#but still when i'm not then i can't help imagining

[sinkuna]

୨୧ ― The flickering neon sign outside Toji's shitty little apartment paints his sweat-slicked back in a red glow as he slams into you, bare with no condom this time. His rough calloused hands bite into your hips hard enough to bruise, the smack of skin on skin drowning out the choked whimpers you can't stop.

"Look at you," he growls, voice gravel drenched and smug. A thick vein pulses along his cock as he drags it out slow -too slow- just to watch your pussy flutter, desperate and empty, "Clenchin’ like a fuckin’ virgin around me every goddamn time. Beggin’ me to stay." His thumb swipes through the mess dripping down your thigh, shoving two fingers past your parted lips without warning, "Taste that? All you. No rubber bullshit ruining the flavor... Or fun."

You gag around his digits, tears pricking your eyes as he rams back in with a squelch. The obscene wetness of him splitting you raw makes your toes curl. He’s right -fuck he’s right- every drag of his bare cock lights your nerves like kerosene.  

"Shoulda seen your face," he laughs, hips snapping forward to nail your cervix in a way that makes you see stars. The headboard cracks against the wall, your nails scratching red angry lines into his back. It's too good, so fucking good, but the thought of him filling you up like this- "Eyes wide, screamin’ ‘Toji, please, I’m not on the pill-!" His mimicry of your panic is vicious, mocking, "Too late now, princess, I'm gonna pump your womb full 'til it takes."

You feel him swell, thicker, hotter. Panic claws up your throat, "Wait-wait, I can’t-!" Despite your protests you can't help but pull him closer, thighs wrapped tight around his waist as he hammers home again and again, a broken mantra of, "Oh fuck oh fuck oh~-"

Toji cuts you off with a snarl, his hand wrapping around your throat and squeezing tight enough to make your pulse hammer under his palm, "You can."

It’s the way he says it -like a vow, like a curse- that unravels you. Your legs tremble around his waist, heels digging into the muscles rippling across his lower back, "S'too good- T-Toji~♡!!! Please don-don't stop!! D-Don't p-pull out~♡! Make me a mother~" 

He grins, all teeth, "There it is."  

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 

Toji Zenin hates condoms because he needs you to feel it- the primal, filthy truth of him branding your insides. The schlick of your juices mixing with his cum, the way your walls spasm when his tip kisses your cervix. He wants you dripping him for days, every step a reminder of how he utterly ruined you. No one could ever satisfy you the way he does.

But more than that?  

He hates them because latex can’t give you his kid.

His favorite girl, you- the woman he can picture with a tiny diamond on your ring, belly swollen and soft. The idea of you carrying his brat makes his cock ache and his teeth grind. He imagines you walking around, round and glowing. Your tits, heavy with milk, aching for his mouth.

"S’why you keep comin’ back, right?" he mutters later, holding your limp body close as he licks the sweat from your neck. He rubs your stomach, still flat, but not for long, "Deep down… you want me to put a baby in you."

Toji can see it now- a boy, with his jawline and his eyes. A girl, with your smile and his nose. A handful of tiny brats, all perfect.

He knows it would be a mistake. A kid deserves better than a monster, a man who can count his friends on one hand. Toji will never be anything more than a glorified hired body. But the thought is tempting.

"Imagine my brat, growin’ in that pretty belly. Havin' family dinners… Soccer games… Movie nights…"

He's not the kind of guy you can build a life with. Too rough, too wild, too dangerous. But Toji can't deny the way his heart clenches at the idea.

"Fuck, baby… That'd make me so fucking happy…"

Toji Zenin hates condoms because, maybe, just maybe… He'd like a family to actually call his own.

[pathless-stride]

I'm adding some stuff cause I wish the article was more than just use these machines or don't use them. most people can't afford stand mixers, stand mixers or food processors also still require scraping and such actions. higher counter tops is also a huge investment most can't do. readymade mixes are good but depends on where you are from and what you are making. (I also think they consider disability separate from hand issues and chronic pain?)

some easier alternatives would be getting an adjustable chair in the kitchen. stabilizes you for one and is good when your countertops are low. you can also put things on your lap for more stability and lesser movement of the arm. if the counters are too high you can get a stool but I've found they don't help as much with control and can be a risk if you slip. if sitting on the ground and getting up isn't too tough for you, then working on the ground is great! really stable and less back ache, more floor space ends up being more counter space. if you put a mat down it's easy clean up, this goes for countertops too, scrubbing and cleaning up after cooking and baking isn't talked about but it's a reality. a mat or a cloth down before you do anything less messy.

depending on what sort of pain you experience you can change the way or make small adjustments to the way you mix things. if a recipe requires you to fold things with a spatula you can choose not to follow and go for a whisk, it's design means in lesser movements (rather than round the bowl, going back and forth combines things well enough) you can mix ingredients. with whisks they tell you to use your wrists but you don't have to, you can hold it and move from your elbow or shoulder. if that is what causes your pain and not wrists then focus just moving those.

steel utensils make it easy to clean with less stuff sticking to them when you use them right. they also don't typically cling on to any smells. most are dishwasher safe but even if that's not an option you can just soak them in water for a good while and it becomes way easier to clean. steel plates and bowls tend to range from lightweight to more heavier so you can find the ones that are easier for you to hold on to. they are extremely resistant so any drops won't hurt them and you can just shove them in storage with less maintenance. if you make chocolate designs a cold steel plate works just as good as parchment paper, this is a good alternative if you can't use scissors or want something reusable.

if your oven is in a hard place and bending down or stretching up and then having to carry something hot to the counter is tough then look at recipes that can be made on the stove or a microwave. a cake isn't less cake cause it's not made in an oven. cooking on the stove can be easier cause you just need to move your dish to and fro from the counter to the stove. another easy change would be to change how your microwave is positioned. if it's not fixed in the you can turn it so the door opens toward the countertops and not air. helps when the food is hot or if you can't pick up something heavy for long times. just make sure there is insulation and it isn't stuck to walls though.

lot of people say make recipe changes to suit you, but that can get confusing. simple way to think about it is narrow down on your struggle, and imagine what someone would do if that wasn't an option. so- if you struggle with cracking eggs or get too many shells in, then look for vegan or vegetarian recipes. if you can't open jars or cans, or can't use a knife, then recipes that require more ingredients from bags and boxes. usually it's easy to make a base but hard to make it flavourful, chopping up fruit or chocolate, zesting, or measuring it out and cooking it down is hard work- flavour essences are good here, can make simple recipes fun without adding much work or ingredients.

I luckily haven't had to deal with much chronic pain or hand pain yet, especially with regards to baking (crochet is another story). That said, these look like some pretty solid tips! There's also some in the comments section.

[mmmilkweed]

I'm still here!

hi all, just wanted to update y'all on how I'm doing.

Thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, for the kind messages and anons. Every single one picked up a tiny piece of me and placed it back into its original place. I cannot thank you enough.

.. There's no easy way to say I'm still not doing good. BUT! I am doing *better.* Even if just a little, I consider it a win.

Mornings are a heavy issue. The past two, I've thrown up. Not today though, so that's a win right? Nightmares plague me - even today I caught myself dreaming that, once again, my words have been used against me and I was left alone, with only hatefull paragraphs to keep me company. Had I not realized I didn't have my phone in my hands when I woke up, I might have thought it was real. Man. Just another reason to have an aversion to my phone!!

I found a new.. Man, I never thought I'd use this word. I found a new trigger for my, what I can only assume, are panic attacks. Discord notifications. Just seeing the icon on the notification bar has my heart in my ears and I can't breathe. I still don't know how to efficiently calm myself down from these. While walking helps, I sit back down and it starts again. My job requires me to sit!! I've begun just brute forcing past it.

My appetite has completely vanished. I usually eat a decent amount through the day, but for the past 4 I've hardly been able to finish a single plate of food in a day. Yesterday I struggled with a can of monster. I LOVE MONSTERRR and yet I kept nursing it the WHOLE day. I was so mad... I'm going to go to my favorite restaurant soon, gonna work on getting my appetite back up.

On the way to my atelier, the song that inspired Timeless!AU came on: For Her by Jeremy Jordan. I adored this song. It meant everything to me, it's going to be on my Spotify wrapped from how much I listened to it. I.. Can't. Anymore. I put it on blast, I couldn't bring myself to skip it - and still, even when I was walking my heart beat faster than it should and I suddenly found myself out of breath. Negativity seeped into my favorite song. Figures

Still - it brought me some clarity. Past days I've really been feeling like a monster - but For Her made me remember that the AU really was always meant for this unrequited love, the whole thing somewhat inspired by the Great Gatsby and a dream that's just out of reach. How could I let myself be deluded so much? How did I let their words get to me so deeply that even I began questioning myself? ESPECIALLY since they don't me at ALL?! I saw someone say something so outrageous it become an inside joke with my friends! That really helped to disillusion me. I hope that with time, or with enough replays, I can find comfort in For Her again.. And I will. Jeremy Jordan is too good not to listen too

It's not all bad, though. I know I've been venting, yet I have to tell it at least to someone that's not my wife. Poor thing, I feel bad for her. She shouldn't be weighted my mistakes.

now let me tell you about the good too.

Oh there's so many amazing people in this community. Like each of you. Like my community on discord. Like my closer contemporaries. Discord notifications are not as scary when I see a certain groupchat or even server. Yes, while my heart skips a beat - I've laughed far more than cried. I can't thank them enough. I'll never bring it up to them, I don't need to drag down their mood, so I'm telling yall instead.

I've begun drawing again. I feel like I understand Shadow Milk Cookie on a very personal level now. If his demeanor changes going forward... I'm probably projecting.! Oh I've gotten to the point in rock bottom where I imagine PV helping me out with stuff. Man that's embarrassing to say. Akctually everything here is embarrassing to say - I still feel ashamed my body has such a visceral reaction to.. All of this! I digress. I began drawing again. I'm happy with what I have, can't wait to start showing yall.

I've begun scrolling Twitter too. In small doses. My modteam suggested it, and woah, it helped scrolling through the splatoon tag. I can't just up and leave it, as it's my current main source of income. I'm watching CRK tiktoks too! Slowly.

I'll try to be stead fast in my recovery - I've come to realize there are people who are dependant on me, they look to me to see how they should react. I did not see that before, and for that, I also apologize. Many have pointed out I'm new to this, and only now did I realize just how right you were. Especially as someone whos always kept to a side line - having a voice baffles me.

[alisonwritesimagines]

Night Out ~Bucky Barnes Imagine~

Summary: Bucky didn't want to go out at first. That was until he saw you and what you were wearing.

Author’s Note: I imagine reader with Starfire's Earth clueless personality in a way. Also, please note, this is not smut despite the summary being smut coded.

Reader’s Pronouns: She/Her

Warnings: fluff, no smut

Do not repost this anywhere!

Once a month, for bonding purposes, the team would go out just to let loose and build a better relationship. And this time, it would be your first time going. You, Nat, Wanda, and Pepper went out shopping for some new outfits for tonight since you didn't have anything to wear.

The Avengers rescued you a month ago from being a weapon for an organization that was trying to be the next Hydra. And luckily, you were able to solace with the Avengers. Especially Bucky who knew what you went through and helped you heal.

