#if you don't think that's a beautiful arc you can leave. there's the door

[couldeatthatgirlforlunch]

a day in the life where everyone tries to win reader over, maybe they heard reader mention something like how they can't stand an annoying relative asking them about a relationship over the holidays, or trying to get her the best gift?

ps i love your writing, i read it like my morning paper

A Day in Life: Christmas, Presents and Revelations

Synopsis: A day in your life full of good Christmas presents, propositions and secrets.

Pairing: Yandere!Justice League X Assistant!Gn!Reader

Tw: Implied stalking; Calling someone a manwhore; Karens in the family with traditional and conservative ideals and miserable lives; Mentions of past cheating; Mentions of past Bucky Barnes X reader; Is Hal Jordan slowly getting his redemption arc?; Slightly implied horny Reader; English is not my first language.

Word count: 2,2k

Requested? Yup.

General masterlist | A Day in Life - Series masterlist

— And it's just so annoying, like, sometimes I literally don't want to show up on these things, but I don't want to leave my mom there alone with my dad’s family. — You huffed. — My auntie’s too concerned about my romantic life, like her husband didn't get other three women pregnant at the same time she got pregnant and only married her because he would have to marry one of the four girls. — You shook your head while your co-worker laughed. — And you know what's worse? I told everyone I had a boyfriend, but Bucky cheated on me, and I didn't tell them that yet, so she's gonna think I lied and mock me like the middle-aged Regina George she is!

Unknown to you, certain people were listening, and silently, each one of them made a decision.

Your last day at work before Christmas, you were getting ready to go home, pack and take the road, when someone knocked on your office door. You looked up, seeing no other than Martian Manhunter at your door, holding a present.

— How can I help? — You hid your gritted teeth behind a polite tone.

— I came here to follow the Earth tradition of Christmas and give my loved one a present. — He stopped in front of you with a soft smile and extended the gift in your direction. You hesitated.

— You didn't have to… — You cautiously took the present from his hand.

— I also have a proposition for you. — And there it comes. — I couldn't help but overhear earlier that you were in need of a partner for a meeting with your family. — You wanted to facepalm. — I could be that person. — You sighed.

— I can't show up with an alien superhero. — You crossed your arms with a pointed look.

— As you know, I'm a shapeshifter. — You watched as he changed his appearance to look like multiple different kind of people, one moment he was a tall blonde man, the next, a black girl with braids, then an asian young guy, and so on, meaning he could look however you wanted him to. — And you can call me by whatever name you choose, even the name I adopted here on Earth… J’onn J’onnes. — He settled for his usual green alien appearance. — You widened your eyes at his confession, thinking “oh, shit”.

— Uhh…

— While you think about it, open my present, darling. — He gently pushed the present in your direction again and you, still wordless, obeyed, while mentally searching for a way out of this.

You cleared your throat and teared the paper. The feeling of destroying the wrapping paper of gifts always made you feel a little embarrassed, as if the beautiful wrapping itself was the present and you were being rude by tearing it apart. It was a silly thought.

As you finished, you found out he gave you a comic book from your favorite hero. It made you excited, but you couldn't show it much.

— Oh wow, thank you… — You coughed. — Can't even imagine how you knew it was my favorite… — You internally rolled your eyes. — Anyway, about your offer- — Another knock interrupted you, and you both looked at the door. Aquaman was there with another present in hand.

He looked suspiciously from you to the other hero and stepped forward, then focused on you.

— Whatever offer he gave you, I give you one better. Take a king to meet your family, darling. — He smirked and offered you his present. You ignored what he said, settled the comic on your desk, and opened his present. It was a necklace with charms related to the beach, like some shells, pears and fishes, all made of your favorite metal. You pursed your lips, not waiting to admit to yourself that it was pretty and you liked it more than you thought you would, just like the last gift.

— Thank you. And about your offer, I can't exactly do that. You can imagine why. — He shrugged.

— Well, you can simply take me as your completely human lighthouse keeper, Arthur. — He smirked and wrapped your shoulders with his left arm. You shuddered, thinking “God, no”. — We’ll even invite them to our beach house, darling. Right on the shore. I also have a boat. Let's impress them. — He grinned proudly, as if he was sure you couldn't deny him.

You shrugged his arm off and before anything came out of your mouth, you remembered about your auntie and her shittalking right now. She always wanted a beach house, but everyone knew your uncle prefered to spoil himself and his side-pieces than her or the kids, and yet, she felt superior to every member of the family who was single because at least she had a husband and she didn't need to work, including you.

Rubbing a beach house, a boat, and a blonde hunk himbo on her face could be nice… Even if you just offered to take only your immediate family there one day and then just pretend you broke up with him later, he and the league would still get the wrong idea.

— Knock knock, oh- What’s everyone doing here? — Flash was there and pursed his lips while looking at the three of you. You groaned internally.

— You can go, Flash, (Y/N) won't choose you. — Aquaman, or Arthur, weaved him off. Flash narrowed his eyes for a second and then turned to you, ignoring him and beaming at you, extending a gift in your direction.

— I bought you something! — You discharged the necklace behind you and took the new gift, it was a bracelet with a lightning symbol in your favorite metal. It was also pretty, you were getting tired of it.

— Thank you, Flash…

— Please, just call me Barry. — He grinned brightly. — Please ignore the stinking ugly dressed fishman and the alien still learning to act like a normal human. You can take the funny and smart forensic chemist to meet your family. — He reached up and took his mask off, you widened your eyes, at seeing his real face. Huh, you didn't think he was blonde.

You stuttered, too shocked.

— Oh God… — You thought knowing their name was worse than their faces, secret identities and all, but something about seeing a real face that was kept hidden all the time felt like a heavier burden. To make matters worse, Green Lantern showed up. — No.

— Just hear me out, please! — Everyone turned to him with annoyed expressions. — I changed, I swear! And I apologized like, a thousand times. — He cleared his throat. By your face, he knew it was the worst thing to say. — Anyway, here’s your gift. — He bit his lip while you took it from his hands and opened it with hostility. They were tickets for the next concert of one of your favorite artists, that made you feel a little bad for the way you treated him, but it didn't change what he did to you in the past.

— I… Thank you. — You were trembling with nerves at this point from all the surprises you were having.

— I heard you needed someone to bring home for the holidays…

— Uhuh.

— And your dad is a big fan of the army, right? — You blinked. It was true, but you never told them that, yet, you weren't surprised they knew that.

Where was he going with it…?

— Please, not you too.

But he took off his ring anyway, and after a moment, he was wearing civilian clothes, along with a military jacket and dogtags.

— Who better than a charming ex-air force member to present to your family? Test pilot now, I can take them flying. Actually, I can take you flying. — He winked. — Call me Hal Jordan, beautiful. — He winked and saluted you. — Also, I fought in the war.

— Dude. Just give up. They're not gonna pick you.

— I will never give up, I'm a green lantern, strong will is kind of my thing. — He looked at you again. — So, darling?

While you were staring blankly at him, someone cleared their throat.

— Be reasonable, you don't have to be humiliated today. — Wonder Woman catwalked into the room confidently. She was holding two bags from a clothes store in her hands. The amazon pushed Hal Jordan aside and stopped in front of you. She looked you up and down and smiled charmingly. — Take me with you, darling. This is for you. — She extended one of the bags to you. You took it and looked inside, then reached in and pulled it out. It was a beautiful outfit, completely on your style, and clearly of good quality. But when she pulled out what was inside the other bag, it took your attention and you looked curiously at the red wine satin dress she was holding up. — And this is what I will be wearing. — She smiled seductively. — Diana Prince, pleasure to meet you.

You couldn't help your jaw from dropping while imagining her wearing that. While some family members might not admire the sensual outfit as much, you definitely would. Secretly. Your ego would too.

Damn it, why couldn't she be more normal and less yandere?

You swallowed, looking away from her and the dress. It was finally too hard to say no, but not for the mature reasons.

At your silence, Diana’s eyebrows rose up and she tilted her head to the side, with a pleased small smile. The other men in the room groaned and started arguing loudly, but she was untouchable in front of you.

Unstoppable force, meet immovable object.

— I think I should just go home, it's getting late… — You rapidly shoved your gifts inside the bag, took your things and squeezed your way between them heroes, not even realizing how trapped you were previously, but just as you got to the door, you hit a brick wall, or Superman, as people usually call him.

You groaned and he looked at you sheepishly.

— I guess after all of that I can't offer you something much better, but I can try… — Superman took a deep breath and before you could blink, he flew away, changed clothes, and came back. One second, Superman was in front of you, the next, just a regular cute guy wearing glasses and a suit. You took a second to recognize him and understand what happened and what that meant.

Damn, who knew glasses were a good disguise.

— I'm Clark, Clark Kent. I grew up on a farm in Kansas and I work as a journalist at the Daily Planet. — He smiled shyly and gave you his gift. — I hope you like it…

You blinked and catatonically looked at the thing he gave you. Differently from the last gifts, it wasn't neatly wrapped and it had a weird shape, but by how it felt in your hands, you guessed what it was.

You expected the sight of a Superman plushie to greet you, but instead, it was a plushie of your favorite fictional superhero. The same hero from the Martian’s comic.

Well, it was cute. You would probably fall for him if you didn't know better. You held back an awed sound that wanted to spill from the back of your throat.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by all the Justice League groaning a collective and loud “GET OUT”, you looked up, confused and curious by what caused all this, surprised by seeing it was just Batman entering the room.

Huh, why did everyone react like that?

He stared at you, then at every single one of them, silently, almost disapproving, or disappointed, but then, he smirked when he looked at you again.

Batman was smirking? You flinched.

— This is for you. — He gave you a big box. It was surprisingly heavy. When you opened it, there was a very expensive and beautiful pair of shoes, something you only dreamed of having and was always on your Pinterest board. Only digital influencers and celebrities wearing it, making you jealous. But that wasn't all. There was also jewelry and a very expensive bottle of wine. You will definitely take it to the holidays to impress your family. Or maybe keep it to a very special occasion. — And there’s more from where it came from. — He reached for his cowl and your breath hitched. Never in your wildest dreams you thought this day would happen.

He took of the cowl, and in front of your was…

Bruce Wayne?!

While everyone deflated, knowing they lost, you just had to hold back your laugh, but a snort still escaped. That took everyone off for a second, including the always stoic hero in front of you, who was clearly bewildered when you couldn't hold back anymore and laughed to his face.

— You think I'm gonna show up to my family with the nacional manwhore? HA! Yeah, that's gonna impress them for the first five minutes, then I will be the dummy who’s gonna be traded for the next top model. — You shook your head, still laughing. Bruce frowned deeper. You slightly feared for your job after you bluntly called him a manwhore.

— I would never do that to you. My affairs are all to deceive the public and keep my job a secret.

— And that might be true, but my family doesn't know that! Or are you gonna tell this to everyone? Funny. Billionaires are so delusional and out of touch… — You shook your head and walked out.

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[pinkaditty]

i love the way you write towa 🥺 i notice a lot of people seem to struggle to write him but the way you portray him feels so true alongside just generally beautiful writing i love it 💝

vibrating with excitement THANK YOU ANON!!!!!!!!!!!! he's such a cutie i write towa with nothing but love in my heart bc he's so transparent and friendly and he will always have a special place right in my heart bc i love how he is. he's so whimsical and full of love. i can't help but adore him bc despite the horrors he's probably had 2 face, he's still kind. yk he associates u with a flower meaning "hope", "resilience", and "transformation"? i think that's beautiful, personally.

but also anon u poisoned me bro i started thinking abt towa and since im on an unhinged!char arc rn (im so sorry if u don't like unhinged towa) i present 2 u:

Flowers Can Talk, Too! (Towa Otonashi x Reader, Tokyo Debunker)

Part 1: Anthurium Andraeanum

a/n: here we are again. again and again and again i find myself here in my little chair in front of my little desk in my little room where i type up my little on my little laptop and smile at the thought of a little appreciation for my work. this has become so familiar and my heart is full of love for it. towa makes me find happiness in the small things, i think.

sorry. was that too much?

summary: towa gifts you a flower you don't quite recognize.

cw: idk if this counts as perverted or uhhhh yandere but towa's behavior will escalate after this part, so be warned. for now there's only a few sexual innuendos n stuff yea. MINORS DNI!!!!!!!

It’s not exactly Valentine’s day, but Towa gives you a gift anyway. 

When a big bouquet of charmingly mismatched flowers arrives at your door, smelling a lot like the saltwater in Jabberwock, you immediately know it’s Towa. Yellow dandelions, white baby’s breath, orange roses, and blue irises made up the small, tightly packed bouquet, tied with a pink ribbon. There was a lone red flower you didn’t recognize, with what appeared to be an unusually large stamen and one bright, sanguine petal. Initially, it almost appeared like a mixed message, but Towa’s been teaching you enough about the language of flowers and how their meanings tend to vary in context. 

You peer through the bouquet, ensuring you hadn’t missed any flowers, before gently trailing your fingers over them, labeling their meanings in your head one by one. 

Yellow dandelions for strength and transformation… Blue irises for faith and trust… Orange roses for passion and desire… and, baby’s breath for purity and everlasting love. Your heart swells as you put together the message. It was a reminder that he cared for you, and that you’d get through this. For your own sake, you ignore the romantic subtext implied by the roses and baby’s breath. You smile to yourself, and step back inside the chapel, closing the door. You wished you had a vase or something to hold these in, but maybe a bucket would have to do. 

You take one of the buckets the cats leave around for repair and fill it up with water, carefully placing the bouquet inside of it. The flowers leaned rather inelegantly, but it was good enough for now. As you study the bouquet, your eyes fixate on the red one. 

You’ve seen them before at funerals and weddings, but those were always white. This one was a vibrant red, like the blood running through your veins or the sun during a summery sunset. It stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest, so much so that you wondered if Towa made a mistake putting it in there. Despite the odd choice in color combination between the rest of the flowers, they still had some congruency, their shapes and colors complimenting one another in just the right way. This one felt like an accident or a standout. 

You reach out and pluck it from the bucket, twirling it in your hands. The red petal is shaped closely to a heart, and the stamen sticks straight up from the top end. You smile to yourself, scoffing at it. It’s almost funny, the way it sticks straight out. Maybe you’d be able to find this flower if you looked it up?

A quick web search later, and you discover its common name: Laceleaf. They were commonly associated with hospitality. You hum, looking back at the flower as you twirl it around in your hands. Was he asking you to come over to Jabberwock? To be fair, it seemed more like he meant that Jabberwock’s doors were always open, but, well, you wanted an excuse to see Towa. So, he must be asking for your company. 

One look at the sky told you it was too soon for Towa to talk to you, but you could still go and see him anyway. You hold the red flower in your hands, its stem too long to fit in any of your pockets, and begin to make the trek to Jabberwock.

Though they’re on the far side of campus, it doesn’t take too long to get there. You’ve studied the route by heart, and made enough trips there for the long trek to feel more like a brisk walk. The moment you open the door, you’re greeted by Ren, laying down in the tall grass, clearly hiding from Haru. 

He looks up from his tablet at you, nodding at you before his eyes just as quickly return to the screen. “Senpai.” He says, acknowledging your presence, but making no move to get up or even further tear his eyes away from his tablet. 

You exhale, amused, and nod back at him. “Ren.”

You do not ask him what he’s doing in the grass, and he doesn’t ask you what you’re doing at Jabberwock holding an odd-looking flower. He knows who you’re here to see, and you know who he’s here to avoid. 

You gingerly take a few steps into the dorm, closing the door behind you. As you turn your head side to side, looking for a trail of petals or a shock of silvery periwinkle hair, Ren clears his throat. “He’s by the lake.” 

You’re about to thank him sarcastically when you see hair as red as the flower you’re holding zip towards you at an alarming rate. “And he’s coming this way.”

You have barely finished your sentence when Ren jumps ten feet from the grass, attempting to run before he’s seen, but the red-headed blur veers off course before stopping suddenly, holding Ren by the collar of his uniform. 

Haru ignores Ren’s protests and cries, dragging him by the collar as he walks back to greet you. 

“Hey!” Haru nods happily at you, beaming, and Peekaboo chitters in greeting. Haru’s gaze flickers down to the flower you’re holding, and a knowing look crosses his face. “I think I saw Towa with that earlier.” He quirks an eyebrow at you. “Here to ask him what it was?”

You nod, scared that if you open your mouth you’ll laugh at the utterly defeated expression on Ren’s face. Haru points off towards the mountains,  smiling apologetically. “By the lake, as usual. If you’re going out there, remind him to actually feed the animals instead of just playing in the water, would ya?” 

You glance back at Haru, nodding. “Sure. Thanks!” You wave to him and Ren before trotting off towards the lake. 

This trek, in comparison to the one across Darkwick to get to Jabberwock, was one you hadn’t made as often, and was arguably longer, if not the same length. If ever Towa wanted to go out there, and you were with him, he’d simply scoop you up in his arms without warning and jump, leaving you to scramble to hold onto his tie or shoulders to find some semblance of grounding despite his grip being pretty firm. Despite how often it gave you near heart attacks, you couldn’t complain about it. It was nice to lean into Towa, and he always smelled of saltwater and wildflowers, with just the slightest hint of musk underneath it all. Not to mention that, if you pulled on his tie hard enough, you’d get a glimpse of the pale skin underneath his sloppy uniform, making you wonder what lay even further beneath his shirt…

When you finally shake yourself away from your less than appropriate thoughts, you see the lake just up ahead, Towa kicking his feet in the shallow water. You spot some dandelions near your feet, and pick a couple to offer to Towa. You knew he’d appreciate them regardless, even if they were freshly picked from the ground mere meters from where he was. 

You can’t ever sneak up on Towa, a fact you’ve burned into yourself. You are still, however, disappointed when he turns suddenly despite the silence of your steps in comparison to the noise of splashing water. Towa chirps excitedly when he sees you, barreling towards you and wrapping you in a hug before you could say anything. Some clouds move from the sun and it almost feels unbearably warm. You inhale as you’re huddled up in his grasp, and catch a whiff of the familiar scent of seawater and wildflowers. There was a bit more musk than usual, thanks to him being in the sun for so long. You try not to be happy about that. 

