#i mean rei would know but he wouldn't tell on her like that

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Oh, I love the idea of added mental trauma to Ingo after his bond with chandelure snapped. And it was probably a hit to chandelure too, meaning that on top of everything else in the wake of Ingo disappearing, Emmet has to take care of chandelure, who took a massive hit. Is it bonded to both brothers? It'd make sense for them to have a singular bond, Ingo for chandelure, eelektross for Emmet, but also I just love the idea that in the game there's no distinction between Ingo's pokemon and Emmet's, and here that's true too. Like a four way conduit. But then suddenly Ingo is violently ripped from the loop, leaving them all kind of fucked up, but of course Ingo most so. Sneasler probably helps with that, it's not the same as the bond(s) he had before all this, but it's stabilizing. If he's had a familiar bond or bonds for a long, long time, and having a familiar rewires your brain after long enough, then he might actually need a familiar now.

Cyllene's bond wasn't healthy in any way, but if she had it long enough for it change her, then re: abra, it could be that she's subconsciously looking for a stabilizing bond, even though she's also adverse to it because of her terrible experience with it. Perhaps abra latched onto her and likes her best not just because she interacted with it first, but because it could sense that she was basically free real-estate? Her brain and soul were more appealing because, to use pla terms, her heart was already open. Nice and cozy already, like a pre-furnished apartment. I don't necessarily think abra would think of it like that because it's so baby, but just instinctively cyllene feels better or more comfortable to it than someone who already has an active bond or who's never had a bond ever. Wait are the abra line basically blink dogs? But on top of being able to teleport any gear attached to it, if it has the magic boost from being a familiar it can also teleport places with people. Which would be a pretty appealing reason to bond with it for cyllene, even though she's reluctant to, because it's a good way to get them kids out of harm's way

if a sudden loss/suppression of a familiar bond is destabilizing (mentally/emotionally/magically/etc), that might even be another reason for irida to want to seal ingo's magic. if he legit can't control it as well (without a familiar, but they don't know that's the driving factor atm.) though idk if that's what you were thinking, vs it being more of a physically draining thing than a destabilizing one.

either way tho. i do think the idea of some kind of interconnected loop is fun here... it would be beneficial to all of them with that increased power boost, with basically no downsides unless. this happens. which nobody could have really anticipated. and now they're all suffering equally for the loss. or maybe it's more of a triangle, with just chandelure and the twins, since she's the one that gets shared between their teams mostly iirc. i guess this raises the question of. can you have more than one soulbond at a time. or is it sort of a one-time deal. or maybe you can theoretically have multiple, but it's such an intensive commitment most people don't go over 1, 2 max.

yeahhh abra as an emergency teleporter!! which would be super helpful esp. if akari is as big of a target as it seems like she is, since cyllene can rely on abra to vwoop in-grab her-get out if she ever gets caught (as long as they... know where she is.) that's definitely a space magic thing too, which opens an interesting link btwn it and irida maybe. (if irida can teleport i think it's very short-range or it requires a looot of setup on her part, almost more of a ritual spell than anything else, to target a specific place. most of her domain is in like, navigation/orientation. she's very sinister vs. abra's more dexter fast-teleport.)

i do think it would also be interesting if soulbonds are a thing that weighs on magic in particular, and cyllene's loss of one (or, moreso the scars that come with that) mean she can't use magic as effectively anymore. she's still a very deadly swordsman, of course, but that's another reason to hide her ley lines, if it creates an expectation that she should be able to do spells she really can't. at least, not until abra comes along, which is a fun power-up (esp. if having the link with abra rather than a dragon means that her magic is slightly different than it was before, and more uniquely her own than just swordguard magic.)

[erwinsvow]

𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥

summary: you were a pogue, and now you're a kook. just like how once you were no one's, and now you're rafe cameron's.

author's note: here it is!!! imagine like s1 rafe with the s2 hair, and basically just having a former-pogue girlfriend through out the whole season. i just think rafe would actually be such a good boyf, he just needs someone to settle him down when he gets a lil crazy. follows the sequence of s1 until about 3/4ths down, where i just started making stuff up. you might read this & think no one would act like this.. and that's fine, i know they wouldn't, but this is a self indulgent story for rafe <3 part 2 of the other seasons maybe? enjoy!!

now spinning: black beauty by lana del rey (soooooo rafe coded! he just needs a hug and some pussy!)

word count: 13.5k

warnings/tags: wheeze is a toddler for no reason. reader isn't the biggest fan of the pogues at this point in time. smut: oral (f receiving), fingering, degregation, use of daddy, rafe calls reader kid because <3, lemme know if i forgot something!

“So that’s it? Really? Your mom is marrying a Kook and you’re moving across the island… just like that?” John B speaks to you as if you had any choice in the matter. You look at him sadly, but you’ve cried so much the last few days, it’s hard to find any more tears.  

You want to tell him, want to explain everything. The way your mom has been so lonely for years, ever since your dad passed away. The way she would pull double-shifts every week just to make sure you had the nice, trendy shoes and hot dinner every night. The way you grew up in the cut but it never felt any different than growing up in figure eight, because she took care of you.

And now it was your turn, to take care of her. Blake Richards was rich, and he wanted to take care of your mom, which meant for the first time in a long time, she would be the one being taken care of. And you owed that to her, you owed that much.

“I-I don’t really have a choice, John B. I mean, this is my mom. And she’s getting her chance to be happy. I can’t ruin it for her.”

“Yeah, I get all that but, like, does this mean you’re gonna go full-Kook on us? Because I think that would just be disturbing,” JJ says, and you crack a smile, even as you feel a tear spill down your cheek. 

“I don’t think I could ever go full-Kook.” It comes out quietly, a notch above a whisper.

“Hey, hey,” you hear John’s voice again, as he stands up to get closer to you. You feel embarrassed, the way your cheeks flush and heat up when he’s only a few inches away from you. He wipes the tear away with his thumb. “No crying, okay? Nothing has to change.”

The way he says it, you almost believe him.

“Right,” you say, still quiet. There’s a sob stuck behind your throat, and you don’t want the boys to know how upset you really are. You’ve stitched up these boys more times than you can count, set shoulders and bones and nursed bruises for them. “Nothing has to change,” you repeat, trying to convince yourself. Everything was about to change, starting with your relationship with them.

And that’s the one thing you wish could stay the same. Deep down, no matter how many times you were teased and laughed with, there was a part of you, buried away, that thought you would end up with one of these boys one day. Sweet John, funny JJ, smart Pope. Well, maybe not Pope. You’ve seen the way he stares at Kie, even when no one else notices.

But John and JJ, the possibility of being with one of them always lingered in the air. Even when they’re flirting with tourists or cracking so-called boy jokes that you just wouldn’t understand, you always thought they were your endgame.

If only you knew. 

Pope and Kiara drive up, just as you’re wiping away another tear. You’re dreading repeating everything to them, shedding more tears. 

౨ৎ

“Who is that?” Topper asks, eyeing some girl entering the club. Rafe was getting sick of Topper crying over every pretty girl he saw on the street when he was supposedly dating his sister. He hardly cared about Sarah, daddy’s favorite, but that was his family, and he wouldn’t tolerate disrespect to his family. 

“She must be fresh meat,” Kelce says, “I’ve never seen her before.”

“Tourist?” Topper questions. Rafe downs the rest of his drink. 

“Nah, man, see that guy ahead of her? That’s Blake Richards. My dad works with him, he’s a big finance guy. He’s a widower, but I guess not anymore.” 

“Step-daughter? Jesus,” Topper says. “It’s like a cheesy porno. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he married her mom to tap that, I mean-”

“Enough,” Rafe snaps. “Shouldn’t you be in a fight with my sister?” Topper blanches. 

“I mean, look at her Rafe. That is something special,” Kelce says, and then finally, Rafe lifts his head to look at you.

You look… confused. Your head is turning, taking in everything about the club, like you’d never been there before. A waiter comes up to your family with tall glasses of water, little pieces of cucumber and lemon floating around in them with ice cubes. Richards—your step-father—takes a glass and hands it to a woman who can only be your mother, with the same hair and complexion. Before he can take a glass to hand to you, you take it from the tray yourself, smiling and saying thank you. The waiter, some teenage Pogue, blushes at your affection.

When you start walking, continuing the tour, the waiter turns to look at you walk away, gawking like men do when they see something pretty. Rafe feels an overwhelming urge to punch the kid, and cover you up with his jacket. 

You’re not in anything too immodest, compared to what he’s seeing girls at the club walking around in, but it feels like it’s too much for the leering eyes that follow you. Your jean skirt comes down a little less than half-way to your thighs. Your shirt is white, with puffy sleeves and little buttons that tighten around the chest.

He sees a glimpse of cleavage, which makes his chest tighten uncomfortably, not in the way he’s used to when he sees a pretty girl. He wants to take his shirt off his back and slide it onto you, buttoning it up all the way and making sure no one else looks at you the way he’s looking at you right now.

“Rafe?” his friend calls, and he’s not sure which one. In your glancing, you turn towards Rafe and you lock eyes for a second. You must have noticed him staring. You probably think he’s crazy, but he doesn’t seem to care much at the moment. Your mother must have beckoned you, because you turn away in a second, walking towards the older couple, trailing behind them again.

“Be right back,” he says, leaving a confused Topper and Kelce behind him at the table. He cuts through the tables near the bar, entering the walkway where your family is already, but coming out of the other end. He gets there just in time to run into Richards, who’s leading the little group.

“Hi, Mr. Richards, right?” he says, holding his hand out. “Rafe Cameron.”

“Oh, Rafe, hi,” the older man replies, shaking his hand. Rafe grips hard, making sure Richards doesn’t think he has a wimpy handshake. Otherwise he’s never gonna agree to what Rafe has in mind. “I haven’t seen you in years, I mean you were half your height last time I was over at Tannyhill.”

“Crazy, right? Well I just wanted to say hi since I ran into you. How’s, uh Benny and Brax?” 

“I can’t believe you remember them, they haven’t been to Kildare in years. They’re good, yeah, Benny’s in California now, and Brax is out at law school, at Oxford.”

“Oh yeah, international law, right?”

“Yeah,” Richards says, smiling wide. “You’ve got quite a memory, son, I’ll have to tell Rafe when I see him.”

“Oh yeah, he’s around here somewhere.” Then, he makes his move. He turns his gaze to your mom first. He thinks about it briefly, but if he addresses you before her, your mom will be on guard. He knows how their minds work. “I don’t believe we’ve met before, I’m Rafe,” and he shakes your mom’s hand, but turns back to Richards for the introduction—something else in his little cheat-sheet of rules. Let dad do the talking, so he feels like he’s in control. 

“Rafe, this is my wife, Anna-”

“Nice to meet you, Rafe,” your mom smiles at him sweetly, and he smiles back. 

“-and my step-daughter.” You smile, and hold your hand out. He shakes your hand, gently, and looks at your face, because he can tell the smile is forced. He wonders why. 

“Nice to meet you.” he says, and you smile that forced way again.

“You too, Rafe.” You let go of his hand, and it’s good, because if he held on any longer, the adults would get suspicious.

“First time here?” he questions, still looking at you.

“Yes,” your mother answers, laughing, if not a little uncomfortably. “Is it that obvious?”

“Nah, it’s a lot to take in, I remember that much.” Richards smiles at him, almost beaming. He knows Rafe has been coming here since he could walk. That means the old man appreciates him trying to comfort his new family. Another step closer.

“It is,” Anna says, looking at her daughter. She has those worried eyes, the one Ward’s new wife won’t stop looking at him with. 

“Well, it’s the perfect place to be all summer. I mean, pretty much everyone our age is at the pool or the courts.” At his mention of the both of you, you look up from staring at your shoes quickly to looking right at him. He smiles. You don’t smile back. 

“Really?” Richards asks, still openly friendly.

“I mean yeah, Mister R, I remember Benny on the golf course, like, everyday. And Brax, I mean he practically taught half of us how to swim.” Richards nods and laughs, continuing small talk about his sons. Rafe sneaks another glance at you, and you look back knowingly, like you can smell his intentions from a mile away. 

“Honey?” your mom asks quietly. “Do you wanna go with Rafe?”

“What?” you reply quickly, surprised. You weren’t listening, and he tries hard not to laugh.

“Well, I can take you ‘round, introduce you to everyone. I’ll finish the tour if you and Mrs. Richards are heading up to the course?” He nods at the golf clothes your parents have on, that you are lacking. 

“I think that sounds great, right, honey?” Anna presses, and after you lock eyes with her, you nod in agreement.

“Yeah, sure,” you say quietly. Rafe smiles again.

“Great, great, yeah. Well, it was great to see you Mister R. Missus R.”

“Thank you, Rafe. Kiddo, you can ask for the car to go home when you’re ready, okay? Your mother and I are going to get dinner here.” Anna looks up confused, probably wondering how they’ll get back.

“I’ll call someone to bring the car back, honey,” he explains, and your mom smiles.

“I can also take her back,” Rafe interjects. “Tannyhill is the same direction, and I’m headed back anyways. If you wanna leave the car here.”

“Really, Rafe, that would be great, thank you.” You look even angrier than before, but the plastic smile spread over your face doesn’t faze them.

“Right, thanks, Blake. Bye mom,” you say, and then lean over to kiss her on the cheek.

You watch them walk away, chewing your cheek and turning back to Rafe with anger splashed all over your pretty features. 

“I can’t believe that worked on them,” you tell him quietly, smiling when your mom turns back to look at you before they turn the corner. Your parents were too gullible sometimes.

“Yeah, me either, kid.”

“Don’t call me that,” you reply right away. “And despite what you think, I’m not touring this place with you. I’m probably never coming back here after today.” You start walking away, in the opposite direction of your parents, when he chases behind you.

“Y’know, I don’t get you. Every girl your age lounges around here all day, and everyone else wishes they could.”

“Well, you know what they say,” you start, smiling sweetly, though he sees through it again. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

“Really?” he shrugs. “Never heard that before.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t have.” 

“Come on, you’re not even giving me a chance. You don’t even know me.” You laugh at that.

“Yes, I do, Rafe, you just don’t recognize me.” You continue your brisk pace, looking for the exit and getting closer. He reaches out to grab your forearm, holding you back for a second. He guides you into the corner, between the hallway where there’s no one else around.

“Yeah, that so?” Rafe is almost caging you in. He’s so close you can smell his cologne and the scotch on his lips.

“I’m from Kildare, Rafe.” You try to break free of his grip, but it proves even harder than you thought. He holds you in place without even breaking a sweat.

“No, no, no, because I know every pretty girl in Kildare. And you’ve definitely never been here before, so-”

“Really? Even the ones from the cut?” You thought that would be enough to get him to drop your arm, but he doesn’t budge.

“Huh. So that’s why you’ve never been here. Old Man Richards married a Pogue and made her daughter into a Kook? Did I get that right?”

“I’m not a Kook,” you say, squirming, because you still don’t want to be trapped by him. His cologne smells good, your mind wanders and thinks, like ocean air and sandalwood. You snap out of it at once.

“Not yet, you’re not.” 

“I’m not going to be, either. A little money isn’t going to change anything for me.”

“Yeah, yeah, kid. That’s what everyone says, ‘til it does.”

“Rafe, let go of me, I said let go-” And he does let go, quickly, and your arm falls. Faint red marks appeared when he was holding on, what can only be a bruise tomorrow. He’s marked you, and you’re not half as angry as you would have thought. 

“Come on, kid, we’re finishing this tour. I promised,” he says, and the last bit is so mocking, you can’t believe mom and Blake fell for his act. 

He takes you around the entire club, shows you the restaurants, the spa, the pool. At least a handful of girls stare at the two of you walking side by side, but Rafe doesn’t look back at anyone. You don’t know how to feel about that.

The oldest Cameron isn’t a mystery to anyone in Kildare, but you don’t know anything about him besides what the boys have told you. JJ hates him, naturally, John doesn’t let you look at him in passing, and even Pope can find a few bad things to say. But right now, he’s not doing any of those things you would have expected once he found out you and your mom are from the other side of the island. The crude jokes and gold-digger comments are nowhere to be heard.

But you can’t write him off completely yet. After all, this is Rafe Cameron.

He finishes the tour on the golf course, so you can wave to your parents on the course. You’re sipping on a lemonade through a little pink straw, and he finds it hard to look away when your cheeks hollow to draw up the liquid. Your mom and Blake wave back, and you smile—genuinely—for maybe the third time that morning. 

“They’re good together,” Rafe comments, on the walk back to the front door, where his truck is waiting. 

“Do you really think that?” you ask quietly. You’re tired, he can tell, drained from trying so hard to make sure he knows you hate him. 

“Yeah, kid, I do. He’s been a widower basically my whole life. And he married your mom, so he must really love her.”

You can’t tell if he’s just saying it to get on your good side. You hope he’s not. Through all of this, all the crying and the suffering and how much you miss your old life and your friends, if your mom doesn’t at least end up happy, it’ll all have been for nothing. You feel more tears brewing.

“Thanks, Rafe,” you end up saying quietly, as you put on the seat belt in the passenger seat of his truck. His music plays softly in the background of the drive - rap, something you've heard before but can't place - back to Blake’s house. With your window down, you stare out of it and try to pay attention to the breeze in your hair rather than the entirely overwhelming scent of Rafe, which is all-consuming in his car.

Rafe turns to look at you every few minutes. You look perfectly in place in his car, leaning against the panel with your eyes closed. That means you trust him, even though every word you say makes him think otherwise.

Your eyes flutter open when he puts the car in park, outside the door to your house. 

“Home sweet home, kid,” you hear his voice in your ear, but he sounds closer than he should be. When you turn to look, he’s leaning over you and so close to you, you feel the heat radiating from his body. 

“What’re you doing?” you ask quickly, heartbeat picking up and rocketing off. 

“M’just getting the door for you, kid.” His arm flexes, only an inch or two away from your chest, pulling the handle and swinging open the door. He leans back into his seat, smirking. “Why, what'd ya think I was gonna do?”

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in and swallow uncomfortably. Your throat feels dry and your palms are suddenly clammy.

“Nothing.” 

“Sure. Whatever you say.”

You climb out of his car, shoes hitting the ground a little too hard. He strains his neck, trying to make sure you’re okay. 

“Thanks for the ride,” you say, not meeting his eyes, closing the door behind you. 

“Anytime, kid. I’ll be seeing you around.”

You thought he would take over the second the passenger-side door was shut, but he doesn’t. He stays and watches you fix your skirt that had ridden-up on the drive, and walk into the front door, glancing behind you, just for a second, before going inside. And then you hear the roar of the engine, only after the door was closed and you were safely inside.

౨ৎ

You didn’t take it literally, that you would be seeing him again. Rafe seems like the type to play with his toys and get bored before long, but true to his word, you see him days later. And to his luck, you were feeling even worse than the first time you met him.

The morning started like any other—showering in a bathroom that’s just yours, and no one else’s, and attached to your bedroom. You can hardly remember the years when your dad was alive, but after he passed, you and your mom moved into a tiny two-bed, one-bath with your mom’s best friend. You were there for the next five years, until she got married and moved out, and it was just the two of you. But even in all the years since, you’ve never had your own bathroom until now. 

You shower as long as you want, whenever you want. Your room is in a completely different hallway than the master, where Blake and your mom sleep. You blast music at night, singing along off-tune from the bathroom, and would stay on the phone for hours with your friends. If anyone answered your calls anymore. 

It’s been three weeks since you broke the news to everyone that you were moving. Two weeks since you actually moved. One week since Rafe walked you around the country club and drove you back home, like you belonged to him. In that time, you’ve driven down to the Chateau twice, walked by Kie’s house, which is now just a few blocks away, and texted multiple times—all with no responses. At first you panic, thinking something’s happened, but then you realize this was what always happened. When you’re off on an adventure, you don’t think about who’s waiting for you back at home.

That’s what’s running through your mind when you run into Rafe again that day.

You had showered without interruption, taking your time doing your hair up just because you felt like it. There was no work to be done, no chores assigned to you anymore. Breakfast was always prepared when you went downstairs, so you took your time getting ready now. 

You missed a lot of things about your old life, but the limited time and constant rushing and anxiety were not among them. 

Your clothes were picked out with the anticipation of seeing your best friends again, your favorite overalls from the thrift store—which had been bought when you were still two sizes too small for them, and had been baggy on you until last year, but they were such a steal your mother refused to let you put them back—and a yellow shirt to match your ratty, yellow converse. They had been washed so many times they were more brown than yellow, but it didn’t matter much. 

This outfit was the old you, and it brought up feelings inside you that nothing in figure eight could change. You wore it because you wouldn’t look any different to your friends in this outfit, and for maybe a few hours, you wouldn’t be the girl in the fancy house with the country club membership anymore.

“You look nice, sweetie,” your mom says, when you head downstairs. She’s drinking her coffee at the table, your step-dad nowhere to be found. It’s eleven in the morning and she’s just woken up too, in her robe and slippers, and you smile, watching her more relaxed than you’ve seen in years.

You swing by her side of the table to give her a kiss, and steal a piece of toast from her plate. You’re relieved she doesn’t mention your clothes, not when she keeps offering to take you shopping with Blake’s money, which you keep refusing, but is getting more tempting every time you step in a puddle in these shoes.

“Thanks mom, I’m going to see the boys and Kie, I’ll be back later, don’t wait up!” and with that you’re gone, before you can discern the disapproving look in her eyes. 

Your junky old car, older than you by several years and still somehow the nicest thing you own—used to own, a voice chirps in the back of your head—is hidden around several fancy cars in the driveway. It’s intentional, you’re sure, and likely your mother’s doing. Nothing embarrassed her more than you handing out constant reminders of your old life to everyone around you.

And then you’re on the way to the Chateau, windows down and no music, since there was no way to connect your phone and the radio was busted by Pope a year ago, who claims he was trying to fix it. 

But it’s what happens when you get there that embarasses you the most—no one’s there, and no one will answer your call. You wait around for a half hour, trying to see if they come back, but they don’t. 

And that’s when it hits you. They were off on their adventures, and you weren’t just down the street anymore, which meant you weren’t invited. You get back in your car and slam the door, humiliated, tears falling down your face and probably ruining the makeup you had done, stupidly, this morning, because you wanted to look nice for them, like your old self for them. You don’t realize until later, after you were done crying, and seen Rafe again, that your friends didn’t want to bother you while you were adjusting to your new life. 

You feel betrayed, and the words that John had told you rattle through your head, because he was wrong. Everything had changed, and nothing would be the same. 

You take off, heading back home. There’s a big storm brewing and your Accord gets dramatic in the rain. It’s not until you cross the border back into figure eight that you realize two things. One, that you had just thought of your new house as home for the first time. And two, that you had never felt more alone. 

There’s not much to do about either of these feelings, besides stopping for the biggest bowl of ice cream you can reasonably carry back home, and eating it in your room, crying and watching You’ve Got Mail for the hundredth time.

