#asked and answered 216

[away-ward]

I was thinking about the Anon ask about other students showing interest in Emory, and I realized I skipped over another group of people.

Her teachers.

Part of Emory's story and character is that she never got along very well with people her age, but she's great with people who are older. Her problem was that she's too grown up. And it got me thinking about the interactions we see her having with her teachers.

The first is obviously Emory quitting swim team. For most of the conversation, Coach Dorn is urging Emory not to quit. But there's one moment where the coach seems more concerned with Emory's well-being.

Of course, teachers are interested in their students, but this felt more personal and insightful to me. Later we learn that not only is Coach Dorn her swim coach, but she was also her Biology teacher a few years prior. She's had plenty of time to watch and interact with Emory. So her question here does come across as genuinely interested.

Later, before the lock in, Mrs. Baum takes the effort to avoid embarrassing Emory. Again, teachers may care about their students, but I've certainly had teachers that didn't care enough to consider their actions might embarrass me in front of my peers. This speaks to Mrs. Baum actually caring about Emory's emotional well being.

And then when everything is finished, Mrs. Baum is aware that Emory is likely going to walk home - knowledge that only comes from observing or listening to a student.

Another interaction I found was Mr. Kincaid, the dean of TBP. Of course, he would be well aware of Emory's financial situation and probably keep up with her to make sure she's keeping on track academically.

Emory asked for college brochures to be mailed to the school instead of her home, and Mr. Kincaid had no problem with that. When he passed them over, he winks. Obviously, he's not aware that Martin is abusing Emory. He's supports Emory's desire to go to a school farther away from home than Martin is comfortable with. He's willing to work with her and aid her in reaching that goal, even if it means keeping some from her guardian. Still, he takes the time to remind her she won't be able to keep it from him forever.

Also, he says "your acceptance letters", having no doubt that wherever Emory applies, she will be accepted. Because he knows Emory. She's a good kid, who's smart and hardworking.

These were just the three I remembered right away, but it's not a leap to assume that most of Emory's teachers felt this way, and she had several positive interactions with the schools staff over the years.

Anyway, just wanted to add those thoughts.

[lowkeyerror]

The Family Business Ch.6

WandaNat x Raeder

Word Count: 2.4k

Ch. Notes: Rising tensions

Summary: The after math of the fallout between Wanda and her family leads to an all too important business meeting the next day.

An: haha I didn't almost forget to post today... And don't hate me for the next chapter please

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

“What um… what number are you guys staying in? Do you know?”  You ask, finally breaking the silence as you arrived at the building.

“220,” Natasha answers for them.

You nod, “I’m in 216, we’ll be right across from each other.”

The ride in the elevator was as silent as the car ride. The anger that was permeating off of Wanda had slightly reduced, but not by much. When the elevator opens, you escort the women to their apartment.

You point across the hall then say, “Well this is you and that is me if you need anything you can always knock."

You attempt to walk away, but a soft grip around your wrist stops you.  Your gaze slowly rises to meet Wanda’s. She pulls you into her and the warmth of her embrace let’s you know that she’ll be alright.

“Goodnight little krolik,” she kisses the top of your head before making her way into her new home.

“She’s going to be ok right?” You ask Natasha and she smiles softly at you.

“I’ll make sure of it lisichka. Go rest, you've had an eventful day. “

Its like her words trigger a yawn from your lips. Exhaustion is finally catching up to you properly.

“Goodnight, Nat.”

Once you go into your condo you sigh. The quiet finally getting the best of you. Though you were exhausted your mind was racing. Car chase, Wanda, Natasha, dinner, it all hit you at once.  Despite your thoughts you attempt to get ready for bed.

Your phone buzzes on the nightstand as soon as your head hits the pillow. It’s a text from Dragos calling for a meeting tomorrow at 9am. You put the phone back down and shut your eyes. This would all feel easier to deal with in the morning.

When your alarm rings at 7 am, you are quick to shut it off. Your sleep had been restless, and you feel the previous nights events weighing heavily on your shoulders. Nonetheless you stumble out of your bed.

After you brush your teeth, you throw on a pair of sweats to get your morning run in before the meeting. Usually, you’d do a run followed by a more rigorous workout, but you were short on time.

Your mind is clear as you begin to run away from the condo. Your only thoughts are focusing on your breathing.

Gloom hadn’t yet left the city. Though it wasn’t raining yet you wouldn’t be surprised if it started up later. Traffic seemed light, not a lot of cars were passing you on the road. The cool air was welcomed against your face as your body temperature slowly rose with each stride.

For a small moment in time, you were at peace. Part of you wished to skip the meeting and just take a lazy day. However, that wasn’t an option because you didn’t work in a regular job field. The non-negotiables of your profession were few but harsh. While you knew the Maximoff’s were lenient with you, you never craved to take advantage of that.

When you arrive back to your building, you quickly shower and dress. You had just finished doing your hair when your doorbell rang. Opening the door, you are met by a familiar red head, who seems to be in a better mood than last night.

“Morning little krolik, I come with coffee and a bagel.”

You smile, “The occasion?”

“I was hoping we’d carpool to work.”

You nod a few times, “Of course, just let me grab my coat and we can head out.”

Quickly you grab your belongings and follow Wanda to her car. You quietly munch on the bagel during the car ride.

“No Natasha today?”

She shakes her head, “Papa is still unsure of her role in the company, so he doesn't want her at the meeting.”

“Speaking of Dragos, are you feeling any better from… yesterday?”

Wanda takes a deep breath. You see her hands clench around the wheel and her demeanor shifts slightly.

“I assume the meeting will further address what happened last night,” she speaks flatly.

“Wanda, you have to keep calm.”

You see her jaw clench, “I will reflect whatever mood is brought unto me.”

You shake your head, “You and I both know that nothing gets solved with that kind of behavior.”

“So, what, you want me to bow down and apologize?” The irritation in her voice doesn’t phase you.

“That’s not what I said. I’m saying you can’t get into a yelling match, and you can’t put your hands on anyone.”

“If they were honest with me from the beginning I wouldn’t have-"

You cut her off, “I didn’t ask for an explanation Wanda. I’m telling you something that I know you are already aware of. If you want to head this organization, you have to keep your emotions in check.”

She mumbles underneath her breath. You raise an eyebrow at her childish antics, “What was that?”

“I said, it’s easier to keep my emotions in check when the lies aren’t about you.”

You fumble with your words briefly before speaking, “Well I told you truth, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but- “

“Well, there you have it. If you want to know something about me, it’s best to ask me. However, if I tell you, and you don’t like what you hear you have to deal with that on your own time,” you glance at her.

She chuckles softly to herself, “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to how much you’ve grown.”

You smile, but then it falters as you recall the argument from last night. Wanda had made Pietro and Dragos retreat instantly when mentioning something that revolved around you. You want to know what it is.

“Wanda, what are they hiding from me?”

You can visibly see the woman pale, “Do you trust me Y/n?”

You nod slowly.

She sighs, “When it’s the right time, I’ll tell you.”

You want to argue more, but you don’t. You trust Wanda, you know she has your best interests in mind. So, you fight the urge to be upset for the rest of the car ride.

When you get to the office, the two of you ride straight to the top floor. Dragos, Pietro, and Flora were already there. The room is tense as you both sit across from them. Usually you’d sit by Pietro’s side, but you weren’t going to let Wanda feel alone in this.

“You can disagree with me if you want, but your actions yesterday proved why keeping you in the dark about the situation with Y/n was the right thing to do. You’re hot-headed now, but back then you were even worse,” Dragos looks his daughter in the eye when he speaks.

You can feel the anger radiating off of Wanda’s body and for a moment you think she is going to have an outburst. Instead, she puts her elbows on the table and leans forward, never breaking eye contact with her father.

“We are a family and I thought that we agreed on having no secrets from each other. In this business a secret is the most dangerous weapon that could be used against us. My potential reaction aside, keeping this secret from me is breaking the rules you set in place. Or do the rules only apply to me?”

Wanda’s response was damn good in your opinion. Although she was angry you saw her hands clasping each other for dear life as a sign of restraint.

“Can we just move on from this? It was 5 years ago, and Y/n is fine now,” Pietro tries to defuse the tension.

Wanda shakes her head, “As much as this is about Y/n, it’s also about not respecting me enough to keep me properly informed about our family and our business. It’s unfair for you all to sit here and claim that I’m solely in the wrong. We can’t move on until all parties take responsibility for their part in this,” Wanda holds firm.

It's weird being in a meeting about yourself, but almost having nothing to do with anything being discussed.

“Have you ever considered the possibility that Y/n didn’t want us to tell you?” Dragos states and your body tenses.

“No,” Wanda says nonchalantly, as if his question was unimportant.

“What if she…”

Wanda’s glare hits her father like an ice pick to the back, “This isn’t a hypothetical, papa. If in some universe out their Y/n wanted you to keep it a secret from me, then that would be fine. However, this isn’t that universe, now is it Y/n?”

She doesn’t look at you, but you answer her question firmly, “No, it isn’t.”

“The best way to move forward from this is an apology from both sides. Wanda has just returned and we’ve dwelled on this matter for too long,” Flora stops the argument in it’s track.

You thought it was a civil solution. It would be for the best, but just by taking a quick glance at Wanda you can tell that she doesn’t want to apologize. It was her rigid posture and her hardened eyes. She felt like she did nothing wrong, but you were hoping she would stand down for the greater good.

“Wanda, I’m sorry we intentionally kept this from you. It is not the way we do things around here. Forgive me, docha,” Dragos speaks sincerely as he looks at Wanda.

She doesn’t seem to be budging. You make the judgment call by discreetly placing your hand on her thigh. This causes her to look in your direction and you speak to her with your eyes. Your features are telling her to apologize. You see her posture relaxes and her eyes soften a bit.

“I’m sorry for the way that I acted last night. It was uncalled for, regardless of my feelings,” she speaks with an equal amount of sincerity.

“Good, now that we’ve settled that I’m going to cut to the chase. Natasha, what assets does she bring to the table?” Dragos moves on to business fairly quickly.

Wanda follows his suit, speaking highly of her wife, “Natasha is a hands on kind of employee. She thrives being where the action is and that doesn’t just mean in a fight. She’s a highly trained assassin, her accolades are insurmountable, and there’s quite literally nothing that she can’t do.”

“She can start as head of security, and we can see what she can do from there,” Dragos offers, but even you think the role is undercutting Natasha’s abilities.

Wanda seems frustrated, but she is going to agree to these terms.

You speak up, “I think she should be in charge of field operations.”

“You and Pietro handle the field operations just fine, why add a third?” Dragos questions with curiosity not animosity.

“To avoid things like what happened yesterday with Mr. H. Right now, the way we operate is that Piet comes and gets me when needed and we just go from there. It’s not strategic at all, I’m usually in the car before I know what exactly it is that we’re doing,” you argue your position.

“It always works out,” Pietro fires back.

Your eyes lock on his, “But it could work better. With me running numbers for the company and for our business, I don’t always have the time to sit and plan out these operations. We all know that Piet doesn’t believe in planning. It’s field operations, it shouldn’t always just be Piet and me. We should have men out there with us incase things go south, but there’s never a plan for that.”

“And you think the addition of Ms. Romanoff will add…” Dragos leads off his sentence.

“She’s going to add structure and power by organizing this department into an actual department rather than just Piet and I doing deliveries in car. She’s experienced and we should be using that to our advantage, especially with us potentially being undercut at the moment.”

Dragos ponders, which is a good thing. It means he believes there is something to everything you’re saying.

“Give her a week on field operations and if you don’t see any type of benefit, she can be head of security,” Wanda offers a compromise.

“Only a week?” His disbelief is hidden in his voice, but you know it’s there.

“It’s all she needs,” Wanda says with confidence.

“Alright, that’s everything for today- “

“We’re not going to address the Kingpin situation?” You stay planted firmly in your chair.

Dragos sighs, “I will deal with Kingpin personally.  I had Kate set up a meeting at neutral territory.”

You shook your head knowing what Dragos was insinuating, “You’re trying to have a one-on-one meeting with this bastard? Everyone in this room knows that idea sounds like shit.”

“It’s not an idea, it’s happening in a few hours,” Dragos counters.

“Papa you’re going to have someone tailing you right? You don’t trust him to keep true to his word,” Pietro looks at his father in disbelief.

Dragos’s hand trails through his thick gray hair, “I’ve dealt with Kingpin before. I’ve known him for a long time, and I will be prepared for whatever he has coming.”

“Papa you can’t be serious?” Wanda has features akin to Pietro.

The arguing is about to continue, but then Flora speaks up, “Your father knows what he’s doing kids. Have some faith in him, he’s got a lot of experience for all of you. If he thinks this is the right call, then it has to be. Now, you’re dismissed.”

Suddenly there was no room for arguing with her. You try to keep calm but your feelings on the matter aren’t well hidden as you storm out of the room. Wanda and Pietro leave after you, both with the goal of trying to comfort you. However, their moods weren’t much better than yours.

When it was just the husband and wife in the office Flora let her nerves show. She was unsure about this plan. The lack of support from the group only heightened her anxiety for her husband’s well-being.

“You better prove them wrong Dragos. If anything were to happen to you I-"

The older man is gentle as he reaches for his wife’s hand, in the way he is always gentle with her. He places a kiss to the back of her palm, “Nothing is going to happen to me, moya lybov. I’m going to take car of this business and this family like I always have.”

Dragos wasn’t going to show his nerves. He never did, but to think they didn’t exist would’ve been ignorant. There wasn’t a reality that Dragos saw where the meeting went sideways. It had to go well, or a war would tear across the city. That thought protected him like a bullet proof vest. He was going to protect the industry he worked to build because that was the only option.

Taglist: @natashaswife4125 @autorasexy @alexawynters @blkmxrvel @toouncreativeforausername @likemick @sgm616 @bstvst @dorabledewdroop @sapphic-simp4015 @natty-taffy

[twice-inamillion]

Momo in the Studio

Smut (dirty talk, sex, penetration, creampie, sex crazy momo)

Chapter 216

1,570 Words

(OC and Momo spend some time in the studio. They work together on some lyrics but gets messy in the end. 😏)

After arriving in Korea, you have spent most of your time in the studio. The members use their time at the company for dance practice or to work on lyrics for songs they want to submit for the next album.

