#heard about the new movie revelations

[myartsing]

Eepy shinichi 💤

[i-aint-even-bovvered]

Apparently some people think America Ferrera's speech in the Barbie movie is "corny" or "obvious" or something like that. But here's my personal perspective

First thing out of the way: I am nonbinary. I am not a woman. I am AFAB, though, and was therefore socialized like a girl and young woman, even if I felt like those words never really applied to me. Most of the time, though, other people who don't know me will see me as a woman. It's whatever.

No, this movie is not saying anything new. It is not a groundbreaking statement to say women face all these exhausting contradictions that cause them to bend over backwards to do the slightest thing.

But I don't think it's supposed to be groundbreaking. I don't think most people at the Barbie movie are going to have a huge revelation because America Ferrera said something that never heard or thought before. In the context of the movie, the character is speaking to a literal doll who has only recently learned that the real world is kinda shitty for a lot of people. Because this doll is literally something little girls project on, and little girls very often grow into women who deal with this shit. Yes, this is feminism 101, because it's speaking to a character who, until a day ago, lived in a matriarchal society where she never HAD to learn feminism 101. The oppression she faces is literally new to her!

And let's not forget that this is being said by a Latina woman in a blockbuster film. How often do you see that? She describes herself as a "boring mom with a boring job," and then she gets to rant about the fact that she's expected to always be extraordinary, but at the end of it all, she just wants her daughter to love her back and have a good day. And because of that, she's the hero of Barbieland!

Yes, it's cheesy. No, it's not subtle in the slightest. But sometimes, it's nice to hear someone say the words out loud.

And honestly, if you're going into the Barbie movie expecting subtlety, that's on you.

[hannyoontify]

[21:23] jeonghan sighed to himself before gently knocking on your bedroom door.

'i'm home'

he heard you shuffling on the other side of the door before your soft voice called out. 'come in'

he pushed the door open and walked into the sight of you covered with tissues, plushies, and pillows. your laptop was resting on your lap (duh) and your eyes were red. jeonghan felt a fond smile tugging on the corners of his lips and he made his way to your side of the bed.

'what movie was it this time? big hero 6? inside out? up? coco? ratatouille?' jeonghan cupped your face with his hands and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb.

you pouted and hit his chest. 'ratatouille was sad, okay? they opened a new restaurant and remy was able to live the life he wanted with the support of his family' you sniffled. you felt your eyes sting as they began to tear up again and hit jeonghan's chest once more when he laughed. 'it's not funny! linguini and colette were in love and they ended up together'

jeonghan smiled. 'and that's why you're covered in tissues. because a rat can cook'

''better than you, at least'

he gasped and you giggled in delight in the way he took (pretend) offense to that. you smiled and pulled away as he reveled in his shock, his mouth hanging wide open. 'go get changed, i don't want your outside germs on the bed'

jeonghan did as he was told. he climbed into bed next to you (pushing a couple plushes off the bed in the process–you would kill him for that but that was a future jeonghan problem. right now he just wanted to hold you in his arms) and guided your head to rest on his chest. his arm wrapped around you and rested on your waist and pulled your body closer to his.

'how'd you know?' you asked more quietly. jeonghan rested his lips on the top of your head, inhaling the gentle scent of aloe shampoo.

your boyfriend simply hummed. 'what's there not for me to know about you, my darling? i can read you like a book- actually not a book, i don't like books'

you snorted.

'i can read you like.. a magazine! yeah. magazines. magazines are better because i'm in some of them. and they have pictures. lots of pictures'

you wrinkled your nose at his short ramble and pressed a quick kiss to his collarbone. 'i think you're sleep deprived, hannie'

'nuh-uh'

'yuh-huh. what if i told you that best friends to lovers was better than enemies to lovers'

you never got a response because jeonghan had already fallen fast asleep.

(although if he heard you say that, he would've been whipped up into a frenzy and present a 125 page PPT about why ETL was better than FTL)

a/n: and what if i wrote a jeonghan enlistment fic. would that be too horrible

[purplecoffee13]

im a sucker for morning sex like, almost half asleep, barely talking, just quiet moans 😋Maybe friends to lovers

Ooh, yes!!! Absolutely love this concept😮‍💨

It’s a bit short, but I wrote this blurb around it just now. It’s currently 2am, but the inspiration struck and I just had to write it down!! (srry not srry😎😋) I hope it meets your expectations!!!

Thank you for requesting!!!💘

************************************************

Your eyelids softly flutter open at the warmth of the sunlight shining on your face. The harsh light makes you squint, and it makes you realize where you are, and with who. The arm wrapped around you confirmed enough, and you smile as you look at the inked arm draping over your frame.

You and Harry had been friends for forever, and you would hold movie nights almost every week. It often got very late, and the two of you would fall asleep in the couch.

Last night was no different. You had had a busy day at work, and was absolutely exhausted. You fell asleep mid movie, and you realize that Harry must’ve carried you to bed. You smile at that revelation, filled with a surge of love for your best friend.

In order to get the sunlight out of your face, you shift around, moving backwards a bit so your eyes aren’t being bothered by the harsh light. Your eyes widen when you feel something brush against your ass. Something that you are 99% sure you should absolutely not be feeling.

There is an increasing heat between your legs that you don’t even know the exact logistics of. It is like your body is telling you something you haven’t dared to consider before.

You try to move your hips forward a bit, attempting to stop the awkwardness. After all, Harry’s asleep, so you can go back to sleep and act like this never happened on a couple of hours.

That’s when you feel Harry’s grip on your waist tightening as he pulls your body back into him, his hardness now firmly pressed between your ass cheeks. You softly gasp at the sudden motion, and your heat begins to ache at the imagination of what could be.

The sole image in your head of him putting that dick inside of you makes you subconsciously grind your hips against him a bit, hoping to relieve some of the frustration that has been starting to build.

You try to be subtle about it, but the pain of being untouched begins to be too unbearable. Your stomach tenses when Harry’s hand suddenly begins to inch lower and lower, going under the waist band of your underwear and shorts, and finding your clit.

Rubbing drawn out circles on your hot wet cunt makes you sigh out in relief. His touch feels far too good to even second guess what the fuck the two of you are doing. The hitched breaths slowly morph into hushed whimpers, the faster Harry’s fingers work your pussy.

When he starts to leave love bites on your neck, you explode. Moaning out his name, you come all over his fingers, letting the pleasure hit you in the waves like it always does.

Without another word, Harry pulls down your shorts and underwear, which you take off completely with the help of your own legs. Arching into him, you wait as Harry takes out his hard cock and rub the tip against your now soaking wet pussy.

“Y’sure?” Harry’s rough morning voice asks, and it is enough to almost have you orgasm again. The low baritone sound is the hottest thing you’ve ever heard. You nod furiously.

“Yes, please. I need it.” You plead with him. Harry clearly doesn’t need to be asked twice, because he immediately pushes himself into you. You mewl at his long, deep thrusts. Each one hits just the right spot in a new, unexpected way.

There aren’t many words shared between the two of you, solely the sounds of your bodies intertwining with each other. His hand finds one of your breasts and fondles it as you both keep pushing into each other.

You bring your own fingers to your clit, working yourself closer to the second orgasm that is already brewing. Just the sounds of his heavy breathing and the beating of his heart would give you that wave of your euphoria.

Then a groan escapes Harry’s lips, but not just a groan. No, he groans your name, right in your ear, followed by a whispered profanity, as he drives himself deeper into you.

Forget the breaths and the heartbeat, the sound of your name rolling off his tongue in a situation like this is what brings you over the edge so quickly again. Your walls clench around him repeatedly as you softly cry out his name.

“F- fuck… shit.” Harry sighs after his thrusts come to a halt. With his face buried in your neck, he softly bites into your shoulder as he comes inside of you.

The feeling of his seed coating every bit of your walls drives your mind absolutely insane.

Harry stays inside of you as you both catch your breath. You can quite literally hear the pounding of your heartbeat ringing in your ear, and you can’t help but let out a breathy chuckle. Harry joins you in your soft, short-lived laughter.

You turn your head towards him, and Harry leans up a bit to meet your face as well. With a big smile, he looks you right in the eyes. No hint of regret, only a smug grin and a clear desire to repeat.

“Good morning.” You say in a joking tone. Harry observes the rest of your face, and pushes a strand of hair behind your ears before he responds.

“Very good morning.”

[rmytears]

○ emily engstler x female reader.

↳ warnings: nudity, slight suggestive (just reader making fun of emily), emily in her tiktoker era.

I GOT A TATTOO WITHOUT TELLING MY GIRLFRIEND. THIS WAS HER REACTION.

"are you recording me?" was the first thing you said when you noticed the phone on the kitchen counter.

emily had arrived at the small but cozy apartment you both shared, after being out almost all day. you, on the other hand, had stayed at home enjoying a quiet afternoon watching a 2000s movie marathon.

she chose to ignore you, while you looked at the cellphone she had left on the table while preparing dinner. puzzled by her reaction, you turned your gaze away from the device and found her hoodie on the floor, revealing a seductive gesture that took you by surprise.

"what the heck- are you trying to seduce me or something?" you asked, noting her mischievous smile. "depends, is it working?"

"not entirely," you said. you decided to take the lead and play a little with emily, teasing her ego and getting her a little rattled. "what's next? are you going to switch the lights to intense red and play the weeknd in the background?" her immediate blush confirmed you were on the right track. although emily rarely blushed, it seemed that with you, she was an exception.

"can you just keep quiet, please?" she asked you amidst laughter.

but you decided to continue with the joke. "why are you so nervous all of a sudden? you're not going to propose me, aren't you?"

"if that were the case, you would definitely ruin the moment," emily replied, laughing. "okay, okay, i'll stop. go on."

after that exchange, emily continued with her task. as she slowly stripped off the top part of her clothing, you couldn't help but bite your lip trying to suppress a smile. with her torso already exposed and you were about to make a cheeky comment, she turned around, revealing her muscular back adorned with a freshly made tattoo. you were speechless at the unexpected revelation, and the dim light of the room highlighted the details of the design framing her back.

"you're kidding." a tattoo. emily had gotten a new tattoo that covered most of her back and, by the way, made her look even hotter than she already was.

"do you like it?" emily asked, knowing the answer.

you slowly approached emily's back, feeling the soft touch of her skin under your fingertips as you traced the outline of the tattoo. "it's beautiful," you whispered, sensing how her body slightly tensed at the unexpected contact. "it makes you look hot," you added with a mischievous smile, noticing the change in temperature of her skin as you continued to gently stroke the design.

"so, the seduction attempt worked, don't you think?" emily joked, enjoying your reaction.

"and there you go ruining the moment," you replied, tossing her white shirt for her to get dressed again, as you returned to your tasks in the kitchen, with a smile on your face.

emily chuckled as she watched the video once more, but her laughter abruptly ceased when she heard a movement and a groan coming from the naked and sleepy figure next to the bed in response to the noise. after a moment of hesitation, she decided to go ahead and post the video. she turned off her phone screen and placed it on the bedside table, then snuggled under the sheets and nestled close to the warm body next to her, quickly falling asleep in its embrace.

needless to say, the comments on her tiktok went WILD.

[maikissed]

the day I saw your eyes, I stayed

jude bellingham x reader

warnings: none, just a tad of sexual tension, yeah

note: there is going to be part 2! I planned to write the whole story in one shot but I gotta go to sleep now and was too excited about this rubbish (jk, I love it tbh). And he scored today, whoop sorry for any mistakes!!!!

Rose got herself a new boyfriend. The name brought up in presence of your girlfriends caused much of a fuss. It was a grand revelation and as much as it surprised you as well, you did not share the enthusiasm as every other girl in the room. Not because you felt envious, jealousy was never your thing, you rather grew worrisome. The excitation over the fact that Rose secured herself a football player of such range – famous, a hot topic, high quality player, one of the most valuable characters in the England national team, highly payed, and to add to that: uncommonly gorgeous - absolutely knocked your friends of their feet, but to you… To you it was a sign of massive trouble. People like him belonged to a world where individuals had their impeccable ways to draw from their fame, money and phenomenon as much as they could, despite the morality or ethics. Rose always mingled among various groups of people, there were musicians, actors, even politicians. She was a lovely girl, very pretty, her modelling career developed quickly, spectacularly. But she still haven’t made her name the way she aimed to. You suspected the boys she chose were always an occasion, a special addition to make her reach for more, to be seen, to feel special and unique. She was determined, regardless of the consequences, regardless of the fact how many times she has suffered and burned herself even almost to the point of absolute destruction. It felt awful to even reminisce it. But that’s how it’s been so far, it was the path she has chosen. Although this time this whole situation felt much different, there was a spark in her eyes that could tell you many things. But you would define it this way: she intended to hold onto him, she wanted to keep him. He seemed like the greatest prize. But who would have thought that the massive trouble you feared from the very start would be your burden to deal with?

Jude Bellingham.

Girls were over the moon when the time has come and Rose invited you all to join them in a private lounge in one of the most exclusive clubs in London. You scoffed when you heard the name of the place, you remembered the time when you and Lucia tried to sneak in there, but the bodyguard was too smart to fall for your theatrics. Only precisely selected people could party there. It was one of those grand and fancy places. So you found yourself invited, at last. Yet you weren’t very thrilled about the way you were about to spend your Saturday night. It turned out you would be the only single person there.

And him? The man, the hot topic himself? He was taller than you envisioned, maybe the hair added to that? His smile truly was bright, he was well built, broad shoulders, but not too muscular, well, he was an athlete. The Brummie dialect annoyed you at the start, but the itch seemed to cease as you payed attention to the tone of his voice, there was nothing particular about it, it was just right, good, not screechy, not too deep just… pleasant. He was an amiable guy, you thought to yourself, polite and friendly at the first contact. You realised you were a careful observer until he turned to you to greet. Now you were very much noticed, now you had to act as a part of the events, not a shadow and analyser. And situation very much changed. Time seemed to slow down so suddenly, you found yourself in the strangest state of unconsciousness, like a scene in a movie where the background blurs and any noise is muted, when the spectator is deprived of any other senses despite the sight to notice those specific details that are supposed to made him feel the sublimity of a given moment. And the source of it was in his eyes, you realised, and the way he smiled softly as he extended his hand to you. It was strange and disturbing, his eyes seemed to be the darkest ones you’ve ever seen, but you most definitely had seen eyes like his before, no doubt about it. You took a breath, blinked, fought to not fall into this depth that almost sucked you in. He was smiling, now something slightly impudent about it, and you realised he truly was stunningly gorgeous. Strangely, insanely attractive. Just a simple look into his eyes made you stumble into a realisation that there was something different about this man. And it frightened you.

