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ratatouillewastakendammit · 1 year ago

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Pairing: Chrollo x Reader

Summary: a smutty excerpt from my full-length Chrollo fanfic. However, I think that it can be read standing alone as well. Enjoy!

Warnings: smut, language, some fluff at the end <3

It was quite nice to have something that could be dubbed 'home.'

Over the past few years, you had stayed in many places, but none of them earned the title. They lacked certain qualities that one might include in this category.

There was no breath of relief when you walked inside, only a looming forecast of some new threat approaching. There was definitely no feeling of contentment, the expectation of moving ever-present. The penthouse, on the other hand, possessed many of these traits, though you weren't certain it was because of the building, rather the person you shared it with.

Safety and comfort were easily achieved when you pulled into the parking lot, two check marks on your mental list considering this issue, but there was something else present as well.

The air seemed hollow. It filled your lungs, leaving an empty feeling in your stomach, waiting to be appeased.

You should let him kiss you at the party.

Fuck you, Hisoka Morow.

This feeling followed you into the elevator, a phantom of satisfaction just begging to be exorcised. It's ghostly voice tickled your own vocal chords in a masquerade of confidence.

"You can..." You cleared your throat, but the sound that came out was still annoyingly quiet. "You can, um, kiss me now. Only if you want, I mean."

With a ding, the doors opened. Chrollo glanced down at you before stepping out into the hallway, making you avert your eyes immediately. "I don't know. I really should start making dinner."

"Are you serious?" You whined, following after him into the penthouse. Usually, the tone would have made you cringe internally, but enough of his antics had been endured tonight. He silently waited until you had gotten inside before closing the door and locking it behind you.

With a discontented sigh, you reached around your back to begin taking off the confining gown. While beautiful, it had become uncomfortable after a while, as most pretty things did.

Your hands never made it.

Instead, they were snatched midair, completely forgotten as Chrollo's lips crashed against yours. You gasped, but he captured the noise easily, dropping your hands in favor of cupping your face with one of his. Another found its way around your waist, offering a bit of support as you began to melt further and further into his arms.

The feeling of Chrollo's mouth against yours was captivating, possessing a siren-like allure that overpowered your corporeal need for oxygen.

If this was what asphyxiation was like, you would gladly suffocate under his control.

Backing up, you attempted to find something, anything, to lean on, scared that if this continued your legs might turn to putty. Thankfully, he followed, keeping a constant hold on your frame.

A wall hit your back, prompting another startled exhale. He took advantage of this one too, running his tongue against the rim of your bottom lip in a wordless request. The air in your lungs seemed to dissipate as you allowed his tongue to meet yours, clinging to his touch like it was your only lifeline.

Every bit of contact was felt in your abdomen, a quiet spark that had you sighing in delight.

So when he finally pulled away, you couldn't help the quiet, pitiful whine that left your throat.

His breathing wasn't anywhere near as quick, but as he rested his forehead against yours, the ardent look in his eyes seemed to be quite the indication as to what was running through his mind.

"Is this okay?"

Oh.

And you immediately decided that it was. Your words back at the party were nothing but honest.

You wanted him.

You wanted to be his, in every way possible.

Regardless, your fervent nod didn't seem to satisfy him.

"I'm sorry, dearest, but I'm going to need you to use your words." Using a finger, he tilted your chin upward, urging your gaze to meet his. "Now I'll ask again; Is this alright?"

"Yes." You breathed. "Please keep going."

At your acceptance, he closed the distance between you once more, the kiss turning hungry and desperate.

Every moment was pure bliss, but it was never enough.

You could feel his hand inching across your back, searching for the zipper to your dress. He found it quickly, allowing the garment to fall to the floor.

Red fabric pooled at your feet like a fiery sea. The chilliness of winter air attacked your body, now only protected by mere undergarments.

His lips slipped from yours, trailing downwards to edge your jaw before descending again to place a line of kisses across your exposed collarbone. Your breathing accelerated when his mouth found a sensitive area and, based on the way he smirked into your neck, you were quite sure he noticed too.

With gentle guidance, Chrollo led the both of you towards his room, kicking open the door with minimal regard as he shrugged off his suit jacket. It was discarded as your body fell into the silk sheets of his bed.

Coat off, he positioned himself above you, fingers undoing the first few buttons of his shirt as you were left to squirm under the scrutiny of his gaze.

You had never been so naked, so vulnerable, in front of someone else. The idea of having your bare body on display sent heat to your already burning cheeks.

Instinctively, you moved to conceal yourself, but he was quicker, grabbing your hands to pin them above your head. Ebony locks fell over his eyes as he looked down at you, ever so slowly releasing his hold on your arms.

"Say the word and I'll stop. Do you understand?"

"Yes." You murmured, apprehensive about whether or not your voice would actually work, but desperate for him to continue.

He nodded, sneaking a hand behind you to release your bra with measured precision. The clasp was undone and the garment tossed away, leaving your upper half completely exposed to the man hovering over you. Insecurities immediately flooded your mind as you tentatively forced your line of sight to meet his.

Somehow, you had continuously failed to notice completely enamored Chrollo was with you. Unbeknownst to you, he had already pretty much come to the conclusion that you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, regardless of the fact that some parts of you had been left a mystery. And although patience happened to be one of his more noteworthy traits, he would also be a liar if he didn't admit this moment had frequently taunted his restraint for the past few weeks.

And damn, if the wait wasn't worth it.

He sucked in a sharp breath, steel eyes once cold and uncaring, now ablaze with desire for you.

"Fuck."

His mouth found yours again before following a route similar to the one before, descending past your jaw and toward your neck. This time, however, he continued downward to your chest. Skin still frigid, his lips were sparked fireworks with every touch.

You gasped sharply when he wrapped his mouth around your nipple, swirling his tongue around the hardened bud while his free hand found its way to your other breast, gently kneading the flesh. He pinched your nipple, pulling a whine from your throat as your thighs clenched, desperate for friction.

At some point, he backed away, continuing the assault on your neck like it was the last time he ever enjoyed human contact. You didn't notice the withdrawal, much too distracted by the feeling of his hands on your chest.

However, you definitely noticed when his touch found its way below your abdomen, pressing softly against your clit through the fabric of your underwear. Your back arched into his hold as you absentmindedly realized you had never hated any object quite as much as you did right now. Self-consciousness had completely faded away, replaced by the need of his direct contact.

Chrollo nudged the cloth to the side, a smug grin spreading across his features before he yanked it off completely.

He ran a finger across your slit, examining the wetness that followed it with pure satisfaction.

"Fuck, I've barely done anything yet."

Slowly, he inserted a finger inside, pumping at a steady pace before following with another, making sure to keep his thumb trained to your clit in a tortuously slow rotation. Pleasure coursed through your body, forcing a moan from in its wake. You quickly slapped a palm against your mouth, hoping to muffle the embarrassing sound, but his ears were too sharp.

"Uh-uh." He chided, grabbing both of your arms with his free hand. "I want to hear you."

"Good girl."

"I'm not... shit, your dog." You complained, but the soft spark of pleasure of his words were undeniable.

"You sure whine like one."

The mere sound of his voice was audible bliss. Your body had seemed to betray you, clenching around his digits at the tantalizing tone.

"Hm." He appraised. "Praise and degradation. Noted."

"I'm not-"

Your denial was quickly cut off when he inserted another finger, curling them against your core until the only sound you could emit was a low groan. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that. Would you mind repeating it for me?"

Anywhere else you would have been happy to call him out for feigned ignorance, but you were much too far gone in the way he was able to heighten the warmth in your core. It grew steadily with each pump of his fingers until you were ready to burst.

Soon, Chrollo had you unraveling upon his hand. Ever attentive, he continued to stroke the ever sensitive bundle of nerves, leisurely helping you down from your high as he unbuttoned his dress pants.

Your eyes immediately trained down towards his waist once he was done, inner walls clenching around nothing. The empty, hollow feeling left you even more unsatisfied than before. It was a relief to not be the only one exposed, but fuck was he gorgeous.

He quickly noticed where your line of sight had traveled, letting out a dark chuckle that only heightened your desire. "Pervert."

Brain still on sensual overdrive, the taunt did nothing but spur another flicker in your core. The embarrassment only seemed to push your need further. He seemed to notice your stare and the pleading expression across your features.

"What did I say about using your words, darling?"

"Please." You mumbled, hoping against hope that he would take pity on you.

He carefully aligned himself at your entrance, its soft, steady beat still present and yearning to be satisfied. "Anything for you."

With a slow, antagonizing pace, you waited for him to finish entering you. Slight pain followed with every inch forward, but nothing compared to ache you felt for his touch. Soon, the soreness melted into satisfaction and you found yourself unconsciously lifting your hips to his, desperate for some kind of tension.

Thankfully, he understood your wordless plea, beginning to rock his hips into yours at a steady pace that had you internally begging for more. His thumb found your clit again, rotating around the nub in slow, gentle circles. He reveled in the moans that were pulled from your lips.

The heat continued to intensify, filling your core to the brim until all the only emotion running through your brain was need.

With an increasing rhythm, he continued thrusting into you until pleasure had completely overpowered your senses, leaving you a moaning puddle of satisfaction in its wake. Every kiss to your cervix tightened the coil more and more until it was unbearable. The bliss was excruciating, bright and hot and wonderful all at the same time.

He caressed your overstimulated clit in a way that made you want to burst, and with a few final pushes, you did.

Euphoria flooded over every crevice of your body. Your walls fluttered around him as your high was met, offering a soft convulsion that allowed him his own release. Your eyelids fluttered to a close, heart on overdrive and mind still abuzz from pure ecstasy.

He slowly pulled out, careful not to jostle your form too much before gently picking you up and carrying you towards the bathroom. The difference in light made you cringe slightly, but, although spent, you were still curious.

Damn, it's nice in here.

You marveled as he set you down on the counter to start a bath.

The past hour, and probably the trials of today as well, had left you tired, the next few moments no longer memories, but foggy sensations of bliss.

His voice echoed amidst the rushing water, muttering kind praises that were extenuated by the soft tingle of his lips against your skin. The soothing warmth of the bath soon replaced them, then the soft cotton of a shirt that was much too large to be your own.

Next, the cool sheets, somehow new and folded neatly, cocooning around your body. You did remember reaching out, searching for his own figure against the bed. You also remembered the quiet laugh as he met your grasp, allowing you to easily wrap your arms around his torso. He mirrored your embrace, placing a final kiss on your temple.

In the past few weeks, you had fallen asleep in Chrollo's grasp multiple times. However, as the world faded away, you were able to coherently recognize that this way was most definitely your favorite.

#hxh #hxh x reader #hunter x hunter #chrollo lucilfer #chrollo x reader #chrollo smut #hxh smut #hunter x hunter smut #chrollo lucifer x reader #hxh chrollo

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rubysarchives · 2 months ago

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A Second Chance

Part one of ???? idk if i will write more of this. If I do, ocs will get involved :3

This is co-written with @okuyasu-nijimura3812

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“Satoru. You look older, what happened?” There he stood, looking just the same as he had the morning before it all went wrong. “Is something wrong?”

Gojo didn’t answer, didn’t move, just stared with his mouth agape.

The boy’s regular, happy expression fell away as he opened his eyes completely. “Satoru?”

“Suguru... h-how are you here? this has to be another cursed spirit toying with me...” Gojo finally found the ability to move his mouth.

“No, I'm right here Satoru.” Geto moved closer and reached up to put a hand on Gojo’s shoulder. He was taller than he remembered, but that wasn’t important right now. “I've never seen you like this, tell me what's bothering you.”

Gojo backed away, shaking his head as his voice trembled. “N-no no no, this isn't real, t-th-this cant be real, w-where’s the curse I've got to exorcise it.”

“Satoru, sit down.” Geto raised his hands in an innocent gesture. A Gojo not in his right mind could be a very dangerous Gojo. “Take some deep breaths, I'm not a curse. What's gotten into you?”

Gojo tore the blindfold from his face, his eyes full of tears, and cried out in a desperate voice, “I KILLED YOU, THATS WHATS WRONG! YOU DIED BY MY OWN HAND SO THERES NO POSSIBLE WAY FOR YOU TO BE STANDING HERE! YET EVERYTHING IN ME IS SAYING IT'S YOU! EVEN MY SIX EYES SEES NO TRICK!”

Geto stepped back, his eyes wide. “You… What?”

“I KILLED YOU!” Tears streamed from Gojo’s bright eyes like waterfalls. “YOU GREW INTO MADNESS AND TRIED ERADICATING THE WORLD OF ALL NON SORCERERS SO I KILLED YOU BECAUSE I HAD TO! I KILLED MY OWN BROTHER SUGURU! SO TELL ME HOW YOU'RE STANDING HERE!” Disbelief, hope, fear, and grief all shifted across Gojo’s face, an expression he’d only worn once before.

“My own actions... my own actions did this to you...” Geto furrowed his brows, his eyes full of shame and his lip trembling. “I'm sorry...”

The next instant, Gojo’s arms were wrapped around the young Geto, holding him tightly as if he might fade if he let go. “Damnit all.... don’t leave... don’t leave... I don’t want to lose you a second time.”

After a moment, Geto hugged him back, burying his face into his shoulder. “I won’t.”

Gojo’s tears turned into choked sobs, barely able to speak between them. “How are you here?”

“I don’t know, but I’m alive,” Geto’s voice was muffled by Gojo’s shoulder.

“I honestly thought you hated me after everything I’d done,” said Geto. Only his mouth didn’t move, and the voice had come from a few feet in front of Gojo. Suguru Geto stood there. Older. Wearing his monk robes. Translucent.

“I thought you were an idiot, but I never hated you... I could never hate you,” Gojo replied.

“I'm relieved to hear that.” The phantom switched to a softer voice. “We were children, Satoru. Children charged with the task of slaying demons. It broke me.”

“The countless times I wanted us to just run away,” Gojo inhaled sharply to catch a sob, “we could have... why didn’t we…”

“Because we were the strongest. The best hope humanity had. But that doesn't make it fair. We were children.”

“I would have let the world burn for you Suguru... I just wanted us to be happy.” He held Geto a little tighter. “So I kept being this comedic super idiot in hopes things would just get better.”

“The story has already ran its course, there's no changing that now. But... It looks as if someone has decided to give me a second chance.” Geto stepped closer and placed a hand on his younger self’s shoulder. It felt like cold air.

