#i really don't blame you if you don't want to read it

[insanewaykathy]

The first point is that for Janeway the problem wasn't having sex with Chakotay, the problem was having feelings for him. She was afraid to be impartial, she was afraid of suffering if something happened to him… of course she would suffer anyway because she loved him as a friend, and romantically (no one can tell me otherwise), but let's be realistic, it's usually harder to make any decision about someone you're romantically involved with.

Regarding the "Janeway can't have sex with her first officer" view, that view is exclusively Kate's, and I don't blame her. Although I really wanted to see them meet at the end, as if after the Admiral came back to take them home, they could have some time inside the ship before actually returning and having a night of love… with sex, with affection, with complicity, with love… because that would reach all the women who have been through toxic relationships with the following message: "They were responsible officers, she would give her life for the crew, he would give his life for her… and they waited for each other because their love was greater than time, and they had sex because they love each other and sex is a good thing!" But instead, the fear was of passing the message to what they considered to be the target audience, that is, MEN from 20 to 40 years old… and what would these men understand? "Look, I knew that at some point she would have sex with him!" If you are a man and you are reading this, I will not apologize to you, stay, and I invite you to just read it without saying "not every man". The problem in the 90s was sexism, and making J/C happen was too much for men to accept. But today we have overcome that. We know that Voyager's largest audience is women. We know that a large part of Progidy's audience is J/Cers. And we know that the couple has matured enough to give us something bigger than subtle hints with double meanings. J/C is the healthiest couple I have ever met, and we need that.

And about Kate being beautiful, sexy and hot, she was! Jeri too, but Jeri was the standard blonde. And the problem that these men have of preferring to see Jeri on TV (the supermodel type with a perfect body) wearing tight clothes, honestly reminds me of bad lovers. Okay, you don't look for hot girls on TV if you already have one by your side 🤣 I'm not saying that someone can't prefer Jeri to Kate, there are tastes and tastes… but doing it just because she is blonder, thinner, taller and has more curves is deceiving yourself, because most real women are more like Kate than Jeri. They are both beautiful, talented and incredible women. But Jeri deserved to be desired and acclaimed for much more than just her physical beauty and standard.

Kate Mulgrew on the way Janeway looks at Seven of Nine: "And I mean, honestly, if you remember Janeway looking at her boots and traveling up the body, I remember that. . . . So to be honest with you, for the first season that I worked with her, I was just staring at her bosoms."

Here's the whole segment:

In the fifth season, an actress was brought onto Star Trek: Voyager by the name of Jeri Ryan, who played the character of Seven of Nine, and she was absolutely stunning.

And she represented sex. I mean, it was absolutely crystal clear. And I mean, honestly, if you remember Janeway looking at her boots and traveling up the body, I remember that.

Now, I was of two minds, 'cause there's nobody in the history of television series who doesn't want their series to be successful. So I understand the need for sex.

But I had hoped against hope that I could bring it in as Janeway without it. I didn't.

I mean, I went to them in the first season and said, "I'm not having sex. I'm not saying, 'Red alert: into my ready room, Chakotay, let's go, let's go, let's go.' I'm not doing that. I have a complement of 165, I've got to get them home, and what? The captain's shtupping again?" You know? And it makes no sense at all.

So Seven of Nine appears, and she's half-human, and she's half-Borg, and she's [makes noise while waving her hands in an hourglass figure]. Right? So to be honest with you, for the first season that I worked with her, I was just staring at her bosoms. Her remarkable figure.

And then I understood that they wanted it to be a mother-daughter thing, but my daughter doesn't look like that. My daughter looks like a beautiful human being. It was a thing of bringing the male demographic. And it was very successful. They certainly liked to watch Seven of Nine, and I don't blame them. Men like that, don't you? Don't you?

—ubookstore, "University Book Store Presents Kate Mulgrew," YouTube, May 31, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X2cverYupQ.

The question begins around 51:32.

[dunmeshistash]

Greetings, Mr. Meshi!

This is perhaps a bit of an unorthodox question, but one that has been bothering me for an unreasonable amount of time.

Now, here's the thing: I OBSESS over Marcille outliving everyone she holds dear. It's a theme very close to me, but even beyond that I just find it to be one of the most interesting elements of Dungeon Meshi's story for me personally. I've written an embarrassing amount of lengthy essays on it that will never see the light of day - that's how obsessed I am over this specific element of her character. But, there's something that bothers me...

A lot of poignant stories and artworks that tackle this topic get comments on 'em whenever Falin is the subject of aging, each one some variation of "Everything points to Falin having an extended lifespan after her revival!" which... Seems weird to me?

I don't know why this bothers me so much, but setting aside my personal annoyances, I don't remember anything pointing to this at all. At least, nothing concrete.

I don't know if this is a question you'd want to answer or not, but since your blog is a hub for all sorts of opinions and headcanons, I'd love to know where this line of thought could originate from.

I really wouldn't blame you if you didn't answer this question, though. Part of me feels I'm just asking this because I want to see if others share in my confusion or not.

Rrrregardless, though! Lemme take the opportunity to say that your blog is delighful. Love it! Also, that mushroom man with the funny face that sometimes responds to you with lengthy essays is also really cool. Everyone is cool. At least here on the northern hemisphere! It is smack dab in the middle of fall, after all! Coolness all around! Stay frosty! Or don't! Maybe warm up at a fireplace. I don't know!

Hi there! Thank you for the kind words, I love reading other's opinions on what I post so I also love the additions by the mushroom <3

It's quite hot over here in northeast Brazil, send some coolness my way please I'm dying.

Your question isn't strange at all! And I don't mind answering anything (unless it's rude or sounds like shipping war bait) so don't worry.

(Decided to put the rest under a readmore, TLDR: Kui said "maybe so, right?" about Falin having a longer lifespan but I have arguments why I don't think this actually confirms it. Anyway if you're someone who likes the headcanon you might want to skip this post)

To be honest those type of comments bother me too because I also LOVE Marcille's struggle with mortality and sometimes "Falin will live much longer!" feels undermining of the lesson she had to learn. I don't mind it in the headcanon sphere where everything is allowed and happy endings grow on trees but when it becomes intertwined with canon it starts to make me a little disappointed.

Just a reminder of the lesson she has to learn

She has to come to terms with the cycle of life and death, that something she wants (everyone to live longer) shouldn't be forced upon others just because it causes her grief. So, to me at least, Falin being made into something that will end up outliving other tallmen would undermine the message? In a canon sense ofc, if you're writing a wish fulfillment story then her living longer would have a different meaning, I just wanna be clear I have nothing against it in that sense, it all depends on what story you're trying to tell.

Anyway, actually answering your question that idea comes from the fact she was fused to a Red Dragon, and the fact her body has been affected by it, her sight was fixed and she grows feathers for example, so people theorize maybe her lifespan has been affected too. But we don't really know how long dragon's live so it's hard to say how much it would have been affected if at all.

It also comes from this answer Kui gave in a QnA

Q: Would Falin have an extended lifespan after the whole chimera thing? A: Maybe so, right?

To me this reads as the usual non-answers Kui gives, like, "I'll leave it up to your imagination" but for other people this read as a confirmation of the headcanon, in another questions she answers "I hope so" about Thistle leading a happy life after having his desires eaten and it's even debatable if Thistle survived at all so I don't think those comments indicate much of canon (I'm that way about most QnA answers tbh, unless it's something inconsequential like confirming Mithrun's Brother's name or stuff about very minor characters)

Another argument I have against her having a different lifespan is Izutsumi, Izu has been mixed with a monster but continues to age at the same rate a Tallmen would, even tho she also has different biology because of the Great Cat she's fused with (ears, reflexes, eyes etc etc) she is still a tallman

Falin isn't really the same thing as Izutsumi tho, I understand, but it's the closest example we have, if we believe the AB descriptions and demi-humans are really mixes between humans and monsters that's also another argument about it not affecting lifespan, since all of them are short lived and have an average lifespan of 55.

All of this *can* be dissmissed tho, the other demi-humans and beastmen are all mixed with mammal monsters and nothing nearly as powerful as a Dragon, so there is arguments to be made that Falin is different and that she *might* have an extended lifespan, all I'm saying is that there's no solid confirmation of it, it's fine to believe it but going around "correcting" other people saying it's a fact wouldn't be right I don't think, especially if you're saying that in a conversation about Marcille journey of death acceptance.

Death is a touchy subject and everyone is at different stages of their own journeys with it so I really don't want to judge those who would rather have Falin or even Laios live longer. I'm not really sure how to talk about this in the proper way, but I hope I didn't make anyone upset!