So that’s what you do, pulling into the ice cream shop closest to home. Your car also doesn’t have the greatest functioning air conditioner, and you don’t need any more questionable stains in your seats, considering how many times JJ had borrowed it and returned it, promising you it’s nothing and that that spot in the back seat was always there!

In line, tapping your foot, calling your mom’s cell. Your eyes are puffy and your nose is red from crying. She’s not answering, but the unspoken rule of your little family is to always, always call when you’re getting ice cream in case the other wants something. You’ve only been gone something like two hours, and you can’t imagine what she’s doing that she can’t answer your phone. You dial Blake’s number, hoping he answers instead, and while it’s ringing you realize it’s your turn to order. You haven’t even looked at the menu yet. 

You turn to the people behind you, telling them they can go in front, but when you look up from your phone, you almost drop it. 

Of course it’s Rafe Cameron behind you. Of course. Who else would it be? Who else would keep catching you at your lowest moments? He’s with a little girl, who can’t be older than four or five, with dark hair and glasses, holding his hand patiently while staring up at you, while you stare at him and he stares back.

“Rafe, she said we can go in front,” she says, tugging on the hand she’s holding. 

“Yeah, Wheeze, I heard. Let’s go order and then thank this nice girl for letting us go ahead, right?” The little girl nods, and follows him up to order. Rafe looks back at you but then your step-dad answers, so you turn away, cheeks heating up. You don’t want him to see.

“Hi, what’s going on?” you hear his voice through the phone, sort of staticky and jumbled. 

“Hi, Blake, I just wanted to ask if you and mom wanted ice cream? I’m at the place… yeah, the one near the house.”

“Oh, yes, let me ask her, one second-” You hear him put the phone down, or cover the mic, and then, “Honey! Kiddo’s asking if you want ice cream.” 

You feel yourself soften a little bit at the nickname. And then you hear your mom and Blake talking back and forth, for what feels like ages. The girl behind the counter looks at you with a glare and you try to look back at her with an apologetic smile, but you’re a little fed-up from the emotional turmoil you’ve just endured. 

“Hi, sweetie, I’m okay, I had some at the club with lunch and twice in a day is just not a good idea-”

“Just get it, who cares? We can have it later tonight too-”

“What if the power goes out? It’ll melt, and then it’s just a waste of money-” Crap. You hadn’t thought of that.

“We have generators for that.” Blake picks up the phone again. “Hey, kiddo, get your mom her usual and make sure you use the card I gave you, okay?”

You hang up the phone, smiling, and then order. It feels weird, being oddly comforted by someone other than your mom or your friends for once. In your distraction, you don’t see Rafe and the little girl hovering near the freezer window that showcases all the ice cream they offer. When you’re reaching for the shiny black Amex, you hear him again. 

“I got it, kid,” Rafe says, pressing his matching card against the reader and pushing your wrist down and away. He does it so easily, without trying, just like he did in the country club. You look up at him stupidly, brain not registering what he just did and why he did it, and you don’t move for a moment. You don’t move until he leans down a little, close enough to smell that enticing cologne again but not nearly close enough. 

“I think the words you’re looking for are ‘thank you’. And you should probably get out of the way.” You blink back up at him, and he’s smirking again. You feel kind of stupid, the way he’s talking to you, but you also don’t mind as much as you thought you would. The girl behind the counter yells out Next! and that’s when Rafe takes you by the arm, just above where he had bruised you, and moves you away himself.

“You okay, kid?” he asks, and you feel yourself melt like ice cream left in your car for too long. You don’t know if he really means it, or if he really cares, but you do know Rafe Cameron needs to stop talking to you like he likes you, or you’re going to be in trouble.

“Fine, yeah. Thanks, uh, thanks for the ice cream.” You’re still blinking slowly, stupidly, stuck in a daze. You should really get it together around him. It’s a little pathetic if a strong grip and a couple of nice actions gets you acting like this. That’s a problem for another day right now.

“Is she okay, Rafe?” the little girl asks quietly from beside him. 

“No idea, Wheezie. Why don’t you sit and eat your ice cream?” he replies, and she sits down a few tables away, beginning to shovel chocolate ice cream with a tiny wooden spoon.

“Hey,” he says, and you begin to snap out of it. It’s raining outside now. You hear the pitter-patter of the drops on the roof. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yes. I am. I just had a bad morning. Sorry.” But you don’t know what you’re apologizing for.

“Well, are you gonna talk about it and shit? ‘Cause I don’t know you that well yet but you’re kinda freaking me out right now.”

“I-I…I just-”

“You, you, you just?” he mocks, and then when tears fill your pretty eyes and he sees one slip down your face, his own eyes panic briefly. “Hey, hey, I was just joking, kid-” He pulls out a colorful chair for you, and sits you down next to Wheezie, who is still eating ice cream at an alarming rate. Your ice cream is ready at the counter, and he brings it down next to you, holding his own strawberry cone in his hand. 

“Hold this for me Wheeze,” he says, not really asking, and the little girl shakes her head right away.

“How’m I gonna eat mine then?” 

“Wheezie,” Rafe says, in a voice that you haven’t heard him use before—and then you realize how stupid you sound. You’ve talked with him twice, you don’t know anything about the voices he uses or how he sounds when he’s talking to this girl who can only be his little sister. 

“Can I have some?” Wheezie propositions back, and Rafe nods. “Okay!” she says, taking a bite of the scoop with her front teeth.

“So, y’gonna tell me what’s going on or am I gonna have to guess everything?” 

“My friends, I just keep missing them, or they keep missing me, maybe. I just wanted to see them. It’s really lonely here, that’s all.” You’re staring into his eyes, his really, really blue eyes that are currently a little alarmed and concerned, and the fact that they’re that way for you is making you a little dizzy. 

“Yeah, I get that. Sorry, kid, that’s the lay of the land, right? Not a Pogue anymore, are you?” 

“I don’t know what I am.” You feel silly and embarrassed for pouring your heart out over ice cream with Rafe Cameron. He doesn’t know you, and he never will.

“Well, right now you have a choice. You can sit here and eat ice cream with us, or you can go home and cry about it alone. But if you choose the second one, Richards and Anna will see you, or hear you, and ask about it. And I’m not gonna keep asking if you don’t wanna talk. So pick one before this shi-stuff melts, okay?” 

You nod dumbly again. You’d like to turn your brain off and let Rafe decide for you. 

“I need a spoon.” He smiles, not smirks, for a second, before getting up to get you a spoon.

A few things float through your mind while you eat ice cream with the Camerons. First, Rafe remembers your mom’s name. Second, Rafe doesn’t swear in front of his kid sister. And third, and most important of all, Rafe Cameron cares about you.

“That’s a lot of ice cream,” Wheeze, or rather—as you’ve just learned—Wheezie, comments.

“I was feeling really sad,” you reply, shoving another spoonful into your mouth, watching the little girl eye your peanut and chocolate ice cream inquisitively. “You’ll understand someday.”

“Boy problems?” she asks, and you can’t help but crack a smile. Rafe looks up from his phone momentarily 

“Not really, but a good guess. This would also apply to that situation.”

“My sister’s always got boy problems.”

“Really?” you ask, and then look up Rafe. “You have another sister?”

“Yes,” he says, in between licks of strawberry ice cream. You should really look away when he does that, because your heart rate is picking up. “And she’s even more annoying than this one.”

You laugh while Wheezie frowns.

“If I’m so annoying, why do you always take me for ice cream, huh?”

“She’s got you there, Rafe,” and you resist the urge to look at him, even when you can feel his eyes on you. 

“Because you wouldn’t stop asking, dork, that’s why.” Wheezie shrugs in reply.

“I’m not gonna finish all of this. You want some, Wheezie?” you ask, offering her your spoon. She looks back at you smiling, and then at Rafe for permission, who nods.

She digs into the pile left, while you finally give into the urge to look up at her brother again. He takes another lick of his ice cream and you look away within a second. 

“Been eating that for a while, haven’t you, Rafe?”

“Yeah.” 

Somewhere in between Wheezie eating so much of the ice cream so quickly that she gets a brain freeze, and Rafe finally tossing his half-eaten cone into the trash, it’s time to go home. And as much as you hate to admit it, you don’t want to leave. The rain is coming down hard outside, a preview of the impending hurricane.

“Drive here, kid?” he asks, as your feet hesitate by the door. 

“No,” Wheezie answers, “I came here with you, dork.”

“Not talking to you, kid,” he replies, rustling the top of her hair with his hand, getting an ugh, Rafe, in response.

“Yeah. Yes, I drove here. But my car doesn’t do so good in the rain.”

“Huh?” he questions.

“It’s old, okay. Junky. The AC is broken. And the radio. Sometimes she just stops, y’know?” You gesture to your blue car parked out front, the rusty, tiny sedan two spots down from his shiny truck.

“No, I don’t know. Richards lets you drive around in that thing?”

“She.”

“It’s a car. Barely, at that.”

“She has a name, okay. HoHo. That’s her name.”

“Alright, well, you’re gonna have to ditch the hoe, because I can’t let you drive home in a hurricane in… that.” You turn to glare at him. “Her, sorry.”

That’s how you end up soaking wet in the passenger seat of Rafe’s truck, Wheezie secured in her booster seat and Rafe even wetter than you are. He drops you home and says the two of you can go pick up your car tomorrow—if it’s still there, he adds at the end, leaning over you again to open your door. You stare at him dumbly again, which has now become a bad habit, and it’s not until Wheezie says you’re getting her wet in the back that you finally climb out and close the door. You stand behind the front door with your mom’s melted ice cream in one hand, and your phone with Rafe’s contact saved in the other, wondering what exactly just happened. 

౨ৎ

The next few weeks pass through as quickly as they came. Your car—to your chagrin and your mother’s joy—does not survive the hurricane. Blake gives you a fancy, luxury car to drive around in that he just had laying around, which you don’t believe for one second. But, your mom is pleased when you actually start driving it, and you can actually listen to music from your phone and enjoy air conditioning and the most luxurious of luxuries—a backup camera. 

The night of the ice cream shop incident, Rafe texts you. You were completely ready to wallow in bed, waiting for the text from him that never comes, drowning your sorrow in more ice cream, but he does text you. First and right away. 

R: Is it wrong if I hope hoho drowns tonight?

that’s so mean. she never did anything to you.

R: She’s kinda ugly. And what was that about no ac?

so she deserves death????

R: The impound lot at the very least

if she dies, it’ll be because YOU manifested it

R: Never thought I’d believe in that manifesting shit, but here we are

did Wheezie eat dinner after how much ice cream you let her inhale?

R: No.

R: Ur fault. You gave her yours

you gave her yours too

and btw, I offered her a bite. she ate the rest. not my fault

R: She’s five, genius

R: I’ll come around noon tomorrow. Sleep tight kid

౨ৎ

Somewhere in between picking up your car—which entailed no less than stopping for lunch, even more ice cream that you can’t stand to watch him eat, and driving through town to see how bad the damage from hurricane Agatha was, and altogether three hours together ending with a wet, heated kiss in his truck with the windows fogged up—and today, you’ve been with Rafe more times than you can count. 

And you try hard to suppress the thought that it’s just because he’s available, that the availability is the reason for your attraction. And then you catch yourself trying to justify why you want to see Rafe so much, this guy that you had just been assuming was bad because your friends told you he was bad, without much in the way of an explanation. 

But Rafe is the furthest thing from bad. He’s so sweet to you it makes you delirious. He picks you up all the time, even when you tell him you’re just at home, and your car is right there. He pays for everything, he opens every door, the gentle but teasing way he is with Wheezie makes you even more head over heels.

But most important of all, he calls you first. He texts you first. He makes you feel wanted, and you definitely, definitely, want him, so you don’t think twice before saying yes to accompanying him to Midsummers. 

You actually don’t know what it really is, besides for a big party. It was always one of the worst nights at the hospital—litters of teens with alcohol poisoning and from car accidents— so your mom would be working. When you turned eighteen, your mom paid for classes to become a junior nurse, and so busy nights like the one of Midsummers usually was, you would get called in too. So before this week, you’d never spent Midsummers doing anything other than cleaning wounds and fetching suture kits.

You tell Rafe this and he looks at you strangely, another of his looks you hadn’t seen before, with furrowed brows, and you flush and apologize, regretting even opening your mouth. 

You know you’re deeper than you thought when he takes your head between his hands and kisses you—messy, with tongue and spit left glimmering over your mouth, so much so that he wipes the corner of your mouth with his thumb when he’s done. 

“Go get yourself a pretty dress, and we’ll have fun, yeah?” You nod stupidly again, the way you’re prone to doing around him. He must have realized you get a kick out being told what to do by him, what to worry about and what to focus on. 

You finally take your mom up on the offer to go shopping. Her and your step-dad are going to this thing anyways, but you can tell she wasn’t completely sure you’d go to something so Kook-y, maybe not just yet, and she doesn’t want to push it since your mood finally seems to have picked up. But then you tell her Rafe asked you to go with him, and the two of you smile and jump around the living room, laughing like kids. She’s happy for you and you’re happy that the two of you are happy at the same time.

Rafe sends you money for a dress—enough money to pay for a month’s rent at your old place. Your mom says your step-dad insists on paying. You feel like things are coming together for the first time.

You wander the stores, trying on different dresses and feeling like a scene out of a movie until you finally find the perfect blue dress. Blue for Rafe’s eyes and his suit jacket, because you’re not embarrassed to admit to him that you want to match for Midsummers. It’s patterned with little flowers, ruffles and lace moving in the wind when you twirl, and for once, you stop feeling like you need to pick a side to be on—Pogue or Kook—and you decide just to be Rafe’s for now.

The night of the party, Rafe offers to pick you up, but you tell him you’ll come with your parents. They’re both wearing shades of peach and salmon, the three of you together look like you’re headed to a baby shower, which you and your mom laugh about in the car ride there. 

You text Rafe to let him know you’re there, and tell your parents you’re going to walk around to find him. When you glance back, they’re talking with some of Blake’s friends, people he had invited to the wedding.

You see, what you can only think, is a glimpse of Pope, in his usual waiter get up, but he disappears before you can see where he was. His father is still there, though, and you make your way through the crowd to get near him.

“Hi, Mr. Heyward,” you say, smiling and unsure if he’ll recognize you. You don’t think he’s ever seen you in anything but your overalls or scrubs. 

“How can I help yo-wait, is that you, well I’ll be damned. You’re blending right in, aren’t ya?”

“Well, it took long enough.” You suddenly feel embarrassed, because he knows the old you, the one who wouldn’t be here in a million years. “Do you know where Pope is? I thought I saw him, I just wanted to say hi.”

“He just went off that way, but if you see him, tell him I still need his help over here, just like I did before he walked away—”

“Can I help with anything?” you ask quickly, but he shakes his head and tells you the direction Pope went in.

You follow it generally, trying to see where he could have gone in such a short time. But then you see all of them, and you can’t stop your feet from running over. Kie, JJ, and Pope, all standing and talking about something, but you don’t really care about interrupting. Kie’s all dressed up too, and you suddenly don’t feel so embarrassed.

“You guys,” you feel yourself gushing. “It’s been so long,” and you go in for a hug with each of them. 

“Wow, god, you look so pretty,” Kie says, and you hug her again. You don’t realize how much you missed her. 

“You too, Kie,” your smile is so wide it starts to hurt. “Isn’t this so weird, all of us here at this party? Where’s John B?” you ask, looking around. 

“So weird,” JJ says, and you notice the bruise around his right eye because he’s turning to look at Kie again. 

“JJ, what the hell happened to your face?” JJ doesn’t answer, he actually doesn’t say anything at all, which should have been your first sign that something was wrong. You look at him quizzically, before turning to Pope.

“Pope, your dad’s looking for you, I just went over to say hi-”

“Oh crap,” he says, heading back in the direction you just came from. “Sorry, be right back.”

“W-what the hell is going on?” you question Kie and JJ, searching for any answer, desperately hoping that it isn’t we don’t wanna tell you. Your phone goes off, twice, and you pick it up. The look on your face must have been beyond palpable to your friends.

R🧸ྀི: Come inside the house

R🧸ྀི: Got a surprise for you

“I-I gotta go inside,” you say, looking at the confused faces of your friends.

“What’s inside? I thought-”

“No, nothing, I don’t know, Rafe just asked me to go inside, and I haven’t even seen him yet-”

“Rafe? What, Rafe Cameron?”

“Y-yeah?”

“What are you, with him, or something?” JJ asks, and you feel your heart fall into your stomach.

“I-I yeah, maybe. I’m here with him tonight, he-” Your phone goes off again. “I’m sorry, I have to go find him, but I’ll come find you guys right after, okay?”

You leave the two of them there, looking at each other confused, looking at you like they don’t recognize you. And it stings, for a moment, until you get inside the mansion and find Rafe hanging out by the entrance, nursing a glass of scotch and eyes lighting up when they see you. 

Everything with him is like that scene from that movie. Lights go dim, you walk in slow-motion, the room goes quiet. He watches you walk up to him and his eyes take in everything—your pretty hair, your dolled up face, the way your dress moves when you walk, and most of all, that you’re here with him. He reaches his hand out to grab you by the waist to bring you in for a kiss. It’s not like the others, it’s chaste and soft and romantic. 

“Hi,” you breathe out, resting your forehead against his.

“Hi, kid. You look fantastic,” and he presses another sweet kiss to your temple. 

“We’re matching,” you say with a smile, taking in his blue suit jacket and the way you feel dizzy right now, and you feel his grip tighten around your waist. 

“Yeah, we are. Now get in line with me, we’re walking out together.” Your eyes are big like coins, because you understood that you were coming here together, but this is his family’s big night, if everything your mom and Blake told you was to be taken seriously.

You don’t have time to say anything, because Rafe’s nice parents line up ahead of you, and his two sisters behind you. Wheezie tugs on your dress and you turn to greet her and Sarah quickly, because then the doors open and you’re walking out, following Rafe’s lead, lots and lots of eyes on you, but only one pair of blue ones you really care about. 

You almost want to cry, the whole thing is so magical. You have a flute of champagne and a sip of Rafe’s scotch, and you are deliciously tipsy for the next two hours. Your parents come over to talk to you and Rafe, and you can see how happy your mom is in her eyes. You and Rafe dance until your feet hurt, and it’s only then, when he leaves your sight, that things seem to get back down to how they normally are. 

You can’t find Wheezie’s parents or Sarah anywhere. The little girl spilled ice cream on her dress and is crying quietly, fat tears rolling down her chubby cheeks. You want to get her parents, because you think they can help, but you end up taking her to the bathroom yourself. With a damp paper towel, you wipe as much as you can, and you promise to get her another ice cream if she stops crying.

“It’s just a stain, honey, don’t worry.” You toss the dirty tissue and grab another one, wiping the tears and then letting her blow her nose. “It’ll come out when you wash it. And no one will notice because it’s so dark now, right?” She nods in agreement. “Do you wanna go find your big brother?” Another sad nod. “Let’s go honey,” and you take her hand and lead her back out. 

You’re not entirely sure what you missed in the last fifteen minutes. Everyone’s gone quiet, staring at what you hope is a trick of your eyes—all of your friends running from the party, hooting and hollering. Kiara’s parents look hopelessly upset, Mr. Heyward downright disappointed, and your mom scanning the crowd, trying to see where you are, until she spots you and Wheezie.

Her and Mrs. Cameron come running over, and you instinctively flinch, thinking the giant headpiece she’s wearing will poke you. You hand off Wheezie and turn to look at your friends, and you think, for a second, they’re waiting for you. They are, you realize slowly, waiting for you.

And you almost take off right then and there, until you feel Rafe’s warm hand on your shoulder, and you look up to see him bleeding.

At that moment, you turn right back around and head inside to the nearest room, sitting Rafe down on the bed and scrambling to find something to clean his wound with, and something cold to help the swelling, and in your panic, you don’t realize you’re rambling.

“I mean, what the hell was all of that? I turn around for two seconds and everyone’s running from the party like there’s a fire, and destroying things and throwing punches, I mean, I get they hate the whole Kook thing, but it was never like this before, even when I didn’t know you yet, and I-” you drop the frozen bag of peas onto the floor in your sudden realization. “I just let them leave. They waited for me. I didn’t go with them.” Your eyes fill with years. That’s a betrayal, not all the stupid stuff you thought was happening before tonight. They waited for you, and you turned right back around to go inside with Rafe.

“Hey, hey hey,” Rafe says quietly, taking your head in his hands again. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay.”

“You’re bleeding, Rafe,” you say, voice trembling. Your tears are ruining your makeup. 

“I’m gonna be fine. You know why?” he asks, and you feel more tears rush down. “Hey, hey, no crying.” Rafe wipes away the tears with his hand, then he brings his hands to your back and rubs soothingly. “You know why, kid?” “Why?” it comes out a whisper.

“Because you chose me. We’re gonna be fine, okay?” 

The way he says it you believe him. 

You spend the next two days at Tannyhill with Rafe, wearing nothing but his t-shirts and doing nothing but rolling around in bed. It’s been a month, maybe a little bit more, and you haven’t even had the talk yet—the sex talk. There’s no doubt in your mind that he’s not ready for it, but you’re not ready for it, not yet. You’re working on it. He doesn’t make it easy for you, either. You’ve spent hours now, making out in his lap, grinding against each other until you make a mess all over his shorts and his hair is sticking up in every direction, and working your way up to telling him what you want. 

You’re almost there. You’re waiting for the perfect time. Which was almost right now.

“You like that? Shit-” he breathes into your ear, pressing a kiss to the tender skin of your neck right underneath. It makes you moan again, louder, until he clamps a hand—the one not three fingers deep inside your leaking pussy—over your mouth, barricading the noise from leaving. “Gotta be quiet, kid, you want the whole house hearin’ what a little slut you are?��� 

His blue eyes, lustful and blown, stare into your own. You shake your head softly underneath the tight grip of his palm. You’re always obedient with him, but he really likes you like this. 

“Yeah? You gonna do whatever daddy tells you? Just so I keep my fingers in this tight pussy?” You nod compliantly, head falling back on to the pillow. His fingers are thick, and the cool of his ring rubs against your clit in the best way, in ways you didn’t even realize it could feel.

He keeps fucking three fingers in and out of you, moans muffled by his hand but not completely silenced. You must be making a mess, because it’s what he keeps talking about, rambling about your messy cunt, greedy and sucking him in, and how you’ve been cumming for him like a little princess for the last two days, but it’s never enough for you. 

It’s when he removes his hand and kisses you hard instead, tongue deep inside you mouth, the metal of his chain dangling on your chin, and you feel the similarly cool metal of his ring on you, you finish again, exploding around your boyfriend’s fingers and moaning into his mouth. He hears you, repeating his name over and over again, not Rafe, but rather daddy, and he swallows your chants into his mouth. When you calm down, he makes a show of licking his fingers off while locking eyes, and then you get flustered and bury your head into his neck. 

He laughs, because it’s so cute, but only for a minute. Then you two shower together and he makes another show, but this time out of you, kneeling on the floor of his tub while he paints your face with his cum, making sure to cover the necklace you’ve been wearing recently too, the silver, loopy little R hanging between your collarbone. 

