#god this was hard considering her look really IS distinctive

[gordonramsei]

hi emily, since all this about a.ri is getting brought up do you think you could maybe provide some alt fc's for people to use?? i have a muse with her fc and at this point no longer wish to use someone like her. but really, thank you for shedding some light on her actions and continue being amazing <33

anon , i went through the same thing as u about a month and a half ago when i changed my ari muse's fc . for me , i ultimately went with meredith mickelson . not even close to the same physically , but i just wanted someone blonde with a few tats and meredith really fit that for me , personally . but here are some ladies that imo give off the baby girl - esque feel ariana is known for , i bolded my faves :

chantel jeffries

sofia carson

cindy mello

nailea devora

ashley moore

paris berelec

jade thirlwall

meredith mickelson

delilah belle

alissa violet

camila morrone

barbara palvin

zendaya

jamila strand

aisha potter

halle bailey

[scariusaquarius]

Machine is down at work so here is a leon kennedy blurb

Warning: vomit, pregnancy, afab! Reader

The last time you had ever felt this sick, you had been in Tall Oaks with Leon and Helena. Your stomach was twisting and pulling, grumbling with a distinct feeling of needing to expel all of its contents, and you had been put out of commission by Leon because you were just too sick to be able to help.

There hadn't been an explanation for your sickness, but it had passed relatively quickly. You hadn't had a flare up since then, but as you sat on the plane heading for China, you could feel the sickness creeping in again.

You were becoming pale, sweat clinging to your temples, and your hands were incredibly clammy. Helena hadn't noticed just yet, but Leon did. His blue eyes were staring at you, taking in your sick form, and when he went to open his mouth to ask if you were alright, you promptly stood and ran towards the bathroom.

Helena picked up her head, brown eyes wide.

"Is she alright?"

Leon hummed in throught, standing up from his seat and clutching the headrest when the plane caught turbulence.

"I don't know. I'm going to go check."

Quickly, Leon walked his way towards the bathroom where he could hear you gagging and heaving into the toilet. Carefully, Leon slipped in, holding back your hair and forcing you to jump in fright as you stayed hunched over the toilet.

"Are you alright? You don't look very well."

You whimpered, clutching your stomach as Leon knelt beside you, carefully brushing some hair back from your face.

"I don't know. My stomach just hurts so bad. It's been off and on for the last week. I don't know what's wrong with me, Leon."

Leon hummed, thinking hard. Off and on for the last week....last week.

"Wasn't your period supposed to start last week?"

You sniffled before freezing, eyes wide as you thought, and you groaned.

"Oh god, i really am gonna be sick."

You threw up again, and Leon couldn't help but to bite his lip, a strange giddy feeling filling him.

"Do you think that you're pregnant, maybe? I can ask Helena for some help?"

You shrugged before panting, and Leon kissed your temple sweetly.

"It'll be alright, sweetheart. You know I'm with you no matter what."

"I know. I love you. I'm just....this is unexpected."

Leon chuckled, saying gently.

"Most pregnancies are. Are you going to be okay to finish the mission? I think I would prefer you to sit out."

You gave Leon a look.

"I'm just pregnant, Leon. I can finish this mission, just let me-oh god, what is that smell-"

You gagged and puked hard, and Leon grimaced.

"Yeah, I think you're gonna have to get sidelined."

"Fuck you."

Leon chuckled.

"Well, considering the position you're in, I don't think that's really a good idea."

"Leon."

[arianna-bradshaw]

Wet Dream

Summary: Rooster and Bulldog with a one bed trope basically; Bradley has a wet dream🤭

TW: 18+, Smut, Drinking, Teasing, Grinding that's kinda dubcon bc he does it while he's asleep??

WC: 1.7k

_______________________________________________

It wasn't often that the Dagger team would have leave at the same time, but one year after the Uranium Plant Mission they all had a two month leave. A trip to Hawaii seemed perfect and almost everyone went. Hangman and Phoenix, a recent couple were going; so were Payback and Fanboy with their girlfriends, even Bob brought his wife. Rooster and Bulldog were the only single ones and decided to make it cheaper by sharing a room at the Hale Koa. 3 weeks in paradise were much needed for the group and when they arrived, everyone immediately relaxed.

After a long day on the island, you all finally could check into the hotel, and get some sleep. Jet lag wasn't really a thing for you guys, so used to traveling across the world with no time to rest. Though the activity filled day definitely tired you out.

"Hi can I check in for Bradley Bradshaw." Rooster yawned, standing at the front desk.

"Of course, so we have a single Queen Suite, correct?" The woman asked, clicking through her system.

"There should definitely be two beds," He frowned, but alas, the hotel was booked up and now Rooster and you were stuck for three weeks with one bed.

______________________________________________

"I'll just take the floor or something it'll be fine." Bradley shook his head as we got to the room.

I frowned, "C'mon Roos, it's three weeks. There's no way that'll be comfortable. This bed is huge. We can share."

That's how you ended up here, laying in an oversized shirt and sleep shorts; Bradley pressed firmly against your back. You definitely remember falling asleep on opposite sides, but now you were in the middle, a sleeping Rooster- with no fucking shirt on- cradling you. As if that wasn't enough, he had a distinct… problem pressing against your ass.

Of course, you just tried to go back to sleep, but it was 4am, and his muscular chest against your shoulders as well as his hard on were hard to ignore. So you just grabbed your phone and sighed, at least you could scroll through the pictures from yesterday.

It was only a few minutes later when Bradley shifted his hips- and then again. All of the sudden he was softly grinding against your backside and your eyes widened. You should wake him up, but the idea of how mortifying that would be for the both of you prevented any movement. You gently tried to move to the otherside of the bed but then you heard it.

A small moan of your name off his lips, okay that kinda changed things. You were already turned on by him pressing against you but that…. That was a lot. You sat up quickly and pushed yourself away, taking in a shaky breath.

A few hours later he woke up, and rubbed a hand over his face. He blushed when he caught sight of you, already dressed in a tiny sundress that hugged your curves, the outline of your bikini obvious.

"I'm uh… gonna shower." He said quickly, rushing into the attached bathroom. You all met for breakfast downstairs, and you both would blush at any eyecontact. The plan was a beach day, since it was right outside the hotel; and Phoenix and Hangman tagged along. Your baby blue bikini complimented your body, and Bradley's pink flamingo shorts… well they suited him.

You were lounging in the sand with Phoenix when she mentioned it.

"So did you two finally fuck or something, you can barely look at eachother."

You turned deep red and shook your head. "I woke up last night, and I think he was… having a really good dream- about me." You mumbled.

"Oh my god, did he like… wake up." She asked.

"Nope but he moaned my name and grinded on me. God it was so hard not to fucking jump on him." You groaned.

"Does he know you know?" Phoenix asked.

"No! I got ready before he was awake, but I think he remembers the dream. Considering how he's been acting."

That's how it started, you knew that she had told Hangman, who told Payback- who passed it down the line. You knew their mission- get the two of you together. No one said anything to you, but as soon as you were in Phoenix and Hangman's suite playing truth or dare you knew something was up. The game got raunchy quick, even though it was mostly couples (so no random kissing or anything). Bob and his girlfriend were dared to do body shots, Hangman gave Payback a lap dance, Phoenix had to tell the story of her and Hangman's mile high club time which resulted in Rooster yelling, "Dude me and Bulldog were right fucking there!"

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, "Fine, Truth or Dare Rooster." She smirked.

"Truth," He shrugged, knowing that a dare would probably mean stripping or possibly doing something with Bulldog- he could not handle a hard on right now.

"What was your most recent wet dream?" She asked, "With details."

You hide your surprise in your beer, eyes widening.

Rooster blushed and ran a hand over his face. "I uh, it was… I was on base in my barracks with someone and we- you know."

You blushed and fidgeted with your glass.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"Can't give away all my secrets can I?" He winked at her, and turned to you.

"Y/N, truth of dare?" Rooster asked.

"Uh truth." You bit your lip.

"What's your biggest kink?" He said, smirking.

"Oh… I don't know. Maybe like- choking or something." You blushed, it was an easy answer, but no less embarrassing. He nodded and looked away.

The game continued and eventually it was Bob's turn again. "Bulldog, I dare you to… kiss Rooster." Of fucking course you had to pick dare, you figured that Bob would be nice, but no.

You blushed and looked over at Rooster, biting your lip. He shrugged in approval and you scooted closer. He was bright red, but so were you. You placed a hand on his chest and kissed him, his hand fell to the side of your neck and pressed gently; pulling you closer. It wasn't until Hangman smirked and said, "Get a room," that you both quickly pulled away, looking down.

"It's your turn." Bradley whispered to you, and you nodded. "Rooster truth or dare?"

"Dare." He said, smiling softly.

"Take me back to our room." You whispered in his ear. He nodded eagerly and stood, grabbing your hand. You ignored the whistles and lude jokes as you left quickly. As soon as you were in the hallway he pressed you against the wall, kissing you deeply again. "C'mon Roos- we're just a couple doors down." You whined.

Rooster nodded quickly, grabbing your hand tightly to lead you to the door, and a shaky hand uses the keycard.

Once inside the room, he pushed you against the closed door, a hand groping at the bare skin of your thighs. He groaned, pulling you towards the large bed.

"Bradley please." You moaned, peeling off the sundress and shimming out of your underwear. He had already pulled off hin tangtop, and was fidgeting with his shorts button.

Once he was undressed he crawled over you, pulling you into a deep kiss; one hand cupping your cheek and the other groping your exposed chest. You moaned softly against his mouth, moving a hand to grip his aching cock. He gasped quietly, kissing your neck.

"Fuck, Bulldog. Need to taste you." Rooster mumbled against your skin, kissing down your stomach.

"Please, need you." You whined, squeezing your thighs together. But a strong pair of hands gripped them apart. Then Rooster's head dipped between them, licking a stripe over your cunt, moaning at the taste. You weren't much better, gasping and gripping his hair with a loud moan.

"Fuck Bradley." You whimpered as he dove in, licking inside you and running his hands over the soft skin of your thighs. He brought to fingers up to tease your entrance as he moved to lick your clit in a fast rhythm. You pulled his hair harshly and moaned in time as he thrust his fingers into you; curling them up. He pulled back, staring at you.

"You're so fucking wet, baby? All for me, huh?" You nodded in response, head falling back.

"Always, Roo. Always been for you." You whined, he groaned and went back to work. He was tuning your body, plucking every string to prepare you for orgasm. In just minutes he had you squirming and whining out his name as you squirted on his fingers; he lapped at your cunt- groaning as if it was fucking nectar of the Gods.

He kissed gently at your hips as you panted in relief, eventually tugging his head up to kiss you.

"That was so fucking hot baby." Rooster groaned, kissing you deeply. "Can I fuck you? Please." You nodded quickly in response, spreading your legs wider. He gently pushed in, kissing your neck. He groaned lowly as he settled inside you, lifting one of your legs over his shoulder. He panted above you, watching your face carefully. When you nodded and bit your lip he started thrusting.

You could tell he wouldn't last long as he wanted, if his moans and groans were anything to go by. He set a brutal pace, stroking every part of you. You moaned, pulling him down for a deep kiss.

After a few more minutes of pure bliss he groaned. "Fuck Y/n, I'm close, darling." he stuttered, pulling your body against his. You nodded, "Me too, Bradley." He groaned and bit at your neck. When he finally moved a hand to your clit, you whined and watched him. You feel apart, cumming on his cock and he followed with deep grinds- finshing deep inside you.

You both panted as he fell beside you, nuzzling you close. "That was amazing." He grinned, kissing your temple.

You giggled and nodded, "It was," you gently pet his hair. "We needa clean up, love."

He nodded in response, groaning as he got up. After a long relaxing shower, you were cuddled in bed- in one of his shirts and comfortable underwear; him only in boxers.

"Next time you have a wet dream about me, tell me." You giggled, nuzzling his strong chest.

He blushed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Noticed that did you?"

[secretceremonials]

I'm completely fascinated by Cassandra's character. But I noticed that here on Tumblr some people romanticize her relationship with Agamemnon and I was very surprised, as I always thought it was obvious that it was a toxic relationship. You seem to understand more about this subject than I do, but did Cassandra have any affection for Agamemnon? Or even Agamemnon for her?

Hi anon! And thank you for the question, I had a lot of fun writing this.

That's a very complicated question, but I'll be my best (disclaimer that I'm not an expert, but I do read a lot).

We do have to take the relationship in its cultural context a little bit. A lot of people do seem to make Agamemnon a lot worse than he is in the texts. The fact that he took a concubine after a war would have been completely acceptable behaviour (Achilles does it, and we mostly forgive him), and doesn't really prove that he must have been violent to her or anything like that. I'm not saying that these attitudes are, or were ever, okay, but the fact that he is coming from a society in which slavery was fine means we can't just assume he is a monster on the basis of him having a slave. But I think that considering this context can also only take us so far. I find it difficult to believe that victims were less troubled by these occurrences, just because they were an accepted part of their society.

In terms of how Agamemnon views Cassandra, I do think there is something resembling affection. In Aeschylus's Agamemnon, he asks Clytemnestra to be kind to her, and in Euripides's Hecabe, Hecabe appeals to Agamemnon almost as her son-in-law, asking for his help, considering the "warm embraces" he enjoys with Cassandra. In Euripides's Trojan Women, Agamemnon takes her as his "bride", and Talthybius remarks that "Love for the god-inspired girl pierced Agamemnon's heart" (James Morwood translation), again suggesting affection, not just lust for her. But, then again, as he cannot possibly have known Cassandra for long enough to base this love on anything except her looks, can we really say it's any different (there is also the view that Apollo orchestrated the pairing, more on that later)? Ultimately, he still feels entitled to marry (have sex with) this pretty girl, by virtue of him being the general of the army that destroyed her home (cultural context is important, but its still hard to see past some things). Still, I do think that this shows that the popular interpretation of Agamemnon as a cruel old man is inaccurate. He definitely cares about Cassandra, and really only feels entitled to her in a completely socially acceptable way.

How Cassandra views Agamemnon is a bit trickier I think. In Euripides’s Trojan Women, I struggle to read anything other than her hating him. She admittedly does express a desire to marry him, but this is because she views it as a way to ensure his death (even if it comes alongside hers). So, she is motivated entirely by a desire for revenge, firmly believing that the match was orchestrated by Apollo, meaning that any acceptance she shows isn’t really any sign of love, just submitting to her fate with the knowledge that she is sealing his. In Aeschylus’s Agamemnon, I think there is a bit more apparent affection. She obviously hates Clytemnestra, and speaks badly of her murder of Agamemnon, which she callas an “accused deed” (Henry Howard translation), so this dislike doesn’t just seem to be of the woman who will kill her, but mourning for Agamemnon as well. 

I think it’s worth noting as well that these characters are really more archetypes that can fulfil a different role in whatever story they are involved in, than any concrete characters with distinct personalities. So even amongst ancient sources, opinions vary depending on what the writer intended to use them to show. For example, Aeschylus's Agamemnon is a pretty standard tragic hero plot. Here it makes sense to portray the relationship positively, to highlight Agamemnon as a hero and Clytemnestra as a villain (in very simple terms, since I’d need a whole essay to get into it fully). On the other hand, In the Trojan Women, Euripides was trying to commentate on the horror and futility of war, particularly for the women of the losing side, so it makes much more sense for Cassandra to hate her new master and be vengeful towards him. I would say that even the modern retellings can be valid as well, they are just taking these archetypes, and applying them to their own narrative (it’s just that the extent from which they have derived from the myth varies considerably).

Basically, how I view them depends almost entirely on what version I am reading. When I make my own interpretation, I would say that I don't romanticise them, and that I generally view Agamemnon as somewhat loving Cassandra, but Cassandra despising him, although he treats he fairly well. At the end of the day, he is the general behind the army that ruined her life. I do also sometimes like portrayals where they have a better relationship, but this is more because I love Cassandra and want to see her be happy than anything else.

So overall, it's not very clear cut, and a lot of Agamemnon hate is a bit unjustified (he acts like a petulant child sometimes, but honestly every hero does). While I don't think it is possible to ignore the fact that Cassandra has no agency in the relationship, it may be worthy of note that even in modern law, she could still be capable of consenting (evidential presumptions would fall onto the defence to prove the presence of consent under s75 of the Sexual offences act 2003, so consent would actually still be hypothetically possible, just harder to prove in current English law, obviously not super relevant here, but I do think it is interesting that this isn't automatically legally rape- I am stretching the statute a bit here to say that Cassandra's slavery is akin to unlawful detention, which isn't strictly true, but since slavery is illegal in any case it's the closest comparison I could think of).

Their relationship is inherently unequal, and impossible to form a conclusive judgement on, but I don't think either extreme view is particularly helpful for analysis (although completely fine for making your own interpretations).

[lanawinterscigarettes]

A Natasha scenario you could do is the reader's car stalls in a snow storm and our lovely Russian woman comes to the rescue with her own warm car ! Who knows, hope this helps your want to write :)

This actually helped with my writer's block a lot <3 I dont have my driver's license yet and I have very little knowledge on how cars work so I kept putting it off to get this finished because I'm worried something I wrote was inaccurate but oh well (also I'm literally posting this during spring. Really wishing it was still cold enough to snow right about now sigh)

Car Trouble (Natasha Romanoff x reader)

Warnings: swearing, mention of snowstorms, car trouble ig?? (Idk if those could be considered as warnings but better safe than sorry)

"Shit," you said as your car suddenly stopped, not wanting to go any farther no matter how hard you slammed your foot on the gas. "Oh, come on." You turned your keys in the ignition a few times, trying to get it to work, but it was no use. Your car sputtered before giving out a sad, strangled choking sound, and that was it. It was clear at that point your car was dead, and you were screwed.

"Well, that's just great," you muttered. You thought about maybe using the jumper cables you usually kept in the trunk of your car to give it a well needed boost of energy before remembering you'd taken it out the day before, needing the extra space for the groceries you'd needed to pick up. Of course the one time you needed it was the one time it wasn't there.

Sighing, you pulled out your phone to double check the forecast for the day. It was currently 30° and dropping, indicating the snow storm you weren't expecting to receive until next week was going to be arriving early.

"Wonderful." You were stuck in your car, about to be hit by a massive snow storm, groceries in the back, no jumper cable, and your phone was at seven percent. No one you knew would have the time to just drop everything and come pick you up, except for maybe one person; your girlfriend.

You quickly dialed her number and sat there anxiously as it rang. When she didn't answer the first time, you called again, hoping she would pick up. Then, on the third ring, she did.

"Hello?"

"Nat! Oh, thank God," you breathed out a sigh of relief. "Look, my phone's about to die, so I don't have much time to say what I need to say, but my car's being a dick, I don't have the jumper cables on me, and I'm pretty sure the snow storm predicted for next week is coming early. Please send help," you fake pleaded, only half joking.

The other end was silent, causing you to think maybe your phone had already died until you heard shuffling and the distinct sound of jingling keys on the other end. "I'm on my way. Text me where you're at if you can, if not, Friday has GPS systems installed in our cars for a reason."

"Oh my God, Nat, you're the best. Thank you."

You could hear the smirk in her voice as she gave her response. "Don't thank me yet."

Less than twenty minutes later, you heard the familiar rumbling of a car engine as Natasha's car pulled up beside yours. "Hey stranger," she said as she got out.

"Natasha!" You felt a tremendous amount of relief as she got out the jumper cables and made her way over to you.

"I'm gonna pop the hood so I can get this done and we can go home."

You watched as she tinkered with the stuff under the hood of your car for a couple minutes before giving you the go ahead to try to turn it on.

You gleefully honked on the horn as your car suddenly roared to life, causing Natasha to shoot you a dirty look. "That was my ear you just honked in."

"Sorry babe, my bad." You gave her a sheepish grin as you got out of your car and went to stand behind her. You wrapped your arms around her waist and squeezed. "Thank you so much for helping me with this today."

"Of course, I couldn't just leave you out here to freeze." She turned around to face you after shutting the hood of the car. "I've got to get back, but make sure you get home safe, okay?"

"Don't worry, I will." You gave her a quick kiss before getting back in the car. "I love you," you called out before shutting the door.

Waving to her as she drove away, you put on your seatbelt and got started on the drive back home.

~

Taglist: @anxiously-sad @iloveentrapta @ghot-girl @taecube @blkroyalty1 @nevilleismywhore @multiyfandomgirl40 @xxromanoffxx @your-next-daydream

[karimwillia]

Part 14

Warnings: Plot

Disclaimer: I needed to add some life and background to Shuri. She is not just an athlete she is a brilliant artist who lost some of her spark. Her meeting Riri who has a passion for tech and helping people. Mix them together we see the Power Couple.