You did say your name back, did you?

As the night went by you decided to stay in your attentive observer state. You felt safer there, although decency inquired you to engage in few conversations with your friends. Tonight you felt tense, carefully sipping the wine, you tried with all your might to relax and stop examining so intensely the boy seated opposite you. Few new conclusions you came into in the last hour was the fact that he was a great interlocutor, he listened as well, and his smile was one of the most pleasurable things you’ve experienced in your lifetime. You just couldn’t take your eyes off. And another conclusion was that him and Rose was nothing of exclusive. No lingering stares, no secret touches. After all, they met quite recently. She wondered if she bagged him already. And if so, would they all be there if she did? He did not seem like the kind to make such effort to get himself a girl he was not seriously interested in. Rose was not the type to act restrained and unavailable. She crawled into many beds the first night she met someone. You kept yourself far from casual hook-ups and one night stands, just a simple thought of it made you uncomfortable. But for her it was a common thing, if you could use such words. So, was he really interested?

After a while all of your friends decided to use the night to the fullest as the alcohol finally kicked in, rushing to the dancefloor and you truly couldn’t find the spur to join them. You were seriously thinking about taking a French leave. And you almost succeeded.

“You’re not enjoying yourself much, are you?” a well known voice reached you from behind and you turned your head in its direction.

Something in your gut jumped as you spotted Jude. He took a seat beside you. You smiled as his scent reached you, fresh, citrus with addition of something stronger and… alluring.

“I’ve had a long day. Tired, I guess” a safe and simple answer.

His full attention was on you, no one here to accompany you. It begun to feel overwhelming because you did not expected his gaze to be so intense.

“I know the feeling. Find myself in a constant state of weariness lately, cannot get rid of it” he played with his glass, the liquid looked like orange juice.

“Well, you live quite the fast and exciting life” you noted, observing as the corner of his mouth rose a little at your comment.

“Where are you from?” he asked, not continuing the subject you just raised.

“Here, London, born and raised” you smiled again before lowering your gaze, finding the glass of wine interesting “Became as gloomy and morose as this city”

“I wouldn’t describe you with such words” his voice was soft when he said it, something itched in you to ask what words would he use to describe you, but raising the glass of wine up to your lips saved you from that. You hoped you didn’t blush.

“My grandmother always says that I’m an old soul. Emphasizes it like it’s a virtue” you continued.

“That’s a very interesting thing to say about someone. Mine says that I’m a lovely companion although I use way too foul language and it’s scandalous” he frowned funnily and you laughed at the information, he quickly accompanied you.

“Well, I haven’t yet got the occasion to hear some of that tonight”

“I’m trying to be a gentleman” he murmured “It would be improper to throw fucks around in presence of a pretty girl” a lively glint in his eyes as he looked at you.

Now you definitely blushed.

The conversation flowed from there, and you realised you grew more comfortable with each passing minute. He truly was a great listener, and a good companion. He made you laugh many times and suddenly you stopped regretting leaving your apartment for this night out. He was not daft or arrogant as you might have presumed before you met him, being smothered by all this money he had and a name he’s gotten himself at such young age. The complexity of his persona could be spotted in his eyes as you payed closer attention, but it was his words and the way he picked on any subject you brought, that expressed his maturity and wide perception. You haven’t met a guy like him in a long time.

“What are you guys doing here? Come on down, join us!” it was Charlotte’s comment as she came to the longue after a while.

You haven’t even realised how much time has passed and how much alcohol you have already poured into yourself. You only picked on that as you stood up, dizziness hit you like lighting but you composed yourself, agreeing on Charlotte’s and then Jude’s proposition. As soon as you joined the dancefloor, Rose spotted you both, throwing her hands around Jude, guiding him deeper, keeping him closer. He kept his eyes on you as she did it and a strange feeling stroked you as you kept his gaze. Charlotte grabbed you by your hands, singing the words out loud, the song was energetic and lively, you laughed at your friend. Others from your pack nowhere to be seen. So you loosened up and tried to keep up with your drunk companion. The dancefloor became quite chaotic, people jumping around, your eyes landing on Jude from time to time and to your surprise he was looking your way as well. There was a lean and tall guy that jumped in front of Jude, almost stumbling over him and you laugh at that, seeing that Jude laughed as well, his attention still on you. You wanted to share this fun with him directly, but it was forbidden since the realest fact of this night was that he was not yours to have.

“I need to pee!” Rose shouted near you and you turned, watching as she grabbed Charlotte with her, leaving the dancefloor.

You stopped and decided to follow your friends but felt someone’s presence behind your back before you made any move.

“Now I can tell you’re enjoying your night!” Jude called next to your ear, this way you could hear him well despite the thumping music.

When you turned around you noticed how close he stood, you had to raise your head to look at his face, his big and dark eyes gazing down at you, full lips twisted into an amused smile. You returned the smile.

“You are a terrible dancer” you shouted back to him, your voice filled with laughter.

“That’s a fact” he nodded “But you’re quite good, show me more” he reached for your hips to draw you deeper into the dancefloor and you laughed out, throwing your head back as he lead you with him.

You have not payed much attention to the closeness of your bodies as long as the songs were quick and your movements kept rapidly changing with the rhythm. Still, you haven’t realised the sound slowing, a more sensuous song sounded from the loudspeaker, you knew this one. If the reason could break through the basses that reached your ears, you would finish your dance right this moment. But the fact was that it did not. So you continued, with your hands placed at his shoulders you begun to move your hips. Your eyes closed as you turned around, your back to him, he was not touching you, not directly. He took your hands in his and you started to raise it up in the air, you smiled when you felt his breath on your ear. Your joined hands stayed up longer, his on the other hand slowly trailed lower and lower, down your forearms, then your shoulders, then down your body. His touch sure yet lenient and soft at the same time electrified you. Carefully and attentively, making sure to not touch your breasts on the way, he rested them on your hips, feeling the rhythm you kept on. You were not sure if it was him that pressed on you or was it purely your movement, but your back met with his front fully, and a sharp intake of breath stuck in  your throat at the realisation. His hands still rested on your hips, making your body move with no pause. You were close, too close, you could already feel too much. But you found it difficult to part with him, to stop it and call it improper. Your eyes wide open but blind. You only focused on the sense of touch, feeling him moving with you. Your hands fell down to reach his head and then levelled on his nape and you kept them there. Feeling something growing inside of you, along with a rough shot of adrenaline that made your heart beat strongly against ribs. Once more his breath landed on your ear, close, closer. A strange sensation squeezed your throat and you realised you swallowed back a moan. It was like a rough strike, you turned around to face him, with intention to take a step back, but he held you closer, pressing his palm against your back. You sighed and met his eyes. Dark, darker. You wanted to run.

“Thank you for the dance” you said innocently and he watched the movement of your lips as you spoke.

A daring smirk appeared on his mouth and you shuddered. Were you trapped now?

You had to run. So you did.

[lou-struck]

Cancellation Comfort Part 3

Obey Me! Datables (minus Luke x MC!)

Featuring: Simeon, Solomon, Diavolo, and Barbatos

Part 1 HERE

Part 2 HERE

One of the things I hate the most in this world is when the same person repeatedly makes plans with me and then flakes on me the day of. One of my primary Love Languages is Quality time, so it really stings to get all ready and excited to go somewhere only to get a call an hour later than they said they were gonna pick me up to bail on the plans. 

This is how the Obey Me Boys would treat you after you were flaked on. 

Simeon

One of Simeon's favorite things in the Devildom is the wide variety of groceries he can find in the aisles of the various supermarkets. 

Having the evening to himself, the Angel would like nothing more than to spend the evening trying something new and delicious for dinner and getting to work on the latest novel in his series.

At first, he thought he would be content in his loneliness until he ran into you, and his heart skips a beat. Your bright smile beckons him to you, and he can't help but ask what you are up to. 

If you were free, he would gladly abandon his original plans to spend time with you.

You show him your basket and eagerly explain that you are getting some snacks for a movie night with a new friend of yours. Apparently, they have a report on human world cinema soon and wanted to pick your brain, so instead of just telling them about certain movies, you spent the afternoon selecting some of your favorites. 

Although he would want nothing more than to occupy your time for the evening, he is delighted to see you looking so excited.

Your DDD starts to ring and Simeon kindly takes your basket of groceries so you can finish through your many pockets trying to find the device. When you finally do raise the device to your ear, Simeon picks up on the static conversation. 

Your 'friend' on the other line coughs weakly through the speaker and says they are not feeling well and they just don't have the time to watch any movies with you. But they would really appreciate it if you could text them the details of the movie so they don't have to do the report. 

Ouch!

Simeon's gut tells him that this demon had been planning on flaking on you since the beginning, and his heart tells him that you are absolutely crushed by this revelation. You wish your classmate well and say kindly that you hope they feel better soon, but he can tell you are absolutely crushed. 

You look down at the basket of snacks, still sitting prettily in Simeon's hand, and reach for it, saying that you will just put them back since you won't be needing them, but the Angel moves it just beyond your reach. 

His smile is all kindness and love as he meets your gaze. "You know, Mc, I haven't had many opportunities to watch movies from the human world. Would you consider watching one with me?"

"You wouldn't mind?" you say; hope shines brilliantly in your gaze as you look at your guardian angel whose smile only grows. 

"Not at all; spending time with you is a blessing. I would be a fool to throw away something so precious. 

Solomon

When Solomon heard that you, his adorable apprentice, were going on a weekend camping trip with some classmates, he was up all hours of the night thinking of things you may need for the trip.

After carefully going over a few (dozen) maps of the area, he learned that there is quite a bothersome population of devil mosquitos that would love to bite something as precious as you, and he immediately got to work brewing you up several bug repellant potions and crafting an enchanted lantern designed to kill any pesky bloodsuckers that get close to you. 

Unfortunately for him, the sorcerer tends to lose track of time in his workshop. And by the time his tired eyes glance at the clock, he realizes that you are to leave the House of Lamination in less than a half an hour. 

He tears through his laboratory like a madman, shoving all of your gifts into his bag before running out the door. The cold morning air and his adrenaline waking him better than any cold brew he's ever chugged.

His hair is a mess, and his cape is inside out, but he made it. 

The flames of his triumph are quickly smothered when he comes across you sitting on the cold, stone steps of the House. Your camping bag at your side as you frown into your DDD. 

"MC, I'm glad I got to see you; I made you a few things for your trip to keep the mosquitoes off of you." He holds out the potions and lantern, and you regard them with interest. 

"Thank you for going out of your way, Sol, but I won't be going on the trip," you say, disappointment written all over your face. 

He looks to you for a bit more context, and you explain that your classmates decided that they didn't want a human slowing them down on the hikes and stuff like that, so you were uninvited at the last moment. 

Solomon clenches his fist tightly as he tries to understand how some demons are able to function without their brains. "I'm sorry you have been treated so poorly, MC, but if anything, they would only slow you down. Perhaps you and I could go camping together sometime instead."

"That would be nice," you humm, resting your head on his shoulder; his arm wraps around you as he raises his other hand to the sky. Green tendrils of magic dance around his fingertips. But you are too preoccupied with his embrace to notice. 

It's for the best,' he thinks to himself. After all, he knows you would not approve if you learned about the itching curse the sorcerer had just cast on your classmates' sleeping bags. 

Barbatos

The royal garden party is only weeks away, and Barbato's shopping finds himself searching antique shops for the perfect centerpiece for the dessert table. 

He steps out of another shop empty-handed, but his sour mood is quickly rectified when he sees someone walking across the street with two large shopping bags in their hands.

Although he has a job to do, he can't just walk away without at least saying hello to his dear human. 

As he approaches, he catches your eye and you give him a big smile. "Barbatos, it's good to run into you, I haven't gotten to see you at all lately."

"My apologies; I truly have not been giving you as much attention as you deserve. Once the garden party is over I promise I shall make it up to you every way I know how." He says, lowering his voice. With you so close, he sees the contents of your shopping bags full of baking ingredients.

Noticing his observant nature, you explain that you and your friend are going to bake treats together today.

As if fate wanted to toy with you in that very moment, you receive a message and whatever joy you were feeling was extinguished.

"Is something the matter?" He asks gently. In response, you showed him the text message you had just received.

They canceled on you. 

And not for any particular reason; the demon you were supposed to spend your valuable time with tells you rather bluntly that baking doesn't sound like fun, and they would rather do something that doesn't sound like a chore.

Barbatos is rightfully appalled at this rude behavior and scoffs at their narrowmindedness. You look down at your bags and frown, "I guess I'll need to return these.

His hands shake with his poorly concealed rage as he gently takes the bags from your hands. "Nonsense, it would be a shame for you to ruin your afternoon due to the actions of someone unworthy of your attention. Perhaps we can bake together?"

You eagerly accept his offer, but shyness and concern lace your voice as you ask him if he really has time to stop what he is doing.

He just smiles and tells you that there is nothing in this moment that requires more attention than you. In the back of his mind, however, he wonders if the demon who cancels on you needs a reminder that there are things way worse than baking. Perhaps they will miraculously get assigned cleaning duty in the RAD sewers for the next event.

Diavolo

He heard through Lucifer that you were really excited to go with friends to a new exhibit at the devildom historical society, and The Prince was absolutely over the moon.

This is exactly what he envisioned when he thought up the exchange program. Humans and demons get along and learn about the past together to create a stronger future.

