#but in many cases there were noticeable reflections in the glass

[rainkays]

CRUSH | LEE HARKER x READER 𖥔 ࣪

(SUMMARY) in the summer of 1991, you are assigned a missing persons case in northern washington with special agent lee harker. lee had garnered the reputation of being an exceptional agent in the field, but no one truly knew anything about her, and you wanted to change that.

(WARNINGS) mentions of drugs/smoking, alcohol. weapons, kidnapping, blood/violence.

(NOTES) this is going to be ooc and will not follow the plot of longlegs but i’m going to try and write lee as accurate as possible to her canon characterization in the film !! (reader is fem as this will be a wlw series !i this ended up being a lot longer than anticipated but i hope u guys enjoy this, and there will definitely more of lee to come very soon <3

CAN YOU READ MY MIND?

I’VE BEEN WATCHING YOU…

JUNE 21st, 1991.

the halls of quantico were bustling with bodies and chatter of partner assignments as the fresh group of agents filtered into the meeting room. the wooden walls and orange carpeting did nothing to hide the fact that funding at the bureau had been tight these past few years, and the bright eyed recruits had no idea what they were walking into. you’d been your entrance years at the academy working bottom of the barrel assignments, ones that allowed you a glimpse at lee whenever provided. it wasn’t hard to notice her if you knew where to look. it the low hum of the radio was the only sound that filled the car, lee’s hands draped over the wheel as she drove the two of you down the long, vacant stretch of country road. it was hours of nearly empty road and faded farmhouses until you finally reached the town. the sun had began to set, the streets quiet as lee pulled into the parking lot of one of the few motels in the town. the orange lights of the sign reflected on the windshield of the car as lee pulled your suitcases from the trunk, tossing you the keys.

“thanks.”

you spoke, head nodding to lee as you slung your bag over your shoulder, the girl humming a quiet response as the two of you neared the front desk office. lee pushed the door open, a quiet bell jingling to alert the woman at the desk of your presences. you were sure it was a quiet business, not many coming in or out of the town, especially in the wake of the recent disappearance. much to your surprise, lee spoke up as you leaned on your elbow against the counter.

“we have a reservation under harker.”

the woman hummed, keys clicking on the computer as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

“mm, yes, right here. single queen for the next week?”

you nearly laughed at the words out of her mouth, lee’s face paling as she raked a hand through her hair, sputtering her words out. this is what you got for allowing the bureau to make your arrangements. lee took the keys from the woman, turning on her heel to hold the door open for you as you followed behind. lucky for lee, there was a couch in your room that she’d immediately settled herself on as you closed the door behind you.

“lee, you should take the bed i can-”

your bag slid against the nightstand, toying with the rings on your fingers as lee spoke before you could finish your sentence.

“no, i’d rather you take it, i’ll be fine.”

you took a seat at the edge of the bed, kicking off your boots as you looked over at lee. it was rare to see her like this, jacket shrugged off, hair down as she rested against the arm of the couch. you wondered if she was dreading this next week. having to spend most of her days confined to this room, with you. you wondered how she felt about you. if she’d rather be working with another agent. you pushed down the thought as you laid back against the mattress. you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night knowing lee had to spend her nights on the old velvet couch in the corner of your shared room. you unbuttoned the long sleeve you’d been wearing all day, nearly forgetting about lee’s presence in front of you as she turned her head away from you.

she was a sweetheart, and you didn’t need to know her to know that. she was more caring and attentive than most people would ever recognize, something you’d picked up from your quiet observations of her. did she think the same of you?

you were left in a tank top, buttons undone as a gold locket laid on your chest. you rested against the pillows as you caught lee’s gaze lingering on you for a moment.

“why don’t we share?”

a beat passed before lee turned her body to look at you.

“what?”

“the bed, i mean.”

you saw the wheels turning in her head, weighing her options before she spoke again.

“do we have to?”

you laughed quietly, stifling it quickly as you caught the blank expression on lee’s face.

“we don’t have to, but i figure the bed is better than needing a spine adjustment when we leave next week.”

you retorted, hand resting in your palm as your hair fell over your shoulder. lee got up wordlessly, walking to the bathroom as you heard the sound of water running. it wasn’t long before she came back, retrieving a change of clothes and settling herself on the bed, opposite of you. she was tense, shoulders stiff even while she was lying down, the muscles in her jaw tightening for a moment as you tried not to stare. you leaned over to the nightstand, switching off the light as you turned away from her, hoping to give her the space she needed.

“how do you think it’ll go tomorrow?”

lee spoke unexpectedly, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen over the two of you. tomorrow, you’d have to interview the parents of the missing girl and the witnesses that had last seen your suspect.

“we’ll do just fine. besides, we’ve put in more field work than half the class so, i’d like to think we’re qualified.”

she hummed, turning on her side to face you as you could just barely make out her features in the darkness of the room. the moonlight seeped through the cracks in the blinds, a strange feeling settling itself in the back of your mind. in any other situation, you wouldn’t have been so calm in your current position. sure, it may have been slightly inappropriate to be sharing a bed with your co worker, but something felt natural when it came to lee. you didn’t have to flaunt your qualifications at every given opportunity when you were around her. you didn’t have to pretend to be someone you weren’t, and maybe, neither did she. her hand brushed against yours for a brief moment before you both pulled away, settling against your pillows.

“goodnight.”

she spoke, hands resting in the fabric of the thin sheets.

“goodnight, lee.”

you answered, hoping she didn’t notice the way you smiled to yourself in the darkness. she did.

SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE WORKS WITH HER HANDS

AND SMELLS LIKE MARLBORO REDS…

it had been a long day of going door to door, getting half answers from people who clearly didn’t have anything real to give you. lee was burnt out by the time you’d driven the two of you back to the hotel, excusing herself to the balcony outside while she lit a cigarette. night had finally fallen over the town as you slid off your blazer and changed into a t shirt. you made your way outside to settle in next to her, the dim light of her cigarette allowing you to admire her.

“didn’t get much out of the family today, hm?”

you spoke, sipping on the cheap, overpriced shooters that were left on the hotel room.

“we’ll get something tomorrow.”

she spoke, so sure of herself. that was something you’d noticed over the short time you’d spent with lee. it was like she had some voice in the back of her mind that told her where to find just what you were looking for.

“good.”

you spoke, pausing as you extended your hand toward lee. she looked over at you, your head cocked at her cigarette. she understood, slowly handing it to you as you took a drag. you half expected her to say no, so there was no doubt she noticed the failed attempt of hiding the smile on your face. you exhaled, the smoke visible in the cold air as you leaned your head back. for the first time, you felt her eyes on you. burning a hole into the side of your head. you couldn’t help but like it.

“you seem to be good with people.”

she spoke, body angled towards yours as you finally worked up the courage to look at her. you laughed quietly, shaking your head.

“not really, y’know. i just try to be less of a fed and more of a human.”

you sighed softly, tapping your cigarette against the ledge as you handed back to lee. she took it, hesitating for a brief moment before bringing it to her lips. there was a quiet tension that hung over the two of you, your hand brushing against hers, the way you couldn’t stop staring at her. you almost thought she’d tell you to stop, or get up and leave. but instead, her hand rested atop of yours.

“lee.”

you spoke, a quiet whisper that hung in the air. she looked at you, down at your intertwined fingers. this was the first time in a long time, maybe ever, that she’d allowed herself to feel this way. feel anything.

“you can tell me to leave right now, and i’ll go. i’ll fuck off and we can forget this happened, but i just-”

“just what?”

she cocked her head slightly, strands of her hair falling in her face after she’d finally removed the ponytail from her hair. you sighed, the words nearly dying in your throat before you finally spoke.

“i just really wanna kiss you.”

you watched the way her chest rose and fell at a faster pace. you saw the flicker of something that flashed in her eyes. her thumb traced a pattern atop your hand, before she looked back at you once more, humming quietly.

“kiss me, then.”

you could’ve laughed, cried even. never would you have thought that you’d be here, in the arms of lee harker. never would you have thought that you’d know the feeling of her lips against your own. as your foreheads rested against one another, her hand flattened against the small of your back, yours in her hair. your chests rose and fell against one another. she tilted her head slightly, looking down at you.

“come on.”

you got up, pulling her with you as the two of you finally stood up. you slid open the glass door, leaving it open as she trailed in behind you. you walked backwards towards the bed, leaning back against the pillows as your shirt rose slightly. lee stood above you, eyes dark with some unidentifiable want. she leaned down, lips pressed against the juncture of your neck before moving lower. you closed your eyes, hoping this wasn’t just a dream.

I ONLY WANT HER

IF SHE SAYS IT FIRST TO ME…

you woke the next morning, lees arms slung loosely around your waist as your head rested against her shoulder. the alarm went off, lee groaning as you rolled over to turn it off. her hands were cold against your warm skin, hands smoothing out the knots between your shoulder blades as you leaned back against her.

“we should get ready.”

you half heartedly spoke as her chin came to rest on your shoulder. you tilted your head back, getting a good look at her. she smiled softly, a rare sight, one that you could certainly get used to. her hands rested beneath the gray fabric of your old t shirt as you slowly slid out of bed. you felt her eyes on you as you stood, brushing your hair out of your face. you padded towards the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe as she still sat at the edge of your bed.

“you coming?”

you spoke, smile on your face as you turned on your heel into the bathroom, the sound of running water catching lee’s attention.

“what?”

COULDN’T FIGHT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

BUT YOU LOOK SO COOL…

it took longer than expected for the pair of you to get ready, finally going back into town to speak with other possible witnesses to the crime you were investigating.

you looked out the window, passing by countless empty acres of land, a few stray cats wandering through the fields. lee’s fingers toyed with the rings on your hand as she looked over at your for a moment. the roads were nearly empty as you finally neared the address you’d been given by the local police. it was a quiet home, small, but still had its charm. a porch that wrapped around its sun bleached edges, an old dog that barked softly as the car pulled up onto the gravel.

the two of you got out, badged on display as you shut the doors to the old plymouth as you walked toward the front porch. you followed behind lee, the old wooden staircase creaking as you neared the front door. lee stopped dead in her tracks as you nearly ran into her, hand resting on her shoulder.

“what is it?”

you asked as she finally looked behind her shoulder to meet your eyes.

“he’s here.”

everything happened in a flash, almost like time stopped and had been waiting for you to arrive to finally resume again. the front door swung open so hard you would’ve sworn you saw splintered wood fly off into the humid summer air. lee’s arm reached back to grab you, quickly bringing the two of you behind the car as the barrel of a shotgun pointed itself at the pair of you. her chest heaved, as did yours. you looked over at her, the words how? on your lips, but now wasn’t the time to question her newfound clairvoyance.

“now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

a man’s voice spoke, the same steps you’d just been standing on moments ago creaking as you watched his old boots slowly make their way over to the car. you both moved as quietly as you could to the other side of the car, lee pulling out her gun while you stayed pressed against her side. your hand remained on your holster, the eery silence falling over you. you were almost glad he’d made it easy. given himself up so fast. the other part of you was wishing you never made your way here today, out in the middle of nowhere. it would take at least half an hour to get back up, maybe even more knowing the competence of the local police. lee gestured to the side of the house, ready to make a move before the situation could escalate further.

you grabbed a rock from beneath the car, trying to make sure the suspect didn’t see you as you threw it toward the opposite side of the house when he wasn’t looking.

“go, go.”

you whispered, you and lee moving as quiet as possible as you pressed yourselves against the side of the house. you slowly moved behind her, making your way behind the house to try and disarm the suspect as quickly as you could. you could hear his footsteps, the crunch of leaves beneath his feet. you tried to avoid any branches on the ground as you finally neared the corner.

lee raised her gun, aimed at the suspect as you pointed yours to the ground next to her.

“my name is special agent harker with the fbi, please drop your weapon now and get down on the ground.”

the man turned around, gun pointed directly at lee as you began to move in front of her. she reached out, stopping you, as he looked between the two of you.

“i’m not letting the fucking feds take me down for this.”

he shouted, moving closer as the two of you took a step back.

“put the gun down now and no one has to get hurt.”

you spoke, earning a scoff from the man as he shook his head.

“no one has to get hurt? do you think i’m fucking stupid? i know how this works. you guys turn me in and i get the fucking chair.”

you and lee shared a look, sweat forming on your hairline as you cocked your gun.

“listen, all you have to do is drop the gun and we’ll make sure you’re treated fairly at the penitentiary.”

you spoke once more, watching as lee’s grip tightened on her weapon. it was a lie, of course. once he was arrested and processed, the two of you had no part in his sentencing, where he’d be sent. all you had control over was this very moment. but a convincing lie was the difference between making it back to the bureau to tell the story or not.

you watched as he hesitated, eyes twitching and jaw clenching as his knuckles turned white against the metal of the gun. it was almost slow motion as he turned the gun at lee, raising it as his fingers inched toward the trigger. you both sensed what would come next as you grabbed lee, the two of you tumbling to the ground as a shot echoed through the air. birds were sent flying off the fence as he missed, you rolling off of lee as she leaned up on her elbows, disheveled.

you took your opportunity before he thought about redeeming himself, shooting the suspect in the knee as he fell to the ground. you made your way over to his side, kicking the gun away from him as lee finally stood and walked toward you. you pushed your hair out of your face, standing up as you looked over at lee.

“we can lock him in the car until backup comes. i’ll radio it in-”

“we should search the house.”

lee spoke, unnerving tone as he looked at the back door. the black screen made it nearly impossible to see inside, but even you felt the chill that ran up your spine.

GOOD MEN DIE TOO

SO I’D RATHER BE WITH YOU.

after the long processing, giving your statements to the local police and assessing the reports down at the station, the two of you finally made your way into the cheap sheets of the hotel bed.

lee’s head tilted back against the headboard as she exhaled, the low crackle of her cigarette and the quiet sound of the tv filling your senses. her fingers rested on your forearm, tracing delicate patterns while your head rested against her chest. you felt the rise and fall of her breathing, the way she toyed with the strands of your hair. you were still a bit shaken, sure, but it put your mind at ease to be able to have this. have her.

the drapes were opened slightly in your room, just enough so that you could see the sunset. you looked up at her, hand holding the fabric of the white tank top lee had changed into.

“see that?”

you spoke, hands softly holding her jaw to turn toward the door. she hummed, looking out at the sky before pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

“yeah, i do.”

you smiled softly, leaning back to press a kiss to her jaw, her hand against your ribcage. this was all you’d ever need.

[cuubism]

some (semi)crack-treated-seriously for @magnusbae, featuring Hob (accidentally) rescuing Dream, the awkwardness of summoning your naked crush into your living room, and Hob being absolutely ride or die and ready to kill people at a moment's notice

---

It was pure luck that brought Hob to the antiquities sale. Later, he would wonder if perhaps Fortune herself was also an entity, and had been looking out for the Dreams which so often brought her to fruition.

Hob found the poster for the thing by chance when he stumbled over a curb on his way home and nearly faceplanted into a lamppost. And it was similarly by chance that Hob was available that night. By chance, it was not far from his home. So many moments of happenstance stacking up into a bit of luck he’d be grateful for for the rest of his life.

Hob was always interested in any supposed magical artifacts. He knew that magic of some kind existed – no matter that his Stranger refused to tell him anything about himself, Hob was well-aware that he was not human and held powers of some kind – but it could be hard to discern real from fake. Hence, his habit of attending whatever strange auctions might pop up – more for curiosity’s sake than for the need to buy anything.

This sale was different.

This sale had something Hob recognized.

He froze in front of the display case, grip going tight around his glass of wine. Behind the glass panels of the case, a familiar ruby pendant glimmered. It caught the light strangely, reflecting prismatic bursts of rainbow in obliquely wrong directions, and that alone would have immediately alerted Hob to its not being a normal ruby even if he hadn’t been intimately familiar with its proper owner.

Where the hell was his Stranger?

Hob had only seen the man—being—six times, and therefore couldn’t make a wholesale judgment that he never went anywhere without the ruby, but he knew for sure the Stranger wouldn’t have let it wind up here, about to be delivered into the hands of any asshole with enough money.

So where was he?

Disturbed, Hob returned to his seat, waiting for the sale to start. He was tempted to simply break the glass and take the gem, but getting arrested wasn’t particularly on his list of fun things to do on a night out. So he’d have to do things the legal way.

One benefit of being extremely old: Hob had a lot of money to throw around. And while something in him rankled at having to buy something that was clearly stolen from his friend, he had bigger concerns.

Concerns that rattled around his mind as he walked home, ruby tucked safely in his pocket. Concerns whose screaming rose to a fever pitch as he sat down at his kitchen table, looking at his Stranger’s gem under the lemony kitchen lights.

It felt warm in his hands, the cut edges of the gemstone surprisingly smooth. The crimson at the heart of the jewel’s many faces was full-bodied as an old wine and deep as the sea; easy to get lost in.

Hob tore his attention away, looking instead at the empty apartment. The pendant chain pressed into his hands as he held it tighter, the jewel growing ever-warmer between his palms.

“Where are you, Stranger?” he murmured to himself. Hob had no way to contact him, and there were forty years yet before they were meant to meet – if his Stranger even decided to show up. “I hope you’re alright; I hope this”—he squeezed the gem—“doesn’t mean something horrible’s happened.”

