#did not think i would be projecting on him today

[webbluvrsugar]

omg hii! can i be 🕯️ anon?

okay but.. ethan having digital camera just to record him and reading fucking.. but he accidentally misplaced the flash drive and chad finds it so yk..

a/n: omg! Yes of course you can (this is so exciting, it’s like my fanbase is growing), hope you like it!

proofread but I’m not that sure

﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆. ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭ Chad find your little tape…

Ethan was not the type of guy to do something like this but getting with you changed him. He can’t touch any other girl, he can’t look at any other girl so when he’s in… need of something, he’ll ask it from you, the problem is when you’re not there.

That’s how the proposition of filming you two came up and with a bit of reluctance… you accepted.

There were certain videos he liked the most, specially the one’s where you were visually struggling, wether you were tied up with your hands behind your back or you were just too tired of riding him — he’d be lying if he said he didn’t use those instead of his actual memory when he was alone, so he kept them hidden well, somewhere no one would find the camera.

Problem was that… this time Ethan was too busy cleaning off the blood of a victim to hide that camera before Chad came over — and at the time, he thought it was fine, Chad wouldn’t touch his personal stuff, right?

Wrong, because it’s been five minutes of Chad stepping inside Ethan’s room and he’s already peeping into Ethan’s stuff, opening a drawer next to his bed and pulling a small camera from it. Chad has a little fun with it, takes some stupid pictures before investigating what content it could have, he thought maybe some stupid plants or views that Ethan liked — and they were views alright, just not the type Chad expected.

There’s at least fifteen videos of you, and Chad doesn’t watch them, he’s not that much of a creep but he’ll for sure tease Ethan about it.

Ethan walks in the room, Chad bluntly flashes the camera at him, immediately, the curly haired boy is blushing.

“Dudee, didn’t know you had a camera, this could be useful for Tara’s project, you know, she’s been needing one.” Chad smirks, some bullshit lie to see his reaction.

“Well, uhm… she should probably find another one, that one’s really sensitive and… it’s family heirloom.” Another bullshit lie, this one not that well conceived.

Chad moves closer to him, inspecting the thing in his hands. “Really? Couldn’t tell, looks brand new.”

“Yeah.. I… take really good care of it.” Ethan mutters, takes another step closer and reaches for it. “Could you just… give it back?”

“Oh yeah, for sure, for sure…” Chad hands it to Ethan, or at least, he fakes it before taking it back. “But I don’t know what makes it so special, got something hidden in here, you’re sure Tara can’t use it?”

“Just give it back man, Tara can use one from someone else or something.” This time, when Ethan reaches for it, he grabs it tight, almost looks offended. “And uh.. I know we said we should do the project today but I think you should leave.”

“What?”

“I’m serious, just leave, we’ll do it sometime else.” Ethan swallows.

“Listen — just because I found your little camera and you have some videos of your girl there doesn’t mean we can’t work on it tod—“

“You watched them?!” It’s a yell, Ethan’s pissed, he’s protective. “You fucking watched them, how much of a creep can you be?”

“No I didn’t watch them but I mean I could tell what they were and—“

“Just get out.” Ethan points to the door. “Get out.”

Chad sighs, he shouldn’t have mentioned the content in the camera because now he’s pretty sure he did not only loose his project partner but also his best friend.

So reluctantly, he decides do what’s best — leave without saying any other word.

[therandompagesblog]

SKZ Mate Chapter 24

Trigger warnings: Angst, murder, blood, assault, violence, *bring tissues*

A week went by and Y/N didn't speak to Chan. A week went by and Chan had left to meet his friend. A week went by and Hyunjin and Y/N worked on options to use their dark aura to stop Ateez. A week went by and the wolves were divided. Seungmin and Felix sided with Y/N believing her experience of living there would help them solve this problem, but the rest of them chose Minho, the annoying ridiculous beta who acted like the head alpha. It pissed her off the way he was taking charge. She couldn't stand to stay in the same room as him, despite Jisung trying to comfort and reason with her. Jisung did see Y/N's side, but it was Minho's stubbornness and his politics that made him difficult to challenge. Minho was an elder wolf. Now what that means was he was above all wolves. He was the law of that council. Minho had spent years training at the werewolf sanctuary to become an elder. He spent years learning the skills and crafts of one. Minho had the power to connect with his ancestors and others. That is why Minho had high self-esteem and confidence. His biggest weakness is not being an alpha but his rapport with the werewolf community gave him that power, so when someone disrespected him, he became agitated, especially when someone he cared about disrespected him.

Y/N and Minho had been clashing all week. It started with ignoring him and purposely leaving the room when he was there. Then it escalated when Jisung said she was being mean causing him to get shouted at, which lead to Minho trying to discipline her but the same remark of 'you're not a fucking alpha's came out. Chan had even alpha commanded her to apologise which led to her ignoring him. But today the omega had high opinions as she stood there in the living room arguing with Jeongin while Changbin and Jisung sat there behind pillows with a mixed look. Changbin was shitting himself in fear but his fear resulted in him laughing while Jisung was amused. Jisung was curious to see how the new alpha would handle the situation and he was handling it quite well. Jeongin stood there with a stoic face watching the omega shout profanities at him, knowing the beta was next door listening. None of them knew what was going on anymore but all they knew was she was upset but her words were becoming spiteful. "So what he's a fucking elder. He should know how to listen to people and understand all options." Y/N yelled at the alpha. "Y/N. Listen to me." Jeongin called out in a commanding tone. He was getting frustrated. He understood her anger and fear. He understood her projection was coming from her inner trauma and he allowed her to express that but insulting the other wolves he wasn't going to tolerate it, especially a wolf who worked day and night to save her, the least she could do was be grateful. Jeongin tried to reason with her, but she wasn't having it and he could feel his anger start to bubble inside of him. "Y/N. If you-" "Like you know anything. You're just a baby alpha who thinks-" "Go. Upstairs. Now. I don't want to hear your pathetic little whines." Jeongin alpha ordered, his eyes glowing red as he looked at her. His actions caused her to shudder. His words bled deep into her veins, forcing her up the stairs. On the way she saw Minho sat on the floor in the kitchen crying. His body jolted with every breath as he tried to stifle his cries. What have I done? "Y/N!" Jeongin shouted causing her to run up the stairs and straight into her room, her eyes glowing blue as she tried to calm herself down. I made him cry. It was all falling apart left right and center. Minho was a sobbing mess in the kitchen as he heard her hurtful words. They cut him deeper than he expected. He was listening to her. He had spent hours pleading with the council. He even disrespected another alpha on the council for her. Minho didn't understand why it wasn't enough for her, he felt sick. Jeongin was livid and kicked the back door open so he could phase. He hated the power it gave when he ordered her. He felt like a monster. 

While all this was going on, Chan had met up with his friend Jaebeom who helped him before when things went bad. Chan wanted to create a plan with him so he went to meet him in the woods, but something was wrong. The more Chan walked deeper into the woods to meet Jaebeom, the more he felt something was off. Chan felt incredibly uncertain about stepping on this side of the woods. He knew Jaebeom but he hadn't actually spoken to him since he was seventeen. "I'm surprised you came alone. You're not a smart alpha, are you? Christopher." A dark voice stood behind him, taunting him. The male laughed at him, well, more like cackled at the alpha like a madman. "Hongjoong," Chan whispered. His heart dropped as he heard the voice. "Come on Chan, let's talk like alphas." Hongjoong taunted. Chan slowly turned around to see Hongjoong standing there with his arms crossed with three other wolves. An alpha, a beta and an omega. He guessed the alpha was Wooyoung, but the other beta he wasn't sure of. He didn't recognise this beta, nor the omega. Chan couldn't believe Hongjoong brought an omega with him. Did he expect the omega to fight? Chan couldn't fight an omega. No, he couldn't. Y/N adored those omegas. They set her free. They helped her escape. He couldn't take one of them out.

Hongjoong watched Chan's eyes study his wolves. He was calculating them. "Come on Christopher. There's no point in sniffing my boys out. I can introduce you if you'd like. This is Wooyoung, Mingi and Jongho. Seonghwa is hiding in the woods somewhere so if you run, he will attack." Hongjoong laughed. "What do you want Hongjoong," Chan asked, his eyes glowing red. "To kill you, obviously. " Hongjoong stated. "Did you really think that I would let you win after everything you have done to my pack? You had me exiled. You stole my alpha. Then you stole my omega and then had my beta killed. I had to let you think you had a chance with those council members. I will say your Minho made a great case against me. Trying to use maleficium against me. He's a smart wolf but not smart enough to realise my father is on that council too. How humiliating. I hope he's not too gutted about it." "She is not your omega. She never was." Chan growled stepping forward. "No, she wasn't." Hongjoong stepped forward, "but Joshua helped me get her." "What?! You're lying." Chan growled as he looked at the mad werewolf who laughed. Hongjoong in the midst of laughing signalled Mingi to attack.

Mingi was quick on his feet and grabbed Chan who took the blow, but he was quick on his feet. Chan managed to disarm him for a brief second but lost when Jongho phased and scratched the back of Chan bringing him down. Chan could smell the fear of the omega who didn't want to appear in the fight but acted on command. Chan pushed the omega off of him when Mingi shifted and pinned Chan down in his human form, biting in his shoulder, ready to rip his arm off when Chan phased into his grey wolf. He allowed his wolf to take over as he attacked Mingi, biting and snarling at him. Jongho pounced and dug his teeth into the grey wolf's tale, almost snapping it off, but he stopped. The blood of Chan fell out of his mouth and he panicked, but the shouts of his alpha forced him to fight and destroy. Chan managed to break free from Mingi and shoved Jongho into the tree, before heading towards Mingi. Chan got hold of his back leg and ripped it off carelessly. Chan didn't care. He needed to get back home to his omega.

As soon as he made the mistake of thinking about her, he felt a white-hot pain pierce through his leg. Wooyoung had phased and tackled the head alpha, dragging him by his tail before shoving him into the tree. Chan whimpered but tried to get back up but the two wolves attacked him. Chan managed to lock his jaw onto the beta's neck to snap his neck. Killing him. Wooyoung raged in anger at the death of his pack mate and charged forward snarling in rage as he tried to get the omega to help him, but Jongho couldn't get up. The omega was petrified. Chan used this against Wooyoung and pounced on him, biting into his leg and dragging the wolf harshly. Wooyoung tried to call out to Hongjoong but the alpha stood there in frustration as he watched Chan destroy them one by one. "Alright. Stop this." Hongjoong yelled. He needed Wooyoung. "I won't kill you. Go to that fucking whore. You can have. She's been used quite well, but I will say this, don't trust Hyunjin near her. Hyunjin is obsessed with her."

