#incredible decisions made here absolutely no notes

[essektheylyss]

very vague and vindictive spoilers for GO below but I don't want it in any tags so

having only seen spoilers out of context, I don't have a fucking clue what the larger context of that kiss is, but neil really said this is a hostile environment for nuance haters and I am THRIVING on it

like y'all needed further confirmation that they're in love? you're gonna get it in the absolute most UPSETTING way possible.

anyway I will in fact be watching the season and then checking out the takes with my popcorn like

[chanafehs]

My Veilguard review:

Note - I will be honest in saying this is very long and very negative. If you enjoy this game please don't let me be the one to ruin that for you and skip on this post. I will be discussing spoilers. This is just my opinion so please don't crucify me for it.

I think my thoughts about this game were shaky to begin with as I had been exposed to different spoilers and information before the launch. I wasn’t actually expecting this game to be amazing but as someone whose favorite Dragon Age game is Dragon Age 2, which is arguably the weakest in the series (until now), I still went in with the impression I would have a good time regardless. I did not have that at all, in fact towards the end of Act 2 and the beginning of Act 3 all I wanted was for the game to be over. 

The problems for me really started right in the beginning with the Inquisitor character choices and their characterization. No choices for your Warden, no choices for your Hawke, and only three choices for your Inquisitor out of the dozens you made in Inquisition. The romance option just felt like a very polite way of asking if you romanced Solas or not, especially after completing the game where your non-solas romance will only get one letter for you to read, outside of that, the Inquisitor will not even mention them. Disbanding the Inquisition meant basically nothing and vowing to stop Solas felt like it had little bearing on what my Inquisitor said when she showed up. 

The time frame to make Dragon Age 2 was just over a year and somehow included more choices from Origins than Veilguard did with over ten years of production. That is the information that's been banging around in my head throughout this entire game. In Dragon Age 2, we get the consequences of our decisions with Alistair’s fate and we get extra dialogue concerning Isabela/Zevran/Leliana/Anders/Nathaniel + some sidequests. Veilguard couldn’t even give us so much of a mention of our Inquisitor’s friendships and the consequences of those friendships outside of Solas. The Inquisitors themselves are locked into one personality type as well, and regardless if you choose to stop Solas or not, they are very amicable toward him. 

During the second cut scene you get with the Inquisitor in Dock Town, they will go on to ask you about your progress and then go on about Solas. Mind you, my Inquisitor is extremely unsympathetic to Solas and I chose the option to stop him no matter what, so why is it that every time I speak to her, she keeps trying to ask me if Solas is being genuine and that he was her friend? That doesn’t sound like someone who has vowed to stop him. They will also try to draw parallels between you, Rook, and Solas. Even at the end of the game, they will still try to appeal to you to see reason with him. That is essentially all the Inquisitor is there for. Incredibly frustrating. 

Throughout the game you will get missives from the Inquisitor detailing the devastation that is being brought to southern Thedas and every letter feels like more and more of an insult. To keep it short: Southern Thedas as we know it has been essentially wiped out. I think that deserves more than a footnote in some missive most players aren’t even going to see.

So the setting we spent all three games in, that we saved countless times, had our companions and protagonists die for, gets demolished in the background where we cannot see it. Skyhold had to be taken back from demons and whoops, that's not actually something you can do anything about. Nothing the Warden, Hawke, or the Inquisitor ever did mattered at all and it renders everything from the previous games absolutely irrelevant. 

With that aside, the companions are also another issue for me. I found myself having trouble getting attached to any of them and every single time I recruited one I had the internal question “Why are you even here?” None of their companion quests really tie into the story at large, save maybe Harding and Davrin, and they are incredibly boring save for a few cool moments.

The main appeal of Dragon Age for me is the companions, it’s why Dragon Age 2 is my favorite of the series. Despite the overused environments and the rushed production I still had a great time with it because of the companions. I was actually eager to do the companion quests and learn more about them and how they all fit into the main narrative. Even characters I didn’t like, I still understood why they were important to the story. Like I can’t stand Anders but I know why he is there, he has a purpose.

Every companion is painfully amicable towards you even if you decide to be “stern” towards them. I found myself not caring what dialogue option I chose about them because it made absolutely no difference. There is nice, funny nice, and gentle parenting. That is really all you have to work with in terms of the dialogue wheel. It was more difficult to get disapproval than approval and I can probably count on my fingers every time in this game I actually got companion disapproval. There is only one companion in my playthrough that became hardened, Lucanis, and it had virtually no impact on his character other than the fact he leaves for a couple of saves and comes back to kissing your ass. 

Something I actually really liked about BG3 and the previous Dragon Age games was working for your companion approval - this meant actually learning about your companion and what made them tick. If you don't understand them well enough you get disapproval, when you actually listen to their ideas and thoughts you get approval - there is an active effort to get these things. In Veilguard this does not exist and you are essentially promised approval no matter what, meaning there is no encouragement to know who these people are if they're just going to support you regardless.