Then you get dressed—a little pink dress that’s been his favorite recently, with buttons down the front and a pretty bow where your tits sit— and the two of you have lunch with his family like nothing ever happened.

Rafe drops you back at home later that day, gives you a kiss where he grabs the back of your head to bring you in, and then waves bye to your parents as he unlatches the door for you, in his usual way. 

౨ৎ

A week later, he does the same thing. Drops you off, drives away once you’re inside, and you’re starstruck walking back, so much so, you don’t realize there’s someone waiting for you.

It’s Kie, and Rafe’s sister, Sarah. You’re a little confused since you thought the two of them didn’t get

along,  but they look like they’re fine now.

“Hey, listen, we need you to help us. Can you come down to the Chateau later tonight, after sunset?” Kie asks, and you must look as confused as you feel, because Sarah speaks right away, before you can get a word out.

“You cannot tell my brother. Promise us you won’t.”

“Why are you asking me that? Why can’t I tell him?” Sarah and Kie exchange a look, and it’s clear to you that you are missing several pieces of the puzzle. “Guys! Come on, you-you can’t expect me to just be on board with lying to my boyfriend and showing up to help you guys without knowing what it even is, right? What’s going on?”

“We will explain everything, just please promise us that you’ll come,” Kie implores and you nod hesitantly. 

“And you won’t tell Rafe?” Sarah asks again.

“Come on. Pogues for life, right?” Kie says, and you get a flashback to your life two months

ago—doing anything for your friends and dreaming of how you’d end up with one of the boys someday. It all seems like a million years ago.

“Yes, yeah, yeah, I’ll be there. I won’t tell him.”

You guess that God was on your side today. 

R🧸ྀི: Hey kid. Busy with my dad today. Dinner tomorrow okay?

sounds perfect!! don’t work too hard! i'm gonna watch a movie with my mom and blake and stay in tn

R🧸ྀི: You got mail again?

you know me so well

R🧸ྀི: Have fun princess.

You set down your phone on your dresser, feeling like you could throw up your dinner. It’s just starting to get dark outside, and you’ve just lied to Rafe for the first time since you’ve met him. It feels terrible, like something’s gnawing inside you, begging you to come clean and confess, or not to go out at all. You think about it for a moment, maybe if he knows you’re with some of your old friends, it won’t be like a real lie.

Then you remember your old friends are the ones who punched him. You tell your mom you’re going to Rafe’s, and then you get in your fancy car that Rafe helped you christen the other day—in the backseat, specifically—and drive to your old life.

You park next to the Twinkie and get out, stepping into a slush of mud. Your shoes are new, and were clean, and you cringe internally at how much you started caring about these things. You don’t want Rafe to see you with dirty shoes.

The boys and Kie are sitting on the logs near the fire pit. Sarah is sitting right next to John B, looking at him how you look at Rafe, and then you realize the magnitude of just how much you’ve missed.

“Hey,” Kie says, looking up first, smiling. “You came.”

“Yeah.” You’re at a loss for words. Everyone looks the same. Everything feels so different.

A part of you wants to sink down between Pope and JJ, crack a beer, and laugh at jokes you think you would still understand. Another part wants to get into the fancy car and drive to Tannyhill. You opt for neither, standing a few yards away and letting the light from the fire cast its hazy glow over you and all your old friends.

“Did you tell him?” Sarah asks. She means it well, not in a rude way, but that’s how you feel. 

“No, no, I didn’t. He, he thinks I’m at home. With my mom and Blake.”

“Alright,” JJ says, tossing his empty beer can. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Listen,” John B says, getting up and sounding too sincere for your liking. “We all appreciate you coming. Because we need a favor from you, and it might not be easy.”

“I mean, I think it’s gonna be pretty easy. Unless Rafe is like, really, really crazy, like even crazier than we already know he is-” JJ says, but stops when Kie and Pope shake their heads. “What? She knows, she’s the one dating him.”

“Know what? I don’t even know what you want from me-”

“We need a distraction. For Rafe, okay?” John B starts.

“An hour, okay, that’s all we need, right guys?” Sarah asks, looking back at everyone. They nod, trying to convince you, except Jayj.

“Well, like, maybe a couple of hours. If he’s up to that, y’know, I don’t wanna assume shit ‘bout stamina and all that-”

“JJ,” Pope says, shoving the blond’s arm. “You’re not helping.”

“What?” you breathe out, even more confused than before. You start to get what they’re asking, you just don’t want to admit it.

“We need to distract Rafe, for an hour, or like two hours, and we figured you’re our best bet.” John B says, and you look at them with your mouth falling open a little.

“You want me to…sleep with my boyfriend, to distract him, so you guys can do something that you won’t tell me about?”

“Kind of, yeah. Pretty much.”

“And is, is this thing going to hurt him in the long run? Is he going to be upset? When he finds out what happened?”

“My Kook feelings radar is a little off, right now, but who knows, I mean hell, he might not ever find out,” JJ says, and you want to sit down, because your knees feel weak, but the ground is muddy and the logs are occupied. “If we do our job right, he won’t know for a long, long time, right guys?” A chorus of right, right rings around the fire. 

“And you’re not gonna tell me what this is about at all?” 

“Well, it might not be a good idea. Because, you’re dating him, and listen, we just need like an hour, and he never has to know you were a part of this, okay? I will never tell him, none of us will,” Sarah says, and you do believe her. But you can’t believe that they’re asking you to do this.

“And if he finds out, and he breaks up with me, then what?” 

“Yeah, I, uh, knew this was a bad idea. She’s not gonna do it, guys, so let’s just reformulate-”

“Oh, you knew I was gonna say no, JJ? Lying to my boyfriend? For the people who hurt him?”

“He hurt us too, y’know,” Pope says, and you feel your heart begin to race. 

“No, I don’t know, because no one tells me anything! No one answers their phone and no one’s here when I drive down. Kie, you live two streets away from me now. The first time I saw you all month was at Midsummers and then, today. Asking me to come here to lie to Rafe, to sleep with him to distract him.”

“No, no, we shouldn’t have asked you, because I knew you would say no, I told them-” and you can’t believe the words coming from your friend's mouth. “Look at you, you went total Kook on us.” 

And then you feel like they’re taking it all in. The R around your neck, the jewelry that sparkles in the light of the fire, all yellow citrine, for Rafe’s birth month. The pink dress that’s his favorite—you put it on this morning in case you ended up back at Tannyhill tonight. And worst of all, his white button up hanging from your shoulders, smelling like ocean and sandalwood and Rafe Cameron. 

“It’s like you belong to him now.” You feel a tear sliding down, but you wipe it away. 

“Maybe that’s because he was actually there for me, when I needed it. And I get it, maybe I should have tried harder. But you guys should have too.”

The group of you stand there in silence for a moment. Your phone goes off. You know it’s Rafe. They know it is too. It starts with Kie, and then a course of apologies from everyone. John B wipes away your tears like nothing has changed. JJ scratches his head, and then hugs you tighter than he ever has before. Pope tells you how much he’s missed you, how he had to start bandaging wounds in your absence. 

“I’ll distract him. An hour, that’s all you get. I’m not sleeping with him because you guys want me to, okay? So if he leaves, he leaves.” 

You take off for Tannyhill, leaving your old life behind and risking your new one all at once.

౨ৎ

Rafe’s phone goes off again, and he lets out a short, tight breath. 

Princess: are you still busy at home? i need you

Princess: please rafey

“I’ll be back,” he tells Ward, and before he can even respond, he’s out of the room, calling you. The line rings twice, and then you answer.

“Rafey?” you sound quiet, like you’ve been crying.

“Hey, hey kid. What’s going on? I told you I was working tonight,” and then he runs a hand through his hair, because he knows he’s fucked, if you’re crying and you need him, then he’s going.

“I know, Rafe, I just really need you, I had a really bad night-” “Woah, wait, I thought you were just with your parents?”

“I was, it just got really bad, I-I’m outside Tannyhill because I had to leave, and then I got lost and I was scared so I just came straight here.”

“Lost? Jeez, kid, it’s, like, down the street.”

“But I didn’t wanna bother you, ‘cause you were busy-” and then he hears a hiccup, and then a sob.

“Okay, okay, stay there, I’m gonna come get you,” and he hangs up the call. He darts outside, spotting your navy car and you inside, still in the same clothes from this morning, just wearing his shirt over it, like a jacket. He gets close and you climb out of the car yourself, jumping into his arms and burying your face into his neck, like you always do when you get like this. He can feel the way your body shakes under his arms, the wetness of your tears on his black polo.

“Okay, it’s okay now, come on, let’s go inside.” You make it up the stairs to his bedroom, when Rafe guides you inside and pulls his blinds, so no one peeks inside. 

He sits you up on the edge of his bed, squatting before you, hands in yours, arms resting on your knees. 

“You gonna tell me what happened?” You shake your head, another tear falling. You wish you could say you were pretending, but the tears find their own way when you think about the encounter you just had. You’re lying when you tell him it’s between you and your parents, but his reaction makes you regret it instantly. “Did they say somethin’ to you? Did they try something? I’ll go over there and sort it all out, okay, kid, don’t worry about a thing.” He stands up, running another hand through his messy hair, letting it fall in the moppy way it always does, over his forehead. “Stay here, okay, princess, I’ll be back.”

Then you realize he’s gonna go over there and talk to your perfectly happy, clueless parents, so you stand up and turn him back around.

“No, no, Rafe, don’t leave,” and then you melt into a hug, taking in everything about it. Rafe rests his chin on the top of your head, his arms tight around your back. He smells so good, and the way he’s taking care of you makes you realize a couple things. “Will you just…make me forget?”

Your boyfriend looks down at you, and you don’t shy away from his gaze like you often, when you get flustered. 

“Make you forget?” he questions. 

“I just don’t wanna think about anything else,” you start, undoing the bow of your dress, more cleavage revealing itself. “I just wanna think about you,” and then your fingers undo the buttons trailing down the front of your dress. It falls off your shoulders, and you stand before him, naked, certainly not for the first time but what feels like the most intimate it’s ever been. 

There’s a pretty lingerie set hidden in the back of your closet, what you had actually put aside for this moment, but you had no time to run home and get it, so you opted for the next best thing, taking your bra and panties off in the car ride here, shoving them into your purse, and hoping that Rafe was as tempted as you were.

“Just about me?” he questions, and you take his hand into yours, leaning in to press a soft kiss against his lips.

“Just you, Rafe. I’m ready, Rafey, I want you to fuck me,” and it seems like that’s all it takes. Rafe crushes his lips against yours, kissing you how he always does, tongue in your mouth and spit everywhere. He holds you by the back of your head and your hands run through his hair. You want him closer, even closer than he already is, than he possibly could be.

His hands leave your head and go down to your ass, grabbing both cheeks roughly and wrapping your legs around his waist. He drops you on his bed, head hitting the pillow, and you pull away for a second, to catch your breath. Rafe doesn’t let it happen, gripping your cheeks between his hand and bringing you back in for another kiss. You’re naked, and he’s still completely dressed, but you don’t miss the obvious way his hardened dick presses against your bare cunt.

You can’t breathe, and all your senses are overpowered by Rafe, but you also don’t really care. You keep kissing, moaning into each other’s mouths and gripping hair and skin that’s sure to leave a bruise tomorrow, until you feel him finally pull away for a second. You catch your breath, open-mouthed and heaving, eyes locked.

“‘M only gonna ask this once, kid,” he breathes, leaving another hot kiss on your neck, which makes you spread your legs further open with instinct. “Y’sure you want this? ‘Cause there’s no going back.”

You nod in that way you always have with him, telling him everything with no words at all. 

“That’s my girl,” he breathes against your neck, and you feel him bite down into the soft skin of the flesh there. You yell out, but it turns into a moan when Rafe licks his tongue over the wound. “That’s just so you can remember this night, okay baby?” You look back up at him, wet eyes, swollen lips, and flushed, sweaty skin. 

“Thank you, daddy.” He smiles, because you’re in for it now.

“You’re welcome, kid. Shit,” he breathes out, “I knew you’d like it, little freak.” He starts with more hot kisses, all the way down your neck, down your sternum, and stopping to press a kiss to each side of your ribs, before continuing down to your stomach. You whine from your position below him, one huge hand holding your hip in place and the other tracing the pattern of the kisses down, until he finally reaches where you want him to be.

“Gotta be quiet, kid, everyone’s home. You gonna let them all hear how much of a whore you are for me? Huh?” he mocks, and you shake your head fervently. “Good girl. You’re being so good, you’re gonna get a treat, okay?” You nod stupidly.

His breath catches for a second, when he gets down to your glistening cunt. He looks up at you from his position there, your chest heaving, tits bouncing with how much you’re squirming, how much you want him to do something. He moves his hands, one resting on your breast, pinching the nipple with his finger, and the other running a line down your pussy. Your whole body twitches up when he runs the metal of his ring over your clit, because he knows you really like it. 

“Rafe, please,” you cry, sounding stupid and fucked out, even though he hasn’t started yet. “Please, please,” and your hips jerk up. He pushes them down. 

“Be patient, kid. Gotta admire this virgin pussy for the last time before I ruin it, ‘kay?” You feel your walls tighten at his words, and you hope he missed the way everything just clenched, but it’s Rafe, and he didn’t miss a thing. “Like that, huh? You like being my little slut?”

You shake your head, trying to deny it, but the damage is done.

Rafe dives in, and you let out a moan that you didn’t realize you were capable of producing. You clamp your own hand over your mouth, because you know he’ll stop if you get too loud. His tongue licks you up and down, and true to what you had always thought, he does know what he’s doing.

The hand pinching your nipples doesn’t relent, and the weight of his arm holds you down when you buck up as he pushes two fingers inside you, scissoring them to stretch your walls out. It hurts, in the best way, and before you know it, he’s added a third.

His mouth stays focused on your clit, and your legs tremble, even though it’s barely been a few minutes. It’s all of it, all at once. Being naked in Rafe’s bed, his hand groping your tits, the way he holds you down without trying, the smell of his cologne and his skin and his sweat, making you lightheaded.

His fingers push in and out, and when he hits that sweet spot inside you, the one your own fingers have never been able to reach but somehow, Rafe’s have become well acquainted with, you can’t help the noises you make.

You repeat his name over and over again, and you think you’ve felt the height of this pleasure, that nothing could surpass this feeling, until your stomach tightens in an entirely new way. Your fucked out brain gets it together for a minute, to feel the overwhelming, ecstatic pressure of Rafe’s tongue on your clit, spelling out his own name. Your stomach tightens, unbearably so, that coil winding up, but before he even finishes the F, it snaps all at once. 

You let out a scream—which you think is so stupid of you. But it feels so good, there was no way around it. Rafe reacts instantly, grabbing your hand that’s pulling his hair and using it to snap over your mouth, all while he rides you through it. 

His nose presses against your clit while he slides his fingers out, your pussy walls clamping around nothing, missing him already. He laps up the mess you just made with his tongue, the noise being so overwhelming, you want to scream again. 

You use your other hand to yank his hair, pulling him up to look at you, because you know you want to see this. Rafe, your Rafe, your boyfriend, with blown, wide eyes and the entire lower half of his face glistening with your juices, with the mess you just made, and then you collapse back down onto the bed. 

Your breathing is heavy. You aren’t sure it’ll ever go back to normal.

Rafe pulls his shirt off by grabbing it from the back, yanking it over his head. Your hand floats up to

touch his chest, to make sure he’s still real and not just a vivid sex dream, but he slaps it out of the way.

“What did I say, hm?” he asks, leaning over you. His face is just an inch too far to kiss. Your limbs feel numb, and you can’t pull him down yourself. You want to cry, because you want to kiss him so badly. “I said you had to be quiet, or everyone’s gonna know what a little whore you are.”

“I tried, daddy, I did-”

“I don’t think you tried at all, kid.”

“No, I did, I swear-”

“You’re lucky that I-” and before he finishes his sentence, you pull him down into another kiss. He tastes like you and scotch, and the combination is so intoxicating, you can’t pull away. “Hey, hey,” he breathes. “I’m not going anywhere, okay?” and the soothing way he says it, you believe him.

“I’m lucky that you what?” you ask, unbuckling his belt and snaking it off the loops.

“That I love you, and I’m not gonna punish you tonight for not listening to me.” You drop the belt over your stomach, the melt part hitting with a little clink. You look back up at him, your eyes wide, you imagine, your cheeks flushed. 

“You love me?” you ask, quietly. You can barely hear yourself over the thud of your heart pounding in your chest.

“I do,” Rafe replies, running his hand to smooth over your hair, which you’re sure is a mess now. “Enough that I’m gonna fuck you now, but I had to say it first, because I’m gonna fuck you until you break.”

You’re speechless, watching Rafe unbutton his pants and kick them off, boxers going with them. He strokes himself once, twice, and you’re still staring up at his face, even though normally you would get distracted. 

He looks up again. 

“You ready, kid?” 

“I love you, Rafey,” you say, twisting your hands around to the back of his neck, pushing him into yet another kiss. You can’t pull away, even if you want to, you want him so close that you forget everything else in the world for now. While you’re kissing, he lines himself up with your leaking pussy, which has probably ruined these sheets, and pushes in the tip.

You pull back from the kiss, just to moan, but Rafe silences you with his mouth again. He pushes in more, and more, until you’re sure he’s bottomed out. Your cunt is so, so stretched, you can’t fathom this is what you’ve been missing out on, and it feels so good, like nothing has ever felt before, not his fingers, not his tongue, not any other part of him. 

“That’s halfway, kid, you doin’ okay?” and your eyes jolt up to his in a second.

“H-half?” you breathe out. “I can’t, I can’t take any more, s’not gonna fit Rafe, not gonna fit-”

“Hey,” he repeats, which always has that calming effect on you. “You let me worry about that, okay? Just relax this pussy f’me, okay?” and the way he says it, you do, because you have no other choice. He pushes in again, fast, hard, and then pulls all the way out. You’re too scared to look anywhere but his eyes, so you stay locked in on them, until he pushes all the way in again, and your eyes clasp shut.

“Oh, oh my god, Rafe-” And you don’t care who hears you this time. He pulls out again, just his lip still inside you.

“Look, princess, look down,” he urges, and you follow his instructions, because you always do. “Look where we’re connected, yeah?” He fucks in and out of you, slowly but then faster, and you do look, entranced at the way your pussy sucks him in, the way your cum is coating his dick, at the brutal pace he’s set. 

You look until you can’t anymore, leaning back against the pillow and watching Rafe above you, his face twisted in pleasure, eyebrows furrowed, mouth panting. He buries his face into your neck, and you grip the top of his shoulders, nails digging in, because you just need to hold onto something.

He told the truth, you think, in your fucked out, blissful state, that he was going to fuck you like he hated you, battering into your sore pussy over and over again. 

You repeat his name—daddy, not Rafe—until he shuts you up with a kiss, and he watches the strings of spit connecting your mouths when he pulls away.

“Just needed this dick, didn’ya princess? Just needed daddy to think for ya?” You moan in reply. “You got it then, kid, because m’never gonna stop fucking you. Y’never gonna think about anything else again.”

And then he finally does you in, because he presses down, right below your stomach, while he slams in, and you feel something inside you break, like a flood breaking through a dam. It washes out to every part of you, from your ears to your fingers to your toes. White hot pleasure runs its course through your body, cunt tightening and shaking, eyes rolling back, your spine arching forward. Through all of it, Rafe pins you down, and fucks you through it. And finally, deliriously, you open your fucked-out eyes, looking up at him.

“I love you, daddy,” and he cums before he can even pull out, messy rivulets shooting inside you, leaking out onto his expensive sheets. He moans into your neck, and his entire body slumps forward, and you giggle under the weight.

A few minutes pass by.

“Rafey, you’re gonna crush me,” you say quietly, sing-songy. You’re so happy, you’ve forgotten everything else that’s happened.

Rafe presses a kiss to your forehead and rolls off, slumping next to you. Your head lands on his chest not a second later, his arm around your shoulder and another kiss to your hair.

“Feel better, kid?” 

“So much better, Rafey.” 

You don’t know when you fall asleep, only that you woke up to the sound of your phone going on. You pick it up, trying to turn down the light so Rafe doesn’t wake up too. There’s one message.

JJ: I thought you said you weren’t gonna sleep with him?

౨ৎ

[salliesimpkins]

“I like you a lot”

Isaac lahey x fem!Reader

TW: Smut, oral (fem receiving), use of pet names, claws, nipple play

+16 read at your own risk. I’m not your mommy A/N: first smut to write + english isn’t my first lang word count: 2.5K

You were at school, leaning against your locker. smiling at and laughing with Stiles, until you caught Isaac glaring at you across the hall, visibly upset.

"alright Stiles I've got to go now, I'll see ya" you walked away after Stiles nodded and walked to Scott, and you made your way to Isaac.

"hey" you flashed him a smile and he blushed. How could he not? he thought you were the most beautiful thing ever.

The beta glanced over Stiles before turning back to you. "hey.." he spoke softly.

"Just tired... I uhh, I’ve got a lot on my mind lately" he said slowly and softly, not wanting to ruin this moment between you two.

You nodded slowly, feeling bad for him. "well you know, you can always talk to me" you said softly, reassuring him that he's got someone by his side.

You watched him closely as he looked at you quietly, and you didn't want to rush him to speak, you knew how sensitive Isaac is. It made him feel pathetic when he opened up to anyone or asked for help, that's what his dad has taught him. That a man is a man, boys don't cry, but Isaac knew you, he loved you, trusted you, and he knew your listen and get him anytime.

"I've just been going back.. thinking about my family" He looked down as his expression softened.

"oh" you whispered softly and placed your hand on the boy's back, rubbing it gently. "I know you've suffered from your dad your whole life, but his death Isn’t your fault".

Isaac flinched, but he didn't move away from you. Even though your gesture was tiny, it felt huge to him, It made him on top of the world. He let out a soft sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know... I just-" he paused, unsure if he can keep going or not, but he really counted on you, so he kept going. "I didn't even cry at the funeral and everyone thinks I don't care, that I was wishing the whole time i'd get rid of him, and the problem is.. it's true. I was relieved that he's dead"

"Honey listen to me" you took a step closer, placing both your hands on his shoulder. "your dad used to lock you in a freezer. that night.. that night he hurt you and you ran like any other night, because you didn't know what he would die" you then place your hand on isaac's cheek, caressing it softly "you were just scared, you did nothing wrong"

Isaac paused for a moment and leaned into your touched as he shivered. The relief he felt when his father died was a burden to him, but he knew you were saying the truth so he bit his lip thoughtfully. He wanted to say that your hand felt to right on his skin, but he didn't and rubbed his face with his hand then looked at you hesitantly as he spoke. "I- Iwas scared" his voice trembled as he stammered softly, making you unsure if he meant you to hear him. he slowly smiled at you softly and leaned into your touch again, causing his breath to hitch.

you sighed softly as you try to build up some courage and confidence to ask him to go out with you, but you were too scared that he'd turn you down so you just looked quietly at the ground until you heard a familiar 5 taps on the locker next to you and looked to the direction to see lydia. She must have noticed your flustered face because she tilted her head at Isaac and winked at you. You two have been talking about it and she was eager for you to confess to him, and apparently she was so sure Isaac wouldn't let you down for a reason she wouldn't tell.

you snapped out of my trance as Isaac cleared his throat and looked at the same direction you were just looking at, except there was nobody there.

