#but they actually come off as real and down to earth and so respectful

[astrologuzzy]

✿ MORE ASTRO OBSERVASHUNS ✿

I’m back to spill more astrology observations, lessgetit!!! ˃̵ᴗ˂̵

Also, quick reminder that these are just MY observations and opinions I’ve gathered, so take what resonates and leave what doesn’t! mwahhh 😽💋

☆ 𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 seem to really like physical displays of affection very much. Every Gemini I knew always loved giving hugs specifically lol. They may enjoy physical touch as a love language.

★ I often notice how 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐎 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 aren’t scared to give their opinions no matter how controversial they may be. They don’t care if people agree, if they truly believe in it then they will share it and whoever disagrees can kiss their own ass. Which can seem intimidating to many especially with how much intensity and passion Scorpio brings to the table.

☆ I find it so easy to spot someone with 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒. You guys give a very mellow and grounded energy that is very specific to Earth signs. Y’all have that signature down to earth presence or a very firm/calm tone of voice that I recognize instantly even thru text lol.

★ Everyone wants to call Leos the most “cocky” sign but have y’all seen 𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈? They’re the real culprit here lol. These guys are number one fans of themselves (do I even need to make examples lol) and I respect it tbh.

☆ Speaking of 𝐋𝐄𝐎, they love to just disappear for like days or weeks straight out of absolutely nowhere and then come back like nothing happened and resume from where they left off. Like sir, are you not gonna explain why you just ghosted everybody? Lol like are you gonna explain where you was? (double points if that Leo has Sagittarius or Aquarius influences in chart cos they’re even more prone to going mia).

★ When people have 𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 in their big 6 or heavy Mars influence in the chart I notice that they tend to sound/come across way ruder than they’re actually being lol. They can be very dominant and intimidating in conversations. You’d think they’re angry or being mean but they’re just asking you to pass them the water bottle lmao. Often I think they don’t even realize that themselves since they’re just built that way.

☆ People with 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐎 & 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 in their big 3 together kinda scare me lol (in a good way). They usually are very into occult stuff and/or are strongly religious and showcase it very openly and firmly. Sometimes they just have a very intimidating aura/demeanor to them. I notice how they frequently tend to be very into dark colors and themes/styles too. They don’t f*ck around at all. Love y’all 💚

★ People with a 𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 𝐒𝐔𝐍 usually have their Moon sign qualities be more noticeable. With Geminis I tend to catch onto their Moon sign behavior before I realize that they’re a Gemini. Could be a mutable thing where they’re versatile enough that their Moon qualities shine more than their sun sign qualities. Very frequently when I try to guess a Gemini’s sun sign I actually guess their Moon sign. They tend to act like their Moon more than other zodiac signs in my experience. They may not even notice it either.

☆ I hope I don’t offend anyone for this one but people with a 𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐍 𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 (frequently more moon) mother tend to have veryyyy chaotic childhood stories about her. Somehow these moms tend to often be pretty emotionally unhinged people (no offense but in my experience so many of my friends have a mom with a Pisces sun and/or Pisces moon and they all always tell me how their moms have crazy mood swings or a very erratic behavior). I’m honestly so sorry for anyone who had, or still has to deal with such an environment. 🫂💚

★ 𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈 & 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐔𝐒 are the best opposite sign duo in astrology imo. I’ve never seen many Geminis or Sags that say they dislike or don’t get that along with one another. We really click well and even I personally can testify that lol. These two always besties.

☆ Also 𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 loooove anything to do with 2D characters or just fictional stuff in general. They love their ffs, romance books, making fan arts or edits. Every Pisces I knew had some kind of obsession with multiple fictional characters or shows and each one of them had accounts dedicated to making art or edits about said characters/shows lol. No matter if it’s a manga, an anime, a video game, a song, a movie or a cartoon, a Pisces placement will most probably romanticize a character or wtv it is they feel resonates with them in some way. I know lotta people do that but Pisces are usually more prone to be very frequent and indulgent with it in my experience. Not judging anyone, just pointing it out lol.

That’s all for todayyy ☀︎

Also please don’t copy or claim my content without credit or consent ♡

[bugs1nmybrain]

Shigaraki With a Girlfriend Headcanons

Warnings: fem reader as title suggests, sex, dub-con/non-con, shigaraki isn't healthy, fluffy if you can get past the darkish content, domestic abuse themes, misogynistic Tomura, anal mention, a lot of headcanons, typos but i don't have time to fix them right now

18+ Minors Don't Interact

Mellows out more, especially if he's around you and you alone

When Shigaraki has you around others he can get a bit cocky. He likes showing off his cute little girlfriend and how he's got such a cutie absolutely obsessed with him

When it's only you and him he's kind of domestic, surprisingly. You'll find him often coming up to cuddle you or touch you somehow and drag you to play games with him. Or more accurately you watch him game while he kisses and bites your neck

He likes doing cheesy couple things you'll come to find, such as going for walks, movies, out to eat, or just cuddle in bed for a while

That said, he's actually very cuddly once he's sure he can control touching you. If you're immune to his quirk, he'll still doubt it for a while and will touch you as if he's touching a hot stove. Once he knows you won't crumble, you won't be able to get him off of you

And if you aren't immune, those gloves that the doctor gave him as a child will make a comeback

He sort of doesn't even believe he has a GIRLFRIEND?!?! Makes him cackle and giggle sometimes

You can draw those cackles out by kissing his face and letting him touch you however he wants

He's horny so very horny

He's never had someone touch him so lovingly. He loves it. He loves that you love him.

As codependent as it is, you're pretty much the only thing he loves. That, and video games. And yes, he respects and appreciates his comrades. But love, as in genuinely caring for someone and wanting to see them happy? Only you

His temper is short and it's easy to piss him off but he sort of teaches himself a "count to 10" thing for you. He doesn't actually want to hurt you or your feelings. Though he'll admit, seeing your eyes water when he does something bad makes that sick, evil part of him smile

He can get carried away during sex. He's actually very eager to please you and make you beg for him. It wouldn't be fun if you didn't crave his cock, right?

He oversteps boundaries sometimes and will be very pushy. You'll have to speak up, but even then he might banter with you, "come onnn..but you're so pretty thoughhh~"

After the fact he'll pull you into snuggle and sleep with him. He considers that his act of redemption.

In case it didn't dawn on you, he's evil

He's able to be down to earth with you too and will open up about things he'd never tell others with you. He trusts you

His mommy issues may get taken out on you sometimes, and not even just in the sexy way. He can get very pouty and bratty with you or even just needy for attention.

He loves you sooo much. I've said that, but for real. His version of love is sick and maybe it's better to say that he's obsessed with you. He wants you all the time, and wants you to be his and his ONLY.

That said, he's the boyfriend who goes through phones. He paid attention when you put in your password while he was around you. He'll look through your messages to make sure there's no guys or funny people. He'll turn on location features while you're unaware so he can check on your location when he's not with you.

He'll look through your porn history too but he most likely won't be mad at anything he sees. It'll just make him horny and he'll pester you with questions. "Hehe you're into that?!" "Would it make you ooey gooey if I did that to you?" "Nasty whore hehehe."

Will take pictures of you without your permission, lewd or just innocent. He misses you when you're away and likes to look at them.

He doesn't show them to people except that one time he did let Dabi see a filthy video he took once while you and him were fucking. Dabi questioned his sexual abilities, so naturally he had to prove him wrong.

If anyone disrespected you the only person who could stop him is you, to be honest. He won't tolerate it and will absolutely hurt someone in your honor.

If anyone tried to take advantage of you or hurt you, bye bye

Doubts himself a lot and makes you feel guilty for it. He'll pester you. Is he good enough for you? Do you not love him? Is he ugly? Is his dick too small? He's too crazy for you right? Too bad? Too damaged? There's no way you love him, you lying bitch!

He's kind of misogynistic. Mansplains. Complains about how women accuse men of shit that "they don't do" and then does said things

Period specific hc: didn't take your period cramps seriously at first because he couldn't fathom how they were that bad. He thought you were being dramatic. It only took him taking you around his buddies and you absolutely dying in pain the entire time. He actually felt bad.

Sometimes he'll even give you the princess treatment. Spoil you with kisses, cuddles, and games. He'll bring some snacks too. Maybe pull you into the shower if he's smelly that day.

Boobies guy. But also loves butts. Actually, he can't pick. Because he loves sucking on titties but also likes putting his dick up your ass (when you let him lol). He loves your body so much, but he's not THAT shallow. It's the fact that it's YOUR body on YOU, attached to your cute facial expressions, and your cute lil heart.

Sex with him varies. It can be pretty sexy and sensual, actually. You'd be surprised how much Tomura just wants some genuine love and affection. But it can also very easily be rough and animalistic

All that hate and rage inside Tomura gets taken out on your wet pussy. You'll be sore. He'll say sorry and buy you a coffee later to atone for his sins.

If you want him to brush his teeth, you have to take him with you. If you treat it as a ☆bonding time☆between you and him, he'll do it. Otherwise, Tomura doesn't even remember most of the time. His breath smells. It's bad sometimes. When he flosses once every 6 months there's a pool of blood in the sink. Probably has gum disease.

Collects figures! And he'll never demand that you buy him things but if you did he'd be super embarrassed, but also grateful. He'll probably just hide his face and mutter a little.."thank yew". But the fact that you care about him like that makes his heart HURT

These love feelings confuse him because he fucking HATES how tight his chest feels and how heavy his bones and foggy his head is when he finds himself adoring you so damn much. He also adoressss you. You're his one and only and his only reason for ever doing anything generous to anybody. If he wasn't so fucking stubborn you'd probably be enough to "save" him

[dravenscroft]

So my wife and I are working on a long fic that's a Terror modern AU set in a secondary school. My wife is a teacher and has experienced The Horrors of crappy schools being taken over by academy trusts and becoming weirdly corporate firsthand. We're like 50k into it and it'll probably be like 60k? I think? Anyway we're uploading it on my Ao3 soon but here's a brief rundown of some of the highlights:

Crozier is the new joint head of school, he's been moved there against his will to work alongside Fitzjames, the 'Head of Data', which Crozier thinks isn't a real job.

Franklin is the Executive Head but he's NEVER at the school, he's always busy at head office and has no idea what chaos goes down.

Fitzjames used to be a drama teacher until he got promoted up. He hasn't taught in years and so Crozier has zero respect for him...at first.

Little is the exhausted head of English and he is regularly being verbally abused by the children. He is having a Bad Time.

Hodgson is the music teacher. Irving is the art teacher.

Collins is the maths teacher...he has had a sniffle since the start of the year...he is maybe over medicating with Lemsip and cough medicine in an effort to keep coming to work.

Goodsir is the bright-eyed NQT biology teacher. He is still full of wonder and hope. Oh, to see the UK education system 'with eyes as an NQT...'

Stanley is the head of science. He is not full of wonder and hope. Obviously.

Blanky is the geography teacher who has been there since forever and doesn't take any shit. He's beloved by the kids but they also rightly fear him because he will tell them what for if they misbehave. He also has NO concept of professional corporate speak in emails. He will tell it like it is.

...Oh yeah, there's emails in there too. It's partly epistolary.

Jopson is the highly competent office worker for the school reception. He WILL find a way to schedule the unscheduleable, he WILL handle any difficult parent that comes his way, and he WILL answer every email in a timely fashion.

He works alongside Billy of course, who doesn't want to be there, except maybe for the gossip.

Bridgens takes on the work of several as is normal in a terrible school...he's librarian, and the first-aider, and a TA, along with his husband Peglar who is also a TA.

Tozer is the disillusioned P.E teacher who USED to enjoy his job until Heather left and took another job on the other side of the country and the Academy (Admiralty Trust) took over...now he hates his job and is totally checked out.

And then of course there's Hickey...a problematic parent who has made bringing down Crozier and the school his primary goal. It was very hard to imagine Hickey with a kid but we came to the decision that his daughter was born when he and the girl's mother were like 15, a one-time fling before he figured out his sexuality, and he has Regretted It Ever Since because good GOD this man doesn't want to be a father. He only has her on weekends and isn't in contact with her mother at all. He WANTED to run off to Hawaii like in canon but then his kid's mother said she'd chase him to the ends of the earth for child maintenance if he did. He is NOT a good father, this troubled, angry teenage girl lives off takeaway and pot noodles and they mostly just try to avoid each other when she's at his scummy little flat. HOWEVER, because Hickey is all about his ego, when there are Issues with his daughter at school Hickey takes it as a slight against HIM, and makes revenge his goal.

His daughter also features, she's a 'managed move' student who was nearly expelled from her last school for bringing in a knife. She's very troubled and terrorises the teachers (she's referred to as 'a little terror' in one of the emails...) but she also ends up bonding a little with Crozier, who tries his hardest to turn things around for her. It's just too bad her father wants to cause Problems rather than do anything to ACTUALLY help her.

Anyway yeah. It's mostly comedic but with a few serious issues tackled (like the obvious neglect this girl experiences, for one) - it's mostly been a way for my teacher wife to rant about Academy schools and just the general failings of the UK school system lmao. There is Social Commentary involved.