The next morning the smell of bacon fills the air waking Shuri just enough to hear Sha in the kitchen making breakfast. “Wake up you two!” Sharon softly shouts. “You all stayed up too late. Let’s go, we have to start prep for later. So dinner can be on time.” The girls untangle themselves from holding each other groaning. “Ugh do we have too?” Protesting they slowly get up. “Yes you do. It’s not my fault you all were up doing god knows what.” The memories of last night cause them to smile shyly at each other before they go about getting ready for the day.

Shuri purchased them a set of matching hoodies today, it’s just the perfect level corny that is cute. “You two are so adorable, young love.” Sharon serves out breakfast and explains the tasks they each have to get done. “Dove is like Mami. She likes a good matching outfit for pictures.” Sha looks up at Ri. “Oh no! She’s going to torture your future kids I see. It’s ok they can come to Auntie's house.” Shuri is a little offended. “It’s not that bad. They are Champion.” Riri pecks Shuri’s lips as she laughs. “It’s not but it is corny.”

Breakfast ends and the house is all a buzz with the tasks for tonight’s special event being done. There is Christmas music blasting as they sing and dance all about. Shuri and Ri both take any chance they get to hug or touch while they get everything situated in the house. This is Shuri’s first Christmas in Chicago even though she’s lived here all her life. Her family normally travels during the holidays to some island or back home in Congo. She can recall asking to have a normal Christmas all the time as a child. Just like this one but her family was huge on their traditions.

The distinct sound of the front door breaks everyone’s concentration. “Hey can I have a little help?” Ronnie chirps out entering the house with her hands full. Shuri runs to grab the grocery bags. “Morning Ma, how was your shift?” “It was hectic but I made it. Small sacrifice for 3 days off in a row. I see you girls working hard. What is done on the list so far.”

“That is so worth it. So far I have been cleaning all morning but I think I got everything straightened up nicely. Sha is in the kitchen and Ri well she got the decorations put up in no time.”

Walking into the house it really felt like a winter wonderland. The tree is covered in mostly red and gold ornaments mixed with the hand made ones Sharon and Riri have made over the years. The mantle above the fireplace is decorated with garland and lights and there is an extra S stocking this year hanging up. Small gift boxes are starting to appear under the tree. The smell from the kitchen is sweet as Sharon is baking the pies, cakes and cookies. Shuri was in awe of the magical feeling. Considering this is her first time she stepped back to realize her surroundings. She never wants to let this feeling go. Ronnie notices and places a warm hand on Shuri’s back.

This was all part of a huge plan hatched by Ronnie and Romanda. Tonight Shuri doesn’t even know that her own Mother and Big Brother will be here tonight for this dinner. While on the trip Romanda could tell that Shuri was struggling with missing her Father even though she kept the emotion silent. No matter what Romanda knows her child so she called Ronnie to gain some perspective.

Today is her Father’s Birthday and he always traveled to celebrate it. Romanda kept that alive after his death just to give them some normalcy even though it was just a sad reminder. This year it was not possible to go anywhere because Shuri wanted to be at home for Riri. Ronnie suggested that maybe Shuri needed to do something new to keep her mind off of things. So they allowed the girls to have this time together to give Shuri her first Christmas at home. It seems to be working. Her mood is much lighter.

Riri comes up behind Shuri hugging her and greets her Mom. “Hi Mami! How is my tree?” Beaming a look at the girls Ronnie is grateful. “It is a beautiful tree Baby. But I like how Shuri is getting my hug. Panther, are you trying to take my Baby?” With a face Riri lets go and hugs her Mom. “Sorry Mami, I couldn't help it.” Shuri chimes in. “Ma I just need you to know I never would do that. I am willing to share her.” Ronnie lightly hits Shuri walking out of the room. “Good answer. Because once she’s yours completely, no take backs.”

“I promise she’ll be mine forever.” The grin on Shuri’s face is so bright. Did she just say forever? Riri looks at her when she turns around and smirks. “You better mean that.” “I do. Here I’ll even promise you right now.” Shuri holds the gaze as she sticks out her pinky to Ri. Hooking their pinkies. “I Shuri Udaku promise Rihanna Williams you will be mine for the rest of my life and yours.” She then kisses her thumb. “You are so corny Dove.” Ri played it off but that was so sweet. They get up laughing and finish up everything for the night.

Dinner time was approaching fast meaning last touches to the table where set. Then everyone had to freshen up according to Mrs Williams dress code for the night. Cream, Black and Gold is the required color scheme for the evening. The smell of soul food and baked goods in the air makes everyone hungry. The doorbell rings as everyone’s expected guests are starting to arrive. M’Baku, Aneka and Ayo, MJ, Sharon’s “best friend” Quinten, and Allison arrive right in time to mingle. As they mingle the final plate is set to the table signally the start to dinner. “Alright everyone, let's choose our seats.” Ronnie announces and the group files into the dinning room. “Mrs Williams, this food is ig worthy.” MJ says, snapping pictures of the beautifully appetizing dishes.

“Thank you M just a little something I threw together. Please bow your heads for grace.” Ronnie starts “Heavenly Father we come to you in thanks. For the food, friends and family surrounding us.” With the distraction, Romanda, and Okoye join the table. Okoye’s voice was smooth and warm as she continued the prayer. “Also for allowing us to be able to give and have love in this season. Amen.”

Shuri’s head shoots up; she can’t believe it; she tears up running to hug her cousin. Riri is surprised, also walking to hug Shuri’s Mother. “Ma how did you?” Romanda embraces Riri warmly, smiling. “Us Mothers can never reveal our tricks.” Okoye rubs Shuri’s back and wipes her tears. “Hey there Little Panther.” “Cousin, how did you get time off?” “Mère pulled some strings so I could be here with you.” Okoye is the only person that after Baba passed who didn’t baby her. She pushed Shuri to keep going and make Baba proud. Then she became Shuri’s first Basketball and Track coach. Okoye was holding onto Shuri. “Hey Oko I love you if you smell this food. We need to catch up later.” They make it back to their seats and enjoy the holiday meal as loved ones.

@somethingcleaverandwhitty @mal-urameshi @shuriris-stuff @dominiquesheart @neptoons1998

[horizon-verizon]

Thank you for recommending more amazing blogs!

I'll be sure to check them out!

and oh my god I know right the costumes?

and listen,okay,they aren't even a little accurate for any kind of time period they are supposedly represting but on top of all that they are also so boring and bland?

Like okay for peasants sure,they have better things to do that worry about fashion but this is royalty come on!

Especially if it is supposed to be a statement!

Don't get me started on wigs,the one that offends the most other than the entire Velarayion family is Daemon's!

Like look what they did to my boy?

Matt Smith is a very attractive man with very unique features and from what I saw short hair suits him best.

And yeah I know he has long hair in the books but if you can some many liberties with everything else surely it wouldn't bee asking too much right?

I think I love him when returns from the stepstones the best other than the ugly ass crown.

that hairstyle suits him.keep that.

Aemond's actor has a face that is suited for the long wig keep that

Heleana is actually invisible most of the time so I don't mind the wig

I guess we can forgive the Aegon one too,looks a little too fake sometimes tho,the man is pretty so he looks good anyway I guess

while on subject of hair and wigs, Rhaenyra's when I read the book I kinda imagined Lucretia from the Borgias or something?The elaborate hairstyles and all?

Meanwhile what is up with Rhaenys,didn't she have darker hair in the books?

I swear to God these writers put everyone in the wig and made absolutely everyone not distinctive so that whole Rhaenyra has bastards more obvious.

Kinda reminds me of that whole Cersei and her kids debacle when hair was used as distinctive trait because apparently all of Robert's bastards had dark hair and that therefore mean she is cheating and like?

Ok I know she is but that is most flimsy excuse for some cucking someone ever?

Like did Robert have a Lannister bastard somewhere?How do you know that Lannister genes just aren't stronger huh?

But yeah feudal society and all that jazz.

But seriously when I saw that they cast mostly black actors as Velarayion's I was kinda confused?

I don't particularly care either way but like they weren't in the books were they?

Kinda felt to me like they were leaning really hard into that Rhaenyra's kids are bastards obviously because look they are all white as hell or something?

Like I hope it's not something like that but that casting makes no sense and of course everyone was amazing in the miniscule roles they had but if this is supposed to be some sort of representation for anyone,they really dropped the ball?

They seemed to be kinda portray as greedy and bitter or just not important at all?

Rhaenys is old and bitter and overall a moron in Aegon's coronation scene, doesn't seem to have any connection to any of her family despite growing up with them?

Corlys just seems to be there to be disseagred by Viserys and Otto both for being too greedy.

Laenor is just a witless gay love interest.

Laena is crazy and delusional and completely unimportant and apparently content being Daemon's doormat despite having the biggest fuck off dragon there?

I saw people saying her death was epic?it was stupid,what it was,was stupid.

Traumatic for her kids and Daemon, horrifying for herself and it manages to make everyone in that keep look like an absolute moron how exactly did that heavily pregnant woman manage to escape all of you?

Like it comes off as surface level cool her and Rhaenys both but then you consider it and it's actually a dumb,like remember the time Daenerys burned all the food vagons or whatever in season 6/7?

This is worse.

And that's this whole family,Baela and Rhaena don't even have a character other than to show that Daemon sucks as a dad despite the fact Laena would have kicked his ass for it and aslo why would he a terrible father?I don't understand this take?

And of course the one scene that involves the Velarayion's is when Daemon the crazy white guy inbred supremacist went and killed the innocent completely in the right random brother of Corlys that spoke the truth about Rhaenyra and her kids despite the fact that every normal ruler would have them killed too,all so the mainstream audience can yell afoul about racism and white privilege and crazy Targaryens and Daemon the psycho?They literally recreated Ned's execution here but with racial implication,with Daemon being Joffrey and the executioner here and this is somehow respectful and we'll handled to anyone?

Not saying that black actors can't be villians or be killed by white villians but I am just saying that an obvious social justice racial implication was tried here.

Everyone here comes across as one dimensional and bland expect Daemon and they keep giving the Greens more and more poor baby traits but it clashes so badly with their established characters that it gives a whiplash?

Like I am not sure if I should be concerned or not,I go to ao3 and Aemond is one of the most popular characters,tho this is usually common when a character is unbelievably bland,blank and boring and a conventionaly attractive actor plays them,so what does that say about this character?

People rewrite him to suit their needs I guess.

No but seriously,they gave the Green characters sad backstories but no character to speak off and agency,not to mention on top of all that because they changed so much characters come across as idiots.

Especially with all this fantasy bullshit too.

Heleana sees the future, doesn't do shit with it other exposition because they established it so poorly that they need to remind you somehow that this story ended in a bloody dynastic dispute.

Because really what does Rhaenyra and Aegon have with each other?They haven't spoken to each other once!

Why is Aegon convinced that Rhaenyra is good for the throne when he's been raised by anti black team and doesn't know her personally?

Why doesn't she want the throne is he that aware and concerned about his short comings and yet he doesn't absolutely anything to change it and the people in the Green team just apparently love miserable people who apparently the entire world is against that refuse to shit for themselves and expect pity from you?

Seriously the coronation is a out to happen and this guy is in a brothel?Okay that should tell us he doesn't respect the position,terrible spoiled,privileged etc but no apparently that was him trying to not get crowned or something?

Seriously the plot is trying really hard to make you sympathize with him but like okay of he was supposed the spoiled privileged son of the king and he doesn't want the throne and yet he is still here enjoying privileges?Is he insane or an idiot?is everyone here just insane?

Mf ffss you have a whole ass dragon you could have been in Naath by now!

Done,no conflict, expect maybe if they put Aemond or something but neither he or Aegon are the rightful rulers here.

I wouldn't trust this guy with a bowl of cereal much less the kingdom?

This is supposed be the guy that dismissed Otto and put Aemond the psycho as his hand?

But this again has been put here so the green team could look innocent in comparison because look Aegon didn't want the throne and mean Rhaenyra started all this

Listen being complacent and not doing anything is just as bad as doing something.

There was plenty of time for this guy to dip but no because the actual character isn't like this.

Aemond is a straight up psycho.They legit gave him psycho killer he was bullied as a kid backstory.And that apparently justified everything else.The fuck?

This idiot that openly talks about treason on someone's funeral and openly admits that he would steals his brother's wife and that he deserves the crown because he is obviously so much better than his weak incompetent brother?like anyone who likes this character,I am not judging I am just saying you made a bold choice.he comes across as a parody of what the writers think they wrote Daemon as and Daemon is still better because grrm didn't give Aemond depth at all and you can just see who's the better writer

And then this fucker is arguing about rights and the rightful heir and calling people whores and bastards, don't these people realize how insane they come off across?you are defending this maniac killing someone who in his standards is collateral damage because he has better blood or because your mother and father are actually married?insanity.try and justify this to anyone who isn't a crazy blood supremacist

Like the show itself stated that Rhaenyra tried and failed which means uncomfortable lay back and think of England already with a gay person but wouldn't that also means that Leanor is probably just infertile considering bit obviously isn't Rhaenyra

But obviously Rhaenyra is at fault for everything and Daemon too probably

Not to mention Aemond and his siblings are all half breeds too so even by his own crazy blood supremacy logic this doesn't work but he is a man so of course he is better and they call him a feminist

Man was blind and deluded when he had both eyes now he's just insane too girl bye

Honestly for heaven's sake if this was a murder mystery Aemond is that one idiot who bragged about how much he hates the victim and that he learned this really cool slashing trick with his new cool sword.idiot.

Why isn't Aegon afraid of him or something?He bullied him with the others too or does Aemond just see people who aren't family as okay to belittle and trample? Isn't this something they usually accuse of Daemon too?Also Alicent is shown being okay with this too.You may cuff him about at home as much as you want but outside we are united.Or something.

Also not a fan of this whole dragons don't listen to their riders thing either,like bye.Iy just so happens that the one time the dragon goes crazy is the one horrible act that Aemond pulled on his own volition?

I can't even blame the dragon here,you chased the child with it what was Vhagar supposed to do here?

Alicent is a straight up delusional doormat too.Under the impression that if she married Rhaenyra's father they could still somehow be friends,wanting Rhaenyra to respect the rules and be as miserable as she is because she lacks a spine and the show wants me to believe that they are still somehow friends?

And the show frames Alicent as helping her and being sad as if she is in the right here too!!

At least Aegon and Alicent both parallel the absolute lack of spine here that's something. Ah but Otto forced them both and yet they accepted.

And the show tells me Otto is a good father and wants the best for the kingdom or something and Daemon is insane ahah sure Jan.

Alicent know what the fuck she was doing what exactly prevented her from asking Viserys how Rhaenyra is on their nightly talks?She could have went to Rhaenyra too!

It is a miracle that no one saw any of it and ruined someone's reputation and made a scandal.

Viserys annoys so much too.How does someone compare your brother,your heir,to like the worst person in your whole family tree and you just go yeah but he's still my blood so I am stuck with him.

Imagine your siblings being compared to like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer and you not decking whoever just told you that shit right there.Especially as the king.

Meanwhile the one time Corlys says anything even slightly iffy about Viserys,Daemon immediately cuts that out.

Like seriously Viserys how does Otto know this much about your daughter and brother,he is spying this is a red flag what normal monarch just waves this off?

Sword prophecy is stupid too.

And Daemon murdering his wife just didn't happen full stop,there is a difference between adapting and cheery picking to suit your biased needs.

Tldr;the show is wildly inconsistent,thank God for the cast and the brand because otherwise?doom.

@shokos-lazy-life

Damn, this was much.

I like Matt Smith in every wig except for the ones starting from episode 8. the short one was my favorite, with the episode 3 one my second favorite.

Childhood Helaena's wig w/o braids was atrocious.

"while on subject of hair and wigs, Rhaenyra's when I read the book I kinda imagined Lucretia from the Borgias or something?The elaborate hairstyles and all?"

I imagined Rhaenyra's hair to mostly be loose before marriage and both loose, up, and in updos after marriage. Lucrezia from the Borgias is a great reference, loved her hairstyles. Her style in general, female aristocratic Italian Renaissance style in general really. Yes, Rhaenyra would be decked out like her.

"Meanwhile what is up with Rhaenys,didn't she have darker hair in the books?"

Yes, she inherited black/dark brown hair from her Baratheon mother, Jocelyn. The daughter of Alyssa Velaryon (Jaehaerys I's mother) and Rogar Baratheon. As she gets older, Rhaenys gets white strips in her dark hair.

"Kinda reminds me of that whole Cersei and her kids debacle when hair was used as distinctive trait because apparently all of Robert's bastards had dark hair and that therefore mean she is cheating and like?"

This is in canon as well, that all of Cersei's kids are blond, which later inspires Ned to look through the Baratheon family notes. He finds out that Baratheons, even when having bastards with Lannisters, have dark-haired scions. So in the case of the Baratheons, the probability that the kid of a Baratheon and any other house will turn out to have dark hair is very high. High enough that it's justifiably expected.

"But seriously when I saw that they cast mostly black actors as Velarayion's I was kinda confused? I don't particularly care either way but like they weren't in the books were they? Kinda felt to me like they were leaning really hard into that Rhaenyra's kids are bastards obviously because look they are all white as hell or something? Like I hope it's not something like that but that casting makes no sense and of course everyone was amazing in the miniscule roles they had but if this is supposed to be some sort of representation for anyone,they really dropped the ball?"

In the original lore, no the Velaryons had pale skin. I conclude so because Westerosi makes it a point to note that the person they are looking at is dark-skinned (Daella's, Saera, and Cersei's reactions to Summer Islanders), and all the descriptions we have of Corlys, any Velaryon, and Laena and Laenor never describe skin color. Europeans and white people and their fictional analouges tend to not mention skin color in anything written about people when their skin is as pale as theirs.

A problem with making it a point of "making it obvious that they are bastards" through skin color and race is that in the original lore, the boys' dark hair could have been argued in-world as coming from Laenor through Rhaenys and that Baratheon dark-hair gene. (I don't believe these boys came from Laenor because that guy was very unwilling to have sex with a woman and barely spent time with Rhaenyra before their sons were threatened).

There was some sort of tension with how one can detect adultery, adultery, and parentage in the character's environment. Once you realized this one element of the hair is enough to throw these blood purist aristocrats who wish to usurp Rhaenyra to take advantage of her socially-demonized sexual activities for their own political goals. Once again, they had no way of telling the parentage, and to bring up that the boys might have inherited Rhaenys' hair would throw off doubters not for "truth's" sake (at least about parentage), but to protect those boys and Rhaenyra from ridiculous blood purism, misogyny, and greed. It's meant to signal to the audience this game of thrones/royals, that such things as what parentage and fidelity mean is really just too slippery and unreal themselves, subject to human will and cleverness.

However, the show making the Velaryons black primarily bc the writers and producers saw these actors as useful to just show how those boys are bastards reinforces the blood purity. We're just superficially using race and colorism to reinforce how Rhaenyra slept with someone outside of marriage and that's all, folks. She's more open to condemnation instead of us looking critically at the game being played. Why is it so important to make it "obvious", what point are the writer and producers making here? Why should we care that it's "obvious"? If you read the original lore well and consider who these people are, if you have even basic critical thinking skills, it's clear that these aren't Laenor's kids.

That was never the issue. The issue was that Rhaenyra's castigated and humiliated for finding sexual autonomy, safety, and intimacy when she was forced to marry a gay man for her father and Corlys' political goals and had to have kids or risk losing her position as heir and future Queen--since no one wants either a barren woman nor a ruler who can't produce heirs.

This story is about how a woman was destroyed, not how she was worth destroying!

The other thing is that it is disparaging to the black actors and Velaryons. The actors are basically used primarily as tools to criticize and demean one white women's adultery. It doesn't take their acting chops into consideration, and their race, rather than being about representation in fantasy media, is the primary casting requirement simply to again highlight other white actors and their character's conflicts.

Again, this is if that was the producer's primary reason for casting black people to play just the Velaryons. But there is heavy misogynoir, espe with Laena Velaryon dying a gruesome death that realistically no one would want or seek unless they were severely mentally unstable. And yes, in canon, she dies surrounded by family, including Rhaenyra. She tried to go to Vhagar, but to fly one last time with her, not to get flamed out of existence. Laena's death was unnecessarily more brutal than it was. There is also a known link to the practice of self-immolation being gendered, as some cultures have widows burn themselves after their husbands die, which implies that she has no purpose without him alive.

Also, it's not fair we didn't get to see her claim/ride Vhagar independently and thus be a dragonrider apart from any shared scene with Daemon. finally, we don't see how she processed being arranged to marry what looked like a 50-yr old man at 12.

