#i often think of all those places i spent so much of my time growing up
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
taldigi · 3 days ago
Note
how do you feel about yu’s parents?? What do you think they’re like?
I think they're really interesting to explore- believe it or not. I've seen a lot of different interpretations of his parents, ranging from straight up negligent, to being abusive-- or just simply too busy. I've even seen interpretations where they're perfectly fine parents, and that the year abroad is an unusual circumstance.
The game itself, which is what I would consider primary canon (sequels being secondary and manga and anime being tertiary) never touches on it more than it needs to to justify Yu's presence in Inaba/being new. I think Yu's mother is briefly mentioned once or twice and they are said to have called Dojima once.
I made the observation (previously when theorizing about Ren's parents) that it's completely possible that during the downtime that you don't get to see between transition stages (where, theoretically, the main protagonists would do homework or take a shower or tend to other daily needs) it's totally possible that they call or interact with their parents.
All interpretations are possible, but I know Souji Seta's (the protagonist from the Manga) parents are always moving around- and lot of folks have taken this to heart- and yeah, I can see it and I too like this idea- even though it's worth considering the fact that the manga is mostly secondary to the games (and even the anime!) and it's not definite canon.
That being said, I definitely like the idea that they are a sort of echo of the conflict between Nanako and Dojima. Both suggest career oriented people that probably shouldn't have had a kid in the first place who prioritize their work over their family.. and that, in turn, leading to neglect- with Yu and Nanako both being self sufficient. mature for their ages, and complacent.
Behaviors Yu exhibits- like his ability to cook meals beyond what is expected of a teenage boy, becoming incredibly attached to Nanako (he is one wrong dialog choice away from killing someone over her!) and Inaba, the insatiable need to people please, his initial desire to push people away or ignore others, and his otherworldly emotional control and ability to not express himself.. -is stuff like that echos of a kid who's had to grow up way too fast and not cause any trouble and keep to himself.
So personally, I subscribe to that concept: Yu's a kid who's been raised to be seen, not heard- developing complexes and anxieties over being praised for being responsible and mature even though he's only barely meeting that expectation by the skin of his teeth. Nothing less that being perfect for the Narukamis, after all- there's no time to make friends or have many interests when time is better spent on studying.
So... the Narukamis are parents who fufill those concepts. Parents who withhold attention and praise because those are things reserved for truly impressive successes.. and when exemplary is the expected baseline, such rewards are never actually acted upon.
Yu does have a taste in cooking, though- and a selection of music he likes. He doodles in his notes and reads magazines- I feel it expresses that while his parents don't police his interests, it also means that they really care much about their son's interests... as long as they don't interfere with work (and, by extension- Yu's grades or behavior, as he can be considered an asset in said jobs)
Jobs that leave them busy more often than not, leaving Yu alone.. but he's mature for his age, so it's okay. He prolly does a fried egg and toast and then goes and sits in front of the TV to do his homework. Yu seeing this in Nanako... is a lot, and makes their relationship that much more sweet and aajhksdkjasf
His parent's cruelty is best decided on a story by story basis. The level of willfulness in their work (genuinely needed often vs choosing work over family for example) or the level of regret they express upon leaving-- informing many interesting stories.
so yeah thats my thoughts on that.
Tumblr media
side tangent, thats why souyo's so nice tbh. Yu always has to be the inconquerable senpai, the perfect big brother, noble leader, and everyone's rock- only to have Yosuke waltz up , hang off of him like a drunk girlfriend, and go "yeah he's amazing, but he's also the world's weirdest man and he's my best friend about it."
65 notes · View notes
strawbebbiesart · 7 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
201km 🏘️💕🚌
41 notes · View notes
l1tw1ck · 10 months ago
Note
dean winchester consumes my mind LAWDDD I beg for anything with that man, surviving off of scraps looking for more top male reader x dean 🤕
- 🛸
Tumblr media Tumblr media
No Longer a Mentor
Sub!Bottom Dean Winchester x Top!Male Reader
☆ Word Count: 1,512 ☆
After spending his young adult years with you, his mentor, more than his father, Dean found himself falling for you. He eventually made a move and forever changed the dynamic of your relationship
Tumblr media
🕯️: well luckily for u, i just finished this draft :3
CW: Age Gap, First Time Bottoming, Blowjob, Fingering, Frottage (Sort Of), Creampie
Tumblr media
Dean’s known you for a couple years, you're a friend of his dad’s and a fellow hunter. You became his mentor in place of his father, who often hunted on his own and left Dean in your care. You liked to stay in your state since the area was basically a supernatural magnet while his father preferred to travel the country so he chose you to finally allow Dean to stay in one place for more than a week. If you were anybody else, Dean would've been annoyed that his dad didn't take him along despite his age and experience. Instead of going to college, Dean spent those years learning to hunt with his father and mostly you. Thanks to all the time you spend with each other, his allegiance to you is almost stronger than his allegiance to his father. He hangs on your every word and treats you like a god. It's thanks to you that he finally accepted his bisexuality. But he doesn't want to tell you that.
He first started feeling differently towards you when you started to become more physical with him. You often hold onto his shoulder with your strong hand or pull him out of the way by his waist and it drives him crazy. He so desperately wants to feel your hands on other parts of his body and vice versa. Your voice makes him weak in the knees and you sound especially attractive when you've found your prey. You're much older than him but he can't get rid of his feelings for you. He tries his best to be content with just having a crush.
After you two had dinner, you decided to drink with him. The two of you laughed and talked over a few cans of beer and deepened your relationship further.
“You ever been in a relationship, [Name]?” Dean asks, slightly tipsy.
“A few. I mostly slept around in my college years and experimented a bit with other hunters but in the end I decided to marry my job instead.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to marry someone I could tell everything to so I tried dating within my circle but none of the hunters seemed to click with me in the ways that really matter.”
“That makes sense…then you probably haven't…” He trails off.
“I probably haven't what?”
“Had sex…lately……”
You laugh. “No, I haven't. Honestly, I think getting laid would really help me. It's been a rough couple weeks.”
“I…” Dean gulps. “I could help with that….if you don't mind…….being with a guy..”
You look at him in surprise. “You're drunk.”
“I’ve only had two cans and a half…You know I don't get drunk that fast.”
You look at him differently, no longer with the eyes of a mentor. “You’ll bottom?”
Dean nods.
You smile in amusement. “I might be a little rough, can you handle that?”
He nods again, more enthusiastically this time.
“Come here.” You motion for him to come over to your side of the table. He stands in front of you. “Kneel.” You order. Dean immediately kneels, his cock steadily growing in size. You unbuckle your belt and pull down your underwear. Dean stares at your cock in awe, body heating up as he watches you jerk it to its true size.
“Fuck. You’re big.” He breathes out.
“Too big?”
“I can handle it.” He says, licking his lips.
“Attaboy.” You run your hands through his hair. Dean blushes. “Ever done this before?”
“Never..” His eyes are trained on your length.
“Is this your first time with a man?”
“Yeah…”
Your gaze changes. Dean shivers in arousal. “How long have you wanted this?”
“A long time…I’ve been…fingering myself, in case we….” He looks away.
You grin, turned on by the thought of that. “You'll have to show me that some day.”
Dean’s face gets redder.
“Now, let me see how you suck cock.”
He's so hard right now. He opens his mouth and slowly swallows your length. He makes a dragged out moan in pleasure as he feels your thickness enter him. Pre cum leaks out of his cock as he imagines how it’ll feel in his ass. He bobs his head up and down enthusiastically, mimicking his past girlfriends by simultaneously swirling his tongue around your shaft.
“Fuck–” You moan. “That's it– good boy.”
Words can't express how happy Dean gets when you praise him.
“You're better at this than I expected, baby.” You smile at his cuteness. He can't hide how pleased he is. “You like sucking dick, don't you? I never thought you’d be a cock slut, Dean.”
He moans. He’ll happily be your cock slut. He pulls away and licks your length in a very sexy way, gaining more confidence thanks to his elevated horniess. “I love your cock, sir.”
“Of course, you’re my cock slut.” You press your hand against his cheek. “Stand up and take your clothes off, I wanna use your other hole.”
Dean’s cock throbs even more. He stands up and quickly removes his clothes, shivering under your hungry and lustful gaze. You pat your lap and he quickly sits on top of you, your shafts pressed against each other.
You grope his ass. “I don’t have any lube..” You trail off, mesmerized by his soft butt.
“I already fingered myself earlier.” He smiles.
“Good boy.” You praise him. “Then spit’ll be enough. Say ‘ah’.” You bring two fingers into Dean’s mouth. He sucks on your fingers in the sluttiest way he can before you take them out and gently push one of your saliva covered fingers inside his soft hole. You give him a moment before adding the second, then you start to finger him.
Dean lets out the prettiest moan you’ve ever heard. “[Name]~” He arches his back and subconsciously thrusts his hips, his cock rubbing against yours. “Your- yours feel so- fuck~” He groans. “So much better!”
You moan as well thanks to the sudden friction. You bring him into a sloppy kiss, the temperature between the two of you steadily rising. Dean pulls away first, more desperate for air, and presses his forehead against your shoulder. “Don't stop– mm- gonna come~” He whimpers. Your fingers find his prostate, an immediate gasp of pleasure leaving Dean’s lips. He throws his head back. “There! Yes!” He moans, grinding against your cock even faster. The combination of his moans, his expression, and his cock against yours all contribute to bringing you to closer your orgasm.
Dean comes first, cum splattering over the two of you. Yours comes second thanks to the amazing look on Dean’s face.
“You're so fucking sexy, Dean, you know that?” You take your fingers out and knead his ass.
“I know.” He gives you a kiss. “I want you inside me.”
You lift Dean up and slowly lower him down on your cock. You both let out noises of pleasure as you penetrate him. He bites down on his lip, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his ass stretching to accommodate your girth. Once you bottom out, you give him time to get used to it. “Your cunt feels fucking amazing.” You groan. It's hard to hold yourself back but thankfully for you, Dean has no intention of waiting any longer. He places his hands on your shoulders and starts riding you. He quickly loses his momentum as the pleasure begins to overwhelm him. You help him out by grabbing his waist and doing the work for him, allowing Dean to fully enjoy himself.
He knew anal sex would feel good, especially because it's anal sex with you, but he never really had an idea of how good it’d feel until now. Now he's completely blissed out and only able to moan like a slut. It's especially thanks to your quick and rough speed that he's unable to think properly. You couldn't get yourself to go slower even if you tried. His ass just feels way too good.
“Your ass is perfect, Dean–” You groan. “So fucking good-” You hold him and stand up then gently place him on the table after clearing it of the empty cans. You rut into him like a monster, so horny that you feel like you could fuck him all night. You can never get enough of him.
Dean arches his back and shakes as ropes of cum spurt out of his dick. You know you should stop, or at least slow down, but you can't. “‘M sorry baby, fuck–” You moan, hanging your head low as you find your orgasm approaching. “‘M gonna come inside, okay? Gonna fill up your tight fucking cunt with my seed–”
Dean’s conscious enough to understand you. “Ye- yes!” He grins. He's been wanting to know what it feels like to get creampied. “Co- come inside!”
Encouraged by his words, you spill your cum into his warm and welcoming hole. Your thrusts come to a stop and the two of you start to catch your breaths.
“That…was so fucking good.” Dean says, leaning back.
Tumblr media
1K notes · View notes
littlerequiem · 4 months ago
Text
we mourned the sea ˚⁎⁺ chapter 1
Tumblr media
> Crossposted on AO3
Levi hasn't seen you in a year, and he wonders how you will find him. Changed, perhaps. Lost, definitely. Or: After the war, you and Levi learn to live in this new world.
𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 - Levi Ackerman / Female Reader (Attack on Titan)
𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 - Rated Explicit (18+). Post-Canon, Post-War, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic, Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn, Explicit Content, Mutual Pining, Grumpy/Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Flashbacks, Grief/Mourning, Chronic Pain, Panic Attack, Depression, Ambulatory Wheelchair Use, Switch Levi (WC: 6.7k)
( Next chapter / WMTS' Masterlist )
-
The first time you see Levi, whispered-about-thug and recently-enlisted Scout, you think he doesn’t seem as scary as everyone paints him to be. Sure, he has a hell of a glare, but that’s not the thing that sticks out.
No, what is most striking is the loneliness.
How alone he looks, shadows like bruises under his eyes.
.
.
.
Levi is lost.
He’s not lost in the physical sense, of course.
Levi very well knows where he is. He has repeated these words to doctors so many times he’s starting to sound like a broken record: My name is Levi Ackerman. I come from Paradis Island. I live in Marley.
No, Levi isn't lost physically.
Rather, Levi is lost in the ways often described in novels. Those cheap-thrill books Erwin liked to read so much, the kind that ensured suspense and chest-clutching moments. Usually, it involved a character going on a journey and finding the thing they lost.
“It’s all a metaphor, you see?” Erwin once pointed out.
But Levi did not see the point of metaphors back then, and he certainly doesn’t get it now.
Levi was a soldier for most of his life: so that he could aid the fight against titans, so that Erwin’s vision to help humanity could come true, so that Hange would not be alone in shouldering the weight of it all, so that the world would not crumble under Eren’s actions.
Now, three years after the Battle of Heaven and Earth, his body is changed, and his mind… well, that's the thing that’s lost, isn’t it? He’s still sane, he knows that, but… there's ways he feels himself slipping.
The first two years after the Rumbling were by far the hardest. There was so much to rebuild, so much to do. Levi spent most of his time in makeshift hospitals and infirmary tents. Refugees all around. People who had lost everything, who were in search of a new home, but who lacked the means to do so (Levi never thought he’d have to witness the sight of starving children all over again).
And then, one day, a new start.
Onyankopon was the one who discovered Mare a year ago. He told Levi that it would be the perfect place to retire from his soldiering days. "Mare," Onyankopon said, "is the town where sky meets the sea."
Levi isn’t sure what to make of that idiom; there’s no such thing as a place where sky and sea connect. Another metaphor, perhaps—another thing that flies right above his head.
But he decided to take Onyankopon's proposal there and then. Levi had been idle for far too long, and there was still fire in him, a will to push on.
To keep going, just as he had in the past.
A month later, Levi moved into his new home.
His one-story cottage is located by the edge of town, overlooking a cliff that descends into sandy shores. It is far enough from the crowds, just the way Levi likes it, while still remaining close to all necessities—just ten minutes away from Onyankopon's home.
Aside from that, everything else is just… strangely ordinary.
Because Levi now has a roof over his head. He has a garden, where he grows herbs. A patio, where he watches sunsets. He gets money from Marley for his so-called war accomplishments (accomplishments is a strange word for murder, he thinks). He sees doctors, all kinds of doctors—specialists that didn't exist back on Paradis.
What keeps him going through it all are his routines. Levi has always been a creature of habit, and that much hasn't changed in his new life.
There’s tea, for one. Despite all the special blends available here in Marley, Levi still prefers the tea he drank back in the Underground, made from cheap black tea leaves—over-extracted, with no added sugar. Piss water, Kenny used to call it, and maybe the old geezer had a point. The tea is bitter to its core, much too strong for anyone to stomach (“I’m going to be on the shitter for days after this,” Hange once declared after trying it.). And yet, Levi likes it this way. 
There’s his knife, the one Kenny gave him decades ago. Levi still keeps it in his boot or tucked under his pillow. He doesn’t hold it out of sentimentality per say; Levi just doesn’t see the point of throwing it away.
As for other patterns in his life, Levi likes to keep busy. Levi sees his doctor on a weekly basis. He works part-time at the local carpentry shop. He tries to improve his body on a daily basis, even when his mind fights him against it. His leg hurts some days; it’s at its worst when it rains. Over the last year, Levi's regained some of his mobility, enough that he can sometimes walk using a cane when his legs aren't too stiff, though most days, he uses a wheelchair. It frustrates him, sometimes, his reduced range of mobility—he misses pushing his body to the limit—but the physiotherapist ensures him that he is just where he needs to be. He feels coddled, and that annoys him.
Then, there are the people in his life. Scarce as they are, they are all that is left of his past and Levi clings onto scraps of conversation where he can find them.
Most of the brats of the 104th are living their own lives. Levi is relieved to see that. When the war ended, he worried that they would linger too much, but they never did. They moved on.
Falco and Gabi, rowdy kids they are, travel from Liberio to see him. They tell him how Falco is taking flying lessons, how Gabi is part of a youth association that’s going to make Marley a better place.
Onyankopon is another familiar face—a talkative one at that. Every time the man stops by Levi's house, he brings something new to show Levi. Sometimes, it feels like Onyankopon is on a personal mission to get Levi up to speed with the new world. Coffee, typewriters, vinyl players… there doesn’t seem to be a thing Onyankopon doesn’t want to show him.
All these machines are met with a somewhat lukewarm reception on Levi’s part.
All except one.
Because if there's one invention Levi is inclined to think is useful, even if a part of him equally loathes it, it's the telephone. Onyankopon was ecstatic about it, and his enthusiasm eventually rubbed off on him too. It's not that Levi likes to use it—the sound waves, the grated voices… they remind him of the sound of planes and machines, of war and guns, and that gets his heart palpating to the point where he sweats (because Levi’s learned that with his growing age, his body sweats faster than ever before, so much so that Levi sometimes has to wash twice a day).
But the first time Levi hears a familiar sound—your voice—on the receiving end of the telephone, his breath stops. His clammy fingers tighten around the phone, and he glances at Onyankopon, who only gives him a thumbs up in response, two dimples appearing on his lifted cheeks.
Levi decides then that the telephone might not be so bad after all.
“Levi,” your distorted voice sounds from the other side. “Can you hear me?”
At first, Levi doesn’t know what to say. He’s seen phones, of course; he remembers Hange using them to communicate with Zeke and the Azumito clan. But he never thought he’d use them personally, and that makes his brain go blank.
“Shit, I think I lost you,” you say, the sound of crumbled papers resonating across the line, “Jean, I think the tele-thing you gave me isn’t working properly. Can you—”
“Hey.” Levi’s voice bleeds into the machine, rough like sandpaper. “I can hear you.”
“Oh, good, I thought I wasn’t using this correctly. Gee, isn’t this just unbelievable? Onyankopon promised me he’d work to set up a phone line in your house, I’m so glad it worked! I know these things are costly but, you know, at least we get to talk, even if it’s brief. Of course, I’ll still write you letters on top of that! And hey—Levi, are you still with me?”
“Yeah, dumbass. You’re the one going on a monologue.”
“I’m just excited! Can you blame me? I haven’t heard your voice in… a long time.”
Levi’s heart jolts in his chest, clinging to the fact that you’re excited to hear him, but mourning the time passed since he last heard your voice. He’s all aware of how long it’s been (347 days, by his account).
“I can’t wait to see you next month,” you add in a lower voice, as if you were trying to whisper into the phone, words only meant for him to hear. “I’ve… missed you, 'Vi.”
Levi’s throat feels thick when he hears your familiar nickname for him. His mind buzzes with words, words he has long thought about, words he wishes he could tell you.
I’ve missed you too. I want to see you again. Please come back to me.
All things he thinks to himself, but doesn’t say out loud.
Instead, he manages a breathy, “Mhm,” because more feels impossible right now, especially with Onkyankopon so close by.
“How are the brats doing?” Levi asks instead.
“Oh, they’re good! Armin cut his hair recently. He looks like a blonde mini-you or err… I suppose he’s taller than you now.” If you were standing by his side, Levi would definitely have glared at you. But you chuckle, oblivious to his souring mood. “Guess he always did admire you a lot; I think he’s learned a thing or two from your leadership style.”
“That so?”
“Yeah, he’s cool. Doesn’t glare at everything that moves like you, though.”
Levi clicks his tongue. “Still haven’t lost your shitty sense of humor, I see.”
“Hey, you always found me funny.”
“I never laughed.”
“But you always found me funny—I could always tell.”
“Delusional thinking can get you a long way.”
“Anyway.” You huff with an indignant tone. “Aside from that, Reiner and Connie have changed a lot too! Reiner is still pining over Historia…”
“Disgusting. She’s a married woman.”
“Yeah… weird, right? I keep telling him to move on, he’s got so much going for him now. But he’s hopeless like that, they all are. Besides that… well, Jean grew his hair! Think he’s secretly trying to impress someone. He’s applying pomade and everything.”
He hears the sound of muffled protest, “I am not, Doc,” blending with your sentence. It is followed by your hearty laugh as you seemingly tell Jean to scram.
“That aside, they’re all good. Growing into real adults, you know? It feels like yesterday I was doing their first medical checks... just stupid teenagers. Your old Levi squad, huh?”
The second Levi squad, he wants to correct.
“Yeah, sounds like they’re still a real handful,” Levi mutters.
You chuckle. A comfortable silence follows, one that reminds of old times—you and him sitting in front of the fireplace; him reading his reports, you drawing. The cracking of the phone lines almost sounds like splitting logs now, and Levi feels warmth spread from his lower belly to his torso.
He hears your breath through the phone, like you were leaning closer. “Hey, so… less than a month, yeah? You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“I told you already, didn’t I?”
“Because if it’s too much, you can still say no.”
“Adler, I promised I’d take care of you all, and that’s gonna be the case until I’m buried below ground.”
“Don’t speak like that, Levi! It’s morbid.” Levi hears the sound of your laughter again. He wonders if your eyelids are crinkling, the way they always do when you laugh too loudly. “But, hey, thanks. I really appreciate your help, you know.”
“Yeah.”
“I wonder what it is like, your new life.”
“S’nothing special.”
“Sounds to me like you’re still selling yourself short.”
“And sounds like you’re still talking nonsense.”
After a year of not seeing each other, you are finally coming back to Marley.
You are finally coming back to him.
Levi wonders what you will think of all the ways he’s lost.
.
.
.
Section Commander Erwin Smith seeks you out in the infirmary one day. He tells you that there’s a wound he wants you to check, one he supposedly got during the last expedition.
“I have the new recruit’s file with me. You might have seen him around,” Erwin says as you inspect the wound. "His name is Levi."
In lieu of a response, you give him a nod, not thinking much of this observation. This is probably just trivial small talk. 
You should have known better. Erwin Smith isn't known for triviality.  
“I’d like for you to keep an eye on him.”  
You pause at Erwin's words, eyes shifting away from the stitches. “What do you mean by that, sir?” 
Erwin leans back in his chair. His gaze is clear. “Presently, Levi is flighty and hot-headed. He’s just lost his friends. He refuses to get a medical check. As it stands, this won’t work—I need to know that his condition is stable to place him on my squad. I need him operational.”
“With all due respect, most of these duties you’ve listed fall outside my medical jurisdiction.”
“I know.”
You raise a brow. Erwin shoots you an eyeless smile. You finish the stitch. Erwin pulls his hand back, admiring your work, and shifts his focus back on you.
Waiting on your answer.
“I’ll... I'll see what I can do, sir,” you finally say. 
Erwin stands, interlinking his arms to the back. “I should tell you he’s from the Underground. Will that be a problem?”
“No, sir…" You rise to your feet as well. "Though, knowing this, permission to speak my mind?”
“Please.”
“May I ask what’s so… special about him? If rumors are to be believed, you went through quite the trouble to get him.”
“I didn’t think you listened to gossip, Dr Adler.”