Anyway it's Coming Soon.

[izzabela]

Hiii! Hope you’re having a good day 🌸 Kind of an odd request but could you do a scenario where the Lin Kuei trio use the fem. reader as a fake hostage in a heist mission?

Mission Impossible - Lin Kuei x fem!water-bender!reader

in which you're being used for the greater good

a/n: mmm more lin kuei

ship[s]: bi han, tomas, kuai liang x fem!reader

warning(s): poly, anti-betrayal, no "(y/n)"

As a member of the Lin Kuei, you proved yourself indispensable and powerful with your mastery over water magic. You could rival Rain's magic if he were still practicing, but he was not, which technically made you the most talented hydromancer in the realms.

But, as the lover of Tomas, Bi Han, and Kuai Liang, you were indispensable period. The formidable inheritors of the Lin Kuei, built on pride and duty, fell weak to your feminine charms and kombat talent. With that being said, these three men could not afford to lose you- no matter what circumstance they may find themselves in.

Unfortunately, that might just be the case this time.

The three men, crouched and hidden in a huge tree, watched in raging silence as they saw you use your water-bending. They saw your well-trained poker face as you took all liquid out of the person, the poor person shriveling up like a raisin.

Just as Syzoth was before, you were now in his place to serve his twisted will.

A hostage, taken in by the conniving sorcerer as he ran away to a hidden island, you were forced to use your magic to kill civilians Shang Tsung found as he traveled between the island and Outworld. It was to fuel his and a mysterious entity that resided on the island.

He was nearing the final parts of his plan to make his return to Outworld, but you and your allies were many steps ahead of him.

Under the careful guidance of Liu Kang and Empress Mileena, the two guardians sent the Lin Kuei to take down Shang Tsung once and for all. This mission would be a rather long one, requiring the utmost self-restraint, patience, and trust in one another that you could pull this mission off.

Liu Kang would have sent his champions, hell Bi Han practically yelled at him to do so. Unfortunately, their faces would be considered familiar ones, and everyone knew where that would go. They had to send someone unknown, someone who didn't have the smallest chance of being recognized as an ally to Liu Kang or the empire. That's where you came in.

You fit the bill quite well: unseen by Outworld, not so plain like a normal human, contained a power that would benefit the desperate sorcerer- you were perfect. This would command respect from the other initiates back in Arctika, especially since you were a woman.

You remember the night well, since it was the last time you spoke to them before leaving.

"I forbid it!" Tomas yelled as Kuai Liang and Bi Han followed behind. You were on your way out to be picked up by Liu Kang, Raiden and Kung Lao.

"You cannot seriously be thinking of doing such a thing," Kuai Liang seconded. "This mission could take weeks, let alone months!"

You were about to protest, but Bi Han took your arm rather harshly as he tried to pull you away from the fire god and his subordinates.

"Obey your Grandmaster! Stay with us, his lackeys can do your job," he said as he glared at Raiden and Kung Lao.

You shook your head and roughly let go of him, giving him an equally harsh stare as you voiced your opinions.

"This is something I alone have to do," you said softly. Your hand cupped each man's cheek gently as you kissed each of their cheeks.

There was evident sadness in their eyes that night, Tomas was the only one who actually shed a tear. You wiped his tears with a flick of your finger, the tear obeying and leaving his face.

"You owe us a real kiss when you come back," Tomas sniffled, Kuai Liang's hand on his shoulder to support him.

You chuckle, "I'll hold you all to it, boys."

Now, in the present, it had been almost six months since you last seen Earth, your friends, family, and your beloveds.

You stood by Shang Tsung's side as his slimy hand slithered around your shoulder. You took a sharp inhale as you turned away, tears threatening your eyes at sight of an innocent's life- gone.

"Very good," his sultry voice praised you. "I feel that a reward may be coming soon for you."

You nod quickly, standing straight as a pin as his hands began to roam your body. The softness of your skin that was exposed in your battle attire, and your sweet scent that intoxicated your lovers back home had him under a spell as well.

You pushed him away, and the three ninja that watched from above silently cheered at your defiance.

"Are we done?" you spat. Shang Tsung smirked as he let you go.

"Feisty one aren't you," he teased you as he twirled a strand of your hair in his fingers, "You may go. See to it that you get ample rest. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Tomorrow, you thought. Tomorrow was the day Shang Tsung would escape from the island, making a grand entrance with the planned massacre of the people in Sun Do. Then, he would teleport to Earthrealm and attack the OIA, dismantling it with the new power he gained

You walk away as the maniac sorcerer began to dispose of the body. The ninjas watch your figure slowly disappear past the rickety ruins of the island, and only then are they left with their thoughts.

You had lost so much weight, your supple and strong body rather frail and skinny. The color in your eyes had dulled, your bright colored eyes dim due to the atrocities you witnessed and done.

Tomas so badly wanted to cut Shang Tsung's throat open and take you into his arms. Bi Han wanted to rip Shang Tsung's skull out of his body and bring back the color in your eyes. Kuai Liang wanted to put the sorcerer's heart on a platter and serve it to Liu Kang, while he focused on bringing you back to full health.

The brothers tapped into their earpieces, gifts from the OIA, and relayed the situation to Liu Kang and the other parties related to this cross-dimensional heist.

"Very good, thank you for updating us," Liu Kang praised over the earpiece, "Everything will be in its place tomorrow, so do not fret."

Obeying, they bid farewell and reconvene amongst themselves, talking about the situation that will transpire tomorrow.

"It has been too long since we've held her," Bi Han gruffly speaks. Kuai Liang nods in agreement, but he warns his brother.

"Patience, Bi Han. We cannot afford to risk any slip-up's now," a warm hand is on his shoulder and Tomas speaks from across the tree.

"It will all be over soon. Just a couple more hours, and she'll be back with us," Tomas says softly, his eyes wrinkling as a cue for a smile behind his mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The brothers stayed up the entire night, not wanting to waste a moment anymore as you were soon going to be back in their arms.

Hopping through the trees, making sure no sound was made to alert their presence, they watched you and Shang Tsung load up supplies in satchels to take for your little journey. Shang Tsung chuckles darkly, oozing with sultry evil as he begins to summon a portal.

"The day hath arrived not a moment too soon," he poetically announces, "Soon, the realms will know never to cross me again."

Right before he could step in, he heard a rush of feet on the rough soil. Branches broke, rocks tumbled, and a distinct battle cry of a certain female force could be heard. Shang Tsung clicks his tongue, turning to the portal to try and enter, but you keep him steady with water you took from the nearby trees.

"Not so fast," you say with a smirk. Shang Tsung's eyes widen as he realizes he's been crossed again. You made sure to freeze the water, holding him in jagged ice as you waited for backup to arrive.

The Umgadi come to your aide with Tanya right beside you. Her dark skin glowed radiantly against the warm yellow light of the gods' power in her. Unfortunately, Shang Tsung broke free from your ice prison with his fire magic, and the battle started.

You and Tanya had to keep him occupied for a couple more minutes before Liu Kang and the OIA arrived. You tried hitting him with icicles you had made with the water within the trees, but he had dodged or melted them. Slightly stumbled, Tanya took this opportunity to hit him, twirling around in the air as her godly power held her up.

You got closer to him, making sure there was ample space between you and the sorcerer. You created a raging current around you, your arms in circular motions to keep the protective barrier as you tried to subdue him. At the perfect opportunity, you switched and made the water around you huge tentacles to hold him up in the air with arms stretched wide.

"How much longer must we linger!" Bi Han shouts as his brothers. The three had been watched the entire scene go down, but their order was not to intervene just yet.

Kuai Liang huffed, his hand beginning to smolder the tree with his fire magic, "Just a little longer. The swordsman and Liu Kang are arriving shortly."

Shortly didn't come fast enough, as Shang Tsung used his fire magic to evaporate your water and pin you down against the coarse dirt. All three men saw red as you were held down by the threat of his metallic claws, filled with poison he had concocted many moons ago.

Without thinking, Tomas rushed out from the trees at lightning speed to meet you, the priestesses, and Shang Tsung on the ground. His brothers yelled for him to come back, but his ears were ringing with a different voice.

"Release her sorcerer," he hissed in a voice unrecognizable to you, "Or face the wrath of the Lin Kuei."

Your heart fluttered as you saw Tomas backed up by his brothers, the ninja-assassins in a fighting position as they watched carefully what the sorcerer would do. However, he just laughs as his blades draw nearer to your throat. You gulp as you can feel it begin to knick your skin, bits of red beginning to fall.

"So, a ploy to have me surrender?" he jokes as his blade begins to press even deeper.

"It won't be so without losses," he said darkly as his arm raised in the air.

You cried out as you looked at the trio of men. Was this how you met your end? After six months without your favorite boys, this was the last time you'd see them?

You felt drops of blood fall on your face and crawl down to your neck. Carefully opening your eyes, you're met with the horrid sight of Shang Tsung's inanimate face over yours. His eyes lacked the mischevious glint in them, and his mouth was slightly ajar (you got your answer to where the blood came from). You also noted a glint of metal through his forehead, which would have its answer as you assessed your surroundings.

You look to your left and saw Kuai Liang and his kunai. He held the rope tightly as you saw his weapon lodged into Shang Tsung's arm. It seems he was the reason the claws didn't decapitate you. Shang Tsung missed because Kuai Liang chucked it into his arm and tugged it enough to miss your neck.

To your right, you stared at Bi Han as he held the removed arm of the sorcerer. That's why my arms are free, you thought. A layer of frost began to creep up the severed arm as you note Bi Han's brows being pointed so far down that he looked unrecognizable. Seems his rage got the best of him.

Finally, you look up and see past the body of Shang Tsung. Tomas stood over you with his karambit. His special dagger was stuck in the head of the sorcerer, and he impressively holds the body up with the dagger- with a single hand I might add. His eyes were dark, and you could practically smell the intent to kill from his body.

Tanya came to your side as she helped you slide out from under the body. Your knees shook and gave out, getting caught by Kuai Liang.

"She is all yours," Tanya said as she regrouped with her people.

You wearily turn your head to meet with Kuai Liang's teary eyes. He takes his mask off and engulfs you in a warm and tight hug. Gently, he brings you down to the ground and into his chest as you breathed in his scent. Warm like the sun, he smelled like freshly burnt firewood during a camping trip. Your rough and weak hands stroked his back as he inhaled your flowery scent.

Behind him stood Bi Han, whose mask was already down and his brows unfurrowed. The bags under his eyes signal weeks of no sleep, and he kneels down to both you and his brother as he cups your cheek.

"Thank the ancestors," he breathes quietly. You know he won't go in for a hug, but the way his eyes stay on yours is proof enough of his love.

It's Tomas who forces Bi Han's body on yours. He tackles all three of you in a group hug as he sniffles and sobs quite a bit, babbling "sorry" and "I'm so glad you're okay." You chuckle at the youngest brother's antics, trying to reach around and pat his head.

"Never again!" Tomas yells as he stares at you. "Never again will you do such a thing!"

You wince at the volume and proximity of his voice, and Tomas gets hit in the head with a little flick from Bi Han.

"Quiet," he scolds, "She is clearly exhausted."

"Yes," another voice interrupts, "Well deserved rest is in order."

All four of you snap your heads upwards to meet Liu Kang's glowing eyes. He offers a small smile and bow, and you try to scramble up to your feet to greet him back. However, he holds his hand up as he speaks.

"You've done more than enough. Please rest, everyone else has it covered," he said gently as you saw people working around you.

Dressed in office attire, agents from the OIA are discussing what happened and work to secure the area. You note many different races, including Shokan and Zaterrans, are present in the sea of bodies working. You catch a glimpse of a particular swordsman and a dark-skinned agent, and your hoarse voice calls them over.

Kenshi turns at your voice and sighs out your name, relieved you're alright.

"I apologize for not being able to come sooner," Kenshi bows to you and the brothers, "A personal matter came up."

You shake your head, "Whatever you had to do, it wasn't your fault. We got it covered."

He smiles, pushing his sunglasses up as he and Jaxx get back to work on how to tidy up the mess.

You begin to get on your knees, but the brothers gently scold you for trying to rush. Tomas gets up and squats once again, his back in front of you as he tells you to get on.

"Aren't we a little too old for shoulder rides?" you chuckle as you begin to climb on his back. The warmth of his body is nice, your head nuzzling into him as he rises slowly.

"We're just helping you," he says softly. Kuai Liang comes to his side, and he taps your shoulder for you to bring one arm down to hold his hand.

"Touchy aren't we?" you tease him. Kuai Liang flushes a little red before he slips his hand in yours.

Bi Han, though, is a bit more aggressive with his care. He scoffs as he stands to the side of you three, his arms crossed over his chest as he turns his head away.

"This is not the time to be playing games," your eyes are slightly downturned at his harsh tone. He catches this, and fixes his tone but keeps the weight of his words.

"We could have lost you," he says quietly. His brothers' happy demeanors are suddenly flipped upside down, the recent memory of your near-death a new piece of trauma in their head.

You tut and ask Bi Han to come to your other side. You let go of Kuai Liang's hand, not without a quick kiss on the back of his hand, and cup his face once more. You rub his cheek gently as you practically whispered to him.

