#if I knew that I would have moved much earlier 😂

[ennn]

Great meta about episode 8 and about Agatha’s feelings. I’m particularly curious about Rio and I agree with everything you said about her feelings and why she lashed out. She finally gave up on Agatha after centuries, she accepted she would always hate her no matter what even if she chose giving Billy up or herself but did that kiss change anything for her? She looked like she was truly grieving her and letting go

I don’t think she knew about ghost Agatha but will that change anything? Do you think she will follow the deal and leave Agatha alone? There is also the issue about Tommy but if you don’t count the twins do you think Death finally decided to move on? Will she be free or with those two, never 😂

Heh, I did leave out the part about the kiss in my meta post didn't I? My brain was so tired lol

The short answer? It's ambiguous.

And I think that's largely deliberate because The Powers That Be (TPTB) haven't committed to where and how they want to use Rio / Death in future Marvel projects.

I think there's definitely enough setup done and opportunity in the story for Rio to come back for an AAA sequel or spin-off — but also enough ambiguity if not.

Story-wise, the kiss is significant because I don't think Agatha's one to directly apologise or walk back what she says. It's a similar thing in episode 4 where Agatha embraces Rio with all that emotion.

I think the kiss is Agatha saying she still does have love for Rio, that she does want her despite all that she said earlier, that she's sorry but she can't let this boy die.

It's very heartbreaking if you consider Rio had resigned herself to Agatha just hating and rejecting her, and she is given this reminder of their love as a goodbye.

But ultimately I think with Agatha's progress – inching her way along her arc – this still marks the end of this chapter of their relationship: these two finally had something of an honest conversation, the baseline of their interactions has changed, and Rio needs to process brand new emotions like grief (which I sure hope doesn't have cosmic consequences ha ha).

That said, the kiss does seem to put Agatha and Rio in a relatively okay place at the end of this chapter. It's a bit of reconciliation. They've shown that they still love each other, but there's still a significant disconnect between them. But as a wise Lilia once said, sad is better than angry.

Now the ghost thing: it's a really interesting change to the dynamic of their relationship but I don't know if Agatha being a ghost encourages or dissuades Rio to go after her. Rio may feel motivated to help Agatha pass on and be with Nicky. Or Rio may take it as Agatha choosing to put distance between them, and from what we see in episode 5, Rio can't really do much about ghosts.

What the ghost thing does do is give Rio some grounds to ignore the first deal because if we look at the letter of the arrangement, Agatha asks for Rio "to stop making her life hell" and to not see Rio's face when she dies. These terms are no longer relevant for a ghost.

And if one argues that the deal has Agatha telling Rio to stop pursuing her, you could argue that Rio's following Billy and trying to deal with the Tommy situation. Agatha just happens to be around all the time while Rio's doing her job.

If we ignore the whole Maximoff twin situation like you say, I think it would actually be up to Agatha to decide whether a new chapter of them begins.

Because while being a ghost is a sacrifice in a lot of ways, it actually gives Agatha more control over the relationship in a way she didn't before, not even with the Darkhold. I don't think Rio can touch her, literally. It's possible Rio can't even sense her.

The good news is, this kind of ambiguity is perfect for fanfiction and fan interpretations. There is a lot of potential there.

[furshrimps]

We managed around 45 minutes this morning and even got to where the local hardware store is ❤️ And there's so many beautiful flowers everywhere now! ❤️❤️❤️

[onlyhereforthestories]

Worth It? Or Not? (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

Hi guys! It's been too long. Please enjoy this long ramble that slightly resembles writing 😂. I have a few more things written and I am trying to finish Chica for you all. Happy weekend.

It was a new season, and you were so ready for what it was going to throw at you. The last season you participated in had been your best yet you think, although that was most likely due to the fact that it was your first with your girlfriend. You and Alexia had been dancing around your feeling for each other for a few years and in the off-season last year the older woman had finally asked you out. By the time the season just gone had started you were already official, and it had made last year that much more special. You got to share your achievements with the one you loved and that really was wonderful.

Now for a new season and possibly a new step for your relationship with Alexia, she had been hinting at moving in together for the last few weeks. Little off hand comments like “That would look nice in a master bedroom.” And “I wonder if we would have a feature wall if we had our own living space.” You thought it was about time you started hinting back. You needed to be sure it was something she actually wanted before you out right asked her if she was ready to move in together.

You were currently waiting for Aitana to pick you up, Alexia had to be in earlier than everyone else this morning for a meeting and so you had slept separately, at your own apartments last night. This was the first time in weeks that you could remember not sharing a bed with the older woman. She said she didn’t want to wake you as early as she needed to be up and after trying to argue with her for 10 minutes you had given up, she just wasn’t getting that you would happily wake up early if it meant spending the extra time with her.

“So why do I have to come get your whipped ass? Where’s the wifey?” You rolled your eyes at the woman as you climbed into the passenger seat of her car. Aitana had been one of the first people you had talked to about your crush on Alexia and now the slightly younger woman took every opportunity she could to tease you about your obvious love for the team captain.

“I’m telling her you called her that, but in answer to your poorly asked question, she had an early meeting and didn’t want to wake me up at the early time she had to be up.” You shrugged your shoulders in a gesture you knew was for your benefit not hers, you had been up half the night letting your anxiety get the best of you.

“It’s Alexia, you know her, she is probably just nervous for the new season and how the new signings will fit in.” You knew that Aitana was most likely right but you also couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that she was already getting bored of being with you. You knew you shouldn’t let these thoughts get the better of you but that was easier to say than actually do, it wasn’t that you doubted Alexia at all, it was more your growing anxiety over your own worth in your head. In fact you knew it was you and your head and that just made it even more frustrating, it was another thing that made you question yourself.

“Yeah, you are probably right, she has been feeling the captain pressure a lot over the last week or so. She has been watching tapes of the new girls and talking a lot with the staff after weights. Sometimes I wish she would just switch off from work and be a little more present with me, but she’s Alexia queen of Barca. She puts 110% into this club and that’s what I signed up for happily.”

After that the conversation switched to a lighter topic and by the time you pulled up at the training ground you were feeling a lot lighter and laughing with one of your best friends. Any thoughts of Alexia not wanting you any more were long gone and all you wanted to do now was get your cleats on. Football would always be a great escape for you, it was like your mind could relax whilst you had a ball at your feet.

After getting ready in the changing room, without the appearance of your love, you headed out with the rest of the girls to find Alexia in the middle of the field with another woman you didn’t recognise. Your attention was pulled from them when Pere spoke, “Okay ladies, we have a new signing starting with us today. Alexia has been getting to know her a little bit so it’s easier for her to settle in. Please be welcoming.” You all nodded your heads in agreement and followed him over to the two women.

“Hi it’s nice to meet you all, I’m Chloe.” You could tell the woman was nervous and so could Alexia as she moved everyone onto warm-ups rather quickly. Over the course of the session everyone introduced themselves to the new girl individually so that she felt as comfortable as possible.

You had just got out of the shower and was putting the last items in your bag when Alexia approached you for the first time today. “Hola, can I ask you for a favour por favor?” You could tell she was sort of in a hurry by the lack of affection she gave you. You would normally at least get a peck to the cheek, but she barely even got close enough to you for you to hear her properly.

“Si of course.” You would do anything for the woman in front of you and everyone knew it.

“I’m taking Chloe out to see the city so she knows her way around a bit better, but I didn’t get to walk Nala this morning. Can you run round mine and do it for me? I asked Alba but she is working.” There was a lot to pick out of that passage of one-sided conversation. First you were hurt that she had gone to Alba first when Nala was like your own dog too. Second, she must have forgotten your lunch plans with Claudia and Patri that had been made a while back and you knew was on her calendar as you put it there. Something you decided not to bring up, she was just trying to help the new girl settle in you understood that.

“Yes of course. Do you want me to make dinner tonight?” You thought at least you could have some time with her that evening being as you’ve barely interacted all day.

“I won’t be back for dinner, I told Chloe I would help her sort her apartment out after showing her the sights. I don’t know what time I’ll be back y/n so maybe we should sleep in our own apartments again tonight.” You really didn’t know what to say to this, so you just nodded. You got a lot of the women’s time, so you didn’t think it was fair for you to be upset over a couple days, especially not when she was just trying to help someone out.

“Okay, I’ll see you at training tomorrow then.” You turned round and walked out of training with a slight weight on your chest and your mind running with thoughts you wish you didn’t have.

After you walked Nala and dropped her back into Alexia’s apartment, an apartment that started to feel like your own until the last 24 hours. Part of you knew this was silly to think but you couldn’t help it, you are always an overthinker and this was something that you struggled with. You didn’t even take the time to make sure Nala was settled you just open the door let her in, checked her water bowl was full and left again. Being there just felt wrong today. Deciding that your mood was really not good enough to go out and have a lunch with your two friends you texted Patri to cancel, and after assuring her you were okay just a little extra tired today, she wished you a good evening and said she would pick you up for training if you needed the next morning.

An offer you ended up taking when your texts to Alexia the next morning went unanswered. You were tired and starting to get a little annoyed with the older woman, you were trying to reason as to why she wasn’t replying to your texts and even when she did it was so spaced out it felt like she didn’t care or want to talk to you. You were trying to change that thought process, but it was hard when that’s where your mind had gone.

“Hola, you don’t look so good. Should you be coming to training.” Patri’s concerned voice almost sent you into a wave of sobs, but you held it together, your thoughts were stupid so you know you couldn’t show you were sad. You didn’t want Patri to think you were an idiot for the way you were feeling about your current situation, if it was even a situation.

“I’m just tired Pats, I’ve not slept well the last few nights and I think its just caught up to me a bit today.” You sighed in relief when she didn’t push you any further just gave you a once over and then pulled away from the outside of your apartment complex.

You were hoping the journey to training would help your mood and thoughts, but it didn’t much. Patri tried her best to cheer you up and you really appreciated the younger woman’s efforts, but you were struggling. You made your way into the changing room behind your best friend and didn’t both to look up as you made your way to your cubby. You placed your stuff down and changed into your boots, leaving the changing room straight after as the first out.

You decided some air and keepy ups might help sort your head out before training. Pere and the staff were out setting up when you went to ask for a ball, they gladly gave you one and you headed to the far end of the field to have your space. The sun beating down on you felt good and a ball at your feet always helped.

Your peace was short lived as you heard the chatter of the rest of the girls and Pere calling you all in. You grabbed your ball and headed over, looking at the group for the first time. What you saw hurt your heart more than you would say to anyone, Alexia was stood near Pere like normal. That obviously wasn’t the upsetting part, the upsetting part was that Chloe was pretty much pressed against Ale. You tried not to look too long or think too much but you struggled. You really struggled.

Training started and your thoughts just kept going. You couldn’t concentrate, you couldn’t pass right, your touches were off and none of the shots you took even went close to the goal. By the end of the first half of training everyone could tell something wasn’t okay with you, so much so that Pere called you over in the drinks break.

“What’s up today? This is very unlike you. If your sick you should have just let us know I don’t want to see you get injured if you are pushing yourself too much and then end up being out for longer than you need to be. Health is important y/n.” The way he said it wasn’t scolding which you were thankful for, you were slightly worried that he would be annoyed with you for your performance.

“I’m sorry coach. I’m not feeling my best today, I thought I’d be okay to train but I think maybe I was wrong.” You wouldn’t normally miss training unless really necessary, but you were too far gone mentally and staying here wasn’t what you needed right now.

“That’s okay some days we just need the break and to rest. Go home and we will see you hopefully tomorrow. Please pop and see the medical staff on the way out to check in with them.” With that he patted your shoulder and went back to call the team back to training.

As you walked past the group Patri caught your eye and gave you the are you okay look. You waved her off with a half-smile and continued to the changing rooms. You decided that a shower at home would be the best for you and so just changed your shoes, grabbed your stuff and headed to the medical room.

They just did some basic checks on your temperature and blood pressure before sending you off with the promise to come in first thing tomorrow if you were planning on training just to have another check before you did.

You half expected Alexia to be waiting for you outside the medical room when you walked out but she wasn’t. You walked out of the grounds to remember that you got a lift, you were just about to walk home when your name was called. For a second your body warmed thinking it was who you really wanted it to be before your shoulders slump slightly. You knew that was Patri.

“I’ll drive you home come on.” You didn’t argue you just hopped in the passenger seat. You were quiet the whole way back to your place, the only words you said to the younger woman was thank you when you got out the car.

You took your shower turning the water to as hot as you could handle. Going for comfort after that you changed into your (Alexias) comfiest hoodie and a pair of tracksuits that you really weren’t sure whose they were. You settled yourself onto your sofa and turned on a random old show you didn’t need to concentrate on.

You have no idea when you fell asleep, but you must have at some point because you were blinking yourself awake in the now pitch blackness of your living space. The only light you had was coming from your phone on the table that you now realised was ringing and must have been the reason you were currently waking up.

You reached over to grab it off the table to see who it was, glancing at the screen you were faced with your favourite photo you had ever taken. Ale had this smile that reached her eyes as she stared at you through the camera, it was taken last month when you were on vacation before the season was due to start.

You were stuck in a sort of daze so you didn’t answer the call, after it rang off you were faced with 5 miss calls from the woman. You noticed the time, you had missed lunch and dinner. You almost missed bedtime if you were being truthful to yourself, so you got up off the sofa and turned the tv off. You grabbed your phone again and headed to your bathroom to clean your teeth and get into your pjs. Once in bed you called Alexia back, who picked up after a couple rings.

“Y/n where did you go? Why did you miss training?” Her words were rushed as soon as she answered, which you felt a little bad about as she had been trying to get hold of you for a while now.

You took a deep breath, trying to organize your thoughts before answering Alexia’s question. You could hear the concern in her voice, which only made your heart ache more. It wasn’t anger or frustration—it was genuine worry. And yet, the events of the past couple of days had left you feeling vulnerable and disconnected.

“I wasn’t feeling well,” you started quietly, not wanting your voice to crack. “Pere told me to go home, and I guess I just needed some time to rest. I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls before I fell asleep on the sofa.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. You could hear Alexia shifting slightly, probably trying to figure out the right words. She was good at taking a moment to make sure she said the correct thing, that she said everything she wanted and in a way that would be understood for what it was.

“I would’ve come with you if I knew,” she said softly. “Why didn’t you talk to me? Or at least text me when you got home?”

“I did try to talk to you,” you replied, a bit sharper than you intended. You quickly softened your tone before continuing. “I was going to tell you before I left the training grounds but when I went to go over, I saw you were in a conversation with Chloe and I didn’t want to interrupt. I know what making her feel welcome into the team means to you so I just left, Patri dropped me home.”

Alexia was silent again, and you hated that your mind immediately went back to the image of Chloe standing so close to her earlier. You knew it was unreasonable to feel threatened, but the distance you’d been feeling from Alexia over the last couple of days was making everything worse. You knew Alexia and you knew that if she was even thinking about someone else in the way she thought about you, she would end things. It was a conversation the both of you had had very early in the relationship, it was better to say and end things than cause more heartache with something like cheating.

“You’re right,” she finally said. “I’ve been caught up with the new signings, especially Chloe. I wanted to help her settle in, but I didn’t realize I was neglecting you in the process.”

You felt a lump forming in your throat as you listened to her. The fact that she acknowledged it made you feel a bit better, but it didn’t completely erase the weight that had been sitting on your chest. It still has happened.

“I get it, Ale. You’re the captain, and you’ve got responsibilities, but…” You trailed off, not sure how to express what you were feeling without coming across as needy or insecure.

“But what?” she asked gently, encouraging you to keep going.

“I just… I don’t know. It feels like we haven’t really been us these past few days. Like we’re slipping apart, and I don’t want that.”

Alexia sighed softly, and you could almost picture her rubbing the back of her neck the way she always did when she was thinking hard about something.

“I don’t want that either,” she said after a moment. “I’m sorry, really. I’ve been so focused on the new season and everything happening with the team that I haven’t been present with you. That’s not fair.”

Tears stung your eyes at her words. You hated that you had been feeling so anxious and unsure about where you stood with her. The logical part of your brain knew that Alexia loved you deeply, but sometimes, your emotions got the better of you.

“I just miss you,” you whispered, finally letting a bit of the hurt spill out.

“I miss you too,” she replied, her voice soft but firm. “I promise, when I get back, we’ll spend some real time together. Just the two of us.”

You wanted to believe her, to hold onto the comfort her words should have brought you, but as you lay there, phone pressed to your ear, something still felt off. The doubts that had been swirling in your mind all day didn’t vanish—they just simmered beneath the surface, waiting for another moment to creep back in. You tried to smile, to let her words sink in, but it felt hollow.

"Okay," you whispered, your voice weaker than you intended. There was a pause on the line, and for a second, you wondered if she could hear the uncertainty that was sitting heavy on your chest.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Get some rest. I love you,” Alexia said, her tone soft but distant, and somehow it made you feel even worse.

“I love you too, Ale,” you replied automatically, though the words felt like they got caught in your throat. You wanted to believe them, wanted to believe her. But as you hung up the phone, the heavy silence in your room returned, and with it, the creeping feeling that maybe things weren’t as solid as you hoped.

You curled up under the covers, pulling them tighter around you, but instead of the calm you craved, a lingering unease settled deep in your chest. The conversation hadn’t been enough to ease your mind, and the distance between you two felt more real than ever. Alexia cared, you knew that, but it didn’t stop the doubts from pulling you under.

As much as you tried to push it aside, the little voice in your head that had been whispering insecurities all day grew louder. What if she’s getting tired of me? What if this distance between us is because she doesn’t want to be with me anymore? The more you thought about it, the more it felt like Alexia was slipping away, even though she’d just promised to spend more time with you. The doubts began to swirl again, faster now, and the pit in your stomach deepened.

Sure, Alexia had apologized, but what if it wasn’t just about her being busy with the new signings? What if she was using that as an excuse? You started picking apart every little detail from the past few days—how she barely interacted with you this morning, how she chose to spend time with Chloe instead of you, how easily she’d forgotten your plans for lunch with Patri and Claudia. Maybe she wasn’t as invested in the relationship anymore. Maybe she was realizing that being with you wasn’t what she wanted.

You buried your face in your pillow, fighting the creeping sense of rejection. No, this is just the anxiety talking. She loves you. She said she loves you, you reminded yourself, but it felt like a hollow reassurance. Even as you repeated it, the lingering doubt wouldn’t leave you. You wanted so badly to believe her words, to take them at face value, but the overthinking was louder than reason right now.

The phone in your hand vibrated again, pulling you out of your spiral for a moment. Alexia had sent you a text: I really don’t like how we left things. Can I come over? I’ll bring dinner. We can talk.

Your heart skipped at the message. On one hand, you wanted her here. You wanted her arms around you, her presence to quiet the storm in your mind. But on the other hand, you felt like having her here would only make your insecurities worse. What if she could see right through you? What if she could tell that you weren’t okay, that you doubted her? What if she was already tired of dealing with your anxieties, your overthinking?

Before you could stop yourself, you typed back: I think it’s better if I stay alone tonight. I might be getting sick, and I don’t want to give you anything. You’ve got enough on your plate with the new season and all.

You stared at the message, second-guessing every word. It wasn’t entirely a lie—you did feel off, emotionally and physically, but that wasn’t the real reason you didn’t want her to come over. You were scared. Scared that spending time with her would only confirm the worst of your fears. That she was growing tired of you, tired of your relationship.

After a few moments, your phone buzzed again with Alexia’s response: Are you sure? I can bring soup or tea, whatever you need. I don’t mind at all.

Her willingness to drop everything and come over only made you feel worse. How could you doubt someone who was so thoughtful, so caring? But the voice in your head persisted—what if she was just doing this out of obligation? What if she felt guilty? It wasn’t long before you convinced yourself that Alexia was only offering out of a sense of duty, not because she actually wanted to be with you tonight.

Yeah, I’m sure. You replied, forcing yourself to hit send before you could change your mind. I’ll be fine. Just need some rest.

You stared at your phone, waiting for her response, hoping she would fight harder to come over, hoping she would insist. But her next message came quickly, and it felt like a punch to the gut. Okay, rest up. Let me know if you need anything, cariño. I’ll see you tomorrow at training.

Simple. Kind. But it wasn’t the push you had been hoping for. She wasn’t coming over. Maybe she was relieved, you thought bitterly. Maybe she didn’t actually want to spend time with you after all. You hated that your mind kept going there, but the doubts kept clawing at you, relentless and cruel.

Curling up tighter in your bed, you told yourself that some space was good. Maybe tomorrow would be better, maybe by then, you’d feel less overwhelmed, and Alexia would feel closer again. But as you lay there, staring at the ceiling in the dark, the weight of your insecurities was heavier than ever. You didn’t want to lose her, but right now, it felt like that’s exactly what was happening, and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

you need anything. I love you. Get some good sleep, okay?

You read the message over and over, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Relief, because Alexia wasn’t pushing you to talk when you didn’t feel ready. Disappointment, because a part of you had hoped she would sense your need for more; more reassurance, more connection, more confirmation that everything between you two was still okay. But she didn’t press further, and that left you with an emptiness that was hard to shake. Part of you knew that was silly, she had texted after your call and that should have helped but it just left you with a half full feeling. Like you were only worth that small extra effort.

As you lay there, your mind kept spiralling. You wanted to believe that this was just a rough patch, a phase, something that would pass after the season got into full swing. But the fear that something had shifted between you and Alexia lingered. You tried to push it away, to focus on the fact that she had said she loved you, that she was willing to drop everything for you. But the overthinking kept creeping back, whispering that maybe this was the beginning of the end.

You closed your eyes, pulling the blankets tighter around you, willing yourself to sleep. But even as exhaustion tugged at your body, your mind wouldn’t let go of the nagging doubts. You kept replaying the last few days in your head, every moment where Alexia had seemed distant, every conversation that had felt stilted or rushed. You hated how insecure it made you feel, but you couldn’t help it.