[local-crying-boy]

HEY ITS YOU KNOW WHO!! Please can you write a fic for young Silco and reader who are pining desperately for each other but despite how obvious it is to everyone else (especially Vander and Felicia who have to put up with their lovesick shenanigans) they are still oblivious to the others feelings??? Please also have a fluffy conclusion where they confess I beg THANK YEWWW

🅂🄸🄻🄲🄾

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𝕆𝕙, 𝕞𝕪 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝!𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚇 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙾𝚗𝚎-𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝, 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚌, 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝𝚢

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚁𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙾𝙽 2 𝙰𝙲𝚃 2, 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚅𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 <<𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛'𝚜>> 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙, 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝𝚢 ( 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 ? )

𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 *𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘* 𝚜𝚞𝚋𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 <<𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛>> 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚗-𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍. 𝚅𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙵𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚍𝚘.

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 4.4𝚔

𝙰/𝚗: 𝙲𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚢𝚊𝚙 𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖 (𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚌𝚘 𝚊𝚝 8𝚊𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐)

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"I swear if I have to hear <<Reader>> swoon over Silco again!" A particular royal blue haired woman groaned out, her head thrown back for a moment before she slumped against the bar counter. "Honestly, does that woman have nothing else to talk about?

There was a rough and low chuckle heard, a large, muscular man setting out drinks for himself and his friend. "You should hear Silco talk about her."

The slouched woman spoke up again. "You know what she did the other day? Vander, not even a 'hello' or ' how are you', straight to 'Felicia, you'll never guess what Silco said to me today!'. I had to listen to her bloody rant for half an hour!"

"I'll tell you what's worse, yeah?" Vander said with an amused scoff, his forearm leaning against the counter as he looked down at Felicia. "Silco's poor attempts at covering any liking towards <<Reader>> ."

That gained a spit of laughter from the woman, she shook her head while she straightened herself up. "God, Silco loves to try and make out he doesn't have any emotions like the rest of us, doesn't he?"

Vander gave a small tilt of the head, almost a nod, but almost like he was shrugging his shoulders. "Can you really blame him? How much has he and <<Reader>> been through together?

She grew silent for a couple of short moments, before she gave a quick nod of acknowledgement as a sigh escaped her lips.

"You seriously don't think either of them are going to risk throwing that away?" The bigger man asked, while his words held their own weight to them, he held a small smirk on his face - as if the fear the two held were amusing to him - though it had faded quick. "Neither of them want to lose each other, admit it or not, they rely on each other like they do with air."

"But that only makes them work better together!" Felicia was quick to perk up, throwing her hands out in exaggeration. "They are more on the same page then you and Silco! It's like.... like they move in sync, like they read each other's mind!"

"I'm not denying that." Vander laughed out, holding a hand up in surrender, as he poured himself and the blue haired woman each a drink, placing the bottle down beside the two glasses. "But, you have to admit, you'd be scared of losing a connection like that, right?"

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders lightly. She grasped her drink and brought the glass to her mouth, and she did not respond.

A smug, victorious grin pulled on Vander's lips, but he covered it up as he, too, brought his drink to his lips.

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It was another cold, dark night in the Undercity and Silco, Vander and Felicia were all inside the *somewhat* warm bar. For the hundredth time, Felicia was standing near the jukebox, deciding on what song to play, while Vander was stuck cleaning up The Last Drop.

Silco, however, was as silent as a mouse, scribbling away in his notebook. He wasn't exactly focused on his two friends in the room with him, no, no, he was more so waiting for another familiar face he'd found growing himself attached to.

Whatever the man was thinking of, whether it be that one familiar face or the work he found himself constantly drowning in, he was too lost in thought, too much in his 'own world'. He didn't even realize as footsteps neared from behind, and as mischievous giggles were heard.

Rather suddenly, a pair of hands planted themselves firmly on each of the now startled man's shoulders with a loud 'rah!' sound, causing him to flinch and swiftly snap his head round to see who the hell decided to ambush him like that.

"What are you-" He immediately went to bark out, but when he was met with your innocent laughter, he couldn't help but soften his tone. " <<Reader>> ."

"That's me!" You said with a toothy grin, moving to slump down onto the bar stool beside him.

Silco faintly chuckled to himself, how absurd that he had gotten so startled from you of all people. He shook his head lightly, letting out a small tut while he turned back to his endless writing.

"You're stuck in your head too much." You declared with a huff, leaning your elbow on the counter and resting your chin on the palm of your hand. "You didn't even hear me come in!"

"I've got work to do, <<Reader>>." Silco mused gently, looking up for a moment with a grin on his face, his hand waving around subtly, but you really only noticed how quickly he had picked up his pen to continue his seemingly never ending work.

"Ah, yes," You rolled your eyes, though you weren't able to deny the little pit in your stomach when you realised that he was, in fact, a busy man. "Your work."

You turned your head to Vander who was already shaking his head at the absurdity of Silco never taking a break, this time you tutted, muttering under your breath to the man on the other side of the counter. "Work, work, work."

"Leave the man to his rambles, if that's what he wants so badly." Vander teased, which only caused Silco to shoot him a glare, not that Vander cared all that much. He only looked back at you. "Want anything?"

"You're telling me you don't know my usual yet?" You joked, spinning your head to look over at him, head still resting in your palm.

From anyone outside of your inner circle, you almost looked... enamoured by Vander, with your chin propped up comfortably by your hand and a bright grin plastering your face. Damn, the sight made Silco force his head away with a scowl he couldn't be bothered to hide away. He had to fight an audible scoff escaping his lips, he didn't want you to look back at him though, not when you obviously so busy talking with Vander.

You noticed the little side eye from Vander, no doubt checking on what Silco was doing after your attention diverted from him. Though, Vander couldn't help but letting out an entertained snigger as he poured out your usual drink. You didn't head much attention to it, assuming that it was just to check up on what he was doing.

Vander's eyes moved away once he had pushed the drink closer to you, looking over at Felicia who had been staring from across the room. The both of them could only share a certain look to the other, Silco, as much as he may deny it, was not good at keeping his emotions at bay when it came to you and it was safe to say that the two were starting to get bored of it.

As amusing as it was, and it was very amusing, Silco was becoming repetitive in his behaviour. He'd brush off any interaction with you and claim he was 'busy' with 'work', his face would contort into a scowl if Vander every talked to you - made you laugh, then he'd be in a mood until you spoke to him again, but, in truth, it was all just an endless cycle.

The whole endeavour was extremely confusing, for everyone involved! You were stuck believing Silco never had time for you, Vander was stuck believing that he was simply too afraid to lose you to let you in and Felicia was stuck believing that the two of you were just two annoying lovebirds who needed to rip the band aid off.

Then there was Silco.

Well, Silco was... who can really say what Silco was? He was a closed of man to everyone, just not so much to his three closest friends. Regardless of being close or not, it took too much observation to actually realise what Silco wanted to say - especially when it came down to confessing this new-found love for you.

And, really, who really had the time to look so deeply into Silco’s true character?

A familiar song started to echo throughout the room, a faint chuckle escaping Vander as he lightly shook his head. Felicia and ‘her’ song.

You turned your head, you had your own smirk on your face as you glanced over at the blue haired woman who was now swaying in her place. This whole scenario seemed to happen a lot of late, with Vander and Silco constantly trying to find ways to improve the Undercity, the for of you found yourselves in The Last Drop frequently.

"Again, 'Licia?" You asked with a laugh, turning your seat so that your back was leaning against the bar counter. "I basically know this song off by heart because of you!"

She shrugged light, swinging her arms and hips in tune to the music, eyes closed as if she was losing herself in the beat of it. You couldn't help yourself, she was having so much fun, so you pushed yourself off the bar stool and started to dance alongside her.

Her eyes had opened when she heard you laughter, somewhat matching her movements, which only caused her to start laughing alongside with you. She eventually grabbed your hands and started to jump around together.

"Why are you in a mood?" Vander asked Silco when you had moved away from the two men. "You were fine two seconds ago, then <<Reader>> comes over and you have that stupid scowl on your face again."

The seated man only let out a breath, rolling his eyes as he shook his head from side to side for a couple moments. "I am not in a mood."

Vander only laughed for a moment, leaning his hands on the counter. "Yes, you are."

"I am not." Silco repeated, refusing to look up at the ignorant grin that he knew that Vander would have.

"You are."

Now, that earned a deathly glare.

