#and you're not sure if people's intentions are what they say they are

[ejnaa]

a kiss or nothing

cw ɞ ˚ ‧ ｡ ◞ fluff, ooc, slight suggestive (?), not proofread

pairing : the itoshi brother x playful fem!reader

about me || masterlist

deciding to make the most of a dull day, rin, bored and uninspired, suggested the library. with no other plans in mind, he dragged you along to join him.

with nothing else on your plate, you didn’t bother turning down the ‘offer’. you've heard from your friends that the new library is pleasantly cozy, and they weren't lying at all.

as he reads something associated with soccer, you pretend to study, sneaking glances at his focused look. his intense look, in an odd way, seems quite adorable to you. “you’re always so serious,” you murmur before adding more, “you’d probably crack under pressure in a kiss challenge.”

rin glances up briefly, seeming to get your attention. “what was that?“ he pulls his airpods from his ears awkwardly.

“nothing!”

he exhales in annoyance. “don’t lie. i know you’re saying something unfavorable about me,” he speaks, closing the book with a soft thud.

rolling your eyes, you reach for another romance book, better than the movies, and begin reading, shamelessly retorting, “i said you'd probably crack under pressure in a kiss challenge.”

hearing your bold dare, he swiftly cupped your cheek with one hand and place you on his lap gently, making sure you met his soft gaze. “crack under pressure? you’Il need to do better than that to make me give in.” his eyes stay locked on you, and it's clear he’s not going to make it look easy.

amused by his competitive side, you nod slightly, mentally counting down before meeting his gaze with a playful smile. “on three,” you say quietly. “one, two…” the air feels thick with anticipation, and your heart skips a beat. rin remains still, refusing to back down.

he watches you intently, his focus sharp, and there's no sign that he'd let you win. he’s hell-bent on winning, no matter how trivially pointless the challenge may be.

and you, yes, you, the reader, if you're wondering “will anyone even notice us?” the answer is no. rin picked a quiet, empty hallway near a shelf against the wall. it's a spot that most people overlook, according to the booksellers.

setting the challenge aside for a second, you’re glad rin picked this space. the wooden floor is clean and sleek to the point that you and rin can sit on the floor comfortably, not gonna lie, and it's even comfy thanks to the warm light tones on the store’s ceiling.

though rin, on the other hand, still seems like he's staring into your soul, he finally gets bored and decides to tease you just a bit with a slight playful grin. “hope you're not expecting me to go easy on you.”

with a teasing smile, you lean closer, your voice just above a whisper. “don’t worry, i wouldn’t want you to take it easy. i’ll make sure you give it your best.” your eyes shine with mischief, ready for whatever he throws at you.

rin inches closer, his eyes locked on yours, his voice teasing. “say whatever you want, love. but you might as well admit it now,” he murmurs, his lips nearly brushing yours. “one of us is going to break. might as well be you.”

staring at your lips, rin envisions how you'd lose control and kiss him without hesitation.

“you pretend to be tough, but i can see right through it. i know i can make you break,” you replied with even more flirty gaze, teasing him to the point you can clearly see his ears went red.

“stop… staring at me like that,” he grumbles, narrowing his eyes in an attempt to look tough, but a slight blush on his cheeks this time betrays him. “i’m not going to lose just because of your gaze.”

you look at him with amusement after replying, “what gaze, hm?”

you lean slightly closer again, and rin’s eyes flicker down to your lips before he catches himself. “nice try,” he mutters, his voice barely above a whisper. “but i’m not that easy to break.”

you spot his hesitation and decide to press a little further. “what’s wrong, rin? feeling nervous?” you tease, leaning your face a little closer as you tilt your head. his gaze flickers, showing the internal conflict. he awkwardly clears his throat, attempting to regain control. “shut up,” he mutters, though it lacks his usual sharpness. you know he’s fighting the moment.

“you know you wanna kiss me.” his attempt to sound confident falters, and you can hear the nervousness that makes you smile.

you lean even more closer, your lips almost grazing his. rin’s breath hitches, and you can see the tension building in his body. his eyes flicker down to your lips, and he exhales shakily. “tch, damn it,” he mutters, his voice softer than usual. he gives you a small, forced pout. “fine, you win.”

he swears; he’d rather get hit by shitdough again rather than hearing that endearingly stupid laughter came out of your lips.

“you couldn’t keep up with me,” you tease rin, remembering how sure he was before. but you’re not cruel enough to not steal a quick kiss from his pink reddish lips, making his lips pouty and all adorable just for you.

rin’s lips stay pouty, but he can't deny the embarrassment bubbling up beneath that expression.

weekends are finally here: you know what’s up. a cuddle session with the japanese soccer prodigy  for spain awaits!

you and sae lazily cuddle on the couch, you lying on top of his muscular chest while he's stretched out, accompanied with his batman blanket covering you both that you bought for him. the living room’s air conditioner creates the perfect relaxing environment as you both remain glued to the tv.

promising you'd pick the show, sae can’t hide his regret, now stuck watching a cheesy 2000’s romcom full of love triangles.

as the scene unfolds, a guy kisses a girl for five minutes under the rain, and sae finds himself wanting to shut off the tv and sleep with you. just as he considers it, you teasingly interrupt, “bet you can’t avoid kissing me like this male lead here.”

sae quirked an eyebrow, “what makes you think that?” he asks with that unoriginal blunt tone of his, avoiding from the smirk to appearing.

“we could definitely win a court debate if it’s about agreeing that you’re emotionless 99% of the time but still hide your soft side, sae.”

he lets out a soft annoyed huff, clearly irritated by the fact that you're right. “oh yeah? i don’t think so,” he responds smugly, but his competitive nature kicks in and he won’t back away from this dumb kiss challenge.

“you’re not as unaffected as you pretend to be.”

an emotionless statement that calls, spurring his determination further.

“do you really think you’re getting to me? that’s cute.” his tone is playful but dismissive, as though you’re not even a challenge.

you eye him with intense focus, like a predator eyeing its target. yet, the difference here is that he’s your teddy bear, casually returning your gaze.

you let out a soft laugh, feigning offense. “you’re not scared, are you?” you tease, inching a little closer on top of him, your face just inches from his. “i know you’re competitive, sae. don’t tell me you’re giving up.”

his expression remains cool and unreadable. “i’m not interested in your games. you’re the one desperate for a kiss.”

“sure..."

“‘sure’? that’s all you’ve got?”

he raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, clearly expecting more from you.

you release a gentle, teasing breath, settling slightly on top of sae. a playful grin forms on your lips, and you say, “alright, i’II concede to that for now.” your gaze meets his as you trail a finger delicately across his chest, creating a charge in the air between you. with a low, playfully provocative voice, you add, “but don’t get too comfortable, you’re not the one calling the shots here,” you add, your voice low and teasing, the playful tension between you two palpable.

sae raises an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by your words, though his gaze follows the movement of your finger. “we’ll see about that,” he says, his voice steady and cool as ever. but there’s something in the way his eyes linger on you that suggests he’s not as unaffected as he lets on. you smirk, knowing full well that the challenge isn’t over, and if anything, it’s just getting more interesting. you lean in a little closer, your lips brushing against his ear, your breath warm against his skin. “i’m just getting started.”

sae remains silent for a while, his gaze unwavering but increasingly distant as if he’s getting tired of the game. you notice the subtle shift in his demeanor—his body relaxing, his eyes losing some of their usual sharpness. it’s as if he’s decided that this challenge isn’t worth his full attention anymore. a small, almost imperceptible sigh escapes him as he leans back slightly, a bored expression creeping onto his face. “you’re not as fun as you think you are,” he mutters, a trace of impatience in his voice.

you’re left a bit surprised, watching as he finally gives in, his competitive edge melting away. without saying much more, sae shifts and pulls you just a little closer. you’re not sure what he’s up to, until you feel a gentle kiss on your cheek. it’s quick, soft, almost tender—an unexpected gesture of surrender, yet somehow, it feels like a victory prize. “i guess you won this round,” he says with a smirk, clearly not bothered by the outcome, but his lips lingering near your skin just a second longer than necessary.

