#i really hope this makes some amount of sense

[shybean-18]

Wooo, today’s wedding 2.0 day!!! I’m so excited for the celebrations!

Hm. I’m pretty sure you’re looking forward to the free food most.

Shhh Frigid! Can’t a girl look forward to a free meal? But I’m also looking forward to seeing the grooms get married but part two, I bet their outfits, the venue, and everything will be stunning! Also imagine all the fun stuff that might happen there!

We do have quite a bit to look forward to..

Hehe imagine if there’s a cookie bar. Wink wink, nudge nudge. >:}

I guess there is something food related to be excited about.

Haha gotcha! But anyways say the thing with me on 1! 3.. 2.. 1..

Happy Wedding 2.0!!!

See you all at the wedding and may we all create lifelong memories there.

(Huge yapsesh and no special effects version below the cut for anyone interested!)

I wanted to start off by saying thank you @askthehedgehogs for hosting this!! I had so much fun making art for wedding 2.0 and getting involved! I also tried out some new stuff with this piece and really liked how it turned out!

Moving onto who these two gals are, this is Frigid the snow leopard and Shy the cat! Frigid is my Sonic OC (She’s like a Walmart Shadow with a sprinkle of insane people pleaser issues but shshshsh don’t tell her I told you guys that) and my Sonic self insert Shy! This piece was actually the final push I needed to actually finalizing their designs because their ref sheets are sitting unfinished in Ibis waiting for me to pick them back up again.

Also fun fact! This took me 27 hours and 30 minutes to complete! Phew that’s such a long time but I’m slowly working on getting faster at drawing in hopes of being able to participate a decent amount in art fight next year!

But anyways I don’t have much more to say other than check out the ask the hedgehogs blog account if you like Sonadow! I like the mods characterization of the two quite a bit and CHUBBY SONIC CONTENT‼️‼️‼️ He’s drawn so rotund and it’s soooo nice to see.

Also here’s the version with no special effects. Please ignore how some of the shading makes zero sense, I’m still learning how to draw better :)))

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

M4 is cute

now we need angst because suffering builds character

she has to mercy kill her s/o

(GFL Short Fic) M4A1 mercy killing her S/O

Alternate Title: Cinnamon Roll M4A1 becomes Punished Venom M4A1 (faster than she already did anyway)

M4's already gone through unfathomable amounts of suffering in the first game. In fact, I'm like 60% sure she's actually dead as of writing.

==

It has been 2 weeks since M4A1 had seen you captured by Sangvis forces. Anti-Rain is called off from a search and rescue operation in order to defend a Griffin Base under attack.

Word Count: 1.6k

Content Warning: You (Reader) finna die, cuz. Die, real good.

M4A1 sighed as she shifted her rifle sling while she knelt, trying to scan the Sangvis Outpost for any trace of S/O. Scanning the area came back with a negative, your signature was still nowhere to be found. Even though it had gone offline two weeks ago when one of the Ringleaders kidnapped you, she hadn't lost hope.

Or rather, she refused to. Not until she at least found a body. Under orders from the Commander, she and the rest of Anti-Rain were sent to find you, alive or otherwise.

Something M4A1 kept silently thanking the Commander for, seeing as he didn't want to lose you either. Though for her, it was more personal, something the rest of the team at knew.

(M16A1) "M4."

Her squadmate's stern voice snapped her out of her reverie. M16A1 had her arms crossed, though her eye had a sympathetic look to it, putting a hand on her shoulder.

(M16A1) "Let's report back. I think we've searched all we can today."

(M4A1) "Right. I didn't see their signature here either..."

M4 SOPMOD II hummed to herself, though not out of boredom, it sounded more like she was thinking. To that, ST AR-15 raised an eyebrow and turned to her.

(ST AR-15) "What?"

(SOPMOD) "I was just thinking...Don't the patrols here seem really light to you lately?"

(M4A1) "We're still near Griffin territory, it makes sense why they'd be smaller."

SOPMOD shook her head.

(SOPMOD) "Yeah, but they know we've been poking around! Shouldn't they increase security or else we'd find S/O?"

The group remained silent at that, not entirely sure how to answer. Instead of one of them speaking up however, Kalina did instead.

[Kalina's Voice] "Anti-Rain, do you copy?!"

Hearing the panicked voice of their Commander's right hand man, M4A1 immediately responded, her eyes flashing momentarily.

(M4A1) "Affirmative, what's happening?"

[Kalina's Voice] "Sangvis has launched a massive assault on the base closest to you and the Commander! We're sending the Black Hawk for you to intercept!"

(M4A1) "Understood, send us the coordinates!"

(M16A1) "Tch, guess we found out where they were going!"

(ST AR-15) "Why now of all times-?!"

Suddenly, all their scanners began beeping rapidly, the four in unison finding the source.

...It was S/O's signature in front of the area where Sangvis was sending its forces.

...

(Commander) "Shore up the defenses! Don't let them get too close!"

The Commander directed the T-Dolls in front of the base as he reached for the pistol in his holster. Bullets whizzed by his head and into the concrete of the base, gritting his teeth as a nearby explosion sent dirt flying onto him.

(MP7) "W-Where did they even come from?!"

(OTs-14) "Incoming wave to our left! They're sending in heavy armor!"

(Commander) "Shit! Prepare to retreat, we don't have the ordinance to-"

A wave of bullets struck down the advancing Sangvis Dolls from above, hearing the roaring blades of the Black Hawk soar in overhead.

[M4A1's Voice] "Anti-Rain, deploying onto the field!"

The Commander saw his team drop in dangerously close to the frontline, making him reach for his headset.

(Commander) "Pull back, it's too dangerous for you to get that close!-"

[M16A1's Voice] "Sir, it's S/O!"

What? Did they find them?

(Commander) "...Clarify?!"

The heavy armor stomped over the hill, resembling some kind of spider tank with a strange cylindrical tube on its hull, the main cannon protruding from the bottom of the machine and powering up to fire on the base.

Before the Commander could shout to take cover, Anti-Rain leapt out of the Black Hawk and came crashing down onto the tank, staggering it backwards as the shot went wild, firing into the air and momentarily scrambling communications to static.

[M16A1's Voice] zzrrt!- "-m the tank!"

(Commander) "Repeat, I'm losing you!-"

[M4A1's Voice] "S/O's signature is coming from the tank!"

The Commander and the other T-Dolls froze when they heard M4A1'S voice clearly, looking back to the machine that retreated back from AR Team's efforts.

(Commander) "Oh no..."

...