"For the love of-" Silco groaned, tutting under his breath once more, but this time it seemed out of genuine irritation - unlike when he was interacting with you. "I am not in a mood."

"Say what you will-" Vander said with a shrug of his shoulders, but was quickly cut off by Silco.

"You mean the truth?"

Vander ignored his old friend's comment and continued. "Say what you will, you're upset now. Why?"

Silco shook his head again, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he brought a hand to his face and rubbed the side of his head. It wasn't long before he was subconsciously looking bad at you, dancing along with the royal blue haired, music obsessed woman.

"You like her." Vander stated, it wasn't a question he needed answered, he would be able to see it even if he lost his sight.

Silco turned back, tutting again, as if the whole idea was a ludicrous idea, he picked up his pen again, looking down at his notebook - usually it was a sign to back off and leave him be. "I don't know what you're talking about, Vander."

"Yes, you do." Vander said, scoffing.

"I'm not playing this back-and-forth game again." Silco frowned over at Vander, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration.

"Of course, of course." Vander laughed lowly, putting his hands up in a mock surrender. "But, you're lying to me. Again."

The smaller man didn't reply this time, he couldn't be bothered to continue this unbelievable conversation. You were you, and he was him. There was no you and him, not in the way that Vander was talking about, and there never would be. Silco had to be focused on the future of Zaun because, if he didn't, what would be the point in even attempting to live in the shit-hole?

The silence that Vander got only caused him to sigh in defeat, he leaned both his forearms against the counter, trying to look at Silco's face, even when it was faced downwards. "Fine, you don't know what I'm talking about, but if you keep acting distant towards <<Reader>>, she's going to move on from you."

"Not a problem." Silco spoke with an almost cold tone. "She doesn't like me in the way you're suggesting, so, there's no moving on to do.

Vander didn't have much to say in response because, really, Silco thought that?

Over on the other side of the room, similar to the conversation Vander had with Silco, Felicia was planning to talk to you about your, not so, subtle attraction towards your mutual friend.

"Sooo..." The blue haired woman started in the midst of your dancing. "What's going on, hm? You and Silco?"

"What about me and Silco?" You asked, your movements faltered slightly, but you didn't want the two men by the bar to notice your change in demeanour.

Felicia laughed out faintly, shaking her head. "Don't play stupid now, what just happened? Scaring him like that?"

You rolled your eyes at her clear suggestion, it was harmless fun, a small trick to scare him for a moment while he was off in his own thoughts. You couldn't let it be anything more than that. "I just scared him?"

She made a noise that was clear that she disagreed with your statement. "C'mon! You don't seriously think you're going to convince me that that's true."

"C'mon, 'licia, there isn't anything between me and Silco, you know that." You said with a small sigh, shaking your head, you had completely stopped moving now.

Felicia raised her eyebrows, she still wasn't buying it, she couldn't - she wouldn't.

"Seriously." You sternly spoke, crossing your arms over your chest. "Don't you see he's too busy for me?"

The navy haired woman's eyes narrowed at that, she was sure she didn't hear you correctly. He... didn't have time for you? Since when? From her perspective, he was constantly looking over his shoulder to check up on you, sure, you didn't see it all the time, but it was happening.

"Too busy? What the hell are you on about?" She quickly said, her tone a little harsher than she intended, but that was purely because of how taken aback she was from your statement.

"The fuck you mean, what am I on about?" You tutted quietly, a hand going up to your face to pinch the bridge of your nose. "It's pretty clear, no? He cares too much about Zaun. Rightfully so, of course, but..."

You cut yourself off with a sigh, moving your hands back to cross over your chest, but it was different from before. The time before felt like a protective shield, whereas, this time, it was almost like a comforting sort of action.

Your friend in front of you didn't push you to explain further, she never needed to previously, but when you didn't continue on with your sentence she started to speak.

"<<Reader>>..." She spoke softly, her tone gentle and welcoming to you so that you would actually speak your mind.

"Oh, leave it." You hissed, you head snapping up to meet her grey eyes.

She was stunned. She could only stare at your for a few silent moments, where did that anger and aggression come from? Why did it rise so suddenly from the topic of Silco? Surely it would be the opposite, you like him, she and Vander could see it and, yet, you voice had turned as cold as ice.

"What's goin-" Felicia tried, but was quickly cut off again.

"I said leave it!" You snapped, your voice was raised and you felt all three pairs of eyes on you, which caused you to sink a little n your stance.

You glanced back over at the two men who were staring at you, soon shaking your head as your eyes fixated on your boots. You didn't remain standing there, you couldn't face those confused stares from Silco and Vander and that pitiful, sorrowful look on Felicia's face.

"Whatever." You muttered.

With that, you turned and walked away from Felicia, heading straight for the door to leave.

You swung open the door and breathed in, the Undercity's heavy air filling your lungs, but the suffocating feeling was nothing new and your version of fresh air, one that had started to become comforting when you got out of heated situations.

You were planning on walking home, going straight to bed or to the bottle - whichever called your name first when you walked into the comfort of your house.

However, just as your turned into one of the many dreary, notorious alleyways in the Undercity, you heard quickly paced footsteps from behind.

You were in no mood for one of your three friends to come running after you, so you ignored it, head down - like you would usually do when passing a stranger in the streets, pretending like you could easily slip away into the shadows.

"<<Reader>>!" You heard a familiar voice yell.

For fuck's sake, your heart swelled at his voice. Silco.

"Silco, I'm not in the mood." You called out from behind, you should have known that, out of everyone there, Silco would be the one to run after you.

He would never let you slip away into the shadows.

Never.

"Wait." He groaned in frustration, jogging up next to you so he could grab your arm. "Wait."

"Leave me alone, Silco." You hissed, giving a poor attempt at pulling your arm away from his grasp.

"If you really wanted me to leave you alone," He started, his fingers tightening around the skin on your arm. "You would've gotten me off you.

You scoffed, this time ripping your arm away from his grasp. "How about now? You think I want you to leave me alone now?"

His face contorted into a look of confusion, eyes narrowing as if he was prying into your soul to get some sort of wordless answer. Then he finally spoke up. "What is going on with you?"

"Nothing." You quickly said, crossing your arms over your chest again.

Ah, there goes that protective shield again. Silco would be able to recognise that anywhere, but he couldn't pinpoint why the hell you thought you needed to keep up with defensive nature when it was him.

"Stop lying." He huffed, his eyes didn't falter from staring deep into yours, but you weren't about to look away from his disturbing gaze - you weren't about to lose to the man who clearly implied to you that he had no time of day for you.

You should have been able to lower you guard with him, like you had done every single day before this. You were being to clear, transparent. He was going to start putting things together and you couldn't lose him, just like he couldn't lose you because Vander was correct, he always was.

You rely on each other like you do with air.

"Talk to me." Silco commanded.

No, he didn't command. There was a hint of... desperation in his tone, like he was begging you to talk to him, explain what was going on like you used to do so often.

"Now you have time for me?" You spitefully laughed, your hands moving to rest on your hips. "Now you can talk to me?"

Silco's eyes narrowed further, what the fuck were you going on about?

"What do you mean by that?" He asked slowly. Warily.

"You know what I mean by that."

Did he? Because he was sitting there with a look on his face that infuriated you, or was that because he thought that he could get away with playing dumb? You knew that he was a smart man, he knew it and he knew that you knew it, so why even attempt it?

"You act as if you're too busy for me!" You quickly called out, your arms extending outwards to empathise your statement. "Always scribbling away in that notebook, never even looking at me- at... at us when we talk to you!"

This time, Silco's face changed from the confused puppy look. His brows furrowed, his lips turning downwards into a frown.

You've triggered something.

"Oh, I haven't got time for you?" He questioned, taking a step towards you - something he would do to intimate others, but to you? It meant nothing. "What about how you always seem so focused on Vander, huh?"

Now it was your turn, face contorting into one of your own confused expressions, your hands dropping to your sides. You stared at him silence for a couple of seconds, just as he had done for you.

"You know how that feels?" Silco continued, holding at hand near his chest before extending over to where The Last Drop was. "Watching as you laugh and joke with him, right next to me?"

"What?" You breathed out, your voice thick with utter and sharp confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

The man's face softened, but not really into an expression of caring towards you, he was simply mirroring your bewildered look. The two of you were stuck staring at each other, both trying to pull out answers from the silences shared.

"Why are you being so strange?" You asked, shoving your hands into your pockets now.

"I could ask you the same thing." He quickly retorted.