Momo is one of those who is excited to show you some lyrics she wrote for a potential song.

“Amazing work, Momo. How did you come up with this?”

“Really? It’s good?”

“Yeah, it gives a different vibe.”

“Thanks! Hmm… I went around and asked unnie for help.”

“Nayeon and Jeongyeon?”

“I can’t say, but they gave me some pointers.”

“Thank them because I can see this as a potential song.”

The two of you spent a couple of hours in the studio trying out some potential beats. Momo became interested in the process and stuck to you like glue. “So if you change this, it gives a different vibe to the song? It’s supposed to be a love and hate type of song, but it’s also kind of hot,” as Momo presses her breast to your arm.

“I think we can emphasize more on these words” as you mention the words “Love, I love you, love you, hate, foolish.”

“Yes, like you love someone and hate them too, seems like a hot way to have sex.”

“You must be sex crazy.”

Momo looks at you with lustful eyes, “It’s because I’ve only used my fingers and toys. You haven’t been filling me up as of lately.”

“You know how busy we’ve been. The wedding and the tour.”

She pushes your chair and gets on top of you, “Still, you could have given me a good fucking. Don’t think Jihyo would mind.” You know that she’s teasing you, and it’s working.

She notices you staring at her chest, “Wanna see my tits, Oppa?” Momo doesn’t wait for an answer and takes off her shirt, revealing her beautiful breasts held by a thin bra. She slowly undoes her bra and tosses it onto the nearby chair.

With her large nipple in front of you, it doesn’t take much for you to shove your face to her breast. You attach yourself to her nipple and suckle. Momo moans loudly and says, “Oppa, there’s no milk; I’m not Jihyo.”

You don’t respond and keep on focusing on her breast and move to the other. You place her nub between your teeth and give a slight bite. Momo cries from her nipple getting bitten and digs her nails into your arm.

After detaching yourself, Momo unbuttons your shirt and tosses it to the floor. She gets off of the chair, starts to undo the remainder of her clothes, and moves to remove your pants.

When she removes your boxers, your cock springs out hard. Momo looks at you with hunger in her eyes and says, “fuck, I missed your cock so much.” She gives it a few pumps and gets back on your lap.

You see Momo grab your cock and aligns it to her entrance. You ask, “No foreplay?” Momo looks at your crazed eyes, “No, I just want your cock in me, now,” and lowers herself to take in your head. She moans to the tip of your cock inside her, “Ooh, that feels so good, and it’s just the tip.” She lets the remaining of her weight go, and her cunt swallows your whole length.

“Fuck! You’re stretching me wide open!” Momo arches her back from the sudden pain of your massive cock invading her hungry womb.

She doesn’t hesitate to bounce on your cock aggressively. Momo grunts and moans loudly to your thick cock, spreading her walls wide open. “I hate you; you make me such a bad girl. You make me feel like I’m high.”

You notice her spouting out some of the lyrics of her songs as she rides you like a bull and you decide to tease her a bit. “Why do you hate me?”

Momo, with her hands fondling her massive breasts, yells, “I hate how Jihyo has you wrapped around her little fingers. She shouldn’t have you all for herself; she needs to share with the rest of us!”

She continues to ride your cock as you enjoy the show. Her perfect breast bounces right in front of you, “fuck, Momo. I love your breasts; I just want to milk them dry.”

“Only way you’ll get that is if you breed me,” giving you a smirk.

“You would want that, huh.”

“Yes! I enjoy the feeling of hot cum inside my womb.”

“I want to see you become a complete mess,” place your hands on her butt and stand up. With her arms wrapped around your neck, she holds on for dear life. You begin to fuck her in a stand-and-carry position as you walk to lock the door of the studio. You walk back and press the “recording in session” button to ensure that no one bothers the both of you.

“Make sure you fill me up real good, okay.”

You stand in the middle of the studio and fucking her mercilessly. Momo lets her full voice out as she grunts and moans loudly. “Just like that! Fuck me with your big, fat cock. Mess up that slutty pussy of mine.”

You give her a heavy slap on her ass and increase the pace of your thrusting. She digs her nails deep into your back, “Ahh… you’re going to make me addicted to your cock. Don’t stop, please.”

“Tell me where you like my cock.”

“Ahh… in my cunt.”

“Where?”

“I said in my cunt!

“I can’t hear you.”

“I said, I like it when you fuck me in my tight little cunt with that big fat cock of yours!”

“See it’s not so hard.”

You decide to change up the pace and let her do all the work. Momo uses her strength to bounce on your cock as she avoids falling. “Oppa, don’t let me do all the work; I’m about to fall.”

“You’re doing a good job, Momo. Just keep going, okay?” as you kiss her on the lips. She’s surprised from the sudden kiss and giggles, “Okay, but make sure you give me a reward after for doing all the work.”

Momo continues to bounce on you for what feels like an hour. As time goes by, her rhythm goes slowly, and her breathing becomes heavier. “Oppa, I can’t hold on anymore. My arms are about to give up.” She presses her head onto your chest and is entirely out of energy. You lift her up, pull out and reinsert your cock and do some slow but hard thrusts.

“In or out?”

She lifts her head and shyly whispers, “In.”

You walk towards the couch across the studio and slowly place on the sofa into a mating press. Standing in front of Momo, you get on your knees and tease her with your cock by tracing your head against her lips. With your cock in hand, you slap it on her cunt before inserting it back inside. You hold her legs up to her head and thrust yourself deep inside.

“Oh fuck!! Fuck… fuck… you’re too rough. You’re going to mess me up.”

“You told me to mess you up, so here it is. Take it like a good girl.”

Momo bites her lip as she feels the tip of your cock reaching the deepest part of her womb. She doesn’t resist and whines, “Cum inside me already; I want to feel it in my…”. You don’t let her finish her sentence as you pull out and slam yourself once more. Her eyes widen as she pulls her womb gets pumped with a large amount of thick hot cum.

“Hmm….fuck! Keep pouring that hot baby batter inside my slutty cunt!”

You watch as her belly grows bigger by the amount of cum you’re pouring inside of her. “You’re taking it like a good girl, Momo,” as you watch her satisfied face. You give her one last thrust before pulling out.

“Woah, you look so hot,” as you watch Momo’s creampie. “I really did a number on you,” as she lays on the couch with her legs spread wide open. You see a thick trail of cum oozing out and dripping onto the sofa and on the floor, creating a small puddle.

You walk to Momo and ask, “Hold a peace sign. I want to take a picture.” Momo holds a peace sign with both hands, sticks her tongue out, and rolls her eyes back.

“Haha, you really know how to turn on a guy, huh.”

Momo laughs at your comment, “I wouldn’t know. You’re the only guy I’ve been with.” You can’t help but smile and thank Jihyo for allowing you to play with her “sisters.”

You stare at Momo’s delicious body and see a slight bulge in her tummy. You give her belly a hard press and see a large amount of cum gush out of Momo’s used cunt.

With her two fingers, she traces her folds and collects as much cum as it can hold. She puts it in her mouth and says, “Tastes so good, it’s sweet,” as she licks her fingers clean.

[malum-forev]

A Place I Once Called Home

Summary: The four times Bucky showed up at your place unexpected. 

The first time Bucky came stumbling into your apartment was a few weeks after he moved into the building. You’d been living in New York for quite some time so you weren’t oblivious to The Avengers and the fact that they resided in the same apartment complex. It was actually one of the reasons you paid the premium for living there. So what if your landlord hiked up the rent twice a year and there were some broken windows thanks to aliens trying to get to the superheroes when they’re least expecting it, right? It was all in the name of safety. Or so you thought.

Your friends had left hours ago, and although you loved your weekly wine and cheese night you sometimes hoped they would stay after to help you clean the dishes. You hummed along to the song that was quietly playing, the small speaker filling your whole apartment. At first you thought the rattling you heard was part of the melody. But a chill went through your spine as you heard a loud thump at your door, making you almost drop the wine glass into the soapy water. 

As you dried your hands and walked towards the door there was another loud bang against your door. You clutched the baseball bat hidden behind your TV, a lovely present from a misogynistic ex-boyfriend. He’d thought it be ‘cute’ to show you how to hold a bat. There’s only one fucking way to hold a bat you mansplaining son of a- bang! 

‘You don’t have time to think about this right now!’ You scolded yourself. 

You peered through the peephole to find two male figures trying to pick your lock, the handle rattled. 

One, two, three deep breaths and you opened the door, bat clutched and ready to hit anything and everything. A woman ready for battle, adrenaline rushed through your veins, blood rushing to your head. But before you could even unleash your first swing, one of the men dropped near your knees with a thump and a groan. Half of his body inside your apartment while his long legs sprawled across the hallway. 

“Buck! You said your apartment was 213!” The man you soon recognized as Captain America said, shooting you a ‘You have no idea how sorry I am’ face with reddened cheeks. 

You stood inside your apartment with mouth agape as you watched one of Earths Mightiest Heroes struggle to pull another super up from your floor. 

“Miss I am truly sorry to have interrupted you.” Captain America apologized. “I’m Steve and the man who is currently petting your slippers is my friend Bucky.”

Your brows furrowed as you looked down at the man known as the Winter Soldier running his hand through the fur of your plush husky shaped slippers.

“I’m more of a cat guy but these two doggies look friendly. What-“ he hiccupped. “are their names?”

His steel blue eyes followed yours as Steve picked him off the floor and leaned him against your doorframe. 

“Ma’am, are you okay?” It was until Steve asked you the question that you realized you hadn’t answered.

You shook your head to try and reset your brain. “I’m sorry, yes I’m good it’s just that- well I know some superheroes live here I just didn’t think two Avengers would come knocking on my door. 

“I’m not an Avenger.” Bucky grumbled, closing his eyes for what he thought was a second. What actually happened was that he lost his balance and ended up falling forward into you. It took all of your strength to not topple over. 

“For fucks sake.” Steve muttered under his breath, he usually didn’t swear but his best friend was making his patience wear down, as he peeled Bucky off of you.

“You smell really nice.” Bucky slurred with a loopy smile. 

 “Just to wrap things up, we’re extremely sorry for trying to break into your apartment, for probably scaring you half to death and for anything and everything Bucky’s said.” Steve smiled before turning right and lugging his friend down the hallway.

“His apartment is down this way!” You said pointing to the left side. “216, on the other side of the hall.”

“Thank you ma’am. Have a good night.” Steve huffed hiking up Bucky’s arm on his shoulder, as they passed your apartment again. 

“Thank you pretty lady.” Bucky said with a singsong tone and a wink. 

The second time you found Bucky in your apartment was a few weeks later. He had walked past your door a total of six times in the last few hours. The mission was to give you an iced coffee for your troubles the other night. And as of today, he was two weeks and four days late on completing the mission. The original plan was to stop by the day after he’d drunkenly showed up at your door, but the anxiety and panic that had settled into his bones made him jump back into his place anytime he heard your door open.

“What if she doesn’t drink coffee? She’ll think it’s disrespectful of me to bring her that.” He convinced himself. So the only logical thing to do was to follow you around for a couple of days. Maybe this way he would find out your exact order and get it right. Not telling his therapist what he was up to would be smart. 

After a few days he got your order right and even found out what kind of flowers you liked. 

Days passed and the petals from the bouquet he bought started falling off, the ice on your coffee was long gone. Another worried crease appeared on his forehead as he contemplated walking to your apartment with nothing in his hands but no, the pretty lady with the beautiful eyes he thought he’d only dreamt about deserved more. 

So here he was, a new coffee in his right hand and a bouquet of flowers on his left one. But before he knew it, another problem raised. How the hell was he supposed to knock on your door. Was he supposed to use the right one and spill your coffee or would he have to hope that by using the left one the petals wouldn’t drop. He was about to abort the mission completely but then he heard your lock turn. 

With each second that passed, and God did he feel like millions passed, he grew more nervous. Was his hand actually sweating? That hadn’t happened since before he enlisted. 

But once you opened your door with that cheeky smile of yours, everything seemed to disappear.

“Should I be concerned about this habit of yours? Do you always lurk around women’s doors?” 

One sentence, that’s all it took for him to turn into putty. A useless puddle around your feet, begging for more of you, anything you’d give him. 

“I only lurk around the ones who I owe an apology to.” Bucky licked his lips, bringing forward the contents in his hands.

“Hmm, my orders exactly. Did you get lucky or did someone help you out?” You smiled at him as you took both gifts and walked back into your apartment. Bucky took you leaving the door open as an invitation. Did you always do this or were you letting him in because there was something unique? He urgently needed answers because in just a couple of minutes you’d already managed to make him feel special. 

“I’m a good at apologies and buying gifts.” Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, eyes glued to the floor. 

You bit the inside of your cheek. “You’re a pretty good liar but terrible at hiding. You’d think being a super-secret spy assassin would make you stealthy.”

His eyes widened first at your words then at your laughter. The sound rang in his head like a beautiful melody. 

“I saw you following me a couple of days ago.” You smiled, placing the flowers in a vase full of water. “In the coffee shop down the street, in the flower shop. I even saw you in the library, I’m almost positive you were reading a book upside down!”

The blush crept from the back of his neck up to the apples of his cheeks. 

“I wanted to make sure I got you the right coffee.” Bucky mumbled, his one chance with you and he’d blow it. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” You trapped your bottom lip with your teeth as his body perked up hearing your words. 

“We can start again.” You held your hand out and told him your name. 

The third time was a month after the apology. In the last four weeks, the two of you had been spending every possible single second together. It started when you ‘accidentally’ came out of your apartments at the same time. Bucky would never admit that he was looking through his peephole and waiting for you to turn the knob on your door. 

“Good morning.” Bucky said with a fake yawn, acting like he hasn’t been up since 5:05am. He stretched his arms a little more than he had to, making sure you could catch a glimpse of his toned body under his dark t-shirt. Bucky knew he’d missed out on many things but flirting with you came naturally. “Do you know any good coffee places around here?”