"Bucky! Are you coming with us tonight?" You asked him after running into him in the hall.

"Not really. Think I'm just gonna work out and turn in early tonight," Bucky tells you.

"Aw. That's a shame. I was hoping you'd join us," you pouted a little.

"Maybe next time," Bucky tells you.

"Okay. I'm gonna get ready. Nat wants to see how I am drunk. I've never been drunk before so this will be fun," you tell him before walking to your room.

Bucky was in the gym, lifting some weights until he saw someone from the corner of his eye. He looked over to see you in a black dress that hugged your curves. He stared in awe as you stood nervously in front of him. You were in heels that you were already feeling uncomfortable in. Your hair was done nicely and your makeup made you glow even more.

"Are you sure you can't join us?" You asked him.

Though you only knew him for a month, you grew feelings for the Winter Solider. Bucky was always there for you when you needed it. You couldn't help it.

"Um... yeah. I... um... I gotta..."

"Y/n! Come on. Everyone is already almost there," Wanda said, coming over to you. She linked her arm with yours before dragging you away. You looked back at Bucky who was still staring at you.

"Fuck it," Bucky said, quickly leaving the gym to shower.

The bar you all went to was somewhat packed. Tony had reserved an area for you all so you wouldn't be bothered and you had a place to sit. You sat in the booth with the girls as you took a sip of your first cocktail of the night (and in your life).

"So how is it?" Nat asked.

"It's strong," you tell her with a slight face.

"You'll get used to it. But cheers to your first drink," Nat said. You smiled softly as you took another sip.

You talked to the girls before talking to Sam.

"So, how are you liking a bar?" Sam asked.

"Is it always this loud and dark?" You asked him.

"Yup. You'll get used to it," Sam chuckled.

"Okay," you nodded.

"So Bucky couldn't come huh?" Sam asked you. You shook your head at him.

"He said he was just gonna work out and go to bed early," you tell him.

"I see."

"I'm gonna get another drink. Wanna come with me? I don't know how to order at a bar," you tell him.

"Yeah. I'll come with you kid. Let's go," Sam said.

When Bucky got to the bar, he spotted you and Sam ordering some drinks. He watched as some guy walk over to you, sparking a conversation. Bucky moved his way towards you as you looked uncomfortable talking to the man.

"So, you wanna dance?" Bucky heard the man ask you.

"Well, um..."

"She's with me," Bucky tells the man as he stood next to you. He wrapped his arm around your waist, making you look up at Bucky in shock.

"Bucky!" You say surprised.

"Right. My bad," the guy said, noticing Bucky's vibranium arm.

"I thought you weren't coming?" You asked him.

"I changed my mind," Bucky tells you.

"I'm really glad you're here," you tell him with a smile.

"Me too. What did I miss?"

"Um, everyone has been getting me to take a sip of their drinks and I am feeling very different. Is that normal when you drink alcohol?" You asked Bucky.

"Depends. How different?"

"Like a good different? I feel less stressed," you tell him.

"That's good. But you probably shouldn't alcohol as your only source to let loose and be less stressed. Come on. Let's get back to the team," Bucky said.

"Okay," you nodded. You held Bucky's hand, leading him over to the reserved area.

Steve noticed you two first when you walked over. He watched as you said something to Bucky before walking back over to the girls.

"So, what happened? Thought you weren't coming?" Steve asked Bucky. Bucky glanced over at you which Steve noticed. "Oh I get it. You know, you should ask her out. She likes you."

"Does she?" Bucky asked.

"You can't be that blind in the way she looks at you. Also, she goes to you after every mission," Steve pointed out.

Bucky looked back at you as you smiled happily at the girls. You looked over at Bucky and waved at him. You excused yourself from the girls before walking over to Bucky. Steve patted his back before leaving Bucky alone.

"This is fun. Are you having fun?" You asked him.

"In all honesty, I'm here for you," Bucky answered.

"You are?" You asked surprised.

"Yeah. I rather be somewhere with you than to be alone."

You looked away, feeling your face grow hot. You couldn't help but feel yourself grin happily at what Bucky told you.

"I think I experienced a bar long enough. Do you maybe want to go back home and we can be alone together?" You asked awkwardly and nervously.

"I'd like that," Bucky tells you. You giggle happily before rushing over to grab your purse.

"Bye girls!" You quickly said before rushing back over to Bucky. He held your hand before leading you out of the bar.

"Think they'll get together at the end of the night?" Pepper asked.

"Without a doubt," Nat smirked.

[erwinsvow]

being popes wife while he’s in prison means the most world shattering sex when he gets out he is not gonna stop for HOURS you really would just have to let him get it out of his system and fuck you into a coma

this actually made me like almost faint i'm not even kidding. i'm just gonna set aside the internal worry i have that nothing i write for him makes any sense or is out of character and just write about this for a minute thank you -> i wrote this like a week ago and never answered and look how far we've come so i'm gonna post it because this is the anon that started it all!!!! wherever you are thank you!!

in my perfect little world he would go to his old apartment first, before going to the house. you, his perfect little wife, would be the devoted type who came to visit him once a week, once every two weeks if you really had to. it's a really long drive but it was always worth it to you. the type who without fail asks his family if anyone wants to come with you this week. in my little au i would make her a nurse who works three on, four off and she uses those four to go visit pope, sometimes staying overnight in some hotel and then visiting again the next day before she drives home. as much as it means to pope that you would drive so long to see him week after week, i don't think he would like it. he would think it's too dangerous for you to drive eight hours by yourself, that it's dangerous to visit him when there's so many leering, unbelieving eyes that this is the wife that pope's been hiding back at home. and i think he wouldn't want you to see him like this, even though you're just moping at home, that this is the part of each week you look forward to. i don't know, maybe even after a year of marriage before he got arrested and the time you've been going to visit him, pope can't process that there is someone in his life who loves him this much. that he's not a burden, that you're not scared, that you do all of this willingly just to see him and hold his hand for a couple of hours, that you're always in tears when it's time for you to go home, that you answer his calls immediately, even if you're at work.

so you can imagine the kind of loyalty he has to you, since he's seen firsthand the kind of love you have for him. so when he gets parole, he doesn't tell you about it. doesn't want to get your hopes up like he did last time, and then he had to break the news to you over the phone and listen to you cry for the rest of the allotted time, and go back to his cell with the realization that you're still at home crying and there's nothing he can do to help you. so he keeps it quiet, drives himself home with the windows rolled down so he can hear the ocean again, thinking about the face you'll make when he's in front of you again. and fuck if it doesn't live up to every expectation he's had in his head for the last three years. the way you look in the comfort of your shared home, not just dressed up for him inside the barren prison. you're probably doing something that's part of your routine, the one he's had memorized since the two of you got together, cleaning up from breakfast and baking something since it's saturday.

you freeze when you hear the door open. pope's brothers usually tell you if they're swinging by, but they normally never come around unless they need you to stitch one of them up or something. you don't think they had any jobs planned for today, but then again, you could be wrong. but it's not loud enough to be them, you'd hear cursing and shouting and screaming if it was. a little stupidly, you step out of the kitchen towards the front door, without so much as a weapon to defend yourself. but you have this hope, that one day your husband will walk through those doors again like you haven't been living alone for the last three years.

today is the day your wish came true. and he does love your expression, wants to memorize it so it can never truly leave his mind. but what's better is when the two of you get into bed because he has no intentions of getting out of bed, because he has a lot to make up for. three missed birthdays—yours and his, three wedding anniversaries (and three other anniversaries, the first day you two met). all the times he should have been there for you when you had a bad day at work or got anxious around his family or needed him there, like when your car wouldn't start or the breaker short-circuited and the power went out. i've talked enough about pope and wifey's sex life, but same as the show, he goes to smurf's house after. someone asks him where you are. "i'll bring her by tomorrow. she couldn't walk."

EXCUSE-

[royal-cupidity]

Something happened and I thought that this is gonna make some funny fic.. since I can't write, maybe you can do it? (I'm not forcing you, its ok if you don't do it) This is really embarrassing.. before I tell it, I WAS ON MY LOWEST POINT. I was ovulating, horny, single and research was killing me.

I had fun with a test tube.. it almost got stuck. I tried to pull it out but it was really slippery and I thought of using forceps but I was scared that it might break it inside so I had no choice to get it out with my fingers.

I'm so sorry you had to read this. A few days ago I was defending you from some fools on the internet and now this.

This isn't how I usually talk but I have used up all my grammar skills due to our research paper. I'm so tired. College makes you do questionable things.

“In Vitro, In You.”

Rating: T+ (mild sexual content, no actual smut) Pairing: Senku Ishigami x Reader (I found this EXTREMELY FUNNY and too good to pass up. Thank for you sharing lmfao— took my mind off of my wisdom teeth consultation…)

You weren’t going to die like this. You refused.

Not on the laboratory floor, pants halfway down, staring at a poster of Marie Curie and wondering if she’d be proud of your “curiosity.”

The test tube was still inside you.

You were still inside your lowest moment.

One ovulation-induced, thesis-writing, brain-rotting moment of weakness. You'd seen it lying there, glinting under fluorescent lights like a siren from hell. Slim. Smooth. Sterilized. And, regrettably, conveniently phallic. And in your hormonal haze, you’d thought:

“Science is exploration.”

Not even two minutes later, you were on your back trying to remember if borosilicate glass had a tensile strength strong enough to survive vaginal suction.

You’d panicked. Reached for the forceps. Recoiled. Visions of ER visits danced behind your eyes. You imagined explaining it to your gynecologist. Worse: a male gynecologist. Worse still: Senku Ishigami, who was, tragically, your partner for this semester’s Advanced Experimental Design.

That was when the lab door opened.

Click.

Rustle.

“Yo. You forgot your data sheets—”

And then silence.

You couldn’t even look.

“...You know, there are safer methods for artificial insemination,” Senku said dryly, voice echoing off your pride. “Unless this is some radical new protocol you forgot to mention during hypothesis design.”

You wanted to die. No, you wanted to evaporate. Maybe combust. Something quick and volatile that left no body, no evidence, no test tube.

“I can explain,” you croaked, not moving. “Actually, I can’t. But I can theorize. Hormones. Stress. Sleep deprivation. A warped sense of agency.”

“You’re giving me citations while a test tube is still halfway inside you?”

“Please stop talking.”

Senku crouched, annoyingly calm. He set your data sheets on the counter, adjusted his lab coat, and leaned forward with the investigative interest of someone studying fungal growth in petri dishes.

“You want help?”

You turned your head sharply. “No!”

He raised a brow. “Then stop clenching.”

You whimpered. “I wasn’t clenching until you walked in!”

“You’re literally creating negative pressure,” he muttered, and—oh god—he reached for gloves. Snapped them on. Powdered latex and your dignity now mingled in the air like acid and base.

“Senku, if you even think about going near—!”

He pulled back. “Relax. I'm not gonna go spelunking in your sin cave, jeez. I was going to hand you the lubricant from the prep kit, but if you’d rather do this raw—”

You flung a hand toward him without looking. “Give it!”

He placed the small bottle in your palm like a soldier passing a grenade.

Five minutes of slippery, shameful maneuvering later, you managed to retrieve the test tube with a soft pop and an echoing sense of lost innocence.

