#how you can kill off characters so easily I will never be able to comprehend

[cosmic0de]

😺

How Intimidating Am I?

Send 🐹 for “You? Intimidating? Hell no.”

Send 🐰 for barely intimidating

Send 🐭 for slightly intimidating

Send 🐱 for moderately intimidating

Send 🦊 for fairly intimidating

Send 🐯 for very intimidating

Send 🐻 for “MOTHER OF GOD PLEASE DON’T EAT ME–”

[maritteknewtheenemy]

Lenore Dove's Biggest Flaw is That She's Dumb

There are a lot of reasons I dislike Lenore Dove in SOTR. One is that she's redundant and destroys any chance of character development for Haymitch, another is that she is such a blank slate character she couldnt be more boring, and another is that she's the epitome of a manic pixie dream girl, forever trying to be Lucy Grey without anything that made Lucy Grey an intriguing or likeable character.

But my biggest gripe with Lenore Dove (and sotr Haymitch to some extent) is how pathologically stupid she is. Like, Haymitch can harp on about how smart she is all he wants, he's blinded by infatuation, but this girl is dumb as a post. If I was going to try and stir up rebellion under a fascist regime I sure as hell wouldn't make sure everyone and their mother knew that it was me doing it. Subtlety- especially in the circumstances of District 12- is important when you're committing treason. You don't want to do or say anything that could link you to the crime, and you sure as hell don't want it to be an open secret. You want to seem like the quietest, most beaten down, most assimilated good little district worker if you're going to rebel successfully and stay under the radar. Yeah, Lenore is covey, they're performers by trade but Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber very obviously understand the need to at least pretend to have assimilated to the capitol regime. But no, Lenore Dove has to be different, she has to feel special, she wants to be the one to single handedly save District 12 from the capitol. She commits symbolic acts of protest (burning the flag, graffiti) while twirling around in fancy dresses and singing songs, being so fucking pretentious the whole time- and then she gets jailed for these crimes over and over again, which probably has the complete opposite effect to what she thinks it will. District 12 mothers probably point her out 'dont be like that Lenore girl, you'll get yourself and the rest of us killed'. 'keep your mouth shut, do you wanna end up like Lenore Dove?'. Lenore Dove thinks she's riling up the citizens of twelve, too stupid to realize that her idea of rebellion is so removed from the collective consciousness of the district as to seem alien. The citizens of twelve are at a point where rebellious activities or organising have to be quiet, subtle, easily explained away, and a group effort, and they understand this. Things like sharing food that the capitol doesn't want them sharing, or trying to create solidarity between the seam and merchant class. IF there were actual plans for rebellion in District 12 at the time, the absolute last person anyone would ever tell would be Lenore Dove because she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. She'd blab to anyone and everyone trying to 'get more people to join their cause' until the wrong person overheard and they all got executed. Or she'd be mad their plans were covert, grassroots and focused on community building and gaining quiet social support rather than banding together to burn down the peacekeeeper building (which would ultimately do nothing in the long run but increase the military presence in the district and piss off the capitol, putting an even bigger target on their back). Lenore Dove loves the idea of rebellion, but she's too idealistic, naive, narcissistic, and too much of a know it all to comprehend what real rebellion entails, and understand that she isn't invincible or infallible. It's clear from the book she thinks she's untouchable, even when she's behind bars and very much at the capitol's mercy. She never once seems even slightly concerned about her family or her boyfriend, while every other character- even Haymitch, who also isn't winning brainiac awards in sotr- knows that the capitol never punishes just the individual, and that when you condemn yourself you condemn your loved ones too. Lenore Dove sees rebellion as the pretty, honourable idea in songs and stories rather than the very risky, gritty, unpleasant, and dangerous organising and action it actually is.

Lenore Dove is not a rebel. She's an idiotic girl who thinks she's the smartest person in the room and believes everyone around her is too stupid or cowardly to recognise that the system needs to change, when in reality the citizens of twelve recognise the need for change, and they also recognise that Lenore Dove is stupid to a level that puts them all at risk. Stupid people are dangerous, and Lenore Dove being ostracised as much as possible by the district is clear evidence of them recognising this. Honestly, it probably a good thing she died when she did, before she could drag her family down with her. You can't convince me she wasn't going to die anyway- at some point she would have been executed, probably along with Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber because they enabled her.

Also, who above the age of three eats random candy they found on the ground? Death by gumdrops was an absolutely ridiculous way to kill off a character, but I actually find it fitting because its reflective of Lenore's unfathomable idiocy. She should've listened to her uncles instead of thinking she knew better. She should have learned the district's customs and methods of survival instead of feeling superior to everyone just because she was covey. She should have realized she wasn't invincible. She should have tried to develop a shred of actual empathy for her fellow citizens instead of committing to a holier than thou mindset where anyone who wasn't 'rebelling' the same as her was an enemy or some pitiful, brainwashed swine. Maybe then she could have actually had an impact. Maybe then she could have survived the story, or at least had her death be something other than an incredible relief. Maybe I'd have actually cared about her if she wasn't the worst combination of insufferable and stupid and didn't put everyone around her constantly at risk.

Tldr: Stupid people are dangerous and Lenore Dove is the worst kind of stupid. It was a relief when she died, and I wish she'd died sooner.

[averyrealhumanunfortunately]

Late as hell but I saw you wanted questions about your ID mc, is Nathan different from the canon mc in any way? like things you'd imagine him reacting different to, different traits, stuff like that?

Hey there! I assure you, you do not have to worry about being late. I’m barely online in most circumstances; I’m just happy that you even dropped by.

So, a bit of backstory. I played Bloodbound before Immortal Desires, though I never managed to finish it until much later when I was able to take advantage of the short-lived one hundred gems a day boon alongside the special diamond events. My Bloodbound MC, Vanessa (named after Vanessa Brooks from Blade) is my silly deconstruction of the female blaxploitation protagonist, and I love her deeply. When constructing the basics of my ID MC, however, I decided to go for the exact opposite of Vanessa. Thus, Nathan was created.

Nathan is a weirdly relaxed and somewhat lackadaisical surfer-boy whose existence as a young white man has left him the privilege of never really having to think that deeply about the world he’s apart of or the position of life society assigns to him, despite holding a strange and somewhat glib sense of curiosity towards the odd and unknown. His dreams are simultaneously grand and simplistic; he hopes to travel to Europe after school, but outside of that, he mostly just assumes he'll settle down with some random girl and start a family, not because it's what he wants per say, but what else is there to do exactly? He gets bored easily, but romanticizes the mundane American high school experience as a result of his latchkey kid upbringing and a life of perpetual movement due to his hippie mother's very important crusades of justice that always lead to her getting fired. He'd rather spend his time floating in the ocean because seasickness is preferable to the nausea he receives thinking about the future. He's a clever kid who wants to know more about the world he's in, but his own preconceptions and somewhat sheltered outlook often lead to roadblocks in his ability to comprehend the entirety of things. He can read people very easily but prefers to just trust that they are who they say they are until all evidence proves otherwise. He'll eat an edible with you upon request because he thinks tripping out together is probably more comforting than doing it alone, so why not? He gets killed within the first thirty minutes of a slasher film.

Amusingly, this somehow fits remarkably well with MC’s canonical personality, which is quite savvy, but often held back by their lack of knowledge about a plethora of things. Of course, addendums are naturally created since the fact that MC is customizable inherently limits them to an extent.

The most noticeable schism I find between Nathan and canon MC occurs in book one with Cas. Canonically, MC and Cas take to each other quite quickly, and this is heavily contrasted with how long I see Nathan actually acknowledging Cas as a real person with, like, feelings. It’s worth nothing that my version is Cas is not only male, but also black. There is a very explicit, sub-textual element of racism and internalized homophobia that has formed not because the narrative is making such, but because I created it (partially by accident and partially on purpose) with my decision on what gender/or race I wanted these characters to be. Nathan sees Cas’ punk veneer, his explicit queerness in both behavior and in dress (all punk is queer, no matter what they say), his propensity to get into fights, and, the smoking gun of it all, the way he keeps antagonizing Gabriella and suddenly that superficial line is drawn immediately. Nathan is not enlightened in the slightest; he takes Cas’ persona at face value when they meet, and there is a lot of childish macho posturing that is born as a result of Cas' desire to pull Nathan's pigtails and Nathan's desperate attempts to let Cas roll off his back, save for when he feels the need to defend Gabriella's honor. Of course, Nathan still finds something inside of him that is drawn to Cas (a mixture of curiosity towards vampirism and genuine attraction), but there’s a stubbornness here that’s actually quite comparable to Cas in some regard where Nathan will refuse to name this feeling for quite a while. In fact, I only imagine them getting properly chummy post-Gabriella reveal, where Nathan actually has a real reason to call into question his past perspective on both Gabe and Cas.

Other divergences are a bit more minor. Nathan is a lot more mentally and physically jostled than our canon MC can be. He has abandonment issues thanks to his father’s absence (honestly, everything about Aleksa is its own can of worms), which manifests in an outright paranoia that both Cas and Gabe are merely placating him and are actually one foot out the door of their relationship all the time. He has a baseball injury that led to long-term post-concussive depression which flares up at minor and inopportune times, and he also suffers from anemia, which makes the latter half of book one where MC is constantly getting cracked open like a soda pop even more harrowing. In fact, I think Nathan’s decision to be the one to sacrifice himself to the Creator would be informed by the fact that he knew he was probably going to die anyway. In a lot of ways, it's Nathan's relationships to other people that keep him alive. The only reason he didn't kill himself in some of his lowest points before all this was because he knew Terri would be unable to cope.

Furthermore, Nathan is a lot of more…sadistic is a heavy term, but schadenfreudeist isn't a word. He’s a bit nastier than MC in canon is what I'm trying to say, at least post turning. Prior to his "death," Nathan’s plans for dealing with uncomfortable emotions was to keep everything in his chest and then die. As a result, Nathan, like canon MC, has a lot of built up resentment that gets poured out when his vampiric puberty kicks in, especially with the dysphoric dissociation he experiences with his body. The core of this resentment is tied up in the fact that Nathan, who has gotten mostly everything he’s needed in life (save for a stable household) by being exactly what society is tolerant of, if not celebratory towards, cannot fathom why the world won’t just let him have what he actually wants. The realization that he has to work for the same state of semi-peaceful existence he managed to grasp after the hell that was his late childhood/early teens drives him up the wall, and people's refusal to meet him in the middle leads to some impulsive behavior driven by frustration. In Book 2, Nathan never actually sleeps with either Cas or Gabe. He chickens out with Gabriella because the realization of what Gabriella was trying to do with the whole "being like Cas" thing sort of shell-shocked him soft, but in Cas' case, he ends up...overstepping in a moment of spite to keep it vague, something that canon MC would just not do. Nathan is sometimes just prone to being mean for the sake of emotional release/catharsis because he spends so much time just trying to be the better person even though it exhausts him.

I’m not really quite sure how I managed to create an MC that slots into the canonical personality as easily as Nathan does; I’m admittedly not used to it. Vanessa is quite different from the Bloodbound MC, my Royal Romance MC Gabriella (yes, it’s quite a small world) is in a different league from the canon RR MC, and my Desires and Decorum MC Helene has strayed so far from the narrative, she ended up being aromantic. I guess the best way I can summarize Nathan is that he's MC taken to their logical extreme with the added benefits of the fact that I’m not restricted by a customizer. Of course, the biggest difference between Nathan and the canon MC is that Nathan would never wear three quarters of those wack-ass outfits if you dared him.

[sapphire-weapon]

I forget like 90% of the game notes, despite enganging with so much fandom stuff. I'm really interested in that Sherry Birkin piece from RE6 you just shared, though.

The "we'll let you leave our protection, if you come work for us", sounds eerily similar to how Leon was forced? It's a golden egg of character interaction just begging to hatch. The little girl he only ever wanted to save, ending up in the same, shitty life plan as him? At the hands of the same shady people that are supposed to defend and protect? Urgh, the angst. The potential for a Leon and Sherry team up to just fucking leave or finally end it all.

The way it could be potentially be such a deeply heartwrenching end of Leon as a character. I need to chill, I'm going insane thinking about what they could do with this and how easily it could be fucked up.

My question, IS the note implying that Sherry was threatened/forced or am I reading too much into it? I ask, because other fans never portrayed it that way in their talks or fanworks. Sherry's always portrayed as an immature little girl who hero worships Leon and doesn't fully comprehend what's happening arlund her (which I obviously don't agree with, clearly she's grown up and can very muxh handle herself, she's far from a cutesy little schoolgirl).

It's been a hot minute since I've played through Sherry's RE6 campaign, but iirc the parallels were done deliberately -- but for Sherry, it was less that she was threatened/forced the way that Leon was and more that she was duped. Her "offer to work" was extended to her by Derek Simmons, who's the big bad of the game.

Simmons, however, was an opportunist. In the void left behind by Leon's absence from Sherry's life, Simmons was able to move in and become Sherry's legal guardian (which was something that Leon should have done as a condition of his service/his deal with the CIA, but he was too guilt-ridden over the entire situation to have the foresight to even think of something like that) -- which he did for less than scrupulous purposes. When he gave her the "offer" to become an agent, it was a way to continue her imprisonment while getting more use out of her. But Sherry genuinely trusted Simmons and wanted to genuinely be helpful and do a good thing, and she had no idea that she was being put in a position to get screwed over later. Basically, Simmons was a combination of Leon's experience with Ada and the CIA all wrapped into one.

The idea was to show off Sherry as following in Leon's footsteps by becoming a federal LEO and continuing the fight against bioterrorism, with the unfortunate consequence of following too closely in said footsteps by taking a bad deal and getting trapped. She was technically "emancipated" from the CIA after Wesker died in 2009, but she wasn't ever actually free to go until Leon killed Simmons in 2013.

If RE6 had been better written, it would have been a much bigger deal that it was Leon -- and not of any of the other six playable characters in that game -- who hunted down and killed Simmons. It would have been framed as Leon righting the wrong he made fifteen years prior of removing himself from Sherry's life and deliberately abdicating his role as her caretaker to the CIA. He kills the charlatan that was masquerading as a father to her and finally accepts his proper place in Sherry's life.

But RE6 was written by a group of drunk monkeys who just slapped some keyboards around in between flinging poop at the screen, so Leon's beef with Simmons focused solely on their fight over the right to claim Ada's vagina.

Man, fuck what Resident Evil 6 did to/with Leon. Seriously.

[glenngaylord]

Huh? – Film Review: I Don’t Understand You ★★

I love dark comedies and big swings. They’re among my favorite movie flavors. With such titles as Dr. Strangelove, Heathers, War Of The Roses, and Fargo offering us peak form, I found myself studying their mastery of tone and ability to somehow make us care about a gallery of unsavory characters. It’s an exceedingly fine line to walk. Kathleen Turner’s Beverly Sutphin in Serial Mom, for example, may kill off her entire neighborhood, but we relate to her because her victims refuse to recycle their garbage or rewind their VHS rentals.

In their new comedy/horror hybrid, I Don’t Understand You, filmmakers David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano aim high, but for me, lose the thread by featuring two leads impossible to root for or even comprehend. A married couple who partially based the story on their real life experiences, Craig and Crano start with a great concept. Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells), a couple on the verge of adopting a baby from a surrogate named Candace (Amanda Seyfried), head off to Italy for a “babymoon” before their lives change forever. After some bad weather, shoddy directions, and missed communications due to language barriers, things get scary and eventually murderous for our expectant couple.

When we first meet Dom and Cole, this affluent LA couple nervously awaits a Zoom interview with Candice. You can tell they question their own viability as parents, but the strength of their bond helps them overcome such doubts. Rannells and Kroll have a wonderful, easy chemistry, both tamping down their usually manic characterizations in favor of something grounded and real. After winning Candice over, they head off to Italy to cherish the time before their family expands.

So far, so good, right? Sure, but for me, the cracks began to show in the subtlest of ways the minute they board that jet. When they enter the Business Class section, I immediately clocked that they had opted for an older plane, the kind without lie-flat seats. I know I’m nitpicking, but stick with me for a sec, ok? Two bougie LA gay guys would NEVER fly for almost 12 hours from LA to Rome without being able to go fully horizontal! While not a dealbreaker, this tiny detail came close to taking me out of the movie. Now, in reality, I’m sure this film had a limited budget and the fuselage they used was perhaps their most affordable option. If that was the case, however, I would have established them as less financially stable or at least have them make mention of this aging plane. Already, my antennae were up and poised for credibility issues. No matter the genre, the characters still need to feel believable, and I felt torn about this throughout. One minute our main couple come across as warm, even heartfelt and the next they’re monstrous sociopaths.

If the premise for this film is that gay people are horrible, then mission accomplished. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for people making bad decisions or if you require such things as logic, reason, and consequences. Some will love that this movie goes to some very dark places, but I just didn’t see the point of it all. It feels like Craig and Crano had a series of nightmares in Italy but didn’t trust their story to be interesting enough and embellished it with a lot of knives and blood. Had they stuck closer to the actual events, this could have been a gay version of the great Neil Simon/Arthur Hiller film, The Out Of Towners (the original from 1970 with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, not the horrible 1999 remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn). As it stands, we have a structurally lopsided film in which the action takes the better part of an hour to get going. When it finally does, we’re fed frustrating language barrier scenarios which could have easily been resolved with a Google translator or pantomiming or heck, I don’t know, how about drawing pictures?

Still, the film serves as a good showcase for Rannells’ and Kroll’s range. I also thought Morgan Spector served up a super sexy performance as the son of an Innkeeper with a possibly dangerous streak. Amanda Seyfried literally phones in hers, but does deliver some sweet vulnerability. So it’s not a total loss, and when things escalate, you may like the wild ride.

Throughout, Dom and Cole wonder if they’ll make good parents. Some may think so because they fiercely have each others’ backs, but, personally, I wanted to place an emergency call to Child Protective Services. Because the filmmakers ultimately opt for sincerity, we’re left without a truly satirical point of view. It left me yelling at the screen, “I don’t understand you!”

[sneezemonster15]

"Can you kill me calmly, Sasuke?" What does this mean? My brain just got dunked in the deep fryer and I'm too stupid to comprehend.

Hi Anon.

Naruto is in shock. He is having a very hard time believing that Sasuke would actually try to kill him, not just defeat him in a fight, not just to spar but mortally wound him.

Kishi builds it up too. Like really builds it up. Across chapters. It starts here.

Sasuke is seething with anger and resentment towards Itachi who ignored Sasuke (and then brutally tortured him just to make a point :/) in favor of the jinchuriki of the nine tails, and so he zeroes in on Naruto as soon as he enters the hospital room. Naruto is clueless.

But Sasuke goads him by announcing he didn't need Tsunade's help or Naruto's, which pisses Naruto off who went to such lengths to get her so she could treat Sasuke.

It doesn't sit well with him.

Unbeknownst to whatever's going on in Sasuke's head, Naruto gets reactive, pretty much keeping with his character. So he just resorts to cocky trashtalk, like it was a spar.

He really thought it was a spar.

It's protocol for shinobis to wear their hitaiate as they spar, as Naruto thought they were doing.

They get carried away with the adrenalin as they keep goading each other, things escalate and they attack each other with lethal jutsus.

But even after that, Naruto is still perplexed and concerned about Sasuke's behaviour.

The next time they meet, in Sasuke's retrieval arc, Naruto behaves like nothing ever happened.

Because as far as Naruto is concerned, maybe something is bothering Sasuke, but that doesn't mean he would leave the village, and most importantly, him, now that they have able to forge a bond, like Naruto always wanted. And of course he doesn't want Sasuke to jeopardize his life by leaving.

He is still clueless. But he can't let Sasuke leave, and he would use force if it would help Sasuke get over his bout of irrationality. So he takes on Sasuke and they fight at the valley of the end. Sasuke overpowers Naruto after an intense and lethal fight, but Naruto is still having trouble processing it. Sasuke would never do that. Never. Why? Because of this.

And this.

Naruto keeps asking himself and Sasuke - why, why..?

He simply cannot process this contradictory nature of Sasuke's actions. Sasuke who risked his goal in life, his revenge, so Naruto won't go hungry, Sasuke who accepted him as his team member, Sasuke who asked for his opinion and help, Sasuke who freakin saved his life sacrificing his own, that Sasuke could not think of killing him.