M16 and SOPMOD struggled to stay on as they shot at weak points in the hull, their eyes still on the metallic cylinder. M4A1 and ST AR-15 were thrown off, avoiding its stomping legs as the dirt caved under its force.

(ST AR-15) "Is the cylinder the power source?!"

(M4A1) "It must be, I'm going in!-"

(ST AR-15) "WAIT!-"

M4A1 leapt onto one of the legs and kept her grip on the metal frames, even as it kept crashing into the ground making her entire body reverberate. M16A1 and SOPMOD managed to damage the turrets on its main body guarding the cylinder, but were forced to jump off, leaving M4A1 alone.

The Anti-Rain leader rushed open to the Cylinder, looking for some kind of hatch to open what she assumed was the door. Barely keeping her balance, she grit her teeth as her hands found an opening in the cracks, tearing it open-

Her eyes going wide when she saw S/O facing her, skin completely pale with wires and machinery hooked up into them.

(S/O) "M....4...?"

Their voice barely came out as a whisper, the sound of the tank and hum of machinery nearly drowning them out.

(M4A1) "S/O...?!"

The Spider Tank momentarily halted, almost powering down, confusing the team.

(M4A1) "What...did they do to you?!"

(S/O) "R-...Run...!"

And the tank sprung back to life, flailing more violently as the whining metal made it seem like it was howling in pain, M4A1 holding onto the cylinder for dear life as she lost her footing.

Hanging on with her fingers, she gripped the metal so hard that it completely bent, yanking herself back down to solid footing, looking to see where she could disconnect S/O.

(M4A1) "I'm not leaving you behind!"

(S/O) cough "M...M4...L-Listen to me!"

S/O coughed out blood as they struggled to yell, the machine in a perpetual state of losing and gaining control of itself.

(S/O) "You...need to destroy this thing...! With...me in it!"

(M4A1) "Shut up! I'm not doing that!-"

(S/O) "I...can't hold back much longer! If it takes over again, I'm not gonna be able to stop the cannon!-"

M4A1 grit her teeth, frantically looking for some way to power the machine down.

(S/O) "Look at me...I'm barely human anymore...I can't disconnect from this, otherwise I'll-"

(M4A1) "JUST SHUT UP! I'M GETTING YOU OUT, S/O!"

S/O's arms managed to lift, one final time to put their palm on the bottom of her neck. Despite how much pain it caused them to move, how much blood was coming from their mouth, they still struggled out a smile.

(S/O) "...Thank you for not giving up on me, M4."

With the last of their strength, S/O managed to shove M4 backwards, causing her to stagger and fall off the Tank as it abruptly halted, its legs twitching, though for how long the squad didn't know.

(M16A1) "M4! Use my case!-"

M16A1 tossed the massive weapon case she had been carrying towards M4 as she fell, managing to grab it as she landed perfectly.

(M4A1) "S/O is inside, I think the Sangvis programming has control of them! We need to-"

M16A1 clutched onto M4's shoulders, her voice yelling but her eye held as much sadness as her little sister's.

(M16A1) "I know! We heard it...we all did! But once Sangvis programming takes hold, there's no going back! We have to take them out!-"

M4 remained quiet, and yanked the case to climb back up the leg, joined by ST AR-15.

(M16A1) "SOPMOD, help me disable the gun!"

With gunfire echoing below her, M4A1 climbed back up to the top, roaring as the case unfolded itself into a cannon, aiming it right at the cylinder where S/O was resting.

(ST AR-15) "Fire, quickly! The tanks coming back online!"

M4A1 yelled out, as if it would give her the resolve to fire upon the human she loved faster, holding the trigger but stopping when S/O's head lifted. They gave her a gentle smile, speaking quietly, though M4A1 knew exactly what they said reading their lips.

(S/O) "M4...It's sad, isn't it?"

(M4A1) "...I-I CAN'T!-"

ST AR-15 rushed over to M4, grabbing ahold of her arms and forcing her hand to squeeze the trigger, firing the cannon with such a violent burst that it sent the two of them flying back, vaporizing the cylinder in a clean blast that scorched the entire top of the tank, and annihilated the power core.

The tank roared to a stop, collapsing onto the ground while M16A1 and SOPMOD caught their squadmates.

The case folded back into itself, laying on the dirt next to M4 as she silently stared into the sky, eyes half open as sound slowly came back to her.

(ST AR-15) "Commander...Threat has been neutralized."

The tone of her voice indicated no joy in reporting it, shutting her eyes along with SOPMOD.

[Commander's Voice] "...U-Understood. Sangvis Forces are in retreat. OTs-14 is sending a squad to retrieve you all."

(ST AR-15) "Copy. Awaiting arrival, STAR out."

M4A1 remained on the ground staring at the clouds that drifted by, almost in a daze.

(SOPMOD) "I'm...not getting S/O's signature anymore."

M16A1 moved to pick her case back up, before kneeling down to her little sister, and hugging her tight as she leaned her to sit upright.

(M16A1) "I'm so sorry, M4..."

Hearing her words broke something in M4A1, as she immediately punched her shoulders before sobbing into them, with M16A1 holding her head closer as her one eye shut.

ST AR-15's grimace grew before feeling SOPMOD squeeze her wrist, making her look over. SOPMOD opened her mouth and gestured silently at M4A1, but she shook her head no.

She couldn't comfort her squad mate after essentially forcing her to kill the human she loved. That was something she couldn't forgive herself for, even if it had to be done.

Anti-Rain remained quiet, except M4A1's sobs who continued, even when evac arrived with the Commander, the members silently looking at the remains of the tank, and where S/O used to be...

[deuxadeux-if]

ahem

hi hi hi

i have been reworking the outline and whatnot as i mentioned i would hopefully do in time. my goal is tentatively to have the outline solidified with beat-by-beat details structured nicely by the end of July. so far it’s looking good on that front, but i’m not rushing it terribly as i’d rather begin an actual draft again once i feel very secure in the plotting/planning than begin drafting before i feel confident in the story as a whole.

i dont really have anything else to share at this time but just in case anyone was wondering yes i have picked this back up (albeit slowly) once more. i will be redoing the prologue and chapter 1 (which is unforch and tragic), not because i truly desire a rewrite—i actually am not terribly dissatisfied with what i’d had written at first, and if i had written those drafts in line with the new changes i’ve made to the outline and general structure of the story, i would certainly have kept it. however, i have elected to make big changes, which fall roughly into one of the following two categories.

i am going to be stricter with my word count goals, and limit it a good amount so the project doesn’t become unwieldy. the plan is to have a short prologue, 8 chapters (each averaging about 50,000 words, i THINK—but this may change a little, not super sure yet), and a short epilogue. branches will go wide at some points, but aside from the endings (which will, necessarily, be somewhere between moderately and very different from one another) the story will come together after major branching until the very end. that is to say, there will be plot points serving as “anchors”/bottlenecks to keep things moving relatively in the same direction, despite any flag- or stat-based variations that branch things out differently at times.

the nitty-gritty of Deux à Deux has changed quite a bit in the name of keeping a more precise/purposeful storyline AND more manageable variables on my end. characters, settings, PC (to some extent), ROs, and general plot stuff has been tweaked significantly. the new/different things are roughly as follows:

NEW & DIFFERENT THINGS...