"But you didn't," you say. "I'm here. I'm on Tomas's back, I held Kuai Liang's hand- I'm holding your face right now!"

Bi Han has an incredulous look on his face before his hand is on top of yours on his face. He gently kisses the palm of your hand, eyes still on yours as color fills your cheeks and ears.

"Yes," he says softly. "That you are."

You smile and he lets go, allowing you to continue holding Kuai Liang's hand as you four walked to the open portal that Liu Kang came from.

Finally, you came home.

=====================

i was watching ATLA and saw katara fight with water tentacles, so i just had to implement that into this fic

i got two more requests since i reopened my requests again, and let me just say i'm glad i have something to do while i'm unemployed

hope you guys like this one!

i'll see yall in the next fi ;)

[rweoutofthewoods]

I need need NEED people on TikTok to stop. I saw a TikTok where someone was like omg I want to befriend and track down x big author and x big author. WHERE IS THE TACT?? I CANT be the only one who thinks this is so odd.

If you actually wanted to be friends with someone you could go talk to them, you could be nice and normal instead of posting about wanting to befriend them for thousands of people to see. I’m sorry I’d never want to be friends with somebody who publicly announced an agenda just because the author is popular. Fic authors no matter how popular are literally just people and y’all are making it weird.

Like if you like someone’s work that’s great, and if u see a quality in them that you think you’d get along with AMAZING. Maybe u could actually be friends but when you just want it because they’re popular that’s so uncomfortable? It feels sleazy.

It irks me so much to see any author put up on a pedestal. Once you do that, and you remove them being seen as the same as everyone else it opens up a can of worms for things to turn bad. Because no one is perfect and someone will probably fuck up at some point and then it creates space to hate on fics or authors or be entitled because you don’t see them as real everyday people.

And I’m going to be so real, it doesn’t matter irl. Like the support and love online is wonderful but do u think anyone I talk to day to day gives a fuck that I have x hits on x number of fics? Or that I have x tumblr followers? NO it only matters in such a small context. That’s the difference between popular fandom people and celebs and influencers, their popularity is not something u can disconnect from them. While fic authors? Hell they could be the server you were rude to, or the person you cut off on the highway.

Come down to earth, treat people like people with respect and love not as their number of hits. Someone knock some sense into mtt I’m BEGGING.

[itsdeniini]

HEEJAY TURN ONS AND TURN OFFS

- a tarot reading ☆ JAKEHOON EDITION

ᰔᩚ n ! O te: i am a self-taught tarot reader, and the interpretations i provide are personal. if anyone would like to share their own insights, i would be more than happy to hear them! please be kind <3

HEESEUNG ᥫ᭡

TURN ONS

1. His primary love language is acts of service, so he feels most loved and valued when his partner takes the initiative to perform a thoughtful act of service that they discovered by actively listening or observing him, especially in situations where the act makes his day easier. This gesture fills him with a desire to give all the throat hugs to this person.

2. He will also get turned on by someone who know how to use their power. Ones that can make him feel so unworthy of them and insignificant (all that in a moment of lust) that Heeseung feels thankful for the chance to even touch them. What's sexy to him about worshipping is power.

3. Having someone who actually plans dates instead of the usual "you pick, no you pick" game. That's a big turn-on for him. It shows they're not just going through the motions. They're putting in the effort to make their time together special. It's like, "Hey, I care about this enough to think it through, to plan something we'll both enjoy."

TURN OFFS

1. Inconsistent attention and affection turn him off. He doesn't stay in situations like that; he moves on. He gets turned on by consistent attention and affection, and by a partner who loves him so much that they go out of their way to show they care. Someone will never have him if they are inconsistent with him.

2. For someone as genuine as Heeseung, dishonesty might be a major turn-off. Sincerity and authenticity seem to be integral parts of his personality, making deceit a stark contrast to his nature. Additionally, a lack of respect could easily sour his impression, as Heeseung values kindness and mutual respect in his interactions.

3. ARROGANCE. His humble demeanor and down-to-earth attitude suggest that he appreciates humility and modesty in others. Someone who displays arrogance or a sense of superiority might find it difficult to connect with him on a deeper level. He refuses to spend any “real” time on people whose pompous attitude and hate is simply a poison on this planet. He would think that they are so wrapped up in their angry rightfullness that they can’t feel the pickle up their rear.

JAY ᥫ᭡

TURN ONS

1. Physical touch. That's the most obvious thing EVER when it comes to him. He would find it enjoyable to stimulate blood flow through scratching, warming up the skin, easing back pain, and increasing sensitivity to physical touch. This all appears to be a feasible approach, as he rarely takes no as a response when he genuinely craves to get what's his.

2. You know what's a major turn-on for Jay? A person who's passionate about something other than work. Tell him about your odd hobbies, your hidden abilities, the things that light you up. Passion is infectious for him. He'd yap about his interests 24/7, hoping that his partner would do the same.

3. Someone with a good hygiene routine is such a turn-on for Jay. Watching them come out of the shower, skin still wet, towel wrapped around the waist, getting themselves moisturized and smelling divine, drives him nuts. Just sitting there monitoring them is kind of a fetish for him.

TURN OFFS

1. He hates closed-mindness. (especially if that's with the goal to project confusion on open minded people) He considers himself a open-minded guy and he SEE’S ALL and is able to connect dots, you would never sneak something behind his back. He'll find out about it anyway and will get mad MAD. He believes that closed-minded individuals restrict their thinking by focusing only on what they want to see, lacking the mental fortitude and bravery to explore beyond.

2. As time passes, he becomes increasingly irritated, frustrated, and disinterested in people who only talk without taking action or following through on their intentions. He's finding himself drawn to individuals who are more aligned with his mindset, which feels refreshing.

3. Overall he gets bored by people so easily. Sometimes all it takes is one wrong comment and he's done wholly with that person. He's sad and thinks he should do better in that aspect, because that may be the cause why new connections are burdensome and puts him on a massive off.

[hey-august]

Dadbod Buggy is so good and my personal hc (because how on earth would he pull off a sixpack? I’m not even calling him weak or unfit I just really feel a pirate that’s a tad more on the lazy side and has an affinity for food and drinks would at least not have a SIXPACK I don’t CARE what canon says) so please imagine with me:

Dadbod Buggy wearing something like a a girdle or other shapewear to keep his outline a tad smoother. He feels he looks more respectable with it and it also helps him get back into place correctly after using his powers and HES NOT SELF CONCIOUS ABOUT YET ANOTHER THING ABOUT HIMSELF SHUT UP!!

Imagine him getting someone into bed and being nervous because for all his showboating and boisterous behavior he didn’t think about what to do when the clothes would finally have to come OFF. Tries to dim the lights and hope he can maybe suck it in for long enough but of course his bedfellow notices and… are just completly smitten? Swooning even? It’s not a turn off at all? What- OH OKAY SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN THERES ENOUGH OF HIM TO LAST THE WHOLE NIGHT GEESH!! Bedmate is in heaven. Actual pirate heaven, where god has blessed them with a man with long hair and thick lashes and even thicker tights, paired with a belly that has just the right amount of jiggle when you ride him like a rodeobull.

Also now got blessed with the mental image of Buggy’s stomach resting slightly on someone’s ass while he fumbles with his belt so he can take of his pants and rail them from behind. hmmmmm fat men ❤️

ANON. ANON HOW COULD YOU. Let me tell you how I needed DAYS to recover from reading this. The way I had to put my phone down while reading this the first time. KICKING MY LEGS AND GIGGLING each time I re-read it!! so blessed 😩🫠❤️❤️❤️

BIG YES to dadbod buggy. To chubby squishy clown man. To rolls I want to smother in butter.

He absolutely would try to hide his insecurities wear functionable accessories. The leather belt corset-looking thing he wears in OPLA seems like the exact thing he’d wear to keep shape. This also works with his whole flashy outfit. Anything to distract from…whatever. Let’s not talk about it. It’s not a big deal.

Until it is a big deal and he has to be vulnerable. Ew. Awful. But you’re right, this is not a turn off. Buggy’s not sure how things turned out the way they did, but the absolute mind-blowing enthusiasm from his partner seems way too sincere and real. They can’t keep their hands (and mouth) off of him. 

He didn't expect all the attention - hands running everywhere on his body, squeezing his thighs, groping his ass and trying to get the biggest handfuls of that sweet sweet plumpness, kisses squished into every soft mound - but his partner is loving it. They’re absolutely feral.

They’re begging to suck him off and be smothered between his legs. For real. Seriously. Buggy better wrap his legs around their head. Push them so far down that their face is pressed against his stomach. They want to feel him everywhere. How dare Buggy try and deny them this pleasure????

Buggy still feels unsure the next day. The horniness is gone and so is the attraction, right? NOPE. TIME FOR SQUISHY CUDDLES. BIG BEAR HUGS. The attraction is NOT GONE. They want to rest their head on his stomach. Not his chest, not his shoulder, but his goddamn stomach. It’s the best pillow and they drift off into twilight so fast.

The hugs. Buggy didn’t get it at first...he still doesn’t, actually, but he’ll put up with it. It makes his heart pitter patter when they come up and wrap their arms around him from behind, squeezing into his rotund tum until he grunts and groans from how tight the hug his. Sometimes they sneak a handful and a jiggle of his tits pecs. His pecs.

Finally, slowly, he starts to accept this about himself a little more. It started with wearing pants and no shirt around his partner, despite his stomach hanging over the waistband. Any time Buggy was unsure about how he looked, his partner would be so supportive. They’d hear him out and give Buggy whatever he needed, which was usually a mountain of compliments that quickly turned into flirting and dirty raunchy sex.

Now listen. Imagine with me...convincing Buggs to have a little beach day. No swimming, obviously. But to hang out under the palm trees and soak in the sun. And this motherfucker shows up like a hotshot. Blue hair in a ponytail. Sunglasses. And he’s in shorts. They show so much of his goddamn thighs. You're looking so respectfully. How could you not?? He’s also wearing an unbuttoned shirt. And holy shit, the way it flutters in the breeze. You can see the chest hair on his beautiful pecs and dusting down his tummy. That gorgeous squishy body.

Fucking beach day.

[itsphoenix0724]

Dancing With Shadows (Azriel x Reader)~Chapter 2

Warnings: SMUT, shower sex, oral (fem receiving)

Word Count: 2.1k

Series Masterlist

A/N: This is entirely self-indulgent, I can't even help myself

Azriel always loved plane rides, the feeling of soaring above the earth was exhilarating. He thinks back to a funny dream he had as a kid, you had cracked up when he told you about his childhood delusions of having bat wings and flying through freezing mountain ranges. The memory of the golden sound of your laughter warms something deep in his soul. As much as he loves planes, Az is more than ready to get off this one because he knows what’s waiting for him at your apartment. You had tried to insist on picking him up from the airport, but his flight was getting in at 4 am your time so he opted to take his time getting his bag and stop for a shitty airport breakfast. After spending a mind-boggling five minutes contemplating the sheer size of an American large fountain drink and collecting his bag he calls a cab at a respectable 6:30. It’s a half an hour's drive from the airport to your apartment and he and the taxi driver chat about why he’s in the city. 

“Ya know, there’s a pretty good bakery about 15 minutes away from your girl’s apartment. I could drop you there instead, and you could walk the rest of the way.” He raises an eyebrow at Azriel who can practically see your face light up at the sight of doughnuts in his mind. 

“That would be great thanks.” Az nods, and the driver lets him out of the cab a few minutes later. He tips him handsomely before shutting the door and walking into the bakery. It’s a quaint shop with a pink sign reading “Alis’s” in cursive letters hanging in the window. Azriel thinks you might’ve mentioned this place a couple of times. He smiles at the old lady who bags his pastries and blushes at his accent. He also does his best to ignore the way she sends a pitying glance at his hands. You know about his hands, obviously, and hadn’t shown him an ounce of pity. Support but never pity. It was just one of the many things he loved about you. 

God–love. 

The word rocks through him like a tidal wave. He’s known for a while, he hasn’t said it to you yet, but with finally having you in person he doesn’t think he can hold back any longer. Plugging your address into the GPS on his phone he starts the walk to your apartment. He thanks whoever may be looking down on him when he passes a flower stand and buys the biggest bouquet of roses the merchant has to offer. 

Eventually, he reaches your front door. 

He wasn’t nervous at all until this moment, hands suddenly sweating around the flower stems and a bag of doughnuts. Dropping his duffle on the ground he gathers all his courage and knocks on your front door. It gets thrown open faster than he can knock a second time and he has you in his arms before he can blink.   

Azriel might think it’s weird that the first thing he notices about you is how good you smell, like clean laundry and chamomile tea, but he’s too focused on the feeling of you in his arms to care. You’re actually real, actually here in front of him. It feels odd to see you in person instead of on his phone screen. He maps each little detail of your face that’s been hidden from him over cameras.  