I have to agree with the Skillup review they made about this game saying that every dialogue option feels like it was made with HR in the room and I one hundred percent agree. This is not how real people talk to each other. This is how teachers talk to toddlers when they want to explain the virtues of sharing toys with their classmates.

It felt honestly insulting at times to be treated like I don’t understand the concept of bigotry, I still have no idea what they were trying to go for with this, like were they trying to appeal to a market of high school boys who hadn’t discovered what empathy was yet? There is zero trust in the player and every dialogue and decision you make in these moments feels handhold-y and preachy. Like Pixar levels of life lessons you learn.

In the moments where I had to settle arguments over coffee and companions not respecting each other's interests, I could not honestly believe this is the same universe with Loghain Mac Tir, Meredith Stannard, fuck even Corypheus. Humor has always existed in Dragon Age and I love the comedic banter between the characters but it was always humor that served as an escape from the oppressive and dark situation around you, here the dark and oppressive situations feel like an escape from the unrelenting friendliness and tone deafness of your companions. 

The companion I probably had the most issue with was Taash and the way they were handled. I’m not going to get too deep into the Bharv scene because even thinking about it makes me cringe but If someone messed up my pronouns and then immediately dropped to do pushups I am most definitely killing us both. Isabela’s explanation is extremely preachy and she proceeds to do the exact thing she says she hates about people messing up pronouns. Anyways. Moving on. 

Taash I think is a good example of how to not write a multiethnic character. I don’t expect a white person like Trick Weekes to understand the first thing that comes with being multiethnic or having strict parents that intersects with that identity but it is most definitely not whatever the hell this is. 

The only thing I can offer here is that as a multiethnic person (my father is Palestinian and my mother is mainly Irish and Seminole) is that there has never been a point in my life where I felt like I had to choose what culture I am let alone give that choice to someone else in my life I just met.

That’s not what being multiethnic is. I do not have to choose between anything - I am whole and I don't need to cut myself into halves and quarters to be accepted.

It also feels subconsciously like you are supposed to choose Rivain as the Qunari are depicted as bigoted and oppressive as they always have been in this game. Knowing all of this really tainted my experiences with them as a character and I understand a lot of other non-binary individuals love the representation they brought on that level but personally, I’m just tired of “queer representation” always coming with racist undertones. Again, this game feels like it always had white queer people in mind, not lgbt poc. 

These kinds of comments are really only made worse knowing what the Qunari take inspiration from - primarily Black and Brown SWANA Muslims. Why should Trick Weekes have any authority over a questline like that is beyond me. 

Also, this sucked. Especially because they said it to Neve too. I don’t really want my non-binary representation sprinkled with Misogyny as well, especially since we can’t really call Taash out on this comment unless you’re playing a woman (as far as I know).

Aside from Taash, I thought the writing around Harding was strange. Don’t me wrong, I love Harding, but I do not remember her being this friendly and people-pleasing in the Inquisition. If you play as a Dalish elf the first thing she says is she’s surprised that you would care about anyone else - there is absolutely no inclination of this kind of perspective in Veilguard. Additionally, despite knowing everything Solas has done and the consequences that had on her ancestors, she still tries to push you to reason with him?

All of her quests about learning about the Titans, experiencing and embracing their anger, and you still want to appeal to Solas? That was another thing I found so weird about this game, throughout the entire story you are being told again and again that Solas cannot be trusted, he is to blame for everything, and will stab you in the back and yet it seems like every companion tries to push back on you if you agree with this viewpoint? 

Also, something I didn't know at this point of the game but I do now is that Solas had killed Varric and she does know this so why is she acting like this knowing Solas had killed her friend who she spent years with?

Genuinely this whole game felt like: Devs: Solas is a villain

Rook: okay understood

Devs: actually nvm you don't understand him if you think he's a villain

The only companion quests I was actually genuinely interested in were Emmrich and his thoughts around death and becoming a lich. Lucanis' quests had the best boss fights for sure. Outside of that, it felt like “Go here with Bellara” or “Go here with Taash” and it got so grating I couldn’t wait for these quests to be over so I could progress with the main story. It felt like an annoying back-and-forth game to finish a main quest just to finish all the companion quests and then go back to the main quest. Like a list of chores to get through before you can have any fun. 

The inclusion of characters like Morrigan and Isabela in this universe was extremely hollow and they do not feel like the Morrigan and Isabela we know at all. With Morrigan there is a bit of an explanation to this with the essence of Mythal however she reiterates that it is still herself and it is only the memories of Mythal that remain inside of her.

