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heartfullofleeches · 7 months ago

Text

[Request] Reader caring for a sick Remmy [Dollmaker Yan Oc]

Warnings: None.

Words: 1.1k

“Remmy isn't home right now…. Please come back later.”

Could this day get any worse?... Weeks, months even, building up the courage to ask you to hang out with him. It wasn't like he asked you out on a date or anything, not yet anyway. He still needed to test the water a little longer, make sure the signals he had picked up from you weren't figments of his imagination. All that time, all those embarrassing hours spent in front of the mirror practicing what to say given any outcome - flushed down the drain in one night.

Remmy could hardly open his eyes the morning you were intended to meet. You didn't even recognize him over the phone at first. In his heightened state of delirium from the fever racking his weary mind, he hoped the same would happen as you continuously rang his doorbell - demanding in the softest voice you could manage for him to open up.

As if he could be that lucky….

“And where, pray tell, would someone hacking up a lung over the phonean hour ago be right besides the hospital? It's not that far away. I can head over right now and check.”

….

“Open this door right now, Remiel. You're not going to flake on me twice today.”

Did you have to phrase it like that? Kicking a sick person while he could barely stand was cruel - even if you did come to check up on him.

“O…okay…. Remmy is- I'm going to unlock the door, just…give me a minute to clean up my room. I have some stuff out I really don't want anyone to see…”

The muffled shuffling of plastic splices between the click of the lock as Remmy unlocks the front door.

“60.”

“Crap.”

Hobbling away from the front door, Remmy clings to the hallway walls as he makes a break for his bedroom. The straight path twists and bends as his stress levels skyrocket from the very real fear of you finding out what he had stored. There wasn't enough time for him to hide everything. His top priority were the worst offenders - items he couldn't excuse as being a result of his relatively harmless hobby. Doll clothing fashioned after clothes you'd yet to wear for the public eye. Others you never owned and probably would never wear, unless they were for a partner or to make yourself feel good. Pictures of you hung up on his walls. So much to bury in such little time.

“They can't see that…That one either. God, they'd kill me if they saw-”

“Saw what?”

A hoarse yelp claws its way out of Remmy's aching throat. Standing in his doorway, you balance two separate bags in your arms - awaiting his response. Remmy hurriedly pulls the corners of his blankets over the space beneath his bed.

“I…threw up a bit ago. Guess I'm feeling worse than I thought when we spoke over the phone.”

In the blink of an eye you're by his side. Remmy flinches as you press the back of your palm against his forehead.

“Oh, Rem….” Concern oozes from your words as you set your bags down, taking hold of his arm. You're burning up. Come on. Let's get you back in bed.”

“You don't have to go through all this for me, Y/n. Really, I'm-” His sentence falls short as you scoop him off the floor, sitting him up on his bed. Were you always this strong - or had he always been this easy to carry? In that moment, Remmy felt just like one of his dolls. His head spins at the very thought. You take the opportunity to gently ease him down against the mattress, rolling the discarded sheets up to his waist. You pick up the plastic bags, setting them on the small table in the center of his room as you rummage through them.

“Got some chicken soup from this dinner down the street. If you can't keep anything down, maybe the broth will be a good place to state. Oh!- picked up some ginger ale too. That might help with your stomach too. Cough drops, cough medicine…. Do you prefer liquid or pills?”

Remmy turns his head away from you as he coughs into his fist. “...whichever…whichever you brought is fine.”

“Well,I actually bought both, but I can just return the other on my way home later. I'll go grab you a cup real quick.”

Heading for the door, Remmy’s meek voice calls out to you - barely about a whisper. “Y/n?”

Hand on the doorframe, you gaze over your shoulder at him. “What's up? Need something else while I'm in the kitchen?”

“No…” Remmy shakes his head, the pressure of a headache hammering at his skull. “Agh… Remmy… I just wanted to thank you…for this. You really didn't have to come over…”

A smirk tugs at the corners of your lips. “Don't think I did this for nothing. Gotta make sure you're well enough for our date next weekend. The park is nice and all, but that's where we always go. I expect to be taken somewhere else for our first date.”

“Date?” He couldn't have heard you right. But, you said it - twice. You disappear down the hall before he can properly question you. Was this all a dream? The conjurings of his ill mind as the sickness took hold? This felt better than anything he could imagine- Your hushed voice as you reenter the room confirms it. You wiggle your arm behind his head, helping him sit back up just enough to place the cup to his lips without him choking while swallowing. A part of him wished this was a dream. One that he'd never wake up from if he had the choice. Another dream come true was waiting for him once he got better.

“Remmy?...Rem?”

Soda spills onto your hand as the weight of his head crashes upon your shoulder. Did he…. fall asleep? Just like that? You hadn't even given him his medicine yet. At least the sleep will be good for him. You should probably go put everything else you brought up to pass the time until he wakes up.

“Mmm…”

Remmy’s face scrunches in discomfort as you part from his side, lowering his head onto the pillows as you stand. Your foot touches something soft beneath his bed. You reach a hand underneath - completely forgetting about his earlier warnings as your fingers wrap around the squishy item. A doll with instantly identifying features stares back up at you as you drag it from its prison. Funny - you don't remember wearing this shirt around Remmy. You only bought it a few days ago. You planned to wear it today before he told you the bad news.

Shrugging, you raise Remmy's arm - tucking the doll against his chest. His face melts into that of peaceful bliss, body curling around the doll as his other hand strokes its face as if on auto-pilot. You press a kiss to his forehead - shutting off the lights in his room as you depart for a second time.

#remmy my oc #yandere imagines #yandere x reader #yandere #yandere x you #yandere scenarios #yandere insert #yandere headcanons #yandere oc #yandere blurb #male yandere #yandere fluff #yandere drabble

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gabessquishytum · 2 months ago

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The ton of London is abuzz with the latest drama unfolding between Morpheus Endless and his father, Lord Time, over the question of the former’s marriage and just who is meant to meet him at the altar.

From almost the beginning of the Season, everyone had been treated to the sweet and clear courtship of Morpheus by Mr. Hob Gadling. It seemed to be love at first sight, and from a practical standpoint was considered to be a rather good match; Hob might have been new money, but what he lacked in connections he more than made up in wealth, looks, and honest charm. The Endless family are well-connected and well-respected, and while Morpheus could possibly have held out for a more equally-connected match, he was a third child (thus bringing little status to a marriage, when compared to his elder siblings), and furthermore had been considered rather unapproachable, aloof and cold, at least until Hob had managed to melt that icy exterior.

It had gotten to the point where anyone paying attention expected to hear of a proposal any day now, when chaos erupted: Lord Time, who had evidently not been paying any attention to his son or his courtship, heard the match being talked of as a settled thing, and quite firmly announced that he would not allow it. That he had in fact been arranging Morpheus’ betrothal to Mr Roderick Burgess!

Society is shocked by such a choice. The Burgess family was nearly as nouveau riche as Mr. Gadling, but with a much worse reputation (and possibly less rich). And to Roderick, to whom most of the poor reputation belongs, and who has a grown son of his own! By every measure Hob Gadling is clearly the better catch, besides which Morpheus Endless’ honor is quite firmly engaged at this point, and it would be scandalous to jilt Mr. Gadling after such a blatant courtship for such an inferior alternative.

Yet Lord Time refuses to budge on his decision, and no amount of attempted persuasion by his acquaintances, children, or even his wife (who normally presents a united front with her husband), will convince him that this course of action will damage his family’s reputation and his son’s happiness.

Morpheus doesn’t intend to take this lying down however. He plans to put himself in increasing compromising positions with his real fiancée (who is fully on board with the plan), until he is either officially engaged to Hob or considered so thoroughly ruined that the Endless family’s reputation can never recover.

And so the ton holds its breath at this game of chicken, waiting to see which happens first: the son bending to his father’s stubborn will and submitting to the sanctioned match, or the father breaking against the son’s determined willingness to drag the family name through the mud in order to marry his preferred suitor.

(Little does the ton know just how unlikely the former outcome is, as Morpheus loves Hob Gadling as strongly as he hates Roderick Burgess. Thus he is fully ready if necessary to bring himself and Hob off in the middle of a crowded ballroom, and make it very clear that this is not the first time they’ve engaged in pre-marital relations, if that’s what it takes)

Yes!!!!! I love these Bridgerton adjacent ideas for dreamling because those two are SO dramatic, you just know that they'd thrive in those conditions.

The nice thing about Hob being new money is that he doesn't really have much of a reputation to ruin, and no family to be disappointed in him. He cares very little about what anyone thinks of him; the only person he's interested in pleasing is Morpheus! And although he'd certainly prefer to save Dream’s reputation, for the sake of his beloved's place in society, Hob has no trouble at all in following Morpheus’s orders and misbehaving all over the place!

And it's certainly convenient, since they've been fucking ever since the Season began. Now Hob doesn't have to bother trying not to mark Morpheus’s neck above the line of his cravat. Hob has some well-placed conversations with some of the most notorious gossips in the ton, and soon enough everyone is craning their necks to see if the love bites are visible on Morpheus��s pretty white neck today...

Finally, Roderick Burgess seemingly can't take the idea of marrying a ruined slut like Morpheus any longer (despite the connections to the aristocracy, and all the benefits that would come with the marriage... Burgess can't cope with the fact that he would not be the first to break Morpheus in, so to speak). He breaks the deal with Lord Time, and what do you know, less than a week later, Morpheus and Hob are quietly married at an intimate little ceremony.

The ton decides to conveniently forget about the couple's scandalous behaviour - they're safely married now, so it's all quite alright. It was for the best that Morpheus married the man he clearly adored! And the honeymoon period seemingly hasn't ended either... at every ball of the next season, the newlyweds are bound to sneak off for old times sake, to some secret corner where they can renew their marital bliss. Not to mention what they get up to on the carriage ride home! It's quite clear to everyone (thanks to all the noises of satisfaction coming from behind the curtains) that Morpheus chose the right husband <3

#the sandman #dreamling #nsft

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ms-demeanor · 2 years ago

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If Firefox is ~so good~ then why does it eat half my CPU when all I have installed is an adblocker everyone says to install (Ublock or Adblock Plus) and run like shit

IDK if it's taking half your CPU maybe your OS is bad at distributing resources and you should try running linux.

Okay that was the shitty/snarky answer because anon's bad attitude warranted it.

Real answers:

Possibly your computer really does need an upgrade of some kind; Firefox works great on my computer with an i5-11th gen processor and 20GB of RAM, but it (and let's be real probably everything else) is going to run like shit on a computer with a Core 2 Duo and 4GB of RAM. If your computer is old or underpowered and *everything* is slow, legitimately installing a lightweight linux distro might seriously improve your computing experience. And if you're attempting to run any Windows or Mac OS released in the last 5 years 8GB is going to be the absolute minimum RAM you need to comfortably use the internet, so if you're using a 10-year old computer with 4GB in it, consider adding RAM.

It depends on what you're doing. If you look at comparisons of various browsers some have better performance in some tests than in others, and there's no 100% consensus on what is the fastest. Besides, the people yelling about firefox tend to be yelling about privacy and tracking MUCH more than they are yelling about performance, but you're the only one who can determine whether privacy or performance matters more to you. However, be aware that there's no clear winner between the two in terms of speed. Every other review you click on will have a different answer and different outcomes on speed tests, which indicates that their performance is probably pretty similar (notably, Edge can be faster than both, but you probably don't want to use Edge, right? Like does it actually matter if it's faster if it's not customizable and force-feeds you ads while sending data to Microsoft?).

Your performance might be significantly improved with an extension. Plenty of people complain that if it only works with extensions that it doesn't actually work, but those people are ignoring the fact that people like having control over their internet experience. You brought up Adblock Plus and Ublock Origin - I have a very strong preference for Ublock Origin over Adblock Plus and if Adblock Plus came with a browser but prevented me from using Ublock Origin I wouldn't want to use that browser. So I think that having and testing a variety of extensions to find what works for you is probably the best way of approaching any browser. If Firefox is eating all your CPU (weird; that is not the resource it tends to consume) or RAM (which is the resource it tends to consume) I'd say to try either OneTab, which saves your tabs as a list so you don't have ton of tabs open consuming resources, or try Auto Tab Discard, which sleeps tabs on a schedule that you set and makes exceptions for active media or unfilled forms as you choose.

You might have a bad install - it happens! Sometimes things are fucky and you're having problems and uninstalling then reinstalling the browser will fix it.

But Firefox works, and works well, for millions of people. It's really odd to decide that all of those people are making shit up (for some reason) and that firefox is bad actually instead of doing some troubleshooting with your environment to figure out what's going on - especially when there are *so many* resources out there to help you figure out where the problem might be.