You smiled at his obvious antics blushing like a schoolgirl. “There’s this place around the corner.”

Your morning coffee turned into a morning run and then coffee ritual, then breakfast was added. Afterwards, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at your house every Thursday. Which turned into dinner at alternating apartments every day of the week. 

But today you truly weren’t expecting him.

“I’ll see you on Monday okay? Coffees on me?” He’d mumbled against your hair two days ago, your body wrapped in his arms. “I just gotta go on this mission but I promise I’ll be back before our run.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, it felt like a bunch of thorns prickling your neck. In just a few short weeks he’d become an integral part of your life. You realized it was stupid to feel like this about someone who’d never even said he liked you but you couldn’t help but fall headfirst. “Please be safe.” 

He tilted your head up towards him and ran his knuckles down your cheek. Your soft skin soothed his rough hands. He couldn’t believe someone as angelic as you would even look at someone like him. His troubled mind and his past didn’t seem to affect you. You just saw him. For the first time in forever he felt scared to go to a mission, knowing he had something to lose. 

“I’ll be back sooner than you think, doll.” He smiled as he placed a kiss on the top of your head. 

Now, you found yourself being woken up by two soft knocks on your door. 11:45 pm on Sunday night. You must’ve fallen asleep on your couch, your TV asking you ‘Are you Still Watching?”

A bruised and bloody Bucky greeted you as you opened your door. A gasp escaped your lips.

“That bad huh?” Bucky chuckled, leaning against your doorframe. 

You dragged the Winter Soldier into your small bathroom and sat him on the edge of the tub, grabbing your first aid kit from underneath your sink. You sat in front of him, scooting your knees to rest on the inside of his legs, wiping the blood off of his cut lip. 

“Do you always come home like this?” You asked, throwing away another antiseptic wipe into the bin.

“I usually go to the med bay after missions.” Bucky shrugged, his eyes never leaving yours.

A worried look took over your features. “Why didn’t you go this time?”

“I made you a promise. If I’d gone all the way over there I wouldn’t have been able to make our run tomorrow.”

Your whole body fluttered and you couldn’t help yourself. You took Bucky’s face in your hands and you smashed your lips to his. Bucky held the back of your neck as he followed your lead. He kissed like a man starved, your kisses felt like the sun shining in the middle of a snowy winter. It lit him up inside. Before you knew it, you were dragging him from the bathroom into your bedroom, bumping into various furniture but not caring.

You only separated to take his shirt off. 

“Wait!” Bucky said, his jagged breath didn’t stop him from unbuckling his belt with one hand while the other was already working on the button of his jeans.

You tugged your shirt back down. “You want to stop?”

A loud laugh ripped through his chest. “No! God no. I was just going to ask you if we could keep our kisses to the left side of my mouth.” He pointed at his bruised lip.

You bit your bottom lip. “I think I could do that.”

He could come undone just by looking at you. Your sweet face only spoke words of temptation and he was more than happy to convert. 

The fourth time came eight months after he’d asked you to be his girlfriend. Everything had been great up until a month ago when the days started getting longer and the disappointment grew deeper. 

You’d arranged a special dinner with Bucky since he’d been working late recently and now he was three hours late, again. The food had already been in the fridge for a while and the candles blown out. 

He found you sitting on the fire escape when he came into the apartment, the faint smell of cigarettes lingered. 

“I thought you said you’d quit smoking a long time ago.” Bucky tried to joke but his words sounded harsher than he’d intended. 

“This isn’t working.” You mumbled, wrapping your arms around yourself.

Bucky chuckled, shoving a forkful of cold pasta into his mouth. “Of course it’s not working, you keep an old pack of cigarettes in the closet.”

He choked on a loose noodle as he saw your tear-stained face. You wiped your cheeks, your whole face felt hot. “You and I, Buck. We’re not working.”

This was it, the moment he’d been preparing for. He knew you would break sooner or later, who in their right mind would want to have an actual relationship with him. Someone who has to constantly sacrifice dinners and anniversaries, someone who risks his life on a daily basis, someone who risks the lives of loved ones on purpose. 

A few weeks back, he’d been interrogating someone linked to the Flag Smashers when he’d heard the words he’d been dreading. Your name slipped out of them like venom. They’d found out about his secret, Bucky had been guarding your love with his life but it wasn’t enough. You’d always be in danger with him.

But he couldn’t bear to leave you so he took the cowards way out. Spent more time at the compound, trained longer and drove mindlessly for hours, all so you would think he was busy with work or that he didn’t care. Maybe one day you would get tired and leave him because he sure as hell couldn’t bear to look you in the eyes and tell you it’s over.

And although he was expecting these words to come out of your mouth sooner or later, it still broke him. His heart fractured like porcelain, a deep hurt brewed in his body like a deep pit somehow appeared in his stomach.

“I understand.” He whispered, gluing his arms to his side because if he so much as touched the aura around you, he would drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness. “I come with a lot of baggage and my job doesn’t really help so, I understand.”

A dry laugh escaped you, the sadness in your eyes turning into fury. “I knew what I was getting into when we started dating Buck. I knew you had hundred-year-old baggage weighing on you like a ton of bricks. I was also aware of your job description and even though I fucking hate seeing you hurt- and you have no idea how much it physically pains me to see you come through that door with a black eye and broken everything, I know it’s something I have to get over. Because I was willing to be with you, all of you.”

“We could have been like this forever, happy and in love. And every single day I would open that door and listen to the shit you have to put up with from all the people who don’t know you and clean your wounds and take care of you. I could have done that till the end of my life. But I can’t anymore, not when you lie. You’ve been lying about being at work when I know damned well you left hours ago. I cannot be with you if you won’t tell me what goes through your head. What troubles you. You won’t even say you love me, when I know for a fact you do.”

“You wait every single night until you think that I’ve fallen asleep and you say you love me over and over because you think I can’t hear you. But I do. And I love you, I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much that- that I’m willing to let you go. Because you sure as hell don’t want to stay, for some unknown reason you won’t tell me.”

“You won’t tell me even though I’ve proven to you that I can take care of your naked soul. No Winter Soldier, no vibranium, no Hydra. Just Bucky.” Your voice cracked. “So if you won’t admit that, then you should leave.”

Your words cut through Bucky like thousands of knives, each tear that fell from your face was a reminder of why he had to leave even though his whole body begged him to stay. He would hurt you more if he stayed- so that’s what he did, he left. Without a word he walked out of the apartment that had become a true home to him for the first time in decades and never looked back. Not when you slammed the door and not when he heard you sob. 

Part 2: Hurry Back Home

Wanna read more like this? Here’s my latest post. 💖

Authors Note:

Heeeyyy everyoneee, sooo this is the first time I've posted in a loooongggg time so I hope you guys liked it. If you did please like comment reblog the whole thing! Thanksss <3

[redrosyrose]

stronger - @wolfstarmicrofic - word count:216

"the stronger the better" Sirius answered quickly as James just asked about his type in a dreary afternoon

"Really?I thought you prefer the shy one,like the mystery boy you told me last week"James said smugly while nudging Sirius with his elbow

This just makes Remus more desperate to know who is that mystery boy Sirius is currently obsessed over.What house is he?How does he looks like?Is he shy like James just said or strong or both?Thrash of questions just take turns to fill his mind.His eyes unconsciously dart to Sirius fluffy lips as Remus patiently waits for an official answer from the boy he's been secretly has a crushed on since third year. "He has both of it,shy and strong at the same time."Sirius slowly replied. "He also have hazel hair,which is always mousy whenever he read a book or have a revision in library.He has an obsession for anything with chocolate and he's effortlessly strong and.." Sirius voice trails off while blush is creeping up his cheekbones."he's in this room,wearing a maroon sweater and being unfairly stunning."

Sirius' grey gems are now looking straight at his purposefully while James's sneakily excuse that he's going to find Peter and the last things Remus knows is his lips are crashed eagerly with Sirius

[mossy-bonez]

In an effort to get more minds on the number silly straw I am going to make this it’s own post.

So here we go.

I solved the other three yesterday at around 1:46

Green

Caesar Cipher, +3

Hbh grfwru ri d ghliihuhqw nlqg/ zkr zdqwv wr pdnh klv sdwlhqw eolqg

Translation

Eye doctor of a different kind

Who wants to make his patients blind

Yellow

Caesar Cipher, +3

Lxvvb hdwhu/ edeb eloob/ zrxogq’w gulqn/ zqohvv lwv vloob

Translation

Fussy Eater

Baby Billy

Wouldn’t Drink

Unless Its Silly

Purple

Caesar Cipher, -3

Qeb alzqlo pxvp/ qeobb pfmp x axv/ tfii jxhb qeb sfpflkp/ dl xtxv

Translates

The Doctor Says

Three Sips A Day

Will Make The Visions

Go Away

Red

So we know what those ones say, I however don’t have a fucking clue what the fuck is going on with red. Now I will admit that I have less knowledge on number based codes, so maybe I’m just stupid, but. I have been trying to crake this on and off all day yesterday.

So here are the numbers.

215 858 117 450 110 628 19 211 120 2265 216 951 25 256 27 532 212 506 18 1317 110 1137 221. 658 23 1330 210 231 118 929 112 2043

Now my first thought was A1Z26… but that can’t work because there is a 50 in here twice actually. So A1Z26 didn’t work.

Now I am bad at number codes so I went to my friend and they suggested Hex, and I tried that and nope mostly undefined, then I asked the same friend again and they said maybe Polybus Square, but I pointed out that these sets of numbers are set up in groups more than 2, so that was a bust. So I showed it to my fiancé, who just taught a summer class based on escape room, and thus taught kids about a shit ton of different ciphers and codes, some I told them about but others they new about already and some they had found researching for the class, so I thought that they may have an idea as to what it might be. And they took a cursory glance at it looked up some of the numbers, not all of them mind you, and said that they were area codes, and those of larger cities, both in and out of the US. And I was happy to have an answer, didn’t know how I would be able to use this to answer the code but I had something, so I went through and… not all of them were area codes, it actually broke down quite quickly, see they had checked the first 3 and then moved to look at some of the later ones that were different lengths and the “221. 658” group thinking it was a decimal and then told me that it seemed like all of them were area codes. Now we were back at square one. So I have no fucking clue where to go now.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

if I am still early enough for WIPW (what? I am awake in time??) I would like a dealers choice of the ones I have read <3 --@quiescentdestiny

WIP Wednesday (8/7) | Guardian Angel Neil AU (Part 216)

Aaron blinks a few times and looks around the rooftop before his gaze finally lands on Andrew again, something akin to pity or perhaps suspicion on his face. Both piss Andrew off.

“You really just come up here and sit by yourself all the time?” Aaron asks. No. Not anymore, Andrew would like to say. But he can’t.

“Why the fuck not? It’s quiet up here and I can smoke without Kevin complaining about his delicate lungs. And the very best part is that you’re not up here hating my guts from across the room!” Andrew says, making Aaron’s eyes widen. It’s brighter up here, not much. But enough that Andrew can see his expression. He doesn't bother trying to decipher it. He doesn't have to. He's seen it on his own face.

“I don’t hate you—”

“Save it,” Andrew commands and Aaron falls silent. After a moment of staring at each other, he flicks his wrist towards the door. “Get out. And don’t come back up here or one of us will be going over the side.” 

It’d be Andrew. It’s always been Andrew, even before they met. He’s always been halfway over the edge. What Aaron says next doesn’t pull him back a bit.

“Have you been skipping your meds or something?”

“No.” Andrew answers, his voice like ice.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m fucking sure. Maybe later I’ll do you a favor and down the whole bottle! Just don’t bury me in a goddamn suit. This is fine,” Andrew says, gesturing to his t-shirt and pajama pants and armbands. God, he hasn’t even got shoes on. Neither does Aaron. 

Aaron swallows, glancing between Andrew and the edge of the rooftop warily. “Andrew—”

“Fuck you, go away.” Andrew says, reveling in the hurt look that passes over Aaron’s face before fury flickers onto it. Andrew closes his eyes, bracing for impact. But instead of lashing out, Aaron retreats. Andrew hears the door slam shut and sinks to the concrete below him with his knees up against his chest and his head on his arms. Finally. Finally a little peace and fucking—

“Andrew?”

[writeforfandoms]

Warrior Song 10

Find the series masterlist

Well here we are. Getting to some actual plot. This is entirely speculation and, again, I play fast and loose with canon so. Keep that in mind.

Warnings: Brief violence, we're going beyond canon now, Blue Team in danger, shit's going down

Word count: 1.5k

Two days later found the entire team back on the Pelican, on your way to the next objective. Another part of the installation, Joy had told you. One they hadn’t visited yet at all, and were hoping would reveal more information. 

Honestly, you were expecting this would be like every other time Blue Team went - you and Fernando would mind the Pelican and shoot the breeze, Blue Team would do their thing and come back with questionable stains on their armor, and off you’d go again. 

But not this time. 

“Echo-216.”

“Here, Chief.” 

“Is the LZ secure?” 

“Yeah, all quiet here,” Fernando confirmed. “Need a pickup?” 

“We’re heading your way,” Chief said without giving an actual answer. 

“Copy that.” Fernando looked a bit puzzled. Understandably so. That was something new. 

“What do you think that’s about?” you asked quietly, leaning your weight against the back of his seat. 

“Not sure.” Fernando frowned out the front viewscreen of the Pelican. “At least he hasn’t thrown himself off something this time.” 

You snorted and shook your head, sinking carefully into the copilot seat. “This time.” 

Fernando tapped his fingers on the control panel before he glanced at you. “Ever flown one of these before?”

“Me?” You snorted. “Absolutely not.”

“Want to learn?” He smiled, but there was something more in his eyes. 

“Fernando…”

“Never hurts to learn a new skill, right?” He tipped his head at you, waiting to see if you tried to defy his logic. 

You puffed out a breath but obediently watched as he fired up the Pelican, explaining to you as he went. 

Fernando hit the button to lower the ramp. “Let’s go see what Chief found this time.” 