In my canon playthroughs of Dragon Age, I romanced both Morrigan and Isabela, so I was curious to see how the developers would address their pasts with our Warden and Hawke. Unfortunately, the answer is that they don’t address it at all. Morrigan hardly mentions her past, leaving us to wonder if Kieran even exists. The game implies that the relationship between Morrigan and the Warden is insignificant; a codex entry oddly suggests, in a very slut-shamey way, that Morrigan had more lovers than there are trees in the forest. Isabela doesn't reference Hawke either, as she fondly remembers Kirkwall for found family and friendship. It seems that if you romanced Isabela or Morrigan, congratulations—your canon doesn’t exist.

I will echo the statement others have made about all the cameos feeling like mascots because that is really what they are. There is no substance to any of them, Isabela only feels like she is there to be a supportive voice for Taash, Morrigan will only really talk about Solas and Mythal-Dorian is the only one who actually gets a substantial quest related to him. I thought he was fine minus the "illegal slavery" bit because what is illegal slavery Dorian. Next up we will discuss legal murder.

Another thing that genuinely broke the immersion for me in this game is how awful the armor is. It is a Dragon Age game so I wasn't expecting Haute Couture but the design is all over the place and nothing looks right. Not to mention the extremely weird orientalist undertones that follow the Lords of Fortune everywhere. The outfit Isabela is wearing is even worse in person and I tried to give this game the benefit of the doubt by thinking we would be getting some underwater mission with her and that would be the explanation behind her bikini outfit - this did not happen.

The belly dancer-esque outfits with the coin-bedazzled turbans were pretty egregious and made me want to limit my time in Rivain as much as possible. For a game released in 2024, I am disappointed we are still dealing with the same Orientalist fantasy tropes. Even the Qunari are more naked in this game than I had ever seen previously. At least DA2 and DAI gave them pants. But hey the Antaam are all blighted and evil so who cares right.

Speaking of the Antaam, a lot of the antagonist motivations for this game genuinely did not make sense to me. The Antaam are suddenly giving up their fear of magic to pair up with...the Venatori? To fight for the elven gods? It honestly felt like they had no idea who to make fight for the Evanuris so they just pulled two of the baddies from the Inquisition and went "We can just use them and call it done". When you press for information on why this is the answer is always a mustache-twirling dialogue about power. Nothing much deeper from that than any of the villains besides Solas. All of the villains, especially Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, are extremely one-dimensional and have no motivations other than being evil and striving for power. At least Corypheus had cool lines.

I'm not going to get too deep into lore changes since I know a lot of things happened in the comics, books, and TV show (all of which I did not read or watch) but I honestly do think it's a bad idea to have a "soft reboot" while needing to read several books to understand everything. That's not being welcoming to new players that's homework. If you wanted a soft reboot probably don't start off with half your plot and characters coming from various comics and novels people need to catch up on.

The portrayal of the Dalish in this game is inconsistent. When we inform them that their gods are evil and planning to overthrow the world, they respond, "Okay, heard you." How can they accept this explanation so readily? In previous interactions, Solas shared that the Dalish did not listen to him and even threatened him when he revealed this truth. Yet, when we present the same information, they believe us almost immediately. Is there no pushback or skepticism? The Dalish accept everything about the evil elven gods meanwhile Andraste’s followers remain completely unaffected by these revelations.

I think what frustrated me even more was watching our elven companions express grief and regret over the actions of the elven gods like they had something to do with it, painting the Dalish as adjacent to oppressors when they themselves are oppressed in every way. The only thing that remains consistent is the sad boy Solas act about it.

At the end of the game, two of my companions - Harding and Emmrich- were killed. Emmrich's death was unfortunately overshadowed by a zoom-in on a rock and I had no idea he had died until I got the popup. Still, all I can think about is just going "Rock moment" when he died. I don't really have anything negative to say about Harding's death other than the way she went out was fitting for her narrative. Bellara got blighted and there were no consequences for this and she walked away from it - forgive me but I am still under the DAO impression that if you get blighted that's game over but all the rules about the Blight have been changed in this.

I decided to trick Solas, and honestly, I don’t have anything negative to say about it, except that Solas should have noticed me holding the fake dagger since it was clearly in his line of sight. I liked the idea of outsmarting the god of trickery. While it wasn’t extremely satisfying, but I’m okay with how it turned out.

Even as the credits began rolling I still have trouble believing rook's role in any of this. Just the persistent nagging idea that they really just have no place in this story at all. In the beginning I wanted to see how Rook is looped into all of this and how they become central to the fight against Solas but just like with most of the companions, I have no idea why they are here. This should've been the Inquisitor's story to finish.

I'm not going to pretend that everything about this game was irredeemable and terrible. There were genuinely parts I enjoyed and had a good time with. The romance ending scene with Neve was fantastic, even though it took a long time to get there. Davrin was an unexpected aspect of the game that I actually liked, as I never cared much for Grey Wardens before, but he changed my perspective. Harding's mention of the Inquisition was also very sweet. Although I wasn't particularly invested in Emmrich, I loved the conclusion to his quest when he became a lich lord.