In his excitement, he worked through his mountain of paperwork so he could slip away and observe the interaction from afar using the best disguise at his disposal.

Just as he was about to climb down the rose trellis, Diavolo receives a message from Lucifer that has his fake mustache falling to the ground in shock. 

Your new friends had just canceled on you, and the Avatar of Pride suspects that it may not have been on the kindest terms.

Rightfully, Diavolo is furious on your behalf. Although he is unfamiliar with the concept of getting canceled on personally he understands that it is a slight.

The idea of you, his beloved human, being treated so horribly causes his blood to boil, and he feels his horns emerging from his head.

His first instinct was to have the insulting demons imprisoned for their behavior, but Barbatos politely reminded him that he cannot simply arrest everyone who commits a social slight, so his mind went to the next, much better option.

He must comfort you,

No one can stop him as he poofs off to the HOL to find you sprawled across your bed, listening to sad music in the dark. His heart breaks at the sight of you looking so down, and he gets to his knees, ready to apologize on behalf of the devildom for your mistreatment. 

Once you get over the fact he just magically appeared in your room, you assure him that you are fine and you wouldn't hold the cancellation against anyone, but you may not want to see those demons for a while. 

Relief hits the royal like a ton of bricks, but he still wants to cheer you up. Especially since you and him have uninterrupted time to spend together. Even since you came into his life, the Prince has been researching as much as he can about humans, and he knows exactly what to do when they are feeling sad.

"Oh my, Mc, I seem to have developed a craving for something sweet. Would you care to join me for ice cream?" He is a terrible liar, but seeing him try to cheer you up makes your heart feel full as you lightly laugh and join him for an impromptu ice cream date.

Tagging: @pixelcafe-network

[thefallennightmare]

Hi. So this is different than my usual content but if anyone follows me they understand the Bill brain rot has been REAL bad. Please enjoy this blurb that’s been plaguing my life. Now I haven’t watching the new Crow movie yet but I’m just going to go with what I briefly know of it. Since I’ve seen the original as well a thousand times I can kind of guess it’s along the same lines.

I might make this a full fledged fic / one shot if people are interested!

18+ CW below the cut(witch reader, mention of blood and death, smoking, oral with male receiving, and angst.)

Your heels clicked along the surface of the old and battered floors inside the run down house. Blood and bodies were strewn throughout but it did nothing to make you squeamish. You’ve dropped your fair share of bodies in your long, immortal life.

Stepping over a pile of blood while holding up the bottom of your leather trench coat, your eyes landed on the figure you were here to see. Blood covered his tattooed littered chest and face as he sat between two dead bodies, lit cigarette hanging loosely on his lips.

“You’ve made quite the mess,” you clicked your tongue against your teeth.

Eric Draven snapped his eyes up from the table in front of him, something dark over taken them when they landed on you.

“You’re early for payment.” He noted while leaning back against the couch.

You merely shrugged while slipping off your jacket, revealing a black lace dress underneath. It did nothing to hide the swell of your breasts as you crossed your arms. A motion Eric tracked intently.

“What can I say, I heard you were killing people with a shotgun and it got me all hot and bothered,” you playfully winked.

Eric took a drag from his cigarette, holding onto the smoke before blowing it out. “I don’t have it yet.”

Your hear sank but you didn’t let his revelation deter you. One way or another, you’d find the ambulate that was stolen from you.

“I wished you would have kept one of them alive so I can question them,” you sighed dramatically while shaking your long black nails, them igniting with electricity.

“I still think it’s fucking weird you can read peoples mind with those static nails,” Eric took another drag of his cigarette, those bright eyes tracking your every movement as you slithered up to him.

Sitting down on the coffee table infront of him, your knees resting between the space of his large thighs, you shrugged.

“One of my many gifts,” the word sounding bitter on your tongue.

Eric’s eyes lingered back on your chest and he licked his lips slowly, almost as if he was wondering what your skin tasted like.

The air was static charged betwen you two; like it always had been. This is your third meeting and you felt like it was only a matter of time before it exploded and you both were ripping each others clothes off.

“I might not have your amulet but I have something else for you,” he suggested with a dark voice.

Your brow peaked. “Oh? What do you have that I could possibly want?”

His gaze flicked down to his lap where his cock was hard underneath his jeans.

“I don’t need to read your mind to know how bad you want it,” he smirked.

Clenching your legs together, you stood straight up. “This doesn’t mean you’re off the hook, Draven. I need that amulet.”

He rolled his eyes before unzipping his jeans and taking out his cock, it almost glowing underneath the blue lights of the room.

“Think of this as an IOU,” he gruffed, still having the cigarette hanging on his lip before he guided your mouth down to his cock.

This wasn’t anything new. The flirting, the sexual tension. In your second meeting where you watched him do another kill, you were so worked up you let your hand brush against his cock as you whispered in his ear.

“You can lie all you want, Draven about why you’re on this revenge mission. But just know, if you want me all you have to do is take it.”

Slowly, you took all of him in your mouth, all the way until he hit the back of your throat with no resistance. Eric’s groaned echoed over the busy street life outside as you guided your tongue along the underside of his cock.

“Shit,” his fingers filtered through your hair to keep you in place as he began ruthlessly fucking your throat.

You flicked you faze up at him and moaned over his cock when you took in the sight of him leaning back against the couch, mouth agape in pleasure.

Your black nails scratched over his stomach, up his chest to his neck where you played with the ends of his hair. The tip of your nail brushed softly against the back of his skull and you felt your vision change. Darkness took over and instead of seeing Eric in bliss, you saw another face.

Another woman.

Shelly.

Ripping your mouth away from his cock, you wiped the saliva away with the back of your hand as Eric watched you in disbelief.

“Next time you want your dick sucked, don’t think of your dead girlfriend being the one doing it,” you snarled while standing up and snatched your jacked off the other chair, storming out of the house as Eric called after you.

[cursedvida]

I love your takes on nomae<33 Revelations was so good thank you for the food^^..

I wanted to know what do you think could have gone through noa's mind when mae killed trevathan? I remember we got a close up of his face on that scene but it was kind of dark to really see well (also i love how in the next scene when we see trevathan's corpse being pushed into the water it's noa's the one that's closer to the edge so.. he's the one that threw him lmaoo)

And the moment before all that happens is so cute because we have mae explaining how everything works to noa and his answer being an amazed "how do you know all this?" (she's constantly showing/teaching him a whole new world. how could he not be facisnated by her!!)(and!! Let's not forget that she's afraid/wary of how smart he is yet here she is explaining things to him and watching him catch quickly. the way they contradict themselves when it comes to each other *chefs kiss*).

P.S: Oh and:"He's gonna skin your monkey alive." Made me insane idk why.

The first thing we must consider is that Noa is not Caesar or any of the apes of the previous generation. He has had no contact with humans before, nor is he aware of the true battle between humans and apes until he leaves his village. Therefore, I don't think he fully understands the significance of Mae deciding to kill 'one of her own' as the apes from previous movies would have. I believe he is surprised that Mae can be so aggressive and lethal, but beyond that, it doesn't seem to matter much to him. I don't think he sees it as a betrayal of her species or something morally questionable in terms of being loyal to humans simply because he is not aware of those dynamics.

In fact, I think what you mention later explains quite well what I have previously said: Noa is not aware of everything that happens until Mae tells him how things have been and opens a new door to understanding the world around him. He is completely unaware of this; in fact, he has never even heard of Caesar. Noa, for me (and I have mentioned this several times), is the perfect example of a classical hero whom circumstances lead to leave his home and everything he know to fully immerse himself in that reality about the world he has been unaware of, which is essential for him to grow and mature.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 54

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words: 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Monday, February 15th; 09:00 AM - Hotel.

A new day begins in the Alps. While Lucy, Jenni, and Ingrid are at the reception arranging snowmobiles for us, the others are waiting outside. Watching them playfully battle with snowballs makes me smile. I loved the snowball fight we had at school... Although I do regret a little how it ended. It's a memory I won’t forget, especially considering how sick I got right after recovering. I’m glad the girls didn’t follow them outside to join in. Instead, we stayed warm inside, watching through the windows and waiting for our friends to give us instructions for the day.

"So, how was your Valentine’s Day?" Ale finally asks.

"Absolutely amazing!" Mapi exclaims enthusiastically. "I never really celebrate it, but I think I’m going to change my mind now," she admits. "Ingrid was incredible. She surprised me from start to finish."

"I can say the same," I add. "I didn’t even realize it was the 14th of February."

"Me neither," Alexia laughs. "Jenni really surprised me too."

"I heard you fell asleep during the movie last night?" Mapi teases, nudging me.

I blush and nod reluctantly. They must have noticed, or maybe Lucy mentioned it without me knowing. I was so comfortable and exhausted from the day that the movie knocked me out. Poor Lucy must have carried me to our room because apparently, I was too asleep to wake up.

"Yeah, but Lucy didn’t mind, so it’s all good. So, what did you do during the day?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"We went Timbersledding in the morning. It was awesome!"

"Really? We did that too!" Mapi exclaims. "Except we did it in the afternoon."

"What is that?" I ask, suddenly feeling clueless.

"It’s like motocross on snow," Alexia explains. "It took me a while to remember the word too," she admits, as if it wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t know it.

"Motocross on snow?" I squint. "Isn’t that kind of like snowmobiling?"

"Yeah," she giggles. "But it’s way more powerful."

The revelation makes me feel even more foolish. They must think I’m really timid after how I reacted to Lucy’s few accelerations the other day.

"We had a half-hour lesson, enough time for me to get the hang of it, and then we went up into the mountains," she continues. "At one point, the instructor let us go on our own. Jenni knows I love thrills, so we try to do activities like that whenever we can."

"I have to admit it was really cool," Mapi says. "We had the same setup, and I don’t regret it."

"Is that all you did?"

"No. She took me to lunch afterward. Then in the afternoon, we did dog sledding and finished with a zip line. That was awesome too!"

"Ooooh! Really? No surprise there, that must have been amazing."

"Yeah," she smiles. "If there’s one thing you should do before leaving, it’s definitely that!"

"Wow, Jenni doesn’t mess around," Mapi says.

"Never. She also took me to a restaurant for both lunch and dinner. Then we finished with *Titanic*."

"And you, Mapi? What did you do in the morning?"

"We stayed here. We had breakfast in bed, and she had planned a spa session for us. After that, I also got to do dog sledding. Then we went to eat, and you know the rest. We’ve been talking about ourselves, but what about you? Did Lucy live up to the expectations?" she teases.

"Of course she did. We also started with breakfast in bed, then she arranged a carriage ride."

"Seriously? That’s so cool," Alexia says. "Maybe that could rival our sledding."

"Maybe, yeah," I giggle. "It was really nice. We cuddled up together the whole ride. Afterward, we went to eat in town, and then she took me to an exhibition."

"An exhibition?" Mapi asks, puzzled.

"Yeah. There was one in the nearby village. She saw a poster at the hotel and wanted to take me because she knows how much I love that."

"Oh... Sounds like she really nailed it," Mapi comments.

"Absolutely! We ended the day with a massage session and a private pool at the hotel. Then, like you, we ate at the hotel and watched a movie. She really chose all the activities I love; it was amazing."

I could have shared more about our morning when she told me she loved me, but I prefer to keep that detail to myself for now. Who knows how they would react? I don’t need them to get all excited right away. It’s something intimate that I plan to cherish on my own. We don’t have much more to talk about, as the three people we were waiting for walk towards us. Judging by their expressions, things didn’t go well.

"We couldn’t get the snowmobiles," Jenni grumbles.

"Weren’t they available for this morning?" Mapi asks.

The hotel had put up a board showing when they were available and how many there were. It seems we were too late for today. Yet, as Mapi just said, they should have been available this morning.

"They’re already reserved for early afternoon, and they’re worried we won’t return in time," Lucy explains.

"We’re stuck here. We’ll have to find another activity for the day," Ingrid sighs.

"Well, we could take a walk in the forest," Alexia suggests. "The girls are already having fun outside, so we might as well enjoy it, that way everyone’s happy."

We all look at each other for a moment, as if silently deliberating. I don’t mind this plan. Lucy and I love nature, so I’m sure she’d agree too. As for the other three girls, they don’t seem opposed to the idea either.

"She’s right. I’ll check with the reception to see if there are any trails nearby. » Jenni says

"Good idea, I’ll join you."

Lucy, who just responded, follows her, as does Ingrid. We’re back to three again. I sigh, starting to get a bit tired of waiting around. Seeing some empty chairs not far from us, I don’t hesitate long before heading over to them, quickly followed by my friends.

- Everything seems to be going well between you and Lucy, said Mapi.

- Yeah, everything's great. I'm glad we're on vacation, though. It's not the same at school.

- That's true. How do you plan to handle things there? Ale asked.

- Lucy wants to keep the two relationships separate.

- What do you mean by that...?

- She wants to continue being my supervisor.

- And do you think she'll manage? Mapi teased. I mean, even if you two aren’t sleeping together yet, you seem really close!

- What do you know about that anyway? I retorted, unable to stop blushing. In any case, that's something that concerns only us.

- Oh yes, for sure, but Mapi's right, Alexia chimed in. Jenni didn’t want to mix things either. Well, it was different since she wasn’t in charge of me at the time… But it was still hard to keep our distance. In the end, she was the one who came to see me until we got caught.

- As you just said, it’s different. Lucy and I can see each other more often. Even if I won’t get any affection, I’ll still be with her, and that’s all that matters to me. Anyway, there are only a few months left, and I doubt Lucy will crack during that time. She doesn’t tend to give up when she wants something to work her way.

- That’s true... She’s always been the reasonable type, I think, Mapi sighed. Doesn’t that bother you? I mean, you’re usually someone who lets loose. I don’t get the impression that’s her style.

I frowned and shook my head. I know Lucy is reasonable, but it’s never been a problem. As I told Lucy herself, I love our differences.

- No, it doesn’t bother me. Thanks to that trait, she’s brought stability into my life.

- You’re right, Ale smiled. If there’s one thing Lucy can bring you, it’s definitely stability.