He sighed. “If only you were here.”

The room shifted around him, like Hob had taken two steps backward in time and changed direction. Hob might not have even noticed if he hadn’t been staring absently in the direction of the living room at the precise moment that his Stranger appeared on the couch.

Hob jumped so high he banged his knee on the underside of the table. His Stranger seemed equally baffled, looking at his own hands, touching the fabric of the couch as if unsure it was real, then finally looking up at Hob with wide eyes.

Hob stared back at him, breath quickening. Somehow—he could only assume—the magic ruby had fulfilled his wish and summoned his Stranger here, but why was he naked? Oh God, this was Hob’s fault for having one too many… uh… dreams—

“Hob Gadling,” murmured his Stranger, voice hoarse but with wonder in it. “You have rescued me.”

“How?” This was all a lot to take in, but Hob went over to him anyway, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapping it around his bare shoulders. It was unnerving to see him so… unrefined. Disheveled. Hair a mess and body unprotected. “Wait, rescued from what?”

His Stranger’s gaze zeroed in on the ruby, still lying on the kitchen table. Hob wondered if he might be angry, but he just tilted his head in curiosity. “Now, just where did you come across that?”

“Um.” Hob forcibly tore his attention from the narrow line of his Stranger’s neck and shoulders – had he always been that thin under all those fine clothes? Had he eaten at all recently? Rescued from where? – and back to the gemstone. “Bought it. Just a few hours ago. No idea where it was before that. Knew it was yours, though. But no way to get it back to you.” Shit, he was rambling.

“And you used its power to summon me.”

Hob rubbed at the back of his neck. “That… wasn’t intentional. Though, I mean, probably would’ve been if I’d known you needed summoning.”

His Stranger stood, walking on wobbling legs – again, Hob wondered with deepening concern, rescued from where – blanket wrapped around him like a cape, to pick up the ruby from the table. A shudder ran through him as soon as he touched it and he seemed to stand straighter, taller. “How did you use it?”

“Just— just wished you were here so I could make sure nothing horrible had happened.”

His Stranger’s mouth tipped up into that tiny, fond smile Hob had seen so rarely but missed so dearly. “So you could make sure nothing horrible had happened?”

“Hey, you yourself just said you were rescued. Was I wrong?”

“No.” His voice was resigned now. He turned back to Hob, still holding the ruby. It looked far more fitting in his elegant hands than in Hob’s. “You have pulled me from an unjust imprisonment, and recovered one of my tools. I owe you a great debt.”

“You owe me nothing, friend.” Hob cringed internally as the word slipped out, but his Stranger didn’t deny him this time. “I would do it again. Though I’m still not entirely sure what I did.”

His Stranger sat down at the kitchen table. He must have been exhausted, mustn’t he? Who knew how long he’d been imprisoned. God.

Feeling restless at the thought, Hob busied himself making tea, as his Stranger explained, “The ruby contains some of my power. In the hands of humans, it can… bend certain happenings. I am grateful it was not in your possession for longer; it has the tendency to drive men mad.”

Great, Hob thought, of course it does. Kind of like you, my friend. Not that Hob had ever claimed not to be mad, from the start. “Does it usually summon whole beings, though?”

“No. It is curious… I will have to explore this more at a later time.”

Hob placed two cups of tea on the table, nudging one towards his stranger until he, reluctantly, took it. Though as soon as his skin touched the warm ceramic, he wrapped his fingers tightly around it.

“Are you alright though, my friend?” Hob asked, sipping on his own tea. He kept his tone low, casual, gentle, anything not to scare him off. But could he be scared off? Could he actually do whatever sort of quick, magical departure he usually did to disappear before Hob could possibly follow him out of the White Horse? The thought that he might not have the power for it made Hob a little sick to his stomach. “I don’t know the circumstances of this… imprisonment… but I would like to know if you’re alright.”

“I am… alright,” said his Stranger, in a tone Hob did not believe whatsoever, “but I am yet to be truly free. Your use of the ruby sprung me from Burgess’s glass prison, and restored some of my powers, but the binding circle remains intact. Without breaking it, I am bound here.”

Hob gripped his mug so hard it started to burn his fingers. Fuck whoever this Burgess guy was. And he knew, just knew, that his Stranger was downplaying by several orders of magnitude how awful it had been. What gave this guy the gall to capture a being like his Stranger, a being so beyond their mortal plane?

A being so… exquisite. So independent. So free.

“So you have to head back to break it, is what you’re saying?” Hob asked, shaking himself.

“Yes.”

“Well, alright, then,” said Hob, taking a fortifying gulp of his tea. “Then I’m coming with you.”

His Stranger looked—to the extent he ever made such an expression—alarmed. “No.”

“Yes. I’m not letting you walk back into a place you were imprisoned with no backup.” Hob crossed his arms. “As you may know, I’m a fair hand with all manner of weaponry.”

The stubbornness settling on his Stranger’s face ceded into amusement. “I am sure.”

“So that’s settled, then.”

His Stranger didn’t protest again. Hob wondered when the last time was that anybody had tried to help him. How long had he been in there?

“If you come along, you may not like what you see,” cautioned his Stranger.

“Are you saying you’re going to wreak horrible vengeance on them? Cause yeah, I’d hope so. You better save one for me, though.”

Again, his Stranger looked startled, but Hob just grinned.

“So, are we going now, or do you want a fortifying supper first?”

His Stranger was starting to look as whiplashed as Hob had felt when he’d suddenly appeared. “You would… feed me… supper?”

“Can’t go around killing people on an empty stomach.” Besides, Hob thought, more tenderly, you look like you need some care.

But his Stranger shook his head, coming back to himself. “We must not tarry. I do not know how my realm has fared in my absence.”

“We’ll grab a meal later, then,” Hob said easily, and was rewarded with a tiny nod and smile.

He stood, and offered his Stranger a hand up. Their gazes met, and Hob caught a glimpse of that same wonder he’d seen briefly before, when his friend had just been summoned. Confusion and hope at having a hand held out to him. Hob just smiled at him in return.

After a moment, the Stranger took Hob’s hand, pulling himself to his feet with a strength Hob hadn’t expected after such an imprisonment. He clasped the ruby pendant around his neck, and it lay gleaming against his bare sternum. Hob suddenly had to look away.

“We should, ah.” He had to pause to cough, and could just see his Stranger smirking out of the corner of his eye, the devil. “We should probably get you some trousers first.”

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Hey there! Sorry for the many questions about this 😅🙏

Regarding BSD x SAGAU, is Reader is scared of their own reflection because of the resemblance to the Fake Creator? How do they deal with this fear? Did they initially break mirrors, possibly resulting in injuries, or did they choose to avoid mirrors altogether from the beginning?

How does the fear of their own reflection impact the Reader's daily life and interactions with others? Are there specific events or experiences that triggered this fear, or has it been a persistent concern for the Reader? Are there any rituals or coping mechanisms the Reader has developed to manage their fear of mirrors? How do other characters perceive or react to the Reader's struggle with their reflection? Does the fear extend to other reflective surfaces, like water or glass, or is it specifically tied to mirrors?

About reflections

_____

Reader aren't afraid of their reflection. But, they were nervous about showing emotions near mirrors (Fake Creator were quite expressive during Reader's trial).

Reader try not to look in the mirrors, while showing any kind of emotions and froze every time, when they saw their emotional reflection in the mirror.

They try to keep their face still, while looking in a mirror.

They also can't talk to anyone, while looking in a mirror. Reader can't help, but show emotions, while talking to BSD Cast, so, in that case, the reflection would scare them.

BSD Cast noticed that and carefully tried to help Reader.

And kids were the ones, who succeed.

While adults were trying to be careful near you, kids offered Reader to make funny faces together with them. At first, there were no mirrors, and kids and Reader were looking only at each other. But, after few games, Elise offered to use a mirror in game. At first, the Reader was closing their eyes, while making silly faces in the mirror.

After few more games, Elise offered another bit in a game. One person will sit with closed eyes, others will draw something on their face with special paint and this person will make a funny face and open their eyes before the mirror.

Reader, who, at that point, gathered all their courage, also participated.

And, when they saw their reflection, they can't contain their laughter. Kids just wrote "I pay taxes and made faces in a mirror" on Reader's forehead. The absurdity of the situation made Reader laughed, while looking at their reflection.

After that, Reader's fear of seeing 'emotional' reflection disappeared.

_____

Tag list: @withered-blossoms , @myluckymoon @cocodrilofeliz @c4xcocoa @vvyeislazzy @whisperingwinters

[baby-yongbok]

Poetry

Chapter One - Last Copy

Hyunjin x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, the kind that makes you blush a little.

Word Count: 1,433

A/N: Hyunjin's airport outfit got me thinking so I just wrote this cute little thing real quick! I'm thinking about making it another mini series so let me know if you want a part two! I'm putting way too much on my plate but I can't help it 😭

Summary: You meet a cute stranger at your favorite bookstore cafe.

Part Two

✧Poetry Series Masterlist✧ ✧Main Masterlist✧

You browsed the shelves for your favorite poet's new release. You were determined to buy it in both paperback and hardcover before it went flying off the shelves. You skim the spines of the many books searching for the poet’s name when you finally come across it. A wide smile paints your face as you reach for the final hardcover copy, that smile quickly drops when your hand collides with one of a stranger next to you. You must've been so focused that you hadn't noticed him. 

"Pardon me." He apologizes softly, slightly bowing his head towards you. 

"No no, it's alright. I should've been paying attention." The two of you stand there glancing between each other and the book for a second too long before he breaks the silence. 

"You reached for it three seconds before me so you should have it." The tall man grins down at you as he picks up the book and holds it out to you. "I can always get it online. "

"Oh no, it's fine! I can just buy the paperback." You give him a kind grin and his lips pull into a thin line. 

"Well then you really should take this then because I just picked up the last paperback." A quiet chuckle leaves his lips as he holds it up momentarily for you to see. You can't help but smile and giggle a bit as you push a strand of hair behind your ear. 

"Ah, okay, well in that case how could I turn down a hard cover of my favorite poet?" You take the book from him and start to study it immediately. You sigh happily as you run your fingers over the cover, taking in every detail. "I love their book design. Every single one is so unique and fresh, it really reflects their work perfectly." 

"I agree, I think that the use of abstract art on the cover is a beautiful touch." You smile up at him again and this time you take a moment to study his features. His jet black hair is in a half up half down style and his circle lens glasses compliment his shining eyes perfectly. Not to mention his pink lips and structured jaw which are the icing on a very handsome cake. You take in his black sweater and matching black pants, his style is very attractive and from the looks of his Versace necklace very expensive. 

"I think so too, it's one of the things that drew me to them." He grins down at you and shakes his head slightly. He tilts his head to the side a bit before letting the tip of his tongue dip out of his mouth and skate across his bottom lip. You notice his eyes wandering over your frame and for some reason the action is welcomed by you. You don't feel uncomfortable in the slightest. He catches himself staring and suddenly holds his hand out to you. 

"I'm Hyunjin by the way." You blush slightly as you grin up at him.

"Y/n" He smiles at your name and you can't help but to look down at your feet for a second. Your hands stay together in a handshake for a few seconds too long before you let go. 

"Well, Y/n, uh I was actually about to sit at the Cafe up front and get started on this book... Would you maybe want to sit with me? We can share our thoughts on it. That is if you aren't busy or anything." He pulls his lips into a thin line and the tips of his ears turn a bit red as his nerves start to get to him. You smile blushing a bit yourself. 

"I um.. I actually think that I'd like that a lot." He smiles as he pushes up his glasses and looks away towards the bookshelf for a second, most likely to stop himself from smiling like an idiot, not like it matters though, at this point the blush covering both of your cheeks is a dead give away to your excitement. 

"Great, after you." You shake your head and turn on your heels leading the way over to the Cafe where the two of you stare at the menu. "I don't know why I'm even looking, I get the same thing every time." 

You chuckle as your eyes land on exactly what you'd like. "What's that?" 

"An iced americano and a white cream latte." You furrow your brows towards him curiously. 

"Two coffees?" He blushes a bit, bringing his hand to the back of his neck and scratching softly 

"I may have a caffeine problem." He chuckles a bit and you follow suit. "What would you like? It's on me."

"Oh no, you don't have to."

"I insist." He smiles down at you with bright and excited eyes and you feel yourself melt a bit. 

"I suppose I can't turn down free refreshments" You step forward towards the cashier and start your order, once you're done Hyunjin adds his items and he reaches into his pocket to pull out his Versace wallet. Who exactly is this guy? He has very expensive taste. You watch as he skims the many cards in his wallet and your face heats up a bit when he pulls out a black card. Okay, no really who is this guy? 

"Wanna find us a table?" He asks as he stuffs his wallet back into his pocket. You nod in agreement and quickly retreat to your favorite table in the back corner of the cafe. You get comfortable, crossing your legs indian style and leaning back against the plush booth. You take your phone out of your purse to briefly check your messages but before you could reply to anyone Hyunjin approaches with a tray full of refreshments. 

"Here we go." He sits across from you, serving you your items from the tray. 

"Thank you very much." You smile as you take your mug and bring it up to your lips briefly, taking a sip. You smile to yourself as you let the warmth of your drink surge through you. 

"So, Y/n, do you come here often?" Hyunjin asks as he sips his Americano and you can't help but to chuckle

"Really? You used that line?" He grins slightly but it quickly turns into a smile and a quiet embarrassed laugh as his fingers caress the skin of his neck. 

"I'm sorry, I guess I’m a little rusty. I honestly don't talk to alluring women such as yourself often..I'm usually quite reserved? Kind of the shy type socially.”

You smile and you can feel a blush creeping up on your cheeks. " I could say the same.. I don't talk to alluring men very often. I only read about them."

Hyunjin smiles, his fingers interlacing as he brings them up towards his face and leans in towards you. "Call me crazy but I have a feeling that you'll be more interesting than any book I've ever read."

Okay, you're definitely blushing now. "Yeah? I think I could say the same about you." 

Hyunjin looks down at his lap with a wide smile, He licks his lips before grabbing his coffee and takes a long sip before looking back up at you with flushed cheeks. 

"So, do you come here often? Because if you do I will too." You tilt your head to the side slightly with a curious eyebrow raised. 

"Is that right?"

"I wouldn't lie to you." He mimics your curious demeanor. 

"I come here at least once a week." He shakes his head as he picks up his drink.

"Looks like I need to change my schedule." You smile as you take a piece of the cinnamon roll that you ordered with your tea. 

"Looks like you do." You both hold a smile as your eyes search each other's.

"So... this book, how about I read it to you?" 

"You want to read me poetry?" He nods confidently as he reaches for your copy of the book. "You just want to touch the hardcover."

"That is true, you caught me" a playful smile pulls at his lips and you smile back, crossing your arms as you lean forward and rest your elbows on the table. 

"Hm, fine but if you damage it you owe me a new copy."

"Deal." He smiles as he opens the book and you watch as his long slim fingers flip through the pages. "Alright, ready?"

You pick up your mug and take a sip before grinning and smiling towards him. 

"Ready"

♡ Next Chapter ➟

[honeygrahambitch]

One for sorrow, two for joy

Plot: Will and Hannibal are having a difficult but very needed conversation the day before the birth of their surrogate child.

"Hello." Will said as he sat next to Hannibal on the porch of their house. The sun was casting its final rays before completely hiding before the mountains. "Just so you know, we are not the worst parents on earth because we don't have a name for our kid. I've read many stories where parents just knew exactly when they saw their baby for the first time. And that will be our case as well."

Hannibal had been out there sitting on his own for most of the day, which was exactly why Will had decided to join him with two glasses of white wine. Hannibal accepted his in silence. He didn't say anything to Will's encouraging words.

Will looked properly at his face only when he heard a sniff followed by a deep sigh, filled with sorrow.

He freaked out for a split second, seeing the tears run down his cheeks, knowing it was a rare sight.

"Do you know when we will be the worst parents?" Will asked, guiding Hannibal's head to rest on his shoulder. "When we won't like her first boyfriend. Or her second. Or third. Fuck it, none of them will be good enough. Or when we will say "no" when she will want to go to a promiscuous party. But I promise that when we meet her tomorrow, we will just know exactly what to call her."

Hannibal let out another sniff and Will could actually feel his tears on his shirt. "I thought I knew what name would be perfect for her." He said eventually.

"And I told you I'm down with calling her Mischa if that's what you feel." He replied softly as he let his own head rest on Hannibal's.

"After doing some self-reflection, I realized I don't want that for her. She shouldn't carry my regrets." He said, his gaze following a magpie trying to build a nest in the pine tree which was shading their house. "Every time I would look at her, I would think of my sister." Hannibal said as he let out a soft sob. "I want her to be her own person, not to grow up in the shade of someone else who already carries so much weight."

"What else is on your mind?" Will asked empathetically after a few seconds.

"During the last years I knew that if we had a daughter I would definitely name her Mischa. I figured I would do that only to give myself the delusion of having her next to me again." Hannibal said. "Or maybe I need some sort of closure that I won't get. Truth is, I need to let her go. It's been too long."

"You know, you don't have to let her go. She is not here but she is still your sister. And she will always be. You don't need a physical reminder to get your closure. And we will make sure our daughter knows about her."

