#he wants to properly date and has tried moving on but it feels disgusting so it’s either me or nothing at least for several months

[lilgynt]

oh i did go on that dinner that turned into pool and then smoking by the mountains but goal was met he wanted to khs

[skelavender]

She wants to fuck him, properly. There will be time for tender love-making later, but right now, she needs it to be raunchy and absolutely disgusting. She needs them both to be wrecked after. Now that she’s thinking about it, need is thrumming under her skin like a second heartbeat, filling her to the brim. And, well, Mulder is right here laying on top of her, so… Fuck it. Or, rather, fuck him. OR After almost 4 years of partnership, 14 months of marriage, 9 months of joint home ownership, and a couple weeks of dating, Scully and Mulder finally fuck nasty.

read SOME PART OF ME CAME ALIVE on ao3, or below the cut

Dana Scully feels unbelievably lucky to be able to watch her partner sleep. For his breath to come in small rhythmic huffs across her neck, tickling the skin atop her collarbones. To be allowed to run her hand through his hair, brushing through cropped strands and twisting them slightly around her fingers. 

Lying with him under the cloak of night is intimate, but not new. There is nothing about this that she hasn't had before, but now everything is recontextualized. It’s not just her best friend clinging to her like a vice, but her lover. 

Well, not yet her lover. The time for sex hadn’t yet presented itself. That hasn’t necessarily been a problem, Scully is perfectly secure in her positionality and loves just knowing that he’s hers, and she is his. Sex isn’t strictly necessary for that. But to say that it is wanted would be… an understatement.

She wants Mulder. She wants him on top of her, and under her, and inside her, all over each other. She has long since tried to avoid fantasizing about Mulder, so she now has a long mental list of things she wants to do with him.

But the problem, now, is fear. Not of anything to do with Mulder, or any sex they might have, but of the briefness of the future. 

If he were to see the fears running laps around her mind, if he knew just how likely it is that those fears are true, if Betts had seen something in her, Mulder would touch her differently. Like she’s made of glass, like she’s a fragment of something already half gone. Maybe she is, but she doesn’t want that experience to be the only one they have.

She wants to fuck him, properly. There will be time for tender love-making later, but right now, she needs it to be raunchy and absolutely disgusting. She needs them both to be wrecked after.

Now that she’s thinking about it, need is thrumming under her skin like a second heartbeat, filling her to the brim. And, well, Mulder is right here laying on top of her, so…

Fuck it. Or, rather, fuck him. 

Scully moves her hand to his cheek and strokes her thumbs across the soft protrusion of his zygomatic. 

“Mulder,” she whispers. “Mulder.”

His eyes open slowly, and even when barely awake, he looks at her like he loves her. Like she’s some glorious goddess, hanging the stars for him to dream of. She pulls his face to hers, and kisses him resolutely.

He makes a muffled sound, surprised and sleepy, but returns her enthusiasm, pressing closer. Her hand shifts to his back and she clings to him, allowing the desperation to leak through. 

When Scully opens her mouth atop Mulder’s, he sucks in an uncontrolled breath, stealing the oxygen between them. She shifts, rolling on top of him to straddle his hips, and grinds down. Hard. 

And that’s not the only thing that’s hard. Mulder’s cock is stiffening under her, lined right up with her clit and eliciting a squeaky moan from her throat. It’s not the first time she’s felt him hard against her; it had happened during numerous accidental make out sessions in the past weeks since they had officially gotten together. Even before that, they had been sharing a bed closely for months, and the situation was simply unavoidable. The shape and feel of Mulder’s cock wasn’t new; the ability to do something about it was. 

She shifts her hips back up along his length, and runs her hips down again, setting an unrelenting pace. Mulder tilts his torso up a bit, so she’s sat straight up and still kissing him but has a fuller range of motion. She takes advantage of Mulder’s available back and slides her hands up under his shirt to grope at the planes of muscle. Mulder groans, breaking the kiss, and his jaw slackens as if the mere act of Scully touching his back is pure pleasure. This reaction, the lack of coordination borne from Scully’s fingertips across his spine, is new. She takes advantage of it, just about tearing his shirt over his head to expose more skin, more for her to touch and map and claim. 

Scully feels like she’s flying. She’s a little removed from herself, from her fears. The only places she’s truly connected to her body are where Mulder’s skin is brushing hers, lighting her nerves up so bright you could see them from space. She’s needed this, needed him.

Mulder moves his head to the junction of her neck and shoulder, dragging his teeth gently along sensitive skin. It’s not quite hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough that a part of Scully wishes that he would. She tilts her head to give him better access, and changes the angle of her fingers dancing across his back. Where she had been teasing him with the light brush of her fingertips before, she is now letting her fresh manicure catch on the flesh as she rakes them down, down, down, undoubtedly leaving red marks across his skin. Mulder’s lips detach from her skin as he whines, panting into her collarbone with a soft, “Scully.”

“Yes, Mulder?”

“Fuck.” he flips them, settling her on her back with her legs spread wide to accommodate him. His mouth dips back to her collarbone, exploring as his fingers dance at the hem of her tank top. When she raises her arms to encourage him to take it off, he complies, and he attaches to the swell of her breast immediately.

His mouth kisses over to her nipple, giving it a light, affectionate bite accompanied by a gasp from Scully before mirroring the action on the other one. His lips shift to the valley between her breasts, kissing down her stomach until his bottom lip brushes the edge of her underwear. 

“Please.” Mulder’s voice is unexpected and rough. “Please, Scully. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this, Scully, please.”

Scully’s tongue darts out to wet her dry lips, and she cards her hand through his sleep-mussed hair. “Please what, sweetheart?”

“Please let me eat you out.” It comes out in one heavy breath, like it’s a confession offered on reflex. Maybe it is. 

She shifts her hand to his cheek and strokes it affectionately. “God, yes.”

The smile this wins from Mulder is lopsided and genuine. He looks like he’s won the damn lottery, like getting his mouth on Scully is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s certainly not. She plans on this happening regularly for the rest of their time on this earth.

Mulder tucks his shoulders into the curve where her ass meets her thigh and settles in like he’s planning on being there for a while. Scully just about screams when his lips brush her clit through her underwear, her hands weaving their way back into his hair. An “Oh, God,” tumbles from her lips and her head falls back to the pillow, lulling to the side. Mulder’s tongue darts from his mouth, and when he tastes the wetness that has begun to soak through her underwear, he moans. Scully sees his eyebrows knit together, like he is overwhelmed by the pleasure of her taste. 

He breaks away for a moment, pressing his cheek to her thigh and panting. When his eyes open again, he stares up at her. A mischievous smile — one she’s used to seeing on cases when he’s about to do something stupid — crosses his face, and he uses two fingers to pull her underwear aside, just brushing the soaked lips of her labia. 

She clenches on a disappointing nothing. He doesn’t slip his fingers inside, where she wants him so badly. He just moves the fabric out of the way, and lowers his lips to hover above her skin, taking a moment to just breathe her in.

She tugs his face closer by her grip on his hair, impatient. When Mulder’s lips land on her, it’s uncoordinated, but the contact is so, so necessary. His tongue flits across her vaginal opening, barely venturing inside, and up across her clit. Scully jolts, grinding into his face with a stuttering moan.

His tongue works her clit gently for a moment, before he takes the gland into his mouth, between gentle teeth and tongue, and gives it a soft, experimental suck. 

Scully’s reaction is… well, positive is an understatement. Her back arches, and she drapes a leg across his back to hold him impossibly closer. 

She’s panting, grinding, and muttering nonsense expletives and praise. She thinks Mulder might be pressing into the bed for some relief as well. He hooks his fingers in the side of her underwear and goes to pull them down, only for them to get caught on the spread legs he lies between.

Scully laughs, not unkindly, but lifts her legs to help shimmy them off. “I can’t get those off if you’re between my legs, sweetheart.”

“Uh huh,” Mulder agrees absently, and dives back into her, finally able to get the direct contact he craves. He looks like he’s fucking floating while he eats her out, holding her to his face by her hips, and oh. Oh.

Mulder needs this as badly as she does, that much is clear. But whereas she needs to consume him, to take him in as a part of her – Mulder needs to please her. He has something to prove.

With this realization, Scully tucks a foot under Mulder’s body and flips them, his feet dangling off the end of the bed and her pussy hovering a couple inches above his face. Mulder looks up at her with wonder and groans. She cocks an eyebrow, questioning if this new position is alright. His hands land at the top of her thigh in response, pressing her down onto his lips.

Scully fucks herself on Mulder’s tongue, controlling when it spears inside of her and when it circles her slit with a shift of her hips. She loves it, she wants to explore this deeply, but another time. Right now, she needs to be full, she needs Mulder inside her. His cock, yes, but also the rest of his being. She wants to absorb him into herself, make her body as full as her heart feels when love rises inside her. 

Scully leans backwards, supporting herself with her hands on Mulder’s sculpted torso. Two fingers tug the band of Mulder’s boxers away from his skin, and let them snap back down, stinging his skin. Mulder grunts, a sound of pleasure, and Scully tucks that reaction away for another time as well. “Take them off,” she demands, breathless. Mulder complies in short order, and Scully shifts backward until she can rub her cunt along Mulder’s bare dick, laid against his stomach, hard and aching for her. 

He reaches for the nightstand, presumably groping for condoms. “Don’t,” she says. “I’m on the pill, and I know for a fact that neither of us have any sexually transmitted infections.” Scully leans forward so her face is inches from his, still teasing the both of them with a slow glide of his dick along her folds. “I want you to come inside me.”

Mulder leans up in a desperate attempt to kiss her, but Scully sits up straight again. “Okay?”

He nods frantically in response. 

She lets out a stuttering breath before leveling him with her gaze, eyelids low and demanding. She drags her body up his, angles her hips and nudges cock to just the right angle so it presses against her opening, and lowers again to let it slide in. To take Mulder inside her. 

Their eyes stay locked while she lowers herself on his cock. The contact doesn’t break until Mulder’s eyes shift slowly down her body, shining in the moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains, and settle on the spot where their bodies meet.

Scully wiggles slightly, teasing him with a figure-eight motion of her hips. Mulder groans, his head falling back to hit the pillow and his fingertips digging into Scully’s hips. The contact isn’t controlling, it’s not even guiding; Mulder just needs something to hold onto desperately, and his palms fit too perfectly on her hip bones for them to have ever meant to be anywhere else. 

Scully savors the moment. She drinks in the electricity of Mulder’s touch under her skin, the fullness where she stretches around his cock, the cool sting of Mulder’s wedding ring on her waist that reminds her that he’s hers. Because he is; he’s her husband, her partner, her lover, her friend. Her heart pounds with the heat of possession.

And her heart, oh her heart. It’s pumping, beating hard against her ribcage as if threatening to escape and jump out to lay across Mulder’s chest in a desperate attempt to get closer to him. She runs her hands down her inner thighs, brushing across her hammering femoral pulse.

Thadump, thadump, thadump. She’s alive.

“Scully.” Mulder’s choked voice brings her back to the present. “Please.”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” She presses up and begins to set her rhythm, matching her rises and falls to the feeling of her blood pumping through her body, which she can feel in every corner of herself. Alive, alive, alive.

“Scully, oh god,” Mulder pants her name, his pleas, and Scully leans forward to lay her lips on his while she fucks him.

When Mulder comes inside her, Scully isn’t surprised. His moans increase as he reaches his climax, and she can feel his cock twitching and leaking inside her. She changes nothing, just continues her brutal pace as he softens inside of her and keeps her lips atop his where they are spread open around a silent scream. 

She takes and takes and takes, her clit rubbing against the stretch of skin above his dick. She’s past controlling her actions, her body just propelling itself where it needs until her abs are clenching and her orgasm rolls over her.

She doesn’t know when they stop just breathing into each other’s mouths and start actually kissing again, but when Scully’s aftershocks ease, Mulder’s tongue is brushing her lips skillfully. She lets his now-soft cock slip out of her, but quickly replaces it with her fingers. She’s not touching herself for more gratification, just to keep his come inside her for as long as possible. 

“I love you,” Mulder breathes into her mouth.

“I love you, too,” Scully echoes.

They kiss slow and deep, Mulder’s hands dancing across every inch of her skin. One trails its way down her arm to meet where her fingers are plugging his come inside her. He takes her wrist between his fingers and lifts it to his lips, moaning around the way they taste, all mixed together.

“Fuck, Mulder.” She kisses him; she can’t not kiss him. An unwilling squeak rises from the back of her throat as their tongues meet and she tastes the junction of them, too. She hopes the flavor will soon be familiar.

