#how are none of us watching the same show

[hatosaur]

this show sucks and i'm angry

i'm back on this blog for the very specific reason that i'm filled with spite and rage. i Must talk about how bad tlou hbo season 2 is. spoilers (and lots of hatred) ahead.

(i know i stated before that i wouldn't be watching; that was a fuckin lie)

the show is so...pretentiously written in the second season because they keep adding insignificant fluff that overall weakens the story beats. the game story is neat and clean in that it doesn't waste any time, because, go figure, it doesn't make for a good game story. the player wants to get in there. tv shows don't have the same needs but god, that doesn't mean that you can stretch everything and fill in the gaps with frivolous, drawn out dialogue that explains EVERYTHING that the characters are thinking.

the game really shines in the brevity of its dialogue -- its quiet, contemplative scenes that allow you to sit in the emotions of the moment. the show does the exact opposite and tells us TOO MUCH. first episode, we re-acquaint ourselves with these characters; what have ellie and joel up to? surely we get bits of the sudden iciness between them. nope, dina has to straight up ask joel, "why is she mad at you?" how's joel feeling about it? surely, it's up to viewer interpretation. maybe we can read joel's expressions and interactions with other characters -- nope, he goes to ✨therapy✨ now, and we have to be told what ellie and joel's relationship is through a brand new, useless character who adds zero impact to the story's themes/messages. great. cool. i love being told what's happening instead of just seeing it for myself.

each episode is worse than the last (and there are only three out at the time of me writing this!) with completely bizarre writing choices and massive tonal issues. abby is perhaps the most egregious example. i won't talk about my gripes with the casting because it's a dead horse. instead, let's talk about how she killed joel. abby prefaces the act by going on this longgggg speech about who exactly she is, what she's there for, who joel killed to make her do this, xyz, everything under the sun. then as she grabs the golf club and continues her speech, joel tells her to "shut the fuck up already and do it." joel saying the game's version of this ("save whatever speech you got and get it over with.") is badass, because it implies that it could've been anyone related to someone he's killed in the past, but it just happened to be abby that day. the ambiguity of whether he knew who exactly he killed or not adds to the tragedy of the story, because this was the one guy he had to kill to save ellie. in the show, it's almost comical, because we're fed this long speech that is entirely unnecessary and kills the flow of the scene; she JUST shot him in the fucking leg, you can't just go into a monologue after that. him knowing it was jerry he killed means fuck-all to the story. it works to the story's detriment, in fact, because it's a story about blind revenge, and it's a recurring thing in the game that these characters don't know what the fuck the other's motives are; they just know each other's actions.

the final blow on joel lacked the brutality and rage of the game. like, impaling him? is it meant to like, show that this scrawnier abby has a different set of abilities now that she doesn't have muscles to prove her prowess as a killer. in fact, what is it now that makes abby a daunting character? is it her drive to kill? is it her obsession? is it her being slightly more fucked up than her friends? because none of this was telegraphed to the audience. she just read as a hurt person. which SHE IS. but again. we're not meant to know this much about abby this early on. the show flouts the game's use of perception and throws everything it possibly can at the audience all at once, sacrificing the mystery of the narrative.

episode three is the worst of the episodes that are out (again, how are things this bad at just episode three?). we fast-forward to jackson three whole months after joel's death. it's implied that ellie was...committed to jackson's equivalent to a psych ward and that's the reason. i don't mind setting the stage for ellie's trauma as it's a huge part of the story. but three months? that takes so much of the wind out of the sails of the story. (the story is so bogged down by modern expectations of mental health. no, we don't need to see joel in therapy. no, we don't need to see ellie in the psych ward. these moments literally, literally don't matter.) dina has withheld info about joel's death (let's not get into the weird choice to swap tommy and dina for patrol; yet another nonsensical choice), and the two go through fucking LEGAL AVENUES TO GET AFTER ABBY? what the fuck?? you have ellie, a character who throughout the entire course of her life as a young person has seen absolutely no reason to respect authority figures, systems, or processes, and yet she has to wait for the people of jackson to vote on whether she should go after abby or not. ellie gets her own speech on what her motivations are. again, we know what her motivations are, it's pretty easy to tell, considering it happened in the previous episode. AGAIN, this entire scene doesn't impact the story in any way whatsoever...except in one way, as perceived by craig mazin.

seth (homophobic asshole) vocally supports the proposal, and this leads to him later giving ellie one of his guns as she's leaving jackson (which she does regardless of the vote, fuck fuck fuck why are they doing this). they share, i guess, a "meaningful moment" and they left. because do you guys get it yet? the show's about clashing forces needing to get along. because if we all just understood one another's intentions a little bit, maybe we'd be alright in the long run, right?

maria is the one who intercepts the girls as they leave, in the game. go figure, they make her black in the show and shelve her completely in the second season. i would think if they wanted to press a little more on the domesticity of jackson life, they would've kept this connection but...no. give the screentime to the white homophobe. because his actions totally needed to be justified, right? (for those who don't watch the behind-the-scenes featurettes, neil druckmann paints seth as a character who, in his own eyes, seeks to protect his community "in his own way." fuck off.) progressing the story in this way through a homophobe is so fucking morally corrupt. i get that they might be wanting to make a point about a perceived "unforgivable" person having the chance to redeem himself, but come the fuck on. we're in the middle of one of the worst moments in modern history for queer people and you choose to do THIS.

on the note of how they're depicting queer issues, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO TO DINA (beloved, proudly bisexual partner of ellie). ellie and dina's relationship in the show is very different from the game. i'll maybe save the whole can of worms for a different post, but in episode three in particular, dina (in the game, an assured character; a rock for ellie's instability) doesn't confirm her feelings toward ellie. in fact, she dances around it; she poses the question about rating the kiss, the two banter, and dina confirms to ellie instead that she went back to jesse. what. the fuck? she plays off the kiss as something girls do when they're high, or drunk, or whatever. giggles and says, "you're gay, i'm not. i wanna know how good i was." which is the most insane fucking line in the show so far.

now, the present theory is that dina will realize she's bisexual later. but why? what room is there in this story for that? why did craig mazin make the significant change to explore dina's sexuality, and why does he think he's the guy to do it? because he's already fucked up. he's made dina ditzy, he's affirmed ellie's insecurities about the kiss, he's made her go back to jesse (ensuring she gets pregnant because of that fuckass timeskip). i won't deny that these things might happen to bi people irl, or that exploring a character's realization of their sexuality is something that could be depicted more. but why make this change from source material to adaptation? why add this to the ever-growing list of plotlines added on top of the base one?

at present, ellie and dina's relationship is left up in the air, removing the stability that both would've been able to rely on as the story progresses, and effectively making them "gal pals." tale as old as time, i guess.

the show will inevitably be praised for its queer rep anyway, because it's bolstered by the bill and frank episode (a positive example of original content from the show) and the kiss scene from episode one (more racy than the original's slow and sweet kiss because i think girls should makeout on screen more anyway), but genuinely? it's not hitting this season and i don't have hope it (nor the previous issues) will get better.

[myfictionaldreams]

Into the Deep //Mafia!Stucky x F!Reader

Summary: A garden party pushes you too far—and into unexpected subspace. Bucky and Steve bring you back with firm control, soft words, and the reminder that you’ll always belong to them.

Tags: 18+ readers only, smut, oral sex, rough sex, subspace, subdrop, sir kink, dom/sub, aftercare, panic attack, size difference

Words: 3.1k

my masterlist 📚 AO3 Link

The garden looked like something from a luxury magazine. Soft fairy lights dangled between the house's wall and the trees lining the perimeter, low jazz music drifted through hidden speakers, and tables were lined with expensive crystal. The best in the city catered the food. Everything was perfect—almost.

Your fingers still twitched to adjust the vase, straighten a napkin, replace an already-perfect candle.

The event was casual, a complimentary evening for those more important in the Rogers Mafia. It was a way for Steve and Bucky to show their appreciation to their employees and friends, and for everyone to relax for a night.

A subtle cough behind you has your fingers hovering midair from their intended destination of moving the cutlery by an inch. “You know it’s a garden party, right? Not a coronation or something, boss lady”.

Sam Wilson, your ever-loyal and sarcastic bodyguard, leaned casually against one of the table settings behind you, his arms crossed and watching your every movement.

“It’s still important, Sam. I just want everyone to have a good time.” You try to smile to hide your worries, but Sam tilts his head knowingly, seeing right through your emotional shield.

It wasn’t like you were purposefully constantly thinking about this party. It was genuinely supposed to be a fun, pleasant evening, but this team, this family, had done so much for you, Steve and Bucky, that they deserved it to be perfection.

Sam stepped forward, his shoulder brushing yours. " They also hired professional party planners for a reason. And if you touch the cutlery one more time, I’m texting Steve myself.”

“Too late, “Bucky says with amusement in his tone. I already texted him. “You turn, watching your boyfriend stride across the marble floor in a tailored black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to show the gleam of his metal arm.

You’d hope it wouldn’t get to a point like this, when others would worry about you rather than look forward to the event. Opening your mouth and stepping toe to toe with your boyfriend, you were ready to become defensive, but Bucky was already cupping your jaw, his warm thumb brushing along your cheekbone.

“You’ve been doing too much again, haven’t you, Doll?”

Sighing whilst dropping your face into his palm, you whisper, “I’m fine”.

Those devastingly crystal-blue eyes look you up and down, before leaning in and murmuring in your ear. “That wasn’t an answer, come with me”.

Your home is eerily quiet compared to the party in the garden. It was strictly a garden party, so your home remained the same comfortable space it always was. He holds your hand, pulling you through the kitchen and into the dining room, closing the door behind your back.

With gentle hands resting on your waist, he carefully walks you backwards, lifting your body until you’re sitting on the table's edgeable. Around you lay opened boxes, stacks of spare plates, empty glasses and napkins with the dining room being used now as storage for the party. However, none of this captured your attention quite like the man currently slotted between your thighs.

For one of the most dangerous men in North America with a violent history and even more so dangerous present with his role as second in command, he made you feel unbelievably safe and grounded, even without uttering a single word.

From the firm touch of his hands still around your waist, the expensive cologne you would often smell against your pillows to help ease your racing heart rate because it would always remind you of him, to how his eyes watched your every movement. Bucky’s reputation may be one thing, but you knew the real him, from the happy-go-lucky quick wit, to the protection he provides. You and Steve are always his priority, and he has no worries about making that well-known, the man has his heart on his sleeve.

“You need to come down,” he drawls under his breath, quietly, but in the silence of your home, your attention and thoughts immediately drift to his lips.

“I am calm”.

“No, that’s not what I said, Sweetheart. I said come down. You’re tense, I know you’ve not been sleeping well, and I know you’re anxious to make sure this party is perfect, but it won’t be a fun party if you’re overthinking every little detail.”

Sighing, your head suddenly feels heavy as you drop your forehead against his chest, feeling the warmth radiating from his body. “I’m fine, Buckaroo, I promise,” you say, trying to sound lighthearted.

“No, you’re on the edge, overworking yourself, and you’re going to fall if you don’t stop. Just tell me, how can I help? How can I bring you back to me?”

On instinct, your thighs moved further apart, mainly to be able to wrap around his waist in an innocent hug, but the second you do, and you feel him pressing there, your mind already knows precisely what it wants. Being able to read you like a book, Bucky understands instantly as his metal hand slides over your thighs, slipping beneath your dress to cup you through your lace underwear.

“Do you want me to help you, Doll?” His voice is thick with emotion as his lips caress your temple.

You nod, unable to form words as all thoughts drift to the heat between your legs.

Both of his hands disappear beneath the skirt of your dress, tugging on the flimsy fabric of your underwear. He lowers them down your thighs, and rather than discarding them somewhere in the boxes surrounding you both, he brings them up to his nose and takes a deep breath in.

Your mouth drops open at the obscene view, as Bucky’s eyes roll back in his head and a deep rumble comes from the centre of his chest. “My faviourite fucking smell, I can never get enough of you.”

His mouth presses against yours with such urgency that you release a high-pitched noise as your fingers take purchase of his shoulders to keep you upright.

The clatter of your heels hitting the floor breaks the silence as your fingers slip to the back of his head. Feeling the short buzzcut, you pull his face ever closer. 

Bucky drops to his knees, pushing your body to lie back against the table, and knees up, exposing your wet pussy for him to devoure. His mouth is unforgiving, relentless and intense as he drinks every drop of liquid from your cunt, latching onto your clit and shoving his tongue as far into your body as he can.

You’re anything but quiet, not caring if they can hear you over the music at the party that you were sure was beginning to have attendees arrive. “Bucky, please, more, I need more,” you’re begging while rocking your hips against his face.

Two orgasms later, you’re clawing at his shoulders, pulling him up until you’re able to kiss him deeply, able to taste the remnants of your pleasure on his tongue. “More, I need you”.

A firm hand on your jaw stops your movements as Bucky pulls back, peering down to look at your face. He seems to be contemplating something but decides he’s happy with what he sees as he begins to unzip his slacks.

His thrusts are deep and sharp as he holds onto your waist, his mouth hovering over yours as he whispers those beautiful praises that bring your next orgasm on like a soul-splitting experience. “That’s it pretty girl, you feel so good cumming on my cock like that, taking me so well, fuck I love you”.

You’re in a blissfully floaty state by the time Bucky grunts and thrusts hard, spilling deep into your cunt until his seed is dripping onto the table beneath. There’s not a good enough explanation for how amazing you feel in that moment, almost like you’re lying on top of a weightless cloud, in the safest arms with the perfect praises, you never wanted to come down from the sensation.

After a couple of minutes of cleaning with the napkins thankfully at his side, Bucky helps you sit up, being careful when you sway slightly against his shoulder. “Doll, look at me for a minute,” he coaxes with a thumb under your chin. His voice breaks through the spell you’re experiencing, and you look up to his concerned gaze.

“I’m okay”, you say automatically without thought. Blinking rapidly and shaking your head, you try to find your bearings more.

“If you aren’t, that’s ok I want to make sure you’re ok and if you aren’t feeling present then-”.

“No! I mean, I’m fine, Bucky, I’m here, I promise. I’m fine”, you try to reassure, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

“Ok, but if you start to feel spacey, you need to tell me. You know I love giving you aftercare, and if you want to just hang upstairs tonight so I can look after you, I need you to say.” His eyes linger longer than usual, but eventually, he nods, making sure your dress looks as perfect as it had earlier in the evening, just now without panties that had made a home in his back left pocket.

“Promise me, if you feel anything is off, you’ll tell me or Steve when he gets here, yeah?”