Kishi plods on and on and on about how shocked Naruto is feeling that Sasuke could kill him so easily, as if he didn't feel what Naruto felt for him. And so,

I mean at this point, Kishi brings the turbulent shock and feeling of betrayal that Naruto is feeling to its highest crescendo as he draws Naruto with tearful eyes and an incredibly pained expression saying - Can you kill me calmly Sasuke?

Translation - Sasuke, do you not feel for me what I feel for you because up until this point, I thought you did.

He is shocked, devastated, and just heartbroken. Sasuke is his first bond, Naruto was finally able to make a bond that he always desired. How could Sasuke do this to him?

And this shock, this deep emotional churn that Naruto is going through in order to process all this, finally cuts through Naruto's tough facade of denial and forces him to admit his own feelings towards Sasuke.

Naruto pretty much tells Sasuke that they didn't have to fight to come to be able to understand each other. Naruto never actually wanted to fight him like an enemy, ever. He looked up to Sasuke for inspiration, so he could one day not feel inferior to him, like a loser. So Sasuke would approve of him.

The best part is afterwards, Naruto never believed Sasuke could actually kill him. And he was proven right. The next time they meet, at Oro's hideout, Naruto starts by asking : If you wanted to break off those bonds so much then why didn't you kill me off?

Naruto knows he could have easily done it, but he didn't. And frankly, Sasuke throughout the manga keeps talking on and on about killing Naruto but when it comes to the death blow, he always pulls back.

Naruto knows what's up, even if Sasuke tries his best to act all cold and unaffected.

But yeah, at the time, the betrayal hit my boy hard. Well at least it helped him to come to terms with his own feelings and denial about Sasuke, even if he didn't exactly hit jackpot.

[butwhatifidothis]

The absolute appall I felt when reading Woobiegard interrupting Ficleth mid sentence with a kiss was so AUASH it felt so manipulative and I just don’t comprehend how the author wrote that and saw no problem with it whatsoever? And the fact Woobie or Ficgrid never actually respond to Ficleth’s genuine concerns is…. Very very not good either they really just swept it under the rug and faced nothing despite them still behaving so romantically with the other it kinda smells of “oh two women displaying obvious signs of romantic affection? Nah just gal pals that’s not cheating or love or whatever that’s what good friends do :)”

Yeahhh, it kinda gives off those vibes to me too. Either that, or the equally bad "it's not cheating as long as there's no sex involved!"

But I do kinda lean towards the other possibility you bring up, since, like. Imagine if Sylvain and Ficleth acted around each other the way Woobiegard and Ingrid do. If a man was caressing the cheek of a woman, kissing her, giving her his personal belongings, telling her he loves her and wishes he could always be by her side. If the woman felt her heart lighten at the sight of a man, if she felt the need to protect him and want to stand by him. If they're willing to kill and die for each other. All of that, behind the backs of their lovers.

There is legitimately no way in hell Cap'n would ever write anything like that. The closest he ever comes is all the unintentional Ferdi///bert and how those two have way more chemistry with each other than their girlies, but even there he never has them outright say they romantically love each other like he does with Woobiegard and Ingrid (and like I said, that ship is being written completely unintentionally lmao). He wouldn't write a man cheating on his lover with another woman as the pure, innocent, uplifting love he's writing Woobie/grid to be.

Though it is interesting to note exactly who is it that's being cheated on. Sylvain, the prolific skirt-chaser, and Ficleth, someone who doesn't have a good grasp on her emotions. Someone who the audience doesn't have to feel that bad for if he were to get cheated on (just desserts! he got what was comin' for him!), and someone who can be easily manipulated into believing that being cheated on is Just Part Of Being Human, Actually. I doubt a character like, say, Ferdinand would take having his trust in his lover broken as well as Sylvain would - just seems awfully convenient for Woobiegard and Ingrid to have the perfect lovers needed to be able to pull this shit and get away with it.

IT'S JUST NOT GOOD MAN LIKE nothing about this is even close to being okay. I legit couldn't believe mine own eyes when I first read it because it's just SO unneeded?? Like, the justifying all the innocents lives getting thrown in the meat grinder is at least something that needs to be done in a fic trying to justify Canongard as Completely Right - it's annoying as hell, but it comes in the job desription. But Canongard doesn't even cheat!! Fuckin', one of her (annoyingly) consistent traits is just how weirdly loyal she is in her love to the player-insert! This cheating shit isn't something Canongard was prone to doing and thus needed a manipulative "justification" to explain why she's totally right to cheat on her lover, this is something Cap'n throws in completely by himself for literally no reason! It's just so fuckin' weird!

[sukirichi]

illusion

— does one dare wake up from the illusion of love?

meal order: 🥞🍷 + 20, 58 (assassin! reader, oblivious! noritoshi) + 13 (thigh riding) + love at first sight + “wait, are you flirting with me?” + “have been since the beginning, thanks for finally noticing.” 

warnings: attempted murder, sexual content, character death, angst, dark themes of violence, unedited fic 

note: thank you for the request! it was really challenging to write this but i’m all up for trying new things!

word count: 4k+

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re slacking.”

You glared at the dark haired man before you who was greedily sucking on a cigarette, the cloudy puffs of smoke breathed into your face. “Shut up, Toji,” you pressed your lips before waving your hand to get rid of the smoke. He was so rude, but because he was stronger and a far more skilled than you were, you wouldn’t dare fight back or complain. He knew this too; a smug smirk painting his dark, handsome features. “I’m just struggling, is all.”

“You, struggling?” his head tipped back in laughter, “Weren’t you so arrogant that you’d do anything for money?”

“And I still will. There’s just a sudden change of circumstances.”

“Such as?” he raised a brow challengingly, huge arms crossed over his equally muscular chest. Leaning over your window like that with the lights dimmed low, Toji looked absolutely threatening. You had no qualms that he’d rip your head off if given the order and enough money to do so, so you had to be careful with your words lest you wanted to die – or worse; he becomes a victim of this merciless man.

You narrowed your eyes, fists bunching up to your ripped black jeans. “A change of mind.”

“It seems like you had a change of heart too,” he noted, and you cursed inwardly. Fuck, of course he’d notice. Before you could come on the defense, Toji pushed himself away from the window with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “But whatever. Good luck, kid. I’ll just hope that you get to kill your target before the bosses kill you first.”

“I’m not going to die. It’s not like I changed or anything.”

“Yeah, not like you’re giggling just down the hall staring at your target’s picture,” he rolled his eyes, snorting to himself. “Because that’s totally normal for us assassins, right?”

“Oh, shut up, Toji. Don’t you have better things to do than annoy me?”

“I’m never missing the opportunity to mess with ya, kid,” you held back a groan when he messed up your hair, your precious untouchable hair. “Oh, and the boss called. He said if we still don’t have the head by tonight, I’m being sent in,” your heart dropped at his words, silence coating the room. Nothing but your frantic heartbeat pulsed at the tip of your tongue as your hands grew sweaty and slippery, but Toji’s next words had you looking up at him with wide eyes. “Go and get your precious lover before I come around, kid. I’m not going to be nice just for you.”

Was it a warning? A threat? A heads-up? Fuck, nothing mattered anymore – you had to finish your mission before it was too late.

The sound of Toji slamming the door behind you finally snapped you from your dazed state. Greeting you was the sight of your dark, lifeless room – empty and gray like how you were. Before you met him. But things were different now; in your mission of bringing death and shedding blood, you came across the person who gave you life and meaning to this…this bland and pathetic excuse of a life.

If you didn’t move sooner, it would be too late.

Teeth gritted, you were quick on your feet as you swiped up your handy blade, bandages wrapping around your fists for protection before you followed Toji out, only this time, the man was already gone.

You needed to move. Now.

Noritoshi stepped inside his room with a soft sigh, eyes closed and pretty, masculine hands loosening his inner shirt. Perhaps it was because his window was still kept shut and not a sound could be heard from his room that he let his guard down, and nothing but a slight hiss fell from his lips when you lunged at him, blade pressed against his neck.

He was unable to move with one of your arms keeping his arms pinned to his own body, the other holding the blade firmly to his delicate skin. A slight trickle of blood dripped down his porcelain skin when you edged it a little harder, the shaky inhale from Noritoshi causing your mind to fall into ruin. But not now – you wouldn’t give in right now. You had a mission to finish; one you had to complete successfully like you always did.

“What are you doing?” He asked calmly, voice soothing and still so gentle even as you breathed hard on his ear. There was no trace of anger or even malice – just the usual doting kindness Noritoshi always gave just for you. You hated it; hated every single about him. “How did you get in here?”

“I need to kill you.”

“You’re still going through with that?” his fingers caressed your thigh, eliciting a soft gasp from you when Noritoshi only leaned closer to your touch, tilting his head so he could peer into your blazing eyes. “I thought we were past this already.”

You laughed at his words before sneering, “This doesn’t change anything. I will kill you somehow, Noritoshi Kamo. And when I’ve got your head in the palm of my hands, I’ll be filthy rich.”

“Then why don’t you get it over with?” he stepped closer to the blade itself, almost pushing you to the edge with his movements. “Come here and see if you’re strong enough.”

You growled threateningly when more blood trailed down and stained his shirt. Instantly, you shoved your blade away from him until it switched to one of his tied side bangs, the hair falling onto the ground with a thump. “Testing me, huh? Are you doubting my skills, Kamo?”

“Not the least bit, no,” he shook his head, refusing to move from your suffocating hold. If anything, he made himself comfortable in your arms, a lopsided smile on his annoyingly handsome features.

You’ve heard rumors that your target was popular among his people and even had countless marriage proposals already; one you didn’t believe until you met the man himself, and as if reminding you of the difficulty of the situation, you just had to be one of those women who nearly fell at his feet. But could anyone blame you? Which sane person would be able to uphold their mission when Noritoshi Kamo leaned close like that, the tip of his nose brushing yours and the warmth of his breath kissing your lips?

“I’ve heard of you – you’ve got quite the reputation,” his dark eyes trailed over your lips that were fallen open, your breathing still hard and ragged. Noritoshi hummed to himself, his tongue darting out to moisten his pink flesh. “Which is why I can’t seem to comprehend why I’m still alive. Could it be there’s something else that you want more than money?”

“Perhaps I do,” you smirked, trying to ignore the way you felt like you were the one being held captive this time. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Choose the intelligent option, of course. I’ll negotiate with you.”

“And if what I want is unattainable?”

His response came as a reflex: “Nothing is unattainable with money.”

“Always the confident one, huh, Kamo?” you scoffed with a ‘tsk’ of your tongue, “One day, I’m going to break this noble leader act of yours. Soon, you’ll fall into this same trap of hell as I have, and maybe then we’ll both be a little crazy,” at your suggestion, Noritoshi only raised a brow, tilting his head to the side as he released a soft sight. You couldn’t read his face and it irked you to no end, a grin masking your irritation as you twirled the blade around your fingers. “What’s wrong, Kamo? Cat got your tongue?”

“Hmm. You really are beautiful, you know that?”

“Huh?” you stepped back as you fell aghast, your jaw dropping while Noritoshi only smiled. Fuck that smile – he had no business being this gorgeous, and you only sneered louder when his skin began to heal. “You out of your mind, Kamo? Are you forgetting who I am?”

“The pretty assassin who’s been out to get me for months now but still hasn’t killed me for whatever odd reason?” Your face burned at the way he nonchalantly said it, but Noritoshi didn’t give you time to recover as he stepped forwards, closer, his hands brushing up against the pads of your cheek. “No, I haven’t forgotten who you are. I could never forget you – not when you’ve been chasing me and we’ve been playing this game of chase for who knows how long.”

“Careful, Kamo. What would your precious elders say if they find out you’re fraternizing with the enemy?” you chuckled at the image of Noritoshi having his ear talked down by those annoying, traditional elders, but the smile fell off your face when Noritoshi continued to stare at you. “Wait, did you just call me pretty? Like, as in, pretty pretty?”

“Yes, and now you’re blushing like crazy,” he booped your nose, firing up the bubbling anger inside you. How dare he mock you like this! Your feet planted on the ground as you prepared to lunge at him when Noritoshi stilled, his strong arms wrapping around your wrist tight enough that even you froze at how strong he was. Had he been holding back on you this whole time? Could he have really easily fought back against you but chose not to for whatever messed up reason?

Before you could get your answer, Noritoshi’s eyes slid over to yours, this time wide with worry. The smile left his face. “You should leave. They’re coming.”

You blinked back up at him helplessly, your body almost turning limp. Seeing that you weren’t moving fast enough, Noritoshi frowned, wrapping your fingers tighter around your blade before pointing to his window where you’d broken in a while ago. “You need to go. Now.”

“C-Can I see you again tonight?” you found yourself asking, legs already perched on the windowsill. You knew it was pathetic, to have trembling pouty lips when you were seconds away from making a deadly fall and yet you were more worried about him. The thought of Toji coming the moment he heard you still hadn’t killed Noritoshi made your hands and legs shake, heart clenching painfully with fear. Noritoshi may be strong, but he was nothing against Toji. “I want to see you again,” and again and again and again – for as long as you were allowed.

Though you’d never tell him that.

Not that you needed to, though, because Noritoshi could read you better than yourself, and he only smiled, never making fun of how vulnerable and horrible you were at keeping your feelings a secret. You were too easy to read sometimes, or maybe he just had a skill of knowing everything that ran in your mind.

“Would it stop you if I said no?”

“Of course not,” you frowned, then looked out the setting sun that held an ominous vibe to it now. Eyes closed and a sad heart begging to be closer to him, you buried it all deep within, turning to Noritoshi with an aching smile. “Live your life to the fullest, Kamo. This might just be your last day.”

Noritoshi chuckled softly to himself. “I’ll keep the windows open, then.”

It was way past midnight, and neither you nor Toji came around. He’d already heard that someone else was sent for him due to his precious little lover falling in love with him at first sight that caused her to fail her mission, and Noritoshi paced around his room, arms folded on his chest as he thought of the different ways they could’ve executed you already.

He hadn’t known you for a long enough time to know everything about you. It didn’t help that you weren’t the most open either, refusing to tell him more about your life and the people you worked for whenever he asked.

Noritoshi understood your discomfort when it came to sensitive topics like that.

It wasn’t easy, after all, to talk about the countless people whose lives you’d taken for money prior to meeting him. Noritoshi was well-aware he was another name on your hit list that could be crossed out had it been under different circumstances; circumstances such as him easily defeating you on the first day you met him before he had you pinned to the ground, both your bodies panting heavily.

One thing led to another, and Noritoshi grew an obsession with you.

It was fucked up, to say the least – that he actually looked forward to having you jump on him out of nowhere, bringing different weapons and techniques for various ways to kill him this time.

There was one time you both went out on a date, glasses covering your eyes and hats pulled over so no one would recognize any of you walking into the dark movie theatre. None of you could pay attention to the movie when you placed yourself in his lap, and suddenly he felt so thankful he bought the whole theatre for himself because he sure as hell couldn’t keep his voice down while you rode his dick like he was just a mere plaything.

Your hands then travelled around his neck as you pulled him in for a searing kiss. Second by second, his vision grew faint with his head dizzy, the air being knocked out of him as you crushed his windpipe with increasing pressure.

He wasn’t surprised that you would try to kill him while cumming around his cock – you were the most painful pleasure that could kill him, literally – and he had to push you off so hard your head hit the ground until you were knocked out.

Noritoshi had lost count of the times you tried to kill him, purely because you always tried to seduce him one way or another.

He believed it was one of your strategies into luring your prey right into your trap, which he fell for every single time. The rational part of himself (which wasn’t that much when it came to you to begin with) told him to increase his security, to always be prepared and have some sort of weapon or blood readied out to defend himself, but him being him, he always kept the window unlocked.

Noritoshi was reminded of his mistakes when his back was harshly kicked, his arm painfully bent and pressed to his lower back while your knee planted itself onto his spine, your sweet laughter bouncing from his ears. “Wasn’t expecting me, Kamo?” you teased, twisting his arm hard enough that he winced at the pain. “I thought you’d be ready.”

“I’m never ready for you, sweetheart.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Even in his slightly limped state, Noritoshi managed a smile. “Why? Does it make you want to kill me less?”

“Oh, you’re vermin, Kamo. My blood boils every time I see you!”

Perhaps you weren’t any better than him. You let your guard down too easily when it came to your emotions flaring up, and before you knew it, Noritoshi had pushed himself off the ground and flipped you under him, knee planted between your legs and your arms pinned to your side.

Your blade fell with a pathetic clang on the floor.

You struggled against his hold despite the comfort of having him above you like this, his gorgeous muscles displayed through his poor excuse of a shirt. Noritoshi only slammed your arms harder on the ground to keep you immobile, his words gentle and too sweet in comparison to his roughness.

He leaned closer, eyes filled with adoration and lust staring down at you. You thought he would kiss you when his lips suddenly turned the other way, his tongue prodding on the lobe of your ear that had you gasping underneath him.

The sound of your breathy whines had his blood shooting straight up onto his cock, pressing his now hardening erection against your heated core that he’d had the privilege of fucking and eating countless of times before – though he’d never get tired of it; he would never get tired of you.

“Then why do you keep coming back?”

“What else, idiot?”

Your irritated response had him pulling him back, his brows furrowed as he loosened his hold on you. Just like that, Noritoshi let go of you, his back hitting his bed frame as he frowned, pointing to himself in disbelief. “Wait, are you flirting me?”

That earned him a roll of your eyes in response. You pushed yourself up from the floor and glared at him, massaging the bruises that would form into your skin soon. “Have been since the beginning, thanks for finally noticing.”

“I thought getting me to bed was one of your ways to kill me,” he scratched his head, and he really shouldn’t be looking that cute. “I don’t know whether to be afraid or flattered—”

Noritoshi wouldn’t stop rambling on and on about how this whole time, he had no idea you liked him back and he’d endlessly chastised himself for falling for an assassin. Quite frankly, you had too much of his endless babbling that you pushed him until he fell on the bed, not wasting any time before you planted yourself on his lap and sitting on it like a throne.

“Shut up and kiss me, Kamo.”

When you grinded on his erection, Noritoshi lost it. He no longer had control of himself before he kissed you madly, his hands bunching your shirt up and helping you fling it to the side. Pupils blown wide as if he’d never seen you bare before, Noritoshi pushed the cups of your bra above your breasts, his lips latching onto a perky nipple while his other hand tweaked it between his fingers.

Your head fell back in pleasure as you let him ravage you, soft little gasps leaving your lips while you rode his thigh.

Noritoshi groaned into your breasts at the sight of you eagerly fucking yourself on his thigh, moaning louder when he clenched and you bounced you above his muscle.

“If I’d known you’d look this beautiful riding me like this,” his mouth left your lips before he settled onto your neck instead, nipping and tugging at the skin until he was sure he’d have you marked black and blue. “I would’ve opened my windows long ago,” he cupped your breasts, his cock twitching in his pants as you rubbed your clit all over his pants, mewling when one of his fingers rubbed at your clothed folds. “Do you think it’s fate?”

You laughed through the drunken state of pleasure, “You’re asking me if it’s fate that I’m sent to kill you but I’m fucking you here instead?”

“That’s one way to word it.”

“I don’t know, I don’t care,” your head fell on his shoulders as you clenched around nothing. Noritoshi took it upon himself to tug your panties to the side, his cock only hardening further because you wore a skirt for him tonight, almost as if you were expecting to be fucked senseless by his dick.

Well, if that was your wish, then who was he to deny you?

The feeling of you sliding down his length had you both moaning and groaning, the stretch of him feeling you up to the brim too magnificent to describe. Noritoshi pulled you closer until your tits were right at his face, free for him to kiss and worship. You whimpered when Noritoshi’s large hands cupped your ass to bring you upwards, your moan shattered and shaky as he let gravity drop you down his thick length, the pattern of you bouncing onto him sending heat all over your body.

“One thing’s for sure,” you managed through gritted teeth, “It’s definitely an unfortunate curse that I can’t kill you because I’m so in love with you.”

Noritoshi stopped with his movements, letting you rest at the base of his cock instead while you caught your breaths. Your eyes were closed, fingers clenching tight at the material of his shirt. Noritoshi didn’t need for you to tell him more to understand that you were risking a lot more than he was for falling with one another, because you’ve failed your mission, and a failed mission always guaranteed a most painful death.