He pulls away a moment later, humming excitedly, rocking back and forth in place. You hold out the dandelions you picked, and he stares at them for a moment before bending down and chomping on them, smiling at you in thanks. You sigh and shake your head, as though you should’ve expected this, and he hums noncommittally, probably agreeing with you.

He turns towards the lake again, heading towards it and reaching behind him and grabbing onto your uniform blazer without looking, dragging you along. You follow his grasp at first before quickly realizing you still have shoes on and start pulling back. “Wait, Towa, I still have—”

He looks back at you and wordlessly points at his own shoes, discarded on the shore. You look at them, and then glance at your own shoes and thigh high socks. You hated putting these on, and you hated taking them off. You didn’t want to put them on over your wet feet, either. You pull back on Towa’s grip a bit more, and he releases you, his brows creasing downwards. He pouts at you, crossing his arms. The sun is no longer glaring in your face, and is instead hidden by a few clouds. You sigh at him, and gesture to your socks.

“Not today, Towa. Maybe another time, when I’m less dressed up?” You shrug awkwardly, giving him a pitying look. He harrumphs and pouts harder, dropping his arms and walking towards you. This time, when he picks you up, you feel inclined to panic, yelping as soon as your feet leave the ground. 

“T-Towa!” You push against his chest, wriggling to free yourself. In response, he only grips you tighter, limiting your movement. You almost give up—bracing yourself for the embrace of cold water—when you find yourself sitting on a large, dry boulder some ways into the water. You look around, finding Towa knee-deep in the water, glowering at you like he wanted an apology. You sigh with relief and shift to a comfortable position on the boulder, smiling apologetically at him.

“Sorry, Towa. I thought—” You’re rudely interrupted by Towa flicking water at you with his fingers, giggling at your change in expression. Before you can retaliate, he turns away from you, going further into the water. You still reach into the water to flick some back at him to retaliate, but it barely hits him, a few of the droplets reaching his hair and neck. He giggles again, before diving in entirely, getting his whole body wet. You can still catch sight of his pale legs kicking in the water before he swims too far for you to see. You’re only worried for a moment before the water suddenly breaks some ways away, and he rises from it, his clothes fully drenched and clinging to his body. He chirps at you again, happily trotting towards you, as something pink and glowing follows him in the water. It dances around his legs, weaving between them. Towa excitedly gestures at it, and it bobs above the water to greet you in a high-pitched trill before diving under again, swimming around Towa’s legs. It almost looked like a plastic glow-in-the-dark fish. The scales didn’t even look real. 

You watch as Towa dances around the anomalous fish, giggling and exclaiming with every move he made. You don’t have the heart to interrupt his happiness with any attempt at discussion, so you remain on the boulder, watching with an idle smile on your face. You glance down at the laceleaf you held, smoothing out its lone petal, before looking back up at Towa. Eventually, you’d have to remind him to actually feed the animals. 

It’s sunset now. After some time, you’d managed to convince Towa to stop playing with the plastic-looking anomalous fish and to feed the animals, lest Haru lose any more sleep. You were a bit wet, thanks to Towa being soaked, but you were at least safe on dry land again. You quickly move away as Towa shakes himself free of excess water, some of it still clinging to his hair and face. He smiles at you, holding out his hand for you to take, inviting you to walk back to the Jabberwock dorm. You smile back and take his hand, following his lead. 

You look up and notice that the sky is darkening quickly. Towa should start speaking soon. 

“Dandelion.” 

Speak of the devil. 

You turn towards Towa, smiling at him. He’s peering at you from the corner of his eye, his gaze flickering between you and the laceleaf you held. “Why’d you bring that here?”

You hold it up, turning towards him questioningly. “To ask you what this flower means.” You turn your gaze back to the flower, twirling it in your hand again. “I know it means ‘hospitality’, but not much else…” You trail off, surprisingly mesmerized by the shine of the red petal as it spins. 

Towa giggles, stopping his pace and standing next to you. He gently plucks the flower from your grasp, holding it up against the quickly dimming sunset, twirling it like you did. “This flower is called an Anthurium Andraeanum,” he says, with what you can only assume is perfect pronunciation. “It’s red, so it’s got a different meaning from the white ones you usually see.”

Finally, you were getting somewhere. “And what might that be?” You sidle closer to him, looking up at him as he looks at the flower, still twirling it as it catches the final minutes of light. 

“It can mean love, romance, sensuality, or abundance.” You don’t miss how Towa’s smile widens slightly as he says ‘romance’. You have to admit that you’re hardly paying attention, though. Your gaze is more interested in trying to look anywhere that wasn’t Towa's shirt clinging to his hardened nipples. Towa finally drops his arm, bringing the flower close to his face. After gazing at it a while, he finally turns back to you. “But, I didn’t add this one for the meaning, Dandelion.” His voice drops a few notes, and you tilt your head, confused at his tone and at his intentions. 

“Then…” You trail off for a moment, before gesturing at the flower. “Why did you add it to the bouquet? It kinda stuck out like a sore thumb.” You can’t hide your confusion, blinking up at him. If the meaning didn’t matter, then what was it there for?

“I added it for its name.” He brandishes the flower towards you, his smile widening and his eyes narrowing with mirth. “Do you know what this flower is called, Dandelion?”

You tilt your head, studying the flower. “Laceleaf?” You say, almost uncertainly. It was called laceleaf, but why did you have a feeling that wasn’t the answer Towa was looking for?

Your hunch was right, as Towa laughs and shakes his head. He holds the flower close to his body again, and steps closer to you, leaving just enough room for the petal of the laceleaf to span between you. “No~. These are called something different here.” He holds the flower in front of your face, close enough for you to examine it. “What does it remind you of?”

You pause a minute, before looking at the heart-shaped petal. “A heart?”

Towa chuckles and shakes his head again. “Pfft, no, no!” He holds it horizontally, and wiggles it so the stamen-looking part dangles up and down. “Here, maybe this will jog your memory.”

You watch it as it dangles, unimpressed. “Towa…” You start, frowning. Your nose wrinkles. “...Is this supposed to be a dick joke?”

To your surprise, Towa shrugs instead of laughs. “Sorta.” He holds it vertically again, twirling it with both hands. He looks up at you and leans in until his lips are right by your ear. “This flower is also known as a Naughty Boy Flower, Dandelion!”

He sounded all too excited to share that news with you, but you can hardly focus on that with his hair dripping cold water onto your cheeks and his warm breath circling your ear. You only realize you’d stiffened when he pulls away, and you relax, shivering slightly. “It reminds me of you when I look at it. That’s why I put it in there.” Towa is all smiles again, but you’re having trouble coming up with why the flower would remind him of you. 

You look back down at the flower as he twirls it, the look in his eyes getting darker by the second. “How does that flower remind you of me?” You ask slowly, pointing at it and trying not to state the obvious.

He smiles wider. “That’s because you get me all stiff, like this flower!” As he says this, he flicks the flower, making it wobble a bit in his grasp. "You make me a Naughty Boy, Dandelion."

You have to blink a few times to reorient yourself. It feels like you were just struck with lightning and revived in a split second. You look up at him, still blinking rapidly, before turning your gaze to the flower again. You barely register the genuine openness of his face, but reject it anyway. He couldn’t possibly have meant that, and not in that way. 

“Um…” You start, looking at the flower again, searching for answers as though the truth wasn’t something you craved. “What do you—”

Towa steps closer, interrupting you. Your chests are almost pressed together, and he looks down at you, the water from his hair dripping onto your face and uniform. “I think you know what I meant, Dandelion.” His voice is in a low whisper, and his eyes catch yours.

Desperate to look anywhere but Towa’s face, you look down at his nipples, still showing through his shirt. You bite your tongue and look to the side instead. If what he said was true, looking down might actually kill you. 

“Dandelion.” Towa says your nickname so gently, you can’t not at least turn to him. So you do, albeit reluctantly, glance at him questioningly. When he doesn’t budge, you uncomfortably force yourself to look at him head on, biting your lip. 

You feel the tip of something poking into your lip, and look down to see the flower. Towa presses it into the plush of your lips before pulling back, and pressing it into your lips again. You remain still, your gaze flickering between the tip of the stamen poking your lips and Towa’s gaze, locked onto your lips. He taps your lips one more time with the stamen before he holds it there, slightly pressed into them. He leans forward further, and you feel his heavy breathing caress your face. His forehead knocks into yours, and he stays there, keeping the rest of your bodies only so far from each other. 

His eyes glaze over in the dim light of the day, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. “Dandelion?” He asks, his hazy gaze still focused on your lips. 

“Yeah?” You answer hesitantly, trying not to let the nerves you were feeling show in your voice. 

You watch as Towa’s pink lips part in a sigh, and his tongue runs over them before he finally says, “If I tapped something a little bigger on your lips, do you think you’d open wide for me?"

AND WE'RE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!!!! if i told u i wrote this in one setting would u believe me? bc i did it's true. i sat at my laptop and wrote this in 3 hours with little breaks in between 2 have the accursed Visions™ of what my writing would entail.

anyways. i love u guys, thank u 4 loving my writing. ofc as per usual shameless bit that I LOVE when you tell me how much you liked my writing!!!!!!! i love likes, but especially comments, asks, and tagged reblogs detailing how much you love my work! please don't be shy!

ok i was technically supposed 2 be in bed like. an hour ago LOOOOL gn everybody ily

songs i listened 2 while writing this:

roses - the chainsmokers, rozes (craving, yearning, reminiscing on times we knew, rebuilding love)

weak - ajr (falling for the same thing over again)

where would we be - nicky romero, rozes (reminiscing on the best and worst nights of your life, when you were in love)

taglist: @cupcakesmoothie @aayakashii @sunskosh @despairingy-obsessed @glamorousspoon @mmy-meow @dailyvahine @diluxama @obscuarysghoulnextdoor

want 2 (join/be removed from) the tkdb taglist? let me know!

[respectthepetty]

Blue Boy Faifa is the gift that keeps giving in episode fourteen of Perfect 10 Liners because I don't think he is even aware of how flirtatious he comes across ("I'm trying to get you to tell me your name"), yet he leaves the door unlocked for his brother to comfort his future brother-in-law even though he is pissed at Yotha. Once he realizes he wants Wine's attention, he is going to make the best boyfriend!

But Faifa and Wine might need Tawan's help to get there first.

Because he is the love guru whose spidey sense tells him when the color-coded gays are in love.

Tawan got these two opposites together!

And now red is publicly written over Yellow Yal Arm's heart for his Red Rascal Arc.

So now that Black Brooder Yotha is lighter because of Green Guy Gun, this could be them too!

Yotha already put a ring set square bracelet that is reserved for partners on it.

So Gun has permanent real estate on Cloud 9 much to the dismay of his barking Blue Boy besties when Kong seems to have a poly agenda, but Faifa's "Gentleness Shows Strength" shirt is really speaking to who he is as a character.

Because Faifa is still leaving that door open, so his brother and brother-in-law can continue whatever intricate queer ritual Yotha is committed to rather than just realizing he is IN LOVE!

Doesn't mean he isn't judging them when the morning comes.

It must be a Blue Boy thing because Kong is also judging Faifa for being "too friendly" with everyone and their mom, which is only building up more evidence to be *the* problem in the final story of Faifa x WIne.

But as long as these two color-coded boys in love can keep playing the daisy "he loves me… he loves me not" game who cares about some judgy friends.

Because Arm certainly doesn't care that his besties Green Guy Po and Blue Boy Sand are always judging him for being needy and clingy.

But Yotha also has to deal with his brothers and Neutral Newton is anything but neutral.

He is quick to throw Yotha under the bus about his love life, but I'm hoping this dad joins the elite squad of parents with THREE gay sons since Green Guy Po is out there looking for a boo while Newton is sitting there minding other people's business. Make it happen. Amen.

But now I have to see the exact moment Warit ripped Yotha's heart out and stomped on it. I get the reason, but I also get why Yotha is still so hurt by it. Yotha can't trust himself or what it is feeling because what he thought was love was a lie.

Also, Warit has a type, and it's damaged Black Brooder. Look at the pink light hit as they kiss instead of actually discuss their issues!

They are lucky they are beautiful because they are toxic af.

But I'm distracted by Gun, the light of Yotha's life, making a mistake of planning a weekend visit to his family with Yotha without actually speaking to Yotha first. Babe, your man has trust issues. You cannot spring this on him and expect a good response!

Not even Faifa being the one light thing in Yotha's dark room can coax this Black Brooder into trusting his heart again.

Now the usually happy and chill Green Guy Gun has to convince his color-coded buddies that he isn't in pain because Yotha is being distant at the mere suggestion that he wants something more real, yet nobody is convinced. Not at all. Not even a little.

Yotha is soooo light around Gun, but he is so scared to mess this up that he just keeps hurting Gun, and Gun just keeps smiling through it. They are practically wearing the same color, and I'm in a glass cage of emotions.

And Faifa can't really help either one of them through this because he sacrifices so much of himself for others that he ends up the only one suffering each time. Wine, as another Blue Boy, please be gentle with your future Blue Boyfriend. He will literally die if you don't help him.

Because he and his brothers are so traumatized that Yotha thought it was okay to tell Gun that he should leave him if he found someone to love him better, so now he is sitting outside a bathroom in a light shirt but a dark hallway,

While the light of his life is crying inside of it!

AND NOW THE DOOR IS LOCKED AT NIGHT!

BECAUSE GUN HAS LOCKED HIS HEART AWAY FROM THE DARKNESS! NOOOO!

And now Yotha is taking out the tie that has his birthday on it after imagining Gun back in his room. I'm on the floor. I'm crying into the tie. I'm using it like a Puffs Plus with Lotion, and I'm unwell about it!

No. Gun! Don't do that! Don't show that it hurts when Yotha touches you. Don't do that to my heart when you are basically wearing black because you love him. DON'T HURT ME LIKE THIS!

YES!!!! KISS! MAKE UP! BE BRAVE! BE HAPPY! BE LIGHT!

BE IN LOVE!

[lxvebun]

I'll wait forever if I have to

synopsis:you're worried Satoru's teasing has gone a bit too far. There's nothing wrong with saving your first kiss for someone special, right?

content: Suguru Geto x gender neutral reader. Fluff! Comes off a lil angsty in the beginning but its fluffy and sickeningly sweet. Around 1k words. Written with hidden inventory arc in mind so you'd be in the same grade together, but read it however you want♡.We are all a little lovesick for Suguru and he's a lil lovesick for you♡ eng is not my first language so i'm sorry for any mistakes♡ enjoy!!

Based on Satoru's version of the fic♡

"Does it bother you that Satoru teases you so much?" The question breaks the comfortable silence you had as he walked you home. Sky fading from pink and orange cotton candy clouds to a clear and deep navy gradient canvas clustered with stars and moonlight.

Suguru is Gojo's bestfriend. You're sure he's used to his antics. Still, Satoru can take it a little far sometimes. Being oblivious to or ignoring the line completely. Crossing over it with a skip in his step and a smirk on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with waiting for the right person, you know." You reassure. Perhaps a little to yourself too. You'd wait forever for him, not that he knows.

(You kinda wish he did.)

You keep your voice soft, and soothing even with the unintentional undertone of worry. But Soothing enough to dulcify if Satoru's teasing did leave some cracks in his heart.

He lets out a low amused hum in agreement. Smooth as warm honey. Its drum startling the butterflies between your ribs awake. Not that he has to do much anyway to awaken them. It seems like they are always fluttering around when he's near. A bit smothering at times. Making your head fog over with images of liquid golden eyes and sickeningly sweet smiles.

You reach the traffic light before he speaks again. Filling the silence of waiting until the red light turns green.

"You don't have to worry about that, y/n. It's not hurting my feelings. I'm more than content to wait for my person" he answers sincerely. Not an ounce of impatience dripped from his voice. He means every word.

My person. his words weigh a little heavy on your heart. My person. Does that mean he already has his eyes set on someone? You're pretty sure a few of the butterflies have lost it's wings. Wings Shriveled and shattered at the thought. Broken bodies wriggling uncomfortably in your gut. Anxious and mourning as you think over who it could be. Would it be different if you'd just confessed already? Did you miss your chance or was there never any to begin with?

(The thought of him making someone else's heart race the way he does yours makes you a little sick)

You don't look at him. He's always been good at reading you, so in tune with your well being. You're an open book to him and usually, you're more than happy to let his fingers glide over the pages. Break you open to study you up close. Hoping that one of the words, one of the chapters in there is enough to lure him in, like a sirens song. Enough to steal his heart ...damn, how dare he fall for someone else.

"Sounds like you already have someone in mind, then". It comes out forced as you swallow down what you really want to say. Unable to decide between cursing him out or confessing to him on the spot.

You keep your gaze at the light ahead as if the force of it can will it into turning from this horrible shade of red to green, so this conversation can be over. So you can continue to walk in silence, so he can drop you off at the front door, wait until he hears the lock click from inside as he always does and you can dive into the comfort of your bed, dream of what could have been and try your best to move on

(You don't think you can if you're honest)

But again, you're an open book to him. He almost looks proud as he glances you over. Standing up a little straighter, failing to suppress a smile. A horribly beautiful smile that does not at all fit the turmoil inside your head. As if you're reaction solidified something in him.

God, how long does it take for a light to switch?

Your gaze doesn't falter as he steps closer to you. His warmth, his cologne enveloping your senses, wrapping around you like a spiderweb. Fitting as you feel like your heart is going to be torn out at any moment. Waiting for the words that will fracture your hopes. you think of just booking it through the red right at this point and leave him to choke on his rejection.

"Will you look at me, please"

He's replicating the soothing tone you used on him. Only he's so much better at it. Smooth like warm butter and sweet as syrup. How could you possibly deny him when he sounds this heavenly.

He's a patient man, he is. But he doesn't want to hurt you. Doesn't want you to shatter your own heart even more by thinking he could ever love someone the way that he loves you. As if he could ever want anyone else when it's always going to be you that captured his heart.

His fingers slide under your jaw, grip delicate as can be as he turns your head to meet his eyes. You're a little embarrassed at the lack of resistance on your part.

His face is kind. And despite your hesitance, his eyes are easy to hold. Feeling like sunsets on a warm summer evening.