Chan didn't care but took his chance to retreat running as fast as he could back home. Chan didn't care about the pain in his body or the blood, he wanted to go home. He wanted his pack. He wanted her. Nothing else mattered, but Chan was struggling to continue. His vision was starting to blur as he ran, occasionally stumbling over. Chan got up again and kept pushing himself until he could reach his home or at least the clear, but he couldn't, his legs caved out and he fell to the ground, crying. He couldn't make it back. He couldn't go on any longer. I'm sorry Y/N.

Taglist for the iconic readers:

@galaxy4489 @mbioooo0000 @jisungs-iced-americano @maybeimmia @hwangrfrnd@wolfo2027 @kayleefriedchicken @leamueller920 @borahae-reads @jennibahng @cookiesandcreammy @leezanetheofficial @jutdwae-flower @danceonmyheyday @jc003 @hpnsfwaddict @linocz @itzreetal987 @skzdreamer13 @reallychaoticwoo @liv1sworld @upsidedownchaire @jutdwae-flower @danceonmyheyday @jc003 @hpnsfwaddict @skzdreamer13 @reallychaoticwoo @ihttinniee @kingdomofpentagon @pixie0627 @tsunderelino @notevenheretbh1 @catlove83 @h0rnyp0t @hash2013 @hyunmikim

[aquaticmercy]

Hypothetically (version 1)

Summary : The Thunderbolts* crew gossip about Bucky's love life.

Pairing : Thunderbolts!Bucky Barnes x superhero!reader (she/her) 

Warnings/tags : References to violence and sex

Word count : 1.8k

Note : Reader is a superhero, and part of my version of the Midnight Suns in the MCU, including Moon Knight, Elsa Bloodstone, Jack Russell, and Man Thing. Taskmaster and Sentry isn't in this because I have no clue how they'll play into the canon so I've stuck with characters I think fit to the story. I’ve written two versions of the same story a Thunderbolts/Bucky POV and a Midnight Suns/Reader POV. Enjoy!

You are reading the Thunderbolts/Bucky POV Read the Midnight Suns/Reader POV here (version 2)

In the dimly lit briefing room of the former Avengers tower, a group of former assassins and rogue super soldiers sat around a rectangular steel table that glowed dully under the fluorescent lights overhead. Bucky was leading today’s mission briefing, a subtle tension settling over the team as they discussed the latest intelligence reports and mission parameters.

Yelena, Alexei, John, and Ava—were in various states of attentiveness, occasionally trading jabs and snarky comments. Yelena was throwing paper planes at John, Alexei was munching through a carrot he had smuggled in, and Ava was staring blankly at the ceiling, tapping an irregular rhythm on the table.

“Alright,” Bucky said, clicking through the projection on the screen with his  intensity. “Our target is believed to be hiding out in the warehouses on the east side. No civilian interference expected, please. I’m talking to you, Alexei.”

The Red Guardian leaned back in his chair, a smirk touching his rugged face as he crossed his arms. “No audience?” His thick Russian accent carried disappoint, “what’s the point?”

Bucky gave him a sharp look, one that meant he didn’t have the patience for bullshit today. “The point,” he replied dryly, “is in getting the job done right. No loud distractions, no fireworks. Got it?”

Alexei sighed dramatically, but he didn’t argue further. Yelena snickered from her seat next to him, shooting him a look as if to say, don’t push it.

It was then that Bucky’s phone lit up on the table in front of him. He barely registered the vibration at first—until he caught a glimpse of the screen.

Your name flashed on the screen.

Instantly, he reached to flip the phone over, but he was too late. The team’s collective attention was already on the screen, their eyes widening with recognition and a chorus of surprised gasps escaping.

Of course they knew you— they all did. Not personally of course. But you were a legend, in the same way that Bucky was.

“Oooh?” Alexei’s eyebrows rose as he looked up, “You know her personally? I’ve only seen her on TV. Very feisty lady, I think.”

“Big fan,” Ava chimed in, her usually serious face betraying a slight grin. “She’s a total badass. Heard she led a raid last week. Didn’t know you had her on speed dial, Barnes.”

Bucky cleared his throat, forcing himself to maintain his usual composed demeanour. “Stay here, don’t touch the files.” He gave them all a stern glare before excusing himself, taking the call outside the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, his teammates exchanged glances—and the speculation began.

Yelena, leaning forward with a glimmer of mischief in her eye, shrugged casually. “You know, I heard they’re dating.”

She had heard it from Kate Bishop who heard it from Clint Barton who may have heard it from Sam Wilson— which would have been a reliable source if not for everyone in between.

John Walker snorted. “No way,” he said, crossing his arms with an incredulous smirk. “From what I hear she’s too… I dunno, too stubborn. Violent. They both are. They’d probably clash. I bet they can barely stand to be in the same room without breaking into a fight.”

Alexei raised a hand in protest. “What’s wrong with clashing heads in relationship? Makes relationship stronger!” He laughed, his deep voice echoing through the room. “My parents fight every day. Happiest couple ever!” He wore his family complications like a badge of honour, which somehow made it worse. 

“Sure,” Yelena made a face, scrunching her nose. 

Ava leaned back, thoughtful. “I think they’d look good together,” she said, tilting her head. “But I’d hate to see them in a domestic argument. I imagine it’d get… destructive. Like crater-in-the-kitchen destructive.”

John’s lips quirked into a smirk. “They’d probably level an entire building over something dumb, like whose turn it is to load the dishwasher,” he added. John and his wife fight, of course, but she wasn’t super powered, and they didn’t have decades of contract kills and assassination between them— unlike you and Bucky.

“Or laundry!” Yelena laughed, her eyes lighting up. “Can you imagine? ‘No, it’s your turn,’” she mimicked Bucky in an exaggerated deep voice. “Then Boom! Neighborhood gone.” Yelena snapped her fingers.

The room erupted in laughter.

Yelena’s chuckle shifted into a sly grin. “The sex is probably… good, right? All the aggression? All that pent-up tension? I bet it has to go somewhere. Maybe they’re just friends with benefits.”

“Oh, no. No, no, no,” Alexei held up his hand, his face scrunched in horror. “I cannot think about Bucky like that. Bad enough he walked in on my bare ass when I was changing yesterday.”

“Gross,” Yelena cringed, shoving her adoptive father shoulder. 

“I still think they’re dating.” Ava smirked, shaking her head. “He wouldn't have taken the call in the middle of briefing if they weren’t.”

“Please,” John rolled his eyes. “They’re probably just sharing intel. Swapping notes about target zones or something. No way it’s anything mushy or sweet. I cannot imagine either of them saying I love you.”

Yelena gagged jokingly.

While the team continued their speculative debate, Bucky stood outside the room.

He pressed his phone to his ear and felt his face soften instantly at the sound of your voice.

“Hey, my love,” you greeted, a trace of tension in your tone. “Is this a bad time?”

“For you doll? Never,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a low rumble that only you seemed to bring out in him. “What’s going on?”

You sighed, sounding weary, and he could practically see you rubbing your temples.

“Elsa- fucking- Bloodstone.” you said flatly. “She keeps ignoring the damn plan and doing things her own way. She’s driving me up the wall. Seriously, it’s like every mission is a free-for-all.”

“I can imagine,” Bucky chuckled softly, twirling the hem of his shirt. “Alexei is the same way. Only does what he thinks is right. It’s like herding cats.”

“Can’t imagine he’s that bad,” You laughed, and oh boy did he miss that sweet sound. “You wanna trade? I’ll give you Ted in exchange for Alexei for a week. Ted keeps distorting my comms every time we’re on a mission—dude's like a walking jamming signal.”

A smirk crept onto Bucky’s face. “Deal—if I can swap Yelena for Jack Russell. I hear he's sensible, or at least doesn’t have a habit of blowing things up on instinct.”

“Oh, no,” you chuckled, firmly. “He’s off limits. He’s like my second-in-command. You can take Moon Knight if you want though. Deal with Jake Lockley showing up unannounced, if you’re up for it. Brings Khonsu into everything. Imagine arguing with a literal moon god while trying to stop a giant swamp monster from being captured… again.”

“Pass,” Bucky groaned, chuckling as he shook his head, thinking of all the things you’ve told him about the Egyptian god’s avatar. “Ava would not get along with Jake or Steven very well. Though Marc—he’d probably handle her alright.”

Bucky found himself melting into the sound of your laughter, the way you teasingly poked fun at each other’s ragtag teams— just a bunch of misfits who happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

His eyes softened, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he leaned against the wall, completely wrapped up in the thought of you. 

“Maybe one day,” you mused, “we’ll get them all in the same room. See if they tear each other apart.”

Bucky huffed a laugh. “That’d be a nightmare.”

You corrected, “an interesting nightmare.”

For a moment, the burden of your job faded, leaving only the warmth of each other’s voices and the quiet longing that had lingered ever since you started this… relationship.

It felt weird to say, coming from two people with checkered pasts. That you now have something precious, something so priceless in each other.

Bucky shifted, his hand clenching into a fist. He wished you were there right now instead of halfway across the town. Oh what he would give to hold you, to feel your soft kiss on his lips and your hands in his hair.

“So,” you said, a hint of playfulness in your voice. “Would you like to go to dinner tonight? I’m tired of takeout.”

A fond smile curved his lips as he replied, “Anything you want, sweetheart. As long as it’s with you.” His voice grew soft, almost shy. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “It’s hard being apart.”

In the background, Bucky heard a familiar growl—the unmistakable grumble of the Man-Thing. 

You sighed. “What did I tell you about eavesdropping on private phone calls, Ted?”

Bucky chuckled, low and warm. “Good luck with that, doll.”

He could practically hear you rolling your eyes. “Take care of yourself, okay?” He said, “I love you. More than you know.”

“I love you too, darling.”

He ended the call with a wistful smile, pocketing his phone before heading back inside.

When he reentered the room, he found the team still engrossed in a heated debate.

“What did I miss?” he asked dryly.

“Oh, nothing,” Yelena replied innocently, before nudging Ava, who couldn’t hide her smirk. “We were just talking about you and the… scary lady calling you.”

Alexei raised an eyebrow. “So, how long have you and her been doing… mission reports?” His tone was suggestive, expecting Bucky to give a direct answer.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “Not sure what you’re getting at, Shostakov.”

“He’s not denying it,” Ava pointed out. “Hypothetically, of course—“

“Of course,” Yelena nodded.

“—You two would make a great couple,” Ava pointed out. “Like… two cold, calculated soldiers who can take down anything.”

“You two would be sitting on a table in a nice restaurant, exchanging nods while writing up a mission postmortem,” John speculated, “hypothetically.”

“So what pet names do you use for each other?” Yelena leaned forward with curiosity. “Hypothetically.”

Before Bucky could answer, Alexei made a sour face. "No, can’t see it,” he argued. “Bucky is too grumpy. He does not call her Baby. Or sweetie.” He shuddered. “Hypothetically.”

Bucky just rolled his eyes, putting on his best annoyed expression. “You all done with the gossip?”

“Aw, don’t get all defensive, old man,” Yelena crossed her arms, smirking. “We’re just saying, if you were dating someone like that… you should tell us because we’d love to meet her. Maybe she can help out one of these days. You know, before Walker decides to cause another international incident.”