Alexia sits on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone, fingers hovering over the screen. She wants to call you, wants to check in, but hesitates. There’s a lump in her throat, a weight in her chest that won’t shift. You’d asked her for space, asked her not to hover, and she’s been trying, really trying, to respect that. But it’s hard. It’s so damn hard. It feels wrong to stay away, especially when she knows you’re not feeling well.

She runs a hand through her hair, frustrated with herself. She’s been distant lately and she understands that she’s not been around as much as she should have. Training, media obligations, new signings, everything’s been pulling her in different directions, and now, when you need her the most, she’s afraid she’s failing you. Alexia’s not used to feeling this way, like she’s not enough. But here she is, second-guessing everything and wondering why she let it get to this point.

What if you don’t even want her around anymore?

The thought hits her harder than she expects, and she feels a pang of guilt. You deserve someone better, someone who can be there, be present, and she’s been anything but lately. And now, with you sick, the fear creeps in even more. She worries that her attempts to give you space that you asked for might just be making things worse, that you might feel abandoned, even if that’s the last thing she ever wanted.

She presses her palms against her knees, trying to calm the whirlwind in her mind. The idea that she might not be enough, that she might not be the perfect girlfriend you deserve, gnaws at her. She’s scared she’s messing this up, that every move she makes might be the wrong one.

What if she’s not what you need right now? What if she’s been too caught up in her own world, too wrapped up in everything else to see what’s really going on with you?

Her phone buzzes, and for a moment, she thinks about texting you. But what would she even say? She feels torn, pulled between wanting to rush to your side and the fear that doing so would push you away.

She exhales sharply, setting the phone down, her hands now trembling slightly. She loves you, that much is very clear to her. But loving you and being there for you the way you deserve; it feels like two different things right now. She’s scared of being inadequate, of not living up to what you need.

In her heart, she wants to be the perfect girlfriend for you, the one who knows how to navigate all this with ease. Wants to know what you need without you having to say, wants to show you that there isn’t anyone better for you than her. But she’s scared, scared that she’s already failed.

That night, Alexia drives to your place. The streets are quiet, dimly lit by the occasional streetlamp, and the familiar route feels strange tonight, like she’s seeing it through a different lens. Her heart races the closer she gets, hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual.

When she finally pulls up outside, she kills the engine but doesn’t move. The silence in the car feels thick, almost oppressive, like it's pressing down on her chest. She knows she should get out, knock on your door, and just be there for you. It’s why she came, after all. But something keeps her glued to the driver’s seat, eyes fixed on the dashboard, mind spinning with uncertainty.

What if you don’t want her here?

She takes a deep breath and glances up at your window. The lights are off, maybe you’re already asleep, maybe you’ve had a long day. Her mind starts to drift even further. Maybe she’s too late. But even if you're still awake, there’s that nagging voice in her head that tells her she’s crossing a line, that you’d rather be alone. That she should have done this a few days ago not now, not when you asked her to stay away.

I shouldn’t have come.

She exhales, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. Every part of her wants to be close to you, to show up the way she should have sooner. She even reaches for the door handle, her heart pounding as she tells herself, Just get out, Ale. Just go inside and talk to her. Be there for her.

But her grip on the handle loosens, and she pulls her hand back.

What if showing up makes things worse? What if you’re still upset, still needing space, and all she does by being here is prove that she can’t respect that?

She closes her eyes for a moment, willing the doubts away, but they only get louder. She’s scared, scared that you’ll see right through her. Scared that, no matter how hard she tries, she’s already failed you.

With a frustrated sigh, she pushes the door open and steps out of the car. The night air hits her, cool and crisp, and she stands there, staring at your front door. Her feet move her a few steps closer, but then she stops, frozen halfway across the street. To any passerby she would look slightly crazy, standing in the middle of the street, car door open behind her and staring at a closed door. But alexia didn’t care, she couldn’t think about anything else other than you.

She could knock, could tell you everything that’s been going through her head, but what if it’s too much? What if it’s too soon?

Alexia takes a deep breath and steps back, retreating to the safety of her car. She sits there, hands resting on the wheel again, feeling like a coward. But the thought of doing the wrong thing, of making things harder for you, keeps her from getting back out the car.

Tomorrow, she thinks. Tomorrow I’ll speak to her.

It’s a promise she makes to herself, hoping that maybe, with a little more time, she’ll find the right words.

The next morning, you woke up feeling no better than the night before. If anything, the pit in your stomach had only grown. You glanced at your phone, half-expecting to see a message from Alexia, but there was nothing. No good morning text, no follow-up to check on you. That left a really bitter feeling inside of you, one that you hated feeling for two reasons. One, you knew in your heart she wasn’t trying to make you feel that way, and two because you felt that way.

As you dragged yourself out of bed, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. You tried to convince yourself that Alexia was just busy, that she was giving you space like you asked. But deep down, the doubt gnawed at you. What if the space you asked for was pushing her further away?

You knew you needed to talk to her, to clear the air, but the thought of confronting your feelings made you anxious. What if she confirmed your worst fears? What if she said she wasn’t sure about the relationship anymore? You weren’t sure you could handle that.

Still, as you got ready for training, you decided to talk to her today. No more avoiding the conversation. You needed to know what was happening, you needed to clear things up. Not only for your relationship but for your own mind. There was a small voice at the back of your head telling you that speaking to Alexia about why this has happened might be a good idea, but you ignored that for the moment. That would mean showing those deep insecurities. And you weren’t sure if you were ready for that yet.

With the decision made, you grabbed your things and headed out the door, hoping that today would bring some clarity and maybe, just maybe, the reassurance you desperately needed.

Stepping out of the building, you're caught off guard. Alexia is there, leaning against her car, arms folded, sunglasses perched on her nose. She straightens up the moment she spots you, waving casually as if this is the most normal thing in the world. Which a week ago it would have been.

"Hey," she says lightly, her tone casual, maybe a little too casual. Stop reading so much into it y/n.

"Hey," you respond, trying to hide your confusion. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

She shrugs, unlocking the car with a beep. "Thought I’d give you a lift to training. I know Patri picked you up and dropped you home yesterday. I also wanted to check on you properly. How’re you feeling?"

There’s a pause, you are unsure if she’s asking about how you're feeling physically or mentally. "I’m... fine. Maybe a bit tired." Short and sweet, that will do for now.

"Yeah, it’s been a long week," she comments, sliding into the driver’s seat. You follow, buckling in, and the car hums to life as she pulls out onto the road. For a moment, the silence sits between you two, neither of you quite sure how to fill it.

"Traffic’s light today," she notes, glancing briefly at you. "Should get there in no time."

You nod, grateful for the small talk. "Yeah, that’s good."

Another beat of quiet passes.

"Did you see the new kit design?" she asks, her tone light, as if she’s trying to keep the conversation safe.

"Yeah, I did. Looks pretty sharp, though I’m not sure about the neon stripes," you reply, relaxing into the seat a little.

She chuckles softly. "Not a fan?"

You crack a small smile. "Not really my thing. Maybe it’ll grow on me."

The conversation fades again, but this time it feels easier, more comfortable. She’s not pushing, not prying into anything deeper. It feels like both of you are skirting around something bigger, but for now, the surface level is just fine.

Before long, you arrive at the training centre. Alexia leads you inside, where the trainers are waiting. The check-up is routine, some stretches, a few prods here and there and soon, they clear you to train.

"You’re good to go," the head trainer tells you with a nod.

As you step out onto the pitch, Alexia lingers nearby, not hovering, but subtly making sure you’re all right. During the water breaks, she’s quick to hand you a bottle, reminding you to stay hydrated. It's nothing overt, just small gestures that don’t go unnoticed by you.

Training passes, and as you finish up, wiping the sweat from your face and stretching out your tired muscles, you see her approaching again. This time, there’s something different in her expression.

"You did well today," she says with a small, approving smile.

"Thanks," you reply, sensing the shift in the air, the conversation about to take a more serious turn.

She hesitates for a second, then takes a deep breath. "Look... do you want to come back to mine? We need to talk. I think we’re overdue for it."

Her words hang between you both, but the way she says it feels less like a confrontation and more like an invitation. There’s no pressure, no demand, just a simple request.

You meet her gaze, unsure of what this conversation will bring, but knowing it’s inevitable. Whatever is currently going on with you two needs to be addressed and soon. Neither of you enjoying your current situation and definitely not wanting it to continue on this way.

"Yeah," you say, surprising yourself with how quickly the word comes out. "Let’s go."

You hesitate to take the hand Alexia reaches out in front of you, but when she gives you that small smile and slight tilt of her head you can’t help but grab on. You are once again conflicted when she lets go once you are on your feet, but when she awkwardly scratches at her neck as she gestures for you to start walking you can’t help the affection for her that rises in your chest.

The drive to Alexia’s is quiet, not awkward, but there’s a tension that hangs in the air. The radio plays softly in the background, a low hum of noise filling the silence as neither of you speaks much. You glance at her now and then, noticing how her hands grip the wheel just a little too tight, how her jaw seems tense. She’s trying to seem calm, but you know her well enough to see the nerves beneath the surface.

When you arrive at her apartment, Alexia unlocks the door and once again gestures for you to go inside first. You step in, and the familiarity of her space washes over you, a space that’s been shared so many times, but tonight feels different. She lingers by the door for a moment, taking a breath before following you in.

You both sit down on the couch, a little distance between you. Alexia fidgets with her fingers, playing with her rings, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. Finally, she speaks, her voice softer than usual, almost unsure.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” she says, her eyes not quite meeting yours. “I wanted to, but... I didn’t know if you’d want me there.”

You sit quietly, listening, waiting for her to continue. You know it is only fair to let her finish without interrupting, your time to speak will come.

“I know I haven’t been... the best lately. I’ve been distant, and I can’t even explain why in a way that makes sense,” she admits, her voice wavering slightly. “And then when you got sick... I wanted to be there for you. I should have been there, but you asked for space, and I didn’t want to make things worse.” You could hear the sadness and longing in her voice as she spoke, it made your heart hurt a little more thinking about how this has negatively affected her as well as you.

She looks down, her fingers twisting together nervously. “But I just kept second-guessing everything. Like, if I showed up, I’d be doing the wrong thing. And maybe... maybe you don’t even want me around anymore.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy with uncertainty and vulnerability. She’s never said anything like this before, never doubted herself like this when it came to your relationship. When it came to you.

You feel the weight of her worry, and it’s clear that she’s been wrestling with this more than you realized. Had you not been the best girlfriend either? Had she been worrying about this for more than just the last few days? There’s a long pause before she speaks again.

“I’m scared I’m not the girlfriend you deserve,” she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I feel like I’m failing you... like I haven’t been there when you needed me most.”

Her eyes finally meet yours, and they’re filled with doubt, something you’re not used to seeing in her. Alexia, who’s always so composed, so sure of herself, now looks like she’s bracing for something, maybe rejection, maybe confirmation that her fears are true.

You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. You know this talk has been coming, but hearing her say it, seeing her so vulnerable, hits you differently. There's a part of you that wants to just reach out and hold her, to tell her it’s all okay, but you know this conversation needs to happen. You know that the both of you need to communicate these feelings and work on how you can do it without it getting to this stage again, if there is going to be again.

“Alexia...” you start, choosing your words carefully, “I never said I didn’t want you around. I asked for space because I needed it, not because I wanted you out of my life.”

She nods slowly, but her expression remains uncertain. You continue, “I’ve been going through a lot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you here. It’s just... sometimes I need to figure things out on my own. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

Alexia exhales, her shoulders sagging a little in relief, but the tension is still there. “I just... I feel like I haven’t been enough lately. I’ve been so focused on everything else that I haven’t made time for us, for you, and then when you needed me most, I just... froze.”

You shift closer to her, your hand gently resting on hers. “I know you’re busy. I never expected you to be around all the time, Ale. I don’t need you to be. I just need you to be... present. To be you.”

Her eyes soften at your words, and she looks down at your hand that is soft on top of hers, her thumb brushing over your knuckles. “I’m sorry,” she says again, her voice steadier now. “I’ll do better. I want to be better, for you. For us.”

You nod, understanding the weight of what she’s saying. It’s not about perfection, not about always getting it right. It’s about showing up, about trying, even when it’s hard, even when doubts creep in.

“I just need us to be open with each other,” you say. “If you’re feeling off or distant, tell me. If you’re unsure about something, we’ll figure it out together. But don’t shut me out, and don’t shut yourself down thinking you’re not enough. And I’ll do better too. I have had so many insecure thoughts over the last few days and I’m sorry for those. I’m sorry that you get affected by them and I’m sorry I didn’t communicate with you about them. That wasn’t fair of me.”

You take a second to think about what you want to say next.  Alexia’s eyes stay locked on yours, her expression softening even more as she listens. Her hand tightens just slightly around yours, a silent acknowledgment of the weight of what you’re both sharing. The tension between you eases further, but the conversation isn’t over yet.

You take a breath, choosing your next words carefully, wanting to make sure she understands where you're coming from.

“I’ve been in my head a lot,” you admit, your voice steady but full of emotion. “I thought that maybe you weren’t showing up because I wasn’t... worth it. That you were pulling away because I’ve been too much to handle. And instead of talking to you about how I was feeling, I just let it build up. I guess I was scared that saying it out loud would make it real.”

Alexia’s brow furrows as she shakes her head gently. “You’re never too much,” she says quietly, her thumb still brushing softly over your hand. “I never want you to feel that way. I hate that you’ve been carrying that, and I didn’t know. That I couldn’t help.”

You nod, grateful for her words but also aware of how important it is to keep the lines of communication open moving forward. “I know you care, I do. I just... I need to trust that more. And I need to talk to you when I’m struggling, not shut you out. I’m sorry for that.”

Alexia leans in closer, her voice filled with sincerity. “We’ll both do better. We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone in this. I want to be there for you, and I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel like I wasn’t.”

You feel a wave of relief wash over you, and for the first time in days, it feels like the distance that had crept between you is finally closing. There’s a warmth in the room now, a sense of mutual understanding and a willingness to do better, together.

“I don’t need us to be perfect,” you say softly. “I just need to know that we’re in this together. That we can lean on each other, even when things aren’t easy.”

Alexia nods, her eyes shining with emotion. “We are. I promise. I love you, and I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you lean forward, pressing your forehead against hers. The silence that falls between you now isn’t heavy or filled with uncertainty. It’s peaceful, comforting.

“I love you too,” you whisper.

For now, the words are enough. There’s more to work through, more conversations to be had, but you know that you’re both committed to making this work. And for the first time in a while, you both feel like you're on solid ground again.

Alexia pulls you closer, wrapping her arms around you, and you sink into the embrace. The weight of the past few days begins to lift, replaced by a quiet sense of hope for what comes next.

After the heaviness of the conversation finally lifts, you and Alexia share a soft smile, the tension replaced by a quiet, comforting peace. The air between you feels lighter, and as if sensing the shift, Alexia’s lips curve into a small grin.

“How about we get some takeout?” she suggests, her voice playful yet warm. “I don’t feel like cooking, and I think we both deserve a break tonight.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement. “That sounds perfect. I could definitely go for some comfort food.”

It doesn’t take long before you’ve both decided on your usual, something easy and satisfying. The soft glow of the kitchen light reflects off Alexia’s face as she places the order, her expression more relaxed than it’s been in days. You can’t help but feel a sense of relief, like things are finally settling back into place.

Not long after, the smell of freshly delivered food fills the room, and you both settle on the sofa, plates balanced on your laps, the comfort of being together in the small, familiar space wrapping around you like a warm blanket.

“Movie?” Alexia asks, already flicking through the streaming options.

“Nothing too heavy,” you say with a smile. “Something we can just zone out to.”

She nods in agreement, finally settling on a classic comedy that always makes you both laugh. As the opening credits roll, you finish your food and tuck yourself into her side, her arm instinctively wrapping around your shoulders, pulling you closer.

As the movie plays, the light from the screen flickers softly against the walls, casting a warm glow over the room. You’re snuggled close into Alexia’s side, her arm still draped around your shoulders, fingers lazily tracing small patterns on your arm. The comfort of it all makes you feel more at ease than you’ve felt in days.

At some point, the film becomes background noise. You’re more focused on the way Alexia’s thumb brushes your skin or the occasional glance you catch of her watching you instead of the movie. You shift slightly, turning your face up toward her, and her gaze softens as your eyes meet.

Alexia smiles, a tender warmth in her expression, and you can’t help but lean in. The first kiss is soft, almost shy, like you’re both still figuring out the rhythm after the tension of the last few days. Her lips linger against yours for a moment longer than usual, and when you pull back, you see the quiet joy in her eyes, a silent thank you for being open and honest with her, for being here.

Without a word, you lean in again, your lips meeting hers in a series of soft, gentle kisses. They’re unhurried, sweet, filled with a quiet kind of affection that says more than words could in this moment. Alexia’s hand comes up to cradle your cheek, her thumb grazing your jawline as she deepens the kiss slightly, but it’s still slow, still soft.

When you finally pull away, her forehead rests against yours, her breath mingling with yours as you both smile, the movie all but forgotten now.

“I missed this,” she whispers, her voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the quiet moment.

“Me too,” you whisper back, brushing a kiss on the corner of her lips, your hands finding their way into hers.

She presses another kiss to your lips, this one lingering, and you both relax into the warmth of each other, the world outside fading as the night slips by.

There’s no rush, just the two of you, lost in the soft comfort of being close, the rest of the night spent in quiet kisses and shared smiles, wrapped up in each other as the movie plays on in the background. There is no need for more words tonight. You both know you’re in this together, that the promise made earlier will be something you will both work at together. And for right now, that’s enough.

[cynical-ghost]

KILLER QUEEN P.2

P.1

Synopsis: After being forced into being a second driver for McLaren people are irritated by her wasted potential.

Paring: Charles Leclerc x driver!reader.

Genre: SMAU-social media, slight angst?

A/n I love Lando but I needed a ‘Villain’ so I apologise 🫶 I’m so glad you guys liked part 1!!

F1_updates

Liked by yourbff, landonorizzz, Cl16YLn03 and 443,234 others

F1_updates Lando Norris arrived at the track earlier today for a meeting with the FIA, the McLaren team and Governing bodies of Formula 1 to see if the rumers of continuous cheating are true.

Nolongerlandonorrisfan He should be given penalty’s and push backs!!

Cl16YLn03 he looks like he has been crying, I almost feel bad but what he and the rest of McLaren put Yn through I just can’t feel bad tbh

Ynslittlelife921 I totally agree, he shouldn’t have done it, he knew the risks of cheating.

Ynforeal

Liked by Charles_Leclerc, yourbff, Arthur_leclerc and 794,562 others

Ynforeal almost there!! ✈️ (featuring bord Charles)

Ynismymother They are so cute together omfg😭

Charles_Leclerc I can’t help it, we were at the airport for hours and my phone died!😑

Ynforeal you are like an IPad kid, as soon as I gave you my phone you were happy again 😂❤️

Charles_Leclerc 🙃

Cl16YLn03 I can’t wait to see Yn properly racing again!!

Charles_Leclerc

Liked by Ynforeal, Arthur_leclerc, Cl16YLn03 and 789,869 others

Charles_Leclerc I am very exited to race against my new teammate ❤️

Ynforeal my the best man win Mr. Leclerc🤝

Charles_leclerc My the best man win🤝

User15 The Ferrari Prison is making us miss out on Yn and Charles’s sassy comments😭

Cl16forwdc Win it for us Charles!

Ynforeal

Liked by f1_wags, F1_news, Charles_Leclerc and 897,632 others

Ynforeal I would like to thank everyone who has supported me through my move to Ferrari, this team has given me the opportunity to show my full potential on the racing track. I hope that everyone who has ever doubted my potential gets what they deserve 😁❤️ 🍾

Charles_Leclerc WELL DONE MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL!! ❤️❤️ I am so so so proud of you and everything you have accomplished 🫶

Ynforeal I am crying rn, I love you so much 😭

Ynismymother BAHHAHA the little dig towards Lando 😭😭

Ynismymother CONGRATULATIONS YN !!!!

Cl16YLn03 YOU DID AMAZING!! you dese manyore wins to come 🫶🍾

Tag list: (send me a request asking to be added to my tag list if you would like to be added🫶)

@reguluscrystals

@nathalielovesonedirection

[heavyhitterheaux]

Gym Crush (NSFW)

AN: all imma say is blame Melissa @a-moment-captured 😂🤣

Synopsis: Jack has been going to your gym for a while now, and you've developed a little crush. So you also developed a plan to get him to notice you.

Pairing: Jack Harlow x Reader

Requested by: my bestie @a-moment-captured 💕

Do not engage if you are underage

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

You had your eyes on him ever since he had walked through the door that evening and you couldn’t help but to be easily distracted from completing your workout.

What should have only taken you thirty to forty-five minutes was now on its way to taking you an hour and a half and it was entirely his fault.

Especially because of those back muscles that he was putting on display.

And this happened every single time that you saw him.

When you discovered that one of your celebrity crushes, Jack Harlow, came to your gym sometimes with his trainer, you knew that you had to shoot your shot. You weren't one of those girls that just stood around and waited for a man to approach you. If you wanted it, you went to go get it.

Since Jack noticed that he would see you on a regular basis, the two of you would speak to each other, but that was as far as you had gotten.

Tonight you noticed that he was by himself and it was getting pretty late when you decided to make your move. The gym would be closing in about another two hours or so and you figured this was the perfect opportunity.

It was now or never, right?

The two of you were the only ones currently in the weight lifting section of the gym as you began making your way towards him currently working on the lat pulldown machine.

You waited until he was finished with his set to tap him on the shoulder and he turned to look over at you.

“Hey.” You softly said and you noticed that Jack had been taking in your gym outfit which consisted of a workout bra and biker shorts.

