#and she looks so gorgeous <3 especially with a gun

[aenslem]

MIRANDA CROFT | THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

[hotpinkstars]

GIRL DAD OR BOY DAD? - sunday, boothill x reader

- or more clearly, to what gender would they want to have more, and general headcannons of them as papas ☺️

- brainrot brainrot brainrot BRAINROT AHHH... i love these guys and i can do a part 2 for others later but godd theres absolutely not enough dad stuff for these men (especially sunday... if there is its all yandere) so never fear novas here! ahem anyways enjoy

- warnings none! pure fluff!!! wc 711

Sunday is so a girl and boy dad.

Reason why I say this is because he likely needs an heir to take over his position when he gets too old to do so, but he also wants a baby girl he can spoil as well.

Don’t worry! He loves both of his kids the same! They’re the greatest things that have probably ever happened to him and he cherishes them with his whole life. He thanks the stars above every single day for the opportunity he received to be a father to multiple beautiful children, and thanks you for granting him the chance. 

Dunno, but I could see this man wanting a handful of kids. He wants at least one girl and at least one boy, but I could see him shooting for 3-4. Will he be around to care for them? Not all the time, but he tries his hardest (and he definitely has the resources to care for that many).

Considering they’re half halovian and half human, they look pretty much just like their father! Some have your eyes, but they all have his hair. His hair and his gorgeous wings. They have your features though, such as your face, body type, etc.

His favorite part of the day is when he gets to collapse on your shared bed, his kiddos following behind him to cuddle their dad, and most of the time you all fall asleep together. Normally, you wake up just you and him because he’s good about putting them in their own bed once they fall asleep.

Once his kids get older, he’ll teach his son(s) combat and good form. He wants them to protect, and wants to raise them to be strong and independent. With his daughter(s), if they ask to be taught combat, then he won’t see much of an issue with it. He also wants to teach them independence, but in a more subtle form. 

Just expect that his children as teenagers are going to be the prettiest kids around holy shit. They’re obviously enrolled in a private school due to their fathers high status but they always come home and list the compliments they’ve received that day. Thankfully you two have raised them well enough for them to realize that it’ll be bad if all of these get to their head and stroke their ego too hard…

Supportive father asf! All I’ve gotta say here

Don’t play Boothill is SO a girl dad hello have you met the man

He’s so excited when his little girl is born ahh he’s always dreamed of being a father to a girl and his dream has officially come true!!

Obviously, if you had a boy, he’d love him the same. He just wants children of his own tbh lol

His daughter knows western culture fresh out of the womb my friend. It’s like she was born for little cowboy boots and the cutest little cowboy hat. She’s even got a western name, he brought it up and you liked it, so the name you two settled on was Cassidy.

She has his hair! It’s absolutely gorgeous once it starts coming in- a pearly white color with little black streaks stemming from the roots. She has your eyes and your face, and his slimmer body type (before he was turned into a cyborg. This isn’t canon I actually have no clue what he looked like pre cyborgification lmao).

Oh lord, your daughter is so spoiled. On every mission he goes on he’s always bringing something back for her. It could be a super fancy necklace or even just a little trinket he picked up from a street vendor, but she has a whole shelf full of the things her daddy gives her.

She thinks it’s so cool he has a metal body. She asks about it alot but she’s really fascinated with it tbh. She likes to call it “daddy’s special feature!” and he always melts to that sentence gosh

He probably teaches his daughter how to use a gun when she gets older. He, similar to Sunday, wants his daughter to learn self defense tactics and learn how to fend for herself when necessary.

She totally has his accent. Change my mind period.

[league-of-sam]

Don't Be Shy | Konig x Reader

Kӧnig x TF141 x AFAB!Reader

PART FIVE

Summary: Transferred against your will to a new task force to calm a troubled soldier, you felt way in over your head - especially when you came face to face with a 6'10" mountain of Austria. 18+ MINORS DNI! t.w // angst, mental health, language, violence, human trafficking, death, sexual themes/SMUT, military inaccuracies, language inaccuracies (google translate).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

You’d been banished to your dorm since returning from the mission.

A week of being practically locked in there since being released from the hospital wing, the stitches from the bullet graze in your thigh long disintegrated. All that remained now was a sore, red, angry scar.

Your first one.

You caught yourself laughing as you looked at it; Ghost would be so proud of your first battle scar.

Thankfully, the rescued women were as healthy and safe as they could possibly be and were already being placed in safe houses or returned to their loved ones.

But you…you’d already been on the receiving end of a mouthful from Price, Ghost, and Fender for not following orders and almost getting yourself killed.

It was frustrating that they couldn’t see why you did what you did.

Even more so that after saving his life, König still wasn’t giving you the time of day. Little did you know, it wasn’t because he was mad at you, it was because he was mad at himself.

He always hated how people wouldn’t give him a chance to explain himself, and that’s exactly what he did to you that night at the range. You tried, but he wouldn’t allow it. He pushed you away, and you still jumped in front of a bullet for him. You still threw yourself between a deadly weapon and an innocent young girl.

You were the selfless among the selfish.

And when he saw the way you fell, blood pouring from your thigh, he almost threw up.

He thought you were dead…he thought he’d lost you. And it was all his fault. Too occupied in trying to get the job done.

He had to see you.

Once again, you found yourself on the end of a video call, but this time, the entirety of the 141 and Laswell was present, making sure you were okay.

“You’re a fuckin’ idiot, pet, you know that?”

“What, like you’ve never thrown yourself at a crazy man with a gun? You can’t fool me, MacTavish.”

“Uh- no, that is- that’s irrelevant!”

“She’s got ya there, Johnny.”

“Yeah, Johnny, listen to your man.” You teased.

“Watch it, little one.” Ghost threatened, and you held up your hands in surrender. “Seriously though, ya did good. Just come ‘ome safe, yeah?”

“I will. Night guys, I love you.”

They copied your words, Gaz blowing you few kisses as their laptop closed, and the call ended.

Huffing, you began getting ready for bed, slipping into your fluffy pyjama shorts and the matching top.

Then, you let out a scream as your door flung open, and a mammoth of a man adorned in a black shirt and black sweatpants barged in, slamming the door behind him.

“Kӧnig what the fuck?! You scared the absolute shit out of me! You didn’t even knock! I could’ve been-”

“Bitte, I’m sorry.” He cut you off, but his voice was barely above a whisper.

Your hand rested over your chest, trying to calm your heart, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He didn’t speak right away, his lacking social skills surfacing as he faltered under your gaze. Your brow was raised, awaiting his answer. His eyes raked over your body, and he found himself blushing as he took in the way your little shorts hugged your thighs so lusciously, your little top showing off your midriff.

Du sahst so wunderschön aus. (You looked so gorgeous.)

“Kӧnig,” you spoke again, “What are you doing here?”

He cleared his throat, stepping into the room a little more, “I wanted to see if you were alright.”

“I’m fine.”

He nodded, and his gaze landed onto the scar on your thigh. His chest tightened at the sight of the evidence – the reminder that you almost weren’t here.

Because of him.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” He spoke, nodding towards your leg.

“What? Save your life?”

“Ja.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Nein. You shouldn’t try and sacrifice yourself for someone like me.”

You scoffed, folding your arms across your chest, “You know, this is a really fucked up way of thanking me, König.”

“Why didn’t you just let me die?”

Tears clouded your vision, “What?”

“I’d rather it have been me than you.” His voice started to raise.

“That’s not- you don’t leave your teammate to die! I acted in the moment; I did what was right!”

“You acted like a dummkopf! (idiot)” he shouted.

“Excuse me?”

“Why would you jump in front of a bullet for me?! You could have died! That was so stupid and so fucking-”

“Because I’m falling in love with you!” you yelled back, hand running through your hair as you panted.

Something snapped within him.

Something changed.

Your words ignited a fire within him, blazing furiously, burning the blood in his veins until it bubbled, his skin tingling.

You noticed too, as those gorgeous blue eyes darkened under the sniper hood, backing up until the back of your knees hit your bed as he stalked towards you.

The moment he reached you, he yanked the hood from his head, revealing his face.

That’s what he had hiding under there?

Beautiful auburn hair, wild and messy from his hood. Pale, freckled skin, adorned with multiple silvered scars. One in particular ran from his chin, through his plump lips, up to his cheek bone. You wanted to reach out and touch it, feel him under your fingertips.

Your entire body was shaking.

His tongue ran over his lips, making them shine in the dim light coming from your tiny lamp. He watched you as your eyes flicked over his face, mouth opening slightly as you marvelled at the sight.

Despite his blushing, he smirked, and it made your eyes widen.

“What was that you just said, liebling? (darling)”

He towered over you, hands moving to rest against your hips, dragging your body flush against his.

You looked everywhere but at him.

“Kӧnig-” you stuttered out.

He lowered you down onto the mattress, one hand pinning both of your wrists above your head while the other gripped your chin softly, forcing you to look at him.

“What’s a matter, mein schatz? (my love) Don’t be shy.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words would come out. Considering his size, he was being so soft, so gentle, and it was turning your brain to mush.

His thumb rubbed over your lips, pulling them apart slightly as his other hand kept your arms firmly above your head.

Your breathing was heavy, and the heat growing in the pit of your stomach was getting more and more prominent.

“Ich will dich…so sehr. (I want you…so much)” He whispered, his hands shaking slightly.

His forehead pressed to yours as he released your arms, and you wasted no time in placing your hands on his body. Your fingers grazed his cheek, running over the scar as you took his face into your hands.

“Ich will dich auch. (I want you too)” You whispered back, eyes burning into his.

He let out a noise, somewhere between a growl and a moan, before the grip on your chin tightened, and he smashed his lips to yours.

You kissed him back with the same need, the same desperation, his own whimpers matching yours as they escaped through his nose.

The feeling of his lips on yours was divine…ethereal.

This shy, socially anxious, mammoth of a man had taken full control of the situation, shifting you up the bed and wrapping your legs around his waist. You gasped at the movement, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into your mouth.

A deep, animal-like growl bubbled from his chest, spilling over into your mouth as he dove deeper, desperate to chase the taste of you. Your hips bucked; your body not willing to wait any longer for the heat in your groin to be satisfied.

“Eager, mein liebe?” he chuckled, before ducking his face into your neck, nipping, sucking, biting.

He was marking you.

Making sure every man knew who you truly belonged to.

“Kӧnig, please-” you whimpered, fingers threading through his hair, tugging softly.

He groaned at the sensation, head dropping into your nape as his eyes rolled. His fingers dug into your skin as they roamed your body, no doubt leaving small bruises. He was holding back, and you knew it.

“Please,” you moaned, “Please, Kӧnig…berühre mich. (touch me)”

“God, baby-” he grunted, “You have no idea what you do to me, speak my language so pretty, so well.”

He smashed his lips to yours, only parting to pull your shirt over your head, exposing your skin to the cool air of the room. But you didn’t care, you were burning hot, just for him. You followed his actions, tugging on the hem of his shirt.

Timidly, he pulled it off, tossing it onto the floor. Your eyes widened as you took in his physique. Christ, it was like this man had been sculpted by the Gods personally. Your fingers delicately traced along his abs, bumping over raised scars, making him shiver.

They dipped lower, grazing over the unmissable bulge fighting to be freed from the confines of his sweatpants.

Everything about him was big.

He sucked in a breath, letting out a shaky moan as you stroked him until he snapped, pinning your wrists back above your head.

“You know how much I wanted this? How many times I wanted to have you right there? Those lessons were the highlight of my weeks, sweetheart.” He purred, hands roaming your bare flesh.

“Y-you should h-have, would’ve l-let you.” You stuttered out, breath choppy as he took your breast, his fingertips squeezing the nipple harshly.

He smiled shyly, eyes meeting yours, “You’re a good girl, ja?”

You nodded, words failing you as praise rolled off his tongue, letting out noises that sounded almost angelic to him.

Kӧnig then shifted, tugging your little shorts from your body, his giant hand running slowly up your leg. He dipped down, placing a delicate kiss to your scar. His hands then continued their journey until they reached your cunt, a long finger slipping slowly between your slick-covered folds.

“I would die for you.” He whispered, “Would you let me die for you, hübsches mädchen? (pretty girl) Protect your body with my own? Let me worship you?”

You were babbling incoherent nonsense at this point, the sensation of him touching you completely overwhelming, “God, yes…Kӧnig please, please touch- oh, f-fuck-”

“You’re so good, (Y/N), so good.” He spoke as he slipped a finger inside of you, curling to reach that spot with every thrust.

You bit your lip hard to keep from screaming, the metal taste of blood flooding your mouth, allowing the sounds to slip.

“You sound so beautiful, angel.” He cooed, continuing to finger you at a blistering pace.

He was relentless, desperate to make you cum before he got his cock anywhere near you, desperate to make you feel good – make up for what a mess he’d made of everything.

Your moans and whimpers spurred him on, showing him that he was doing the right thing.

The way your nails dug into his back as you clung to him almost made him finish right there in his pants.

You were magnificent.

Especially when your back arched, your breasts bouncing right in front of his face as his name slipped out of your mouth like some foul chant, ramming you into ecstasy.

Kӧnig, Kӧnig, Kӧnig, Kӧnig…

The way his name rolled off your tongue unlocked something deep within him.

He pulled his fingers from you, lapping up every drop of your release, before slamming his lips to yours, making you taste yourself. Hoisting you up, he locked your legs over his hips, lining himself up with your entrance.

“Bitte, can I?” he whimpered as his tip rubbed between your folds, “Please, Schatz, let me-”

Tears sprung in his eyes, his desperation to feel you becoming too much.

“Fuck me, Kӧnig. Don’t hold back.”

He let out a sob of relief, before he slid his cock into you, inch by glorious inch. He was huge, the biggest you’d ever been with, and he filled you up as if your pussy was made just for him. The minute he bottomed out, he let out a cry, one hand fisting handfuls of your hair as the other gripped the bedsheet in a hopeless effort to control himself.

Then, with a rhythm that sent white hot pleasure coursing through you, he rocked his hips, snapping against yours with every thrust. Your hands clawed and grabbed at his flesh as you mewled out a mess of words, barely able to string a sentence together.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he repeated, his pace quickening.

You whined, tears from the pain of him stretching you falling from your eyes, “Feels so good-”

“Oh, don’t cry, liebling.” He spoke, thumb padding your wet cheeks, “It’s okay, you’re doing so well, taking me so well…such a good girl…”

Grunts fell from his lips as he couldn’t control himself any longer, his pace speeding up as he chased his release. The pressure built for you again, and he could feel the walls of your cunt squeeze, making him whimper.

“That’s it, schnuckie, cum for me- please, scheiße (fuck) cum for me.”

You didn’t need any more encouragement, and with a scream of his name, your body arched, your climax completely obscuring your vision to the point you saw stars.

With a few more agonisingly rough snaps with his hips, profanities falling from his mouth, Kӧnig erupted inside of you, his cock pulsing over and over as his seed spilled out, white and dripping.

His arms gave out, heavy breaths from both of you as his body lay on yours.

Your fingers ran through his dampened hair as you clung to him, his arms locking you in place beneath him.

He lifted his head, rubbing his nose on your temple as he placed a chaste kiss to your cheek, then your forehead, then your nose.

“Meine schöne, kleine prinzessin...(my beautiful, tiny princess)” he mumbled before he finally pressed his lips to yours.

It took a good twenty minutes for the two of you to calm down, the thin layer of sweat sticking your skin together, not allowing you to part. Finally, your breathing had returned to a somewhat normal level, as good as can be as Kӧnig peppered tiny kisses along your shoulder.

You blushed furiously, trying to hide away from his gaze.

“Don’t be shy,” he whispered as he held you to his chest, arms tight around your waist, “Not around me. Du bist zu schön, um schüchtern zu sein. (you’re too beautiful to be shy)”

You sighed softly, turning in his arms to face him, your hands dancing along his scar, “Also bist du. (so are you)”

Kӧnig groaned as his eyes fell shut, trying to conceal it, but your constant reassurances and praise of him made his heart wild - it made that primal, instinctive urge within him burst out like a feral beast.

It made him want you, need you in every way possible.

And you were more than willing to oblige.

König marvelled as the truck pulled up on base.

It was so different to KorTac, so much smaller and less grand, hidden, and private, but it was home to you.

Finally, you were home.

You hadn’t even gotten out of the truck before you heard Soap’s yelling as he came bounding across the tarmac toward you.

Jumping out, you yelled something to him, making him freeze in place as the others caught up. They watched on, confused, but desperate to hold you in their arms again now that you were home.

You moved around to the other side of the truck, opening the door to see König looking at you, his leg bouncing nervously as his thumbs twiddled in his lap.

“You ready, big guy?” you smiled to him, taking his hand.

“As long as I have you next to me, I’m ready for anything, schnucki.”

You blushed furiously at the nickname, and he leaned forward, lifting his sniper hood just enough to reveal his lips, placing them on yours for a soft kiss.

Giggling as you pulled away, you dragged him from the vehicle, pulling him around to where the boys of the 141 saw him for the first time.

Just imagine their faces as you came from the side of the vehicle, an absolute behemoth of a man attached to your side.

Imagine the way Soap faltered as you reached them, König’s giant shoulders casting one huge shadow over them all.

Imagine Price’s initial horror as he clocked onto your fingers being woven tightly with those of the crazy, mammoth killer.

Imagine the way Ghost puffed out his chest to make himself look bigger as he squared up to König, having also noticed the way the big man kept you close;

“Now, you may be bigger-”

“A lot bigger!”Soap had yelled from somewhere.

“Yes- thank you, Johnny. A lot bigger, but make no mistake, soldier. You hurt my (Y/N); I’ll make sure no one even remembers you existed. Capeesh?”

“Y-yes, sir.” König had stuttered out, shaking in his boots.

Then there was you, fingers pressed to your nose as you looked to the floor, “Jesus fuck, Simon, leave him alone!”

Imagine König coming to your room after his first day with the 141, exhausted from the training he’d endured.

“I like them…like it here.” He’d speak, fingers running through your hair as you laid on his chest.

“They spent all day trying to kick the shit out of you.”

They had tried, each and every one of them completely underestimating the sheer strength that Kӧnig possessed. He was a super soldier, a battering ram. A fucking force.

He’d laugh, dropping his head to kiss your lips, “Ja. But only because they love you, schatz. They protect you…and so will I.”

“Yeah?”

“Bis zum ende der zeile. (until the end of the line)”

[zhuoyichenpretty]

Ep 22-23 Commentary

Ha...I was inexplicably nervous for eps 22-23 and it looks like I was right to be (-: What a rollercoaster. Spoilers below!