You got to your feet carefully and made it to the main area. Fernando hovered next to you but let you pace yourself, which you appreciated more than you could say. 

Blue Team walked on board and Chief immediately made for you and Fernando. “We need to go.”

“Made a few new friends, big guy?” Fernando asked, even as he threw himself back into the cockpit and into his chair. 

“Not exactly.” Chief stopped next to you, one heavy hand on your shoulder guiding you to sit. 

“We found evidence of activity further in the ring,” Joy piped up. “Recent activity.”

“Could be more Banished,” you murmured, though you frowned.

“Or worse.” Chief didn’t say anything else as the Pelican lifted off. 

A quick glance showed Fred, Kelly, and Linda all sitting, though they were all on alert. 

You clenched your jaw as the thought of worse caught up with you. Well. That could definitely be bad. You swallowed hard, glancing at Chief. But he didn’t show even the remotest sign of nerves. Which, honestly, of course he didn’t. Especially not with the helmet on. 

“It will be fine.” Chief kept his voice low, for the two of you, his hand squeezing your shoulder lightly. 

You nodded once but didn’t reply otherwise, brow furrowing. His confidence was bolstering, but not quite enough to keep your worries at bay. 

The trip was otherwise silent, although you could hear Fernando and Joy talking quietly in the front. You just focused on breathing. 

“We’re here.” Fernando’s statement was quiet but it didn’t matter - everyone heard him. The Pelican landed with only a little bump. 

Chief was the first off, gun in hand, sweeping the area visually. The rest of Blue Team followed, and you went only as far as the end of the ramp, looking around.

Like the rest of the ring, this place was beautiful, with long grass and trees, studded with rocks. It was almost peaceful, except for the tension the team carried with them. 

But you could see a cave entrance up ahead, a faint blue light coming from within. That must be part of the Halo structure, leading inside somewhere. 

A hand fell on your shoulder, not as big as John’s but just as comforting. “They’ll be fine,” Fernando murmured to you, standing next to you. “They’re Spartans! And they’ve got Chief!”

“They’re human too,” you murmured back, twisting your fingers together. “I just… worry.”

“Yeah.” Fernando sighed, squeezing your shoulder. “So do I. They need people to worry about them, I think. Keep them human.” 

“Good thing they’ve got us,” you agreed, tipping your head to smile at your friend. “Well. Let’s see what we can get done while they’re hunting, hm?” 

Fernando shot you a grin and nodded. A couple hours passed in companionable work. 

And then the ground started shaking. 

Fernando slammed himself into the pilot seat, hitting the button for the COM. “Chief, what the hell is happening?” 

“We found the Endless,” Joy spoke, sounding anxious and a bit distracted. “But not just them.”

“Get to a safe distance,” Chief interrupted. 

“Copy, Chief.” Fernando started up the Pelican, and you more or less plopped into the copilot seat. “Hold on, this might get bumpy.” He handled the controls like a pro, guiding the Pelican up away from the ground and further away. You held on tight to the safety straps, watching below you to see what was going on. 

The ground below cracked and split open. For a moment, you had the wild hope that this was the worst of it.

And then things started to fly up out of the crevice, which was slowly growing larger as the ground gave way at the edges. Most of them ignored you, flying off in one direction.

But a few turned to look at the Pelican, drifting closer. 

“Shit,” Fernando breathed, eyes wide. “Hang on.” He turned the Pelican sharply and retreated. 

“Think they’re following us?” you asked quietly, as if speaking too loudly would summon them.

“Just two.” Fernando clenched his jaw, hands tight on the controls. “If they’re what I think they are, we’re in trouble.”

“Well… I’ve gotta warn you, I’m not the best shot.” Your own hands clenched around the straps and you swallowed hard against the rising fear. 

“We’ll figure something out.” Fernando swerved the Pelican around a cliff, clearly hoping the two followers would get bored and move on. Almost idly, you noted that some of Chief’s relentless determination must have rubbed off on Fernando. 

With a triumphant noise, Fernando maneuvered the Pelican into an alcove in the cliff face. You both held your breath, hoping the two would ignore you, or miss you altogether. 

For once, luck was on your side. The two moved away, back to the others, which Fernando silently pointed out to you on the screen. 

And you both sagged into your seats. 

“That was too damn close,” Fernando breathed. 

“Can we wait here? Safely, I mean.” You levered yourself upright to get a better look around the alcove. It wasn’t much bigger than the Pelican, really, at least from what you could see. 

“Think so.” Fernando shrugged, the corners of his mouth pinched. “We’ll find out.” 

The Pelican set down with a bump, and you grimaced. Still wasn’t your favorite way to travel, but it was sometimes convenient. 

Without a word, Fernando stood, motioning you with one hand to stay put. You watched outside carefully, gaze flicking back and forth to the scanner, while he rummaged around in the back. There was a soft swear or two, but other than that, just quiet. 

He sat next to you again and held out a gun. A handgun of some kind - you were far from an expert. “Do you know how to use this?”

“Yes.” The answer felt ripped from you, but your hands didn’t shake as you took the gun, double checking the safety. “Like I said. I’m not a great shot. But I know how to shoot.”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to use these.” Fernando kept hold of his own gun, shoulders tense, mouth a thin line under his beard. 

“Think they’re okay?” you asked quietly after several long minutes of tense silence. 

“They have to be.” Fernando rolled his shoulders, staring outside. Not that there was a lot to see - grass, rocks, trees. Not much else. 

Neither of you spoke again until Joy contacted the ship. 

“Fernando, we need a pickup.” 

“Right, okay, I’ve got a lock on your location.” Fernando moved quickly and confidently, getting the Pelican moving again. “Everyone okay?” 

“For now.”

Foreboding slithered down your spine like cold water, and you wordlessly got up and moved to the back to drag out the medical supplies. 

“What the hell happened?” Fernando asked, pushing the Pelican to go faster. 

“It’s… I’ll explain when we’re all on board.” 

“Copy. We’re a few minutes out - are you secure?” 

“We’re okay here for now.” 

You swallowed hard when the Pelican juddered a little under your feet but you refused to move. You had potentially injured Spartans to tend to, after all.

[askagamedev]

Lately I’ve noticed a bit of, let’s call it pushback, against the upcoming release of Baldurs Gate 3 and Larian Studios, by developers and studios alike. From your perspective as a game developer yourself what is this all about? Why are they calling BG3 an anomaly and making it sound like Larian hasn’t earned the praise they are getting? Why all the attempts at what sounds like trying to discredit their work?

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that the discussion I've seen from devs is subject to signal decay when in an environment where the most maddening and viral takes are the ones that get amplified over accuracy or educational takes. The various "hot takes" I've read were traced to the observations of [Xalavier Nelson Jr. about BG3] and I have to say - after reading his original thread, I am very much in agreement with him. Baldur's Gate 3's success is absolutely not a template that can be easily repeated and is very much an anomaly.

You can tell a lot about a game by the number of developers in the credits and the length of its dev cycle. If you multiply (number of devs) x (months of development) x ($10,000 per month per dev), you get a pretty good estimate of a game's overall budget. BG3 started development in 2017 and had a team of over 300 developers working on it. 300 devs x 72 months x $10,000 = approximately $216 million USD. "Step 1: Secure $200 million in funding to develop your game" is absolutely not a business plan that is feasible for 99.9% of indie developers.

This also goes for other circumstances beyond their control that managed to favor them. Larian was incredibly successful in raising funding during early access, but they are one of a tiny fraction that made it. Larian got incredible word-of-mouth promotion from their fans while thousands of amazing indie titles languish in obscurity on Steam. Larian managed to secure a major license that is extremely well-regarded - not exactly an easy feat to replicate. Each of these various circumstances ended up a win for them and every single one of them was necessary to obtain the success they did.

This isn't to say that Larian doesn't deserve praise for their success - they absolutely deserve all the praise and more. They managed to deliver a fantastic high quality game and I laud them for it. It is a tremendous accomplishment and I am happy for their success. What I will never agree to is saying that this is the path others should follow, because I believe that Larian managed to capture lightning in a bottle. All of the ducks had to line up just right for them to succeed like this, and any of the major factors in their success could have gone very very wrong for them through no fault of their own and sank the project partway through. Larian managed to win and they deserve huge amounts of praise for it, but it is in no way an easily-repeatable formula for success.

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[the-new-ribbon]

Baby, We're Fireproof

synopsis: After Gwyn's toaster catches fire, she never expected to fall for the hot firefighter who saves her. 

word count: 2120

read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54961258

or below the cut!

Gwyn

Gwyn Berdara has never been more embarrassed than in this moment. After the week she’s had, this is the last thing she needs. All she wanted was a bagel with strawberry cream cheese and now that won’t happen. And it’s only Wednesday. 

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” the operator on the other side of the phone says. To Gwyn she sounds sweet but there’s no time to think about that.

“I accidentally set my toaster on fire.” Gwyn says, her voice shakes of embarrassment. “It’s contained, I closed the glass door of the toaster oven but I need-”

Gwyn’s cut off by the operator, “I’m sending the fire department to you now, they’ll be there shortly. Can you tell me your address?”

There’s a sense of relief that washes over Gwyn as she tells the operator her address, “216 Starlight Ave, my name is Gwyn Berdara. Thank you so much.”

“Of course, have a good day, Gwyn.”

Gwyn sets her phone on the kitchen island and runs her hands over the top of her head and down her copper brown hair. The smoke starts to pick up as Gwyn watches the flames lick the metal of the toaster.

How could she be so stupid.

There's a knock on her a few moments later and Gwyn runs away from the toaster to answer it. When she opens it, she realizes that the Mother and the Cauldron are on her side. She looks down at her teal sundress that shows enough but leaves enough to the imagination too. There’s a hot firefighter like the ones she reads about in the shelves of books she has along her living room and bedroom walls on the other side of the door, she’s either fucked or really lucky or maybe both.

“Gwyn Berdara?” the firefighter asks but Gwyn’s distracted by his raven colored hair and the gold specks in his hazel eyes. She’s read too many romance books for this to happen to her. Of course they would send the hottest firefighter in all of Velaris. 

“Um, yes, that’s me.” She responds and shakes her head softly out of the haze she’s in but she doesn’t move.

“Can you show me the fire?” he says with a small laugh and holds up the fire extinguisher. He has a beautiful smile. Even with just a small smile, the small dimples on either side of his cheeks form.

“Oh yes, of course, obviously, that’s why you’re here.” Gwyn rambles as she opens the door further and lets him in.

Her kitchen is mostly white, hints of sage green and a light teal are placed throughout. As much as she’d love to have real plants, she’s stuck with fake succulents and flowers on the top of the cabinets and on the window sills. If she can’t keep a toaster safe, there’s no way she’d be able to keep plants alive.

Gwyn watches as he pulls the fire pin, aiming the nozzle at the burning toaster. The veins in his hands flex as he squeezes the handle, releasing the white extinguishing agent on the toaster, the flames disappearing in seconds. Gwyn leans onto the counter and slightly bites her bottom lip. Maybe setting her toaster on fire isn’t the worst thing to happen.

When he finishes, he turns around to face Gwyn. “Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

“Well, I was making a bagel for lunch and I went back to work on my book when I smelt smoke. I ran over here and saw that it was on fire and called 9-1-1 right away. And I never got my bagel.”

“I recovered it for you.” the handsome firefighter says, stepping to the side to show Gwyn the burnt ashes of her once perfect bagel placed on the plate she had set out for it. 

“Thank you so much. For putting out the fire and for the bagel.” she says with a smile. “Is there anything I can do to repay you for this? I know it probably isn’t as extravagant as some of the other things you’ve seen on the job.” 

“It definitely hasn’t; but I’m just doing my job, it’s no problem.” 

“Alright then, well I’ll let you get back to the extravagant jobs. Thank you, again.”

He laughs and goosebumps cover Gwyn’s arms. As crazy as it is, his laugh is like a song she doesn’t ever want to stop listening to. 

As he begins to leave, Gwyn follows him out to say goodbye and thank you one more time, he stops at the table in her living room. His eyes directly on the latest smutty novel Nesta gave her as a you’re the best roommate ever gift.

“That one’s good, you’ll have to let me know how you like it.” he says with a wink and that dashing smile she’s already in love with before leaving her speechless in her house.

~***~

That night, Nesta returns home from spending the last few nights at her boyfriend, Cassian’s house. Her tote bag drops to the floor, echoing against the hardwood floor.

“You set the toaster on fire?” Nesta shouts, meeting Gwyn in the kitchen who’s partially through a chocolate cake. “And you’re eating chocolate cake without me? Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?”

“I’m sorry?” Gwyn says from behind a fork, face full of chocolate cake.

The metal rattles in the drawer as Nesta opens the silverware drawer to grab a fork. Then she joins Gwyn at the kitchen island and digs into the cake. 

“Tell me about the fire.” Nesta demands.

Gwyn swallows, the delicious taste of chocolate cake stays on her tongue still. “Well I was making a bagel, I had left it to cook like I normally do so I could work on my book. I’m finally reaching the good part, I can sense they're about to kiss.”

“I know, you’re going to love it. But back to the fire.” Nesta pokes Gwyn’s hand with the end of her fork.

“Well I came back to get my bagel and smoke was coming out of the toaster then, BAM,” Gwyn’s voice grows louder then goes back to her normal level, “there was a fire.” Nesta laughs and Gwyn tries and fails to hide her smile. “The fire department showed up a few minutes later and Nesta, the man who saved my life and our house, was the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He was tall, almost as tall as Cassian.” 

Cassian was near six-foot-six so it was hard to meet someone taller than him. Him and Nesta were the perfect couple, just like the perfect book couple. 

Gwyn continues, “He had golden-brown skin and from what I could tell from under his uniform, he had lots of tattoos. And he reads Sellyn Drake.”

“What? How do you know?”

“He pointed out the book on the coffee table.” 

“So he’s just your type.” Nesta confirms as a statement not a question with a sneaky smile on her face. 

Gwyn’s cheeks flush hot and the pink blush runs from her cheeks up to her ears. Covering her head with her arms, she drops her face to the table.

