#i did notice her not wanting treats as much these past couple days. just hope if she does pass it's more peaceful than peanut. i hate

[theood]

My grandpa's dog might be on her way according to my grandmother

[wonryllis]

after hours, i can be whatever you want me to be ⭑ ( lhs. )

⭑ FEATURING horrendously down down bad lee heeseung x kinda naive philophobic fem!reader. where heeseung has no intentions of escaping your cages, forever remaining under the spell of your love. ( ARCHIVE? )

⭑ GENRE & WARNINGS fluff, toxic situation, almost kissing, mildly suggestive WORDCOUNT 0.834k

she's crazy but i love her.

heeseung's steps are slow and calculated, eyes glued on your figure trying to make your way to his car. stumbling and wobbly in heels you (kind of) seem accustomed to, feet clicking against the pavement in a hasty stride. he's worried. you were out with friends past midnight on a weekday, called him all drunk to pick you up from the bar and now you are barely able to walk straight, ankle on the verge of twisting at any given moment but you wouldn't let him hold you. he's worried sick.

"angel please just hold onto me hm?" he pleads rushing over when you visibly slip on an uneven part, hands almost gripping around your waist as you manage to keep your balance, staggering back into his arms in a couple of steps.

"you! who are you!" your hands push against his chest as you turn around startled. there it goes, again! heeseung sighs knowing what's to come. it's the third time in the last fifteen minutes, going over this exact conversation word to word.

"it's heeseung, your cousin's friend and your friend," he makes sure to emphasize on 'your friend' trying to stop this before it gets further into the loop.

"where's my cousin?" you ask, looking around the rather empty parking lot.

"he working," heeseung's explanation is dry because he knows you'll cut him off before he can say anything more,"and why are you here?" just like that. he remembers the first time this happened, when you were actually sober and met him at your cousin brother: jay's workplace. you showed up out of nowhere, without any notice and jay was going bonkers at how he'll get you back home when he has the most important client waiting for him in the next room. heeseung hadn't thought much when he offered to drop you off, a favor for a friend that was all it was to him.

"because you called me, angel," but god was he wrong, for he swears the moment he laid his eyes on you he was a goner. you were too darn pretty to be just a favor. you were younger, a party girl always running out to frat and sorority gatherings, bars and clubs. often calling jay to pick you up to avoid letting your parents know of your shenanigans.

"why did i call you and not my cousin?" everytime he had wished it was him and not jay, even though ultimately he was the one who went. carrying your cute drunk ass to your mansion and getting you to your room as discreetly as possible. you are a rich girl, two worlds apart and heeseung has felt it in many ways than not.

"because i'm your cousin's friend and you know me well," heeseung never thought he'd ever be more than just your cousin's friend to you. at least he hopes he is more. you have done things with him that you'd definitely not do with just your cousin's friend. a space curtaining acquaintance and lover, he hangs dangerously cold and heedless.

"so where's my cousin?" between days left ghosted and nights you throw your arms around him he stands unsure of his place in your life. at times he feels you know he's the one who could treat you better than any of the guys you cry for. yet there are moments when there's this sturdy wall you build, holding him away for the sake of not losing him like others. afraid of love is what you refuse you are but heeseung knows your conceptions of it are a little too twisted, broken he dare say. and his love for you is so far and conflicted to the things you have experienced, he understands the lengths and the time it will take for you to recognize and accept him.

"you know what, i'm getting you in the car myself," in an instance his hands grip at the back of knees and the curve of your waist, hauling you up in his arms. he walks quick to his car parked at the far end, smiling through the constant pouty mumbles of yours. eyeing you every two seconds, not being able to resist that pretty face of yours.

it is absolutely not in him to ever resist that pretty face of yours, your pretty eyes and your pretty lips as they graze against his own in gentle brushes. arms looped around his neck and thighs resting on the soft matress of your bed, albeit on each side of his own, yet again. sitting on his lap, so close, bodies pressed. "heeseungie, please stay," your voice a sultry whisper of a whine, a naive vixen, if that's even a thing.

lee heeseung knows he will never have the power to refuse you, he will be whatever you want him to be for how ever long you will want him to be.

you make him crazy and he loves you for that.

taglist ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat @s00buwu @lilyuwon @pockyyasii @nctislifue @ashtxrie @miniature-tragedy @jayujus @brachives @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly @eeunoia @nxzz-skz @shawnyle @potato0579 @enhastolemyheart @ro-diaries @aaa-sia @okwonyo @enhabooks @jjunae @criminalyun @enhacrumbsss @oddracha @seochangbinnnnnnnnnnn @mxxnintheskyreblogs

[kaliforniahigh]

my kink is karma - part. 2 - n.s.

This is the second part to "casual". The title is yet another Chappell Roan song :D

Warnings: Some self-deprecating talk, Folio plays a little bit of a matchmaker, they talk about their feelings, curse words and angst with a happy ending (I'm a sucker for happy endings).

WC: 3.367

It's comical, bridges you burn If karma's real, hope it's your turn

The tension in the air after yours and Noah's argument was palpable. You haven't talked to him since your argument, but it didn't take a genius to notice he wasn't behaving like himself lately.

You, on the other hand, was just waiting for this tour to be over. You've been treating this job exactly like what it is. A job. You kept a friendly relationship with everyone, but the outings to bars or restaurants were kept to a minimum.

Bryan sensed something was up when you asked him to show Noah the pictures you took, for him to select the ones he liked the most, instead of showing him yourself.

You kept in contact with Liam, contrary to what Noah insinuated, your interactions were strictly professional, since Liam had a long-term girlfriend that he mentioned to you the first time you talked. Showing you some pictures he took of her in an outdoor setting.

You could've told Noah this, but seeing him angry and out of his wits at the idea of you dating or seeing someone else was more entertaining for you. You guess you just wanted him to feel a little bit of what you felt when he took those girls to his hotel room.

Nick did tell you though that these past few weeks Noah hasn't even tried to flirt or take girls back to his room, and mentioned that he should check "if his friend was ok". You wondered if you were the only one who never realized Noah was a player.

You guess that doesn't matter now. Liam has called you a few days ago, since you've mentioned to him that tour was wrapping up soon, he wanted to ask if you would accept the invitation of touring with him and the band he worked for, and you were considering it.

You're familiar here, and meeting new people and getting used to a new setting was going to be challenging. But you also knew you couldn't keep going like this. You always took pride in having a great relationship with everyone, and now you felt like you were drifting further and further apart from them.

You knew they considered you their friends, but the truth is: they're Noah's friends. And you could and would never come between that.

It's hot when you have a meltdown In the front of your house and you're getting kicked out It's hot when you're drinking downtown And you're getting called out 'cause you're running your mouth

Nick knew he shouldn't pry, especially not when Noah was on the verge of being too drunk. But two of his best friends were fighting and he knew neither one of them were going to come out and say anything. Besides, he knew Noah lacked a filter when he was intoxicated, so this was his best chance.

Tour was wrapping up this week, so this was the last opportunity for the band and crew to go out together. After all is over, everyone ends up going their own way and it gets difficult to organize something.

Nick was waiting for the best opportunity to talk to Noah, and at some point during the night, they found themselves alone at the table.

"So, Y/N didn't wanna come out tonight", Nick started, mentioning your name right out the gate, not wanting to waste too much time. He saw Noah's shoulder tense.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised", his friend answered, taking another sip of his alcoholic beverage.

"Do you know what could've happened? She used to go out with us all the time", Nick played dumb, not wanting to give away that he could tell you two obviously had something going on.

"I don't know man, maybe she's too busy talking to Liam or whatever", so Noah was jealous, that much he could tell. Nick knew about Liam because you've mentioned him in conversation a couple of times.

"Why would she be busy talking to Liam in the middle of the night? Besides, they're on different timezones", Nick fished for more information.

"I guess she liked the attention she was receiving", Noah said and shrugged his shoulders, trying to look unbothered by the situation, but ultimately failing.

"I see", Nick pondered. Finally, he decided to put his friend out of his misery "you know he has a girlfriend, right? I think Y/N mentioned they've been together for 7 or 8 years or something", Nick said and waited for a reaction. Noah's eyes widened visibly in surprise and he looked in Nick's direction.

"No, I didn't know that", he sounded defeated, as he let the realization sink in.

"So whatever you guys have going on, if it's because Y/N has been talking to Liam, you can cut it out, because there's nothing happening there", Nick saw Noah sigh out loud and run his hands over his face. He expected him to be relieved, but he looked exasperated?

"Noah, this is everything that happened, right?", Nick was suddently worried about his reaction.

"I might have been a dick to Y/N", Noah was looking down at his drink, stirring it uselessly.

"What do you mean?", it was Nick's turn to look and sound exasperated. Maybe he bit off more than he could chew.

"Look, Y/N and hooked up a few times, and...", he began explaining, but Nick cut him off "By hooked up you mean you've kissed, or something more?", he has an inkling feeling that this was so much more.

"I mean we've had sex a few times", he paused, but continued when Nick didn't say anything "it wasn't anything serious, but I might have lost my cool when I saw her talking to Liam at that festival", he at least looked guilty saying this.

"If it wasn't anything serious then why did you lose your cool?" Nick asked the million dollar question.

"I don't know. I think I didn't like seeing her with that guy?", Noah was having a hard time explaining himself. Nick always knew his friend wasn't good with expressing his feelings. And that worried him, because there was no telling what he could've said to you.

"And what happened after that for you guys to stop talking?", Nick was getting to the bottom of this, even if he didn't like it. And it seemed like Noah needed someone to talk to anyway. He could tell the conversation sobered up the boy quite a bit.

"I kinda confronted her about it?"

"And how did you do that?", by the looks of it, he was gonna have to pry the information out of him. He felt like a parent mediating a fight between two kids.

"I wasn't the nicest, ok? I already know that and I already feel like absolute shit about it", Nick wasn't gonna ask again, so they sat in silence until Noah conjured up the courage to say what he needed to say.

"I insinuated that Liam was only interested in her in order to get her into bed. And then I proceeded to tell her that I didn't think she would be so easy". Noah said this with venon in his voice, directed at himself. Saying it out loud again only heightend the weight of his words. And this somehow made him feel even worse.

"What the fuck, Noah? Why the fuck would you say that?", Nick said with anger in his voice.

"Have you seem this Liam guy? He's probably gone to a nice college, just like her. He probably doesn't have attachment issues. He probably doesn't need therapy to talk about his feelings. I freaked out, ok? It was clear from the beggining that Y/N and I could never work. So I decided that having a little bit of her was better than having none of her". Noah could feel the tears stinging his eyes. Letting out the thoughts in his head felt a little liberating, but it didn't make him feel better about the way he treated you.

"You don't get to decide if Y/N deserves you or not. That was her decision to make. And you shouldn't have jumped to conclusions with her and Liam", Nick knew that this was obvious, but maybe the obvious still needed to be said.

"I don't think that matters now. I don't see how I could fix this. Tour is ending and I bet she'll never want to see my face again"

"And if that happens, you at least owe her an apology", Nick patted him on the back and asked Noah if he wanted another drink, he said no, so Nick left him with his own thoughts.

Oh, God And it's coming around, yeah, it's coming around Yeah, it's coming around, oh, God Oh, God

This was one of those things you couldn't get away from. Mainly because everyone has been planning this since before the tour even started. Also because it's already been paid for, and you don't like your money going to waste.

Camping was never your favorite activity. You despised insects and couldn't understand why people left their comfy beds to sleep in tents and sleeping bags. But back then, Noah promised to make you as many roasted marshmallows as you wanted, and you pretended to say yes just because of that. As if you wouldn't jump at the opportunity to spend more time with him. Now you were cursing yourself.

You were unaware of the conversation Nick had with Noah before tour ended, and how much he knew about what transpired between you two. So you thought nothing of the conversation you were having with him, as the boys grilled some burgers for dinner.

"I kind of have something to tell you", you were nervous to make this official. "Since tour ended and everything, I don't see why hide this anymore"

Nick thought you were finally opening up to him about your adventures and fall out with Noah. He would soon find out he was very mistaken as he told you to go on.

"You know how I've been talking to Liam right?", he nodded "recently he asked me if I wanted to tour with him. To have a different experience and all that", you kicked a pebble next to your feet. Nick was looking directly at you, but you didn't have the heart to look back at him. "I've been thinking about saying yes".

"You're leaving us?", this prompted you to lift your head.

"C'mon Nick, this tour was just an experiment. I don't know for sure if you guys will want me back. I need to have something lined up for me". And that was true. You were only thinking about your next steps.

"I thought it was clear we wanted you next tour as well?", Nick genuinely sounded confused and it broke your heart. You didn't know what to say anymore. "Is this about you and Noah?", he asked and you froze the second the words left his lips.

"What do you mean?", you tried to gauge how much he knew.

"I think you know what I mean. I could tell there was something different between you two. I had to find out what it was. So I kind of cornered Noah one night and he told me", you huffed in annoyance.