“I won’t lose you again,” Gojo said.

“Please take care of him for me, Satoru... Don't let me break again.” As he spoke, Geto faded away, leaving only the living one crying into Gojo's shoulder.

“I wont let anything happen to you again,” Gojo promised.

“Why am I here, Satoru?” Geto’s voice shook.

“I don’t know… but I’m not going to let you snap again… I promise. You’re here for a reason, so I’m going to keep you here.”

“Ok.” He hugged Gojo tighter.

#gojo satoru #jjk gojo #geto suguru #jjk geto #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk fanfic #jjk fic #gojo and geto #my writing #creative writing #fanfiction

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ailendolin · 11 months ago

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Here are my first thoughts after finally having watched the 2023 Christmas Special for the first time:

Positive:

Baby Mia is absolutely adorable and Alison and Mike are wonderful parents. They've grown and matured so much throughout the series and it's lovely to see that in the way they are with Mia and take care of her

and speaking of growth: I think it's lovely that in the end, the ghosts are ready to let Alison and Mike go. They've really come full circle from trying to get them to leave in the beginning to begging them to stay in series 5 and finally, to encouraging them to leave because that's what's best for Alison and Mike's family

I love that Alison looks like the tired, exhausted mum she is. These days, characters often look picture perfect in film and TV, no matter the situation, and Ghosts has always felt like a breath of fresh air because people are allowed to look normal. It's little things like Alison's yellow coat that she's worn throughout the show hanging by the door, her wearing Mike's flannels or having bags under her eyes that make it feel beautifully real down to Earth, and I'm glad the downsides of having a child didn't get glossed over

one of my favourite moments was the shrug Humphrey's body gave when everyone was looking for its head. That genuinely made me laugh because of course the body would not care whether the head would get exorcised or not

and omg, the exorcism scene was so well done! I love the music in the background (I so hope we'll get a soundtrack one day), the panic on Mike's face when he quite literally runs to warn Alison, the panic on Alison's face when she's faced with the possibility of losing the ghosts, the fear when she can't find them (which parallels 5x01) and finally the relief and smile when she hears their voices. That whole sequence was just perfect

I love that it's Thomas who says, "Because they just can't help being who they are," because it's not an excuse for his behaviour but an explanation - and a recurring theme for him. Right in the beginning of the show, he said, "We stay how we die," and I think for him, those words have proven to be true. He is heartbroken and he'll stay that way. He can't help that. He does not want Alison to go ("Why did I vote for this? I hate it.") but in the end he knows it's what's best for her and for himself, even if it breaks his broken heart a little more.

seeing Button House in all its glory in the end. It still being called Button House. Fanny and Humphrey's portraits on the wall (and the third one might be Kitty's?). Higham Suite (which was the thing that made me tear up because my first thought was that it's meant to honour Isabelle and I love that (although I realise it's probably meant to honour Kitty but I'm choosing to ignore that)). Thomas still complimenting Alison even though she's grown old and thus making a point that his affections for her were never just about her looks

Neutral:

I would have preferred if Alison and Mike had stayed at Button House because for me, the show has always been about family and I don't think they had to leave the ghosts behind to find their own way. BUT the way the Idiots wrote and executed it - with the ghosts encouraging them to leave, establishing that Alison and Mike regularly come back to the house and with details like Higham Suite that clearly show that Alison and Mike had the ghosts in mind when they made the contract for sale - makes it okay for me.

I'm a bit sad we did not get to see more of the ghosts interacting with baby Mia but what we saw - Pat and Cap especially - was very sweet

Negative:

the pacing. I am so sorry but I think they crammed too much into the episode. They either should have cut the exorcism storyline (as much as I loved it) or gone for a 60 minute special. There's just too much going on for 30 minutes, and too many time jumps (I wasn't a fan of them in the 2021 Christmas Special either) that sadly make the whole episode feel very rushed

and because it felt so rushed a lot of plots did not have the impact they were meant to have, at least not on me. Robin's feelings about Christmas for example.

also what was going on with Kitty and the baby at the beginning? Her being jealous is obviously not a new thing but the issue did not really get resolved, did it?

the latter also goes for Thomas's feelings for Alison which brings me to my biggest criticism of the whole show: he never got the character development he deserved (and, to an extent, neither did Fanny). The whole baby storyline would have been the perfect set up for him to move on from Alison (including discussions about different types of love and him realising that Alison does love him platonically and that that's enough) but it never happened. I feel like he was done dirty in that regard because every other character except him got to grow

I have probably missed a ton of moments - and I will rewatch the episode once I've rewatched series 5 - and likely repeated things here that others have said before. Since I had blocked all tags blocked when the Special aired I have no idea how the fandom's reaction to it was but if anyone still wants to talk about it, my asks are open.

#bbc ghosts #mp bbc ghosts #bbc ghosts spoilers

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crowsource · 11 months ago

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🐦‍⬛ 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 — quotes taken from ava reid's novel. some edits have been made to allow for rp purposes. feel free to adjust for pronouns/names/etc.

❝ It began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous. ❞

❝ The ephemerality of things is what gives them meaning. ❞

❝ They were both creatures of rage and salt and foam. Both could strip me to the bone. ❞

❝ I wanted nothing more than to tempt their wrath, because if I were brave enough, I might earn their love instead. ❞

❝ I was a treacherous, wrathful, wanting thing, just like he was. Just as he had always wanted me. ❞

❝ Although the tide pools had not shown me my face, I had been revealed. ❞

❝ It was fae-like trickery. There was no answer that wouldn’t damn me. ❞

❝ You’re so pretty. You really are. You’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen. Do you know that? ❞

❝ We must discuss, then, the relationship between women and water. When men fall into the sea, they drown. When women meet the water, they transform. It becomes vital to ask: is this a meta-morphosis, or a homecoming? ❞

❝ I wanted to say I don’t believe you. ❞

❝ I wanted to say thank you. ❞

❝ I wanted to say tell me more about who I am because I don’t know anymore. ❞

❝ I could tell the whole story as if it had happened to someone else, and it would be completely painless. ❞

❝ The weight of a memory is one thing. You get very used to swimming with it dragging you down. Once it's loosed, you hardly know what to do with your body. You don't understand its lightness. ❞

❝ You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too. ❞

❝ In the end I learned that the water was in me. It was a ghost that could not be exorcised. But a guest, even uninvited, must be attended to. ❞

❝ If you can learn to love that which despises you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again, like you did when you were young. ❞

❝ Anything can be taken from you, at any moment. Even the past isn't guaranteed. You can lose that too, slowly, like water eating away at stone. ❞

❝ It saved me in more ways than I can count. Because I knew no matter how afraid I felt, I wasn't truly alone. ❞

❝ Are there any ships on the horizon? Will they signal back to me? I never got the chance to know. ❞

❝ But stories were devious things, things with agendas. They could cheat and steal and lie to your face. They could crumble away under your feet. ❞

❝ I wish I had fought. ❞

❝ I know I beat him in the end, but for so many years all I could do was run and hide. I just sat there and let the water pour in around me. ❞

❝ I didn’t know that I could fight back. I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown. ❞

❝ Every wanting man has the same wound he can use to slip in. ❞

❝ I wanted you, too. For so long. It was terrible. ❞

❝ Sometimes I could barely eat—sorry, I know that sounds like the strangest thing. But for days I didn't feel hungry at all. I was... occupied. ❞

❝ You took away all the other wanting from me. ❞

❝ It was a beautiful house, but not a clever one. It was a house with no imagination. ❞

❝ Fear could make a believer of anybody. ❞

❝ Didn't all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water? ❞

❝ There's very little worse than when our heroes fail us, is there? ❞

❝ Men just say whatever they want and everyone believes them. ❞

❝ Love transcends petty theological squabbles. ❞

❝ But if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them. ❞

❝ It doesn't matter. I'm not afraid to care about you. ❞

❝ It's very hard to believe something when it feels like the whole world is trying to convince you otherwise. ❞

❝ You're not just one thing. Survival is something you do, not something you are. ❞

❝ You're brave and brilliant. You're the most real, full person I've ever met. ❞

❝ The sea is treacherous, but women are even more treacherous. ❞

❝ You don't see yourself very clearly. ❞

❝ Challenging me isn't pestering. I'm not always right. Sometimes I deserve to be challenged. And changing your mind isn't foolish. It just means you've learned something new. ❞

❝ Everyone changes their mind sometimes, as they should, or else they're just, I don't know, stubborn and ignorant. ❞

❝ Moving water is healthy; stagnant water is sickly. Tainted. ❞

❝ If you want to see what you are, look into the tide pools at dusk. Look into the sea. ❞

❝ I will love you to ruination. ❞

❝ You can die as easily of thirst as you can of drowning. ❞

❝ Love is a fire that cannot burn alone. ❞

❝ The better you know someone, the more terribly you could hurt them. ❞

❝ You don't have to love something in order to devote yourself to it. ❞

❝ A romance is a belief in the impossible: that anything ends happily. ❞

❝ If a story repeated itself so many times over, building itself up brick by brick, did it eventually become the truth? A house with no doors and no windows, offering no escape. ❞

❝ How terrible, to navigate the world without a story to comfort you. ❞

❝ That was the cruelest irony: the more you did to save yourself, the less you became a person worth saving. ❞

❝ I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me. ❞

❝ I believe you. ❞

❝ Things are only beautiful because they don't last. Full moons, flowers at bloom. You. ❞

#crowsource #rp meme #rp memes #rp prompt #rp prompts #sentence starters #rp sentence starters #roleplay prompt #rp starters #roleplay memes

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songsofadelaide · 1 year ago

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Asleep Among Endives

Chapter 2 — The Sun

In the summer of 1997, the fledgling clan head of the superpower Gojo Clan fancied you a playmate, one headstrong enough to disregard the warnings about befriending a little god who might ensnare you with a curse. When you first met the young Satoru, everything around you turned a lovely sky blue. Little did you know that the very same thing happened to him, and you painted his life in shining gold-like sunlight.

[A Gojo Satoru x Reader fic, ongoing]

cw/tw: childhood trauma, implied/referenced child abuse, naoya being a little creep wc: 10.2k. ✾ Fic Masterlist ✾ Chapter 1 ✾ Chapter 3 ✾ ~Interlude~ — In the Quiet

— The Sun.

~ 1997.

It is said in the old times that a child is assumed to be a person of God until they reach the age of seven. By then, a little one should have a foundation of their soul and a heart of a human. Why was it that you only had a faith shaken by the very person who raised you and a heart hardened by your strange circumstances?

About a month before your seventh birthday, Lady Suzuna tasked Kazuya and Chiemi to extend invitations to the children and young heirs and heiresses of the different sorcerer families. Seven was the perfect age to make friends and create lasting bonds, the most perfect opportunity to connect with other sorcerer children with similar experiences. It was an auspicious day for a birthday celebration as well, and what better way to commemorate your birth than formally announcing you as the official heir to the Koganei Clan leadership?

A day before the celebration, every servant in every corner of the ancient traditional home was busy preparing the Koganei Estate for the ingress of guests from sorcerer families and the clan's business partners alike. Everyone seemed to be in a constant state of movement while you and your mother leisurely walked around your home, the softness of your padded footsteps seemingly fading into the background of your family's busyness.

"This tree was a gift to the city from our family back in the 1920s. It's grown remarkably well over time, but it is different from the rest of the ginkgo that line Meiji Jingu Gaien. The leaves of the trees outside fall and grow according to the season while ours remains the same all year round. I suppose we can attribute it to our cursed energy. Unlike other sorcerers, we make use of our power by healing, not so much exorcising," Suzuna stated, your smaller hand in hers as you took your time to walk around the estate's private gardens. The perennial aged ginkgo tree that has been there for as long as you can remember towered over your forms. Summer, spring, autumn, winter— regardless of the season, this tree remained alive and flourishing, its golden leaves constantly raining on this particular part of the estate. The tree has seen the coming and passing of former clan leaders, and you had no doubt in your mind that it will surely still be here by the time you pass away as well. "It's beautiful but resilient."

The afternoon breeze was cool against your ankles, the wind gently blowing through your striped yukata as you took measured steps beside your mother in this sectioned-off area of the garden. There was a sacredness to the tree's age now, and the family gardeners probably didn't want guests and strangers wandering in here and causing any hurt or damage to it.

"Otome, tomorrow is your birthday. I know you would have wanted to celebrate the day of your birth with your family— your real family… Which is why I asked Kanade-san to assist with tomorrow's preparations. She and I will help dress you in your celebratory clothes."

"Oh…" Your grip on the older woman's hand tightened, though you tried to hold your calm expression. "Th-Thank you very much for your consideration, okaa-sama."

"What did I tell you about your emotions, my girl?" The older woman shook her head, a slight tsk leaving her lips. "Your eyes are shining. I can tell you're about to cry tears of joy."

"I'm sorry," came your only response. Lying to her was never a good idea when the truth is already blatantly obvious to her.

"I'll forgive you just this once since it's your birthday," Suzuna stated, a small smile gracing her painted lips now. "Ah, here she is."

Her comment made you look up from your path, and you felt her slowly turn you the other way, a kind hand on your back as she eventually let go of you. From across the garden stood your mother— the one who gave birth to you— in a muted mustard yukata, the family's standard servants' attire.

"Good day to you, ojou-sama," came your birth mother's greeting as she bowed before you and the lady of the house. "And to the madam as well."

"You may approach," came Suzuna's soft command. She gave you a gentle push toward the other woman. "And you may greet your mother."

You tried desperately not to let the excitement show in your steps, but your sprint betrayed you as you happily hurled yourself into your mother's open arms. "Okaa-chan!"

The two women couldn't blame you for your reaction. You were only a child, still so clueless about the weight of the crown about to rest on your little head. And yet there was a certain maturity now evident on your face, the warmest of smiles on your lips as you hugged your birth mother. You happily buried your face in her chest, feeling the beat of her heart against your cheek.

"Oh, how you've grown, my little love…" Mustard sleeves enveloped you in a warm embrace, but you did not cry even though you wanted to. You couldn't bring yourself to, even though her words were so similar to what your… stepmother— I suppose I could call Suzuna that— said mere moments ago. "Strong and lovely, just like our ginkgo tree."