I've just come out of ep 23 and uh????? holy shit????? ZYC????

Ok ok but to backtrack, let's do my comments semi-chronologically:

Ep 22:

A carry-over from ep 21 that I have to mention—heck yeah PSJ give WZY hell. She doesn't have all that many lines but she sure knows how to make them count. Also seeing PSJ and WX get screen time just the two of them makes my brain go "yay <3"

Back to ep 22, loved the fake-out sundial ayeee that was a nice Chekhov's gun that also brings the real sundial back into relevance for later. Also me eating up the PSJ and ZYC crumb of an interaction has brought to my attention how starved I am of their screen time together.

This whole ep was a great lament towards the feared inevitable. Every sad downcast look from ZYC, every complicated glance WX gives him. A wonderful, terrible crossroads for these characters. I love that for ZYC especially, it's such an incredible mess of emotion coming to a head. Bad enough that he's come to care about the demon who killed his family and ruined his life, bad enough that he's sworn a blood oath he regrets and tied himself to punishing someone he no longer finds culpable, bad enough that ZYZ's life or death depends solely on his choice and ZYZ is constantly practically begging for death when ZYC wants him to live. How much immensely worse it makes the whole situation that WX is literally ZYZ's soulmate. And obviously the whole team has only grown more and more attached to ZYZ, too. ZYC's personal turmoil aside, how heavy must that responsibility and guilt be? For the finishing blow that only he can deliver to also deeply threaten every other person he cares about? Everyone understands in the abstract what must happen and why, but just like seeing ZYZ lose control firsthand, the gulf between understanding and experiencing is so unimaginably wide. If he kills ZYZ, can there really be no resentment from his friends? From WX?

Also it seems ZYC only wears cloaks so that he can give them to other people lmao

Ah fuck, the farewell drinks. I didn't even factor in how ZYC might not survive the encounter (''': The drama truly was like hm can we possibly give ZYC a worse day than that night his whole fam died? Maybe give him a bunch of new family members and also the blade and the fate and the sole responsibility to potentially irrevocably scar said family members with? And he might die in the process too? (-: haha maybe? (((-:

Oh. Oh. Addendum. I forgot this til I saw it mentioned in another post—ZYC recounting his oath as he watched WX smile when they discussed reviving the tree...I could feel him weighing those words against his own life, against ZYZ's life, against WX's happiness. One way out of this impossible situation is indeed to doom himself. I'm in pieces.

Damn if WX isn't dedicated heart and soul, going into the sundial like that. I'm sad no one could keep her company for those 300 years but also I guess that's kind of an impossible ask (and maybe not survivable for the other non-goddess mortals? I'm admittedly very unclear on sundial time loophole logistics). It would have been nice to see someone offer though, even just to be turned down.

Ooh I like the soul needle fake-out, given this show's penchant for retroactive "actually we had a plan all along" moments. A good subversion of the narrative's own style.

Also I saved this for the end because it doesn't really fit the linearity of my comments but what the fuuuuuuuck oh my god I absolutely flipped out at this scene:

I am at once rabidly intrigued and at the same time not sure if I'll be satisfied with whatever payoff will come for this so I don't want to overindulge in theorizing and setting my own expectations too high. Maybe this is just a fevered hallucination, maybe it means nothing (I hope it means something). But damn!!! What a gorgeous man crazy scene.

In conclusion, ep 22 had some good stuff for me. Plot development and reflection and tension enough that I may have been satisfied with just that one episode. But they gave us two, so onward to ep 23 comments!

Ep 23:

I like how many solid reasons the team has to suspect ZYC being possessed. Even though I withheld judgment during my watch given how quickly the show usually confirms that kind of stuff with a possession mark, just simply casting that doubt made the whole build up that much more intense.

ZYC slowly walking down the corridor with the whole grounds lit a somber and haunting gold—*chef's kiss*

ZYC's monologue to a catatonic ZYZ is so important to me. The closest we'll get to his internal monologue about this whole situation. The kinds of things said when we think there's no conscious listener.

Okay so, having finished this episode and looking back, Li Lun's hands coming up from behind ZYC was not to denote possession (at least in this episode), potentially is a visual from ZYZ's POV, and seems related to the above screencap. I am so, so curious. Once again, I'm stopping myself from further speculation because I want to be surprised but ahhhhhhhhh

PSJ shooting at Ao Yin is so gorgeous. Her action scenes seriously never disappoint—the creativity of her fight choreos!! Also very cool that the whole team is getting to take part in the action, not just the two male leads.

Bai Jiu possession was not on my bingo card but I sure do love that we literally saw the possession take place and I still didn't connect the dots. Good shitttt. Also oh no ): ZYC was telling the truth about the soul needle, he was just tricked ):

Seriously from the Ao Yin case to getting PSJ released to reviving the Divine Wood to getting tricked by possessed!Bai Jiu to making pear soup to fighting ZYZ to fighting Li Lun—when will ZYC get a single goddamn vacation day holy shit.

Also when will WX tear up that contract so ZYZ can stop having a mild heart attack every time he wants to kiss her ): &I love that they saved the 300-year montage for this moment. While their ship doesn't give me brainrot personally, who could be unmoved by that incredible and undisclosed sacrifice? That's soulmatism.

Okay, I'd seen clips of them filming the ZYC and Li Lun fight but damn I did not expect it'd be happening right now!! Right after already taking damage from ZYZ? And my god is Li Lun brutal. The two actors did such an impressive job on this entire fight, what with Li Lun's ease and ZYC's suffering. I really appreciated the extensive hand-to-hand combat after Li Lun literally obliterated ZYC's sword. (Also though, given the origin of that sword, I kept hoping for a flashback to ZYC's brother once it broke, but alas, no dice.) Anyway, the show does not play around about ZYC whump it seems. I was very very shook by that throat punch; that shit legitimately looked like it hurt.

Honestly, I had a hard time with the extended ZYZ and Li Lun conversation at the very end because oh my god someone please heal ZYC lmao. But of course, that's the end of the episode~~

Y'all...check on your local ZYC stans because I was not okay after all that (': I need a heaping dose of comfort after all that hurt, but as always I'm cautious of hoping for much from canon itself. So yeah! Ep 23 was solid, but I would probably be in better shape if today's release just ended on ep 22 ((':

Time to go wait for the cast's Hi6 episode to drop so I can heal my battered heart ;-;

[curvykittyyssmutfics]

mentor!Kishibe

mentor!Kishibe is very aware of your secret attraction towards him. Has to use every ounce of his will to convince himself that its onesided, just a young woman with a crush. But he'd have to be blind not to notice the subtle shift from the student/teacher vibe between y'all two when you finally complete his extensive training. It's been 3 years. Granted he deemed you at peak less than a year in, and now he had nothing left to teach you. Knows it's already incredibly suspicious and selfish keepin you from your aspirations this long. Still.. "Sure you don't wanna go private?" Kishibe takes a swig from his flask, tired eyes trained on the newest addition to the eerily desolate cemetery. "Tsk. Don't ask somethin you have no intention of doin yourself. Real funny way of askin me to stay.." You get no reply. The tense silence stretches on, so many words on the tip of his tongue. He eventually settles with a dry "Then congratulations, kid: It's graduation day." You frown, dreading this moment almost as much as the thought of never finding the gun devil. Feels just as despairing as you thought it would. Staring at the side of his handsome downcast face, admiring the crinkle round his eye. "Will you miss me?" Kishibe solemn eyes finally meets your imploring gaze, not needing even a second to think about your question. Uses the back of his hand to gently sweep your braids off your shoulder as he offers you a small forced smile. "Course, sweetheart. You already know.." Your heart skips a beat to the simple touch and new pet name. Know what? But then Kishibe's droppin his hand. Turns on his heel, stridin to the exit without another word. "Goodbye.." The strong gusts of wind the only witness to your anguished whisper.

mentor!Kishibe makes it a point to keep his distance from you. Even with workin in the same sector, its a whole year before you see him again. Makima finally wore em down into comin out to eat with a few fellow hunters. "Two minutes. Then we're done here." She only smiles at him, watchin as he sits stiff refusing to touch his plate of food. Kishibe ignores the flow of conversation, his mind wondering what you were up to for the evening. Imagine his surprise when he sees your pretty ass walk through the door, his insides twisting and knotting at the sight of you. Uniform pants huggin your shapely frame; white shirts sleeves rolled up to the elbows, first couple buttons undone and givin him the tiniest peak at your mouth watering cleavage. So fuckin gorgeous to Kishibe. Almost exactly how he'd last seen you. Your face is different thought.. Just as beautiful but he knows that gaunt look only too well. Your hairs changed too, now in y/h/c wavy layered tresses down your back. There's nothing on planet earth that can get either of you to unlock eyes as you freeze on the spot. You weren't sure when you'd see him again; if his petty ass would continue to dodge you till the end of time. But inna instant, it's like just the two of you exist. Nothing else in the world matters but how much you want and miss him.. Till you remember the cruel and sudden way he chose to snatch himself from your life, leaving you heartbroken. And more lonely than necessary, especially considering the profession. The thought has you spinnin on the spot and storming from the restaurant. Makima digs her elbow into Kishibe's side. "I'm not saying fall in love. But find a piece of happiness for yourself, even if you believe it to be fleeting." He doesn't say a word. Knows right away her sneaky ass had somethin to do with this crap. Puttin on his shoes and coat, he heads out. Doesnt grace a single soul at the the table with a goodbye, leaving for home with a scowl and a dark cloud over his head. Kishibe knew comin to this shit show was a fuckin mistake.

mentor!Kishibe is so fuckin stubborn that he goes another 6 months without you in his life before almost goin off the deep end. The gaping hole in his already miserable existence seems to physical weaken him. Kishibe can't eat, think or fuckin sleep anymore. Drinks more and focuses less on his goals at work, even skippin out some days to secretly pop up to check on you. But you never see him, even when you feel a pair of unknown eyes on you every now and again. He continues to watch from afar when you patrol, missin the way you'd accompany him on his. Longing to hear your sweet giggles when he'd say something dark or give you a taste of that dry humor. The only woman that got him to open up bout what makes him drown his sorrows in liquor. And even indulge less. Needs that connection with you again. He's startin to care less and less how hes too old, too much of a brute that might be incapable of giving what you need. And in fully recognizing that.. Kishibe can't be without you much longer. The only semblance of peace is late at night when he gives in to the madness that haunts him, pumpin at his angry agitated cock while you consume his mind. "Ohhh fuck, y/nnn.. Touch me, sweetheart.." Head dipped back into his pillow, moaning low imagining the his grip to be the warm wet clutch of your tight lil puss. Perspiration drippin down his nude frame, muscles spasming from how good it feels. "Tell me you want me.." Drivin him insane rememberin every scar, dimple, beauty mark peekin from your formal public safety uniform. "Want you so bad, pretty girl." Wish he could listen to how you pant after a strenuous session, tiny huffs akin to what he thinks you sound like if he sucked at your clit. "Bet you like that, huh?" Fucks his fist quicker to the thought, strokes awkward from how infrequently he masturbates. How sensitive would you be? Would you moan or scream? Buck and hump against his face, grind his lips for maximum pleasure? "Thats it. Take what you need greedy girl." Or maybe run from it. Yank at his short hair while tryin to escape, his name stuttering out on broken moans and pleas for reprieve as he forces you to cum. "Y/nnn!" Kishibe unloads allover his fist to the conjured imagery. Sputtering your name over and over as his nut spurts thickly in the air, splattering his muscled thighs audibly.

mentor!Kishibe knows things have gone all the way left when liquor stops helping to numb the pain of your abscence. Shows up to your spot in the middle of the night with a crazed look in his eye, bangin on your door like he was outta his damn mind. "What do you want Kishibe?" You snap after eyeing him through the peephole, swinging open your front door. Even through your outrage, you're immediately aware of the deep dark circles underneath his eyes. Or the prominent wrinkles in his suit jacket and pants, but most importantly the exclusion of that dank smell of whiskey. Your stunned he isn't stone cold drunk. But his attention is on the fact you're only in an oversized black tee, hair inna a cute messy bun. Smooth brown legs and pert nipple prints on display for his greedy gaze. Doesn't have very high hopes with hidin how his dick starts to chub, trying his damnest not to stare at the exposed skin. "Y/n, sweet girl.. Missed you so fuckin much. I'm so sor-" Kishibe steps a foot forward into your home, arms outstretched to embrace you but you sidestep him, smackin away his hands. "Fuckin kidding me right?" He's never touched you unless you guys were training, but back then you had always hoped for it. Dreamed of it. Even now your body yearns for him to hold you, caress you.. To fuck you. Traitorous pussy started to moisten, nipples stiffening the moment you opened the door. But you're fuckin hurt! "Y/n-" "What?! Thought you could ghost me then slide through for a quick fuck?" Your tone makes his heart clench. Kishibe can't believe you think that's what you mean to him. His face falls a bit and he drops his arms. "No, never. I missed you so mu-" "You said that already, Kish." Another interruption paired with a severe eye roll. "Babygirl, hear me out. You have every right to kick my ass and send me off. I'm sor-" "Yeah, you said that already too. Either tell me why you left me or get the fuck out." He takes a deep breath before puttin his heart on the line for the first time in his life. "I'ma fool, y/n. An old fool that had no intention of ever fallin in love. Not with the life we lead. You know as well as I that only swift violent death awaits all of us. But then I met you." Kishibe reaches for you again and but this time you allow him to link fingers, his words sinkin deep; they were very true. "Mourning hurts worse the more you care. I didn't want that for you. Just wanna protect you sweetheart. Even from myself. You mean everything to me and I dont deserve you.. What if i can't make you happy?" You mull over his words for a second. "So you denied me my dick, which woulda made me estatic by the fuckin way, all in the name of protectin me from grieving?" You clarify in disbelief. He gives you a short nod, cock twitchin at your admission. "Fuckin stupid, Kish. Everyone at work can see you're all i need to be happy. And we all die! No matter the jobs we pursue. What's wrong with enjoying each other till then?" You ask, palming up his abs to rest your hands on his chest. Wow. He never thought of it like that. Such a intelligent girl, but he always knew it. Though he tells you anyway. "When you become smarter than me, babygirl?" Kishibe asks, tuggin you against his well defined frame. Arms wrapping around you tight, dippin down to massage your backside as he noses up your neck, inhaling your fresh, feminine scent. "Haven't I always been?" You hug around his neck as he hums in agreement at your throat, tiltin your head to offer him more access. The need for his cock to mold your desperate cunt to the shape of him is overpowering when you feel it press firm against you. "Come in, Kishibe. Need you so much. Don't make me wait anymore." Connecting your lips to his, moaning when he passionately reciprocates as you yank him inside by his the collar of his shirt.

mentor!Kishibe hasn't had the luxury to relieve himself in weeks; can't even remember the last time he's gotten do it with someone other than himself. So he's absolutely unprepared when you unzip his slacks, push him to the bed, turn and hastily sit on his dick. "Holy shit, baby girl!" His fingers dig into your hips bruisingly, trying to lift you off his hypersensitive leaky length. Soft heat drenchin him, erratic flutter of your walls buildin that familiar pulsing swirl in his gut. Feels pathetic that he's already fighting back nuttin inside your perfect lil snatch. Mind reeling at finally gettin a taste of your bomb ass coochie, and the fact you aint have no panties on when you scolded him at your front door earlier. "Pussys too tight, worlds best cock sleeve baby. Mmm.. Oh shit- get up! Lemme breathe honey. Been too fuckin long, dont wanna buss yet." But you fight against his attempts to unsheathe himself, moanin as his words replay in your head. Leanin back into his strong chest as his scent clouds your mind, reachin back to grip tight at his freshly cut soft blonde locks. "Nooo, Kish! Don't make me wait anymore. N-need it so bad. 'S so big, feels so good inside me. Don't make me stop, pleeease. Gimme my dick, baby. Waited long enough right? Waited like a good girl?" Kishibe clenches his gut tight, noddin his head swiftly. Your filthy pleas, how you frantically mouth and suck on his neck, pullin his short hair hard, makin his fat balls buzz pleasantly. "Yes, yes. Ughnn fuh-uck.. Such a good girl, my best girl.. So please sweetheart, slow the fuck down less you want this shit to be over with already." He's sits tense, so fuckin on edge tryin not cum, not even sure you hear anything after 'good girl'. "Y/n?" "Kishibeee.." Your immediate dazed moan back to him doesnt sound promising on followin orders. Fuck! He assumes even with bitin off more than your lil puss can chew, you've been plottin all this time to take matters into your own hands. Always the clever girl. And so goddamn impatient. "Oh fuck, y/nnn.. Gonna give you what you want, just w-wait‐ wait a second honey!" Fuck that shit. "No." You huff, makin his pretty eyes narrow at your new found disobedience. "Little girl, stop. Right now. Dont make me- haaah!" Threat cut short when you grind and roll your hips into his before leanin on his knees to tentatively bounce on his dick. "Ohmygod! Knew you'd fuck me so good. Ohfuuuck! Waited too long for this good dick. So worth it, so so worth it!" You keen, tossin your head back at him diggin you out, body tremblin how he stretches your delicate walls round his thick girth more than any man ever had.