Kissing him slowly, you agree, “I promise”.

~~~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, Steve arrived, having had a last-minute appointment to check at the office. Considering it was everyone's day off for the party, who better to continue with the work than the boss?

On arrival, he pulled you to the side. Having received Bucky's text and update, he checked that you were fine, and you were very convincing with your reassurances.

An hour later, however, there was no hiding how you were feeling.

The garden was alive with voices and laughter. People mingled, quiet work conversations took place in corners, and drinks and foods were shared amongst friends.

And you had barely spoken a single word.

Sam had tried to coax a word out of you, even Natasha, but there you remained, sitting on the swing under the tree at the bottom of the garden.

Your eyes were glazed over, and your posture slumped as you leaned against the rope hanging one side of the swing up. The world surrounding you, from the music to the voices, sounded muffled, as if your head was underwater. You hadn’t even noticed that you were rubbing at your collarbone, the necklace you’d chosen lying heavy and irritating against your skin.

Bucky had noticed first, mind sentence, the moment you sat away from everyone. Then Steve.

In a few lungeful steps, Steve is crouching beside you, and Bucky is sitting on the swing. With gentle touches, Steve can pull your fingers away from the incessant rubbing against your chest before it irritated and playful.

“Baby girl, look at me”, Steve talks calmly and lowly, his hands squeezing yours.

You blink up at him, unfocused, lips parted. Steve’s jaw clenches as he glances at Bucky, who is looking just as concerned as he is. 

“Come here”.

Before you could speak, he effortlessly pulled your body into his lap. Swapping positions, he was able to relax back into the seat beside Bucky as you curl into him like muscle memory, resting your cheek against his shoulder as he wrapped both arms around you.

“You didn’t tell me she dropped,” Steve remarks as his fingers gently brush over the nape of your neck.

“She said she was fine”, Bucky mutters, shoulders slumped, looking defeated.

“Of course she did”, Steve replies, continuing to brush a hand over your body in calming motions.

From across the garden, Natasha and Sam lock eyes, having watched the exchange before approaching their bosses and friends. “Why don’t you both get out of here, we’ll look after these sorry sons of bitchess”, Nat jokes, pointing her thumb over her shoulder to the rest of the party.

“Are you sure, Romanoff? It’s supposed to be a relaxing night for you, too,” Bucky asks, glancing between his red-haired bodyguard and his girlfriend.

“Oh, don’t you worry, boss. I can still have fun and be in charge,” Natasha drawls in her raspy voice, giving her signature smirk. “Just look after your girl, yeah?”

“Thanks, Romanoff”, Steve whispers whilst standing, still holding you tightly in his arms as he begins walking through the party with Bucky on his heels. “You’re safe, Baby, you did so well today. So fucking good. But it’s our turn to take care of you now, alright?”

Entering your shared bedroom, Steve gently places you back against the pillows, shushing your whimpers as you try to cling to him, wanting the comfort and safe space you feel in his arms.

“She’s still floaty”, Bucky remarks whilst sitting on the other side of Steve, his fingers playing with yours.

“I know, “Steve’s voice remains calm as he loosens his tie. We’ll bring her back. “

“I don’t want to wear my dress anymore”, you admit with a quiet, timid voice, staring up at your boyfriends.

Like you were the most fragile thing in the world, Steve and Bucky helped you to remove the shows, dress and bra, leaving you naked and rubbing your skin against the soft bed sheets. Feeling like you can finally breathe, you look guiltily up at Steve and Bucky.

“I don’t mind if you want to go back to the party, it’s hardly even started”, you say, your voice becoming more clear and articulate as that low, heavy sensation in the pit of your stomach eases.

Bucky shakes his head with a small smile, “Nah, I think we’re both just fine, right here. Anyway, it means that everyone can let their hair down at the party, so to speak, no one wants to get too drunk with the bosses around anyway”.

He was always so good at convincing you that everything was ok.

Crawling on your hands and knees, you move towards Steve, finding more energy finally humming in your chest. Nuzzling into his neck, you savour the rough sensation of his facial hair against your soft cheek, the unique smell beneath his aftershave that was entirely his. 

“That's my good girl”, Steve praises whilst kissing your face, holding you close as he moves the two of you until his back is flush against the headboard of the bed. He knew what you needed, could feel how warm you were between your legs, even tell you were becoming wet from where you were beginning to grind against his crotch.

“You want more, Sweetheart?” he asks as you nod, continuing to move your hips slowly. Steve groans, already painfully hard.

Sharing a look with his boyfriend, Steve raises an unsure eyebrow towards Bucky. Bucky leans forward, his hands on your shoulders and pulls your face away from Steve’s shoulder so that he can inspect your face. Your eyes were brighter than before, eyelids no longer heavy, and you were alert as you beamed at his face.

With a nod towards the blonde man, Bucky deems you alert enough to continue.

With a flick of his fingers, Steve’s trousers are undone, his cock being freed with a blissful sigh. Guiding himself inside of you, the two of you groan. The way your pussy stretches to accomadate him is always your favourite part, and how full he and Bucky always make you feel. It’s like an itch you can finally scratch, like you can finally sigh in relief.

However, that pulsing need to fuck was overwhelming as you wasted no time to adjust and began to roll your hips, moving up and down with urgency.

Bucky’s lips moved over your shoulder, his hands tickling over your ribs to reach around your body to cup your breasts, fingers pinching your nipples tightly before soothing the sting with his thumbs.

It was the pain from the pinch and the hardness in whcih you fucked yourself on Steve’s cock that had you moving more erratic.

What started as soft moans soon turned to guttural grunts. The need. The want. More, more, more.

“Harder”, you begged. “Please, Sir. I need more, I need to feel it, I want it to hurt”. With one hand gripping his shoulder, the other moved to your clit, swiping hard against the swollen area, pinching and making it sting.

Steve stills inside of you, with one hand on your waist, halting your movements and the other on your jaw, whilst Bucky moves both of your hands behind your back so you aren’t able to continue your motions. 

“No, baby. Not like this. You’re too deep. You don’t need pain right now”, Steve tries to soothe, realising you’ve slipped too far into your subspace to have rational thoughts.

Shaking your head with wide eyes that were once more glazed and unfocused, you continued to beg, “Please, Sir. I need to feel something, I want it-.”

“No, Doll”, Bucky interrupts, his soft tone now more firm and authoritative, “Listen to me. That’s not you talking. That’s the drop. You’re safe. You don’t need to feel pain right now.”

They could feel that shift from being too lost in your headspace to the panic, from the way your entire body tense, causing Steve to grit his teeth and move your hips up so his cock could breath from the vice it had been contained in.

Shaking your head vigorously and closing your eyes tightly, your breathing becomes erratic, “I-I don’t know what’s happening. I’m sorry- I can’t- I don’t”. You struggle to get the words out as your chest becomes tight. 

Bucky’s chest flush against your back and Steve’s against your front create a warm cocoon for you to be in, knowing it helped when you were beginning to lose control.

“Shh. No apologies”, Steve muttered soothingly. “You’re okay. You’re just overwhelmed. We’ve got you”.

“Open your eyes”, Bucky says gently, pressing his forehead against yours. “Deep breaths. In. Out, slower than that. Try again, in and out, nice and slow. Just like that. We’re not going anywhere.”

It took several long minutes, but the storm passed. The panic eased. You sagged between them, boneless and trembling.

Steve kissed every part of your body that he could reach. “There you are. That’s my best girl.”

With careful movements, Bucky eases away, returning with a warm wash cloth. Be careful to clean your face first, and then the rest of your body.

They tucked you into bed, wrapping you in warmth and love. Bucky was feeding you pieces of a protein bar whilst Steve held a water bottle to your lips.

“You scared us a little, Doll”, Bucky admits softly whilst cuddling your body to his chest. “But you did good. You trusted us. That means everything.”

You have no energy to talk, but give him a faint nod, finally feeling grounded.

[4-the-l0ve-0f-art]

"Caleb becomes a wet rat (and gets unpixelated?!)"

Chapter 6: Homecoming Wings

Pairing: Caleb x GN Reader

Word count: 1180

Genre: Reverse isekai, fluff, romance, comedy, supernatural, angst, slow burn

Rating: General Audiences

Triger Warnings: none

A/N: I recommend replaying through Homecoming Wing's first part of chapter 1 while reading this !! i've also made a tag for this fic called fic: wet rat caleb which will be used to post updates on the future chapters and bonus content related to this story, just for fun

<< previous next >> Tumblr Chapter List Ao3 Link

---

Caleb was knocked out of his thoughts by your excited chattering.

“Let’s goooo!!! Caleb’s chapter released!” His head whipped towards your direction.

You looked up, sensing the stare. “Oh, not you, Caleb. I meant, like, Caleb-Caleb, you know? The actual Caleb from the game.” You lifted up the ipad to show him your screen. It was only for a brief moment, and Caleb was unable to catch what was written on the screen.

Caleb’s eyes narrowed. This was his chance.

He walked over and jumped on the couch, sitting right next to you. He glanced at the ipad and then back to your face.

You were staring at him in shock.

Oh. Oh my god. He’s sitting next to me.

He blinked at you with his purple eyes, not saying anything. His tail flicked to his side.

Okay. Okay. Stay calm. You don’t want to scare him away by reacting too loud.

“You really are interested in Caleb, huh? I knew it.. Even cats are going to like him.” You turned your focus back to the ipad in your lap, which was currently on the chapter selection menu for the main story.

Are we really talking about me? This much enthusiasm.. It’s unsettling. 

Caleb was a bit confused. He knew for sure that the man on the screen was him, but he didn’t understand why you were so excited when you saw him. Both of you had watched the same video.

There was still a lot Caleb didn’t understand about the video. The man was him, but it wasn’t him. 

“Did you honestly think I would always be the kind hearted boy from your childhood?”

He was talking to someone. Someone from his childhood?

There was no one. No one worth remembering, anyway.

What disturbed him more was the experiment report.

[They are the optimal weapon for destroying each other. This experiment is never to be restarted.]

One thing he was sure about was that there was no one, absolutely no one, who had been turned into a weapon the same way he was. That is how he rose to the ranks of Colonel, and that is how it’s supposed to remain. There was no one who had been able to endure the experiments long enough to be as powerful as him. 

And that is why he didn’t understand what was going on in the video.

Or what was going on in general, to be fair. He had turned into a cat. A cat!

And here I thought things couldn’t get any worse when grandma was killed.

Snapping back to reality, he read the text on your ipad screen.

Homecoming Wings: Vanishing Skyward.

He watched your eyes twinkle.

“The background is so beautiful. That’s Skyhaven, I think..” 

You were right. It was a picture of Skyhaven from a distance. He could recognize the layout of that island anywhere, it was his base after all. Or his prison. Depends on how you look at it.

“Let’s find out what you’ve been up to while MC has been suffering, Caleb.” You poked his head gently.

He narrowed his eyes on you. It was amusing how you talked to a cat, but the cat was still him. The situation was somewhat laughable, he thought.

You tapped on the block titled “01 Story: Infiltration”.

He read the text on the screen alongside you. It looked like it was written from someone else’s perspective.

“She’s dreaming about the explosion?” You muttered, focused on the screen.

Caleb’s eyes widened as the words “Aether Core”, “Ever”, and Bloomshore District Explosion” appeared on the screen one by one.

The scene seemed to switch from an office to the scene of an explosion. 

Reporter A - “It’s been a week since the explosion in the Cascade District. The Farspace Fleet still has the region under lockdown.”

Caleb was baffled.

…

You stared at the screen in silence for an entire minute once the cutscene ended.

“Did you see that?” Caleb wasn’t sure if you were talking to him or yourself. Frankly, he didn’t care. He was just as shocked as you.

“I think infold really loves to introduce their characters while they kill someone.” You said, referencing a certain white haired man with a crow.

Caleb, on the other hand, was lost in thought.

The scenes that had just unfolded on the screen hadn’t happened too long ago to him. He had killed the man who had tried to sink his ship in the deepspace, on his first mission as Colonel. It had been a couple months since then and Caleb had adjusted well to the endless attempts at people trying to dethrone him, courtesy of Ever.

It was a weird experience watching it unfold from a different perspective, however. And even weirder when it’s from an ipad screen of a random person who didn’t know he was right there, next to them.

At this moment, his life felt like a fever dream.

…

Currently, you’re having the biggest crash out you’ve had since you started playing this game. And a cat was witnessing it all, sitting at his place next to you on the couch.

“Girl, oh my god..” 

“You did not just get drugged by that guy. You did not—” You cut yourself off.

You looked at the cat next to you.

“Caleb, Do you see this shit? Do you???”

Caleb did, in fact, see the shit. And saying that he was flabbergasted would be an understatement. 

“They deserved a better reunion scene. What the fuck was that?? “It really is me.” Who says that after being declared dead?” You mimicked Caleb’s voice line, clearly annoyed.

“And the MC just.. Accepted it? And then proceeded to stay at his home?”

That was not what Caleb was worried about. He was more so focused on the fact that he was a video game character in this world. And with a story which was eerily similar to his own, at that.

Just without the hunter.

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Caleb continued watching as you ranted.

“There's so much shit going on in this story, man..”

Strangely enough, Caleb didn’t think that his actions in the story were out of character for him. He didn’t resonate with the need to protect someone like the MC in the game, but in the end, he had still ended up in the same position as the other version of himself, regardless of whether that hunter was in the picture or not.

He had been forced to survive on his own either way. The only difference was that he had no one waiting for him at the end of it all. His desperation was fueled by his need to feel even a semblance of control over his life, which had been thrown into disarray since he was young.

And it was happening once again. This time, with an obviously cat-shaped dilemma.

Yet, maybe, just maybe, he didn’t mind it as much.

A certain someone sitting next to him was altering his reality, oblivious to it all.

And he was starting to accept it.

---

Taglist: @roseapov @mangooes @zukini-01 @browneyedgirl22 @mavix @staristoo @hohoooowhy @pirana10 @lunia-likes-pomegranet @bertieorangy @heyimseli @xxnessinessiellexx @mcdepressed290 @mentaltrouble2201 @stardustsunflowers13 @I-lover9 @destheoren @ixloom819 @super-nerder @mazlodowki @friedmagazineprincess @celestialzdiviner @deadghosy @fishwasher8 @dummiebunny @etsuniiru @wegottastayfocus @astraecho

A/N: You can DM me or comment if you want to be tagged in this series and it'll be done in the future parts !!

[lunarnightt]

―୨୧⋆˚ when you know you know :: Bucky Barnes

It was a good night. You and me... we went to this fancy place down on Riegelmann Boardwalk, thanks to Tony paying for the dinner for our anniversary, right by Coney Island. Same spot we had our first date. The way the sunset hit your face across the candlelight — it just about knocked the air outta my lungs.

For a long time after Hydra, I didn't think I'd get this. Didn't think I'd ever have a normal life, or even deserve one. Settle down, have a family... grow old with someone. I figured that kind of life was for other people, not for someone like me.

Then you showed up. This stubborn, beautiful girl who saw past everything. past the blood on my hands, the nightmares, and just... believed in me. You made me wanna be better. Made me believe I could be. You stood up for me when no one else did, and I was grateful for it.

I didn’t just fall for you. I crashed headfirst, hard. No way out. And honestly? I didn’t want one. I knew I wanted you for the rest of my life. I just needed time... time to make sure I was ready. Time to make sure we were ready.

Five years later, I’m carrying an engagement ring I bought around like a damn idiot, waiting for the right moment. Steve and the others gave me countless ideas but none of them seemed perfect enough for you, for my doll.

I wanted our moment to be special, to fully be able to be in the moment with just you and no one else around us. I was appreciative of the team and their ideas, but I knew that I wanted to do it when you truly didn't expect it.

After dinner, we ended up on the beach, just watching the tide come in onto the shore. I kept stealing looks at you, thinking how the hell someone like you ever ended up with someone like me. And it just... it hit me. This was it. This was the moment.

I stopped walking and turned to you, anxiety looming in me as I tried to form my words, trying to finally ask you the question I had been dying to ask.

"Doll," I said, my voice catching a little. "Can I ask you somethin'?" You then looked at me, confused, with that smile that messes me up every time.

I dropped down to one knee before I lost my nerve, the ring held in my hand. You gasped, hand over your mouth, those big, beautiful eyes filling with tears.

I took a deep breath, felt my heart pounding like a drum. "You gave me a reason to live again," I said. "When everybody else gave up, you didn't. You stayed. And you made me wanna fight for a future. You're my world, Doll. Always have been. I want you to be my forever. Will you marry me?"

By the time I finished, there were tears on my face. Didn't even care. All I cared about... was what you'd say next.

Talk to this bot here!

Author's note :: Y'all I am so happy because c.ai changed it's word limit to 4048, which means I can make the chats more detailed now! SLAY!

[pokemon-ash-aus]

if you were to have a hypothetical infection au, what kind of disease would it be and who would go bye-bye first?

Hypothetical, but i love the thought of it cementing in Pokerus. A disease that can't help but NOT be transferred, lasts 3 days then is gone for good- you can never get it again.

Except it goes wrong.

You notice it in your Charmander, a spunky little guy you caught recently in the academy. You see the purple haze of it's eyes and the near lethargic sway of it's body.

Excitement courses through your veins- you know of Pokerus- you have a few pokemon that have gotten it in the past- this is nothing for you.

So you send your Charmander in battle, call commands to it even though it doesn't really listen.

It uses bite... A lot. Small pokemon, big pokemon- you're not sure why, you aren't even sure Charmander HAS bite in it's normal moveset.

Day 3 rolls in fast and leaves in faster.

Your Charmander still has purple eyes and a lethargic sway.

There aren't screams, nothing that tells you of the impending doom crawling down the walls of the academy. Nothing that could tell you how wrong this was.

You set your Charmander in a healing box, let them sit there for a day or so.

The other students and trainers get angry- they are furious with you that you're taking up the only healing box in the biome you are in.

But fear courses through your vein, hints of purple echoing the peripherals of your eyes. Your chest burns, you feel tired and you don't know why.

The day ends and night is falling, so you shakily let out your Charmander.

It lays in the grass, labored breathing reaching your ears.

It suddenly comes to your mind that it hasn't eaten much in the past 3 days.

It comes to mind that you haven't eaten much either.

You stumble away, leaving your charmander at the edge of the healing box, leaving it's purple eyes and pooling drool to lay in the grass.

Rapid attempts have you throwing your pokemon around, the red light drawing your attention and has you staring at them.

You don't recognize them easily. It takes a few minutes of labored breathing before your eyes land on your Florges.

It shows no signs of the Pokerus. It's had it once before and it seems it wasn't eager to pick the desease up again.

Your other pokemon don't bear the same weight.

Your Lechonk hadn't moved since you released it.

Your Sandile was swaying, steadily crossing away from you.

Your Rotom was floating eerily still, orange and blue body coated in a purple hue.

Your Grimer wasn't really there either. It's body inflating as raspy breaths echoed it's body.

It's eyes never left you.

4 days had passed. It takes pokerus a few hours to infect those around it, but it never infects the same pokemon twice.

Your arms feel numb come morning, you've been staring at your pokemon for hours apparently.

The 5th day you don't remember your name, you don't even know if you remember who your pokemon are.

You stumble into the tundra, your body warm and your stomach heavy even as your fingers turn blue in the cold. You wander and wander, watch as Pokemon sway in the same tempo as you.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

The hunger hits you out of left field, soft at first, then a startling monster that makes your mouth salivate, drool prickling at the edges of your mouth and douse down the front of your shirt.

In the cold, it should be painful. Tiny ice crystals popping and blistering against blemished skin, it should hurt.

You don't feel a thing, but you're hungry.

You're so hungry.

Your wandering, your slow lethargic swaying turns into one of desperation. You're running through the cold tundra, jumping into freezing water that don't bother you none.

There's something at the beach.

It looks like a Pokemon, but it could also be human, you're not sure what it is, but it's too slow to move.

You forget that cooking was an option, forgo all the items in your bag that are fresh and ready to use. You forget that you are in a dome, and food is still readily available to all.

Your teeth sink into flesh as the Pokemon-Human thing writhes beneath you. Warm liquid presses against your tongue, sweet and savory all in one go.

Your mind screams at you- it should taste metallic in some way- but you ignore it for another bite.

One.

Two.

Three.

That's all you need before you pull away, the creature was still living, still writhing and screaming.

You stand and begin to wander again, back through the tundra and into the open plains.

There is a light- you don't recognize it.

The Charmander of before steps to your side, and as a duo, you wander and wander.

The dome is closed.

--

Anyway, if i had a thought on who would be infected first, it's gonna be Ash with how much he lvoes and helps pokemon. It's inevitable ToT

[kathlare]

constellations

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie and Lando find themselves on a spontaneous drive that turns into something unexpectedly meaningful.

Wordcount: 2.3 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

September 5th, 2020 - Monza, Italy

The drive out of the city was quiet, the hum of the car filling the space between them. Amelie sat in the passenger seat, her head leaning against the window, watching as the buildings thinned out, replaced by towering trees and open stretches of land. She had no idea where they were going—Lando had simply told her to get in the car, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and she hadn’t argued.

—You’re not taking me somewhere to murder me, right?— she asked, breaking the silence.

Lando snorted, shaking his head. —Not today.—

She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched up.

The sun had started to set when Lando pulled onto a narrow dirt road, the trees arching over them like a tunnel. The car bumped along the uneven path before he finally parked.

—Come on,— he said, already opening his door.

Amelie hesitated for a moment before following. The air smelled like pine and earth, crisp in a way that made her inhale deeply. She pulled her hoodie tighter around herself as she trailed behind him, their footsteps crunching against the dirt and fallen leaves.

—Lando, where the fuck are we?— she muttered, her voice laced with curiosity.

—You’ll see.—

He led her through a clearing, and when they stepped out onto a small hill, Amelie’s breath caught in her throat.

The sky was painted in hues of gold and deep orange, the sun dipping perfectly between the trees, casting long, dramatic shadows across the forest floor. The sight was almost surreal, the way the light filtered through the branches, creating something that felt both infinite and intimate at the same time. It wasn’t Manhattan, wasn’t the towering buildings she used to stand between every year with Cameron, but it was something else—something just as breathtaking.

—It’s our own Manhattanhenge,— Lando murmured beside her. His voice was softer now, like he knew exactly what this moment meant. —It’s not tall buildings, but it’s a...—