They kiss, and kiss, and kiss until Scully is falling asleep with her lips on Mulder’s. She has shifted  so that their sweaty legs are wound together, flesh stuck to flesh. Every inch of her is pressed against her partner’s body, as it was always meant to be. 

She’s drifting off with her lips gently brushing Mulder’s when he moves, leaning away from her. Scully tightens an arm around his waist, silently requesting that he stay close and never, ever get far enough away to stop touching her. 

“I’m just going to clean up and get some water, Scully. I’m not even getting out of bed.”

“Fine,” she mumbles into the now-Mulderless pillow. Mulder rustles in the nightstand, and Scully blinks open to admire his strong, naked back. Normally, the only marks are a couple freckles, but now it is graced with a series of red lines down his back. She reaches out to drag her fingertips down the marks, much lighter than she had when she had put them there. Mulder shivers at the contact on his raw skin.

“I marked you up,” Scully notes matter-of-factly. 

Mulder hums. “Whatever will the guys in the locker room think, Scully?”

She sits up and scoots toward him, tilting his chin towards her and over his shoulder. “Just tell them your wife gave them to you.”

They’re both smiling like fools when she leans in to kiss him. He turns his body towards her, leaning her to lay back on the bed again. He presses her knees open, surprising her slightly.

“Again?” she asks quietly. 

“I’m just cleaning you up. You’ve got, uh…”

“I’ve got what, Mulder?” she asks innocently. 

Mulder meets her eyes, raw, and he’s breathless when he speaks. “You’ve got my come leaking out of you.”

Scully hums happily. “Guess you’ll have to lick it out next time.”

Mulder makes a punched-out groaning sound. Scully’s glad to know he likes the idea and tucks it away for later use. 

For now, she lets him clean her up, and curls into his body as soon as he’s thrown the wipe away, seeking his comfort, his warmth. 

Mulder holds her body tight to his and buries his nose in her hair. He inhaled deeply, and Scully’s brows furrowed in confusion. 

“Mulder are you… sniffing me?”

“…no?” It’s a lie, an obvious one. “I just…” he continues, “I don’t want to forget anything about this. I mean, it took us so long.”

Scully just laughs and burrows into him further, her nose pressed to his neck. 

“But we got here.” She presses the words into his skin with a peck.

“We got here,” he echoes. 

She can let herself savor this for now. His arms can act as shelter from her fears, from the future. In a few months or years they might be forcibly separated by six feet of dirt, but for now she can rest. In his arms, there is no disease, no deterioration, and no death on the horizon. 

[justwritedreams]

Birthday kiss | San

San x Reader, best friends to lovers au Word count: 1960 Genre: pure fluff Author: maari Warnings: Reader has no experience with kisses, mention of a bad kiss because I need to put my experiences here you know I think that's all Note: This one is dedicated to my lil sis @jaehunnyy as a birthday gift. Happy bithday lil sis, I hope you have a amazing and wonderful day 💚 Summary: You had your first kiss and it was horrible, and San is ready to prove that what comes next is better.

⩥ Ateez Masterlist

“Hey, how was your-” San didn't even finish talking when saw the door open and Y/N took long strides to throw herself on his bed, while he was busy studying at his desk. “...date?” “Awful.” she complained, letting out a long sigh and throwing her arms up. “Terrible. Worst I had.” He dropped the book and pencil he was holding, got up from his chair and walked over to the bed, sitting beside her, visibly curious. “What happened?” The friend was too excited in the morning, a little nervous of course and he could see it as he helped her choose which outfit to choose and San tried to do everything to make her nervousness go away even for a few hours. It was her birthday and Y/N had a date night, that's why they spent the day together to make up for the fact that this time they weren't going to sing happy birthday at the end of the day. So, they arranged for her to spend the night before in his dorm so they could sing happy birthday at midnight so she could blow out the candles and make a wish. San guessed that she had asked for something about the date since she rubbed her sweaty hands all day, but little did he know what her request had really been. She had to control her body so as not to react obviously when he caressed her knee in a subtle way, encouraging her to speak. She took a deep breath before sitting up straight on the bed to look him properly in the eyes but San didn’t undo the contact of the hot palm with the knee of Y/N covered by jeans.

“So, you know that I don’t have that much experience with those things…” she started gesturing with her hands, a clear sign that she was anxious. “Dating, flirting, kissing.” he began to enumerate while shaking his head. “Yeah I mean… wait, I kissed before.” she looked at him offended and he looked suspicious. “One peck. It's not a kiss.” he laughed. “Two.” she raised her fingers. “I gave two pecks. And of course it’s a kiss.” “No, it’s not.” San laughed again, the dimple showing and Y/N wanted to bite it because he looked cute even though they were arguing. “A kiss involves the tongue, a peck is just the mouths touching.” “Argh, please, don’t remind me of the tongue.” Y/N put her hand to her forehead, looking disgusted. “Why?” San settled better on the bed, his attention fully focused on her.

He was finding it strange actually, because from the way she said it, it was exactly what she wanted to do and now she looked quite regretful. “I got my kiss and it was a mess, okay?” she admitted and saw that San held back a laugh. “I expected it to be something more gentle or intimate but he just opened his mouth and came out sticking his tongue, it was full of saliva and there was no…” Y/N couldn't find a word to describe what she thought so just kept moving her hands as if San would guess. “Complicity.” he concluded and she nodded in agreement. 

Of course he would understand. San always understood her better than anyone and she didn't even need to say what was thinking because with a look he knew.

Well, maybe he didn't know everything she thought. “Yeah!” she sighed sadly and twisted her mouth. “I thought, well since we've been talking for so long and he asked me out right on my birthday, that would be great! There would be sparks and confetti but... there wasn't even a butterfly in my stomach.” Was it naive to think that she could find someone who could make her feel the same things as San? Yes. But it was a desperate act. Y/N felt that she spent too much time with San, which was why her standards were so impossible to meet. San was thoughtful, helpful, affectionate, he was practically perfect so Y/N figured that if she dated other guys and found the same qualities as her friend, maybe the crush she had on him would go away. But of course, it was in vain. Because the whole date she was comparing the poor guy to San. And it wasn't even on purpose, it just happened that she wanted San's gentle eyes to be there, watching her in the dark of the cinema, that it was San's arms hugging her because the air conditioning in the theater was too strong and she was shivering with cold. That it was San’s voice speaking low in her ear and most important, that it was his lips that gave the long-awaited first kiss. It should have been a special date but it turned out to be like every other date she's ever had. And that had made her frustrated, mainly because the kiss had been far below her expectations. “In fact, he didn't even know that today was my birthday.” “Oh.” San looked surprised and clearly upset for her. “You know what I thought about every time he held my hand?” she asked and San shook his head. “How it didn't feel right. I would rather stay here listening to your jokes." “So the guy really was horrible.” he teased and she laughed, nodding in agreement. “Oh and to make the situation even better, I had to come here by myself.” “He didn't want to accompany you?” he asked, perplexed. “In fact, he didn't want the night to end."  she rolled her eyes, irritated, while San looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "But I said that my brother was sick and he needed my help.” “You don't have a brother.” he looked at her confused. “No, but Hongjoong sleeping on the couch was the perfect alibi.” “You didn’t.” he laughed in disbelief and she smiled, pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolling it until she turned the screen towards San. He saw the conversation, first the photo of Hongjoong sleeping with his mouth open on the couch and Y/N saying ‘this is why I needed to be home’. Of course, she just hadn't mentioned whose house it was.

And then he saw the guy's response. “He just asked when you guys are going to see each other again." he scowled and Y/N rolled her eyes again before blocking the screen without even responding. "Never. Not in a million years. Not to have a drooling kiss again." San tried to hold back his laughter but couldn't and Y/N looked at him, smirking. "What? Seriously, I felt like I was drowning and you know I know the feeling cuz it happened twice to me." “The drowning or the drooling kiss?” he asked and couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, placing a hand on his stomach as his head fell back and the sound echoed throughout the room, making her smile.

That was exactly why Y/N had chosen to go there, because even though it had been an embarrassing situation, San was the only one who could make her feel less worse. He wouldn't say I warned you, he would comfort her. Y/N's smile increased as San continued to laugh and she couldn't hold her laugh, not when his was so contagious. They laughed until her stomach hurt and San started to cry. Laughing at her own failure was only funny with San. After laughing, she threw herself on his bed again, the phone away and she closed her eyes, feeling San lay beside her.

"Why is it so hard for me?" “Huh?” She opened her eyes and turned to face San, he had his chin resting on his hand and was looking at her. "Why is it so hard for me to find someone who doesn't kiss like the world is going to end in 5 seconds." she complained, huffing and saw San get serious, just watching her intensely. San had tried to warn subtly so she didn't expect it that much, the first kiss was never as good as in books or movies, he didn't want her to disappoint herself. But her eyes were so sad and that was her day, it should have been special, even if the kiss had been a mess, the rest should have been worth it. San kept looking at Y/N, saw her mouth moving as she complained but had his attention far from her words. She deserves someone who treated her well, to make her feel safe and loved, especially that day. It was supposed to have been the perfect day and all San felt inside his chest was that he needed to do something to make up or even erase that frustrating night she had. “I wanted a special birthday gift-” In a thrust hearing that sentence, San took a hand to Y/N's face and within seconds heed his lips on hers, and made her quiet as well as complete shock. He didn’t move his lips, even if Y/N lips were soft and hot enough to make him want to start a real kiss, he waited for her to be comfortable to do so and when Y/N realized that San expected her permission she closed her eyes and took her hand to support the arm that held her face. San started a slow and soft kiss that made Y/N’s heart accelerate in a matter of seconds and the body seemed to tingling inside, his lips were kind, didn't seem to be in a hurry, wanted to create a profitable rhythm. When both were already immersed in the dance between her lips, it was the turn of the tongues to meet, and she sighed when San opened his mouth enough so that his tongue move around her lips indicating what he wanted, she gave in of course and led the hand that until then was on his arm to his neck. But the kiss didn’t change, continued at the same slow and sensual rhythm that was making every hair from Y/N's body to lift. San's taste was sweet, it was like an addictive poison and Y/N could spend the rest of her life kissing him like that. He kissed her in a way as if the whole world had stopped and not about to end, taking his sweet time with her. She was breathless but her hand didn't let go of the back of San that diminished the rhythm of the kiss even more, leaving little pecks on her lips before moving away, she didn't have the courage to open her eyes but felt San's watching her and his nose was so close that it made an almost shy affection. His hand that was on her face made a soft affection on her cheek and it was enough for her to open her eyes after trying to recover the breath he had stolen from her. She then found him smiling, the deep dimple appearing, while his eyes analyzed every detail of her face. "What was that?" She whispered, without the strength to keep her voice firm.

"A birthday kiss." He blinked but kept serious. "It's not so hard to find someone who kisses well."

Well? That had been the best kiss of Y/N's life. "I'm sorry but I don't know if it was that good." She pretended innocence and he narrowed his eyes. "I think I'll need some more to compare." "I thought you had already made a wish when you blew the candle."

"And I did." She smiled shy, and started playing with San's hair. "That's exactly what I wished for."

[violetarks]

Hi! Could you maybe do some Chishiya x asexual reader headcanons? (like how he acts towards the reader while in only romantic and nonsexual relationships)?

I hope you understand what I asked.