You lay there, limp, glaring at the ceiling. “If you ever tell anyone about this, I’ll spike your food with potassium cyanide.”

He snorted. “You wouldn’t waste good cyanide on me.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Senku grabbed a disinfectant wipe, flicked the tube clean with an almost too-practiced motion, then held it up to the light.

“...Still intact. Glass is more durable than most people assume. Honestly, I’m impressed. You chose a high-quality one.”

“Are you complimenting my taste in emergency sex toys?”

“No, I’m complimenting your subconscious material analysis skills under stress.”

You sat up, face hot enough to sterilize the entire counter. “I can’t believe I’m in love with you.”

The words fell out. Just—slipped. Like everything else today.

Senku paused. Like someone who just got an unexpected positive result in a wildly unethical experiment. Slowly, he turned to you.

“Oh?” he said, voice infuriatingly smug. “So that’s why you were willing to risk internal lacerations in the name of biology. You were thinking about me.”

“No I wasn’t.”

“You literally just said—”

“Shut up! That was a—heat of the moment—delirium confession!”

He leaned in, way too close. “So you’re saying if I ran a controlled trial—let’s say, increased proximity and chemical stimuli—you’d still deny any feelings?”

“Don’t you have platinum to purify or something?”

“You’re deflecting.”

“I’m threatening to kill you.”

Senku’s grin was a slow-burn reaction, heat rising without a single spark. “Alright then,” he said. “When you’re ready to write your case report on how not to use lab equipment as a coping mechanism, let me know. I’ll peer-review it.”

He turned to go.

But before he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder.

“And hey,” he said. “If you’re still curious about inserting things for science—”

“GET OUT.”

[towasdandelion]

YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE OPEN!!! (∩^o^)⊃━☆ HAI I HOPE YOURE DOING WELL!!! as always no pressure to write this but i have had an idea rotating in my head since like uhhh two weeks ago?? nd i think it would make for a very fun smau ♪(´▽｀)

LETS JUST SET THE SCENE: mc is hanging out with a ghoul who is a very good friend of theirs!! THEN the ghoul leaves their side for one reason or another, and someone else swoops in and starts flirting w the mc (someone like haku or rui for the sake of ghoul rivalry?? or maybe just some random general student who knows.)

mc texts them something to the effect of IM BEING HIT ON HELP and the ghoul comes RUNNING!!!!!

ofc you can do with this what you will these are simply my brain worms <3 (if i may ask for ritsu to be included pleasepleasepleaseplease okay THANK YOU)

and ofc thank u for you writing as always!!! hope u have the best day ever (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Hiiii! They are they are hehe (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) honestly I never even imagined getting any! Maybe that's why they make me feel a bit overwhelmed at times (⁠^⁠～⁠^⁠;⁠)⁠ゞ writing for someone is fun but it definitely feels different! I'm doing good now though thank you!! That's a very nice idea by the way so let's get goooo. I decided to kinda do a mix, a few with ghouls rivalry and a few with general students since I couldn't decide!! This was so much fun to write (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

Sinostra and Obscuary ghouls when someone flirts with you

Ritsu would be there in the blink of an eye. He would be like "Excuse me? I do hope you're aware you're breaking law right now. You can't touch people without their consent" (Proceeds to recite a whole ass paragraph) to which Kaito just pales before leaving in hurry without another word. He would then make sure you're okay and after that.. he'd drag you to the library, sit you down and open the Penal code, telling you to read the paragraphs he pointed to until you can recite them. He wants you to be able to fend off anyone who dares to get too close in case he's not around. Very thoughtful!

Taiga wouldn't usually care, but there's this important thing - you're his lucky charm. And that really changes things. He's there in literal seconds, glaring at the student as he approaches you, draping his arm loosely over your waist. "Ya lost or somethin?" Is all he needed to say to make the poor guy shiver. He would stand there frozen until Taiga grins at him, showing off his sharp teeth. The student gulps before quickly excusing himself. Problem solved. Without another word Taiga would smoothly escort you to his room, where he then make you pick a gun he'd later train you with... Extreme measures you say? Please, it's Taiga we're talking about.

Romeo would mutter to himself on the way, complaining how useless you are, not even being able to rid of some random guy. He gets furious upon noticing the student reaching for you, immediately slapping his hand away. "Just what do you think you're doing touching her!? Scram if you don't want me to make you beg for mercy!" The student's eyes widen. The guy is not even able to utter a single word. Finally he just let's out an awkward laugh and walks away. And now finally, Romeo can scold you for being so apathetic in this situation. If you dare to tease him about how protective he got just a minute ago I can't guarantee that you'll come out of this alive...

Rui lets out the biggest dramatic gasp upon seeing Haku openly flirt with you when he arrives. "Hey, hey buddy! Sorry but the role of her simp is already taken, thanks though!" He would say before throwing an arm over your shoulder and swiftly leading you away from the potential suitor, not even giving him a chance to say anything. Poor guy just got rejected not by the girl, but a ghoul who appeared to be your boyfriend. Yes, that was Rui's goal. Even if you two weren't together, it was more fun that way! He will pout playfully until you reassure him he's still your favorite flirt.

Ed, just where did he come from? You could have sworn you never heard any footsteps approaching yet there he was standing behind you, resting his head on your shoulder and looking at the guy with a lazy smirk. "My, my, and who is this gentleman? Is he a fresh meal for me? How kind of you" He'd lick his lips and you just know the guy wishes he never spoke to you in the first place. He sweats profusely before muttering a lame excuse and running as fast as he could. A shame, Ed admits but then he teases about you becoming his meal as a reward for scaring away the guy. By any means, feel free to get this idea out of his head.

Lyca's brows furrow the moment he spots you talking to Rui. He approaches you without hesitation, taking a stand between you and the blonde. "She's not interested in you" he states flatly, glaring at his 'opponent'. Surprisingly, he will then lecture him, saying to never ignore girl's body language and to never touch without consent. Rui blinks in confusion but nods along nonetheless, before laughing it off. He quickly excuses himself before walking away. Lyca doesn't understand the look on your face though. Why are you staring at him like that? Did he do something wrong?

[rekino2114]

I’m missing the Nayuta daughter au posts… So celebrating Nayuta’s birthday request! Could be headcannons or a oneshot, it’s up to you! (it’s not my birthday btw, mines in November, but still, I had an idea!) how far would Makima and her husband go for their daughter? How many presents? Who would be invited? Anyone from public safety? (Would her aunts be invited <.< ? And if so what would Fami and Yoru bring?) Where do you think Nayuta would want to go for her birthday? Also, (this is a bit suggestive, so only add this if you want to) what if Nayuta asked for a sibling for her birthday, and then Y/n looks over and sees Makima giving him the look. And their both like “well… gotta give our daughter what she wants-“ sorry if school is bothering you, as a college student, I know its really tiring ;-;

…imagine if Yoru brings Nayuta a loaded shotgun or smth-

You and makima celebrating nayuta's birthday

A/n:the second request was sent literally today and it fit with the second part of yours so I added it here

From the moment nayuta understood what a birthday was she was very excited to celebrate them, she gets everything she wants for an entire day? She couldn't have been happier, just as you and makima couldn't have been happier to celebrate with her

She will get the day off no matter what and no one can tell otherwise. There are paperworks to do? Aki can handle them a devil is attacking a city? She'll just send someone else to take care of it without caring too much. Nothing can stop her from spending this day with her family

Makima will literally buy anything nayuta wants, she's rich anyway so money is definitely not a problem and she probably already knows most of the stuff her daughter wants even without asking her because she has a great memory when it comes to things like that but just to be sure she will ask her and buy everything she says.

She'll even give you a little gift. She knows it's not your birthday and you don't need it, but she just can't help but spoil you on any occasion she gets and she was shopping anyways and saw this and thought of you so just take it. She won't take no for an answer

"So nayuta do you like your gifts?"

"Yeah! They're amazing! It's exactly what I wanted"

"I'm glad to hear that, what about you darling?"

"W-well I love it too but you really didn't have to"

"But I wanted to, didn't you say you liked that?"

"Yeah I do but-"

"Then there's no problem, I love spoiling my two favorite people on any occasion and this was the perfect one, so please just accept it"

"........thanks you're the best makima"

"It's no problem darling"

Even if makima wanted this to be a party on the smaller and cozier side with only you three nayuta insisted on denji being invited which turned into power and aki coming too because the fiend didn't stop yelling until she was invited too and someone had to babysit the two of them

Makima told them to leave early though and no one dared defy her

Nayuta's aunts came too (and asa too technically who was very very embarrassed and uncomfortable the whole time even if she wasn't in control of the body for most of the party)

Yoru genuinely forgot she was invited until asa mentioned it to her on the day itself so she had no time to buy a gift so she just bought an actual shotgun that thankfully wasn't a former human at least

You and makima immediately told her to throw it away and almost banned her from the party because of that

".........why did you think bringing our daughter a loaded shotgun was a good idea?"

".......I mean I always wanted a shotgun as a gift when I was little"

".....you can literally make one whenever you want"

".......so?"

Fami had absolutely no idea what to bring and almost had a mental breakdown while deciding cause she thought her niece would hate her if she brought something bad

She ended up bringing the top 5 results that came up when she searched "things human children like" (and that her boyfriend helped her choose) which resulted in tons of toys that nayuta liked

Death brought a lot of food....like a lot way more than the people at the party could eat so she just brought the leftovers home for herself and her own bf (she also definitely had to stop herself from eating more than one slice of the cake)

Death was also the most comfortable around nayuta, even if she didn't talk much your daughter liked her and said that she was her favorite auntie....which might have resulted in fami crying a bit

The whole day was just amazing for all three of you but makima's favorite part was definitely at the end of the day when you three cuddled and watched nayuta's favorite movie together. Just hearing her laugh and smile at it made her heart melt even more than usual... she really loved this so much

"Hey, Mommy, daddy today was awesome!"

"Really? We're glad you think so"

"Yeah, thank you! It was super cool and....c-can we do it tomorrow too?"

"Sorry yuta, but birthdays are only once a year remember?"

"O-oh yeah sorry"

"It's fine"

"......but thank you again! You're the best mommy and daddy in the planet!'

"......thank you......you have no idea what that means to me"

After that you put her to bed and told her that she still had one birthday wish if she wanted

"I want a sister!"

"........w-what?"

"Yeah yesterday i saw two girls who looked the same and they were playing together and having so much fun and I want that too!"

"Well we have to give our daughter what she wants isn't that right darling?"

"....I suppose you're right, but it will take more than one day for the wish to come true.......a-and sleep a lot tonight ok?"