He didn’t finish his sentence because Amelie had already turned to look at him, eyes wide, lips slightly parted. Shock, wonder, something else he couldn’t quite place flickered across her face as the golden light reflected in her eyes.

—Oh my god, Lando,— she whispered, and he swore he felt something tighten in his chest.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, shifting awkwardly on his feet. He wasn’t great with words, wasn’t the kind of person who knew how to articulate heavy emotions, but this—this, he had thought about.

—You don’t have to give up everything about your old life, Amelie,— Lando said quietly, staring at the horizon instead of her. —I guess I just wanted to show you that.—

She couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. It wasn’t just the sunset, or the woods, or the way the light painted everything in amber and gold. It was him. It was always him.

Lando must have noticed because he took a step back, like he was suddenly too close, like he was giving her space to breathe. But before he could move further away, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.

And then she kissed him.

Fuck everything else.

Her hands found the sides of his face, fingers curling into the soft fabric of his hoodie as she pulled him in. Lando froze for a second, like he wasn’t expecting it, but then he melted into her, his arms wrapping around her waist like it was instinct.

The world blurred—the trees, the sky, the sun dipping behind the horizon. It all faded, leaving only the feeling of his lips on hers, warm and urgent, like he had been waiting for this. Like he had been waiting for her.

She could taste the faint hint of chapstick and something else—something distinctly Lando. His hands slid under her hoodie, fingers pressing into her skin, grounding her, like he needed proof this was real.

When they finally pulled apart, Amelie didn’t let go. Her forehead rested against his, their breaths mingling in the cool air.

—You’re crying,— Lando murmured, his thumb brushing against her cheek, wiping away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen.

—I know,— she whispered.

He didn’t ask why. He didn’t need to.

Instead, he kissed her again, softer this time, like he was memorizing the moment.

And for the first time in a long time, Amelie let herself want.

This was perfect for them. It was intimate, heavy with unspoken things, and yet, it was the easiest thing in the world.

Lando didn't pull away, didn’t make a joke to defuse the tension like he usually would. He just held her, thumbs tracing small, absentminded circles against her waist. She could feel the way his chest rose and fell, could feel the heat of him even through the layers of clothing between them.

She exhaled shakily, trying to process everything at once. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this. Not now. But then again, maybe it was always meant to. Maybe it had been inevitable from the moment they met, from the first time she heard his stupid laugh through a headset in a game lobby, from the first time he made her feel something other than loss.

Lando swallowed hard, his forehead still pressed against hers.

—What does this mean?— he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

She hesitated. Because wasn’t that the question? What did this mean?

She had spent so long running from this, from him, from the way he made her feel too much all at once. But standing here, in the golden afterglow of the sunset he had brought her to, she realized something.

She didn’t want to run anymore.

—It means I don’t want to fight it,— she admitted, voice quiet, almost scared to say it out loud. —I don’t want to keep pretending I don’t feel this.—

Lando let out a shaky breath, like he had been holding it in this whole time.

—You have no idea how fucking long I’ve waited for you to say that.—

A dry laugh bubbled out of her, half-choked with emotion.

—Yeah?— she asked, tilting her chin up slightly.

—Yeah.— His fingers ghosted along her jaw, tilting her face back toward his. —And if you change your mind tomorrow, I swear to God, Ames, I might actually lose it.—

She shook her head.

—I don’t want to change my mind.—

She kissed him again, just to prove it. Slower this time, more deliberate. He groaned softly against her lips, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine.

This was it. She wasn’t running.

Not this time.

-------------

liked by gridgossipqueen, charleslemonade, and others

ameliedaymanupdates: Amelie has officially arrived at the Italian Grand Prix today 🇮🇹✨ She was spotted entering the paddock looking effortlessly iconic (as always) and fans say she was all smiles 👀

View all 19,099 comments

f1.sluttycorner: she’s not even racing and still winning → charleslemonade: @f1sluttycorner bro she’s fighting for her life against these outfits every gp like it’s couture week

dying4dayman: idk what race is happening but i’m rooting for her → gridgirl420: @dying4dayman same i fear she’s my pole sitter 😭

ameliesbitchh: if they don’t kiss in the mclaren motorhome i’m suing → spicypitwall: @ameliesbitchh calm down they’re “just friends” 💅💅 → ameliesbitchh: @ameliesbitchh ok but they look like they text each other “where’s my kiss?? 😡”

f1gossipgf: she walks into the paddock like she owns the team → mclarenmami: @f1gossipgf lowkey think she does?? she got that “principal’s wife” energy

notmclarenfangirl: her showing up is the real start of silly season

deluludayman: lando bout to take that podium and dedicate it to her like it’s a romcom → gridgfcentral: @deluludayman “i’d like to thank my friend” yeah sure bestie

bradsburnerforeal: she’s there = lando’s form is abt to go up 300% → landozsimp: @brandsbrunerforeal he races better when she’s breathing the same air it’s science

snackatthescuderia: u think she got the mclaren pass or she’s sneaking in again 😭 → daymansdebby: @snackatthescuderia she doesn’t need a pass babe, she IS the pass 💅

slowpitstop: every time she shows up he suddenly has main character energy → landoveralls: @slowpitstop man’s tryna impress his girlfriend disguised as “just friends” 😭

f1tongue: the only girl allowed in the paddock. the rest? background characters. → vroomvroomhoe: @f1tongue literally she’s the main quest and the rest are side missions

mclarensmutttt: don’t let her near Lando pls the man already drives like he’s trying to impress her → papayaprincess: @mclarensmutttt babe it’s too late they were prob holding hands in catering

gridgossipqueen: watch him look for her in the crowd every time he takes off his helmet 😭 → daymanhotline: @gridgossipqueen bro did that last week and tried to play it cool like we didn’t see 😭😭

dnfdrama: she’s there. he’s there. the gods have aligned. → cheekyquali: @dnfdrama if he wins this race I’m writing a 9-part wattpad series no one stop me

pitwallparasite: lando in the driver briefing rn thinking abt what she’s wearing 😵‍💫

-------------

The driver parade was in full swing, engines rumbling and music echoing across the Monza circuit. Spectators filled the grandstands, waving flags and chanting for their favorite drivers as the open-top trucks made their slow, celebratory crawl around the track. But Amelie wasn’t watching any of it.

She was at the Racing Point hospitality suite, one arm looped lazily around a paper cup of coffee, the other swaying slightly as she hummed an unfamiliar melody—light, airy, whimsical. There was a softness to her face, a light in her eyes that hadn’t been there before. Her cheeks were faintly flushed despite the shade. She looked, frankly, ridiculous. Radiant. Unmistakably in love.

Stella clocked it the second she walked in.

She was carrying Chequito on her hip—Checo’s two-year-old miniature clone, wild curls and all—and narrowed her eyes at her sister like a hawk spotting prey. —What the hell is that face?—

Amelie blinked, clearly startled. —What face?—

—That face,— Stella said, motioning to her entire being. —You’re glowing. You’re humming like a Disney princess. Did you finally get laid properly or something?—

—Stella!— Amelie hissed, immediately turning bright red as she glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

Chequito giggled like he somehow understood.

Stella just grinned smugly, bouncing the toddler on her hip. —I knew it. I knew something was up. You don’t just walk around Monza looking like you floated out of a rom-com unless you’ve been thoroughly—

—Stop talking,— Amelie interrupted sharply, snatching a grape off the fruit tray and throwing it at her sister's head. It bounced off Stella’s forehead and landed squarely in Chequito’s tiny hand. He looked delighted.

—Thanks, Titina,— he chirped and promptly shoved it in his mouth.

Amelie laughed despite herself, ducking her head like that might hide the grin tugging at her lips. But it was no use—her whole body was practically vibrating with some kind of giddy energy, her eyes still sparkling like she was holding onto a secret too precious to say out loud.

Stella narrowed her eyes. —You’re not denying it. You always deny it. So what happened? You and Lando go for a drive and suddenly you’re all... floaty?—

Amelie, very deliberately, sipped her coffee. —You’re imagining things.—

—Bitch, please. I’ve seen you drunk in Cannes. I’ve seen you crying over that terrible Netflix Christmas movie. But I have never seen you look this stupid-happy.—

—Language,— Amelie muttered, nodding pointedly at Chequito, who was now trying to climb out of Stella’s arms and onto the hospitality table.

—He doesn’t know what “stupid-happy” means.—

—He’s two. He’s a sponge. And anyway, there’s nothing to tell. We just... went for a drive. Talked. Watched the sunset.—

Stella raised an eyebrow so high it nearly disappeared into her hairline. —And then what?—

Amelie hesitated for a second too long.

—Exactly,— Stella said, smirking.

But before Amelie could defend herself—or redirect with a convincing lie—Stella’s comm buzzed with a reminder that Checo wanted to see Chequito before the race. She glanced down at her nephew, who was now playing with a spoon and clearly getting bored.

—Come on, romantic menace,— she said. —Let’s go to the garage before Checo starts sulking.—

Amelie rolled her eyes but followed, trailing behind her sister and nephew as they weaved through the paddock. She kept her head down at first, still hoping to dodge any more questioning, but the moment they crossed the paddock lanes toward the garages, her eyes instinctively flicked up.

And there he was.

Lando, halfway down the lane, laughing at something Carlos was saying. His race suit was already half-zipped, his curls flattened by the balaclava he had tugged down around his neck. The second his eyes found hers—like they always did—his entire face changed.

His grin softened. Eyes crinkled at the corners. And he smiled like she was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

Amelie bit her bottom lip, trying (and failing) not to mirror the expression.

They didn’t say a word. Didn’t need to. The look between them was loud enough.

And then...

—Oh my God,— Stella groaned beside her. —You two are such idiots.—

Amelie flushed, but didn’t look away.

Chequito waved at Lando like he’d done it a hundred times. —Hi, Wando!—

That only made Lando grin wider, tossing a little wave back before Carlos shoved him with his elbow and kept walking toward the McLaren garage.

Amelie blinked, the spell finally breaking.

Stella gave her a look, the kind only older sisters were capable of. —Seriously. It’s like watching high schoolers pine from opposite ends of the hallway.—

—I am not pining,— Amelie said, too quickly.

—Sure. And I’m the Pope.—

—You don’t even go to church.—

—Exactly.—

But Stella didn’t press any further. She just adjusted Chequito on her hip and kept walking.

Amelie stayed a few steps behind, her heart still stammering against her ribs. Her fingers brushed the edge of her phone in her pocket—still lit up with the last text from him.

Ames💛: Still thinking about you

She smiled again.

And if Stella caught the look this time, she didn’t say a word. Just kept walking toward the Racing Point garage, like she hadn’t just witnessed the beginning of something dangerous and inevitable.

Like she didn’t already know.

[intoblonde6ftwbbplayers]

Thank God for that stupid interview

Not proof read Im sorry!! rushed ending a bit but wtv. Can be read as stand alone but part 1 is stupid interview

pairings; page x famous actress reader

Summary; flashbacks to Paige being lowk obsessed with Josephine then into the relationship up to the draft.

Warnings; none, (bad writing), they say fine shyt (bc Paige is fine shyt)

||

Paige pov:

1 year ago;

"Paige you dont even like horror movies why do you want to see this one so bad?" Kk asks but before I can respond Azzi laughs and replies for me

"She's been obsessed with the actress in it forever thats the only reason" Azzi finishes which makes everyone we're out with turn to look at me with teasing smiles and more questions about who it is.

The only reason Azzi knows exactly who is because when we were 20 she forced me to watch some crappy rom-com where I saw her for the first time. That was the first time I ever understood the appeal of a celebrity crush.

"Oh she's seen like every movie Josephine Carter has been in. It's actually insane" Azzi says

"Oh my god is that what she's always watching on her iPad smiling like crazy?" Kayla asks

"okay bro ya'll gotta shut up. Yes she's my celebrity crush but can you blame me? She's insanely hot and a good person. Like bro come on half the people in the theater probably are here for the same reason I am"

"Yeah thats true I looked her up you're right Paige she's fine" Kayla says turning the phone to show the group of us in line for popcorn.

A litany of damns and I see you Paige followed from the group as they all smiled as Paige got visibly red.

"Aight now that y'all know im right 'nd shit how 'bout we turn around 'cause we're up next in the line"

6 months ago;

"Bro that movie was so good oh my god"

"Paige you just liked it because she wore a practically skin tight suit the entire time" Kk says laughing at me

"Nah the plot was so good bro like come on"

"Mhm WE know the plot was good but I looked over at you a couple times during the movie and you were locked out on the plot" Ice says

"OH MY GOD she looked like that TikTok sound thats like blah blah proper names place names backstory stuff" Azzi says laughing

"Okay maybe you guys are right but I payed attention to most of the movie. Not my fault she's so fine"

3 months ago;

"Ok so boom! I brought trufru for you Paige!" Kk says when she enters my room where we're all hanging out

I barely even register her though because im scrolling on my phone and am currently on a search rabbit hole of Josephine Carter clips and edits. I feel a dip in the part of the bed next to me and know it's Kk that just threw herself onto my bed with Azzi and Carol.

"Watching edits of yo bae?" Kk ask me looking over my shoulder

"Im deep into this search rabbit hole"

"P you've been starring at your phone like a little kid at Christmas for 20 minutes" Azzi says

"yeah whatever" I say as I switch back to my fyp with Kk still looking over my shoulder. But even when I switch back every other video is an edit or clip of Josephine

"BRO SHE'S ALL OVER HER FYP TOO" Kk says

the night of the interview;

I watched the interview live obviously, I always do.

She knows me. The Josephine Carter said she watches women's basketball and that she likes uconn.

"SHE KNOWS WHO I AM"

everyone in the room turns to look at me confused.

"Paige who or what are you talking about?" Jana asks confused

"Josephine Carter... SHE DID THIS INTERVIEW AND SAID SHE WAS A FAN OF US OF UCONN OF ME LOOK OH MY GOD"

I hand them my iPad for them to watch for themselves and quickly grab my phone and open TikTok where people already started tagging me in clips of her.

"OOOO P looks like you're her favorite for the same reason she's yours!" azzi says smiling at me

"This is actually the greatest day of my life"

Today;

I see her name pop up on Kk's phone requesting to be on live. Oh my god oh my god ohmyogd this isn't real I mean I know she's a fan after last night but she's actually a fan if she's on our live right now. I can feel myself blushing so hard knowing she's watching me and I cant do anything to stop it.

Kk added her to the live and I tried to talk but no words come out, she's so beautiful and her voice and her sense of humor everything about her is so perfect I forgot how to speak a couple times.

She leaves the live and goes to walk her dog but I see she followed both me and Kk on instagram. We immediately follow her back and I dm her.

Suddenly I have this new found confidence now that I remember I actually have rizz.

'So im fine shyt?'

its lighthearted because kk practically exposed me on live on how obsessed with her I am but she also exposed herself last night on the tonight show so I think we're pretty even right now.

25 minutes later I get a reply. not that I was counting how long it had been or anything.

'ok bro u know ur fine shyt or u wouldn't be talking like this'

'nah but srsly u comin to a game or what?'

'I want to but honestly id only go to the final four game'

'so what ur sayin is that if I win a natty I can finally see u in person?'

'yeah thats the requirement'

'alr but if ima be winning a whole championship JUST to see you then your gonna let me take you out after'

'ill go out with you. but only if you win'

'oh ima win the natty...then the girl'

Josephine pov:

ive officially died and gone to heaven because there's no way the finest woman ive ever seen is talking about wanting to take me out on a date after winning herself the championship her team deserves.

There's actually no fucking way.

time skip to sweet 16 game;

Me and Paige have texted non-stop. We FaceTime everyday multiple times a day and fall asleep while on the phone too. We've been talking since the end of February and I really want to see her.

Over the course of us talking these past weeks ive also become well aquainted to her teammates / best friends. I get along with them and we reply to each other stories now and everything.

That's why I asked Azzi if it would be crazy to buy tickets to see the Sweet 16 game. She said it was a great idea and even insisted I take her extra court side ticket so I could have a good view. She made a joke about how I wear contact and that my prescription was so strong that even with them on I still wouldn't be able to see Paige from any other seat. She kinda had me there.

Paige didn't see me at first. She was so locked in and was playing so good. It was insanely hot watching her in her element. Obviously Ive watched her play over the year of watching Uconn but seeing it in person is a whole different thing.

At halftime Azzi told me to go to the tunnel so there I was standing when Paige came back out from the locker room by Azzi pushing her. Paige was about to complain and say something but the second she saw me she instantly dropper her attitude with Azzi and gave me the biggest hug ever.

"you came?"

"I had nothing better to do on a Tuesday night then see my favorite teams game"

"I dont even know what to say im so glad you're here and that I get to see you're pretty face in person finally"

"My pretty face? Paige you look so good when you're locked in, it should be illegal"

Paige laughed lightly at my comment then tells me she's gotta get back but that we'll talk after. She says something about having to turn it up a notch now that she knows her girl is here making me and Azzi, who's been waiting to say hi to me herself, laugh. I hug Paige goodbye and then say a quick bye to Azzi as well before going back to my seat.

Paige really does turn it up and end up with a new career high at the end of the night. 19 points in like 5 minutes before she gets subbed out because they're so ahead. Woah. Obviously she's Paige Bueckers. Talented, Amazing, Passionate, but tonight was a whole different level and it was incredible.

Later she finds me and we all go out with the team to celebrate their win. A few of them bring their girl friends too who I meet and really end up liking Aubrey girlfriend. We all party and have fun until Paige came back to the booth where I was sitting with Ice, Carol, Kk, and Azzi, we were all tired from dancing and our feet were hurting by now.

"Hey ma you having fun?" Paige asks me putting her dirty Shirley down to slide into the both next to me.

"Yeah but my shoes were just making my feet hurt so I had to sit down" I say glaring down at my feet

"c'mere" she said grabbing my feet and putting them in her lap then using her hands to rub soothing circles into my legs

the rest of the night was like that mostly. Paige didn't have to do anything the next day and I had an open 2 weeks until I started filming in Dallas for 10 months for a new movie.

We played in bed and doordahsed some wingstop and talking about everything from how proud I am of her for her 40 points to how draining it can be to pack up my life for months at a time having to restart with every project I do.

timeskip to draft (im so lazy sorry guys);

They won. Uconn finally got their storybook ending and more importantly my lovey amazing girlfriend Paige Bueckers got hers. Now we're here at the draft sitting at her table with her family. I thought the purple set was bad but when she came out in the all black suit I knew I was done for. The DEEP slit has me salivating to the point where im sure people at home have already clipped the way im practically eye fucking her right now but can you blame me?

She;s going to go as first pick in the draft. FOR THE DALLAS WINGS. to say im so excited is an understatement. The second her name got called our plan solidified. I was going to be living in Dallas for at least the next 10 months for a movie am going to start soon. But my agent called saying that they want me to do a series that got picked up. Which is also filmed in Dallas. Adding a year to my timeline. At first I was scared to tell Paige I was going be moving to Dallas Texas.

My lease for my apartment in New York was almost up so It's the perfect time right now. But since she will officially be living out there now too. It ended up working out perfectly.

Paige pov;

Me and Josephine are both moving to Dallas. I can help but think god has had the way I feel right now planned out for me. After everything I;ve endured. The way I feel right now is worth it. National Champion with my best friends in the world, #1 pick in the draft just like ive always dreamed, and moving to a new city would have been a bit sad compared to alll this but my girlfriend has to move there too. I cant help but Thank God for that stupid interview.

||

sorry for the rushed ending I lowk lost motivation but hope you guys enjoyed!

Im thinking about writing an actual series soon so lmk if u have any idea for it in the comments

athletic trainer reader?? Hopkins P?? Lmk!!

[spectral-idiot]

Clemont's characther analysis (Pokeani centered)

Okay so... I’ve really been wanting to do an analysis of this little sour lemon for a while now, and since I got the green light in the XY community, I just couldn’t resist.

Warning!: This post is going to be long and it's translated from Spanish (I don't think my English is good enough for this kind of thing)

I find it very interesting how my hyperfixation with Lem has developed now, as I’ve grown older.

When I was a kid and watched the series (I still identified completely as female back then), my favorite character was Serena in every possible way. I was stunned by her performances and I wanted to be like her.

But when I went back to thinking about the series (and later rewatching it), I found one of the most human characters—at least in that season. Him.

So, as you guys would say, “Bear with me,” or as we’d say in latin-america, “Síganme los buenos,” and let’s begin this analysis.

“I’m not satisfied with who I am rigth now” — Clemont, episode 866/62

His background, story, and initial surroundings:

It’s most likely that he lived his whole life in Lumiose City—or at least that’s the most reasonable assumption, since we see one or two flashbacks of him as a kid living there (like in the Shinx episode, where he studies in a neighboring town he had to move to for a while).

And we can already see that from his immediate family environment, there’s a bit of pressure. A family that may well be the only support system he ever had, since, based on his slight social awkwardness, we can assume he didn’t have many friends.

He’s the city’s Gym Leader—a position he earned, according to the anime, because he’s a genius when it comes to Electric-types. More recognition—and yep, more pressure.

Even in the games, he’s known as “The inventor lighting up the world!”

It’s clear he doesn’t have much faith in himself, or at least he doesn’t seem very confident in that role.

He has a father who’s incredibly encouraging, someone who supports and believes in him—which, on the surface, sounds great.

But at the same time, we see that Clemont didn’t feel confident enough to tell him the Gym had been taken over or controlled by Clembot. There’s no solid reason for this, especially since his dad genuinely supports him—but if we dig a little deeper, we can see it was out of fear of disappointing him.

His father is always trying to help him improve as a Gym Leader, with a positive and well-intentioned approach.

But to Clemont, those intentions may come off as expectations.

And then there’s his sister—but not an older sister who could guide and support him, show him the way.

Instead, he has a younger sister. He’s the one who has to be that figure for Bonnie: a guide, a companion, a shoulder to cry on, and the brother who gives advice. Even if no one directly told him to, he wants to take on that responsibility.

Yep, you guessed it. More pressure.

I want to make it clear that none of these pressures and expectations come from a place of bad intent or malice. His family—and even, to a certain extent, the city—genuinely have a lot of faith in him. They believe in his abilities and see him as someone capable of great things.

But that doesn’t make the weight of it all any lighter. That faith ends up becoming some pretty big shoes to fill.

And it’s mostly him who feels that pressure and sees things this way. It’s not so much that others are pushing it on him—it’s that he puts those expectations on himself, just by realizing how much people believe in him.