“Hey!” He exclaimed.

Bucky just grunted in response, biting back the curve of his lips.

He’d couldn’t believe no one would even guess the truth—that behind closed doors, the two of you were anything but the cold, stoic warriors they imagined.

Only you got to see that side of him. Only you got to see the gentle warmth in the quiet moments, dancing and laughing with him in your shared apartment that no one else knew of.

“Let’s focus,” Bucky muttered, heading back to the front of the table and flipping open a couple files. He hid his smile as best as he could, secretly pleased that everyone had it so wrong.

-end.

[celestailio]

you are the apple of my eye ( gojo x fem!reader )

outline: gojo satoru is the star of your year while you are the exact opposite, and that is why you want absolutely nothing to do with him.

contains: gojo x fem!reader, fluff, comfort, a bit of angst, reader and gojo are in the same year, lots of pinning from gojo's side, somewhat oblivious reader. some bullying. mishaps and lots of cuteness at the end :D reader is somewhat neurodivergent and lonely :< canon divergence ( my world, my rules )

wc: 8.9k

a/n: my very first fic of gojo. i hope i did him justice. this is kinda self-indulgent... but that's okay.. :> aahhh i miss him so much... i just want to eat and cuddle with him... ahhhh ahem. i wrote this for my one and only, my bestie!!! i hope you like it, my baby <3333 anyway, feedback is always appreciated on my writings! enjoy my fellow gojo connoisseurs!!!!

it is the beginning of november, which marks the onset of an unforgiving winter. the rain pours hard, washing everything it comes in contact with. the stony pavement leading to the jujutsu high is gradually beginning to flood, the water drenching your shoes.

you find your way through the busy road bustling with chattering students and teachers. stepping on wet dead leaves with a clear umbrella clutched in your hands, which is doing a poor job in shielding you from the heavy downpour.

why did they have to make the dormitories so far away from the main buildings?

you enter the front corridor and make a straight beeline for your locker, hurrying to change your shoes before the wetness makes contact with your socks. it was relatively easy to navigate today. usually, you would have to manoeuvre through lines of stationery people blocking the way. 

climbing up the stairs to the second floor, you make a turn before coming to a stand still.

not again…

it was becoming a daily occurrence as of now. the horde of girls waiting near your classroom door for a certain someone. you could make out most of them to be from your year and a few junior ones probably a year younger than you and certainly not your best friend, yumeko because you know she’s still dozing off in her bed and will probably come to class a bit later like she often does. and it sucks that she lives in a different building than you. you’d have to request yaga to change rooms before next term.

you position yourself behind them concealed from any prying eyes. it’s not like you had to wait for them to leave. you could always go and ask them to move aside and make way for you, but every time you tried to strike a conversation with them, they all looked towards one another before dismissing you. so you’d rather wait patiently for yaga to disperse them like always.

as if on cue, a certain trio pops up behind a corner, their silhouette becoming clearer as they make their way towards the classroom. the short brown haired girl and the tall black haired boy walk in front while the white-haired boy trails behind. hands tucked in his pants’ pockets, his backpack dangling off his right shoulder. his white tufts bounce with each step. as soon as the girls see them, the loud squealing and giggling start.

‘’hey gojo!’’

‘’how was the mission boys?’’

it’s too early for this.

you don’t miss the frown that crawls up on the brown haired girl’s face. shoko. she has helped you on numerous occasions with your homework and projects. you think she is a nice girl. you often run into her smoking her lungs out behind the school’s building or in a desolate hallway late at night. you are surprised she still has her voice after going through countless packs in a short span.

‘’yo.’’ 

shoko calls out to you and proceeds to stand beside you, arms crossed. you give her a stiff nod before both of your attention is diverted. a girl emerges from the crowd.

you think she is someone a year below you. she trudges towards the front of the boy and stands in front of the white-haired boy, satoru. you catch a glimpse of a letter tucked in her hands behind her back. satoru raises an eyebrow as the girl begins to speak. everyone falls silent as they listen carefully.

it’s kinda hard to make out what she’s saying from where you are standing, but you know it’s the typical confession the boy receives every week. yumeko once told you about how, at the start of your second year, one of them received a whopping ten love letters in their locker. you don’t know if you should find it endearing or concerning.

shoko chuckles besides you clearly amused at the scene unfolding in front of her. you might as well enjoy this to the fullest. not every day, you get to see something like this.

the girl finishes her speech, head bowed and hands extending, showcasing the letter to satoru. everyone holds their breath as they wait eagerly for his response. dozens of eyes fixated on the white head. satoru stares at the letter blankly before a chuckle leaves him. the girl whips her head up at the mellow sound before she is stopped as his large hand comes up to rest on her head, giving it a small pat.

‘’sorry mimi! you are like a younger sister to me. i am sure there’s someone else for you.’’

everyone gasps, and continuous whispers start filling the once dead air. mimi visibly deflates, her hands dropping to her sides, causing the letter to fall on the floor. little tremors of embarrassment coursing through her body. 

despite her attempts to suppress the little whimpers, she fails miserably as a loud sob breaks the tension. soon, she turns around and storms off. her friends call out her name before they go chasing after her. you kinda feel bad for the poor girl. 

‘’don’t they know that he’s never going to accept?’’

shoko suddenly turns towards you, a smirk on her smooth face. eyes quirked up.

‘’why?’’ you question, as you look towards where the girl stood. the air is clearing out as everyone retreats to their respective classes. 

‘’why don’t you?’’ she winks at you before silently slipping behind the classroom doors.

‘’wait-’’ you try to stop her, but she’s too damn fast. your hand hovers in the air for a moment before you gain composure. suppose you should go now, too. in the distance, you make out the silhouette of your best friend, yumeko. 

nevermind.

her loud yells of your name, drawing unwanted attention as she dashes through the hallway. she is quick to join you and wraps an arm around your waist. 

‘’finally!’’ she sighs loudly.

you sense satoru looking at the two of you, his blue eyes briefly meeting yours from behind those black sunglasses before he breaks eye contact. he bends down to pick up the trampled letter and shoves it in his jacket. suguru shouts his name, and satoru immediately goes straight into the classroom.

‘’can you please not shout my name in the hallways?’’ you hiss as she clings onto your body, her wet clothes an unpleasant feeling against your own.

‘’oh c’mon, it’s not that bad!’’ she exclaims with loud giggling as the both of you hurry to the classroom.

‘’but seriously yu, you need to get this under control unless you don’t care about jeopardizing your credit.’’ you poke her side and shrug her off.

both of you enter the class and are surprised to see yaga’s already waiting at the front. he nods at you both and signals you to go sit at your desks. satoru still has his eyes on you. you shrug and make your way through the lines of desks.

‘’oh who cares about that.’’ yumeko sighs before breaking into a big grin and sits on her desk in front of you. you only sigh at her mischief as yaga commences the lecture.

‘’today class, we will discuss a bit about your extracurriculars.’’ yaga starts off, his voice barely audible through the loud chatter of the class.

‘’this december break, you are to be assigned to locations all over japan with curse activities and will take on the mission as a duo.’’’

‘’rest assured you will be supervised by a senior jujutsu sorcerer. i will mail the formations and other details by tomorrow morning. make sure to check your post before classes. we will have personal lessons based on your chemistry with your partner.’’

the class is dead silent as yaga finishes his little monologue before everyone erupts in loud noises. some students are thrilled, ready to delve into new adventures while others slouch in their chairs, not happy with missing holidays.

‘’now that’s an interesting way to spice up your holidays, but doesn’t that mean no break for us this winter?’’ yumeko pouts.

“i am sure it’s going to be a quick one.’’

‘’but the sorcerers tend to get outclassed ninety percent of the time, no?’’ she giggles behind her hand.

‘’hey stop trying to frighten me, or i’ll have to chicken out before we actually go!’’ you join in with her giggles before both of you tune into the lecture.

after spending the rest of the day with yumeko cramped up in the library cramming for your theoretical exams, you stayed behind while yumeko had to go early. the hallways, along with the main entrance, are empty at this time, adding to the peaceful ambience.

you begin getting ready to return only to see the rain has yet to stop. yumeko had to borrow your umbrella, and you figured if you stayed behind a bit more, the storm might calm down, but clearly, it is not happening any time soon. 

guess you’ll have to sit it out later into the night, too. might as well go to the cafeteria at this point.

‘’hey got an umbrella?’’

soft footsteps echo behind you before a warm and mellow voice calls out to you. you turn around, and once again, those familiar blue hues surround you.

satoru stands idly in front of you, leaning on a locker, eyes fixated straight on yours. the eye contact is fierce, causing you to break it off right away, shuddering at the intensity of his gaze. 

you shake your head, not saying anything, trying to limit the interaction with him. really you don’t have anything against him, it’s just, you’d rather stay away from him from all the attention, and you definitely don’t want his fangirls ganging up on you for trying to snatch their crush away.

‘’oh don’t you have one?’’ he speaks easily and lifts off the locker, coming towards you.

‘’here you can take mine.’’ he’s so, so close to you now. the sweet smell of his cologne and the warmth radiating off of him is making your senses fuzzy. you again shake your head before coming up with an excuse.

‘’there’s no need. uh, my friend will be here shortly. thanks for offering, though.’’

you cringe internally at the hoarseness of your voice. since when did you sound like that, and was that a stutter? oh, god. you have done embarrassing yourself in front of him. 

satoru chuckles watching you go through a mental debate. the distress is visible on your face, and he reaches up a hand to your shoulders and gives it a squeeze, trying to ease the mood.

‘’hey listen i don’t mind, and it’s not like i need one.’’ his voice now much more soft. he extends the umbrella towards you, waiting patiently. 

you do your best not to pay attention to the weight of his unusually large hand on your shoulder as you stare intently at the clear umbrella. he again gives you a slight squeeze before you break out in a sigh.

you nod at him, and satoru cheers, a big grin danves on his face before passing the umbrella to you. your fingers graze briefly. a shudder courses through your body. 

he’s surprisingly warm.

you are sure he must have felt the cold from your fingers. you thank him and open the umbrella. satoru is still standing beside you.

‘’you are welcome!’’ he chirps.

his jacket brushes against you and steps outside in the heavy rain. you are shocked to see him perfectly dry despite the heavy droplets of water. you focus on how the water seemed to disappear just before it reaches him and falls to the ground, barely making any contact with his body. 

‘’you get it now?’’ satoru quips with a subtle smirk and sends you a quick wink before parting ways. you feel your cheeks heating up at his little act.

what the..

it's the next day, and just like yaga said, you wake up to find the letter in your mailbox containing the details about your very first joint mission. today you are with yumeko in her dorm. she is jumping from side to side, her own letter clutched in her hands while you sit on her bed. you can’t help but smile at the contagious excitement summering in the room.

‘’and? what are we waiting for? let’s open it!’’ yumeko springs on the bed, jolting you in the process. 