"you'd come over and say i looked lovely."

show: alice in borderland

character: chishiya shuntaro

summary: how he would be in a relationship with someone who is asexual

warnings: g/n! reader, second person pov, slight s2 spoilers, headcanons, if anyone has some pointers, please tell me!!

i don't believe he'd be so fussed about dating someone who is asexual

like he really wouldn't mind if you preferred to keep sexual contact to a low, or if you would rather cut it out all together

i feel like he keeps to himself most of the time anyway, so it wouldn't be much of a difference

the most he would do is a kiss, one that doesn't succeed more than five seconds (and this is typically done in private)

he would usually do this before or after a game where you're separated during beach games, since its unpredictable and he knows that while you can hold your own, it's not the same for everyone else

they could bring you down with them, or make you miss your step

he just wants you to know that he loves you, and he can't exactly express it that well in words

will ask for your boundaries as soon as you tell him you're asexual

if you don't feel comfortable discussing them, then he will ask you to stop him when he gets too close, or he makes you feel uncomfortable

doesn't want you to feel ashamed in any way

didn't push you to sleep in the same bed as him when the two of you decided to move into the same room

said he would sleep across the hall if it meant you would still feel comfortable

the first time you tried to cuddle, he was as stiff as a board

if you like cuddling, then you would hold his hand at the start, and a few minutes later, he'll ask if you want him to hold you

if you say yes, its a shy arm around your waist and him constantly asking "is this okay?" in the quietest voice ever

if you say no, then he's more than satisfied with just holding your hand throughout the night (might be a bit wary of how sweaty his hands are going to become throughout your sleep)

if you don't like cuddling, then your nights are filled with some talk about the day or the game you played, sometimes even just what your life was like beforehand

chishiya isn't one to talk so much, so he leaves it to you to fill the space

he likes hearing your voice

at some point niragi has made some unfavourable comment about you either to your face or chishiya's

resulted in a snide remark from your boyfriend's part that really made niragi pop a blood vessel, and if aguni overheard at all then he'd be on that guy's ass for it (i believe aguni to be a very respectable man, probably hit niragi for every person he hit on)

chishiya wouldn't hold back on insults to those who make such comments about you

would go as far as to lead them astray during a game so he doesn't have to deal with them

doesn't tolerate bullshit

will outright say in public, a hotel full of listening ears, that the person's actions are disgusting

his quick-wit is everyone else's downfall when it comes to you

on the other hand, if you hear someone say something about you that you feel uncomfortable with, it will go two ways:

if you don't like confrontation too much, then a small glare their way along with chishiya's remarks will be enough to send them way

if you don't mind confrontation, then chishiya will watch as you march up to them and say some things he can't quite hear, but the looks on their faces is all he needs to understand

puts more effort into showing you he loves you in acts of service

he really just doesn't know how to say it properly, so he will do things for you

chishiya: "here"

y/n: "oh, a taser... thank you, shuntaro"

chishiya: "use it for your next game"

y/n: "i will, this looks cool"

chishiya: "make sure you charge it"

y/n: "sure thing"

chishiya: "don't die... please?"

y/n: ",,, i won't, since you asked so nicely"

he grabs you a drink or a snack when he goes to get some, making sure to ask if you didn't like certain things

he fixes the bed while you're getting ready

he grabs you a phone when a game begins so you don't have to rush to get one

its in his actions that he really shines

tries to show his romantic side more

he has little romantic side

as in, he struggles with planning dates or whatever, he just likes to spend time around you

like you're reading a book or you're making something, and he'll sit beside you and watch

but he lives for the look on your face when he does go out of his way to plan something romantic

a nice night out under the stars, or a picnic in the afternoon

you really appreciate all he does, and he's glad he is able to show you his love this way

understands that even if a form of contact wasn't meant by a person to be sexual, that it can still come off that way amd make the other uncomfortable

so he's very careful with you

the most contact is holding your hand, a warm hug or an arm around your shoulder/waist

he wants you to know that you don't have to do anything with him

he simply loves you

not whatever you could do for him

you never feel pressured by him

maybe the first time he put a hand on your lower back, to move you slightly out of the way while he passed you, he noticed your reaction no matter how small

and he made a mental note not to do that again without your knowledge

he doesn't enjoy the feeling he gets when something happens and you tell him that you didn't like something he did

he doesn't actively go out of his way to initiate any sexual contact

at the beginning of your relationship, you distinctly said you didn't enjoy nor want him to touch or talk to you in a sexual way

and he agreed to never, under no circumstances, ever do that

in fact, he sat beside you and told you all the things he loved about you

your smile, your laugh, how you held his hand in yours

he spent the rest of the night reassuring you, making sure you knew why he liked you so much

upon the feeling of acceptance by your boyfriend, you could break into tears

if you do, he's right there beside you to hold your hand and comfort you

he knows people could be rude, and maybe some dismissed you from their lives, but he counts them as foolish

who would be so stupid as to cut you off?

just because you don't like being touch that way didn't make you any less valuable to love

if the topic of a family comes up, he leaves it entirely up to you

he's not too fussed about whether or not the two of you adopt

if you want to, then he's good with that

he's not terrible with kids, he's quite good actually with his line of work

if you don't want to, chishiya won't make big deal of it

just because he's good with children doesn't mean he wants to have a full time job taking care of them

now if you are a touchy person, chishiya won't mind

he's happy with you clinging to him every moment, following him around like a lost puppy, nudging his knuckles to hold his hand

while he is not a touchy person and makes notes on where you don't like being touched, he likes having you around all the time

if it turns out you're not such a touchy person, he's more than happy keeping it to a minimum

will learn how to show his love through his words more for you

isn't afraid to ask if he needs to change his behaviour a little

while he won't do a full 360°, he will actively try to keep you feeling safe around him

[discendia]

all the pre-relationship for Dino x Rio x Kyoya :D

Jojoooo! Thank you so much for asking! I'm going for the closest-to-canon approach to answer this. With so many questions, I tried to be brief (and failed, oops). So beware, long post ahead!

《 Ship Questions Redux 》

─────── ☼⋅☂︎⋅☁ ────────

જ⁀➴ Dino x Rio x Hibari

I. PRE-RELATIONSHIP

01. How did they first meet?

Since we already know how Dino and Hibari met, I'm skipping that one.

Hibari and Rio. 

They’d come across each other a few times as kids, but never met properly until the first day of middle school. Rio was wandering the corridors after another argument with Takeshi about the joining the baseball club, unaware that she was breaking one of the many rules she hadn’t read yet. Hibari called her out as soon as he saw it. He approached her, tonfa in hand, but lowered it down when she didn’t flinch at all and only smiled at him.

“This is your first and only warning, first year.”

In no time, she realized how lucky she was. Hibari never meant the first warning was only for her, but for all the first years, and he bit to death the next student he caught behaving against his rules.

Dino and Rio.

If you asked Rio, she would say they met the day Dino first arrived in Japan to meet Tsuna, and he would agree with a slightly awkward smile. Just a small detail he's hiding behind it. To be honest, he has no clear recollection of her at that moment, neither during the dinner at Tsuna's place with everyone else, only of a fleeting presence passing by. 

02. What was their first impression of each other?

03. Who felt romantic feelings first?

Even if it took time to realize it was love, Rio was the first one. No, I'm not talking about her middle school crush on Hibari. I could, but it lacked something to be called love.

Love is different: it's sweet when it's reciprocated; but bitter when you find yourself thinking that maybe you're not so happy about your best friend dating Dino, or secretly wishing things won't work between them because you want him to smile at you like before. 

What a disgusting friend you are, Rio!

04. Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Dino wasn't someone who resisted feelings, but explored them when he had the rare possibility to do so. For him, love was never at first sight, but something built over shared time. Dino needed the assurance that his future partner shared his values and looked forward to the same future as him. Therefore, if he saw a mutual interest between someone and him, and the situation allowed it, he always agreed to explore what a relationship with that person could be like and if it would work in the future.

Commitment was what dissuaded Rio from making a move. Just how many times did she try to ignore her feelings when he could name them! First, she couldn't get in the way of Dino and Stella's relationship, and later, seeing Hibari again with the same yet different admiration she felt for him in middle school meant betraying Dino. She just couldn’t!

Fueled by jealousy, Hibari broke into violent outbursts more than once. Fighting was the only way for him to calm down when he couldn’t identify the reason he felt like boiling when he saw Rio and Dino. Yet, when he did, he decided that nothing could stop him, he was free to do as he pleased and take what he wanted.

05. What would their lives be like if they had never met?

Dino tried and tried, waited and waited, as much as he could, to find the one for him. Deep in his heart, he was always a romantic, he also had a duty as a mafia boss and practicality came first. Time ran out. He married the woman he was dating at the moment and had the kids he always wanted. Everything was as it was expected. No more, no less.

Hibari ruled over his territory with an iron hand, no human warmth by his side, only the admiration of the men who followed him since the Disciplinary Committee in Middle School. Yet, he would look at them with disappointment whenever one of them started a relationship or got married. Those chains only kept them from devoting themselves to the protection of order. All of them were failures. Only he remained.

Rio never let go of Takeshi’s hand. No, I lied, she did. She went to a different middle school, hopeful yet heartbroken. The sudden cut of the thread that tied them together didn't have good consequences for any of them. Did they make up? Eventually. Was everything back to the way it was before? Not at all. She never got involved in whatever Takeshi was doing with his new friends, and dedicated herself to the restaurant. It was what she always wanted, wasn't it?

06. What was their "flirting stage" like?

Dino and Rio’s flirting stage was mostly pushed by Reborn, a series of apparently coincidental events orchestrated to throw one into the arms of the other. He knew confidential information he got by being the first one to travel to the future, and saw the political benefits of that union. Why not make it happen in this timeline too? His former student needs someone able to deal with the most pathetic side of him. And it worked, because the moment they're both available, they willingly sought for the other.

The subtle way in which Hibari can be considered to be flirting is him allowing someone to access more personal spheres of his life. To enter his base without waiting for authorization or without previous notice, sometimes even called by him, a cup of tea waiting on the table, birds fluttering in the garden.

Dino had to pay the price with a fight, adrenaline and tension rising with each encounter, that eventually found its way to be released.

Rio had to offer her calmness in exchange, accept the fate that she wouldn't be moving for as long as Namimori’s fiercest predator wanted to rest his head on her lap.

07. How do their friends and family feel about them as a couple?

As far as most of them know, only Dino and Rio are officially a couple, and they're happy for them, except for Tsuyoshi (and Hana at the very beginning). 

He and his “western things are banned in this house” attitude can't accept that Rio is happy with that filthy Italian. He often manifests out loud how he prefers Hibari for his daughter, a strong, traditional Japanese man who'll forever live in Namimori. Little he knows… or is he faking ignorance?

Discovering by accident that Hibari is involved naturally caused the alarms to go off among the group. The Vongola-Cavallone alliance could be in danger for this! Only Takeshi, Romario and Kusakabe knew from the beginning, while the rest, particularly Tsuna and Ryohei, went through a panic phase at the thought of Rio cheating on Dino.

[moontyun]

TXT: The type of...

Masterlist

𐀔...best friend 𐀔 requested: no 𐀔 warning(s): 𐀔 genre: fluff-ish?, best friends

៚ Yeonjun

In the last one, we said he was somewhat possessive and jealous when someone got close to you, right? Well, he's the same here just a little more protective of you.

Someone isn't treating you right? He's there getting ready to fight them.

Someone had been getting under your skin at work lately. Everything they did, they said, or hell didn't do, it made you irrationally angry. They just did not know how to do their job properly. You had vented about it to him. "Want me to fight them?" You laughed a little bit, shaking your head no. Instead of offering you advice, he'd suggested violence. You expected nothing less. "No, but I appreciate the thought. If things don't get better soon then you can." He pouted at the response, grumbling about how he wasn't able to.

៚ Soobin

Tries to get you to look at both sides of the coin. Doesn't want you to just have a pessimistic view on things all the time.

But will tell you like it is. You're being a complete ass to someone for no reason and he will tell you to fix it because they didn't deserve that.

You had been venting and venting to him about someone you'd once dated. You felt like they were pushing you into a corner but too Soobin, that's not the way it was. They were telling you how they were feeling and you were taking it as an attack and that's not the way it was meant to be taken. This irked you, he was sympathizing with them. "You're wrong, but okay." was all you said to him, he rolled his eyes, "Sleep on it. Think it over cause you know I'm right." He ruffled your hair as you huffed, moving to the other side of the couch. He knew you'd cool off soon and agree with him.

៚ Beomgyu

Similar to Yeonjun except not as physically protective. Won't throw hands, but will talk all the smack he can to their face.

Will roast you at any given opportunity.

He was watching them like a hawk after you made a comment about your ex friend being at this party tonight. Every time the locked eyes, he would make disgusting looks at them. The most vile looks anyone has ever given. It was pretty funny to you. At first it was a little embarrassing, but there was nothing you could do to stop him, he was just going to keep doing it. So you just leaned into it. In fact you wound up joining him in it.

៚ Taehyun

A girls girl. He's very supportive and will support all your rights and all your wrongs.

But mainly because he wants you to learn from your dumb mistakes, even if it means you going back to your cheating ex for the 80th time.

Holds you accountable!

He'd given you the blankest stare you had ever seen him give. That's how you knew he wasn't too keen on you talking to this person again. This person had done you dirty so many times and yet you continually went back to them. This was your fourth time going back, your fourth time telling Taehyun that this person was your partner once again. "I love you, but you are dumb. I hope this time you learn because I don't know what to tell you anymore." Tough love from him yet again. You knew this was the reaction you'd get from him. You nodded your head, a little disappointed with yourself. Maybe you would learn this time.

