#at any given moment it can be assumed that i wish i was wearing a corset

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

any other neurodivergent folks with Sensory Stuff find that the structure of shapewear is actually really pleasant and soothing but also you feel kinda Ick about giving money to an industry largely built on making women feel bad about themselves or is that just me haha?

[yellowbrokenblue]

His favourite employee

CEO!Harry x secretary!Y/N

cw: smut, feral dom!Harry, degradation

It was 11pm. Hours past the time she was supposed to be home already. In a normal life she’d be tucked up in bed, ready to go to sleep. But instead she was here, her laptop open, cramming in as much as she could before she was back in the office at 8am tomorrow morning.

But she had to. She simply had to.

The look on Harry’s face tomorrow when he realises how much work she’d managed to complete would all be worth it, even if it meant doing overtime he wasn’t aware of.

“Y/N?”

Crap. She hadn’t even heard the door open. She’d dismissed the footsteps in the hallway as the buildings janitor, but her boss walking through the door had given her a fright.

“Oh! Uhm… Harry, hi…”

Harry chuckled, “Calm down, Y/N. Don’t look so frightened. It’s only me.”

Only him.

Only him was the understatement of the century. Harry Styles was the pinnacle of man. Gods best creation. You didn’t get any better than Harry Styles, it just wasn’t possible.

“What are you doing in here so late?” She asked him.

“I forgot my apartment key.” Harry said, “But I should be asking you why you’re in here so late, you were supposed to finish three hours ago.”

“I know…” She said, “But I just had so much I wanted to get done.”

“Is that right?” Harry asked, “Hm.”

He put his keys in his pocket, walking over to her desk and taking a seat on the edge of the table.

“You seem to do a lot for me around here, Y/N.” He said, “Isn’t that right?”

“I’m just trying to do my job.” She smiled in return.

“What you do for me, Y/N, is far beyond what I ask of any employee. We both know that.”

The room felt like it was one hundred degrees hotter with him sitting this close to her. Her breathing had gone too fast, and she was sweating buckets. Simply from his presence.

“I just have the companies best interests at heart. I have your best interests at heart.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t think that is the only reason, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“You think I don’t notice, but I pick up on everything. I know you’re the first one in every morning, patiently waiting with your eyes on the door waiting for me to walk through. You’ll make any excuse to come and see me in my office, and you’ve taken on some of my personal assistant roles just so you can pick out my lunch every afternoon.”

She swallowed.

His eyes were stuck on hers. And she was sure he could tell that her heart was beating out of her chest.

“Of course, I can’t forget the cute little outfits you wear every day, Y/N. Not to mention that you’re always in a skirt.” Harry said, quieter this time, “And correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t help but assume that is wishful thinking for that to be if something were to happen between us… It would give me…” Harry’s hand reached for the hem of her skirt, his fingers sliding underneath, “Easy access.”

Her breath hitched. Four years working for Harry’s company and he had finally touched her. This was all she’d ever wanted ever since her interview when she was 20 years old.

“Don’t look so nervous, Y/N.” He said, “I know how it feels to lust for someone. To spend every waking moment thinking about their body, to imagine them whenever you’re with someone else, just wishing it was them instead. To picture them when you touch yourself.”

Harry’s hand was sliding further up her thigh underneath her skirt. Her legs were pressed together with as much force as she could muster. Harry couldn’t know how wet she was in this moment, it would be embarrassing.

His thumb grazed the elastic of her panties.

“Tell me, Y/N.” He whispered, sliding off of the desk so he could talk directly into her ear. Her whole body shivered when his lips brushed against the skin of her earlobe, “Who is it you think about when you touch yourself.”

“Harry…” She breathed, “What are you-”

“Answer the question, Y/N.” He said, “You’re always a good, obedient girl when I ask you work related questions during office hours. And I expect the same from you outside of working time, even if we are in the office. Now, I’ll ask you again. Who do you think of when your hands are buried in your wet little pussy.”

She inhaled a sharp breath, not expecting the sudden change of his language. Her heart was racing, and his thumb was itching closer and closer to her desperate cunt.

“You.” She gasped, “You, Harry, I think of you.”

He smirked.

“Have you ever thought of me when you fucked another man?” He asked, “Have you ever said my name when you fucked someone else.”

His thumb brushed over her throbbing clit over the fabric of her panties.

“Oh!” She moaned, as his thumb pressed against her.

“Tell me.” He said again. “Tell me you think of me when you’re with other men.”

“I think of you all the time, Harry. Any time I’m with someone.”

“Do you sit in the office all day, doing the little jobs I give you, just imagining you were in my office instead?” He asked, “Do you ever imagine yourself bent over my desk, Y/N?”

He knelt down in front of her, and began to peel her underwear down her legs.

“I find that so hot, Y/N. The fact you sit and type your emails, just wishing my dick was inside you.”

“Harry…” She breathed, feeling his skin on hers.

“Pull your skirt up.” He said.

She looked at him, not quite believing her eyes. Harry was kneeling in front of her, pulling her soaked panties off her legs, looking like he wants to devour her.

“Who were you emailing?” Harry asked, sliding the panties off her legs completely, before looking back up at her.

“What?”

“Your emails are open on your laptop. Who were you emailing?”

“Just the electrician to fix the lights in the bathroom…” She said. “And then I was going to email the postal compan-”

She was caught by surprise by Harry placing his lips on her thighs, letting out a loud gasp.

He kissed up her thigh, towards her aching core.

“You’re so wet.” He hummed. “Who knew my words could turn someone on so much.”

Her breathing sped up, her hands shaking while they gripped the sides of the chair.

“Show me where you want me, sweet girl.” He said, pulling his head away. “Where do you want me to touch you?”

She shakily took her hand off of the side of the chair, moving it towards her throbbing pussy.

“That’s it, Y/N. Touch yourself where you want me to touch you.”

Her hand traveled towards the heat between her legs. This was embarrassing, she knew that. But at this point she didn’t give a shit, she’d do anything if it meant she could have a small part of Harry as an end result.

Her finger touched her clit gently, resisting a moan.

“Now touch yourself.” He said, “Touch yourself the way you to when you’re lying in bed at night thinking of me.”

That sentence alone made her want to combust. The things this man were doing to her with his just words were insane.

“Do it, Y/N. Do it if you want me.”

She listened. Of course she fucking listened.

She placed two fingers on her throbbing bud and began to move them in slow circles. She’d always start slow, moving her fingers at a steady pace to create intensity, and when she grew hungrier, she’d speed up the pace.

Harry watched her fingers move against her clit, covered in the wetness of her arousal. His dick was rock hard in his pants as she watched her head throw back against the chair with a loud moan.

“That’s it, Y/N.” He said, “Oh, you have no idea how this makes me feel… Watching you jack yourself off like this…”

“Oh! Harry!” She moaned, her hands moving faster.

He was almost drooling watching her. Between her fingers in her pussy, the moans coming from her mouth and that look on her face, he was loosing it all together.

“Stop.” He said bluntly.

Her hands stopped moving, and she looked at him. Nervousness was present all over her features. She went to pull her skirt back down, but she stopped him.

“I think it’s time for you to finish some of these emails, huh?” He smirked.

He teased her while he spoke, running his hand from the bottom of her thigh all the way to half an inch below the ache between her legs.

“And while you get your work done like the good little employee that you are… I’ll sort out your payment.”

His eyes stared hungrily at her dripping pussy.

“And maybe if you finish the email, I’ll let you cum.”

“Harry, please.” She moaned. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“My sweet girl. If you don’t type out that email you won’t be cumming at all. And if you don’t cum then I’m going to get you to sit your cute little ass on that chair and watch me jack off on your desk wishing that my cock was inside you instead of my own hand.” He said, “Now, we don’t want that to happen, do we?”

“No.” She replied.

“No, sir.”

“No, sir.” She corrected herself, swallowing.

Harry’s attention turned back to her pussy, his lips kissing up her thigh.

“The emails, Y/N.” He reminded her.

He slowly heard the keys be pressed on the keyboard, her legs twitching as his mouth moved further and further upwards. However the cry that left this girls mouth as his tongue came in contact with her clit was a sound that would be engrained in his memory for the rest of his life. Fuck porn, all he needed to jack off from now on was the memory of the sound she made as she fell apart at his touch.

“Harry. Fuck.”

His tongue moved in circles on her clit, pressing down hard.

That was until he heard the keys stop moving. So he stopped moving too.

“If you stop, I stop. You know the rules, honey.”

“Harry, please.” She begged, “Need you so bad.”

“I said you know the rules.”

“Please, Sir.”

“Type, Y/N.”

The keys moved on the laptop again. But she wasn’t entirely sure that the words being typed were actually words at all. But as soon as the keys started to move again, Harry kept his word, returning to his own work.

He moved faster, his mouth attacking her sweet pussy at a rate he didn’t think he’d ever went at before. Licking and sucking at her perfect clit while one hand palmed the erection in his pants to try his best to ease some tension.

His tongue moved away from her clit and he replaced it with two fingers, rubbing circles on her swollen bud while his mouth attacked her entrance, fucking her with his tongue.

“Fuck.” She screamed, “Fuck, I’m so close. Please, I need to cum. I’ve finished typing the email. Sir, make me cum, please.”

He kept going. He didn’t give a fuck if she’d finished the email or not at this point. The only thing on this man’s feral mind was to make her cum all over his face. He wanted to taste her sweetness while the sounds of her crying his name filled the office they were in.

When she soon cried out that she was cumming, he made careful care to make sure he was lapping up every sweet juice from her pussy. He was so feral over this woman it was becoming a problem. His dick was so hard he felt like he was going insane.

“You taste so good, my sweet girl.” He said, “Do you know how it makes me feel to hear you scream my name over and over again? Makes me so fucking hard, Y/N.”

He stood up and took her hand and pressed it against the bulge in his pants.

“I think it’s time we deal with this, hm?”

She nodded in agreement.

“You’ve been such a good girl for me already, let’s keep this up, okay? You’re going to go into my office, and by the time I get in there I expect you to be stripped and waiting for me, understood?”

She nodded, eyes wide as she looked up at him. However wasted no time going into his private office.

Fucking Harry in his own office had always been a fantasy of hers, and now it was finally coming true.

Harry on the other hand couldn’t think straight. The amount of lust and desire he had in this moment was clouding any thoughts he had apart from how badly he wanted to fuck her right now. When he made his way into his office he was completely stopped in his tracks by her. Her clothes were sprawled over the floor of his workspace, and there she was, leaning against his desk like someone sent from his own personal dream girl wonderland.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.” He said as he walked over to her, “I have wanted you naked in my office for so long, Y/N. Every time you come into work and let me see these gorgeous tits through one of your revealing little dresses or shirts it makes me so hard.”

He took one of her breasts in his hand, placing his lips against it, while he snaked his other arm around her waist to pull her closer to him.

He sucked several deep marks over both of her breasts, mumbling about how hot she was, and how perfect her tits were.

He began to mindlessly grinned his erection against her while he kissed her naked body, groaning into her skin.

“Harry.” She moaned. “Please. Please fuck me.”

“You want me to fuck you, huh? You want my dick?”

She nodded, desperately.

“Turn around and bend over my desk.” Harry demanded, unbuckling his belt, and sliding his pants down his legs.

He watched as she bent over for him, her perfect little ass in the air just for him.

“Oh look at you, Y/N.” He said, “Bent over my desk for me like this. So obedient, hm? An obedient little whore.”

He took his rock hard dick in one hand, pumping it a few times to get himself ready.

She moaned at his words.

“Do you like that, Y/N? When I call you a whore? Are you my little slut, Y/N?”

She moaned, desperate for him.

“Yes, Sir.” She cried, “I’m your whore.”

Without any warning, Harry pushed his dick inside of her, moaning as his cock pushed into her cunt.

She cried his name louder than ever before as he tore her open. He was so fucking big that it was slightly painful, but she didn’t care. It was the best pain she’d ever felt in her life.

“I’ve never fucked anyone as tight as this, Y/N. But I’ll loosen you up in no time with you bent over my desk like this.”

“Harry you’re so big.”

“But you can take it,” He said, “Be a good little slut and take my cock like a good girl.”

He groaned as his cock pushed all the way into her, giving her a few moments to adjust to his size.

“Wanna stay like this forever,” He groaned, “My fat cock buried in your sweet cunt.”

She moaned loudly.

Harry took both of her hands, using one hand to hold her wrists behind her back, his other hand holding onto the desk for extra support.

“I’m gonna start moving now. But you can take it, can’t you? A good fuckin’ slut for me.”

She cried out when his hips started to move, her head falling backwards with her wrists still restrained behind her back.

“Oh you’re so tight, Y/N. Gonna fill your pussy up with cum in no time.” He groaned.

“Oh… God, Oh fuck, yes!” She moaned as the speed of Harry’s hips increased, crashing against her in a desperate, rough manner.

He dropped her wrists, and her hands grabbed onto the desk, and instead grabbed a bundle of her hair, wrapping it around his hand, pulling her head backwards. She cried out with pleasure as he fucked her harder, the whole office filled with nothing but the sound of their skin hitting one another, and their bordering pornographic moans.