“Hey, I saw you earlier when I got here, but it looked like you were in your zone so I didn't say anything.”

“I'm almost finished now and I was wondering if you could spot me? I've never done this much weight before so it would be nice to have an extra set of hands just in case.” You sweetly said and Jack stood up from the machine and you took note of how much he towered above you.

“Sure, what are you working on?”

“Squats.” You answered and you quickly saw him smirk before trying to cover it up and remain with a neutral facial expression.

“Let's get to it then.”

When you had gone down into your first squat, you made sure to poke your ass all the way out and once you did that, your body couldn't help but to graze Jack as you attempted to hide your smirk.

This continued until you got all the way to twelve which was the end of your set and once Jack helped you place the barbell back on the rack, you felt him lean forward to whisper in your ear.

“I have another workout in mind.”

“Oh really? What kind?” You whispered back as you glanced at him over your shoulder.

“A workout just for me and you.”

—-

All that could be heard was skin against skin as Jack had his hand over your mouth and bent over the counter that was in the bathroom in the locker room.

He had told you multiple times to be quiet so that no one would hear the two of you and figured that putting his hand over your mouth was his last option.

“Y/N, someone is going to hear us if you don't quiet your little pretty self down. Can you do that for me?”

Nodding your head was the only answer that you were able to give him because of how much pleasure you were in.

Coming to this gym for over two years, you knew when it would be slow and barely anyone would be in there, so you quickly took advantage of it and reassured him that no one would walk in on the two of you.

Even though Jack’s hand was over your mouth, your muffled whimpers and moans could still be heard which made him increase his pace as you were trying to hold onto the counter to steady yourself. When he felt as if you were pulling away from him, he quickly pulled you back and reached down to massage small circles along your clit which had your eyes rolling back because of how close you knew you were.

Just then the two of you heard footsteps coming into the locker room and Jack immediately halted his movements. He slowly backed the two of you into one of the many bathroom stalls with his hand still covering your mouth as the footsteps were coming closer. He then continued his task of massaging your clit and you were about to lose it right then and there.

“You better not make a sound.” He whispered in your ear as you heard the water turn on at the sink, and you assumed that they were washing their hands.

That was when Jack slowly began moving in and out of you once more and you were fighting every urge not to cry out. Once the sink had turned off, the two of you still heard footsteps and then noticed that they had sat down and whipped out their phone as Jack had peeked through the crack In the door.

Jack then increased his pace and you just knew for a fact that your legs were going to give out at any second.

“Shh, you're being so good for me.”

It didn't take long for you to reach your peak with Jack following soon after and he quickly turned you around to face him as he placed several kisses on your lips in order for you to remain quiet.

“Such a good girl.”

The footsteps that you originally heard were finally becoming more distant and you felt as if you could breathe again.

“Fuck.” You quietly muttered while moving a piece of hair that had quickly stuck to your face because of your previous activities.

“I didn't realize that I would be doing two workouts instead of one.” You said while looking up at him and all you did was smirk.

“I know you didn't need my help with that weight because I've seen you lift heavier. You think I didn't notice that your eyes had been on me the entire night?” Jack asked and all you could do was laugh.

“Well I think next time I'm going to need help with my chest press.”

“Nah, forget all that. The next workout you’re about to do only involves one thing.”

“And what would that be?”

“You riding me.”

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

hello hii so uh. if youre taking requests can you make an nsfw 03 raph x fem!reader thingie?? with a little bit of submissive-ish raph if you dont mind:3

Good Boy (18+)

2003!Raphael x reader

A/N: Sure I can!❤️Even though it became a little more than a thingie, and I might have made him a bit more than just submissive-ish, as I got carried away, but I’m sure it’ll still work😂 Hope you enjoy!❤️

---------

You have long been wanting to switch the roles in the bedroom, and finally Raphael allows you to do so❤️

All characters are aged up.

Warnings: Spelling, dom reader and sub Raph, oral - male receiving, a little bit handjob, dirty talk, using of the term “good boy” quite a lot, turtley anatomy, a little bit of stripping, teasing, unprotected sex, cowgirl, light choking, getting rougher towards the end, a lot of begging oboy, desperation?

---------

Your boyfriend had never really been the submissive type. It was just not natural for Raphael. He did not like when anybody told him what to do. Heck, he even clashed with his older brother, getting mad whenever Leonardo told him to do something. It was not that Raph did not want to do it, it was more the fact that someone had told him to. That just didn’t work for him.

And just like Raph didn’t like to take orders by his brothers, he did not like it in the bedroom. To put it simple; your boyfriend was very dominant during sex. Not that you complained, no, not at all. You loved your boyfriend, and you most definitely liked his rough side during sex. But as much as you liked being dominated by Raphael, you could not deny your curiosity for trying something else.

First time you brought up the topic of the two of you switching roles, Raph looked very displeased. With his arms crossed and an almost scolding frown on his face. It was a clear no.

The second time you brought up, Raph shut you the sharpest glare ever. Not happening.

The third time he just shot the conversation down before it could even start, knowing fully well what you wanted to ask him.

But the fourth time, he actually thought about it for a moment. He still told you no, but he actually thought about it. And he continued to think about it the day afterwards. And the day after that. And the day after that…

It took a week before Raph came to you, acting more tough than he ever had before, acting unbothered as he stretched his arms out above his head.

“I’ve been thinking, babe”, he started out, acting as if he didn’t see the smug smile spreading across your face. You already knew what he was going to say. “If ya really want ta try bein’ the dominant one in bed, I don’t see why I shouldn’ let ya do it one time”.

And that was the events that led to you and Raph making out on a mattress in his room late at night, once you were sure his family had gone to bed. You were straddling his hips, your pants long gone by now, leaving you in only your underwear and the shirt you had intended to sleep in, as you and Raph’s lips and tongues moved together, exploring the areas the two of you knew so well by now. Small hums escaped your connected lips, along with the wet sounds that came from your hungry kisses.

Raph did what he usually would do when the two of you were in a position like this; he would let his hands wander up your thighs, until they rested on your ass cheeks. From here he would usually rais one of his hands, before letting it fall back against your skin with a loud smack, causing you to jolt and moan against him, as he would start to roughly squish both your cheeks. But this time was different.

Raph let out a surprised sound against your lips, when he found his hands pinned by his head. It was as if he had forgotten your conversation earlier that day.

“Hey, that’s not fair, babe!”, he exclaimed, wiggling his wrists in your grip. “I was enjoyin’ myself there!”

“But you promised me, Raph”, you tsked, shaking your head at your boyfriend.

“Yeah, but that was before ya started kissin’ me!”, he growled. “Ya know I can’t help myself when sittin’ on top of me, looking so tasty”.

“No, I understand, Raphie”, you said with a fake sigh. “I should have known you couldn’t take it”.

Raph paused for a moment. “What did you say?”

“It makes sense why you don’t want me to dominate you, Raphie”, you sighed, letting go of his wrists so you could sit back onto his lap. “if you can’t take it, that changes everything”.

“Hey! I can take it”, Raph rumbled. You had to fight in order not to smile.

“Are you sure about that?”, you asked, acting unsure.

“I’m more than sure”, Raph boasted, puffing his chest up slightly. “Ya know me, babe. I can take anything”.

“Well, in that case”, you said, your eyes sparkling with michevie as you leaned over him, your thumb finding his lower lip, dragging it down. “Be a good boy and do as I say”.

Raph’s widened. He stared at you as the air disappeared from his lungs. He did not fight the finger on his lip, nor the fact that you had called him a good boy, the same way used to call you a good girl, instead he just stared at you, his lip trembling ever so slightly under your finger. You hummed in slight amusement. This was going to be fun.

You removed your finger from his lip and took his wrists once more, moving them further up. “These stay up here”, you smiled with a sultry voice.

“What happens if they don’t?”, Raph said, masking his small anticipation with a smirk. But the rise and fall of his chest and his heavy breathing gave him away.

“Oh that won’t happen”, you smirked, slowly letting your fingers trail from his wrists and down his arms. “Because good boys do as they have been told”.

Raph’s breath hitched at this comment. His fist clenched around themselves, his mouth dry as he tried to swallow. With a half smile you leaned back down toward his face, chuckling as he tried to capture your lips with. Instead you grabbed a hold of his chin, turning it to the side, giving you room to leave small tender kisses down his neck. Raph sighed, and his fingers moved over his head, as he tried to keep himself still, trying hard not to focus on the way your lips felt against his skin, or the scent of your arousal that filled the room.

You chuckled at his reaction, before lightly biting down onto his soft stop. Raph gasped at this, suppressing a moan. His hands lifted from the bed, ready to get a hold of you, but he quickly became aware, slamming them back down where you hand told him to keep them.

“See what a good boy you are”, you hummed. “Doing exactly as I’ve told you to. You’re doing so well, Raphie”.

“Goddamn, (Y/N)”, he sighed, fighting hard not to let out a needy moan. He had fallen harder into your grip than he had thought he would, already feeling the familiar feeling around his cloaca, letting him know he would be dropping soon. Raph had never been that quick to drop before, clenching every muscle hoping to halt it.

“What is it, Raphie?”, you asked in his ear, the feeling for you breathing against his skin making him shut his eyes, hoping to regain some kind of control. But your next words almost made him lose the little he had left. “Are you goin to drop for me, is that it, Raphael?”

With all of his focus on making his arms stay down, Raph felt as if he had no control over his mouth. The words that left his lips were not ones he intended, yet they sprung furth anyway, uncovering how he actually felt about this whole situation. “Yes”.

“Then do it, big boy”, you commanded, nibbling on his skin once more, as you slowly started grinding your hips against his. Strained moans left Raph’s parted lips, his eyes still shut and his brow bones frowning in pleasure. It didn’t take long before you felt his hardness emerge from his cloaca, poking against your naked thigh. You smiled, leaning back a little so you could look down on your heavy breathing boyfriend, watching his eyes shut open when you lifted your hips from his.

“Continue that good behavior, and don’t move”, you hummed, before you started to kiss around his collarbone at the top of his plastron. Raph sucked in a breath of air, his chest rising as you started to move down, your lips kissing along the line in the middle of his plastron, the vein in his neck standing out as he tried to do every single mantra in his mind that he could think of.

Your fingers started tracing down his sides as you went down, making him raise his head so he could look down, watching you with his mouth agape. The moan that left his mouth was louder than he intended, making him groan in frustration. Raph had always known you were hot. His dream dream girl, who he was so lucky to have as his girlfriend, but this was ridiculous. The way your eyes looked at him made him scream inside his head, thinking of all the time he easily pushed you over if you started teasing him, taking you hard and rough on the spot. But why didn’t he do it now? Well, to put it quite simply, he liked it. He liked the way you had taken charge of him and given him that little nickname, even though he wouldn’t admit it to himself just yet.

Raph watched in anticipation as your lips got to his hip, your eyes looking back at him with a small smile, as you started to kiss around his hard shaft, the vein in his neck pumping away. He groaned lightly as one of your hands slowly grabbed onto him, holding him still, as you slowly started licking your way up to the head. Raph almost broke when you licked over the slit of his head, picking up any pre-cum with the tip of your tongue, before slowly taking him into your mouth. Raph let his head fall back, savoring the feeling of your tongue against him, as you hollowed out your cheeks before moving your head up and down.

As you started to increase the speed, Raph found it harder and harder to keep quiet, his moans becoming more and more audible, almost forgetting that the entrance to his room was nothing but a large arch with no door.

“Fuck”, Raph moaned, his legs shaking as he fought against the urge to buckle up against you and your pretty mouth. “Please don’t stop, (Y/N). Fuck”.

You chuckled, the vibrations making Raph’s hands clench onto the pillow his head rested upon, holding back an even louder moan.

You took him out of your mouth, using your hand to pump him as you spoke. “You like that, Raphie?”

“Yes”, he choked out, closing his eyes once more, focusing on how your hand felt around him, using your spit to glide over him, praying for the moment your mouth would be around him once more. “I like it. I really fucking like it”.

“Then you’re going to love this”, you said, before letting go of him. Raph was about to protest, ready to scream how badly he wanted you back around him, until he saw you taking your shirt off, throwing it somewhere in the room, leaving you almost completely naked, with the exception of your underwear. It did not matter how many times Raph saw you naked, he was left awestruck every time.

You slowly stood up before slowly shimmying your underwear down your legs, using your foot to flick them off to the side of the room. Raph could feel his mouth watering at the sight, holding on tighter to the pillow, just as you stood over him, one leg on either side of him, before you slowly sat down, hovering over Raph’s aching manhood. One of your hands went down between your legs, letting a finger run through your wet folds, just to tease him, before letting the same finger run down his shaft, making a line using your own slick. Raph once again had to fight the urge to not just grab you by the waist, so he could pull you down upon him, groaning through clenched teeth.

“What’s the matter?”, you asked sweetly as you took a hold of him once more, slowly letting his head slide back and forth between your lower lips, making him shiver as he felt your slick drip down his length. “Is there something on your mind, Raph?”

“Fuck, (Y/N), don’t tease”, he groaned, trying to force the pillow further against the mattras, just to keep him hands busy.

“Then what do you want?”, you asked, turning your head to the side, removing his head from your warm core, causing Raph to moan in frustration. “Use your words, pretty boy”.

“Just ride me, (Y/N)”, he growled, his thighs locking up his he wouldn’t just thrust up against you.

You tsked, shaking your head. “That doesn’t sound like something a good boy would say. Try again, Raph”, you said, your thumb slowly doing circles around the slit of his head.

Raph moaned, his breathing heavier than before, his toes curling at your actions and his patience running thin. But he knew just what you wanted. It was the same thing that he always wanted from you. You wanted him to beg for it. You wanted to hear him beg and whimper with desperation, needy for you to do something. And it was just your luck that Raph was beginning to become that desperate, his head spinning at the mere thought of your walls around him.

“Please ride me, (Y/N)”, he whimpered, his eyes closing for a short moment, almost losing the ability to speak as you speed up your movements around his slit. “Fuck! Please just ride me, babe. I want ya ta ride me, please!”

Your thumb stopped its torture before you lined him up against your entrance. “See”, you said. “It’s not that hard being a good boy, is it?”

You slowly sank down onto him, humming at the feeling of him stretching you out as you went down. The moan that escaped Raph was louder than any of you had anticipated, making you smile smugly as you slid all the way down, until your hips met his. Raph looked down to where your hips connected, groaning as he felt you clench your muscles around him, just as you rose up once more, only to sit back down on him once more. You leaned forward, placing your hands on his chest for support, as you painfully slowly continued your movement.

“Faster, (Y/N), please”, he moaned, every muscle in his body locking up, holding him back from jumping on you.

“As you wish”, you hummed before you gradually started speeding up the movement of your hips, bouncing faster and harder against him, the sound of your skin slapping together, slowly getting louder and louder.

Raph’s hands fumbled around the pillow. He almost couldn’t contain himself anymore. He just had to touch you. His hands almost burned with the need for your skin.

“Can I touch ya?”, he asked in his breathy voice. “Please, (Y/N), I need to”.

“Only because you asked so nicely”, you answered, your voice strained by the movement of your lower body.

As if they were burned by the pillow, Raph’s hands flew to your body, feeling anywhere he could get them. From your bouncing breast down your side and onto your thighs, his hands moved with urgency, in a way they had never done before. You in turn did something that only had been the one to do all throughout your sexual adventures. One of your hands went to his neck, putting slight pressure around his throat. Raph was shocked, yet he moaned, his head falling back as your hand slowly closed around his airway, providing him just enough to breath.

The sight before you made you feel like a feral animal. You would not stop yourself from leaning forwards until your lips found Raph’s neck once more, leaving a trail of kisses and bites everywhere they went, causing Raph’s hands to latch onto your thighs, his nails digging in.

This was nothing like Raph had ever imagined it would be like. His hands holding on to your thighs for dear life as you rode him, one of your hands around his neck in a light chokehold, his head spinning with every little kiss and bite you left around his shoulder and neck.

“Are you a good boy, Raphie?”, you asked, your airy voice in his ear, creating stars in his eyes, his vision blurred by pure pleasure. How could you make him feel so good so easily?

“Yes!”, Raph choked out in a whimper you only had been able to dream about. “I’m a good boy!” His hands fumbled from your thighs to your ass. “Please, let me do it, (Y/N)! Let me fuck ya!”

You laughed, bringing your other hand up to cup his cheek, leaning his head forward so you could look him in the eyes.

“How considerate. Go ahead, Raphie, show me exactly what a good boy you are”.

That was all Raph needed, before the last bits of restraints disappeared. With full force he grabbed onto you, bending his knees before he started to thrust wildly up into you. He moaned out loud as the nails of your other hands started clawing into his arm. The world started spinning before his eyes, and then he felt your walls close in around him, bringing him closer to his own building peak.

“I’m gonna cum”, he whispered in a strained voice, his hips never stopping.

“Me too”, you moaned, your hand around his neck forcing him to look at you. “Cum for me, Raphie. Fill me up”.

That was the last bit Raph needed before his hip started buckling against you, his orgasm rushing over him. You followed right after, your muscles contracting around him as he started to fill you up.

As the two of you finally started to calm down from your high, you removed your hand from around his neck before you laid down against his chest, too tired to move off of him. Raph in turn wrapped his arms around, holding you close as the blurriness of his vision slowly disappeared.

“So”, you asked, cuddling your face against your boyfriend’s neck, one of your fingers slowly doing shapes on his plastron. “What did you think of it?”

“It was different”, Raph breathed out with a smile. “But not bad”.

“Does that mean you let me do it again?”, you asked, a bright yet teasing smile on your lips.

“Wow, wow”, Raph laughed. “I did not say that!”

“No, but it was implied”, you teased.

Raph hummed, his eyes narrowing down at you. “Maybe”.

You chuckled before getting up so you could place a tender kiss onto his lips. “Good boy”.

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Fall For Me (Poly! Sleep Token x Fem! Reader) - Part IV

Happy Halloween everyone!! I'm so happy I get to share this all with you today, I was really hoping to get out an update for Halloween 😂😂 I hope you all enjoy, I love reading everyone's comments, thank you so much!! If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know!!

WARNINGS: None, a fluffy evening with III

Thank you as always to @spookyghostjelly for beta reading, you're amazing and I love you so much ❤️❤️❤️

Part III - Part V

My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!

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You stuck close to II's side as you made your way up to the front of the store. Who you assumed was IV peeked out behind III's shoulder, the taller man ushering him to the front. "He's very excited to meet you, he's just a bit nervous." II chuckles. "He has a tendency to get a bit worked up but I promise he's very nice." You step closer to him, a shy smile on your face. He bends down slightly, bringing his face a lot closer to yours as you lock eyes. His gaze was a lot softer than the others but still gave you that same warm feeling in your chest as he studied you.

"It's nice to finally meet you." He smiles, a cheerful tone in his voice. "You guys were right, she is really pretty." What followed IV's statement was a mix of throats being cleared, eyes being averted, and Vessel quickly trying to change the subject.

"I see the two of you got a lot done already, what else do you need help with?" You giggle at their flustered states.

"It's nice to meet you too, IV. Everything just needs to be put away, III's been a very big help." He straightens up proudly at your compliment. You sat on the counter, the four of them rotating to keep you company while the others worked.

"I told you, you just take it easy tonight. We'll handle it." Vessel chuckles as you complain for what must have been the millionth time about how you should be helping.

"Well if you all insist on doing this at least let me cook you dinner." You counter.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that." He smirks slightly before going to help the others. Noticing you were alone prompted IV to jog over.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" He asks sweetly. You move over, patting the spot next to you. He hops up with ease, even sitting down he still towered over you. "Your store's very organized." He comments, looking out to the other three as they worked, his heels bumping off the counter as he swung his feet slightly.

"Thank you, I try to run a neat ship." You giggle.

"I'm sorry if calling you pretty earlier made you uncomfortable." He shoots you an apologetic and almost bashful expression.

"It's okay." You smile, nudging his shoulder slightly. "I'm happy you finally came by, now I've officially met the whole crew." You joke causing IV to laugh. The four of them finished up quickly, before you knew it you found yourself smiling at the whirlwind of energy that filled your apartment.

"You need any help?" III asks as he leans against the counter.

"You've done more than enough, just relax." The two of you exchange a soft smile. "Also, thank you for fixing me up earlier." You return your focus to what you were cooking, hoping III wouldn't notice your slightly flustered appearance.

"No problem. How's the hand?" He asks as he holds out his own, wanting to examine it himself.

"Barely even feel it." Your breath freezes in your lungs as his fingers ghost over your skin. You glance up at him through your lashes. His blue eyes focused intently on the bandage he was readjusting. His gaze slowly trails up your arm to your face, your heart beginning to hammer in your chest.

"You have something just," he points to the spot on his own face. You attempt to wipe it away a couple times before he chuckles. "Would it be alright if I got it?" You nod. III's warm hand cupped your cheek, his thumb slowly dragged across your skin. "There… beautiful." You couldn't help but blush, your expression causing III to breathe out a laugh as his eyes crinkle in a smile. You jumped slightly as the timer on the stove went off. III reluctantly pulled his hand away, you trailed after his touch, already missing the warmth he provided. "I'll let them know the food's done." He says before disappearing into the other room. It was nice having company for once. Instead of you having dinner alone, your dining room was filled with excited conversations and loud laughter. As you cleaned up that night you almost didn't want them to leave.

"Thank you for having all of us for dinner, that was very sweet of you." Vessel says kindly.

"It's the least I could do after all the work you guys did today." You smile.

"We're happy to help. You've been nothing but kind since I met you. If there's anyone we'd want to help, it would be you." 

"This apartment hasn't been this lively in a long time," you muse with a hum. "It was a really nice change." 

"Well… I have a feeling that this," he vaguely motions to your apartment. "Is going to be happening a lot more often." He laughs as he starts to head out of the kitchen. 