He got you there, you couldn't lie now. You could lie about the feelings you ahd towards Silco, about how every time you saw him checking up on you over your shoulder sent butterflies in your stomach, about how every time his fingers glided over yours when passing your something it sent shivers down your spine.

But this? Yeah, no, he got you stumped.

A grin pulled at your lips finally, looking down for a moment as you shook your head. "Damn you."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" He asked, his tone a lot more gentler now that you weren't in such a downer mood. "Or am I going to have to start guessing?"

You made a small face, eyes squinting as your nose scrunched up. "I just told you what's wrong."

"No, you didn't." Silco argued, crossing his arms over his chest again. "You just accused me of not talking to you."

"Because you're not." You scoffed.

"I am-!" He groaned out, his voice getting a little louder, before he took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "I am talking to you, what are you on about?"

You looked away for a moment, you didn't know to phrase it without seeming like a complete jerk who didn't care about his dream to better Zaun. "You.. you're focused on Zaun, an-and I can admire that, really, I can. but... Silco, I've been trying to-"

You cut yourself off, you noticed that intensive look he had, hanging onto every word you said, as if he was trying to memorise what you were saying as you said it. "I've been trying to show you that..."

Dear Janna, you couldn't do it.

"What?" He aske, he took another step forwards, it was different than before, his mannerisms more personalised for you - reserved for you. "What have you been trying to show me?"

You shook your head, moving your arms to hug your abdomen, looking down at the ground. You were behaving like a little child at this point, refusing to tell their parent something in fear of getting lectured at.

Before your eyes could even focus on what he was doing, his hands reached out your your arms, long fingers trailing down your arm to grasp your hands and bring them outwards. The action, catching you off guard, caused you to swiftly move your head upwards, eyes locking with his green ones.

"Talk to me." This time there was no mistaking this with a command, he was aching for you to speak up, his heart was racing in his chest so fast simply because he was scared for once in his life.

"Silco..." You whispered faintly, he could see the look of hurt in your eyes, fear, almost.

"<<Reader>>..." He responded with, his voice as quiet as yours. "Come on, please."

"You don't like me as I like you." You finally said, your voice barely over a whisper, barely even audible to Silco's ears and he was standing a few inches away from you.

One of his hands withdrew from yours, leisurely moving up to the side of your face. Your head slowly moved up in time with his hand when you realised what he was doing, shivers going down your spine as he pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.

But it didn't end there.

Your heart pounded in your chest so much so that you were sure that your breathing was picking up, his hand cupped the side of your face, thumb delicately caressing your skin as if you were a fragile piece of glass - any touch too hard would shatter you.

Even this was too hard though, you could feel yourself breaking down every second he remained with his hand cupping your face.

He was breaking you.

"Now where did you get that impression, hm?" He spoke in a hushed tone, his head moving down slightly so that he was more level to yours.

Your eyes were locked onto his like some sort of hypnotising spiral that was forced into your eyesight, one that you were forced to stare at until your got dizzy.

He was careful in his movement, calculating. His eyes darted down to your lips, then up to your eyes, then back down to your damned lips. You could feel his breath hitting your skin, even his breath was picking up. The slow pace was killing you, but you knew he wasn't going to move in fully until he was certain that you were going to as well.

So you did.

You felt your body, even if it was a subconscious decision, lean a little closer to his, your head tilting upwards so that he didn't have to lean down anymore than he already was.

The breath from your lungs disappeared the moment your felt his lips touch yours, eyes snappy to close. His lips pressed against yours for a somewhat brief kiss, before he pulled away quickly. Too quickly.

His eyes were wrapped up in your tranquil gape, but his was far away still, stuck with searching for answers. Why couldn't he just see you wanted him more?

This time, you leaned up, ramming your lips into his. The unexpected action caught him in surprise, a shocked hum being muffled by your kiss, but he was quick to return the affection. His eyes closing while his hand on your cheek got a little more possessive, his other hand moving to your waist to pull your closer into his body. Instinctively, your hand moved to his shoulder, just barely on the crook of his neck while the other firmly planted itself on his chest.

When the two of you parted from the kiss, your faces remained close together, his nose brushing against yours, half-lidded eyes still eyeing your lips.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that..." He finally whispered against your lips. "And, here you are, thinking I have no time for you."

"And here you were thinking I was trying to get with Vander." You muttered back, a faint laugh coming from you.

You could hear Silco huff. "Don't ruin this now."

You rolled your eyes a little at that, but you didn't move away. You'd let him have the last word, you got the last kiss, after all.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Masterlist

[trixy812]

⋆｡‧˚ʚ You have all my support ɞ˚‧｡⋆ pt 4

{Nanami Kento x reader}

ִֶָ࣪☾. Content: nanami x reader, fluff, college!Nanami, college!Reader, that's what you get when you read shojo!

ִֶָ࣪☾. Synopsis: It was inevitable. Kento Nanami was leaving the jujutsu world.

ִֶָ࣪☾. AN: omg! this is really long! i hope you guys don't get bored with this part! as I am writing this series I get so excited, i am so proud of this and I hope you guys are enjoying. I am definetely planning to write more omakes for this series :) please let me know what you think!

pt. 1 - pt. 2 - pt. 3 - pt. 4

Reader meets Gojo

The soft glow of the sunset filtered through the curtains of your room, bathing the space in a warmth that felt nothing short of comforting. Nanami sat at the edge of your bed, a book in one hand while the other absentmindedly ran through your hair. Your head rested on his lap as you pretended to watch TV, though your attention was far from it. It was one of those rare, quiet moments where just being together was more than enough.

Suddenly, Nanami broke the silence.

“What will you do after graduation?”

You frowned, caught off guard by the question. He already knew the answer—you’d discussed it countless times. You’d take a semester off to work full-time and save money before pursuing your dream of studying nursing. So it was clear he wasn’t asking for himself. This was his way of starting a conversation about his own future.

Turning your head slightly to look up at him, you smiled gently and asked,

“What about you, Kento? What do you want to do after graduation?”

Nanami carefully closed the book, placing it aside with precision, and let out a deep sigh. The weight of it was palpable in the way his chest rose and fell.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about that,” he began, but stopped short, leaving his words hanging in the air.

Alarmed by the serious look on his face, you sat up, removing your head from his lap. Until that moment, you hadn’t realized how much he’d been carrying on his shoulders. A wave of guilt washed over you. How could I not notice? I’m supposed to be supporting him…

Nanami stared at his hands, fiddling with the corner of his book as if searching for courage.

“I’m not sure if I want to remain a sorcerer,” he admitted finally.

Now it was your turn to comfort him. You reached out to gently run your fingers through his hair, hoping to offer some solace.

“Why not?” you asked softly.

He closed his eyes briefly, as if the act might make explaining easier.

“Because the world of sorcery is rotten,” he said bluntly. “They use us. I saw what happened to Haibara, and I can’t stop thinking that if I stay, I’ll end up the same. Or worse, someone else will suffer because I wasn’t strong enough.”

He paused, looking out the window, searching for answers in the horizon.

“And then there’s Geto…” he continued. “I know what he did was wrong, but I can’t blame him. Honestly, I understand why he chose that path. This system is broken, y/n. Every time I return from a mission, I wonder if I’m making any difference at all—or just delaying the inevitable.”

His words hit you like a ton of bricks. Nanami rarely opened up about his feelings, always so stoic and composed. Seeing him like this, raw and vulnerable, made your heart ache.

“Kento…” you whispered, struggling to find the right words.

“I want your honest opinion,” he said, meeting your eyes. “What do you think I should do?”

You sighed, feeling the weight of the conversation settle around you.

“Alright,” you said, “but don’t blame me for being straightforward.”

Taking a moment to gather your thoughts, you finally spoke, letting your emotions guide you.

“I don’t think you should stay,” you said firmly. “It’s not fair. Why should you keep giving your life to a system that doesn’t even value the people who fight for it?”

Nanami looked at you, surprised by the intensity of your tone, but didn’t interrupt.

“Look at what they did to my parents,” you continued, your voice rising slightly. “They fined them for using my technique—to help people! What do you think they’ll do to you, someone they see as nothing more than a tool? They’ll drain you dry, Kento, until there’s nothing left. And then what?”

He swallowed hard, still silent.

“You’re incredibly smart,” you said, your voice softening. “You don’t need this. You could go to university, study something you’re passionate about. You always talk about books. Maybe literature. Anything. But staying there? For what? For who?”

You cupped his cheek, gently turning his face so he would look at you.

“Your opinion isn’t completely objective, is it?” he asked quietly, a small smile playing at his lips.