Kishibe eyes widen at your antics, grip at your hips useless as you keep a tight hold of the reins and fuck him a bit quicker. Tits jigglin under your tee, clit throbbin for attention as you use his dick to knock into that ridged pleasure button inside you. "Fuck me, Kishi! Show me how much you missed me. Yeees, yes- right there!" The intense sensation rapidly formin in the depths of your tummy is frighteningly mind numbing but you chase it anyway. Fuckin him vigorously, nails diggin into his knees as you both near whats sure to be orgasms for the history books. "Shiiit! Gonna make me buss so fuckin h-hard, honey.." "Then buss for me. Mmm. Show me what I've been missin. Wanna feel your nut splash inside, handsome." No womans ever talked to or fucked him like this before. Its him that usually mounts his victims till they're stupid from his curved cock. But now he can hardly take the snug hug your hole gives his dick. Unable to stop his eyes from rollin back in his skull when you focus on humpin the wide mushroom tip, swiveling your hips sensually as you ride your mans dick. His fingers slip from your hips and Kishibe falls back against the bed limply, eyes blurry with tears at the sensation of you fuckin him so thoroughly. "F-fuck honey. Thats it. Put that pussy on Daddy." He slurs, eyes shut tight, oblivious to the dark kink he keeps buried deep down finally breakin free. "Make me nut in that pretty lil pussy, baby. Show Daddy how he's the only one that can cum inside." His chest heaves as he pants out quick labored grunts from the way you pop your plushy ass on him up and down fast as you can, slammin your lil cunt on him tirelessly; the burn in your thighs the last thing on your mind. "Yes, Daddy! Gimme it, earned my nut huh? Don't wanna wait for it anymore!" You hiccup, beggin for his load in high pitched cries as he begins to buck his hips widly. "H-here it is, sweet girl. Nuts all for you.. Ahhh fuck! Take it, honey. Take it.." Glidin to the base of his swollen shaft repeatedly, literally milking the sperm from his poundin dick. Gooey white spurts layer your walls, coating your insides thickly with his essence. His hips unintentionally lift from the bed to chase your pussy, outta sync from your rythym, random hits to your gspot makin you seize in his lap. "Kish, Kishi- Kishibeee!" Juices gush and pool on his work pants as you cum enthusiastically, clumsily rotatin your hips, usin his poor cock to abuse your puffy hole even when Kishibe stiffens from the overstimulation. "L-little girl." He warns you but you ignore him, wordless moans slippin through your bare lips as you enjoy him like its the last time. The man has to gather all the strength he has left to snatch you off his dick and flip you onto the bed, pastel blue covers cool against your back. He hovers above you, sticky girth rigid against your slick pussy lips. "Bad fuckin girl. Doin whatever you want with my dick." Kishibe snarls against your mouth, kissing you hungrily, both of you still pantin for air. His words make you pout, releasin a small whimper when he pulls away, floppin next to you and cuddling into your side. "My dick, Kishibe. Plus.. Thought you said I was good." He snorts at your whine. "Any man would say that when you're force fuckin the nut out me the way you did, y/n." You bust out laughin at his deceitful trickery, your infectious giggles makin him follow suit. "That right.. Daddy? Didn't know you were into that. Think we got some catchin up to do.." Kishibe groans when you slip a hand to squeeze lightly at his sensitive slowly softening cock, smilin into his shoulder when it twitches with interest. He knows he'll never hear the end of this one and really wishes your perfect lil cunt didn't get him so fuckin pussy drunk. But really, Kishibe's finally happy; hopesand prays his lil slice of happiness won't be cut short..

[thewulf]

Bumblebee || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Summary: So half baked idea, but I love you and know you’ll do it justice (if you want of course). But like Bradley dating a teacher(or anyone non military I just pick teacher because ya know 🤷🏼‍♀️).... Read Rest Here

A/N: Takes place a few years after TGM. Bradley and crew are instructors at TG. Added a few OC instructors who don’t do much lol. Reader is Amelia’s teacher/tutor! Enjoy!!

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Y/N

Word Count: 2.0k +

The bar opened up at 5, you had Amelia meet you there at 3 since Penny had to be there then to open the bar anyway. You were her hired tutor for the summer getting her ready for the dreaded SAT. She was already seventeen. Planning to head off to college next year. Her goal was Stanford. Everybody cheered her along the way.

Lucky for you she actually tried. The lessons sailed and you hadn’t even noticed the bar opened up for the night before you heard the rowdy pilots enter led by nonother than your very own boyfriend. A wide smile glossed your cheeks as you took the handsome man in. Your handsome man.

He waved to you before getting into earshot. Speeding up he wanted nothing more than to be with you. Long days sucked.

“Hi honey.” You waved to your boyfriend of a year as his fellow Top Gun teachers strolled into the Hard Deck behind him.

“Baby.” He cooed walking right up to you, pulling you up from your seat and wrapping his arms around you. You let yourself be pulled into him and gripped him tightly in response. Breathing him in deeply you sighed relief having him in your arms again. Even though you’d literally left his place twelve hours ago it seemed like too long. It was too long.

“Gag me.” Amelia coughed looking away quickly, “That’s my teacher Bradley.” She visibly frowned unhappy with the distraction.

Rolling his eyes, he gave your body a tight squeeze before releasing you gently. He set you back down in your seat with the softest touch, “What’s a seventeen-year-old doing in a bar anyway?”

You giggled lacing your fingers through his, “We were just wrapping up hon. Amelia has her big test on Saturday and wanted to get some last-minute prep in.”

She eyed him, “My mom wanted me to get some last-minute prep in.” She clarified before continuing, “I can have you banned Bradley. Being the owners daughter. Test me.” Her confidence only grew as she spent more time around pilots, specifically Mav. She was picking up on his smart-ass mouth.

“You wouldn’t do that to Y/N.” He challenged her.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t. But she’s also her own person and can come here without you. While you’re banned.” Amelia smirked. She’d be just fine in college on her own. She’d be perfectly fine.

He raised his eyebrows. You shook your head placing a hand over your mouth hiding the giggle away from him, “Teenagers.” He grumbled, “I’ll get you a beer gorgeous girl. We’ll be over in the corner when your done.”

“Sounds good babe. I’ll be over soon.”

Winking at you he waved before turning back to the crew. You turned your attention back to Amelia who was giving you the ‘that was absolutely wretched’ face.

“What?” You bit down on your bottom lip curling your lips into a smile around it.

“That’s disgusting. You and Bradley.” She shook her head. She really did approve but she hated the PDA. Only because you were her teacher and all. It felt icky seeing that outside the classroom. Especially with Bradley.

After Penny married Mav and moved in Bradley had come around quite a bit more. Which meant that you came around quite a bit more. Bradley insisted that he needed you there. You’d gotten along with everybody of course. It was simply an adjustment for Amelia.

“You know, I still am your teacher.” You were baiting her, and you knew it. Or maybe you were baiting yourself.

She shook her head, “You lost that title last weekend when you, mom, Pete, and Bradley were wasted playing Beer Olympics all day long. And then proceeded to beg me for hours to be a judge.”

You couldn’t help the laughter that escaped your lips, “It worked didn’t it?” You reminisced on her declaring you the winner after you won the final round of beer pong. Your individual score crushing the rest of the field. Turns out you rocked playing games when you were drunk. You learned something new every day.

She shook her head further, “We’ll call it college prep. Now go. Your boyfriend won’t stop staring. It’s getting creepy.” She pointed to the back booth where Bradley was halfway paying attention but really just waiting on you.

You looked over your shoulder waving to the desperate boy. Turning back to Amelia you stood from your chair, “Same time tomorrow?”

“Only because mom insists.” She sighed, “See you tomorrow.”

“See ya honey.” You gave you a quick hug before speed walking to the group of Aviators. Bradley, Natasha, Jake, Marty, and Ken sat there chatting away after what you assumed to be a long day. Bradley was usually much more needy after more stressful days and he was needier than ever, or so it seemed.

“Baby.” Bradley made the grabby hands as you walked closer. You shuffled right into his grasp being pulled right into the booth next to him.

“Hi honey.” You kissed his cheek before turning back to the group, “Rough day?”

They all let out a collective sigh before three different conversations erupted at the same time. Bradley leaned down whispering into your ear, “We got a mini-Hangman today. Going to be fun to break the young kid.” Bradley chucked taking a sip of the bear. You watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed while he took the drink. A bead of sweat made its way down his neck likely from the humid air and alcohol consumption.

“A mini-Hangman you say?” You asked curiously remembering some of the wild stories your boyfriend had told you about his friend. His enemy turned friend. Funny how life worked like that sometimes. Bradley had told you all about how they turned a corner after the Uranium mission. Jake got less aggressive in the skies. More teammate focused. Bradley got better at handling his emotions. Being able to communicate a whole lot better once he figured that out.

The real Hangman heard you from across the table making sure to chime in, “He’s an ass. Nothing like me darlin’.” He made sure to clarify.

“Well, I heard you might’ve been a different person five years ago. An asshole maybe?” You continued the conversation between the three of you.

He looked shocked, “You wound me Y/N.”

“Truth hurts, honey.” The laughter didn’t stop coming as Hangman animated his own death in front of you. A knife stab to the heart. He sunk down in the seat grabbing the attention of the entire group.

Natasha looked over rolling her eyes but taking the opportunity to grab the groups attention from him, “So, we’ve been thinking.” You looked over to Nat who started talking right to you while also talking over the group, “You’re here with us almost every time we come out.” She smirked over at Bradley who had his arm draped around your shoulders rubbing your arm with the pads of his fingertips knowing what he divulged to her earlier.

You scrunched your fists together and apart out of nerves, “Not annoying you guys right?” Needing to ask you looked right at her trying to find anything from her. Making sure you weren’t a nuisance in the already tightknit group.

She shook her head quickly, “No, no, not at all! Hell, I’d rather you be here than Bradshaw.” You looked up at your boyfriend grinning ear to ear. He tried to look pissed but his lips twitching upwards gave him away. He loved the relationship he had with Nat. The two of them falling into the brotherly and sisterly role all too easily. Bickering to the highest degree.

Bradley leaned forward giving your should a gentle squeeze in the process, “Can’t say I blame you Phoenix. I would rather be with her than me too.” He pulled you in closer, heat be damned.

You pinched his side, always the flatterer he was. He looked down giving you a quick kiss on your cheek. If there was one thing about Bradley it was that he was unafraid. He did not give a single shit about what the guys thought about his actions towards you. You were his girl. His favorite thing in the world. He cherished that and you more than he could have ever even imagined. Bradley loved you. Adored you. And he let the world know it.

“What were we thinking Nat?” You asked after snaking an arm around his waist. He grinned in satisfaction. That was his love language. Touch. He always needed a hand on you. But craved you to be touching him as well. Ever the needy one your boyfriend was.

She, very dramatically, rolled her eyes at Bradley before redirecting her attention back to you, “You need a callsign.”

“Oh, no!” You shook you head quickly, protesting immediately.

“Why not?” Jake asked leaning back in his seat observing you. It’d been his idea after all. He and Bradley had actually grown closer over the last year teaching at Top Gun, finding common ground. When Bradley had found you Jake had seen him flourish into who he was today. Jake had never seen Bradley so happy. When Bradley finally let the group meet you six months ago everyone quickly adored you. It wasn’t hard. You were the sweetest person any of them had probably ever met. Always wondering how in the hell Rooster could bag you.

“Well, I’m not a pilot.”

“So?” Nat shook her head in confusion.

“Isn’t that against the rules?” You asked sheepishly sinking back into Bradley.

Jake shrugged, “I think if a group of pilots wants to give you one its following the rules.” He chewed on the toothpick he took from the bar smiling right over at you.

You looked up at your boyfriend, “I had nothing to do with this. But why not. You deserve a callsign too. They like you more than me anyway.” He kissed the crown of your head.

“Ain’t that the truth.” Jake agreed in a cheery voice. Bradley flipped him off while you high-fived him.

You nodded once the laughter died down amongst the group, “Okay then. Now what?” It still felt weird. You’d never actually called them by their callsigns. Maybe this would open up that chance.

“Anybody have a good one?” Nat’s face flashed with excitement at your agreement

Jake answered first, “Sugar! Cause she’s sweet.”

You chuckled at that one. It would fit you, but it didn’t feel quite right. Not lively enough.

“I was thinking Apple, cause she’s a teacher.” Ken chimed in.

Nat shook her head, “Terrible, both of you.” She disagreed wholeheartedly reassuring your own feelings for both. Both okay but not the one.

“Then what’s your idea Phoenix?” Jake edged in his seat.

“I was thinking, Bumblebee. Because you call everybody honey.” She grinned all too proud of herself for coming up with that one. Bradley squeezed your thigh agreeing with that one. He like that one.

“Oh, I like that one!” You grinned agreeing with your boyfriend.

“Too bad sugar, you don’t get a say in your callsign.” Jake winked at you knowing it’d get a rise out of both of you, his favorite game to play.

Bradley leaned forward, “I like that one too. Bumblebee not Sugar” He reiterated out loud this time. Both Marty and Ken agreed. Nat turned towards Jake giving him the finger before proclaiming the victory of the callsigns.

“Bumblebee it is.” Nat grinned knowing she bested him. Everything was a competition among the pilots.

“Bee for short.” Jake butted in.

“A nickname for a nickname.” You smile only got brighter. Bradley looked down at you lovingly. Little did you know what he had planned for you soon. He was going to propose to you. Marry the shit out of you. Have as many kids as you wanted and live his best life possible with you. He couldn’t wait to really get his life started, “How cute.” You clapped your hands glad you’d agreed.

“Just like you.” Bradley whispered into your ear. He nibbled on your earlobe sending a chill down your entire side. Bastard knew exactly what he was doing. You gripped his thigh creeping your hand a little higher until he stopped. Grabbed your hand to stop your ascent up his thigh. Letting a low growl out he snapped the both of you back to reality.

Hangman only shook his head muttering something under his breath. Nat gave you a knowing grin. You certainly knew what the two of you were getting up to later.

Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @dempy @mayhemmanaged

[brucebocchi]

Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 4: #5-1

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

The list is complete! This took a lot of work but I'm over the moon to get this out there. Please consider leaving a tip if you've enjoyed reading.

Here goes, my top five anime of 2023:

5. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100’s debut hit like a freight train, especially coming from a brand new studio. It had everything: Visceral satire of Japanese work culture, incredible animation, vibrant colors in unexpected places, clever cinematography, wish fulfillment for everyone who’s ever wanted to Stone Cold their boss, and most importantly: Zombie titties.

The premise is magnetic: When your job makes you feel like a zombie, an actual zombie apocalypse means certain freedom from the grind. Akira Tendo realizes that he can finally use the vacation time he amassed while being exploited and overworked at a legally dodgy black company, so he writes a bucket list of everything he’s ever wanted to do, with all intention of checking off every single line item before succumbing to a zombie bite. He manages to rescue his hunky fuckboy bestie from college, and they embark on a road trip across Japan to finish out the list, along with a beautiful, risk-averse tsundere and a big-tiddy German weeb. 

It's a perfectly fine elevator pitch, and a welcome break from the guns-and-grit quagmire the zombie genre has been stuck in for the past two decades, but what makes any good zombie-flecked media resonate is the human element, which Zom 100 delivers expertly. You’re quickly given reason to care for all the characters, their motivations are clear and relatable, and you want to see them survive and live out their dreams. But more importantly, you just want to hang out with them through their hijinks. It even delves into more serious matters, like what we owe our parents as adults, the ways isolation and bitterness can drive people to act out in their worst moments, and even the factors that push abuse victims to stay with and even return to their abusers. 

Above all, though, it’s a powerful (if extreme) story of finding joy in the direst circumstances. Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka are all kindhearted, well-meaning people whose situations kept them from what they truly wanted to do with their lives, and there’s something kinda beautiful to be found in them finding a new opportunity during the possible end of the world (Beatrix is a sweetie too, but aside from the whole zombie thing, she’s already exactly where she wants to be). The final arc of the season, in particular, looks you dead in the eye and asks you: If you were suddenly faced with the ultimate freedom, would you use the opportunity to better yourself, improve the lives of others, or do whatever the fuck you want at everyone else’s expense? You may not like the answer at first if you’re honest with yourself, and that’s okay. The world isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to be your best self.

Zom 100, unfortunately, fell prey to a cruel irony in the form of production issues. Bug Films is a new studio made up of a former team from OLM that was responsible for similarly gorgeous projects such as Komi Can’t Communicate and Summer Time Rendering. They clearly saw so much of themselves in Akira's workplace exploitation that they had to swing for the fences here. The firm he works for is named “ZLM” in this adaptation, for fuck’s sake, and he fully destroys his zombie boss in the first episode. But new studio or old, the anime industry is a grind, and Bug had trouble keeping up; animation quality did take a bit of a dip after the stunning first episode, and episodes were frequently delayed as the summer broadcast season wore on and ended without the entire seasonal run making airwaves. Hell, it was impossible to watch the final three episodes until just a few days before I could write this sentence.

For what Bug were able to pull off, though, Zom 100 is outstanding. The paintball-colored blood splatters everywhere are an instantly-iconic look that strike the balance between horror and spectacle. Everything and everyone looks gorgeously faithful to Kotaro Takata’s art, and delivers an appropriately cinematic look that the manga always deserved. I almost don’t know what else to tell you but that this show is a fucking blast.

There’s also a zombie shark. What more could you want?

4. Oshi no Ko

I spent a good chunk of 2023 just assuming Oshi no Ko was going to be a layup for anime of the year. Shortly after moving on from Kaguya-sama, I rushed to binge Aka Akasaka's subsequent manga in time for the anime's feature-length debut. I was taken in by OnK's bonkers premise and sudden dark turn and quickly fell in love with the characters, and my anticipation only grew. I had high expectations for the screen adaptation, but nothing could have prepared me for just how lovingly it all came together. This is as close to a perfect adaptation as you can find, and the same can be said about both the preceding and following entries on this list.

Oshi no Ko is an audiovisual feast. Doga Kobo cleaned up Mengo Yokoyari’s character designs just a smidge, but put just the right flourishes on them to make every single cast member instantly iconic. One look at Kana Arima’s eyes will tell you everything you need to know about the level of care put into the visual design of this anime. The performances are on point as well; though many of the main cast members are relative newcomers to the world of seiyuu, you can tell they truly came to understand the characters before they even recorded one line. I’ve already gushed about Rie Takahashi in earlier entries, but her turn as Ai Hoshino is easily one of the best voice performances all year. Takahashi makes a meal out of every single second Ai spends on screen and gives you every reason to care about her as a character.

Showbiz manga in general is obviously missing an audio element, and when an adaptation can expand on that aspect well, it can help turn even middling source material into something transcendent (see also: Rock!, Bocchi the). Music is central to Oshi no Ko, and the OP/ED combination is already iconic; YOASOBI’s “Idol” has had the best worldwide chart performance of any Japanese song ever, and the prolonged intro to Queen Bee’s “Mephisto” became a meme in Japan in the same vein as JJBA’s iconic use of “Roundabout.” Rather than taking manga characters’ word for it that someone is a terrible actor, we actually get to cringe along to an amateur actor’s hammy emoting. We get to see and hear what turned a fictional idol group into a national phenomenon rather than just see cute girls posing on the page. All of this is to say that while Oshi no Ko is an excellent manga, it needed a screen adaptation, and especially one of this quality.

Oshi no Ko deserves every shred of its success. I've never seen an anime make a splash this enormous with just its debut episode, even if it’s kind of cheating to say so because the first episode is almost literally a movie, and if I were to give an award for the best single episode of anime this year, it would be that one, hands down. Adapting the entire first volume into a feature-length debut was the correct move (mostly because it’s a tonal rollercoaster, and the Big Event that defines the entire story wouldn’t have happened until the fourth episode otherwise), and the investment paid dividends. The hype naturally died down a bit as the season wore on and settled into a more consistent tone and rhythm, but it remains an essential anime to 2023.