“Fuck, Harry.” She cried, “I’m so close.”

His mind was foggy. The only real thing in his mind right now was the feeling of his dick inside her, how he wanted to feel her cum on his cock and how he wanted to fill her pussy up with his release. He was feral for her.

“You make me crazy, Y/N,” He groaned, “‘M gonna fill you up with my cum.”

“Keep going, just like that.” She moaned, “I’m so close.”

He knew as soon as she had reached her orgasm. Y/N cried out with these heavenly moans as her walls clenched around his cock, cumming all over him.

The tightness of her made Harry unable to hold on for much longer, reaching his own release, moaning into her shoulder as his cum dripped down Y/N’s legs, his cock still inside her.

“Harry…” She moaned.

“I know, gorgeous. I know.” He said, “So fuckin’ perfect, you know that?”

He pulled out of her, ignoring the state of mess that the office was now in.

“How am I supposed to go to work normally when I know I’d rather be fucking your pretty little cunt every day, hm?”

[6okuto]

EARLY PROMISE

gn!reader | 1.3k words, you see the ring iwaizumi wants to propose with a little (very) early

there’s a box behind shirts that iwaizumi no longer wears in his closet.

maybe that’s why you’ve never seen it before. you never would have, were you not given permission to look for clothes to donate while he went on a run.

it’s small, velvet, and inside there’s a ring that, any other day, you would have lingered to watch for as long as possible at a jewelry store.

but you’re not at the mall, nor are you currently being proposed to. you’re at home, standing alone while your stomach churn, and fingers tremble as you stare at the box in your palm where, right now, it decisively should not be. “fuck.”

“babe?”

the sound of the door and his keys accompany hajime’s voice from the entryway. if you listen closely, above your heartbeat pounding in your ears, you can hear him kick off his shoes—them hitting the step that he’s tripped on a few times after long nights with friends and drinks.

he shouldn’t be home yet.

you will your voice to work. “yeah?”

“you looking through the closet already?”

“...yeah?” there’s a questioning lilt at the end as your eyes scan around, his engagement ring—your engagement ring?—still in your hands.

and you know the pattern of hajime’s walk. you know his usual pace, how the floorboards creak as he walks down the hall toward your bedroom. he’s steady—slippers sometimes dragging across the wood if he’s tired, quiet in the morning when he thinks you’re still asleep.

today his footsteps come closer, a little faster, a little heavier than usual.

you assume it’s from the same nerves as yours.

“i forgot, there’s, uh, some shirts i’m keeping that i don’t want—”

hajime opens the door and spots you easily, standing in the middle of the closet as if you were the worst criminal alive, caught stealing in broad daylight.

you to see.

“to throw away,” he finishes, shoulders dropping. his voice quiets to a whisper, “shit.”

silence circles the both of you.

the velvet feels warm in your palm—much heavier than it was a moment ago. you wish you had an analogue clock in your room instead of hajime’s digital. maybe its ticking could take off some of the weight you feel at the sight of him standing a few feet away. maybe you could stare down its hands, listen to its rhythm, let it guide your breathing instead of standing with bated breath, chest unmoving while hajime’s rises as he catches his own.

seconds pass and you flounder, mouth opening and closing while you stand across from each other, neither sure who should speak first.

you don’t think this is how proposals are supposed to go.

your eyes flicker to the still open drawer to your right.

and you walk over, crouch to put the box where it was, pat the old obscure band t-shirt at the top of the pile in front of it, close the drawer, and go back to stand where you were, hands clenched into fists on your sides.

hajime blinks.

“did you really just put it back?” he asks, a little breathy as if he wants to laugh.

you look to the wall beside him then back at his face, as if you could be confused about his question. “...put what back?”

and this time, hajime really does laugh. and then he shakes his head, the way he does when you ask a silly question. “hon—”

“no, no, i’m not—you—that was—” you shake your head and frown. you wish his laughter would comfort you the way it always does, but you think you need to let guilt stay, gnaw for a little while longer. “this isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”

he tilts his head and smiles, just a little. “you’re telling me.”

“hajime.” you purse your lips. “i’m sorry. i feel like i just ruined whatever you were planning.”

hajime huffs and walks toward you, arms reaching out to hold yours. his hands are cool from the morning air, and goosebumps cover your skin as his touch runs from your elbows to your hands, where his fingers find their place in between yours. he’s looking down at them as he speaks—the ones that had held the box, to be specific. “it’s okay, it’s not your fault i forgot. plus i decided to run back a block instead of just texting or calling.”

“you panicked.”

“obviously.”

letting go of one hand, you lightly push his chest. but his hand follows, this time holding you to his heart. you give him a look. “i would’ve done the same thing if i was as fast as you. and i don’t know, i could’ve checked somewhere else. or closed my eyes. or wiped my memory.”

“you would’ve checked eventually, and closing your eyes is not effective for what you’re doing.”

“mind wipe would’ve been okay?”

“how would i have known?”

“...the mind wipe-y gun in my hand.”

he snorts. “what? it keeps a little history of your memory wipes?”

“i don’t know, maybe they have those. do you have one?”

“we’re getting off topic,” hajime chides, though there’s no real anger behind his lopsided smile and tilt of his head.

you sigh. there’s no average way of dealing with the topic of exposed proposal plans, so the best you can offer is a small, closed mouth smile of your own. “...you really wanna marry me?”

he reaches to squish your cheeks. “no, that’s for the other person i’ve been dating since high school and live with while you’re asleep.” you roll your eyes and clasp your hand over his.

“of course i wanna marry you. i’ve wanted to marry you for years,” he says with ease, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“well,”—you fidget—“that’s good to know.” your reply is soft, and you will yourself to ignore the warmth that creeps up your neck and face. your eyes fall to where hajime’s thumb rubs the back of your hand, if only to avoid his gaze. “i...can i ask how you were thinking of proposing or is that weird? or maybe you shouldn’t tell me so you can still do it.”

he pauses.

you look at him. “hajime?”

he tenses at his name, sucking in his bottom lip before answering. “well, i was kind of leaving that part of the plan for later—”

“i didn’t even let you plan the proposal?”

“—but if you think about it,” he continues, already aware of how you’d react, “you just saved me a bunch of anxiety by implying you’d say yes.”

your mouth falls open, hands moving away from his. “i already knew i fucked up our engagement, but i really did fuck up our engagement.”

“you didn’t fuck up our engagement,” hajime breathes out your name as he moves to hold your shoulders.

your head falls forward, landing against his shoulder. “i fucked up our engagement so bad.”

your boyfriend, your sweet boyfriend who always seems to come out of situations calmer than you, snickers, and you hit his chest half-heartedly.

“why are you laughing, oh my god—”

“i’m not laughing—”

“shut the fuck up, you’re laughing—”

“i’m sorry—you just, you didn’t fuck anything up, okay?” his laughter quiets as his arms wrap around you. “i can still propose and keep it a surprise, and i’m pretty sure it’s better you found out while i wasn’t in the middle of the plan, yeah? we just…know your answer already which, seriously, is a relief, so stop beating yourself up for something that wasn’t your fault.”

silence wraps around the both of you again—softer this time. an extra comfort intertwined with hajime’s voice and arms holding you.

moving away to look at him, you let out a deep breath. “okay, but i still feel bad.”

“babe—”

“as if you wouldn’t feel bad,” you retort, which your boyfriend responds to with nothing but a look that says you’re right. “is there anything i can do to make up for it?’

he hums and taps your hips, thumbs fitting perfectly against you. “promise to say yes when i actually propose?”

and this time it’s your turn to laugh, though it’s more a puff of air followed by rolling eyes and a kiss to his cheek. “i can probably promise that.”

little nia luvring comeback Bc my brain Sounds Like a garbage disposal + nails on a chalkboard And only these fictional characters r keeping me going. Hope u all thought of me for a moment the past 2/3 months

@devilgirlcrybabiey @lordbugs @smiithys @xfangirl-trashx @passionateuchiha @scaramouchesfootstool @fifteenshadesofpinkk @chloee0x0 @kenmaslov3r @bakugosgrenade @sakusasdirtyragdoll @dai-tsukki-desu @momoewn @dazaisfavgf @simpforerenn @crystal-lilac @idontlikeyourjob @sparrowb3nscloset @awkwardaardvarkforever @rory-cakes @prblmtic @kuroaka @sunaslay @h0n3ysgh0st @lackey-laufeyson @bontensbabygirl @dira333 @spooky1magazine1bread @lilithlunas @anime-ships-gay @todorokiskitten @kellesvt @tooruchiiscribs @curiouslilbeast @fiona782 @cvhenia @mitskiologist @libbyistired @milkbreadforlife @itsukkie @sirimirihiro @mylahrins @aria-chikage @heyitstial

[mrsstarkey1]

whipped - rafe cameron

summary: rafe totally isn't whipped for you

word count: 1.5k

warnings: just curse words

a/n: check out my most recent rafe fic !

"Alright, what the fuck is up with you?" Topper finally asked Rafe, grabbing onto his shoulder. "We're at a party surrounded by chicks and booze, and you're over here sitting alone looking like you're gonna kill yourself."

Rafe shook Topper’s hand off of him, smoothing out his sweatshirt that Topper had just grabbed onto, "get your hands off me, man." 

Topper held his hands up, "I'm just worried about you, dude."

Rafe simply rolled his eyes, reaching down to the cooler by his chair to grab a beer. He cracked open the can and took a long sip, "happy now?"

Topper scoffed, "whatever, man. At least do a bump," he said, reaching into his back pocket.

Rafe shook his head, "I'm good."

"Oh come on," Topper started, beginning to pull out the plastic bag, only to be stopped by Rafe's grip on his arm.

"I said fucking no, Top. Jesus."

"Alright, alright," he said with a defeated sigh, turning to walk back toward the lively side of the party.

He stopped when he reached Kelce, putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, you know what's been up with Rafe lately?"

Kelce shook his head a little, "whatchu mean?" he slurred.

Topper pointed back to wear Rafe was sitting in a chair, arms crossed, just staring straight in front of him, "look at the fucker. Offered him a bump and he said no. He's acting extra bitchy than normal."

Kelce shrugged his shoulders carelessly and started to walk away, but stopped abruptly when a thought entered his mind. "Y'know what it might be? That y/n chick isn't here," he said, eyes widened in realization.

Topper gave him a puzzled look, wracking his brain for any recognition of a y/n. "Who?"

Kelce rolled his eyes, "come on man. Y/n y/l/n. She was in a couple of our classes senior year. Rafe ran into her at that bonfire a couple weeks ago, remember? He was smiling and giggling and shit and blew us off when we asked him about it," Kelce only paused briefly before hitting Toppers chest, "yeah, yeah now that I think about it, he's in an oddly good mood when she's around, and extra douchebaggy when she's not. Shit's crazy, man," he said with a shake of his head.

Topper vaguely remembered the girl he was talking about. He thought for a moment, a plan forming in his slightly intoxicated mind. "You got her number?" he asked Kelce.

"I think. Here," he mumbled, shoving his phone against his chest before taking off toward the girl that had just called his name. If Rafe was actually whipped over this girl, Topper was going to figure it out.

After calling your number about seven times, he finally got an answer. "Jesus Christ Kelce, what do you want?" you'd asked, irritated tone evident in your voice.

"Heyyy y/n, this is Topper Thornton. What are you up to right now?" He asked in his nicest voice he could pull off.

Topper could practically hear you roll your eyes, "currently I'm wishing I'd never given my phone number to Kelce. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to invite you to this party I'm at right now," he said, only now realizing that he had no reason to back up this invitation without spoiling his plan. "It's uh- really fun. And I was just sitting here thinking, 'y/n y/l/n would really like this party'," he said, slapping his hand on his forehead at his own words.

On the other side of the phone, you were sitting in your car outside the party you could only assume Topper was talking about now. You were planning on attending the party from the jump, you'd just lost track of time watching TV. "What's so good about the party, Topper?" you played along for the fun of it. 

"Uhh-" Topper thought for a little too long, "there's uh, beer?" He said, sounding unsure of his words.

You rolled your eyes, but composed yourself. "You know what, Top? You've convinced me. I'm on my way," you said with fake sincerity, smiling at your own acting.

"Really? Great, see ya," Topper hung up the phone, a proud smile on his face. Now all he had to do was watch and see if Kelce was right.

You opened your car door after a couple moments, and made your way inside the house. You squeezed through the crowd of people in the living room, trying to get to a less crowded area.

You stopped in the kitchen, scanning the room for your friend that had invited you. She was nowhere to be seen, so you opted to go get a drink first.

You grabbed a beer out of the cooler, sipping it slowly as you leaned against the kitchen counter, still looking around the room for your friend. Your eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting on a chair outside, only visible through the glass doors. You smiled a little, immediately walking toward the back door.

"You look like you're having fun, Cameron," you said once you reached him, sitting down on the table in front of him, your knees touching his.

Rafe's lips twitched into an immediate smile, eyes lighting up at the sight of you. He leaned forward a little so he could hear you over the voices of everyone around you, "hey, how long have you been here?"

"Just got here. Why? You been looking for me?" You asked with a smirk, putting your free hand out to shove his shoulder lightly.