His personality and role in the group

(Quick disclaimer: it’s been a while since I rewatched XY, so I might not be 100% accurate.)

We can't get much insight into his personality outside of the Kalos group, since there aren’t many glimpses into his more recent past. Most flashbacks go way too far back.

(Though it’s worth highlighting that in the Shinx episode, his natural inclination to help and his determination to use science for the greater good are already present—showing that these traits existed before his interest in battling.)

That being said, we can assume he used to be a bit more quiet and reserved than how he appears in the main anime—maybe even more nervous.

From the start, we can tell he’s a rather calm person, as expected. He’s knowledgeable in many areas related—obviously—to science and Pokémon. He often plays the role of the “informed” one in the group, recognizing moves, abilities, and strategies.

I’d also like to highlight his mannerisms, way of speaking, and even his language—at least in the original Japanese version (not sure how much of this was lost in translation). His speech is always very polite, though never to the point of sounding snobbish or unnecessarily formal. He’s still the softest and kindest in the group. For instance, he’s the one who most frequently says “please” when calling on his Pokémon or giving them commands (again, in the original version at least).

He seems like someone who’d rather focus on finding a solution than dwell on the problem—unless the issue is too big and he feels incapable of solving it. In that case, he tends to quietly give up instead of complaining, getting angry, or whining. Almost as if he expected to fail.

Like when he believed Luxio hadn't forgiven him or thought Chespin would be better off with another trainer - he didn't cry or cause drama; he just quietly prepared himself, almost like he thought he deserved it.

He also gets noticeably flustered when complimented (maybe a bit insecure).

It’s clear that he’s one of the calmest and most collected members of the quartet—alongside Serena. He’s never loud or disruptive, and often acts as the peacemaker when tensions rise.

Of course, he’s calm.

Unless we’re talking about science and inventions.

That’s when his passion overflows, and the calm demeanor starts to fade. His conviction about how “The future is now thanks to science!” takes over and he turns into a full-on fanboy. Anything science-related excites him—even just visiting a Poké Ball factory is enough to make him giddy.

He genuinely believes that science can create a better future and help people. (Please, hold onto that idea of helping.) He finds it deeply disturbing when robotics and technology are used for unethical purposes.

This less shy and withdrawn version of him shows us something important—he really is comfortable around Serena, Ash, and the group in general. At least during the Kalos journey, he seems more at ease than we imagine he was before the series began.

Another noteworthy trait—especially when you consider his upbringing—is how he’s always looking to help. That small need is always present. When one of his inventions has the chance to be useful, he presents it with a bit of pride, happy to have found a situation where his passion and talent can actually make a difference.

But this goes so far that it once led him to be tricked by Team Rocket, who pretended to be someone else and convinced him that he could help by building a machine for them.

If you look closely, Clemont's very first appearance in the anime is him trying to save Ash! He doesn't know him at all he just sees someone falling from Prism Tower and immediately tries to help.

This shows that his need to help isn’t something trivial—it’s tied deeply to those expectations placed on him.

Even within the group, he plays the most “responsible” role—not just literally (he’s the one who apologizes on behalf of the group, the most grounded one), but also behaviorally. He acts in that “older brother” way: cooking, looking after others.

Beyond his natural role as a big brother, this also seems to stem from his ongoing desire to behave in an “ideal” way—as if he’s still trying to fill those shoes.

This gets to the point where in the games, he uses his defeat as an opportunity to advice Bonnie!

“Responsible.” “Kind.” “Calm.” “Useful.”

His Interests and His Inner Conflict:

He definitely has very defined interests.

His great passion for science/mechanics/robotics, his love for Pokémon (more specifically, Electric-types), and, a little more hidden, his enjoyment of battling.

Why bring these up? Because they tell us a lot about Clemont—not just about his personality, but also about expectations.

And about a small yet huge inner conflict between what he likes, what he knows he's good at, and something in which he feels he's not good enough. Because yes, they do clash with each other.

To begin with, his love for Pokémon is not something isolated—it intertwines deeply with both his passion for science and for battles.

He loves science as a way to create a better world for Pokémon. And he loves battles as a way to understand them.

There isn't much more to add about his passion for inventions that hasn’t already been said. It’s something that clearly interested him from a young age, something that fascinated him ever since. He loves understanding how things work, how to create, and most of all, how to provide or help through it. (Yes, I may be repeating myself, but it really is a strongly marked trait.)

And, moreover, it’s something he’s good at. It’s something that comes naturally to him, something he feels is truly his own, something he sees as his gift and what he can offer to the world. Naturally, it's a passion where he finds comfort in the feeling of being sufficient—something he, as we know, deeply needs.

He found a purpose through this.

But even though it’s not immediately noticeable, it’s not the only thing he likes.

Besides his general love for learning more about Pokémon, he truly enjoys battling.

We can notice that he’s the one who knows the most about it in the group—second only to Ash, of course—which comes naturally with his role as “the knowledgeable one” and as a Gym Leader.

Moreover, we can see how much he enjoyed battling Ash, both in their first encounter and in their official Gym battle.

No, he’s definitely not as vocal about it as Ash is, but he likes it. He enjoys preparing, training, crafting a good strategy.

He simply doesn’t openly say it, and he's not the type to actively seek out battles. (Important note: he usually only battles when it’s to protect his loved ones—especially against Team Rocket—without hesitation.)

So that leaves us with a question: why?

We know he enjoys battling, and sees it as a way to better understand Pokémon, so why does he keep it so hidden?

Wasn’t that the very reason he chose to become a Gym Leader? Because he wanted to understand Pokémon better through battles?

We could simply attribute this behavior to his more peaceful, reserved nature—and we wouldn't be wrong.

But we can also see that he doesn't believe he's particularly good at it. And that's probably why he doesn’t feel very confident about it—not just showing it, but even within himself.

Because being a Gym Leader is about that. In his own words, a Gym Leader must be a wall that pushes trainers to become stronger.

And he doesn’t believe he lives up to that.

During the journey with Ash, he sees—quite clearly—many other Gym Leaders. Leaders who, surely to him, perfectly fulfill their role (presenting a real challenge, helping Ash grow as a trainer), putting in front of him a living example of what he thinks he should be.

And not only that: he also gets to see, firsthand, the other side—the challenger’s side. He sees how Ash gets truly excited about battling for a badge, how he prepares, eager and happy for a good match.

This, added to the involuntary pressure he felt back in Lumiose City, ended up making him even more insecure in that area.

So the question now is: how does he deal with these insecurities? How does he handle not feeling good enough at something he should excel at?

He doesn't. He escapes.

Well, better said, he used to escape.

He takes refuge in what he is truly good at: inventing (let's ignore the fact that they sometimes explode).

To avoid facing the feeling of failure or inadequacy, he focuses on what he knows he can do well, where he feels useful and safe.

This gets to the point where that’s practically why he created Clembot. I'm not arguing that he did it out of laziness to improve, but I do want to highlight that it was, at least in part, to have more time to focus on mechanics rather than confronting his deeper issues.

Yes, because instead of facing his insecurities head-on, he seeks to feel useful and capable through other means.

I’m not saying he doesn’t genuinely love science and mechanics.

But his focus on them may also be tied to avoiding that internal conversation.

You could even argue that one of the reasons he agreed to join this journey was to get out of Lumiose for a while.

I'm not saying it was his only reason—but it definitely was one of them.

Let’s remember that before this, Clemont spent his days wandering around Prism Tower, trying to find a way to regain control of it.

In other words, constantly surrounded by a reminder of his failures.

He always seems to avoid these problems.

Maybe because he doesn’t believe he can solve them.

Maybe because he simply doesn’t have the courage yet to face them.

His Growth:

It could be summarized in one sentence:

"Grant me the strength to change the things I can change within myself, and the love to accept the things I cannot."

Although his development is more a matter of one episode rather than a gradual thing across the series, we can still highlight how he grows.

We know he started out as a calm and slightly insecure boy, who seemed to prefer escaping from problems and feared failure.

To understand this, we should ask ourselves: What does he need? What kind of push does he require to start moving forward?

We know he doesn’t need someone to believe in him—or at least, that’s not the most important thing—because that would likely just put more pressure on his shoulders.

But he doesn’t need that pressure to disappear entirely either. While he does need to stop feeling like he’s not enough, it would also be a mistake for him to think he has nothing to improve, because that would mean denying reality.

He needs to look inward with sincerity, seeing both his virtues and his flaws, and accepting himself.

To stop running away from reality and to work on it. To stop seeking refuge only in what he’s already good at and focus on improving in what he wants to be better at.

He needs a fuller self-concept. More positive, of course, but above all, more complete—one where he’s not blind to his flaws (like fleeing from his insecurities).

And he starts doing that, little by little.

-Victory Over Clembot

In this episode, he starts to take a step forward.

It’s an episode where he returns to Lumiose City and admits the whole truth to the others.

He tells them the story of Clembot, and with their help, he ends up defeating his own creation.

He must face his responsibilities, the weight that comes with them. Now Ash and Serena know who he really is. He has to look reality in the face and accept it.

He had decided to keep it hidden, but was forced to show it. He’s still not completely ready or comfortable, but it’s a big step.

Moreover, he accepts it: by agreeing to battle Ash himself, he’s accepting that responsibility and the role on his shoulders.

And that's why the victory over Clembot is symbolically important too. The takeover of the Gym was one of his mistakes, and now, he is capable of confronting it.

He is able to face one of his failures and fix it, to make amends.

Beyond accepting it, he sees that he is capable. Capable of fixing a mistake.

Maybe this time, because he didn’t try to fix it alone, he succeeded.

Other positive experiences that helped him gain more confidence included episodes like the one with Shinx.

He saw that the Pokémon he thought would never forgive him for not keeping his promise actually forgave him.

Which was something important.

But that bond goes even deeper in the episode where his whole development truly takes shape.

Earlier, we could already see how surrounding himself with a more positive environment was good for him, making him calmer.

But more importantly, what helped him the most was his bond with Ash. He sees in Ash someone fearless, someone he’s willing to become better for.

Because Ash gives him an example. An example is crucial—it allows you to look inside yourself.

Something he really needed.

But soon, that would reach another level.

-Voltage Badge

This character arc is the most important one. And it begins a few days before the battle between Clemont and Ash. It’s after this arc that Clemont truly begins to move forward.

It all starts when the group realizes they’re finally close to Lumiose City.

And with Clemont... hesitating.

It was time to fulfill the promise he made. The time for their battle was drawing near.

Would he be able to meet the expectations?

He had learned a lot from Ash, and he wanted to give something back. But would he be able to?

He doesn’t think so—and all the insecurities he tried to bury resurface.

But once again, it’s seeing Ash’s determination that pushes him to act.

The group gets cornered by Team Rocket again, who this time have taken control of Ash’s Pikachu and Clemont’s own Luxio.

A lightning-strength Thunder Fang attack is coming straight at Ash, and yet his only thought is to reunite with his Pokémon—even if it means putting himself in mortal danger.

And seeing that, Clemont decides something.

Ash was always like this. Some might call him stubborn or reckless. But to Clemont, he is determined.

If he lost five leagues, he’d challenge a sixth.

If the first hit didn’t work, he’d keep trying until it did.

If he wanted to rescue someone, he would—even if it meant putting his life at risk (jumping from Prism Tower to save a Garchomp, or crossing a cliff to rescue Bonnie, for example).

And that's when, surprising everyone, Clemont's usual calm is replaced by determination.

He gets hit by a Thunder Fang, but he doesn't care.

There’s a greater good—something he wants to protect: his friends and his Pokémon.

It’s in his nature to defend, but this time, he crossed one of his own internal barriers.

That’s why the group’s victory was possible. But there's more.

His mindset had changed drastically.

When the incident needs to be reported in Lumiose City, Clemont makes a decision.

He decides to face his insecurities head-on.

He hesitates for a moment, but he asks if he can accompany them back to the city.

He’s going to leave the group for a while.

No more running away. Now there is reflection.

He knows he's not satisfied with something, and instead of hiding behind something else, he decides to change it.

He even tells his friends—and his sister—"I’m not satisfied with who I am right now."

But there’s no sadness in his voice, no discomfort, no anguish you would expect from a confession like that.

Because there’s determination.

He’s not saying it out of insecurity or pressure.

No—he says it with resolve.

The resolve that he’s going to get better.

That’s why he takes some time off and starts looking inward.

He works hard. Really hard.

He has decided.

And later, during the battle, he says it himself:

He couldn’t be happier to be a Gym Leader at that moment.

Because when the time comes to face Ash, we see a Clemont we hadn't seen until then.

A changed Clemont.

Not only happy, but excited.

Someone who enjoys the battle wholeheartedly, win or lose.

Someone who looks much stronger, who shows that his hard work paid off—managing to corner Ash for most of the battle.

But above all, someone who is much more confident.

Someone who faced his weaknesses and, no matter the result, will leave the match happy.

Because he grew.

Because he faced his own flaws.

Someone who is more at peace with himself.

Conclusion:

This analysis was really just an excuse to rewatch the Luxray episode and Clemont’s battle against Ash!! Haha. The end.

Okay, not really.

I wrote all of this simply because I find it incredible.

Because I really like the character and I wanted to share why.

Because without giving him an epic story about becoming the best or saving the world, he has one of the most interesting arcs in the anime.

Because it only takes looking a little deeper and asking yourself some questions to find one of the most human characters.

You don’t need epic stories like N’s or Gladion’s to make a character interesting or to connect with them.

Humanity is enough.

It’s enough to see how a boy, whose pride was his inventions, ends up giving us one of the most spectacular battles in XY.

Because the story behind it is about someone normal, someone ordinary,

Giving it everything he’s got.

Because it’s a story about acceptance, about growth,

And about the power of human connection.

How the people you surround yourself with can transform who you are today.

Because I—and I believe many others—can empathize with a character like this. Because he’s coherent, real, carrying a backpack full of burdens that could happen to anyone.

And because he can inspire.

As a writer, I can only take my hat off to the work that was done here.

Simple, but no less powerful because of it.

Because something simple and well done can be truly wonderful.

So, to finish this:

"The future is now, thanks to science!"

Or as it's said in the version I watched as a kid:

"El futuro es ahora gracias a la ciencia!"

[dramalove247]

Having Feels a 🐠 Dori rambles post

I should probably stop obsessing and repeating myself, but putting together Favorite Things for Heesu In Class 2 is giving me some big feels and I am back to rant. This is one of those series that I love the more I think about it. For every moment I instantly loved, it also gave me lots of moments that made me feel disappointed with the realness it often shoved in our face. So my love for these moments only came with time and perspective.

The series had a lot going for it. It looked great. Delivered a solid story with complex, real characters and great themes. And the acting was really good, especially Ahn Ji-ho who played Heesu. And every good story needs some angst and pain. Still, I had not expected this series to give me so many feels and watching Heesu struggle with his queer existence was often uncomfortable and hurt. And even though these scenes often left me disappointed and unhappy, those same moments are what ultimately made me respect and love this series.

My anger was never at the story, but at the truth it laid bare

Throw their privilege in their Het faces!

Kat and I already said a lot about our love for this series in our post and shared some great perspectives by other bloggers in this post. And there is a lot more I could say. But there is one scene that I really need to talk about. It felt like a slap in the face and I want to hate it, and part of me does, but I also love it because it felt like the ENTIRE POINT wrapped up in one scene.

It was the final scene. The "happy ending". After showing us a couple of cute moments of Heesu and Seung Won together as a couple, the final moment we got was one where we see Heesu panic only for Seung Won to say they can just play it off as bromance.

Seriously?!?

Yes. Seriously. That is how they ended the story and as much as it annoyed me to admit, it was perfect. There were so many layers to this series, but it fundamentally wanted to show the contrast between het and queer relationships in a conservative setting and this scene pulled no punches in driving that final point home. As the het couple gets to walk casually behind in a mirrored posture with none of the risk, none of the fear or hesitation, their privilege and the inequality of their situations was directly called out for the audience. As much as this scene rubbed a nerve they had already made raw during this entire story, I'm also grateful they were brave enough to give us this painfully real, bitterly honest ending.

There was a lot I loved about this series and a lot of moments I am grateful for. But in this moment, in my feelings right now, I am most grateful that this series threw het privilege in peoples' face and asked them to sit with it. And for that reason, I love this ending even if I could have used a little less reality in my happy ending.

[leonardcohenofficial]

jesus christ

[lemonynuggets]

crazy how my brain can be so conflicting

[ackermental]

I share my account on Disney + with my friends, and my friends have given me access to their account on Netflix. For a time our account on Netflix got blocked and guess what? Neither of us went ahead to buy that shit on our own, because pirating exists.

Be happy we're willing to give you any money, especially when your content sucks ass most of the time.

[mbat]

something i love noticing in shows and movies is the relationship the media has with accents, and sometimes its stuff that makes sense like 'this character has a different accent because theyre an immigrant' or something like that, but other times its stuff that makes less sense like 'the main character doesnt have an accent while everyone around them does' etc etc

obviously theres still explanations for these things, and theres way more varying types of it, but its just something i like to notice. i wish i could talk about it but i dont even know what id say, i just find it interesting, pretty much

[tonycries]

Haunting You - G.S.

Synopsis. A bIoody trail of vampire attácks, a political marriage, and four suitors you’re forced to choose from - all haunting you. But none as much as the mysterious stranger that makes everything in you scream that you might just be fated for the very thing your kingdom is trying to escape from.

Pairing. Gojo Satoru x Reader

Content. MDNI, fem! princess! reader, king! Gojo, vampire AU, he’s actually ÍNSANE, royalty AU, arranged marriages, creampíes, breéding, fated mátes, FÉRAL down bad Gojo, mentions of bIood and kílling, bíting, óral (fem receiving), spítting, marks (a LOT), fíngering, pórn with plot tbh, overstím, ínnapropriate use of powers, jealous! Gojo, slight inspiration from Persephone and Hades, pet names, swearing.

Word count. 15.8k (HUH???)

A/N. Was listening to Haunted by Beyoncé, and my mind went “ooo vampires.” Hope y’all have a lovely week <3

In all your years being carefully primed to take over the throne, there have only been two rules you were raised under:

You live by the crown, and you will die by the crown. No matter what. 

To stop the vampires - if your father, the king, fails to contain the bloody trail of killings before his own inevitable death, you have to. Or, more according to those tedious meetings with the table of elders, your husband will have to.

And it seems as if they were well and fully intent on enforcing that last rule as of late - with sharply increasing numbers of attacks on your local towns, the public was growing restless - and so was the royal court. 

You weren’t doing any better either - but for a wholly different reason.  

Maybe it was paranoia, but these days, you found yourself constantly catching a flash of crystal blue in the corner of your eye. Or hearing a sweet, sweet whisper in your ear deep at night. Maybe even a soft run of fingers down your spine as you were readied for yet another ball - hands much too large to be any of your ladies-in-waiting.

Like something was watching. 

Waiting. 

“And then I- your highness, are you listening?”

That familiar, grating voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and you’re gasping in embarrassment as you turn back to the prattling man in front of you. 

“My apologies, Lord Naoya.” you smile tightly, desperate to finish up yet another conversation about his latest cavalry expeditions. Nodding dismissively, “Just tired, please continue with your ah- wonderful tales.”

But of course, when he starts right back from the very beginning to “cover the key points you missed”, your stomach turns when you realize that you won’t be escaping any time soon. Great. Wonderful. Perfect.

God, future suitors your ass. You’d been taught that there’s no such company as “bad company” when you’re an heir to a kingdom, but this has been the fourth royal ball this month - and the biggest one yet. The fourth night you had to listen to another uptight lord show off his sparse battle medals, or another elder snide about how you’d be useless against the dangers of vampires.

You knew it was likely some coping mechanism with the grim deaths this week, but surely the nobles were tired of all this silly dancing? You sure were. 

Gauzy dress just a bit too tight, sighs just a bit too loud than was permitted for the princess, you let your gaze wander across the brilliant ballroom. Those intricate gowns, the huge reflective wall, those little pastries you really wish you could walk away from this conversation and-

Blue. 

Crystal blue.

“Wait! Did you see-” you startle, and it disappears as fast as it appeared. Your heavy skirts sway as you whirl around to uselessly track that odd burst of color, “Did you see that?”

“I know!” Naoya gasps, making you turn your head in excitement. “The light reflects off my medal so gorgeously! Oh, and this one-”

Dammit. 

All through your life, it was this same color that’d been flitting occasionally through your vision, now haunting you almost every day.

You didn’t know where to look to find that familiar blue again - and you didn’t want to stand here waiting to find out. At the very least, your ears have definitely been assaulted with enough talk about horses and how “absolutely enormous” Lord Naoya’s weaponry at the Zenin Estate was.

Compensating, you muse.

The thought helps you plaster on a grin to your face, humming in a saccharine-sweet tone, “It pains me to cut through, my lord.” It really didn’t. “And I’d love to chat more later, but I think I hear my lady-in-waiting calling for me.”

He sputters, breathing out a few profanities under his breath that you catch. An arm raising as if to keep you in place, “Now, wait a minute-”

