#how long did it take my dumbass to figure out how to use the mod. you'll never guess

[neighborhoodsimulator]

an abundance of flirtatious behavior is taking place in the polycule

[nightshadedawn]

Persona 5 Royal Playthrough pt3

I ended up going through two Palaces before I could update y’all. Oh well.

...Yeah, no, quit calling me Miss Special Snowflake's boyfriend. It's not happening.

Ryuji, Morgana, and Yusuke having a conversation in the laundromat: "It's like he's our mom," says Ryuji... the mom friend.

Every time Morgana is like "I have to turn into a human so no one else can have Lady Ann!" then expects no one else to hear him makes me laugh. Like, bitch, no.

I have the restaurant in my Thieves Den 'cause I like it. Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgana are there. They're so precious.

I got a three in a row Tycoon on cutthroat!!!

Ryuji and Ann just keep going "Shoulda figured" and other versions of the statement every time I win.

Ann just rejected Morgana's feelings HARD. I am happy.

Ryuji is too good, honestly. Why would anyone not like him? He's... He's always trying to build the team up, make them proud of themselves and what they've done. I will admit that he has his moments of being not a great human, but they're teenagers who were given absurd powers, so honestly, can you blame them?

I didn't know darts was an actual minigame! There's so many minigames. I'm so happy.

I don't like Akechi. I don't know why some people do. Like, his death scene was a bit... too late for a redemption for me, right after he tried to kill Joker, several times. His pain is understandable, but still... I can't.

Their "two sides of the same coin" also doesn't seem particularly fair. It's totally uneven in everything but color schemes.

Guys, GUYS, please, PLEASE decide whether you're going to react to my teasing or not.

"We don't have to deal with them directly," Ryuji says joyfully about the mafia. Oh you sweet, sweet, innocent child, if only you knew what I do.

I literally can't play this game around anyone else because I tend to yell "BABY!" to Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke and "BITCH" or "FUCKER" to... a rather long list of villains in this game... and Makoto.

I can literally feel Yusuke's anxiety about his painting when you take him to Leblanc to see Sayuri.

How can you say Yusuke isn't gay when he says everything I do is beautiful?

I love Ryuji's 9th social link. It's LITERALLY written like a confession scene. This also means I kinda hate it because... I can't date him.

Also... PRETTY BOY RYUJI PRETTY BOY RYUJI PRETTY BOY RYUJI

I actually kinda thought that the new scene for Ryuji being a crossdresser is kinda funny??? Is this bad??? I wanna see him in a dress, tho. I gotta agree, he'd be a natural. Not the like, painfully obviously not taking it seriously from the dancing game, though.

Though I do think it's valid that he freaks out when two strange adults come up to him and try to take him somewhere, especially in a place known for being shady, and at night.

...When Ryuji complains about it, I do feel bad about ditching him. Then again, I blame the cat.

Ryuji may be my ideal type on paper, but I'm also highly attracted to Yusuke and this is so totally unfair.

*softly chanting* butlers butlers butlers butlers

Don't mind me just... *makes meticulous plot to avoid having Makoto join the team that i may or may not write a fanfic about*

Makoto is one dumbass bitch. Like, honestly, there's nothing she does that's in any way remotely smart.

...I thought I'd just skip Makoto's scenes until she became relevant, but here I am, still skipping her scenes. Does that mean she’s still irreleveant?

"Witch" I suggest, and Makoto complains! "Would you prefer "Bitch"? I can use that too.

I put Yusuke on the team in the middle of the palace through settings, replacing Morgana, who had been standing right behind me. Which made Yusuke stand right behind me. It looked like he was holding onto my waist and standing uncomfortably close. Bro, babe, I love you, but not in front of my boyfriend and girlfriend!

Just accept the compliment, guys, I'm not going to compliment Queen.

...Opening chests with Ann or Ryuji is just so sweet because they're so affectionate and touchy feely. Especially Ryuji.

Math. Fucking. Sucks. I should not have to use math in a game. I hate this. Obviously it's the Palace Makoto comes in that this happened.

Well, I finished the Palace in a day. I love the feeling. But it was getting close there. Joker and Yusuke were down to no spells...

...Yoshizawa hasn't showed up yet. When is she getting shoehorned in?

WHY IS THE VELVET ROOM RED!?

My very first playthrough I didn't execute a single execution except for the first one we have to do. It  really screwed me over my second playthrough...

...I broke the electric chair. That's certainly something that happened.

147 games of Tycoon later and I've only been a beggar 31 times in total, versus the pure thirty wins in just Cutthroat.

They're in their summer uniforms and it makes make miss warmer weather already. It's fucking snowing outside. Grrrr.

Beat Kaneshiro! ...Wasn't a fan of his new boss battle. I'm even playing on safe mode! But whatever.

Makoto is a DISASTER at Tycoon. She exclusively got beggar all three times I played with her!

...RYUJI YOU CAN'T SAY SHIT LIKE THAT AND NOT LET ME DATE YOU.

Ann, sweeties, baby, you're doing so well.

She confessed to me, then in the call afterwards it was basically insinuated I proposed... WHICH IS LIKE FUCK YEAH 'CAUSE SHE ACCEPTED IT.

It makes me think of the future conversation where they're talking about marriage.

Anyway, if you haven't noticed, l love Ann.

My next playthrough I'm not gong to date her, though. I'm a completionist and I want ALL of the possible awards. But... I refuse to cheat on Ann. So I'll date everyone else then just hang with Ryuji... despite how cringy some of the date things are.

...If Akechi wasn't, you know EVIL and tried to KILL ME, SEVERAL TIMES, I might, MIGHT, like him. But in truth, I think that's really just the Persona 5: Revival talking. We get... into some stuff during that.

I know that either Atlus or the translators know EXACTLY what goes on in the Persona fandom because otherwise "He's too pretty to be wrong" would not be an option when talking to the newspaper girl about Akechi. I have to agree with her that his looks aren't really, you know, awesome enough for that.

Also, I read it as "He's too petty to be wrong" at first and I think that's an accurate sum of his character.

YO AKECHI-FUCK I HAVE NO NEED TO SEE YOUR ASS LIKE THAT WHEN I HAVE BOTH A BF AND AND GF.

...fucker fucking giving me shit about my fake glasses...

If you COULD date the boy out of mod, Akechi would definitely be the one they were pushing you to date. Like Makoto. Or Yoshizawa.

But hey, at least I get to not be nice to him.

I remember seeing this picture where Ann, Ryuji, and Joker kept going to the movies together and seeing 3D movies, and Joker couldn't wear the 3D glasses properly because of his own. I keep imagining that picture during this event with Caroline and Justine.

You know what? Some people call Joker a loli lover because of them, but nope! He's just adopted two more siblings. That is my stance on it.

FUcking

Fucker

WHAT THE FRRRRRRRR

FUCK YOU ATULS OR TRANSLATORS OR WHATEVER

APHRODITE AND MARS ARE FROM TWO DIFFERENT MYTHOS. Aphrodite is GREEK, Mars is ROMAN. Their reversed are VENUS and ARES. USE ONE OR THE OTHER PEOPLE.

I get very pissed about this, and it's worse with Hades.

7/4 is the day I am screaming at, if you were wondering.

My dad asked me if the other students think Joker's stupid because every time I answer a question right they get all surprised.

I don't really like Makoto, as I'm sure you've noticed, but she was super nice about Ryuji's special move idea. And that put her ahead of Akechi in my book.

TESTS ARE NERVE WRACKING EVEN WHEN THEY'RE FICTIONAL

Yusuke and Ryuji are good boys, the best boys. And they're so awesome about their special move.

AND RYUJI OFFERED MONEY FOR YUSUKE'S FOOD. And implied that he did it before???? Ryuji, you best boy.

This boys' outing DOES make me happy, though. Like, insanely happy. Dunno why.

Maybe because Joker gets to be so flipping cheesy.

...fuck you, Yoshizawa.

HONESTLY WHAT THE EVER LOVING--- Grr. Too many choices while with her. Too many. OOC Joker when with her. 0/10.

I LOVE THE FESTIVAL PHOTO

And you know, it's really hard to choose between Lala-chan and Ann, but... GONNA TAKE ANN ON A DATE

Got her some flowers. Lets see if we can give them to her this time!

"Such a good FRIEND." Babe, we're DATING. For like, TWO WEEKS NOW.

AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO GIVE HER FLOWERS

Ann called Yusuke a pretty boy, but then she's missing out on the REAL pretty boy, Pretty Boy Ryuji.

Ryuji, why're you so worried about other girls when you've got ME?

"I like the shade." "What are you, moss!?" Oh, admit it, Ryuji, I'm growing on you.

Cargona. Snrk. Gods, I love you, Ryuji.

Dome town with Ryuji! "Isn't it all couples?" That's the point!

I COULD GIVE RYUJI THE ROSES!?

Sadly, I bought those for Ann. Ryuji, you get the noodles.

AND HE FUCKING LOVED IT.

"It feels like I really captured Ryuji's heart!" FUCK YEAH I DID

Gonna give Yusuke the bracelet when I get the chance.

Why is everyone color coded in the chat room? Kawakami, Akechi, Mishima, and the reporter are all ORANGE. What's the point? Well, Akechi's more of a golden orange, but close enough.

While Mishima is not my first choice for a date, he's definitely not my last.

...But the boy really needs some fucking sleep. He's not drawn with the bags under his eyes, but I can see them!

It's not fair that they give Akechi a kicked puppy sprite. I'm... goddamnit, they're trying to make me not hate him.

When Makoto doesn't know something, I'm brought great joy.

NO DAD MAKOTO IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND ANN IS AND SHE IS LITERALLY R I G H T T H E R E

First day in Futaba's Palace! I've gotta say, this is my second favorite palace. Kamoshida, Futaba, Madarame, Sae, Okumura, Shido, Kaneshiro, Holy Grail. In that order. I HATE Kaneshiro's place and dealing with the Holy Grail. But whatevs, man. I love this game. (Vanilla, at least, this one is still on the fence)

I found out a cool little thing. On the uphill sand slopes in the town (don't know about anywhere else) if you're running and turn back quickly, Joker will do a little animation to steady himself. It was cool and made it seem, I dunno, more human? Anyway, while I was admiring this, Ryuji and Yusuke just stood at the top of the slope and Ann followed me while I was running. Best girlfriend ever.

Kin-Ki is looking pretty kin-ky if you know what I'm sayin'

Please don't murder me because I do terrible puns.

*we fall through the trap door* *Ryuji starts screaming* Same, baby, same.

...Makoto is seriously annoying. Like, she's got no business acting as familiar with Futaba's situation. The one who WOULD be the most familiar is Yusuke, and I'm glad he recognizes that. It's not the exact same, none of their stories are after all, but I feel like those two get each other better than even Ryuji and Joker understand each other.

Yusuke and Ryuji's special attack is THE BEST

Ryuji and Joker getting up close and personal in the shadows. All those fanfics coming true, man.

I thought Futaba was sloth, not wrath? Why are her Will Seeds called Wrath?

Beat it in one day! It's so satisfying to watch all those achievements when I leave the palace.

You know, I'm thinking of wearing the Christmas outfits for the final battle. Just to be kinda funny.

Spending a relaxing day with Yusuke after going through Futaba's Palace... kinda want to take him to the bathhouse to check out that new scene, but I also REALLY wanna feed the boy... gonna feed the boy.

Apparently I can only make 'decent curry.' Which is fine. Because "I" can't make curry at all. Joker, you've done much better than I.

THE DATE CHANGE SCREEN HAD A RAINBOW AND RYUJI WAS COMING OVER ON THE SAME DAY FUCK YEAH MY BISEXUAL BABY

...Broooooo, the way you talk about your manga is how I talk right before I start shipping.

Took him to the bathhouse, 'cause I don't gotta worry about Mama Sakamoto feeding him.

...Can I take Ann to the bathhouse?

Asked Ryuji to move in. He was all up for the idea until he remembered that I live in an attic.

I'm Charismatic now!

...I was all hoping Ann would stop by but then Akechi asked me out. Laaaaaaaame.

Ryuji's smile is so fucking cute.

...I say we just be honest, and everyone's so fucking stupid about it until Makoto explains it. This pisses me off. They're not that dumb... At least, they weren't until Makoto showed up.

Futaba's hiding in the closet. ...I've spent too many weeks making jokes about closets to not have a joke about it.

Really, Yusuke? You see those books and think she can't understand?

...Wait, that sassy tone of voice... You were TRYING to pull a reaction of her. I knew I shipped those two for a reason. OTP and BroTP. Doesn't matter, they're both awesome.

I love you Ann, but I don't think your situations were the same at all. It's not like both are valid and bad, but... different.

Joker is SO fast compared to the others, especially when he's speeding.

What the...

Holy fuck...

JOKER IS TOO EFFING COOL

THAT MOVE TO GET FROM THE ENTRANCE TO TO TREASURE DOOR? Awesome!

Damn, Joker has my heart too.

I kinda wish we could see Futaba's costumes in her Persona. That would be pretty neat.

The moment right before Wakaba appears is so aesthetically pleasing.

...Futaba being happy is almost enough for me to accept Maruki's offer, and I haven't gotten there yet.

Ryuji and Ann keep smacking each other out of their ailments. Like, you guys just love each other so much! It's awesome.

Joker has lackluster responses to Wakaba... I'm hoping that isn't one of those "Answer these wrong and you break her!" things... Not that I think I was, but still.

I liked Futaba's new animation for when she defied her mother.

I wish the anime looked more the cutscenes. I'm trying to rewatch the anime so I can pinpoint specific moments for future editing purposes, but it's kinda painful.

1- This is the SECOND TIME you've landed on Yusuke while running from trouble.

2- YUSUKE LET GO OF MY GIRL

No Makoto, I don't want to go see Futaba with you! I can go see her myself.

So, I like Takemi's new voice with her lines during this scene.

Sure, she collapses every so often and sleeps for a while. Stays like that for a few days. Sorry that I put her into a coma for a month, Boss...

SHE LOOKS SO CUTE WITHOUT GLASSES

Guys, we have a month. Stop worrying.

THE TWINS ARE SO CUTE WHILE HANGING ONTO THE BENCH PRESS

Damn, Joker's dying to the amusement of two little girls.

I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get results for all that training. But I liked the scene.

Yusuke just casually be lugging bigass paintings around.

Taking the girls to the church may have been one of the funnier moments. These cement them as Joker's little sisters. With Futaba. Damn, Joker, you got no brothers.

Yusuke promises to come by every day and we can tell him to take his clothes off. ATLUS, you have some EXPLAINING to DO.

..And Yusuke took it and ran with it. My sweet summer child, I don't think I could handle you in as little as possible on the day to day.

"The heat induced delirium made me think outside the box." Same.

Guts takes sooooooooooooo long to level up.

"Punish me more" he says, as if Takemi won't do it.