"They [the Velaryons] seemed to be kinda portray as greedy and bitter or just not important at all? Rhaenys is old and bitter and overall a moron in Aegon's coronation scene, doesn't seem to have any connection to any of her family despite growing up with them?Corlys just seems to be there to be disseagred by Viserys and Otto both for being too greedy. Laenor is just a witless gay love interest. Laena is crazy and delusional and completely unimportant and apparently content being Daemon's doormat despite having the biggest fuck off dragon there?"

Corlys in the book was very eager to have a Velaryon marry into the Targ house to have grandkids/great-grandkids who are Velaryon for the prestige and influence. That was just accurate. As for Otto and Viserys's reactions to Corlys, I saw those scenes of them dismissing Corlys as negative on their part, not Corlys. I was on Corlys' side. continuously pushing him off regarding other stuff, like the St But they could have shown the Velaryons in their environment, amongst themselves, and how they interact, their dynamic as a family apart from the Targs. Corlys didn't need to be this simple guy that maester's notes couldn't expound on due to time difference and distance. Also, lack of care or imagination on the part of the writers.

Laenor was never a love interest precisely because he was gay. And he already had a lover in Joffrey. He filled a role that both acknowledged in their agreement, and for his show! witlessness, yes it's annoying considering that in the canon he stayed with her more often once their son Luke and the tensions got higher b/t Alicent and Rhaenyra:

I already talked about Laena.

"Like the show itself stated that Rhaenyra tried and failed which means uncomfortable lay back and think of England already with a gay person but wouldn't that also means that Leanor is probably just infertile considering bit obviously isn't Rhaenyra"

I don't think Laenor was infertile so much as he really couldn't bring himself to stay and commit to the sex repeatedly to inseminate Rhaenyra. I imagine they tried twice or three times and that's all Laenor could handle. And it's actually not a predictable or controlled thing, insemination. Sometimes it takes 5 tries for conception, sometimes once.

"And of course the one scene that involves the Velarayion's is when Daemon the crazy white guy inbred supremacist went and killed the innocent completely in the right random brother of Corlys that spoke the truth about Rhaenyra and her kids despite the fact that every normal ruler would have them killed too,all so the mainstream audience can yell afoul about racism and white privilege and crazy Targaryens and Daemon the psycho? They literally recreated Ned's execution here but with racial implication,with Daemon being Joffrey and the executioner here and this is somehow respectful and we'll handled to anyone?"

Never heard of this thought. I think the audience is just upset that a black man got got by a white man, but considering how the Velaryons are not black in canon and this is about a class dispute rather than a racial one, I think people should throw this idea out. Daemon kills Vaemond in the book, and by Rhaenyra's express order, too. It wasn't a race thing.

"This idiot [Aemond] that openly talks about treason on someone's funeral and openly admits that he would steals his brother's wife and that he deserves the crown because he is obviously so much better than his weak incompetent brother?like anyone who likes this character,I am not judging I am just saying you made a bold choice.he comes across as a parody of what the writers think they wrote Daemon as and Daemon is still better because grrm didn't give Aemond depth at all and you can just see who's the better writer"

Aemond wasn't saying he would "steal" Aegon's soon-to-be sister-wife, quite the opposite. He meant that if Alicent allowed it and if it was useful for their Ussurp-Rhaenyra cause (doing his "duty"), then he's gladly legally married Helaena. To castigate Aegon for not being willing. Aemond is very unserious, though, for putting it out there that he'd love to be the king over Aegon and not keeping that shit to himself, both in book or show.

"Also not a fan of this whole dragons don't listen to their riders thing either,like bye.Iy just so happens that the one time the dragon goes crazy is the one horrible act that Aemond pulled on his own volition? I can't even blame the dragon here,you chased the child with it what was Vhagar supposed to do here?"

Yep.

"Viserys annoys so much too. How does someone compare your brother,your heir,to like the worst person in your whole family tree and you just go yeah but he's still my blood so I am stuck with him. Imagine your siblings being compared to like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer and you not decking whoever just told you that shit right there. Especially as the king. Meanwhile the one time Corlys says anything even slightly iffy about Viserys,Daemon immediately cuts that out. Like seriously Viserys how does Otto know this much about your daughter and brother, he is spying this is a red flag what normal monarch just waves this off?"

This made me laugh. Yes, there is a discrepancy, huh, bt how Viserys regards his brother and vice versa?

Viserys seems to want to over-placate and make the more powerful/least under his control (or so he thinks) person be willing to do his bidding after the example of the conciliatory Jaehaerys I. Problem is that Viserys' position and circumstances are different enough from Jaehaerys' that he needed to apply his might more.

[nanaminokanojo]

BLOOM | Sukuna X You | Part 1/3

CHARACTERS: Sukuna X You | Gojo Satoru | Geto Suguru | Shoko Ieiri | Maki | Fushiguro Toji | Baby Megumi | Megumi's Mom (OC) CHAPTER COUNT: 1/3 WORD COUNT: 8900+ GENRE: romance | fluff | slight angst | (eventual) smut | ooc sukuna | female reader CHAPTER TRIGGER WARNING: profanity/strong language | alcohol use | cigarette smoking | age gap | unhealthy simping XD SPOILERS: N/A

collection masterlist

one two three | Bloom Masterlist

His hair was the color of cherry blossoms, that's the first thing you noticed. It was the softest shade of pink, easy on the eyes, reminding you of the tendrils of filtered rays of the sun lightly touching the edges of clouds very early in the morning. Or your favorite angora wool sweater.

The man stole your attention from the book you were reading when you chanced a look from your periphery just to check who sat on the stool beside your usual spot on the bar – the seat at the very end by the wall. Your planned glance turned into a furtive stare at the sight of him from his candy-floss-hued hair, the rippling muscles hidden under his white oxford shirt and the array of tattoos that peeked through his neatly folded sleeves. And boy, since when did men smell like vanilla and spring while also exuding such a virile scent?

A smile tugged at the corners of your mouth at the thought, internally shaking your head at your behavior. You should not be staring at people, and though you weren't exactly ogling him, you were still observing him enough to associate him with your favorite article of winter clothing.

"Hey. The usual for you?" you heard Maki, the bar owner, ask, giving you the idea that the man was a regular. How you haven't spotted him before was a mystery.

If it was already hard concentrating on the novel you were reading, you've completely forgotten about it when you heard him say, "Make that single-malt." It's either the gates of hell opened at the sudden heat you felt on your skin at the sound of his voice or the gates of heaven did with how delicious it sounded in your ear, thick like honey and deep with a distinct ring to it. It got you wondering what his mother craved for when she was pregnant with him, and your brain said, "Greek gods," when you lifted your eyes from the current page you were reading and briefly exchanged looks with him as he shifted his line of vision from Maki to you.

You turned your eyes back to your book, making it seem like you were just absently looking about, but in reality, it took herculean effort to wrench your gaze from him. In that brief meeting of your eyes, the features of his face registered in your head like a bar code scanner, etching itself in your mind like a white-hot brand. He wasn't shockingly handsome, but he was beautiful in his own right with those intense eyes that reminded you of drowning pools and the rugged yet refined planes of his face. It was as if an artist painted him in passionate anger, slowly fell in love with the piece and began redefining his features with gentler strokes.

You turned the page of your book despite not getting any reading done. Well, it has been the case for a considerable amount of minutes now, but you tried anyway, furiously staring down at the new page but not comprehending anything. Your eyes kept scanning the same sentence over and over again but it was not sinking in at all.

"Excuse me, miss," that deep voice you've already developed a strange affection for assaulted your senses again, making your head snap up to the direction it was coming from. Hell, you think you'll do its owner's bidding just hearing it at the rate you were going, reacting automatically as if you were programmed with a voice prompt or something.

You were about to look at him but Maki caught your attention as she pushed the smoothie you ordered towards you, placing it precisely in front of you on the hardwood surface with her fingers. She arched a brow at you, causing you to stiffen on your seat.

You've been coming to the quiet little bar since you grew old enough to drink. In fact, you considered it your regular watering hole, going there whenever you can even in the day as it doubled as a gastro-pub. You've already come to know the staff who reserved the spot for you every single time you told them you were coming, particularly the tough but very lovable Maki. She's basically a friend now, and you knew you were acting off if she was giving you odd looks.

"Thanks, Maki," you said just in time, even managing to smile. She just shook her head at you before walking away to tend to another client.

"I have to know what book you are reading," the person beside you said just as you began sipping on your drink, which, you've noted, was a cherry blossom tea smoothie that reminded you of him.

You let go of the straw between your lips, swallowing hard. Turning your attention to him, you found him sitting sideways, chin propped on the heel of his palm as he regarded you. "Huh?" was all you could manage to say to him.

A slow, crooked smile etched itself across his mouth, the action appearing sensuous with the gradual way his expressions changed. "That book," he said for your benefit. "May I know what it is about?"

You just blinked, still questioning yourself if he was addressing you.

"If you're that engrossed about it, it must be great," he said. "Mind telling me the title?"

"Book?" you asked dumbly. He was really frying your brain.

He pointed at the book you were holding with his lips, protruding them slightly before smiling again. Jesus, you loved the way he smiled. The gesture didn't belong there when you've already thought he was the smirking, grinning-devil type. It was too soft a gesture, but then again his hair was shell-pink – a contradiction to his stridently brawny features.

"Oh." Despite yourself, you found yourself chuckling. "I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"Not by the book, I hope."

You looked away, smiling to yourself as you closed the object in question and slid it over to him. When you looked at him, you were surprised to see him actually reading the synopsis at the back, interest flickering in his dark eyes. You were already expecting him to just read the title, probably the author, too, thinking he was just flirting with you judging by his last words. But he was actually reading it.

"It's about an architect," he stated. "He must be mind-blowingly awesome if you're too transfixed on his story."

"No, Howard Roark is mostly a recalcitrant bastard who breaks rules here and there, doesn't cooperate or collaborate and is stone-faced about most anything."

"But it's what you like about him," he supplied.

You nodded. "He’s a breath of fresh air in a world governed by stuffy archaic principles. The spring to a long, stagnant winter of conformity. I'm in love with him." Noticing the look of amusement on his face, you were quick to add, "What?"

"Nothing." His smile didn't waver though. "Are you an architect, too?"

"Too?" you repeated with inflection then tilted your head. "Ah, you're an architect, huh?"

"Guilty."

"Any projects of note?" you asked, tilting your head in wonder when he seemed flustered. "What is it?"

He shook his head slowly. "You're very straightforward."

At that, you grinned. "Should I take you out to dinner before I get that information?" You sipped leisurely at your smoothie, glad that you throw him off as much as he flusters you.

"You don't have to," he found himself answering anyway. "But I work for a firm, so they get most of the credit. We built that new hotel at Shinjuku."

"Eh? Didn't pin you for a baroque kind of guy."

"You know..." He was all ears now judging by how he leaned closer to you. He leveled his expression to yours then. "So, what kind of guy did you think I am?"

There it is, you thought, the smirk you've been waiting for. Without giving it much thought, you said, "The Howard Roark type, of course."

***

"You seriously don't remember, do you?"

It wasn't that you didn't. You simply had no idea how you got home, considering how you ended up all smashed after enjoying too many margaritas after your smoothie. You seriously just didn't know certain things. You didn't know what happened after you reached your limit. And out of all the things you know you should not have missed, you didn't know his name.

You were sitting on the kitchen counter, nursing a headache, trying to fill in every bit of information your friends were trying to leech out of you in your addled state. You've been expecting it - the great inquisition - especially after you returned in a state lesser than they've been expecting, unconscious, according to the collective stories of your roommates, when you told them you were just stepping out to get some reading done. And on a school night, no less. Very atypical of you indeed.

"What should I be remembering?" you responded to Ieiri. You weren't exactly fond of her worrisome nature although you knew she was just watching your back especially since she has been rather disapproving of your escapades with these guys you somewhat dated back then. You appreciated it, but it didn't mean you liked it.

"Oh, I don't know, Y/N. Strawberry blond? Tats? Drives a Jeep? Ring any bells?" she said, jogging your memory. "He came knocking at two in the morning, carrying you in his arms. I mean he was hot according to Satoru, but do you even know the guy?"

“Cherry blossom,” you absently corrected the color Ieiri mentioned.

“Huh?”

“Him, I remember.” You smiled at the thought, not hiding your delight from them. You were sure they were just annoyed that they weren't in on the action since Satoru, your other friend and roommate, who seem nonexistent recently, was the one who interacted with the man you met and supposedly brought you back to the house you rented with all of them. And Satoru doesn't know basic decorum to actually ask what the man’s name was. "Howard."

"Howard?" Suguru, another one of your friends who was in the literature department as you were, asked. "Howard Roark?" He knew the reference, obviously. You forced him to read the book before it even became one of your study materials.

You nodded enthusiastically. "He's an architect."

"He didn't look like a 'Howard,' apparently," Ieiri said.

"That name is from her favorite book," Suguru supplied, his dark eyes shifting to you as he tucked some stray strands of his long, raven locks which were currently tied in a half-up. "So your guy's an architect, too."

"That, but he isn't 'my guy' and I don't know what his name is."

He grinned then. "If you're openly calling him by the name of the character you claim to be in love with, I'm assuming..."

"No!" Ieiri gasped.

You laughed despite the action making your head hurt. You were still hungover after all, but you didn't mind, not when you knew you had a good night. Probably a great night to allow yourself to be hammered like you have been. You only ever drank to your fill when the company is great and when you were in a jovial mood.

"It's nothing like that. He just feels like spring time. Looks like it, too." You waved your hands in front of you for emphasis. Still, your expressions said otherwise.

You weren't in love with the man because you didn't believe in mushy things like love at first sight, but you knew you liked him, just that you weren't getting your hopes up cause there's a chance you might not see him ever again, assuming your meeting was something transient like the blossoms his hair made you think of. Even if he was a regular at Maki's, if your schedules didn't coincide with one another, it would not be easy to meet. You've been coming to the same bar for years and yet, you've only ever seen him that time. You never really know.

But then, you got your answer pretty quickly.

From: Satoru

See you at 7 tomorrow night. Same place.

That’s how Satoru's message read, sent late the previous night. You almost forgot about the agreement you’ve had with him to get unlimited barbecue after sleeping the rest of the day but you made it out just in time. It was something you did with all three of your friends as a way to bond with them individually.

You glanced at the clock on your phone, feeling the stares of the restaurant staff on you. Well, you’ve been there for more than an hour waiting for him. One hour and thirteen minutes to be precise. All you’ve ordered so far was a glass of lemonade and you were able to finish that in the first half hour, sitting on a table for two when evidently, you were alone. All your texts were ignored and your calls were always being redirected to voicemail.

“Where the fuck are you, Gojo Satoru?” you asked him in one of your messages, hissing low into your phone just so the other diners would not be offended by your words. You got a message another twenty minutes later, the sound of your phone almost making you jump from your seat. However, when you looked at it, it was from an unknown number.

You were about to check the message when one of the waitresses came to your table, pad and pen on the ready. She’s always the one who served you whenever you and your friends would go there for a dose of beef and pork fat, and she has always been nice to you.

“Not to be nosy but I think your friend isn’t coming.”

You nodded, grimacing. “Tell me about it.”

“The boss has been giving you the stink eye, too.”

Looking over the counter, you saw the elderly man really looking at you. He looked away when you met his eyes, muttering to himself. You knew how the owner could get, but you simply loved going there since their food is good and the service is just the same. You smiled ruefully at the woman before you. “I’ll have a sukiyaki set and warm sake, please. Thank you.”

“Would that be all?”

“Yeah.”

“Coming right up.” She flashed you a bright smile before disappearing into the back rooms.

You almost forgot the message you saw earlier, but then, your phone lit up again with that familiar tone. The new message was from the same number.

From: Unknown

How are you?

From: Unknown

I hope you’re okay.

You frowned, not having the slightest clue as to who could be texting you.

From: You

Who is this?

Your order came but there was no response from the mystery texter or Satoru. You felt pathetic looking at your phone every once in a while as you ate and drank. Normally, you wouldn’t even have given anybody, including your best friends, the time of the day, making you wait for longer than an hour without as much as a message. You don’t ever wait for people over the agreed meeting time. You hated it with passion. And you were already thinking of ways to make Satoru pay.

You were about to eat a mouthful of beef when you heard the chair across you being dragged back. Your eyes flicked to the direction, and to your utter shock, you almost dropped your chopsticks if it weren’t for the hand that reached out and held onto your hand, securing the utensils.

Once again, you were sitting on your usual spot at the bar, eyes clashing with those intense ones owned by the pink-haired guy who apparently drove a charcoal grey Jeep and reminded you of spring, the same one who drove you home the other night.

“Careful,” he said, his scent assaulting your senses.

A lump formed in your throat, making you unable to form proper words, so you settled for putting down the chopsticks. You folded your hands together on your lap, recovering from your consternation before you finally looked at him, unable to help it but grin. He looked different that day, more laid back in a white baseball cap mussing his candy-floss hair down, a loose-fitting shirt in the same hue and jeans. He looked so fresh, you felt the air around you cool down considerably.

“How did you…” you hesitated and shook you head. “Hello.”

He broke into that crooked smile. “Crazy how the moment you sent the message, I saw you through the glass walls while I drove past.”

You opened your mouth to say something, but closed it again, not quite knowing how to react to it when suddenly, the first part of his statement registered in your mind. “Wait, message?” You picked up your phone, showing him the messages. “This is you?”

He nodded slowly. “Looks like you’re doing great.” He regarded the bottle of sake on the table. “I had to get your number to check up on you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Y-yeah, I mean, no, not at all. Thank you by the way.” You chuckled, saving his number and naming him Spring God in your contacts. “I wasn’t really expecting you to bring me home.”

“I got your address from your driving license.” He grinned then. “I thought of taking you back to my place, but I didn’t know how that would sit with you.”

Who says chivalry was dead? “I’m sorry for acting crazy, if I did anyway." You chuckled. "I don't remember…and for having to bring me all the way to the house.”

“It’s fine. It was lovely meeting Satoru.”

At that, your face flushed red. You winced. “I’m sorry for whatever he did while I was out of it.” He could be crazy at times, and you wouldn't be surprised if he did something untoward.

He shook his head, letting out a slight chuckle. “He was very nice to me, don’t worry.” He furrowed his brows then. “I also got your name. Y/N. I don’t know if you forgot to tell me or you just didn’t trust me enough, but I’d like to think it’s the former since you didn’t seem to think twice about getting wasted with me like you did.”

You deliberately didn’t tell him your name, but he was making it sound a little nicer. It wasn’t really something you planned on doing again, meeting him, but somehow, he found you. You shook you head, coming clean. “If you put it that way, okay, but really, I thought it was better if you didn’t know.”

“Hmm. Why is that?”

You found it endearing that he tilted his head a bit to the side when he asked the question. Your lips curled upwards at the corner. “I just never thought I’d meet you again.”

“That would be unfortunate.”

You laughed awkwardly at his remark. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”

“I’m not offended.”

“Okay.”

You requested for another order of barbecue for him. He declined but you insisted. “Come on. My treat for your act of kindness.” You snickered. “Besides, my supposed date bailed.”

“Date?”

Sighing, you said, “Well, not really. Satoru. We agreed to meet here over an hour ago but he hasn’t been answering my messages or calls. Something probably came up.”

He eyed you thoughtfully. “If you don't mind me asking, is he your...?"

"My what?"

"Your boyfriend…maybe."

You chuckled at the thought, but then you realized you didn't even know his name. "I don't really tell strangers about things like that," you teased.

“Okay, but I thought we’re past being strangers.” He smirked then and you swore you felt your stomach flip.

“We’re in the getting-to-know-each-other phase,” you told him with a laugh, acceding. "Since I didn't tell you my name, I didn't expect you to tell me yours. Plus I didn't ask, so may I have yours?"

"Sukuna," he said. "Ryomen Sukuna."

"Su-ku-na," you repeated, liking the feel of the syllables as they rolled out of your tongue. Finally, the person you've gotten so fond of in just a short time had a name. You didn't know what his name meant but it seemed to match him well regardless of how arbitrary it was to his person. You couldn't think of any better name though. "I like your name. It's pretty." You smiled brightly at him then. "And no, Satoru is not my boyfriend."

Ryomen Sukuna was an absolute puzzle to you. How he could look so badass and pretty much intimidating with his strapping physique and inked skin – throw in the multiple piercings on his left ear which you were noticing or the first time – while also pulling off all these adorable little actuations was a quandary to you. Tall, solidly built men like him should not be reminding you of soft, cute things, but the moment he blinked in confusion, you knew you couldn't get enough of it.

"Nobody ever said that about my name, but thanks," he returned in that deep voice after a moment's pause. And was that a dusting of roses over his cheeks? The surprises you were getting from this man was endless. He really was such a breath of fresh air, so far from the usual stereotypes.