Erin and Theo are no longer ROs (sorry—i love them too but it’s a necessary evil i fear)

PC is no longer a boxer. this is mostly because it just was another variable/personality thing that i didn’t really need to be there, and combat isn’t going to be as big of a Thing as i initially dreamed of

There are new people & figures in the world of Deux that matter. not much more to say about this for the moment, but this is mostly a vague stand-in explanation that will make more sense relatively early in the story

R Burns is now Ronnie Burns for all genders. Ronnie is still gender-selectable by player. only thing with the name is if they’re a woman in your playthrough then Ronnie is short for Veronica—otherwise it’s just Ronnie all around!

M Nguyen is now Minh Nguyen for all genders. same situation as with Ronnie. really this is just because i do not want to deal with the name coding variations. also i really like the names Ronnie and Minh and want to leave them for all genders AHA

The reason the Lyonses and PC initially get drawn together is going to be a little different. not too much for me to say here, because luckily for me i didn’t end up releasing ch. 1 before the hiatus the past few months, but basically PC will have more agency here. or like…PC will be a standalone person, and will not be inherently reliant on the Lyonses in the sort of pseudo-sugar-baby-but-not-quite kinda way it was initially planned to be

so…yes! things will be different to how i initially sort of expected, in terms of plot but also a little bit in terms of tone and theme. but i like it a lot, and i think it’s getting pretty decent. we shall see, but regardless i hope we all have a great time on the journey AHAH (and i think we will!!)

i’m super excited to start drafting again with a real real real plan for the story, i think it will give me a lot more confidence to like. write well! lol. also—the patreon will not be returning because i don’t think it’s necessary for this project. any random drabbles/POVs/other stuff will be posted for free on here or somewhere else tbd. but the actual game will be like…basically my only concern.

so yes. a new demo is TBD, but the project is on again for sure. in the meantime, if anyone wants to check out the pinterest and whatnot there is some new stuff on there (some VERY new stuff, i might add….like. VERY new. intriguing and unfamiliar people, places, and things. ahem.) the boards aren’t like 100% polished on there, but i’ve kept this in drafts for like ages now and it’s starting to make me antsy so idgaf i’m posting anyways

talk soon<3 ray

[blackcatxmagic]

Again Griffin laughed, amused by the image that Addie was painting for him.  “That should be enough to do the trick,” he said, smiling at her.  “I think that way I should still be able to give you the appropriate refund.”  Obviously he would give her the refund anyway.  “Well I have to make my own fun here I guess,” he replied with a shrug.  “I’m not sure if you know this, but Cardinal Hill is not a hotbed of excitement.”  That wasn’t exactly fair, but what Griffin was used to, it was the truth.  “If you want,” he told Addie, “I can keep the fancy pen behind the counter once the sale starts, that way you can come get it when you want.  I’ll even let you try it out first, but I don’t do these kinds of favors for everyone, so don’t spread it around.”

“It didn’t come across quite the way I intended, but hopefully I’ve made my point,” Griffin replied.  Addie seemed to be taking his comment with good humor, but he hoped he hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable.  Blushing a little, Griffin nodded.  “Yeah, I’m as really on the homecoming court,” he confirmed.  “I mean just barely, I was probably the one to get the least amount of votes of all the guys, but I scraped by.  Weirdly though, I got a surprising amount of votes for king in the second voting period.  Someone on the student council told me, which doesn’t make any sense.”  Really Griffin wasn’t accounting for his good looks and the fact that not a small number of girls (and some boys) would like the traditionally handsome yet sensitive artist.  How sensitive he really was remained debatable, but they assumed all artists were the same.  “I got to carry a scepter, and it got my parents off my back for a little bit, so it wasn’t all bad.  I think that was the proudest they ever were of me.”  That came out a little bit more depressing than he had intended, and Griffin pushed past it immediately.  “They weren’t going to vote in the art kids with the unique looks.  “I mean, this kid Chester had a different color hair every week and was also the best artist, but he didn’t make it because he was…well, you know, there’s a limit to how open-minded most teenagers can be.  From what Colt and Sparrow tell me, it’s a little better now, but still.  Those are my siblings.  They’re 16.”  He added that last part as an afterthought because Addie would not know who those people were unless she somehow knew them, which seemed unlikely.

She let out a quiet, amused breath, angling a look his way. “Duly noted." She gave a swift nod. "I’ll scrawl the letter with my feet, throw in some tasteful smudges, really sell the illusion of pen failure.” There was a lilt of teasing in her tone; but underneath it was something lighter, like a bit of tension had unknotted. “Mystery does keep things interesting—especially in small-town art supply stores with rogue employees and secret summer sales.” She tapped the notebook against her palm once before tucking it safely under her arm once more. “Anyways, worst-case scenario? I get a mediocre pen and a decent story out of it. I think I'll survive.”

At his not-so-straight clarification, Addie's brow rose slowly. She gave a little shake of her head, the edge of a grin pulling at the corners of her lips. “Wow... You really committed to that clarification, huh?” She commented, clearly amused. “You’re lucky you’re charming. That could’ve gone downhill fast.” His comment about the homecoming court had her laughing, a genuine sound that caught her off guard. “Wait—you were on the court? I should’ve remembered that. That kind of detail sticks.” She paused, trying to will her memory to picture the homecoming court; but alas, all she got was a foggy haze. “I always thought those things were half popularity, half rigged ballot box anyway.” Her tone shifted, just barely. “You’ve got that 'golden-boy' look; I’m not surprised you managed to slip through, represent the art kids amongst a slew of power-hungry jocks.” But the smile that followed was softer, not unkind. “Don’t worry, though. Your credibility’s safe with me. I won't tell your boss you're secretly royalty."

[ardent-apostasy]

came across some cultural christianity discourse, so just a few (rather disorganized) thoughts from one (1) ex-christian's pov:

gonna start off by saying i do understand the idea of cultural christianity and the need for a term to encompass it. and it's definitely kind of uncomfortable, but like, a term for the concept needs to exist.