"Good god. Well, none of my medicine can cure THAT." AT LEAST WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE

BATHHOUSE WITH YUSUKE

Awe, he had fun. :)

[let-it-raines]

What a Wicked Game {12/15}

Killian met her in a pub on a rainy night in March. Going inside was only supposed to be a way for him to avoid the rain and fight off the demons in his head. It was a place for him to pass through, not stay. But then he was charmed by a blonde woman with a quick wit who had absolutely no interest in him or who he was.

That was a first. It was also the beginning of Emma Nolan helping to bring him back to life. It was the beginning of everything.

Five years later, with their worlds crumbling around them, Killian can’t help but wonder if this is the end of the peace they have known now that his family knows about his relationship. It wouldn’t be a problem if his father wasn’t the King of England.

rating: mature

a/n: thank you to the mods at @captainswanbigbang​ for running this event and helping to encourage writers to finish their wonderful stories, to @resident-of-storybrooke​ for reading all these words, and to @captainsjedi​ for making the beautiful artwork ❤️

ao3: beginning | current

tumblr:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 

-/-

October 19th, 2018

October dawns bright and warm, but as it settles in, the warmth disappears into a chill and the brightness of the sky turns to the gray for which London is often known. Leaves are still in the midst of changing colors, from a dull green to vibrant oranges and reds that contrast the sky, and Emma finds herself staring out the large window in Killian’s bedroom to look at the leaves falling from a tree and drifting through the air until they eventually land on the edge of the roof. It’s been seven weeks since she slept in her own bed and had her parents just down the hall from her, and as weird as it’s been, she’s thankful for this.

She’s thankful that every day she is actively making the choice to be with Killian and to work at adjusting to all of the complications that come with this life.

It’s more than a lot, but as she looks down at her arm and sees it without the ugly white plaster and stretches her arms above her head without any pain, Emma reminds herself that time and a little extra care can heal things. The immediate reaction and pain doesn’t stay. It changes and lessens. Her body is healing, her heart too, and the darkness that surrounded her for all of August seems to have almost been extinguished.

Nothing about this has been easy, but Emma doesn’t want to retreat back and walk away again. She still believes that her reasons were sound, that she had to do it in order to take care of herself and protect her heart, and in a weird way, coming out on the other side has made her thankful for it.

Getting into a car crash and possibly almost dying because photographers wanted a picture of her sitting in a car after they found out about she and Killian’s breakup wasn’t great. She could have done without that. She still could. And she definitely won’t be getting in a car on a rainy night anytime soon.

Her physical scars may be lessening, most of them non-existent now, but she’s not ready for that. She’s not ready for a lot of things, but when has she ever been?

“Darling,” Killian calls out, and she gets a little smile on her face at how much his accent thickens on that word, “do you know where my solid navy tie is? It should be with all of the others, but I can’t find it.”

“Where did you last see it?”

“If I bloody well knew that, I wouldn’t be asking where it is.”

He pokes his head out of the bathroom before walking outside and finishing the buttons on his dress shirt. He looks handsome today in his navy pants and light blue dress shirt, and she really doesn’t see why he needs to wear a tie when he looks fine without it. Royal dress code or something. She doesn’t know. Over the past few weeks as she’s isolated herself in Killian’s apartment at Kensington or wandered over to Liam and Elsa’s to spend time with Elsa, she’s found herself going through guidebooks that Elsa had made when she got engaged to Liam. There are all these rules and regulations from how to cross your legs to what nail polish she’s supposed to wear, and while Emma thinks a lot of it is bullshit, it’s the territory that comes with being in this relationship.

Emma will paint her nails ballet slipper pink and cross her legs at the ankle every damn day if that’s what it takes. What she won’t do is be suffocated by the press and by Brennan.

What she won’t do is make Killian leave his family and break his mom’s heart simply because she couldn’t handle the pressure.

If he wants to leave, if it is truly his decision outside of her, she’s more than happy for them to live their lives in a simpler way where Killian doesn’t have to worry about where his solid navy tie is. Leaving may be in their future, but they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it.

But if they’re staying and doing this, she wants to make the best out of the situation. She wants to work with charities that help empower women and children. She wants to do that for men too, to educate them on the intricacies over an ever-changing world. She wants to do good and be good. This family is insane, the money and the traditions and the vault full of actual tiaras like something out of a movie, but they can use their privilege to do good.

Emma knows what it’s like to not have this kind of privilege, and now she may be in a position to help.

“Cool down, Casanova. No need to get all snippy over your tie. Where are you even going today?”

“The opening of a hospital wing and then I’m meeting with a slew of new security guards to interview.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

Killian arches a brow. “Haven’t you spent enough time in hospitals lately?”

“I meant to the interviews, dumbass. Isn’t this for my security, too?”

Killian fidgets with the neck of his shirt, buttoning and then unbuttoning it so that black tufts of chest hair show. “Aye, but I figured I’d go through the candidates first, and then you could meet the top few to see which ones you’re most comfortable with.”

“I can come with you. It’s really not a big deal. I don’t have any plans for the day.”

“Swan, it’s fine. I promise.” Killian walks over to her and sits down on the edge of the bed next to her before taking her hand and bringing it to his mouth. “This is a dreadfully boring process, and my father is unfortunately going to be there for some of it, though I’ll likely leave the room when he does his own interviews. I don’t - after August, he’s convinced that I can’t pick out my own security team.”

“August was...I mean, he was selling information about us because his dad is sick and can’t afford the surgeries and medication back in America. He was willing to risk prison to save his dad. That’s not something you could have predicted.”

A part of Emma understands the words she’s telling Killian, but the other part of her wants to punch August’s fucking teeth out for making her life hell and inadvertently causing her crash.

“You’ve met Brennan. You know how he can be. I could do everything perfectly, but one screw up that’s outside of my control, and I’m incompetent.”

“Your dad sucks.”

Killian leans his head back with his laugh before leaning forward and pressing his lips to her knuckles once more. “In three words, you’ve managed to sum up quite a bit of my life.”

“I’m magical like that.”

“That you are, my love. That you are.” Killian sighs and blinks at her a few times. She thinks he’s going to say something to her, but then there’s a slight shake of his head and she knows the moment has passed. “Give me a little more time, and I swear I’ll talk to him. Seriously. He and I may never get along, but that’s okay. I simply need him to publicly accept you and to sign off on all of these protection measures for you.”

“Killian, you know you don’t have to do - ”

“No, I do. I will do everything I can to protect you, and if that means I have to have an actual conversation with my father where I don’t leave the room until I get what I want, I will. We’ve missed so much time not talking and not taking action. I don’t want to miss any more.”

Emma leans forward and presses her mouth to Killian’s cheek. “I love you. You should wear the white and navy striped tie instead of the solid one.”

He raises his hand to his forehead as he stands from the bed. “Aye, that’s a good idea.”

“And babe?”

“Yeah, love?”

“If Graham Humbert doesn’t make it to the final interview stage for security, Ruby and I will both be pissed at you. He’s who I want protecting me.”

“That doesn’t terrify me as much as it should.”

“Ruby will be vicious.”

“Eh.”

“I can withhold sex, and you just got that back.”

Killian mock gasps, placing his hand over his heart. “You’re a liar, Emma Nolan. I know you find me too attractive to ever do that.”

He catches the pillow she throws with annoying ease, and she hates him for it.

(Not really.)

After Killian leaves, Emma falls back into bed and thinks that she’ll spend her day watching Netflix or doing something else as equally lazy. What better way is there to spend her last day of being twenty-five?

None.

But that lasts approximately two episodes of a show before guilt nags at her, and she’s moving the covers off of her legs and standing from the bed with a frown etched on her lips and the idea that she needs to clean something. Cleaning is not at all her thing unless she’s working at the pub, but she’s been pretty much on vacation (if vacation included recovering from a car crash and having a million talks with your boyfriend over all of the problems in your relationship) for two months, and she’s probably genetically unable to not work for such long periods of time.

She’s in a literal palace, even if it’s nothing like any of the movies or shows, and instead of relaxing, she wants to clean up the spots Killian has let go over the past few weeks from not having a maid to aid him in his ridiculously specific cleaning rituals.

What even is her life?

She starts in the kitchen, going through Killian’s fridge and throwing out everything that’s expired or has gone bad, and she quickly moves on from that to vacuuming every rug and sweeping or dusting the places that get missed. It’s a lot, and if it wasn’t for the music that is playing over the system, she’d have quit hours ago. She’s about to quit now when she remembers just how messy Killian’s closet is because of her absolute inability to hang up her own clothes.

They’ve probably had more fights about that than, oh, you know, whether or not the actual King of England wants to behead her or not.

(Currently, they’re leaning more toward him wanting to lock her away in a dungeon so she can’t cause any more unintentional media frenzies. It’s apparently less dramatic than a beheading because at least she gets to live...this is a weird train of thought.)

Emma’s phone starts ringing, and she pulls it out of her pocket to answer as she walks up the stairs.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” David greets. “How are you feeling today? Old? Young? Like your life is over because you’re getting closer to late-twenties than early-twenties?”

“You are the most encouraging person alive.”

“I try.”

Emma chuckles and turns down the hallway to go into the bedroom, picking up her bra from where Killian must have tossed it last night and placing it in the hamper. “I’m fine. Killian’s at work opening a new hospital wing, apparently. I’m cleaning. How are you? What are you guys up to today?”

“I’m sorry. Did you say you were cleaning? Are we sure that you don’t have a concussion?”

“Your dad jokes are not good.”

“Every joke I’ve told since the day you were born has been a dad joke, and they’ve all been fabulous.”

She groans and walks into the closet before placing her phone on the table in the center of the room and putting it on speaker so she can do a little work before she loses momentum.

“I’m taking your dad joke privileges away, and to answer your question, I really am fine. I’m just messy, and Killian hasn’t had any of his usual staff in the apartment while I’ve been here. I think the whole August thing freaked him out so that he doesn’t trust anyone around me.”

“Someone close to him was selling information about you that harmed you. I’d be freaked out too. Hell, I am freaked out. If I wouldn’t get arrested for assault, I’d confront the guy.”

Everyone she loves wants to punch everyone who has hurt her, but they all stop themselves because of the fear of getting arrested for assault…she’s not sure if that’s flattering or concerning.

“What are you and Mom up to today?” she questions again, wanting to change the subject. She doesn’t want to talk about all of the shitty stuff that’s been happening to her lately. All she wants is to pick up all of her sweaters from the ground and figure out which ones need to be washed. Focusing on the bad is not how she’s going to move forward.

(And maybe not having to see August Booth’s face.)

“Your mom is downstairs with Will going over some possible menu changes, and I’ve been told I’m not allowed in the pub until I fix whatever is up with this toilet.”

“Ah, so you called me to procrastinate on doing that?”

“You know me so well.”

Emma fills in her dad on everything that’s been going on over the past few days. She tells him that her arm almost doesn’t feel weird anymore and that Ruby came over for dinner two nights again and brought Graham along with her. David is nearly as shocked by that as she was. This might be the longest relationship Ruby has ever had, and it’s good to see her so happy. It’s good that Emma likes Graham in that he’s dating her best friend and also might be protecting Emma’s life from now on if his next round of interviews goes well. In return, her dad gives her far too much information on the date he and her mom went on last night, and then he spends at least ten minutes talking about the difference in two brands of tomatoes.

All the while Emma has almost the entire closet (seriously, her dad talked for way too long and gave too much information about the date like he was talking to a friend and not his daughter) cleaned up. When she moves a pair of jeans that are on Killian’s side of the closet, she finds his solid blue navy tie he was searching for earlier.

“Ha,” she mumbles before reaching down to grab the tie.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she says to her dad before tugging on the tie and pulling it up only for a small black box to roll out of it and tumble down onto the ground. “Holy shit.”

“Emma, are you okay?” David asks, but Emma barely hears him over the pounding of her heart. There might as well be an entire drumline in the room.

“Emma?”

“Y-yeah,” she lies even as her fingers tug so tightly on the tie that it might tear. “Hey, Dad? Has Killian talked to you about any...future type things?”

“What do you mean?”

Emma huffs and goes to pick up the box. They could be earrings, right? Or a necklace? Or another ring? She’s got a sapphire one she wears on her right hand. Killian has given her a ring before that wasn’t an engagement ring. That doesn’t mean what’s in this box is one. He buys her jewelry, and it’s not a big deal.

Except…

When the hell did he have time to get this?

How long has he had it? What made him decide to get it? When does he plan on using it? Does he still plan on using it after their breakup?

“You know what I mean. Has he - you know what,” Emma decides, placing the box on the table, “never mind. Don’t tell me anything. I think I’m going to have to call you back later.”

“Whatever you want,” David sighs, confused. “I love you, kiddo.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

And then the phone line disconnects and she’s left with nothing except for the sound of that damn drumline and the jewelry box that she doesn’t know what to do with. She’s not going to look. She can’t look. There’s no good that would come out of it.

She really wants to look.

Like, really.

“No,” Emma tells herself, grabbing the box off the table and moving to put it back where it must have been before it got tangled in her jeans and in the tie. She puts the tie back for good measure as well, and she’s absolutely going to bite her tongue on bragging about finding the tie when Killian gets home.

He wants to marry her.

She wants to marry him.

Maybe cleaning was worth something.

-/-

Killian comes home that night with grilled cheese sandwiches, which he hates, and onion rings from Ruby’s grandmother’s restaurant, and she doesn’t think she’s ever loved him more.

He tells her that Graham has moved onto the final selections even with Brennan’s hounding and worry over Graham not being trained in the same way as their usual security.

Emma knows that she wants him to be the one who’s hired. She’s not going to trust anyone else, not after everything that’s happened.

-/-

He doesn’t give her any kind of jewelry for her birthday the next day, and she knows what was in the box.

There’s no definite proof, but Emma knows.

Right now, where they are, she’s not ready to get married, but she will be someday. Probably soon. So if Killian were to ask her, she’d say yes over and over again, but the actual getting married part would have to be put on hold until her emotions, Killian’s too, were a little less chaotic.

Love is a really funny thing.

-/-

November 10th, 2018

The cool of the marble pebbles Emma’s skin as Killian helps guide her on top of the counter. His fingers inch over the back of her thighs and up behind her knees where she’s sensitive, and she giggles into his neck while trying to keep herself from bursting into hysterical laughter. Killian keeps the apartment so warm that she didn’t bother to put on anything more than her sleep shorts and a t-shirt last night before going to bed, and she’s regretting that now with every shift over her body over the countertop. But Killian is warm, especially when he steps in between her thighs and she hooks her ankles around his back right over his ass, and every touch of his fingers, gentle and teasing, brings a little more fire to her body.

Especially if he’d stop trying to tickle her while hotly running his tongue down the side of her throat and leaving open-mouthed kisses there.

He’s particularly good at those, and she could spend day after day close to him as he covers her body with affectionate words and delicate brushes of lips that turn into more.

Really, that’s been the last two months, even with her having to wear that atrocious cast for most of it, but they found simple ways to fix that. Being apart and not having those beautiful blue eyes to look into or that laugh to hear after a funny joke was absolutely torture, and having him back in her life, having him back as her person, is something Emma doesn’t ever want to take for granted again.

