#i just came to this revelation so correct me if im wrong

[milomilesmib]

Of course you're a gay abuse victim that wants a relationship like fizzmodeus where you feel safe and protected and loved without shame

[tonydaddingham]

I mean Neil said once that the sequel involved Jesus arriving in America on a plane with secret service agents, and the S2 opening sequence shows a plane, so I'm... fairly confident that he's an adult? Jesus died when he was like 33 right

afternoon anon!!!✨ see i recall this (ask on neil's page?) and remember the response but cannot for the life of me find it anywhere (and im pretty good at Finding Stuff), do you - or anyone else reading for that matter - have a link to this? just so i can save it for future reference.

now, i hope you don't mind if i do this, but i would like to use this opportunity to parse out a more coherent rationale on the second coming, if that's okay? yeah? cool.

(previous incarnation of this theory).

thing is that the premise of the baby swap in s1 is based on the omen, right? takes at least a huge chunk of inspiration from that as the origin of how the antichrist came into the story. but it goes wrong, obviously, and there's a third baby thrown in the mix. makes a cursory wave to the omen, but isn't a carbon copy of it.

now i can't help but feel that narratively it would make sense to bookend this and have the second coming be a bit bollocksed up too. seems to be a theme in GO. and actually, when i thought about it (with extreme bias, granted, because im chomping at the bit on this theory), the second coming was potentially already fucked up anyway.

now, disclaimer time -

i completely get that people will look to the bible in reference to parsing out the second coming (or indeed any other theory). obviously i do too, for references to certain verses etc. in order to draw the relevant parallels. but there are multiple instances in GO where it is based on the bible or other texts, but doesn't follow it exactly; how GO portrayed the book of job, for example. it takes these texts, and distorts or reimagines them slightly or completely.

the way i see it, we are reading/watching GO as if this is in fact the true telling of those texts, as if (and not trying to be diminutive here) the bible is an inaccurate telling of GO, not the other way around - because, of course, we're seeing GO from the angel and demon that were 'actually there', so to speak.

im not saying that this - or any - of my theories are indisputably correct, far from it. but to me, with the information i have from the narrative as first source, and then looking at the referenced texts that inspired it, what i come up with, and write, is what makes sense to me. and it might make sense because it would be poetically apt, is in-keeping with how i interpret the characters, and/or is just plain funny or ironic (GO is after all, a comedy).

so whilst i fully anticipate people to duly correct me on how it all goes down in the bible (as they should, i love being educated!!!), please know that im not trying to deliberately misinterpret anything, but more trying to think outside the box, from the viewpoint of the GO story itself, and what direction would make the most sense in which it will reimagine these texts.

- exit disclaimer.

anyway! theory time!

so we have the imagery from the s2 sequence of the "thy kingdom come" plane, and this is obviously a reference to the resurrection as you've said, anon: that jesus arrives by plane. i truly love this imagery because if we take matthew 24:36 (KJV): "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.", the concept that in the great plan the date and time might finally be revealed in the form of a flight number, airport, and ETA is frankly hilarious to me. furthermore, "cometh with clouds" (revelation, 1:7 KJV) being reimagined as a literal plane landing again sets up the comedic backdrop so well.

now wherever the plane lands, whether from the US or to the US (again, don't have the original neil answer to refer to, but going based on your ask, anon, it's the latter), it regardless involves americans. this is where i feel it would be a perfect narrative symmetry opportunity to refer back to s1/the book, and reintroduce the dowlings.

and you might be wondering, "well no because GO set up the dowlings to be involved only insomuch that they were meant to be custodians of the antichrist - why would they also be involved in the second coming?" well, i wondered this too. the only conclusion i can come to, frankly, is GO!god having a very warped, twisted and ineffable sense of humour. they saw what satan had planned for the dowlings in inadvertently raising the antichrist, possibly did a bit of shifting around in the mystical threads, and decided that actually - just to throw in the wildcard of chaos - they should instead be the bearers of the second coming. this degree of mind-boggling ineffability, to me, would be comedically on-brand.

regardless; whilst just a theory, the whole thing makes sense to me - that in any case, the dowlings are going to make a reappearance. and with them, or on his own (if we follow the biblical telling that jesus was resurrected as he was from the crucifixion, at age 33yo, and therefore would suggest a timeskip from s2, but this isn't necessarily guaranteed - ie: might not be how GO chooses to portray it!), comes warlock. now we know that warlock was meant to be the antichrist, before crowley and the nuns managed to bugger it all up.

but heaven wouldn't necessarily know that its the dowlings arriving, right? presumably they'd just all gather on the tarmac awaiting the arrival, and lmao SIKE, it's bloody warlock. heaven hasn't met warlock, and therefore still think he's in fact jesus resurrected... but aziraphale has met him. he helped bloody raise him. and he knows now that he is essentially a normal kid/adult (albeit a very stuck-up one) and definitely not the second coming.

well then, if jesus was meant to be on that plane, according to the great plan, a plane being used by the dowlings... then why isn't it warlock? well, because the dowlings' actual baby isn't warlock. lets go back to the baby swap in the book/s1:

*apols, editing to correct this somewhat because it isn't quite right and lateral thinking is not my strong suit*

ANTICHRIST was meant to go to: the DOWLINGS. instead, went to: the YOUNGS. this is Adam.

YOUNG BABY was meant to go to: stay with the YOUNGS, but got mixed up. instead, went to: the DOWLINGS. this is Warlock.

DOWLING BABY was meant to go to: adoption/something nefarious instead, and indeed did. this is... Greasy Johnson.

and i love this for all sorts of reasons. now im lifting this next bit, essentially, from another ask of mine, but to keep things all in one place:

"greasy is posed as the antithesis of adam/antichrist, has a gang surrounding him that you could infer are loyal disciples, and is a mirror to adam in that adam on the whole seems to be a well-adjusted and morally-upstanding young boy.

i further think the fact that adam is the antichrist put against greasy being the second coming is a well positioned reflection on the nature vs nurture argument. ultimately adam grew up in a largely loving and supportive environment, and as the literal son of satan, you'd expect his nature, the circumstances of his birth, to rule out every other influence.

ultimately it does for a short time, but adams narrative iirc is that it is reflective of his desire to save the world... he wanted to get rid of things that were Wrong, and naively (he is still an 11-year old boy after all) thought that destroying the world and restarting it would do just that. his friends however reinforce in him that destruction and reparation are not the same thing, and so his upbringing, the nurture, wins.

greasy? we don't know a lot about him, only that he is a bully and represents the opposite of adam and the them... [and there exists] the whole [sic] analogy that greasy and the johnsonites vs adam and the them are meant to represent the hell vs heaven war..."

and then we have this small, relatively innocuous detail from the book:

as i said, possibly something of nothing. but the deliberate wording of 'breeding the fish', which is left out of s1, is - i like to think - a bit of a clue.

and before anyone comes for me on this, i am aware that this is based practically on fuck all of jack shit; im painfully aware of that. im aware that it deliberately misinterprets certain passages (not going to do the soapbox speech again, promise), but i just like to have fun. i honestly do not care if this is wrong; whatever happens in s3 should and will be better than anything i can come up with. yes, it's fun to get a prediction or speculation correct, of course it is, but it's not the endgame here. i get that others will have conflicting schools of thought, see things differently, or just plain think it's crap - that's okay! but, if that's the case, just move on from this post with a shake of your head. im not here to do anything other than have a good time, lads (gn)✨💓

edit 21/08: additional reading because now i feel vindicated: here from amuseoffyre, and my tags on this post too.

[some-internet-stranger]

revalink!!

https://www.tumblr.com/dizzying-faust/614856861677699072?source=share

(Answering that Other ask gave me the motivation to answer this one as well)

Thank you for the ask, it was a TON of fun, even If it took me forever to answer. Also, a little warning, this Post is LONG as HECK and Kind of rambly

Revalink- Ship It!!!!!!!

What made you ship it?

I played Breath of the Wild in 2021 during the lockdown because I was finally bored enough I guess? (Funfact, I actually hated Botw before it came Out, because I was a little hater and didn't Like that the Zelda formula was changing lolol). The important takeaway Here is, that I already knew the Story and all memory cutscenes before I played it. The Other cutscenes Not included were new to me, however.

Revali was the first Champion I ended up saving (revali's gale is the best ability and I needed it for the towers). I was faintly aware of the existence of Revalink but never seriously considered it. Now while I was freeing the Terminals and got Bits and pieces of dialogue I thought that it was funny to interpret Revali having a crush on Link and that being the reason he's so mean to him. And it is funny tbh, but at that Point it was Just a joke to me.

And then came the fight against Wind blight, and oh. The dialogue right before?? The dialogue after?????? I should mention at this point that I played the Game in German, so many translations were different. In english, right before the fight, Revali said something along the lines of "Good luck (...) I only lost because I was winging it" and german He tells Link to be careful ("be careful, you hear me?")(also the delivery of that line, bro, voice actor was Not messing around) This in on itself didn't make me ship it, but it Set the tone.

The scene after the fight when Revali is saved and gives Link His gale... I almost dont know how to Put it into words, but the tension in this Scene? When He Looks at Link as If waiting for him to say something? When He Turns around "nevermind Just Go"??? It feels Like there are so many Things left unsaid, Like There's so much more to be said, even though their relationship is technically wrapped up at this point? It honestly caught me so off guard. Not one Scene with any of the Other Champions has this Kind of tension, Not even mipha (who is a Love interest for Link).

Well, then I went on Tumblr and my fate was basically sealed, lol.

TL:DR: because I played the game

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I Love the Potential of this ship! Theres so many ways how this can be insanely funny (this is one sided rivals to lovers, does it get any better than that?), it can be so incredible sad (death!! Amnesia!! Letting Go!!! One sided!!! Unspoken!!! Not meant to be!!! Lots of Other Things Im forgetting!!)

Its INSANE how Well they Work together, especially since I doubt it was done on purpose.

I have so many more thoughts, but I can't Put them together properly, so I'll leave it at that. The next point is Sort of a continuation of what I Love about this ship anyway

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

The fact that this ship isnt Canon and will/can never be canon is actually one of the best things about it, in my opinion (dont know If its an unpopular opinion)

It fits right in, in a way.

I Love it when two characters are written in a way, were they Sort of complete each other. Where they Share parallels, goals, have opposing personalities that still Match somehow, where they are each Others Drive and Motivation. Where their Stories Just fit so Well together that you know that they were clearly written for each other.

Link and Revali were Not meant to work Well together, Not Like this at least. Of course Revali was written as a foil to Link (correct me If I'm wrong please, I think this was the Case), so them being opposing is intentional.

If you think about these characters for a certain amount of time, Just slightly more in depth, you will find yourself with the revelation that they are so very similar, they would likely be able to be friends If they Just worked through their differences. But they never do! They never have the time/ are too caught Up in pushing others away in their own ways. They could have been something, but never ended Up being.

This ties so nicely into the theme of destiny and fate (kinda.... I feel Like despite setting this Up as a theme, botw doesnt really Go anywhere with it, so it mostly works nicely in fanfiction and such... Although, If you think I missed something about botw, pls let me know. I'm Not an expert on themes)

Theyre doomed by the narrative and the narrative Said they could never be, so they never were (Its kinda fun how that element is true in the real world as Well as in game)(is what I'm getting at)(theyre Not written as Love interests but MAN do they Work as a romantic couple)(cruel, poetic, amazing, ughhh?!???)(them working Well together as a couple was a coincidence, which again, opposes the destiny thing)(this ship has me in a chokehold, can you Tell)

I'm Just saying a bunch of words, I Hope they make sense... I might have also went off the rails a bit... Eh

If you're still here, thank you so much for reading!!

I do actually really Love answering my Inbox and playing ask games, pls dont let my imcompetence to answer them in a timely manner discourage you from sending one😅😅

[dhajetii]

So I would like to share what finally cracked my egg and kinda made me go “oh shit” and couldn’t shove the gender crisis back into the closet anymore. For context: AFAB, rest is under the cut.

The final straw that broke the camels back was Eddie fucking Munson. That nerdy metal head from season 4 of Stranger Things. That little shit (affectionate) ruined my “If I ignore the Problem Maybe It Will Go Away” mentality on my gender identity. Which is something I still find entertaining.

Long story short I had a dream where I ended up in a romantic relationship with Eddie, except the role of “me” was played by a me that had transitioned (binding my chest and just starting t therapy). And it felt correct. Even after I woke up and the dream lingered for a bit it just felt totally normal? It didn’t really come crashing down until I was getting dressed for work and I was like “wait a god damn minute”

The following weeks contained a lot of journaling, just writing thoughts down without overthinking them just being open with myself then going back the next day and reading them again to see if anything else came to mind. I don’t really wanna get into what those thoughts and self-revelations actually were, but maybe I will later idk.

I also did a lot of research on ftm stuff. Read about hrt, prowled around various trans and non-binary subreddits reading other peoples experiences and got a feel for what I found relatable and what I didn’t find relatable.