Rafe looked down, an involuntary red flush starting on his cheeks. "Course not," he waved the accusation off quickly, in a comically unconvincing tone. "But I am glad you're here. These parties bore the hell out of me."

"Oh come on, Rafe Cameron bored at a party?" your eyes flickered down to the beer in his hand. You grabbed it from him, eyes widening at the realization it was nearly full, "and not even drinking a beer?" You questioned.

Your eyebrow raised as Rafe simply shrugged, "just not feeling it recently, I guess. The last party I actually had fun at was Kelce's a couple weeks ago, remember?" his smile widened as he spoke, "when we absolutely demolished everyone at beer pong."

You laughed with a nod, "course I remember. You're the best pong partner I've had in years," you said truthfully, a smile plastered on your face.

Rafe's expression turned impossibly more bright, eyes lighting up at the sight of your smile and the angelic sound of your laugh. He tore his eyes from you after a moment, so he could actually form words. "Do you uh- have any plans for later tonight?"

You opened your mouth to say something, but all that came out was a shriek as cold liquid splashed on your shoulder and down your back. You stood up abruptly, wringing out your now beer-soaked shirt.

"Oh shit," a guy slurred from beside you, "my bad."

Topper got up quickly from his chair across the room after witnessing the incident, starting to move toward the two of you. He had just happened to look over just as- okay fine, he was watching intently the whole time.

He prepared himself as he walked to pull Rafe off of the guy that had just soaked you in beer - no doubt in his mind that Rafe would start a fight.

Rafe stood up from his chair quickly, only spending half a second sending a glare toward the drunk idiot who'd done this. He placed his hands on your shoulders, “are you alright?” he asked, worried eyes scanning over you.

Topper's eyes narrowed as he watched Rafe turn his attention fully to you, as the drunk guy stumbled back into the house. He watched intently as the rest of the scene played out, completely opposite from what he expected.

You laughed, nodding your head. “I’m good, I just reek of Bud Light now,” you glanced down at your shirt, “and I look ridiculous,” you said with a chuckle.

Rafe quickly unzipped his jacket, shrugging it off of his shoulders and placing it loosely over yours, "what an asshole," he muttered.

You slipped your arms into the sleeves, chuckling a little at how they fell so far past your hands. You rolled the sleeves up a little, and zipped up the sweatshirt. “Thanks, Rafe. My hero,” you said with a grateful smile.

Rafe’s grin widened uncontrollably at your words, and he quickly tried to shake the giddy feeling off of him, "you uh- you wanna go inside? It looks a little less crowded in there.” 

You nodded, slipping your hand into his as you navigated through the crowd of people together.

Topper let out a shocked breath as he watched you and Rafe walk through the doors and out of his sight. "Well I’ll be damned," he muttered to himself with a shake of his head, "he is whipped."

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[lesbojournals]

Ichor Part Two (Stucky x Kidnapped with Amnesia!Reader)

part one here

It took time to adjust to your new setting. You continued to squint at the bright fluorescent lighting, so much so that your nurse gave you sunglasses. Your doctor, Dr. Cho was it? she kept talking to you, but it all sounded like someone was talking through a haze of jello. 

You felt your hearing come back slowly, and with the awakening out of your dissociative state, you quickly reached to take out the oxygen tube up your nose. Dr. Cho grabbed your hand gently, giving you a small smile whilst you stared at her in terror.

“It’s okay,” She promised. “Can you hear me?”

You blinked a few times and subtly nodded, enough so that Dr. Cho caught it.

“I’m glad,” She said. “That must’ve been really scary.” You said nothing in response. You’ve been taught too many times not to speak unless given permission.

Dr. Cho rubbed the back of your hand with her thumb as you both sat in silence.

“Do you want this off?” She spoke, pointing to your oxygen tube.

You just stared back blankly in response. Who knew what consequence would come from your answer?

“Do you know Leona? She told me you needed permission to speak. I need you to know those rules don’t apply here–you don’t have to listen to any nonsense like that. You can speak whenever, however you want, okay?” 

You frowned at the mention of Leona talking about you. Was that any of her business? You realized after a moment that Dr. Cho was still waiting on a response from you. You avoided eye  contact and looked at your lap, nodding. 

“I’m going to ask you some routine questions, okay?”

You nodded once again.

During the examination, your eyes drew themselves to the door, where you could make out two large silhouettes on the other side. Had they been there the whole time?

Dr. Cho noticed this, and held your hand a little tighter. “Are you ready to see them?”

You looked at her in confusion, and she seemed to pick up on this, concern drawing itself all over her face. She took her hand from yours and feverishly started to write things down in her notebook.

“Do you know who I’m talking about?”

You struggled to shake your head negatively, but did it anyways.

She sighed. “Do you recognize me?”

You averted your gaze and shook your head negatively again. Dr. Cho let out a nervous exhale.

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” She firmly grabbed your hand while she spoke and let it go to exit the room. 

As the door slid open you immediately made eye contact with the men behind the door, eyes bouncing from one man to the other back and forth. You nervously looked away, trying to block out the feelings that were bubbling in your chest. What was that? You went to look back, but the door had already been closed. It felt like you were going to throw up. 

Seconds passed before the door opened again, and the two men stormed in against the wishes of Dr. Cho, who yelled, “Wait! Enough!!”

“Do you know who we are?” One of the men asked in a whisper, looking angry and defeated. He had shoulder length brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed like he was ready to go off into battle in a second.

The other man looked at you expectantly. He had dirty blonde hair that swept across his head in a clean style. His beard was full, and he also had blue eyes, but his were stormier. He was dressed in casual clothes, or clothes you noticed that you might wear for your training.

Dr. Cho chimed in. “He asked you a question, honey.” 

You looked at her, then back at the first man, then back at her. You shook your head negatively.

“You don’t…” The blonde man looked scared, which you assumed wasn’t something he felt often. “You don’t remember us?”

You gulped and fiddled with the blanket over your lap. Your mind, in an attempt to save yourself from the intense emotions in the room, focused at the task at hand. You were in a new location–Dr. Cho had told you you were saved. All you knew was living in the laboratory, so what did saved really entail? You could get this emotion out in training. Leona would rip you a new one, beating you to the ground, but it would help you forget whatever was happening at this moment.

So, in an attempt to make things better, you spoke. “When’s training?”

You hadn’t noticed that you interrupted a conversation between the two men and Dr. Cho, you must’ve dissociated. Your voice broke the conversation in whole, silence enveloping the room.

“Training?” The brunet breathed out. 

You nodded. Dr. Cho gave you a pitiful look.

“Leona told me about the training you’d have to do with each other, and so did Claire. You don’t have to do any of that here.” Dr. Cho said. 

The two men gave each other a look, and the one walked off. Dr. Cho looked at him in alarm, and sped after him, yelling at him to leave her patients alone.

The brown haired man and you stayed in the room, and you couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by his presence. How did you know him? You reminded yourself that Dr. Cho said you could speak, that you could say whatever you wanted, and you tried to gather the bravery to say something to him.

“I knew you.” You said to him, getting his angry expression to turn soft. “Before.”

He sat down in the chair next to you, letting out a heavy sigh. “You did.”

It stayed quiet for the next few minutes, and you desperately searched in your brain for something, anything, that would give you a hint as to who he was. 

“What do they call you?” You asked. You knew you, Leona, and Claire all had your given name, and your laboratory name. 1, 2, and 3. You were 1, Leona was 2, and Claire was 3. Did it go this way outside of the laboratory? Did everyone have two names? You could feel in your bones that being called a number wasn’t correct. 

The man tilted his head in confusion. “My name’s Bucky.” 

“Bucky.” You repeated. 

He nodded. “Do you know your name?”

This was a trick question. It had to be. You sat there, debating what to say for a second or two. Bucky didn’t seem like the guy to be asking trick questions. But you’d heard Do you know your name? too many times before disaster. You knew the other girls likely felt the same way. 

Bucky didn’t seem patient. “Do you?”

You let out an exhale, you supposed it was time to test the legitimacy of being saved after all. “Yes.”

And so you told him your name, no number, just your pure name.

Bucky relaxed, and he sat back in his seat, refusing to take his eyes off of you.

-

Steve sped as fast as he could to Leona’s room. When the door didn’t slide open at his palm, he debated slamming the door open himself.

Dr. Cho moved in front of Steve, catching her breath from running so fast. 

“Steve,” she said. “I won’t let you harass her.” 

He shot Dr. Cho daggers. “You knew that she knows what happened to my girlfriend and you decided to keep it from me? I’ll ask her myself.”

“I refuse to let you in there, Steve.” She stood her ground, and just when Steve was about to argue further, Leona’s door opened, her angrily behind it.

She had a stupid smirk on her face, though her eyes were filled with rage. “Talking about me? You know, you could’ve just knocked.”

Steve gave Dr. Cho a glare and followed Leona into her room. 

“Leona,” Dr. Cho said. “You don’t have to have visitors if you don’t want to.”

Leona scoffed, shakily getting back into her bed. “He wants to know about number 1, who am I to deny such knowledge?”

“Number 1?” Steve questioned, folding his arms across his chest. 

Leona rolled her eyes. “Your precious girl. That was her name, y’know, back in the lab.”

Before Steve could question further, Leona turned to Dr. Cho. “You can leave us, I can handle it.”

Dr. Cho reluctantly left the room, though Steve could see her silhouette waiting in the hallway. 

Leona leaned back into her pillows, reaching for her IV to plug it back in to the tube in her arm. She sighed in relief. 

“Number 1 always gets special treatment, even here. I bet they have her on the good stuff, not this crap.” She pointed to the fluid bag. 

“Don’t call her that.” Steve demanded.

Leona seemed to find joy in Steve’s fury. “We all have numbers, she’s number 1, I’m number 2, and you heard number 3 whining on the jet.”

“What do you want to know?” She baited before Steve could argue further about the numbers.

Steve lifted his chin, attempting to be as strong as he could in his stance. “What do you know about what happened to her?”

[w8lkers]

★ | freak

carl grimes x fem!reader

note : not my best writing, but i liked the concept :P does not follow the canon.

warnings : the insult “freak”

new outsiders were recently welcomed into the community of alexandria. a group of outsiders, consisting of seven people in total. to carl, one of them was more noticeable than the rest. it was a girl and she also appeared to be missing an eye. that’s what carl assumed anyways, why else would someone wear a bandana over half their face?

he was shocked that her first words to him were “what are you staring at, freak”.

hearing that question almost stunned him into silence. almost.

all he could possibly muster up was an awkward sounding, “um- what?”. by the heat on his face, he could tell that there was an embarrassing amount of red on his face. this was far from his best first impression.

carl avoided her from then on, realising she might’ve needed some space to adjust to alexandria. maybe he could’ve stared at her less… but he couldn’t help but feel a bit offended by their first encounter, it left a sour taste left in his mouth every time he thought about it. it was both a humiliating and upsetting experience for carl. he didn’t mean to stare at her, he just couldn’t help be a little curious. the only person carl ever saw without an eye was the governor, the reason he refused to wear anything other than a bandage over his eye.

as the other members of the group got more acquainted with alexandria, carl was able to learn more about her - not from her directly of course, but from the other members of her group. he learnt her name was y/n. it was a pretty name, he thought so at least. carl also learnt that she lost her mother recently. that information had him awake for a couple nights, unable to sleep at the recurring thoughts of his own mother’s death. carl understood that pain.

he was slowly understanding why she was so hostile to him. when carl lost his mom, it consumed him. every waking minute was spent hearing her screams on a torturous loop in his mind. that kind of loss makes a person angry at the world and hungry for revenge, sometimes people become blinded by it. he knows he’s had his fair share of moments that he wished he could forget.

there was still the question on how to approach y/n. despite her appalling first impression, he was still curious enough to want to talk to her and clearly observing her from afar was the wrong way to go about it. carl went through multiple different scenarios in his mind, all the different ways he could approach her. more sleepless nights burdened carl’s evenings as he spent them debating with himself over what to say.

one day, he became fed up with thinking about it. his lack of sleep was beginning to show through some passive aggressive comments that rick certainly did not appreciate.

carl marched up to y/n, who was sat on the porch of the house her group had been given. unfortunately, his confidence dissipated the moment he met her eye.

“um-.. i-“ he barely got anything out before y/n interrupted him. she blurted out a question, an uncomfortable expression across her face.

“how did you lose your eye?”

it took carl a few seconds to gather his composure. yet again, another interaction with her that has taken an unexpected turn. at least she didn’t call him a freak this time.

“i got shot.” he doesn’t know what else to say, but he purposefully leaves out anymore detail. it wouldn’t be a good look for alexandria if he said he was shot by an.. ex-resident. there’s an awkward pause and the two just staring at each other. carl can tell there’s something else she wants to ask, but he almost doesn’t want to ask in case she insults him again. he’s rather have some of his dignity intact at the end of their interaction.

it takes y/n an almost unbearable amount of silence to ask, “do you have any spare bandages?”

“um.. yeah, but you could go to the infirmary, we have supplies here- i can show you how to get there if you want?” he’s mostly confused by the question and seeing her wrap her arms around herself in an almost defensive manner furthered his confusion.