"What else did he tell you? That I'm easy and fall into bed with everyone that comes asking?"

"No, but he did tell me that he basically told you that", Nick said and you were honestly surprised at this. It was very difficult for Noah to admit to his mistakes. "I'm not defending him, because I already told him what he needed to hear from me. But I think you guys should talk before we leave"

"We'll see about that", you gave him a little sideways smile, trying to be noncommittal about this.

"It doesn't matter if you're with us or working for a different band. I know you'll kill it anyways. But keep in mind that we like having you close"

"Thank you, Nick", you showed him your gratitude.

"I'll see if those goofs need any help", you looked back at the boys and saw Matt threatening Jolly with the tongs, opening and closing them, as if he was trying to get his head. You laughed at this as Nick excused himself.

Dinner went by and soon you were all sitting by the fire, attempting to tell scary stories, but everyone was laughing and calling out loop hopes in each other's tales, turning the situation from scary to funny.

You were roasting some marshmallows here and there. You were never good at this, so it either came out burnt or the thing melted entirely and fell into the fire. You gave up at some point and just sat there, with the stick in your hand, poking the floor aimelessly.

Seconds later, Nick poked you on the side, handing you a stick with two marshmallows roasted perfectly on the top. You gave him a puzzled look, but he just tilted his head to Noah, who was sat beside him. He gave you a barely there smile, and nodded in acknowledgment. The marshmallows kept coming thoughout the night without you having to ask for them. He did promise you to roast you as many as you wanted after all.

Not too long after, everyone was excusing themselves to their tents. The long drive here had everyone yawning. You were not much better, so you decided to do the same.

A soon as your head hit the pillow, thoughts swam through your mind. The conversation with Nick was supposed to be simple. You were pretty much dead set on saying yes to Liam. Now you weren't so sure anymore.

You knew you needed to talk to Noah at some point. You figured that him giving you marshmallows was his way of extending you an olive branch. He was there if you ever wanted to talk. You did miss him and what you had before everything went to shit.

Huffing and deciding that as much as you wanted, sleep wouldn't find you so easily tonight, so you opened your tent to step outside. Maybe meditating or some breathing exercises would relax you enough.

Standing on your feet and stretching your limbs, you noticed Noah still sat at the wooden bench everyone was at earlier. You debated slipping inside your tent again, but he was already looking at you. There was no turning back now.

You also debated sitting somewhere else, but didn't want to make things even more akward, so you sat on the other end of the bench. A few minutes passed by before he spoke up.

"Can't sleep?", he asked.

"No, too much on my mind", you didn't know if you were ready for this, but you had to be.

"I talked to Nick the other day", he glanced at you, but you kept a neutral expression.

"Yeah, he told me about that", your hands were picking on loose strands of your sweater.

"Listen, I'm not gonna make any excuses. I owe you an apology. You don't have to accept it, but I have to tell you how sorry I am for what I said to you", he sat sideways now, looking directly at you. "So I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I should've delt with my anger instead of taking it out on you"

"I just don't understand why you were so angry? Why Liam and I talking led you to said that", you did have an idea, but you wanted him to tell you. Noah has been going over this conversation in his head for days. He decided that it doesn't matter the outcome, he was going to be honest with you.

"I shouldn't have invited you to my hotel room that first night. I knew this was going to end like this. I thought I could get a grip on my feelings, but I was very mistaken. I was selfish and I hurt you in the process", you tried to pretend that that first part didn't hurt you, so you decided to focus on the end of his speech. You appreciated the honesty regardless of how it made you feel.

"What feelings?"

"The feelings that I have for you. I think I've had them since Bryan introduced you to us for the first time. Thinking back on it now, how could I not have feelings for you? Not only are you a great protographer, but you're also an amazing and kind girl. And I'm just the good looking guy who sings in a band", he said, with a shrug of his shoulders. You didn't like the way he talked about himself.

"I don't think you're just a good looking guy who sings in a band, you're so much more than that and it's such a shame you don't realize it", you tried to get your point across. "I know that you didn't mean what you said back in that tour bus. Mainly because I know you, and you're not a mean person. But you really need to communicate better with the people around you"

"I know. Maybe then I would've known that Liam has a girlfriend, right?", he smiled at this.

"Exactly", you smiled back. "It hurt me a lot when you kept giving attention to other girls after we slept together. I guess I just felt like another notch on your belt", you made yourself a little smaller after admitting to this, but decided to be honest with him the same way he was being with you.

"I never slept with them. Sometimes we didn't even take the elevator up to my floor because I just told them it wasn't gonna work. It just didn't feel right and my head wasn't in the right place", this did make you feel incredibly better.

"Well then, I guess I could've communicated better myself. Maybe then I would've known this, instead of wallowing in pity", this time was your turn to smile and poke a little fun at the situation.

"I gave you the wrong idea, I'm sorry about that", there was a moment of pause before he contined "I understand if nothing can happen between us now, after all of this. But it would be great if you came back for another tour, you really do an amazing job, and I don't want my behavior to jeopardize that", you sighed at this, now was the time to tell him.

"I've had an offer from another band to go on tour with them", you looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction. His face fell and the somewhat relaxed look he kept on his face throughout your conversation, morphed into one of resignation.

"Oh, that's great. You're gonna be amazing regardless", he tried to be supportive of your decision, but his voice gave him away.

"I'm not going", his eyebrows shot up at this. "Just being here tonight, with everyone, made me realize that I'm not ready to leave this behind. Besides, I think I'll miss you too much", he gave you the biggest smile at this and you could see a little rosy tint to his cheeks.

"I would miss you terribly", he said back. You were now sat closer together, drifting towards each other during your conversation. "Tell me if this is overstepping or if I'm too soon, but I would love to take you out on a date when we get back home. I think we started this a little backwards", you could sense the hesitantion in his voice.

"I would love to go on a date with you", you offered your hand for him to take, interlacing your fingers together, reveling in the way his totally encompassed yours.

"Thank you for giving us another chance", his voice conveyed honesty, glad you didn't decide to just kick him to the curb entirely.

"You really don't give yourself enough credit. I think I would do anything you asked me if you were nice enough", and it was true. After your argument you knew you would forgive him if he had a good enough excuse. Deep down, you were hoping that woudn't be the end for you two.

You rested your head on his shoulder, you sensed a little bit of hesitation from him, until you took one of his arms and put it over your shoulders, feeling his hand mess with the ends of your hair. You felt content and finally at ease.

Thank you everyone who requested a part 2! Hope you enjoyed this :D

[oceaneyesinla]

I just watched the demon slayer and I can't stop thinking about my favorite character. Sanemi, unfortunately, there are very few scenarios and posts about it. Please, it doesn't matter to me what you write, just write to me from him, please😭

Hi! Thank you for being my very first request! <3 Requests OPEN (see link for details)

I hope you've been enjoying Demon Slayer! My heart is breaking for Sanemi and Genya this season so lets call this fix it fic. If this wasn't what you were looking for, let me know (i am always happy to write for Sanemi <3)

CW: implications of domestic violence (not between Sanemi and reader)

Spoilers for the new season of Demon Slayer, and for Sanemi and Genya's backstory

Divider by @/cafekitsune

You knew something had happened. Sanemi was making a valiant effort to hide the pain clawing at his heart, but you knew him too well for that. You could see the frown that slipped onto his face whenever he thought you weren't looking, and you never failed to notice when he slipped out of your shared futon in the middle of the night. He tried to slink away unnoticed, but you stirred every time the warmth of his body pulled away from yours.

For a few days, you allowed it - you continued your usual routine; sharing a tender kiss before he left for training as the sun rose, and welcoming him home with a freshly cooked meal once he finally returned from his extra training with Iguro and Tokito. You feigned sleep as he carefully extricated himself from your hold and left your side.

After a week, you couldn’t stand it any longer. Your husband was hurting, and you knew he would never willingly confide in you. Not because he didn’t trust you, never that, but because he would never think of burdening you with the monsters of his past and the darkness that came with life as a Demon Slayer. He treated you like the only star in a moonless sky and while you loved to be his guiding light, you wanted nothing more than to descend from the heavens he held you in and cradle his battered, bruised heart in your hands.

Which is why, on that seventh night, when you woke to him escaping your grasp, you reached out and wrapped a hand around his wrist, blinking sleep out of your eyes as you stared up at him. What you found there made you more alert in an instant - wetness, shimmering on his skin in the moonlight through the window. Your Sanemi, usually the picture of composure, was … crying.

He must have noted your concern, some shift in your expression, because he used the hand not grasped in yours to roughly wipe at his cheeks, as if he could wipe away your memory of this at the same time as the tears.

“Go back to sleep. Sorry I woke you.” His voice was rough, and even if you had been planning to do as he said before he opened his mouth, you would have changed your mind upon hearing him.

Instead, you sat up, gently tugging him closer to you, encouraging him to sit by your side. Slowly, he complied, never meeting your eye as he did so but also never pulling his hand out of your weak hold. You cradled his hand in both of yours, stroking gentle trails across his palm and down his thick forearm, taking extra care over the scars littering his skin. You didn’t ask - he would talk in time.

A deep sigh left him, as did another couple of tears making silent trails down his cheek. You just kept up your loving affection, and eventually, he spoke again, soft even in the quiet of the night, “I … had a nightmare.”

Your poor Sanemi. His life had been full of tragedy, and as much as he claimed that your love was his saving grace, you wished there was more you could do to soothe the deep scars in his heart and mind. You wondered what had haunted him tonight - was it the memory of pure terror as his mother mindlessly attacked her precious children, or was it the crippling grief of returning to an empty home, greeted only by the lifeless bodies of his beloved little siblings?

“There’s something I never told you, about my family.” He looked up to meet your eye, finally, and you hated the haunted look behind the deep purple you loved so much, “One of my siblings survived.”

What? He had revealed everything about the tragedy that tore his family apart and left him alone in the world to you. He stumbled over the words under the cover of darkness, on a night not unlike this one, not long after you began courting. He had told you all about the way he wrestled his mother away from his siblings, and the way he hit her with all his strength, focusing only on protecting his family. He broke down as he confessed that he felt just like his father as his hands connected with his mother’s body, knowing that he had no other choice.

In hindsight, you remembered how he hesitated to explain the moments between dragging his mother into the street and returning to his home once the sun rose and her body crumbled away. At the time, you never questioned it - he was just a child when all this happened, and he was recounting the most traumatic experience of his life. Now, you know that hesitation was because he was editing the story as he told it.

“Genya, the eldest. He was holding little Koto … Ma only managed to catch across his nose.” Your heart ached as you imagined that poor boy - left clutching his baby brother, surrounded by the corpses of the siblings he had made a pact to protect. What had happened between them, to lead to them being so distant that Sanemi never mentioned that he lived?

“This nightmare was about him?” You lifted Sanemi’s hand to your mouth, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. He looked far younger than his twenty one years as he stared at you, as if he had been expecting words of anger instead of your gentle gesture.

The innocent surprise quickly turned to something far darker as guilt lined his face. He tried to pull his hand out of your hold but you wouldn’t allow it, tangling your fingers together instead. A little huff escaped him at your stubborn act and it reassured you, if only a little. There was the Sanemi you recognised.

“He tried following me into the Corps, but he can’t even use a Breathing Style! The idiot will never stand a chance.” Sanemi sounded frustrated, but you knew him well enough to hear what he wasn’t saying.

“You’re scared you’ll lose him too. It doesn’t matter if he hates you, as long as he’s alive.” Your voice was soft, but Sanemi still looked at you like you slapped him. Another couple of tears welled up on his lash line and broke free, rolling down his cheeks.

“I told him I don’t have a brother. I attacked him. I nearly -” His voice broke, and so did your heart. For both of them. For Sanemi, trying desperately to protect his little brother in the only way he knew, and for Genya, who you couldn’t help but imagine as a little boy with Sanemi’s eyes and a scar across his face.

You were putting the pieces together, and everything seemed clearer, “This happened last week, didn’t it? I knew something was wrong. I wish you said something sooner, love.” He just blinked at you, watching your face as if he thought you would suddenly turn on him and declare his actions unforgivable. You refused to play into his self loathing. The way he treated his brother, his only remaining family, was harsh, but you knew your husband. The front he showed the world was just that - a front. You knew the man underneath that harsh exterior. This was the man who helped you with chores even when he had been awake all night fighting demons, and this was the man who held you like the most delicate flower and looked at you like the finest artwork in the land.

“Did that work? Did he give up on being a Demon Slayer?”

Sanemi shook his head, scowl on his face, “Nah. He’s at Himejima’s now, for Hashira training.”

“You should bring him here.” At your suggestion, Sanemi went to shake his head but you carried on before he could shoot you down, “I want to meet him, and it might be time for a different approach.” You reached up to cradle Sanemi’s cheek, hoping to soften the blow of your next words, “Something big is coming, my love - even I can feel it, and I’m not a member of the Corps. You should make amends. You would never forgive yourself if he died thinking you hate him.”