Ended up deciding I don’t actually wanna start any kind hormone stuff, but that could change in the future, but that binding is something I absolutely wanna do (and top surgery sounds intimidating and a process I don’t wanna do). Found out that as a rather small-chested person I feel comfy in a sports bra or compression top that I can find at clothing stores in town and don’t need to invest in an expensive binder (tried one and ordered the wrong size and it’s way too tight and now I’m nervous about ordering anything online). Also chopped my hair off and got a kind of boy-ish kind of gender neutral cut that I’m very happy with.

The only issue I’m still struggling with is pronouns because idk what I like using?? I’m not too picky about it?? I’ve discovered so long as no one refers to me as “girl” in a present tense im okay (which now that I’m aware, it comes up quite a lot from my coworkers). Which segues into another thing for me: I’m currently 27 years old and for the first like 20-something years of my life I identified as female and I still feel that was correct for me THEN. Can’t say when or why it shifted, but it has and NOW *shrug* now I’m definitely something in the realm of non-binary or trans or genderqueer or Demiboy (if I feel like getting really specific and not using an umbrella term). This is a journey I’m still on but I’m finally feeling comfortable within my own skin in a way I haven’t felt since I was 17 and had the “oh shit I’m asexual” lightbulb moment (even tho I didn’t actually know or use that term until a couple years after that) but that’s an entirely different rabbit hole and blog post that I may or may not do.

[ajdrawshq]

ive mostly been under the assumption that hes a whole new Sora

characterization-wise, the data Sora from recoded is a solid character in his own right, even seperately from the real Sora we know despite their obvious similarities tho thats likely due to how theyve grown in their respective adventures, which is a thing that several people have done whole posts about so i wont go into that - essentially hes like if kh1 Sora actually had the support and guidance he needed thoughout his adventure (no offense to Donald and Goofy back then but. yknow how that went). also, this Sora is specifically made from Soras data in Jiminy's first journal (i think? correct me if im wrong its been a while) which is why his memory resets back to how Sora was at the beginning of kh1 when his adventure is done, as well as why he looks like kh1 Sora

meanwhile the Sora we play as in the data fights (and data greeting? lol) is almost never seen acting on his own accord besides copying the real kh3 Sora's habits and abilities, like the way he fights, his idle animations, and his typical battle phrases. otherwise we control him the whole time. its kind of unnerving. and it makes me wonder how exactly this Sora came into existence. where did he come from?? did Cid program him?? they dont go into it at all if i remember right, and knowing kingdom hearts it Could be possible that he originates from the other data Sora but he doesnt.. feel like it? recoded data Sora had so much going on while this one just kind of. Exists. its hard to tell if he has a heart of his own because of all this tbh..

that said tho, i will note kh3 data Sora's reactions to certain data fights - i cant remember which ones exactly, but at the start of some of them he'll look angrier than usual. this is probably the most characterization specific to this Sora that he has and its SUPER interesting to me but it doesnt do much for the point im making here. unless it does but idk

it IS weird that the data kids from recoded havent shown up at all since then. data Sora does get a mention in kh3, but thats pretty much it. id honestly be surprised if we never see them again considering how the series is about bringing back every character every chance it gets (in a good way, if a little funny/ridiculous), even if they arent rly revelant most of the time. i miss them :(

Okay, but is the data Sora you use to fight the data organization members the same data Sora from recoded all grown up, or is he a whole new data Sora? What happened to the data kids in recoded? The game establishes that they have hearts, so you can't just leave them in there to rot (or at least you shouldn't.)

Am I the only one who cares about this? Most likely, but I want answers

[oinkz]

more oikawa hcs (woo)

— pre timeskip!oikawa always had naturally fuller cheeks. he was always a tad bit insecure about them, because 1. they accentuated his baby face and 2. a lot of people poked fun of him for it. so one day, when you two are cuddling, you decided to hold his face and just stare. you’d expect him to revel in it, be all smug and tell you “take a picture, it’ll last longer”, but you’re too close, and your gaze is too intense, he thinks you’re secretly making fun of him ... so instead, he pulls away, a bit coldly i must say.

— takes moisturizing very seriously. he carries around hand lotion wherever he goes and applies a generous amount of it after every time he washes his hands. if you tend to neglect moisturizing, or just basic skincare in general, he’s more than happy to massage lotion into your hands. also loves how it gives him an excuse to touch you and study your hand - how big/small it is compared to his, how your fingers fit between his fingers, your palm lines, etc.

— sleeps with like... 15 plushies / pillows. they’re very warm and cozy, that’s all. he’s collected them over the years - as gifts, as prizes at arcades, etc since he was just a Wee Boy™. mans is Sentimental and likes the memories that came from his childhood and up till now. although... it’s never fun sleeping over at his place because he’s gotten so attached that he’s kicked you out of the bed in his sleep before. (UGH I SAW A PIC OF HIS BEDROOM IN A TIKTOK JUST THE OTHER DAY AND IT’S LITERALLY EMPTY... so this is super inaccurate but the thought is cute HAHAHA)

— takes improv classes! he took up the role of peter pan during the middle school play for shits and giggles and then ended up liking it wayyy more than he expected. if you’re somehow who’s a little more socially inept, he loves to come up with fake scenarios and improvise scenes with you. they’re a lot of fun, and they’re proven to improve your social skills. his favorite scenarios to act out with you: barista & customer (he gives off cute barista vibes tbh), lifeguard & someone drowning (loves the excuse to put his lips on yours for ‘cpr’ and touch you), and vampire & human (uses it as an excuse to kiss your neck)

— is a very... animated reactor. sometimes you’ll send him a flirty text when you’re hanging out tgt in public, and you’ll see him visibly light up and blush like an idiot. when he’s reading a good part in a book, he’ll put his hand over mouth and gasp really dramatically. every single time you kiss him on the lips, he’ll have a twinge of pink in his cheeks (you’ve pointed it out to him before but he’ll always deny it as his cheeks warm up). if you bring up a movie or show he likes during a conversation, his eyes become so fucking bright and wide and it’s just the cutest thing ever i love him

— knows how to do all the fancy braids and updos on long hair. im pretty sure it’s canon that oikawa has an older sister (correct me if im wrong) so he’s prob super fascinated when he watches her do her hair. like wow?? how did her hair go from that ... to that??? has tried growing out his hair before to try but 1. it didnt look good and 2. it took forever to grow out (not worth the wait). so if he’s bored, he has you! ofc there’s different hair types and all. if u have long, straight hair, he’ll easily be able to braid it and try different styles on you.. but if your hair’s a lil more different, he’s willing to research and see what type of hairdos would work for u :) either way, playing w ur hair is a stress reliever for him

— is very particular about his pajamas. he always goes to sleep in one of those matching pj sets bc they’re super cute and pretty and he is too. buys matching sets for you too so when you come to sleep over, he’ll be able to gush abt how cute and perfect u two are as a couple

[lilatreus]

im new to the ac fandom and i didnt know there were any books should i be reading them?? or are there certain ones that i absolutely need to read or would i be okay if i skip them?

Yeah it’s okay to skip them if you want! They’re mostly there to give some more insight on some of the characters. If you want to read them but you don’t have to money to buy the books, you can read them here. I actually have all the books already on paper copy so I would definitely recommend buying them if you really enjoy them.

There’s also some comics and graphic novels about them too which I have included in on the master list. They actually follow the modern storyline of you want to read up on that. If you want to read them just do readcomicsonline. They have them all, only watch out for ads.

Anyway here’s the master list, it’s pretty long won’t lie:

The books, in order of strictly historical events:

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey by Gordon Doherty (2018)

Basically this books gives the canonical story to assassin’s creed odyssey following Kassandra around Greece. If you had the “best” or good ending from the story then you’re probably going to be upset with the book. I actually liked it and if you were ever confused about the game then this is definitely for you to read.

Assassin’s Creed Origins: Desert Oath by Oliver Bowden (2017)

This book takes place years before Origins. It follows Bayek who a teenager at the time. We learn how Bayek and Aya start their relationship and it kind of explains some of the side missions that talk about Bayek’s past. If you love Bayek and Aya’s relationship you will love this book.

[ insert for whenever an ac valhalla book is written ]

Assassin’s Creed: The Secret Crusade by Oliver Bowden (2011)

This book is the one I’m currently rereading, so it takes place with the father of Marco Polo talking about Altaïr’s life. It talks about his—Altaïr’s—dad within the first few chapters, events that happened in the game, and then what happens after. It gives more insight on what happened between the events of ac one and the little bits of scenes we see in ac revelations of Altaïr in game. If you want to know how Maria and Altaïr got together you’ll like this book it’s very sweet and I love how smitten Altaïr was. If you love Atlmal (Altaïr and Malik) you’ll also like this book but it will crush you.

Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden (2009)

This follows Ezio through assassin’s creed two. Literally just the book version of the game. Does talk about how Ezio and Cristina got together and a few of the memories you get to play in Brotherhood are in this book. I like it. It pretty much follows the game exactly so if you want to skip it, you can but still a really good book that I recommend reading.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood by Oliver Bowden (2010)

Follows the plot of the game. It’s pretty similar to it as opposed to a few differences. While I like this book, I will always say the game is better than this book entirely. Still, it’s pretty good and explains a lot of plot.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations by Oliver Bowden (2011)

It explains why Ezio is doing what he does in the game. Why he’s there and what is reasoning is. You get a little small bit about Claudia but that’s it. Ezio does, in book, visit Leonardo on the last few days before the artist dies :( that’s pretty much it. Only some minor differences to the game. If you’re looking for something about Desmond, you won’t find it in this book.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag by Oliver Bowden (2013)

I’ll be honest I only read this book once so my memory is pretty poor on it but from what I can remember it’s about Edward and Caroline and how they got together. And then there’s something about Anne Boney and Edward towards the end I believe. Kind of explains his backstory from the little scenes we’re shown in the game I think? (Correct me if I’m wrong on this one but I’m certain that’s the gist of it).

Assassin’s Creed: Forsaken by Oliver Bowden (2012)

This one was the first assassin’s creed book I read. Now fair warning: if you do not like Haytham Kenway, I strongly advise you to not read this book. It is all about Haytham until the final few chapters and then Connor takes over the book once you’ve killed him in game. This book explains how he (Haytham) came to be apart of the Templars and how Edward dies. It talks about his relationship with Ziio and how he built the Templar order up during the seven years war. I’ll be honest it was okay when I first read it because I was like 11 and the only other thing I had read was like just percy jackson. Looking back on this book though, it’s not that great. I do not like Haytham at all so I, personally, would not recommend this book. I went in reading it expecting for it to be about Connor and I was very disappointed and upset that it wasn’t. So you can skip this book if you like because the only thing it does is give insight to a lot of what Haytham does.

Assassin’s Creed: Unity by Oliver Bowden (2014)

This is my favorite book. This is about Arno reading Elise’s diary after she passed. There’s little bits where Arno writes in here and there throughout the novel. It’s pretty sad I won’t lie. Explains how Elise grew up, what she did during the parts where we didn’t see her in game, and talks about how she felt during the parts where we did see her in game. Basically at the end of the book it’s Elise asking Arno to please help seek unity and stop the war between the Templars and Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed: Underworld by Oliver Bowden (2015)

This book follows Jayadeep Mir, also known to us as Henry Green. There’s two parts to this book. The first part takes place six years before the events of syndicate and you get to really learn about the twin’s father and then the second part takes place during the events of the game. It talks about Evie and Henry’s relationship during the second part and it’s pretty good!

There are no books about assassin’s creed chronicles (ac China, India, and Russia) if you’re wondering why they’re missing :(

The comics:

*most of these take place during the modern storyline I’ll try my best to explain when they come in and how it adds up to the new our modern storyline at the end

Assassin’s Creed the Fall

There’s three issues with this it’s just a graphic novel honestly. Takes place with the main character from AC Chronicles: Russia

Assassin’s Creed the Chain

Graphic Novel sequel to the Fall

Assassin’s Creed Brahman

Written by the same people who wrote The Fall and The Chain, however this focuses on Arbaaz Mir who is the main character from Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India.

Now from what I’ve seen, correct me if I’m wrong, but the templar and assassin comics pretty much take place around the same time.

Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire

Assassin’s Creed issue #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

Assassin’s Creed Templars: Black Cross

Assassin’s Creed Templars issue #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

Assassin’s Creed: Setting Sun

Assassin’s Creed issue #6, #7, #8, #9, #10

Assassin’s Creed Templars: Cross of War

Assassin’s Creed Templars issue issue #6, #7, #8, #9

Assassin’s Creed: Homecoming

Assassin’s Creed issue #11, #12, #13, #14

Assassin’s Creed: Uprising

Common Ground Vol 1: issue #1, #2, #3, #4

Infection Point Vol 2: issue #5, #6, #7, #8

Finale vol 3: #9, #10, #11, #12

Assassin’s Creed Reflections (pretty much a stand alone I would say, focuses entirely on past assassins but canon to the templar comics).

Reflections 1: modern story focuses on Otso Berg historical story focuses on Ezio where we learn Ezio is implied to have hooked up with the woman who in the Mona Lisa painting.

Reflections 2: same thing for modern story but now Otso is looking into Altaïr’s story. We get to see Maria, Altaïr, and their son Darim.