You glanced away, feeling exposed.

“No,” you admitted. “It’s not. I don’t want to lose you,” you whispered. “And if you stay there, I feel like I will. Sooner or later.”

Nanami was quiet for a long moment, your words clearly weighing on him. Finally, he nodded slightly.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “But… it’s not an easy decision.”

You leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead, hoping to convey what words couldn’t.

“It doesn’t have to be easy,” you whispered. “But you don’t have to make it alone. I’m here, Kento. Always.”

Though he didn’t say it aloud, the look in his eyes told you that those words meant more to him than you could ever imagine.

ㅤ♡ྀི ₊

The energy of the day buzzed in the air. Flowers, speeches, and the chatter of excited students filled the auditorium. As you stood among your classmates, you couldn’t help but scan the crowd for the blonde boy you loved.

Nanami wasn’t at his own graduation. He’d deliberately skipped it, knowing the ceremony held no meaning for him. But your graduation? That was different.

When you returned home with your diploma in hand, you found Nanami waiting at your doorstep with a small chocolate cake. It was simple, understated, but what left you speechless were the words written in vanilla frosting—“Congratulations”—spelled out in your parents’ native language.

“Kento… Did you make this?” you asked, your voice filled with emotion.

He nodded, holding the cake with pride.

“I knew you’d like it,” he said calmly. “And I thought your parents would appreciate it even more.”

Your mother emerged from the house at that moment, gasping as she took in the sight.

“What a beautiful gesture!” she exclaimed, pulling Nanami into a warm hug.

Your father smiled, though he added teasingly, “It better taste as good as it looks, young man.”

“Dad…” you scolded, embarrassed, as Nanami’s typically composed expression faltered just slightly, a faint redness creeping up his ears.

The evening was filled with celebration. Your mother had prepared a feast, the dining table overflowing with traditional dishes.

Nanami leaned over as you poured him a glass of water. “Does she always cook this much for occasions like this?”

You smiled. “My mom thinks food is the best way to show love.”

As the meal progressed, your father set down his glass of wine and looked at you seriously.

“y/n, we’ll support whatever you decide,” he began. “But are you sure about nursing? In Japan, nurses don’t earn as much as they should. Have you thought about studying medicine instead? You’d earn more, and you’d never have to worry about anything.”

You rolled your eyes, placing your utensils down.

“Dad, we’ve talked about this. I want to be a nurse. I don’t care about the money—it’s my dream. Didn’t you always tell me to follow my dreams?”

Your parents exchanged a glance, and you could almost hear their unspoken thoughts: We're going to have to keep giving her money for the rest of our lives.

It was then that Nanami, who had been quiet the entire time, set his glass of water down with a deliberate clink.

“I have something to say,” he began, his tone steady and commanding attention.

Your parents straightened in their chairs, and you turned to him curiously.

“I’ve made a decision,” he said firmly. “I’m leaving the world of sorcery. I’m walking away.”

Your eyes widened in shock as his words sank in.

“Are you serious?” you exclaimed, a grin spreading across your face. “Kento, that’s amazing—”

“Wait, really?” your mother interjected, her voice tinged with concern. “But Kento… are you sure? It’s such a big change.”

“It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” he admitted. “It’s what’s best for me.”

Your father dramatically placed a hand on his forehead. “No sorcery? Our future grandchildren won’t find interest in it. It’ll be tough for them with parents in such… ordinary professions.”

Your face burned with embarrassment.

“Dad! We’ve only been dating a few weeks!” you blurted out.

Your mother laughed softly. “To us, it’s been two and a half years,” she teased.

Nanami looked down at his plate, but not before you caught the faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

“Can you guys not?” you groaned, but they only laughed harder.

After dinner, you and Nanami went for a walk to clear your heads. The night breeze was cool and refreshing, the sky clear and dotted with stars.

“So,” you asked, breaking the comfortable silence, “what do you want to study in college?”

He paused for a moment before answering.

“Finance,” he said.

You stopped in your tracks, looking at him like he’d just suggested becoming an astronaut.

“Finance? What happened to literature? You love books!”

He shrugged, a small smile playing at his lips.

“I also love making smart decisions,” he said, slipping his hand into yours. "I want to make sure you never lack anything," he explained calmly. "I want you to be able to follow your dreams without worrying about anything else."

Your cheeks flushed as you processed his words.

"Also," he continued, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye, "I liked what your parents said about grandkids."

You were left breathless, warmth rising from your neck to your ears.

"Kento..." you whispered, unsure of how to respond.

"I imagine a future with you," he said, his eyes locking onto yours. "I'll work hard, earn enough to retire young, and you can keep working if you want. You won't have to worry about the details—"

You silenced him with a sudden kiss, your heart pounding.

"That doesn’t matter now," you said softly. "I just want to be with you."

And under that starry night sky, with his fingers intertwined with yours, Nanami knew he had made the right decision.

ㅤ♡ྀི ₊

Nanami's lips curved into something between a smile and a grimace. A message from Gojo.

Nanamiiiii,

Even though your coldness is unbearable, I’m going to miss you. But I’d rather miss you than see everything go to hell, so go ahead and live your boring college life. I’ll handle the dirty work (as always).

P.S. When you get tired of “normal” and want to come back to the interesting side of life, I’ll be here. But I doubt someone as bitter as you can handle how much fun it is working with me.

P.P.S. At least tell me that girl’s worth it. How is it we still haven’t gone out, the three of us?"

Nanami sighed and set his phone aside. He could read between the lines: "I don’t want you to end up like Geto." Though Gojo expressed himself in his uniquely ridiculous way, his words reminded Nanami why he had made the right decision.

"What’s wrong?" you asked, noticing his distant expression.

He shook his head, bringing his attention back to you. "Nothing important. Just Gojo being Gojo."

You leaned closer, curious, but before you could insist, you exclaimed excitedly, "Oh! I got the waitress job!"

Nanami raised an eyebrow. "Full-time?"

"Yes," you replied enthusiastically. "Once we start college, I want to find my own place and live alone."

His expression shifted, growing slightly more serious. After a few moments of silence, he said, "What if we lived together?"

Your smile faltered. "Kento, that’s really sweet of you, but no."

Nanami frowned, clearly affected by your response. "Why not? I thought… it’d make things easier for both of us. We’d be together."

You took his hands in yours, smiling at him gently. "I want to know what it’s like to live alone. I need that space to grow as a person. It’s important to me."

Nanami nodded, though his eyes held a flicker of sadness. "I understand. But I won’t blame you if you change your mind."

Six months later, you both started college. Nanami had changed his appearance—his hair was shorter and slicked back, and he often wore dress shirts and jeans. His mature, polished style didn’t go unnoticed.

In the hallways, you noticed the stares he received, from both women and men.

"They’re looking at you again," you whispered, slightly annoyed, as you walked together to the library.

He glanced at you with a faint smile. "Are you jealous?"

"No, of course not," you replied, though your furrowed brow said otherwise. Still, you couldn’t help but feel proud. You knew that no matter how many looks he got, he was yours and yours alone.

Despite your busy schedules, exam weeks were always different. It had become a tradition to study together, either at your place or his.

Well, studying was the initial plan.

Night had fallen, and your apartment was quiet, save for the rustle of notes scattered on the floor, forgotten. You and Nanami were on the couch, completely absorbed in the moment. His lips moved against yours with a fervor that left you breathless, his careful hands gripping your waist, pulling you closer.

Your fingers tangled in his hair, messing it up, as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. He kissed you with a slow, deliberate intensity, as if trying to memorize every sensation. His lips moved with a restrained passion that felt ready to overflow at any moment.

You pulled back just enough to catch your breath, but he didn’t let you move far. His mouth trailed down to your neck, leaving a path of heated kisses that sent shivers through your body.

"Kento," you murmured, trying to sound firm, though your voice came out shaky. "We should be studying."

"I can’t focus," he murmured against your skin, his voice low and laden with desire. "Not when you’re this close."

You tried to pull away, but he cupped your face with both hands, gently guiding you to meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with a mixture of tenderness and need that always left you defenseless.

"Let me stay like this a little longer," he confessed, his tone almost pleading.

You were just as lost in him—in the way his hands traced your back, slowly moving up to your shoulders, as if rediscovering you. His lips found yours again, this time with a softness that contrasted with the earlier intensity but was just as overwhelming.

"Kento," you tried again, with little conviction. "The exams…"

"I love the way you say my name," he whispered against your lips, a small smile forming. "There’s nothing more important than this right now."