“nice try. i’m not leaving the house empty, so someone can come and snoop through our stuff.”

some people took longer to trust alexandria, he understood her current mindset. hell, he’d been there himself.

“look, no one here is after you. it’s not as bad as you think it is and the people here aren’t going to hurt you, if you just give this place more of a chance-“ interrupted yet again.

“i’ve heard this speech from almost everyone here, i don’t need to hear it again.” she was annoyed. this wasn’t going as well as carl wanted it to.

“sorry..” carl mumbles, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. he looks back at y/n and she’s still looking at him. it was slightly unnerving, carl had no idea what to expect from her. another insult, or maybe another personal question.

“i can go get you bandages and come back..?” his voice sounded slightly hesitant, though his offer was genuine.

y/n’s eye narrowed slightly in suspicion, yet carl was unphased by it. he expected her to be guarded, the people she arrived with certainly cautioned the people at alexandria about the attitude she developed.

“really?” she sounded unsure, as if she couldn’t tell if he was being serious.

“sure.. yeah.” he has a small, slightly weary smile on his face that looks more like a wince to y/n.

“okay.” y/n looks down at the ground, her voice becoming quieter as she speaks again, “thank you..”

“yep.” carl spins on his heel and walks away from her, quickening the pace of his walk in the direction of the infirmary. he lets out a deep sigh of relief, it wasn’t going as badly as it could, but he still felt slightly on edge.

“here.” carl tosses each item he retrieved from the infirmary to y/n and she catches them, placing them down in her lap.

“thanks.”

“you’re welcome.” carl smiles hesitantly at her.

“cool..” y/n mumbles, looking down at the roll of bandages, a roll of medical tape and a few plasters.

“have you ever put a bandage over.. your eye? i know i struggled the first few times i had to do it.” carl is reluctant to stop talking to her, strangely she was pleasant to be around when she wasn’t insulting him.

“no, i’ll figure it out though.”

“are you sure? i don’t mind helping you-“

“no.”

“i get it, okay? you don’t trust us yet, but we’re good people. i just want to help, whatever’s under there isn’t anything i haven’t seen before.” carl gains a little more confidence in himself and his words, he stands a bit straighter - he’s determined to prove her wrong about alexandria.

y/n spends a few seconds digesting his words. on the one hand, she could be mean and he’d leave her alone, but on the other hand, she knew she needed help. her mother was the one who tied the bandana over her eye once the wound she had healed. she never took it off after that, but the members of her group began lecturing her about ‘appearances’. the bandana was torn, dirty and even seemed to be charred at some parts.

“come inside.”

carl follows her inside the house. the group had clearly started to decorate their home a bit and carl takes note of the photographs on the wall. unfamiliar faces that he couldn’t recall seeing with the group and he knew why.

“so, how did you lose your eye?” carl asks, following y/n into a bathroom.

“i lost it in a fight with a hungry squirrel.” her voice was nonchalant and carl almost thought she was serious for a second.

he chuckles and stands by the bathroom counter, unravelling the bandages, “you’re funny. how’d you lose it?”

“the world is full of rotten people.”

“not alexandria though, there’s good people here.” carl glances over at y/n as she slowly unties the knot holding the bandana in place around her head. she pulls the fabric away from her face and she turns her head slightly to try shield her eye from carl’s vision.

“you really like it here, huh?” y/n almost sounds bitter about it. he could see why. carl was comfortable, he felt safe in alexandria, but y/n was most likely feeling the opposite.

“yeah, it’s nice here..” carl lifts the bandages and wraps it around y/n’s head to measure the length he would need. using a small pair of scissors he cuts the bandage into a strip long enough to wrap around her head, “i like it at least, it takes some time to get used to though.”

“i got stabbed.. that’s how i lost it.” y/n speaks quietly, looking up at carl once she knew she couldn’t avoid it. he needed to put a plaster over eye, he was going to see it, so she might as well tell the truth.

“people don’t think about it as much as you’d think,” carl speaks as he puts a plaster over her eye, he had seen the damage, “my dad tells me the same thing, but it’s hard to believe someone when their eyes keep going from your eye to.. not your eye.”

y/n laughs. it was more of a chuckle, but it still brought a smile to carl’s face. he didn’t comment about it, but instead revelled in the moment for a few seconds. he worked in silence as he helped y/n secure the bandage over her missing eye. he didn’t mind the silence much, at least now that he knew she didn’t hate him.

“i’m sorry i called you a freak.”

carl smiles at her apology. he didn’t expect her to apologise, but he clearly underestimated her, “it’s water under the bridge.”

he was nice, y/n knew that. it almost felt too nice after the experiences she had with strangers before arriving at alexandria.

“there’s still good people left. i know everything inside you is probably telling you not to trust this place, but it’s safe here.” carl pauses for a few minutes, trying to find the right words to say, “a few people might say some wrong thing, but it’s not on purpose. sometimes.. they just don’t know better, but they mean well...”

“okay.”

“i’m carl by the way.”

“i’m y/n.”

“i know.” the words slip out of carl’s mouth before he can stop himself. the last thing he wanted to do was come across as a creep, “sorry- i just overheard janine talking about you.”

“cool.. thanks for the help.”

carl now has a genuine smile on his face, it didn’t look uncomfortable and forced this time. he nods at her and tidies up the the supplies he used, putting them into the cupboard.

“you know.. there’s gonna be a party.. thing? it’s at the end of the week, but alexandria throws them every time there’s new people..” carl pauses and then continues talking, “it’s not really a party, but the last time they had one here was when me and my group arrived. you should go.”

“i’ll think about it.”

she very obviously didn’t trust him yet, but it seemed like she was trying. her behaviour may come across as abrasive and cold, but it was nothing carl hadn’t seen before. eventually she would have to warm up to him, right?

“cool.”

[great-cats]

The Compress Analysis (2/?)

(From: This Post) Ⅰ - Ⅱ - ...

Part Ⅱ: The Mask

Yep, I see the mask as a key part of his character to the point where it simply must get a section of its own in this increasingly more insane ramble. One may immediately assume that the thing is used for identity concealment. While this is partially true, I reckon that its primary purpose is the concealment of his emotions, as implied in the ultra analysis entry for him (attached below). He may have a near perfect handle on his body language, but I will personally headcanon that he has a terrible poker face until the day I die. As a villain, his identity is going to come out at some point, you know? Even after the Kamino raid (where he got doxxed the hell out of), he continued to wear the mask up until his ta-da moment in 294. So with that info, we can reasonably assume that identity was on the back burner, and emotion/dramatics took centre stage. The latter option is thrown in because he obviously was saving that reveal to an extent. One can even go so far as to assume he hadn’t even taken his mask off around the league, which would be pretty interesting. We don’t ever see him without it while he’s with them, after all.

Beyond keeping his facial expressions behind closed doors, the mask may very well bolster Atsuhiro’s confidence. We don’t particularly see much of this in action given he wore the thing for so long and has only a select few moments of casual interaction, but I still like to think of it as a very real possibility. For all intents and purposes, Atsuhiro Sako is just a normal man with an interesting background and some past poverty. Despite this, the villain that is Mr.Compress– or what quite nicely amounts to a stage persona –is flamboyant, clever, and has a penchant for monologuing. I quite like to create a separation between “Mr.Compress” and “Atsuhiro Sako” because of this disparity. The latter is the flawed man behind the mask whilst the former is a faux, ideal identity put on for the audience. Only in those rude remarks and reckless actions do we see the facade begin to slip. So, what of the moment in the climax of chapter 294 in which he throws that covering off? Well, for starters, he couldn’t not. Jeanist’s quirk could nab anything fibrous, and the fellow couldn’t take any chances. But, beyond that, Atsuhiro thought that moment would wind up his final stand. What’s the use of concealment if you’re going to die soon? He might as well make things flashy.

A big thing in my opinion regarding the mask is how it often reflects Atsuhiro’s status. While I do like to make the distinction between him and Mister as mentioned prior, again, there’s that smidge of him shining through. When he lost his arm, the mask was solemn and in the times he was at his best, it portrayed a smug/snide grin. That grin in particular is by far his most iconic design! It gets the cogs turning in my head when his real emotions don’t seem to match it, though, Regardless of how Atsuhiro is really feeling, that mask keeps up the smile until it’s either broken or otherwise removed. It circles us back to that emotion concealment point, if that wasn’t already obvious. In pursuit of the perfect villain and the next in line for the illustrious goals and teachings of the late Peerless Thief. Atsuhiro has no room for error with that heavy load on his shoulders and must keep up appearances, even if he has to hide behind a smiling mask to do so. But why hold this legacy in such high regard? Atsuhiro claimed that it was the very reason he was there with the league, so what could’ve possibly gotten the man to be so dead set on the wishes of a long gone relative he likely never met? Perhaps, answers to questions like that could be found in what minimal information we know about…

Ah dear! That's part three exclusive content!! Tune in for "The Upbringing" later in which we'll pick right back up from where we left off!

[rainbowfey]

16 Yes, No, Maybe

@flufftober

Mitsuri paced from the door to the window, peeking out, then back to the door. Thoughts whirled through her head as she nervously bit her lip, wrestling her urge to backtrack. When she heard a soft knock at her door, she almost jumped out of her skin and quickly ran over, ripping the door open.

“Shinobu,” she called out, her voice trembling with relief. “You’re here! I’m so glad to see you, come in.”

And before Shinobu could even greet her, Mitsuri pulled her through the door, closing it behind her. She scurried along the hallway, her heart racing. “Would you like something to eat? Something to drink maybe? How about –“ she bubbled.

“Mitsuri, hold on,” Shinobu interrupted her with a soft laugh. “Can I at least take off my shoes first?”

Mitsuri stopped dead in her tracks and looked down. And indeed, she had dragged Shinobu along the hallway without even giving her the chance to slip out of her shoes. Blushing, she quickly let go of Shinobu’s wrist and nodded. Shinobu smiled at her and took off her shoes, diligently placing them on the shoe rack. Then, she walked back to Mitsuri and looked at her expectantly.

Mitsuri took a deep breath and led her to the living room, calmer this time. She motioned for Shinobu to sit down and while she did, Mitsuri dove into the kitchen and grabbed the plate of Sakura mochi she had prepared. She carefully placed them in front of Shinobu before she ran off again to get two glasses of water. When everything was served, she finally settled down too, sitting across from Shinobu who looked at her curiously.

“You seem nervous,” Shinobu said, tilting her head. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Mitsuri replied quickly before correcting herself. “Well, no. I mean, I don’t know.”

Shinobu’s face took on a concerned expression and she reached for Mitsuri, gently grabbing her hand. “What’s the matter, Mitsuri?” she asked.

Mitsuri looked down at their hands and sighed deeply. Suddenly, she felt a bit embarrassed by the whole situation. Shinobu was a healer and regularly handled badly injured demon slayers, sometimes even fighting for their lives. And here Mitsuri was, stressing about something that had not even happened yet and that certainly was not of any significance. Well, except to her, of course.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s not that important.”

Shinobu gently squeezed her hand. “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me too. Please tell me what’s on your mind.”

Mitsuri looked up and a wave of gratitude surged through her body. For quite some time, she had admired Shinobu from a distance, always wishing to get to know her better but their individual duties as Hashira had not given them the chance to do so. But one year ago, Shinobu had surprisingly invited Mitsuri to dinner and since then, they had grown so close that she could not imagine a life without Shinobu as her friend anymore. She smiled at Shinobu and her heart melted when Shinobu returned her smile.

“Thank you,” Mitsuri said softly. She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words. “So, I need your advice on … a situation.”

Shinobu glanced at her curiously before suddenly, a small grin appeared on her face. “Could it be that this situation is wearing … I don’t know, maybe a haori with black and white stripes? Maybe even a bandage covering, hm, half of their face?”

Mitsuri instantly blushed and her face felt hot when Shinobu laughed to herself. “Uh, maybe,” Mitsuri said, avoiding Shinobu’s gaze. Even though she had not yet officially told Shinobu about her feelings, she had the vague inkling that Shinobu might have known even earlier than she had. After all, this was not the first remark about Obanai that Shinobu made to her.

“So, let’s just say you’re right,” Mitsuri hesitantly continued, “and let’s assume that I have decided to … ask someone out on a date. How would I go about that?” Shinobu’s eyes widened and her face lit up. Her voice lost all of the tender teasing when she leaned closer. “For real, Mitsuri? You’re finally going to ask Obanai on a date? That’s wonderful!”

Mitsuri stared at the ground and her shoulders sank down. “I thought about it,” she quietly admitted. “But I don’t know whether I should do it. What if he says no?”

For a moment, the room fell silent and when she reluctantly looked up, she saw an entirely bewildered expression on Shinobu’s face. “Are you kidding me?” she asked. “Mitsuri, this man has fallen so hard for you. Why on earth would he say no?”

Mitsuri blushed and nervously wrung her hands. “Maybe he doesn’t like me that way,” she said quietly. “I just don’t think I’m brave enough to go up to him and ask him.”

Shinobu eyed her pensively before she suddenly nodded. “Well, then you’re just not going to do that.”