"Vessel?" He pauses. "Did you ever figure out why you think we were fated to meet each other?"

He shakes his head with a small smirk, "no, but I'm starting to get a pretty good idea." You trailed behind him as he re-enters your living room, the hushed whispers of the other three coming to a halt immediately. Vessel eyes them all with a knowing expression. "Alright, we should probably get out of your way. (Y/N), I will see you tomorrow." He bows his head slightly as he heads for the door. II and IV both say their goodbyes and follow him outside, leaving you alone with III.

"I'll be right down." He calls after them. III towered over you in the doorway, looking down at you with intoxicatingly beautiful blue eyes. He leans down to bring him almost face level with you, his forearm resting against the wall as he leaned in close. "Can I take you somewhere tomorrow night? Just you and me?" Despite how confident he was coming off you could hear the slight nervous tremor in his voice.

"What did you have in mind?" Excitement radiates off of him at your response.

"There's a drive-in I saw the other night, it looks like they have some sort of monster movie marathon tomorrow night… I think we'd have fun." You hear II call for him from outside.

“I’d love to go.” His hand slips into yours, tugging you the slightest bit closer. His thumb ran over your knuckles as his gaze trapped you in place.

“Goodnight, doll.” He smiles before suddenly pulling away. “Quit your yelling, I’m coming!” He calls down the stairs to an annoyed II. You couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off your face as you watched them drive away. You grew nervous as the end of your shift ticked closer. Vessel and III slipped into the store right before closing as usual, III giving you a casual wink but not saying a single word. As they both stood at the counter his eyes kept meeting yours, a flustered smile finding its way to your face. The bell rings as Vessel exits the store, III quickly leaning in to whisper something to you. “I’ll be back in about an hour.” He says with a smile before hurrying out after Vessel. You wrapped your jacket tightly around you as you stood outside in the brisk night air. His truck rumbled up in front of you, he immediately jumped out to greet you.

“Hey III.” He sweeps you into a tight hug.

“You ready?” He asks excitedly. You nod in response, he takes your hand as he opens the passenger door of the truck for you, helping you inside. The worn leather seat shook in time with the truck's engine, the cab lit up in a soft yellow glow from the radio. III slid into the driver's seat, his eyes flashing to you as a soft smile lit up his features. He noticed you rubbing your arms, still looking perfectly content despite the weather.

“I brought a blanket in case you get cold, the heat in the truck doesn’t work that well, but I promise I’ll keep you warm.” He chuckles, your cheeks immediately growing warm at the statement. He fiddled with the temperature in the truck for a moment, nothing really changing before he gave up. He groans in annoyance, pausing to think of a solution. He looks over at you, eyes trailing over your much smaller form. He holds one side of his jacket open, beckoning you closer with his free hand. You slid closer to him, his arm wrapping around your shoulders as he pulled you into his warmth. "There, how's that?"

"This is fine." You stutter out, trying your best to hide your flustered state. You found yourself relaxing into him, his thumb rubbing your shoulder languidly, both of your eyes trained on the road ahead of you as you wound through the collage of vibrantly colored leaves. "Thank you for asking me to come with you." You suddenly pipe up. 

"Thank you for coming with me." He responds softly. "I was honestly a bit worried to ask you."

"What? Why?" You ask in a tone of disbelief, a small laugh lacing its way into your words as you slowly start to relax.

"Some random man in a mask comes up and asks you to spend time alone with him-"

"Well you're not some random man in a mask, III." You cut him off, both of you sharing a laugh. You lean your head on his shoulder, "besides, I enjoy your company… it's just nice to have someone that I want to spend time with, I guess." You glance up at him with a coy smile.

"Well if it's any consolation, I think you're pretty great and I want to spend time with you too." You giggle as you feel him nudge your side. You pulled into the drive-in, the teenager in charge of admission was too interested in their cellphone to pay much mind to the man in the mask before them.

"You're all set, man." They wave the two of you through as they take the cash, not bothering to look up from the screen. You pulled in to find the lot nearly empty, a few cars sporadically parked as far away from each other as possible.

"Lucky us, we get a private showing." You say in a giddy tone.

"I'm sorry I can't go get you popcorn, Vessel already didn't want me coming to somewhere so public as it is." You were about to assure him that it was fine, if anything you could always run over to the concession stand to get the snacks, but III never gave you the chance. "Excuse me, doll." He leans over your lap to retrieve something from the floor, his face hovering centimeters from yours, you pressed yourself back into the seat. You weren't uncomfortable being this close to him, but the warmth from his body, the smell of his cologne, you were having trouble thinking. He grabs a backpack from the floor of the truck, setting it in his lap before pulling out various snacks you had witnessed him purchase earlier in the day from your store. You can't help but smile as he lines up each kind on the dashboard. "I wasn't sure what kind of candy you liked so I grabbed a few different ones."

"You're so sweet, thank you." Your eyes meet his, making you feel like all the air has been sucked from your lungs.

"I just wanted to make sure you had a good time." He explains softly. He reaches out, carefully taking your hand in his. 

"How could I not? I'm here with you." The night was perfectly still around you. The faint crackling of the truck's old radio and the slight chill from its sputtering heater were lost to you at the moment. The only thing that mattered in your mind was III; how warm his hand felt wrapped around yours, how your heart fluttered in your chest as his attention dropped to your lips. His head dipped slightly, his warm breath pushing through the mask to fan over your skin, his fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the black fabric. You squeezed his hand, letting him know that, whatever was about to happen here, you welcomed it. He hooked a finger into his mask, beginning to pull it away from his face when the speakers suddenly blared to life, startling you apart. Your hand pulled away from his, folding then neatly in your lap as both of you stared straight ahead at the screen. "I'm sorry-"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things weird-"

"You didn't." Both of you fell silent at your reassurance.

"Can I still hold you? It's nice having you close." He admits bashfully. You nod, leaning into his side. He rests his cheek on the top of your head, his arm sliding back around your shoulders. The two of you sat completely engrossed through every movie; holding his hand in yours as the intense music swelled, giggling at the cheesy yet adorable special effects of 1930's cinema, the evening culminating with you struggling to stay awake as you cuddled into III's chest on the ride home. You sat up and stretched with a groan as you pulled around the back of the store. III's gaze darted anywhere besides you as he fidgeted with his seatbelt. "I had a really nice night with you." He smiles.

"I did too." Your hand slips into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe, next time, I can plan something." His eyes finally meet yours.

"Next time?" You could hear the excitement laced in his tone. "Yeah, that sounds great." The two of you sat there for a little while longer, neither of you knowing what to say, his thumb rubbing gently over your knuckles.

"I should probably head in." You say reluctantly. "Goodnight, III."

"Goodnight, (Y/N)." He responds. As you go to get out he gives your hand one final squeeze, bringing your attention back to him. "Wait, can you… this is going to sound really strange, but can you close your eyes?" You nod, keeping your hand in his as you allow your eyes to slide shut. You heard the soft shuffling of fabric before a warm pair of lips pressed themselves to your cheek. The kiss was very brief, you barely had time to process what had happened before it was over. But, it still managed to leave you feeling so warm. A flustered giggle fell from your lips as you finally registered the kiss, squeezing III's hand. "You can open them." You turn to find him smiling under his mask, memorizing the adorable expression on your face. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." You let your eyes wander over his face one last time before getting out of the truck. You jogged up the stairs, fighting with your keys for a moment before managing to unlock the door. You wave down to him as he pulls away. You lean against the door with a sigh as it shuts behind you, absolutely giddy over the fact you could still feel III's lips lingering in your skin. Thinking of the night with him your mind wandered back to the time you had spent with II, the soft glances and hushed conversations that caused your heart to thrum with anticipation. How you currently found a spark between you and both of these men. Groaning, you card your hands through your hair as you shuffle deeper into your apartment. There was nothing you could do but wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

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Tag List: @spookyghostjelly @herripinkle @thepoisonedchalice @saturnhas82moons @wingsofeternitysstuff @creamwhxre @itsyagirl-snowflake @themultiverseofmars @bookishpenguino @m0cha-bunny @coreofpleasure @madsthenightowl @dangerkitten1705 @rainy-darling @shad0wcast @amara-among-the-stars @venuswinnyix @dontpercieve-me-pls @mustluvecho @the-hole-in-terzos-shoe @jumpcauseimfroggy (I think that's everyone, if I missed you, you'd like to be added, or you're one of the few who's @'s didn't work {I can't figure out why that happened} please let me know!)

[alipeeps]

Episode 16

I'm ready for the pain. *whimpers* Bring it on...

.......

Whyyyy is Zhu Yan's (much shorter) hair fully grey when he was younger? Is my boy vain? Did he start colouring it as he got older? 😂

Okay so young Li Lun is a sulky bitch. I'm getting "teenager forced to come on a family holiday and determined to hate it just because" vibes...

Why do I feel like I know the dragon mountain god somewhere?

*goes to check MDL*

Meh, he's done this and My Journey to You (which I only got a few eps into before getting distracted) and two movies that I've not seen. So, no idea why he seems familiar.

Though for some reason (his styling maybe - with the braids and the hint of moustache?) he is giving me Nie Mingjue vibes...

Ahahahaaaa they knew in advance that Zhu Yin was skanky!! 😁

Gotta say (I have mentioned it before) I am loving the narrative device they keep using in this show where they flash back to a previous scene and show more of it/detail that we didn't get shown the first time around that completely reframes the current scene and shows that they were expecting this and had stuff planned in advance...

But wherrrre is my boy Bai Jui during all this? Ying Lei asked this earlier and Zhuo Yichen said he should be with Pei Sijing... I took that at the time to mean they still had no idea that Sijing is the spy and thought he was somewhere safe with her... but could it mean that they do know/suspect and they maybe sent Bai Jiu after her, knowing she would spot him and (trusting she wouldn't actually hurt or kill him - which is a big risk tbh?) would have to stay and guard him, thus keeping Bai Jiu away from the fight *and* taking Sijing out of the fight?

Aiya... Ying Lei living up to his potential as a mountain god...

Uhoh, dragon boy is fighting back with his weather-controlling powers.

And Li Lun is just standing there not doing shit. 😂 Like... dude... they are all occupied with either holding the area or spell-casting inside it. You could just walk up and stab em and they wouldn't be able to do much to fight you off...

Oh shit no... dragon dude is not controlling the weather... he's making it night time rather than day...

Which means... blood moon

Oh SHIT!

Welp Zhu Yan pulling in all the malicious qi has at least dealt with the creatures outside the gate... but on the other hand you've now got a MUCH bigger problem!!

Well fuck

So the Baize token was what was shackling Li Lun and that's why he wanted it broken... bullshit about breaking the barrier between the wasteland and the mortal world so demons could be free was just the lie he sold Zhu Yin to get him on board (just like the lie he sold Qing Geng - this is his modus operandi)

God this is glorious imagery...

Goddamit though, Zhu Yan has absorbed all the malicious qi and very clearly lost control but all he does for the longest time is just hover there... he doesn't immediately go on an indiscriminate rampage. I can only imagine him spending all that time hovering just... trying to cling to control...?

And the first person he *does* go for is Zhu Yin, who betrayed him and his friends.

Ugh the dismissive ease with which he shrugs off the mountain god's power...

Oh man, the slow deliberate malice in the way he moves...

I shouldn't be finding this expression hot AF, right?

OMG look at how distressed he is - even after everything Li Lun has done - at seeing his friend be sealed...

So... it was *again* a blood moon that caused Zhu Yan to kill Zhao Wan'er? But... where did the blood moon suddenly come from? Or did it appear *because* Zhu Yan started absorbing malicious qi?

The *sound* in this scene... no music at all... just silence and the over-loud, almost distorted-sounding sounds - slosh of the water from Wan'er's footsteps, her breathing, the washing of the waves....

So. Fucking. Atmospheric.

But wait, in this memory he attacks Wen Xiao and (it looks like?) ?breaks her neck? (Or does he just knock her unconscious?) That didn't happen though in the other depictions we've seen of this scene? Is this memory faked/altered? In fact... how the fuck can Li Lun be showing her a "memory" of shit that went down after he was sealed? He wasn't there to see any of this? I call bullshit! Unless... he somehow stole this memory from Zhu Yan?

Oh SHIT is the blood moon where he killed Wan'er the same one in which he attacked Demon Hunting Bureau?!!

This song by Hou Minghao is so melancholy and haunting... and even more playing over this scene...

Oh what the fuck Sijing actually fighting on the side of the good guys? Or is she...?

Also wtf happened to her boss who was outside the gate. Why has he not gotten involved in the latest shenanigans... he wants Zhu Yan's core still, doesn't he?

Oooh baby bro enters the fray!!

Using Ying Lei's blood to fire up the sword?!

Oooh divine blood, demon blood & the Bingyi clan blood on the sword = maximum effort!

Ooooooh is he faking? I've been slightly spoiled about Zhu Yan giving him immunity to his one word spell... are we gonna get another flashback showing that that already happened and Zhuo Yichen is once again pretending to be in a coma to get the upper hand?

Fuck WHAT?!! You end it THERE?!!!

And it's fucking 3am, I cannot watch another episode, I will have to go to bed and SUFFER until tomorrow!!

[reasonsmandy]

Señorita

Warren Rojas x Fem!Reader

✧.* requested by anon — Hi, I hope you're still taking requests. I had one for Warren if that's okay. If you don't take requests, don't worry about it. The reader is Karen's friend, she is very insecure and shy, she doesn't have the best relationships with her family, she thinks everything is her fault and stuff like that, you know. She feels worthless. She is introduced to the band and gets close to Warren. When he finally confesses his feelings, she freaks out because she doesn't think she deserves it. All ending in fluff, though, please. I need a happy ending 😂

✧.* summary — Living with anxiety is never easy, and it never has been for as long as you've known yourself.It was difficult to explain and control all the questions that arose and lived in his head when doing anything. And Warren Rojas was the great game changer in helping you understand your value.

✧.* warnings — anxiety symptoms and description

✧.* word count — 2.2k

✧.* 🥁 — warren's masterlist

✧.* mandy's notes — this was so personal to me as a person with anxiety myself, I hope you guys like it as much as I do. And to everyone wondering, yes, I am still taking request. Just having a slow time with writing. Good reading :)

With every step you took through the corridors, breathing became more difficult, you had no idea that Karen's invitation to participate in the launch of the album 'SevenEightNine' would involve all this crowd around you. You even liked the dress you had chosen with the keyboardist earlier at your house, but after analyzing each one there you found yourself miserable.

You tried to focus on your breathing but everything around you seemed to blend together and become just a bunch of noise and mess. You feel someone approaching, but not just any proximity, but something that only someone who knew you would do.

“Hey sweets, you good?” The drummer's voice is what you notice, Warren watches you with clear concern.

All you can do is deny it, with very discreet movements. He takes your hand and brings it to his chest. “Can you feel my breath? How about breathing with me?”

You shake your head, not knowing if you can actually be here. Hating yourself for ruining the whole event and drawing attention to yourself because you don't know how to deal with your feelings alone. He seems to notice your thoughts wandering to unwanted places, gently pulling you through the crowd.

You see him open one of the sound booths, and you barely notice when he sits you down on the cushions, but little by little the sound that used to be so deafening becomes distant and makes you hear Rojas better. He sits next to you, and like most of the band members he knew very well how to help you when these things happened.

“Here..." He says, placing one of your hands on his curls. “I know you love feeling them, do whatever you want."

You let out a laugh, which calms him down when he sees that you are slowly regaining your breath. You stroke his hair, closing your eyes to focus on the texture of it, and finally his breathing returns to normal and is replaced by a great guilt.

“Fuck, I'm ruining your night Warren.” You say, walking away, and you don't notice him getting upset about it.

“What? Of course not!” He tries to calm you down, looking for your hands, but it wasn't believable to you.

“I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." You felt tears coming to the edge of your eyes.

“Oh Hermosa, it's okay.” He caresses your hands, trying his best to dispel your thoughts. “I'm here for you, everything is gonna work out.”

“I'm ruining Karen's night.” Your speech becomes slurred.

“You're not ruining anything, it's okay. I'll go there and explain what happened and I'll come back here to keep you company.” He was looking right into your eyes,and that woke up the butterflies in your stomach.

“You really don't have to.”

“I know, but I want to.” He smiles, getting up. “And besides, you're a better company anyways. Don't move, I'll be right back.” You try to hold back your smile, trying to decipher as much as possible the feelings that were growing and manifesting within you.

…

When you met Karen Sirko it was assumed that boys would come in the package, and despite not knowing how to deal with them at first you decided to try. It wasn't very easy with your anxiety screaming and wandering through every space of thoughts. You couldn't get the thought that they would hate you out of your head, and it was getting stronger when you pressed the doorbell.

You played with the rings in your hand, avoiding looking at the door while you waited, you heard a curious noise that made you startle. After a while the door opens, you are faced with a pair of dark eyes, a loose smile and messy curls. You don't notice the way your eyes widen and the speed you look away, but he does and he frowns, widening his smile.

“May I help you señorita?” Your legs shake with the change of language, and that's when Warren noticed one of his newest talents: noticing every detail of you.

“Uh- yeah, I…” You stop, take a deep breath trying to compose yourself and hope he doesn't think this is because you're attractive to him like most people assume. “I'm looking for Karen?”

“Oh, of course.” The man whose name you still didn't know makes space between him and the door. “She said you were coming. Hey Karen Karen, your friend is here.”

You come across a not so big but cozy living room, the man with curly hair accompanies you and points you to sit on the sofa, you feel embarrassed for being observed ashamed for being there and hoping that Karen would show up soon to get attention to herself.

“My name is Warren, by the way.” You smile small, avoiding looking into his eyes. "Do you want something to drink? We have water, beer… and maybe milk but I'm not sure.”

You laugh, and he thinks it's adorable, and he's happy to have managed to make you relax.

“I think I'd like some water.” You speak, taking advantage of the bittersweet pain of anxiety slowly easing in you to talk better.

“Your wish is an order!” He salutes you and walks to the kitchen.

“Y/N.” You say, making him turn around halfway, with a curious look. “That's my name, Y/N”

“It's great to meet you Y/N”

…

You knew that if Warren Rojas wasn't so nice all the time, so precious, só caring and of course… so fucking hot! You wouldn't be in the situation in the first place, you have been avoiding him since the fateful day on the porch of the house where he had declared himself to you. And even so, it was no use since he had made a point of welcoming you in the midst of any situation.

A few days ago Karen and consequently the others had invited you to a movie night, you already felt more at home with all of them and your anxiety didn't surface as much unless some trigger happened.

You wake up with your head resting on the blonde's shoulder, blinking a few times to get your bearings. You adjust yourself on the upholstery, noticing the rest of the band sleeping in positions that would clearly give you a stiff neck in the morning, gently and trying not to make noise, you get up and pass between the stretched out bodies, laughing when you think that they actually looked like a crime scene.

Sneaking away, you head to the counter to smoke and try to calm down. Normally you woke up "scared" when you were in a place other than your home, your hands were shaking and your heart was racing in your chest, so you already knew that you would need time to get back to sleep. The indecisive down wind, which was cold but not enough to make you look for a coat, hits your skin when you rest your body on the wood in front of you.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath, trying to recover and slowly calm your senses when two faint knocks echo through your ears. You open your eyes, looking back to find Rojas with his eyes clearly indicating that he had recently woken up.

“You good señorita?” He asks, and after making himself noticeable he approaches you slowly.

You nod your head as you yawn, he smiles small and tenderly and you feel your body melt. Recently you felt more than loved around him, he always seemed to be doing everything for your good, to make you feel comfortable everywhere and you never understood why. In fact it was something that haunted you, the feeling that he was going out of his way for someone unnecessary like you.

“Did you lose sleep?" He asks, leaning on the same spot as you while lighting a cigarette.

“Kinda.” You clarify, slowly being flooded with questions in your head. “You don't need to stay, you can go and rest."

“I want to.” That's the simple answer he gives, one that doesn't answer any of the 839 different questions that pop into your head every second.

He notices you are uneasy, and risks thinking that he could have done something bad. You avoid as much as possible looking into the eyes that leave you without ground.

“What happened? Did I do something?" His voice was so calm and sweet that it made you angry. How can he be so kind to someone who never even helped him?

“Why are you doing this?” You ask, and he frowns in question.

“I don't understand what you mean.”

“You're always so kind to me…” You try to explain, but he seems more lost.

“I don't get it, you're mad at me because I'm kind to you?” He scratches his scalp, turning his head to the side.

“I'm mad at you because I don't understand. I don't deserve all this, and you've been amazing from the beginning while I…” You don't finish your sentence, and he comes closer. “I don't know.” You let out with a breath.

“If you knew how incredible you are, you would understand that this is the way you should be treated by everyone." A simple sentence completely deconstructed you, you took a deep breath.

“Not everyone has to deal with my constant anxiety, what you do is…”

“Is caring.” He completes your sentence, holding your hands gently. "I care about you deeply. Because seeing you well makes me feel good, and fuck Y/N! I love seeing you well. If you only knew the impact your smile has on me, oh boy, you'd be speechless.”

“You're confusing me." You're honest, releasing your hands from his.

He gently reaches out with one of his hands to cup your chin, his dark eyes meeting your teary ones. He smiles small, you mimic him without realizing it. Warren caresses your cheek, wiping away a tear you didn't notice falling.

“I'll make it clear for you.” He whispers, and you tremble under his touch. “I love you, and I cannot pretend that I don't care about you at all. Because there's not a single second of my day that I'm not thinking about you.”

Your pupils widen, you feel your legs give out, and he doesn't do anything else. The drummer moves away from you, takes one of your hands and kisses gently.