✧˖° a/n ⋮ this is so rush omg, i’m sooo sorry. ‘m studying for my upcoming exam rn but i still feel the need to write smth likes, reblogs and follows are always appreciate!!

⌢   ꒰੭ ejna ’s — 2024 © strictly NO plagiarizing my fic , and copying .

[matchadobo]

Hi! Can I request "you act like a brat all day and you expect me to do nothing about it?" but with the entire Kid Pirates 🥵🥵🥵

Thank you so much! I love how you write Kid 💝

KIDD, KILLER, HEAT, WIRE; brat

🌷matchadobo's 500 followers event🌷

wc: 3161

dialogue: "you act like a brat all day and you expect us to do nothing about it?"

warning/s: sooo nsfw🔞 this is the filthiest thing i've ever written up to this day! 🥵, fem reader, 5some (kidd, killer, heat, wire, reader), idk if this is considered dubcon?, implied established, no plot really just p0rn, rough seggs, fingering, cunnilingus, flame/fire play?, voyeurism

note: hi anon! i hope you mean just the main gang of kidd pirates? i CANNOT for the life of me construct a smut with an entire pirate group omg 😳, this is my first time creating smut for more than three people i hope i did it justice >__<

if there's one thing that pushes kidd to his limits, especially when it comes to you, it's his jealousy. it's not that he's not secured enough about your loyalty with him, it's the way you act like nothing is going on between the both of you. frankly, the five of you.

killer, heat, and wire were no strangers to this feeling either. they felt indignant as you sat with a couple of dudes, blatantly mingling and flirting with them. although there was nothing further than a friendly interaction with the foreign batch of men in the pub, laughing at their jokes and brushing arms and hands with them from time to time pissed off your crewmates. most of all kidd, who's gone down way more than a couple of barrels of rum for someone who says he'll just have a drink.

"oi, slow down, captain. thought we'll resupply today." heat nudged kidd, a dry laugh as he looked at his unfazed friend. his eyes boring holes through you.

"bout that, think we have to postpone that. let's stay in 'ere for another day for tomorrow." he finally placed the mug down, wiping off the remnants of liquid on his lips with the back of his palm.

"postpone? have we got other plans?" killer asked, turning to kidd who turned stood up and padded off his pants.

"her." wire immediately caught up, following after kidd who walked undeterred towards your table. they were from the bar and you were sat on some table across somewhere. they think it's almost intentional at this point that they have a full view of this. if you're trying to rile them up, you've suceeded.

though you're not sure if it ends good for you, with the way each of them are glaring at you when they stood before your table. their eyes raising goosebumps on your skin making your throat run dry.

"we got any problems, gentlemen?" the foreign men around you initiated, referring to kidd and his men looming over you.

"they're my crewmates." you introduced with distinterest, pissed that they're gonna ruin a moment for you because you know what those looks mean. "you know what? i think i should get going, thanks for the drinks." you smiled and bid goodbye to them, expression faltering as you met kidd's eyes.

"hey," one of them had a hold of your arm and kidd and the others almost whipped out their weapons to slash that guy's arm because of his motherfucking audacity. "you sure you're all good?"

you nodded with a smile, a pained one now that it got cut short. you later asked kidd and the others to come with you outside.

"what is it? do we have to go now?" you crossed your arms, sighing and looking at each of these hulking men.

"still don't get it do you?" kidd shifted in his foot, chuckling soullessly.

"guess we oughta remind it to 'er again, captain." wire butted in, putting an arm around you. you glared at him as you looked up, face contorted as you knitted your eyebrows in cofusion.

"what? guys? am i missing somethi- hey! kidd! put me down!" kidd swept you off your feet, he carried you on his shoulder like you weigh nothing. you drummed on his back while muttering out curses on his way back to the ship.

there was always this tension around the five of you, particularly on your end and it's towards theirs. it's begging to be addressed. it's so precarious and it stifles you to your very core. so much so that the mere sight of them looming around you right now drives you nuts and the fear shudders down your thighs. you're wet as hell.

he placed you down the couch on his room, wire sat on one side while heat on the other. killer stood not far from where you were, leaning his bum on the furniture with his arms crossed on kidd's dresser beside the couch; keen on observing. while kidd paced before you in a slow manner, he did it in a way that instigated fear in you for what might be in store for you.

"strip."

it was an order. eyes right at you as he stopped to face you with his arms crossed. kidd's gaze was dark amidsts his bright yellow irises, it was demeaning and you felt your chest tighten.

"what? kidd, what the hell?"

"you heard him, name." killer spoke and it somewhat made the air thicker because he's usually quiet. when it came out of him, it feels more stern that the acid in your stomach starts crawling up your throat. "you've been a brat all day and you expect us to do nothing about it?"

killer's blue eyes felt deadly behind his mask. despite being covered, you can feel the holes boring through you as he kept his voice in the same tone yet with a foreboding volume.

but shit. you wanted to have some fun and meet new people, and if things work see how things will go from there. but you didn't realize that it'd be a problem with them. after all, no strings attached right? but it's attention you really wanted and they couldn't give it to you because they were too into their guy shit. so you got annoyed at them and opted to find some other people to satisfy your needs. apparently they're too busy talking about how one metal differs from the other to spare you some sort of affection.

"y'all weren't even batting me an eye, for fuck's sake." you crossed your arms, gazing to the window with crashing waves. avoiding eye contact at all costs, but you know damn well they had all their eyes on you. "didn't think the lot of you would care if i mess around a little bit. and now you're asking me to fuck you guys? hah."

"so you missed us, that it?" kidd raised a brow, grinning at the realization that you wanted them again.

"aaaw, that stings, name. you're cruel." heat mumbled, his inked hands precarious on your thigh. "think you can be a doll and make it up to us?"

heat and killer were always the sweet ones, wire and kidd are the most vicious; during sex and well, your relationship. the former would always be some sort of your best friend and would be kind enough to think about you than their own pleasures during sex. but the latter will always be on their mission to fuck you up in the most demeaning way possible, they're never fucking kind. they always teased and fucked with you, be a little shit around you and annoy you in the worst ways possible. and during sex, their benevolence isn't to be expected. they'd always finish with you in the filthiest way possible that you wouldn't even remember your name right.

which explains why wire was the first to catch your lips and bury his tongue down your throat. he initally had his arm around you but when you wouldn't stop bitching about them letting you go, he'd had enough and ought to just shut you up in the best way he thinks he can. you squrimed under his lips, eyes shut tight. he held your wrist with one hand while the other settled in pushing the back of your neck to his. you pulled away by force, staring up at him as he donned a pompous smirk and eager eyes.

"oh? what's wrong, name? thought you wanted attention?"

"fuck off, wire. fucking get off."