“Hey,” Noritoshi tapped your cheek, “Hey, look at me,” he grabbed your chin to force you to look at him, and his gaze softened when tears shone into those pretty eyes of yours. You’ve never let him see you cry before, but you couldn’t help it, teeth sinking into your lip to stop the tears from flowing while Noritoshi’s strong arms wrapped around you comfortingly. “I’ll protect you, okay?”

“You say that as if I can’t look after myself.”

“I know you can. You did just nearly break my arm, so I’m not worried,” you both laughed, and he smiled wider upon seeing that you’ve livened up a little bit. That was all he wanted to see – to see you smile. “But I mean it. I’ll protect you – take care of you. You can abandon your old life and just live with me.”

“But I’m a regular, boring human. You’re about to be head of the Kamo Clan – what could I possibly offer?”

“Everything and nothing, but know that I’m not asking or expecting anything from you,” his thumbs were gentle as he cupped your cheek, “Just stay here. With me. We’ll work it out.”

You fell silent, unable to process the gravity of his words. The more you thought about it, the more it enticed you. No more killing, no more crying yourself to sleep or trying to hold back a scream as you washed the blood off your body, no more images of the people you’ve killed haunting you everywhere you went. Instead, you could live a happy life with Noritoshi. He was powerful and influential – he could easily give you a life.

But it wouldn’t be a life if you failed your mission.

You knew that much – no one escaped from the higher-ups and no one got out unless they were killed, either during their mission or by defecting. Not even Noritoshi could protect you from that, but he gazed up at you so hopefully, so lovingly that you wanted to bask in this glow and illusion of happiness a little longer.

So you smiled, rubbing your nose against his that had you both giggling like lovesick teens. “You’re so cheesy it’s disgusting, Kamo. I really regret not killing you now.”

“You wound me,” he placed a hand over his chest before pinching his cheeks, “But I suppose it’s only fair – you quite kill me with your cuteness too.”

“Ugh, shut up.”

For now, while you could still have him the way you wanted him, while he was still safe, you allowed yourself to drown in pleasure. Limbs tangled with one another and names breathily spoken while he marked you as his own, his seed painting your womb that you eventually lost count of.

This was love – the illusion of it, at least.

You stared at Noritoshi as he slept soundly beside you, his hair splattered everywhere. He was too exhausted to notice you slowly slipping off the bed, wiping the mixture of both your cum away with a towel before tugging your clothes back on. Glancing one last time at his still sleeping form, you lifted up a tile just under his study, pulling out the heavy and deadly weapons you’d planted long ago just in case.

Your heart dropped in your chest when the door suddenly opened. No creaking sound indicated that it did, but the slight gush of wind entering the room made the hairs on your arm prickle up.

On instinct, you wrapped a hand around your special gun and aimed it at the person smirking down at you. His eyes travelled from Noritoshi safely tucked under the blankets to your defensive pose just before him, the safety of the gun flipped open. This time, your hands no longer shook, and your eyes were hard and determined as you matched the dark look on his face.

“Step away, kid. You don’t want things to get messy.”

“I won’t let you hurt him, Toji,” Toji was surprised when you suddenly dropped your gun on the bed, palms raised beside your head in surrender. “I, Y/N, member of the Dark Shadows organization therefore surrender my title and submits to the punishment I must receive. As a last wish from a lifelong loyal member of your organization, I humbly ask that you respect my wish to keep Noritoshi Kamo safe from your missions. Forever.”

You could never live a happy life with Noritoshi, but there was still a way you could keep him safe; one that came with the price of your death.

The Dark Shadows was a shady organization with nameless and faceless leaders, the members like you and Toji blindly following orders from a “messenger.” You were born into this organization with a random name given to you as an assassin title. You always hated it, but you also didn’t know what life without being an assassin was like, so you followed them until the end. It just never occurred to you that you would use your last wish this way, for everyone always had a dying wish that the organization had to follow.

Toji’s eyes darkened; clearly, he believed you were doing a mistake. But the more you thought of Noritoshi’s smile, his laughter, his future – it was all worth it.

“I, Fushiguro Toji, a witness of your death, hereby respect your last wish.”

The sound of desperate crying – the first time you’ve cried ever since you were born – stirred Noritoshi awake from his slumber, but before he could catch your falling body, a gunshot had already fired in the air.

[sir-adamus]

I read some of your Raven meta so I hope you don't mind; I think people are too quick to dismiss Raven as "irredeemable" because she's done some shady shit (which she def has!) But her character becomes significantly more interesting when you view her through the lens that she ran away and turned to this behaviour because a) she somehow found out Salem was immortal and b) Oz didn't have a plan. Every character we see so far who has been redeemed have shown remorse, which Raven has. Cinder OTOH..

Anonymous asked:

As for "if she knew why didn't she mention anything to Yang"? ...Yang barely believed Raven when all she was saying was "don't blindly follow orders, Oz isn't who he's portraying himself to be" like. She /could/ have, and maybe that's a fair critique but it wouldn't have gotten her far and Raven plays her cards/information to her chest (which yes, is a flaw). This got a lot longer than I intended sorry 😞

no worries

and yeah i think the problem with how Raven is received is mainly boiled down to people wanting to boil her down to a base archetype and dismiss her - she's meant to be a complicated and layered character, like a dark reflection of her daughter. hell, in the Yellow trailer, the first two characters on-screen after the opening quote talking about not being on-sided and easily processed are Yang and Raven in bird form

it is fitting in a really annoying way though that the way parts of the fandom dismiss Raven as "irredeemable" is similar to how Yang gets dismissed as a "dumb bimbo". because this fandom seems to have a major literacy issue and can barely seem to be able to comprehend what's happening on-screen, let alone themes in character narratives or hell, actual characterisation

Raven is interesting! she's complex and traumatised and there are obviously reasons behind the way she is that she's not willing to share and it's what makes her so compelling as a character

hell, even her telling Yang not to trust Ozpin and blindly follow orders - telling her to ask questions - that all feeds into why the reasoning behind why she wouldn't just tell Yang; finding out that information firsthand and not just accepting what you're told by an authority figure is exactly the point she was trying to get across. telling Yang to think for herself and then giving her own account of events would've been counterintuitive. and yeah, there's no guarantee Yang would've believed her anyway

Raven's got a lot of issues and a lot of flaws but they're not an insurmountable barrier between where she is now and redemption (and then there's the whole discussion of whether a character is 'redeemable' when ultimately redemption is a choice, a character choosing to be better for any number of reasons, that's a whole essay in and of itself - and even after all this time people still don't get that there's an entire gulf between redemption and forgiveness, they're wholly separate things and often mutually exclusive)

but you're right, Raven's shown remorse - it took Yang brutally shattering every protective wall she puts up to get to that point, but it's there

and more-so you've gotta consider what Raven's powers say about her. much like Yang, she's motivated on a far more personal level; Yang was never in this for some grand quest or "save the world" crap. she's there for Ruby, for her friends

Raven's Semblance, the very essence of her being, is built on her connections to other people and the love she has for them (which is why she has so few portals, because she's closed herself off and outside of Vernal, she hasn't made a connection with anyone since Yang was born). like, i think that's something people just kinda gloss over but Raven is defined by her relationships with other people and she cares far more than she lets on (this is why i always thought it was silly that people actually thought Raven wanted Qrow dead when she just said that to con Cinder - if Raven wanted Qrow dead she could kill him at any time. her Semblance gives her unrestricted access to him at all times, like when he's asleep, or drunk, and being the Spring Maiden makes that fight even more one-sided in her favour)

if anything is gonna get Raven back in the fight and redeeming herself, it's her love for her family - and Yang chewing her out has exposed her like a raw nerve and given her shit to reflect on instead of burying herself like before

[jean-kayak]

Anon Request: Okay but the thicc black gf hc’s got me like 🥵

Can I request a pt. 2 with Atsumu, Daichi, Kyotani, and Kuroo saying “Let’s get married” after getting blessed with the Wap? 🥺

Characters: timeskip!Miya Atsumu, Daichi Sawamura, Kyoutani Kentaro, Kuroo Tetsurou

A/N: Lmao, I did not expect those to do so well lmao, so here you go

Part one is here

🏐Coming straight out the gate with hickies

🏐This man loves to cover you in marks, I mean, there's so much of you, how could he not?

🏐He spends a huge portion of his time biting and sucking at your skin, darkening the marks that are starting to lighten or putting more marks on an empty part of your skin

🏐He loves the feeling of your thighs squeezing his head when he goes down on you, and he does this a lot

🏐He also can't get over how soaked you get when he goes down on you, and he definitely feels like he might drown, but if that's how he goes out 🤷🏽‍♀️

🏐If he comes home after a game and you're just in his jersey, he'll fuck you wherever you are, this could be the living room, kitchen, bathroom, it does not matter

🏐He's a thigh and ass man so expect him to constantly give them a little slap and they're random too especially if they're exposed

🏐The only place you're allowed to sit is his lap, no exceptions

🏐Expect him to always have his hands on you no matter what you do, he'll rub all over your body, sometimes not even knowing he's doing it

🏐He promises that he already was falling in love with you after the first time you gave him head

🏐You just wanted to help him relieve some stress after a hard loss. And girl did you

🏐He's never cum so fast in his life, and he's pretty sure he blacked out in the middle of it

🏐The first thing he remembers is how amazing your mouth felt around him and the last thing he remembers is his orgasm literally feeling like he was hit by a mac truck

🏐The first time y'all fucked he thought he was being sent to another world

🏐He let you take the reins, letting you sink down on him, but he was so overwhelmed by how tight and wet you are that it didn't last long

🏐So, it isn't long until he's flipping you over so fast that you're almost dizzy from the movement, and he's gripping your thighs as he pounds into you like a mad man

🏐The only thing he can really focus on is how your slick is soaking him and the bed and on the fact he's about to cum embarrassingly fast

🏐He tries to holds back, but it's he swears it's impossible, and he cums so hard that he literally falls on top of you

🏐He's a little ashamed that he finished so fast, and this man has the audacity to act sheepish as he lifts his head up with a chuckle

🏐"So, how ya feel about getting married?"

🏅Always makes you sit in his lap after a long day at work, loves rubbing all over your curves

🏅And if he gets really relaxed, he gets really handsy 😏

🏅Having the comfortable weight on top of you always makes him feel relaxed, like everything that was weighing him down just lifts away

🏅So, you'll just be sitting there absentmindedly watching TV or scrolling on your phone, and he'll suddenly move you so that you're straddling him

🏅One hand'll be rubbing your hip softly while the other works its way into your shorts

🏅The lazy, tired look in his eyes goes dark because he still can't get over how wet you get in such a short time

🏅He instantly gets hard at the sight of his hand and his wrist shiny with your slick when you cum, his dick straining painfully against his pants

🏅And you can still see a hint of tension and stress in his shoulders, so you make it your job to get rid of it

🏅He's more than happy to help you get his pants and briefs down his legs, his dick slapping against his stomach

🏅And literally, all you do is swirl your tongue around the head, and he's already melting

🏅He literally hasn't been able to comprehend how amazing your head game is lmaooo

🏅Like it literally takes nothing, and he's already cumming down your throat

🏅His body is literally sunk into the couch like you sucked the life out of him

🏅And he still can't even get over you when he has sex with you

🏅He doesn't even know where to start lmao

🏅It literally takes a small amount of foreplay and you're already soaked, nearly no resistance when he slides into you

🏅And he almost cums from that alone

🏅He actually has to wait for a few before he moves, wanting to make sure that it's as good for you as it is for him

🏅He doesn't even try to fight the noises that come out of him when he finally does move and he can't help but be vocal at how warm and wet you are around him

🏅He cums after a few thrusts into your soaking cunt, his body going limp also

🏅"Yeah, I'm marrying you."

😠The first time he met you, he definitely was stuck in time for a little bit

😠When you guys start dating, he's petty and rubs it everyone's faces (mainly Iwaizumi lmfao)

😠And he couldn't help but stare at you, his mind distracted his whole game

😠Koganegawa finally noticed that he was staring at you so he introduced the two of you

😠He tried to tone down his angry persona that he gives off, and he was surprised to find that it didn't really scare you off

😠His favorite part about you is everything because there's so much of you, but if he had to pick, it would be your ass

😠You can practically feel his eyes boring into you when you walk around

😠He loves to lay on your ass, it's the first thing he does when he gets out of the shower after his games. He's actually fallen asleep multiple times 💀

😠When he's angry after a tough game, he'll take it out on you by eating you out like you're the last meal on Earth

😠He always groans loudly whenever he sees how ridiculously soaked you get no matter how many times he goes down on you

😠He also can't help how loud he is whenever you go down on him

😠It literally takes like a few bops of your head, sinking him further into your mouth and he already feels his orgasm approaching

😠His hands instantly grip your hair, fucking your throat

😠And you're surprised when it seems like he's pulling you off of him like a second later, his body tensing as he cums

😠He's a little embarrassed that he came so fast, but it's literally the best head he's ever had, and he tells you that as you have to tell him that there's nothing wrong with that lol

😠But then he had sex with you, and that's when he thought you would kill him

😠He was already in awe at how you seem to be soaking wet in no time, but when he slid into you, it felt like the air had been punched out of his lungs

😠He can't help but ram into you, not wanting to be away from the euphoria of your pussy for long, and he can't help but look down to see how you suck him back in every time

😠And he feels his climax coming faster than when you sucked him off, and he usually doesn't moan, but he feels like he can't do anything else but

😠He feels lightheaded when he cums, and he finishes so fast that he feels his face heat up even more as he hides it

😠He'll become so shy lol. "Wanna get married?"

🧪He had some event that he was supposed to go to for work that he did not want to go to, but he had to

🧪He's pretty bored, deciding that in the next ten minutes he's going to get out of there, but then his eyes land on you

🧪He's pretty sure his eyes are bugging out of his head, and he's already making his way over to you almost immediately

🧪He's more than ecstatic when you seem to feel the same way, feeling a lot better about coming to this stupid thing when he leaves with your number

🧪He's trying to be a smooth talker, but he finds it nearly hopeless as his eyes roam shamelessly over your figure while wondering why he's never heard of you before

🧪After you start dating, he's always coming home from a stressful day at work and flopping on top of you, burying his face in your boobs

🧪"Tetsu, can you breathe?" He only shrugs, keeping his face down. "Doesn't matter."

🧪He'll lay in between your thighs all the time, sometimes you'll wake up and he'll be between them either watching TV or on his phone

🧪He was already smitten with you and how you looked, but the first time you gave him head, he really was about to buy you anything you wanted for the rest of your life

🧪You had barely done anything but it seemed like you were doing so much at the same time, having so many things to focus on

🧪He didn't know whether to focus on your tongue swirling around him or how deep you took him, but all he knows is that he's cumming instantly

🧪You actually have to check on him because he's not really moving, claiming that you killed him 💀

🧪Another thing he has trouble figuring out to focus on is when he goes down on you

🧪He loves when your plush thighs squeeze his head, warming his ears, but he also loves how much slick you're producing, coating the entire lower half of his face

🧪Sometimes you don't know if he goes down on you for his pleasure or yours because sometimes he's louder than you are

🧪He also loves when your taste literally floods his tongue, and he could literally stay in between your legs for hours

🧪But he really thought you might kill him when you finally sleep together

🧪He already thought you felt amazing around his tongue, but when he very easily enters you, he lets out the loudest moan

🧪He can already feel his orgasm coming at how wet you are and how your walls are pulsing around him

🧪He cums ridiculously fast, and if you don't cum he will definitely make it up to you because of how good you made him feel

🧪"So, I'm gonna need your ring size for when I propose to you."

[juniorgman187]

The Boy Next Door (Spencer Reid Imagine)

gif credits @toyboxboy​ Summary: The boy next door falls in love with the girl next door. Need I say more? Category: Fluff, Angst Couple: Fem!Reader x Spencer Reid  Content Warning: Death, unrequited love, heartbreak Word Count: 10.4k A/N: POV switches from Spencer to Reader indicated by “᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

Ground coffee, dates, and greek yogurt, all neatly encased in a brown paper bag. 

Those were the things I was holding the day I first met you.

(You should know that I wouldn’t tamper with any of the moments that I’ve been so fortunate to have with you - I’ve watched enough “Dr. Who” to know that tampering with the past, even changing the smallest thing, could drastically affect the future). But if I could, I would probably change the precarious position you found me in that day. 

When you exited your apartment, I had my knee hiked up embarrassingly high to support the weight of my groceries from underneath, leaving me to balance on one leg while the bag wobbled on my thigh as I ransacked my pocket for my keys. By the time you came out, I had been like this for the past few minutes, and if the task wasn’t already harder than it should’ve been to accomplish, you didn’t make it any better.

You walked out of the door in that wispy skirt and a denim jacket that swallowed your torso whole; your unwieldy boots clunked against the wood floors of our hallway. You even didn’t bother locking your door behind you after leaving - that’s how trusting you were. While I must admit, I found the action, or lack thereof, to be quite naive, it was endearing, too. 

I, for one, am a firm believer that actions are indicative of character and from what I gathered: you trust easily, and at times, in a misguided manner.

After several seconds of being in your gravity, I figured you earnestly hadn’t seen me, given the fact that not once had you looked up from your phone to acknowledge my presence. Not to mention, your headphones were buried in your ears, blocking out any noise I could’ve been making with my unsteady stance or seemingly unfindable keys that would’ve, otherwise, made you known of my existence. Your music was so loud I could hear it from where I stood, clear as day. 

Still don’t know how you haven’t gone deaf yet, (y/n). One of life’s greatest mysteries, I suppose. 

It would be a gross understatement to claim that I couldn’t take my eyes off you. It was more than that. I felt entranced by you, like I was under your spell. Your perfume was poison, wafting through the hallway as you walked past me to descend the flight of stairs. I was in raptures from the way your wired earbuds got tangled with your hair. Normally, I couldn’t bear the thought of sharing headphones with someone, but I’d do it in a heartbeat with you. 

I’d do a lot of things with you, actually.

I had to stop myself from trailing your movements when you reached a space in the hall directly behind me, and even then, my actions only ceased because my head couldn’t physically turn that far to watch you. 

It was then that I recalled owls and how they’ve evolved into creatures that can turn their head a complete 180 degrees. Of course, that’s a trait meant for survival, merely an adaptation that allows them to detect danger or predators, but I wasn’t watching a predator, and I suppose that’s precisely why I wasn’t given the ability to turn my head so far. Because it was you I was watching - the girl next door (literally and figuratively) - nothing remotely close to a threat. I’d never been jealous of owls before, but in that moment, I wished nothing more than to be one just so I could get another look at you. 

I forced myself to resume my unfinished task out of fear that you might finally notice me and become alarmed by my prolonged staring. Once more, I was sorting through the pocket of my pants for the key to unlock my door. Behind me, your foot was about to land on the next step of the stairwell, but instead, it quickly retreated at the sound of my groceries hitting the floor.

If there was ever a doubt in your head that you caused the collapse of my paper bag’s contents, there shouldn’t be.

It was you. It was all you.

I was too distracted by your poisonous scent and chunky boots to even notice my groceries struggling to balance on the precipice.

When I ascertained the mess I had made - the mess I knew you could hear even through your cacophonous music - I wanted nothing more than to find my keys and disappear into my apartment to mask the immediate shame I was feeling. My mind spun into a panic, my body incapacitated from the shock, and the first thing I could think to do was abandon my spilled groceries in the hall so you might not see me before I fled, but you were too quick. Your heart of gold made it impossible for that to be achieved.

“Oh my goodness, here! Let me help you.”

You knelt to the ground before I could even register your sudden presence and the lack of distance between us, let alone comprehend that your warm voice was speaking words meant for me.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ve got it.”

If you thought I was pushing you away, you should know that those weren’t my intentions. I was only emphasizing my ability to do it alone so that you might leave me to my devices - a state of conditions where I could actually think. With you so close, I simply couldn’t do that. Even now, it’s still an uphill battle to talk to you with a clear head.

“No, please. I insist. I’ve got plenty of time.” You assured me, tucking back strands of your hair that got in the way of your sight. I wondered then what it’d be like to do that to you myself. The vision ended there. 

“A Teenager In Love” by Dion and the Belmonts cut into my thoughts. That’s the song that was playing on your headphones. And that’s exactly what I felt like.

A teenager in love.