៚ Kai

He picks you up and drags you around anywhere he has to go.

Everywhere you go, he goes and vice versa

Late night drives between the two of you are a must every weekend!

You'd just shown up to his place uninvited, your car keys in hand. "Let's go. I got a doctors appointment." He quickly grabbed his wallet and his house keys, locking the door behind him. He raced you to your car, opening it up for you. "Wow, ever such the gentleman." He beamed, "Of course I am." After your appointment, you guys went to grocery shopping and then went back to his place to chill out.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

And Round 1 is Done!

PROPAGANDA

"Picture this: the love of your life betrays you and causes your death, then you're brought back to life later against your will and your lover is with your reincarnation. Anyone would feel bitter! She tries her best to keep living her half life and helping people. She's hated just because she's not the main character and gets in the way of the show's OTP."

"Kikyo was such an interesting character. She was murdered by the villain, who tricked both her and her love interest into thinking the other had betrayed them, brought back to life against her will only to find that fifty years had passed, the world had moved on without her, her baby sister was now an old woman, and she'd been condemned to an awful half-life in an unfeeling clay body where she was stuck in her worst moments and basically a vengeful spirit, but she eventually managed to move past it, gave up her one chance at getting revenge on her murderer to save the life of a child, and achieved some measure of inner peace before she died for good. But, she also has the misfortune of being the first love of the male lead, so of course the only thing anyone seems to care about is how she supposedly did him dirty and wasn't good enough for him. The whole fandom is chock full of meta posts about how she didn't trust Inuyasha enough and should have known he'd NEVER betray her like that. Meanwhile, Inuyasha fell for it just as easily when the villain framed HER for attacking HIM, but nobody ever tries to claim that HE didn't trust HER enough. (For further context, when she thought he'd betrayed her, she retaliated by pinning him to a tree and putting him in an enchanted sleep. He retaliated by destroying her village.) In at least 90% of the fanfics that she appears in at all, she's either the Bad Girlfriend or the Evil Ex, who either previously or is currently abusing the hero, or cheating on him, or trying to coerce him into turning human, or dating him for years only to break up with him by telling him he disgusts her because of his demon blood (huh???), none of which she did in the actual canon, solely so the preferred love interest can swoop in and kiss it all better. People will claim they're just making valid criticisms of her actions (which, to be fair, aren't always great), or saying she didn't properly earn her redemption (which is actually pretty standard for a shounen series) because she didn't apologize enough, but them multiple male characters who did far worse than she did somehow miraculously managed to escape the constant criticisms that she's subjected to, this despite having a so-called redemption that's literally just "He stopped eating people because he wanted to get into the heroine's pants", and remain very popular characters both in their own right and as alternate ships for the female lead. The double standards are so glaringly obvious, yet people will bend over backwards and jump through mental hoops that would give a gold-medal Olympics gymnast pause to insist that they're being completely objective and fair and that this isn't just about trying to score points in a ship war or holding female characters to completely different standards from male characters."

Kairi Propaganda

"The Kingdom Hearts game series is about Mickey Mouse battling the forces of Darkness with an alliance of fashionable anime boys. Kairi is a major character, and one of the few female characters. She is part of a trio of childhood best friends, with the protagonist Sora and their other friend Riku (who had a villain arc and then a redemption arc). Though Kairi is constantly and clumsily sidelined by the canon narrative, she arguably has more backstory going on than any other major characters. She is a refugee from another planet. She implicitly lost her beloved grandma at five years old in the traumatic destruction of their hometown. She was kidnapped and experimented on by an evil wizard-scientist—she escaped thanks to having a magic charm that basically teleported her to her soulmate(s). Then she had to adjust to living on a new planet and being adopted by a new family. In the very first game, when she's 14, she turns out her pure heart is one of 7 in the entire universe to be free of Darkness—she shows a full emotional spectrum of fear, sadness, frustration, defeat, but she isn't vulnerable to corruption. In KH2, she becomes one of the Chosen Ones who wield a magical weapon called a Keyblade. She loves her friends very much, and she has the unique talent to instantly recognize them even when they've been transformed into monsters. She has saved them several times with nothing but the Power Of Love in her heart randomly manifesting in, like, telepathy and teleportation and resurrection—she doesn't even consciously know that she has powers, her love is just so great that it's accepted as a tangible force of nature. She is frustrated and ashamed by her role as a damsel in distress, and she wishes to be stronger and combat-capable so that she join her male friends on their adventures instead of waiting around where it's safe. Also she was kidnapped by an evil assassin clown who's ten years older than her, and then they became friends. NOT ONLY does the fandom plug its ears and claim there is nothing interesting about this character and no potential in her story—Kairi has been demonized by the fandom for about 20 years. Somehow Kairi is useless and boring while also being a Mary Sue at the same time. She was called a bitch and a slut and a whore. She was hated for wearing too much pink and wielding a girly weapon with a floral design. She was criticized as a slut for wearing a short skirt, and for THE PLAYER being able to manipulate the camera into a contrived angle to look up her skirt to see her panties in the first edition of KH2. You can find nearly 20-year-old fanfiction and fanart of her being twisted into an evil schemer driving her friends apart, and of her being gleefully brutalized and insulted. Haters STILL comb for every crumb to make elaborate anti-canon theories about why she's an agent of evil, even though canon has FIRMLY ESTABLISHED for TWENTY YEARS since the very beginning that she's THE ONE CHARACTER incapable of growing Darkness in her heart. The theory is that she exists only as a puppet sent by the main villain to sabotage her friends (the plot for two out of the four main female characters) for all ten years of their friendship. The theory is that she's been using her powers to force her friends to love her—and their Power Of Friendship that is the EMOTIONAL BACKBONE OF THE STORY, and THE MAJOR FORCE OF GOOD IN THEIR UNIVERSE, and THE MOST CONSISTENT MOTIVATION FOR THE HEROES is all Just Misdirection LOL building up to a shitty Plot Twist. The theory is that she's secretly a custom-manufactured Chirithy (a cute talking animal companion that serves and guides humans)—and not a human girl with her own natural feelings and aspirations. AND THEN after stripping her of every important trait and role, these fans claim they're making Kairi more important and interesting than she is in canon. I don't know what causes the fandom to so desperately hate a sweet 14-year-old girl who literally canonically never did anything wrong."

[bengiyo]

Love Mate Eps 7 & 8 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Yi Jun and Ha Ram began pre-dating in earnest. Yi Jun wanted to see if he could properly care for someone again, so they slowed things down to get to know each other more. I loved it, because some relationships, especially gay ones, start physical and then the emotional work of getting to know the other gets skipped in lieu of sex. Yi Jun changed his entire project at work in light of his new relationship, but now it seems that the team wants to hire Yi Jun's cruel ex as the spokesperson and model for their project.

Episode 7

Ah, their first big difficulty. Yi Jun is pretending he's fine, but he's clearly not.

I don't like that knowing look DK gave Seo Yi Jun.

Work wife has a name! It's Jin Eun Sun.

This DK guy thinks he's slick, using his past history to sell his involvement and simultaneously trying to convince Yi Jun that he sees what he did to him now. I don't trust him.

I'll forgive Yi Jun for retreating into himself because he's just being distant, he still let Ha Ram hug him at work, and is considering telling Ha Ram what happened.

I'm mad at these flowers DK tried to give Yi Jun, because if he knew his tastes this well, and wanted to find him for three years, why would he break up in such a cruel way. It also looks like Yi Jun hasn't moved??

I liked the different levels of anger, offense, and disgust Cho Hyun Min conveyed as Yi Jun when DK was trying to lay on the charm. I like that DK is genuinely charming and laying it on thick, because that's how Ha Ram started as well. I like when a show adds context to earlier reticence by having an ex show up and use similar behaviors.

Okay, letting Ha Ram fall behind in the frame was a clever way to highlight the growing distance between them right as they get into a small fight about this. Ha Ram is not going to reveal that he already knows, and Yi Jun is rebuilding the original walls he had.

You better come through, Writer Jin Eun Sun!! She's the only one Ha Ram could talk to, and she said you better talk to your man! Someone get her a plate!

This studio knows how to use their limited time well. Having DK try to show that he's done the emotional work on himself by detailing all the ways Yi Jun took care of him works so well. We get to feel aghast as the cruel way he ended things with all of these reveals, and it cleverly places us with Ha Ram right after when DK seemingly won't take no for an answer.

OOO, classic yaoi framing. Putting Yi Jun between the two guys pursuing him as the final shot was a great choice.

Episode 8

He's his lover! Claim it!

Choosing neither of them is in line with Yi Jun, unfortunately. The writing is top-notch on this show. He tells DK he owes him nothing, and chides Ha Ram for being rude, before dismissing both of them.

That was an incredible break up scene. These are almost never good, but Yi Jun wanting to quit because he felt embarrassed by both guys pursuing him makes so much sense. His feelings for Ha Ram are new, and I totally get him backing off after being made to feel like a damsel or prize. Cooking a relationship because you feel like you can't commit to it is the choice we say people should make sometimes, so I'm excited to see how Yi Jun turns this around for himself.

Choosing DK is probably the right choice professionally, but it comes at the cost of connection. They're making a project about love and connection, so I doubt this will work.

Oh, I'm really glad Ha Ram and Yi Jun heard DK's conversation. We don't have enough time for just Ha Ram to know. Unfortunately, Yi Jun is just going to take it.

I do like that their manager worried about Seo Yi Jun when he didn't show up to work, knowing that was unusual.

I like Ha Ram a lot. You can't fix people's problems all the time, but you can love them even when they're being a bit mean to you until they find themselves again. "If it's hard to do this alone, I'll stay with you."

When Ha Ram said, "Expressing and receiving emotions is difficult for me, too," it made me think about the aggressive use of tropes earlier. We love tropes, because they're a way for us to understand the characters and their intentions. We like the ritualistic nature of them, but they don't always work because they're not always aligned with what the characters or even the audience wants out of the story. Yet we use them still, because we understand what they're trying to convey.

I don't think either of them is awful, but I like them giving themselves permission to make mistakes with each other.

I feel like I need to ping @respectthepetty because I feel like I'm seeing something with DK wearing red in this scene after using blue and mixed black and white earlier.

Sometimes you don't need words. Sometimes you just need to throw a drink in someone's face.

He set their photo from the wedding shoot as his background. I love this man.

Yi Jun's enamored smile as Ha Ram walks down in this suit is fantastic. Good job with this crew showing a brooding character finding his sunshine again.

Let me tell you, I go feral for the second, deeper kiss after the first one every time.

Oh good we're back in the boyfriend shirts for the domestic scene.

I like not showing DK again or any of the people cast for their program. It doesn't matter if DK did his job or not. He no longer has control over Seo Yi Jun.

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. This is our third outing with Studio Winsome, following My Sweet Dear and Our Dating Sim, and I think they may be on to something here. @shortpplfedup teases me for being a cynic because I always love the sad gays, and SHE IS RIGHT. I always go hard on the shows where a gay character has suffered and gets the chance to find happiness. This one is a little bit headier than Our Dating Sim, so I'm taking half a point; I felt like I needed to trust them to do something with the aggressive use of tropes earlier, and I'm glad it paid off. This team, more than any other Korean team, seems to understand how to maximize their limited time. I'm deeply impressed.

[lilithsterrarium]

After that little warm up i finally feel like i can write again lmao. Time to follow up on that concept i said i would after um. 5 days? So sorry. Anyway, heres the story i promised about a cruel owner using a 1 year probationary period to break a rebellious <

Emily hadnt deserved to be shrunk. She never figured out how it happenned, whether it was the random event that sometimes struck (it was rare these days but it happenned), or someone slipped her a pill as a prank. However it happened, she had been shrunk, and her life had been hell ever since. She knew she deserved better.

At first she hoped to get it reversed, but quickly found she needed an owner to approve it. In the words of the receptionist, "Fuck off, incon. Choices are for real people."

Her next idea turned out to be her biggest mistake. Emily got involved with MRAU- Micro Rights Activists United. Finally, she started to have hope! In the organization meetings, finally people who saw sense! Who didnt think micros should be treated this way! Things were good for a glorious week, and she almost forgot that the world no longer saw her as a person. She decided to attend a rally.

Everything went wrong day of. Within ten minutes of the rally starting, the normal sized attendees had been intimidated into fleeing and every micro in attendance was in a cage, heading to their new home.