Hannibal let out another sob as he buried his face in Will's shoulder.

"There are days when I feel haunted by my own regrets." Hannibal whispered. Will knew. He had learnt to read his every expression and gesture in time.

"I also feel haunted oftentimes. But then you say something stupid like "Will, have you missplaced the corkskrew again?" And all my ghosts are gone."

Hannibal laughed bitterly for the first time that evening.

"I'm sorry, your own nerves must be wrecked as well because of tomorrow." Hannibal said as he lifted his head off Will's shoulder and wiped his tears.

"Pretty wrecked. But seeing my husband weeping tears on the porch is a rare sight. Poetic in fact."

"I'm envious of you." Hannibal said, finally taking a sip from his glass. "You're managing your emotions better than I do."

"Am I? I woke up at 5 and took apart the washing machine piece by piece because yesterday it made a subtle but weird sound. By noon it was in one piece again. Then I reorganized my lures. Then I reorganized all your spices."

"Pardon?" Hannibal asked as he suddenly turned his head towards Will.

"I was surprised you haven't noticed me spending an unusual amount of time in the kitchen, sitting on the counter and labeling spices. Some of them I had no idea what they were so I drew a question mark instead."

"I..." Hannibal started but didn't know what to say, amused by Will's coping methods. "You didn't touch my suits, did you?"

"No, I am not a psychopath. I did want to organize your ties based on warm and color tones. But I decided I wanted to be alive by tomorrow."

Will clinked his glass against Hannibal's and this time, he was the one to rest his head on his shoulder.

"And we are supposed to raise a child." Hannibal said as a conclusion. "Sorry I avoided you the whole day. I was completely unaware you took the whole house apart. You must have had a lot on your mind."

"It's not like you were doing better. But this" Will said gesturing to where they were sitting"-is a lot better than labeling your spices."

"I agree."

The sun was completely gone, a purple shade coloring the horizon. The lonely magpie was soon joined by a second one, who was carrying some straws as well, probably helping with the nest.

[dullgecko]

Bad little kids

Gorgug: The only time Gorgug’s parents have ever put their hands on him was when he was about to touch scolding hot iron. It was just a quick panicked wrist swat that was immediately regretted by Wilma but Gorgug was so in shock he just started crying because all he knew is that he hit things when he was mad, so that must mean she’s mad at him.

Riz: Riz had an imaginary friend that looked eerily familiar to Baron. This Baron (at the time named something else.) They used to watch Scooby-doo together, solves “cases” together. They were best friends. Riz didn’t even notice the similarities between the old friend and Baron until Baron brought up their “past”.

Fabian: Was taught to swim by being enthusiastically thrown into the pool everyday and being cheered on by Bill. It worked on after awhile, But during the time he was still figuring it out, he would randomly launch himself into the pool as if he’d magically learn how to swim. This led to a couple instances of him almost drowning, but it didn’t stop him.

Fig: Didn’t know Gilear had a name other than ‘dad’ until someone asked what her dad’s name was. She had no idea, she knew people called him things that weren’t dad but she never really paid attention to that. That same day she asked him and was flabbergasted upon finding out his name was ‘Gilear’

Kristen: Wanted to take dance lessons, she loved to dance even if she was terrible at it (low dex). She asked her parents to sign her up for it but apparently she had too go to church on the days that they were available. It got worse after she was chosen, she didn’t have time for anything. All those speeches and talking to the priests and trying to contact Helio, she eventually kind of forgot about it.

Wilma and Digby sit Gorgug down and apologise so much. Explain that they didnt mean to hit him but they were in a panic because he was about to do something that would hurt him and that they'd never do it again. It's the beginning of them teaching him that he also shouldnt hit things when he's mad, even if he really really wants to, because he could hurt someone accidentally and they'd feel like he did when Wilma accidentally hit him. It goes a long way to helping Gorgug get good control over his anger.

------------------------

Riz still sees Baron sometimes, out of the corner of his eye or in reflective surfaces. Its not all the time, but sometimes when he's tired and he's stressed the nightmare creature is able to manifest a little more strongly than before.

On one of his late nights in junior year he's sitting in his living room, trying to get through his homework and also check some of his friends at the same time. He's exhausted and bordering on delerious but once he's done he's planning on actually going to sleep.

The television is off but is reflecting the room around it on the blackened screen, Riz is too tired to flinch when a boney finger taps on the other side of the screen. Barons face materialising out of the darkness and making the glass bend outwards slightly as he presses against it from the inside.

"Perhaeps you should taek a break Riz Gukgak~ Let me free from your briefcaes and we can waetch some caretoons together liek we used to."

He's not going to make the same mistake he did the first time he saw Baron, breaking the glass would only set it free and thats what it wants. Riz gets up off the floor slowly, walks over to the boxy old television, and flips it around so the screen is facing the wall before going back to his homework. The move is effective, no more reflective surface means no more Baron means he can get this shit done and go to sleep.

Its only in the morning that he pieces together what Baron actually said and he has a little bit of a crisis about it.

--------------------------------

Bill was lucky Cathilda was basically Fabians shadow when he was a little boy. On MANY an occasion she had to dive into the pool and haul him out because he'd sunk like a stone and wasnt coming back up. He worked it out eventually, but still enjoyed it when his dad randomly hurled him into the pool to test if he could swim yet.

---------------------

As soon as Fig found out her dads name was Gilear she never called him anything else. She would correct people all the time whenever they were talking about her dad without using his name too.

--------------------

Kristens dex is STILL terrible but once Fabian started learning how to dance she begged him to teach her some. She's still absoloutly terrible and they have to make sure nothing breakable is in the room but she can do a couple simple dances without doing too much damage now. There are some songs that give Fabian PTSD flashbacks from their lessons now though.

[call-sign-shark]

Heaven in Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC

Summary: All it took was one phone call and one visit from Ada to destroy the paradise Arthur had spent one full year building. No matter what he does, his past crimes always seem to catch up with him. Now that you are in danger, he decides to come back to Birmingham and handle the Changretta problem without you.

Words: 5,3K

TW: Angst, canonical description of violence, smut, foreplay, masturbation, self-harm, from the end of this chapter the story will take a darker turn. You've been warned.

Notes:

✞ Based off EP1 S4 of Peaky Blinders but contains many changes and variations for the sake of this series' plot.

✞ Each act features two chapters with smut in it, and they all serve the story's purpose. No more.

✞ Heaven is OP's original character but written with the use of « you » (Moodboard here).

PREVIOUS || Masterlist || NEXT CHAPTER

When Ada’s piercing eyes finally caught sight of the house’s roof through the trees’ thick foliage, she sighed relieved. While the landscape was breathtaking, the walk from her car to the front door had been tedious despite the short distance. In fact, the only way to access the house was to walk a sloped dirt road leading the visitors up to the hill’s summit — which was an almost impossible task to do when wearing classy high heels as was Ada’s case. Arthur did not lie when he said they were living far from the city. The young Shelby sister quickly wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and knocked at the door. She was welcomed by the sight of Arthur, whose magnificent steel blue eyes lit up when he saw his sister, delighted to see her. But far from a courtesy visit, the words that left her mouth broke their siblings' reunion. Like red-hot blades, they slashed Arthur’s hopes of straying away from his gangster life.

All the quietness and peace he had built throughout the year, rendering his anger outbursts less frequent, shattered like a glass smashed on concrete under the power of one sole visit from Ada and her bitter statement: the family was in danger.

No.

You were in danger.

And it was all his fault.

Something had changed in Arthur when he came back from his little talk with Ada. He had barely stepped into the house when you noticed how all the muscles of his body were tensed and how his facial features had turned into a colder expression.

“Arthur.” It has been the third time you called him, but each previous attempt had been left without any reply or reaction. Slumped on the sofa, the oldest Shelby brother was staring at an invisible spot on the wall facing him, his eyes blank and his fingers nervously taping on the left armrest. At first, you thought he just needed a bit of time with himself to swallow the visible bad news he had received from his sister, but two days had passed and now his behavior was starting to worry you.

“Arthur Shelby Jr.” You called with stricter tone this time.

All of sudden, your voice cleared the black fog of his mind and brought him back to reality. Arthur blinked several times as if he could shoo his messy thoughts away by batting his eyelashes, and finally raised his piercing blue eyes toward your graceful frame, that was standing in front of him with its arms crossed. At the serious expression on your doll face, he nervously moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, his gaze not shifting from you one sole second. God, how gorgeous you were in your silk nightgown, as white as your hair and adorned with complex laces. That was the first thought that had crossed his mind when his gaze fell on you. In truth, he would have probably pinned you to the wall and made your legs shake until you could not walk straight anymore if he hadn’t been plagued by the dreadful news Ada brought upon your harmonious life “Eh, I know…” He started, slightly raising his almost empty whiskey glass towards you, “I shouldn’t be drinking.” He admitted, before lowering his eyes to look at his own reflection in the alcohol. With one small movement from the wrist, he made the amber liquid softly spin in the glass. Arthur was still traumatized by Linda’s constant snarky remarks and humiliations each time he was indulging in whisky, that was why he had felt the need to justify himself now that you saw him drink alone.

“You don’t need my permission to drink, Cheri.” You replied with a soft voice, as soft as a feather’s caress on his poor aching soul. You were definitely not like his former wife: he could do whatever he wanted as long as it wasn’t taking drugs or cheating. That had always been the tacit deal between both of you when things got serious — and to be honest, you had feared the first temptation far greater than the second until you realized that Arthur’s new favorite drug was you.

Your crystal irises had been observing the slightest trait of his face with slightly furrowed brows for one solid minute when you finally let out a little sigh and slid one long ivory strand of hair behind your ear, “I’m just worried. You haven’t eaten anything nor slept for two days straight.” Worst, he had been hugging you tight, burying his face in your breasts and trembling like a leaf because of panic attacks for the last two nights.

“Worried? Eh, no need to be worried, love. Cm’here.” He replied with a little smile, moving one of his long leg to invite you to have a sit on him.

Arthur did try his best not to make you feel anxious but the truth was he was literally unable to hide something from his beloved wife even if he had wished to shield you from it. He had been mulling the news over for days and nights, and it was starting to eat him alive.

You walked to him without further ado, your hips graciously swinging to the rhythm of your steps, and finally sat on his lap. Once you straddled him, you wrapped your arms around his neck and gently rested your forehead against his as you usually did. Arthur let out a sigh of relief as your bodies found each other again, his hands grabbing your hips in an almost bruising grip. He was often a bit blunt, but how much you loved his possessive and suffocating way of touching was indescribable, “Ye didn’t know how much I needed it, eh.” Arthur’s husky voice mumbled, referring to his obsessive and desperate need to constantly have physical contact with you, “How much I needed your touch.” His steel-blue irises dived into yours, losing themselves in the vastness of the frozen ocean that constituted your eyes. He could have stayed like this for eternity, hypnotized by your beauty and lulled by the oh-so-tender way you had slipped your fingers in his hair to gently scratch the shaven back of his head.

“There. I finally see a smile!” You faintly teased him, “Not that I dislike that adorable grumpy face of yours.”

Nothing much had changed since your wedding day, except for your family name and the regular discussions about trying for a baby, all nestled in each other’s arms in your bed with Kaiser sleeping near, in front of the fireplace. In truth, it has been a miracle you were not already pregnant considering Arthur’s stamina and unquenchable desire. The thing was you never left the honeymoon stage despite living together. Against all odds, Arthur Shelby was a sweet and caring husband. He never missed an opportunity to bring you gifts, whether expensive clothes, jewels, or just little flowers he picked on his way back home because it was pretty and made you think about you. Moreover, he had this ability to always manage to find awe in your daily routine, the last example of it being him spending hours observing you and discreetly drawing your frame in his sketchbook because he had spotted you swimming naked in the nearby lake, and was star-stricken by such a divine vision. He had felt like an incredibly lucky Greek artist catching sight of the most stunning nymph the Gods had ever created. Little you knew, his sketchbook was filled with portraits and doodles of you he was too ashamed of to show you. Not that he wanted to keep them for himself, but Arthur always ended up frustrated not being able to properly translate your mesmerizing and ethereal beauty on paper.

Besides your idyllic and peaceful domestic life far from gangster’s troubles, Arthur had also opened a small garage and fixed cars for a living, even if his past activities with the Peaky Blinders gave him enough money to live comfortably without working. But Arthur was surprisingly handy when his patience did not fail him, and he genuinely loved to fix cars — what had been his surprise when you reacted with joy and kissed him tenderly the day he suggested the idea, for Linda never allowed him to do so.

Regarding your own occupation, you had simply followed your mother’s path and worked as both a herbalist and healer — the second occupation being known among people only through word of mouth. That was what your life looked like prior to Ada’s unexpected visit two days ago. Yet, when she left, Arthur’s eyes had turned into a darker shade, the same one he had when he was in Birmingham dirtying his hands on Tommy’s orders.

“Arthur, love. You really need to tell me what’s the matter with your sister…” You gently asked, your fingers still massaging his scalp and your juicy lips sprinkling honey pecks on the corner of his mouth from which the whisky bitterness could be tasted. But despite all your tenderness, your husband remained closed to the idea of sharing his concerns with you.

“It’s… A bit difficult to explain,” He mumbled, shutting his eyes tight, “I don’t want ye to panic or something. I can handle it and…”

“Please.” You cut him off, tightening your arms around him to pull him in a deeper hug. All his body finally relaxed a little bit when your fragile and frozen being collapsed with his, your breasts flattened against his chest and your hips firmly embracing his, “When we’ve met you told me that, from now, it was us against the rest of the world. Even if it was raining and the wind was blowing. You don’t have to face it all alone Arthur, no matter how awful or frightening it is. Let me fight it with you.” You pleaded, your lips grazing his with utter desire and genuine love.

“But I don’t want ye to be in danger.” Arthur finally admitted, reopening his gorgeous eyes to look at you. How much he hated not to share information with you, but Tommy told him it would be better if you ignored everything. Yet, the sensation of your mouth brushing his without kissing it soon stirred a bit of frustration in him. It had been enough to make him flip. With a grunt, he caught your lower lip between his teeth and gently sunk them into your soft flesh, to which you replied with a small surprised moan. Now that he got all your attention, he proceeded to kiss you almost furiously, his worries, dawning anger and blazing desire mixing together. His movements became blunter all of sudden, “I’ll fookin’ kill myself if something bad would happen to ye, eh,” He growled a bit louder against your mouth, his husky voice highlighted by an aggressive tone you hadn’t heard in one full year, “But I’ll destroy ‘em first, eh. These fookin’ wops won’t lay their fingers on ye. They won’t.” He repeated, his venomous anger wakening up slowly and coursing through his rusted veins. A little surprised whimper escaped from your mouth as Arthur’s tongue forced its way between your lips a bit too eagerly.

“Arthur —“

“Fookin’ bastards, how dare they eh?!” The gravel in his voice boomed louder, underlined with a palpable rage now. As he pestered, his mind spinning in a whirlpool of negativity, Arthur grabbed your wrist and led your hand between his legs, pressing it on his half-hardened shaft, for all his brutal emotions more than often led to sex when you were around. It was his, as well as your, way to release tension, “How dare they threaten me eh?” The tall gangster started to breathe loudly through his nose as his rage was increasing. All he needed was the smallest sparkle for him to explode. While he kept your wrist in one hand, his other one ran up your thighs in a rough caress to lift your nightgown eagerly, “Shift these panties, woman.” He said a bit more aggressively than intended, maddened by the overwhelming urge to feel your wet slit all around him. Growling, Arthur’s mouth worked its way down your neck to leave small red marks on your divine ivory skin.

“Arthur, no.” You breathed as you bite down a moan, doing your best to sound strict. As good as it felt, you did not want to give in now: getting distracted by rough sex was out of question, what you wanted was the truth first.

Arthur, no. As soon as your words left your tantalizing lips, they echoed in his head and were enough to snatch him from his violent thoughts. The tall gangster blinked and raised his slightly confused gaze to you, shocked by your vivid refusal. After all, you would usually let him ruin you whenever he needed it so why would you refuse? “You’re hurting me.” You reiterated with a sweeter tone now that you got his attention.

“Oh shit!” He released your wrist in response, guilt beating him down when he realized your skin was redden because of his grip, “I’m sorry…Oh, Angel, I’m bloody sorry…”

Still, you kept your hand there to his greatest surprise. The only difference was that your free fingers went for his cheek to bless him with soothing caresses to reassure him. As always, the cold sensation of your flesh against his managed to tame the wildfire that was burning in his soul, “Calm down...” Your voice was merely a whisper now, similar to the enchanting murmur of a siren singing in the far away distance, “Is this what you want?” You backed up a little bit on his lap to create a little gap between your hips so that you could get a better grip on his bulge. The palm of your hand started to languidly rub it.

“Heaven?” He gasped, the anger in his cold blue eyes suddenly turning into an astonished and beseeching look. But for Arthur Shelby no meant no, hence the fact he did not dare to touch you back, “Oh bloody hell, please…” He gritted through his teeth. As strong as he was, he felt his body weakened and his throat tightened with an unsufferable arousal.