It was also the song you paused to give your undivided attention to me.

“I’m (y/n), by the way. I live right next door. 3B.” You informed me, as if I hadn’t just come to that same conclusion when I observed you walk out of that door only moments ago. You extended your hand into the air between us for a handshake. I wasted no time returning it.

“Spencer.”

You batted your eyelashes and looked up at me with those unassuming doe eyes. 

God, were you doing that on purpose? Were you trying to kill me?

When our hands interlocked, I couldn’t help but notice how yours fit so perfectly in mine, like it was made-to-measure. It led me to the belief that my hands were specifically fashioned for the particular use of holding yours. The shake lingered for a second longer than necessary, and I saw it in the way your eyes flickered down to where our bodies met, wondering why it was taking me so long to pull away.

“It’s nice to meet you, Spencer.” 

I’ve never liked my name so much until I heard it on your tongue. It made me forget all about the mess and the shame and the fear of disturbing you. That is until I saw you sliding the last of my groceries back into the paper bag.

“I’ll see you later then?”

You had stood up before I could ask you not to go, wiping your knees of any dust they might’ve collected on the floor where you knelt in front of me.

“Yeah. I’ll see you later.” I dumbly answered back, watching you descend the stairs from a distance once more.

“Have a nice night, Spencer!” I heard you say before you disappeared below the ground that I stood on. You already had your headphones back in and were long gone before I could return the sentiment. I did want you to have a nice night, though. Even if I didn’t say it in time. 

Then again, I guess there was a lot I didn’t say in time - right, (y/n)?

Two days went by before I saw you again. 

You weren’t alone.

I was reading when I heard the sound of footsteps outside my door, unintentionally giving me full liberty to hear the conversation partaking as well.

“What’s his name?” Your friend asked you.

Originally, I was adamant about not purposefully eavesdropping - no matter how tempting it was or how amply I could hear. You deserved better than that ...  but how could I help myself when I heard you answer your friend, “Spencer.”

It was the sound of my own moniker that lured me to the door, where I pressed my ear against it.

“Is he cute?”

“Very.” You gushed to her, my own heart swelling two sizes too big for my poor chest to contain.

“Do you want to fuck him?” Your friend giggled. You hesitated to speak. “Oh my god, have you already fucked?”

“No!” You defensively screeched.

“But you’ve thought about it!”

“Will you lower your voice? He lives right there! What if he hears you?”

I peeked through the peephole to spy on this encounter, brainlessly ducking down when I saw you eyeing my door curiously. After I finally slowed down the cadence of my heart, the realization dawned on me that you couldn’t possibly have been able to see me from the outside view of my peephole, but it still felt like you had; your eyes pierced through my soul, bewitching my body and soul.

Luckily for you - unluckily for me, I suppose - you and your friend vanished into your apartment before I could hear the rest of that conversation. I didn’t need to, though. What I heard was enough to keep me up all night. Had I heard anything more, I’m not sure how many more hours of sleep I would’ve lost just thinking about you. 

Hours I could’ve spent reading. Hours I could’ve spent writing. Hours I could’ve spent, but time that I would never take back. Not for anything in the world.

Our next interaction took place the following week. 

It was 5 a.m and Hotch had called us all in early, so I was already out the door before the sun was up, but evidently, not before you were up. Because when I left my apartment, there you were, lingering in the doorway, leaning against - what I had to assume was - your very much unlocked front door. 

“Oh!” You flinched and gasped, while ripping the headphones out of your ears. “You scared me, Spencer.”

“Good morning to you, too, (y/n).” I quipped, puckering my lips slightly to reduce the immense size of my zealous smile before grinning back at you again, this time with a much smaller smile - one much less discouraging. 

You were exactly what I needed to see to make my morning better, and your hair in a ponytail and your black leggings only made the view that much sweeter.

“What are you doing up so early?” You had asked me inquisitively.

“I got called into work.”

“Oh.” 

You sounded so disappointed, and I couldn’t help but feel that I’d just let you down. The pout of your lips and deflation of your shoulders only solidified that.

It was then where I should’ve left you alone and gone to work, which I was already considerably late for, but I couldn’t help myself. I would’ve worried about you all day if I hadn’t asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” You tried to wave me away down the staircase, but I knew better than to leave. You understood my maintained foothold as a silent communication that I wouldn’t walk away unless you told me what was bothering you so you reluctantly gave in.

“Well, honestly, I’ve been standing out here since like 4:30, trying to convince myself to go on a run, but ... I’m actually kind of scared to. I just, I don’t know if I feel safe running alone in the dark.” 

You never met my eyes, they were only fixated on the earbud cord you were rolling between your fingers to make brief circles in the air. 

“You know what?”

From those words alone, you perked back up. 

“I’m already late, so I can ... I’ll run with you. If you want.”

In seven little words, I managed to gain all your trust. That’s all it took for you to never be ashamed of your feelings in front of me. You trusted me to always respond to your vulnerability like this, and I knew then, what the weight of having your trust felt like. I could never wish to break it.

Your joy was so uncontainable to the point where you were emboldened enough to show me your appreciation through a hug so big that I couldn’t understand how your petite body was capable of supporting something of its size. You wrapped your arms around my neck, pulling me down to your height despite already balancing on the tips of your toes. I had to remind myself not to indulge in your embrace too much, otherwise I might never have let you go.

Your hair smelled like a certain flower my mother used to put in a vase on our dining table. It’s the same flower that she grows in the garden of her assisted living home at present. It’s such a distinct scent - magnolias - I’ll never forget. But now whenever I pass those beloved magnolias during my visitations, the flowers from my childhood dining room won’t be what I associate it with anymore. 

You’ll be what I think of.

I was met with the cruel reminder of what I’d agreed to when you left my arms. There’s not much I dislike in this world as much as exercise, but for you - I’d run to the ends of the earth. I mean that.

“You’re my hero!” You exclaimed when we reached our apartments again after that treacherous run, which felt more like a marathon and a half to me.

I would’ve said something back, but I was still trying to catch my breath, even folding over my bent knees to stop myself from panting so hard. For a moment there, I was sincerely upset that you weren’t nearly as breathless as I was. Were you just that perfect in every conceivable way? Not even a semblance of windedness from the miles and miles we just ran? 

How unfair. Have pity on my poor soul.

“I had so much fun. We should do that again sometime.” You added.

Again, I would’ve responded to your exclamation, but I was still very much out of breath. You didn’t seem to mind, though. You even offered me a sip of your water. I politely declined, which I meant as no insult. I only refused because I would not have been able to handle the effects of tasting you on it.

Thankfully, I’d caught my breath before the next time we encountered each other. This time I could actually speak. 

It was two in the morning and I’d just come home from an exhausting case, feeling more ready to sink into the depths of my bed than ever. Almost the entire way up the stairs, I was lethargically dragging my feet up each step to get to my apartment ... until I saw you. 

“Hey, it’s you! 2B.” 

Like a siren singing to a ship of sailors, your voice called out to me from the top stair, shocking me when I came around the corner - a most welcome surprise. 

“Hey.” I cooed back softly.

Despite my mind firing impulses to run to you, my feet weren’t listening. I was stopped in my tracks by the mere sight of you.

It wasn’t lost on me that the bags under my eyes were probably heavier and darker than they ever had been before, and that my hair was in complete shambles from where I’d run my fingers through them in distress one too many times, and that my loosened tie that hung from the collar of my skirt looked disheveled, but you? You were still a radiant view to behold, even at 2 a.m. especially at 2 a.m. The sight of you shocked my onerous heart like a defibrillator on bare skin, reigniting my entire being. 

I could finally breathe again. 

My posture straightened, my head raised, and my smile returned. You looked just as excited to see me as I was to see you and it was such a warm feeling.

“So where have you been at this hour, young man? Your girlfriend’s?” 

I should’ve noticed then the way you slurred your words together, but I think I was blinded by the bliss of being able to see right through you for the first time. 

I could see that you were compensating. You wanted to look happy for me in the event that I did have a girlfriend, but underneath, you were morbidly curious, desperately hoping that I didn’t. For you, I chose the more merciful option - giving into your clandestine concern so as not to torture you any longer with the fear that I was in a relationship.

“I -” My own mirthless chuckle cut into my sentence. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

And I saw it - I saw the look of relief on your face.

“I was at work,” I honestly told you, my feet resuming their climb up the stairs. “So, why are you still up?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

By the time you answered, I’d reached the top step where you were perched, wearing that big flannel. It devoured your figure, the collar of the shirt hanging off your shoulders, the cuffs of the sleeves stretching way past your hands, the hem of the shirt falling at your thighs. That’s all you were wearing for pajamas, just a big shirt, not even shoes or socks to cover your feet from the shiny Merbau floors. It took all of me not to fasten one more of the flannel’s buttons to protect your modesty, but really, who was I protecting you from? Guys just as perverse and impure as me? 

My jaw tensed as a reminder to myself not to wonder about what was underneath the flannel, or what wasn’t. 

You shifted from the middle of the stair to the side, making room for me to sit beside you. Our proximity enabled me to notice your usual scent of magnolias was replaced with something much less agreeable - a scent that didn’t suit you.

Liquor.

At the exact moment I looked down at your face to locate the signs of intoxication, you’d taken it upon yourself to rest your head on my shoulder, blocking my view. I knew it wasn’t your intention to hide your face from me, but it was hard to believe that you were doing this just to get closer to me. Was it the alcohol that stole your inhibitions and unearthed the confidence to touch me further? Was this what you had wanted to do all this time but couldn’t without liquid courage? And I wonder, even with a calmer disposition created by liquor, were you still feeling first time nerves? Or were you the luckier of the two of us, fortunately avoiding the agony of a racing heart?

“So what’s keeping you up?” My voice croaked, trying to maintain a nonchalant attitude to your otherwise intimidating actions.

“This stupid guy.”

At first, I was sure that you were talking about someone else, and I prepared my weary heart to listen to you pour your soul out about ‘this stupid guy’ to me, but then I got smarter and recalled the conversation that took place not too long ago, the one that kept me up all night.

Was I the ‘stupid guy?’

“Tell me about him.”

“He’s ... he’s so tall.” You had laughed. “And he’s got this great smile. He’s super nice, too. But he’s the kind of guy that you can’t really figure out, but you want to, you know what I mean?”

I trained my eyes to stay forward and not look at you so that your resting head might not be disturbed by the action, but I wanted to look at you. I wanted to see those micro-expressions and read your face. I needed to know if you were talking about me.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“If he were any other guy, I’d be upfront with him, but this guy ... he’s different. He scares me, and his rejection scares me even more,” You went quiet for longer than a second and this time I actually did have to move my head to check on you in case you’d suddenly passed out. But when I went to look down at you, I was met with the shocking view of those batted eyelashes and big doe eyes again.

“What do you think I should do, 2B?”

I knew it. Those eyes can’t lie to me.

You were talking about me.

“I think you should tell him how you feel. You might be surprised.”

“Yeah …” Your voice faded out when you replaced your head on my shoulder. “Maybe.”

“He might feel the same way.” I whispered.

“You think so?”

“I do.”

“How do you know?”

It took me a moment to gather the right answer, but even with as extensive a vocabulary as I was equipped with, every single word in it was failing me. Though ultimately unsatisfactory, the only thing I could manage to say that was honest and quaint was, “He’d be crazy if he didn’t.”

The air was still. Not a word from either of us. Not even a peep, until the sounds of your snores revealed the true cause of the silence - you’d fallen asleep, and most likely before I had found it in me to confess my feelings. I smiled still, though. At least you’d finally gone to sleep.

Without another thought, I slid my hand under your knees with the other hand at the small of your back to lift you off the stairwell and carry you back to your apartment. And no surprise to me when all I had to do was press my arm against the door to open it.

You never do lock that thing, do you?

As I entered your apartment, I did my best not to gape at the surroundings, for it felt like an invasion of privacy without your verbal consent willingly granting me the permission to do so. I quickly located the bedroom using only the profound knowledge of my own apartment’s configuration that, for obvious reasons, identically matched yours. I made sure to sit you upright against your pillows in the event that you choked on your vomit, but I held high hopes that you weren’t so inebriated as to have that come into fruition.

When it came time to leave you, I had to slip my hands out from under your body. I attempted to perform this action with the utmost caution, but I think the coarseness of my hands gliding against your velvet skin made it impossible not to feel. You shivered at my touch, waking ever so slightly. 

“Spencer?” You asked in your sleep. 

“Shh, it’s okay. Go back to sleep.” I spoke softly, stroking your hair so it might soothe you back to sleep. This alone felt like a pure moment, but it was much sweeter when your small hand wrapped around my wrist while you placed your other one on top of mine. You leaned your face into my palm and gently shut your eyes, trying to maximize your ability to feel my touch. I even saw a smile come upon your face. 

“Will you stay with me?” You whispered against my skin. 

I couldn’t say no, sweet girl. 

I stayed with you for two hours while you slept. I wanted to ensure that you were safe, but I knew that I shouldn’t stay the night. Not because I couldn’t trust myself, but because I was worried that you wouldn’t remember asking me to stay the night before. Honestly, I preferred that you woke up with no recollection of that night. Because while watching you sleep to fulfill your request, I was also experiencing the deepest regret of my life.

If I told you how I felt a second sooner, maybe you would’ve heard me and that night would’ve ended very differently.

I suppose that was our ‘missed chance #1.’

To be quite honest, that night did discourage me, and I made a conscious effort to avoid you in days to follow. I wish I could rationalize my behavior here, but I doubt that any explanation will suffice so I’ll settle for the truth.

I thought avoiding you would make the regret go away, and I hoped my feelings would leave with it. But if anything, the longing I felt to see you again, the urge for fate bring us back together, only made my infatuation greater.

As luck would have it, not even my most extravagant attempts to avoid you would work.

I had heard it from the first floor where I was getting my mail, a strangely familiar sound - the sound of knocking. It was growing more and more desperate with each step I took up the stairs and once I finally reached the top, I found the cause of this noise at last. It was you - knocking at my door.

“(Y/n)?”

You turned over your shoulder; your furrowed brows and disgruntled appearance faded at the sight of me.

“2B! I was wondering where you were. Where have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

It had only been 9 days, (y/n), but yes, I suppose it did feel like forever.

I responded with an answer I always seemed to give you, an answer you seemed to already anticipate. 

“Work.”

“Mmm, it always is work, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah …” I sheepishly agreed, looking down to avoid your scrutinizing gaze. It was easier to let you believe work is what kept me away from you, and not the insatiable craving to be with you, but I could feel you sensing my lie.

“Well, I hope you’re not busy on December 21st.”

“What’s December 21st?”

“My going away party.”

My stomach dropped; my heart stopped, and I think I could actually feel the lump in my throat solidify into a pit.

“Going away party?”

“Yeah, I’m going home for the holidays, back to Oregon so I can visit my dad for a while and um …” 

I saw the same look on your face that I saw all those days ago when you admitted you didn’t feel safe running alone. The fearful one, where you knew you had to gather the courage to be vulnerable. When you looked back up at me, I wish I would’ve seen those doe eyes, but no. Your eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears. 

“I think, I think it might be his last Christmas, so I, I got an open-ended ticket just so I can -”

I didn’t want you to explain any more to me if you couldn’t bear it. “Of course. That makes perfect sense.” 

“I’m not really sure when I’m coming back, so I wanted to have a little get together with my friends before I leave. And I was really hoping you’d be able to come. If you’re not busy with work, of course.”

How could I say no?

“I’ll be there.”

You sighed in relief and smiled at me in thanks. “Perfect. Thank you.”

You turned on your heels and vanished into your unlocked apartment before I could offer a hug, but I think even if I did have the chance, it wouldn’t have been enough to heal the hurt that penetrated deep within your soul. That was a pain, I couldn’t fix - no one could.

December 21st came faster than I imagined, and in no time at all, I was standing outside your unlocked door, trying to gather the confidence to enter.

I wore my best suit and tie specifically to impress you, but even if I was decorated with the finest silks, I still wouldn’t have looked as golden as you. Your neck, ears, and fingers were embellished with gold jewelry that sparkled ever so slightly under the pale yellow light of your apartment. You had styled your hair differently than I’d ever seen it, and I felt like I was seeing you for the first time all over again.

“You look …” Heavenly. Dazzling. Magnificent. “Breathtaking.”

“You’re not too bad yourself, 2B.” You drew closer, filling my senses with your poisonous perfume. 

“I especially like this tie.”

God help me when you walked your fingers up my tie. It took everything not to shudder at the sensation. I gulped to replenish my dry mouth while I stared into your eyes. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I found the willpower to break away from your hypnotizing gaze. 

“So,” I cleared my throat. “Where’s everyone else?” With these words, I walked away to catch my breath by your dining table, unintentionally abandoning you in the living room. In response, you sort of laughed, which made me concerned. 

“I actually asked you to come an hour earlier than everyone else.” To my quizzical brow, you answered, “I told my friends about you.”

You can imagine the butterflies in my stomach from the joy of you telling me that. “You did?”

“They had a bunch of questions for me, but I told them to save them for tonight since you were coming. I just thought we could have, like, a pre-party-run-through of what to say.”

“Got it.”

You were shocked at my willingness. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

The only person that I think is crazy, is the person that doesn’t admire you as deeply as I do, (y/n). 

In no time at all, we were sitting on your couch, facing each other, while playing a speed round of 21 questions. 

Here, we discovered our shared hobby of reading, you unearthed my job as a profiler (not without asking a million questions about it after), and I came to the realization of just how hopelessly devoted to you I was after a three-word question.

“Future baby names?” You casually asked. To say that that one caught me off guard would be the understatement of the year. 

“Future baby names?” I repeated; my cheeks flushed while I felt you anxiously waiting for an answer. Your eyes were expectant and the large gulp I took was just a means to stall time until I finally whispered, “Harper.”

You were silent for a second and I felt the need to explain myself. “I don’t know why, probably because of Harper Lee, but I just like the name.”

The biggest grin crept its way onto your face. “Shut up.” 

“What?”

“Shut up because that name is literally on my list!” You squealed delightfully. 

Truthfully, ever since that faithful first day I met you, I deliberately refused to let myself imagine a future with you, but after December 21st - that’s all I could do. All thanks to your “baby names” question. Would you believe that the first time we ever truly hung out, you were reading off all your favorite baby names and giving me a thorough description of why you liked each one? That seems like only a thing we’d do - after all almost every experience we had together was unconventional to some degree. 

That one hour of private bonding came and went, and soon enough, I was surrounded by the closest people in your life. And somehow, your boundless love made me feel like I was part of that close circle, too - like I always had been. 

First to greet me was April, your roommate in college. I recognized her voice instantly, recalling it as the one I heard outside my door all those nights ago. I tried not to smile at the memory of her crude question, “Do you wanna fuck him?” 

Arriving only seconds after her was Marty, short for Martin, and he’s Drew’s boyfriend. Drew worked with you at the grocery store, which was your first real job during college. 

After Drew and Marty, came Jillian and Janelle, twin sisters you met in your “Introduction to Psychology” class, a class you thought you would end up hating, but you actually ended up loving. 

“So, Spencer, what’s up with you and (y/n)?” 

I knew the question was bound to come up, and it came as no surprise to me that April was the one to be asking it. After the conversation I overheard weeks ago, I came to the discovery that she is someone who is all but forthright. Given the fact that this was the singular opportunity to catch me alone, since I was practically attached at your hip the entire night, April wasted no time in jumping at the opportunity to back me into a corner at my most vulnerable.

“We’re just friends.” I said through a cheeky smile that surely gave me away. The lie stung my tongue as it passed through my teeth, and I knew it was impossible to have fooled her.

“(Y/n) would kill me if she knew I told you this, but I’ve known her since she was 17, and I have never seen her light up the way she did when she was talking about you. Sometimes I catch her just smiling out of nowhere, and I have to think that you’re the reason why.” 

At the moment, my expressions were a completely separate entity from my mind because I could not control the grin that crept onto my face and I had no control over the minimization of it either. No matter how hard I tried to reduce it, it was impossible.

“Ever since her dad got sick, she’s been a different girl. But tonight, I think I finally have my old friend back again ... Thank you.” 

April’s pursed lip smile, in any other exigence, could be seen as insincere or facetious, but here, I knew it was a smile of gratitude and thanks. As April left my gravity, you were simultaneously entering it with a sly grin on your face. 