Summer nights were like a spell itself. Something about the balmy weather and the trilling of the cicadas often drew people into some kind of trance. You were no different from those under summer's thrall even though you were born in this season. In fact, summer's magic seemed to be even more potent now than ever. On the night before your birthday celebrations, you found your little feet walking towards your family's secluded garden, the one where the ancestral ginkgo tree stood, towering over the still and silent estate.

You had no idea what time it was, but you were awakened by the sound of soft crying coming from the foot of the tree. It was strange that no one else could hear it except you, even more so now that you were face to face with the weeping figure.

It was a woman, one you haven't seen in the estate before. She did not wear the standard servants' attire but instead donned a lovely kimono in the shades of bamboo and sunrise. Something about her felt otherworldly as she paid no mind to your approach, her face concealed in the sleeves of her dress.

"Are you all right? Why are you crying?" You asked her, though she did not respond. "Please don't be sad…"

The phantasm stilled at the sound of your concerned yet inquisitive voice, her arms slowly dropping to reveal her face to you.

"You can see her?" Came a voice that was very much real this time you nearly jumped from your spot in shock.

"O-Okaa-sama!"

Still in her sleepwear similar to yours, Suzuna approached you, mere steps away from the base of the tree where the crying woman stood. "Answer my question, daughter."

Spirit sight is the most basic technique a child can develop before being able to fully harness cursed energy. At the same time, it is the most important skill a sorcerer requires in order to be able to harness cursed energy.

"Yes… I-I only came here because I heard her, okaa-sama. No one else but you came to see her, too…"

"There is no need to be so nervous, daughter," Suzuna stated as she placed a hand on your head and gently ruffled your hair. "Do you know who she is?"

And children from sorcerer families who lack the most common ability that should be known to all sorcerers are no better than the average person.

You shook your head in response to her question.

"You and I descended from a pathetic man. We come from a long line of desperate people who wanted nothing but to prove their worth, even if it meant breaking the hearts of their loved ones," she said softly, holding the crying woman's gaze as she took your smaller hand in hers once more. "Uesugi Karui married for love and received nothing but heartache in return when she couldn't give birth to a child with Koganei Masahito's gift."

Uesugi Karui… You've heard that name before from one of your mother Kanade's bedtime stories. Karui was the first wife of the clan founder who bore him many children, all of whom he cast aside in favour of bastards who were fortunate enough to inherit his prized reverse cursed technique. Masahito's bloodline branched off into numerous families, and even Suzuna herself couldn't determine from which one she originated, even though she was certainly born into the main family.

She could not relate to Karui's plight. How could she? When she herself decided to take a lover apart from her own husband out of sheer desperation. She sighed to herself, prompting you to look up at her. "I suppose I'm no different from that man, too."

Karui's presence, after lying dormant for so long, only seemed to solidify the theory that she was here to curse the existing Koganei Clan, even though it has been hundreds of years since she last possessed the name. Suzuna last saw her when she was just a child herself and she had no guiding hand before like you did now.

"I know we aren't the only ones who can see you, but we are the only ones brave enough to ask," she told the unmoving phantasm, still rooted in her position at the base of the ginkgo tree. "Are you here to curse us? To curse… this child?"

The spirit of the weeping woman moved ever so slightly, her approach toward you blocked by your stepmother. Suzuna shielded you from Karui by taking a step forward, hiding you behind her skirts. "If you're going to curse someone, curse me instead. This child is…"

Karui slowly shook her head in response to the other woman's statement. She moved to touch your forehead, smiling as you laughed at the ticklish cold that was her cursed energy. "It's true that I married for love, and even if I were to return to those days, I would not have it any other way."

Uesugi Karui was not at all a vengeful spirit, but simply a ghost still in unrest.

"There are things you regret, Suzuna. Some of which are already far too late to take back," the lovely phantasm stated, the sadness in her eyes softening to a rueful expression. "However, it is not too late for her."

"I…" Suzuna's voice cracked. "I did what I had to do, as did you…"

"But did you do it out of love? Your obsession with duty will drive you to your grave early," Karui told her. "I am not a vengeful spirit, but there is a greater chance of that happening to you if you do not temper your expectations."

Your mother's hold on you tightened ever so slightly.

"I lived for many more years even after danna-sama passed away, and though my children and I were looked down on because none of them possessed their father's gift, I made sure to fill our home with so much love that they had no time to pay attention to every terrible thing being said about us," the phantasm stated, holding her hand out to you. You looked up at Suzuna once more, who only nodded at you in response. "I do not pass on any curse to you, young Koganei born with the gift. All I ask is for you to live your life with so much love that you have no room in your heart to curse anyone else. Not even your mother who gave you away, not even this mother of yours who has been cruel to you, not even your sister who wishes for your unhappiness, and not even those who wish to possess you for themselves."

Karui's hand was cold as ice, yet there was a gentleness to her touch when she spoke to you, lulling you to sleepiness. You could not recall how you found your way back to your bed that night. When you awoke the following morning, your fingertips were freezing even though it was a rather warm day.

"Good morning, ojou-sama," came an even warmer greeting. You smiled as you felt a gentle hand over your forehead, brushing away the hair that fell over your eyes. "Happy birthday to you."

The servants weren't any less busy despite all the preparations made yesterday. When the day of your seventh year finally came, it was time for the main family to do their job— welcoming and receiving their guests. While the Lady Suzuna was busy ensuring you were dressed in your very best for this day, it was her family who became the face and front of the clan, and she relied on her husband to hold the fort while she was still away.

Kazuya's father, Kaminari Kyouya, is the second-born son of his own sorcerer clan, one rich in magicians who practised lightning sorcery. He and Suzuna were childhood friends and he chose to marry into the Koganei Clan out of his great love for her. In fact, he loved his wife so much that he was willing to look the other way when she decided to have a child with another man.

Kyouya and his children stood dutifully just outside the estate's genkan, warmly welcoming every guest that arrived with presents and blessings in tow for the heir's birthday. While Kazuya imitated his father's mild demeanour, Chiemi was growing tired of having to greet people she didn't know. She tugged at the older man's forest green hakama, looking up at him with wide and innocent eyes.

"Papa, can you carry me?" She asked him, punctuating her question with a very sweet-sounding, "Please?"

He knew that this child wasn't his, yet he loved her all the same. How could he not? She had the very same eyes as her mother, the same ones he first fell in love with so long ago. He scooped up the little girl in her pink kimono and nuzzled her cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course, my little Chi. Are you tired? We only have to do this for a bit more, then we can go back inside."

Suzuna stepped out of the genkan to join her family in welcoming their guests. She wore an elegant kimono the same shade of forest green as her husband's attire. "Kyou, you ought to stop spoiling Chiemi. She's already five."

"Mama's being mean again, papa…" Chiemi buried her face deeper into the crook of her father's neck.

"I know, Chi. Don't worry about her," Kyouya murmured in reply to the girl with a pleased smile on his face. Perhaps five was already a bit too old to be carried, but he couldn't resist his daughter's pleading adoration. "We've been standing out here for quite some time now, Suzu. Besides, I don't mind holding my girl for a little while."

"That's not the point," Suzuna tried arguing. "Chiemi, you—"

"Oh, hush, you. Guests are arriving, so let's not argue here, please," he said with a chuckle even though he wanted to silence his wife. "Smile, Suzu. Here come the representatives from the Tokyo Saenome Clan."

And she did so, equally amused and equally annoyed at her husband's dismissal of their exchange. She greeted their guests pleasantly and it took her some time to realise there were only three of them by the entrance. "Now where did Kazuya run off to?"

The clever boy slipped away in the middle of his parents' bantering. Kazuya paid no mind to the servants bowing before him as he passed by them, his steps on the redwood engawa loud and impatient. He was eager to find you before any of the other guests did and was more than pleased to find you just about to step out of your room.

The shoji slid open, and you walked out with a measured step, not at all used to the weight of your outfit for the day— a crimson kimono embroidered with hundreds and hundreds of golden ginkgo leaves being blown by the wind.

"Oh, Kazu-nii!" You happily greeted the older boy in the same forest green hakama as his father.

"Happy birthday, Otome. May you always be blessed with good health and happiness all your days."

"Thank you very much, Kazu-nii," you replied to him with a bow, remembering your stepmother's instructions from earlier today. Bow with gratitude.

"This is for you," the boy handed you a gold-coloured omamori you recognised as something from the Meiji Shrine near your home. "A present, for good fortune."

"Oh, thank you! I promise to treasure this," you stated rather excitedly before safely tucking the amulet into your obi, making it another accessory in your already intricate outfit for the day.

"Bocchan, it's time for Otome-sama to see her guests," said the servant who assisted in dressing you. He recognised her as your birth mother. She wasn't in the standard servants' attire this time but in a kimono the colour of sunrise, the image of an aged tree with falling golden leaves printed on its front folds.

Ah, the boy thought to himself. The older woman's dress was more similar to yours than his family's ensemble, even though you were part of his family. Then again, it was no secret to jujutsu society that you were not Koganei Suzuna's blood-born child, but one from the branch family.

Kanade smiled at him. "Would you be willing to escort her to the audience hall?"

"O-Of course, Kanade-san!" Kazuya replied, an embarrassed expression on his face as he turned to meet your expectant eyes. He feigned a cough into his fist and offered you an elbow. "Shall we, then, my sister?"

"Mm! Let's go!"

You were aware that the celebration was by no means a simple one, but a grand honouring of your birth and your role as the future leader of your sorcerer clan. However, you couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the large number of guests that arrived to personally greet you today. The estate shoin was filled to the brim with unfamiliar people both young and old in more traditional attire in various colours and degrees of formality, and they rose to their feet to clap for you as you stepped into the audience hall in your brother's arm.

The rumbling applause gradually died down as you took your place in the centre of the hall, surrounded by your immediate family— Suzuna, Kyouya, Kazuya, Chiemi, and your birth mother, Kanade. The two women each gave you a kiss on your cheek, while Kyouya gently placed an ornate glass kanzashi on your head.

"Many happy returns of the day, Otome-chan," the older man greeted you with a smile, to which you replied with another.

"Thank you very much, otou-sama."

The Koganei servants started to bring in the food and drink, allowing the older and elderly guests their meal as the children lined up before you, smiles on their faces and gifts in hand as they prepared to greet you. You felt no different from the hina dolls that adorned your family home, visitors paying you homage like a tiny goddess reborn from so long ago.

You sat seiza right in the middle, the sleeves of your crimson kimono reaching the golden tatami floor as you remained perfectly still, giving your newfound friends the occasional bow of gratitude as they approached in a neat line. You thanked each one who presented their gift to you, each decision made with great consideration for your person— Porcelain tea sets, freshly-made ichigo daifuku, a calligraphy set with a bottle of golden ink, a rose-coloured kinchaku, a tortoiseshell kanzashi— the presents piled up by the minute, but the line was disrupted by a dark-haired boy with the sharpest brown eyes, closely followed by a family attendant with a large ornate box in hand.

"Happy Birthday, young lady of the Koganei house," he said with a smile. The boy wore a pressed white dress shirt underneath his navy blue kimono, and he effectively blocked your line of sight to ensure he had your full attention. "I am Zenin Naoya, son of Zenin Naobito. It is with great honour that I present to you a gift from our family."

The boy you only knew from your mother's narrative has finally made himself known. He was only a few months older than you, but he spoke with the eloquence of an elderly man with the hint of an old accent that slightly irked you.

"Thank you very much, Zenin Naoya-sama," you stated with the same measured bow you gave everyone as you received the present from his servant. You were about to set it aside when he spoke again.

"I would like for you to open it before everyone."

His statement prompted you to turn to Suzuna, who only nodded at you from across the room. Seeing her confirmation and the fact that she was still keeping an eye on your conduct reassured you, so you delicately unwrapped the present before the boy. It was a beautiful silk kimono the colour of flint, and finely embroidered with bright orange thread were the detailed feathers of a bird— which at first you thought was Suzaku, but upon closer inspection was something else entirely.

"That is Nue, one of the shikigami of our family's Ten Shadows Technique," Naoya stated rather proudly. "While I don't possess the technique and I am unable to summon it, that won't stop me from appreciating its beauty and said ferocity."

Talkative was the first impression the Zenin child left upon you. He was evidently proud of his heritage, but what good is all of that showmanship if he's rude to everyone else?

"It's beautiful, indeed. You have my gratitude for such a lovely present. I understand you took time off your day to visit me on my birthday and you wish to speak with me more, but it would be rude of me to hold the line even longer when every other guest here did the same as you," you replied to him with a pleasant smile that visibly flustered him. You lowered your head to a bow as Naoya slowly stepped away from you, cheeks flaming red in both embarrassment and infatuation, not that you were aware of the latter.

"Huh. So he really was a brat," Suzuna murmured to herself as she watched from afar how you handled the very entitled Zenin child and put him in his place. She had her drink in hand as she sat across her husband and son, who were conversing about something else. A small hand gently tugged at her sleeve.

"Did you say something, mama?" Asked Chiemi, who looked up to her with a measured head tilt that anyone would find adorable.

"Nothing at all, Chiemi," the older woman replied, smiling as she tucked away a lock of her daughter's curly hair behind her ear. "Have you… greeted your sister a happy birthday today?"

"…Do I still have to? So many people are here for her already!" The little girl said with a pout.

"I'm sure your greeting would mean a lot to her, Chi-chan," Kazuya piped in on his sister's conversation with their mother. "Look, Otome's about to take a step outside for a bit. Why don't we go see her?"

"I don't wanna!"

Chiemi was fine left alone in a corner, Kazuya knew that much. Though he knew jealousy played a part, he still had a difficult time fully understanding why his sister felt that way about you. Whatever you had was given to her as well, even though you did not ask for any of it yourself. There were times Chiemi was given more, but it did not matter at all to you. You were happy to see that she was happy, and that seemed to incense her even more.

Today was the only day you were given more than her and she tried to be on her best behaviour… Yet even after receiving the harshest scolding of her life about a month ago, nothing could stop Chiemi's ever-growing rage over her own family's preference for a daughter who shared no immediate blood ties with them.

"Fine. I'll greet her. I'll greet her so you can shut up about it, onii."

There was little Kazuya could do except follow his little sister with haste as she got up and hurriedly trailed you out of the audience hall, the look on her face foreboding chaos.

"Chiemi!"