Sanemi flinched at the mere mention of his brother dying, but his gaze never left yours. His expression was still guarded, as if waiting for your judgement. You brought your other hand up to hold his face between your palms as you spoke, “Stop looking at me like you expect me to berate you. You wanted to protect Genya. That doesn’t make you a monster.”

His face crumpled, “I laid hands on him. I nearly blinded him. I will never deserve his forgiveness.”

“Genya is the only one who can decide that, love.” Your thumbs brushed over the sensitive skin under his eyes, wiping away the remnants of his tears as a soft smile tugged at your lips, “You’re a good man, Sanemi.”

As soon as those words settled in his ears, he was moving - surging forwards to clutch you against him, face pressed into the juncture of your neck. With some effort, you manoeuvred you both into laying down - his hands never leaving you. You let him hold you close, running  a hand through his soft, white hair. The path to reconciliation between the two brothers would almost certainly be difficult, but you would be by his side through whatever may come. Your husband deserved to have peace, and he deserved to be a big brother again.

[carlsangel]

WORTH IT

carl grimes x fem!reader

(you’re hostage at the sanctuary.)

tags: htc, angst to fluff! warnings for death!

masterlist here!

You were starting to wonder if the fighting would ever be worth it. Worth the pain, the deaths, the sacrifices. It all seemed pointless. No matter how hard you guys tried, no matter how much you planned out, Negan was always steps ahead.

He had everything. He had the people, he had guns, he had the power.

Most importantly, he had you.

The day you and Carl had broken into the sanctuary, after returning home you thought that’d be it. You would’ve paid for the price for breaking in later, all he wanted was to see Rick and take your shit and that would be that. But he wanted Eugene. And he wanted you, too. He said you were a good fighter, but most importantly you were good collateral.

You expected being held hostage by Negan would be more traumatic than it actually was. You’d expect to be locked in a room with no food or water. Turns out, they treat some of their hostages like royalty. You and Eugene were separated but you were given your own room with everything you could possibly need.

It’s almost like he wanted you to feel grateful to be there. He’d given you everything. New clothes, fresh food, some form of power so you can get whatever you want whenever. All because you’re valuable to Carl, who was valuable to Rick. They couldn’t do anything because then they’d hurt you. That’s the last thing anyone wanted. It’s the last thing Carl wanted.

It killed him, it really did. He believed you’d be treated horribly at the sanctuary and he had every reason to believe that. He did everything in his power to convince his dad to go retrieve you. And he did.

It’d been maybe a day or two after Negan had taken you and Eugene. You hadn’t seen Eugene at all since, but the morning of, you had the chance to see him in the hallway. You thought maybe there’d be a chance he’d help you with an escape plan, he’s smart. All he did was walk past you like you were nothing. You stood in the hallway appalled, like he was a completely different person.

You continue down the hallway, swallowing the lump forming in your throat from the feeling of pure helplessness as you approach the laundry room. You’d given them Carl’s flannel with all your clothes to wash when you arrived. You notice the couple of workers inside, scrubbing the clothes relentlessly. “Um…hi.” you squeak out, waiting for them to notice your presence over the loud sounds of splashing water. One of them notices you and taps the lady beside her to look at you. “S’there somethin you need?” She asks. You fiddle with your hands, trying to look around for what’s yours.

“I arrived two days ago…I’m looking for my clothes…but I don’t need them I just need my flannel back.” You explain nervously, hoping they didn’t do anything with Carl’s flannel. They sigh and look around, wiping the sweat off their faces when a woman finds it in a random basket. She wipes her hands off on herself and picks it up, wrapping it up and tossing it to you. You smile and thank them before retreating back into the hallway, grinning as you pull his blue flannel over your shoulders, feeling some sort of comfort for the first time in a couple days.

You return back to your room and just sit on the bed in there, looking around trying to think of something you can do to get out when you hear a knock on your door, followed by a voice you hate to here. Negan. “Knock-knock!” His voice is taunting. You roll your eyes and stand up, walking over to open the door to his obnoxious face. You don’t speak a word. “Well hi there.” he smiles, setting his bat against the doorframe. Your face remains flat.

“I know how hard this is on ya darlin, I do. I’m sure you’re missin eye patch back home but you gotta understand why I’m doin this.” He welcomes himself into your room, pacing a little before stopping in front of you. You still say nothing.

“Well since you insist on keepin your mouth shut I’ll just get outta your hair. Stay outta trouble, I need you alive.” He says, walking towards the door. “And please, do me a favor, stay away from Eugene. I don’t need you two plottin against me.” He smiles. When you still say absolutely nothing, he waves sarcastically.

He leaves you alone once again. You’re still unsure of what to do, but you eventually muster up the courage to walk around the Sanctuary. You have the freedom (sort of) and power to do so. You walked around and wandered outside, watching people work, transporting boxes and such. You walk around some more, kicking the rocks on the ground when you feel a glare in your eyes. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion but when you look up to the woods, you see someone. You can’t exactly make out who it is but you can tell that they’re holding a gun.

As soon as you make that realization, you hear soft popping noises, followed by the sound of bodies falling to the ground. You look around you to the men and guards working to see they’re all fallen to the ground. You have the urge to just run, but you hear a voice before you do. You turn back around to see Rick who’s cutting a hole in the wired gates.

“Cmon we need to go. Now.” He whispers loudly. You run over to him, trying to ignore the ruckus behind you of walkie-talkies wondering why no one was responding. You didn’t have much time to get out before someone noticed. You two practically sprinted to the wooded area nearby.

“Was that you?” You ask him, referencing to the glare from the woods. “It was us. But not me.” He explains as you enter the woods. You’re confused at first because what the fuck does that mean. Then it clicked that he wasn’t alone.

You walk through the woods a bit more until you reach the road, approaching a car that Carl was standing on the other side of. He notices you and immediately runs over to you, enveloping you in a big hug. He held you so tightly, all you felt in the moment was pure love. He pulls back and smiles before looking around your body.

“What?” You ask as he’s pulling up your sleeves and pushing hair out of your face, looking for any injuries. “Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you?” He looks at you confused, like he’d expected you’d come out injured.

“No they didn’t hurt me at all.” You reply, letting him hug you once more. Rick interrupts and explains the situation. “Rosita and Sasha are goin in later to get out Eugene. We’ve got other business to attend to; gotta get you to the Kingdom so they don’t go lookin at Alexandria for you.” He explains, loading his bolt cutters into the trunk. You shake your head at him, pulling away from Carl’s arms. “No. He’s too far gone. He’s one of them now.” You say with a slight sniffle. Rick doesn’t respond, he just has a sort of grim expression.

The three of you load back into the car, you and Carl sitting in the backseat so he can hold you while you drove home. He ran his fingers through your hair as you leaned onto him, occasionally kissing the top of your head. It was a peaceful ride home. You’d face the consequences later. All that mattered right now was you and Carl.

a/n: writing this made me realize idk how to write fem!readers so if anyone has advice lmk :< but i hope u liked it i thought it was fun! it’s not episode accurate so pls ignore that :P

[bitethedevil]

Living with The Devil You Know (Raphael x Tav): Chapter 5

Chapter: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen

Read this fic on AO3 (Link)

Fic Summary: Tav broke their agreement by handing the Crown of Karsus to Mystra instead of Raphael. Not only that, but she also robbed his house and killed his incubus. Raphael is patient and he is determined to get his revenge.

…Tav isn't too bothered. She will figure something out eventually. Until then she just has to find a way to live peacefully with a devil.

Chapter Summary: Raphael is in a good mood. He teaches Tav how to play the organ and sings The Song™ to her under very special circumstances. At the same time, Gale is worried and tries to make a rescue plan with Astarion and Shadowheart.

(AN: I know absolutely nothing about music so bear with me if I use the wrong terminology. I can warmly recommend to also listen to the song while reading *that part*. Enjoy a look into Raphael's questionable flirting techniques and some very very spicy organ lessons.)

WARNING: NSFW

Tav had decided not to glamour her face and keep her burn scars visible. She had looked in the mirror in the morning and found that she agreed with Raphael: they did suit her, in an odd way. She felt that she looked more like herself with them, albeit a version of herself that she had not seen for years.

Tav spent the day with Cassius watching her, much to her dismay. He was the only one in the House of Hope who still treated her as a prisoner. He had hated her guts since she cast that sleep spell on him to contact her friends and then convinced him not to say anything.

Cassius did not even try to hide his reaction to her scars. There was a look of slight disgust on his face as he looked at them. Then again, Tav thought. That could also just be his face. Cassius tended to look at her with that annoying sneer as if she was below him, which she had largely begun to ignore.

She started wondering whether there might be more to his clear dislike for her. It did not go past her that Cassius had visited Raphael privately in his boudoir one or two times during the first couple of days of her imprisonment.

Although, she had not noticed any visits between them after her and Raphael had sex that one time. Was it possible that the tiefling was jealous of her in some odd way? Cassius had probably been Raphael’s new favorite pet until she was forcibly dragged to the House of Hope to sleep in his master’s bed each night and take up a considerable amount of his attention.

It was hard for her to garner any sort of sympathy for Cassius though. He treated her like dirt and often tried to provoke her whenever he was tasked to watch her for the day. Whatever was up the warlock’s ass, Tav did not feel responsible for whatever ill feelings he might have towards her. He could take it up with Raphael if he so pleased.

She was waking up from a nap when she heard music playing somewhere in the house. She rolled out of bed and started walking out of the boudoir with Cassius at her heels.

“Where are you going?” Cassius asked.

“Does it matter when you’re tasked with following me anyways?” Tav asked tiredly at his comment.

“You disturb him all the time,” Cassius said, knowing she was on her way to find Raphael. “You don’t think it would be possible that he’d want a moment of peace?”

“If he wanted peace, he shouldn’t have given me free roam of the house,” Tav said. “Or have denied me my own little moment of peace, for that matter…”

“Suit yourself, but one day you will get on his nerves and then he might be inclined to teach you your place,” Cassius said with a sneer.

“It’s really cute that you worry so much about me,” Tav teased him, just to piss him off.

The music got louder as they got to the archive. Tav stuck her head in to greet Raphael with a smile. He was in his human form. Raphael stopped playing the organ and gave her a smile back. He seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.

“It sounds good,” Tav said. “You don’t mind if I sit and read while you’re playing, do you?”

“Please,” Raphael said and gestured to a nearby chair.

Tav widened her smile and threw a glance at Cassius who was awkwardly standing at the entrance, glaring daggers at her. Raphael did not even acknowledge his presence. She sat down with a book, and he started playing again.

“Do you play, mouse?” Raphael asked and looked at her. He was still playing perfectly on the organ despite not even looking at the keys.

The melody he was playing reminded her of a predator slowly sneaking up on its prey. It sounded beautiful but it was also quite dark. Just what she would expect from someone like him.

“I did a little bit once,” she answered and then gestured to his fingers that were elegantly dancing over the keys with ease. “Nothing as complicated as that though.”

“It really is not that complicated,” he said and then stopped playing to hold a hand out to her. “Let me show you.”

The smirk on his face told her that he was up to something, but she took his hand regardless. In one swift movement, he pulled her closer and seated her in his lap. Her eyes widened a bit at the gesture.

“You certainly seem to be in high spirits tonight,” she noted.

“I am,” he said and rested his chin on her shoulder to look at the keys. “I closed a deal that has been quite the headache for me and successfully retrieved something of mine.”

“Do I want to know the specifics?” Tav asked.

She did not particularly want to know which poor bastard Raphael had roped into giving him their soul, but she was worried that he might be talking about her companions.

“It has nothing to do with your dear little friends, if that is what you are asking,” Raphael said as if he had read her mind and grabbed her hands to move them to the keys in front of her. “Now concentrate.”

He showed her what she knew was a simplified version of the melody he had just been playing. She could not play as fast or as elegantly as Raphael did, but she gave it a try.

“Good,” he purred in her ear and snaked an arm around her waist, making it even more difficult for her to play. “Keep practicing.”

Raphael shifted his head away from her shoulder to look at Cassius for a moment.

“You can go home for the day,” Raphael said to him absentmindedly and then turned his attention back to Tav.  

Tav could see Cassius at the corner of her eye. He looked pissed. He gave Raphael a forced smile and a bow before leaving.

“I see that your health has improved after our little accident last night,” Raphael said. “I also could not help but notice that you decided to keep your scars present like I told you to.”

Tav smiled at the word choice of ‘our little accident’ as if she was to blame as well for him almost killing her. She decided to ignore it.

“I did,” Tav said. “But not because you told me to.”

Raphael chuckled. She would not give him the satisfaction of telling him that he was right, and he knew it.

“Stubborn as ever,” he said. “What did you do today?”

“Napped,” she answered, while still trying to get the hang of the melody.

“How productive,” Raphael said sarcastically and corrected the position of her fingers on the organ. “Am I wrong in assuming that you might be growing a tad bored?”

“It’s hard to do anything with someone watching you all the time…” she said. “Besides…I do miss some of my old books,”

“Hm,” he hummed. “Did you have a favorite?”