- The question is whether that’s what you want, Mapi muttered.

The tone of her voice didn’t sit well with me. Something was off. She wasn’t like this earlier in the morning. I didn’t have time to react as a hand rested on my shoulder. When I turned around, I saw my girlfriend’s smiling face. I decided not to dwell on Mapi's remark and smiled back at Lucy.

- Is everything settled? I asked.

- Yeah, the receptionist recommended a nice trail, and we can even stop to eat if we leave now, she announced. I came to get you. The others went outside to let the girls know.

- Cool.

I stood up, ready to take her hand, but Mapi didn’t give me the chance. She slipped her arm through mine instead.

- Come on, let’s go! she shouted.

I bit my lip as I looked back while she dragged me toward the exit. I found Lucy sighing. Even though she doesn’t say it anymore, I know she still struggles to tolerate Mapi’s behavior when she acts like this. Alexia, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh beside her. Unlike her, I didn’t find the situation funny. It’s not easy to find the right balance between the two. I turned back to Mapi, who flashed me a smile that I found hard to return. In situations like this, I struggle to understand her, but as a good friend, I held back my comments and let her lead me without a fuss. After all, she also has the right to some of my time.

Monday, February 15; 1:30 PM - Forest.

- Don’t you want to move a little faster?

I stifled a groan upon hearing Mapi's voice again.

- Go ahead, we’ll catch up, Alexia replied with a hint of amusement.

- Well… okay. See you later!

I sighed, running my hand over my face to avoid watching her skip ahead. She had managed to exhaust me. I’ve never known a walk to feel this long. I guess I’m familiar with the phenomenon that’s currently prancing in front of us until she finds her girlfriend. I love walking, but with the many kilometers we’ve covered and Mapi’s endless chatter, my feet are on fire, and my head is about to explode. I was grateful to the others for making stops from time to time. The worst part was that she kept rehashing our past, which she recounted to Alexia. Alexia kindly stayed with us, seeing my despair. She brought up so many memories. I didn’t even remember doing half of it. Our evenings were what she talked about the most. She kept circling back to that, glancing at me as if expecting a reaction. I didn’t give her one. All I could think about was how thankful I was to Lucy for getting me out of that cycle. It will always be a part of me, but I’ve learned to have fun in other ways now. Drinking and smoking can be fun for a while, but it’s no longer something I want to do every weekend. Mapi finally tired of her act when I started lagging behind the others. She’s now gone, without even noticing my weariness. Alexia burst into laughter shortly after she left, quickly joined by my girlfriend, who had waited for us to stay with us. I must have made quite a face because they couldn’t stop laughing. Still, I couldn’t help but smile as I realized that Alexia and Lucy were sharing a laugh. It’s not something you see every day.

- Alright, are you done? I’d like to see you in my shoes!

- Sorry, but your face was priceless, Alexia defended herself between laughs.

- It’s really not funny.

- What did she do to make you look like that? Lucy asked.

- Talk, talk, and talk some more... but like, all the time! And the worst part was she only talked about what we used to do! Can you believe that?

- If you must know, I learned that Ona was the champion at forgetting last night’s mess after a party, Alexia summarized with amusement.

My elbow reflexively jabbed into Alexia’s side. I took the opportunity to give her a stern look. I didn’t need Lucy knowing that kind of thing. I’m not proud of it. The worst part is that I never ended a night the same way. Rarely did I wake up in a bed, with or without Mapi. I was a party animal, and I’ll probably never shake that label.

- You don’t need to hit her, Lucy scolded me. It’s not like I didn’t suspect it. I saw the kind of parties you hung out at.

I blushed, regretting not thinking about that before taking her to Miller’s house. Maybe that’s why she so easily agreed to go. She wanted to see where I spent all my nights before I met her. She was right. It was in that house that I spent most of my nights. Miller was lucky enough to have parents who often had to travel for work. They let him do as he pleased as long as the house was clean when they returned, and he always managed to do that. I’ve lost count of how many times we had to help him clean up. We made quite a mess. As Mapi mentioned earlier, there was even a time when we painted all the walls of the house. I think that was the first time Miller got scolded. We couldn’t afford to run from what had been done since it was a weekend. However, we were good at repainting all the walls after our classes. It would have taken them several days if we hadn’t helped.

- Well, I was a teenager after all, I shrugged.

- That’s no excuse. I didn’t go out that much when I was a teenager.

- What were you like? Alexia asked curiously, unknowingly saving me from a certain argument.

- Much more reasonable, Lucy smiled. If we went out, it was like now. We went to a bar, the movies, or something like that. Parties didn’t interest me. Jenni went sometimes, but I never joined her.

Seeing them chat so easily made me smile. In just a few days, this trip has already done a lot of good. The fear Alexia had when we left seems to have disappeared. I had kept telling her she was worrying for nothing. Lucy's behavior must have reassured her a lot. She’s much more relaxed here, and as I told her, Alexia noticed that Lucy has nothing to do with the “Commander” from Camp Wiegman. The fact that Lucy knows Ale was there for me a lot when we weren’t on good terms must help. She understood that I really care about her, and that must have calmed her down about her. At least, I imagine that for Lucy, Ale made up for sending away her best friend by being there for me because she’s stopped resenting her since. It’s a good thing we became roommates. Without our friendship, none of this would have been possible.

- Were you popular? I joked as I joined the conversation.

- No, she immediately replied. I started to become known when I got into sports in high school, but since I never went to parties, no one paid attention to me. I was way too focused on studying to get my diploma.

- I’m sure it wasn’t necessary. You’re very smart, I replied.

Maybe, she shrugged with a small smile. But I still graduated top of my class in high school, and despite my injury, I found a good college for my higher education. Without my good grades in all subjects, who knows how I would’ve ended up without sports.

Lucy deserves a lot of credit. Who knows how things would have turned out if she had only focused on training… She can anticipate things if they go wrong. That's definitely not my case. I tend to rush in headfirst.

"Wow," Alexia says. "I didn’t know you got injured. Maybe I should focus more on my studies," she laughs.

"Oh, don’t worry. Injuries happen, but they don't affect many people, really. I guess I’m just one of the unlucky ones."

"Don’t say that," I reply.

"You handled it very well, so that’s cool," Ale says. "What did you end up studying, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"Well, my injury changed a lot of things. Jenni was just as upset as I was. That’s when we came up with the idea to open a gym together. My only option was to enroll in a management school specialized in sports, but few schools offered that. When I had to move to Manchester, Jenni didn’t hesitate for a second to follow me."

"But she continued with sports, right?" Alexia asks, frowning.

"Yes, she did. We went to the same school but with different majors. She still took some of my courses as electives to help support our project."

"I didn’t know that. I mean, I knew what she wanted to do, but she never explained the backstory. How did you two meet, anyway?" Alexia continues, clearly intrigued.

"We’ve known each other forever," she shrugs. "She was my neighbor, and she would stand up for me when the neighborhood kids picked on me. I was an easy target as a little girl, and she hated that," she laughs. "She’s always been very diplomatic in conflicts. Since then, we’ve never been apart."

"I was so jealous of you at first," Alexia admits. "Jenni talked about you like you were the most precious thing in her life," she explains, making Lucy smile. "She insisted on making sure you knew about us. I was terrified of that, given your reputation, and even more so when she admitted you didn’t take it well. I thought you would break us up in a heartbeat."

Lucy sighs, running her hand through her hair, almost embarrassed by Alexia's confession. I’m just an observer in this scene, but I listen intently. I’ve wanted to know the whole story for a long time, and if it could end here, that would be perfect.

"I did struggle with it, yes. Working at Camp Wiegman was important to me, both for personal and financial reasons."

I smile, fully understanding the personal reasons. Knowing that I’m one of the few who knows that part of her life warms my heart. I feel privileged.

"I was afraid Jenni would ruin everything for us, but at the same time, I wanted nothing more than her happiness. I understood that you meant a lot to her, so I held back, just as she asked me to. Still, what I feared came true. You got caught, and she got fired. I couldn’t hide my anger towards you after that."

"I’m sure it wasn’t as strong a feeling as you make it sound," I murmur.

"No, but I had a hard time accepting Jenni’s departure. I thought everything was over. Even so, she never gave up. She was unemployed for two months during the summer before finally finding work at a gym. It was because of that period that our funding got blocked," she explains. "They thought we were unstable professionally, but we proved that wasn’t the case, and here we are, finally launched."

"My intention was never for her to get fired," Alexia says, regret in her voice.

"I know. I just expected your relationship to fall apart after she left, and that she would have ruined everything for nothing. I was wrong, and I regret that. It was a good thing that Ona was in your room. I got to see a different side of you thanks to her. I hope you don’t hold too much of a grudge against me. It was never my intention to hate my best friend’s girlfriend."

"It’s fine. You had your reasons, and I completely understand. I just hope everything’s better now."

"Of course," Lucy smiles. "I won’t question your relationship anymore. As long as you take good care of her, you’ll have my full support."

"Then we shouldn’t have any problems," Alexia giggles.

"If we do, I’m sure Ona will make sure to put me back in my place," Lucy jokes, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.

I blush as Alexia laughs. The image must be hilarious, even if it’s probably what would happen. I’m glad everything is resolved now, and since they get along, I’ll make sure to maintain their relationship. I love Alexia, and since she’s the girlfriend of Lucy’s best friend, it’s best to keep things peaceful between all of us.

"I doubt that will be necessary. You’re the one who makes most of the decisions, right?" Alexia asks Lucy.

"Hmm... No. I mean, we make decisions together. And don’t be fooled—Ona has quite the temper when she wants to. Right?" 

She playfully nudges me with her hip. I wish I could shrink into the ground right now. The worst part is, I can’t deny it. I do have a strong personality when I’m comfortable with someone. I hadn’t realized I’d reached that point with Lucy.

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter.

"Oh, guys, the cabin’s finally here!" Mapi yells from up front.

A sigh of relief escapes my lips.

"Finally, for fuck sake!"

"Hey, language," Lucy scolds me.

"It’s not you who had to endure almost three hours of conversation with Mapi at your side."

"She’s your friend, so it’s your responsibility to deal with her," she teases. "Personally, I have no issues with mine."

I stick my tongue out in response, which makes her smile. If only I could understand what’s going on in Mapi’s head. It’s clear she’s not acting like herself. She’s almost clingy, and that’s not like her. It’s as if something is bothering her. I plan to get the words out of her mouth if it comes to that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my relationship with Lucy, it’s that communication is golden and prevents a lot of problems. Just a few more steps, and we’ll finally reach the lodge Mapi mentioned. This is where we’ll have lunch. Finally. I’m starving, and my feet are burning with pain. Plus, I can’t wait to take off this thick jacket. It’s like a snowsuit. Heavy layers are definitely not my thing.

"Come on, just a few more steps, and we’re there," Lucy reassures me, as if she knows what I’m thinking.

"Will we keep going after lunch? Or turn back?"

"No idea," she shrugs. "Either way, we’ll probably have the same distance to cover."

I groan in complaint, making Lucy laugh. I love walking, but not so much in the snow. At least the weather is on our side. If there was ice instead of snow, I’d be the first to end up on my butt.

"I hope we take the shorter route!"

"Are you done complaining?" Alexia teases. "We’re here to enjoy ourselves, Miss Grumpy!"

"She took the words right out of my mouth."

"Hey, just because you two have buried the hatchet doesn’t mean you get to gang up on me! I’ll complain if I want to, okay?"

My rhetorical question only makes them laugh more. I cross my arms, earning a kiss on the cheek from my girlfriend.

"We’re just kidding, relax. We’ve arrived, so go warm up, my little grumbler."

"You’ll see what your little grumbler will do if you keep this up," I mutter.

"Keep it up, and I’ll leave you to spend the rest of the day with Mapi."

"No!" I respond immediately. "You wouldn’t dare?"

"Want to bet?"

She holds the door open for me, challenging me with a smirk. I sigh as I unzip my jacket when I step inside. I know when to keep quiet, and this is one of those moments. We’re joking around, but I know she’d be capable of it, and given the situation with Mapi, it’s definitely not the time.

"I’ll be good, thanks."

Unfortunately, we were the last ones to enter, so naturally, the only seats left were across from Mapi and Ingrid. It seems everyone has settled into their usual spots because, since the beginning, no one has changed their seating arrangement. I end up across from my best friend and between the two girls who accompanied me.

"Have you been here before?" I ask Lucy.

- "No, I haven't had the chance to do this trail. Jen and I did the other one, but it was much longer, so we decided not to do it today."

- "Oh, well, that's a relief, huh?"

- "Are you still complaining?" Alexia teased.

- "She's not likely to stop anytime soon," Lucy continued. "It's in her nature to grumble, but we love her anyway."

- "Hey, have you both finished ganging up on me?"

- "Ooooh, we're just teasing you," Alexia laughed.

I barely had time to pout before Lucy pulled me close. I smiled as I snuggled into her arms. Across from us, the girls were chatting with the guys, understanding that we were in our own little world. However, I noticed Mapi sneaking glances at us. When our eyes met, she gave me a smile, almost forced—more like embarrassed at being caught in the act. Knowing her, she's holding back from saying something.

- "You're not going to sulk, are you?" Lucy whispered to me.

- "No, not if you keep making it up to me like this."

She chuckled softly, kissing the top of my head. I especially appreciated her affection. She’s much more affectionate than I expected. I'm not naturally the cuddly type, even before Feli, but I find myself enjoying every touch from her. It’s reassuring in a way. It’s so different from what I’ve known, and it feels like she wants to show off our relationship to the world. Yet, I know all of this will vanish the moment we step back into school. Just thinking about returning to our daily routine makes me want to cry.

- "Sweetheart," Lucy called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

- "Huh? Oh, sorry," I apologized to the waitress who was holding out the menu, which I hadn't noticed.

- "No worries," she smiled. "I'm here if you need anything," she said as she finished handing out the menus, making it clear that she'd been waiting for a while. "Should I come back for the drinks, or do you already know what you want?"