“You’re beautiful,” it’s the only thing he can seem to get out of his mouth at the moment and he delights in the way pink floods your cheeks. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” comes your sheepish reply, a star-splitting smile stretching across your cheeks. You thank him for the flowers, dashing off somewhere to find a vase. He’s wracked through with an odd sensation looking at the things he knows. He’s seen your apartment multiple times before, he knows almost every intimate detail. He knows the shelves of your bookshelf are organized based on genre, starting with your favorites. He knows which room is your bedroom, your bathroom, your office, and what is in your snack cabinet. Az thinks he could probably navigate this apartment with a blindfold tied around his eyes. 

He’s just never been here before. 

Then he’s wracked with new things. The intimate details that he’s craved so desperately since knowing you. Like what your candles smell like, the rumpled blankets on the couch, and the slippers you haphazardly kicked under the coffee table. This is the first time he’s set foot in your apartment but he feels like he’s home. 

Azriel toes off his shoes gently as you return with a vase full of roses, you stare at each other for another beat. Like distant planets so used to admiring from afar now pulled into each other's orbit. You seem to remember yourself after staring at him a moment longer, still frozen in time in your doorway. 

“You brought me doughnuts,” your stomach growls and Azriel laughs as he hands you the bag for inspection. You seem satisfied with his choices, tongue swiping across your bottom lip as you consider the options. 

“Can I come in?” Azriel asks with a tilt of his head, amusement sparkling in his hazel eyes. You’re knocked out of your stupor once more as heavy red rises to the tips of your ears. 

“Of course,” you mutter shyly and reach down to grab his duffle bag. He bats your hand away without a second thought, hauling the heavy bag over his shoulder. He had to bring some computer equipment with him, unfortunately not quite off the hook from work completely. 

“Where should I put this?” he questions, looking around the apartment. 

“Oh, you can just put it in the bedroom,” You start to direct him there but Azriel is already down the hallway and throwing open your bedroom door. You wander down the hall behind him, adoring the way he appears in your space. “I made us a dinner reservation tonight by the way. Italian.” Azriel lets out a satisfied hum before taking you in his arms again, tucking you safely into the warmth of his chest and resting his chin on your forehead. 

“What else do you have planned for the week?” He mumbles the question into your hair line and you’re so overwhelmed with butterflies that you forget to answer. You’re simply stuck staring at his beauty that he has to jostle you to let the words loose. 

“Well, I figured I’d take you to all the major tourist attractions, and some of my favorite hidden gems, then whatever else you want to do.” You reply with a noncommittal shrug and Azriel locks his gaze onto your eyes and then tracks down to your lips. Heat lights up your spine like a detonating cord trailing its sparking path to dynamite. 

“Can I kiss you now? Please?” He mumbles to you, lips almost brushing as he speaks. Your nod comes almost embarrassingly quickly, but Azriel doesn’t care as he hauls his mouth to yours. His kiss is electric, a drug you’re immediately addicted to and you never want to stop. His hands are roaming your body mapping every inch of you because he knows that this week could never be enough of you. You break apart, laughing giddily into each other's mouths before delving back in, eager for one more taste, before you drag him back out into the kitchen to enjoy your doughnuts. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Yes Rhys, I’m alright. Everything’s more than alright.” Azriel is reclined on your bed relishing in feeling of being in your space. The two of you had spent the afternoon lazing around, finally holding each other as Azriel worked on some things for his job. He watched the sunset through the gauzy curtains as Rhys’s voice droned over the receiver of his phone. “Yeah the flight was alright,” Rhys asks another question but Azriel’s ears are perked when he hears your shower turn on, a quick glance at his alarm clock tells him that you have two hours before your reservation. “Hey Rhys, I’ve got to call you back.” He can distantly hear Rhys’s protests as he disconnects the call, and pads on nearly silent feet to your bathroom. 

Azriel’s never been a religious man, but he thanks every god he can think of when the door handle turns easily under his grip. 

He hopes you don’t kick him to the curb for crashing your shower, but the thought of finally seeing your body, in person and bare for him, is more than Az can bear. Throwing his shirt over his head and kicking off his shorts and boxers in one go he steps into the shower. Naturally, you jump at first, your eyes fly open and you almost launch your shampoo bottle at your perceived assailant. Once you realize it’s Azriel all of your anxiety turns molten in the pit of your stomach. You shamelessly eye him, eyes tracking a burning trail from his face down to his toes, paying particular interest to the area between his legs. 

“See something you like?” Az’s voice rumbles. You nod, eyes drooping into a seductive half-lid. 

“I don’t remember giving you permission to invade my shower.” You tease stepping further into his space, every breath causing your chest to bump his. 

“I can go if you don’t want me here,” Azriel replies, moving to leave, but your hand circles hard around his wrist to prevent him from pulling back the curtain. “That’s what I thought.” His voice is smug, eyes as satisfied as a wolf with fresh prey as he surveys your naked form, watching the water run over your every dip and curve. Azriel gently pushes you against the shower wall, lips moving to bite your fluttering pulse. Your hands find purchase on his shoulders, nails leaving a satisfying bite that sends jolts down his spine. Your tongue laps up the water collecting around his collar bones, and Azriel’s moan of appreciation reverberates off the porcelain. 

You pant his name as every hard part of him makes contact with every soft part of you, and Az cups one hand along your jaw as he finally puts his mouth on yours.

“Let me make you fall apart for me,” He begs, hips canting against yours. Your head tips back against the tile, the combination of Azriel and the heat making you delightfully dizzy. “Let me devour you as I promised.” He slowly kneels on the shower floor, the hot water beating into his side, plastering his ink-dark hair to his forehead. Your hands chase it away, revealing hazel eyes burning with desire. He slowly draws one of your legs over his shoulders, you should be afraid of slipping but Azriel’s hold is sturdy, hands confident as he supports your weight. 

If you know one thing about Azriel it’s that he always keeps his promises. 

He licks a trail up your center, leaving golden fire in his wake. He feasts on you, relishing in the way your moans echo loud enough that your entire apartment is sure to hear. Azriel cannot wait to properly take you apart in bed later, but he’ll allow himself this taste for now. He toys with you, playfully flicking and sucking at the apex of your thighs as your hands find purchase in his hair, tugging and pulling as he has his way with you. His tongue slips down and your vision turns white as it thrusts in and out of you, curling to reach the spot inside of you that makes you see stars. You fall apart soon after that, the heavens and the earth colliding in a vulgar symphony as your thighs shake around his head. Azriel gently eases your leg down before standing and claiming your mouth, you moan at the taste of yourself on his tongue. You try to reach for him but he stops you. You shoot him a confused look his thumb swiping up to soothe the crease between your brows. 

“The first time I come with you will be inside you,” he vows “and sadly I do not have the time to prep you for that.” heat flashes through you at his words, and amusement and lust sparkle back at him in your eyes. “After dinner my love I promise.” You nod, and lather shampoo in your hands to start to wash his hair, Az’s head tipping back with a groan as your fingers scratch at his scalp. You wash, rubbing out the creases of muscles and holding each other under the running water. Azriel finishes first, leaving you frustrated in your shower with a searing kiss and the echoes of promises to come after your reservation

[flowerakatsuka]

kuroba isn't the only person on staff at yotsubana florals, say hello to the other employees of the store!

[ txt transcription + more info under the cut! ]

NANA MIDORIYO ( meant to sound similar to " nanmo da yo, " a phrase meaning " don't worry about it " in the Hokkaido dialect )

~ 26 years old • she / her • 5'1" ( 154.9 cm )

One of the employees at Yotsubana Florals and a college friend of Kuroba's. Originally from Furano, Hokkaido. Dreams of starting a flower farm, works at Kuroba's shop to save towards that goal. Has a fiance back in her hometown named Azuma Shiraki, ( meant to sound similar to " azumashi, " an adjective from the Hokkaido dialect that describes something as comfortable or calming. ) Very sweet and care-free, a bit air-headed at times. Was one of Kuroba's fans back in college, but after a certain " karaoke incident, " she befriended them once she realized they were pretty down-to-earth and easy to talk to. A bit of a busybody when it comes to others' romantic lives, especially Kuroba's

Comes from a big family that runs an osen in Furano, youngest of 5 kids and grew up around a lot of her extended family.

Azuma was a friend of hers since middle school, but didn't confess his feelings to her until she came back from college. They've been engaged for a little over a year, he plans to move to Tokyo once they're officially married and go to school for agricultural economics, ( he wants to be helpful with Nana's dream. )

Kuroba calls her " Nanamo. "

HISOKA KIBATSU ( meaning " secret " & " unusual " respectively )

~ 17 years old • he / him • 5'8" ( 172.7 cm )

Another employee of Yotsubana Florals, a 2nd year student at Akatsuka Highschool and a friend of Kuroba's younger brother, Keshiki. He's a member of the school's Beautification Committee and idolizes Kuroba after finding a hydrangea care guide they wrote up for the incoming underclassmen years ago. Hopes to study botany in college. Comes across as a reserved and serious kid, ( if not a bit of a hardass, ) but is actually on the strange side and only really cares about plants. This extends to his grades, with Science being the only subject he does well in. Collects floral-themed socks and wears them according to the flower's blooming period.

Only child, raised by a single working mother. Grew up in Tokyo, but lives outside of Akatsuka so he commutes to school by train, ( usually with Keshiki. )

He met Keshiki in their first year of highschool, when the latter stopped by the Beautification Committee to check it out despite not wanting to join. Hisoka told him to get lost since he was wasting their time, but switched up real quick once he heard someone call him " Yotsubana. " Despite that rough first meeting, they actually ended up getting along pretty well and became close since then.

Popular with girls, but is extremely indifferent about it and shrugs them off. This kinda pisses Keshiki off, ( like be grateful, damn it, ) but he usually shuts up once Hisoka tells him he'd rather hang out with him.

Kuroba usually calls him " Hisoka-kun " or " Hiso-kun. " Hisoka is very keen on calling them " Sensei " in return, even though they'd prefer he'd not. Also, has called them dad at least once and is forever embarrassed about it.

AAAAND, for a little bonus : here's what they think of the shop's most loyal loiter and temp employee.

[winchester-reload]

I have a few thoughts about the Winchesters finale, and though I wasn’t gonna weigh in on this, it turns out I needed to write this down to get it out of my head, so here we go.

I understand that Misha was approached to be included on the show and that there was a “scheduling conflict” that included multiple conversations with Jensen. Here’s my interpretation of that: 

I believe Cas was supposed to make a cameo in episode 13 to tee up the confession resolution—this was always the episode where they were going to crack open the “surprise twist” even before learning they would only get 13 episodes total. In the original scenario, episode 13 would have been the hellatus episode rather than a finale, leaving room for everything to come to a head with episode 22 instead. It’s then they would have given us the actual Dean and Cas reunion. This would have wrapped both stories nicely with each group going off into their own respective sunsets—their own happy endings, while still leaving all the room for the new crew to explore more seasons; all along, we see, The Winchesters was about Dean and Cas as much as it was about Mary and John.

When they didn’t get the back half of the season picked up, I assume they feared it would be more dangerous to show a Cas cameo without getting to address the confession, so Misha likely opted to be left out instead. With the only hint to Cas being Dean’s line that he was looking for his family when he found the Akrida, then directly drawing the parallel that Jack and Bobby were “family.” The core crew for Dean has always been Bobby, Sam, Jack, AND Cas. And he wasn’t looking for Sam because he was still on earth. So who’s left? You might be compelled to believe he was window shopping AU versions of his parents, but he confirms he ran into the Akrida in this world and then sought to interfere with the order by approaching John in an effort to prevent it from spreading to Sam's world. (Why Cas would be AU hopping, idk. The boy is really afraid of being shot down, I guess.)

It goes far to explain the vast narrative parallels we saw reflected in the Monster Club crew if it was intended as a setup for the confession payoff. It honestly doesn’t make a lot of sense otherwise. There’s no reason these people should be living Dean's experiences and regrets every episode unless the writers wanted the viewer to be thinking about the lessons and resolutions in how they relate to Dean too.

Additionally, as this has been a largely uncontested take, this is Jensen's well-funded fanfic come to life. Complete with the embracing of many of our favorite fanfic tropes and emphasized by Dean’s own words throughout the season. Because this is an obvious embrace of that “write your own story” fan side, I believe the reason Dean couldn’t even say Cas’ name in the episode is because they were going to change the spelling from “Cass” as it was in the show proper to the fan-adopted (and more accurate) spelling of “Cas,” which would have appeared in the subtitles and later the script pages.  And even that little thing right there would have been a huge giveaway to the whole game. And a very dangerous thing to do if there wasn’t going to be enough time for follow-through. 

But the truth is, this isn’t a game for many people, and the harm that can be caused by good intentions is just as real. It also begs the question: why should this be so difficult? The answer is it’s not. Edging forever isn’t fun. It’s torture. I understand there’s an art to storytelling, but your audience is weary, and trust has been violated too many times. Even still, the flip side of that coin is honest to god respect for DeanCas endgame means taking the story and the reveal seriously. It’s a tightrope walk. And one that Robbie somehow managed to keep balanced after the finale, without it falling either way.  Also we also need to consider the possibility that Jensen did pitch a full-on destiel love story spin-off but got shot down, opting to couch it in a more CW-branded world instead. He’s mentioned over half a dozen pitches were rejected. It's up to you whether you want to give him the benefit of the doubt on that.