“I do but it’s embarrassing…and terribly cliché…” she said and stopped playing for a moment.

Tav’s favorite book was an old romantic tragedy that was well-known to be the favorite novel of just about every woman in Faerûn.

“Don’t be shy,” Raphael purred.

“’A Star in the Darkness’ by Bibella Aldath…” she answered and started playing again.

“Yes, that is rather cliché, dear,” Raphael said and chuckled. “Not a horrible read by any means, but I did expect something slightly more exciting from a former librarian…”

Tav was slowly getting the hang of the melody and her fingers moved over the organ’s keys a little easier now that she had played it a couple of times.

“Better,” he purred in her ear. “You know, this is a very special composition of mine…”

“Oh?” Tav said and kept playing.

“It would have been the very last thing you and your dear friends would ever hear had you decided to steal your contract that day when you robbed my house,” Raphael said. She could practically hear the smile on his face.

“Oh, you wrote music just for us?” Tav asked with amusement in her voice. “How thoughtful of you. It’s such a shame we didn’t get to hear it then.”

“Isn’t it just?” Raphael asked. “But there is time for it yet…when your friends finally decide to pay us a visit.”

Good luck with that, Tav thought.

Tav stopped playing for a moment when she felt Raphael’s hands slowly caress her sides.

“Don’t let me distract you,” he said. “Keep playing.”

She did, but it was getting increasingly difficult not to mess up when he was touching her like that. She felt her body heat up at his touches.

He nuzzled his nose into the back of her hair, taking in her smell. His hand gently moved one of the straps of her top, so that it slipped off her shoulder. He left a soft kiss where the strap had been and slowly trailed his kisses up towards her neck. It was hard to hide how her breathing got shallower.

It made her fingers fall over a few of the keys, which made him smile against her neck.

“How clumsy of you, my dear,” he whispered into her ear. “Try again.”

She took a slow breath and kept playing. The hand that had been caressing her side was snaking up her stomach towards one of her breasts. She took another slow deep breath to not lose focus.

He started fondling her breast through the silk of the top she was wearing. He continued slowly kissing his way up her neck as he touched her. She felt her nipples hardening and once again she played the wrong keys.

“Tut-tut…I really would have expected a wizard of your caliber to have much better grasp on their concentration,” Raphael said and bit firmly but not hard on her neck.

“It is also really rare that someone is touching me while I cast spells,” she said with what was supposed to be frustration, but the breathiness of her voice revealed how much she was into it.

He smirked against her neck.

“Keep playing…” he ordered again.

She did. His hand moved from her breasts to between her legs. She was already soaked when his hand slid under the waistband of her pants, and he started teasing her with his fingers. She did manage to keep her focus on playing…for about a minute. He stopped the movements of his fingers the second she stopped playing.

“Keep going, mouse,” he whispered in her ear. “And I might give you what you want.”

She bit her lip and put her full focus into playing that damned melody that would most likely be stuck in her head for days. Tav had gotten the impression of Raphael as a selfish lover the last time they fucked. She quickly learned that the man absolutely knew what he was doing when he put the effort in to please someone.

The way he was touching her quickly turned her into a moaning mess and he somehow knew that she was getting close. He stopped his movements for a moment, making her whine in frustration.

“From the top,” he ordered and placed another kiss on her neck.

Tav did as she was told and played the melody from its beginning.

That is when he started singing.

His hand started moving between her legs again, making her moan. There were a lot of feelings going through her. Her eyes widened in amusement and surprise as he started singing. He sang in a lowered voice, taking her close proximity into consideration. She felt that lovely voice of his rumble through his chest, which only somehow made her even more wet.

“Hell, hell, hell has it’s laws / Hell, hell, effect and the cause / Curtain falls, but hold your applause / Squirm, squirm, for now down here come the claws…”

She was unable to keep her moans quiet as he was driving her towards orgasm. It took all of her brainpower to keep focusing on playing.

“Fools, fools, how hard you have fought / Brave, brave but its all been for naught / True souls, that couldn’t be bought / Doomed, detected and caught…”

The way his voice growled in her ear on the last word, made her shiver and moan louder. She was so close. Close to both her orgasm and the end of the song. She could not fuck it up now.

“No more deals, it’s over / The final act, your doom / No more grace, it’s over…”

Her orgasm started washing over her, making her squirm in his lap. Her moans got louder and Raphael rubbed her clit faster.

“This House of Hope,” He growled into her ear. “Your tomb…”

The loud sounds she made of her finally reaching her orgasm matched almost perfectly with his prolonged note of the last line. It seemed a bit too intentional and made her think: he has done stuff like this before.  

She slumped back against his chest, her legs shaking and her chest heaving from the intensity of it. He removed his fingers and lifted them to her lips to make her clean them off. He pressed them between her lips. She sucked on them, earning her a groan from him. She had been too busy multi-tasking to notice just how hard his cock was under her.

“Beautiful, dear,” he purred and kissed her cheek. “Perhaps, we should perform it just like this when your friends drop by. Give them a show before they meet their end…”

How did he manage to say that in a way that made her aroused rather than angry? Something was deeply, deeply, fucking wrong with her.

Gale, Shadowheart, and Astarion had met in a secluded corner of the Elfsong.

Gale had been lecturing them on devils, cambions, and the Hells for about an hour now. Shadowheart and Astarion exchanged tired glances.

“Gale—”

“I’m just telling you that we can beat him,” Gale said. “It will not be easy, but we can.”

“She asked us not to go,” Shadowheart said. “Tav believes it’s a trap, so let’s not do anything stupid.”

“Also,” Astarion piped in. “It really is a novel concept for me to be the voice of reason here, but your little plan doesn’t seem to make sense. Lae’zel, Karlach, and Wyll are off doing whatever it is they do. Our little band consists of a wizard, two wizards if Tav is able to join the battle, a cleric, and little old me. Three spellcasters and a vampire who, by the way, can’t even be in Avernus since there is no night…”

“He’s right,” Shadowheart said as she looked at Gale.

“So, we will bring someone else as well…Halsin, Jaheira, or Minsc,” Gale said. “We can’t just leave her there!”

“Gale…” Shadowheart sighed.

“There were also that woman, Hope,” Gale continued. “If we could manage to sneak into her prison, we could free her as well. I’m sure she would be eager to help us fight Raphael.”

“Gale,” Shadowheart said again. “Let it go. Let’s wait until we hear more from her. We have no idea what we could possibly be walking into here.”

“She could be rotting in a dungeon, getting tortured right now. Who knows if she’s even still alive? I won’t leave her there! She—” Gale voice cracked, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to hide the emotions that were welling up inside him. “…Excuse me…She forfeited her soul so that we could give the Crown to Mystra. I have a difficult time not feeling responsible for this.”

Shadowheart’s, and even Astarion’s, expression softened slightly as they saw the toll it was taking on Gale.

“That woman has done so much for us,” Gale said. “We have to get her back somehow.”

“Alright,” Shadowheart said with a sigh. “Let’s not do anything hasty before we’ve learned more about what we are dealing with. She told us ‘not to listen to him’ in her message, but we haven’t heard from Raphael at all…He might try to offer us some sort of deal.”

“It really is unlike him,” Astarion said. “That bastard usually isn’t shy when it comes to popping up at the most inconvenient times.”

“He might want us to be desperate,” Gale said and rubbed his face as he tried to think. “Raphael doesn’t know that we know where Tav is…so he might be waiting for us to panic before he strikes.”

“My point is,” Shadowheart said. “If we knew a bit more about whatever it is he wants to offer us or what he wants from us, it might be easier to figure out what we can do. So…should we try to contact her again?”

“A wise suggestion,” Gale said. “If nothing else, it could grant us peace of mind that she is still alive.”

“Good,” Astarion said and clapped his hands together. “I will leave you two to do your spell stuff then. You know where to find me. Can I go now?”

Gale nodded and conjured a piece of parchment and a quill.

Shadowheart watched as Astarion left and then turned her attention to Gale.

“You are aware that this isn’t your fault, right?” she asked him, but she got no response from him as he was writing. “Right, Gale?”

Gale sighed and stopped writing for a moment.

“That does not make me feel less responsible,” he said. “She is very dear to me, and I don’t think I could forgive myself if I let something happened to her.”

“We will get her back somehow,” Shadowheart said. “I’m sure she’s fine. This is Tav we’re talking about. She is great at adapting to weird situations, and she would tell you not to worry so much if she was here, I’m sure of it.”

Gale smiled slightly and nodded. He returned his focus to writing the message for her.

Raphael was being odd. They had sex that evening while he was still in his human form. Again, a weird feeling for her because it felt so normal. It did not help that he was being a lot gentler with her than he had last time. He still teased her and kept her on edge, but there was no pain involved this time.

The kisses were something completely new as well. It was never on the mouth, though he planted kisses everywhere else. It felt so much more intimate than what she would ever have considered him to be capable of and it drove her insane.

He’s a devil, he’s a devil, he’s a devil. Those words became Tav’s mantra inside her head each time those little kisses and his weird gentleness made her heart flutter ever so slightly.

She slept till late noon. When she opened her eyes, Raphael was off to work as usual and she was met with Cassius’s intense gaze. She groaned and rolled over to her other side. She felt that something had been stuck under her pillow. She rubbed her eyes and sat up on the edge of the bed. She lifted the pillow and saw a book.

She read the cover: ’A Star in the Darkness’ by Bibella Aldath. Her all-time favorite book about the tragic and forbidden love between a drow and a moon elf. From the looks of it, it was an early edition too which was exceedingly hard to find considering how old the story was.

She could not help the faint smile that washed over her face and the way her heart fluttered again. She quickly tried to push that feeling away and returned to her mantra: he’s a devil, he’s a devil, he’s a devil…

That is when she heard Gale’s voice transmitted to her mind through a sending spell:

“Hope you are still alive and well. What is it that Raphael wants from us and what should we expect if he contacts us?”

Tav’s brow furrowed at the message, and she was glad that her back was turned to Cassius so he could not see the expression on her face at the message. Raphael hadn’t even talked to them yet?

She needed to get a message back to them somehow. What they were asking were fair questions, but it also sounded an awful lot like her companions might be planning to do something stupid and she needed to stop them.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

Hi bby girl hope you’re doing amazing❤️‍🔥

Can I request Matt x Reader(female) they broke up bc of Daredevil Matt finds out the reader has been dating again becomes extremely jealous and tries to sabotage her dates bc he still loves her and wants her back(happy ending maybe a little angst)🥹✨

hii sweet!! hope you’re well <3 sorry for the delay, I had a writing break before I got to finish this. thank you or requesting, hope you like it 💌

—

SABOTAGE

matt murdock x female reader

word count. 1289

warnings. angst? matt being jelly. hopeful ending

Matt's nightly absences could only go unnoticed for so long, especially with your sceptical eye second-guessing every excuse he could mutter. It wasn't long before you started to connect the dots, to put the pieces together, eventually figuring out that Matt had a secret lifestyle, being Daredevil.

At first, it made no sense - a blind man doing acrobats and shutting down crime organisations. But after weeks of observations and sneaking around, you confirmed your thoughts and finally decided to question him - cornering him into confessing.

Neither of you took the news well, and it caused a massive rift in your relationship. You felt betrayed by Matt's mistrust and wounded by his decision to leave you in the dark - feeling hurt as if he didn't trust you with the information.

The disloyalty began to interfere before it all got too much for you to handle - eventually leading to you calling things off. The feelings you had -have- for each other still remained, which made moving on just that bit harder.

After a few months, you wanted to get back out there - try dating again. Much easier said than done. The dating game was scarce and limited, so you took every available chance - wanting nothing more than to rid your mind of your ex and maybe have a couple casual hookups to clear the haze.

Though, nothing ever went to plan. 

Most of the guys you arranged dates with never showed, but the ones that did were incredibly dull and boring, and you'd find yourself having to make an excuse to leave halfway through dinner.

After a little while, it began to feel like a trick, as if you were playing a game that was rigged to lose. You were dating guys you had no interrest in, only to clear your mind of the one person you ever truly loved.

Even months later, you'd see parts of him everywhere you went or think of him when you saw his favourite food in store. The Bulletin didn't help either, plastering his face on every front page.

Eventually, you decided enough was enough and planned one last date before calling it quits. You arranged a date with the guy you had been texting non-stop for the past week. He seemed like everything you could want: sweet, charming and handsome, even similar beliefs.

-

The evening finally rolled around, and it was time for your date. You had spent the day pampering and prepping for tonight - getting your hair and nails done before splurging on a slightly over-budget dress.

You make your way to the restaurant with a pep in your step and scan the outside area for your date, waiting in the spot as arranged.

Time goes on, and you continue to stand patiently by the entrance for signs of your date's arrival. You send him another message -that goes unread like the others- before eventually deciding to call him. It goes straight to voicemail, and you can't help but notice the slight swell in your throat when you hear the line go dead.

You pull the phone from your ear and throw it in your bag. You turn back around and head for your apartment, tears welling in your eyes after being stood up for the nth time. 