[perplexingly]

ok i'm not very good with words & this is kind of embarrassing for me so i hope this is coherent LOL but. i wanted to thank you for uh. well just posting your art i guess.

i could say i've been in a few years long slump but the truth is i've been in an art slump since i aged out of pre-teenness and grew awareness. i've kind of hated art for years, not just my final product but just the entire process of it. it made me miserable. and yet i felt compelled to do it despite that, despite knowing it would just make me miserable, because idk... i'm an artist? or i want to be? but. it still made me miserable. and to be honest i was reaching the point where i wanted to just give up on art completely because constantly comparing myself & constantly feeling like shit everytime i picked up a pencil just wasn't worth it anymore.

and then! i stumbled upon your art. to be honest i'm a little embarrassed i can't remember which specific piece it was. i have a feeling it was probably istvan, or istenry related (😅) but i can't remember. i do remember how much it struck me though. your work, i mean. your entire style. hope this doesn't sound weird lmao but after that first piece landing on my dash, i just felt compelled to look through your entire blog; and i did! and i only fell more & more in love with your art. i don't think i have the words to explain it, i don't even know if i could even if i did. there's just something about it that i adore even in like the smallest barebones sketch, or wip. what i'm saying is that you very quickly became my new favorite artist haha.

i've been inspired before, like brief rushes or whatever only for it to die immediately because i.. hated it lol. i hated what i made. and i assumed the, quite honestly, constant wave of inspiration your art gave me would be the same. and then it wasn't.

i really don't even like, know how to explain why. i'm not even sure if there is a why? but there's just something about your art that made me want to try, like *actually* try and draw something i love. and then i drew. and for the first time in years, even after weeks passed, i still not only loved the finished product but the entire process as well. and then i did it again. and again. and it was still happening, i still loved what i was making & for even more first times, even when i saw work that was very clearly technically better, i didn't care! for the first time other peoples works, including some of my friends, wasn't just a tool for me to feel worse about myself & my own work, it was just something i could enjoy & that was it.

i don't really understand it to be honest? but i do know that even though it was like, completely indirect, you honestly deserve most if not literally All of the credit for this. it never crossed my mind someone's art could be SO good it would cure my inferiority, and then i started following you and exactly that happened!

so. um yeah kind of a very long message Sorry about that. but basically what i'm trying to say is:

thank you i guess? for making art so beautiful it's enough to rewire someone's brain into falling in love with art all over again. i'm so serious i really do not think i would've been able to ever even like imagine doing that without your art inspiring me. to be honest i think if i hadn't just happened to be online the exact time someone i was following just happened to reblog from you, i have a feeling i really would've just given up art completely: so thank you, really.

i get the vibe from some of your more personal posts that things aren't really going the best right now which, admittedly i can't help with but. i really hope things turn around for you soon. you only deserve great things. ❤️

Omggg I'm so happy for you, it's such a wonderful feeling when you're in love with the art process 🥰 I'm glad you didn't quit art! There's that entire view that art is suffering but when you let go and just draw what you enjoy there's no feeling like it 🥰

Also thank you so much for such a heartfelt message, and for the wishes, you're most kind ���‍♀️ I hope all goes well for you too!

[sirfrogsworth]

I'm sorry for being snippy. And if I seemed rude in the replies, I apologize. But I'd like to try this one more time and then I am going to step away from this post for now.

I just had to go 7 months without photography because of my disability. With the help of a friend, I took my first photo just a few days ago.

Creativity is almost as important to me as air. I've been driven to suicidal thoughts during periods when I couldn't express myself in any meaningful way.

And imagining going without it for over a decade, just having it trapped in my mind with no escape—I don't know if I could do it.

And I don't know what unethical things I'd be willing to try (and defend) if it meant having some semblance of creation.

Two decades ago, I was a stand up comedian for a while. I was getting pretty good. But then I got sick and it was taken from me. I truly felt it was what I was meant to do.

I still do. And I mourn that to this day.

Thankfully I was able to find a way to do comedy in another form. But people still called me a fake comedian. I wasn't doing "real" comedy. It was internet comedy.

That is why I have all of these feelings of trauma and empathy that relate to my friend's situation. How can I not?

We all participate in several unethical systems while also fervently fighting to improve them or even dismantle them for something better. We are so entrenched in them, I think we sometimes forget how unethical they are. Driving kills 40,000 people. Air pollution kills hundreds of thousands. And we all contribute to that. We all benefit from transportation and energy in many ways.

Generative AI is unethical and some disabled folks use it to cope with having their creativity taken away.

I am not going to stop the disabled from doing that. I'm not going to shame them or tell them to get crazy eye technology with no money. I am not going to make them use something much more inconvenient.

I'm also not going to call their creative expression sludge or slop. I'm not going to say it isn't genuine. And I'm not going to boil it down to simply a coping mechanism. Coping is part of it, but minimizing it to just that is reductive.

I understand my friend's pain on a very deep level. I'm asking people to try and imagine it and empathize even if it disagrees with general feelings about this technology.

If he asks, I am still going to tell my friend I think AI is hurtful to artists. I think I've proven where I stand many times. And I am going to fight to make sure artists and the environment are protected from this unethical technology. Just as I fight for public transportation and green energy.

This moral purity and rigidity without exception is a trap. And folks on the Left fall for it all the time. And when they can't possibly avoid being hypocritical, it makes it even harder to have complicated discourse in the gray areas.

Falling into the AI vortex.

Before I deeply criticize something, I try to understand it more than surface level.

With guns, I went into deep research mode and learned as much as I could about the actual guns so I could be more effective in my gun control advocacy.

I learned things like... silencers are not silent. They are mainly for hearing protection and not assassinations. It's actually small caliber subsonic ammo that is a concern for covert shooting. A suppressor can aid with that goal, but its benefits as hearing protection outweigh that very rare circumstance.

AR15s... not that powerful. They use a tiny bullet. Originally it could not even be used against thick animal hides. It was classified as a "varmint hunting" gun. There are other factors that make it more dangerous like lightweight ammo, magazine capacity, medium range accuracy, and being able to penetrate things because the tiny bullets go faster. But in most mass shooting situations where the shooting distance is less than 20 feet, they really aren't more effective than a handgun. They are just popular for that purpose. Dare I say... a mass shooting fad or cliche. But there are several handguns that could be more powerful and deadly—capable of one bullet kills if shot anywhere near the chest. And easier to conceal and operate in close quarters like a school hallway.

This deeper understanding tells me that banning one type of gun may not be the solution people are hoping for. And that if you don't approach gun control holistically (all guns vs one gun), you may only get marginal benefits from great effort and resources.

Now I'm starting the same process with AI tools.

Everyone is stuck in "AI is bad" mode. And I understand why. But I worry there is nuance we are missing with this reactionary approach. Plus, "AI is bad" isn't a solution to the problem. It may be bad, but it is here and we need to figure out realistic approaches to mitigate the damage.

So I have been using AI tools. I am trying to understand how they work, what they are good for, and what problems we should be most worried about.

I've been at this for nearly a month and this may not be what everyone wants to hear, but I have had some surprising interactions with AI. Good interactions. Helpful interactions. I was even able to use it to help me keep from an anxiety thought spiral. It was genuinely therapeutic. And I am still processing that experience and am not sure what to say about it yet.

If I am able to write an essay on my findings and thoughts, I hope people will understand why I went into the belly of the beast. I hope they won't see me as an AI traitor.

A big part of my motivation to do this was because of a friend of mine. He was hit by a drunk driver many years ago. He is a quadriplegic. He has limited use of his arms and hands and his head movement is constrained.

When people say, "just pick up a pencil and learn to draw" I always cringe at his expense. He was an artist. He already learned how to pick up a pencil and draw. That was taken away from him. (And please don't say he can stick a pencil in his mouth. Some quads have that ability—he does not. It is not a thing all of them can do.) But now he has a tool that allows him to be creative again. And it has noticeably changed his life. It is a kind of art therapy that has had massive positive effects on his depression.

We have had a couple of tense arguments about the ethics of AI. He is all-in because of his circumstances. And it is difficult to express my opinions when faced with that. But he asked and I answered. He tried to defend it and did a poor job. Which, considering how smart he is, was hard to watch.

But I love my friend and I feel I'd like to at least know what I'm talking about. I want to try and experience the benefits he is seeing. And I'd like to see if there is a way for this technology to exist where it doesn't hurt more than it helps.

I don't know when I will be done with my experiment. My health is improving but I am still struggling and I will need to cut my dose again soon. But for now I am just collecting information and learning.

I guess I just wanted to prepare people for what I'm doing.

And ask they keep an open mind with my findings. Not all of them will be "AI is bad."

[alicentsgf]

Thoughts on Travis?

I honestly kinda have a soft spot for Travis ? and I've really enjoyed his evolution.

We meet this boy whose been raised in a clearly unhappy home by a father he didn't have a good relationship with, whos instilled so much self-hatred in him, and who dies. Like hes dead, Travis will never get the chance to have the conversations he wanted to have with his dad. He will never get to question him or yell at him or have any kind of honest relationship with him. Travis in season 1 is consumed by the machismo mindset, but it clearly makes him so unhappy. He doesn't want to be that person, he's gentle, he loves his brother, he loves nat, he wants to be kind, wants to protect, theres this huge internal battle between what hes been taught and what he actually wants for himself.

Imagine you're a kid and your dad is a soccer coach and there is such an emphasis on the physicality of masculinity. You are nothing, not even really a man, if you aren't strong. And then Travis gets sick. Literally has to have surgery on his spine, he can't play sport, at least not for a long time. It may have been the one way he could connect with his dad, and its taken from him. Theres a lot of jealousy in his feelings towards Javi. Their dad doesn't treat Javi the same way, hes gentler with him for some reason whether this is because of Javi's age or ability to still become the man their dad hoped Travis would be.

And then Javi dies too. Unfortunately I don't have to imagine how that feels just in isolation. When my sister died, it was like someone had amputated half my soul. Felt like I spent all my time trying to find that part of me again, and tbh I don't know if you ever really do. A part of you becomes numb because it has to, otherwise you can't cope. Travis starts self-medicating to help him cope even further, is drunk most of season 3 imo. Javi was his little brother, Travis was desperate to protect him. It was all he thought about in season 2. Travis lost his purpose when he lost Javi, and it's like hes clawing his way back his little brother in everything he does. Sleeps holding his little carved statuette, surrounded by his drawings. Travis even begins to draw, he becomes gentler, more like Javi. Just like Misty grasps for Nat and Shauna for Jackie through a poor imitations of the person they've lost, Travis does the same.

His position within the group is interesting as well. Hes both fully integrated and yet still an outsider. We see this reflected in the adult timeline, where hes incredibly isolated in a way the others arent. He doesn't have a family or community. He doesn't even have anyone looking out for him like Nat does, because for him that person was Nat and hes cut himself off from her.

Travis is the personification of what it is to be untethered by grief. He loses much more than his family. He loses his sense of self. Hes torn by faith, swinging between belief and skepticism. He becomes increasingly passive and yet more violent. Whilst he interferes with both hunts, never participating in either, he ultimately, yet indirectly, causes both Javi and Mari's deaths. He instigates the actual 'hunting' part of the hunt when he tells Nat to run. He built the pit. His culpability becoming more apparent. So unable to commit an act of active violence in the case of Lottie, that he condemns an innocent person to die as a result. Meaning he ends up further encouraging the violence and depravity he means to free them all from. And this isn't a condemnation, I don't condemn Travis for wanting Lottie dead with all the pain she's caused him, but also i don't think hes as blameless in season 3 as people tend to act like he is.

I'm looking forward to seeing what coming home looks like for Travis. I imagine the plane crash, the loss of her whole family, changed his mother irrevocably. In which case its not really a surprise Nat and he grow back together, with neither of them really having a family to support them.