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yumeka-sxf · 8 months ago

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Thoughts on Spy x Family: Family Portrait

I finally got around to reading the SxF light novel, Family Portrait...and I mean "finally" because it's literally been sitting in my shelf since it was first released in English back in December of last year! I was distracted by Code White and the SxF video game which came out around the same time, but even long after that, I was having trouble getting motivated to read it. For some reason, experiencing SxF in novel format instead of in anime/manga just didn't appeal to me, plus the fact that it's not written by Endo himself (these weird preferences of mine are also why I'm not into reading fanfics either). Don't get me wrong, in general I love reading stories in prose form too, but for a series like SxF that already has such an established visual identity, it doesn't feel as "authentic" to me if that makes any sense. But I did want to read it eventually, since it is an official part of SxF media and Endo did the illustrations and does acknowledge the book (he wrote a nice afterword at the end). So I finally sat down and read it in sections over the course of this week! I'll share my brief thoughts on each of the contained stories:

Novel Mission 1

Since this was the first story in the book, it took me a while to get used to experiencing the world of SxF in novel form. There were some things I felt would have been better conveyed in anime/manga, for example, one of the very first gags about Yor misinterpreting Anya's nature class as some sort of hardcore outdoor survival trip. As I was reading that part I was like "I get the joke, but it would have been funnier if I actually saw these images and the characters' expressions with Endo's comedic illustrations." It was also a bit jarring to hear the characters thoughts and feelings from third-person narration, but I got used to it. As for the story itself, it was Damianya focused, something I'm not particularly into, but I don't mind it either. I liked the rare, soft Damian moments, and the thing with the squirrel eating Anya's peanut trail was funny. I also liked the scene at the beginning where Loid and Yor feed Bond together while Anya watches.

Novel Mission 2

Oddly, this was my favorite of the stories! Of all the characters, I think the author nailed Yuri's unhinged thoughts the best - as I was reading, I couldn't help but hear every cringe thought in his voice, which is a good sign of how well the author gets the character! I actually chuckled at a few parts too, both from his insane Yor-obsessed and anti-Loid musings, as well as from his banter with Anya. The police interrogation scene was great and would be even better if it ever gets animated! I also found it interesting that this story has the first instance where we find out what Yuri thinks about Bond (that he's fat and useless - rude!) Also his first time hearing about Franky apparently...makes we wonder if Endo will make him feel the same way if these things ever come up in the manga.

Novel Mission 3

I liked this story a lot too! I think it worked the best in novel format out of all of them, probably because it was more focused on drama and emotions than comedy. It's ironic that the two official SxF stories that feature the deeper side of Franky's character - this one and the omake chapter from volume 13 - are both not even part of the main canon! Alessa would have definitely accepted Franky's job as an informant, but he felt that someone like her should only be surrounded by "beautiful things." The poor man really needs to see that inner beauty matters too, and he has that! I also think he should have swallowed his pride and told Loid the real reason why he wanted the disguise...not that it would have changed the outcome. Poor Franky.

Novel Mission 4

This was a cute Forger-focused story, but like the first one, I felt it had parts that would have been more effective in anime/manga form, for example, "hair monster" Yor and whatever hideous painting Felix ended up making! But despite that, it was still funny and cute. Though I do think the author went a tad overboard with Yor's flustered antics...they just kept going and going, lol. Also, like the movie, we have another scenario of Loid getting flung into the air by Yor but landing gracefully on his feet (though this instance was much tamer since she wasn't drunk and only pushed him instead of hit him). Again, maybe I would have appreciated the humor in this story better if I saw it in anime/manga with Endo's hilarious designs and expressions, but for what it was, it was enjoyable enough.

Short Novel

This extra short story would be perfect as a reintroduction story for a future anime season...maybe one day!

-----

Overall, the Family Portrait novel is a nice addition to the Spy x Family universe. Even though I feel the humor in the series is most effective in illustrated form, it's still nice to have more stories in the canon, especially ones that show new sides to the characters, like the Franky and Yuri stories. Like the movie, it's debatable if this novel should be considered true canon or not, but personally, I don't find anything in it that contradicts canon, at least not yet. So yeah, definitely check out the novel if you haven't already! 😁

#spy x family #sxf #spy family #spyxfamily #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #bond forger #damian desmond #yuri briar #franky franklin #sxf family portrait #sxf novel

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prettyykarmaa · 3 months ago

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Snacks and a Stream

GN!Reader x Naib Subedar

Summary - You go out to get some snacks at your local convenience store, and run into someone unexpected.

WC - 1,508 (this was only supposed to be ~500 words...)

Author’s Note(s) - I was watching “Falling Into Your Smile” on Netflix, so you can imagine what my inspiration for this fic is. Also there might be some inaccuracies involving streaming and Twitch, so sorry if I get something wrong!

Team OPH was about to go live in about half an hour, and you were more than ready to watch. The last few days have been rather busy, so you haven't had the chance to tune into any of their streams until now. You drag your cursor to Naib's profile and click on it. Out of the four members, you tended to gravitate towards his streams—a lot.

If someone were to ask why, you'd tell them that you find his dedication and skills as a rescuer impressive. His position wasn't one many people liked to fulfill, but he always took it seriously, even in more laid-back matches. He was like the embodiment of the saying, "No man left behind." It was hard not to admire that.

The second reason wasn't something you would admit as readily. You preferred streamers who were on the quieter side, and Naib embodied that trait. Despite not talking as much as the other OPH members, he still made his streams engaging in their own right. The black hair and dark-coloured eyes combo certainly didn't help either. Were you developing a tiny crush on him? You didn't want to think about that.

Shaking yourself out of your thoughts, you look back to the countdown on Naib's stream. There were twenty minutes to go. The wheels of your chair roll as you slide over to your snack drawer. You might as well have one, or a couple, before it starts. Opening it up, you're met with a disappointing sight.

Nothing was inside. There wasn't even a half-opened package. A small sigh escapes you as you remember what happened. The last time you opened this drawer, you were binging a show that had sat on your watchlist for far too long and completely blew through your entire stash during it. You forgot to buy more, which left you to deal with the outcome tonight. Dusk had already passed, evident by the moonlight shining through your window, but that wouldn't stop you from going out to buy a few.

Slipping on a hoodie, you're out the door in a heartbeat. Cold, night air immediately nips at your cheeks as you walk to the convenience store nearby. Even though it was quiet outside, there were the faint noises of crickets or cars passing by to break it up. You end up at the parking lot after taking a right turn. Its storefront sign glows brightly, bathing the concrete at your feet in vibrant colours. You pull on the door handle of the store and step inside.

The familiar entry chime plays overhead. Focused on returning home before Naib's stream starts, you speedwalk to the snack aisle, passing by someone wearing white in the aisle over. Your eyes land on the whole purpose of this trip. All kinds of snacks lined the rows. You start to grab the usual. Chips, chocolate, and candy. When you feel like you have enough to last the night, you carefully walk to the checkout.

The cashier watches you place the snacks on the counter and begins to quietly scan them. When he finishes scanning the last one, the cashier looks up at you. "$14.17 is your total." You have to stop yourself from wincing, so you give him a weak nod instead. Reaching into your pockets, you realize you have forgotten your wallet. As you're mentally debating what to do now, you feel a light tap on your shoulder. Turning around, you're met with the last guy you'd expect to see in person. Ever.

Naib Subedar.

It was hard to say what had you more speechless. Naib looked good on his streams, but that did not compare to seeing him in real life. A hat sat comfortably on his head, resting on his raven locks. The streamer's outfit was pretty casual, except for his white varsity jacket, with OPH's designs emblazoned onto it. The other thing that caught your attention was much more humorous. Naib had three family-sized bags of chips in his nestled in his arms. You recall hearing Luca talking about Naib's affinity for the food in one of his streams. Seeing it firsthand, however, was as surprising as it was amusing.

"Can I?" Naib says, his gaze flickering from the snacks on the counter to your eyes. "Oh. Uh, sure." You muse as you move off to the side. Naib was paying. He was paying for himself and you. Relief fills you when he steps up to take your place. You weren't sure if you could hold eye contact with him any longer. Once he's done, Naib hands you a small plastic bag with all your snacks inside. The both of you walk towards the exit, with you trailing behind him. Naib pushes the door open and holds it for you.

Once you're outside, he lets it go, a click signifying its closure behind you. Silence fills the space between you two, and a part of you wants to leave it at that. Naib is the quietest out of all the members in OPH. Who knows if he'd choose to entertain a conversation with you? However, the other part of you couldn't stay quiet, not when he paid for you. Someone who was, by all means, a stranger. Before you can stop yourself, you look at him and ask: "Why did you pay for me?" Naib's eyes are trained on the empty parking in front of you. It seems like he won't be replying, but after a few moments, he does.

"My mom would've wanted me to help someone if I could, so I paid for you."

His tone gave off very little, but his expression gave you the idea that there was more to his otherwise kind gesture. You quickly decide to leave it that. The last thing you'd want to do is bring up bad memories. "Anyways, thank you." You shift your weight before quietly adding, "I'm sure she'd be happy to know you took her words to heart." The streamer hums in acknowledgment before looking at you. "I hope you're right." Then, he walks off, prompting you to do the same. You play with the handles of your plastic bag on the way home, your mind swirling.

The snacks are immediately dumped beside your keyboard, and your chair creaks as you plop down onto it. After a few more minutes, the countdown hits zero, and Naib starts his stream. For the next few hours, you indulge yourself in his stream. It's your reward for getting through such a long week. Unfortunately, you couldn't stop thinking about your earlier, even as his stream was wrapping up. It's a shame you couldn't do anything for him in return. Wait a second. You practically shoot up in your seat as you get an idea.

naibs_elbowpads32 has donated $14.17! "How's the chips?"

The streamer pauses, then looks at his web camera. "They're great. Would recommend." You laugh at Naib's reply. When he ends the stream, you get ready to log off. The effects of staying up so late will hit you in the morning, so you might as well try and do some damage control now. However, something stops you from doing that. A notification appears, letting you know that someone has dm'd you.

It was from none other than OPH_Naib.

Your mind shuts down, but your mouse clicks on the whisper button. His message, or rather question, reads: "Do you play Identity V?" If you weren't occupied with questioning what you have done recently to end up here, you would've laughed. Hard. The world was keen on reminding you of your growing crush on Naib, but honestly? You wouldn't mind getting to know the captain of Team OPH simply as a friend or as something more.

"I do."

Bonus:

"So you're telling me that's the first thing you messaged them?" Lily asks, fighting the urge to shoot Naib an incredulous look. She hoped he was joking, but knowing his sense of humour, there was no way this was one of them. Nonetheless, she needed to hear him confirm it. With his own voice and words.

"Yes. Do you want a screenshot?" Naib's expression was the exact same poker face he always had on. He was lucky that they were only on call. If not, she would've grabbed his shoulders and started to shake him. "For someone with the best game sense I've ever seen, I gotta say your social skills are something else."

The black-haired streamer slightly raises his eyebrows. "I think that was a perfectly fine way of starting a conversation, Lily." Naib reaches for one of the family-sized chip bags on his desk and rips it open, popping a few chips into his mouth. She sighs in response as she leans back in her chair, pushing up her heart-shaped glasses. "I can't tell what to be more surprised about. That you seriously chose that as your conversation starter…"

"…Or the fact you willingly went out of your way to initiate a conversation with someone that isn't in OPH."

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Ngl, I was struggling with this fic LMAO, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out in the end. Thank you for patience and I hope this fic was worth the wait!! I got a couple ideas for new fics, so hopefully I'll find the time to flesh them out. Until then, take care :]

#idv #identity v #idv mercenary #idv naib #idv x reader #naib subedar #naib subedar x reader #naib x reader

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osleeplessflowero · 11 months ago

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I figured it's time to bring back Classic Sans for a oneshot. Haven't posted about him since Stargazing! My very first Sans oneshot and Undertale oneshot as a whole. - Reader is Gender Neutral as always! Their SOUL type is up to you. - This is a good way to tie these oneshots to another series of mine :)

It's quiet..before a breeze fills your ears. Your senses are overloaded with sound. Soon you can feel the breeze too, gently hitting your skin as you slowly open your eyes and move your hands over the grass beneath you.

How long had you been asleep? What happened? Did you miss anything? Your head is spinning..

A familiar voice pulls you out of your thoughts softly, calmly. Just like he always does.

"heya. glad to see you're back." He greets you with a smile once you look over, just as he always does. You can't help but smile too. Sitting up, you scoot a bit closer to him and abruptly drop your head on his shoulder, to his surprise. "woah there, what's this all about?" He raises a browbone as he looks down at you, feeling your arm move behind his back so you can awkwardly hug him.

"How long was I asleep?" You ask, getting straight to the point. He looks back up, focusing on the rising sun before the two of you. "not much time has passed here since you fell asleep. or, i guess you could say we fell asleep, huh?" He chuckles. "guessing you've had lots of opportunities to explore. i couldn't imagine doing all that."

"..Yeah." You think about places you've been, your consciousness moving about through different timelines and possibilities. It is only right here, in this space, that you can truly remember things..and where you originally came from. You've certainly seen a lot of interesting figures recently. All of them being different variants of Sans, and even his brother, Papyrus. The same two, just..in various different fonts.

"it's kinda weird, when i think about it." You turn to look at him. "how there's so many other mes just..hangin' around in other timelines. that even the smallest decision can make an entirely new form, a new me. up to the point where..it's like i'm a whole other person. they're sorta..physical "what if"s. aaand prove that the timeline theory is real..so..that's complicated. i guess i can see why you like to go see them all. curiosity."