She will inevitably. It’s human nature. But she doesn’t want to.

Being with Killian is the easy thing. Fighting off the demons is what makes it difficult, but fighting off the demons and conquering them has made her realize that good things often come after struggles that seem impossible.

She’s a sentimental fool now, and she doesn’t care.

(Finding the engagement ring two weeks ago has made her even more sentimental.)

She especially doesn’t care as Killian’s tongue dips into her collarbone and his hands snake up underneath her shirt, warm palms against cool skin in a combination of which she’ll never tire. Emma knows that Killian is a sentimental fool now too. He was before, definitely more than her, but she can see all of the little ways he’s being more affectionate than he was before.

That’s saying something.

But his affection has been obvious lately. In the mornings, she always wakes to him curled around her, hand resting between her breasts and chin nuzzled into the back of her neck. That’s not how they sleep, not usually, so she knows that he does that when he wakes up in the morning while she’s still sleeping. He’s always touching her - hands intertwined, arm around her waist, ankles hooked together - like he’s looking for constant reassurance that she’s real.

That they’re real.

Killian has gone to war for her on multiple occasions, and she has seen the intensity and the fighting spirit that he possesses. She watched him break down over her accident and watched him absolutely vilify every single press association that was involved in that incident or any of the ones that have attacked her in the past or stolen private information from her. She’s watched him deal with the Neal interviews that seem to keep coming despite their falsities, and she’s watched him do absolutely everything that he can to protect her.

Emma never wanted protection or help. She thought that it made her weak to not be able to handle things on her own, but that was wrong.

All of it.

People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You have to punch back and say “no, this is who I am.” If you want people to look at you differently, make them. If you want to change things, you’re going to have to go out there and change them yourself. Because there are no fairy godmothers in this world.

But there are supportive partners who punch back with you or stand to the side and cheer you on when you need it the most.

“I hate these bloody shorts,” Killian mumbles into her skin as the deep timbre of his voice vibrates down her spine. “I seem to both want you in them and out of them all at once.”

“That’s quite the conundrum you have going on, Jones.”

Killian chuckles before nipping at her jaw and pulling back so that she sees his eyes are blown black. “You are the conundrum, Nolan,” he softly says as his thumbs ghost over both of her nipples, slowly but surely bringing them to peaks. “It’s a funny thing. I seem to always want you. I want you in the mornings, at night, in the middle of the damn day…”

Emma hums while pleasure continues to curl between her thighs, and she wraps her arms loosely around his neck, playing with his hair and running the gemstone of her ring down the back of his neck. “Tell me more about this wanting me in the morning thing.”

The look on his face is positively dirty, and it’s exactly what she wants. So when his hands leave her breasts and move to take her shirt off, she stretches her arms in the air and allows him to undress her until the warm air of the heater is touching her skin. Killian shifts against her so that she can feel his length brushing against where she wants him, a perfect fit in a position that shouldn’t be comfortable, and she melts at his touch as the roughness of his unshaven scruff scratches against her neck and down her sternum to be between her breasts.

“You’re a damn temptress,” he mutters, voice deep and raspy with sleep still lingering. “I wake up and see the smoothness of your skin laid out before me, and my mind is only filled with thoughts of you. I’ve never wanted someone like this.”

“Funny thing, I feel the same way.”

“Do you now?” His fingers tug into her shorts and her underwear, and she lifts her hips as he pulls them down and off of her ankles so that she’s left bare before him, the marble chilling her skin has goosebumps pop up and spread over her.

“I do. Most definitely. You’re quite the catch.”

Killian laughs as he captures her lips, so soft and pliant and warm, with her own. There’s something to be said for kissing just for the sake of kissing, the feeling it sends through her body, and when Emma gently runs her tongue across his bottom lip, asking for entrance, he gladly grants it, tangling their tongues together in one of his favorite dances. She’s definitely picked a partner who knows what he’s doing.

Emma runs her hands through the hair at the nape of his neck and keeps her hand anchored there while the other runs up his spine, soft little taps of her fingertips against the bone underneath his shirt. They stay that way for awhile, lips moving together, until Emma’s hand leaves his hair to move underneath his shirt as well, pulling up at the material until he pulls back and tugs it over his head.

“I feel like we’re on a little bit more equal footing now. You were wearing too many clothes.”

“Was I? I hadn’t noticed. I was a little bit distracted by how unsanitary it’s going to be for us to fuck in the kitchen.”

“That’s literally never stopped you before.”

He huffs and leans forward to kiss her, slow and so impossibly thorough that she feels it all the way down to her toes. “I know,” he grins. “Are you okay up there, or do you want to move upstairs?”

“As long as you don’t hit my head into a cabinet, I’m fine.”

“You’re so beautiful, my love,” he whispers against her skin, kissing the tops of her breasts as her eyelids flutter closed and she recovers from the whiplash in the change of his tone. “I remember the first time I saw you, Emma,” he speaks into her skin as his nose drags along her stomach and arousal tugs at her belly. “You were – are so bloody gorgeous, the curls of your ponytail framing your face and the dark of your eyelashes looking down at me as you told me to get my soggy ass out of the booth.”

“I didn’t say that,” she protests, running her hand through the hair and tugging him down closer to where she’s desperately aching for her.

There’s something about the night that they met that Killian always thinks about. It’s a frequent remembrance, this conversation one they’ve had before, and Emma knows that in moments where Killian is nostalgic, where he’s thinking about how much she means to him, his mind goes back to that night and piecing together all of the circumstances for their meeting.

She doesn’t care how it happened. Just that it did.

No one was ever supposed to love her or treasure her like this. This wasn’t supposed to be how it is for her. She wasn’t supposed to get the good guy. It wasn’t in the cards.

Life has apparently decided to deal her a new hand altogether.

“But you were thinking it,” he whispers against skin, lips pressing against her small tattoo and lingering there. She thought getting that might be a mistake, that the desperation was too much, but over the past few weeks, Killian has held onto it like a glimmer of hope. She did the same. “You looked so frustrated with me, like how dare I walk into your pub in order to get out of the rain.”

“Shameful, really,” she teases, and when she opens her mouth to say something else, she can’t, her throat suddenly too tight to speak while the entirety of the English language escapes from her brain.

Killian’s hands hook around the back of her knees, and this time there’s no playful teasing. Instead, he spreads her legs further apart and bends down to his own knees. She’s about to make a joke about him not hurting himself, a tease over his twenty-ninth birthday last month and how dramatic he was over being nearly thirty, but then he’s kissing her exactly where she wants him, where she needs him.

His tongue drags roughly against her like a perfected routine, and Emma’s eyes tighten. She can’t bear to open them, but then she does and sees the dark mess of hair between the paleness of her thighs. Even more than that, she sees the blue of his eyes under the hood of his eyelid, and she wonders if today is going to be the day that this is all too much for her.

Never.

Killian shifts underneath her, his right hand leaving the curve of her knee to join with his tongue as he kisses her and kisses her and kisses her. Moans filter between them, hers and his, and the tension could be cut with one of the knives that’s in the drawer beneath her ass. It’s all too much - too much pleasure and want and love - and when he slips two fingers into her and curls them, she gasps out his name as a chant that never seems to stop.

“Magnificent,” he mumbles, the sound of his voice like liquid fire in her veins. “Bloody magnificent. Your noises, my darling. Fuck.”

There’s something about knowing that Killian is as affected by things like this as she is, even if he’s the one giving all of the pleasure, and that with the combination of his mouth moving over her bundle of nerves and his fingers moving within her as her falling apart little by little, like the waves cresting onto the shore.

Damn.

Killian presses a kiss to where she’s still fluttering before moving to her thigh, light touches that are nothing more than a blink, a whisper. When he rises from the ground, he grunts, probably from having his knees pressed into hardwood for so long, but she doesn’t think about that for too long when she can feel him hard against her and pressing into her thigh. “Mmm,” Emma hums, pulling herself up and tugging Killian closer to her so that she buries her face in his neck, kissing the straining cord. “You are wonderful.” “Ah, well, that tends to be your reaction after we do something like that.” “Are you fishing for compliments?” “Never.” She chuckles while he does the same, and even without looking, she knows that his eyes are crinkled, joy written across his face.

“Do you want to move upstairs or…”

“Upstairs. Definitely upstairs.”

They move quickly, neither of them in the mood to wait, and while it would have been faster to move to the couch in the living room, this is better. Killian falls back to the bed with laughter on his lips, and Emma immediately hooks her thumbs into his sweats and pulls them down as much as she can before he lifts his hips off the bed to help her out, kicking them off his ankles and onto the floor while she is busy kissing up his thigh, her hand running up his length, feeling the warm hardness in her palms.

“Emma,” Killian moans, voice gruntled. She smirks into his thigh and keeps her hand on his length.

“I am romancing you, Killian,” she promises against his lightning bolt scar before crawling up his body, peppering open mouthed kisses against the trail of his chest hair until she’s leaning over his mouth, her folds teasing him at their hips. “Like you do to me.”

“Darling - ”

“Your eyes, even blown black with desire like they are right now,” she whispers, circling her hips above him to lightly grind down, “are the most gorgeous blue I’ve ever seen.”

She touches his face then, running her fingers over his jaw. “I love your stubble, how it’s black with a little bit of red peppered in, and I love when you don’t shave for a few days and it’s full and just the right mix of soft and prickly. I love the way it feels when you rub it against my cheek in the mornings when you’re waking me up or how it feels against the inside of my thighs.”

She kisses his jaw, running her tongue behind her lips, and the grunt Killian makes curls as little bursts of fire down her spine.

“I love,” she says, running her hands down his biceps as she sits on his lap, right below where she knows he wants her, “the strength of your arms when you hold me, no matter what the occasion. And I love,” she moves her hands through the hair at his chest as Killian twitches beneath her touch, “this hair and how it pokes through the top of all of your shirts. I love the ways that your eyes crinkle when you’re truly smiling.”

I love that you love me enough to want to marry me, she thinks to herself before saying. “I love that you fight for me every day no matter the circumstances.”

She rises on her legs and scoots forward, guiding him to her entrance before slowly, slowly, slowly sinking down onto him. It’s a perfect fit. Maybe not physically, but emotionally, and Killian’s hands grapple for her hips, nails digging into skin. She doesn’t think he’s ever been this quiet for such a long period of time during sex.

“And mostly, at least for our purposes right now, what I love is the feeling of you inside me, thick and full and perfect.”

At that, she starts to move, rolling her hips against him, and it feels so goddamn good that her brief stint as the verbose one in the relationship has ended and Killian is the one to start muttering words of encouragement and curses that would have anyone blushing. She sets a slow, unhurried pace that she knows will draw out pleasure, but Killian doesn’t let her do that for long before he takes control of their movements, speeding up the pace as he thrusts up into her. She lets out a whimper as he hits the exact right spot, and Killian captures the next one with his mouth, kissing her like a man starved of affection and like it’s not ten in the morning.

Suddenly, Killian grabs her hips and rolls them over to change their position, his body encasing hers. He mutters a “bloody fuck” when she clenches her thighs to try to keep him from slipping out, and Emma throws her head back with laughter even if she shouldn’t.

Killian nips at her neck, but she can feel his smile too.

He must be able to tell that she’s getting close, rising higher and higher to her peak, because he releases her hips to grab her wrists, sliding his hands until their fingers are interlaced above her head. He tilts his hips so that his thrusts catch her clit.  Her breath hitches and her legs wrap around his backside, and Emma might actually melt. She thinks that she has. Her limbs are all jelly, and Killian isn’t much better above her.

This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

There are a million things they should probably do today, but they never seem to move away from bed besides getting food from the kitchen. That’s what she’d been trying to do this morning when Killian distracted her, but she’s not going to complain. This is good and nice and Emma could wrap herself in these blankets and in Killian for the rest of time.

When she wakes later, it’s to the slap of a hand to her skin, and Emma immediately flinches and jolts up, blinking into the darkness.

“Ow, shit, Killian. What was that for?”

“I was just making sure you’re here,” he mumbles, voice groggy.

“By slapping me?”

“Killian,” a voice says, and Emma realizes that Killian is on the phone. He might not even realize he’s on the phone. “Killian are you there? “Killian, have you heard a single word I’ve said?”

Liam. He’s talking to Liam.

Holy shit. Why is Liam calling him in the middle of the night?

“I’ll be honest, no. I’m still mostly asleep.”

“Asleep my ass,” Emma mumbles before reaching over to put the call on speaker phone so she doesn’t have to keep straining her ears to hear him. Killian grumbles something, but she ignores him as she settles herself underneath his arm. “Liam, what’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“Elsa is in labor, and we sent all of our nannies home for the night. Can the two of you watch Alex for us?”

“Of course,” Emma sighs. “Bring him over when you guys leave, okay?”

“I will, lass. Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem,” Killian promises, finally waking up. “Congratulations, brother.” At that, the line goes dead, and Emma immediately moves to get out of bed only for Killian tugs her back into him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Emma raises a brow and motions down to the distinct lack of clothes on both of their bodies. “I know Alex is about to have a sibling, which is definite proof of his parents having sex, but I don’t want to be the one to have to explain why his uncle was having a naked sleepover with me.”

“Really? You don’t want to explain sex to a toddler? Shocker.”

She huffs and leans forward to brush her lips over his forehead. “Congratulations on being an uncle again, babe.”

Emma hears his swallow as his head nods up and down in affirmation. “Thanks, love. Let’s go put on some clothes so we don’t scar the lad.”

-/-

-/-

The next chapter is technically the last official chapter. How is that even possible? Thank you all for coming along for this ride ❤️

tag list: @mrtinski​ @klynn-stormz​ @jonirobinson64​ @snowbellewells​ @therealstartraveller776​ @thejollyroger-writer​ @sherifemma​ @shardminds​ @captainsjedi​ @galaxyzxstark​ @galadriel26​ @idristardis​ @karenfrommisthaven​ @teamhook​ @spartanguard​ @searchingwardrobes​ @itsfabianadocarmo​ @owlways-and-forever​ @jamif​ @shireness-says​ @ultimiflos​ @nikkiemms​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @onepunintendid​ @bluewildcatfanatic​ @397bartonstreet​ @killianswannn​ @carpedzem​ @captainkillianswanjones​ @mayquita​ @jennjenn615​ @onceuponaprincessworld​ @a-faekindagirl​ @scientificapricot​ @scarletslippers​ @xellewoods​ @ultraluckycatnd​ @stahlop​ @kmomof4​ @tiganasummertree​ @singersdd​ @captainswanbigbang​

[viviansuggestions]

This may be weird but could you do some “Being the daughter of Scott Summers and Jean Grey and dating Viv Vision” head canons plz?

Hm... this is a tough one... a lot of it would be things that anybody dating Viv could expect:

Cheesey date ideas easily googled but with a slight Viv twist to them, like if you go ice skating she'll phase you two through other people if you don't have much control of where you're going yet and kinda just slide around on the ice wherevee the breeze takes you.