You’re angling your body expertly to make your dash. Batting your lashes deceivingly innocently, “Oh? What was that?” you cup your ear. “I hear her again- I really do apologize, but feel free to recount your valiant um- fairy tales in a letter.”

“But your father-”

Not waiting to hear the rest of his response, you barely even bother with a polite curtsy before determinedly weaving your way through the stuffy ballroom. Nodding by the nobles greeting you, waving past the throng of young lords that wanted to reel you into more conversation. Your satiny feet taking you anywhere but here - anywhere but where you could feel the still, heavy gaze of something burning into your back as you escaped. 

You just prayed that it was only a miffed Naoya and nothing else.

It was around this time that the orchestra struck up another upbeat waltz, and with most people pairing off on the dance floor, barely anyone noticed you tip-toeing out of the ballroom. 

“God-” you’re letting out a sigh of relief when you reach the long hallway, rubbing at your throbbing temples. “The next ball they host, m’gonna conveniently disappear, I swear.”

You didn’t care enough for what matchmaking would happen in the future anyway, no matter what the elders may tell you. 

Your ballgown swishes with every urgent step through the quiet, dimly-lit corridors. Maybe a bit too quiet. 

Strange. You knew that not many nobles would be wandering around the palace during a ball but, surely you can’t be the only one here? Where were the guards?

Just then, a soft winter breeze puffs against your left ear - and you inhale sharply. “Wha- hello?” you shudder, gaze darting around. “Anyone there?” But when only silence greets you, you’re struck with the sudden thought that the windows along the hallway were closed. 

Where did the wind come from?

The realization has you taut with goosebumps pricking at your skin, your pace increasing ever-so-slightly. Gulping, you round the corner quickly, making a beeline for the closest haven you could find - the library.

Ducking past the towering stone archway, you hastily slam the door closed. It takes you a few seconds to get used to the darkness inside. With silvery moonlight ribbons filtering in through the curtained windows, you could just barely make out the rows upon rows of books you’d pestered your father into lining. Surrounded by heavyset tables, and your favorite, cushioned armchair. Luxurious, yet completely dwarfed when seating the lone silhouette-

“If this is an attack, then I surely don’t mind.”

“Fuck-” you scream, reflexively grabbing the nearest book spine you could reach to throw in the direction of the shadow. “Show yourself.”

Somehow, it’s as if the book bounces off an invisible forcefield, plopping down unceremoniously onto the velvety carpet right in front of the tall figure. 

“And here I thought princesses usually curtseyed.” that deep, honeyed voice cuts right through your heavy breathing. He makes a move to get up - languid, and torturous, as if he enjoyed your agonizing suspense. “Well, maybe I do prefer being pelted by a- hey, that doesn’t mean pick up another book!”

In a split-second, you were brandishing a weighty encyclopedia this time - holding it firmly behind your head in a ready stance to throw once again. 

“Show yourself.”

The man sighs, stepping into a channel of low light. It illuminated his stature - taller than you’d thought, towering well above most of the generals in the royal court. Muscled, yet lean - powerful, the thought strikes you. Magnetizing. 

Someone from outside the kingdom, you observe, otherwise you’d have remembered that cloudy white hair, strands falling over a strange, black blindfold stretched across the upper half of his face. Leaving you only a set of high cheekbones, and a pert, pretty mouth to admire.

One that curls into such a mischievous smirk of neat pearly whites, and a tiny dimple digging into his cheek. “Now, I’ve never had anyone this eager to see me.” He drops into a courteous bow at the waist, expensive blue fabrics rippling. “From the North kingdom, Satoru, at your service, princess.”

Your hand falters - partially because of the heavy weight, partially because you recognised that gold “G” insignia in the middle of this stranger- Satoru’s uniform. The Gojo family. 

That mysterious, estranged kingdom from the Northern part of the country that hadn’t been seen since you were young. You’d heard stories of them - everyone in this vast country had, it was impossible not to. Of their cruel winters and even crueler king, how blood stained every room in his palace. It was rumored he was a monster, and yet, no one ever saw his face - if they did, they never lived to tell the tale. 

You knew your father had invited the king to every single ball out of diplomatic obligation, but he’d never attended. Never even bothered to respond. 

So who was this?

“No one. Just a lowly attendant accompanying my king, your highness.” you’re jolting when he purrs, a brow quirking at just how he knew what you were thinking. “The question ah- showed on your face, my apologies.”

Finding your voice, “Um, I apologize, too, Satoru-” You note the lack of a last name, “-for the book. I can’t imagine being hit with Yaga’s 1001 Methods to Crochet was a very warm welcome.” And like a little truce, you’re placing down the encyclopedia in your hand. Flashing him your most practiced smile, “I bet you’re hiding out here for the same reasons as me, then.”

That draws out a pretty laugh from him, bubbly and boyish. “Mhm, the ladies just refuse to leave you alone, too?”

“Well, more like the lords there.”

He hums, something that sends a chill down your spine. Words just a little strained, “Not much for bragging about horses?” 

And suddenly, you get the urge to snark back, huffing in a way you know your preparational teacher would faint at. “Absolutely not. I’d rather face a vampire than listen to Naoya and the “absolutely enormous” weaponry he uses to-”

“-compensate!”

“-compensate.” the two of you finish at the same time. “I like this place a lot better, it’s quiet- though…” your voice trails off in wonder. “It’s strange, guests aren’t supposed to be allowed in the library unsupervised.” His jaw clenches when your eyes sweep him, “We are supposed to have a few guards here but I don’t know where-”

All of a sudden, it’s like you’re being splashed with cold water. And your words are dying on your tongue when the room drops a few degrees in temperature. 

Satoru is unnervingly still, yet he catches onto your slight shiver. “This damned wind, am I right?” And he’s gesturing at the windows with his head. The closed windows. Words tumbling quickly from those pink lips now, “Anyways- why don’t you sit down-” He prowls towards you, slow, confident. Large hands rest at your arms, they’re pale, surprisingly cold - guiding you easily to sit on the unoccupied armchair. “-since m’being nice enough to let you hide out here.”

His words drip with tease, and you still couldn’t see his eyes, but you imagined they’d be twinkling. No one ever dared to speak to you this way - it was always either thinly-veiled condescension or fear towards royalty. 

Surprisingly, you didn’t mind. 

You roll your eyes, trying to hold back your smile. “Yeah? Well what do I owe you in return for that, Satoru?”

His lips part, as if not expecting this response. Before letting out another sharp cackle at your expense, “Well, why don’t you-” You can’t tear your eyes away from his magnetic figure when Satoru begins unbuttoning his flowing coat to reveal a snow-white shirt underneath. Wrapping it snug around your shoulders in one, fluid motion, a hand of his tilts your head towards him. “-give me your soul?”

The Gojo emblem burns into your back, and Satoru’s deep, almost raspy tone rings in your ears. It sounded like a joke - but looking into his ethereal features, there was no trace of a grin on what you could see of it. And once again, you’re struck by the pure power radiating off of him. 

You hoped it was a joke.

“S-soul’s not for sale.” you manage to choke out, trying to make it look like you weren’t breathing in his metallic, peppermint scent. Heady. Pulling the soft fabric tighter around your cold body, “Steep price for a hideout, don’t you think?”

“S’a discount for you, flower.” his chilling breath fans your face. Letting out hushed, “Heh, you should see the prices I charge others.”

You’re reeling, face burning, “Flower?”

“Because you’re shaking like one, see?” The pads of his fingers move from under your chin to trace up, up, up the goosebumps on your exposed arms. Somehow, you can’t bring yourself to pull away.

Hypnotic. 

And his steps are soundless as he walks over behind you, the moonlight giving him an angelic halo. Haunting, almost. “And you’re just as gorgeous, like a wild rose. Way too gorgeous for the fuckin’ bastards out there, might I add, princess.”

The nerve!

Heart pounding, you turn around to- call him out for his disrespect? Snap back? Accept the compliment?

You don’t know - and you don’t get to find out, either. Because before your eyes can search for Satoru’s mysterious figure, the door to the library is slamming open with a deafening bang!

“Ah! There you are!” your lady-in-waiting’s relieved voice floods your ears. And she’s barging in with no comment about your sudden stiffness, or that foreign coat around your shoulders. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you, your highness. His majesty is just about to make his speech of the night and needs you there.”

Shit, out of all the scandals. 

“I- I can explain.” You’re desperately trying to catch Satoru’s eye to make up an excuse for why you’re alone with a strange man away from the ball, shooting from your seat to look around the library. “We’re just-”

The suddenly empty library. 

“Yes yes, I understand that the balls aren’t exactly your favorite pastime.” The oblivious girl is pushing you towards the door, brown eyes narrowed. “But we’ve got to get going now.”

Despite her wrangling you outside, you manage to sneak a few glances backwards, straining to see if he was hiding in the shadows. Only to be met with a now-rumpled armchair and the still, dark bookshelves. As bare as if Satoru never existed - the only proof of his existence being a sad copy of Yaga’s 1001 Methods to Crochet lying on the ground. 

And yet, you can’t help but feel a pair of eyes on you. 

You feel it all through the short walk back to the ballroom, Nobara’s excited chatter about how finely your all-new coat was made filtering through one ear and out the next. Even when you reach the edge of the dance floor, even when you feel every single other eye in the room on you - you feel it. 

“Um, Nobara.” you whisper, discreetly shuffling the coat off your shoulders. “Please take this to my chambers for me.”

The younger girl is positively bursting at the seams, murmuring conspiratorially to you, “So is this where you were? With who- The “G” what does that-”

“Ah! My daughter!” Saved by your father’s booming voice - though, you wouldn’t consider it too much of a salvation when you’re immediately being whisked away to the high platform your father’s throne was seated on. His arms spread wide to greet you in a hug despite stiff etiquette. 

“You’re late.” he whispers in your ear.

It’s all you can do to manage out a quiet, “S-Sorry.”

Without another word, he’s addressing the congregation in the middle of the dance ballroom again. More ruler than father at this very moment. “My people, we are gathered here today to dance, to sing, to forget about the horrors happening in our beloved nation.” To large murmurs of agreement he continues, “And despite it all, it’s a reality we must all live with. Me, especially, as your king, have a duty to fulfill.”

There’s a beat of silence, and you wonder where this is all going - your father never brought up vampires during a time like this. Never. 

Clearing his throat, “And as we all know, I’m not getting any younger here, unfortunately. Which is why-” He claps his hands once, and three figures - one of which being Naoya, amongst two other nobles you briefly recognized - step forward from the crowd. “Ah- there should be one more- Anyway, after thorough consideration with the table of elders, we have decided to go forward with the betrothal process for my dear daughter here. With the joining of hands will not only be the joining of kingdoms - but the joining of arms, and our people shall prevail as one over the vampires.”

You think you might stop breathing, eyes burning and trained firmly on the ground. This had been a topic of conversation - well, more the elders conversing while you skipped out on every meeting once this discussion was brought up. 

You knew this would happen. You knew. But now? At this very moment? All you can do is stand there and listen while he rattles off. 

“I know four of the- erm, three of the most eligible young suitors of the land will do their utmost to vie for her heart - and her hand. No easy task I tell you.” Your fists clench, head swimming. “And in a week’s time, we will hold the grand ball to announce my successor.”

Shit - a week. A week.

Somewhere in your line of vision you see - you feel that spark of blue. And you’re raising your head to cheers echoing from all around the room, and still no sign of where those eyes are. 

“The next time we meet, will be with the future king and queen!”

Fuck. 

---

That night was spent with a few too many tears, and a consoling Nobara at your side all until daybreak. And if you held onto that comforting, peppermint-scented coat through it all, well, you were only glad that you seemed too pitiful for her to question it. 

Feeling much more composed and only slightly less bitter about the prospect of being married off to a stuck-up noble you didn’t know, you made your way to breakfast the next morning. An affair usually spent with your father, or in the palace gardens - but this time, surrounded by four suitors under the guise of getting to know you. Sizing each other up, maybe. 

“Ah, your highness, good morning!” you sweetly reciprocate the greetings once you’re escorted into the dining room, taking your seat at the very end of the long, mahogany table. 

Sighing you take in the scene - on your left was Lord Naoya from last night, the same sharp grins and shifty eyes as you remembered. Seated beside him was the young duke of the Kashimo clan - hair striking, his battle staff laid out next to him on the table. Intimidating. 

But nothing in comparison to the hulking man on your right, it seemed as if his uniform was on the verge of bursting. Face sullen, letting his pink locks fall into place - Sukuna, you think you remember. 

“Your highness.” Ichiji bows, taking his place supervising the breakfast. “I am afraid our guests from the Northern kingdom will not be able to attend this breakfast today. He sends his deepest apologies. B-but-” His face-paled, looking scarred for life. “-he did have his um- attendant send this note-”

You’re gratefully taking the creamy scrap of paper before the words have even left Ichiji’s mouth, flipping it over to reveal slanted, beautiful calligraphy - Apologies for the sudden departure last night, flower. And I hope you forgive my king for not being here to deter the talk of horses - duty holds both man and beast from freedom. Worry not, we will be seeing your sweet smile again soon. But, for now, give those three bastards a rude gesture from me.

You giggle, tucking away the note. A tiny pang of disappointment hitting you out of nowhere at the lack of that gold “G” emblem anywhere along the table - and more importantly, the white-haired enigma that would follow.

All three men were glowering, yet begrudgingly plowing on with their conversation from before as you settled. Not having the energy to contribute, you listened in. 

“-this would never have happened in my estate.”

“Oh buzz off-” Kashimo interrupts Naoya, before throwing a guilty look your way at his crass words. As if you didn’t say worse. “Apologies, your highness. As I was saying-” he turns back to the man. “Don’t think we haven’t heard of those vampire killings in your court that you tried to cover up, your defense isn’t as impenetrable as you want it to seem, Naoya.”

That causes you to raise your brow - and evidently, Sukuna’s as well. “That so? Little fraud, aren’t ya, Zenin?”

The shorter man sputters indignantly, “You- you little- you call me a fraud and yet you’re the only one who didn’t bother to help investigate last night? Got something to hide, oh king-of-curses?”

“Tch, shut up.” That little nickname ticked something off in Sukuna, and his grip on his delicate fork tightens. Smirk intentionally bared to piss off, “It’s just because when the princess marries me, she won’t have to worry about vampires attacking guards in the middle of a ball.”

Wait, what?

“Yeah right, you and what army because I have an absolutely enormous-”

“What do you mean?” Your smooth voice cuts through their bickering, and all three men freeze, gazes snapping to you as if they’d already forgotten you were there. “I didn’t hear about any killings last night.”

If you thought they were tense before then you weren’t prepared for right now - shoulders raising in surrender, for all their blabbering, not a word was uttered after your accusatory question. After a few beats of silence, you scoff in frustration, turning towards your escort, squirming and avoiding your pointed stare at the very corner of the room. 

“Ichiji.” The man looked like he could positively give anything to blend into the meticulously hand-painted flowers on the wall. “Ichiji, tell me what happened.” 

“P-princess!” he yelps, adjusting his glasses. “I- I’m afraid the king said- please I can’t-”

“Ichiji…”

“P-please don’t banish me-”

You’re on your feet now, cornering the poor man. Mentally, you make a note to give him a raise. Eyes narrowing, “I won’t banish you, but as the future queen I have a right to know, don’t I?”

“...”

“...please?”

And the remaining men had been watching with morbid fascination as you worked your magic. They were already aware that the frail attendant was the weakest link out of them all, but what they certainly did not expect was exactly how weak. 

It only took a single bat of your lashes before his pale cheeks colored an almost-concerning pink. Eyes scrunching shut in embarrassment, as the words spilled from his lips. Neverending and slurring with haste as he speaks in one breath, “Th-three of the guards stationed near the outer corridor and library wing were found killed by a vampire last night before you retired for the night, your highness. Their b-bodies were disposed of, and this in combination with all the recent killings was why the king hurried the announcement for your engagement. B-but, his majesty decreed that this never be relayed to you in order to keep you in high spirits after the betrothal eep-!”

“Is- is that so?” you breathe, eyes wide. Taking one last look at the four speechless men, before walking out of the tall doorway. “I seem to have lost my appetite, I will be heading for my chambers now. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay, my lords.”

Shit shit shit - how did you not notice? 

Maybe you walked right past the killer last night and didn’t even realize - who knows what could’ve been hiding in the shadows. How did you not realize? How did you not see?

Just then, a thought strikes you - did Satoru see?

---

It’s one of the whirlwind of questions ringing around in your mind even by the time you hear a steady knock on your door. Jolting you upright from where you splayed out on your plush, silken bed, rows upon rows of books on vampires haphazardly surrounding you.

Peering out of your large window, you notice the hues of pink and red painting the sky, a big red sun just dipping below the horizon - shit, when did you even fall asleep? 

“Come in.” you answer, voice scratchy. Rubbing away the sleep in your eyes, you could barely make out the hazy outline of Ichiji standing in your doorway. 

“Ah- your highness, I apologize for waking you up.” he bows. “But master Kashimo will be headed out for a late-night hunt at this very moment, and requested your presence shall you wish it. He noticed that you seemed upset at breakfast, and wanted to make it up to you.”

You take a moment to mull over the question - it certainly was rude for you to just ignore your guests all day. And considering you might just be marrying one of them, it wouldn’t kill anyone to actually get to know them.

“Alright.” you reply, voice even. And your answer seems to surprise the other man, “Tell Tsukumo to get my gear ready, I will be down as soon as I change.”

“Y-yes, princess! I will call for Nobara to help you get dressed.”

As the door shut once more behind him, you threw off your heavy blanket- and your coat? Satoru’s coat, which had evidently been draped around your upper half. Heart stuttering, you didn’t remember putting that on before…

Hm, you had to thank Nobara for that later.

---

Hunting with Kashimo was, unexpectedly, dull. 

“So…” you drag your words, trying to fill the tense silence. “What is it that we’re actually hunting for-”

“Shhh-” you hear for about the third time this past hour. A brow of yours quirking at the way it seemed like the two of you had been wandering the woods belonging to your kingdom’s estate for hours, and you still didn’t know what it was you were supposed to be looking for. 

Alright, perhaps hunting wasn’t the best opportunity to get to know your potential future husband. 

“My lord…” you call out warily, already aware of the duke’s affinity for hunting. “Maybe we should rest for a bit, after all, the stars are out already and the moon is so bright.”

He barely even turns to look back at you, “No time. The woods belonging to your kingdom have some of the rarest species of cursed animals in this country. I must make the most of this week in that case, your highness.”

You brighten at the closest shred of conversation in so long. “Oh, yes, I’ve heard! I also hear they-”

“Shh!”

So close. 

Letting out a resigned sigh, your eyes glaze over as you watch Kashimo trace his thick fingers over animal tracks on the dirt. Suddenly, gesturing for you to follow him as he sped off in another direction. 

It doesn’t take too long for him to stray out of sight. Meanwhile, your legs lag behind in protest - and pettiness, you realize. Grumbling to yourself about how you’d rather have watched paint dry as you’re sure the elders often did. Well, you look at the now-barren pathway, at least now you didn’t have to worry about someone shushing you all the ti-

“AHH!”

And then, all of a sudden - it felt like you were the hunted. 

It’s like every bit of blood drains from your body at the blood-curdling scream. Grip tightening on your bow, you’re jolting at the direction it came from - where did Kashimo disappear off to again? 

Yet, for how much you knew your kingdom like the back of your hand, it’s so dark. The moon barely peeking through gloomy gray wisps of clouds that you don’t know where exactly you’re running to - just that something was tugging. Reeling you in. No destination in sight until you’re crashing face-first into- a wall?

“Hey, flower, where are ya running off to this late?”

Your hairs raise, something visceral in your body jolting. 

Satoru - blindfold and all.  

“Wh- Satoru thank God you’re here.” you gasp, looking nervously over his broad shoulders. “I heard a scream, and I’m worried about Kashimo because he went somewhere over there and-” You’re pointing aimlessly in his direction, before clasping a hand around Satoru’s defined bicep. Tugging, “You have to help me, that idiot even insisted on no guards because of disturbing the wildlife and I’m so worried and-”

Before you can react, big strong arms are enveloping you. And you’re suddenly hit with the smell of peppermint and Satoru - something so sickly sweet tinging the air, it makes you droop limply into his firm hold. Your skin burns when he breathes in, deep. 

“Shhh shhh, I know I know, princess.” he hums, pulling you deeper against his chest. Until you could feel every dip and curve of his pectorals. “You must’ve been scared, right?” At your hesitant nod, “You did good. You did perfect- in fact. Especially putting up with that pretentious bastard.”

The shocked laugh that drags from your throat has Satoru sighing contentedly, an almost-pained grunt leaving him as he pulls away ever-so-slightly. You felt much the same. 

“S’alright, I’m pretty sure it was some animal.” he soothes. He clasps your hands with his, running a damp thumb over your knuckles. “I saw him trudging about disturbing more wildlife over there.”

You breath catches in your chest at just how close Satoru was now, his breath mingling with yours. Pretty plump lips so close - too close. Yet you’re leaning in closer, like you’re drawn by a thread. “Are you sure? Maybe we should-” You gasp, eyes widening when you look down at where your hands were intertwined - red. Or, what you assumed to be red, a saturated, patchy stain on your hands where Satoru’s met yours. He stiffens when he follows your gaze, trying to pull away, but you only hold your grip harder. “Satoru, are you bleeding? Or is this-”

“Not mine.” his voice is hard - and for a second you have to wonder whether this is really the same Satoru. And you swear there’s a little tremor in his words as he explains, “You see, I went out on a little hunt myself, flower.”

Even if Satoru didn’t have his blindfold on, you’re sure his face would’ve been unreadable. That almost-familiar grin of his is strained. Too strained. Yet, his movements are unwavering as he tries to wipe away the blood. “Must’ve forgotten to wipe down, I apologize for sullying your hands, princess.”

“Let me-” you mutter, taking a hold of the coat around your shoulders to wipe away the blood. Uncaring for what you were dirtying at the moment. “I swear you need to take better care of yourself, Satoru. Seriously.” 

And you didn’t see them - but somehow you could just feel the amusement dancing in Satoru’s eyes. Raising your confused gaze up to meet his, “What?”

He only flashes you a knowing grin, “S’jus’, you’re wearing my coat, your highness.”

Your movements pause, mouth gaping open while you try to pathetically spout out an excuse. “I- I didn’t mean to get this coat dirty, oh my god. I didn’t think-”

“S’alright.” he inches in even closer. A smirk grazing those sinful lips of his, “I actually prefer it like that, you look like mine.” Taking a deep breath, “You smell like mine.” 