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Gwyn mumbles into the table. 

And she is most definitely fucked.

~***~

It’s been a few days since Gwyn’s toaster caught on fire and the hottest man she’s ever seen in her entire life came to her door to rescue her. She has not been able to stop thinking about him. His hazel eyes haunt her in her dreams that she ends up waking up with her heart racing. 

So as a way to distract herself and also thank the fire department, she’s making cookies.

In the blue gingham blanket covered basket, Gwyn carefully places each cookie in a way that each cookie is visible, at least a little bit.”

Nesta watches from one of the bar chairs and steals yet another cookie from the basket.

“Hey,” Gwyn slaps Nesta’s hand. “Those cookies are for the fire department.”

“You mean the one fireman who you haven’t stopped thinking or talking about?” Nesta smirks and takes another bite of the chocolate chip cookie. Gwyn places the last of the cookies in and ties the extra blanket into a bow.

“I’ll see you later, Nesta.” Gwyn says with an eye roll and a smile.

A few minutes later, she approaches the open garage doors to the firehouse and grips the handle of the basket harder. 

“Hey Gwynnie.” Cassian greets her. His hair is tied back into a bun, only a few small stands have fallen now framing his face. 

“Hi Cass. Do you know the name of the firefighter that came by my house the other day? He’s almost as tall as you and has inky black hair, and I think he has tattoos.”

With a cheeky smile, Cassian turns his head towards the fire house.

“Az!” Cassian calls and only now does Gwyn realize that her roommate's boyfriend works with her savior and now crush.

Azriel walks out of the garage and Gwyn is less confident than she was moments ago but now she’s growing more anxious the closer he gets to her. His hair is a little more curly than it was last week, though she suspects it gets that way when it’s wet and he was most definitely working out before Cassian called him out here.

Cassian shoots Gwyn a wink and pats Azriel on the back before walking back into the garage.

“Hi Azriel, I’m sorry to bother you at work but I wanted to bring you a little thank you gift.” She holds the basket up with a smile.

Azriel eyes the basket of cookies in Gwyn’s hands. “Are you sure you didn’t burn the oven down when you made these?” He teases, those dimples Gwyn has been dreaming about all week are back.

“No, I promise. I even had extra supervision with my roommate in the kitchen, she would make much more fun of me than she already has about the toaster.”

“Well if you did, just know I would have come to your rescue.”

“Thank you.” she smiles. “I think we’ve seen each other enough that I think it’s about time I ask for your name.” and I couldn’t get you out of my head.

He wipes his palms on his thighs and holds out his hand, “Azriel.”

“Gwyn,” she responds, “Even though you already know that.” she huffs a laugh. There’s butterflies in her stomach that flap their wings faster and faster when her hand clasps together with Azriel. 

“It’s nice to meet you officially and not when your toaster is on fire.” He teases, those stupid dimples she hasn’t stopped thinking about are back.

“It’s nice to officially meet you too and not when my toaster is on fire.” Gwyn echos. 

There’s an awkward yet comfortable silence between them. Azriel runs his hands through his hair, defined muscles covered in tattoos flex against the cotton of his t-shirt. Gwyn twiddles her thumbs against the handle of the cookies.

“I know we just met, but is it possible to get your number?” Azriel asks. And there are those butterflies again. She is not sure if they were ever really gone, but she does know that they are more prominent now.

“I’d be okay with that.” she says, trying to play it cool but really she’s freaking out inside. 

Azriel reaches into his back pocket and holds it out for Gwyn. “I’ll hold the cookies for you.”

Her slender fingers shake softly as she types out her phone number. 

“Here you go.” She hands back his phone as he transfers the basket to his left hand. “I hope you enjoy the cookies. I’ll let you get back to pull-ups and pushups.” She smiles and takes a couple steps back before he stops her.

“Call me if you need me to put out a fire, Gwyn. Or if you just want to see me.”

“You have my number so call me if you want to see me, Shadowsinger.” 

Before Gwyn can even leave the parking lot, Gwyn’s phone buzzes against the fabric of her purse. 

Azriel the hot firefighter: Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?

Gwyn smiles at her phone and begins to type a response followed by a string of emojis, but another text from Azriel comes in faster.

Azriel the hot firefighter: I’ll cook so you don’t burn the house down ;)

Gwyn: Yes! But no promises I won’t do something that’ll cause another fire inducing accident.

And Gwyn realizes that her toaster setting on fire has been the best thing to happen to her in a long time.

[skimpilydressedwithanaxe]

If you're taking requests, may I suggest X-216? 👀

So what if I took seven months to answer this ask.

[away-ward]

I’m your last ask and I think Will would 100% be petty. I kinda wish there was like a freshman who had a little crush on her and he would get jealous of him bc Emmy might have been nice to him or something. Maybe she didn’t even realize it like you said. I know where you stand about the jealousy trope. And I know that Adían was like there but he was never even a choice.

I don't mean to say that Will can't be jealous - he obviously is. He's jealous for her attention, her affection, her touch. We see that in the way that he doesn't want Emory to answer Martin's call. We see it in how suspicious he is of her and Damon when they were simply in the same part of town around the same time. We see that in the way he doesn't want Emory and Adyin to have any kind of friendship. It's not just because of how Will feels about Adyin. We see it in how Will has to mentally let go of even the idea that Emory's been with other men. He hasn't talked to her about this, but he's clearly agonized over it. He wants Emory to himself and she keeps giving her love and attention to other men. She prioritizes them above him, and he can't stand it.

So I struggled with the idea since to me he was jealous and we saw it. Why would we need to see it written in my style?

I think when people are asking for that specific feature, they want Will to be more showy in how he displays that jealousy. To fight for her and to be possessive - so much so that there's no way she can doubt where he stands. But for me, that falls on the grovelling side of things. Will isn't as open with his emotions as he pretends to be, and especially not "bad" emotions like jealousy, anger, sadness, and disappointment, that would make him appear weak or vulnerable.

It's never about what choices Emory had. Will's jealousy is quiet until he can't hold it back anymore. Then he tries to physically fight whatever is the cause of that jealousy. The only time he ever went after her was with Damon and he was drunk. If that's the case, then anytime Will got into a fight with anyone, you could assume it's because they made eyes at Emory; smiled in her direction a little too long; tried to flirt with her in the lunch line; said something to a buddy about how hot she was. Emory would never know.

To clarify since it sounds like I contradicted my previous response: I think physically fighting someone who has a crush is petty. Unless they're making actual moves and affecting his relationship (which was non-existent), or trying to get physical with Emory when she clearly doesn't want it, any interference on Will's part is simply to make himself feel better which is pretty petty.

Also, I hadn't previously considered how often Will tries to fight his problems away with only his fists. Will has one solution to any major problem, and it's "punch it and see if that helps."

[klissblog]

Who does Saiki end up with?

5 Reasons to prove that Saiki ends up with Teruhashi.

This is a long post because I explain everything in one post. Saiki K maybe too japanese, but it doesn't matter if you open your mind. After you read this, you can't deny that Saiki will marry to Teruhashi because she is his only future wife.

I have just finished Saiki K anime (because someone recommended it last month, January 2023). English isn't my first language, but I hope I can explain why they will end up together. I hope it is not too late to write about this. 

I will type Kusuo, Kokomi (Teruhashi), Miko (Aiura) and Reita.

1. Kusuo´s type

As we can see, in the beginning, he thinks girls will give up on him in a short time and find a new love. 

Chapter 0.2

The same as Yumehara, who gave up on Kusuo easily and he said that's way too fast.

But Kokomi will never changed her feelings for Kusuo and that's why he says offu. (His face looks like he did not mean to say offu out loud). Chapter 214

(Explain: Kusuo asked Miko´s help to stop Kokomi from being Gyaru. Miko accidentally tell Kokomi what kind of girl Kusuo likes and tell her to find another man, but Kokomi just listens only to Kusuo´s type. She knows if she stays true to herself, and she will never change her feelings no matter what. She knows one day (just a matter of time) her effort will melt his heart. That's why he said offu.

It is actually his type of girl he likes because Miko´s prediction is 100% accurate. Well, I think he might regret to reveal that because Kokomi will never give up. Kokomi is invincible, he always says that before. And yes, his heart begins to melt because of her (This is the reason why he feels nervous to be with Kokomi alone in chapter 216 because he is afraid that he will have a feeling for her, and he begins to say we are invincible in chapter 218). 

Ps. Offu means Oh! (my understanding). It can be positive or negative depends on situation.)

Ps2. Man i manga like to use his hand and cover his mouth when he is blushing. But I don't think Saiki is blushing. He doesn't want her to know yet (save for the last, Huh?).

2. God helps them to be together.

I wonder why God (Asō sensei) always helps Kusuo and Kokomi to be together because I thought Kusuo was Miko´s soulmate. But he is not.

Miko said her soulmate is a student in PK academy and has the initials about s.k. Reita´s name 「鳥」 tori 「束」 tsuka. 「束」 contains s and k, which means to bind/bundle (to be possessed (by a ghost).

Ps. Toritsuka Reita 鳥束零太(とりつか • れいた) is from 取り憑かれた (とりつかれた/toritsukareta), means to be processed. A spirit medium is 「霊媒」 (れい ばい/reibai).

Ps．相卜命　(あいうら・みこと) Aiura Mikoto. Her name means fortune telling from 相 appearance (example face), 卜 predicting a future (example using crystal ball to predict a future) and 命 (personal) life (example date of birth). When I hear the word “Miko” 「みこ」 I think of this Miko 「巫女」 → shrine maiden, shaman because of her ability that predicts the future.

Initials can also be nicknames. Reita is a sidekick. He is in the psychic trio at the PK academy and in Japanese (psychics) サイキックス saikikkusu (initial s.k.k.s as Miko says about sk or ks) and psykicker(s) サイキッカーズ Saikik kā(zu) which has initial s.k. I think this is the answer as the picture below.

Miko said that her soulmate has pink hair and has some crazy abilities (a Spirit Medium)

Chapter 73 and the last volume

(Explaination: This means that Asō sensei have given a hint who else has pink hair and made this storyline since chapter 73 or before. And the picture from the last volume (Japanese tradition, is also a hint about who ends up with whom.) If I didn’t see that Reita has pink hair, I thought Kusuo was Miko’s soulmate.

I think Aiura and Reita have spent time together (as a friend? I don't know) and Saiki just ignores them (season 2 ep 24).

(Explanation: This scene does not appear in the manga. Appears only in the anime. We can see Reita holding Mikoto´s shoulder and saying "Don't run away. I can't deal with him myself". That means he needs Miko´s help. Reita did not ask Kusuo about it and Kusuo didn't interfere with them.

I have to be direct here. What did Reita say? It was a pick-up line indirect way. When boys and girls in manga or in reality have to confess, they need to be brave to say it, but some wants to just say it in an indirect way. Example in the picture below.

"If you don't come home with me" later on, he means he wants her to be his wife and comes home with him. A strange pick up line, but what Reita says is a hint from sensei. Even though Miko seems uncomfortable, but she doesn't hate Reita. For a westerner, it might be ok to hold friend like that, but i am not a westerner. If a man (who i don't have feelings for) holds me like that, I will push him away.If Kokomi feels uncomfortable, Kusuo will say something. Unlike in this situation, Kusuo just ignores them. Don't forget that he can read minds.

We don't see Reita and Mikoto in a romantic situation. Only when they share the same room at the hotel. (maybe they don't have enough money or there is no more available room - irony) Just fight and make arguments like some couples in manga.

If my man blames me that he has to wait for me in the same hotel room with woman-friend. She told him to take a bath which he did. She moved the beds, but he didn’t move the beds back. This is me, me, me, me, me and me.

Please remember the main focus character is Kusuo, not them and that's why we don't see that. But Asō sensei just wants to add this scene and it means a hint. It is pretty clear to me in the picture of the last volume who ends up with whom).

Plus, Kusuo doesn´t buy soulmate and no boy love. He admits that he is a tsundere.

「ツンデレ歴はアンタのほうが長いからな」 → “You‘ve been a tsundere longer than me.”

「今回は僕がデレてやるよ」　→ “I’ll be the one to be the ‘dere’ side this time.”

ps. Tsun is saying/acting cold and don´t care that opposite of his feeling. You can see Kusuo`s grandpa act like he doesn't care, being cold in front of Kusuo, but his acting is different when he is in another room alone.

‘dere’ = be nice, warm, in this context for grandpa can be care, kind and nice, but for couple = love, nice, kind, care

Explain:

At the end grandpa and Kusuo wanted to be ’dere‘, but they are being ‘tsun’ to each other because they are tsundere in front of the one they like.

Ps. I have seen manga and anime. Kusuo is being ‘dere’ just only one girl, Kokomi of course in the way she is never known or noticed.

So, here I will explain when he is being a tsundere in no. 3

Please remember, Kusuo never shows his inner thought like his grandpa who is a tsundere as pictures below (Kusuo is also a tsundere). That´s mean what he says or acts, it´s not always true.

3. Kusuo starts to like Kokomi. There are many reasons that he won´t fell in love with her in the beginning.  

Kusuo knows that Kokomi is beautiful, but he won´t fall for that because of his power that he can read her mind and know who she really is, and he has an x-ray version to see through everybody in just a few second. 

He doesn’t want to associate with Kokomi because she is at the top of pyramid, and he doesn’t like to stand out in the whole series. I mean all he cares about, is a normal average teenager (not to stand out and not be a loser). The power makes him special.

He uses his power to stop and avoid every girl and make them to give up on him. So, he never has a chance to experience romance. 

Besides, Kusuo doesn't know about love yet. The same as Kokomi who wasn’t sure that she liked Kusuo in the beginning. 

However, Kusuo can´t stop or avoid Kokomi, because God always helps her. (I can see Kokomi is author´s favorite female character here). These situations give him chances to get to know the real Kokomi. She changes her attitude about getting married with the rich guy and she never ever sway her heart. She always has the feeling for Kusuo and never change her feeling. And throughout the series she proves herself from being a bad girl to a (slightly – I think) nice girl like her name.