You were already a bit spent to notice the younger girl's approach. It wasn't at all easy sitting perfectly still and you overestimated your capability to remain in the same position for the rest of the day. As you stepped out of the hall and into the redwood engawa to take a moment to breathe and stretch your tired legs, you found yourself suddenly pushed from behind and falling off the edge of the walkway, the speed of your descent only quickened due to the weight of your outfit.

"Ojou-sama!" Came the panicked cry of your mother, who hurriedly tried to reach for you as you tipped off the engawa.

"Chiemi, no!" Kazuya exclaimed as he eventually caught up with the girl in the pink kimono, encasing her in his arms to prevent her from acting any further. He was moments too late, however, as he found your figure lying face down on the ground.

The fall wasn't that far, but it still hurt. You tried to make sense of things as they were unfolding at the moment, not at all letting your sister's actions affect your judgement. You expected her to pull a stunt like this today and you were right to think of your reaction thoroughly beforehand. "Okaa-chan, please take her away before people start to notice."

"Haa?! Who do you think you are ordering people to— A-And don't you dare touch me, you—"

The sound of Chiemi's shrieking complaints was drowned out when an unfamiliar voice asked you, "Are you okay?"

You raised your head and found a slender hand outstretched to you. You grasped it and allowed this person to help you up on your feet again despite not knowing who they were. "I'm fine. Thank you very much."

It was a boy with eyes as blue as the clear ocean and hair like starlight. He held your gaze long enough for you to forget what just transpired, the intense and ethereal look in his eyes taking you someplace else— It felt like you were standing in the middle of the ocean, frigid snow blowing across your face yet it didn't hurt. More than anything, the sound of the waves and tides was comforting—

"You have some dirt on your face," he said, his voice pulling you back to reality and the incident that just occurred between you and your siblings. He brought the sleeve of his pale blue yukata to your cheek. "Ne, Kazuya, if this girl truly is as important as you say she is, why are you letting that kid smack her around?"

The unnamed boy's remark seemed to anger Chiemi even further, and she thrashed in her brother's arms. "I-I'm not just some kid! I am Koganei Chiemi! Koganei Suzuna's true daughter, the beauty—"

"Blah, blah, blah. Is that it? You expect people to bend over backwards for you just because you're pretty?" He rolled his eyes at the younger girl. "I'm not into whiny little brats like you."

"W-Wait, Satoru," came Kazuya's sudden plea. "Please don't—"

"I'll pretend I never saw anything here, but I suggest you keep the feral animals in their cages," stated Satoru, the boy in the blue yukata. He pulled something from out of his sleeves and handed it over to you. "This is for you, Koganei girl. Happy birthday."

He found his way up to the audience hall and eventually disappeared into the crowd. You opened the slender box in your hands, evidently mystified as you laid eyes on his gift: a set of prayer beads the colour of the clear ocean.

The Lady Suzuna patiently waited until evening, until all the guests have been sent off, to handle the incident that occurred between you and Chiemi earlier in the day. Other family members knew better than to get in the way of the matriarch's warzone-like discipline.

"How many times must I tell you, Chiemi? You speak out of turn and expect everyone to be gracious with you, is that it?" She stated, her voice calm and firm even as her daughter squirmed away from her grasp. "You're fortunate Otome made the right choice to send you away rather than stoop down to your level of immaturity."

You begged for lenience for the younger girl but were faced with the older woman's fury just as much as she was angry with her own daughter.

"Okaa-sama, please… This… solves nothing. You said it yourself. She'll just keep on hating me…" You pleaded, writhing in agony as you clutched your stomach after being kicked away. You were not able to defend yourself well this time. "I promised to never curse anyone, not even her…"

"I will beat the anger out of Chiemi until she understands that she is not the only daughter I have," the older woman said, her palm landing angrily on the younger girl's bottom. "I asked her to behave herself for one day—"

"Koganei-sama," came the voice of an elderly servant from outside the room. "My apologies for interrupting… There is a messenger from the Gojo Clan waiting for you."

"What?!" Suzuna hissed. Why the Gojo Clan of all people? She had no answers and only grew even angrier at the thought of you misbehaving yourself before the son of the prominent clan. "Otome! Did you do anyth—"

"I-I didn't—!"

"If I may, my lady," the servant continued. "It seems their young master has taken an interest in Otome-ojou. Satoru-sama is inviting her to the G—"

Satoru wants to see me again? But why?

"Leave us!" The older woman commanded, to which the servant replied with a faint acknowledgement and the scurrying away of padded feet. She slumped to the floor, dropping Chiemi in the process. She was obviously at her wit's end now and she needed answers. "You spoke to him?"

You sat up and straightened your back, taking a deep breath before responding to her question. "Yes, okaa-sama. He— Gojo-sama— helped me to my feet when I… fell off the step earlier."

"That child is not your ordinary boy. His birth changed the balance of the jujutsu world. He is like a little god," Suzuna stated, a sigh of exhaustion leaving her painted lips. "And you, a little goddess in his midst."

This wasn't news to her. Gojo Satoru isn't the first boy to show an interest in her heir. However, she had no idea whether or not this invitation was truly from the little god himself or if it was the working of other elements.

"Normally, you would be allowed to visit another clan's residence, but we're talking about one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans here…" she started. You sat quietly as the older woman rattled out fact after fact. You were so focused on self-preservation that neither of you noticed Kazuya slip into the room to take Chiemi away again. "…And not to mention that bounty on the boy's head… Then again, the Gojo Clan is said to live in an impregnable fortress."

No matter how silly or boyish that whim may be, it would be foolish to send her there on her own, Suzuna thought to herself, long and hard before she eventually turned to you.

"I told you before that I tire of making all the decisions here. That's why I'm asking you now— What do you want, Otome? Do you wish to see that boy again?"

But you knew it wasn't just a matter of wanting to see him again— though admittedly, you actually did. So you answer her question truthfully. "I would like to meet him again, if that is all right with you, okaa-sama."

It was a surprisingly wise answer, proof that you still considered her word above your own desires. She beckons you to approach, her hand gently gliding through the hair over your forehead in order to push it upward. "Then I suppose we do as the little god requests."

Yet an epiphany washes over her all of a sudden as she holds you in her arms. Who does that child think he is? Asking for my heir, of all things… "…Or maybe not."

The shoreline was covered with a carpet of freshly fallen snow. It wasn't at all cold, though, as you traversed through the snowscape, your feet sinking deep with every step you took. There was someone walking a few steps ahead of you, a hand reaching out for yours.

"Ngh…" You groaned to yourself as the sunlight of the new day filtered through the shoji leading to the garden just outside your bedroom.

The little god that was Gojo Satoru was in your dreams that same night for some odd reason— he and his hair like snow and starlight and those eyes that seemed to see right through you—

"Hey, are you awake already?"

Huh. He sounds so real here, too… No, I could have sworn I was awake— "Huh?…"

"It's rude to keep your guest waiting, you know."

Wait, what?

You bolted up from your futon, your comfortable sleep cut short by the quiet arrival of the boy that was in your dreams mere moments ago. "Y-You—!"

"Hello, Koganei girl," said the boy who was seated on the tatami right beside your bed. He was very much here and very much present in your bedroom right now. "Good morning! I thought you'd never wake up!"

"Wh-What are you…" You stammered at him, rubbing your eyes until stars appeared and blinking— "You're really here!"

The shoji slid open, with Kazuya storming into your bedroom. It was only then you realised they were in matching white gi, which could only mean— "Satoru! You said you'd train with me first thing in the morning!"

"Whoops! I did say that, didn't I?" Satoru stated before eventually shrugging at the other boy. "But you knew I came here for her first and foremost, Kazuya."

"That's beside the point! I— Oh, good morning, Otome!" Your older brother paused from his declaration when he saw you finally up. "You remember Satoru, right? He'll be staying here for a week."

"That's because your mom didn't allow you to visit me," the silver-haired boy said with a pout. "But I'm here now. Aren't you glad?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…"

"Satoru!"

Kazuya's impatient huffing prompted the other boy to rise from his seat. He moved toward you slightly, as though he wanted to reach for your hand but decided against it. Instead, he beamed at you rather confidently before eventually declaring, "Let's talk later. I'm just gonna wipe the floor with you brother so he'll leave me alone."

"Is that so?" Your brother responded with a laugh as they exited your room, their boisterous, boyish laughter filling the still-quiet halls of the estate. You rose from your futon and opened the shoji leading outside to the garden, where you were greeted by the glare of the morning sun and your family's perennial ginkgo tree.

You weren't brought to the little god's home like he expected. That wouldn't stop him from seeing you again, though. So instead, he came to yours.

The estate became a hive of activity once more after Suzuna agreed to play host to the young heir of the Gojo Clan not long after your very first encounter. It was no surprise that the boy was spoiled rotten by his own family and the Koganei tried its best to keep up with his every wild and wily demand. Fortunately, Satoru did not ask for much apart from time with you.

A lot of time, to be precise.

Satoru agreed to stay over at the Koganei Estate on the condition that he trains with Kazuya every morning and follows his exact same daily routine. Kyouya remarked that he was a surprisingly diligent pupil despite his mischievous overtone.

He had the most attentive eye on you when the two of you shared lunch in the dining hall that day.

"G-Gojo-sama, is something—" You nervously started as you sat across from him. He cut you off as soon as he heard the way you addressed him.

"Satoru," he stated plainly. "That's my name. Don't call me Gojo-sama because it's like you're referring to my father or some other old fart."

The boy sat across from you, happily helping himself to a bowl of piping hot rice and carefully deep-fried golden brown tiger prawn tempura. The yukata he wore now had a pattern of navy blue seigaiha, reminiscent of the tides and waves in your dreams.

"Koganei girl—"

It was your turn to interrupt him. "My name is actually…"

You gave him your name. It embarrassed you how easily it rolled out of his mouth, like he's known it all his life.

"Your hairpin," he said, pointing to your head. "Did you know that it's a tsukumogami?"

"What?"

Your stepfather's gift to you was a delicate glass-blown kanzashi. When you pulled it out of your hair to inspect it more closely, you saw the fine craftsmanship and the intricate azure blue beads and gold trimmings that adorned it. Though you were certain you were holding it carefully, the hairpin fell to the tatami floor, followed by a gentle stream of cursed energy that seemed to emanate from it. It didn't take long for the object to finish its gradual morphing, taking on its human form as the legends say.

A woman in an elegant azure kimono now sat before you, a tender smile on her face as she met your curious gaze. "You're friends with a very shrewd boy, child of Suzaku. Though I suppose nothing can get past those mystic eyes of his."

"O-Oh!"

"You may call me Marin. I have served your family for time immemorial as a guardian spirit of sorts. My presence has been restored for this very purpose: to serve as your protector in times when your family cannot," she stated, prostrating herself before you. "It would be an honour to accompany you on your life's journey, aruji-sama."

"I… I'd like to know this first," you started, trying to hide the quell in your voice. "You called yourself a guardian spirit. I've never heard of you before, though…"

Marin raised her head, the same kind smile on her face even as you questioned her. "That is because I was sealed away, only to be awakened once my master awakens as well. And it has been… three hundred years since I last saw my master, the one who possesses Suzaku."

"Otome is not the same master you served before, tsukumogami. She might possess the same ability as your old master, but she is a different person altogether," Satoru interjected.

"I am well aware of that fact, little godling of the Gojo family," the woman stated. "That is why I wish to accompany her on her life's work— in order for us to have a better understanding of each other, and for me to glean more knowledge about the world at present… If she will have me, of course."

"Of… Of course, Marin-san! I… I would be honoured to have you as well!" You told her, taking her hands in yours. The guardian spirit was evidently touched by your trust. It was pure and child-like, a currency in itself that is absolutely priceless.

"I thank you, aruji-sama. Remember you have only but to call me and I will be there," she replied, lifting your hands to her lips in reverence. "For now, I bid you farewell. I am only an arm's length away from you. Always."

Marin's cursed energy condensed itself once more, housing itself in the elegant hairpin until nary a trace of her human form remained. Satoru lifted it from the tatami and scooted over to your side, pinning it back to your pulled-up hair.

"Thank you…"

"Huh. You're really like the sun," he said. You couldn't help but cock your head in confusion at his statement, earning yourself another one of his boyish grins. "You know that sorcerers like us have different kinds of energies, right? We can see and even sense traces of it… but it's different when you touch. I… don't normally let other people touch me, so I was surprised when I held your hand and saw that instead."

"That?"

"It was said that when you touch someone and you see colours, you're touching that person's very soul."

What? "Really?"

"When I held your hand yesterday… It felt like I was looking at numerous rays of the sun. It was all golden! But my eyes didn't hurt at all."

"Oh…"

He suddenly raised a hand to his nape, a sheepish expression gracing his features. "Did you… see any colours when we held hands?"

"I saw the sea… and snow," you told him truthfully. "Like a splash of blue."

There was a curious twinkle in his eyes when you spoke of the vision from yesterday. He looked… rather pleased with himself.

"I'm glad that's the case!" He stated, his confidence returning as he happily rocked back and forth, not at all making an effort to mask his giddiness. "I'm really glad I came here! Even though I have to spend most of my mornings with Kazuya…"

So he came seeking answers, you thought to yourself. Satoru grew surprisingly warm and comfortable around you afterwards. He remained a diligent student to your stepfather for the rest of his stay as well. He gladly sparred with Kazuya now and even let him win on occasions, though he took no pleasure in going easy on him. Satoru was a prodigious child and Kazuya soon came to realise that even if he mastered Raiden and his inherited Lightning Rod Sorcery, he can never best a little god born perfect.

On the other hand, Satoru wanted nothing to do with your sister, even though she insisted that they started off on the wrong foot.

"That boy is so… enamoured with you, my girl. It's rather strange," Suzuna absentmindedly commented as she permitted you to exit the room through the shoji leading to the garden, where the silver-haired boy spent most of the afternoons waiting for you to conclude your basic studies with your mother and governess, his excitement not at all waning as the days passed.

On his final evening at the Koganei Estate, Satoru slipped past the night patrol and hurriedly made his way to your bedroom, his mischievous, catlike smile glimmering in the dark of the night.

"Shh," the boy with hair like starlight raised an index finger to his lips. "Let me stay here tonight."

And he spoke. Even as the moon hung high in the night sky, he spoke about anything and everything that came to his mind, even though you had no idea what he was talking about. Despite his sheltered existence, Satoru was intelligent and worldly, and he spoke of things you had yet to see outside your gated home, things he wanted you to see with your own eyes, things he wanted to see with you— to experience with you. You.