“That's all I need you to know." He says, walking away. He stops at the broken doorway, making you break the spell of the questions. “You can have my room, I sleep in the living room. Don't worry about waking up time, here you know we sleep until necessary." He laughs, making you let out a weak laugh. "Goodnight señorita”

…

Warren had contacted everyone who might be concerned about your absence from the band party, and then picked up a considerable amount of snacks, sweets, and a soda to share with you. He knocks on the glass a few times, making you notice his presence and run to help him with everything he was carrying, unable to contain your laughter.

“I can't believe you've done that”.You say between laughs, putting what he had picked up on the floor so you could sit there and eat.

“You know what they say, if you can't go to the party, bring it to you” He says, running one of his fingers through his mustache as he settles down next to you.

“They say that?" You inquire as you laugh, he joins you with his unique laugh.

He shrugs, eating one of the snacks. “I think so”

“Thank you Rojas.” You say affectionately, and for the first time he notices. You look him in the eyes. “Thank you for worrying about me. For everything you do, I can't actually thank you enough…”

“You don't have to.” He makes sure you know. "I'm just glad you're okay.”

“Was what you said true?” You speak so quietly that he's surprised he heard you.

“Well señorita, I kinda say a lot of things.” He teases, and you can't help but feel your body light, calm next to him.

“That night.” You make yourself clear, and for the first time in your life you see Warren Rojas nervous.

He takes a deep breath. “Yes, but look, I understand if you don't feel the same and I will understand if you need time…”

You know what? Fuck the questions and uncertainties! You hold his face in both hands, kissing the drummer's lips with all the love for him that was growing in you. He is taken by surprise, but soon wraps his hands around your waist and pulls you close, incredulous and happy, he enjoys every second feeling your closeness and kissing you with love and passion.

“Does that mean?” He asks after the kiss, his pretty eyes filled with hope and love.

“I love you too Rojas.” You kiss him once again, sitting on his lap.

“God I love this, but I better warn you that I can't control myself if you do this.” He whispers in joke, kissing your nose.

“I don't care.”

He chuckles, holding your face with both hands. "I know you're trying to ignore the questions and be brave, which by the way I'm so proud of you, but we can't have sex in the studio. Unfortunately.”

You hide your face in shame in his neck, and you know as long as he's close. Safe you will be.

...

Hi, I hope you enjoyed it... If you wanted to ask for something my requests are open, and if you want to ask and don't have any ideas check out my prompt list :) xoxo

Want to be tagged when new stories come out? REASONSMANDY'S TAG LIST

Taglist: @number1chonie @eddiesaurora @hopelessromantic727 @o1iv3 @94namkooksworld @warrenrojaswife @Jaidaschampagneproblems @boredshit-shadow @lantsovcolors @quezadaas @katiepotatie

[putschki1969]

2024/09/05 Blog post by Wakana お久しぶりです！Wakanaのドウガ！〜猿島編〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

A New Wakana FC Video After a Long Time! ~Sarushima Edition~

The other day I got on a bus and when it was finally time to get off at the next stop, I was suddenly confronted with a really big problem. You might wonder what problem it could have been. Well, of course it's the dilemma of who is pressing the STOP button first (I realise, it's a non-issue for most people).

I often wonder if anyone will press the button so I will raise my arm, preparing myself to press it. But in that very moment someone else on the bus will beat me to it and press the button first so I've put in effort for nothing. But then at other times, when I decide to do nothing and wait for someone else to step in, for some reason, no one will move a finger to press the button. To avoid these troublesome moments, I will usually take charge of the situation and press the button at the first possible opportunity (even if it is for a stop where a lot of people will get off anyway).

However, on this day, about 0.5 seconds before my finger was touching the button, a little girl sitting in the seat in front of me also reached for the button close to her! ! Oh my God!! 😭😭Before I knew it, I had already pressed the button on reflex 😭*sobs* A grown-ass adult, driven by a misguided sense of responsibility, had pushed the button with so much enthusiasm and taken away a little girl's chance to do it. So stupid!

I saw how the poor girl reached out and just before her little finger touched the button, it lit up and the telltale "ping" rang through the bus, letting everyone know that the button had already been pressed. She turned to the woman beside her, presumably her mother, and just stared at her in shock and sadness. The woman looked at the girl with an appeasing smile and nodded (she honestly looked like the Virgin Mary trying to comfort her child.)

As for me, I was beyond myself. I was shocked too and completely froze up so I couldn't even say anything. I simply turned away with an apologetic expression on my face. I am so sorry, little girl! Please forgive me! To make things worse, I felt like the woman beside me had witnessed the whole thing so I tried to avoid looking at her as best as possible until I got off *laughs*

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

I vowed to myself that from now on, I would always check to see if there were any children around.

Well, today, a new Wakana fan club video has been uploaded for the first time in a long while😊This is a video about my trip to Sarushima that I mentioned in earlier log posts and which was also featured in my fan club newsletter! I was alone so it was tricky to film myself but I made a short video that shows the beautiful scenery of the island. You can also hear the birds chirping😍The part where I climb the "Heartbreak Stairs" (it's what I decided to casually name them) is 2 minutes long and uncut😄It may be a little hard to watch💦I hope you enjoy it nonetheless✨ »»——  CLICK ME 🎁 CLICK ME ——««

I also have a video of the "island announcement" that I talked about in the podcast, so I'm uploading it here as a bonus😂(※please note that the volume may be high)

All right, that's all for today! Until next time~☆( '▽')/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

2024/09/10 Blog post by Wakana おしゃべりガーデン第13回目‼️〜お祭りと不思議話と訂正事項がございます‼︎〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Talk Garden Vol.#13‼️~Festivals, Mysteries and Corrections~

The other day, on the way back from having dinner with two of my friends, there was a festival nearby so we decided to take a look😊There were a lot of people on the narrow approach to the shrine, and they sold a lot of delicious things such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, baby castella, and candy apples! Even though we had just eaten, we decided to buy some baby castella and walked through the crowd while eating it together😂We simply couldn't resist that sweet smell😋Then, one of my friends said that she was good at yo-yo fishing, so we decided to give it a try＼(^o^)／You know, this time, unlike last time, I was able to catch one really easily🤣Mine was more like a vinyl air balloon rather than a proper yo-yo balloon so I didn't have to worry too much. I was still traumatised from my previous series of complete failures (please refer to my Instagram for details) so I went with this relatively safe and easy option.😂It doesn't even have water in it, so it's easy to get it out *laughs* My friend managed to get the water balloon yo-yo! Bravo!!

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

After enjoying a delicious dinner, we bought baby castella, six skewers of yakitori, six pieces of fried chicken, and yakisoba. The three of us ate it all *laughs* The festival effect is amazing 😂

Well, today, Vol.13 of my podcast "Wakana's Talk Garden" has been uploaded!! ︎＼＼\٩( 'ω' )و //／／I read about everyone's "strange and mysterious stories" 😊I realized that there are many different patterns in strange stories 😯There really are a lot of things that I find strange in my daily life. I thought about it a lot after I had recorded the episode.

For example, whenever I have a photo-shoot with my regular photographer, for some reason, the sky always clears up and it stops raining. Or when I think I've run out of an item so I buy more to stock up only to realise that I have a lot left *laughs* There are also lots of incidents when you can't help but think, "only at times like this…" These situations are really strange but they do happen😂I think the best example for something like this is when you suddenly meet someone that you haven't seen in ages😂And it's almost always in moments when you're just spacing out without thinking about anything, or when you're in a really hurry😂 Such weird timing! Why in that moment!? It's weird. Also, for some reason, various things just happen at the same time so that makes you wonder why now!? There are many strange things that happen every day so I want to live my life having fun while also appreciating all the strange occurrences 😊✨Thank you so much for all your submissions! !

Well, the next talk topic will be "Everyone's Rules of Healthy Living" ♪ Anything you make sure to eat every day? Are you doing anything to take care of your intestines? Maybe you try to walk the distance of one station every now and then? Please share all of your rules that help you lead a healthy life! ＼(^o^)／The deadline is the end of this month on September 30th! I'll be waiting for your messages♪

Last but not least, I need to correct something I said in the latest podcast episode! It's about my “Join Wakana! Houseboat Full-Course Tour” on September 22nd and 23rd. In the episode, I mentioned that the seating on the boat would be "chair-style". However, turns out that info was old, the boat we will board is a bit more traditionally Japanese so the seating will be "sunken kotatsu-style"!! 🥺🥺Maybe the boat is also a little bigger than it was originally, so that might be why they changed the seating style 🥺 I'm sorry for the misleading statement! 😭 So please note, there won't be any chairs, the seating provided will be sunken "kotatsu-style"!! ･:*+.(( °ω° ))/.:+ I hope you will sit comfortably! ! !

Anyway, that's all for today! Until next time~☆( '▽')/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

Wakana’s Talk Garden #13

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Episode #13 »»—— CLICK ME 🎁 CLICK ME ——«« ・Share a strange experience ・Anything you’d like to ask Wakana/Anything you’d like Wakana to talk about

For next month’s episode which is scheduled to air on October 10th, the following two topics have been chosen: ・Everyone's Rules of Healthy Living

The submission deadline is 09/30.

[husbandograveyard]

Alright, I already beat my shame with a sandal, so I may finally slide my humble request for a fresh dose of Nanami's E cups 🙏

So, can I request him with prompts: 10, 12 or 8? In case you would need it, any turn towards afab reader/cisfem anatomy is okay with me ❤

I'm really excited for all the writing for this, the prompts are simply amazing, and the choice was the hardest I had in a while 😂 Thank you, good luck, and have fun!

For some reason, Nanami has been evoking the most inspiration this event. JJK mood still reigns supreme. I hope you enjoy some more silly time with him! <3

☁️ Pillow talk event - Masterlist ☁️ Prompt: “Have you seen my socks? I think I’ve lost at least one of them somewhere.”  Character: Kento Nanami (JJK) x GN reader (no pronouns or genitals mentioned)

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Suggestive content | Minors DNI | Public sex (office), fluff, humor ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Usually, Nanami wasn’t the kind for a quickie, especially not in the office. Too messy, his paperwork could get messed up, there was just too much to factor in and to worry about, he generally preferred you keep it to the bedroom or the couch. 

But somehow, you had been too irresistible today. Every touch had left his skin feeling like it was burning up in the most pleasant way possible, every glance, every smile sent shivers down his spine and blood straight to his dick. There was no way to control it, no real outlet except- 

Well except for bending you over the desk a few minutes ago. It had all been a blur, an innocent kiss on the cheek escalating in clothes hastily being removed, or moved out of the way. Luckily there was barely anyone else in the building, even though the thrill of possibly getting caught only added to your excitement. 

And now that it was all over, you had come to your senses, and both of you were starting to realize just where you were and what had happened, the lust that had clouded your brain dissipating and seeing the office for what it was right now: a mess -especially considering just how neat and meticulous Kento usually was. 

You started to get dressed again hastily, picking up fallen papers and garments from the floor, seeing Nanami do the same thing. You had to stop and stare for a while. His hair a little tousled, strands of it sticking to his forehead, a slight blush still tinting his cheeks. He looked so good too, all disheveled, it almost made you want to go for another round. But rationally, you knew you better wait till home. 

“Have you seen my socks? I think I’ve lost at least one of them somewhere.” 

You were almost done redressing, and the room almost looked like it was before. You both had been completely silent through all of it, and now you were the first one to speak up. You saw your lover blink a few times rapidly, as if awakening from a daze. 

“Ah yes. Behind the chair over there. Not quite sure how it got there?” 

You laughed, you had a vague idea of how it got there in the heat of it all. And still. You put your socks back on, and then your shoes. Standing up to feel your body ache in the most delicious ways, you stretched and walked over to Kento, placing another kiss on his cheek. The same kind as what had started everything earlier. 

“I need to get back to work, but I will see you later at home. Maybe we can go for another round?” 

You grinned as you walked off, sure you heard his breath stuck in his throat for a moment there.

[tamelee]

Hi

It's me again 😅

How are you today? Hope you have a great day /night ✨

I have multiple questions 😅

I love reading naruto manga but it's there a part that I don't understand

Why did sasuke try to kill naruto here? I just don't understand it😅😅

And if Sai didn't stop him from killing naruto, sasuke would kill him?

Also in this chapter, sakura said for naruto, sasuke is like brother to him

I just wonder why didn't she recognize naruto's feelings towards sasuke?

Or could it be naruto himself didn't recognize his feelings for sasuke yet? That his feelings is romantic? I just don't understand this chapter 😂

A little question :

When do you think naruto actually understand / recognize his romantic feelings towards sasuke?

Also your arts are beautiful as always ❤️❤️

Hi nancy-8140 ! 💕 Hope you're well!

"Why did sasuke try to kill naruto here? I just don't understand it😅😅

And if Sai didn't stop him from killing naruto, sasuke would kill him?"

So, prior to this, Sasuke already has made it known that he felt like he needed to (not wanted to) cut his bond with Naruto. As long as Naruto is alive, that love (take it how you will) would get in the way of his goals. It makes him vulnerable because as he tried to explain to Genin Naruto who at the time didn't understand yet: "it hurts to lose someone you love." (In Sasuke's case.. many someones..) That's why only Naruto was the one he felt like he needed to kill, only Naruto was left and was "in the way".

Sasuke couldn't kill Naruto and didn't take the shortcut for power even though he could've. He looks broken, miserable and devastated.

Does this look like a boy who wants to kill Naruto to you?

Instead he chooses to literally walk into the "darkness" (hey, I know some Sasuke fans hate this, but this is the visual the Manga gives us and well it's true in a way.. so just using it for that purpose) to train with a creepy Snake man he hates for years instead. Because doing so is another chance of gaining power but keeping Naruto alive. Indeed, that is Sasuke's way. Because Sasuke loves Naruto. And so what do you think will happen when he sees Naruto again after almost 3 years? When Sasuke learns that Naruto has been actively searching for him despite having his own dream. That Naruto has never given up on him?

Naruto knows Sasuke couldn't do it and provokes him. Look at Sasuke's face. The Manga literally brings you back to that moment in VotE1 and Sasuke's memories. The true reason why Sasuke needed to kill Naruto, his closest friend, but can't. Because Sasuke loves Naruto.

Kishimoto makes him glide down to hug Naruto close and even while holding him, pressed against his body (this sounds like fan fiction but it really isn't) they're being flirty in an odd way.

If Sasuke had wanted to kill Naruto for real he would've and Naruto didn't seem to stop him at the time either. Naruto's body apparently moved on its own to stop Sai from stabbing Sasuke instead.

"Also in this chapter, sakura said for naruto, sasuke is like brother to him"

"I just wonder why didn't she recognize naruto's feelings towards sasuke?"

Oh I would love to one day write an essay about Kishimoto writing Sakura/Sai observing Naruto/Sasuke. Because there is something really interesting happening in this Chapter and then again after the Pain Arc when Sai is telling her that Naruto loves her so much even though he doesn't and she gets turned down by both Naruto and Sasuke. Then Sai is like a vessel from a readers perspective getting fed spoons of information and I've always wondered if he was a character inspired by a person Kishimoto knew irl. It seems to me Kishimoto really likes Sai (I do too) and he comes to understand their bond more and more but it's a bit frustrating that the earlier ignorance is what anti's grab and use as evidence yet ignore later development. Sakura and Sai love to bullshit each other yet Sai does it unknowingly. Sakura is manipulative, purposefully being ignorant if it means she can stay in Sasuke-kun la-la-land. Kishimoto is a genius writer. I'll fight anyone. I'm sorry if I sound vague, this just takes a bit longer. I've already made a post about her "knowing about SNS" but somehow my blog won't load? Idk maybe it's just my Tumblr. I'll edit this post if it works again I'm sorry ;-; Anyway, Sai confronted Naruto with this information and this was his answer:

Sai confronted Sasuke with this information and this was his answer:

And that is Kishimoto saying: Naruto and Sasuke are not brothers thank you very much.

"When do you think naruto actually understand / recognize his romantic feelings towards sasuke?"

I've always felt that their journeys until the end of the story are about exploration, development, figuring things out. I don't think there really, truly is a moment when there is an "okay now it is romantic"-epiphany. Because what would that mean? Kishimoto can't show us an "Oh shit I think I'm actually really in love with him" panel/scene like that shitshow Hinata-fans got and I'm happy we didn't lmao. Instead we get an entire love-story tbh and I'm okay with that. Maybe if I were to guess (and it would fit the story nicely) is when he turned down Sakura, called her out on her bullshit after he tossed and turned for a whole night thinking about Sasuke, found out the truth about the UCM, had a panic attack, begged for Sasuke's forgiveness and sobbed with his head buried in the snow in front of the Raikage, then set his resolve and felt so confident and resolute that he left his Hitai-ate, went to his own little space with Sasuke to confess how he felt about him and in the end told him he would bear his burdens and die with him. All the while looking content and peaceful regardless of what happened before that. ;-; Because Naruto loves Sasuke.

"Also your arts are beautiful as always ❤️❤️"

Thankyou so much!! I'm happy you like them 🧡🧡

[kalolasfantasyworld]

Chapters 372, 373 comments

The comments were written as I was reading. I'll make another post with my overall opinion and analysis. These are live reactions 💕

Chapter 372

We’re starting with Nozel crashing down and Pablo coming to the rescue. CLASSIC. (Helena get over here and heal your husband please)

Thankfully Kahono and Kiato came in. I actually stumbled upon a post on twitter saying that BC mobile foreshadowed this a little, giving us both of them together. 

Moving on I love how they’re giving Noelle a way to fight. 

I’m really glad how Tabata’s showing us Acier’s spells. We didn’t really know about anything except her Valkyrie armor, so it’s great to see how they’re more “bird” related. 

Noelle and Acier are going all out. The fact that Acier is using water is interesting. Maybe it’s to show the similarities.

THE PANELS, THE ART. They’re amazing, we can see how dynamic this fight is and we can only dream how it will look animated.

Acier once again using an eagle and Noelle fighting her off with a dragon, amazing.

YES Solid and Nebra panels! They realise how powerful Noelle is and at the same time they’re terrified, they feel weak and we see them reflect on their actions, on their behaviour. 

I’m glad they realised their mistakes, but no you’re not wretched you were until you realised and tried to make it better.

They get inspired by their little sister and the inspiration trope goes on in BC.

Now once again the epic fight between Noelle and Acier. ART is at its peak here, the foreshortening, shadows, expressions.

And Acier nearly had her, but NEARLY, because SOLID my boy. 

I’m proud of you. I’m so proud of you! I knew you had it in you!

Nebra fights as well! She’s terrified, but she’s not giving up! 

“It isn’t the weak who should be embarrassed. It’s the ones who STAY WEAK!”

YES YES EXACTLY

And they want to atone, want to make a fresh start and want to BECOME A FAMILY!.

All I ever wanted from BC was this last panel. 

Thank yous so much Tabata. The four of them. You made it so beautiful.

I’m extremely grateful I stuck around in the fandom to witness this.

Also hey Nozel you’re up and back in the fight!

Chapter 373

“Take care of the rest for us… SILVAS!!” 

I’m not sobbing guys, no not at all.

Nebra using her strength and covering everything so that they can talk.

Ohhh I love how the next panel kind of flashes back to when he said that she’s a Royal and she has to come protect the capital with him!

Same motifs everyone. Amazing.

Nozel is finally guiding Noelle and teaching her. I wonder what would had happened if he did that since the beginning, but well we’ll never know. Good he’s making up for it now.

Acier comes back and they need more time, Noelle needs more time for this attack. I know what’s coming. Nozel relaying on others! Character development.

“Big brothers exist to protect their siblings!!”

Nozel you’re making me cry 😭😭😭 I’m so proud of you. 

AND yes he’s changing his style, he’s learning, evolving. DEFENCE.

DAMN, so I saw that panel earlier… but I’m still looking… respectfully…

NEW SPELL, I already made Helena make dirty jokes about it… 😂

But honestly even though he looks exactly like the Silver surfer and he had that surfing scene in during the captains’ battle. I LOVE IT. 

And see guys Nozel has some lean muscle, my drawings and descriptions are accurate.

And he kind of got an armor.

I’m discontinuing simping right now.

He’s buying them time! They obviously worry, but how badass that is.

I love how determined Solid and Nebra are here. 

“Solid and I will support your spell!!”

YES Nebra! Good job girl!

They will help, they will support you Noelle.

Maintaining that spell does hurt. I head canon that Nozel has some immunity to his magic in a way that he can control it a bit from not hurting him, but nonetheless it is hurting him. Mercury is poisonous.

However he fights through it now, he goes against his mother, doing his best to buy time for his siblings.

Nebra and Solid have a hard time, it’s hurting them, but they don’t speak they’re focused and they will help her. On the contrary they tell her to push forward. Such amazing development. We can also see their repentance. They know they were wrong and they’re trying to make up for it in these crucial moments.

I saw this panel in @thoughtfullyrainynightmare’s colorings and I LOVE it so much! Nozel and his punishment are very dramatic. He looks so good here!!! (Simp mode is back)

However what he SAYS is so much more important, what he wishes to achieve. He believes in his goal, he will atone and be able to rebuild to heal the bonds in his family.

Okay this is going to be heavy. I just know it.

Noelle doesn’t want to hurt Nebra and Solid. 

CONFESSIONS

I knew it 

😭😭😭

I always head canoned that Nebra was jealous of that and now it’s confirmed. It’s so brave of her to confess it now.

Solid also was jealous, the same magic attribute and Noelle was just more powerful. He was scared, scared to be weaker than Noelle, which he ended up being (self fulfilling prophecy everyone).

But they are SORRY!

And this means to Noelle more than anything.

She charges her magic, as Nozel continues the fight! Spectacular.

(I haven’t red Jojo, but it’s a mojo looking panel) once again I’m so impressed by the movement and just how amazingly Tabata can show the action.

The spell crashes Acier’s eagle.

“It’s a shame, but I got to see my children all grown up and strong As a mother, I’m satisfied!”