And before you can ask about his cryptic message, he’s placing a hand at the back of your waist. A very improper hand that would definitely make the elders gasp in scandal. “We should head back to the palace, it’s getting late. I will escort you, m’sure that born hunter of yours is already halfway back too.”

“Carry me.” you blurt out, your body aching to feel more of him. And before you can retract your words - probably sputter a few apologies, you’re being cradled by a smug Satoru. One hand under your knees, the other supporting you like you’re weightless. 

“Heh, a princess carry for a princess.”

“Oh, shut up.” you grumble with embarrassment when he walks forward slowly, your legs swaying in midair. “Want my soul for this as well?”

And you can feel Satoru’s muscles ripple, you can feel the way his breath hitches in his chest ever-so-slightly. Rumbling as he drawls, “More than you’d know.”

“S’that a discount, too? You still didn’t tell me what you charge others.” you quip, remembering the conversation from the night before. 

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, your highness.”

You’re quirking a brow, something hot churning at the pit of your stomach at that ragged tone to his words. “I’m onto you, y’know.” You stare up at his clenched jaw, highlighted in the dim moonlight. His long, pale neck, the crevices of his blindfold. For a moment, you wonder what it would be like if you could peek under. “Onto you and your absurdly high prices, Satoru.”

He breathes out a shuddering, overly-dramatic shudder. “Mhm, flower, I should be worried.” Before looking up at the sky - and you wondered just how well he could see through his blindfold. “The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?”

That night, you dreamt of long-winded star-gazing and blue, blue eyes. 

---

“What do you mean Lord Kashimo has left for his kingdom?” you hiss, feeling a faint stab of offense. Seriously, were you that awful at hunting? “He didn’t make any indication of it last night.”

And if your careless words made Nobara beam with slight embarrassment, you didn’t take note of it - too caught up in what you’d just heard. Enough so that it takes her next words to bring you out of your stupor, “Exactly what I said, your highness. The lordship and his court have all vacated their wing, leaving behind only a letter of forgiveness for ending the festivities early.”

“Still.” you murmur petulantly. Setting aside another one of your books on Vampire: Mates, Murder, and More. “It’s strange, I thought he was here for the hunting sprees, if not for me.” Your tiara weighs heavy on your head as you turn to your young lady-in-waiting. “I would like for Ichiji to catch up to Kashimo’s traveling party, make sure they’re safe, and send them my well wishes.”

Ha! Take that elders - you’d show them you’re fully capable of holding diplomatic relations as a ruler. 

“As you wish, princess. Additionally, this-” She’s holding out a small pouch of blue fabric that you’d never seen before. “-was found by your bedside when cleaning and I wished to give it back safely.” Before her polite smile drops into a much more devious smirk, “A gift from one of the suitors, perhaps~?”

You gesture for her to hand it over, the silk casing soft under your touch. Detailed. One-of-a-kind, from what your tedious lessons in the history of fabrics had taught you. You didn’t recognize the patterns sewn onto it as something typical for your kingdom - or any other you’d learned about, really.

“M’not sure.” you whisper. Opening the little purse to reveal a flash of gold - a necklace. Thin and intricate, holding a sapphire pendant in the shape of an eye. 

Blue.

A blue you knew too well - the same one that peeked out from every dark corner, that you saw before you slept at night. The one that’s been by your side for years.

Constant. Now coming to haunt you. 

Chills run down your spine, and your fingers tremble at how life-like it looked. Burning into your very soul. 

“Would you like for me to help you put it on?” Nobara asks, mistaking your shock for difficulty. And yet, you don’t correct her - body moving before your mind to simply nod. 

There was only one clasp on the chain - leaving you to worry about the fit. But when it was hooked around your neck, you found that it fit you so perfectly. Like it was tailored to you - and only you. Why was it so perfect?

Why did it capture the exact color you’d been chasing after your whole life - since before you’d even formed memories? Since you were nothing but a surly, teary-eyed little girl that was crying about the dark, babbling about that “blue flash” that no one else ever seemed to see.

“If that will be all, your highness. I will take my leave.” With a nod and a low bow, you’re left all by yourself in your sprawling chambers. Wondering, somewhat in amusement, whether you’d be let off this marriage pact if all the other suitors suddenly left as well. Hell, maybe you could marry whoever got you this necklace since they apparently know you so well. 

And you swear - maybe it was the fatigue from trekking last night, maybe it was the stress from the past month - but you swear the wind picks up in its chilly bite. Howling just low enough that it sounds like a deep, taunting cackle. 

The necklace doesn’t leave its palace around your neck for the next few days. You still didn’t know who’d gifted it to you - right inside your chambers for god’s sake - and if either of the two suitors remaining knew, they didn’t make any indication of it either. 

Three, technically, but it seemed that the more the days passed, the less you saw of the mysterious king of the Northern kingdom. 

While Sukuna and Naoya had taken it upon themselves to woo you by joining you in your daily activities, he hadn’t even shown his face to you yet. You were sure your father would’ve had him humiliated and thrown out of the palace already if he wasn’t afraid for his life. 

But you didn’t mind, because you saw enough of Satoru to make up for King Gojo and Kashimo. The man seemed well and fully intent to stick by your side, talking yourselves well into the night. 

It was on a night like this - sprawled out along the plush armchairs in the very library you’d met, only a few days after Kashimo’s departure - you asked, “Satoru, what color are your eyes?”

That makes him pause in the middle of his extremely animated story about how he’d caught Earl Yaga in the middle of an artistic dance routine. The baritone of his voice cracking so uncharacteristically as he responds with, “Wh-why do you ask, princess?”

“Because.” you roll your eyes. “In four days m’gonna be marrying, and it might just be your king. Yet, I don’t even know his attendant’s eye color - what type of good queen would I be then?”

You knew it was a flimsy excuse, truthfully you just wanted to see Satoru. All of Satoru.

“Not many have wanted to look into my eyes” 

You tilt your head, “How come?”

“Well, I can assure you that they aren’t half as alluring as yours.” Satoru pushes back your tiara ever-so-slightly to reveal your face to him better, fingers dancing down to fiddle with your pendant. “You’re a strange one, aren’t ya, flower?” he chuckles, face inching closer to yours - and for a moment, you think he might do something else. “Tell me, how are the wedding preparations going?”

Ah, right - the wedding preparations. Your wedding preparations, to someone else. 

Did you want him to do something else?

“W-well-” you pull back from his hypnotic presence. Heart lurching, necklace burning cold into your skin. “Sukuna keeps trying to teach me his very particular diet, I swear I’ve spent much more time with Uraume learning it than with him- they’re a sweetheart though, I can’t complain.” Eyes trying to avoid the intensity of his gaze, “Oh- and Naoya still talks about his weaponry, however, I think his Zenin elders had a word with him because he asked to meet me in the gardens tomorrow evening to actually get to know me for once.”

You brave to take a look at Satoru at the end of his spiel - only to be met with a face you never thought you’d see. His mouth a tight gash, jaw ticking, and you could almost hear the grinding of his teeth.

Terrifying. Magnetic. 

Powerful. 

The library was always cold - but you fail to suppress a shiver at the sudden grip in the air. “S-Satoru?”

And suddenly, at the mere sound of your voice, everything clicks back to normalcy. You’re staring that familiar grin painted onto his face again, musing slyly, “How much d’you wanna bet he’ll ask about your weaponry instead?”

“Oh, shut up.”

It’s only much, much later at night when you’re forced to retire early - Satoru slipping past the library earlier than usual with groans of his “attendant duties” that you realize - he didn’t answer your question. 

---

“P-princess, will you be alright going alone? I don’t think-”

“It’ll be alright, Ichiji, I’m just meeting Lord Naoya.” you wave off the stammering man. Tugging your velvety coat snugly around your body, “Honestly, you act like I haven’t been out in the gardens alone before.”

And it was true, since returning from his little meeting with the Kashimo court, your jumpy attendant seemed even more so - and you didn’t even know that was even impossible. Always peeking cautiously behind corners of the winding hallways, always hovering close by you even when his duty didn’t require it. 

He’d told you - in that quiet, shaky voice of his - that Kashimo was well, and headed straight for his kingdom to fulfill emergency duties. To which you’d accepted - you understood the gravity of responsibility, after all. 

“But- but, your highness!” he gasps, pulling you out of your little reverie. “I don’t think- with the way he-”

A spine-chilling breeze rustles the nearby tree, sending shivers down your spine. Howling in your ears. You squint your eyes against the cold, “Sorry, what was that, Ichiji?”

But the man in front doesn’t speak - fuck, you didn’t even know if he was breathing. Face a sickly pallor, mouth gaping open and shut like he wanted to say something - he needed to say something. Yet, he wasn’t even looking at you, wide eyes locked on something over your shoulder. 

“Are you-” Your body holds you back, feeling two burning eyes on you - and you have to force yourself to look over your shoulder. Only to see- nothing? “-are you alright?”

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, you’re turning back to face your attendant - only to see him sprinting back down the entrance as fast as his knobbly legs could carry him. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” you call, hoping it echoed far enough to be heard.

Strange. 

It’s all you can think about for the next half an hour you’re seated on that dainty, painted bench in the middle of the palace gardens, waiting for your potential future husband. And for the next hour. And the next. 

It’s by the time the sun has fully set, when twinkling stars are dotting the night sky that you settle with the conclusion that yes, it seems that Naoya has already made his decision about the marriage. And no it doesn’t end with a wedding. 

“Dammit.” you spit, running a hand through the hair you had Nobara fuss about with. “S’not like I wanted to marry you anyway, bastard.”

And you didn’t - you really didn’t. Whenever you dared to imagine walking down that decorated aisle, Naoya was the last person you saw.

But seated alone and abandoned, trying to cover yourself from the biting chill of the night, you never felt more like an unworthy heir. Fuck, if no one wanted to marry you how would you even dare to think of taking over the throne?

Maybe you should just-

“We have got to stop meeting like this, flower. S’like you’re haunting me.”

“Satoru!” you gasp, throwing yourself into his embrace. You’re reaching up to loop two arms around his neck, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. That asshole had the audacity to stand me up.” Pulling back so your face ghosts his, “I got all dolled up just for him to leave me like this. As if I wanted to be with him, I was just trying to be a good- a good h-host and-” 

Suddenly, you’re struck with the realization of how close you two actually are. You could count every crease on his blindfold, pinpoint exactly where every dimple at the corner of his grin was. 

Your hands slide their way down to his sculpted chest, pushing slightly. “-I apologize, this was forward of me.”

But his arms only tighten around your waist - when did they even get there? Large and steady, pulling you back to nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck, your racing pulse. “Stay.” he groans, and he sounds slightly out-of-breath, heavy exhales tickling your ear.

“We can’t be caught like this, Satoru.” you breathe, but that familiar little tug has you shuffling closer. Breathing in that familiar metallic sweet scent you’ve grown to love, “I- I’m getting-” Bile creeps up at the back of your throat, and you laugh bitterly. “I think I’m getting married in three days, y’know? To Lord Sukuna, I assume, since two of my suitors ah- ran away and the other refuses to even see my face.”

His thick fingers dig deeper into the extravagant corset at your waist, “I know. Fuck- don’t I know.”

It’s a steady beat of silence, so still. So tense you could hear every stuttering heartbeat of yours, and strangely enough, you had the nagging feeling that he could, too. 

“You could just marry me.” Satoru’s abrupt confession breaks the silence, and you find yourself sinking deeper into his soft coat. Wrapping yourself up in his heady presence. “Be my queen. You wouldn’t have to worry about duties or elders or- or vampires.”

And the night was still. So still. 

Despite the way your heart races, eyes blinking up in disbelief, you find it in yourself to deadpan, “F-funny. Do I have to give you my soul for that as well?” Oh, some stupid little part of you think you might just have.

And you’d expected Satoru to crack a laugh, to give you a teasing smile while he carried on that little inside joke between the two of you. You’d expected him to no sooner shove you off and talk about it being late. Hell, a part of you even expected this to be some elaborate set-up from the elders to get you caught in such a compromising position with the no-longer stranger from the Northern kingdom. 

But, no. It’s anything but that - everything but that. 

Because the taller man only rasps, nose-to-nose now, “No.” Sounding like his sanity was slipping away from him with every breath, fingers making their dance down to twirl your sapphire pendant between them. “I’d give you mine.”

You can feel his breath fanning your cheeks, head dipping slowly - so torturously slowly. As if he was giving you ample opportunity to run away if you wanted to. But you don’t think you could move for the life of you. 

Instead, you’re dipping closer, gliding the tip of your thumb over his defined cheekbone. Mere millimeters away - just one push. Another hand of yours steadies at the back of his neck, feeling those snowing locks under your fingers. 

One. 

Your thumb dips just under the seam of his blindfold - unwillingly. 

“Your highness.” Satoru’s voice is cold, his fingers lacing with your own even colder. Something eerie. And even with the delicate touch you could feel the power thrumming through Satoru’s body. “This is for you.”

You can only stand there in shocked silence as the moment shatters, and he produces a wild rose as if out of thin air. “Consider it from King Gojo.” Touch searing against yours when he hands it to you, you feel drunk off of him “Perhaps the night is late now.”

Right. The king. 

When you’re walking back in the directions of the palace’s warm lights, you don’t think you’ve ever felt safer. Strangely enough. 

“Satoru.”

“Yes?”

“I’m onto you.”

“You’re onto me.” he’s tucking the bloom over your ear. Before stepping back into the inky pool of shadows beside the entrance you came from. “Sweet dreams, flower.”

That night, when you tuck yourself into bed, you swear you hear a faint whisper of those same three words lulling you to sleep. Over and over. 

Sweet.

Dreams.

Flower. 

---

Floral preservation was one of the lessons you’d been forced to attend growing up in the palace, but even you didn’t know how that wild rose Satoru gifted you hadn’t wilted yet. 

It remained as fresh and prim as the night it was picked, bluish pink petals never fading. You didn’t keep it safely in a bowl of water amongst the other plants and flowers in your bedroom. Somehow, never out of place, always tucked safely behind your ear in the days that followed. Perhaps it was improper to keep it on you even when you were being fitted into an engagement gown to be promised off to another man. But Satoru didn’t complain, and you didn’t either. 

With Kashimo departing for his kingdom early, and Naoya apparently following in his footsteps due to “irrevocable differences”, it was now almost confirmed that the future king was to be Lord Sukuna. Not like King Gojo had made any effort to reach out - and Satoru hadn’t mentioned it either. 

Satoru. 

Things were…the same after that night, and you didn’t know what to make of it.

It must be done, you sigh, wincing at the pinch of the flowing white dress being suited onto you by the bustling tailor. At least it could be worse, even if you’d rather…

“Honestly, young people these days.” Yaga speaks up from where he was fussing with the silken hem of your gown for tomorrow. “I heard of that Naoya brat leaving out of nowhere, princess. My condolences.” 

“Ah-” you startle, not expecting to be addressed. “It’s not your fault, we likely didn’t mesh all that well. I just wish he left a note- Honestly, I’m lucky to even have a suitor left after these six days.”

Another grimace leaves you when you feel another tweak of pins pricking at your skin. The other man hums lowly, “Don’t say that, anyone would be lucky to have you. Anyway-” He gets up from his position kneeling, towering over you to admire his own work. “How do you like it, your highness?”

You let out a gasp when you face the floor-length mirror, “Oh my god, it’s perfect.” The dress was regal, decadent. With flowing tresses resembling a petals, and gilded gold and blue weaved into the fabric. 

Blue. 

“I fashioned it after that necklace and flower of yours.” You unwittingly reach for that familiar pendant, “I ah- forgive the assumption, but I assumed you would be wearing them both at the betrothal ceremony tomorrow, princess?”

Taking another long look in the mirror, you nod, “Yeah. I will.”

---

“I knew it.” he laughs shrilly. “I fuckin’ knew there was something wrong with you. As soon as I saw you butterin’ the princess up in the library, I knew you were a fuckin’ freak.”

The other man only responds with ominous silence, letting labored breathing cut through the bone-chilling air. Clearly unsatisfied, “What? Not gonna talk now? Aren’t ya just in it for the crown like me? Have the bitch, just give me the crown.” Goading now, “I bet you’re not even an attendant are ya- I know what you are-”

His words are cut off with another choked-up gasp, followed shortly by a strained growl. “I know- what you are-”

Red stains the marble floor - a problem for later. 

“I know, King Gojo.” And it’s the last thing he sees. “And you’ll reap what you sow, she’ll never love you.”

Blue. 

“You’ve haunted me too long, flower.”

“Satoru–!” you scream, throwing your soft bed sheets off your body. 

It was burning - you were burning, gasping for the cold lungfuls of air that filled your empty bedroom. Mind bleary, distantly, you register that it’s around daybreak - tiny fingers of golden sunlight just barely dipping through your window - your open window. 

Hastily, you’re tumbling out of bed to slam it shut. Heart still pounding when you take in the mess of flower petals from those congratulatory bouquets you’d gotten. Ruined. Only the stems left in the vases after that sudden, chilling wind. 

“What-” Your eyes dart around to look over your dresser, where you always kept Satoru’s wild rose. And a shiver creeps down your spine when you realize it lay snug tucked behind your ear, safe and sound. Exactly where you didn’t keep it. “-happened?”

You couldn’t settle back into bed after that - couldn’t even think about it. So you find yourself reaching for your wardrobe of dresses, running your fingers along the intricate gown made for your engagement ball tonight. Your engagement to Sukuna. 

If this was the nightmare, and tonight was to be the dream - why did your stomach turn so?

---

It was difficult convincing Nobara to let you keep the wild rose on after getting ready. 

“But that’s so last season.” she bemoans. “No offense, your highness, but even old lady Ogami wouldn’t be caught dead wearing flowers in her hair these days.”

You’re giving her your best puppy dog eyes, “Please, Nobara?”

“No.”

“I’ll let you raid my exclusive wardrobe the next time you want to play dress-up?”

“...”

Which was how you found yourself shoved into a dress that was way too gorgeously palatial, barely even having the time to admire the lush gold and blue decorations around the sparkling ballroom before you were being ushered next to your father on his throne. 

You fiddle with your ringed fingers, feeling more and more like a lamb sent to slaughter - a very opulent slaughter - with each step. 

“I am so proud of you for this week, and you look absolutely divine, my love.” your father whispers into your ear once you’re up on the crushed velvet platform. “I hear from Ichiji that you know, I apologize we couldn’t go through with this marriage under better circumstances.”

You shake your head, giving him a calm smile - you’d already forgiven him, sometimes there was duty far greater than any man. 

“My people, as promised, we are gathered once more to celebrate the joining of two hands - and two kingdoms.” The king projects his voice out to the eager crowd, “Together, these two young loves will face their duty. They will face the dangers. They will face our future.”

The thought had you clenching your fist into the soft fabric of your gown, looking down at your feet in a bow. 

“As I did with my father before me - God rest his soul - the future king and queen will oversee their responsibilities to protect our people from those treacherous vampires. The elders-” he stops short, eyes widening at the empty seats on the balcony - where the table of elders always sat. Abandoned. Chilling. “...have decreed, in accordance with our princess, to introduce my daughter to you all as our future queen-”

Your father gestures a hand your way, and you step forwards to cheers, still not daring to look up. And all you could see were two, gold-toed boots stepping into your field of vision.

“-and our future king!”

“Look up, flower, this is the best part.”

Gasping, you raise your head - Satoru.

“Y-you?” 

He smiles that pearly smile at you, one that makes your knees weaken, “Me.” Before leaning down conspiratorially,  “Better get moving now, the king just declared that the big bad Northern king and the precious princess will have their first dance as a couple.”

It felt like you were moving through a dream as you slip your hand into his, flinching at the feeling of his cold lips meeting the back of your hand.

The crowd of whispering nobles part to make a path for the two of you, and Satoru is so gentle when he leads you into the middle of the dance floor. Weightless on his feet, swiftly placing a burning hand on your waist - just below where the elders would consider proper. 

The other intertwining with yours, you barely even register the slow, romantic tune playing from the orchestra. 

“I bet you have questions.” he whispers, breath fanning your cheeks. 

You take in his tall figure, the rows of medals, gleaming only half as bright as the smile that makes its way onto your face. Hissing, “That doesn’t cover the half of it, King Gojo.”

“I-I apologize. I can’t apologize enough but-”

“Though, I did have a nagging feeling about the fifth time you talked yourself up.” you smirk.

Satoru throws his head back in a loud cackle, echoing through the hushed crowds - no doubt gossiping about this being the Northern king, that fearful beast that ruled over the Gojo family. “I know.” His hand comes up momentarily to brush over your sapphire necklace, “And I’ll spend our entire lives making it up to you, flower.”

Goosebumps dance down your arm, your spine, right down to where Satoru held a firm grip on your hip. You two waltz around the edge of the dance floor, perfectly in time. Through the crowd of grumbling lords, the orchestra, past the table of foods.

“And exactly how long would the rest of our lives be, Satoru?”

Slowing right in front of that huge, reflective wall. 

You couldn’t see his eyes, but his biting gaze was all you could feel. 

Lingering on the blue pendant nestled at your chest, the everlasting wild rose tucked behind your ear, the mirror to your right - where the twin image of you shone. Powerful, gorgeous, everything that a monster like him could never have because he wasn’t standing there right next to you. His kind never could. 

In the back of your mind, you registered collective gasps sounding all around you - the rest of the ball attendees that’d also taken note of the lack of Satoru’s reflection. But your eyes stay locked on him. 

A thumb hooks under his blindfold, and he grimaces. “You really were onto me, huh, flower?”

Tugging. 

Your fingers tighten around his, unable to let the most fearsome of creatures escape from your grasp. “You must’ve been onto me, too, Satoru.”

Pulling. 

All you see is a flash of a regal nose bridge, and the flutter of thick white lashes - before every single chandelier in the ballroom snuffs out at once. Cloaking the room in unnatural darkness, it sends every single knight and noble into a frenzy. 

And then, he opens his eyes. 

“IT’S HIM-”

“A body! A BODY FOUND IN THE ROYAL GUEST SUITE–

“VAMPIRE! STAY BACK-“

Oh, it’s blue. 

That crystal blue. 

And then it’s black.

---

SLAM!

“If you must kill me.” Satoru’s voice sounds from somewhere above you. You blink away the darkness, feeling your bleary gaze try and adjust to that unfamiliar high ceiling, the outlines of hauntingly beautiful paintings on it. His ragged breaths cut through your thoughts once more, hastily folding your hand to grip your pendant. “If you must kill me, then I prefer you do it with your own hands, princess.”