"I'm just waiting for you to be ready too. However long it takes."

A timer goes off. The light has finally turned green. you both stay unmoving.

You feel like you've been staring into his eyes for hours when really it's only been a few seconds of silence after his words. Then you half-heartedly push him off. A laugh bubbles up your throat, relief evident in the melodic tone.

"you're awful, you know that?" not a sliver of actual malice in your words. He knows that too. continuing to stare at you fondly, eyes soft and a little love-sick. Smiling brightly at your words as if you complimented him.

"And you're beautiful"  the timer of the traffic light is sounding quicker now, similar to the beating of your heart. Indicating that it will soon turn red again.

You have a moment of bravery. confidence, as you intertwine your fingers with his and pull him across the street before the light turns red. His grip is nice and firm, tracing heart shapes on the back of your hand with his thumb. Doodling silent I love you's into your skin.

you continue to walk to your home together. Hands now interlaced. Hearts intertwined. Crisp evening air kissing your skin and calming the heat blooming in your body.

"I don't want to have my first kiss at a traffic light. You deserve something more romantic than that too," you begin. swaying your hands back and forth. Focusing on the street infront of you. You see your front door coming into view.

"But if you feel the urge to kiss me as you drop me off at my doorstep," you see him begin to grin in the corner of your eye. It tugs at the corners of your lips too

"I'll let you"

thank you for reading, angels!! I'm havinf such Suguru brainrot atm😩🩷 he's so cute.

Also I thought his eyes were brownish/ gold because I always just imagine him with that but they are purple....🔪 YOU🫵 ARE GOING TO IGNORE THAT FOR NOW AND IMAGINE THEY ARE GOLD AS WELL. Thank you🩷

[wellofdean]

Don't you think Cas should care and interact with Dean emotionally in The Trap? Dean's mother died only Days ago, and Cas thinks he should be over it already?

Well, uhm. Yes? But I don't think he can at that moment. He is in love with Dean, and Dean has shut the door on him hard, and done so exactly when he is weakest, because he is just as bereaved as Dean is. Both of them are suffering, and neither of them can meet the others' needs. It's not like one of them is being the asshole, and the other one is blameless.

Dean's mother notably referred to Cas as 'one of her boys' and Cas notably saved her from death after Dean's deal with Billie because they all mean too much to him, including Mary. Cas loved and lost Mary, too. Cas loved and lost Jack, whom Cas saw as their child. And, Cas feels like he has also lost Dean!

Why are Dean's grief and Dean's sub-optimal emotional responses in the face of grief more valid than Cas's? I can't put it better than @deangirlism101 in their tags on this post, so I am just going to share them here:

#🤔 it's interesting how differently that ''you couldn't forgive me'' line felt to me#idk if it's because I'm approaching that line with the context that narratively#at least to me#these two are for all intents and purposes#quite married#in my mind the divorce arc is genuinely A Divorce#it's not a breakup. it's not a fight. it is a ''irreconcilable differences'' divorce#and that's where I'm approaching my reading of cas in that scene#it's very much that pragmatic side of divorce#where one partner reaches a point of shutdown because they believe there is no longer any kind of conversation to be had#''you cannot forgive me and i am unable to be near you while unforgiven'' is not#in my perception#the same as ''i apologized and therefore i deserve forgiveness''#i read somewhere that a big warning sign of divorce is contempt#and in the episodes prior to cas leaving#that is all dean expressed toward cas to his face#literally#dean's panicked ’'where are you going?'' i.e. the first noncontemptuous thing dean says to cas all season#is said to his back!#it's not that cas is owed forgiveness#it's that cas NEEDS forgiveness to be able to remain In The Relationship#the way i interpret it#cas isn't ASKING for forgiveness. he is just saying he needs it to stay#which to me is a world of difference#it's not out of entitlement#which i think is important for the emotional context of the episode#and i think it's the beauty of the divorce arc being very much a depiction of Marital Strife#to me it feels like an excellent depiction of the way a healthy marriage is deeply entrenched in compromise and not keeping score#(which is not to say it's okay for cas to continue going off on his own and keeping secrets)

I agree hard with everything here. And, I also think it's not only a depiction of Marital Strife, but a depiction of marital strife after the loss of a child, which is a whole other level of understandable not coping.

They are both on the ropes, they are both emotionally compromised in ways they aren't able to overcome. They both have Things They Routinely Do that are not for the best -- Cas tries to solve everything alone and keeps secrets, and Dean masks all his vulnerable feelings with anger. I think they both forgive the other, but can't bridge the gap. I think it's possible to love and forgive someone, and not be able to be around them, and I think Cas and Dean are both doing their best, it's just that, under the circumstances, their best is not great.

And, this bears repeating: #to me it feels like an excellent depiction of the way a healthy marriage is deeply entrenched in compromise and not keeping score

Cas is not owed an apology, but the fact that Dean can give one? I love that FOR DEAN.

[myloveobbsessed]

Ｃｏｎｆｅｓｓｉｏｎｓ

—————————————————————————

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none

Character: Rengoku Kyojuro x fem reader

Notes: Kyojuro survives the train arc, reader is a hashira

—————————————————————————

The Flame Hashira survived his battle with Upper Moon Three, but with fatal injuries. Now, five months later, you stand outside his door at the Butterfly Mansion, holding a bento. Kyojuro had been in a coma for those five months, and once he woke up, you knew you wanted to visit him. However, you waited a few weeks, not wanting to overwhelm him immediately. But that wasn’t the only reason for your delay.

Kyojuro is your long-time crush and friend, you’ve never confessed your feelings to him. And when you heard about his fight, the fear that he might have died was overwhelming. The relief you felt when he woke up was immense, but so was the realization that you might never get the chance to tell him how you feel. Now, as you prepare to see him, you’re just hoping he shares the same feelings.

••—————••—————••

Taking a deep breath, you finally muster the courage to enter. With a quiet countdown, you slowly open the door to his room, peeking inside. You see Kyojuro sitting up in bed, his bright eyes turning toward the sound of the door sliding open. His gaze lands on you, and knowing there’s no backing out now, you step inside, closing the door behind you. You stop a few inches away from him and smile up at him, your heart pounding in your chest.

“hey Kyojuro h-how are you doing?”

“Im doing well (y/n) thank you!”

Despite his condition he still had a smile on his face with his usual booming voice.

….

There's silence for a moment before you speak up again sticking out the bento towards him

“Umm I made this for you”

Kyojuro looks down at the bento his smile widening he take the bento with his free hand.

“Thank you (y/n) that is very kind of you I appreciate it!”

You watch intently as Kyojuro opens the bento, his eyes lighting up at the aroma. He picks up his chopsticks and takes a bite, complimenting you on the delicious food between mouthfuls. Your heart races as you try to summon the courage to confess your feelings, but the fear of rejection weighs heavily on your mind, keeping you silent. After a few more moments of anxious hesitation, you finally decide to speak, your lips parting as you gather your resolve.

“y-you know I'm really glad your alive Kyojuro”

Kyojuro pauses his eating, turning his attention fully to you. You can feel the heat rushing to your cheeks, and you squirm slightly in your spot, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Your heart races even faster as you avoid eye contact, nervously fidgeting under his gaze.

“I…have to tell you something and you don't have to feel obligated to…accept”

Kyojuro stares at you with a slight tilt of his head. but stays silent waiting patiently for you to continue.

“I….i like you Kyojuro I have for a long time now I...want to be more than friends I love you”

You take a deep breath and finish your confession, the blush on your cheeks deepening as your heart pounds in your chest. Kyojuro’s lack of immediate response only heightens your anxiety, and you begin to fidget with your fingers, the silence making you want to dig a hole and bury yourself in it. Doubts flood your mind, and you start to think you’ve made a fool of yourself, that maybe he doesn’t feel the same way. Just as you consider leaving to save yourself further embarrassment, your gaze meets his, and you notice something unexpected his cheeks are flushed, and the tips of his ears are tinged red. Your eyes widen slightly at the sight, hope flickering in your heart.

The silence is broken when the flame hashira lets out a boisterous laugh.

“We share the same feelings (y/n)”

He stares deep into your eyes the blush on his cheeks matching his firey red hair. A smile appears on your face when hearing his response

“w-we do?”

“Absolutely I always thought you were very beautiful, and smart”

His compliments make your smile widen, and butterflies flutter in your stomach. Your blush deepens, now matching his, and the warmth in your cheeks spreads throughout your entire body. The realization that he shares the same feelings fills you with a joy so overwhelming, you can hardly contain it. Your heart races, but this time it’s with excitement and happiness, knowing that your confession wasn’t in vain.

You couldn’t contain yourself you suddenly jump up, wrapping your arms around his neck and bringing him into a hug, careful to avoid his injuries. Kyojuro lets out a short gasp of surprise before hugging you back with his non-broken arm, holding you close. The warmth of his embrace makes everything feel real, and the relief and happiness wash over you like a wave. You can feel his heart beating against yours, and in that moment, nothing else matters.

“Im so glad your alive Kyojuro”

“Me too”

He softly whispers back, his breath warm against your ear as the two of you remain in each other’s arms, sharing a relieved, loving embrace. The world outside fades away as you both savor this moment, holding each other close, finally knowing that your feelings are mutual.

—————————————————————————

[stephexmachina]

what’s your favorite official dc art piece or style for connor?

ANON I LOVE YOU. I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS TOPIC AAAAAAAA

first of all, this coverrrr..... gorgeous captiving beautiful beyond belief i have to include it on principle bc it is stunning. i doooooo have to say i'm not generally a fan of his modern long-haired design, mostly bc artists tend to give him this flowy Legolas style hair w Zero texture ughhhhhh. but i love how curly and beautiful it's drawn here <33

Green Arrow (2023) #13 variant cover by A.L. Kaplan

i also adoreeeee how he's drawn in the GL hate crimes crossover he looks soooo sweet and charming and he just RADIATES kindness. i mean just look at that smile. imo modern Connor is missing that gentle, endearing boy-next-door kind of vibe and i'd Kill to see a return to the heart of him. plus no evil green colonizer eyes to be seen 🙏

if i had to pick a favourite connor design/art style, it would be this one!! the one thing i do take issue with is that the colorist could stand to go a little darker – but his skin isn't outrageously pale, and it actually looks natural! like a tone an actual human being would have! which is better than many colorists can say for themselves. god, the bar is so low.

Green Lantern Vol 3 #92, written by Ron Marz, art by Darryl Bank, Terry Austin, Rob Schwager

i actually quite like how he's penciled during the hard travelling heroes arc as well, though it's ruined by the god-awful coloring job (grey-green skin + the dreaded colonizer eyes 💔). it was disappointing + insulting enough that i actually edited a new version.

Green Lantern Vol 3 #76, written by Ron Marz, art by Paul Pelletier, Romeo Tanghal, & Pamela Rambo + edit by stephexmachina (me!)

i went with his modern coloring for this edit, but in truth i'm still not sure how i feel about platinum blond Connor. i don't dislike it, but i also don't think a Connor design necessarily needs super light hair. he can have darker blonde or even reddish hair and still look like Connor so long as you capture his personality + energy, which i find modern depictions rarely do.

i also liked Jim Aparo's design quite a bit!! i love the wavy texture in his hair and his strong jawline, and above all i like that he looks his age. DC has a way of drawing Connor that makes him look much older than he logically should be, even as the rest of the cast are de-aged, so i appreciate it when he looks like the brave, slightly naive young man that he is. that said, the coloring was disappointing (lightened skin + evil colonizer eyes strike again 😔)

Green Arrow Vol 2 #123, written by Chuck Dixon, art by Jim Aparo, Klaus Janson & Lee Loughridge

so these were some of my favourite Connor designs over the years!! the list is non-exhaustive & i'm sure more examples will occur to me later once i've already hit post, but i think my top favourites are all here!

one thing i hope people take away from this post is that your Connor designs don't have to begin and end with the post-52 era!! you can draw his hair shorter, darker, more textured!! you can draw him charming, friendly, youthful! you not only can give him beautiful brown eyes, but Should – those evil green colonizer eyes need not reign forever. and let's leave his white-washed days in the past where they belong 🙏

[themisimagines]

prompt generator: person a and person b sharing a bath content: smut under the cut! - self loving, bathtub shenanigans characters: artem, fem!reader

Thank god it's the weekend. You leave the office at 7, a feat given all that's gone on this week, and pop your head into Celestine's office to say goodbye, thinking you might swing by Artem's office to try and convince him to leave work with you. Unfortunately, he's in Celestine's office already when you look in, and they seem to be in deep conversation.

"Have a good weekend," Celestine chimes. Artem raises his hand in parting. You look wistfully at him, but decide to head home first.

Artem texts you on your way out.

<Wait for me to have dinner. Shouldn't be too much longer, I'll pick up ingredients on the way back.>

Your heart warms. He probably knew that you were looking forward to your first free weekend in weeks, having barely had the time to spend with each other beyond curling up together, exhausted, in bed each night, and blearily getting ready for work in the mornings.

Another text. <Don't eat too many snacks.> Ugh, this man knows you too well.

When you finally reach the home you share with Artem, you can almost literally feel the ache in your neck and shoulders from hunching over documents and screens, so you decide to run a hot bath. It's almost criminal that neither of you spend much time in this bath, with it's beautiful city views and skyline. But to be fair, you both only moved in together three months ago, and that was round about the time work started to pick up again. You even take out a precious bubble bath solution you've been saving for a special occasion, the scent of lavender and hibiscus foaming up underneath the running water.

As the bath runs, you pop in a record on the vintage player Artem picked up from his parents recently, and both of you have been enjoying going to markets searching for records, your recent favourites being jazz ballads, the crackle and pop of these old records invoking a different time entirely. The music drifts into the bathroom as you turn off the taps, stripping down and stepping gingerly into the bath, fragrant steam wafting into your face.

Oh, this is nice. You fiddle a bit with the water temperature before it's finally perfect, and then you sink in, closing your eyes blissfully.

<Tell me why we don't take baths on a daily basis again? Are you home soon, by the way?> You grab your phone and send to Artem, snapping a picture of your legs, just obscured by the bubbles.

The feel of the water caressing your body and against your tired muscles is soothingly erotic, and you feel a familiar jolt of arousal flowing down your body. Your hands run up and down your soft inner thighs, the arc of your collarbones, luxuriating in the sensation.

Ding! Artem has messaged you back. <Almost home.>

Then, a follow up: <It's not good for our water bill or the environment to take so many baths, but I agree with you that ours is underused.> You laugh. Ever the practical boyfriend.

Still, if he's still on the way, that leaves you free to take care of... some business. Your hands plunge back into the water, stroking your thighs, your breasts, slowly teasing at your nipples to send delicious shivers up your spine. All the while, the water swirls around you, making you even more excited. One hand drifts further downwards, settling onto your clit, and you draw slow, lazy circles around it, letting a slow pressure build up in your core.

The music swells, and you let yourself enjoy each and every sensation, a small moan escaping your mouth and echoing around the bathroom, your back arching slightly as you chase the peak of your pleasure. One of your fingers is just tracing your opening, ready to slip in, when a knock sounds on the bathroom door, and Artem peeks in.

Startled, you sit bolt upright, almost getting a mouthful full of suds.

"Sorry," Artem apologises for startling you. "Just wanted to let you know I'm home, and I'll be making dinner downstairs. Come down when you're ready.

From the crack through the door, you see that his tie has been loosened slightly, hair slightly rumpled from the day. Even though he's interrupted your moment, you can't help but appreciate how much of a goddamn gentleman he is, barely allowing himself a glimpse of you in the bath. Artem is about to close the door when you call for him to wait.

"Come and join me in the bath," you ask. "We did get one that was big enough for two, after all."

The door freezes, and even though you can't see Artem anymore, you can sense he is debating furiously with himself on the other side of the door.

"Please?" you wheedle. "The water is still nice and warm."

When the door next opens, it does so uncertainly, and Artem blushes upon seeing your clothes tossed haphazardly around the bathroom, the bubbles leaving very little to the imagination. It's hardly as if you both haven't seen each other naked before, but you always sense that Artem is holding himself back, too aware of trying to perform the part of gentleman for you, being overly considerate of your needs. Always too afraid to let his eyes linger for too long, or his hands to rest too inappropriately (except in the heat of the moment), afraid that you might think him crude or impolite.

You take charge of the situation. "Clothes off, Mr. Wing. Now."

His hands hesitate at his shirt-buttons, but then he steels his spine and strips off his clothing efficiently, letting you admire the hard planes and lines of his body, so often hidden away behind suits, which, while flatteringly cut, look much better off him. Belt and trousers join the pile on the floor, and you can sense that Artem is itching to refold his clothes nicely instead of leaving them there, so you launch a distraction tactic, rising in the bath so that the tops of your breasts are just visible, watching his eyes drawn to them as the blush in his cheekbones grows higher and higher.

"Should I just - get in?" He stutters. It's so cute to see him embarrassed. He clears his throat, and although he shifts from side to side, you can see his cock twitch slightly, already half-hardening before he's even in the bath. You slide your knees up to make space, and he climbs in, careful not to let the water splash out, although it's dangerously close to doing so, with an extra person in the tub.

It's almost comical to see him curl up so tightly into himself, trying to avoid touching you. Arms hugging his knees as he watches you intently. You stretch your legs out so they just barely graze the sides of your legs.

"Are you really comfortable like that?" You tease, leaning forward and putting your face closer to his. He continues to stare.

"Come on, stretch out." You try to get him to loosen up. "The point of a bath is to relax, after all. No point in getting even more tense, right?"

"You... hm." He conceeds, stretching his limbs out tentatively, but it's an awkward tangle of limbs with you both sitting opposite each other. Then, you have an idea.

"Artem, what if we sat facing the same direction? I could just nestle myself between your legs. That would solve our space issue, and we'd be more comfortable."

He thinks about it. "I don't dislike the idea."

You stand up to spin around, your body covered in suds, and Artem politely averts his eyes a little, face still red, although you're not sure if it's from the steam or embarrassment at this point. You settle down between his legs, gently pressing up against his chest, and give a sigh of contentment. Artem is the best pillow anyone could ask for. As you purr and squirm to find a comfortable position, you feel a distinct hardness growing against your back and stifle a laugh to yourself. Artem's hands settle awkwardly around the curve of your waist, as if he's holding himself back from letting them wander.