Reflections 3: Otso is now looking into Edward Kenway.

Reflections 4: Otso looks into Connor and we see him with his daughter. It’s super cute this issue is my favorite.

Last Descendants

The Last Descendants (Novel)

Locus: issues 1 - 4

The Last Descendants: Tomb of the Khan (novel)

The Last Descendants: Fate of the Gods (novel)

Assassin’s Creed: the French Books (these have all been translated into english and theyre all graphic novels).

These books I would say to skip. If you want to read it you can, however the modern storyline has been said to no longer be canon anymore. The historical storyline however is still canon but not actually necessary to the plot of anything.

Cycle 1

Assassin’s Creed 1: Desmond

Assassin's Creed 2: Aquilus

Assassin's Creed 3: Accipiter

Assassin's Creed 4: Hawk

Assassin's Creed 5: El Cakr

Assassin's Creed 6: Leila

Cycle 2

Assassin’s Creed: Conspiracies

This takes place during WW2

Vol 1: Die Glocke

Vol 2: Project Rainbow

Cycle 3

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodstone

This takes place during the Vietnam War. A follow up on Conspiracies.

Vol 1: book one

Vol 2: book two

The last two I have listed (Conspiracies and Bloodstone) are canon to the comics’ modern storyline as well as the historical. Cycle one is not. They’re both graphic novels. Also I want to say that I have not read these two yet so idk if I’ll be allowed to recommend them but they’re there. I have no idea where they’re placed in terms of modern storyline bc these two are very confusing seeing as they originally were canon then told they weren’t and now they are again.

Other comics that I really have no idea where to place but they do exist if you want to read them:

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (mini series)

Four issues for this comic takes place following Aya and her journey. You get to see what happens with Cleopatra. I personally really like this comic you get some lore on the Brotherhood and Aya so it’s good. Read this after the video game. (Pretty positive it takes place after the game events but before the DLC: hidden ones)

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla: Song of Glory (mini series)

There are three issues in this. Haven’t read this one yet, however it focuses on Eivor. Read this alongside the video game.

Okay so for canon timeline purposes here is the exact order of everything I’ve listed and where they fall in for strictly the modern storyline:

1 The Fall and the Chain (also called subject four which is just the two of the books into one)

2 Desmond’s story

3 Brahman

4 Assassin’s Creed: Trial by Fire 1 - 5

5 Assassin’s Creed Templars: Black Cross 1 - 5

6 Assassin’s Creed: Setting Sun 6 - 10

6 Assassin’s Creed Templars: Cross of War 6 - 9

7 Assassin’s Creed: Homecoming 11 - 14

Assassin’s Creed Reflections (stand alone don’t have to read if you don’t want to but if you do, read along side the templar stories.)

8 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate modern storyline takes place here

9 Assassin’s Creed: Uprising

10 Origins modern storyline starts here and continues for assassin’s creed odyssey and valhalla*

*If you’re confused as to why Juno isn’t in the game plot anymore the comics explains it. Ubisoft has completely moved her story to the comics entirely and in doing so completely finished the story.

[avengersassemble-fics]

New Perspective

part 05/?? “your last bruise”

masterlist

previous part // next part

word count 3.5k

an: im kinda happy about this part. idk to me it’s just kinda beautiful?? that sounds narcissistic but what can I say I was semi drunk and emotional

James Buchanan Barnes knew from the moment his eyes landed on the woman who walked through the quad and knocked the wind out of him, that that was who he was going to marry. If she agreed of course. He spent the next few weeks building the courage to even speak to the nameless beauty he saw nearly every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It took him well into the Fall semester to say anything, and of course his first interaction with you was rushed apologies since he basically rammed into you at a frat party. And consequently spilled yours, and his drink all over you.

Even at the rehearsal dinner before the wedding, his brother made it a point to remind Bucky about that night. Though everyone laughed, and he forced a smile and sipped at the wine before him, you were sure to grip onto his hand under the table and he looked over at you to see the twinkle in your eye. Bucky caught himself staring as his brother continued, looking over your glowing skin, your perfectly placed hair, the pout in your lips, and the smooth skin your off the shoulder dress exposed. You seemed to catch a glimpse of him from the corner of your eye and you turned to him and smiled. Bucky brought your hand that covered his own up to his lips and pressed a slow kiss to your fingers, quiet aww’s filling the room as he did so.

At the reception, Bucky watched as you danced with some of his (now yours too) nieces. He rubbed the ring around his finger, it warmed his skin and felt perfect. The whole day and now night was perfect. You were perfect under the glow of the dark and colorful lights, laughing as you danced in circles with the children and Bucky sat there with a smile on his lips. You glanced over at him and he winked, and he watched as you excused yourself with kisses to the girls foreheads before you lifted your dress a bit and walked back over to him. Your shoulders moved in a way that showed every bit of muscle, and the sweet spots that Bucky often nibbled on, and Bucky opened his arms as you sat yourself onto his lap. His hands trailed over your stomach to your back, one hand resting on your thigh that crossed under your dress, and he closed his eyes at the feeling of your fingers running into his hair behind his neck.

“Mr. Barnes,” you had nearly whispered into his ear. “I never knew you to tire so easily.”

“Oh I promise you, I’m not tired Mrs. Barnes,” he responded. He opened his eyes to look up at you and smiled a bit. “Just wanted to watch the most beautiful woman I know enjoy herself.”

One of your hands came forward to glide over his cheek. Your thumb trailed near his chin and he made a point to press a soft kiss against it. “Wouldn’t you rather watch up close?”

You had scratched against the nape of his neck and he groaned a bit, bringing you closer so he could press sweet kisses, and nibble gently on your neck. You giggled at his sentiment and squirmed in his lap when you had felt his hot breath against your ear. “God I fucking love you.”

Bucky Barnes had the perfect life. Marriage was truly wonderful. After the honeymoon the search for the first home you’d share together was first on the list. Neither of you had planned on living together with your two friends, Natasha and Wanda, but after graduating Bucky didn’t want to be separated from your side. So when you both entered the prospective apartment, he knew right away not only by the look on your face, but seeing it for himself that this was going to be it. Your first place together, just the two of you.

Of course until a child came along.

You had managed to turn the empty apartment into a home. Everyday, Bucky got through his work load by looking forward to getting home to you. And the days he got to leave early and you were the one to be staying late, some days he’d either be the one waiting for you, or he’d grab takeout and join you at your job. He’d sneak into your office and when you’d return he’d have it all placed out on the floor neatly, and be there with a smile. There were a number of times you’d sit together, you in between his legs, and he’d stay until you were ready to go home.

So.. Where did it all go wrong?

In all honesty, there was nothing wrong with the marriage. Everything Bucky told Steve wasn’t entirely true. Looking back now, he knew it had started when you left your job. After that, you were either at home with him, or while he was at work you would go and see your friends from time to time. But it turned into a routine, and one that he slowly started to despise. There was no reason.. Well there was one but he shouldn’t have.. God he shouldn’t have done what he did. He shouldn’t have held that against you. Neither of you had any control over what was happening.. And now as he sat alone nursing the whiskey in his hand, alone in the unnecessary penthouse he bought for him and Connie (who left after he decided to end things) he went over every painstaking detail in his mind.

When you sat there on the other couch months ago when Bucky and Connie returned home from lunch, you knocked the wind out of him just like all those years ago. It was a fleeting moment as he had his eyes downcasted, tossing his keys onto the table by the front door, and Connie rambled on about something he wasn’t paying attention to. When she stopped speaking and he followed her gaze to the living room, there you were standing up to meet him. He was struck with awe, until Connie piped up behind him.

“What are you doing here?”

You had glanced between her and then back to Bucky. Your eyes held a wetness in them and you seemed to swallow what he assumed was a lump in the back of your throat. “I came to talk to Buck--”

You paused, and Bucky’s face fell a bit when you corrected yourself. “I came to talk to James.”

“Buck,” Connie whispered behind him. He looked over his shoulder and met her gaze, which was narrow and spiteful. He glanced back at you and nodded a bit to himself. “Go upstairs, Connie.”

“But--”

“Go upstairs.. Please.”

He could practically feel her eyes staring at the back of his head, but after a few seconds she moved around him, making it a note to stomp up the stairs, down the hall, and slam the door shut. Bucky held your gaze, neither dared to blink until silence fell between them. He took a couple steps forward to the living room and you shifted a bit, both watching one another as he slowly undid his cuffs and slid his jacket off his body. As he walked into the living room he rested his jacket onto the back of a couch, and he motioned for you to sit, and nearly in sync you both sat on the same couch, on separate ends from one another.

Bucky watched as you rubbed your hands together and looked around these foreign surroundings, practically looking everywhere but at him. He knew something was weighing on you, something important, because you would have never stepped foot in here if it wasn’t a good cause. He knew you well enough to see the flushed cheeks, nervous movements, and carefully he edged closer without you noticing, until he could place a hand over yours, and you froze almost immediately.

“(Y/N).. What’s going on?” He asked quietly. You looked from his hand over yours, up his arm to his face. You searched his eyes for something, searched his face and just him for some kind of clarification. Your lips moved to speak but nothing came out, so Bucky lifted his hands, both his flesh and his prosthetic, to engulf your face, using his thumbs to glide over your soft and familiar skin. Bucky felt his heart swell when your eyes closed at his touch, taking a shaky breath in and leaning into the palm of his false hand. “You can tell me anything.. Please--”

“I’m pregnant,” you whispered. Though Bucky still kept his hands on your face, his thumb stopped stroking you. When you opened your eyes to meet his, he must have had a shocked expression on his face. Because he was just that: shocked. In awe. Dumbfounded even. He didn’t have any words to offer, and your lip trembled just slightly. “Please say something.”

“You’re pregnant,” he repeated in a whisper back to you. When you nodded in the palms of his hand Bucky smiled, he couldn’t help but adjust himself so he could face you more, running his hand down your face as he rummaged over your revelation. You smiled at him, and he brought you in for an embrace.

Bucky was going to be a father. You were going to be a mother. Just like you had both talked about for years at that point. As his hand laced into your hair, and your hands ran across his back, he looked up with tears in his eyes and his gaze landed on Connie, who stood silently on the runway that overlooked the living room. Her glare was evident, staring at him like she was condemning him to something.

Maybe he had done that to himself already.

Bucky separated from you and when you saw his fallen expression, he smiled solemnly at you. “You’ll be a great mother.”

He stood from his position, walking over the shelf that held all of his alcohol. He suddenly felt the need to down something, and he felt your eyes burning into him. He poured a nice hefty dose of whiskey, and threw it back with no problem. He heard you shuffle up, you must have been standing now. “This is what we wanted Buck..”

“This is what you wanted,” he countered. His throat burned at the lie, his eyes were soon to follow, he knew it. He heard you take a couple steps forward.

“Bucky.. James, I--”

“Don’t you fucking get it?” He snapped, turning around to face you. Your mouth closed, holding back what he could assume was a cry. He had to force the awful expression onto his face and narrowed his glare. “There is no you and me anymore. Just you.. And I don’t want a part of this.”

Bucky felt his heart break that day. He knew what his lie had done to you, the tears that slid down your cheeks and the tearful goodbye you gave him. He thought about it everyday after, and when he got the call from the hospital.. He was devastated. When Steve told him to leave, when he learned about Steve’s feelings, Bucky thinks it snapped him out of it. He was angry at himself for being a fucking idiot, he was angry his best friend had fallen for the person Bucky had fallen for too, and even more upset that he couldn’t be there with you. For you. You deserved that at least.

Here he was, in the early hours of the morning he was trying to drown himself in his own thoughts. It wasn’t working, even his third drink in, he was only pulled from his memories when there was a knock on his door. He grumbled a bit, he had been ignoring Steve’s messages for two weeks now, and he made his way over to the door, pulling it open and ready to toss the liquid at his so-called-friend.

But what stood before him made him freeze.

You stood there, hands shoved into a jacket and stood in a position ready to bolt if he hadn’t opened the door. But when you two came face to face you faced him straight-on, and offered a nod. “James..”

“(Y/N).. Hey, uh.. What are you doing here?” He asked, hiding the cup behind the wooden door and you glanced down to your feet.

“Well I was hoping we could talk, actually.”

His heart fluttered. Bucky didn’t hesitate offering a nod and muttering and of course, not to sound too desperate. He stepped to the side and you carefully entered, painfully aware of what happened the last time you were in this place. The deeper into his territory you walked, Bucky was quick to hide the glass on the kitchen counter out of sight. He followed you and you two sat in a similar position on the same couch from a couple months before, on opposite ends and in silence. Bucky cleared his throat, leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs.

“Would you like a, uh, drink? Water?”

“No, I’m fine.. I’m not staying long,” you replied. Bucky nodded a bit.

“Oh,” was all he could seem to say. You watched him, now he was the one sitting there, rubbing his hands together. You looked down at your own before you were able to pull your thoughts together.

“I know I shouldn’t really be here, what with us starting our hearings soon but.. But there was something I was hoping we could settle just between us.. Without the lawyers,” you said. Bucky had looked over to watch you speak, and nodded along with you.

“Of course. Anything for you,” Bucky said.