On your way back home, you stop past your local Chinese restaurant for some dinner, deciding to treat yourself to food and a movie while you wallow on the couch. 

You hang around in the sitting area as you wait for the kitchen to make your favourite dishes, chatting to the elderly lady beside you when she strikes up a conversation. 

After a little while, your food is ready. You collect it from the guy at the front before waving goodbye to your new friend, and as you reach for the door, you accidentally bump into a new customer in the process.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't— Matt?"

"Sweetheart?" your ex replies, a smile lining his lips. 

"Uh—" you breathe out, not knowing what to say. "Er— how you been?"

"Been better," he chuckles, head tilting to the side as if to analyse you. "You smell nice. What've you been up to?"

"Yeah," you laugh, remembering the series of events from this evening. "Went on a date."

"A date?" he repeats, his brows momentarily furrowing. "How was it?"

"Dunno, he never showed," you snicker, laughing at your self-depreciation. 

You brush off your hurt, but you can see the empathy and pity on Matt's face, as if he realises you're faking it - pretending not to be upset about it. 

"Are you free?" Matt asks, his features still as he fidgets with his stick - suddenly seeming tense and nervous. "Hoping you can come back to mine so we can talk."

"Yeah, guess so," you reply, clutching at your bag of takeout food. "Am I okay to eat this at yours? Don't want it getting cold."

"Yeah— yes, of course. Are you alright waiting for a few minutes while I order?"

"I can share mine," you smile genuinely, shaking the white bag. "Got plenty."

"Only if you don't mind," he grins. "I'll pay."

-

You and Matt chat at the dining table while you eat, catching up and laughing as if no time had passed, like you hadn't spent the last several months apart. 

Everything was going well until it didn't.

Matt places his chopsticks aside and rubs the bridge of his nose. "I haven't been honest with you," he exhales, shaking his head slightly. 

Your head cocks to the side, and your face pulls together - confused. "How? What do you mean?" you ask, placing your glass on the table. 

He sighs, his body language stiffening as if to tell you he's uncomfortable. "I'm not... over you," he pauses, finding the words he needs. "I didn't like that you moved on so fast... so I got in the way."

You feel your heart speed up, the flow thumping in your ears. "Got in the way? I don't— I don't understand. What did you do?"

"I scared your dates off," his tone quiet and ashamed.

"Are you serious?" your voice juxtaposing his meek one, almost cowering him. "Can't believe you," you spit, your brows knitted in anger. "Really."

"I did it because I couldn't— I still love you... I didn't want you with anyone else," he pleads, his eyes soft and apologetic. "Please? Just hear me out."

"No, Matt," your tone quieting as the hurt sinks in. "That's not fair. You don't get to do that. We broke up."

"I know, I know, but sweetheart, please," he says, his voice warm. "I never stopped loving you— and," he pauses, slipping his hand into yours. "I know you feel the same."

It was like you had to debate different parts of your brain. One part wanted to snatch your hand away and walk out the door, but the other part -the overpowering side- told you to stay, to forgive him. It told you to stop wasting more time and to kiss and make up. 

But instead, a slither of logic creeps in, and you slowly slip your hand from his, wrapping it around your arm and stroking as if to soothe yourself. 

"I do. I never stopped," you whisper. "But what you did wasn't right, Matt."

"I know, please, I would do anything— anything for you," Matt pleads, speaking desperately. "I would give you anything... just one more chance."

"Matt," you breathe out, rubbing your temples. "... I need a few days. Then maybe we can get a coffee and talk things out?"

"Yes," he replies instantly, responding without a second thought. "I'll wait. For as long as you need."

— — — — — — — — — — ☆ — — — — — — — — — —

matt taglist: @hailey-murdock @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations @idontknowwhattohaveasmyuser @redecoratestan @kpopgirlbtssvt @scarletsloveletter @princess-pebbles-things @messymissy @schneeflocky @readerhead @thegreengoop @charmedkim @queerponcho @selfryed @simplyreflected @kinglokisqueen4ever

[nightghoul381]

I just read this fanfic of yours and my heart hurts😭

https://www.tumblr.com/nightghoul381/724578415945089024/hello-i-hope-you-are-doing-well-can-i-please?source=share

Is there a possibility you could make a part 2 where they notice what they did wrong except for victor since he kind of comforted them

I'm more than happy to show their softer sweet side!! (I let Victor have another turn because knowing him, the gentleness at the end of the last one would not be enough of an apology/comfort)

You can read the original post here

Prompt: Comforting words to Kate Genre: Fluff

Harrison:

The downcast expression on Kate’s face these past few days had eaten away at him and he knew that if he saw her again, looking at him from under those tear-soaked lashes, he’d be a goner.

He had just been trying to protect her. She didn’t belong here, among all of these cursed men. She just needed to keep her head down and get through the month and she’d be granted the freedom denied to so many others who had discovered Crown’s secret.

There were just a couple of weeks left. Just a couple of weeks and she could be free to move on. But now he felt the anxiety clawing at his chest as she met his gaze briefly in the hall that night.

His mind had gone blank… How was he supposed to ignore her when she looked so absolutely crest-fallen. Before he had even realized what he was doing, he had reached out and grabbed her hand, prompting her to turn and look at him in confusion.

“I’m…sorry.”

Kate’s eyes flashed in disbelief. Was he telling the truth? Was he lying? Kate wasn’t sure but she nodded anyway, withdrawing her hand and sighing.

“I forgive you.”

The statement is short and brief, but Harrison feels so much relief as she says them. She forgives him. She truly forgives him. But the look on her face is still reserved and unsure, can she really trust him?

Harrison runs his hand over the back of his neck and lets out a heavy sigh.

“Can we start over? I shouldn’t have treated you the way I have… I just… I don’t want you to end up getting attached to this place, to Crown. Nothing good will come of it. But I can’t stand seeing you like that, so… Hi, I’m Harrison Gray.”

Jude:

The criminals holed up in this abandoned factory were involved in human trafficking. Kate had no business tagging along. It was like throwing a piece of meat in front of a pack of starving wolves, of course they’re gonna try and snap her up.

Did she not see the damn guys following behind them? It’s like she was asking to get grabbed. She was too naïve for this mission, hell she was too naïve to be involved with Crown at all. But she’s here and Jude had no choice but to keep her safe. She was a walking disaster, but it’s not like he was about to let her just serve herself on a silver platter to these bastards.

“Ya good?” Jude sighed, drawing to a stop and glancing over his shoulder.

“Why do you care?” Kate snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him.

“D’ya know why we’re here?” Jude huffed.

“I’m here to observe how you and the others handle the mission and report back to Victor.”

“The mission, princess, is to flush out the human trafficking ring that’s been hiding out here. A damn poor choice for a naïve child like you to be thrown on. Yer like an easy meal for these guys, that’s why ya gotta keep yer mouth shut. I ain’t lookin’ to let you get yourself kidnapped and sold off.”

Kate’s eyes widened in shock. Of course, she hadn’t bothered to actually figure out what she was getting herself into… hopefully she’d be more careful next time.

Victor:

“Darling Kate, I wanted to address my behavior from earlier tonight. Would you have some time to talk?”

Victor stood outside her door, listening intently for any sign that she would be coming to the door. The clacking of the typewriter keys stops suddenly and the sound of the metal doorknob turning gave Victor a rush of relief.

“Victor… um, there’s really no need. You told my why you were upset and you had every right to. I was being foolish and should have known better,” Kate muttered, her head dropping in shame.

A jovial chuckle rumbles in Victor’s chest and Kate lifts her head slightly to see if she is actually hearing correctly.

“My dear girl, I came to apologize, not to come up with excuses for my behavior. The way I reacted was unacceptable and certainly would have been no help in comforting you after such an experience. I should have tempered my own emotions before speaking to you, I am relieved you’re alright, truly.”

Victor looked down at Kate with a gentle smile and her eyes softened, her own lips twitching upward slightly.

“Thank you, Victor. I appreciate you coming all this way to apologize. I, um…” Kate awkwardly wraps her arms around him in a brief hug.

“I really am thankful to you,” she sighs, “and I’m sorry myself for acting so rashly after you had already spoken to me about the potential dangers.”

Victor lifted one of his hands and patted her on the top of her head, his normal bright grin on his face.

“I believe we’ve both learned from this experience, so there’s nothing to apologize for. Now then, I have a platter of fresh croissants in the kitchen if you’d care to join me for some?”

William:

“Kate.”

William had pulled Kate into a dark alleyway while they were out on a mission. His vivid red eyes searched her face; a face devoid of emotion.

“What do you need William,” Kate sighed, her expression never changing. William didn’t realize at first just how painful it would be to not see how her eyes would light up when she saw him, how her face would grow red when he was in close proximity.

“I feel like we should discuss what happened the other evening,” William murmured, trying to close the distance between them only for Kate to take an equal step backward.

“What is there to discuss. You’ve made it perfectly clear that I mean nothing to you. I don’t need you to try to patch things up, there’s nothing to patch.” Kate’s voice was low, monotone, and William’s mouth grew dry at the finality of her words.

“I… I spoke out of line that night, Kate,” William whispered.

“I thought I could protect you if I denied my own desires and pushed you away, but I’ve only hurt you far more than I ever imagined. Kate, I am deeply sorry for how I’ve hurt you. I was a fool to think that pushing you away would lead to anything but heartbreak for the both of us.”

Kate’s face finally showed the slightest change in expression, a faint confusion creasing her brow and her eyes narrowing slightly.

“…Both of us?” she finally asked, her voice hinting at the way her mind had begun to pull back the lid she’d put on her emotions.

“Kate. If you believe anything I say, believe this. I too have fallen completely in love with you. I want nothing more than to take you can keep you, to have you hold me in your arms and you in mine. I just fear that in then end it will end up hurting you far more than I can take. But I cannot deprive you of your truest desires, nor myself of mine, even if in the end it leads to nothing but pain.”

William took another step forward, his hands reaching out to grab Kate’s, who willingly let him take them,

“Would you grant me my desire, and allow me to show you the love I feel. I am just as much yours as you said you were mine. My heart belongs to you, Kate.”

Kate’s eyes began to water, “this isn’t a dream?” she whispered, her grip tightening.

William smiled gently, closing the last bit of distance.

“Not a dream, little robin. If you still want me, I’m yours.”

Taglist: @judejazza @aquagirl1978, @themiscarnival @abundance-pathchooser @xbalayage @maries-gallery @randonauticrap also tagging @lemeowade since you requested the original fic ^w^

[whattraintracks]

I wasn't really looking forward to anything going into High Potential 1.05 "Croaked" because, honestly, HPI 1.04 "Phyllobates Terribilis" is an episode I'm kind of meh about. After re/watching both and writing this, I appreciate them more, though.

Thoughts and comparisons below.

Things unique to "Croaked" that I liked:

Karadec to Morgan: "I am not listening to you for the rest of the day" (later) "I am still not talking to you"

"I know it kinda doesn't seem like it right now, but I do feel really bad about shooting you" Morgan says hardly bothering to conceal her laughter

Oz using the nickname Daph (as Karadec did in 1.04) highlights how familiar these three are with each other

I don't remember Daphné having any particular desire to emulate Karadec in HPI. I'm interested to see what they do with that here

Karadec, referring to the number of dates he goes on: "I cast nets"

Karadec, after Morgan swipes his phone: "You have exactly one second before I arrest you for theft" (and the look he gives her, my guy, please chill out) ((but also don't this is so funny))

I'm happy we got to see Fernanda reunited with Rodney!!

Morgan and Ava's conflict was a sweet demonstration of their relationship and the effects of Morgan getting emotionally invested in a case or, more accurately, in the lives of those involved. This time, it helped her, but I hope we continue to see the effects/toll this takes on her

Things "Croaked" did differently that I liked:

this is the first remade episode with a name change that I really like. It's both clever and easier to remember lol

clearly showing Morgan walk past and notice the dart gun on the wall and that the tank has one frog in it but nametags for two

Karadec turning to stare at Morgan in shock and betrayal just before he collapses

GIVING OZ THE COMIC BOOK PHOTOFIT SCENE T^T THAT'S SO CUTE

establishing Céline is a mom is something I wish HPI had done earlier, so I'm glad it's been brought up between Selena and Morgan a couple of times now

Daphne and Oz having a more visible contribution throughout the episode, even if it's weird (not bad, just different) seeing Daphne in the field

the 'we investigated different clues but ended up in the same place at the same time' trope is one of my favorites, and I like that all four ended up together again

Morgan bursting into the salon, declaring, "Bethany, you lied to us!"