(i think part of the issue comes from "cultural christianity" or "christian culture" coming off differently than "cultural christian" or "christian atheist". "cultural christianity" addresses a culture. "cultural christian" addresses a person -- and i think that's what makes ex-christians get defensive.)

i think there's an element of shame to feeling like you belong to a different culture than the one you feel like you were supposed to?

i bring up this idea because i'm ethnically chinese, but i was raised in north america. my relatives call me a banana, because i'm "yellow on the outside but white on the inside". and like, there's nothing really wrong with that. it's the truth, and none of it is my fault. but it always feels shameful, anyways -- like i've failed my ancestors and i've failed the community that raised me. like i'll never be white enough and i'll never be chinese enough.

(and i have thought about it maybe being because of sorta white guilt over north america's shitty history, maybe wishing my culture wasn't built on another's bones. but then, china's hands are not clean by any stretch of the imagination. so it's not just that.)

i think another part of it is that "cultural christian" is, like, kind of an insult in many christian circles. (definitely dates back to at least 2011, idk if it goes further. idk if that predates the tumblr discourse or not.) it's a way for christians to tear town other christians for not being "christian enough". for some ex-christians, "cultural christian" doesn't mean "raised in a society influenced by christianity", it means "lukewarm christian who's gonna get vomited up by jesus and turned away from heaven"

being lukewarm, many christians say, is worse than not believing at all. (kind of like judas, who jesus said would've been better off not being born at all.) being lukewarm is something many ex-christians spent their christian years being terrified of.

(i would argue that some of the persecution complex actually comes from that fear. because we're told all the time about the lukewarm christians who weren't strong enough to die for their faith. we were raised on the story of cassie, promising that if a gun was held to our heads, we would still profess the name of jesus christ. we were taught that if we were christian enough, then the world would hate us. so if the world didn't hate us -- if the world wasn't persecuting us -- then it had to be because we weren't good enough. but anyways the connection between lukewarm fear and persecution complex is a topic for another day.)

so i think in that sense a problem is that "cultural christianity" is a term with two competing meanings which are very much different from each other, one of which IS 100% intended as an insult. and the problem with "cultural christianity" in the way that it's used on tumblr is that if you google "cultural christianity", the results are about the christian pov on cultural christianity. that's always a recipe for miscommunication.

and one last sort of thought: many things that are kind of "culturally christian" are things that the church often doesn't approve of. like, giving gifts at christmas? it's not heresy, but you better make sure that the gift you're most thankful for is jesus dying on the cross for you. also, santa is almost definitely satan.

(interestingly, something like christmas gifts is probably one of the things where christians and non-christians will agree on what "cultural christianity" might mean. christians will say it's culturally christian because it's people who don't believe in christ but want gifts. non-christians will say it's culturally christian because, like, it's literally about the supposed birth of jesus?)

anyways, there's not really a point here. just wanted to bring up some points that i haven't really seen mentioned whenever i see the cultural christianity discourse, because i think they're important to understanding where the discourse stems from. (i like to think discourse isn't all just people bitching at each other for no reason. i like to think it stems from miscommunication because we don't understand each others' traumas and triggers. but then that might be too optimistic.)

[calpalsworld]

Give him an AAC device and an electric wheelchair NOW!!!

[sailforvalinor]

Idk if this is controversial, but studying for a English/writing degree at university shouldn’t make you NOT want to engage with writing or literature. Just a thought.

[affluent-havoc]

Okay, so here's a little thing I noticed. Not sure if others have noticed this too but, hey! Why not spread the good word. Also, this thought contains spoiler talk as well so heads up if you wanna avoid those! Will warn when it happens. Ahem. Here is a sprite of Aoi I just snatched for demonstration.

Here she is closer. Can you see it?

It's the school emblem! Or like, that part of it that's in Monokuma's eye! Kinda forgot what it's meant to actually be on the emblem itself ngl. Like.. is it am abstract wing??? Not sure. I shrug like Aoi.

Here is a closer pic of her shorts and the school emblem as well.

Here are other sprites of her too which shows that it's not just a one sprite deal.

This doesn't seem like much bit it also got me thinking. This is where the spoilers come in so run while you can!!

First of all, during the tragedy and the brain wiping of the students and their memories of previously being in the school, this would mean that she had these on, right? Right before shit hit the fan? Like, when Junko did her junking around and all, Aoi would have had this get up on during that. Or, maybe not. Perhaps there is a chance that Junko put her in different clothes? Like, she intentionally picked out these shorts for Aoi as some elaborate trolling method and planted them their on her person. And, maybe she'd know that the chances of them questioning and noticing this is low but, she did it anyway for her own amusement. Also, if Junko DID redress them all before the killing game, she was really going all out with this. Very conniving of her. Maybe it was to make sure it convincing that they had never been at Hopes Peak and feed into that lie. Something along those lines. Also messed up too. Wonder if she did it herself or had Mukuro do it though... Not sure Also, now I'm curious what tools she used for memory wiping everyone though that's another question. Not sure if I'd wanna know anyway! Know for a fact that Kyoko took the longest though with her being the Ultimate Detective and her dad being the headmaster of the whole dang school! Poor Kyoko. Or... hmmm. What is the likely hood that these shorts are from the school and she got them while being IN the school itself pre-tragedy era or like... did she preorder them or something? Could a student preorder clothes from Hopes Peak High School??? Or did Aoi wear this outfit on her way to Hopes Peak or did she have MOST of the outfit on and the "Junko planted the Hopes Peak shorts on" theory happened at the same time? Or, ooh! Maybe Junko used some. She may be the Ultimate Despair and the Ultimate Analyst (think that was in Danganronpa Zero manga??) but maybe she was able apply those skills into designing shorts that perfectly matched the ones Aoi wore to school pre-tragedy but JUST with that added emblem on it to troll? So many questions! This really does makes me think. Like, imagine in an alternate timeline. Could this be evidence of some sort of how they all used to be in this school? Like, when discover that they all used to go to Hopes Peak and that they had their memories wiped, could someone be like "Hey! This is all mad and crazy and all but look at Aoi's shorts" or something? Does that make sense? Maybe? Makes me wonder too. If Kyoko was on her A-game and not struggling with the fact that she got hit the hardest with her memory loss, would she notice this detail on Aoi's shorts or like, how long would it take her to notice? I'm not a detective and I saw this after all! Again, so many questions of mine! I swear though. I dunno how much this makes sense. Though, this small detail on Aoi's sprites kept coming back to me and I have finally figured out how to word it all!