- "You can come back," Aitana answered. "We'll take a look at the menu first."

- "Alright."

She smiled at her before walking away. I hadn't noticed how interested Aitana was in her until I saw her checking her out. I stifled a laugh when she said:

- "Do you think she really means it when she says she's here to meet all our needs?"

- "Looks like someone here is a little desperate," Jenni teased.

- "Yeah, well, shut up, you guys," Aitana shot back, pointing at us. "You're all in relationships, so you wouldn't understand. She's pretty hot, isn't she? Maybe I should ask for her number."

Everyone laughed, though mine was a bit awkward since Lucy and I haven't done anything yet. I shouldn't be worried since we've only been together for less than a month, but knowing that Mapi and Ingrid have already slept together makes me a bit uneasy. It's frustrating because I'm not sure I'm ready to take that step. It’s daunting, like I’d be losing my virginity all over again. Almost as if she could read my thoughts, Lucy kissed my temple.

- "What do you want to drink?"

I blinked, trying to focus on her. The others were debating whether Aitana would get the waitress's number or not. If I were to join in, I'd probably say she has a good chance given the way she looked at her, but my mind was elsewhere.

- "Everything's fine, remember?" she continued when I stayed silent.

I cleared my throat and nodded. I felt silly. Of course, she knew what I was thinking, and she's reassured me about it many times.

- "I know. Sorry. I just feel a bit foolish."

- "There's no need to. So, what about that drink?"

- "What do you recommend?"

She smiled, making me smile too. She knows good wine better than I do. Over time, I’ve realized that she doesn’t mind alcohol; she just knows how to enjoy it in moderation. It’s something I’d never done before. She suggested a few different wines, but I ended up ordering the same one as her when the waitress came back to take our orders. As for the main course, we all went for raclette. Since we were here, we might as well enjoy the cheese. The meal was lively, especially with the girls who kept calling the waitress back for trivial things, like a jug of water. By the end of our meal, Aitana did end up getting her number, as I expected. On top of that, she invited us all to a private party in town tonight. Everyone was thrilled. It was just what we needed since we arrived. After that, our hike resumed. Unlike the walk up, I decided to stay towards the front, allowing me to spend time with all the girls on this trip, not just Mapi and Alexia like before. Mapi didn’t seem too happy about it, judging by the way she looked at me. I realize there's a real problem, and I’ll have to address it soon if we want to have a good time together.

[freak-accident419]

The Little Things

Josh Futturman x GN!Reader

Summary: Upset that Josh has been overly stressed and traumatized recently, you decide to surprise him with a short getaway, a temporary escape—you were going to take him to see a dinosaur.

WC: 1.8k

Content: fluff, mentions of death, gender neutral reader, short but sweet, kissing, listening to music, quiet yet comfortable company, few curse words

(A/n: this oneshot is heavily inspired by the movie Palm Springs which was brought to my attention from something @rynsfandomsfun reblogged—it was a sweet movie. Also, don’t play the preview of the song attached, but listen from the beginning when it plays in the fic :) )

-

“Hey. Wake up…”

Your gentle voice and light shaking seemed to do the trick as you sat patiently on the edge of his bed. “Y/n?” Josh grumbles drowsily, gradually waking up as he rubs his eyes with his fingers. “Shit… what time is it…?”

You chuckle amusedly at his demeanor. “Approximately two a.m. But that’s not so important,” you answer, watching him use his arms to lift himself up against his bed frame, now in a sitting position.

He faced you with groggy bewilderment until his eyes suddenly widened once they inevitably trailed over to your lap. “Shit—Y/n, is that the TTD?” Josh gasped. The revelation seemed to have woken him up completely, his shock clashing with your nonchalant smirk. “But that would mean—”

“Yes, I stole it from Tiger and Wolf while they were sleeping. And yeah, I’m aware they’d kill me if they ever found out, but they’ll never know we even left, ’cause lucky for us, now we have a damn time machine,” you grin softly.

“‘Left’? Wait, what—what are we doing?”

You chuckle, admiring the adorably confounded look on his face. You were so thrilled to break the news to him, anticipating his reaction. “I’m gonna take you to see a dinosaur.”

You didn’t mean to get tied into all of this. Well, technically, none of you were meant to. However, Josh was your best friend, and one day, you two hung out in his room as you watched him play and attempt to beat his favorite game Biotic Wars. And you never would’ve guessed the shit you both would go through after that.

As his best friend, you knew him very well and were able to read him even if he was across the room from you. Therefore, you could always sense when he was upset and miserably exhausted. So when those two airheaded dipshits from the future constantly mistreated and belittled him, you couldn’t help but feel resentment towards them and pity towards your best friend. And the moment you saw him covered in his co-workers’ blood after him witnessing his colleagues brutally chop them up to shove inside a possum incinerator, you were just about done with all of this bullshit.

So when the day became night, you snuck into Tiger and Wolf’s weird sewer hideout, stealing their TTD. And then you snuck into Josh’s house, planning to steal him too.

Josh’s face beams as he heard your proposal, and it was probably the first time you’ve seen him genuinely smile ever since he got involved in that savior crap.

“I’m gonna see a dinosaur?” You answered him with a smug nod. “You’re not fucking with me? I’m gonna see a dinosaur? H-holy—holy shit!”

You knew he wanted this before, hell, you were right there when he begged Tiger and Wolf for it back in 1969. And so, because of all the bullshit he undeservingly had to deal with, you wanted to give him a break or reward. You just wanted to see your friend happy again, like how he was before this entire mess.

In life, you had to enjoy the little things—which says a lot about your lives right now, considering that traveling back in time to see a dinosaur could be considered as such. The two of you needed a break, even just for less than a day where you didn’t have to worry about saving the world or killing people.

You take out an index card and found a pen on his desk. “What time is it?” You ask him, taking the cap off of the pen with your teeth.

“Uh, two—uh, two thirty-four,” he answered after glancing at the clock. “Am I—Am I seriously going to see a dinosaur? Are—are we actually going to the jurassic period?”

You scribbled down the time so you’d know when exactly you should get back, just to avoid any complications. “Yes,” your answer was muffled as you laugh softly, taking the cap out of your mouth to place it back over the pen. You shoved the note in your pocket then took Josh’s hand, helping him get up from his bed to stand up in his room. You open the TTD and began to play around with the controls.

“Do you even know how to use that thing?” He asked, looking over all the cryptic symbols and confusing interface, then back at you.

“Uhh, general idea,” you reply, clicking around the device some more until you finally placed your arm around his shoulder. “You ready, Josh?”

He blinked, then nodded eagerly. “Are you serious? Hell, yeah! Holy shit! No way! I’m gonna see an actual, fucking dinosaur!”

You weren’t quite used to the feeling of traveling through time, but at least it got easier every time you did. Bright blue lights and volts surrounded the two of you, feeling a gust of wind blow into your face and whole being, and even heat from the electrical currents. And then, in less than five seconds, you two appeared in a jungle, late at night, in the late jurassic period.

***

You two sat down on a thick branch of a tallish tree, the soft light of the moon kissing your faces. It was dangerous to be in such a wild and unpredictable time, surrounded by deadly, barbaric creatures, so the tree would be a pretty safe place to watch the dinosaurs from. Except the surrounding area was practically empty, so you just waited for them to emerge.

Your shoulders brushed as you enjoyed the silence between the two of you—which was actually ceased fairly quickly once Josh communicated a thought that had practically gnawed at him for days.

“Hey, I just wanna say I’m, uh… I’m sorry that I dragged you into this, Y/n,” he finally says, looking at you pitifully. He looked really nice in the moonlight, you thought. “Wolf and Tiger, they’re insane, and I—shit, if I never invited you over then none of this would fucking—”

“Hey, hey, shut up, will you?” You snickered, offering a forgiving grin. “You didn’t drag me into this. The both of us never would’ve expected any of this bullshit, okay? Like, genuinely.” Josh nodded, but you still sensed some remaining guilt in him. “Hey. If I was gonna be wrapped into this crazy fucking mess with somebody, I’m glad it was with you. You’re my best friend. My ride or die.”

The corner of his lips curled into a sweet, appreciative smile. “Thanks,” he replied coyly. “And, uh, thanks for this. I know there’s no dinosaurs right now, but… I really appreciate the gesture. Like, Tiger and Wolf, they would’ve—”

“They definitely would’ve killed me, yes,” you laughed softly. “But… you’re worth all the crazy fucking discipline.”

With this lighting, you could never see how his cheeks flushed pink. But you knew he was blushing, from how the corner of his eyes crease and the way his wide smile accentuated his cheeks, revealing his pearly white, perfect teeth. He lets out a quiet giggle, and the two of you continued to watch the horizon of the dark, yet mesmerizing prehistoric view.

You two held each other’s hands, interlocking one another’s fingers warmly, placing the clasped fists between each other. There was some kind of unspoken thing between you two that you never had time to figure out, mainly because of the recent things you’ve been dealing with. But it was still there, that strange, lingering feeling.

And then…

“Holy shit!” Josh gasped abruptly, sitting up, patting onto your shoulder repeatedly, then pointing his finger far out into the distance. “Y/n, look, shit, Y/n, Y/n, Y/n—”

“Wh—” Your breath hitched as you saw it in front of you. “Shit…”

The several long necks and small heads of brontosauruses were in the distance, peeking out of the whole jungle and its trees, walking slowly towards the left in front of the iridescent moon.

It was beautiful. You never expected it to be. Actually, you really didn’t expect anything, you thought it’d be too surreal to even process. But they were exactly like the history books. They were like the CGI graphics in film and games, the images displayed near their exhibits at museums, the small long, plastic figures that come in clear tubes, and hell, a scene from Spielberg’s Jurassic fucking Park.

“They’re beautiful…” Josh sighs in complete awe.

“They really are…” you mutter, still fascinated by it all, watching the family of dinosaurs walk slowly together, letting out low moans and stomps with each heavy step.

Abruptly, you take out your phone from your pocket, as well as some earbuds. You plug it in, help Josh with the left earpiece and put the right one in yours. And then, you clicked onto a song that you had downloaded prior.

The gentle song began to play softly in your ears. The two of you were mesmerized by the beauty and magnificence of these creatures that you never thought you’d ever see. Your head moves down to rest on Josh’s shoulder as you two admired the dinosaurs from afar. The light pressure of you against his shoulder tickled him slightly, which he gulped at, heat rising to his cheeks. Your contact against him felt warm and you felt safe. Even though this was a place where you would most likely get mauled brutally by ‘clever girl’s, you felt nearly invincible with your best friend by your side.

“This is amazing…” he whispered, astonished.

“Yeah,” you sigh, mocking his quiet speech.

A pause.

“You’re amazing…”

You slowly pull away from his shoulder curiously, your eyes leaving the direction of the large, majestic animals. Your eyes look deeply into his, again, the moonlight shining exquisitely on the side of his face, bright enough to reveal some of the hazel tint in his irises. You felt your eyelashes flutter each time you looked from his eyes to his lips. He, too, looked at you intimately and fondly. And then your eyes closed gently once you feel his lips press against yours, hearing the song continue in your ears. The entire moment felt so magical, that you weren’t sure if it was because of the fact that you were in a place where dinosaurs existed or that you were kissing the person you’ve always admired.

You pull away slowly, a silent exchange of eye contact, before kissing him again, with more passion and less hesitance, letting your hands rest behind his neck.

There were no more words between the two of you after. In a good, serene way. Parting from his lips, you rested your head back onto his shoulder, feeling his arm around you from the back and his hand holding your waist. And you two continued to watch the dinosaurs under the stars, holding each other’s hands once more. Enjoying the little things, for now.

You could let this moment go on forever. After all, with the TTD, you had all the time in the world.

[lucilustx]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐘/𝐍 𝐱 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐬 + 𝐊𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐔𝐛𝐮𝐲𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐢

𝐴/𝑁: 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 <3 @yourl0calalien003

𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑢𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑.

✦ Initially, I think he would be very shocked at your sudden revelation. When he begins to think about his duties as a hashira and now having to balance the responsibility of being a father it would definitely be a sudden shock.

✦ After the initial consternation, he’d be very involved. Making sure he went to all of the appointments with you. 

✦ In the early months of pregnancy, he’d wake up early in the mornings to hold your hair back with your morning sickness. He’d rub your back in circles and even offer to give your shoulders a massage to relax you. 

✦ He’d make it his priority to cook for you and keep up with the housework. He doesn’t want you to lift a finger while you are creating a literal miracle in your stomach.

✦ At the end of every day, he’d put you to sleep by rubbing your feet and massaging your body thoroughly. 

✦ In the later months of pregnancy when your back began to ache more cruelly, he’d stand behind you and lift your stomach for you if even for just a few minutes of relief. 

✦ Whenever you had weird cravings that you didn’t already have in your home, he’d drop whatever he was doing just to get it for you. 

✦ You and Shinobu have been trying to become pregnant with the help of a donor so after a few long months of trying when she heard you had finally got pregnant she was ecstatic. 

✦ She’d make sure that either Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo or Naho was with you at all times to ensure that you got the best care during your pregnancy.

✦ Since you stayed at the butterfly mansion with her, all of your care would take place there. Meaning, your remedies and ultrasounds didn’t require an appointment and you could stay in the comfort of your home which was a huge advantage. 

✦ She’d definitely be the kind of parent that talks to your baby constantly. She read in a few parenting books that playing certain music, consistently talking to your stomach etc.. is beneficial and sets time aside to do so every night. 

✦ When she does have to go away on missions, she sends her sister or assistants to keep you company and attend to your every need. She’s a big writer and will send you letters to read out loud to the baby while she is away. 

✦ She believes a key component to having a happy child is to make sure that her relationship with you as her counterpart is healthy and strong too. Even with you being pregnant, she’d still find ways to keep your relationship firm. Movie dates, taking you on walks around the mansion when the weather was nice and if you were feeling well enough.. etc. 

✦ She’d decorate the baby room with lots of butterflies, dragonflies, and things of that nature. She likes to bring you in there with her while she decorates so that even though you couldn’t help, you could still be apart of the process.