"Comfortable?" you tease.

"Hn." He agrees. His cock has grown to full length now, and you can't help but rub yourself against it, feeling him stiffen. You turn your face slightly behind to look at him, and he doesn't dare to meet your eyes.

"You have soap on your face." He says in a matter of fact tone, reaching a hand out to wipe off soap bubbles on your nose very seriously. You giggle in response, then close the gap to kiss him, gently at first, then deepening it, still rubbing yourself slowly against his cock. You slide one of his hands up your body, encouraging him to grab onto your breast, and faced with so much stimulation, Artem loses control and lets out a small moan into your mouth.

That tiny noise is a sudden breaking of the floodgates, and you can almost hear him think, fuck it, as his hands surge up to hold your body closer to his, hips thrusting upwards greedily between the curves of your ass. Panting, you both break apart the kiss, and Artem dives for your neck, licking and sucking the soft skin until you are sure he will leave a bruise. Rolling your nipples between his clever fingers until he draws out a desperate cry from you, the other hand teasing your clit, your entrance, just barely slipping a finger in. You are writhing and completely at his mercy, reaching behind you to stroke his cock.

"Bed?" Artem asks, voice rough with desire. But you can't be bothered with all that now - getting out of the bath, drying yourself, all that nonsense. You want him now.

"I have a better idea," you reply, then turn around so that you are facing him again, sitting on top of him, nestling his cock between your thighs. He makes an attempt to continue with the foreplay, but you stop him.

"I need you, now." you beg him, and like the gentleman he is, he lets you climb on top of him, lining his cock up with your entrance, sliding into your slick warmth. You both cry out at the sensation, taking a few moments to stretch out and get used to the feeling. Then you slide up and down his cock, panting and not caring that the bathwater is sloshing onto the tiles below, probably getting all your clothes wet.

Artem throws his head back, until you can see the line of his throat, his eyes closed in pleasure. His hands are unceasing, moving to play with your breasts, guiding your waist as you plunge again and again on his cock.

An angle hits particularly well for both of you, and Artem opens his eyes, a wild abandon in them. He seizes your hips and thrusts his hips upwards, creating great swells in the water, but hitting that spot again and again until you feel like you are about to explode, begging him not to stop.

"I'm going to cum –!" you cry. "Please don't stop, oh, don't stop Artem!"

His hips drive into you faster and faster until you hit your orgasm, clenching around him. The tightness drives him over the edge, and with a last few thrusts, he follows suit, cock pulsing inside you as he fills you with his cum.

You collapse against his chest, breathing heavily, both locked in an embrace. Artem doesn't let you rest for too long, as he taps your shoulder.

"We'd better get out, or you'll catch a cold."

"Can't you let a girl bask in post-orgasm glory for a few minutes at least?" You complain, although you know he's right - the bathwater has gone cold during the time that you both were otherwise engaged. You peer out at the floor, where half the water seems to have tipped out onto. Artem catches what you're looking at and grabs your shoulders.

"On second thought, wait. Let me grab some towels for the floor, I don't want you to slip." He steps out of the bath and you watch him leave, sighing happily at what a thoughtful boyfriend you have.

[raayllum]

Spark notes on "Callum lost his true heart" in S2. Excellent true heart meta here by @kradogsrats on how the concept works more generally that I would 100% recommend reading before coming back here

The true heart is a gift of childhood. For a few wonder-filled years, we each have innocent eyes to experience the world’s beauty in a simple way. 

We see Callum on the cusp of being 15 undeniably believing that the resolution to the war can be that simple (even if we know well before S7, wherein Aaravos directly says they have similar views of how the world works, that Callum does not hold onto this simplicity for long). This is demonstrated, as Krads points out, in Callum's conversation in 1x02:

CALLUM: Can't you just make peace with them? HARROW: It's not that simple. CALLUM: It seems pretty simple to me. You don't want to die, I'm sure the elves and dragons don't want to die, so everyone agrees.

This emphasis on what people want over what they're devoted/committed to ("I'm sure they don't want to die" -> "I am already dead") is similar to Ezran's in arc 2 ("We all want peace and we all want love [...] you want to hurt someone else") that is both dismantled and upheld ("You want Janai to attack!" / "I want them to hurt"). To hammer it in further, Harrow even denotes that Callum is operating under the illusion of childhood, where adults have all the power/freedom.

What happens, I think, over the course of season one and season two is a bit of a domino effect, with Callum making choices in season one that season two continually 'knocks' down so to speak. The first and easiest example, perhaps, is Callum's choice in 1x03 between staying and trying to save Harrow... or choosing his little brother, who will remain in danger the longer they stay at the castle (Runaan and Viren both presenting strong antagonistic forces) and even worse danger the longer the egg remains.

Callum glanced out a tower window and saw Ezran in the courtyard searching for him. But how could he leave the tower when the king was in so much danger? Callum tried to think of what the king would want him to do. “I’m coming, Ez,” he called out the window. He gave one final look back at the door to King Harrow’s chamber, then bolted to the spiral staircase. He took the stairs two at a time, trying not to look at the dead bodies strewn on the way to his little brother.

—Book One: Moon novelization

Now, this choice makes sense. It is in many ways just another version of the same one (choosing Ezran and his safety) that Callum had made earlier this same episode. Both are more complicated choices ("the right thing, I hope" does not beget certainty, and therefore does not beget simplicity) but we'll get to that in a moment.

The final domino set up in season one for Callum's true heart is, I think, choosing to destroy the primal stone. The reason I say these are the dominoes, so to speak, is because each of these choices are made in a very distinctly Callum-y way, by which I mean: he thinks to a certain degree he can skirt the consequences.

This is not to take away from the weight of the choices Callum is making — they're still sacrifices, they're still honourable, he's still aware that he's risking Something — but there's still clearly a 'block' of some kind between "this is what I'm choosing to sacrifice" and "this is the full consequential weight of my sacrifices".

For example, the primal stone means a great deal to Callum. He states that "without this, I'm nothing" and it's a great powerful tool of magic. However, when Callum destroys it, it is currently unknown to him that this means no more magic, point blank. The consequence for his choice is steeper than he'd imagined, and now he has to live with the reality of it (for a time, anyway, but it's not like the journey to primal magic isn't gruelling, anyway).

But as we grow up, we are forced to make choices, sacrifices, compromises. And they change us forever. 

The same happens when it comes to learning about Harrow's death. Callum was happily writing him a letter two episodes ago, reassuring Ezran in 1x03, etc etc. And yet:

Callum made a sacrifice, then convinced himself that maybe he hadn't, and had to face the devastating reality of what he knew was most likely, on top of why Rayla wasn't able to tell him for the same reason(s) he couldn't tell Ezran.

I also want to highlight Claudia (and Soren)'s betrayal of Callum as well for two reasons. The first, and less interesting/important one in some ways (to me, anyway) is that if Callum's betrayal of 7x02 contributes to the last vestiges of Ezran's true heart being snapped to pieces, it would make sense that Claudia's betrayal would likewise contribute to Callum's.

The more interesting/important facet of the Callum/Claudia breakdown is, to me, what happens before Claudia shows her true colours, and whereupon she hasn't done anything (knowingly) wrong to Callum yet, and still:

RAYLA: Callum, I know you trust them, but if we let them come with us, by the time we know the truth, it'll be too late. Do you understand? We'll lose everything. CALLUM: So what do we do? How can we figure out if it's help, or a trap?

Callum has already made a Compromise. He trusts Claudia, but Rayla doesn't, and he ultimately trusts Rayla more than Claudia, even this early on, the same way he trusted Ezran more than Claudia (and didn't trust Claudia with Ezran, then) in 1x03. So he goes along with the illusion plan, which would've been pretty crappy to do to an old friend if Claudia (and Soren) had been genuine in their offer to help.

So I think in quick succession over a few days, most if not all of Callum's true heart gets shredded to pieces within the first few episodes of season two. Barring that, I think 2x07, specifically the choice to do dark magic, takes whatever remains.

AARAVOS: You call it corruption. I call it compromise.

'Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it was all for nothing? […] But Rayla was in trouble.' —book two: sky novelization

While Aaravos lists off choices, sacrifices, and compromises as though they are separate things, and occasionally they can be, I think more often than not in life and within TDP that they are all the same thing.

Do you choose (sacrifice) your father or your baby brother? Do you sacrifice your oldest friendship (compromise) to ensure your travelling party can be safe? Do you use dark magic (a compromise, a sacrifice of yourself) to save someone you love?

And Callum's dark magic use falls into his previous pattern of you made a choice, and you knew there would be consequences, but you never dreamed it'd be This. And finally — finally — in 5x08, Callum makes a choice with the full knowledge of the consequences, of exactly what he's risking — and what he refuses to sacrifice.

His true heart has been gone for a while by this point, I think — but within the narrative, Callum is an adult from 5x08 onwards. He knows undeniably what he'll sacrifice and why, and what he won't.

(Something something sacrificing your true heart to protect the person who is your heart and your truth.)

[cwritesforfun]

Emma D’Arcy x Fem!Reader: When Emma Falls In Love

Feel free to play "When Emma Falls In Love" by Taylor Swift or not... the choice is yours... lyrics in italics

Y/N = Your Name

*I do not own the House of Dragon characters or plot or the real people in this plot *

Y/N's POV

You were always a hopeless romantic growing up. And being an actress made you fall in love with each of your costars so easily. Directors often complimented your "loving gaze" and said that you were great at that look. They didn't know that you were just in love.

Working on House of the Dragon was exciting for you because you loved the world, and you loved Game of Thrones. You were so overjoyed to be offered a place in the cast, even if it was a one-season arc. Your character was to be the object of Rhaenyra's desire for a few episodes, then there would be a twist of who she really is, and then she would be beheaded. At least, that is what your first script says. Much can change during filming.

You met Emma, and your chemistry at the table read made those on the cast super excited to get back to filming. Emma's eyes were beautiful, and you could stare at them for hours.

When Emma falls in love, it's all on her face Hangs in the air like stars in outer space

You hung out with Emma for filming and for getting to know each other. You were playing Emma's love interest, so you wanted to know them better. You want the chemistry to be believable on-screen.

You're sitting in your trailer reading your book to take your mind off set for a minute when Emma walks in. Emma never knocks on your door. She just walks in. You don't mind. You like their presence.

Emma slouches on the couch next to you and asks, "How do you know if you have a crush on someone?" You answer, "Oh um... I don't think I'm the best person to ask this." Emma replies, "But I want to know what you think." You half-smile and reply, "Well, you can't stop thinking about them, and you feel strange when they're around. You know their likes and dislikes. You know little quirks about them, like if they twitch their eyes when they lie. Wait, why are you looking at me like that?" Emma shrugs and answers, "No reason, I just think you're cute." You reply, "You're pretty cute, too." Emma smiles.

You share an on-screen kiss with Emma and when the director calls cut and the mics are off, Emma puts her arm around your shoulders as you walk back to the trailers, saying, "I wouldn't mind an off-screen kiss." You smile and share an off-screen kiss that night.

You begin casually dating and spend time together both on and off set.

Your dates included vegan restaurants in downtown L.A., going on long walks by the beach, hiking, and even painting.

Then, post-release of your show, you both attend some interviews together. Things were nice and easy. You & Emma were happy.

'Cause when Emma falls in love, she's in it for keeps She won't walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave

Unfortunately, you live in New York City and Emma lives in L.A. That means you were a long-distance couple and you weren't finding time for each other as much as you should have.

You have a tendency to just forget to text people. You mean to, but you just get busy.

You began filming another show while Emma returned for the next season of House of the Dragon. You attempted to call once a week, but the conversations felt tense.

Well, she's so New York when she's in L.A.​​

You arrive to the hotel where the House of the Dragon cast is staying for the premiere and you call Emma. You see Emma walk out of the elevator and your heart almost leaps out of your chest. You do love Emma. Why don't you try harder to keep them?

You rush forward and hug Emma tightly. Emma helps you carry your bags up to their room where you both sit on the edge of the bed.

You exclaim, "I'm sorry for not texting as much as I should. I ... I do love you and want to keep you in my life. I just need to give you the love and respect you deserve." Emma nods slowly and replies, "I was considering a break-up, but I knew it would hurt too much. I want to delay the pain, and I know I haven't been as good at communicating either. Both of us are to blame. I'll try to better, too." You nod and say, "The best thing we can do is try." A BREAK-UP!? Holy sh** You really need to get your priorities straight... you're not... but your priorities should be.

[buffster]

I Was Made To Love You (BTVS 5.15)

This is part of my ongoing Buffyverse Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the shows. You can find the BTVS list here and the ATS list here. Gifs are not mine.

Ah, remember filler episodes? What a throwback. I do admit Buffy does them better than most. They usually fit a cohesive season theme and relate to some larger arc in the show, at least.

Buffy begins the episode having a little freak out over Spike's crush. Riley leaving her felt like a rejection and she still blames herself for letting a good one get away (I don't think they were right for each other, but this is Buffy's POV) and now Spike crushing on her says only the worst guys like her. Buffy says she'll run off good guys with her alarming strength and self-centeredness. Ugh. Buffy is one of the most selfless characters but everyone around her comes down so hard when she has One Single Moment that she thinks she's self-involved.

Xander: Or maybe you could just be Buffy and he'll see your amazing heart and fall in love with you.

Buffy is still feeling the blues when Joyce gets ready for her first date with Brian. She tells her mom she isn't qualified to giving dating advice because the two guys she dated ran out of town. Poor Buffster. Her intuition isn't doing her any favors as she then approaches Ben. Ben ends up giving her his phone number as Spike watches. He tries to get a reaction from Buffy by approaching April, who throws him through a window.

Xander: She's a sex bot. I mean, what guy doesn't dream about that? Beautiful girl with no other thought but to please you, willing to do anything...Too many girls. I miss Oz. He'd get it. He wouldn't say anything, but he'd get it.

The only girl who seems to get it is Willow. I'm interested in the parallels between Warren and Willow. She understands the idea of avoiding the emotional fallout of your problems through use of your brain. Using magic to control Tara's emotions is pretty similar to creating a robot.

Spike shows up at The Magic Shop attempting to do damage control over what happened between Drusilla and Buffy. None of them are having it.

Buffy confronts Warren, who says he created April to be the perfect girlfriend. Then he got bored and "fell in love" (got intrigued by) Katrina. He also mentions that he designed April to feel pain if she ignores him when he's calling her.

April: Crying is blackmail. Good girlfriends don't cry.

Good lord. Katrina is disgusted by Warren and runs off.

Buffy feels sympathy for April and her obsession with Warren.

Buffy: Nah -- people are the strangest people. I mean, I'm not that different from her. I've got so much more than her -- I've got this great life, all this power, all these friends, my family, but still, every time I don't have a boyfriend, I feel like someone took away my arms.

It's interesting that this is where we leave her in season seven...still not feeling ready for a relationship and like she needs to find her center. I'll have to comment more on that then. Buffy decides not to go out with Ben, which offends Glory.

We end on Spike commissioning the Buffy bot. Just...so gross.

That's the end of the script, but of course in the actual episode we get next episode's teaser. The cruelty of flowers from Brian sitting right by the door while Joyce lies dead on the couch...

Character Notes:

Anya Jenkins: She's gotten into investing online and has tripled her money from Giles. Dang, Anya!

Katrina Silber: She met Warren at an engineering seminar. She creates model trains that run with magnets.

Xander Harris: His little construction passion is pretty adorable.

[missnight0wl]

I wasn't going to complain about Agatha All Along finale, but you know what? I will complain. Because it still bothers me, and I still don't really understand…

What exactly was the point of making The Road Billy's creation?

To be clear, "having cool pop culture references and a surprising twist at the end" is not the answer I'm looking for. What it did for the story? Because I honestly feel like it did nothing. In fact, The Road was kinda unnecessary in general.

Let's start with Billy himself. Billy wanted to go to The Road to find Tommy. Did The Road end up helping him with that? No. Sure, he did give Tommy's soul a body, so you can argue it's even more important because it'll allow him to find him. However, it was possible because of Agatha. And here you can argue that Agatha agreed to help Billy because of their bonding on The Road. But I'm just not convinced it couldn't have happened under different circumstances, y'know?

Moving to Alice, here you can say that The Road allowed her to see her generational curse in physical form and therefore break it. But I think what was really important for Alice was that she finally had her coven by her side. That they were like: "Girl, your generational curse SUCKS, but you're not crazy, and we're gonna help you deal with it". Alice said it herself, that she thought the curse was not real, that she was just a screw-up. Now she finally could face it while having support. This, plus Agatha making her realise the truth about Lorna's protection, of course. So, again, did we really NEED The Road for all of this?

Lilia's story was beautiful, and Lilia herself is perfect. But again, it was the coven that was crucial for her. Sure, her path was very closely connected to The Road, but at the same time, I don't feel her story couldn't have been told without it.

Jen's arc was also great, but once more, was The Road really needed to tell that story? Couldn't she catch Agatha's suspicious behaviour under different circumstances and therefore conclude she was the one who'd bound her?

Imagine this. After the ritual in episode 2, the door doesn't show up, but the coven somehow manages to escape the Salem Seven. The thing is that now it's very clear from the beginning that they're after all of them, not just Agatha. Because remember that after they entered  The Road in the show, they commented on the Salem Seven, and they acknowledged that they're after Agatha. Only later it became clear that no, they wanted to get the whole coven. Anyway, the point is that they escaped somehow. Now somebody wants to leave because screw that, but eventually, they all agree that they'll be somewhat safer if they stay together. Billy of course is still fascinated by The Road, so he wants to find out why the ritual failed. The rest decide that if they’re already in this, they might as well try to investigate it. And Agatha still needs to play along because otherwise, she'd have to reveal her scam. If the show went in this direction, would it really have to be significantly different, story-wise? I honestly think it wouldn't.