“Now you tell me,” Leaving your sentence hanging, you grabbed him a bit stronger and he whimpered at your unexpected roughness. A long exhale escaped from his nostrils as he focused on both the electrifying sensation that shook his core and the enchanting sight of your lips he dreamt to fuck. Yet, Arthur gathered all his strength and willpower to remain calm, afraid you wouldn’t let him sink into your welcoming warmth if he misbehaved, “What happened with Ada?” You inquired, tilting your head on the side, “What did John tell you when he called you?”

“Eh… Nothing— Ah..” Arthur’s lips parted under the coiling pleasure when you tightened your grip on his shaft, “I— Can’t tell ye, love.”

“No, no. You’re going to tell me. Do you know why? Because you’re a good boy for your wife.” You cooed. Your almost chilling aquamarine irises were anchored in his, burning with an unflickering gleam of power and confidence. Sometimes Arthur wondered how such a delicate and fragile-looking angel like you could hide the seductive and fearful which you truly were. A witch to the others, a goddess to him — And how he liked both of those facets of you, feeding his dominant behavior but also fulfilling his more submissive tendencies when he needed to but was too ashamed to admit it. To be true, you both knew how to balance the power you hold over the other one, and tonight, you were clearly the one in charge, “Are you a good boy, Arthur Shelby?” You teased, one brow raised.

He clenched his fists around the sofa’s blanket in a desperate attempt to find a way to control himself for he almost cum at your praise, “I am…” Arthur slowly rolled his hips, “I’m a good boy for me wife…“ He replied, sucking in a sharp breath, with his quivering hoarse voice, “Please…” He growled in discomfort because his trousers had become far too tight. Nevertheless, you remained unmoved by his supplications and stopped moving your hand, waiting for an answer, “Alright! Alright… Im gonna tell ye!”

“I hope so.” You replied, kneading his bulge again.

“Ada and John told me we’ve all received a Black Hand.” He started, looking at you with impatience. Satisfied, you unbuckled his belt and let your hand work its way into his underwear to grab his hardened cock by its thick base and free it from his trouser. Arthur let out a loud groan, a drop of sweat beading on his forehead. Not only at the sensations but at the sight of your small fingers around his erection.

“What’s a Black Hand?” You kept asking all the while enjoying the sight of your husband’s enamored, begging, and fascinated gaze. He was looking at you, obliterating everything else, for only the words that came from your holy lips mattered.

“Oh fook, Angel… Touch me harder.” He begged in a trembling, almost broken voice. If there was one thing Arthur could not stand that was being teased. Thus it did not take much for you to have him wrapped around your finger. He suddenly bit his lower lip, eyes glistening with ruling passion, for the way the moonlight reflected through the window behind you created a heavenly halo around your head, “Touch me!” Another husky whine. The gangster rolled his hips eagerly, nails digging into the sofa’s fabric.

“Focus, Mon amour. The Black Hand. What is it?” You repeated, pressing a little kiss on his starving and slightly parted mouth while your hand started to jerk him off in slow up-and-down movements. At first, Arthur thought it would soothe the painful hardness of his cock but your far too languid movements only worsened it.

“Ah! The Black Hand yes. It’s a death threat from the Sicilian mafia. They send one to everyone they wanna — oh fook! — wanna kill…” He said through gritted teeth at the feeling of your thumb rubbing the glistening tip of his cock in circular motions, smearing precum on his skin. Arthur rolled his eyes, holding back a desperate cry as your hand pumped him in a way that brought him closer to heaven — or closer to hell, it was getting hard to tell.

“Why would they send you one?” You frowned, stroking a little bit faster.

“Oh bloody motherfucking hell!” He yelled, the gravel in his voice making the house shake as he threw his head back. Yet, he did not shut his eyes tight for looking at you while you masturbated him only strengthened his pleasure. He felt as if he was burning from within, “Cause I killed Changretta’s dad! I’ve put a fookin’ bullet through his skull. And now Tommy wants us to have an emergency reunion!” He spat very quickly, unable to stand it anymore. With a bit of luck, you’d allow him to spill himself now that he told you everything. Arthur let out an ashamed and submissive whimper, turned into a begging mess, “Let me cum! I’ll fookin’ beg on my knees if that’s what ye want! On my bloody knees, I will! but please… Please, Angel… I can’t take it anymore, oh God.”

“Tommy wants you back. Of course.” You winced, as if the bitterness of your own venom had exploded on your tastebuds, still caressing your man absentmindedly.

“Heaven…” He lamented, hiding his face in the crook of his arm, abandoning himself to the pleasure. Arthur moved his hips, trying to thrust his length in your fist in the hope of releasing himself but it wasn’t enough. The way you stroke him kept him at the edge of climax without allowing him to reach it and it was driving him crazy. Your focus shifted back to your husband, whose legs had started to shake like leaves in the wind.

You snapped back to the present moment,“ Oh Arthur,” You purred when you realized that your poor man had reached his limits but still tried to behave himself by not throwing you on the sofa and making you pay for teasing him. Bringing your face closer to his, you laid a myriad of kisses from his scarred throat up to the corner of his mouth, his mustache pleasantly scratching the skin of your face as you did, “Cum for me like the good boy you are.” You whispered in his ear, your siren-like voice intoxicating even more and causing him to whine no matter how hard he tried to bite it down… Goosebumps adorned your body at the arousing sight of Arthur, usually tough and rough, almost crying from pleasure and frustration. A little feverish sight escaped from your mouth, your walls clenching onto nothing. It was enough: he had been good and deserved some kind of relief. Hence, you finally stroked him how he wanted to be stroked, “I’m proud of you Arthur. So proud… Cum for me, my strong and lovely husband.” Your praises definitely got everything of him. Arthur’s fingers clenched so hard on the blanket that he almost tore it. He arched his back and the gravel in his voice chanted your name on repeat like he never did for any women, whores, or good girls, like a preacher imploring the mercy of his divinity. One minute later his cock throbbed in your palm before he finally released the tension in hot spurts of milky ropes in both your hand and your thighs. With a little satisfied smirk, you brought your fingers to your mouth and licked his release while looking at your shaking man.

“Christ…” He let out a long sigh, his body collapsing back on the sofa. The arm with which he hid his face fell limp after he tucked himself back in his trousers. Left as a panting mess, Arthur was trying to catch his breath while his half-closed eyes were still staring at you with a blissed-out gleam in their magnificent blue irises. But that extraordinary post-sex peace had to come to an end: the worst part of the discussion was awaiting. Arthur moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, stars still dangling in his vision, and, without the slightest warning, pulled you in a strong hug. His arms wrapped around you, pressing your ribs so hard you almost suffocated: He was afraid. Fucking afraid to lose you, “You need to stay here. Safe and sound.”

“Sorry?” You suddenly exclaimed, lowering your gaze toward him to ensure you understood correctly what he just said, “That’s absolutely out of question, Arthur. I’m coming with you back to Birmingham. We’ll go through this shit together and we’ll be back in our forest as soon as possible.” You said, your fingers gently fondling his neck.

“No, love.” His hoarse voice, rendered raspier by the orgasm he had, retorted with a bit more authoritative tone as he regained his composure.“Ye ain’t coming with me. It’s too dangerous. Trust me, I’d love too but I would not forgive myself if Changretta would hurt you.”

“Are you kidding me? I can’t let you go alone and risk your life,” Panic had already started to kick in at that idea, twisting your guts and accelerating your heartbeat. Who will take care of him if you weren’t by his side? As the one who had pulled the trigger, you were more than aware that Arthur was probably the first name underlined in red on that Changretta’s list, “You know I can be useful. Arthur please.”

“I’ll be back very quick, love.” Arthur tried to reassure you, but parting from him was far too painful for you to agree with him, "I'll be back soon and we'll have a little one together right? The perfect couple…" The corner of his mouth stretched in a tender and soothing smile right before he crashed his lips against yours. You kissed him back but it did not made you feel better. Quite the contrary. Shaken by his decision, you sighed and moved away from him. Despite his attempt to hold you back, you still managed to break his embrace and walked towards the window, wrapping your arms around your own tiny frame to hug you.

Arthur bit his knuckles, frustrated by the whole situation, and utterly in pain for you had just rejected him. After a short while, he got up from the sofa and joined you near the window, his legs still weak, “Listen. You gotta trust me. I don’t want to be away from you either — God knows I’m already scared of withering without your heavenly presence and your arms around me neck. But I can’t risk losing ye. I would fookin’ die, I swear would. I want you to stay safe here, guarded by Kaiser and by the forest, rather than with me at the mercy of these Italians. If you come with me they’ll assault you… Because of me. Because yer me wife.” Arthur explained in a slow and distinct voice, his feathery fingers rearranging one of your white strands of hair. Tears blurred your vision at his words — since your wedding there hadn’t been one day you’d been away from each other more than a few hours, hence the overwhelming misery you felt that such a plan. , “Look at me,” He asked, gently grabbing your arm to make you spin. His hands, big and calloused, cupped your face, “Heaven,” he dived into your fleeing eyes, from which crystal tears were rolling down your pearly white cheeks, “Everything’s gonna be fine, ey.”

You slowly nodded, defeated. “Tout ira bien.” You repeated in French, looking at him with the most heartbreaking pout he had ever seen. In truth, you were trying to convince yourself more than actually believing it. Your little fists clenched discreetly —and they clenched so hard that your knuckles turned white.

No, it was not going to be fine.

Definitely not.

Snuggling in one of Arthur’s shirts, you buried your nose in the collar to smell the musky and reassuring perfume of your husband. A frustrated growl escaped from your juicy lips. You were sitting on the wooden floor in front of the fire, hugging your knees against your chest as you watched the flames die in the hearth. Only two weeks had passed since Arthur’s departure for Birmingham and you were already at the edge of the abyss, ready to fall into a pit of madness. Locked up here between the walls of your own house, you feel estranged from your home, trapped in a doorless maze. Just like a wonderful Siberian tigress in a zoo, you were spending your day pacing back and forth in the living room under Kaiser’s saddened and worried eyes, before collapsing on the floor or the nearby sofa. Devoured by anxiety and another frightful gut feeling no one was there to listen to, you usually ended up rolling in a ball with the guard dog’s big wet snout poking you in a desperate attempt to cheer you up. How could you carry on with your life when your soulmate was far away from you, hunted down by a whole mafia whose every member wanted to see him dead? No matter the protective spells you had cast upon Arthur, you could not help but give in to panic. After all, he was the only one you had. And you were quite unfortunate considering how every people you had truly loved always tended to end up dead and cold, six feet under.

Giving one last kiss on Kaiser’s head, you got up from the floor and went to the small silvery cigarette case that was on the coffee table. You slipped a cigarette between your plump lips and lit it up, immediately taking a long puff in the hope of calming your nerves. As the nicotine burnt your throat and lungs, you felt your nervousness alleviating a tiny bit. I should not be here, you thought, I should be by his side. These were the words that were playing on repeat in your head. In your rambling, your mind focused on Thomas Shelby, whose past mischiefs made you believe he was the only one responsible for your role —or rather for your non-role— in this new war against the Italians. Even if Arthur did not tell you anything about it, you knew he had managed to fill your man’s mind with the idea that you’d be safer here only because he did not want you back in Birmingham. That son of a bitch — he was well aware that he had to get rid of you if he wanted Arthur to behave like his dog. You let out a furious cloud of smoke from your nostrils.

As it as been the case before Thomas had sent you all in jail, your sharp witch instincts were ringing emergency alarms in your very soul. Your chest tightened at the sudden boiling rage that coursed through your veins. How ridiculous that was? You were stuck here, completely useless, as Arthur, John, Polly, and Ada were all facing unnamable dangers. Pressing your lips tight around the cigarette, you pinched your nose to calm your nerves. That was at the moment you had almost managed to calm down a little bit that one of the living room windows crashed in hundreds of little sharp shards of glass. The cacophony of it made Kaiser jump before he immediately reacted by rushing near the gaping window and aggressively barking at the outside darkness: the beast hundred pounds Cane Corso was ready to tear throats to protect you. With a pounding heart and eyes wide open, you looked at in the distance: All you could see was a car’s headlights located at the bottom of the hill, but they quickly disappeared when the driver left the place with haste.

“Putain!” You whispered, cigarette still hanging in your mouth and one hand pressed against your chaotic heart. What the hell had happened? Still shaking from the shock, you looked at all around you and noticed the huge brick that had been thrown at the window. However, what stirred your panic was not the tool of the mischief itself but rather the letter that was tied to it with barbed wires. You did not wait any longer and grabbed it, untying the letter without minding the small cuts the wire left on your skin. As you opened it, your crimson blood drenched the fabric of the paper in dozen of stains.

To Arthur Shelby’s whore,

If you think you are safe hidden here in the wild you are utterly wrong. We haven’t forgotten about you, and despite the fact you are outside of our economic interests, you evil witch have to pay for Father Hughes and Simon Conrad’s death.

We have understood from your past crimes that you are a great advocate of retributive justice so here comes the other side of the coin. Hereby, we wish to inform you that we will come for you one day. You can hide. You can run. But you won’t escape us.

In the meantime, check twice under your bed, in your closet and behind you, because we are the shadow that follows you. Also be sure that if the Mafia does not succeed in killing Arthur Shelby, we will.

Every witch can burn,

Your heart missed a beat so big you felt dizzy. The letter slipped from your wounded fingers and fell on the floor. You took the cigarette out of your mouth and, instinctively stubbed it out on the back of your wrist without the slightest wince for it was the only thing you had found to calm yourself down. The crackling sound of burning flesh echoed in the room as the red-hot ashes marked your delicate and immaculate porcelain skin with a black and red circle. The pain, vivid and stingy, did not seem to bother you though, judging by the way your face remained absolutely neutral: the truth was the burning of your wrath outmatched the one on your flesh. No matter Thomas’ orders and Arthur’s worries, you had made up your mind: you were going back to Birmingham, and you were going to make the whole city shatter and shake at your fingertips if that was what you needed to do to retrieve your peaceful life.

If all of Birmingham was afraid of Arthur Shelby more than anything, it was only because they had never seen the fury of his wife.

✞ Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language.

✞ Tag list: @adaydreamaway08 @theshelbyclan @jomarch-wannabe @esposadomd @zablife @woofgocows @anathemasworld @anastasia000 @kate654 @kxnnxy @babayaga67 @meowtastick @shelbyssins @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @bluevenus19 @raincoffeeandfandoms @kishie8 @zablife @brummiereader

[lemonadecandy103]

Psycho Pass Providence — The Re-introduction of Kougami Shinya

Still working on a general review on Psycho Pass: Providence and also a Shinkane/KouAka post. But I had so many thoughts on Kougami after watching the movie twice that I had to document them while they were still fresh. This is a follow-up to a post I made about Kougami prior to watching PPP: some of my impressions did change while others stayed the same. It’s a lot so keep reading if you’re interested in what I thought about Kougami’s character in Providence. WARNING: Spoilers!!!

I’ll begin with the scene in Dejima where Kougami and Saiga are drinking together. There’s one particular line that I felt could’ve been made smoother: Saiga says “the girl is neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up getting enforced. Apologize while you still have the chance Kougami. Take it from an old timer like me.” and he raises his glass with a smile. I watched both the subbed and the dubbed version and the line is very similar across both. I can’t help but think that line could’ve been improved slightly. Maybe it flows more naturally in Japanese so I can’t speak on that matter. But if I had the liberty of tweaking it even just a little, it would go as follows: “the girl in neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up losing her forever.”

And I don’t mean to necessarily press for him losing her as a love interest, but even just a trusted friend or at least a colleague who always had his best interest in mind.

Ultimately, not exploring the more emotional (and by extension—the romantic) aspects of Kougami’s character was a missed opportunity for Providence in my opinion. He’s the second main character in this installment and we got very little inward reflection from him this time around. The last 15 or so minutes of the film is what really impressed me with respect to his character. Seeing him exit the isolation facility, looking back, and then looking ahead, declaring “I swear, I’ll come back for you,”  with such ardor reminded me that he’s still a hero in this story, however unconventional he may be.

It was clear that Akane and Kougami’s relationship had to change in this installment. After 6 long years, they are both different people now and cannot go back to the same relationship dynamics as in Season 1. More on that in a different post. Consequently, the portrayal of these individual characters had to evolve in order to match this change. Initially, when I watched the promotional clips, I was put off by his bluntness—especially towards Akane. But there were instances where we saw the caring Kougami seep through. He smiles once in the film. And this is when Saiga tells him: “I don’t work with the PSB, I work with Akane Tsunemori.”  I don’t know if he smiles because he still finds it funny that Saiga is cooperating with the government or if he smiles at the mention of Akane’s name or even some matter of pride at how much Akane is respected by Professor Saiga. Either way, it was nice to see this moment.

The other less noticeable moments from Kougami were two times when he showed what I can interpret as a combination of grief and frustration. From my observations, his eyes were animated to have this glistening/“quivering” motion, similar to this gif, minus the actual tears — there were no tears in Kougami’s case:

It’s very subtle but please let me know if anyone else also noticed this. The first time his eyes did this was when after Saiga died and he called Shion to consult Saiga’s psychological profile of Tonami along wirh Akira’s poem. Shion mentions how horrible it was — what happened to the professor. Kougami pauses and adds “Yeah”  but the tone is almost as if he had to force it out of himself. I couldn’t help but feel like he was holding it together for the investigation, but deep down was grieving the loss of his dear professor. After all, he told Akane to keep it bottled up until the end of the case. The second time I saw this effect of his eyes was while he was reading Akane’s letter in his isolation cell. He gets to the part where she writes about being glad to have seen him again and that he helped her find the answer. He calls her a bakayaro, and his hands grab the letter so fiercely that it kind-of crumples while he throws his whole body into a defeated hunch — since he’s stuck in his cell and can’t even do anything to stop her.