"and hey, for the third time, you heard the captain. otherwise we'd rip off your favorite dress."

you rolled your eyes with a deep blush on your cheeks. whatever, this'll be quick. you struggled to reach behind you the zipper that goes way down the bottom of your spine. heat chuckled, placing his hand over yours so he could take over. he gave your shoulder a dry peck before helping you out of your dress.

killer took matters into his own hands and sauntered towards you, holding your jaw with one arm as he discarded his helmet with the other. he ran his thumb across your cheek, smiling as he looked into your eyes down to your naked frame. like a kitten, you nuzzled your face deep on his calloused palms. he unzipped his pants while keeping his grip on you, he soon held of one of your hands and guide it down his groin where his painfully hard boner is begging to be released.

"handle it for me, yeah?" he rubbed circles on your cheekbones, soon brushing your hair out of your face as he combed through your locks. "i'll let it slide this time if you do well, dove."

and it shocked you to your very core when killer was quick to push himself so far down your throat when you had just put his length in your mouth. your tears fell as his head touched the back of your throat forcefully. you had to grab a hold of his hips, nails digging by the sides of his pelvis. you whined with your mouth full, he was too kind to pull away and give you a break.

you panted, drool and bubbles on your mouth dripping as it coated your chin. killer grimaced, rubbed his length on your cheeks and teased his head on your numbing lips.

"'s wrong? can't fuckin' take killer when he's not bein' nice?!" kidd grinned behind him, wrapping his hand around your throat to spit in your mouth. "you know damn well you're not gettin' off this easy. now, suck it." kidd fisted your hair, letting killer fuck your mouth the way he pleases with kidd in control.

heat and wire were palming themselves in their pants, the feel of your bare body next to them is enough to render their cocks hard. they yearned to touch you, explore your body and pleasure you the way you're pleasuring killer.

there was a good while where killer's grunts and the gurgles and gags of your throat filled the room. you were crying not from pain but from the blond's intense pace. you had never seen him this eager and rough, maybe you really did piss him off that's why he had to take it out on you. but soon enough, killer came down your throat, taking a long while to keep his cock inside you while you drink up every bit of his release.

your chest heaved as you sat on the couch, head hanging loosely from the backrest. dizzy as you try and recover from a mouthful of killer's load.

you turned to wire who touched you a little to precariously down to your soaked panties. you hear a lowly chuckle vibrate from his chest, amused at your state. he palmed you through your panties, while the other had wrapped around your throat. you placed a hand over his arm, as if begging to give you a break and recover. but he just grinned and his fingers became faster. the grip around your throat became tighter.

heat was just reveling in the feel of your skin and rubbed circles back and forth close to your inner thigh. he placed your thigh above his so you can open up more for the brunette.

kidd got behind you, pressing your cheek to his crotch, his head peeking out of his underwear. you looked up at him with glassy eyes, but of course he wouldn't care. you fucked up that bad.

killer was still at high from earlier, but he stroked his cock at the sight of his friends fucking you up. it got him off as you try and take all of kidd in behind you while quirming as wire got his fingers buried deep in you.

"so overstimulated already and we haven't even gotten to the best part?" wire taunted you as he stared down at your half-lidded eyes, his thumb teasing your clit.

they all laughed a little when you tried your best to curse out a muffled 'fuck you' as you struggled with kidd abusing your mouth. the redhead had a hand around your throat to keep your head bent backwards, cum spilling down your cheeks mixed with the tears in your eyes from gagging to much. he really doesn't know when to stop, this man.

and when kidd was finally done with you, killer held your head delicately on his toned stomach, supporting it as you fell weak. he fetched a towel and wiped off the filth on your face, placing a kiss down your ear afterward.

but wire wasn't done with you yet, he was so keen on curling his long fingers in you that you continue to lose all sense with your eyes rolling at the back of your head. "f-fuck, wire. please..!" you whined, gripping his arm and trying to stop him. but really it felt good.

"please what? let you cum? go faster? stop? what is it, angel?" he raised a brow, cunning as he acted coy. and you honestly didn't know what to answer, so you just threw your head back and scratched at his arm so hard it left a scar.

"ah you're way too mean to name, wire. come on, i still haven't gotten my turn yet." heat jumped in, stroking your hair as he brushed the hairs sticking on your forehead out of your face.

"well, you heard him, name. what do you say we finish up, hm?" his pace went so fast you thought you were going to die, you felt your saliva caught in your throat and you couldn't mumble your words right. it was all slurring from here on out.

but your throbbing cunt wasn't even spared by heat, who was starving the moment he helped you out of your clothes. your thighs rested on his shoulder while kidd took the mint-haired's former place beside you, snaking an arm around your waist as he played with your tits from behind while his mechanical arm had a firm grip around your throat.

kidd always had a penchant in choking you, along with the filthy little praises he's whispering at you. he adored how you looked at him with so much indignance, almost wanting to kill him but you can't. cuz what he's doing feels good. the constriction around your throat as he degrades you and tells you how much of a little whore you are.

"seems you're enjoyin' your punishment a little too much, huh? matter of fact this ain't even punishin', aye? it feels so good being treated like the slut you are, doesn't it?" he growled in your ear, his guttural whispers sends shivers down your spine and it doesn't help that heat's way too busy devouring you down there.

by this time, you were feeling so drunk and you're incapable of any sound other than sinful slurs and moans. you whined against kidd's frame, crying as he peppered your face with his crimson-stained lips.

heat had this habit to use 10% of his firepower to warm up his mouth for you, it tickles and it feels amazing. he first teased a tiny bit of flame between your chest, his lips precarious on your skin, so close yet he doesn't touch it. he took a peak at you through his dark eyes, his pants growing tight as he saw you squirming at his actions, looking down at him with begging eyes.

he trailed his flames down your belly button, tickling a giggle out of you as your stomach heaved. soon and it reached your cunt, which was gaping and clenching at the eagerness of heat's stimulation. he wasted no time sucking you up, interspersing his warmth in your soaking folds. it was ecstatic and you didn't know what to do with yourself.

you couldn't even reach down to fist his mint locks because kidd and wire had you restrained. all you could do was drool from moaning too much, the overstimulation driving you nuts.

you grunted, writhing in pain and pleasure as that same warmth pooled in your stomach once more. you had lost track of the number of times you came. it was starting to feel numb and you had lost all sanity to even think about how filthy you look right now, sitting down the damp fabric of kidd's couch soaked with your juices.

it tickles when heat eats you out, so you were wriggling in your seat as he refused to breathe out and continued suffocating himself with your cunt. you mumbled curses and insults, eyes rolling at the back of your head as you choked out a moan when you finally came. your thighs shook and you panted like hell. heat gave you one last kiss on your inner thigh before wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.

kidd carried your limp body towards his bed, you hadn't notice he was completely naked now if not for his cock poking your back when he carried you bridal style. you were so clearly out of it, eyes half lidded and hazy.

"oi, oi." kidd had a grip on your jaw, kissing your nose afterward. "think you can do more than have a couple of orgasms, aye? come on, that all you got? let's enjoy ourselves, hm?" kidd really does his best rile you up in any fucking situation and it irritated you.