"Do you want me to come back for you when we're older?" He asked, no longer embarrassed by the yawn that left his mouth. He lied down beside you just outside your futon, your small hands slightly touching.

"Or maybe I'll find you," you replied with a small smile on your face. You were sleepy, but the thought of him leaving tomorrow gave you the strength to fight back the urge to drift off into a dream.

"Fine by me," the boy nodded, a grin on his face that eventually widened into another yawn.

Satoru fell asleep first. The only thing that mattered to you was the fact that he was there— the one who touched your soul and saw sunbeams. Perhaps he was waiting to meet you in the space between dreams and the waking world. When you reached for his hand, a tender wave of calmness washed over you, just enough to lull you to sleep as well.

When morning came, neither of you was bothered by the sound of thundering footsteps through the estate halls, the panicked whispers of "where could he be" being passed around by family members, sorcerers, and servants alike.

It amused Suzuna, who knew exactly where the little god was— unbothered and sound asleep right next to her child, the one who touched his soul and saw the sea and the sky— their tiny fingers warm and intertwined.

~ 2004.

Your life as the young heir of the leadership of the Koganei Clan was composed of many hours of learning and training from your mother and family elders, as well as a series of encounters and misencounters with the different children of the numerous sorcerer clans both major and minor. Many grew to respect you and your presence at gatherings, saying you earned the right to sit at that table with all the hard work you've put into becoming a worthy heir, while others remained ambivalent that a girl would be a clan leader. When you turned fourteen, Lady Suzuna started taking you with her to clan leader gatherings. The invitations to such meetings never ceased and became a part of your life as well, earning you allies and opportunities to continue proving your mettle.

When wintertime rolls in, signifying the start of the new year, the venue for clan leader gatherings is reset, and the representatives of sorcerer families near and far converge to Kyoto— the heartland of jujutsu society— to the fortress-like estate of the esteemed Zenin Clan.

Zenin Naobito inherited leadership of the Zenin Clan from his elder brother in 1999, shocking onlookers that the role was passed down to a sibling and not to offspring. But upon closer examination of their circumstances, it only made sense for the leadership to be passed on to someone who excelled in sorcery and had a knack for politicking.

Naobito's nephews— the rugged and apathetic Jinichi, and Toji— did not fit those qualifications at all. Toji, most especially, since he was known to have been born with no cursed energy at all, making him an anomaly in his own family. He seemed to exist outside the cycle of cursed energy and his senses made up for his lack of it.

Toji has since left the Zenin Clan on his own accord. Whatever is known about him now is considered lore— and most of the time, fiction.

Esteemed as they were in the eyes of everyone in jujutsu society, none of their living family members have inherited their most prized Ten Shadows Technique. Naobito was said to have conceived his youngest son, Naoya, as a final attempt to manifest their family's truest hope of regaining their power from ages ago. Alas, that was not the case at all, for his son inherited a form of sorcery so ghastly similar to his that it felt a bit like mockery.

If it was any consolation, Naoya was exceedingly intelligent and gifted in his own right, perhaps even more talented than his older brothers. Naobito saw in him a strength that reflected his own— and the smarts to go with it. It was too bad his own pride and entitlement spoiled whatever personality he had. His ongoing infatuation with the girl who possessed Suzaku did not help his moral argument, either.

It was never his character to patiently wait, but he did so with you. Naoya tried to mask his elation with anything other than that when he saw you enter the shoin with your mother.

Ah, the strange thing you did to his silly little heart. His uncle Jinichi chuckled at how motionless he stood next to his father. He followed the boy's line of sight and—

"Don't look at her, you dirty old man," Naoya hissed at his uncle. He couldn't blame the older man, though. The way you carried yourself now was even more refined than ever— to think that you could improve even more from that time you put him in his place— and that sprig of gladiolus tucked in your hair…

Naoya imagined himself backing you into a corner, the sheen of your gold kimono dissipating as you fell into the shadows of the more quiet parts of their estate—

"Does your father know you're a horny little shit?" Came his uncle's remark, followed by a low and rumbling chuckle. It was a joke meant to sound like an insult, but the boy's enraged expression only meant that Jinichi was spot on.

You could sense eyes on you from across the grand audience hall, and you were greeted by Naoya with a smile, one you hadn't seen in a long while. He looked surprisingly antsy in his spot beside his father and uncles, turning in your direction every once in a while. The meeting was an exchange of views between leaders and was meant to be boring for the youngsters. All of it will make sense in the future, Suzuna whispered to you earlier.

A recess was called and you took that as an opportunity to stand up and stretch your legs. And perhaps encounter someone…

That someone you had in mind was not Naoya.

He greeted you with the same eloquence and warmth so akin to his father that it felt like you were talking to an older man. "Hello, Otome-san."

"Naoya-sama," you replied to him with a low bow. "It's good to see you again."

"It certainly is. And seein' you here is such a delight because you are definitely a sight for sore eyes," he stated.

"Oh, um… I'm glad to know I brighten up the room if that's what you mean."

Pretty, pretty, pretty— For Naoya, you were so devastatingly pretty that it killed him inside not to have you to himself. He wanted to hold you. "That is entirely true and exactly what I meant. You… Has anyone ever told you that you'd look so nice as a bride? Not now, exactly, but…"

"E-Excuse me?"

"You're fortunate to have a brother capable of handling things in your family in case you must leave in order to marry," Naoya continued with his seemingly half-brained monologue, only for it to be cut short by your sharp interjection.

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen at all," you replied to him, correcting his misconception about your presence there today. "I stand here before you as your equal, an heir to a house of sorcery."

You tempered your emotions, keeping them in check in hopes they won't show on your face. However, it got the better of you when Naoya tried to reach for your hand and you suddenly took a step back. He recognised that look on your face as one of horror and disgust.

Disgust, of all things. One single look made him feel entirely pathetic and hurt and his bruised ego wanted to make you feel just as bad.

"I see. So that's how it is. You do know the entire reason why yer family still exists is because of your mother's a sycophant. In case you didn't know what that means, it—"

But you had the same sharp look in your eyes, not at all deterred by the fact he veiled his comment with an insult. "I know what that means, Naoya-sama."

"Everyone in his meeting is aware of what kind of person your mother is, you know. She'd have done everyone a favour by handing over the reins to her husband or her son. It won't be long 'til your family is driven to its own ruin by her own making, and I'll be there when she puts you up for bidding— the heir of a family no better than that of insects—"

Thwack.

It was a strange feeling. You did not punch him in the face with your dominant hand yet he was sent two steps back.

"You—!"

"You called me the bride of a family of insects yet you can't seem to get me out of your mind," you said, the adrenaline pumping through your body as you seized the collar of his dress shirt. "If this is how you intended to win me over, you are pathetically naive."

You pushed him off the engawa and jumped at him while he was down, preventing him from thrashing away from you.

The unearthly shriek that the other youths heard from the outside of the shoin prompted them to rush outside, everyone present surprised by the scuffle that was ensuing between the girl in the golden kimono and the young master of the house.

The boy had a hand in your now-messy hair as you sat atop his finely-clothed figure, driving your fists into his face in a blind rage. You were hardly an image of gracefulness right now but you were too incensed to give a fuck.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! Do you think you can just call my family trash and get away with it?! I'm not just a pretty face like you say I am, you piece of—"

You were quickly pulled away from the dark-haired boy by your fellow young ladies, who struggled to pull you back as you tried to rip away from their hold with nothing but fury boiling your blood. The young Zenin boy got on his feet, seething as he was held back by his clansmen from approaching you again.

"This isn't over, Koganei!"

"Grow a fucking backbone, Zenin!"

The scolding you received when you arrived back home at the Koganei Estate was unlike any other. Princess as you were in the eyes of your clansmen, Suzuna considered your recent actions as inappropriate for a future clan head and had you punished for it. The ripped and dirtied kimono from this morning's incident was taken off of you and cast into a fire despite your protests.

Suzuna was tired. It had been far too long since she last admonished you for something. You were doing so well, after all, following her example and learning from her firsthand. She knew within herself that any corporal punishment she would mete out to you will only embolden you further.

The two of you sat quietly in her den, the very same place where she would often discipline you as a child. She ordered not to be disturbed by anyone in order to fully understand what was running through your head that afternoon when you decided to smack Zenin Naoya in the face.

"I have no words for what I just saw, Otome," she stated. "What… What exactly happened back then? Why on earth did you punch Zenin Naobito's heir, of all people?"

You sat seiza, silent and dignified like she always instructed. Your lip was split open and you could taste salt and dried blood on the tip of your tongue even though you did not open your mouth to speak.

"You don't deserve the prestige that comes with the position if you're going around acting like a wild boar!"

"I know you've said time and again to accept everything thrown at us with grace, but I cannot! I will not… I will defend our family's honour even with my bare hands! I…" You shouted back, fists shaking as you tried desperately to swallow the lump in your throat. You have mastered the art of holding back your tears out of fear of upsetting this woman, your mother— Lady Suzuna, but the rage that made your blood boil spilled carelessly in your words. "Zenin Naoya told me that a family led by a woman will only be driven to its own ruin, that we're only fortunate enough to still be standing because of your own pandering to the elders of jujutsu society! He called the Koganei trash! He— How dare he discredit what you've done for this family!…"

Once again, you amaze your mother with your quick wit, though she expected you to act more wisely. The fact that you were defending your clan's honour was not lost to her, but that mattered little now after the tussle that transpired. "That was nothing to lose your patience over, Otome. I told you that getting upset over trivial things is—"

You looked at her with furrowed brows and disbelief. "It wasn't trivial to me, okaa-sama! He insulted you! To that extent, he's insulted our whole family! Why are you being so nonchalant about this?!"

Suzuna wanted to implode. Seeing your untapped rage finally reach its tipping point forced her to evaluate you as her heir, but more importantly, as a person. Your progress— who you are now— is exactly who she wanted you to be. You had better control of your emotions now, a firmer grasp and understanding of the power of your tears, yet she wished you handled your anger better than just throwing your hands at other people.

And other people happened to be the honoured son of one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans.

"Because at the end of the day, we small, insignificant clans are powerless against those giant madhouses. They don't like seeing difference, anything out of the ordinary— they most certainly do not like seeing women fighting back. No matter how skilled you grow… Those— Those men can crush us, Otome."

The tremble in Suzuna's voice broke your spirit. Did she not defend this family in her own way? If your self-preservation meant pandering to those above her, she still did so with grace and poise, embodying the beauty and resilience of the ginkgo tree your family takes so much pride in.

She sighed in exhaustion, both physically and mentally. "That brat was obviously infatuated with you. I could tell from the way his eyes followed your every movement. You could have just accepted his compliments…"

You prostrated yourself before her, lowering your head until it touched the tatami. "I'm truly sorry, okaa-sama. I thought I defended our honour but all I did was tarnish it with my rashness. I will accept any punishment doled out to me as you see fit."

"That won't be necessary. You… did what you thought was right. It wasn't, but you believe yourself to be entirely justified. Keep that conviction of yours, Otome. You have that thing you said that brat didn't," Suzuna shook her head in defeat, a small smile gracing her face despite knowing you were in deep shit. "A backbone."

In the morning that followed, as you were having breakfast in the dining hall with your family, a message of apology and a single box of delectable Royce' Nama Chocolates were delivered by a Zenin messenger. You awaited retribution but all you received was a sweet and a sorry.

"Naobito-sama sends his regards— and his apologies for Naoya-sama's poor treatment of the young lady Koganei," said the Zenin messenger as they handed over the box of candy to a Koganei servant. "In line with this, Naoya-sama is inviting the young lady Koganei back to Kyoto—"

"No," you stated plainly.

Suzuna nearly jumped from her spot as you conversed with the messenger at the genkan. "O-Otome! What are you saying?!"

Oddly enough, the more you rebuffed Naoya, the more he seemed desperate to ensnare you.

"If Naoya-sama truly wishes to apologise to me and mend our strained relationship, he will come here to the Koganei Estate in person to see me," you told the confused Zenin messenger. "That is all."

They left in haste carrying nothing but your response to their master's measly excuse of an apology.

Chiemi couldn't believe her eyes. You were never one to make demands of anyone and it annoyed her to see you acting so audaciously. To see you acting just like her mother, fitting into your role as heir like a snug mitten.

"You've grown awfully confident with yourself, onee-sama. Naoya-sama has done nothing but woo you for the last few years and yet you still punched him in the face," she piped in. "I take it he said some awful things about our family, but he was definitely just teasing you. I suppose you think you're above him now—"

"…t up…"

"What?" She asked, her nose crinkling at your inaudible response. "See? That's the thing with women like you. You always forget your place…"

You couldn't bear to listen to her droning until she said something that made your blood boil once more.

"Oh, I know! Why don't I go to Kyoto in your stead? We are sisters, after all, and Naoya-sama might find my company more pleasant than you—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! For once in your life, shut up, Chiemi!" You screamed at the other girl's face, shaking her shoulders so hard that she dropped to her knees in total shock. All those years of tormenting you and you finally snapped at her. "You can hate me all you want now, but you will thank me eventually! I'd never marry that man even if Suzaku himself commanded me to! And I'm not about to let you waltz into your misery, either!"

Author's notes: — I am once again apologising for this chapter's length. I wanted to keep on expanding and expanding this universe further and accidentally hit 10.2k words. — I think Naoya being a little creepy in the final part of this chapter is pretty on-brand. Don't get me wrong, I love him a lot. I just happened to love Gojo more. We will see more of Naoya in the coming chapters and continue breaking his teeny little heart more. This is a work in progress, one which I am very happy to be writing! This is also my first time actually posting a full fic here, so please let me know if there's anything odd. You can get in touch with me on Twitter or here at Tumblr @SongsOfAdelaide if you wanna drop me a line or something! ~ Mari / SongsOfAdelaide ♡ ♡ tag list: @woozzz

✦ Asleep Among Endives Masterlist ✦

#songsofadelaidewrites💛#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #gojo satoru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x y/n #gojo satoru x you

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itsdappleagain · 1 year ago

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It's time for the end of season 2- The Deep Dive Caper!

What an absolutely showstopping finale!! I'm so thrilled to liveblog it. This episode gets serious like no other episode really does before or since. Lets get started!