While I'm not the biggest Solas fan, I actually really enjoyed the cutscenes between him and Rook because one of my aims with this game was the ability to be mean to Solas and kick him while he was down. They definitely delivered there even though everyone else kept disagreeing with me.

The worlds are beautiful and the CC is definitely the best we've gotten in any Dragon Age game, I spent probably a solid hour in there. The hairstyles are great and the four unibrow choices? Bioware you shouldn't have <3.

Overall I definitely didn't have the best time with this game and towards the end of act 2 I was incredibly bored and the combat became repetitive and stagnant enough that I turned down the difficulty to get through it faster. I can't see myself replaying this any time soon and I am unsure what my stance on Dragon Age is now, do I Ignore this game ever existed or do I carve out everything I liked and pretend this is the Dragon Age I love? I have no idea, I am disappointed at how this game leaves us off and I really wanted to sit here and say It's good but I can't.

I think this game will reach out to and resonate with a different group of Dragon Age fans than me, I just wish I could enjoy it as much as I see other people doing. I was originally going to give this game a 3/10 but knowing you can pet the cats I will give it a very generous 3.5/10.

[acapelladitty]

Batman: Arkham Session #1

Summary: After an incident at work, Edward Nashton is assigned to Dr. Jonathan Crane for psychological assessment. A decision which places both men in the firing line.

One half of an exchange with the incredible @skxtchyghost who has the absolutely amazing art half of this little encounter here!

Fic Masterlist /// Link to A03

From the moment he laid eyes on him, Jonathan Crane could tell that Edward Nashton would be less than an ideal patient. From the way that he lounged carelessly in his chair to his casual gaze which swept along the many achievements and objects which littered the walls of Jonathan's office.

Every inch of the lanky frame screamed difficult and Jonathan found his mood worsening as he shifted past the meagre introductions which had been shared.

Jonthan flicked his eyes over the notes he had been provided from the incident report as his left hand rose to adjust the bolo tie which hung loosely around his throat.

"You destroyed a workstation in a fit of," Jonathan lifted the top sheet of paper from his clipboard as he quoted the report directly, "obvious rage while using considerably inappropriate language. These are not the actions of a rational man."

Unapologetic, Edward spread his hands in a wide gesture as a defensive smile stretched across his lips.

"I'm the only rational man in this city."

"Oh?"

Really having a limited interest in whatever nonsense Edward was about to spout, Jonathan made a quick note on his clipboard - ready to simply diagnose him with some asinine anxiety disorder and throw some medication at him to quell the worst of his obvious symptoms.

"The others are so willing to ignore the corruption," Edward continued with a growing irritation, "how unbearably stupid and foolish the criminals that rule this city choose to be."

"Harsh allegations."

"Only because the evidence is routinely destroyed. Weeks of work erased in an instance because a particular name would rather not be associated with the actions investigated." His tone snappy, Edward was clearly not at peace with his treatment and Jonathan frowned at the sudden emotional outburst. "Weeks! Good work. No recognition. Only a sharp reminder that our job is to catch real criminals."

"I can imagine the frustration."

Something in Edward's expression shifted and Jonathan tensed as he took in the change in body language, the immediate aggression which crawled into his leaning frame and clenching fists as Edward met his gaze without flinching. It was an open challenge and Jonathan would not back down as he accepted and adjusted his glasses to allow him to keep Edward's attention.

"You bore me. Don't feed me the words I want to hear, Doctor."

"Interesting. Do you see me as your enemy?"

Wary but slightly more interested in his patient, Jonathan asked the question with the smallest of smiles.

"Yes. Your work is as corrupted as mine even if your corruption comes from a more personal insistence."

Jonathan's blood ran cold.

"I do not know you, Mr. Nashton. Neither do you know me."

He couldn't know.

No one knew.

Especially not a jumped up technician from the GCPD.

No.

He was just fishing for information, attempting to claw back the control of the situation by fabricating infor-

"Your purchasing history is interesting, both online and in your role within this asylum." Edward grinned, his body language relaxing into something almost smug. "Meaningless to a layman, but a small touch of research and critical thinking goes to show just how dangerous the various chemicals and research papers you collect could be. Pair that with the increased reports of catatonia which patients under your care have been reduced to and we have something approaching a pattern."

"Mr. Nashton, these delusions do nothing to further yo-"

Rudely, Jonathan found himself cut off by a childish wave.

"Your business is your own and I have no reason to care for any of the degenerates in this building. My work is almost finished and I have my own important business to attend to. Where our paths cross is that I require a clean bill of health to leave my job with the appropriate supports in place."

Smiling widely, his glasses pushed tight against his eyes, Edward perched his fingers on the light-coloured vest which covered his shirt as his cheap shoes tapped a soft rhythm to the carpet. Opposite him, Jonathan felt much more uptight - the shift in dynamic having put his teeth on edge as the urge to regain control of the situation tempted him into dangerous territory.