"fuck, this really is a punishment." you covered your face, still blushing from the previous encounters. "will you go easy on me, kidd?" you peeked between your fingers but he just laughed at you.

instead, he flipped your frame the other way where your ass is facing him and you were facing the guys. his favorite position always. you were on your fours, he bent down to whisper in your ear. "never." he bit on your ear before pushing your head down the bed and sliding his cock so mercilessly in you. it helped that you were so wet that he was able to push right through.

you groaned in the sheets, fisting it so hard it ripped a little. your muffled screams were soon turned into cacophonous moans that said a lot about how good you felt when he pinned your arms behind you and held your neck up from behind.

"see them? they're just as hungry for you, waiting for me to be finished with you." kidd whispered in your ear, his pace unforgiving as he continued to kept pulsing on your cervix, holding your jaw so you could take a good look at the others pleasuring themselves at the sight of you. "you see, we wouldn't have to go this rough if you had just told us you missed us. didn't have to go an extra mile and mess around with some damn nobodies, hm? so take it like a fuckin' brat that you are."

girl 😳😳😳😳 when i tell you i FLIPPED when i got the request i 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️ thank you so much for the request anon! 🥰🌷 i hope you liked this :)

this was so good omfg 😩 idk why i think wire is a fucking baddie AHAHJZSGHSHS think i saw a hot fanart of him 🥺

if you guys are interested in requesting a fic for my 500 followers event, my askbox is open! click here for the main event post for more info :DD i have open slots for forced proximity, hurt to comfort, fantasy, he puts you in your place (smut), and modern aus!

[lukalnst]

HELLO!! hope ur doing well ❕🩵

is there any chance you could write about alnst characters w a jirai kei user? (style + lifestyle)?? it's completely fine if not <3

i'm mainly fussed on till LOLOL but feel free to do whoever!!

IVAN & TILL WITH A JIRAI KEI READER

Includes: Ivan & Till, jirai kei!reader, landmine!reader I think,, fluff, gn!reader, implied self-destructive behaviors, headcanons

Till

Clothing? Absolutely adorable. You were stunning always.

Life style? If that was the life you had, he wanted to help you lead a better life.

He made it known to you that if you ever needed help, he'd be there for you.

He had done research on it after he met you, and the way you dressed never failed to make him feel flustered.

How did he get so lucky? How did he have such an amazing partner?

The more he looked at the subculture's history, the more it worried him.

Some of the acts were... a bit questionable, and he just hoped you could improve soon if you took part in those activities.

If he had to be completely honest, he admired you.

You showed unstable behaviors sometimes, yes, but it takes courage to dress so prettily and not care about what others have to say.

Maybe he was a bit jealous of going out in public with you.

He'd hold your hand and stare intently at anyone who looked at you for too long.

But still...

You were such a pretty person, it couldn't be helped.

Ivan

Ah, how absolutely adorable you were.

He had seen a few people dress similarly to the way you did.

He admired your style, the way you did your makeup and the such.

He knew that the lives that some landmine people led on weren't the best, but he hoped to help you get better and take care of you.

He is protective of you, so he makes sure you can't hurt yourself in any way.

Still, he liked seeing you get dressed up and just look so beautifully.

"You're gorgeous, you always are," were some of the words which he seemed to tell you often.

He was willing to help you get better. He wouldn't allow you to hurt yourself.

He'd make sure to provide comfort and happiness to you, and also make sure you hadn't been harming yourself in any way.

Also, he loves to buy clothes for you.

Do you want a pretty dress? maybe some pretty shirts? he'd get it for you.

Anything for his spoiled little lover.

[stalkedbytrains]

"Is that so?" she asked, hands in her pockets, as she walked confidently around the room. "So you have lots of clients then?"

"Oh so many!" said the creature that was like a shadow but with bones and blood. "I can barely keep up some times!"

"That's good, that's great even. Helping people, helping yourself. Providing a service."

"It's basically free medical care."

Her smile flashed brightly. And suddenly she seemed more like a hunter than the shadow thing did.

"Oh, so you passed your medical boards? You have all the proper safety and medical training. Because, and I'm not a medical professional at all, I'm in law enforcement. You should see the certifications and safety standards I have to go through. Took me two whole years. And these people in chronic pain have medical conditions that just eating their pain isn't going to just... make better."

"I... er... that's to say... I'm working on it."

Her smile widened. "Yeah, that's what I thought. You see. When Maester Mae Cross came to see you, she had a relatively serious condition. You made that better, but since you're not actually a medical professional."

The shadow started to back away, seeming to shrink before the woman who started to dominate the space. "Detective..."

"Maester Cross had an underlying condition, one that you didn't see past your hunger. You ate up all the symptoms so when things got worse and hit her liver, you didn't even notice. When it moved to her kidneys and then started sending all these toxins to her brain, well, it was much too late."

"It wasn't intentional!"

"No, maybe not. That's not for me to decide. You have to weigh yourself against the courts for that. But a person is still dead, and you could have done something about it. You were just hungry. I'm sure that will be a great argument against the Arbiter."

A flash of green fire and the shadow was bound in chains and spectral cuffs.

The woman opened her phone. "Yeah, it's Saint Felix. I got your pain eater. I'm going to book them and then tell you where to meet us for your preliminary case and offer."

She turned to the bound shadow. "Come on, we're going downtown."

if you like this i have a kofi

,,Look hero. I know you think I´m evil, since my kind feeds on human suffering. But these people suffer from chronic pain. They want me to eat their suffering so often i even had to get an appointment book!"

[velvetvexations]

There's a post going around about how it doesn't help bring men to the left to treat being a man as an ontological evil. Lots of people were recommending bell hooks and it made me so happy because this is what trans men have been saying since forever.

But then my dash was full of people complaining about "that post that says if women were nicer misogyny wouldn't exist." I've seen "if you can't take a little teasing about your privilege you're weak" which just reminds me of mean girl behavior. If they had ever been bullied you think they'd realise how quickly "just teasing" can turn into downright cruelty, even if the target "deserves" it (which I'm sure the bullies thought they did!) I've seen "men are celebrated everywhere" not disabled men, not men of color, not trans men, and even the average cis white dude isn't going to feel celebrated for his manhood, because he's probably not the "alpha" other men say he should be. He's going to be defensive if that's dismissed because of "cis white man" and actually meeting him where he's at will get him to understand quicker than just telling him he's weak (I've had this explained to me by actual feminist activists).

And NONE of that is is saying women should just lay down and take intentional bigotry. But borderline radfem keyboard warriors don't want nuance, they want to be angry.

It makes me want to crawl in a hole again.

I will drag you out of that hole, anon. You're a man and it's awesome you're man. I love you. <3

[1toreyouapart]

The Lies We Tell

* **FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE. 18+ ONLY. MDNI. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T LIKE FANFIC THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE***

Summary that tells you nothing: Sometimes everything you ever wanted has been right there, within reach, all along.

CW/TW: Angst, fluff, swearing, friends to lovers, jealousy, smut, fingering, PinV, pet names, friends with benefits, more to come as I actually get things written out.

Masterlist

The Shower Scene

Noah leaned over the sink, watching intently in the mirror as the razor glided across his skin. The pitter-patter of the shower the only sound in the bathroom, broken every so often as water splashed. He had lost track of how many times they'd done exactly this. One of them in the shower while the other did whatever they needed to. And every single time he had to fight tooth and nail not to sneak a peek. Friends weren't exactly supposed to want to see the other one naked. But damn it, he couldn't help it.

With a groan he leaned down, rinsing the remaining shaving cream from his face. Friends also didn't sleep in the same bed more than half the time. Or cuddle the way him and Quinn did. They sure as shit didn't get jealous every time one of them went out on a date. She had such shitty taste in men, too. All of them absolute tools that left her disappointed at the end of every date. Yet she still went back. It made zero sense.