Within a week of being captured, Emily considered killing herself a dozen times, and attempted it twice. Her new owner had a whole collection of dozens of incon sluts, each thoroughly broken, docile, and obedient. And he had ordered all of them to help break her. But to one, his favorite, and Emily's new mortal enemy, he gave a special order. "Lilith, make sure the new toy stays alive. I want her broken, not useless." And so even death held no respite for her.

After months of unending torture, she got a ray of hope. Her owner (she still refused to call him master, no matter what he did) told her he had gotten bored. "A toy that i cant properly play with is no fun. So we are taking you to the Human-Micro Relations Office. You are getting your personhood back. Congratulations."

She didnt believe it until she was back in her own body, standing tall once again. It felt so good. But the receptionist interrupted her reverie with a question, directed at the man she so despised: "And where would you like the mark, sir?"

"What?" Emily interjected?

The receptionist shot her a familiar look of disgust. "Incons stay on probation for a year before they het their rights as a real human back. They get the mark of a lesser to identify them, which fades after the year passes".

"I dont really care, put it on her tit i guess," the man says callously.

And just like that, she had her freedom.

1 month. She can't stop looking over her shoulder. She fears if he sees her he will revoke her personhood again.

2 months. She moves across the country. A change of scenery. Away from the memories.

3 months. She has a job at a small coffee shop. She had to beg the manager to hire a probationary incon, and he calls her into the back closet to perform "favors" for him or get fired. But it pays the rent for a studio apartment, barely.

5 months. She tries to date a guy who is a regular at the coffee shop. 3 dates in, she goes back to his place. As soon as he sees the tattoo, he kicks her out without ceremony. "Cant believe ive been dating a bug" he mutters as he slams the door behind her.

8 months. No more dating, but she has friends, goes to parties, finally is enjoying life again. Only 4 months left and she can report her perv manager and take his job, everyone at the store knows shes the best worker there.

11 months, 28 days. 2 days left, the mark is barely visible. She stopped counting down the days a few months ago, but she has day 365 marked on her calendar.

11 months, 29 days. A knock on the door late at night. Groggily, she staggers to the door. Another knock, more insistent. "Im coming, just a minute!"

A third knock, and a shout:

"H.M.R.O. Collections! Your owner has decided not to allow you personhood, and you will be taken to the nearest facility to be re-shrunk!" She freezes, paralyzed with fear. A few more hours abd she would have been safe. "You have twenty seconds before we are authourized to break in!"

She stands there, sobbing, as four men in tactical gear break through her door, and rush her. One tackles her, another presses a rag to her face. The chloroform knocks her out in seconds. By the time she wakes up, she is back in the cage. Half the micros that were here last time are gone, replaced with unfamiliar faces. She doesnt even want to know what happened to them.

Her 2nd worst tormentor lilith, sees her wake up, and brightly exclaims "Welcome back! I knew you would rejoin us at your proper place eventually. Master never actually lets a toy leave alive, after all."

The aforementioned master soon comes into the room. "Welcome back, toy. Did you honestly believe I would let you become a person again? God, you areally are a brainless incon if you fell for that. How did it feel to be that close to freedom? Its the last time you will ever feel it again."

As ger hope dissolves, she realized it was all an illusion. Her job. Her friends. Her home. Her life. They had all been a sham, to show her how little control she had. She sobbed as she finally broke, "im s-sorry, m-m-master. Ill never think of disobeying again"

HHHGGGHGHHGBVDHZHS OH MY GOD THIS ONE IS REALLY GOOD MMVJDHCHXD THANK YOU

DBBDSBXHD IM. GENUINELLY REELING THANK YOU SO SO MUCH

Its such a shame other incons don't know their place... sure, some of them STARTED off as real people, but the moment they lost their size, they lost any semblence of being even close to human whatsoever- admittedly, its a little annoying, especially being kept awake by the little sobs and begging to be "let go". I've tried everything, cuddling up with newcomers, singing them lullabys, INSISTING that they get some sleep for the next day, but they never listen... such a shame, really...

Emily was especially bad. She always glared at me, and I had to admit- the girl carried herself with the same pride and stature of a real person! Even tried taking her own life, not once, but twice- and actively tried to fight me when I tried to stop her... its so hard to gaze upon my master when one eye is swollen and discolored because another incon slugged me in the face...

I don't blame her, but part of me was glad when she got taken away for her "escape". I've seen countless girls do it, of course, and they all come back sobbing and begging for forgiveness- its awfully cruel, but fair... admittedly, I've tried to probe the returns for details, but usually just so I can get off to how badly they were treated later. The only reason I would ever want to leave my cage is just to hear more people remind me that I'm a worthless, stupid, silly incon... oh well, at least master does that plenty <3

I really wanted to be nice to her, but Emily was just too fixated on being a person... on the bright side, she's learned her place these days! Some incons just take longer than others... and I'm here to help until they recognize their new ranking in the world 🥰

(Oh my GOSH hun this is so so so SO fucking good... the use of all the different organizations, the treatment of strangers, from the receptionist to the boss to the boyfriend- all of this is so, SO perfect... I need it so, SO FUCKING BADLY SHHASHHXDHFHS GOSH <3)

[deepseaphantom]

Aaaugh it’s a lot of yelling about my shit life

I hate this stupid house!!!! It’s rotting from the inside out and we’re rotting along with it!!!! There’s a hole in the bathroom floor there’s a hole in the crawling the dishwasher is broken and my dad won’t get it fixed I fucking hate this place but I can’t escape!!!!! I am trapped!!! With a racist transphobic father!!! I can’t trust anyone in this family cause I vented about my mom (she sucks) on insta and my aunt (her sister) saw it and told my grandma (her mom) about it and she called me disgusting!!! I can’t tell my dad anything cause he sucks and thinks I can’t be a lesbian cause I’m nonbinary but also thinks I can’t be non-binary cause I’m a lesbian!!!! Fucker thinks cause I was born premature and have aspergers (I do not use this word anymore) that I’ll develop slower into things!!!! He fucking told me that when I told him I was asexual!!!! My sister said that if I went on testosterone it would make me more angry and violent and has called me a idiot and a bitch multiple times (so has my dad) and my mom is absolutely awful!!! I haven’t talked to her in years cause she kicked me off tone health insurance and she also told my sister to KILL HERSELF?!? And my sister still continues to talk to her!!!! And I can’t talk about how our father was/is emotionally abusive!!! I’ve gotten over fights with my dad before cause he won’t use my name or pronouns(saying shit like they isn’t a singular pronoun) or him spouting racist shit and I would go to my sisters place (there is no where else to go) and I WAS AT FAULTIM THE ONLY GAY AND AUTISTIC LERSON IN THIS ENTIRE FAMILY AND I HAVE TO DEAL WITH UIS TRANSPHOBIC ASS AND IM THE BAD GUY!!!!

Fuck I don’t even trust to tell them anything anymore about stuff I like cause they’ll chuckle at it and they’ve made fun of me so many times (calling me a bitch and idiot) that I do not trust them

I fucking hate being autistic in this fucking family I don’t fit in at all

I’m the only artist in the family (everyone else are lawyers or some sorts political thing or scientist)

I’m autistic )either I’m the only one who doesn’t try and mask or truly I’m alone)

I have nerdy interests (transformers)

I am nonbinary !!!! There is no one else in this fucking family that is gay!!! (I don’t count my mom I don’t care if she dated and moved in with a lady for a bit ((they broke up)) she fucking kicked me off the health insurance when I came out to her as non-binary!

And I get fucking interrupted all the goddamn time!!! All the fucking time!!!! I try and talk about something I like and I can literally see the interest fade from my sisters eyes I try and talk about how I was bullied in middle school and my dad has the gall to say if I smiled more I would’ve had more friends and he won’t shut up about hoe he regrets not letting me quit basketball and says I would’ve made friends that way!! I fucking hated basketball!! I got hit in the head 3 fucking times!!

And I fucking can’t have negative emotions in this house or not want to be touched or else my dad will get mad at me! I have no privacy since my room is essentially a hallway with doors and one doesn’t close properly ! He can just come in and talk to me about whatever the fuck or kiss me on my head and I don’t want that sometimes!!! And I have to pretend that I’m not incredibly dissatisfied with my life cause if I tried to explain to him how I feel and how I literally can’t do anything he says some shit like just do it! Make a list! FUCK!!!!! iCANT I FUCKKNG CANT

NEITHER MY DAD OR SISTED KNOW ME AND I BARELY KNOE MYSELF!!!!! But fuck I know if I was the person my dad and sister thought I was I would’ve killed myself already

[morganweir]

t4t bethan moment

swapping more than spit

find it on ao3

Benny shoves off her jeans and throws them at Ethan, excitedly picking up the skirt that the boy had just thrown away in disgust. She’s a ten year old girl and she rarely, if ever, gets to wear the things that she likes, so she thinks it’s perfectly valid for her to be so damn excited about it. Damn is the only swear word she can say without Ethan looking at her like she killed the prime minister or something, or else she would probably say worse stuff. He’s sensitive about stuff like that, like Grandma Weir and Ethan’s parents will just know if she says anything someone deems as inappropriate. 

It’s dumb, but it’s a small price to pay to have Ethan. Having Ethan is worth just about anything. 

“How do I look?” she asks when she slides the fabric properly over her thin hips, unable to catch it on a wideness that isn’t present in her, but sliding it up to her belly button instead. It’s a little long on her - purchased for the fact that Ethan is taller than her (for now) rather than Benny’s shorter stature. She likes being shorter than Ethan, sometimes. He’s her best friend, and it makes her feel… delicate, in a way that she rarely can. To everyone else, she’s Benjamin Weir, a boy. In Ethan’s bedroom, with just Ethan and the soft sunlight coming in through the window and the clothes they swap more often than they don’t, it feels like everything is okay. She’s just Benny. 

They keep doing it. Middle school comes and goes and high school arrives and Benny still wears skirts and dresses at Ethan’s house when no one can look at her and everything is good when she’s there. She tells Grandma at some point around her twelfth birthday, unable to hold it in anymore, but she still doesn’t get Grandma to buy her skirts of her own. The ones that are Ethan’s first fit better, even when Benny shoots up and gets taller than her best friend and feels a little sick about it. 

Ethan’s parents know that he’s Ethan and that he’s a boy, but they still buy him skirts. Everyone knows that they’re not for Ethan. Everyone plays pretend. 

Benny isn’t out to the rest of their friends. No one uses pronouns to your face all that often, and most of the time she’s fine - she can forget that most people think she looks like a boy and that Rory calls them his guy friends and that everything kinda sucks when she concentrates too hard, because this is what survival looks like. Ethan moved to Whitechapel at an age old enough that no one knew that once upon a time, he didn’t look like a boy, but Benny. Benny was born here. There’s no way to introduce Whitechapel to the fact that she’s a girl quietly, so she doesn’t want to do it at all. Even if it means just being herself in her own home and the house across the street from her’s. 

It’s a small town. Sometimes, you have to do small town things. 

When Ethan starts dating Sarah, Benny does her best not to feel jealous. She tries her best to not get angry. She tries her best not to cry, even when her longest, closest friend seems to care for someone else more than he cares for her. It’s a small price to pay to have Ethan. Having Ethan is worth just about anything. 

She’s still a little happy when Ethan breaks it off with Sarah. It just means that they get to hang out more. She gets her best friend back; she had fun hanging out with Rory more, goofing off and surfing the web with her other best friend, even if he doesn’t know some of the fundamental things about her. She still likes him. That’s why they’re friends. She just… Ethan knows more. He has more of the ability to say the right things on her bad days, to tell her she’s pretty even when she thinks he’s lying, to make her feel like she really is. They get to hang out more again. Of course she’s happy. 

Also, a tiny, petty part of her is pleased as punch that it was her Ethan that broke it off with a hot girl like Sarah Fox. Yeah, Ethan is hot and handsome and pretty, but no one else seems to see it as much as Benny always has. She’s just pretty goddamn happy that he was the one to do it. 

“Benny, do you want to go on a date with me?” Ethan asks one day when Benny is lying upside down with her head hanging off of his bed, and she completely and totally cannot be blamed for falling off of the bed. She recovers well enough, she thinks, rolling onto her feet clumsily. She stands and Ethan stands out of his seat and he’s still not as tall as her, but he has so much presence to him that sometimes it feels like he is. She could be okay with the fact that she’s taller than him. She kinda likes how small he is. Like she could carry him around everywhere with her and no one would bat an eye. She startles when he reaches out for her, settling a hand on one of her hips. 

“A date?” she asks, hating the way that her voice cracks, but it needs to be said. Ethan still has a hand on her hip, her hip that has the skirt of a dress that Ethan’s parents bought covering it, and Ethan’s hand is so warm and feels good, and like it belongs on her skin. She loves him like breathing, especially when he breaks into a smile. 