"You're blackmailing me." Jonathan gritted out.

"If you choose to view it as such then yes. I choose to view it as a mutual exchange of services." Shrugging, Edward caught his hands between his knees. "You clear me, and I erase some of the more unsavoury purchases that you have unsuccessfully distanced from your name."

Seeing each other plainly, Jonathan abandoned any pretence of playing the game and his expression soured into open distaste, regarding Edward with contempt.

"And what guarantees do I have that you are speaking the truth? One word from me and you will be locked away with the worst that Gotham has to offer." Flashing a cruel grin, filled with yellowing teeth, Jonathan tilted his head. "I could have you in a shared cell which houses violence that would easily end a man like yourself."

"All my information is due to release at a specific time if I am not available to prevent it. Risk it all and see."

Reclining once more, Edward presented his hand before himself as he investigated his nails with a forced nonchalance.

"So, Doctor Jonathan Crane, how are we going to move past this?"

[thrillered]

Couples Tattoos | Spencer Agnew x Reader Oneshot

Here's my little blurb about a tattoo I noticed during this vid and I'm obsessed with it. I know the pic is blurry asf but I had to screenshot it from the smosh mouth ep 😭

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"I think I want to get a tattoo.” you mentioned offhandedly while you were working on your laptop, sitting near Spencer. 

“You should, I think it’ll be cool.” Spencer agreed. 

“I just want it to be important I guess.” You remarked, scooting closer to Spencer. “At least for my first.” 

You didn’t have any tattoos. You always wanted to get one but felt nervous about putting something so permanent on your body. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, had many tattoos. He frequently got tattoos; he had gotten 4 since you got together. You adored his tattoos, you thought they were so nerdy and fun but made him extra attractive. 

“Can we get one together?” You asked.

“Seriously?” He asked, turning his whole body to face you, with a surprised face. “That’s a big commitment.” 

“Well I love you and I don’t plan on ever not being with you so..” 

Spencer couldn’t help but smile at this. The sentiment made him giddy and why not? You had been together for years and Spencer planned on marrying you one day. 

“Let’s do it.” Spencer agreed, wholeheartedly ready to make an appointment. 

“Really?” You asked, the widest smile on your face. 

“Fuck it man.” He laughed, both of your work long forgotten. “I’ve gotten tattoos of absolute bullshit, at least this would be meaningful.” 

—

You and Spencer had been brainstorming tattoo ideas for weeks, doing intense research on styles and artists. As excited as you both were, neither of you had any clue what to get. Spencer wanted to let you have the final decision since it was your first. 

You were laying in bed with Spencer, watching a movie. You flipped over, settling your head on his chest and laying your leg over his, straddling his side slightly. This was your favorite way to cuddle, it felt intimate. Spencer knew this about you. It was something he had noticed very early on in your relationship, and he loved it. Something about the way you loved being close to him brought him a lot of joy. You settled into Spencer, sighing when you found the perfect position. 

This was when Spencer had an idea. He didn’t want to wake you, as you were on the verge of sleep, but he immediately wrote his idea down on his phone. 

The next day when you both went into the office he made his way to the art department. “I need one of your guys' help.” He said, walking up to the group of desks. 

“Okay?” Erin Kushner asked, pulling her headphones off one ear. 

“I need a concept design for a tattoo, doesn't need to be anything crazy.” 

“Yeah sure, what's the tattoo?” Erin agreed. 

Spencer explained his idea, getting teased by Erin for how cute your relationship was. Erin quickly drew up a perfect picture for him. He was incredibly excited to show you it, knowing you would fall in love. 

—

He waited until you were home and settled. You were cuddled on the couch with him, watching as he scrolled through twitter. “I think I have the perfect tattoo for us.” Spencer said, pulling the paper out of his pocket. “I thought of it last night but wanted to get it drawn out to show you.” 

He showed you the drawing Erin did, noting the gasp that left your lips. It was a Keith Herring-esq drawing of two figures lying together, cuddled up in your favorite position. 

“Wait, I love it, that’s so cute.” 

“It's the way we always lay together.” He explained, even though you already knew, he was just excited to talk about it. 

“This is the sweetest thing ever, it’s perfect. I love you Spence.” You squealed, smiling into a sweet kiss you placed on his lips. “Wait! We can fill in the one that represents us.” You offered excitedly. 

“I love that.” Spencer smiled, his heart swelling at your excitement. “I’ll book an appointment tomorrow? We’ll probably get in within a few weeks.” 

You agreed, rambling about where you should get it. 

—

Three weeks had gone by and today was the day of your tattoo appointment. It wasn’t until yesterday that you decided your placement, you and Spencer both wanting to get it on your inner arm. 

Spencer got his tattoo first, showing you it would go just fine. It eased your nerves, calming you down before you got in the seat. 

