved too quickly when it comes to power. Now we're at the point that Goku & Vegeta need to stop being involved in fights for there to be any actual threat or tension. The Buu saga took place in AGE  774. After training for 4 years of peace, Goku thought SS3 & fusion was his limits as a Saiyan and he was right. Well, kinda... Goku was introduced to god ki near the end of AGE 778. Then in AGE 781, Goku masters Ultra Instinct... He mastered an Angel technique in 2 year or 2.5 yrs. That was waaaay too fast. As a result the storytelling & writing are suffering from this rushed progress. Now we're gonna have an Angel tier opponent? According to the pattern of DBS, Goku's gonna end up surpassing the Angels within 2 or 3 yrs after learning god ki. Thats not impressive for Goku, that's terrible writing. And no, Goku getting this strong so fast is not a benefit to Saiyans either. It just shows us that without god ki, Saiyans ain't all that powerful unless they're the legendary Saiyan like Broly. Saiyans didn't even have a concept of training until Goku was trained by Earthlings. Gohan, Freeza, 17, & I'm pretty sure Piccolo as well have all surpassed SS3 without the help of god ki. God ki makes Saiyans look like they have limits. With god ki, the writing is broken....

I got off topic again... Anyways that's the end of my review.

[brownsugarcoffy]

It Never Rains In Southern California - Part Two

Disclaimer: This imagine will contain profanity, hard language, sexual content.

Summary: You and Angel have broken up and while it was your choice, you miss him desperately. Although your pride was never going to let you go to him first, he decided to show up at your doorstep late night. An things began to get heavy.....

Characters: Black Reader × Angel Reyes 

Part One

You looked away from Angel due to the close contact between you two. You were trying so hard to fight the urges to try not to give into your vulnerability and letting him see you break down right here. However, you realize you broke up with him and was soon on your way out of this hick town.

You yank away from Angel causing him to get more irritated with you. Rubbing your arm to smooth out the roughness." We have no business to handle Angel. You're drunk and I need to make sure you get home safe."

"I'm not drunk dammit! Tipsy yes, but drunk? No."

"I don't care! You need to leave!" You shouted with urgency. You try to move away from him to go get your phone from the bedroom, but pulled back towards him.

"Why do you keep pushing me away? Does it mean nothing to you that I came all the way here in the rain to check up on you? Do you really hate me that much?" You watch as Angel eyes begin to swell up with water. You were starting to hate yourself more and more. Why do you keep doing this to him? 

He is trying his best to hold back his tears because he wasn't about to start showing his vulnerability to a woman who is basically acting as if they never shared a bed.

"Angel why are you really here?" You ignored all questions he just asked, hoping he would get so angry that he would want to leave. That he will finally give up on this conversation. Finally give up on you, but see Angel wasn't ready to give up just yet. He knew you hiding something deep down.

"Because….I missed you y/n.  You don't visit pop’s shops anymore. EZ hasn't heard from you in a long time. You could be mad at me, but don't take it out on my family who loves you." Angel confession tugged your heart, causing you to slowly bring your guard down.

"Listen..you know I love Felipe and Ez. I wouldn't hurt them on purpose. I've just been busy with my grandmother & work." It was not the whole truth, but you have been picking up extra shifts at the hospital. Trying to earn enough money for your move, but the key point was keep yourself busy from thinking about Angel.

"Bullshit!" He barked.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on. I know your grandmother has been out for a couple of weeks and your cousin has been helping you take care of her. I also know you've been picking up shifts at work on purpose.”  He objected to my answer.

“Who told you-”

“It doesn't matter who told me. It's the fact you just keep lying to me. Why? Why are you always running away?"

" I'm not running-"

"Shut up! There you go lying again. You think I don't know about you moving your ass up outta here." Silence filled the room as now the thunder was the only thing speaking.  He knew about you moving and if it wasn't for him seeing your cousin at his father shop. You would have moved out of this town with a single word. It's what you did last time. 

Always running scared with your tail between legs. Scared of actually dealing with your problems. Angel nodded to himself as he saw you struggle to come up with a good rebuttal. His eyes suddenly got widened; tears were streaming down your face as the wall you build came crashing down. It was the first time Angel saw you cry in a longtime. 

" Baby…" Angel tried to touch your arm to console you, but you just put your hand up to stop him. If he touched you right now you'll be a hot mess. Your emotions will be out of your control and you wouldn't be able to stop it. He wanted to hold you at this moment. To let you know he's here and wants to protect you. He loves you so much, but you keep denying is breaking his heart every minute. Angel just needed to feel you. Not only for you, but for him.