Her phone on the counter lit up. A quick glance and he wanted to vomit. Here she was, getting ready for another date with another boring asshole that if he even made it past the first date would disappoint her, again, by the end of the second or third. What the fuck was she doing wasting her time with these idiots?

"Noah? Can you pass me my towel?"

Noah paused for a moment, wondering just what would happen if he said no. If he made her get out and get her towel herself. It was tempting. Maybe a little too tempting. Resigning himself he grabbed her towel off the rack, passing it through the shower curtain to her.

"Got any plans tonight?" He knew the answer, but fuck it, why not torture himself and hear her say it?

"Yeah." She stepped out of the shower, wrapped up in her towel. "Got a date."

Biting back the words that so desperately wanted to escape he moved aside and leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He watched her as she applied her leave-in conditioner. Watched as she wiped her hands on her towel before she picked up her phone. Ignored the pit in his stomach as she responded to whatever the douchebag had said.

"You deserve better."

"You don't even know him, Noah."

"Don't have to. You have fucking terrible taste in men." Noah's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say that. "I'm sorry. Fuck. I shouldn't have said that."

Quinn laughed. Actually laughed. But it wasn't her usual laugh. He could hear the pain hiding behind it. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"Yes, you did. It's okay, though. You're not wrong. Just look at how we met." Her eyes met his in the mirror. "I would like to get dressed now, if you don't mind."

Noah stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. Of course he had meant it, but he hadn't meant to actually say it. She didn't need to tell him that his words had stung. He could hear it in her voice. See it in the way she looked at him through the mirror.

"I'm just tired of seeing you hurt when they all inevitably do the same stupid shit. I love you, terror pixie." He bent down, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Bigfoot."

She grinned, her eyes crinkling at the corners. At least she was smiling again. With a weary sigh he reached up, ruffling her hair before darting out of the bathroom. Part of him, real deep down, knew that if he had just asked her to cancel. To stay home with him, she would have, no questions asked. But that would be selfish. Who knows? Maybe this guy wasn't a total douchebag. And maybe he would turn out to be the love of her life. The thought made him physically ill.

Noah burst into Jolly's room, quickly closing the door behind him. Jolly merely looked up from the book he was reading, an eyebrow arched.

"Lemme guess. Another date tonight?"

"Yeah. And we all know how it's gonna go. Gonna need all of you to get lost for a while."

[sorcave]

Hating Calypso does not mean you don't understand morally grey characters and defending her does not mean you understand them.

I've seen many takes from those defending Calypso in one way or another dismissing those who hate her as "not understanding morally gray characters" which is simply isn't true. Defending her as a poor victim who didn't know any better does not mean you understand the concept of morally gray characters either.

The main divide is whether intent, her actions, or both matters in defining her morality and by how much. Either side of that spectrum is missing the nuance of the situation- she's not a supervillain intent on making Odysseus' life horrible nor is she an innocent, naive girl who shouldn't be held accountable for her actions. To me, while I don't think she is evil, she is at the darker end of the "morally gray" spectrum as her actions are so egregious that her intent nearly doesn't matter.

Most defenders use the story that Calypso tells in "I'm Not Sorry For Loving You" as their evidence. She didn't INTEND to hurt Odysseus- she hasn't known anyone before so she didn't know! She was just lonely! She just loved him! If you were stuck on an island all alone for 100 years and finally someone came, wouldn't YOU want to make sure they didn't leave? Besides, she apologizes for her actions!

This is a trap that the song actively brings listeners into. It is meant (or at least easily interpreted as) as a plea for sympathy, to make the audience feel empathy for poor Calypso. It is not a simple explanation for her actions and it is definitely not an apology for them. The reason it feels like a "Youtuber Apology" is that they share many similar characteristics. She is intentionally vague about what she is apologizing about, to the point they are nearly irrelevant. "Coming on too strong" wasn't the issue- it was "Coming on too strong" AFTER Odysseus told her no ( "From here you're mine, all mine"/ "Hell No") was. It doesn't address her main crime, specifically keeping a man AGAINST HIS WILL for seven YEARS, even AFTER he became so desperate to leave that he was moments from committing suicide. Lastly, she doesn't take accountability but (intentionally or not) blames Odysseus . "I'm sorry if my love was too much for you" is a VERY common phrased used by abusers to shift the blame from themselves onto their victims.

The crux of the issue for me is while her rough experience up until she met Odysseus may explain her actions, too many people seem to use it to EXCUSE her actions (including, seemingly, the narrative itself). Why this rubs so many the wrong is because of how many real life victims have been told they have to "forgive" their abusers because their life was hard or "they didn't know better." Many who were bullied as a kid had at least one guidance counselor say they needed to "forgive/even befriend x because they are struggling/ \[Insert Bad Thing Here} happened to them." Many others see Calypso using the same tactics their own abusers used to hurt them, and justifiably hate her for it.

I am not saying someone is wrong or stupid for having a more forgiving perspective on Calypso. If you are one to put more weight into intent than actions, I could see why Calypso could be a much lighter gray ( I am not seeing many defenders saying she is an entirely innocent, "morally good" character"). It can be argued that her actions were not of an intentional abuser but of a goddess who haven't had much experience with relationships before, especially with mortals. If her idea of romance came from whatever the Ancient Greek version of romance novels were, it makes sense that her idea of romance may not be the healthiest. Heck, even reading the myths would explain or even excuse why she didn't see "She's my wife" as a sign to back off- for probably at least 90 percent of Greek Heroes, that would not matter.

In summary, Calypso is a morally gray character- but that doesn't mean there aren't valid reason to dislike or even hate her. Seeing her as dark gray bordering on black doesn't mean you don't see the nuance- many who are against her understand her intent may not have been evil- but that her actions make her intent almost irrelevant. So please stop dismissing those who dislike/hate her as simply misunderstanding/being naive with morally gray characters. Many are not (especially since the entire show is full of them) and simply put weight in her actions more than her intent.

[nervocat]

“Gargoyle Watching.” (no cws - wc: 586, platonic/fluff, male reader) FEM ALIGNED DNI WITH THIS POST OR YOU WILL BE BLOCKED

[name] Draconia, the Malleus Draconia's little brother. They both had the same reputation of being the feared and revered Draconia's, and they weren't very different either (though not as scary as people say).

Wandering Night Raven College's campus, the rain pattering on Malleus’ umbrella the two were under, [name] listened to his elder brother ramble on about the different gargoyles on campus with a fascinated look in his eyes.

Pointing to one on a building, Malleus explains the detail to it and his own guesses on the gargoyle, his brother listening intently. He was about the only one who could listen to him talk on about these things.

“It's been there for seemingly a very long time, I wonder what it's seen..” Malleus comments, putting his hand back to his side. You nodded in reply as you kept your eyes on the gargoyle.

“It does.. but it still seems to be staying up just fine,” you comment, looking back up at Malleus. “I like walking out in the rain.. we should do it more, perhaps.”

“Perhaps we should.. I find it quite nice as well,” he says, a smile forming on his face as he looks down at you. “Should we go see more?”

You smile back and nod eagerly. “Of course, brother, I would be delighted to walk around more if you should invite me to.”

Following close behind Malleus to stay under his umbrella, you walk along the paths before he points to another, one with water falling from its open mouth.