[theresatzu]

Olive Branch - Part 6

Pairings. Isagi Yoichi x reader

Starring. Isagi Yoichi, Bachira Meguru, Reo Mikage, Nagi Seishiro, Hiori Yo, Chigiri Hyuoma, Kunigami Rensuke, Itoshi Rin, OCs & reader insert

Tags. fluff, crack, angst, seperation arc, unrequited love, burned house, confessions, pining, marriage, burned house, forced proximity & estranged friendship

Previous masterlist Next

The next day, you weren't waken up by a fire alarm going off, but by a surprise, that was in terms of being alarming evenly matched with Bachira's proficiency in the kitchen.

The surprise came in the frenzied whirlwind of one Bachira Meguru.

"I have a surprise for you, so be prepared to leave work early!" Bachira exclaimed, while barreling into your room.

At the ruckus, your eyes flew open, grogginess and morning sleepiness clinging at your consciousness.

"Huh? Wah?"

"That's a yes! And don't worry, I've already spoken with your boss!" Bachira reassured, jittering excitedly.

You sat up, rubbing your eyes as the haze of sleep slowly faded away. "Wait, what do you mean? And surprise?" You blinked your eyes, confused.

"Yup! I'm not allowed to say more, so you'll have to do with that!"

"That's not helping at all--"

"Sorry. Can't say any more. I have to go now. Football thingies and all."

And with no further ado, Bachira whirled out of your room, leaving you stunned.

"Bee--"

Bachira stuck his head out of the bedroom frame. "There's breakfast on the kitchen counter. Buh-bye!"

"You-- but you can't cook!"

But the words fell on deaf's ears.

Grumbling, you decided that sleep was no use at this point, so you opted to just make yourself ready for the day.

After having made yourself presentable, carefully dressed in your professional get-up, you trudged downwards, fearing for the worst.

However, the sight that you were met with, was completely at odds with your expections that were akin to the abysmal state of Bachira's kitchen from the last time he'd tried his hand at cooking.

There was no fire alarm going off. There wasn't any smoke. Or burned toasts.

No, there was a bowl with rice seasoned with sesame seeds and a side plate of tamagoyaki and tsukemono.

You faltered, slowly approaching the plate as if approaching a feral animal gone rogue.

You rubbed your eyes, wondering if you were dreaming, or if the amount of workload had finally gone to your head.

But when you held the still warm plate, you realised it was in fact, not a figment of your imagination.

The delicious aroma wafted in your nose, making your mouth water.

"Jeez, Bee..." You let slip, in awe. But the thought immediately felt misplaced.

Was Bachira capable of making this?

The fever stench of burned toasts pushed away the notion.

No. Definitely not. Was it ordered, then? But if so, wouldn't it have gone cold?

Strange.

However, all suspicion drained from your mind the moment you took a bite out of the tamagoyaki.

"Holy shit..." Your eyes widened, hastily taking another spoonful.

It was ravishing. Impeccable. Seasoned to perfection.

It was a far cry from the plain toast you grabbed in the mornings on your way to work.

"If I could eat like this every day..." You murmured.

You usually spent mornings alone, so you never really took the time to prepare such an extensive breakfast.

And on the rare days both you and your fiancé were off from work, you either just ordered something or went to a cafe.

You sighed, eyes falling on your phone.

It was blank.

Fidgeting with your necklace, you ate up the last of the meal, pulling a slightly disappointed face as your plate was depleted.

You took up the plate and brought it to the kitchen, mood slightly dampened at the reminder of your unanswered messages.

As you put your plates away, you didn't notice a small note fluttering off.

But well, the difference between some actions are that some get noticed and some just don't.

A small descrepancy with big consequences.

If things would have gone differently, maybe you would have never chosen "Captain Thoughtful" as a nickname.

If things would have gone differently, maybe you would have eaten such delicious breakfasts everyday.

But alas, that was in the past.

And who ever returns to what was then?

At work, your mind was distracted, making your focus unreliable and your handlings sloppy.

The announcement of Bachira kept being rewinded in your head, like a stuck record, welling up a mix of intrigue and apprehension.

Knowing Bachira, surprises could either go really right, or really wrong.

Noticing your absentmindedness, Rento concernedly tapped your shoulder. "You okay? You seem out of it."

Startled, you looked up from your document in which you had typed a grand total of... nothing.

The campaign plan wasn't coming off the ground. And with Bachira's added mischief, the result was a flopped project.

Sighing, you shrugged, "Just going through a rough patch."

Rento frowned, clearly remaining unconvinced. "You know, if being with your former friends is difficult... you know my offer still stands, okay?"

You gave him a weak smile. "Thanks. But I'm actually going to stay at a hotel for the time being."

Quirking up an eyebrow, Rento asked, "You found one?"

You sighed. "I didn't."

Rento's eyes widened in realisation. "Oh."

You let out a weary breath. "It's a six hour drive. If I'm lucky."

"Six hours?!" Rento slammed his hands on the table. "You can't do that! Can't you just... stay at Bachira's?"

"I can't. You know how... tense things are between them." You gave him a pointed look.

Rento slumped down on his chair. "Can't they put their stupid rivalry aside for your sake?"

You pursed your lips. "Well--"

But the door burst open with a kabam, drowning out your words.

Everyone turned to the commotion, stunned as two figures walked into the room.

"If it isn't my favourite helpless girl!"

"Why did we have to take the stairs? What a hassle."

Two very familiar persons stood in the doorway.

One of them was standing confidently, hands on his hips, as if he commanded the very room.

The other was slumped onto a chair, eyes bleak.

Your eyes widened. The room stilled.

Reo Mikage and Nagi Seishirou.

You studied them, as it had been a few months since you had last seen them at some conference.

Reo was, as per usual, donned in expensive designer clothes, and Nagi was slack in some comfortable trousers and a hoodie.

They made quite the pair, you noted amusedly.

"So sorry we were a bit late." Reo flashed his ten-million-yen smile as he walked next to you down the stairs.

You raised an eyebrow, suspicion evident in your gaze. Late? Late for what? Is this what Bachira meant with the surprise?

He patted Nagi's hand, who was slumped over his shoulder. "Mister zombie here had trouble getting up."

As if on cue, Nagi let out a yawn, burying his face in Reo's cashmere shirt.

You watched the two with disbelieving eyes.

Nagi, who was too lazy to walk down a flight of stairs, and demanded to be carried.

And Reo, who actually indulged in that behaviour, was currently carrying a grown man of 190 centimetres while going down the stairs.

"Why couldn't we have just taken the lift?" Nagi let out a disgruntled noise.

"Lift's out of order, they're working on it, but it's faulty. Last time they repaired it, it got stuck again the day after for two hours." You explained.

Reo raised an eyebrow. "Seems like this building is a bit old-fashioned. Maybe they need to get some renovations done."

"Yeah, it's a bit inconvenient this way." You nodded.

A silence fell. You snuck a glance at the pair.

"So..." You wrung your hands.

"What are you two doing here? So suddenly. And at the JFU. At... 2 pm?" You said nonchalantly.

"Huh? Did Bachira not tell you?" Reo made a contemplative face. "We're hanging out, of course."

"..."

"What." You blankly stared at the pair.

Don't they have training? Meetings? Interviews?

"...Why?" You eventually settled on.

"Because." Reo shrugged. "I can and I wanted to. It's been a while since we've all hung out, you know."

Nagi let out an exaggerated sigh. "All because of Isa--"

"Shh!" Reo clamped his hand over Nagi's face, before shooting you a sheepish smile.

"So... how's work doing?" He quickly said. Too quickly.

You gave him a suspicious look, before going along with it.

"Work is work." You shrugged. "We need to get more sponsors."

Reo made an understanding sound. "Ah, for the next match, right?"

You nodded. "It's a whole ordeal. We expect a lot of people to come, consequently, we need a lot of resources and equipment for that to happen. Thus the need for money to purchase said resources and equipment."

"Why don't you just ask Reo for money? He's loaded." Nagi blurted out.

You went red. "You can't just say that!" You hissed. I can't just shamelessly freeload off of my friend...!

"Why not?" Nagi let out a shrug. "I ask Reo for money all the time."

You gaped at him.

"I can just pull some strings, no worries. But in return, you owe me a favour." Reo cut in, his tone very business-like.

Your eyebrows went high. "A favour? What do you have in mind?"

Reo's eyes softened as he turned to you.

"Just hang out with us again, that's more than enough."

Your eyes widened.

It's just momentary.

You looked away.

"...I'll think about it."

You were ushered into Reo's limousine. It was a sleek model, pristine from the exterior and the interior. Velvet cushions were in-laid in the soft sofas, giving you the feeling that you'd sink down into a cloud.

Stunned, you looked around, noticing the small table amidst the sofas and the refrigerator from which Reo conjured smoothies.

"Here ya go, for the lady." Reo gave you a playful wink as he handed you a smoothie.

You took a sip.

Your eyes widened. "You still remember my favourite?"

Reo shrugged, but the corners of his lips were slightly curled upwards.

"Reo, can you enable the lay-modus?" Nagi called out, attracting Reo's attention.

As Reo fuzzed about Nagi, you quietly sipped your smoothie, sunken into deep thought.

This was surreal.

Sitting in Reo Mikage's car-- no limousine again.

You let your hands go along the soft cushions, a small smile playing on your lips.

The last time you'd seen it, had been the dreaded five years ago.

"Reo, could you please pick me up? I... I need to get to the airport." You sniffed.

"Y/n? Wait--are you crying? What happened? Where are you?"

"I'm... I'm at Blue Lock's stadium."

"Okay." There was the rustling of keys and a coat, before a door was closed shut. "I'm coming, sit tight, yeah?"

"...Okay."

Reo hang up, the beeps of the ending call almost as loud as the blaring horns in your head.

You sat down, uncaring whether your expensive clothes got wet or not. The dampness of the field actually managed to momentarily shock you out of... whatever had happened with Yoi--Isagi.

God. Isagi.

The name ached, as if the syllables themselves could rip your heart apart by merely being spoken aloud.

Thinking about him hurt.

So you didn't think.

You looked about the place, taking in the familiar stands, the fields, the coverage of the stadium.

How ironic this place was.

Within it, you'd shared the moments you'd treasured the most, but now...

You bit your lip as a fresh wave of tears pricked in your eyes.

The sound of rushed footsteps reverberated in the empty stadium.

Your heart skipped a beat, head shooting up.

Purple came near blue. But it didn't elicit near as much feelings as blue did.

But it did extract a relieved sigh out of you.

"Y/n!" Reo came storming up to you, still clad in his white tuxedo, his purple bun slightly undone from running.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His eyes roamed over you.

Hurt was an understatement. More like viscerally ripped into shreds. But the pain wasn't physical, so you just nodded.

"What happened?" Reo demanded as he squatted next to you.

"I... Yoi--Isagi, he--" Your voice faltered.

Reo's eyes grew, but he didn't say anything, merely engulfing you into a tight hug.

"Alright. Let's go inside, okay? You'll catch a cold otherwise." Reo helped you up, arm slung around your shoulders.

"Okay." You whispered.

Once you were seated in the changing rooms of the stadium, you slumped down onto the cold bars of the bank.

Reo took a seat next to you.

"...Do you want to talk about it?" He eventually spoke.

You stayed silent.

So Reo kept his quietness as well.