[nazumichi]

i put the mad in penguins of madagascar the way i’m just smiling and waving boys

[syncrovoid-presents]

YOU CAN HIT A TAG LIMIT??? My ramblings in the tags have been conquered and squashed by the 30 tag limit. How silly!

[springcatalyst]

i was gonna go on a huge tangent in the post i just rbbed but it ended up being way long so i'm doing it here instead. still going in tags tho

[genesis-the-beginning-anew]

Before I go to bed I guess I’ll make my first proper, non-intro post here…

—

I want to be a sort of shining light. A comfort in people’s lives. Something that can bring a real and pure kind of joy easily… and so so smoothly

I had a conversation with a friend about that. That same feeling plushies ( or a cat or dog even ) give people. The pleasure of something so simple and sweet…

,,

But I also want to keep my claws. My fangs, the chaos that comes from simply messing with people. The discordant sound- the joy in it all

Pillar Chase 2, our nails filed into claws. Making more out there jokes, part of my sources past. Being scary and out there… also makes me happy

…

How do I reconcile those two aspects? They feel opposite in so many ways yet both so appealing. And even so I feel like the latter might make me harder to accept as a changed person, despite it not involving direct, visceral harm

I know that might sound silly to some but anxiety and knowing those out of specific circles would judge for that- it’s so so confusing

[telephoniii]

REALLY…HIM?

☆彡 in which professor trein judges your relationship with the NRC boys

NRC boys x Reader (minus Ortho)

Word Counter: 3K

Warnings: Reader is Prefect, Trein is your father figure, established relationship, possible OOC

A/N: life’s getting pretty hectic so i’m sorry if my upload schedule slows down. i hope you enjoy :>

ace trappola

Can’t say he’s surprised, just disappointed. It makes sense; he was one of your first friends. However, that doesn’t make him any less troublesome. Despite being a first-year, Ace is one of the biggest slackers and troublemakers on campus— much to Trein’s dismay. His main worry is that Ace will poorly influence you. He’s already seeing it with the two of you getting a crazy amount of detentions and scoldings for unthinkable reasons. You’ve got it rough already being from another world, you don’t need a devil on your shoulder convincing you to get into all kinds of trouble. It’s a real shame said devil is your boyfriend. He’ll allow the relationship and all will seem swell. Little do you know that he pulled Ace aside and had a long chat.

deuce spade

A fine pick; Trein is neither severely impressed nor disappointed. He doesn’t think Deuce is too bad, but he believes you could do better. Deuce will need to somehow prove himself to Trein. On the outside, Trein looks like he absolutely hates his guts. His eyes are always staring at Deuce with this sharp look and it gets the card soldier real nervous real fast. In reality, it’s just Trein keeping a closer eye on him + his RBF. He’s relatively neutral on the first year, yet Deuce is fully convinced that his professor wants to set him on fire.

cater diamond

Trein is very annoyed with your choice. He doesn’t like Cater’s social media addiction and would much rather have you hit the books than scrolling through Magicam. Not to mention, he feels as though something about Cater’s happy-go-lucky attitude is a facade, and doesn’t trust him around you. Cater finds Trein scary, but he’s not as intimidated as Deuce. As he does with Ace, Trein takes Cater to have a talk, and—surprisingly— his opinions on the third year improve. He doesn’t fully like him, but he’ll tolerate Cater more so than beforehand. Cater also offers to help Trein make a social media account; it’s cute yet chaotic all the same watching them bond.

trey clover

Before Trein can form a solid thought on Trey, the vice housewarden is subtly trying to win his favor. Trey knows how about his father-like connection to you and immediately shapes up. He gifts Trein different pastries and learns which ones he’s partial to. What really wins the professor over is when Trey starts volunteering to help clean his classroom after class. Trein won’t even know the two of you are already together and he’ll make comments around you like, “That Clover boy is real nice…” Needless to say, Trein approves of Trey long before he finds out you both are in a relationship.

riddle rosehearts

Trein immediately scowls when he hears the news of your relationship. You’d think he’d approve due to Riddle’s intellect and dutiful behavior. Admittedly, Trein does like that about Riddle. But he despises the boy’s bursts of anger, finding them childish and unfitting for a future mage. He’s seen the housewarden go berserk on one too many students and doesn’t trust he won’t do the same to you. Trein doesn’t want you walking on eggshells around your own partner. This is another one who’ll have to prove themselves to Trein. Riddle will be upset when he hears of Trein’s low opinion of him, but gets a surge of motivation to convince him otherwise. You’ll find Riddle working even harder on his studies than before you didn’t even think that was possible in hopes of gaining Trein’s favor. He’ll eventually get it. I imagine that Riddle does some small, heroic deed for you that really shows his love, and Trein just so happens to be passing by and sees it. Once your unofficial official father in Twisted Wonderland gets along with Riddle, expect to be nagged about missing assignments and homework a WHOLE LOT.

jack howl

Similar to Trey, he immediately knows about your bond with Trein. Instead of trying to win over the professor, Jack takes a more blunt approach. He goes straight to his desk after class and tells him about your relationship, being upfront about his feelings towards you. Trein respects it. He thinks that Jack has more guts than most on campus and trusts him to protect you. He’s quite supportive of the relationship, acting as a mentor for the both of you. You can catch him watching the two of you with a tiny smile, murmuring something along the lines of, “Young love.” The two of you remind him of his own marriage with his late wife. It makes him sentimental in a way.

ruggie bucchi

A BIG 180 FROM JACK. Trein thinks this guy is sleazy. Ruggie couldn’t care less in the beginning, finding it funny to practically hang off your shoulder while Trein stared daggers into him. Then it started to seep in that it may or may not be important to get Trein’s approval for a long-term relationship with you. That’s when he gets his act together and completely starts sucking up to Trein. He’ll help out with paperwork, errands, cleaning up, etc! All for free! much to his dismay All Ruggie asks for in return is Trein’s support for your relationship. He catches Trein by surprise with how well his work ethic is. The lengths the hyena goes to for you ends up leaving the professor impressed.

leona kingscholar

Professor Trein is both surprised and disappointed. Now how did this happen? He didn't think Kingscholar was capable of being nice to anyone, let alone get into a whole relationship. Well, he bugs you to tell your boyfriend to start showing up to class. He’s not exactly happy with you dating a huge slacker like him, but Trein knows that Leona is a smart boy. Brash and not his first pick, sure, but he wouldn’t play with your heart or rope you into anything stupid. He trusts Kingscholar to protect you. But if he starts seeing you begin to skip class— which is going to happen, Leona’s going to make you do it at least once— he’ll pull YOU aside and give you an earful. Tough love, unfortunately.