You can’t tell whose hand is trembling more - yours or his. Distantly, you realize you’re being pushed up against a luxuriously padded wall, one you’d never seen before in your life. 

Where were you?

“The Gojo palace- Please-” he reads your mind, voice breaking at the end of his plea. Gasping - and you can discern two elongated teeth at his canines. Fangs, you realize with a shiver. “You may leave if you want to, you may kill me for what I’ve done. My life is in your hands.”

“Satoru.” you soothe in a hushed voice, despite the way your head was reeling. The Gojo palace? “I won’t kill you.”

“But-”

“Satoru, what does this necklace mean?” You beg, and at this point, you’re not surprised that the necklace is from him - because it was an exact replica of the two burning eyes staring back at you. The only source of light right now, glowing a blue you’d finally found after a lifetime. “Why did you-” you gulp, heart lurching. “Why did you hand me your…life?”

Soft lips play right over your rapid pulse, murmuring into your skin, “S’my soul.” A long, pale index of his plays with the pendant. “The only part of my soul that’s living, gilded into a necklace to be kept in the safest place I know. You.”

“But-” you cry out, trying to get another look at his eyes - but your fiancé only kisses deeper at your neck. Nibbling at the thundering beat just below. “But why did you give it to me?”

“Who else would I give it to, if not for my mate?”

Mates - there were a thousand and one books and official documents detailing everything from a vampire’s killing pattern to the aphrodisiac toxins found in their blood. But the research on a vampire’s mate was far and few between.

Perhaps owing to the lack of willing mates that can come out without persecution, or perhaps due to the vampires’ intense rumored mating rituals. But it didn’t go without its own gossip, you were no stranger to the ladies of the court tittering about how morbidly “romantic” it was that mates were akin to soulmates - how it was an invisible string connecting two people to share a life, a soul. 

A vampire’s one and only mate.

Satoru was pinning you harder to the wall now, his pink tongue darting out to lick over your pulse. The fingers holding onto the necklace were now tilting your chin up at him, “Speak to me, flower.”

“I’m your mate?” you whimper, your lips ghosting over his. Already knowing the answer, but fuck you needed to hear it from him. “What does that mean exactly?”

He lets out a pained grunt, pressing his forehead gently against yours. “It means you’re the other half of my soul. My only one, I was born for you.” Pressing a chaste peck on there - and you swear you could feel the nip of two sharp canines against your skin. “The one I’ll fight heaven and hell for, until the very last beat of my cold, dead heart.” Your fingers curl at his shoulders when his mouth moves to the shell of your ear. “The one I’ll kill for, take out every measly scum that thinks they can get with my mate.”

He huffs out a burst of cold laughter when your breath hitches, probably reading over the thoughts running through your mind - Satoru killed them. The guards, Kashimo, Naoya- fuck, maybe even Sukuna. He killed them. He killed them. He killed them. He killed them. 

You shiver, “A-and all the wind? The whispers? I thought it was just you these past week b-but- All my life, that was you?”

You know. You knew. 

Another kiss - this time to the corner of your eye, and Satoru licks a long, content stripe up the big fat tears unwillingly welling up behind your eyes. He groans at the salty taste of you, taking in a long, drawn-out breath. “Yes.”

All it takes is that single word for your entire body to collapse, thankfully onto an awaiting Satoru. He holds your entire body weight with one hand around your waist, the other coming up to swipe his thumb under those tears rolling down your cheeks now. 

He kisses your cheek, “All your life.” The corner of your lips, “And all of mine.” 

Run away run away run away run away-

But you can’t - you don’t want to.

Your lips wobble when he nuzzles down your face, leaving a trail of hot kisses with his cold, cold mouth. “As soon as I learned to use my powers - was just a brat you see - I just had to see my mate. To smell her scent.” He’s inhaling deeply again, hands groping over your engagement gown. “Lo and behold, there was you. A cute lil’ princess around my age, tuckered out and fast asleep.” Lingering at your jaw, the hand tight around your waist pulls you painfully closer. Satoru’s knee wedging itself between your trembling thighs, “Imagine my surprise when she took one look at me and cried. Scared me enough to teleport outta there as soon as you opened that smart mouth, flower.”

And the thought of Satoru - tiny and determined - teleporting halfway across the land only to be yelled at by you has you huffing out a shock of laughter.

“So when I heard through the grapevine about your potential engagement, fuck- I couldn’t have ran out of this palace faster. Was so excited I fuckin’ forgot to teleport, too. Even if you were afraid of the ‘cruel Northern king.’” 

Fuck - that’s right. He must’ve heard your thoughts that time you met him in the library. 

Satoru’s tone drops to a low simper, so close now that you could feel every slight curve of his grin. Every twitch of his fingers sweeping up and down your exposed skin, feeling the delicious thrum of your veins. He could bite you right now - easily.  “And luckily, as I grew up, so did my ability to blend in with the darkness.” Eyes boring into yours, something so vulnerable in them now. “But you found me, you always did.”

“Satoru.” you angle your head upwards. “Kiss me.”

And how could he ever deny you?

You wince at the slight pinch of Satoru’s teeth - his fangs - as he crashes his lips into yours in a greedy kiss. Sliding his tongue over to taste those candied lips he’s been dreaming of for years. 

“Fuck-” he breathes out through his nose, jaw sagging open further to kiss you deeper. “Fuck, princess.”

Strong arms pin you harder against the wall, and you’re blindly reaching out to reciprocate even a fraction of Satoru’s neediness. Just dragging your hips up and down his muscled thighs. Sinful. 

Shit, it was so endearing to him seeing you struggle to touch him this way. And with a flick of a wrist, the candle chandeliers hung high above your heads are lighting up at once. “S’that better, flower?”

It takes every bit of will in you to manage to pull away, yet the thought of seeing Satoru - of really seeing Satoru is what spurs you to break the kiss. Delicate strings of saturated spit snapping in the non-existent air between you two, you take a long look at your new husband.

Fuck, he was so pretty.

You always knew he was. 

But even with his face tilted downwards, within the soft light tinting those snowy strands a sunset yellow - you could make out the pretty pink flush all the way from his glossy, ravaged lips, up, up, up to his delicate cheeks - he looked like the last thing from a monster. 

“No you’re pretty.” he hums, and you’re still not used to him reading your mind. Head nodding downwards, “Just look, grinding on my thigh like such a slut.”

What met you was a dark pool of slick saturating his trousers,  just peeking out over the hem of your dress. It makes you give another lingering, experimental grind.

“Satoru—” you’re letting out a honeyed drag of his name, reveling in the way it makes him swallow heavily. “You can hear my thoughts, right?” Look at me. 

Slowly - but surely - familiar blue meets yours. Half-lidded, pupils blown, and if you didn’t know any better you’d have said there were tiny sparks of lightning at the corners of his long white lashes.

You’ve been haunting me my whole life, Toru.

And it was an accident - it really was, your freshly kissed brain too hazy to slur out Satoru’s full name. But the impromptu little nickname has him dragging forwards like he was magnetized. 

A low growl escaping when he’s kissing you again. And again. And again and again and-

“Say it-” Two hands are tugging at those tedious ribbons tying your decadent gown together. Pulling. “Say it again f’me.” Ripping. 

The more his lips are assaulting yours, the more the dress slips further and further down your shoulders. Tattered. The soft satin leaving goosebumps down your spine as it reveals your neckline - all that skin for him to ruin. To mark. 

“Oh-” you’re squealing when one of Satoru’s fangs prick a bit too hard at your lip. Feeling a hot flow of crimson bleed out, the feeling has you so weak. So drunk. “Quite eager, aren’t ya?”

“You have no idea.” he groans again. Soft tongue moving from swirling around your own to lazily pool your blood on it. And you can’t imagine what about the metallic taste would be so euphoric, but he’s letting out his loudest drag of your name yet. Eyes rolling to the back of his head like he’s just tasted a personal slice of heaven. “Fuck- fuck you have no idea.”

You moan into the kiss when he bites down again on your already-bruised lower lip, “I’ve always wanted to do this-” Slow, slow hands kneading up your waist, at a dizzying tempo matching his mouth down your jaw, your neck. Hips bucking, you feel the outline of something so hard between his legs. “-to kiss you. To-” Tethering on the sensitive area of your pulse, “-bite.”

In a split-second, you’re sinking down into plush silk sheets, swallowing you whole in a king-sized bed you didn’t even realize was in the room before. 

“S-Satoru, did you teleport us again?” you gasp, eyes adjusting to the intricate paintings on the ceiling that you hadn’t gotten to admire before. Of white-haired youths and roses, of cold, dark palaces and- and you. 

You - when you were younger, sleeping peacefully while a little boy watches intrigued from the corner. You - passed out in the library after a long night of reading, two pale hands wrapping a blanket around your shoulders. You - your brows furrowed, head cocked while you pushed past nobles to search for that flash of his blue. You, you, you.

You. 

“I can hear the gears in that pretty head turning.” Satoru grins, still kissing you in a languid graze of lips. “And as much as I love it when you hah- admire my lonely paintings, I’d rather you pay attention to-” A low groan curdles at the back of his throat when he’s grinding his massive clothed erection against the syrupy spot at your core. “-me.”

There’s a dark little huff of laughter and with one last bite at the side of your neck, Satoru’s unapologetically tearing right through the middle of your gown. 

And you know it’s made with the finest fabrics the country has to offer, you know that no normal man should be able to even rip a tiny shred through your dress - but Satoru is no ordinary man.

Your spike of disappointment is quickly overshadowed by cold breath hovering over your exposed tits. “Oh, so perfect f’me.” he’s groaning, deep and primal. Biting down on your hardened nipple, “Ya think those uptight elders your court has- ah, had would appreciate me desecrating their precious princess before marriage?”

Through gasps, you peek down at his wicked tongue, swirling around the sensitive spots of your areola. “Who- who gives a shit.”

“So feisty.” The peaks of your tits are left coated in him as Satoru pulls away. “So addictive.” Pinching your soft flesh between his teeth - just hard enough that you worry he’s out to draw blood again. “So- so-” 

Words are failing Satoru’s sharp mouth as he kisses his way down your body. The valley of your chest, your stomach, your hips.

Down, down, down-

“Fuck, Satoru-” you’re hissing when he easily pulls the pathetic remains of your dress off and onto the floor. The rest of your inner skirts easily following afterwards. “Are you gonna…”

“M’afraid not.” he licks sloppy circles at the skin of your thighs. Tasting, nipping, leaving little marks with his fangs for later. Sloppily soothing his tongue over the tiny droplets of blood beading from the bites, he murmurs stubbornly, “Not until you address me correctly.”

Hesitantly, you reach out a limp hand to thread through his dampening white tresses. Tugging softly to lock those devouring blue eyes with yours, “Please, Toru?”

You get absolutely no warning when he kisses right through that flimsy excuse of your drenched panties to slide his tongue up and down your sopping wet slit. Up and down up and down up and-

“Sh-shit, Toru-” you moan when he’s just dipping the very tip barely past your puffy folds. The fabric of your underwear still sticking to you, “Stop being such a tease, goddammit ngh-”

“Why?” Of course, he toys with your patience even now, addicted to those needy whines falling from your lips. “I jus’ wanna play with my princess’s pretty pussy. What am I getting out of it?” 

You smirk, not even having to move your pretty mouth to know you had him in the palm of your hand already. I’d be your mate for life. 

It’s all you can do to watch with satisfaction as the great Gojo Satoru gasps - gasps. Slick-glossed lips falling into a soft oh! Hazy eyes widening almost-comically, and at full heady attention while he takes a few seconds to mull over your words. 

RIP!

In an instant, your soaked underwear is ripped clean off to bare your dripping cunt for him, wrapped tightly around Satoru’s fingers and disappearing down below to where your imagination couldn’t handle. 

“Oh, such a pretty pussy.” he coos, thumbing apart your puffy folds to admire your lewdly winking cunt. Glistening and so so needy, you jolt when he bullies two long fingers past your sloppy entrance. With your greedy hole swallowing every slender inch of Satoru’s fingers easily, “So needy too. This all f’me?”

As if to prove his point, his pink lips wrap around your throbbing clit, grinding his tongue over the ravaged tip. The harsh texture of his tastebuds rolling over every inch of you he could reach.

“Y-yes-” you squeal, hips bucking down mindlessly to try and match his relentless tempo. “S’only for you.”

“Tha’s what I love to hear-” Satoru’s cheeks hollow when he sucks on your sensitive little nub - hard. “Sweeter than I even imagined, shit-”

Every pump of his merciless fingers in and out of your cunt drags along your gummy walls. Deftly curling to prey at those hidden sweet spots of yours he just knew would wrench out such throaty moans from you - and fuck, Satoru thinks- no, he knows that the sound is is favorite song. 

“You’re makin’ me- hah making me fall in love all over again.” he gruffs out into your cunt. The pads of his fingers pressing into the cushiony ends of your pussy. “Because look how messy you are- how loud.”

You didn’t know if he had mind-control powers on top of mind-reading, because it’s as if you’re on auto-pilot when your lolling head is whirling down to look at the absolute sin made of you below. Satoru - running his mouth a mile a minute to send white-hot vibrations along your clit. His milky fingers buried knuckle-deep to stretch out your poor cunt. Your sweet sweet juices drooling all over them in such an obscene sheen down his palm, his wrist. 

He whines, “Makin’ me wanna-” You jolt when he’s biting down so dangerously around your clit. “Wanna-”

Satoru doesn’t end up finishing his sentence - and he doesn’t have to. 

Because he’s pausing his make-out with your clit to spit once. Twice. A thick thumb swiping at the intentional splatter of saliva marking your skin, before surging forwards even deeper - you didn’t even think that was possible. But Satoru has the tip of his nose rubbing methodical circles against your clit, jaw grinding at the base of your pussy, tongue flattening out your pussy lips.

Messy. Harsh. 

“Oh- oh my god, Toru-” you’re keening at the feeling of his wet muscle trying to squeeze in past the fingers still continuing their assault on your entrance. “It- it won’t fit–”

“Shhh shhh, s’okay, princess.” he hushes, letting another round glob of spit wet your clingy pussy. “You can take it. You will - otherwise how are you gonna take your husband, hm?”

That little comment has connotations that make your plushy walls clamp down vice-like around his fingers - his tongue. And you’re angling your head just right, blinking away the lustful haze in your eyes to spy down at the rapid, jerky movements of his other hand. Devouring gaze dropping down to-

Oh. 

Oh fuck.

It was difficult to even look at the sight below - your panties, soaked and completely see-through with slick and precum, wrapped prettily around what you could make out to be Satoru’s aching cock. Standing proud, twitching wildly with every drag of his fist up and down his glistening length. 

“Fuck-” he groans, taking the opportunity to devilishly slip his tongue past your feeble entrance. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck- y’like this, huh?” Drawled out little praises now muffled as he fucks you on his tongue the way he wished he could with his cock. In and out in and out in and out. Pulling back to eye your gaping hole, “I can feel y’getting wetter for me is it because-” Before surging back forwards, as if he’s addicted. “Because-” Again.“Fuck don’t clench around me that way. Was hard enough trying not to fuck you stupid right there in the middle of the ballroom.” 

You whine, tears flowing down freely at the sheer pleasure at this point. “Y-you-” you gasp, your five fingers splaying out over Satoru’s head. Pushing even harsher, “You hngh- talk too much- m’so close-”

Partially because you really needed those pretty lips back at your heated core, partially because every word tumbling from his mouth had you throbbing embarrassingly, your slick spreading a glossy sheen on the sheets underneath you. 

“Oh yeah? Heh, anything for you, flower.” Satoru grins such a sly, sultry grin and you feel it against one set of your swollen lips. “Absolutely anything.”

In and out in and out. He has his brows furrowed now, concentrated on having every flick and divot of movement pushing you closer and closer towards the edge. Faster. Sloppier. You have half the mind to wonder whether it didn’t hurt - whether Satoru’s tongue wasn’t cramping up from how fast he was going, whether his fingers weren’t tired already.

Out of the corner of your spotty vision, you can see those stuttering squeezes of Satoru’s hand speed up. Trying desperately to match each bullying push of his tongue and his fingers into your overstuffed pussy. 

The thought makes you whine, “Oh my god- Toru, m’gonna cum.” And shit, at this point it’s too much. You couldn’t think - you couldn’t even breathe. “M’so close please.” Barely able to even register anything but Satoru Satoru Satoru-

It’s why you don’t even realize at first when you’re finally cumming - Satoru does, though. He feels it in the way your heavenly walls are closing down on his fingers, clenching around him so tight that it was almost difficult to fuck you through your orgasm. Waves of electric pleasure crashing into you and you think you’re drowning.

“Tha’s it.” he rasps. “Cum f’me like that, tha’s it- thaaat’s it, such a good lil’ wife- a perfect mate.” 

The fingers stuffed deep inside your pussy are being pulled out in a flash - not letting you waste a moment of your heady high before he’s toying ravenously with your swollen clit. Pinching, and rolling between two soft fingers. 

“O-oh fuck, m’-cumming? M’cumming m’cumming-” you moan deliriously, mind just now catching up. Your hips drag your sloppy pussy all over Satoru’s pretty face. Just drenching his noble features with your gushing mess. “Feels too ah- good, Toru.”

And he takes it like it’s everything he needs - everything he’s ever wanted. 

Jaw falling slack to let your juices slide down his throat, tongue lolling out flick your spasming cunt through your high. Unstopping. Unwavering. 

Even when your vision stops tingeing with black at the edges, even when you think you’re sane enough to form a coherent thought. Even when your climax is bating enough that every flick of Satoru’s tongue only sends almost painful thrums of pleasure down your spine.

“W-wait m’done-” you sob, tasting the salty stream of tears splashing down your face now. “S’too sensitive- ngh-”

When he doesn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon, you try again - this time thinking the embarrassing thought out loud. I…I really want you inside me now, Toru. Please?

And he pauses - jolting, as if some dark, primal part of him had just been called back to life. Tongue still hot on your cunt, fist still greedy around his rock-hard shaft. 

“F-fuck you’re gonna be the death of me, flower.”

And before, you couldn’t get enough of those striking blue eyes, but now you couldn’t escape them.

With inhuman speed, he’s shuffling up the soaked sheets. “An absolute fuckin-” Slick-glossed lips meet yours, smearing along the combination of juices till the lower half of your face was as dripping wet as Satoru’s. “-minx, y’know that?”

“Wh-what can I say?” you tilt your head with a smirk, lips a bit too loose than you’d like - but it didn’t matter anyway, he was in your thoughts. Your mind. “I’m your mate, after all.”

He falls back onto his knees at that sinful little sentence of yours, throwing his head back in a guttural groan. “Fuck- you’re mine alright. See what you hah- do to me? See how this is all your fault?” 

If Satoru expected an answer, then he doesn’t receive it. Because every snippy little retort on the tip of your tongue melts when you get a long, hard look at the angry shaft in his hand. So red and angry. Thick enough that you felt your cunt quiver already.

Delicate with prominent veins that glistened and throbbed down his long, long length with each slew of his vigorous fist. And his tip- fuck, blushed your favorite shade of weepy pink, slobbering a sheen of precum all down his wrist, his tufts of cloudy white. 

And you realize with a jolt that he still had your panties wrapped around him - looking so tiny around Satoru’s massive cock. 

Wordlessly, your hand replaces his.

“W-woah- fuck-” His toned waist flexes with the effort to fuck up into the soft cushion of your palm. “How the- ngh how the fuck does your fuckin’ hand feel this good?”

“You’re so big- fuck, don’t know how I’d- Wait you never imagined this?” you bat your eyes up with faux innocence. A thumb gliding over that deep divot on the very tip of his fat head. “Because I sure have, Toru.” 

Satoru’s heavy balls smack against your arm when he shuffles down his pants even further, now fully letting you go ahead with your agonizing torture. “Shit-” he yelps, eyes screwing shut at the image. “Don’t- don’t say that, holy shit.”

You toy with your scrap of panties, massaging every ridge and curve with it. Just dragging your hand up and down. “Would you rather I think it instead?”

Within milliseconds, two sharp fangs are poised right above your rapid pulse, a hand around your throat. “No- no no no no-” Satoru gasps, sounding like he was at the end of his rope. And it takes him a few blinks to realize his position, immediately moving his lips up to nip at your jaw. “Fuckin’ no.” Hard enough that another red pearl of blood drips out, instantly being sucked up greedily by your fiancé. “Gonna make me lose it before I-I ngh-”

With a pained growl, he suddenly has you sitting so prettily on his muscular lap. Your legs splayed out like such a slut, needy cunt slobbering all over where you were sat right on his demanding erection. 

By the time you’re realizing your helpless position, it’s too late - and Satoru’s already shrugging off the rest of his pants. Buttons hitting the floor when he just tears his flowing dress shirt off. 

“Sh-show off.” you breathe, hands mapping out every dip and curve of the plane of defined muscles displayed before you. So mouthwatering. 

“Can tell that you- ngh think m’mouthwatering, flower.” he grins. One hand kneading and groping the flesh of your ass to steady your drooling cunt to kiss at his thick tip. The other keeping one of your palms stuck to his washboard abs, up, up, up to press at his sculpted left pec. “N’ I know m’heart’s not beating, but I’m much the same. Very- much the- same.”

And Satoru’s spent years waiting, yearning - so he doesn’t waste even a second more when stuffing his cock inside your snug cunt. 

“O-oh. Satoru- Satoru please oh-”

The stretch - fuck, the stretch. The stretch is so much that it feels like you’re being split apart. Just the bare tip of his fat cock being bullied in short, determined half-thrusts. 

And it takes only one, lucky collision into the bullseye of your g-spot and you’re already falling apart. 

“Wait- wait wait wait m’gonna-” you gasp, your nails running down his broad, milky back in jagged red lines when you’re cumming once more. Toes curling, hips convulsing wildly on top of a smug Satoru. “Oh my god, ngh- what’ve you done to me, Toru?”

“Now, let me ngh- let me tell you a little secret, hah- princess.” His hand comes up to cup your jaw, gifting a sweet kiss on your swollen lips. “The best thing about mates?” Sharp fangs catch onto your delicate skin, “They feel sex on a whole other level.”

And then he’s bringing down both hands to spread apart the globes of your ass. Your puffy folds are stretched to their limits when he thrusts up once. Muscled thighs flexing underneath yours. Harsh. 

Ignoring your pleading keens and the slight resistance at the intrusion of his intimidating size, “Hold on, princess- hold- fuuuuck.” Lips latch onto yours, drinking up every heady whine when your poor cunt is being fed every inch by fucking inch. “You’re taking me so well.”

And that you were - your pussy lips bulging and struggling to accommodate Satoru’s monstrous size, but still taking him in so greedily. 

“There we go.” he grunts out, punctuated with heavy rams of hips. Up, up, up until you could feel Satoru’s sobbing tip graze against your cervix - your lungs. “Theeere we fuckin’-” Pushing and pushing until there was no more, until your neglected clit was scratching against his snowy pubic hair. Ass coming to rest at his twitching balls. “-go.”

“You’re in so deep-” you’re blabbering, cockdrunk already. The last few dredges of your high still not wearing off, it takes you a few seconds of Satoru still trying to squeeze his cock even deeper to manage to raise a hand about midway up your stomach. Feeling for that vertical bulge that was him, “-can feel you right here.”

“Oh yeah?”

And like he was testing your theory, Satoru fucks up into your gummy hole in another bullying slam. Watching in wonder at the way that little divot in your stomach crashes around the same spongy cervix he was. 