“I don’t. But if that wound on your hand speaks for the labors of your efforts… well, I think I have cause to worry.”
A low hum vibrates out of him. “What’s so special about Levi, you ask?” Something lights up across Erwin’s face. The intensity of the pendulum swinging his way. “Why, I believe Levi can alter the fate of humanity.”
.
.
.
Today is the day.
The morning shines brightly over the little town of Mare, an endless cerulean that speaks of summer and new beginnings. The sun peaks over the horizon, lingering where the sky meets the sea, a ripple of lavender and peach glimmering over the reflection of the water.
At this time of the day, the wind is at its strongest, a breeze that blows the long strands of grass to one side. Beyond the valleys, there's footsteps dotted across white beaches, only to be ushered out of existence as the waves roll in.
Mare. This little town was nothing but fire and dust three years ago. Today, everything has changed. Houses have been rebuilt, trees replanted, and life has begun sprouting again.
Levi wonders what you will make of it.
He spent the first hours of the day cleaning his house from floor to ceiling—a painful undertaking. The cleaning material stings his bad eye; the positions he has to adopt to clean makes his leg hurt. But cleaning has always helped to ground him, and that much hasn’t changed here.
Luckily, he wasn't alone in his task.
“Yo, Levi! You ready?” Onyankopon calls out. The man came early to help Levi get the house ready, and he's now driving Levi to the train station.
“Yeah.”
Levi grabs his favorite cane, an elegant stick made of thick wood from up north. For the occasion, he’s wearing his nicest navy suit, silver cuff-links, and a matching hat—a gift from you, something you bought him the day the Survey Corps first set foot in Marley. You thought it suited him and Levi’s inclined to agree: he doesn’t look half-bad.
The drive to the train station is uneventful and quiet. Onyankopon asks him if he is nervous, which Levi denies. He's not nervous, not really. He just needs silence to gather his thoughts.
After a year of not seeing each other, he wonders how you will find him. Changed, perhaps. Lost, definitely.
Will you be happy to see him?
It’s ridiculous, really, all this uncertainty. In all his years as a captain, Levi never stopped to linger on hesitations, on regrets. No matter what it was—grief, rough expeditions, political coups—he trusted his comrades, he trusted Erwin. Levi trusted himself.
That it would be you, now of all times, who makes him this agitated, seems a strange twist of fate. Perhaps it is his growing age that has turned him into a sentimental fool, perhaps it is the knowledge that it is you, perhaps it’s because Levi doesn’t quite know what to make of the uncertainty... but Levi feels restless.
It took Levi by surprise, your letter. Three months ago to the day. Can I stay with you, Levi? you'd written. Just for a little while, until I figure out what it is I want to do next.
You were gone for a year, helping the Alliance become delegates of peace. Now, Armin and the rest are ambassadors, and Levi no longer needs you letters—he gets to read all about their exploits in the newspaper.
And yet, you never stopped writing to him. Levi's glad of that.  
Following all of this, it was decided: of course you could stay with him. Yes, he would help you. When it came to you, there was little Levi wasn’t prepared to do.
And so, with Falco’s and Gabi’s help, he made sure everything was well-suited for your arrival. He purchased a bed, a night table, and a wardrobe. He built you a desk, with the help of his boss at work. All of it was arranged into the spare room in his house.
Levi remembers Gabi teasing him. “Is she your sweetheart, Mr Levi?”
Levi had just finished hanging a mirror on the wall when she said this; he scowled at the teenager. “No.”
“S’just, it’s an awful lot for an old comrade.”
“Shut up, nosy kid.”
But Gabi raised a point. What were you to him, exactly?
Levi doesn’t know the answer to that question, not exactly. He considers all the people he’s cared about in his life, and he still falls short in finding the right word to describe what you are. He cares for you, that much he knows—he’s cared for you for a long time. It isn’t the same care that he feels when he thinks of his mother, of Isabel, of Furlan, but it’s just as deep. Love, some might call it, but Levi has seldom witnessed it, so he doesn’t know what to make of his feelings.
He supposes if he had to label what the two of you are, it’s connected. Remnants of an old system, a memory of a past when all that mattered was reclaiming the Walls. Two survivors who carry the legacy of those who sacrificed themselves for the cause.
Not that defining it truly matters. Levi’s long accepted his role as the one to carry the torch. He has found stability and peace this way.
Only, Levi wants more for you, even if it means being far away from him.
Yes, it will have to mean being far from him, won’t it? He’s too lost for it to be any other way. He knows that. And yet, it doesn’t stop that tiny wisp of something he sometimes feels in his heart at the thought of you—like air, it fills his lungs, begging to be ignited (if you would choose him, he thinks it might).
But Levi’s life was always that of water, and he knows he will drown you if you come too close, like everyone else he has cared about.
.
.
.
You glance at the injury on his forearm, gushing red. Those damn cadets, ganging up on the new recruit. Erwin’s gamble won’t pay off if everyone else is hostile to his new prodigy.
“Hey. It’s Levi, right?”
Levi’s gaze flickers to yours and you realize it's the first time you're up close to him. His eyes are striking. Freezing gray, like pale moonlight.
“Who the hell are you?” he mutters with a deep baritone.
You give him your full name. “But I actually prefer to be called by my last name, Adler, if you don't mind.” His face stays blank. You sigh. “Listen, Levi, I don’t want to butt into your private affairs... But I just came to tell you this: any injuries you sustain from now on, come to me directly, alright?”
"Please. Those cowards were outclassed. They only landed a hit 'cause they played dirty."
"Even so. Don't let that deter you from seeking help; it's important to take care of injuries before they worsen." A pause, one where you weigh each thought carefully. "That said, you also have my word. Those cadets will be punished for what they did to you."
“Yeah, whatever.” Levi glances at your hands for some reason— transfixed by the way you press on his wound with a clean cloth. “So, what are you, some kind of doctor? You heal people?”
Your lips tug into a half-smile. “I certainly try.”
.
.
.
The train groans as it comes to a stop. Levi knows you dislike trains; even on Paradis, when Hizuru helped to install train tracks across the island, you  blanched at the idea of riding in one.
So Levi isn’t too surprised to see you step out of the train carriage on wobbly feet, your face a little grayer than he remembers it to be. He takes a step forward, walking into the smoke hissing from the train, avoiding the throngs of travelers passing by. He removes his hat, just to make it easier for you to recognize him.
As soon as you do, your expression lifts.
That smile.
Levi could see your smile for the rest of his life and never tire of it. He hasn’t seen it in a long time, and it tugs at his heart, like a bird flapping its wings.
That you choose to run towards him—your travel bag swinging against your hip, arms dangling by your sides—is no great surprise. If there is something he knows about you, it is your never ending supply of excitement. It makes him want to smile back, but his mouth slightly parts instead.
“Levi,” is the first word that greets him, that swirls through the air and fills his lungs. You seem to catch yourself just a breath away from him, rooted to the spot in front of him. You dip your head down, coy amusement on your features. “It’s really you.”
Levi swallows loudly. He can hear his heartbeat climbing to his head, and he wonders if you somehow can hear it too.
“Your hair has grown,” you say. In the last month, Levi's only kept up his undercut; the top is getting longer now. He knows he should get a haircut, but he's experimenting letting it grow. “It looks good… it suits you.”
The coil in Levi’s stomach tightens. He shields his expression by tilting his head and placing his hat back on his head. 
“Hey, um…” 
“Just spit it out, Adler.”
His peripheral catches a crooked smile. “Would it be alright if…if I hugged you?”
Oh.
That certainly isn’t what Levi expected you to ask. No, he expected many things just not... that.
In his stupor, Levi can't think of the right words to say to you, so he manages a nod instead.
(He’s grateful you ask before you touch him—you always ask.)
And unlike your earlier display of excitement, full of frenetic energy, your hands treat him with more care. They interlace gently around his back. Levi feels his chest lock as your fragrance sweeps across his brain. The scent can only be described as one thing... Home. Levi grows stiff, not knowing what to do with his hands, so he just lets them dangle along his body. You stay put just for a few seconds longer, and when you break apart, there’s something akin to relief on your face.
(Relief for what, he doesn't know.)
Your hands briefly linger on his forearms. “Just needed to do that. My brain can’t make sense of the fact that you’re really standing in front of me. Like you’re not a figment of my imagination, you know?”
Levi’s gut reaction is to glance down. He doesn’t want to see all the ways you inspect him, all the ways he falls short of the portrait you have of him.
His face hardens and he takes a step back, sheltering himself. “C’mon, we’ve been standing here long enough.”
“Alright,” you answer in a tone that’s no less bubbly than before. “Show me home.”
As you walk in tandem, away from the train tracks, Onyankopon comes to greet you. He envelops you into a hug where he lifts you off your feet. You chuckle, patting his shoulders, and when Onyankopon’s eyes find Levi’s, there’s a glint in them that Levi swears is speaking volumes of Onyankopon’s thoughts.
A look that seems to indicate: Should’ve kissed her, you damn fool.
Levi promptly ignores that look. Instead, he sets his glare in an altogether different direction.
The walk back towards the car is painful and slow. Levi tries not to let it show, but coming with his cane instead of his wheelchair really was not his brightest idea. He grits his teeth, trying to ignore the throbbing sensation shooting up in his leg; his knuckles turn white the more he leans on his cane.
You take notice.
“Is your leg hurting?” he hears you ask.
Levi dismisses your concern with a one shoulder shrug. “S’fine.”
It’s not fine. Levi overexerted himself with cleaning today. The sun is too strong. His leg is throbbing.
Despite that, Levi has no intentions of telling you all about that, because you have a tendency to care, to shower him with attention he doesn’t want, and right now, he just can’t deal with it.
You stop right in front of him. “Hey, are you sure? I can—”
“I said it's fine, didn't I?”
Levi's ears are ringing as he steps past you.
Shit, shit, shit. He didn’t mean to snap at you just now. He’s just no good at this, don’t you see? Already five minutes in, and he feels like he fucked up.
(It's like there's poison on his skin; Levi wants to peel it off.)
But you don’t even seem to pay his temper any mind; you hum and turn to look at the train station’s newsstand instead. From the corner of his eyes, he watches you purchase three lemonade bottles, a hand-out for this summer day. 
The drive back is filled with more words than the journey here. Onyankopon and you engage in easy conversation, talking about all manners of things—how the 104th brats are doing, how the world is looking three years after everything that transpired, how Onyankopon’s husband and family are faring.
Levi sits in the passenger seat next to Onyankopon while you sit in the rear. That doesn’t stop you from leaning forward, your hands resting on the head of the seats as you talk (“Put your seat belt on, Adler.” “It’s on!”). Occasionally, your fingers even tap his left shoulder, a heads up for you to point to interesting things you notice outside. Levi tries to ignore the sparking sensation that’s engraved in his skin.
(Sometimes, Levi wonders if your touch is actually electric.)
“What about you, Levi?” Levi feels your attention settle on the back of his head, drilling heat into his nape. “What do you make of your new home? Mare, the town where the sky meets the sea.”
“It’s fine,” he replies. And he means it—the town is just that. Fine. “The townsfolk are nosy, you’ll fit right in.”
“Consider my interest piqued. I can’t wait to see your new life.” You hum. “I’ve never started over. Not like this. I mean, I suppose I did, once. The last time was when I first enlisted for the Survey Corps a decade ago… phew, that brings back memories. I remember the looks I got from everyone then—they all thought me very strange to enroll.”
“That’s because you were a suicidal maniac, enrolling to save the lives of soldiers who’d soon be titan fodder. Normal civilians usually have safer aspirations, Adler.”
“I’m not sure if you’re one to talk, Ackerman.”
Levi huffs at that. The portrait that flashes through his mind is vivid, as were the words that went alongside them: Him, an ex-thug from the Underground and you, the crazy doctor. A pair of strange misfits, the Survey Corps' gamble in every sense of the word.
“Oh, Walls!” You’re gasping at something behind him, and Levi glances up to see what you’ve seen. It’s the sea—all shades of blue and as mesmerizing as ever. “This is where you’ve been living? Your descriptions in your letters do not do this place justice.”
“What? You expected me to turn into a poet?” Levi grumbles.
“No, but look at this—ugh! It’s everything. The valleys! The beaches! The bay! This feels just like…” you let your voice trail off, not finishing off your words, but Levi knows what you meant to say.
This feels just like the way it was when we first saw the sea.
And yeah, Levi sees your point. The sea here truly does glimmer like jewels, the way Armin always described it, and the breeze does carry that scent of salt that feels like it’s cleaning the air out of his lungs.
Just like it felt to witness it the first time.
“This must be what paradise looks like,” you say.
And just as they pass a curve of the road, something new comes into view: between the soft clouds, a flying boat appears—not one carrying weapons, but instead, carrying with it the tale of a youth whose only sin was a passion for flying.
.
.
.
The medical check is done in silence.
Levi is underweight. His lack of sun exposure has left his skin and eyesight sensitive. You prescribe things to help, though you think some ailments might be a lifelong battle.
When it comes to checking his heart rate, however, that’s when you realize the full extent of Levi’s upbringing. Levi undoes his shirt and your eyes take in the cost of his survival—Levi’s torso, marred with scars. Some of them seem recent, while others are old, stretched-out skin that tells you enough.
These come straight from his childhood.
Just how much violence has Levi witnessed in a single lifetime?
.
.
.
“So?” Levi asks, looking directly at you. He leans his weight against the door’s frame leading to your bedroom, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can redecorate if you like.”
“Why would I do that? This is perfect.”
Levi thinks you might be touched, but he isn’t sure—he was never good at reading your more subdued emotions. Anger, sadness, happiness: those, he can read. Everything in between becomes more complicated.
You continue to step around the furniture of your bedroom, inspecting it like you are discovering details of a new kingdom. Your fingers fumble over the bed frame. “These bed sheets are my favorite color.”
Levi knows. He picked them for a reason.
(He’ll never tell you as much.)
“There’s drawing supplies in the desk drawers,” he says.
He hears it then, the way you suck-in your breath, catching it in the back of your throat. He swerves his attention onto you, only to find you fixing the desk with a stupefied expression.
“You remembered?”
There’s bewilderment in your tone.
Why do you seem surprised? Isn’t this the least you deserve? Levi almost says that there is even more—that he has all your sketchbooks from Paradis, that they were recently delivered by his request. But he abstains from it. He thinks it might be too much right now, though whether it’s too much for him or for you, he’s not sure.
Instead, he just replies gruffly, “It was hard to forget.”
You take a step towards him, eyes softening. “Levi, thank you so much.” You gesture at the room. “For all of it.”
Somehow, those words make Levi want to look away. It isn’t that he doesn’t appreciate you expressing your gratitude, but he’s never known what to do with it served on a silver platter. He prefers to ignore it when he can.
“S’not a big deal.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans, glancing towards the carpet on the floor. “Couldn’t let you starve on the streets, now, could I?”
“Hah, I don’t know,” you say softly. You've moved to the windows, your fingers feeling the beige curtains. “You might be underestimating me. I can be very persuasive; I’m sure I’d manage to survive out there.”
“Please. You wouldn’t last a day out there.”
You scoff at him, feigning offense. “And why not?”
“You’d want to help some poor fucker giving you puppy eyes, and they’d just end up mugging you.” Or worse.
“Well, alright. You got me there.” You glance away, raising your fingers to run along the scar on your cheek.
Levi follows your movements, studying the way your hands conceal your old injury. He wonders if it still hurts, if you forget it is there only to be reminded of its existence when you catch your reflection in the mirror.
It happens to him, sometimes.
“Seriously, thank you.”
The gentleness in your tone cradles his ears. Levi takes a step back.
“No need to get emotional on me.” he mumbles.
You chuckle. “Still. Sometimes, it’s good to say things out loud.”
“If you say so.”
Levi turns around, fumbling with the handle of the door. 
But just as he’s about to head out, to leave you to unpack, there's a distinct sound that comes from the other side. Levi hears that familiar "Meow," before he sees the tabby cat sliding in between the cracks of the door.
“Oh..." you say, "what's this?” 
Right. Levi probably should have mentioned this minor detail in his letters.
“Scout,” he supplies, eying the kitten currently rubbing her head against his right leg, a loud prrr vibrating against his calve.
“You… you got a cat?”
"Yeah."
"Like a pet?"
Levi crosses his arms over his chest, tapping a rhythmic beat of five counts against his forearm. “Do you need to get your eyes checked or what?”
You ignore his surly attitude, the same bafflement still present in your tone. “And you named him Scout?”
“Her. She's a female cat.”
You look down at the cat for a moment, your eyes wide like saucers. Then, with a low, hushed tone, you let out a strangled, “Walls, you're a cat dad,” before pinching your lips tightly, like you were trying very hard not to burst out in fits of giggles.
Levi’s jaw instantly clenches. “Stop laughing.”
“I wasn’t laughing!”
“You were about to.”
“Yeah, alright, I was about to.” And then, as if saying those words out loud gave you the right to do as you please, you stifle out a snort, shooting up a hand to cover your half-contained laughter.
This time, Levi doesn’t bother hiding his glare.
Paying this interaction no mind, Scout looks at you with a quizzical stare, her big, green eyes taking you in. Just like you, the feline creature is now discovering the new room and the furniture that goes with it, and she now seems to want to understand what to make of the new occupant that is to share this space.
And so, with a last parting mrrp, the cat skitters towards you, her fast steps tiptoeing against the oaken floor. In response, you crouch down, outstretching a delicate hand in Scout's direction.
With a combination of grace and suspicion that only cats are really able to muster, Scout sniffs your fingers, her slit pupils observing your every movement. Whatever she was looking for must have pleased her, because not a moment later, she lets out a high-pitched mewling sound and rubs her cheeks against your digit.
A smile forms on your lips.
And when you look back up, there’s a sparkle in your eyes that makes Levi’s heart skip a beat. "Oh, she's cute," you coo, scratching Scout's chin. "How old is she?"
"I don't know."
"You didn't ask?"
"I don't speak cat, Adler."
"She didn't have an owner?"
"No, she was alone when I found her."
"Oh."
Levi had found the kitten half-dead under some debris less than three months ago; no one in town knew where she had come from, or how old she was. Most likely, her mother had abandoned her, but it was hard to know for sure.
All he knew is that the kitten had been alone, and that was enough for him to want to help the frail thing. Taking her in was only meant to be a temporary thing and yet, here she still was. 
"Well," you interrupt his thoughts, head tilting as you inspect Scout, "I reckon she can't be more than four months old."
Levi lets out a grunting sound, not really knowing enough about cats to refute or agree with your observations. Instead, he half-turns away, grumbling parting words, “I’m gonna make us some tea while you unpack.”
“Your bitter old tea, huh?”
He means to ask if you’d prefer something else, but it comes out all wrong, again. “Got a problem with that?”
Shit.
Your eyes lock with his.
And your smile widens. “Not at all. This feels like being home.”
Levi clears his throat, turning away. Home. Is it really like that?
No, of course, it’s not.
Home doesn’t exist anymore.
And he’s not the same man you once knew.
-
A/N: This story has been in the works for the last year, and it's been a very precious project for me. This fic seeks to shed some light on Levi's life after the war, with its ups and down - but ultimately, it's a story of love and healing <3 Furthermore, English isn't my mother tongue, so you know the spiel - don't hesitate to let me know if you spot mistakes, but pls be patient!
( Next chapter / Join my taglist )
640 notes · View notes
thirteenfrogs · 5 months ago
Text
‘hot & heavy’ — leah williamson x reader
leah williamson x fem!reader
based on hot & heavy by lucy dacus !
italics are flashbacks
not proofread and idk if makes sense
so. many. words. (7.8k)
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
being back here makes me hot in the face
hot blood in my pulsing veins
england, you know, is home.
you associate that word with the country so often that it always surprises you that the dictionary definition of home isn't simply the polaroid of your house in milton keynes that you took when you were 8.
england is home even when you leave, and it's home when you come back after years away.
being back in england — specifically in milton keynes — makes your cheeks warm, and you're not sure whether it's the uncharacteristically hot sun or something deeper in the pit of your stomach that makes you all too aware of the hot blood in your pulsing veins.
heavy memories weighing on my brain
hot and heavy in the basement of your parents' place
your memories of milton keynes are varied — some are from your childhood, where you spent hours wishing on dandelions, kicking a ball around the neighbouring streets, and chasing the ice-cream van with a 50p coin you found in the gutter in the hopes of a screwball or a mr. whippy.
some memories are from your teenage years, where the bus ride to school was more entertaining than any parties your friends dragged you to in short dresses and the promise of a kiss from the good looking lad in the year above, no matter how much you insisted that you would much rather go to the cinema with your mates (and sneakily hold hands with your best friend).
few memories are from your adult years, when you decided to travel to neighbouring cities and spent hours exploring the intricacies of museum architecture and flirting to get free drinks in the new pub that opened around the corner from your secondary school.
every memory, though, includes her.
leah williamson — your childhood best friend, teenage love, and the reason why being back home feels both freeing and suffocating at the same time.
you used to be so sweet
leah used to pick flowers.
it was something that, more often than not, ended with you both being chased down the street by an angry neighbour who had fists in the air yelling that they were already on the phone to your mums and you would both be in for it when you got home.
it was always worth it, though, when after running so fast for so long you swear your legs could fall off, leah presents you with a fistful of whatever flowers were growing in that particular garden with some blades of grass and the roots still attached to the muddy bouquet. there would always be a dandelion, too, and the blonde girl would insist you make a wish just so she could pester you for hours after about what you had wished for.
and even when your mum does inevitably tell you off after the streetlights had come on and signalled your time to retreat home, the crumpled flowers you hold tight in your grasp remind you that tomorrow you'll do it all again, and the collection of wilted flowers on your windowsill will surely grow once more.
when she sees you again for the first time in almost 5 years, leah refrains from breaking into the nearest garden to steal you a flower and instead settles for a quick hug that feels more like home than any house she's ever lived in.
now you're a firecracker on a crowded street
couldn't look away even if i wanted
it’s merely a coincidence, you tell yourself, that your trip back home coincides with leah’s 26th birthday.
she invites you to a small get-together she’s having in london, and you try not to think about all the birthday traditions that have been broken in the years apart from your ex-best-friend. gone are the sleepovers you held the night before, gone are the parties your families had in your back-gardens, and gone are the shared slices of your favourite cakes.
get-togethers in hidden bars in london are new to you, but they seem familiar to leah and those she considers most important to her.
meeting up with her teammates and friends is a bittersweet experience, and you try not to think about how the leah they’re celebrating is wildly different to the leah you’re celebrating.
you look at the blonde and see the girl you once considered your better half, your extra limb, and they simply see the woman she is today.
leah’s the same as she always was, you notice from your seat at the bar, as she attracts the attention from the entire room without even trying. she’s still the same leah that was a thousand times more popular than you, and she’s still the same leah that never seemed to notice the hold she had on others.
you watch the way her eyes light up when she’s had a drink, and it takes you back to bonfire night when you were 7. when leah first held a sparkler on your crowded street, and her immediate thought was to try and cast a spell on you, giggling like a madman when you throw yourself to the floor like you had been struck.
you think the sparkle in her eyes is still there, and you pretend not to notice the way it brightens when she catches sight of you watching her. you couldn’t look away even if you wanted, and it takes a tap to your shoulder to snap you out of your leah-induced haze.