But, I’m gonna be honest here, I don’t know that we will ever get that resolution we crave. Even Robbie confirmed The Winchesters were always meant to “go it alone” after the first season. It’s hard to imagine Dean popping in there to fuck around again after that handoff. But the dude is clearly a very restless sea-faring*, swoopy-haired mofo right now, so I’ll leave that one up to the SPN multiverse and the new Mr. Superwholock’s magical universe-traveling impala. (This show used to be about what again? *looks at notes*.) And FWIW, if they do get green-lit for a whole second season or are allowed to move networks, I believe a good-faith effort will be made to tie the narrative parallels we saw in season one to some real Dean and Cas resolution. If there gets to be a world where John *might* not turn into an abusive dick, then this possibility has to be true too.

For the record, I enjoyed The Winchesters, all the new characters, and the doors the finale opened for the possibility of more. I would have been fine half-watching it with no promises, empty head no thoughts, but I got my clown** suit on again, and though I mostly kept quiet, unlike last time, I did regrettably manage to drag a few friends down with me yet again.  Though the spec sessions were epic, and we did get some art out of it—it still rocks the boat when the base level expectations were only 1. Dean alive, and 2. seeing Cas again. 

But for anyone, like me, upset by the (likely unintentional) Cas-baiting or anyone still reeling about why this stuff can hit so hard, here’s an interesting article about the way our brains respond to fictional characters. Tl;dr: There’s nothing wrong with you. This is science. And while you’re at it, take a look at this article about the very real power of disenfranchised grief over character loss.

Ramble on, fam. And take care of yourselves.

<3 Jackie

*Um hi he appears as a sailor? Literally, on a show with a story Dean is writing whose audience is looking for a resolution to a conversation between two people who’re famously the “most shipped” characters of all time? That’s not an accident. That’s intentional. And it’s another reason why there might be a bitter taste in your mouth. These nods came without resolution, so it still feels dirty, despite the brilliant Easter egg.

**I hesitate to say “clown” here because the lesson on episode 12 was that the clowns were the ones who chose a self-induced limbo rather than face some personal hard revelations. That sounds more like a certain closeted character than it does the people cheering him on, and that felt like an intentional nod too.

***obviously, this is my own rambling spec as I try to reorder my thoughts in the wake of the finale.

[graciegoeskrazy]

somebody else

george daniel + xcx!stepdaughter!teen!reader

(ft charli, gabbriette, and matty!)

warnings: cursing, daddy issues, bio dad comes back, king george, charli is a queen

a/n: ty anon who requested this and dug an old idea out of the trash lmao. hope u enjoy! i’m really proud of this one actually tehehe.

“Y/n, what time do you get out of practice today?” George asked, packing your lunch.

You stared at your phone with a blank expression, reading the texts you had received through the night.

“Y/n?” George called again when there was no response. “Hellooooo? Earth to y/n??” George teased.

Your head snapped up and your eyes widened in realization. “Sorry, I, uh- I get out at 5:30,” You tried to play it off with a laugh, immediately looking back down the texts.

“You okay?” George sensed something was off.

“Yeah, fine. Got to go,” You stood from the bar stool and grabbed your things, including the luch george had packed that was lying on the counter. You brushed it off quickly, trying to evade further questions.

“Wait a minute- what was that?” George persisted, concerned.

“Nothing, George! I’m fine, I got to go to school,” You placed a kiss on his cheek, standing on your tip toes, before you turned to your mom who was walking in from the bedroom she and George shared. “Bye, mom!” You said, rushing out the door.

“Bye, darling,” Charli said, walking out in her pjs and bedhead

With that you slammed the door and headed off the school. Charli laughed at the look stuck on her fiance’s face and kissed hm and she wrapped her arms around her torso. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing, I guess. She’s just acting weird. Staring at her phone,” He said, trying to downplay her worries.

She smiled. “That’s what teenagers do, George…” she added, trying to reassure him.

He shrugged as he cleaned up the mess from packing her lunch. “Have you noticed she’s acting differently?” George pressed on, sensing there was more beneath the surface.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“I don’t know-“ George hesitated, searching for the right words.

“Yes, you do,” George looked up with a look. Charli tilted her head and smiled.

He continued. “Quieter. Not the chipper, happy girl we know and love?”

Charli got serious. “I mean, yeah, but I had just chalked it up to hormones,” She admitted, realizing she couldn’t ignore the signs any longer.

“Hm,” George said, looking down.

His other hand sensed the concern on his face. “She’ll come around. Whatever is happening, our girl is stronger than it. She’ll be fine,”

“Yeah,” George agreed, though his worry still lingered.

“Our girl,” He whispered and smiled.

…

You did your best to avoid the texts on your phone. He was up to his nose in nonsense again and it was starting to get to you, even more than usual. For the first week or so, he was respectful. You set boundaries, never promised to see him in person, and he agreed. Over time he got more abrupt. He would message you constantly, saying ‘hey’ or ‘sorry’ or ‘please forgive me’ or other stupid shit. Eventually, when you didn't reply he would curse you out. He would make threats and call you names, proof of the real him. You would cry and fight the urge to scream in the school bathroom. A stark contrast to the life you lived at home and school. You were a model student with a combination of popularity and straight A’s. A nice nepo baby who was a good friend to everyone and a joy to be around. Nobody knew of the dark past that you lived through.

Your ‘dad’, if you can even call him that, caused trouble from the beginning. Your mom and him were in love for a long time, but when you came along and Charli was ready to live a family life along with her career, despise your expectancy, your dad backed out and left. Charli begged and pleaded for years, but to no avail. Your early childhood memories include vivid glimpses of him from the times he did try and come around, but he always chose different things over you. The last time he tried was nearly 5 years ago. You were 10. You were excited when your mom said he wanted to see you again, You were excited to be like the other kids at school and have 2 parents, but that was a short-lived dream. He left after a while, completely ghosting you and your mom.

A message popped up on your Instagram account a couple of weeks ago. Usually, the messages you get are from XCX or 75 fans who want to connect to you to get closer to George or your Mum, so you ignore them at first glance. That was until you saw the name. His name. He said he wanted to talk and and gave you his number, You reached out. He said all he wanted to do was relay a message - he was doing good, he hoped you were doing good, he was in a better, more stable place, he would like to talk or even meet but there was no pressure.

And like a fool, you fell for it.

…

Gabbriette promised to pick you up from school and take you out to ‘start of spring break right’. She had known you for years, being friends with your mom, and had become somewhat of an aunt, so when she and Matty fell in love and started dating, it was nothing short of perfect. She took you to your favorite spot the two of you shared, then to a shop or two, eventually meeting up with Matty who said he wanted to meet the two of you for dinner.

You took a picture of the delectable pate in front of you with the couple just behind, capturing the warmth of the moment with a pink heart emoji and posted it without a second thought.

After a delightful dinner, filled with laughter and shared stories, you all headed back to your parents’ place. Charli suggested a game night of ‘Cards Against Humanity’, and that’s how the five of you ended up gathered around the coffee table in the living room, ready for a night of fun and friendly competition. After a good hour of laughter and drinking, a knock sounded at the door.

“Who’s that?” Charli asked, looking at George.

“I wasn't expecting anyone?” he said. George looked at you expectantly but you just shrugged, oblivious as to who was on the other side of the door.

The laughter continued as Matyt placed another card down and your mom went to answer the door.

“Y/n, can you go to your room for a second?” She stayed staring through the peep hole in the door.

“Why?” You stood up and gave her a confused look, snacking on the sucker Gabbriette got you earlier that day.

She turned to you, a serious look on your face as she sent a pleading look to her friend. “Just do it for me, please? Gab? Can you go with her?”

She put a reassuring hand on your back as she guided you upstairs. The last thing you saw was George running to Charli’s side at the door.

…

Once upstairs and inside, Gabby closed the door behind her and told you to sit on the bed. “What was that about? Who’s there?” You asked.

You could tell that she knew something was up, but was trying to downplay it for your sake. “I don’t know! Don’t worry about it. She's probably being dramatic about something.”

You rolled your eyes. “Gabby, my mother loves attention but she is not dramatic.”

A knock sounded at your door. “Hiiii.” Matty poked his head through the door before fully making his way though.

“What's happening?” You asked, fear evident in your tone.

He shrugged and smiled, clearly hiding something. “Nothing. It was just a sketchy guy at the door.” He smiled.

You crossed your arms. “You liar.” You tried to get passed him and make your way to the door.

He put his arms on your shoulders to stop you from passing. ‘Hey! I’m not lying.” He technically wasn’t. You didn't believe it though.

“Yeah, sure, leave the acting to your parents.” You laughed and pushed past him and through the door.

As much as he wanted to laugh, his anxiety grew as he watched you brush pass him with ease and walk downstairs. “Y/n wait.”

Charli was face to face with a man, someone you recognized. Anger was written all over her face. “For the 5th and final time, get out.” George was hovering behind her, strong and protective Even though he never said a word.

“I’ve come to talk, just to talk.” He said.

Before your mother could get another chance to speak the steps beneath you creaked, giving your position away. All 3 heads turned to you, silent. Eventually, a voice spoke up.

“Hi, my love.” He said, hesitantly.

“Hi, Justin.” you softly said.

The man’s man was Justin Lemoine. He was your biological father.

He had been in and out since the moment you were born. You thought he was gone forever when he left nearly 5 ago and never came back. The slowly but surely growing relationship the two of you were building vanished instantly when he told your mother he couldn't do it again. You were 10 years old then, but now you were almost 15.

Then you were innocent and naive, now you were a young woman who was more certain of who you were, what you wanted, and the life you wanted to live. And that life didn’t include Justin.

He was always ‘Justin’, never ‘Dad’ or ‘Papa’, or anything like that. That space was reserved for someone else. Someone like George.

He tried to take a step toward you but you shook your head, letting him know to take a step back. “I came to talk to you real quick-”

“I don't want to talk to you.” You flatly said.

“C’mon, don't be like that.”

“They told you not to come over here.” He knew the ‘they’ you were referring to was the court and the agreement

“I know, I-”

“Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to talk to you. I’ve been meaning to stop by since-”

“Since the last time you saw me?” You took a small step towards him, telling him you were serious.

He sighed and gave a solemn look. “Yeah.”

“So 5 years. Right?” It was said more mater-of-fact rather than a question.

‘Y/n.” He started his stint of trying to reason with you. You interrupted before he got the chance.

“No, I’m right, right? It's been 5 years since you’ve seen me? End of 2019, correct?”

He sighed again, starting to back down just the slightest bit. “Yeah.”

You let out a hum and you crossed your arms. George and Charli watched from behind, in awe of your spirit. “So what was it? Lots of wrong turns?”

His gaze shifted downwards. “Something like that.” It was almost as if he was ashamed. It was as if he was being genuine and serious this time. It felt like he really wanted to try again.

That thought only lasted a second before reality snuck back in. A beautiful simple guess of ‘what could be’ was loss in an instant. The reality was conversations like this between you and him have happened one too many times. The reality was taking the alternate suggested route would only lead to disaster and chaos, again. You had your answer, your envisioned future, at that future did not include him.

You stood stoic and strong. “You can leave now.”

He tried to move forward to you. “Listen, y/n, I just-”

“You said you wanted to talk…we talked. So, you can leave now.”

He sighed again. “I want you to give me another chance, baby girl-”

“Don’t call me that.” You were getting heated and angry which you knew would not end well, especially for him. You had your mother's ferocity and fiery nature, and it wasn't something to be messed with.

“C’mon don’t be like that I can-”

“I gave you another chance. Multiple. 5 years ago.”

You swallowed and stayed silent, unsure of what to do next. You had already made your next move.

“Leave.”

He sighed and tried to reach out to you. “Y/n, I’m-”

“Leave right now or I swear to god the next time you come and bother me or my family again it won't be pretty.” You stared at him with fire in your eyes.

He let out a soft chuckle. “‘Family’, huh?”

You nodded.

“You think you can just choose? Do you think you can pick a couple of people, and call them your aunts and uncles? Let them take you out to Central Park for a day?” You tilted your head before you relized he was alluding to the post you had made with Gabby earlier that day, “Or your Dad? You think that man is your Father?” He gestured to George for the first time. You could hear shifting in the background and George sighing, You assumed he was about to make a move, but Charli stretched an arm to block him and you spoke before he got a chance. “He's been more of a Dad to me in the past 3 years than you have in my entire lifetime.”

And every ounce of fire that George had inside him, wanting to go and punch that prick of a man in the face, was extinguished by your words. George sighed and Charli grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

Justin, meanwhile, was speechless. You had really replaced him. “Leave, Justin.” You said, without any room for question. He left, slamming the door behind him.

It was quiet for a solid 5 seconds before anyone spoke. You broke the silence. “I'm going to bed.”

Charli reached out to you. “Baby-”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” You looked back and smiled.

You went upstairs and closed the door with a slam, continuing to sob into your pillows for the next hour.