“Do you see that one, dear brother?”

“I do, Malleus, it's very intriguing,” you say as you watch the water fall from its mouth. Malleus watches with you, before looking over to you.

“Do you wish to see it up close?” you look over to him, a slightly confused look in your eyes.

“See it up close..?” seeing how Malleus' eyes narrowed with his smile, fangs peeking out, you knew he was up to something.

“Of course — follow me,” quickly following him, having to take more rapid steps to keep up, you end up on the roof of said building with the gargoyle, able to now look at it up close.

“Are you sure we're able to do this, brother?”

“No one's out while it's raining, and now we can see this gargoyle up close,” he says, sitting down with you having to follow suit, though not sitting down and staying on your feet, hands on your knees.

Malleus seemed to be enjoying watching the water coming from the gargoyle, leaning forwards almost all the way to see the face of it. Feeling the rain starting to hit you a bit, your lips pull down into a slight frown.

“Malleus, you're leaving me in the rain,” he just laughed.

“The rain is nice anyways, dear [name]. It's nice whether you're dry or not,” was all he said, teasing smile still on his face as his legs dangled off the building, free hand on his lap and glancing back at you. You huffed, just looking back at the gargoyle, Malleus following suit.

You noticed how the teeth of the gargoyle broke the steady stream of water, making it split ways from the rest of itself. Huddling as close as you could to Malleus, you just look at it with him, the only noise being the flowing water and the pitter-patter of the rain against your brother's umbrella.

You should definitely go gargoyle watching with him more, even if you weren't in his club.

[ ★ notes: a little indulgent fic for Malleus based off his clubwear card :33 I actually love sm how this turned out and it is longer than I anticipated it to be but that's ok. Hoping I didn't mischaraterize Malleus throughout the fic.. and I would so make more posts abt Malleus and a biological little brother specifically but I will wait until I catch up to book 7 (<- is currently still stuck on book 6) ]

★ — © nervocat || I appreciate any reblogs made, and pls don't repost or translate my works anywhere, ty — ✦

[urfictional]

what doesn’t kill you… `𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 - 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘤𝘰

Summary: The one where it all started with betrayal. A meeting that later grew into a partnership no one expected. In the end, they both will have their Nation of Zaun. Or will they?

Warnings: Arcane spoilers, drug use, blood, violence, typical Arcane stuff.

Pairing: Silco x f!reader

series masterlist

Dear, Silco.

Before I begin, you should know how difficult it is for me to put my feelings into words. So, please accept my apologies if this letter does not come across as sincere as I had hoped.

I'll most likely be long gone by the time you read this letter. And the most important thing you should know is that it was not your fault. The events of the previous few days had had a profound effect on me. Every day, something happened that made me question my beliefs, feelings, and power that I held.

It all began when we went to see Ren. God, that little girl. She was the one who started it all, and everything went downhill from there. When I saw Marcus's body on the bridge that day, I realized Ren will be alone. And that was something I wanted to change.

Remember how many times have I told you how scared I am of not knowing how to raise a child? Since you brought Jinx with you that day, every day I feared that I might do something wrong. Perhaps this is why she grew up to be your daughter rather than mine. You were always better at this than me.

But with Ren it was different. It was as if all of my fears had vanished, and I knew exactly what I needed to do. Now I'm wondering if it was all meant to be. Perhaps Marcus was meant to die so that I could care for Ren. She changed me. She changed me completely and I am sorry. Believe me when I say that it was never my intention to leave you on purpose. And, as you are aware, we do not have the ability to stop the river from flowing into the sea or stop the sun from setting. The same was with me. This was something I couldn't stop.

I know what you're thinking right now. Why was I so upset that you chose Jinx when I was willing to give up everything for the Sheriff's daughter? Well, accept my sorry. It's just that when I realized you weren't going to hand her over, something in me snapped. I was enraged that you could jeopardize our dreams for the sake of a girl. Only after our argument did I try to put myself in your shoes. And now I understand.

Because I would do it too. I couldn’t give up Ren. Not for anything.

Silco, I hope you can find the strength to forgive me. After all, we both gave up our lives for girls who were left alone in this world. We appear to have more in common than we previously thought.

There is only one thing I need from you. Please do not come looking for me. I'm sure you could find me if you wanted to. Please, don’t. Regardless of how angry, disappointed, or sad, you are.

Zaun is your world, it’s where you’re supposed to be. You fit there, and I don’t.

Someone once told me that when they first saw me, they thought I was a Topsider. I'm not saying I was too good for Zaun; you, of all people, know that's not the case. But maybe this wasn't the right city for me. After all, it has brought me only grief and suffering.

I want you to know that I believe in you, Silco. I never stopped. Continue what we started, there will be plenty of other opportunities. Create the ideal Zaun, just like in our dreams. Meanwhile, I’ll be on the other side, always thinking about you.

And remember,

I love you.

y/n

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[howlingmod]

Hello mod, may I request something cutesy for Skateboard x reader?

summary - skateboard x reader, reader is from blackrock and is described as being a little bit messed up from it (not detailed)

misc - hi i seen this request and got so excited i love skateboard ... 1million tripmine attack go

-Skateboard hadn't really been looking to make any new friends when he'd stumbled onto you. It'd been late at night and he was dead tired, having spent the entire day in the blistering heat of day. He was really just looking to go home when he'd seen you.

-It wasn't uncommon to see people lost in Playground, especially people from other regions. It was less common to see someone frantically pacing back and forth with a stuffed full suitcase and what was very obviously a Blackrock-style uniform talking about getting hunted for sport.

-Initially, the uniform had put him on edge. He phights Subspace and Hyperlaser all the time and he's seen plenty of people from there pass through Playground, and it wasn't often they had good intentions. There was something different about you, though, your panic didn't seem manufactured to draw someone in, it felt unnervingly genuine. Blackrock isn't exactly known for letting its residents easily slip out whenever they want. if you really were some kind of runaway, you definitely had reason to be freaking out.

-Against his better judgement, he approached you.

"Hey man, are you ok?" Skate asked cautiously, taking a few steps closer to you. He kept his distance, he wasn't sure what kind of gear you might have and he wasn't looking to phight right now. Your head had whipped towards him the moment he'd stepped into the alley, wide eyes darting over his figure. He certainly didn't look like the type to be affiliated with the faction. Besides, to be entirely honest, an alley was a pretty terrible place to hide. For any Blackrock authority with an itchy trigger finger (most of them, you noted bitterly), it was the perfect place to solve a runaway. "Hello...?" You blinked, remembering he'd asked a question. "O-Oh, um... Yeah I'm- I'm fine," you stammered, hastily smoothing yourself out and ripping your eyes away. Any attempt at looking casual was soaked in anxiety. "Right, Right," he didn't believe you at all, "You mind telling me what's up then?" You kicked at the ground a few times, scuffing up already worn workboots out in an attempt to shake your nerves. You couldn't meet his eyes for more than a glance. "I'd rather not." Skate paused for a few moments. Maybe it's exhaustion talking, but you really didn't seem like much of a threat. If you were trying to bait him into getting close, it seemed counterintuitive to be acting so guarded. This didn't feel like an elaborate scheme, it just felt like a genuine moment of crisis. Before he could say anything, you spoke up again. "Listen I just- Do you need something? I really don't know why you're talking to me." You were struggling to keep your voice firm, but you couldn't afford to let your voice wobble over the edge and into tears. "Hey, just calm down. I wanna help you, ok?" This could have been a stupid move, but he took another few steps closer, one arm holding his board and the other raised in a show of pacifism, "I'm sorry if I was freakin' you out with all the questions. Do you have anywhere to go?" You bit the inside of your cheek, mentally debating if you really wanted to put this onto a stranger. On one hand, it was just humiliating for you. On the other, it was a risk, he might be playing nice now but he could sell you out in a heartbeat. "No." "Alright, well how about you come with me?" He was quick to clarify when you glanced at him, "You can stay with me until you find a place! Or, I could try and find some hotel nearby, I guess ..." He trailed off, talking more to himself than you. Part of you was screaming to run the other way, as far as you knew this guy had you totally figured out and was ready to use the situation to get whatever it was he wanted. He could blackmail you, rat you out, ruin every chance you have at a new life. You can't just pick up and keep running if he tries anything, this guy was clearly from here, far more familiar with the bustling city than you were. Despite all this- "Please."