“kei!” you throw your arms around the ginger in a warm hug, and she responds back eagerly.
“hi, y/n/n, it’s so good to see you again.” keira smiles, squeezing your shoulders gently.
“it’s been a while.” you agree, letting her take the seat next to you.
you find yourself sticking with keira and other familiar faces, such alex and georgia, for a lot of the night — getting tipsy as you reminisce on shared memories and anecdotes about a certain blonde who was drunkenly serenading the entire bar.
at one point, it’s just you and keira, both equally drunk as you laugh about that time leah fell off a swing and was convinced that a ghost had pushed her.
“she was mad — still is, i think.” keira grins, glancing over to leah as she dances around the room.
“it’s a wonder i survived so long.” you agree, a smile on your flushed cheeks.
“i always thought you were it for each other, you know.” keira muses quietly, glancing between you and leah across the room.
“me too.” you take a large gulp of whatever drink georgia had forced into your hand 5 minutes prior.
“i still do.” you glance up at her in confusion, but keira’s slightly slurred words continue, “i know i’m drunk, and i know you are too, but i really think you shouldn't give up on her. she never gave up on you, not really.” at your silence, keira backtracks slightly, wincing at her own drunken word-vomit. "i'm sorry, i shouldn't have- i know you're happy in spain now, i didn't mean to bring up old-"
"i’m moving back to london soon.”
and with that, you make your way to the bar to order another drink, eyes drifting around the room and automatically landing on the woman of the hour, who takes that as her cue to stumble over for the first time that night.
“dandelion! i didn’t think you were coming!” she shouts over the song that you know was once her favourite, wrapping her arm over your shoulder and squeezing you close in a once-familiar embrace.
“neither did i.” you admit quietly, never one to be able to lie to her.
“i’m glad you did, now we can sing our song!”
“no karaoke-“
“yes karaoke!”
and like no time had passed at all since you were leah and y/n, the blonde leads you to the small stage with a firm hand.
“one song, and then i’m sitting back down.” you say firmly, and leah simply grins, pushing a piece of hair out of your face as gently as she can with her clumsy hands.
“that’s my shy girl.” she coos as she pinches your cheek teasingly, and you simply roll your eyes. "you never were one for the stage, were you, dandelion?"
try to walk away but i come back to the start
led me to the floor even though i'm not a dancer
the night before your year 11 prom was spent in leah's bed — which was practically yours too with how much time you spent there growing up — laying side by side and staring at the ceiling as if the answer to why your cheeks were so warm was written above the bed.
"what if someone asks me to dance?" it's the first question you ask that betrays how nervous you really are for the upcoming event, and leah scoffs in response.
"tell them to shove off because you've already got a dance partner." the answer is so leah that you have to take a moment to roll your eyes, and because she apparently has eyes on the side of her head, she kicks you for it.
"i don't suppose that dance partner is you, is it?" you tease lightly, bumping your shoulder with hers and watching expectantly for her rebuttal.
"who else would it be?" she turns to look at you, blue eyes searching your face for the answer she knows she'll never get.
because the answer is nobody. there's not a single other person on planet earth you would trust to dance with you, and since there aren't any martians visiting any time soon, you'll stick with leah.
and stick with leah you do.
you're attached to her side when your mums take as many pictures as their cameras can physically hold, leah's hand settled on your waist and your head leaned against her shoulder as you stand outside your house. you pretend the blush on your cheeks is from the never-ending compliments from your families and the warm sun, and not the way that your best friend squeezes your hip gently to remind you pay attention to the cameras and not her.
you remain within arm's length of leah the entire night except for the 2 minutes that she disappeared to fetch you a drink that she knew you would need in the warm room, and even then she had tried to take you with her.
your interlocked pinky fingers keep you close as you make your way around the room, mindlessly chatting to your classmates.
you didn’t go near the dance floor, though, no matter how often leah tried to drag to towards it. you had made your opinions on dancing very clear and leah swore if that she heard the words “i’d rather die” come out of your mouth again then she’d kill you herself.
instead, the pair of you mingle with all of your friends and poke fun at the teachers’ outfits as they supervise the room with eagle eyes, though the blonde never lets up in her begging for a dance.
“come on, dandelion, just dance with me? please?” the pout on leah’s face is one you’ve seen many times in your decade of friendship, and not once have you ever had the heart to deny it.
“lee,” you whine, feeling your resolve crumble further when she steps closer. “i’m not a dancer. i don’t dance.”
“i do! i’ll show you how to do it.” she looks down at you with her most pleading expression, “please?”
“i’ll look-“
“you won’t look stupid, and don’t even think about suggesting it again.” she squeezes your pinky gently with her own, and you know you’re gone. “if anyone says anything, i’ll kick ‘em right in the face with these stupid heels — and that’s a promise!” you bite your lip hesitantly with a smile and leah presses further, “come on, y/n/n, please? don’t make me beg in-front of everyone here.”
“…fine. one dance.”
“that’s all i need, my girl.”
with leah’s hand in your own, you don’t feel nearly as nervous as you would’ve normally, and she leads you to the floor where you spend the rest of the night.
you find that you don’t hate dancing so much when leah’s your partner.
ask me all the questions that your parents wouldn't answer
"did you know that olivia in your geography class has two mums?”
it’s a tuesday night and leah’s in your bed. you’re 15 and there’s not much to do on a school night other than talk about whatever comes to mind. leah’s the first, tonight, and you wonder if she’ll finally let slip the reason she’s been deep in thought all day.
“really? she’s never mentioned it before.” you shrug, unsure of where your best friend is going with the conversation. “i guess she wouldn’t have a reason to, would she?”
leah bites her lip, clearly deep in thought. you have half a mind to tell her not to think so hard or her head will hurt, but you refrain.
“hey, what’s up?” you poke her cheek gently, hoping to snap her out of whatever headspace she was in. “you a homophobe or something? because i’ll have you know my cousin’s gay and-“
“i’m not a homophobe, you dick!” leah shoves you with a huff, and you grin at your success. “i’m just curious!”
“bi-curious or just curious?” you tilt your head, knowing it would only annoy her further.
“dandelion, i’m getting annoyed here.” she warns, glaring at you as best as she can with her 16-year-old baby face. “i’m just-“ she sighs, flopping back down on your bed. “do you think it’s…okay?”
“for?” you ask, laying down beside her.
“for two girls to…y’know, have a baby? get married?”
“i don’t see why it wouldn’t be okay?”
“i don’t see why either, but…” leah glares up at the ceiling. “when you think of getting married, what do you think of?”
you blink at the slight change of subject, but conversations with your best friend often go from topic to topic, so you shrug and answer honestly.
“cake- ow, leah! don’t hit me!”
“be serious for once!”
“i’m trying!” you huff, rubbing your shoulder from where she had so kindly elbowed you. “okay, when i think of getting married i think…a white dress, and some nice flowers. i think about songs i’d like to have play too. and cake.”
“what about who you’re marrying?”
“i don’t know, i never think of that.” you shrug, wondering what leah was getting at.
“well isla in our form class is convinced she’s going to marry jack, and she says she imagines it all the time. do you?”
“do i imagine marrying jack? god, no.” you snort at the idea. “he picks his nose still, did you know that?”
“y/n! be serious!” leah groans.
“stop beating around the bush and ask me what you really want to ask, then!” you huff, kicking her shin.
there’s silence for a moment, and you risk a glance towards the blonde.
she’s already looking at you — blue eyes piercing yours. “…do you ever think of marrying a girl?”
you roll over to your side and look back at her, eyes roaming over her freckled face that seemed awfully troubled for a simple tuesday night.
you shrug, “i dreamt i married lucy liu once, but i think that was because i fell asleep watching charlie’s angels.”
“was it…did it feel weird?” she furrows her brows the way she always does, and you reach out and press your thumb between them to remind her to stop.
“no, it was nice until she went all bridezilla on my dad. i can’t remember why, though. think he said her dress was ugly or something.” you remove your hand from leah’s face, but it doesn’t go far because the blonde reaches up and intertwines your pinkies and lays your hands on the pillow between your faces.
“i’d go bridezilla on him too. just for fun, though.” leah nods thoughtfully.
“and that’s why i wouldn’t marry you.” you roll your eyes, squeezing her finger.
“no? not even if i proposed with a million dandelions?” she asks with a smug smile, and you grin as she finally seems to relax.
“hmm…if you did that and got me a pretty ring, i wouldn’t say no.” you nod.
“the haribo ones aren’t good enough for you anymore?” she smiles, her eyes flickering between your own and your lips.
“diamonds are a girl’s best friend, lee. you gotta know that if you’re ever gonna propose to someone.” you poke her nose gently with your spare hand, and she grabs it with a gentle squeeze.
“i’ll keep it in mind.”
how could i deny a diamond in the rough?
it was awfully cliché, and you're aware of that, but leah had insisted that it was a rite of passage to play dancing queen on your 17th birthday, and so you allow the blonde to twirl you to her heart's content as the lyrics blare through your house. she sings along as she always does, never one to shy away from showing her passion for music and love for singing.
your families are scattered around the house and the back garden — leah’s grandmother playing scrabble with your aunt at the kitchen table, jacob kicking a football outside with your cousins, and both your’s and leah’s mums gossiping over a glass of wine while your dads manned the barbecue on the deck. to anyone else, this wouldn’t be considered a very good 17th birthday celebration, but to you it was perfect.
your other friends don’t understand that this is how you’d rather spend your birthday over getting drunk in a field (though, you weren’t opposed to that every now and then), and so it’s only leah who you spend the evening with, singing, dancing, and drinking as much as your families allow.
when it’s time to blow out your candles, it’s leah who stands beside you with a soft smile as your families sing the song you hate so much. it’s leah who presses a kiss to your cheek and tells you to close your eyes and make wish.
‘i wish it could always be like this.’
you open your eyes as watch as the smoke rises to ceiling, blushing as everyone cheers and claps, and giggling when jacob begs for the cake to be cut already.
“what did you wish for?” leah asks quietly, eyes solely on you as you watch your dad carry the cake over to the counter.
“you’ve asked me that almost everyday since we were 6, lee.” you chuckle, leaning into the arm she has around your waist. “and i’ve never once told you.”
“i was hoping today would be different.” she pouts dramatically, “but, alas, my dandelion keeps her secrets.” the hand she places over her heart makes you roll your eyes fondly, and leah simply continues her theatrics for as long as she can before getting distracted with a slice of cake — typical.
you can’t help but feel like today is different, though. maybe it’s just because your head feels a little fuzzy from the beers your dad had allowed you to have, or maybe it’s because leah’s arm had been wrapped around your waist all day and you wonder how you’ll cope if she never does it again. either way, there’s something in the air that evening, and you feel it close in on you when leah shoves a piece of cake in your face, smearing icing across your cheeks with a laugh so loud, you wonder if you’ll go deaf.
you freeze in shock when it happens, and even though you can see everyone in the room cracking up, it’s leah’s laugh that captures your attention, and it’s her smile that you want to shove a piece of cake into.
so you do.
war is declared that night, and despite your mum’s protests about getting food everywhere, you and leah find yourselves in a cake fight that resembles the great snowball war of ‘05.
your cousins and jacob join in, like all children do, and you can hear your dad placing bets on who’ll be the first to tap out, but your attention is solely on your best friend and how stupidly beautiful she looks when she laughs. you don’t know anyone in the world who could pull off a cake-smeared face so well, but leah seems to do it in a way that has your heart beating faster with more than just adrenaline as you run around the kitchen with cake in your fists.
you know you’ll regret this all when you have to clean up later, and you know your hair will never forgive you for the amount of chocolate in it, but in those moments where cake is flying across the kitchen and out the back door, you know you’ll be okay.
eventually, your mum puts a stop to it all and orders your dad to hose you all off in the garden (something he takes sadistic pleasure in as you all scream and run away from the ice-cold water, leah even using your dog as a shield while you used her), and your aunt ends up taking your cousins home before they could catch a cold.
people start to leave slowly, giving you one last birthday wish and a kiss to the head, until finally it’s just you, leah, and your parents.
your mum sends you both upstairs with a reminder not to stay up too late gossiping like always, and you and leah simply share a look before running up the stairs and attempting to push one another down them.
after you take turns showering and changing into some pyjamas, you both settle on your bed with the lord of the rings trilogy lined up for the 4th time that month, just because it was leah’s favourite.
“that’s you.” you point to the screen where gollum currently is, like you always do, and leah smacks a pillow down on your face, like she always does. “that never gets old.” you grin.
“it never gets funny.” the blonde huffs, stealing popcorn out of your hand instead from the bowl like a civilised person. “one day that mouth of yours will get you in trouble, dandelion.”
“is that a threat?”
“it’s a promise.” she nudges your shoulder with her own. “and i’ll have you know i look nothing like gollum; i’m far more beautiful.”
“that’s not a very nice thing to say about your twin, leah.” you shake your head disapprovingly, and leah scoffs.
“that’s it!” and before you can even begin to comprehend what’s happening, leah’s attacking you.
the pillow that was once behind her head is now in her hands as she swings it down on your face, and you barely have time to react before it comes down again. leah’s laugh is loud as you squeal, trying to escape her wrath to no avail.
“i surrender!” you finally shout after far too long, and leah grins triumphantly from her place above you.
your breathing is heavy, and your cheeks are warm, but leah’s eyes are comforting. they don’t hold your gaze like usual, and instead they glance down to your parted lips with an unrecognisable expression.
“you surrender?” she double checks, holding the pillow threateningly.
you nod, trying to catching your breath.
“and you won’t say anything else about my appearance?”
“my lips are sealed.” you nod, watching as leah drops the pillow
“i can’t think of anything clever to say about your mouth,” she says, brushing some of your hair out of your face gently, “i just…”
you hold your breath as leah leans in close, lips brushing against yours, tentatively, for the first time.
you think about the first time leah ever kissed you when you were 6. when you had just learned how to ride your bike and in your excitement to show your best friend, you stopped looking where you were going. you had hit the curb and flown over the handlebars and onto the pavement. it was leah who pulled you up to your feet, and it was her who pressed a magic kiss to your grazed palm to stop your tears.
you remember thinking it was best magic kiss you had ever gotten, because it worked in taking away like the pain like all magic kisses too.
now, though, you know it pales in comparison to this.
you don’t think anything could ever live up to feeling of leah’s soft lips on yours, and her gentle hold on your jaw. nothing will ever compare to the way she slowly pulls away, smiles at you, and then pulls you back in for another.
you led me in your world until you had enough
the day after your kiss with leah, you find that she’s nowhere to be found.
you don’t wake up to leah’s arms wrapped around you like you usually do after a sleepover, and a quick look around your house tells you that leah’s not downstairs critiquing your mum’s pancakes like usual either. your dog sits at the front door whining in the way he only does when he misses your best friend, and you wonder why leah left so early and where she could have possibly gone.
you find that as the day goes on, your worry for leah increases. she hasn't responded to — or even read — the numerous texts you've sent, and even jacob had simply shrugged his shoulders when you asked where she could be.
you're pretty much moments away from reporting her as missing when you hear her familiar laugh in the park near your house. you wonder if you've gone crazy enough to start hearing things, but once glance out your bedroom window confirms that leah is, in fact, at the park. she's kicking a ball around with some girls you recognise as her friends from football, and you wonder why she hasn't invited you like she normally does.
despite every cell and fibre in your body telling you to close your window and pretend you never saw her, you find yourself clipping the lead onto your dog's collar and walking him across the road like you had a reason to be there apart from confronting your stubborn best friend on why she had seemingly disappeared all day.
leah doesn’t notice you — if she does, she ignores you — as you approach, your dog tugging the lead with the insane strength that only appears whenever he sees leah.
“hey, y/n!” one of leah’s friends waves, and that’s when the blonde finally looks your way.
leah reluctantly kicks the ball away, sending her friends chasing after it, and turns to you with an air of coldness that you had never been on the receiving end of before.
“haven’t see you all day,” you remark casually, ignoring the way she rolls her eyes dismissively. “is everything okay?”
“yeah, fine.” leah shrugs, patting your dog’s head lightly as he happily licks her hand.
“oh.” you’re not really sure what to say after that. you watch her for a moment, taking notice of the way she avoids your gaze. “did you want to talk about-“
“look, i’m really sorry but my coach says i don’t need any distractions. can you leave me alone?”
with that, your best friend (?) walks away, leaving you standing there in confusion.
“coach says i don’t need distractions.”
you wonder if leah sees you as a distraction, or simply just the kiss. you hope it’s neither, but the way she seems to avoid you like the plague for weeks after your conversation tells you it’s probably both. she spends all her time with football, and even in school she seems to find a way to distance herself.
and so you see less of your best friend as her passion for football grows, and you feel selfish when you find yourself missing her.
you don’t understand why you can’t just be happy for her, but a part of you deep down knows that it’s because you don’t want her to be happy without you.
she is, though. and that hurts more than anything. leah seems perfectly fine to spend all her time with her football friends, and you find that your late night talks have been replaced with an occasional text asking about homework that never leads to anything more than a 1 minute conversation.
leah doesn’t call anymore, and so you don’t either. she doesn’t knock on your door and beg you to come out, so you take the long way around town to avoid her house.
you still attend her matches — because no matter how upset you are at her, she’s still your best friend and you’d always support her — but she doesn’t run to you at the end of the games anymore, instead she sticks close to her teammates and barely glances in your direction.
drifting away from leah is a slow process, and yet you feel completely blindsided because one minute she was your leah, and the next it felt like you barely knew her at all.
you knew that i wanted you to bend the rules
how did i believe i had a hold on you?
losing leah feels like losing a part of yourself, and you hate that it’s because, technically, you are.
you had always been leah and y/n.
when one of you wasn’t in school, teachers would ask the other where your other half was. when your mum made dinner every evening, there was always enough for another plate because she knew that your best friend would be there whether she was invited or not. when leah’s mum booked that family holiday to spain in 2008, there was an extra ticket with your name on it because she would never dream of separating leah from her y/n. you would never find one without the other, and that’s the way it always had been.
leah and y/n.
you don’t know how to just be y/n.
you find yourself looking to your side to tell her a funny thought that popped in your head, only to be met with nothing because leah’s not around anymore.
your parents don’t understand when you tell them you’ve simply grown apart, and neither do you, because ‘growing apart’ wasn’t in the cards for leah and y/n.
leah and y/n were supposed to stay together until the very end, even when the street lights turned off. leah and y/n were meant to stand by each other’s side, even when you were being lectured for stealing dandelions from mr. miller’s garden. leah and y/n were forever and always, like you had promised when you were 7.
but you’re not 7 anymore, and leah hadn’t given you a dandelion in so long, you wonder if you still know how to make a wish.
you were stupid to think you were ever important to leah. how did you believe you had a hold on her?
you were always stronger than people suspected
underestimated and overprotected
you knew that leah joining the senior squad for arsenal was inevitable — she was an amazing player with passion for the game and a love for arsenal that could rival even the biggest gooners.
it doesn’t surprise you at all to hear through the grapevine about leah’s permanent move to london, but you think that fate isn’t on your side when you find out she lives close to your new london flat that you share with your friends from university.
you’re just grateful that your busy school schedule and leah’s packed football life means no accidental meetings in the big city.
except it does. because of course it does.
you think maybe it's because your body had been accustomed to being near leah your entire life that it seeks her out even when you know it shouldn't. you think that must be why you always seem to bump into her no matter where you go.
it certainly doesn't help that you can't resist attending her matches too. call it routine, or simply call it love, but you don't think there's a single world where you wouldn't support the girl you once considered your best friend. watching leah play football had been a staple in your life for as long as you can remember, and there had been too much change in your life for you to ever consider giving this comfort up.
you pretend you don’t notice the way her eyes always seem to find your figure in the mostly-empty stands, and you always make sure to wear a jacket over your williamson jersey just so she doesn’t know that she’s the only reason you’re still there when everyone else goes home.
after a particularly good match, a few months into the season, leah finally picks up the courage to approach you. it had been months of longing stares from the pitch, showing off whenever she was near your section, and trying to catch your eye at the end of a match, and leah was now finally ready to speak to you.
properly. for the first time since she decided to be a coward almost a year ago and tell you you were a distraction instead of saying the truth.
the truth was that she loved you.
leah had loved you for as long as she could remember, and she was sure that she’d love you for the rest of her life.
the only thing to do now was ensure that you’d actually be in her life, so she could love you up close again.
it’s after a pretty intense match that leah finally had enough to confidence to approach you (after a few words of encouragement from alex, of course). you were sat in the stands, talking animatedly with another girl about the game.
leah swallows the brief feeling of jealousy, and walks towards your seat. you look up almost immediately, like you can sense her, and your expression doesn’t change. you pull your jacket tighter over your body, and leah catches sight of the red jersey beneath.
she hopes it’s her last name across your back.
“big fan?” leah nods towards your jersey as she leans over the barriers slightly, her voice surprisingly not giving away the nerves she was feeling at being face-to-face with you again after so long.
“oh, absolutely,” you agree, your voice dripping with the sarcasm that she knows too well, “i just love vicky losada.”
leah scoffs, “you’re wearing #6, really? let me see.” she gestures for you to take your jacket off, and you shake your head.
“6 my favourite number.” you shrug.
“14 is better.” she taps the #14 on her shorts pointedly.
“ever so humble, williamson.”
“you know me well, dandelion.” the nickname falls from her lips as easily as it used to, as if no time had passed at all since the last time she said it.
like you were still leah and y/n.
she seems to think so too, because leah grabs her own jersey and pulls it over her head. “here,” she says, holding it out to you, “it’s not a #6, but one day it will be. for you.”
you hesitantly take the warm jersey, “i’ll hold you to that.”
“wait, let me sign it.” leah grabs a sharpie that someone had left in the seat beside you and you hold the jersey out for her, trying to keep your eyes solely on her hands and not anywhere else. “there.”
“how much do you think this would go for on ebay?” you ask, folding the jersey and tucking it under your arm.
“not funny.” leah frowns, the familiar crease forming between her eyebrows. “you have to keep that.”
“we’ll see.” you grin, waving goodbye as you step back.
“see you next week.” leah waves, watching you go.
it’s only when you get home do you realise what she’s written on the jersey.