Don't get me wrong, I love the practical set they had for The Road, the themed trials and whatnot. But I really don't like the implications connected to the fact that it was created by Billy (or rather Billy's mind). And I'm not even talking here about people actually dying. I appreciate that Billy freaked out about this realisation, but I also have to admit that Agatha kinda had a point that she was the one who killed Alice, and Lilia chose to die. It's a bit different with Sharon, but I'll come back to that a little later. The thing is that, in my opinion, what Billy should actually freak out about are all the visions from Jen's trial – which are not addressed at all, for some reason. Because… how are we even supposed to interpret it? I saw people saying that they were also created by Billy's mind since earlier Jen mentioned the rumours about Nicky, and Billy talked with Alice about her mother (hence Agatha's vision of the Darkhold and Alice's of Lorna being unwell). However, Lilia didn't mention her Maestra at all, and Jen said nothing about the mysterious doctor at that point. So, how would Billy create their visions? It has to mean that:

he subconsciously scanned their minds to get the information, or

he "gave" The Road enough power that it became semi-conscious (and therefore it created the visions on its own).

I assume the second option is closer to the writers' intention, but… it's pretty fucked up. Because it means that Billy basically created a sophisticated torture device that uses very personal and intimate information against you. And unlike Wanda – who created her Hex because of OVERWHELMING GRIEF – Billy kinda did it… just because. To be clear, I'm not saying that Billy wasn't under stress, or that he didn't really care about finding Tommy. But you have to admit it wasn't quite the same level of emotions that Wanda felt when she created the Hex. Interestingly, Billy's emotions matter again when he shows his Wiccan powers after Alice's death. But creating a psychological torture device? I guess being scared of the Salem Seven is enough. Well, to be fair, their appearance was scary as fuck, and I'd probably shit myself in that situation. Still, it somehow doesn't feel comparable to Wanda's grief or Billy's own grief later on.

Also, I think the visions become especially problematic when you look at Sharon. Because while it's the only vision we didn't see, the implication was pretty clear that she's reliving the moment when Mr Davis was choking in Wanda's Hex. Something that Billy's mother put her through. In fact, it's basically the last thing she experienced in her life because she passed out right after that. She kinda woke up for a moment when she drank the antidote (I think?), but then she just died. And Billy had to figure out what she saw, more or less, right? Ralph told him what it was like to be trapped in Wanda's Hex.  And mind you, while it was Agatha who dragged her along, it was the wine created by Billy's mind that directly killed her. With all of that in mind, it almost feels weird to me, that it's all summarised with "Who's Sharon?" joke. I know it's Marvel and whatnot, and I actually don't mind this joke in general. It's kinda funny, really. But it does feel different with the reveal that it was Billy all along.

Also, there was this part in The Wrap interview where Jac Schaeffer said:

The road and our show is practical is because Billy Maximoff is a baby witch. And he can’t be creating thousands and thousands of miles of forest. So he created a backdrop, and he created forced perspective, and he created models, and all of the practicality of our sets is because of him, and because of his limitations of physically creating this world underground, underneath Westview.

(The whole thing can be found here.) And I get what she means in this context. Truth be told, it's a pretty damn cool thought. But at the same time, I feel like you can't really say "Oh, he's a baby witch" and "He can create complex devices that will torture you with your most personal fears, without even trying". I mean, I can't be the only one who feels those ideas are kinda contradicting.

Also, speaking of the visions from episode 3 being ignored, I have to point out something else about Jen's trial. All other trials have quite a lot of references to Billy and his room in particular. In Jen's case, though… we pretty much have just that one picture.

And they're not even that similar. I guess the amazing kitchen in the house can also be seen as a reference to Mr Kaplan who apparently loves to cook, but in comparison to other trials, it still feels... underwhelming. Almost like an afterthought. Now, am I saying that it's proof that Billy creating The Road wasn't the original plan for the show? No, I'm not. But I do find it interesting, and the more I think about it, the more episode 3 feels separated from the rest. I know a lot of people also feel that way about episode 1, because it focuses so much on the Darkhold (which basically leads to nowhere). And I do agree with that, too. I dunno, it just seems that there might've been some changes along the way or something.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't talk about all of that, but my issue is that The Road being created by Billy basically adds nothing to the story. Yes, it shows us that Billy is very powerful, but as I pointed out, it's somewhat inconsistent. They could've at least continued the plot of Billy's identity crisis. Remember his question during Lilia's trial: "Am I William or am I Billy?"? I don’t know about you, but to me, it felt like a pretty damn important question. And I really thought that a part of William might still be in Billy. Yes, I know his death in the accident seemed pretty definite with his heartbeat stopping and all, but I still hoped there's something left. Maybe not a soul, but rather an echo of a soul, or memory. It could explain why Billy left everything in his room and just added new things to it. It was not only out of respect, but also because William was never really gone. Also, if you showed me William and then Billy, without the accident scene, I’d totally buy that it's the same character. They're both just… good geeky eggs. And before the finale, I really thought that the ritual with Agatha might be about joining William Kaplan and Billy Maximoff into one person: Billy Kaplan. Now, the creation of The Road would be a pretty good representation of such an identity crisis. Because it was created with Billy's power, but it was built with things that William loved. And the conclusion of such journey for Billy would be that he's just both, William and Billy. Even Jac's comment becomes quite heartwarming in this context because it could be said that baby witch Billy was just playing with William's toys. On top of that, it could (and should!) lead to the scene where the Kaplans finally learn what really happened. Because they do deserve to know. They're amazing people, and I really don't think it would make them turn against Billy, but they just should know that their son is gone.

But nope, the whole identity crisis was kinda dropped…

That being said, if it was entirely up to me, I'd just say The Road is a real thing. They could even keep all of the references from Billy's room and all. They'd just have to say that there's some kind of mystical connection between WICCAN and The Road. I mean, we know there is a prophecy about the Scarlet Witch in MCU, so why not add another one? Especially that Wiccan's statue was at Wundagore. In fact, it could even still work with Agatha's scam plotline. I see two explanations for that (and they can work together):

Agatha was never able to access The Road because it's accessible only if (future) Wiccan is with you.

Agatha was never able to access The Road because she never cared about gathering the proper coven. Unfortunately for her, this time Lilia forced her to get the proper coven by giving her the list. And jokes on her for trying to cheat again with Sharon because Billy was always meant to be the last member. Also, something caught my attention during the Agatha through the Ages montage. Every time other witches blast Agatha, they use the same colour lighting. I realise that it's just a technical simplification made because it doesn't matter. HOWEVER, when we look at "our" coven, they all use different colours. Agatha obviously has her purple, Alice has orange-y, Billy gets blue, Jen's is pinkish. We don't see much of Lilia, but when Agatha tries to provoke them to blast her in her basement, you can notice that her hands spark with yellow. So, again, I know it's meaningless, but it could be used as an explanation.

Now, what about Nicky in this scenario? Well, I really don't want to erase Nicky creating the song with his mum. I'm not gonna lie, it was touching. But… what if Nicky was showing early signs of divination powers? And by that I don't mean that he knew the song he creates with his mum will eventually open The Road someday etc. But maybe he saw glimpses of The Road in his dreams and that inspired him? The rest could stay all him and Agatha. I don't think it'd take away from it, but I do find it a pretty fun idea, mostly because Agatha seems to be quite sceptical about divination. I mean, she actually says that Tarot is a scam. So, imagine her realising that her little boy could've grown up to be a divination witch. I dunno, it's quite an interesting possibility, in my opinion.

And yes, it'd mean that Agatha accidentally created the ritual to access that real place. Or hell, maybe the song never mattered. I mean, you know how in "Turning Red", Mr Gao says that they have to sing from their hearts during the ritual, but it doesn't matter what? It could work like that!

Anyway, there's one more thing that bothers me. And that is… how the hell Agatha figured out that The Road is Billy's creation? Yes, I know that she knew it's not real, and therefore somebody had to create it, but how she connected it to Billy, exactly? Like, girl… You've been trapped in Wanda's spell for the last three years. Somebody might've physically dug that whole thing under your house as a prank on you, and you wouldn't know it. I realise that Billy's sigil might've made her think of Billy, but… it was more of a lucky guess than a deduction if you ask me. And I really don't like it. Because keep in mind that Agatha didn't see all the things in Billy's room which helped the audience to figure it out in advance. And what bothers me the most is probably the inclusion in the reveal that moment when Billy says: "It's exactly how I imagined it!", to which Agatha replies: "It suits you". Which basically implies that she was suspecting him back then already, as soon as they entered The Road. But like… HOW?? I'm sorry, but if you asked a group of goth teens how they imagine a place called "The Withes' Road", I bet a big part of them would describe a similar image to what we saw at the very beginning of The Road.

I just wish there was something that could give Agatha this idea. But as I said, it feels more like a guess. Like, why she doesn't suspect Rio, for example? I know that Rio most likely knows The Road isn't really, and that Agatha knows that she knows. But there's at least more to support it, in my opinion. I mean, the last time they saw each other, they agreed that Rio would wait until Agatha got her purple back, right? And look at that, how convenient: here's something that IN THEORY can do just that! And why Agatha enters The Road without thinking about it twice? Because of the Salem Seven. And who sent the Salem Seven?

I am very biased about this idea because I actually had a theory that Teen and Rio worked together to get Agatha to The Road – but like I said, there's at least something to support it! And yes, I know Agatha admits she wasn't "sure sure" at first, but at the same time, she doesn't mention any other possibilities. I dunno, it's just… eh. Perhaps it wasn't an afterthought as much as with Jen's trial, but I'd say it's still missing… something.

So, I guess that's it. My main issues with Agatha All Along finale. It's just… underwhelming and quite disappointing. Maybe it's because I genuinely enjoyed the first seven episodes. I really want to appreciate it for what it is, but it still feels more like it was done for the sake of the reveal than because it served an actual purpose.

[chassie48]

My little Nepo baby: yandere Akainu x Yandere Kizaru x Yandere Aokjij x black fem oc

The rest of the chapters. Last chapter. Next chapter.

Warnings: spoilers of those who haven't watched the Marineford arc, and slightly sexual themes.

Chapter 4. The war.

(Akainu POV)

I really hated how privileged that bitch Andrea is. She didn't do any work to get that title of captain and this happened all because of her stupid grandfathers.

I wanted to kill her because she was dating a pirate and ruining the world government reputation, but Sengoku had reminded me that I can't even do that because of her grandfathers.

I purposely kept giving her more reports to do, so that she can get stressed out and know that in the navy HQ there is no such thing as being privileged.

I hate how beautiful she is and whenever she glances at me my face turns red and my chest starts beating faster.

I hate how she is in my mind every 24 hours. I couldn't go to sleep because I would be dreaming of her.

I hate when she makes me feel jealous whenever other men or women get too close to her. I hate that I have to jerk off at every chance I get some privacy because she doesn't know how to wear some appropriate clothing and my stupid cock doesn't know how to stay down.

I think she is a witch who put a love spell on me, but I won't fall for her.

I was walking to Sengoku's office until I saw those two idiots who call themselves admirals arguing about who get to accompany that Nepo baby on her monitoring duty.

Some part in me was mad that they were fighting over something that is mine, but I quickly pushed those thoughts away and remembered that we have a war to be prepared for.

Can you two idiots stop fighting.

Did you guys remember we have a war to attend to?

I said while they stopped and sucked their teeth and walked away from each other. I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous they could act like children.

(Andrea POV)

I was so fucking stressed out today because they kept giving me stacks of reports after reports to do and I was trying to get them done before this stupid war starts because I heard that after this war we get four weeks off and I'm not going to miss that over some damn reports.

I hate that they brought Ace here because everything is so fucking chaotic. Like everyone in the office room was trying to get their reports done before the war and rushing out of the room like there is a fire.

I can tell how serious this war is because my desk mate Smoker was ignoring me when I tried to give him a health tip about not smoking.

I was getting more stressed out when I saw everyone finishing their reports and leaving the room and leaving me by myself with stacks of reports that hid me.

Hey, Nepo baby, it's time to go you can finish those reports after this war.

One of the Rear admirals said while I slammed my pencil on the desk and glared at him.

No, you will have to wait until I'm finished with these reports because I know you and your other Rear admirals friends aren't going to let me have a break after this war about them.

The Rear admiral sigh and walked towards the door.

Ok, you can stay here but don't cry when you die.

He said while walking out of the office room. I know more higher ups are going to come here and force me to leave the reports alone.

So, I grab all of the reports and find an empty box and put all of them inside then I grab the box and leave.

I exit the building from the back, so that nobody can see me. Luckily the citizens had evacuated the island, so their homes are empty.

I picked the one that looked like they had a lot of food and went inside and locked the door. The house looked cozy and it smelled nice.

Normally I would have thought this kind of house stinks because it gives off people who have a baby in the family who just leave their babies dirty diapers on the floor and having it smell like shit.

But, surprisingly it doesn't give off that energy. I set the reports down on the coffee table and went to their kitchen to get me some snacks.

I saw they have my favorite chips, so I grabbed them and went to the living room to finish those reports.

(Aokjij POV)

Me and the other two admirals were sitting on these chairs while waiting for the Whitebeards pirates to come.

The closer I'm to them the more I want to kill them because I feel like they are trying to take my Andrea away from me.

Like the other day I saw Borsalino getting touchy with my Andrea when she was trying to get her reports done.

And the other day I saw Sakazuki jerking off to a picture of my Andrea acting if she is his.

Hey, I will like to address something before we get into this war.

I said while both of them looked at me.

Andrea is mine and will always be mine. I'm not going to lose her over you two.

They both chuckled like I wasn't serious and when they saw how serious I was they stopped.

Andrea, is never yours, she is always mine, but if you want to fight for her then we can after this war.

Borsalino said.

I agree with Borsalino. She is not yours, but if you want to fight about it then we can, but you will have to wait until this war is done.

I swear one day I will fucking kill them.

(Andrea POV)

I was happy I can get these reports done because normally I couldn't because of that Kizaru guy. Lately that guy had become too touchy to the point where I couldn't get those reports done and it is making me uncomfortable.

I guess Kuzan realized it and tried to get him away from me which caused them to argue. A couple minutes later I was done, but I didn't feel like going out there to fight, so I stayed here.

I can tell they are busy out there because of the shakiness in this house. I hope that no one falls in here because I have a feeling that I will be in some trouble.

I heard a guy screaming, so my nosey ass went up to their front window and pulled the blinds a little and saw that the Akainu guy was burning one of his men alive.

I never liked that Akainu guy ever since I first started at the Navy HQ because every time I see him he would always give me hell.

Like that one time when I came back from my restroom break he had yelled at me in front of my fellow captains about me being so-called lazy and privileged.

I swear one day I will tell my grandfathers about him. He turned his head towards my direction and I quickly closed the blinds.

I quickly grabbed the box full of reports and headed towards one of the rooms and hid in the closet. I try catching my breath while putting my hands on my chest where I can feel my heart beat.

I heard the front door opening which made my heart beat faster.

Hey, if you are a civilian.

You are supposed to evacuate.

It is too dangerous for you to stay here.

A couple of minutes later he stayed there for a while and left. I slowly got up and went to the living room and checked if he had really left. Then I opened the blinds a little and saw him talking to one of his men.

I close the blinds and sigh of relief. I went to the room that I was in and checked the bed to see if it was clean.

Then I got on it and decided to take a nap.

(Kizaru POV)

The battlefield kept getting dangerous which made me worried about Andrea because when we were waiting for them to attack I didn't see her lining up with the other captains.

I was fearing the worst that she must've gotten killed or hurt by the Whitebeards pirates. I looked at Kuzan who was freezing one of the member of the Whitebeards.

Hey, Kuzan I didn't see Andrea with the other captains.

Do you know where she is?

I asked him while his eyes widened and he stopped what he was doing and glared at me.

What do you mean?

I thought she was underground for back up with the other captains.

He said while I quickly grabbed my transponder snail and contacted the unit underground.

Hey, guys, is captain Andrea is with you.

No, sir. Rear admiral Kendal said that he told her to come to the battlefield, but she refused and kept doing the reports.

They said. I quickly hung up the snail.

What did they say?

They said that Andrea is still inside doing the reports.....

-The end:)

[joanthangroff]

gcau commetary: part 1 chapter 21-25

@sophinspace @simpledontmeanpeachy paused last week as i spent my sunday watching a moana ballet but now i am baaaack

part 1 chapter 21:

i love how now that bar and snart are dating they're completely unfazed by him trying to seem... cool [ba dum tss]

tommy vs the club vendetta <3 he's just jealous they're stealing his bestie

"imagine being straight in [one of the alternate dimensions" i think i explained it in the comments but that's a reference to curtis learning in canon that there's multiple earths and being appalled that he could be straight in one of those. i miss him.

"did hartley go home with you [at cisco]" "did you have sex" ah.

why do they even let hartley drink so much alcohol

i love how i kept changing my mind about how big cisco's flat is. now eddie says that cisco doesn't have a couch. if i remember correctly i had him and hartley hook up on his couch later on. what's the truth (did oliver buy him a couch in the span of mere days?)

"i can handle my alcohol i just really like sleep" mick is a mood

"im kinkshaming all of you for liking men" iconic words by queen linda

part 1 chapter 22:

LISA IS ENTERING THE CHAT (not literally)

i love how lisa "visits for a few days" and then never leaves. truly lisa snart at her best

snart's "im still hoping for her to realize she’s a lesbian" LMAO

joe/snart bestie arc is beginning!!!