You had caught the notion, the reference back to another time when it held a much more sincere meaning. You looked back down to your own hands and let out a quiet sigh. “I.. I want to give up the lease on the apartment.. But since we both signed it, we both have to be there to put in the 30 day notice. Sign the papers and all.”

Bucky blinked at you, his mind whirling at your request. “(Y/N).. You love that place. Why.. Why would you want to leave?”

You smiled a bit to yourself, but to Bucky it was sad. You finally looked over at him, and shook your head. “I can’t be there anymore, Buck.. That was our home. Where we were supposed to build a family and.. And that’s not happening anymore.. You moved on, Buck, but.. But it’s time I had a chance to do that too. And I can’t do that there, not when you’re everywhere that I look.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Bucky listened to your words and felt his throat burn the more you continued. But now that he heard you bare your soul and heart to him, all he could do was apologize. “Whenever you need me to be there.. I’ll be there.”

“Why d-didn’t you come.. Why didn’t you come and see me and the baby?”

It was so quiet it made him stretch to try and hear you. He was closer, close enough to grab ahold of your shaky hands but he didn’t dare to. He was going to answer when a knock on his door forced him to stop and sigh. He excused himself and stood, stomping just a bit to the front door to see who the hell was interrupting this tender moment, and pulled it open and was nearly pushed to the side.

Well would you fucking look at that.

“I gotta talk to you, Buck,” Steve said, pushing past Bucky into the penthouse. Bucky stared after him, Steve turning on the ball of his feet and backing up deeper and deeper into an already fucked situation. “You’ve been ignoring me and god damn it I need to say my--”

Steve spun around to face the living room and froze in his place. When you heard the familiar voice, you stood and stared dumbfounded to see your.. Well you didn’t know what to call him frankly, but you stared at him, Steve stared at you, and Bucky closed the front door and shuffled over to the both of them.

“--peace,” Steve finally finished. He was struck in awe, shock, his heart pounded hard enough he could feel it in his ears. Steve promptly closed his mouth, and Bucky crossed his arms as he came up to his pal’s side.

“Steve?” You asked. Of course it was him but you blinked and motioned between the two men before you. “You two know each other?”

Before Steve could answer, Buck nodded and took a step forward. “Oh did he never tell you he was my best friend? Supposed to be the best man at our wedding?”

Your attention went from Bucky after he finished speaking to Steve and gaped a bit before your brows furrowed in confusion. “You were.. You were the best friend I never met, who moved away before we got engaged.. Steve that was you?”

“Yes,” Steve whispered. Your eyes looked over him, now put together like the Steve you had met what seemed so long ago. But you started to shake your head in denial, and Steve took a couple steps closer to you. “Please.. Please listen to me, angel--”

“Don’t call me that,” you interjected. Steve stopped in his tracks, close enough to where he towered over you, and he swallowed the lump forming in his throats. This close he could see your eyes water, and see the betrayal that stared back at him. “What was all that.. Pity? You did all that for.. For fucking pity?”

Steve, as well as Bucky who watched on, had never seen you so angry. Disappointed. Maybe even betrayed. With Steve you shared a part of yourself in your darkest of times, and in your eyes it was all a ruse. A faked friendship or whatever it was turning into. Steve shook his head, and tried to take another step closer.

“I swear to you.. I didn’t know at first,” Steve tried to reason. You stood there, not moving as he edged closer, holding his gaze before he came to a stop before you. Steve slowly reached his hand out to cup your cheek and your breath hitched. Bucky’s eyes narrowed at the sight behind them. “I didn’t put it together until he showed up at the hospital and--”

“What do you mean showed up at the hospital?” You asked. Steve stopped his explanation and could see your brows furrow again in confusion. You looked behind him at Bucky who still stood with his arms crossed, but a soft expression when you looked his way. “Bucky you came?”

“Of course I came,” Bucky said. Your attention went back to Steve, and calmly reached up and took his hand off your skin. Stever started to shake his head, but you beat him to speak first.

“Steve did you stop him from seeing me?”

It was a simple question, but Steve still felt his hands get sweaty in anticipation and nervousness. You had released his hand, looking at him with those fucking eyes he knew he couldn’t resist and he slowly nodded. “Yes.. Yes I guess I did.. But I thought it would be better if.. If he wasn’t there! It had hit me everything he had said about you and--”

“Stop,” you told him. Steve’s expression fell when he saw your eyes water. Your eyes shifted over his face and you grimaced a fake smile to stop your bottom lip from trembling. “That wasn’t your decision to make Steve.”

“I know.. I know it wasn’t and I’m so sorry about that.. But I just.. I care about you. More than I’ve cared about anyone in a long time. You made me feel like me again and I--”

“Please don’t,” you whispered. A couple tears had slid down your cheeks, and Steve stopped immediately. His confession was edging more into your heart and you couldn’t take it right now. He didn’t dare reach out to wipe the tears that rolled down your cheeks, he had to watch as you disappeared around him. When you were out of his view, his eyes fell down to the floor, feeling a tear fall down his face and into his beard.

“I’ll let you know when to come sign the papers,” you said to Bucky. Bucky had lightly placed a hand to your lower back, escorting you to the door and nodded at your departing comment. When the door closed behind you, and he was now alone with his best friend, he turned back around to face the angry stare of Steve.

Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were about to have the test of a lifetime in regards to their friendship.

- - - - - - - - - - -

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[violetnotez]

Kaminari x reader

⤷ Genre: Sorta angst? Sorta fluff? Honestly dont really know

⤷ Word Count: 2220+

⤷ Warnings: cursing and thats it!

⤷ Request:“It wasn’t meant to go this far…I swear”

This is for my 2k Celebration event! You can check it out here!

Buy Me A Ko-fi! | Masterlist

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ

You laid your head on Kaminari’s chest, the sound of fighting and battle music coming from the bright TV in his room. It was pretty soothing, just being in his arms, his body heat lulling you to sleep as you cuddled yourself even closer to him…

Until his phone began to ring, the loud chime abruptly breaking the soothing atmosphere you were in. Kamianri quickly paused the game he was playing, his hand lazily reaching for the phone on his bedside table.He lifted up the phone to his face, careful to not disturb you as his eyes scanned the screen. 

Once he saw the caller ID, you noticed a slight change in him, his once relaxed face looking slightly frightened and his body stiffening against your own. 

“Sorry, babe,” he apologized, his body slipping out from under your own, “-gotta go and take this real quick-” 

You watched Kaminari quickly put on his shoes, the phone still ringing in his hand.

You couldn't help but wonder who was calling him this late at night-and for what?

You already felt lonely without Kaminari at your side, and it didn't seem quite right-he looked so scared, his whole face draining of color as he saw who had called him. He seemed so desperate to answer it as he walked out the door, not a second glance back as he began to walk himself outside the dorms. 

And why couldn't he take the call in his room- it wasn't like he would be disturbing you for simply talking to someone who called him in the first place. 

Something was definitely wrong, you felt it in your stomach, a whirl pool of dread swirling inside you.

It wouldn't hurt to go follow him,right?

You instantly made up your mind, your feet hitting the cool wooden floor and walking through the doorway to follow your boyfriend outside.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ

“-mm-hm...yeah...I know-meet at the alley at 1 amm- got it,”

You had luckily found your boyfriend, his voice quiet and preoccupied as his back rested against an ebony tree trunk. Your body was slinking behind a small elevated walkway in order for him not to see you  lurking, and you were already reeling with questions.

Why was he planning to be out at 1 am at night-wasnt that against UA rules for the dorms?

Who was he talking to on the phone, and why did he sound so scared?

“Yeah, Ill bring the intel-when I have I ever not delivered!” he laughed forcibly, obviously uncomfortable by the whole situation. 

You knew Kamianri like the back of your hand- the boy couldnt for the life of him deal with uncomfortable situations, so he always tried a joke or a laugh to break the heaviness.

“Well-well thats true…,” he mumbled, his voice sounding more hesitant as the person talked on the other side, “-but I promise it’ll be nothing like that!”

His voice instantly erupt in a cheerful tone, almost as if desperate to prove his words to the person on the other side. “  I have exactly what you asked for, Dabi, I promise I didnt get it mixed up this time,”

And thats when a pile of bricks seemed to thrown against your chest.

Your eyes were wide, your breathing caught in your throat- you heard him wrong, right?

You had to have heard him wrong- there is no way Denki Kamianri was associated with Dabi, or the LOV...he was at UA, right? He was here to become a Hero, he wouldnt, he couldnt-

But then again, you began to think, there were rumors of a traitor being at UA...someone who was at the UA Training Camp when everything went south that fateful night...

“Alright- Ill be there,” 

As you were flabbergasted by the sudden blow of information, Kaminari had finished his call, his voice sounding somehow worried and relieved at the same time, his finger pressing a  button on his screen as he sighed deeply. 

His back was turned to you, his face blocked from view, but you could tell something was bothering him- his shoulders were slumped and his head hung low, as if in a sign of defeat.

“Kami-who was that?” you rose from your hiding spot with shaking knees, your body feeling heavy from the shock. It felt so strange, a small amount of fear towards Kaminari bubbling in your stomach.

If he really was apart of the LOV...how much of himself did he lie to you about?

What if everything you knew was just a russ? 

Where you just a pawn in his plans?

Kaminari quickly spun around, a small yelp escaping his lips as he made eye contact with you.

‘Oh-uh-uh nothing babe, “he stuttered out, “ It just-was an old friend...just called to say hi I guess!” he chuckled at the end, his hands rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness.

Your eyebrows jutted downward, the pit of fear now becoming frustration...he was lying straight to your face, and you knew it.

You stepped forward closer to him, his nervous smile becoming worried as you advanced, your face clearly not taking the bait of his lie.

If he thought you werent going to call him out on his bull...well, he was sorely mistaken.

“At 10 at night?” you interrogated, “ Asking for “intel”....with the exact same name as that villain from the LOV? The hell is going on Kami?” you quickly asked him, your voice free of any warmth towards him.

You hated seeing him so worried, his lemon eyes eyes wide and searching yours. He had no idea what you were thinking, and the same for you towards him. 

Was he worried you would reject him, or worried you would expose his lies? 

You swallowed thickly, your throat feeling tight from fear.

“Kami….be honest with me...are-are you the traitor?”

A small silence filled the air, the only sound being leaves rustling in the night air. Kaminari looked shocked, his face torn with fear, as if he was battling with something inside.

“I-I mean- traitor is a really, really strong word…” he finally said, his voice shaky from a nervous laugh

“Denki-”

“Fine…..” he sighed, his head hung low. It was so unlike Kaminari to look so down-he was usually a ball of pure happiness, not a care in the world. But now, it felt so different, his worry making the air feel thick.  “yes. Im-

“Im the UA Traitor,”

You felt you couldn't breathe, your eyes wide as you hoped desperately that it wasnt true-but it was. If he was pulling a prank on you, he wouldn't make it this believable...and he wouldn't be looking so defeated, his golden locks obscuring his eyes.

 You felt a rush of betrayal pound into your chest-he had lied to you, played with your heart for all those months...did he even love you? Or was it all just a lie too, your relationship a pawn in his schemes?

You couldnt take the pain of the news, the heaviness of the silence killing you inside. You swallowed thickly, trying to shove down the overwhelming panic.

You couldnt take this-your feet were already turning around, walking away from the boy in front of you, until you felt a warm hand wrap around your wrist.

You quickly turned around, your wide eyes meeting Kaminari’s-he looked completely desperate, his face contorted in fear and distress.

“Wait y/n, please babe, please dont go-” he pleaded, his grip tightening around you, “its still the same Kami you know...Im not any different-”

“No,” you scoffed, the amount of hurt filling your voice surprising your own self. “I know Denki Kaminari, the boy who short circuits when he laughs too much, the one who is kind to everyone he meets and wouldn't hurt a fly, who tries to make everyone feel safe….this-This I dont know”

You tried to pull yourself away, giving a yank against his grip, but he tightened himself around you, making sure you couldnt run away.

“But you do know it-please, babe, let me explain real quick-”

“Even if I did, why should I believe you? You lied to me-”

“I didnt lie to you-I mean I did” he spilled out, correcting his words, “- but thats it! This is the only lie I’ve ever told you-”

You scoffed at the boy, your eyes rolling in their sockets.

“Well its a pretty big ass lie to just keep hidden, Kaminari”

Your glare softened slightly as you felt him slowly become quiet, the fight he was putting up seeming to fade away. He sighed, his head dropping as he stared down at the ground.

“It-It wasnt meant to go this far...I swear” his voice sounded so broken, his voice much quieter now.

You gave him a confused look, your mind feeling painfully jumbled.

“What do you mean?” you asked sternly, “You going and putting yourself in danger? Putting others in danger, everyone in this school and all of the country in fear? For what?”

“It-its not like that- I dont want to hurt people-”

“Then what is it Kaminari?”

He sighed, his lemon yellow peering through his golden locks.

“I'm trying to not hurt people. I just- I just want To keep everyone I know and love safe- to keep you safe, y/n.”

You watched him look to the side, his mind clearly battling with himself as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip. But after a moment he seemed to decide on what to do , his chest taking in a deep lungful of air. 