"..Yeah..it's..like a new adventure each time." You earn a nod from him, before you sit up and move so you're in front of him, placing your hands at the sides of his legs. "But..just so we're clear, that doesn't mean I want to see you any less, Sans. You're still you, the original you, that..that I fell for in the beginning." Heat rises to your cheeks, burning even warmer as you watch a shade of blue make its way onto the skeleton's cheekbones to match.

"i mean, i understand if you prefer some variations of me more. i'm not gonna take it personally-" You cut him off, placing your hand on his left cheekbone. He freezes like a deer in the headlights, his eyesockets relaxing a little as he leans into your touch almost instinctively.

"Just because I like to see other outcomes it doesn't mean I'll love you any less. I refuse to leave you behind. I won't leave Paps behind either. I promise."

"seems like a pretty big promise. sure you can keep it?" "I'm absolutely sure." You lean forward, pressing your forehead against his own. "No matter what..you'll always remain in my heart, Sans. The true you, I mean." "why settle for me when you can have so many other mes?" He raises a browbone, a soft smile on his face. "At the end of the day it was the two of you that my heart belonged to first. Nothing will change that." His face is now a prettier, brighter shade of blue..you can't help but smile, seeing him like this.

"You're not making puns." "it's not the time for that." He averts his eyelights, earning a chuckle from you. You lightly tap his cheek. "C'mon..look at me." "i dunno.." "Please?" "what if i fall for you all over again?" You smile. "I'd be alright with that."

He turns his eyelights to you, unable to look away the moment he does. You can hear his breath hitch, the lights shifting into little heart shapes the moment he blinks. "..Can I?..Or would that be too forward?-" You mutter, your face heating up again at the thought. "just get over here, you." He puts his arms around your waist, pulling you a little closer so you can make contact yourself.

You lean forwards, pressing your lips against his teeth..feeling yourself becoming lost in the moment. Your heart pounds in your ears, your faces both madly flushed as you embrace each other's company. Eventually you have to break the kiss for air, softly regaining your breath as he stares at you with admiring eyes. He reaches up his hands, placing them on the sides of your face now. The cool feeling both calms your nerves and makes you even more flushed. "you alright being stuck with me? with us, even?" "Always. Don't ever question that." You smile, earning a grin from him in return as you hear footsteps approaching in the distance.

"There You Two Are! I've Been Looking Everywhere For You!" Papyrus comes to a stop before you, pressing his hands on his hips with his all-too-familiar grin. A few seconds pass before he takes in your states, a smug look crossing his face. "Am I Interrupting Something?"

"nah, you got here just in time. right?" Sans lightly nudges you, earning rapid nods from you in return. If you let him hear your voice tremble or crack you would quite literally die inside.

"so, what's up? something going on?" He asks, putting an arm around you. "I Thought You Might Want To See Our New Neighbors! They Are Quite The Interesting Bunch. And..Oddly Familiar Looking.."

You and Sans give each other a knowing look. "You don't think?.." "awfully convenient timing, universe." "Might as well make a good first impression, huh?"

#sans x reader #sans undertale x reader #undertale sans x reader #undertale x reader #classic sans #classic sans x reader #sans undertale

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tiramissyoucake · 2 years ago

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Hidden Bride

Sae itoshi x reader, royalty x commoner marriage au, characters are 18+, Sae is a little ooc, reader is female, Shidou being gross cameo, reader has a considerably younger sibling, approx 2287 words

CW: none, maybe very VERY slightly suggestive towards the end? No proof reading

Note: I’m so sleepy waaa blew off studying to finish this lol sobs, not super proud of this but I was gonna explode if I didn’t write prince Sae related thingy so enjoy !!

news spread like wildfire in the kingdom when the Royal family announced their oldest son was looking for a bride, everyone had assumed that Prince Sae would marry a woman of similar status however he had refused any offers and suggestions of who he should marry and insisted that he would choose the woman who would become his bride.

His parents tried talking him out of it, they introduced him to a wide selection of women who were of age to marry and yet Sae didn’t spare them a glance, most girls were either after his family’s wealth and status or they had fallen for his mysterious nature without actually knowing a lick of information about him to which he found pathetic. No matter who was presented, he would be filled with irritation and would discard the suggestions with a disgusted frown.

Sae’s denials echoed in the palace hallways to anyone who dared mention the topic to him, insisting that if he’ll marry a woman then he’ll make sure she’s worthy of him and not just because of the coincidental similarity of their blood being royal.

No one knew what method he would go about for choosing a bride, his routine consisted of finishing his daily responsibilities and he would head out with a single guard (a hand-picked guard he decided was fitting to stand with him after monitoring a training session, although he could do without his blabbering and lewd comments), the guard had told him his full name but he’d only caught ‘Shidou’, not caring enough to remember his full name.

For weeks, Sae would follow his usual pattern of searching: walk around the marketplace, study the civilians who would sell, purchase or just peruse and then go home unsatisfied. His search would be unsuccessful every time he went left, no one displayed behavior that promised an obedient queen, all he saw was nonchalant faces or slack-jawed surprised expressions at his presence, as if his people couldn’t believe he’s a real person and not an unreachable deity of some sort.

Every time he returned to the palace, Everyone around him nagged him that he can’t just stare at civilians and hope to magically find a bride, to which he’d always reply: “as if you have the capacity to understand”, these advisors, his parents, no one understood the vitality of the issue. He believed his parents’ marriage was sheer luck, that their marriage and the fact that they loved each other was the outcome of some bored wager made by fate. As for his advisors, what do they know anyway? They were all old men that cupid himself would be repulsed by, either divorced or destined to die alone.

The one time he leaves palace walls to unwind in the fields beyond the town borders he finally saw a chance of ending these foolish theatrics of bride hunting.

Sae walked down the path trying to think of his current options, either continue his needle-in-a-haystack search for a bride or accept some air-headed rich girl. His main goal out of wedlock was to simply produce an heir and mold them to perfection, he figured he should be able to find a tolerable lover to make this burden less bothersome.

before his mind could even reach a conclusion, he felt something hit his back, he froze in confusion and slowly turned to find… a child? with what he assumed was an angry face, the child’s attire seemed to imply it was from one of those families that preferred to stay on the outskirts of the territories for god knows what reason, the fabric and cut looked different than the ones civilians would wear deeper in the town. A wooden carved toy was on the ground near him, so that’s what hit him.

“Go back to your dumb palace, royal scom!”

‘Scom’? …Did it mean to say ‘scum’? Sae’s guard, Shidou who had been quietly following behind him approached the child with an irritated expression telling him to back off, he was almost tempted to stop his guard to see what this child was raving on about.

Sae knew there were people who opposed the ruling family but he hadn’t known that the influence would reach kids like this, how did this child even recognize him? Before anything could escalate, he saw another figure approach

The figure looked to be near Sae’s age, their features and clothes matched the child’s save for the fact that her features were more feminine and her outfit was best described as a common everyday dress, one that a family with decent savings would give their daughter. He watched her hold the child’s hand and reprimand them softly yet sternly, at least that’s what he assumed from her expression and whatever words his ears had caught

“Where did you go?! You know better than to run off!”

“But he was-“

“No buts! You’re in big trouble! Do you know who this is..?!”

Her voice was laced with concern, she didn’t have the cruelty to be angry at a child for their simple curiosity yet she couldn’t let this child frolic away from the situation without proper lecturing. Sae stopped his over-analyzing as his eyes met hers, Shidou moved forward.

“Listen missy, get that kid of yours on a leash! Or else-“

“Shidou, back off.”

The prince stepped forward, he approached the girl and as he did, the child lifted their small fists as if ready to fight, the girl immediately ushered the child behind her legs stuttering excuses.

“Its.. an honor to be in your presence like this, your royal highness! I apologize for my sibling’s behavior- they’re very wary of strangers.“

‘Sibling’? So this isn’t her child, Sae assumed that she was unmarried then as usually commoner families children would not be married off at this age, unlike royal families that rushed to build family trees and secure heirs.

“What is your name, maiden?” He examined her as he spoke, she acted like a cornered wild animal, worried that she and her sibling would receive punishment for the child’s careless words. She responded with her name.

“I see, I’d like to have a word with your parents.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Your parents wouldn’t believe you if you told them the prince himself was in the fields outside town, its a good thing he’d insisted.

Your mother pulled you aside to help prepare a meal for the prince even after he assured he wasn’t hungry, you could hear your father try to interrogate him discreetly and Sae replied smoothly to everything he threw at him. You could feel Sae’s calculative stare as you tried keeping busy assisting your mother at preparing the meal.

You were called over by your father, you mentally thanked the gods for their discussion ending, you could not have prepared yourself mentally enough.

“Your daughter possesses the proper attributes to be my wife, I will be marrying her.” the prince’s utterance sounded more like a command rather than a question.

Your heart fell to your stomach, immediately a look of shock was evident on your features, Sae didn’t know whether to laugh or awe at it. Your father had a look that did not hide the murderous intent, he wanted you to hear this directly from the supposed ‘honorable prince’.

After your parents took a moment to discuss this seriously, the prince waited outside your home ignoring his guard’s rambling about you. Your family decided to allow you to choose, they didn’t want to throw you to the prince however they were worried about what would happen if they denied him a bride.

You thought about how this position as the prince’s bride would help you help your family directly, at least you would be able to live in the town instead of making those exhausting back and forth trips, even if the prince would move the small home you lived into town as it is you would be happy.

Opening the front door after your parents had a tearful last discussion with you, the prince turned away from his guard.

“And I’m telling you- those hips? perfect for-“

“Shut your mouth, horny demon.”

The prince swiftly silenced the guard, you suspected what they were talking about given the smug look on the guard’s face but decided against thinking about it. The prince approached you, waiting for your answer.

“Well, maiden? What is your answer?”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You felt out of place, like a doll made of wood among porcelain figures, Sae had hired trainers and tutors for anything and everything he deemed necessary for you to learn as his wife. An etiquette consultant for dinners, dancing instructor for balls, to top your busy days off the tailor regularly visited you in your quarters to drop off dresses and such you were expected to wear around your husband or in the ‘comfort’ of your new home.

The change was exhausting to deal with and even now, a month after the overly extravagant wedding, you found yourself struggling to keep up with Sae’s expectations although he seemed lenient enough towards you.

Speaking of your husband, he rarely showed you any affection at all. he had small ways of showing you he did care but it takes a sharp eye to notice.

on your wedding day Sae kept his hand over your shaking one as a silent way to comfort you, in a moment of privacy during the wedding he had whispered to you lowly and smoothly as if you were an antique fragile doll: “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you”

he would reprimand your instructors if he received word of them being cruel to you, Sae was usually calm and collected but you had wondered what happened for your ballroom instructor to apologize so earnestly to you the next time you had a lesson.

The last thing you can think of that reminded you of Sae’s genuine feelings was his cool gaze, if his eyes were to sweep a room and briefly stop at you- you could feel it. an enveloping feeling overwhelms you whenever he stared at you, even if you were in your deepest sleep you could feel it. You never felt threatened or scared of his observance; it made you feel safe in this foreign setting, as if a constant reminder of your wedding day.

Another day in this royal hell has been completed, you recently bid farewell to your tailor who had dropped off the final batch of clothes for you, the newest garments were nightgowns soft to the touch made of the smoothest silk Sae could find. as you examined one of the many nightgowns you felt flustered at how revealing they are, some were translucent others were a bit short- you had no idea how royals were able to indulge in these.

You heard the room door open and close, turning away from the clothes you saw your husband removing his baroque-patterned vest allowing his white shirt to flow off his chest, you heard him putting away the vest while you were putting away the nightgowns and that familiar feeling would wash over you; he was examining you.

The room was quiet and you could hear him slowly approach, Sae took his sweet time examining the view, you looked adorably clueless trying to act oblivious to his movements until he settled his hands on your shoulders. He had to hold back a smile at the way you squirmed at the feeling of his cold hands contact your skin.

“They look lovely,” he muttered, looming over you to examine the clothes. He leaned down to your ear as if to coax you out of your shyness that you harbored so closely when you were around him “would you like to wear this for the night?”

“.. Are you sure? Is it not too revealing..?”

“Nonsense, you’re my wife and I am your husband, I would love to see you in any and all appearances.”

His suggestion made you more flustered than you already were and yet for some reason you found yourself nodding slowly, he took the liberty to help you out of your dress unable to keep his eyes from wandering across any newly exposed parts of your body. He found you divine, a hidden gem in this cave of boring rocks who weren’t even worth a second glance.

You knew your place, he loved that about you, you kept your head down when you needed but you weren’t completely submissive to the point of being pushed around easily by equals.

Removing the dress fully, he took this chance to glide one hand down from your shoulder to your arm and slipping to your waist, pulling your back to his chest as he let out a sigh that made your heart quicken.

“You’re radiant, whether fully dressed or completely bare.”

The nightgown he chose from the collection showed off your shoulders, he landed a kiss onto your exposed shoulder, his hold on your waist returning after he’d helped you slip on the silk comfortably. This is the first time he’s been this openly affectionate with you, the stress of his search and the relief of finding a bride were the only two things he could think about right now.