PS. Kokomi 「心美」　 心 (heart) 美 (beautiful) = beautiful heart.

「ここみ」 Kokomi may comes from 心を読みます or 心読み (こころをよみ ます/kokoro (w)o yomimasu) →  read minds/minds reading. Normally, read minds 「心を読む」 kokoro (w)o yomu.　

Let´s take a look at timeline of Kusuo. Saiki x Teruhashi. I will divide into 3 parts.

The first part: Chapter 0 – 181: he tries to avoid her and has no feeling for her. He is not interested in relationships.

These chapters show Kusuo´s expressions: stress, uncomfortable, awkward, tired, etc with Kokomi. He has no feelings for her. Please remember chapter 108 he means Kokomi is “troublesome/annoy no.4 the most dangerous of them all. 「忘れてたもっとも 危険で煩わしい 四号を」(wazurawashī – troublesome/annoy)

If you ask me the reason why he jumps out of window is because of gag manga. The same as Ranma. Both of them have instinkt to warn them from danger and avoid it, but he can't. It´s kind of funny for Japanese. Please don't take it seriously.

Anyways, there are three chapters in this timeline. The author shows that Kusuo has a romantic side that he is not aro or ace. (Saiki k is not hentai or shōjo and that's why it has a romance in funny way). These three chapters make me think that Kusuo is interesting in Kokomi.

Chapter 38 - Kokomi threw away the chocolate that she would give to him, but he accepts it.

I mean Kusuo accepts chocolate because he doesn’t hate Kokomi that much. He knows about romance (who doesn´t know about valentine´s day, besides Reita asks him about how many chocolates he will get today), and he can read mind what Kokomi thinks of him. The author's purpose is to show that he is kind of interesting in Kokomi. Kusuo never gets chocolate from the other girls. Kaidou throws away chocolate from Nendou and he will not eat it. This is not a joke for Kaidou, even they are friends, but he won’t eat it.

Chapter 131 – the second confession. The first confession, Kusuo looks awkward, but the second confession, he is blushing. I can see this as tsundere – He says something not nice (tsun) which is different from his face expression (blushing – “dere”). Btw, blushing is blushing. It is not embarrassing. There is a picture above showing he is embarrassing in chapter 227, and next to that picture Kusuo is blushing and grandpa says Kusuo is happy.

Chapter 161.5 - Indirect kiss (appears in romantic manga). Kusuo takes her smoothies and drinks it. He smiles at Kokomi when she notices that there is less drink than before. In this chapter I know for sure that he is a tsundere.

The second part: Chapter 182 – 203: Kusuo is more open to Kokomi and respects her feelings.

Chapter 182: At the mixer, Kusuo felt guilty that he used a dirty plan to get rid of Kokomi. And from this chapter Kusuo is more open to Kokomi because he feels ashamed of what he did to Kokomi. He owned her a lot. These three guys are not deserving her because these guys did not pay attention to Chiyo without Kusuo´s power.

Explain: Even though Kokomi is having a good time, she still thinks of having Kusuo with her and makes him smile. Why does he help her? I did say he feels guilty about his plan to sway Kokomi´s heart, but Kokomi sways Kusuo´s heart instead and Kusuo smiles. The reason is because of his type. The girl who never waivers, stays true to herself. That´s why Kusuo stops his plan and says to these guys “I can´t give her to any of you”. If this Shoujo manga, the man who acts like this and says no one can have Kokomi, he is a tsundere and jealous. So, Kokomi sways his heart. From this chapter, Kusuo is more open to Kokomi´s feelings. He respects her feelings and does not avoid her.

He looks away while his friends are greeting Kokomi in chapter 189. Kusuo is angry at Takahashi that he ignores Kusuo and he still makes an angry face when Kokomi asks him to be her art partner, but Kusuo does not refuse to be her art partner (chapter 197). He does not use his power to avoid being with Kokomi in chapter 202 unlike chapter 55. Kusuo looks unhappy.

Explain: If you think Kusuo can´t communicate with Kokomi that he does not want to be with her. The question is he can´t or he doesn´t want to?

He looks unhappy but is he unhappy? This is typical tsundere (act different from his feeling). He has a power if he doesn´t want to be with her, he can use his power to switch his name when Kokomi draws a lottery like in chapter 55. This means he acts unhappy (tsun), but his feeling is ok to be with Kokomi (dere) chapter 202.

The third part: Chapter 204 – 281. Kusuo is being ‘dere’ 「デレ」 to Kokomi

Kusuo did promise that he wouldn´t buy a present for Kokomi, but he did it anyway. He buys it and takes it home, and then switches the present. He will buy something for Mera because he feels sorry for Mera´s family and poverty: he has empathy, this is sweet (chapter 240). But why did he buy a present for Kokomi? They are not that poor and promises in Japan should not be broken, unless it is important. Does Kusuo do this to help Makoto (Kusuo does not like him) or does Kusuo care about Kokomi? He wants Kokomi to be happy with the present. She doesn't even know if it is from him (chapter 204).

Explain: He bought the gift (dere) but does not tell her (says no in the beginning, seems he does not care - tsun). This is unlike Mera. He’ll buy food in the canteen and give to her. I don’t think he’ll give her a present in secret; being tsundere.

Chapter 214 - This chapter Kusuo says Offu (opens his mouth and says). This chapter he could pretend that Miko was his girlfriend, but he didn’t do it. He cares about Kokomi and says "Hope nothing happen").

Chapter 242 - He carries Kokomi to infirmary in front of people. Kokomi tried so hard to be kindness and popular. Saiki could use power to save her, but no one deserve Kokomi. No one noticed how tried she was. Just only him noticed her. His feeling are angry to those boys.

I know Kusuo likes Kokomi for sure in this chapter. Kusuo came to save Kokomi without thinking about himself. I mean Kusuo has power. He can use it and there are many different ways to help Kokomi with his power. He can use the power to pull her before she falls to the ground (see the way he helps chiyo in the picture) and let those men carry kokomi to the infirmary. Do you think that the author wants to show that Kusuo does this because Kusuo and Kokomi are just friends? No.

Asō sensei wants us to think that Kusuo forgets himself about being a standout when it is about Kokomi. 

This is a kind of typical romance manga where the guy helps the woman in a situation. Some guy doesn’t know his feelings yet, but his action proves that he has feelings for her. And the way he carries her. It is not normal for Kusuo. Carries a woman in front of others (Draw attention). 

Kusuo looses control of being himself at that time (helps kokomi in front of others). We can see that in this chapter both Kusuo and kokomi have their own priority (Kusuo – avoid stand out, Kokomi – being popular). But they choose each other over their own priority. (Kokomi says sorry to the boys when they want her to talk with them -she chooses kusuo). 

These actions are ‘dere’. He is being ‘dere’ in the way she doesn’t see it because she is unconscious. If Kokomi didn’t ask her classmates, she would not know.

When Kokomi runs to him, he says “Yare Yare” with a small sweat drop. But chapter 280. Kusuo has a small sweat drop and explains the reason he doesn´t want to be with Kokomi because of being a standout.

This action calls “tsun”. He has a power. He knows that Kokomi finds out that he helps her. He did not jump out of window. He did not teleport or hide himself from her, but he says yare yare and his face does not match his action. He walks and then waits for her when she calls him.

He is a tsundere because he doesn't admit that he cares about her. chapter 260

Chapter 279

What is the reason he had to go back in time, and what he did, made his friends not remember about hugging, many Kusuo´s (the power) and confession. Kusuo knows that his friends will accept him for who he is (he has a power). His friends don´t forcing him to tell his secret and they can wait if he wants to talk to. They don´t care if Kusuo has a secret and continues being his friend. So, the power is not the reason he went back in time and wipes his friends´ memory about it. Kusuo said that he felt bad about Chiyo´s confession. I mean he does not need to go back in time, just put the device on to seal his power and say to his friends about the power, but he went back in time anyway. Well, the reason is not about the power and the confession. So, there is only one thing left. What is the worth for Kusuo then?

The pictures show that Reita, Kusuo and Miko stand next to each other, but his friend asked where Kusuo would go. If Kusuo, Reita and Miko disappear together, they will mention their names. That means Kusuo went back in time one day alone. He didn´t take Reita and Miko with him because of the butterfly effect. He could manage this alone after he knew what and where was going to happen.

Think about what Kokomi said "stayed with me". I think it's a hint from Asō sensei. It appears after Miko says your friends will still accept you and he says yeah. Kokomi says (I combine 2 situations) Kusuo could read Kokomi's thoughts (what she thinks when she sees they are hugging) and he still stayed with Kokomi.

I mean, I did mention chapter 214 when she saw Miko with Kusuo, and Kusuo cares about Kokomi´s feeling. He doesn't want to hurt her feelings about hugging either, and he is not the type of the person who would try to explain to her about it.

Well, Kusuo doesn't hate Miko when she hugs him, but it is pretty clear to me that he chooses to stay with Kokomi over Miko. He risked his life for Kokomi, so she wouldn’t remember about hugging. That's why he went back in time and that's why Miko did appear just two panels in the next and last two chapters (chapter 280 and 281).

This chapter is the last chapter in weekly magazine (Shōnen Jump). Asō sensei had to write two more chapters (280 and 281) and made a new ending because it´s not enough pages to make the book (have to be the same thick as vol. 1-25). These two chapters published in Shueisha's Jump GIGA. For those who think Kusuo will die after the meteor. Well, the author wanted chapter 279 was the true ending (happy ending) which proved that Kusuo survived and his power wasn't gone. The author means chapter 280 and 281 are unnecessary and pointless. (but for me, the author made it´s clear that Kusuo ends up with Kokomi in chapter 281)

Read Asou sensei´s afterword 1 and 2 under.

chapter 280

He can't control himself and continues staring at her face for about a 0.5 minute after losing his power. His face is very close to hers (less than 5 or 10 cm). He got caught (seems nervous or worried). He falls for her charm and beauty, otherwises he won't stare at her for so long.

Later, he doesn't want to be in Kokomi's group because he doesn't want standing out. (Well, he's not ready for troublesome things yet.)

Explain the pictures

ろくでなしBLUES is the first manga that I know about author´s hint from the last volume. The ending, two boxers are on boxing ring. The readers don't know who the winner is, but the picture from the last volume shows who is the winner.

うる星やつら Urusei Yatsura (gag manga the same as Saiki k) - The ending is quite the same as Kusuo. The woman, Lum wants Ataru to say love, but in the end Ataru says he will say it on his deathed (Ataru is a tsundere til the end). Kusuo is also a tsundere and the author won't let us see the moment Kusuo says offu in front of Kokomi in the way that she knows it, but the author shows Kusuo smiles instead. He did say in one chapter he refuses to say offu even he is kokomi´s boyfriend (typical tsundere).

The picture from last volume shows who (mostly, the main characters – Japanese tradition; hints from the author) ending with whom. Kokomi´s holdes Kusuo´s shoulder is from the cover, but I have to remove the front cover from the book as in the picture. This is the hint from the author, but Asō sensei does not show it in the front cover. He gives us many hints and we have to find the easter egg.

The first day Kusuo and Kokomi met and talked, Kusuo did not let´s kokomi touch him. But in the end, he is totally fine.

Chapter 281 - The ending Kusuo says

“So, my life in peace 「平穏」 is over now, but I actually feel that´s not bad at all. Perhaps, I like to deal with hassles (めんどくさい　mendokusai) after all”.

When I heard it, I think of the word 「穏便」 in chapter 181

「僕は 面倒なく穏便 に すませたいだけだ」  → I wanna calm down/settle down peacefully without trouble), 「穏便」 uses in the context to settle peacefully and carefully without causing trouble. Kusuo means Kokomi's romance is a trouble for him.

Ps. When he say trouble 「面倒」 mendō or めんどくさい　mendokusai - the same word), he says in two chapter: 279 and 181. Not in chapter 108.

Kusuo calls his friends "troublesome" in chapter 279/ season 3 ep 2. 面倒な奴らだ全く。 But he can be with them I mean they don’t ruin his peaceful life). He is not honest. He smiles and says friends are troublesome (He is being tsundere). He is kind of thank his friends not forcing him to tell the secret, accept him and still be his friend (dere side). That means he did not mean his friends are troublesome.

That´s why the last chapter his words refers to Kokomi only. He changes his mind (opposite from chapter 181) and says bye to his peaceful life and he likes troublesome. (Ready for troublesome things)

Asou sensei shows on twitter that Kusuo startled when he heard someone calls Kokomi´s name. Kokomi says she has not make Kusuo says offu yet. Do sth, God. So, Kusuo smiles. (Well, Kokomi sways his heart once and makes him smile (chapter 182) and she did it again. Her effort melts his heart finally). First, he doesn’t want powers, but Kokomi words is one of the reasons that drives him to accept his power and ends his peaceful life.

Ps. When Kusuo talks about God, he refers to Asō sensei who helps Kokomi, but when his friends talk about God, Kusuo refers himself as a God. Example Saiko´s ship episode: God likes Kokomi and he says it's impossible. The ending when Kokomi says do sth, God. Kusuo grabs glasses and says he is a psychic.

The quote in the end “So, my life in peace is over now, but I actually feel that´s not bad at all. Perhaps, I like to deal with hassles (Kokomi´s romance and love effort) after all”.

This is not offu (he mentioned that even he is her boyfriend, he won't say offu. He is a tsundere like Ataru that will say on his death). However, this is a kind of confession because Kokomi said she hasn’t make Kusuo say offu yet. Kusuo heard it and smiled. Then he said he liked to deal with the trouble. Both chapter 279 and 281 shows that Kusuo chooses Kokomi and has feeling for her.

I personally like the ending of chapter 279 more than chapter 281 because I don´t need to find what is the trouble for him.

What happens next?

Being with a tsundere you have to be patient and understanding. Kusuo will be more open like his grandfather in chapter 183. He asks Kusuo to do what he wants. From the quote at the end, he sure be more opened. This relation will work eventually.

4. Kusuo´s reaction (He treats Kokomi special than the other friends. Like a girlfriend or couple). Of course, he loves her.

Ps. you can find more reactions in another post.