“A date,” Ethan confirms, his hand moving just slightly so that the palm of his hand is against her hip, his fingers doing slow, comforting circles against her. All she feels is butterflies in her stomach, the warmth of Ethan’s hand against her skirt, and her pounding heart. She breaks into a smile of her own. 

“A date sounds nice,” she says, leaning down to set her forehead against Ethan’s. When he leans up and kisses her, that’s nice too. 

[hitnran]

OBSESSIVE EX (gender neutral! reader)

how they deal with you having an obsessive ex

includes: ran, rindou

CW: obsessive behavior, cursing, stalking (ran), phone harassment (rindou), the haitani brothers lowkey kinda scary here (not to the reader) 💀 but i’m just trying to make it fit within their character

— RAN HAITANI

Getting into a relationship with someone like Ran, half of the charismatic brother duo that ruled Roppongi, almost means guaranteed safety wherever you go. His title itself is one that is feared when murmured. Whenever you two leave, he always has an eye and a hand on you. Ran knows well that even if he is feared, he can also be challenged and the last thing he wants is for you to get involved — you would make an easy target for his enemies.

You two were out together on a stroll around the city. Although there was nothing neither of you needed, Ran’s favorite thing is showing you off. Sometimes you start to feel similar to his younger brother, thinking that you’re just a shadow and only known as ‘Ran’s partner.’ But Ran’s intentions were opposite. He wanted everyone to know that it was him that belonged to you and it is him that people would have to deal with if you were ever tested.

As you two are walking, Ran noticed your eyes consistently checking itself to the side. He took note of that and eventually brushed it off since you stopped. But then he noticed that you were being especially keen and scanning the whole area.

“Are you okay, love?” Ran slightly hunches down, getting your attention as your face turns his way. He lightly smiles at you. “Did you see something you liked?”

You swallowed down hard. You could’ve sworn you saw a familiar face, but after trying to scan the area numerous times for the past few minutes, you thought it was just you being paranoid. The last thing you wanted was to worry Ran and cause a scene.

“I’m okay,” You shook your head, returning a light smile. You grabbed on his arm, this time a little tighter. “Let’s turn into this corner.”

Ran knows when you’re lying. He knew something made you uncomfortable, but he wasn’t going to force you to tell him. Instead, he’ll make it his own problem too and deal with it himself.

This area was his territory and everyone knew it. It was almost as if Roppongi, a city known for liveliness, calmed down ever so slightly if one or both of the brothers were out. Everyone’s gaze wound be kept low and their conversations would go mute as they walk by.

At that moment, Ran could feel a pair of eyes staring your way. He won’t make it obvious though.

“Love,” Ran called out to you. You looked up his direction and he placed a hand against your lower back. “Rindou’s gonna throw a fit if I don’t bring back food for him. How about you go into the restaurant and order first while I call him and ask what he wants?”

You felt at ease hearing that you two were finally going to be in somewhere indoors, but it made you nervous that he would be separated from you for just a little while.

“Don’t wanna bring something back he won’t like and have him complain,” Ran lightly laughed, trying to ease your clear discomfort. He placed a hand over your head. Taking out his phone to add to his act. “I’ll be quick.”

After some hesitation, you gave in. It was a public space after all, so it shouldn’t have been anything to worry too much about. He watched as you entered the place before turning around, sending chills to the person who had been following you two around this whole time.

“Would be a shame if I left them alone for too long, wouldn’t it?” Ran gave off a sinister grin, slowly walking towards the person. “Wouldn’t want anyone to take them away…especially someone like you.”

Ran knew who this person was. He was an obsessive ex of yours that just would not leave you alone and accept the separation despite it being years passed. He gulped hard, nervously stepping back, not thinking that he would get caught.

“You were so bold to even follow us in the first place, why so shy now?” Ran smirked, hiking up the sleeves of his sweatshirt. “This is the first time you’ve heard of me or something? I should introduce myself to you well and hard then.”

Almost ten minutes had passed since you’ve been waiting for Ran. You sat patiently and waited. Your best guess as to what’s taking him so long revolves around Rindou. Maybe he was complaining about how he wanted food from a different place or being picky about menu opinions. Just as you were about to raise yourself from your seat to check up on Ran, you saw him enter.

“Did I make you wait too long?” Ran appeared, seating himself in front of you. The worse case scenario you had in mind was that he got into a fight, but in front of you, he looked just as how you last saw him. “You know how Rindou is.”

Your chest became relaxed and you gave a small smile, shaking your head, “What did he want from here?”

“I didn’t even listen to what he said,” Ran teased, opening up his menu and leaning back against the chair. You felt his legs sandwich your calves from beneath the table. “He can order it himself. All my money is going to you today.”

And that was how Ran liked it. Although Ran wanted everyone to know that he belonged to you, he knew how important it was for others to know that you belonged to him too. The image of the face of your ex is burned so clearly into his brain — face all bloodied up, mauled almost, as he failed to even whisper for forgiveness.

“I think there’s only one way I’m gonna let you outta here alive,” Ran kicked his body down with force, hearing something shift in his jaw. He couldn’t give half a damn about it. “Do you know what that is?”

Your ex was visibly beaten and weak now, barely able to even blink or properly form a sentence. Though, with his adam’s apple slightly moving from fear, Ran took it as a response.

Grabbing him by his hair upward, Ran bent down, looking straight at him, “You’re gonna leave them alone and never show your goddamn face again. If it wasn’t fucked already before, it sure is now. I promise you I’ll know if you’re even barely visible or a mile away, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Ran thought it was so disgusting how someone like you could ever have your time wasted on someone low like this ex of yours. Even if Ran saw him and his brother above everyone else, he always put you above him.

“Maybe even after this, I’ll send one of my men to go and beat the shit out of you every day so you could suffer for as long as you’ve tried to bother Y/N.”

— RINDOU HAITANI

Rindou can’t even remember what it took for you two to even reach this state of your guys relationship. He convinced himself that it was Ran, his older brother who wouldn’t shut up about how he was going to take you if Rindou didn’t make a move.

It genuinely surprises himself even whenever he looks your way, observing every detail and soaking in the idea that you are someone he can call his.

You two were watching a movie, or rather, supposed to. Rindou was too focused on side-eyeing you every now and then. You caught him a few times, but he would brush it off with comments like “this movie is boring” or “I’m just checking to see if you fell asleep.”

He would snap himself out of a trance after hearing your phone ring beside you. You eyed it once, looking at the caller ID and ignoring it. It wasn’t enough to cause Rindou to worry - it’s not his problem if you just didn’t wanna answer a call, it was your guys’ time anyway.

But then it rang once more again. Your ringtone dragged itself out halfway through before Rindou slightly raised his hand from your hip, pointing to the phone on the side of the couch.

“You not gonna answer that?” He asked.

You shook your head, eyes focused on the TV, “It’s fine. It’s an unknown caller ID.”

Rindou shrugged, ignoring it once again, but after a few more calls and your phone receiving back to back text messages, it was starting to irk him. He was close to just grabbing your phone and answering the call himself, but you were quick to act before him, just shutting it off.

“It must be spam or something,” You sighed, sitting back down.

“Yeah, well whatever it is, good thing you shut that damn thing off. That shit was annoying,” Rindou sighed, curling his arms around you again. “Let’s change the movie too or something. This one is boring.”

One thing about dating Rindou is that he seems uninterested in absolutely everything he does. Although you avoid thinking like that when it comes to your relationship with him, you always remind yourself that Rindou is someone who deeply cares for you. He shows it very differently compared to others, but you know.

He can recall a memory from a few weeks ago where you kept getting calls in the middle of your guys’ date. It annoyed him, but not as much as it annoyed you. You’ve pressed the red decline button at least five times now, stressing over it and spilling out everything about your previous ex.

At the end of your rant, Rindou grabbed your phone, picking up the call and saying words as simple as “leave them alone.” It was so simple, but for the next few weeks, it was silent. You finally thought you were free of harassment thanks to your boyfriend, but recently, they’ve been coming back as unknown caller IDs and more frequent than before.

Halfway through the movie, Rindou felt your body become more loose and relaxed beneath him. Your breath became slower and more steady. You had fallen asleep. He thought it was ironic to have someone as angelic as you in the arms of someone like him - a gang member always involving himself in trouble, even just for fun.

He stared at your phone just a reach away and then back at you. The last thing Rindou wanted was for you to be uncomfortable, or really, anything that isn’t where you aren’t happy.

When you woke up, the TV was shut off and you felt a blanket drape over your body. You realized you had fallen asleep from earlier, but you were expecting to find your boyfriend with you as well. That was when the door swung open and you were greeted with Rindou.

“Rindou?” You slowly let out, still adjusting from waking up. “I didn’t know you left.”

He raised a bag up midway in the air, it’s a bag from a bakery you often bought from, “You kept murmuring about it in your sleep. Didn’t want you to wake up all grumpy.”

“I don’t wake up grumpy!” You protested, watching as he took his seat next to you and unpacking all of your favorites.

“Yeah, okay,” Rindou joked. He listened to you puffing out before wrapping yourself around his arm.

“Thank you though,” You murmured out of embarrassment - maybe he was half right.

“It’s nothing,” He replied, softening his face into a grin. “Must’ve been hungry though if it got you talking in your sleep and drooling on my arm.”

You didn’t even know about half of the things he does for you, but he didn’t mind it, because if you were happy, then that was all that mattered.

It made Rindou feel guilty to turn on your phone and look through it. It wasn’t something that he ever felt the need to do - he trusted you and it felt wrong if you weren’t aware that he was using it. Though, at this time, he felt like it was for the better.

While you were silently sleeping, he browsed through your texts. It’s that same person - your ex back again to bother you. Rindou scoffed, making sure it wasn’t loud enough to wake you up, but he was angry. He clicked his tongue whilst composing a message.

Rindou knew you would never be so stupid as to meet up with someone like this, especially not after already experiencing it once. It was a good thing that it was just Rindou posing as you though. How delighted your ex felt to have finally received a response to you - ‘Let’s meet up here.’

Rindou thought it was so pathetic. This guy had no idea what he looked like, let alone that you even had a boyfriend. So when Rindou’s immediate reaction upon seeing him was to throw a punch, he was shocked.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Your ex cried out, trying his best to dodge his attacks but failing in between his words and attempts.

“Me?!” Rindou snapped, pushing him to the ground and twisting his arms. “Speak for yourself.”

The man beneath him screamed in pain, “I-I’ll call the cops on you and have you arrested!”

“Yeah? You think they’ll give me less time if I tell them I was just trying to teach a creep a lesson?” Rindou pulled back on his arms a little harder, tendons and muscles stretching themselves out of place.

“T-The hell are you talking about?!” He stuttered out.

“Don’t bitch around. Might end yourself up in there if you keep this act of yours up - I’ve been once before,” Rindou smirked, pulling back more and more on his arms. “It was fine for me. My big bro and I even got some respect while in there, so what’s gonna happen when they hear about your name from me? You’re fresh meat to them.”

“W-Who even are you?!”

Rindou scoffed, “The same guy who warned you once to leave Y/N alone. I should’ve honestly went to find you myself personally and beat the shit out of you, but I hate wasting my time.”

Your boyfriend let the man go. If his arms weren’t all bent out of place and dislocated, he’d be crawling away by now. It was a sight that Rindou would laugh at. Upon seeing that his phone had fallen out of his pocket, the same phone used to consistently harass you, Rindou stomped down hard, breaking it into bits and pieces.

“Don’t waste my time again. Next time you do, call the cops, I promise you I won’t care if they catch me killing you,” Rindou turned his back around.

[porchlightfairy]

Pretty Please with a Cherry on Top

pairing: Robin Buckley x Black!reader

a/n: i have learned I can’t end fics properly. fuck.

Another day at Starcourt Mall felt like another day in hell for Robin. Whiny kids begging for ice cream, indecisive groups of teens that hold up the line, and adults that never stop asking damn questions. She wanted to be put out of her misery by the end of it all. 

The line finally goes down and there is one person left. “Ahoy there, what can I—” Robin’s eyes land on the girl and she nearly chokes. You had long curly hair that shaped around your face perfectly, and your eyes were a dark brown but she could see the color when you were looking up at the menu to see the items. You pursed your plump lips as you thought of what to get for yourself. Her heart begins to race as your eyes finally meet. You give her a big smile, “Hi.”

“H-hi.” She clears her throat, “Hi, what can I get you?” 