After sitting in a few minutes of silence that was only disrupted by your discordant hiccuping, you spoke up, voice hoarse.

"I... I asked Yoi--Isagi, what was wrong. Because, well, he's been acting off, hasn't he?" You wiped at your eyes.

"Yeah. He's been acting out of it." Reo agreed.

You nodded. "Yeah, so I asked why. And then... well." You let out a deep sigh. "He started talking about my moving abroad... and about how I was being reckless... and, uhm. That..."

Your voice was barely above a whisper now. "...That I had changed. That I couldn't see how... how terrible my boyfriend is, and that if I would move away, that that would turn everything I'd worked for into shambles."

You let out a shaky sigh. Reo wordlessly handed you a tissue, his lips downturned into a frown.

You sniffed, your chest heaving up and down, in tandem with your racing heart.

"Hey, hey... take a deep breath. You're hyperventilating." Reo placed a hand on your shoulder.

You sniffed, desperately sucking in air.

"Well, he's wrong, alright?" Reo looked you in the eye, his purple eyes piercing.

"He's just..." too in love with you, to let you go, Reo wanted to say.

"...scared." He eventually settled on. "His best friend, being oceans apart. Who wouldn't be afraid?"

You searched Reo's eyes, searching for answers only blue ones held.

"But, he... he acted as if... if I'd betrayed him." Your voice trembled.

That's just his heartache speaking, Reo filled in, but it wasn't up to him to tell you that.

"I just... I've never seen him so... so angry? Disappointed? In me." Your jaw tensed.

"I just... I wanted to have them getting along. They're two very important people in my life, and I can't choose between them."

Reo's jaw slackened. "Isagi made you choose?"

"I--no. Yes. Maybe. It doesn't matter."

Reo's fingers clenched together into a fist. He knew Isagi had really been put through the wringer lately, but he hadn't actually expected him to dug his own grave.

"...Did you choose?"

You gave Reo a defeated look.

"I want to chase my dreams."

Reo's stomach sank. "When are you leaving?"

A wobbly smile. "Today. Can you take me?"

Reo's stomach sank, but he nodded.

Should I tell Isagi?

His hand twitched to his phone.

No. That will only debilitate the situation.

He let it fall to his side.

Instead, he led you outside, reassuring hand on your back as you tried to focus on the purple, the purple instead of the blue.

You stepped into Reo's limousine.

That was the last time you had.

To your surprise, the limousine didn't turn to Bachira's house.

You thought that since he'd prepared a surprise for you, it would've been at his home, but to your shock, the limousine drove up to what seemed a...

"An ice skating rink?!" You cried out.

"Yeah." Reo shrugged. "If you're worried about there being too many people, I made sure to rent out the whole place."

Your jaw fell to floor.

Rich people. Rich people and their stupid privileges.

As you walked inside, you noted that the space was enormous.

The ice rink was huge and circular, with a long sheet of smooth ice on the surface.

There was a restaurant and a lounging place equipped with sofas and couches. Fairy lights were hung from the high ceiling, casting the ice rink in an ethereal glow.

"Wow, Reo..." You said in awe, "This is... huge."

"Yeah? I mean, we're with a lot of people, so we'll be needing quite some space." Reo said off-handedly.

Your head shot to Reo, confused.

"Wait... more people--"

"Y/n! You've arrived!" A cheery voice called out.

"Bachira?" You turned around.

Your face fell.

Bachira was indeed there. But he wasn't alone.

Your eyes grew wide as familiar figures walked up to you.

Swallowing nervously, you wiped your hand on your clothes.

It had been years since you've last seen them.

With Reo and Nagi, you've held contact over the years, considering your involvement with the administrative business within JFU, and Reo's close affiliation with the JFU, it was only natural that you'd need to keep in touch.

And well, Nagi...

Reo and Nagi were a package deal.

Your eyes swept over them.

Hiori and Kurona were quietly engaged in a conversation, Chigiri was brushing a hand through his hair as Kunigami walked on with a stoic look in his eyes, a consequence of the Wild Card project that he'd gone through.

Bachira was leading the group, eyes sparkling like always as he ran up to you.

And walking behind the group was Rin, whose face was set in a scowl. And next to him was--

Your breath stilled.

Isagi.

Isagi had been making conversation with Rin, his hands moving to emphasize his points, but when his eyes met yours, he froze.

His Adam sapple bobbed as he swallowed. You opened your mouth, but before you could say anything, Bachira swept you up in a hug.

You huffed out a laugh. "Bee--Bachira!"

Bachira set you down, shooting a quick peace symbol at Reo and Nagi before slinging an arm over your shoulder.

You missed the pair of envious eyes watching you.

Finally, the others approached. Your breath hitched.

"Hey Y/n! Been a while, huh?" Hiori greeted you, an amicable grin on his face.

"Five years, years." Kurona affirmed, giving you a small wave.

"...Yeah." You said a bit awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Picking up on your nervosity, Chigiri placed a reassuring hand on your head. "Good to see you." He shot a wink at you.

He nudged Kunigami in his side, a playful glint in his eyes. "Even though he looks anything but, mister grumpy over here is also glad."

"...Shut up." Kunigami hissed. He turned to you, the corners of his lips barely tilting up. "You look well. We should catch up sometime."

A small smile grew on your lips. "I'd like that."

"Tch. Done with this sappy shit? I'll be off." Rin deadpanne before stalking off.

"Don't worry, he's moody as per usual, but ya know he's happy to see ya, too." Hiori whispered.

"Rin-chan's always peevish." Bachira took your wrist in his, "But let's go ice skating!" He then enthusiastically dragged you away with him.

"Oh, okay-- Uh... good to see you, too!" You flashed them a sheepish grin before Bachira basically lugged you on the ice.

Isagi watched you, his jaw set.

Chigiri turned to him. "So, are you going to do something about that, or what?"

"Huh?" Isagi blinked.

"It's so obvious." Hiori shook his head.

"We've held back for five years because you asked us to," Reo argued. "I think you've had time enough."

Isagi's lips pursed together. "She's engaged."

"Engaged?!" Chigiri's eyebrows shot up.

"To... him?" Kunigami made a disgruntled face. "I didn't know she had bad taste."

"Better than married, married. Right?" Kurona tried to assure.

Nagi, who was draped over Reo's back, yawned, "Just fess up. I don't understand the hold up. Doesn't she like you, too?"

Isagi stilled.

Chigiri's eyes narrowed, contemplating the assumption.

His eyes flicked to you, his lips pursed as if in thought.

"Mhm... but what if she loves him?" Hiori considered.

"Well, why else would she stay with him for over five years, years?" Kurona chimed in.

Even Reo thoughtfully nodded, "I heard she's house searching. But I don't know if she'll stay in Japan or decide to move elsewhere."

Elsewhere.

Isagi's heart panged.

Isagi paled at that. The colour in his face fading away with every word spoken.

The noise in his head increased to an ear-splitting crescendo, leaving him reeling and unearthed.

"I... I need some space." Isagi stammered, heart hammering in his ears, before quickly walking off.

The others watched him leave, a mix of pity and worry on their faces.

"He really is pathetic, isn't he?" Chigiri remarked.

"Well, he's Isagi." Hiori shrugged, as if that explained it. "You can strike him down a thousand times, but he'll get up every time."

Reo made a worried noise.

"But every person has a limit. And whatever he's doing now, he won't be able to keep that up. His stubborness is going to cost him."

"Jeez, Bee, is this why you had to buy ice skates back then at the mall? You had already planned all of this?" You said disbelieving, as you tried to maintain your balance on the slippery ice.

"Yup! I'm super smart!" Bachira grinned as he jumped and landed limberly back on his feet.

You watched him with a mixture of awe and envy, hissing as you struggled.

"How do you do that?" You spreaded your arms wide, feet unsteady.

"Do I need to hold you?" Bachira said instead, a teasing undertone to his voice.

"Shut up!" You made a face. "I'm going to nail this, just you watch."

Bachira stuck out his tongue. "Then try to catch up!" And with that, he skidded away, teasingly waving at you.

"Hey! Wait up--Woah!" You almost slipped, spreading your arms again.

"You coming?" Bachira shouted from up ahead.

You clenched your teeth.

Infuriating asshole.

"You better run, bee boy!"

You took off.

Isagi was skating languid circles, the motions of his skates practised and controlled.

But his mind wasn't on ice skating.

His eyes followed your haggard movements as you tried to keep up with Bachira.

Then, you staggered, weight falling backwards.

Isagi's eyes widened, taking a step forward, his muscles poised.

However, you narrowly stayed upright, flapping with your arms.

Isagi exhaled, looking to the side.

"Woah--Ouch!"

A loud thud, and you lay on the ground.

Isagi's head shot in your direction. You were on the ground.

His stomach sank, his mind screaming for him to just move, but his feet were rooted to the ground.

Luckily, someone else did take action.

"Fucking dumbass. Tch. Still as clumsy as ever."

Rin stepped from behind you, his words harsh but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

Of course, your miserable flailing was entertaining to him.

Though, he extended wordlessly his hand out to you.

"Ah, thank you Rin!" You took his hand, a sheepish smile on your face.

Isagi's teeth clenched.

"Thank me by skating better. You're a walking hazard." Rin deadpanned.

You opened your mouth to answer, but Isagi had already forced the noise out, his eyes casted to the ground.

He bit his tongue, the taste of iron filling his mouth. But he didn't care. He would prefer that over seeing you smile at anyone else.

"Isagi. Try to be useful for once and learn her how to skate." Rin deadpanned, appearing with you before him.

Isagi startled from your sudden appearance, barely having time to react before Rin unceremoniously shoved you towards Isagi.

You yelped, stumbling forward, Isagi hastily took hold of your arms.

Isagi's face heated up as you bumped against him, his right hand automatically put on your lower back for steadying.

However, you remained willfully unaware of all that, as you turned your head around, shouting a few colourful profanities at Rin, who remained unfazed, before you turned back to Isagi.

Your face immediately went up in flames.

"Oh!" You placed your hands on Isagi's body, quickly pushing yourself away. "So sorry about that!"

Isagi swallowed, his skin tingling. He shivered.

"Uhm... no worries." He scratched his neck.

"Still sorry though."

"...You don't have to say sorry for that."

"...Oh. Okay."

The silence was suffocating.

"So, I'm going to go... to... uh... Bachira." You flashed him a strained smile.

You made to get away, but fingers gently graced your wrist, before softly encircling it.

"You... I can teach you how to skate."

It went quiet. Quiet for too long.

Isagi's heart stopped.

Oh fuck. I screwed up. Of course she doesn't want to, she's skating with Bachira. Why did I do that? Why am I even living?

"Okay. Sure."

Isagi's mind screeched to a halt.

"You're... sure?" He repeated, hesitatently.

You let out a soft laugh. Isagi froze.

Huh. This is the first time she's laughed at me, he thought faintly, before you placed a hand on his arm.

All thoughts evaporated from his mind then, except for the notion that you were here, with him, and smiling, smiling at him.

An inkling of hope grew in his chest.

Maybe you and him weren't momentarily after all.

"Wow, did Isagi decide to grow a pair?" Nagi commented from next to Reo.

"About time, it was getting painful to see." Reo shook his head.