You may have noticed that I have said very little of what this show is actually about, and that’s by design: If you still don’t know the plot of Oshi no Ko’s first episode by now, I refuse to tell you: you need to go in blind. All I will say is that it is an idol anime that glorifies nothing. If you've read this far and still trust what I have to say about anime, I beg you to just take my word for it. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

There's just something so wonderful about taking in an adaptation of a work you’re already familiar with and knowing, almost instantaneously, that every single person working on it genuinely loved the source material and relished the opportunity to bring it to life. Nearly every single member of the original cast is in the dub (including the ones who went on to be MCU mainstays), Edgar Wright is back on as executive producer, Anamanaguchi reprise their soundtracking duties from the video game, and even Bryan Lee O’Malley himself helped co-write everything.

That last detail is probably the most important thing about this entire production: It’s not exactly a secret that the original Scott Pilgrim comics are very imperfect portrayals of a very imperfect young man. I knew reading them at the time that the comic did not have a great grasp on relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and that was at a time in my life when I myself was pretty terrible with and to women. O'Malley has said that he would only revisit Scott Pilgrim if it was “the right thing” and that he was leery of a straight retelling of a work he has since outgrown.

So instead, we have the Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim, to put it simply. Takes Off is a completely new story that reexamines the Scott Pilgrim comics, movie, and even game without undermining what came before it. This series is not a repudiation of Scott Pilgrim (the character or the franchise)’s flaws, nor is it purely fanservice; it splits the difference perfectly. It’s both more mature and completely self-indulgent. This show so easily could’ve marched to the familiar discourse drumbeat of “Scott isn’t the hero here” or “he’s actually not a good dude,” but it instead focuses on what should always be the second half of that sentence: “But Ramona still sees something in him.”

Yes, Ramona Flowers is effectively the protagonist of a new work that doesn’t even have her name on it, and it tackles some surprisingly necessary questions: What was her responsibility in creating seven evil exes in the first place? What made them evil? Are they even that evil? This series opens up entire worlds of possibilities within the extended cast and gleefully dives into them. Though Takes Off may not flesh out every single character, it does take its time with several of the ones who really did need a little more meat on their narrative bones, and even gives some characters new roles just because it would be fun to see them in new situations.

I still cannot believe they got Science Saru to make this show. “They made a Scott Pilgrim anime” and “They brought back the movie cast” are already good enough fodder for that Vince McMahon meme, but “It’s produced by the motherfuckers who made Devilman Crybaby” had me falling out of my chair. The animation maintains O'Malley's chunky, cartoony character designs and works wonders with line weights and simulated camera effects to give everything a tactile, weighty feel, like it’s somehow (and very appropriately) splitting the difference between a comic, a film, and even a video game. There’s a wide array of visual effects that helps to place all of Scott Pilgrim’s influences further on its sleeve: Dynamic action scenes, camera depth and chromatic aberration, and our beloved pixel art inserts. It looks like every Scott Pilgrim, everywhere, all at once.

The live action film’s cast did a (mostly) great job reprising their roles for animation, and there are some wildly unexpected cameos in there. Voice acting is not quite the same as stage or film acting, but everyone pulls their weight, and dialogue feels far more naturalistic than your average anime dub. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and, surprisingly, Chris Evans are outstanding in their respective roles. I’m gonna have to watch this again in Japanese, though. Fairouz Ai as Ramona, Aoi Koga as Knives, and Yuichi Nakamura as Lucas Lee? Sign me the fuck up.

This is not an apology or revision of Scott Pilgrim the character or work, it is a celebration that still acknowledges and improves on the flaws. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who’d been clamoring for a proper cartoon adaptation, Takes Off may not exactly be what you’ve wanted, but it may be what you needed.  Chances are pretty good that you’ve grown since the first time since you read, watched, or even played something with Scott Pilgrim’s name on it, and it’s a blessing to say that while the character may not have grown, Scott Pilgrim the franchise finally has. 

2. Jujutsu Kaisen, season 2

I’m so glad I picked up JJK this year, if only because I would’ve otherwise been caught in a mudslide of memes I didn’t understand.

Season 2 follows in lockstep with the manga from where season 1 left off, beginning in extended flashback with the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, covering Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto’s high school life and the events that would eventually create the rift between them that came to shape Jujutsu Kaisen’s story. We see very different versions of Gojo and Geto here, much younger and more naive, but only marginally less powerful as they’re sent on an escort mission with the future of the jujutsu world in the balance. Because this is Jujutsu Kaisen, and because Jujutsu Kaisen is for masochists, nothing happens as planned.

We unfortunately do not get the precious slice-of-life hijinks the OP suggests, but if you watched season 1, you should know better by now than to trust an OP. While the initial arc does have its quieter and goofier moments (and some delicious homoerotic subtext), it wastes little time in declaring that this is a new version of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Lines are thinner, character models are looser, and action is buckwild. Two of the best fakeouts in the series happen in the span of five minutes. Those unfamiliar with the source material may have wondered for a bit why there needed to be a five-episode prequel arc to start the season, but the pieces would soon fall into place.

And then came Shibuya.

The Shibuya Incident arc was what made Jujutsu Kaisen a must-read in every new issue of Shonen Jump. It reset the status quo for the story and shaped it into something far beyond another “teenagers with special powers go to a school for teenagers with special powers” battle shonen. Needless to say, the hype for its anime adaptation was astronomical.

The Shibuya arc sets the stakes early: Nobody is safe and there may be no happy ending. Triumph is short-lived, and every threat is existential. Everyone who has been in the series up to this point plays a role, and you’re not going to like a lot of what’s needed of them. This arc punches you in the gut, repeatedly, and in between each blow is some of the most intense and innovative action you’ve ever seen. It will hurt, and you will beg for more.

I liked this arc a good amount in the manga, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t get the hype around Toji, thought the deaths were cheap, and was so. FUCKING. sick of Mahito. Seeing it in fluid motion onscreen, though, everything just clicked for me and I couldn’t get enough. I fully get now why the girlies have been wetting themselves over Toji; the character modelers were HORNY horny this season. I see now how even the most unceremonious deaths fit into the narrative, or at least one will make perfect sense to me once Gege Akutami and I have a little chat :). And holy hell do I understand now that Mahito is one of the best shonen villains in the history of the medium, that sick bastard. Season 2 was my Rosetta stone for Jujutsu Kaisen; I see it all now. My sixth eye has been opened. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the literate one.

JJK’s second season has a markedly different feel from the first from a presentation standpoint, and I feel it’s for the better. Every aspect of the presentation is on point, and I want to call attention to the audio element: The production music, with a heavy focus on jazz piano, is wonderfully unique for the genre, and the voice acting remains top notch. These are banner performances from the likes of Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Takahiro Sakurai, Asami Seto, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, but the performance that defines the Shibuya arc (and by extension the entire season) is Junya Enoki as Yuji Itadori. 

Enoki’s been great this year in lead roles in goofy works like KamiKatsu and Girlfriend Girlfriend (not to mention minor roles in Skip and Loafer and the vending machine isekai), so it’s no surprise that he continues to crush it as JJK’s protagonist; Yuji Itadori is a goofy dude. But the Shibuya arc, for as much ground and as many characters as it covers, is ultimately Yuji’s story as he is forced, time and again, to endure the cycle of the “suffering builds character” meme. His peers and mentors in the first season told him repeatedly that the life of a jujutsu sorcerer is a short and unhappy one, and he now has to shoulder that burden for everyone. Enoki nails every single part of a wide spectrum of emotions Yuji is forced to endure over the course of the Shibuya arc, be it determination, naive confusion, or just pure unbridled trauma. If this isn’t the best voice performance of the year, it’s top five at worst.

Like every major battle shonen release in the age of social media, this season has had its detractors. Reviewers at Anime News Network kinda hated the story, but that’s something you take up with Gege Akutami (and get in line behind the manga readers). I've seen people complain about the animation. Which, like. If you don’t like the new visual style, sure, fine, that’s up to personal taste. But if you think this season isn’t well-animated, you just plain don’t know ball. It may not have a cohesive look, but that was the draw for me: Season 1 was good, but at times I felt like it looked a little too rigid, a little too shiny, a little too samey. Season 2, especially the Shibuya arc, looks like everything. Sometimes it looks like an action film, sometimes it looks like Mob Psycho 100, and at points it looks, most crucially, like Akutami’s most iconic panels brought to life, stroke for stroke.

The varying styles weren’t an accident: Nearly each episode had its own director, and those resumes cover top-tier animations like Mob Psycho, Devilman Crybaby, Kill la Kill, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, FLCL, even Akira and goddamn Golden Boy. While the episodes don’t look entirely consistent from one to the next, the variance is less jarring and more “holy fuck, what am I going to see next?”. The looser style of animation is what Jujutsu Kaisen always needed; Akutami’s art is very loose and dynamic, and his action panels are borderline inscrutable at times. Season 2 nails the feel of JJK to a degree that its adaptation always needed and lets its directors, storyboarders, and animators run wild. At times, characters will look like they leapt right off the page; others, they will look like something you have never seen before in your life.

It is unfortunately impossible to talk about this season without also bringing up MAPPA’s working conditions, and how animators were frequently overworked against nigh-impossible deadlines. It was an open secret last year as Chainsaw Man aired that MAPPA’s animation schedule was a meat grinder, but that came bubbling to the surface quickly as JJK’s second season aired. Word got out midseason that MAPPA had its animators sign NDAs about their work conditions, but complaints still broke containment and several staffers took to social media to apologize for their work looking incomplete, and some even publicly announced that they are leaving the studio. It is stunning that the finished product looks the way it does under such conditions, and I respect the animators for putting in such incredible work, but something has to give. Several major series suffered from major delays this year, some of which I gave significant praise, but MAPPA is lucky that all of JJK came out on time. I wish I knew what could push them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect (and pay) they deserve, but that’s a conversation that covers much wider ground than just anime.

MAPPA has already announced that the series will continue through the next major arc. While there is quite a bit of it that I would love to see on screen, I can only hope that the animators get to rest. For now, though, we can be proud of what they made under duress, even if some will forever wonder what it would look like if the staff were treated like something a notch above cattle.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fucking hell. This is why I watch anime.

I was curious about this one because a couple major anitubers I watch had reviewed the manga and were effusive in their praise. I knew the anime adaptation was on the way, so I decided to hold off on reading and see what the anime would be like, and with Keiichiro Saito (director of Bocchi the Rock! and key animator for Oshi no Ko’s instantly-iconic OP) at the helm, my excitement was piqued. That guy turned a B-minus 4-koma into an innovative hit comedy, so what can he do with a beloved source material and the backing of a legacy studio like Madhouse?

I've had so much to say about Frieren since the premiere, and I still have so much to say now, but to talk about what I love about this show is to talk about everything about this show. When the first four episodes dropped, I described it as “Mushoku Tensei without the baggage,” and I stand by that. There were multiple points throughout Frieren’s first cour where I'd nearly forgotten that I wasn't watching Mushoku Tensei. Every single element is on point: The animation is fluid and expressive, backdrops are consistently gorgeous, voice performances are quickly memorable, and the music is evocative and instantly iconic. This is, plainly, one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have ever seen on nearly every level, be it visually, sonically, or thematically.

The initial four-episode debut was a masterclass in establishing the setting, building emotional investment into the characters, and slowly but deliberately laying out the premise of the season to come. The titular Frieren is an elf mage who, for a very brief decade of her millennium-long life, lent her skills to an adventuring party to slay the Demon King. Though she helped save the world, she was never one for stuff like adulation or socializing, so she breaks away from the group to continue her hobby of collecting various spells and arcana. She regroups with them after 50 years, having kept in contact with none of them, only to find them older and frailer. The party’s leader, the hero Himmel, passes away shortly thereafter, and Frieren breaks down at his funeral, having realized exactly too late how important he was to her and that she’d never really bothered to get to know him as a person.

Some time later, she’s called by the surviving human member of the party, Heiter, under the guise of translating an old text, but soon realizes that he duped her into helping train the young orphan girl he adopted, Fern, as a mage. Upon Heiter’s death, Frieren and Fern head out together, carrying out odd jobs and retracing Frieren’s steps from the journey that changed her more than she realized. They soon learn from the other surviving member of the party, Eisen, that (ooh) heaven is, in fact, a place on earth, and that Frieren may be able to properly pay Himmel his final respects in person. In order to do so, they must make a trip to the north, past the Demon King’s castle. The story of Beyond Journey’s End is, quite literally, a nostalgia trip.

Frieren's story is one of grief and regret, but also how we can use those emotions as a way of moving forward rather than looking backward. Her history is a long one and her memories seemingly everlasting, but she uses them to pave the road ahead of her rather than let them shackle her to the past. This is best exemplified by Fern herself, as well as the other companion they pick up along the way in Eisen’s former trainee, Stark. Frieren can carry on the legacies of Heiter and Eisen by helping their young wards grow into the capable young adults they’re meant to be, while Himmel’s legacy lives on in the memories of the towns and villages he helped save along Frieren’s new path, and most importantly, in Frieren herself.

The degree to which Himmel truly mattered to Frieren becomes more apparent to her as the story goes on, and it becomes more evident in her actions. Himmel was a gentle, selfless (if self-aggrandizing) man who was every last bit the hero the modern world believes him to be. With every statue of him she cleans, every flower she plants in his name, every core memory that returns to her, we are watching Frieren become more and more like him in real time. You would expect a thousand-year-old woman to be pretty set in her ways, but we see her holding off on old, bad behaviors because of how Himmel would react to them back then. As Fern and Stark grow into young adults, we see her beginning to treat them the same way Himmel treated her. Frieren doesn’t realize it until later in the season, but it’s apparent to us early on that Himmel well and truly loved her, and I feel that it’s dawning on her that she loved him too and didn’t recognize it. That is tragic in and of itself (this show absolutely is a tearjerker at times and I will cop to getting misty-eyed as I write this), but there is something beautiful, well beyond my grasp, in being able to honor the memory and carry out the legacy of a loved one in how you treat those around you. I don’t think anything could have made Himmel prouder.

Frieren herself is a really goddamn good character too (and expertly voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, best known for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family). Though she is portrayed as quiet and uncaring for the early part of the story, it’s been really delightful to watch her open up, and above all, inadvertently reveal that she’s actually just Really Fucking Weird. For as self-assured and put together as she always seems on the surface, it was great to learn that she’s just an enormous slob (she just like me fr), and any outward expressions of smugness or her offbeat sense of humor are always a joy. “Deeply weird person trying to act normal” is always fun, and there’s just something so consistently delightful about seeing someone so typically calm and intelligent get caught in a mimic chest every single time.

I still can’t get over how fucking good this show looks. Beyond Journey’s End features some of the most intricate, loving animation I’ve seen for stuff as simple as someone putting on a jacket. Action scenes are few and far between, but not a single frame is wasted when shit pops off. Not everyone is as detailed as possible at all times, and they don’t need to be, but everyone looks incredible when they do need to. It’s well above my pay grade to accurately say so, but this show could be a lesson in proper animation budgeting. I could go on and on and on, but I’ve written nearly eighteen thousand words about anime, so I’ll wrap it up. 

The debut season of Frieren will continue into 2024, and if the quality remains a constant, it could very well be one of the best anime of next year too. It has remained as MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime ever for its entire run, warding off the legion of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans. Frieren deserves it. I say with no hyperbole that this is one of the most perfectly realized things I’ve ever seen on television. This is an essential watch for anyone who likes fantasy anime, anime in general, or fantasy in general.

[tjjamess]

watching les mis bootlegs everyday

Day 3

okay so this was meant to be a daily thing but I literally passed out from exhaustion half way through this performance then was immediately sick the next two days. This may be a sign from the universe, however, this sign can’t stop me cause I can’t read.

14/6/2014 West End Production

Https://youtu.be/ucpfyLQKif8?si=AURouDP1jYXb5ZFl

To preface, this is incredibly biased because this is a rewatch of the first bootleg I ever watched of Les Mis and was literally my introduction to Les mis

it holds a very very very special place in my heart

first off literally one of the most powerful singing from Valjean I’ve heard

Incredible!!

oml Na-Young Jeon plays Fantine and she is literally my favourite Fantine ever I love her so my she is how I have always and will always picture Fantine she is literally the greatest

she’s gorgeous like just look at her

She has a power in her voice that I don’t hear often in other Fantine’s

she’s literally perfect

theres a moment in at the end of the day where she attempts to stop Valjean from leaving cause she knows what’s going to happen

Carrie Hope Fletcher as Eponine!!!

Amazing of course

She’s an icon she’s a legend

a little fall of rain actually hurt my soul so much

She’s such a good actress I will literally shout it from the rooftops

Cosette oh Cosette i cannot speak enough about her

her acting was actually incredible especially in the finale and her face is so expressive I can’t even

this post is just turning into actress appreciation at this point

Marius was such a Little loser this performance

At least he can sing

empty chairs and empty tables broke me

Enjolras had a little bow in his ponytail

Im pretty sure Javert gets a little bow in his hair at some point later as well

but you cannot tell me this is not one of the most Enjolras looking Enjolrases to even Enjolras

He gets all up close and personal with Javert

now for my little Grantaire tangent

i absolutely loved Grantaire in this performance I think this was my favourite portrayal of him ever

he as a really good relationship with Gavroche it’s so cute

When Gavroche is accusing Javert he flings his arms around and almost knocks Grantaire in the face

Grantaire holds onto Gavroche to keep him away from the guns

My sillies

and when Gavroche dies and the set spins to return to the barricade boys the spotlight is on Grantaire as he slowly sits down after witnessing it

:)

After a little fall of rain Enjolras steps forward to speak to Marius but Grantaire steps between them stopping him from getting any closer before comforting Marius

In Drink with me Grantaire tries to (or does I can’t tell) kiss Joly

Then he fucking sobs through his solo and hugs Enjolras who sits him down and takes away his drink

then he REACHES OUT TO ENJOLRAS

i cant do this

and on the Barricade Enjolras runs all the way down from the top to see Grantaire then they both climb back up together

also he’s either wearing eyeliner or it just looks like he’s wearing eyeliner

his actor was just really really good in general

and that is why I love Grantaire thank you for coming to my Ted talk

After the finale battle Javert tried to open the sewer grate then GROWLS ‘Valjean’

like actually

through out the entire show this man is just full on GROWLING

Javert’s soliloquy was a masterpiece genuinely

his transition from the bridge to the ground was so smooth I have no clue how they did that

i mean…he kinda… *gets spritzed with water and starts melting like that witch*

The Thenadiers are like exactly how I pictured them to look

plus they were both real good

^^Now I know you can’t tell, but this here is a picture of Feuilly holding Enjolras by the waist (it’s canon fr fr)

shout out to this random woman and barricade boy who are being adorable in the background while Marius is lamenting about his sad sad life

time for my lighting nerd moment!

the majority of especially the first part of the performance the stage is like entirely dark with a single spotlight

particularly with individual songs but for like most of the songs that aren’t group songs (red and black or one day more ect)

It’s done SO well and looks SO good

it’s very impressive how exact the spotlights are

It feels like this performance is very character focused rather than set

especially because the person filming tends to zoom in on the actors faces to capture their expressions

They make really good use of smoke the whole performance it’s very nice

I like how they used smoke with coloured lighting at the beginning of at the end of the day

The sequence was very nice

and in the sewers they used a bunch of spotlights to show Valjean and Marius travelling

they also use a grate light for the sewers and dog eats dog which worked really well imo

if you want the full stage the whole time you absolutely will not get that for most of the performance

the person filming is actually pretty good at catching faces

Overall the performance was so incredible

i am very biased so take everything with a grain of salt

but definitely one of, if not my favourite bootleg

now I leave you with two of my favourite screenshots

If you have suggestions for other good bootlegs please let me know (YouTube only)

[melodymunson]

Baron Lamram (Marmalade) x fem!reader blurb

Baron Lamram was the perfect Southern gentleman. The best part about him was that he was yours. There was never a dull day with him around. Having him in your life and his mama Eda who considered you to be a daughter to her meant so much to you. Baron loved that his mama supported his relationship with you. It all started when you were traveling cross-country on a road trip. Once you ended up in the South little did you know your life would change forever. In the park, you were sunbathing and that's when you met Baron by the lake. Not only was he respectable but he had the most adorable lopsided smile. You introduced yourselves to each other and it was all uphill from there. Soon you started dating and he would take you out on the cutest dates imaginable. The best dates were simple and fun like going on a picnic, swimming at the lake, the diner and ice cream parlor, and the local carnival. You were his first lover and first real official relationship. He gifted you matching promise rings once you were dating for a year. His home was now your home too. Baron loved vanilla ice cream cones and would get them every time you went to the ice cream shop together so you did too. It was simple but delicious.