‘call me?’ with her phone number attached.
your roommate wonders what has you smiling so widely for the rest of the evening.
things with leah don't go back to how they were — you doubt they ever will — but the new normal, you find, isn't so bad either. it definitely helped that leah had offered a sincere apology for what she had said and how she had been acting with a collection of your favourite snacks, your favourite movie, and a dandelion she had insisted you use to make a wish about her embarassing herself at her next match — which she seemed to think she deserved for how she had treated you.
you don't bother telling her that when you close your eyes and blow on the flower, you only wish for the best for her, like you always have.
you want the best for leah, and a part of you deep down knows that you don’t fit into that idea anymore.
you cherish the time you spend with your once-best friend, and you let her cart you around london with her teammates for months before you break the news that you’re leaving for good.
when i went away it was the only option
couldn't trust myself to proceed with caution
the job offer comes at the perfect time. if you didn’t know better, you’d probably say it was divine intervention or the years of dandelion wishes catching up to you and granting you this once and for all.
either way, you don’t dwell on what causes your boss to offer you a position in spain, you simply give a grateful smile and ask when you can start.
you try not to think about the fact that spain reminds you of leah — of that family holiday you were invited to back when you were 9. you try not to think of the hours you spent playing mermaids in the pool and getting sunburned while eating as much food as your little bodies could handle.
you think you’d be able to find a connection to leah no matter where in the world you are.
every time you walk past a group of children playing football, you’re taken back the hours of running around fields with your blonde best friend as she dribbled past you like you weren’t even there — and then letting you take the ball back moments later because she felt bad.
every time you go grocery shopping, your brain subconsciously reminds you which foods leah does and doesn’t like, as if she’ll be popping around for tea like you live on the same street again and not in a whole different country.
leah didn’t take that easily, either — the fact that you wouldn’t be within in walking distance of her anymore.
you remember the way her eyes shined with tears when you showed her your transfer email. you remember the way she begged you stay, insisting that the better pay and higher position wouldn’t matter if you moved in together. she promised she would take care of bills, and that all you’d have to do is stay.
she didn’t understand that it wasn’t like how it used to be.
leah wasn’t the sun. not anymore. your life had to revolve around something else now.
spain is quite sunny, anyway. you’re sure you’ll find something new.
the most that i could give to you was nothing at all
the best that i could offer was to miss your calls
you settle into your new home quickly, and when you ignore the constant ache in your chest, you find that spain makes you quite happy.
leah calls more than she did when you were in london, and you find yourself purposely ignoring them for the sake of letting her down easily. you lived in spain now, and leah lived in london. it just wouldn’t work.
you wish you were a big enough person to pick up the phone, but you knew that the second you hear her voice again, you’d be back to square one.
the most that you can give is nothing at all.
try to walk away but i come back to the start
and it happens over and over and over and over again
over and over and over and over again
i wish i was over it, over it, over it, over it
even in spain, you think of leah.
you always think of leah.
you watch her games whenever you can — both for england and for arsenal. you buy a williamson #6 jersey when she changes her number and you wear it proudly whenever you sit in front of the tv and watch her play the game you had become so accustomed to.
the signed jersey from all those years ago is the one you wear to sleep. leah’s message has long since faded, and it doesn’t smell like her anymore, but the comfort it brings is the same as it always was.
every birthday, you find yourself staring at the candles wondering what you should wish for. back when you had leah everything, you could always come up with something new to wish for. now, though, you don’t know. there’s only one thing you want, and you can’t have her it. when you close your eyes, the warmth of the candles in front of your face uncomfortably familiar, you only see images of leah. you see her smiling, laughing, and playing.
you wish for her happiness.
you’re not sure what that means for you.
a hidden gem, my own goldmine
you had the wide and wild eyes
leah isn’t just your favourite footballer anymore.
she’s an inspiration to thousands of people, one of the best in her field, and you know deep down that you’ve done the right thing by leaving.
she’s doing everything she ever wanted, what does it matter if she’s not doing it with you?
you’re sure she doesn’t miss you, anyway.
you pretend not to notice when leah views your instagram stories, and you act like it doesn’t make your ache to reach out to her.
but you can’t.
you were a secret to yourself
you couldn't keep from anyone else
now you're the biggest brightest flame
you are a fire that can’t be tamed
you're better than ever, but i knew you when
leah williamson, england captain. but you remember when she was simply leah, the girl with legs too long for her body and a smile too wide for someone in the middle getting told off for tracking mud into her mum's kitchen.
leah williamson, european champion. but you were there when she was just leah williamson, the teenager determined to prove herself and make her family proud.
you held her when she had a bad game, and you cheered on the sidelines when she played her first match as a gunner.
before she was anyone else, she was your best friend.
but...she had always been more than that, hadn't she?
she was always meant for more than you and your garden bouquets and your late night conversations.
she was always going to be more than that little street on milton keynes, and maybe you had always known that you were doomed for heartbreak.
leah williamson had never really been yours.
not even when you were 16, and she told you she liked you the way girls should like boys.
she wasn't yours when she tentatively pressed her lips against yours for the first time on your 17th birthday.
she wasn't even yours when she promised she was.
she had always been her own person, and you were simply the idiot on the sidelines with your arms open for whenever she felt like being someone else’s for a moment.
she had never been yours, but you had known since the day she first presented you with a stolen flower when you were 6 that you were hers.
leah wasn't yours, much like that dandelion wasn't really yours either. because she had ripped it from the ground outside mr. miller's house much like she had done to your heart when she told you that you were a distraction.
you’ve had a long time to get over leah, and an even longer time to find yourself outside of being her best friend. but either you simply don’t want to, or that birthday wish you made when you were turning 17 really did come true, because you find that leah’s the only person you want even after years apart. even after leah had broken your heart and failed to fix it, you still want her to hold you at the end of the night and tell you everything she thinks and feels, and you want nothing more than to listen to her voice and the steady beat of her heart and know that you’re home.
you think that maybe it’s not a bad thing to still want leah. maybe you can start over. you can be leah and y/n again.
it's bittersweet to see you again.
you spend most of your time home falling back into routine with leah, much like the one you had when you were 16.
and while the conversations no longer revolve around who of your classmates fancies who, or how badly you think you did on your recent exam, you feel the same warmth on your cheeks as you did when leah first held your hand so many years before.
your inside jokes still make you laugh harder than any comedy show you've been to, and leah's arm over your shoulder fits better than that tailored coat you got for your 21st birthday.
being back with leah feels right, and that terrifies you.
because it was wrong, wasn't it?
it was wrong to look at leah and see everything you could've had.
but when she catches your eye and glances down to your lips with pink cheeks, you think maybe you'll always be the girls in milton keynes, and maybe the flowers blooming the ground would belong to you once again.
the grin on her lips makes you hot in the face, hot blood in your pulsing veins.
heavy memories weigh on your brain as she presses her lips against yours like they were coming home, and you register her slide something soft into your palm as she kisses you.
reluctantly, you pull away with bated breath and open your hand, peering down curiously at what you now hold.
a dandelion.
“make a wish, y/n.”
you glance up at leah — your leah.
“i don’t think i need to.”
413 notes · View notes
letsgetbigger · 7 months ago
Text
Broken Leg
Part one
It was the third week of the university course, and the campus was buzzing with life and activity. Alex and David, dorm roommates, had hit it off from the start. They attended the same classes, shared meals in the cafeteria, and spent hours together in the gym. Alex was blond and he had an athletic body. What stood out the most about his physique was his perky butt. Despite his shyness, he enjoyed David's company. David, darker-haired and more muscular, exuded confidence and had a dominant presence that Alex found intoxicating. Both were very handsome but still virgins.
One afternoon, David returned from the library loaded with books and notes, only to find Alex in bed with a cast on his leg.
"What happened?" he asked, putting his things aside and approaching him.
Alex sighed, clearly annoyed.
"I had a stupid fall on the stairs. I broke my leg, and the doctor said I should avoid putting weight on it for an entire month."
David frowned.
"Wow. Does it hurt a lot?"
"Yes, but they gave me something for the pain. The worst part is I can't move well, and I don't know how I'll attend classes."
David sat on the edge of Alex's bed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about that. I'll share my notes with you so you won't fall behind."
"Thanks."
"And forget about going to the cafeteria. I'll bring you takeout."
Alex looked at him with gratitude.
"What would I do without you?"
David stood up, his expression firm.
"I'm here to help. We'll get through this together."
With that promise, David set out to take care of Alex over the following weeks.
On his first day as a nurse, David woke up early to attend classes, leaving Alex sleeping in the room. He returned a few hours later with fast food in a bag from a campus restaurant.
"I brought you something to eat," he said, placing the bag on a tray over Alex's bed. "I'm heading to the cafeteria now and then to the gym. I'll fetch your dinner tonight."
"Thanks."
Hungry, Alex glanced at his food and quickly devoured it: a burger, fries, and a milkshake. He felt a bit guilty about consuming so many calories, but hunger and boredom made him ignore those thoughts.
Each day followed a similar pattern. And the evenings became their time together. David would go out for dinner, and they would settle in Alex's bed to watch movies and series on the laptop. They shared laughs and conversations. David often watched Alex eat, noticing small changes in his body. His toned muscles started to soften, and a small layer of fat accumulated around his waist and thighs. Alex also noticed the changes. Initially, he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, though there was something intriguing about it all.
One night, while enjoying a movie together, Alex looked at David.
"I think I've gained some weight," he murmured.
David nodded.
"Yeah, I've noticed. But you're fine, Alex."
David's words made Alex blush and awakened something inside him.
As the days passed, both found themselves thinking more and more about Alex's weight gain. The night before removing the cast, they were in bed, watching a movie. David let his hand rest on Alex's abdomen, feeling the soft curve that had formed. Alex tensed at first but then relaxed, allowing David's hand to stay there.
"I didn't know I'd like this so much," Alex admitted quietly, looking at David with bright eyes.
David smiled, his thumb gently caressing Alex's skin.
"Me neither."
They shared a look filled with meaning. The sexual tension was palpable. David, with his hand still on Alex's soft abdomen, decided to take the first step. He leaned in and brushed his lips against Alex's. Alex responded to the kiss, first shyly and then with growing fervor. When they separated, they were breathing heavily.
"Your physical change turns me on, Alex," David confessed.
Alex gulped.
"It turns me on too," he admitted quietly. "And the fact that you're the one who brought me all that food, that you're partly responsible for my change... arouses me a lot."
Alex's words encouraged David. With a mischievous smile, he took off Alex's shirt, exposing his chest and belly. Alex did the same, undressing David with trembling but determined hands. Alex's pecs, once firm, showed a slight layer of fat, and his nipples were more prominent. His belly had lost definition and appeared softly rounded. David's hands moved down to Alex's pants, unbuttoning and pulling them down. Alex mimicked David. They were left in tight briefs, the fabric clearly outlining their painful hard-ons. With a mix of desire and curiosity, David slid Alex's briefs down, freeing his penis. He then revealed his own. They studied each other for a moment, absorbing the sight of one another, before David took the initiative.
"You look incredible," he murmured, his hand sliding over Alex's abdomen.
His voice was thick with desire. He began to work Alex's cock with slow, firm movements. Alex closed his eyes and let out a moan. Each stroke increased the pleasure.
"David," Alex gasped, "I'm going to... oh... God..."
David increased the pace of his hand while attending to his own erection with equal intensity.
"Let go, Alex," David whispered, his eyes locked on his roommate's.
With a final moan, Alex climaxed. He came in David's hand, who soon reached his own orgasm and collapsed beside him. They knew they had just crossed a line, one they weren't willing to step back from. Their lives had changed forever, and they were eager to explore what the future held.
The next morning, a Saturday, Alex left the doctor's office feeling relieved and excited. After weeks with a cast, he could finally move with more freedom. He had put on sweatpants, since all his jeans were too tight. Opening the dorm door, he found David waiting with a big smile and food temptingly spread out on one of the desks.
"Welcome back to freedom, Alex!" David exclaimed, stepping in for a hug. "I thought we should celebrate in style."
Alex smiled, feeling a special warmth inside.
"Thanks, David. Wow, that's a lot of food."
They sat on the bed, and David started serving him generous portions on a tray. Alex, excited, devoured each bite while David watched with satisfaction. As Alex ate, David couldn't help but comment on the changes in Alex's body.
"You've gained a lot, especially in your butt," he said with a naughty look. "It's gotten bigger and rounder. I love it."
Alex felt his cheeks blush, but couldn't deny he liked David's attention.
"Yeah, these sweatpants are one of the few things that fit," he admitted between bites.
"And not just in your butt," David continued, running his hand over Alex's abdomen. "Your belly has grown too."
After a good while of chewing, swallowing, and drinking, Alex was full and satisfied. But David had more plans for him.
"I want to give you something else, as a reward for eating everything," he said seductively.
David knelt in front of Alex and began to pull down his pants, exposing his tight briefs.
"Wow, these look so snug, Alex," he murmured before freeing Alex's semi-erection and starting to pleasure him with his mouth.
Alex's moans filled the room as David worked skillfully. When Alex reached orgasm, his newly gained fat jiggled. David got up, licking his lips, and leaned in to kiss Alex.
"I want to see you grow more. Would you like that?"
Alex, still feeling waves of pleasure, nodded. David smiled with satisfaction.
Part two
Another month passed, during which David dedicated himself to feeding Alex with great care. Every evening, after dinner at the cafeteria, he made sure his roommate’s belly was well filled. Alex eagerly devoured everything, enjoying both the junk food they bought from local restaurants and the numerous baked goods.
One Sunday afternoon, after a particularly heavy lunch, Alex found himself alone in front of the bathroom mirror. He was only wearing briefs, which now didn't really fit. He turned to see his reflection from different angles. His belly had grown noticeably, rounding out and projecting over the elastic waistband of his underwear. His thighs had thickened, and his love handles bulged out at the sides. But the most striking change was his butt: it had become even bigger and rounder, completely filling the back of his underwear and stretching the fabric almost to its limit. David entered the room at that moment with a box of donuts in hand. Seeing Alex admiring himself in the mirror, a smile of pride and desire appeared on his face.
“Look at you,” David said, approaching and running his hands over Alex’s hips to squeeze the fat with adoration. “You’re so fat...”
Alex shivered at David’s touch and his words.
“It’s your fault,” murmured with excitement.
David moved closer, pressing his body against Alex’s. “I know,” he whispered in his ear before offering him a donut. “Eat.”
Alex took the donut and bit into it, enjoying the sweet taste and the feeling of being fed. As Alex ate, David set the box on the sink, unbuttoned his pants, and lowered his underwear, revealing his immediate erection. Without taking his eyes off Alex’s reflection in the mirror, he slid his tight briefs down with difficulty, exposing his plump cheeks.
“This ass needs to be fucked,” David said, rubbing the sticky tip of his cock between the voluptuous cheeks.
As Alex continued to eat the donuts David gave him, David penetrated him very slowly, their moans mixing with the sounds of Alex chewing. Each thrust was a reminder of how much he had changed, how his body had transformed. David kept whispering in his ear how fat he was. Alex, completely surrendered, felt waves of pleasure through his body. His belly bounced slightly with each movement, and his hard nipples rubbed against the mirror. He finished the last donut just as he reached climax, his cries echoing in the bathroom. David kept moving, prolonging the pleasure for both of them, before finally coming. He stayed inside Alex for a few moments, breathing heavily.
“I want to see you even fatter,” he said.
Alex, still feeling David’s cock inside him and the donuts in his stomach, nodded. “Yes. Make me fatter.”
The next day, Alex and David decided they wouldn’t go to class. The desire to spend the day together enjoying their intimacy and Alex’s body transformation was too strong. David woke up early and went out to buy a large amount of food. He returned to the dorm with several bags full of fast food, cake, and sodas. Alex, still in bed, watched with curious and eager eyes as David placed the food on the desk. The aroma of burgers, fries, pizzas, and desserts made his stomach growl with hunger. David approached the bed with a slice of pizza in hand and held it in front of Alex’s lips.
“Today, we’re going to make sure that fat keeps piling on,” he said with a seductive smile.
Alex opened his mouth and bit into the pizza, tasting the greasy cheese. While Alex ate, David sat beside him, caressing his rounded belly. It wobbled when he shook it. On the other hand, his love handles were so irresistible that David couldn’t stop touching them either.
“You’re so fat, Alex. I love how all this jiggly fat moves,” David said in a low, desire-filled voice.
His hands roamed over every roll, every fold, admiring how Alex’s body had transformed. Alex, with his mouth full, could only moan with pleasure. David’s touch and words of admiration made him feel incredibly sexy. He continued devouring slice after slice, all of them offered by his roommate. David leaned in and began kissing Alex’s belly.
“Will you get even fatter for me?” he asked, looking up to meet Alex’s eyes.
“Yes,” Alex replied, his voice trembling with excitement.
David smiled and pulled down Alex’s pre-cum-soaked underwear, revealing his member. As he finished the pizza, David began to jerk him off slowly, his hands moving skillfully. Alex shivered with pleasure, feeling his body become increasingly sensitive to David’s fingers. His belly bounced slightly with each stroke, as did his nipples. David watched Alex with fascination. He couldn’t resist any longer. He turned Alex over and positioned himself behind him, lowering his own pants and underwear.
“I’m going to fuck you, Alex. And while I do, I want you to eat this burger,” he said, bringing it close to his mouth.
Alex grunted in agreement. David slid his cock into Alex with one hand and pushed the burger towards his mouth with the other, making him eat while he thrust. They quickly reached climax.
The first exams finally came to an end, and the accumulated stress from weeks of studying dissipated. One day, David had the idea to buy a scale. He returned to the dorm with a smile. Alex, who had spent the last few months enjoying the food David fed him, was lying in bed, engrossed in a series.
“Alex, come here,” David called with a mischievous grin on his lips.
Alex got up with some effort, his body clearly more voluminous and heavy. He approached David, who placed the scale in the center of the room.
“It’s time to see how much you’ve grown,” David said, his voice filled with anticipation.
Alex stepped on the scale, and they both watched as the numbers stabilized.
“209 pounds,” David read aloud. “Damn, you’ve gained 55 pounds.”
Alex looked at David and noticed his crotch. Without saying a word, he knelt in front of him, lowered his pants, and started sucking his cock. David moaned, his hands burying in Alex’s hair as he took him deeply into his mouth. The sight of a fatter Alex, dedicated to pleasuring him, drove him wild.
“Yes, Alex, keep going,” he said, trembling with pleasure.
Alex sucked him fervently, enjoying the power he had to arouse David. David’s cock was rock hard, and every moan he made encouraged Alex to continue. David couldn’t hold back any longer. He lifted Alex and pushed him onto the bed.
“What an ass,” David whispered, lowering his extremely tight briefs and giving him a smack.
He entered him slowly, savoring every second.
“You’ve gotten so fat for me...” he said as he began to move.
Alex moaned, feeling the pressure and pleasure mix in his body.
“Yes, David, and I love being like this for you,” he responded, moving in sync with David’s thrusts.
David increased the pace, his hands firmly gripping Alex’s love handles.
“You’re so sexy, so... obese,” he murmured.
They both reached orgasm simultaneously, their bodies shaking in unison. After coming, David collapsed on top of Alex, panting and sweaty. A few seconds later, he rolled off and lay next to him.
“David,” Alex began, turning to look him in the eyes, “I have something to confess. I want both of us to get fat. I’d like to see you with some extra pounds.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“You’re into fat, it’s obvious. Don’t you wonder what it would feel like on your own body?”
“Well, I am curious, yes.”
“I think we should start this Christmas break. We’ll stay here on campus, and we can spend it eating and enjoying ourselves.”
David smiled, his face lighting up with the same excitement Alex felt.
“We can give it a go.”
They looked at each other with a mix of love and lust, knowing that the path they had chosen together would be full of pleasure and discoveries. And so, with a new determination, they prepared for the next chapter of their shared story, ready to see how far they could go.
Part three
Christmas vacation was coming to an end, and for Alex and David, those days had been a complete transformation. Not just in their bodies, but in their relationship. Ever since Alex had confessed his desire for both of them to gain weight together, they had dedicated every moment to fulfilling it. Every morning, they ordered huge breakfasts for delivery: piles of pancakes covered in butter and maple syrup, sausages, eggs, and calorie-rich milkshakes. At noon, they took turns going out for fast food, which consisted of burgers, pizzas, and huge servings of fries. And dinner was always a feast, with endless desserts. They ate, laughed, and shared caresses as their bodies expanded day by day.
The result of those weeks of indulgence was undeniable. Alex, who had started with a chubby body, had gained even more weight. His belly now spilled over the waistband of his pants, soft and rounded. His thighs rubbed against each other. And his naturally perky butt now projected with additional volume, making it very prominent. David, on the other hand, had begun his transformation with a more muscular body. But the constant intake of food and the temporary abandonment of the gym had added pounds in a distributed manner. His navel, deep as it was, got lost in a belly that was beginning to round out. His large nipples seemed more prominent under the soft fabric of his tight shirts, and his hips and thighs had acquired a layer of fat that gave him a more voluptuous contour. His butt, always firm, now had a softness that made it jiggle slightly when he moved.
It was a Sunday afternoon when they decided to face the results of their dedication. They looked at each other, their eyes full of complicity and desire, and headed to the scale. Alex went first.
“231 pounds,” David announced triumphantly. “You’ve gained another 22 pounds this vacation.”
Alex smiled, feeling pride and excitement. He stepped off the scale and gestured for David to take his place. David stepped up and waited for the numbers to stabilize.
“201 pounds,” read Alex. “You’ve gained almost 44 pounds. How is that possible?”
Without a word, they removed their underwear, which was uncomfortably tight around their waists and butts.
“I love how you look,” murmured David, approaching Alex and sliding a hand over his belly.
“And I love how you’ve gotten,” Alex responded, his hands running down David’s sides.
They celebrated with a kiss what they had created together and David led Alex to the bed.
“I’m going to give you all the pleasure you deserve,” David whispered. “Every pound you’ve gained is because of me, and that drives me crazy.”
His lips kissed Alex’s neck while his fingers played with his nipples. Alex moaned, his hands finding David’s nipples, pinching them gently and enjoying the reaction it provoked.
“And every pound you’ve gained is because of me,” Alex replied.
David smiled, embracing Alex, whose cock was hard and dripping.
“Let’s eat a bit more,” David suggested, reaching for a chocolate cake cut into generous slices that he had left on his desk the day before. “I want to watch you devour this while I fuck you.”
Alex turned around, his breath quickening with anticipation. As David slowly penetrated him, he began eating the slices, one after another, each bite filling him with both food and pleasure. His moans filled the room as David moved inside him, whispering, 'You’re so obese' and 'I love your fat ass.' Alex asked David to eat some cake too, and David obeyed. They finished the whole thing quickly. When they climaxed, David collapsed on Alex, both covered in crumbs.
“Let’s keep this up,” Alex murmured, his voice barely audible. “Let’s get even fatter.”
David nodded, kissing Alex’s forehead.
The morning sun filtered through the curtains, waking Alex and David. They stretched in their beds, feeling the additional weight of their bodies after a holiday of indulgence. They looked at each other and laughed, knowing they would have to face the reality of their new sizes today.
“We should try on our school clothes before classes resume,” David said, getting out of bed. “I doubt anything other than a couple of big t-shirts and sweatpants will fit.”
Alex felt a mix of nervousness and excitement at the thought of how his clothes would fit his new curves. They started searching through their closets. David was the first to try on a shirt. It was one of his favorites, black, which used to fit him perfectly. Now, as he slid it over his torso, the fabric stretched noticeably over his belly, and his bulging nipples were more prominent than ever.
“It looks ridiculous on me,” David said, looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and then at Alex.
Alex couldn’t help but bite his lower lip at such a display of David’s weight gain.
“You look like a cow! Let me try,” he said, pulling out some stretchy jeans.
He pulled them up over his wide thighs with difficulty.
“Ugh! I can’t button them,” he commented, turning to see the fabric stretching dangerously over his hips.
David watched as Alex’s unbuttoned pants didn’t cover his butt, accentuating its new roundness.
“You’re the cow. Those seams are going to burst any moment,” David teased.
They continued trying on different clothes, laughing and making erotic comments. It was clear they needed new clothes.
They left their dorm dressed poorly and walked to the nearest store. Every step made their bodies move enticingly: their bellies jiggled slightly, and their butts swayed sensually.