-It was a pretty long adjustment period. Skate was a little too casual and open for your paranoid mind to comprehend and you were a little too guarded and mysterious for Skate to trust you fully. You were so unfamiliar with Playground's culture, the lively and crowded atmosphere was a stark contrast to the utilitarian lifestyle you were accustomed to. There was little you could do other than try and bully forward.

-It was the little things that made Skate warm up to you. You always insisted it was out of politeness whenever he'd confront you about how nice the place looked or how there was leftovers for him when he got home. You would get wrapped up in something and you would start talking to yourself, walking through all the different steps and alternatives in a long ramble under your breath. Despite the exterior you were putting up, there was clearly some life to you yet.

-Sometimes he would tease you about it, but he was surprisingly strategic. He'd annoy you just enough to get you to glare at him and then back off for a while, returning the favor by bringing home snacks and takeout for the two of you in an effort to draw out more of that humanity. Besides, you could really use the food. The day he noticed most everything you made for yourself was just whatever used the least amount of resources was the same day he shoved most of his portion over to you without a word.

-Neither of you really noticed how you opened up to one another. Slowly you two stopped sitting on opposite sides of the room until you spent nights laying on one another watching bad tv. Admittedly, he might've gotten the first hint at his crush for you the first time you fell asleep on him. Sure, it was just plain cute, but it meant something more knowing it was you, the same person who used to run off to go eat by yourself every night and stuck to the corners of a room.

-He noticed your quirks become more apparent, little references and phrases he'd never heard before suddenly littered your every word. You spoke more openly, though you still had a tendency of not talking unless he said something that absolutely called for it. He didn't mind, he was usually the more chatty one in his friendships anyway. He just liked getting an excuse to tell you about all the phights he's been in and all the (more lighthearted) things his gang was up to. At some points, the lines between fabrication and reality in his stories blurred for whatever reason. He didn't mind that either, so long as you were laughing or drawn in by what he was saying.

-You weren't into the idea of phighting yourself, it was just a little too much for you. Besides, even the idea of seeing Hyperlaser or Subspace again on the battlefield of all places made your stomach churn. Instead, he'd just gotten you into play wrestling with him. You were stronger than he'd been expecting, though he probably should've known you would be considering your background. He didn't have to take it easy on you, only really holding back for the sake of not breaking anything.

-It was cliche, but there was some time where you'd won and managed to shove him down and keep him there and all the admiration he' been building up for you overflowed and left him looking up at you with some dumb grin. You were smiling back, something you'd only recently really started doing again. He liked to think it was because you were comfortable here with him, you would agree.

"Hi." "Hey." He laughed again, a nervous habit you often poked fun at, "You're really pretty, you know that?" You'd burnt up at that, laughing a little yourself as you stared down at him, "Where's this coming from?" "I dunno, just been thinking it." "You're weird." "Do you like me weird?" You snorted, halfheartedly swatting him one more time before pushing yourself back up. "Of course." "That's good, I like you weird too," the moment he'd finished his sentence, you were already pouncing on him again.

[wake-me-up-inside-imagines]

Oh, anything with him would be great. But maybe something about his love trying to escape and getting kidnapped in the process by some other big mafia boss that wants to hurt Charlie.

Or Charlie's first days with his love and what it was like (Like him awkwardly trying to be romantic with someone that he kidnapped three days ago ?-? )

Of course! I combined the first prompt with another ask I got that was similar in nature, so if you're interested, here's the link!

Since I already did the first prompt, I'm gonna do the one about Reader's first couple of days with Charlie. I hope you enjoy!

Reader's First Days With Yandere! Charlie

Warnings: Reader was kidnapped, Charlie is a yandere (and delusional), forced proximity, implications of potential Stockholm syndrome

Gn! Reader

Divider credit goes to @archonfurina

-The last thing you expected to wake up to on your second day in Charlie's home was an unknown man staring at you from the corner of your room, right in front of your new doorway.

-It was a little terrifying, at first. You've never seen this infamous Charlie before (even though it's only been a day), but you're certain this must be him. Who else would be in "your" room, staring so intently at you? From what you've heard about him, he wouldn't let any of his employees watch over you like this, no matter how high ranking.

-"You're safe," he tells you, but you don't believe him. If you were safe, you wouldn't be here, in some mafia leader's house with no recollection of how you got there. You have no idea who he is, what he's capable of, you don't even know how he knows you!

-Meanwhile, he has no idea what to do. How do you converse with someone when you have no social skills? Charlie wasn't raised in a normal environment, he has no idea how to talk to people, and he did just kidnap you, so what was he supposed to say? He can reassure you of your safety all he wants, but based on the fear in your eyes, he highly doubts that'll work.

-You hesitantly ask him why your here, how he knows you, why you of all people were chosen to marry him, and he can feel his heart break at the fear in your voice, the terror shining in your eyes. He didn't expect you to remember your brief meeting, so he tells you, watching as your horror grows by the second. Was it not normal to fall in love so quickly? What about 'love at first sight?' He doesn't understand, why are you so scared? Yeah he kidnapped you, but you were far safer with him than you would be anywhere else, don't you know that?

-He doesn't understand. he doesn't understand at all. But he knows you're scared, and he knows he's making everything worse, so he decides to leave you be, shooting one last soft promise of safety your way before backing out of the room, closing the door as gently as possible.

-As to be expected, the conversation did nothing to ease your nerves. This guy started stalking you after just one interaction? Why? Why you? What had you done to garner this attention? This was scaring you more and more by the second, but no matter where in the room you looked, you couldn't find any way to escape. There was no window, and you sure as hell weren't going out of the room, where Charlie almost certainly was. You were stuck for the time being, with no idea how to get help.

-Truthfully, the first couple of days with Charlie are pretty boring in terms of interaction with him. You have plenty of entertainment in your room, Charlie made sure of that, but you don't actually see him much. Granted, you know he's at least been there, the vases of fresh flowers and little gift left by the foot of your bed giving away his activity, but you don't see him much outside of his daily visits.

-At least once a day, Charli comes to your room, creeping in silently and watching you try to ignore him. He doesn't say much, often waiting on you to start up the conversation, but he'll start speaking after a few moments of silence, quietly asking you questions about yourself, reassuring you of your safety, and even telling you a little about his own life.

-Fortunately, the silent treatment you're giving him ends up doing the job, and he leaves defeated, closing your door until the next day arrives.