If you're into science, she'll find ways to hide an "I love you" message in whatever scientific thing you're best at. If you're into microbiology you'll find it on a slide one day while you're using your microscope, if you're into computer programming you'll find it in the code you've been working on but out of the way and easy to remove.

If you go into the superhero line of work she'll make sure to help you with any aches and pains at the end of the day.

If you go into spy work, she'll hack into anything to keep you safe.

If you two end up working together you can expect her to take all possible hits she can for you, as she insists she is more durable even if you have powers that directly contradict that statement.

She will always have pain killers, heating pads, chocolate, and other such supplies ready for that dreaded time of the month for you and if you find it odd since she herself doesn't experience it she'll point out there is more than one other girl on her team unlike on her father's team, and they have Loki, who changes between male and female and sometimes has to go through that time of month too, basically using her team as a scapegoat for this even though the only one that isn't prepared themselves for it is Loki.

If she wants to surprise you her team is again used as a scapegoat and usually Loki is the first to jump in and help because of their silver tongue.

If you're into videogames she'll mod them for you even if you're not supposed to be able to mod them on that console.

You will never get hurt black friday shopping with her.

She will always help you with homework if you need it but she knows when you're actually struggling and when you're just being lazy.

She knows all your favorite things and has a word document saved listing them, you will never get a flower that is not your favorite if you date her.

If you are trans and trying to transition she will make sure you have what you need for that and whatever wigs/clothes/tucking or waist training things you may want.

You will get dresses with pockets even if you don't like dresses because sometimes they are necessary (mun only recently learned that my school has a rule that if you're a girl you have to wear a dress for graduation so things like this are what I'm thinking of)

If she can't afford something and you know she can't afford it, expect a call from Tony Stark later in the day asking if your precious robot gf has recently aquired the thing she can't afford: chances are, she used his credit card without asking again and will reimburse him when she can.

You gotta remind her to update her antivirus software and sometimes even argue with her about the timing of it because it takes a whole day and she always feels icky after, just like a vaccine can do to someone, but it's important just like vaccines.

If a reporter asks a stupid question about your relationship, she's retort with one they have to google words to understand or "visit sapho and friends on Reddit" before turning away.

She will occasionally change her hair style or add streaks of pink, which will last a couple days before going back to the long, straight, green it was before. Experimenting doesn't last long for her.

If you're smaller than her, she'll make sure all her sweaters are soft and a little big and warm.

If you are bigger than her, she will steal your sweaters.

If you two are the same size, expect to trade sweaters a lot. It is no longer "yours" or "hers", it is now a shared sweater collection and you cannot tell her otherwise.

If someone is flirting with you, she will get jealous and float behind you and wrap her arms around your shoulders, claring daggers at the other person until they get the hint that she's not going anywhere and while she trusts you entirely she still doesn't want them flirting with you because it's not just the bro code, it's thw life code, don't flirt with someone you know is in a relationship.

She will overheat if you flirt with her and it is adorable.

She will play with your hair even if you're busy.

She will do your makeup if you ask her and she will do it perfectly on the first try. Unbeknownst to you, she's practiced everything she can find on the internet on Loki already just for this possible occasion.

The occasional tereible pun followed by a very proud grin.

Vision and Wanda making terrible (in the adorable kinda way like when a parent or child makes a pun they think is clever and can't atop laughing at it) lesbian jokes. Most of these jokes will be along the lines of "I was asked by a reporter how I view lesbian relationships today, apparently "on your channel when my daughter and her girlfriend kick villain ass together" was not the answer they were looking for", these jokes also get changed to gay jokes for Teddy and Billy so it's not like Wanda and Vision are just picking on you two either, they're just proud parents who like to try and embarrass their kids with humor.

Her uncle is even more embarrassing because he'll actually crack up at his own jokes.

Gotta watch out for Grampa Eric, he's overprotective even though he didn't want his daughter to get with Viz in the first place, so if Viv is upset and he finds out and suspects you, expect an attack on the school.

Every time the school is attacked by Magneto, the new like kf questioning is now "was Viv crying again" instead of "what the hell is wrong with you" when he's finally brought down.

Spoiler: usually she's crying because of something stupid and adorable, like snakes not actually being able to taste anything, and Eric just assumed you upset her in some way because he's a dumbass.

You have no clue why he always assumes you did something but you figure it has something to do with the multiverse.

Things to expect as a child of Jean and Scott:

Viv looks up horrible puns to share with you father.

Viv helps your mom cook dinner when she visits.

Your parents will most certainly blame you if you two ever break up, mostly jokingly, but also kinda wondering what happened.

Suddenly the curtains are varying shades of pink when you start dating, even if you haven't told your parents yet.

Jean read your mind and made the mistake of telling Scott, who then could not control his impulse to display his pride for his daughter by trying (and failing) to subtly incorporate the lesbian flag colors into everything in the house.

Viv's family isn't much better.

You two can never escape the embarrassment of your parents but honestly, would you even want to?

You don't actually have to tell either of your moms anything, you just have to think about it really loud and they'll both know.

Arguments are not left to fester if either mom has anything to say about it.

Vision makes sure you two are always safe, even when it's embarrassing, because he doesn't care how embarrassing it may be, he doesn't want anybody getting hurt.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #296

“reality’s a plague; we’re the medication”

How are you doing in this time of COVID19? Do you personally know anyone who is not taking COVID19 seriously? Tired of it. Don’t see an end to it. I know a bunch of dumbasses who don’t take it seriously at all. What do you think of TikTok? Have you jumped on it yet? Why or why not? I don’t have an opinion on it. What hobby or interest of your significant other do you have ZERO interest in? What about something you actually think might be fun or something you actually picked up thanks to them? If you don’t have an SO, you can think of a relative or friend as an example instead. No s/o, sooo I’ll use best friend instead. Tbh I can’t say I have ZERO interest in anything she likes… If it makes her happy, I’m thankful for it. To answer the second half, she definitely got me into Wings of Fire. Have you ever felt affected by the death of a celebrity or public figure? If so, who? Do you remember when you found out and what was your reaction to it? Steve Irwin comes to mind very quickly. I remember exactly who told me and where I was. I was heartbroken. He was my childhood hero. Did you ever get called horrible names like whore, skank, bitch? I’ve been called a bitch. I remember one occasion as a kid where I was called fat for breaking a swing, even though I was a normal size. The swing was just old. It affected me though, for sure. Where did you sleep last night? My bed. Ever slow danced with anyone? Yes. Who is the last person to send you a message on Facebook? The woman I took pictures for a few weeks back. She’s a sweetheart. Have you ever been given roses? Yeah. Ever been called babe/baby? Yeah. Who was the last person to smoke something other than a cigarette or weed in front of you? No one’s ever smoked anything else in my presence. Does anything on your body hurt? My knees. They pretty much always do. Who is your favorite family member on your mom’s side? My uncle Rob. Who was the last person you were under a blanket with? Sara. Which of your friends is the most likely to get pregnant right now? I feel like all of them that are “likely” literally are pregnant right now lmao. My Facebook is like a new pregnancy announcement once a week, it seems like. Have you ever been called prince/princess? Ew, no. Have you kissed anyone when you’re single? No. Have you ever kissed someone who was in a relationship? Nooo, I have no interest in being “that person.” What would you call your body type? Let’s not think about this. Has anyone ever hacked your accounts before? Yeah. Could you ever be friends with someone that broke your heart? I don’t think I could. Have you ever seriously hurt anyone by mistake? I don’t believe so. Have you ever dealt with a divorce or parents fighting or any kind of abuse at home? My parents fought all the time. Separated when I was… 17, I wanna say? Have you ever had any volunteer jobs? Ha. Attempts, anyway. Both were animal-related, and I was so excited to become a regular helper, but my weak-ass body couldn’t handle either. Has a boy/girl ever cheated on their boyfriend/girlfriend for you? I never actually thought of it this way, but yes. Flirting like that was absolutely cheating. Describe how you feel about your life in the past month using one word: Stuck. Are you feeling guilty about anything right now? I always have guilt nowadays. When was the last time you saw someone attractive? In person? Hm. I think a about a month back when I took family pictures for someone. The kids’ dad was pretty cute. Are you okay with the life you live? Nope. What other piercings would you get other than the ones you already have? Fuuuuck dude, I want a lot. Many more in my ears, dermals in my collarbones (the #1, ahhh, but I want to lose weight first so you can see the contrast), it’d be nice to have a nose ring that fucking stayed in, I would LOVE an undereye microdermal if I ever change to contacts again, sometimes I think about an eyebrow piercing if I kept my eyebrows thinner… man, there’s a lot. I just love body mod. Did your last kiss take place on a bed? No. Are you good at wrapping gifts for others? HEEEEEEEEEEEELL NO. Is your present hair color natural? Sadly yes. Do you follow a certain religion? No. Do you listen to any country music? Noooo. It’s so weird remembering that I loved it as a kid. Have you ever lived on a farm? No. Do both of your parents have jobs? Dad does, but Mom is currently on disability due to recovering from cancer. What is something you’ve always wanted a boy to do for you? Ummm. I dunno. What do you wish you had more knowledge about? Politics. Is there anyone you’re not over and feel like you never will be? I doubt I’ll ever be fully over him. But I feel it’s understandable. When’s the last time you were really late to something? Hm. Dunno. Do you sing a lot? I sing veeery rarely. Do you think you have an addictive personality? I have a very addictive personality, yes. What was the first television show you were obsessed with? Pokemon, easily. What are you planning on eating for dinner tonight if you haven’t already? I don’t know. When was the last time someone took your picture? *shrugs* Do you eat chili when you get a hotdog, or do you like it plain? I eat them with ketchup and mustard, not chili. Would you say it’s easy for people to make you smile or laugh? I’m unsure… but I lean towards no. Do you and your friends normally say you love one another? Hell yeah. I’m so for platonic “I love you”s. What was the worst news you’ve heard this entire week? I'm not sure about "worst," honestly. I've mostly just heard mild inconvenience type things. Have you ever been in a car wreck? Yes. Has anyone ever told you that they think you have ADHD? Actually, yes, by maybe my second psychiatrist. She was fucking looney; I could see ADD, but ADHD was ludicrous. Have you ever disowned anyone in your family? For what reasons? I cut off connections with my dad for years after the divorce. Is there anyone out there who has hurt you so much, you wish they’d die? Yeesh, no. How many times have you been drunk in your life? None. Are you a happy person? Not really. Have you cried yourself to sleep? Oh yeah. Have you been in trouble with the law/jail time? No. At what age did you become sexually active? Maybe like, 16 1/2? Have you been in a loving relationship? Yes. Have you been in an abusive/bad relationship? No. Who would you die for? Quite a large handful of people, really. Have you ever been in a gang? Nooooo thanks. Who do you dream about most? Annoyingly, Jason. When are you happiest? When I'm hyperfixated on a new interest. Do you answer the phone by saying anything besides "hello?" Not unless it's family, really. Then I'll just be like "hey" or "what's up?", something along those lines. Do you get mad easily? No. What is your favorite song right now? I'm pretty hooked on "ULTRAnumb" by Blue Stahli. Do you wear glasses or contacts? If you wear both, which do you prefer, and why? I wear glasses. I've worn contacts before, they're just too tedious for me. Would you rather be buried or cremated? Cremated, please. Ever done karaoke? Did you like it? No. Goriest movie you've ever seen? Probably some SAW film. Is anything in your room purposely hidden? No. Have you ever been pranked via hidden camera? No. Do you like oatmeal raisin cookies? No, anything with raisins is disgusting. What age do you think is too old to still live with your parents? "It depends on the situation." <<<< This. Have you ever loved a boy who was dating some other girl? I certainly still loved Jason when he was with his girlfriend after me. Is your hair all the same color? Yeah, pretty much. When it was longer, I had natural highlights, but now that it's so short, ig it's hard for them to exist. Denim, leather or varsity jacket? I have desperately wanted a leather jacket since middle school. They're just expensive, at least the ones I like. Do you clean things that are already clean when you're bored? Ha, no. I'm not gonna clean without reason. Have either of your parents ever been to jail? No. What TV shows do you keep up with? None. Would you rather have a wiener dog or an Italian greyhound? Absolutely a greyhound, if I wanted a dog and had room for one of those. Do your parents buy you most anything you want? Most definitely not. I'm not even comfortable asking for things at my age. Have you ever tried to jump a fence? I have jumped fences, as a kid. Do you like the movie Zootopia? I do. Do you ever go on Pinterest? Rarely. What's the last kind of chocolate you ate? A sea salt dark chocolate w/ caramel filling Ghiradelli square from Christmas. Can you speak any unusual languages? No. Did you do gymnastics in elementary school? No. Have you ever performed in front of a large audience? Yeah; I was in dance classes for a long time, so we had recitals and went to competitions. I never did a solo, though. I was going to my senior year (senior solos are typical), but I got too nervous to continue with it. It was to "Coma White" by Marilyn Manson. Do you like BBQ sauce? Ugh, I hate it. Last time you wore the opposite sex's clothing? Right now. I always wear men's pj pants. Are you currently fighting with someone? No. Have you ever kept anything wild as a pet? When I was little, I know my sisters and I kept a box turtle that wandered into our yard for a while. We eventually let it go. Then when I would go fishing with Dad, one of my absolute favorite things to do was try to catch the minnows and tadpoles in my hands, and so I had a fishbowl of those. Don't keep wild animals, please. Do you set good examples for little kids? Probably not. Does your house have a pool? No, but I REALLY want one. It would be so helpful in strengthening my legs without sweating my ass off and feeling like I'm going to collapse. When you were younger, were you ever in a relationship with someone you now realize was way too old for you? No. Have you ever had a seizure? No, but I've actually had very short (I mean like, a second), sudden spasms when lying down that feel like what I assume a seizure to feel like. I think it's a side effect of my nightmare medication. What's the longest hotel stay you've ever had? Not long at all. Just a few days. Do any of your friends or family members have strange occupations? Maybe? What small thing makes you automatically distrust someone? Making dark/dangerous jokes. Of all the states/provinces in your country, which one is your favorite? I haven't been to nearly enough to know. Have you ever had to wear a school uniform? In middle school. Would you rather sleep on the top bunk or bottom bunk? My fat ass ain't getting in the top bunk. Are you close with your cousins? None, really. Are you close to any aunts or uncles? Also not really, but one of my mom's brothers is closest to that. Are you close to your grandparents? They're all dead, but I wasn't very close to any. I never really see my extended family. What was your favorite thing to do at sleepovers when you were younger? Go swimming, if they had a pool. If they didn't or it just wasn't up, I liked playing two-player video games. Do you know what you want to do for your next birthday? Probably go to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and dessert with family and just chill at home for most of the day. What is the last new thing you discovered that was really good? Peanut butter fudge, like holy shit. Did you ever skip a grade or get held back a grade? No. What is the best hairstyle you've ever had? What I have now. Do you think you look better with dyed hair or natural hair? DYED. Do you think your look better with curly hair or straight hair? Straight. Have you ever won a contest? Yes. How many drawers does your dresser have? Five. Do you do your own taxes, or do you hire a professional? N/A What song hit you so hard that you remember where you were the first time you heard it? Oh man, what a question. Music can affect me very deeply, so honestly there's probably a number that fit this criteria if I thought for long enough, but I'm not gonna spend ten minutes trying to pick the best one. "Eternally Yours" by Motionless In White will do, I guess because that was probably the most recent. I don't let myself listen to it, even though I love it. It'll only drag me into a trauma pit. What's your "brand" of fictional character, the type you always get attached to (ex., "perky girls with deep-seated mental health issues," "guys who you would want as an older brother," etc.)? Totally the sarcastic and usually well-composed villain. If you use Spotify, share your 2020 Wrapped! What are your overall feelings about it? Is it what you expected? I don't use it. If you’re a ~gamer~, what are your top 3 all-time favorite games? Silent Hill 2, Shadow of the Colossus, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. What’s the biggest red flag you’ve ever ignored? I dunno; I'm pretty good at listening to those. What’s something extremely bizarre you believed as a very young child? It's fucking embarrassing that I went through this many-years-long "I have animal powers given to me by a wolf I made up!!!" thing, holy god. Like, I thought I could "activate" traits of certain animals. Kids are fuckin wild, but I was exceptionally so. What is the biggest conflict in your life right now? With myself. Through a lot of digging with my therapist, she got me to realize that I don't feel that I'm rightfully lovable because I'm not "successful" and "going nowhere." It hit like a ton of fucking bricks when I understood the "why" of feeling like that. Like don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm a bad person that is worthy of being hated, but totally deserving of pure love, no. So my therapist has me tell myself "I am lovable" in the mirror every morning, and I don't believe it. I'm trying to, but every time I'm just like "lol but are you really?" If you could change your current life schedule to incorporate more or less time for certain things, how would you do so? Do you feel like you have a well-structured and well-balanced schedule at the moment? My schedule is embarrassing, truly. I wake up, get on the computer, go to bed, and that's just about it, taking care of bodily needs being sprinkled in there throughout. I want to change it so, so badly, but I'm just... so set in my ways. I want to incorporate at least 30 minutes of daily reading, and I've yet to start my Wii Fit exercising because I'm waiting for Mom to move into her room (she stays and sleeps in the living room rn) because I do NOT like exercising in front of ANYBODY. I don't care if she gave birth to me. I also want to spend less time just hopping between websites on the laptop just because I can't find anything to do. It'd be nice to draw more, too... but for that, I really need to like the idea of what I'm drawing to stay even slightly motivated. There's probably more to this, but yeah, that's enough. What filler words do you find yourself using most often ("um," "you know," etc.)? "Um" or "uh," probably. I fumble over my words so much as well as just total derail on what I'm talking about that filler words are very, very common for me. When was the last time you felt let down? What were your expectations about the given situation that weren't met? Ugh, so apparently when my laptop was fixed, a lot of things were reset, and that included Lightroom, my primary photography editing software. I lost all my presets and I initially thought pictures too, but thank Christ I had a backup dialogue. I'm still pretty annoyed, because I can't find my favorite free LR download site. I didn't at all expect my laptop to be affected as heavily as it was, just getting a new DC port... If you enjoy taking and editing photos, how would you describe your editing style? This greatly depends on the subject matter and composition, but I feel a common theme is I enjoy vibrance. I war with myself a lot if I make them too saturated, but idk. Have you ever been inspired by a celebrity to change something about your appearance (your clothing style, hairstyle, etc.)? Is much of your taste/style inspired by celebrities? If not, what else serves as an inspiration for you? Ha! Guys, I'm not going to bullshit you, when I got into GMM, I loved Link's big, "nerdy" glasses so much that I became very curious as to how they'd look on me. Years later, I still kept the style and think they've looked best on me of all my glasses. I love them. For the second question, no, not really. My personal aesthetics dictate my style selections. When was the last time you felt a friendship was petering out? If a friendship seems to be fizzling, do you go out of your way to try to "save it," or do you accept that it may have just reached its natural conclusion? Ugh. This has happened in so very many of my friendships that I don't even like thinking about it. If we're talking the most recent time, I suppose with Alex. She just started talking to me less and less before vanishing (to clarify, she's an online friend). Considering just how poorly I handle loss, I'm the type to always try to save friendships I still cherish. Who is your favorite contemporary writer, author, poet, thinker? I don't know. What are your thoughts on body positivity vs. body neutrality? I believe in seeing your body and loving it for all it does, considering it's a masterpiece of biology, but, I also feel it is vital to consider its health. In other words, no, I do not think morbidly obese or emaciated individuals should think their body is... I can't think of the right word, really. "Ideal," I suppose? And keep in mind: this is coming from an obese person. I don't want someone to tell me "your body is perfectly fine!" or "you should just accept you the way you are!" when I spend almost every minute of every day thinking to some degree about how much I hate my fucking weight. No, I don't want to be convinced I should settle and neglect the wellbeing of the one body I have, but I in no way support bashing or being rude to people who are unhealthy, either. I feel like my stance on this is kinda hard to explain. Just respect your body as well as others' and their efforts to treat it the best they can. Do you enjoy keeping secrets from people, like having something about yourself that no one else knows? I mean, I don't enjoy it... I'd prefer to have none. If you play video games, what do you usually like to play? If you don't play video games, do you like watching others play? If so, what? I really like horror games, more than any. Fantasy ones with dragons and gods and the like are awesome, too. I don't enjoy a lot of games that are pretty much just movies with player decisions that barely affect the ending (I do like watching these, though), nor do sportsy or action things normally do it for me. It's by serious luck that I'm an avid World of Warcraft player, because I don't tend to like very grindy games, but I suppose WoW is an exception with the absolutely endless options of what you can do. Onto the second part of the question: totally. I wouldn't watch let's plays if I didn't, and I grew up loving to watch my dad and brother play. I'll watch an even wider variety of games than I play, but it more so depends on who the person is versus what they're playing, because whom I watch is controlled by whether or not/how much I enjoy the individual themselves. What are three things you like about nature? Just three? Damn... Well, the easiest I suppose can be summed up in a quote: "As above, so below." All is tied together. I could go on a romantic monologue about the beauty of our connection to the infinite stars we look upon and the ground we stand on, but I'll spare ya that poem. I love, love, love the sounds of nature: birds chirping, zephyrs through the trees, the crunching of fall leaves. All of it. Then, there's the power of nature! I live for those pictures of nature just taking the Earth back: desolate homes eaten by vines, all that. To call nature merely "spectacular" is truly an act of disrespect, pretty much. What do teenagers have right now that you wish you had when you were their age? Hm. I guess better phones.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Nine: Quick Exit ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ SasuHina, blood, vulgarity, smoking ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