I had read some early accounts by Japanese viewers that he was crying while reading her letter: this effect in the eyes may have been what was mistaken as crying.

Although it was nice to see Kougami go through these moments in PPP, I can’t help but feel like there could have been more. However, Providence is a very dense film and I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that with all the action sequences, Akane’s iconic scenes, and the supporting cast all getting their own memorable segments, Kougami’s development just wasn’t a priority. If Shiotani, Fukami, and Ubukata intend to make an SAD spin-off as they’ve expressed in interviews, I would hope that they explore possible romantic or other intimate human feelings on Kougami’s part — similar to how he learned to be a father figure to Tenzing. In fact, I would argue that after Providence, it’s likely that they’ve backed themselves into a corner with regards to Kougami’s interpersonal relationships. The tension between Kougami and Akane was essentially the secondary conflict of the film and it ended with some resolution midway but also a shift in Kougami’s disposition once he read Akane’s letter, realizing the impact he had on her life. If there’s further content on Kougami as a person, we almost certainly need to at least confront his relationship with Akane and even Ginoza (was somewhat addressed on the boat scene and we see them on good terms in Season 3/PPFI). The other route is just watching a 007-Misson Impossible Kougami getting into knife fights and performing crazy stunts, but I think the PP fandom in general agrees that this option would be dull and a waste of a character who had such an artful inception. Now I know that PP wants to go for a more shōnen look and are cautious of depicting romance between the main characters. It was pretty obvious with Arata being introduced as the new main character and the fact that Yuki Kaji was brought on board to voice him (he’s done fantastic work on many popular shōnen characters including Eren Jaeger). But, showing how love could affect Kougami and how him giving love could present new angles of his character would undoubtedly be exciting to see. We know he wants to protect people. We know that he’s decided to work outside of the law in order to do that. He’s made peace with his revenge and he’s learned that he wants to protect people without any reserve or obligation. Saiga warned him about potentially becoming a killing machine like Tonami if he keeps letting people use him as a hunting dog, and he agreed that he doesn’t want that. I expect that he could follow the same thought process as Ginoza did in SS Case 1 where he ultimately just wants to help people with his detective work, without much care for who’s judged to be good or evil. On this note, it would be beneficial for Kougami to understand his heart a bit more. Maybe visit his mother too? Maybe actually value his own life instead of running into a fight like he has nothing to lose? He’d already prepared Akane for his death way back between S1 and S2. Would he fight differently if Akane were expecting him to come back home alive?

Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Kougami’s character. Still love our chaotic spikey-haired gun-slinging emo cowboy. And I’m looking forward to what the creators might do with his character next.

[bonesy-doodles]

could be just me and my former biochem student haunting me but...

how do elements affect and define a ghoul's biology in your headcanon? due to being affected by all of them, do prism's horns and scales feel like diamond or really tough glass?

what about swiss maybe? do ghouls have genetics of sorts?

(sorry if this is overwhelming, im super curious about your ocs eek 👉👈)

I love the curiosity! Especially this question, cause it's so interesting to think about.

I'm not sure if its exactly genetics in the sense that we as human and other organisms of earth have genetics, as demons, and therefore ghouls, don't procreate or originate on the terrestrial plane. So, there really is no need for genetics. I usually refer to it as their elemental composition when I'm talking about the ghouls, and it's almost like how a molecule is built if I were to visually picture it, especially for Multighouls. Or, it's also like an alchemical elixir recipe, if I'm getting all classical about my references for the ghouls.

I guess in a way, you could view the features and characteristics of the element presentations as something like pseudo-genetics, as it mirrors the way we can have different features depending on our parents. But, it's really just the way the elements decide to "solidify" when the ghouls were originally summoned into a terrestrial form.

For each element, there are common features that are usually present in a ghouls appearance, like the hues of their skin or horns, but also things could be random and unnatural even for the ghouls. A few examples of this are Phantom's eyes being really dark for a Quint ghoul, or Cirrus's hair being dark and straight when Air ghouls often have light curly hair, as well as Aurora's sclera's being purple and her iris lacking a defined pupil. The elements heavily define the appearance in a ghoul, but its not the end all be all. Its purely how a ghouls elemental composition forms, stronger towards some features, not as much for others.

Now Multighouls are where it get fun. This is the part where elemental composition really gets funky. A multi ghoul features, depending on how many elements are composed of, have a much larger pool of features to pull from. So, for our dual element gals Aurora and Sunshine, their features are almost split down the middle for each of their elements, just their Quint and Fire features being the more noticeable or dominant ones. As a multighoul has more and more elements within their composition, its more common to see them have one major element, and then the others taking a back seat.

So for Prism, that was the case for their composition. They have the most Quint and Air features, not as much Fire and Earth, and then barely any for Water. And yes, their horns are diamond/crystal like. If I wear to actually try and execute them better, the horns would be reflecting and translucent in some parts.

Now, for Swiss. I don't think I've ever talked about Swiss's elemental composition to anyone. The way his composition manifested, it's actually really hard to tell what elements are dominant in his design (mainly because of his visual concept being what's called subtractive color synthesis). But his composition is Fire, then Earth, then Air, then Quint, and finally barely any Water. The hue of his skin and horns comes from Fire and Earth ghoul features, his ears are Fire, his eyes are a mixture of Fire and Quint, his hair texture is Air, but the color is Fire and Earth, and his multiple sharp teeth is a Water feature.

But yeah, that's how my ghouls' appearances work. :D

[mggsv]

Interrogated

suspect afab!reader x aaron hotch hotchner

the way this popped into my head should be especially illegal in so many ways. eat up hotchies ily <3

summary: As a suspect taken in for questioning it’ll be reasonable for the interrogator to be inside the room with you..instead hes outside watching you while you touch yourself

warnings: masturbation, unplanned public sex act, slight edging, slight degradation (from reader to self)

not proof read !

When he first walked into the room wearing that suit you couldn’t tear your eyes off of him The way he stared at you so intensely..like he could break you in one touch. It struck a match inside of you- that fire you couldn’t put out. Agent Hotchner, Hotch they called him. It almost wanted you to be guilty-you weren’t-but man if you were would he…

You weren’t sure. “I’m innocent.” you spoke clearly to him. you knew the rest of his team were watching. Your thighs rubbed together as you tried to keep your composure, but man was it hard…Hotch took notice of this of course, it was his job after all. “witnesses put you at the scene.”

“I live there.”

“Then why wouldn’t you be a suspect?”

“You tell me it’s your job.” There was a faint of a smirk on his lips before he stood, walking out of the room. There was a slight wet spot poking at your panties. Your sex thrived, it craved. You look at the glass window, staring at your own reflection before your eyes trained on the silver table and your thighs that tried to stimulate your wet cunt.

you weren’t sure how long you were in that room, agents going in and out asking you the same thing- you figured after the cute one Reid came in they finally realized you were innocent. You thought about Hotch and his gaze. You were practically leaking by the hour..

Your hand grazed your thigh- thank the stars you wore a skirt, you spread them slightly, just enough for your hand to rub your swollen clit through the thin wet material. You bite your lip to hold in the moan. Your finger grazes your nub again, pressing down to feel just how much you throbbed..how much you wanted “Hotch..” you moan out silently, pulling your panties to the side. Your finger dipped into your sex, whimpering at how wet your were- how wet Hotch made you.

It was embarrassing to say the least. Getting off in an interrogation room, knowing that someone could be watching you. Would they take you in? Look at you like you’re down right crazy yes- but they can’t arrest you.. you hoped.

“H..Hotch- Fuck.” you hated holding back your moans; you hated limiting how loud you could be. Your head was laying on the table while you fingered your cunt. Three fingers in you were losing your mind. Your eyes were rolling, your other hand thumbing your clit..you imagined his tongue lapping at you like a dog and water. You saw him fucking your throat while you came over your hands like a pathetic slut. You saw him bending you over on this table and devouring you while you cried to him about how innocent you were.

The thought alone made your body twitch and your legs shake as they closed around your hand, your orgasm strong. You whimpered and panted, clenching your toes.

Suddenly the door opens, and he clears his throat. You couldn’t look up, your fingers itching for another orgasm- your sex leaking for his cock.

“You’re free to go.” Hotch says, but the door closes. “But i’d like to do some follow up questions just in case..”

[thelunarfairy]

I love your way of writing, if it's not too much to ask, could you write a romantic moment Hanene?

Of course, well, it was longer than it should have been, but I hope you like it ^^

I made this in a short time, so I hope it turned out well XD Sorry

I put some music in case you want to read while listening to it.

There may be some spelling errors and changes in pronouns because I translate the text from my language to English, I corrected them, but there may be some that I didn't notice.

Enjoy your reading.

Let’s start with a remarkable sunny November afternoon.

The intense sigh marked itself on the window glass like a grayish blur. As the golden eyes wandered around looking for something that was ailing him, oh, all those people outside having fun, running around, full of smiles and silly conversations that couldn't be heard from so far away. Sitting on the window sill of the women's bathroom, the ghost boy sighed his sorrows in silence, perhaps he was curious, perhaps envious, or who knows, nostalgic, what could those silent eyes tell us? He quickly grew tired of them, and finally looked up to watch the sun say goodbye, the refreshing breeze he heard as he watched the orange clouds take the sun with them, made him sigh again. He was waiting for her, he wanted to contemplate the arrival of his longtime companion.

"Are you waiting for the moon to come out?" - Nene carefully removes her apron while looking unpretentiously at the squeegees.

"She always comes"

"It's not like she had a choice not to come, right?" - Nene laughs at her own joke, but within seconds the laugh is suffocated by the lack of response from the boy at the window.

"What's wrong Hanako-kun? You've been quiet all day today."

Hanako's gaze lifted within seconds, as if he realized he had let on more than he should have. Then, he smiled without thinking twice.

"Oh, Yashiro, I ask you, why have I hardly heard any complaints from you today?"

"Isn't it better this way?" - She closes her eyes on impulse as she slightly turns her face to the side.

"Eh, it's boring, what's the problem?"

"Why are you using my question against me? You didn't answer me"

For a moment he swallowed hard, he rose from the sill and floated.

"You know, I was just thinking about life"

"But you're dead"

He quickly smiled and whispered to himself

"That is the problem"

"What did you say?" - Nene was curious, the sad look reflected again on that face slightly hidden beneath the dark hair.

She sighed indiscreetly, like a great wordless grumble, a complaint for an unsolvable problem.

"Hanako-kun, could you meet me on the roof?"

"Um? I thought you were going home."

"I will, but I need to do something important with you"

"Oh, you can't do anything without me, can you, I feel flattered" - he smiled as he floated around himself, doing a few light turns.

"Just wait for me there, I'll be back later"

Nene left and took with her the smile that was forcibly stretched across Hanako's face. The restless and lying smile that used to be his friend in inopportune moments, was not enough in happy moments, they had to come in sadness, to ease an invisible pain, which only he felt. Ah, it was tiring and so heavy that his feet rested on the floor, silence had returned to the house, it echoed on those red walls that were darkening as the sun said goodbye. The darkness was slowly hugging him…. But he had no problem, Hanako always hugged her back. …. The corridors were becoming empty, the footsteps were barely heard, one or the other was still standing in the distance, the lights were going out, many goodbyes and promises of reunions the next day, while Hanako slowly walked to the roof, which strangely seemed so far away now. Sometimes he would repeat the path for lack of anything to do, sometimes on purpose, just to walk endlessly through those corridors, in the hope that they would take him somewhere, but he had nowhere else to go. At least now he had one more reason. Before, he insisted on going there every day to contemplate the presence of an old friend. He used to tell the moon his deepest secrets, and he told her because she was great at keeping them. Was there anyone else more trustworthy than her? Oh, you can hear the laugh he would give if he heard us talk about this, and he would argue, there is no one more trustworthy than her. Who are we to doubt such an obstinate ghost. Questions began to arise in that young head beneath the hat, what did she want, and why so late after school? Before he allowed himself to dream, he thought about melodramatic love letters that Nene received by mistake, or about imaginable flirtations that she created in her head. See, the ghost boy thinking of thousands of different jokes to laugh at her when she tells him about some handsome boy who won her over quite easily. The laugh he gave coincided with his arrival on the roof, raising his head to greet his old friend who was watching him from the skies.

With his hands in his pockets, he waited patiently while he talked something to the moon, oh, yes, a secret, I couldn't hear it, it was a private conversation. Even though it was long, his eyes did not reflect happiness, but a melancholy that seemed to be rooted in those eyes. These, who turned slowly when he heard the voice of the girl who had invited him to the roof.

"Sorry for the delay, for a moment I thought I wouldn't be able to come" - she said, panting as she placed a large fabric bag with large straps on the floor.

She was different.

His gaze swept over her slowly, as if he had discovered a new work of art, from the emerald sandals perfectly fitted to those small feet, the bare ankles and legs up to the knees, slightly covered by the aqua green fabric. This one, which swayed slightly in harmony with the night breeze. Even her face, tired, red and slightly sweaty, she really tried hard to get there on time. Her labored breathing gave away the little run she took until she arrived. Standing up again, and leaving the support of her knees, she completely exposed the aqua green dress, which showed off the sleeves with white polka dots.

"Wow, you really are the color of a radish" - he said, smiling awkwardly.

"Radishes aren't green! They're white!"

"With green foliage - he continued - that explains why your hair reminds me so much of radishes"

"Hanako-kun! I'm going to go away and pretend none of this happened"

She filled up with air to the point of turning red, her arms crossed in disapproval making Hanako laugh. She wouldn't forgive him, not when she bought a new dress, but… She slowly lost the wrinkle between her eyebrows, which showed an old irritation that gradually dissipated when she noticed the ghost boy had a new palette of colors on his face. The blush that revealed his real feeling, it seems he didn't notice, he was too busy laughing at the very jokes he had been thinking about for the last few hours.

"Hanako-kun"

"Sorry, sorry… Ahem, so what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well… it's just…."

Hanako yearned for that answer, how could he not? The eyes that danced from side to side to find comfort, the hands that clenched the hem of the dress, the red face. Was she nervous?

"You promised me!"

"I promised?" - genuinely curious eyes roam the skies trying to find answers, memories of a supposed promise.

"I promised what Yashiro?"

"You… didn't promise but… you asked me to go to the cinema"

He swallows, eyes duly bulging to show his astonishment.

"You remember, don't you Hanako-kun?"

"Ah…. that"

"It was you, you were Amane, you always were from the beginning…when we were in that fake world…"

Silence became a third companion, or should I say, silence of words, the breeze continued to whisper, almost like an intrusion into that temporarily non-existent conversation.

"I can't leave school Yashiro"

The eyes hid below the brim of the hat, the hands came together to generate some comfort. That melancholy air in the window had returned.

"Well, you don't need to go anywhere, I…"

His gaze lifted again, waiting for the rest of the answer. It didn't come through words. Nene took the liberty to finally show why she brought that big fabric bag that seemed to suffer so much to keep everything inside it. Soon, everything began to take shape while Hanako turned cherry red. The whimsy, the subtlety, watching her try to place the fabric on the floor without the wind disturbing her, or placing each item of the bag to form a new cozy place. He could see her light and slightly greenish hair dance in rhythm with the wind, she was so obstinate in keeping a small puff in the right position, that she didn't notice the ribbon untying and slowly saying goodbye to those hair. Ah, Hanako wished it would become that ribbon, which would slowly fall as it ran along her body. A forbidden desire, which came without permission, and which passed when he saw her quickly get up to show the finished work, Nene turned to him with open arms and excited, as if she wanted to embrace the world.

"Ta-dah!"

"That…"

Coziness, a small place on the roof covered in the purest nectar of innocence. Happiness permeating her smile, proud of having created that small place, covered in dark bluish fabrics, which remained quiet even with the intrusion of the night breeze, the two small puffs positioned next to each other, and in the center, of course, a bucket of popcorn.

"I brought the cinema!"

His eyes watered a little, not so much that she noticed, and not so little that it didn't happen. For a moment, he forgot how to use the words, they were gone, they wouldn't come out.

"Ah, I almost forgot" - the smile accompanied her as she searched the bag, now relieved that it was almost empty, when she got up, she showed him another smaller bag.

"They're your favorites, aren't they?"

Her smile almost made him tear up, how could he know how to deal with such a new experience, so genuinely unprecedented that he didn't know how to keep his heartbeat in rhythm, he who previously didn't know how to speak, has now unlearned how to smile.