“What were you two talking about?” 

“You.” 

“Me?” Your voice heightened in pitch as you pretended to be shocked. “What about me?”

“Just about how much we both really like you.” 

“Oh, is that so?” 

“Indeed, it is so.” 

You came closer, wrapping your arms around my waist to draw me in nearer. You had your head cocked all the way up to look at me with those once again, batted eyelashes and doe eyes. 

“Well, I really like you too, 2B. And so do all of my friends.” 

A genuine laugh escaped me as I pushed you away from me and nudged you backward so we could integrate with the rest of the party again. It was all a charade to get you to look away from my visible joy. In the back of my mind lied the thought about what April said about your dad and how different you became following his diagnosis, but I knew better than to bring that up here, right now.

Once we immersed ourselves back into the group, I found you being even touchier with me. You would lock your arm around mine, or lie your head on my shoulder. Even while we were sitting on the couch, you were practically on my lap. I don’t think you were intentionally being so coquettish, but if you were - it was pure evil. Especially, when you left my lap to answer a call in the other room. 

I deliberately tried not to stare into the room you wandered in so that I could look as present in the moment with your friends as possible, for it would’ve been rude both to ignore them and to invade your privacy, but I could see your body language even in the poorly lit space. 

Something was wrong. 

In a one minute and fifty-three second phone call, December 21st went from the best night of my life, to the worst night of yours. 

I saw the way you came back into the living room with your eyes blankly staring into space. You were a walking ghost, a shell of a woman. 

“That was Adriana, my dad’s nurse,” You told us, commandeering the entire room’s attention. And somehow, we all knew what was to follow. 

“My dad just died.”

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

“I’ll take care of her, I promise.” I heard Spencer whisper to April as he walked her out. 

I felt terrible for letting him walk out all the guests I invited, while I simply sat on my couch staring into the nothingness. I should’ve said goodbye to them, but I was paralyzed even when he came back into the living room.

“I know this is a dumb question, but - you okay?” I could see the way his eyes ran over my face to examine me. Were you profiling me, Doctor?

“It’s weird,” I admitted. “It hasn’t hit me, yet. That he’s dead.” 

Even as the word left my mouth, my brain still couldn’t register it. 

“That’s not weird at all. Statistically speaking, after the death of a loved one, 32% of people reported that they stayed in the first stage of grief the longest.”

I wasn’t familiar with what he was referring to, which was something I’d have to get used to considering I was talking to a provable genius after all. “What’s the first stage of grief?”

“Denial.” 

And that was true, I was in denial. Even hours before my flight home, I was still in stage one. I was packing the last of my things when Spencer called to make sure I had everything I needed. 

“Wallet?” 

“Check.” 

“Passport?” 

“Check.”

“Ticket?” 

“Check.”

“Door?”

“Door?” I repeated. “What do you mean door?”

“Have you locked your door?”

“I never lock my door.” I scoffed, partially recognizing my own naiveté. 

“Yeah, I know you don’t. But will you please lock it for me when you leave?” 

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll lock it on my way out.” 

Following my own promise, I hauled my suitcase through my apartment and turned the doorknob to exit, but I quickly stopped when I saw Spencer standing right outside. 

“Spencer? What are you doing here? I thought you were at work.” Soon after my statement, I ended our phone call considering there was no need to be on the phone with Spencer since he was standing right there in front of me. 

“I, um, I needed you to lock your door after you left because I won’t be around to do it myself when you’re in Oregon.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m coming with you.”

All the anxiety and stress left my body at once and there was nothing for me to do but show him my deepest appreciation by engulfing him in a hug. 

“You’re coming with me?” I nearly cried. 

“I couldn’t let you do this alone. And April practically threatened that if I didn’t buy a ticket, she’d kill me.” 

I chuckled mirthlessly in recognition of April’s tendency to be harsh in pursuit of something she wanted. I was so pleased to hear she wanted him to be with me in Oregon as badly as I wanted him to come. Her approval meant the world to me, and to know that she brought us that much closer together, even under these circumstances, truly showed her support of us.

In the hug, my head was hanging over Spencer’s shoulder giving me the opportunity to see his hidden luggage that if I had noticed earlier, would’ve revealed this little surprise, but I was glad I was blind to it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have felt the sweetest relief imaginable, it would’ve only been a combination of diluted relief and satisfaction of confirmed suspicion - a mixture not half so rewarding. 

“Thank you.” I whispered.

. . . 

There’s something about driving through your hometown after years and years of being gone. It’s like listening to a song you used to play over and over again, after not hearing it for a while. Both are like little time capsules that simultaneously preserve those memories while also transporting you to them. Whether that was a good or bad thing was still undetermined. 

“Home sweet home.” I sighed, the weight of everything coming down on me the minute I stepped foot in the doorway. 

I could actually smell the interior of the house and it brought back so many memories. I lived here for so long and never once could I smell a scent so distinct as this one, but now, with how long I’ve been gone - I could distinguish it, as if it were just another person’s house, and not my own from childhood. 

“(Y/n), is that you?” Adriana’s voice wavered as she ran towards me, embracing me with a warm hug. “I haven’t seen you in so long. Lemme look at you.” Adriana pulled back to stare at me in my entirety, and there was something about the look on her face. It was full of pride and sorrow - pride to see me in my full transformation into a woman but sorrow to be seeing me for these reasons. 

“Your dad would’ve been so proud to see the woman you’ve grown up to be.” 

Her teary eyes only brought on my own flood of tears. I hadn’t cried yet, but that was probably only because I was so distant from everything, but now, here in my childhood home, I was right in the middle of it. 

Adriana inhaled sharply after realizing how long our hug had lingered and the fact that she hadn’t yet greeted Spencer. “Oh forgive me for being so rude, I’m Adriana. I was (y/n)’s father’s nurse.”

“Spencer Reid.” He kindly greeted. “How are you, Adriana?” He asked her, a question I realized I should’ve asked myself. Somehow I’d forgotten that this couldn’t have been easier for her either. 

Walking through even just the front of the house was enough to overwhelm me with a plethora of memories. I was far too busy gaping at how much it hadn’t changed over the years to insert myself into Spencer and Adriana’s conversation.

“Well, right now, I’m just working on cleaning up the house. For when it goes on sale.” I heard Adriana tell Spencer.

I turned quickly over my shoulder in shock. “On sale?” 

“Your father figured you would sell this house. He left it for you, but he didn’t think you’d want it.” 

I should note that: here is where the seed was planted. The seed of doubt. 

Should I keep the house and move back to Oregon?

“Oh and before I forget,” Adriana tapped her pockets until she found what she was looking for. “He wanted me to give you this. He wrote it for you a couple days before he ...” She couldn’t even bring herself to say, ‘died’.

It was an envelope with what appeared to be a letter inside of it. I never knew my father to be a writer, so I opened it with such passionate fervor that I nearly gave myself a paper cut. Adriana and Spencer must’ve recognized my overwhelming eagerness to read it because they disappeared into the kitchen to give me the privacy to do so. 

To my dearest (y/n), 

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you I was getting worse. 

But what I’m not sorry about is not asking you to come home. I made a lotta mistakes when you were growing up, but I think the smartest thing I ever did was not ask you to come back home, because ever since I was diagnosed four years ago, you were ready to run home at the drop of a hat and rush back here in no time at all. That’s no way to live. You can’t just put your life on hold for my imminent death - and that’s certainly not what I want you to do when I actually am dead. 

I want you to live your life, (y/n). 

Never press pause. Keep going. 

Live a long and happy life ... for me, alright, kiddo?

Love,  your old man

All at once, I departed from the first stage of grief and straight into the second. 

Anger.

I hurled the note with as much force as I could, screaming at the top of my lungs with an earsplitting shrill. After seeing the letter fall onto the entryway table, I took my outer arm and swept every single thing on the table off of it out of anger that his letter didn’t go far enough. I could still read the words - I could still hear his voice. I watched in dignity as I let the decor, lamp, and picture frames fall where they may. The lamp landed on its side, clattering beside fallen decor and the picture frames’ glass split in two. I saw the remnants of the mess I created, and I was even angrier at myself. I only created more destruction for me to fix later. My face felt fiery hot and my skin was burning. I was fuming with rage when I finally looked into the mirror and saw the person I hated the most. 

Myself.

I was consumed by a deep loathing of the woman staring back at my in the reflection. 

How could she? How could she not visit dad until now? How could she let Adriana take care of him instead of taking care of him herself? How could she not check in every day? How could she spend years away from him?

How could she not know he was going to die? 

“I hate you!”

The anger took over my body and in one swift motion, my fist collided with the glass, shattering the dead center of the mirror. I cried out in immediate anguish as I felt my wrist go limp and a shooting pain going up and down my arm. Horror must’ve filled my eyes when I saw tiny shards of glass piercing my fist. I think I might’ve actually blacked out from the pain because all I could remember next was waking up in a hospital bed with my arm in a cast that extended all the way to my elbow. I blinked slowly to readjust to the glare, but thankfully, Spencer’s hovering face shielded my eyes from the bright florescent light.

“You know, for someone so small, you pack a pretty good punch,” Spencer chuckled mirthlessly. “You managed to dislocate your wrist, shatter a bone in your forearm, and fracture your elbow. Remind me to never get into a fist fight with you.” He kidded, making the joke just to see me smile, which it did, but he wouldn’t stop there. He had to actually see me laugh again. 

“Well, I think it’s safe to say you’re in the second stage of grief now, huh?” 

A soft giggle escaped me, and he knew his plan had worked. 

“But seriously, how are you feeling?” 

His question was accompanied with the delicate stroking of my hair out of my face, and I was transported to all those nights ago when I asked him to stay the night. I couldn’t remember much from that night either, but I could remember this feeling. The feeling of his touch. 

I felt so loved.

I shut my eyes in an effort to hide the tears that were glossing them, but that only made them stream down my cheeks. 

“Oh, (y/n),” Spencer frowned, replacing his stroking hand to the back of my head to bring my forehead closer to his lips where he would place a chaste kiss on it. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re feeling right now, but I am going to be right there for you - through every single emotion.”

His warm words only made me sob harder. I didn’t deserve his good heart. 

“If I could take your pain away and experience it myself, I would. In a heartbeat.” 

Only his words I could trust wholeheartedly. 

I was discharged from the hospital several hours later, the loopiness I was experiencing from the anesthesia just barely wearing off, and I was forced to face the consequences of my previous actions in the form of a shower. 

Yes, you heard that correctly - a shower. 

“How do I even shower with a cast on?” I asked out loud to myself after turning the water on. My question was quickly followed with two knocks on the door and a, “Need any help in there?” from Spencer. 

There was a quick moment of contemplation which ultimately led to a bashful, “Yes, I do.”

My timidity fell away shortly after seeing Spencer fumble into the bathroom with his hand over his eyes. 

“I won’t look, I promise.” 

My laughter erupted in the room at the sheer amusement I got from his sinless actions. “I’m not naked! You don’t have to cover your eyes.” 

He made a gap between his middle and ring finger for his eyes to peek through just enough to register if I was really telling the truth and upon the discovery that I was, he removed his hand from his face. Afterwards, he left me with careful instructions to not wet my cast and carry on with the rest of my shower routine as normal. 

My shower, though mildly inconvenient because of my cast, was just like any other - ending in me shuffling from the bathroom to my bedroom with just a towel to cover me and collect the water from my sopping body. It was after I shut my bedroom door behind me I was met with yet another daunting task - putting on clothes. 

Unfortunately, my short temper didn’t bode well with my struggle to put pants on followed by my complete inability to find a shirt that had sleeves big enough to fit my cast through without excessively stretching the fabric. This resulted in the downright termination of the act after minutes of trying. I’d been rummaging through my luggage for minutes, but it wasn’t like I was planning to end up in a cast, so naturally - I didn’t bring clothes fit for such an occasion. And anything that was left in my closet were clothes that hadn’t fit me since high school. 

“(Y/n)?” I heard Spencer knock gently then saw him opening the door with painfully slow caution.

“Down here.”

His eyes followed as my words told him, and there he found me, lying on the floor with my towel still wrapped around my upper body.

“What are you doing down there?”

I should add that, along with his playfully spoken question, he got down on the floor to further lie on his back, too. It was a simple thing really, but it meant more to me than he knew. He wanted to join me as I rested on the carpet; he didn’t want to be standing above me, talking down to me. He saw me as his equal and he was going to lie with me on the floor, too - no hesitation whatsoever. He was more than content to follow along with my peculiar schemes, to humor my weirdness.

How many people in your life can you say that about? There’s not very many in mine who will go along with whatever I do or say just to make me happy, and for that, I thanked my lucky stars for giving me Spencer.

“I’ve been trying to put on a shirt, but none of them would fit around my cast and I just got frustrated and gave up.” I bluntly told him. 

“I can see that.” He jestingly noted, his eyes skimming over the mess in the room that I created trying to find a shirt that would fit. I could see the gears in his head turning for a solution to my problem. 

“What if I give you mine? Do you think it’ll fit?” 

He disappeared out of my bedroom and in less than a minute, he came back into the room with a worn Caltech shirt, and of course, it was a perfect fit. Almost made-to-measure.

After my content finding of a proper shirt, we resumed our position on the floor, lying side by side.

“I really like your room, by the way. I especially like your stars.” He pointed at my ceiling that was spotted with glow-in-the-dark stickers in the shape of stars and planets that I’d put up there as a child. 

I tried not to laugh as to not insult his admiration of them, but I couldn’t contain the slight giggle that left me from the amusement of his childlike wonder.

“Why?” I had to ask.

“I dunno, it’s just nice to look at. It’s kinda like we’re stargazing.”

“Hmm, I guess we kinda are.”

“Oh look!” He quickly motioned to a different sticker than the one he’d pointed to before. “There’s a shooting star! Make a wish.”

“Shut up!” I childishly giggled, reaching across my body to shove him with my good arm.

“Come on it’s a shooting star - you have to make a wish!”

In the same way that he humored my silly antics, I knew I had to indulge his. 

“Alright, I wish -”

“No, you have to close your eyes!” He insisted. “Your wish won’t come true unless you close your eyes.” To my furrowed brows and deadpan stare, he responded, “I don’t make the rules! You just have to!” 

I played along and shut my eyes all while inhaling deeply in preparation to make a wish. 

In that same breath, Spencer leaned over me, letting his face hang above mine for just a second to look at me. Even though I couldn’t look at him back, he didn’t mind.

“I wish . . .”

I parted my mouth to say something in addition, but my words were cut short when he placed his lips on mine.

The stars were aligning.

It was a shy kiss, just as I always dreamt it would be. He didn’t move his lips; he only puckered them against mine, and I could feel him begin to pull away. Before he could, I raised my head to follow his mouth, drawing him in closer with my one good hand on his cheek.

That was the only thing stopping him from kissing me harder before. He needed to know that I wanted it just as much as he did. And I did. I really did.

Now with more encouragement, he snaked his hand under my neck, supporting the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my still-damp hair. He cocked his head to the side, sharply inhaling so my own mouth would be forced to open, too, creating an entryway just big enough for his tongue to slip in.

I started seeing stars, and not the ones on my ceiling.

The moment was too quick and ended before I wanted it to, like all moments I had with him. He placed one small chaste kiss to give me solace, our lips clinging together briefly, bouncing back into place when ours faces were fully apart, making a small pop noise from the moist separation.

“Your hair smells like magnolias.” He drawled, seemingly in a daze when his eyes fluttered open.

It sent me into a fit of giggles - a sound he couldn’t resist. I noticed him eyeing me as I laughed and I tried not to let it get to my head, but God, if looks could kill. I wish I could see me the way he saw me. He looked at me like I was a galaxy full of stars, even if I felt like a dark abyss that would swallow him whole.

“I can’t believe it.” He dreamily whispered in awe.

“You can’t believe what?”

“When I first met you, I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were. And now, I’m smelling your shampoo while you’re wearing my clothes, kissing me under the stars?”

I’d never seen someone look so grateful. It was the purest vision.

I never did finish saying my wish, but if I had, it would’ve been to stay in this moment forever. But like all our moments together, this one, too, was gone in the blink of an eye. 

Soon enough, all this would just be a memory of the past. Another moment locked in time, never to occur again.

. . .

The week later we buried my father. 

I’d somehow skipped stage three and four - bargaining and depression - and was well on my way to stage five - acceptance. But it wasn’t really the acceptance of his death, more so the acceptance of what I had to do in the wake of it. 

I heeded my father’s words of not pressing pause on my life, but what I did next wasn’t really pressing pause, just rewinding a bit. 

I did say that whether coming to my hometown after years of not being here was a good thing or bad thing was still undetermined, and I think this was me realizing that it still is undetermined, and I wouldn’t be able to figure it out if I left. And really, I couldn’t leave. Not again. Not when Adriana needed me most to upkeep the house. Not after I’d purposefully bought an open-ended ticket to stay here for longer. 

I was meant to stay here, and consequently, I knew what that meant for me and Spencer.

We were on our way home from the funeral when Spencer parked the car in the driveway and shut it off. The rain was pelting the windshield as the window wipers robotically swept from side to side. We’d been listening to the sound of rain and automated windshield wipers for the entire duration of the time we sat there. He was waiting for me to say what he already knew. 

I wasn’t coming back to Virginia. 

The loud silence was broken with my words, “I’ve never felt this way for anyone before.” 

It almost seemed like he didn’t hear me because of the way he kept looking straightforward instead of at me, but I feel that it might’ve been so I wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes. 

“Spencer, I love you.” I honestly confessed, the simultaneous feeling of weight being lifted off my shoulders and a new weight being placed onto them coming over me. 

For the first time, he swiveled his head to the side, giving me full view of his crestfallen expression. I almost wish he hadn’t. 

“I love you, too.” His voice croaked. 

“But it wouldn’t be fair to start a relationship with you like this.”

“That’s what I was afraid you would say.” He whimpered. 

I needed to take care of Adriana, look after the house, and recover from my dad’s death, and it would be so easy to escape all that if I went back to Virginia. But if I honestly wanted to grow from this, I had to accept the responsibilities I had waiting for me here. Nothing needed me in Virginia - nothing but Spencer.

And if I knew him as well as I thought I did, he would understand that I couldn’t come back just yet. 

And he wouldn’t ask me to. 

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

It’s been five months now, and somewhere around month two I got the sneaking suspicion that you were lying when you said you loved me. Because why wouldn’t you fight for us if you really did? 

But you knew if you told me that a long-distance relationship was too much to handle on top of everything else you had going on, I would’ve offered to move to Oregon with you, but you didn’t want that. You didn’t want me to uproot my life for you, and you knew that’s exactly what I would’ve done. 

So after three more months of that thought brewing, I’ve come to the realization that you weren’t lying. No, you loved me too much. Too much to make me choose between you and my life in Virginia, but I’m telling you right now - if you asked me to, I’d choose you. Over and over and over again. 

I’d choose you. 

But that’s just it - you wouldn’t let me choose you, and you didn’t. That’s why you didn’t ask. I’m mad you never gave me the option, but I know that you only did that out of love. 

And I guess if that’s your way of saying “I love you,” then this letter is mine. 

I only wrote this instead of telling you it in person, because I think, for the first time, I want to trust the world as much as you trust the world. 

I want to have as much blind faith in something as you have in that unlocked door of yours. 

I want to trust that when you come back to Virginia and find this letter, whenever that may be, we’ll be different people, and that maybe then we’ll be better for each other. But until that time comes - until that faithful day when you return from Oregon, I will wait. 

I will wait, and I will not forget you - I promise that. 

It’s quite hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember. 

At this time, you and I haven’t spoken a word to each other since the funeral, so I have virtually no idea what your current state of affairs are, but I should let you know that by this time next week, I will be living in a real house, which also means I am moving out of this apartment at the end of the week. I'm quite disoriented from this to say the least, but I’ve never been more ready or excited to start a new chapter of my life. 

As for us - this isn’t our last chapter. I know it. There’s more for us. 

I have faith. 

And if there’s one last thing I wanted you to know, it’s that:

You have given me a lifetime of happiness, 3B.

Sincerely yours, 2B

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 

[countryclubstarkey]

First Time - Rudy Pankow (Smut)

Not My Gif

Pairings: Rudy Pankow x Reader; Some JJ Maybank x Y/C/N

Warnings: NSFW, Smut, Virgin Reader, Dry Humping, Oral Sex (Female Receiving). 