In the middle of the morning, Hinata snaps awake, eyes wide and breath curt with a gasp. She was having the strangest dream about an old warehouse, and a gunfight, and -

...oh. Right. That was just her day yesterday bleeding into her dreams.

In spite of herself, Hinata goes slack atop her bed. What a day it was. In fact, what a few weeks it’s been, now. Saving a member of a yakuza, having to dodge his attempts to repay her, and then the firefight yesterday when a rival faction mistook her as someone actually important, and kidnapped her in hopes of getting information on their enemies.

Meanwhile Hinata was completely clueless, dragged into a turf war she had no real business in.

And now, well...she has no idea what’s going to happen to her.

She got the day off from work, thank the gods. And Sasuke is likely still downstairs guarding her apartment from any unwanted Senju guests. Now he owes her even more than he did for saving her life, getting her mixed up in all of this.

In all honesty, Hinata would be fine with them just...leaving her alone! But she knows it won’t be that simple, now. Though the Uchiha saved her the only way they could - by storming the hideout - that likely only solidified her status as some kind of target. Even if the Senju assume they only came for the doctor dragged in with her...Hinata knows there’s little escaping them.

Especially since their leader Tobirama now knows who she is. Or rather...who her father is. She’s not the important factor. If he still believes her worth something to attempt to blackmail Hiashi, she might not be safe, regardless.

Of course...she highly doubts Hiashi would cooperate, anyway. He disowned her years ago for her defiance against his business dealings. She’s likely worthless to him. He might still have some feelings for her as his daughter - some semblance of loyalty or parental love. But given that he basically dumped her on the street for questioning him...she won’t hold her breath.

So...where to go from here? She has no idea. All she does know is that - as of yesterday - there’s little chance of getting her old life back. Not that it was much of a life, working a base-pay job that both stressed her out and collided with her morals. And otherwise lurking at home when not working behind her company’s back.

...maybe Suigin-san could hire her if she gets fired. She doesn’t know much about the medical in practice, but...maybe the doc needs a receptionist. It’s not like she’s not familiar with how the insurance works.

Sighing, she brings an arm up over her eyes. The little bit of leftover takeout she gobbled the night before is already digested, if her stomach’s pining for food is any clue. But she doesn’t have much in the way of supplies...she’ll have to make a grocery run. But is that safe…?

Bringing a hand to her comm mod, she dictates a text for Sasuke.

I need to run errands. Am I free to leave?

In the interim, she abandons the clothes she simply fell asleep in, having lacked the motivation or energy to change the night before. Tugging on her pants, she receives a reply.

I’ll go with you.

That gets her to blanche. Don’t you need a break?

Took one last night - someone covered me overnight. Came back this morning, I’m fine.

Hinata hesitates. Does she really want to be seen in public with him…?

...of course, she’s already pretty much a known associate by the people who are the biggest threat, so...what else does she have to lose?

...okay. I’ll be quick. Sorry for the inconvenience.

It’s either this, or sit here and do nothing while the others figure out what to do with you.

...oh. She hadn’t considered that.

Putting on a jacket and making her way down to the ground level, she finds him leaning idly against her building nearby the door and smoking a cigarette. He does indeed look rested, and his outfit has changed. Which...is good, given there’d been some blood on what he’d been wearing before. Makes sense, given his...activities. “...ready to go?”

“Where we headed?”

“I usually just go to a place down the street…”

“You don’t do delivery?”

“Some things I like doing the old fashioned way,” is her reply, which to her surprise earns a chuckle. “...what?”

“Nothing. You’re just...weird.”

Her cheeks puff a hair in a pout. “What’s so weird about that?”

“Just not what most people do. Hell, even I typically have things dropped off. Feels like a waste of time, otherwise.”

“I don’t know, I just...like to look around.”

“Mhm...like you said, old fashioned.”

A bit ruffled, Hinata stuffs her hands in her pockets, leading the way as Sasuke falls into step a bit behind her. “...so, um...have you heard anything about w-what happened yesterday?”

“Bits and pieces. We dealt a decent blow, and Tobirama’s scrambling. Apparently he’s pretty pissed he’s failed at killing me twice now in so many weeks.” At her curious glance, he expounds, “My father leads the Uchiha...sort of. His father, Madara, is still around and calls shots...but Fugaku’s still de facto leader. Madara and Tobirama - and Tobi’s brother Hashirama - have some pretty bad personal blood between them.”

“...I see.”

“As for what’s going to happen to you,” he goes on, knowing that’s what she’s really curious about, “we’re still talking. See, Suigin’s an asset. She directly benefits the gang, and she gets paid. But everything with you is less...official. You saved a member’s life, but you’re not a member, nor are you on the gang payroll like she is. So figuring out what you’re supposedly allowed in terms of protection and all that is a bit...up in the air.”

“...oh…”

“But either way,” Sasuke continues, pausing for another drag, “I’m going to take care of it.”

“But -?”

“But nothing. You saved my ass, and I repaid you by almost getting you killed. Least I can do is keep you from getting killed for a while, whether my father wants me to or not. Yakuza might do some shitty things, but we still have honor in some regards. And debt is one of them. Until we’re square, you’re stuck with me.”

Hinata gives a quiet sigh. “...I guess there’s no c-changing your mind…”

“Nope. I know this is all gonna affect your life and livelihood, so...we’ll have to hash out the details. Obviously your job might be at risk if people start noticing me hanging around...but at the same time, that’s the only way to keep Senju off your ass.”

“Yeah, I was...w-wondering about that.”

“...guess if it comes down to it, I’ll find you a new job.”

“Wh-?!”

“Cuz that’ll be my fault, too. And I’ve got connections.”

Hinata bristles. “This is getting r-ridiculous!”

“Well, it’s that or we could have you moved, your identity changed...the whole shebang. Up to you,” he offers, giving her a glance and drawing from his cig again. “...being yakuza tied is tough business. Guess I should have warned you, but...well, I don’t think either of us imagined it ending up quite like this, huh?”

“...no.”

They reach the store, Hinata stepping through the automatic doors with Sasuke behind her. Activating a cart, it glides alongside her as she starts quickly stocking up on the essentials. Because apparently...she might be on house arrest for longer than she imagined.

All the while, Sasuke stands casually behind her, hands in his pockets and the butt of his cigarette between his lips.

“...want anything?”

“Huh?”

“You’re here, you might as well get something,” Hinata explains, setting several instant ramen cups into her cart.

That earns a snort. “I’m fine.”

“Want a...candy bar or something?”

“I don’t like sweets.”

“What?!”

Eyes narrowing, Sasuke then tugs her back around the end of the aisle, her cart following like a puppy. “...hold up.”

Oh for goodness’ sake, now what?!

Stock still, Hinata listens as a few more customers walk through the door. It’s a rowdy group of young men their age, Hinata curiously leaning out to peek.

“Don’t do that.”

“But we can’t -?” Turning to look at him, she sees Sasuke staring out oddly...and then it clicks.

Right. Rinnegan model. Instantly bypasses just about any surveillance security and grants access to nearby cameras. He doesn’t have to look...the store’s doing that for him.

“...damn it.”

“What? Senju?”

“Sort of...long story. I know the blond. He’s a pain in my ass.”

“Is...is he dangerous?”

“...no. But I don’t need him seeing me. It’ll just stir up more trouble. I need to make a quick exit…” He then glances to her, Rinnegan turned in its socket. “...think you can handle checkout? I can meet you outside.”

“...yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Just buzz me if something goes down.”

“Okay…” Watching him slink around the back, Hinata takes a moment to breathe before heading to the front of the shop.

The group of men is still there, browsing the cheap tablets bearing various news and articles...among other entertainments. Eyeing them warily, she starts running things through the machine to tally up her total and remove the security on the items.

“Whoa, hold up…”

Tensing, she keeps going, avoiding eye contact as one approaches.

“...Hinata-chan?”

Jolting, she looks up, finding a nostalgic pair of blue eyes. “...Naruto-kun…?”

Wait...blond...is this the one Sasuke was…?

“Holy crap! It’s been ages! You, like...totally vanished after school!” the Uzumaki goes on, grinning widely and clearly excited to see her. “You look...kinda different. Where have you been?”

“Oh, just...w-working. You know...boring life stuff…”

“Dude, I’d love to catch up sometime! You live local?”

“Er...well…”

“Oi.”

The pair both turn to see Sasuke standing nearby. Naruto stiffens, Hinata just looking warily between them. “...Sasuke…?”

“Leave her alone. She’s clearly trying to get her shit done and leave. You’re holding her up.”