They returned to their dorm having acquired several large pieces of clothing, including underwear, turned on by the sights in the changing rooms.
“Today, I realized how truly fat we are,” David said, touching Alex’s belly and feeling the softness under his fingers.
“I know,” Alex said, grabbing David’s tits.
The room filled with whispers, caresses, and moans, every movement a promise of pleasure.
The first day of classes after the holidays went by somewhat normally for Alex and David. They got up early, dressed in their new clothes, and attended classes. Everyone commented on how much weight they had gained over Christmas, but they just shrugged. After the morning classes, they headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Even though the food was healthy, they ate way too much.
They lay down in their beds back in their dorm room.
“Should we go back to the gym?” Alex asked, though without much conviction.
David looked at him and smiled.
“I’d rather order a pizza and keep enjoying this,” he said, slapping his own belly.
Alex laughed and nodded.
“That sounds better. But pizza? We just ate.”
They decided to play a little prank. They put on the smallest underwear they had, ones they hadn’t thrown away on purpose. The elastic waistband dug into their flesh and shamelessly showed their ass cracks.
“Let’s see the pizza guy's reaction,” David said, adjusting his underwear and admiring his reflection in the mirror.
Soon the doorbell rang. David opened the door, revealing his barely covered body in his briefs. Alex approached as well, both of them shamelessly showing off. The pizza guy stood there, mouth open, unable to avoid staring at their exposed roundness.
“Here... here’s your pizza,” he said in a trembling voice, handing over the boxes.
“Thanks,” Alex said, taking the pizza and turning around.
They burst into laughter as they closed the door.
“He looked at us like we were monsters!” David said.
“That was incredible!” Alex added.
They took off their underwear, sat on Alex’s bed, opened the box, and started devouring the pizza. Every bite was a mix of pleasure and lust.
“Look how fat you are,” David mumbled.
“And what about you? Fat pig,” Alex responded.
Desire grew between them, and as they continued chewing, they touched and masturbated each other. The insults about their obesity took them to new levels of excitement. They were trapped in a cycle of pleasure and fatness, and both knew there was no going back.
Final part
After months of classes, spring break, final exams, much indulgence, and endless sessions of pleasure, the school year was almost over. Alex and David woke up one morning feeling the weight of their bodies, the result of their voracious appetite and constant desire to gain weight.
David opened his eyes first, his hand brushing the expanse of his belly before getting out of bed. His body moved with noticeable effort. The lard on his abdomen spilled over in several folds. His large, dark nipples stood out on his soft chest, surrounded by a mass of flesh that jiggled with every movement. His arms, once firm and toned, were now thick and full. He looked down at his legs. His thighs had widened considerably, and his calves were filled with fat. The most unexpected change was his butt. His glutes had expanded enormously, each fat and rounded cheek bouncing slightly as he walked. His hips had also widened, giving him a more voluptuous shape.
“Alex, are you awake? Let’s weigh ourselves, fatso. It’s time,” David mumbled sleepily.
Alex got out of bed. His body wasn’t far behind in changes. His abs, once firm and defined, had disappeared under a thick layer of fat. His belly hung over the waistband of his XL briefs, creating a roundness that swayed with every movement. His nipples were also larger. As for his arms, they were surrounded by a layer of fat that gave them a soft appearance. His thighs had grown considerably, as had his calves, and his glutes, once firm and perky, were now even bigger and rounder than David’s, a tempting sight with every step he took.
They headed together to the scale. David stepped on first, watching the numbers rapidly rise until they stopped at 326 pounds.
“Holy crap! 326 pounds,” he said with a mix of amazement and excitement.
Then it was Alex’s turn. He stepped on the scale. The numbers climbed until they stopped at 313 pounds.
“313 pounds,” Alex said proudly and worriedly.
David approached Alex to caress his enormous butt, his hands sinking into the soft, overflowing flesh. He squeezed the cheeks lightly, making them jiggle like jelly. Alex's hands roamed David’s soft belly to feel every inch of fat. Then his fingers played with David’s salami-sized nipples, which instantly hardened. They looked at each other intensely. It had totally gotten out of hand. What would their families say when they saw them in the summer?
“David, I love you.”
“I love you too, Alex.”
535 notes · View notes
picklebunbun · 2 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
summary; You've had relationship problems with Ratio, even through your wedding preparations. You weren't even sure if you wanted to get married and you ultimately chose to leave him at the alter because you couldn't take it anymore
﹒🪼| ౨ৎ˚₊‧ | ↪ ; cw ; this is supposed to make you cry, implied? cheating?mentions of emotional relationship neglect, Dr. Ratio is upset in this one, everyone is invited except those stupid fucking losers (Jade and Sparkle), even idrilla is there
๋࣭ ⭑ Dr. Ratio x GN Reader, Modern AU, you/yours pronouns, you will be referred to spouse, no AGAB, reader doesn't specifically have a dress or suit but will be implied as a 'bride' { they walk down the aisle and wear white },
{ angel's notes 🪽; I know I've been gone for a long time, I just started freshman year and everything has been piling on, I'll try to make more updates with requests. This took way too long }
lıllılı.ıllı.ılılıılıı.lllııılı.
now playing [fish.]
0:26 ———♡——— 3:50
◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷
Tumblr media
italics; thinking | bold; yelling
Silence..
You stare at the stained window, you've been meaning to clean it for a while, but just couldn't find the motivation to do so. The candle by your bedside going out, as you stared at the window for what seems to be hours. Completely empty, eyes growing tired as you continue to patiently wait for your fiance ,
mm,,, no,, that word didn't feel quite right
What else are you supposed to call him anyways? You looked down, of course he did it again, he always does this, what's the point of getting married if you don't have enough time for your partner? If this is what commitment looks like,, then I don't want it
It seemed like the educated man was staying home from work, this always happens, what did you expect? It's not like the relationship was supposed to last this long, you weren't even sure if you wanted to get married in the first place, everything just happened too fast, like everything spiraled in one. Why was it in that moment that you felt so sure that this was the path you wanted to choose? Was it how lonely you were? Veritas wasn't a bad lover, but it would've been preferable if he didn't ignore them most of the time, which was because of work. The thing was , you suspected that there was this co-worker, that Ratio often spent time with, had this crush on him. It was this blonde man, with unbelievably beautiful eyes, flamboyant yet extravagant sense of style, he always smelt like a bakery, vanilla with a hint of floral essence. It definitely made you nervous, it was Aventurine, right?
You brought it up with the Greek man, to which he caressed your back and kissed your panic away. It's not like he's a terrible boyf... err.. fiance. He won't cheat, he's not that type of person. He just has a lot going on, that's why he's at work all the time.. but what if it's to see that shorter man, he could be his type, this is so surreal, I can't feel my face, what do I do? What do I do? I just want to go home..
This deep pit in your stomach became more evident as you..
..held him
Told him that you loved him
Kissed him
You put a hand over their mouth, a jittering feeling over-taking you as you felt more sick. Stop deceiving him like this, he's done so much for you, why can't you see that,
This hollow hole rested in your entire being, nothing had any color. In any moment, there could be an intruder and you wouldn't know, just too distracted by your thoughts swallowing them whole. You grasp for your greasy, unkept hair, been meaning to wash it for days but never got to it. Tears swell up as an air bubble gets lodged in the your throat, gasping for air as you try to get over your anxiety attack, neck feeling sore as you continue soaking in your tears. The room was spinning, it set in on how alone everything was, everything was feeling so uncomfortable now, nothing is correct anymore.
"someone help me.."
a meekly voice erupts,
but no one will hear you
Tumblr media
The scenery was beautiful, a vibrant orange and purple sunset cascaded over the venue. It was at a ginormous church, freshly polished ivory walls, decorated with gold linings. The roof was painted with cherubs, faint but noticeable. Golden frames make sure to accentuate the oil painting of Mother Mary. An eccentric church, Dr. Ratio would've pegged it to be a catholic institution, to which, as always, he was correct.
Pillars centering towards the pink blossom archway. Herta was there as well, she just wanted to be there to judge everything rather than being emotional support, you looked at Dr. Ratio inspecting everything, he was always so meticulous about these types of buildings. From what you recalled, Veritas used to think that structures with a maximalist style always had something wrong with the actual structure, he always said that they try to hide something behind all the glamour. It was humiliating just looking at him, the priest and betrothed being exchanged glances as Veritas knocked on the girthy, stained glass. It was art of Jesus Christ with two divine servants at his feet, exquisitely crafted. It was just his way to see how thick and secure it was. The whole church must've taken at least 10 years straight to skillfully complete the entire establishment.
You dove your hands in your pockets. The frost biting at your reddening fingertips, fluffy snow covered the car by now, the weather was not suitable for a warm-welcoming wedding, but it was what Veritas wanted, so that is what he got. To be honest, you didn't really do anything for the planning, Ratio just told you to not worry about preparation and to relax, nothing really interesting these days. you can see the glistering, ivory slush on the exterior of the venue. Veritas' co=workers would think that this would be an immensely magnificent place, being tempted to touch everything.
"Veritas, I think the church is fine"
You sigh out, this was getting too awkward for you.
"Hold on, dear"
The woman in purple robes speaks up, talking to you.
"How much did you spend on this alone?"
"You should ask him, he's been the one doing all the planning"
"How come? You didn't want to be involved?"
"Eh,, it's not that, he just didn't want me to help him I guess"
"Did he not trust you?"
"N...no, it's not that, we just fought a lot about it"
"Is it because of the decorations? Did you not want a wedding?"
You feel throw up come up
"No, no, I do want to get married.."
"Are you sure? If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed that you didn't want to get married"
The porcelain soul giggled, and you gave a half-hearted one. You felt your heart sinking as well, remembering that you did indeed have to marry this man, is it too late to back out? That comment made you stare at the floor, nothing on your mind, it took you aback. You felt your muscles getting heavier with each passing second, it didn't help that every minute you spent at this idiotic place was excruciatingly painful.
You felt your nostrils flare from the rapid heating traveling to your face. The major migraine coming through as you re-play the recent scenarios through your head, flying off the handle. How irritating and bothersome,
Can he just hurry up?
Honestly. How long do I have to wait here for?
The church is completely fine!
Why is he being so dramatic!
This is getting so annoying.
JUST HURRY UP
Your fingers tapped the side of your thigh as your jaw clenches, it would've hurt if your weren't acting like a bear with a sore head. The sole of your shoes aggressively drummed against the polished, marble floors. The ache in your brain was getting worse, god, it was insufferable, just like Ratio's tedious need to check everything in place, it's like you can never win! An exasperated groan escaped your lips.
"Veritas, let's go."
"Hold on, [name]"
Seeming to not pay any mind to your tone, since he was basically measuring the elongated, wooden seats, he responded carelessly.
Oh, he's really in it now.
"Let's go."
"In a minute"
Oh my god?!
"Veritas."
"Just wait-"
you grind your teeth as your anger reaches a boiling point
"DAMN IT! RATIO"
His head whips back, pupils shrink as his eyelids widen. Herta looked at you, judgment coursing through her mind, seems like she wasn't all that surprised, but she still let out a little 'yikes'. You crossed your arms against your chest, you were gripping the sides of your arm sleeves, it felt like they were going to rip off. The echo from your shout faded into obscurity, it was the silence that followed after that seemed to be blaring in your ears. The immense space of the Lord’s house was what made your hollering almost deafening, it would be no surprise if outsiders could’ve heard you. Ratio waits for a second before finally getting up, not wanting to aggravate you even further. You see him dust off any soot that remained stuck on his pants, footsteps approach you, indicating that he’s coming closer, he begins to dubiously suggest to exit, whenever you blew a fuse, it was pretty effortless to lash out.
“Alright, then.. let’s go”
"You two can proceed without me, I'll remain here a while longer"
Tumblr media
You lumber to the car, Veritas following behind you. Crunchy, thin layers of snow compressed under your foot. Blusterous winds coming at you, gnawing on your nose and cheeks, your thews were getting numb from the frost. Jesus, how do people live in this weather?! While walking, you took the chance to puff on your stinging hands, the numbness leaving your skin. Oh, how you long to place your hand over a fire, pyro flames crackling from the moisture escaping. Ash would be decorated around the fireplace, it give the comforting feeling that you're back home and never have to leave. The heat would engulf you, hugging you as it protects you from the cold. Not even massaging your upper arms would fully reheat you back, Mother Nature was not gentle this season, attacking outsiders vigorously.
Creased brows adorned Veritas' face, a dip was shown between his eyebrows. His crossed arms and the needless stomping of his feet made it apparent that he was getting exacerbated by the previous predicament. The Greek man's upper half was lunging towards the driver's seat. Ratio used to hold the door for you, it was his way of being polite, you would be lying if you didn't have a soft spot for that tiny habit of his, it'd touch your heart. Although, now, he didn't do it,
The audacity..!
Does he know how he already treats me?
And he's the angry one?
Stop throwing a tantrum Ratio.
Ignoring how you behaved wouldn't make you feel better, but you were just so pent up from Veritas' emotional neglect and the constant worrying about that colleague, especially since he's so flirtatious with him.
Agh! It was so distressing just seeing them together,
I just want to wipe that smug look off his face,
worse part is, Ratio invited him to the wedding,
I told him that he makes me uneasy,
I know he's trying to steal Ratio,
why can't he just listen to me?!
You were getting furious again, the way you slammed the car could've made it obvious enough. You two were truly a match made in heaven to be worked up at the same time. Huffing and puffing in your seats while you two look straight ahead, the scorching temperature in your coat along with the feverishness from your wrathful attitude made it unbearable to stay still, it felt like your skin was being pricked with blazing needles. The tension between you two was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, only god knows how this is going to go down.
" What. Was. That."
You mentally sigh,
"How do you mean?"
"The minor altercation you had esteemed with me at the church—might there be a particular rationale for your current discontent, manifesting in such unseemly volumes directed at me?"
"I.. just wanted to go home"
"Are you so pessimistic as to raise your voice in my presence? I think not."
"Ugh.. I don't want to have this conversation with you.."
"You were quite insistent in having vociferously summoned my attention."
"That's because I didn't feel well and wanted to go home!"
"Might you kindly elucidate the matter that troubles you, or shall you indulge in yet another of your temper tantrums?"
"Why are you this agitated about the fact that I asked if we could go?!"
"Screech not asked."
You shriek in rage, you shuffled in your seat as fire boils up to your cheeks. Sweat beads down your forehead from how overwhelmed you were.
"This epitomizes my point, you have retreated like an infant."
"You keep badgering me expecting an answer but sometimes I just don't want to respond because you have this urge to insult me for how I feel!"
"Such a predicament could have been averted had you communicated with me."
"Ratio! You barely have the time to actually listen, it's like I have to beg you to do it! Even when you do, you NEVER listen You're focused on work and not the wedding, which I originally wanted to help with by the way! You're focused on that slutty, blonde co-worker of yours more than your own future spouse, huh?!"
"Aventurine?! Shall we PERSIST in this discourse? I have conveyed to you that there is no intimate relationship between us. What further assurances do you seek? Am I unable to indulge your desires ?!"
"Why are you acting like it's an issue to comfort me?!"
"It's like I constantly have to console you, it never ends with you!"
"Are you kidding me?! Do you know how Aventurine looks at you, oh my Aeons, Veritas! It's like he's eye-fucking you right in front of me!"
"No he doesn't, this is what you do, you blow everything out of proportion, what is happening with you?!"
"Oh, I'm sure you don't know how I feel because you're too busy spending time with that HOMEWRECKER"
"Stop criticizing him with high-school insults , you're acting like a toddler, [Name]!"
"I can't even believe this, you won't ask why I've been changing but you'll immediately point how how I'm complaining about that blonde bimbo?! Do you even care?!"
"Of course I care, but you insulting my dearest friend won't make you feel better"
dearest friend?!
"Really?! Dearest friend?! HAH! Don't make me laugh!"
"Do you want me to brag about you all the time?! Is that what this is?!"
"You sure as hell don't have a problem talking about Aventurine!"
"DEFENDING him is not the same as complimenting"
"All this time we've been arguing, never ONCE have you mentioned how alone I feel, you've just been focused on that whore!"
"Because I don't know what you want me to say, what more can I do, I can't fix your insecurities for you!"
"I'm not asking you to, I just want you to be there for me!"
" There's always something with you, sometimes it's just draining being with you. I just wish for once you could stop dragging everyone down with you, you've become ill, I can't even recognize you! You just spew ignorance just from this conversation!"
...
Your breath hitches, this sense of betrayal hunches over you. Your voice gets caught in your throat, heart pounding as you could hear it thunderously breaking out of your chest. It's like your consciousness was detached from your whole body, you could feel the water works were coming to you. No control over what your brain decides to do, and you feel pain in your hit you square in the gut, no, he was hitting you in the gut. The utter cruelness you had to reach in order to tell your fiance off because they were discussing their feelings was astounding. Oh, how you wish that you could go back to the espresso scented mornings, and shared baths. Why did everything have to turn out this way,
Why did I have to make it this way
Voice shrill as you accidentally let out a tiny cry. You turn your head to view the car window. The sight was not pleasant, it's an eyesore looking at broken down, rusty cars being trapped in snow. Wore down tires stuck to the road from the frost. and beaten-in dents really accentuated how crappy the car is. The ugliest thing by far were the moldy plazas, the signs were growing mysterious brown stains, it looks like it hasn't cleaned in years.
You could feel Veritas' eyes burning in the back o your skull, the worst feeling is knowing that someone's blue in the face by how your coming off, and the most wretched thing about it is that you know that it's most likely entirely your fault.
Hot teardrops run down your cheeks, trying to simultaneously brush them away with your sleeve. It's not like Ratio would reassure you, whenever you end up crying after an argument, he doesn't. He always said how you brought it upon yourself, that you shouldn't have tried to verbally brawl with him if you were going to end up wailing.
I wish I could call mom right now..
"Are you going to call your mother like you always do?"
He deeply exhales at your foolishness,
You look back at him, a glare goes right for him, your eyes were puffy from how your water blobs overpower your eyes' the drainage system. The hell is wrong with this man?
"None of your business."
"That's what you always do anyways I don't even need to ask."
"To hell with you, it must be nice thinking you've won this dispute, everything is just a competition to you, even your own fiance's feelings."
You breathe out a mini "asshole", the ferocity of your anger was shown from how brutally you shut the car door.
..
This was all a mistake
You weren't supposed to marry him yet
but you can't back out now
what a nasty man...
Tumblr media
No no no no no no no no no no no nononononononononono...
It's gone
It's completely gone
I lost it
nonononononononononononononononoNONONONONONO
You were pacing around the room, there was this beautiful golden necklace that disappeared, a thick Singaporean necklace which was plated in diamonds. The center of it all was a beautiful... jade or aventurine gem, You prayed to god that it wasn't an aventurine gem. Despite that, it fit with the jewelry nicely, reflective and a stunning little thing. It was a grim couple of weeks, After that squabble with Veritas, you broke down, it was the late night fretting that really got to you. Fly-aways in your hair became worse, and it was getting really tiring to untangle it every time, it feels like you have to battle with it just to keep it mildly tame.
You placed both your hands on your heartbeat, you couldn't believe this, how did you lose such a treasure in such a short amount of seconds. You've checked EVERYWHERE, under the couch placed in the dressing room, the vanity, the bathroom, behind the potted plants, but nothing. Oh, Aeons, this is the worse, you idiot! how did you lose it this quickly!
Damn it, Ratio is not going to let you hear the end of it
Desperately looking for a sign, something to give you a hint to where it is.
Aeons, please help me..
You've been ready for quite a while, but it was just that one piece that was missing..
AND IT WAS THAT STUPID NECKLACE!
You stumble back, your back calf bumping into the stool seat. You're fingers ravels across your whole face. Is it just you, or is the air getting harder to respire in. Heat flashes overtake you as your blood runs cold. You can hear yourself hyperventilating, wheezes escaping your mouth as you attempt to tranquil yourself. It was hard to exhale in general, each time you felt a puff wander up your esophagus, a sharp, sore pain pricks your nerves. Sweat enclose on your whole body from head to toe, your skin feels extremely sticky, smelling your incredibly slicked hair just from the moisture.
Exceedingly shaky hands try to reach for your ice cold water, contrasting with your heating hands. When the frigid glass met your skin, it startled you, causing you to immediately drop your cup on instinct. Fresh water spilling everywhere, covering decoration pieces and the spotless, clear mirror. You internally curse yourself out before you scream it out,
"SHIT!"
This dramatic gasp was hear, it was you. You try to wipe the water on your expensive outfit, but decided against it. Your enchanting outfit was hand-crafted by Tingyun herself, and she clearly stated that your ivory, platinum attire should not get wet as it would ruin the material. Not really remembering anything after that, all that your brain could muster up was the fox lady making operatic gestures on how absolutely "dangerous" it is to drench the clothing with any fluid.
You can not take that possible risk and ruin the matrimony any longer. This day was just splendid, you have nowhere to wipe your soaked hands, you lost your (almost) husband's vital necklace, and now you're sniffling from the fact that you're about to cry. This day was a mess- no.. maybe it was a sign being wedded was not the ideal situation for your destiny.
I just can't take this anymore,
my makeup is going to get ruined
Aventurine is here
I can't find that damn adornment
I spilt water
I'm just a complete mess..
I.. can't do this anymore..
The trickles of a familiar saline liquid fall down your lashes. Restrained sobs flee from your grasp as you try to stay quiet. Your chest rapidly went up and down, hoping to still your breath, but it didn't work-
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
AAAAHHHHHHH WHAT THE FUCK!
You shout
"AH!-"
"[Name]? It's Topaz!"
"Uhm- and Aventurine.."
You grimaced just by the mention of his name,
"Ack! Whatever, are you okay, sweetie?"
"Yeah, we heard you crying"
As if you'd fucking care!
"em.. uh.. yeah.. I'm.. okay.."
It got muted, everything was serene. It gives you a chance to catch your breath and tranquilize your state of mind. You view your trembling hands that wouldn't settle themselves. Perturbed eyes that got more damaged from the high concentration of salt.
"[Name]."
"Yeah..?"
"Please don't lie to me"
...
"Sorry... You guys can come in"
You swiftly swab away your tears, nose sniffling. Your throat felt sticky with the mucus covering it. This uncontrollable throbbing pain was getting more apparent, it was vague but you could still undoubtedly feel it. The blaring illumination from the vanity mirror was just making it worse. It's like a hangover, maddening and agonizing, you have to wait all day until the bothersome migraine flees away.
The door creaks open, this sudden pain shoots through your ears and brain from the mosquito-like noise. Topaz was wearing this beautiful silk dress, flashy but sophisticated, gleaming gold arches on her dress are placed on her rib area. this exquisitely detailed pendant was connected to a shiny, band on her neck. It was all decorated in a French-style.
Topaz had this uneased expression on her face, she rushed her way towards you. The woman didn't have time to pull up a chair, her friend was in distress, and as a bridesmaid, she was determined to drop everything to aid you. Her manicured hand rests on your cheek, it's soft, and strangely comforting.
Aventurine, on the other hand, was standing near the doorway. He had this floral embroidered waistcoat, it was a dusty pink, damn he looked good. Under the vest, a puffy, Ouji dress shirt fit nicely with the rest of the outfit. It was a pristine, pale color, everything about his attire just screamed polished. Reflective, blonde locks were ornamented with blooming hairpieces.