Word Count: 2.5k+

Y/C/N = Your Character’s name.

A/N: This request, I hope you like it, sorry it took some time! I didn’t mean to make it this long LOL. 

Getting the job as JJ Maybank’s love interest is a blessing and a punishment at the same time. JJ is a very sexually active character, and that means so is your character. This results in a few steamy scenes between you and Rudy. 

The downside is that you have zero experience when it comes to sex, you’ve had a few boyfriends, but the furthest you’ve gone is some hardcore french kissing. Rudy, on the other hand, is a sex god; some of the stories that you’ve heard by accident made your face as red as JJ’s baseball cap. 

Today is one of those days where JJ and Y/C/N have an intense makeout session with some humping as Jonas put it. You’re currently in the hair and makeup trailer, getting some final touch-ups before you’re called on set. 

“Hey y/n, you ready?” Rudy asks as he walks into the trailer, startling you slightly. 

Avoiding his eyes by looking at your lap instead. “Ya, I’m just kind of nervous.” You answer truthfully. Rudy’s joyful laughter fills the trailer. 

He grabs your hands brushing them innocently to calm down your nerves, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, if you feel uncomfortable at any time, I want you to tell me okay?” 

Standing up, you adjust the two-piece swimsuit; you’re wearing for the scene and follow Rudy’s lead to set. He holds your hand the entire time, brushing it gently with his thumb making you relax and more prepared than before. 

“You guys ready?” Jonas asks the two of you. Taking your nods as a simple answer of yes, everyone gets into position. 

“And Action.” 

Start of Characters scene -------------------------------------

“JJ, John B is going to walk in at any minute,” you tell your boyfriend of five months as he continues to kiss down your neck. 

Pulling you onto his lap on John B’s couch, “I know baby, but you look so hot in that bikini and you know I can’t control myself.” You start grinding against him, trying to create some friction as his lips passionately make their way onto yours.

One hand moves to your hips to help you move further, as his other palms your breasts through your top. Your nipples start to harden as you move your body closer to him by wrapping your arms around his arm. 

“Fuck, you’re going to make me cum in my pants,” he moans in your mouth, speeding up his own actions. Your core feels hot as his hands travel to your inner thighs before landing on your behind instead. Feeling him grow harder as his solid bulge presses against your center encouraging your actions to speed up. 

His mouth finds its way to your neck and breasts, leaving sloppy kisses as his hands go to untie your top. 

“What the fuck are you guys doing on my couch,” John B yells at the two of you, causing you to break apart landing on opposite sides of the couch.

End of Characters scene -------------------------------------

“And Cut, we’re done for the day guys enjoy your night,” Jonas yells. 

Trying to fix your outfit a little, you immediately become self-conscious from being exposed to a room full of people. Rudy observes your actions and puts his jacket around you. He wraps his arms around your waist before guiding you towards your trailer following you inside. 

“You good?” He asks when you finally reach a private setting. Rudy has always had a soft spot for you, and over the past few weeks, you’ve gotten especially close. He’s taken you on a few dates, but hasn’t asked you to be official yet and all of the guys have been teasing him about it. 

“Ya, I just have never done that before in real life or on set,” you mumble shyly. Rudy tilts your chin upwards, so you meet his eyes before leaning in for a sweet kiss. It’s different from any kiss you’ve had on set, this one is passionate, loving and innocent. Pulling away after a few seconds, Rudy is smiling widely admiring your beautiful features. Brushing your hair away, he kisses your forehead before speaking up. 

“I don’t care what you’ve done or haven’t, I just want to be able to call you mine.” Rudy whispers, not ready for your reaction. 

Leaning in, you return your lips to his, revealing your answer through the kiss, “Consider it done Pankow.” 

Rudy picks up your body, your legs wrap around his waist, kissing him as he strolls to your couch before settling down with you on his lap. His hands stay on your waist not wanting to pressure you into anything without your consent. 

“I want more,” You mumble against Rudy’s lips. He pulls away making sure that you actually want things to go further, “Are you sure?” 

You respond by taking his jacket off leaving you in your bikini only. He admires your body for a few seconds before pulling your lips back on his own. 

“Let me try something then.” He tells you while flipping your body so that you’re lying down with Rudy above you. 

Appreciating your body before doing anything, Rudy leans down, kissing every inch of your body making you feel like you’re on fire. Starting at your lips and playfully fighting with your tongue, he pulls away when he feels your breathing uneven. 

Going lower, his wet tongue runs circles on your neck as his cool breath calms your body down a bit. He bites and nips at the skin to mark your neck, leaving some sort of pattern that you have to check later. Soothing the skin after, with soft kisses, his mouth makes contact with your breasts.

“Can I?” he ushers towards your straps, giving him a needy nod. He pulls at the strings leaving your breasts exposed to him for the first time. Having the need to cover them right away, Rudy senses your actions and gathers your hands in his own, putting them above your head, “You’re beautiful, don't hide from me.” 

Your nipples harden because of the cold air and your arousal. Rudy alternates between rubbing one of your breasts in his hand, while his mouth occupies the other. Leaving the same marks that are on your neck, his tongue brushes past your nipple, making your body ache towards him. Finally, feeling satisfied with his work, he decides to move towards your most delicate parts. Kissing down your stomach, he reaches the hem of your bottoms. Looking into your eyes asking for permission, you hesitantly nod at him because of the new experience. 

Slipping your bottoms down your legs, he lands between your legs, admiring your pussy like he just found gold. Your legs tighten around his body, but he grabs them, forcing them apart.

“You’re soaking baby,” he tells you before blowing on your slit, making your body shudder. Teasing your entrance with one finger, he spreads your wetness around. Then, he focuses on your clit for the first, “Have you ever made yourself cum?” he curiously asks. 

“A few times, but it wasn’t that good.” You answer your body honestly in desperate need to be properly touched. 

Rudy smirks at you, “Good, I’ll make you feel real good princess.” Slowly thrusting one finger in, he feels you tense around him. He wraps his mouth around your clit to make the action easier as you relax in his arms, making him thrust into you easier. 

“F-uck, that feels good,” you whimper. His other hands knead your breasts, and he playfully flicks your sensitive nipples. 

In desperate need of more, “Please Rudy, do more.” 

He adds another finger to your center, and your body welcomes him with ease as your wetness allows him to slip in easily. His mouth continues working on your clit; he alternates between kitten licking the bud and furiously licking it to pleasure you further. The addition of his finger and mouth causes an unfamiliar feeling to build up in your stomach.

Rudy keeps a steady rhythm between fingering you and licking your clit as you feel your stomach snap, “F-uck, fuck I’m going to cum,” your screams fill the room. 

“Go ahead baby, let me taste you.” Your toes curl as you grip Rudy’s hair when you cum all over Rudy’s fingers and tongue. Your legs shake around his head as he continues lapping up your juices, working you through your orgasm. 

“Good job, baby girl.” 

A few months later --------------------------------------------

You’ve made it official with Rudy a few months ago, and everything has been going great. He treats you with respect, never pressures you into anything and always takes you on new adventures exploring something new. 

Tonight, you finally decided to ask Rudy to take your virginity, you trust him and know that he will never do something that you don’t want. 

You bought a red lingerie set a few days ago with the girls, and they teased you all day about it, but they also made sure you were ready and comfortable with everything. 

Currently, Rudy is chilling on his bed as you excused yourself to go to the bathroom. Taking off your clothes, you admire how the dark red set compliments your skin, making you feel sexier than usual. Walking out, you stop in front of Rudy’s eyes as his jaw drops from the sight taking in how perfect you look. Standing up, he walks towards you, “Baby, are you trying to kill me, you look so beautiful.” You crash your lips against his appreciating how great he is, making you feel beautiful tonight and every single day of your relationship. 

“I’m ready, Rudy,” you whisper. His eyes widen as he steps back to comprehend your request.

Cupping your face, “Are you sure, baby?” You place his hand over your clothed mound, so he feels how much you desire him. 

Getting his answer, Rudy takes his clothes off as soon as possible before pushing you onto the bed. Admiring your body one more time, he takes off your lingerie leaving you bare in his arms, “As much as I love this set on your body, I love your naked body even more.” 

You palm him through his briefs as your eyes widen from how hard he is and how big he feels under your tiny hands, “Don’t worry, baby, we’ll make it fit.” He winks at you. Your body develops in giggles making you feel no longer tense. 

His hand joins yours as he helps you pull his member out. It immediately slaps against his belly button, almost hitting you in the process. Rudy is definitely above average as his cock is defined with veins, his red tip is begging for attention as it drips with pre-cum. Leaning forward, you try to lick his member, but he pulls away before you make contact.

“I want tonight to be about you, we can do this later.” Rudy grabs your waist and puts you underneath him as he hovers over your body. His hands wander all-around, rubbing your breasts, hips, waist, and ass. Brushing his hand over your clit, he feels how wet you are already. Spreading your wetness around, he teases your clit for a little while palming your breasts trying to get you ready as possible. Feeling ready, “Please, Rudy, I need your cock,” you desperately whimper trying to find friction against his thigh. He reaches over to his drawer and grabs a condom with a bottle of lube. 

“Can I do it?” You ask, gesturing towards the condom. He eagerly nods his head as you rip the packet open. You pinch the tip and slide it down his length, making sure it’s on right. He looks slightly in shock from your knowledge of condoms. 

“I guess those sex-ed classes came in handy,” you tease him slapping his chest playfully. He lubes up the condom, and finally you can feel his member rub against your clit. 

“It’s going to hurt a little, are you ready?” Rudy asks you with his sweet eyes. Nodding your head at him, he pushes in, immediately stopping when he sees the discomfort on your face. 

“I’m okay, keep going,” you reassure him. He slowly goes inch by inch, stopping for a little when he notices you wince or tense up. After a few minutes, you feel him reach the bottom, making you feel fuller than you have ever been. 

Rudy rubs your clit to distract you and ease your pain; he prevents himself from hissing by your constant clenching. Trying to control himself from finishing too early, he rubs your clit faster and kneads your breasts. 

“Can I move?” He asks in a shaky tone. Giving him a nod of reassurance, Rudy begins thrusting into you at a desperate pace. His hand never leaves your clit as he wants you to feel pleasure as soon as possible, “Go faster.” 

His thrusts move faster than before as you feel the pain turn into pleasure with his thrust until the pain is all gone, and all you can feel is pleasure. Your moans and his grunts are the only sounds escaping your lips as Rudy feels you constantly clench around him, making it impossible to not cum. He lifts one leg over his shoulder, making him hit your g-spot something you have never discovered before. The foreign spot makes your screams the loudest noise in the room as Rudy’s thrusts make your stomach coil up. He speeds up his thrusts and goes at a swift pace, trying to bring you to the edge. 

Your legs shake around his body as your juices flow out covering the condom, “F-uck I’m cumming,” you scream, shaking in his arms. His thrusts or his thumb doesn’t leave your clit as you feel him release his load in the condom before dropping on you but not crushing you. Nuzzling his head in the base of your neck, your heavy breathing is the only thing you can clearly understand. 

Rudy pulls out discarding the condom before cleaning up and pulling a blanket on the both of you, “Go to sleep, baby,” he mumbles in your ear. 

The next morning

You wake up to the sound of laughter, realizing Rudy is no longer sleeping beside you. Grabbing one of his longer t-shirts, you pull it over your naked body grabbing a pair of clean panties as well before walking or more like limping out the door. Your body is still feeling sore from last night as you finally reach the noise.��

The cast is all here in their sweats, watching some random show on T.V while drinking a few beers. 

“Isn’t it a little early for a beer?” you question, sitting on Rudy’s lap as he welcomes you with open arms. 

They laugh at your statement, making your face scrunch up, “Babe, it’s three pm.” Madison giggles as you look at them in disbelief, not noticing the time. 

“I guess you had a rough night, huh?” Drew sasses so you blush in Rudy’s arms. 

Rudy hugs you from behind, giving you extra support, “Hey, leave her alone; I can’t help it that she’s beautiful and makes me happy.” You give him a quick peck because of his cheesy comment.  

The house erupts in groans, and a few vulgar words as your friends adore and are disgusted by your relationship. 

[featherquillpen]

Fanti: a Panfandom Reclist

Lately I’ve become enamored of “fanti” fanworks, fanworks which come from a place of simultaneous love and frustration toward canon. What do fans do when we love something but we also can’t stand parts of it? We transform it to embrace the parts we love and confront the parts we don’t. So here are some fanworks that do that.

Fanvids

What We Had by cherryice (Doctor Who)

A fanvid about Martha, Mickey, and Jack, the companions most screwed over by the Tenth Doctor. You can feel the absolute love of these characters, and the absolute rage at the way they were shafted in favor of white, straight companions.

Origin Stories by GiandujaKiss Smithee (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

A fanvid about Spike’s cool swishy leather coat. Which he stripped off the corpse of a black woman who he killed. In this vid, I feel a transcendent love of Nikki Wood and all the other Slayers, and a fierce conviction that Spike should never have worn the coat again, once he had a soul and could comprehend his crimes.

Fanfics

Sitting Left of the Dealer by BlackEyedGirl (Leverage)

This fic critiques the racist undertones to Nate’s often patronizing and dismissive relationship with Hardison by making Nate also Black. In this AU, Nate and Hardison are closer friends, brought together by their unique challenges on cons. Also, it makes you realize how much Nate’s grifting style in canon relies on white privilege.

my boy builds coffins by waldorph (Star Trek AOS)

The absolutely incredible premise of this fic is that the Star Trek movies with Chris Pine are the origin story of the mirror universe in Star Trek TOS. It makes way too much sense, when you think about the militarism of Starfleet in AOS, and how that mirrors (ha!) the heightened militarism of the mirror universe in TOS.

Animorphs Alternate Ending [part 1, part 2] by Jennifer Lott (Animorphs)

A classic Animorphs fic written in the early 2000s hosted on its own website, now cross-posted to Wattpad. Animorphs is a mixed bag when it comes to disability. It has amazing disabled characters, but they all get cured or killed. In this fic, the disabled auxiliary Animorphs learn that Jake means to sacrifice them for the greater good, and they refuse to put themselves on the chopping block.

The Battle of Songhu by azn-jack-fiend (Doctor Who)

This fic subtly criticizes the British triumphalism of Doctor Who by setting the classic two-parter The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances in 1937 Shanghai instead of London. In the canon episode, the Doctor is able to reassure the unfortunate Nancy that despite the hardship of the Blitz, Britain will triumph. In the Sino-Japanese War, though, the Doctor can give no such comfort to a Shanghainese woman. What’s a Doctor to do in a country being devastated by imperialism instead of a country committing imperialism?

my last thought a fever dream by menswear (Ender’s Game)

lol so what if we dunked on the massively homophobic Orson Scott Card by making Valentine a real human woman and making the homoerotic subtext between Ender and Alai into text. a related genre: any and all fics where Harry Potter is trans now.

What the Water Gave Me by iesika (Hannibal)

I have not seen Hannibal or read any fic, but when I asked my friends about fanti fic, my friend haygahr recommended this as a fic that critiques the show by engaging on a real level with the kinds of murders that happen most often in real life, and their devasting consequences, rather than treating murder as a plot device or aesthetic.

Changes of Perspective by Sixthlight (Rivers of London)

I have loved the Rivers of London book series for years, but had to quit it last year because my ACAB levels had reached critical and I could no longer engage with books valorizing cops. Luckily, I still have this, the ACAB AU of Rivers of London where the Folly is full of awful oppressive magic cops, and Peter Grant and his friends are the magical resistance.

The Realms of the Immortals by nirejseki (Tortall)

Daine hated Stormwings for their monstrous nature, and killed her share of them. Canon pushed back on Daine’s prejudices to some extent, especially via the character of Rikash, but it never really went far enough to depict Stormwings as people, just like dragons and griffins and all the other Immortals who are less stinky and off-putting to humans. I love this fic for bringing all Stormwings, not just Rikash, to full color as a culture worthy of respect.

What We Pretend We Can’t See by gyzym [text, podfic] (Harry Potter)

This is an “epilogue? what epilogue?” Harry Potter fic that straight up takes potshots at the epilogue. In this fic, Harry tried to be with Ginny, tried to be an Auror, and neither of these things has worked out, and his years of trauma and abuse aren’t something he can easily shake off. I love the meta bit where Malfoy learns that Dumbledore was gay all along and is positively outraged that he didn’t come out as an example to the queer youth of Hogwarts. Yeah, JKR, why didn’t he? Huh? Is it because you’re a ‘phobe? Yes it is!

[ayuuria]

Inuyasha Translation: Animage Magazine February 2010 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

This was a translation request from @officialinuyasha. This article was published back when “Inuyasha the Final Act” was still airing.

Proof of the Successor

Tenseiga was a sword that was cut off from Tessaiga along with Meidōzangetsuha. Then is Inuyasha worthy of wielding the Tessaiga? Sesshōmaru has finally gone into serious mode. The unprecedented brother showdown is about to begin!

Sesshōmaru in “Inuyasha The Final Act” gave off the impression that he developed a compassionate heart in comparison to before. Not only did he have a soft gaze when he attended Kagura’s death but he also put himself at risk to save Rin who fell into the underworld.

However, on the one hand, he continued to hold a heart that stoically yearned for insatiable power. The one offensive technique that Tenseiga, “The sword of healing”, obtained: “Meidōzangetsuha”. At first, it could only open a small meidō in the shape of a crescent moon, but after several ordeals, it matures to the point that it can open a gigantic meidō close to the shape of a circle. All of this came about from Sesshōmaru’s ability.

However, no matter how much of a powerful sword Tenseiga becomes, Sesshōmaru was unable to throw away his obsession with Tessaiga. It was then that he learned through his battle with Shishinki that Tenseiga was a sword that was cut off from Tessaiga. Did his father give him Tessaiga’s unneeded aspect? Sesshōmaru, whose pride has been hurt, purposely goes along with Naraku’s trap.

Inuyasha vs Sesshōmaru. The not so long-ago clash between the brothers over Tessaiga is about to begin. Who is the rightful successor!?

Brothers with the Same Father

A full-fledged demon and half-demon but the two resemble each other somehow.

While they both have the same father, there’s a big difference in ability and thought process towards humans between Sesshōmaru, a full-fledged demon, and Inuyasha, a half-demon with a human mother. Inuyasha previously loved Kikyō and desperately protects Kagome. Sesshōmaru on the other hand, had no interest in humans. However, Rin’s existence has brought about change within his heart. Just as his mother said, did Sesshōmaru perhaps inherit his attachment to humans from his father?

A Strengthened Tessaiga

From numerous past battles, Tessaiga has become the most powerful weapon.

Tessaiga was originally a fang of Inuyasha’s greater demon father. Tōtōsai forged it into a sword and it became Inuyasha’s weapon. Afterwards, Inuyasha mastered various techniques such as the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave, and Adamant Barrage. In addition, Tessaiga has the ability to transform itself as well as becoming the barrier breaking red Tessaiga and the demon vortex cutting dragon-scaled Tessaiga. Furthermore, from the clash with Sesshōmaru, Tessaiga will climb to new heights.

Tessaiga and Tenseiga

The powerful weapon Tessaiga and the dead reviving Tenseiga

Inuyasha’s father entrusted him with Tessaiga. Meanwhile, Sesshōmaru was entrusted with “Tenseiga”, a sword that can revive the dead. Sesshōmaru exasperates dissatisfaction with Tenseiga as it cannot be used in battle. However, from obtaining Meidōzangetsuha, Tenseiga has become a powerful weapon. Sesshōmaru raised Tensaiga from only being able to open a small, crescent moon shaped meidō at the beginning, to being able to open a gigantic meidō in the shape of a near circle. However…

The Truth Behind Meidōzangetsuha

In order to strengthen Tessiaga, father used Sesshōmaru and Tenseiga?

Meidōzangetsuha was technique that their father stole from Shishinki. According to Shishinki, their father did not know what to do with Meidōzangetsuha and thus had Tenseiga created in order to cast it off of Tessaiga. Perhaps their father entrusted Sesshōmaru with Tenseiga in order to complete Meidōzangetsuha which a half-demon like Inuyasha couldn’t handle and then have (the technique) entrusted to Inuyasha someday? This gave birth to doubt within Sesshōmaru.