“Wh-? This long since you’ve seen me, and that’s how you say hello?”

“Who says I want to say hello? You’re holding her up.”

“What do you care?”

“Because I’m waiting for her, dumbass.”

Blond brows furrow. “...you know her?”

“In a manner of speaking. We’ve got places to be, so save your sap for some other time.”

“Good to see you’re still an asshole,” Naruto mutters, stuffing hands into his jacket pockets.

“Like I give a shit what you think.”

“Look, guys...p-please,” Hinata cuts in, lifting placating hands. “It...it’s fine! Naruto-kun, um...here, I’ll...give you my contact info. We’ll talk later, o-okay? Really. It’s okay. But I...I really should be going.”

Still glowering at the Uchiha, Naruto replies, “...yeah, sure…”

Transferring the proper data, she gives him a strained smiled. “...it...it really was nice seeing you again.”

“...just take care of yourself, Hinata-chan,” he offers, eyes still trained on Sasuke. “Don’t want you getting mixed up in the wrong crowd.”

“...I...I’ll bear that in mind. Have - have a good day!” Things bought and bagged, she gives a nervous grin before fleeing, Sasuke on her heels. “...what the hell was that?”

“Long story,” Sasuke mutters. “...but he’s got Senju ties.”

“...is he…?”

“He’s not yakuza, but he benefits from them. Vague family ties...like I said, long story. As you can imagine...that doesn’t make us best friends anymore.”

Her ears perk at that. ...anymore…?

“Anyway...let’s get you home. Sorry for butting in, but...I wasn’t sure if he’d have heard about you.”

“...that’s okay. Um...I hope that wasn’t too...inconvenient…?”

“I’ll get over it. Mostly it’s just a stroke to my temper. Good news is he seemed clueless...but he might not stay that way, so...keep your guard up with him, okay?”

Hinata gives Sasuke a glance. He has a point, but… “...okay. I will.”

“Good.”

                                                           .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to days 250, 254, 269, 300, and 303!)       More cyberpunk! I am so falling in love with both this little series and this genre, it's just so cool xD      And now we have a new player on the field: Naruto! And given his ties to the Senju...this might get rather...interesting. How? I...don't know yet, but we'll figure it out as we go, as we always do with these, lol      Buuut yeah, I'm...uber tired as usual so I'll call it there - irl is a WEE BIT stressful today and will be for...a while :'D So I'll sign off for now. Thanks for reading!

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Hey do you have any advice for DM's or players? My friends and I are fairly new to this and I would appreciate any advice! Sorry for the bother

IN FACT I DO.  Now, again, my DM style could generously be called “freewheeling” and “unprepared” so like...go elsewhere if you want to learn The Numbers.  (Can someone explain how to use challenge rating usefully to design my encounters please I’m begging.)  However.

IN GENERAL

DnD is a collaborative effort.  I’m gonna harp on this one a little, but seriously.  DnD, or any other RPG, is a group effort.  That means everyone should be having fun, no single person should be controlling everything, no one should be wildly out of tone with the others, and no one should be playing with the intent to fuck over the group.  

Host provides the snacks.  Traditionally this is the DM, and it’s still sort of generally agreed that, in lieu of a host, the DM is still Snack Bearer, but no matter who you are, if you’re hosting DnD then give your party something to eat.  This is partly because there’s a long history of enjoying a salty snack while killin’ dragons, and partly because your average DnD session runs three or four hours and if you don’t eat a meal immediately beforehand or provide snacks, people will get pretty cranky at some point.  Everyone needs to be thinking clearly while they fight Y’gathon the Ravenous or whatever.

Loosen up a little.  Playing pretend feels awkward at first, and there’s an inclination to make the whole thing a joke as a defense against feeling like you’re being a dumbass.  And you’re totally free to make your campaign as goofy and joke-filled as you want!  But also try to embrace your character, try to embrace the fantasy world, try to just generally set aside the need to be a “grown up” and just play pretend.  Especially if you’re looking to hit some emotional beats, or hit a more serious note than “dick jokes, the DnD party”, it’ll take a little doing to get people to stop feeling shy and awkward about it.  This is going to come up again in the DM section.

PLAYERS

Party balance does matter--yeah, seriously.  That’s not to say you shouldn’t play exactly the character you want to play!  Make that dark elf prince DeviantArt OC you swore would never see the light of day!  Indulge your lifelong desire to Animorph--Druids do that!  Give your character the angstiest backstory and the most overdramatic appearance you’ve ever discarded for Real Writing!  The world is your oyster!  But if you party doesn’t have at least a healer and maybe at least one person with more than fifteen hit points (looking at you, All Spellcaster Parties), you may find yourself in a bit of a pinch and your DM may not be sympathetic.  If your group is big enough, I’d suggest trying to hit the classic four-person RPG starter party at bare minimum: Healer, Tank, Rogue, Damage-dealer (probably a caster).  That’ll cover most situations, both in and out of combat.  Get creative from there.  If you don’t have enough people (party of three), see if your DM will give you an NPC to fill out that roster--if they won’t, maybe drop the healer and blow 100% of your cash on healing potions.  IDK, that’s not my problem.  Which brings me to...

There’s no such thing as a boring class.  I know, I know, some dude’s about to show up and give me a bunch of crap about paladins.  I know.  But honestly there are so many options to mod the fuck out of DnD classes that everyone needs to calm down.  Homebrew your shit and stop whining.  Specifically, this is regarding two categories: Tank and Healer.  Nobody wants to be the guy casting Punch when everyone else can cast Wall of Fire, or making sure that your delicate little thief doesn’t get one-shotted before they can net those sweet sweet Sneak Attacks, but honestly the builds are still pretty fun.  If your cleric build is boring you, look for a cleric build that’s more interesting!  If you don’t like the classic Fighter or Barbarian, rummage around in the alternative paths!  Especially the 5e builds have a lot of really cool options right there in the Player’s Handbook, and if those aren’t doing it for you, the Internet has your back.  Finally, if what you really want is to be able to just fucking 1v1 the boss or to be Deeply Beloved by your party, Tank and (useful) Healer are your respective tickets to those outcomes.  And if you really, really still want to be an arcane spellcaster, try a Warlock for your kinda delicate tank and a Bard for your healer.

Don’t play to sabotage.  This sounds obvious, but this is “it’s a collaborative effort” for players, and it’s extremely important.  You shouldn’t be playing to sabotage the group and you shouldn’t be playing to sabotage the DM.  It’s not going to endear you to them, it’s not going to be funny, and it’s probably going to make your party turn on you in-game at some point, at which point it won’t even be fun for you.  If you’re not going into DnD with the honest desire to have a good time and do your best to work with everyone so you all have a collective good time, then let me ask for the sake of your future party that you maybe...don’t.  As far as the DM goes, your DM puts a lot of work into your sessions!  Probably more than you’re aware of!  That doesn’t mean you have to let them put your campaign on rails, but it does mean you shouldn’t go out actively looking for ways to upend their work.  That’s just rude.

Share the spotlight.  You’re not always going to be the center of attention.  Learn to love the other characters in your party and get invested in their arcs!  Build emotional connections between your character and the others, so that when they get plot advancement, you get plot advancement!  Above all, don’t try to hurry things along so that the narrative gets back to you, if someone else is getting a moment in the sun.  A good DM will get to everyone.  Just go with it.

You’re gonna have a dump stat--make it narratively interesting.  A “dump stat” is that one stat you put your lowest ability score into and subsequently become known for being Absolutely Shit with.  Mine is almost always Charisma.  My mother is playing a Barbarian: her character is as dumb as a sack of hammers, with the Intelligence score to match.  Play into that dump stat!  In fact, play into all your stats!  Why is your character so uncharismatic--are they brusque or just shy?  What part of their backstory informs that?  Why are they buff (Strength) and tough (Constitution)?  How did they decide to get that way?  Why do they have the skills you chose for them?  Stats aren’t just numbers on a page, they’re the core of the character you’re building, so make them part of the story.  And on a related note, my final bit of player advice...

Give! Your! Character! A! Backstory!  Your character DID NOT spring fully formed from the ether (I mean, unless, of course, they did, which is a pretty interesting backstory to be going on with), and the more you buff out your character’s backstory and tell your DM about it, the more they’ll be able to work you into the story they’re telling.  I would personally suggest having, like, a couple people who might still be alive out of that backstory, so that your DM has some easy stuff to work with, but bare bones you need to answer the question “why are you [CLASS] and what event brought you to that?”

DM (Under the cut because, like, trade secrets and also this is pretty long already)

You are all-powerful.  Not even the rules can tell you what to do.  If you want elevators, include elevators.  If you want to include house rules, distribute those motherfuckers and use them.  If you want a nat 20 to always, always succeed, regardless of circumstances, then it always succeeds, no questions.  If you like the Dawn War pantheon but not the Dawn War universe, stuff some deities in your pockets and make a hasty escape to your homebrew setting.  You are the DM and at the end of the day, nobody can stop you from changing the rules to suit you.  This means that, if you don’t know the rules as well as you would like to, a confident tone of voice and some degree of consistency is just as good!  It also means that, until you say it aloud, absolutely everything is in flux--if your characters just are not making progress on the mystery you set up and are continuously interrogating the wrong people, you’re totally free to just give one of those people some relevant information!  It’s easy to feel beholden to whatever you previously decided on, but seriously, you’re a god, you can just change stuff to make it work.  On the other hand...

You are ultimately responsible for the narrative--and therefore everyone’s good time.  That might sound like a lot of pressure, but it’s the truth.  With great power comes great responsibility.  This means not abusing your power as DM to target someone, to manipulate events to match your preferred outcome, or to dramatically alter the narrative your players are constructing.  Ultimately, you are there to give them a sandbox, they’re not here to play out your story.  Sometimes in order to let your players do what the party really wants to do, you need to give up some narrative threads that you spent time and effort plotting out.  That’s not to say it’s never worth it to put things on rails--especially in shorter campaigns, a party might really benefit from the DM keeping them on track--but a narrative will always be more fun if you build it together, rather than trying to sabotage their attempts to keep them to your planned path.  Moreover, as DM, you are the authority figure, so if you see something in-universe or out-of-character you’re not comfortable with or seems in bad faith, say something.  I know the rule of improv is “say yes” and DnD is, at its heart, an improv-based story, but you have the responsibility as the DM to ensure that everyone is having fun and sometimes that means saying “fuck no.”

Be a fan of your party.  I boosted this one from the Powered By The Apocalypse games, because I think it’s a great rule.  Basically, you, as the person running the game, should be a fan of the characters!  That means giving them lots of chances for badass moments, emotional connections, and interesting personal plots.  The more you as the DM spread around the narrative love and the exciting beats between your party members, the more your players will enjoy seeing each other in the spotlight.

Get in touch with your inner sadist.  Remember those backstories I encouraged players to create?  Make them tell you every detail.  And then make them bleed.  Your character has a long-lost brother?  Sounds like you just got a convenient villain!  Your character’s village was burned down and they’re the sole survivor?  Mmm, what tasty opportunities for necromancy.  Your character spent their whole life loyal to their king and lost everything defending the throne?  Guess who just became the Big Bad?  Every person your character includes in their backstory is a leverage point, every place they’ve ever cried is now a destination on the party map, every tragedy they’ve ever suffered is a gift that they’ve given to you personally.  The more angst they include in their backstory, the less work you have to do coming up with personal plot arcs.  They’ll hand you that shit, all you have to do is take merciless advantage.  Have fun.

Make NPCs, and then make your players love them.  A helpful tavern keeper!  A beautiful guardswoman!  A stablehand with a secret!  An ornately detailed world is all well and good, but good NPCs are what will make your players get into the game.  Are you low on ideas?  Spend an hour thinking about supporting characters you love, and then insert them wholesale if your players are unfamiliar with the source media.  If you can’t get away with that, rename them, give them a new face, and now you have an NPC.  Example: I just met Gilmore in Critical Role!  I love him!  Now my players have a flirty shopkeep friend named Renwick who’s a tiefling but is otherwise indistinguishable from Gilmore.  No one has caught on yet.  I’m looking forward to putting his life in danger again to make them Upset.  (Did I not mention?  The full text of this rule in my mind is “make NPCs, make your characters love them, and then brutally kill them off” but then I’m told I’m a very angsty DM, so YMMV.)

Make failure narratively interesting.  This one is pretty straightforward--if your players fail at a task that’s plot-relevant, the failure should be as interesting as success would have been.  It may mean your characters spend a lot of time breaking out of prisons, but it’ll also mean that your players will be less likely to fudge dice rolls in order to “win” DnD.

The dice are your friends.  Someday your characters will try to fight something they really shouldn’t fight.  They will try to enchant something you didn’t give stats to.  They will try to do some dumb shit.  When all else fails, just roll a fistful of dice, assign purposes to each at random as needed, and wing it.  You didn’t give that character a Dex stat and now your cleric is casting Sacred Flame?  Roll a d6, that’s their brand new Dex stat, add it to a d20 and confidently report the outcome.  Which brings me to my last point...

Confidence is better than actual knowledge.  Not even Matt Mercer is right all the time about DnD rules.  There is literally too much information and too many myriad ways to tweak it in order to know everything about even a single edition of DnD, let alone the many other RPGs in the world.  Keep a computer near at hand for quick rule checks when needed, admit when you’re wrong when applicable, but if you can’t find something quickly and don’t know the answer, make a command decision and then stick to it.  As long as you’re consistent, confident, and fair, I guarantee you your players will not complain.

[rantingnbanting]

It’s finally time

Spider-Man: Far From Home Movie Review

Hee hee i had a shit ton of this done already and then my dumbass accidentally closed the tab so yeah :’)

For some reason, this took me so long to want to write. I saw the movie this afternoon, and it’s almost midnight as I’m writing this. Granted, I am on vacation and was a little busy, but I just needed time to process this movie. The movie seemed really dense to me, and I just had to scroll through tumblr looking at other posts to finally get the nerve to write this.

So, the moment you’ve all been waiting for...

***SPOILER WARNING. MAJOR PLOT POINTS AND THE ENDING OF THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED SO IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS DO NOT CONTINUE***

Just as an FYI, I saw this with my sister, a fan of the MCU, and my dad, a diehard DC fan but just saw this for shits and giggles. And I will be referencing endgame a lot during this too.

- Did I like it?

Yeah!!!! I loved the humor in it, and the plot was well written. Mysterio is an awesome character in this, though he is a villain.

- What didn’t I like?

(I’ll go into more detail later) The cgi in this, the lack of some of the topics introduced in endgame, the casts’ age, and some of the Peter X MJ scenes (I said some! I do love Peter and MJ together!)

- Pacing?