"sorry about that. I was just wondering if you would want to go home with me? I mean-" You paused and took a deep breath. "why don't you come over and we can just.. relax?" you asked nervously as he just looked at you quietly. "Scott's sneaking out with Allison again and our mom won't be home until ten.. so I was thinking if you'd want to just come over instead of staying alone or with Derek, he could be lame sometimes" I chuckle nervously and put on a fake confident grin.

Isaac stayed quiet for a moment or two, taking in your words, and he thought there was no way he could turn that down, the thought of you and him alone in the house with no distractions. He knew he wanted it but he wasn't sure if you did. if you were just doing him a favour because you felt bad, but he decided to push his paranoia to the side and smiled at you softly with a blush on his cheek, nodding. "I'd like that, if you're okay with it"

"ahh perfect! we are gonna have so much fun! we can watch the notebook too if you want to, or maybe cook or play or just" you pause for a second or two, not wanting to creep Isaac out with your sudden excitement. "we could just.. chill you know?" You looked up at him with a smile.

The two of you walked to your house, as Stiles has already left with his jeep, and while you were walking you felt Isaac's hand brush against yours until he took it in, intertwining your fingers together. you could feel how his hand shakes softly and you knew his stomach was probably flipping, he was a nervous wreck.

You held his hand confidently the way home until you reached it and opened the front door for the two of you. After walking in, you turned to Isaac and smiles. "do you wanna stay in the living room, or go to my room? or we can even cook something!" you asked excitedly.

"Your room...?" He asked hesitantly. Your room was usually off limits, that's where you go to relax on your own, away from the pack. He couldn't deny how much he wanted to be there with you. But part of him knows it won't end at just being in your room. Not that he had a problem but that he was worried from Scott's reaction if he knew Isaac was in his sister's room alone in the house. Scott and Isaac were best friends and Isaac didn't want to risk it, but he still loved you.

you saw the look on isaac's face as he started to look overwhelmed, and more anxious than he was, so you decided to cool it down. "I mean it's okay but if you don't want to that's fine. we can sit in the living room" you shrugged, leaving the decision for him to make as you looked at his eyes.

Isaac nodded slowly, looking at your lips then your eyes. "your room" he said softly and carelessly. He wanted to be with you alone. he didn't care what scott would think, he didn't care what the whole pack would think, he only cared about you and being with you, he wanted you.

you smiled and tilted your head for him to follow you. you walked past Scott's room until you reached your room then you walked to the bed, After taking off your shoes, sitting on the bed, then patting on the space next to you for Isaac to sit on.

Isaac followed you to your room, closing his door behind him. His heart skipped a beat when you asked him to sit next to you and the only thing he could think of is how nervous he is. he looked at you and he thought you look so vulnerable, sitting alone waiting for him to join you, so he took a few steps, trying to regulate his breath before sitting next to you. He was so close and nervous, slowly turning his neck to look at you.

"so.. what would you like to do?" you asked softly, trying to make sure he's not uncomfortable.

Isaac looked at you and for the first time he has walked in the room, he didn't know what to say. A part of him wanted to kiss you and see what happened but he didn't want to make you pressured, and he didn't want to risk kissing Scott's sister, he was the leader of the pack, so he let the silence between you linger before he decided to break the ice.

"can I be honest with you?" he stressed.

"of course, I won't judge" i nodded in reassurance

Isaac struggles to speak so he leans closer to you. He just wants you to understand him, he needs you to know how he feels, what he's been thinking of, but it's hard for someone like him, someone whom emotions always were rejected. He took a deep breath and leaned closer as his eyes fluttered between your lips and eyes then he opened his mouth to speak but he failed so he looked one more time at you before smashing his lips on yours as he moved one hand on the back of your neck as the other ran over your back to your hips, pulling your whole body into his lap while you froze in shock before pulling him closer, cupping his cheeks while you kissed him back with the same amounts of passion.

After a few moments he pulls away, and looks at you in shock, he had expected everything other than you kissing him back.

"I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have kissed you and if scott finds out he's gonna kill me and-" you cut him off pulling him in another kiss, slowly pushing him to lay down as you move on top of him.

"Scott doesn't have to know" you whispered pulling him in a deeper kiss that made him forget everything.

he was in a daze as he pulled away from you. "you look so beautiful when you kiss me like that" he said softly with a soft smirk that caused you to blush.

He smiled softly as he gently ran his fingers thorough your hair. "you're so beautiful you know? it's just so hard to focus on anything else when we are like that, when you're with me. We can take this as slow as you want"

you pulled him for a kiss in response, breaking it as you smiling against lips, and he moaned softly, slipping his hands under your shirt, caressing your soft skin.

"i want this. you. Right here, right now, But I also don't want to hurt you so tell me what you want, darling." he whisper in your ear as his breath hit your neck, causing you to shiver.

"i want you, please" you whined and pulled him into another kiss as your tongue begged for entrance in his mouth. he let out a soft involuntary moan, as his caresses on your back got faster. His tongue danced with your and he began to grind on you, making you feel the hard bulge in his jeans that rubbed your throbbing pussy, until you pulled away from the kiss breathlessly, pushing him up by his chest, reaching to his shirt, playing with a soft fabric slowly. He sat up on his knees in front of you between your legs, taking off his shirt. You looked up at him, slowly placing the balm of your hand on his chest, tracing your finger over it to his stomach. He let out a low groan while he watched you trace your fingers over his chest, his muscles tensed under your touch.

"you're killing me honey" He whispered, moving closer to you as he kissed your neck slowly, then he sat up again as his hands found their way between your legs. Should undo your bra, or maybe start with these pants?" he teased, and sprung his claws out, moving them swiftly above you, tearing off your clothes.

"i loved that set" you pouted and he smirked

"i'll get you new ones" he pulled your clothes off your body, tossing them away on the floor with his shirt.

He smirked when he saw the blush on your face when you looked away, leaning down to your neck. "don't be shy baby" he whispered, before tracing kissed down your collarbone.

you moaned softly, moving your hands to caress his back softly and he let out a sigh against your skin. His hands found your thighs as he rubbed them slowly, kissing lower and lower. His kisses and nibbles reached your chest, taking a nipple in his mouth, swirling and sucking around it while he groped the other one with his hand, pinching the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger teasingly.

"I love you, so much" He showered your stomach with smooches and pecks, until his mouth found your slit, running his tongue through your wetness, humming in satisfaction. "so wet baby" he flicked your clit with his tongue as you struggled to answer him back, running your fingers through his hair as you pulled them gently. He took one of his hand, wrapping it around my waist to keep me down while he slid a finger in you with the other, slowly and gently, causing you to moan softly.

he sucked your clit harder making you pull his hair tightly, causing him to moan which vibrates against your pussy as his fingers go faster, feeling you clench around them, sucking them in. "Fuck Isaac" you whined. "i'm so close" you whispered, wondering if he even heard you, then he confirmed as he added a finger in, moving his fingers in a scissoring motion, stretching you out as you pull his hair tighter. "Isaac!" you warned, and he understood as you reached your climax, coating his fingers with your cum while he kept his gaze on you then he pulled them out, lapping at your pussy hungrily, taking in your juices.

"you're so sweet baby" he moved up to kiss you as you taste your own arousal. He pulled away from the kiss and you bit your lip, panting for air and you moved your hand to his head, pulling him back down to kiss you, you couldn't get enough of him.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺���༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

hope you guys liked this 🎀

[hapinesbuterfiy]

. ୨🪩୧ ₊˚ 🍒 ʚ ♡ ˚ 🎀 +

lets talk about rafe x fangirl!reader...

you love being a fangirl and all of the late release nights, hundreds of dollars spent in merch and concert tickets, and the constant hours of waiting in ticketmaster queues that came with it. having an insanely rich and obsessive boyfriend who would spend millions to make you happy had it's perks!

it took rafe a while to get used to your antics, never did he ever think he would be waking up at 2am to queue for a concert, but who else would be accompanying his girl? certainly not anyone else, he wouldn't have it. at first, he attempted to persuade you to buy actual seats instead of pit tickets with the "proactive person" approach. "are you fuckin' crazy? you're meanin' to tell me that you would rather sleep on the filthy fuckin' streets outside the venue waiting for hours when i could just buy you an entire box of seats? you're fuckin' insane." he stomps around your bedroom while standing above you, unable to fathom the lengths that you're willing to go to for a good view at a show. "rafe it's not the same you just don't get it! i need to be at the barricade there is literally no point in going if lana del rey can't watch me sob in front of her while singing pretty when you cry." he rolls his eyes at your remark, shaking his head in disbelief while sucking in his bottom lip. "yea—yea fuckin' barricade my ass, you shithead. lucky i wouldn't fuckin' make you go alone." you perk up, kissing his cheek in excitement. "thank you!" you've got him wrapped around your pretty little finger.

you're passionate, to say the least! why would you spent countless nights sobbing to grainy eras tour live streams after taylor swift plays your favorite songs without you there alone when you could be doing it with rafe by your side? he thinks you're insane for crying over a song, giving you his best fake sympathy act each time it happens, which is practically every time she has a concert because her entire discography is yours. you try your best to make out words through your sniffles and sobs, "i hate taylor swift so much. why would she bring gracie abrams out to play i miss you i'm sorry without me there?" you continue to choke on your sobs and manage to pull yourself even close into his chest. "she's so mean i hate her rafe." he tries his best to console you but can't help but laugh at your disheveled state and the snot coming out of your nose over a song, he is rafe, after all. "baby— i don't know what to tell you. maybe she'll like play it again when you see her, i don't fuckin' know." he wipes your face with his thumbs, as he continues to laugh at you reaching out for his phone to take a video of you so he can make fun of you later for it.

you practically control the aux cord in his jeep, as his girlfriend it's basically your job to make sure he has good music taste! plus the same future songs that he plays over and over again are starting to become unbearable. "so this is thank u, next, it's literally ariana's best single like i swear i would not be the same person without this song it's so me core." he parts his lips in frustration, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "the fuck do you mean that's so me core? are you tryin' to say somethin' here?" he tries to pretend that he isn't enjoying it but you can hear him mumble "thank u, next m' im so fuckin' grateful for my ex." your eyes light up as you land a playful slap to his shoulder "see i told you it was a good song, you're too stubborn!" he completely disregards you, turning the volume up even higher so that you stop chirping in his ear.

you're a handful and a tad bit loud, but rafe secretly enjoys putting with your shit. you're his princess and if that meant he had to book an entire trip to italy just so you could go see harry styles for the last show on love on tour just to make you happy, he would be doing so!

[kotton-kandy953]

━ 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚂𝙾𝙼𝙴 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚆𝙴𝙰𝙻𝚃𝙷𝚈

➛ yandere!shoto todoroki x fem!reader

CHAPTER ONE ━ INTRODUCTIONS

2,036 WORDS

⤷ ❝ 𝕾𝖔 𝖙𝖊𝖑𝖑

me, Shoto,"

Your mother smiled softly as she began asking the young man various questions.

You glanced over at your mother and father then sighed. You hated being here, you'd rather be at home than some formal family introduction.

Your subconscious began to tune out the unnecessary chatter around you. It wasn't as if you cared if this meeting were to go good or bad.

My parents are always trying to tell me what to do. What the hell do they not understand about me being an adult? You tried to mask your anger with a fake smile, but it was hard to keep up the front.

Your parents M/n and F/n L/n sat on your side, kindly making conversation with the richest, most intimidating family in all of Japan: the Todoroki's.

They specifically sat who we came here for, the youngest son of theirs, Shoto Todoroki, across from you. Great.

If you were to describe him, Shoto, by appearance, you would say "split in half." It was as if his right side was his mother and the left was his father.

Another thing about Shoto was that you couldn't help but notice how stoic his personality was. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but you've never met anyone so void of emotion like him.

When his cold, heterochromic, eyes made contact with yours you couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling then.

Is this guy seriously going to be my... my future husband? You pressed your lips together as you broke eye contact with Shoto.

Despite everything that you have mentioned so far, you found Shoto a very attractive young man; Although you wouldn't admit to that directly in his face.

Moving onto his family; There was his father, Enji Todoroki, also know as Endeavor, Japan's number one hero. It felt like every time he gave you a glance he was judging you. It made you even more nervous than before.

His mother, Rei Todoroki, was a kind, soft spoken woman. The complete opposite of Shoto's father.

The Todoroki's are... You glanced at Shoto then looked back down, something...

But you felt like you didn't have any room to judge here. Not all families are perfect, especially ones that are popular among the media, but seriously, there was something off-

"-Y/n would have to transfer to UA this coming school year?" Your father asked, catching your full attention.

Your lips parted in shock, What the hell were they talking about!? You looked over at your mother whom sat closest to you.

I only tuned them out for a few minutes!

No one noticed your change of demeanor, no one except Shoto.

Actually, ever since your family entered the room he has been stealing glances from your figure.

In contrast of what you thought about him, he found every aspect of you perfect.

Leaning in close to your mother, you whisper, "What do you mean, 'transfer to UA...?'" You cut your eyes at her with a frown. You didn't understand why they didn't tell you long before this!

"Oh, Y/n, sweetie, it must've slipped your mind, haha! We've been talking about this for months!" Your mother forced a fake smile onto her face as she pushed the lie through her lips.

'Sweetie?' She never calls me that. What the hell is she on about...?

You and your mother exchange glances with one another before you respond to her lie with yet another, "Oh... oh yeah, we have."

Your father then butted in, "We're going to have Y/n's dormitory set up tomorrow."

Tomorrow!? You almost shouted.

"Y/n is almost done packing up her things, actually."

You nodded, These bitches can't go two minutes without lying...

The parents in the room proceeded to converse amongst themselves once again, leaving you and Shoto to stare at each other in awkward silence once more.

Shoto noticed your nervous fidgeting, wanting to say something but he just couldn’t get his mouth to open.

After about 20 minutes of talking, your and his mother and father decided to leave the room so you both could get to know each other better.

You visibly frowned when your mother left your side, Their off to go fucking yap again... you thought angrily.

You peered up at Shoto, trying to tell by his body language how he felt at the moment. But to your avail he was harder to read than you thought.

All he did was sit across from you with a blank expression on his face. Was he thinking of something to say to start a conversation?

Trying to catch his gaze, you fiddled with your fingertips nervously.

"Uhm, Todoroki—“

"-Call me Shoto," He stopped your sentence, "since you will be my fiancé in the near future."

You stiffened at the word "fiancé."

You hated how you barely even knew this man but you and he are going to be sharing the title of fiancé.

It was like a spell your parents have placed upon you, cursing you both of being with each other until one of you die.

You began thinking of something to start a conversation with him, but what could you possibly talk about? He has no social media nor obvious interests.

Is his whole personality just being Mr. Perfect-

"-Would you like for me to address you as your first name as well?" Shoto suddenly asked, taking you by surprise.

You weren't expecting him to be the one to talk first, "Uh, Sure."

You reach to shake his hand, he glanced from your face down you your hand reaching across the table.

He reached out and grabbed onto yours firmly before you both simultaneously pulled away.

You failed to notice how he looked at his hand as if he was amazed or something. When you looked up at him again he had the same expressionless face as before.

His dead silence was very unsettling for you. The way his heterochromic eyes never ceased to staring at the table.

Was he... nervous?

What else would explain his quiet and reserved demeanor. Then again, he was harder to read than a foreign language.

Maybe he's just an introvert and hates being in social situations... you thought to yourself, honestly, I can relate.

As you were strategizing how you would start up a conversation with the seemingly dry male, he just couldn't keep his eyes off of you. He just found you very... interesting.

He couldn't explain it.

"Y/n," He spoke again, and you jumped slightly in surprise. "Ye- Yes, Shoto?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

Holding in our to you, he then proceeded to speak, "Could we exchange phone numbers?"

"I am aware that our parents are in contact with one another, but they haven't given me your contact information yet."

You thought about it for a second before handing him your unlocked cell phone, "Yeah, of course."

After a few moments you both swapped back phones and sat in that damn silence again.

Did he run out of questions or something? You cut your eyes at him, well I shouldn't be talking. I haven't said shit until he spoke first.

It wasn't long until both the Todoroki's and L/n's entered the silent room again.

"Well it was very nice having you all, Mr. and Mrs. L/n," Mrs. Todoroki gave a small smile as she shook your parents' hand's.

You and Todoroki stood up from your seats and said your goodbyes until you and your parents were in the car.

"Finally that shit's over with," your mother sighed as she slammed the passenger seat door. Your father turned up the cold AC in the hot car as he said, "But at least we've gotten one step closer to our goal."

He glanced up at the rearview mirror, making eye contact with you, "We just need that Shoto boy to marry our Y/n."

You diverted your gaze from your father's to the window. The Todoroki family's home growing farther and farther away in the distance.

The Todoroki's were pretty decent people... you shot dagger into the back of your parents' heads, They're the problem.

"I knew they'd love Y/n!" Your mother chimed as she pulled out a cigarette, "Her quirk is somewhat similar to that brain-dead son of their's. And transferring her to UA will be a breeze with their help."

"Then once they're married, all that money will be ours!" Your father stopped at a red light and looked back at you, "Isn't that right, Y/n?"

You nodded silently, not caring for their stupid rambling.

You had absolutely no say in any of the events building up to today despite being a grown woman.

Your parents are money-hungry sharks willing to do anything to get some change.

When you were still in elementary school, you overheard your parents plotting to sell your older brother before he ran away.

And allegedly got himself murdered.

But you refuse to believe that it wasn't your parents doing. Despite lacking solid proof or evidence.

With that in mind, you still have no idea how your parents got in contact with the Todoroki's.

You also don't know why they still believe you give a fuck about them.

You only still live with them because they refuse to let you out of their sight in fear of you running away like your deceased brother.

They're going to have a rude awakening when they find out that UA has a dorm-only policy, You smirked to yourself as you scrolled through the UA University website.

You silently looked through the website until suddenly receiving a text from an unknown number.

unknown

Hi

It's Shoto

At the last text it finally clicked, you both exchanged numbers.

>> contact name changed to "Shotodoroki" <<

you

Hi

Did you need anything ?

shotodoroki

no, I was just making sure this was the right number

You frowned.

That was a waste of time.

「 EARLIER ᡣ𐭩 」

After your family had left the Todoroki family home, Shoto grabbed his things and began walking out of the house.

"Where are you going, Shoto?" His father asked sternly.

Shoto didn't even give Enji a passing glance as he spoke, "I came here to meet the L/n's. I did as you asked and now I'm going home."

Shoto put his shoes back on and opened the front door. His father was about to shout at his son before Rei quickly calmed him down.

Shoto shut the door behind himself without bothering to look back. He has never fully forgiven his father for what he's done, even after all of these years.

Shoto only agreed into going to his home again because he heard that his mother would be present.

He couldn't stand being alone in room with his father.

Getting into his car and slamming the driver seat door shut, Shoto drove back to college.

The only place he could truly call his "home."

He parked his car in the shade to block the hot rays of the summer sun. The campus seemed so dead when school was out for summer break, but it made no difference in his eyes.

He only had one on his mind at the moment.

Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, Shoto started texting an unregistered number in his phone.

>> contact name changed to "Y/n" <<

you

Hi

Immediately after sending the text he thought, Was that too vague?

you

Hi

It's Shoto

He waited no time for a response back. He desperately wanted to have a conversation with you.

Once reading your last text, he failed to think of a way to respond. So instead, he made up the excuse about verifying your number.

Knowing you'd believe it anyway.

Shoto got out of his car and shut the door behind himself.

It won't be too long until Y/n moves into her dorm here, He thought while locking his car door and walking away.

But that doesn't matter right now.

I know where she lives, anyway.

Back to Title Page?

Proceed to Chapter Two?

[marinamar4]

i think the most unreal thing about the sequel trilogy isn't anything about rey… it's the fact that ben didn't know his grandfather

and i don't mean the fact that he was vader, but that, having proven the existence of force ghosts, i'm 100% sure that anakin would have done the impossible to keep an eye on his only grandson

(and cry to obi-wan for being so good to leia that he even named his son ben. obi-wan keeps an eye on him too, but less, he's dealt with enough skywalkers in life to continue stressing out in death, even if baby ben doesn't do any crazy maneuvers yet)

(i imagine him flying toys and spaceships over baby ben to make him fall asleep, and when he grows up, teaching him mechanics and how to deal with r2-d2 and c3-po)

(leia wouldn't be too happy about that, but hey, she's a free babysitter and she knows how to deal with a sensitive little one. the force. anyway, if anyone can figure out how to shoot a ghost with a blaster, it’s her)

(luke has played mediator more times than he can count between father and sister)

so when snoke starts whispering to ben, well, the kid doesn’t pay much attention. he’s heard enough stories about the dark side from his grandfather anakin and his grandfather obi-wan to believe him blindly

and then the darth vader reveal happens. and the first thing ben does is not demand answers as to why he wasn’t told sooner, but laugh. because he finds it funny that one of the most feared creatures in history is the same one who disappears when his mother gives him a dirty look, who looks like a scolded puppy when his friend tells him something, who runs away from a green goblin so he doesn't hit him with a cane, and seriously, why doesn't anyone believe ben when he says he's seen darth vader's ghost cry during sad moments in romantic holo-movies?

and when snoke insists that his grandfather would want ben to continue his "legacy" of oppression, ben dismisses him and says "yeah, no. all my grandfather wants is for me to continue flying spaceships and fixing droids. oh, and also, the only thing he agrees with my mother on is that I should get a good girlfriend, marry her, and have lots of babies. for something they both agree on, i'm not going to ignore that!

[thr0wnawayy]

Rei-Demption: A problem and my solution (ft. Rei's trauma and Hori's bullshit)

Might as well give my shot at it.

My take on Rei's personality has always been based in suppression.

Rei's whole life has been a balancing act of doing enough to protect her family, while still staying within the lines to not get disposed of.

She's everything Enji isn't. An iron will, a golden heart and a strong sense of empathy.

So with that in mind, hopefully it she'd light on it thought process with this post

A theory I have is that Rei was aware of the hospital's corruption

These panels always felt off too me, it always made me wonder: "does she know?"

The wording is very specific.

"I told him I liked it, around the first time we met. But only once"

It always struck me as odd, We're talking about the man who looked at his eldest death and kept going, man who destroyed multiple lives for a redundant pipedream.

It's not even why would he remember such a small detail, but rather how?

Unless... the doctors are feeding him information.

Think about it, who pays for all this. Surely it's not Fuyumi, on account of this being a massive money sink.