‘’who knows they coincidentally partnered you and me?’’ 

‘’that’s impossible but sure.’’ you can only shake your head as she keeps on muttering something under her breath. 

‘’whatever, yours first!’’ both of sit up straight, a strange feeling coursing through your bodies. why were you feeling nervous all of a sudden.

the once free and joyous air was now full of stillness. your heart races with excitement and uncertainty before you finally look at the inscribed name. yumeko breaks out into a loud gasp, trying to process the information, her hands in the air making random figures as she starts blabbering.

you had certainly not expected him to be your partner. you kept rubbing your eyes. maybe your eyes were deceiving you, but no matter how many times you rubbed them, the name did not change.

‘’what?! no way you got him as your partner!’’

‘’why are you mad at me? it’s not like i wanted him as my partner!’’ you huff and fall back into the sheets, arms coming up to rest on your head. the weight of the mission presses down on you as you think about how you were going to work with him. mind racing with possibilities and concerns.

‘’everything will be credited to him, and my plans of landing an early internship? blown to pieces!’’

your frustration is palpable. no way you were securing that internship now.

‘’i mean that’s true, but it’s going to be easy now! i don’t even have any idea who my partner is.’’ yumeko crawls beside you and exhales deeply.

‘’but don’t worry it will work out.’’ sigh you can only hope for now.

it’s a few days later after you received your letter. a dim afternoon, you are waiting outside yaga’s office. you’ve been meaning to talk to him about changing partners for the upcoming missions, and you explain to him trying your best to look sincere.

but no matter how many times you try to appeal to him, he just wouldn’t falter. he keeps on talking. that the jujutsu headquarters are the ones who designed the pairings, and there was nothing he could do about it. but isn't he a teacher? surely there was something he didn't think of.

you return from his office defeated. you never considered yourself to be lucky, but it really seemed like fate had stopped favouring you. there’s no way in hell you would go with the gojo satoru on a mission, but there was nothing you could do now. 

every day becomes a hassle as you try to avoid satoru, but it’s impossible with the two of you being in the same class. he shows up strutting over to where you sit in the back of the class. the same black sunglasses hiding his eyes. he whistles a low melody as he comes to stand near your desk.

yumeko, who was in a conversation with you, looks at him and then you, eyes flickering back and forth between you and satoru.

‘’you know i thought it was appropriate to reach out to your partner to talk about your missions, but i guess not.’’ 

you continue to stare at the book open in front of you without sparing him a glance, a stick of pocky in your hand. he chuckles, amused at the lack of the reaction from you before waving a hand in front of your face, trying to get you to look at him.

‘’hey missy!’’ you keep on staring at the jumbled words on the book. if you keep this act up, maybe he will leave you in peace. 

‘’you know i am hurt when yaga told me that you wanted to switch partners.’’ satoru give you a pout, pink glossy lips jutting out cutely. you bite down onto the last bits of your pocky as you resist the urge to laugh at his ridiculous actions.

‘’and here i thought perhaps you will like me more after i gave you my umbrella.’’ he sighs and dramatically placed a hand against his forehead.

satoru continues his monologue of random ramblings. he leans against your chair, a familiar scent to infiltrates your nostrils. clearly, this boy has no sense of personal bubble. yumeko begins to stand up from her desk, wanting nothing to do with his idiotic acting. 

‘’no wait please, don’t leave me alone with him.’’ you jolt up at the sound of her chair screeching as you beg her to end your misery. yumeko puts both of her hands up in a surrender and dashes through the class and out the door. 

thanks for that, yumeko.

you stand there awkwardly, now fully aware of the piercing gaze.

‘’oh so now you acknowledge me.’’

you feel yourself trembling as his full attention is on you.

‘’can we please not do this here?’’

you hope he hears the pleading in your voice. yikes, everyone in the class is staring at the two of you now.

there is something flimsy about you right now that satoru can’t put a finger around. why were you getting so worked up? he was just making friendly conversation. you hastily began to put your stuff back in your backpack, eager to leave the classroom as soon as possible. all the while, satoru simply looks at you.

‘’excuse me.’’

‘’am i that bad? that you can’t bear having me near you?’’ 

he suddenly speaks up, breaking the silence. both of you stand still as he waits for your response. your heart is now palpitating behind your rib cage, and it’s becoming difficult to breathe properly. your palms are sweaty as tension begins taking over you.

‘’it’s not about you.’’ you try to speak clearly, but your voice is merely above a whisper.

‘’then what is it?’’

‘’it’s about me.’’

you push past him, your arm briefly touching his. satoru watches you leave with his mouth agape before you disappear behind the classroom door away from his gaze.

ever since that encounter, satoru has been awfully calm around you. the training sessions before the actual mission have been taking place after school. he did show up to a few in the beginning, lazing around not even bothering to practice with you.

the whole session, he munched on his stash of sweets he seemed to carry everywhere all the while rambling about a cartoon named digimon, which you have no idea about. you also joined in talking about your favourite sweets and chocolates. this was all you did before he left mid-session.

‘’and this is my absolute favourite card at the moment, i hope it makes it to the top ten rankings. wait, i should take you to the tournament sometime. yeah i should.’’

as always, he was murmuring things to himself, and you’re glad he was not focusing on how bright the redness on your face was starting to get.

apart from the short chit-chats, the last of the sessions are spent alone watching the other students practice jujutsu while you sit in a corner behind a tree or a rock. yaga would look at you with pity and tell you not to worry about it. but how could you not? wasn’t he the one preaching about how rude it was not to talk with your partner, but it’s not when he is not even attending the sessions properly? 

and it seemed like he had no interest in the training anymore as he didn’t even bother with showing up to some near the end. these remaning training sessions were a mess, and you are glad this was over now.

the last week of november, the jujutsu high was busy with the theoretical exams. you have seen satoru in the exam hall a few times. he appeared the same as he usually is, surrounded by his fangirls or trailing behind his friends.

he never approached you or even glanced at you. it’s been radio silence ever since the practice. you can’t help but feel a bit of hurt at his sudden disinterest. 

you get it that he is one of the strongest duo. heck he doesn’t even need all this training, but he could at least come out of courtesy. you are not anywhere near his level, and you could’ve appreciated his help.

if he's like this during the practices, you can only wonder how the mission was going to be with him.

it's after the last of your exams, you are relaxing in your room when yumeko comes and drops off your umbrella. she insisted that you return satoru’s too. you tried to convince yumeko to drop it off at his dorm since she lives in the same building as him, but she was having nothing of that.

so you find yourself standing in front of his door. his nameplate hanging on the wooden door with a bunch of smiley faces stickers here and there. it was kinda cute. just a little.

should you just leave it at the front? no way in hell were you going to knock?

‘’oh it’s you.’’

you whip around startled at a sudden presence behind you. oh, it was suguru with plastic bags full of groceries in his hands.

‘’you wanted to meet with satoru?’’

he comes around you while you step aside to allow him to unlock the room. 

‘’unfortunately he’s not here right now. come.’’ he gestures to the unlocked room and steps inside.

‘’oh no there’s no need for that. i was just, uhh, here to return his umbrella.’’ 

your lips press together as you point to the clear umbrella clutched in your hands. you extend it towards him. suguru nods and takes it from you. he reaches into one of the bags and pulls out a box of pocky. 

‘’here for you.’’ he says, a small smile gracing his face. 

‘’satoru told me you enjoyed stuff like this.’’ your eyes widen at his statement.

what? satoru has been talking about you? and to his friends? heat glows on your face, and you drop your head trying not to scream in front of suguru. your eyes trained on the chocolate box before politely accepting it.

‘’thanks.’’ you try to muster a smile at his kind gesture. not really sure if it looked nice at all.

‘’it’s no problem at all.’’ he waves at you, shooting you a friendly smile one last time before you return to your own dorm.

one moment he’s pretending that you don’t exist, and the other, you find that he is gossiping about you to his friends. you don’t know what to make of it, but you don’t like the fact that someone might be talking behind your back. 

you don’t know when the time passes and the mission day rolls around. everyone is waiting around the main entrance of jujutsu high. meanwhile, you are alone once again watching everyone else get ready with their duo. this is extremely embarrassing. you’ve been informed that satoru will be joining you at the designated place. great, just great. 

the ride to aomori is arid. the majority of your time has been spent sleeping or gazing out the window of your vehicle, admiring the rolling hills. you just don’t get it. why is it so difficult sometimes?

you remember satoru asking you the question. whether you found him annoying or difficult to be with. but at present, you can’t help but think maybe he is the one who didn’t want to associate with a loner. maybe that’s why nowadays he is avoiding you like the plague everywhere he goes. 

you both can’t even be considered friends, so why is his disinterest affecting you so much? or was it that perhaps you were beginning to think you finally made another friend. but guess not. soon you find yourself standing in a random lobby of a hotel. it’s nearing the end of the day. your supervisor is someone with the name of tanaba sora, a first grade jujutsu sorcerer. he helps you with checking in at the reception. now that the formalities have been completed, you’d suppose a tour wouldn’t hurt. 

even though it’s midnight, the hotel is still lively buzzing with tourists and vacationers. dozens of guests are checking in, and the banquet hall is full of people socializing with jazz playing in the background. the bar is still open, and you spot a couple of high schoolers who probably sneak in enjoying themselves from outside. you’d wonder where yumeko was. maybe she was taking a tour of her own hotel just like you, or maybe she had already hit the bed. 

the tour was supposed to feel nice, but all it had done was remind you again and again of your lack of company. where the heck was satoru? they told you he would be here, but it’s been several hours since you’ve arrived, and he hasn’t shown up yet.

was this a joke to him or what?

it seemed like he’s still an egotistical prick, just like you've told. you were too blinded by his bubbly appearance on that rainy day to see that.

it’s the day of the mission. last night, you barely got any sleep. the touring around late into the night was certainly a terrible idea considering you were to get up early today to meet with tanaba-san. the buffet at the hotel was already closed when you arrived in the dining hall. great. not even refreshments were available. guess you’d just pick up a sandwich from the vending machine. the hotel has tons of machines ones near the side entrance, you suppose a carton of chocolate milk along with the sandwich would be good. 

the air outside is crisp and windy. the surroundings are blanketed with a thick layer of snow. it must have snowed last night. the instant you enter through the side entrance, your eyes immediately zero in on the familiar white head. great, just who you wanted to see at this moment. he’s dressed the total opposite to you. you had put on your thickest coat while he’s in a sleek black leather jacket with some washed-out grey jeans.

is he not cold with such little layering?

before you could make an attempt to run away, satoru’s already caught sight of you and was making his way to you. there was no escape for you now. 

‘’yo! i see you have already arrived.’’

satoru has his head tilted down in an attempt to meet your eyes, but you are unwilling to look at him as you divert your attention to his white converses. he complains about the lack of high-quality strawberry milk at this place, but you just don’t care about that or the different brands of strawberry milk he is carrying in his hands.