He held your hand the entire time. You told him it was okay and the pain wasn’t awful but he insisted on holding it the whole time to “keep you calm”. 

When the appointment was over you and Spencer had the most beautiful couple tattoos. Your artist took some pictures for you and you both immediately posted them, excited to share it with the world. 

Even though everyone knew you and Spencer were in love, now you both had a depiction of your love immortalized forever.

[rmadridcore]

Between Us - Epilogue

Pairing: Kylian Mbappé x Reader

Summary: You and Kylian have been inseparable friends for years, but when unspoken feelings bubble to the surface, everything changes.

Word Count: 2.2K

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Masterlist

Author’s note: Okay, so, writing this was so much fun, I decided it deserved an epilogue 💛 Thank you everyone who read this story, I truly appreciate your feedback! I have more fics coming soon, so stay tuned 🌻 Enjoy this one & share your thoughts with me 🫂

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The boxes waiting to be unpacked were tempting, but you couldn’t summon the energy to start. Moving into a new house, let alone a different country, was overwhelming. The idea of time ticking away until everything needed to be organized and cleaned was making you anxious. Kylian had been incredibly helpful, despite being tired himself, but it didn’t seem to bother him much. The thought of joining his childhood dream club with you by his side was enough to outweigh any stress or challenge. For him, it was a dream come true.

The house you were settling into was perfect; not over the top, but still lavish and comfortable enough to live in for years. The number of bedrooms had been a topic of debate. You had wanted something smaller, not cramped, but certainly not an enormous house with more rooms than you needed. After all, it was just the two of you. But Kylian wouldn’t budge. He insisted that you live in the best home he could provide.

The real reason for his insistence was that he couldn’t stop thinking about the future, about the family you might one day have together. He had hinted here and there, casually dropping mentions of kids, making it clear that whenever you were ready, he would be more than happy to start a family. Though excited about the idea of having little versions of the two of you running around, Kylian was careful to reassure you that the decision was entirely yours, and that he would support you, no matter what.

Your favorite part of the house? The huge windows. The view of your green backyard, bathed in Madrid’s constant sunshine, filled your home with light and warmth.

“This kitchen is so beautiful it makes me want to cook,” Kylian had blurted out when you both entered the kitchen, nearly making you cry with laughter.

“What are you even talking about?” you giggled, shaking your head.

Kylian had better odds of becoming an astronaut than of successfully cooking a decent meal. Every time he tried, the kitchen ended up looking like the aftermath of a disaster movie — just with fewer survivors.

He put on an exaggeratedly hurt expression. “You don’t believe in me?”

“Kylian, if cooking was a sport, you’d be benched for life.” Though he pretended to be offended, he couldn’t help but laugh, knowing you were absolutely right.

Looking for a spoon to stir his coffee, Kylian almost knocked over an entire box of utensils sitting on the counter. Laughing at how adorably clumsy he was, you nudged him toward the stool at the kitchen island and finished making the coffee so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

It always amused you how someone who played one of the most physically demanding sports at the highest level could be more at risk of injuring himself off the pitch than on it. Sometimes, it was worrying. Like the time he nearly picked up your curling iron while it was still hot. You had yelled just in time to save him from burning his hand. He was clumsy and awkward sometimes, but that only made him more endearing.

You placed two cups of coffee on the island and sat next to him. Instinctively, his hand found its way to your thigh, squeezing it lovingly. He didn’t even realize he was doing it; it was as if his body gravitated toward yours, needing to feel you close. It wasn’t enough for him just to sit beside you; he needed to touch you, to remind himself that you were there, and that you were his.

The hardest thing Kylian had ever had to do in life was try to push his feelings for you away. It wasn’t just complicated, it was impossible. No matter how hard he tried, he was doomed to fail from the start. Loving you wasn’t something he could control or suppress; it was as natural to him as breathing.

And now, knowing he no longer had to hide that love, being able to love you freely, was the greatest relief. It wasn’t just easy, it was effortless. Loving you had always been the simplest, most instinctive thing he had ever done.

You sipped your coffee in comfortable silence, the quiet between you filled with a sense of contentment. Moving to Madrid had been a big change; new routines, new environments. But having Kylian by your side made it feel less overwhelming. It wasn’t just the house or the city; it was the fact that, no matter where you were, he made it feel like home.

Kylian broke the silence, his voice soft as if not wanting to disturb the moment. “I still can’t believe this is our life now,” he said, gazing out the window at the sunlit backyard.

You smiled, feeling the same sense of disbelief. “Yeah, it feels surreal sometimes. But it’s a good kind of surreal.”

“The best kind,” he agreed, leaning in to kiss your forehead. His lips lingered there for a moment, the warmth of his affection spreading through you.

The day had been exhausting, but moments like these made everything worth it. You felt safe, grounded, like all the uncertainties and anxieties melted away when Kylian was near. He had a way of making everything seem possible, as if the world wasn’t as big or intimidating as it sometimes felt.