Acier despite being an evil paladin is the one of the best mothers’ in BC.

She’s proud of them (me too girl me too)

“You took the long way round, but you’ve finally become a family, haven’t you?”

Yes they have.

[liptonwashere]

only you (and you alone)

(i wanted to upload this earlier, but my respiratory allergy has struck again and i am fighting for my life 😂) hi @hell-it-was-you! i'm your assigned writer for the HBO war short story exchange. i've never written a story in English before so this is a first for me, and it was fun! i hope you like it. thank you for participating in this exchange, and thanks to those who organized it! 🫶

show: band of brothers

ship: speirton

word count: 999 words

fanfiction prompts: a private bet at officers poker night. a drunken very sloppy confession of feelings

warnings: none

a/n: they're so silly here. i'm sorry lmao

Ron often wondered about the how's and why's as a puzzle he must resolve at any cost. Most likely, he wondered about those matters that didn't really need a resolution outside the battlefield.

Whenever a dead soldier’s face appeared in his dreams—a name he could barely remember—and Ron’s façade would crumble down, asking himself, ‘Why are we still fighting?’

He had no idea.

Following orders felt natural to him. In and of itself, Speirs belonged to that certainty and what it involved: the rush.

His heart pounding loudly in his ears, and not a single doubt disturbing him. Later, Ron'd think about how in the hell he was still alive.

He wouldn't tell anyone about his thoughts.

Perhaps it was luck. Some people were lucky, and some were not. These questions always got him into an endless spiral, and he dawned on a new, unfair question.

Ron was so far beyond surprise he couldn't even open his mouth. He stared at Carwood, half-heartedly hearing Harry and Nixon, cards strewn all over the table, and drinks of whiskey Nix looted for each of them.

And Speirs wondered and wondered and wondered. Even after losing another hand.

He slumped his shoulders; what a lost cause.

How was it possible that Lieutenant Lipton was able to so easily read all of his moves? Infuriating. And what was more than infuriating? The unsolved why.

Why did he keep waiting for it? To be read by him?

Was it the rush?

Was it the way Lipton, with his lazy smirk and flushed, rosy cheeks, glanced at him like he knew what he was doing?

Probably.

Lip looked back at him through his lidded eyes, and Ron took a deep breath to ground himself.

He was getting sidetracked.

They had been drinking for hours when Harry and Nix called it a night. Ron could tell by Harry’s slurred speech and the unsteadiness of his feet that he was tipsy. Nix stood up, completely unaffected by what he’d drunk, and mocked a cheerful Lipton—the drunkest of them—by telling him to drink more wisely the next time. Nix, of all people.

Ron promised them to take care of him before the officers left.

He began to regret it.

Who would have thought Lipton was the silliest and most talkative drunk?

The room seemed to float around like a boat, making Lipton stumble around when he tried to stand. He was about to take the whole bottle, but Speirs stopped him by his wrist.

"Don't."

Lip read the stern expression on Ron's face and shook his head. "I'm not that drunk, sir."

"You’ve had too much. I can’t give you any more."

Ron placed a hand over Lip's shoulders, and he leaned into his touch. Not a single complaint from Carwood, just following his CO. As usual.

He carried him to their shared billet. Ron squinted at the darkness, swallowing the light, and was careful in his walking. A difficult task when Lipton couldn't stop talking soothingly into his ear.

"Remember when… you ran straight through the German line at Foy… and came back unscathed?"

Ron's eyes crinkled; he couldn't hold his smile for much longer.

"I remember it."

"You were… the bravest man I've ever seen… I’ll never forget that… as long as I live."

Lip did not speak afterward; his eyes were fixed on Speirs. His heart might burst at any moment, mesmerized by the sight.

Ron found he was still staring.

"Like what you see?"

That snapped Lipton out of the trance, blinking in his direction. He laughed, and his hot breath sent shivers down Ron's spine.

"I always do, sir." Lip said, matter-of-factly.

The conviction in Carwood's voice surprised Ron. They have been keeping things professional, but the major breakthrough came almost by accident.

Ron smiled, and controlled by a force outside himself, he whispered, tongue in cheek, "Are you flirting with me, Lieutenant?"

Lipton was silent for a good minute. It was so long that Speirs checked if he was still awake.

"Now that I think of it… I am, sir."

A straightforward answer that caught Ron off guard. Again. His face turned up to Lip in awe as he continued.

"I know… I'm not supposed to want you." Lipton closed his eyes. The words were just too difficult to force out of his own mouth. Finally, he managed to slur, "But I do."

And of course, Speirs wouldn't waste Lip's honesty.

"So you want me?"

Lipton glanced at Ron's lips, unaware that Ron was doing the same.

Carwood didn't bother to consider the consequences. The whiskey was causing him to say things he wouldn't have said otherwise, and he might blame himself for it in the morning, but not tonight.

"Yessir."

Ron hummed in response, amused.

Speirs had to hold himself back from kissing him. He knew by then that he never wanted anything more than to have Carwood's lips over his.

He thought about catching the nape of Carwood's neck and pulling him forward, cherishing a sweet gasp from his mouth. Ron let his thoughts run wild, Lip's fingers tangled into his curls to hold him closer, and the taste of whiskey in—

That would have to wait.

It was just a moment, but Ron's question had already been answered.

Neither of them said a word, just looking into each other's eyes and knowing the untold truth.

Carwood tilted his head from side to side, frowning. He had started to feel the effects of the alcohol long before he sobered up, so Ron made him drink a full glass of water before allowing him to lie down and sleep.

Settling in for his shut-eye, Lip mumbled.

"Good night, sir."

Ron chuckled unabashedly. How funny. Calling him "sir" after confessing his feelings, drunk and sloppy.

He pondered how Lipton would behave during his inevitable morning hangover.

"It's Ron."

Lip repeated to himself his name, a tender whisper, and he didn't know the effect it had on Speirs.

"Good night, Ron."

[moni-logues]

requesting the HAPPY ENDING THAT THE LOVE OF MY LIFE KIM TAEHYUNG TRULY DESERVES, THANKS. :)

if this hurts my feelings at ALL you are fired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nothing but flowers and butterflies and nose smooches for the world's bestest boy!!!!!!

Oh, look, it's me 'fulfilling' a request but not actually... fulfilling it LMAO I look forward to being fired post-haste

here's a part TWO, JO!!! And you must let it satisfy you FOR NOW! and for everyone/anyone else who did not enjoy my least successful ever fic, honestly, I love these two so I don't care 😂😂

Part One

Long for You

Pairing: Kintsugi!Taehyung x Hyunjin

Genre: angst, smut, long-distance relationship

Summary: Distance is difficult. It started difficult and wasn't getting any easier, but Taehyung didn't have a solution, didn't have a way out of it. Didn't have a way to Hyunjin.

Word count: 5k

Content: mem x mem, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, edging kinda (but he's doing it to himself), anal sex, hand job

~*~

Taehyung stared at his phone, somewhere between disbelief and elation.  

Hyunjin was coming to Korea. Home. Coming home.  

Not forever. Not even close. For three days. Because the French had seen what was obvious: that he was beautifully sculpted and untouchably handsome. When he first moved to Paris, he had secured a little light modelling work. Then that became some slightly more serious fashion modelling, which had in turn led, now, to a job with 99%IS. A photoshoot in Korea. In Korea where Taehyung lived.  

Hyunjin was coming.  

* 

l'amour de ma vie ❤️: my flight gets in at 6:30 so I can maybe get to yours by 8? 

Taehyung: I’ll pick you up 

l'amour de ma vie ❤️: you’d have to leave your house at 5:30 

l'amour de ma vie ❤️: in the morning! 

Taehyung: I’ll pick you up 💋💋 

* 

There were fewer nerves this time. Because Hyunjin had about 20 hours to himself in Korea and he was spending them with Taehyung. Because he had got an earlier flight just to make that time a little longer. Because he said, over and over again, how much he missed Taehyung, how much he loved him, how much he wanted to see him.  

Those feelings were mutual. Taehyung felt almost sick with anticipation, with longing. It had been nigh on a year since they had last seen each other. A year that had stretched into eternity and flown by in an instant. A year that had been excruciating and lonely and miserable; a year that had been filled with tiny happinesses, fleeting joys, and the comfort of knowing he was loved.  

They had achieved no real resolution when Taehyung had left Paris. They agreed that they were in love. They both knew that the geographical distance wasn’t coming to an end any time soon. So they agreed not to agree anything further. They would do what they could. They would text; they would talk; they would just have to see how things went. Neither wanted a break-up; nor did they want to trap the other in an indefinitely long-distance relationship. Neither wanted the other to see other people, nor did they feel they had any right to impose such a limitation on them, not when there were thousands of miles between them, hours of time difference, when there might just be someone else who might be good for them. It was as it had ever been: deliberately and consciously casual, despite the fact that it was not casual at all.  

Taehyung’s foot was tapping on the floor, quick, incessant bouncing as he scanned the crowd of arrivals, waiting. Always waiting for Hyunjin.  

He let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding when he saw that familiar face break through all the unfamiliar ones. He had to hold himself back from running up, pushing people out of the way, taking Hyunjin and swinging him around, kissing him in full view of everyone. He saw it happen in his head, hoped Hyunjin could see it, too, so he would know. So he would understand what Taehyung really felt. That his feelings were barely contained, threatening to burst. That he wasn’t really this composed, this calm, standing at the end of the arrivals lane with a smile on his face.  

Hyunjin was less placid. He did pick up his pace, jogging lightly towards Taehyung. He did fling his arms around him, tight and secure. He stopped just short of kissing him, standing nose-to-nose until he touched his forehead to Taehyung’s and closed his eyes, just for a second.  

Then it was all a-rush, marching to the AREX, standing for forty minutes on a packed train because the 15 minutes it saved them were 15 minutes they wouldn’t be getting back. 15 minutes that they wanted to make the most of. They stood, as they had in Paris, in silence, but the tension was different this time. It was urgent. It was fizzing between them like champagne bubbles. Taehyung’s fingers twitched at his side, wanting to take Hyunjin’s hand. Hyunjin bit the inside of his lip as he looked at Taehyung’s face; this face that he had memorised every feature of, every contour. This face he had drawn and painted and photographed and still wasn’t tired of.  

When they finally made it to Taehyung’s apartment, they had both expected the urgency to continue, to increase. They expected it to be fast and furious, again and again, until they both collapsed.  

Taehyung shut the door and Hyunjin put his suitcase in the corner. They both breathed a sigh of relief to finally be free in the privacy of Taehyung’s apartment, but Hyunjin didn’t rush when he padded over. He slipped his arms around Taehyung’s waist and leant into him, resting his head on his shoulder and taking a deep breath.  

“Missed you,” he said, hands moving higher up Taehyung’s back, scrunching his t-shirt in tight fists. 

“I missed you, too,” Taehyung returned. 

Suddenly, Taehyung wanted nothing more than this. Just to hold Hyunjin close, to keep him near, to not let him go.  

They shuffled together into Taehyung’s bedroom, fell onto his bed in a heavy tumble. They weren’t intending to sleep, though both were tired. They had such limited time together; had exchanged innumerable messages about everything they would do to each other when they were finally together; had sworn they would make the most of every second. But sleep came for them anyway, washing over them quickly and softly, holding them until the sun was high overhead and the morning completely gone.  

Hyunjin woke with a start, sitting up on the bed and looking about himself in a panic. 

“Tae, Tae, Tae,” he called, shoving Taehyung’s shoulder to wake him. 

“What?” he answered, blinking one eye open. 

“It’s after noon.” 

“Oh shit!” 

Taehyung was sitting now, too, and they looked at each other, a little dumbfounded, rubbing the remnants of sleep from their eyes. Hyunjin fell back into Taehyung’s arms.  

“I can’t believe we’ve wasted so much time,” he said, quietly. “I have a fitting in less than two hours.” 

Taehyung nodded, couldn’t voice the dread he felt squeezing his throat. He was furious with himself, for falling asleep, for letting this time pass. They only had so much of it and they’d just wasted hours.  

Hyunjin kissed his jaw and brought him back to the world before he had a chance to spiral, to really dig into his frustration and sadness.  

“I’m going to freshen up,” Hyunjin said, disentangling himself and climbing off the bed. “Don’t go anywhere, ok?” 

Taehyung nodded and sighed and ran his hands through his hair. There was no sense in ruining the time they did have by stewing over the time they didn’t. He scrubbed over his face and stretched then he decided to stand; he couldn’t risk lying down, falling back to sleep again. He paced back and forth at the end of his bed, missing Hyunjin already, even though he was only in another room of the apartment, rather than on another continent.  

He appeared at the door, leant against the frame, completely naked. 

“I’m going to have a shower,” he announced. “Want to join me?” 

Taehyung laughed. 

“You know I have a flatmate?” 

“Oh, does Taem want to join?” 

They both laughed and Taehyung screwed up his face in mock outrage. 

“I’m sure he does,” he replied, standing close to Hyunjin now, close enough to hold his hands, to kiss him. He did both. “But you’re all mine.” 

“Say it again.” 

“You’re all mine.” 

* 

Under the hot spray of the shower, their sense of urgency returned. They wished they had the hours they had wasted; wished they could do this over and over again like they had planned; wished that something would stop time, even if only for a little while, so they could get their fill before Hyunjin had to leave again.  

Leave the apartment. 

Leave Korea.  

But they didn’t have time. They had a steam-filled bathroom and a deluge of hot water; they had mouths on skin and hands around stiff cocks; they had the familiar, exquisite ache of lustful longing radiating through them. They had so much to say that words could not contain it; only their bodies could speak it into existence. 

Taehyung had Hyunjin’s length in his hand; Hyunjin had his fingers in Taehyung’s mouth. Taehyung had his own shaft seated firmly inside Hyunjin, held there, unmoving, while his hand pumped. Because they might not have had time for everything they wanted, but Taehyung was going to make sure he had at least two loads of Hyunjin’s cum circling the drain before he left.  

Hyunjin removed his fingers from Taehyung’s mouth and twisted them into his hair, pulling him closer so he could mash his mouth against his, so he could moan into it, so he could be bitten by Taehyung on the soft, wet skin of his lips.  

Taehyung felt his cock twitch and his legs burnt with the desire to move, his hips barely able to resist tipping and rolling and fucking into Hyunjin like they wanted to. He worked his hand quicker, as desperate for Hyunjin to meet his first climax as he was to meet his own. He knew it wouldn’t be long. Knew that Hyunjin was close, getting closer. Knew he would let go so that he could whine and whimper as Taehyung thrust hard and fast. 

And so it went. Hyunjin spilt all over Taehyung’s fingers and the shower washed it away as if it had never been there. Taehyung began to move, starting slowly and increasing until he couldn’t fuck any faster, couldn’t hit any deeper. Hyunjin shivered and twisted against the wall, fingers pulling Taehyung’s hair out from the roots, mouth hanging open, allowing all his mewling gasps to fall straight out. This was the part Hyunjin liked. The drowning. The suffocating sensitivity. Sensation that pushed everything and anything else out. That made him unable to think, barely able to breathe. That took him over completely, made spots dance in front of his eyes, and tremors ripple throughout his whole body.  

He liked it best when it was Taehyung. Because he didn’t have to explain it. Didn’t have to ask for it. Taehyung looked after him. Without question. Without hesitation. Hyunjin felt spoilt in Taehyung’s arms, not just because of his size, or the fluid motion of his hips, or the taste of his tongue. Taehyung lavished attention on him, doted on him, even when it was filthy, even when sweat ran down their bodies and soaked the sheets, even when Hyunjin was crying and coming dry and Taehyung hadn’t come at all. Hyunjin was adored by Taehyung and he stored it in his heart, for safe-keeping.  

Taehyung was holding back. Was biting down on his own lip to try to prevent his end coming too soon. He slowed down, breathing heavily, resting his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder. Hyunjin nipped at his ear and he whined.  

“You can come, baby,” Hyunjin whispered, voice trembling.  

Taehyung shook his head. 

“Nuh uh... You again.” 

Hyunjin was about to protest when Taehyung’s voice stopped him. 

“Please.” 

It was a ragged plea. Desperate. Forced from his throat with effort than made arousal stir in Hyunjin’s gut, strong and hot. He tipped his head back against the wall and moaned, swearing around his pleasure as Taehyung’s fingers wrapped his shaft again, as his thumb rubbed over his head, as his wrist twisted and flexed. Taehyung knew it wouldn’t be long, was telling himself he could come soon, was telling himself how much he loved this: this agonising waiting, this dangling from the cliff-edge with only fingertips clinging to the rockface.  

They liked the same agonies. The desperation, the overwhelming sensation, the way it felt like it would burst in Taehyung’s chest and the way it ricocheted in Hyunjin’s. It was exquisitely painful, beautiful in the purity of it. Minimalism versus maximalism. Hedonism versus asceticism. They fit perfectly together. Two sides of a coin. Two halves of a whole.  

It shattered within Hyunjin again, his hips jerking as he came for the second time. It didn’t have long to resound in his chest, in his abdomen, in the farthest reaches of his muscles, because Taehyung was so close. He was letting go. He was plunging down into the strong, wet waves of release, the explosion of pleasure within him enough to make him cry out, enough to make his knees buckle. Hyunjin’s were already weak. They sank to the tile floor of the shower and looked at each other. Tired, dazed, a little giddy, a little dizzy. In a world of their own.  

“What time is it?” Hyunjin asked, eyes closed, head back against the wall, chest heaving.  

There was another bursting inside Taehyung’s chest, but it wasn’t pleasure this time. Wasn’t even the right kind of pain. It was all the joy and completeness he felt deflating, because they were not in a world of their own. They were in the real world. The real world in which they lived thousands of miles apart and there was a real clock ticking their time away.  

Taehyung kissed Hyunjin. He didn’t want to answer. Didn’t want to say that it was time they actually got washed, time they got dry and dressed, time Hyunjin got going. 

* 

[07:52]  Jin(nie) Ramen: Did you get him? 

[07:57]  Jin(nie) Ramen: Did he arrive? 

[08:30]  Jin(nie) Ramen: IS HE HERE?! 

[09:17]  Jin(nie) Ramen: SHOW ME! 

[12:34]  Jin(nie) Ramen: TEDDY!!!!!! REPLY TO ME 

[12:35]  Jin(nie) Ramen: I need to know! 

[13:21]  Jin(nie) Ramen: STOP IGNORING ME 

[13:30]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[13:40]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[13:50]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[14:01]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[14:10]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[14:22]  Jin(nie) Ramen: KIM TAEHYUNG 

[14:33]  Taehyung: omg shut up 

[14:33]  Taehyung: leave me alone 

His phone immediately began to ring. Incoming video call. 

“As if I would leave you alone, you fucking prick! Where's Hyunjin? Show him to me!” 

“He’s not here.” 

Her face dropped dramatically – so much so that Taehyung might, at another time, have laughed.  

“What do you mean ‘not here’? Not in Korea? Why didn’t he come? What’s happening? Have you spoken to h-” 

“I mean he’s not in the apartment. He’s at work.” 

“But he’s in Korea?” 

“Yeah.” 

“And you picked him up from the airport as planned?” 

“Yeah.” 

“For fuck’s sake, Teddy!!! I hate you so much! Why would you answer like that?”  

Because winding Jinnie up was one of his favourite things to do and he was very much in need of a pick-me-up. He shrugged. The interrogation continued. 

“When’s he back?” 

“Some time this evening; he isn’t sure. He might stop in at his parents’, too.” 

“Is he sleeping at his parents?” 

Taehyung was halfway through shaking his head when he hesitated. No. The plan was for him to stay with Taehyung, but he could imagine Hyunjin’s parents insisting—their only child, back from a foreign land for the first time in over a year. He didn’t know if Hyunjin would push back.  

“He’s probably sleeping here,” he answered. 

“Can I come?” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Can I come over? Please? I really want to see him!” 

“Why?” 

“What the fuck do you mean, ‘why’? Of course I want to see him! I was friends with him, too!” 

“Eh...” 

Jinnie’s sound of outrage was exactly what Taehyung had hoped it would be. He, truthfully, did not want her to come over to see Hyunjin. He did not want to share him with anyone, even for a second, if he could help it, and having Jinnie come over felt like giving it away. He also knew that she would not be put off that easily. 

“Teddy, please. Seriously. We’ll be like, five seconds-” 

“We?” 

“Yeah, Yoongi, too.” 

Taehyung sighed.  

“Don’t sigh like that! I promise. Look, you said he’s out right now, so we can come before he gets back, he’ll arrive, and then we’ll say hi and leave! FIVE SECONDS. FIVE. I promise.” 

He knew he was going to give in. Not least because, as much as he didn’t want her to come when Hyunjin was there, it would be nice to have her around while he was out. She would be a good distraction.  

“Fine,” he said, giving in with another sigh which couldn’t be heard over her triumphant shout. “Come over for dinner or something and then, when Hyunjin gets back, you fuck off.” 

“Promise.” 

* * *  

Despite all of her instincts, Jinnie kept her promise. Despite the fact that she could have stayed all night, talking and talking and not realising the time, she did leave. Yoongi’s influence on that action did not go unnoticed and Taehyung could only be grateful that Yoongi had found a soft and subtle way to shepherd her enthusiasm without denting it.  

“They’re still together,” Hyunjin said as he leant himself against Taehyung on the sofa.  

“Yeah... Did you not know that? Did I say something different?” 

“No, no, I just..."  

He lifted his head and looked at Taehyung, trying not to look sad. Trying and failing.  

“It’s nice,” he finished, eventually. “I’m glad.” 

He picked up Taehyung’s fingers, toying with them, slipping them between his own.  

“It’s nice that they can be happy.” 

He didn’t have to say it. Complete that thought. It existed in both of their minds anyway.  

Unlike us. 