floyd leech

Hell no. All the red blaring flags. Now why would you go and do that? Really? Out of EVERYONE? You bet your bottoms Trein is actively speaking out against your relationship every single time he sees you. He doesn't even want to try to talk to Floyd. Trein is convinced you are addicted to getting in trouble and lets out the biggest old man sigh. Is there any way Floyd can win the professor’s favor? Probably not. And if there was a way, would Floyd even do it? Big fat no. Floyd thinks it is hilarious that Professor Trein disapproves, upping his affections around him with that toothy grin of his. And if you guys have a class together that Trein teaches? Chaos. Expect a lot of paper balls to be thrown at you.

jade leech

“Are you okay??” Is the first thing Trein asks when you tell him you and Jade are in a relationship. Doesn't exactly trust the boy, but Jade tends to behave around him. The professor has always seen him being picture-perfect whenever he’s around which is 100% suspicious, but Trein doesn't have any solid reasons to disapprove. Jade, like his brother, finds the whole situation very amusing. He’s always figuring out new ways to appear like the ‘ideal boyfriend’ to Trein. If he ever talks to the professor he’ll slip in a comment like, “I never disappoint, trust me” and it makes Trein distrust him even more.

azul ashengrotto

Now what bet did you lose for this to have happened? At least Ashengrotto is a star student, you need to hang out around more of those in his opinion. After confirming that, “No, no bet was lost,” and “No, he’s not paying for my love,” Trein was pretty alright with it. The Monstro Lounge is a student-ran organization, it's clear from that the young boy is capable and responsible. He just keeps a very, very close eye on you two. The last thing Trein wants is for Azul to take advantage of you since— knowing him— he seems like the type to do so. Expect frequent questions of “How’s your relationship going?” and “He’s treating you right, right?” Azul is going to get asked to stay after class to talk. Trein then proceeds to threaten lecture him on how to properly treat your lover. He just wants to make sure you don't get wrapped up in one of those contracts he’s heard about. Azul has quite the track record.

kalim al asim

Automatically assumes you’re dating him for the money and begins to ramble about how you should marry for love. Tells you about his late wife and how much he loved her— it is so sweet I'm actually crying. That's the kind of love he wants you to have. You’ve got to reassure him that, “Yes, my certified father figure, I do love him very much and I’m not just in it for the money.” After that talk, he finds the relationship sweet but kind of concerning. Kalim is a nice boy but severely naive and, frankly, incompetent. Trein starts to go a little harder on Kalim in class, not that he was going easy anyway. He scrutinizes the essays he turns in and chastises him for missing an assignment. As he watches you kiss Kalim on the cheek after getting an A, Trein can only sigh and think, “He’s lucky he’s rich.”

jamil viper

Trein’s pretty okay with him. He’s a level-headed guy with passable grades and the title of a vice housewarden. However, the professor did hear about his Overblot and does think that there's more beneath the surface. He doesn't judge him for his Overblot, no. But Trein does keep a closer eye on him to make sure he isn't scheming anything involving you. The professor also tries to push him to do better academically. He’s heard from you about how smart Jamil truly is and can see his potential, so he tries to get him to stop holding back. Jamil is a little appreciative of it and respects Trein as your father figure, but still isn't a fan of sticking out. Nor does he plan on giving into Trein’s attempts.

epel felmier

Is fine with the relationship at first. He was polite, soft-spoken, and a part of Pomfiore. Most students belonging to that dorm are pompous, but respectful nonetheless. Then Epel’s true nature comes out and Trein is constantly reprimanding him for horseplay. It's kinda funny how surprised Trein is by Epel’s country toughness. The professor definitely had his suspicions— nobody at NRC is innocent, he’s learned every student here has some sort of dark side— but he definitely wouldn't have expected this. A part of Trein actually prefers him like this. You are dating someone with a backbone who will defend you. He encourages Epel to be himself around him, promising a judgment-free area. They get along pretty well surprisingly, with Trein being a sort of mentor to him. Overall, very sweet and Trein approves.

rook hunt

In the most blunt way possible, Trein tells you, “Your boyfriend weirds me out.” He thinks Rook is an oddball for sure. No way around it. Is half convinced Rook is stalking him. Because he is. When you explained to your boyfriend about the bond you had with Professor Trein, he got way too intrigued and ended up ‘watching’ Trein like he does to Leona. It's not until the professor makes a passing comment about being paranoid that he’s being watched that you realized, “Oh shit my boyfriends stalking you.” You don't say that to him— you don't want Rook getting in trouble. So you settle on having a really long talk with Rook about it who reassures you he’d never disturb your father figure or the absolutely beautiful bond between the two of you. He still worries you sometimes when he goes missing and randomly reappears by walking out of Trein’s classroom.

vil schoenheit

Trein worries that Vil won’t make the time for you. He’s aware that Schoenheit is a busy boy as he’s missed his class plentiful in the past. He’ll make Vil stay after class for a little to talk to him about it, giving him a fatherly warning about being ready to fully commit to a relationship and the time it takes to manage one. Vil is, admittedly, insulted that Trein doubts his ability to wholeheartedly love you but takes it in stride. He sees this as a sign to up his game in the romance department and properly does so, dedicating more time to pampering you. The professor expresses his concerns to his coworker, Crewel, who talks his ear off about how much of a “good pup” Vil is and that he won't disappoint. Trein can’t help but agree when he spots you walking into class looking more freshened with slight makeup on and a new hair-do that Vil definitely did for you.

idia shroud

Once you break the news to Trein, he immediately asks to meet with Idia one-on-one. The blue-haired student rarely shows up to class! And that iPad isn't going to cut it forever! He needs to be able to size him up in person. Idia, naturally, is scared to death. At first, he immediately declines, insisting that they don't really need to meet up, the whole idea is stupid, and it’ll be fine if he stays right there in his room. Then you sit down with him and tell him how important Trein is to you and… sigh You landed a natural 20 on the dice of persuasion. Idia can’t believe he's doing this. You’re beside him the whole time as he stutters in front of Trein. Is Trein impressed? No, not at all. Yet your confidence in the Shroud and constant praise is reassuring. The professor’s going to make you force Idia into showing up in person in class. His attendance rivals Leona's.