✦ He’d be a little nervous about it. His upbringing wasn’t very loving and he wouldn’t want to hurt damage the child like how he was growing up.

✦   After you were able to reassure him that he wasn’t like his father and that he could do right by the child, he would be excited to start a family with you. 

✦ He is such a gentleman. With your morning sickness in the morning he’d hold your hair back and rub your back in circles. He’d make you breakfast etc.. 

✦ When it was time for you to wash up, he’d run your water for you. Making sure to put in some relaxing oils, lighting candles for you, flower petals in the water, etc. 

✦ He would make sure to wash your hair and massage your scalp. Keeping you relaxed and as stress-free was one of his priorities as a new parent. Keeping you calm was the key to having a healthy baby.

✦ When coming back from missions, he’d always make sure to bring back something for you. Whether that be flowers, one of your craving foods or simply an item for the baby or the baby room. He is always thinking about you and the baby.

✦ During missions, he’d have someone from the Demon Corp stay with you during the night to make sure that you were protected and taken care of when he had to be away on missions.

✦ As Tengen's 4th wife, he has had every intention of starting a family with the 4 of you and it was just a matter of who was going to get pregnant to start the family.

✦ When you told Tengen, Hina, Suma and Makio about your pregnancy they all had very different reactions but all had the same feeling about it: Joy. Suma was crying from how excited she was while Makio scolded her for stressing you out. Hina and Tengen came by your side to hug you tightly upon hearing the news.

✦ Tengen doesn't usually do the cooking and he typically leaves that chore to Hina but he does deliver whatever she makes to you on a silver tray so that you don't have to get up from your bed to get it.

✦ He doesn't like to leave you unprotected, especially when you are carrying his child so whenever he is gone on missions, he will leave one of his other wives with you.

✦ Tengen would go overboard on the baby room, making sure that it was flashy enough for his child. Meaning that upon building the crib, he'd glue rhinestones to it and painting everything a metallic color.

✦ When going shopping for baby clothes, Tengen practically begs you to let him pick everything out and of course, who are you to deny him? The baby's closet consists of what Tengen considers to be 'flashy.'

✦ Makio, Suma and Hina know how badly it must hurt your back while being pregnant and suggest to all have a date at the hotspring which Tengen agrees is a flashy idea. Since then, you all make it a point to go to the hotspring at least once a week to help your aches.

✦ Mitsuri and yourself have been trying for a baby with the help of a donor (Obanai). When it didn't seem like it was in the cards for you to carry the child, she offered to try. To both of your surprise, you ended up pregnant at the same time.

✦ Since you are both pregnant, you take turns making the other food and bringing it to them while the other relaxes.

✦ You both are incredibly emotional during this time and one of your favorite things to do together as of late is to watch movies. During this, you both need a tissue box for yourself.

✦ You both have complete opposite cravings. You tend to crave things on the sour/tangy side while she craves things on the sweeter/tart side.

✦ You love to decorate the baby room together, each working on a side of the room. When it comes time to build the cribs and move in the furniture, you call in Obanai to help you which he does without a fuss.

✦ Mitsuri once read in a parenting magazine that exercise helps with contractions and giving birth later along the line. She signs you both up to do a prenatal yoga class and it ends up being a wonderful way to manage your back pain.

✦ Mitsuri often practices different hairstyles on you in the case that your babies are girls. She watches tutorials for boys hair as well and practices on Tanjiro's hair, who she called just for the part. You can't help but laugh at the different styles but it's all heartwarming to see how excited she is to start a family with you.

✦ Obanai would freeze in his tracks upon hearing the words "I'm pregnant" come out of your mouth. Did he want to start a family with you? Of course. Was he nervous about it? Absolutely.

✦ He probably would not bring too much attention to the fact that you two were expecting a child, especially to the other hashiras. The only reason anyone found out was because You were seen at the Butterfly Mansion getting a check up and Shinobu asked about it.

✦ He believes in your capabilities and will not coddle you. However, if you ask him to make you food, help you up.. etc.. He will come running to your side and ready to help.

✦ He makes sure to report all of your appointments to Master Kagaya so he can have time blocked off to attend them with you.

✦ Despite him being seemingly cold, he is very involved with your pregnancy and incredibly soft with you in general.

✦ He buys a bunch of snake plushies for the baby room to help the child become accustomed to being around snakes and eventually, Kaburamaru.

✦ In the evenings, you will find Obanai reading parenting manuals and preparing for his role as a father. He wants to be the best he can be for both you and his newborn child.

✦ Similar to Obanai, Sanemi would be shocked the moment the words left your mouth. Was he ready for this? Were you ready for this?

✦ Because of his parents passing, he didn't really know how to be very paternal but damn if he wasn't going to try.

✦ He helps you around the house by doing the things you can't do. Bending down to pick up the laundry off the floor, making sure the sweeping and mopping is kept up with, loading the dishwasher, etc..

✦ He's very protective over you and will be extremely protective over his child. World be damned if anything came to try and harm his family.

✦ He doesn't necessarily understand how you could crave something one day and absolutely hate that same thing another day but he tries to keep up with whatever you are enjoying and keep it on hand in the house.

✦ He panics when you cry at seemingly small things and he will do anything to calm you down. He realizes overtime that you are just extremely emotional during this time and treads carefully with his jokes. He definitely keeps the teasing down to a minimum.

✦ He practices putting on diapers, making bottles, etc.. in the evening when you are asleep (and when he isn't called out on a mission). He wants you to be able to help with the baby without asking for help.

✦ When you tell Gyomei about your pregnancy, He's on his knees and praying to the gods to thank them for such a blessing.

✦ He is very tender with you after the initial news. Constantly checking on you to see if you need anything. Have you had enough to eat? He is bringing you a plate just in case. Are you thirsty? He is bringing water. Are you comfortable? He is fluffing out your pillow for you and helping you adjust in bed.

✦ Gyomei is the king of massages. If you complain about any area of your body being achey, his immediate response is to massage it.

✦ When decorating the baby room, he would be sure to keep it very minimalistic. He doesn't want it to be without your approval though, so he carries you in there to make sure everything is exactly how you envisioned it to be.

✦ He carries you around everywhere now. He does not let your feet hit the ground. Although, if you tell him that you want to walk he'd reluctantly put you down and allow you to do so.

✦ He prays over you every evening, praying for your safety and healthy, the safety and health of the child, praying that he will be a good enough father to lead the child in the right direction etc..

✦ If other hashiras were to ask about you two expecting, he certainly would not keep it a secret and would be excited to share the news but he wouldn't directly start a conversation about it.

✦ Kagaya already has two children of his own, so when he hears about you being pregnant with a 3rd, he is more than excited.

✦ He is very gentle, helping you where you need it and making sure that you are keeping up with your needs.

✦ You all already have the baby furniture put in storage from when you had your last two children so setting up the baby room is a piece of cake for the two of you.

✦ He is very big on essential oils and he constantly has a diffuser on. He even goes as far as to apply the oils to your skin. He believes it helps regulate your mood, helps with your nausea and reduces your pain level which, to your surprise, it does.

✦ Like Shinobu, he plays music in the rooms you are in and is constantly reading to your stomach at night.

✦ When you are feeling particularly emotional, he will hold you in his arms and provide a listening ear to all of your concerns. He validates you and makes sure to reassure/ provide a plan to each and every one of your concerns.

✦ He makes sure to attend all of your appointments and when he gets your ultrasound pictures, he will take them to the hashira meeting to show them to everyone who are all just as excited as he is.

.

.

.

.

QOTD: Which hashira do you think would be the best parent and why?

[freedomfireflies]

iFall for Harry pt. 9

Summary: The ninth part to iFall for Harry

Turns out, destiny has other plans for you and Harry.

And you're taking a trip...back to the future.

Word Count: 2.2k

Grieving Harry is linear.

The moment the call goes dead, so does your connection to him.

Your heightened emotions dwindle down to nothingness. Your memories, your pain, your past. Every cheese pun, every sexy text, every word from his lips.

You erase them all.

You shut out a majority of the world. Revert back to a state of mind where you refuse to trust or engage with anyone. You protect yourself. Punish yourself for letting him get away. For being so broken. For being everything he doesn’t want.

And for making him everything you do.

You don’t work through the problem. You don’t even allow yourself to admit there is a problem. You simply tuck him away into the darkest corner of your mind…and you forget him.

Your friends are worried about you. They reach out, they plan dates, they arrange sleepovers. 

You decline them all.

You stay in your apartment, and you watch old reruns of The Big Bang Theory, and you pretend to laugh at the jokes you’ve heard a hundred times before. 

But most importantly, you pretend like Harry didn’t mention this was one of his comfort shows and that that’s why you’re watching it.

Two weeks go by. Nothing changes for you. You’re still a hollow version of yourself. Dedicating each day to wondering why you couldn’t have just…gotten over your fear. Gotten over what happened to you. And just…let him in.

Your therapist tries to tell you that healing takes time. Trauma lives within the body and no amount of cute boys and perfect scenarios will change that. Until you learn to forgive yourself, you will always be stuck.

 She might be right. But unsticking yourself now doesn’t bring him back.

Occasionally you’ll hear that he’s doing well. He’s on tour. He’s booked a new movie. He’s been caught making out with a model.

But it falls on deaf ears. Passes right through you like air. You’re indifferent now. Choosing to pretend as if he never existed to you.

Now he’s just that famous guy nobody will shut up about.

But on those late nights, when the fragility of your heart slips the crack of your apathetic persona…you pull up his contact.

You have it blocked. Nearly deleted it countless times so you’d lose the temptation to memorize his number and find a way to reach him.

Still, you can’t resist typing out a message. You’ll pour out your heart, write him paragraphs of apologies and explanations. You’ll wish for things to go back. Wish for his happiness. Wish for everything.

And then, you’ll hit the delete button.

Erase everything you want to say, exit out of his information, and turn your phone off.

You almost don’t see the email.

You’re going through your inbox, cleaning it out, responding here and there. But mostly rifling through all the ads so you can delete them and create a bit more space.

The name Marty McFly is what catches your eye. And despite yourself…you click.

Back to the Future! One Night Only! Buy your tickets now!

Your local theater is doing a triple feature, one movie each night for the next three days. You almost don’t consider it. Almost click out of the advertisement and move on.

But then you think of Harry. Think of how you promised to take him, and your heart sinks a little as you stare at the painted poster of Michael J. Fox standing in front of the time traveling car while staring at his watch.

You decide to go. It’ll be nice to watch something that fills you with so much joy. It’ll be good to laugh again. And to revel in the opportunity to forget, at least for a couple of hours.

You think about it for the rest of the week. Countdown the days until you can finally make your way for the theater. 

It feels good to go out again. Feels good to have the sunshine on your face and the promise of a good time ahead of you.

When you slide up to the booth, you’re wearing a smile. A real, genuine smile.

“Hi! Can I get one ticket to the five o’clock showing?” you ask the ticket taker, who nods and accepts your cash.

With that, you’re waved through the doors, and your heart begins to pound. The smell of popcorn and promise washes over each sense as you grab your snacks, and look for your specific door.

After slipping your way inside, you take a look around the darkened theater.

However, the room is empty. At least a hundred seats without a single soul to use them.

Your brows furrow. “The hell is everyone?”

You walk along the aisle, looking for the best seat until you decide on the middle chair about halfway back. 

Snuggling down with your popcorn, you settle in, and wait for the opening credits. Truth be told, you feel a bit odd to be taking up a whole theater by yourself, and you have to wonder if perhaps you got the date wrong. Or maybe the time? Maybe you’re early? Although according to your clock, the movie should be starting any second now.

And then…someone else walks in.

You release a relieved breath as the dark shadow strides along the aisle similar to how you had, looking for a seat as well. Selfishly, you hope they don’t get too close.

Then, they turn down your row.

Shit.

Returning your focus to the dark screen, you pretend not to notice, instead studying the velvet red curtain that’s draping on either side.

The stranger stops right beside you.

Assuming that they’d like to pass by, you glance over, and begin to pull your legs in.

You make the mistake of looking up.

And your heart instantly sinks to the soles of your shoes.

Harry.

“Hi. S’this seat taken?”

The sound of his voice makes your stomach drop to your toes. Even in the dark, you can make out the familiar slope of his nose and sharp curve of his jaw.

You don’t know what to say. Don’t know if he recognizes you or if he knows what he’s even doing.

Either way, you swallow thickly, and nod once.

He smiles.

After settling down into the chair beside you, he sighs, and wiggles back into his seat to get comfortable.

You try not to look at him. Try to pretend like you can’t smell his expensive cologne wafting toward you. Try to pretend as though his hand isn’t right there, dangling over the armrest as if taunting you.

And then, the movie begins.

You try to get lost into the world of Marty and Doc. A world you’re already so familiar with.

But it’s nearly impossible with the way he continues to shift, or laugh, or snort beside you. As if trying to distract you.

You have half a mind to turn to him and hiss, “Shhhh.” 

Somehow…you resist.

“Doc…are you telling me…that you built a time machine…out of a DeLorean?”

Harry laughs beside you, chin resting in the palm of his hand, and for some reason…your chest swells with pride. 

You want him to enjoy this movie. Enjoy the lines you used to memorize as a kid. Want to be able to talk about it with him after and exchange favorite moments.

But the second you start to indulge in this fantasy…you remember.

And your smile quickly slips.

The rest of the movie is spent with your focus glued to the screen. You don’t sneak any extra glances. You don’t listen for his sounds. You don’t allow your peripheral to catch him. 

And when the infamous car flies toward the camera before disappearing in a flash as the title card explodes across the screen, you jump to your feet.

You don’t waste another goddamn second. You get up, you turn on your heel, and you book it toward the middle aisle.

“Wait…wait,” you hear Harry murmur as the dramatic score carries you out of the theater. “Ladybug, wait.”

The nickname nearly makes you flinch as you slip through the door and rush for the lobby. You can tell he’s following after you, the sound of the seats flipping up as he pushes by following you out.