His hands slid back to your waist, holding you with a firmness that made you feel both secure and deeply desired. You gave in to the moment, letting him guide you, feeling the weight of books and responsibilities melt away.

A soft gasp escaped your lips when he brushed your cheek, and the sound made him pause for just a moment. He looked at you, his expression now softened by overwhelming tenderness.

"Do you know what you make me feel?" he whispered, his voice barely audible but heavy with emotion.

"What?" you managed to ask, still trying to catch your breath.

He rested his forehead against yours, closing his eyes for a moment, as if anchoring himself in your presence. "That no matter how much time we have, I’ll always want more of you. It’ll never be enough."

Your hands caressed his face, tracing the lines of his jaw as you gazed at him with equal intensity. "I love you," you said, letting all your reservations fall away.

He kissed you again, this time softer, as if your words had soothed the fire within him—though only slightly.

Finally, you were the one to create some distance, though your body was still trembling. "Hey, handsome," you said with a nervous smile. "If we keep this up, we’re going to fail our exams."

He sighed with a faint smile, smoothing his hair. "Fine," he said with resignation. But before you could move, he added, "Though I want it on record that I’m against stopping."

Blushing, you began gathering the notes scattered on the floor. Nanami watched you, his gaze still full of adoration and desire. He couldn’t help but think how much he wished time would stop when you were like this, together.

ㅤ♡ྀི ₊

The years passed quickly. Both of you graduated college. You found a job almost immediately at the hospital where you had completed your volunteering, excited to begin your specialty in palliative care.

Out of respect for Nanami, you decided not to use your cursed energy technique anymore. You knew he appreciated that gesture more than he let on.

Nanami, on the other hand, entered the world of finance and quickly excelled as a stockbroker. His success surprised no one; he was meticulous, efficient, and dedicated.

One sunny afternoon, Nanami invited you to look at apartments. He insisted it was "just for fun," now that he was considering moving closer to his office. You went along, thinking it would be a casual distraction from your routines, but as soon as you arrived, you were taken aback.

"This place is... incredible," you said, your eyes taking in the sleek, modern facade. "Are you sure this isn’t out of your budget?"

He gave you a faint smile, the kind he reserved for moments when he was about to surprise you. "Let’s go inside and see."

Stepping into the apartment, your eyes widened. The space was bright and open, with large windows that let in warm, natural light. The kitchen was modern, with impeccable finishes, and there was a spacious living area and a small balcony with a breathtaking view. You walked slowly, admiring every detail, while Nanami followed quietly, watching you intently.

Finally, you stopped at the balcony, gazing out at the city with a soft sigh. "It’s perfect. It’s… too perfect."

Nanami approached, resting a hand on the balcony doorframe. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," you admitted with a smile. "If this is what you’re looking for, I think you should go for it. It’s amazing."

He cleared his throat, clearly nervous—a rarity for him. "I want to get this place, but not just for me."

You turned to him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Nanami slid his hands into his pockets, as if seeking something to steady himself. Then he looked up, his eyes locking onto yours. "I want us to live here together. You and me."

Your heart skipped a beat.

Nanami took a deep breath. "And this time, you can’t say no."

You frowned, confused, but before you could respond, he pulled a small black box from his pocket and opened it. Inside, a simple yet elegant ring sparkled in the golden light of the setting sun.

"Because I don’t just want us to live together," he said, his voice lower but steady. "I want to build a life with you. I want this to be our home. I want you to be my wife."

Your mouth fell open in a soft gasp, tears welling in your eyes. The silence stretched between you, not because words were lacking, but because the gravity of the moment spoke for itself.

"Will you marry me?"

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔.:･･:.ೃ࿔.⋆❀°

pt. 1 - pt. 2 - pt. 3 - pt. 4

Reader meets Gojo

[amischievouscat]

I was just scrolling through my dash and found a post that really made me think.

This is a vent type post so it's below the cut if you don't want to read that. Also spoilers for Helluva Boss.

It was criticizing people who like the stolitz ship because "stolas and blitz are abusers" and that immediately made the ship wrong.

First of all, it really made me pause and think about the media literacy of people who watch shows like Helluva or Hazbin but can't look deeper than the character's direct actions. Yes, they're both assholes. But there's far more to it than that. Both of them have been fundamentally changed and affected by the ways they were raised; Blitz is avoidant of love and affection because his dad used him for money and his mom died in a fire he was blamed for. His best friend and love interest shunned him for years over a misunderstanding and everyone he loved turned their backs on him, his own sister included. Whereas Stolas is a prince who was in a very abusive arranged marriage and has this idea of love that comes from operas and movies, a very over exaggerated "shout it from the rooftops" rose-tinted shades type of love that quite frankly is impossible in our world and the show's. His relationship was horrible and he escaped into the worlds of movies and songs, and this gave him an unrealistic view of love.

Second, acting like people can't be shitty in relationships and still love one another is ignorant. Personal vent below.

I have a long term boyfriend; and we recently had a very heated fight because we both wanted things from the other that we couldn't communicate clearly. We both said hurtful things that we didn't mean. It doesn't make us abusive; it makes us human. People aren't perfect.

I feel like this criticism struck a particular nerve for me because I myself relate a lot to Blitz. I was in an abusive relationship, and that kind of thing changes you in ways you can't really describe to other people. I became very codependent and reserved, and after the relationship finally ended I felt even more lost than when I was in it (similar to Blitz fighting for his "relationship" with Stolas back, despite knowing it's unhealthy) because I had become so used to the chaos that calm felt like a threat.

You can say hurtful things and not be an abuser. Stolas is absolutely completely non self aware and he said hurtful things to Blitz because of it. That doesn't make him this horrible caricature of an abuser. He literally doesn't know any other method of love. He doesn't understand how his actions affect Blitz because he's a damn prince. Of course he's going to be out of touch and self-important. It also doesn't make him innocent.

Neither of them are innocent. They were both assholes to one another. But that doesn't make them abusers. Good lord people

[skarkkk]

First, Brad Torrence.

He's a more complex character than he seems. The news of him being a father and having distanced himself from his son to try to pursue this pilot thing is in a way like Eddie. Who ran away to the army. The scene of the guy wanting to kill himself and him having that conversation and in the end actually managing to save him, compared to the conversation he had with Eddie also shows that he's more sensitive about his own importance than he acts with that superiority (like in that scene with the attendant).

Second, Eddie Diaz.

(I won't go into as much detail as I want because I plan on making another post, it's too much trauma for just one).

Starting with his relationship with Chris and how it's going downhill, his distance and how he probably doesn't want to become like his own parents, leaving his son to raise himself alone, hating his father (which is fair, but come home, honey). I read about Ryan's possible exit and although this thing about him moving to Texas to create the perfect exit doesn't make sense either. Since the second season he has been a main character, and him leaving the series would mean sending him to Texas and ignoring anything involving what will happen there in his relationship with his parents and also with Chris. I would love to see him go to El Paso and return with his son, to their house, to their Buck. I would love him going to El Paso and being recognized as "Hotshot's #1 hot nurse" and it also serving as an opening for some guy (maybe a blue-eyed blond) to flirt with him and Eddie having an Oh.

Third, let's talk about the couch teory and kitchen.

The look on Buck's face when he sat down on the couch and truly realized what was about to happen, it wasn't him helping his best friend pick out a new house, it was him helping his partner pick out a new house in another state. And that he would never go back to that couch - his safe place - or to that house after Eddie leaves and that he will never truly see his best friend again after this, nor his son (because that's what Chris is). We have, for the first time, two scenes of them together on that couch, technically one, but considering. Post-breakup Buck + finding happiness again Eddie, Post-breakup relapse Buck + going after happiness (son) Eddie. Buck, abandonment issues in bold capital letters and underlined on his forehead, picking out a house where his best friend is going to try to reconnect with the son they both lost. Do you think he blames Eddie for a moment? I lost what I considered a son and now I'm going to lose you because of it. He went and you're going to follow and they're going to leave me here. About the kitchen, it's basically how important it is. We talked about how Buck feels comfortable showing up at his house out of nowhere, walking in and going straight to the kitchen and the cabinets. We talked about "your own privacy, but not with me", and how the signs are there.

"Do you wanna go for the title?"

"It's Eddie's house, I'm not really a guest"

"Do you remember anything about the shooting?"

"Eddie, who's Kim?"

"Aren't these homes out of your budget in LA?".

Their kiss itself has to be there, or on the couch.

Fourth, if Buddie doesn't happen, it will either be because the producers are afraid or because the characters are afraid.