5. Asō sensei has a plan that Kusuo ends up with Kokomi from the beginning. Please respect that.

The ending cover & pic next to it (Reita and Kusuo has the same hair color), the 2nd popularity poll, the hairstyle, match color, the dolls represents the one you have feeling for, the author and his wife

The author plans since beginning that Kusuo and Kokomi have the same birthday month (August 6 and 16: Leo). Miko and Reita also have the same birthday month (September 7 and September 10: Virgo). Saiki's father x mother and grandpa x grandma have the same birthday month. The first name of Saiki´s family begins with k and Kokomi's name begins with K.

Kokomi began to talk to Kusuo and has the feeling for him on her birthday. She asked (God) for a decent man and saw Kusuo. Kusuo´s father asks God about a nice girlfriend for his son, and Kokomi appears. Asō sensei likes this couple very much. He planned on sending them to each other since beginning.

Throughout the series, we can see the romantic moments and development of their characters and personalities. For example, chocolate on valentine´s day, indirect kiss, holding Kokomi in front of people.

The author changed Kokomi's hairstyle like his wife's, and he tweeted that Kusuo´s tie and Kokomi´s sweater were the same color in 2022, even Kokomi didn’t win the vote. She was the only one girl in the choices. (Who cares. He likes Kokomi. The match color is common for couples because even my husband's tie matched my dress when we attended the party). Celebrating 5 years, Kokomi´s dress and Kusuo`s tie has match color and duet song, Kusuo´s shirt and Kokomi´s dress is blue and white while Miko’s dress is red. If Kusuo´s pants are red, I'll say it a 50 50, but Kusuo and Kokomi always have match color Kokomi wins 100%(Match color is not in the storyline, and I think it's more like they are a couple after destroying meteor/the story-end). Don't you think Asō sensei didn’t plan on Saiki x Teruhashi?

Kokomi is his favourite female charater and God (Asō sensei) loves her. His wife (Furukawa Mirin) is talented and beautiful (like Kokomi, I guess his type). Kokomi is the main female character and has a lot of airtime. She has a big aura (giantic wings with black and white feathers: dark and bright side, no one 100% good/perfect), but her aura is smaller than Kusuo. I guess her guardian spirit is Asō sensei (not dead, but helps Kokomi a lot to be with Kusuo than other woman). So, he plans Kusuo x Kokomi from the beginning (birthday month, etc and look at his picture again above - look alike Kusuo) and he makes Kusuo x Kokomi happen at the end of this manga (you can read chapter 279 and 281).

The first popularity poll (from the reader) Kusuo won the 1st place, but Kokomi did not get the 2nd place, so Asō sensei asked his acquaintance (friends, family, colleagues, etc) for the second popularity poll (total 46 ppl). Seems like he wants Kusuo and Kokomi to win. When Kusuo and Kokomi get 1st and 2nd place, Asō sensei draws crowns to them like the prince/king and princess/queen on the coloring pages. Alt Asou sensei did, shows/proves that He is the most powerful SaiTeru shipper and no one can beat him.

The pictures from the anime. Only Kokomi holds Kusuo doll and Mera holds food which represents what they like (author's drawing). Kusuo and Kokomi are holding each other's doll (the name of the episodes). Same post, same background, but different color. Kusuo is just holding a girl doll (Kokomi). Asō sensei didn't draw these pictures, but he won't let Kusuo hold the other girl's doll other than Kokomi to avoid misunderstanding who Kusuo ends up with. (No fan service for AiSai)

Well, the picture from the last volume is pretty clear to me that Saiki Kusuo ends up with Teruhashi Kokomi. Kokomi holds him on the shoulder (picture from last volume) like Reita holds Miko´s shoulder (season 2 ep 24). Kokomi's hair drops down on Kusuo´s shoulder. That means they stand very closed. Kokomi's brother looks at them with a smile (not siscon anymore) and Chiyo looks at Kokomi with a smile. They are happy for them.

Many people think Kusuo and Kokomi are just friends because in some cultures friends can hug and share drinks. But that does not mean that all cultures are the same. Don't forget Kusuo's personality and character, Asō sensei has shown Kusuo getting hugs from Nendou, Kokomi and Miko, but Kusuo has never given a hug to anyone except Kokomi. He never shares a drink with anyone other than Kokomi. Kusuo treats Kokomi specially than the other friends as a couple or a girlfriend. This is the point Asō sensei has made in the series. He plans Kusuo x Kokomi in the beginning: At Christmas, Kusuo expects Kokomi as a girl to visit his house instead of Nendou. It means that Kusuo is interested in girls. The author always gives them chances to be together and lets them know each other and develop feelings. Kusuo didn't have a feeling for her in the beginning, but the author shows that Kusuo has a feeling for Kokomi and he chooses her at the end either 279 or 281. Every hint that Asō sensei shows/gives (for who Saiki Kusuo ends up with) only points to Kokomi. He never ever plans that Kusuo ends up alone or someone else except Kokomi, see the picture from cover of the last volume that I have to remove the plastic cover. It confirms Saiki Kusuo ends up with Teruhashi Kokomi. That means Saiki Kusuo is going to get married to Kokomi because she is his only one possible wife.

I dont need to root/cheer this ship because it's already canon.

~/) /) ~ ┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓ ( •-• ) ~ ❤️Saiki x Teruhashi❤️ TeruSai/SaiTeru❤️ /づづ ~ ┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛

Thanks for reading 😊

Update 25 august 2023

For those who read this, I know about this from the first day I watch anime and then read manga. I think it’s the time to reveal this lovely easter egg, because it’s almost September.

When Nendou writes his career survey about his plan after graduation in charter 265. (Ps. Nendo can’t write kanji)

1st choice「はしもと かんな と けっこん」→ marry to Hashimoto Kanna (she starred as Kokomi in live action).

2nd choice 「かやの あい と けっこん」→ marry to Kayano Ai (Kokomi’s voice in anime)

3rd choice 「ガッキーとけっこん」 → marry to Gakki (Aragaki Yui: not relate to Saiki k).

But in anime s.3 ep.1, Asō sensei changed no.3 to でんぱぐみのだれか(とけっこん) → Married someone in Dempagumi(.inc). Netflix doesn’t translate the texts in anime.

This episode was on aired in December 2018 (Japan) and March 2019 (Netflix). I think he proposed marriage to his wife, Furukawa Mirin, an idol. The author announced they decided to get married in September 2019 on twitter. Some idols and singers have contracts about no romances. I don’t know how long they’ve been together because of his wife is an idol, but obviously, before Saiki K ended. The hairstyle, the marriage proposal, dempagumi.inc sings Saiki k anime songs.

This makes me really like Saiki x Teruhashi even more when I saw this scene 🥰. The author changed one scene for Furukawa-san, and it’s in Saiki K forever. He is really sweet ❤️. In the author eyes, his wife is perfect, the most beautiful and talented like Kokomi. Without a doubt, Saiki married to Teruhashi.

Ps. About the popularity poll, normally the votes are from the reader, but i LMAO when I know he asks family, friends, his acquaintances for the votes (he can insist them to vote who he wants - who knows, it’s typical Japanese) and just for 46 votes he draws Saiki x Teruhashi who’s got 1st and 2nd place with the crowns on the coloring page ❤️🥰.

Extra credit and special thanks to jujus-stuff 🥰 who left the comment and explained about aro ace (which I still don’t know the meaning 😅) on my tumblr ❤️

Yess!!! Agreed with everything. Btw, i still think Saiki is aro or ace, or both, who knows, but, just to add something: Ace people can also fall in love, it's just more hard to happen, but It happens!! Btw, let's read the definition of being an Aromantic Person: A person who is aromantic experiences little to no romantic attraction to persons of any gender. People who are aromantic also lack interest in having romantic relationships. Romantic attraction refers to a desire to have emotional contact and interaction with a partner, while the definition of a romantic relationship can vary depending on the individual. ALT. Also, being an aromantic person myself, i've Fell in love only one time, it wasn't mutual but the feeling is valid, and so is my romantic spectrum. Still, i have more to say, since it's an spectrum, Saiki can feel or not romantic feelings, but, hence the informartions above, i have to say, Teruhashi is Saiki's romantic interest. Have this said, i think since we can say that Saiki is/can be aromantic/asexual/aroace the feelings that he has for Kokomi turns out to be even more special❣️❤️ That's it, i hope i've added more important informartions . So Bye bye❣️❣️

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 263. brb x oc

a/n: oh BOy OH BOY (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

He could spend hours just looking at Bea, honestly it is his favorite pastime even at home. He has to stand aside to let them fix her hair and make up and his smile only widens whenever she laughs.

She's comfortable.

And she’s happy.

He doesn’t like going back to the past but he still remembers how she was when they started dating. She was so scared to be herself and honestly,he’d let guide him through her path as long as she wanted because he just cared about her wellbeing so much. Now she’s so much more open,like the walls lifted and she was finally who she was meant to be.

Nicole,who was on his lap, pointed to where Beatrice was, ‘Mama?” she questions and Rooster pushes her closer to him, fearing that if she moved too much she’d fall. Not that she would, but he worried.

“Mhm,it’s mama.” he coos, letting his little girl then stand up on his thighs - his hands holding her tiny torso, and he had to admit that did scare him a little bit more than planned - “She’s getting ready and we are going to stay here and watch her.” her little noise was his only answer and she kept herself straight on his thighs.

He liked this, as nervous as he was minutes before, the photoshoot wasn’t as bad. It went so well, they had a few change of clothes and the whole thing had a reason. Marcus also said they could keep the clothes if they so desired and who was Rooster to say no to that?

Nicole babbled a bit more, bouncing herself on his leg - she was already bigger than any toddler he had seen, she looked to be one already with how developed she was, especially mentally - “Dada, gugu.”

“Hm?”

“Gugu.” she says again and he furrows his brows because he’s not…sure what she’s saying.

“She wants yogurt,Roos.” he hears Beatrice say from the makeup chair, her green eyes moving to him as she smiled, pointing to the back of the studio, “Marcus was kind enough to keep her snacks in his fridge since we’ll be here for so long.” she drops her hand back to her lap, “Also, ask her which ones she wants, your daughter can be very picky.”

Nicole gurgled a laugh as if to agree, then flopped down on her dad’s legs, using his pants to climb off and then hold herself upright once she was on the floor, “Aa,” she holds her hand out to him, “Gugu.”

Oh his poor heart couldn’t take this cuteness.

Rooster couldn't help but chuckle as he stood to his feet, “Alright.” he holds Nicole’s tiny hand – bending down just a bit, his daughter did not want to be carried to the fridge, considering she was basically leading him to it, how did she know where it was he wasn’t sure. “Okay, okay.” he says when Nicole’s short legs move faster when she sees the sleek black fridge, slapping her tiny hand on it.

Kneeling down beside her, with a grunt because his back was a bit sore, Rooster opened the fridge and peered inside. The little one seemed to have a keen sense for what she wanted, even at her young age. He reached in and retrieved a small container of yogurt, showing it to her.

"Is this the one you want, sweetheart?" he asked, watching as Nikki peered into it. 

Nicole's eyes lit up with delight,then she pointed to one of them, “Pease.” she points to the same one a few more seconds before Rooster grabs it out of the container, looking around a bit to see where he could put her so she could have her snack.

Rooster scanned the studio, his eyes settling on a nearby table with some empty chairs. He gently scooped up Nicole in his arms and carried her over to the table. He settled her into one of the chairs, securing her with a booster seat to make sure she wouldn't tumble out.

He blinked when he noticed the Louis Vuitton logo all over the seat. 

"Here you go, sweetheart," he said, offering her the pouch,already open. Nicole eagerly grabbed it and immediately tried to chew the soft plastic on top until she squeezed the pouch, making some of the grape flavored yogurt smear over her mouth. He tried to clean it, but his daughter was too focused on eating, refusing to let go of her snack.

So he decided to lean back and watch.

“Damn,she is your daughter.” Payback says as he strolls in the little dining area, opening the fridge to grab a bottle of water, “You do the same thing with those chocolate ice creams, you know.”

Rooster just gives him an unimpressed stare, crossing his arms and leaning back on his chair, “Not my fault I have great taste.”

“Hah, yeah,sure.”

“You leaving already?”

Payback hummed negatively, swallowing the water then gesturing over his shoulder, “Nat is giving me a ride and she wants to stay a little bit longer, Jake already left to be with Evelyn and Javy and Bob are with me,so.”

‘You all hogged a ride with Nat?”

“Yeah.”

He snorts, shaking his head, “Good luck leaving before sundown,man.” he says, finally able to clean Nicole’s face when she stops eating for a second, her quiet complaints when he wipes her face were hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time, “Baby girl,I’m just cleaning your face, it’s okay.”

Payback sat down close to them, messing with his water bottle before he asked, “So, the twins are finally leaving the NICU,huh?”

"Yeah," Rooster replied, his voice laced with relief,shoulders sagging a bit. "It's been a long journey, but they're finally strong enough to leave the NICU. We’ve been counting down to this moment."

“Will you be able to see them?”

His smile dropped, ‘No,they’ll come home during my deployment.” he mutters, “Feels…bittersweet knowing my kids are coming home but…I won’t be able to meet them properly.”

Payback hummed, tsking quietly. "That's tough, man. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to know they're coming home, yet you won't be here to welcome them. But you'll be there for them in your own way, even from a distance. You're their dad, and that means a lot."

He looked over at Nicole, who was now happily munching on her snack, her small fingers occasionally dipping into the yogurt pouch. “I know, it’s just…” he pauses “I want to be there for them,all of them. Bea does help me seeing that some things are not in my control but…well, you know.”

“I do.” he says softly, “But hey, at least you’ll be able to celebrate your birthday next week,right?”

"Yeah, you're right. Can’t believe I’ll be thirty-nine in a matter of days,” he wipes Nicole’s face again, “And Nikki will be one year old. One. Holy shit.”

“Time did go by fast.” Payback says, crossing his arms and then his legs, “Listen man, think about it this way, you’ll be able to celebrate it with Bea and Nikki before you do get deployed,” he shrugs, “It is a bonus in my eyes.”