Naraku’s Trap

While realizing it is a trap set up by Naraku, Sesshōmaru purposely goes along with it.

Through Shishinki’s words, Sesshōmaru’s attachment to Tessaiga strengthened. There was no way Naraku would overlook the movement in his heart. The mirror fragment that Kanna (who died) left behind. While it was only a small piece, it did not lose the ability to take and duplicate an enemy’s technique. Sesshōmaru, who receives the fragment from Byakuya of the Mirage, puts it on Tenseiga while knowing it’s one of Naraku’s traps and challenges Inuyasha to a battle.

The Role of Sesshōmaru, Narita Ken

— Episode 15 “The Rightful Successor” depicts a fierce battle with Inuyasha. What were your thoughts when you enacted (that episode)?

Narita: I felt very tense through the whole thing and it was as though the content was reminding me of the movie. (translator’s note: He’s referring to the 3rd Inuyasha movie, Swords of the Honorable Ruler)

— Sesshōmaru says to Inuyasha “Show me Inuyasha. Proof that you are Tessaiga’s successor and not I.” and commences battle with him. Narita-san, how do you comprehend his feelings towards his father regarding Tenseiga and his anger towards Inuyasha?

Narita: I believe all of it is hatred. Only one with power should have a perfect sword. I think that natural thought is the sole source of his anger towards Inuyasha.

— In episode 15, do you think Sesshōmaru was truly trying to kill Inuyasha? Or was he merely testing him?

Narita: I believe it was both. Those without power die. There is no love or sympathy in that.

— In a previous conversation with Yamaguchi-san, he stated that Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru are jealous of each other. Having acted in “The Final Act” up to the midway point, how do you once again perceive Sesshōmaru’s relationship to Inuyasha?

Narita: I think there was jealousy at the beginning. However now, it’s not something that petty but rather, who’s stronger.  I think it’s this single point.

— Sesshōmaru relinquishes Meidōzangetsuha. What do you think this will bring about for him?

Narita: Growth. More strength.

— I would like to ask regarding the two in Sesshōmaru’s team. What sort of feelings do you think Sesshōmaru has for Rin?

Narita: A part within his heart. Like a nostalgic part that he lacks.

— In episode 9, Sesshōmaru saved Rin who had fallen into the underworld. In that episode, which scene left an impression on you?

Narita: The last scene where Sesshōmaru says, “You’re alright now”

— In addition, in episode 9, Sesshōmaru’s mother appears. What is your impression of her? What do you think mother and son have in common and what in way are they different?

Narita: That coldness. Indifference. She also had a comical aspect which I did not expect.

— Regarding the fussy Jaken, what do you think is the reason Sesshōmaru moves with him despite everything?

Narita: I think it’s because it can’t be helped. Like someday he might be useful for something.

— Jaken has a lot of funny lines. If there is a line that left a lasting impression on you, please tell us.

Narita: There’s so many that I can’t say just one.

— The amount of people that Sesshōmaru has connections with is gradually increasing. What sort of growth do you think he will achieve going foward?

Narita: I wish that Sesshōmaru himself never changes. I want him to maintain his sublime aloofness.

— In addition to giving the fans a message, please tell us how you will prepare to act Sesshōmaru in the second half of the series.

Narita: Thank you for always supporting me. In my mind, he has not changed. Any sort of love or kindness has nothing to do with his solitary world. Even if he becomes able to understand the hearts of humans, his heart will never be like the others. Please continue to watch over us.

Our Beloved Lord Sesshōmaru!?

From the point of view of Inuyasha’s party, Sesshōmaru is unsociable and completely does his own thing. But to Jaken and Rin, his existence is precious. Here we have a special feature regarding the two’s “love” for Lord Sesshōmaru!

The very powerful Lord Sesshōmaru. Why someone like him who has lived his life without relying on anyone, purposely moving together with Jaken and Rin? If you were to say it, I think it’s because the two of them are very cute. At first glance, Jaken is a middle-aged small demon with an underhanded personality that makes unnecessary comments and lies. However, you truly cannot hate that sense of restlessness. Rin, on the other hand, is a genuinely cute girl. Sesshōmaru listens to their arguments without the slightest change of expression but in reality, could he perhaps be biting down that amusement in his heart?

Finally, the best part about the two of them is their overflowing “love” for Lord Sesshōmaru. Sesshōmaru is of the strongest class within the “Inuyasha” world but when you see the two of them getting close to him, you can’t help but think the 3 of them are having fun in spite of it all.

Character Bios

Sesshōmaru As an aloof existence, Sesshōmaru has lived his life as he pleases. However, the existence of Tessaiga and Tensaiga leads his heart astray. And now to the brother’s showdown!

Jaken A small demon who serves as Sesshōmaru’s servant. While he makes blatant lies, he’s an existence that one can’t hate. He does not intend to lose to anyone when it comes to loyalty to Lord Sesshōmaru.

Rin A girl who lost her life after being attacked by man-eating wolves but was revived by Sesshōmaru’s “Healing Tenseiga”. Innocent and cheerful, she bares a carefree personality. Her special trait is her severe jabs at Jaken’s remarks.

The One in Charge of Reactions

The extremely cool Sesshōmaru does not break his facial expression easily, no matter what kind of enemy appears or what the enemy says to him. It is there that Jaken fulfills that important role. It is when Jaken is surprised and talks back to the enemy that the (conversational) exchange between Sesshōmaru’s party and the enemy begins to proceed. In other words, Jaken is in charge of reactions within Sesshōmaru’s party. There are times where he unintentionally goes overboard though…

The Life That Was Saved Twice

In episode 9, Rin is kidnapped and taken into the underworld. Sesshōmaru struggles hard to save Rin but Tenseiga can only revive a person once. Without the aid of Sesshōmaru’s mother, Rin would have remained dead. Sesshōmaru looks at Rin softly as she slowly opens her eyes. It was a scene that made you wonder what Sesshōmaru would do when Rin grows up.

You See, the Greatest Combination Within “Inuyasha” is the Silliness and Jabs of Jaken x Rin.

Jaken makes exaggerated and underhanded remarks and Rin jabs at them. There are some periodic gags that are sharp within “Inuyasha the Final Act” but the combination of these two is superb. For example, in episode 3

Jaken “Lord Sesshōmaru’s heart is perfect!”

Rin “He’s strong and kind~”

Jaken *teary eyed* “I don’t know anything about kindness.”

After that, there’s episode 14 that made the voice actor for Jaken, Chō-san, roar with laughter.

Jaken “I’m included with the small people?”

Rin “Master Jaken, you’re small in a lot of ways. Your height, heart, and personality.”

I wonder which dialogue between Jaken x Rin made all of you laugh the most?

The Role of Jaken, Chō

— Episode 15 “The Rightful Successor” depicts a fierce battle between Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru. How was the recording?

Chō: It was terrific. Especially Inuyasha’s yelling as there was a high amount of enthusiasm.

— Jaken appears to be the spokesperson for Sesshōmaru’s emotions (sometimes he gets it wrong though). What sort of feelings do you think he has towards Sesshōmaru?

Chō: Love itself. There’s something there that’s not just a master-servant relationship.

— Jaken has many humorous lines but having acted up to episode 15, which scene left an impression on you?

Chō: I love his reaction when Rin told him “Master Jaken, your personality and heart are small”

— There is silliness and jabs with Rin and they make a good combo. What is your impression of the dialogues with Noto-san? What is the fun part about acting?

Chō: Rin makes some pretty sadistic jabs. Jaken, who’s a masochist, is surprisingly happy with them.

— Jaken sometimes makes obvious lies. It is a refreshing level of falsehood but why does he do that?

Chō: He’s childish.

— What do you think is Jaken’s happiness?

Chō: Lord Sesshōmaru’s happiness.

— In addition to giving the fans a message, please tell us how you will prepare to act Jaken in the second half of the series.

Chō: I will play around while focusing!

The Role of Rin, Noto Mamiko

— Episode 15 “The Rightful Successor” depicts a fierce battle between Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru. How was the recording?

Noto: It had quite a tense feeling, and it pulled me deeper into the story.

— In episode 9, Rin fell into the underworld and was saved by Sesshōmaru. How did you feel seeing Sesshōmaru doing his utmost at the time?

Noto: I once again felt that Rin was truly precious to Sesshōmaru.

— Among the Rin scenes up to episode 15, which one left an impression on you?

Noto: I like the scene in episode 9 where after she’s saved by Sesshōmaru and opens her eyes, she says “Lord Sesshōmaru……” with a feeling of relief. There are a lot of other impressionable scenes so it’s hard to narrow it down (laughs).

— There is silliness and jabs with Jaken and they make a good combo. What is your impression of the dialogues with Chō-san? What is the fun part about acting?

Noto: Chō-san’s Jaken is the best!! Just the fact that I can dialogue with him makes me happy! Rin is quite harsh so acting that part is fun (laughs).

— What sort of feelings do you think Rin has for Sesshōmaru? Also, if Rin becomes an adult as is, how do you think those feelings will change?

Noto: It might be a little different from family, but I think she considers him as someone who is irreplaceably precious. When she becomes an adult…… I can’t really imagine it (laughs). It would be wonderful if she comes to (romantically) love him (laughs). However, I have a feeling (her feelings) won’t change. With Rin as she is now.

— What do you think is Rin’s happiness?

Noto: I think it’s being together with Sesshōmaru and Jaken.

— In addition to giving the fans a message, please tell us how you will prepare to act Rin in the second half of the series.

Noto: “Inuyasha the Final Act” is a truly passionate drama!!!! I plan to act with everything I’ve got alongside everyone until the end so please treat me well!!

[paper-n-ashes]

sparks and embers - chapter 6

Characters: Poe Dameron x Original Female Character, Kylo Ren x Original Female Character

Story Tags: Explicit (18+), Canon Compliant/Divergent (Set after TLJ), First Person POV, Love Triangle, Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Porn with Plot, Hurt/Comfort, Kylo Ren hates Poe Dameron 

Chapter 6 - Ruin

Words: 5.9k

Chapter Tags/Warnings: Mentions of war/death, kissing, a healthy dose of the ‘sharing a bed’ trope, ANGST, sexual education because who doesn’t want to read about that in fanfiction, vague description of a female medical procedure

Read on AO3 or Start from the beginning

~

A softened sigh left me, knowing it was probably time to let Poe say his piece. He’d been so silent until now that I felt compelled to hear what had been stirring inside his mind while I’d held him in quiet contempt.

“Alright. I’m listening.”

He flicked on one of the dimmed lamps next to the bed, a gentle glow illuminating the room, watching as he proceeded to carefully extricate himself from under the sheets, the soreness as a result of the rehab we’d performed today now evident in his concentrated expression.

I drew myself up into a seated position on the sofa as he made his way to sit on the small table at my front, not attempting to meet my eyes until he’d slowly placed himself down on the metal. His face was less than a meter from mine, pupils drifting upwards until finally, our stares locked.

“I’m sorry,” he declared, his words heavy. “I understand why you’re angry. I get it, okay? Years of battle after battle, fight after fight, it becomes difficult to consider those working under the First Order’s control as people. People with families, loved ones, even children. They appear as targets, there simply to be eliminated. And it’s you or them. Either you perish, or you put the rational thought into the back of your mind and fight back.”

Poe glanced down, fixated to the floor, his jaw tight. “I do think about it sometimes, the people I’ve... murdered. I’ve spent sleepless nights wondering if killing in the name of freedom was a good enough reason to send people to an early death. When you don’t see their faces it’s…. easier. You don’t see the bloodshed, the corpses. You just see the fiery explosion of their ships fading into the black void of space.”

I stayed rigid in the sofa, hands clutching the into cushions. It was difficult to hold down the simmer of anger that boiled in my stomach, since everything so far only reinforced what I felt like I’d determined hours ago. Even while my demeanour remained stormy, Poe continued.

“All I heard in my childhood was my father reminding me of the way he and my mother fought for what they believed to be right. Both of them lived and battled through a time like ours, under the thumb of a regime hungry for power, sparing no innocents in their pursuit of it.” He became lost in memory, the aura drifting around him stained with a subtle sorrow. “‘People were hurting. People were suffering. Your father and I couldn’t sit and do nothing.’ That’s what my mother had told me, a child of two, as her reasoning for joining the Alliance in their efforts to push back against what threatened all type of freedom in this galaxy. My parents offered to sacrifice their lives on the tiniest shred of hope that me, and every other being on every planet, would see peace in their lifetime.”

His eyes finally shifted back to focus on mine. They were determined, yet soft, the chocolate fibers of his irises melting together. “I just... wanted to be like her. Like them. I wanted to do what they did. I wanted them to be proud of me, to have faith that their legacy would live on after they were gone. To provide freedom and peace like they had. Even if that meant sacrificing my own life, even if that meant killing those who opposed it. I had to. I had to join the people that wanted the same thing as me.”

A growing ferocity began to radiate, his voice severe. “I witnessed so many of my fellow soldiers, my friends, die thoughtlessly at the hands of others. And I wanted them to feel the same pain that I felt. Is it hypocritical? Of course, I know that. Is it cruel? Yes, murder is rarely not. But it's in the name of protection, defiance against control from an overpowering force. Those who fight with the First Order, who take over planets and kill innocents for the sake of power, they know what they’re doing. They know the consequences, the outcome, the hold the galaxy will be strangled under if they succeed. And they do it anyway. Our cause isn’t more noble, it’s self-defence. We’re trying to protect the ones who aren’t able to fight back, and those who don’t deserve to be born into a world that will crush them into submission.”

Poe’s features turned darker, leaning in close. “I will never stop thinking about the lives I’ve taken. I will never not hold myself accountable for the sins I’ve committed. But I will also not sit and do nothing. I don’t need you to accept it, but at least try to understand. You and I want the same thing, in the end, to save as many people as possible in our short lifetime. I’m just doing the best I can to see that through.”

While I instinctively took a breath in preparation to speak, nothing came. He’d rendered me speechless.

I had no reply to give, no counterargument, no flaw to point out. His honesty floored me, raw emotion and long-felt guilt rising up for me to observe so openly. The pain behind his eyes seemed so much more acute than any of the other injuries he’d sustained, not trying to shield it from my view as he spoke.

I tried to find words, anything to articulate my forgiveness. Because I did understand. He’d made me see it, the same anguish over death that I felt. But he’d also made me realise what a coward I was.

Against the people who would kill him or control him, he fought back. While I hid myself away under the guise of selflessness.

I thought I was the hero of my story, giving up my home, my old life, for the benefit of the downtrodden people of this planet. In reality, I was a scared little girl, too gutless to push back against those I, and so many others in this galaxy, feared. And here Poe was, putting himself in harm’s way, every day, in the hopes that he could take away our fear forever.  

He began to rise in front of me, taking my lack of reply as an answer in itself. He seemed despondent, his face sullen as he turned to limp back to the bed.

A different kind of fury coursed through me, fury at myself for how easily I’d judged him, at how cruelly I’d treated him.

I couldn’t let the night end this way.

I picked myself up from the sofa and quickly lunged at his wrist, pulling him to face me. He was surprised, glancing with wide eyes to where my hand had caught him, then to my face. I tried desperately to convey it there, everything I wanted to say, struggling to find my voice. Poe waited for me to speak the words I clearly had sitting on the edge of my tongue, but everything I conjured didn’t seem to be enough, the jumbled thoughts swirling incoherently in my mind, never letting me quite grasp onto them long enough to form exactly what I needed to express.

Tension filled the space between us, thick and overwhelming. I soon began outlining the lines of his face, the crease currently stuck in his brow, the curve of his nose, the contour of his jaw, the arch of his lips.

My hands found themselves catching each side of his face, pulling his mouth to mine in a desperate kiss.

I’d held it back for so long, too long, now unable to deny the burning urge to melt my lips into his. He was alarmed at first, his mouth frozen from movement as he comprehended my sudden attack.

Yet quickly he was syncing his lips fluidly with mine, a hand rising to clutch the back of my neck, pulling me closer. His casted arm curled around my waist, pressing my body into his, feeling the heat radiating off his chest.

The fire in my lower abdomen roared into bright red flames again, spreading into the rest of my body like molten lava. He tasted even better than I’d imagined, our tongues beginning to find each other through parted mouths. Fingers moved into his hair, hungrily grasping at the curled strands, causing a low moan to seep from his throat. The sound made me even more forceful in my need for his lips to be connected with mine, barely having time to breathe in-between our eager kisses.

I wanted to have him, all of him, so deeply it was painful, the searing burn lighting up in my veins.

Don’t do this Alexys. It will ruin you.

My breath hitched as I reluctantly pulled away, looking up, seeing his pupils swollen. He was cautious then, moving his hand from my neck to push a strand of hair behind my ear, almost if at any moment I would flee from his embrace.

And that’s what half of me was begging to do, the other screaming at me to lock our lips together again. I felt split into two, a cracking beginning to divide me roughly in the middle.

I could see Poe searching through my gaze, trying to assess my thoughts, whether it was safe to continue. He leaned in gradually, testing my reaction. I didn’t recoil this time. I didn’t want to.

His lips melted into mine, less insistent than before, although somehow just as intimate. Inhibitions lowered, my hands slid down to his chest, noticing the hard muscles underneath my palms and feeling the fire inside me surge. I wanted to feel the bare skin underneath, to have it pressed against my own. To explore the other parts of him covered by clothes. To forget even for a short time that this was wrong, that I shouldn’t be doing this.

Poe gently withdrew, leaning his forehead into mine. “I know.”

“Know what?”

He exhaled a long breath. “I know you don’t want to do this.”

I replaced my hands to his cheeks. “You have no idea how much I want this. How much I want you.” The truth of the words made me feel both vulnerable and safe, for the first time giving in to the yearning I’d hoped to keep locked inside my chest.

He tensed, a slight tremble in the arm that curved around my body. But his face grew sombre, almost... sad. “You don’t. Not completely. I can feel you wanting to hold back,” he murmured. “I can feel your fear.”

I swallowed hard, unable to refute him. “…I’m sorry. I want to. But I just… I can’t."

We both looked down, my confirmation making the tone of our connection shift. He was silent for what felt like a long time, and we stayed motionless in our embrace, neither wanting it to end, knowing it was inevitable that we would have to part.

“Why?” he breathed. “Why are you afraid?”

I wanted to be honest with him, like he had been for me, so much the sensation felt like it was clawing out from inside me, determined to burst through the skin. But there was a barrier there, one I had forged long ago. Unyielding and impenetrable to anything or anyone.

Although, I felt another realisation simmer to the surface of my mind, one that was not nearly as exposing, but still true.

“You’re going to leave. And I have to stay here. I don’t… I don’t want that to hurt any more than it has to.”

It seemed to hit him then, like he hadn’t let the thought enter his mind before. The awareness of our predicament shone brightly in his eyes, a light switch flickering on.

His hand moved to my cheek, grazing his thumb softly against the skin, my heart throbbing inside its cage at his light touch. I watched as eyes scanned over my face, back and forth, as if memorising the features. It was then I knew he’d come to the same conclusion.

It wouldn’t be long before we would part, most likely to never see each other again. If we went any further, if we crossed that line, the pain of saying goodbye would become so much more unbearable.

Almost simultaneously, we let our hold on each other loosen, the disappointment in the air almost palatable on my tongue. The smouldering inside had burnt out, suffocated by the gloom weighing heavy in my chest. Poe took my hand in his, his eyes pleading. “Can I ask one thing of you?’

I moved my head in a slow nod.

“Sleep in this bed with me tonight. Just sleep. I promise.” It was an earnest request, his face imploring and unguarded.

In contempt of the voice in my head bellowing at me that this was a terrible idea, I agreed. “Okay.”

Together we tentatively walked to each side of the mattress, making no rush to slip under the covers and settle into the pillows. I faced away, fearing if I looked at Poe's charming face any longer, I would surrender to the pull of desire that never seemed to relent. I didn’t know how I was ever going to be able to fall asleep like this, his body radiating an energy that vibrated into the space between us, keeping me all too aware of his presence.

There was movement, a dip in the mattress, Poe’s arms curling around my torso, pulling me close. His face buried itself into my hair, the warmth of his gradual exhale sending charged shivers down my spine. Placing my arms over his, silently accepting his embrace, I felt my heart thump a calming glow through my chest, all the way to the end of my limbs.

I’d never felt so peaceful, so whole, becoming lost in the comfort of his hold, wishing I could bask in it forever.