Honestly? Pretty good for a marvel movie. Marvel usually has some issues with pacing *cough cough endgame cough cough*, but I was thoroughly impressed with this one. Everything seemed well drawn out, and I was never left feeling that a certain scene was too long/short. Kudos because that I am very picky with pacing lol

- Humor

This movie is probably one the funniest movies in the MCU, and it was one of the most memorable aspects of the movie. The morning announcements made my sister and myself wheeze and I had tears rolling down my face as I cackled. Ned and Betty were the truest presentation of Highschool romance I have ever seen. Starting on a whim, being attached to the hip for a few weeks (maybe even a few months), and then breaking up. I honestly loved them together. I’m happy they didn’t go down the “sad and neglected best friend” route with Ned because he deserves so much better. “I’m strong and sticky” made my stomach hurt because I was laughing so hard. PETER BITCH-SLAPPING FLASH WHEN HE WOULDNT GIVE BACK THE GLASSES. AHDHDBDJDHDJ

- plot?

I thought the plot was really clever. Like I said earlier, anyone could see mysterio’s real side from a mile away, but the way they went about the conflict and the climax of the story was very interesting as well. The only thing is that when they were first explaining the secret plan and thinking everyone, I got a little lost. I did finally realize how the bots produce an illusion, but I kind of had to figure that on my own. I was confused how things were being broken and destroyed by the creatures, but the team said that nothing was actually getting broken because it’s all just an illusion. Idk there were some plot holes, but they got mostly filled, so I’m not worried about it lmao.

- Favorite character?

While I do love Ned with every fiber of my being, he just didn’t have the same spark that he did in homecoming. Maybe that’ll change as I see the movie again, but my favorite character in this movie was definitely Mysterio. Jake Gyllenhaal is a phenomenal actor, and I don’t think anyone could have pulled off Mysterio like he did. As I assume most of the internet knows, Mysterio is an actual villain in the Spider-Man comics, and he has powers that create illusions, and I thought that this was a really cool way to portray Mysterio with making him a person. Even without knowing that Mysterio is a villain in the comics, it wasn’t that difficult to predict that he would reveal that he’s a villain. Thinking back, there was a part during the the fight with the fire monster in Prague when something broke off of the Ferris wheel, and I thought to myself “damn, it was almost like the Ferris wasn’t really there” And the illusion scene was by far the coolest scene in the entire movie. It gave me strong Doctor Strange vibes (I wonder why I like I so much lmao) and it showed how vulnerable Peter is. But Mysterio has the aura that just made you love to hate him, and I love characters like that.

- Soundtrack?

It was awesome. Mysterio’s theme is definitely the best. I actually listened to the soundtrack before I saw the movie, and it was cool to hear some of the familiar tunes. It would fucking awesome to hear an ensemble perform the Far From home suite live.

- Peter and MJ

Okay, I understand what they were trying to do with their relationship: display a typical, awkward high school relationship. Ngl, they kind of overdid the awkwardness. Not every relationship is both people constantly stuttering and muttering when they’re next to each other. And that fuckin kiss. It made me so uncomfortable. Me and my sister literally looked at each other and said, “That was the most awkward thing I have ever seen in my entire life” after the kiss. I like that the writers were trying to break from the stereotypical high school relationship, but I do think they overdid the awkwardness a bit.

- WHERE THE HELL WAS MORGAN STARK

HOW DARE YOU RIP A FATHER FROM A BOY AND GIRL AND NOT HAVE THEM INTERACT AT ALL. This is probably one of my biggest critiques because this movie makes it look like they introduced Morgan just to take her away. Same with Harley! Imagine how awesome peter and Harley could be together.

- CGI

Okay, I blame my dad for this. He was the one who introduced me to CGI (Computer-generated imagery) and how to spot it. In marvel movies, CGI is not uncommon, especially in the fight scenes. And I honestly did not give endgame enough credit when it came to CGI hulk. He looked absolutely phenomenal, but I have to say that a good amount of the CGI in this movie was rough. I always say, if you can tell it’s CGI, then it’s bad CGI. It’s really hard to explain, but if something looks like it belongs in a video game rather than in a live action movie, then the CGI is pretty rough. It takes experience to learn how to point it out. Mysterio didn’t look bad the entire time, but some shots of him floating (like the rooftop scene) just looked so fake. And the swinging scene at the end was absolutely horrendous. It looked like MJ was swinging with the peter from the ps4 videogame. The background imagery and the elemental monsters looked real for the most part, and they looked great and real. Just some character mods were really wonky.

- Cast

Okay, I’m going to just say it. What the fuck was that cast? To me, everyone looked so much older than the first one. Like I get it that some of them were “blipped” and aged, but holy shit Ned and peter looked so much older than in the first movie. And, holy shit, Peter is ripped in this movie. I know Tom mentioned in an interview that he was more buff in this movie compared to homecoming, but he was so much more, for lack of better phrasing, wide.

I mean, come on

If the next movie is set in high school again, I honestly have no idea what they will do because, right now, Tom is 23 and Zendaya is 22. And yes I get it that it’s not that old, but if the next one is going to wait 2 years at least for the next Spider-Man movie, they’ll be less like high school students and more like adults.

And while I would have been extremely pissed if they changed the cast, I’m just kind of peeved on how mature the cast looked.

- Ending?

The first ending was what everyone wanted. I could have left the theater then and would have been perfectly fine. But I had to watch the end credits scenes. And then my world crumpled. Hearing Mysterio reveal Peter was so surreal. Almost too surreal... but that’s for another post ;). It provides for a great cliffhanger, but it makes me wonder how they’re going to continue the MCU from here. Obviously, they’re going to do the Black Widow Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (hopefully) but what next? Is there going to be another “avengers” movie? If so, what about Peter? Bc he’s in quite the pickle rn. And the pair credits scene just confused me ngl. So, Fury and Hill were never actually there? It does make sense why fury didn’t catch onto some things, but it does allow for some interesting conversations. This plus BARF equals who knows what for the future because this stuff is practically the reality stone. No one knows what’s real or not. And that’s scary. Also, does the multiverse exist? I know Beck and his crew made some stuff up for the purpose of tricking Fury and Peter, but the avengers still used the quantum realm to time travel, and who knows what types of alternate universes that created.

What does the future hold? No one knows

But it does allow for interesting theories ;)

Side note: I really noticed the resemblance in these in ffh

Hey marvel please introduce Deadpool played by Ryan Reynolds into the MCU thansk ily

[plagued-yakuza]

To Have You Back

So apparently I can’t read, or if I did I forgot, because I totally missed the deadline for posting the OP x BNHA hub event! ;A; Honestly, I almost cried when the mods of @onepiecerphub​ contacted me. I’m terribly, TERRIBLY sorry!! @askblackleg-sanji​ please have my apologies alongside your gift! I loved your content and I think you’re a great artist and such a chill person. I’m willing to write you another one to make up for the delay if you want ;w;

This piece has been half-finished in my drafts since the beginning of September, and since my class today was canceled, I took the time for some tweeking and updating to make it more manga-compliant. Once again, I’m really sorry for the delay! No content warning for this that except for innuendo and manga spoilers - but it’s kinda big, so it goes under a read more.

Summary: They finally meet again in Wano. While things may have changed, others are exactly as they should be. (ZoSan | One Piece)

Moonlight paints the ruined castle in shades of silver and black, glossing over the remains of destruction, less of a tragedy and more like a dream. The existent warmth comes from the embers of their bonfire, already dulled by Wano’s insistent winds, only strong enough to create a smaller circle of golden light and heat. They’re scattered around it, wrapped around themselves to keep precious body heat, the only sounds those of a peaceful night after the stress of the afternoon and the emotional tales of the evening.  

Still, one of the pirates has not fallen asleep. Despite the tiredness weighing down his bones, Sanji is wide awake, the light smoke of the cigarette and the pleasant twirl of his thoughts to his company. He has never been to Wano before, and yet it feels like home, like belonging. During the dreadful time in Whole Cake island, he has longed for this - for the sight of his asleep nakama nearby, for the safety and comfort of their presence. Luffy’s light snoring to disturb the occasional song of the cicadas, Chopper bundling up with Nami and Carrot to share a cover, Momonosuke laying against Kin’emon, even Torao asleep with that silly hat over his face. After almost giving up on it all, even if for reasons he thought for the best at the time, he treasures it even further, and the quiet joy keeps him awake for longer than he thought that night.

There is the light shuffling of cloth nearby, along with the tinkling of metal as it shifts in its leather band with the owner’s movements. Sanji makes no comment as the green-haired man takes a place beside him next to the dying fire, seemingly too caught up in his own thoughts to care. Zoro lets a long sigh escape his throat as he stretches his tired muscles, knowingly calling to himself an attention that he already had.

“So…. The girl?” The swordsman asks casually, fingers drumming against his hurting neck. His good eye is closed, his silhouette drawn in yellow and black against the fire, a sight that Sanji is pleased to be the only one awake to see.

“Didn’t really work out.” The chef shrugs lightly, taking in a deep puff from his cigarette rather than expanding more on what happened in Tottoland. He needs the calming numbness of nicotine to push it away from his mind, a sign he knows the other will understand.

Zoro snorts, a tiny smile playing on the edge of his lips - the mere sight makes Sanji frown, the edge between his brows deepening with the following comment. “I bet it didn’t.”

“What are you implying, eh?”

“That not even Big Mom’s ugly kid wanted you.”

“Fuck off! She was really pretty!” The blonde huffs, smoke puffing out from his nostrils as he glances beside him in annoyance.

“Oh, was she then? Then why all that trouble of sending Bege and shit to get you there? Like you wouldn’t do a thing for a skirt.”

“You’re wearing one.” The reply is smooth and self-assured both, a playful jab with a not at all subtle hint. He can see Zoro grim with the edge of his eyes, and he knows this means a small victory in their rather particular way of flirting.

“Last time you met a nice lady you got all beaten up. Or did you?”

“I’ll beat you up myself if you keep up with this bullshit, Marimo.”

"Would you?” Zoro’s reply is as sharp as his swordsmanship, an eyebrow lifted slightly in provocation, and in between his words is a promise that paints the tips of Sanji’s ears red.

“I will.” The chef is quick to assure, breathing in smoke to hide his embarrassment as his gaze shifts away, back to the fire, to recollect himself and change the subject. “What were you up to, during that?”

“Was accused of killing some dudes. Had to leave the capitol for that - Torao was pretty pissed.”

“And did you cut them?”

“Of course not. He only wanted Shusui.” He makes a mention to the swords held close to his hip, his index finger laying on the flowery handguard of the dark-bladed treasure. The touch is soft, as caring as he is when they’re alone like this. “They thought I stole this from an old samurai, but it was that creepy shadow dude that got his body and brought him back. He gave it to me after we fought.”

“That was back in Thriller Bark, right?” At the time, it had been terrifying; two years later, Sanji is surprised on how nostalgic it feels to remember the decaying boat and its inhabitants. “Such a long time ago.”

“You’d figure they’d have found out earlier I wasn’t here all that time back. But the attacker himself was the judge, and tried to accuse me of using it against some others, so I cut him down.”

“You cut down the judge?”

“And the building.” Zoro adds solemnly, with a light nod of his head.

Sanji cannot hold it anymore - he laughs aloud, almost wheezing in between breaths. The fingers that hold his cigarette are trembling slightly as they bring it back to his mouth, an effort to keep himself quiet and not awake their companions. It is their moment, and he does not wish to interrupt it. “That’s such a Marimo thing to do. Bet you didn’t even think of the consequences, did ya?”

“What for? I’ll just cut whoever comes my way.”

It takes more willpower this time to hold back the laughs, and he fails to control the smile that insists to come out when he hears such things from dumb Marimo. It feels so easy, so liberating - he envies it, and the feeling comes out the smoke as the cook sighs. “I wish I could be as straight-minded as you and the captain. Sometimes I think about things too much.”

“That’s your fault.” The swordsman replies in the same beat, an accusatory finger poking against Sanji’s temples as he glares at his companion with a narrowed eye. “You and this swirly eyebrow, it catches your thoughts and prevents them from leaving your brain.”

“It what?”

“You’re a dumbass.”

“Says who?? Nothing you just said makes sense!”

“Makes more sense than your face.”

“I’ll put sense in you so hard you’ll remember my shoe size forever!”

“That’s if I don’t cut you up and serve you for dinner first!”

They’re up to each other now, hands on collars, faces close enough for their noses to touch, and it is a miracle the altercation has not awaken any of their companions. Sanji’s long-forgotten cigarette is turning to ash on the floor, a different kind of drug in his veins as he leans closer, the grip on his clothes softening as his lover does the same. The hidden touch of their lips is what he missed the most - the way their tongues seem to meld against each other, to be close enough to feel his body heat and his scent, to dig his fingers into that stupidly soft green hair. He missed those stolen moments in the Sunny, away from the well-intentioned but nosy eyes of their crewmates, and the dance of competition, playful insults and teasing provocations they share in their own pace.

He missed Zoro, most of all, and he has no heart to put in words how he dreaded never seeing him again.

They back off slowly from each other, in between heavy breaths and burning cheeks, fingers intertwined and foreheads touching in the feeling of longing and the thrill of danger. They could very well have been caught, kissing right there where any of their nakama could see, and it makes Sanji’s heart drum faster in his ears with the need of doing it again.  

Yet the swordsman backs off, green hair brushing against the cook’s cheek as he moves to lay his head on his shoulder. Almost instinctively, the prince’s hand rises to caress his lover’s hair, long, skilled fingers combing through in a calming gesture. It is only due to the quiet environment that he can hear Zoro whispering against his shoulder, the grip in his other hand tightening. “I missed you. Dumbass. I thought you’d stay with that girl forever.”

“I would never leave the crew. Or Luffy. Or you.”

“Nice to see your level of priorities.” The green haired grumbles, shifting his position to glare annoyedly at Sanji in between long eyelashes. “I come last, eh?”

“Suits you well for how annoying you are.” The blonde teases back, a smirk playing in his reddened lips. His gaze softens despite that, the proximity and softness under his fingertips mellowing his teasing lightly. “You know I’d never truly leave, right?”

“Fucking no.” Zoro buries his head on the chef’s shoulder again, half-hiding from his own embarrassment, half-eager for the closeness. “You’d leave us and marry the girl just so we could all be safe or some bullshit. Stop putting yourself on the line, Swirly Eyebrow. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

“I’m sorry.” Sanji mumbles back in quiet remorse, the echo of Luffy’s words fresh in his mind. I just wanted to keep you all safe, is all he wants to say, but Zoro knows it; he can feel it in the way the swordmaster pulls him closer, in the light huff of anger he lets out. He knows and he hates it, and they will butt heads for this and for so many other things in the days and years to come. For once, Sanji does not want to think of sacrifice. He just wants to stay there for a while longer, to kiss the top of Zoro’s head and whisper: “But I’m here. I’m right here, and here to stay.”

It won’t last forever, they’re both aware of that. As morning comes, their nakama will awake to find Sanji making breakfast and Zoro napping, and think no else of it. But for now, they have this moment - a place to belong, even in the dreadful Wano country, and a memory written in moonlight amidst those ruins.

“......At least I’m glad to have you back.”

[gosh-dangan-imagines]

Hoshi, mondo, fuyuhiko and teruteru’s s/o gets accused and mocked in the class trial (s/o is not the blackend)

Mod Ishimaru again, hope you don’t mind! I’ll be doing them in order of the games they came in. There’ll be a bit of angst and this will be quite long!