"What happened? Are you nervous about the wedding? Oh, I'm sure Dr. Ratio will think your absolutely gorgeous-"
"-No.. no.. no, it's just that.. I lost this stupid necklace that Veritas gave me. I can't find it anywhere, and I'm scared that he'll get mad at me.."
Topaz and Aventurine exchanged troubled glances.
"Ah... well.. uhm, I'm sure he won't get mad!"
Easy for you to say!
"He'll only get mad if you don't tell him early on"
Oh, I'm sure you'd know, Aventurine.
"Right! We should tell him now!"
..What
"W.. What?! No!"
"Don't worry it'll be fine! If you tell him right now then you won't have to worry after! I'll be back!"
"Wait! Topaz!"
You reach out to pull her back, but her wrist disappears before you can even touch it. Topaz picks a bit of her dress up so her heels wouldn't trap it, it was a floor-length, dark, barbie pink, it was also provided by Tingyun, for free at that.
There was this mortified look on your face, your eyelids were expansive. The world was crumbling right before you, ready to get faced with Veritas' disastrous fury. Lava would be swarming over you if he found out, Aeons, he'd be so inflamed with you.
My life is so over.
Your heart was going up your esophagus, you can feel it pulsing with all it's power. Your organs can feel the impending doom coming up, your stomach was bubbling, your lungs were rapidly gasping for air, your brain was panicking, all these scenarios were running through your head.
Your head was down, you can't even look at him, you'd just turn into a pitiful goop on the floor, stuck to it for eternity. Aventurine was still in the room, unsure of what to do. He had the idea that you did despise the very existence of him, so he wasn't sure if he should even dab your skin with his velvet glove.
You hear heels clacking
she's coming back, and with Ratio, you presume
Oh no
Are you going to vomit or burp
Either way something's coming up
"Topaz, what was so urgent that you had to rush me over to my future spouse's dressing room"
?
huh.. ?
"It's just something important!"
You can hear a snort come up, it seemed to be Aventurine.
What's so funny, Aventurine.
"What's so funny, Aventurine?"
"Just the new 'sunglasses' you have, they really fit you, Doctor~"
He purrs at Dr. Ratio, what the hell is wrong with him?!
He's basically making ou- wait what? Sunglasses?
You pick your head up
what the?!
There it was, Topaz, on her tippy toes, her hands barely reaching his eyebrows. Her whole body was strained just to cover his eyes. It seemed like Ratio had to bend his knees a bit just so she had an easier time.
"Topaz, please uncover my eyes"
"No can do! You can't see them before the wedding, it's bad luck!"
I think this whole ceremony is an indication of bad luck
You hear Veritas sigh
"What's the problem that was so critical for me to hear"
Topaz gestures for you to say it, her eyes beaming bright, and a supportive smile dousing her lips.
uhm..
"Uh.. uhm.."
"Hm?"
"Uhm.."
...
"I might've lost the necklace you gave me..."
"Dear, I can't hear you if you speak so quietly"
"I.. lost the necklace.."
"What?"
"I lost the.. necklace you gave me..:
"."
...
"Excuse me?"
Ouhhh....
"I.. uhm.."
"What is wrong with you?! Do you just lose everything that I give you?!"
Your head immediately perks up to look at him.
"It was just a-"
"[Name], I give you a necklace ESPECIALLY for YOU to wear. How. Do. You. Lose. It."
"I did have it, you don't have to yell at me!"
"CLEARLY, not since you just somehow lost it, how insolent do you have to be"
"ok, Doctor-"
"Not now, Aventurine."
"You make enough money to buy a second one, It's not like I lost it on purpose!"
"It's not that, it's the fact that you're so FORGETFUL that you just misplace ANYTHING I give you. You have to be more responsible I can't KEEP HOLDING YOUR HAND"
"STOP YELLING AT ME"
The Doctor rips Topaz's hands of his face
"Ratio!-"
"It seems that you didn't lose your phone, what? Are you gonna call your mom again?!"
"Why do you keep bringing her up?!"
"Because, you ALWAYS RUN from your problems"
"I DON'T RUN, YOU'RE JUST NEVER THERE"
"THIS AGAIN, HONESTLY, STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD"
...
"..."
".. I'm going back, get ready."
"..."
You can hear his formal, polish, black leather shoes tromp on the floor, and even louder was the thunderclap following the door slam. You flinched, now hyper-aware of everything, it's like your lungs were feebly inhaling, hands cupped up as they were placed upon your chest. Little sharp coughs release the ache in your throat walls, a corrosive feeling in your eyes weren't as tormenting as the images of Ratio's expressively wrathful face.
Low sobs were getting muffled from the seclusion of your hands. Your back was hunched, legs pressed together tightly, like sardines. It's like someone punched the air right out of you, making it difficult to breathe through your blubbering, messy breakdown.
"Oh, geez, uhm- here, [Name]"
You could hear Topaz's fancy heels making their way towards you. She lifts your head up and leisurely wipes your tears away with a soft, cotton tissue.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's going to be okay. He's just stressed because it's his big day. Before you know it, everything will end up perfect, this is just a little hiccup, you'll be okay"
"Oh, shoot.. make sure their make-up doesn't get ruined.."
Aventurine makes his way over to you, he dabs your cheeks with his finger to fix your blush.
"You look so beautiful, [Name]"
"Yeah, Ratio will realize how pretty you are"
"Hey, do you think the church would know if a cherub figure was missing?"
"Depends on how big it is"
"It's pretty tiny, it so pretty though, I just want to snatch it up!"
muffled
..
Aeons, they're so annoying
Could you just stop talking
Stop touching my face.
Stop touching my hair.
Stop it,
Stop it, stop it,
StopstopstopstopstopstopstopstOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP IT STOP IT I DON'T LIKE THIS
"CAN YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!"
The duo's hands abruptly pause. trembling hands reach your face, feeling your wet cheeks, Your whole body was shuddering from the aggravation coursing through your body. You can feel your entire head tottering uncontrollably, hot flashes coming in and out.
"Wh-"
"I just can't,,,- do this anymore!"
You shove their hands away as you rose up from your seat, your leg bulldozing the seat out of the way, almost tripping on the way to the bathroom.
"Wait! Are-"
SLAM
...
Tumblr media
Wedding bells ring, piercing through your ears. This church was aged, the bells were still intact, the workers were taking special care of this long-lived building. It was a truly magnificent venue, as elegant as Dr. Ratio, or, at least his tastes. The perfume of the bouquet was infiltrating your nostrils,
EVERYONE was invited, even idrila, which was who Argenti was looking for, anyone could see that rose-headed knight searching around. His armor was getting noisy, irritating the guests. Topaz was a bridesmaid, and Screwllum was the best man, right by the groom's side. Clara was the most excited, other than Ratio, she was a flower girl. Pink, sparkly, blossoming mini-heels, they weren't the cheap princess ones that toddlers usually get for their birthday party, but instead made of the most intricate crystals. Her dress was completely pink with a blinging gemstone tiara to match her curly up-do.
It was a full house, something that made you nervous. You didn't feel your best, or looked your best, this contagious feeling of suspense was pulling you back. Oh no, this isn't what you wanted, this isn't what you should have.
You found the damned necklace, you should be thrilled that you discovered it. You should be cheerful that you're going to finally marry this man.
You should be..
But you're not.
You were devoid of any happiness, the sight of his face makes you sick. Even worse, the sight of him with that enchantress makes you get more ill. Veritas isn't the right one, you should've said something a long time ago.
Your legs unconsciously move back,
You have to walk the aisle
Oh Aeons, the music's starting
You have to stay
No
You have to move, this isn't how you'll live you're life
You don't deserve this anymore
Move
MOVE
All of a sudden, The carnations and roses got launched on the floor, the petals falling off. Such exquisiteness shouldn't merit such treatment, but neither should you. Your back slouched, like someone gagging over a sink, knees buckled. Sweat beading in your forehead, hands vigorously gripping that stupid necklace.
Diamonds falling everywhere, little thuds appearing on the red carpet.
..
Veritas' huffed out some frustration, fixing his collar. Today was supposed to be perfect, but he ruined it by squalling at his fiance. How stupid could he honestly be, it was really just a necklace, not even a valuable heirloom. He had to confess, he was a little tense from the amount of people present. Ratio was never the uneasy one, it was usually you, he just spewed pride, whether it was his intelligence or his body. Even worse, you were most likely disturbed from how he treated you.
He mentally facepalms himself from how idiotic he was being. The Grecian has noticed your deteriorating psychological state, he shouldn't have triggered it any longer.
The man noticed everyone rubbing their arms, he should've turned on the heater. It was terribly frigid, icicles could form inside the church if they wanted to. Normally, Veritas wouldn't even notice how chilly it was, always setting the thermostat 60 or below. You used to reprimand him, complaining about that he lives with another person and how he should stop changing it to a frosty temperature.
However, he was amazingly stubborn, so he continued doing it. In the winter, it was a nuisance to deal with. It was so fatiguing tackling the heavy snow and dense ice off your tires so your car could move, and it was worse coming home to a house that was the same degree as Antarctica.
Silly bickers would arise from it, but no matter how many disputes you two had, it seemed that the scholar would rather that than even consider raising the thermostat. It's not like it was that alone
Every single time, his hardheadedness got the best of him, and he'd only be left with nobody but himself
Dr. Ratio saw how queasy Topaz and Aventurine were. First of all, the blonde man was rubbing his neck and keep messing with his watch, Topaz eyes darted everywhere, she tapped her foot on the ground rapidly.
Huh, it seems like the ceremony was about to begin
Ratio fixed himself up as much as he could.
,,,
It seemed like you were a little late.
.
..
...
Uh..
Everyone immediately looked at the man.
The worst was true to come.
You weren't there.
He looks at Topaz,
She looks back, a petrified look appears on her face,
He looks at Aventurine,
This surprised look appears on his face.
Oh no,
Ratio finally realized
..
You were gone
and so was your mother.
,,
A few gasps were heard, everyone knew what happened
Veritas rushes behind the marble doors, it was extreme in weight, but no match for Ratio
..
All he saw, was a broken necklace and a destroyed bouquet on the floor.
237 notes · View notes
unreliablesnake · 1 year ago
Text
Thunderstorm (Simon Riley x f!reader)
Summary: Simon spoils his daughter and he’s always there when she needs him–even if it’s because of a little thunderstorm.
Note: MW3 is coming, I’ll be back on my bullshit. / If you want to know when I post new stuff, follow @unreliablesnakefics.
Tumblr media
“Daddy, please.”
That was it. Simon was usually defeated by these two words that his four-year-old used every time she wanted something. After all, he was his little princess, the sweet child who often fell asleep on the couch next to him in the evening, the one who held tea parties for her toys and him every now and then.
Since he wasn’t home that much, and since he never knew when his luck would run out on the field, he treated every second with her as if it was the last time he saw her. You knew perfectly well that’s why he always spoiled her, why she quickly became daddy’s little girl, so you never said anything to stop him. They needed to bond so she would have good memories of him, and you didn’t want to take it away from them.
“One day you’ll have to stop letting her get away with everything, you know,” you told him one evening after he came back from his daughter’s room following a fight about bedtime that was over an hour ago. “We need to set certain rules.”
“I know, I know.” Simon took his place in bed next to you, an arm wrapping around your shoulder to pull you closer. “It’s just so hard to say no. I swear I’m trying.”
You looked up at him and before you knew it, his lips captured yours in a sensual kiss that aimed to make you forget about what he had just done. But you knew better than to fall into his trap, so you pulled away with a delicate smile and gave him an understanding look.
“I know that, Simon, but we need to be partners in this. It must be nice to be the good cop, but she’ll become a little monster if we let her do anything she wants.”
After taking a deep breath, Simon nodded. “You’re right. It’s just so tough to be strict when I’m away this much,” he admitted before placing a soft kiss on your temple. “By the way, did you hear that?” You gave him a confused look so he went on almost immediately. “A thunderstorm. It’s coming this way.”
Finally it made sense to you because you let out a sigh and said, “She’ll run in crying anyway. Go get her.”
He got out of bed, but instead of leaving the room, he just put his hands on his hips and asked, “You sure? I will be the good cop again.”
“Go.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
His daughter was terrified of thunderstorms. She had been like that since the beginning, always crying when lightning struck nearby, instinctively calling for her mommy and daddy when she was scared, or running into their bedroom right after the sound reached her. He knew she would grow out of this eventually, but until then he wouldn’t want her to stay in her room alone.
Those nights when she slept in their bed between them were his favorites. Sure, he loved to be alone with you too; to explore your body over and over again, drawing out those sweet moans and whines from you, and seeing you fall apart for him. But being together as a family, having his favorite girls so close to him was still better.
Simon liked to think of himself as a good father and husband. He broke the cycle, he became a better man than his father had ever been, and every day he spent home with you two was filled with actions that spoke louder than words. He wanted the both of you to know, to feel that he loved you more than anything in this world.
When he reached his daughter’s room and peeked inside, he noticed that she was sleeping peacefully under the warm blanket. For a moment he wondered if he should just leave her be for now, but then he heard the storm outside and realized you had been right and this was for the best. So he picked her up carefully and walked back to the master bedroom, laying the little girl on the middle of the bed next to you.
“Thank you,” you told him quietly.
Shaking his head, Simon leaned over to give you a quick kiss. “Anytime, love.”
You flashed a wide smile at him, but before you could say anything, your daughter turned on her side and cuddled up to you with her small arm wrapped around your waist. Simon was a little jealous, but he kept this to himself for now. Sooner or later she would wake up and cuddle up to him instead as she usually did.
669 notes · View notes
official-sonic-team · 21 days ago
Note
my suggestion for a oneshot would be sonic and knuckles having a heart to heart about what sonic's appearance on the ruin walls meant for knuckles growing up alone
“Ah ha! Found you!”
Knuckles jerks back into a fighting stance, spines prickled, fists raised. Intruders rarely managed to get past the defense system, so this one must be a large threat to have evaded every single one, and manage to sneak up on him!
“Woah-ho! Did I manage to sneak up on the great guardian of Angel Island and it’s precious Master Emerald?”
Knuckles relaxes. It’s just this jerk again. “Sonic, I told you to warn me before you showed up. One of these days you’re going to get skewed on one of my traps and I’m going to laugh at you.”
“You’re just mad that I’m too fast for any of those traps to catch me!”
“How did you find me, anyway?”
“Oh, you always seem to be down here.”
Here was the hidden palace. The dilapidated ruin had been long rumored to have been the home of the chief of the Knuckles clan for generations before their ruin. It was one of the better preserved pieces of architecture on Angel Island, and Knuckles had spent many lonely nights beneath the roof of this place, when rain or snow or other temperamental weather shooed him from his usual shrine.
“What does that mean?” Knuckles mutters, feeling oddly defensive. It was sometimes odd to be reminded that his friends noticed his habits, his behaviors. Even after all this time, it was strange to be perceived, to know that people thought of him even when he wasn’t around. 
“Just noticed that you tend to hole away here whenever you’re not at the main shrine.” Sonic shrugs. “I don’t get the appeal, personally. Would much rather be outside, napping under the sun.”
“I don’t nap. I’m a vigilant guardian of the most sacred and powerful artifact man has ever learned the existence of.”
“Uh huh,” Sonic teases. “Right. And I’m the king of the Kingdom of Acorn.”
“Oh, shut it!”
Knuckles turns away from him, back to facing the mural he had been studying. Perhaps that had been a bad move, for it reminded him of his earlier thoughts. The mural of a blue creature surrounded by gold attacking a mustached creature who had captured the Master Emerald. 
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Oh, I wanted to make sure I knew how to fly a plane. Borrowed the Tornado, did a few barrel rolls, and realized I was nearby.”
Knuckles snorts. “Is it borrowing if the plane was originally yours?”
“Oh, you and I both know it belongs to Tails. Even if I wanted it back, he’s not going to be letting go of it anytime soon.” Sonic hums, placing his hands behind his head as he stands directly next to Knuckles. “What do you do down here, anyway? Feels like you’re always here.”
Knuckles frowns. “I… like to reread the ancient scripture that accompanies these murals. I’ve read them a thousand times already, but… I suppose it just helps me feel connected to my ancestors.”
Sonic hums. “So the Knuckles Clan made this?”
Knuckles crosses his arms. “Yes. It’s a similar style to many of their other carvings.”
“Do you think there’s anything on this island that once belonged to the Ancients?”
That was certainly a thought Knuckles had chewed on for a long while. When he had been a child on this island, and had begun to properly hone his skills in artifacts and manuscripts, he had noticed parts of Angel Island’s ruins often appeared… mismatched. He simply assumed there had been a civilization before the echidnas that lived on this island, who may have even inspired the echidnas in their own culture and religion. The statues in Hydrocity, for instance, had always bothered him as being stylistically different than much of the other stylized statues the Knuckles Clan would create, and he wondered on occasion if they influenced the mural they were currently staring at.
“There’s a lot of ancient technology on this island. I’ve always wondered how the Knuckles Clan could have possibly created it if the god of Chaos had detested them so much. And they had sworn to protect the Master Emerald so no one could make the same mistakes as them… it always felt counterintuitive for them to be using it’s power for their own gain, even if its a harmless one.”
Sonic whistles. “Interesting.”
It clearly wasn’t. Knuckles had long ago tried to explain the intricacies of archeology and treasure hunting to Sonic, but he was firmly uninterested in the subject. No thrashing and bashing? No dice. If Knuckles talked for too long, Sonic would dip out from the conversation and disappear.
Knuckles turns his attention to the mural. He was taking a big leap with this one, but… Part of him was itching to scratch Sonic’s brain about this. “This was my favorite mural, growing up.”
“Oh?”
“Much of the inscription is lost to time and erosion. But what I can make out details a great hero coming to save the world.” Knuckles takes a deep breath. “It had meant a lot to me as a child alone on this island, to think that someone might one day come to save…” This felt to vulnerable to admit, to finish the lingering me he was going to add. “... the Master Emerald, and I would no longer be alone.”
Knuckles chances a glance at Sonic. His expression remains neutral, his eyes centered on the blue figure in the mural. His foot wasn’t tapping, however, which meant he hadn’t been testing Sonic’s patience with something so mushy. There’s a chance he might get a dialogue opened between them.
Ever since Knuckles was a child and had figured out to read, this mural had been one he spent as much time as he could near. Many of the other murals and stories were of tragedy, for the Echidnas had been cast out from the rest of society by their own greed, and were determined to never let their mistake befall them again. And, too, their species began to dwindle, and a hopelessness someday settled deep in their bones, and within their stories.
Knuckles couldn’t blame them for their sorrow. What befell the Knuckles Clan was a tragedy that would lead to their own extinction over one mistake. It was sometimes a bit much for Knuckles to bear, to know that he was the last of his kind, all because of Pachacamac’s lust for power. 
And that’s what made this mural so enchanting to a young child. To see a hero valiantly fighting against an invader, protecting his home, saving his people, saving himself. He dreamed, many times as a child, that this hero would come and rescue him. That the duty of protecting the Master Emerald would no longer be his, that the sins of his forefathers would be paid, and Knuckles's bondage would be broken. Knuckles would be free to live life how he wanted, for there was someone who would be able to keep his home safe. 
It wasn’t quite the case, in the end.
Someone blue and bright and heroic showed up on his island one day when he was twelve to defeat an invader stealing his emerald. An annoying, aggravating, irritating eleven year old boy who toted around a four year old sidekick. Some kid younger than him who made immature and crude jokes and was thoroughly uninterested in the island and it’s history and the emerald beyond keeping it free from Robotnik’s hands. 
Oh, twelve year old Knuckles’s blood boiled at the very thought of that blue prick who appeared on his island one day and turned his entire life upside down.
“My ancestors say it’s supposed to be a prophecy,” Knuckles carefully added. 
That receives a derisive snort from Sonic.
“Do you really believe in that?” Sonic asks. 
“It came true,” Knuckles murmurs. 
And it did, in ways Knuckles couldn’t quite comprehend at twelve years old, but knew well at sixteen. For Sonic, in his irritating, antagonizing, stupid way… still did manage to save Knuckles’s life.
He defeated Dr. Robotnik that day, casting himself in a cocoon of gold and Chaos, destroying Robotnik’s machines and returning the Master Emerald back to Angel Island. And beyond that, it was Sonic who became Knuckles’s true first friend, who taught him how there was more to life than just guarding the Master Emerald, that he could balance his duty and his desires and still live a fulfilling life. 
Perhaps no hero had swept in and took away his duty. But Knuckles was still grateful nonetheless for what Sonic had taught him, even if he’s never truly managed to tell him. 
“Do we even know it was predicting that fight on Angel Island four years ago?” Sonic clicks his tongue. “Why would they bother predicting that fight, anyway? It’s not even the most interesting thing we’ve seen. I mean, why not predict Perfect Chaos re-emerging? Or the End? Or Eggman breaking apart the entire Earth for Dark Gaia? It’s not important, in the grand scheme of things.”
“Of course it’s important!” Knuckles snaps. 
Sonic blinks. Knuckles grinds his teeth. 
He shouldn’t be surprised. Sonic had been going on countless adventures even before the Angel Island adventure. Let alone everything he had seen afterwards. Why would the most important moment of Knuckles’s life mean anything to him, in the end? What importance could it possibly have when it was just a routine battle to stop Eggman? When he had fought greater and mightier powers than just Eggman’s insatiable greed and some plucky twelve year old guardian of an empty home and a powerful emerald?
Sonic looks back at the mural, a thoughtful look on his face. “I don’t believe in destiny, fate, or whatever. I’ve never liked the idea that someone else was pulling my strings. Some people find it a comforting thought, to know that everything happens for a reason. I like to think I make my own choices.”
A silence passes between them.
“I made my choice that day, to chase after Robotnik and show up on this island. I think that us choosing to meet is much nicer than thinking we were fated to.”
Knuckles turns to face Sonic, who’s still peering at that mural.
“I chose to come here, to fight you, to eventually help you. To face down Eggman and bring the Master Emerald back. And I’ve chosen every subsequent meeting as well. So believe, perhaps, that that day was fated, foretold, or whatever. But every moment after hasn’t been. And I think that’s much more interesting.”
Knuckles is quiet. The day they met had been the most infuriating day of his life. But it wasn’t entirely the day that he was saved. It was every subsequent day after, when the two of them crossed paths, when Sonic and his rivalry turned into mutual respect, into friendship. It was a cataclysm, an explosion, and in the rubble the two began to build something Knuckles can not name but knows it to be worth more than gold.
Knuckles turns away rubbing at his eyes. “I’ll never understand you, Sonic.”
“Ha! Now, are we done with this boring conversation?” Sonic taps his foot. Knuckles’s time has run out. “What do you think about me taking you on a flight?”
“Ugh, no way! I’ve seen you fly a plane before, I know you do too many barrel rolls.”
Sonic's eyes sparkle with mischief. “Oh? And you can’t handle a little bit of turbulence? To think you call yourself a great guardian!”
“Bah! I can handle anything you throw at me.”
“Challenge accepted!” Sonic grabs his hand and Knuckles braces himself for a super sonic sprint. “I think our group is ready to board! Let’s go!”
To think this was the same person his people had once written a prophecy for. 