sebek zigvolt

Doesn't really care for Sebek despite the first year's desperate attempts at trying to impress him. Sebek lost him after he started talking about Malleus when Trein asked about you. Ever since then, it’s just been him trying to win him back to no prevail. Kinda sad to watch. He’ll be the biggest gentleman ever: rushing to doors to open them for Trein, scrubbing his whole classroom for him from top to bottom, and yelling at other students to be quiet— though he was pretty much doing that before you two even got together. But every time Sebek gets close to winning the professor’s favor, he ends up going on a tangent about how amazing his liege is, and we're back at square one. You’ve got to rub him on the back and kiss him on the cheek while telling him, “Trein will come around one day!” Even if that day never comes.

silver

Not a fan. He’s witnessed Silver fall asleep in his class one too many times and thinks it's disrespectful. Once you tell Silver, he’s upset as it's not exactly something he can change, but will put in extra effort not only in Trein’s class but in all his classes. He studies with you beside him so you can prevent him from falling asleep when you see him get all drowsy-eyed. Trein immediately takes note of Silver’s hard work and grit as the boy passes his class with flying colors while asking if there’s anything he could do to help him after hours. It's only when he hears from his fellow teachers that Silver has been doing exceptionally well is he actually impressed. Afterwards, Trein will start being more understanding of Silver’s constant sleeping. He won't be any less strict, but he won’t lay into him for it as hard as before since learning it's out of Silver’s control. Trein thinks rather positively of your relationship, comparing it to the ones in the fairytales.

lilia vanrouge

A bit disturbed, to say the least. Lilia is older than him after all. Trein tried to keep a close eye on the two of you, but Lilia always caught him and pursued a staring match. Trein was always the first to look away. Lilia finds it entertaining. He tries to play tiny tricks on the professor, but you stop him at the very last minute. You sit down and try to explain that you deeply care about Trein and, by extension, what Trein thinks of him. Lilia proceeded to suggest that he brings Trein some cookies to win him over to which you immediately say no. Honestly, I don’t see Trein really ever warming up to Lilia. He just pretends the old bat doesn't exist and isn't your boyfriend. Lilia finds that incredibly funny while you're dying inside.

malleus draconia

The fact you were able to get close to the Draconia is an impressive feat to Trein. However, future ruler of Briar Valley or not, he intends to make sure that Malleus treats you right. Right when you tell Malleus that Trein is basically your father, the fae goes straight to the professor, confesses to him about your relationship, and swears to take good care of you with this ominous tone. Trein isn’t very fond of Malleus at first, struggling to decipher whether or not that introduction was genuine. It isn't until you go to him after class, gushing about the late-night walk you went on with Malleus yesterday and shoving cute little polaroid photos in his face does Trein begin to trust the fae. He makes sure to scold you for not being asleep at that time, yes, but he stares at one of the photographs for way too long, imagining you and Malleus as him and his late wife for a moment. A small smile appears on his face. However, he can’t help but think that the two of you are down a similar path; the happiest marriage ever, kids, and one lover outliving the other. A tragedy, but he’ll let you enjoy it while it lasts just like he did. As long as you’re happy.

[alphalesbian]

Suppose you are in a superposition of any greater than zero number of gender(s), whose behaviour is only absolute upon observation, and depending on the underlying behaviour of each state, it is either immutable, or malleable. A riddle then, person reading this: How can you PROVE someone's gender 'state' as immutable, WITHOUT OBSERVING OR DEFINING them, AND WITHOUT asking that someone AND/OR someone other than yourself WHAT OBSERVATIONS and DEFINITIONS for gender ARE, AND WITHOUT REFERING to any PRE-EXISTING OBSERVATIONS and DEFINITIONS for gender? There is not a single way of gender and human gender, in which we've applied gender and gender as a concept applies to us, that simply DOES NOT CHANGE. Our 'human' definitions of gender CAN CHANGE, DO CHANGE, AND WILL CHANGE, because gender, not just human gender, is fundamentally inherantly, a collection of OBSERVED and DEFINED traits and behaviours, which itself is inherantly unbreakably subjective to all possible configurations within that collection. Call your friends eggs. Thanks for coming to my lecture

[meowdei]

Sukuna who was never close to his twin brother and never cared about the pipsqueak runt of a kid who’s his nephew.

He doesn’t care and doesn’t want to be associated with that bullshit. His brother doesn’t take the hint ever and invites him to everything. “My sons’s birthday party” this and “my son’s kindergarten graduation” that. What sort of graduation is meant for a kindergartener anyway? That’s a load of nonsense. But Jin is as annoying as ever with insisting on keeping contact and trying to get Sukuna involved and he hates it until by some tragedy out of nowhere, his brother and sister and law are dead. Yuuji’s left an orphan and no one can care for that kid because there’s no one left.

No one except Sukuna.

They ask him, too. The social workers. They turn to him and say some pitiful script about being “the only family left to take custody of him.” He knows pretty well what’s going to happen to the pipsqueak if he doesn’t agree. The foster care system and the possible horrors such a bright (even if annoying) kid could face makes him question saying no for a second. He’s surprisingly conflicted.

And it’s out of sheer impulsiveness alone does he end up as a single, grumpy, begrudging uncle who’s got custody of a child he never really cared to know in the first place.

And then he meets you.

Sweet, bubbly, warm, and so weirdly happy. Dictionary definition of what an elementary school teacher should be. Yuuji’s absolute favorite person on the planet as he waves hello at you enthusiastically every time that Sukuna drops him off and goodbye every time that Sukuna picks him up.

“I heard his new guardian would be his uncle. It’s nice to meet you,” you murmur to him the first day he picks up Yuuji after school, a look of pure melancholy on your face as you stare at him with an unearthly amount of compassion and sympathy. “Yuuji’s parents were wonderful people. I’m really sorry for your loss.”

“Wasn’t that close with either of them,” he grunts out. You look over at where Yuuji’s gleefully playing on the slide of the playground. Too young and innocent to realize that’s been ripped away from him. Too naive to understand what it means to grieve. Too hopeful about the world around him to realize just how cruel it can really be.

“Oh,” you murmur, nodding slowly.

He thinks that your unnaturally kind demeanor will finally be broken for a split second of judgement. What sort of heartless bastard doesn’t feel an ounce of grief for his own brother’s death? Instead, however, you seem to look at him with some weird sense of wonder.

“You’re a good uncle for stepping up regardless,” you say softly, “it’s more than what most would do in your shoes.”

“Yeah, whatever,” he clicks his teeth, unbearably uncomfortable with how weirdly sentimental this all is. “He’s just a five year old. How much trouble could he be?”

You raise a brow in amusement, eyeing him like he’s got one hell of a surprise waiting for him. He doesn’t like the vague way you hum, “Yeah. How could such a little human cause trouble, right?”