‘’why didn’t you come with us yesterday?’’

‘’huh?’’

you hold onto your white scarf a bit tighter as you say nothing and continue to shoot glares at his shoes.

‘’oh i really wanted to, but you know how it is last-minute clan meetings, the higher ups just wouldn’t let me go.’’ your eyes meet, and you take in the sight of how full his already angelic eyelashes look with the snow coating them. 

‘’i know you must have been confused after the long journey.’’ he apologizes between long gulps from his carton of sweet milk and satisfied hums.

‘’what you say we hit the city before the mission?’’ he gives you a sweet smile, his lips sheen with the drizzle of sweet pink liquid. however, his sweet presence does nothing to ease the discomfort in your chest. 

‘’at least give me a legitimate excuse.’’

‘’what? no it’s not-’’

‘’just say it. that this whole thing is too troublesome for you, and you’d rather be spending some time with your side chicks than accompany me on a mission!’’ 

‘’no, no it’s not like that-’’

‘’no actually it’s my fault for confiding in a stranger so easily.’’ 

‘’no wait-’’ 

‘’goodbye.’’

what a nice way to start off your day. maybe you had lashed out on the poor boy, but he deserved it. tanaba-san comes knocking at your hotel room you’ve shut yourself in after the whole mess with satoru. he is there too when you step out into the hallway. he gives you a small smile which you don’t bother returning. you don’t see the way his shoulders droop, the way his smile becomes a little strained.

tanaba-san takes you through the main city of aomori. the streets are just waking up with vendors setting up their stalls and shops, and people waiting at the bus stop as many get ready to start their day. your designated location is the isolated ishigami shrine deep in the woods.

tanaba-san explains how some people in the vicinity have been disappearing on a regular basis. upon investigation, little traces of cursed energy had shown up in the reports pointing towards a curse spirit. the shrine at the moment was abandoned, and it was easy to see with the way the moss and tangled vines seemed to envelope every single inch of the site. 

“why would anyone come to pray at an abandoned shrine? aren’t there better options in the city?” satoru asks all of a sudden while you’re in the middle of walking to the shrine.

“that’s what confuses us too. you’d think people would stop coming after the disappearances, but they haven’t.” tanaba-san replies while he looks at the reports he brought with him.

“it’s almost like they have been lured in.” you say and look at him.

“that might be it. and it matches with the amount of cursed energy residuals near the walkway to the shrine.” he shows you the report, and you ponder for a while.

“maybe the people aren’t coming on their own. the curse might be targeting the passersby.” tanaba-san praises you and gives you a gentle pat on your head while satoru huffs in the back.

now that the things are becoming clearer, tanaba-san leaves the two of you to find the curse. he assures you both that he will be on guard if anything goes out of control. 

“i don’t think there will be any need for that.” you can’t help but roll your eyes at his lack of respect before ensuring tanaba-san that you will call him as soon as everything is taken care of.

“that was rude.” you point out after he has left.

from your peripheral, you noticed how satoru quirks up an eyebrow and huffs to himself like a disgruntled kid. whatever, you had no time to deal with his petty antics. you begin to make your way inside the main interior of the shrine only to find yourself interrupted as satoru abruptly stands in front of you.

“and where do you think you’re going?” he asks, eyes down cast and almost pouting. 

“to search?”

“aww no, no.” laughing to himself, satoru coos loudly at you.

“you are staying right behind me. who knows what might be lurking in there.” he goes behind you and puts his hands on your shoulders, turning you around. 

“in case you have forgotten, i am a jujutsu sorcerer too!” you cross your arms.

is he serious?

“but i’m the strongest here, not you.” he leans in again and grins at you. his familiar fragrant smell murking your thoughts.

“just because you are the most powerful doesn’t give you the right to order me around.” you point your finger at his chest, pushing him off from you.

“it’s not that you have any choice unless you want to die.” does he think you are some child? for god’s sake.

“i can handle myself just fine!”

can’t he just stop?

“i don’t think so.” his usual cheery stance has shifted to a serious one. he looks down at you, his stature tall and dominating with his eyes glowing a little.

“what grade are you? you’re barely a second. so how about leaving things to the professional?” he shakes his head and turns around.

“why don’t you just quit with this? time’s wasting, ya know?” he continues voice no longer holding that tangy tone. he grips tight onto your hand, dragging you behind him.

“i’ve had enough.” you snatch your hand away from his hold. 

“hey! didn’t i just tell you-”

“don’t touch me and stay away from me. you scumbag.”

“yeah? i don’t think so.’’

you run away with all your might away from his demeaning gaze and spiteful words. wow, he didn’t have to say it like that. you are sure he is absolutely sick of you. tears are brimming in your eyes as you blink frantically, trying not to burst into tears. but no matter what you do, the conversation keeps on resurfacing in your mind. 

you just wanted to show him that you were capable of dealing with this on your own. why was he so obnoxious? you gaze at the morning scene of the forest. the quiet view calming your senses. guess all you have to do is find that curse as fast as you can and leave this godforsaken place. 

as you wander deep into the wilderness, you find yourself surrounded by tall evergreen trees that seem to close in on you. their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out. the air was beginning to get colder the further you went in. you can’t help but feel like something ominous was waiting in the area.

it was pitch quiet. eerie silence all around you. so still that you could hear the crackle of snow beneath your boots. a branch snaps in a distance before a crow cries out and glides away. quickly, you summoned your katana, the blade weighing heavy as you hold it in front of you, ready to strike anything that comes at you. something or rather someone is definitely in the vicinity. 

moving closer to where the snap came from, you notice the intense stench of curse energy in the air. the spirit must’ve been here, or maybe it’s still skulking around. you take another careful step.

your eyes fall on to a knocked-down tree trunk and behind the scraped wood, you see it or rather her. sitting on top of a rock with shide ropes all around it. dozens of dead bodies, which you assumed were of the victims. all of them placed in a circle pattern around the centre.

she was dressed in a pale white kimono, her face was hidden from you, and only her red plump lips were visible to you. her skin was strangely too human like as a curse. no wait.

no, that wasn’t a cursed spirit…

it was a fallen deity.

everything was beginning to make sense. that shrine must have been dedicated to her. you couldn’t stop the gasp that left you, and the deity snaps up her head as she appears to be looking at you.

‘’...?’’

she speaks something in a language you are not able to understand. however calm she appears right now, you know better than to let your guard down. you slowly point your katana at her.

‘’what have you done to them?’’

once more, you are finding it difficult to comprehend any of what she is saying. from the looks of it, the bodies seemed to have been disintegrating, leaving behind the rotten flesh and a wretched smell. god, what has she done to them? their faces are almost unrecognizable through the bits and pieces of skin falling off, the muscle underneath as apparent as daylight. 

the deity’s dreary tone changes, her voice now a chilling command. she utters some chants, and the surrounding bodies begin to stir, their decayed forms rising with jerky and unnatural movements. the horror begins to form as you realize she has cursed them with a disease, turning them into flesh-eating monsters under her control.

one by one, the undead lurch towards you, their eyes vacant, and their mouths twisted in silent screams. you know that even a single touch could doom you to the same fate. with a deep breath, you ready your katana, the blade gleaming in the dim sunlight.

the first creature lunges at you, but you sidestep and slice through its neck with precision. it tumbles to the ground, lifeless once more. another follows, and then another. each one is weak compared to you, but their sheer numbers are overwhelming.

you dodge and weave, your katana cutting through the air in swift and brutal strokes. the stench of decay fills your nostrils, but you push through, determined to stay alive. the numbers are lessening, she must have run out of corpses. just as you think you have the upper hand, the deity herself moves. 

with grace, she descends upon you, her pale hands glowing with curse energy. you try to dodge her attack, but she is too fast. her move sends you sprawling to the ground, your katana slipping from your grasp. your blood is making a pool on the dirt, flowing in large globs from the open wounds. pain sears through your body, and you scream out, feeling the cold grip of death closing in.

as your vision begins to blur, you hear a familiar voice. satoru appears, his presence a beacon of light. with a swift motion, he pulls the remaining monsters into a void with the amplification of his curse technique, the blue light shining through the dense forest. his power surpassing the deity’s influence. he turns to you, kneeling beside you, his azure eyes glowing with fervour.

“hang on,” he says, his voice steady. “i’ve got this.”

he turns around to stare at the deity and stands up. he releases his energy output, and his cursed energy reaches to a maximum. with a final, powerful blast, satoru annihilates the deity, purple splotches splattering the ground as her form dissipates into nothingness. he rushes to your side once more before holding you in his arms. 

“you’re going to be okay.” he assures you.

you manage a weak smile, grateful that he came looking for you even though you shouted pretty bad stuff at him.

“thanks.” you whisper, voice low.

“don’t mention it,” he replies, his usual cheerfulness returning. “just don’t run off like that again. yeah?’’

you nod as you get comfortable in his secure hold, feeling drowsy from all the fighting.

"and i am sorry too. i shouldn't have said those things."

you feel your eyes widen before you let out a giggle.

"mhm, it's okay."

satoru smiles at you and pinches your cheeks before lifting you properly.

what follows after is a hazy blur. you don’t know when you made it to the hotel room.

you are still recovering from your injuries by the time you made it back to jujutsu high. satoru decided to join you on the journey back. even though you spent the majority of the trip sleeping, you are glad you at least had some company this time.

everyone has arrived already, waiting in the courtyard for yaga to welcome the tired folks from the mission. yumeko waves at you from the crowd and immediately runs over to you, fussing over the way you are wrapped in white bandages from head to toe.

it was nice getting together with yumeko after so much time. you didn’t notice you were beginning to miss hearing the pompous gossip of the school. her trip was smooth without any hiccups. she told you it was barely a second grade curse. easy-peasy. nevertheless, you are glad she’s unscathed. 

too engaged in chatting with yumeko you don’t notice when a group of girls approaches you, their eyes narrowing as they take in your bandaged state. 

‘’hey girls!’’ yumeko calls out and welcomes them.

one of the girls, a tall one with long and black flowing hair, steps forward, her voice dripping with disdain.

“look at you, always needing to be saved. it’s kinda pathetic, no?” she tilts her head towards her friends, trying to get their approval.

a short girl chimes in, her lips glossed with shimmering crème, “do you think you can just hog gojo’s attention because you’re a weakling? it’s embarrassing.”

‘’we can all see what you’re trying to achieve.’’ the same black haired spits at you before all of them start howling and laughing at you. 

you try to ignore them and pay attention to what yaga’s speaking about, but their words sting. yumeko steps in, her eyes bright with anger.

“leave her alone. it’s not her fault that the curse turned out to be a special grade.”

the tall girl sneers in distaste. “oh, defending your dear friend, are you? how about you tell your little one to stop making a move on gojo.” 

‘’who are you to speak on his behalf, huh?!’’ yumeko responds back, snarling at the girl.

the students nearby glance over, whispering behind their hands.

you hold yumeko back as the girls continue to laugh and jeer. a lump forms in your throat, the pain from your injuries mixing with the hurt from their words.