Soon after you had a pregnancy test taken and it was unfortunately a false positive. Baron and you both wanted to be parents. Then the robberies started because Mama Eda was sick and working at the local supermarket together with Baron wasn't enough to make ends meet. Baron's mama meant a great deal to you and she appreciated all your help around the house with cooking, buying groceries, cleaning, helping the household with your job co-working with Baron, and tending to her by her bedside. One day out antique shopping you had the best idea- to buy masks. They were unique and had 3 distinct faces. Soon you and Baron mapped out and planned your first bank heist. The day came and you were incognito with the best disguises. Baron had confided in you he wanted to also dress as a woman but in drag. It was hot and sexy and it turned you on so much that you decided to make passionate love. Lady Baron had the prettiest makeup and the nicest jewelry. The black lacy Madonna-like gloves and fire-engine red lipstick truly completed the look. Lady Baron loved to get pegged and she loved to dress in your clothes completing her look with scarves. The blouse/skirt combination. The dresses she wore were gorgeous and some of them were silky. Your favorite outfits of hers were the black and red dresses, as well as animal print, especially leopard and zebra.

On the day of the robbery, you were the getaway driver and he went in gun in tow and held them up. Before the bank robbery, you wished Baron good luck and kissed him deeply and passionately as if it could be the last time he would ever kiss you. Coming back to the car with the money and goods like expensive watches and jewelry, you and Baron got away. After a few more robberies he was arrested and you made your getaway. He convinced the police it was all on him. In prison, you visited him and had the best conjugal visits with wild and crazy back-scratching sex. Soon you worked as a guard and helped him to escape prison. On the run now you had to get even better disguises and he changed his look by cutting his hair short and going a bit incognito. Lady Baron still made a presence though as you were dressed as a man and Ms. Lady Baron drove the getaway car evading officers. Driving far away from his hometown to visit his mom who was sick in hospice and bringing her the pills was the most important task. The money you had stolen counted up close to a million and with that money you bought a better and nicer car that was a sleek red Corvette. You eventually got matching tattoos of flaming hearts. Soon you got married at a little ceremony with Mama Eda and an ordained wedding officiant. The honeymoon was in Brooklyn, New York City, and Niagara Falls NY was the best part of it. When the time was right you got a puppy together she was a pomeranian from animal control. You named her Spike. Spike didn't like many people except for you, Baron, and Mama Eda. For the longest time, you tried hard for a baby and soon you were pregnant with a beautiful baby girl. You named her Eda. Less than 2 years later you had a boy then another girl. You named the kids Bonnie and Clyde. Thanks to the best doctors and medicine, Mama Eda got the best treatment and recovered gradually. Now living out in the country you had a farm with horses, ducks, goats, and cows. It was a nice farming life and you loved Baron more than anything else. The feeling was mutual.

tag list: @corneliuswatkins @keeryatmosphere @jadeylovesmarvelxo @ali-r3n @mrprettywhenhecries @daisy-is-a-writer @stevesxyellowxsweater @koskeepsake @munson-mjstan @rowanswriting @edsbug @babygorewhore @steveslittlesunflower @emsgoodthinkin @seatnights @probablyin-bed @corrodedcorpses @lovelythoughtfulcupcake @brinasdead @thescoopstroopers @ellharrington @dollalicia

[jellybean-supreme]

New recruit. (König x reader)

Introduction

König glanced at the new recruit curiously from across the room, tilting his head. However, he looked away swiftly when he thought he had been caught staring.

König glanced at the new recruit curiously from across the room, tilting his head. However, he looked away swiftly when he thought he had been caught staring.

"Hii König"

"H..." He muttered quietly and looked away, embarrassed as he had been caught. He took a breath, trying to hide his nerves, but his heart wouldn't stop racing. He seemed hesitant to say anything more, but he found himself wanting to talk to her, even if his heart was pounding. He looked up at her with a small smile, still shy.

" I wanted to a-ask you if you-u wanted to watch a movie ton-night ?" I sat stuttering while blushing

"Uh," He stammered and his heart continued racing as he tried to gather his thoughts. He gulped, his anxiety only increasing with the prospect of watching a movie with this gorgeous woman. He wanted to say yes, but he was afraid of messing things up and losing his chance. After a moment, he finally mustered up the courage to speak again, "Sure, I'd love to."

"Gre-great, ill see you there at 6?"

"Six, got it," He replied with an affirming nod of his head. The thought of seeing her later filled his stomach with butterflies as his nerves continued to ramp up. He hadn't been on a date in over two years. The mere thought of being alone with this gorgeous woman had him trembling with nerves. He tried to keep a calm expression but he couldn't control his racing heart.

As the day drew to an end and 6pm rolled around, his nerves had been escalating up until this point. He had made sure to wear his nicest set of clothes, and he had even gotten a haircut that morning. However, as he approached her door, his nerves peaked. He was afraid he would mess this date up or that he would somehow lose his chance with this beautiful woman. His heart was pounding so fast that he felt as if it would burst out of his chest. He took a deep, shaky breath and knocked on her door.

I open the door, wearing the nicest and comfiest set of clothes I own. " I hope you're OK with eating chicken nuggets and chips while we watch the movie." I sat smiling at him

He smiled widely at her as she opened the door, looking absolutely stunning in that casual outfit she put together. As she spoke, his nerves began to subside, and he was filled with a sense of excitement that he wasn't sure he would find someone who shared his interests. Looking at her warm smile, he nodded his head in agreement, his heart still pounding. "That sounds perfect," he said softly.

"Great," I say happily. " Do you wanna wat h an animation or something like Top Gun?"

"An animation sounds great," he replied excitedly and with a nod of his head. He had liked animation but hadn't been able to watch much since joining the military. It was nice to have an opportunity to sit back and relax, especially with such an amazing woman, and he was eager to see what she would put on. "I'll leave the choice up to you."

" Okay, great," I say happily. I lived watching animations, though people called me childish for watching it. "Are you OK with watching Madagascar 3?"

"Madagascar 3? I love that movie!" He exclaimed happily, his nerves starting to calm down with his excitement. This was going to be a great date he was sure of it, and she had even picked a movie he enjoyed. Now if only he could get himself to relax...

"Great let's watch it"

With that, the two entered and sat down at the couch, beginning Madagascar 3 as they each settled in. The room was dark with the exception of a dim lamp, and the sound of the movie filled the room. Their bodies were close to one another, with him just slightly closer to the tv than her, and he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding out of his chest as he kept stealing glances at the gorgeous woman next to him.

I slowly lean into König hoping he wouldn't mind me laying on his chest

A shiver went down his spine as his heart skipped a beat when she leaned in and laid her head near his chest. It felt like every fiber of his being was buzzing with her so close. He slowly brought his arm around her and placed it on her shoulder to pull her in a little closer as he continued watching the movie. He noticed himself taking deep, shaky breaths as he tried to control his heartbeat which was beating like crazy next to her.

I reached for the popcorn slowly while trying not to move his hands off of me, I liked his hands on me. " Would you like some?" I ask him

"Hmm?" He glanced down at the popcorn in her hands, seemingly having forgotten that it was there. "Oh, yeah, sure," he replied softly as he glanced back at the screen, feeling a bit more relaxed. He had to admit, it was nice having a reason to keep his hands on her. Even if they were only on her shoulder right now, it felt nice having her so close and knowing that she seemed to be enjoying the moment as well.

I feel as if I'm going to fall asleep, hopefully König doesn't mind if I sleep on his chest on my bed.

The two of them continued watching the movie, though in their own little world as they were both feeling rather comfortable with one another. König couldn't help but notice just how close she was getting, and he didn't dare shift his body or move his hands in the event that she would become more alert and feel his heart pounding.

After a while, she grew even more comfortable and relaxed as her breathing grew more even, indicating that she may be getting close to falling asleep. She would be adorable if she fell asleep on his chest...

It just seemed like too perfect of a moment to interrupt, and he was so comfortable as things were that he didn't want to change a single thing. The thought of having her fall asleep on his chest made him smile a little and he looked down at her, gently running his hand through her hair as he made sure not to wake the beautiful woman up. He didn't mind one bit if it meant they stayed like this for a little while more.

Their bodies had grown even closer as she leaned in more and her head was resting against the top of his chest. He had never experienced something so calming before, and he just couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Her dark hair had a shine to it that was captivating his eyes as her breathing got even more slowed and her grip on his shirt tightened slightly. He hoped he wouldn't wake her if he moved, but he didn't know what else he could do when she had him captured like this...

I finally fall asleep hoping that König would cuddle withand sleep with me

He sighed softly as her body fell limpid with her weight resting on his chest. His eyes had been watching her every move and the slow pattern of her breathing, but they were also starting to grow heavy as well. He didn't want to move a single inch, though, not with how peaceful this moment felt. He began to caress her softly, his touch as gentle as her breathing as he hoped this night would never end, that she would never wake...

[pallisia]

world/magic questions round 2!

Anonymous asked:

Is Ysme one to have a new look for every occasion or does she have a few distinct looks she rotates through depending on what the situation calls for? And, (if not spoilers) could she disguise herself as a completely different person if she wanted? Could she illusion herself to look like Loic?

my answer to the first question depends on how hellish it will be to draw a bunch of different outfits for ysme's character portraits. in theory, she would always want to change up her look a little.

recreating another person's likeness with artisanry doesn't really work that well. maybe you could create prosthetics to approximate someone else's appearance, but it tends to look unconvincing on close inspection.

Anonymous asked:

will we ever receive a defined timeline of the world (or at least how long it's been since mosaic was established, etc) or will it remain a playful wink in the background? (i've been thinking about this since the TV bit plus the reference to time being sidestepped for particulars)

the history of the mosaic will be explored, but for now i can say that it's only been "open" for about fifty years.

Anonymous asked:

Ysme had a certain spoilery item that she created. Did she need a license or permit to have it/create it? Want to get a head start on the Clown Crime Counter.

the types of constructs people can make with artisanry are regulated in the mosaic. an ordinary citizen just conjuring a gun on a whim would be illegal, yes.

cheetour asked:

oh!! are the individual flowers/flower language that Loïc uses inspired by real flowers & their meanings, or are they fabricated by you? or a mixture of both? they're mostly flowers I don't recognise (but maybe Americans have slightly different flowers idk)

a mixture of both. the white dawn's eye is based loosely on a daisy called the monarch of the veld, but then there are normal flowers that just exist unchanged like the dandelion.

Anonymous asked:

So if Ysme can make outfits out of glamour/magic, does she just not bother with regular clothing and constantly magic herself up some garments?

wouldn't you?

elritze asked:

I LOVED the first part of Soulsov! It was gorgeous and I’m already so invested in the story and characters! I was curious about old vs. new magic, especially artisanry. How do people like Ysme and Alma learn artisanry? Why is new magic acceptable in the Mosaic (I think, I may have misremembered), while old pagan magic like Loic’s flowers is forbidden?

thanks a lot. i can't delve into the last question yet, but you can probably infer why from a few conversations in the prelude.

artisanry is the "default" magic system within the mosaic. it's taught in schools, and generally everybody knows the fundamentals.

Anonymous asked:

How does pressing the flower affect the resulting magic? Does it weaken the effect, but allow for more flexible casting? Is it unchanged? Was this question answered in the prelude and my incredibly bad memory jus took its toll once more? P.S. The Prelude ruled, it was amazing. <3

thank you. dried flowers are just as effective, but there's a particular ritual that allows this, so just popping them into the flower press like normal would render them useless.

[ladydaybreaker]

Thoughts on the ending

So this isn't going to be as in depth as what some others have done...just my own personal thoughts. So, spoilers ahead y'all under the break

I felt the finale should have been longer. I felt that, especially towards the end, things were rushed and just slapped on in a 'well this happened'. Granted, this makes me have a bit more fun time with my 'job' writing out what happened for my stories as I get to play around...but at the same time, I wanted to see more.

I felt there definitely could have been more with J and Tessa (or "Tessa's" relationship, giving a better reason of why she sided with them than "I want to live". I kinda did the "Oh...so she knew the whole time." response when I saw J's reaction to the Solver bringing the ship down. Personally, I kinda hoped that she didn't know, which would have gotten a lot of very interesting interactions ranging from grief to confusion to absolute effing fury that the Solver took another thing from her. Which would have meant J fighting alongside N and V rather than against them...which imo could have been a cool thing. The "I hate you but I hate this thing more."

V I expected to be alive. In one way or another. Either she was going to be fully ok like what we saw in canon (that oil drag away in the ep7 teaser clued me in she survived) or we'd have Eldritch V to deal with before messing with "Tessa".

I do wish that the "Bus Crash Trio" had more of a relevance other than delivering the gun to Uzi and Khan getting to slam the door down on "Tessa" and stop her from eating N's core.

Also literally everyone but Doll and Tessa living was just a "aw come on..." from me (though there might be a chance to get Doll back from what I could see since we see Uzi's HUD flash her purple, Cyn's gold and Doll's red.)

I felt the entire episode could have been at least ten minutes longer.

Now, enough with the complaining and on to the stuff I liked.

The horror and action was wonderful. I adored the final fight against "Tessa" and J. The Hallway scene with "Tessa" stalking Uzi and N while giving Callback Pings to call Uzi back to her was chilling. Not to mention the whole "LetMeInLetMeInLetMeIn" scene. (I wish these scenes were longer, make the Solver horrifyingly threatening as it's toying with them/hunting them down). Also. Uzi's core literally trying to rip itself outta her chest as she's getting pinged was just horror fuel.

V and N's PTSD kicking in when "Tessa" confronted them just MWAH! Yes. All the Trauma for the cute murder bots. V's shrieks of terror and panicked "I need to get away!" moments were absolutely gorgeous and I will gladly enjoy messing with that in my own way.

The callback pings also made me squeal because that was something my awesome friend @banyanas created for their DD headcanons and we all kinda went feral over them. I'm glad to see them there!

Cyn lived. Even if she's not in her own body, I am happy to see the silly little chaos gremlin alive. I am STILL of the opinion that Cyn and the Solver are not the same person. As I kinda got that vibe when Cyn was talking to Uzi at the locker...it was a lot more kind and innocent compared to the earlier battle. Maybe it was her resignation of being stuck like that, I don't know.

Cori, effing Cori. I love the purple spitfire, still my favorite character to traumatize and love on and oh my god yes the Khori content. I am so glad she actually lived. Khan still loves his crazy beautiful wife even if she doesn't have a proper body (yet...I'm not convinced they don't eventually give her her body back). Tsundere Nori was sweet as she saved him and oh I'm totally not gonna weaponize this :3

Nuzi confirmed! My Biscuit Bites lovin' heart is happy. (Picks up Orion and Astra) Look! You two are somewhat canon now!

Uzi kicking god in the screen. CROSSROADS CREW! LOOKING GLASS BEAU AND FLIPSIDE VERA YOUR GIRL KEPT HER PROMISE AND KICKED GOD IN THE SCREEN!!

A detail I haven't shared much but have been thinking on was Uzi's eyes now. How they're a gradient of yellow and purple. I...will admit I did have the thought of when she gets stressed/frightened/angry there are little yellow glitches in them even though the Solver is destroyed in Suns, Moons and Stars.

All in all, still kinda 'ok' on the episode. My favorite is still Episode 4 though 7's up there. I wish some things went different but eh, that's what my job as a fanfic writer is.

As it stands, Thank you Liam, thank you Glitch, thank you Michael, Elsie, Nola, Daisy, Fitzy, everyone. All of you did your hearts' work and it very much shows. If not for you guys, I never would have met people I am honored and blessed to call friends. And I never would have started writing probably the longest story project I've ever done.

May you dance among the stars from adversity.

-Lady Daybreaker

[kenjiyabuki]

gmmtv 2025 wants and needs and predictions

i was in a yapping mood. feel free to comment :0)

anyone remember Captain from My School President? yeah, i forgot about him too until i was revisiting it last week. he is such a cutie and he really shone through in episode 6. yes he did, go back and check it. so, GMMTV, please take him out the basement in 2025 and at least give him a secondary role? i accept even if it is just one of those "main BL lead's goofy bestie" ones, just let him see the sun.