“I’ve got it under control,” he grumbles, a little annoyed that you seem to think that out of all things, a simple child would be enough to cause Sukuna any issues.

“Let me know if you need anything,” you smile.

Yuuji calls to you from the distance, squealing look what I can do! before he does a rather clumsy spin. Sukuna raises an unimpressed brow. You clap and praise him with an exaggerated gasp of approval.

It’s oddly endearing, he thinks to himself—you, not the kid. The kid’s barely tolerable.

“C’mon, you brat,” Sukuna calls. And then he looks at you and gruffly adds, “And I don’t need help.”

“Okay,” you grin brightly. It almost feels like you’re saying that a little sarcastically. “I’m sure you’ve got this parent thing down.”

Before he can even correct you that he’s an uncle, not parent, Yuuji comes running over on clumsy, short little legs and grabs onto Sukuna’s hand.

“C’mon, Uncle ‘Kuna!”

Sukuna doesn’t miss the way your eyes soften. Weirdly enough, he feels this odd sort of squeeze in his chest that doesn’t make any sense. Maybe he’s just getting old—that has to be it.

[ssahotchnerr]

okay I don’t know how to make this idea I have in my head make sense but here it goes: imagine reader spending time with the team and knowing that Aaron has kind of a stoic image when it comes to the team but then he’s a cinnamon roll at home and the reader tries not to embarrass him with the team and Aaron ends up thinking that the reader is mad or upset because she’s not being as touchy or flirty with him as she normally is but really she’s just trying not to ruin his image??? Did that make sense? I hope that made sense

let loose

it makes perfect sense cw; fem non bau!reader, established relationship, touch starved aaron <3, angst if you squint, fluff and some ending spice ❤️‍🔥 wc; 1k

This was the second time you'd met Aaron's team.

The first was a few weeks ago; you'd brought Aaron a case file he'd forgotten at home. Multiple pairs of eyes latched onto you as you stepped into the bullpen, looking a bit lost until Aaron departed his office to greet you.

When he’d introduced you, only the briefest of pleasantries had been exchanged. Tonight - a small party at David Rossi's - proper acquaintances were finally made.

Your initial shyness was to be expected; getting used to their dynamics, their quirks, fearing you were invading the 'family' they had created.

Aaron's done what he thought would make you more comfortable; staying in close proximity, offering subtle reassurances - a hand on your knee, silent check-ins - and involving you in conversation. He had no doubts the team would make every effort to be welcoming, but he was also well aware that they could come off as intimidating without meaning to be.

But as the night went on, your reservation was directed more at him.

You strayed away from his touch, meeting his eyes with uncertainty, clasping your own hands together instead of intertwining with his. Such detachment was in complete contrast to your typical behavior; normally, you were wrapped around him any chance you got.

Not to mention, you had been all over him back at home. Prolonging your departure by having him pressed against the door, kissing him senseless. You’d almost been late to the time Dave had stated dinner would begin. 

And now, Aaron was left wondering what he could've done wrong in such a short amount of time.

"Are you enjoying yourself, sweetheart?" He asked when a private moment between the two of you finally presented itself, finding you in the kitchen. The others had filtered out to Dave’s patio.

"Yeah, your team is great." You flashed him a quick smile as he neared, busying yourself with the charcuterie board JJ had brought. "You never told me how fun they are."

"They have their moments," his hand found your back, pressing a kiss behind your ear. His actions caused you to tense, only proving his suspicions further. Something was wrong.

"Honey?"

"Hm?" You glanced towards the doorway before looking up at him, your cheeks flushed. You took a small side step away, creating some distance. Anxiety bubbled in his chest.

"Did I do something wrong? You've barely touched me all night. If I upset you somehow, I’m sorry."

"No, no you haven't done anything. I just..." You turned your head away again, timidly and quietly admitting, "didn't know if you wanted me to."

His eyebrows quirked in confusion, you continued.

"This is your team. I know you have an image you want to maintain, and I respect that, so I didn't want to do anything that could potentially embarrass you, with me being as touchy as I am. I panicked, I didn't want to cross a line without knowing."

Oh. His eyes softened in understanding, as yours displayed inner conflict, your heart and head being pulled in different directions.

"Well, I do want you to. Please do."

"Are you sure?"

"Within reason." He offered you a sly smile, not insinuating he wanted hot and heavy actions in front of his colleagues. "But I want you on my arm. Holding my hand. Being your affectionate and loving self. It's what I love about you, and it's meant to be shared."

In fact, it was the one thing he was looking forward to about tonight. He felt more possessive than usual, a state that might have concerned him if not for the pride that came with it. You were his, and he wanted everyone to know how lucky he was.

And selfishly, he wanted the others to know he was worthy of love, (given, he was still trying to believe the same). That there was more to him than Aaron Hotchner, the BAU Unit Chief. He was needed, and not in the professional way he was used to, where his value was measured in results and responsibilities. But rather, being a doting and deeply loving partner.

A smile slowly made its way onto your face, grabbing his hands and lacing your fingers with his before guiding them to your waist, wrapping both his arms around you yourself.

"This may sound pathetic, but within the two hours we've been here, I've missed you."

You laughed gently at his whining, clinging onto his arms. "It's not pathetic at all. If you think you were having a rough time... I had no idea how hard it is to keep my hands off you."

"Good thing there's an easy solution for that. Don't restrain yourself."

"In that case," this time, you didn't glance towards the door, in fear of being caught by one of Aaron's team members. You grabbed his face, your lips meeting his in a kiss.

He immediately reciprocated, a breath of relief escaping him as well; needing this, needing you, the lack of contact throughout the night excruciating. His mouth moved on yours with seamless urgency, as though instinct guided every touch.

The kiss quickly grew heated and messy. Aaron's arms tightened around your waist, backing and picking you up onto the counter, stepping in between your legs. His hands pulled at your hips in desperation of getting you closer. Your breath heavily picked up, assisting him by pressing your chest into his.

Aaron couldn't help but smile against your lips - for a number of reasons. The all-consuming love he had for you, being with you - being close to you - with the team just steps away. Feeling much the same, a giddy giggle escaped you.

"You know..." you mumbled between kisses, your fingers toying with the buttons of his shirt. "You look sexy tonight. Absolutely irresistible."

A breathless chuckle shook through his chest. "We should head out. They'll come looking for us," he teased back, his fingers digging into your hips - a silent cue that he had no intention of actually joining them.

You hummed softly in response, undoing his top button. You stopped there; as it was, you’d only undone the button to get a reaction out of Aaron. It worked, a heavy, trembling breath leaving him. "Let them."