Your face seemed to be perpetually pulled into a smile whenever you were around him, and you didn't think you were doing a good job suppressing the urge to be beaming like an idiot around him. "So, anyway, what made you think that blue-eyed idiot is my boyfriend?" you asked, changing the topic.

"Well, he was a bit hostile at first when he took you from me, making me explain things but then started apologizing after. He told me you could be a handful when inebriated..." He let his voice trail off as if letting you chew on his words.

"You agree with him." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Sukuna pretended to frown. "He also calls you 'his princess'."

You threw your head back, covering your eyes momentarily in embarrassment. "Now I wish you met Ieiri and Suguru instead," proceeding to explain that the nickname was something akin to what a father would call his precious daughter.

"He was rather intimidating, but I guess he's just looking out for you."

"He's still not off the hook for standing me up," you quipped, "But you finding him intimidating is funny."

"Why?"

You scoffed, gesturing over to him. "I think you can snap him in two if you wished, too."

"He was scary," Sukuna insisted.

"He's harmless...most of the time, but yeah, he’s rather protective. That’s one of my dads for you."

He laughed then. "There's nothing scarier than a fiercely protective friend…or a doting father. I can't muscle my way out of that for sure."

"Ah, then you'll find Ieiri scarier."

The night pretty much went well and ended on a good note. Sukuna did most of the talking for the rest of the night. You learned he was six years older than you at twenty nine, one of the head architects at the firm he worked for, has a love-hate relationship with his job cause he wants to draw portraits instead, was a delinquent when he was younger but got away with things cause he was a straight-A student, loved dogs so much that he cries when they die in movies, was closer to his mom, got his tattoos on a sudden whim, and was pretty much a sweet, charming genuine person which contrasted his appearance. What you see isn't what you get. That just isn't how it worked with him.

You loved it when he talked. It was rather entertaining as he had a way of telling stories which made you feel like you were actually there when it happened. Eventually, you forgot the reason why you were at the restaurant in the first place. It was as if you went there for the purpose of meeting Sukuna himself. Satoru was all but forgotten as you dissolved into carefree laughter and playful banters, and you felt at ease and more like yourself around him, pretty much like when you were with your three favorite people in the world.

“It’s not really that funny,” Sukuna told you, watching you laugh heartily at that one episode in his freshmen year when he made a mistake of going on a date with the wrong girl who happened to have the same name as his supposed date. You continued to laugh as if he didn’t say anything.

“It’s just crazy that both of them were there at the same time. I mean, what were the odds?”

He parked by the sidewalk in front of your house, killing the engine. “That’s the reason why I have never agreed to a single blind date ever again.” He pulled the key out of the ignition, glancing at the direction of your house. “We’re here.”

Your laughter died down when you followed the direction of his gaze. The lights were off except for the one lighting up the porch of the house you shared with your friends. You returned your gaze to him then. “Thanks for driving me home. Again.”

“I enjoyed your company. It’s the least I can do.”

You smiled warmly at him, reaching over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek when he suddenly turned his head a fraction towards you. That minute change made your lips end up against his instead. He was surprised at first and remained immobile against you, but when you pulled away, he chased you back, connecting your mouths, his lips feeling soft and warm yet emitting that air of dominance as it coaxed yours to move in sync with his. You were kissing him back in no time, but you immediately caught yourself and withdrew, utterly flustered.

Your heart thudded heavily as he held you in his intense gaze, his tongue slowly running over his lower lip, making you even more mentally incapacitated. It made you want to just pull him back to you and covet those lips with yours again. You snapped out of it though. You already knew he was capable of hot-wiring and hijacking your brain.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” you told him when you were able to form words again.

Sukuna looked at you from under his lashes, smiling slightly. “I’m not.”

Taken aback, you chuckled nervously. “No?”

He shook his head, reached over and ruffled your hair a bit. “Go inside. It’s late.” You nodded and disembarked from the car while he leaned on the steering wheel, watching you. You were already on the pavement, about to close the door, when he spoke again. “Can I come see you again?”

“Sure,” you said without thinking. “Good night, Sukuna.” Man, you just loved saying his name.

“Bye, Y/N. Good night.”

He drove away while you made your way towards your doorstep. Your fingers flew to your lips once you were standing on your porch, smiling to yourself at the realization of having kissed him. Shaking your head, you fished for the keys from your pocket and entered the house, not quite remembering how you got to your room, but you slept that night with pleasant dreams of running your fingers through pink locks of hair.

***

"I'm really sorry. Something came up and my phone died."

You acceded. It wasn’t as if Satoru did something so big. You went to the outdoor kiosks near the parking lot by the football grounds to catch up on some reading while Satoru ate and told you bits of his past few days, since he got held up at their family estate. Having such a traditional, high-ranking family in the country sure had its downsides, and you weren't about to make him even more agitated than he already was. He had it difficult, you knew that, and you weren’t about to be petty over him not coming to your supposed bonding time. He may be happy-go-lucky but you felt tension simmering just under the surface when you squeezed his hand in assurance.

Suguru and Ieiri followed shortly after Satoru fetched you from class, also surprised to see him there. "So, you finally decided to show up," the former said.

"Don't ask," Satoru said.

"Wasn't planning to," Suguru scoffed, his attention shifting to you. “What are you working on anyway?” he asked, flipping the file you were reading haphazardly to peer through the contents.

“I’m making an analysis report on ‘The Romantic Manifesto’.” you answered, looking up from the notes you were writing when your eyes suddenly strayed over his shoulder. You almost did a double-take, glancing at Suguru before returning your line of vision at the spot beyond where he sat.

“It’s due…” your voice trailed off when you realized just what, or rather who, you were looking at. You weren’t so sure whether what you were seeing was real or a mirage, a very familiar, specific and detailed one, but then, you figured it was the former when the person smirked and cocked his head to the side, beckoning you over to where he leaned against his grey Jeep as he raised a cup of what looked like cherry blossom tea.

Suguru arched a brow at you, looking behind him but not really noticing the object of your distraction. “Hey, you okay?”

Ieiri followed the direction of your gaze and nudged you when she saw who you were looking at. "Is that your Howard? Damn, girl. He’s sizzling."

You nodded, but at that same moment, you rose from the table without any explanation, your feet immediately leading you towards the outdoor carpark. When you were within earshot, you said, “What are you doing here?”

You stopped a few feet from him, glancing behind you to where the others had already turned their heads to follow the path you took, flashing you shit-eating grins. It wouldn’t surprise you anymore if they had pieced together who the person was before you. They claimed to be your ‘parents’ but acted like children at times.

“I brought you tea.” Sukuna walked towards you, standing so close that you forgot how to breathe for a few seconds as you inhaled his scent and took in his appearance, looking immaculate in a plain white shirt and faded jeans, but your brain only seemed to register those lips and the memory of how they felt against yours.

You shook your head, snapping out of your trance, mentally cursing at yourself. “Hi.” You exhaled loudly, trying hard not to smile like an idiot while you absently twirled your hair on your finger, suddenly seeing the world through a pinkish filter. "How do you keep finding me?"

Sukuna's smile dropped. “Did I come at an inconvenient time?” he asked gently, trying hard not to sound miffed, but he obviously was taken aback by your words.

“No.” You shook your head, placing a hand over your forehead. You finally smiled at him, letting out a choked snicker. “No, Sukuna. It’s good to see you. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to see you here. And you didn't really tell me you were coming.”

He grinned at you then but he still appeared unsure, placing a hand behind his neck. “Right.”

You flashed him a helpless look. “Please don’t look at me like that. I’m just really surprised.”

“Hmm." He moved closer to you, wrapping your hand around the transparent disposable cup. His proximity was affecting you in ways you couldn't admit out loud. "Are you happy to see me, too?"

"Too? So, you're happy to see me?"

"Always."

That's it. You're done for. Trying to avoid his intense gaze and escaping his scrutiny, you glanced over your shoulder to find everyone on your table observing you blatantly. Satoru raised a thumb at you while Ieiri was giggling with Suguru.

"Are those your friends?" Sukuna commented, his minty breath fanning against the side of your face which made you turn a little too quickly to face him again only to be confronted by his face leaning towards yours, mere centimeters away.

“Y-yeah.” You leaned a bit backwards but he moved forward. “That they are.” You stepped backwards again, nearly faltering on your feet, but you immediately gained your balance when he grabbed you by the arm, steadying you.

"Are you alright?" Sukuna asked, looking at you with concern written all over his face which morphed into wonder when you said, "Yeah, you're just overwhelming."

"Huh?"

"I can't think properly when I'm around you," you stated casually, your expressions not giving anything away as per usual. You arched a brow at him when he did the same. "You hot-wire my brain."

"I know what you mean." He smirked despite his confusion. "Is that good or bad?"

You eyed him thoughtfully, biting on your lower lip. "Good for you, bad for me. You can probably tell me to eat dirt and I'd do it in a heartbeat."

He chuckled, looking at you tenderly. "You're too honest."

"To a fault," you agreed, "Suguru tells me all the time. Wanna meet them?"

He ruffled your hair. "Sure."

***

While you weren't exactly expecting to see Sukuna again after the night you met, he became of constant presence around you. You have gone out with him several times over the course of two months. He was a busy person and you also had your priorities, but he always makes you feel special whenever you two would be out and about, behaving like such a gentleman opening and closing doors for you, naturally shifting closer to traffic while you walked, bringing an extra jacket in case you felt cold or a larger umbrella so you don't get wet, bringing you your favorite tea whenever he could.

He picked you up from school for lunch twice, making the most of the hour, and one time, you brought him lunch at work when he suddenly canceled on you, saying he was swamped with work. He sounded really upset so you decided to go to him instead. You brought Suguru with you as a buffer, but Sukuna's colleagues still teased him. He was different in the office – gruff and strict which fitted him more – but he still beamed at you happily when you brought him food, not caring who saw.

Apart from the brief phone calls, you two never really texted. It wasn't really your thing and he didn't like it either, so it could go days on end without you saying anything to each other, but when you do get a chance to speak, it would always be like picking up on where you've left off. He has only ever sent you two messages. One to remind you to take good care of yourself because he was going to be away for a while and another one a week later asking if you wanted to go out with him that coming Friday night.

"Your timing's off," you told him over the phone. You really wanted to say yes, but, "Ieiri, the boys and I are going out that night. Gang tradition."

"Some other time then?"

"Sure."

You hung up after a few more exchanges of words, getting started on reading some notes when Ieiri entered the kitchen. "Was that Howard?"

"Yeah. He's inviting me to go out on Friday, but I already said yes to clubbing with you guys."

She grinned cheekily, wrapping an arm around you as she poked you on the cheek. At times, it feels like Satoru was rubbing off on her. "Are you sure you don't want to ditch us for the hot architect?"

"Hot architect –" You snickered. "Did you just say that?"

"I was supposed to say 'sugar daddy,' literally and figuratively. Sugar and his cotton candy hair. Get it?"

You narrowed your eyes at her, shaking your head. It was supposed to be amusing, but when Ieiri says it, it just sounds weird. "Can I read in peace now?"

She left you alone, but laughed at your expense.

Friday couldn't have rolled around fast enough and you headed out with your friends at the club owned by a friend of yours, prepared to party in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, a crop top and your hair hanging about in wavy layers. You were already expecting the place to be cramped as hell given the day of the week so much so that Suguru had to hold onto you tightly so as not to lose you when you entered until you found the area you had reserved for the night. It was for good measure too since the place was drenched in purple, blue and green laser lights which were disorienting at first. And so, your night began as such.

You were in the middle of dancing, only pausing when you had to down your nth shot for the night when your eyes suddenly strayed to the bar area at the elevated part of the club adjacent to the the leather seats. You looked away but returned your gaze towards said direction when you realized this very familiar guy was looking at you. He was watching you as you danced and let loose, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

You craned your neck, looking back and thinking the guy looked a lot like Sukuna, but then he couldn’t be. He was engaged elsewhere, still you continued to ogle him until you were pretty sure it wasn’t the same person. But the longer you looked, the more it was being proven to you that it was him.

That lopsided smile drew itself across his lips, seeing as how you were doubting yourself about his identity. There was no mistaking that look on his face, the way his dark eyes seemed to sparkle whenever he smiled even if the action didn't belong there.

“Sukuna?” you mouthed his name and he nodded, motioning for you to come over with his head. It had been a solid ten days since you last saw him, and for some reason, your heart raced at the thought of seeing him there.

Without saying a word to the people you were with, you squeezed yourself through the crowd, your feet carrying to the upstairs bar, to Sukuna. It took you a while to traverse the space between you, and when you finally stood before him, all you could do was smile up at him, taking in the soft look about him as he regarded you which were at odds to those fiery eyes that had the capability to turn into bright orbs of light when he beamed down at you.

“Hello, Y/N. Once again, fate has brought you to me,” he said rather dramatically, a smirk drawing itself across his pretty mouth.

Laughter escaped your throat, unable to say anything when you realized that you actually missed him, missed looking at him. Unable to help it, you stood on your toes and reached out to touch his hair, the action surprising the both of you. He eyed you, his expressions that of a half-smile and a look of confusion while you retracted your hands as quickly as you felt his soft locks with your fingertips, wincing at the realization of what you were doing.

At that, he laughed heartily, stealing your hand and pressing it over the side of his head. “Go ahead. I don’t mind you touching me,” he told you, staring into your eyes that you felt like all the air in the room was gone.

You blinked at him, processing what he said and joined in his mirth. “You're here!” You shook your head when it dawned to you that you were stating the obvious. “I’m sorry. How are you, Sukuna?”

“Pink?” he offered and chuckled at his own joke which made your face heat up. “Kidding. I’m great. I missed you these past days. How are you?”

“You did?” You felt your insides melting at his statement, made worse when he nodded to confirm it. “I’m fine. Great. Where have you disappeared to anyway?”

He snickered a your question. “Madrid.”

Your jaw dropped. “As in Spain?”

He nodded. “Had to do something there.”

“Uh-huh.” His words were rather obscure, but you didn’t want to encroach on his private life.

“What are the odds that we’re at the same club?”

“The owner is a friend,” you answered, smiling awkwardly as you glanced at the direction of your friends on the dance floor. You saw all of them looking at you. Suguru winked at you, giving you the thumbs up, making you laugh at his silliness.

“The gang’s all here, I see.”

“What?” You faced Sukuna, finding him leaning close beside you against the metal balustrade. Just then, a waiter passed by holding a whole tray of shots, and before you could duck, he grabbed you by the waist so that you were leaning against him with no quantifiable space between your bodies. Your eyes widened in shock and you froze, your thoughts clouded by the familiar smell of rain in a bamboo forest during Maytime. “T-thanks…”

He hummed in response to your gratitude, but he didn’t let you go. “I didn’t know you enjoyed places like this, too.”

“Why is that?” you asked, feigning ignorance to how close you two were.

"I never pinned you for the party animal type. I kinda developed a fondness for that quiet, nerdy girl sitting at the corner of the pub."

"Not exactly. I prefer Maki's place to be honest but coming here once in a while doesn't hurt. Especially with those three." You frowned slightly at him then as you thought of something. “So, why didn’t you approach me?” You motioned towards the dancefloor. “I'm sure the three-headed monster won't mind if you joined us. You alone?”

“Yes, sweetheart, but aren't you supposed to be hanging out with them?" You grabbed his arm before he could refuse you and started leading him towards where the others were.

However, he had other plans in mind. Again, he hooked an arm around your waist until your back was leaning against him. You eyed him sideways, startled by his actions, but unable to counteract it anyway as you’re just stunned speechless all the while. “You can go back to them, Y/N, but I don’t think I should go with you.”

You turned around, gently easing away from his hold. “Why not? They already know you, and they like you.”

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a party pooper.” He leaned towards you, tilting his head to the side while his lower lip slightly jutted out.

"What are you talking about?” You rolled your eyes at him then snickered.

He eyed you seriously then. “Just in case this is a friends-only affair?”

“Satoru already ruined that by bringing his girls into the mix.” You laughed at him when you saw him hesitate. “Come on, Sukuna. Join us. For me?” You showed him your best impression of puppy-dog eyes. “Pretty please?”

When you saw that he wasn’t budging, you changed your argument. “Fine. Dance with me then.” You didn’t give him any time to contradict you as you took him by the hand and dragged him to the dancefloor.

He was just standing still, looking uncomfortable as you started to groove to the beat, so you took his arms and started moving them until he was moving on his own, finally breaking into that smile. He looked too awkward that you wanted to laugh but decided against it, simply raising your hands and feeling the music.

“Aren’t you having fun?” you asked him as you were bobbing your head to the bass.

“I am!” he answered above the music.

“You don’t look like you’re having fun. Are you shy?” You chuckled openly at that.

“No.”

“You don’t dance?”

“I can dance.”

You giggled. “Then show me what you’ve got!”

Without a warning, he started moving in sync with you, taking your hands in his and finally letting loose in such a graceful manner as you both got into the beat and started waving and swaying against one another, his hands slowly running at your sides in sensual rhythms that got you reeling in excitement. You almost forgot that you were with other people as you danced with him. It was fun and it felt good to be that carefree, not minding your friends, drinks flowing in nonstop.

Soon, the group you’ve left joined you and Sukuna. They all greeted him excitedly while the boys exchanged high-fives with him as they were dancing. Satoru and the two girls who were with him also joined in and somewhere along that, Suguru offered everyone cigarettes, and you gladly took one when you saw Sukuna taking one as well. You didn’t really smoke on a regular basis but you didn’t exactly shy away from the so-called cancer sticks.

After taking another shot, you pulled Sukuna out of the dancefloor, hollering at the others as you raised your cigarette, signaling where you were going in case they wanted to come with. You made your way to the smoking area at the veranda situated at the back of the building with the older male in tow. You were pretty much buzzed, calming down from the high you had while dancing, grinning wide as the cool night air met you, making your lungs expand as you breathed in.

Sukuna watched you as he took his place against the banister, following him shortly as you produced a lighter from your pocket, something that you always carried just in case.

“You smoke?” he asked, toying with his own battered stick, twirling it around his long fingers.

“Sometimes,” you admitted, watching his reaction. “And you?”

“Not really.”

“You took one anyway.” You wedged the item in question between your lips and raised the lighter, but before you could light it, it was pulled out from your mouth and the next thing you knew, Sukuna was kissing you, his lips pressed against yours as he pulled you closer by the hips which he seemed to have a fixation for since you came up to him. It was a soft yet urgent kiss that cajoled you to respond, and not long after, your lips were submissive clouds moving to the will of the wind that was his luscious mouth.

Like the first time you felt his lips against yours, electricity ran through your body as if he was touching you elsewhere apart from your mouth. It was driving you off the edge of sanity, and you knew you’d probably jump off a cliff for the male. He grinned at your dazed state when your eyes met after he finally pulled away, showing you the cigarette that was supposed to be between your lips before he unceremoniously laid claim to them.

“You’re going to ruin your lips by smoking. I’m keeping this,” he told you.

You were too mesmerized with the tingling feeling in your mouth while your eyes stayed glued to his as you blinked slowly, your mind and heart racing at a thousand miles per second. “W-why would you do that?” you stammered, feeling your throat go so dry that you had to drag the words out.

“Apart from the fact that it’s terribly unhealthy, it ruins your sense of smell and taste.” He waved the cigarette in front of you before shoving it into the pocket of his jeans. “Scientific fact.”

You couldn’t quite process what he was saying. You were asking why he kissed you, but he misunderstood. “Are you going to taser me with your lips every single time I’m about to smoke?”

“Taser…” He chuckled and narrowed his eyes at you. “I might just if it means these dangerous things don’t touch your pretty mouth.”

“What the –” You didn’t know if you would be scandalized by what he said or if you were going to laugh. The latter won and you tittered. “That’s a good one.”

“I mean it, Y/N.”

Boldness engulfed your whole thought process as you stepped closer to him, looking straight into his eyes. “And if I insist on it? Placing dangerous things in my pretty mouth? What are you going to do then?”

He, too, leaned forward, eyes flicking to your lips. “Then I guess I just have to keep your mouth too busy to even think about smoking again,” he whispered to you, his breath hitting your lips.

You smirked at him then. “I guess I just have to make sure you aren’t around if I do feel like smoking.”

He pouted. You burst out laughing.

You reached over and pinched both of his cheeks. “You’re so adorable.”

Sukuna swatted your hands away, but smiled nonetheless. "You're the only one who says I'm adorable."

"You are. You just don't know it."

“Okay then. If you say so.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear then, your skin tingling where he touched you. “Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Not really.”

“Good. I wanna do something for you.”

You eyed him questioningly. “Hmm. What?”

“That’s a surprise.”

It was already around two in the morning when everyone had the unanimous decision to leave the club which was still packed. You, too, were getting tired especially after Ieiri ended up hammered and Satoru was emptying his guts through his mouth. Suguru was a bit drunk, too, but he was trying his best to help you take care of them. Sukuna had been very nice all night, even helping you load Satoru and Ieiri into the backseat of Suguru’s car.