“Do you think we’ll ever get used to it?” you asked, thinking about the changes in both of your lives — the pressures of his career, the shift to a new city, the balance of keeping your relationship strong through it all.

Kylian chuckled softly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to being this lucky.” He squeezed your thigh again, his eyes filled with sincerity.

“But as long as I have you, I don’t really care where we are or what changes. This is where I want to be.” You leaned into him, giving his soft lips a loving kiss, feeling his arm wrap around you protectively.

His presence was calming, like the answer to every question you had about the future.

“I feel the same,” you whispered. “Wherever we are, as long as we’re together, I’ll be happy.”

Kylian rested his chin on top of your head, taking in the moment. The world outside could be chaotic, but in that little bubble of quiet in your kitchen, it felt as though time had slowed down just for you two. No matches, no media frenzy, no deadlines. Just the two of you.

After finishing your coffee, the two of you headed to the living room to tackle the bookshelf, which you had been meaning to organize.

As you hesitated over whether to color-coordinate the books, a colorful framed piece caught your eye. It was one thing Kylian had begged you to display in your home. Though he wasn’t particularly invested in home decor — happy to leave most of the decisions to the designers and to you — there was one piece he had been adamant about.

“That is not leaving, my love,” he said with a grin after noticing you staring at it. “I’m fine with changing anything you don’t like here, but that stays.”

It was the birthday card you’d given him the day you first met. The card, with its messy handwriting and crayon-drawn hearts, was now framed and hanging prominently in the living room, a choice that always made you chuckle.

“It’s adorable, I’ll give you that,” you said, smiling.

“But it won’t make any sense to anyone who visits. They’ll wonder why we’ve framed an old birthday card in a frame this huge.” You laughed softly, imagining the confused looks on your guests' faces.

Kylian came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, and looked at the card fondly.

“The main thing is, it means a lot to us,” he said, his voice gentle. “It’s also my favorite gift I’ve ever received.” He kissed your temple before returning to dusting off the books.

You smiled at him, feeling warmth spread through your chest. You knew how much that card meant to him. It meant just as much to you. It was the most meaningful gift you had ever given anyone. After all, if he hadn’t kept it all those years and you hadn’t found it in his drawer, who knows when you two would’ve confessed your feelings? In its own strange way, that birthday card had been the catalyst for your love story.

“It’s all fun and games until the silly little birthday card is all you’re getting for your birthday this year,” you teased, making his laughter fill the room.

“Now you’re pushing it. Even if you create a masterpiece, you’ll never outdo yourself. This card is your magnum opus,” he joked back, his grin playful.

You loved how effortlessly you could tease each other. No insecurities, no tension, just a relationship filled with lighthearted jokes and genuine laughter. What more could you ask for?

“When we get married and have kids, this card will mean even more,” Kylian said out of nowhere, his tone casual but filled with sincerity. “We can add cards our children will make for us too.” He spoke so effortlessly, as if you two getting married and having kids was the most natural thing in the world.

You loved how casually he spoke about your future. Not because it didn’t matter to him, but because, for Kylian, there was no hesitation, no uncertainty. Everything was crystal clear. You were his future, his entire world.

The idea of moving in together, getting married, starting a family — these were huge steps in life, often filled with stress and doubt. But with Kylian, it all felt easy. He made sure you knew that there was no hesitation when it came to your future together.

He didn’t need to sit down and weigh the pros and cons or ponder what his next step would be. He always knew you were a permanent part of his future. Even before the two of you got together, you had always been a part of his long-term plans, and now that you were a couple, that certainty had only grown stronger.

He never had to evaluate what was best for him when it came to you. You fit seamlessly into his life without him needing to give it much thought, as if there had always been a place reserved for you, no matter what twists and turns his life took.

Even when he decided to move to Madrid, he made sure to check in with you, to ensure you were comfortable with the idea that you were on the same page about moving there together. But once he knew you were all in, it wasn’t treated as a monumental step. It was simply the next, natural chapter of your relationship — a continuation of a story that had already begun. And it felt good. More than good. It felt amazing.

Kylian had this incredible ability to simplify everything you had once been anxious about. He turned all those daunting life changes into beautiful memories and blessings, leaving you grateful to have such a clear, shared path ahead of you.

After finishing up the bookshelf, you both sank onto the couch, tired and sleepy.

“Are we done for today?” Kylian asked as you cuddled into his chest, seeking comfort in his warmth.

You nodded, a smile playing on your lips. “We’ll take care of the rest tomorrow. The cleaning team will arrive to help us out.” He hummed in gratitude, content to simply be with you.

“I’m so proud of you,” you said, your voice sincere. It was the truest statement you could make. Amid all the uncertain feelings and confusing emotions in your life, the pride you felt for Kylian was one thing you had never doubted.