SO I THINK THIS WONT HAPPEN BECAUSE ITS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE but does anyone remember this interview where Jojo said he wanted to make an Sex and The City-esque series about the dating life of a guy with Gun Attaphan as the lead because it haunts me daily. if i believed in a god, this would be among my nightly prayers. especially after watching Love in the Big City, i just kept thinking how a Thai series like this would eat!!! my first choice would not be GMMTV to be honest (i want bigger budget!!!) but then, i would trust Jojo with a story like this. at least i would love to see his version. its obvious Jojo's other not BL series (3 Will Be Free, Mama Gogo, The Warp Effect, Dirty Laundry etc.) are more widely beloved than his BLs (Never Let Me Go, Only Friends). so maybe he would be more successful doing something that doesnt have to adhere to branded pairs and it just could be messy and queer as much as he can make it without the shipper fans nitpicking at everything. which, OKAY, i dont know if Gun fans are that blasé but i assume they are as he does work outside of BL and like... c'mon he is such a great actor, put him next to a pot of flowers and he could create chemistry.

Jojo also said he would like to work with Fourth... which is yes. YES, please. look, yeah Jojo sometimes disappoints but to me, he is still one of the most exciting directors in Thai BL. he has a VERY distinct style and i love him for it. its exciting to see which new actor will get the Jojo touch each year. he is such a actor's director and they always shine a different way through his lens. I just want to see what Jojo would make out of Fourth and Gun, both great talents!

some days i think there is no way AouBoom wont have main leads this year and other days my trust issues kick in... nevertheless, i think we wont be seeing them separated but i am asking the court, haven't they done their time in the side couple prison? didnt they pay their dues? if the court agrees, let's get them out of the uni uniforms and put them into something darker. something higher stakes, desperate love, fans nail biting every week, some new actors as the side couple etc.... AouBoom can handle it.

GL ANTHOLOGY/ENSEMBLE SERIES. at least two. one in the messy Only Friends type of way, the other a saccharine romcom a la We Are. for cast i want them to put all the ladies in that GMMTV building in there, even the female flies buzzing around

tbh, if we are going to get another long ass New show, i want BL AND GL couples. like i dont understand why all BLs have to be sausage fests like why cant we have best of both worlds together in one series........... i need to see more useless lesbian and dumb gay friendship representation stat. (e.g. The Warp Effect or Bad Buddy)

a more personalized wish for GL: i think she is back from maternity leave so, i want Fah in a GL purely for my self interest. she is just so talented and gorgeous and i want to see her kiss other gorgeous girls... i want to say Namtan but i think NamtanFilm might keep going through 2025, which okay, not complaining!!!!!!!!!

i KNOW GeminiFourth will have another series because i think they have been saying it or at least confirmed that they intend to keep working together. they make GMMTV lots of money so i dont see any chance for them to not have new series. they also expressed that they wanted get out of the high school uniforms which is like YEAH. yeah, boys. i agree. last year i was so disappointed to see them in My Love Mix-Up. it felt like such a setback after MSP and their spectacular work in Moonlight Chicken. just get them out the those blue shorts and put them in whatever, that's my (our) only wish.

i love them but i think want FirstKhaotung to rest. or i just want to see them something not exactly BL. yeah, i cant believe i am saying this as well. excited to see them in THK. no further comments.

might be an unpopular opinion but PLEASE no japanese BL remakes. please. i think it doesnt translate well. i am sorry...

i dont follow them that closely but i think GreatInn confirmed they will keep working together. BUTTT how about ThorFluke tho👀 will we get any crumbs from them?

WinnySatang… i think they have lots of room for improvement in their acting (i feel the emotions but they can look stiff) which affects their chemistry's physicality (e.g. sometimes they leave room for several Jesuses). still, i find them endearing together and see lots of potential and growth in the future IF they also want to keep on being a ship. tbh, i dont see them ready to tackle being leads yet so i am okay to see them as secondary again. and also singular roles in other BLs or non BLs.

MarcPoon. in whatever way or shape or form they think we deserve it. i just want to see more of them on my screen, together or not. but if together, preferably in a different dynamic than We Are (looking at you Perfect 10 Liners…). i adored Poon in Shadow, i would love to see him in a horror or just anything challenging again.

Lego of LYKN in his own BL?????????? that has to happen at one point, no? something to do with dancing, hopefully????

OffGun is already confirmed for next year. and full disclosure, i am soooo biased. generally i want couples to mix and match but i like OffGun together so much, i dont think i will ever complain about them. they could've been on their 78th BL and i would be like "okay, when is the next one?". my only wish would be for them to go back to the darker, more challenging, higher stakes kind of BL in the vein of Not Me again.

i think we can all agree when we see that trailer with Podd & Papang on that screen we wont even be shocked...

on the topic of shock, i want a new unexpected BL pair that will make us feel gagged and gooped and gobsmacked like the announcement of OhmNanon (rip) or JossGawin. hit us where we least expect it!

[gildasfantasy]

Id really like to credit my friend panda for helping me out on editing my story because they noticed mistakes I made <3 besides I'd like to have new ideas so it you guys want me to do something new like, new ships or share your plot ideas it'd be great !! I do oc/yn X any character from any show and game and fluff+nsfw+angst ect!!

First times in a relationship's can be scary especially if everytime you've had sexual contact, it wasn't filled with love you so desperately craved

Husk and angel had formed a friendship after their bonding near the bar that night, it was clear to everyone that there was more than friendship between the two and after awhile they made their attraction be known and a loving relationship blossomed between them but they promised to never let this relationship out the hotel to reach the ears of Valentino, angels boss. Many months has passed since they made it official and they found themselves at the 8 month mark, husk being the awkward romantic he is, he wanted it to be something immensely special for angel just to show how much he genuinely loved him.. Husk examined the stores down the pathways of the somewhat busy area but no matter how hard he searched all he could find was bondage stores, lingerie stores ect; and he didn't want that, he didn't want angel to think he was just like all the rest of the men he had to deal with and additionally, husk wasn't a big.. sex fiend.. sure he got urges but he had boundaries and the thought of leather wear and overly threatening sex felt disgusting to him, so he despised these types of stores..eventually after a long day of trying to search he sighed, he'd been to every ring, even the lust ring, but still he hasn't found what he felt was right for angel, what was he supposed to get for someone that gorgeous? He was down on his luck til he heard two strangers talking down the sidewalk as if they were married and raised his head to look at the imps. One imp had black hair, 'a girl' he noted absent-mindedly, and the other imp had white hair, 'a guy'." 'excuse me? Sorry, I don't mean to listen in on you folks but am I right to assume you're both..?" "Together? Yea we're married' the white haired imp spoke, his voice kind of scratchy that made husks ears twitch ever so slightly, 'great! I need help, me and my boyfriends 8 month mark is comin' up and I can't find anything romantic.. everywhere I look it's just.. sex novels or over-the-top sexual stores.'

The black haired imp girl spoke excitedly, her southern accent bounced off of her husband's demeanor like a bouncy-ball on a whiteboard "Well hi thereee! You're alright to ask, sugar —"

"I'd suggest checkin' out LooLoo Land stores! Even though its a theme park they have the gosh darnedest cutest things, my mox got me a thang from there!' 'christ' husk thought to himself, already he formed a headache solely because of her loud voice but despite it, he thanked her, she was kind enough to help "thanks" *his deep voice grumbled but his expression was as if he were genuinely trying to force an awkward smile and eventually they changed paths and husk found himself on the way to the infamous looloo land, loud blaring music and the sound of kids screaming and crying made husk furrow his brows and groan but it was worth it to find something angel could love..perhaps after an hour of searching he found it.. a stand filled with stuffed animals and one caught his eye immediately.. a white bear with crossed out red eyes stitched in along with round red cheeks at each side of its smile,

he knew it'd be beyond perfect for his angel and he threw a coin at the stand-man, a determined look plastered on his face. Husk picked up the toy-gun and shot water at the wooden stands. No matter the amount of times he hit them though, the standman rigged the game and after draining his coin pocket dry, Husk had enough and tackled the man. Pulling him close by the collar and holding a sharp claw up to his neck. "Give me the fuckin' bear." He growled, and while he would usually never lose his composure, he was not going to let that bear be dangled in front of him. Feeling the man shudder with a nod, he backed away to let him grab his prize; the bear and his money back in full. He loved it, the texture of the bear and the way it felt on his fur made him know Angel would adore it. A proud look made its way to his face subtly and he walked out of the park happily, believing that to be enough from LooLoo land today. he deserved everything. Angel deserved the universe, in Husk's eyes and as he walked, he found his eyes gravitating towards a jumper on the way back home. It was beautiful; the jumper was white with flowers trailing up the sleeves in pink stitching and a heart cutout on the chest and on the back. It looked as if it was made for Angel, with a lighter wallet and a newfound bag in his claws, along with a bouquet of Devil-Eye flowers (Mammon Special!) he made his way back home. Husk smiled as he walked through those hotel doors and stood in front of sir pentiouses big portrait on the wall and sighed. "Wish me luck, buddy." he muttered as he made his way to the second floor of the hotel and faced the door of Angel's room, staring at the picture of his boyfriend and their friends. It made Husk's heart melt and his fur grow hot at the beauty of Angel. with courage that took a few minutes to tame, he twisted the doorknob and opened it to see his Angel sitting with a book in his top hands. He cleared his throat lowly and watched as Angel perked up and smiled, "Whiska's! Ya made it!" he said In disbelief

lord, Angel adored husk more than afterlife itself

He knew Husk was genuine, but a part of him still doubted he'd show up for their 8th month. He was pleasingly surprised to be wrong as he pecked both sides of Husk's face and massaged his fingers into his cheek fluff and slid them up to scratch behind his ears; causing Husk to purr and melt lovingly into his touch and for his leg to ever so slightly start thumping "ah what's this then husky, this fa' mee?" Angel said teasingly, his tone joking to ready himself to be wrong. Angel couldn't believe it, he nervously took the gifts and smiled at the bouquet 'husk' he spoke 'i don't know what ta' say..' his voice seemed much softer as he sat down in his bed, the silk curtains draped up and the pink lighting above set such a pretty tone to the scene.. he placed the flowers down against his bedside table before taking a look at the jumper, sliding straight into it and it fit so perfectly. Husk could barely believe his eyes, all four arms fit so perfectly and angel suited it so well, it made husk feel hot N heavy, his cheeks slightly pink tinted 'i knew you'd like it ange' " he smiled softly just before angels tears slipped, his hand covering one side of his face to wipe his tears.. husk didn't know how to respond, 'aye what's wrong ange'.. do you not like it? I can take it bac-" "no!- no I love it I just.. didn't.. expect it' he admitted with a smile.. the two of his arms connected to his waist wrapped around himself like a self hug.. his heart was racing and in that moment husk was the only one he cared for, the only one he ever wanted to be with and die with.. he placed a kiss against husks lips, but it was soft, like their lips had barley even touched.. and before he could respond again he made contact with the bear husk had 'won' for him and got ecstatic "huska' it looks like me' awh you big-' he immediately wrapped his arms around husk and buried his cheek into his head, his fingertips stroking his cheek.. Husk laughed and held angels back to pull him closer, like this hug wasn't enough contact for him.. in the moment it's like a piece of a puzzle finally clicked and he took a deep breath, pulling away and holding one of angels hand 'i.. want.. you to know I'm ready' he smiled and this confused angel, 'ready fa' what huskie..' he responded like his heart dropped to his stomach 'to be intimate with you' he whispered, his eyes drifting up to meet angels gaze 'oh.. huska' don't force ya'self for lil ol' me.. I can wai-" "no, I want this.. I want you but I don't know.. what, I'm doing.. I'm scared I'll embarrass myself y'know' he sighed as he traced his fingers through his hair to push it back, a huff leaving his lips and his eyelashes fluttering shut to avoid angels stare 'aright then but.. I.. can help, we all start somewhere yaknow?'

It'd been awhile since husk had been intimate with anyone, the last time he did he was alive and walking earth, but this felt so different because he WANTED to be perfect for angel.. so he smiled and took his boyfriends hands, and kissing him, a passionate, gentle kiss that burned straight through with not just love but lust too, for once angel felt genuinely... Turned on by the thought of sex and he slowly shuffled down, propping himself up on his bottom elbows while his other arms hoisted around husks neck, the dim room only lit by the pink lighting above angels bed had made it feel so much more perfect, husk, being the nervous guy he was didn't know where to touch him so instinctively he moved his hands up to hold angels chest fluff and immediately angel pushed back, panting with only drool stringing their lips together, 'shit, I'm sorry' husk said immediately before angel shook his eyes, eyes wide and breath heavy 'nono, husk it's okay I just want expecting it, it's hard to..' husk frowned and lay flat against angel, his head against his chest fluff 'we don't have to do this ange' trust me I'm not a sex-maniac, I'll wait til you can feel safer with this whole thing' he spoke reassuringly, his hands moving up to hold angels cheeks, swirling his thumb just under his eye 'husk, it's fine, I want this but it's hard to.. know what people are gonna do when all I've ever been through was abuse and unconsenting touchy sex yaknow..' 'yea I know sweetheart' husk lifted himself up a little, angels legs around his waist as he peppered soft kisses down his neck towards his arms 'ill be gentle with you my love.. let me show you what love is, trust me, all I ever want to make you feel is my love'

And with that angel smiled and nodded, his head slowly cocking back as a sign of angel giving himself over to husk, at this point they could hear their own heartbeats as well as each others heartbeat, the sensuality raising the heat through the roof as husk slipped off angels shorts..his hand sliding down his hips and down his v-line til eventually he found himself grasping at angels cock, slowly moving his hand in a up and down motion while undressing himself, angels moans felt like music to his ears, knowing he was capable of actually making angel feel good sent knots of love and lust into his gut and he craved so much more..

but at the same time, watching angels face, his brows furrow and his mouth agape, his pretty waist jolting up and his hips bucking into husks touch as if he wanted more friction, god he looked gorgeous like that and husk let his desires take control. He pulled his hand away and slid his arms under angels back with his palms behind angels head, fingers interlocked into his hair before finding himself entering angels hole, a groan leaving his lips while angel wrapped his arms around husk, their bodies close enough to make the heat somehow hotter, angel seemed to grip onto husks fur and pull like he needed even closer so husk obliged and pushed himself up against angel, his head buried in his chest fluff and loud purrs alongside moans escaped his lips, he was quite the sensitive man, not very aggressive dominant, and angel adored it, The shockwaves of love being pumped into angel overwhelmed him, when it was more loving, it just felt better to angel, he let this pleasure be known via his whimpers, moans, cries, whispered begs for more, not just that but his body reacted so strangely.. his legs twitched and perked up sometimes and his hips arched upwards, the spiders hands gently stretching behind husks ears 'good kitty' angel whispered 'fuck, my god' hmmnph.." be cried out quietly all the while husk slowly thrusted into angel, his dick twitching inside angel causing a reaction from both of them, husker tightened his hug like grip on angel, holding him closely 'i love you, i love you, god.. i love you angie..' he moaned in chants, his hips bucking and his hands squeezing his hair, gently tugging at it as he opened his mouth, drooling a little as he did so.

Angel let his head fall back and succumbed to husks movements and words, his eyes slowly drifting backwards and eventually his moans became so loud that they clogged his throat sometimes, he was choking on his own pleasure.. his legs squeezing around husks waist and his hands unable to comprehend where to hold next. He wanted all of husk so he tried to speak through his moans despite the struggle 'i love ya.. t..oo..gh..whiskas" he whined out just as he felt himself release on his own chest..his hand moving up to cover his mouth and muffle his pretty moans.. and the sight of that to husk sent electricity down his guts, and almost like a wild animal, his last thrusts became power filled and he moved his arms from under angel, he found himself squeezing under angels thighs while also lifting them up a little, and let himself vunerabalise, his semen filling angel quickly. He forgot how good it felt to be intimate like that with someone and it was enough to make them both moan while hugging at eachother tightly.. the relaxation setting in while they gently rode their high out together "Christ" husk huffed through a chuckle, slowly pulling away from angel and sitting up, his eyes focusing on the quite red and lovely spider Infront of him.. he finally faced his fear and he did it, he let himself be that vulnerable with someone, "You ain't gonna leave are ya?' angel said almost nervously, despite his broken speaking and loud breathing, there was a sense of seriousness and scarseness to it 'what? No, no, baby, I'm just gonna get ya something to eat.. I ain't gonna just have sex with ya and not treat ya like a prince after' he reassured while standing up, sliding on a dark red robe he left behind the last time he went to angels, a smile forming from ear to ear that made angel feel easy 'ya really doin' that fa' me?' he spoke back as he pulled up the silk bedsheets, not taking his eyes of husk the entire time.

'of course ange, sweetheart, you deserve it' husk responded while leaning in and laying a kiss on angels forehead

[capypub]

Without Warning - Mafia!Joel Miller Scene 3

AU Mafia!Joel Miller x Original Female Character

Rating: T (language, sexual themes)

Minors DNI. 18+ content!

Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 4

Summary: Joel and his Baby Girl meet Bill and Frank. Then proceed to make out in the horse stables.

Something softer, not very Mafia!Joel heavy, but I have an idea in the works.

It was easy to convince her the gun was merely for protection, a precaution he stood by since returning from his time in the military. Having a concealed carry license in his wallet also helped ease some of her anxiety, especially after he explained that practically everyone and their mama carries in Texas. Everything he was saying made sense, so she had no reason to be wary of him. After that hiccup, his relationship with her continued to develop quickly, both absolutely taken by the other, complimenting each other’s energy to near perfection. 

Joel’s presence at the Bison increased drastically over the next two months. Any night Indi was working, he was there, patiently waiting for the last call at his table, usually nursing two or three doubles throughout the night. Outside of work, he seemed to spare no expense, showing up to her apartment with fresh flowers every time they made plans, reserving private rooms for tastings at the finest Texas wineries, leaving her gifts when he couldn’t see her or had to be away for work. 

Until one day, after dinner at one of the best rooftop steakhouses in Austin, Indi put her hand over his as he fisted the gearshift of his Hellcat, the engine purring smoothly around them.

“Joel…” she said softly, looking so hesitant and small in the passenger’s seat, the end of her little black dress riding up as she fidgeted nervously, “I’ve been having such a great time with you, these dates,” she chuckled with a slight shake of her head, almost disbelieving, “these dates are incredible…you’re incredible.”

He smiled warmly, bringing his free hand up to stroke her cheek, his chest filling with warmth as she leaned  into his touch so easily. He leaned over, kissing her softly, the little content sigh she let out only making that warmth in his chest grow. When he pulled away, she was grinning, eyes already beginning to dilate from a single kiss. 

“Just wanna keep seein’ that pretty smile, baby girl,” he said, his voice rich and deep like honey. 

Another thing Joel found himself encouraging was that gorgeous blush on her cheeks. She hated it, having mentioned it in passing, but he loved seeing that slight tinge of pink. Slowly batting her lashes, she pecked his lips, leaning back before he could do anything else or make her blush harder from his sweet words. 