“Would you like me to drive you home?” he asked you after shutting the door to the backseat.

“No, I’m gonna be fine. Besides, I can’t just leave Suguru to deal with them both.” You motioned to his Jeep. “You should go ahead, too.”

Sukuna grimaced as he nodded. “I guess that would be for the best. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. You take good care now.”

“You, too, sweetheart.” He stepped forward and pulled you against him, hugging you, enveloping you in his warmth and that scent you loved profusely. “It’s really great seeing you tonight.”

You returned the gesture, smiling up at him as you tried to compose yourself. “It’s great seeing you, too.” You stood on your toes and pecked him on the cheek before giving him a gentle shove towards the car. “See you, Sukuna.”

He waved at you then boarded the car. You watched as it disappeared down the street before turning away to enter the club to get Suguru who was left to settle the bills. You found him seated on one of the couches, finding your way easily since the crowd thinned a bit.

“You okay, dude?” you asked when you reached him. He was pale and he looked like he was going to throw up anytime. “Do you need to go to the restroom?”

He shook his head. “Just get me out of here.”

You chuckled, leading him faster out of the club. You sat him down on passenger side and soothed his back, asking after him again as you started the engine. He said he was fine, laughing when he caught a glimpse of the two who were already passed out on the backseat with Satoru lying on Ieiri’s lap while her head was lolling limply to the side.

The drive was rather short without much cars on the road, but Suguru was still able to squeeze in a conversation, and of all the topics he could broach, it had to be about Sukuna.

“I thought Sukuna will be driving you home,” he began, glancing at you.

“He offered, but I can’t just leave you.”

“That would have been okay.” He glanced at the rearview mirror then, checking on the two, you could only guess. He could be such a mother hen at times. “I think he’s cool.”

“Mhmm.”

“And he’s really good-looking,” Suguru threw in with a chuckle. “Just date already.”

You chuckled. “Why don’t you date him instead?”

“Don’t you want to try it out with him?”

“He hasn’t even asked me to date him.”

“Yeah, but he already kissed you –”

“How did you know about that?” you demanded, mortified. Your cheeks were heating up again at the memory of it.

“Well, you’re in a public place.” He laughed. “So, it’s bound to end in dating anyway.”

“Not necessarily.” You turned sideways to look at him. “He’s older after all, not that I see the age gap as a problem. But you know, he might just be passing time.”

“He obviously likes you. If you date him, it’s a win-win situation. You like him, too, you just don’t know it.”

You scoffed. “How can you say that?”

He blew a raspberry. Typical Suguru behavior. “You can be yourself around him. You’re all smiley face around him, too. I saw you. You can’t lie to me.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah. You look your best that way. And don’t ever think you are just a pastime. I’ll kill him if he treats you as such.” He smiled knowingly at you. “Besides, you should date properly. Enough with your flings with stupid boys in campus.”

“Okay, dad.” You sighed, trying to contain your excitement. “I do like him though. He’s so nice to me.”

Suguru reached over patting you on the shoulder. “Ah! My daughter is a grown-woman.”

You swatted at his hand, laughing at his antics.

-end of part 1-

If you're curious who Howard Roark is, he's one of my fave literary characters from Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." He's excellently made. That's it.

Can architect!sukuna please call me "sweetheart," too?

If you want to be included in the tag list, please DM me :) I'll be posting every week (or I'll try to anyway). Someone remind me to post the next chapters please?

Additional notes are available in the masterlist, particularly on the reasons why I wrote some things the way I did. I don't know what I'm trying to prove there, but haha!

Thank you so much for reading. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it.

© ORIGINAL WORK BY nanaminokanojo. CHARACTERS ARE INSPIRED BY GEGE AKUTAMI'S JUJUTSU KAISEN. [20210618]

PHOTO/IMAGE/GIF/FANART SOURCES FULLY CREDITED TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

[cognitosclowns]

Hey! Can you maybe talk about the gang's laughs? We don't hear a lot of them laugh and i just want them to be happy lmao thanks!

ANONNNNN I LOVE YOU TYSM THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN

ALL SFW JUST GIGGLES <333 HAPPY TIMES HAPPY DAY

(THIS IS CONSIDERING THEY'RE,,, COMPLETELY CRACKING UP??)

REAGANNNNN

SHE SNORTS. When she starts laughing super hard its this,, honking snorting noise.

SHE INSTINCTIVELY COVERS HER MOUTH TOO <3

AA HER NOSE SCRUNCHES UP <3333 her whole face bunches up all happy <3

THE TYPE TO SMACK HER LEG OR YOU?? <333 JUST THIS

BRETT

IT REALLY IS THE CLASSIC Giggle (tm)

GIGGLY BITCH <3 he does the Prayer Hands against his lips or forehead. OR HE PATS HIS OWN CHEEKS??

BIGGEST SMILE <333 NOBODY SMILES BRIGHTER THAN BRETT HAND. Radiant, shimmering smile. blinding msndsmnd.

100% GONNA LAUGH HARD ENOUGH TO ROLL OVER. LIKE JUST,, KEEL TO THE SIDE AND FLOP INTO FETAL POSITION ON THE COUGH??

ALPHA-BETA

HIS USUAL TONE AND INTONATION?? that Very Smooth kind of laugh, a classic 'ah-ha-ha-ha' smndsmdns

its starts as a Few Little Exhales through his noise + biting his smile bc,, Ooh Hes So Serious Yes Yes Etc BUT EVENTUALLY IT BREAKS INTO A PROPER LAUGH. His shoulders shake like nothing else smdns.

HE DOESN'T LAUGH OFTEN <3 VERY SPECIAL SURPRISE <3

ANDRE

IT BUILDS UP <3 like it starts as this quiet, restrained little giggle that eventually ERUPTS INTO THIS MASSIVE WHEEZE

HIS WHOLE BODY LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE LAUGH. LOOKS LIKE HE'S EXPELLING HIS SOUL.

LIKE CAR-HORN WHEEZE. This man smokes everything under the sun, of course he has a wheeze

it always finishes with a breathless 'oh shit' while he rubs his chest, grinning like an idiot

GIGI

GIGGLY. her mouth doesn't really open when she laughs? just a BIG GRIN, COVERING HER MOUTH WITH HER WRIST.

SHE VERBALLY KEYSMASHES?? JUST A BUNCH OF NONSENSE ALMOST-WORDS BEFORE BREAKING OUT INTO GIGGLES <333

SHE LAUGHS A BUNCH AND FORGETS TO BREATHE SO EXPECT SOME GASPING SMNDSMD

HER EYES GET WATERY WHEN SHE LAUGHS <3 HER MASCARA IS DOOMED.

SHE JUST KEEPS SINKING LOWER AND LOWER INTO HER SEAT UNTIL SHE'S FALLING OFF IT <3333 covers her face at the end and goes 'aaa haha <3' before composing herself

MYC

THIS SUPER DISTINCT, CLEAR LAUGH? Like a full on 'AH -HAHAHAHA!' if he was a human, his jaw would be UNHINGING

LOUDEST THING IN THE WORLD, BUT ALSO SUPER ENERGETIC?

IT GETS SUPER NASALLY TOO.

IF HE SAYS 'FUCK YOU' IT MEANS HE ENJOYED THE JOKE A LOT. HE HATES THAT IT GOT HIM THAT GOOD. ITS BEING ADDED TO HIS CATALOGUE.

GLENN

JUST THE JUSTIN MCELROY LAUGH. IM SORRY I CAN'T PICTURE IT ANY OTHER WAY.

this MASSIVE, BUBBLING LAUGH right out of his stomach that breaks off into coughing and wheezing. His cheeks go bright red

ALSO LOTS OF SNORTING. TOSS IN SOME ASSORTED SOUTHERN COLOQUIALISMS AND SWEARING <333

IT WILL END IN A COUGHING FIT <33 and that's worth it bc he looks so much brighter after.

JR

HIS REAL LAUGH IS SUPER SILENT. LIKE THROUGH HIS NOSE??

BRIGHT PINK EARS. His cheeks might not light up much but his ears <33 get so rosy

Very Sniffly Laugh. You may even get a little 'eh hehe'

HE LIKE,, goes in circles?? like his body does a little,, Oval Path?? rocking back and forth?? SORRY ITS HARD TO DESCRIBE -

He rubs his face after, giggling a bit while he smooths his hair n fixes his glasses. brbrbrbrbr im gay

GRRR THIS WAS SO FUN GOD,,, THIS WAS CUTE THIS WAS CUTE THIS WAS SO CUTE

[heatwayve]

NAOMI & JOSH & ANGEL — DAY FORTY.

location : daybeds.

time : day 40, morning

summary : naomi completes her challenge by getting angel to spoon her and josh hates it

featuring :  angel / @dobits + josh / @graftisms

naomi: on the surface it seems like a simple enough task, but it's not like you go up to some guy who's not your boyfriend like, 'oh my god, please, spoon me, i'm desperate.' it's actually so silly, and naomi feels like she's got her work cut out for her even when she talks to callie about it – obviously giving her a heads up. she takes the opportunity when angel's alone on the daybeds, curling up close next to him. "hey," she greets, voice and demeanor all soft, though kind of a hard sell to seem like a girl in need of some comfort after the night she had. "i'm sick of this, both of us being, like, wifed up and busy. you gotta make more time for me," she says.

angel: “sup, babes,” angel says. then, tongue firmly in his cheek, “i mean, mrs. josh.” mostly ‘cause he has no idea what the dude’s last name is. in any case, he reaches over to teasingly pinch her cheek. at least she can admit to being wifey, angel smiles at their paralleled domestication. “i’m a househusband, actually. different vibe.” he’d been stretched out on his back, arm tucked back behind his head, but rolls to his side to give naomi his full humored attention. “m’kay, gimme the gossip then. what’s been goin’ on with you?”

naomi: "yeah, yeah," she rolls her eyes, a smile playing at her lips, "whatever, mr. callie." maybe they're not as official in nomenclature but they may as well be, really, and she'd fight him on that. teeth snap at angel's fingertips as he reaches over to pinch her, trying to bite back. "yeah, what's the distinction then?" she asks him, moving in close so their bodies are touching, her head resting in the crook of his arm. "please, everybody in the villa knows what's up with me. though, wait, actually -" god, she actually has such a story to tell him about a missing vibrator, but it's so not a spooning vibe. she needs to temper the mood down or she's gonna have him giggling instead, calling callie back over to conspire or something. she takes a breath, "if i ask you something, you'll give it to me straight?"

angel: “the distinction is that i’m a big, manly husband, obviously,” he says like duh. like it wasn’t just yesterday he was proclaiming himself jude’s wifey. well, naomi’s right about that, it’s hard to miss updates about her when josh is literally shouting them from the rooftop. he interjects playfully in her pause, “what? is it true you were dressed up in a canadian flag when you asked him to be your boyfriend?” words travel in the villa, for sure, but not before getting goofily jumbled. plus, angel just likes to tease her. he turns more serious at her question though, brows popping up on his forehead as he nods earnestly. “yeah, of course. what’s up?”

naomi: "right, so that means you . . . mow the lawn, love to grill, listen to weezer?" she asks, nose crinkling. the suggestion that she'd be dressed up in the canadian flag to dtr sounds like something out of jay and silent bob go canadian, eh? (real film) so she's got to roll her eyes, but truthfully, angel's not even that far off. but all the cringe was kind of worth it for the look on josh's face. "mmh, yeah," she nods, playful smirk tugging at her lips, "and i was covered in maple syrup, too." endeared by the earnest shift in angel's demeanor, she smiles slightly. her comfort around him isn't a charade, though she's subtle about the way she turns her weight, glancing over her shoulder at him. at what point does it start to count as a full spoon? "do i look a total fucking mess right now? rate these eyebags."

angel: “mhm, m— weezer?” nose scrunches in a mimic of her’s. “iron maiden, baby. does your old man listen to weezer?” that would be hilarious, especially considering who her dad is (whose identity he’s learned since casa). there’s a distinct sweetness to her smile, probably not even related to the supposed syrup. he’s surprised she doesn’t argue that he was the one to ask her to be official, obviously. something cute about that, too. “awww,” angel squeezes her upper arm, shaking her a bit, before he lets it lay awkwardly between their bodies. he snorts some at her question, his arm still a barrier between them as he tries to lean over her shoulder to be able to get a look. “naomi — jesus, i can barely even see you.” it’s not as if they both aren’t touchy feely people, he’s not really thinking twice about it except that maybe she is trying to hide something with her back to him. he’s chuckling patiently. “the hell are you doing? swear, i’m getting flash backs to when we shared a bed.” with her pointing the opposite way and angel probably taking up too much room, except now there’s proximity. “of course you don’t have eyebags.”

naomi: "well, no. but he doesn't mow the lawn or like to grill either," she adds. she's basing this off daytime comedies. "he likes italian operas. you can have that one for free, in case they have another islander trivia night," she adds with a wry smile, the first indication that she might be slightly bitter about the last one. "shut the fuck up," naomi says, though he's barely said anything, his perception of her and the possibly adorable nature of her current relationship status makes her blush. "nuh-uh, if you were getting flashbacks, you'd be starfishing right now," king of taking up space. "i'm just actually so exhausted, i feel like it shows," she sighs, shifting her weight back against him, hoping she sounds pathetic enough to be taken seriously for the allotted time before she can pop up with a surprising amount of energy. "can you just hold me for a sec?"

angel: “oh, right, yeah. who doesn’t get down with an italian opera?” chock full of sarcasm. “man, really hoping we don’t. think we all know each other a little too well now.” at least they can rest easy knowing there won’t be another movie night, though, with that consideration, angel’s a little wary what people might do with that knowledge. “hey, i gave you plenty of room. you only take up, like, this much space anyway,” he argues, fingers pinching a teeny bit of air. it’s a far cry from sleeping with callie, both of them tangled up in each other. angel frowns a bit, is about to offer to give her space to sleep when she poses her question. “oh —,” he naturally gives pause to the newness of this kinda favor coming from naomi. but far be it from angel not to cuddle. “yeah,” he says softer, vaguely confused, like when he’s trying to figure out what one of his little cousins are wanting from him. in any case, he throws an arm over naomi and scoops her into his chest, his head still inclined up a bit so he can see just the edge of her profile. “everything’s good, right?”

naomi: "i only took up that much space because you were taking up the rest," she retorts, flicking at his pinched fingers. honestly, it's a funny comparison that in casa, naomi flirted with angel on the first day and callie compared angel to her brother. now, angel feels like family to naomi and callie's railing him in the hideaway. his reaction to her request is so endearing, unexpected, especially because she would've never asked something like this of him – to be held – without prompting from producers. she feels so when he wraps his arms around her without question, almost feeling guilty that she'd pictured it like a challenge. "yeah," she nods, "everything's good, i swear." she makes eye contact with adela as she walks by and flashes her a grin and a tiny thumbs-up close to her chest, like, victory, bitch. "you can go now, if you want, i'm like, two seconds from crashing."

josh: he's walking by, minding his own business, used to the tangle of limbs that usually decorate the daybeds. but it's the sight of naomi's face that makes him do a double take, pressed against—fuck, what's that guy's name again? jenny's back-up guard dog, if last night was any indication of it. he doesn't mean to interrupt them, but by the time he recognizes what's going on he's stopped in front of the bed, eyes narrowed despite trying to not completely lose his cool. is this what having a girlfriend means, that she can press her ass against any other guy and it be okay? it doesn't help that he catches the tail end of the grin meant for adela, assuming it's because of angel. "what's so funny?" he asks, with only a little snark. he's trying to check himself, fully aware of how much of a mug he looks like right now, towering over them. "oh sorry, am i interrupting something? i can go." doesn't this guy have a girlfriend? ffs.

angel: it seems like naomi’s halfway to lullaby lane by the way she keeps her back to him, so he’s keen to give her the space she asks for. naturally, it’s then that josh throws a snarky (but only a little) shadow over them. angel’s aware of how it might look, he’s also aware that josh might still be bent out of shape by the presumably un-fun night he promoted for himself, so angel’s willing not to make matters worse. “no, no,” he tells josh as he carefully snakes his arm out from under naomi’s head before leaning over to smack a kiss against her cheek. “don’t throw me in a locker, i’m goin’, swear,” angel tries to show him a smile to imply his joke as he lifts himself off the daybed, then amiably taps josh’s arm. “she was just saying she was, like, mad tired. you two kids feel better, ‘kay?”

naomi: she has to fight the urge to literally facepalm when she hears josh's voice. she thought she'd been more tactical – trying to be quick about this while josh was inside somewhere so she could just regale him with the funny story about it later. maybe on the dance floor at tonight's party. "seriously, don't go," naomi's lips turn downward into a pout as she sits up a little on the daybed, positioning her arms so they push her chest up – like maybe he'll forget to be pissed (or at least he might forget to bother with angel) if she uses the right distraction. she reaches her hand out, beckoning him closer, "c'mere."

josh: "who, me?" a hand reaches out like he's gonna grab her, until it dramatically splays across his chest instead. his head makes a show of moving around, watching angel walk away (completely ignoring him as he got up) and looking around to see if there's anyone else nearby. "i thought you wanted him not to leave," he nods in angel's direction, voice a little too breezy. "it's okay, i can get someone else for you. dylan's gotta be around here somewhere."

naomi: jaw drops comically when he fakes her out, a scoff of disbelief on her lips as she tries to keep from grinning at him. naomi can't help but be amused by the dramatics, because from her vantage point, it's all so silly.  "oh my god, i literally just told him to go," she says, getting up on her knees so that she has the vantage point to try and reach for his hand again, to try and reel him back toward her. "don't be a prick," she's choosing not to play into the low blow any further than that considering the circumstances, "you might as well stick around because i'm not gonna let you go anywhere." she ducks her head slightly to hold his gaze, wishing there was a chill way to tell him to just trust her. "please," is her best attempt, a word she doesn't use too often. "stay."

josh: damnit, why is she smiling? now he wants to smile, momentarily forgetting the whole point of being mad at her for being pressed against some other dude, especially when she's looking up at him like that. stifling an exasperated groan in the back of his throat, he comes a little closer until his knees are nearly against the daybed, reaching down to hook two fingers to the bottom of her chin, drawing her a little closer. when she's looking at him like this, on her knees, it does help his mood. "you're not gonna let me go anywhere?" he scoffs, not sure if he should be entertained or annoyed. he's mostly the latter, but her shamelessness in this moment makes him feel like he's missing something. "you gonna tell me what the hell that was about?" his voice drops a little, not trying to make a scene of the scene he already caused.

naomi: "nope, no bailing now," she says this matter-of-factly, arms snaking around his waist as she rests her chin on his chest. there's still that smile tugging at the corners of her lips, especially as she watches him fight to keep his annoyed resolve. her gaze darkens a little as she looks up at him through her lashes, honestly a bit turned on that he's gotten all bothered about this – she wouldn't like the alternative. "josh," his name comes out like a sigh, though it's a little bit of a placeholder to give her an extra second to gather her words. "we were just laying out and talking, and i started falling asleep. like, it was a late night. i barely realized," she explains, as if she didn't specifically ask angel to hold her. but hey, she's already lying, so might as well. as hot as the edge to his voice is, she doesn't want him pissy at her all day over a stupid challenge. "i'm sorry, i totally wasn't thinking."

josh: josh sees through the puppy dog eyes, he really does. he can only assume that she's laying her charm on thick because she knows he's in the right and doesn't want to admit it. he just wishes that her look wasn't so effective on him, having to glance away to keep any semblance of cool, even if his hand reaches down to run his fingers through her hair—not particularly lightly. jaw tightens slightly at her comment, because it's not like he enjoys hearing that she was sleeping with some other dude, even if it was platonically (or he can only hope it was).  "he was putting you to sleep, then?" josh snorts (derogatory), finally looking back down at her. his hands move to grip the side of her face, two fingers pinching her cheek. "i'm also tired, you know," he says, voice low, "because someone kept me up all night. maybe i should go nap... you think adela's available for a spoon?"

naomi: a low, frustrated moan builds from the back of her throat as he tugs at her hair, surprising even herself with the sound – she didn't expect him to be so rough with her. maybe that's why she expected him to say something more possessive, rather than bringing up another girl. there's hurt that briefly flashes through her eyes before they fill with fire, aware that dare or not, she wouldn't have intended to hurt him. "angel and i are friends. he's just someone i'm comfortable around – it's platonic," she clarifies, because she hadn't really thought that she needed to until now. she doesn't make jokes about fucking him. "is that really what you want to do? you wanna go?" she hopes to call his bluff, her hand reaching up toward her face to touch his. "because i can find someone else to put their hands on me, but if you just don't want anyone else to touch, then say that," her voice is low, more honeyed than it is aggressive though it's not without a certain edge. naomi's gaze meets his as she guides his hand lower so that he can feel her pulse, the rise and fall of her chest – and then she reels back slowly, falling back onto the mattress so she's just propped up by her elbows, looking up at him with dark eyes. "so, which is it?"