Karadec's face is so cool to watch once Oz shows Nathan the book. The way you can tell he can tell something is up with the sudden confession

in HPI, Karadec is the one who wants to keep working on the case that night, is baffled Morgane leaves, and actually remains at the station after everyone. In this version, well, allow me to sum it up:

Karadec, trying to go home: Yeah, well, like I said, let's just dive back in on Monday Morgan, her eyes enormous: you tell morgan to WAIT? you tell her look with fresh eyes MONDAY? oh! oh! jail for karadec! jail for karadec for One Thousand Years!!!!

from the date: Karadec not seeming too bothered by the interruption, Ava asking before stealing his food, Morgan's "I thought we agreed that we were only gonna splurge on hookers as a couple?", the partners/not partners banter, and how quickly he and his date get into Morgan's revelations

the flip flops during the robbery detail and the ear dimples, since those are more likely to be genetic than the way one folds their thumbs

the grandma getting to meet her grandson!

something I didn't love so much was Oz saying "Or I'm so good, I got an innocent man to confess" like

Things I'm glad they kept from "Phyllobates Terribilis":

Morgan/e putting the very-out-of-it Karadec in timeout at the salon while she interviews the friend

Oz/Gilles' love of treats and snacks, plus his overall silliness and kindness

Daphne/é's tech-savvy and tendency to condescend a little

Karadec and Morgan/e feeling sure the case isn't over but for different reasons (the confession v. the karate photo)

Karadec continuing to manage Morgan/e's expectations (as seen in his original "welcome to my job" and new "hate to tell you, but it's like that a lot" in response to her frustration about the case's ending. I love this aspect of their early partnership. Karadec who's learned to shield himself emotionally v. Morgan/e getting invested in everyone they encounter in a case. She calls him heartless. He calls her ridiculous, but still tries to warn and shield her <3)

Things not included from "Phyllobates Terribilis" that I miss:

Dr. Bonnemain! Though I don't miss Morgane flirting with him

Karadec's allergies and the equally hilarious bit where Gilles lists all of them

Morgane shooting Karadec without warning (and in the butt)

Gilles pulling his gun on Morgane after this (could've had Daphne do it to emphasise her respect for Karadec? 🤔)

Morgane promising to take Karadec home safely; cut to her driving his car like a maniac, sirens running, and music way too loud

still in timeout, Karadec very seriously asking about the nail polish color (which would've been a BRILLIANT callback to 1.02!!)

High Potential missed the opportunity to name Bethany Beatrice or something, so it would fit with bees like Camille fits with Camellias

Karadec's little "Ha. Ha. Ha." when Céline finds him on the stairs and asks about his butt

also his insistence that Morgane didn't save his life

a ton of development on Romain's case! Actually, if they cut those scenes to take a different course or at least take their time with this plot, I won't be upset

Eliott, Albert, and Théa helping Morgane find the bad reviews

Karadec not taking Morgane to check out the second apartment because he wants to be discreet

then he says it feels good to work in peac—HONK it's Morgane! She's already here! Staking out! Would you like to join her in the very red car she just drew attention to? She brought beers!

Morgane noticing the realtor's pen at the vet clinic and the second apartment

Morgane picking up lunch for her and Karadec, switching the phone to speaker every time he changes it back, her soda exploding, him putting the call on speaker after all, her little HAH! when he does, and her stealing his laptop. They're work spouses

from the date: Ranir's, the kids sneaking Karadec's food, his exasperated "Alvaro" x3 then very exasperated "Morgane," his date staring at him to nonverbally commiserate but he's not even paying attention to her anymore bc he's sucked back into the case

Karadec's interrogation of Camille: his barely concealed anger that she's letting her husband take the fall, "there's no such thing as the perfect husband, but that man loves you" (which could've tied into the scene where Nathan explains to Oz why he falsely confessed)

the soundtrack! Rewatching this episode reminded me how much I love the motifs and character themes

[rootsofdread]

Hii, hope you're having a wonderful day :)

Was a bit conflicted about sending more requests at first, but heck it. Hope it's not causing you any trouble <3

I'd like to see Jane, Ace, Vittorio, Jonah and Ghostface with a survivor who just seems to recognise every single other survivor and a healthy chunk of killers (probably more modern ones), holds some of their personal information, but never tells anything valuable about themselves, basically treating everyone either like some micro-celebs or their friends :D

Have been thinking about this for quite some time, and it never ceases to make me giggle.

🦞 istillloveyoualotbtw

as of filling this request, i am having a wonderful night! things have been a lot better for me recently :-) and you didn't cause any trouble at all sending so many, it made me very happy, in fact!! so i hope you didn't feel too bad about it, love your enthusiasm <333

Ace Visconti:

Ace figured, one day, he’d be a well-known celebrity for his gambling prowess. Though, he never did think it would be in some kind of alternate hell dimension…well, beggars can’t be choosers! He’s ecstatic every time you wave to him from afar, and even more so when you run up to excitedly talk to him like he’s some kind of a movie star. Sometimes, he thinks you may even ask him for an autograph…but he knows that won’t happen. 

He’s often curious about your life, though he does enjoy being the center of your attention, but he just can’t help but wonder what you were up to prior to being taken by the fog. He has bets running with a couple of the other survivors about what you did for a living, but none of them have been able to find out who has the right bet. 

Sometimes, he’ll try to weasel the information out of you by asking about more insignificant things: did you have any pets? What’s your favorite color, favorite food? He hasn’t gotten anything out of you yet, but he’s sure one day he’ll get some crumbs of information that’ll win him several rare items.

Jane Romero:

Jane had been recognized by a few of the other survivors; which she had expected, her television show had been quite popular, and she imagined the ratings must’ve skyrocketed once she died. She liked to think of meeting fans in the fog as a positive. In the world before, she never really would’ve had a chance to get to know anyone who knew her, but here, you all kind of have to get to know each other. She prides herself on being friendly with every survivor, including you, and you seem to be her biggest fan.

She’s flattered, of course. Sometimes it may feel strange knowing someone knows so much about her, but she also finds some sort of sweetness in it; you’ve devoted a lot of time to getting to know her when she knew nothing about you. She frequently tries to strike up conversation about you, telling you she’d like to get to know her biggest fan. It always surprises her when you assure her that you aren’t very interesting, and change the subject.

She tries to ask other survivors if they know anything about you, because she notices you being friendly with a lot of them. She’s similarly surprised to find out nobody else knows a thing about you, either. She figures you must be hiding something about your past that you aren’t proud of, and she decides to get to the bottom of it to help you. But she knows that’ll take a while…

Jonah Vasquez:

Jonah didn’t imagine he’d ever be known for the kind of work he did. In fact, the first few times you eagerly approached him, he was a little suspicious of how exactly you knew him. He eventually figured he must’ve been publicly recognized somehow after his apparent death, because you didn’t seem like the type to know government secrets. So he began to relax a little and was more open with you, and was even happy to share things you weren’t privy to.

By nature — or instinct, even — he wants to find out more about you. He’s subtle about it at first, sneaking in a what about you, every so often when you ask him a question. You usually ignore it. He resigns to the fact he needs to be more upfront asking you about yourself, directly asking you what you used to do for a living, what your hobbies were, your family. You’re a better secret-keeper than even he was, in his time.

On his own time, outside of trials, he tries investigating you. Inspecting items you happened to leave behind, tailing you and seeing how you behave with other survivors. Nothing has given him any leads, yet, but he knows himself and he knows he’ll get to the bottom of you somehow.

Vittorio Toscano:

Vittorio was utterly confused when you approached him, saying you knew him and couldn’t believe you’re meeting him. When you told him you’d read about his discoveries in old tomes, he couldn’t believe he’d been written about. Someone took the time to chronicle what he’d done for the world…and someone else in a completely different time to his own read about him. He’s blown away. He’s touched knowing his discoveries had reached someone else.

He tends to be more curious about what modern people know about the arcane, and he usually asks you about that. He does attempt to ask you about yourself, too, deeply curious about what time has changed for everyone else. You won’t talk about yourself, but you seem happy to tell him everything else. He wonders why you almost refuse to speak about your past…

Himself, he’s quite open about what he did and what happened in his time. He knows other survivors aren’t quite as talkative, or they hide or shade certain things about themselves. He knows it isn’t as easy to talk about yourself…but he hopes one day you’ll open up to him. Until then, he’ll keep trying.

Danny Johnson / The Ghostface:

Danny is instantly flattered when you come up to him discussing him and his past crimes. He knew there were people that followed his activities closely, but to be honest, he never thought he’d meet one of them after he’d been taken into the fog. He’s actually surprised by how much you knew about him; he was quite certain nothing substantial ever made it to the news…but oh well, he has a fan now. He notices you’re strangely chummy with some of the other killers, too, but what’s important is you always come back to him.

When he starts getting more attached to you, he tries to find out things about you, too. Important questions and unimportant questions alike get brushed off by you, but he figures you must just be being safe by not sharing anything about yourself. Realistically, those self-preservation skills should’ve kicked in long before you decided to talk to him…

You know what happens next. He starts following you around and watching you, notepad at the ready, seeing what he can find out by spying on you with others and when you’re by yourself. He’s patient. Even if doing this doesn’t amount to anything right now, he knows it will at some point.

[soosoosoup]

What’s your opinion on each of The Snack Pack? (And Creek)

Do you think they should own Branch an apology for how they treated Branch for many years? (Except Prince D and Tiny, of course because they weren’t there/born yet, and I know Creek probably won’t-)

The worse part was that they liked BroZone but have been treating Bitty B! (Poor Branch!😭)

I feel like Pop Village needs to own Branch an apology. How older generation did to Branch, the fact no one takes him in just because he’s grey! (And other reason I think) which is worse. I’m not sure about King Peppy.

The new generation just went along, following older generation.

They have been treating Branch in a bad way, not just Branch! Bitty B who was once part of BroZone Band.

I’m not sure if anyone ever thanked Branch what happened during the pot scene, only Poppy did thank him. He was singing! He did it to bring the hope back! He have done so much for Pop Trolls. Not just Branch, Bitty B did!

Don’t forget about Bridget, she said she thanked him sure, but she should not say “I guess” because without him. They would have been caught sooner!

How would Viva think about what they have done to Branch?

How would Bros especially John Dory, think about them? What would they do with that?

Now about DJ Suki

Do you think she would be back? I miss her but I’m not sure if she will be back. I wonder where she went…

I know TrollsTopia showed that but I don’t feel like it’s canon and because she wasn’t in TWT and those series are not canon so yeah

so so sorry for making you wait like a couple days, been pretty busy and didn't notice 😓.

Ah, the snack pack. I must confess that I don't really think much of them 😅eheh. At least when first watching the movies, they kind of just blended into the background as more character were introduced with the sequels. But!! I am quite a fan of how they're expanded through fan works!!

Yeah pop village can be quite harmful, toxic positivity was pretty ingrained into their society. probs bc it seemingly ‘works’ for all of them. The older folk can forget the pains of the past and the young can grow up happy. But for those it doesn't ‘work on’ (branch), it is very invalidating. But I also see the harm they do as unintentional mostly. They probs think that at this point Branch must not want to be happy. For the snack pack they’re probs like 'come on man this again? just lighten up and sing along' while like totally ignoring what is burdening him. Though I mostly see that as the failing of the older generation who at the very least needed one person to step up and work through the traumas that's being buried for Branch. Could have really helped him process and cope growing up.

While it would be nice for some apologies to be given, I doubt Branch would ask for it (it would be a conga line of ppl saying sorry, yeah branch would get tired of that real quick lol). Oh and thanks you’s would be great too, maybe theyre were some and we just didn’t get to see it. That’s how i hc it anyway :)

I’m sure the bros would be very unhappy to hear B grew up as an outcast, and viva would as well, but even more so I see her being disappointed by their disregard of the possible danger of bergens & their erasing of her and the putt putts.

Ahhh and Creek. He's always a joy to have, he makes things interesting lol. I think before the whole 'betraying your people to certain death' he was just a troll, a condescending troll who thought very highly of himself, but just a troll nonetheless. But yeah he’s def not a good person after all that was said and done. This guy would need to apologize for days!

DJ Suki's been missing!? how did i not notice that? Perhaps if the next movie had more snack pack suki could hopefully come back. Come back dj suki, i need to know more about you!

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

Summary: Din realizes his error

A/N: Hello lovelies,

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. I got up at 4 this morning so I could go for an hour walk before I started the day and now I'm super exhausted. If some of this doesn't exactly make sense I do apologize. I'll review it again tomorrow when I get a chance.

I know the GIF isn't Din Djarin, but ... eh, who cares. LOL.

Love oo

Due to the past history of the OC there will be discussions alluding to past domestic abuse, please note that as it could be a trigger for some.

Warnings: Unwanted touching, manipulative personality, obsessive personality, apologizing, realizing anger directed at the wrong person, crying, grief, mentions of deceased person. I think that's about it, if I miss any warnings please let me know.

AO3 Link |   Words: 1,008 |   Previous -> Next

Main Master List   |  Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

THE CRESTWORLD

CHAPTER FOUR

Din was ready to storm off, after listening to Ann defend herself. He hated that she had been so observant, and realized something did happen to him at the parent-teacher meeting. Honestly, he hadn’t realized how much it had bothered him, until she called him out on it. 