You nearly reach the double doors before his large hand wraps around your upper arm and yanks you back. 

“Hey,” he murmurs, brows furrowed as your eyes meet his chest.

You can’t look at him.

“Listen, I know you wanna go, but I just need to talk to you for one second,” he continues, but his fingers won’t leave you. “Please.”

Your heart is hammering inside your ears. You can’t seem to look anywhere else but the buttons on his shirt.

It’s quiet for a long time.

Then, you nod.

He takes a deep breath. “Listen, I know…I know why this shouldn’t work. I understand the mechanics, and the difficulties, and the issues. I get it. It shouldn’t work.”

A beat of silences settles between you as you apprehensively allow yourself to travel your gaze up.

“…but it does,” he whispers, and your mouth goes dry. “It works, and I don’t know how, and I don’t know why. But I can’t fucking let you go and it’s driving me up the goddamn wall.”

You don’t know what to do. What to say, what to think.

“I don’t want to let you go,” he continues. “I don’t want to block you or remove you. I don’t want to miss you. Or have to remember you as just some fucking thing that happened. I want to talk to you. Wanna send you pictures of the sky and play games with you. Wanna watch TV and bitch about Sheldon with you. Wanna beg you to let me come just to have you do that little smirky thing you do that makes my fucking stomach flip.”

You take a deep breath. And then another. And then another, but nothing helps. Nothing seems to unwind this knot that’s growing tighter with each confession. 

“I can’t wrap my head around you,” he says, and his voice is heavy. And confused. Almost as lost as his expression. “I can’t wrap my head around this—us. I just…I fucking try to think about anything else and it always comes back to you. Every goddamn time.”

You know there are tears in your eyes. You wish there weren’t but they’re coming faster than you can stop them.

“And I know why you’re nervous,” he sighs, squeezing your arm once. “I know. And I can’t fix it, and I really fucking wish I could, but I…god, I’ll do anything to make your future better than your past. I will do anything…to keep you, Cheese Girl. Whatever it takes, whatever you want. Name it, and it's yours.”

“I don’t want you to do anything, Har,” you nearly whimper, head shaking quickly. “I never wanted you to feel responsible for my shit—”

“I don’t. I don’t, I just…you can’t carry this alone. And I can help you—”

“But why should you? You have your own life, and your own trauma, and you deserve the fairytale ending—”

“Ladybug,” he breathes, cutting you short. “We met over text and now we’re here in a movie theater while I profess my adoration for you. Tell me how this isn’t a fairytale.”

Despite yourself…you smile. “Yeah, how…how did you even know I’d be here?”

He releases you now, but only so he can grimace and run a hand through his curls. “Okay, don’t…don’t judge me, but I just…I paid them a shit ton of money to let me rent out the building for…a day or two.”

“A day or two?”

“Well…I wasn’t sure if you’d see the email in time, so I had to keep sending it until you came—”

You rear back. “You sent the email?”

His nose scrunches. “I was desperate, all right? You had me blocked, and I figured you wouldn’t agree to meeting.”

Your lashes flutter as you work in this new information. “Shit, Har. That’s…that’s a lot of work to go through just for one person you barely know.”

He suddenly surges forward, palms pressing to your cheeks until he can take hold of your face and tilt it up. “You’re worth it. My god, Cheesy, are you worth it.”

“Cheesy?” you repeat incredulously, but your smile is big. “God that’s…”

“…cheesy?” he finishes for you. “About as cheesy as renting out a theater in hopes that the girl I like will show up and take me back?”

You nod quickly, lip between your teeth. “Yeah, but…cheese is kind of our thing.”

“It is,” he agrees, chuckling to himself as he pulls you closer, your chest brushing with his. “Listen, I can’t…I know this isn’t some sort of magic fix. But please…please let me try. Just…just let me keep you. For a little bit at least. Let me make all those puns worth it.”

Maybe you know better. Maybe this is a horrible idea. Maybe every red flag is waving wildly in your face.

And maybe…you just don’t care.

“What if I’m your destiny?” he finishes, and your heart just about breaks. “Or…density.”

You both laugh as he catches a stray tear that travels down your cheek, eyes pleading with yours. 

And when you offer the subtlest of nods…everything changes.

He kisses you before you can take a breath, his lips warm and full of promise.

You stand there in the middle of the lobby, trapped in his arms as the soft sounds of Back to the Future play on in the background.

Maybe he is your destiny after all.

One more part 🥹 Will be sobbing violently

Dedicated to @nof0odallowed for the original ask! 💞

Next Part:

~iFall for Harry pt. 10* (Final)

Previous Part:

~ iFall for Harry pt. 8

~ Full iFall for Harry Masterlist

~ Other Harry Blurbs

~ Full Masterlist

Taglist:

@walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @keepdrivingkisses @swiftmendeshoran @tiredinwinter @cherryshouse @lydiarry @justlemmeadoreyou @tiaamberxx @yoruse

[inthewychelm]

Steddie Week: Day one - Mystery @steddie-week

wordcount:1047

The bell above the door dinged, but Eddie thinks it might as well be useless considering how the two employees behind the counter didn’t even acknowledge it. 

“Alright! Fine!” Robin huffed, pulling away from Steve's hand where he’s clearly been messing up her hair. “You can keep your secrets, dingus!”

Steve smirked at her, probably satisfied in getting her to drop something. Eddie laughed at their little display, he thinks they’re lucky that Family Video appears to be having a slow day. Not that ever stops them from having a heated debate during rush hour; Eddie had been very tempted to commandeer the breakroom microwave for some popcorn, instead he just stole some raisinets.

Despite not hearing the doorbell, they did hear him laugh. Both heads snapped in his direction, Eddie was slightly terrified by the response. Robin had a manic expression of glee, which Eddie knew was not for him but at the expense of Steve’s own expression of horror. But as much as he pitied Steve in this moment, Eddie was curious.

“Hello, kind fellows. What’s this I hear of secrets?” Eddie tripped over to the counter, landing with his elbows propped up on the surface. In the hopes of brushing it off as somewhat intentional, he places his head in hands staring wide-eyed up at them. 

“Eddie!” Steve shouted, voice tinged with something he can’t quite pick out. “Hi- we got that new…horror flick you wanted?” 

Eddie’s brow ticked up as Steve’s voice ended in question. He’s trying to figure out how to address Steve’s update-slash-question, when Robin interrupts. 

“Steve won’t tell me any of the details,” Robin pouted. “But I’m pretty sure that he’s planning a date.”

Date? A date?! Eddie knows Steve is a catch and someone is bound to catch his eye. But Eddie-- Not that Eddie had seriously considered he would ever have a chance with Steve. Sure, he had hoped that his romantic efforts might be swayed in Eddie’s direction and it had certainly felt like there was something building between them. So, it struck him to the core hearing that Steve might have a date planned. 

“No, nope!” Steve began dramatically flailing his arms, reminiscent of Robin’s awkwardness. 

Robin ducked out of his reach when he attempted to cover her face. “Found him daydreaming while writing out ideas on one of the store’s order forms.” 

Eddie couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped at Robin’s spirit fingers despite the wobbly smile he was forcing. He hummed in interest, conflicted between wanting this direction of conversation to end and digging up more information on his competition.

“And what are these brilliant plans Stevie concocted?” Eddie crooned at a flushed Steve, who was looking upwards like he might be praying for the ground to open up and swallow him. Or maybe not that specifically, this was still Hawkins afterall so who knew how long it would be until that happened again. 

“Nothin-” Steve muttered.

“No clue! All I saw was ‘picnic at S.R.’, which I assume means Skull Rock, and ‘mixtape with three question marks’. There was definitely more but dingus here crumbled it up before I could read any of it.” Robin interrupted then punched Steve lightly at the end of her revelation. “And he refuses to tell me who this mystery girl is.”

“A mixtape? Oh, he must be serious about this mystery date.” Steve flushed further at Eddie’s teasing. He said nothing to deny it, which crushed Eddie’s heart further. 

Eddie heard the bell ring again behind him. Steve immediately jumped for the chance at a real distraction as he greeted the customer. 

“Hi! Welcome to Family Video,” Steve had a bit of a frenzied tone in his voice that Eddie doubted the stranger picked up on. “Robin here will help you if you need any assistance.”

Steve’s luck must have been turning in his favor as the customer insisted Robin direct her to a specific aisle. The two appeared to have a silent argument before Robin got stuck recommending movies to a seemingly very picky customer. 

Steve slumped forward dramatically, leaning into Eddie’s space. Eddie allowed himself a small respite to admire the way Steve’s lashes touched his cheeks and how he appeared to relax in Eddie’s orbit. 

“So, I’m curious about this mystery date that you’re tryin’ to keep under wraps.” Eddie would blame his sadist nature for asking Steve about his affections. “I’m almost offended you’ve not mentioned this before, here I thought we were forging an unbreakable bond.”

“Don’t need to tell you if you already know.” Steve mumbled as he rolled his eyes. Already know? Eddie’s eyes bug out for a second as he ponders when Steve mentioned this mystery girl. Because he would’ve remembered the all consuming jealousy he struggled to keep inside, much like this exact moment. 

“Must be pretty special. But y’know you can always pick my brain for ideas if you wanted.” Eddie tried not to choke on the words as they came out. 

“Yeah, they’re real special.” Steve whispered as he held eye contact. Eddie breathed sharply when Steve’s arm settled against his own. Maybe he was wrong…or right? “Just feel like…if we get one night, that things will finally…y’know.”

“Well, can’t go wrong with a mix. It speaks to the heart, no matter the genre.” He was testing the waters, Steve seemed to be focused on his words. Eddie felt like he was damning his heart to be broken. “And as cool as Skull Rock is, I’d probably plan something a little more…romantic.”

“Gotcha.” Steve was grinning again. “So more like candle lit dinner, maybe pot roast then dessert?”

“That’s more like it, Stevie.” Eddie clapped in support. He was starting to get the urge to run. Part of him was bursting with hope, because it sounded like Steve making plans with him rather than asking for advice. He was struggling figuring out what to believe, so he decided to give into his desire to flee. “Anyway, gotta get back. See’ya later!”

Steve’s own farwell trailed after him, though he only caught him saying Eds which his mind replayed the whole drive back to the trailer. When he finally dropped onto the couch, all he could think about was how excited Steve looked about his plans. 

[anyasivy]

When You Know, You Know - Leonora Lesso x Fem!Reader

"The sky's beautiful." you said.

Leonora Lesso replied with, "I know." staring right at you, drinking in just how the night sky's beauty compared to nothing from you.

warning: i wrote this at 2 am so PLEASE ignore the grammatical errors because on top of that, english is not my first language and i honestly write what sounds best in my head lmfaooooo. this is also based on movie sfgae too.

tags: second chances, light angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

A Reader. Nevers would pick on you and some Evers would be ashamed to be in the same space as you. But nevertheless, you never gave up. You had made it through most of the years... barely. But the thing is, you were graduating and about to embark on a journey worthy of heroes. Well, that until you met a new teacher from the School for Evil during the opening day. Lady Lesso. You eventually found out she'd taught Curses and Deathtraps to Nevers. The thought of falling into one made you shiver, and you made sure since then to never be in the same space as her students. She was a meticulous woman, you observed. From afar, she was almost not intimidating. Her movements were firm and confident. Every flick of her hand, every step and stride, every look— it screamed of fearless. She was, in a way you wouldn't dare admit then, beautiful. Your mind reasoned she was evil, and therefore undeserving of that description. But who could look at Lady Lesso and think of her as anything than? She had the features of a goddess, a beauty that begged to be loved, and a soul that invited affection. You reveled in it, in her, that you hadn't realized you had been staring too much. One day, she pinned you against the wall and demanded to stop your madness.

That had changed it all.

You snapped yourself out of it, your hands holding the invitation the school had sent. Or by the looks of it, schools. You heard what had happened recently, and you thanked the heavens you had graduated already. Rafal? Blood magic? Oh yes, definitely grateful you weren't there to deal with that.

Tonight was the night you'd come back, and you looked momentarily at the gown you had picked. The ballgown was violet, which was the first thing that captured your eyes along with its threaded silk flowers down the bodice. It fit perfectly on your waist and had off-the-shoulder straps. It left your collarbone and cleavage bare. You would wear a necklace and black heels to compliment it. And as you look at your gown, you think of how you're supposed to be excited and stuff. A part of you is... kind of... but you were mostly nervous.

You don't wanna know why. You need not to. And there was no way in hell you'd acknowledge it.

"I apologize," her heels were the first to have entered your view as you hunched over your desk, studying. The sound of rustling and her coat falling on your bed made your heart thump over and over relentlessly against your chest. You try to remember the events of today, making sure you aren't going to let Leonora Lesso off the hook so easily. "It's an exercise getting rid of habits."

You scoff at this. "Habits, you say, when what you did was evil."

"I wonder why," she says ever so smugly, but there is a trace of hesitation in her voice. A fragility that suggests caution and care. You don't dwell on it. Not wanting to.

Flipping to the next page deemed unnecessary as words float above your head. All your senses concentrated on the woman who seemed to sit comfortably atop your dorm bed. You resist the temptation to look in her direction. A second of gazing into her limitless amethyst eyes and you'd lose this fight. Useless it may seem, but it was a big step for you. An instance to remind yourself of your own worth.

The flipping of pages must've rang annoyingly in Lesso's ears because she clears her throat. A testimony to the arising irritation she's been keeping off. "I apologize," she says more firmly than the one she came in with. You remained silent. "Truly, this time. I have no excuses for letting my students perform the prank." She had graded them, too. Shouting a significant 'you passed!' across the room with a hint of amusement not of you, but of her students' stunt. You repeated the scenario over and over in your head, hoping it'd motivate you to keep up the upper hand.

You hear Lesso move. The click, click of her heels matched the fast beating of your stupid heart pounding eagerly.

"Do you want me to beg? Get on my knees for your apology? Because you and I are fully aware of my incapability to surrender to Good."