But reality bit at me, cold and uninvited, reminding me of the goodbye I would have to give soon enough.

*

We were still entangled when consciousness came again, the dim light of early sunrise leaking through my window. Poe’s arms circled around me, my body fitting perfectly into his.

He was still asleep, his face resting just at the back of my head, slow breaths bristling into my hair. I relished the feeling of it all, trying to commit it to my memory.

I stayed there, motionless, waiting for time to run out, knowing I would be chasing the feeling of this in the months, maybe years, to come. Thinking about his future absence made me terrifyingly lonely, even with his arms wrapped around now.

Eventually the seconds ticked down to my chronometer alarm buzzing, rustling Poe awake from his slumber. I assumed he would begin to move, pulling away, this one night that bonded us together finally ending. Yet he stayed as unmoving as I had been, the only indication he had awoken the increased depth of his inhale, a small tense of his muscles. I went to move, to switch the screeching sound off, but he clutched me back into his chest, squeezing tight.

As much as my heart thumped at the pressure of his hips into mine, the noise of my alarm was grating. “Let me turn it off,” I whispered. “I’ll come right back.”

Poe loosened his grip reluctantly, allowing me to reach over to the screeching machine and mute its sound. I settled back comfortably into his arms again, as he nuzzled his face into my neck, lips faintly placing a kiss on the skin.

“Poe… please… don’t…”

His sigh whistled past my neck. “Come with me, when I leave.”

It annoyed me, his fleeting demand so easily spoken. As if I could suddenly give up all that encompassed my life before he appeared, the beings that depended on me. But his voice was so sincere, so entreating in the early morning, that the irritation dashed away from the forefront of my mind.

“You know I can’t do that.”

He acknowledged my answer in the shift of his body from around me, moving himself out of the bed we had shared for the night and leaving me alone underneath the sheets.

It burned, the unprecedented disconnection of his shape from mine, my chest forming into a black hole in the realisation I might never feel him that close again.

I wanted to let my emotion to take over, to give in to the pain that rushed to me now as the finality of our night cradled together became evident. But I refused to release it, my resolve from the night before holding strong. I knew I’d made it harder by giving in to Poe's innocent plea of sharing a slumber within his embrace, but I wasn’t going to let our farewell completely ruin me.

With a forced composure, I rose from my bedside, focusing on the appointments scheduled to fill my day. Through my haze I recalled many of them being young female patients in need of birth control. I would somehow have to shut Poe away, wanting to give these women the privacy they deserved.

*

Poe and I appeared to use the ‘freshers at the same time, the searing heat I usually liked being showered with restrained no matter how high I pushed the temperature button. Eventually I’d readied myself for the workday ahead, deciding on a pencil skirt and lightened blue blouse tucked into the waist, working my hair into a ponytail.

It was when I’d begun making breakfast, for both myself and all the company that I kept in the clinic at the moment, that Poe emerged back into my quarters in a set of dark black hospital clothes. I glanced at him only briefly as he entered, hearing him pull out a chair, not daring to look at his face yet.

“Smells good,” he uttered, breaking the silence that existed in exemption to the sautéed chicken eggs and nuna bacon sizzling in the large pan in front of me.

“It’s almost ready,” I remarked, feeling completely the disconnection between us in his tone. Half of me was glad he accepted the separation we needed to make, the other mourning the severed bond we had formed in the connection of our bodies. But I had to let it go, whatever was left of the fragile link that survived the night.

I continued preparing the hot meal, separating the foodstuff between Poe and Vixur’s crew. Once I’d gently placed a share in front of Poe at the table, a smile meeting him fleetingly, I took the rest with me, balancing the four dishes on my hands and forearms, moving cautiously through the hallway.

With impeccable timing Vixur and his students were conversing between each other, obviously having woken just before I came to greet them.

“I’ve got breakfast for you all,” I announced, setting it down at the meeting table across from my computer. It was generally used as a place I could sit with patients and their families when giving them their diagnosis or explaining treatment plans, but today it would have to work as a secondary dining table. All four men jabbered back thankyous as they moved quickly to sit and eat, their appreciation evident in the way they gulped down the meal without hesitation. I returned to my quarters to find Poe picking lazily at his food, only a few bites eaten.

“Does it taste bad?” I asked from behind him, before circling to my seat at the table.

He looked up swiftly, as if I’d startled him. He must have been deeply lost in thought not to hear me treading down the hallway.

“It’s delicious,” he urged. “I’m just… not that hungry.”

“Are you feeling alright? Are you still sore? Are you-“

“Alex, I’m fine,” he interrupted. “You can’t fix a bad mood with any of your treatments.”

I looked at him curiously. “Bad mood?”

Did I do that to him?

“Did you not sleep well?”

He didn’t answer me right away, a subtle scowl settling in his lips. “It was actually... the most restful sleep I’ve had in a long time.”

I fought the urge to beam at him, a smile waiting to form, but the gloomy expression he wore held it down. I had to agree with him - it truly was the most comfortable rest I’d experienced in recent memory. And knowing I would never feel that peaceful, dreamless slumber in his arms again made me fully understand why he was frowning.

“Thank you so much for the meal Alex. I just... don’t have an appetite right now.” Poe rose from his seat and took his plate to clean, his sombre mood spilling into my body and taking over. Wringing his hands dry, He turned back to me. “Is it still alright if I keep using your office to continue working on BB-8?”

I nodded. “It would actually be preferable. Most of my patients today are women, and I need privacy for their appointments. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out, okay?”

Poe understood what I’d only hinted at. “Sure thing. I won’t step a foot out that room without your permission.”

A kind smile formed on his lips, but it fell as he moved from my quarters, leaving me to my breakfast, which now seemed extremely unappetizing.

*

“Well, Kaia, you’ve got a couple of options,” I started. It was my 5th appointment of the day, and I was starting to lose all hope in the young generation that followed mine. “You can get the implant, which lasts 5 years and protects you from pregnancy. But it can be a painful procedure, and unfortunately the implant itself is quite expensive. There are injections which last 3 months, but you’ll have to see me again in that time frame. I know that’s hard for you being from the South village. But there’s always prophylactics, which your partner has to use, every separate time you want to be intimate.”

Kaia was a 17-year-old human girl who had obviously not been taught any helpful sex education. Although, that wasn’t uncommon in these villages.

“But, like,” she began to question. “Can’t he just, like, not, um, finish in there?”

I drew in a deep breath. This wasn’t the first time I’d explained this today. “Technically yes, if he withdraws from you before that moment comes, it does lessen the chance of pregnancy. But Kaia, there’s a lot of fluid already leaking from him before then, fluid that can contain sperm. It doesn’t protect you. Not fully.”

Kaia was thoughtful, taking in my words. “But what if he doesn’t want to use the sheath?”

“Well... that’s his decision. But then you have to make yours. A decision that you’re more than allowed to make. One night could lead to either a future of motherhood or even diseases that could cause a great deal of damage to your body.”

“Ew,” Kaia recoiled. “I mean, I get what you’re saying. But Miss Jago, haven’t you ever been so swept up in the moment that you didn’t think about any of that?”

My jaw clenched, catching me off guard with her question. None of the other women had posed it to me. “It’s not been an issue for me,” I said flatly.

“Because of the birth control, right?” she surmised. “Which one do you use then?”

Oof, caught me out again.

“I don’t have the need for it. Kaia, this is not about me-”

“Wait, what?” she gasped. “But you’re so pretty?”

I soaked my voice in its professional tone. “This is your appointment Kaia, we’re not here to discuss my personal life.”

Kaia refused to comply. “But you’ve done it, right?”

I sighed, irritated. “Yes Kaia, but we took all the necessary precautions.”

“Well that doesn’t make it sound very fun,” Kaia huffed.

I tried desperately to hold back the aversion wanting to show on my face. It hadn’t been fun. It was clunky, awkward and somewhat painful. And I felt a spike of envy that this teenager already seemed to have had better experience with the opposite sex than I did.

“Look, your options are there. If I had to choose one, and I was with a partner I could trust had nothing that could spread to me, I’d go with the implant.”

She contemplated my advice, pulling her hands up to let her chin rest on them. “I think you’re right Miss Jago. But my parents would never help me pay for it.”

“That’s alright,” I replied, already knowing the home situation Kaia found herself in. She’d made the trek to my clinic alone, without her parent’s knowledge, just to see me for this single reason. I doubted they even knew she had a boyfriend. “How about I put the implant in today, and we figure out payment later?”

Kaia’s face lit up, eyes brimming with delight. “Really?”

I smiled at her and nodded.

“Thank you!” she squealed, face barely containing her excitement.

Really, this was for both her benefit and my own. I wasn’t about to face her parents when it would ultimately be me providing the news their daughter was pregnant. I didn’t want Kaia to go through that, a young pregnancy in a poor village after her parents would most likely cast her out.

“Remember I said this can be a painful procedure, and you’ll be sore for a day or two afterwards.”

Kaia nodded, understanding, yet unable to hold back her joy.

*

I worked my way through the process of setting her implant, my mind on autopilot while I thought more about the question Kaia innocently queried. I’d never come close to the type of desire that would have caused me to throw away all caution and rational thought. Not until-

“Hey Alex!” I heard from the other side of the curtain I’d drawn for Kaia’s discretion. “I know I said I wouldn’t come out until you said, but I’ve got something I need to show you.”

Poe’s voice was exuberant and proud, annoyingly unaware of the fact I had my hand in a very delicate place. My eyes shot to Kaia’s, her cheeks already flushing red with mortification.

“Poe!” I fumed, not hiding my anger. “I asked you to do one thing!”

I sensed his panic from behind the fabric separating us. “Kriff! Sorry!” His voice changed when he spoke next, a hurried whisper. “BB, come back here! We can’t show her yet!”

A streaming mechanical movement could be heard in my periphery, turning my head to see a shadow moving along the bottom of the curtain. I took the moment to stop what I was doing, covering Kaia with a sheet.

I was thankful I did that when the BB-8 droid slip through a break in the drape, caring little for what Poe had ordered him to do. His little head sat hovering above his balled body, for the first time actually staying in position. The photoreceptor, which looked like a singular eye, was also finally lit as he zoomed closer. While an impressed smirk started to beam as I realised Poe had managed to get his little friend working, it was rapidly overtaken by irritation at the droid’s lack of courtesy.

Poe was cursing under his breath, then apologetic. “Alex and uh, patient, I am so sorry. BB, get out of there!” BB-8 let out a few indiscernible beeps, a language I didn’t understand, although Poe seemed to. “I don’t care! They need privacy. You can see her later!” he hollered.

The droid made what sounded like a high-pitched huff as its head dropped, like it knew it had been scolded. Its head swivelled around on top it’s body and rolled away, again sliding through the break in the curtain.

“Come on, back this way.” I listened to the combination of footsteps and mechanical whirring move back into the hallway, a door eventually clicking closed. Looking apologetically back to Kaia, her face was still stunned at the intrusion.

“I am so sorry. I told him to stay put until my appointments were over. It’s okay if you want to stop for a moment,” I offered, trying to stay as calm as possible.

Kaia blinked purposefully a few times before being able to focus back to me. “No it’s okay. I’m ready.”

I admired her composure, while I remained silently boiling under the surface.

*

“What the hell Poe?” I snarled, barging into my office where Poe sat, seemingly interrupting a conversation he was having with BB-8. I’d clawed my anger into submission for the rest of Kaia’s appointment, but now it was ready to surge outward.

Poe stood, arms held up in surrender. “I know! I’m sorry! I didn’t think, and it was just really bad timing.” BB-8 beeped in what sounded like agreeance, rolling around from behind the office desk into my view.

“It was the worst timing!” I snapped. “That girl was 17, in a very vulnerable position, and you scared the living daylights out of her!”

“I know, and I can’t apologise enough Alex, really!” His face was pleading, brown eyes soft yet desperate. “I was just so excited about BB working again, and I wanted to show you.”

His sincerity disarmed me, my fury sizzling down, suffocated by his apology. I took a slow breath in, eyes closed, reigning it in further. “Please don’t disregard my instructions again,” I grumbled.

He nodded, as did BB-8, and my eyes focused on the droid. He was oddly cute in his appearance, his small beeps already annoyingly adorable. “Hello,” I greeted, all frustration now clean from my voice. “My name is Alexys.” I kneeled down to his eye level and he immediately wheeled directly in front of me, beeping somewhat of his own introduction.

“He said it’s nice to meet you,” Poe clarified, still hesitant at the easy change in my mood.

I looked up at him, curious. “You can understand those sounds he makes?”

“Most of it,” Poe answered. “It’s a form of Binary. Having him with me for so long helped me grow accustomed to the pitch and time changes in his beeps.”

My eyebrows rose, fascinated. “That’s so impressive.” BB-8 squealed in uneven time, his eye looking over to Poe, who almost looked bashful. “What? What did he say?”

He shot BB-8 an irritated look before meeting his eyes to mine. “It’s nothing important. His circuits are still a little fried.”

I wasn’t convinced, but then again I didn’t speak droid. "I'm glad you got him working,” I said earnestly, pleased there hadn’t been any type of casualty from his crash.

Poe sighed, relieved. “Me too. He’s the best co-pilot I’ve ever had.”

BB-8 whistled happily, evidently pleased with the praise, and its sweetness made me smile.

“Alexys?” Vixur suddenly called, his voice echoing down the hall. “Are you back there?”

I left Poe and BB-8 without a word, finding Vixur standing at the hallway entrance, his clothes smeared in dirt and dark grease. “Everything okay?”

Vixur nodded, evidently tired, still an accomplished grin filled his face. “We’re done actually. The comm-tower’s fixed.”

I wanted to smile back, to show my appreciation for his hard work, but it all became too hard to fake anymore.

This was it, the beginning of my goodbye to Poe. He would now be able to contact the Resistance, his friends, and he would soon be gone from my life just as suddenly as he arrived.

I forced the tears back as I hugged Vixur, doing all I could to hide my pain and show some kind of gratitude for the selfless work he had done.

Somehow Vixur sensed the turmoil simmering through me, patting my back softly. He pulled out of our embrace, speaking softly enough so Poe wouldn’t hear. “You needed this done for him, didn’t you?”

I nodded, the sadness hard to contain on my face. Vixur’s own expression was sympathetic as he squeezed my arm reassuringly. I didn’t need to explain anything, he just seemed to know.

“If it’s meant to be, you’ll find each other again.”

I drew in a long breath, furiously smothering the need to cry. I wanted to thank him more, for giving his time to me for little in return, but I couldn’t say the words out of fear the sudden sorrow would overwhelm me if I spoke out loud.

Vixur understood this, giving me a caring smile as he took his leave. “Well, we best be heading back to the village. I’ll see you sometime soon Alex. If I don’t, I wish you luck.”

And he was gone, the clinic door closing behind him, leaving me frozen in dread. A large part of me was reluctant to tell Poe the ‘good news’, but he’d waited long enough for his rescue from this planet.

I didn’t need to turn around to know he’d slinked out of the office to find me stuck where I stood, BB-8’s soft whirring following him.

“The comm-tower is ready, isn’t it?” Poe asked gently.

I forced myself to smile as I turned around, Poe’s expression not showing the relief I would have expected.

“Sure is,” I replied, the hint of quiver in my voice. “You can finally go home.”

I saw Poe’s lip tremble as he too attempted a smile, the disappointment in his eyes more indicative of his actual reaction to my answer.

Neither of us spoke for a long time, BB-8 looking back and forth quizzically, a few unsure beeps finally pierced in Poe’s direction. The sounds knocked us back into reality, as I moved to find the transmitter I’d stashed back into my tech station after determining its redundancy days ago.

The memories felt foreign, like they were from a different age. So little time had changed me so much, making me feel the most unstable and fragile I had felt in so long, on the verge of tipping into an overwhelming pain.

Poe had watched me in silence, unmoving. I eventually shifted the transmitter into his arms, an extremely aged, large box with an array of dusty buttons poking out of the rusted metal.

“It’s old, but it still works,” I insisted in a monotone, the emotion sucked from my voice. Poe only nodded, and gave me one last despairing glance as he turned away, carrying the machine into the study, BB-8 trailing behind him.

When the door closed, I couldn’t hold onto it any longer, the overpowering misery bursting free, its icy presence consuming me in a singular moment, the cold burn stinging as a few tears trickled down my cheeks.

What did I tell you?

The tears came faster at the sound of the voice, it’s condescension only making the suffering more excruciating.

No.

You’re wrong. I’m stronger than this.

I wiped away the errant tears defiantly, pulling myself together at the seams that had broken a few minutes ago, calming my breathing, trying to settle the trembling on inhale.

I’d made it through so much worse, pushed past crushing loneliness, fear and sadness, to make myself more resilient than I was behaving now. And I wasn’t going to let myself be caught in this vortex of emotion any longer.

I will not let this ruin me. 

~

Next Chapter

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[croren]

Thank you @aniqua for tagging me!

*These are not in a specific order*

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐓𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐬

1. 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆

One of the most interesting characters in the series. The books makes you hate him, but the movies make you see that he is a product of his father's creation that he has been molding him into. Very eye-opening. I mourn for him specifically during the 6 movie, truly makes you see that he was just a kid.

2. 𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑜𝑛 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝑪 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆

Okay, I was obsessed with him when I was younger and now it's all coming back. I just think he's so pretty and so adorable and he has a great personality. The fics I've been reading of him over this past week (because I forgot that was a thing for other characters lol) are so so so good, like oh my god. I just want this man all to myself. I will sell my soul for him, no questions asked. And man does he look good in his Nightwing suit 👀. Will be posting more of him and the batfam soon because I love them. God, writing this out made me realize why and how much I adore him. Help, I need CPR. The way I almost want a Selina and Bruce relationship with him. I will be the villian to your hero 😏. Okay but also, he's my top man right now, just putting that out there. He has stolen #1 for now. He's such a sweetheart, I need him to live, I will never be able to express how much I love him.

3. 𝐷𝑟𝑢𝑖𝑔 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝑪𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆

What can I say, I like guys who are sarcastic and basically dislike everyone except their girlfriend. I like a lot of Marvel characters, but he wedged his way into my heart. The sarcastic comments makes me want to hit him and kiss him at the same time. I love a man who is broody, but also has a soft side.

4. 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑘𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑧𝑜𝑣𝑎 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆

Man do I love a villian and he takes the cake. He's tall, dark, and handsome as hell. Checks all the boxes. His character is very interesting and enjoyable to me. Like, expanding the Fold is bad and it's going to hurt a lot of people, but I can also see some of his reasoning behind it. Many Grisha had suffered and died and he wants their suffering to end. I love a deep character.

5. 𝐾𝑦𝑙𝑜 𝑅𝑒𝑛 | 𝐵𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑜 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆

One of my favorite characters of all time. Basically Aleksander, but in the Star Wars universe. His character is so complex and easily one of the most compelling. Ben Solo deserves better and I really hope they bring him back. I love the man to death, so what if he is a "villian"?

6. 𝑀𝑟. 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑦 . . . 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒆

He's basically me. I've always wanted to be like Elizabeth, but who am I kidding, I'm Mr. Darcy. He's just so socially awkward and would rather sit in a dark corner looking at a wall than interact with people. I'm with you Darcy, I truly am. He's definetely a guy who respects women and would treat his significant other like a queen.

7. 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑛 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

He's kind. He's intelligent. He's brave. He's Ben Barnes . . . again. Yes, I know. Ben on the list twice? I cannot, and will not for that matter, stop. I love him. Caspian is a great ruler and an even better friend.

8. 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

I love his character and his stuggle to comprehend what's right and what's not and whether we need to realize that sometimes the things we are taught are not always going to be right. Very disappointing that they killed him off, he was a great character.

9. 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑚 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 . . . 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔

His inner struggle of who he is makes me so sad for him. He's gone through so much and deserves the world. I wish the show continued, I loved watching him and how he dealt with his father along with his health. Who doesn't like a murder detective show? Can I also give him a long and overdue hug please?

10. 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 ( 𝑖 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 )

• Harry Potter . . . the Wizarding World Universe

• Sirius Black . . . the Wizarding World Universe

• Peter Parker (Andrew) . . . the Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Moon Knight . . . the Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Billy Russo . . . the Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Matt Murdock . . . the Marvel Cinematic Universe

• Jason Todd . . . the DC Universe

• Tim Drake . . . the DC Universe