“Fuck- you’re right.” he hisses. Addicted now. Immediately rocking into you with reeling, long rolls of his hips. “You’re so- fuckin’ right.”

You can’t find the energy in yourself to even yelp in surprise when Satoru immediately changes your positions so that you’re now laying fucked-out on the mattress. His domineering hips pinning you down to use you like some little cocksleeve. 

“God-” he pants into your open mouth, tongue swirling with your weighty one. “God- fuck fuck fuck if heaven is real then this is it.” Each little profanity is decorated with a smoldering crash of his tip into your sweet spot. “You’re the heaven I don’t ngh- deserve, flower.”

That neat bitemark on your thigh is being jostled with the amount of ragged movement, and you wince with pain when it starts flowing again. 

“Oh- oh.” 

Satoru’s like a predator that has cornered his prey, and is spending hours tediously unraveling every single bit of you. 

Sliding two smooth palms underneath your legs, they’re urgently thrown over his large shoulders to fold you down, down, down into the meanest mating press you think you could handle - handle without fucking breaking, that is. 

“So good t’me.” he breathes, long tongue easily licking up that sweet nectar of your blood. “Y’know your cute lil’ brain s’too scrambled to even read right now.”

“H-how can I think when you’re ah! Like- like this, Toru?”

The sudden change in angle makes you scream. It makes you clamor for the headboard, the sheets, your husband when that obscenely perfect upwards curve of his dick is massaging every nook and cranny of your cunt. 

“Yeah? Feels good? Now now- don’t run- away” he’s dragging you down those drenched sheets by the legs like some ragdoll, stuffing you more and more with his painful cock. Fucking you so relentless, like he was trying to worship every little hidden sweet spot inside your dripping cunt. “Say it- no no no, not in your head. Say it.”

And you do - a little over fifteen times when his thick hilt pecks your pussy lips over and over with each thrust when Satoru bottoms out, hitting all the way into the back of your cunt - your cervix, your g-spot - like he couldn’t decide which one to bruise more. 

“S’too good-” you’re gasping. Your overstimulated pussy being molded like clay to the girthy shaft kissing down your cunt. Stretching out your elastic walls until you could almost feel them take shape to his swollen cock. Feel every sensitive spot inside you being overstimulated at once with every burning massage against them. “You’re fuckin’ me way too- too good- ngh- can’t even think.”

But that wasn’t enough for him.

Dipping a thumb down to circle around your clit, white-hot pleasure shoots up your spine when he lets out a deep rumble, “Think I fell in love with you when I- fuck, right then and there when I first- hah saw you all those years back.” speeding up with the sloppy staccato of his rude cock. Satoru’s words slurring now, messed up and half-prepared like the accelerating half-thrusts being bestowed upon your ravaged cunt. Like he couldn’t bear to pull out completely. “The first time you saw me, you were so afraid. Look at you- fuck, jus’ look at you now, princess.”

Each word is like a brand onto your sticky skin, accompanied by harsh smacks of Satoru’s balls against your ass, his sharp hip bones digging into your thighs. Him.

“Toru–” is all you can manage to whine out, a limp hand pulling his face closer to yours. You’re jumping with each swipe at your poor clit. “Toru m’here.”

“And- and yet-” he’s still blabbering, still pussydrunk while he fucks you so menacingly. Fingers sopping wet with their assault on your sensitive nub, “And yet I just- fuck-” He cuts himself off to give your messy hole another thick stream of spit. Coating his long, raw shaft - rubbed red with the way your gripping walls were massaging him so right - making it easier to slide in and out. “And yet, I just had to see you, to see the gorgeous mate I don’t deserve. I couldn’t live without you.”

A single overstimulated tear glistens a track down Satoru’s pretty face - one you kiss away as quickly as it appeared. Nudging open those teary, blue gaze to bore down on you. 

Oh, he looked an absolute wreck - white hair mussed up, stray strands sticking to his forehead. Glossy lips parted, drool pooling at the corner, broken grunts leaving him with each smash of his tip back into your cunt. So blissed out. 

Jolting at your eyes on him, Satoru feels his balls tighten so painfully. Abs burning when his pace stutters with need. 

“You’re haunting me, just as much as I was haunting you, Toru.”

The candles go out. Instantly. 

And shit you’re feeling it first when when hé’s cumming and cumming so hard that it almost hurts. Flashes of white startling behind his closed, glassy eyes. “Shit- shit shit shit shit-” Hairs on your body raising as Satoru’s fingers draw circles on your clit so aggressively. Dragging out your high. Forcing it. “Take it- take it all, my flower. Let me paint this pretty pussy all white.” Violent, almost.

So, really, it makes sense that your third orgasm of the night was the same. 

Just shivering, sinful tingles running from your overstimulated mind right down to where Satoru was stuffing thick white ropes of potent seed deeper and deeper down your tight channel. 

Overspilling with each calculated ram, his cum is oozing out of the corners of your puffy lips with each furious clench of his balls. Too much. 

And it’s all you can do to sit there and take it, feeling the sloppy dredges of cum make a mess slobbering down your thighs and his. Starting up blearily at the blurry paintings on the ceilings. The paintings of you - of a still Satoru that looked down at you with only half as much intensity and pure swirling emotion as he was right now.

Something that couldn’t be painted - but would make such a pretty picture, when his fangs bite into that racing junction at your neck.

You scream a soundless scream of his name, eyes rolling to the back of your head as something warm fills your entire body. 

Leaving your words unheard, your ravaged hole loose to let out slobbering squelches of Satoru’s cum. Blood racing and flowing right into Satoru’s greedy mouth. 

“Princess-” he gulps. Tongue licking up every crimson bead his crazed eyes could spot, body aching when he dares pull away from that heavenly taste. More. “Princess princess princess- you- hngh you’re mine. All mine now.”

And he’s letting out more thick globs of cum straight into your waiting cunt. Body bowing even harder to let it seep into your elastic walls, your womb. So much more than you can take and he just keeps giving. 

It seems like forever when Satoru finally pulls away - and within the glowing blue of his eyes, you can see the red staining his lips, dripping down those fangs, his chin. Staining the silk sheets below - staining you with so much more. 

Before you can stop yourself, you’re reaching up to catch his lips in a bloodied kiss. Your own elongated canines catching amateurishly on his lips. 

Satoru hisses - but he likes it. And you can tell. 

You can read every single hypnotizing thought whirling behind those crystal blue eyes - how he wants to ravish you again, how he wants to worship you. To make you his all over, to have you make him yours. The thought makes you smile as you whisper, “I’m onto you, Toru.”

“You’re onto me, flower.” Catching your lips in a sweet, sweet red kiss. “Forever.”

A/N. This was SOOO fun to write omg y’all have no idea. If you made it this far then you get a sloppy smooch from me mwahhhh.

Plagiarism of work not authorized.

[cosmiic-world]

jealous, jealous, jealous girl — love and deepspace men

when someone tries flirting with your boyfriend in front of you. or when someone tries flirting with his girlfriend.

content: fluff, jealous!reader, rafayel gets jealous, very lighthearted, sylus’ is slightly suggestive toward the end, maybe kinda ooc?, some might be longer than others i do have favorites unfortunately, sorry 😞, colonel caleb mentioned EHEHHEHE

sylus

sylus had invited you to accompany him to an auction in the N109 Zone, to which you had agreed. of course, he already had a dress picked for you, fitted perfectly with all your measurements.

it was a beautiful black dress with red accents, totally sylus. you were adorned in stunning red jewelry, from blood red teardrop diamond earrings, to a stunning red heart pendant necklace.

as you walked beside sylus through the hall of the auction place, his arm was around your waist the entire time, not one second spent away from you.

unfortunately, that wasn't stopping any of the women there from staring at your boyfriend. nor did it stop one from approaching.

you watched silently from sylus's side as she tried talking to him with stupid small talk.

"you're so tall!" the woman squealed annoyingly. her voice was like glass shattering in your ear drums. "how tall are you exactly?"

"i believe his height is none of your concern..” you spoke up finally, fed up with her attitude. seriously, you were literally attatched to him and she’s paying you no mind at all! your eyes hardened, glaring at her with the most nasty look you could conjure.

sylus watched with an amused smirk, his heart almost skipping a beat at how possessive you were being.

“and who are you?” the woman says, crossing her arms as she finally looks at you.

“i’m his wife.” you said, lifting your hand which was adorned with a ruby ring. though it was just for show, she didn’t have to know that.

sylus’s smirk widened, if that was even possible, as his heart soared. he could’ve sworn his pants were suddenly a tad bit too tight now.

“i don’t appreciate you flirting with my husband right in front of me, so i’m kindly asking you to leave.” you said, using two fingers to flick them in her direction as an act of dismissal, as if she were staff.

you grinned triumphantly as the woman scoffed and stomped away.

“my wife, hm?” sylus said, leaning down to mutter in your ear. you could just tell he was so turned on just from his tone alone. “what a feisty kitten.”

“she couldn’t tell who you were here with. i had to make sure she knew.” you said, giggling as you cupped his cheek with one hand and kissed him deeply.

sylus couldn’t help but groan against your lips as you pressed your body against his. his hand grabbed your waist tightly, almost desperately, as he kissed you in the middle of the room. “we’re leaving immediately.”

“but what about the protocores? the auction?” you said as he grabbed your hand and began to drag you out of the building.

“there are more urgent matters to attend than protocores.” he said, almost growling mid sentence.

rafayel

another “masterpiece” painted by rafayel, another boring exhibition he had to attend. it was all the same. he had to talk about his pieces, what inspired him, what the story is behind the piece, blah blah blah.

this exhibition was different because he had you by his side to distract him from all the boring stuff. he stood by on the side, watching as you walked around, admiring each of his new paintings, which were all inspired by you.

all was fine until a man approached his girlfriend. his eyebrows instantly furrowed and his smile turned into a deep frown. just who was this guy??

“big fan of art?” the man said as he stepped into the spot beside you, a little too close for your comfort.

you looked at him slightly wide eyed, a bit startled from the sudden interaction. you smiled politely and nodded as you slightly stepped away from him, putting space between you and him. “yeah, i’m uh, close to the artist, you could say.”

“oh really? i happen to love rafayel’s works.” he said, smiling at you widely.

you nodded with a small, “ah, nice.” as you looked back at the painting in front of you which showed the silhouette of a woman standing in front of the ocean, capturing the essence of joy and warmth. little had you known the woman was yourself and rafayel had painted it simply from his memories alone.

“i’d like to take you out sometime-“

“sorry babe, i got held up with talking to some people back there.” a familiar voice sounded from behind you.

you turned and smiled widely as your boyfriend wrapped his arms around your waist. you couldn’t see but rafayel was glaring daggers at the man behind you, forcing him to walk away.

“rafayel! hi, i missed you.” you giggled as you hugged him. “say, who’s that in the painting?”

“you seriously don’t recognize her? come on, you of all people should know who that is.” he said with a chuckle.

“i should?” you said, blinking owlishly as you racked your brain to who that could be.

“it’s you, silly.” he said, kissing your forehead.

“really?! when did you paint it?” you gasped, looking back at the painting and leaning your head against him.

rafayel rested his chin on top of your head, smiling fondly as he recalled the memory. “i painted it a couple days after i took you to the beach. remember? you almost got stung by a jellyfish.”

you gasped and giggled at the chaotic memory. “oh i remember now!”

zayne

a friend from the association had invited you to a party and you were able to bring zayne with you. though he usually didn’t like to spend his days off like this, if it was for your enjoyment, he’d do anything. even if it was sitting through slightly drunken babble of hunter work.

zayne knew you could handle your alcohol, way better than him, but he still mentally counted how many glasses of wine you’ve had before it was time to call it quits for you.

unbeknownst to him, one of your female colleagues was staring at him, watching his every move like a hawk. it wasn’t until she sat next to him that he paid any attention to her.

“hello~ i’m ava.” she said, smiling and practically beaming at him.

“hello.” he said with a curt nod, before turning his attention back to you who was engaged in a conversation with other hunters, listening.

“oh my god, i’m so sorry. i don’t mean to be so rude! what’s your name?” the male hunter asked zayne.

“i’m zayne. i’m her boyfriend.” he said with a small polite smile.

“you’re the boyfriend we’ve heard so much about? wow!!” he said, astonished.

zayne chuckled softly. “it seems so.” he said, looking at you with adoration.

“you’re one lucky girl!” he said to you, giggling before turning back to zayne. “i’m tyler, her colleague.” he introduced himself.

you looked at him and smiled widely, wrapping your hands around his arm and leaning against him affectionately. “he’s a doctor, so he always takes care of me. especially when i get injured from pesky wanderers.” you said, smiling.

“can you take care of me too~? my doctor is too busy sometimes.” ava said from beside zayne, pouting and slightly leaning towards him.

zayne’s expression steeled as he turned to her. “maybe you should get a different doctor then. i too am busy most days so it wouldn’t be any different, if i were your doctor.” he said in his usual formal tone.

you whipped your head to look at ava, glaring at her. you never got along with her, and zayne knew. she was usually the topic of your conversations when zayne listened to your end of the day rants.

tyler began to ask zayne questions, moving the topic away from her, though it didn’t stop her from butting in and making her own comments, to which you were quickly getting fed up with.

“how long have you two been together for?” tyler asked you both.

“almost a year. our anniversary is coming up soon.” zayne said, holding your hand in his, his thumb gently rubbing your hand.

“a year is practically nothing! i bet i can make you happier than she ever could.” ava remarked, taking a sip of her wine.

everybody quieted down at the comment.

as zayne opened his mouth to speak, you stood up and slapped ava.

“i’m getting sick of you flirting with my boyfriend, right next to me. but disrespecting our relationship? nobody likes you ava, and i suspect this is why. i gave you a fucking chance because i wanted to be nice, but i have had enough.” you spat out, the anger sobering you up a good amount.

you immediately grabbed your things from your chair and zayne followed suit. “i’m sorry tyler, but i have to go. i’ll see you at work, yeah?”

“y-yeah..” tyler said, almost stunned. you could tell he was trying not to laugh. “see you at work, girl!” he said.

“come on zayne, let’s go.” you said, grabbing his hand firmly and walking out of tyler’s house.

once you were outside of tyler’s house, zayne had stopped you. “let’s rest here for a bit. you’ve had a lot to drink and i don’t want you to fall and hurt yourself.” he said softly, holding you by your waist as he leaned against the wall of the house.

you smiled widely as you leaned against him, your hands resting on his shoulders. “my zayne.. you always know how to take care of me.” you giggled out.

“of course. as your boyfriend, it’s my job to make sure you’re okay.” he said, smiling softly.

“you’re a bit too charming though,” you said with a pout, “you make women swoon too easily.”

“ah, but i have a very skilled ms. hunter to make sure they know i’m happy in my relationship.” he said, his hand coming up to cup your cheek.

you couldn’t help the giggle that escaped you as you put your hand over his, your fingers feeling his bare ones which made you pout. “maybe i should get you a ring so even when i’m not around, they know you’re taken.”

zayne chuckled softly, nodding. “i assure you, they know. but we can still go get rings, if you’d like my love.”

“i would like that very much.” you said, smiling widely before kissing him.

xavier

you knew xavier was a very jealous man, but he couldn’t help it! almost everywhere you went together, he kept you close to him, an arm always around you. what he didn’t expect was for you to be the same kind of jealous, almost worse than his even.

you were out grocery shopping with him when you had separated from him to look for something you needed for tonight’s dinner plans. he was strolling down the produce section when a woman walked up to him, seemingly lost.

“excuse me sir, do you know where i can find the meat section?” the woman asked him, her painted lips fixed in a pout.

xavier looked at her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. the meat section was right behind her. he simply pointed behind her with his finger. “it’s right behind you.” he said with an almost dumbfounded look.

“oh silly me! thank you, mister…?” she trailed off, discreetly asking for his name.

“xavier.” he said, with a small nod and a polite smile.

“what a cute name for a cute guy!” she said, giggling.

“oh, thank you miss. but i have to get back to m-“ she cut him off before he could finish.

“i’m stella! say, would you like to accompany me to dinner?” she said, smiling widely and batting her eyelashes.

“oh, i-“

“he would not like to accompany you anywhere.” a familiar voice rung out, and suddenly the atmosphere became chilly. xavier almost startled as you sauntered up next to him, wrapping your hands around his arm.

“he’ll be too busy with his girlfriend.” you said, shooting an icy glare at the woman.

“oh! i didn’t know he had a girlfriend. sorry.” stella said before walking away from you both.

xavier let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, thinking he was finally in the clear. but he wasn’t. “thank-“

you cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips. “don’t. speak.” you said coldly, grabbing the shopping basket from his hands and walking to the check out lines.

“did i do something wrong?” xavier asked.

“you talked to her. you might as well have been making out with her or something.” you said as you sulked.

“my love, it didn’t mean a thing.” he said, trying to reconcile. “i promise you.” he said, wrapping his arms arouns your waist.

“i’ll poison your food as revenge.” you said, pouting angrily.

“i’m sorry, i really mean it.” he said, pouting back at you.

you sighed as you turned to him. “no fair!” you said before shaking your head. “fine. i forgive you. but i’m still angry with you!”

xavier couldn’t help but laugh softly. “i’m perfectly fine with that.”

caleb

after making up with him after his sudden reappearance, you found yourself at home, missing caleb more than ever. how could you not?

so you decided to pay him a visit at the farspace fleet headquarters. you got there once, you could do it again, right? right. and you did, with ease.

what you didn’t expect was a cadet in front of his quarters, folded note in her hand, her other hand in a fist, hovering over the closed door. “excuse me, cadet. what’s your business here?” you spoke with authority you didn’t have. (but she didn’t have to know that.)

her head snapped toward you, fear flashing in her eyes for a brief second before venom replaced it. “i came to give colonel xia an important document.” she said, shoving the piece of paper behind her.

you couldn’t help but let out a condescending chuckle. “a document so important it had to be folded like a love letter?” you said, trying not to laugh.

at your teasing tone, her expression soured further. “who even are you? i’ve never seen you around here.” she spat out, looking you up and down.

“i’m colonel xia’s girlfriend.” you said matter-of-factly, crossing your arms and pointing your nose up.

the cadet suddenly burst out into a fit of laughter, making you falter slightly before you felt irritated. how dare she laugh in your face like that??

before you could mutter another word, you felt a strong presence appear right beside you. “cadet.”

the girl in front of you stopped laughing almost immediately, her body rigid as she looked up at the man who just walked up next to you. “c-colonel xia..!”

“care to share what’s so funny, cadet?” you looked up to see caleb practically glaring at the now shaking girl in front of you, his jaw tense. you swore you could see his blood vessels about to burst.

“it was nothing, colonel xia.” she said quickly, her eyes now set toward the floor.

“get out of my sight cadet. the next time i catch you disrespecting my girlfriend, i will find a suitable punishment for you.” he said coldly before dismissing her, grabbing your hand and taking you into his quarters.

as soon as the door closed, caleb hugged you with the most warm smile that you’ve come to known, as if nothing had happened. “what are you doing here, pips?” he said, relishing in your giggles as he buried his face into the crook of your neck.

“i missed you, silly. isn’t it normal for a girl to visit her boyfriend at work when she misses him?” you said, smiling as you wrapped your arms around him tight.

“boyfriend, huh? now i like the sound of that.” he said, kissing your cheek gently.

“i have to fend off these girls somehow.” you said, smiling widely.

i’m sorry if this is lowk ass, i didn’t know what to write for caleb 💔💔

[scribblestatic]

Shen Yuan is, of course, a sweetheart of a cat that is totally, entirely, wasted on that acerbic Peak Lord who named him.

That is, of course, until a demon attack on the sect includes the use of True Heart Vial Rose and shows exactly what Shen Yuan is thinking.

Which happens to be rampant and increasingly creative expletives as he hisses, batting fiercely at the downed demon.

"Fuck your mother!" the cat yeowls, scratching at the demon's eyes. "You dogshit, peh! Curse your family! Your ancestors and descendants should feel shame having you in their bloodline!"

He quickly changes gears as he runs over to Shen Qingqiu, rubbing against his legs. "Jiu-ge, Jiu-ge~ That thing is filthy! Hurry and salt this wretched corpse lest it spreads some sort of miasma!"

Shen Qingqiu is, of course, more than a little pleased to do exactly that.

Shen Yuan, it seems, is utterly unaware of the fact his thoughts are understood. It doesn't help that he doesn't actually understand much of human speech (yet), so even if he's understood, he can't do the same for them. And that means he's very honest about whatever he thinks at all times.

"Is this supposed to be a gift? It's crude. It's bloody. It's exactly the kind of thing that dogfight Bai Zhan Peak would consider a prized possession. Its liver should be impeccable for qi restoration, and its bones, once in a fine powder, can help heal meridians. It's a good gift. Jiu-ge should take it." It's that commentary over the large corpse sitting outside the bamboo house that A) helps Shen Qingqiu realize it's not a threat and B) realize who it came from.

Also, apparently the cat has some sort of instinctual knowledge of beasts like itself. How curious.

"Going out of their way to misunderstand. Hmmh. Don't mind them, Jiu-ge. They aren't worth the effort. A waste of space and breath, they are."

The Peak Lord can't help a little laugh as he agrees, watching the cultivators accosting him turned red in the face at being dismissed by a cat.

"Aiyah, what am I going to do with you..." He purrs softly as he helps Shen Qingqiu calm from another, increasingly infrequent qi deviation. "You can't keep getting hurt like this. If you can't stop, I guess this Yuan will have to watch over you for as long as I live."

If Shen Qingqiu starts looking into how to help a cat become a spiritual beast after that, well, that's no one else's business.

"Jiu-ge cultivated demonically first. Of course cultivating the spiritual way only will cause an imbalance! Qi is qi, none is good or evil on principle, just like people and demons. Jiu-ge should keep using demonic cultivation to balance his energies! Fuck Wu Yanzi, there's tons of demonic cultivators better than even those from 'righteous' sects!"

If Shen Qingqiu begins improving in leaps and bounds, well, that's also his own business.

By the time Luo Binghe arrives, Shen Qingqiu is much more settled in himself and doesn't bother spiting Liu Qingge by taking a promising, fluffy-looking child on the day to pick new disciples. Though, Shen Yuan starts trailing over to Bai Zhan to go stare at the child, and in turn, Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge end up spending more time around each other...gross.

"Aaa Jiu-ge, don't be so shy. You clearly brought that Thousand Silver Teardrop Tea to help Qingge-ge through his bottleneck. Why act like this, ah? You're so hopeless. I suppose this cat will have to keep you company forever. Haaah."

Well, there are times he mildly wished A'Yuan would shut up. But his thoughts do end up getting the other peak lords to relax more around him.

Liu Qingge, having heard the cat's thoughts time after time, starts talking to Shen Qingqiu and treating him better. Repulsive. Do it more.

--

Anyway, I just thought this would be cute.