“enough!” you yell, silencing them.

“you all think you’re special just because you fawn over him? well, you’re not!”

“so shut your mouth before i make you regret it!”

sweat drips down your face as you finish your outburst. everyone is staring at you. the realization of what you’ve done crashes over you causing you to shriek as you draw in heavy breaths.

yumeko calls out to you, but you shake your head. turning away, you sprint to your dorm, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry.

this was never going to change. 

upon your sudden disappearance, not only your friend yumeko has become worried, but a certain someone is concerned too. satoru was delighted once he saw your name in his letter. he never really talked to you or approached you when you both joined the jujutsu high a year ago, but he’s been yearning to talk to you ever since. you were always so hasty to leave when the lectures were over, leaving him standing alone in the hallway. 

to everyone else, you seemed like a chill and timid girl who preferred to stay cooped up in her dorm, but he knew there was more beneath your hard shell.

those sweet giggles of you from the class are still reverberating in his mind. satoru assumed the rest of you to be the same. he wouldn’t mind having another friend, and besides, he just seems to have a soft spot for sweet things, too.

on that fateful day, his prayers appeared to have been answered when he saw you standing near the lockers all by yourself, waiting for the storm to subside.

he was giddy when suguru told him you came to visit him. the entire day, he spent curled up in his bed looking at his umbrella. after the whole fiasco in aomori, he admits there were some ups and downs, some misunderstandings, but he thought you two were over them. 

so why were you not responding to his messages and calls. your desk has always been vacant ever since you both came back. satoru even went to yaga at the end of a lecture one day. he didn’t really go into too many details. he just told him that you were sick.

but were you really? or were you faking it?

so he sets out on a mission, desperate to see you. he seeks out the one person he’s seen you with. luckily, his dorm is on the same floor as your best friend’s. yumeko is more than happy to help him since you wouldn’t meet her. maybe you’ll listen to him. she speaks in a hushed tone about the encounter with the girls, her voice trembling. 

as yumeko recounts the cruel words and actions of the fangirls, satoru’s fists clench at his sides. his usually cheery appearance is replaced by a storm of emotions.

“they said what?” he growls, his eyes flashing with disgust. 

“how dare they treat her like that?”

yumeko nods, her expression equally upset. “they think they can bully her just because she’s close to you. it’s not fair.”

satoru nearly whips his hair out in anger, his mind racing with thoughts of how to confront those girls.

“this is unacceptable. they have no right to make her feel this way.”

he nearly trips on his feet several times with the way he’s hurrying towards your dorm. his heart pounds in his chest, a mix of frustration and fear driving him forward. he can’t believe those girls, the ones who claim to admire him, could be so cruel. the thought of you suffering because of their jealousy makes his blood boil.

by the time he reaches your dorm, he is panting and drenched in sweat. he knocks urgently, his knuckles white from the force, and waits for you to open the door only to hear no response from the other side. his eyes glare at your nameplate before he knocks again.

‘’i can see feel your cursed energy.’’ silence.

‘’i know you’re in there,’’ he repeats, his voice softer this time. ‘’please just listen to me.’’

inside your room, you sit on your bed, hugging your knees to your chest. eyes dried up with leftover tears clinging to your eyelashes and your lips slightly chapped. you can hear the concern in his voice, but the sting of the girls’ words still lingers. you don’t want to face him, not like this.

“go away,” you finally manage to say, your voice barely above a whisper.

“i’m not leaving until you open this door,” he replies firmly. “we need to talk.”

you hesitate for a moment, the weight of his words pressing down on you. was he finally going to cut you off? is that why he was here? you stay seated in your bed, trembling before you hear him call out your name softly.

slowly, you get up and walk to the door. you stand in front of the wood. satoru encourages you behind the door to open it, and you do so. unlocking it but not opening it fully, that doesn’t stop him as he pushes it open gently, stepping inside and closing it behind him.

he looks at you, his eyes filled with worry and anger. “why have you been avoiding me?”

you turn away, not wanting to meet his gaze. “it’s better this way.”

“better for whom?” he asks, stepping closer. 

“not for me. and definitely not for you.” you could feel him standing behind you, his warmth radiating towards you.

you feel tears welling up again at his words. “they said i’m weak. that i don’t deserve to be around you.”

satoru’s expression hardens, his anger flaring up again. “they don’t know what they’re talking about. you’re one of the strongest people i know.”

‘’you did so well on the mission.’’

you shake your head, the tears spilling over descending your cheeks. “you don’t understand. everyone is beginning to hate me because of you.”

satoru feels his chest tighten as he looks at your trembling form. he reaches out, gently turning you to face him.

“then let them hate. their opinions don’t matter. what is important is how you feel about yourself.”

you look up at him, his words slowly sinking in. “but, it’s hard when people are constantly trying to make you feel like you’re worthless.”

“i know, but remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” he says softly, his anger giving way to something protective.

“but you don’t have to go through it alone. i’m here for you. always.” 

he pulls you into his strong arms, immediately calming you with his warm embrace. he rubs up and down your back and lets you cry out your emotions, not minding that you’re wetting his tee.

he holds you in his arms for a couple of minutes, smearing kisses against your head, and soon your sobs die down, and you take a deep breath, the tension in your chest easing slightly.

“thank you, satoru.” you look up from where you were tucked in his chest.

he smiles down at you and pinches your cheek. his usual cheerfulness returning. “anytime.’’

you nod, feeling a bit lighter. he slowly guides your head back against his chest and continues to hug you tightly.

“there’s something i want to tell you —”

satoru gently guides you to sit on the edge of your bed, his hands never leaving yours. the room is quiet, save for the soft hum of the heater and the distance howling of the snowfall against the window. he sits beside you, close enough that you can feel his knee touching yours.

he takes a deep breath, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that makes your heart race. “— something i’ve been meaning to tell you,” he begins, his voice soft but steady.

“i’ve been holding back for too long, and i can’t keep it inside anymore.” you feel a flutter in your chest, a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

“what is it, satoru?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

he reaches up, gently brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. his touch is tender, sending shivers down your spine.

“i care about you, more than just a friend,” he confesses, his eyes searching yours for any sign of rejection.

“i’ve felt this way for a while now, but i was too afraid to say anything. i didn’t want to risk losing what we already had.”

your breath catches in your throat as his words sink in. the emotions you’ve been trying to suppress come rushing to the surface. 

“satoru, i-” you start, but he places a finger tenderly on your lips, effectively silencing you.

“let me finish,” he whispers softly.

“you mean the world to me. seeing you hurt because of those girls, it broke my heart. at that time, i realized i wanted to be there for you, to protect you, and to make you happy. if you’ll let me.”

tears well up in your eyes, but this time, they are ones of relief.

“i feel the same way.” you admit, your voice trembling with elation.

“i’ve been so scared, but i can’t deny it anymore. i care about you too, satoru.”

a smile spreads across his face, and he leans in closer, his forehead resting against yours.

“thank you,” he whispers, his breath silky against your skin.

“for giving me a chance.”

you never thought you’d see those blue eyes so close. at this moment, you wanted nothing but to submerge and drown yourself in them.

slowly, satoru tilts his head, his lips brushing against yours in the softest of kisses. the world seems to fade away, leaving just the two of you in this perfect moment. his kiss is gentle at first as he slowly mouths at your lower lips, as if he was testing the waters.

but as you respond with a soft kiss against his own lips, he deepens it, the kiss now filled with all the emotions you’ve both been holding back.

you feel his hands move to cup your face, his thumbs gently cradling your cheeks. your own find their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer. the kiss is everything, sending a rush of warmth and tingles through your entire body.

his lips move against yours with a tenderness that makes your heart swell, each nip at your lips igniting a spark that spreads through your veins. the snow outside seems to intensify, mirroring the storm of emotions within you.

his hands slide down to your waist underneath your sweater, rubbing circles before pulling you even closer as your chest rubs against his. you answer by wrapping your arms around his neck, playing with the hair at his nape. the kiss becomes more passionate yet still tender, a perfect blend of love and desire.

when you finally pull away, both of you are breathless, your foreheads still touching.

“i love you.” he murmurs against your mouth, his eyes sparkling with sincerity and adoration for you.

“i love you too,” you reply, your heart swelling with gentle love. 

you and satoru share a smile. he slips under the covers and tucks you in before pulling you into his comforting embrace once again. holding you as if he never wants to let go. satoru looks at you one last time and chuckles to himself with how content you seem snuggled in his arms. finally, he’s got what he’s been desiring for ages.

“you know you have always been the apple of my eye,” he mumbles, his voice filled with fondness.

you laugh softly, a fuzzy feeling spread through you. “oh, shut up!” you reply, playfully nudging him.

he grins, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek. “i mean it. you’re everything to me.”

you look up at him, your heart swelling with love. “and you’re everything to me, too.”

as the snow continues to fall outside, you both settle into a comfortable silence, holding each other close. the world outside fades away, leaving just the two of you in your own little haven.

[rederiswrites]

I feel so drained. It's been such a week. The same pain we're all feeling, of course, with a few extra things thrown in for fun. Animal death to follow, if you don't want to deal with that.

The kids all adapted readily to a classroom environment, despite my worry, and did so well so calmly that I'm very proud and much reassured. It was still four plus hours away from the house every day. They all helped keep the chores done, so the drain was mainly psychological. But I don't like driving, and sorry everyone, I don't like being in town. The seagulls I could hear from my parked car the fourth day were almost hilariously welcome. Parking lot rats, but that reminder that nature exists was a balm to my soul.

Kiki died yesterday. He'd been in rough shape, but still enjoying life. We knew it was a matter of time til something critical failed, and that there wasn't anything likely to help him short of truly major expensive things that still might well not help. Then he declined rapidly this week. I held him for the last three hours. He cried terribly if he wasn't held, and Phantom had to hold him while I got dressed, so at least we know being held was a comfort to him. It was an expected death, and timely in its way, but when at last he didn't draw another breath, I was so, so tired.

I put him where Ciri could check him out and understand, however her mind understands these things. I didn't think to do that when Hrothgar died, and Ciri went around the house meowing for him for a week. It seems to have worked, because she's quiet today. After he died, I went straight to bed and slept til it was time to leave for class, and then stayed parked next to the class and slept in the car.

When I woke up, the car wouldn't start. Left something on, I guess, though I couldn't figure out what. Jacob was on his way home, but turned around, and the car jumped and started up just fine. In fact, before @mythicalfungi0-0 's dad showed to collect her, so before we would have left anyhow. So again, nothing but a psychological drain, really.

On the way home, we listened to music--Phantom has some great tunes fit to the times that I'll have to share with you. After a period of silence, I said, "OH! We need crocus bulbs." And Phantom said, "Oh! Right!" to the bewilderment of the Borrowed Girl. Crocuses, to go on Kiki's grave, next to Hrothgar's by the pond. It lies next to a large rock projecting from the ground. Someday we'll etch their names into the stone. I've ordered them, in a different color than the ones on Hrothgar's, so that we can think of both of them when they bloom.