“Can I get a strawberry milkshake?” You ask. She nods and punches numbers into the register.

“Any toppings?”

“Whipped cream with a cherry on top, please.” You say with a smile.

“Can I have your name? For the order.”

“Sure it’s y/n.” 

Robin scribbles it on a discarded receipt. She didn’t actually need your name. She was supposed to give you a number like the rest of the customers. After you pay, she smiles at you, “I’ll call your name when your order is ready.” She hands you your receipt.

“Thanks.” You simply say and go to sit down in the store. Robin slinks into the back, reading your name over and over until it stuck to her brain. “Robin!” Steve shouts interrupting her train of thoughts, “What are you doing back here?”

She sees in his hand the milkshake blender full of ice cream, milk, and strawberry sauce. “Let me make that shake.”

He looks at her confused, “Why? I’m almost done with it.” He shakes the blender at her.

“Let me finish it then.” She takes the blender from him and puts the lid on. Steve throws his hands up in defeat and heads back to the storefront. She has a giddy smile on her face before hitting the button to blend the ingredients.

She finishes and pours the pink slush into a fountaine glass, putting whipped cream, and a cherry on top. She looks at her work proudly before picking it up and skipping out to the storefront. She turns and sees Steve obviously flirting with you and you seem to be into it. You were laughing at his stupid jokes. Stupid Steve. Always an asshole. Her heart shatters at the sight, and her smile falters a little before adjusting herself and shouting, “Y/n! Your strawberry with whipped cream and a cherry on top is ready.” 

You smile brightly at the sight of the milkshake, “Looks delicious. Thank you, Robin.” You take the glass and walk it back to your booth to enjoy. Robin feels her ears get hot. You had the decency to read her name tag and know her name. Probably the only person to do that all week. She watches you drink the shake from behind the counter, mindlessly wiping the same spot.

“She’s hot,” Steve whispers.

Robin scoffs in disgust, “That is so inappropriate.”

Steve rolls his eyes and then continues to talk, “She’s new in town. Moved here from out of state and is staying here for the school year.” Robin’s heart began to race but she tried to keep her poker face, “Might try to score a date for this weekend.”

“As if.” She rolls her eyes, “Excuse me, I have a job to do something you should also do.” She moves from around the counter and begins to collect leftover dishes and clean tables. She passes by your table and you catch eyes. She quickly averts her gaze but it isn't for long when she sees you looking at her again. She nervously scrubs the table before scurrying back behind the counter. You smile at her, she can see it from the register. She shakes out the nerves in her hands and puts away the dirty dishes.

A few moments later, you get up and bring back the glass with you. “Hey, Robin.” She will never get used to her name coming from your mouth. She smiles and takes the glass. “Hope you enjoyed the shake.”

“I did. It was really good.” You shuffle your feet, “It’s my favorite. I used to get them at home but I guess this is my new home.”

“I heard you’re new in town.”

“Oh, so the other guy told you.” She wanted to laugh really bad.

“He did.” She rests her hands on the counter, “If it’s your favorite does that mean you’ll come back for another?”

“Maybe…” You tease. You turn on your heels and walk out of the Scoops Ahoy. Robin watched you float through the crowd, eyes trained on you the entire time. Her neck cranes as she tries to keep looking for you. She couldn’t wait to see you again. 

A strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. A strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. A strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top. It had become routine by now for you and Robin. You would come in with a big smile on your face and she was already punching in the numbers. Sometimes you would stick around the counter and talk to Robin. You guys had definitely grown closer.

On her lunch breaks, she would walk around the mall with you. She told you about what it was like living in Hawkins. You told her about where you moved from. You shared funny stories and bought clothes together. You had become fast friends spending such a short time together.

One day, you don’t come to the ice cream shop. Robin gets a little worried as she looks around for you. The afternoon rush comes and goes and there is still no sign of you. She chews on her thumb now as she thinks. “Where’s your little girlfriend? It’s almost closing.” Steve teases.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” She snaps. Steve throws up his hands in defense, “Jesus, Robin, I was just joking. You just spend a lot of time together.” She rolls her eyes and breezes past him. She looks in the small mirror near the punch clock. She was red in the face, flushed in embarrassment. She lets out an exhale before massaging her cheeks.

After she calms down, she decides to end her shift by still doing her routine of making your milkshake. She puts the scoops of vanilla ice cream in the blender along with cut-up strawberries, strawberry syrup, milk, and ice. She blends it up and puts it into a plastic cup. She puts the whipped cream in it and plops the cherry on top. She puts the dome-shaped lid on top with a sigh. She cleans up her mess and helps Steve close up the store before leaving for the night.

Her mom drives her home, and she passes by your house. You had pointed it out to her once when you were taking her home after a shift. She tells her mom to pull over and decides it would be nice to give you the shake she made for free.

She walks up your driveway and knocks on your door. There is a pause and a half before you swing open the door with a look of surprise. “Robin, what are you doing here?”

“You didn’t come by the shop today. So I brought you this.” She displays the cup to you. The whipped cream was now melted and the cherry had burrowed into the melted drink. You bite back a smile as you take the drink from her.

“Sorry for not coming by. I would have but… I’ve spent all my allowance on gas and milkshakes.” You giggle. 

She laughs in relief. “Oh, that’s good. I thought you were starting to hate me.” She clears her throat, “Not that it’s a good thing that you ran out of money or anything.”

“Yeah, my mom kinda put a stop to my whole spending time at the mall thing.” You pick at your nails a bit, “But maybe when you’re off of work we could hang out elsewhere. Like the pool or something?”

Robin’s heart begins to race, “Th-that would be nice. I would love to do that.”

“Thanks again for the shake.” You close the door, leaving tomato-faced Robin on your doorstep. She tries to calm herself down before heading back to her mom’s car. She gets home and heads straight to her bedroom. She lays under her covers thinking of you by the pool sunbathing. She lets the image of you in a bikini burn into her eyelids as she goes to sleep.

The opportunity arises and Robin has a free day. You jampack the entire day from dusk to dawn. More like into the late hours of the night but those were just the details. You pick up Robin and go out to eat breakfast. Afterwards you head to the public pool. You ask Robin to hook the back for you. Her fingertips graze your skin as she trembles, trying to get the hook through the loop. This was the first time she had touched your skin. She swallows the wad of spit in her mouth. It rolled down her throat like a rock. “Th-there you go.” She coughs.

“Thank you.” You smile at her and then leave the locker rooms to the outside where the pool was. You find some lounge chairs open and rest your towels on the back before relaxing. “Want some sunscreen?” You hold up the bottle to her. She nods, “Yeah that would be great.” You pour some cream on your hands and lather it on her exposed shoulders and arms. As your hands move down the dip in her back, Robin giggles. “Stop moving, you.” You chide.

“Sorry, I’m ticklish.” She sputters as you rub out the sides of her back. You roll your eyes, “you’re embarrassing.” She keeps herself still until you finish. “Oh wait put some on your face.” You spurt some more sunscreen in your hand and begin to rub it on Robin’s face. “You’re already getting red.” It wasn’t from the sun.

You both then get into the pool and swim around. It was mostly Robin who swam, you just waded around the shallow end watching her. “I can’t get my hair too wet, or it’ll be a mess later. And we’ve got too much to do today.” She didn’t mind, she liked watching you rub water up your arms and watching the droplets slide back down again. She sunk down into the water to hide her face.

After a couple hours in the pool, you sunbathe to dry off and hit the showers to rinse off the chlorine. You change back into your street clothes. It’s about mid-afternoon and you go to Starcourt theater to go theater hopping. You told Robin how it worked and proceeded to watch 2 movies before getting caught in the bathroom and getting kicked out. 

You left the movies hand in hand. You didn’t seem to notice but Robin was malfunctioning. She hoped you couldn’t feel the sweat that was pooling in her palm. “Is Scoops still open?” You look back at her, and she looks up from your linked hands, “Uh probably?”

You grin, “Perfect, let’s close the night out with some ice cream.” You pull her in the direction of the shop. It was empty except for Steve reading a magazine behind the counter. He brightens when he sees you both. “Well well well.”

“Shut it, Steve,” Robin grumbles. He shrugs off her attitude and looks at you, “What are you guys up to tonight?”

“We’re having a girl's day. No boys allowed sorry.” You smile innocently and squeeze Robin’s hand, “Can we get a strawberry milkshake? You know how it’s done.” You glance a Robin and wink. She bites her lip as she feels her ears get hot. You guys sit in a booth across from each other as Steve makes the shake.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with you today, Robin.” You smile at her.

She nods, “Me too. I don’t think I’ve had fun like this in some time.” Steve comes over with the shake and sets down two straws. 

You open the straws and set them in, “Perfect~” You take a sip. Robin stares at you then looks down at the straw. She licks her lips and leans in taking the other straw between her lips. This was like a kiss. A strawberry milkshake kiss. Your noses touch for a moment before she pulls away. You giggle and wipe your mouth of the cream that spilled. 

“Now I get why it’s your favorite.” She smiles. You look back at her with a smile. You both continue to drink and laugh until you get nothing but the whipped cream foam at the bottom. “Watch this,” You tilt the glass up and slide the cherry into your mouth. You hold the cherry between your lips and bounce your eyebrows.

Robin smiles nervously and tilts her head in confusion. You beckon her to lean closer as you rest your elbows on the table and lean forward. She obliges and leans forward you then touch her chin with your finger and press the cherry against her lips. She looks surprised before pursing her lips and letting the cherry slide past them. 

Your lips meet for a moment, then two before you separate. Robin’s lips chase yours before she snaps out of it chewing on the cherry to calm down. You put your hand on top of hers, “You seemed to enjoy that a lot.”

Robin nods rapidly, “I did.” She bites back her excitement, “I have to admit I had a little crush on you since I met you.” Slowly you lift up her hand and lace your fingers with hers, “Me too. I started to come less for the shakes and more for you.” You look at the empty glass, “I kinda don’t like strawberry milkshakes now.” You both share a laugh before quickly retracting your hands when Steve comes around.

“Sorry ladies, hate to shut the party down, but it’s closing time. Move it or lose it.” He sighs. Robin rolls her eyes, “See you tomorrow.” You leave the mall hand and hand. Before dropping her off at home you exchange one more kiss, “I’ll see you tomorrow? Even without the milkshake.” She whispers.

“Even without the milkshake.” You smile and caress her face kissing her gingerly.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” She gets out of the car and waves as you drive away into the night.

[violettelueur]

RYŌMEN SUKUNA || WASN’T SO BAD

| featuring : ryōmen sukuna from jujutsu kaisen

| warnings : grammar errors, swearing and mention of death, sort of spoils parts of the manga up to chapter 30 (so beware)

| form : imagine

| word count : 1553

| published : 20 november

| request : Hiiii again!! 😚 I hope your doing well :3 may I please request another sukuna/itadori x fem reader imagine where mc is dating yuuji and after getting acquainted with sukuna - they ended up bonding too?? Sukuna kinda develops a protective instinct over her and whenever he switches with yuuji - he keeps a protective hold on the back of her neck?? I see guys doing that and I want sukuna to do the same to me lol (*≧∀≦*) thank you!!

| barista’s notes : let me admit this, i’m not confident that i answered this request properly at all, and lowkey ashamed by that ʕ ㅇ ᴥ ㅇʔ also i’m not really confident with the battle scene i did here but when am i every confident...hahaha ʕ – ᴥ – ʔ other than that, i hope you enjoy you cup of classic black cofee (jujutsu kaisen request) and please come again and order when i reopen the cafe!

“Damn, I’m really screwed now,” you muttered to yourself once you saw your whole new surroundings. Pure darkness enveloped you as multiple figures on what seemed to be arms surrounding you like a cage were present within your view as your enemy unleashed their domain expansion on you.

At this current moment in time, you were fighting an unregistered special grade curse that had managed to get inside a school called Satozakuro High. From what you gathered from your boyfriend Yuji and Nanami, this whole situation had started since the investigation of the murders back in Kinema Cinema,  where the sole witness - Junpei Yoshino, a classmate of the three murder victims  - managed to somehow converse with the same special grade curse that you were facing right now.

“Let me admit, the name of your domain expansion is sort of narcissistic, humble yourself would you?” you sarcastically asked, trying to figure out a way to get around this situation as you knew your soul was dangerously the line - there was no way you let something so disgusting try to transfigure it.

“For someone that’s going to die, you seem calm,” the curse stated to which before this happened, you learnt that it was named Mahito.