josh: "adela and i are friends, too," he counters, "platonic." does platonic count if you wanted to fuck them at one point? it doesn't really matter, because josh thinks he can tell from the look in naomi's eyes that he had made his point. or maybe it's just because he doesn't actually want to go right now, the air between them crackling with intensity—the sexy kind. josh's eyes darken as he looks down at her, holding himself back from touching her exactly how he wants to right now, because of the vague recollection that they're in public. but it's hard for him not to want to react physically when she talks about other people touching her, even if josh knows she doesn't actually mean it. he can feel the rise and fall of her chest beneath the palm of his hand, his own breathing beginning to match hers, even their heartbeats feeling in sync. sometimes it feels like they know each other so well, josh can anticipate her moves; so when she abruptly pulls away to make her point, it doesn't even surprise him. her elbows have only touched the mattress for a beat before he's grabbing her by the ankle and pulling her towards the edge of the bed he's still standing in front of, so when he finally kneels onto it her body's pinned between him, and he's towering over her. "i wasn't aware i needed to clarify that, as your boyfriend." the word feels pointed, but it's only because josh is still trying it on for size. it fits like a new sweater, needing a few more cycles in the wash before it fits snug. "but fine," hands find hers to pin them against the mattress, fingers interlocking with her own, "i don't want anyone else to put their hands on you. least of all some fucking guy." sorry to angel, but he's just some dude. the bottom half of him leans down so their hips are pressed together, and josh gives her a serious look. "okay?"

naomi: god, she's going to owe angel such a massive apology later. if he'll even hear her out, that is, considering he's just been upgraded (or downgraded?) from mere challenge target to foreplay. she's got twice as much to talk to him about now. still, it's hard not to feel like she's won when josh's eyes go dark and he doesn't pull his hand away from her. naomi's usually turned on when josh is pissed, but usually she's pissed too and trying to hold back. this is kind of fun, feels like a new range of territory for them, and her eyes are charting out all of his mannerisms in a new light, the way his jaw tightens, raising the vein in his neck. there's a gasp from her lips that dissolves into surprised laughter as josh tugs her across the mattress, and she's equal parts turned on and amused by josh's macho display of bravado an utter seriousness over the whole situation – one that she has the perspective of knowing that there's absolutely nothing for him to worry about. she's so aware that he's absolutely going to kick himself over this later. naomi's quiet again as he leans closer, gaze flickering between his eyes and his mouth, not sure where to look as he pins her hands above her head. naomi's tongue swipes across her lips to wet them as she nods, wishing that she could lean up to kiss him in this moment, but she doesn't have the range of motion while she's pinned underneath him. her only weapon is her ability to carve her hips into his, which she does, slow and teasing. "okay, baby," her tone is placating, but a little breathless, "you're the only one." she has no idea if the rest of the villa can see them, but she does have the teeniest bit of self-awareness, and interest in more privacy. "now," her tone is measured, wrists tugging lightly to test his grip, "will you take me inside and prove it?"

josh: they go inside and bang.

[cassiawinters]

KAT MCNAMARA // have you seen CASSIA WINTERS around the crash site? we’re trying to make sure they’re still alive after the crash! according to the manifesto SHE/THEY is a TWENTY SEVEN year old NON BINARY**. i hear they’re known being a HACKER. CASSIA is also known to be ALTRUISTIC yet also AVOIDANT at times. we have a couple questions for CASSIA when we find HER, we heard something about a secret they might have? such as THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE IN PART FOR A CAR CRASH THAT KILLED TWO PEOPLE! (dev, 31, gmt, they/she***)

TW: Car Crash, Death, Awful parents, Addiction, Cass' personality in general

Cassia was taught from a very young age to hate herself and everything different about her. That she was wrong, a monster, and that she would only bring death and pain in her wake. Something she still believes to this day, it’s not something you just simply decide to stop believing when everyone you’ve ever loved died as a result of something you couldn’t stop. She has failed to protect everyone, and that, in her mind, just proves her father right in that regard. She has a lot of self loathing and self hatred.

But she is not her father. And she refuses to be associated with him. she doesn’t believe in his work either. She’s pro a lot of things that she was ‘made’ with the intention of eradicating and being used against. And while she’s not a people person, while the very thought terrifies her, she has no problem standing up and being in the way when it counts.

She’s a selfless person with an extremely altruistic nature. She sees nothing wrong in hurting in the place of others. Especially those more deserving of living and of being pain free. That isn’t limited to people she knows either. She would put her life in danger for a perfect stranger without even thinking twice about it. The nature to protect others, is very prominent in her. No matter how much she tries to play it off or act like its the same as anyone else would do.

She cares about people, and while she can’t really say it, she can definitely show it and she does in both subtle and not subtle ways. She doesn’t let anyone she cares about not know it, whether that’s through touch, looks, concern, or just constantly checking on them. Or even just using a softer voice with them, or listening to them more than she would a normal person. She’ll never walk away from anyone she loves. And make no mistake she does know what love is. And she is one of the people who loves deeply and without remorse over it. Both platonic and romantic. She rarely makes the distinction because to her they are both equally as important to her. One isn’t less than the other.

Part of her resistance to let the words be out there, to really throw her cards on the table, to even consider a relationship or lasting friendships, or anything else of permanence, is that she has a huge fear of abandonment. of being left again, of not being enough. She’s suffered so many losses, so many setbacks, messed up so many things, and hurt people, that she doesn’t think she ever can be good enough for any of that. Never mind deserve it.

She’s been broken and remade in the name of one man’s mad vengeance quest, and then broken again through even more tragedy and loss. But she clawed herself back up and rebuilt herself. She’s made of iron and steel. That’s the one thing people forget when they set out to break someone. To strip them down to nothing for their own purpose. They forget that the person knows what it’s like to be at rock bottom. To have nothing, they know what it’s like to go through the worst in life, and survive. And that’s cassia at her core. She’s a survivor. She will walk through hell and come out of the other side. No matter what you throw at her, no matter what you do to her, she’ll survive, she’ll push herself back up from the ground. Because she’s endured worse and survived. So she knows she can. And god help anyone who pushes her to that extreme.

She’s not hard to get along with or speak to, she’s a good person at her core, and as much as social situations make her uncomfortable, she won’t be rude about it, unless the other person is too. She tries her best, even though she's awkward and that’s all she can do. But if people start unnecessary drama, she’s out, she’s gone, she will climb out the window and down the drain pipe if she has to. That sets her anxiety right off and she doesn’t know how to deal with that. And she doesn’t think she should have to anyway. She has social anxiety, so she’s not the best at making friends. But she does try to keep the friends she has. Even if she can’t really handle a lot of attention.

Cass has a penchant for trouble. She has a sarcastic sense of humour which doesn’t help and she will make jokes to ease situations, or just because she thinks it’s funny. Even if it might not be the best time or place. Her mischievous nature probably doesn’t win her any points either. Another thing that probably doesn’t win her any favours with some people is that she won’t hesitate to call someone out on their bullshit.

She finds it almost impossible to trust people. It would probably be easier to win the lottery than it would be to earn her undoubting trust. She’ll always have that thought in the back of her mind that it’s a trick, that she’s going to end up betrayed all over again. Though she’s not intentionally cruel, she’s actually quite shy. But after her father all but tortured her, she finds it hard to accept kindness, her lashing out with words, and sometimes physically is just her way of trying to protect herself. It’s an unhealthy way to think but she knows no different

Though while she’s bad with trusting people, she does build up affection for people in her life and she’s naturally softer with them both emotionally and humour wise, without noticing. Her loyalty can be earned, if you can put up with her. And to those people she’s extremely protective of. There isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for them. Legal and very much illegal wise. She would legitimately die for those she cared for. And while she can’t trust other people, she does help people if she can. Whether that be with giving them a roof over their head for a few nights or hurting someone who has hurt them. She’s a giving person deep down. and she knows what it’s like to suffer, and she doesn’t want anyone else to have to.

She doesn’t really advertise she’s a hacker to unknown people. She has circles she travels in that get her steady business, and if she feels like it she can hack into a huge business and siphon off some cash without them ever being able to trace it back to her. Though she’s only done that twice before, and neither was for her own benefit. It was for the benefit of people who needed and deserved much more than money from the companies that had fucked them over.

She was always a bit of a computer genius and hacks into anything no real questions asked, for money. It’s not her dream job, but it lets her feel like she has control. Control that she’d been missing all her life. and that’s a huge thing for her, to have control for once, It’s why she can freak out if she loses control of a situation. She never learned that not being in control isn’t always a bad thing.

Nobody’s perfect and i can see people not liking her at all. She’s insubordinate, reckless, impulsive, sarcastic. All that fun stuff that makes her not the most easiest person in the world to like. She might be a pacifist to some degree, in the regard that she doesn’t want to hurt or kill anyone, and she probably couldn’t take any more blood on her hands, but if she has to step on a few toes, or break the law. It’s worth it to her to protect those she loves.

Cassia never attended any sort of school or college, she never had a mainstream education. Though she was taught the basics in the program she was confined to. But there was something about that, that, when she was able to, she taught herself more than she needed to know. It was like she was trying to make up for things she had lost by proving to herself that she could hide scars and faults and damage under intelligence. And she is intelligent, she has a big iq, and she studies things for fun, even to this day.

People could say that Cassia has a high pain tolerance, but, with her, it’s not that she doesn’t feel pain, or cry out after a point. It’s that she’s just used to pain and torture. And as a recovering addict, she knows she can't take any sort of pain relief anyway, so she just got even more used to pain.

It’s true that she’d most likely have more of a reaction to emotional pain than physical pain, something that she was trained to be used to. She could get injured and not even notice she was bleeding. Because it’s something she was so used to that it doesn’t even register in her mind to check on herself. It just happens. She’s also stitched herself up more than once.

Cassia has trouble with doing nothing. She can’t really stay still, she always has to be doing something, Always has to be on top of things and stimulating her brain. She gets restless super easy and part of it is that she’s not good at thinking things through. She acts on impulse. She doesn’t wait she leaps into things head first with no safety net. Which is both a blessing and a curse. She’s always been impulsive.

She has a heavy heart, and she feels things intensely, especially negative things like guilt and remorse. She will forever carry the guilt of things she’s done and caused, of the people she couldn’t save. she’s hard on herself and she doesn’t let herself forgive herself. She doesn’t seek out forgiveness either. Doesn’t think she deserves it or ever will.

She’s the type of person to face her fears head on when challenged with them. Deep down she knows the only way to overcome something is to stand and face it. She spent years running from her problems, from everything she fears and it only ends in disaster. People get hurt, she gets hurt. But sometimes she forgets that she’s just a human being, that she can hurt and feel and fail. That she can feel fear and have things she’s scared of losing. Just like she has things she’s scared of.

Her own emotions are often strangled and pushed to the back burner, in aid of helping someone else, or in aid of not feeling them and their effects. She hasn’t cried in several years for example. And she knows she struggles with putting herself first, with dealing with her own emotions. But she’s a master at compartmentalising and acting like nothing is ever wrong or gets to her

On the fear front, Cassia is a nervous flyer, she hates being in small, cramped spaces. She loathes elevators, refuses to even get in them. It’s a fear dating back to where she lived most of her life in confinement. Forcing her into a situation like that is a guaranteed breaking point. She also has a fear of birds.

[imagine-loki]

Mischief and Magic

TITLE: Mischief and Magic CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 12/? AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine you are a descendant from a kitsune, a fox demon. You have a mischievous streak a mile long. One day, after Thor gets tired of your antics, he throws you at Loki demanding that you annoy Loki for awhile. RATING: T (for now) NOTES/WARNINGS: Also on AO3 here

Morgan took Loki’s hand and dragged him out of the tower, treating him more like a favorite stuffed animal than a terrifying powerful god. Clearly, Loki had lost his touch, at least when it came to this little mortal Starklet, but somehow he couldn’t find it in himself to mind.  She was treating him like her best friend, like potentially more than that when she was of age to consent to such things, and Loki found that he liked it.  He’d never had a friend like her before, or friends at all.  Thor’s friends were idiots and Loki was too different on Asgard to be accepted.  Somehow… somehow Morgan didn’t mind that he was different and dark.  She kept finding and pulling out the light in him.

Loki flinched when they left the tower, expecting some alarm to go off, some weapon to attack him for daring to leave without an approved guard or babysitter.  For daring to leave without permission.  He was astonished when no attack came and when Morgan just kept dragging him along like nothing strange occurred with him. She led him out onto the street, chatting with him as they strolled along.  Loki listened intently as she told him about the city and the shops, as she told him about Midgardian life. It grounded him, seeing how similar and different this realm was to his home. 

People stared at them as they walked.  Morgan ignored them, used to being in the spotlight, used to all the attention.  Her father was famous and her looks made her distinctive, especially with her arc reactor glowing through her shirt.  Loki noted with satisfaction that she wore a repulsor, hidden as a watch, and was proud of her for not going unarmed, even if he was perfectly capable of protecting her.  

Loki also knew that some of the stares from the people on the street were for him.  Even without his distinctive helmet, it was common knowledge that he was back on the realm and living at the tower.  Seeing him with Morgan wasn’t terribly unexpected.  Though he heard some mentions about some mortal named ‘Tom Hiddleston’.  He made a note to himself to ask Morgan about that when they were safely in private again.  

As they made their way to more densely populated shops, Loki felt the need to speak up, to spill a secret before it blew up the hard way.  It took more courage than he wanted to admit, afraid of being rejected like he had been all his life, but he finally got the words out: “I should warn you that cold things turn me blue." He said the words in a rush.  It was the only way to get them out.  Did she know what he was?  Did she understand what the cold would do to him?  Would she see him as a monster?

Morgan paused in her stride and looked up at him, giving him her full attention with a small adorable frown.  She resembled a kitten trying to figure out how to properly pounce on a hoppy bug.  “Oh… do you want to go somewhere else?" she didn't want to make him uncomfortable and clearly didn’t quite see what the problem was or how to fix it. 

Loki shook his head firmly. He really did want to try the treat.  “Not at all. There are ways to avoid it being an issue. For example, simply taking the treat to the tower and eating it there." It wasn’t the ideal solution when the god wanted to spend time outside of the tower, but would be less traumatizing for all involved. 

Morgan considered that and Loki could practically see the gears in her head spin as she recalculated her plans for their day out. "Then we'll head to the bookstore first and get ice cream on our way back,” she suggested easily.  She was planning on surprising Loki with a trip to the bookstore.  Now, they would just do it in a different order.  

Loki lit up in absolute delight; he was always in the mood to adopt some books!  Books needed homes and he was glad to give them all a loving home.  Morgan giggled and led him down a few shops to a little bookstore crammed full of book-friends to adopt. Loki seemed to be in his element the moment he inhaled the scent of the books. "I thought you would like it here,” Morgan said at his reaction.  

Loki nodded and beamed and went to prowl along the shelves, hunting for new books to adopt. He soon returned with a massive stack of books and puppy eyes, begging for his new friends to come home with him. Morgan had wandered off to her favorite section of the store and had her own stack of books when they met up again at the register. Loki set his books on the counter, surprising the clerk with the size of the stack.  The clerk was just as surprised at the stack Morgan sat next to it.  Loki was just glad Morgan wasn’t telling him that he couldn’t adopt all his new friends.  

Loki looked between Morgan and the books on the counter and realized he didn’t really know how money worked on Midgard.  As she was digging in her wallet, he produced a wad of cash that he'd transfigured from some slips of paper.  That was legitimate currency, right? He tried so hard to do things the right way.  It was adorable.  Even if it was completely wrong.  Morgan shook her head. “I’ve got it" she reassured him and handed over her dad’s credit card to the clerk. It wasn't like her dad couldn't afford it.

Loki nodded. "Alright,” he relented easily, watching the transaction with interest.  It was all new to him and Loki loved learning new things.

Morgan bought all the books and smirked at Loki. "Can you put the bags in one of those fancy dimensional pockets?" Carrying heavy books around didn't sound appealing.  She didn’t abuse Loki’s magic, but trading favors with a friend was totally acceptable.  Loki nodded and vanished the books with seemingly no effort.

Morgan grinned and took his hand to lead him to the ice cream shop. She got distracted on the way, though, and dragged him into a stuffed animal store. "They have a new plushie in the Avengers collection!" she told him excitedly.  Loki had been surprised at the sudden stop, but relaxed when he found himself surrounded by plushies.  Jotuns loved cuddly toys.  He still didn’t know all that much about his culture, but he’d learned that much from what research he’d been able to do and from his own experiences.  

Morgan went to the Avengers display and beamed at the Loki plushies. They were clearly new and the store had quite a few of them. She picked out the best looking one and cuddled it close. "I doubt you want a plushie of yourself…” she gestured around the store in invitation for him to pick out a plush friend to adopt.  

Loki looked at the plushie cuddled to her chest (and tried to convince himself that he wasn’t jealous).  "They made one in my image??" He demanded incredulously.  He was a villain! Why would they make a plushie of him??

Morgan nodded and grinned up at him, clearly amused by how incredulous he was.  There was mischief and fun in her eyes, which Loki definitely respected, being the god of mischief. "When your brother announced that you'd be joining the team, the company decided to make one. I've been waiting for them to come out. I have the rest of the collection,” she told him.  It was no surprise that she had the collection.  The Avengers were her family and it was comforting to have plushes of them around.  Clearly the one of Loki was the best, though.  Especially in Loki’s opinion. 

Loki smiled in return.  He couldn’t help it when she was beaming so brightly.  She was like a little sunshine.  But unlike Thor’s light that he kept for himself and kept Loki in the shadows, she shared her light with everyone around her. "Do they have a Lady Morgan?"

Morgan shook her head, surprised by the question.  She was just Tony’s daughter, a no one, not compared to the team. “I’m not an Avenger..." she said softly.  There was no reason for her to be represented.

Loki tilted his head and considered. "Well then, we’ll just have to find something that represents you."

Morgan relaxed and her sunshine returned as the pair hunted through the store until they found a suitable plushie. It was a fox instead of a bear like most of the stuffed animals.  It was the same color as her hair, and just seemed to fit.  They dressed it up to look like Morgan, including a little arc reactor from the Iron Man section. Loki smiled. "Perfect." It reminded him so much of her, though he hadn’t quite placed exactly why.  

Morgan grinned “You think so?" she liked that he wanted a plushie of her, liked that she meant enough to him for it. 

Loki nodded and thought through his words before he explained further. Morgan had noticed that he always tended to think before he spoke, unlike his oafish brother. “You're clever, like a fox. The red color matches your hair and the arc reactor matches the one you have."

Morgan beamed at all the praise "Perfect indeed,” she agreed and paid for their new plush friends.  

Once that was done, they finally they made their way to the ice cream shop. Loki looked at her as they walked. "Thank you for taking me with you on your outing," he said warmly. He'd needed the fresh air and break from the team and the tower.  He tended to get stabby when he was cooped up too long.

Morgan grinned up at him. "Thought you could use some time out of the tower. And ice cream,”

Loki chuckled, though there was worry and concern in his words. "Hopefully, my Jotun form won't be too frightening."

"It won't be,” Morgan replied and led him into the shop properly. She showed him all the different flavors of ice cream on the menu board. “You seem like you'd like mint chocolate chip,” she said after he’d had a minute to look over all the choices.  He’d seemed overwhelmed, so she offered him an opinion. 

Loki nodded. "It's in my colors," he observed.  Mint sounded pleasant and he loved chocolate, so it seemed a good fit.  

"That's true,” Morgan agreed and ordered their ice cream for them. She got the chocolateist thing they had and ordered the mint for him. Loki carried the tubs of ice cream in a bag so they wouldn't turn him blue in public.

Morgan led him back to the tower, holding his hand the entire way.  She was closer to him physically than she had been, walking next to him instead of dragging him like a plushie. She’d taken his hand automatically, hers warm and soft in his.  

He’d allowed her taking his hand without question, without thinking about it, and that realization warmed his heart.  It just felt so natural and perfect.  Fresh air, sunshine, and the little sunshine walking next to him, showing him such natural affection.  He’d only experienced unforced affection, physical affection, from one other person in his life: his beloved mama.

And this experience, this feeling, was so very different from the one he shared with Mama Frigga.

And wasn’t that interesting?