You snapped. "Lesso." a triumphant smirk formed on her lips. It disappeared a moment after as she circles your desk, now presenting herself in front of you. Her scent fills the space you felt protected in, and for an instant, you could feel your walls of bricks shattering.

"Perhaps I should, then. With that look you're giving me." Leonora tilts her head, hoping for more words to spill out of those pretty lips of yours. She'd kissed them millions of times, but if it took giving up her whole identity to kiss them again, she'd strip herself nameless. "[Y/N], my love. What will it take for you to forgive me?"

You shivered as she spoke. She knew just how to get you, both with her words and her eyes. That expression of hers. The vulnerability of it all. Leonora Lesso promised a wonder that she swore only you could ever reside. So it wasn't a surprise when you got up and pulled her in for a kiss, quick and soft. A promise itself, too. A forgiveness of something shallow to some.

"You are an asshole."

"We have established that to be a compliment."

The School for Good was as grand as ever. As beautiful, too. You looked over the lake and recalled the lessons you had dozed off in that place. The wind and the soft sound of water made it too relaxing for you to behave like anything but an Ever. You continued up the stairs along with other heroes and their partners. The engagement ring you had shone bright like a mark of property you wanted to resist. You wonder if you should've brought your partner like the rest. But then again, you weren't for semantics when it came to the person you wanted to marry for functionality and formality.

The door was wide open for guests, and as you walked further into, you realized there wasn't anything much that changed. The same halls, walls, and designs. The longing in your chest made you want to go back home, away from this place and reminders of who you used to be--- who you used to be with.

You wonder if she's here. If anything had changed about her, or if she stayed the same, too. Evil and cunning. Yours. The bitter taste of how things ended clouded your mind. The cheery guests and welcomes of students in the Theatre of Tales thankfully distracted you from that.

Surprisingly, the floor was full of both Evers and Nevers mingling. There were those who looked disdained as if the Evilness and Goodness of their souls forbade them from interacting with the opposite side. But then there were those who giggled and laughed with each other, almost intimately. The scene before you caused an overwhelming grief. You pushed it forcibly down and started off as you spotted Professor Dovey.

She gives you a look-over like she wants to remember you, and not a second passes before melts in her knees. "Oh, you child!" she ran to you and wrapped an arm, the other too busy keeping the drink she was holding from spilling. "You have grown!"

"Thankfully," you cheered, beaming at the sight of her. "You look nice. Professor Anemone stopped giving you a hard time?"

"Quite the opposite. Everyone, really. The stress of the events and changes-- oh, it's like Christmas and Halloween collided here and urged a holiday of itself." Professor Dovey groans. "But all's well that ends well."

"Yikes." you flash a sheepish smile and glance over the ball, spotting someone with yellow hair reminding a student to smile brighter. You chuckle, looking back at the Professor before you.

"Mhm. Oh. And--"

"Please, Professor." you cut off. The sudden change in her tone, the small whisper and the softness of it obviously led to the territory you've been avoiding all morning.

Dovey sighed, "All right," her shoulder slumped and her eyes darted around across and behind the place before she was sure to speak again. "I don't wanna spoil your surprise."

"Surprise?"

"She's changed, [Y/N]."

"Surprising."

She chuckles softly, almost with pity. Dovey places a gentle hand on your arm and squeezes it. "How about we go get drinks before you meet the rest of the night?"

The end was nearer than you expected. It was coming fast and keen. Surely. You've been keeping your mind off it, finding solace in the moments of now, and not of the future. You question from time to time your insanity and the way to keep it intact should anything unforeseeable happen. Losing her, to be precise. But she's been quiet about it, and the often change of topic when the mention of your graduation is said clues you just how much she's been keeping her mind off it, too. So here you were in the night, sitting on an alcove, and gazing at the stars from your window. The night sky promised such peacefulness. The darkness and the silence radiated comfort you'd almost forgotten the stakes. The meanings. The possibilities. You hug your knees to your chest, feeling defensive of what was yours. What is yours. What should be yours tomorrow and the days after.

The door creaked open.

"You should be sleeping," her voice echoed from the door, and you felt your heart breaking at the unpredictability it held.

You gulp down the ache, hoping your voice didn't come out shaky, "Punish me for it, then." your humor earns a soft chuckle from the woman you loved, and she walks closer to where you were sitting. She opted for the bed instead of beside you.

"Is everything well?" the question shouldn't be hard to answer. The days when you cried about exams and the fear of failing, and she caught you, were far better than the moment right now. You'd rather endure repeating the year if you were given the choice to. It all seemed so simple then.

"The sky's beautiful," you said instead, your eyes never leaving the view before you.

Leonora Lesso replied with, "I know." staring right at you, drinking in just how the night sky's beauty compared to nothing from you. You were... so much more. Your beauty yielded of tremendous unknown that no words could ever amount to describe you. You had her soul, heart, and body. And she didn't mind. Not a single of it.

"What you said earlier," Lesso's mind blanked and her heart froze at the reminder. "I can't say it. I won't ever."

You hear her take a deep breath, it shakes. You finally look at her. And the thoughts of running away with Leonora Lesso didn't seem mad anymore.

"Time will come." was all she said, but her expression betrayed the strength of her voice.

"I won't let it come. If that's what it takes." your voice had gone small, and your feet dragged you beside Lesso. You take her hand with yours and entangle your fingers. You can't let go. Would rather die than be able to. "I can survive Trial by Tales--"

"No. No. We agreed on this. We won't ever." she grips your hand tighter. Desperate. "Evil and Good don't belong together."

And there it is. The string keeping your heart from breaking snaps, and you had fallen into pieces before her. Tears welled up in your eyes as you shifted closer. You leaned in, hoping to find some insincerity in her eyes. A facade. Because this had to be a joke, a cruel joke. And you'd rather she admit it was and forgive her for being evil than for it being true.

"Leonora, that is not true. You and I both know we belong together. This cannot just stay like this. I don't want us to be just a memory." You begged, holding her hands as if she'd slip through any time.

She would.

"It won't just be a memory for me if it's any consolation, my love."

"I can't deny you."

As the moon passed by the clouds, the moonlight shone right over Lesso's face. Her cheeks glistened with the tears that had fallen. You reached to wipe them, but she had stopped and held your hand before she could. A denial.

"Then it's best if I do."

Professor Anemone had flashed the warmest and the perfect smile as she approached you. The pressure builds up in your breath as you try to imitate. You reminded yourself how foolish it was to think you could still fail at her class, but you were nervous as you smiled, anyway. The Professor hadn't commented on it and instead initiated a quick hug.

"Well, if it isn't our lovely [Y/N]. I'd never admit that before," she raises a playful eyebrow and clinks it with yours and Dovey's. "but you certainly have grown. Engaged, I heard." you start thinking if she had heard of it, too.

Professor Dovey snapped her head in your direction at this, obviously taken aback. You wouldn't blame her. It wasn't something you'd do a year ago. "Engaged?"

You hold out your right hand, and despite having done this a couple of times, the action cringes you as they stare at the beautiful ring. "I meant to tell."

"It's beautiful..." Professor Anemone blinks, "But."

"She'd rather not talk about it." Professor Dovey interrupts, and you smile reassuringly at both of them. "I am glad you're engaged and set to a wonderful, fairytale life, dear."

Your smile tightened. A wonderful, fairytale life you had envisioned before had been different, and beautifully so. The thought of it makes you want to choke. It had been a long time since that dream came across your mind, but the effect lingered the same. The longing and the pain tore through your heart, still. You wanted to excuse yourself then and there when a certain woman walked over the small circle of you and the two Professors.

"You came,"

All the air in your lungs escaped. And so did Anemone and Dovey.

Leonora Lesso stood tall, her heels bothering her feet like always, and dressed in an all-black outfit appropriate for Never Professors, looking as Evil and as beautiful as ever. A wonder. And still, still, she took your breath away.

"You came, too." was all your stupid mouth could say, your eyes fixed on her amethyst ones. Limitless, you'd describe it then. And you were right even after all these years.

"It's kind of mandatory." she humored, and you smiled, and she forgot to breathe as well. It's insane, she thinks, of how you were still able to do this to her. To have this kind of hold after everything.

When Leonora thought she was on the brink of death, her life flashed before her eyes, and she saw you. Your eyes. Your smile. She felt you. Your soft hands. Your touch. You.

Silence fell, awkward silence. And you had shifted your gaze from her eyes to the ground, afraid of letting too much of your emotions fall out. You wonder if she was at all feeling the same.

"Professor Dovey said you changed. A surprise, she claims." you start, hoping it'd suffice for a conversation.

"Dovey says a lot of things."

"I know."

"I should say the same for you." she watched your ring, and you followed suit. You felt almost defensive of your actions when you realized. "I say congratulations are in order."

You gulp the lump in your throat, "You don't have to."

"Congratulations, [Y/N]."

You crumbled. Lesso's face was void of anything but hurt. For a second, you were sure tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and you struggled not to pull her into your arms like before. Why can't this just be like before?

"It's for formality. I don't love him. It's not like that." you quickly blabbered, breathing heavily. "I... shit. Just..." and without warning, you took her by arm and electricity flowed through your skin. You try not to focus on the fact that this has been the first time you touched her in years as you drag the both of you to your secret spot. A surreptitious place that felt like it was built solely for the two of you. When you arrived, a breath you didn't know you were holding was still stuck in your throat. You pull your hand away.

Leonora stands a few feet away, maintaining a distance to keep herself from running up to you and having you be hers again.

"You look beautiful tonight."

"Stop,"

"[Y/N], I apologize--"

"No. Stop,"

"Please, just--"

"You denied me!" all the pain throughout the years, the hurt that had grown over time and had been forgotten, and the frustration, came out trembling. The tears you refrained from falling fell free. Leonora Lesso has always been your ruin. "You denied me, Leonora. I told you I love you and I wanted to fight for you. That--that this fucking Good versus Evil bullshit was nothing compared to what we had-- what we have-- that it was greater than anything withstanding us! And you denied me."

The moonlight shone just like that night. You see Leonora's eyebrows furrowed, and it only took you a second to realize she was crying, too. Her red hair, longer now, had cascaded just above her shoulder. And you ached to brush your fingers on it.

"I love you." she steps closer.

"No."

"I love you so much." and closer.

"Leonora--"

"I love you, [Y/N]."

And you admit defeat. Just like before. You meet her halfway and wrap your arms around her neck as you pull her in for a kiss. Heavens, her lips. Her kiss. Her hands find its usual place on your waist. The feel of her pressed up. The brush of her nose. You could die. It all seemed to fit so perfectly. Like two puzzles. Like two fated people meant to be each other's.

The moment she pulls away, you sniffle, tears still flowing. She chuckles at the sight of you, wiping your tears away with her thumb. You lean into the touch. "You are the best thing in my life and I was a fool to let you go. To ever believe those things I've said, to even imply them. I was the greatest fool ever. But I can't live this life, [Y/N], not without you. I can't live with knowing I had you and set you free. I cannot."

"I love you, too, you dumbass."

Leonora smiles, and your heart swells with so much love. The sound of your diamond ring falling to the ground cracks a smile in you, and Lesso brushes her nose against yours. You inhale her scent. Unchanging. Just like this unwavering love between the two of you. You press your lips against hers again, feeling at home within her arms.

"Deny me again and I'll kill you, you hear me?"

"And to think you graduated School for Good."

the end.

-

any grammatical errors and typos will be changed in the morning because wtf it's 3 am I AM TIRED. SUFFER FOR A LITTLE. GOOD NIGHT.

[nihilnovisubsole]

something i've been thinking about as GDC comes around again: it's amazing to sit in the same room with Real Industry People and hear the truth of why certain story decisions happened the way they did. studio games are odd group projects that take a really long time to make, and there are many irons in the fire and many interests at play. sometimes the stars align and a team gets a laser vision, creative freedom, and the budget they need, and they ship the thing they meant to ship.

but not always. if a character you love got killed off, it's entirely possible that their original writer left or they couldn't bring the voice actor back. or leadership wanted to close down old story arcs and tie up loose ends, or someone felt new characters would bring in a new audience. if a series seemed to drop a plot thread in a sequel, it's possible that the narrative team wanted to include it and it got cut for scope. or shareholders wanted to appeal to a different part of the playerbase. or the team had internal creative conflict, or any number of reasons as simple as "it got lost in the shuffle because we did so many rewrites". [important disclosure: i'm not vagueposting about specific games here. i'm just rattling possibilities off. resemblance, unintentional, etc.]

and of course that's not a phenomenon unique to video games. tv shows make snap decisions when they get canceled before the planned end of the story or a cast member wants to leave. movies' plots can change when a new director comes on board, or they bring in a script doctor, or an actor's problems interfere with the shoot. even louisa may alcott changed little women's ending over concerns that if jo remained unmarried, the book wouldn't sell. i'm not sure whether it was her publisher or she worried about it herself, but the point is, something got altered, and it can happen anywhere.

as a fan, i found these developers' stories both comforting and vindicating. for a long time, i've felt like someone riding two horses at once: the fanfic-and-OC girl playing on other writers' playgrounds, and now also the staff writer who sees how the sausage gets made. i've been affected - probably overmuch - by a character's sad end, only to learn that some third party or outside motive influenced it. i've met writers who also didn't like where a plot was going, but didn't have enough seniority on the team to protest it. i've heard stories along the lines of, "we were trying to make lemonade, man," and what shocked me more than the revelation is the peace i gained from it. it's a miracle the games shipped at all. the things that got made, got made. between professionals, it's neither heretical nor some wild flight of irrationality to ask, "what if things had gone a different way?"

and, i mean, it would be both cynical and incorrect to wave it all off and say that no storytelling motives are ever wholesome. some characters die because it's the logical conclusion to their arc. some universes with complicated worldbuilding benefit from narrowing their focus and shaving off a few subplots. i'm just saying many things are possible. when you only sit on the fan side, it's easy to feel like Canon™ looms above you, inviolable, when you're really in conversation with it. there's a lot of power in saying "i respect the team's accomplishments, but i would've made different choices." you'd be surprised how often the team agrees with you.