I got a good night's sleep last night. Spoke to my friend who fosters kittens this morning. Today, I will keep planting flowers. I think the future will have flowers.

[writeforthepeople]

Summary: You've been working as a producer on Smosh Games for a while now, but working late nights on the upcoming D&D project with Damien gave you both a chance to realize your feelings.

Warning: Very fluffy

Word Count: 2.4k

You walked into work late today, you had been adjusting your hours so that you could stay late and work with Damien on the new D&D series for the SmoshCast channel. He had bookings in the mornings for voice over and it was really the only time that worked. On your way to your desk, you passed Spencer who was wrapped up in a conversation with Marcus but smiled and waved at you as you passed.

You took a seat and spent a few minutes checking your email and replying to a few messages. You felt a tap on your shoulder and turned to see Spencer. "Hey Spence!" You said, spinning your chair to face him. "Hey y/n, did you get my email about tonight?" he asked "No, I am still making my way to the top" you responded with a small chuckle.

"No problem, just letting you know I had something come up and can't make the planning session tonight, but I think you and Damien have it at this point. You are the producer, so I will let you produce and will go over the notes tomorrow". You nodded up at him but your heart sank a little. It meant that you and Damien would be alone..and that made your heart race, despite trying to push that aside for weeks now.

"Ok, yeah I think we have it handled! I appreciate your faith in me" you did appreciate it, this was your first time being lead producer on a smosh show and wanted it to be perfect. "You two have more D&D knowledge than anyone else here. I think I distract from the planning at this point. I will leave you to it though!" he smiled and walked off, leaving you to get back to work. It took you a while to catch up on your inbox and schedule a few meetings, but before you knew it 4pm had snuck up on you and most of the office was heading out for the day.

You said goodbye to a few people as you made your way to the kitchen to get some tea and a snack to bring to the conference room with you. You turned around when you heard someone enter "If it isn't my partner in crime" Damien spoke, grinning and walking your way. You felt the smile stretch across your face instantly. You weren't sure exactly when it happened, but your crush on Damien had really escalated. You always thought he was cute, but this was different, he was occupying so much of your mind and you couldn't seem to shake it.

"I was just grabbing us a snack for our planning session, do you want anything specific?" you asked, even though you knew he would want a water and one of the protein bars Garrett often made for the office. "I'll grab us a few things" he smiled at you "we can't forget a kickstart for our favorite director" he grabbed one from the fridge before you could speak up "Oh! You didn't see his email? He has entrusted us with the rest of the process so you're stuck with just me" you said scrunching your lips together and shrugging playfully. He put the kickstart back in the fridge, "there are worse ways to be stuck" he responded, his face in the fridge still. You were glad, otherwise he would have seen how red your cheeks grew at the comment.

"Ready to get started?" he asked turning around with a few snacks in hand. "Lead the way" you nodded and you both headed to a small conference room. You took a seat next to Damien and started to pull out your notes and you laptop, he did the same. As they went over some backstory ideas and potential plot twists, you couldn't help your heart from racing, the way he spoke was so enthusiastic and authentic that it entranced you. You were lost in explaining your thoughts on the big bad guy for their first trial that you didn't notice how close the two of you had gotten, his knee gently brushing yours as he bounced his leg. You wondered if this was a nervous habit or just a tic. These meetings continued over the next few days, and you found yourself checking the time, just waiting until he came back into the office. Until today when you got a text from Damien.

Damien: Hey Y/N, I forgot my laptop at home and am in a VO session. I know I am asking a lot but is there anyway we could meet at my place tonight for brainstorming? It would take forever for me to make it home to grab my stuff and back to the office? Damien: or we can always rescheduled. I am so sorry! Y/N: You live close to me right? I can just meet you at your place, I have to go that way to go home anyways Damien: Are you sure? That would make things so much easier. I can order us dinner? Y/N: Sounds great! Meet you there around 5? Damien: Perfect. Thanks Y/N

"Ok, no need to panic" you said out loud to yourself. "Why are we not panicking?" you heard Angela behind you. Your cheeks flushed red and you locked your phone. "What? nothing. No reason at all" you shook your head but knew that Angela was not going to let that go. She had become such a close friend, you knew she would read right through that reaction "ahhh, yes, very nonchalant, not suspicious at all." he laughed through the end "come on, dish, I have time to kill" she laid on the couch next to your desk and you looked around "Nothing" you tried to shrug. "I am just going to Damien's for our session tonight instead of here" you tried to play it off cool.

Angela knew you had a small crush on Damien and often teased you for it. "Uhhhh WHAT" she almost yelled. "It's not a big deal" you said, unsure if you were convincing her or yourself. "This is news you tell your best friend y/n" she sat back up on the couch and playfully threw her arms out. "Right, your crush inviting you over to their house to hang out...one on one...is just not news worthy" she said shaking her head at you.

The sigh you let out said it all. Looking around again you caved, needing to talk to someone about this. "That makes it sound like something it isn't. He forgot his laptop at home so it is just easier to meet there. This isn't a ploy at something" you explained "Y/N I am going to hold your hand while I say this" Angela started "The tension between you two the last few weeks has the office going crazy. It is SO obvious. There is no way that this isn't what that is." Just then you saw Amanda walking over "There you are! We are about to start test playing the game for today, you ready?" she said to Angela "Hey Y/N, I miss seeing you in the morning meetings!" she smiled. You have been missing them so you can meet late without working too many hours.

"I should be back on regular hours in a week or so" you admit, Angela pipping up "but for now she has late meetings with Daaaamien" in her sing songy voice. Amanda raised her eyebrows at you "so the rumors are true, the lovebirds are spending more time together?" you were beet red at this point "That is not what is happening, we are working on the new D&D show" they shook their heads walking off "Give in to love Y/N!" Amanda said on her way to the gaming stage.

If that didn't raise your nervous enough, the drive to Damien's would. Were they right? did Damien also have a crush on you or were people just making assumptions like they often do. They used to think that you and Spencer were an item when you weren't.

You weren't sure if you should knock or just text him when I arrived, you had never been to his house before. You decided just to knock, and he opened the door quickly. "Thank you SO much for this" he said, stepping aside to welcome you in "I feel terrible, I hope this wasn't too far out of the way". he spoke kindly as you stepped inside. "It's no trouble at all. It's nice to switch things up from the office anyways" you said, hoping he wouldn't feel so guilty. You looked around the apartment, noticing how well he decorated. "Your place is so nice" you smiled. "Thank you, I do my best" he smiled at you and there was a moment before he spoke again. "Oh I got us dinner, we can work at the dinning room" and he lead the way to the dinning room table. He had gotten ramen and you immediately noticed it was a place that you love. "Oh! I love this place" you said while taking a seat. "I noticed you had ordered it a few times at work. Hopefully I got the right order." your heart started racing again, a feeling you think you are just going to have to get used to. He remembered your favorite meal..and you weren't supposed to read into that for the rest of the night?

You two ate and talked mostly about the locations for the players, building some characters to exist in the various establishments. Damien had so many fun characters planned, it was a little sad knowing many of them likely won't even be seen. Especially with the chaotic cast that would be filling out the players. As things started to wrap up, Damien cleared the table and you followed him to the kitchen "Thanks again for dinner, that was really sweet" you said, setting your water glass in the sink. "Anytime, I'm just glad I got your order right" he said as he leaned against the kitchen island. "So were getting close to submit everything, yeah?" he asked and you nodded. You knew that in reality, you had enough to submit but you didn't want the sessions to end.

"Yeah, I guess we are" you couldn't help but sound a bit sad "I think we make a good team" he said with a smile "I will miss your little brainstorming sessions." he added. "I will too, you really help bring out my creativity" you respond honestly "this project is really fueling that need right now". He looked down for a moment "I think I'll just miss getting to hang out with you" his words made you catch a hitch in your breath. "We- we can hang out anytime" you said, quicker than you had meant to.

"Do you want to stay and...watch a show or something?" you could see he was nervous. "I haven't gotten caught up on ink master yet." he added, knowing that it was one of your favorites.

"I would love that" you smiled, and headed into the living room. You took a seat on the sofa, Damien sitting next to you. He turned on the show and you watched in silence for a while before you spoke up "I love this guys work, I would kill to have him do my next piece" you say, not taking your eyes off the TV. "I didn't know you had any tattoos" he said glancing over at you. "Oh.. yeah I have a few they are just more hidden" you admit, your cheeks blushing slightly. "I have one on my ribcage, it is a quote from my favorite song and a bee but it is on my hipbone. So not quite as many as you but maybe someday" he chuckled. "Well that is really cool, you'll have to show me sometime" he realized the implication of what he said. "Like pictures I mean" his cheeks flushed. "I don't mind showing you!" you said, surprising yourself with your courage.

You stood up and slightly moved down your joggers, revealing your hip tattoo. This felt so much more intimate than you thought it would. Most of the office has seen you in a bathing suit at parties, and even in a hot tub video that you were in for a crew games video. I had a small scar here from an accident and the artist was able to cover over it, so you can still feel the bump" you graze your finger over the area "but not see it so much. It really helped me feel better about my body" you admit, a story you've told before but not directly to Damien. You look down, not wanting to make eye contact after sharing that.

"I think your beautiful" he said, catching you off guard. You look up and he is looking right at you think time. "You do?" you asked, sounding surprised as you sat back down next to him. "I-well" he started "of course I do. I kind of thought that was obvious" he tilted his head slightly and turned his body to face you. "Do you really not know?" he asked, his voice a bit quieter but still making you feel like he was focused on you. "Know what? What do you mean?" You needed him to say it. It wouldn't be real until he did. "Know that I like you" he said, shaking his head. "I thought you knew that already, I know the rumors around the office have made their way to you and I have been going out of my way to spend more time with you"

He started to ramble and you couldn't keep from smiling "Damien" you cut him off "I like you too...I thought YOU knew that" he smiled back. His shoulders relaxed as the stress was alleviated "That is ...such a relief" he said leaning into you a bit. "So you're telling me we've both just been trying to find a subtle way to know if the other person feels the same?" you ask, wanting to almost laugh. Just then, Damien reaches out and lightly touches your face and before you could lean in to the touch, he kissed you. It was soft and sweet, testing the waters, but when you kissed back he leaned in, his fingers cupping your ear and wrapping into your hair. He pulled back slightly "We did, and wasted so much time" he smiled before you kissed him again.

[pancho-pinto]

I think we'll be okay

gift for @lampinnit for @mcyt-trick-or-treat!

Fandom: Dream SMP Words: 1,089 Rating: General Warnings: No Warnings Relationships: Tommy & Tubbo & Ranboo Additional Tags: Tommy-centric, Hanging Out Summary: Tommy hangs out with Tubbo and Ranboo, and nothing really happens. After everything, that's all they can ever want.

fic under cut

Tommy looks at the sky, watching the sun set slowly. 