“When-when I was younger, I wasn't feeling too hot about myself. I was bullied about my quirk... everyone told me I wouldn't amount to anything.I was pretty down in the dumps, until this guy came up to me and asked if I wanted a chance to be stronger and show off to those bullies- to be something. So of course I said yes, I was pretty insecure at the time, not going to lie...and it turned out I got wrapped into the League.

“I want to leave, I really do...it's just- I know too much. If they even heard me talking like this Id be a goner-”

All anger for your boyfriend dissipated and was replaced with sympathy after his revelation. Now it wasn't some scenario where Kaminari was just pure evil and didn't care who he hurt...he was still the same boy you knew and loved. Guilt trickled into your stomach at how quick you were to think the worst of him, your hand gingerly reaching for his in a form of apology.

“Kami, I get it, you were going through a lot of things back then…” you reassured him, your voice much softer than before, “but youre not alone. I bet if we went to the teachers and explained to them that the League was holding you against your will and forcing you to stay with fear,  they might not be so mad/”

“The thing is-” he murmured, his voice low with shame, “I wasn't...forced, I just-did what I was told because I was too afraid to say no. 

I'm no hero...if I can't stand up for myself how can I stand up for others? And besides, I don't really feel like seeing how everyone is gonna judge me...Bakugo would probably try to strangle me…”

Kamianri gave a saddened chuckle, the sound so broken you  couldn't help but feel intense compassion for your boyfriend as you gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Kami-once they hear about why you did this...they may turn around…”

“No- they won't- I lied to everyone…,” his voice got slowly louder as he began to feel guilty for his action, his tone full of anguish, “and I put them all in so much danger, god even I would forgive my own self for the things I’ve done…”

“Kaminari, please, you can't be so negative like that…” you tried to reason softly. “and who cares what they think, you're not a bad person, you just made a bad decision, everybody does that. There's people who can help you-”

“No…” he shook his head, his tone more steady yet desperate. “I-I wont let anybody else get hurt. Let me just figure it out, just a little longer...I want to think this through before I try to leave the League. I promise I won't get hurt, babe-I lasted this long, I can last another month or so...

“Just trust me, kay?”

He looked down at you, a small smile playing on his lips. You didn't know how to  feel, you felt so drained of emotions from the news. You were terrified for him, scared he would get hurt somehow...but you had to trust him at this point.

 Who knows what would happen to him if you said something too loudly and the wrong person heard. If you wanted to keep him safe, you were going to have to trust in him.

You sighed, your eyes closing as you focused on the slow circles his thumb was leaving on your hand.

“Okay, Kaminari...just a little longer,”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ

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[harley-style]

yknow, when watching cassandra's revenge, i was honestly expecting varian to snap at cassandra. not to sound like an obsessive varian stan, but like:

from what i can tell, a large part of cass' anger is from a bruised ego at being "second best". its a valid feeling, but the actions following that...not so much. correct me if im wrong.

varian was just forced to reveal an incantation that would devastate corona, and he might think its his fault. that kind of fear sticks with you, you know?

you cant tell me varian got over his anger issues THAT quick, can you?

cass, in this episode, was a wee bit too irrational. from the get go i have NO idea what she's aiming for. revenge? for WHAT, exactly? gothel's death? because that revelation only came like, after that episode. i get that cassandra was being manipulated but this woman was a swordswoman, a maid in waiting, and a captain in less than two years. surely she'd have at least thought SOMETHING was up with that ghost? nope. kept letting zan tiri feed her feeble emotions.

someone please explain cassandra's character to me because she's not easy to pin down. please.

but back to my point, i was REALLY expecting varian to snap or lash out at cassandra because of this. he might feel a bit unfair -- from my perspective he did a lot less damage as a whole to corona than what cassandra is doing, and rapunzel's trying her damndest to reach cassandra, but what about varian's evil arc???? why didnt she try to reach out to him?? so he might be thinking that, and get angry by it, and snap at cassandra as a result.

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 32 of 83 : World of Sea

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 32 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

///////////////////////

Chapter 10a: Grandalor : A New Tack

That same night, aboard the Grandalor, a very different council was underway.  Barad gazed at his wife in one chair and Master Selked in the other.  He made sure that the door was secure.  He sat and fidgeted with a Three Dragons die.  It was plain that something was bothering him.  The others waited quietly for him to speak.

“Selked,” he began at last, “you know the whole plan to strike at the Longin. Please tell Tanlin exactly what the plan is and how it is to be carried out.”

“Is that wise, Captain?” Selked asked carefully.  “She has already played a part in the plan but she may do her part best if she remains ignorant of the whole.”

Barad thought a moment, fidgeting with the die.  A Dragon turned up.  He replied, “It was Kurti who first brought your objections to my attention.  Her untimely death and then the turmoil of finding Tanlin drove things out of my mind for a space.  

“Now I want to hear you out and, at the same time, inform Lady Tanlin. Whether it is wise or not, she has asked me what the plan is.  Mister Morgu and myself are blinded by our separate desires for revenge.  I want her to hear it from you because you are opposed to it but have carried out your part.  I want to see clear to the horizon on this matter.  I thought that I did until I learned of your opposition. Please speak freely.  We are friends of old, and I respect your ideas even when I disagree with them.”

Selked leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands as he organized his thoughts.  “You must know first that I trust you.  I believe that you can carry out your plan successfully or I would have no part in it.”

He turned to face Tanlin squarely.  “In short, Captain Barad has a long standing grudge against the Longin.”  When she heard this, Tanlin looked stricken.  “It was Mister Morgu who proposed this plan for revenge and Captain Barad agreed to it.  The plan is a covert murder.  An Ord spine is to be pierced into the food of the victim, causing a slow and untraceable poisoning.  Morgu chose the girl Kurin as the target because of her importance to the Longin.”

Tanlin started up in angry horror at the revelation but was quelled by Selked’s upraised hand.  “Hear me out, Lady Tanlin.  I have more to say.  I was asked to speak my opposition.  Captain Barad rarely asks for other opinions unless he truly wants them.

He turned and faced Barad squarely before speaking, “Briefly, Captain, I believe that you have chosen the wrong action because you have failed to sort out what your grudges actually are.  May I elucidate?”

Barad thought that over for a moment before answering.  Frowning in concentration, he replied, “Please go on.  This plan seemed good but it has bothered me.  Perhaps you can clear up my difficulty.”

Relieved, Selked plunged forward.  “Sir, with due respect, you do not hate the Longin and never have.  Your grudge has always been with Mord Halyn, the Longin’s captain.  One person, not a whole ship.”

Barad thought over his many years of hate and looked at the die in his nervous fingers.  A skelt.

Selked leaned forward in his chair and said intently, “Mister Morgu does hate the Longin and not any one person of the ship.  The Longin’s crew exposed his first counterfeiting scheme and got him voted off his ship.  Now, Morgu has made you the tool of his revenge.

“I suspect that you do understand why Captain Mord tried to expose you when you came to the Captain’s Council to be confirmed, so many Gatherings ago.  True, he had little or nothing to gain by doing so. He is no fool but he is rigidly honest and fair.  He believed your election false and tried to prove it, simply because he believed it wrong.”

Sympathetically, Selked leaned forward in his chair and laid a hand on Barad’s knee as he went on, “I have no wish to hurt you, my friend, by bringing her up, but before your first wife, Teralat, died, you would have understood his opposition.  I thought that the feeling part of you died with her.  Now I think that you only covered it up.  

“I feared for your sanity when you lost Kurti, too, even if you and she could never have married.  She had become your keel.  Tanlin’s awakening seems to have been a gift of the Dragons that benefits you both.  She gave you a clear course through the reefs of your grief and you have preserved her through her memory loss.

“For you, Morgu’s plan strikes the wrong target for the wrong reasons,” Selked went on.  “There’s no profit in it for you or our ship. Even by the old Barad’s standard, that’s wrong.  We should gain by what we do.  

“If you want to hit at Mord, it is fair to hit at his ship as a whole: cost them fishing waters or get a Council ruling that harms their trade.  It is spiteful to strike at them through an innocent like Kurin.”

Barad, deep in thought, turned to Tanlin and asked, “What do you think of what Master Selked has said?”

She took a deep breath thinking, Barad ‘asn’t even told ‘is closest friend t’e trut’ about us.  Oi must remain Tanlin, even in private.  Oi’ve got to’ conn t’is ship by Arrakan t’ought, and replied, “Oi agree wit’ ‘im for a differ’nt reason. Oi only just ‘eard o’ yer grudge against Ca’tain Mord but ‘e wa’ at our Announcement Feast by yer invitation, a public renunciation o’ yer ‘ate.  Kurin wa’ also at our Wedding Feast. I’ she were our enemy, she should ‘ave been barred from ‘t. By Arrakan law and custom, w’ich ye claimed for our wedding, ye ‘ave t’ drop t’is.

“I’ we’re forsworn, we must part an’ can never remarry.”  She buried her face in her hands, rich brown hair cascading down about her as she said in a shaking vioce, “I’ ye gae forward, I must find ot'er quarters an’ anot'er ship.  Oi donnae won’t t’ lose ye, ‘Eart o’ Mine!”  Startled, she realized that both her thoughts and words had framed themselves in Arrakan.  Oi wonder i’ Oi’ll ever forget t’at Oi wa’ once anot’er?

Barad looked at her, amazed.  “You have both gone to the point immediately.  There is high risk and no profit.  I have always tried to be direct rather than maliciously spiteful, Selked.  You are right.

“As to your point, Tanlin, you are also correct.  I did claim Arrakan custom for our marriage.  I had forgotten that part of the Arrakan custom of Announcement Feasts.  If I don’t put aside my whole rancor toward Captain Mord, who was an invited guest at our feast, then all of our vows at that feast will be forsworn.”  He regarded her for some time before going on.  Tanlin now clings to Arrakan ways and behavior so firmly that she might actually take this the whole way to its end.  He saw a Dragon tide pulling the safe water from under him leaving only hard, jagged coral under his keel.  Suddenly, he said decisively, “Tanlin, our love is more important to me than any hate.  This plan is done.”

Tanlin leaned back in her chair in relief and asked, “Wa’ picking up t’at crazy boy, Silor, an’ sinkin’ ‘is boat like t’at part o’ t’e plot?”

Barad, glanced at the die in his now calm hand.  A Wide Wing.  Looking to be at ease with his decision, answered, “It was.  I’ve known him for the last five Gatherings and milked him for information about the Longin.  Where Kurin is concerned he’s so far onto dry land that the horizon hides any sight of water.”

“W’at’ll we do wit’ ‘im now?” asked Tanlin with genuine concern.

Barad considered carefully before he answered, “Now, I guess, we will have to help him sell his indenture to the Arrakan fleet.  Once he’s away from Kurin, he should be OK.”

“Ye’re t’ good, m’ Luve.  T’wad be easier an’ safer t’ repair ‘is boat an’ put ‘im bock on ‘is way t’ t’e Pollant fleet.”

“True, but I have known him for Gatherings and he is basically a good sort. He deserves the best chance that I can give him for the help that he has given me.”  Barad smiled wryly, “It’s your influence on me, Lady of my Heart.”

“Still,” Selked remarked, “we need to inform Mister Morgu that the plan is off.  And we need to make it impossible to carry out.  Many have guessed that we meant to do more with that Ord than try to catch Strong Skins.”

“A wise precaution.  I will make this a logged event with formal standing orders.”  Barad stood and offered Tanlin a hand up. “Tanlin, my dear, will you assemble the officers and Masters in the Mess, please?  I will address them this morning at 10:00.”

Tanlin left at once to notify everyone of the meeting.  W’at kind o’ mon ‘ave Oi married t’at could ‘arbor t’is monstrous plot? Then she answered herself, T’e kind o’ mon t’at could drop a costly venture t’e instant t’at ‘e believed ‘t t’ be wrong, t’at’s w’at kind o’ mon ‘e is!  

She found First Officer Timms on the quarter-deck, off duty, quietly watching sea glitter in the light of the rising Wohan.  Long thin clouds glowed around their edges.  The pale golden light of the early part of the moon-rise gilded the masts and yards of the sleeping fleet about them.   “Tis beautiful, is ‘t nae, Mister Timms?”

“Aye, that it is.  I’m in charge of the Day Watches, so I don’t get to see the sight as often as I would like,” he said quietly.  “I wager that you came for a different reason, though.”

“Oi’m only newly come t’ t’is ship, an’ ye know m’ so well,” she said wryly.

“No, Ma’am, but I do know Barad and you’ve been closeted with him and Master Selked this last hour.”

“Little escapes yer eye,” she said, leaning comfortably on the rail.  “Ye an’ all yer wotch officers are needed in t’e mess for a meeting wit’ t’e Ca’tain.  New standing orders.  T’will be at 10:00 A.M.”

“Aye, Ma’am.  We’ll be there,” he responded smartly.

She went on with her rounds of the shops and crew.  She ended at the Captain’s cabin for some much needed rest.

Her dreams were troubled.  Two seabirds squabbled over a fish.  And she was the fish.  Children played at tug-o-war and she was the rope, frayed and near to breaking.  She whimpered in her sleep.  An arm gripped and held her gently.  She calmed and smiled in her slumber. Safe now.