Mitsuri looked up in surprise. That was not the reaction she had expected, especially not from Shinobu. But then, it started to make sense. Shinobu wanted to spare her heart and that was why her advice was to not ask him out and –

“Mitsuri,” Shinobu said softly. “I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t ask him out. But you don’t have to do it face to face if you’re not ready for that yet. I have an idea what you could do instead!”

A weight fell off Mitsuri’s heart and when she leaned in curiously, Shinobu’s eyes took on a mischievous sparkle.

Mitsuri gathered all of her courage, took a deep breath and then carefully peered around the corner of the building. She sighed in relief when she saw at least a dozen demon slayers training with their katana while a slender silhouette watched them attentively. To her luck, Obanai was sitting on the edge of the well in the middle of the open space, facing away from her. The only chance he would spot her was if he noticed her from the corner of his eye. But since he was entirely focused on his trainees, this did not seem likely to her. When she was sure he had not noticed her, she turned her attention to Kaburamaru who had loosely wrapped his body around Obanai’s shoulders as usual. She cursed silently. Of course, this came as no surprise but she had hoped to catch one of the rare moments where the snake was slithering around on the ground alone.

Mitsuri straightened her shoulders and came up with a plan. She waited for a moment until the sounds of the training demon slayers grew louder, then she whistled softly. And as she had hoped, Kaburamaru’s small head turned around, searching for the source of the sound, while Obanai still watched the demon slayers. Kaburamaru’s tongue flicked as he gathered the scents from the air around him – and suddenly, his head shot up and he met her gaze with his red eyes.

Mitsuri smiled at Kaburamaru and made a small gesture with her hand, hoping that the snake would understand, before she quickly dove back into the shadow of the building shielding her from Obanai’s view, should he turn around. She sat down against the wall, her heart beating rapidly in her chest while she waited for Kaburamaru or Obanai to show up.

It took less than a minute before she heard a soft rustling. Curiously, she looked down only to see a small head peeking around the corner. “Kaburamaru!” she said excitedly and the snake flicked its tongue happily before slithering towards her.

Mitsuri held her hand out and Kaburamaru wrapped around her arm as if hugging her. When he had found a comfortable position, he looked up at her curiously, his eyes shining like rubies. While Mitsuri did not have the same bond with him that Obanai had, she knew enough about Kaburamaru to know that he was perfectly able to understand her. And for the most part, she had also learned to interpret his behavior so that it sometimes felt like they could actually talk to each other.

“I need your help, Kaburamaru,” she said quietly and the snake tilted its head, listening attentively. “I’d like to … uh, I want to ask Obanai something but I can’t do it in person.”

Kaburamaru hissed softly and she blushed before reluctantly saying, “I’d like to ask him on a date.”

At those words, Kaburamaru perked up, hissing excitedly. He nudged her with his small head and she had to laugh at his enthusiasm. “I guess that means I have your approval,” she said with a smile and Kaburamaru moved his head in a small but firm nod. “But I’m not brave enough to ask him in person. Shinobu had an idea and I’d like to do it that way. Do you think you could deliver Obanai a note from me?”

While asking, she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket that she had curled up into a little scroll. Kaburamaru eyed it curiously and then nodded again. He gave her a soft nudge before slithering down to the ground again, looking at her expectantly. She chuckled and carefully placed the scroll on his back so that it looked like a tiny backpack. She pulled a thin pink ribbon from her pocket and gently tied the scroll to Kaburamaru’s back while he held perfectly still, watching her attentively. When she was done, she leaned down and looked at him slightly worried. “Is this okay or is it too heavy? I can take it off if you’re not comfortable!”

Kaburamaru tilted his head as if to say ‘I’m stronger than you think’ and dodged her hand when she already reached for the ribbon. His hiss sounded amused when he touched her hand with his head tenderly. Then, he slithered away quickly as if he did not want to give her the chance to change her mind. And when she watched the tip of his tail vanish between the blades of grass around the corner, her heart started beating faster again. Now, she did not have the chance to backtrack anymore. Now, it all lied with Kaburamaru as her small messenger.

Mitsuri’s palms started feeling sweaty when she crept closer to the corner again, fighting her urge to whirl around and run away so that she did not have to see Obanai’s reaction to her message. But then again, she wanted nothing more than to see his face when he read the note and this desire was even stronger. Her heart thundering in her chest, she peered around the corner again just in time to see Kaburamaru reaching the well.

Obanai turned around just a little bit and she could see the surprise in his eyes when he noticed the scroll on Kaburamaru’s back. He held his hand out and gently picked Kaburamaru up. When he had carefully untied the ribbon and taken the message, he placed Kaburamaru on his shoulder again where the snake snuggled up against his cheek, looking down at the paper in Obanai’s hand curiously. Mitsuri saw the bandage covering Obanai’s mouth moving but over the noises of the training demon slayers she could not make out what he was saying.

Mitsuri’s breath came shallow when she watched with wide eyes how Obanai slowly unfolded the scroll, a concentrated expression on his face. His eyes flickered from one side to the other when he read the words she and Shinobu had agreed on. And then, his expression hardened and he furled his brows. Mitsuri’s heart sank when she saw him shaking his head curtly before pulling a pencil from his pocket, scribbling something onto the paper. Even from where she stood, she could see his eyes darkening and his face looked unnaturally stiff when he rolled the paper up again and handed it to Kaburamaru.

Mitsuri sank against the wall, her blood rushing in her ears. Her hands started trembling when she realized the full extent of the situation. Shinobu had been wrong, they had erred, Obanai did not like her like that at all. In fact, his expression had looked more like the opposite. And now, Mitsuri had revealed to him what she felt, making herself vulnerable and complicating any joint missions that might come.

Her heart sunk when she heard the soft rustling announcing Kaburamaru’s return. She closed her eyes and reluctantly knelt down. When she opened her eyes again, Kaburamaru looked at her from his ruby eyes and for once, she was glad that he could not show her the pity he probably felt. Her chest tightened when she reached for the paper he now held in his small mouth. Her hands shaking, she slowly unfolded the paper but stopped halfway through when her question appeared.

‘Would you like to go on a date with me?’

The sight of her neat yet excited handwriting made her heart sting and while she knew which of the three squares he had ticked, she did not want to see it black on white. While discussing the plan with Shinobu, Mitsuri had hoped that Obanai would at least choose ‘Maybe’ if he did not instantly tick the square that said ‘Yes’. But only in the darkest corner of her mind had she imagined how she would feel, should he choose ‘No’. And now she knew that it stung even worse than she had anticipated.

A soft nudge made Mitsuri look up. Kaburamaru was still with her, touching her hand with his head, hissing quietly. She sighed and nodded silently before taking a deep breath and unfolding the rest of the paper. She looked up at the sky for a while and then, when she felt ready, she looked down at the paper.

Two squares were empty. The third had a thick cross in its middle and beside it, Obanai had scribbled down a few words. Mitsuri stared down at the paper for a moment before the words started to make sense.

‘Yes’, the box said. And next to it was written, in an elegant handwriting, ‘I’d love to’.

Mitsuri’s head shot up – and she met the gaze out of two eyes, one of them yellow, the other of a beautiful teal color, that looked directly at her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the bandage moving as Obanai grinned at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes. And then, he winked at her and nodded.

Yes, I’d love to go on a date with you.

[tarnishedinquirer]

Roundtable Entry Hall

I had one thing to do here. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but now was as good a time as any.

I'd wondered about this lower level for a while. I'd become familiar enough with the mechanics of these phantom bloodstains by now to know that the bloodstains don't appear where you died, not exactly. They appear where you were moments before your death, so your red phantom can reenact your demise. Now, Tarnished leave runes in all sorts of seemingly impossible places, so the presence of rune messages did not necessarily mean that I could get there. But an abundance of bloodstains meant that numerous Tarnished in other worlds had died in that entrance hall. But the doors were mere facsimiles with no moving parts. How is one to get down there?

Well... despite the abundance of bloodstains down there, there were none up on this balcony. It was reasonable to assume, then, that the fall was entirely survivable, even if some unseen danger lurked below.

Rogier asked me what I was doing.

"Testing a theory," I said, as I mounted the banister.

I had already jumped by the time he said, "For gods' sake, use a rainbow stone first!" Which was actually a good idea. I probably should have done that.

Fortunately, I landed without issue. Some trick of perspective had made the fall seem much further than it was. I immediately felt the pacifism enchantment lift. For some reason, this area was not warded. Someone had made sure of that, and it didn't take me long to figure out who.

I was invaded by a dark spirit named Mad Tongue Alberich. Unlike most, he gave me a reverential bow, which I politely returned. So this was a duel, then, one I had inadvertently consented to by coming down here. I wish he had given me the chance to observe the fate of other Tarnished before attacking, but a bow was all I got.

He launched massive shards of glintstone at me, much bigger and more powerful than my little pebbles. Worse, they carried the power of frost with them. The chill sapped the strength from my limbs and slowed my movement, then he moved in with his scythe to slice me to ribbons. Each blow left bleeding wounds. So his strategy was to wear me down, then.

Going on the defensive would just play into his hands. He didn't need to get in solid hits to kill me. So I went on the offense. He outclassed me in magic, that much was clear, so no more spells. Instead, I lunged in with my sword and struck him faster than he could recover from. He used some sorcery that summoned bloody briars, but I dodged out of the way, and moved right back in.

His blade and magic were both powerful, but he was wearing lighter armor than me and using a much slower weapon. I could take the occasional hit to keep him off-balance with flurry of thrusts. He danced back to drink a flask of crimson tears, and I used an impaling thrust to lunge at him from halfway across the floor. I wish I could've seen his face as he faded from view.

I turned and waved back at Rogier, who had scooted his chair up to the edge to watch. He clapped and I'm glad I could at least give him some entertainment.

He left behind a Taunter's tongue, which the voice informed me could be used to beckon invaders to my world. I had absolutely no plans of using that, but the fact he had a mummified golden tongue for that power was... disturbing.

The doors were no more real, so I went into the one open side chamber. There were iron balls here... did the lands between have powder? Unlikely... I know they had it in the Land of Reeds, but it was a pretty recent invention. Maybe they'd simply lost the ability to produce it at scale? Or perhaps these were just the shot for trebuchet.

Past the little armory was a small guard room, followed by a barracks. On one of the beds, a charred corpse clutched at something unusual. It was a weapon... I think? It seemed to attach to the wrist, but it was just words hanging in the air. There was no substance to it. I had trouble even holding onto it. A lack of faith, it seems.

Cipher Pata One of the weapons originating from the Two Fingers. A formless sequence of ciphers comprise its blade, and as such no shield can repel it. Deals holy damage. The furtive inscription appears to hang in the air; the language of light spoken by the Two Fingers.

Language of light? So far I'd just seen them wiggle, and barely at that.

There was nothing else down here, and no other way to get back up, so I teleported back to the table.

Who is Mad Tongue Alberich?

How did he disable the pacifism ward?

Did the Lands Between have powder in an earlier age?

Whose tongue is this?

Did the Two Fingers once speak in more than wiggles? Are they even still speaking, or just twitching?

[angellayercake]

Save a cowboy, ride a cardinal

Cardinal Copia x @ramblingoak happy birthday to yooooou 🎂🎂🎂

Copia attempts some roleplay fun for his favourite lady's birthday

‘Can I have this blind fold off yet?’ The ghoul didn’t answer, leading you down the gravel path only telling you just in time about the steps in your way so they have to catch you when you stumble. When Copia had mentioned blindfolds, surprises and your birthday this was not what you had imagined. You can hear buzzing voices ahead of you and the distinct sound of ragtime piano. ‘Where the hell are we?’ The ghoul ignored you again, continuing to lead you forward, the distinctive sound of doors being opened and then swinging shut behind you. There was only one place where all those things would be all together that's the new western themed bar that had opened in town. You loved westerns, LOVED them and had even been considering coming already. Unfortunately your friends at the Abbey had turned up their noses at a themed bar so you had given up any hopes of going, but it seemed Copia had been doing some snooping. 

You reached what you assumed was the bar, the ghoul helping you get sat on a high stool and then finally they removed your blindfold. There was almost too much to take in at first. Every table was full, being served by wait staff all dressed up in old west themed costumes. The walls were covered with vintage photographs, American flags, taxidermied cows and a hundred other themed trinkets, not quite authentic but the amount of history crammed into this place made you feel a bit giddy. In one corner a piano sat on a small stage, the source of the chipper ragtime you had heard on your way in. But dominating the middle of the room was a large empty space surrounded by a barrier, lined with padding and in the centre the unmistakable shape of a mechanical bull. It was still at the moment but you imagined things got a lot more rowdy when it was up and running. 

‘Well howdy there little lady,’ you hear behind you and a smile is spreading across your face before you even turn on your stool. You are about to reply when you register what he is wearing. Gone are his cassock and his perfectly tailored suit and in its place he is wearing jeans, you didn’t even know he owned a pair of jeans, but the dark blue denim clings to his thighs. Or at least what you can see underneath the black suede tassled chaps. You manage to tear your eyes away from his thighs, to his black shirt, the sharp piping his signature shade of red and then there was the hat. He had gone all out with what looked like a custom stetson. His put on smirk falters when all you can do is stare at him and he starts to fidget with his outfit nervously.