As much as he wanted to run off, and grab Grogu, something kept him frozen at the entrance to the kitchen. His hand rested against the doorframe, his back towards the kitchen. He knew he should apologize. She was right of course, it wasn’t her fault he’d been sensitive the last few mornings. 

It all had to do with that teacher, Estival. He’d known her for years. She’d been friends with Camilla ever since she moved into town to fulfil the teaching role.  

He admitted he noticed she’d always been extra friendly to him, but nothing more than just friends. Ever since Camilla passed away, she had reached out to him directly a couple of times, offering to help him, provide a meal or two for him and Grogu, but he never reciprocated or accepted her help. He never really felt comfortable with her, and now he knew why.

It never occurred to him, she would’ve tried to use Grogu as a means of getting closer to him. It became very clear, she was using Grogu, by the way she was treating him at the conference. It was eerie, as he watched her act like Grogu’s mother and be overly attentive. She even called him ‘son’ at one point.

He tried at first to justify her actions, but the more he watched how she was acting towards his son, the angrier he became. 

To realize he had allowed such a loathsome woman to be near his family, to allow her to teach his son, and who absolutely had no qualms about resting her hand on his inner thigh as she asked him to sit closer to her, so she could show some of Grogu’s work. He was shocked and disgusted by her attitude. Especially, when she tried to play the ‘I thought this is what you wanted’ card. He did the only thing he could that night, and told her that if she ever retaliated against Grogu because of his rejection, he would make sure everyone knew what kind of woman she was. He quickly left with Grogu in his arms, giving her one final warning before he headed home that night.

That night, for the fourth time since he lost Camilla he cried his eyes out as he fell asleep. He never knew there had been someone so abhorrent in Camilla’s life. He wondered what would’ve happened if she had lived … the thought alone made him feel unsettled. 

As he stood at the kitchen entrance, his eyes caught the picture of Camilla sitting on the front porch as her hand rested on her tiny bump, her pregnant belly just starting to show. She sat there while she read to Grogu. 

What made that night even worse, was the fact it would’ve been his and Camilla’s eleventh anniversary. 

He let out a deep sigh, his head tilted as he realized Ann had nothing to do with Estival. It wasn’t Ann’s fault she was here and Camilla wasn’t, or that he didn’t see the warning signs when it came to Estival. 

He slowly turned to look at her, she had her back to him as she was busy putting away the dishes that had been washed. She had been completely oblivious to his presence as she focused on her task.

“Sorry.”

I stopped moving as I heard his whispered voice, surprised to realize he was still there. I placed the dish in my hand on the counter, as I turned to look at him. He simply stood there looking at me, with barely any sort of reaction.

“Did you say something?”

He let out a sigh as he nodded his head slightly, he rubbed the back of his neck as he cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’m sorry … I mean … ahem! I apologize for saying what I said, and for being short with you. Not just today but … since that night.”

I nodded in appreciation, I took my time thinking about what I wanted to say in return. He looked as though he was racked with guilt, there was no point making a mountain out of an ant hill. Regardless of what was said, it was clearly evident he was dealing with something and it wasn’t my place to figure out what that was for him. 

“Thanks Din. I appreciate it.” 

I waited for him to say more or to continue the conversation but he just stood there, I turned my attention back to the dishes that needed to be dried and put away. I could still feel his eyes on me, it was as though he was waiting for me to say something. 

However, the sound of tiny feet rushing to my side broke the weird tension that had been settled in the kitchen. I stopped moving, when I felt a tiny hand pressed against my thigh. I smirked as I looked down to see that smiling face of the cutest boy around, “Bye, Annie”

I couldn’t help match his smile, surprised by his actions, that had been the first time he had touched me voluntarily. I kneeled down, so I could look Grogu in the eye, “Bye, sweetie. Have a good day at school” I ruffled the hair on top of his head, before he ran off to his father’s side. Din nodded his goodbye as he held Grogu’s hand as they headed towards the bus stop. 

I let out a sigh, something wasn’t sitting right with me about the way we had left things. 

I felt as though I needed to at least let Din know we were okay. It was about fifteen minutes later, when I heard Din’s footsteps come back into the house, I met him in the hallway, before he decided to head upstairs. 

AO3 Link |   Words: 1,008 |   Previous -> Next

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[db-gochifan]

Dragon Ball Ships Week 2023 - Day 3: Passion

Title: Desire Characters: Bulma Briefs and Vegeta Pairing: Bulma/Vegeta and mentions of Bulma/Yamcha Summary: Bulma has had enough of Yamcha's fan club. Warning: Possible NSFW content.

Cross-posted on AO3 and FFN

Bulma walked past the gravity chamber for Kami knows which time. Every time she glanced at it, hoping that everything was okay with Vegeta inside it. She hasn’t seen him in days and was beginning to worry about him. She took a couple of steps towards the door, but decided against it. With a light shake of her head, she turned around and left. If she didn’t know it any better, the last thing he wanted was to be disturbed during his intense training to become a Super Saiyan. She didn’t have any reason to check on him, he was nothing but a guest in her house because he didn’t have a place to stay. She had no interest in him whatsoever; he was rude and mean to everyone. Besides, she was happy with Yamcha. Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about the Saiyan. Vegeta came out of the gravity chamber after several hours, with a white towel wrapped around his neck and shirtless. There was a bottle of water in his left hand, which he squeezed with anger for failing another attempt to become a Super Saiyan. He stretched his neck and walked out of the room, heading to his bedroom. He was in desperate need of a shower. On his way there, he had to walk past Bulma’s bedroom. Much to his surprise, he found himself slowing down and peeking inside it to see if she was there. Not that it mattered to him, he couldn’t care less about her. But he had to admit she and her family were nice enough to let him stay over. And he didn’t think Capsule Corp was that bad either. It was big enough to go unnoticed by everyone for a whole day and that was just what he needed. And training, of course. **** The following weeks were pretty much the same, but Vegeta noticed a few different things. First he came across the table full of food when he walked into the kitchen to have his post-training meal. And that night he noticed there were two trays placed by the door of the chamber when he walked out of it. He had to admit Earthlings could be good people, even when he didn’t exactly treat them right. Having grown up the way he did, he learned to mistrust everyone. But maybe it didn’t have to be like this anymore. Vegeta sat down and leaned against the wall of the chamber before eating the food that was taken to him. He was taking the empty trays to the kitchen and, to his surprise, he spotted Bulma walking in his direction, probably going to her bedroom. The Saiyan prince couldn’t help but notice she was wearing a slightly transparent gown and tried his best not to look below her face. She, on the other hand, felt her cheeks burning red with his bare upper body all sweaty from training. “Oh good, you ate.” She said cheerfully when she took notice of the empty trays. “I hope it wasn’t cold.” “It was good. Did you make it yourself?” “Yes and no. Some of it was already prepared, I just had to heat them.” “T-Thank you.” “What?” Bulma blinked with surprise. “I said thank you! Are you deaf?” “Why do you always have to be like this? Geez! No wonder why he can’t find a girlfriend or wife.” She snapped furiously and then resumed her path to her bedroom. “Have a good night, Vegeta.” He frowned after hearing her statement and mumbled all the way to the kitchen. Bulma leaned against the door after she closed it. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, but the image of Vegetate being shirtless still lingered in her mind. A few weeks ago, she didn’t allow herself to think about him in a fond way because she was Yamcha’s girlfriend, but all this time they have been living under the same roof made her realize maybe he wasn’t all that bad. Then, in an impulsive moment and blinded by desire, she left the door slightly open and slid the sleeves of her night gown off her shoulders. All that was left to do was wait for him. The Prince of the Saiyans was returning to his bedroom when he noticed the door from Bulma’s room slightly open. He frowned and mumbled angrily when his heart started beating fast in his chest. He knew he shouldn’t walk into her bedroom without her permission, but, for the first time in his life, his body didn’t obey him. Plus, he could see a small glimpse of her from the hall and his urge to go inside only grew stronger. And before he knew it, he slowly pushed the door open. Bulma stood up from her bed and stood across him; a few feet separating them. There was a small smile on her face when she moved a lock of her hair away from her face. “So you wanted to check on me.” She gave a couple of steps towards him and could feel the tension increasing in him. “I didn’t want to check on you, woman. You have your boyfriend for that.” “Not that it’s any of your business, but Yamcha and I aren’t together anymore.” “You’re right, it’s not any of my business.” He turned around to leave. “I’m going to my room.” “Wait a moment.” Bulma couldn’t believe what was happening. For a moment it seemed like he was… In an impulse, she grabbed his forearm and he looked over his shoulder. “What? You thought I was gonna fall for this?” She let go of his arm and folded hers in front of her chest, frowning. “Fine, if you want to go, then go. I don’t know why I even thought there was something going on between us.” “There’s nothing going on between us.” Vegeta walked out and heard the door slam behind him with a loud thud. Vegeta was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Bulma had just told him. She had touched a sensitive spot, one he refused to accept. He couldn’t help but feel like Goku had beaten him up once again and gotten married and became a father before him. That mere thought made him angry. He had to find a way to revert that situation. **** Driven by extreme rage, Vegeta was finally able to turn into Super Saiyan for the first time a couple of days later. His motivation was renewed and he was fully satisfied with his training for the first time since Capsule Corp. became his home. He left the gravity chamber with a large smile on his face, feeling confident he would finally be able to defeat Goku. Then something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Bulma was sitting outside the chamber, with her back leaned against it. Her legs were fully stretched and her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep while waiting for him to get out of it. She slowly opened her eyes when she faintly heard Vegeta talking to her. “Huh?” “What are you doing here? I already said I don’t like being disturbed when I’m training.” “I didn’t come here for you.” She said with fury as she stood up. “I need to make some adjustments to the chamber and I was waiting for you to leave to do it. Not everything revolves around you, you know?” “Whatever. What kind of adjustments?” “It’s not your business.” Bulma snapped. “You’ll find out next time you use it.” “You’re such an annoying woman. But it doesn’t matter, I’m so proud of myself today nothing will ruin it.” “May I ask you why you’re happy?” “Not that I should tell you anything, but I was finally able to turn into a Super Saiyan. I can defeat Kakarott once and for all.” “That nonsense talk again?” Bulma shouted angrily. “Is that all you Saiyans think about?” “You’re not one of us, so you wouldn’t understand.” “Thank Kami for that. I’ve seen how Goku acts sometimes when it comes to fighting and it’s annoying.” “Kakarott doesn’t know a thing about it. He’s a low-class warrior.” “Right, right.” She rolled her eyes and grabbed his forearm in an impulse when he began to walk away. Feeling his strong muscles in her grasp made her blush a little and wonder how bigger they got when he was in Super Saiyan form. “What do you want now?” But Bulma barely seemed to register what he had asked. It was like she was hypnotized by him. She looked up and saw he was staring right at her with his usual angry expression, but she could see there was something else behind it. Hardly aware of her movements, she lifted her arm and touched his cheek. In a normal situation, Vegeta would have immediately either grabbed the person’s wrist before the touch or pushed the hand away as soon as it rested on his cheek. But for some reason he couldn’t do that to Bulma. He felt like he was paralyzed, though he could fully move around. But he didn’t want to. And then a thought flashed in his mind for a brief second, but he would never admit that out loud. He was enjoying it. Much to her surprise, he was the one who closed the distance between them and kissed her. Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned even more towards him, shoving her tongue into his mouth. He didn’t pull back at it, but his unexpected reaction made her do it for a couple of seconds. She threw herself into it again and a soft moan escaped her lips when she felt his arms tighten around her body. Being so caught up in the moment, she slid her hand down his back and under his shorts. Vegeta quickly pushed her away and frowned. “What were you doing?” “I’m sorry, I thought it was okay. Yamcha didn’t mind it when I did the same to him.” “Don’t compare me to such a weak fighter.” “Yamcha isn’t weak. He’s pretty strong for an Earthling.” “Whatever. Don’t do that again.” “Okay, I got it! I’m sorry!” “Don’t yell either. What a noisy and annoying woman!” “Excuse me?! You didn’t seem to think so when your tongue was tangled up with mine.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned around and left her alone. “Ugh, stupid Saiyans.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Vegeta stopped in the middle of the dark hall, only a few feet away from Bulma’s bedroom. He couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss that happened earlier. He had never experienced such a thing before, and had mixed feelings about it. He also thought about Goku already having a son and he didn’t. His hands closed into fists. He was the Prince of the Saiyans, he should have his own offspring. He looked over his shoulder towards the door. She was his best shot at that; in fact, she was his only shot at that. Overwhelmed by that feeling, he spun around and walked back to her room. “What are you doing here?” Bulma asked surprised when he burst into her bedroom again. “Didn’t you make it clear you had no interest in me whatsoever? Did you have to come back and disrespect me again?” “Hear me out, woman.” He sat on her bed, which caught her even more by surprise. “This will happen only tonight.” “Alright. You don’t want to risk falling in love with me.” “That’s not it!” “You just said that… nevermind.” “So how does this work?” “You’ve never been with a woman before?” “That doesn’t matter!” Vegeta blushed heavily. “Let’s just get it over with.” “Okay.” She crawled towards him and kissed him briefly, quickly lying down on her king-sized bed and bringing him along. **** When Bulma opened her eyes the next morning, she looked around and noticed Vegeta was already gone. She knew it would happen, but deep down she couldn’t help but feel disappointed for wanting him to still be there, with his arms wrapped around her body. And maybe having a morning round before they went on with their days. With a long sigh, she wrapped herself up in a sheet and stood up, staring at the view outside from her glass door. She found out from her father that Vegeta was already in the gravity chamber for another intensive training day, by the time she walked into the lab. Countless times she caught herself glancing towards it, in hopes he’d come out and check on her, and had to shake her head to turn her focus to what was really important. Thinking about how fast her life turned around made her dizzy. The same Saiyan that left Goku seriously injured and scared the hell out of her was now living in her house. It was a risky situation at that time, but she just couldn’t leave him on his own. She couldn’t help but smile and wondered when she actually started having feelings for him. When Vegeta walked out of the gravity chamber at the end of the day, he was in his Saiyan form and wearing his usual training outfit. He took a look around and realized the whole lab was empty and there was no tray by the door waiting for him either. For a brief second, he wondered if something had happened to Bulma, but quickly pushed that thought out of his mind. He still wanted to have no attachment to her. After having dinner, he made his way back to his room and found himself stopping in front of Bulma’s door and glancing at it. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was inside. As his true nature returned, he frowned and rolled his eyes before resuming his way to his bedroom. Little did he know what was going to happen next. Bulma was walking down the hall in the opposite direction, coming from where his bedroom was, and they met halfway. She felt momentarily panicky, but quickly her attention moved to his well-toned torso, completely hypnotized by it. “I hope you didn’t enter my room.” “I… I…” She shook her head and frowned, finally understanding what he had said. “I wasn’t coming from your damn room, you don’t have to worry about that.” “Good.” “Like there’s anything special or valuable there.” “What do you know about value anyway?” He said in a superior way and folded his arms over his chest. “How dare you talk to me like this? Especially in my own house!” Bulma shouted. “Get a fucking clue! You’re living here for free and as a guest. Be grateful for the opportunity you were given!” “Ugh, get out of my fucking way, woman!” He tried to get past her, but she held his arm. Before he could even snap at her, he felt her lips on him and suddenly his body started not obeying him anymore. He placed a hand behind her head and wrapped his arm around her as he pulled her closer to him. She pushed him against the wall when things got heated and was trying to reach for the doorknob when he abruptly pulled away and broke their kiss. “What’s going on?” There was a puzzled expression on her face and she blinked a few times, trying to understand what had just happened. “What the hell were you thinking to just kiss me like that?” “Excuse me?! It’s not like you didn’t kiss me back! And don’t you dare talk to me like this again!” “I still want nothing to do with you, woman. Go find your boyfriend.” He walked into his bedroom and slammed the door. “Ugh, why can’t you be nice like Goku?” “Kakarott is an idiot.” He shouted from inside. Bulma spent about two or three minutes staring at his door, trying to understand why it was so hard to get through him when he recovered his senses and pushed her away. She was starting to regret her decision to break up with Yamcha. Inside the room, Vegeta stood a few feet away from the door, with his back turned to it. His heart was racing and he hated all these new things he was feeling. He couldn’t help but think they made him weak. Still, he found himself opening the door and grabbing her arm before she could walk away. Surprised, she looked at him. “What are you doing, Vegeta?” Without saying a word, he simply pulled her inside his room and closed the door behind him.