TO BE CONTINUED

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[nthrr]

Revelations

Summary: Post ep 4x08 It Takes a Pillage , What is the reaction of johnny to learning that d'avin didn't leave voluntarily. The look into the love between the two brothers that I wanted but didn't get.

He knew hiding in the lower parts of the ship was absolutely useless. Either dutch or d'avin would find him in no time, would probably be dutch, but after the things he learned that day he wanted some space to think things through. His life was built upon some absolute truths and if one of them was wrong then how many else would change making him lose his foundation.

The sound of the door opening made him reappear from his thoughts. Looking back he found it was dutch that had found him. D'avin may be his brother but dutch was his best friend. It was probably for the best that dutch came , she was the only thing now that he trusted absolutely.

Dutch didn't speak, she just came towards him and sat down near him such that if he wanted to he could touch her. She gave him space that he himself would give her. He continued working on Lucy not turning towards dutch, but she waited patiently. After what appeared to be minutes or an hour he didn't know, he put down the tools he was holding and just leaned into her. Her hands came around him and he found himself encircled by her. Slowly the tension he had been unaware he carried , loosened from him.

'I know meeting your father would have been bad. But I'm here , d'avin is here , talk to me johnny ,are you ok?'

She asked it as if he could say what was in his mind in one word. But it was dutch , if he cant tell it to her he might as well bury his thoughts and carry it to the grave.

'You know dutch , for approximately half my life I've loved d'avin, but the other half , I absolutely hated him. He left me you know , left me in that sad excuse of a planet with a sick mother and an absent father. That day that I learnt he left is still the worst day of my life. I was so angry , so bitter that it festered and festered until it became something ugly inside of me . I loved him but I also hated him. It made me bitter and petty you know. If only he had asked me , if he had asked me to come with him I would have. I used to dream , that d'avin would come back and took my mom and me away from there , away from my father. I used to dream but not for a very long time .

The first time he came here , with us I saw how much you both clicked and how much you liked him and I was jealous. He was was the one who ran off and when I try to form a life for myself he comes back and tries to destroy it anyway. '

Dutch who had until that point been silent opened her mouth as if to protest.

' No let me speak dutch. If I stop I dont know if I can start again. Things are different now but it wasn't then. The bitterness that I felt for him grew. And when d'avin was off the team , I knew you were hurt , I was too, but a small part of me was happy. What kind of brother, a friend am I to feel such things'

'Johnny no, its human to feel those things and I would have been the same too and you know it'

He knew dutch wouldn't keep her silence in some parts. Snorting a little he held her hand a bit tighter to make her quiet again.

'I know Dutch but that doesn't make me feel better.

D'avin had gone through terrible things in his life and sometimes I think that those would not have happened if he hadn't left . But at the same time I wouldn't have met you , so I go round and round with that thought in my head.'

He became silent, lost in the thoughts running through his head .

A had touched his face making him pay attention.

'What happened today johnny?' She asked.

And wasnt that the big question of the day.

'I learnt that I was a naive foolish little boy that was ungrateful. Did you know that our father used to praise us in the outside world and spit on us in our own home. Nothing that we did was enough. Our mom tried her best but well she had herself to take care of and then the disease happened. She wasn't spared even then . But d'avin , he tried . He turned all of our fathers attention on him so that my mother and I could be spared. It didn't always work but he used to get double the beatings for interfearing . He never complained, he would take care of us first and then him at last. It became a regular for us, to be seen with bruises. '

He knew that she had suspected of what happened to him in his Childhood but it was the first time he confirmed it. Turning to see her he found that she was already staring at him . Suddenly closing the space between them she hugged him tightly as if afraid of letting go. He closed his eyes and focused on the feel of her in his arms.

'He didn't leave dutch , he didn't. It was my father who gave him the ultimatum, jail or the military. And you want to know how that situation came to be , it was because he defended me, he lost his carefully restrained control and gave back. And all that happened to him, in the military and now, it all comes back to me doesnt it . No dont argue. Please dont . '

Seeing dutch sit back with a defiant look in her eyes he knew she definitely would argue after he finished made him chuckle a bit.

'Half my life I've been angry with him and now I dont know what to do. Do you know what I said to him when I learnt all this. I said thank you , just a thank you. He sacrificed his life for me and I just kept on reminding him that he left . He didn't even correct me. Just kept on accepting that I have a bad opinion of him. The things I've said to him, again and again , shit dutch , what do I do?' his voice was becoming hysterical at the end.

As involved as he was in what he was saying he didn't notice movement by the opened door, but dutch did. Knowing that there was only one person that could be she came to a decision.

'Jonny you can't take back any of the things you said and d'avin can't go back and inform you of all that had happened. It wasn't only on you, you know that right?'

She could see him shaking his head and she huffed out exasperatedly. She didn't know what she was going to do with these two.

' Ok enough is enough. You have moped enough for a life time . Come on sit straight and look at me. Dont look so confused johnny doesnt suit you. Now imagine that I am d'avin. And tell me everything that you want to tell him and couldn't. Come on try it '

She could see him roll his eyes but sit straighter. Letting him off to collect his thoughts her eyes wandered to the door and she could still see the shadow of him near it. Confirmed that he was there she turned to johnny again. He had his eyes closed but within a few moments opened them and stared at her.

' I'm sorry d'avin, im so sorry for all the times I've insuated that you ran away, for all the times you had to keep quiet , for all the times I was the reason you had to hurt , for all the times I've made you feel unwelcome. I'm sorry big brother, I'm sorry .

And thank you for all the times you've stayed , for all the times you've smiled inspite of the hurt I've caused, for all the times you spared me from getting hurt the same way you were. Thank you for loving me even when I didn't show it. Because yes, I love you d'avin, even when I was angry at you , I've loved you, I'm sorry d'avin, I'm sorry'

He had started to cry half way through his speech and now in the gentle hold of his best friend he threw caution to wind and let himself feel for all the lost time .

He didn't see the shadow that was beyond the door slump down , clutching the alcohol bottle he had brought with him as if it was his life line. He didn't see the tears that ran down that face or the happiest smile that bloomed, he didn't see his big brother mouth back ' I love you too johnny' to him.

He didn't need to. These three , they will be ok . As Blood brothers , best friends , lovers they will be ok.

A03 link

[cryoculus]

uhh SURPRISE I was the one who requested for headcanons and/or scenarios for kuroo with a fem reader who can fight 💦💦 she rlly knows how to kick ass, tomboyish and no one rlly knows her at school. Bonus if she saves kuroo's dumbass from getting mugged!! (sooo sorry about requesting when the ask box was closed, I was embarrassed lol)

» Word Count: 3,623 words

Ily HERE IT IS Im so sorry it took so long (and i didn’t even proofread it because i wanted u to read it immediately LMAO) 

“Tetsu-kun, do you have practice later?”

“Tetsu-kun! I made you a bento~”

“Hey, Tetsu-kun, want to go to karaoke later?”  

“Ladies, please, there’s enough of me for everyone,” Kuroo reminded his gathering population of admirers, beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face. These girls were becoming more and more hostile towards each other everyday. How the hell did Oikawa deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis?

One of the girls, her name was Ame if he could remember correctly, linked her arm into his. “I’m the one who first talked to Tetsu-kun when we were first years.”

Uh, no. She definitely wasn’t the first person that struck him up in conversation during his first day in Nekoma. But he thought it would be rude to correct her in front of the other girls, so he just flashed her an awkward smile.

Another one, Emiko, huffed while crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, Tetsu-kun said my bento arranging skills were like his mother’s!”

Yeah, that’s because his mother absolutely sucked at the art of assembling a cute bento. Emiko made nice rice balls though, he’d give her that.

The last of the party, Tsukino, grabbed his other arm, squeezing his biceps a little too tightly for his liking. “Sucks for the two of you then! Tetsu-kun always walks me home~”

Ame and Emiko gasped at the revelation, eyes narrowing at Kuroo.

Okay, he didn’t have a comeback for that. But the only reason he walked Tsukino home when he had time to spare was because the girl latched onto him like a leech when she found out Kuroo lived in the same block as her.

His conscience would maul him for the rest of his life if something happened to Tsukino if he bailed out on walking her home. Thus, the unwanted interactions with her parents whenever they see him at their doorstep.

“God, can’t you idiots continue your polyamorous love quarrel somewhere else?” a shrill voice grated at his ears.

When his eyes fell on the person who obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, he came face-to-face with you, his classmate with the most muted presence out the students of 3-5.

Your schoolbag hung loosely across your shoulder and your uniform blazer was clutched in your free hand. There were prominent creases on your uniform that made him wonder if you even bothered ironing them before leaving. Probably not. But what made everyone give you a second glance whenever they passed you in the halls of Nekoma was your hair.

There weren’t any strict rules regarding hair grooming being imposed at school, given that Yamamoto and Kenma could dye their hair and style it as they pleased. So, it should only be normal to come across a girl with an undercut.

Kuroo thought the look was pretty badass, but he never really mustered enough courage to talk to you when it wasn’t necessary. He had a feeling that you didn’t have time for menial things like small talk and that, should he attempt to do so, you’d snap his neck before he could say hello.

One time, he asked Yaku about you. The libero had informed him that you’ve been enrolled in Nekoma since junior high, but didn’t really interact with anyone outside of schoolwork and your own irritation. Like you were now.

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “Could you please move out of the way? I’m trying to get into our classroom, thanks.”

Intimidated, the three girls that badgered him cleared a way for you to enter the room. He only noticed it now but they really were crowding the cramped hallways.

When first period began, Kuroo tried to listen to what his Japanese Lit teacher was preaching about sixteenth century literature. He really did, but he was immensely distracted by the pattern razored into your undercut.

You were a few seats in the front to his right, but he could see them clearly—three bolts of lightning beginning at the nape of your neck, which rose about a good four inches until it disappeared in the undergrowth of your hair. He always thought that he liked girls with long hair better, but this was putting an entirely different spell on him.

It was peculiar. You’ve had this hairstyle for a good while now, but he’s only noticed the intricate details that adorned it now. He wondered who your stylist was and how he managed to make that undercut look so good on you.

His teacher eventually called him out for his not-so-subtle daydreaming and made him recite today’s reading in front of the entire class. It wasn’t a big deal to him, really. Kuroo was used to multiple pairs of eyes trained on his every move.

But he wasn’t used to seeing you snort at one of his mispronunciations at the corner of his eye. Usually, you wouldn’t react to anything unless it pissed you off. Did his reading aloud piss you off? Did you care enough about him to garner such a reaction from you? He nearly laughed to himself.

Highly unlikely.

“Kuro.”

Kuroo was about to change out of his sweaty shirt, but upon hearing Kenma using that tone on him, he turned around, brow quirked in wonder.

“Yeah?”

His younger friend gave him an indifferent look. “You’re distracted.”

Would Kenma be fooled if he said otherwise? He shook his head. Of course he wouldn’t. Nothing got past his arbitrary gaze, after all.

It’s been nearly a week since you brushed past him in the hallway, muttering some colourful vocabulary under your breath because of his ‘polyamorous love quarrel’. There hasn’t been any real interaction between the two of you, but at one point, Kuroo would just find his thoughts drifting back to your flat-eyed gaze and unconventional hair do. It happened so often that even Kenma started to notice his focus drifting off to the hinterlands of his mind.

“How so?” Kuroo asked his friend, peeling off the t-shirt that stuck to his body like a second skin. He may be distracted but he definitely burned enough calories for a day.

Kenma let out an exasperated noise. Hearing the setter’s vexation, Lev peeked his head from the door of his locker.

“You got hit in the face with a volleyball twice, Kuroo-san,” the younger boy supplied, “that’s twice than usual.”

“Lev, you can’t multiply two to zero. It becomes zero,” Yaku retorted as he emerged from the shower rooms, towelling his damp hair with an unamused look on his face.

“What, really?”

“This is new information to you?”

The two of them continued to argue about their own mathematical rules while Kuroo managed to stuff his training clothes in a gym bag. He could still feel Kenma’s eyes boring holes into his back.

“I’m all right, Kenma,” he reassured. “I’m just feeling a little under the weather is all.”

The setter narrowed his eyes.

“Liar.”

Ah, there really was no escape when he’s best friends with a goddamn Nancy Drew, was there?

“That’ll be a hundred-fifty yen.”

Kuroo dug a couple of one hundred yen coins from the pocket of his jacket and placed his payment on the counter. The young man running the cashier took his payment and the yakisoba bread in his hands. He stuffed the snack in the microwave to heat and gave Kuroo his change back.

He thanked the guy in a subtle voice, leaning against the counter to wait for his food. There weren’t any other people inside the convenience store and Kenma already went ahead to go home. Kuroo thought that his friend was giving him the cold shoulder because he wouldn’t tell him what was up, in his typical Kenma fashion.

The microwave dinged, signaling that his order was ready. The cashier guy sighed before popping the yakisoba bread out of the microwave and putting it in a paper bag. He handed Kuroo his purchase with little to no enthusiasm.