You really expect her to pay for all that on a teachers salary?

It can't be Natsuo because Enji has likely cut him off from everything to his name.

And that's assuming Enji even bothered to save up a college fund for any of them. Plus Natsuo is a full time student of medicine.

If the doctors are watching her every move, looking for any sign of deviation from the narrative then it makes sense for her to disguise her words.

Of course there's still more

Having PTSD isn't something you can keep someone institutionalized for. Especially when Rei's is very proportionate, given what she's gone through. (No, Japan's stigma of mental health wouldn't justify this)

I mean what are Rei's triggers?: Enji and that's about it.

"But we still... haven't met face to face, I'm still too afraid"

That's a standard reaction to have to your abuser (especially when he raped you multiple times)

('Just stop' gets a whole lot darker when you consider it's context)

Not to mention she's no longer fearful of anything resembling Enji, just Enji himself. So there is no real reason to keep her there unless they are afraid she might speak out.

This whole thing makes me think she's trying to tell Natsuo and Fuyumi what's really going on, in a way.

Subtly and under the calm, complacent mask she's expected to wear, in case anyone else is listening. Anyone who could report back to him.

It might also be she doesn't trust them. Fuyumi or Natsuo could blab or say something within earshot that could set Rei back months.

And she can't have that, not with how close she is to finally breaking free. She loves her children, all of them but the trust just isn't there, how can it be when when they don't have all the pieces.

So here's my theory: The hospital staff are in Enji's pockets. Either taking bribes (as recent as Dabi's Dance) or they were given a large sum of hush money when Rei was first hospitalized, with the goal of keeping her there as long as possible and possibly molding her to either keep her mouth shut or (sickeningly) gaslight her into returning to Enji.

(Note how she was only released when they could no longer keep a lid on things, the moment Dabi frops the bomb. She's out, no struggle)

This paints a picture of grotesque corruption, sloth and apathy (the very same cocktail that created Shigaraki) even by Hori's narrative standards. Shedding light on just how deep MHA's despotic nature goes.

The anime makes this even more apparent. Rei's fake smiles make the whole thing that much more viable. She seems so dead, it's like she smothered her soul or something.

I've seen both the sub and dub of this scene. The sub is the correct translation, the same as the Manga panel above.

The Dub however, while severly off mark, adds it's own flavour of dread. Rei sound so hollow, it was jarring the first time I heard it.

It sounded like she was reading a script (in-universe). Like she'd rehearsed this in her mind a million times, staring at the same 3 white walls + the window and waiting for an opening to finally speak.

That was supposed to be Shoto, until the dorms ruined that. Suddenly Rei's lifeline is gone, reduced to letters that don't even tell half the story.

10 years, 10 fucking years reduced to lines on a page.

Can you imagine the despair, dear reader?

The frustration. The sheer vitriol coursing thorough her veins, far hotter than Touya could ever manage.

Having to do the same thing she's been doing even before she was locked away. As the the skeleton in the closet of a criminal with a license.

Wearing masks for so long you can hardly breath and in the brief moments you can take them off. You can hardly recognize yourself, how you once were.

It must be the truest form of hell.

The Rei-demption Arc

Rei's redemption arc takes the attention of our theoretical arc without overtaking it.

The arc would mostly focus on the more domestic aspects of our trio being: Midoriya, Shoto and Uraraka.

A few minor changes would occur. The dorms never happen, allowing the characters to exist outside of UA.

There is solid confirmation that Fujiya is corrupt and is keeping Rei institutionalized on illegal grounds (ie: not meeting the criteria set up to ensure her silence)

The dinner scene would still happen only it would bd framed for what it really was. A pathetic attempt at creating a moment that never existed.

There's no family with Enji.

Just a family held hostage and a tyrant. I have my own grievances with Fuyumi, but I'll leave that for the future.

The only difference besides Natsuo being properly portrayed as a victim acting well within his right, the reasons for our trio going would be for Shoto's emotional wellbeing, because he asked them to.

Uraraka could have a moment where she realizes that money is as much as good as it is bad. An actually decent shift into her change of goals.

Here Enji motivates her to "watch the watchmen". Her need for money is still a crucial part of her reasons for becoming a hero, but she also has a more front and center goal.

I'd imagine she has a moment parallel to Midoriya's during the Sports Festival.

Where (alone in front of the Dojo after the failed dinner) she rightfully calls out Enji for being a self pitying piece of shit and that "sorry" doesn't cut it.

"You've hurt them in ways you can't imagine." Would probably be the last thing she says before walking away.

She may not know the whole story but she knows it hurt them and that's enough.

Rei's ascent

Rei's biggest hurdle is accepting that she was also an abuse victim. She's furious but she's only furious on her children's behalf and what they lost.

Her unintentionally harmful actions weigh on her, be it her neglect or the night she scalded Shoto, these events have impacted her deeply.

She learns to reconcile with her past, improve her relationship with Shoto and even meets Shoto's friends at one point.

Eventually she finds closure but that's later on.

She also acts as an advisor at times, having given Shoto the idea of using Ice projectiles (as seen in the Licensing Exam)

The second half comes from the Hospitals corruption, as Rei learns that she is long overdue for release (by about 8 years) among other horrific practices. This would play out as the arc's B plot, building up to what I call "The Summit"

The Summit

Eventually Rei fights Hood.

After gathering the evidence, she escapes the hospital. Planning to go to Natsuo for protection. As she's walking across a crosswalk however, she hears what sounds like an explosion.

Eventually she hears screaming and is forced to use her quirk as a bus is suddenly sent hurdling in her general direction.

As of her body moved on its own, she envelops it in her ice. Stopping the bus and saving those behind her in the process.

Only to see Hood land on top. They lock eyes and Rei can't help but see Touya in Hoods ambition.

In response to Rei holding her ground, Hood dashes. Rei counters this by manipulating her ice to send him crashing into an empty building, impaling him on the glaciers end.

Hood is impressed by Rei's proficiency and chooses to fight her.

Rei having no experience, fights for her life. Where as Rei avoids Civilians, Hood has no care for them which forces Rei to play the role of hero.

Rei uses every weapon in her arsenal in order to stave off Hood, who only gets more relentless as the battle stretches on. The upside is Hood's regeneration struggles in the cold, which Rei is constantly producing.

Each side gets blows in, with Rei taking them surprisingly well but still being worse for wear. Hood notes this saying "as if y-you've done t-t-this before" (close, Hood very close)

Eventually Hood gets the upper hand, towering over Rei in a manner that triggers her PTSD and leaves her stunned.

One of the civilians (Horoshi Tameda) emboldened by Rei's efforts, picks up a loose chunk of pavement and chucks it at Hood's back. It hits, causing Hood to look back.

Civilians begin making loud noise, others begin picking up anything they can find and throw it at Hood. Further catching him off guard long enough for Rei to snap out of her episode and strike back.

From here the fight kicks into high gear, with Rescue heroes & paramedics arriving on the scene and a camera crew recording the fight from above. Overall I imagine the scene to be very uplifting, with the Orchestra swelling as Rei prepares a final attack.

The move rivals that of Shoto's, arguably even surpassing it. Hoof is incased in a prison of Ice, covering an entire city block worth of destroyed buildings. And the fight finishes with Rei collapsing to her knees.

From here on out things change. Rei's newfound fame leads to the hospital being forced to do their job. Because of this Rei gets out early (around the time the Internship arc would started had I not scrapped it)

As for what this could lead to I'll let you decide. I'd love to read some suggestions.

Bonuses:

Theories:

The reason they kicked Fuyumi from her job is because she covered an abuser's ass for years. While Fuyumi is a victim, it doesn't excuse her complacency in regards to Enji's treatment of Shoto before and after his "self pity" arc.

Natsuo didnt go to someone because he wouldn't likely be believed, being seen as bitter and untrustworthy (his time away from home wouldn't help with pinning evidence).

Extra:

Hood survived the fight, Rei opted to capture him as opposed to kill him. That doesn't mean he didn't get frost bite. Police found out it is very difficult to question a Nomu.

Out of all her trauma. Rei accepting she was never given a choice will be the hardest to accept.

Rei's family is not inbred, rather her parents ran away so her father wouldn't be forced into a marriage with his cousin. Only to ironically do the very same to their daughter.

Hiroshi still becomes a meme, his 'Can't you see speech' leads to him becoming a motivational speaker.

The reason Hood appeared is because Dabi lost track of him. He nearly had a heart attack when he discovered his mom was holding the Nomu off.

[classicanalyzer]

LEGO Star Wars Rebuild The Galaxy Thoughts

"Nothing makes sense, and everything's mixed up, and that's okay. Things fall apart, but maybe they can come back together better than before." Sig Greebling

Rebuild The Galaxy is my favorite out of all the D+ LEGO SW specials. I really love the connections to LEGO and SW, including the previous LEGO SW shows, especially Freemaker Adventures. Michael Kramer did an amazing job with the soundtrack, Sig's and Yesi's themes were well-composed.

Part I

"For someone who spends all his time telling stories about heroes, you have no idea how to be one. Maybe that's why you like history so much. It's over and done, but your life isn't. There's so much ahead of you if you'd just try, but you're afraid." Dev Greebling

Sig Greebling is such a cool name. I really love how he's a literal in-universe SW fan, yet someone who actually wants to be normal despite his Force sensitivity. I find it funny he's a literal Nerf herder. I do emphasize of how he wanted to avoid all the expectations if people know he's Force-sensitive.

I love the reference to Wookiees originally being a part of RotJ before being replaced with Ewoks.

Fennesa is a cool-looking world. Yesi Scala is another cool name (I get reminded of Scala Ad Caleum from KH haha). It's too bad Sig's indecisiveness and inability to step out of his comfort zone translates to his social life, even his crush. The background painting showing the sunset is so beautiful.

I really like how the Ackbar Troopers are the Clones in this universe. They must have chosen Ackbar as the main host due to his skills since he was a skilled warrior and leader, but definitely also for the memes out of universe. I also love how Phase I was used because the Kaminionans designed the Phase I suit based on aquatic species like themselves and would fit the Mon Calamari Clones.

The fighting animation and choreography for Yesi's fight against the Ackbar Troopers are so well animated. I laughed seeing that one Ackbar Trooper shooting with two blasters. I can see why Sig likes Yesi. Also ooff, Yesi lost her father in this timeline to the Empire. You can feel the bleak state of this galaxy under this Empire. At least, Yesi's desire to fly among the stars and not live in a backwater world is still there. I like how Sig also mentioned how Rancors are actually misunderstood intelligent creatures.

Double ooff, Sig's brother is now Darth Devastator "Dev". At least we finally get our first on-screen appearance of Jedi Bob!

Part II

"Being a hero is easier when you don't know the cost...Sig, the Force doesn't work that way. The dark side is loud and obvious like a big, mean Gamorrean kicking you in the head over and over. But the light side, the light side of the Force is just a whisper in the back of your mind." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

Darth Rey as Dev's apprentice feels so wrong about the intentional nature of aspects of this new universe. Jedi Bob!...or rather Bobolian Afol lmao (I also love how the markings seem a bit faded which signals his age). I love this cynical Jedi who sucks at fighting but is amazing at the Force...which is what a true Jedi should specialize in.

FREEMAKER LORE! THE FORCE BUILDERS ARE BACK! I love seeing them once again and hearing Bob recap them feels cathartic.

Ewok Bounty Hunters is one thing but bounty hunter C-3PO channeling his Triple 0 and HK-47 vibes in a Naboo Royal Cruiser with gold plating feels so right yet so wrong in the best ways possible. Yesi really has a lot of baggage with her wanting to prove herself and redeem herself for accidentally getting a rebel base captured.

Mos Eisley Marina made me die on the inside lmao. Tatooine isn't boring anymore lmao. I do love how this is a nod to how the BoBF and Legends mention Tatooine being once covered with oceans before becoming a desert world.

Like father like son indeed, however, even Anakin wouldn't go that far to cheat. I do love how Luke and Anakin use the same Podracer. Poor Max Rebo.

I love how Maul in this galaxy is much more relaxed and happy. At least, in this galaxy, Maul gets to live his life without the tragedies in his main galaxy life.

I love the implication that Nubs is well-known in the main galaxy that Sig knows about him. I'm incredibly confident that Darth Hammerhead is Rusty. Even in another universe, nobody remembers his name lmao.

That brief Duel of the Fates theme playing when Darth Jar Jar appeared was so hype and chilling. His line goes unironically hard.

Part III

"I know you can't restore a galaxy once it's gone because I tried to restore my own, and I failed. In the galaxy I'm from, things were simpler. I was a Padawan on Alistan Nor, learning the secrets of Force Building. I'd heard rumors about the Cornerstone. The more I read, the more obsessed I became. Was it possible to remake an entire galaxy? I needed to know the truth. My Masters forbid me from searching for the Cornerstone, but I wasn't exactly good at following orders. There were so many rules. I just wanted to do things my own way. I thought I could control the Cornerstone. I never thought -- When I left that temple, everything was different. My galaxy was gone, Sig. And yours had just been born." Bobolian Afol "Jedi Bob"

We truly reached the pinnacle of miniaturized Death Star tech with the Dark Falcon lmao.

Darth Jar Jar definitely isn't dead and I love what little time we had with him.

I love the lights looking like the Binary Sun and the music playing as Luke looks towards them.

I love how Palpatine in this universe is a cynic who gave up on fighting. I like that fascinating take on this alternate Palpatine. The new Jedi Council (I like the faded and scratched markings similar to Jedi Bob signals their age and tiredness of a seemingly hopeless war) is insane with Jedi Vader (I love that this is a SW Infinities comic reference, it felt cathartic to see it realized in visual media), Dooku, Cad Bane, Jannah, Lobot, IG-88(?), and even Jabba. I really love that Jannah has more to do here including her actress returning to voice her.

Greedo being the Han of this universe was so funny. He even has the Rodian ears for his Slave I Firespray ship lmao.

I love how Yesi recreates the energy in TFA when she does smth incredibly insane with Greedo's ship. Sig saying I do feels like his and Yesi's "I know" moment. And a Star Trous mention. I also feel like Yesi's point of how you fix the mistake got to Jedi Bob and got to him into revealing the truth. I love how Grevious is one of the rebels in this universe.

Alistan Nor!!! THAT'S THE FORCE BUILDER WORLD AND IT WAS MENTIONED IN FREEMAKER ADVENTURES.

Damn, this Han really became just like his mentor in the old universe. A true scoundrel.

God that twist of the old universe never coming back is gut-wrenching...especially since Jedi Bob is the only survivor of his old universe. The story of Jedi Bob is beyond tragic. One simple curiosity into the cornerstone left him the only survivor. Spending all that time alone in the Temple to make sure it doesn't happen again...only for it to happen again. I also really love how the simple galaxy is represented by 4:3 aspect ratio and all LEGO figures are the classic yellow designs.

WHEN SERVO WAS DESTROYED, I FELT MY HEART BREAKING APART. God that was heartbreaking to see, just like many heroes before him in his stories, to save his friends Sig gave himself up.

Part IV

"The tales of my galaxy. The tales of people like Dev. My Dev. I don't wanna forget them. They matter." Sig Greebling

God the intro with the sad music and Servo shutting down just hurts me in ways I cannot comprehend. The collapsing logo really showcases we're in the endgame.

I love how Yoda is voiced by his Young Jedi Adventure VA in this show. It is heartbreaking to see Ian Han hate Yoda given the very first major LEGO SW special (The Padawan Menace was one of my first non-SW movie experiences in my childhood).

Even if Dev is mentally messed up, I really like how he came around to having a brother and want to be brothers. I like how Sig realizes this is all a fantasy of a galaxy he can never restore. He fights to save this galaxy now.

I'm happy Tico got to a substantial role in this show alongside Rey. Reusing the Nobody line toward Darth Rey was pretty cruel.

The space battle was shot very well and I love the designs of the Calamari Destroyers.

Dev's breakdown was pretty disturbing to see and how he took the rage and lack of happiness in his life to put his idea of "order" and to take control of his life. Especially how he sees himself as beyond redemption and the point of no return.

The quote I used for the introduction quote is beautifully anti-nihilist.

The fight is so well choreographed and so peak, especially when the brief moment the windows were destroyed and the energy shield was activated. The fact the Nerf herder stick came back to be a major turning point in the fight against Dev is great. It was heartbreaking and I got a bit misty-eyed to see Dev ultimately decide to remain evil.

My heart repaired itself as Servo was reconstructed. The old galaxy is gone but the stories will live on. And leave it for Servo to interrupt Sig and Yesi's tender moment haha.

The ending shot with the new crew really felt like the passing of the torch between the Freemaker Adventures to Rebuild the Galaxy. I hope we get to see the Freemaker cast, especially the Freemaker family on Alistan Nor.

Also, The Landolorian and Evil Grogu has been so hyped as the sequel hook alongside Darth Rey and Tico being in charge of the Empire.

This is such a great show and I can't wait to see more LEGO SW stories set in this universe.

I love the score by Kramer who is also responsible for Ninjago’s score (alongside Jay Vincent):

[gardenfullofsage]

Ceilings

Kylo Ren x Fem!Reader

Kylo loves you right? At least it's what you try to convince yourself of.

word count: 4,731 words

Warning(s) Heavy angst, Smut, Violence, Extra mean Kylo, Kylo's a dick in this one.

I don't own this Gif

You had convinced yourself that he needed you.

You had convinced yourself that he loved you.

You lay in your cold bed, as you watch him watch you. You pretend to not notice the look of anger on his face.

''You put my troops in danger'' His cold voice breaks the silence. You can't speak your voice raspy from the lack of dehydration. Funny, this is the first thing he tells you when you wake up.

''A thank you would be nice.'' You mutter quietly, you didn't want to anger him further. You don't flinch as he throws a vase against the wall.

''Thank you? I should kill you. You disobeyed my order, I told you to stay here, and now look at what you've done.'' You don't speak, you can't. You don't remember the last time you felt. warm.

''I saved your life Kylo, she would've killed you.'' This time you flinch, his grip on your face bruising. He forces you to look at him.

''Rey, has her own reasons. She's not as foolish as you.'' You fight the tears threatening to escape, you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry.

''You're pathetic, you repulse me, the only thing you're good at is getting in my way.'' You shut your eyes, as Kylo stomps his way out of your shared room.

'shared.'

You were the only one whoever slept here.

It had been years since your marriage to Kylo, granted you had no choice. You never did.

His way of becoming supreme leader, was by murdering, conquering, and marrying into the dark side. Your parents were quick to hand you over, they feared for their lives.

Not yours.

You don't know what love is, you never experienced it. Not from your parents, you didn't have friends, and now you're stuck in a loveless marriage.

You'd agreed to marry him because you wanted to feel something, you wanted to feel loved.

You roll over wincing slightly as you roll on your back, the gash on your abdomen created by Rey. She had tried to hurt Kylo.

Her lightsaber pierced through you, while his words pierced through your heart.

You stare at your ceiling.

This time you do cry.

You cry for yourself.

'Ceilings, plaster. Can't you just make it move faster?'

You don't see much of Kylo after that, it didn't surprise you. The only times you did see him, were times you managed to somehow 'mess' up. Every time he'd come to you, it was to berate you, remind you how pathetic you were, he's never touched you. Not even once.

You'd convince yourself that it was his way of showing he cared.

At least a bit..

You wince slightly as you make your way off the command shuttle.

The overgrown grass grazes your legs as you walk through the field, you knew this place like the palm of your hand.

You had dreams of marrying here as a child. There wasn't much you remembered from your childhood, sometimes you'd create scenarios in your head.

Your eyes flutter shut involuntarily as you feel the cool breeze prick your face. The sharp contrast between the quiet you felt here, and the eerie buzz of machines on the ship soothing.

It was rare for you to receive permission off the ship. Your wound was still fresh, you refused treatment.

You didn't want to risk bumping into him. Especially vulnerable, he would never see that side of you.

After sll you're pretty sure he would never care. Not when she existed.

You were too into your head you failed to notice the figure looming over you.

''I ordered you back on the ship 5 minutes ago. Why are you still here.''

You did not need to look back, you knew that voice all too well. His voice always held conviction, he lacked empathy that you were very much aware.

Even knowing, your heart always manages to sink.

''Dinner will be served at 0:17, you are to join me no excuses.'' 

You don't nod, it wasn't a suggestion. It was a command, an order.

You sigh, regretting it immediately the sharp pain on your abdomen still present. You carefully rise from your seated position. You slowly follow him back onto the shuttle.

An impending feeling of dread fill the deepest depths of your gut.

Turns out the 'dinner' was 100% a faculty meeting. One you were forced to sit and participate in.

You sit next to Kylo, your hands on your lap as you mindlessly listen to the General. Hux' you're not sure though, you were never properly introduced.

You've shared formalities once, just a nod while passing nothing else.

Dinner was served much after, by that time your appetite was certainly gone.

The food Infront of you was barren and cold, like the occupants in here.

''Eat. Your wound needs the strength to heal.''  The hall is flushed in quite. The hush hung heavy in the air. Your heart beats.

''What?'' You're unsure of weather he was speaking to you or...

You stare into the dark abyss of his helmet. Your reflection clear, you watch yourself nod as you force a mouthful. The food was tasteless, goosebumps rose on your skin.

You felt the eyes of everyone on you. You wanted to shrink.

Kylo only did this to exort control. Power.

He wants others to know you were off limits. Funny, because that was made obvious. The the black band that rested on your finger was proof.

Behind closed doors, you were nothing to him.

To seal the deal Kylo interlocks your hands and rest them on the table. His grip tight.

The meeting stretched longer than you anticipated. Conversations of how to overcome and finally destroy the 'Rebellion.' Kylo's grip tightened at the mention of the Jedi.

You ignore the way your gut lurches, at the mention of her name.

The room suddenly grew impossibly hot.

Your discomfort however was noticed by the general.

''Is everything ok?'' You nod faintly, before rising from your seat. The metal screeching as it scratched the floor. You pull your hand from Kylo.

''I would like to excuse myself, I'm not feeling well.''

''Very well. You're dismissed.''

You don't wait for his approval. You don't look back, as you take slow and tentive steps out of the dining hall.

Once you're out of sight, you bolt . A wave of nausea greeting the pit of your stomach. You ignore the sharp pain shooting across your body as you rush into your room.

You burst into the bathroom before reaching to close the door, it doesn't.

A gloved hand prevents it from shutting.

Your eyes widen as you watch Kylo crowd the space.

''I'm sorry I-''

You words were cut off by a yelp. Your arm is forcefully grabbed as you're forced out of the bathroom.

''Kylo, stop you're hurting me.'' You protest fell on deaf ears as you're dragged out.

You scratch and pull at your arm in his grasp.

Once you manage to pull your arm free, you're frame sharply connects with a wall. The blow excruciating as you cry out.

''You expect me to keep you around? How are you supposed to Rule beside me, when you're constantly embarrassing yourself.'' Your body is fueled with rage at his words.

You couldn't believe this man.