Late, as usual. Buy a lottery ticket the day I do one of these on time. Notes under the cut as always!

right off the bat this episode is pretty much unlike any other. they try to have a caper setup- the vile drive- but it's not long before we realize that EVERYTHING is gone. even in the last finale the sort of "caper" of the episode was rescuing devineaux. this episode is all about answers.

"all on my own. the only sure way i know." hrnnrgh carmen

their boat is being so nice and stationary in the middle of a raging storm and waves taller than they are

"MY FIST IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR GUTS EXPLODE" ivy never change

its ALLL GONE

rip vile island we hardly knew ye

the cs team is just showing off their background artists 😌

ah would you like some mashed shadowsan with your steak

maelstrom your plan sucked babygirl sorry. should have sic'd brunt on her on the train like a rottweiler

interesting plan though. if shadowsan really had killed dexter, what would carmen have done? beat him up? sent him to acme? just thrown him out? she promises to hunt him down if he runs but like what were you going to do after that? murder for a murder?

malestrom: maybe she'll show up in botswana ✨ carmen who's been out for the count for half a year and has no reason to have even shown up in botswana as early as she did:

the teddy bear <3

in love with cleo's boob straps. that safety harness does not even clip in the front its like if a backpack was securing you to a car

that explosion animation is so good though its so impactful

its a damn good thing devineaux showed up when he did he could have been blown to the gates of hell in one second flat and no one would have been any the wiser

chase drinks so much disrespect women juice the first two seasons that he blames julia for an impression of her that his own mind dreamed up i love him for that

angry carmen is so babygirl to me. go bestie show emotion. get so mad about that shit

mmm and theres the shot i used for our title card! and what a fantastic one it is. shadowsan's motif playing in the background as carmen pauses at the oni, but the show itself telling us that he is still on her side with that gigantic, massive symbol of him framing carmen in a circle of red. if you pay attention and learn the colors the team likes, you don't even have to worry about this ep its all cool

you know what the dominant color in this entire scene of carmen trying to find out the truth is, though? blue. even when she's in the server room or staring at shadowsan's oni, the water isnt tinted green like they easily could have made it. its. all. blue.

obsessed with how zack wakes up he's being exorcised and the demon was the peppers and onions

agree it would have been hilarious if devineaux finally gets rescued and it turns out to be a really, really pissed off carmen sandiego

roundabout has the air of a theater kid who always got the leads but had to act surprised about it

evil ihop

i love how confused roundy looks its so funny

devineaux stabbing himself and the scream makes me cry laughing every single time

devineaux really goes ↘️↗️↘️↘️↘️↘️↘️↘️↘️

i would watch a series about devineaux being left to fend for himself on the island and slowly losing his mind

his supervisor was so excited about firing him

okay here we go it all gets real now

carmens realization going from my dad was a cop -> my dad was literally the exact opposite of a cop and neither of those things being things she is happy about

i love the realization hitting her face (even if it was animated. a touch blandly)

shadowsan's face s just animated fantastically here. his eyebrows are up- he realizes carmen is there, maybe confused about why she isnt saying anything. then his eyebrows drop, his face falls ever so slightly. he knows the jig is up

also. yes. "your silence is like thunder" is just. ough its such a good line

he isn't even surprised by the question he knew it was coming eventually

"if you run, I will find you." its not a threat its a damn promise. for older viewers its easy to draw the connection between the famous i will find you and i will kill you. it doesnt have to be said.

mm and carmen rejecting the offer to sit and be comfortable around him. she just can't

even in the flashbacks your can see so much of carmen in him its so great. its dishonorable, and everything carmen stands against, but she is undeniably her father's daughter

the plot for this flashback is so sophisticated its so so good. they treat the audience really well about it

also young faculty designs <3

the red on the inside of dexter's jacket to symbolize his secret with carmen im sobbing

also the decision to make carmen have his eyes is. hrngh.

already been pointed out but the way the music softens when shadowsan says "you" HURTS

THAT BABY IS A SNITCH. carmen. snitchdiego

the heartbreak when present carmen speaks again gfgrgh

i like the new mask he hangs behind him before carmen confronts him, by the way. its green and white- the shadow of vile and his past looming over his shoulder, maybe- but also the mask of vile he had to put on to lie about what really happened to wolfe

BABY CARMEN CRYING AS DEXTER TRIES TO HIDE HER :(((

the dolls rdhg im not crying you are

anyone have any thoughts on a dexter voice claim btw?

also also i sprang this on rueitae already but "dexter" while referring to dexterity and his skill as a thief can also mean "the one who dyes" which. jesus. it refers to dying cloth but the double meaning is ouchie

he locks her in gay baby jail!!!

i gotta stop making jokes about the most serious part of the entire series sorry

there's a little bit of a pink panther hint to his theme as he sneaks out the window which is interesting

rue's also already covered it but what WAS this man's plan for just leaving baby carm in there. like shadowsan says desperation i guess

god young chief shooting and killing an unarmed dexter wolfe and presumably orphaning her is the twist. of a fucking lifetime

the despair in the music cue when it reveals it was only his car keys

the matryoshka dolls getting burned in that fire ahrhgfrdshgsghds

love that shadowsan not only sets the house on fire while he and a baby are still in it but gives said baby an object that just got set on fire

also vile protocol dictating that he should have just burned a baby alive?? what the fuck!

bellum's apathy, mael's mild interest/concern, and cleo's disgust towards baby carm shdfjads

little tiny baby carmen shunting her butt at cleo is hilarious

faculty: omg she's a real natural thief she stole that thing without anyone noticing baby carmen in broad daylight five seconds earlier:

btw bb carm is so cute she's so round

carmen finally just sliding to the floor under the weight of all of that information. now that she has at least the idea that shadowsan was not the one who murdered her father, even if she still needs proof

"why would you make me find out on my own?" is one of the most heartbreaking lines in here. she had to go through this realization almost completely alone. her trust in the man she was coming to see as a father was shattered and he could have just told her. he could have just told her

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shadowsan crying theyre so family

you can just hear the regret and fear and sadness in his voice paul nakauchi is literally so good

REAL CHIEF!

COMMANDER!!!! oh shittt i missed the one and only canon commander caturday rip...

ivy violently hitting the cash register is a mood

the little reveal even in the music as it pans to ivy in the starbucks uniform

chief nailed the good natured but a little exasperated "hmm" when dealing with people who have no idea what they are doing

ivys little look as she sees carmen walk in. the smile drop off her face as she walks away

carmen's theme ahrugdhjdsg the music in this show is so good

what is her hand doing

oh chief no honey

the deadpan "i wouldnt drink it"

i love the little nod/head bow thing of acknowledgement of carmen's efforts

the sinister music as carmen ever so casually pulls off her little trick is GREAT

i didnt know chief could open doors 🤨

congrats on being gay agent argent you did it again

player hack chief so bad the logo goes off of the screen

"somethings wrong" yeah no shit julia

chiefs oh shit face is so funny shes like aohhhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooooooooooo

little guy

im so mature

we love digging up graves

that dawning apprehension on carm's face as she realizes there's a chance she might be about to see the decayed corpse of her twenty-years-dead mom in there

carlotta being modelled after old carmen was a cool choice. lots of fan theories about old carm being her mom this day 🫡

"are you with me?" "to the end of the line." grgfhgjhsdhjsgds im shaking them violently in my teeth if i ever got a cs quote tattoo or something it would probably be that line

the only thing i dislike about this cliffhanger is that in s3 they kind of try to deliver on this big wide promise that this finale gave us and then give up until the last episode of the entire series. like. isk. i feel like they should have either gone harder on the carlotta mystery or left it alone although they did leave me the opportunity to write a 66 thousand word fic series on the concept so i guess i cant complain

half clean shaven half very unshaved chase is so funny its cursed. he shouldnt have no hair but he shouldnt have that much worst of both worlds

devineaux's theme mixing in with that iconic action/danger soundtrack as he grins devilishly is just fantastic shit

chief waiting for a response as chase just silently smirks into the mirror

anyway GOODNESS GRACIOUS i cannot believe we're already through season 2????? what???? tis the end of my favorite season :( but s3/4 are nothing to sneeze at, either!! im super excited to get into more. (plus tsonts? are we doing that?)

#cs weekly #csweekly #carmen sandiego #carmen sandiego 2019

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jojozorov · 6 days ago

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CHLOÉ GHOST SIGHT/EXORCIST AU

I started watching the series Ghosts recently (very recently i'm still at the episode 3) but it flipped a switch on my mind and i had to wright something before the idea ran away from me. In the process i found a draft for a character i made when i was 12 so i mashed both together because why not? Anyway, I haven't finished the first draft but here are the basics i came up with:

Every time Chloé ever came close of being killed in the show she actually died in this AU (This is true to most citizens caught in the middle of a battle but Chloé has the worst K/D/A of Paris);

This leads her to be pretty much desensitized to gore and death. *I'm still deciding but i'll probably go with the cynical comical vibe with this. Like some Stormy Weather level disaster is coming their way and while everyone is running out of class to save their lives Chloé stays to take a picture of Max's notes;

At one point, she is resurrected by the Miraculous Cure after being dead for almost a full day, her connection to beyond the veil is already so big that after that she starts to be able to see ghosts;

She is going with the Karin Kurasaki approach about this situation (if you pretend they don't exist, then they don't), and it's working well;

Until her father give her another one of those "sorry for not being present" gifts: A heart shaped locket with a sapphire on it. Chloé couldn't care less about the gem, she has a bunch collecting dust somewhere. But the ghost that seems to be attached to the locket is interesting;

The ghost is Kenny, a mage apprentice who anchored his soul to the locket. He is a few years older than Chloé and a relatively powerful ghost.

She gets interested in him because she's only seem ghosts tied to their death location before so seg breaks her own rule and talks to the him. His name is Kenny (no surname) and he was an apprentice to a kinda scummy mage when he messed up a ritual spell and accidentally attached his soul to the locket. He has some magical capacity even now but can't do much without a body. So they make a deal:

Chloé will help him make a new body (he doesn't know if its possible he's just bored) and he helps her exorcise annoying/tricksters/dangerous ghosts (in that order of priority). The story will follow their shenanigans while Chloé is trying to avoid the attention of everyone else cus they think she is going insane and she doesn't wanna go into a padded cell.

#chloe bourgeois #miraculous au

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zenkindoflove · 7 months ago

Note

Hi! 💕

4) Do you have a favourite quote from one of the books?

7) Who’s the most underrated SJM character?

9) Are there any characters you don’t like?

13) If you could change one thing in any of the books what would it be?

Hiiii 💖

4) Do you have a favorite quote from one of the books?

I mean there are a ton of Lucien specific ones. And lots more poetic ones. But this one still tickles me so much because it's just such a fun set up and way that she settled this scene.

"Not five minutes later, Tharion found himself with a wife."

I was shook.

7) Who's the most underrated SJM character.

Tharion because everyone thinks he's dumb and frustrating and I think people misunderstand depression-induced apathy for your own safety for stupidity. Tharion is not stupid. Tharion is self sabotaging because of the pain of what his life became after avenging his sister's murder and getting wrapped up in the River Queen's control over him. He hates his life and has no purpose, until he finds a purpose again (*cough* his wife *cough*)

9) Are there characters you don't like?

Sure. Loads. And some who I very much dislike parts of them but overall can get down with them. I am not a kumbaya let's love everyone kind of fan. The passionate dislike is sometimes as fun as the passionate love for characters. And I've always participated in fandoms like that. I won't make a list and describe all of their sins. I'm sure that becomes apparent after a while following my blog.

13) If you could change one thing in any of the books what would it be?

I would give Feyre a moment to explain her own POV about her pregnancy and birth. Even if everything still happened exactly the same, as wild and weird as it was, it would just be more satisfying to have the pregnant woman who this all is happening to to have her own voice in what is happening. There is a tendency in our society to erase mothers. We infantilize them and once the baby comes, we forget they exist. And that's what it felt like was happening to Feyre by the narrative. She didn't get to speak about what all of this meant to her. She was instead cast to the shadows - which I guess is true to life. But it was a sting to me for sure, having been pregnant before. It's as if pregnancy and birth trauma is something that just happens to us for drama and to further others stories rather than a very real thing that lives with us for the rest of our days, permanently changing our bodies and mind. Idk, I hope that there is some acknowledgement in later books that what happened to Feyre was not okay. I exorcised some of these frustrations out in my fic Burn Forever with Me because it bothered me so much. I couldn't even have Feyre as a background character at this critical and lonely time in her life without letting her speak. And yeah, I projected a lot of my own PPD/PPA experiences that I had as well as those of my friends.

Sorry to bum everyone out 😂

Sjm fandom ask game

#sjm fandom asks

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yuanshenexplorer · 11 months ago

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"Can't we just go back to the old time ?"

Warning : Contain BIG SPOILERS of the second season of Jujutsu Kaisen (I've been spoiled too, so this is based on my imagination and it will not be very canon sorry X)) Number of words : 416

"Do you remember that time, when we all laughed together?

Nobara's bags were heavy after shopping, and it was certain death when one of them fell.

How many times had she pulled at my collar and shaken me around, screaming in my ears in the street?

I remember that Fushiguro used to take a few steps back at such times, so ashamed was he of himself.

And when we thought he was being hit on?

Nobara and I ran to hug him and shout nonsense. Gojo-sensei had decided to play the violin teacher.

Fushiguro had struck me after discovering that it was all just to guide a lost woman.

But still, I had a good laugh.

True, it wasn't all good times. I still remember when Sukuna ripped my heart out, like, literally. You were pretty scared, weren't you?

No, I was right there! I was still alive! What a surprise that must have been, right?

So yes, we've had a lot of lows, highs too, moments of doubt and suffering. The wounds hurt like hell, and sometimes it was psychological.

There were times when I thought we wouldn't make it. That it was all over.

But you were there, so I told myself that it would be all right after all.

We'll be okay…

Won't we…?

Please, come back… Everyone, come back… We can all party together again, exorcise and shit. It's no fun without you… Come back…"

"Maybe it's time to join you.

Shit, I wish I'd bothered everyone again.

I've got students now. Three students.

They may not be the most disciplined, but you'd see the talent they have. Okkotsu might have some competition, who knows?

I need to take my revenge too. There's no way I'm going down in defeat, I've got an honor to salvage. Otherwise you're going to start teasing me, aren't you? Oh no, just the thought of it's getting on my nerves.