“Thank you very much.” Even his tone was lackadaisical. Not wanting to add on to his irritation towards the retail industry, Kuroo nodded at him once before promptly exiting the store.

The sky had already transitioned into an inky darkness when he set foot into the streets of Nerima. Kuroo frowned. He could’ve sworn the sun was just beginning to set when he went into the convenience store. But considering it’s almost winter, it explained the shorter days.

Kuroo walked down the streets with passive interest as he nibbled on his yakisoba bread. The noodles were a little stale and the sauce too bland for his palate. He had half the mind to go back to the store to get another snack but, seeing that he was already a good three blocks away, he decided against it. He should’ve known how low the bar was set for Japanese convenience store food.

His strides came to a halt when a hunched figure emerged from an alley. It was a man that’s probably only a few years older than him. Considering his height, he was a lot shorter than Kuroo was; he probably only rose up to the middle blocker’s chin. His clothes were tattered, but a thin cloak shielded him from the low temperature. Sunken eyes bore into Kuroo, considerably unnerving him with that stare alone.

“Oi, nii-chan, you got some spare change on ya?” His voice was rough and throaty, like he hasn’t had a drink of water for weeks.

If he recalled correctly, he still had about fifty yen in his pockets when he paid for his food. Kuroo fished what was left of the coins on his person and handed it to the man without much of a fuss. He wasn’t commuting today anyway.

The stranger counted the money in his hand with bony fingers. He eyed Kuroo from head to toe, most likely piecing together where he studied.

“You go to Nekoma, but only have this on ya?” He growled at him. “Ya think this is a joke?”

Kuroo knitted his brows in confusion at his hostility. What was this guy on about? Kuroo was generous to a fault. Giving some food or money to beggars that called his attention on the street was something he did out of his own accord. They might need it more than he did, anyway. But he never really encountered anyone that asked him for money, got it, and was pissed by the amount.

Deciding to not make a big deal out of it, he flashed him a pleading smile. “Sorry. That’s all I’ve got on me right now.”

“If that’s true then why’re you fuckin’ eating in front of me?”

He blinked at him then stared at the half-eaten yakisoba bread in his hand. Was he really going to give him shit because he’s eating? How could he have pre-meditated that some stuck-up guy was going to ask him for some alms and that said stuck-up guy wouldn’t be happy with small amounts? God, this was giving him a headache.

“Look, sir, uh…” His voice trailed off, trying to figure out how to break it to the guy that he was broke, himself, since he already splurged through his weekly allowance even if it was only Wednesday. Damn Bokuto and his yakiniku dates that he couldn’t refuse.

But before he could form a coherent explanation, Kuroo could feel something cold and hard digging into his side. His eyes widened when he realized what it was.

“She’s pretty ain’t she?” The man moved closer to him, pressing the vintage looking pistol further into his right rib. He shielded the gun with his body so passers-by wouldn’t take notice of it. “Stole it off a cop who wasn’t looking. Took me a while to find the bullets though. But she’s locked an’ loaded, nii-chan.”

He stood frozen in the spot, like even the most minimal of movements would make this man’s tethering patience shatter into pieces. Kuroo really didn’t want to be splintered with the shards of his wrath.

Kuroo forced his thumping heart to ease so he could assess the situation clearly. His dad was a police officer. He’s seen authorized people hold guns a handful of times in his life, and could easily tell that this guy didn’t know shit about proper handling.

He couldn’t afford to offset this guy’s temperance when he’s armed. If he was just some lunatic trying to mug him, he would’ve punched him in the face, but the presence of a gun was a different story. The best-case scenario was that he’d manage to talk some sense into the guy and leave unscathed. The worst was that this could end up into a shoot-out that involved other innocent lives just because he was unhappy with Kuroo’s fifty yen. Fantastic.

Noticing that a bunch of on-lookers were casting wary glances in their direction, the man slipped the pistol back into his pocket and slung an arm around Kuroo like he was an old drinking buddy.

“Let’s talk where it’s a bit more private, shall we?” He switched his throaty voice into a more lively tone, patting Kuroo’s shoulder as he led him into the alley from where he came from.

Calm down, buddy. It’s just a weirdo who wants to mug you off money you don’t have. And he has a gun. But calm. Down.

This alley looked like any other run-down crevice in the city. Murky puddles forming at the side of commercial buildings, a dumpster lying untouched by cleanliness for God knows how long, faded graffiti matting the moldy brick walls, and mice scampering into their tiny little holes at the presence of two men invading their territory.

When they reached the far end, Kuroo could hear the rustle of the man’s clothes as he took out the gun.

Calm down.

“I’ma ask you again, nii-chan,” he cautioned, pressing the muzzle against his temple, “you got some spare change on ya?”

He swallowed thickly. “I—”

“Don’t you know it’s not nice to rob unsuspecting teenage boys?”

Shock immediately crossed his face. He only heard that voice at rare occasions, but he’ll never forget the sound of it.

“Hah?” The man turned around to look at you. “Who do ya think you are?”

Kuroo tilted his head to the side; not enough to grab the stranger’s attention but enough to catch a glimpse of you. Arms crossed, you were donned with a brown fur-trimmed jacket that reached past your knees. The fitted black top you wore very much exposed your stomach and showed a great deal of your bosom. Kuroo tried to avoid looking for longer than he had to. Dark green cargo pants were belted across your hips, the pant legs disappearing into a pair of black combat boots. The look complemented your hair even more now.

His lips parted in wonder. This was the first time he saw you out of school and, frankly, he wasn’t disappointed.

“So, are you going to let him go or am I going to have to do it for you?” The boldness in your tone almost made him want to hit his head on the dingy wall. As far as Kuroo knew, he was the one being held at gunpoint, so he’d really appreciate it if you didn’t rile up the guy holding him hostage at the moment.

The man immediately grabbed him by the shoulder and had him face you directly, shoving the mouth of the gun against his head with a little more pressure than he’s comfortable with.

“S-stay back! If ya don’t want me to blow his head off, you’ll get the fuck out’ta here!” His voice was shaky, his original confidence in his plans going down the drain.

You cast him an uninterested stare. “You’re going to do that even if I went on my way, dumbass. Just go ahead. Shoot.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, teeth clamping down on his cheeks to bite back a shout. Were you insane?

The man made a choked up sound. “You think I won’t actually do it? Are ya fuckin’ testing me?”

“Now, don’t put words in my mouth.” You rolled your eyes. “Shoot him.”

His dad told him that the best way to solve a problem was to take a step back and think about how you’re going to play your cards. But right now, there were no cards for him to bring to the table because this psycho was going to put a goddamn bullet through his skull. He had no time to—

The man pulled the trigger.

But the bullet didn’t come.

Kuroo exhaled in utter relief as the man repeatedly tried to pull the trigger. His eyes then fell on you, shaking your head at his captor’s stupidity.

“You didn’t cock the damn gun, idiot,” you mumbled, coming forward swiftly.

Taking advantage of his bewilderment, you stomped on his bare foot with the hard soles of your boots. The man yelped, releasing his hold on Kuroo, who immediately slipped out of his grasp the moment he sensed that he was presented with a green light.

He watched the scene in front of him unfold with wide eyes. You slid your foot to knock his legs out of balance, effectively swiping him to the ground. When he lost his grip on the gun, you managed to catch it. The man cowered in fear, backing up against the wall to put as much space between the two of you.

You crouched down, probing the man’s chin upward with the barrel of the gun. “I’m in a pretty rotten mood right now, so consider yourself blessed that I didn’t beat you into a coma.”

“P-please spare me,” he sputtered pathetically.

“Isn’t that what I’m already doing?” A sadistic grin played on your lips. “Next time you try to mug someone, make sure you know how to use your weapons. Oh, and make sure I’mnot in the area. I have zero tolerance for pointless violence.”

The man nodded rigorously. When you moved to the side, letting him free, he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the alley without looking back. Remembering you had company, you cast Kuroo an uninterested glance.

He was gaping at you.

“What, no thanks?” you grumbled, rising up to your feet to pocket the gun in your pants.

A dozen questions were racing in his mind, but he couldn’t voice out any of them. Kuroo settled for gawking at you like a madman. Were the last five minutes of his life true? Did you really just save him from getting mugged? Did you really scare that guy shitless without much effort?

You avoided his astonished gaze, cursing. “This is why I hate seeing people from school outside.”

“Who…are you?” Kuroo managed to ask.

His eyes met yours for a split second and he could feel a jolt of electricity skidding down his spine. Your lips turned up into a grin.

“I’m no one. Go home,” you told him off dismissively, immediately pivoting on your heels to make your leave before he could ask any more questions.

However, your retreating form gave Kuroo a sight that surprised him even more in this situation. At the back of your jacket were three thunderbolts that matched the ones in your hair embroidered onto the fabric of your outerwear; the word ‘Kaminari’ was written in elegant hiragana.

Before you could completely make your exit, you stopped in your tracks. Turning around, you regarded Kuroo with an amused look on your face.

“You should be more selective with people you show your kindness to, you know?” you imparted. “The next time someone decides to fuck you over, no one might be there to save you anymore.”

Then, you were gone.

When he finally got home no later than thirty minutes after the chance encounter with you in the alley, his parents were already in the middle of dinner.

“I’m home,” Kuroo announced as he removed his shoes by the doorway.

“Welcome home, Tetsurou,” his mother greeted him with a tender smile. “Come on, eat! You must be starved from training.”

Kuroo nodded, setting his gym bag on the sofa. He greeted his father, who was reading what looked like police report as he spooned a mouthful of karaage in his mouth.

He slid into his seat and offered his prayers before taking a portion of the food his mother had prepared. Her karaage was his absolute favorite. Well, next to her mackerel pike of course.

“Dear, you’re looking a little stressed,” his mother told his father. “Is that a new case?”

Kuroo Toshirou sighed, setting the folder down on the dinner table. “No, it’s a pretty old case. But it’s been revived because the Kaminari faction’s leader just died. The vacancy is stirring up all kinds of gang wars all over Tokyo.”

Kuroo stopped chewing his food. Kaminari?

His mother cast him a wary glance. “Isn’t that the biggest faction of the yakuza?”

“Yes and that’s exactly why they’re the hardest to keep in check.” He stared at his food blankly. “There have been reports that the previous leader has a child, so naturally, the position should go to his own flesh and blood, right?”

“Dear, you know I don’t have an idea how the underground works.”

“Ah, sorry, honey. But we’ve confirmed those reports just recently. The previous leader, Raijin Hayate, has a daughter, so the rights of inheritance of the leadership can’t go to her because she’s a girl.”

Before Kuroo could stop the words from coming, he blurted out, “What’s the name of the girl?”

His father smiled. “Interested, are you? Her name is Raijin (Name), the true heir to the Kaminari faction.

[hellafiction]

You make me believe in luck...(James T.Kirk x Spock)One-Shot.

Fandom: Star Trek.(mostly based on TOS) Genre:fluff,feels. Warning: Some swearing

Plot: The landing crew encounter a planet with a harmless airborne virus that makes you only tell the truth.Spock is forced to confront his illogical madness of feelings for Jim.

Note: Im new to Star Trek and I haven’t written in a long time,so I’m sorry In advance.Im also sorry that it’s a bit occ.

The mission had been a success without much trouble.The landing party had returned from the beautiful planet only what seemed to be mere moments ago.The Captain was back in his chair,shifting uncomfortably.

“Captain,is everything alright?”Yeomen asked.

James tried to ‘straighten up’,which took him a second longer than usually necessary.”I’m fine,I just need to crack my back.”

Before James had realised what he had done,the ship went into an uncharacteristic silence.

“DiG iT iN ZeRE MiISTeR SpoCK!”

The whole crew burst into uncontrollable laughter,except for Spock,who had remained somewhat stoic.

“I am your captain and you will not undermine my authority,especially In such a way!”He couldn’t hide the slight mortification In his voice,what was wrong with his crew?Was the ‘incident’ that obvious?He quickly glanced at Spock,trying to see if he was just as mortified as he was.

Seeing his Captain glancing at him,he raised his sharp eyebrows and with purposeful strides,went behind his chair and wordlessly started to massage his back,catching Jim a bit off guard.

“Mister Sp-“he didn’t get to finish his sentence,because he was cut off.

“Is this fine captain,or do you want me to ‘dig in’ harder?”Spock couldn’t help but smirk a little,which was swiftly replaced by his usual poker face.

Jim arched his back out of instinct.”I’m fine now Spock,thankyou.”His voice came out a bit breathless and it didn’t go unnoticed by his first science officer.

Spock made eye contact with a mortified Jim.

It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop,yet,none of that was noticed by either Jim or Spock.Uhura had made Sure to record this,she would have rather died than let such a moment go undocumented or unseen by Bones.

Bones had a weird gut feeling,something wasn’t right.It was unusually quiet And instead of pouring himself a drink,he found himself not-worried about Jim.

Yes,he definitely wasn’t worried,he was gonna go ahead and enjoy his drink In peace.

Or was he?

Moments after Bones had sat down,Jim had burst into sickbay.Looking unusually distraught.

Bones jumped a bit up,”The fuck,Jim?”