"Nah, he looks terrified." Chigiri remarked, noting how Isagi's hand faltered before hesitatently wrapping around yours for stability.

"Huh, I guess I see what you mean. He really is pathetic." Kunigami nodded seriously.

Chigiri laughed, "Nah, he's just in love."

You didn't know whether or not you should've been happy about Isagi teaching you how to skate.

On the upside, Isagi was a great teacher. Patient, good at explaining, methodical and meticulous in his steps.

He was skating backwards, his arms extended so you could grasp it would you fall.

"You're doing well." Isagi complimented sincerely.

A small smile flicked on your face at that before it turned into a yelp when you almost slipped.

"Woah... careful." Hastily, Isagi took your hand and pulled you towards him.

"Whew, thanks." You brushed the hair out of your face.

"No problem. Just try it again."

Isagi let go of your hand.

Yours lingered a moment in the air before you realised what you were doing. You hastily pulled it back, embarrassment making your face flush.

That. That was the downside.

"Alright..." You fixed your gaze on your skates, willing them to move.

"Don't look at the ground, you'll fall otherwise." Isagi suggested. "Here, look forward, look at me."

You did as you were told.

The breath was punched out of your lungs when you did.

Isagi's eyes had always been... intense. Always dissecting and analysing things. On the field, but in real life, too.

But now, now they were soft. Gazing patiently at you, roaming over your figure in a way that made you feel as if you'd been burned alive.

A small smile was on Isagi's lips, causing your eyes to draw to them.

Your throat ran dry, feeling strangely breathless.

"Just a few more... aaaand you did it." Isagi said, tearing you from whatever stupor you were just in.

"I... did it?" You looked behind you, and indeed, you had crossed the entirety of the rink.

"Yeah, you did it." Isagi eyed you approvingly.

Your face grew warm.

You opened your mouth, a question on your lips, but before you could say anything, Isagi suddenly tipped forward, and your eyes grew alarmed.

"Woah!" Isagi bumped against you, causing your knees to forsake and you to let out a shriek.

A moment later, you were on the ice, a pile of limps and skates.

"Ow... you okay?" Isagi said from somewhere above you.

You blinked, feeling the cold seeping into your clothes.

You scanned your body for pain, but fortunately, nothing came up.

Safe for the warmth on the back of your head.

You felt at your head.

You held Isagi's warm hand.

A beat passed.

"Oh... uh, sorry!" Your face flushed as you tried to sit up, but in your haste, you accidentally headbutted Isagi, who snapped back with a groan.

"Oh no! Sorry!" You winced, your face impossibly warm.

"I... it's fine." Isagi held his forehead, blue blossoming from underneath his fingers.

You gasped. "Your head--" And without thinking, you reached out, fingers brushing against his forehead.

You inspected the bruise, a frown on your face, your eyes flicking over his face.

Isagi's face was one of surprise. His blue eyes were dazed, his lips parted, hair ruffled.

A clog formed in your throat. He looks--

What am I thinking?!

Face burning, you hurriedly stood up. You gave Isagi a hand, pulling him to his feet.

Isagi was still staring at you. You ignored it.

"Sorry for your... uhm... head." You snuck a peek at him. His hair was still tousled.

"Oh, this? Nothing compared to when I go up against Rin." Isagi joked.

Your eyebrows shot up, a laugh slipping past your lips.

"Shh, careful. Or he might hear!" You hushed.

"Oh, yeah. Can't risk him killing me more than he already has." Isagi rolled his eyes.

You snorted, your breath tickling Isagi's lips.

Isagi's breath hitched in his throat at the proximity.

You were close. So close and smiling.

So mesmerising, everything around him could've crumbled to dust, and he wouldn't have been able to look away.

But you did. And when you did, a coldness settled into him, as if a blizzard had sunken its claws into him and pulled, pulled until he drowned in your eyes, eyes that were no longer looking at him. Drowned with no hope for saving.

And when you were so near, but so out of reach for him, Isagi knew that he was beyond rescuing.

And maybe this would've been unsettling, if Isagi hadn't enjoyed every single bit of it.

© Don't copy my work, don't put it in AI, ChatGPT, or use my work for other nefarious means.

Previous Next

Masterlist

Masterlist Olive Branch

[kbunzzi2oa]

The night he came back...Min Yoongi...

W.C -• 4.9k

Paring -• Ex!Yoongi × Ex fem!reader

Contains -• Exes to lovers, small smut scene, kissing, taking care, angst, fluff, slow burn,

Synopsis -• After a stormy night, you can't help but take care of your bruised ex boyfriend..

Nef notes! : new small imagine, currently going to post small stuff, I'm working on a SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME! cant wait! hope you guys like this, my friend recommended me this so yeah! reblogs, comments, or even a like is enough, as always my inbox and chats are open, y'all could always talk to me!..lav y'all!

The night rain came heavy—sheets against the windows, thunder like a grudge in the sky. You were curled on the couch, hoodie sleeves tugged over your hands, trying to ignore the silence that had filled your apartment since he left. Since Yoongi.

College had pulled you both in opposite directions. Deadlines, miles, depression, anxiety—you’d both cracked under the weight. He hadn’t fought when you said, “We need to break up.” Maybe that’s what hurt most.

You hadn’t seen him in six months.

So when the knock came—three dull thuds—you almost didn’t move.

But something inside you stirred.

You opened the door.

And there he was.

Yoongi.

Soaked. Bruised. Blood crusted at the corner of his lip. A split eyebrow. Knuckles scraped. Hoodie clinging to his lean frame like it was trying to keep him from falling apart.

“Yoongi?” your voice trembled.

He blinked at you, swaying. “Hey.”

And then he collapsed.

You dragged him inside, panic overtaking everything. He was heavy but familiar. Warm despite the rain. You set him on the couch, your hands trembling as you flicked on the light.

What the hell happened to you?

He stirred, groaning. “M’fine...”

“You’re not fine.”

You dashed for your first-aid kit. You hadn’t used it in months. Not since he’d cut his palm cooking, and you’d kissed it better.

Now, you knelt beside him, dabbing at his face with warm water and cotton pads, your hands far more practiced than they should’ve been.

He winced. “Still nurse-like, huh?”

You scowled. “Still an idiot, huh?”

His lips twitched, even as he winced. You caught the scent of blood and rain and him—so him it hurt. “Who did this to you?”

Yoongi didn’t answer. Just stared at your lips. Your eyes. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Your chest ached. “You could’ve called.”

“I wanted to. A hundred times. But... I didn’t think I deserved it.”

The words sank into your skin like needles. You taped a bandage over his eyebrow, silent. It was easier than asking the questions screaming in your head.

Later, you handed him a towel and let him use your bathroom. When he came out in your ex’s sweatpants—no, not ex, Yoongi’s—and an old tee he used to sleep in, you could barely breathe.

He looked like he belonged here.

He always had.

“Couch or bed?” you asked softly.

He hesitated. “Do you want me to go?”

You didn’t answer. Just turned, walking into your room. When you looked back, he was following.

Yoongi climbed into bed like a ghost returning home. No words. Just the sound of sheets and breath and hearts.

You didn’t sleep.

You stared at the ceiling while his presence pressed into the air like fog. Your back was to him, but every nerve in your body was aware—of his breath, his warmth, the fact that you still remembered how his fingers felt on your skin.

“Why did you come to me?” you whispered.

A long pause.

“Because I didn’t want to be alone when it all finally broke.”

You rolled over. Met his eyes in the dark.

“Yoongi, what happened?”

He was quiet. Then: “A fight. With some guys in a bar. I was drunk. I said something I shouldn’t have. I’ve been... spiraling.”

You swallowed hard. “Are you okay?”

“No."

It was honest. Raw. And that’s what shattered you.

You reached for his hand. Found his fingers cold. “You should’ve told me.”

“I didn’t want to drag you down again.”

Your voice cracked. “You were never a burden. You were just hurting.”

His grip tightened. “I didn’t know how to fix myself. And i hated that you were always trying.”

“I tried because I loved you.”

The words echoed. Hung in the room like smoke.

Yoongi exhaled. “I never stopped.”

Your breath hitched.

“I wake up thinking of you,” he murmured. “Fall asleep wishing you were next to me. Every day, I tell myself I made the right choice staying away. And every night, I know I didn’t.”

Tears stung your eyes.

He shifted closer, faces inches apart now. “I miss your laugh. Your dumb movies. The way you kissed my neck when you thought I was asleep. I miss you.”

You couldn’t stop it—you reached out, cradling his bruised face, thumbing over the cut on his lip. “You’re still mine,” you whispered.

He nodded. “If you’ll have me.”

The kiss was soft at first.

Cautious.

Like touching flame after months in the cold. But then his hand slid to your hip, and yours into his hair, and it was like no time had passed at all. Mouths remembering. Bodies relearning.

Yoongi groaned against your lips, pulling you closer like he was afraid you’d vanish.

Your breath hitched as his tongue slid over yours, slow and desperate.

You gasped, whispering, “Yoongi—”

And he kissed you deeper.

The tension exploded, like all the pain and want and regret combusted at once. Clothes were pulled off in the dark. You guided him onto his back, straddling him, trailing kisses over the bruises on his jaw, his neck.

“I’m sorry,” you breathed.

“For what?”

“For letting you go.”

He cupped your cheek. “Then don’t let me go tonight.”

It wasn’t rushed.

It was slow, like mourning and rebirth all in one. His hands were reverent, trembling, as he touched your skin like it was sacred. You gasped when he entered you, both of you still and breathless for a moment.

Then he moved.

And it was like poetry written in sweat and skin and gasps. Like every fight, every lonely night, every missed chance was being rewritten.

“God, I missed this,” he rasped against your throat. “Missed you.”

You moaned, fingers digging into his back. “Yoongi... please...”

He kissed you through it. Touched you like he needed to memorize every inch. And when you came, it was with his name on your lips, whispered like a prayer.

He followed, groaning into your neck, his body shaking.

Afterward, he collapsed beside you, breathless, clinging like he was scared you’d vanish.

You didn’t let go.

The morning was grey and soft.

You woke to Yoongi’s arms around you. His breath against your shoulder. His thumb tracing light patterns over your stomach.

“You still love me?” he murmured.

You nodded. “Always.”

“Then I’ll get better. For you. For us.”

Tears welled again. But this time, they were warm.

You turned to face him. “We’ll get better together.”

He smiled—small, broken, but real.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“You deserve to heal.”

And when he kissed you again—slow, tender—you believed it.

[princesskayjay]

The Slingshot Analysis, or: How a nice comment can still hurt, Kayo's a good big sister, and Imposter Syndrome is a bitch.

@thunderversary-rewatch-party, you guys take metas, right?

So I don't suppose I've made much a secret that Alan's my favorite character. So I don't suppose it'll come as much of a shock that I also spend a lot of time just thinking about him. (I say, running a damn RP blog for him.) This has lead to me over thinking Slingshot in particular way too much. Specifically from Alan's conversation with Kayo while they're repairing the comms on Thunderbird 3. And as it turns out, I have so many, many thoughts about it. And I ramble a lot. Bare with me.

Under the cut it goes - this will get long.

Alan: My brothers always say I make it seem so easy; Like I don't even try. I think I started to believe them.