Ranboo and Tubbo are arguing about something dumb behind him, and the breeze touches his face, drying the sweat on his skin. He can feel the strain on his muscles, the weight of his sword on his hand feels semi-nice. His leather armor is light, and for once, he did not fight for the chance to live another day. 

No, not today. 

At Tubbo’s insistence, they rummaged through abandoned chests, pushed through cobwebs and got dirty under their fingernails looking for spare leather pieces. Worn and old and stained, but enough to make some armor. Their swords were chipped and wobbly, dull from having been inside chests so long, but they did not mind as they pulled them out, raising it to the air in an act of defiance. 

Things change, and one day, things are no longer what they were before. 

It’s still a sword, Tubbo’s words echo as they slashed the air carelessly, Ranboo hurriedly jumping out of the way for safety. Despite everything, it’s still a sword. 

Without its shine or its sharpness, without enchantments or engravings to claim ownership, they are still swords. 

So they grabbed a handful, rattling in their arms as they made their way through ruins. Memories flood their minds, yet the melancholy is replaced with something nicer, sweeter, softer. 

Ranboo gushes over a series they have been writing. Tubbo nonchalantly mentions some machinery capable of reaching the center of the world. And Tommy… Tommy talks about his sheep, a little friend he made a while ago. 

He looks at the horizon and remembers his cottage, something small and easy to keep-up with. For himself and his sheep. And he finds, after a while, that being alone is not so bad. He finds his friends when he wants, no interceptions, no fights. Just a couple hours together to goof around and be stupid. Then he goes home, then he comes back, then he goes home at will. 

He finds breathing easier. He finds existing easier. 

But the sun dips further, and the sky darkens. 

Tonight they will not go home instantly, rather, at Niki’s invitation, they will join her and Jack for supper. 

They do that often too. A couple hours together to eat and be. 

He looks forward to those nights, especially. Sure, being stupid with Tubbo and Ranboo is always nice, but a hearty soup and some warm bread beats anything. All day Niki and Jack would have spent in the kitchen to prepare this meal, and Tommy cannot wait for it. 

“Hey, big man, you alright over there?” Tubbo calls, voice followed by some footsteps. Closer, closer, and Tommy finds himself not flinching. He has not flinched for a while, none of them have. 

“Uh, not that I don’t care, but if you need a moment, maybe you could wait until we get to Niki and Jack’s place?” Ranboo adds, his tone always laced with worry. But there is that purr of an enderman under his voice, jarringly worried as always. “You– You know, mobs will start spawning and, uh, we don’t really– we aren’t really armed for that. Or anything, really.”

“What do you mean?” Tubbo questions, and his sword slashes the air as he unsheaths it. “I’ve my sword! And TNT! We’ll be fine, Ranboo!”

“Absolutely not to the TNT!”

“It’s good. Convenient. Clears up a wide area in a short amount of time. Do you know how well it is at clearing up space? And– And you shouldn’t worry, I have plenty of practice. I am practically an expert at TNT now. A– A TNT techni- tech… technizioner? No, that’s not– TNT techi… cian? TNT technician. That’s it. That.” 

“If Niki– Oh, if Niki finds out we got injured on the way, she’ll be upset! Plus, that’s just plain reckless. And, and– And unnecessary!”

Tubbo thumps with a huff, and Ranboo replies with enderian whizzing. 

These days, Tommy finds that he does not want to insert himself, even in petty, inconsequential squabbles. He finds, too, that watching is enough. Even fun, at times. Ranboo and Tubbo just have clashing personalities, and he is sure he would not trade them for anything in the world. 

They are worth it, after all. Despite it all. 

Tommy sighs, putting on a show of exasperation as he finally turns back to see them in a glare stand-off, and quickly tries to put an annoyed frown. He tries to clench his jaw and grit his teeth, but it hurts too much to hold for more than a second. In place, he crosses his arms. 

“Do you have to fight every time we hang out?”

“It’s not a fight,” Tubbo states with confidence. 

Then Ranboo adds quickly, an almost practiced routine between them, “Just a mere disagreement that will get resolved quickly.”

He rolls in his eyes, then gestures with his head towards the path, “Yeah, right, sure.”

They walk on rickety boards, the path rotting at the edges, vines and weeds slowly crawling over it. But it is familiar, and this is nothing they think about twice anymore. Just a path, the route to take them from one place to another. 

Tommy falls a step behind, allowing himself to reminisce despite knowing he should not. Because the bad comes with the good, but he cannot have the good without the bad, and he knows he is not ready yet to face all the bad like this. There is too much, so much that happened over a very long time, right on this path, this very world. 

He moved away long ago. Ranboo has too. Tubbo is still near. Niki and Jack are still the closest, seemingly able to move on readily. One of these days, he needs to ask them how they have drawn the line so clearly. And one of these days, he hopes he can move on too. 

Maybe he should gather his things and move as far as he can, far in the horizon where no one has been before. A change of scenery, putting distance between his past life and his future life. Start from zero. 

That is an option. 

Go the distance and never look back, that is an option. 

But those are thoughts for another day. For now, he looks back over his shoulder, looking at the spot where their broken swords and ripped leather littered the ground. A final look for tonight, for a moment. 

The sun falling under the horizon behind their bench.

[corporationsarepeople]

I think most of the comments about losing democracy if Trump wins were referring more to a gradual loss of rights.

He did of course say he’d be a dictator “but only on day one,” which didn’t really make much sense. In fact I’ve never heard a description of how it made any sense, so it seemed wise to just take it at face value, that he has every intention of being a dictator of sorts.

But democracies tend to die with a whimper, not a bang. Ours has been progressing downhill for some time, and many of were hopeful that we could reverse course by expanding the power of common people. Jimmy Carter famously said several years ago that the US has become more of an oligarchy than a democracy, and he’s right. With Trump, at least based on what he’s promised, I expect we will continue on that path.

This doesn’t mean we won’t vote. (Russia and Iran still have general elections, too.) But it’s likely to mean that voting will have less impact, and that we won’t “need to vote.”

One of the biggest threats that I see involves him dismantling career bureaucratic government jobs to remove professionals and insert loyalists. He’s been campaigning on this issue since the second year of his first term, making up the idea of the “Deep State” to demonize anyone who would try to keep government operating within the law.

This was the first thing he spoke about after winning the election, and Project 2025 has clearly laid out how to accomplish the goal he’s described. An inefficient and weak bureaucracy will mean (and is supposed to mean) a government that can be easily overrun by corporate and wealthy interests even more than it is today. Bringing Elon Musk into his administration as he has described has basically guaranteed that this will happen. Individual protections against the powerful (which were weak to start with) are likely to be severely diminished.

Repeal of the 14th Amendment will be difficult, and I don’t think states will ratify that. However, since the executive branch controls enforcement of federal law much of it will be drastically weakened. Ending birthright citizenship will be a major push from Trump’s advisors, as they’ve said many times. De-naturalization is also a key goal, and his promise to bring back the Alien Sedition Act sounds designed to deport any legal immigrants (or former citizens) who might challenge his policies.

The 14th amendment also contains the equal protection clause and requires due process, both of which will be significantly challenged. Again, it doesn’t have to be repealed outright to be severely weakened. Further, Trump threatened to violate the 14th Amendment many times throughout his first term by defaulting on the national debt. This will have disastrous consequences for our economy, and likely for the global economy as well.

Again, I’m just going off what he’s promised.

But I guess we’ll see.

"It's four years then Trump is gone" as if they haven't talked about creating a dictatorship and people not needing to vote again. As if they didn't talk about taking the right of voting of women away. Seriously. Fuck you.

Not a single person that I follow, live with, talk with, or vaguely know that belongs to the Republican party wants a dictatorship.

We've had discussions on how we'll embrace our Second Amendment right to STOP Trump if he tries to impose a dictatorship. We don't care if it accomplishes everything that we desire- that's NOT what America stands for and we won't stand for disrespect to our country. The Democrats don't have to worry about the majority of Republicans. If he tries to play dictator, we won't stand for it.

I EXIST ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE. If someone was intending to take away my right to vote, I think I would HAVE HEARD OF IT. Zero people have ever INSINUATED THAT and it's sad that Democrats are walking around playing like they're not the only ones discussing it.

Also, if someone tries to take away my right to vote, every male in my family will riot. Voting is an American right. No one will change that.

You want to have sex with me? Or at me?

Alright, I guess that's your prerogative, but I'll pass.

[mainalias]

thinking about compiling screenshots of golden/silver age batman exclusively calling dick his ward to combat the allegations that it was “initially a father-child relationship”

[prolibytherium]

Absolutely death gripped clenched trying not to comment on reductive posts on ancient greek homosexual relationships

[triglycercule]

thinking about mtt literally physically dragging eachother down and being restrained to eachother because theyre genuinely that fucking ass for eachother but then it means i'd have to decide which of them to humiliate by putting a collar on them. and i can't choose. if they dont all equally suffer than whats the point man 🙁🙁🙁

[pennyserenade]

i need to speak with david duchovny's manager and pr team--maybe i even need to become them--because they've got him on such the wrong track its sickening. i understand there comes a point where you can't do much, but do they not understand that they have a 90s heart throb/a rare still kinda liked white man on their roster? lots of the lgbtq community knows of him. before i even knew him as fox mulder or watched the x-files i called him 'the x-files guy.' its just that the projects they put him in are bad, not even objectively. just terrible all around. he wants to do comedy, okay, throw him the bone but make him do something fun. get his ass in the bottoms and booksmarts of movies. he doesn't need to be a main character; he never is. if he's got to be in those movies make him be in the good ones. when you've got his appetite for that effectively suppressed you've got to divert his attention to serious drama. i'm talking about making his ass WORK. a24 horror, maybe. unsettling and odd projects, that clash well with his brand of humor but also allow for him to be able to help with his own character. david duchvony is at his best when he's got room to analyze and add to the project in some way. i hate to sound like i'm up his ass, so forgive me for it for a moment as i say this: he's got a big brain, and more often than that his creative input is both well thought out and correct. i'm sure he could be an asset on the right projects. and you mustn't forget that he is david duchovny. you must make him remember he's david duchovny. in the '90s he got uber famous for chasing aliens and being weird and boyish. in the modern day he needs to cash in on a little bit of that nostalgia while he roots out a spot for himself again

[yo9urt]

mine craft !!

[miabrown007]

a minute of silence to my skills to estimate how long a project is ever going to take

[hua-fei-hua]

*flopped down on a couch w/a glass bottle of apple juice to make it look like i'm drinking beer*

yeah... yeah i'm fine.... just coming to terms w/the fact that i must use javascript in order to achieve my vision w/the neocities...

[whathebrick]

what people don't consider is that bai hua has the potential to be just like macaque and that's why teach is so protective of her. he doesn't want her being 'corrupted'