It was nice that Yoongi and Jinnie had been together for a year and a half and still looked at each other like there were stars in their eyes. Nice that they could look at each other. Nice that they lived in the same city, in the same apartment, and slept in the same bed. Nice that circumstances had not torn them apart. Nice that, beneath the relief and excitement of finally being together, they didn’t have the painful dread and anxiety of knowing just how time-limited it was.  

Unlike Taehyung and Hyunjin.  

“We can be happy,” Taehyung said, his lips pressed to Hyunjin’s forehead. “One day.” 

Hyunjin sighed.  

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Hyunjin’s eyes were wide, plaintive, his mouth downturned. 

“I left. I had to go to art school in Paris, of all places. I could ha-” 

“No,” Taehyung interrupted, desperate to avoid this conversation, both because it wouldn’t lead anywhere productive and because he couldn’t bear to see Hyunjin sad. “It’s not your fault. You should have gone; that was right. You love it there.” 

“But I love you, too.”  

“I know.”  

“One day?” 

“Yeah, one day.” 

* * * 

It was hard not to cry, two days later, when Taehyung took Hyunjin back to the airport. It hadn’t been long enough even for Hyunjin to get over his jetlag. It wasn’t enough time. It wasn’t enough. Taehyung felt panicky, picking over the time they had together, noticing the fragments of minutes that they could have optimised, that they could have made better use of. He’d already bought plane tickets to Paris for the winter (because what were credit cards for, if not this?) but it didn’t dull the pain at all. He didn’t want to see him in four months’ time; he wanted to see him all the time. He wanted to sleep and wake with him, dance and sing and play with him, walk and talk and live with him. Love him.  

“You’re going to make me cry if you keep it up,” Hyunjin said, attempting to scold but he couldn’t keep the crack out of his voice, couldn’t swallow around the lump in his throat.  

That was the last thing Taehyung wanted but he was doing his best. He couldn’t help the tears streaming, the wobble in his bottom lip, the clench of his jaw as he tried so, so hard not to fall to pieces in Departures.  

“Sorry,” he breathed, pressing a hand to his lips, looking to the floor.  

Hyunjin stepped closer, put his arms around Taehyung and they stood there like that for as long as they could. All their final minutes ticking by, seconds passing like the passengers scurrying around them.  

“It’s even harder than last time,” Hyunjin whispered, hands clutching tightly to Taehyung. 

“It’s harder every time.” 

The tinny gate call for Hyunjin’s flight punctured their bubble. They gave each other a final squeeze and each wiped roughly at his own face when they separated. 

“November.” 

“November.” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

* * * 

Taehyung had been right. It was harder every time. It kept getting harder, no matter what they told themselves, what they told each other. Every time Hyunjin asked him to move to Paris, saying no felt colder. Felt like slowly burying the relationship. Each refusal, every goodbye another pile of earth on their casket. Because he couldn’t. Didn’t know how to. Didn’t have the resources to go and not work. Didn’t speak French. He certainly couldn’t go to the École des Beaux Arts. Neither of them suggested marriage. It was too insane an idea. Too big. Too desperate.  

Sometimes Taehyung thought about it, though. Wondered if he wanted to marry Hyunjin for real or if he just wanted to be with him. Didn’t know if he could place an entire future on the time they had been able to cobble together. Didn’t know if Hyunjin would want it. Didn’t want to tie him down. 

Because Hyunjin’s world was expanding. Vastly. The modelling continued: the high fashion campaigns, the editorials he did for free because they led to paid work, the things he now was able to turn down, the things he had to turn down because he had no time for it. He lived in Paris but he went to London, Milan, Venice, Cannes, LA, New York, Tokyo, and yes, sometimes Seoul, too. He met people he’d never have had the opportunity to if he’d never left. He spoke French fluently now, and English, too. He rubbed shoulders with actors and idols and directors, CEOs and crypto-billionaires. Then he came home and called Taehyung, little Taehyung in his office job in Seoul, who missed him terribly but didn’t want to call him back. 

Taehyung felt like an anchor. Like lead shoes. His world felt small and inconsequential. Felt boring. He could never keep up, not now. His French was terrible, but better than his English. He hadn’t been on a yacht. He hadn’t been on a red carpet. He hadn’t been on billboards and TVs and magazine covers. Hyunjin would return and his life with Taehyung would shrink him, sink him. It wasn’t enough.  

“He’d probably be upset if you told him that,” Jinnie said. “He loves you. He doesn’t think you’re small.” 

Taehyung shrugged. 

“Maybe not now. Maybe one day.”  

“Maybe tomorrow you die. Maybe on Friday you win the lottery. Maybe whatever. Who gives a fuck about maybe? Love is about faith, Teddy. If you don’t believe it’ll work out, it won’t.” 

“Ugh, god, I hate you when you’re happy.” 

“No, you fucking don’t. You love me; I am extremely lovable, actually.” 

Jinnie shoved him hard and Taehyung grabbed her hands, put his arms around her, kept her close, pulled her over so they were lying together on the sofa.  

She was another reason he couldn’t leave. Sure, the practical considerations were significant, but how could he leave her? He told himself she still needed him, but he suspected the truth was the other way around. He needed her. Needed her distractions, needed her light and life and love. The unwavering support she offered. They were family now. More than family. Closer than family. He couldn’t just go to Paris and leave her.  

Could he? 

* 

It wasn’t a happy birthday and nor would it be a happy new year, Taehyung thought as he lay in his bed, on the morning of his birthday, with no desire to get out of it. He was trying not to be a misery, truly he was, but the year was closing and all of his problems were still open. 

Hyunjin in Paris, still. Thousands of miles away, still. Sometimes even farther than that, depending on where his work took him. Because it wasn’t just the modelling either. It was his art. Art that Taehyung didn’t understand but felt something about anyway. Art that screamed with emotions he couldn’t name. Art that brought tears to his eyes before he had even really looked at it. Art that he loved because he loved the artist. Art that everyone else loved because of the artist’s talent, his use of colour, his vision, his whatever else art critics talked about.  

He had known that his art school would have come with connections, but he hadn’t realised just how effective the networking would be, how successful an artist Hyunjin could become before he’d even graduated.  

Taehyung felt him slipping away. Felt desperation ringing in his ears. Felt sure that they were swimming leisurely, casually, towards disaster and doing nothing about it.  

[08:37]  Jin(nie) Ramen: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TEDDYBEAR!!!! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!! 

[08:37]  Jin(nie) Ramen: Can’t wait to see you later!!!! 

[08:37]  Jin(nie) Ramen: and give you your present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

That brought a smile to his face at least. He reminded himself to be more grateful for what he had. Because he did have a lot. So much, in fact, that he was going to have to pull himself from his mattress sooner rather than later because he had a lot to fit in to this day: people to see, things to do, a birthday to celebrate.  

* 

Jinnie’s hug was loud and tight as she sang at the top of her voice straight into his ear.  

“Happy BIRTHDAY, dear Tedddyyyyyyyy! Happy BIRTHDAY to yoooooooooooooooooou!” 

“Thanks, now I’m deaf.” 

She grinned and pushed him back into his apartment, following close behind.  

“Ok, then, give me my super special secret present,” he demanded, as soon as she had taken a seat.  

Jinnie was, for all her good points, a horrendous secret keeper when it came to surprises. If anyone was planning a surprise party, it had to be kept from her, too. She had spoilt every film she’d ever seen and every book she’d ever read for someone else. Not deliberately, not maliciously, but because she couldn’t contain herself. Because she forgot to think before she spoke. It was one of her more adorable flaws. 

This, however, she had kept close. She had teased, infuriated, Taehyung for weeks about what it might be, about how excited she was, about how much he would love it, but not a single clue slipped past her lips. At one point, he had been impressed. Now, he was impatient.  

She pulled an envelope out of her pocket and held it in two hands. 

“Happy birthday, Teddy. This is from me and Yoongi. Mostly Yoongi, to be honest, but it was my idea.” 

In less than a second, the envelope was open in Taehyung’s hands and his mouth was agape. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen so many zeroes on a cheque before.  

“What is this?” he asked, voice hoarse with shock. 

“That is for you to go to Paris.” 

“On a fucking private jet?!” 

Jinnie laughed.  

“No, that is for you to go and stay there. You barely need a visa if you’re going to be there for three months or less, so... I don’t know, maybe this will give you some time to work out if you want to be there longer... If you want to stay.”  

Taehyung couldn’t look at her. His face felt hot.  

“You said this is from you and Yoongi?” 

“Well, yeah, I couldn’t afford to give you that much on my own, obviously-” 

“How much did you put in?” 

Taehyung saw her fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, knew she didn’t want to tell him. 

“Some,” came the vague answer. 

“How much?” 

“Why do you need to know?” 

“Because I don’t want to take your money! I’ll take Yoongi’s since he apparently has so fucking much of it, but I don’t want to take yours.” 

“Tough shit, I’m giving it to you.” 

“Jinnie...” 

“I’m giving it to you and you cannot stop me.”  

She used a tone that Taehyung had only heard a handful of times in their friendship. The one that said her word was final. The one that would not tolerate an argument. The one that he knew would lead to angry tears if he pushed too hard.  

“Jinnie...” Softer this time, no rebuke present.  

“I want you to be happy, Teddy, ok?”  

And even though he hadn’t argued, there were still tears in her voice; he didn’t dare look her in the eyes because he knew he would cry and then she would really cry and then there would be no end to it.  

“Just go,” she continued. “Just fucking go, ok? You have to.” 

Taehyung stared down at the cheque in one hand and Jinnie’s hand in the other. He thought about Hyunjin. He thought about Paris. He thought about the coming year, the coming new year, just about to start. He thought about all the other new years to come. Spending them alone. Spending them with Hyunjin. Spending them with... someone else?  

“Thank you,” he croaked, his voice a whisper as he tried to swallow down the lump in his throat.  

Jinnie flung her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. 

“I love you,” she whispered back to him.  

“I love you, too.” 

“I’m going to miss you.”  

Fuck. Fuck, he was going to miss her, too. 

“You better call me like, every day,” she demanded with a wet sniff before letting him go and settling back into her seat. “I’m not fucking joking either. Every day.” 

“Once a week?”  

“Fuck off. Every day.” 

“Twice a week.” 

“Every. Day.” 

“Babe, I’ve taught you to haggle before; this is not how you do it.” 

“Every day, Teddy!! Or I'll buy a plane ticket and come to Paris myself!” 

“Every day it is, then.” 

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Sonine Prime ... Part 7

Hi, everyone and welcome back to Sonine Prime! The part of the show when I come out and talk about Sonine (and a bit of Sontails) in Sonic Prime!

Last time we covered the first big scene in The Grim, and now we're so so close to finishing off Episode 6. This time, I'm hoping to move on to Episode 7 and hopefully reach the end of this season, but we'll see if my hopes are cut short by the tumblr media limit again.😂

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<< Part 6 | Part 8 >>

(Essay/thoughts/analysis under the cut)

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So, starting off where we left off last time. I will note that Nine just informed Sonic (with a serious face and a frown) that he's going home right after this battle (essentially giving Sonic a second chance to join him in the Grim before Nine closes himself off forever), and Sonic responded by being so happy that he knew Nine would "come back". Keeping this in mind is important. Why?

Well, after being so frustrated and disappointed that Sonic didn't choose him in the Grim, and after just posing sonic a new choice ("You can either stay here and I'll seal myself off alone in the Grim, or you can join me there in the Grim")...Nine can't help but smile in regards to Sonic again.

"I'll take em low, you take em high!"

"Already on it."

Once Nine makes his point to Sonic as best he can, they fall right back into working together again. It's been so long since they last fought together, and both seem...happy for it. Even if Nine doesn't actually want to be here, you can see on his face how much he enjoys cleaning house with Sonic (not surprising, given how much he perked up in Episode 1 when he believed Sonic was telling him that the two of them used to fight the Chaos Council and win).

That also being said, despite the fact that they (chronologically) hadn't actually spent a lot of time together in the first few episodes and spent a while apart, it really is a testament to their relationship just how well the two work together and continue to. You get the impression from this short little scene that the two don't need to say much to know how they should fight, actual plans be damned. Yes I think one can extrapolate that Nine has already been forming a strategy and Sonic was largely planning to wing it, but the fact Sonic didn't need to say much says that they trust each other (and that, at the very least, they both think the other understands an unspoken plan).

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Now, when Sonic and the Rebels celebrate the defeat of the last of the Eggforcers (and what seems to be the Chaos Council's retreat), Renegade mentions that he doesn’t know what happened to Nine. While we as the audience know Nine was captured by the Council, Sonic hasn't seen Nine since he jumped off of his ship. Neither he, Rebel, nor Renegade know where Nine is.

However, here's what's interesting about this scene.

"We're good. Not sure what happened to your "friend" though."

"I don't like this. The shard could be anywhere."

Rebel and Renegade still have no solid reason to trust Nine. Even if it's true that he came to aid in the fight, they didn't see him finish it, and they have previously expressed the concern that Nine would hand the paradox prism shard over to the council. While they're not as convinced that Nine has traitorous intentions as they were earlier in the episode, they still are afraid that the shard is in the wrong hands or could be. Whether Nine is traitorous or not, it's concerning to them not to know the whereabouts of the shard.

"You're right. I better find him before he portals outta here again."

Now, I think it's clear Sonic agrees it's good to have a good eye on the shard, and that he is meeting Rebel and Renegade in the middle (so to speak) by offering to look for Nine.

However, what's important is the focus. Rebel and Renegade are focused on the shard. Nine's well-being? Not so much. Sonic? Sonic is focused on Nine himself. The shard? Well, find Nine and find the shard, right? Sonic doesn’t go into this expecting Nine to be in any danger, and Nine had told him earlier that he'd be leaving after the battle. So, if anything, Sonic’s concern is exactly as he says—finding Nine before he leaves.

Since Sonic never makes a reunion with Nine here, it's hard to say for sure what would have happened if he did. Or, rather, I feel confident that Nine would remind him of the choice he presented earlier in some form, forcing Sonic to choose, but I can't say for sure whether Sonic's intentions were to convince Nine to stay, to make sure he knows to keep the shard safe, or what. All I can say is that...Nine's absence at the end of the battle seems to leave him focused on the fact that Nine will leave soon if he doesn't get to catch him and see him beforehand, not so much on the shard itself.

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And we are finally finished with Episode 6 (an episode that has now spanned three parts😂)!

Onwards to episode 7, where while looking for Nine, Sonic accidentally portals out of New Yoke.

"Okay, stay calm. One minute I was looking for Nine, then I saw that gnarly ship, and then, somehow..."

Funny, huh? All 3 times he was transported to another shatterspace after his original arrival in New Yoke, Sonic thought about Nine's whereabouts just after arrival. This time, he was looking for Nine before the transport, versus the last two times, where he'd at least briefly thought about doing so after arriving.

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Okay, so just like with Thorn Rose in episodes 4 and 5, I'd like to talk about Knuckles the Dread for a minute (and not just because he's my other fav).

While I can't pull a "wow there are some surprisingly direct parallels here" as I did with Thorn and Nine, Dread serves a different purpose for being brought up. Simply put, Dread is also a character who forms a fast relationship with Sonic, his story is a bit more complicated than "guy who is secretly evil", and Sonic's relationship with Dread shows the audience just how much Prime Sonic can handle when a friend turns on him.

Now, since we're only on season 1, we won't be touching on this last point until later, but I'm going to compare and contrast Dread and Nine on purpose.

So, let us begin with the first meeting.

Sonic was specifically searching for Tails when he trailed Nine all the way to his lab. This was the beginning of the show and he still didn't know much about what was going on, so when he entered Nine's lab, he assumed that Nine was Tails. He acted friendly off the bat, entering the lab and turning Nine's chair like he does in that flashback depicting him entering Tails' lab. However, as Sonic was a stranger to Nine at this point, had intruded in his space, and called him a name only thrown around by his bullies, he ended up in a fight with Nine.

As for Sonic's first meeting with Dread, he isn't specifically looking for anyone before this. When he arrives in No Place, he recounts what he was doing and what happened before he landed first. After this, while he does wonder about the outfit change for this shatterspace, he's largely focused on his own safety. This can be seen in the number of times he puts emphasis on how much water is around, how many times the camera focuses on water as Sonic darts around trying to avoid the pirates, and how panicked he gets trying to argue for his safety in front of Batten Rouge, Black Rose, and Sails.

"Aharr harr I don't mean to harm, ye. I'm just a wayward hedgehog, looking for a way home. Agh! Water."

...

"Listen, I'm not a part of any crew you're looking for. In fact, I've lost my crew. It's...a bit of a sore spot, actually..."

...

"Wait, you're leaving? Uh, you can't leave me here! There's literally water everywhere! Uh, where you going? Somewhere with a lot of land hopefully?"

...

"I'll row! I'm a great rower! I'll bet you twenty coconuts I'm the best rower you've ever seen!"

...

"Or else...the plank? I can assure you that this hedgehog has no interest in planks. Captain's orders. Got it! I love captains.

As for Dread, even beyond the fact that he's surrounded by pirates, Sonic has good reason to meet Dread assuming he's (Sonic's) already in danger (in contrast to how he'd assumed that things would be all okay as soon as he found "Tails" in episode 1), even beyond the fact that Dread is a pirate captain.

"I say we pirate!"

"A-But...the captain's not here! I-I don’t think he'd approve of us—you know—pirating."

"What kind of pirates don't pirate?"

"Well, you know how the saying goes Rose. Dead men tell no tales."

While it clearly throws Sonic off that the pirates would be under orders not to pirate, I'd say if one kept in mind the trio's actions, it's not hard to conclude that they may fear going against Dread's order's. After all, they reason that they can cleave Sonic to the brisket as long as Dread doesn't know about it, and as long as they think Sonic is from "the old crew" (who do periodically mess with their ship and steal their supplies).

And given how happy Batten, Sails, and Black Rose were to attempt to "cleave him to the brisket", even though Dread's orders are not to pirate, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Sonic could preemptively assume Dread will be harsh on him or aggressive the way these three were (which is to say, happy to deliver harm).

"All right, all right. Enough's enough. Gather the coconuts. The captain'd want us to get back to the ship without takin' too long. Leave this scalawag for the buzzards."

A bit of urgency to get back (which one can assume is either or both because of captain's orders and for balancing his disposition), and essentially a "let's leave him to die".

Then, when Sonic asks where they're going and says that they can't just leave him...

"Back to our ship. And we don't take scallywags."

"You know... With all that speed, this landlubber could be useful. Swabbin' the deck. Raisin' the mizzenmast. Rowin' the boat?"

"Agh. I hate rowin' the boat..."

In short, I this little moment conveys to Sonic that they don't just take people onto their ship, and that if he wants to leave this island with him, he'll need to prove himself useful. It's pretty clear that he's acting in the interest of his safety and not being confined to this tiny island, so it makes sense that he'd try to argue that he's useful.

"Fine. I, too, hate the rowin'. But there is one condition when we get back to the ship. It's captain's orders. Or. Else."

And judging by Sonic's understanding of that being "or else you walk the plank" and insisting he by no means plans on disobeying the captain, he understands this threat for what it is. He needs to be useful and follow orders (or at least suck up and pretend he will be/do these things) so he can survive and/or have a chance to escape and continue his search for the prism shards.

However, given how causally Sonic comments on Catfish drinking "a few too many coconuts" and about how the pirates should consider cleaning the poop deck (essentially, how much more casual and less on edge he is) compared to his disposition change after he learns that the captain is a Knuckles variant, I'd say that once he feels assured that the crew isn't going to kill him or leave him to die, he settles back into a more casual attitude. However, once Black Rose and Batten Rouge introduce Knuckles the Dread as "The Dread" and Sonic sees that he's Knuckles, he flashes back to his meeting with Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. We can clearly gauge by the flashback that Knuckles was strong, assumed Sonic was a threat, fought him like one, and stubbornly refused to listen to reason after listening to Eggman. Unlike how Sonic was bewildered by the idea that "Tails" would fight him in Sonic Prime Episode 1, after all of his knowledge of Knuckles the Dread he's gotten so far comes to head, he no longer seems as confident in his safety on this ship.

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances."

So, to clarify, while it bewildered him that "Tails" would fight him when he first met Nine, the idea that Knuckles would fight him (especially a version that doesn't know him) is not at all surprising to him, given that he assumes that Dread will be aggressive towards him.

So, interesting I suppose that we have Tails (someone who Sonic can't fathom wanting to hurt him, who he feels more okay around), Amy (someone who is sweet, but nevertheless is someone who's not beyond being aggressive towards Sonic), and Knuckles (someone who is not beyond being aggressive towards him and has done so in the past).

So, while Nine pretty quickly gets defensive, preemptively assuming that Sonic wishes him harm, and thus tries to get on the offensive, Sonic does the same with Dread. The main difference here is that Nine reacts quickly, treating Sonic as someone who wishes him harm and actively fights him. Sonic holds out a sword, showing that he's prepared to protect himself, but he doesn't rush into battle. Rather, he makes it clear that he has a weapon, isn't afraid to use it, and that he doesn’t trust Dread.

With this, while Sonic fought an uphill battle trying to convince Nine during their fight that he meant him no harm and that they are friends, Dread was able to talk Sonic down in a more peaceful setting, which he does instead of treating Sonic like an aggressor or getting angry and attempting to get rid of Sonic. Needless to say, it's a bit out of the expectations one would have, given how the crew had talked about Dread and that he's presumed to be just like Prime!Knuckles at first.

With Nine:

"Yes! There's my two-tailed genius friend. Surprise!"

*Nine growls*

"Tails, it's me, your best–"

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh... Tails?"

"The name's...NINE!"

...

"What do you want?! Who sent you?"

"Woah! Heck! How many tails do you have?"

"Nine!"

...

"Tails, stop! We're buds—amigos! Best friends!"

"I have no friends!"

"'No friends'? You have the best friends!"

...