‘Did I not do it right? Aw shit,’ but before you can reassure him the barmaid interrupts. 

‘And what can I be getting you tonight?’ You switch your attention to the bar taking in the rows of bottles. Glancing at Copia you see him still fussing over his clothes so it looks like it's up to you to make a decision. 

‘Two beers please.’ She nods, quickly setting out two tankards and filling them at the vintage looking beer pump. This place was everything you had hoped, you only wished you were dressed for the occasion. If only he had given you some notice you could have pulled together a great bar wench outfit. When the full tankards were slid on the bar in front of you he snapped from his anxious haze and began fumbling for his wallet, struggling to get to it under the chaps. Just before you took pity on him he squeezed it from under the waistband with an adorable ‘ah ha’.  He hands over some notes, refusing the change with an awkward wave of his hand, as she turns away happy. 

‘I’m sorry,’ he says with a sigh slouching down against the bar. ‘I tried to find the outfit like ‘The Cardinal’ but I couldn't find the jacket and then I wasn’t sure what the hat looked like and.’ You rub his shoulders where he is slumped over on the bar.

‘Copia,’ he raises his head from the bar, his hat knocked askew so you straighten it as you look into his disappointed eyes. ‘Your outfit is great! The best dressed cowboy in the joint.’ He perks up after that explaining to you how he had noticed you reading your cowboy romances, how he had heard your friends talking about the new place opening in town and how he knew this would be the perfect place to celebrate your special day. 

‘Calling all cowboys and girls,’ The loud speaker crackles interrupting your conversation. ‘In just a while we will be unleashing the bull into this here restaurant. So we are calling on some brave folks to try and tame this beast! Come on down to the ring to volunteer andsignawaiver.’ You see the idea form in his mind and before you can vocalise all the reasons this is a terrible idea he is up. 

‘You will see now amore, I will be the best cowboy si?’ He practically jumps off his stool, his eyes shining.

‘Wait, Copia, you already are the best cowboy.’ But he is already halfway across the bar. You watch him waiting bouncing on his heels at the front of the queue. You soak up the atmosphere while you wait for him to read through the probably substantial terms and conditions and when he hands over the clipboard and enters the ring you wander over with your beer. You edge your way to the front of the small crowd just as he is getting seated on the bull. He spots you giving you a nervous grin, the expression on his face screaming what have I got myself into.

‘All set?’ The assistant checks in with him and he gives them a slightly frantic nod and then he is alone in the padded ring. ‘Our next challenger is Copia, a first timer, so let's see what he can do in three, tw, one,’ he calls over the loudspeaker and then it is set in motion. It starts slowly rocking forwards, then backwards, side to side. You admire his strong thighs tense as they grip to keep him seated. When it spins him back to face you, you can see his grin has lightened up and he mouths, ‘this isn’t so bad’ at you before he is whipped around. The bull picks up pace jolting back and forth and this time when he is brought back around all you can see is his wide round panicked eyes. You cover your mouth with your hand to stifle your laugh but it quickly becomes a gasp when with a sudden jolt forward and to the left he goes flying face first onto the mat.  

You shove your beer into the hand of the person standing next to you and rush around the barrier as he is sitting himself up. He groans as you help him to his feet, red faced and rubbing at his back. You pick up his hat where it had fallen next to him and dust it off before placing it back on his head. 

‘Amore, why didn’t you stop me?’ He moans as you support him across the bar back to your seats. ‘I am too old for this nonsense.’ Between you you hobble back over to the bar only to find your stools had been taken. He sighs, wrapping his arm around your shoulders more firmly. ‘I’m sorry, I had a whole plan and now it's ruined and.’ You squeeze his waist and turn him towards the exit.   

‘Nothing has been ruined silly.’ You push open the swinging doors and help him out into the cool evening air. Stretching his arms over his head he groans again and even though he is aching and slightly covered in dust you can’t help admiring the view. ‘And anyway you looked damn good up there on the bull, very powerful.’ He looks at you in disbelief but let’s you wipe some of the dust from his shoulders. ‘You even looked good all laid out on the floor.’ 

‘Oh you think you could have done better?’ He tickles at your side until you fall against his chest. ‘Shall we go back in? Do you want to have a ride?’

‘I have been thinking about riding tonight. Not the bull though’ You toy with the collar of his shirt, sliding open the top few buttons, if he was wearing jeans he may as well be even more casually dressed. 

‘Is that so amore?’ He backs you up against the wall, leaning on his forearm and boxing you in. ‘Perhaps we should start this evening again?’

‘Ok,’ You take a second to neutralise his expression so you can play along. ‘Hi.’

‘Howdy,’ He pulls his cowboy smirk off perfectly this time and it makes your knees weak. ‘What’s a pretty lady like you doing in a dive like this?’

‘I was looking for a handsome cowboy but I think I might have just found one.’ He closes the distance between you but doesn’t go straight for your lips. He kisses your temple, your cheek, the corner of your mouth. Slow soft presses of his lips that have your breath catching in your throat in anticipation. Finally he kisses you, and all his reservation dissolves as your lips finally touch, his full body pressing against you as his tongue slips past your lips to tangle with yours. The sudden swinging of the saloon doors snaps you both back to reality. You break apart but only just, partially hidden in the shadows of the porch.

‘Take me home Cardinal,’ you whispered against his swollen lips. He growls diving back in for one last aggressive kiss that had your stomach flipping and almost made you reconsider letting him have you there and then. But you manage to pry yourselves apart for long enough to get back to the car, where the ghoul was waiting to drive you both back to the Abbey. You can’t keep apart for long however and you end up wrapped up in his arms. 

‘I think this has been one of my best birthdays ever,’ you sigh contentedly. You run your fingers over his chest, following the lines of red piping until you can reach into the unbuttoned neckline of his shirt.

‘Only one of the best?’ He glares down at you,some of the strict Cardinal you had first met coming out. In the past that look would have cowed you but now you just smile up at him fluttering your lashes.

‘Well if it’s the top spot you are after, I have some ideas.’ He raises his eyebrows at you but starts running his fingers from the small of your back up to the nape of your neck. 

‘Ok let's hear it then,’ He tips your chin up, ghosting his lips over yours. You try to resist, well aware of the game he is playing. You close the distance this time, it’s your birthday you can take all the kisses that you want. Only when you are both breathless do you pull back. 

‘Tonight the chaps stay on,’ and after a moment's thought. ‘And the hat.’ 

‘That I can do. Anything for my Principessa.’ And he pulls you into another searing kiss.

[donaweasley]

A Walk in the Dark

Pairing: George Weasley x Fem!Reader

Plot:

After an awkward incident involving your one and only crush George Weasley, he tries to sort the uncomfortable situation out. But will it lead to some revelations or...just a heartache?

Previous chapter: Everything is Fair in Love and War

Warnings: Teenage, high school fluff.

Read time: ~10 mins

Note: I've assumed that the reader is 14 years of age here but you're free to put in any number you like! And you can put the reader in any house you wish to!

Next story in the sequence coming up!!

The morning was eventful, with Fred, Ron, Ginny and Molly of all people, assuming that George and (Y/N) had shared their first kiss in the redhead’s room while the rest were downstairs. Yes, pretty much embarrassing, given the fact that the visitor was buried deep in her humongous crush on her said best friend. And disappointing, too, given that George was furious at them, which subsequently made her conclude that he was repelled at the thought of any kind of romance with his best friend.

The rest of the day was awkward. (Y/N)’s heart was wearing a frown but she had to keep her bubbly personality up to show everyone that she didn't give a damn about who thought what about George and her. She did, to be honest, give a damn...or two...quite a lot, actually. George had calmed down but she found him being slightly uncomfortable around her. She attributed it to her own dejected mind, and called it a figment of her imagination.

After dinner that night, when they were all seated in the living room, George slipped in to sit beside his bestie for a brief moment.

"Wait until everyone's gone", he breathed into her ear. His warmth, once again, aroused those tickles in her stomach which had taken the poor girl almost all day to quieten.

For the rest of the night, she couldn't focus on the conversation anymore as her head was muddled with questions as to why he might have asked her to stay back.

Why?

"You okay, (Y/N)?" She almost jumped out of her seat when Ginny called her.

"What? Yeah. Yes. I'm okay. Just...just thinking that I haven't called my parents for two days now. I should call them tomorrow. Can you please remind me?"

"Yup. Okay!" She smiled reassuringly.

"Great! So we're all going out tomorrow evening", Ron's face brightened up.

As the night grew older, the group of friends became more and more tired, and most of them eventually retired to bed. Had (Y/N) not been on the verge of imploding, she would have probably fallen asleep on the couch.

The twins and (Y/N) were usually the last to go to bed. So, there they were, seated on the floor near the couch. Fred was just about to jump to another topic when George stopped him.

"Fred, you go, I'll be coming in a while", he said.

Fred stared at his twin as if the latter had grown another head.

"After what you did this morning, I don't owe you an explanation. I owe you a prank. Pulled on you", George clarified before Fred could ask anything.

This made her giggle.

"Fine, I'm going but..." Fred tried to feign a tragic face.

"That's okay, brother, I won't make out with her", the younger twin put an arm around (Y/N)’s shoulder.

"Hey!" Thoroughly embarrassed, she tried to give him an offended look.

"What? You want me to make out with you?"

She just prayed that neither of them would see the heat creeping up her ears.

"Shut up, George. It's not funny."

Fred sat there staring at the duo with furrowed brows while George and (Y/N) chuckled nervously.

"Alright, then", Fred finally spoke up, "I'll leave. (Y/N), I hope that you won't break my heart." Very theatrically, the older twin put a hand over his chest.

"I'll remember, drama queen!"

With a quick hug, Fred left her with his brother but not before glancing at them over his shoulder with a wicked smile plastered on his face. And once again, George and (Y/N) descended into that uncomfortable silence.

"So?" She broke the silence.

"So..."

George pondered for a while.

"Care for a walk?" He finally said.

"Now? This late?"

"Don't worry, I won't bite", he winked, and she melted into a puddle beside him. It was a relief that he didn't notice.

Probably. Hopefully.

"It's not your bite that I fear, mister. It's the...dogs...and other..things", She said quietly.

"You mean, ghosts?"

"Shh!"

George laughed. "You forget that you're living with a ghoul here!"

(Y/N) shuddered at the mere thought of it. She had never seen it although the sounds and the stories were enough to scare the shit out of her.

"Really?" George was still laughing, "after all these years of living with ghosts at the school, you're still scared?"

"They are ghosts of Hogwarts! They are a part of the school. Okay, I'll go. Let's drop this topic. Right. Now."

"Alright! But I can't guarantee anything."

"Guarantee what?"

"Well...y'know...about what we might meet on the way."

"Shut up! I'm not scared! I'll have you by my side!" She wrapped an arm around his.

"Aha? What if I am not me...?"

"Shove off!" She pushed him away. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

George was laughing. "Okay! Okay! Come."

He pulled her up and gently pushed her towards the door.

It was refreshing outside. The moon was a thin curve against the clear starlit sky. The cool breeze and the quietude soon made (Y/N) forget the events of the day and the turmoil in her mind calmed down a bit. But as soon as George stepped beside her, her “stupid” mind - as she called it - transformed the entire scenario into a romantic one.

Ugh!

"It was getting stuffy inside", George smiled.

"Yes, it was...kind of. … Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Why you brought me here, of course."

"Why? Can't a guy ask his best friend out on a walk?" He feigned hurt.

She rolled my eyes, "Of course, he can. But you forget that I know you only too well to know when you simply need a walk and when you're bursting to say something."

He smiled sheepishly, "Caught me, huh?"

"As always!"

"Okay", he inhaled deeply, and the butterflies in her stomach started fluttering violently in anticipation.

"This might sound odd. No, it's definitely going to sound odd", he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

Oh, those usual signs of nervousness! But why is he nervous?

Inside her head, a voice was screaming in anticipation, "Oh! C'mon, just say it Georgie!!"

"Okay, look. What happened in the morning...y'know with my family saying those weird things and all...well, you're not mad, are you?"

"What? No! Not at all!" She tried to sound absolutely casual. "Why?"

"No, it's just...it was awkward, and..."

"And?"

His tongue darted out to wet his lips, "I noticed that you were a bit off after that. So..."

"Oh!" She had to come up with a lie, and quickly. "I was just thinking that...umm... it's so much fun at your house, and I'll have to leave in 5 days. Yeah. That was what made me sad." She gave him her widest smile.

He smiled back, clearly not convinced at the flimsy explanation, "You sure?"

"Yes. Of course." She noticed him looking suspiciously at her, and so she looked away.

"You looked somewhat uncomfortable yourself. All okay?" She smartly diverted the questions towards him.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine”, he replied nervously.

"You sure?" She tried to mimic him.

George laughed, "Yes. It's just that", he stopped walking, "I was worried about what you might be thinking. You looked slightly upset."

He was looking at anywhere but her, and shifting his weight on his feet. "I don't want to lose my best friend, y'know", he finally looked at her after a pause.

"Best friend", She thought. "I wish I were a little more than that to you, Georgie."

"You won't", She smiled and took his hand in hers. "Never." She held out her pinkie towards him.