…

Sleep eventually consumed you. Matty and Gabbriette left shortly after the fight and George and your Mum agreed to figure out the next steps tomorrow, knowing you were safe with them and believing Justin wouldn't make any more moves. When you woke up the clock on your phone read 2:15. You knew sleep wasn;t an option at this point so you got up and headed to the kitchen. You sat on the stool, to tired to move, to weary to make tea, so you just sat there. That was until you heard the footsteps coming from the hallway. It was George, half asleep. Your eyebrow twitched as he yawned and headed to you. He didnt say a word, just placed a kiss on your head before heading to the other side of the counter to make your favorite tea. A hit on deja vu creeping up as the two of you resembled the same positions as this morning.

You broke the silence after a minute. “What are you doing up?”

He shrugged as he continued his work.“Couldn’t sleep.” He slid the mug across the counter, along with a small container of honey.

“Thanks.” You softly said.

He watched as you finished making your drink. Your eyes were puffy, a sign you’ve been crying, along with the dark undereye circles that have been growing darker and darker over the past few weeks. All the signs he's seen and evidence he's gathered were now starting to make sense. “You okay?” He asked.

“Fine.” You said not looking up from your drink.

“You sure?” he asked, pushing you ever-so-slightly.

You sighed and shrugged, “I’ve been better I guess.” tears started to fall for what felt like the millionth time.

George rushed around the other side, wanting nothing more than to wrap you in his arms. “Hey- It's okay, it’s okay.”

You stayed quiet for a minute before talking though your hiccuped sobs.“I should’ve known he would come, I’m sorry.”

He tucked your head under his chin as you sobbed into him. “You don’t need to apologize, love. How would you’ve known?”

“Because he said he would!” Yous aid breaking away.

“What?” George asked, confused.

You sighed and pulled out your phone, opening the message up and laying it on the counter for george to lok at as you buried your head in your hands.

He hesitantly took the phone and started scrolling. It wasn’t long before angered built inside of him. “How long has this been happening for?”

You spoke through the sobs. “…I don’t kno-“

“Y/n.” He got serious and protective.

You sighed. “About a month…or two.”

Tension hung heavy in the air as you finally confessed

“Why didn’t you tell us?” George’s voice trembled with concern.

“Because everything was so perfect! Our family was fine, and I didn’t want this coming in and messing it up!” your words spilled out, laden with frustration. “That’s what he does. That’s what he’s always done,”

George hugged you again and you sighed into him. “I will get this sorted out. You won’t have to talk to this man again…if you don’t want to, of course-”

“I don’t want to talk to him,” your response was firm.

“Okay,” George breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell something else was bothering you, another thing eating away at your mind. “What are you thinking right now? What’s going through your mind?” He inquired gently.

After a moment of pondering, you responded. “I just can’t believe I’m half him. I just can’t believe that this is my life and I have to deal with him,” Your voice cracked with emotion.

“You are not him, you are you. And you are 20 times stronger than that shrimp of a man,” His response got the ends of your lips to twitch up in a smile that lasted for a millisecond, but George considered that a win. “Okay? You don’t have to worry about him anymore. I promise,” You nodded. “Maybe make your Instagram private though?”

[inkmonster21]

Sing for Me

7. Domestic Dinner Dates

Cooper Howard × Fem!Reader / The Ghoul × Fem!Reader

She's a singer the nation adores. He's the actor everyone respects. What happens when these two get entangled in a heated affair? Passion, regret, rage, and even murder will commence. From before the bombs drop to the vast wasteland, these two souls live for one another.

Previous Chapter Series Masterlist

Tagged: @fallout-girl219 @harmfulb1tch @themadhattersqueen

I fix my shirt in the mirror. A knowing smile on my lips. “You look nice Daddy.” Janey catches my attention from the open doorway. Tomorrow we planned on discussing the future with Janey. She was a smart girl. She had noticed a shift in the dynamic of the house. She never once picked a side. She was pure of heart and full of joy. I kiss her forehead as I exit. “Thank you, sweetheart.” She follows on my heels. “Where are you going?” I look over my shoulder with a grin. “I'm having dinner with a friend. I wish I could stay honey pie. I heard your moms making your favorite tonight.” I stand at the door, grabbing the keys off the table.

Barb walks out of the kitchen, Pip-Boy on, files in hand, and a pep in her step. “Actually,” she starts with a simple smile, “I’ve got a meeting, and it was so short notice I couldn't find a sitter. Janey can tag along with you to dinner with your… friend. Can’t she?” I stare at her in disbelief. No doubt this was a planned move. She’s so particular in scheduling. There was no way she didn’t know at least days in advance.

I chew on the inside of my cheek. Would (y/n) feel overwhelmed? Fuck I’m sure. This JUST started and here I go tossing her into the fire. Barb sure as hell knew of my plans.

Janey smiles and jumps in excitement. “Yeah, Daddy, can I?” Barb smiles with evil eyes; an innocent mask. I scoop Janey up in my arms, “Of course you can!” I exit the house with my daughter in tow. I drive over to her house hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

“Who are we going to dinner with, Daddy?” Janey asks as she watches the passing cars and trees. “You remember that singer you like? I took you to see her a while back.” Janey gasps loudly, “(y/n)? Yes! Is she nice? Will she like me? Can I sing with her?” I laugh at her various questions. “I’m sure she’s going to love you, Janey.”

~

Three solid knocks on the door notify me of Cooper's arrival. I stand from my spot on the couch, straightening my outfit to perfection. My nerves were shot, and my hands were fumbling with the door knob. I opened it to see him, I couldn’t help but smile. Dashing in a dress shirt and coat. The fall air is crisp in the evening. “Hi,” in a daze I exit the house and lean into him. He distanced himself, glancing back to his vehicle. I feel the clenching in my chest. Was he not here to pick me up? Is Barb in the car? Was this a setup? "Cooper? What's wrong?"

"There's been a slight change of plans." I stare at him with wide eyes, my hands beginning to shake. "Oh?" He nods back to the car, "Janey is tagging along." My nerves ease slightly. "Your daughter?" Why on earth would she be coming? Wouldn't Barb flip if she knew? I'm sure she's told Janey what she thinks of me. Cooper nods with a sigh, "If you want to reschedule or, just cancel, I understand." I look at him in confusion, "Now, why on earth would I cancel just because you had Janey? I've been wanting to meet her forever now." He shrugs, a shy smile creeping its way to his lips. "Well, I don't know. I didn't want you to feel overwhelmed. She's a real good kid." I grab his hand and tug him down the driveway. "Then we better not keep her waiting."

I enter the car with a smile. "Hi! I'm Janey!" She beams as she clings to the back of my seat. "Hello Janey. My name is (y/n). I've heard so much about you." She gasps and smiles at Cooper. "Really? I've heard so much about you too! My dad loves to talk about you." I blush as she reveals his secrets. "He says your hair smells like apple pie." She giggles causing Cooper to shake his head. "Okay, that's enough out of you."

We arrived at the restaurant, ate, and left with no issue. I enjoyed it with Janey even more than I would've just Cooper and I. She was the sweetest little girl. So full of wonder and light. She skips down the sidewalk singing a song. We stroll up to the theater. An idea sparks in my head. "Janey! Do you want to see something cool?" She stops mid-skip and turns on her heels. "Yeah!"

I peel myself from Cooper's side and dig in my purse for my keys. "What are you doing?" Cooper asks from behind. I insert the key into the lock with a grin. "We're going to show Janey what it's like to be on the big stage." I open the large door to the theater. Darkness enveloped the building until I flicked the switch. One by one the rows of light lit up each row before lighting up the large stage, the red velvet curtain hanging with grace. "Whoa!" Janey gasps as she runs down the empty aisle. Cooper watches her with a grin, a proud smile on his face. He races after her, helping her onto the stage and spinning her around. He cared for her deeply. I could only feel my heart swell for him more.

We sang, danced, and laughed together. It felt natural as if the universe brought us all together for the pure reason of making each other happy. As Cooper pulls up into my driveway I feel my chest clench. I didn't want this night to end. I bring my head up from resting on his shoulder and frown at him. "I wish you could stay," I whisper to him lowly. He parks the car and meets my gaze. The longing look in his eyes begging to be released. He looks back to Janey, who is happily admiring the large house. "It is getting a little late." I nod in agreement. His smile growing. "And it's almost an hour and a half drive back to your house." Cooper looks at Janey once more. "Janey, what do you say we stay here with (y/n) tonight and hit the road in the morning." She shrugs with a simple grin. "Okay." This child was too easy.

Janey wanted the grand tour, and so she received the tour. She even recorded a short original song in the recording studio. It wasn't too long before she was yawing, silently begging for a bed to rest. Cooper settled her in the guest bedroom and in the meantime I rolled a small joint, prepping for tomorrow. I licked the paper and rolled it up nicely. "And what are you doing, darlin'?" Cooper asks as he walks down the steps. He walks around like he owns the place, clearly comfortable in my home. The thought made me smile. I wave the small joint. "Just rolling. Don't worry, I'm putting it up." He shrugs, taking the seat next to me. "Well, now hold on a second." I look at him in disbelief. "No way." "I was young once too." I grab his face, pecking his lips. "You're still young, Cooper." He rolls his eyes and grabs the joint out of my fingers. "You turn 40 and then come talk to me, sweetheart."

Back and forth, back and forth, again and again, Cooper and I smoked the joint until it was almost gone. I followed his hand as it moved closer, “Want another toke, sweetheart?” My eyes move up to his, a smirk growing. I wasn't a lightweight, but Cooper was a drug that made me high all in itself.

I took the joint from his fingers and took another, longer than necessary drag. I hold it in as I hand the joint back of the red eyes squinted, Cooper smiles at me like a teenager. He watches every inch of my face with intent. He runs his index finger down my cheek. "I love you." Those three words are more addictive than anything on earth. I nuzzle into his hand. "I love you, Cooper." I kiss down his palm, the deeper I go the lighter I feel.

“You know,” I begin, keeping my eyes fixated on him. "We could always… go to bed." He raised his brow, "Go to bed?" I stand from the couch, running my finger over the pearls around my neck. "Don't you want to take me to bed, Cooper?" He bites the inside of his cheek, "I think I do."

He picked me up with ease, attaching our lips in a heated passion. He maneuvers the staircase and the hallway with ease, entering my bedroom and tossing me down on the plush sheets. He lays down, hands on my hips.

Confidence soars when I'm high, and I wanted Cooper since the second I opened my front door. "I want you so bad," I breathe out into his neck, grasping at the collar of his shirt. He smirks, “What are you waiting for then, sweetheart?”

I crawl over him, my legs moving to straddle his waist. I bite my lip as you look down at him, eyes burning with desire. He brings a hand up, gently laying it on my cheek, “You’re so beautiful.”

I lay a hand on his cheek, smiling as you lean down, “I love you, Cooper.” I press my lips to his, sliding my hands down his shirt, unbuttoning his shirt one by one. His hands grip my hips as I continue to undo his shirt until it is open. I begin to run my hands over his bare chest. He leans back, “I love you.”

He pushes my hips and I dig my nails into his skin as I grind down onto his throbbing length. I whimper, “I need you.” He smiles against my lips and strokes my hips with his thumbs, “In good time, baby. Just relax, okay? Let me take care of you.” Cooper lays me down on the bed, his body over mine. My legs hook around his waist. He leans his head down to kiss my neck. I let out a moan as he sucks a deep purple mark into my skin.

He kisses up to my lips and slides his hands up under my dress. His hands found my breasts. He massages them with a groan, digging his crotch into my clothes core. I arch my back, eyes rolling closed as his fingers pinch and pull at my nipples, “I want to take it slow. Okay, baby?”

I open my eyes, moaning as he continues to slowly roll my nipples between his fingers, “F-fuck, Coop.” I slide a hand around to press it to his cheek, “Go as slow as you want baby.” You smirk, “But, next time You should throw me around a little.” His length hardened more just from the words spoken.

“Goddamn, I love you.” His lips crash onto mine again and he pushes his hips deeper. “I'm going to take these off. Okay, honey?” I nod, moving my hips to assist him as he slides my panties off. He tosses them to the floor, caressing my legs slowly, kissing up to my knees, and down my thighs.

He brings his fingers to his lips, collecting a little spit before he drops his hand down to my needy cunt. I let out a breathy moan, my head already buzzing from the high. I look up at him, biting down on my lip as I feel him push two fingers into my cunt. I gasp and slide my hand to the back of his head. I toss my head back, "Cooper," I whine, "Please don't tease." I could feel the smirk against my lips. He traces my tongue, before removing his fingers.  

He replaces his fingers with the head of his cock, pushing into my flower. I grip the sheets, eyes closing as I feel my walls stretching around him, “Fuck, Cooper, you feel so good.” I look up at him, face twisting with pleasure as he pulls out and pushes back in.

He leans down, hips rolling slowly into mine, “You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.” I arch my back, clenching around him as he swallows my moans, “I’m gonna cum if you keep squeezing my cock like that.”