-It isn't until around the two week mark that you muster the courage to step outside of your room, ready to explore the rest of the house. You're tired of relying on Charlie to drop your meals outside your door, and besides that, exploring the rest of the house might give you the opportunity to escape. You can't do anything from your room, that much is clear, so you're only really given one option. He hasn't hurt you yet, and you're hoping he won't now. He said you were free to go anywhere in the house, didn't he?

-You can feel Charlie's eyes on you the entirety of your time outside of your room, his gaze landing on you the second you crept down the stairs. you try to ignore him, you really do, but it's hard when he's just...standing there. Staring. Not moving an inch.

-He tries to talk to you as you explore the first floor, but once again, you ignore him, your gaze darting around for anything that could be useful. It's a little hard when he's actively watching you look for things to escape with, but with all the cameras around, it was always going to be uncomfortable.

-As the days pass by, you get more and more confident, feeling more comfortable going downstairs. Charlie's still there, and he's still trying to talk to you, but you're getting used to it. Sometimes you even engage with him, although never with much warmth.

-The gifts and the flowers keep up consistently, although you never thank him for it. It means nothing when he's keeping you at his house unwillingly. Still, you can tell he's getting hope, and you hate it. You hate that he keeps talking to you, you hate that he's keeping up this 'relationship', and most of all, you hate that your engaging with him, that your need for human connection is greater than your hate for him. You hate him, but you also hate being so alone.

-He's started to get closer to you, and you flinch away at first, but eventually you get used to it. Still, you don't let him get too comfortable, as when he tries to touch you, you move away, glaring at him from a distance. You don't care how wounded he looks, he made you so miserable, he has no right to touch you.

-As the days go by, you get more used to your situation. You get used to Charlie's unnerving presence, to the constant surveillance, to being housebound. You still hate it, but you haven't figured out how to leave yet, so for now your stuck, stuck trying to make the best of your situation.

-You hate him. You hate him, and you want out, but all you can do is wait.

-As for Charlie...he's actually pretty happy. Of course, he's sad that you flinch away from him, that you still seem so scared of him, but at least you can tolerate him now! At least you're out of your room! At least you're talking to him at all! That's progress, right? He's winning you over, right?

-He knows it's gonna take a bit longer to get you to really warm up to him, but he doesn't care. He'll wait a long as it takes, anything for his spouse. Because he loves you, and he'll continue to love you, no matter how upset with him you may be.

-You'll fall for him, he's sure of it. It's just a matter of waiting.

I hope you enjoyed!

[peridot-tears]

The case of Jennifer Scott

Something that has haunted me since I finished the Black Flag game and novel all those years ago is: What the fuck happened between Edward meeting Jenny and the events of AC: Forsaken?

Chronologically, AC: Forsaken came first, and then the Black Flag game and novel. We have Haytham's perspective, we are introduced to Jenny as someone who's upset that their father wouldn't train her as an assassin and, ostensibly, Edward and Tessa just want to marry off. Haytham is a bit of an unreliable narrator, because the adults try not to argue in front of him, so we don't know if getting rid of Jenny is what Edward really wanted, but the idea that she doesn't belong in the household is pretty well-established at this point.

Decades down the line, after Reginald Birch kills their father and Haytham saves his sister, Jenny says in her own words that that was the case:

"I hated him. All his talk of freedom—spiritual and intellectual freedom—didn’t extend to me, his own daughter. There was no weapons training for me, remember? No ‘Think differently’ for Jenny. There was just ‘Be a good girl and get married to Reginald Birch."

Then Black Flag the video game releases a year later in October 2013, and Black Flag the novel releases in December 2013 two months later. It's already been well-established that Edward was a flawed father to Jenny.

The Black Flag video game ends with this girl having the guts to travel across the fucking ocean all alone to meet a father she's never met. She's the milestone. She's Edward's commitment to a new life and fostering a child's view of the world.

Let's look at the Black Flag novel. This man addresses his first-person life story (the novel's narrative framing) to Jenny. Like Haytham does with Ratohnhaké:ton, he tells her his background, and is even honest with how was cast out by his own mother when he came back to Wales. Oliver Bowden wrote out Edward's adoration and willingness to stick with his daughter knowing full well of the eventual gap in their relationship.

Meta-wise, we know the writers probably wanted to make Edward as flawed as possible, and also tragedy is like candy to Ube Softee.

In-universe, what the fuck happened between the events of Black Flag and Forsaken to make Edward neglect Jenny?

Maybe while he was trying to rebuild his life, he couldn't spend as much time with her as he wanted. And when Tessa came into the picture, and then Haytham, well. Even if you still love your kids equally, the way you treat them is different. Jenny was probably neglected.

I'm not dissecting this in the context of Edward-drinks-respect-women-juice or whether or not you can call him a feminist, because I think those are really broad terms for someone who's lived in at least three different worlds with different rules all before he's 40. That deserves its own post.

But it seems wild to me that Edward -- someone who married a woman who matched his energy and stood up to drunken assholes to help other people; someone who in his own words respected Mary Read more than anything; someone who took counsel from Anne Bonny and trusted her to be his quartermaster -- wouldn't train his ballsy daughter to be an Assassin, and instead groom his son to be one instead. Where did that double-standard come from?

Did he want to protect his child from that world? Maybe he changed his mind by the time Haytham came along, but it was too late for Jenny.

It could go back to how he neglected Caroline too. He left to seek his fortune, out of selfish personal glory but also because she'd given up her inheritance to live a humble life he was ashamed to put her into. And because she eventually left him because all he could do was dream about it. He left his parents -- and in a sense, his wife -- to chase his dreams. Maybe that pattern repeated with his daughter. Once he started building a new life in England, with a new woman, there just wasn't space to consider training her anymore.

I think he decided on a certain life for her -- married, with a good reputation in high society -- and dismissed her when she wanted to become an Assassin, because he'd lived that life and didn't want it for her. Even though...that's incredibly myopic of him. Did he really think that the girl who, as a kid who'd just lost her mother, crossed a pirate-infested ocean to be with him would want to be a housewife? She said herself to Haytham:

"I once told you that our lives were mapped out for us, remember? ...I was born to serve men, and serve men is what I have done."

And did he really, truly just want her out of his life when she got older? Or was forcing marriage on her a way to ensure she lived in comfort, the way he wanted for Caroline?

And here's the part where we could comment on misogyny -- maybe he felt that he had to protect the women in his family, and couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she could decide for herself. Mary Read and Anne Bonny were pirates he met and befriended. Caroline and Jenny are his family, under his charge.

I think it's a combination of selfish and selfless reasons, of course, but I wish I could have seen what happened while Jenny grew up.

[ilovedthestars]

i understand and appreciate the sentiment behind them but god, as someone in the process of getting an art degree and intending to pursue a career in art, those "don't get a job doing what you love because you'll start to hate it" posts are depressing

[shoechoe]

I have a guess as to how Araki ranks his villains in terms of "evil" because I think it's based on their intention and their worldview just as much as their actions. Like, Diavolo doesn't give a shit about anyone except himself and all of his actions stem from that, so he's designated "Most Deplorable" category despite his actions not actually being as bad or as gruesome as lots of the other villains

[immortalsins]

help. how do i respond to 'do you want to meet up sometime' when i am not interested. genuinely can't figure out what to do, last time i just said yes and am now stuck in an awkward situation so this time i have to say no because i do NOT want it but there's really no way i can think of it say 'i don't want to meet because i know what that means even though it's normal on the surface'

[sskk-manifesto]

Ep 4 :)