He kissed at your neck, featherlight kisses tickling your skin as he resisted the urge to continue, he didn’t want to force you into intimacy so early into your marriage as to not scare you off. he snapped out of his lustful haze when he felt your hands settle over his that were around your waist as if to assure him that you’re here, his bride, his queen.

This night would bestow another sound slumber to the newlyweds.

#sae itoshi #itoshi sae #blue lock #blue lock x reader #blue lock x you #bllk x reader #bllk x you #itoshi sae x you #itoshi sae x reader #sae itoshi x reader #sae itoshi x you

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runawrites-blog · 2 months ago

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Not Part Of The Plan | Ch. 2 / 2 (Boba Fett x Reader)

Summary: The mission to rescue Han got uncovered and now you have to try and escape while also dealing with your complicated feelings for Boba. During the planned execution of Luke and Han, things go horribly wrong. (Female Reader) Word Count: 4,987 Warnings: Jabba's Palace Typical Violence, Arguments, Breaking-Up and Making-Up, Presumed Character Death (Boba), Angst, Protective Boba, No Y/N, Pet Names (Mesh'la, Cyar'ika) A/N: Unlike on AO3, I will post it in two parts instead of several chapters here. All but the last part takes place during Return Of The Jedi and the last part takes place Post Mandalorian Season 2 -- the Time Skip is marked to avoid confusion. Also while the Reader is Han's sister, her appearance is not described and they could be seen as half-siblings, so her ethnicity, height, weight and such are up to you to imagine! Have fun! Previous Chapter: https://runawrites-blog.tumblr.com/post/765792752807051264/not-part-of-the-plan-ch-12-boba-fett-x Cross-Posted On AO3 (in 6 Chapters): https://archiveofourown.org/works/36209275/chapters/90261490

---

Your escape not going according to plan was really no surprise with all the people that were sneaking around the palace, trying to bring Jabba any information and gain his favour. And the fact that after Leia had been discovered, you were found to be an accomplice didn’t really surprise you either. Now Han was sitting in a cell, you and Leia were chained up by Jabba’s throne and there was no sight of help.

But the worst had been that Jabba had sent you out as a pleasure slave to Boba that night and things did not go well. Not that you had expected a good outcome after Boba had found out that you had actually just been undercover to scout out the place – it wasn’t a far fetch for him to think that you had been using him all along. So when you were forced inside his rooms, not as his lover anymore but as someone he undoubtedly hated now, and his angry gaze fell onto you, the door shutting behind you felt like a cell’s door rattling shut.

“Why would he send you out of all people? He knows of our past and of what you’ve done!” Boba hissed angrily, glaring down at you in understandable anger. “I would have prefered anyone else over you right now.”

Although that statement hurt you knew that you were not in the position to get upset at his words. But that didn’t stop the tears that rose in your eyes. Boba just scoffed at you and shook his head before coming closer.

“Don’t you have anything to say in your defence?”

“He’s my brother.” You tried to reason, not daring to look up at him as you kept your eyes trained at the floor, fighting off the shivers that tried to make their way up your body at the cold stone underneath your bare feet. “I couldn’t stand by while he was being displayed in the palace, frozen in carbonite.”

“And you thought it necessary to use me for your plan?”

“I didn’t--”

“Don’t try to come up with an excuse now.” Boba snapped at you. “What use was I for you? Help me understand!”

You swallowed at his anger and shook your head. “No, I didn’t use you for anything! I was sent to scout out the place and find Han, but I didn’t need-- I didn’t need you for that. What I-- My feelings for you are real!”

“Why would I believe you?”

You tried your best not to let your tears fall at this situation but the tears felt so close to falling. You knew he wasn't going to hurt you and you were aware that he was rightfully upset with you but the fact that there was most likely no hope of ever gaining his love back hurt you terribly. He had told you that he had cared for you, had shown you that he really had feelings for you, had protected you and you had betrayed his trust. Boba hated you and it hurt you so terribly much.

“You-- I can’t give you a reason to-- to believe me.” You said, swallowing against the lump in your throat but a few tears still rolled down your cheeks. “But I’m telling the truth! I came here to-- to free my brother but there was a delay in our mission, so-- so I had to stay longer and while I was waiting for them I fell in love with you.”

Boba was watching you in silence and when you looked up you saw the frown on his face. Though now it was less angry and more confused than anything. But he wasn’t speaking, just watching the tears start to cascade down your cheeks.

“I know you distrust me and I know you must hate me now but-- but I just-- I really do care for you!” You pleaded quietly, bringing up your hands to grasp at your upper arms and shield yourself from the cold. “I know you’d rather have anyone but me here but-- but Jabba sent me anyway. If you’ll let me, I’ll just wait out the night until I-- until someone comes to get me in the morning.”

“You’re cold.”

Before you even had the time to confirm his suspicion, he’d turned and grabbed a blanket from his bed. In a smooth motion, he threw it around your shoulders and you quickly caught it before it fell. Confusion painted your face as more tears gathered in your eyes, though this time they were brought on by how touched you were that he still seemed to care for your wellbeing.

“No one will come to get you until the morning.” He stated calmly before he began to move around and throw a few of the bed’s pillows onto the sofa by the window. “You can stay.”

“Thank you.”

“Just take the sofa and try to warm yourself up. I may not trust you anymore and I’d be a fool to do so again, but that doesn’t mean my feelings were just snuffed out.” As if to undermine his point he began to extinguish the lights in the room. “Tomorrow, Jabba will decide what will happen to your brother.”

“Do you-- He sent that woman who betrayed him to the Great Pit of Carkoon a week or two ago. Do you think he will do the same to my brother?”

“Possibly.” Boba shrugged and went over to sit on his bed, finally looking back at you. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I didn’t even get to talk to him again.” You whispered sadly. “I haven’t spoken to him in years and-- and I just-- Leia freed him and then he was immediately taken away.”

“That’s his own fault for not paying Jabba back.” Boba said before lying down on the bed and eyeing you with an emotion he couldn’t quite place. “I suggest you rest now. Someone will pick you up in the morning.”

“Thank you for letting me stay.”

“Just be quiet and rest.” He huffed before shutting off the last lamp and plunging the room into darkness. “You’ve got me to care for you. I still do.”

“I care for you, as well, Boba.”

“That makes no difference and you know it.”

“I do.”

---

“He is my brother!”

Boba gave a sharp tug to the chain Jabba had placed around your neck. Once more, the Hutt had sent you out to serve Boba who was on the upper deck of the sail barge. From up on top of the barge, you had the perfect view of the pit below the barge that Luke and Han would soon be thrown into. But at the tug you turned back to Boba behind you, watching him shake his head.

“There is nothing you can do. Just be glad you’re not thrown in after him.”

Panic rose in you as you grabbed onto the railing at the side of the sail barge and looked down at the Sarlacc with abject horror. After hearing Threepio translate what would happen to your brother and your friend down there, you were horrified. Thousands of years of torture for both Han and Luke, and there was nothing to be done now. You grabbed the chain and pulled at it once, gaining Boba’s attention.

“Can I not try to talk to him?”

“You tried that before.” Boba said sternly. “You tried to talk to him, tried to bribe him and nothing made a difference. If you try reasoning with him again, he might just throw you into the pit after all.”

“I don’t care.” You begged, grabbing onto the chain tightly. “Let me try.”

“I will not be responsible for you being executed!”

“I couldn’t even say goodbye to the only family I have.”

“That happens.”

Then Luke was moved into position and your grip on the railing tightened, breath catching in your throat. Han had been there for your for as long as you could remember and ever since you’d gotten to meet Luke, the two of you had become close friends, as well. The thought of them inside the Sarlacc’s guts was entirely too horrible to imagine. You couldn’t even imagine how Leia must be doing inside the sail barge. At the very least you weren’t with Jabba at the moment. But still, your fingers began to shake as you felt your throat tighten with anxiety.

“Look away.”

Boba’s voice ripped you from your thoughts and you saw that he stepped closer to the railing out of the corner of your eye, now also looking over the edge. When you eyed him for a second, the confusion on your face must have been evident because he spoke up again.

“I will tell you when it’s over if you wish to look away.”

But you couldn’t and as Luke jumped off the ledge you reflexively grabbed Boba’s arm next to you, needing someone to stabilise you. Then all hell broke loose and Luke pretty dramatically jumped up onto the cargo skiff again, catching the lightsaber Artoo had thrown him – you hadn’t even noticed the astromech coming onto the upper deck.

And just like that Luke was fighting them, hitting men left and right as a commotion broke loose. At your side, you saw Boba move, readying himself to fly down and stop the escape. But Lando noticed his movements and with the blaster, he had obtained during the fight, he managed to fire at Boba without the bounty hunter taking notice.

In a fraction of a second, you had decided that although you wanted everyone to escape, you also couldn’t let Boba get hurt and you quickly tackled him to the floor, both of you watching as the blaster’s beam shot over your bodies.

Once you noticed that you were lying on top of Boba, you quickly got back to your feet and looked over the railing to check if everyone was still alive. As your eyes found the skiff again, you saw that Luke had noticed you pushing the bounty hunter out of harm’s way and he threw you an understandably confused look, questioning why you would save the man. But then his attention was drawn back to another attacker and he turned away again, kicking him off the skiff.

“You saved me.” Boba’s voice ripped you out of your thoughts and when you turned he was coming closer, head tilted slightly to the side. “Why would you save me?”

“I still care about you.”

Boba stalled for a second before pulling you closer and tilting your chin up with his thumb. “I have a job to do. I will come back for you, Mesh’la.”

And with that he was off down to the skiff, leaving you behind on the sailing barge. You looked around, unsure of what to do when you saw a nearby guard getting ready to shoot at Lando who was now hanging off the side of the skiff, nearly falling into the pit himself. Quickly, you grabbed your chain and swung it at his ankle, effectively knocking him to the floor with the force of the metal. He dropped his blaster and you swooped in to get it. When he grabbed for a weapon at his belt you shot the man and then took a step back, watching two more guards come up the ladder.

While you managed to shoot one of them, the other managed to get a grip on you and pushed you toward the railing of the barge, attempting to throw you overboard and into the Sarlacc pit below. You had unfortunately dropped the blaster and he was physically stronger than you, completely putting his weight into pushing you over, so panic soon began to rise in you.

The chains rattling at your feet sparked an idea in you. Quickly you grabbed for the chain, careful not to let him notice, and wrapped it around the railing before taking a deep breath and letting yourself fall over the edge. The guard fell with you but unlike you, he had nothing to hold onto and tumbled right down into the pit. You held onto the chain tightly as the guards tried to reach you from the windows below.

And on top of that, another guard was up on the platform now, reaching for his blaster and aiming at you. But before he could shoot, a blaster beam hit him and he fell over the railing, just missing you as he tumbled into the pit below.

Swearing quietly you looked down, expecting Chewbacca or Luke to have fired at the man, but to your surprise, you found that it had been Boba, blaster still in hand and shoulders sagging in relief as he saw you had still hung on.

Quickly, you climbed back onto the barge and turned back to see what was going on when you realised Han had hit Boba, making his jet pack malfunction and sending him flying toward the sail barge. He knocked into the side of it and you watched in absolute horror as the man you loved fell into the Sarlacc pit. Tears gathered in your eyes and you felt your breath run cold. Your first instinct was to try and help but logically you knew there was nothing you could do to help. The tears threatened to fall and you had to pull yourself together to continue fighting.

But there was no time for grief at the moment because Lando was almost pulled into the pit by one of the Sarlacc’s tendrils, only saved by Han who was hanging on for dear life himself, Luke was crawling up the barge and an explosion shook the whole structure beneath your feet. You ran to the ladder to see what was going on just as Leia came climbing up, grabbing your hand to pull herself up.

“We need to get off this sail barge.” She urged, running to the railing. “Luke, hurry up! This whole thing is about to blow up!”

You ran after her, quickly extending a hand to help Luke up. “Why are you coming up here? I thought we wanted off this barge!”

“Han is bringing the skiff over.” He explained, readying his lightsaber to fight another guard. “Stand back!”

Everything after that passed in what felt like a fraction of a second. At Luke’s comment, Leia directed the canon at the barge. Han stirred the skiff over, Leia made a jump for it and he just managed to catch her and get her to safety. Then you felt Luke wrap an arm around you before he grabbed a rope and gave a kick to the canon, making it fire at the barge. You hung onto him tightly, pleading with him not to let you drop into the pit below. But fortunately, you soon found yourself safely on the skiff, just as the barge blew up and Lando stirred you all to safety.

“Han!” You exclaimed as soon as the shock had passed and hurried to embrace him. “Are you okay? Can you see again?”

“Yeah, I can see. I mean I managed to shoot the Sarlacc.” He joked and hugged you for a few seconds. “Are you injured? I saw you hanging off the barge. Did you get hurt?”

“No.” You shook your head and let go, looking him up and down. “I can’t believe you’re back! I’m glad you’re feeling better. That night Leia got you out and they brought you to your cell, you looked like hell.”

“Thanks.” Han said in amusement before shaking his head. “It takes a toll on you to be frozen in carbonite. But I’m fine now.”

“I’m glad.”