Running a hand through his hair, I bite his neck, suckling his skin in several places. “You fuck me so good.” His eyes search mine as a smirk grows on his face, “I love when you say that shit to me.” I tighten my legs around his waist as I gasp, “fuck,” I squeeze his cock, my orgasm tearing right through me. I cry out, coving my mouth with my hand, “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’ts-“ “Fuck, (y/n).” He groans as he fights his grips on my hips, “Come on, pretty girl.” He kisses my lips and leans up, “I want to feel it. Come for me, baby” I let out a moan and tightened my grip around him, moaning out his name over and over again.

Cooper manages to keep his thrusts steady enough to guide me through my high before his cock quickly vacates. He reaches down, stroking his cock while I plant gentle kisses on his face. I feel his hot cum spill out into my pelvis. He rolls over with a groan and a ghost of a smile. He lays still for a solid minute before I nudge him with my foot. I couldn't help but giggle, "Coop, honey, I love you. You think you can get me a towel?" His head pops up with a light grin. "Oh, shit, yeah." He scurries off to my bathroom, returning with a hand towel. Cooper cleans up his mess with delight.

He leans in and pecks my lips, “I love you.” I smile, returning the gesture “I love you too.” I kiss his face several places making him grin, “I’m going to go get us a snack, do you wanna roll us another one?” I look at him wide-eyed. "Cooper Howard. The pot smoker. What would your fans say?" He shrugs, tugging his pants back on. "A man can live a little." He leans forward with a smile, “So you want anything special?” His hand resting on my cheek with a dopey grin. I shake my head, “Just you, so hurry back."

[capobegone]

The Hashiras’ Starbucks Orders (As told by a barista)

Capo job reveal! During my lovely six months working at Starbucks, I have acquired enough knowledge of my craft to confidently predict people’s orders. Just today, a lady came up who looked like she would order a caramel ribbon crunch five minutes before closing, and she proceeded to do exactly that! Which got me thinking—I love my job, and I love KNY, so why not use this superpower to match the drink to the Hashira?

So, uh, here we are!

Kanroji Mitsuri

-Starting off strong with our pink drink girlie! To be specific, it’s a pink drink with matcha cold foam. One of my coworkers gets some variation of this regularly and says it’s delicious.

-I couldn’t decide between matcha or pink drink for her so we met in the middle!

Kocho Shinobu

-In my heart, I desperately want to give her a Dragon Drink, but we all know that is not what she would get. Perhaps on a special occasion!

-Shinobu is a black brewed coffee type of gal, because it’s fast and efficient and will get her through the day so she can return to her Douma-killing, hospital-running routine! Girlboss!

Iguro Obanai

-We know from canon that Obanai can’t have heavier things without feeling sick, so one sip from Mitsuri’s drink would probably kill him instantly. Enter the light and fresh passion tea! It’s herbal and easy on the palate, which is right up his alley. His Starbucks dates with Mitsuri are officially saved!

-The pup cup is for Kaburamaru :D

Uzui Tengen

-He likes the drinks with long names so it’s extra flashy when the baristas call them out. Therefore, he gets the White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew. -Besides, look how pretty that is!! I bet he has one of those bedazzled tumblers for extra flamboyance.

Tomioka Giyuu

-To be honest, I have literally no explanation for this. I thought about him and my brain immediately provided Hazelnut Latte with oat milk. So that’s what he gets.

-It’s warm and comforting which my man definitely needs. Besides the oat milk implies he’s lactose intolerant which is hilarious LMAO rip Giyuu

Shinazugawa Sanemi

-Sanemi strikes me as a pretty down to earth, no-nonsense kind of guy in his day to day. Therefore, he gets a classic Americano. (He’ll get it hot in the winter.)

-Surprisingly, I feel like he would be pretty nice to the baristas. A little gruff, but respectful and would probably tip his change. Unless you fuck with him, so best to just give him his coffee and bid him adieu.

Rengoku Kyojuro

-Alright, alright, I know I’m taking the easy way out on this one. But I genuinely think he would get it because it looks like him and he finds it amusing! It’s popular with his juniors too, so he’d probably get them drinks as well. -I actually had this drink today and it was pretty good, so he would stick around for the bright flavor!

Tokito Muichiro

-I wanted to say London Fog SO BADLY LMAO but let’s be real he’s like fourteen years old. The Vanilla Bean Frappuccino is every child’s favorite, which is valid because it’s fucking delicious.

-One day he would come in and slam a doppio espresso and give all the baristas a heart attack.

Himejima Gyoumei

-Gyoumei definitely strikes me as a warm and cozy drink guy, so he gets a chai tea latte!

-It’s wholesome and delicious. He’ll cry when the baristas give it to him because it’s so good. Often comes by to pick up a drink for Genya because Sanemi refuses to do it himself.

Anyway that concludes my official analysis! Which is totally based in facts and data and not at all conjecture. As always if I missed your skrunkle feel free to infiltrate my ask box or replies! And I wanna hear your ideas too so do tell if you have a different take :D <3

[bluginkgo]

On today's Ginkgo rambles, we have

what is going on with Tessa and why I find her very suspicious.

Spoilers, duh

The main thing that glares at me is how she interacts between the team and what she says. Or, more specifically, how inconsistent she is with the information she gives us. When we first see her, she says:

"Her [Cyn] last known act was siccing you lot on human exo-planets."

N: "But why?"

J: "That's what we're trying to figure out, bozo."

And-

"If she [Cyn] wants these labs. We burn them down!"

But later, she switches it up.

"When we get to the lab and find that list..."

Why was there a switch? She went from "we are burning this sh*t down!" To "I actually need the labs to get the list of drones that are infected."

So what gives?

The only thing I can see is J's presence. It's strange too isn't it? Tessa specifically told J to stay back and mind her ship. Illiciting this weird pause in the trio.

The entire time in N's memories/flashback, it's shown that J follows Tessa all over. Granted, N's memories are a bit of a shaky land to base anything off of. Many of the things that happened in N's memories did not actually happen in real life. More specifically, the gala massacre happened, yes. But N, V, Tessa, and J most likely did not fight eldrich Cyn like in Episode 5, Home. Given that we have nothing else, we can at least infer that J and Tessa are pretty close friends- specifically taking the scene when Tessa asks J to act as a "ripping royal stud." J, who we have seen to be very strict, showed concern for Tessa's hand injury (which is another thing I'll touch on).

With all this in mind, why would Tessa do that? They've been together ever since the first clip of then in episode 3, The Prommening. Why would Tessa forgo the extra security that J provides? Supposedly, Tessa knew that N and V have forgotten about her due to the CYN administration program. We see this from when Tessa first interacts with them,

"N! You remember- *cough cough*" It seems that she knew that N and V, to some degree, do not remember her or working for her as butler and maid. That detail would put her at a risk, wouldn't it? N and V are almost like strangers, not to mention Uzi bit her the second she got close enough. Having J with her would be safer for her. Instead, she tells J to mind her ship.

Now, there are a couple of things that I could think of.

1. J is a liability somehow. This is the more insane and unhinged idea, therefore has more holes. But basically, the thought is that the absolute solver somehow has a stronger hold on J and is using her to gather data on Tessa's movements. Tessa might have realized that the corrupted core with ths absolute solver in J is a liability to what Tessa is actually trying to do. Therefore, she says "we burn the labs!" When J is there, but when she's gone Tessa switches to her true goal which is "get the list." There is a glaring hole here tho. How would Tessa know that the corrupted cores in N and V do not have a strong hold on them? Maybe the hint to her was that N remembered her. But J hasn't shown signs that she doesn't remember Tessa either. But the counter to that could be that J views Tessa as a JcJenson technician, therefore Tessa is already supposed to have that level of respect/loyalty.

2. J is backup. This would make more sense. We can't have the entire gang going down into the labs, and not have someone as backup in case things go south. They'll need someone to either drag them out or finish the job of burning the labs down if the gang isn't successful.

3. Tessa herself is what's weird. J, N, and V are all acting like themselves, the only person that we've seen to have a change in their personality is Tessa. Maybe Tessa is posessed with something something, more unhinged idea rant. But you get the idea. Of course, no one can go through seeing your parents and friends killed, and then kinda causing the fall of the entire planet earth and come out with the same personality as you had originally. So maybe, she simply matured rapidly, and that gave her the more cold side we often see throughout Episode 6, Dead End.

I'm mostly very suspicious of Tessa because V was too. While the trio were making their way over to the elevator, V had one of her eyes/sensors on Tessa the entire time.

After V saw that Tessa was no longer trustworthy and that the sentinels did not listen to her, she stopped following along with Tessa. Just as many more people have mentioned, it's really sad how V's true personality and care only shone in the second half of episode 6. How protective V became of Uzi and N. Taking lead while walking down the corridor, and taking lead in fighting the sentinels.

Now as for this! Tessa's hand injury, or something at least being wrong with her hand. Liam would not include this just because. Something is wrong with her left hand, and we have to keep that in mind for some odd reason. I have a feeling that the injury will come up later in eps 7 and 8. Perhaps if the theory of this Tessa being the imposter, then the gang will have to figure it out by basing it off of Tessa's left hand injury. That, or maybe this Tessa is the real one, and the injury might cause a hiccup in the fight that is gonna go down in ep 7 or 8.

Of course, as per usual, I could simply be looking in too deep to this. Feel free to gut this! ^_^

[polaris-stuff]

Okay, this is the fourth time of me rewriting this comment.

And i am gonna try and keep it short ( I failed I am so sorry) . As this is about the Heart to Heart with earth.

Feel free to ignore this if you don't wanna talk about it anymore. If you said something about , I've been trying to put my feelings on this out for a while and it's just not working. (it's also now 4 am, )

I came away from the episode feeling like it was a good episode. Where the characters talked about why they were deciding not to help moon for different reasons.

I thought for most of them it was in character, even if I don't fully agree. I could see what the show was trying to do.

And then i see a lot of people agreeing and being really hurt by the episode. Because they feel like everyone is aboning moon. And leaving him in this vulnerable space.

I feel like i missed something. As to me. the celestial family isn't fully aware as to truly how bad Moon's mental state has gotten.

I have a feeling that (Sun and Lunar, more so then earth) Are taking moon's last words as face value ( wanting to bring solar back for ego/selfish reasons, and not because he truly breaking down)

(I also think monty still hasn't fully filled them in either that moon seems to be thinking he isn't real but I could be wrong!)

I think they'd be behaving otherwise if they know the true depts. they wouldn't wich is why this sucks so much. Moon is driving people away, actively sabotaging his own help.

I sit here wishing i would understand that hurt. I honestly truly do. Maybe because i have the feeling that they will help even if they say now they won't

maybe because i really hope sun isn't gonna make the same mistake as moon.

Maybe i am i giving sun, lunar and earth to much credit, and to many excuses.

I think...in the end. I don't think them refusing to help moon. Is them trying to hurt moon (even if that is the outcome) . But is taking care of themselves as they are all also still not in a good place?

And maybe because i genuinely can't see what they can do for moon to help him. As they offered him help but he refused or actively lied on how he was doing. So I don't get what help people want them to provide for moon at this moment. ( besides not leaving, but can you be there for someone that doesn't want you there?)

I dunno if i am making sense. trying to talk my feelings out is always hard. And I think for the first time I am on the other side of most of the people I usually agree with and respect a lot ( you being one of them ) . So I feel a bit lost and weird about it as to why my view is so different.

( I am honestly hoping Sun will see Moon having hallucinations, and at least will set something up so moon is never alone in that cell like he was. I feel like he thinks, he first needs to stop moon. And then when that is done. He can actively think on what to do next cause offering help first ain't gonna do it)

I am sorry for leaving this long ass comment in your inbox. I truly hope It didn't come off as attacking. AS it wasn't meant to be. Just a fellow TSAMS fan. who was in their own way very confused and hurt i guess and feels a bit alone in their reading of the story?

And trying to understand why people see this a an attack from the celestial family on moon. Or a active decision...instead of .. a series of what is gonna be a slew of bad decisions from everyone involved.

-Noffy.

Alright, I understand your point of view, don't worry about it, and actually, this is a YT series on VRchat so I shouldn't be so mad about this either yk JAJA

Ok, the thing is, the family doesn't know what's happening to Moon, that's right, they have no way of knowing what's happening to him because Moon pushed them all away and lied to them, now, the thing is that Earth knows. Monty told Earth that Moon had a psychosis episode and found him hitting the ground, that Moon could no longer tell what was real from what wasn't, so Earth knows that Moon is in a HORRIBLE mental state. And idk, but if you know that a person is in a state where they can no longer perceive reality correctly, I don't think the best response is not to help them.

Also, I'll highlight Lunar going from "I really don't care" (although he should care, we're talking about Moon, one of his brothers) to "fuck him" which is just weird?? The whole family was with Lunar and supported him when the thing with Eclipse happened but Lunar just does not care when something happens to another family member ??

I'm 100% sure that Sun will help Moon, it's more than obvious that Moon will get out of this situation, but the way the family is handling it is so strange to me. Lunar, Earth and Sun have every right to not want to continue dealing with problems but this is also partly their fault.