"I… I could only bring my tablet, it's not a big movie screen, but for both of us it's enough, isn't it? Here, get some donuts, I'll put the tablet in its place"

She handed him the bag as she sat down to prop up the tablet. It happened so quickly, when he noticed he was already sitting next to her watching a mysterious film about hamsters in a war in space. Hanako remained in painfully interminable silence. Rhetoric of lovers, give me an exact and poetic comparison to say what those eyes of Hanako were like, while he observed every detail of that skin, that face, that hair that insisted on dancing with the night wind. How much he wanted to finger those hairs endlessly until his fingers fell off. How much he wished to be trapped eternally in that embrace he wanted to tie himself to. How much he wanted her scent to impregnate him so he could never forget it. A feeling so intensely strong that they were tied to each other without even noticing, a genuinely desired hug, hearts beating fast, oh, what were they supposed to do now everything was hot, even the popcorn and donuts until then untouched. The sky looked inviting that night, and even though Hanako tried to look at it countless times in search of words, he couldn't find anything other than genuine happiness, his breathing was labored, his face was painted red, the movie was ending. What should he say? The stars did not respond. The anxiety was born when the credits rolled, when he imagined that Nene would move away from the hug to turn off the tablet, but instead, she remained motionless, and he only heard her melodious voice.

"I could wish we could stay like this forever"

Anxiety became torment, turned into sadness, Hanako's lips no longer had room for a smile.

"I'm sorry - he tightens the hug, as if he was afraid that she would vaporize at any moment - I…."

"Hanako-kun…"

"I can't give you… I can't give you what you want, I can't introduce you to my parents, I can't get married and have children with you, I can't… I can't be the person I wanted to be… I can't even take you to the movies…"

The hidden eyes, before so bright, Nene couldn't see them, Hanako was hugging her tightly while he hid his face in her shoulder.

"I…."

The sound of silence returned, Nene's panting made him anxious, the fear of the answer, his heart racing at the thought of the impossible.

"I chose you Hanako-kun…."

….

"I chose you, Amane"

His eyes slowly lifted, meeting hers, so shyly that it seemed like sin, the trapped words that were expressed through those golden eyes, brought him closer and closer. Tied in a long hug, now looking fixedly at each other, their breathing mixing, hearts beating together in the same rhythm, Hanako's whisper as he got so close to her lips

"Yashiro… I… I love…

"What are you guys doing?!"

The high-pitched, irritating voice broke the moment into small pieces within seconds.

"Mi… Mitsuba-Kun?" - Nene screams in response.

"Are you guys on a date? Gross."

"Who's on a date?" - a similar voice came from behind Mitsuba.

"Ah… Tsukasa…." - Hanako sighs.

Hanako and Nene look at each other for a moment, and intense laughter is heard between them.

"What's wrong with these two? I'm not going to stay here to find out, let's go Tsukasa-kun" - Mitsuba pulls him by the arm.

"But why?"

"Come on, I'll take you to play Katanuki"

The voices became more distant and distant. Hanako and Nene sigh almost in a shared way. Silence returned again.

"..... Hanako-kun?"

He smiled sideways, showing his mischievous eyes, which now hide a truth that was almost said, ah, it's sad. The truth through words did not come, but in its place the genuine proof of love and desire he could demonstrate. The meeting of lovers, the meeting of lips, a smile here and there between this infinite kiss that he wanted to make a loop so that it would never end.

Ah, the moon knew what his desire was at that moment. Hanako's desire, the desire to be the living boy who would be by her side, who would give her everything she wanted most… little did he know that he was her greatest desire.

[anystalker707]

triplicated [2/2]

Pairing: Zoro x [gn, amab] Reader x Law Summary: Zoro's grumpy and needy. Tags: AU / Demon Zoro / Priest Law / man has 3 cocks and manages to bottom / law tops him this time PART ONE

Requested by @anonstories08 ["okokok lemme think maybe something along the lines of like law and y/n havent really had any exorcisms or anything lately but then theres just this giant spike in activity (guess who it is. its my fav demon prince-y :)) but law (...)]

MASTERLIST

          The letters that arrived at the office lately had been, in the great majority, only asking for the blessing of objects, once or twice requesting the Last Rites or a prayer at a funeral, but nothing aside from that. The exorcism equipment was getting dusty, and things were getting boring. It was impossible—you couldn’t believe not even a single spirit was bothering some old lady, that a demon didn’t decide to confront you two.

Since you two didn’t have any extra work to do, you were on altars again, celebrating masses to the familiar faces of the town. Many people liked you two, factually. They were grateful someone could finally stop the steps they heard in the middle of the night or the doors that slammed shut by themselves, even nightmares, in some of the worst cases.

The hours dragged by slowly, stretching themselves between appointments as you two gradually settled down for the monotonous routine—it was rather normal for the current months, and it was nice to have some calmness before November knocked in with its usual agitation.

As if the universe listened to your thoughts, the notices came in more often, but the cases weren’t exactly what you looked forward to.

“It sounds like ghost activity,” you told Law after rereading the letter you’d received while he paced around the room, trying to look for something significant. There wasn’t much to investigate in the small house of a poor single mother and her two sons. They’d described seeing things from the corner of their eyes, voices, and things falling in the middle of the night—a common thing. “Hm, but the energy here feels a little too heavy to be from a ghost.”

Law nodded in agreement as he adjusted the glasses on his face and scratched the back of his neck, his hip popping out on the side of the leg he put most of his weight on. Your eyes averted to how his ass looked in those tight jeans, but he was soon speaking again. “Do you think it could be some wrath, though?”

“We don’t get many of those here,” you said, thoughtfully looking around. One of the kids had made a drawing of something they’d seen; it was a poor drawing, but you looked at it again, observing the sloppy drawing of a human figure. It was a little confusing, with the messy lines all over the place, as if the figure’s arms were duplicated.

A sigh escaped your lips as you looked around until you found something on the ground, glistening gold. Crouching down, you ascertained it was an earring, in a very familiar shape. Furrowing your eyebrows, you looked at the drawing again. Maybe the kid’s drawing wasn’t as sloppy as you judged it to be—there was a chance they really were replicate figures, and the idea of that made something click in your brain.

“It’s Zoro,” you said as if it were obvious, earning yourself a confused look from Law.

“Zoro?”

A sigh escaped your lips as you lifted the earring. “Demon. Three heads.”

Law had to think for a moment before he raised his eyebrows and slowly nodded, eyes falling to the earring in your hand again. “So you think it might be him, hm? I see. Why would a demon go around doing such small stuff? This is nowhere near a usual demon’s behavior.”

A small crease formed between your eyebrows as you shrugged and nodded. “Well, yes, but after that mansion’s case, I concluded that we don’t know all the kinds of demons nor all about their behavior,” you stated, bringing the earring close to check if it had any inscription or anything, but its smooth surface reflected yourself in distorted images. “He wasn’t predictable at all.”

Law seemed to consider what you said, silently eyeing the earring in your hand, before he exhaled and nodded. “But he’s not here.”

“Yeah.” You sighed. “We can find him soon, though.”

There was a peak in activity, giving you two the so-wanted action, along with a headache. All the cases had similarities between them, all the same thing that didn’t truthfully need your presence there, but rather guided you somewhere. It was like a damn cat-and-rat game, so it got on your nerves easily. All those trips around the city and to its outskirts were in vain, only degrading your patience with the frustrated expectations of finally facing the green-haired demon.

“This is the last one, I swear,” Law said with a sigh, running a hair through his messy hair in a futile attempt to put his messy strands back in place, and you couldn’t determine whether the darkness around his eyes was due to smudged kohl or late nights without slumber. “If we receive another notice describing this same thing, I am ripping the letter.”

You twisted your mouth, keeping your hand on the doorknob without opening the door for now. “I mean,” you breathed but lost yourself in thoughts again. Yes, this was tiring, but you couldn’t help the little hope in your chest whenever a new letter came in, always keeping that earring in your pocket. A sigh escaped your lips as you shook your head and restricted yourself to looking at Law, turning the doorknob.

None of you had any weapons ready, already prepared to just face another empty house and go back to the office as if nothing had happened. With a hum, you looked around—it was a well-furnished house, not so big, but certainly with more rooms and furniture than a widowed lady needed for a living. Pictures hung from the walls along with framed dry flowers and embroidery works, with occasional crosses between them. The curtains and carpets were thick, matching the warm dark tones of the furniture, which was made from glossy wood.

“It’s a good place,” you muttered with a sigh, walking around quietly. Everything seemed in order, well-kept, and clean; not a single sign of mess in sight.

The hall that led to the other rooms was narrow, carpeted, with a small chandelier. A mirror took over the whole wall by the end of it, and there was a sideboard by it with a vase on top. Unfortunately, the vase had fallen over, in a way the white roses that once sat neatly inside it were now on the table while a few lied on the carpet.

“Oh, no.” You raised your eyebrows a little before crouching down to grab the flowers to neatly organize them inside the beautiful vase again, organizing the fallen petals in a small pile by its base. “Okay, it’s much better now.”

A grunt came in response and nearly gave you a heart attack, scaring you again when you noticed the huge figure behind you through the mirror. It took you a while to reorient yourself enough to recognize Zoro there, but your heart was already racing kilometers per hour by then. You needed to grip the edge of the sideboard before turning around, observing the three faces eye you curiously before they fell into a scowl, and all three crossed their arms over their chests.

“Zoro,” you said weakly, trying to catch your breath while placing a hand over your chest. It was kind of ironic that you had been so scared like that when you were part of the exorcism gang—or duo, really, since it was just you and Law—, and you should be used to things like that. The thing is that the entities and creatures usually had a presence that you could sense, but Zoro didn’t. What kind of demon was he? “You didn’t need to scare me like that. I mean, you didn’t need to do all of this in general.”

Instead of any kind of answer, Zoro just kept scowling at you. Was he angry at you? A sigh of frustration escaped your lips as you tilted your head, seeing the main figure lacked an earring, and you were about to reach for the missing jewelry in your pocket when the lateral figures looked back.

“Oh,” Law’s voice rang through the hall, justifying the figures’ distraction, since you couldn’t see much past Zoro’s big frame. “Finally. I would give up if you didn’t show up this time!” Even if you couldn’t see him, it was possible to imagine Law accusingly pointing a finger at Zoro’s figures. The response Law received was probably similar to yours, given how the scowl you received only deepened, so it only made sense the two other figures were acting in sync.

Zoro’s behavior felt off, falling out of the friendly demeanor he’d shown the last time he was around.

“Zoro,” you breathed, furrowing your eyebrows and scratching the side of your neck. “We aren’t exorcising you or anything, what do you want, hm? I mean, if you start causing real problems—”

There was a grunt in response, but it didn’t help much, anyway. What was he so grumpy for?

“Do you want your earring back?” You offered, about to reach for your pocket when his eye narrowed at you, so you gave up as well, looking away with a sigh of defeat. It was difficult to interpret it when Zoro wouldn’t say a word, just standing there and glaring, though maybe you didn’t understand his language or something.

“It’s all your fault,” Law said, and a silence followed. “I’m talking to you, (y/n).”

“My fault?” You gasped, a hand flying to your chest when Zoro grunted in what sounded like an agreement. “What did I even do?”

A sigh came from Law, and he soon came into view, standing by Zoro—he looked from Zoro’s face to you a couple of times before he sighed. “Dunno.” He paused. “But I remember you mentioned wanting to keep Zoro and all. Did you go after him after that? Because, like—”

“Shut up,” you said in response, noticing that all three faces continued eyeing you as if sustaining Law’s words, so you raised your hands in defense. “Law didn’t even think about it either, in my defense. He could have visited on his own, even!” You raised your eyebrows, watching Zoro’s attention also turn to Law, which made the priest immediately glare at you.

“Making him angry at me as well won’t do any good!”

“At last I’m not dying alone, if anything.” You shrugged, and one of Zoro’s figures facepalmed, making you chuckle a little. “Poor thing, I didn’t mean it,” you said soothingly while grabbing one of the main figure’s hands so that he would stop sulking so much. “Honestly, I thought it would be a little too hard to actually be close to a demon, with all the church job, always being in the church and stuff,” you said, feeling his hand slowly soften into yours until he was holding your hand. “Oh, right…”

The earring was deep in your pocket, needing you a moment to reach for it, but you soon presented the jewelry for him on your palm. “Here it is.”

One of Zoro’s hands closed your own while the other pushed it away, back to you, which made you raise an eyebrow and tilt your head, but he still didn’t let you return it.

“For me?” You raised an eyebrow. “For me to keep?” And there was a hum of approval in response that made your heart flutter while your lips parted into a grin. Zoro took the earring from your hand, but it was only so that he could replace one of your earrings with it instead. You eyed Law, still grinning, as Zoro pulled you close to himself for a hug, earning yourself some glares from Law.

“Seriously, though,” Law cut in with a sigh and looked up at Zoro, “you have to behave.”

One of the side figures kept focused on you, his hands playing with your hair and the earring, sometimes cupping your face, but the other two looked at Law with sighs and scowls, almost frowning.

“You could even go after us,” you agreed, “making us chase you wasn’t exactly nice. Since you’re serious about wanting us around, we can manage to be more present, but you can’t cause trouble, though.” As you looked at him, Zoro actually frowned, his hands stilling to cup your cheeks. “Come on, we can’t let you loose and lose our reputation and stuff. Sorry, pookie, no great privileges for you.”

A groan came from Zoro as he squished your cheeks together, only to let go when he noticed your gaze wouldn’t change.

“Yeah,” you hummed, “be a good boy.”

Law rolled his eyes at you, shaking his head a little. “Let’s go.”

“Let’s go…” You cut yourself off when Zoro picked you up, almost throwing you over his shoulder as he started walking away. A wide smirk tugged on your lips when Law glared more.

          Whatever you expected, it all felt so fucking dumb now. Trusting a demon wasn’t a good idea in the first place—whether Zoro was challenging your agreement or just doing it for attention, it didn’t matter now anyway.

Law was behind his desk as usual, taking notes as he checked a few documents. A sharp sigh escaped your lips as you sat on the armchair in the office, reading the letters you’d received lately. It would all be a completely normal day if Zoro weren’t there—he knelt on the ground right between your spread legs. He knew he’d fucked up, but you doubted there was any guilt since he eyed you like that.

A figure’s head rested his head on each of your thighs, while the middle figure had his chin on your crotch, in a way you could feel it whenever he swallowed, his arms wrapped around your middle. The side figures hugged your legs, drawing patterns on your calf with care not to scratch you through your pants with the sharp nails, but it had been going on for long enough to be buried in the back of your mind and ignored.

“I can’t believe Mrs Auclair is still complaining about those ‘ghosts’,” you breathed, reading the letter again, trying to search for details that indicated anything different from usual, but there were none, as expected. “I think she just wants to keep seeing us, at this point,” you chuckled, shaking your head lightly at your own joke.

Law scoffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses a little in the process. “She should be in a retirement home, not living by herself, at this point. Maybe they should even pay some nurse, just a caretaker.”

You sighed, placing the letter away on the side table before opening the next one, but there was a grunt this time that made you lift the letter and look down instead. Zoro’s eye widened a little when your gazes met, and his teeth disappeared a little with the way he pressed his lips together and looked away for a moment.

“I’m not falling for your lost puppy behavior,” you said in an accusing tone, pointing at Zoro while placing the rest of the letters on the side table. His brows lowered in frowns, and one of the figures had his cheek pressed to your thigh while pouting, stupidly lovely, but you still remembered what Zoro had done.

Having those cases going around was bad for your reputation. Only the fact you and Law were so effective in what you did kept you from being exonerated, since the people in the higher ranks weren’t fond of you two at all, but they also couldn’t find anyone else who exorcised entities that well. If Zoro was causing trouble that the two of you couldn’t handle, then it meant problems for you two and Zoro. The thought of Zoro being caught and exorcised by someone else bothered you, maybe more than it should.

“Stupid.”

Zoro glared at you this time, probably because of the unusually flat and dry tone rather than the insult itself. He mumbled something, but it was obvious that you didn’t understand it.

“We better go check on Mrs Auclair just in case,” Law said as he glanced at you. “Just to improve the situation a little.” He sighed, looking at Zoro and furrowing his eyebrows in a glare. “Everything is under control, thankfully enough.”

“Finally, at least,” you muttered, holding Zoro’s gaze with another glare until he was pouting. “What are you looking at me like that for? I know you don’t even regret it.”

Instead of trying to argue, the main figure buried his face into your crotch, erasing the thoughts away from your mind as your cock twitched almost as an immediate response, even more so when he looked up at you. His gaze carried something you couldn’t quite identify, but it started making you aroused shamefully quickly. A breath escaped your lips as you looked away, shaking your head faintly.

Zoro considered it a victory as he started unbuttoning your pants, and two figures mouthed at your cock through your boxers, working on slowly making it harder, while the third one massaged and kissed your thigh.

“I don’t understand why you always have all the fun,” Law cut in, receiving a glare from you that didn’t make him waver.

“You’re just never the one to make the first step, so it isn’t my fault you’re missing out,” you sighed, running your fingers through the hair of the figure that rested his head on your thigh—he tilted his head up until nuzzling your palm.

          Law’s pants were undone, with the belt still in the loops, and down to the middle of his thighs along with his boxers as he knelt over the fluffy carpet, with one of Zoro’s legs pressed to his torso, ankle on Law’s shoulder. Zoro was on his side—the main figure, it is—, using his arms to keep himself in place, with help from the other two; one of them had his forearm under the forehead for support in leaning over, and the last one sort of mirrored the main figure’s, though he seemed a little more unquiet than the others.