77 notes · View notes
morganwrites12672 · 5 months ago
Text
Normal?
Tumblr media
Sam Winchester x Reader
Summary: She had known Sam growing up. The two had both dreamed of a normal life. Sam had gotten out, she hadn't. One day, she decides to visit him at Stanford.
Word Count: 1.6k
Rating: PG-14
A/N: I hope you enjoy this! My requests are open.
▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣
Her life was like a movie.
Not one of the good ones, no. Her life wasn't like a romcom. Her life was like a goddamn horror movie.
After her mother's rather brutal murder committed by a Werewolf, her father had lost his mind. The man had been on a bloody war path to kill anything Supernatural he could get his hands on. She had been dragged down the horrible path with him. Having been only five whenever her mother was killed, her memories of the woman were spotty. Almost everything she remembered from her childhood was shitty.
Cheap motel rooms, killing ghosts, lying to everyone she met, and nightmares. That was it. She didn't have a life that was considered enjoyable. She hunted monsters. She saved people. That was her job. She wasn't the girl who would get the happy ending. No, she was the girl who got to experience most people's nightmares every day of her life. Sure, it sucked. But, it had some not so sucky parts.
One of those parts was every second she spent with Sam Winchester.
She had first met the boy whenever she was twelve. Sam had been thirteen at the time. He had been clumsy with legs far too long and lanky for him to control. He has tripped three times on the walk to the cabin. Her father has bought the stupid cabin shortly after she had turned nine. It was a good place to store extra hunting supplies. It didn't get used much. Her father couldn't sit still for long.
The two had been walking through the woods together. Listening to John and her father talk had grown tiring. And Dean was no better. He was pissed off about something, she hadn't bothered asking Sam what. She was content to let the older Winchester brother sulk while she showed Sam her favorite places in the woods.
As they walked back, she remembered how he suddenly stopped. She had been curious and turned around to see why. His words had come as a surprise.
"Do you ever want to be normal?" He had asked her. She would have thought it was a joke if not for the serious expression on his face.
"I don't think we get to choose," She had replied. She knew they didn't. Both of their fathers had forced this life upon them.
The conversation had ended there. Sam had been more quiet than usual once they were back inside the cabin.
She woke up with a surprising smile. It wasn't often she dreamt of something so pleasant. More often than not her dreams were plagued by literal monsters. Or, people she hadn't been able to save. The later option sent a chill down her spine to think about. Those faces would haunt her forevermore.
It was one of the rare nights she had actually slept. She was used to catching a few hours here and there. No time for sleep whenever she had monsters to kill and people to save. It wasn't like her father had ever let her sleep in whenever she had been a child. Old habits die hard.
As she slid out of bed, her smile widened. She was only a few hours away from Stanford.
In a few measly hours, she would get to see him again. It has been months since her last visit. It wasn't often that she had any downtime. Hunting kept her busy. She had began hunting on her own shortly after she had turned nineteen. Working with her father had been too much for her to handle. She still hadn't been able to shake her father's voice from her head anytime she took even a night off though. His words seemed to be ingrained in her brain.
'If you stop working, people die. I didn't raise you to be a goddamn slacker.'
She didn't waste anymore time. She quickly showered before throwing everything else together. She was in her car, driving towards Stanford within half an hour. The anticipation of seeing Sam had her all jittery. She felt absolutely ridiculous. Almost like some school girl with a stupid highschool crush.
The drive seemed to have taken ages (only three and a half hours). As she finally parked her car in front of the address Sam lived at, she practically flew out of her car. She had wanted to leave immediately after she finished her hunt, but she had been too exhausted. Once she had finished it she had practically passed out. Vampires were tiring to deal with.
She took the stairs two at a time before knocking on the door.
Sam opened the door and greeted her with a smile. She threw her arms around him immediately. It had been months since she had had the time to visit him. She had also been thousands of miles away. Her lifestyle made anything inconvenient. It was worth it though. This time it hadn't been hard. Only a few hours out of her way. Not like last time.
"God, I've missed you."
Sam pulled away from the hug, smiling at her words. They were good friends. Both of them harbored small crushes (not very small anymore). Yet, neither would admit it. They both liked things how they were.
Sure, she wished she could kiss him right now. But she didn't. Their friendship was too perfect to ruin. Neither one of them would ever risk it for something more.
"I'm sorry it's been so long, I haven't been anywhere near California in a while," She explained. She had tried though, several times. But, she would always get drawn away. Always. It pissed her off. She wanted to drop by and check on him more than she did. She knew Dean had part of that covered though. Even if he refused to tell Sam about his visits.
Sam couldn't believe she had made it. For weeks, she's told him she would visit soon. He knew how the hunting lifestyle went. It could have been months before she had enough time to visit him. His heart fluttered at the thought. She was willing to go out of her way just to see him.
"Don't apologize. I know how busy you stay," He said. He didn't even want to think about what she had been doing. Hunting was a dangerous business. He hated that it was the business she was still in. He cared for her, even if he knew they were just friends. He couldn't help but wish for something more.
After she had spoken, Sam invited her in. The two made small talk for a while. Catching up on everything. She asked him about his classes and how he was enjoying college. He asked her about the hunts she had been on. The two exchanged information about those topics for a while. Until, a question Sam asked caught her off guard.
"You don't seem happy hunting anymore," He blurted, and it was true. Whenever she was younger it had been easier to pretend. Now, it got difficult. She got to watch other people her age be normal. It stung. "You don't have to keep doing that. . ."
His words were more true than she was willing to admit. She stayed silent for a minute, considering her reply. She hadn't spoken to her father in months. She didn't even have to tell him that she was quitting. She could still hunt on occasion, only cases close to wherever she chose to live though.
"I. . . I don't know what I would do."
"Anything you want," Sam replied. "Go to college, get a job, have a life. You. . . You could even stay with me for a while at first," he offered.
She considered his words. As she was thinking, her gaze fell to his lips for a brief second. She instantly looked away as a light blush stained her cheeks. Could she stay with him? Could she be normal for once?
As she looked back to answer him, she noticed how close they were. If she took a step forward, she'd be close enough to kiss him. Alarm bells were ringing in her head as she took the step. Living with Sam and keeping her feelings a secret would be impossible.
Sam seemed to notice what she was trying to do. Before she could move any closer, he was all over her. His arms around her waist, his lips mere inches from hers. He gazed down at her. And, she realized something. From the look in his eyes, her feelings were definitely reciprocated.
"Is this okay?" He murmured against her lips.
She threaded her fingers through his shaggy hair, "More than okay."
His lips met hers. The kiss was passionate and messy. Neither one of them had the patience to start slow. Already Sam was deepening the kiss. A soft moan left her lips at the sudden action. She pulled on his hair slightly as he continued kissing her.
"Does this mean you'll stay?" He asked, his hands slipping her shirt over her head. He took in the sight of her wearing a bra in front of him. It took every piece of self control in him not to rip off the rest of her clothes this second.
"I'll stay," She replied, kissing him again. Their lips moved in tandem together as Sam unclasped her bra. In a few more seconds Sams shirt had also been discarded. His hands fondled her bare breasts as she tugged on his hair.
She knew that there would be a lot of obstacles. It wasn't easy to quit being a hunter. It had been her life for so long. But, she would figure it out with Sam.
This was just the beginning of their future together.
▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣
A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a comment and reblog!
144 notes · View notes
bwat5-blog · 8 days ago
Text
I Bet She Hates Puppies Too: Inside Vi's Favorite Hobby Of Kid Punching
**SPOILERS FOR ALL OF ARCANE**
Tumblr media
"Vi's only happy when she's hitting little girls"
"Vi doesn't care about Isha"
"Vi just blew past isha's death to try and sign Jinx up to be an Enforcer"
You can tell the truth.. If you are one of the people who has said something like this you did it to make the crazy Tumblr blogger angry didn't you? That really is the only logical explanation.
My friends as we all continue to discuss, and debate, and delve into this amazing show things are slowing down naturally. Even I am not writing as often (at least terms of full length deep-dives and such) having mostly explored what I can think of for the moment. But these sorts of opinions continue to persist, and I just... I have discussed this topic in one way or another across so many different documents I am running out of nice ways to say it.
Tumblr media
To the people out there insisting Violet is some sort of dangerous psychotic who gets off on punching children. You. Are. Wrong. It's really quite that simple. This is not a top for debate, or nuance. It is a question of correct versus incorrect. And you have fallen on the wrong side. To quote another brilliant misanthrope like the one above, we must be careful not to "twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts" (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes).
Now, I could do a deep, highly detailed, in-depth exploration of each moment of her life to combat these points. But I have already have. So instead, We are going to focus on three moments. When she hit Powder, when she hit Isha, and her conversation after Isha's death. So! Let us once again step off the dock and sink into the murky depths of ignorance, for when we surface, we will have once more defended the truth of this story and it's characters from those whose time would be much better spent in quiet study, in hopes that they too may one day learn to tie their own shoes.
When She Hit Powder:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Vi: Fifteen Years Old
Powder: Eleven Years Old
Okay. If you are here you know this story as well as I do by know. But just a quick refresher. This heartbreaking scene plays out after the rescue of Vander has gone terribly wrong, due to Powder's well intentioned but poorly thought out Monkey Bomb. A distraught and angry Vi, upon realizing that Powder is saying she is the one who caused the explosion, strikes Powder, calls her a jinx roughly grabbing her face, and leaves her sobbing, after growing horrified at her actions. Vi tries to return upon seeing Silco standing over her sister but is kidnapped by Marcus, the Sheriff of Piltover, and wrongfully imprisoned, leaving her little sister all alone.
*NOW ENJOY A QUICK AND NOT AT ALL HORRIFYING REMINDER OF WHAT THIS FIFTEEN YEAR OLD CHILD EXPERIENCED LEADING UP TO THIS*
Witnessed death of birth parents
Six years growing up in Undercity, dangerous and unpredictable environment protecting the other kids when not with Vander.
Tries to turn herself in to Enforcers, only for Vander to take her place.
Sees Grayson and Benzo killed.
Survives fight against 10+ armed Silco associates.
Beaten and thrown by Shimmer-mutated Deckard
Pinned under massive metal door.
Witnesses violent death of Mylo.
Witnesses violent death of Claggor.
Witnesses violent death of Vander.
Now, considering all of that, add in the fact that they were about to get Vander out, and that Vi had instructed Powder to stay behind and was completely correct in doing so. What we have here is a terrified, traumatized, enraged and grieving CHILD.
I am not justifying or encouraging that she hit Powder. She was wrong to do so. But she was completely and totally overwhelmed. And if you actually watch the show... yes you have to watch, I'm sorry I know I'm asking a lot.. you can see that she is clearly aware of that.
Tumblr media
SEEING HER SISTERS BLOOD, REALIZING WHAT SHE DID
Tumblr media
AND HERE! WE HAVE A LITERAL FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL BEING KIDNAPPED BY THE MOST POWERFUL LAW ENFORCEMENT FIGURE IN THE TWIN CITIES AS SHE TRIES TO GET BACK TO POWDER.
Yep. I see it now. I see the error of my ways. She is truly a remorseless beast. I doff my cap to you Vi haters, you win...
Tumblr media
When She Hit Isha:
Tumblr media
So, this is obviously much later in the show during act 2 of season 2. Vi is twenty-three. She, Jinx and Isha are traipsing through the mines in search of Vander. After trading some verbal jabs, the sisters "fight" and I do use that term loosely. Isha, adorable little gremlin that she is, jumps in to save Jinx and bites Vi resorting in her catching a whack that sends her flying. My my, the amount of insanely dramatic fanfiction moments this spawned alone. "I Did it again! I'm such a monster!" (all while Jinx rides upon a glorious high horse naturally... in all honesty I'm not coming for you fan-fic writers yall are way more creative than I will ever be and I read your stuff almost everyday). And that's not even addressing the analysis posts and so on that have used this moment to demonize Vi as well. Well.... first let's get the simplest reason your wrong out of the way:
Tumblr media
Ah I see it now. She threw her body between the small child she doesn't care about and the massive wolf monster... because she.. she's hoping the explosion of gore when the monster turns her into pink mist will traumatize Isha even more before she dies! Now I get it!
Tumblr media
But that aside, Isha gets hit right about the 14:04 mark. And we get the following shot about 2-3 seconds later.
Tumblr media
Note the distinct lack of Vi continuing to try and punch Jinx or literally anything else she has been accused of. Jinx notices first as she should given she has a much deeper connection to Isha than Vi does. But they both stop at the same moment and the fight is over while Jinx tends to Isha.
Also, *NOT* that it is a justification, but getting bit hurts. A lot. And it isn't a justification but we need to look at where Isha bit Vi:
Tumblr media
Anyone wanna take any guesses on if the person who has been undercity pit-fighting for months with zero attempt at self cares' hands and forearms hurt like hell?
And for my final point for this one. Please do not yell at me, I cried during 2x06 like everyone else. But yall... Isha is a fucking wild child:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
She's courageous, and loves Jinx, and is hilarious and was an awesome character. But COME ON. She throws herself into every scrap she can get her hands on. Almost like not dealing with that before it was too late cost everything...
Vi's Conversation With Jinx:
Tumblr media
"You're never gonna give up on me.. are you.. You don't have to worry about me anymore. You don't need to feel guilty about being happy. You deserve to be with her"
Well, first and foremost this conversation where "All Vi cares about is trying to get Jinx to be an Enforcer" is the same one where this conversation takes place. Strange.. almost seems like Jinx is having a profound moment of recognizing how much Vi loves her and giving Vi permission she will never be able to give herself to prioritize her own happiness... What an odd thing to do for a boot-licking monster... Eh must just be me who doesn't get it.
So what does Vi say in her pitch to bring Jinx to the darkside? I'm glad you asked:
"Jinx.. I swiped these from the guard station. If you come, help use all that explosive potential of yours for good, maybe we could rewrite your story, like you did with Zaun"... THE HORROR!
Tumblr media
The unfortunate choice of the word explosive aside. What is Vi actually asking? She is asking for her sister to stand by her side in the battle for HUMANITY. Not Piltover. Not Caitlyn. Not the Enforcers. HUMANITY. She believes this is a way Jinx can gain her freedom and peace to live afterwards. Because let's not forget folks, At the moment, Vi has no idea Caitlyn has essentially already told Jinx she is tired of hating her. And she certainly has no idea of Caitlyn's plan to allow for Jinx's release if Vi chooses. Vi is down here risking everything to grant her sister freedom, in hopes that they can turn it all around and be together. And another important part of this: "Like you did with Zaun". We need to think about that for a moment.
Tumblr media
This is kind of a strange moment in Blisters and Bedrock between them, and understandably so. Jinx gives a sort of casual smirk/shrug when Vi sees it and later flouts her status as a hero, while Vi seems almost angry or jealous. Vi is seeing her little sister who was raised by the man who killed Vander, who became that man's beloved daughter and helped him flood the undercity with Shimmer, who became a feared terrorist bringing Piltover's wrath down upon the Undercity, up on the wall with Vander's face. The colored smoke of her attack on Piltover around her which Vander would never have supported. And Vi is nowhere to be seen. it has to feel like a MASSIVE slap in the face.
But now Vi is seeing what really matters in all of that. Regardless of the past, what her sister has become is a symbol of hope for their people. She has reinvented herself and is someone who gives the Undercity hope of a better tomorrow. And even with all that has happened between them. VI STILL BELIEVES JINX CAN DO THAT IN PILTOVER. If you can't see the significance of that, put down the spoonful of glue and call for an adult. You don't belong here.
And regarding Isha, straight up it's on the writers that she is not mentioned outright if that's what you need. But I want to point out a few things:
Jinx's obvious, enormous, crushing, impossible to miss depression and guilt
Vi is quite clearly very upset over everything that has happened and is visibly tearing up while hugging Jinx
Jinx's clear tribute to her in battle:
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Conclusion:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
To those of you who continue to engage in intelligent and good-faith debate and discussion, I look forward to doing so right alongside you in honor of this incredible show. As always, keep standing up for stories that matter, for this is the way they live on long after their time has passed.
66 notes · View notes
m1d-45 · 2 months ago
Note
Can I offer you the thought of gifting Kazuha a music box to keep during his travels?
songbird
notes: yes. ignore that it took me [checks notes] like several months to get to this request. and that it was meant to come out on his birthday. shush.
word count : 3k
-> warnings : none ! minor spoilers for inazuma AQ but nothin serious
-> gn reader (you/yours)
taglist : @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk
< masterlist >
Tumblr media
there was little you could give a wanderer. he only carried what he needed, and what was needed was already kept close and well-maintained. there was little room for extra trinkets or unnecessary weight, either sacrificed in a moment of exhaustion or left behind when fleeing from those who wished him ill.
your kazuha was no different. even after joining the cruz fleet, he travelled light, with barely the clothes on his back to keep him company. he kept his pen in one pocket and paper in another, rarely carrying so much as a coin purse. this was fine and good, except his birthday was coming up and you had not a single clue what to get him.
you couldn’t ask beidou or the crew, as he’d certainly be lingering by and his hearing was far sharper than his blade. you couldn’t ask him—you’d tried, actually, but he’d just smiled and promised that he didn’t have want or need for anything. he spoke of his birthday very casually, as if it was any other day and not the reason he was by your side at all.
but kazuha was nothing if not thoughtful. for your last birthday, he’d gotten you a book of pressed inazuman flora, each carefully labelled, and had spent the entire afternoon telling you exactly where he’d picked each and why he’d chosen it. a lavender melon flower for resilience, a sakura bloom for change, a maple leaf for love. it was a painfully sweet show of affection, especially considering that the sakoku decree was not yet lifted.
“kazuha- are you sure you want me to have this? it could be years before you could collect these again.”
“please, my muse, the decree will not last forever. i have faith. and even if it doesn’t…”
he slips his hand into yours, looking out across the harbor. he’d taken you to a ridge just outside the city, letting you appreciate the sights without being unable to focus on his book. he looks away for a while, out to the sea, out to what lies beyond, the world seeming to slow to a crawl around you. the very air held its breath, allowing a wayward samurai’s sigh to linger, his mind far, far away.
“…inazuma is my home, but it is not my only place of rest. even if i never again got to experience a wondrous autumn, i’d still have this book.” he dragged his eyes from far-off shores, the same color as the maples sewn into his clothes.
“i’d still have you, wouldn’t i?”
and oh, archons, just the memory of that was enough to make your cheeks warm from more than just the liyuen sun. it’s early morning and the crowds are just starting to pick up, the shops of the lower harbor slowly selling off their wares. you’ve been looking for the better part of an hour now, and nothing seems to quite stick.
he already has pens, and is rather fond of the kind he already has. while you have the name and seller of said pens—he’d lent you one a while ago and never took it back—he already kept several spares tucked into his pockets. no matter how often he writes, how many papers he folds and gives away, his pad never seems to thin. the thread he uses to repair his clothes never fades or grows sparse, and he’s never so much as lost the tie in his hair. the week is growing shorter, and you have nothing.
and sure, kazuha isn’t materialistic to begin with, but you can’t think of anything else. it’s not like he dislikes liyuen food, but you’ve caught him frying his own fish enough times to know that he far prefers simpler tastes. he’s the one more familiar with liyue’s plains and hills out of the two of you, and you’re not eager to hurt yourself looking for somewhere new only to find out he’s already been.
he never asks for anything, never shows a hint of wanting. if he likes something, he gets it, leaving little for you to grasp at. it’s hard not to feel helpless, when he knocks at your door with your favorite flower in hand and you can hardly think of a single thing to do for his birthday. you can’t very well buy the sight of gardens of maple, nor somehow import those odd jelly-fungi he’s mentioned eating while in inazuma. based on the way he describes them, you’re not even sure if they’re meant to be edible…
his sword is kept in pristine condition. his shoes don’t seem to wear. you’re not familiar enough with medicine to try at getting him something for his aches, but it doesn’t matter, because every dawn means a fresh set of bandages, the faint herbal scent of whatever medicine underneath staying strong. he doesn’t need anything, and what he does he already has, and what he wants is quickly paid for through months of saved wages. he catches his own food, embroiders his own clothes, and you’re certain he’d filter and drink seawater if beidou didn’t stop him.
what can you get someone so minimalistic?
you prepare to loop around a final time, pricking your ears for the slightest call of something interesting. an array of local fruits, the freshest on the market. silk textiles, horsetail baskets, handmade chopsticks. you push through the crowds, eyes flicking over each stall. food, clothes, more food, building supplies? the harbor is crowded, overlapping shouting and negotiating and the barest sound of music through it all, quickly becoming overbearing.
…music? you stop and turn and seek out the delicate sound, surprised enough that your purpose for browsing has been lost. it’s rare to see street performers this far from the city center, not to mention the sound is so thin… normally there’s at least a set of drums to cut through the chatter. you’ve looked over everything twice anyway, it wouldn’t really hurt to look.
you don’t find a performer. instead, the sound leads you a few stalls over, to one full of various odds and ends, each carved from a dark wood. a lone chair, a set of cups—one has a weird chip in the lip—on an uneven plate, a good dozen set of chopsticks, somewhat clumsily painted. it’s tended by a young man who’s very nervously watching the customer in front of him fiddle with a wooden box, turning it over and inspecting every angle. there’s a key sticking out the back, and when they open it again, a single thin note floats out, quickly dashed away by the crowds. it’s beautiful, clear and crisp, even with the noise around you.
“maybe another day,” the other customer shrugs, and though the vendor’s face falls, yours lights up.
it’s perfect. sure, yeah, as the would-be buyer steps away and you look closer, the lines of engraving are uneven and hesitant, but the music was what made it worth it. kazuha always talks of the song within whispering wind, and you’ve seen how his pace slows when passing an opera, lingering just so. you never bought tickets because you didn’t know which he’d seen before, but this… this would do just fine.
“sorry about the wait,” the vendor apologizes, a slight sigh to his voice. “feel free to take a look around, just please be careful when handling the pieces. i don’t need another scolding from master lu…”
you pick up the box before he’s even done speaking, flipping open the lid. inside is some sort of flower on a plain pedestal, the same color as the rest of the box and largely unremarkable. you turn it, twisting the key in the back a few times, letting the song play again. it’s a slow, dancing tune, clear through the bustle. the little flower spins slowly, and you’ve made up your mind.
“what song is this?”
the vendor perks up, picking through his pockets until he finds a folded note. “’moon in one’s cup,’” he announces, “composed by yu-peng from up in yujing terrace.”
you dedicate the name to memory, closing the box and latching it shut. already, your heart is beating a bit fast, excitement and relief filling your chest.
“how much?”
you were hiding something from kazuha. he didn’t know what, he didn’t know why, but he knew it.
well, that was a bit of a lie. if he had to guess, it was whatever you’d gotten for his birthday. he’d done his best to assure you that you needn’t do or buy anything for him, but you’d gone and found something anyway. he couldn’t mind too much, not when the wind around you seemed to curl and skip along, ruffling your hair with self-inflicted pride. you were happy, and that was a fine enough present in itself. it was better than the poorly-hidden worry that always colored your features before, and it was a relief to know that it was a shallow issue you had been hiding. birthday or not, he’d hoped you’d tell him if something was wrong…
but it was nothing, thankfully. you asked him to find you after dinner on the day of, and that was that. the rest of the week slipped away like clouds from the sky, leaving him with a clear mind and a faint smile as he slept.
beidou was, surprisingly, not the first to wish him a happy birthday. it was furong that first saw him enter the breakfast hall, raising a glass with a shout that quickly spread across the crew.