“I hope Lando watched out for you while I was gone. I heard Jabba sent you to Boba Fett of all people. He didn’t touch you, did he?”

You stilled for a second, feeling Leia’s eyes on you and seeing Lando raise an eyebrow at you from next to Han. Even Luke looked at you suspiciously. But you just shook your head, giving Han a comforting smile and ignoring your grief as you lied to him.

“No, he didn’t touch me.”

---Time-Skip---

“We have a guest.”

You looked up at Leia and shushed her, not wanting to disturb Luke and Grogu. But she shook her head and came closer, pulling you away by the arm. You’d been busy watching Luke train Grogu for the past few hours, fascinated by the child’s powers. Once Leia had you far enough away, she lowered her voice.

“He’s here to pick up Grogu so he can spend some time with his father.” Leia explained. “You should go and tell our guest that Luke might take a bit longer.”

“Why me? Can’t you do it?”

“It’s someone you know.”

“I know a lot of people.” You mumbled in confusion, not really understanding why the person talking to whoever Din had sent needed to be you. “You have to be a bit more specific than that.”

“It’s Boba Fett.”

Your mouth fell open at that and you had to manually reach up to close it before you shook your head in disbelief. “No, he-- he died. I saw him fall into that-- into the Sarlacc pit with my own eyes!”

“It’s either him or someone that stole his armour.” Leia shrugged. “But Din said that Boba Fett would come to pick Grogu up because he himself couldn’t make it. So either way, it would be great if you could come and verify that it’s really him.”

“Why would you want me to verify that it’s Boba who came to pick Grogu up and not some impostor?”

“None of us ever saw him without the helmet, so you need to verify it.”

You shook your head quickly, not wanting to give away your past with Boba to her, even though you were sure she’d had some ideas on it. “What makes you think I saw him without it?”

Leia rolled her eyes lightly at that and shook her head. “I know you’ve slept with him while you were at Jabba’s palace. I saw the way he kept you close to his side, the way he protected you. And Luke told me that you saved him from Lando’s shot, so I know you actually cared about him. If anyone has seen him without the helmet, it’s you.”

“Fine.”

And with that, Leia was off and you close behind. Your heart was rising into your throat with every step you took. It couldn’t be Boba – you had seen him die. You had mourned him all alone, only occasionally getting a sympathetic glance from Luke or Lando. Yet still, you hoped that against the odds the man in his armour was really him. So when you arrived at the doors to the landing dock, you stopped dead in your tracks when through the windows to the room you saw Boba’s armour again, no longer looking as beat up as before but painted over and polished up.

“I’m getting Luke and Grogu. You confirm if it’s really him.”

You nodded absentmindedly as Leia left and then you opened the door. They swished open and the man turned to you, hands reaching for his blaster before quickly dropping when he saw that it was you. Slowly, you approached and tried to resist the urge to run into his arms. You needed to confirm if it was him first so you knew Grogu would be safe.

“You’ve come to pick up the child.” You said quietly, looking at his visor in anticipation. “Take off the helmet, so I can confirm who you are.”

Without another word, he reached to his head and unfastened the helmet, slowly taking it off and your breath stopped. It was Boba. He looked scarred, his face burned by the Sarlacc’s acid but it was Boba. It was unmistakenly him – his eyes, his face, his lips. And the smile he gave at your awe was also unmistakenly his.

“Mesh’la, did you not believe it was me?”

“How?” You whispered, tears gathering in your eyes. “How are you alive?”

“Told you I would come back or you.”

And with that, you launched yourself into his arms, your own wrapping around his neck as you clung to him. The tears fell from your eyes freely as he wrapped his arms around you in a tight embrace, his face falling into your neck where he took a deep, steadying breath before he spoke again.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come back for you.”

“I can’t believe that it’s you.” You sobbed out quietly before pulling back and taking his face into your hands. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”

“I made you a promise, Cyar’ika.” He said softly, his hands dropping to your hips to hold you close. “And I keep what I promise.”

“I am so sorry that I lied to you. I-- I don’t even know how you can come here and give me this much love and-- when I lied to you and--”

“Stop that.” Boba’s hands pulled you closer and he shook his head. “I believe you. I had a lot of time to think it through and I trust you that you didn’t use me, alright? Would you give me another chance after I treated you so harshly?”

“What?” You asked in surprise, eyes going wild. “I lied to you. You had every right to be angry. I should be the one asking you that!”

“I would give you another chance. Will you give me one?”

You nodded quickly before pulling his face down and kissing him deeply, eyes closing as soon as he started kissing back. His arms wrapped around you now, pulling you to his body as he held you. It took all your strength not to burst into tears again as you deepened the kiss and he held you even closer, securely keeping you in his arms. It was only when you heard something being dropped behind you that you pulled apart.

“You have to be kriffing kidding me right now!”

You turned in shock to face Han who had just dropped a box of tools and was now staring at you two in disgust and shock. Before you could explain he was marching over and grabbing Boba by the collar that stuck out from his armour, just for the bounty hunter to grab Han’s wrist and pull it away from his body. But Han’s free hand grabbed the one around his wrist as he glared at Boba.

“You are kissing my sister?”

“If I were you, I would think twice about attacking the man that collected the bounty that was on your head.” Boba hissed, eyes narrowing at Han. “You don’t decide if your sister and I kiss. She decides whether or not she kisses me!”

“Listen, I have no clue how you managed to escape the Sarlacc Pit but if you put your hands on my sister again, I will personally send you back in there!”

To your dismay, a smirk appeared on Boba’s face and you knew he was just going to keep this argument going. “She decides if she kisses me or does other things with me.”

“That was entirely unnecessary, Boba!”

“Other things?” Han snapped, ignoring your complaint as he glared at Boba. “Did you sleep with me kriffing sister, Fett?”

“What about it?”

“Can you two stop it?” You hissed and tried to pull them apart, pulling Han back by his collar while pushing against Boba’s chest to make him step back. “Han, lay off him! And Boba, stop kriffing riling him up even more!”

The two of them remained quiet for a few seconds but after another attempt of yours to pull them apart, they finally separated. Han let go of Boba before turning to you, his shock still evident in his face as he stared at you with wide eyes.

“When did that happen? When did you decide to sleep with Boba Fett?”

“It happened while I was infiltrating the palace and the plan got delayed, forcing me to stay there longer than expected.” You confessed, feeling as though the truth was the only way forward. “We talked a lot and then it just sort of happened.”

“It just happened? Things like that don’t just happen!”

“That’s what I told her!”

You turned to find Lando coming into the docking bay, carrying another toolbox and grinning widely. He obviously wasn’t going to side with you and Chewbacca who was coming inside behind Lando was probably also going to side with Han. But to your surprise, Han didn’t agree with Lando. On the contrary, his face fell even more and he glared at his friend, shaking his head in disbelief.

“You knew?”

“Oh, kriff.” Lando hissed, now realising his mistake. “I promised her not to tell you!”

“He found out by accident.” You explained, eyes flicking back and forth between Han and Lando. “I sort of pleaded with him not to tell you. I knew you’d react like this!”

“I hope that by ‘like this’ you mean in a completely rational way.” Han huffed, crossing his arms as he kept his eyes trained on you. “He’s not a good person!”

Boba looked back at Han at his exclamation. “And you trying to police your sister’s life is something a good person would do? She can make her own decisions!”

“Boba’s right.” You stated, nodding at Han. “I can decide who--”

“You agreeing with him is not surprising at all.” Han huffed and turned to Lando. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me!”

Lando just shrugged at that. “I figured there was no reason to after he fell into the Great Pit of Carkoon. I thought she’d never see him again anyway.”

You eyed Lando, nodding at his words as the memory of that day and the horror you’d felt resurfaced. “So did I. I never told you after the fact because-- well, because I thought he was dead.”

Upon hearing about your grief, Boba came closer and put a hand on your back in an attempt to comfort you. “I came back, didn’t I?”

“Yes.” You nodded, giving him a small smile. “I’m glad you did.”

Han shook his head once more, pointing at Boba’s hand. “Get your hands off her!”

Boba glared back at him, bringing his other hand up to put it onto your shoulder now, effectively riling Han up even more. “That’s not your decision to make.”

“I can’t believe you!”

“All of you, cut it out!”

You felt yourself relax at Leia’s voice and looked up to find her coming into the loading dock, Luke in tow who was holding Grogu in his arms. If anyone would be able to tell Han to back down, it was her. She eyed the situation before coming closer, noting Han’s accusing finger still pointed at Boba and sighed quietly.

“So it really is Boba Fett?”

You nodded at her. “Yes, it really is him and not an impostor.”

“Good.” Leia nodded, looking at Han. “Then what seems to be the problem?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Han asked in exasperation, clearly annoyed that Leia wasn’t freaking out over this. “He slept with my sister and he’s being so-- so kriffing smug about it.”

Leia nodded at that, looking back at you. “Do you mind him touching you? Is he doing anything against your will?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

“What?” Han shook his head and looked at his girlfriend. “And why are you not more surprised? Did you-- You knew!”

“I figured it out pretty quickly.” Leia nodded and sighed. “Listen, things have changed, alright? And Din sent him here, so he must be somewhat trustworthy. Besides that, your sister is an adult, Han.”

Han sighed in defeat and looked at you. “I just wish you would choose someone nice.”

“I am nice.” Boba stated from behind you, raising an eyebrow at Han and to your surprise, your brother gave a dry laugh at that.

“You stole my line.”

“See? She’s fine. And I’m pretty sure she can stand her ground.” Leia then looked at Boba again, pointing a finger at him. “If you mess up, though, I will personally come for you, am I making myself clear?”

“More than clear.”

Han sighed quietly and shook his head in dismay. “I can’t believe both Leia and Lando knew, and neither of them told me.”

That’s when Luke gave an awkward wave behind Leia. “I knew, as well.”

“How come everyone knew, but me? Chewie, did you know?” A roar from the Wookie confirmed Han’s suspicions and he groaned in exasperation. “I can’t believe it!”

“Are you good now?” You asked, reaching up to put your hand over Boba’s. “I promise you that he treats me well. I appreciate your worry but he’d never hurt me. Trust me.”

“I trust you.”

You smiled at that, leaning back into Boba who brought an arm around your waist then. He looked down at you, not paying any mind to your brother or friends. “You could come to deliver the child to Din with me.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“She says that as if she was ever any good with sticking to plans.” Leia joked.

Luke shook his head and approached, Grogu held close to him, before he gave Leia a smirk. “To be fair, some of our plans did fail tremendously.”

Han just gave a small laugh at that, watching as you gently took Grogu from Luke and turned to Boba, quietly discussing something with Boba. Before entering Slave I, you gave Han a small wave and then left to buckle up the child. But before Boba could follow you, Han called out to him once more, making him look up in question.

“Treat her right, you Buckethead.”

#textpost #writing #fanfiction #my writing #star wars #star wars return of the jedi #return of the jedi #rotj #star wars x reader #star wars imagine #star wars reader insert #boba fett #boba fett x reader #boba fett imagine #star wars original trilogy

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claiireluv · 1 month ago

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ok ok guys even IF those leaks are real—which, let’s be real, I highly doubt (and hope) that they aren’t—the fact that izuocha became cannon wasn’t too..unexpected. OF COURSE I, as well as many others, wouldn’t have PREFERRED that outcome, but, realistically, bkdk/tgck wasn’t going to become cannon either way. ngl if anything, I think It’d be better if no ships became cannon..

ALSO I don’t hate izuocha and I’m not necessarily against it but likeee..we can all collectively agree that himiko essentially being used as a WAY TO PUSH IZUOCHA TOGETHER was SO PAINFUL?? I guess it depends on how you look at it, and it might be a hot take but whatever.

doomed yuri terms and conditions I guess I missed the fine print because this wasn’t mentioned 💔

#doomed yuri #tgck #toga himiko #togachako #ochako uraraka #mha leaks #mha 430 #pls let this be fake I wanna die happy #(anti?) izuocha #hot take sorry

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qfzeeph · 10 months ago

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People liked the first Kaito x Reader post I made, so lets say, hypothetically, I made a part 2. And for the sake of debate, lets say that it was about him having a lil' crushy crush on the reader >:)

♡Kaito (Vocaloid) x Reader/Master HCs [2]♡

♡All fluff. No spice!♡ ♡Kaito is crushing on the reader!♡

☆ He won’t outright say he’s got a crush on you, but there will be signs. He’s shy about it, worried you’ll think of him differently if you were to find out how he felt.

☆Kaito has been down this path before with other Masters who have gotten bored of him in the past. He hopes that if anything ever came of the two of you, it’d last. He’s simultaneously nervous and yearning at the same time, afraid of the worst outcome but praying for the best.

☆ He tries to spend as much time with you as he can, learning about your favorite things and what makes you yourself. He’s a quick learner and before you know it, he’s gifting you little things like your favorite snacks or candies when you’re having a rough day.

☆He flusters real easy. Any sort of accidental contact, be it bumping into him in a crowded space or your hands grazing one another when reaching for a treat, his face lights up bright red. He always apologizes, hoping you won’t notice his flushed cheeks. You see it every time. ☆In case you couldn’t tell, he’s not the best at hiding it. He might not outright say how he feels, but you can tell from every move he makes he’s into you. ☆You see more of him. Much more of him. He wants to be around you as much as he can, chasing that serotonin only you can give him.