“I was going to say,” she giggled, when he attempted to chase her mouth, “I want to see more of you, Joel, the real you. I’ve learned enough about you to know you wouldn’t just choose to spend a few hours at a winery or a five-star restaurant,” she explained, stroking his beard with her thumb. 

“The real me?” he questioned with a slight frown, caught off guard, “I don’t think you’re ready for that, darlin’,” he added, sighing quietly.

The little smile and chuckle told him that she thought he was joking. In reality, every terrible thing he’s ever done crossed his mind in a flash. Biting his lower lip, he turned his head slightly to look out the front window. 

“Please, Joel? I want to get to know the actual you, good and bad included,” she requested, that little pout instantly blowing through his defenses, leaving him feeling more vulnerable than he was comfortable with in the moment. Rather than fight it, he leaned into it, because it’s probably what she would have wanted, the more serious they became about each other. 

“Okay, baby girl,” he agreed, pulling her in for a slow kiss. 

That’s how they ended up on a ranch about an hour outside of Austin two days later. Joel parked the truck in front of a cozy-looking farmhouse, the circular driveway of dirt kicking up dust as he came to a stop behind an old and beaten down blue truck. He wouldn’t tell her much about where they were going, just that he wanted to take her to a friend’s house. 

“So you used to live here?” she asked as he helped her out of his truck, having developed a habit of opening her door and taking her hand every time she had exited his vehicle. 

“For a bit, yeah, when I got back from Iraq,” he answered, his hand seeking comfort along the curve of her lower back, “Bill and Frank took me in, kept me fed, and all I had to do was take care of the ranch.”

“Are they nice? Bill and Frank?” she questioned, looking up at him as they went up the worn wooden steps to the front door.

“Frank is,” Joel muttered, tapping on the glass before stepping back. 

Before Indi could get another question in, the door swung open, revealing an older man with a graying beard and bright eyes. He was tall, lean and sported a sweater much too warm for this time of year, yet seemed perfectly content with an apron tied around his waist. 

“Look who it is,” the man said, beaming with enthusiasm as he wrapped Joel in a tight hug. 

Indi noticed how Joel only tensed slightly, probably from being caught off guard more than general discomfort. He patted the man on the back with a low chuckle. Joel kept still as the man put both hands on his shoulders, assessing him from head to foot. 

“Good to see you, Frank,” Joel said once the other man gave a quick nod of approval, apparently satisfied with his findings. 

“I know,” Frank said with a smirk, making Joel actually laugh, “And this one? She’s gorgeous, Joel!” he proclaimed, his attention now fully on Indi who had kept slightly behind Joel. 

After he made a proper introduction, Frank led them into the house. It was definitely as cozy as the outside, filled with furniture and knick knacks of a lifetime, yet also filled with warmth and love. 

“Ellie home?” Joel asked as they settled in the kitchen.

Frank scoffed, setting a tray of drinks in the middle of the table, “You know damn well that girl’s never home. She tell you she has a girlfriend now?”

Joel choked on his drink, coughing harshly as he leaned forward, Indi rubbing his back in small circles as he regained his composure. “What now?”

Heavy boots on the wooden floor stopped Frank from answering. A door somewhere in the house closed as the footsteps came closer.

“What’d I tell you about letting strays in?” a deep voice grumbled from the doorway.

Indi turned in her seat to find another man, shorter than Frank but with a roughness similar to Joel. His beard was fuller, blended into his neatly trimmed hair in a mix of chocolate and gray. 

“There you are, come sit,” Frank said, ignoring the man’s comments, “Indi, this is my husband Bill, Bill, come meet Joel’s girlfriend.”

Joel visibly stiffend at the word girlfriend, his eyes darting to Indi to gauge her reaction. She seemed unfazed by the term, shaking Bill’s hand. As Frank continued to lead the conversation between the four of them, going on about Ellie's girlfriend, Joel kept glancing nervously at Indi. Bill remained as stoic as ever, providing input only when prompted by Frank like a dutiful husband. The rest of the time he stared at his drink or around the room. When Indi’s hand came to rest on Joel’s knee, that he hadn’t even realized he’d been bouncing anxiously, he looked at her. 

She didn’t say anything, instead she smiled at him, squeezing his knee comfortingly before turning her attention back to Frank. Joel held her hand under the table, squeezing lightly and receiving one in return. 

“How much gas mileage d’you get on that truck, Joel?” Bill asked, looking out the window, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. 

Indi noticed Frank subtly roll his eyes. 

“Better mileage than that piece o’ shit Chevy you got sittin’ out there,” Joel shot back, sounding serious but breaking out into a laugh when Bill chuckled. 

They ended up staying for a late lunch at Bill and Frank’s. Frank, as always, was the perfect host. Bill grilled some steaks and shared a beer with Joel by the fire while Frank sat with Indi on the back porch. They each had a glass of wine, the conversation coming much easier now that they’d started drinking. 

“You know, you’re the first girl he’s ever brought over,” Frank stated, eyeing Indi with a smirk over the rim of his glass.

“Yeah,” she said with a light laughter and a nervous smile, “Apparently I’m the first for a lot of things with him,” she added, bowing her head slightly.

“He seems happier since we last saw ‘m,” Frank continued, smiling warmly over at Joel and Bill who had their backs to them, “He needs some happiness, if I’m bein’ honest…we all do,” he sighed.

“Can I ask you something, Frank?” Indi spoke up after a brief silence.

“Anything, honey,” he nodded, radiating with charisma and light in the afternoon sun. 

“Who’s Ellie?”

She could see the hesitation in his face, the way his eyes darted over to Joel before returning to her face. He gently touched her arm, giving it a soft pat as he sighed. 

“We have a habit around here of helping out strays,” Frank said softly, “Joel brought her here one day, said she needed a place to stay and the rest is history. Little firecracker that one, good shot too, must’ve picked that up from Joel, I guess.”

Frank could see the confusion in her eyes. He knew he shouldn’t be telling her anything about Ellie, he knew it was Joel’s business to handle, but he could also tell this one was going to stick around for a while. He figured the more prepared she was, the better.

“Ellie was fourteen when she came here, she’s sixteen now, absolute hellraiser, but we love that girl,” Frank continued.

“Why would he bring her here? Wouldn’t it make sense for her to stay with him?” she asked, sipping from her wine glass, glancing over towards Joel as if he might hear them, which Frank knew he wouldn’t with his bad ear directed towards them. 

“It wasn’t safe for her to stay with him, but…I think that’s something you two should discuss, I don’t need to be on the receiving end of his tantrums,” he said with a much warmer smile, nudging her playfully. 

The conversations remained light after that. Bill was an amazing cook. Frank invited them to stay the night, saying the guest room was always available, but Joel shut that conversation down pretty quickly. 

“Mind if I take ‘er to see the horse before we head out?” Joel asked, having drifted closer to Indi at some point during their meal, his arm a comforting weight around her shoulders as she leaned into him, finishing off her third glass of wine and it wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet. 

“You can change the feed while you’re out there,” Bill grumbled around his toothpick, receiving a light smack in the arm from Frank.

“Alright, old man, you got yourself a deal,” Joel agreed with a grin, seeming the most relaxed since Indi had met him. 

“Joel, don’t go gettin’ yourself dirty for no reason, Bill can get the horses,” Frank insisted as the couple stood from the table.

“I don’t mind, really. Thank y’all for today, too” Joel insisted, taking Indi’s hand and leading her down one of the dirt paths snaking across the grounds. 

As they approached the stables, somewhat hidden from the house by a thicket of trees and bushes, Indi looked up at Joel with a wide smile. He wrapped his arm around her, tilting his head down to lightly kiss the side of her head. 

“Ready to see some horses?” he asked, amused by her eagerness. 

Once inside the stables, Indi absolutely lost her mind over the group of horses, all well-kept and gorgeous. He started by introducing her to each horse, already knowing their names.

“This one’s Whiskey, he, uh, he’s mine,” he explained, stroking the animal slowly. 

“Like you bought him?” she asked, offering her hand for Whiskey to sniff, proceeding to stroke his muzzle. 

“Bought ‘m, raised ‘m, makin’ sure he gets everything he needs,” he nodded, sounding a little far away as he stared at the side of Whiskey’s head. 

Indi felt her chest flutter at the idea of Joel’s nurturing side so exposed in the moment. He seemed so relaxed inside the stables, easily refilling buckets of hay with ease as he explained more about how to care for the horses. Indi kept close, content to watch Joel work and admire his ass every time he bent over. 

“This one’s really pretty,” she commented once they reached the last horse needing food.

“Shimmer,” Joel said, “this is Ellie’s horse,” he added, avoiding her gaze momentarily. 

“I feel like I should ask who exactly is Ellie,” she said, noticing the hitch in his breathing and tension in his arms, “But I trust you’ll tell me when you’re ready, so I won’t,” she added, coming up behind him to wrap her arms around his torso, nuzzling the back of his shirt.

Joel sighed, a deep and heavy breath of relief. God, this girl was something else. He appreciated her not pushing him on things like this. Turning around, he brought both arms around her, pulling her against him and leaning down to kiss her. Her arms slipped around his neck, holding herself to him as she stood up on the tips of her toes to try and gain more leverage. With ease, Joel gripped the back of her thighs, his mouth never leaving hers, as he lifted her up, encouraged by the muffled squeak she let out as he settled her legs around his waist. 

He caged her between his body and the wall next to Shimmer’s pen. She groaned as he licked into her mouth, rough hands holding her up, the scruff of his beard scratching pleasantly against her. 

“You’re fucking amazing, baby girl, you know that?” he asked gruffly when he pulled back, eyes hazy with need as he looked up at her. 

“Yeah?” she laughed, still trying to recover from the heat of his kiss.

“Absolutely,” he growled, capturing her mouth in another heated kiss, this time a little rougher and a little more urgent. 

The deep groan from his throat when she squeezed her legs tighter around his waist and moved her hips just slightly was animalistic. She could feel how hard he was each time she shifted her hips, her body warm with desire as Joel squeezed and groped her ass. His mouth was just as rough on her neck, urgent nips and licks that had her squirming, hot breaths fanning her warm body as she moaned softly in his ear. 

“J-Joel,” she said tremulously, grabbing at the collar of his shirt to anchor herself.

He kissed her again, a primal groan rumbling in his chest when she eagerly matched his pace, seeming just as worked up. The sound of the horses whinnying, eating, or moving about their pen was faint, almost nonexistent to him as he felt her thighs squeeze his sides again. Fuck, if she kept that up, he’d lose his mind. 

“Joel,” she said, a little clearer this time, putting a hand on his chest to bring his focus back.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he cooed slowly, his chest rising and falling quickly, eyes focussed on her lips that were swollen and wet.

“I…I can’t keep going,” she admitted, looking nervous as she bit her lip.

“Why? What’s the matter?” he asked, trying to catch his breath as he gently set her down.

She mumbled something unintelligible to him, looking down and fidgeting with her bracelet.

“What’s that, darlin’?” he asked again, leaning down to try and understand her.

“The horses…” she said a little louder, still avoiding his eyes as she crossed her arms over her body, “...they’re staring.”

Turning around, Joel spotted Shimmer and one other with their heads sticking out. He wouldn’t exactly call it staring, it was just how they looked sometimes. The others had moved away from the doors, most likely to settle in for the evening. He couldn’t help the soft laugh as he turned back around. 

“They’re not staring at us, darlin’,” he chuckled, trying to pull her close again.

“They’re watching us,” she insisted, an adorable pout on her lips.

“Want to go somewhere more private, baby girl?” he offered, openly adjusting his still hard cock through his jeans as best he could. 

“Yeah,” she agreed as she bit her lip, her gaze drifting to his crotch momentarily before she wrapped her arms around his forearm as he guided them back to the main house, “But can we come back soon?” she asked while they were walking. 

He couldn’t help but smile as he leaned down and kissed her temple, slipping his arm from her grasp to wrap around her. She curled one arm around his waist as they continued towards the truck.

“Anytime, baby, anytime,” he agreed, enjoying the raw sense of calm he felt walking through the ranch in the early evening hours, the sounds of nature surrounding them as he breathed in fresh air and held his girl close, absolutely content. 

The moment came to a crashing halt when he remembered what Frank had said earlier. He’d called Indi his girlfriend. As if reading his mind, she glanced up at him with a hint of mischief in her smile, biting her lower lip as she batted her lashes at him.

“So how long have you been telling people I’m your girlfriend?” she asked, grinning slyly. 

“Frank likes to assume things,” he tried to explain. 

“So he assumed wrong, then?” she questioned, raising a brow at him, still smirking.

“N-no, baby girl, ‘course not, I just…I just mean he di-.”

“Joel,” she stopped him by putting a hand on his chest, coming to a stop on the trail, “I’m messing with you, it’s okay,” she soothed him.

He sighed heavily. “Don’t play like that, honey,” he huffed, “You know what we’ve got goin’ on ain’t just messin’ ‘round,” he insisted.

“I know, I’m just curious what we’re calling ‘what we’ve got goin’ on,’ you know?” 

He took a deep breath, bringing both his arms around her waist, turning their bodies to face each other. She leaned into his touch, both hands on his chest as she looked up at him with pure adoration. His voice was husky when he spoke into her ear, suggestive and dangerous. 

“You can call it whatever you want, baby girl, but just know you’re mine and I ain’t lettin’ you go.”

Scene 4

[moodymelanist]

On The Line

happy day 5 of @nestaarcheronweek everyone! I had a lot of fun with this fic and I hope you do too 💙 title came from Call Me by Blondie!

Summary: Nesta sends a group text for her birthday plans, but there was a mix-up with one of the numbers and Cassian gets the text. He doesn’t know Nesta, but a party’s a party, so he decides to go!

Prompt credit to @creativepromptsforwriting!

Word Count: 4,890

Read on AO3 here!

♕♕♕♕♕ Nesta

When Nesta sent out the group text announcing her usual movie marathon and girls night in for her birthday, she’d been expecting the usual fanfare surrounding her birthday. Her family and friends had long been used to her chiller nights in to celebrate, so by the usual fanfare, she had planned her annual girls night in to celebrate her twenty-eighth birthday.

What she hadn’t been expecting was that one of her friends from college that she invited out of obligation had changed her number.

Nesta Archeron, 1:33 PM

Hi everyone! My birthday’s coming up, so we’re getting together again as usual. Bring your comfiest pajamas, your favorite chick flicks, and your best face masks to help me ring in turning 28 this Saturday at 7:30 PM 💙

Nesta added her address and some instructions about where to park before sending a cute, celebratory gif. There was a flurry of immediate, excited responses – everyone was liking and loving the message and saying if they could come or not. It was all business as usual, at least until a couple of texts came in from what was supposed to have been Deirdre’s number.

Unknown Number, 1:42 PM

Uh… did you mean to send this 2 me?

Happy bday tho @Nesta whoever you are

But this sounds rlly fun can i pls come anyway :)

“What the hell?” Nesta muttered under her breath as she read the texts. Before she could get a chance to reply, her youngest sister jumped in and took charge of the situation. 

Feyre Archeron, 1:45 PM

Send a pic and we’ll see

And ur name pls

Cassian Valladares, 1:47 PM

Cassian Valladares

& here

Cassian sent two pictures, the first of which made Nesta’s jaw drop of her own accord. He was one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen, with golden brown skin, hazel eyes, and a thin scar slicing through his right eyebrow. In the photo he’d sent, a giant, pink, fluffy headband complete with a bow was pushing his hair back from his smiling face. His skin glowed from being recently moisturized and his jaw looked cleanly shaven – maybe they’d caught him in the middle of his self-care routine.

Ha. As if. Most of the men Nesta knew, especially the straight ones, barely bothered to use more than 3-in-1 products. It would practically be a miracle if this so-called Cassian even knew what moisturizer was, let alone actually used one that was made specifically for his face. 

Nesta snorted to herself before swiping to the other photo. The second photo was of a serious stash of face masks, a matching pajama set, and a very fuzzy pair of bunny slippers laid out against a dark blue comforter. He’d clearly just tossed everything onto his bed, but Nesta noted that his bed was actually made and his room actually looked clean – there was no way he’d managed to clean everything and grab his supplies for the photo that quickly, so she hoped that meant he was 1) actually clean and 2) maybe even had a skin care routine.

Cassian Valladares, 1:47 PM

Hope I pass inspection :)

Huh. Color her surprised. Nesta had barely finished ogling the man and his face mask collection when her phone started ringing. She rolled her eyes and slid to answer, not even bothering to greet her sister since she knew Feyre would come into the conversation guns blazing.

“Nesta, you have to let him come,” Feyre said the moment Nesta answered the phone, proving her initial guess correct. “He’s so fucking hot.”

“Hi to you too, Fey,” Nesta replied wryly. “He’s hot, but for all we know, he could be a serial killer.”

“I mean, he already knows where you live,” Feyre pointed out. “If he’s a serial killer, maybe we should try to get him on our good side.”

“Because that’s sound logic,” Nesta responded, rolling her eyes even though Feyre couldn’t see her. “We don’t know this guy!”

“Okay, but maybe we should,” Feyre said. The sound of her voice changed as she switched to speaker phone. “I’m just saying we should consider all our options.”

Nesta’s phone buzzed against her ear and she shifted Feyre to speaker phone before going to read the new messages. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she read what Feyre had written. 

Feyre Archeron, 1:53 PM

You 100% do

Please come my sister would love to have you!

In more ways than one ;)

“Don’t hate me,” Feyre told her, sounding like she was trying not to laugh. 

“Feyre!” Nesta hissed over her sister’s hysterical cackling. She’d barely even tried before losing it, her pure glee coming through the phone loud and clear. “That’s not funny!”

“It’s a little funny,” Feyre replied, still laughing. Nesta pulled the phone away from her face to read the next text that came in.

Emerie Castillo, 1:54 PM

RIP to Feyre Archeron, time of death 1:53 PM

Everyone sent a bunch of laugh reactions and funny tombstone memes in response, and Nesta couldn’t help but snort at the one Elain sent. Maybe if everyone else was laughing, she could find the humor in the situation, too.

Nesta put the phone back to her ear once she was reasonably sure all the reactions were finished. “Okay, maybe it’s a little funny.”

“See?” Feyre responded, teasing. “I knew you’d come around.”

“I’m still going to make sure he’s not a creep,” Nesta told her sister. She was already mentally preparing a list of ways to look into Cassian – social media would hopefully be the easiest way, but she wasn’t above looking him up on Case Search to make sure he didn’t have anything weird under his name. White Pages probably wouldn’t hurt either, now that she thought about it.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Feyre said. “I mean, all jokes aside. I’m sure it’s gonna be a funny story at the end of it, but I don’t want to get murdered in my pajamas either.”