"youre still talking to someone you met at space camp" snart you have no idea for how long bar attended space camp!!! for all we know they couldve been there last year!!

the chat realizing that snart and bar both have a dead mom and a father is prison. they're a match made in heaven <3

ronnie making xyr comeback in the chat by realizing the most obvious pun. xe's so relatable

BABYBIBIBI. FINALLY

part 1 chapter 23:

mick pretending to be annoyed by bar

"if you say that youre a gay deaf homeless guy ill come to the house and strangle you myself"

CISCO ACTUALLY TRYING TO SUFFOCATE HARTLEY. I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. HE WENT OVER TO THE QUIVER JUST FOR THAT

ofc snart has a bruises kink

i love how everyone is clocking the hartmon tension

part 1 chapter 24:

last time mick had all the girls in his lap, this time he lifts cisco with just one arm. i bet he could've lifted hartley and bar too

HARTLEY SPENT A WHOLE EVENING SITTING ON SNART'S LAP? WHAT WAS I ON

the music on bar's phone being nothing but justin bieber and dragonball openings. they're just like me fr

oh boy the quiver isnt even called quiver yet! they just said 'the house'. this feels wrong

oliver:  I swear if you burn down the house I'll cut off all of your dicks || cisco: checkmate I don't even have one

OKAY WE'RE RENAMING THE HOUSE NOW

absolutely fucked me up when i sat in class and learnt that nagna parbat (with a g) is an actual place. i misheard and was like THE PLACE FROM ARROW?????????????????????

sara dropping sanskrit facts is actually just me showing off (what do you learn a dead language for if not for fanfiction)

"do we want to give the hosue a name in sanskrit" - "it's urdu actually"

"we could also just go with aedificium" - "were not calling the house “house but in latin”" i love how hartley's take away was that the LANGUAGE was the problem

"quiver bc were twelve members and a quiver has around 12 arrows" - "that's not even slightly right where did you get that from" - "Saturday night live hawkeye sketch" SCREAMS

"it's not like there's an equally big comic company with more accuracy or diversity"

part 1 chapter 25:

lisa arriving at the quiver and her first action being to break open the door

iris causually mentioning that she'll go to the stores with bar ON BLACK FRIDAY. how are they gonna SURVIVE

not only is everything connected but everyone knows every detail about oliver's sex life and i think that's beautiful

eddie of all people having the Stop Hartley From Drinking Agenda

snart is so whipped <3

[aishangotome]

Osborn Encounter: Chapter 3

Chapter 2

♡———♡

Episode 1: Moonlit Sea Cliffs (海崖月色)

The moonlit coast shimmered softly, as tranquil as times past.

A bright, clear moon hung in the dark sky. The damp sea breeze swept over us, carrying a faint, salty scent, as if it intended to claim everything in its path.

This was Qianmu East Road. We were driving on this familiar coastal road once again.

Just yesterday, we had defeated that arrogant street racing gang here, but now it felt like a century ago. Everything had changed.

You: Aren't we going to chase that minivan?

Osborn held the steering wheel with one hand, skillfully taking a turn.

Osborn: No need to chase. He's not as fast as us.

Osborn: Besides, we need to go somewhere else first.

You: Somewhere else?

Osborn didn't speak, just slightly curved his lips. The streetlights on both sides still rapidly streaked backward, leaving behind brilliant lights and shadows.

Soon, Osborn and I arrived at what he called "the other place"—the brewery on the mountaintop.

You: Hey, why are we back here again?

Osborn: There's something I need to confirm.

You: Huh?

Before I could react, Osborn reached out and took my wrist, leading me into the brewery.

The wind chime at the door jingled. The only person inside the brewery, the owner's wife, turned at the sound and paused slightly when she saw us.

Owner's Wife: You two…

Osborn: Are you still open? We're here for a drink.

The owner's wife continued her work, wiping a glass while smiling and shaking her head.

Owner's Wife: We're out of 1664, but try some other wheat beers?

Osborn: Sure.

With that, he led me to the bar.

The glass tumblers looked especially clear under the light's refraction. Osborn poured half a glass of fruit beer for me, then casually took another bottle of beer from the owner's wife, effortlessly prying open the cap with one hand.

The bottle cap arced through the air, landing on the marble bar top with a crisp clink. Osborn held the bottle, surveying the brewery.

Compared to last night, the brewery was even quieter today. Not only were there no customers, but the wine cabinet was almost empty.

Only a neatly arranged bar stood by a dark blue, bulging suitcase.

Osborn: The owner used to tell me business wasn't great here, but it looks pretty good now.

Owner's Wife: Hmm?

Osborn: If I remember correctly, when we came last night, the wine cabinet was full of 1664, an entire wall of it.

Osborn: But now, it seems to be all sold out.

The owner's wife glanced at Osborn and chuckled softly.

Owner's Wife: So he complained about business to you, that man.

Owner's Wife: Our business isn't that bad. Like any business, it has its ups and downs; that's normal.

I remembered her saying last night, "Once all this 1664 is sold, this shop won't be here anymore." Could it be…?

Watching the owner's wife's busy figure, I gripped the glass in my hand.

You: Excuse me, is this shop… closing?

Owner's Wife: Yes. I think I've held on long enough by myself.

You: I'm sorry…

Owner's Wife: Don't be. Actually, seeing you two, although I was surprised, I'm also very happy.

You: Huh?

She blinked, and her rag slipped into the glass, gently wiping it. A smile played on her lips.

Owner's Wife: In the year since my husband left, I've always felt like those beautiful days were a lifetime ago.

Owner's Wife: But seeing you two, I suddenly feel like it all happened yesterday.

Owner's Wife: That's probably it, seeing happy people can remind you of happy memories.

She chuckled softly, but my face couldn't help but flush. I held my glass, unsure what to do, and could only secretly glance at Osborn beside me.

That glance happened to meet Osborn's gaze, which was fixed on me.

He chuckled softly, leaned a bit closer, and put his arm around my shoulder, patting it gently. Before pulling away, he intentionally or unintentionally added a little more pressure.

The warmth of his palm pressed into my skin, but his face wore his usual mischievous smile, his lips slightly curved.

You: ...

Osborn: Madam, she's easily teased.

Owner's Wife: Young ladies are probably like that, especially when they're in front of someone they like.

Osborn scoffed softly, watching the owner's wife's busy back without speaking.

I suddenly remembered him saying he needed to confirm something. Could this be related to the owner's wife?

I looked at Osborn in confusion. He casually spun the wine bottle in his hand while giving me a serious look, as if saying, "It's exactly what you're thinking."

My expression instantly stiffened. Just as the owner's wife turned around, I quickly put on a smile.

You: Hehe… You're right…

Owner's Wife: Hahahaha, it seems young ladies these days are quite bold.

You: ...

Wait, I think I responded to the line, "especially when they're in front of someone they like"...

Osborn looked at me with a mischievous grin.

I instantly choked, abruptly pulling my gaze away from Osborn. Osborn stopped teasing me and turned to survey the brewery.

Osborn: Do you like cats very much?

Owner's Wife: Hmm? Cats?

Osborn raised the bottle he was holding, pointing to the wall clock, and a barely concealed curiosity gleamed in his eyes.

Osborn: That clock is shaped like a cat.

The owner's wife's expression subtly tightened as she glanced at the clock, but she remained silent.

From her reaction, that clock seemed a bit unusual. Did it have some special meaning?

Meeting Osborn's gaze, I decided to—

1. Wait for Osborn to ask further 2. Directly ask about the clock's meaning 3. Initiate a conversation about cats

- 1. Wait for Osborn to ask further

I figured since Osborn took this investigation so seriously, it must be complicated. It wouldn't be good if I said the wrong thing and messed things up for him, so I decided to stay quiet.

But the more silent I became, the more the owner's wife seemed to catch on. After giving Osborn and me a wary look, she too fell completely silent.

Time ticked by. Not only did Osborn and I get no information, but the owner's wife ended up sending us away, claiming it was time to close.

Tonight's operation… was a complete failure.

[NORMAL END]

"He needs your help."

-

2. Directly ask about the clock's meaning

You: That wall clock is so exquisite. Is it a collector's item of yours?

The owner's wife lowered her eyes and resumed wiping.

Owner's Wife: It's not really a collection, just a souvenir he and I had custom-made a while ago.

She seemed very down, and her brief comment stifled my urge to press further. I simply changed the subject and chatted idly with her.

Time slipped away in meaningless small talk. It was late, and the owner's wife continued tidying up. Osborn was looking at his phone. I was trying to figure out how to bring the conversation back to that crucial clock.

Clang!—A strong gust of wind blew open the window, and the window frame slammed violently against the wall, breaking the awkward silence.

Almost at the same moment, a strange cold glint flashed. Before I could react, Osborn pulled me aside.

A dagger narrowly grazed past me, embedding itself deeply into the chair where I had been sitting.

You: This—

Osborn glanced at the owner's wife, his eyes filled with warning. Then he turned to me.

Osborn: Wen Wan will be here to pick you up in ten minutes.

Osborn leaped out the window, his figure disappearing into the night. I looked around but found that the owner's wife had also quietly slipped away at some point.

Not long after, Wen Wan picked me up in the car. I anxiously asked him about Osborn's situation. He just told me not to worry, then drove me home.

The next morning, Osborn rang my doorbell. But when I asked him about the incident, he shook his head and didn't bring it up again.

Life returned to normal.

[NORMAL END]

"The story hidden in the night passed just like that."

-

3. Initiate a conversation about cats

You: What a coincidence, I like cats too! Just seeing them makes me happy~

You: But I'm too busy with work. I've always worried I wouldn't be able to take good care of them, so I can only 'cloud cat-sit' for now.

Owner's Wife: Cats really are little animals that can help you relax.

Owner's Wife: They're soft, and sometimes they really depend on you. At those times, you feel how wonderful it is to be needed.

You: That sounds really adorable! Madam, you seem to know a lot about cats. Have you owned one before?

The owner's wife paused for two seconds, then a slow smile curved her lips.

Owner's Wife: We do have a cat.

Owner's Wife: A tiny little thing. When I hold it, it feels just like holding a child.

You: Does the boss like cats too?

At the mention of the boss, the owner's wife's expression softened even more, and she squinted slightly.

Owner's Wife: Not particularly like, but just by chance, he brought home a stray cat, and we've kept it ever since.

Owner's Wife: He's always been like that. He looks a bit rough and boisterous, but deep down, he's softer than anyone.

She reminisced as she wiped the remaining part of the counter, her voice filled with happiness.

You: That little cat must have been very lucky to meet you two.

My gaze slowly moved upwards. On top of the wine cabinet sat a wooden photo frame, holding a picture of three people. The bearded man next to the owner's wife was probably the boss.

You: Is that a photo of you all? Can I see it?

Owner's Wife: Mhm, yes.

She took down the photo frame and handed it to me. The smooth surface of the frame was spotless, reflecting specks of warm yellow light, scattered and mottled.

Owner's Wife: This is what he looked like ten years ago. Frowning, scruffy-bearded, looked hard to get along with, right?

Owner's Wife: So, when I saw him bring back that tiny, fluffy ball of a cat,

Owner's Wife: The way he was so careful, it truly made me burst out laughing.

The photo was old and somewhat yellowed, but their faces were still clearly recognizable.

Both the boss and she were smiling happily, and indeed, just as she said, even in his smile, the boss had a tough, rugged quality.

Beside them was a young man, looking about fifteen or sixteen, with a tiny defect near his ear, covered by his long hair, only a corner peeking out.

Could he be their child? The young man's expression was somewhat colder than the boss's and the owner's wife's, and his eyes seemed to hide something.

But what exactly was hidden… I couldn't quite make it out. Yet, those eyes, I somehow felt I had seen them somewhere before.

The owner's wife beside me sighed.

Owner's Wife: To think that one day, I could recall him so calmly.

She lowered her gaze, and a hint of sadness mingled with her previously gentle expression.

I put down the photo frame and took her slightly cool hand.

You: The boss must surely wish for you to live well too.

Owner's Wife: Yes. No matter what, I'll carry our wish and continue to live well, continue to fulfill it.

Owner's Wife: Many years from now, if I can meet him in another world, I can happily and joyfully rush into his arms.

You: The boss would be very relieved. Besides, you still have your child.

Owner's Wife: Child… Mhm, but, but he doesn't live here anymore.

The owner's wife's eyes darted away, and her expression seemed unnatural.

Osborn thoughtfully glanced at the wall clock twice, then swallowed a mouthful of beer. I immediately understood his meaning and turned to the owner's wife.

You: What about the cat? Is it sleeping?

The owner's wife shook her head with a bitter smile.

Owner's Wife: No… the cat disappeared half a month ago.

Owner's Wife: I thought it was just going out to play as usual, but it never came back.

You: Oh… lost? Did you look for it?

Owner's Wife: I looked for a long time, went to all its usual places, but couldn't find it.

She sighed softly. Just then, Osborn suddenly put down his beer bottle and stood up.

Osborn: By the way, Madam, there's something I'm quite curious about. I wonder if you could tell me.

Owner's Wife: What is it?

Osborn: Tonight, you've been looking at the time so frequently. You've checked it five times in less than ten minutes.

Osborn: Who are you waiting for?

The owner's wife froze for a moment. Her wiping motions completely stopped. After a long pause, she pursed her lips.

Owner's Wife: It's usually just me here. Who else would I be waiting for?

Osborn unhurriedly took out his phone, lit up the screen, pulled up a photo, and placed it beside the photo frame.

Osborn: Then how about this?

On the screen was a screenshot of a court video that Mao Ge had once shown me.

A man, who looked to be about the same age as Osborn and I, was supporting the owner's wife, whose face was etched with despair.

His eyes were cold, and his lips were tightly pursed, as if he was struggling to suppress his boundless hatred.

Osborn's lips curled into a cold sneer. He bent his index finger and pushed the phone towards the owner's wife.

Osborn: Why do the young man in the photo and this young man supporting you look so similar?

Osborn: Aren't you going to explain who he is?

The owner's wife's gaze flickered on the screen, then she looked at Osborn.

Owner's Wife: I don't know what you're talking about…

Osborn: Actually, you knew all along, didn't you? The two people who were convicted weren't the real culprits at all.

You: What?!

I looked at Osborn in surprise. Too much information suddenly flooded my mind, and I felt a bit overwhelmed.

Osborn moved closer to me. His warm palm patted the back of my hand, giving me a reassuring look, then he looked at the owner's wife again.

The sadness had vanished from her face, replaced by a cold, tense expression.

Owner's Wife: You're saying those two weren't the killers?

Osborn: Do you really not know?

Owner's Wife: …I don't know.

Osborn: If you truly didn't know, then on the day of the trial, why were you so desperate and angry?

The owner's wife looked up at Osborn, slightly tightening her grip on the sponge.

The warm yellow light shimmered between her brows and eyes, but I felt she looked unusually cold.

Owner's Wife: Even if I knew, what then? Could I have changed the outcome?

Osborn: No, but you could do something other than just accept it.

Osborn: For example, find the people who truly killed the boss.

Owner's Wife: And then? I'd still be the same, unable to do anything.

Osborn: Really?

Owner's Wife: What do you think I'd do? I'm just a woman who lost her husband.

Owner's Wife: I just want to carry on my husband's last wish, live well, and not let him down.

Osborn: Is that truly what you think?

Thump!—Osborn put down his beer bottle, staring at the owner's wife's pale face, a hint of grimness in his brow.

Osborn: It seems there are some things you won't tell me.

Osborn: For example, how Xiaobai died, and where Platinum is now?

I instantly held my breath.

-

Episode 2 - Startling Turn of Events (惊变骤起)

"The warm yellow lamplight flickered with an unusual and eerie atmosphere."

Time seemed to stand still. The only sound in the air was the ticking of the second hand.

After who knows how long, the owner's wife let out a soft sigh, as if in self-mockery.

She looked at Osborn, her expression having returned to the familiar smile I knew best. But remembering what Osborn had just said…

Could it be that this reserved and seemingly fragile woman before me had killed Xiaobai? I found it hard to believe.

The owner's wife glanced at Osborn and me, then her lips curved into that gentle, harmless smile again, and she resumed wiping glasses.

Owner's Wife: My husband told me before that you were very smart, but I didn't expect your cleverness to be used here.

Owner's Wife: I thought I had made it seamless enough, but you still discovered it.

Osborn: Nothing in this world is seamless. Some things, once done, always leave traces.

Osborn: Just like how Xiaobai killed your husband, and you discovered it too.

Owner's Wife: …Heh, yes.

She murmured softly, her hand movements still slow and orderly. Halfway through, she suddenly paused, then gently shook her head.

Owner's Wife: No, that person isn't even worthy of being mentioned here!

You: You…

She looked up, her gentle smile turning somewhat sinister. I felt a sudden shiver down my spine.

Owner's Wife: He took my husband's life, and I will make him pay for it.

Owner's Wife: A profligate like him simply doesn't know the meaning of life.

Owner's Wife: In his eyes, life is worthless, and anything can be solved with money.

Owner's Wife: So, even if he committed a crime, he could use money to find someone to take the blame.

Owner's Wife: Then pretend nothing happened and continue to act recklessly on this road.

Owner's Wife: Shouldn't such a person go to hell?!

Osborn nodded thoughtfully, indicating understanding.

Osborn: And how did you know it was Xiaobai who caused the boss's death?

Owner's Wife: The brewery is located on the mountaintop because the air here is good, and the view is excellent.

Owner's Wife: Standing at the highest point, I can overlook everything below.

Owner's Wife: How my husband died, I saw clearly from here.

Osborn: So, you personally witnessed Xiaobai killing the boss.

The owner's wife nodded, placed the wiped glass in her hand down, and picked up another unwiped one.

Owner's Wife: A life for a life; it's only natural.

Osborn: And while you're at it, tell me how you killed Xiaobai.

Hearing that question, my breath hitched. I remembered Mao Ge saying Xiaobai's death was particularly gruesome, and then I looked at the gentle yet strong owner's wife before me…

Could revenge truly transform a person?

The owner's wife glanced warily at the wall clock, then breathed another sigh of relief.

Owner's Wife: Since you insist on asking, then… alright.

Owner's Wife: From the very beginning, I had it all planned out. If I didn't get a fair outcome, then I would seek justice myself.

Owner's Wife: I planned a lot. Every day I thought about sending Xiaobai to hell to pay for my husband's life.

Owner's Wife: Fortunately, on the day of my husband's anniversary, you arranged for them to come to Qianmu East Road.

Owner's Wife: After you left, I found Xiaobai's car, and hid inside it.

Owner's Wife: I knocked out the girl in the passenger seat, killed him, and then staged a car accident.

Owner's Wife: Everything went smoothly, but I didn't expect to be discovered so quickly.

Osborn stared at her actions, his eyes cold.

Osborn: What about the 1664?

After two seconds of silence in the air, the owner's wife slowly inverted a wiped glass on the table and picked up another.

A clean scrubbing cloth slid into the glass, expertly wiping it in a circle.