☆He puts a lot of extra effort into the songs you ask him to sing, the more intense his feelings develop the more effort he puts in. He wants to be his best for you, hoping you’ll catch on. ☆His heart melts if you compliment him. He’d stutter out a nervous “thank you,” as if he had forgotten how to speak. ☆He’d eventually get brave and confess. Unless you beat him to it, he’ll be the one to tell you. Not because he’s any less nervous, but because keeping it to himself would become too much to bear. Of course he’ll be a shaking nervous wreck, but once he starts his onslaught of praise for you he’ll loosen up and put his entire soul into it. He wants you to know how special you are to him and how much it would mean to him if you were to return his affection.

☆If it ended up you two were smitten, he’d be overjoyed. Expect a barrage of light kisses and hugs on the spot the minute you tell him you’ve felt the same way the whole time.

☆If his confession caught you off guard, he’d hope you’d at least give him a chance. He’d understand if you didn’t despite the fact it’d sting like hell for him, but he’d hold out for the best outcome either way.

☆If YOU were the one who approached him to tell him, he wouldn’t know how to respond at first! He’s wanted this so bad, but he never expected you’d be the one to come to him. Of course he’d tell you he loves you too, but not without short circuiting out of pure joyful shock first.

☆Bonus:☆

☆L/N: You thought normal Kaito was shy about his feelings. L/N Kaito is worse. This man is mortified to speak to you and prefers to fawn over you from a distance. You’re going to have to be the one to catch him and lay all your tender feelings on him. Once you have him though, he’ll gradually start to open up to you and only you. ☆WxS: He’s always trying to impress you, whether it be magic tricks, voice impressions, monologues from a play, or some sort of crazy stunt Miku taught him. He’s planning on asking you out via a magic act, by the way. ☆VBS: Everytime you see him, he’s either got a new brew of coffee for you to try, a baked good he made himself for you to taste, or a new mix for you to listen to. You’re his motivation! There was never a formal confession, but a touching of hands on the DJ board one day when he was showing you how he makes his music and a heat-of-the-moment peck on the lips after that sealed the deal for the two of you. ☆MMJ: You’re a distraction. A lovely, lovely, distraction. He can’t get any stagehand work done when you’re around, or when you’re on his mind. If only he wasn’t so busy, he could talk to you more. If you offer to help him with his handiwork, you may just get him to slip up and tell you how he really feels. ☆N25: Good luck. He’s a proud one, and isn’t going to drop the act for anyone. Except for you of course, when you’re alone and there’s nobody else around to see him. He’s honest with himself and you regarding his feelings, and he’s just as passionate as he is irritable. He loves aggressively, but not so much as to break your boundaries. You belong to him, but in the best possible way.

...cool fun fact. I've been trying to write a fic of N25 Kai and it keeps uh. going in an interesting direction. I had to put it down for a little bit because some life stuff came up but if I ever get around to finishing it, lord have mercy on all of you. anyway, thanks for readin' and I hope you enjoyed <3

#selfship headcanons #selfship #writing #vocaloid headcanons #x reader #kaito x reader #kaito x master #kaito #kaito vocaloid #yumejoshi #self insert #headcannons #zeephwrites

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geddy-leesbian · 11 months ago

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SERRENNEDY POKEMON CROSSOVER AU FOR SERRENNEDY WEEK!!

As you can see above, this is very angsty. Leon and Luis both have a lot of trauma and Baggage. Luis almost has a panic attack and does some trauma dumping.

While there's no explicit smut on screen, there's a moment that gets kinda steamy and a fade to black/implied sex scene.

(oh and personally I feel very awkward swapping things out with pokemon terminology, like using "Arceus" instead of "God" so there is normal swearing here)

“Dr. Serra Navarro?”

“Well, yes, that is me, but typically I prefer Professor Serra,” His eyes wander all over Leon. “Though for someone as pretty as you, I prefer just Luis. Is there something I can help you with?”

Leon was afraid that he was going to go all the way to Alola only to find out it was all a complete waste because Professor Serra actually was just a professor unfortunate enough to share a name with a Team Rocket scientist. But that outcome is already ruled out. Either this guy is the lead he's been seeking for years, or he's an innocent professor that Leon will ask out on a date.

Due to excitement over finally finding a new lead, this trip was hastily put together, and Leon didn't realize how young Dr. Serr– Luis was. Once he confirmed that Luis was from Johto, he didn't go any deeper. He did see a couple pictures, but didn't pay much attention, and assumed the youthfulness was because they were older pictures. His assumption was very wrong. Luis is about his age and way too good-looking. The length of his grayish pink hair is braided, and the loose bangs are fluffy. His tinted glasses are a little too big for his face, but in a cute way. He's taller than Leon. And his outfit is fucking stupid. Shirtless under a lab coat. So stupid. It's hot.

A date with him will make this trip more than worth it.

“I just have some questions for you.”

“About? Are you a parent, or..? I don't think I've seen you around before, but I don't usually get anyone else dropping in on me like this…”

Shit. Leon really should have thought of a cover story beforehand. But in addition to not thoroughly researching Luis enough, he was also too high on the excitement of finally finding something after years of searching to bother thinking through what he'd say.

“Just heard about you, found your past interesting. From Johto originally, was wondering how it affected you. If you had any run-ins with Team Rocket.”

And it looks like Leon will not be going on a date with a handsome professor tonight. This is the guy. He recovers quickly, but for a split second, the phrase ‘Team Rocket’ invokes some panic in his expression.

“No. I was fortunate enough to never have encountered them.”

“You know anything about Mew?”

“Yes, of course? What kind of a professor would I be if I didn't? Mythical pokemon from deep in jungles in South America. Believed to be the ancestor of all pokemon.”

“What about Mewtwo?”

“I've heard the rumors, yes. A clone of Mew that was heavily genetically modified. But I believe that those are just that, rumors. There is no real substance to the claims.”

“Cinnabar Island. That's where you worked when Team Rocket captured and imprisoned Mew. You cruelly experimented on Mew. You helped create Mewtwo.”

“Who in the hell do you think you are, showing up at my doorstep to accuse me of such insane things?!”

“International Police!” Luis starts to shut the door, but Leon blocks the door with his foot. While he wasn't wearing his full uniform, he did bring his badge and takes it out to flash to Luis. He sees some purple fur coming up behind Luis. Must be an espeon, coming to protect its trainer. “Put that in its pokeball and open the door. Now.”

“I will do no such thing! I'm not proud of what I did back then, but I've done my best to leave it all behind, build a new life for myself. I will not allow you, or anyone else, to rip all of that away from me.”

“Not proud of what you did back then? So you admit it?”

“It doesn't matter. Arrest me if you really want, but it won't be anything more than a waste of time for the both of us. I'll maybe spend a night or two in jail, then be let go without charges being filed because I have a good reputation here and you have no evidence. If you try to tell anyone I confessed to involvement with Team Rocket, they won't believe you. You'll ruin your own reputation.”

“I do have evidence! Documents connecting you to the Mew experiments and the creation of Mewtwo.”

Luis actually starts laughing.

“You don't know as much as you think you do then. You find my name on a scrap of paper in the crumbling ruins of a lab, and think you know my life story! So arrogant! Yes, I did work at the Cinnabar lab, but I did not contribute to the creation of Mewtwo. I did not experiment on Mew. I have never had the privilege to even see the legendary Mew in the flesh. Mewtwo had already been created and Mew had already escaped before I was even hired. I can prove that your supposed timeline of my work history is impossible in court, so good luck getting a conviction!”

Leon moves his foot and lets Luis shut the door, and slinks away from his house with his tail between his legs.

…

Leon checks into a motel. He turns the TV on, but he can't focus on it. His mind can't stop wandering back to the conversation, analyzing every word. He fucked up.

“I'm not proud of what I did back then.”

He really fucked up. That could have been a very good angle. Tell Luis that this is his chance to atone and right his wrongs by telling Leon everything he knows about Team Rocket. Maybe even offer some kind of immunity deal if he still seemed hesitant.

But he had to get hot headed and fuck it all up. His first lead in years, and he blew it.

Not ready to admit defeat quite yet, he decides to give himself a day to cool his head off, before trying again. At least Alola offers plenty of distractions. He's not one for most of the tourist trap shit, but distracts himself with hikes through some scenic, and more importantly, rugged terrains. Pushing his body always helps him get his mind together. It's isolated enough that he can let all of his pokemon out too.

Something else Alola offers is a brutal sun. Leon didn't think to buy any sunscreen, and has a bad burn across his face by the end of the day. He's been through far worse, the pain is nothing to him, but he is annoyed at himself for being so stupid. His pokemon were quite happy with the exercise and exploration though, and his head feels clearer, so overall it was a pretty successful day.

…

A knock at Luis's door again. Rattled by yesterday, the knocking gives him a spike of anxiety. Still, he gets up to answer it, in case it's a student or parent that needs something.

He looks through the peephole and sees the same pretty International Police agent that came by yesterday. Luis really doesn't want to open the door. But he's worried it'll be worse if he doesn't and the man busts the door down. Besides, Espeon seems at ease with the situation, not alarmed and protective like she was yesterday. So he opens the door a bit, keeping the chain lock secure in case he tries to get in. (He would certainly be able to break the chain, but at least it would buy Luis a few extra seconds to try to think of a desperate plan.)

“Hello, officer! What are you here to threaten me with today?” Not wanting the agent to know how shaken he is, he turns up the sarcasm in an attempt to mask any nervousness. “Going to accuse me of experimenting on Arceus?

“No. No accusations today. Sorry, about yesterday. Wasn't polite to you. Can I try to make up for it, buy you dinner?”

“You can't seriously believe I'm going to just walk right into whatever kind of trap this is?”

“It's not a trap. Just feel bad about yesterday, I swear. I'm Leon, by the way. Think I forgot to mention it before.”

Luis goes to shut the door, but Espeon seems determined that Leon should be heard out, and telekinetically lifts the chain and nudges the door open. Leon smiles, and it cuts right through Luis's fear.

“I don't like you, and I don't trust you. But…” The prettiest man that Luis has ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on is trying to buy him dinner. (The angry red sunburn on his face does make him the tiniest bit less pretty, but he's still incredibly pretty.) Whether it's a date or something else, turning him down goes against everything Luis believes in. “I suppose I'm willing to put that aside for a free meal.”

“Look, you have every right to feel that way. But I really regret yesterday, I swear. It's just this subject… My parents were Team Rocket. Died on a mission,” Leon hates talking about this. With anyone. Back in his pokemon trainer days, before deciding to join the International Police, he'd had some time in the limelight. First as a rising star gym challenger, then as a champion. He always sidestepped questions when interviewers started asking about family. He especially hates talking about it to a member of Team Rocket. But this is the price he pays for fucking up yesterday. If he wants Luis to trust him and give him what he came for, he needs to give something himself. “Never knew details until I started investigating some stuff related to Team Rocket, found out they died on one of the expeditions looking for Mew. So this whole topic just gets me hot headed and dumb and I say things I don't mean and regret.”

“Well, it sounds like you shouldn't be an International Police agent then, if you can't separate your own personal issues from the job.”

“Yeah, maybe I shouldn't be…” Leon says, because what else is there to say? Luis isn't wrong. “C'mon, dinner. Walked past a restaurant on the way here, you know if it's any good?”

“Yes, we can eat there. By the way, are you aware that your face is extremely sunburned? I have stuff I could put on to help it.”

“Food first. Maybe after.”

“Suit yourself. I'm going to change, I'll be out in a minute.”

Luis ditches the lab coat and comes out with a top on, something that disappoints Leon more than it should. At least it's just a vest that shows off a decent amount of his chest. His hair is down today, and it somehow makes him look even better.

Leon regretted the way he approached Luis yesterday, but initially it wasn't because of guilt. Even if it wasn't Mewtwo, there was something Luis was involved in. He only denied experimenting on Mew and creating Mewtwo, he admitted he was a member of Team Rocket. Luis deserved the harsh treatment, he had only regretted it because Luis could be useful to him. But he does feel a small twinge of guilt for demanding he put his espeon in its pokeball when it follows Luis out the door and he sees that it has a service pokemon vest on. Maybe Luis would have felt safe and opened the door if he could keep Espeon out.

“I can walk there fine,” Luis says, noticing Leon looking at the harness. “I have an injury from a long time ago that flares up from time to time, but Espeon can sense when I'm going to have problems with it, gives me warning, and helps me not fall on my face when it does act up and I struggle keeping my balance. But it is fine most days.”

They sit across from each other, Espeon laying under the table by Luis's feet. Leon has to keep reminding himself that this is not a date. This is an attempt to get Luis to move past yesterday's harsh treatment so Leon can have a second chance at interrogating him. Despite his attempts to not ogle Luis, Leon can't help himself, and notices something very interesting. Scars. The biggest one is on his chest, and another on his cheek.

Being in a public place seems to put Luis at ease. Somewhat, he's at least smiling and looking more relaxed. As it probably should. Leon is dying to grill Luis about the “injury from a long time ago” and the scars he's noticed since sitting down. But this isn't the time or place.