“Tight,” Law breathed with a groan as he pushed his hips forward, making Zoro furrow his eyebrows and moan. Now that you weren’t the one fucking him, you were able to take a good look at his face—faces, if you will—while he was being pleased like that, sitting over your folded legs on the carpet with them.

“Yeah,” You agreed with a hum as you took Zoro’s face between your hands. He looked at you with a soft groan, breath hitching whenever Law’s hips moved. His pupil was blown, sometimes losing focus on you at the same time his back arched and a louder moan spilled from his lips.

Kissing Zoro felt different, even more since he had his teeth on the way, but it wasn’t bad. You groaned softly as his lips parted open, and his tongue met yours, gliding along it while he kissed you back messily. He moaned into your mouth, one of his hands cupping the side of your neck to pull you closer.

“You better be a good boy now,” you muttered while nipping on Zoro’s bottom lip, tugging on it until the skin was red and swollen, and it was quite a work to admire. You licked the excessive saliva away from your lips as your eyes kept trained on Zoro’s expression and how it contorted in pleasure. His eyebrows knit together once Law started fondling his balls, putting a little more intensity into his thrusts, and Zoro’s hand gripped on your shoulder. Impressively, Zoro was quite sensitive. You’d missed that.

You wondered if the sensations were split between the three figures in equal proportions of it, or if all felt the same thing equally. The first option seemed more probably, though, given how the side figures would practically blur out sometimes.

It was obvious you were hard, with your cock pressed uncomfortably against your boxers, but playing with Zoro seemed so much better at the moment. He was so responsive to everything, tilting his head to the side to expose his neck even more for your kisses and nibbles. Could you leave a hickey on a demon? You were up to testing that, nipping and sucking on the skin, doing your best to find the most sensitive spots.

One of your hands trailed down his torso, tracing his abdomen before taking a handful of his pec to squeeze—he seemed sensitive there as well, hissing and arching his back, allowing his moans to become louder. His body shook lightly with the impact of Law’s hips against him, but it wasn’t enough to disturb your plans. You were able to lean in comfortably and start kissing Zoro’s chest, feeling the soft skin under your lips before your teeth started tugging on it, working with your tongue to bring even more pleasure to Zoro.

“Fuck, what are you so big for,” you muttered absentmindedly against his chest, groaning as his hand moved to the back of your neck to pull you closer.

Zoro eventually lay on his back—probably handled by Law, but you were too busy to notice—and pulled you over him with it, keeping your face pressed to his chest. The new position allowed you to use your other hand, squeezing his other pec while you nibbled the one in front of you. His nipple was hard under your tongue, and his moans just grew louder when you started using your teeth on it. As his back arched, he pressed your head to his chest with your hand, so you were glad to comply with his wishes and suck more on his nipple.

“I think he’s close,” Law groaned, breath hitching in his throat.

It took you a little struggle, but you could look back at Law humming softly, observing his messy state and the way Zoro’s cocks fell back on his stomach heavily, creating a pool of pre-cum on his lower stomach, then you turned to Zoro again. “No cumming unless we tell you so,” you said with a glare, receiving a whimper in response. Hot. It went straight to your gut.

Your lips parted in a grin as you grabbed the silver cross from your neck and started to run the edge along Zoro’s chest, a few centimeters above his nipple. He hissed, but his cock twitched with the way his skin burnt under the cool metal, but you kept writing your name into his skin. “Maybe today you’ll learn how to behave.”

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[zablife]

Ada's Tour of the Library

Summary: Ada welcomes the new Mrs. Shelby with a tour of Tommy’s library and the antiques she’s collected for her brother. However, her interest isn’t purely social. 

Author’s Note: This was requested by @cillmequick and @look-at-the-soul. This is the last fic of my 2K celebration, An Evening at Arrow House. I'm sorry this has taken so long to write. I've tried many versions to make my original idea work, but I have a hard time picturing dark!Ada so I'm still unsure if it came out as I intended.

Warnings: dark fic 💀, weapons, mention of suicide 

You followed Ada into the library hesitantly. Her offer to discuss the antiques she'd purchased for Arrow House didn't exactly thrill you, but you thought it wise not to rebuff her efforts. Tommy was staring at you both with such hopeful expectation in his eyes, you hated to disappoint him. As you chatted with your new sister-in-law, you were careful to conceal the truth. You and Tommy had already discussed the removal of several items which you found slightly macabre.

"My sister means well," he assured you when you'd looked on in discomfort at the collection of enormous Japanese swords that hung in rows along the wall. Beneath it lay a chest with a small glass case meant for the display of medals or delicate heirlooms. The actual contents were a chilling array of small, twisted fragments of lead, all dug from Tommy’s flesh. They were displayed proudly in his office next to the cabinet where his guns were kept, a collection meant to inspire confidence. However, you found the notion foolhardy. After all, he was the one to remind his brothers they were generals not soldiers.

You tried your best to maintain a pleasant countenance, desperate to steer the conversation in a different direction and learn more about Tommy’s only sister. She was someone you deeply admired for her role in Shelby Company Limited. Independent and smart, she'd proven invaluable to Tommy on many occasions according to his stories. And, if truth be told, she was the one family member he trusted implicitly after his Aunt Polly’s death. Therefore it was important to you to make a good impression.

“Over here we have the latest acquisition, an Egyptian vase from the 18th dynasty," she announced. As you moved closer to the large piece of pottery, you noticed the intricate painting, a detail which had escaped your attention before. 

"It's lovely,” you commented. "Look at the little man, galloping round the center!" you noted with childlike glee.

Ada clasped her hands behind her back, mouth drawn in a tight line that reminded you of the strict headmistress at school many years ago who abhorred frivolity. Heels clicking against the polished floorboards, Ada circled the area where you stood, cocking her head to admire the piece thoughtfully before clearing her throat. Eyes flicking up to yours, she explained, “Scholars believe the black rider is meant to signify approaching death.”

You recoiled in horror as you stared at the vase, “What sort of gift is that?”

"It's a very valuable antique," Ada blinked in obvious confusion to your question. 

"But why would you imagine Tommy would want something so..." you faltered as you searched for the right word.

"Morbid?" she offered, allowing a chuckle to escape her ruby lips at your state of shock. She tilted her head, observing you for a moment before adding, "Tommy's obsessed with death. Didn't you know?”

She crossed to the other set of shelves, picking up a small frame and holding it out in calm reflection. You’d seen it before in Tommy’s office and marveled at the delicate pattern of the embroidery, if you could call it that. You’d never been able to find a thread quite so beautiful. An enchanting glossy chestnut had been used to make a wreath of intricate flowers. 

"I think it started with our mother. I was too young to remember her, of course, but Tommy…I think he still carries a part of her inside himself,” she confided. 

Holding out the frame to you for a better look she explained, “you know, he was the only one of the children to see her body after they pulled her from the cut.”

You shuddered at the thought of your husband as a boy, alone with his mother’s corpse. He must have been so lost and confused in that moment. Your thoughts wandered as you ruminated on the impact of such a horrible event. Had he known then about her tragic end or was he spared that burden until he was old enough to carry it?

Ada continued, not seeming to notice you pale with the shock. “He cut locks of her hair to keep with him. It was all he could salvage before her body was burned according to tradition,” she explained.

“That’s not…” you gulped, squinting to see for the first time that the artwork was indeed made of human hair. An icy shiver ran down your spine as Ada merely nodded. 

Replacing the frame upon the bookshelf, she then removed a small wooden box from a low cabinet. Her back to you, you watched her take a few deep breaths as you wondered how Tommy would feel about her divulging secrets from their childhood. It was a topic he rarely spoke about and urged you not to question. As a dutiful wife, you’d accepted those limits and felt uncomfortable pushing past them now. 

Fumbling with the cigarettes on the desk, you felt your unease growing as Ada began speaking again. “Uncle Charlie says she wanted to take us with her. Our gypsy half is stronger so who knows? Perhaps she will have her way,” she mused darkly. Looking over her shoulder at you, she stated, “John’s gone. Arthur’s close. Tommy’s tried twice that I’m aware of.” The hand holding your cigarette shook, ash falling onto your new gown at her matter of fact tone, as though your husband’s fear of family curses was the most natural thing imaginable.

You shook your head in a vain attempt to dislodge her words, but all you could hear was the ring of certainty in her voice, taunting you with your husband's inevitable early demise.

The images it conjured were awful. You’d arrived at Arrow House mere days before Tommy was found muddy and shaking as he mumbled about being unable to pass over to the other side. Neither of you liked to discuss it, though he’d told you many times over how your presence saved his life. You’d talked him through several difficult episodes since, bringing him back into the light when darkness threatened to overtake his mind and soul. You were hopeful that your love was enough to convince him to embrace life.

“Tommy doesn’t believe in that stuff anymore,” you said, stamping out your smoke with finality.

Crossing the room to place the box on the desk beside you, Ada huffed out a little laugh at your insistence. “What is my dear brother thinking? Wouldn’t we all like to know?” she asked pointedly as she glared at you through the veil of smoke that still swirled in the air.

“You might not think so, but I do know Tommy,” you stated firmly, staring into her mystic blue eyes that reminded you so much of your husband’s.

Without answering your retort, she carefully opened the case at her side and removed something heavy enough to require two hands. When she lifted it above the lid and displayed it in upheld palms, your jaw dropped at the sight of a large dagger. The handle was made of horn, decorated with gold and encrusted jewels. The sheath was covered in what appeared to be snake skin. 

Your eyes darted to hers, a moment’s hesitation before you asked, “What is that?”

As if in a trance, she merely stared at the dagger, unsheathing it slowly so the blade glinted in the firelight. “A wedding gift for my brother,” she stated in a low voice. She began to turn the handle in the cradle of her palm as she stared at the light reflecting back to her.

You felt your mouth go dry at her adept handling of the dangerous weapon, eyes wide as she turned the point of the blade toward you suddenly in silent threat.

“Ada, what are you doing?,” you asked in slow, measured breaths, afraid of any sudden movement which might cause her to rush at you.

"You don't understand a thing about this family," she said, a wild look in her eye. “And what’s more you don’t want to learn so someone has to teach you a lesson.”

"That's not true,” you assured her, taking a step backward, hand outstretched to protect yourself. “I love Tommy very much. I only want to make him happy," you cried, feeling a rush of heat against your backside as you drew closer to the fireplace. Your heel caught in the carpet as you moved, a nauseous anxiety overtaking you as you realized you were cornered.

"That's not possible," Ada replied. "You must know by now that the only thing he hates more than a coward is a liar," she spat.

Your heart beat wildly as you stood frozen with fear. “Ada, y-you w-wouldn’t,” you stuttered.

“Wouldn’t I though?” she answered, baring her teeth as she raised her arm over you.

-------------

Tag List:

@evita-shelby

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@alanadetigy

@severewobblerlightdragon

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@theshelbyslimited

@kittycatcait219

@notyour-valentine

@areyenotfondofmelobster

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@runnning-outof-time

@emotionalcadaver

@thegreatdragonfruta

@noforkingclue

[keruimi]

The Consequences of My Ignorance

Pairings: Miya Atsumu x Reader

Warning: Angst

Note: Forgive me if it's quite disorganized. I just rearranged an abandoned oneshot of mine so it can be quite messy. Early apologies!

_____________________________

One step...

Two step...

There were so many that even I couldn't count them. Steps between the two of us.

Build the distance that separated us.

I don't know how long it started when I noticed her slowly drifting away from me.

I don't know how long, has she been far away from me. Something so far that even I can't reach.

My first love felt so distant from me.

"Tsumu, tsumu" my twin called for me when my mind started to wander again.

"Did you see Y/n?" I asked him before we started to fight again. His hand that was supposed to hit me stopped midway.

"She passed by awhile ago, why?" He asked me while raising an eyebrow toward me who frowned.

She didn't even stop by?

"Did she say anything?"

"Nah" he looked away that made my frown deepen.

"She didn't stop by, not even for a minute?" I ask out loud as Suna from the other side approaches the net.

"You wouldn't even look at her or greet her so why should she bother?" He bluntly stated.

"Yeah, I think she finally decided to not waste her time on you"

That was supposed to be a joke. But the longer I reflected on it, the more the feeling of dread grew within me.

I carried that feeling to the Tokyo Stadium.

I am proud of myself for keeping up with my usual routine but damn that dreadful feeling never left me.

"Where did everything go wrong?" I question out loud as I slap my forehead in annoyance.

I've been doing great for the past few months, but her absence is really starting to bother me.

"Everything 'Tsumu" I've heard Samu beside me who leaned on the wall.

I was supposed to get annoyed but it felt like my entire world froze.

"You're thinking about her, right?" He gave me a side glance before he took a sip from his glass of water.

"We have told you before. Both of you started the relationship too early"

"What do you know?!" I burst out at him who stopped leaning on the wall in case I attacked him.

"Woman loves attention. Especially from their partner. 'Tsumu, you simply didn't bother being with her. In other words, you didn't make time for her" he exclaimed.

"It's normal if she wants to leave you"

"You-"

Ginjima went between the two of us to avoid escalating the situation especially in public.

"Don't you remember when you forgot her birthday? When you didn't congratulate her the first time she won a contest?" My twin continued his words as Akagi tried to shut him up before I completely lose control over myself.

"Your ignorance disregards even the major things in her life. You already took her love for granted. You have no right to ask for more"

No matter how angry I was at him, we both know that his words were engraved on my mind ever since that day.

That day I began to realize that I didn't manage to spend time with her on our entire relationship.

And if we did, I would simply forget she is with me.

I neglected her without noticing.

So stupid, Tsumu.

No wonder she didn't bother trying anymore.

Once that realization hit, I made up my mind to make up for her.

But I didn't realize how grave the consequences are.

"What do you mean Y/n?" I asked her, confusion laced my tone that made a small smile lift from her lips, not in disbelief but another emotion hidden on it.

Not even my words can explain it.

"Let's end it Atsumu. I can't handle this"

"So you're leaving?" I finally took a hold of her wrist that made her halt from her steps.

"Leave. Break up" that's the words she uttered that encircle my mind.

"Y/n"

"Atsumu" she finally faced me and the look of frustration is the one thing that greeted me.

"I never benefit from this relationship. Only your love and time is what I received." She started as she snatched her hands from me.

"But if one of those two slowly disappears, the other one will follow. That's the real nature of this emotion called love." She muttered before looking away from me.

"I'm tired. So tired" she whispered as she wiped a tear that attempted to escape from her eyes.

"We are not acting like a couple anymore. So what's the point of this relationship of ours?" She managed to let out before facing her back to me.

"I have no strength, nor patience to stay in a relationship"

"Y/n... You know there are things I still need to do at that time. This is just one of the times where we need to make it through" I reasoned making her huff at my words.

"We?" She looks back to me with anger on her gaze and tears gloss over her eyes. "You were never there" she laughed out before giving a tight smile and looking away.

"Atsumu, I also have my own needs. I also need you to tend my insecurities. But in the end?"

"It was all on me and I can't take it" I noticed her clench her fist shut as she blinked her tears away.

"You were never there..."

That time, I felt a pang of pain in my chest from her words.

"I shouldn't have chosen a start

player. Worse, a prideful one too"

The regrets were very obvious. She regret loving me.

"What was my youngest self thinking?"

"Y/n"

"If I were to choose a volleyball player, I should have chosen someone like Hirugami"

"At least he would not forget about me"

Her words made me silent as her sobs was the only thing I can hear.

When did he entered the picture?

"Do you really regret loving me?" I ask her once to confirm if it was really her real thoughts and not an impulsive one. Because her words really hurted me

But her gaze really gave away everything.

"Atsumi is a great volleyball player. You have many achievements and less time for a relationship. So I never blame you for it"

"I kept trying. I really did" she cried out as she step back when I tried to reach for her.

"But even if I become an air, I can't enter your life at all. Can't make you look at me at all, can't make you prioritize me more"

"Whether it was in activities, hangouts, school, rest, I put you above others!" She pointed her finger on me as she bit her lip in act of holding back.

"That's why it hurts more knowing I give my all"

Her words conquer my mind the entire match against Shiratorizawa that we almost lost because of it.

"Atsumu, get yourself together" the coach scolded me as I bit my lip to stop myself from crying.

Its difficult.

"You can handle yourself without me"

Those painful reality words made me think about my actions from this past month.

"You wouldn't even look at her or greet her so why should she bother?"

"You didn't make time for her"

"Samu" I called out for my twin who kept drinking from his bottle as he sat beside me.

"What?"

"I badly messed up"

And I don't know how to correct it back.

When she is not willing to come back or even repair the relationship she chose to end.

I'm losing my mind

And that heartbreak turns into jealousy when her focus went to a middle blocker I completely knew.

Hirugami Sachiro from Kamomedai High.

Her words completely threw me off my focus.

The only time I got to calm down is when I manage to target him throughout our match.

My team doesn't even know but Hirugami itself seems to know, due to the way he gazes at me.

"Don't you think you're getting too heated with me the way you keep targeting me" He finally spoke up when both of us were in the front lines.

He's relaxed smile made my blood boil more.

"Don't blame me for your short outcomes"

Suna took a hold of my arm before I managed to get to the other court just to land a smack on him.

"I envy you, Hirugami" I muttered as I snatched my arm away from Suna.