“Exactly.” Nesta shifted the phone to her other ear so she wouldn’t overheat. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Feyre responded sarcastically. “I have to go, but this made my day. I’ll talk to you soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll call you tomorrow,” Nesta agreed. “Bye, Fey. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye!”

Nesta wiped her phone screen off before firing off a quick couple of messages to the group. 

Nesta Archeron, 1:57 PM

I guess you’re ok

You can come but I’m not afraid to use my taser

Elain Archeron, 1:58 PM

Yay!

Gwyn Berdara, 1:58 PM

🙌🙌

Emerie Castillo, 1:58 PM

If you try anything I’m not above kicking a grown man’s ass

Cassian Valladares, 2:01 PM

Warning received

Promise im a normal guy tho

Not in like a “i’m a nice guy” way but like in an i’m actually normal way

Promise i’ll be on my best behavior :-)

Nesta snorted as she read Cassian’s message. She’d be the judge of that.

♕♕♕♕♕

By the time Nesta’s birthday celebration rolled around, even she’d been forced to admit that Cassian would probably be fine. She’d done all her due diligence, and he’d come up as squeaky clean as they could come. Between White Pages, LinkedIn, and Instagram, she felt like she had a pretty good idea of who Cassian was. He’d gone to a good college, and he’d been teaching at the same high school for a few years now. Most of his feed was made up of him either doing some physical activity – boxing, running, and even hiking – or spending time with his friends.

Nesta’s phone had been steadily blowing up over the course of the day, but she hadn’t been able to check it much between the deep cleaning she was giving her townhouse. By the time she was able to pick it up and scroll through all the messages, several of her guests were already on their way, but her curiosity was piqued when she saw Cassian had texted her separately.

Cassian Valladares, 7:04 PM

hey stranger

u sure it’s cool if i come?

no hard feelings if not i promise(:

Nesta paused halfway to turning on the shower, a little touched by how considerate that was of him. Most of the guys she knew wouldn’t have even bothered to send a confirmation text, let alone made sure she was actually okay with what was happening.

Nesta Archeron, 7:05 PM

Yes, it’s fine

If I was going to change my mind, I would’ve said something earlier than 30 mins before the party

Cassian Valladares, 7:05 PM

thank god

would’ve been a waste of my money otherwise lol

Cassian sent a photo of a reusable shopping bag with a bunch of face masks and what looked like a bottle of wine sticking out of the top of it. Nesta snorted and typed out a quick reply.

Nesta Archeron, 7:06 PM

Someone’s an overachiever

Cassian Valladares, 7:06 PM

Have to make a good first impression ;)

See u soon, birthday girl

This time, he sent a picture of his fuzzy slippers, pulling a little chuckle out of Nesta before she finally put her phone down and got in the shower. She didn’t have as much time as she wanted, but this was supposed to be a pajama party, so she didn’t have to worry about doing her hair or her makeup once her body was freshly washed and moisturized. By the time her friends had started showing up, she was comfortably dressed in a set of navy pajamas and already had her hair pulled back with a giant, fluffy white headband.

It was almost eight when the last of her planned guests had arrived, and Nesta couldn’t help but wonder if Cassian was going to show up after all. Even though he’d said he’d be there, she didn’t actually know him enough to trust his word.

“He’ll come,” Elain said, wisely picking up on the source of Nesta’s worries as she helped Nesta in the kitchen. Everyone had been assigned various tasks to make the night a success, and the three Archeron sisters were on snack organizing duty. “I just know it.”

“If he doesn’t, me and Emerie will track him down and beat him up,” Feyre added with a wink before she dumped a bag of chips into a big bowl. “But I’m sure he’ll show up.”

Before Nesta could open her mouth to reply, someone rang the doorbell. She made eye contact with Feyre, who was already grinning wide with excitement, before she sighed and wiped her hands on the nearest dish towel. “Don’t be weird about it.”

“No promises!” Feyre called out to Nesta’s retreating back.

Nesta made herself take a deep breath before she went to answer the door. She had a house full of friends and family to help defend her if things went wrong, but she knew deep down she was more worried about things going right. What if Cassian was actually a cool, normal guy, and she actually had fun with him?

She supposed there was only one way to find out.

“Hey,” Cassian said once Nesta opened the door, already smiling down at her with a ridiculously goofy grin. Just like in the picture he’d sent, he was holding a reusable bag filled with goodies, but he hadn’t mentioned the bouquet of beautiful flowers that were in his other hand. “Happy birthday, stranger.”

“Hi,” Nesta said back, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. She took the offered flowers and leaned down to smell the pink and white blooms with a tiny smile, careful not to lean down too far lest her birthday headband shifted off her head. “I can’t believe you actually came.”

“Of course I did,” he replied. He moved inside so she could shut the door behind him, taking off his shoes and looking to her for directions. “A party’s a party, right?”

“I guess it is,” she responded. She beckoned for him to follow her and the two of them made a path toward the kitchen, and she grabbed a vase, filled it up with water, and gently placed the flowers into it. “These are beautiful.”

“Anything for the birthday girl,” he answered with a wink. Feyre and Elain had made themselves scarce, so he didn’t have anyone blocking him from emptying the contents of his bag onto her kitchen island. He’d brought a bottle of wine, a bunch of sheet masks, a container filled with cupcakes, and the pajama set and bunny slippers he’d sent a picture of before. “Where should I go change?”

Nesta resolutely pretended like her cheeks weren’t pink from his words and the sheer amount of supplies he’d brought with him. “Um… the bathroom is the second door on the left. Feel free to change in there.”

“Aye aye, captain,” Cassian replied. He grabbed his clothes and fired off a mock salute in her direction before heading to the bathroom. 

Nesta made herself take several deep breaths before she quickly organized her way through the rest of the snacks. Feyre and Elain had clearly taken some things with them to the living room, but she made sure to put the bottle of wine in her fancy wine fridge before sorting through the remaining snacks. The cupcakes were added to the display that Gwyn had brought, and the sheet masks were deposited into the container of skin care supplies. 

“Wow. That was fast,” Nesta said once Cassian had emerged from her bathroom. He’d changed out of his street clothes into a long-sleeved, red pajama shirt and matching plaid pants. The bunny slippers looked almost funny on him, but even she couldn’t deny how muscular he was, even underneath all the flannel.

“Didn’t want to keep anyone waiting,” Cassian responded with a grin. “Where’s everyone else?”

“In the living room,” she answered. He moved forward to start grabbing things off the counter once she picked up the container with the sheet masks in it. “This way.”

He trailed after her for the short walk to the living room. It seemed things were just getting started; Emerie, Feyre, and Gwyn were good-naturedly arguing over what movie to put on first, Clare was helping Elain pour drinks for everyone, and Ilana and Roslin were dividing the blankets up to make sure everyone had one. Nesta cleared her throat and tried to force down the blush that came from so many pairs of eyes on her.

“This is Cassian,” Nesta announced to the group at large. Cassian put down everything he was carrying on the coffee table before turning to wave at everyone. “Cassian, this is… everyone.”

“Thank God you’re not a catfish,” Feyre said with a grin. She hopped up from her spot on the couch to hand over the last fluffy headband that all the women were wearing to keep their hair pushed out of their faces. “I think Nesta would’ve really killed me otherwise.”

“Can’t have that, can we?” Cassian replied, matching Feyre’s grin right back. He took the headband and immediately put it on, revealing that his right eyebrow had a thin scar running through it that only served to make him more handsome. “When are we getting to the face masks?”

“As soon as we decide what movie we’re watching,” Gwyn answered. She patted the seat next to her and Cassian went without hesitating, leaving the only empty space in the room between him and the corner of the couch. “Come on, Nesta, you too.”

Nesta clutched the container of sheet masks to her body like a lifeline before she gingerly sat down next to Cassian. His body was solid but warm even through the pajamas, and she almost leaned into him before she reminded herself she didn’t really know him. “What are our movie options?”

“Mean Girls, Clueless, Legally Blonde,” Emerie listed. “Bring it On, 10 Things I Hate About You, Charlie’s Angels…”

“Mean Girls,” Nesta said decisively. “And then Charlie’s Angels, but only if it’s the one with Lucy Liu.”

“As if I’d suggest any other version,” Emerie responded with a roll of her eyes. She clicked through several screens on the remote until they had Mean Girls loaded up. “I’m a lesbian with taste, thank you very much.”

“Psst,” Elain said after a few moments. “Nesta. Pass around the masks.”

Nesta grabbed one out of the box before passing it to Cassian, the face masks slowly but steadily making their way around the group until they ended up on the floor at Nesta’s feet. She’d picked a cooling one, and she sighed happily as she spread the sheet mask over her face and let it work its magic.

“Thanks for coming, everyone,” Nesta said softly. Despite how introverted she could be at times, it really was nice being surrounded by the people who meant the most to her – other than the stranger to her left, but something told her he wouldn’t remain that way for long. “It really means a lot.”

“And thanks for letting me crash,” Cassain added with a small smile. “You’re all pretty fun so far.”

“You can stay as long as you give good advice,” Clare told him. She looked significantly less menacing with a sheet mask pressed to her brown skin, but Nesta knew she was serious – Tamlin certainly wasn’t a fan favorite, to put it lightly. “We’re trying to get Feyre to break up with her boyfriend.”

“Oh my God, can we give that a break?” Feyre complained with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “I know you guys don’t like Tamlin, but you’e not the ones dating him.”

“Well… what’s wrong with him?” Cassian asked cautiously. “Cause I can beat him up if he’s giving you problems.”

“You’d have to get in line,” Roslin muttered under her breath.

“He’s not that bad,” Feyre attempted to defend herself.

“Stop having sex with him and see if you change your mind,” Elain chimed in with a roll of her own eyes.

“Ladies, come on,” Cassian jumped in. “Let me hear Feyre’s side of things, at least.”

“Thank you,” Feyre responded. She reached over and turned the movie down before she delved into the story of how she’d met Tamlin, giving Cassian a brief overview of their tumultuous relationship and how much she loved him even though he didn’t show up quite as much as she’d hoped in their relationship. “I really do care about him.”

“Yeah, but love isn’t about a feeling,” Cassian replied sagely. “Love is a choice, and it kinda sounds like he’s not choosing you the way you’re choosing him.”

“What do you mean?” Gwyn asked, her voice curious. “Not that I disagree, but I want to hear more.”

“Well…” Cassian trailed off awkwardly, but at everyone’s encouraging faces, he sighed and kept talking. “The way I see it, love is a feeling, but you have to choose to do it. It’s all about your actions, you know? Does he bring you flowers? Does he remember things that are important to you? Does he make you feel good outside of the bedroom? Do you feel like you’re putting in the same amount of effort? Does he make you feel loved the way you need to be? Stuff like that.”

“Sheesh,” Emerie said, breaking the tension a little bit. “Sounds like you’d be a hell of a boyfriend.”

“I like to think so,” Cassian said with a shrug. “I haven’t had anyone to do that kind of stuff for in a while, but… always good to have a game plan.”

Nesta was aggressively reminded of the way he’d brought her flowers tonight and desperately needed a subject change. “Okay, that’s enough hounding Feyre tonight. Let’s get back to the movie.”

Feyre sent Nesta a grateful look before turning the volume back up. They hadn’t missed too much of the movie, and once everyone had massaged the leftover essence into their skin, they all relaxed into the couch as the movie continued to play. 

Nesta found herself leaning more and more into Cassian’s side throughout the duration of the movie. By the time the credits started to roll, she was practically mushing her face into his chest, and she forced herself to sit up before any of her friends noticed. He shot her a weird look as she did so, but clearly chose not to say anything.

“Charlie’s Angels is up next, right?” Cassian asked the room at large.

“Yes, but first we all need a bathroom break,” Elain answered. Nesta didn’t miss the way her sister’s voice lingered on bathroom break, but she’d been surprised with cake enough times at these things that everyone knew it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise. 

“Right! And I need more snacks!” Feyre exclaimed, continuing the act. Nesta rolled her eyes as her sisters and her friends made various excuses to clear the living room, from needing to use the bathroom to getting more drinks or even going to wash their faces so they could do another mask if they wanted.

Eventually, Nesta and Cassian were the only ones left on the couch. “You don’t need a bathroom break too?”

“No,” Nesta answered with a snort. “They’re going to get my cake. Elain probably put it in the fridge when she got here – she and Feyre are sneaky when they want to be.”

“That’s sweet of them,” he replied. 

“Yeah.” She couldn’t take how adorable he looked in that stupid headband and how earnest his expression was, so she forced herself to look down at the green blanket covering their legs. “They are. I’m lucky.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to risk further embarrassing herself in front of him, as her friends picked that exact moment to pop out from the kitchen with her birthday cake. Elain was holding her cake, which was beautifully decorated as usual; the way she’d iced it made it look like it was made of blue roses, and she’d procured blue candles that said 28! to match.

“Happy birthday, Nesta!” Gwyn trilled once the cake was close enough. Everyone started singing happy birthday, and Cassian’s voice stood out amongst the higher register of her friends. Nesta’s cheeks burned at all the attention on her, but she couldn’t help but feel the love anyway. 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Nesta hastily interrupted before they could launch into another refrain of how old are you now, pulling laughs from pretty much everyone. “Let me make my wish.”

Elain tilted the plate she was holding the cake on so that Nesta could make a wish. Nesta took a deep breath, already thinking generic things like I hope I have a good year and I hope I get a promotion at work, but then she made eye contact with Cassian, and all the generic hopes suddenly faded away.

I hope this isn’t the last time I see him, Nesta thought suddenly, and then she blew out her candles before she could second-guess herself. Everyone cheered and Elain whisked the cake away so she could start cutting up slices, and Nesta was so focused on dodging Feyre and Emerie’s birthday punches that she didn’t have to think about where her sudden birthday wish had come from.

“This is so good,” Cassian remarked once the cake had been passed out. “Where did you get this from?”

“Elain’s an amazing baker,” Nesta informed him with pride. Her sister was smart as a whip and anything she whipped up in the kitchen always tasted amazing; that particular gene had skipped over Nesta, so she made a point of enjoying Elain’s food any chance she got. “And a chef, too, but the baking is my personal favorite.”

“It’s just another kind of science, if you think about it,” Elain replied with a small smile. She was just about finished with her grad program, and Nesta couldn’t wait to attend her fancy PhD graduation. “But thank you.”

“I’m gonna have to talk to you about doing some cupcakes for my end-of-the-year party,” Cassian continued. “The kids would go crazy for them.”

“What kids?” Ilana asked from her spot on the edge of the couch.

“I’m a teacher,” Cassian explained. “Middle school, so they’re just old enough to be able to hold their sugar.”

“A teacher,” Emerie repeated, making eye contact with Nesta and raising her eyebrows. “That’s cool.”

“We love a man who’s good with children,” Gwyn added. She waggled her eyebrows ridiculously in Nesta’s direction. 

Nesta hoped she didn’t look as incredulous as she felt. Were her friends trying to set her up right now? “Let’s get back to the movie.”

Charlie’s Angels passed without any more teasing on Nesta’s behalf – at least, not about Cassian. Feyre and Elain were more than happy to poke a little fun at how many times Nesta had rewatched the scene with Lucy Liu dressed up in her leather outfit, but Cassian came to her defense, claiming he’d done the exact same thing so many times his mom had stopped letting him watch the movie.

Nesta couldn’t help but chuckle at the image of a tiny Cassian getting in trouble for that, and Cassian kept up a steady stream of commentary during the best parts of the movie just to keep her laughing. It left a nice, warm feeling in her chest, and she held onto it for as long as she could.

Eventually, the night had to come to a close. Everyone was more than ready to help her clean up, and by the time they started exchanging goodbye hugs and promises to let the group know when everyone arrived home safely, Nesta’s space was more or less restored to how it had looked before the night began.

Nesta made sure to give her sisters an especially long hug, thanking them profusely for coming over and making her birthday special.

“It’s what we do,” Feyre replied with a smile. Her eyes flicked over in Cassian’s direction before returning to Nesta’s with a knowing look, and she added, “I’ll accept my thank you with a free lunch.”

Nesta just rolled her eyes before not-so-gently pushing Feyre toward the door. “Good night, Feyre.”

“You know she’s just teasing,” Elain chimed in, laughing. “But don’t let a good thing get away from you, Nesta. He seems really nice.”

“Not you too,” Nesta responded with a groan. She flicked Elain in the arm before similarly herding her toward the door. “Bye, Lainey.”

Once her sisters were out the door, Nesta realized that Cassian was the only partygoer standing between her and going to bed. She certainly didn’t feel as nervous about him being in her space as she had before he’d shown up, but there were some butterflies floating around in her stomach as she looked up at him.

“And then there were two,” Cassian joked.

“And then there were two,” Nesta repeated with a small smile. She looked away from him and settled her gaze on the pretty flowers he’d brought her, adding a pop of color to the space. “I’m really glad you came.”

“I’m really glad you let me,” he replied. “You have some pretty cool people in your corner.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. She looked back up at him to see he was already looking at her with a tiny grin on his face. “I’m just happy you got along with everyone.”

He laughed, his hazel eyes crinkling around the corners, and she knew she was a total goner. “You and me both, sweetheart. I fully believe I would’ve gotten my ass kicked otherwise.”

“Emerie means business,” she told him with a little chuckle. His entire expression brightened once she laughed, and it was so wholesome she almost wanted to do it again just to get him to make that face again. “Feyre, too.”

“Speaking of Feyre…” he trailed off. “Did she mean what she said?”

“What did she say?” Nesta asked, trying to remember what he might’ve been referring to. 

“That you’d love to have me,” Cassian answered. She could tell he wasn’t trying to make fun of her, but that didn’t stop her cheeks from heating. “In more ways than one.”

“Um,” she sputtered, her brain going completely blank. “I. Um. What?”

“I don’t want to be too forward or anything,” he said, taking a few steps closer to her, “but I think you’re really great, and I want to get to know you better. Can I take you out?”

“Like on a date?” she asked. Her heart was beating hard in her chest and she hoped she didn’t sound as nervous as she suddenly felt.

“Yeah,” he replied with a smile. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Definitely okay with me,” she agreed, matching his smile before she could overthink it too badly. 

“Great.” He stood there grinning at her for a few moments before he blinked and backed away, quickly gathering his reusable bag and street clothes that he’d come into her place wearing. “I’ll text you.”

“You do that,” she told him. They moved toward the door and he gave her one last lingering look before heading out into the night. 

As Nesta watched Cassian drive away, she could admit to herself that this had been one of the best birthdays she’d had in a long time.

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