Well… I've made up my mind.

I didn't inherit Infinity and the Sixth Eye for nothing, I might as well use them.

Yes, I know all that. It's not like you to worry, tell me.

Do you remember your question? I think I have the answer.

I'm Satoru Gojo, and I'm strong because I've met you all, because I have people to protect.

That's a bit cheesy. It must be because I'm getting old, I'm going dotty?

Anyway, it's been great seeing you again, but I've got to go. I've got to try while I can.

After all, I'm Satoru Gojo. I'm not going to let my death stop me from coming back to the rescue of my favorite students!

Until next time, Suguru."

*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) *** Now it's time for me to go prepare myself to cry with the Shibuya arc ! :D Yayyyyy... Thank you Pinterest now I've been spoiled... Anyways ! I hope you liked it ^^ Have a great day !

#Jujutsu Kaisen #Jjk #Pov #Gojo Satoru #Itadori Yuuji

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2n2n · 1 year ago

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I know it's only one question at a time but I need to ask these questions all together. 1st: What is your theory of why Hanako-kun was sealed? (I'm quite curious)2°: Do you think Hanako-kun will lose the seal in the manga probably because of Tsukasa?3°: If that happens, do you think he will lose control? For the theories that say they have a lot of power P.S: I love your posts 😍and sorry for asking three questions at the same timeI 😅

There's no rules to questions! So long as you don't mind a possibly long answer. I'm glad you're just curious about my thoughts ^^ I would be talking to myself all day even if nobody was listening, but it is nice if it's entertaining for someone too (: Lets ponder together…

1.Why Hanako was sealed... This I have so few thoughts on. I'm always a little dubious about Minamoto claims, as they have a family narrative upheld, and they obfuscate knowledge and details to suit their dogma. Obviously they aren't always 100% lying, but at least I consider they have a kind of propaganda with their storytelling...

Even when Teru, valuable Minamoto son and current champion or whatever, comes to Nagisa for help, the impulse is to keep information from him ... its all like that inside this lousy business.

everyone seems to work in this duplicitous way to maintain control of handling situations. They don't want a delegation. They want to take care of problems internally. Information can be hidden, distorted, or retold favorably.

How old is/was grandma Minamoto? Did she seal Hanako right away? Was he a normal ghost? Was he distorted by rumors, was he given another chance, does it tie into why he became a mystery, did the Minamoto used to work with the mysteries, or was that always a solution forged by some other group? Why didn't she exorcise him? Did she choose to not, because of something about him, as a mercy, or ... could she just not? What does 'using all her strength' mean, lol?

A lot to wonder but not anything to know. I only try to remain skeptical of whatever bullshit Heroic story Kou specifically was fed as a child, since Teru doesn't want him knowing their family's unpleasant history, or sympathizing with kaii…..

2. I think it's more likely Hanako would lose the seal because of Yashiro, than Tsukasa … I feel as if the seal represents repression, or things Hanako holds back, or… things about himself he doesn't want to be true, or doesn't accept. When Yako talks about her warped self "still being me", he touches it.

I don't think he likes what Yako is saying, given he believes being a kaii warps you past recognizability, and he himself has given up his identity to his kaii existence, erasing Amane.

I'm sure whoever is behind that seal, maybe Hanako wrestles with the idea of that, too, being "himself". Many aspects of his self, his past, he doesn't want to consider, anymore. Or at least ... he doesn't want someone like Yashiro to see.

Yashiro can peel seals, and she's interested in getting to know Hanako. I hope there comes a situation he either finally wants it taken off to do something he needs his full strength for, OR a situation Yashiro makes the decision for HERSELF to peel it off, even if he resists or is afraid. I would love that, anyway (: dreams.

As for Tsukasa, somehow I think looking at him reinforces the desire in Hanako to keep it stuck on. A reminder of what 'loss of control' once resulted in .... In any case, I think Hanako wants the seal to stay, that's my impression right now, given it feels as if he could probably easily privately ask for Yashiro to peel it? She's so in love with him, and she was so ignorant early on … If he's had it on for so long, he may be more afraid of 'returning' to a way he once was, if it's taken off.... ?

3. Yes, I think Hanako has a lot more capability when not sealed! For one thing, Tsukasa seems to gain more and more power as the yorishiro are peeled, and the power is "returned to its original form" (the well God... ? Tsukasa ?) … he seems stronger.

Tsukasa's 'sleep' spell was a lot more effective on Yashiro (in Hell of Mirrors), than Hanako's was (in Picture Perfect), for some reason…

While I think Hanako is hiding his abilities even as it is, and is disguising any benefit destroying yorishiro may have, I imagine his own yorishiro, or ~battery as HE HIMSELF HAS PUT IT, gaining more and more, would have to benefit him… ? I dunno, it's extrapolation at this point-- maybe Tsukasa would weaken, and Hanako would strengthen, if Hanako were to be peeled, as the flow of power between them would suggest …? Maybe Tsukasa can only gain strength right now, BECAUSE Hanako is sealed, and can't absorb more?

I always feel as if power between them could actually instantaneously flip, 'cuz Iro-sensei likes that kind of twist... Tsukasa is Amane's belonging, after all...

#avvy's JSHK

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casspurrjoybell-17 · 1 year ago

Text

Heart’s Choice - Chapter 17

*Warning Adult Content*

- Carlos -

I stand in a dark, featureless place, a place with no beginning and no end, a place with no way out and nowhere to go.

"Get out."

I spin and find myself face to face with Kyle. He still looks pissed.

His face is pale as porcelain, his eyes are black as the void and the veins beneath his skin look like they're filled with ink.

"Whoa." I hold up my hands and back away. "Kyle, it's me, Carlos. Mr. Martinez, remember?"

"I remember."

"Good. I want to help you, Kyle. I want to help. Understand?"

Slowly, he shakes his head back and forth.

"Get out."

"Kyle, just tell me who did this. Tell me who hurt you. If you tell me, then..."

"It's you."

"What?"

Kyle's face contorts with pain, and black tears leak from his eyes.

"This is all because of you."

My mind grapples for an explanation and seizes on the only one that makes sense.

"Because I got mad at you and made you go for burgers? Kyle, I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for what happened to you. But that wasn't my fault. Understand? Someone else did that and I need you to remember who. Can you..."

"It's you. It's you. IT'S YOU." Kyle screams, the sound grating like nails on a chalkboard or gravel in a blender.

"GET OUT."

Just as he'd shoved my physical body, he shoves my astral body so hard I fly off my feet and backwards into the dark.

~ ★ ~

The world spins.

My head hurts.

I blink up at a tiled ceiling, lost in shadow and then wince as someone shines a light directly in my eyes.

The light is withdrawn and as my vision clears I recognize Mrs. Peters' nurse leaning over me.

"Someone call an ambulance," she says. "He shouldn't be moved."

"No, no," I whisper hoarsely and try to raise my hand, then choke on a scream as pain bites down on my arm with a mouth full of needle teeth.

"Lie still," the nurse orders, resting a hand on my chest. "Looks like you've got a broken arm and a concussion. You need to go to the E.R."

"No, no. Can't..."

I try to shake my head but the nurse quickly grabs either side of it, holding it still.

"Don't move. You could have a spinal injury as well."

"No, I'm..."

Well, I'm not fine, obviously but I'm not as badly hurt as it might seem.

If only I had the energy to say as much, Kyle drained most of mine.

"What's your name?" the nurse asks.

"Carlos."

"Your full name."

"Carlos... Ángel..."

Suddenly too tired to remember the rest, I give in and shut my eyes.

~ ★ ~

"Fuck."

I flop back against the pillows of the hospital bed I'm still stuck in and stare up at the bright, fluorescent lights glaring down from overhead.

I'd slipped in and out of consciousness as the paramedics arrived, loaded me into an ambulance and took me on a very expensive and in my opinion completely unnecessary ride to the hospital.

I mean, yeah, my arm was broken but other than that I was fine.

Mostly fine.

I'd have to wear a neck brace for ten days but I didn't have a concussion.

If my eyes hadn't responded to light and if I'd been barely conscious for a day and a half and if I had trouble remembering basic facts, well, that was just the effect of taking a little trip to the other side, not brain damage.

It used to happen all the time when Aunt Toni used me as demon bait.

I'd get possessed, she'd trap the demon inside me, then exorcise it and send it back to whatever hell it came from.

Meanwhile, I'd be wandering around in a place like the one Kyle was stuck in now and when I came back...

Well, sometimes it took a while to readjust to my physical body.

Try explaining that to an E.R. doctor, though.

"What are you complaining about now?"

John looks up from the chair he's occupied for almost twenty-four hours.

"You need more pain meds?"

"No," I grumble. "I need more money."

"What for?"

I roll my head to the side as much as I can from the confines of my human neck cone and glare at him.

"You know how much a ride in an ambulance costs? Like, $1,200."

"You got insurance, don't you?"

I groan.

"I'm a young, healthy, single, self-employed guy. I got the cheapest insurance I could buy. It covers... I dunno. Basically nothing. Fuck."

"Hey, you're alive, that's what matters. We'll figure this out."

"Who's we?" I ask, frowning at him.

There's no 'we' with someone I met barely two weeks ago, at least not when it comes to figuring out shit like paying hospital bills.

John rubs the back of his neck.

"I just mean... in general, you know. Actually... there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah?"

He clears his throat but before he can speak, someone knocks on the door and detective Latoya McKenzie enters, her long braids bound in a knot at the back of her head today.

"Turner, you got a minute?"

"For you? Always. What are you doing here so early?"

"Early? It's nine-thirty in the morning, Turner. And seeing as this is apparently your mobile office now, I figured I'd stop by. Got that file you asked for."

John glances at me.

"Oh, ah... Did you bring it with you?"

McKenzie arches her brows at him.

She holds a manila folder and clip board.

She holds out the folder and John rises and reaches for it with a strange hesitation, as if afraid it might be full of spiders or something.

He takes it, flips it open, stares at it and then his shoulders drop an inch as he releases whatever strange tension he was holding.

"Oh. The Peters case."

"Kyle?" I ask, sitting up with interest.

"No. Mrs. Peters' husband, Richard," John says distractedly, turning pages over in the file.

"Your little encounter with the stairs inspired me to pull the record of his death. Apparently, there was an investigation, prompted by the life insurance company. He'd taken out a sizable policy only a few weeks before."

"Oh. Good timing."

I'd told John of my suspicions regarding Mrs. Peters.

He'd been far more willing to believe them than he was to entertain my other conviction, which was that Kyle hadn't meant to hurt me.

I was almost certain Kyle meant to protect me but John remained highly skeptical.

I couldn't blame him, given my current condition.

"At least according to the coroner, Lucille's story checks out. Richard Peters suffered a massive heart attack, during which he fell down the stairs, which in turn caused a severe vertebral dislocation. His spinal cord separated from the back of his skull, resulting in instant death. He probably died exactly where you landed."

"Nice. Thanks for the imagery."

"The question is... what caused the heart attack?"

"How old was he?"

"Fifty-five and in good health," Detective McKenzie says, leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her generous chest. "He was a fire chief. Had to take a yearly fitness test and always passed with flying colors."

"Still. Sometimes top athletes drop dead," John says. "That doesn't mean anything."

"No and toxicology came back null. So his death was ruled to be the result of natural causes, leaving the insurance company on the hook and Lucille to cash in on the policy."

McKenzie blows on her long, sparkly purple nails.

"How much did she get?" I ask.

"Half a million, give or take."

I whistle.

"Shit. That's not bad."

"Nope. Not bad at all," John agrees, closing the file and handing it back to McKenzie.

"So, what?" I ask, propping myself up on the pillows. "Kyle's aunt won the life insurance lottery?"

"Maybe."

John scrubs a hand through his short, dark hair and sighs.

I catch a whiff of him as he lifts his arm.

It's nothing unpleasant, just the natural scent of his body, subtle and dark, smoke and musk.

Instantly turned on by it and surprised by the strength of my reaction, I cough and pull the hospital bed sheet over my lap.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a tickle in my throat."

"I got something for you, too," McKenzie says, handing me the clipboard she carries.

"Front desk asked me to bring this to you. They said just sign the highlighted bits and you're good to go. Seems your bill's been paid in full."

"What?"

I sit up, flipping through a stack of forms that make the SAT look like child's play.

"By who?"

"Mrs. Lucille Peters, apparently."

"Fuck."

I look up and meet John's eyes, which do that weird kaleidoscopic thing they do, turning from brown-green to amber-gold with the changing angle of light.

"Maybe she felt responsible," McKenzie suggests. "Since you got injured in her house. Wanted to avoid a lawsuit."

"Maybe," I allow, reading through the list of charges with my heart in my throat.

The total comes out just short of $10,000.

"The fuck am I supposed to pay her back for this?"

"You don't owe someone for a gift," John says.

A true gift, no. But this?

This feels like a bargain I didn't agree upon and now my soul's on the table.

"Fuck."

McKenzie's radio crackles with voices speaking in code.

John's phone buzzes at the same time.

He answers it and even hearing just his side of the conversation, I know it's bad.

"Yeah. When?"

A pause.

"Copy. On my way."

Disconnecting, he rises and rubs a hand across his jaw, looking down at me as if caught in a snare of indecision, unsure what to say.

"What is it?" I ask, sitting up.

"John... tell me."

"There's been another... Someone found a body."

"And?"

"And it's weird. Upside down, throat slit. Drained of blood."

I shake my head.

"It's too early for the second Feast. The full moon isn't for two more days, right?"

"Right."

"So what is this? Practice?"

"I don't know. Look, check yourself out of here. Have Nguyen take you to my place. Lock yourself in and set the alarm. The code is 0405. Got it?"

"0405," I repeat.

"Good. Rest and take it easy. I'll let you know what I find."

He leaves with McKenzie at his side and as I watch him disappear through the door.

I almost call out to him, almost ask him to stay with me, instead.

But I don't.

I've no right to ask that of him.

We're stuck in this shitty situation together, we've got the hots for each other and yeah, we fucked.

That still doesn't mean there's a 'we' or that there ever will be.

In the meantime, I've got work of my own to do.

It's time to get a hold of Aunt Toni.

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lexkent · 3 years ago

Photo

After years of pleading with my father to show me some compassion, he turned to you with open arms. Now, what would a worldly billionaire have in common with a simple farm boy? Maybe he just knew he could trust me.