''Then why do you?! It has been made very clear of my disturbance. You do not need to keep me around.'' The room grew deathly quiet.

The hiss of Kylo's helmet, is the only warning you receive before its flung hard against the wall.

''You have no right to speak to me as such. I am your ruler, you obey me.''

You laugh un-amusement dripping from your voice as you stare into his lifeless eyes.

''I'll tell you what you ar-'' The sharp sting causes the air to escape your lungs. Tears well up in your eyes, as you watch his gloved hand curl as he uses the force against you.

''You take pride in being a burden. I should've killed you when I had the chance.''

This time your tears do fall. You shut your eyes as agony fills your body. The pain of your wound no match for the pain of your heart.

''You take pride in being something you're not. I see right through your stupid helmet, your stupid mask.'' You gasp out, you should stop talking but you're so angry.

You're so angry... you're so hurt.

''You fail to see what everyone thinks of you. Rey-''

''You shut your mouth!''

''You give her your hand, and she rejects you. You come back to me. You hate her because she rejected you. So here I am.' You don't kill me because you fucking can't!''

Your words hang heavy in the air.

Kylo's glare deep in your bones, as you struggle to stay coherent. The force finally taking its toll on your body. You almost think you're wrong. And this is his way of proving it to you.

'He's actually killing you.'

The force is ripped off, as you gasp for air.

An expression of pure hatred etched onto his skin as you watch him leave.

'This felt like the start of a movie you've seen before.'

Weeks, and maybe months pass before you ever see Kylo again. The scarring of his words forever etched into your head.

You selfishly, wish your own words stick with him too.

The past few days passed by in a blur. The first order was finally gaining onto the Rebellion. Victory was finally. promised.

The door to your room opens with a woosh.

Kylo stands sickly still. You pretend to be asleep, your heart beats as your eyes squint open.

''I know you're awake. Get up and follow me.'' You watch as he marches back out.

''Keep your mouth shut, don't speak unless addressed, and stay close.'' You nod as you walk closely behind him. You had never been here, the place was eerily quiet, shivers racked your spine as you made your way to stars knows where.

''The mighty Kylo Ren, When I found you, I saw what all masters lived to see. Raw Untamed power, and something truly special... the potential of your blood line.'' You freeze as you here Snoke utter those words.

You feel Kylo also freeze, the steps of the Supreme Leader loud as he makes his way over.

''Within your bloodline, a new Vader will rise, I was mistaken.'' You watch as Kylo lifts his head.

''I've given everything I have to you... To the dark side'' His helmet disorients his voice.

''Take that ridiculous thing off.'' You watch as Kylo hesitates to remove his helmet. A big nasty gash paints the side of Kylo's face, your eyes widen as you take in the wound.

''You have too much of your father's heart in you.''

''I killed him, when the moment came, I didn't hesitate.'' Yiu shut your eyes, as you take in his words. He was capable of killing his own father.

''And look at you the deed spread your spirit to the bone...You were unbalanced bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber...you failed.''

You watch as your husband gets up and is blasted with snokes force.

''Don't you touch him!'' You feel your heart pound as you stand over Kylo. You hold your head high, as Snoke marches his way towards you.

''Silly girl, you fool.'' Your lips curls in disgust as he gives you a once over.

You flinch as he passes a hand through your hair, he chuckles sinisterly.

''You've managed to get yourself a good one, she will do just fine.'' You stop breathing entirely.

''The seed of the Jedi order lives, as long as it does hope lives in the galaxy. I thought you would be the one to snuff it out. Unless you're no Vader, You're just a child in a mask.''

The elevator ride back to your room was tense.

The tiny space felt crowded. You stood behind Kylo as he vibrated in anger.

Seconds felt like hours.

You watch in horror as he drives his helmet, through the wall repeatedly. Sparks of the destroyed fuses, burning as they caught on your skin. ''Kylo stop! You're hurting yourself.'' You don't know why you try reasoning with him.

His relentless beating to the wall doesn't deter, or slow. You were left with no choice. You roughly pull his head into your grasp, as you pull him into a hug.

Kylo tenses in your hold, and you half expect him to pull you off, and kill you for the stunt. But he stills completely before wrapping his large arms around your body.

You stand holding each other for a while, the feeling entirely new.

This was the first time he ever held you tenderly.

You so badly want this moment to last, you so badly wish time would stop.

The sudden ding of the elevator snaps Kylo out of whatever trance he was in. Soon he's rushing out of the metal encapsule barking out commands, as you stand staring at his destroyed helmet.

This was the Kylo you never knew could exist.

'And I would say all of this. But I don't wanna ruin the moment'

You're much more careful around Kylo, he seems to be in better moods.

He no longer yelled or ordered you around.

You found yourself suspicious. Every encounter behind closed doors was 'decent.'

You stare at the ceiling in your room. You replay and overthink the constant movies playing in your head. You were grateful, to improve on your skills of blocking him. out

He had no means, or way into getting into your head.

Your eyebrow ticks as you sit up. 'He had thanked you for walking alongside him.'

Granted you really had no choice but... still

Your seated beside him again as you partake in another faculty meeting. This time the topic surrounded and revolved around 'destroying' the Jedi.

Your eyebrow ticks once again.

'Is he allowing this to happen?'

You highly doubt it, especially when he almost practically split you in half for even mentioning her.

''We have some matters to discuss after this.'' He had mentioned discussing matters, ever so often.

''From now on, you are to attend any meeting alongside me. You are to stand beside me. Walk beside me, breathe and eat beside me. I will expect no less. Am I clear?''

Your head nods. His beady eyes stare into your soul.

''Use your words.''

''Yes,''

''Good girl''

For the third time today, your eyebrow again ticks.

You really should've taken his words into consideration. You find yourself next to him every second, every minute, of everyday. You walked beside him as soon as you land on the Death Star.

This is where the latest appearance of the 'Resistance' was made.

Your hands grow clammy, you've witnessed what they could do.

You've witnessed what he could do. You've been on the receiving end of his wrath; you can't even bring yourself to imagine what could occur.

The telltale singe of his lightsaber coming to life, sickening...

A gnawing feeling of dread filled the pit of your stomach.

Your eyes frantically look for Kylo. He had disappeared.

The sky began to cry. Rain fell hard as it drenched your entire being.

You dashed holding onto the bottom of your dress.

Your heart pounded. You dashed as fast as you could. Your body taking heavy blows from the ground as you slipped. Your speed never falttered.

The feeling of your heart getting heavy, your motivation.

The scene displayed in front of you; heart wrenching.

You watched as Rey stood over Kylo; her hand outstretched in an offering.

The violent crashes of the waves cold.

You feel your body move before your mind. The sight of Rey picking up his saber flashing.

The burn of the lightsaber, nothing like the burn in your chest.

'You'd fooled yourself.'

Your mind was failing to catch up, your once Chartreuse colored dress. Red from the blood leaving you.

You stare in panic, as she stands over you. Ironic.

She's always won.

She had the one thing you've dreamt of having..

His love.

''This is what you stand for? You stand for madness. Chaos''

You heave.

This is the woman he wanted to rule alongside with.

This is the woman he deemed, fit for your role.

You've saved his life twice now...

Your vision blurred, as rain crashed over you. The red oozed out of you and washed away with the waves.

You stare as she is flung to the side, by an invisible force. Her body colliding with the side of the ship as she lands hard on the ground.

Your limp body dragged onto a lap.

Your energy was draining, it was hard to keep your eyes open.

''Keep them open, stay with me.''

His hair damp from the rain, you want to speak. You want to say how stupid you feel.

You want to tell him how much you hate him.

You want to tell him how much you love him.

'You're kinda cute, but it's Raining harder. My shoes are now full of water, Lovely to be rained on with you'

''I hate how stupid you make me feel.''

Breathing is getting harder, this wasn't like the first time. No.

This time Kylo holds you, forcing you into a hug. He pushes the damp hair laying across your face, before he plants a shaky kiss onto your lips.

You feel your mouth stretch into a smile.

You feel warm.

His dark eyes the last thing you see before you're pulled into an abyss.

'But it's not real, And you don't exist, And I can't recall the last time I was kissed.'

You feel cold. And everything hurts. Your eyes slowly open, you squint as you try to adjust to the florescent lights. You try to sit up, the movement impossible.

''You're awake.''

You turn your head to the side, Kylo sat beside your bed. His large form barely fitting into the sofa chair.

''How long?''

Your voice was dry and raspy. He hushes you before placing a cup to your lips. You drink the liquid graciously. Your nerves tick. 'Why was he here?'

''You never seem to follow simple orders.''

The lack of conviction in his voice surprised you.

''I wasn't going to let you die-''

''And so, you'd rather die?!''

You shut your eyes. You didn't want to do this today. You were way over fighting with him. You had learned how stubborn Kylo was. A silent nod was the only response you gave him. He scoffs.

''You are supposed to rule beside me, not below.''

''I was never meant to rule beside you.''

You were tired. Too tired. Exhaustion filled your voice. There was no need to feign interest, there was no need to feign concern, and there was certainly no need to feign care.

''Kylo, I think we should stop here-''

''Don't you even dare finish that sentence. There is no ending. You are to get better. No excuses. Or so help me stars-''

''Rey, is she okay?''

You don't know why you asked, maybe reassurance. Maybe you just wanted him to rip the band aid off. Who knows. You hold your breath though. You want to be sure, you want to get closure. You want him to be happy, even if it wasn't with you. Even if he destroyed you.

''She should be dead for what she did to you! She hurt you.''

You notice the way his voice softens.

''Let me in...''

Your handshakes as you trace the scar adorning the side of his face. Kylo's eyes clench shut. He grabs your wrist before placing a delicate kiss onto the inside of your palm.

''I can't... I'm scared.''

Kylo doesn't argue he just nods. His cape flutters behind him before he goes to leave.

''I will bring the medic.''

With that the door wooshes shut.

Once again you find yourself staring at the ceiling.

'And it kinda comes out, As I get up to go.'

Days bled into nights since the incident. Kylo loomed over you like a hawk. You were never out of his sight. He was your shadow. You've began to grow used to his overbearing behavior; you find yourself looking forward to seeing him.

His anger was still an issue. Just not for you.

For once his wrath was not directed towards you.

Today was no different. News of the 'Resistance' Successful escape quickly filled the empty halls of the ship.

Chaos ensued.

Bodies plagued the floor, some lay still others out cold.

''Kylo.''

Your voice interrupted whatever was going on in the control room. The thud of the body, being choke by Kylo's force, loud.

Kylo turned at the sound of your voice, his black helmet now decorated with red. Due to your handiwork. You both stand staring at eachother, before you turn and walk out.

You smile at the sound of his pounding feet coming after you.

You walk in silence; you lure him into your shared room. You lean on a wall, arms crossed as you stare at him. You're unsure when this confidence of being within each others prescence formed.

''They can't get away with this... She can't get away with what she did.''

You hum in acknowledgement. You stare into his helmet.

''Take it off''

You hear his intake of breath before the hissing of his mask fills the quiet.

You walk slowly to where he sits on the bed. Your feet come in between his spread legs. You move his hair out of his face, before tracing the scar adorning his face delicately. He shuts his eyes as he releases a sigh. His large arms wrap around your stomach, he rests his head there; you caress his head.

The tension immediately leaving his body.

''Please let me in..''

Your heart thuds in your chest. Vulnerability coats his words. You slowly let the walls down. You cringe as a sharp singing of pressure rushes into your head.

Your thoughts were bare.

Kylo's arms clench around your midsection as he infiltrates your thoughts. Your soothing hand does not stop it's motions.

'Lovely to sit between comfort and chaos.'

I want you to bear my children.

The cough released from your chest loud in the room.

Kylo stares an amused expression taking over his face.

''I'm- I'm sorry?''

''I need to begin forging my bloodline... We need to begin forging our bloodline.''

Your eyes are wide. You'd been taking things slow. The past few months beyond enjoyable. You fell into a silent comfort. You were there, and he was here.

''I, I don't know what to say.''

''Don't say much...whenever you're ready.''

That night you laid wide awake. he laid beside you. You've walked beside him, did everything with him...You haven't shared a kiss after the first one.

Too scared to rush into it.

The sound of rustling sheets grabs your attention as you look to the side.

''You're thinking too loud.''

''Sorry...Were you being serious?''

''Hm''

''You want me to forge your bloodline?''

''No, I want you to forge our bloodline.''

Your heart skipped a beat. You turn to look at him. Kylo was already staring at you. Your eyes were like magnets, connecting every time. Your attraction for one another grew. You could feel it. Feel him.

''If this is about what Snoke-''

''Snoke no longer influences me.''

He had killed him. Set himself free. You nod, unable to use your words. Your thoughts were going haywire. The feeling of his hand caressing your face comforting. He had reclused any form of affection behind walls.

That night he kissed you.

He'd kissed you soft and slow. His mouth relayed everything he couldn't bring himself to say. Your hands grasped onto his shoulder. You looked for grounding.

If this was a dream you did not want to wakeup.

Your once soft kisses quickly became passionate. Your unspoken words a cacophony of something beautiful. Tears welled in your eyes.

'Finally'

His hands cup your face gently, as he breaks the kiss. He plants soft kisses onto your neck, his lips graze over your most sensitive parts.

Your grip on his shoulders, tightening.

You feel him slide, down, down until he's looking up. Your eyes meet as you nod. You gulp at the anxiety rapidly bubbling in your stomach.

Your panties are pulled off from beneath your nightgown, the air of the night Cold.

You arch your back of the bed, as Kylo blows a puff of air.

''So beautiful.''

He wastes no time as he dives in. His nose

bumping into your pearl, sends your eyes rolling back. His sharp tongue once uses to bring you to tears, now brings you to pieces.

The groan he releases cause a moan to escape from between your lips. His pace doesn't change. You find yourself gripping onto his hair, as you buck your hips onto his face. He chuckles the vibrations sending you into overload.

''Please-''

''Patience''

He's hushing you.

Your words slurred, as his thick digit teased your hole. You gasp as he shoves it inside, rocking it back and forth before he introduces a second one. Your groan in ecstasy, as he scissors you.

''Oh stars-''

'Bedsheets, no clothes. Touch me like nobody else does.'

You try to quiet your moans. his hands slap at your thigh. The impact sending tingles to your already sensitive body.

''Let me here how good I make you feel.''

Your body is coated in a light sheen of sweat. He looked so good between your legs. You throw your head back and clench your highs against his face, as his fingers quicken.

His tongue curls just around your clit, and you burst. The wire snapping, as you gush. Kylo never stops, even after you bordered sensitivity his laps never let up.

''Please, I can't-''

''Give me one more baby, give me. one more.''

Your body withered as he forced another orgasm out of you, you laid limp. Kylo crawled over you, you force his mouth onto yours. He moans as you lick yourself off his lips.

You loved the taste of you on his mouth. Your night gown is slipped off of you, as you undress him.

He kneels between your spread legs, his arms holding onto your ankles. Kylo places a delicate kiss on the inner side of your ankle.

''Are you sure?''

You nod your head.

''Use your words-''

''Yes''

''That's my girl'' He chuckles at your desperation.

Your eyes stay connected as he you feel him rub his cock over your lips. Your mouth gapes, as he nudges over your clit. Kylo coats himself in your slick.

Before you moan at the pop of him finally entering. The intrusion, borderline painful. He shushed you as you cried. His thumb going between your bodies, to rub at your clit.

''Tell me to stop and I will.''

You frantically shake your head. You beg him to move, do something to relieve the burning pressure growing between your legs.

Kylo's pace started off slow, he took his time in kissing you allover, marking you. Claiming you.

Your hands tangled into his hair, as he thrusted deeper.

Your lips never sepertaed.

Kylo was painting your sky with stars. Hanging the moon for you.

''Please.''

This time his pace quickens, your moans grow as the headboard of your shared bed slams against the wall.

''Take it.''

''You're doing so good.''

''Fuck, you feel so good.''

Kylo's praises in your ear, bring you to other levels. You find, yourself begging for him. You want him inside and out.

''You're mine...''

''I'm going to put a baby in you.''

''You're going to be nice a round with my baby, you want that?''

You nod frantically words slurring into Yes's.

''You're my queen, you're going to rule beside me forever. Not even death will keep us apart.

Your eyes well up with tears. Kylo wipes at the them, his pace never faltering not even as he makes you come over and over again.

Not even when he paints you full of him.

Not even when he tells you how much he loves you.

Tonight, you don't stare at your ceiling, you finally stare at him..

'And it feels like the end of a movie I've seen before, Before.'

___________________________________________

I want to thank each and every one of you for your likes, reblogs, comments, and follows. It really truly means a lot to me. Please feel free to send in any requests, they are always open. Again, thank you so much, and I hope you enjoyed <3.

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

Touya Todoroki x Childhood Friend! Reader Part 5!

Part 6!

You can find Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 here!

Tsuki's note: sometimes I wonder where I am going with this, but the truth is, I just love that human barbecue and I wish I could hug him.

Tsuki's note 2: I want to write especific parts so magical timeskip is in order XD sorry. I promise it might end this soon. The reason why I ambreaking it so much is because A) I cannot write much I don't have time or health to do so and B) I rather read shorter pieces.

Tsuki's note 3: So Fuyumi and Rei calls you with honorifics, but as this is gender neutral I didn't place any. So fell free to go with the ones you would like. Shouto is an awkward bean and he would call you -san. Natsuo doesn't use any honorifics.

Tsuki's note 4: anyone who had a friend with younger siblings will understand what I mean. My friends young siblings will be forever 15 and 17 to me, even though one of them is married and has 27 now.

----------------------------------------

You have heard that Natsuo was attacked by a villian. You called Fuyumi to know if he was fine and she told you that, yes, he was OK- thanks to Shouto and his friends, mostly.

You were relived to hear so, but also scared, it wouldn't be unusual for the endeavor's kids to be caught up in those incidents. But still, worried.

That night Shouto had gained permission from school to stay at home, as he was a bit worried about his brother.

And so were you. You called later, again, to make sure Natsuo was fine. Even though you weren't close to him, you still saw in him that 6 years old kid - which he hated, and often told you he isn't a kod anymore - but you couldn't help it!

Shouto heard your conversation with Fuyumi and a slightly annoyed Natsuo - sighing and huffing.

Fuyumi asked if you wanted to visit, which you declined, as usual. She was visibly upset at you turning down the offer but Natsuo was quite relieved - he wouldn't need to have you babying him.

Alas, this whole interaction got Shouto curious. Why you never visited? But he didn't quite knew how to ask that at this moment.

A few days went by and the siblings went to visit their mom again. Once again, Fuyumi brought her some flowers you asked her to deliver. But this was the first time Shouto ever saw something from you to his own mom.

Rei was delighted to see your gift:

" Oh, from Y/N? They always pick the most beautiful ones."

The boy got curious:

" Mom, do you know Y/N- san?"

He could feel Natsuo tense up and Fuyumi started to stutter something out, but Rei answered first:

" Yes, of course. Y/N, was always over to play. Such a sweet child"

Shouto got even more confused:

"I never saw them home. They never visit."

Natsuo scoffed:

" Of course not. He definitly said something to them"

Fuyumi elbowed her brother. Rei looked far away into the nothingness. Natsuo continued:

" What? Do you think they were just overwhelmingly sad?"

Shouto was completely lost:

" Sad? Why would Y/N- San be sad?"

His older siblings just stared at each other, so Rei took it upon her to answer:

" Y/N, was Touya's classmate and friend. They were always together and Fuyumi loved to play with them"

Her eyes seemed lost in the past. It was as if she could see you three playing in the yard.

But Shouto got perplexed:

" Touya-nii's.... friend? I thought they were Nee-san's friend..."

Fuyumi panicked and eyes her mother:

"They are! We were always close!"

Rei seemed fine with this exchange. No triggers. She sighed:

" It would be nice to see Y/N again. They must have grown so much..."

Shouto has a thousands questions. You knew his brother. Natsuo said that endeavor said something to you, that's why you never came over, but what? And most importantly, you could tell him how his brother was. What he liked to do? What was his favourite food? Touya was a taboo in the family.

Alas, the boy never had a good opportunity to ask you, that is, until Dabi uploaded that video. After that day, not only Shouto could meet you, but you also gave some answers.

You were at your internship, when you saw the broadcast. Suddenly, the floor was gone from under you. That burnt body. Those blue eyes. Those details you knew so well. But most importantly, you did not hallucinate.

When the sonifer Villian attacked you, you saw Touya. It was him, he saved you. But why he lied? What the hell is he doing? What he didn't talk to you?

As soon as the broadcast was over you called Fuyumi. She watched it for sure. But she didn't pick up, so you left a message:

" Fuyumi-chan, how you guys holding up? Call me when you can or if you need something"

You figured she was not well. That video seemed so surreal to you. You didn't heard from the family until the next day. You received a messaged, not from Fuyumi, but from Natsuo, asking to come to the hospital ASAP.

Now that was odd and something was terribly wrong. So you promptly agreed. He did not explain to you why he needed you there. But you knew, this about Touya and who spent most time with him, was you.

On your way there you could see a crowd of people pissed at endeavor. Hate words left and right. You had a hard time getting in the hospital, to the point you had to call Natsuo to fetch you.

While you walked inside with him, you noticed he had a pained expression. You didn't dare to ask if he was OK, but you did ask about Shouto - because he was in that battlefield.

Natsuo face turned into a frown. He said he had his troat burned. You sighed. Worried about that boy.

On the elevator, Natsuofinally explained to you why he needed you there. You knew things no one else knew about Touya and also warned you endeavor was in the room - it was his room you were going to, after all.

In the corridor you saw Fuyumi. She was standing in front of a room with the door open. You sighed. It came the time to see endeavor face to face again. How long has it been again? Almost 10 years.

Your trembling with anxiety. Would he blame you again? Who else was here? You got removed from your inner monologue by Fuyumi - she ran to hug you tight and cry a bit.

All you could do was hug her and draw circles on her back. You had nothing to say to her. You didn't know what to say. You stayed there with her and Natsuo for a few minutes. Before she pulled away sniffing:

" Y/N... Let's g-go inside. We need to talk to y-you."

You sighed and nodded. Natsuo gently pushed your back, guiding you to the room with the open door.

[fandom-blahs]

For a shonen jump manga the Todoroki family were very delicious and messy yet their story was handled in an impressive way, it was funny and understandable how people kept jumping and accused the BNHA of forgiving Endeavor and assuming the story was telling you to forgive abusive or absent parents.

Now with the end of BNHA I can safely say that whole family was my favourite part of the whole manga and I think if it were in a seinen instead it wouldn't have received as much backlash as it did. I know this is a bit mean but a lot of people were projecting their own upbringing and trauma while making massive assumptions. I was confused when people said that the narrative forgave Endeavor because I felt like it didn't, there was always tension between Enji and Shoto the tension was even more obvious between Enji and Natsuo which itself had a very bittersweet conclusion, I feel like Enji and Fuyumi wasn't that developed.