"I lost to you again"

That time, I completely broke down.

No matter how good I was, or how talented I am. I would always lose to someone like Hirugami.

He's not a genius, nor a well-known person.

But the feeling of inferiority never left me ever since we met in middle school.

The fact that she compared me to him out of all people, never made me happy even if we won the game.

"People chose you over me. The only time someone chooses me is when it comes to playing volleyball"

"That's already a great achievement, Miya. I came from a family of talented volleyball players. Winning against me in that category is something you should be proud of."

"How can I?" I spat back as he finally took my feelings seriously.

"I always lose against you and I hate it"

That damn jealousy didn't leave my chest even after we won the match.

Nothing seems to make me happy anymore.

Because I lost her

_____________________________

Hirugami's Perspective

[dullgecko]

Riz brings Baron to prom with him just to fuck with people. This is my ?????? Baron, the child of the nightmare king, i hate them. If you look at me wrong he will harvest your organs. What's their gender? What's my sexuality? Fuck you, Baron we have to kill this guy. Don't flirt with Baron either, you die instantly.

You bring Baron to a goblin celebration and they participate very sheepishly, though. Doesn't matter what it is. They will stand nervously in a corner until told to do something.

Riz really didnt have a choice about bringing Baron. He was so deep in his feelings about all his friends having dates to prom and the fact that he'd be alone or third wheeling awkwardly that it just sort of happened. He'd passed a reflective glass trophy case on the way into the gym and suddenly Baron was there, creepy little doll face grinning as they slipped into the party with him.

He was mostly trying to ignore them, their power had waned significantly over the years so they werent exactly dangerous anymore but it was very disconcerting to have a literal figment of his nightmares hovering over his shoulder whispering the entire night. Not many people noticed Baron anyway, his friends were too busy having fun with their partners, so Riz was left to marinate alone in a corner with the nightmare child just making him feel worse as the night went on.

A few people he was vaguely familiar with had stopped by to talk with him, some even glanced in Barons direction and Riz had to gently tell them to ignore it or it would make it worse. Don't talk about it, don't question it, certainly dont ask it to dance. Despite his best efforts the whole thing gets to Riz pretty badly, and its only a multitude of saved wisdom throws that prevents him from letting Baron win and cause the chaos he desires before the nights over.

-----------

Goblin celebrations arent usually concerned so much with romance so, even though Riz is nervous there's not so much for Baron to latch onto. He just exists within the space, confused as to what's going on.

[cheemscakecat]

Missing In Action 13

Chapter 13: Regret

It’s time for RED team to reflect on what they know now, and to find out if Spy is okay.

TW: Some gore, heavy angst. Forgot to call the last chapter a doozy, but this one is too.

Medic remembered the day that Spy outran the BLU team’s Scout. Everyone had been celebrating Spy’s abnormally impressive contribution to the team. It wasn’t everyday that one killed so many BLU’s, got the intelligence, and got out; he didn’t even need assistance until he got into the main battle outside and the BLU Scout shot his leg.

But he hadn’t stayed to celebrate with everyone, instead going to the smoking room. Heavy had gone to check on him, and mentioned to Ludvig that Spy had part of a piece of paper sticking out of his lapel. It smelled like he burned photographs in the fireplace when Medic walked past the next day. They didn’t know exactly what happened at BLU base, but someone took a picture that Spy didn’t like. Heavy said he looked panicked and disgusted.

Heavy had noticed that Spy froze up when Ludvig showed them the BLU Spy’s head, and put two and two together. It was actually Mikhail that convinced the team to let Ludvig keep the Spy’s severed head until he got bored. It wouldn’t be more than 2, 3 weeks. Even Medic wasn’t stupid enough to butcher or torture an enemy teammate under Helen’s watchful eye.

So it was surprising that Spy led the charge in getting BLU Spy’s head killed so he could be free. Ludvig knew the team was scared of his experiments, and that they didn’t like him keeping the head. But he’d expected to be able to keep it at least a week before they came up with some yarn to get him to release his captive. It took 4 days.

Spy basically tried to shake keys in his face by giving him an animal to experiment on instead. But it was one of his pets; a very old crab that was not edible. Spy didn’t look as though he really wanted to give it up, so it must have been deeply important for him to free the enemy.

Medic had assumed that it was fear of more information getting stolen, despite BLU Spy always being stuck in the fridge and unable to hear well. He knew better now.

He wouldn’t be surprised if Spy was plagued by nightmares about his enemy suffering a terrible respawn failure. Being too cold, or not connecting back to his body, or just not being able to control his body because of a botched reconnection.

It seemed that BLU team might be thinking about how lucky their Spy was to be alive and healthy; he sure looked haunted. Ludvig decided they would just feel guilty if he told them all the details about how their teammate was freed. So he wouldn’t.

He was glad someone stopped him from keeping the head, in any case. Sometimes he needed to be stopped.

—————————-

All of RED team froze with bated breath as BLU Medic came out. Except Scout, but that made the most sense. Engineer could feel the anxiety radiating off of him. “Did he make it? Is he okay?” The Medic blinked at him in surprise.

“Yes. He’ll be asleep while his body heals for the next couple of days, but he’s alive with a good outlook.” He looked around at the relieved RED team’s faces. “I can never remember right… did this tape include your Spy’d respawn failure too?” They shook their heads.

”Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry! If I had known it was the fatal respawns only, I would have shown you the backup footage first!” He rummaged around for another tape “Malum extra reel”. Putting it in the TV, the BLU Medic fast forwarded to the Sniper respawn failure.

Spy had apparently respawned around the same time as the Sniper, because both the Medic and other teammates were asking him if he was okay. He kept shaking his head no. They were watching a camera on the BLU Medic’s glasses. He suddenly hesitated and looked at Spy.

“You have not said anything for a while. Is your mouth okay?” Spy made a shooing motion and pointed at Sniper. “He’s stable for now, we have the medigun rays on him. Can you open your mouth please?” Spy saw that it was useless to refuse, so he sheepishly opened his mouth.

Blood and teeth poured out like a running facet and gradually weakened to a dribble. Based on the footage, it looked like he lost his full set of adult teeth. “Oh Spy, sweetheart! Are you okay?!” “Et dowsen mattaw! Sniwpew’s dyinm..” He snapped at the doctor, who realized that he might as well go back to working on the more damaged teammate.

Fast forwarding a bit, there was a before and after showing that Spy was able to get fake teeth put in without it going wrong. They weren’t made to look exactly like the originals though, so he lacked the buck teeth that Scout must have inherited.

There was also footage from the BLU MedBay of Medic waking him up after giving him the fakes. “Sniper’s dead?” He asked. The Medic lowered his head sadly. “I’m sorry. It was like Mr Soldier’s case, the hearts and spine should have been usable… but..”

“Why do they make you do ze surgeries all alone? That was awful, they should have had someone to focus on ze spine and someone to focus on ze hearts. I mean, did they make you fix me, on top of Sniper? When he hadn’t been dead long?”

“I do not know. Ms Administrator only gave me clearance. I do sometimes wish for the help. It feels like there must be someone better suited for saving these patients.” There was a pause. “You fixed my teeth. I do not know how.. impressive that feels, but you are not a teeth doctor.”

“That’s true. I do not think it’s enough to try organ donors if there’s other respawn failures to come, but I think that might help. I couldn’t get your real teeth to stay, but these artificial ones worked. It may be that something leeches into the patient’s body during a respawn failure. If that is the case…”

The BLU Medic removed the tape. “I didn’t recognize your team’s Spy as the same person.” He looked pretty sorrowful. “But he grew up, and he looked so different…. I guess I look different too.” Engineer knew what was coming. They were gonna have to tell BLU team why their Spy was 25 years younger. And that meant Scout had to know too.

——————————

Everyone had been afraid to tell Jeremy that younger Spy was his missing old man, except Soldier and Pyro because they didn’t know. They looked like they were bracing for him to bite their heads off for it. That was so crazy to him. Yeah, he’d been mad at Spy in the plane but… did they really think he’d get mad like that at anybody?

“You guys know I’m not gonna freak the hell out on ya… You know that right?” He hoped they did. “Scout.” Heavy started. “It is not that ve thought you would be as angry as vhen we took the ride to base. But you ve’re just hurt deeply by vhat Spy hid from you, and ve knew that it would hurt more even from coworkers.”

“We.. we weren’t familiar with younger Spy. He had never told us why he left yer mother, so…” Engineer paused. “Fer all we knew, you’d confront him about it and he’d say somethin terrible.”

“We might not have know yer pa that well,” Sniper added, “But we knew he regretted leaving by the time we met him. The thing was, if you heard him as a young snot saying you or yer mum weren’t worth his time, or something to that effect…. An apology from his older self would feel hollow.”

“We could all tell that Spy wanted to reconcile before he disappeared… And… And we wanted to bring him back without you being worried he’d never be put right. We didn’t want you and younger Spy to be at odds either..” It was so weird hearing Medic sound sorry for something.

“So he… he really didn’t tell anybody about Malum. Do ya think he was still afraid of Admin? Is that why he always called her ‘the voice’?” Scout asked. He hoped Spy didn’t live in fear of her for 25 whole years.

“I think… that the Malum/Admin tragedy made him less open to new people. We don’t know who his Frigidus teammates were or if they helped him with his grief. But he has never been as open with us as he seemed to be with his original team.”

“Less open than that since…” Heavy glanced at Scout and stopped. “Ve have made grave errors before vith Spy. Heavy in particular… pulled a bad camera prank. That is vhy Spy keeps his rooms so hidden, even from us.”

“Well um…” It was hard for Jeremy to speak, his voice felt tight. They were standing around Spy’s hospital bed in BLU Base. He was asleep, but it didn’t look that peaceful. Had to have the big bandage over his chest visible too, and all those wires and tubes… “Would you guys be okay with me staying with him all night? I know more than one of us is supposed to be allowed but..”

”It’s okay, Scout. He’s your dad.” Sniper said. “It’d be hard for us not to argue about who gets the other chair anyway. We might pop in to check on y’all later, but mosta the time we’ll be in the BLU rec room.” Engie sounded like he was trying to cheer him up. It didn’t really work, but that was okay.

It was gonna be a long night.

———————-

Spy looked like an angel who got his wings stolen and then fell. He was paler than Scout thought possible for someone with such reddish skin. His hair was long enough that Jeremy kept having to brush it out of his eyes. He didn’t have to… but it felt right.

He knew Spy would live.. But the others said the curse could only be lifted if they showed Spy his life in order. Ma might know where to send them, but he couldn’t promise it. They were gonna have to tell Spy that Admin had died and who Pauling was. They were gonna have to try to convince him to take them to his house and see what he had to jog his memory. And that was assuming he hadn’t moved house since then.

What if Spy never got his memory back? Would it be worse for him to know he and Jeremy had been fighting? That he was angry with him, but not be able to remember why? How would he feel about having a grown son whose life he missed? There was a tight lump in the back of Scout’s throat. He could see why the others didn’t want him knowing before.

—————————

Somehow, Jeremy fell asleep in his chair. He wasn’t sure why. He found himself in one of the smoking rooms with younger Spy. He was dressed different. Still maskless, but wearing his older self’s black suit and scarf from Halloween. They didn’t usually spend Halloween at Bread base.

Spy turned to face him and was holding a familiar metal bucket.

“Scout, can I ask you to do something for me?” Oh no. The bread thing. He’d forgotten all about it! Jeremy tried to say no but his body was moving on autopilot. He was gonna do it again, whether he wanted to or not. “I’d like you to ask everyone for their dying wishes. Some of them might not want to come, like Engineer, but… have everyone else come to the poker table.”

Suddenly they were all there, except Medic and Engineer off fixing the death issue. Scout knew what he was about to do. He knew the prank was gonna be awful, especially since it was younger Spy. But no matter how hard he tried to kick and scream, and reach over to throw the bucket away, he couldn’t move from the chair or undo the smug look on his face.

“This is a bucket. It contains everyone’s dying wish.. everyone at this table anyway. Please set your watches together. We only have 70 hours left to live. But we’re mercenaries, and we’re a team. If anyone has a chance to fulfill all 7 wishes, it’s us. Let’s begin.”

This was his last wish, wasn’t it? To be with his Fortress teammates before they died and he went to reconnect with Malum. Maybe he wanted to be buried with Malum so his ghost could find them. But if he didn’t see the team at Fortress again, and if Scout was buried somewhere far away by Ma…

“First is desert Scout.” Spy looked at him, nodded and grinned like he was toasting at a party. The worst part was that older Spy did the same thing. This time he didn’t even ask if Jeremy really got the wishes. Younger Spy trusted him enough not to.

“He’s..” The smile faded as Spy stared at the card. He looked up at Scout, like a puppy that just got shot with a BB gun and hasn’t figured out it’s a betrayal by the owner. Jeremy wanted to scream, wanted to say “I’M SORRY!”, but he couldn’t. He could only watch.

“Drawn a picture of me getting hit my a car.” Nobody said anything. Scout couldn’t turn to look at them, but he hoped they were staring at him in disapproval. “There’s.. lines coming off me?” Of course he didn’t know what it was, he wasn’t a comic reader or American. Maybe older Spy was the same, he just didn’t know what the stink lines were.

“Yeah, those are stink lines! That’s why the car hit ‘em, cause he smells!” This time at least, Jeremy could look where he wanted to, which was at Spy. He looked disappointed and embarrassed. “I…” Spy sighed in frustration and picked up the next card. “Ze next card is-“ This time he didn’t say what Scout had drawn. But he remembered. It was disgusting.

Spy’s eyes slowly rose from the card to Scout, looking cold, disgusted, and disappointed with him. He stared through him like that for what felt like a full minute. Spy flipped through the cards without saying anything. Then he slammed his hand down, hesitating with his eyes on the cards pinned under his fingers.

“Did he even ask you guys for your last wishes?” Nobody said anything, apart from Scout’s laughter that he hated. Spy started looking from person to person, waiting for an answer. Scout looked back at them and they weren’t helping Spy at all. They still wouldn’t even say anything to him.

Jeremy had forgotten that nobody answered Spy. He knew he was the worst, obviously but… Why hadn’t anyone called him out? Why didn’t they say “No, sorry.” Or anything like that when Spy asked them? He hadn’t paid any attention to that the first time. He knew Engie wasn’t there, but Heavy was. And it wasn’t like Demoman and Sniper always agreed with him either. He could understand Pyro and Soldier staying silent, but not the others.

Turning back to look at Spy, Jeremy saw that he was surrounded by the ghosts of team Malum, all of them mangled. A Medic whose head was twisted backwards, a Soldier who was still on fire, a Heavy who had an injury like Spy’s, a Sniper who was bent in an odd way because of his spine.. A Pyro and Engineer who were conjoined at the head, a Scout cut in half, and a Demowoman who was barely held together chunks.

They never got the chance to get together and do everyone’s last wish. The ones who wanted to retire never got to. The Soldier didn’t get to meet Spy’s family. All Spy wanted was to make sure that didn’t happen again with Fortress.

But… the team’s silence showed that they weren’t really interested. And there was something worse about going and sitting down for the speech, for the song and dance and just staring. Showing that you feel indifferent to a guy’s face by giving them hope that you care first. They should have just sent Scout to say they weren’t interested.

“Then this has been a waste of my time.” Spy didn’t bother to grab the cards as his hand slid off the table. He looked offended, hurt, and angry. “Forget it. Just forget it.” He almost started to cry but opted to leave instead. But as he left, a gash formed in his chest and blood dribbled from his mouth.

——————————-

RED Team could hear Scout weeping again. But this time they were at BLU Base, so whether he would get embarrassed or not, they needed to go check up on him. It seemed the BLU teammates also debated whether or not to go in and check, because there were many of them standing at the doors to the MedBay, pacing and looking worried.

When they went in, he was slumped over Spy’s sleeping chest, arms out and trying not to bump the important wires. The fact that they could hear the weeping when he was face down was a testament to how loud it was.

Engineer made his way over first, laying a hand on his chest as it shuddered with sobs. “Scout? Is everything okay?” “No! Nothing is-“ He was having trouble speaking, understandably.

“Well, what’s worrying you the most, lad? Might help to tell us.” Jeremy shrank closer to Spy. “Me.” They didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t enough information to reassure him. “Yourself? Is it because we didn’t tell you-“

“The bread thing.” Several eyes widened. They knew exactly what he did to Spy with the last wishes. Heavy knew he’d eventually remember, but he’d been hoping it would be a day or two. Hoping he’d have time to process some of the rest. He should have thought before nearly bringing it up.

“A lot of us were bad about the bread thing.” Sniper said. “But you remember how you apologized, and Spy helped you with your date?” Scout looked up at him, confused. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think Spy would have helped if he hadn’t forgiven you.” Demoman gave him a look.

“I guess, but… I was awful about the hanging n the.. n the Tom Jones thing…” Heavy came over and moved Scout back into a chair. It would help to get him sitting upright, get the oxygen flowing. “Well, the good new is that Spy will wake up in a few days, and y’all can start to talk about it. It’s gonna take time to get his memories back, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try.”

“Don’t be discouraged. It is not over yet.” Heavy said.

They stayed together in the Rec Room after that. Scout was worryingly upset with himself, and they hoped that talking with Spy once he was fixed would help.