[patamon]

Miyako Inoue Week [Day 5 prompt: Jogress]

I admit to rushing a bit with this story, so I apologize if it’s not a polished as it should be. I initially struggled a lot with what to write, but surprised myself by the direction I headed towards. I’m dedicating this fic to the amazing @digitalworldbound​​! I hope I’ve done you proud :3

Title: Don’t Tell Mom Character: Miyako Inoue & Hikari Yagami (for @miyakoinoueweek​) Word Count: 3,429 Rating: T Summary: Hikari questions the validity of her bond with Miyako, and whether they would be as close as they are now if it weren’t for their status as jogress partners.

Cross-posted on AO3

Read below the cut 👇🏻

Don’t Tell Mom

She was twenty minutes late by the time she stumbled across the crowded streets of their predetermined meeting place.

It was not her fault. It was not her fault, she chanted to herself, the mantra the only rhythm keeping her breathing from spiraling into a panic attack. She sidestepped loud teenagers and liplocked couples, avoiding eye contacts with buskers desperate to win her attention.

It was not her fault she’s late. It was not her fault she’s late. 

But really, it might be a bit of her fault. Or perhaps, a lot of her fault.

Despite this being an unfamiliar district in Tokyo, one she never stepped foot in before, and despite both Takeru and Taichi insisting she took an Uber - at their expense - she decided and was determined to find her way through public transit. With her less than stellar direction sense, the result was her missing her stops and boarding the wrong connecting train - twice, culminating in her deciding to figure out her bearing on foot with the help of Google Maps, which to be fair, wasn’t much help to her at all at the moment.

But it wasn’t her fault. If it was up to her, she would ask Miyako to consider a girl’s night in at her apartment, instead of meeting up at a god forsaken bar on the other side of the city. But Miyako, nostalgic and homesick for the comfort of a chaotic Tokyo nightlife after four years of studying abroad in balmy India, begged Hikari for a girl’s night out. And that’s how she found herself here, wrapped in a fringe trimmed sequin dress she would only wear for Miyako, clumsily stumbling on high heels across uneven pavement until at long last, the lit up neon sign of the bar reared itself up, welcoming her with the oppressive stench of alcohol and cigarettes.

The first thing she did when she entered was wrinkled her nose, the smoke-induced headache reminding her of all the reasons she should have stayed home, and all the reasons why she preferred to stay home. But regardless, she narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the dimly lit hall, looking for familiar lavender hair.

She delved deeper into the bar, scanning tables after tables, studying each face at the bar counter, wondering if Miyako had given up and left the bar after she failed to show within the first fifteen minutes. She retrieved her phone, just as the speaker blared out the opening beat of a new dance song, her heart hammering hard with the teeth-chattering rhythm.

Just then, a mysterious hand encircled her wrist. Hikari jumped, her phone twirled in the air right before her eyes and landed in the open palm of her caller.

Panic paralyzed her limb, but it dissipated the moment she heard the high-pitched laugh, its sound ringing out in spite of the loud music.

“Miyako!” she called out, but then…

“Miyako?” she took a step back in shock - and awe, and understood now why she couldn’t locate her distinct purple hair amongst the throngs of people.

Her purple was…gone.

At least most of it. Her usual long flowing locks were shorn short into a scalp hugging crew cut. She stared agape at the asymmetric shape, the way it highlighted her high cheekbones and accentuated her elongated face.

“Oh my god, Hikari!” Miyako squealed, “Finally! You made it!” She pulled her in for a tight embrace, then led her to a table near the back of the bar, where two women and a man she’s never met before were seated with their eyes glued to their phone.

“Everyone, this is the friend I told you about, the one I knew since I was twelve and have been best friends with ever since. This is Hikari. Hikari, say hi!”

Miyako’s companions looked up at her at once and chirped their greetings, their voices lost in the roar of the bar’s next dance track. Meanwhile, the best Hikari could manage was a meek nod and a frantic wave, her head pounding too hard for her to make heads or tails of her surroundings.

She pulled Miyako close, then strained her question into Miyako’s ears, her throat throbbing from the effort.

“Are these friends you made in India?” she inquired.

Miyako laughed, “No, I just met them. They’re a hoot. We’ve already ordered like three rounds of shots. Oh Hikari, I miss Japanese sake, you have no idea”

Just met them? 

She sat back and watched as Miyako clinked glasses with them, downing the cup in one giant gulp before bursting out in hearty laughs. They looked like old friends reuniting after a long absence from one another, like they shared secrets during sleepovers and passed notes to each other in middle school.

“Wow, look at your hair,” Miyako commented as she twirled Hikari’s locks between her fingers.

At first, Hikari was confused, but then she realized…it’s been a good two years since she saw Miyako last, at that time, her hair was just grazing her shoulder. Now, it flowed behind her back, long enough for her to experiment and test out updos and fancy braid patterns.

“My hair?” Hikari yelled out, “Look at yours!”

Miyako laughed and combed her fingers through the short locks.

“Ah this…I completely forgot I chopped my hair off”

“Chopped it off?” exclaimed mystery girl #1, “You mean…”

“Yup, it’s been a few months so some of it has grown back. But back at the start of this year, I was 100% bald”

“Wow! That’s hot,” commented the mystery guy, the huskiness of his voice made Hikari’s skin crawl.

“What made you decide to shave your head?” mystery girl #2 inquired.

“Oh you know…it was really hot in India,” Miyako responded with a laugh and a shrug, “I just thought it made sense so I just…did it.” 

“That’s it? You shaved your hair because it was hot?” mystery girl #1 dug.

“Does there need to be another reason?” Miyako laughed again, the sound so infectious it made her mystery friends join her. But Hikari remained silent, staring up at her old friend in admiration as she studied the shine in Miyako’s eyes.

It took her years of thinking and questioning to finally decide to grow out her hair, to shed the identity of that safe obedient daughter and embrace the control she could have over her body. And yet, it took Miyako all but a slight whim to commit to something as drastic as shaving her head.

People often wonder how it came to be that two people’s paths would intersect, and what wondrous magic sparked a bond between them. Hikari wondered about it, too, about every significant relationship in her life and if they would even exist had it not been for their fated role as chosen children. After nearly two decades of knowing him, Hikari was sure that regardless of universes and outcomes, she would somehow always cross paths with Takeru. It seemed like fate that they met and remained in each other’s lives. By now, he was a sturdy homebase for her to return to. 

But the one conundrum in her world was Miyako.

She often wondered if they were not Chosen Children, if they were not jogress partners, would they be as close as they are now? Would there be a reason for Miyako to speak to her, for her to respond to Miyako? After all, they were as different as land and water. Hikari was the sturdy and safe land that grounded all life, and Miyako was the wild and tameless ocean that existed around land. She could never understand Miyako, the same way land could never understand the ocean. Even now, after all the adventures and battles they fought together, she knew deep down that no matter how hard she tried, she still could never ever truly understand the vivacious boundless spirit that was Miyako.

So what, she wondered, drew them together in the first place? Had they not been jogress partners, would they be sitting together tonight at this bar, the music ramming into Hikari’s skull, the stench of alcohol deluging this dimly-lit room?

Had they not been jogress partners, would they even be friends?

—

Hikari waited until 11:15 PM before she announced her departure.

It took her 45-minutes to get here, she figured it would take her another 45-minutes to get home, and she desperately wanted to be back in her apartment before midnight. She excused herself on the basis of an early morning shift at the daycare, then convinced Miyako to stay with her newfound friends instead of accompanying her home.

She practically rocketed out of the bar, her senses desperate to escape the overstimulation. All at once, the rowdy Tokyo streets seemed like a relaxing spa in comparison. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the delicious scent of pan-fried street food, swimming in relief that she was no longer trapped in a haze of cigarette and booze.

The bar door squeaked open behind her, she turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of Miyako and her new haircut, dashing out with her heels hung on her left index finger.

“Miyako?”

“Hikari, sorry, I wanted to walk you back…at least to the subway station.”

Hikari blushed, but nevertheless, allowed Miyako to rest against her as she clumsily slipped her shoes back on.

“Miyako, you don’t have to…” Hikari began. Her stomach dropped at the thought of Miyako abandoning her companions for her sake.

“You haven’t changed, have you?” Miyako commented with a laugh, before pulling Hikari down the street, past busy food vendors and cramped eccentric boutiques.

Hikari remained silent, but watched Miyako closely as they walked together. Away from the dimly-lighted bar, Miyako’s hair was violently violet, the colour more vibrant than Hikari remembered, a product, perhaps, of being out in the Indian sun for the past four years.

“So what’s been going on, Hikari? I feel like we haven’t really spoken much tonight.”

“Umm…” Hikari began, then pursed her lips. She wished she could say it was a little difficult for them to speak, considering that Miyako had chosen a screeching bar as their meeting place, and she found herself three strangers to sit with throughout the evening.

“But…I guess it was silly of me to choose a bar to meet up at when we wanted to talk and catch up after my return from India.”

Hikari balked, she stared back at Miyako dumbstruck, amazed that Miyako could read her thoughts so well. Unlike her own self, who could barely read Miyako despite their status as best friends. Her face heated up with shame, and for the next few minutes, they walked in silence as Hikari struggled to bear the weight of her guilty heart.

Perhaps Miyako might have been happier staying with the three people they met at the bar, partying it up and drinking the evening hours away…

Before her thought could spiral out of control, a sharp gasp pierced through the air, startling her out of her reverie.

“Hikari!” came the enraptured call, her eyes were wide unblinking orbs as she stared straight ahead with jaws dropped wide open.

“What? What is it?” Hikari stammered, the warmth leaving her body as she studied Miyako with uncertainty.

In response, Miyako grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward without a word. Hikari could only stumble along, visions of the most embarrassing falls assault her senses as she struggled to even her balance along the busy Tokyo street.

They pushed through a set of double glass doors, a cheerful chime announcing their entrance in the mysterious store.

“Miyako? What….?” 

But the distinct buzzing off in the distance answered Hikari’s question. All around her were framed pictures of recognizable line art in black ink. Beyond the reception desk were rows of black beds resembling the examination table at the doctor’s office. Only two beds were occupied in the far corner, the occupants dwarfed by tattooed workers bent over their subjects like surgeons in hospitals. The back of the store was a simple white wall, with large cursive letters spelling out the store name in neon lights:

Don’t Tell Mom.

Miyako squealed and grabbed onto Hikari’s shoulders, shaking it as she spoke.

“Hikari, I’m going to do it tonight. I’m going to get a tattoo.”

Hikari’s eyes widened at the statement. If it was anyone else, she would be convinced that it was the alcohol talking. But this was Miyako. She watched Miyako drink twice the beer Taichi could stomach and recite the alphabet backward and rap an entire Eminem song with her eyes closed.

“Tonight?” Hikari repeated as Miyako flipped through a black binder at the reception counter.

“Yes, tonight. Oh look at this, Hikari, do you think this heart will look good on my shoulder? Like right here?”

She pointed at her shoulder, but Hikari was at a loss for words. Instead, she stared back at Miyako, mouth agape.

“Oh come on, Hikari, don’t look at me like that. Lots of people get tattoos, it’s not like I’m doing anything groundbreaking.”

“But…this is a tattoo. It’s permanent.”

“Yeah, that’s the point”

“But what if you regret getting it in the future.”

Miyako shrugged as she resumed flipping through the binder, “There’s laser”

“I don’t…I don’t think it’s that easy, Miyako.”

Miyako rolled her eyes and slammed the binder shut, “Look, I’m not asking you to get the tattoo, now am I? Although…”

“No!” Hikari screamed, drawing the attention of everyone else at the store.

“You haven’t even heard the rest of my question,” Miyako pointed out with a pout.

“No!” Hikari repeated, “No no no no no no no no no”

“But come on, Hikari, will you even consider it? I’m getting one.”

“So? You do whatever you want, Miyako, it’s your body. But why do I have to get one just because you’re getting one?”

“Because we’re jogress partners! Wouldn’t it be amazing if we get matching tattoos, like maybe right here on our hips or something. Then we’d be joined at the hips”

“I said no, Miyako!”

She realized a second too late that she had spoken too firmly and too loudly. Miyako withdrew herself, settling down on the reception chair and flipping through the binder once again.

The next few minutes passed in unbearable silence. Until at last, Hikari shouldered her bag, ready to excuse herself when Miyako’s words froze her to the ground.

“I was being too pushy again, wasn’t I?”

Her stomach plummeted, not at the question, but at the solemn tone of her voice. She didn’t hear it often, only during times when Miyako allowed her bravado to drop to reveal the insecure little girl she worked hard to hide from the world.

Hikari sighed and plopped herself down beside Miyako, watching as she flipped through the laminated pages of tattoo samples.

“Don’t worry about it, Miyako. It was more on me, I’m not brave like you. Tattoos…just aren't my thing, that’s all.”

Miyako scoffed, “No, Hikari, you are brave. I’m just reckless and impulsive.”

“That’s not true, Miyako! I promise you that’s not true.”

Miyako sighed and slammed the tattoo binder shut, standing up with her purse in hand. From the corner of her eyes, Hikari could see one of the tattoo artists staring intently at the both of them.

“You’re right, Hikari. This is permanent. What if I end up hating it five years from now.”

“You said so yourself. There’s laser.”

Miyako laughed, “And you said so yourself. It can’t be that simple.”

Hikari bit her lips, watching as Miyako moved towards the door. But just before Miyako stepped outside, she decided it was her turn to grasp onto Miyako’s wrists. So she reached forward, holding her and pulling her back to the seat beside her.

“If you really want to get a tattoo, then you should get one, Miyako.”

Miyako sighed and shook her head, “I’m sorry, Hikari. I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard about the tattoo. I should know that you’re not comfortable with the idea of it.”

Hikari blushed, “Oh no, Miyako, please don’t apologize…”

“I mean…I was told by my other friends that…I tend to bulldoze people.”

Hikari wrinkled her nose, “Oh? If that’s the case then…they don’t sound like very good friends”

Miyako laughed, then finally opened the binder and resumed looking through the catalogue.

“I wish…I wish I was more like you, Hikari.”

“What…what do you mean?”

“You’re kind and thoughtful, you always seem to understand people and empathize with them, no matter how infuriating they are. Truth be told, I often wonder how we even came to be friends. How could someone with such grace and patience put up with a person as impulsive and selfish as me?”

“Miyako…”

“If we weren’t jogress partners, would we still be friends? I mean…we’re so different, you and I.”

Hikari’s heart dropped. Throughout all the years they spent together, Hikari had put all her eggs into the belief that at the very least, Miyako believed in them. Miyako was the secure one in their relationship. 

But it turns out, Miyako had doubts, too.

And…where did that leave them?

“Tell me, Miyako. Why do you want a tattoo?”

Miyako smiled sheepishly, “I’ve always wanted one. I like the idea of branding ourselves with something so important and personal to us, we’re willing to wear it on our body forever.”

Hikari couldn’t help but mimic her smile, her heart lightened by the way her friend’s features glowed with excitement once again.

“There’s always…lasers. Right?”

Miyako’s eyes snapped up.

“I’ll…I’ll do it, Miyako. I’ll get a tattoo if you get a tattoo.”

Miyako shot up from her seat, both her hands on her mouth as she stared back at Hikari in disbelief.

“No…no Hikari, I couldn’t ask you to…”

“But you’re not, I’m telling you I want a tattoo”

“Are you sure? I mean…it’s permanent. You’ll be staring at it for the rest of your life”

Hikari shrugged, “I like the idea of branding ourselves with something so important and personal to us, we’re willing to wear it on our body forever.”

Miyako squealed in response. Then pulled Hikari into a tight embrace.

“I can’t…I can’t believe we’re going to do this, Hikari. I can’t believe…we’re getting matching tattoos!!!!”

“Shh..Miyako,” Hikari hissed, but nevertheless, she was also giggling hard, then joined Miyako as they poured over the binders of sample tattoos together.

They were indeed different people, perhaps at opposite ends of some personality spectrum. Hikari was the sturdy land that grounded life and signified home, and Miyako was the wild and untamed ocean that surrounded her. Water and land might not understand one another, but perhaps it didn’t matter. What mattered was how they blended into one another, blurring the boundaries and pushing them out of their comfort zone. Miyako was the force Hikari needed to break her out of her boundaries, and Hikari was the homeland grounding Miyako to her core.

In their own ways, they were perfect for one another.

Two hours later, the clock was approaching two in the morning. But instead of being back at her apartment, Hikari found herself standing beside Miyako in front of the tattoo parlour mirror, admiring their new tattoos: Hikari a simple line art of a mountain peak, and Miyako the ocean wave in matching style, both on opposite sides of their hip.

“It’s perfect for you, Hikari,” Miyako commented with awe.

Hikari giggled, “Same with you”

She still firmly believed that in any and every universe, Hikari would always find her way to Takeru, and him to her, this was their fate and destiny. But with Miyako, it was only in this universe, this moment, that they found themselves as best friends, jogress partners, and kindred spirits. And somehow, that made it all the more special.

It was fate and destiny, after all, one that only her version of reality was privy to.

“Guess this really seals our status as jogress partners, huh?” Miyako commented as she bumped her hips to Hikari’s.

“No, Miyako, it’s more than that. We’re more than just jogress partners.”

She then entwined her fingers between Miyako’s and clasped their palms together, inviting her in to break her boundaries, to erase the frontier that separated their vastly different world, the same way ocean waves would wash ashore to blend the distinction between land and sea.

[inke-ri]

ok ok fine so- best moments of this new update:

(yes, this will be long, no I dont know how to put it under a read more on mobile. Sorry OTL)

- The Nightlights get actual unique personalities. In Homecoming, only Dart seemed to have one, while the boys were basically "cute boys who are always sparring". Here, Dart is inquisitive and forward, Ruff is a bit lazy but with a heart of gold, and Pouncer is playful and brave (he's biting at his tail like a dog would here lmao).

- Pouncer reminds me of his dad a lot. He follows you around because he wants to be near you, he sneaks after you as you go to a dangerous place, and even tho he is Baby, he still tries to use a blinding sort of light flash /shot to protect you from dragon hunters. He can get a little scared at times but he immediately calms down near you, and trusts you enough to follow you despite being afraid. The moment the fear disappears he just happily flies around like a dork <3 He's probably my favorite of the three but it's really hard to choose because they're all so unique.

- Dart is very much her mother's daughter. She's impulsive, wild, and does what she wants when she wants. She also apparently idolizes the Green Death, which is hilarious (for those that dont know, the Green Death is another female who moved and took over Dragon Island after the original Red Death was killed in SOD Universe, and yes, she is green). I'm not kidding, she killed a ship full of people lmao. Well, indirectly. She flew up to the Green Death and eventually led her to shoot fire at a whole ship of warlords. And eventually set fire to the whole fleet... in the open seas. Yea, those people are dead.

That said Dart is caring and protective and her special "power" is to rally and protect other dragons. She really feels like a mix of her mom's wild, more brutal side with her father's protectiveness. While she likes the Player character well enough I got the distinct feeling she bonds with dragons better, which I really love! She's just. Wild, but still open to work with people, just like her mom in this universe. Well, maybe a little more open than Mom. I also really like that both Pouncer and Ruffrunner had moments in which they were afraid and the Player had to comfort them, but Dart never did. She was always up and ready to go lmao.

- Ruffrunner is SO cute. Despite being a fighty boy, he's very attached to his parents and apparently wants to make them proud. He's also very lazy, he likes to nap around |D That said, he cares so deeply for others that he willingly puts himself in danger and draws enemy fire so others can attack properly. He's more tanky than the other two so he can take it. He's SO eager to help (and prove himself), be it you or his parents, which matches how his unique ability is to take hits to make sure everyone isnt attacked. He reminds me of the Toothless that was willing to die if it meant saving Hiccup.

- Bonus points for Toothless for being a fantastic dad to his kids and apparently not taking the Stoick route. He encourages Ruffrunner to be brave and look, this is just an excuse to show you how adorable they are.

- Hiccup remarks that Ruffrunner reminds him a lot of himself and how he wanted to make his parents proud of ALL of him. Why, yes, he referenced the "all this" line in the year of our Lord 2022. Did I mention I love this game? I love this game.

- As an AMAZING bonus, Valka was there and heard it, and she was actually a little awkward and upset at the thought of Hiccup suffering because of that. God. I love their dynamic. Just the right amount of awkwardness and guilt despite how much they love and understand each other, which makes perfect sense considering she abandoned him for 20 years.

- Valka in general getting focus and development is great. I love how every time she visits the Hidden World (she gets to see the Hidden World y'all!!!) she's in awe of it.

- Backtracking to talk about the Green Death for a second bc I love what they did with her! While she's just as violent and brutal as the Red Death, she didn't immediately go for the Warlord ships. Only after we rescued some baby scuttleclaws from those ships was that the Green Death attacked them.