“happy birthday!”
“here, c’mon, let’s get you a drink.”
“a toast!”
“to another year of smooth sailing!”
“to our stormwatcher!”
beidou was, however, sat closest to the door, and so she was the first to throw her arms tight around him, not minding the way his armor certainly dug into her skin.
“happy birthday, kazuha. don’t mind the noise, yeah?”
it would be impossible for a day such as today to turn south. the crew settled down and food was pressed into his hands, the shouting cooling off as they refocused on whatever they had been doing prior to then.
aside from the commotion at breakfast, his day was relatively normal. monitor the supplies coming in to ensure nobody tampered with them, then unpack them below decks. there was less to do, but that was simply because the date of their departure was approaching. within a few more days, he’d be off across open waters once more, keeping eye on the horizon.
that was for later, however. after lunch, he left port and took a stroll north, sitting for a while in an open field. the sky was cloudy, but not enough to worry about rain, so he lay on a flat-enough stone and let inspiration ebb and flow. a haiku here, a scratched out line there, though he was admittedly less focused than usual. the joy from that morning hadn’t really left him, sticking to his clothes and filling his thoughts. he wasn’t blind to the fact that he was welcome aboard the alcor, but it would be foolish to deny the appreciation of such a loud gesture, in meaning and volume.
his birthday didn’t mean much to him. sure, there was another year’s worth of memories to look back upon, a year’s worth of friendship and connections, but that could be declared any other day just as easily. when on the run from the shogunate, there was little time for such things as celebrations…
perhaps that was why he was still smiling. not just because of his friends, but because he had the energy to appreciate them. the ability to take off work and sit in the sun, soaking in nature. the energy to look forward to later obligations, instead of being permanently stuck in the moment.
dinner was far calmer than breakfast. he returned to the fleet late in the evening, ducking below deck to help cook. very few crew members liked (or were even good at) cooking, which meant it often fell to him. today, though, he was ushered out quickly, a few more people than usual seeming determined to block him from entering. it was strange, but not unexpected. the crew was close-knit, with every milestone met with raucous celebration.
he didn’t mind, though, returning above and busying himself with odd tasks. ferrying messages from furong, sorting papers with huixing, any and everything to keep himself occupied until the bell rung and dinner was served. the smell of alcohol quickly stained the air around the crowded dinner table, joining the heady mix of relaxation, joy, and a bit of anticipation.
another surprise awaited him, it seemed. he stuck around after he’d finished his food, noticing when little yue slipped out but not mentioning it. he also looked the other way when he snuck back in with a plate with a somewhat dented cover, letting someone else take his empty plate as the new one was pushed into its place. the conversation fell and he ignored the smell of sugar in the air, lifting the lid.
inside was a cake with shaky, cramped writing, struggling to fit his name in such a small space. it had obviously been made in-house, and was likely whatever secret the chefs had been determined to keep.
the cake itself was okay. a bit too sweet, dense, and with an odd sourness that he couldn’t tell was intentional or not. but the crew was happy and laughing and he didn’t need wine to get dizzy off their high, sitting at a well-worn table in a familiar seat surrounded by those he loved.
there was only one thing left…
he packed one of the last slices and kept it close to his chest as the halls grew quieter, the night air far cooler above deck. anemo softened his fall onto the pier, the wind leading him through the city and into familiar streets. the sight of your house had long since engrained itself into his mind, but he still felt his smile grow, tucking his cake behind his back as he knocked.
you were as beautiful as ever. he was certain you could pick yourself up from a pile of mud and still be sstunning, but tonight you had put in effort. still dressed for the weather, but with a bit more care into the set of your hair, standing straight.
“my muse,” he breathed, taking the small box from behind his back. “i have brought you a gift.”
and of course, you made a fuss about it, about how it was his birthday and that he didn’t have to do anything for you. but was that not the same logic that he had given you? did it matter, really, when the air was sweet with more than sugar and even your mock anger couldn’t hide your excitement?
at your behest, he took your hand in his and led you out of the city. his ‘favorite place’ was rather vauge instruction, but his mind had been made up from the moment he’d seen you. not too far, as he’d hate to stay out too late, but still somewhere nice. past bubu pharmacy, up the stone path, and on the low ridge beside it. few people would be passing by this late at night, but it was still close enough to the city that there were no real threats. a blanket was laid out and you both sat, exchanging gifts. his was in a plain bag, carefully wrapped in layers of protective paper, a small wooden box that looked as if it was meant to have legs but the designer had changed their mind halfway through. it was fine work, if a bit clumsy, but he knew it wasn’t yours. your sudden shift in attitude earlier could only be explained by a storefront. further inspection found a latch on the front and a key embedded in the back, and he understood. inside the music box was (what he could only guess to be) a carved silk flower, though again, one of the stems seemed to have been snapped and hastily covered. he reached for the back and turned the key twice, letting the song begin to play.
it was beautiful. careful notes plucked a carefree song, sounding very much alike to the lighter bands along feiyun slope. the music rose and fell, cheerful but quiet, like a soft satisfaction instead of a bright outburst. it was a lovely song in its own right, but his mind was far elsewhere. you were waiting for his reaction intently, face held in suspense like you thought he might hate it. he’d think it foolish, but that would imply that he disliked it, and that was far from the truth. to know you cared so heavily about his reaction to a simple music box, that your worry was for him, that you had been so excited for him, that you were hoping for his approval as if you didn’t already hold all that he was in your palms. the box could be stolen on his way back to the city, knocked out of his hands and dashed under a heavy cart, and his day would still be all the brighter simply by virtue of you being in it.
it was his birthday, after all, and you were one of the best gifts he could ask for.
125 notes · View notes
gingermintpepper · 3 months ago
Text
Day 4: Aristaeus
Tumblr media
Interpretation notes and trivia below the cut!!
All rise for the entrance of my president !! Honestly, of all the figures and characters that were up for debate when I first started thinking about this story and who I wanted leading the charge Aristaeus was not one of them. Originally, I'd always known that Asclepius and Orpheus would be worked in somehow - they've always been favourites of mine in terms of children of Apollo (even if Orpheus as the child of Apollo and Calliope is less popular classically) and I expected my pick for the third child of Apollo to be involved to be similarly mortal like Iamus or Tenes but the more I looked into Aristaeus the more I fell in love with him! Ultimately, he's meant to be both a foil and a reflection of his father - a boy who grows up thinking his father's footsteps would always be warm only to realise that following in them would lead to death and destruction. While his status as a rustic and hunting god is still important here, Aristaeus' interpretation is much more focused on his connection to the Etesian wind and his quelling of the dog star Sirius which is why his hair in particular is so long and spiralling. All in all, more than any other figure I've chosen to interpret and represent in my work Aristaeus is the god I hope more people get interested in and research! I think there are a lot of important stories in his various myths and travels and I definitely want more people to discover and fall in love with them as I have!
Some fun trivia:
Apollo's firstborn son. Because he was born mortal on account of his very mortal mother, Apollo immediately took him to Olympus to eat ambrosia to begin his transition into divinity. Apollo would continue to feed Aristaeus small amounts of ambrosia and nectar for the next ten years until the child fully shed his mortal skin and was reborn as a god.
Due to the nature of making mortals deathless (namely the fun part of the process where they are completely remade and lose their mortal memories) Aristaeus spent most of his early life with his mother and siblings where they all pitched in to reteach him his family, his hobbies, his favourite things and ultimately how to live and love. Aristaeus was very attached to his maternal family because of this and his early acts of ingenuity were mostly born from his wish to make things easier for his family.
Aristaeus is the only one of his children Apollo hand raised full time. In those days, Aristaeus adored his father and believed him completely upright and blameless, the true face of a benevolent deity and the kind of man he aimed to be when he was full grown.
They would later have many bitter arguments and conflicts, the first and perhaps most impactful of all being their disagreement over Actaeon, Aristaeus' firstborn son. He wanted Apollo to teach him stating that it was a normal thing for a grandfather to do but Apollo vehemently refused to have any part of Actaeon's rearing, stating that he was not his child and that it was highly inappropriate for him to educate another god's son. When Actaeon later dies, Aristaeus blames a not insignificant part of that on Apollo - something that only worsens when he learns that it was Artemis who cursed the boy and that Apollo was always aware Actaeon would die young.
Spends most of his time travelling from place to place. Doesn't really like Olympus and prefers to spend his time minding animals or tending to fields. Is on wonderful terms with Demeter and Persephone and often makes decadent exchanges of olive oil and preserved meat for exotic flowers and fruit for his bees.
Big fan of wind and percussive instruments. Never liked the kithara because of how finicky it is and far prefers the hand drums and reed flutes of his mother's country. Exceptional dancer.
Will sell prized cattle for high quality and highly unique jewellry. Doesn't much care for gemstones but is an absolute gold fiend and has a massive collection of bracelets, anklets, nose and lip adornments and rings. Has never been north enough to hit India but got a ton of rare and different adornments from his Phoenician in-laws when he was married to Autonoë.
Hates dogs but doesn't mind wolves. Not a big horse fan either
Unlike other winds, he cannot transform into various animal forms. He's close enough to the Anemoi that he keeps up with the gossip but he's only really friends with Notos. Gets along poorly with Zephyrus whose preference for pretty youths has often led to them getting into physical altercations when they were younger. Aristaeus still holds a bit of a grudge about it.
Has a big stupid crush on Dionysus which is embarrassing because Dionysus also put him out of a job. Due to Dionysus' relative youth, he feels a bit conflicted about such feelings - mostly because Dionysus is on extremely good terms with Apollo and Aristaeus doesn't want him to get burned.
Despite kinda despising his father, Aristaeus is a pretty decent eldest brother and regularly keeps in contact with a lot of his siblings. He often delivers mead, flavoured honey and olive oil and uses it as an excuse to chat and catch up. Currently in a bit of a tiff with Asclepius because he's worried about him and his family.
Favourite colour is the rich gold of purified honey, favourite food is lokma and his favourite time of year is winter.
60 notes · View notes
justatalkingface · 6 months ago
Text
PSA: Speedrunning a story is BAD, or Speedrun Manga Hell.
I know, to the people who lurk in my home of MHA crit and BNHA crit, this isn't exactly news, but I want to practice posting more. So why not?
To sum it up in one snappy line? Spending time on a plot point is the difference between it being a story, and it being an outline.
At least in my mind, an outline is as much a series of messages to yourself than it is an actual story, one or two lines representing a larger concept you, the author, understand, placed to remind you that 'this is where that goes'. Fundamentally, it's not meant for the readers to look at, it's for the author use to help write.
Much like a flower needs water to grow, for an idea to bloom into it's full potential it needs time.
Time spent establishing it's existence in the story.
Time spent discussing or explaining the idea.
Time spent watching it play out in real time.
Time spent watching people react to it after the fact.
And though it was (as I've been going into) a deeply flawed story before that point, the War Arc is where MHA changed, turning from a story into more of a well illustrated outline. This was the moment that even the people who weren't paying a lot of attention to the plot started to notice, 'Hey, the story seems to be worse lately?'
Ever since that point, save only his most favored of topics (Endeavor, Bakugou, and Shigaraki's ever growing collection of fingers) Hori began rushing the story more and more, and there's no better example of this than the main character, Izuku 'I'm literally Hori's puppet' Midoryia.
Seriously, pick out a post War Arc part of the story, and I'll give you a list of points where Izuku isn't given the time any character with a real role in the story deserves, much less the actual main character.
Some universal topics, though, generally include:
What does Izuku think of: (insert plot point here)?
How are people in Class 1A responding to: (insert Izuku related plot point here)?
Often leading to the follow up question of: When is the last time Izuku talked to Class 1A, and not Bakugou (or to a lesser extent Shoto or Ochaku), how long was that interaction, and deep was that actual conversation?
What does Izuku feel when: (insert Bakugou's most recent/relevent insult/actual assault on his person)?
How much has time has Izuku spent mastering his latest abilities recently, not counting when he's in active combat while using them?
When is the last time the Vestiges have shown up as anything other than, 'background images that brood dramatically in the direction of Shigaraki and/or AFO'?
Why do all of these answers fail to satisfy you?
All of that, all of the spiraling issues that come from just those questions... and that's just (just!) the 'main character'. Think about how many characters are in the story at this point, think about how many plot points Hori has been (failing) to juggle. Even if they deserve less attention that Izuku... all of time needed is. Well. A Lot.
Off the top of your head... how much of that needed time was actually happened? For anything in this story?
*gestures broadly*
Exactly. Welcome to Speedrun Manga Hell. Welcome to The Illustrated Outline.
84 notes · View notes
gatorlovebot · 1 year ago
Text
more gaz vampire stuff because i can't stop thinking about but this time it's pricegaz x reader because i love writing poly 141 lol. hope you like it @ghosts-cyphera <3
cw: blood, descriptions of blood sucking
thinking more vampire gaz thoughts and in my mind obviously price was the one to turn gaz all those decades ago. they were in the army together and price, not being able to stand losing another soldier who he had gotten close to during combat, turned kyle.
price taught gaz everything, always kept him close, always wanted to be on the front lines with him, trusted him with everything he had. they had a very special bond. gaz was not shy to tell you about the intimate moments he and price shared throughout the decades they had spent together. he thought it was important for you to know just how much their relationship means to him.
it doesn’t bother you, the two of them having a bond you could never replace or replicate. price holds a special place in gaz’s heart just like kyle holds a special place in your’s.
it’s months into your relationship when you finally get to meet price. kyle had brought it up hesitantly, but you had no problem allowing price into your home for an extended stay. you were honestly kind of excited, having heard so many stories and seen so many photos of the handsome man, some from almost a century ago (that would never fail to blow your mind).
you feel fucked as soon as he walks through your door, the beard and the warm eyes just do it for you. but what really gets you is the way he cradles kyle to him in an embrace.
price is a perfect guest. he cracks jokes in his gruff, accented voice that gaz groans at but has you letting out a surprised giggle at the older man's crudeness. he helps with dinner, telling you that gaz has no excuse not knowing how to properly cook after he's kept him alive for almost one hundred years. and he has stories, so many stories spanning centuries, stories from before he even turned kyle. you're fascinated.
even after only a few days in your home, you three have fallen into a routine. dinners together are very important to price so you and kyle make sure to carve out time in your schedules to plan nice dinners for your esteemed guest. price cooks most of the food more often than not, but it's mostly because he refuses to let you lift a finger, playfully barking orders at kyle while you watch the pair from your spot at the dining table, sipping your wine.
dinner is delicious as always when price is left to lead the kitchen. it's almost cliche the way kyle and price sip at their red wine, the way it colors their lips a beautiful crimson until they inevitably swipe it away with the tips of their tongues when either one catches you staring. the air feels different than the previous nights the three of you had spent together. the food was homey and rich, settling deliciously in your belly. you had turned the lights down, leaving the room glowing warm from the candles you had lit in the center of the dinner table. 
the more you think of it, the more cliche the entire night has felt. you and two vampires drinking wine by candlelight, eating meat that has just barely been seared on the outside. but you can’t complain with the way kyle and price look at you over their wine glasses, sharing glances with each other that you can’t quite decipher. you feel yourself growing wet as the night progresses. 
after the dishes are washed and put away, the two men venture into the living room while you top off your wine. you come back to them on the couch, illuminated by the soft light from a lamp in the corner. you decide to be bold and insert yourself between the two on the cushions, feeling loose and warm as you sip from your glass and watch them share another look. 
kyle hadn’t fed from you since price’s arrival. kyle has gone longer without feeding from you, but you don’t know how long it’s been for price. “so,” you start, setting your wine glass down on the coffee table while you gather your words, “dinner was amazing, as always, but i was wondering if you two were still hungry?”
you try your best to keep a straight face at your terrible come on but your lips can’t help but waver at the way they look at each other, price raising a brow to kyle as if asking for permission. kyle takes another sip of wine before nodding his head just slightly to price. as price snakes his arm around your waist to pull your back against his chest you meet kyle’s gaze and give him a grateful smile.
being fed from was an experience like no other, it quickly became one of your favorite activities with kyle. it was an act of trust and devotion and you had to admit just how fucking erotic it was to watch him get drunk on you. price wraps a big, hairy arm around your waist, “kyle, she’s such a sweet girl, you better be appreciation’ her.”
kyle laughs, a small sound, as he sets his now empty wine glass down on the table, “i do appreciate her, don’t you think, sweetheart?” he’s taken your wrist in his hand, thumb rubbing over your pulse point. you know he can feel it underneath your skin. 
you know what he’s trying to get at, glad that you two are on the same page. “of course kyle appreciates me, john. that’s why i take care of him in return.” you responded, grabbing the hand that was groping the fat of your stomach and placing it around your wrist.
“ahh,” price remarks, “this where kyle does it?” he questions, big thumb sweeping across the thin skin. all you can do is nod under his intense gaze. he smiles, “the neck is quite cliche, isn’t it? and the thigh,” he rolls his eyes, “so fucking juvenile.”
you can’t help but giggle at him, knowing that you’ve allowed kyle to feed from your thighs once or twice. kyle sends you an unimpressed look before price is squeezing your wrist, trying to get your attention back.
“you sure about this, dove?” he probed, and at your nod, he added, “both of us?”
“yeah,” you respond, as easy as ever, “i trust you both.”
“you really got lucky with her, kyle.” john remarks, bringing your wrist up closer to his mouth. you see his fangs for the first time before he sinks them into your flesh, you shudder at his groan.
you feel soft lips kiss your other wrist before the sharp sting of teeth breaks the flesh. you close your eyes and let the floaty feeling wash over you. price pulls away first, laving his tongue over your skin to close the puncture marks he created. he laps up the remaining blood that stains your skin before giving your wrist a final kiss. you open your eyes and meet the red glow of his.
you get lost in them before price is grumbling at kyle, “enough, garrick.”
kyle reluctantly pulls away, lips stained red as he licks over the puncture wounds. he kisses up your wrist to the palm of your hand, kissing each fingertip. his eyes are half-lidded when they finally meet your’s, you two sharing matching dazed smiles. 
price chuckles behind you, using his arm to pull you into his lap. being off balance for just a moment makes you realize how woozy you are, but you don’t have to worry about it for long. “have something you can get for her, kyle?”
kyle doesn’t even respond before he’s off the couch and making his way to the kitchen. you two have your aftercare routine down and you hum to yourself as you listen to him pouring you juice and grabbing sweets from the cupboards, snuggling yourself into price’s chest as he runs his fingers through your hair.
386 notes · View notes
squigglypatties · 6 months ago
Note
Reader is three to four years older than satoru gojo, he always had a crush on her since childhood, he'd always say how he liked her but the reader would just pat his head considering him as a kid only to see him after few years all grown up..
pls dont be mad at me if its bad kjasdjdfjks ANYWAY here u go!! (I have 2 scenarios and ill post the other one later) w.c: 891 c.c: 5,074
Tumblr media
You always had a soft spot for little Satoru. As children, Satoru would follow you around, his bright blue eyes sparkling with admiration. Despite the age gap, his bold declarations of love were a source of endless amusement.
"I love you," Satoru would exclaim, standing tall with a fierce determination.
You would laugh and ruffle his white hair. "Oh really? How about you impress me first?"
Tumblr media
Satoru's admiration was unyielding. Every chance he got, he would try to impress you with his developing abilities, his mischievous grin ever-present. You found it endearing, often teasing him about his persistent declarations.
"One day, you'll see," Satoru would say, his eyes twinkling with conviction. "I'll grow up, and you'll fall in love with me."
You would chuckle and pat his head. "Sure thing, Satoru. I'll be waiting."
There are a lot moments where he would just admire you.
But life's currents took you away from Tokyo. You pursued your studies and career, diving headfirst into the challenges and opportunities that came their way. The bustling new city was a whirlwind of experiences, and slowly, the memories of the little boy who used to follow them around began to fade.
Meanwhile, Satoru trained rigorously, honing his skills and becoming one of the most powerful sorcerers of his generation. His natural talent and determination made him stand out, and he quickly rose through the ranks. Despite his growing strength and the responsibilities that came with it, he never forgot about you.
Years later, you returned to Tokyo, now an established professional. The city had changed, but it still felt like home. One day, while walking through Shibuya, they felt a familiar presence. Turning around, they saw a tall man with striking white hair and a blindfold over his eyes.
"Y/N?" the man called out, his voice deep and confident.
You turned and stared at him, trying to place the voice. "Do I know you?"
He chuckled, removing his blindfold to reveal those unforgettable blue eyes. "It's me, Satoru."
Your eyes widened in shock. The little boy they once knew had grown into a handsome and imposing man. "Satoru? You’ve changed so much!"
He smiled, a mix of amusement and affection in his gaze. "And you haven’t changed at all. Still as beautiful as ever."
After that, you and Satoru decided to catch up over coffee. Satoru playfully teased you about the old days, reminding you of how you used to pat his head and call him a kid.
"You were so sure of yourself back then," You said, laughing. "I never thought you’d grow up so fast. I almost didn't recognize you."
"And I’ve never stopped thinking about you," he replied, his tone serious. "I told you I’d prove it when I grew up." You felt a warmth spread through your chest. You had dismissed his childhood affections, but now, seeing him as a grown man, you realized your own feelings might have changed.
"Satoru, you were just a kid," You said softly. "I never took your words seriously."
He reached across the table, taking your hand in his. "But I was serious, Y/N. I’ve always been serious about you."
You chuckle, taking your hand back from his touch "Oh, Satoru.."
"There you go again.." He sighs from disbelief
"Huh? What do you mean?" You raise an eyebrow from confusion
"Always putting my feelings aside and not taking it seriously," He chuckles "Seriously, if you keep doing that, I might think that you're just heartless" He feigns hurt, putting a hand on his chest
"Always so unserious, Satoru." You chuckle
He chuckles, also from his silliness "But seriously, let me show you how true I am of my word."
As you spent more time together, you found themselves drawn to Satoru's charisma and confidence. His playful nature, combined with his deep understanding of the world, captivated them. You began to see him not just as the little boy from their past, but as a man who had grown in both strength and heart.
One evening, as you and him walked through a quiet park, Satoru stopped and turned to face Y/N. "I’ve waited a long time for this moment," he said, his voice steady. "Y/N, I’ve loved you since we were kids. Back then, you saw me as just a child, but I’ve never stopped caring for you. I want to be with you, not as the boy you used to know, but as the man I’ve become."
You looked into his earnest eyes, feeling their heart race. You had seen him grow from a child to a powerful sorcerer, and now, you saw him as a man who had captured their heart. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I love you too, Satoru," you admitted, a smile forming on their lips.
You decided to give the relationship a chance, navigating your new dynamics with excitement and a hint of nostalgia. The playful banter and deep conversations only strengthened your bond, leading you and him to a future filled with endless possibilities.
As you both walked hand in hand, Satoru looked at Y/N with a grin. "Told you I'd prove it when I grew up." you laughed, squeezing his hand. "Yes, you did, Satoru. Yes, you did." The passage of time had changed many things, but one constant remained—Satoru's unwavering love for you.
Tumblr media
Another version!
67 notes · View notes