Rooster nodded, "It is a bonus.I'll cherish every moment before I have to deploy."

Payback grinned. "And speaking of your birthday, got any plans in mind for the big day?"

Rooster scratched his head, thinking for a moment. "Well,besides what Bea's told you guys, not really We’ll still do it at home, keeping it simple, casual, no need to go over the top, you know?"

“Really?”

Rooster smiled, his eyes glancing over to Beatrice who was now being led to the other side of the studio alongside Shells who couldn’t stop talking. "Yeah, she wants me to unwind. Just some friends, some family and some kid cake since Nikki will be one year old too.”

Nicole looks back at him, still squeezing the pouch, “Aa?”

“Yep, that’s right baby girl. It’ll be your birthday- when was the last time any of us had cupcakes?” Rooster asked, “Like, actual cupcakes.”

“I had it at my nephew’s birthday a few months back. It was pretty good.”

-

Shells was vibrating with excitement,she couldn’t stand still, “I’m going to print this and send to all those fuckers from college.” she giggled gleefully, “Oh,I wanna see their faces.”

Beatrice, on the other hand, just stood to the side with a worried smile on her face, “I don’t…think it’s necessary,Shells.” she says, lifting her head so the hair stylist fixed her bangs a bit, “Besides I believe this will be…around because of billboards. No need to send to bad people all over.”

“We could send one to Miranda,” Shells either ignored what Bea said or decided that this was a good option, “Your lovely neighbor.”

"Shells, you really don't need to stir the pot," Beatrice cautioned. "We've got enough going on right now, especially with Aurora and Gavin in the NICU. Let's focus on them and not the past."

Shells paused for a moment, her expression turning guilty as she realized the gravity of the situation. She scratches the back of her head, being careful with her hair. "You're right, Bea. I'm sorry. It's just that sometimes, I want to protect you from people who've hurt you."

Beatrice smiled gratefully at Shells, her gaze softening. "I know, and I appreciate it. But right now, my priority is taking care of everyone…and prepare for Rooster’s deployment next week.” she says, lifting her arms so one of Marcus’ assistants fix it around her waist, “And his birthday. I have to make sure everything will be just right.”

“You’ll get him some chocolate cake?”

“Yes,I already called Mr.Scoops to prepare an ice cream cake for him. Belgian chocolate, he doesn’t know it yet because as soon as he does he’ll lose it.” her smile widened, “But, you know, I’m happy how things are.I’m happy I’m back in the Hard Deck–”

“As you should, because we all missed you.”

Bea’s smile widened, “And…yeah,the whole Mark and Miranda situation is a pain, it is a pain in our asses but as long we keep our distance, we’ll be okay.” she shrugs, finally lowering her arms when the assistant was done, “They haven’t done anything yet…well, Mark will be deployed with Rooster but I doubt he’ll talk to him. Roos can’t hide when he dislikes someone.”

“I mean, doesn’t mean he won’t try.” Shells mutters, “He won’t be alone, but it is weird how much they are…you know, locked on you two,isn’t it?”

Beatrice glanced down at the floor, "Yeah, it is weird," Beatrice finally admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "I mean, we're just a couple trying to navigate life like everyone else. There's nothing extraordinary about us, but for some reason, they can't seem to let it go."

Shells placed a comforting hand on Beatrice's shoulder. "You both deserve to have some peace and happiness, especially with everything going on with the twins. We can't let these people ruin that for you." she winks, “My offer to beat them up is still open.”

“Shells.”

“What? I mean it, I have a baseball bat somewhere in aunt Penny’s house, from my softball years.”

"As much as I appreciate the thought, no violence just yet. We'll figure this out without breaking any bones." She paused, “It’s what we’ve been doing so far too.”

After that, it was a quick blur of lights and camera snapping. Marcus was always very thoughtful with both of them - Shells was too excited, while Bea preferred to keep to herself and let the time flow by easily, being guided by Marcus was good for her. 

Every now and again she’d see Rooster peeking at her, her smile widening but she had to keep herself focused on finishing the photoshoot. He had his turn minutes before and changed back on his normal clothes…but he looked so good even like that. Her husband was a walking sin,truly.

“Now,Bea,” Marcus’ voice snapped her out of the constant admiration, “I want you to feel loose, remember, you are flying, loose, like a bird.” he smiles,”Like a sparrow. Can you do that,darling?”

Beatrice nodded, taking a deep breath to refocus on the photoshoot.Her movements became fluid and elegant, as if she were dancing on air. She spread her arms like wings and allowed herself to be carried by the music that played softly in the background. The camera clicked and whirred as Marcus captured her in this ethereal moment.

As she continued to move gracefully, she felt the weight of the world lifting from her shoulders. The troubles with Mark and Miranda, the worry for her twins, all faded into the background. In this moment, she was a bird in the sky, free and untethered.

Rooster watched his wife silently, the conversation with Payback forgotten because why move his gaze away now?His eyes never leaving her as she gracefully executed each pose. He knew how much she needed this break from the stress and strain of their lives, and he was grateful to Marcus for providing this opportunity.

“Rooster.” Payback calls, “Rooster.” it takes the other pilot to snap in front of Rooster’s eyes to make him turn his gaze - wide and surprised - towards him again, “Jesus, you are just a puppy dog when it comes to Bea, it’s hilarious.”

“Oh,you can’t blame me.” Rooster replies, turning his gaze to Nicole, who just dropped her empty yogurt pouch on his hand then reached out so he could carry her this time, “It’s not my fault my wife is beautiful.”

Payback grinned “I’m not saying that you two make a great couple. It’s just it’s been so obvious from the second you two met at the Hard Deck."

Rooster's eyes drifted back to Beatrice, who was still in the midst of the photoshoot. The way she moved, so effortlessly, so gracefully, left him in awe. 

Like a fucking fairy.

“Hey,Payback.”

“Hm?”

“I…” he pauses, looking down at Nikki, “I am thinking of something and I think you can help me with it.” his friend arched his brow higher, “For Bea, before I get deployed.”

Payback raised an eyebrow, "Of course, Rooster. How can I help?"

Rooster shifted Nicole in his arms, cradling her as he spoke. "I want to plan something special for Bea before I get deployed. It's been a challenging time with the twins in the NICU and all the chaos at work. I just want to give her a moment of happiness."

Payback nodded, . "That's a great idea, man. Bea deserves something wonderful. Do you have any specific plans in mind, or are you looking for suggestions?"

Rooster sighed, glancing back at Beatrice, who was still lost in the world of the photoshoot. "Actually…yeah." he smiles, “I might need some people to help me with it though.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah…around four people.” he purses his lips,hiding his smile, “You think we can do that before my birthday celebration?”

Payback leaned back on his seat, then arched his brow higher as his smirk slowly widened, “...alright. That can be done easily, don’t worry man…now” he nods, “Me,Bob and Coyote?Sounds good?”

‘Sounds good. I need Jake to…distract her.”

“Can do,anything else?”

He hummed, “...how many flowers can you fit in your car?”

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Hi! I really loved your newest comic about 621 getting kidnapped and brainwashed after the snow worm mission and it honestly got me invested in the mecha game I would have otherwise ignored.

I just adore your character design and especially what you did with 216.

Like Raven usually wears a mouth mask or has it otherwise covered (kind of how you sometimes have to muzzle an aggressive dog) and clothes that are way to big on them

But now that they work with Snail and Freud they wear a lot more accessories (the shiny earrings and the golden parts on their suit) and wear more revealing clothes (the midriff and boob window)

It's a nice nod that they aren't Walters hound anymore, but moreover a bird of prey.

Sorry if I was rambling, but your art is just amazing

augghhh i love it when ppl point those details out, it's great to see that my design choice could be noticed !!! there's no need to be sorry at all, i've been having a lot of fun reading through your comments and messages! they really fill me with motivation!!!

AND IT'S ALWAYS INSANE WHEN I GET MESSAGES TELLING ME MY ART GET PPL TO CHECK OUT AC6 CUZ WOW!! it makes me really happy!!! pls check out this lil robot game ,,,,

(and to answer your other ask it's ok to do fanwork based on my design! the only thing i ask is to credit my blog and maybe send me a link so i can check them out too! :D and to please keep the relationships as i draw them, i don't mind other pairings but if it's my design i'd prefer the ships i've drawn~)

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 215

McCoy

Saturday morning dawned with the sound of pouring rain. McCoy rolled over and pulled the covers over his head as he heard a chuckle behind him. Scotty’s hand rubbed gently up and down his back.

“I suppose ye’d like to stay right here all day,” Scotty said softly, with humor in his still sleepy voice.

McCoy grunted out an affirmative noise and Scotty chuckled again.

“Then let’s do that.”

“Can we?” McCoy asked, pulling the covers back off his head.

“Who’s going to stop us?” Scotty asked.

McCoy rolled back over to face Scotty.

“What about meals? This isn’t the palace, I can’t call down and have breakfast brought up.” He smiled.

“Ye’ve got security don’t ye?”

“We have security,” McCoy emphasized, “and I don’t know if anyone would be happy with us using them as food delivery.”

Scotty pulled McCoy closer and kissed him on the forehead.

“Just once shouldn’t be a problem,” Scotty whispered.

McCoy grinned and gave his head a shake. “Why does that sound like what I would say? Ok,” he relented. “But breakfast only. We wouldn’t want to abuse the privilege.”

“Of course not your highness.” Scotty laughed as McCoy pinched at his side.

“Just for that I’m not answering the door when they bring it,” McCoy said and pulling the covers back over his head again, snuggled tight against Scotty’s side.

They made a very lazy morning of it. Sitting up in bed after they finally ate, they called each of their mother’s and had good long chats.

“I suppose it is time we got up,” McCoy said reluctantly as Scotty set the PADD aside from their chat with Francine.

“Probably,” Scotty agreed.

“Should probably start on homework too. I’ve got a paper to finish and a good handful of reading to get done.”

“Aye. I’ve got research to get done,” Scotty said as he stretched his arms over his head. “Come on love, we’ll get cleaned up, get some lunch and get our work done.”

“We won’t get many lazy mornings like this as we keep going along will we?” McCoy asked, getting to his feet.

“We’ll have to make the time for them then,” Scotty told him decidedly. He moved close to McCoy, kissed him, then gave him a gentle shove towards the bathroom.

Cleaned and dressed, McCoy and Scotty hurried through the rain to the dining hall.

“There you guys are,” Sulu said as they sat down. “You two eat early or just skip breakfast?”

“Skipped,” McCoy answered quickly. Sulu grinned, but said nothing more.

“Well you didn’t miss much,” Uhura told them. “Chris is off with Roger and Jim said yesterday they were going to the movies.”

“What do you think they are seeing?” Chekov asked.

“Who knows,” Jaylah said with an eye roll.

“What are ye doing this afternoon?” Scotty asked, looking around at their friends.

Part 216

Scotty

It turned out that they all still had some homework to do. Only Uhura and Jaylah wanted to go into town later to do a bit of shopping. When Cora asked what they wanted to buy and Uhura replied that they wanted to go to some clothing stores, Jaylah seemed to blush slightly. Apparently they wanted to buy something for the alien girl.

"I know a good boutique nearby. If you want, I can show you," Cora simply said and the other girls immediately agreed.

"So... shopping isn't really our thing now, is it leannan?" Leonard turned to his husband with a grin and the Scotsman laughed.

"Nae, not really."

"Oh, you guys just don't know how to have a good time," Uhura replied, waving her hand.

"To each his own," Keenser grunted before a debate could begin and Scotty nodded in agreement.

"Aye, ye're right about that."

"I've got fencing practice later. So if you want to watch, you're welcome to drop by," Sulu offered and Scotty nodded.

"That sounds good. Maybe you can even teach us something."

As they walked to the gym in the late afternoon, Scotty and Leonard both knew they'd better confess to Sulu that they weren't going to visit the tournament.

Leah had called them shortly after lunch to let them know that they were allowed to accompany Aporal. Andre would arrive on the afternoon of departure and guard them.

"Hey, you guys actually came!" Sulu grinned broadly and waved to the boys as he saw them enter the hall.

"We couldn't turn down an offer like that," said Leonard as he and Scotty took their seats in the nearby stands.

"Well then, I guess I need to show you something, huh? Mark!" Sulu looked at another cadet who was practising a few moves in a corner of the hall. "Do you have time for a duel?"

The young man looked at Sulu and nodded.

"Sure. Why not?"

Scotty watched in fascination as Sulu and the redhead got into position and then began to fence with elegant movements.

It was more than just a sport or a fight. It was almost like a dance. And Sulu was a true master.

Scotty looked briefly at Leonard, whose eyes were fixed on the fencers. He wondered if Leonard knew how to fence as well. It seemed worthy of a prince to perform such sports.

The duel was quickly decided and it was no great surprise that Sulu emerged as the winner.

Scotty and Leonard both applauded and got to their feet to walk over to their friend, who was shaking hands with his opponent.

"You were pretty good, Mark."

"But apparently not good enough, Hikaru. I'll be better prepared for the tournament."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Mark went back to his corner of the hall and Sulu turned to Scotty and Leonard.

"So, what do you guys think? Do I have a chance of winning the tournament?" he asked and Scotty nodded.

"Definitely! You're the best fencer I know."

"Really, Scotty? And how many fencers do you know?"

That made the Scotsman laugh. He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Well, at least two now."

Sulu just grinned.

"You were really good," Leonard agreed. "And I know a lot of fencers."

"Thanks, guys. I was really pleased that you came."

That was probably the cue to come clean.

"Ye know, Hikaru, we have a confession to make... We cannae be at the tournament to cheer ye on."

Surprise washed over Sulu's face as he heard Scotty's words.

"Oh... you can't?"

"Aporal asked us to accompany him to the family reunion. I... I think he needs us by his side." Even though Scotty didn't say anything specific, the look on his face revealed how important it was.

A moment later, Sulu just smiled and patted his Scottish friend on the shoulder.

"I see. Well then... I hope that when you come back, I'm a real winner."

Scotty grinned.

"There's no doubt about it."