I just love love LOVE that a dragon of the same species as the "pure evil"-type one from the first movie is not ACTUALLY shown as pure evil and IS capable of protecting and caring... just like any other dragon. I did not expect this but it was SO good. Between this and you being able to rescue and train one of Grimmel's deathgrippers, I LOVE how this game tells us that there are no true evil dragons. 10/10 point goes to School of Dragons.

- Just, this line from Valka:

I'm gonna be a bit salty for a sec because this. THIS. You have to respect these creatures and sometimes only watch from a distance- not every dragon needs to be trained, which is the lesson Hiccup seemingly had to learn in httyd 3. But learning about them, seeing them, living with them, even from a distance, is what leads to love and respect and inspires you to take care of them.

Not, y'know, shoving them down a hole for a thousand years. Even if it IS a very cozy hole. THAT just leads to them being forgotten and for people to still wanna use them for their own gains, like the timeskip show whose name I'm forgetting tells you.

Here they actually move back and forth between the skies and their ancestral home. I love that they have the freedom to do so.

- The King of Dragons lives! Somehow!

I didn't expect this- would have been cool if Drago's Bewilderbeast had taken over the King's duties to protect the original nest- buuuut y'know what? I'm okay with this. He deserved better and he's a good boi and I love him so yea.

Stoick is still dead here, and it IS heavily implied to still have been Drago-Toothless who took him out, so my best guess is that Drago's Bewilderbeast took the King out of commission long enough for Toothless to challenge him and become an Alpha on his own, etc, but he's recovered since?

- Hiccup arrives in the Sacturary after a while and... I dunno, maybe seeing the King of Dragons reminded him of his father, because he quietly mutters that "I miss him so much."

The shock and pain kept me from screenshotting the first comment from him. Ugh, come for my heart won't you. I love that Hiccup still struggles with being Chief, and missing Stoick, but is trying his best. I love how this game doesn't forget about him- there's a whole video sequence dedicated to his memory in one of the previous storyline missions when we return to Dragon Island for the first time. I'm very lucky to have played this game VERY on and off for years, because I still remember everyone's httyd1 models, Stoick being there, and his missions about the importance of being responsible and being a chief. I treasure them fondly since he's not around anymore- not even in this game.

- Speaking of Hiccup, he's surprisingly absent for most of the storyline! He only shows up every now and then and doesn't even participate in the battle with the Warlords and Stormheart- you work mainly with the Nightlights and Valka through this story. At first I wasn't sure why, but eventually I realized that I really liked this. It sort of shows that Hiccup can delegate- that we don't NEED him to be there at all times to do the right thing and fight for the bond with dragons. It shows his ideas are spreading- that he's changing the world little by little :)

- I also really like how they pair each of the nightlights with a King Dragon that inspires them. Pouncer with the playful, curious and brave Luminous Krayfin, Dart with the fierce, wild yet protective Green Death, and Ruffrunner with the gentle, protective and loyal Bewilderbeast. Amazing way to showcase their personalities and make them unique! Also goes to show how all 3 have what it takes to, perhaps one day, become worthy Alphas of their own.

- As a last bit, I love that they make the Warlords threatening- Griselda gets a bit of a spotlight, and I loved the tension between the three Warlords and Stormheart since they kept intruding on her turf. I love how the Warlords got a whole storyline for themselves after Grimmel is dead, even if the star of the show is still Stormheart.

- Also also, it takes the whole gang (minus Hiccup and Toothless), PLUS Player and his dragon, PLUS Valka and Cloudjumper, PLUS THREE WHOLE NIGHTLIGHTS to defeat them, instead of 6 kids in flight suits. While the game focuses just on you and the nightlights, everyone else IS there and they didn't NEED to spend money and resources to add that. I thought it was very cool.

- Stormheart in general is just such a good character. I love that we have a female villain in the first place, I love how after threatening you for so long she finally decides she's done and Player's gonna die... I love that SHE's the final boss of the storyline because SHE is the main antagonist of this story and has always been.

- Also, I love that we finally get to blow up her fancy ship that used enslaved dragons to create steam for it to move. It felt so satisfying after all these years.

- Also, it's cute that the Player character gets to pick a nightlight to bond with and train for free at the end of the story, with Toothless and the Light Fury watching on. The fact that they approve and that Hiccup trusts you with this is such a fun way to end this story and to show how far Player has come.

Overall, I both feel and fear this game is gearing up for a final storyline... Stormheart escaped, but her ship and most of her power is no more. Even her ally, Harald, has (perhaps surprisingly) betrayed her and gave us the info to destroy her ship. It feels like it's leading up to one final confrontation with her. If so, it will make the whole thing one hell of a ride, and I couldn't be happier to be able to experience it myself. This story and world is so rich, and it really sticks to the franchise's core, while being fun, educative, not afraid to craft their own unique stories, and so, so full of heart. As I said earlier, it really reminds me of why I love httyd as much as I do.

[phrynewrites]

Current Masterpost

*Note: Don’t know why I buried this in the tags of a post from 2021, but I’m unearthing it now: if you’re planning on sending any queens hate, death threats, abuse, etc., consider instead: grow up, wash your face, file your taxes, don’t be a dick. We’re all doing this to have fun, so let’s all stay in our lanes here on this hell site (and Not send fics to queens because on god I’ll publish only via snail mail if I see anyone telling anyone outside of tumblr about these aus) and have a good time!*

☕️ phrynewrites ko-fi☕️

✏️Phrynewrites AO3✏️

The Current AUs: 

💐Girlfriends Without Benefits (fake dating au) 💍

Jasco, minor Camgeria. 

“Well…” Jasmine tries to think of an excuse, a good reason to not rope Bosco into her production drama, but she’s drawing a blank. “What’s the harm in trying it?” Jasmine gives Bosco a once over. “I’m sure you’re not the worst fake girlfriend in existence.”

Bosco plays Jasmine's fake girlfriend, hoping to ward off the unwanted affections of Jasmine's coworker. However, once there's benefits…

Also on AO3

🏐Teachers AU🇫🇷

Jasco, minor Camgeria, minor Kornbread x Willow

“I’m Jasmine and I’m taking over seventh grade English,” she began. “And you are…”

“Bosco,” The other replied shortly, paying Jasmine a slanted glance.

Jasmine nodded slightly, her attention traveling from the curls piled on top of their head back down to their lips. “Um…do you have a last name people use?”

“Sure,” Bosco shrugged.

Jasmine thought it was probably the end of the conversation, but she decided to press further. “Cool, okay.” She continued, even though Kornbread let out a breathy chuckle, nearly caught in their throat. “I think you’re just down the hall from me right? What do you teach?”

From their look, the flannel wrapped around their waist, the loose light-wash jeans, Jasmine assumed art or music. Maybe a science? Science teachers always had a distinctive look to them.

“French. Used to teach Latin and Italian too before the program got axed.”

“That’s really cool!” Jasmine lit up. “We used to have a French rotation at my last school—I used to teach elementary by the way, but I expanded my cert and moved up—and we used to have a French rotation for the kids’ specials, but then the district cut it because it wasn’t terribly practical to teach kids French when they’ll never use it, so—”

Bosco cocked a brow. “I’ve never found teaching children a language they’ve been native speakers of for their entire lives to be terribly practical, and yet…” They trailed off, trailing from her Pinterest-tutorial messy bun down to her arms, crossed over her stomach, trying to physically hold herself together.

👀Blind Date AU📸

Jasco, minor Camgeria, minor Kornbread x Willow

Bosco and Jasmine are set up on a blind date with each other and it goes horribly. Just the absolute worst. And then two different friends set them up again. And again. And again, each time not knowing that they’re setting their friend up with the same person. They start out wildly irritated by this, but grow to begrudgingly appreciate the other’s company, as annoying as they may be. And appreciation isn’t a far cry from love…

👑Socialite AU✍️

Jasco, minor Kornbread x Willow (later)

Bosco’s always wanted to be a hard-hitting journalist, but finds themself working at this seedy kind of tabloid, trying to make a living and barely succeeding at that.

So they’re out at the bar one night and run into this lady, and starts to hit it off with her, is talking about their shitty job and what they really want to do with their life. And she’s replying about her hardships and how she’s got this terrible reputation, how she’s broken off four engagements her father’s set up for her, how she’s inches away from being written out of her family’s will, etc.

And now they’re drinking and having a good time and flirting and Bosco’s about to take her home but realizes she’s like beyond drunk and is now trying to take her back to her own house and leave the night at that.

So they bring her to where she says her home is, only to find that this is a literal penthouse apartment with like a servant and such like it’s insane. And immediately, Bosco starts putting the pieces together that this lady, at this address, with those four broken engagements is Jasmine Kennedie, part of one of the wealthiest families in the country, who’s been all over the news for her absolutely spiraling life. And Bosco’s got her right here, asking them how she could ever possibly repay her for their kindness.

And Bosco, seeing the sales of this story to every magazine in every supermarket line in the country, seeing it get picked up on news networks, seeing themself finally breaking out and exposing not only this heiress in her own words, but also one of the wealthiest families in America, asks for one thing: “a date.”

💌Love Letter AU📖

Jasco

Modeled after “To all the boys I’ve loved before, Jasmine’s a hopeless romantic who works as a secretary for a publishing house. It works out well, as she’s surrounded by romance manuscripts all day, and also Bosco, an editor she’s had a crush on basically since she’s started, but has felt too shy or awkward to voice. So, in typical writerly fashion, she writes about it, adding to the stack of unpublished love letters she’s been gathering throughout her life. She’s done this for everyone she’s ever had feelings for, but Bosco’s the only one who found out—Jasmine’s envelope of "love letters” is added to Bosco’s slush pile from agents and upon reading it, they’re intrigued…

💃Past Life AU🪦

Jasco

“someone will remember us

I say

even in another time”

In which celebrity-of-ill-repute Bosco is forced by their management to compete on Dancing With the Stars and is less than thrilled to be paired with Jasmine, who came in last the previous season. But they grow closer as they practice—it may be the sway of the music, the closeness required of a tango, or the visions of the other as their lover throughout centuries; who’s to say?

[wistfulrat]

a 4-part rec list of my fave drarry fics - the thrillers, dramas, soft bois, and wankbanks getting me through 2020′s shitstorm

[the soft boi list is here and truly i’m not surprised this rec is going to be the longest bc if there’s one thing a bitch is going to do, it’s yearn.

as always! if you love a fic, follow the authors, leave kudos & comments, send them nice msgs bc free art is still labor xoxo]

part 3: soft bois

mood: for when I need respite, a balm to the all-consuming shittiness of life

includes: fluff, comfort, low-stakes, slow-burn fics. a wistful look, a rainy morning, an unexpected grace, a stupidly disarming joke. i could live inside these fics. the smallness of human lives removed from the site of that which hurts & irreparably changes. the story-equivalent of a deep breath after a long day. pregnant silences & pensive mundanity & shy smiles. banter with bite but without the cruelty. the color lavender. weirdly whimsical. soft fics are not necessarily conflict-averse (no drarry fic rly can be, considering the context) but, they offer the reader a generous distance from the initial harm. they’re the quiet cleaning up after a storm. sometimes healing is an exacting surgical knife and other times it’s a slow scabbing. you read these fics to be reassured that the way forward is not always ruthless. and honestly?? they deserve a semblance of peace godDAMmit.

The Way Down by @letteredlettered - 65k - T “and I thought that if someone talked to you as though you were a human being you might—maybe you could act like one” --the way i think about this line daily. the characterization of draco in this fic is one my favorites bc he’s earnest and neurotic and tired of harry’s shit. which is to say, he cares so so much. and harry doesn’t know what to do with that bc he’s got a monster in his chest and lives as a recluse. but they both humanize each other in ways no one else can. “you’re just a person” has to be some kind of drarry ethics of belonging and it makes me CRY. -

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them by @greaseonmymouth and dustmouth - 96k - T “Maybe it’s not about deserving it? Maybe you just get to have it anyway. . .I’m allowing myself to want something and to let myself have it and to fight for it.” --harry runs a daycare and also works at a library. draco spends a lot of time in said library. they bond over sci-fi books and therapy anecdotes and quiet philosophical conversations held over cafeteria soup. and harry’s struggling to understand his asexuality. draco’s learning how to live with anxiety and depression. they both want to be deserving of love. incredible fic with beautiful art by dustmouth. - 

Open for Repairs by @drarrytrash - 35k - T “A few leaves rustle in the gutter and the muggle world pays no mind to them, to two lost boys holding on for dear life.” --all of their fics feel exactly like this. like you’ve been allowed to look at something private, tender, unexpected. draco, known abba fan, is a repairman in the muggle world & harry can’t stop breaking thrifted things in order to see him? say less, i'm thERE. also “I think I have a crush on you” goddddd  - other faves by them: Counting Down By Ten - 2k - T: draco’s stepped outside of the party for a smoke. harry follows him bc of course he does. i could read this 100 times and not get tired of it. - Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon - 36k - E: FUCKING HILARIOUS I CACKLED THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. draco’s wolfy problem and harry helping him and harry being flustered by how much he likes draco and draco’s hot heroic moment. shutup it’s perfect. “He almost asks if Draco ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit all the time, but he knows that he, personally, never ever gets tired of being a miserable complaining shit.” and “It’s the traumas,” Harry says gravely” --lines that live rent free in my head -

Harry Potter and the Future He Doesn't Really Want, Thanks by seefin - 70k - E “That was the only logical thing to do here, wasn’t it? It was the next step, it was the end of hurting each other and the beginning of the exact opposite.” --harry lives with luna and neville and also he dreams about the future sometimes? and he keeps running into draco. draco thinks this is sus as hell, until he doesn’t. feat. taxi rides, museums, cinemas, rooftop conversations beneath a lunar eclipse, mid-sex innocuous banter, draco and harry discussing nicki minaj. this fic charmed my ass off. seefin writes the most effortlessly hilarious dialogues. i smiled at my phone like an idiot at least 7 times. -  other faves by them: Wild - 93k - E: “he liked feeling needed, for the things that he was needed for back at the house in Ireland. For cooking and gardening and driving. Easy things.” --this shit makes me cry it’s so good. harry lives in Ireland with these three brilliant, hilarious, wandless witches and draco’s a potions student who's come to study under one of the housemates and the boys have so much shit to work through but their love becomes so tender and honest. draco yells at harry a lot and harry lets him and they both keep each other grounded in something real and fuCK.  - Divination for Dickheads - 7k - G: “I’m terrible at having crushes. I’ve never played anything cool a day in my life.” -- oh harry, we knOW. a bus ride, a fortune teller, an aquarium birthday party. god i love this fic. -

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic​ - 61k - E “But we’ve worked so hard at this, haven’t we? Yeah, I know it’s a horror to have to talk about it, but fuck it. We’re friends now, but it took so long to get here. Have you ever had to work so hard at something before?" --the steady blossoming of their friendship in this fic is so goddamn beautiful i want to yell. it’s draco and harry learning to trust each other and the whole thing unfolds so slowly, in this whimsical mix of london streets, wizarding politics, church halls feat. a Hot vicar, and a magical antique shop owner who’s married to literal poseidon?? goD the environment of this fic. immaculate. [also there’s a tender shower scene that makes me cry every single fucking time so if you read this fic pls dm me so we can be embarrassing about it together tbh] -

Nice Things by aideomai - 22k - M “He kept waiting for the weird shock of touch to not knock him clean out of his head, leave him quiet and warm and happy.” --8th year. harry forms an unlikely friendship with draco that begins with smoking weed on a windowsill. harry is touch-starved and draco touches him like he touches all his close friends - like it’s easy. the quiet affection in this fic, the way harry burrows himself into touch bc he’s been without it for his entire life. reading this is like being held. -

Running On Air by @tinyhistory​ - 74k - T “do you remember when we were eleven?” --alexa play coldplay’s the scientist it’s sad girl hours and we’re about to fucking yearn. you’ve seen this fic rec on every drarry list under the sun and i'm here to be redundant. the hype is so goddamn real. this story is a lyrical masterpiece held together by lines that act as refrains that will rattle around your brain until you die, probably. draco’s been missing for 3yrs. harry goes to find him. it’s their odyssey of homecoming. -

Title of Their Sex Tape by @cibeewastaken - 12k - T “But Draco, Draco was everything but boring. Draco made sitting in the rain watching an empty house fun.” --auror partners pining and draco being eccentric and harry being very earnestly gay about draco’s eccentricities!! god this fic is so genuinely fun skskd feat. undercover missions, murderous faeries, a book heist, a stunning navy dress, harry’s eyelashes. -

How We Throw Our Shadows Down by @thistle-verse - 14k - T “Draco is about to say something else— to thank Potter for what he’d done, however poorly— but Harry is smiling at him again, and it’s so soft and perfect that Draco holds in any inadequate words, lest he spoil it.” --draco collects tea cozies and of course harry has the one he wants. the sad and tender gays are at it again feat. conversations in the rain at a train station, melancholy Blaise, muggle photos, wizarding e-bay, the Dursleys.  -

Helix by Saras_Girl - 92k - E “Draco sighs in his sleep and Harry clings on to consciousness, needing to hold on, to give this tiny, insignificant moment the attention it deserves” --I think maybe you can describe every soft Saras_Girl story as giving tiny, insignificant moments the attention they deserve. like, this is an 8th year fic about snails and it’s full of whimsy, grief, compassion, and easy humor. an absolute must-read author in this genre if you want languorous, episodic fics full of distinct OCs and affectionate creatures. - other faves by them: Light up the Night Sky - 98k - M “Draco, sometimes you make my head feel like soup” --the one where harry is a fireworks artist and has a pet chameleon named ken. draco is on the wizarding arts council. they both pine like hell. - Headlights in the Snow - 71k - M “they stare at each other in silence, Harry’s heart beating so loud in his chest that he thinks the biddies must be able to hear it over the sound of their card game.” --the one where draco drives the knight bus and carts around the biddy club, a group of rambunctious old ladies who knit and drink tea and gossip. harry can’t help but fall in love with the everything about this. -

Follow the Water by @xanthippe74 - 38k - T “Harry’s heavy thoughts lift at the sight, like dark clouds blown away from the sun by the wind. The tent doesn’t feel so cramped and stifling now. It feels cozy. And safe. It’s the same feeling that Harry gets when he’s at the Burrow for Sunday roasts, when a group of people who care for each other deeply are crammed into too-small a space.” --harry wanders to the lovegood house on a sunday afternoon. he’s baffled to see that luna’s taken pansy, greg, and draco under her wing. what follows is a summer of forest walks, scavenger hunts, gardening, water fights, odd cakes, faerie rings, and picnics. so many picnics. i love the pace of this fic, the innocent return to childhood things, the way luna brings out the best in all her friends. reluctantly soft slytherins are just *chefs kiss*!! -

Going Postal (A 125pg comic) by dustmouth - T what. a. beautiful. ass. comic. the wizarding fashion, the textures, the character design!! harry travels a lot for his job as a resourcer. draco works in the regulations dept. they pine like a bunch of lovesick idiots via field report notes. god i love dustmouth’s art. -

All the Earnest Young Men by @tepre​ - 29k - E “Draco is twenty-seven layers of personality wrapped up in drama and humour, and a wit so sharp it still stings when he doesn’t see it coming. But there is something below that, too. Something that makes Harry ache just looking at him.” --the way i would lay down my little life for tepre’s characterization of draco, whom invented the word earnest. he’s a magical art theory expert and portraits are disappearing all over London and harry’s the auror assigned to this case. and well. they’re both so very avoidant about how gay they are for each other and it’s like!! shutup and kiss!! which they do in fact, shutup and kiss.  -

Trenches by sara_holmes - 3k - M “Somewhere in the distant part of his mind that hasn't frozen solid, he thinks that maybe he and Draco are about to become more than auror partners, smoking buddies, wine-mates and co-inhabitants of a snow filled trench somewhere in western Scotland.” --the plot line here is literally “it’s cold and i need a fucking cigarette” but let me tell you how I never tire of the shared loaded-silences of two emotionally repressed gays. -

The Years Before Love by lomonaaeren - 13k - M “That’s one of the meanings of peace, he thinks, as Hermione hugs him...That he can do things slowly, softly, without worrying that they won’t be there tomorrow.” --andromeda taking harry under her wing and harry finding solace in teddy. narcissa and draco showing up and the tentative relationships that slowly develop in the quiet calm of andromeda’s house. found families and kisses in the snow and special xmas gifts ugh what’s not to love -

The Moon Looks Lovely Tonight by Omi_Ohmy - 35k - M “I want this to be a house where people are welcome, where they don’t have to be any one way or another” --in which harry collects lost things--owls, best friends, inept bakers, potions experimenters--and turns the mausoleum that is grimmauld place into a home. feat. your fave drarry tropes like shared-beds and reluctant waltzing partners. -

[part 1: thrillers | part 2: dramas | part 3: soft bois | part 4: wankbanks]