“Something is wrong with my crew,Bones.Everyone is acting strange!I want you to keep an eye out or run some tests.”Jim said,he had calmed down a bit,he didn’t know why he couldn’t keep his true feelings internal all of a sudden.

Bones face twisted into an ugly scowl,he furrowed his brows.”That’s just typical!”He had noticed now,”Ofcourse,the mission was too simple,wasn’t it!?”He was quick to believe Jim,this time.

“Come on doc!I want you to see it for yourself,you better solve this before something else happens.”The troubled Captain was rambling now,his body language stiff.

They both exited the sickbay,while walking to the bridge,Jim was trying to make sense of the madness,he needed Spock,his logic,his mind.He had to make sure that he didn’t imagine all of this,Bones,on the other hand,was hating life.Begrudgingly following his friend,trying to make sense and see for himself.

“Captain,are you sure this isn’t just an off day?”He hoped to god it was.Entering the bridge he quickly saw what Jim meant,a fight had broken out between an ensign and Sulu.

“Your fencing skills are absolute shit!”The ensigns stance was stiff and ready to fight,his face was twisted in a sneer.

Sulu was practically boiling with anger,”excuse you,my skills are still better than yours!Fight me you coward!”He challenged his rival,oblivious to captains entrance.

Even Jim wasn’t expecting this,his face twisted in pure shock at his usually somewhat reasonable crew,”Will you stop acting like a bunch of children and stop this nonsense!”He tried to bring back in some order with his stern,authoritative voice.

Bones raised his eyebrows,perplexed,Jim was right.”For fucks sake..”He tiredly sighted before giving out his ‘doctors orders.”I want this place quarantined!Ill need some blood samples and cell samples!”

“Where is mister Spock?”the captain had noticed Spock’s absence almost immediately.”Right,first we need to find Spock,where is he?”

“I think he went on to have a mental breakdown,Captain.”Yeomen said,only then realising what exactly she said.All colour had drained from her face.”I’m so sorry-“

“There’s no need to apologise,I think I might have an idea…”He trailed off before continuing,”I think the planet we just explored has somehow made us more honest,we say exactly what we mean.”

His revelation made sense,with all the things they’ve had to deal with in the past,there had been only one similar incident so far,but it seemed more severe.

Before doing anything,Jim needed to find Spock,his science officer might know what to do,”I’m going to find Spock,please issue a red red alert,we have no idea how far this has spread or who else is affected.”He exited the bridge,focused on his current task.

When Jim finally found Spock,he didn’t expect to find him on the floor,leaning against a wall with glassy eyes.Spock would never admit this,but the moment Jim walked in,he looked like a ‘Greek god’.He didn’t know why such thoughts-usually professionally repressed and un-acknowledged-were emerging.

“Spock,”Jim walked towards and decided to sit leaning against the wall with him,”are you alright?”He asked softly.

The usually stoic man looked into his captains eyes,not saying anything for a while.There was war in his mind,One side beckoned him to give into his emotions and say what he truly means,the other,logical side making him think of the consequences,risks of such human indulgences.Spock himself was torn because both sides were right.”I’m emotionally compromised,captain.”The slight tremble in his tone vent almost unnoticed.

Jim let out a shallow breath before scooting towards his beloved friend,”in what way?”Now he was worried,what could have made such an impact on Spock?If his theory was correct,how long had Spock been hiding this?

Spock tried to resist the invincible urge to spill his guts,he found himself quite unable to,what was wrong with him?By now he was sure that it was something to do with the planet.It had to be.He was also positive,that Jim didn’t feel the way he did,that he was doomed to this illogical madness.

Jim put his hand on Spock’s shoulder and gently squeezed it.The way Jim looked at him was the culprit to possibly the most Illogical thing he’ll ever say.

“I’m in constant war with my human side,I’m usually capable of letting my Vulcan side win,but this time it’s impossible.It must have been something to do with the planet,even logically understanding it,it’s futile.”Spock paused for a moment,he needed to gather his thoughts better before he could continue,”I know the probability of you feeling the same way is almost nonexistent,but I can’t hide the fact that I have romantic feelings for you Jim.”

Jim wasn’t expecting this,Spock’s admission sent electro shocks through his whole body.”You make me believe in miracles,Spock.”

Spock could only manage to raise his eyebrows in a questioning glance before Jim could continue.

Jim looked into Spock’s eyes with all the love he had in him,while softly smiling he confessed a long held secret.”I love you too,there’s nothing wrong with letting your emotions win,sometimes that’s all we can do and that’s okay.”

Spock was taken aback by that,he looked at Jim in barely hidden awe before taking his captains hand in his own,he hoped Jim knew what it meant,but the look his captain gave him confirmed it.Jim decided to make a bold move of his own and leaned in for a human kiss,which Spock gladly reciprocated.

“You make me believe in luck,Captain.”

Turns out they had been gone for more than an hour and they had missed a lot,their grumpy CMO had been able to take care of everything himself.The plantet’s ‘virus’ was airborne and would have passed in 24 hours if they weren’t on it for a longer period of time.When they had finally shown up,their displeased doctor had complained that ‘apparently he always has to do everything on this ship.’

[writeanapocalae]

Jotober Day 8: Spreading

WARNING FOR body horror, eye descriptions, and syringe usage. 

It wasn’t an explosive pain that overwhelmed him, made him stumble, like a firecracker in his veins. It wasn’t like spiderwebs being stitched through his muscles, holding him together with tension in his left temple. It wasn’t frost, biting in and leaving damage in its wake, holding him down and freezing him from the inside. No. This pain was like margarine. It was like a half melted stick of butter. It was like frosting that had been in the fridge a little bit too long. It was a thick and goopy thing, being placed on the heat of his brain and then smeared with a rusted old knife, the kind that everyone’s grandparent had back when it was clean and in good shape. It was familiar and wrong and distorted and it spread the pain so that it seeped into all of the grooves of his mind.

His hands were on his skin, tearing, ripping, his leather gloves saving his skin from his fingernails, but that didn’t matter. His skin was ruined anyway. As that knife grew dry it left his mind to go down his cheeks, his forehead, his throat, inside and out, making it red, opening it for puss and blood and angry red veins to become visible. As that knife traveled down him, under his dress shirt, under his slacks, down his legs, down his arms, pustules and blisters sprang up in its stead, trying to heal the wounds, a grotesque display that something was wrong.

The pain didn’t just leave his outside ugly and marred, with agony in every touch, heat left behind in every step. It was on the inside of him as well. It made his throat raw and his voice deep, manic. It made his eyes red and hot and his vision turned red. It was in his blood, driving him further, driving him forward, making his muscles strong and violent.

His mind wasn’t even his own. It wanted to rip and tear. It wanted to cool itself from the heat of pain with the soothing flood of blood. It wanted to fill him with the pain of others, as if that would cure him of the pain inside of himself.

It filled him with glee and malice and an impossible energy. His laugh didn’t come out as a cackle so much as it came out as a series of gurgling groans. It was a sound that drew Sebastian’s attention towards him and the fear, the absolute terror in his eyes, stirred the evil within him. He rushed Sebastian, ignoring the words that stumbled from the man’s mouth, his own movements odd, sharp and angular, making him miss Sebastian entirely. That was fine, Sebastian wasn’t his target yet.

“And why would I want to stop?” his voice didn’t sound like his when he replied, grabbing an ax out of one of the monsters that they had down together. He stomped the creatures head in as he yanked upward, covering himself in more fluid, blood and brains and who knew what else. It felt like showering in the rain on a sunny day. “You want me to stop. You want all the glory for yourself.”

Sebastian was saying something, his hands raised, defensive. That wasn’t right. Sebastian needed a gun in his hand. That was how he dealt with situations, shooting first. It didn’t matter how many times he got in trouble for it. Sebastian didn’t care if he got I trouble for anything. Except for when he did and then he’d been alone, shoved out of Sebastian’s life, all for trying to save him.

He rushed him then and this time he let his awkward momentum push him, correcting with the ax, turning on his heel as Sebastian tried to dodge him. Sebastian shouldn’t have tried. He shouldn’t have tried at work. He shouldn’t have tried to fight him at every step of their partnership. He should have just given in.

He’d given in and now he was able to enjoy it.

“Come on now!” he spat, slicing through the air as Sebastian dodged him. He was fast but not as fast as Sebastian’s eyes. “Don’t be like that!” He swung again, closer, cutting through Sebastian’s sleeve and just a little bit of skin. “You don’t want me to kill you, do you?” He brought the ax down and Sebastian shoved an arm up, blocking the handle before the blade could carve into his skull.

Whatever he was saying, it sounded a lot like begging.

“Sebastian,” he tutted, only now seeing his partner reach for his gun, “this place is going to kill you if you don’t stop cowering. It’s feeding on you! He’s feeding on you. If you don’t do something right now, I’m going to feed on you!” to make his point even more apparent, he licked his lips, tasting his own blood on them.

The item in Sebastian’s hand, it wasn’t a gun. It was far more pathetic.

“That’s not going to cut it, Seb!” he cackled, feeling the blood mist out of his mouth.

He had both hands on the ax now and he lowered his shoulders, acting like he was going to tackle. Sebastian was ready for a shoulder to his gut, not for him to switch tactics last minute as sweep the ax low. He embedded the ax into Sebastian’s leg, reveling in his scream, as that object was jammed into his own leg. He had to work at getting the ax out, Sebastian just had to shove down the plunger.

The pain didn’t fade, it didn’t vanish, it was pushed back as the medicine spread through his veins, cleaning him out as it moved, curing him of this evil inside of him. Within seconds he was on the ground, panting, toxin filled blood pouring from his nose.

“Shit,” Joseph gasped, reaching out, trying to help, finding Sebastian’s hands taking his, holding them tightly. “Again?”

@anhathaway @ill-write-when-im-dead@stargeek727@crazybunchwriter @detectivesebcas

[lunatic-fandom-space]

"Its 10pm and Id like to read at least one more volume" I said before proceeding to stay up until 4:30am reading this manga until I was finished

So yeah, Im writing this at around 8:30am having gotten three hours of sleep and one hour of laying in bed awake, after I finished volume 30 chapter 165 of the black hutler and Id like to talk about some of my thoughts

I know that the emglish and japanese version are already further along than that (I mean, if my research was correct volume 31 did come out in german already, I just couldnt find a physical copy at either of my local bookstores), so I would appreciate it if you didnt spoil me

So yeah, non-spoilers first I guess:

Honestly, I had kind of mixed feelings about a lot of the... revelations ? is probably the best word? I dont know, like, I was reading this and I just kinda let myself be taken along for this thrilling rollercoaster of emotions but while I was doing that, I couldnt help but notice this nagging feeling of "uohhhh, i dont really like where this going" in the back of my mind, which made for a bit of a 'conflicting' read. Even now that Im fully awake looking back on it, I still dont quite know how to feel. I feel like with these kinds of wild storylines it always more or less depends on the conclusion, so I guess I'll wait for that

Also, as for my theory about the people from the Undertakers medallions being people who entered contracts with demons, Im a little less sure about that now?? Idk why because nothing happened that would contradict this

And thats pretty much it, I'll go into some of the more spoiler-y details now

HOLY HELL THAT TWIN TWIST WAS INSANE WTF MAN

like, I was kinda spoiled for this because Ive read a few fanfics where this is sort of mentioned, although it qas alqays in a pretty vague way and I was still shocked

Heres what I wrote to my friends in a discord server Im in right after the older brother showed up:

"Oh god

This arc was already some insane bullshit but Something just happened sorry if I spam in advance

Theres two Ciels

I was already kinda spoiled for this but still

like, okay, so in the previous arc Ciel had to be forcefed w/ a funnel so he wouldnt die of mustard gas poisoning and it triggered some traumatic memories from his past and he had an episode where he wouldnt let any adult touch him and during whole ordeal he would, idk dream or hallucinate or something

And he would hallucinate about himself standing on this beg chess board with a pretty outfit and a version of himself without the contract seal

And I was like 'surely this cant be literal, it has to be symbolic" yknow, the version of Ciel without the contract seal is an untainted version, possibly what he vouldve been if it wasnt for that day

NOPE

I WAS WRONG"

so yeah, that was something.

I still dont know how to feel about this, like, it makes sense even though its pretty clear to me that they came up with this twist a bit later on (I believe they had this idea a little before the Campania arc, I remember that scene during the extended flashback where hes standing in front of his parents graves also having a small cut-off panel with a gravestone with Ciels name on it), but ugh. Idk I'll just see how it goes I guess

I am sooooo curious about whats up with the Undertaker and the Phantomhives like ??? Bro, he CRIED looking at a picture of Vincent thats so weird. And obviously he went through all the trouble of reviving Ciel thats wild. So yeah, very excited to see where that goes

Im also very excited to see what theyre gonna do with Soma now. I really liked Agnis death and I while it felt like his change in personality was a bit jarring, I do like him becoming more jaded like Ciel. Theres a vertain irony to it bc he did admire him and sort of wanted to be like him in some way

Ngl I found it so frustrating how Lizzy and the Midfords and Tanaka just fully abandoned (our) Ciel after the other one showed up. Lizzy especially because its like