"Pinkie promise?" He laughed. "Really?"

"Umm, yeah! Let's say this is our version of the unbreakable vow."

"Okay", he locked his pinkie with hers, "done!"

"Done!"

They both laughed. And then somewhere in that happy moment the laughter faded away and was replaced by silence. A comfortable silence where only their eyes and smiles spoke. For a moment (Y/N) thought that she saw the same love in his eyes as she held for him.

But no. That’s impossible. He has just confirmed it himself. I’m his best friend. Only his best friend.

She decided to act before her emotions got the better of her.

"Let's go", She tugged lightly on his little finger which was still locked with hers.

"Oh!" His smile dropped, "You're sleepy?"

"No. I just...I don't know. You want to stay here longer? I don't mind. It's pretty nice out here anyway"

"No, it's okay, we can go. No problem. Besides, who knows what might be lurking in the shadows." He looked around with a frown but his eyes shouted "mischief".

"Ha ha! You can't scare me, Weasley. Besides, I have my best friend with me. He'll protect me", She smiled at him.

"Yeah, you can count on that", he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

I wish you knew what you're doing to me, Georgie!

"So", he spoke in that peculiar tone which was always followed by a mischief, "I remember you saying that you are not afraid of...my bite!"

For the God-knows-how-many-times that day her ears heated up again.

"Where are you headed exactly?" She asked him with furrowed brows.

"Just saying", he shrugged, "what if I'm a vampire in disguise? See, I have brought you this far from home, on a dark night, in the wee hours. And I'm so attractive that you couldn't say no to me. Now", he leaned closer, "what if I grow fangs and-"

She punched his chin.

"Ow! You little villain, you!"

"Oh! Did the little, weak human hurt the mighty vampire?"

He groaned.

"Now stop that acting, and let's go home before they start thinking that we have gone off snogging again."

At this, George straightened up and forgot all about his drama. (Y/N) raised a brow at him. Smiling sheepishly, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder once again, and they started off towards the Burrow.

"You know, George, if you try to scare me once again, I'll bite you."

George chuckled, "I wish!"

"What?" She froze.

"What?" His eyes were as big as saucers.

(Y/N) stared at him. "What did you just say?"

"What did I just say?" He gulped nervously. "I said 'you wish!'. Yes, I said 'Hah! You wish!'"

"Noooo..." She was sure she heard something else.

"Oh! (Y/N), you're hearing things. What else would I say? Come now, let's get inside before you start seeing things."

He pulled her towards his home which was now only a few more steps away. His words were still ringing in her ears. She looked up at him. Even in the dark, she could make out the tint of pink on his cheeks.

What the hell is going on?

They stepped inside, and George carefully locked the door.

"Care for some snacks?" He asked a bit nervously.

"Nope. I'll just get some sleep."

"Yeah. Me too."

He walked her till Ginny's door.

"Alright, good night, mate", he held out his fist.

"Good night", she punched it lightly.

Instead of heading upstairs to his room, George still stood there as if debating with his thoughts. Both the twins and (Y/N) usually hugged before going to bed but given the incidents of the day, it wouldn't be a surprise if they were having second thoughts.

After watching George's unrest state for a few seconds, she decided to drop her guard and take action.

"Hey", she touched his arm, "come here."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. It seemed to work instantly because she felt him relax. The next second, his long arms had her enveloped in a bear hug, swaying her lightly.

"Thanks", he smiled when they pulled apart.

"Idiot!"

"What? Why?"

"Nothing. Now go. It's pretty late."

He stood there, waiting for an explanation.

"Goooo!" She turned him around and pushed him.

He laughed, "Okay, as you say. Good night!"

"Good night", she smiled.

That night, (Y/N) went to bed with a heavy heart, knowing that the boy on whom she had been crushing for so many months now, sees her only as his best friend.

That night, George went to bed wondering if he had let go of the only chance of conveying his feelings to the girl who he had been in love with for over a year now.

***

Taglist:

@olivetheoryx @yep4nai @scram1326 @ariaterum @persephone13 @gimme-gimme-georgie-weasley @nunanuggets @lolhelpimtired @madmadgirlperson @dontfallinlovelol @r4ttusr4ttus @emilykolchivans @queerponcho @loveforweasley @turvi @lovers-111 @waitforiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit @justafangir1 @the-holy-trinity-l @minatozsana @baddiebbarbietngz @moomscore

[streets-in-paradise]

New Memories - Andy Barclay x Reader

Warnings: Some phone call teasing, the rest it's just fluff. This is a sweet birthday fic.

Summary: Andy is far away from you, worrying because your usual behavior arround his birthday changed with the distance. From fearing the worst to finding himself amazed, he would discover nothing could possibly stop you from cheering him up in the most dreaded day of the year.

Tags: @barclaysangel @devonsawachucky2014

The day had been full of trouble and, once again, he got to spend another birthday having to see Chucky. The hunt was a win and he was feeling good about that, but on the occasions his mind would go back to it he sensed something was missing. More concerned than saddened by that, he wondered why you haven’t given any signs of life throughout the day. Ever since he started seeing you, things weren’t precisely quiet between you on the dreaded special occasion. Sometimes he wished it would, because you were making a fuss every year. Aware of how hard birthdays were for him, as his partner you have self assumed the task of cheering each one in hopes of helping him build new memories. 

Happy memories, the kind he could treasure and revisit whenever the horrible ones would hit. With Chucky reappearing and you so far away from him, all he had to relieve himself were those reminders of your devoted love for him. You did text him in the morning, but he was waiting for something else at a moment he needed it more yet it never seemed to arrive. The whole process leading to the slaughtering of the doll required all his focus, an important mission distracting enough to keep him away from his phone for most of the time. However, with the night falling and the immediate danger disappearing he got to think about that again. 

More than disappointment, what your silence caused was an activation of his paranoia. There was only one doll left, most likely far away from you, but maybe he didn’t know everything. There always could be others, maybe one taking advantage of his absence to pay you a visit. Your dead body could be already waiting for him as a birthday present, just like in the old times. Kyle tried to calm him down by showing the rational side of it, but there was nothing more than plain irrationality in everything they had gone through. Maybe you were busy at work, maybe you were planning something special … or maybe you were gutted on your living room’s floor. 

It became too much for him and he was about to call you, but when he picked his phone he found an unseen notification from you showing a smiling picture of you. 

“Miss you, handsome. Call you in a sec, get ready” The message underneath read. “ Did you think I would forget the birthday fun?” 

He sighed in relief, then began to wonder what you were up to. 

“ Beautiful as always, I miss you too.” He texted back. “ More than you can imagine.” 

Your reply arrived a few minutes afterwards, another picture quite different from the last one. You were dressed as if you would be going on a date with him, some romantic dinner to celebrate and there was a description added in the message. 

“ Bringing the party to you. “ 

Andy couldn’t help smiling, almost in disbelief with the sweetness of the gesture. He rushed to return it, suddenly reminding he had a perfectly matching visual he knew you would love. 

The tie was off, but he was still wearing a suit, so he took a picture and send it to you along with his answer.

“ Dressed for the occasion.”

The call entered almost immediately. His sister chuckled since she noticed as well that the fastness had to be related with the effect the picture caused. 

He got you so In love and you were so blissfully obvious, worshipping the fuck out of him at any given chance. Getting used to it had been quite an adjust to him, but your love made him feel on top of the world.

" You have totally outshined my gift, babe! " You sweetly complained to him. " Holy fuck, look at you. The open buttons of the shirt do it for me … is that the fucker's blood over it? "

He chuckled, proud of himself for your reaction.

" We got one, i emptied my gun on him and that has been all my celebration so far. Not the best birthday ever, but i had worse. "

" Can't argue with a man covered in blood. Whatever you say, handsome. " You teased him. " This is unnaceptable, you are giving me the better gift when i'm supposed to be celebrating you. Neck exposed, shirt splattered of blood … Are you trying to kill me? What can i give in return? A full nude? "

" Fuck, don't even mention it. My sister is ríght here. " He explained you ríght away." Not that I won't love it, but it's not a good moment. "

It made you chuckle, but that didn't mean you weren't backing down from making things up for him.

" What can i do for you to match this, birthday boy?" You purred sweetly. " Anything you wish for ríght now? "

He didn't hesitate a second before replying.

" … Just to hear your voice. "

The tender adoration in that statement disarmed any defenses you could have left. He had turned you into putty with his sweetness.

If what he wanted was to hear some of it, you were going to give him everything.

" I love you, Andy … like i have never loved anyone else before. You are the one for me, you know? No matter the shit that bastard tells you, we are meant to be. I can feel it, every single day i fall a bit more in love with you. Some nights I lay awake wondering how is it possible to love this much. I'm obsessed with you, in the harmless meaning of the word. I wouldn't lock you in my basement, but i'm perfectly aware you are the man i wanna spend the rest of my life with. Who cares if the doll comes in the package? I will get a dog house for him to stay outside everytime he's gonna try come to kill us. "

His laugh was hidding some of the very real flusterred reaction.

" You are insane, no person in their ríght mind would risk so much just for me. "

" Even if he would kill me, i still win. " You insisted. " I've meet the love of my life, got to spend good times with him. It's a good life, many people don't get the privilege before they are gone forever … Besides, I would have the comfort of knowing you would go berseker and destroy him in the cruelest way. If he freezes me, you will bath in his blood or eat his liver or some other fucked up inhumane sounding punishment and i will be rightfully avenged. Why would i want to ever leave the man that would hunt down my hipotetical killer to the end of the world? A man so tragically devoted who had me as his whole fucking world, who loves me like i'm the last person on Earth. Who gets love like yours nowadays, Andy?

" Wooow, woow. Where did that come from?" He wondered out loud, amazed. " It's not like i'm a romance hero or something. "

" I have two friends that have gone through ugly divorces and a third who is tired of trying on dating apps where most guys don't show any interest for long term relationships … I hitted jackpot with you, Andy. Call me crazy, but love like yours doesn't exist anymore. "

" To be fair, you changed every measure for what i thought love was supposed to be. " He sweetly admitted in return. " How do you expect me not to loose my freaking mind for you? The fuck is this? How are we having this conversation? "

There was a very simple answer for that. You couldn't be with him physically, but you wanted to shape a meaningfull memory at any cost.

" Happy birthday, love " You told him once more. " We can't have dates or gifts this year, but i can still give you my heart ríght here and now, just talking on the phone."

His stoicism fell in pieces, beated by the intensity of your affection.

[desultory-novice]

Hello! I've seen many of your posts, and I have to say that I really appreciate your posts about Susie. It's saddening to see how controversial she is, I wish she didn't get as much negative discourse as she's gotten. She is within my top 5 favorite characters in the series.

She's definitely not a total innocent goody-good by any stretch of the imagination, but I also believe some people exaggerate her antagonistic traits. I think it's very much possible that she could interact positively with some others of the Kirby cast.

My question to ask you is: What friendly interaction headcanons may you have between her and Kirby? I could imagine she gained respect for Popstar after the ending of Planet Robobot and probably vacations there sometimes (assuming she doesn't live in Popstar), and I of course imagine that Kirby would be the easiest person to befriend and have light-hearted interactions with.

Thank you so much! Honestly, same about Susie.

I think the discourse about her has been just a little too one-sided. Like you bring up, some people hold the things she did against her in a way the other characters just don't end up seeing. And I'm not calling for people to then turn around and rub other character's misdeeds in their face by pointing that out. ^^;

I believe I understand WHY Susie is somewhat singled out in this way - as to many people, Planet Robobot's story felt a little too pulled from the headlines. But I think that whiff of realism has overshadowed PR's ACTUAL story for too long at this point.

The game is 7 years old already...

Oh gosh, I also wish people could just be more...hmm, balanced about her? For a while, the discourse was that "she should be allowed to be a kickass evil boss bitch!" and, woo! Yeah! But...she can also be allowed to be a complex character who is not entirely one way or the other about her checkered past too...!

She did evil things. She doesn't have to wear that on her flashing "bad girl" lapel nor does she have to become "Susie Homemaker" (ohoho) to be allowed into the heroes club. There's a rich Susie middle ground to be explored there too!

-

Moving on to the ask itself: I love the idea of having Susie interact as she is with the greater cast at large! She's got so many wonderful and interesting traits outside those associated with her evil deeds!

As for her and Kirby. We all know she LOVES ice cream. Not only that, the Super Kirby Clash update entry where she turns Magolor's gem apple stock into apple sherbet (...I am now SO curious to know how Master Crown Sherbert tastes btw...) so we know that she literally cannot help herself when it comes to the cool, delicious sweet, as she pilfers from a complete (?) stranger's (?) supply of fruit to make some the moment she sees the possibility!

I can just imagine the two of them with their hands and faces pressed to the glass of any given ice cream shop. (Susie, being Susie, might threaten to buy the place outright if they don't get served fast enough. And innocent Kirby, rather than chastise her for this flaunting of an old family vice, would probably just respond with sparkles in their eyes: "A WHOLE ice cream shop just for us?!")

-

I also think it's fun that Susie loves to sing and sings really well and Kirby...doesn't. Well, Kirby loves to sing but does NOT sing well. Susie seems like enough of a perfectionist that, rather than leave the room running like most of Kirby's other friends would do when Kirby grabs the mic might painstakingly try to teach Kirby their scales. (Though she might turn down the volume on her ears first!)