You had to keep calm. Ever since you became a jujutsu sorcerer, you hated when enemies would comment on your fears during battle, you hated when they would mock you for being fearful for even a second, you hated when they told you that they could hear your heart pounding in anticipation. You just purely hated that.

“Well, what do you want me to be? Fearful?” you then asked, tilting your head to the side as you rested your katana over your shoulders - only to let the tip touch the wall of the domain leaving you to realise that the wall was quite thin.

‘Maybe there is a way I can get out of this? Is my domain expansion more polished enough to overcome this one?’ you thought to yourself, before wondering about what could be happening on the outside of the same wall right now. 

                                          ꕥ

Outside the domain, Itadori was helplessly on the other side punching the wall with all of his might as he was worried about what was happening to his girlfriend on the inside.

“Don’t fuck with me!” Itadori screamed as he continued to punch the wall with his cursed energy-infused fists, desperately trying to gain some damage to the wall to no avail.

‘Why was Y/N the only one imprisoned?’ he asked himself as if he was going to get an answer back - that was if Sukuna was willing to answer his question. However, the King of Curses didn’t have a single answer himself. To say he was worried about you was an underplaying statement yet so out of character for him.

Ever since the Sukuna was introduced to you by his vessel himself, he couldn’t help but become intrigued with you like he was with Fushiguro. He wanted to know more, more and more. From all his knowledge about past sorcerers and clans, you were an exception to his vast understanding of the jujutsu world. An exception that he wanted to protect. 

You weren’t from a clan or related to one in the slightest, yet you had the capability to have inherited a technique that any powerful family would desire to have for themselves or for their offspring. You were a master weapons specialist - just like 2nd year Maki Zenin - only the major difference between both of you was the fact that you could manifest and construct those cursed weapons from only using your curse energy. 

This fact surprised Sukuna himself when he was fighting you and Fushiguro back at the Eishu Juvenile Detention Centre. Vividly he remembers holding you up by the throat against a wall, only for you suddenly swiftly swing your arm with a small but sharp military knife in hand surprising him completely on how you were able to gain another weapon without him knowing, only to find out seconds later that you had constructed the weapon with nothing but your curse energy once he moved out the way, escaping with a just small graze on his cheek.

“So you’re able to create cursed weapons ha?” Sukuna asked as he placed his hand on his chin like he was thinking before staring at the blade that was in your hand. Continuing to stare that the weapon, the King of curses slowly began to realise that the weapon you had created was classed as a special grade tool, causing him to wonder what power you possessed to even have the ability to create something so small yet so powerful.

“How in the world did you do that?” Sukuna muttered to himself, before quickly dodging your attack as you tried to assault him with another blade that you quickly manifested in your other hand, surprising the special grade curse even more on how quickly you were able to create more weapons even after just constructing the miniature knife seconds before.

“Sorry Sukuna, but I don’t like talking during battle and I also need to get my boyfriend back real quick,” you commented before you used your cursed energy to cause your military knife to disappear, only to quickly construct your classic black katana to try to close the distance between the both of you only to fail once again.

‘I can see why the brat likes you Y/N, I’m also liking where this is going’

                                        ꕥ

Still looking at your surroundings, you were worried about the amount of time you had left until you were finished. The mental confrontation that was going on in your head was straining as you weren’t sure if your only plan was the best for the situation that you were in. There was a high chance that it could fail but the small percent of success was what was bother you to the max

‘It’s my only way to get out of this situation right now, if it doesn’t work then at least I tried’ you thought, before stabbing your black katana on the ground in front of you to which then you slowly started to pour your curse energy into the blade

“Ha? What are you planning to do? You’re already dead, so might as well accept your fate,” Mahito playful teased you, as he tried to break your stern composure.

“Domain Expansi-”

However, before you could even complete your words, you unexpectedly heard a sound of a loud crack emitting behind you causing you to completely snap out of your concentration leading to the blue aura around your sword to slowly disappear. 

Before you could even turn a single inch of your head around, you suddenly felt something brush your hair aside before a warm compress was placed on the back of your neck leading you to let out a shaky breath out of fear until you felt a sense of safety enclosing around you. The feeling of his nails gently grazing your skin caused you to shiver before he lightly squeezed your neck in reassurance, trying to convey to you that he wasn’t going to hurt you.

“I had it under control, Sukuna,” you muttered quietly before he tenderly pulled you back and had you turned around to face over his shoulder leading you to see the large crack that was created behind you that allowed Sukuna to enter into the domain. 

“I know, I just didn’t want to see you hurt,” Sukuna replied to which then your suddenly heard what seemed to be something being slashed, prompting you the want to turn over only for Sukuna to tighten his hold on your neck - but not to the point where you were in pain but rather him not wanting you to see what he had done.

As if he was trying to calm you down, you felt his thumb beginning to slide up and down, sometimes brushing against the bottom of your scalp leaving you to slowly begin to melt in his hold. “There was no way I was going to allow something like him to touch you,” the King of Curses said to you, leading you to feel nothing but a sense of security as you started to let your guard down causing you to lay your head on his shoulder.

Gripping onto his - well Itadori’s - school jacket, you took a deep breath in before letting a deep breath out as you calmed down your heart, not realising your heart was pounding in fear until now. You hated the fact that he could now feel the fear radiating from your body. You hated how he now knew how fearful you were for your life. You hated how it knew all of it.

“It’s okay,” Sukuna calmly stated, causing you to lift your head to face him only to see him stare at you back intensely with his glowing beautiful red eyes. “Nothing is going to hurt you, not in my sight,” he proudly said to you as if he was making a promise to you before giving your neck one last little squeeze to tell you that you were safe in his embrace.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad to let him know.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad to fear.

[twst-drabbles]

Malleus 2

Summary: Nonetheless, this was love. This was your type of love, entirely different than the one he felt towards you. He would never say this was any less precious.

(Okay okay, so I have a very heavy fascination towards unrequited crushes(that stay unrequited) due to the fact that I was on the receiving end of one(that also lead to a flag being raised regarding my aromantic orientation). It was baffling to me at the time that anyone would feel those things and feel that way that strongly towards me. Of course, I rejected. Never was one to give pity dates. If I’m not interested, than I’m not interested. Anyways, the process of moving past that crush, of clearing up the pink clouds in your eyes and eventually finding a new normal again fascinated me. To me, it was a most beautiful growth to witness. Sooooo…yeah. I like unrequited crushes that stay that way, none of that “actually requited unrequited crush” tropes. I don’t see enough narratives that properly explore that type of growth.)

(Anyways, Prefect is aromantic here. Also, reminder that what actions categorize as romantic, platonic, and queerplatonic differ from person to person, so you’ll be seeing my version.)

To say that you never loved him would a lie worthy of cutting out his own tongue. He can’t deny the look of fondness you would direct at him, or the warmth that would radiate from your hands as they held his own, but to label these actions as purely romantic love, it simply didn’t fit.  

Romantic, that word simply didn’t fit what you and he have. But he certainly started off wanting it to go in that direction.

Malleus was not an impulsive man. Naïve, as Lilia would say, but impulsive action was reserved for spots of mischief, when he can’t deny himself a light mist of water over your face or putting your gloves right into your pocket so you’d go searching for them. To treat his own racing heart with an attitude as light as that would lead to him disappointing himself and his small circle.

His confession was held right where everything started, both you and him dressed in your ceremonial robes so that you may walk together. It’s only suiting, isn’t it? Romance has always been taught to him as a new start. A new phase in one’s life different than any other.

You had accepted with a gentle touch to his cheek. An easy acceptance, as though the weight of your combined feelings didn’t bother you in the slightest while Malleus was ready to lift you in the air in joy.

Of which he did. Your laugh was beautiful.

The state of euphoria he was in, the dreams that he had as night after night passed, feeling his smile always slipping in at the oddest hours as it scared the other students with its sudden appearance. Truly, nothing could ruin his mood.

The trinkets he would bring you, the more frequent visits as you both chatted deep into the night, how the lounge chair had morphed into the shape of your bodies and you both laid there, simply soaking in each other’s presences.

But you wouldn’t kiss him. When he tried to initiate, you would gently guide his face away. What he saw in your eyes was not disgust, but a discomfort. And sadness.

This sadness, when he saw that lingering in your face, so subtle yet so piercing to his heart, he knew you were suffering in silence. Oh how he wished to pry, to gently coax out the thoughts that swirl and nip at your brain, but he knew your rhythm. He knew when you were willing to divulge some things and not others. This was a burden you were determined to solve on your own.

You didn’t pull away. The nights continued, the hand holding, the hugs, the gifting, all of it continued, but nothing ever went further beyond. A boundary that Malleus wanted to cross, but felt as though the journey will lead to a tragic end.

So when you finally kissed him, pull him in close during another night while the both of your rested in the lounge under endless blankets, he knew something was wrong. You didn’t cry, there was only tiredness within you, a bone deep sigh escaping as you sat up.

“I’m sorry,” you said, “that I don’t love you the same.”

The ache in those words, the rush of guilt and heaviness almost threatened to have him disappear, to hide in a corner so that none may touch him.

But he stayed and asked, “Then, do you wish for me to leave?”

A part in him didn’t want to hear the answer, he didn’t want to witness the distance between the both of you expand.

“…if I asked you to stay, would you?” And yet your answer, another question, it baffled him, left him feeling strange.

He wouldn’t question it. “I would.”

“If I wanted to hold your hand, would you let me?”

“Of course.” You held it.

“If I wanted to plan outings with only you, would you join?”

“Always.” You settled closer.

“We’re not lovers.” A statement of fact falling from your lips,

“Not any longer.” His heart will mourn the loss of the title, however...

“But we’re not just friends.” How is it that your words hold such a strong power to sooth?

“We are and we’re not.”

Malleus knows he will heal. He knows that trying to force distance when you don’t know to will only rot him from the inside out. An insidious part of him will hope and maybe resent you for continuing these affectionate actions, and may even scream at him that you do not love him, that you were taking advantage of him, but that is simply the wound in his heart lashing out at him.

You love him. You do. He knows this. And he will return your version of love in full.

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Alana Propaganda

"this poor woman. every other hannigram fic is “oooh look at alana she’s such a bitch and a slut and she never believed will and she’s stupid”. it’s horrible. she deserves the world"

Kikyo Propaganda

"Picture this: the love of your life betrays you and causes your death, then you're brought back to life later against your will and your lover is with your reincarnation. Anyone would feel bitter! She tries her best to keep living her half life and helping people. She's hated just because she's not the main character and gets in the way of the show's OTP."

"Kikyo was such an interesting character. She was murdered by the villain, who tricked both her and her love interest into thinking the other had betrayed them, brought back to life against her will only to find that fifty years had passed, the world had moved on without her, her baby sister was now an old woman, and she'd been condemned to an awful half-life in an unfeeling clay body where she was stuck in her worst moments and basically a vengeful spirit, but she eventually managed to move past it, gave up her one chance at getting revenge on her murderer to save the life of a child, and achieved some measure of inner peace before she died for good. But, she also has the misfortune of being the first love of the male lead, so of course the only thing anyone seems to care about is how she supposedly did him dirty and wasn't good enough for him. The whole fandom is chock full of meta posts about how she didn't trust Inuyasha enough and should have known he'd NEVER betray her like that. Meanwhile, Inuyasha fell for it just as easily when the villain framed HER for attacking HIM, but nobody ever tries to claim that HE didn't trust HER enough. (For further context, when she thought he'd betrayed her, she retaliated by pinning him to a tree and putting him in an enchanted sleep. He retaliated by destroying her village.) In at least 90% of the fanfics that she appears in at all, she's either the Bad Girlfriend or the Evil Ex, who either previously or is currently abusing the hero, or cheating on him, or trying to coerce him into turning human, or dating him for years only to break up with him by telling him he disgusts her because of his demon blood (huh???), none of which she did in the actual canon, solely so the preferred love interest can swoop in and kiss it all better. People will claim they're just making valid criticisms of her actions (which, to be fair, aren't always great), or saying she didn't properly earn her redemption (which is actually pretty standard for a shounen series) because she didn't apologize enough, but them multiple male characters who did far worse than she did somehow miraculously managed to escape the constant criticisms that she's subjected to, this despite having a so-called redemption that's literally just "He stopped eating people because he wanted to get into the heroine's pants", and remain very popular characters both in their own right and as alternate ships for the female lead. The double standards are so glaringly obvious, yet people will bend over backwards and jump through mental hoops that would give a gold-medal Olympics gymnast pause to insist that they're being completely objective and fair and that this isn't just about trying to score points in a ship war or holding female characters to completely different standards from male characters."