Rei is also such a tragic mother and I feel like while the show could have focused more on her, I understand why it didn't. BNHA isn't the story of the Todoroki family but my heart breaks for her. She could have been cast aside and been nothing more than just pain fuel for the men in her family but no she tried to save her baby, despite not being a hero. It's still weirdly more than what other shonen manga has for mothers.

I'm glad BNHA never had Endeavor becoming a villain because he's a shit father, it would have been too easy to go down that route. I'm glad it kept firmly in the no he's still a hero, you can sympathise with him but he's still a shit father and his family are under no obligation to forgive him. I honestly wish we spent more time with the Todoroki family but BNHA is not their story unfortunately.

[kudouusagi]

Buddy Daddies CD Drama Vol 2 – Far from Jupiter, Far from thunder

*Phone buzzes*

Kazuki: Ah? Yes, Hello? Huh? Uhh... yeah we're free... Uh-huh. Mmm... I see. Bye. 

*Hangs up*

Kazuki: Seriously...?

Rei: Kazuki. What is it?

Kazuki: Rei, can you believe this? Kyuu-chan... wants us to help him with something.

Rei: Huh? No way...!

Kazuki: I can’t believe it either! What in the world could have happened that, Kyuu-chan, the super owner of Cafe Yadorigi who does everything flawlessly, would need to call us for help?!

*******************

*Door opening*

Kyuutarou: W-welcome...

Rei: Eh...?

Kazuki: Kyuu-chan... are you okay?

Kyuutarou: I might not be.

Rei: He looks really worn out.

Kazuki: Hey, what's wrong? Seriously, what happened?

Kyuutarou: Well... It would take a while... to explain...

*Girl sighing longingly*

Rei: Wait.

Kazuki: Hm? What is it, Rei?

*Girl sighing longingly*

Rei: We’re being watched.

Kazuki: Watched...?

Rei: This sharp gaze...

*Rei moves*

Girl: Ah!

Rei: Is it you?

Girl: HUH?! Wait, what's going on?

Kazuki: Woah, Rei. Calm down. She's just a normal cute girl.

Rei: No. The way she was watching us wasn’t normal. 

Rei: Could you be in our same line of work?

Girl: Same line of work?

Kazuki: Woah woah woah! Stop!

Kazuki: You can't bother civilians! 

Rei: No, but...!

Kazuki: Enough!

Kazuki: Hey... Sorry... He's got a bit of an active imagination.

Girl: Oh...

Kazuki: Ah, by the way, I’m Kurusu Kazuki. I can’t believe someone so cute was staring at me so passionately! I'm such a heart-break-er! If you’re ever feeling lonely at night, go ahead and give me a call anytime, okay?

Girl: Oh, sorry for giving you the wrong impression.

Kazuki: Huh?

Girl: The one I was looking at was actually Kyuutarou-san!

Kazuki: Woah, shock!

Rei: Instantly rejected.

Kazuki: You shut up!

**************************

Kyuutarou: Her name is Shigasaki Mei. She’s an ordinary woman who recently became a regular at

Yadorigi.

Kazuki: Oh! I see. I see. I get it. I get it. So it's that old story?

Rei: That old story?

Kazuki: Ah, well Kyuu-chan is a smart and aloof but still a bit mysterious cafe owner, ya know?

Girls can't help but fall in love with a good looking guy in glasses!

Rei: A good looking guy in glasses...

Kazuki: Man, Kyuu-chan, you’re quite the heartbreaker too. You know this shop’s entrance is known as "the guillotine gate of heartbreak" since it slices the head off so many girls' dreams of love.

Rei: That sounds disturbing...

Kazuki: But Kyuu-chan, you must know how to deal with girls in love from experience, right?

Kyuutarou: Yeah, I thought I did...

*Flashback*

Mei: Ever since the day I met you, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you! Kyoutarou-san, would you please go out with me?!

Kyuutarou: I'm sorry. You’re still young. You seem like a little sister I have an age gap with to me.

Mei: Isn't that taboo feeling of harboring love for a sibling great!?

Kyuutarou: No... that’s not what I mean...

Mei: And if we were siblings we could take baths together too!

Kyuutarou: That can't happen. I'm sorry for not having said anything until now but... I have a fiancée.

Mei: Ah! So then I'd be stealing you? I'm into it!

Kyuutarou: No. That wouldn't be fair to my future wife.

Mei: I understand. In that case, I’m ok with being your mistress!

Kyuutarou: Huh? Stop this already!

Mei: Huh? Kyuutarou-san?

Kyuutarou: I'm sorry to tell you this, but I can't accept that about you.

Mei: Huh? Ah... Aaa(sounding like she's starting to cry)aaaawww thank you!

Kyuutarou: Huh?

Mei: You're going to teach me about my bad points, right? I'll fix them for you! Is there anything else you hate about me?

*End flashback*

Rei: She's unstoppable...

Kazuki: Mei-chan is so optimistic...

Kyuutarou: This is the first time I’ve met someone so pushy so I'm not sure how to deal with it. Ever since she confessed to me she's been watching everything I d-... or rather... it's more like she's surveilling me.

Kazuki: H-huh? Isn't that bad? Since you also have your other work to do.

Kyuutarou: Yeah, and I can feel her watching me in front of the store after I close.

Rei: Stalker...

Kyuutarou: Recently the danger has increased due to rivals of our agency showing up. For both of our safety I can't let her know where I live.

Kazuki: That's true...

Rei: So that's why you're so worn out?

Kyuutarou: No matter if I'm asleep or awake, I feel her watching me from somewhere and I can't get it out of my head. I'm begging you, please help me figure out a way to keep her away from this store.

Kazuki: Hmm? Hehehe! When it comes to matters of love, leave it to me, Kurusu Kazuki, the professional at masterfully manipulating women's hearts!

Rei: Now I'm worried.

Kazuki: Now, you're thinking about this all wrong, Kyuu-chan. If you can’t turn her down, then you have to make her turn you down!

Kyuutarou: So you mean I need to make her hate me?

Kazuki: That’s right! To a woman who is blind with love, your words are all positive. So the quickest way to deal with it is to put a damper on her love.

Kyuutarou: Could you give me an example?

Kazuki: Let’s think about that together!

Rei: No plan.

Kazuki: You shut up!

********************

Kyuutarou: But here's the problem. What makes people hate someone depends on the person.

Kazuki: Hmm, this might be cliche but... what about a dirty joke? Like, we could plant a whoopee cushion near Mei-chan or something.

Kyuutarou: No... I think if I did that...

*Fantasizing*

Kyuutarou: Okay, it's time for a break. Let's see... down I go! *fart* Oh no! *fart* I-I can't stop! (continues farting) Maybe I ate too many potatoes yesterday? Ah!

(farting continues in background)

Mei: Kyuutarou-san! You're farting in front of me! For you to show me such an unbecoming part of you it must mean that you have opened up to me, right?

*end fantasy*

Kyuutarou: I can just see it failing.

Rei: You used that sound too much...

Kazuki: Hmm. So being sloppy around her won't work either, huh? Then we'll have to think of another way to get her to hate you. Something that will make her viscerally think, "I can't stand being around this guy!" Rei, do you have any ideas?

Rei: Being an alcoholic womanizing gambler?

Kazuki:  Yes, yes. That type of despicable guy. They're really a problem, aren't they? I understand. Hey! Are you trying to pick a fight with me!?

Kyuutarou: No... I think if I did that...

*Fantasizing*

*Kyuutarou gulping*

Kyuutarou: Ah! Here I go! ALL IN!

Girl 1: Woah! What a high roller!

Girl 2: Kyuu-chan~! You're so manly!

Kyuutarou: Hehehehe! I'm going to beat this guy and take you both to my bed!!

Mei: Kyuutarou-san! Let me go to bed with you too!

*end fantasy*

Kyuutarou: I can just see it failing.

Rei: That type of guy is the worst.

Kazuki: No! I’m not that bad!

Kyuutarou: No, but we might be on the right track.

Kazuki: Huh, Kyuu-chan?!

Kyuutarou: Differences in sexual preferences can cause problems between men and women.

Kazuki: Ah! Oh, I see! That actually might work! Like if you're both masochists you wouldn't work well together or making her grossed out that you're such a lolicon... or... I know, how about being really into her playing your mother in ageplay?

Rei: What's... ageplay?

Kyuutarou: No... I think if I did that...

*Fantasizing*

Kyuutarou: Gagoo! Gagoo! Gagoo! Mama! I’m hungwy!

Mei: Yes, Yes~! I’m going to feed you now~!

*Sound of a zipper*

*end fantasy*

Kyuutarou: I can just see it failing.

Rei: Huh? What was that?

Kazuki: You're right. Mei-chan does seem like she'd be pretty open minded to that... Ah, so if dirty

jokes, sexual differences, and normal life differences won't work... then all that’s left is... taste!

Rei: Taste?

Kazuki: Like with clothes and stuff. Some weird clothing that would make you feel like "I don't even want to be seen near this person!!"

Rei: Like a comedian?

Kazuki: That’s right! Since they wear flashy suits with gold thread and constantly make dad jokes.

Kyuutarou: No... I think if I did that...

*Fantasizing*

Kyuutarou: Defendant, Mei.

Mei: Y-yes? What is it?

Kyuutarou: I sentence you to thirty minutes of rest. Kyu! (TN: both rest and sentence are pronounced the same Kyuukei)

Mei: *laughing* Kyuutarou-san! You're so funny!!

*end fantasy*

Kyuutarou: I can just see it failing.

Rei: Why was she a defendant?

Kazuki: Rei, please stop asking him to explain the joke.

Rei: Huh?

Kazuki: Welp, I don't know. I'm completely stumped. I mean this is impossible. Since she's just going to accept anything no matter what we do. Because she's in love with you Kyuu-chan! So she's going to love everything you do! Ah! It's impossible! I'm throwing in the towel!

Rei: Kazuki

Kazuki: Huh? What is it, Rei?

Rei: Is love uncoditional?

Kazuki: Huh? What do you mean? Is that a philosophical question?

Kyuutarou: Maybe he means... What would happen if I had a rival?

Kazuki: Oh, I see! So you mean that if there were someone else who was more attractive than Kyuu-chan, then it would make him less attractive in comparison?

Rei: Yeah.

Kazuki: So a comparison! So... we need someone who’s way more beautiful than Kyuu-chan...

Rei: Yeah...

Kazuki: when it comes to someone... way more beautiful...

Rei: Hmmm...

Kazuki: It's impossible!

Rei: It's impossible.

Kazuki: No, looks aren't the only thing that makes someone attractive! Wealth! I don’t know how much money Kyuu-chan has saved up but if they were a lot more wealthy than him!

Rei: Like an oil baron?

Kazuki: That's right, Kyuu-chan! Call an oil baron. I'm sure if you got an oil baron then...!

Kyuutarou: I don’t have those kinds of connections!

Kazuki: Of course not! And can't come up with any good looking guys I know that would be able to overshadow Kyuu-chan! Ahh!

Kyuutarou: So you're both out of ideas too?

Kazuki: Mei-chan is too tough. But isn't giving up an option too?

Kyuutarou: Giving up?

Kazuki: Yeah... Yadorigi Is doing pretty well as a normal cafe, isn't it? And recently you've had to do a lot of dangerous work as a leader... so why don't you use this as an excuse to wash your hands of it?

Kyuutarou: Wash my hands of it?

Kazuki: It actually seems quite feasible doesn't it? Maybe Mei-chan showing up here was fate!

Kyuutarou: Hehe...

Kazuki: Huh, why are you laughing?

Kyuutarou: It's ridiculous to think that we can have a happy ending.

***************

Kazuki: A comedian and an oil baron... I thought we were on the right track but I guess not... Mei-chan must seriously be in love with Kyuu-chan.

Rei: Hey, Kazuki...

Kazuki: Hmm?

Rei: Is she really an ordinary person?

Kazuki: Woah, what are you saying? There's no way that Kyuu-chan wouldn't be able to see through an assassin, is there?

Rei: Even when he's that tired?

Kazuki: No, even then... Well...  he did seem different than usual...

Rei: Yadorigi’s competitors have been making moves lately. What if that girl was one of their spies?

Kazuki: Ah! Kyuu-chan is the type to get rid of witnesses... That's why he won't pull a gun in front of normal people... and if our rivals know that about him!

Rei: He's in danger.

Kazuki: Let’s go, Rei!

Rei: Yeah.

********************

Kyuutarou: Well then, I’m done with work for the day.

*Mei-chan sighs*

Kyuutarou: I knew she'd be here. I can’t take my usual route home.

Kyuutarou: I'll go through the back parking lot.

Kyuutarou: Damn, I guess that didn't work. I can sense someone following me. No.... that's not all I sense.

Thug: You’re the owner of Yadorigi, Kyuutarou, right?

Kyuutarou: I've been ambushed?

Thug: Not going to say anything?

Kyuutarou: What do you want?

Thug: We're here to claim your territory!

*gun shots*

Kyuutarou: I must be completely surrounded.... I hear someone ahead of me too...

Mei: Kyuutarou-san!

Kyuutarou: There's a witness!

Kyuutarou: Mei-chan! Don’t come over here!

Mei-chan: But at this rate you're going to...!

Kyuutarou: I told you not to come over here!

Mei-chan: No! But I want to go with you, Kyuutarou-san!

Kyuutarou: So you won't listen to me?

Mei: Huh?

Kyuutarou: If you don't listen to me... I'll kill you.

Mei: .....NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Kyuutarou: *sighs* I should have just done that from the start.

Thug: Hey, Kyuutarou, are you done saying goodbye to your woman?

Kyuutarou: Yeah. I'll probably never see her again.

***********************

Kyuutarou: Welcome!

Kazuki: Hey! Oh! Kyuu-chan. You seem well.

Rei: She’s not here, huh?

Kyuutarou: Yeah, it seems she finally got tired of me.

Kazuki: Huh? Even though she was so madly in love?

Rei: So she really wasn’t a spy?

Kazuki: So it seems.

Rei: What happened yesterday?

Kyuutarou: Nothing really.

Kazuki: No... it wasn't nothing. We came to Yadorigi last night because we were worried... and we passed Mei-chan running away screaming.

Rei: It was like she saw a ghost.

Kazuki: Kyuu-chan, you didn't torture her did you?

Kyuutarou: Of course not. I just politely asked her to leave.

Kazuki: Politely... asked her to leave?

Rei: I'm... kinda scared.

Kyuutarou: What’s so scary about me?

Kazuki: Huh?! Nothing!

Rei: Nothing.

Kyuutarou: Well then, I have a new job for you guys, will you take it?

Kazuki and Rei: Y-Yes!

[megantheestallion-ismypresident]

Pretty when you cry

Ethan landry x Black! Crybaby reader.

Summary: Ethan finds you pretty when you cry he likes to scare you and see the tears and fear in your eyes, so he decided to scare you while wearing his Ghostface costume and he couldn't help but smile at how beautiful you look when you cry.

Ethan loved the way you cry, he'd never seen such beautiful crier in his life, you were to fragile for anyone to break or harm, Ethan loved the way how you would hug him or sit on his lap when your scared it made him feels good that he was there to protect you. He would kill anyone who ever made you cry or try to harm you.

Y/n was heavily getting bullied by 3 girls at her school, she would come home crying, Ethan knew Y/n to well he knows when she's crying even how hard she tries to hide it, it was clear he knew. Y/n and Ethan were best friends and they tell each other everything... well not everything in Ethan's part. Ethan killed the girls thst bullied Y/n and he had a good time doing so.

While Ethan and Y/n were sitting on the couch Y/n heard the news that the girls that bullied her were dead, Y/n was a sweet innocent girl she never wished anything bad happen to then. As Y/n made it to the couch sitting right next to Ethan. " Did you heard about the news? Y/n said looking at Ethan almost about to cry. " No, what happened?" Ethan asked Y/n knowing what she was talking about... after all those sluts deserve to die knowing they were bullying Y/n. " Those girls that bullied me are dead." Y/n said crying as she hugs Ethan for comfort. "Yeah they bullied me but I don't want them die, I mean their people too." Y/n said through tears, Ethan looked at you and he thought your crying so angelic were like a angel, Ethan comfort ls Y/n as he hugs her to soothe her pain but he was smiling at what he did to those girls. Not one bit a remorse he did that for you.

Y/n was home alone since Ethan had econ, Y/n didn't like to be alone, when she was young she cried that she was alone it was lonely and she didn't find any comfort. But, now she got older and she still didn't like being alone but she learned how to deal with it she can't rely on Ethan all the time.

Y/n heard the phone rang, she walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello." Y/n said.

"Who is this?" The mysterious voice said.

"You called me, sir." Y/n said so innocently and patient making Ethan horny for you at your politeness, you were to perfect.

"What's your favorite scary movie?" The raspy voice questions Y/n.

"Oh, I don't watch scary movies, they make me scared I like watching something wholesome." Y/n said growing anxious wanting to hang up the phone.

"Uhm, sir I have to go, it was nice having this conversation but I really have to go." Y/n said feeling weirded out by the man she was talking to on the Ethan.

"Wait... No!" The voice said on the phone but Y/n hanged up before he could even say anything. As Y/n walks away from the phone she heard the phone ring again, this time she was really scared. "Hello." Y/n said as her voice shakes. "That was a big mistake, princess do you know how rude it is to hang up on someone on the phone while there talking to you." The voice says as he chuckles on the phone making Y/n.

"If you don't leave me alone I'm calling the police." Y/n threatens. "YOU CALL THE POLICE I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" The man on the phone raise his voice making Y/n cry, Ethan love the sound of your crying it was angelic and was music to his ears.

"Don't ever hang up on me, you wouldn't anything bad happen to Ethan do you?" The man says as he laughs making Y/n cry harder as her heart beats rapidly.

"What do you want from me?!" Y/n said to The man on the phone getting very scared.

"You, princess it was so easy to distract you on the phone, and I know you didn't lock your windows someone can get inside you house... I wonder who?" Y/n's heart stopped as he said that knowing she didn't lock her window.

Y/n grabbed the biggest knife in the kitchen holding it in case if the man comes for her. But all of a sudden the light went off and Y/n couldn't see.

"You're so fucked now, princess." Ethan says as he laughs as hangs up the phone. Y/n still had the knife in her hand but she was shaking since she never has been in a situation like this.. she Ethan was here so he could hug her and tell her everything was going to be alright.

Y/n didn't feel the knife in her hand anymore as it just disappeared from her hand all of a sudden the lights went on and Ghostface was standing right in front of you with the knife in his hands, "Looking for this?" Ghostface taunts Y/n as he steps closer to her menacingly.

Y/n starts crying she felt so weak she didn't know what to do, Ghostface began coming up to her face to face his body weight all up on Y/n making it hard for her to get out of his grasp.

"Why are you doing this?" Y/n cries as Ethan smirks beneath the mask as he caresses her neck with the knife as Ghostafce was focused on caressing her neck with the knife, She took off the mask to only be in shock that it was her best friend Ethan landry. He put her in all this fear and danger. Ethan smiles at Y/n and comes closer to her and whispered in her ear. "You're pretty when you cry, and I fucking love it." Ethan whispers in Y/n's as he kisses the tip of her ear. "You won't tell anyone will you sweetheart?" Ethan says looking at Y/n, Y/n was scared of Ethan and what he was capable of, so she said 'yes' to not make him mad.

"Yes." Y/n says looking at Ethan making him smiles as he hugs her knowing she was scared of him.

"Good girl, it will be our little secret~" Ethan said whispering to Y/n's ear.

[artist-issues]

To Re-Write Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Here's a peek into my storytelling process, and what I think the third movie of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy should've looked like. You know me. Everything starts with the Main Point. (I'm not going to talk about what's bad about Rise of Skywalker in this post, it'll be long enough already.)

The Main Point: "Where there is love, there is hope."

Essentially, the main message of Star Wars is "Faith Triumphs Over Fear." Our main message supports that, because it's hard to keep the faith when you're alone, or feel alone. But when you have friends, or loved ones to fight for, keeping the faith is easier, and gives you something other than fear to focus on.

So. I'm going to structure this like "Where a Character Was at the end of TLJ --> Where They Need to Be by the End of EP 9."

Most of these characters don't need any more development. They learned a core lesson at the end of TLJ: now they just need to hang on and put it into practice no matter what plot points test them. Stick the landing. We already had their "Proposal, Argument—" now we need their "—Conclusion."

The only exception to this is Kylo Ren. He still needs development. You'll see:

Rey

It's Not About Who I Am; It's About Doing the Good I Can Do --> Tempted to Make a Selfish-Insecure-Identity-Based Decision; Chooses to Do the Self-Sacrificial, Good Thing Instead.

This means Rey needs to have a goal she's trying to accomplish, but this time there's not really a "and then I'll know who I am" element in it for her. Like in TLJ, she was going to find Luke for the greater good, but it was also, on a personal level, because:

But this time, after TLJ, she needs to start out on a mission that doesn't have anything in it for her besides the greater good... to show that she's grown in the right direction, she's not thinking so much about who she is and what she needs, anymore.

Then, on that mission, during that adventure, that character growth can be tested by having the opportunity to get sidetracked by something that could be self-validating.

I wouldn't make it be something about her parents again—we've exhausted that topic by the end of TLJ. But I'd make it something that has to do with being "The Last Jedi, the Heiress to the Light Side of the Force." I'd set the movie up with people telling her that, eventually, Rey will grow to be the legend Luke Skywalker was.

Maybe in the time between TLJ and this movie, the Resistance have run enough rescue missions of refugees or people oppressed by the First Order to pick up a bunch of kids or very young recruits. And those kids have heard of or seen Rey in action by now. Maybe Broom Boy is even one of them. And there are scenes of kids being in awe of Rey, or one of them even says, "after you beat the First Order, will you train me, Master Jedi?" or Maz herself makes a sage comment like, "Look how the Light has grown in you. The Galaxy needed that light...and the Force answered with you, like Luke Skywalker before you." Or during a fun opening-rescue mission, there's a scene where all of the people Rey is helping look up to her and explain who she is to one another in front of her.

Scenes providing her with an image of herself, as the future trainer of the Jedi Order, "when all this is over." Something that she could be tempted to find her identity in.

But then during the course of her mission, she has the opportunity to do one of these things

Gain Amazing New Jedi Knowledge

Kill Kylo Ren and Gain Renown as a Hero

Sacrifice Some Measure of the Power She Has Gained in the Force

And if she chooses the thing that will make her seem more like the Heroic Heiress of the Heroes, that would derail her from her mission and show that she's still thinking about herself—but if she chooses to just do the self-sacrificial, kind thing in the moment, it would help her mission. Yet, it should make her future as someone of fame and importance in the Force uncertain—so that option is also self-sacrificial. Thats the choice she has to make.

And when she makes the right one, we see, not that she got to Be Somebody and vanquished her fear of "dying a nobody" from the first time we met her—

—but that she's not even afraid of that anymore. It's okay to "die a nobody," if everyone else is better off. Because that was a self-focused fear, anyway, and it no longer has power over her. (For lots of reasons—one of which being she now has friends.) Character growth. Star Wars.