Owner's Wife: Your intuition is very accurate. The 1664 wasn't sold out.

Owner's Wife: I poured all the remaining 1664 into the sea where he would forever sleep deeply.

You: Wh-why? Just because he liked it?

Owner's Wife: Yes, but not entirely. I also did it to celebrate.

You: Celebrate?

Owner's Wife: Celebrate that on the anniversary of his death, the person who killed him finally paid the price.

Owner's Wife: Although the process was painful, arduous, and even terrifying, we ultimately got the result we wanted.

After speaking, she put down the last wiped glass, then folded the scrubbing cloth neatly and placed it in the drawer.

Closing, locking, all in one fluid motion.

She stood up and walked towards us.

Owner's Wife: I'll go with you, to turn myself in.

Osborn, however, remained motionless. After staring at her for two seconds, he chuckled softly.

Osborn: What a pity. That's not your story.

The owner's wife stiffened all over, her abruptly constricted pupils filled with disbelief.

Before I could react to Osborn's words, the quiet air was suddenly cut by an unusual presence.

A sudden flash of a cold dagger, followed by a dark figure lunging towards me.

I panicked. Just then, a familiar figure blocked my path.

Osborn immediately took a large step, firmly shielding me behind him.

The air seemed to ignite instantly, a scorching aura enveloping me like a pair of strong hands, calming my trembling heart.

His movements were as swift as a leopard ready to pounce. He quickly turned sideways and kicked out, aiming for the dark figure.

???: Ugh…

A muffled groan of pain echoed in the air. Osborn had accurately kicked the attacker's wrist.

Clang!—The dagger flew past us and landed at my feet.

Osborn: It's you, as expected.

In the flickering light and shadows, the figure slowly tilted his head. His medium-length, choppy hair obscured his face, but it couldn't hide the chilling indifference in his eyes.

He glanced at the dagger at my feet, a cold glint flashing in his gaze.

Osborn: Watch out!

No sooner had he spoken than the person lunged at me again!

Osborn swiftly grabbed his wrist, powerfully halting his lunge towards me.

I glanced at the dagger at my feet, and my hand reacted faster than my brain, quickly picking it up.

Looking at the gleaming dagger in my hand, I decided to—

1. Join the fight 2. Run far away with the dagger 3. Don't make a decision in time

-

3. Don't make a decision in time

I didn't know what to do for a moment and froze in place.

A strange shadow flashed, and a sudden sharp pain shot through my wrist. I had to let go. The dagger clattered to the ground, was picked up in an instant, and then the dark figure put distance between us.

Osborn rushed forward, a blue fire lighting up in his palm, but at that moment, the person expertly darted out the brewery door.

He looked back at me.

Osborn: Stay here. Wait for me to come back.

I nodded, and Osborn immediately disappeared into the night.

However, a long time passed, and I couldn't wait for Osborn…

[NORMAL END]

"Opportunity slipped away in hesitation."

-

1. Join the fight

I gripped the dagger, hardened my resolve, and quickly joined their fight.

Lights and shadows flickered wildly in the brewery. The warm light was split into several fractured beams by the cold dagger.

Seeing the dagger in my hand, the dark figure seemed to be provoked. Despite taking a heavy punch from Osborn, it still lunged at me as if reckless of its own life.

My breath hitched. In a panic, I could only swing the dagger in my hand and thrust forward.

The person easily dodged, but I couldn't control my strength, losing my balance and lunging forward.

Just as it seemed I couldn't avoid it, the dark figure in front of me suddenly vanished.

The black shadow was thrown like a rag, landing between the tables and chairs with a loud crash. Osborn clapped his hands, standing before me with a relaxed expression.

Osborn: Steady there. Don't let your hand tremble. Daggers are really hard to use for beginners.

You: Mhm.

I let out a long sigh of relief. He took the dagger from my hand.

The dark figure, who had been lying on the ground, quickly got up and leaped out the window in the brief moment Osborn and I were talking.

Osborn frowned, then looked back at me, giving me a "stay put" glance. He then followed, jumping into the dense night.

For a moment, the warm-lit brewery returned to silence. Only the wall clock continued its steady ticking.

A long time later, Osborn's figure finally appeared at the doorway, his brow furrowed.

Osborn: He got away.

Both the owner's wife and the dark figure were gone without a trace. We couldn't get any more information here, so we had no choice but to leave the brewery.

[NORMAL END]

"Entrust the weapon to someone you trust; he will surely succeed."

-

2. Run far away with the dagger

I didn't know what to do for a moment and froze in place.

I had never used a dagger before, and it would probably be hard to control... I might as well take it and get far away, preventing the dark figure from getting it, and that way, I could help Osborn too.

I ran to a corner of the brewery with the dagger, keeping a good distance, and assumed a defensive posture.

Osborn glanced at me, a hint of approval in his eyes, and smiled.

The dark figure relentlessly pursued me, trying to retrieve the dagger, but Osborn swiftly blocked him every time.

The flickering lights cast their shadows, constantly moving before my eyes. Their speed was so fast I could barely see their movements.

I could only feel that the person was desperately lunging at me each time, but Osborn intercepted him every time.

Owner's Wife: A-Jing!

The owner's wife's eyes were filled with intense pain, fixed on the dark figure.

For some reason, a conjecture suddenly popped into my mind.

Perhaps this A-Jing she spoke of was the young man in the photo…

Thinking this, my throat went dry and tight.

Suddenly, a chair leg flew through the air towards the owner's wife. Before I could think, I lunged at the owner's wife.

Bang!—

The anticipated pain didn't arrive. Instead, I felt warmth, accompanied by the familiar scent of black cedar.

Osborn: Are you okay?

I looked up and saw Osborn, then quickly shook my head.

He steadily caught the flying chair leg with one hand, and with the other, he pulled me against his chest, shielding me.

The sudden rise in body temperature enveloped me, inexplicably calming me.

Osborn: Take care of yourself first.

You: Mhm.

He released me and hurled the chair leg at the already disheveled dark figure.

Owner's Wife: A-… A-Jing!

The sharp, broken edges of the wooden chair leg cut through the dim yellow light, heading straight for the dark figure.

His dark pupils sharply constricted. He strained to move sideways, and although he dodged the direct attack, the sharp, broken edge of the wood still grazed his cheek.

A red cut appeared on his somewhat pale face beneath his choppy hair, slowly oozing blood. He finally stopped, his face illuminated by the warm yellow light.

Seeing this face, Osborn smiled knowingly.

Osborn: Finally, I see you.

You: You're—

That person really was the young man from the photo! Even the missing piece of his ear was in the exact same spot. But ten years had passed, and he hadn't changed at all!

However, his eyes were cold now, completely unlike the photograph, which, though detached, still held a hint of warmth.

His eyes were eerily similar to the young man's in the courtroom.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his hand, his eyes seemingly poisoned.

A-Jing: Osborn, don't meddle in what doesn't concern you.

Osborn: Since you know who I am, you also know this isn't meddling.

A-Jing: You—!

A-Jing couldn't finish his sentence before he coughed up a mouthful of black blood, stumbling back two steps, swaying precariously.

Owner's Wife: A-Jing!

The owner's wife anxiously called his name, trying to go to him, but Osborn blocked her.

Owner's Wife: Osborn, can you, for my husband's sake, not hurt A-Jing?

Osborn: Precisely because the boss and I have been friends for years, there's one thing I absolutely must clarify.

Owner's Wife: …What is it?

Osborn picked up the photo frame from the bar, his smile a bit cold.

Osborn: The day the verdict came out, you still looked about my age.

Osborn: What method did you use to return to your appearance from ten years ago overnight?

A-Jing and the owner's wife's expressions both stiffened simultaneously. Osborn's tone grew even colder.

Osborn: Is it because you killed Xiaobai?

-

Episode 3 - The Moment of Truth (真相时分)

"The moment the mystery is revealed is the beginning of its demise."

Time seemed to stand still. My heart felt as if it had been seized. It was still in my chest, yet I couldn't feel its beat.

A-Jing… was the man supporting the owner's wife.

But just two days ago, he had clearly looked about my age and Osborn's. Yet now, he had reverted to his appearance from ten years ago…

Something beyond common sense must have happened in between… The air inside the brewery felt solidified, and my mind was in chaos.

Clang!

The dagger in my hand suddenly dropped to the floor, making a crisp sound, as if it had triggered something.

A-Jing glanced at me, his excessively dark pupils filled with danger.

Osborn picked up the dagger and walked towards A-Jing, grabbing him by the collar. However, before he could make his next move, his arm was grabbed.

Owner's Wife: Osborn! I told you just now, I'm the one who killed Xiaobai. Take me away!

Owner's Wife: Release A-Jing, I beg you.

A-Jing: Sister, don't beg him.

Osborn pushed the owner's wife's hand away and tightened his grip on A-Jing.

Osborn: You didn't kill anyone. Why would I arrest you?

Owner's Wife: You…

Osborn: I knew from the start it wasn't you, or rather, you probably still don't know how Xiaobai died, do you?

Osborn: Xiaobai was only 21, but at the time of his death, he had the physique and characteristics of someone nearly 70.

The owner's wife froze, staggering back two steps. I quickly helped her steady herself.

Owner's Wife: ...

Osborn: And the claw marks on Xiaobai's neck. All of this can explain that the person who killed him was not a normal human at all.

Osborn: So it couldn't have been you.

You: Not human?!

Osborn scoffed softly, the tip of the dagger resting against A-Jing's chin.

Osborn: You are that black cat.

A-Jing didn't answer. Beneath his medium-length, choppy hair, his face was even paler.

You: He's Spirit Clan?

A-Jing's eyes darted to me, and with a "swish," a pair of black cat ears stood up. The ear with a missing piece trembled slightly.

I suddenly remembered the black cat I saw when Osborn and I left the brewery last night. Could it be this young man in front of me?

No wonder the owner's wife's expression was so unnatural when Osborn asked about the young man in the photo earlier…

In an instant, my chest felt clogged with an insoluble wad of cotton, stifling and swollen, almost suffocating me.

What could have happened to this Spirit Clan youth to turn him into such a cruel murderer…?

Even with the dagger so close, about to pierce his skin the next second, A-Jing remained calm, his shadowed eyes like terrifying black holes.

A-Jing: This has nothing to do with you. If you leave now, everything tonight will be as if it never happened.

Osborn: You're mistaken. All of this has already happened, and you seem to be powerless.

Osborn: I'm curious what you'll do next. Revenge or repayment of a kindness?

Hearing the words "repayment of a kindness," A-Jing clenched his back teeth. After a long pause, he let out a self-mocking chuckle.

He looked out at the boundless darkness outside the window, as if gazing into a past abyss.

Even his normally dark pupils now had a hint of blood red.

A-Jing: I once heard that people are actually like trees.

A-Jing: The more they yearn for the sunlight high above, the deeper their roots must stretch into the darkness of the earth.

A-Jing: So, when I lived in endless darkness, I thought I would soon touch the sunlight from above.

A-Jing: But I never expected this sunlight to also be utterly dark, filled with curses and bullying…

A-Jing: I don't understand why such sunlight would still make people flock to it.

A-Jing: Until I met them.

His tone was calm and peaceful, but the owner's wife sobbed. I sorrowfully gripped her cold palm.

She shook her head desperately, as if trying to stop A-Jing from revealing everything.

A-Jing: They told me what true light was like. They saved me.

A-Jing: You simply cannot know how important they are to me.

Osborn: So, when you personally saw Xiaobai and his group kill the boss, you decided on revenge.

A-Jing nodded, his gaze towards Osborn instantly turning sinister again.

A-Jing: Why are you so certain I was the one who did it?

Osborn: Platinum.

A-Jing: Platinum?

Osborn: The staged car accident you created was full of holes. And Xiaobai's death doesn't look like a normal human crime at all.

Osborn: The timing of this car accident coincided precisely with the court's verdict, which was two days after the boss's anniversary. Coincidence, don't you think?

Osborn: And the person who paid a high price to kidnap Platinum the day after Xiaobai's death… don't you think that might be the person who killed Xiaobai?

A-Jing: Those people got what they deserved.

A-Jing's expression was cold, but his tone was extremely firm, and he clenched his fist.

I should—

1. Remain silent 2. Offer advice to persuade him

-

1. Remain silent

Thinking that I shouldn't interrupt Osborn's line of questioning, I remained silent.

The surprise came out of nowhere. I stared blankly at the blade held against my throat—a simple fruit knife that shouldn't have been there.

I tilted my head slightly. The owner's wife's expression was still sorrowful, but now it showed even more resolute determination.

The air instantly froze. Osborn's eyes suddenly turned incredibly cold, filled with burning anger.

Osborn: Let her go.

A-Jing: Sister, you—

Owner's Wife: I don't want to hurt her, but…

Owner's Wife: Osborn, if you let A-Jing go, I'll let her go.

Osborn frowned, his gaze falling on the owner's wife's slightly trembling hand. He decisively put away his dagger.

Clang! The fruit knife clattered to the ground in front of me. Osborn strode towards me, grabbing my hand.

Osborn: Are you hurt?

You: No…

A strange sound came from the window. We looked over, and the curtains swayed gently. It seemed A-Jing had escaped with the owner's wife.

Osborn released my hand. The car keys arced through the air in a parabola, and I instinctively reached out and caught them.

Osborn: It's not safe here. Drive the car down the mountain and wait for me there.

I nodded. He turned and chased after them.

As dawn broke, Osborn finally appeared. He casually pulled open the passenger door and got in. I started the car, and when I looked back, he was already asleep, leaning against the window.

The weary and long night had passed just like that.

[NORMAL END]

"The determination to 'protect' should never be underestimated."

-

2. Offer advice to persuade him

You: But… didn't you think about it?

Those dark eyes turned to me, and a hint of surprise appeared on A-Jing's face, as if he hadn't expected me, who had been silent all along, to suddenly speak.

You: You killed Xiaobai. Didn't you consider that the owner's wife would get implicated because of this?

A-Jing: I'll bear the consequences of what I did myself. It has nothing to do with Sister. Don't hurt her!

Owner's Wife: A-Jing…

Osborn: Nothing to do with it? How can it have nothing to do with her?

A-Jing: ...

Osborn held the photo frame in front of A-Jing.

Osborn: How could what you did be completely unrelated to the two of them?

Osborn: Just like the boss's death wasn't just his own business, because he had family, so someone would be desperate and cry for him.

Osborn: And you killed Xiaobai. To get you acquitted, the owner's wife fabricated the illusion that she was the murderer.

A-Jing froze, then turned to look at the owner's wife, utterly astonished.

Osborn: What do you say? Do you still think all of this only concerns you alone?

Yes… our lives are inherently intertwined with others. It's precisely because of these complex and beautiful relationships that we can feel warmth.

No matter how independent an individual is, from the moment they are born, they already have a relationship called "family."

Later, there will be more friends, more partners, and more and more people gathered together.

Just like me and Grandma, and Mom, and An'an, and—

My throat caught, and my vision suddenly seemed hazy.

And me and Osborn.

A-Jing's hand dropped, and the oppressive aura that had lingered around him also faded considerably.

He collapsed to the ground, still not speaking, only sobbing, like a beast licking its wounds in the night.

Crystal tears finally rolled down his face, wetting his clothes.

Owner's Wife: A-Jing…

Osborn activated his miniature communicator.

You: Osborn, he…

Osborn: He committed a crime. No matter the reason, he must be punished.

You: Mhm, I know. It's just…

His warm hand rested on my head. The warmth slowly seeped into my skin, and I felt myself instantly calm down quite a bit.

Osborn: If you trust me, don't worry and don't overthink.

I opened my mouth, but the words "I'm just very sad" could no longer be spoken. I could only nod.

I know the laws of this world, and I know we must follow them.

It's just that I'm sad, for the boss who suddenly passed away, for the strong and brave owner's wife, and for A-Jing who felt compelled to seek revenge.

Perhaps he did nothing wrong, but he also did everything wrong.

...

Wen Wan arrived quickly and took A-Jing away. A-Jing confessed and revealed the location where Platinum was kidnapped.

Platinum's voice came through the communicator. Platinum himself confessed to the crime, admitting that the boss was indeed hit by him and Xiaobai, and then his body was dumped.

Everything seemed to be over, but the empty brewery and the mess everywhere still hung over my heart like an unshakeable gloom.

I squeezed the owner's wife's hand. She looked up at me, a bitter smile on her lips.

Owner's Wife: Will I… ever see A-Jing again?

I couldn't answer that question. I could only hold her hand tightly.

You: His love and affection for you and the boss will surely always be with you.

Owner's Wife: Thank you.

Owner's Wife: Although it's been over ten years, everything feels as vivid as yesterday.

Owner's Wife: Back then, my husband and I had just gotten married, moved here, and opened this brewery. Life was peaceful and comfortable.

Owner's Wife: One day, he suddenly brought back a small black cat.

Owner's Wife: It was filthy all over, had a chipped ear, and one leg was broken.

Owner's Wife: He said he passed a deserted construction site and saw the kitten barely alive under some rocks.

Owner's Wife: A few children were surrounding the kitten, constantly bullying it.

Owner's Wife: At that time, the cat's eyes no longer held any desire to live. Later, my husband saved it.

Owner's Wife: It took us a long time to finally pull him back from the brink of death.

Owner's Wife: And we learned he wasn't just an ordinary kitten.

Owner's Wife: We named him A-Jing.

Owner's Wife: If all beautiful things can only be exchanged for profound pain and trauma…

Owner's Wife: Then we hope A-Jing's profound pain and trauma are all in the past, and only beauty remains.

Owner's Wife: I just never expected… such an accident to happen…

Large tears streamed down her cheeks. My heart ached uncontrollably, but all I could do was embrace this woman who had lost two family members.

You: Do you remember telling me that no matter what,

You: You would carry your wishes and continue to live, continue to fulfill them.

You: So that many years from now, if you could meet the boss in another world, you could happily rush into his arms.

Owner's Wife: ...

You: They must hope so too.

...

It was already past midnight when we left the brewery. Starlight twinkled distantly in the dark sky.

The cool sea breeze swept against my face, yet I felt no coldness at all.

Those three, they must have often gazed at the distance from this high place, too, right?