“So… Small talk time?” God. This is actually a fucking date. “How long you been a cop? And why are you still poking around with Team Rocket? They're not a problem anymore. Disbanded twice, no activity in years. One would think the International Police might have some, ah, you know, actual problems to deal with, eh?”

“Been one for a few years. There's not a lot of resources being used up for it anymore, but it still matters to me personally,” There's actually no resources spent on it. Leon isn't here on official International Police business. The Team Rocket hunt is just vigilante shit Leon does on his own time. “Just because they've stopped doesn't mean they shouldn't be brought to justice for the past. Their leader slipped away, it just doesn't sit right with me. I'm trying to nail as many members who slipped away as possible,” Luis's smile disappears. “As far as justice goes, I'm mostly concerned about the big fish. Leader, executives. Finding small fish is just a good way to get leads on the big ones.”

“So if I understand, you help the small fish, they help you? They tell you everything they know about the big fish, and in exchange you don't come down hard on them?” Leon smiles and nods. It'll probably take longer than it should have because he'll need to build some trust after freaking the fuck out their first conversation, but Luis will play the game and give him what he came for. Luis's smile comes back. “Well, interesting… How have your investigations been going?”

“I've made some good leads,” That's a complete lie. Finding Luis's name in the ruins of Cinnabar Island is literally the only lead he's had in years. But telling Luis that will make him feel empowered. “William's out there somewhere, just a matter of time until I find him. Or until he gets tired of licking his wounds in secret and re-emerges on his own, something I'm hoping to at least make harder for him by picking off people he'll need to organize.”

…

“Do you want to come in?” Is Luis trying to have sex with him right now? They did just go on a date, after all. Why doesn't Leon want to say no? “So I can help you with your sunburn.”

Shit. Leon needs to get his mind out of the gutter.

Leon sits on Luis's couch, and Luis drags a stool over by the couch to sit on while he gently rubs ointment across his face with his (gloved) hands. Their faces are so close together. Leon has to stop looking at his face, because he wants to lean forward and kiss Luis. So he looks down. At Luis's neck. A fatal mistake. Before his brain can even process what his body's doing, he's pulling Luis forward, off the stool and onto Leon's knee. His teeth are sinking into Luis's neck.

As soon as he realizes what he's done, he hopes that Luis is going to ask him what the hell he's doing and get up off of him, because he's not sure he'll be able to control himself if Luis is into this too.

Of course Leon isn't that lucky. Luis moans at the first bite. He moans again and grinds down on Leon's knee with the second bite. The third bite has him yanking off the ointment covered rubber gloves and just tossing them on the floor, so he can start exploring Leon's body with his hands.

“I wish I could make some quip about buying me dinner first, but you quite literally did just buy me dinner, so… And really, I would be happy with this even if you hadn't,” Leon just keeps biting as Luis rambles. Now there's a hand in his hair, that clenches around or tugs at it with every bite. There's another hand working the button on his vest, and Leon is quite impressed by his finesse. With one hand and without even looking, Luis quickly has all of them unbuttoned. Though it doesn't get him to the bareskin he's desperately trying to get to, Leon also has a button down undershirt on. Luis doesn't bother unbuttoning all of them, just a couple so he can reach the bareskin of Leon's chest. “Someone as pretty as you doesn't need to buy me dinner, they can just do whatever they'd like to me. You're a cop, you have handcuffs? I'm into that.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Leon pushes him off his lap and gets up, then picks Luis up bridal style. Partially because he wants to give Luis a subtle reminder that he isn't just some small-time cop. He is, in fact, a very well trained special agent in peak physical condition. But mostly because there's a very specific place he wants to carry Luis to. He wasn't lying about someone like Leon being able to do whatever; he readily accepts being picked up, wrapping his arms around Leon's neck. “Where's your bedroom?”

…

“I didn't know I was working for Team Rocket initially. They had things very well compartmentalized. I was hired by a shell company. They had a contract with Devon Corp, so it really seemed like a completely legitimate company.”

In the afterglow, Luis finally starts speaking about his past. Leon briefly wonders if this makes him a whore. He isn't getting money for having sex with Luis, but he is getting information. Something even more valuable to him. The entire reason he's here.

But intent matters, right? Leon didn't start biting his neck because he wanted information. He didn't suck his dick because he wanted information. He didn't put him in handcuffs and sit on his face because he wanted information. He did all of it just because he wanted to. Just because Luis is hot enough that Leon temporarily forgot that he hated him. He was fully prepared to just go back to his motel room after, without any additional info from Luis, and just keep building the trust. So while he's not a whore, he definitely is a slut. Whatever. He's making more progress in his investigation than he has in years, it's fine.

“I was in a research team focused on mega evolution, specifically artificial mega evolution,” Luis continues. “Devon had recently perfected an artificial pokemon line, Beldum. They wanted us to find a way to make Metagross mega evolve. It was no easy task… But we did it. We tinkered around, created an artificial mega stone that metagross would respond to. We researched further, tweaking things to modify metagross's mega form, until we felt it was powerful enough. I was informed that Devon was extremely pleased with the work, and given a promotion, to be the head researcher on a new project my company started…”

“Guessing that's when you started at the Cinnabar lab?”

Luis says nothing, just stares down blankly, frozen. Leon reaches for a pokeball on the nightstand, and lets his sylveon out. It knows exactly what to do, approaching Luis to wrap its ribbon feelers around his arm. Leon hadn't ever wanted a sylveon. He had wanted his eevee to evolve into an espeon, actually. He thought the psychic abilities would be useful in his line of work. But it evolving into a sylveon instead has been a happy accident. Its calming abilities can be surprisingly useful.

“Yes, it was,” Luis answers. He's still wincing at the memories, but Sylveon's soothing aura is preventing him from having a full-blown panic attack and shutting down. “All I was told beforehand was that it was another project related to artificial mega stones. This was when the Alola research about mega evolution being cruel on the pokemon was starting to come out, so in my naivete I assumed we'd be modifying natural mega stones in ways that would make it easier on the pokemon. I knew something was deeply wrong when I was led downstairs. Armed guards. There was a whole maze of hallways and locked gates. As I said yesterday, Mewtwo was already created by this point. It had also escaped once and only narrowly recaptured, so there was much stronger security. I was never alone, there were always at least two armed guards with me at all times. It wasn't just to keep Mewtwo from getting out, it was also to keep me in. I knew it was wrong, it made my stomach churn, but I did the work. I did what was asked of me. We made two artificial mega stones tailored to Mewtwo. Two different stones, two different forms with different strengths.”

Despite Sylveon's feelers, and now Espeon's face rubbing against his other arm, Luis breaks down sobbing.

“You're okay. You're safe,” Leon whispers. Sylveon moves away from Luis's lap, laying down at the end of the bed, so that Leon can wrap his arms around him. As helpful as soothing pokemon like Sylveon can be, sometimes people just need human touch. Leon wants to press for more information right away, but he's not going to repeat yesterday's mistake. He has to go slow, he can't risk pushing Luis away and making him shut down before he's gotten all the information he can out of him. “You don't have to tell me the rest right now. Take all the time you need, okay, sweetheart?”

Jesus Christ. He just had sex with a member of Team Rocket, and now he's calling him sweetheart. At least he's making progress.

Luis just clings to Leon and sobs for a few minutes, before finally speaking again.

“I didn't want to, Leon. I didn't want to. I didn't have a choice. They were forcing me to, they would hurt me if I didn't, and I couldn't get help. Not from gym leaders. Everyone knows that William was the Viridian gym leader, but it went so much deeper than anyone knew. The lab was right by the Cinnabar gym, Wesker was the gym leader and heavily involved in all of the Team Rocket science research. Alexia, Saffron's leader at the time, was quite involved too and came to the lab regularly. The ones who weren't involved were getting paid off to look the other way. The police were paid off too,” Leon entwines one of his hands with Luis's and squeezes it, presses chaste kisses onto his neck, trying to encourage him to keep talking. This is a goldmine. He's long suspected there was a lot of corruption in Kanto and some intentional incompetence during the initial Team Rocket investigations, but could never get anything solid. And the fact that there were other gym leaders directly involved is actually news to him. “It was so screwed up what we were doing, I lost sleep over it, I barely ate because I had no appetite. Until one day…”

A loud, choked sob.

“Mewtwo got out again. All the new precautions weren't enough. It attacked all of us, we deserved it… It was a lab, there were scalpels, lots of glass to break, so many sharp objects that it lifted with its mind to hurl at us. That's how I got all my scars. The worst wound was in my back. It almost killed me, if it had pushed the bone saw in even just a little bit deeper, I would have died. I only survived because… It wasn't luck, it didn't make a mistake, it chose not to wound me fatally, because… Because I think it got in my head, it didn't say anything but it made eye contact with me, and saw that I wasn't a willing participant in its torture. The room after, blood… So much… I was the only one spared, it killed all the others.”

Luis untangles himself from Leon and lays down, closing his eyes. Seems like that's all the information he's getting tonight. Which he isn't upset about, it's a lot, far more than he was expecting. He'd like to know more about Mewtwo, where it ended up after this, and of course he needs more details about Wesker and Alexia.

“Stay?” Luis asks quietly, when Leon starts getting dressed. “Please?”

“Yeah,” Leon does still reach for his pants, but doesn't put them on, just fishes out his notepad so he can write everything down while it's still fresh. “Okay, I'll stay.”

It's dangerous. Leon is so close to liking this guy. Something he needs to not do, because Luis very much has the potential to be dangerous. The main reason Leon had been so hot headed and harsh to him initially is because he thought he got away with everything. He thought that Luis was a monster, and, instead of paying for his crimes, just walked away completely unscathed. Just moved to a new region, was completely accepted, became a pokemon professor, a pillar of the community. A role model.

But that's been shattered. While it may not have been in the traditional route, Luis has paid for his crimes. Is paying for them. Leon is cynical enough that he might have believed everything was just bullshit to manipulate him under other circumstances, but there's enough that it's undeniable. There's more than just faded scars that could have been the result of anything, he has an actual service pokemon. Years later, his injuries are still problematic enough for him to need that assistance. And clearly, he is genuinely traumatized. No one is that good at acting, Team Rocket is truly a trigger for him.

The issue is that Leon doesn't know why it's a trigger. Even injured and traumatized, Luis could be dangerous. The best case scenario is that he's been completely with Leon, and truly hates what he did. The worst case scenario is that he doesn't feel any guilt for his actions, and his near death experience was the only source of the trauma, without any emotional side to it.. Even injured and traumatized, Luis has the potential to be very dangerous.

“Hey, Luis?” Leon whispers after he's done jotting down notes about what Luis said, hoping he's not already asleep. His eyes flutter open. “Is it fine if I let my growlithe out? Usually sleep with it.”

“Go ahead. Just don't leave me. I don't want to wake up alone.”

He should leave. Luis is dangerous. Luis is Team Rocket. And Leon might already be a little bit in love with him, and needs to get the fuck away from him before he falls in even deeper.

But he doesn't. Instead he lets Growlithe out, turns off the lamp on the nightstand, and spoons Luis. He falls asleep with his arms wrapped around him, face buried in his fluffy hair. Espeon sleeps on the floor in its own little bed, while Growlithe and Sylveon lay down by their feet.

#serennedy week 2024 #serennedy #serrennedy #luis serra #leon kennedy #luis sera navarro #leon s kennedy #resident evil fanfiction #resident evil 4 #re4 remake #re4make #re4 #🔥𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒔🔥

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utilitycaster · 5 months ago

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SDCC panel good so far, EXTREMELY EXCITED for TLOVM and Mighty Nein, loved Laura's answer about playing Emhira, think Krystina is an incredible host for these and I hope she continues to play that role (also I know she is very cool and very busy but would love to see her back on CR again!) so anyway here's my quick takes on audience questions:

the one about Ashley's character creation process: GREAT question and great answer from Ashley!

Future of Exandria question: ngl it's like, this would be a great question if this weren't actual play, but it is and so it's sort of impossible to really get a meaningful answer.

Revisiting VM/Nein characters: I feel the best way to ask more personal or process questions is like, the Ashley question where it is specific; on some level, any "how does it feel" question is going to get an answer of either "good!" or "bad!". That said the cast did elaborate in some fun ways!

If you were a god and could change someone's fate: see end of this post for a discussion of what makes a good question but basically this is a good question.

Session Zero question: VINDICATION; I have been saying from about the Bassuras arc "hmmm it feels the cast did NOT get the same background as they did for C2."

Not a question but the "Sam's fine, he's not here bc he is on a real vacation" is very funny

Balancing the antagonists and heroes: good question! I do think one of Matt's biggest strengths is that he is very good at having the world continue even when the characters are fucking around so it's great to hear his take on how he manages it.

Daggerheart question: great question, very professionally noncommittal answer from Marisha (this is a compliment, she fields those really gracefully)

Laura and Travis question: as someone who draws perhaps stronger parasocial barriers than many, eh, but also answered very gracefully

Music question: YESSSSSSS excellent question, please do drop your new playlists! I do need to briefly note that hilariously, No Church in the Wild was on a Keyleth playlist.