#not included: the mental abuse emotional abuse drugging poisoning imprisonment electroshock #i'll never forgive the writers for making Clark Kent besties with Lionel Luthor ok #i had to make this to exorcise it from my mind i'm sorry #smallville #lex luthor #lionel luthor #svedit #smallvilleedit #lexluthoredit #dcedit #dailysmallville #dcmultiverse #dcfilmblr #myedits #smallville 7x16 #abuse cw #child abuse cw #whumpedit

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layce2015 · 2 years ago

Text

Supernatural (Dean Winchester x Female!Reader)

Fear Of Flying

Masterlist / Next Chapter

Jerry was looking through a microscope as Dean and I stand near him. "Sulfur?" Dean asked Jerry, who sighs then nods at him. "Well, that's great." Dean grumbles, annoyed, as I rub my hands over my eyes. "All right, that's two plane crashes involving Chuck Lambert. This demon sounds like it was after him." I said.

"With all due respect to Chuck, if that's the case, that would be the good news." Sam said and we look over at him.

"What's the bad news?" Dean asked him.

"Chuck's plane went down exactly forty minutes into flight. And get this, so did flight 2485." Sam said.

"Forty minutes? What does that mean?" Jerry asked.

"It's biblical numerology. You know Noah's ark, it rained for forty days. The number means death." Dean replied.

"I went back, and there have been six plane crashes over the last decade that all went down exactly forty minutes in." Sam explains.

"Any survivors?" I asked. "No. Or not until now, at least, not until flight 2485, for some reason. On the cockpit voice recorder, remember what the EVP said?" Sam asked. "No survivors." Dean and I said in unison and something hits me. "It's going after all the survivors. It's trying to finish the job." I said.

*****

That night, Dean was driving the Impala as I follow them in my bike. While following them, I start to think that I need to find a safe place to put my bike in. As much as I love to drive this bike around, I wouldn't mind riding in the Impala with the boys and plus to save me gas money. Maybe I can stop at one of the safe houses Dad had bought and put the bike there for safety.

****

We make it to an airport and Sam gives me a rundown of the flight attendant from flight 2485, Amanda, was about to board a new flight. We rush into the airport and check the Departure board. "Right there. They're boarding in thirty minutes." Sam said once we make it inside. "Okay. We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone." I said then Dean goes and picks up a courtesy phone.

"Hi. Gate thirteen." Dean answers. "I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight, um...flight 4-2-4." He replied to the person at the other end then he stands there.

"Come on." He mutters, annoyed, as Sam and I stand there. Then Dean jumps then said. "Miss Walker. Hi, this is Dr. James Hetfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here. Nothing serious, just a minor car accident, but she was injured, so—" Dean started to say but pauses.

"You what?" He asked. "Uh, well...there must be some mistake." He said as Sam and I go up to Dean and try to hear what's going on.

"Is this one of Vince's friends?" I hear Amanda's voice asked.

"Guilty as charged." Dean said, smiling.

"Wow. This is unbelievable." Amanda said.

"He's really sorry." Dean said to her.

"Well, you tell him to mind his own business and stay out of my life, okay?" She said, angrily. "Yes, but...he really needs to see you tonight, so—" Dean started to say but Amanda interrupts him. "No, I'm sorry. It's too late." She said.

"Don't be like that. Come on. The guy's a mess. Really. It's pathetic." Dean said. "Really?" Amanda asked.

"Oh, yeah." He said.

"Look, I've got to go. Um...tell him to call me when I land." She said.

"No, no. Wait, Amanda. Amanda!" Dean shouts into the phone but I hear the dial tone.

"Damn it! So close." Dean growls. "All right, it's time for plan B. We're getting on that plane." I said to them and Sam nods. "Whoa, whoa, now just hold on a second." Dean said as he places a hand on my shoulder. I turn to him and see that he's wide-eyed.

"Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is gonna crash." I said to him. "I know." Dean said and I could've sworn I heard his voice shaking.

"Okay. So we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it. I'll get the tickets. You guys get whatever you can out of the trunk. Whatever that will make it through the security. Meet me back here in five minutes." Sam said and Dean looks between us, anxiously.

*****

"Are you okay?" I asked him, concerned.

"No, not really." He replied.

"What? What's wrong?" Sam asked him.

"Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh..." Dean stammers, anxiously.

"Flying?" Sam and I asked.

"It's never really been an issue until now." He said.

"You're joking, right?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Do I look like I'm joking? Why do you think I drive everywhere, guys?" Dean said, angrily, and I chuckle a bit.

"What?" He asked me.

"Nothing. Just...I never thought I'd see the day where Dean Winchester was afraid of something." I said and had flowers at me. "Shut up." He grumbles.

"All right. Uh, (y/n) and I will go." Sam said to Dean. "What?" He asked. "We'll do this one on our own." Sam said, gesturing between me and him. "Yeah, we can handle it." I said.

"What are you, nuts? You said it yourself, Sam, the plane's gonna crash." Dean said. "Dean, we can do it together, or Sam and I can do this one by ourselves. I'm not seeing a third option, here." I said and I pat Sam's back and we started to leave.

"Come on! Really?" I hear Dean exclaim at us but I look ovef my shoulder and see him following us, reluctantly.

*****

Dean, in the aisle seat, was anxiously reading the safety card while I sat next to him and Sam got the seat behind us. "Just try to relax." I assured him, calmly. "Just try to shut up." He grumbles and then the plane takes off, with Dean jumping at every rumble and sound. I smirk then look behind and see Sam smirking as well and shaking his head.

Dean leans back in his seat, humming to himself. "You're humming Metallica?" I said, disbelieving, "Calms me down." He replies.

"Look, Dean, I get you're nervous, all right? But you got to stay focused." I said to him, firmly and calmly.

"Okay." He said.

"She's right. I mean, we got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism." Sam said as he leans over to the side and looks over at Dean. "Yeah, on a crowded plane. That's gonna be easy." Dean remarks.

"Just take it one step at a time, all right?" I said and he looks over at me. "Now, who is it possessing?" I asked the boys. "It's usually gonna be somebody with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that the demon can worm through. Somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress." Dean replies.

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were her, I'd be pretty messed up." Sam said. "Mm-hm." Dean hums then he turns to a flight attendants.

"Excuse me. Are you Amanda?" He asked her.

"No, I'm not." She replied. "Oh, my mistake." He said and the attendant walks away. Then he looks to the back of the plane. "All right, well, that's got to be Amanda back there, so I'll go talk to her, and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state." Dean said.

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam asked. "There's ways to test that." said Dean and he goes into his bag and comes out with a Virgin Mary-shaped bottle of water. "I brought holy water." He said and my eyes widen.

"No." I said as I snatch the bottle and tuck it inside my jacket. "I think we can go more subtle. If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God." I said. "Oh. Nice." Dean said then he turns to go.

"Hey." Sam said and Dean turns to him.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Say it in Latin." Sam replied.

"I know." Dean said and he starts to leave but Sam stops him again.

"Hey!" He said.

"What?!" Dean said, annoyed and I try to hold back a chuckle. "Uh, in Latin, it's Christo." Sam said. "Dude, I know! I'm not an idiot!" Dean growls at him and he makes his way back to the plane.

****

Moments later, Dean returns to his seat. "All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet." He said once he sits down. "You said Christo?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Dean replied.

"And?" I asked.

"There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her." He said. "So, if it's on the plane, it can be anyone. Anywhere." Sam said just as the plane shakes.

"Come on! That can't be normal!" Dean exclaims.

"Hey, hey, it's just a little turbulence." I said to him.

"(Y/n), this plane is going to crash, okay? So quit treating me like I'm friggin' four." He growls at me and I roll my eyes at him. "Well, maybe quit acting like one." I said and he glares daggers at me and I sigh.

"Look, you need to calm down." I said. "Well, I'm sorry I can't." He said. "Yes, you can." I said to him. "(Y/n), stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping." Dean growls, angry and annoyed.

"Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession, so you need to calm yourself down. Right now." I said, firmly. "She's right, Dean. We don't need that. So, calm down." Sam said and Dean takes a long, slow breath.

"Good." I said as Sam leans over to the side of the chair. "Now, I found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work. The Rituale Romanum." He said.

"What do we have to do?" I asked Sam.

"It's two parts. The first part expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful." Sam replied.

"More powerful?" Dean and I said.

"Yeah." Sam said.

"How?" I asked.

"Well, it doesn't need to possess someone anymore. It can just wreak havoc on its own." Sam said. "Oh. And why is that a good thing?" Dean asked. "Well, because the second part sends the bastard back to hell once and for all." Sam said and I nod at this.

"First things first, we got to find it." I said and Dean nods.

****

Dean walks slowly up the aisle with his EMF meter, getting odd looks but no readings. Sam suddenly claps him on the shoulder, and he jumps. "Ah! Don't do that." He said as I come up to them. "Anything?" I asked him.

"No, nothing. How much time we got?" Dean said and Sam looks at his watch.

"Fifteen minutes. Maybe we missed somebody." He said.

"Maybe the thing's just not on the plane." Dean said and I look over at him.

"You believe that?" I asked him. "Well, I will if you will." Dean said but then he looks down as the EMF meter spikes.

"What? What is it?" Sam asked as I look up and see Dean staring at one of the pilots. "Christo." Dean said and the man turns slowly to face us, his eyes are black. Then he goes into the cockpit as the boys and I share a glance.

*****

"She's not gonna believe this." Sam said to Dean as we make our way to the back. "Twelve minutes, dude." Dean mutters as we come up to Amanda.

"Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you, I hope." She said as she looks between us. "Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about." Dean said and I closes the curtain.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" She asked, nervously. "All right, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole the truth is out there speech right now." Dean said. "All right, look, we know you were on flight 2485." I said to her and her smile disappears.

"Who are you guys?" She asked us. "Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know something brought down that plane and it wasn't a mechanical failure." Sam said to her. "We need your help because we need to stop it from happening again. Here. Now." said Dean.

"I'm sorry, I—I'm very busy. I have to go back—" she stammers and she brushes past Dean but I stop her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. We're not gonna hurt you, okay? But listen to me, uh...The pilot in 2485, Chuck Lambert. He's dead." I said and she looks up at us in shock.

"Wait. What? What, Chuck is dead?" She said, shocked. "He died in a plane crash. Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?" I asked her.

"I—"

"Look, there was something wrong with 2485. Now maybe you sensed it, maybe you didn't. But there's something wrong with this flight, too." Sam said to her. "Amanda, you have to believe us." Dean said to her.

"On...on 2485, there was this man. He...had these eyes." She admits. "Yes. That's exactly what we're talking about." I said to her.

"I don't understand, what are you asking me to do?" She asked us. "Okay. The copilot, we need you to bring him back here." Dean said.

"Why? What does he have to do with anything?" She asked us. "Don't have time to explain. We just need to talk to him. Okay?" I said to her.

"How am I supposed to go in the cockpit and get the copilot—" she said but Sam talks over her. "Do whatever it takes. Tell him there's something broken back here, whatever will get him out of that cockpit." Sam said.

"Do you know that I could lose my job if you—"

"Okay, well you're gonna lose a lot more if you don't help us out." Dean said to her, firmly, and she hesitates. "Okay." She said and she leaves and goes to the cockpit. She knocks on the door and says something to the copilot, who follows her back. Sam pulls out the holy water while Dean pulls out John's journal and hands it to me and I open it.

****

"Yeah, what's the problem?" The copilot asked as he comes in. Dean punches him in the face, knocking him down. He pins him down and puts duct tape over his mouth. "Wait. What are you doing? You said you were just gonna talk to him." Amanda said, freaking out.

"We are gonna talk to him." I said as Dean splashes holy water on his skin, which sizzles.

"Oh, my God. What's wrong with him?" She asked, confused and shocked. "Look. We need you calm. We need you outside the curtain." Sam instructs her.

"Well, I don't underst—I don't know—"

"Don't let anybody in, okay? Can you do that, Amanda?" I asked her. "Okay. Okay." She said, nodding then she leaves.

"Hurry up, Sam. I don't know how much longer we can hold him." Dean said as he and I hold the demon down while Sam looks down at the book and began to read it. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino—" he said and the demon breaks free briefly and hits all three of us until Dean and I manage to subdue him again. Sam pick up where he left off but the demon knocks Dean off again and pulls the tape off his mouth then knocks me to the side.

Then he grabs Sam by the collar.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend! She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!" he taunts as Dean and I recover and we hit the demon as Sam sits there, stunned.

"Sam!" Dean and I shouted and he recovers and begins reading again. He puts the book down and helps us pin down the demon, who kicks the book up the aisle.

"I got him." Sam said but the demon exits the copilot's body and disappears into a vent. "Where'd it go?" I asked, fearfully.

"It's in the plane. Hurry up. We got to finish it." Dean said just as the plane suddenly dips and heaves violently. Sam struggles to retrieve the book as Dean and I splay ourselves against the exit door, Dean began to scream.

Suddenly a bright electrical charge runs through the entire plane, which then levels out. I sighed with relief then looked over at Dean. "You okay?" I asked him and he nods after letting out a few deep breaths. "Yeah, you?" He asked me. "Yeah..." I said, breathless, and he gets up then helps me to my feet. We come out from behind the curtain as we see Sam standing up.

****

The passengers from the flight were disembarking to an area milling with uniformed agents. The copilot was seated in a wheelchair with a blanket wrapped around him, being questioned by an FAA agent. Amanda was being questioned by another agent.

She sees us standing across the way and mouths Thank you to us and we nod at her. "Let's get out of here." Dean said to us and we head for the exit. I looked over at Sam and noticed he had a disturbed look on his face.

"You okay?" I asked and he stops and turns to us. "Guys, it knew about Jessica." he said and I give him a concerned look. "Sam, these things, they, they read minds. They lie. All right? That's all it was." Dean said to his brother.

"Yeah." Sam said in a tone of voice that said he didn't believe that. I frown then I go and hug him, he hugs me back and he buries his face into my shoulder. I patted his back, reassuringly, then I pull back from the hug and smiled at him. "Come on." I said and we head out.

*****

"Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed." Jerry said to us as we went to tell him what happened the next day. He goes and shakes our hands. "Your dad would be real proud." Jerry said to me as I go and hug him. "Thanks, man." I said to him.

"We'll see you around, Jerry." Sam said and we head out to our vehicles and drive off.

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