So, this line. Up to the point that this line is spoken, Alan kind of has been making it seem easy - or at least like he's not taking it very seriously. Like nearly falling asleep while John was briefing him, wanting it to be just a solo mission because he was only picking someone up. And then when Kayo joins in and the two of them head off for the mine, Alan seems more concerned with showing off to Kayo than the actual mission. When he's warned that speeding up will make slowing down harder, Alan dismisses the worry as "Don't worry, it's me." Outwardly, at least, he's got a lot of confidence in his own skill.

Inwardly? Eh.... We see that the moment things do start to go wrong, that confidence starts to slip. We do see he genuinely does know what to do! It's just... That initial moment of "Wait. Do I really know what's going on?"

And then it builds. He figures it out, with some encouragement from Kayo, and god bless her for having his back this whole episode. As stated in the opening, Kayo's a good big sister.

Including her having to tell Ned off multiple times for being rude to Alan. And we do see! That Alan is good at thinking on his feet. Throughout the episode, he's just... really good at taking even the offhand comments that Kayo or Ned say and turn them into a solution to get them out the trouble they're in. Coming to mind, of course, is finding a way to communicate with Ned in morse code, and figuring out how to use the crackers to reroute first the asteroid itself, and then to give Thunderbird 3 an extra kick without using up extra fuel.

Amidst this all though, is the quote at the top of this section.

Alan: I'm an idiot. Kayo: Can you be more specific? Alan: My brothers always say I make it seem so easy; Like I don't even try. I think I started to believe them. Kayo: None of this is your fault Alan; It's a mission. Things go wrong. Alan: But I wasn't ready! Now we're probably going to die! Kayo: Don't say that. You've been through worse. Alan: I've never been this far away from everybody. We're all alone out here. Brains, My brothers; They can't help us! Kayo: Alan, I've known you long enough to know you don't need anyone's help.

So to be clear, this isn't quite the first time that we see Alan get nervous under pressure. The satellite in RoF part 2 comes to mind. It just seems to me that after Ned picks at him, Alan knows that he's getting nervous, and Alan knows that maybe he wasn't taking it seriously enough, and it's getting to him. Especially since I'd imagine a lot of the prior confidence was coming from the thought that he could just call for help if he needed it - He's just a kid, he's still very much used to having the safety net of his family there. And Kayo is at least able to help him get out of his head. Again, she's a good big sister. But are we surprised? She learned from the best how to big sibling. The other thing that stands out, of course, is the fact that the thing Alan quotes is probably a thing he's over heard. (And considering we hear Scott repeat this exact thing later in the episode, it's probably not something he's misremembering.) He probably feels like he's letting them down at this point. Because when the going gets actually tough, he's choking. He's scared - that's not making it look easy, right? He feels out of his depth, he's got no support, is that being so good it looks easy? Because it doesn't feel like it. It's not easy. He's not the man they think he is at home.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

That is to say, Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is being defined as follows:

the subjective experience of perceived self-doubt in one's abilities and accomplishments compared with others, despite evidence to suggest the contrary..

His brothers almost definitely meant this as praise, and I find it hard to think of any interpretation where it isn't that's still in line with the characters of the other Tracys. It hurts to feel like you're not living up to how everyone else sees you.

And while it seems as though he cheers up..... ("Sorry I doubted you" "I'm sorry I doubted me too!")

At the end of the episode, when he's giving his debrief to everyone at home? He's having a good time... Until Scott gets up to praise him for doing well on the mission, and that they're all proud of him. At which point, Alan suddenly gets nervous and excuses himself to go to bed. Which is in sharp contrast to the previous energy in his debrief. Wonder if he's still bothered by that thought, huh?

(And when Scott sits down to speak to Kayo, she speaks to his bravery, calling him a True Tracy. But when Scott says to her face that "He makes it look easy, doesn't he?" Kayo seems almost unsure of that. But she saw how much it bothered him when they were talking...)

I don't know how to end this ramble.

Just that Alan almost sees his siblings as Supermen, and he's very decidedly not that yet. Just that Imposter Syndrome is a bitch, and I love Alan very much. And this episode itches at my brain.

[butterflywordsmith]

There's actually so much potential for Black Bruce Wayne

So canonically his family has been around Gotham since at least the Revolutionary War.

I'm imagining the Waynes and the Kanes being part of like the first free families of color. This gives them time to amass wealth and basically establish themselves as part of the black upper echelon. For a long time, they were still kept seperate from many white circles and they fought tooth and nail to create paths to generational wealth for other black families despite constant sabotage from the other families as well as the government until sometime after the civil rights movement where it became very clear that they were there to stay and they would never back down. Throughout all of this Thomas Wayne did, in fact, become a successful and renowned doctor.

But these families do have secrets, don't they?

It takes a lot to keep the careful balance of peace in Gotham- between politicians, the corrupt GCPD, the elite families and of course... the organized crime syndicates.

Which makes it all the more tragic when Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down in front of their very young son, Bruce Wayne, who is now orphaned. Adding to the controversy is that their will leaves him in the care of their butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

I think this is the spark that would drive Bruce to grow up and wonder what Gotham is really like outside of the safety of Wayne Manor. While he's transforming himself into the ultimate crime fighter and navigating the corporate world and in between adopting several children as a single father, he also has to contend with the change he wants so desperately for the citizens of Gotham and the respectability politics and the expectation of Black Excellence that his civilian persona can't ever fully escape. Especially since he insists on the Brucie Wayne persona to distract the authorities from the fact he is the Dark Knight.

I also think this would make his relationships with Lucius Fox and Amanda Waller so much more compelling as people within the community who are also in positions of power and up against a structure which consistently has tried to force them all out.

Then there's the matter of the Rogues, many of whom wonder whose side hes actually on.

For the batkids I would actually keep Dick as a Romani character and Tim would still be white. Cass and Steph could also stay roughly the same and obviously I wouldn't change Duke's background.

I would, however, prefer Jason to also be black in this AU because it would add so many layers to the dynamic and history between him and Bruce and the differences between them prior to meeting each other and the tension after Jason's return from the dead.

I also think it would be incredibly interesting to see a mixed Damian Wayne (black, arab, chinese) discover what it means to be black in America for the first time. It wasn't that it was never brought up in the League, only that it didn't matter as much as it does in the U.S. and having Bruce help him navigate that would also be interesting in addition to Damian also getting to just be a kid at home which COULD be an allegory -_-

These are my thoughts for now. I may expand on this later but I just think it would be neat one day much as it might piss some people off. It's an AU.

[dweeb-central]

werewolf!yuu x .... jade? imagine???? got carried away lol 🤪 this was in my notes app for.... months??? but i revised the 1st few pts (so if it seems a little disjointed yk why) so i think it's ready for the world!!!!

werewolf!yuu who's so used to being a freak & a monster that they chain themselves up when the full moon hits—unaware that in Twisted McFreaking Wonderland there's perfectly accessible healthcare for this sort of thing!!!!

ofc, not like it's information they (yuu) freely give out. it took weeks of worrying to even consider telling anyone, let alone grim, the small thing that relies on them for food & shelter & safety (whether or not he admits it)

luckily, when yuu arrived to TW the moon was still in its early waning phases, which meant they didn't have to worry about their cycle for a long while. eventually, they must come clean to at least their housemate(s, if you count the ghosts) & list clear instructions of do's & do not's to follow for everyones safety

but one unfortunate full moon night, grim can't help himself & "accidentally" releases yuu, who wakes up at dawn on a Sunday morning in the middle of the woods.

blood on their mouth, feathers & leaves in their hair, & standing above them with an amused look on his face, jade leech, fit in hiking gear

he teases them, but doesn't explicitly say anything about werewolfism. as yuu walks away, he only speaks again to redirect them towards ramshackle dorm, watching them stagger away, barefoot & clad in only a loose t-shirt and some fitted athletic shorts (🍑👀)

the next time they see him, they watch warily for any sign he's jabbered off to his brother or boss, but he just eyes them back with the same placid smile and watchful eye as always

come the time of the next full moon, jade has ample enough suspicion of their particular ailment. of course, it took him a bit to realizing the timing of the moon cycle, but floyd's comment about the spring tides pulling back in as he watches the prefect's behaviour become cagier towards their little group of friends is what ultimately clues him in

he doesn't find them sprawled out in the woods this time, unfortunately. nor does he find them the full moon after that.

but, after the fourth full moon hits he encounters them again. it's a bit past sun-up, and this time he finds them already on their way back in the right direction towards their dorm, this time with heavy steel shackles around their wrists and ankles, broken chains dangling and rattling as they trudge through the woods. he can't help himself when he calls out their title—"oh, hello prefect. what a coincidence to find you here again. did you get a good night's rest?"

his teasing smile is noted, and they scowl in his direction as they shift on their feet uncomfortably—wearing shoes this time, it seems. a dark pair of rainboots turns on their heel as they glower. "not in the mood, leech."

he contemplates stopping them when his eyes trail to their wrists and ankles, bruised and rubbed raw. his mouth opens before his brain allows it to, and he calls to them, "you know, there are treatments for your... condition, prefect."

he lets their pause hang in the air for a second before speaking again.

"there's healthcare for this sort of thing. i'm sure there are several sources on campus that would be eager to provide you with the care you need."

they don't turn around, but their shoulders tense up from behind, and he knows they're irritated when their fingers clench into fists. they take another step forward, leaving him with a, "not interested in your sales pitch, leech," and he doesn't see them again for a week.

then, on a slow tuesday afternoon at the lounge, they enter. their eyes scan the empty tables, landing on him standing at the bar, cleaning a glass with his brother slouched over the other side of the bar in front of him.

yuu pauses to take a deeper breath in, lifting their jaw straight and walking steadily towards him. he's flattered to find out they seek his company in particular when they ask to speak to him in private.

there's no way a demand like that would avoid catching floyd's attention of course, but at the look jade gives him he relents with a sharp grin and a teasing comment

jade leads yuu to a corner booth on the far wall from the vip entrance, and a distance enough away from the main entryway. the prefect slides into the booth with an awkward clearing of their throat, and looks him in the eye steadily. "tell me what you know."

he raises a brow at their demand. "please." his face eases back into shape and he relents.

he has his assumptions about the prefect's experience as a lycanthrope based on their own reactions, especially when he tells them it's an easy enough fix. there are potions and spells and other medicines that are easy enough access with most healthcare services in Twisted Wonderland. of course, as a merperson he doesn't have any personal experience around lycans or lycan healthcare, but he knows enough that transformation curses and diseases are medically recognized, and that there are formulas and rituals available to the public—at varying difficulties depending on the area and availability.

(the prefect comments about it being about as hard—and as easy—as getting acces to birth control in their own world.)

he of course informs them that azul would be able to provide them treatment potions, but they frown again and grumble something about not wanting anyone else to find out about it. he comments that the nurse or sam might be able to help them as well, and they thank him for the talk.

before they leave, they pause. "one more thing. you're not gonna... tell anyone about this, would you? not even floyd or azul?"

he grins. "why, prefect, even i'm not so callous as to leak another person's medical history"

it's hardly a comforting way to put it, but he sees the tightness in the shoulders wane, and they nod as they turn to head out.

DAMN BITCH I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE LIKE 5 SEC NOTES ON THIS A BITCH JUST WENT OFF HUH LMFAO