OK so here is what makes a good convention panel question for Critical Role, imo:

Lore or worldbuilding questions that are not too speculative (ie, for which there does exist an answer; 'what would have happened if things went differently' is really hard to answer other than 'shit would be really different')

Specific process questions, like the one to Ashley, the one about balancing heroes and antagonists or the Session Zero one. Really vague "how does it feel" ones can be good but it really depends on whether a cast member finds something specific to hone in on.

Fun stuff that is not invasively personal (music question, the "if you could change one person's fate as an Exandrian deity what would you do, that one question where someone asked Travis about D&D characters on a football team)

What makes for a bad one:

anything overly long, keep it moving

anything extremely personal, this is weird and someone should have taught you not to do this before you were old enough to attend a convention

anything that boils down to "would my preferred ship or outcome have happened had things been wildly different", this is impossible to answer accurately and more importantly asking creators to validate your headcanons directly is tacky, you should wait for that to be dropped when you were not expecting it or else be like "anyway, this is what I believe" and not give a shit what the creators say

#cr tag

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yupuffin · 2 months ago

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why are you acting like its amatonormativity that forces people to want to live with their spouse? unironically romantic attraction just makes most people want that. like would i rather live in the same house as the person i really enjoy sleeping next to, have sex with, feel ok being naked in front of, and the person i love just being able to hug or cuddle any time.... or my cousin and have to ration shower time, stress about where to take my dates, etc.

I think this ask is actually effective at pointing out a couple aspects of amatonormativity that put aroace people at a systemic disadvantage when they're perpetuated. I'll go ahead and identify them here under the assumption that this ask is in good faith.

For clarity's sake, I'll start it off with the definition of amatonormativity: "the set of societal assumptions that everyone prospers with an exclusive romantic relationship" (from Wikipedia, emphasis is my own).

"Romantic attraction makes people want to live with their spouse" is indeed a generally true statement, and semantically speaking, this statement is not, by itself, inherently amatonormative.

However, this ask proposes an "either/or" situation in which living with one's spouse or living with one's cousin are two mutually exclusive scenarios; the statement about wanting to live with someone you're romantically involved with becomes amatonormative when you introduce the assumption of exclusivity, i.e. that living with your spouse necessarily means that you cannot also live with your cousin.

In reality, very generally speaking, there is no rule preventing a married person from living in a household that includes both their spouse and their cousin (or other cohabitant[s]). A lot of times, people just don't, because under amatonormative societal expectations, that scenario isn't even presented as a possibility. Cohabiting with someone who's not a romantic partner is widely seen either as a last resort or as a short-term arrangement, while, conversely, exclusive cohabitation with a romantic partner is set as a long-term goal that's allegedly preferable to any other possibility. So with some logical deductions, you could see how this would be disproportionately harmful to people who don't have or want a romantic partner.

It should go without saying that, in any real-world situation, there's a lot of practical factors that come into play regarding cohabitant compatibility and such. However, said factors apply to any relationship, not just a specific type. Interpersonal relationships involve communication, setting expectations, and solving problems, regardless of who they're with. People will necessarily get along better with some other people and not as well with some other people.

Inversely, it's entirely possible for people to be in a situation where they get along worse with their spouse than they do with their cousin, or indeed, anyone who's not their spouse. It's far from uncommon for people to end up in situations where they're married to someone who objectively sucks. (And/or maybe their cousin is legitimately just that awesome of a person!) Speaking personally, I have plenty of examples in my workplace alone, not to mention people I know second- or third-hand, of people in this exact situation, for a wide variety of reasons, including sheer societal pressure -- that is, subscription to the belief that everyone prospers married.

All too often, it ends up in a kind of logical loop of them believing that, because their relationship is romantic in nature, it must necessarily be more mutually beneficial than their other relationships -- which is not always the case, and they end up gravely overestimating just how good the relationship actually is for them.

Again, there are as many possible outcomes as there are individual situations in the world; likewise, without knowing way more details about your interpersonal relationships than necessary, I can't make any definitive assessments or judgment calls about the nature of your compatibility or lack thereof with someone -- so I say this more as a precaution than anything else: the generalized belief that relationships with a spouse are inherently better, that they're higher in priority and more exclusive, than those with a cousin or anyone else, is a defining factor of amatonormativity.

So, to bring it back to the original ask: yes, romantic involvement can and often does make you want to live with someone. However, romantic involvement is not a prerequisite to cohabiting, nor does cohabiting necessitate a romantic relationship, nor does romantic involvement alone necessarily guarantee long-term compatibility as far as cohabiting goes.

The first statement alone is not inherently amatonormative. Factor in the latter three assumptions, though, and boom, you have amatonormativity and its general effect on housing situations in a nutshell.

#ask yu #aroace #amatonormativity

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drconstellation · 1 year ago

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Liberty versus the Tree of Life

TW: Discussion of death and grief

I received a question from @lickthecowhappy the other day on one of my metas that I'm going to try and address in this post. This is going to wander into some pretty heavy areas, and discuss some implications for S3.

They asked:

"What do you think about comparing "give me liberty (coffee) or give me death" with gaining free will via the tree of knowledge but losing access to the tree of life in the process?"

On one hand this might look like a simple choice between two things, but its not - there are shades of grey, of course. Can the two (liberty/death vs. knowledge/life) be compared? Yes - in a way. But we need to unpack the question in its entirety first.

"Give me liberty, or give me death!"

This famous quote that forms the basis of the name of Nina's coffee shop is from a reconstructed speech given by the American politician Patrick Henry in 1775, as the colonists prepared to fight against the British Empire. It is worth us having a look at the extended excerpt of the speech quoted from Wikipedia in context of what we know is coming in S3:

If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come. It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

If the mention of Boston wasn't there, you could almost read that as a crazy synopsis of S2 and S3. The Great War, that wasn't considered concluded satisfactorily and must be restarted and finished once and for all, has begun again, and is on its inexorable way. There will be storms. Some see the outcome in black and white - you either win or die; there is no other option, because they do not dare entertain it.

The fandom seems quite settled with the analogy of liberty and freedom = coffee, and six shots of espresso is Crowley's coffee preference, because he loves and protects his freedom with a passion. Crowley is that coffee, in a way - long, dark and richly intense. He is a champion of free will. Even as a demon he still gives those he tempts the choice to make their own mistakes. So how do we apply this to the coffee the Metatron offers Aziraphale, and the other option, death?

The coffee the Metatron orders and forces on Aziraphale is a message, and a warning, to the angel - "I know all about you and your demon partner." The shot of coffee in it is Crowley, the oat milk is to say Aziraphale has maybe gone a bit too far with things with Crowley while on Earth, and the almond syrup is to say they have been watched and observed do so. This is confirmed when the Metatron mentions that he knows that Aziraphale and Crowley have formed a de facto partnership.

And where would Aziraphale get his Crowley from if he went back to Heaven?

What about death? Is it a real option? What does the option of death mean anyway?

If you are not familiar with the Tarot deck, the Death card can seem quite alarming. A skeleton in black armour strides over a fallen king - death does not care for rank or position. Death cares not for riches, they will not hold it at bay. Nor will prayers. Death does not care what age you are, either. But the small, kneeling child holds a posy of flowers up as if in greeting, the only one prepared to face the rider on the pale horse; this is because children are not as always as set in their ways as adults are, and can adapt to change more easily.

Experienced Tarot users know that is what the Death card signifies when it appears: Change. Something is coming to and end, but something else is about to start as well. It's not a physical death, its a spiritual or metaphorical death. It should be a welcomed card, as it indicates there is a promise renewal and new beginnings on the horizon (see the dawning sun between the two pillars in the top right of the card?) and all one has to do is surrender to the inevitable change. But like death, making changes can sometime be a hard, fearful thing to face. Facing death, either your own or someone else's, is ultimately about accepting change.

Surrender to the British is not what Patrick Henry wanted to do. He wanted to keep the liberty he had in the new world.

But death was the only viable option Aziraphale had.

"So predictable," remarked the Metatron to Nina, when she told him people don't ever ask for death in response to his question. Death is present in Nina's coffee shop - it's the green colour on the inside walls.

I haven't done much colour meta lately but I have been doing a lot of research on them, as I realized the original meta I wrote needed a major revision, which I plan to do soon. Green was one of those colours that needed more work.

The green on the inside walls actually has two meanings, which are both specifically tied to the coffee shop, but the first one is Death, with the capital D. This is one of the Four Horsepeople lurking in the background of S2, as Armageddon prepares to ramp up again. War is on the label of the wine bottle Crowley has in S2E5, Famine is the Marley Horse statue that Crowley puts his sunglasses on inside the bookshop, and where the stone-shaped Eccles cakes are placed in offering. Death is waiting inside the coffee shop, right next to the constraining sky-blue moral lawfulness of Heaven.

Death rides a pale horse, but the word used to describe it, "chloros," actually translates to a "pale greenish-yellow." That would have looked a bit sickly inside the coffee shop, I think, so they used a more complimentary shade of green, and one that would double up with a second meaning. Green is also the colour associated with new beginnings and the resurrection. That's why the outside of The Resurrectionist pub is dark green - it's got nothing to do with Hell (at least, I don't think it does, in this case!)

The Second Coming is in progress. Armageddon is underway again. Someone in Heaven is determined to see the supposed Great Plan come to fruition.

The Riddle of the Sphinx

In Sophocles play Oedipus Rex the titular character meets the Sphinx on a hill outside of Thebes. The monster has been devouring travelers who do not answer her riddle correctly.

"What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

Clever Oedipus replies with "Man," and defeated, the Sphinx departs, removing her curse from the city.

A baby crawls on four limbs into childhood, then two legs into adulthood, then on three legs with a cane for an aid into old age. This is the natural progression of life. You would not want to remain an infant forever, and similarly if you have children wouldn't you wish to see them progress from childhood to adulthood and have children of their own?

Remember Momento mori? It's a major theme in the series. Remember that you die. It's a reminder that cycles must end and restart, and that death is an important part of life. We saw the Starmaker set up a star factory, but even stars die eventually, and need to die, to make new stars. The universe recycles itself, that is how it keeps going. Sometimes we need a reminder that life is short, although sometimes it seems too long as well.

I think we too easily forget that our ineffable duo, as angel and demon, are entities that can effortlessly travel between these two worlds of life and death, as we humans see it. It's their business to do so, after all. As supernatural beings, they are eternally alive, and death has a different meaning to them - it's destruction that they fear.

The Tree of Knowledge & The Tree of Life

Aziraphale's role as Guardian of the Eastern Gate was to prevent humans returning to the Garden of Eden to access the Tree of Life after they had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge.

The Tree of Knowledge gave us questioning, curiosity and imagination. We learned, we created and in doing so made choices - we used free will. But in taking this liberty it gave us the responsibility for ourselves. It supposedly gave us the concept of sin and doing wrong, and also shorter lives to help us deal with the "agony" of this.

And the other option, the Tree of Life, that is apparently so dangerous we must be kept away from it? Is it death? No, quite the opposite - it offers eternal life, and redemption from sin. In short - a state of no change - and no choice.

To access the Tree of Life now the choice is made for you before you can arrive in front of it, in the Book of Life. If your name is in the Book on Judgement Day, you get to enter Paradise. If it is not, you will be cast down into a lake of burning sulfur (hmm, sounds familiar...) And that's it, forever and ever.

Is that really the ideal of Paradise? Yet we're made to fear the cyclic change and new growth that death brings, and want to yearn so much for the stagnation of Eternity that we rigidly structure our lives around a possible promise of it as a goal.

Eternal Life, Eternal Youth

Eternal life is not the same as eternal youth. In a cautionary tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses we have the Cumaean Sybil who lived a thousand years. She was the priestess of the oracle of Apollo at Cumae, near Naples, and apparently Apollo offered to grant her a wish in exchange for her virginity. She scooped up a handful of sand, and asked to be given as many years of life as there were grains of sand that she held. Later, she refused to sleep with the god, so he let her physical body wither away, because she had failed to ask for eternal youth as well. Her body shrunk as the years went by, and grew smaller and smaller, and eventually only her voice was left, kept contained in a jar. (And here is a link to one of the books on Jim's bookshelf - Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is named after the ampulla that the Sybil's voice was said to have been kept in.)

Searching for a Fountain of Youth, or creating a Philosopher's Stone for immortality has a common theme in stories through history, even from earliest times. It can be seen as a blessing, or a curse, or a fool's errand. It's a quest that is still prevalent in our modern thinking - going to the gym to build muscle, cosmetic surgery for looks only etc Queer culture has long had an emphasis on youth and beauty and growing old is anathema; freezing the body in time like in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is an aim, but our fragile mortal frames just aren't made for that. Isn't it what is inside us that counts, not the label we have applied to it?

Choices, Choices...

The time has come to make a choice: will it be the stimulating coffee of free will, or the painful change and rebirth of death, that might lead to something even better?

Perhaps you want to try the other combination: Having control and responsibility over your own short life in exchange for having to live your life to a strict set of rules so that you can then exist forever in somebody else's idea of a static ideal afterwards.

I find I'm a bit biased. But you chose what you will.

“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” T. S. Eliot

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