Mondo

“Wouldn’t that lead the blame to S/O?” Toko looks to you. That smug half smile on her face as her eyes say ‘gotcha’.

It definitely wasn’t you, absolutely not! You were still reeling from poor Chihiro’s fate, who could do such a thing?

You look at everyone pleadingly

“No, please it wasn’t me! I could never!”

“We all know you and Mondo are dating, you could have easily killed Chihiro out of jealousy.” replied Celeste, crossing her arms and tilting her head in a condescending manner.

“What? Definitely not, she was my friend! She was so sweet I would never want to hurt her.”

“It’s not-not like you’re the mo-most attractive! Someone would co-come along and take your place.” Toko remarks.

“I know that, dammit. I know, but I wouldn’t hurt anyone!”

“Surely we should believe them! They looks very sincere!” yells Ishimaru, bringing a clenched fist to his mouth.

“Yes bro! I know they didn’t do it, they couldn’t have!” Mondo exclaims.

“You two should be quiet. Mondo you have feelings for them and Ishimaru is your friend we can trust your objections.” Byakuya booms, staring Mondo down with an accusing glare.

“What ma-master says is right! You two don’t have a right to try to convince us that this prostitute didn‘t kill Chihiro. Especially when they obviously did!” Practically giggling, Toko takes Byakuya’s side.

Mondo looks at your horrified expression, the tears gathering in your eyes and decides enough is enough at this rate everyone will be killed, he couldn’t bear the thought of you dying because he did something he didn’t mean to do.

“No! I have every right, I know for a fact it wasn’t fucking them! I know because I did it! Me, I fucking did it!” 

The room is silent, shocked expressions all around, even Kyoko looks a little surprised at this development.

“Wha-what? Mondo?” You croak tears starting to slip down your face.

“I’m sorry.” He looks down, face hidden. 

“Why? Why did you hurt Chihiro?” There isn’t any hidden meaning in the way you question him, you are utterly baffled by this.

“I-I don’t know. Things were said and I found something out about Chihiro... I thought Chihiro was mocking e so I got angry and I blacked out... The next thing I knew I was standing above the dude with a dumbbell in my hand.”

“You killed Chihiro, and strung her up? How could you do that?” You sob.

“I swear! I never hung Chihiro up like that! I left Chihiro in the girls changing room and left! I fucking promise!”

“... I believe you.” You look him in the eye and he feels slightly more at ease, but he’s devastated that he did this to everyone especially you.

“This is getting boring! Iiiiiiiit’s voting time~!” Monokuma intervenes. 

No matter whether Mondo came clean or not, you couldn’t bring yourself to vote for him so you vote for yourself, tears falling onto your hands.

you get an explanation everything is revealed and you feel even worse than before, free to move about the room you embrace Mondo sobbing about how you don’t want him to go. How this wasn’t fair. 

Mondo is surprised that you still feel that way for him after all of this and almost cries as you refuse to let go until he is forcefully ripped from your grasp. Even then you try to run after him but are grabbed by your classmates. 

It really wasn’t fair.

Teruteru:

How did this happen?

Your classmates, your friends, the people you want to flourish are blaming you for killing Byakuya?

They are about four more sentences from voting and you still haven’t managed to convince them otherwise.

“We’re all going to die if you choose me, please! Reconsider!”

“Of course you would say that you want us to die so you can escape, we’re not stupid!” Kazuichi exclaims, pointing at you.

3 more sentences

“You weren’t in the room when Byakuya was killed and you didn’t say anything during the blackout why should we ever believe you weren’t the one who went under the floorboards?” Nagito inquires, giving you a condescending glare that you wouldn’t have expected from him before the trial.

Teruteru looks incredibly unnerved and worried

Why isn’t he saying anything to defend you? He knows you went for a nap before the dreadful end of the party

2 more sentences

 He’s clenching and relaxing his fists, eyes flitting over the rest of your friends in a panicked glance. You also look to everyone, anyone, looking for a sign of doubt that they may defend you, but no-one meets your gaze

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“It wasn’t me! I swear, I went for a nap under the desk in the reception area I’m telling you, Teruteru can back me up he walked me there!”

1 more sentence

“But he wouldn’t have seen you leave if you went to the storage room when he was back in the kitchen.”

“No!”

“They didn’t do it!” Teruteru roars in an unfamiliar accent

“I love you mama, but I can’t let them die, I thought I would be ready when the time came but I can’t let them die.” He murmurs under his breath

“They definitely didn’t do it!”

“Upupupu, what’s this interesting development?” Monokuma coos

“Teruteru, what are you doing?” Nagito asks looking at him suspiciously 

Teruteru takes a deep breath and looks at you

“I did it, it was me, not S/O. I killed Byakuya, I thought he was Nagito who was trying to kill someone so I did it.” You cry, you haven’t cried in a long time but his startling confession drew it out of you

The trail continues, but he speaks no more words, he just looks down only occasionally glancing up at you

He’s crying too, fat droplets dripping down his face in a torrent, but he makes no sound

Everyone starts to figure it out and all too soon it’s voting time

You’re numb, you can’t press any buttons, Monokuma starts to become irritated and warns you of the consequences

“It’s OK cher, you can vote for me.” Teruteru whispers

But you don’t, instead you vote for Nagito, Teru teru said it himself he was going to kill him because he was going to murder someone else, from the positioning it may have been Hajime

It stems back to being Nagito’s fault and you grow a contempt for the boy as you mash your finger onto his option

Obviously, you’re outvoted by everyone else but knowing you had voted for Nagito made you feel only slightly better

Teruteru is devastated of course, he is about to die, and he has hurt his S/O terribly, he feels so awful he almost wishes he had let you all die

But he would never wish that upon you he wouldn’t be able to live with himself, if he had known that sooner he probably wouldn’t have gone through with it

Before he dies you cry that you still love him and how much you’re going to miss him, how much you don’t want him to go

you plead with Monokuma to stop, trying everything your despair riddled mind can come up with

You’re on your knees by the end of his execution refusing to look but the sounds alone make you cry and scream, he must have been in so much pain

They have to drag you out of the court room kicking and screaming, hating everything and seething to the brim with the world everyone is living in you don’t remember much of the days that follow other than your pain, sorrow and grief.

Fuyuhiko:

“Then what about the sword!? It would’ve been left in the shower room and she wouldn’t have been able to recover it, dumbass!”

“F-Fuyuhiko... why do you even care?”

“Sh-shut up! Just shut the fuck up and answer me! If you have an answer then fuckin’ give it to me! If she used the bamboo sword as a stepstool, it would’ve been left behind!” Hajime looks surprised and even a little hurt.

“Maybe he’s right actually! How would she have gotten the sword?” Akane chips in. You stand there confused yourself, surely Peko wouldn’t.

“I agree, it has to have been someone else!” Peko looks shocked that you would defend her, she wasn’t as close as you were with Fuyuhiko so she didn’t think you would care enough to defend her.

“But who?” Nekomaru booms, slightly unamused. Peko sees her opportunity, if she can get the blame to fall on you then, you will be executed and she can protect Fuyuhiko.

“That is because it was S/O.” Both yourself and Fuyuhiko gasp, both for different reasons.

“Wha-what? No Peko you’re wr-”

“Peko what’re you doing?!” Fuyuhiko yells.

“I’m not the killer because she is. It is as simple as that.”

“No Peko! It can’t have been me! You know that!”

“Peko, don’t do this!” Everyone is stumped about this little argument between the three of you. They didn’t understand what was happening.

“I have to, after all she killed Mahiru.”

“No, she didn’t, I won’t stand for this!”

“I have to, you must survive.”

“But Peko, I would never kill anyone, I wouldn’t be able to let everyone here die!”

“Peko, I’m warning you, stop it!”

“Stop blaming the killer? I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“What’s happening?!” Akane roars.

“You all need to shut up! We need to find poor Mahiru’s killer, you dummies!” Hiyoko squeals.

“Peko please!”

“I can’t take this! Peko come clean! I’m sorry, I can’t let you do this!”

“Young master!” Peko looks surprised.

“Do it! I told you I wouldn’t stand for this, I’m sorry Peko, I really am but I can’t allow this any longer, not when S/O is in danger.”

Peko looks disdained but does as he says and you can’t believe your ears. The trial ends in a whir and you can barely catch your breath.

“How could this happen?” You stare at Monokuma as he slams his gavel down. There’s nothing else you can do but cry, joining Fuyuhiko in tears.You’re so numb as you watch her be taken to her death, you are completely unprepared for Fuyuhiko to leap into the fray you scream his name as he is slashed by Peko’s bamboo sword.

You are held back by the others as you have to watch it all happen, even as the ambulance drives in. You don’t even remember anything from the time between losing Fuyuhiko and finding him again in the hospital after Peko’s execution. 

Hoshi

“I doubt Shuichi is the culprit, he had no reason to do it. Well, no more reason than the rest of us to and he was with Kaede the entire time!” You reason.

“...”

“Shuichi would never do that. Right, Shuichi.” Gonta confirms.

“...”

“Oh don’t tell me you’re going to plead the fifth now.” Mutters Hoshi.

“...”

“Hoshi please, this isn’t getting us anywhere!”

“It’s not like him saying nothing is helping either, S/O.”

“Even so!”

“Why are you fighting so hard to say he isn’t the culprit, there’s no proof, unless... You are the culprit, huuuuh S/O?” Kokichi sing-songs mockingly. A bit surprised at this suddenly being aimed at you, there is a stumble and suddenly everyone is upon you.

“Actually, that makes sense, you seem the most adamant that Shuichi isn’t the killer, what makes you so sure?” Kiibo inquires, honestly baffled.

“Well-well, I just don’t see him being a killer, but that doesn’t mean that I killed poor Rantaro!”

“I dunno~ You seem pretty suspicious right now S/O~” Kokichi chimes in.

“So not cool man.” Hoshi perks up staring down the grinning prankster across from him.

“Aww~ But I’m just playing with S/O.”

“Well don’t.” Hoshi’s tone demands no more discussion on the topic and you send him a relieved look. He nods back to you and the discussion continues on to a drawn-out heartbreaking end.

[aleksandr-is-probably-gay-blog]

Aleks x James // Bonnie and Clyde

Anon on Tumblr~

could you do a bonnie and clyde au with aleks and james?? that would be amazing.

I think I probably could swing it. Also, this will be set in a FakeChop AU but before the complete formation of FakeChop, if you catch my drift?

Enjoy :) ----------------->

Two men ran all of this city. How they ran it with the Cockbite Syndicate up and coming, no one knows. But, they became the power couple of Los Santos. This couple was unstoppable, even with just the two of them. No one fucked with them. Not a soul.

Immortal and Nova, as they were known as on the streets of Los Santos, were just two very smart and cunning guys. Some would even say they had luck as an advantage. These two men rose to power on the streets and used this power to take down the last gang in charge.

Aleks and James, as they were known at home, were average men. James was slightly taller and bigger built, with some long tendrils of black hair falling from his bun. Aleks was smaller and skinny, short blond hair graces his head. Off screen, they were a couple, deeply invested in one another's heart. After years of pining for one another, they settled down in Los Santos and began their life of crime.

Aleks was definitely the cuter of the two, topped with more charisma than the latter. James was the brute and even brains in some situations. Aleks was smart, yes, but only street smart. What Aleks lacked, James more than made up for.

Their first heist was a small convenience store on the other side of town. A month of planning led to an almost failed attempt. When they were scoping it out, Aleks missed a security camera off to the left of the register and that almost cost them their lives. However, James' quick thinking allowed them to escape with their lives. Everything had gone smoothly, save for that one camera, and they escaped to their house.

Not safe house, no, they couldn't quite afford that yet. This $1500 would go to purchasing a safe house, far away from their joint residence. The safe house would be used to house their earnings and hide weapons. No one would suspect a thing if they purchased the old warehouse they were looking at.

On the ride home from the first heist, James told Aleks that he loved him, even if his dumbass could have gotten them killed. Aleks gripped his partner's waist, as their getaway vehicle was a motorcycle, and smiled into his back, thankful he could hide his blush. Aleks would never forget that day. That day was a catalyst to so many new things.

By their 10th heist (and biggest one yet), they were already getting their names in people's mouths. The news would blast the latest heist from "Immortal and Nova" while Aleks sat in James' arms on their couch. They both likes the nicknames they were given by the media. 'Immortal' because Aleks always had plenty of body armor on and, despite being shot at multiple times, he always walked away unscathed. 'Nova' because James had stars in his eyes and his weapon of choice was modded with a supernova skin.

The boys basked in the fame and even used it to their advantage. Okay, only Aleks did before James tried to cover their tracks and attempted to not leak their identities. Somehow, not a single person could figure out their identities while they went on a crime spree around Los Santos. Both boys were smart enough to clean everything up and not leave a trace of evidence.

They really only kept their heists to small stores and gas stations within the city, while they sometimes drove all the way into Grapeseed to steal from their small stores. While they were sometimes apprehended by police, Aleks never shot a bullet, always too afraid he'd have a death on his conscious. James, on the other hand, didn't really care and knew that the police had to be stopped so they could get away, did kill a small handful of officers when cornered.

This next heist was their biggest yet. It was a milestone. It was their 10th heist and they hoped to rake in a measly thirty grand. This was also when they recruited some new help to transport the funds. They succeeded, up until they were approaching the safe house and there were still three police cruisers following close behind. James shot at the vehicles until he killed everyone in them, much to Aleks' dismay.

The newcomers that had been trailing were quickly shot just after pulling onto the road that would take them up to the house. Of course, Immortal and Nova couldn't let those earnings go to waste. Aleks stopped the car and allowed James to exit. James held off the police while Aleks loaded up the duffle bags full of money. Aleks drove them in circles until they found a new dirt road, driving to the end and quickly losing their heat. The end of the road brought them to a quite peaceful and serene area on a mountainside.

They took a deep breath before looking behind them again, assuring the police were gone. They simultaneously exited the vehicle and sat on the hood, watching the sunset together, as a couple. Aleks was holding James hand, fidgeting with his fingers. "I overheard someone give us a new nickname today." Aleks beamed. He was always so excited about the darkest of things.

"Oh yeah?" James asked, wanting him to elaborate.

"Yeah. They called us the new Bonnie and Clyde. I kinda like it." Aleks explains, turning on his side to meet James' gaze. James smiles.

"Yeah, I like it too," he says, leaning in. "But, who is Bonnie and who is Clyde?"

Aleks giggles. "Good question." He replies, leaning in and locking his lips with James'. The boys remained in a heated makeout session until the sun was completely gone.

Pulling apart, James speaks first. "We should go home and count our earnings."

"I agree." Aleks replies, hopping off the hood and entering the car, starting it. He hollers back out the open windows. "I love you, Clyde!"

"What if I wanted to be Bonnie?" James protests, entering the vehicle.

"We both know I'm Bonnie."

"Okay, yeah, I guess. Just drive home." James says. "But I love you anyways."

fin.