Something along the lines of "I can't be his first because then I won't be his last." Tommy left and Eddie leaves for completely different reasons, but this is Buck. And "why do I feel worse about you leaving than I do about my boyfriend?" and we know it will be like that. He liked Tommy, of course, and they were a couple, but 6 months of dating and dating is nothing compared to the years of mutual trust and family development that Eddie and Buck have had, it's a slow burn in which they built this (non)platonic partnership of theirs, in which they both feel so comfortable in each other's homes. And I don't doubt for a second that it's entirely possible for a scene like that to happen, if the show goes down a path for Buddie, in true 911 style that will either be super emotional and traumatic or comedic and cute. If you go down the path where both have feelings but don't become a couple because of fear, it would be for that reason for Buck + "I can't lose my best friend" and for Eddie the baggage of Catholic guilt he has plus the repressed homosexuality boiling in Texas

Fifth, Graham Keye and Athena Grant.

I thought their scenes were so cute. Graham seemed like a bit of a pain in the ass with the little cars, on the one hand it's okay to demand things be done the right way, on the other hand people just want to go home after a purchase. Leaving aside the plot of the culprit being Ira (or whatever his real name is), we see the difference between Athena's treatment of Sparks and him. Her calling him a baby in the hospital scene cured mommy issues all over the world, because his family doesn't even know he's in the hospital and almost died, because she was honest about him not being able to be a cop and that she presented him with an opportunity, something that probably (due to the person he is, and the context of the story presented) shouldn't have happened before. The culprit not being that big guy in plaid was pretty satisfying because it would be so obvious and boring if it were, so they go there and put the old man who Graham was trying to kind of help in his own way

Sixth, 118 and Hotshot's.

Chimney as a doctor was hot as hell, but thinking about it now, what would Maddie's reaction be? Considering that her abusive ex-husband was a doctor, but Chim is the cutest and perfect man for her. Eddie and Buck as nurses and their uniforms match perfectly, Buck's uniform showing off his muscles, Eddie clumsy on the set, Henrietta being a queen as always, and Brad going by what she said. Because I love that they did this "this wouldn't happen in real life" thing and I keep thinking, the things you guys do probably wouldn't happen in real life either. The scene at the beginning, them watching the show and giving their opinions and how Eddie automatically brought Buck into it with the F word and Buck's super expressive reaction to it, plus Hen and Chim being passive

"I liked the song"

"It's a good show"

(I don't remember Chim's line )

Seventh, Buddie again.

How Buck realized so quickly that Eddie was hiding the tablet and going on an ordeal that seems so flirtatious, and how Eddie can't lie to him. Even if 911 doesn't bring it up that often, Eddie was trained in the army, he enlisted twice and came back alive both times. From what I know about the US military (basically just from the series), he should be able to lie even under torture and yet he opens his mouth whenever Buck asks him to.

Eighth, the next episode.

According to the plot, we have a serial killer who will go after Maddie. And she is pregnant, and this will probably generate more trauma depending on whether she knew the person because "she could have hurt our child and it would be my fault", and she probably does. You can see in a scene from the preview that the person who took Maddie is a woman, who knows where she lives and who managed to get into her house. A woman with medium-long brown hair. We will know if she shows up earlier and why in the next episode, but still. Is it because of Chim? Because of the son? A random choice? I want to see the reaction, especially from her husband and her brother. Mainly from the brother actually, because Chim is her husband and they have a daughter but he was in the hospital recovering the first time this happened (not disregarding what he felt during Maddie's kidnapping by Doug, but he had been stabbed and probably slept most of it). Buck had to deal with going after her and worrying about Chim, and Doug, and everything that happened. And now it's happening again and it's maybe worse, because it's a serial killer, someone who doesn't just want Maddie for himself but wants murder and has experience in that. And I want a comfort scene with Buck and Chim, them bonding even more and a recreation of the hospital scene when Eddie comes to talk to Buck after Athena puts him in "hospital jail" for trying to unlock Chim's phone. I want Maddie to be okay, as well as the baby, and I want to see how they're going to deal with Jee.

[trans-androgyne]

I'm a cis woman who just got screamed at for a long time by another cis woman for things that men said. Or, that she thinks men said, because the posts she was talking about (including one of yours) just said basically "don't treat all men like crap," whereas she saw them as "women are entirely responsible for any bad things men do." And one of the things she capslocked at me was to not blame women for men's actions. While blaming me for posts men made. I thought you might find this darkly amusing. I'm trying to, though mostly I'm still upset.

Yeah, that tracks, I'm really sorry you had to deal with that and I hope your day gets better :/ So many cis women in particular get incredibly defensive about this conversation, and I can understand a little.

Folks who have lived as women in general very often get taught that men are our oppressors, period, so we can say and do anything we want to them ("punching up") and it won't even hurt since they're so strong and powerful--or if it does they deserve it for being men (read: evil monsters). We are taught that our anger at men is righteous, it is justice for patriarchy, for all the harm done to us. We are not taught that sexism harms men as well. So when we are asked to be more gentle and mindful with the way we talk about men, it can come off as "so you're saying my anger at the patriarchy isn't justified? You're saying I have to coddle my oppressors?" when in reality, we are just asking them to remember that men are human beings who are not, in fact, personally individually for the structure of sexism existing. We do not like hearing that our punches can hurt, and that we ourselves are capable of upholding the system that hurts us, and that we are not its only victims. But if we ever want to take down this system, these are the lessons we need to learn and teach.

[atangledfate]

Why hadn't many mortals come to this conclusion? Easy most of them were idiots. She didn't like being so harsh, but it was just a fact and there was no escaping it. People twisted and turned the words of gods and there divine books into what ever they desired. In the end they let there own foolish arrogance twist it all up. She wasn't a fan of all that. Sure she respected the Babylon Ancestors for there technology but that was as far as it went.

" The honest truth? It's impossible for them to put themselves in your shoes. The idea that you aren't far removed from them is terrifying... because if you are flawed as they are, you can't be perfect and you have to be perfect... right? I guess that idea scares the hell out of people... "

Her eyes went to the others in the room but didn't linger long as she leaned on her hand with a smile.

" Jealous? of me? Well... i get why they'd feel that way. Can't really blame them but, i think its ok to be Jealous, as long as it doesn't consume your every action or make you do something foolish. "

Excitement? So they were bored with there eternity? That made more sense to her then it should. She imagined herself as an immortal being, and she knew a some point she'd run out of ideas. Things to build, and then what? Immortality was a curse she had always believed that. She still wouldn't turn it away if she got the chance for it but... she wasn't deluded into thinking it fixed everything.

" So you think i'm attractive? Well you did peak my interest as well. I've always wondered what meeting a Cosmic being would be like... this wasn't what i imagined. Nothing like the novels i read as a kid... but that's probably a good thing "

Dedicated? She was though it was alot more complicated then Sohna probably knew. Could she even understand what it was like to be looked down on? To be shunned because of your gender? To be told you were never going to be as good as the boys? That was her childhood and it drove her to be exceptional! To be better then anyone else, she had so much to prove! she went there and beyond! its why she couldn't let Tails one up her EVER!

" Dedicated? I mean i guess? I had to be... Babylon's don't really see girls as equal to men. It's like a Systemic problem of the older generation. Hell my parents tried to make me marry Jet of all people. That's the green one..."

She sighed softly and looked sad thinking back to her past.

" I was always told i couldn't do this, or i'd never be as good as the boys. I had to learn so much on my own as none of the gear smiths would even teach me... and it was only my mother who convinced one to finally take me on as an apprentice. So... yea i'm dedicated because im to stubborn to let some old bastards tell me what i can and cant do...Sorry that was probably to much. "

Her eyes shifted at the mention of a gift, though and she looked excited at the mention of a gift. So a power source? Something divine only she could use? That sure seemed to make her mood shift quickly as she smiled up at Sohna, if she wanted a kiss she was sure heading in the right direction for it! she did love gifts! and this one sounded rather intriguing!

" Ooo! that sounds delightful! i mean a girl neve refuses a mysterious cosmic power core right? you are so sweet! i could kiss you! I totally promise i won't let a soul touch it! especially that dummy jet! or that oaf storm! "

"That is exactly right, so I have always found it strange why I have seen many mortals come to the conclusion that Gods are above their emotions. Is it what the Gods of other realities tell them, or do most mortals simply come up with that conclusion themselves? It is interesting to think about, from my point of view that is." Sohna never put herself on such a high pedestal, and her creations never assumed such things.