And it was here that the owner's wife and A-Jing witnessed the boss's murder.

You: From that moment on, perhaps everything became irreversible…

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my shoulder. The familiar warmth and scent instantly enveloped me.

Osborn: This time, I can really take you home.

Remembering him saying he'd take me home before, only for us to be busy all night, I couldn't help but chuckle.

You: Yeah, the power must be back on at home too.

Osborn looked at me, raising an eyebrow, appearing very relaxed. The bright moonlight fell on his eyes and brows, as if a fleeting starlight, impossible to grasp, flowed there.

I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, then said—

2A. I'm still a bit scared. 2B. Let's go home! 2C. I think I'm a little hungry. Want some late-night food?

-

2A. I'm still a bit scared.

You: So much happened tonight, I'm still a bit scared…

A large hand gently stroked my back, as if soothing my uncontrollable palpitations.

Osborn: Come on, get in the car.

The dappled tree shadows under the starlight quickly swept past the car window. Osborn suddenly spoke.

Osborn: Being with me, some dangers will be unavoidable.

You: It's okay. I'll try my best to adapt, and I know you'll protect me!

Osborn smiled and nodded.

The sports car carried us away, leaving the story of Qianmu East Road behind, and sped towards the city lights.

[NORMAL END]

"Even if crises are unavoidable, believe in yourself, and believe in him."

-

2B. Let's go home!

You: Let's go home!

Osborn: Mhm.

Osborn skillfully turned the steering wheel and reached up to turn on the car's stereo.

A soothing rhythm flowed through the quiet night, and a gentle night breeze drifted in through the window.

My previously somber mood and the bad weather that had been suppressed by dark clouds all day seemed to clear up at this moment.

The night was boundless, but the stars shone brightly.

You: This song reminds me of when I was very young, maybe ten years ago?

You: Some unpleasant things happened back then.

You: I was wandering alone on the street very late, and then I met someone performing by the roadside.

You: He was holding a guitar in the cold wind, singing this song completely lost in it.

You: It was as if his girlfriend was standing opposite him, listening to him sing.

You: But actually, back then, there was only me, penniless, opposite him.

Osborn: Oh? How do you know he wasn't actually singing to you?

You: Who would sing such a profound song to such a small child?

You: If he really sang to me, he'd probably sing Counting Ducks?

Osborn: I guess so.

You: And back then, I didn't have any money, but I still felt…

You: Just clapping couldn't express how much I liked that performance. It was so frustrating.

You: At that moment, I suddenly remembered some wild daisies in the park, so I urgently ran to pick one.

You: Then I put it in his guitar case. Hehe.

Osborn: Oh, so that's where you got your speed from.

You: Huh?

Osborn: You ran pretty fast with that dagger just now.

The car slowed down even more. Osborn mimicked my gesture.

Osborn: Mm, that fast.

You: You—

Osborn: You did well.

You: …Huh?

Osborn: You said you encountered many dangers after you met me.

Osborn: Indeed, as long as you're with me, these dangers won't stop.

Osborn: So let's make an agreement now. Next time, you can run even faster, as far away from danger as possible.

Osborn: Can you do that?

You: Hmm, what if I can't?

Osborn: Then you won't get to participate in future adventures.

You: No way!

You: Don't worry, I definitely will. I trust you, so I'll use all my strength to protect myself!

Osborn paused for two seconds, then tilted his head, glanced at me, and smiled.

He freed one hand and ruffled the top of my head.

Osborn: I trust you too.

You: Mhm!

The cool night breeze carried the song between us.

It was like a soft, gentle murmur in the endless night.

...

A day of startling adventure, finally concludes.

Surging crises, yet never cease.

His emerald eyes, vibrant and burning.

By his side, I fear nothing anymore.

...

[SPECIAL END]

"The night wind softly sings, tree shadows are mottled, and we stand side by side."

-

2C. I think I'm a little hungry. Want some late-night food?

You: I think I'm a little hungry. Want some late-night food?

Osborn raised an eyebrow in surprise, then chuckled.

Osborn: They weren't wrong when they called you a little glutton.

You: Mhm… It feels like I had a very, very long dream tonight, and I learned a lot. It took too much out of me!

You: So, want to get some late-night food together?

Saying this, I winked at Osborn.

Osborn: Oh? I'm honored to appear in your dream.

You: It's not the first time, you know…

Osborn: Hmm? Tell me more?

He suddenly leaned closer, so close that I could see the burning intensity in his emerald eyes. My face instantly flushed, a wave of heat rising.

You: …..It's a secret.

I awkwardly looked away.

Suddenly, a lollipop arced through the air and descended. I fumbled to catch it.

Osborn: Have this to tide you over.

You: Eating candy on an empty stomach isn't very good for you, I think…

I mumbled, but still gripped the lollipop in my hand and reached for the car door to get in. Osborn, however, didn't move.

You: What's wrong?

Snap!—Before I could finish speaking, the car door I had just opened was instantly closed by him.

You: Huh?

Before I could react, his presence enveloped me again.

His incredibly deep eyes were close, reflecting me, holding the lollipop in my hand.

Osborn: I suddenly remembered something more important than a late-night snack.

You: What is it?

Osborn: Y/N, when you're with me, some things are unavoidable.

You: You mean…

Osborn: Danger. Like tonight.

You: Well, do you think my performance tonight was okay? I was pretty calm in the face of danger, right?

Osborn: You were.

Osborn: But there are some areas where you still need to learn.

You: Huh, what areas?

Osborn: The correct posture for using a dagger.

As he spoke, he put one arm around my waist, and with the other, he gently grasped my right hand, which held the lollipop. With a slight pull, I fell into his embrace.

You: ---!!

Those emerald eyes, filled with laughter, gazed deeply into mine. In an instant, I felt every cell in my body solidify.

Osborn's upper body pressed down, forcing me tightly against his solid chest… so close that I felt I could resonate with his steady, powerful heartbeat. All I could hear was his warm, even breathing.

From the point where his clearly defined, large hand gripped my waist, a warmth ignited in all my internal organs. I felt completely consumed by the scent of black cedar.

Osborn: Your defensive and stabbing postures were both wrong just now. The knife point needs to be forward, not upwards.

Osborn: Forward, that's what creates deterrence.

Saying this, he held my hand and, with a slight force, thrust the lollipop forward, adopting an offensive stance.

The clear candy wrapper shimmered subtly in the bright moonlight, like starlight.

Osborn tilted his head slightly and glanced at me.

Osborn: Got it?

You: Got it…

I nervously swallowed. The person beside me, however, smiled and loosened his grip on my hand.

Suddenly, in a flicker, the lollipop slipped from my palm!

Almost simultaneously, the hand that had just released me quickly caught the falling lollipop.

Osborn: Looks like you'll need to practice more, Y/N.

You: Then please, Professor Xiao, teach me well.

Osborn: Alright. How about I teach you one more trick?

Saying this, Osborn smoothly released his hand from my waist and instead gripped my chin.

His scorching breath fell on my face, instantly seizing all my rationality.

His presence casually drifted around me, intense and rich, making my heart skip a beat.

The next second, the lollipop was pressed against my neck.

You: You—

Osborn: See? Sometimes the opponent's mistake is our signal to attack.

Osborn: Did you learn this?

You: Mhm.

Osborn: Then that's all for today. I'll slowly teach you the rest later.

Before I could react, Osborn had already released me.

Osborn: Open your mouth.

You: Huh… what?

I froze, and then the lollipop was already in my mouth. His hand even mischievously swirled it around twice.

The refreshing scent of lemon slowly spread to every corner of my mouth.

Osborn: Sweet?

I nodded blankly.

Osborn: Are you scared silly? It's clearly sour.

You: …I was just startled by you.

Osborn's lips curved into a smile. The moon's pale light caught on his wind-ruffled hair, making him look radiant yet incredibly gentle.

Osborn: Let's go.

You: Mhm!

The sports car sped past the bright moon towards the lively direction. The coastal road, winding along the shore, quickly returned to its usual profound depth and tranquility.

The night sky was fully reflected on the twinkling surface of the sea. Within the light and shadows, it seemed to conceal countless unknowns.

The water shimmered, yet left no trace.

...

The coastal road returned to peace.

Bathed in starlight, we headed homeward.

The salty sea breeze couldn't mask the fresh scent of fruit.

Sweet and sour, just like his sincere and adorable heart.

...

[TRUE END]

"His eyes, bright and gentle, easily erased the lingering unease."

-

TIMELINE POST 1

Osborn: Let the dark story remain in the night.

You: You rest first. I'm going to the supermarket to buy some ingredients.

Osborn: Just woke up. I'll borrow your kitchen when you get back.

TIMELINE POST 2

Osborn: Using a dagger requires skill.

You: Immediately opens phone to search "How to properly use a dagger" QAQ

Osborn: Just theory isn't enough. How about you come directly to Professor Xiao for some practice?

TIMELINE POST 3

Osborn: Stick close to me; you don't need to worry about anything.

You: Good thing you were here tonight…

Osborn: So, when you're scared, just come closer to me.

TIMELINE POST 4

Osborn: (Crying emoji) Heard a certain little glutton wanted to send me some candy. Opened the door to find a huge box. I was stunned.

You: Imagining your stunned look, it sounds so cute~

Osborn: Next time, I'll recreate it for you live. No exaggeration.

-

TEXT MESSAGE 1

Osborn: How are you now? You: I'm alright, but how did you know I… Osborn: Your "melancholy" was written all over your face. Even when we talked about Counting Ducks, it couldn't hide it. Osborn: You're very concerned about A-Jing's matter. You: I am very concerned. Maybe it's because I was involved too, but let me process it; I'll be fine soon. Osborn: Is that so? Osborn: Although you say that, things you've experienced aren't so easy to forget. You: I know! But don't just talk about me; you too, don't overthink this matter! Osborn: I'm not the type to overthink. Osborn: Once you return to your usual self, then you can tell me "not to overthink."

TEXT MESSAGE 2

Osborn: Y/N You: What's wrong? Did something happen? Osborn: I dreamed of you. Osborn: So I wanted to call your name. You: Oh~ Can I know what kind of dream it was~ Osborn: Hmm? Osborn: Who was it who said I appeared in their dream first? Osborn: Let's make a deal: your dream for my dream, an equal exchange. You: Uh, I dreamed that I… Osborn: Why aren't you finishing? Osborn: Or are you too shy to say? You: I've already finished! It's your turn to honestly confess! What were we like in your dream? Osborn (Voice MSG): Well, just a tiny moment. Osborn (Voice MSG): Open the door. Osborn (Voice MSG): Some things only make sense if I tell you in person.

TEXT MESSAGE 3

Osborn: Want to know the compatibility index of Y/N and Osborn? Log in to love.qq.com for details. Reply T to unsubscribe. You: Uh… is today's training over? What strange website did you log into? Osborn: There's still one more round. I'm on break now. Osborn: I played a little test game. Osborn: I didn't expect it to automatically send to you. You: I wouldn't have guessed, Boss Xiao. I didn't expect you to play these little quizzes too~ Osborn: Pu Ning and the others were playing enthusiastically and insisted I try it. Osborn: I just had to boldly enter both our names. Osborn: >:) (emote) You: Hahahahaha, you're so mean! Don't discourage Pu Ning who's going through a breakup! Osborn: He started it. Osborn: So don't blame our perfect score for showing him up. You: Awesome! Speaking of which, I love these little quizzes too. Next time I can send them to you, and we can play together! Osborn: Sounds good. Osborn: I didn't used to play these much, but I didn't expect them to be quite accurate.

-

PHONE CALL

You (SMS): Mhm! Oh, right… I just thought of something!

Osborn: What is it?

You: Why did you suddenly call me? You scared me!

Osborn: That scares you too? Have you forgotten your brave posture when you held that dagger?

You: ...

Osborn: So, what did you want to say?

You: Mm, I forgot to say earlier, thank you for the lollipop.

Osborn: Thank it for making your appetite huge, eating dozens of spicy skewers in one go.

You: There weren't that many…

Osborn: Not many at all. I actually wish you'd eat more and gain some weight.

You: Are you confusing me with Osborn's Xiaomander? That's not what I wanted to talk about.

Osborn: Alright, no more jokes. I'm listening seriously.

You: I wanted to say, your candy seems to have magic. Every time I eat it, I feel especially at ease.

Osborn: You want more already?

You: I do not!

Osborn: ...I also had the same feeling as you.

Osborn: That candy could make me relax and feel at ease, but that was a long time ago.

Osborn: The current me doesn't need candy to bring those feelings.

You: Hmm… Was it a childhood habit?

Osborn: Mhm.

You: Speaking of which, do you really like lemons? You always give me lemon-flavored candy.

Osborn: Mhm, sour flavors really help clear your head.

You: But it's hard to imagine you liking sour candy so much when you were little.

You: Most kids prefer sweet flavors, right?

Osborn: Because lemon-flavored candy is special to me.

Osborn: When I was very little, someone very important to me gave me my first candy, and it was a lemon candy.

Osborn: So this taste is very special.

You: Is it… family?

Osborn: Sort of.

Osborn: An interesting old man.

You: Hey, if there's a chance, can I meet him?

Osborn: Sure. I'll take you next time.

You: Yay! It'll be a good chance to slowly learn about your past.

Osborn: Not slowly. We can speed it up a bit.

You: ...You're really fixated on the word "fast."

Osborn: Of course. You already knew that, didn't you?

Osborn: Oh, right. About the candy, try looking at it from a different perspective.

Osborn: What makes you feel at ease isn't actually the candy?

You: Mhm, it's the person who gave me the candy.

Osborn: That person heard that, and he's very happy.

Osborn: Alright, time to go. Get some rest soon.

Osborn: Good night.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 4

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[a-boros-named-seamus]

As the Citadel fell around him, Shepard thought about the Normandy. About every member of his crew. About Kaidan.

🎵 “It started out as a feeling,”

He remembered meeting the man, just before Eden Prime. Fighting aside him and Ash, with him on that last desperate sprint to the Conduit.

🎵 “Just because everything's changing, doesn't mean it's never been this way before.”

And then there was Alchera. Promising Kaidan he would be fine just as soon as he got joker to a pod. Struggling to breathe as his suit vented into the void.

🎵 “Now we're back to the beginning,”

And then there was Horizon. That terrible day. Kaidan looking at him like a traitor, a puppet dancing to the Illusive Man's tune, had broken something in his heart that he hadn't known was there. He thought of Kaidan when he destroyed the Collector Base

🎵 “But just because they can't feel it too, doesn't mean that you have to forget.”

Mars had been... hard. He had desperately wanted Kaidan to trust him again, had tried so hard to convince him, but there was little time for talking, and he wasn't comfortable baring his heart in front of Liara and her obvious, unwelcomed, crush on him.

Nevertheless the pain in his heart drove him to try. And it had been working, step by step.

🎵 “Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light.”

And then Eva Core had tried to collapse Kaidan's skull. He'd barely been able to tear him away from Kaidan's bedside, let alone sleep. And when he had slept, his dreams had been full of the words of the dead. The Vista of the Citadel's wards arcing out if the Widow Nebula had been as beautiful as ever, but it had been hard to think about anything but the paramedics EDI had called to meet them in the docking bay. Watching them take Kaidan away had filled him with a profound sense of dread.

🎵 “It's just a feeling and no one knows yet,”

"Maybe some things get better with age"

"Or maybe you have"

Kaidan chuckled. "Are you flirting with me, Commander? Wait, wait! Don't tell me. Let me live in the illusion"

Shepard's heart had skipped a beat there. He'd been going out on a limb and kaidan had been happy. Had encouraged him.

There was still an ache deep within his heart, but it was closing.

🎵 “You'll come back when it's over,”

Kaidan lowering his gun there on that Citadel had healed that secret hurt that he'd been nursing since Horizon. Their conversations on Mars and in Huerta had helped, but this one absolute moment of trust closed it forever, leaving naught but a memory.

🎵 “And then that word grew louder and louder 'til it was a battle cry,”

That date, that 'sanity check' at Apollo's Cafe. It had been... oh god it had been perfect. They'd both danced around the subject, just a bit, but in the end they'd come together and stuck that way.

And later, at the car lot, when he'd been running from CAT-6 and relying on his barriers and wits. He'd walked through a door to find Kaidan standing there in his armor and toying with mercs, and his relief, adrenaline, fear, and love had all mixed together to make that tableau the single hottest thing he had ever seen.

🎵 “All you can do is try to know who your friends are as you head off to the war,”

His thoughts went to that last party on the Citadel. All of his living crewmates had been there sharing moments both raucous and quiet. It had done his soul good. The cracks that had started with abandoning Ashley had finally begun to close. His favorite part had been the morning after. He'd woken up next to Kaidan and gone on to find his crew enjoying the morning quiet.

🎵 “Let your memories grow stronger and stronger ‘til they're before your eyes,”

The last memory was that of Kaidan coming up to his quarters just before the assault on Cerberus. Good drinks, a good talk, and even better sex. It had been the perfect night, even as death's specter loomed.

And then, he returned to present.

🎵 “Which then grew into a hope, which then turned into a quiet thought, which then turned into a quiet word,”

Just breathe. He repeated it to himself over and over, his cybernetics straining to keep him alive beneath the rubble. He could see teams searching the wreckage, but couldnt call out, because he had to focus on breathing.

He'd managed to tap into every eezo nodule in his body, pushing his biotincs to their limit on order to break his fall and keep himself from being utterly crushed, and it had still been just barely enough. But there was hope for him yet

As he started to slip away, he heard rescuers drawing close.

"Call the Normandy. We found him alive"

🎵 “No need to say goodbye,”

He awoke to several familiar sensations. The rubbing of soft sheets. The scent of flowers. Warm sunlight on his skin. A monitor beeping in time with his heart.

"Shepard?"

Kaidan was there next to him, holding some sort of report and looking dreadful. He also looked beautiful. Like the dawn after a long, cold night.

They spent a few quiet moments of relief together until EDI, who had of course hacked the hospital to keep an eye on his heart monitor, ushered everyone in. Or, well. All of them that could fit in a private hospital room.

The rains had passed, a beautiful new day had dawned, and they were all here to see it.