"You've been working out? Heh. Who's your trainer? Ow!"

"I was trained by the misery of life in this foul and heartless city."

"Snap out of it, we go way back!"

...

"All my best memories of Green Hill have you in 'em, and you're not punching me!"

...

"Don't you wanna go home? Blue skies, sunny beaches, palm trees?"

"I don't know what kind of mind games you're playing, but it won't work!"

...

"You...saved me?"

"I've been trying to tell you that we are friends."

"Fabricated stories won't keep me from beating you back, intruder!"

"Stop! Just...stop. We're friends—best friends. This has to ring a bell."

Of course, after this Sonic and Nine have a much calmer conversation, but Sonic can only seemingly convince him he's not a threat, not fully convince him that the two of them are friends (though Sonic does recount times with Tails and soft events they often partake in together).

With Dread:

"The Dread is...Knuckles?"

*Queue flashback sequence*

"Yeah, does make sense. But you're pirate Knuckles. I'm not taking any chances." *Sonic sniffs the air* "Fire? Fire! Wait...dinner? Dinner!"

"I'll trade you that sword of yours for this nice, shiny apple."

"So you can stuff it in my mouth? Uh, no thanks. Uh, you do know hedgehog quills are a choking hazard, don't you?"

*Dread and the crew laugh*

"Don't you worry. The fire isn't to cook you. It’s to welcome you!"

"Agh!"

...

"...Definitely not the Knuckles I know."

"Besides. Have you seen your legs? I've seen more meat on a starfish!"

"Wait, this really is a party?"

"Ha ha. Sure is!"

It's worth noting that relations become more amicable after both of these events. Nine is still a bit prickly, not completely sure why he and Sonic would have been friends once before, but he is no longer fighting him, he let's him into his lab, and he does help Sonic out and worry for his well-being. We also know that this leads into Nine's attachment to Sonic. As for Sonic, once Dread convinces him he's not in danger and throws a party, he calms down, even proclaiming that Dread is his favorite Knuckles.

And this entire scene with Dread is very interesting. Though he doesn't actually act like The Dread of the seas anymore, it's still strange given how the crew talked about him that Dread is...taking everything so well. It would be one thing if he had just decided to let Sonic attack like with the old crew, or if he was just getting on Sonic's good side so he could use him, but (first of all) he actively (and calmly) talks Sonic down from being defensive, and he hasn't met Sonic before now. Dread doesn't yet know about Sonic's speed or usefulness!

We can infer from Sonic's first meeting with the crew, and Sonic's finding Catfish asleep on the dirty ship and surrounded by coconuts, that these days Dread only gives his crew orders when needed. We know from later (when he decides to have another party for the second day in a row) that Dread is trying to keep his crew happy and largely out of danger by his doing. And, even though Dread mentions that they "don't come across adventurers that often" as a reason for throwing a party for Sonic, it says a lot by the fact that his crew had assumed Sonic was part of "the old crew" pestering him without real proof.

I think we can safely conclude that whether Dread had planned this party in advance for not, the idea that it is for Sonic specifically is something he decided on the fly.

And why?

Well, the simplest explanation is that since Sonic is neither necessarily someone to be brought into his crew, nor someone who wishes him and his crew harm, he used his words and demeanor to take control of the situation so that Sonic the adventurer may pass through peacefully. And frankly, I do believe that this is part of why Dread initially acts the way he does.

But...I don't think that's all. Rather, like the way Nine and Sonic take to each other fairly fast, I personally wager that Dread initially gained an interest in Sonic beyond any particular usefulness he'd have.

Well, and that Sonic takes to him fairly well too, if you consider the return of this expression (being leveled at Dread this time) significant of anything

"You're officially my favorite Knuckles ever!"

For the sake of the tumblr picture limit, I've compiled a video of some clips of Sonic and Dread interacting (mind the quality) that take place after the "You're officially my favorite Knuckles" line, and before Dread gets a firsthand demonstration of Sonic’s speed and fighting prowess (i.e. before he learns that Sonic is or could be useful).

Of course, the main reason I compiled these was to show off how...touchy Dread is with Sonic for someone he's only just met (not to mention the limp wrist gesture😂). However, there are a few other things I want to point out from these clips.

So, just to begin, I'll emphasize once more that Dread does not know about Sonic's speed yet, and he’s very much at the moment trying to distance himself from his past self that was willing to work his crew to death for the sake of getting the blue shard. So if there are any ulterior motives as to why he's focusing on pampering Sonic, then it can't be because he wants to use him, and it's unlikely that it's because he's either trying to push Sonic along and out of his life peacefully, or because he's trying to recruit him for the crew. For the former, if he was trying to peacefully push Sonic the adventurer towards his destination for the safety of himself and crew, then he wouldn't be (frankly put) as in Sonic's personal space, he wouldn't have tried to rope Sonic into a second party til sunset on day 2 of knowing Sonic, and he would have talked at all about where they can drop Sonic off so he can pursue his mission or adventure. For the latter? I'd like to explain why I personally don't believe Dread intended on necessarily recruiting Sonic into the crew.

The short of the "why" for why Dread is most likely not trying to recruit Sonic into his crew, is because he's treating Sonic even a bit differently than his existing crew members. Earlier, while writing this, I considered the idea that perhaps Dread pulled this whole "I threw a party for you!" routine for his other crew members back after losing his previous crew. I considered that Dread picked them up originally because he was in need of a crew (and didn't want to leave the high seas), and because they were wayward souls (so to speak) or looking to become pirates. However, while all of this is plausible, there are two things that came to mind regarding Sonic.

Presumably, Dread doesn't really need more crew? He doesn't know anything that would make Sonic stand out from anyone else ability wise, he clearly doesn't care for recruiting someone to help with the old crew's plundering of their ship, and he doesn’t offer at this point to recruit Sonic. He merely treats him as a wandering adventurer. Does he even need Sonic for upkeep of the ship or for getting supplies/food or even for steering/navigating on the ship when he has crew members already who can handle it all?

That Dread has clearly told his crew members his tale of woe (because they seem to know a bit more than simple rumors), but not only does he skirt around telling Sonic, he gets angry at the prospect of any of his crew telling Sonic the story of Dread at his worst. If it's common knowledge or something that Dread told the rest of his crew, why would he not tell Sonic? In fact, if you check those clips, when Batten goes to tell Sonic about when Dread used to be a "not so nice" pirate, Dread is not only quick to angrily shut the talk down, but he moves much closer to Sonic to ask him about himself instead. In addition, as you see towards the end of the video I embedded, when he emphasizes that Sonic should leave the story and shard be, he glares at him, pushing a fist lightly into Sonic's chest (again, physical contact).

So Dread doesn't know about Sonic's speed. He knows that Sonic isn't from his former crew. He doesn't need more crew. While he's very nice to Sonic, seemingly focusing on him and doting on him, he's quick to get angry at the crew if they try to mention his past to Sonic. The crew knows Dread's story. Dread doesn't want Sonic to know his story. Dread keeps on switching the focus on Sonic or trying to get him to party more, and he neither talks about recruiting him nor about Sonic leaving at some point. Do you want to know what this means to me?

Dread is acting the way he is about Sonic, treating him differently than his crew, trying to learn more about him, being more "physical" with him so to speak, neither trying to make Sonic leave nor make him a crew member, trying to pull him into a party again or incentivise him to chillax on his ship, trying not to let Sonic know of his backstory of being "not so nice"...

...because he likes Sonic.

Dread doesn't need Sonic or anything, he's not making it clear he needs Sonic, but perhaps he just wants him around, and not in a way that makes Sonic his subordinate. He wants Sonic to think of him as this nice pirate captain, not as the guy who lost his crew over his obsession with a jewel.

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Okay, okay, let's take a momentary breather. You're probably wondering what everything I just said has to do with anything. If Dread met Sonic and decided he wanted him to come along with him, no responsibility attached, as a "friend" after barely knowing him, what does this have to do with Nine (or Sonine, for that matter)?

Well, there's something I'd like to remind you of. Just like with Sonic and Dread in S1 E7 (to the point that Sonic assumes he and Dread are going to fight the old crew in tandem), in earlier parts of Sonine Prime I mentioned that Sonic and Nine really haven't known each other for very long. In fact, before Nine picks Sonic up in S1 E6 to take him to the Grim, Nine doesn't actually need Sonic.

Nine has two prism shards at this point, and (as we see later in S2) he has the power to start molding the Grim into the home he desires. By the time he goes to fetch Sonic, he's planning on staying there, closed off from the rest of the shatterverse. He's planning on showing Sonic what he's already created and living here alone with him. Nine doesn't even care about gathering the other shards until he has to worry about what the Chaos Council will do with even one shard, and once other characters besides him and Sonic can jump between the shatterspaces, he actually has to worry about keeping his new home and his own life safe.

But back in S1 E6? Nine doesn't need Sonic. He doesn't need anything from him. Not his speed. Not anything he possesses. Not his connection to the prism. He wants Sonic there to build a home with him, even if Nine can do it without him, has everything already lined up.

Likewise, early S1 E7 Dread doesn't need Sonic. Not his speed (that he doesn’t know about yet). Not as a crew member. Not to fend off the old crew (he wasn't preparing to fight them). Not to get the blue shard (which he explicitly didn't want anything to do with or for Sonic to know the details about). He just wanted him to come along and hang out, party, relax.

Interesting, right?

And also funny that Sonic ends up rejecting both Dread's offer to continue to hang back and relax on the ship and Nine's offer to stay and build a new home with him in the Grim

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And so ends our time in S1 E7: It Takes One to No Place. Now we will finally move onto the last episode of the season!

So begins Season 1 Episode 8: There's No AARGH In "Team"

So, like with Nine, once they're on amicable terms Sonic begins to form an idea of Dread in his head that differs from how the Echidna actually is. While we can see this sort of come to head a bit in episodes 7 and 8, one major moment I want to talk about is when Dread flees the sinking Angel's Voyage. The once mighty Knuckles the Dread, who Sonic had thought of highly due to first impressions and of certain traits of Knuckles' he assumes of Dread, is a coward.

But...that's not all that's going on here.

There are miscommunications abound in this show, and Sonic has a pattern of listening to people's backstories (Nine, Dread, Thorn, Shadow, etc), thinking he understands this person and their situation, and trying to help what he believes the problem is at hand (in a way that's often pointed towards his own goals, and leads him to assume the other person wants the same things as him or should). For Dread, Sonic got the part where Dread lost his courage when it comes to pirating. Even when his inexperienced crew fought during episode 7 and at the beginning of episode 8, he yet hid and hung back.

But Dread is also scared of something other than fighting other pirates or death. He's scared of himself.

"I don't care what version of Knuckles you are. You don't give up. It's your most annoying virtue! This shard is my only hope of finding my home! I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage! Dreaaaad!"

Sonic thinks that Dread has simply lost his courage and pride. He needs Dread's help to get the shard, and he can't do it if Dread is gone. So bringing "The Dread" back fulfills two purposes. The first, (like with Thorn, Prim, and the scavengers) is to "make things okay again" (also known as "the right thing to do"), and to restore Dread's courage as a captain. The second, is to get the shard. The Angel's Voyage and its crew have a proud captain, and Sonic gets the blue shard. It should be a win-win, right?

"I gave up years ago, blue, when I wrecked trying to get that shiny rock yer after."

"We can still get it! With your captaining and my speed, you're not gonna wreck on those rocks again!"

"He is fast—fast enough to get me past them rocks..."

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

"And I'll finally get me treasure."

"And you'll forever be known as the legendary Knuckles the Dread. The legendary Knuckles the Dread!"

"Aye. The legendary Knuckles the Dread."

The part of Dread's tale of woe that Sonic missed (or perhaps ignored), was the part where he was so obsessed with the blue shard that he lost himself and put his crew in danger. Dread lost his crew because he showed that he didn't care about them, not because he failed to get the shard. So sure, it makes sense that Dread is afraid, but for Dread getting that treasure became tied to being the "Dread" of the seas. The fact that he even took a crew on after that, tried to make most days fun and relaxing, and forbade them from acting like pirates, I don't think it's a stretch to say he was trying to keep history from repeating itself.

Because being the great pirate he used to be means going after his white whale again, and he'd responded to losing everything by trying to keep it from ever happening again.

Dread, like Nine, is the type that does care about people, they just both tend to place their goals and their well-beings over the innocent. Nine hesitated before leaving Renegade, Rebel, and Rusty Rose behind, ultimately choosing the safety of himself and the shard. Dread took in a new crew, got a new ship, left who he used to be behind, and focused on making the days peaceful and fun. He stopped going after the shard to protect himself, to keep from hurting anyone else for his obsessions, and so he doesn’t have to be responsible for the deaths of others (like his new crew).

So Sonic M. Hedgehog pushes Dread to help get the shard, because Sonic wants it, and because he thinks Dread will become a great pirate again if he succeeds. He convinces Dread to take this path once more, perhaps not realizing the outcome that convincing Dread to go for the rock (that "brings nothing but pain") will bring.

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Okay, so I'd like to back up for a second and talk about both Dread and Nine.

Both of them have a wish, a great attachment to something they wish to get, but initially believe is impossible to. For Nine, it's "home", and for Dread, it's his treasure, the devil's lighthouse. Home and treasure. Neither of these things are inherently bad to wish for.

Nine isolated himself as much as possible, tried to contend with just being alone and protected so he couldn't be hurt again. Dread locked away his love of pirating and his want for his beloved treasure, not wanting to drive himself to doom and lose everything again in the hopeless pursuit of it.

Both created a life of safety for themselves and reacted based upon the pain they'd experienced and struggles they went through. For Nine, truly all he needed was to create "home" for himself, but the trouble is that he never would, because he believed this to be impossible, and because he doesn't really know what "home" is. For Dread, truly all he needed was to move on from the shard, focus on his love of pirating and make his crew feel cared for, but the trouble is that he never would, because to him there is only one choice that can be made. To Dread, there is only getting his beloved treasure at all cost (which would likewise return his reputation and status), or there is keeping the days fun and peaceful, suppressing his desire to keep himself and his crew safe.

But then Sonic arrived, and he each made them believe. Sonic made Dread believe that he could succeed and get his treasure without losing anything. With the shard, Dread reasoned he could have the treasure he'd so desired and have his ideal life again. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who assumed he'd be able to just leave with the shard and take that step to restore his home, Dread's dream is tied to that shard, and he's willing to hold onto it no matter the cost now (exactly what he'd feared before). Sonic made Nine believe that he could finally make a home for himself. With one shard and an entire shatterverse, Nine reasoned that he could finally escape New Yoke and create a new home away from everyone else. Unbeknownst to Sonic, who's assumed that Nine has the same goal as him, and will eventually hand over the shards so they can restore his own home.

Dread stood aside. He gave into the stubbornness of Sonic and his crew (especially now that they'd banded together), allowing them to choose to sail straight towards the light that brought him ruin without him having to reap the consequences (since he didn't make the choice).

With the shard in hand, Nine found a new, empty shatterspace for himself. He intended to move forward on his path, and create his home, isolated from everyone else. He intended to leave the other shatterspaces to their fates, let the people there deal with their own problems that they caused.

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Let's go back to the scene where the ship was beginning to sink, taking Sonic and the crew with it, and Dread responds by fleeing alone. Let's think back to episode 6, where Sonic and the resistance were fighting the Chaos Council for their right to exist, and Nine takes Sonic away.

At this point, Dread left, not willing to be doomed for a goal he did not pursue (or rather, to die because his crew decided not to listen to him, decided to follow Sonic towards the shard instead). Here is the first main difference between himself and Nine.

While Nine had also decided to leave the resistance and council to fighting, feeling as if none of it was his responsibility or fault (since he owed nothing to the city), he very explicitly chose to take Sonic with him. Both he and Dread had found out the way they believed they would be able to live a peaceful life (with Dread spending his days on the seas partying, and with Nine spending his days alone in an empty world), but when they each left others to their fates (deciding to leave and pursue their immediate goals), Dread chose to leave it all behind, while Nine chose to bring Sonic with him (even though Sonic had involved himself in the resistance's plight too).

Think about the crew being left to sink with the Angel's Voyage as Sonic went to bring back Dread. Think about the resistance fighting a losing battle with Sonic gone in the Grim.

"I need you. Your crew needs you! You're Knuckles the Dread, captain of the Angel's Voyage!"

...

"We can do it together! And I can get home!"

Vs

"Look, Nine, it's incredible but it's...it's not going anywhere. And those rebels really need our help. Come with me. Help me finish the fight."

...

"I hope I see you in New Yoke."

And then, as Sonic lost hope that Dread would return, believed he had fully given up, Dread swooped in to retake his captain status and fix the sinking ship. However, Dread didn't come back for the crew just to save them. He came back because he reasoned that he could use Sonic's speed to get his treasure this time.

And then, as Sonic fought in New Yoke with the resistance, as it seemed like they had lost, Nine swooped in with his craft and freed Sonic and the others. Sonic proclaims that he knew Nine would come back, glad that he chose to help these people with him. However, Nine didn't come back just to save the resistance or to fight the Chaos Council. He came back for Sonic. He came so he could give Sonic another chance to choose him—to choose to come back with him so they can fulfill Nine's dream of "home" together.

And now, Dread needs Sonic to acheive his goal (what, with the map leading to The Devil's Lighthouse gone, and because only Sonic can guide the ship past the rocks), but Nine explicitly does not need Sonic to achieve his. Whereas Dread decides he needs Sonic to get the blue shard, Nine simply wants Sonic to be with him when they create "home".

Random other interesting thing, the first time Sonic really mentions Nine when he arrives back in New Yoke after seeing the Grim, he says that he knew he would come back. This contrasts how we see Sonic (onscreen) talk about how Dread has given up and left, before he later tells Dread that he knew Dread wouldn't leave his crew. Interesting that we can see proof that Sonic didn't fully believe that Dread would come back, but there's nothing to prove that he didn't actually believe that Nine would come back, isn't it?

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Now, let us shift our sights back to Nine. During the second aside of S1 E8 where we see Nine with the Chaos Council, Nine discusses Sonic with the council.

I'd like to note that as of right now, Nine should have two goals: keeping the shards and his technology out of the council's hands and making an escape plan. As I said earlier, Nine clearly believed that two shards were more than enough for molding The Grim to his dreams. He only cares about being alive and being allowed to exist in his new home, so of course the Chaos Council gathering shards and endeavoring to take over encroaches on this. It makes sense that he'd endeavor to gather all the shards from this point forward, if not so he can keep the Chaos Council or anyone else from intruding in his new shatterspace or having the power to turn him into a victim again.

"Tch. Eliminating the hedgehog is a bad idea."

"Arguing for the life of your friend? What a shock."

"He left me at your mercy when I needed him most. Hardly what you'd call 'friendly' behavior. But you'd be fools to get rid of him before the shatterdrive technology is perfected."

Sure, Nine's not really wrong. He's making a decent point as to why the Council should keep Sonic alive. Perfecting the shatterdrive technology and learning more about the shards can only aid in the Council's conquest.

But Mr. Dr. Eggman has a point here. Even if Nine is bitter at Sonic for being left at the Council's mercy, there is nothing in it for Nine if he goes out of his way (essentially beyond the scope of his position) to help the council in their goals. Making them keep Sonic alive so they can use them to perfect the shatterdrive technology does nothing to keep the Council from getting more shards, it does nothing to keep the Council from taking the Grim, it does nothing to keep the Council from having power over him, and it does nothing to get him closer to escaping. After all, when we get to season 2, Nine will make Sonic give up his plan of saving him (Nine) in favor of working the council from the inside, confident that he'll be able to aid Sonic and escape with the shards from there. He doesn't even seem to necessarily need Sonic to help him escape.

So, why would Nine argue for Sonic's life in the same breath he tries to make clear how bitter he is at Sonic for leaving him to be captured? The answer is clear to me. This is because even if Nine is bitter and angry, he still cares about Sonic. Even if he doesn't need Sonic, he wants him alive. He's still holding onto that dream of building a new home with Sonic.

"Tch. It is perfected. We traveled to another shatterspace."

"You sent your robots to another shatterspace. Big difference.

And right after this, something shifts. There's a notable change in the expression Nine has on his face during most of the interaction so far (image 1) when he begins talking about Sonic again (image 2).

"You've only barely accomplished what he's done without any technology. He's a living shatter battery."

...

"Til we know why he gives off this power, we need him alive."

And it should be worth mentioning here that after Nine praises Sonic to put the council down, he quite literally raises himself up to Dr. Deep's level and speaks seriously to emphasize how vital Sonic theoretically is to the council's mission.

He puts on an act, he risks getting shocked for insubordination, he tries to convince the council that Sonic is vital to their mission, all to keep Sonic alive.

But if the viewer doubts that Nine is trying to save Sonic because he cares, or believes he must have ulterior motives for wishing to keep Sonic alive, the creators added in body language and face shots of Nine to show us how he feels about the Council using Sonic.

"The rat's right. Too many questions for us to start playing exterminator. At least, not until we wring every ounce of shatterjuice out of that blue varmint."

Oh yeah. I'd say "unhappy" with the idea is an understatement.

The way he droops down, like he feels terrible that he even gave them the idea. The way he grits his teeth and averts his eyes, like he's frustrated. The way he takes hold of his expression, stares forward, and glares.

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And with that, season 1 of Sonic Prime finally comes to a close, as does Part 7 of Sonine Prime😂

While there are doubtless scenes from episode 8 I'll be referring to in later parts, there's nothing more of immediate importance to talk about. And even though I haven't yet hit the photo limit, I'm going to give this part a clean cut to end the first season.

This part accidentally became a lot of Dread character study, buuuuuuut hey I felt like I was able to point out some parallels I'd really wanted to talk about, so it’s a win for me! And this won't be the end of the Dread parallels either.

Thank you all for reading! I'll see you all in part 8, where we'll finally begin tackling season 2🥰