[marciabrady]

I completely agree on Belle, I actually don't dislike her as much as I used to but my gosh her stans used to be the worst. Always going after the previous 4 princesses esp Snow White who is a literal angel. But I was wondering do you see Mulan being treated a similar way as Belle by fans? No doubt Mulan is 100x more accomplished but Disney and her fandom both treat the other heroines like garbage to lift her up in the same way I've noticed people do for Belle. which I don't get because Mulan herself doesn't have a problem with other women!!

Totally agree! The Disney Princess franchise has weathered so many attacks against people who hate anything inherently feminine and I think the brand heads are still trying to reel from the damage control they tried to do in the 2000s and 2010s, which was essentially prop up the masculine and combative princesses and diss the classics the company was built upon.

The Mulan topic is interesting because I like Mulan fine, and her fans aren't as bad as Belle fans...but I think she and Tiana are misunderstood. They're well rounded characters with an arc and visible flaws that make them human, but possess so many redeeming qualities, and they're actual people with shortcomings and also things about them that are great, etc, but their fans glorify them and make them into these Mary Sues that have no issues and idk I just feel like it takes away from who they are and fans always end up focusing on the wrong aspect of said princess. Like, Mulan wasn't obsessed with combat from day 1 and this badass girl that did whatever she wanted. She was someone who was willing to enter an arranged marriage to appease her family, someone who was clumsy and didn't know her place in the world, someone who didn't have tact in her interpersonal relationships- but her love for her father and her wit in the strategic way she approached battle and her determination is what should be applauded. We shouldn't be rewarding her because she was naturally the best fighter on the field- but because she overcame her natural shortcomings (when compared to the men she was up against that were physically more competent than her in the beginning) and, through sheer grit, she managed to rise above it all. Also, because she's a fascinating blend of masculinity and femininity. Tiana's another good example- fans prop her up for being a "girl boss" and embodying grind culture, when that's who she was before her arc. Her story became complete once she realized hard work would only take her half the way and she needed to remember the love she had in her heart for her father and the people around her and to keep the hope alive that her father instilled in her as a child, with things like wishing upon the evening star.

I think in the case of these two princesses, though,they largely are misunderstood because the shift in Princess marketing in the past couple of years is to put certain princesses in front of us more than others- Moana, Belle, Mulan, Tiana, and Merida are given priority imo- and I think they try to group them together in the pre-arc versions of themselves and tell the masses that they're whatever values we deem as more important in our current vernacular of what it means to be a "strong" woman but it generally is removed from how the characters were in their films and the princesses are just kinda used as mascots for whatever traits are popular at any given time.

[saralayne]

My Forever Hero 🩵 🩷

Stella and Kelly were a newly, happily married couple. Everything was blissful. When Grant, her toxic ex husband shows up at 51 and blindsides them. How will they handle this? Kelly showing his love for his wife and always protecting her.

Kelly and Stella have been married for almost a year. It had been everything they had hoped it would be. Professionally they were both thriving. They loved their careers and being with their 51 family, but nothing was better than nights at home being with each other. They were still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage. Although, if you asked either of them, they were convinced the honeymoon would never end. Stella out it perfectly, a while back.

"Everyday I spend with you is a honeymoon"

It was a normal shift, It had been slow. Squad was out on a call. Stella was doing paperwork in her office. Carver came in.

"Lieutenant, there is someone here to see you"

Now, if anyone else at 51 had seen this unexpected guest there would of been questions and concern. Carver knew Stella in the academy but he wasn't well versed on what she really went through in her past.

"He said he would wait for you outside"

Stella thought that was a little weird but didn't think anything of it. Stella wandered outside, and in that moment her stomach dropped. She couldn't breathe.

"GRANT, What the HELL are you doing here?"

"Hi Stella, I um-mm just wanted to talk to you for a minute"

"I haven't had any contact with you in 6 years Grant, there is really nothing to say"

Grant glanced at her left hand and noticed her wedding band.

"I see your married, I bet I can guess who you married"

Stella sighed.

"Yes Grant, I married Kelly. The LOVE OF MY LIFE. A man who treats me like GOLD. A man who loves me unconditionally. A man who protects me. A man who is my safe space. A man who doesn't hurt me and always makes sure I know how valued, loved and important I am to him"

"I'm really happy for you Stella, I really am. I am not here to cause trouble. After, I left the hospital, I went down yet another dark path and this time I had driven the one person who was always there for me away for good. I could have killed you. I'm thankful to Kelly actually for protecting you from me. It was clear as day to me, how much he loved you. Afterwards, I knew I needed to get serious help. So, I did. Part of my recovery is making amends. I'M SO SORRY STELLA"

'OK Grant, well I appreciate your amends. I have a wonderful life now and this needs to be the last conversation we have"

"I understand"

As their talk was coming to a end. Squad rig was pulling in.

'Oh Boy', Stella thought. This is gonna be ugly. Kelly saw Stella talking to someone. When he saw his face, he was fuming. As soon as the truck slowed down, Kelly leaped out of the truck. By that time, Grant was gone and Stella was walking towards him with her hands up. She knew he was ready to fight.

"STELLA, What is that asshole doing here?"

"KELLY, Please listen to me. He showed up here. I was blindsided. He came here to make amends. I let him say his piece and I told him I never want to talk to him again. I also told him how happy I am, married to the greatest man and the love of my life"

Kelly smiled, albeit still upset.

"STELLA, I don't want that coward anywhere near you, EVER. Knowing what he did to you and how he abused you. The thought of him near you literally makes me sick to my stomach"

"I know KELLY, I know. He's gone now. If he goes back on his word and contacts me again, I will legally keep him away. I PROMISE"

Stella reached out and embraced her husband in a bear hug. He immediately calmed down.

"I LOVE YOU STELLA KIDD. STELLA KIDD-SEVERIDE"

"I LOVE YOU MORE, KELLY SEVERIDE"

Later at the loft. The Severide's were snuggling on the couch watching a movie. Kelly let out a big sigh. Stella knew her husband well, she knew something was still bothering him. She lifted her head off his chest and gave him a soft, passionate kiss.

"Stella, I'm sorry I got so angry. It just makes my blood boil knowing how he hurt you. The thought of anyone hurting you breaks me into a million pieces. That night when he attacked you was literally one of the worst nights of my life. Thinking that he could have killed you hits me to the core. We weren't even together then. Just 'having fun' but even then, losing you was something I would of never recovered from"

"Kelly, I am sorry too. I never appreciated what you did for me that night. I have always felt awful about how I pushed you away and treated you. Babe, You SAVED MY LIFE. You were then and are now MY FOREVER HERO"

[dropintomanga]

Fan Stranger, Not Danger

It’s about time for fan convention season and that means fans going out to events once more to celebrate their fandom. Even though COVID still lingers, the convention experience is worth it. That’s mostly because you get a good chance of talking to strangers that can become new friends. I want to talk about that because I want everyone to see that there’s good people out there.

I was reading a 2021 Atlantic article called “Why We Should Talk to Strangers More.” It detailed various anecdotes of people’s experiences of talking to strangers and the joy they got when talking to them. They greatly underestimated the reception they will get from the stranger and vice versa. It turns out most conversations end up being pleasant. Many things are in-play as to why people don’t talk to strangers, but talking to strangers is a beautiful thing. It’s argued that we don’t know how to talk to them due to social messaging saying that strangers in general are bad.

I recall one moment where I talked to a stranger on the way to Crunchyroll Expo 2017. I ran into a woman who was wondering which rail train to take to the convention center. So she talked to me as I was in total cosplay and I guided her to the same train I was taking. We talked for a bit and then she revealed that she worked at VIZ Media. We then talked about what was hot at the time (Haikyuu!! and Tokyo Ghoul). After we reached the convention, we parted ways and told each other to have a great time. While we didn’t become friends, I enjoyed the conversation. It got me more hyped for the convention. 

About a couple of months ago, a new user joined a mahjong Discord server I was a part of and asked about what to do at anime conventions as they were going to one for the 1st time. I chimed in and said.

“Regarding conventions, just hang around people with similar interests. Go to panels that interest you. Talk to people when you can. Take photos. Artists’ alley has some fun stuff to buy at times. I hope you get to make friends there because they make convention experiences worthwhile.“

I did check in with them later and they told me that while they may not be adept in social skills, they managed to make a friend. I considered that a success. 

What I want to say is that meeting strangers is arguably the best solution to some of life’s problems. Many popular anime/manga stories are about meeting strangers that change heroes’ lives. I think about Gintama’s introduction where Shinpachi meets Gintoki at his job and decides to join him after seeing how cool he was standing up to the Amanto. There’s many scenes in anime/manga where a disgruntled youth finds a lone badass to be inspiring and their heart tells them to go with them. There’s also the opposite where the lone badass finds peace with strangers that turn out to be the best friends they needed. The best example is Guts from Berserk as his supporting cast helped him ease the burden of helping Casca and providing him a companionship that he missed since his old Band of the Hawk days.

There’s so much conditioning in media and outside influences saying the world isn’t safe. Here’s the thing - the ones who often hurt us the most are those closest to us. When I hear stories about abuse of any kind, it is usually from someone who knows the victim well. Trauma can be caused by people who are supposed to protect/support us. I notice a lot of anime/manga characters are usually hurt because someone close to them treated them like crap.

Given how much has happened in the past 3 years, definitely reach out to someone who looks like they could be nice to talk to. You deserve a manga-esque story that can make life a bit more worthwhile and less lonely. You deserve a chance to see that people are still beautiful and trying to live the best they can despite the mercilessness of it all.