Since Solar died no one was with Moon because "Moon was busy", so Moon was alone in P&S with Ruin whispering in his ear and only Lunar went to see him a couple of times. Sun began to hang out more with Earth and Lunar, and Moon was left completely alone. "Oh, but Moon never said he wanted them to come with him! They can't read minds!" Yes, and that's true, but If everyone was aware that Moon and Solar were basically running around together every day, and everyone was aware that Moon was the one who had the worst reaction to Solar's death, the logical thing to do is to spend at least a couple of hours with him, right?

And yes, Moon lied about how he felt so this is also partly his fault for wanting to hide what was happening to him. But Monty is also to blame because he also hide it.

We are at a point where we have been shown that all the hallucinations that Moon has had are created by her consciousness out of guilt (in the same way as Sun when the BM thing happened), Moon regrets the things he said to Earth, Moon wants to stop, Moon wants to go home and apologize, but he can't. He thinks his whole family hates him, that no one wants him in daycare.

Also, I understand that Earth is hurt but she also isn't trying to understand Moon's feelings now that she knows everything Moon has been going through. Now she knows that Moon is going through the worst time of her life and she just decides not to do anything about it because "Moon said a couple of hurtful things to her." (things Sun warned Moon would say to push her away and things that worked).

I feel like of all the people, the only one who has a little more reason here is Sun, and, interestingly, Jack and the computer, who have done more than Earth and Lunar.

I think that now that he is locked up and unable to teleport it is a good opportunity for everyone to talk to him, a really serious and good intervention.

Sorry for the long text! And thanks for the ask and support! It really helped me let off some steam, hehe

[writingsbyzuzu]

high enough

one - last man on earth

notes: you're a dedicated assistant, damon is kind of an asshole (but you just met him, he gets nicer), this is entirely from your perspective, no mention of ethan's feelings or thoughts...yet, this is going to be a shorter chapter setting up exposition.

warnings: none yet.

When you were hired to work as a professional boxer's assistant four years ago fresh out of college, you weren't exactly sure what you were getting into. His manager had only referred to it as "you do exactly what he needs and asks you to do, no questions asked."

Well, within that past four years, you discovered that that had included the following;

Personal stylist.

"Ethan you cannot possibly wear that tie, it's hideous." You start taking the tie off, but he begins to panic.

"We only have an hour, will you run and get me a new one?"

Appointment maker.

"Hi, I'd like to make an appointment for Ethan Nestor, it's for a nutritionist." He gestures at you wildly to get your attention. You wave him off, trying to pay attention to the receptionist's questions.

"Trouble, remind them I'm allergic to peanuts. Trouble."

Interview scheduler and tracker.

"Don't forget you have to talk to those guys from ESPN in two hours."

"Honestly, if I am not petting puppies like those celebrities can on Buzzfeed, is it even worth it?"

"Ethan, please."

And right now, and at many a moment prior to this, something of a personal chef. You didn't cook for Ethan that often, but sometimes he got home too late for his actual chef, and like Ethan's manager said, whatever is asked of you from Ethan.

Speaking of the devil, he steps downstairs in nothing but his basketball shorts, drying his hair off with a towel.

"Whatcha got cooking up for me, trouble? It smells great."

Trouble. After about a month working for him, he labelled you with that nickname, often using it more than your real name. At first, you had assumed it was because he hadn't bothered to remember your name. But you didn't really know him then. And by the time you were comfortable enough with Ethan to ask, you just didn't. You had started to like it as much he liked it.

You turn to look at him, watching him take the final steps down.

"Chicken parm," you smile at him, putting on the oven mitts. "You didn't have to make me anything, it's late," he says, padding over to his kitchen island, sitting on then stool.

"Second nature. I know that if I don't, you'll eat a microwave pizza. I like spending time with you. Plus, extra money." Ethan laughs, watching you put the oven mitts on, open the oven and take out the pan.

"Alrighty sir, one chicken parm for you, coming up," you grab the spatula, plating it up for him. You put the plate in front of him, but he continues to stare at you.

"What, Eth?"

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"It's really late and you're going to already have to pay me overtime, so I should get home soon. We both have to be up early," you remind him, leaning over to the counter to grab your car keys.

Ethan swipes the car keys, reflexes infinitely faster than yours. You let out a gasp of astonishment.

"You need to eat too," he stresses, holding the keys above your reach.

"I can make myself food when I get home," you insist, jumping to try to reach your keys.

"Trouble, you and I both know that you'll just eat a microwave pizza, and I respect you and your hard work too much for that. There's food on that pan right now, and it's hot. Make a plate."

He gives you a look that is beyond intense, staring you down. So you relent. "Fine."

You put another piece of chicken on a separate plate, before walking around the counter and sitting next to him.

"I promise, as soon as you finish eating, I can give you your car keys, and you can go home," Ethan reassures you, watching you eat, before taking bites of it.

That was a fucking lie, to say the least.

An hour later, you two were sitting on the couch, shoveling ice cream in your mouths from a Blue Bell gallon tub, some 80's movie playing on the tv.

This was a cycle you found yourself in a lot. Over the years, you and Ethan had become close. You had considered yourself lucky enough to have a boss who was awesome, nice, and that you could be friends with.

You had spent so much time together, it was hard not to be close. You knew everything about him, and he had cared enough to know a lot about you.

It was almost perfect. Almost.

"Don't you have anywhere better to be? I specifically remembered you wanted to get home."

"It's 11 PM on a Friday night, and my opportunity of a fun time is eating ice cream with my boss in his fancy house and cuddling his dog. Killer Klowns From Outer Space is on. I am exactly where I would want to be," you laugh.

Ethan turns to you from the tv, beaming at you. "I mean, you do have a shit apartment, I wouldn't want to hang out there either," he jokes, scooping more ice cream onto his spoon. "If my boss paid more, I would live somewhere better," you tease back.

The two of you eye each other for a long moment, smiling.

"I'll give you anything you want as long as you stick around, where would I be without you?" he whispers. For a moment, everything is quiet.

But then he sits up straighter, paying attention to the movie starting. You frown, looking down at the ice cream, turning yourself back towards the movie as well.

Your work situation would have been perfect, sure.

If it weren't for the fact that you were absolutely in love with him.

You were never able to pinpoint the exact moment you actually fell in love with your boss.

A part of you had always been convinced it had been love at first sight, when he had shook your hand, grins from ear to ear, and a "You can just call me Ethan." You couldn't lie, you had been a sucker for that grin since day one.

It's the same grin he's giving the television, entertained by the movie.

You look at your phone. 11:34. Fuck. "Actually, Eth, I should be getting home, it's late." He pouts slightly. "Trouble, I thought you wanted to watch the movie with me, we're having fun."

"We have to be up early, and I'm tired."

He looks upset and taken aback, and it makes your stomach hurt. "Trouble, stay. We were having fun, you love this movie. If you're tired you can stay here, it wouldn't be the first time."

You had stood up by the time he had said that, but he had out stretched an arm, beckoning you to sit down. And of course, you sit back down. How can you deny him?

It's the same question you ask yourself the next morning, when a sweaty practicing Ethan begs you to fetch him a Powerade.

"Four years, and I'm still fetching your drinks for you," you sigh, standing up and smoothing out your skirt.

Ethan laughs, continuing to punch the sand bag. "It's cos you love me and want me to succeed!" "You can't get your own drinks?" you yell over your shoulder, opening the fridge he kept in his home gym.

The past four years had honestly been a blur for you. By all accounts, the job was easier than expected. Sure, it meant a lot of travel, and virtually no time to date so you could get over aforementioned love for your boss with someone else, spending all your time with said boss you were in love with, and basically doing a bunch of tasks for him that he didn't have to.

Not to mention how you went from someone who didn't care about sports to someone who lived and breathed professional boxing 24/7.

But Ethan was always nice to you, and over the years, had even managed to cross the territory from "sexy boss" to "sexy friend". Even if you knew Ethan didn't feel anything for you, at least you could safely say he was your friend.

You walk back over to where he was practicing, handing him a Powerade. "Your drink, good sir. I swear, I don't understand how you could be a sick enough freak to drink this at 8 AM, but I digress."

He takes it from you, before stating a line he's said to you a million times. "I hope that when I go through the pearly gates, the first sound I hear is you telling me you got me my drink and sassing me for it."

He unscrews the cap, before taking a giant chug, finishing half the drink in one go.

You snort at the sight, before Ethan sets the bottle down. "Again, kind of makes me sound like your indentured servant," you laugh. He swings, hitting the sandbag. "Or maybe, trouble, I just like hearing your voice first thing in the morning."

"And you didn't interpret that as flirting?"

On the rare occasions you'd have the day off, you'd spend it with Annie, your best friend and roommate. She was honestly the only person on this earth convinced you and Ethan were going to get together and that it wasn't all in your head.

"We're friends! Maybe he just likes hearing a friendly voice," you squeak out. "Or maybe, he's in love with you and you're the first thing he thinks about in the morning," Annie scoffs, turning the car onto the highway.

"Annie, I don't want to be delusional, okay? This is delulu behavior and I won't participate in it. If he was into me, you know, he's had four years to say something, and besides, it's inappropriate, he's my boss!"

"Fine, fine. I will drop it. For now. If you really don't think it's flirting, which it is, then we can forget about the whole thing."

She pulls into the luxury mall parking lot, fitting her car into a compact spot. "But, one last question, why are we picking up an order for him from one of the rich celebrity stores on your day off? This man works you hard enough."

The two of you get out of the car, stretching a little. "I just won't have time to later this week, especially with his match this week," you sigh, as the two of you begin the trek across the parking lot. "Fine, but I'm stopping at the only somewhat normal store here, Urban Outfitters, and you're helping me pick out a new top."

"Deal."

"He's fighting the hot one, Damon, right?"

"Annie, it's a league of young boxers who all have six packs. It's all hot ones."

"Date one of them then, you coward."

The order took a whole of twenty minutes to pick up, but it was the leaving the store that gave you issue. Maybe it was the years of experience living in LA, or just being naturally good with faces, but you spot her 100 feet away, walking towards the store you just exited.

"Oh my god, Annie."

She turns to you, alarmed. "What, what is it?" "Don't look now, but Harini Iyer is in the mall."

"So? We see celebrities everywhere, it's LA. Last week I saw Sabrina Carpenter at Erowhon." You roll your eyes. "No, do you remember who popstar Harini Iyer is rumored to be dating?"

Annie grabs your arm. "Tell me you're joking."

Out of thin air almost, a tall blonde man appears next to the popstar heading towards you two, wrapping his arms around her. "Damon Jones."

Ethan had had a lot of mock beef with other boxes, it came with the PR territory, and his manager and PR agent worked hard to make it look real. But Damon Jones?

You weren't sure what he had against Damon Jones, but Ethan had always despised him. It didn't help that in order to qualify for the biggest championship of his life and career thus far, the only thing standing in his way was Damon Jones, and now the devil himself was marching towards you, with his beautiful pop star girlfriend.

"Jesus Christ. Was he actually sculpted by Jesus Christ?" Annie whimpers, watching the two of them get closer. "No clue, but let's get going before they realize we are staring at them."

The two of you start to walk past, hoping you hadn't accidentally flagged them to your notice of them.

It doesn't work.

"Hey, don't I know you?" You hear the voice behind you. Maybe he wasn't talking to you. "You, in the brown sweater." Okay, fuck, he was talking to you.

You and Annie turn around slowly.

"Yes?" you squeak out, gripping Annie's arm. "I know you from somewhere," Damon says, scanning your face. "I doubt that," you laugh nervously.

"Holy- you're Nestor's assistant. You're like, the goddess of boxing assistants. Baby," he turns to Harini, his eyes huge, "I was just telling you about her. She's like the goat. She gets him all these interviews and cool opportunities."

You laugh nervously again. "That's, that's me," you confirm with a tiny nod. "You're like, my Bigfoot. The white whale."

"That's nuts."

"Say, is Nestor worried about me beating his ass this Friday?"

You shake your head. "Ethan is not a nervous man, and I have all the confidence in him in the world," your voice doesn't waver with nerves. You could stand by that.

"At least tell me, does he have any weaknesses?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." You really couldn't think of any. Ethan was kind to you, but he was tough, in the ring and out. A real fighter. You admired it about him. You continue speaking. "And even if I knew, why would I tell you?"

Damon humorlessly laughs. He looks back at Harini. "Like I told you, loyal. Keeps a secret." Harini nods, giving you a small smile. Damon looks back at you, his expression hard to read.

"Well you say he doesn't, but, there's one I can think of." He eyes you for a second, smirking, before wrapping his arm around Harini, the two of them turning to head into the store. "See you Friday!" he shouts, lifting his hand in a half wave.

Harini turns back to look at you, and for the first time in this entire interaction, speaks. "I love your shoes!"

And with that, the two of them are in the store.

You and Annie stare at the store in shock, processing what just happened. "One time Grammy winner Harini Iyer just said she likes my shoes," you whisper, starstruck.

Annie squeezes your arm, as if to reassure herself and you that it wasn't a collective hallucination. "I think the bigger concern is what the fuck was that guy talking about?"

there's one I can think of.

What the fuck, indeed.