"Well, the main reason I stopped them is because I could sense jealousy starting to fill the room. Despite my best efforts and several tries I can never truly get rid of that emotion as it seems if there is love then there will be jealousy. I simply limit it as much as I can." Sohna found jealousy a rather distasteful emotion.

Sohna then sits back up, seeming to think for a moment. "To be honest, I didn't have any intention of reigniting any emotion, though now that I think about the question I haven't experience excitement in such a long time. I guess this date has an added benefit I didn't consider. I simply asked you out as you're my type and I find you rather cute." There wasn't much to it for the cosmic entity.

Sohna's attention then went to Wave explaining not only what this gear was, though also about her people. It certainly had her interested. "I can tell you seem dedicated to your craft, and this gives me an idea for a parting gift after the date." The cosmic entity had been a bit stumped as she didn't want to do anything simple, yet not over the top either. "I may not know much about gear or human inventions in general, though I know everything requires a power source. So, at the end of the date if you give me what powers a gear, I shall imbue it with some of my cosmic power. You'll have to figure out how to harness it."

Sohna then finally one of her hands come out of the sleeve, holding up two of her four fingers. Her hands and fingers were rather large. "Though I have two conditions. The first is only you may use it, so if anyone other than yourself attempts to use its power it shall disappear. The second is if you use it to start hurting people I shall take it back, and wipe your memories of me, as well as your friends."

[rockethorse]

That pink soup post is well-intentioned but loudly wrong. fwiw

[seeker-n-rico]

| Flying Lessons á la Hermes (Reposted) |

Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

[sagaschan]

I appreciate you trying to lay out your reasoning, hard to come by among pm apologists post-7.25. That said i'll have to refute your points, starting with the topic of that hankyoreh article. You say its legitimacy is questionable because it was edited to exclude the word 'fired' and i must ask, have you actually read it? Mtl works wonders these days, it shouldn't be too hard.

The title is literally 'another female [artist] in game industry gets fired... feminist verification illegal'. The contents offer an informed history of misogynistic cases just like vellmori's when people were unjustly fired owing to incel tantrums, quote kjh's notice blaming vellmori for her conduct, and interview vellmori directly. The part that was edited? Vellmori's words, that she told hankyoreh she 'was informed of a termination of contract by phone at 11pm the night of the 25th (from the company)', to exclude 'termination of contract'. The same phrase is still all over the article, any edit made is semantics at most and the article as a whole doesn't shy away from stating anything. No facts changed. Kjh still called her in the middle of the night and fired her, posted the notice saying her contract would be terminated due to causing controversy on her sns(like the incels were baying for mere hours ago), and she spoke with the paper the very next day. You don't honestly think she did so because everything was good and dandy with pm, do you?

On 8.3 pm posted their first notice regarding the matter since the fuckening after a week of radio silence, saying they would sue anyone who used the words 'unfair firing' and 'ideology verification'. Do you know what else happened that day? You should, it's in that letter you linked up above. Vellmori met with her employers with a labor attorney she hired, came to an agreement, and put it in writing. You can make a guess at why she'd have hired one to argue her rights, and no, it's not standard fair for employees who want to resign and have no quarrel with the company. Pm made their notice on 6pm that day.

Kjh illegally fired her on the 25th to capitulate to incels frothing that she was a dastardly feminist, faced the backlash from fans, sat twiddling his thumbs until vellmori stood up for herself and set the matter straight on 8.3, and only then threatened to sue the protesting fans because now that the legalities were settled he could argue he hadn't fired her. And that's what you've got to get straight, if nothing else– he's not in legal trouble only because vellmori did everything right. And since the guy has the gall to lie through his teeth that there was nothing wrong from the start.. there's a reason near the entire kr fandom dissolved last july, yknow.

As for your 'direct document', it's pm trying to argue they'd win in a legal fight, no more and no less. There're at least three points even i can see they pulled out of their ass, and for the record, they did sue the kgcs and activists, late last year. You know what came out of that? Police dismissed the case because charges were bogus. We had a laugh about it.

And yeah, obviously i can read korean. You're the one relying on your 'secondary sources' who have been distorting facts from day one despite people trying to correct them on it. Calling kgcs an 'incredibly suspicious organization attempting a company takeover', really. Take over what, exactly? You do know that ex-fans formed it after 8.3 because of the aforementioned threat to sue protesting individuals? That they've been going strong as a voice speaking for everyone who doesn't subscribe to incel rhetoric in this hellhole of an industry? Take a look at their account and the things they've accomplished since maybe, they've even got en tls for the major stuff for your benefit.

It'd be nice if any of this gave you room for thought.

It's been a while since i got one of these. @iamsandwitch Hey, go on. Try to tell me exactly what those company documents are if you have any idea what you're talking about, random project moon defender in my comments. If you want to say you're combating misinfo make like it, do a little research, back your claim with some facts. Don't go spreading any kind of fake news just because it allows you to believe you beloved gacha game is made by the nicest people around who can do no wrong.

[thepersonperson]

I can’t believe we got an infodump on simple domains AGAIN over a Sukuna backstory.

More complaining under the cut.

Usually I am one to give Gege the benefit of the doubt and will read heavily into what little information we are given. But I can't defend this chapter themes or character wise.

Even if this turns out to be a fakeout, going in painstaking detail over a show-not-tell battle in a way that lacks characterization and heartfelt emotion sucks to read. Even if the new shadow style and simple domain debacle goes somewhere, having it the main focus after an extremely traumatic battle instead of characters processing their emotions sucks to read. Even if Gojo is alive and that's why they're this chipper, everyone ignoring his sacrifice and efforts along with Choso's sucks to read.

I'm happy Yuta and Higuruma are alive but why was their revival off-screened? Yuta was so defensive over Gojo and everyone treating him like an object just 8 chapters ago. What happened to that? Why is everyone treating this battle like it was no big deal? (Also why the fudge did Kusakabe tell Yuji, a 15 year old, to his face he should've been killed while disparaging Gojo for protecting the life of a child???)

After the Shibuya Incident, there was a whole segment dedicated to how this affected the average person. The Culling Games ended and there are still bloodthirsty freaks running around. What happened to them? Is Angel hunting them down and that's why Hana is missing? Infodumping on anything except the battle would've been better.

I doubt we'll get any more info on Sukuna, Kenjaku, and Tengen at this point. We'll be lucky if there's a funeral for even Geto's body. Shoko was absent this entire chapter which makes me thing she's still trying to save Gojo or she's preparing their bodies for a funeral.

Anyways. This is the worst JJK chapter for me hands down. My hopes for the final 2 are mostly dashed. Crunch and poor working conditions really do ruin art my goodness.

[demaparbat-hp]

For the Spirits—

Chapter VIII: Make You Stay

And I'd do anything to make you stay

No light, no light

Tell me what you want me to say

—No Light, No Light by Florence + The Machine

.

Ming had experienced so many different, wonderful things. She had lived, truly lived, and allowed herself to dream of things that had been impossible back in the Academy. Endless possibilities now seemed to lay gently in the palm of her hand. But she would give it all away to vanish the shiver that tore its way down her spine at Yoi’s words. The Prince has genuinely gone mad. He—didn't you hear?—he insists on going on this mysterious quest on his own.

[deadpanwalking]

Sad to say I do feel like I got permanent brainrot from reading too much YA.

I think now that we've collectively retired that chestnut about the brain only reaching full maturity after 28, we can take the notion that YA brainrot is permanent out back and shoot that too. It's not like you've had a stroke and need to learn to walk all over again, you're an adult with the same inherent capacity for reason and critical thought as anyone else—just quietly find a collection of short stories or essays and read that, then repeat as needed until you're reading whatever you want. Simple as.

My grandmother was 60 when we came here and didn't speak a word of English. She was a very proud woman, but her curiosity to know what was going on and connect to people compelled her to read and speak as much English as she could, even as her literal “permanent brainrot” (dementia) made that increasingly more difficult. Meanwhile, you are presumably a native English speaker in possession of a public school education and a library card—get the fuck over yourself!

[hanzajesthanza]

also i realize i'm saying all these noble and beautiful things about the channel from the purest depths of my heart. but actually i'm also just doing this because i fucking love the witcher books and it pisses me off that people don't know about them that much in english and i can only go for so long (seven years) with people not knowing that there are books. or that the witcher is from the 90s. or polish.

[cozylittleartblog]

"woah i can't believe you've read blue sky!"

hoho. my dear followers. i have done more than read it. do you have any idea what you are dealing with.