So Angel walked up close to you, which made you step back. Now having two hands in front of you to keep Angel at bay. That didn't stop Angel. While he just kept his paced walking closer to you, you just kept moving back until your back hit the wall.

"Angel...please…." You begged him not to come closer; pushing his torso away from you, but your arms were weak. Angel took them and placed them at your side. You head low because you didn't want to look him in the eyes at your current state. Your tears just wouldn't stop no matter how much you tried. 

“ Y/n look at me.” Angel commanded as his body is now towering over you.

“No.” Your defiance sounded strong, but there was something there that wobble; conforming some doubt.

“ Look at me!” Angel slammed his hand on the wall on the side of you. Which the sound off the wall syncs with the thunder that roars loudly. This caused you to bring your head up; you were now forcibly eye to eye with Angel. Angel was very pleased to finally see that pretty face he loved to wake up too.

“Now that I got your attention. Do you know why I put up with your shit y/n? Do you?” Your eyes averted away from him, but this only caused Angel to lightly take his hand onto your jaw and pull your face back to him. “Stop looking away from me... I put up with it because I love you. I know you're scared about this Mayans thing, but you got to trust me when I say I got this.”

“This isn’t easy for me okay! I want to believe you Angel, but what if you end up like my father. In a ditch somewhere-” The cry in your voice solidified with the amount of motivation it took you to succumb.

“Y/n….I’m not your father. I would never bring death at your doorstep. I’ll make sure you're protected at cost. Haven’t I always?” He stopped you before you could go any further. He never put his family in danger for his own personal gain. He wasn’t that type of man. 

“Yes you always have.” You stated above a whisper while the tears kept falling down from your dark lashes. 

‘Y/n…” Angel grasps your chin in his hand, taking his thumb to swipe away the wetness that ran down her cheek.” You're such a stubborn woman. I think you got me beat.” Angel slightly let a chuckle pass his lips. Giving a lighthearted aura as he pokes at you for fun.

“I can’t go through that pain again Angel.” 

‘I won’t let you, but just talk things out with me. Don’t just go running away when things get rough and just disappear because that causes pain too. He drew his face closer to yours, nudging the tips of both of your noses. “ Don’t shut me out ever again because these two months without you really fucked me up.” He pleaded, while bringing his head to the crook of your neck. Taken in your natural scent, Angel was finally at home again.

“I won’t. I’m sorry.” Your breathlessly promised him your word. It felt so good to be in Angel arms again and how aches so many nights for this. Although your face was slowly drying up, your T- shirt began to soak up water coming off Angel clothes as your body was now pressed against his. The water touches your bare skin which gives you chills as cold air comes into play causing your nipples to be harder than what they were. You were about to call out to Angel, but that all fell through when Angel brought his lips to devoured yours.

 A delicious moan escaped from your mouth as you allowed him to explore every corner of your mouth. His hands manage to slide up your thigh, it wasn’t long until you felt his nimble digits grip the hem of your shirt. His fingers lightly grazed your hip bone, which told you didn’t have on no panties. Angel propped his leg between you caused you to feel the friction on your core making you let out whimper in the kiss. In seconds the wetness between your legs began to leave a damp on Angel black denim jeans. Feeling your arousal ruin his jean, sparked his own. Causing his jeans to grow together by every second. This was it. He needs you in every way he can get you. 

He interrupted the kiss, Angel grasped the back of your thighs and pushed them up. He bent down now having your legs swung over his shoulders. A grasp release from your mouth at the new position you were now put in. You quickly grip Angel's shoulders to steady your balance between you and the wall. With his thumb, Angel brushed the most sensitive part of you thinking of how he was going to have his meal. 

“Please...baby.” You desperately moaned out causing you to throw your head back.

“Oh I’m baby now? I thought you were gonna call EZ to come and get me. What happened to that?” He taunted, forming a smirk on his lips.. Angel let his thumb rub against your clit once more just to tease you some more.

“Shit Angel stop it! I’m begging you!” You almost screamed as he was playing with all your emotions, but you guess it payback as you played with him first. Angel just responded with a chuckle while his lips began to get closer and closer to your core. His cool breath grazes her sensitive skin every second, giving her the sensation she is aching to have. Before he could feast he let out a warning to you.

‘Don’t fall or I’m gonna make you cry again. And this time your never gonna stop.”

Not Edited

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