-

PR's website gave us an insight into Susie's schedule and we know she's the overworking type. I think that this is the one area where Kirby is going to do something for HER and teach her the importance of just stopping what you're doing, sitting down, and resting.

Initially, she would grumble, talking about all the other things she could be doing right now that are on her schedule, till something about having our cute fluffy pink and puffy resting beside her finally makes her realize stopping... isn't such a bad thing after all.

I think it would be this that might get her to take a second look at Popstar. At its natural beauty. At how simple life can be...could have been. She might even find herself crying for the first time in years.

...Oh no. Oh, she did not want this. She didn't ever want to stop because if she stopped, she knew she would cry. Kirby then wakes up from their nap and brushes a few tears off her cheek and gives her a hug. Because that's what you do for your friends...

-

Kirby might also invite Susie to plant a seed in the little garden they built with the remains of the Invader Armor Robobot, and they go together to check on it. Susie doesn't like to get her hands too dirty, so she upgraded Kirby's equipment slightly. But even though the garden can run on automation now, the two of them still take time to check on it and water the plants by hand.

"How are you going to know how they're doing if you don't ask them yourself?" "...You have a point, Pinky."

-

I think Weekend Susie indicates she's got a love of fashion and I imagine she'd be the one to gift LAVISHLY on gift-giving holidays. Expensive souvenir foods and clothes from some of the most metropolitan planets in the galaxy! (Not that Kirby would take time to savor the food before devouring it,, to Susie's frustration.)

Man, I kind of adore fashionista Susie, actually? Since Kirby is every/any gender via word of god, Susie would have a field day should the puff ever take an interest in fashion. You can literally dress Kirby up in ANY style! And they love all of it! (But she also faces a conundrum because, hmm, how DO you dress up a round ball?! Still, she never backs down from a challenge! And now Kirby's home requires an extension JUST for the new walk-in closet.)

Aside: IMO, Francisca is someone who is probably effortlessly beautiful. The fact that she stands out for her beauty despite dressing the exact same as her fellow mages leans toward that interpretation. I think Susie probably works REALLY HARD to look the way she wants to be seen, and she probably likes being recognized for that. I'm sure Kirby gives out compliments easy, which would bring a blush to her (possibly) cybernetic face.

(I really like cybernetic-girl Susie, btw.)

-

Winding down, as far as them becoming friends, again, I'm someone who likes to think A) the games do generally follow release order as far as timeline goes and B) the earlier games inform Kirby's treatment of characters in later games.

And it's in this instance that I think it's very important that Triple Deluxe came before PR. Kirby got to see first hand as Sectonia discarded Taranza, someone who had up to this point only hurt and mocked Kirby, even aggressively manipulating Kirby's oldest friend to fight against him!

They saw how Taranza, with the wool pulled from his eyes and forced to confront the truth that he'd lost his dearest friend years ago, does the right thing and helps them to stop her rampage. I don't think that Kirby 100% trusts Taranza(?) until Taranza comes back in with Dedede to help. But after that, Taranza IS an ally.

The reason I bring all that up is because of that lovely little moment in Planet Robobot where, despite all that Susie has done (invade Popstar, mock its people, hurt his friends) despite her bringing out a mechanized Meta Knight to force him against Kirby for a second time mere minutes ago, when her attempts to take over Star Dream backfire and it blasts her in revenge... 

...Kirby doesn't hesitate to run to her side to see if she's okay.

Kirby has seen this before. Kirby no longer has doubts that even people who've hurt him deeply are capable of being hurt themselves. And that it is less important about WHO is hurting who than the simple fact that HURTING is bad. For everyone.

Kirby was already Susie's friend.

If you're able to stop yourself from doing the wrong thing just once, heck, even if you CAN'T stop yourself (due to the malicious claws of an especially evil hat, say...) even if you are only capable of showing a flicker of regret, Kirby will offer you their hand.

(And I think that is probably why I would rather talk about the characters of PR than what real world evils its plot touches upon. Because that is where Kirby, the character and the game, puts its focus on. That is where it tells us we can save people.)

[lumenflowered]

[A video is attached. In it, Maria and Silver can be seen eyeing each other. They appear to still be in Reina's home, if in a different room, and neither's expression is particularly readable.

"Sure. Fine. I won't go for the league yet." Silver's eyes narrow. "But I want to know why."

Maria's brow furrows. "Why... what, exactly?"

He scowls. Looks away. He's wearing an outfit that's nearly identical to hers again, likely because he was wearing his other outfit yesterday.

(Maria herself is wearing a plain white t-shirt and loose grey sweatpants, both oversized, as well as her own hat with the Ho-oh feather stuck in it. Given that she has never once posted a picture of herself in a different outfit from her normal one, that the hat rather emphatically does not go with the informality of the rest of the outfit, and that she's considerably paler anywhere with exposed skin that is normally covered, it's certainly a Look.)

"Why you care," Silver says. "Why you'd bother trying to help me. First in Olivine, and then..."

He swallows nervously. Forces himself to make something approaching eye contact with her. "Would have been easier to leave. Or to finish Rocket while you had the chance. You didn't. Why?"

"...Ah," Maria says, and falls silent.

"Well?"

After what feels like an eternity, but in reality is like ten seconds according to the video timestamps, she says, "I have mentioned before that I hail from a different world, yes? A world without Pokémon."

"...Duh? You punched my Totodile."

"I did. Yes." Maria sighs. "In my defense, you did not clarify that you meant a Pokémon battle and I had no way of knowing there was another option at all."

"Sure. Whatever."

"Never mind that right now. I..." She sighs deeper, frown deepening as well. "I have died before. It is not an experience I would recommend."

"You. What? How???"

"...I would really and truly rather not think about the specifics at this time," Maria says, a little too quickly. "The point I am attempting to make here is this: death is not something I would wish upon another lightly, and I certainly would not wish it upon someone who isn't even half my age."

Silver mutters something under his breath, too quietly for the camera to pick up, and looks away again. Pulls his legs up into his chest and hugs them.

"What was that?"

He groans. Then mutters, "I'm older than you think."

"Are you? How old are you?"

"...I'm not telling you that."

"Very well. I shall continue to assume that you're ten—"

"I'm almost twelve, come on!" Silver pauses. "Shit."

"Eleven." Maria exhales slowly. "You are eleven years old, and you view the world through this cynical of a lens?"

"Yeah? Not like I've got a reason to view it any different."

"I hope that you will have that reason someday," she says, very softly.

"Hmph. Whatever." Silver visibly rolls his eyes. "Are you gonna send your Furret to track me down again if I make a break for it?"

"No," Maria says. "You're free to go, if you'd like. I have been in contact with the regional authorities, and Tohjo Falls seems to be deserted now."

"...Seems to be?"

"Given Team Rocket's resurgence," she says dryly, "I can't say I have the most faith in said regional authorities at the moment."

Silver snorts. "Joke's on you for ever having it. What are you gonna do?"

"For now? Nothing. If they are gone, then they are gone." She considers this. "I do, however, intend to check to see if there were any clues to their future plans left behind when I make my way to the Pokémon League. I certainly wouldn't say no to company."

Silver considers this. He makes no secret of how his eyes stray to what looks like a door to the outside of the house.

At last, he says, "Wait too long and I'm leaving on my own."

"Fair enough." Maria nods. "I doubt I could linger here for more than a few days more if I wanted to."

The video ends.]

[niigata-division]

ARB Birthday Special: Lyall Shiba

~~ January 21st ~~

“To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.”

Login Lines:

“Sorry, I’m a bit busy with a case at the moment if you could just…eh? Is this a gift?” 

“My birthday? Oh shoot, it’s today, isn't it? Thanks for reminding me. Now then, if you excuse me, I need to focus on my case.” 

Voice Lines:

“25 years old…if you had told me a few years ago I’d reach this age, I wouldn’t have believed you…or more accurately I would have been too drugged out of my damn mind to understand what you were saying.”  

“My phone has been blowing up all day from my fans sending me Happy Birthday on PROFILE, so I placed it on silent. Not that I’m ungrateful, but I always assumed that with my retirement I’d fade out of the spotlight, but I assume not.” 

“I had a dream last night…and I saw him just standing there with that goddamn smile on his face and…I just got so angry when I saw him that I wrapped my hands around his pathetic little neck and tried to choke him…I hate him.”

“I lit a few candles on my altar to send a few prayers to Anubis and Thoth. It’s a tradition I do every year on my birthday. Mainly, I pray that the next yearly cycle of my life is a good one, but considering I’m in the DRB this year I’m not holding my breath on that one.” 

“Ah shit….I mean, hey Chief, I haven’t caused any trouble lately, so what brings you here? Oh wow, I didn’t think you’d remember it was my birthday. Awwww, I always knew you liked me, Chief! Maybe I'll even break my record for the longest amount of time without giving you a migraine. Ouch, so cold, Chief.” 

“Uhhhhh….Chief? Is this a get-out-of-jail-free card? Okay, but why? Well, I better make sure to save for when I get into some major trouble then. Anubis knows I seem to always be in your office every other day.”  

“Oh Hey Ayumu-san, I take you here to wish me a Happy Birthday too. Just a bit. I owe my life to you, Ayumu-san. It's because of you that I’m still here to celebrate my birthday. I can’t thank you enough for that. Easier said than done. Ah, you didn’t have to get me anything, Ayumu-san, but thank you.” 

“Oh gosh, out of the palettes, you could have gotten…ah it’s perfect Ayumu-san. Did you know this is one of my favorite bands? No offense, Ayumu-san, but I can’t imagine you listening to this band. You're too cheerful of a person for some of the songs.”

Seiji Lines:

“For once you’re not in trouble, Rookie. I just stopped to wish you a happy birthday. Of course, I did. I know the birthdays of all the officers in the department. Normally, I'd wish you a Happy Birthday and just be done with it, but given that you haven’t gotten on my nerves much recently, have this. Consider it both a gift and a reward. Nope, a migraine is starting. *sighs* Get back to work, Shiba.” 

“Of course it is. Given how often you seem to get in trouble, I would think you’d appreciate it. You can redeem it and get off scot-free from any punishment I would usually give you. Only once, though, so use it wisely, Rookie.”

Ayumu Lines:

“Lyall, can I talk to you for a second? Am I that easy to read, huh? Anyway, I'm glad to see you’ve been doing well, especially considering our…first meeting. I was just doing my job, Lyall, but if you want to thank me, just keep living your life would be more than enough. Now then, I know you're into wearing dark makeup, so I got you this as a gift.” 

“Is something wrong, Lyall? It was one of the first palettes I found when I looked up ‘goth makeup’. Really? Maybe I should listen to them sometimes. Eh? Why not? Hey, it’s not my fault. I like to see the bright side of things.” 

[kitkatopinions]

Forgot to talk about something in my little new rw/by ep post. Spoliers for V9.

Ruby giving away her emblem. The thing is that while the general idea of it as Ruby losing more of what is iconic to her (Cresent Rose, emblem - I do wonder if she'll temporarily lose the cape) is a good one, it comes with two major problems that keep it from being as emotionally meaningful as it could be.

1. Emblems are a badly included piece of the world of RW/BY the explanations with them and in-universe references to them are nearly non-existent, leading it to feel like little more than an only sometimes useful design tool instead of part of the world-building and therefore also character building. This is very similar to weapons being named, it seems like an ill thought out 'rule' that was done for coolness sake alone that the writers never really bothered with making sense of or even really putting it in their work. Because no one in RW/BY has ever bothered to talk about where or how they got their emblems, what it means to them, or how much it relates to their identity, it leaves the inclusion here feeling like it's just symbolism for our sake and shouldn't matter to Ruby at all which makes her 'sacrifice' feel more like a random grab for any way to get what she needed. Like she could've just as easily taken off her choker and given them that, or sacrificed a glove.

2. The connection it has to Summer Rose. I believe Ruby's emblem is the same as the emblem we see on Summer's grave, which means we can pretty much assume that Ruby sees her emblem as connected to her mother. But Ruby's obsession with Summer lately still feels forced to me and on top of that, since Ruby has never actually discussed modeling herself after Summer or talked about the emblem being her mother's first, Summer having the emblem has seemed like little more than a blink-and-you'll-miss it passing thing and emblems have been handed down before (Weiss, Jaune,) so to me this also just felt like another casual design choice that doesn't matter. On top of that 'it's a symbol of a mother's promise-" Well whatever Summer said about it or how Ruby feels about it, I sure wish I woulda known before. This show has such a problem with actually properly setting things up and it leaves so many small moments like this feeling lackluster. Now that I'm meant to see this emblem as super meaningful to Ruby because of how connected it is to her mother, I'm left once again feeling like the Eleventh Doctor is wearing Amy's glasses. It's just an object I know the writers want me to care about, but due to the lack of work that was put into it... I feel nothing but annoyed, wishing they'd have either included it earlier or just not at all.

I feel like Yang could've just handed the teapot lady her jacket and been like "Uhhh it's a symbol of me staying warm in the snow" and I would’ve cared just as much.