Finn

Good Can Win if We Focus on Saving Loved Ones Instead of Destroying Hated Ones --> Tempted to Get Revenge, But Sacrifices Revenge to Save Someone Else he Loves

This means Finn is focused on getting something/keeping something that will provide aid/protect the people he has come to love. Most of his screen-time can be focused on this, to build on showing how far he's come. He should have multiple opportunities to run away, whether it be from First Order troops attacking a Resistance base, or from the scene of a conflict when a rescue mission goes sideways—but instead he keeps staying in dangerous situations to help loved ones.

My favorite scenario to place him in, for this, is in a covert-ops mission where he's infiltrating First Order stormtroopers. He already knows the system, but we've only seen him exploit that knowledge when it's to save his own skin/cause hurt to the people who abused him in the First Order. He doesn't like to be around First Order troops because he hates them/he's afraid of them. But in Episode 9, after TLJ, I'd be showing Finn, choosing to stay where he's surrounded (even if unknown) by people who could uncover his true identity and kill him at any moment—and doing it because it protects the Resistance, in some way. I'd also broaden that focus—he's specifically doing it because it helps the larger cause, not necessarily because his actions will directly save anyone he loves, like Rose or Poe or Rey.

But—at some point in this movie, someone he's attached to dies. I think the most obvious choice is Rose, but she was the one who taught him about avoiding hate and saving loved ones. Revenge for Rose would be far from what Rose would want, so it wouldn't tempt him. So instead I think it should be either a new character that he spends most of the first act of Ep. 9 bonding with believably—or it should be Poe.

Poe, or a stormtrooper he really likes who has just come around to leaving the First Order when she is brutally killed. (I do think Poe, or someone we've seen him "grow up" with throughout the first two films, should be the one to die because otherwise it wouldn't be as tempting for Finn to get revenge, at this point in his arc.)

Then Finn pursues revenge, near the climax of the film. But at the last second, a-la-Luke-tossing-away-his-lightsaber, Finn gives up the opportunity for that revenge and does something else. Something useful, that saves Resistance lives, but causes the person he was about to exact revenge upon to escape.

That's how we see that Finn has come full circle—not only is he willing to stay when things get frightening and hard, and not only is he willing to fight for people he loves...but he's willing to act out of that love, not hate, because of what he's learned.

Poe

A Leader Sacrifices for the Greater Good of Others, Not For His Own Pride  --> Tempted to Make a Hero's Stand; Gives Someone Else the Opportunity Instead

This one is tricky because it's hard to make a scenario where a leader makes a choice that is exciting to watch...when the choice is "don't make a heroic last stand."

It's tricky. It's not impossible. (Rian Johnson did not see anyone up for failure. The TROS storytellers just refused to problem-solve when it got hard. Thats all I'll say about TROS.)

Basically, this means that Poe needs to start the film out at the head of the Resistance. He's still going on missions, but his role in those missions is coordination. One team gets to be the distraction—another team saves the day. Then when both teams are done with their missions, and it looks like they'll give their lives for those missions because there's no way out, in drops Poe. He's been coordinating everything; he's just the getaway car driver.

Then there's fun banter scenes where he reports back to Leia, she's critiquing some of the messy parts of the plan but ultimately proud of him, they bounce ideas off each other, and it's clear it still rubs him the wrong way not to be on the frontlines, but he's enjoying parts of the new challenge of leadership anyway. And they're closer than ever.

Eventually, however, Leia is captured, just before the climax of the film. Like Finn, Poe drops everything the Resistance has been working toward and is intent on saving her, and he's taking a very active role in that. But then, due to her own reminder, he chooses to abandon rescuing her at a pivotal moment to do something that will ultimately turn the tide in the Resistance's favor during the climax. He lets Leia make the sacrifice, and he himself is making the sacrifice of getting to save her and have her back, for the greater good. It's a harder path, but it's one she was preparing him for this whole trilogy.

All of this is if Poe doesn't die to further Finn's arc.

Kylo Ren

It's Better to Destroy the Past in Conquest Than Face My Failures --> I Was Wrong

Biggest one.

Kylo Ren is on the Dark Side because he believed that he was destined to be a monster, nobody would keep loving him if that was his destiny, and leaning into that destiny would help him escape the hurt that nobody-loving-the-"destined"-him caused.

I'm not going to elaborate on that, it's as plain as the nose on his face if you watch the movies and listen to what his family members say about him and what he says about himself. That's why he embraced the Dark Side.

But Rey, Chewie, and Leia are still alive, and all three of them can claim to know the "real him," and try to convince him that he was wrong—he was never destined to be a monster, and they do love and believe in the real him, no matter what he's done.

However, he isn't likely to believe them. He's least likely to believe Leia—she sent him away before he'd done anything wrong, and he has now done many things wrong that are singularly hurtful to her. He's second-least likely to believe Chewie, because he killed Chewie's best friend and Chewie shot him (and also, it's not compelling for the audience for Kylo Ren's mind to be changed by a character that doesn't speak English or emote with human facial expressions.)

He's most likely to believe Rey. Because 1) she did not kill him even after he chose to be a monster all over again, and she could've done what Luke almost did and prevented more monstrous deeds by killing him while he was unconscious. And 2) on a deeper level, she never knew "Ben Solo." She only ever knew the monster, and yet she's still choosing to tell him that he's not stuck as a monster.

So. The movie should start with Kylo Ren as Supreme Leader, doing his utmost to gain power, crush the Resistance, and wipe out any reference to the New Republic or the Jedi. But the key difference is that he's not singlemindedly focused on Rey and Leia and killing them anymore. That's not because he's grown from his "I want every gun to fire on my Uncle" obsessive flaw. It's because he finished TLJ by being closer to regretting his decisions than ever before. In his subconscious, he's afraid of encountering Rey or Leia directly ever again, because now he knows how weak his own resolve is, at this point. He'd rather avoid a direct fight unless he knows he can withstand "the pull to the Light." (He's not admitting any of that to himself.)

So he starts the movie on a mission. But now we enter our bad guys.

Hux.

Hux has only ever existed in these movies to be a counterpoint to Kylo Ren. Where Kylo Ren is explosive, emotionally led, and tangles his personal interests up in the interests of the First Order—Hux is calculating, a strategist, and dedicated to the First Order's cause.

He's at his most passionate when giving speeches about the First Order's might, or when that might is being mocked, or when it is being misused. And he has always hated Kylo Ren. In the script for the Force Awakens, in Hux's introductory scene, it literally says "Hux hates Kylo Ren." That's what he's there for. To be everything to the First Order that Kylo Ren is missing—dedication to the cause, and finding his own sense of pride in that cause—and to hate Kylo Ren. So. When Kylo Ren gets to be Supreme Leader, and his personal issues are jeopardizing the whole First Order? Hux is going to put a stop to that. He doesn't have the Force. But he has control over his strategic mind, and he knows that Kylo Ren's weakness is his emotions.

So, Hux orchestrates some kind of scenario where they learn Rey's location, or next-known location. She's going after some important tech or artifact that could turn the tide of the war. Hux purposefully pokes at Kylo Ren's ego, and maybe faintly suggests that Ren is avoiding a confrontation with the girl who beat him twice and "murdered the Supreme Leader," until Kylo Ren flies off determined to get to the artifact or tech Rey is after first—and prove he's willing to kill her in the process. To himself, and the First Order.

Then Hux orchestrates an Order-66-style assassination attempt on the Supreme Leader with a group of loyal troopers. It should be in a starship flight over the planet Rey is on—Kylo Ren wouldn't believably be overcome in any other scenario. And he takes out almost all of his would-be traitor assassins during the attempt, anyway. But his ship does crash, and Hux takes the mantle of Supreme Leader, and our other heroes spend most of their time dealing with this rabid strategist and his war plans.

Meanwhile, Rey finds Kylo Ren who is barely alive and has to do something to save him. That something should, like I said above, cost Rey something. She should lose a particular Force-ability, or be permanently disabled in some (easily-hidden) way as a result of healing him—or she should lose an artifact, or lose something that would've boosted her identity as Savior of the Galaxy down the road.

But I wouldn't let Kylo Ren figure any of that out right away. For tension, I'd have him remain unconscious for the entirety of Rey saving his life and sacrificing something to do it. Then I'd have her need to hide him, then leave the scene, because she's still on a mission, and Hux has sent the Knights of Ren on the same mission. Then later, Kylo Ren can come to, catch up with her, and they can come to an agreement on looking for the thing they came for together, fighting the Knights of Ren along the way—even if they both know that this alliance will only last until they find the thing they each came to this planet for.

Kylo Ren has closed himself off to any Force bond with Rey. He's stubbornly insisting that he's using her—she's a means to an end. She's quietly certain that he'll come around, but she's not pushing it this time. She'll do what she has to do when they reach the end of their mission, but she's not worried about it. And she hasn't told him, or is hiding from him, the fact that she saved his life again. Because she knows, now, that he's not ready to hear any pleading or reasoning about coming to the Light. He has to get there on his own, and she can't force him (get it?)

They have lots of tense conversation and interesting team-up moments and almost-friendship, almost-betraying each other moments the whole time. Like they're in the Hunger Games in an alliance. Until eventually, the First Order's forces are converging on them (knowing both are alive) and Leia arrives—apparently to rescue Rey—and Kylo Ren, determined by this time not to let Rey go in any sense again, especially not to let her get to the end of her mission first, tries to board the Millenium Falcon and stop her. But it was a trap. Leia allows Rey to take a small craft to the end of her mission, while she and Kylo Ren face off. Leia won't let her son get in Rey's way if he's determined to stay on the Dark Side—and she certainly won't let him get the tech/artifact that might restore him to being the Supreme Leader.

(This whole standoff-stalemate-Leia trapping Kylo Ren in a ship with herself can be what Poe initially wants to save her from, too.)

Basically, at this point, whipping out her knowledge of Rey saving his life and pointing out that Rey believes in Ben Solo even after never having met him, Leia changes Kylo Ren's mind about all of it. If not for Rey and what Rey has shown him with her patience and steady faith, Leia wouldn't have been able to do this. But it works, and Kylo Ren leaves the Millenium Falcon as Ben Solo, finally, and he's determined to help Rey, who is racing toward the artifact/tech/final battle.

This is the bare bones. I'd add in or decide between a lot more elements—what is Hux's plan to wipe out the Resistance, what is the thing Rey/Kylo Ren are after, how does infiltrating Stormtroopers help the Resisrance in stopping whatever Hux is doing, does Finn have the Force, what're Chewie and the droids doing during all this, does Leia die at any point during her attempt to change Kylo Ren back, and is the final battle between Rey/Ben and the Knights of Ren? Or just one Knight of Ren who became the leader when they decided to turn on Kylo Ren and work with Hux? Or is the final battle against Hux and his forces?

I'd answer all those questions and try to do it in a way that interconnects Finn, Poe, Rey, and Rose's storylines. But this is just the bare bones of it all.

The conclusion is the tricky part. I don't think killing Kylo Ren works, even if he's redeemed. Not only because he's the last of the Skywalker/Solos. But because killing him makes Leia, Han, and Luke's hope for him feel kind of hollow. Especially if Leia dies to bring it about, which Han did already. "Our little Ben got to come back to the good side...for the last ten minutes of his life! Yaaay we always knew he could do it" NOPE. That's silly. And also, it's bad for his arc. He's a character that has been running from his bad decisions, thinking that stacking more and more on top of them will satisfy him. So what he needs is not a heroic-death-shaped back door out of the consequences of those bad decisions. He needs to face them.

And I also think, depriving Rey, a character who always wanted to stop being alone, of an organic if difficult relationship with someone who understands her, is a dissatisfying conclusion for the main character.

It would be best to have him live. And then he needs some difficult, but ultimately hopeful road ahead to mending his mistakes. Obviously the whole galaxy would be baying for his blood as justice, if they knew that the former Supreme Leader lived. So he probably needs to assume a new identity, just to avoid being executed for his crimes. (I don't think any Resistance member who knew Leia would be on board with executing Kylo Ren, once the war is over and they have to make that decision outside the heat of battle.)

Then he needs to do something that helps repair the wrongs he's done...but it should be something that costs him, personally. If he's come to value Rey as the only person left in the galaxy he cares about, I'd actually end the movie separating him from Rey. Not forever—because that would be as unsatisfying as killing him—but for the foreseeable future. Then I'd send him on a pilgrimage of some sort that will undo some things he's done. Obviously he can't bring back the lives he's taken. But, maybe whatever cataclysmic artifact or thing they were after did some damage across the galaxy during the climax—and Ben Solo can figure out how to reverse that damage, or repair the thing, but it'll be a long, hard road.

I might send Chewbacca with him. But that's it. It's basically atonement-exile, in disguise. In the meantime, Rey wouldn't be alone because she'd be with Finn and Poe (if he lives) and all her Resistance friends. And they'd start finding homes for the refugees from the war. I wouldn't directly end on Rey starting a Jedi school—not by herself. Only if she's doing it with Finn, or with Finn and Leia if Leia lives. Because again, we're going for "it ain't all about you and who you are, Rey."

That's what I'd do. Feel free to use this as a template or a springboard for your own ideas, (and hey send them to me if you do) because basically anything would be better than what we got with TROS. But this is just what I would do, bare framework.

[leviadraws]

hey loz! i was bouncing au ideas around in my head and got a little too invested, so now i'm here to askwhat do you think would have to change in order for there to be a viable roleswap between dra yuki and utsuro?like, with yuki as the mastermind and utsuro as the one around for the killing game. what do you think that universe would be like?

anyway hope you're having a great day LOL

Oh my this is such a cool idea! I'd love to hear more about it /gen

Under cut, since I waffled a load /lh

I will preface that I struggle to characterise Utsuro a fair bit compared to Yuki, just because we see so little of him, I took so long to answer this just because I had to go watch chapters 0, 6, and IF just for the refresher.

For the sake of argument, in this role swap Utsuro isn't aware of his own luck, like how Yuki isn't.

Which meant watching the footage didn't actually help all that much, since a lot of his apathy and confidence (arrongance? on how things will pan out) stem from his talent and the results of his talent.

Anyway

I think, who he does and doesn't get on with changes a lot. I don't think his kinda pessimistic realism would allow him to get on much with the more optimistic cast members (like the sunshine quartet, Akane, Kanata, Kakeru, Ayame, etc). I could see Akane trying to reach out in some subconscious way (something in the back of my head tells me I know this person kinda way) but I think the way he deflects and doesn't share the same "we got this! You just gotta not lose hope" would push her away.

I also think he'd have a lot of up and downs with Tsurugi and Rei. They'd probably get on with some things, like the idea that people often don't have good intentions and all and don't trust and all. But, I can't see Utsuro joining the large group in chapter 2 and chooses to go his own way like how Kizuna, Rei and Kinji did.

I think he gets along with Kinji the most, Kinji isn't loud and talks when it's needed, he isn't argumentative in the same way Rei is either. I think Utsuro would annoy early game Rei a lot, since he wouldn't rise to her quite outlandish points of view and just ignore her a lot.

I think there's a possibility that he'd get on with Mikako, kinda in the same way as the main game. But with the swap they kinda have different views on hope and getting everyone out so I'm not entirely sure how that'd pan out.

He takes a bit of a back seat in trials, he's cynical and so calls people out on very obvious lies and cover ups, but since he doesn't stick with the group all that much he often doesn't have an alibi outside of luck coming into play, so he ends up getting the blame pinned on him a lot. He doesn't really feel "Oh X could never do that", so he's ready to press threads regardless of the person on the other end.

I don't think the early deaths actually change all that much, in canon Yuki isn't actually all that involved in the cases all the way up to like, case 5? And even then he's not involved, more like well, blamed in a last ditch effort.

Case 3 would change a tad, since if Utsuro isn't all that close with the main group he'd probably not be around for Akane's episode and therefore not have an alibi. Kinji probably tries to subdue him like how he does Rei and Tsurugi but divine luck kinda intervenes in some really silly way and so instead Kinji tries to pin the blame on him as the only one not "attacked".

That makes the trial hard, he's been betrayed again, they weren't quite friends but to have one of the people that didn't berate him completely turn on him hurts.

I, also think eventually they soften up to him sometime after chapter 3. After being blamed and scapegoated so much in trials, the others start to see that maybe they were mean in their initial impressions. I'm unsure how much he'd soften up? Perhaps he becomes more patient in time, but getting the blame pinned on him and having the others admonish his more pessimistic nature when they're getting no where searching the facility gets on his nerves.

You know that bit where he slips talking to Mikako? (can't remember if it's chapter 3/4/5), it's a little more creepy. A smile comes through and a manic look that really spooks her.

In chapter 4 he's forced to dance with whoever you'd like haha

I can't see him spending all his energy looking for a way out of the ballroom, I think he takes a look around and then retires to his room to save his energy. Akane notices and brings meals to his room.

When the hunger starts to kick in he seems to slip a little more often, people catch him just smiling to himself and it catches them off guard, but then they look back again and it's gone so they think their minds are just playing tricks from the hunger.

I've been trying to think if he'd be there for Tsurugi's freakout. I think luck would probably mean he ends up in the right place at the right time to intervene.

Chapter 5 is weird, would Tsurugi die if they were never close? Would he still subconsciously save him with luck? I honestly don't know. I'm gonna go with the latter for simplicity but I think the former is an interesting path to go down.

So chapter 6, and if he found Akane occasionally annoying before she's unbearable right now. Seeing her gives him a migraine that he can't shake and he makes him harsh, curt and a little rude. Tsurugi approaches about how different he remembers Utsuro, how they used to be really good friends, and how he was well liked by pretty much the whole class. It puzzles him, they're really acquaintances at best and he really can't see him being the life of the party in class.

When Tsurugi won't drop it he just nods and assumes it must be his injury affecting his memory.

The final trial comes up, and the headaches are getting worse and worse. It goes black for a moment and he sees someone who looks just like him, just a little more neatly kept, eyes brighter than his, and a soft smile on his face. But there's something a little off putting about it all as he points to the red door infront.

He opens his eyes, smiles a little too wide, and laughs.

[eldritchdiplomacy]

Bottom Table OT3: The Playlist

We, like Jinnah, will mourn our lads forever

(click for song explanations!)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Ed Meeker

"Eldritch Harrahs," He says, fingering the bright red laces on a baseball like a rosary

Team - Lorde

Classic poly theme, living in ruins.

"And everyone's competing For a love they won't receive 'Cause what this palace wants is release."

Ravenous - Autumn Orange

Impeccible vibes.

Eat Your Young - Hozier

Post-war heroes left in slums with their ghosts

"Come and get some Skinnin' the children for a war drum Puttin' food on the table, sellin' bombs and guns It's quicker and easier to eat your young"

Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

A shiny jade jewel in said slums

"She rings like a bell through the night And wouldn't you love to love her? She rules her life like a bird in flight And who will be her lover?"

Boats & Birds - Gregory & The Hawk

Children without souls

"If you'll be my boat, I'll be your sea A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity Ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze I live to make you free, I live to make you free…"

Hearts a Mess - Gotye

Sean Fucking Finnerty

"You have lost too much love To fear, doubt and distrust, it's not enough You just threw away the key to your heart Don't get burned 'cause nothing gets through It makes it easier, easier on you That much more difficult for me To make you see."

Love In The Time Of Socialism - Yellow House

Teenagers all in love with each other

"But I am home wherever you are near There's no life in anything When you're not here."

Whatever Fits Together - Skullcrusher

I mean…

"Do you ever look back? Does it all fit together? If we're here, does it matter? (If we're here, does it matter?)"

Marked For Death - Emma Ruth Rundle

Marion & Jean

"Who else is going to love someone like me that’s marked for death? Who else is going to be with me when I breathe it all?"

Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists

Marion & Sean

"And here I dreamt I was a soldier And I marched the streets of Birkenau And I recall in spring The perfume that the air would bring To the indolent town Where the barkers call the moon down The carnival was ringing loudly now And just to lay with you There's nothing that I wouldn't do Save lay my rifle down"

Hard Times - Ethel Cain

The Exorcists' Daughter

"Tell me a story About how it ends Where you're still the good guy I'll make pretend 'Cause I hate this story Where happiness ends And dies with you."

Edith's Theme - Crimson Peak

The Lighthouse

Say Yes To Heaven - Lana Del Rey

Sean & Jean

"If you go, I'll stay You come back, I'll be right here Like a barge at sea In the storm, I stay clear 'Cause I've got my mind on you I've got my mind on you…"

Sunlight - Hozier

Sean & Jean & Marion

"All the tales the same Told before and told again A soul that’s born in cold and rain Knows sunlight, sunlight, sunlight And, at last, can grant a name To a buried and a burning flame As love and its decisive pain Oh, my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight."

Your Protector - Fleet Foxes

The Circle of Needle & Thread

"As you lay to die beside me, baby On the morning that you came Would you wait for me? The other one would wait for me."

The Mother Road - Chelsea Wolfe

The doc who knows she'll never lead a normal life, have a normal love.

"I do not have a child But I'm old enough to know some pain And I'm hell-bent on loving you Women know what it is to endure."

Running Up That Hill - Placebo

All too stubborn to let each other die.

"Oh, come on, baby Oh, come on, darlin' Let me steal this moment from you now Oh, come on, angel Come on, come on, darlin' Let's exchange the experience…"

A Vampire's Heart - Peter Gundry

Doplegangers

Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

Jean, Sean, & Marion

"I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map And knew that somehow I could find my way back Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too So I stayed in the darkness with you…"

Oh, To Dream Of Such Eldritch Things - Autumn Orange

The Compromised Lightkeeper

A Shot Rang Out - Emily Jane White

Sean FUCKING Finnerty, Marion, Jean

"Dreamers we aren't few But I don’t want to bury my dreams with you."

The Ghost On The Shore - Lord Huron

Man down

"Die if I must, let my bones turn to dust I'm the lord of the lake and I don't want to leave it…"

Call Your Mom - Noah Kahan

You can't do this to Peggy, bud.

"Medicate, meditate, save your soul for Jesus Throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason Don't wanna drive another mile without knowin' you're breathin' So won't you stay, won't you stay, won't you stay with me?"

Funeral - Phoebe Bridgers

War boys wearing the same face, so many hearts.

"And last night, I blacked out in my car And I woke up in my childhood bed Wishing I was someone else, feeling sorry for myself When I remembered someone's kid is dead…"

Francesca - Hozier

Jean & Marion re: Sean

"Now that it's done There's not one thing that I would change My life was a storm since I was born How could I fear any hurricane?"

Is Your Love Strong Enough? - GWTDT

"Just one beat of your heart And stranger than fantasy I knew from the start It had to be the place for me Someone that I would die for There's no way I could ever leave."

Death With Dignity - Sufjan Stevens

The Survivor

"Spirit of my silence I can hear you, but I'm afraid to be near you And I don't know where to begin And I don't know where to begin…"

My Love - Florence + The Machine

The Next Step

"My arms emptied, the skies emptied The buildings emptied…"