“I couldn’t do any of this without you,” he whispered lovingly, his tone mirroring your sincerity.

“You are the reason for everything good in my life,” he added, nudging your nose with his.

You loved him. It was as simple as that. Every facet of this man captivated you.

Over the years, you had felt a whirlwind of emotions for him; admiration, attraction, pride, and immense gratitude. But the best way to describe what you two shared was beautifully uncomplicated: you were in love. Deeply, intensely, and completely in love.

This was the kind of love that lasted forever, the kind that stood the test of time. It was the kind of love that people spent lifetimes searching for, yet here you were, fortunate enough to find it so soon.

Despite all the struggles you both had faced, you were beyond thankful to experience a love that felt almost surreal. Every time it felt too good to be true, Kylian was right there to remind you that it was real. The love you shared was undeniably strong and vibrant.

Sometimes life gets hard. It can be unfair and can cut you deeply. But then, in those moments, a happiness would emerge — a happiness that made you forget the troubles of yesterday and dream about the promise of tomorrow.

There you were, lying in each other’s arms, whispering sweet nothings meant only for your ears. And you both knew you were exactly where you belonged: with each other, being each other’s forever.

——————————————————————————

[haru-dipthong]

My Utena Fansub Ep 2 (and Ep 1 rerelease)

Here's episode 2! A huge thank you to @dontbe-lasanya for their incredible efforts at editing my translation!

Also, episode 1 has been revised. I'll update the link on my original posts, but if you're looking at a reblog it will still have the old link. From now on, I'll be posting a link to a folder with all the episodes after each release, so you can easily find old episodes. You can find the new ep 1 and all other episodes as they release here:

Translation Discussion

Utena uses boku. There’s no way to convey this aspect of self-identified masculinity in english, so the translation needs to make up for it in other ways. One way I did this was the “Master” translation of 様 (sama), but this isn’t self-identified (in fact, Utena dislikes the use of 様). I saw a good opportunity to do this here:

まあ、一人部屋らしいから、クールな僕の趣味には合ってるよ。

I think I’ve got a room to myself. Kinda perfect for my bachelor lifestyle. (my translation)

I'm gonna have to be on the lookout in the future for other opportunities for Utena to gender themself masc!

-----

世界の殻を破壊せ... 世界を革命するために！

Destroy the shell... and revolutionise the world!

Other translations often translate this as "For the revolution of the world!" or "For the sake of revolutionizing the world!". I believe these translations are trying too hard to make explicit the function of ために to express purpose/aim. I think it's unnecessary - a simple "and" will do, because the fact that "revolutionising the world" is the point of "destroying the shell" is wholly self-evident through context.

-----

I didn’t have space to talk about the A-ko/B-ko translation or Zettai Unmei Mokushiroku in the first post, but there were some interesting decisions to be made!

かしらかしら、ご存じかしら？

My oh my, haven’t you heard? (my translation)

This was in important translation because it gets used so many more times in the show, and it needs to make sense in many different contexts. The shadow girls tend to echo their opening lines in their closing lines:

でも、勇者様、わざと負ける難しさをご存じかしら？ かしらかしら、ご存じかしら？

but, sir knight, haven’t you heard how hard it is to lose a fight on purpose? My oh my, haven’t you heard? (my translation)

The opening line needs to be able to be recontextualised from a relatively innocent phrase that signifies the shadow girls are gossiping, to a more sinister taunting of “the knight” for being naive (or, in the first episode, not knowing what they’re getting into).

I went with “my, oh my” for かしらかしら because it sounds a bit old fashioned and feminine, just like the Japanese. I originally had “have you heard?” but it didn’t sound nearly taunting enough when repeated in he closing lines.

-----

絶対運命黙示録

Certain destiny: the Revelation! (my translation)

Most existing translations have this as “Absolute Destiny: Apocalypse” or “Absolute Destiny: Revelation”.

黙示録 is the word for the Book of Revelation, from the Bible. It’s not just describing any apocalypse, but the Biblical, Christian Revelation. I think “apocalypse” has become more generic in modern English, whereas “Revelation” is decidedly Biblical. This also influenced some of the decisions to jazz up the rest of the song to emphasise the Biblical references.

The word 絶対 can means “absolute” as in “without question”, but “absolute” has other meanings besides this in modern English (e.g. “extreme”). I decided to go with “certain” because I believe the original Japanese is trying to get across the unquestionable destiny of the Revelation: “It’s absolutely going to happen”. Also, maybe I’m too online but I think “absolute” just sounds silly here. Online vernacular has made “absolute” an almost jokey word (e.g. “absolute unit”).

However, I did include the classic name of the song as the lyric at the end of the song before it goes into the syllable switching chant:

絶対運命黙示闇

Absolute destiny: Apocalypse!

Note the slight difference here in the japanese. 闇 means darkness, and 黙示闇 isn't a real word, it's just a combination of "Revelation" and "darkness". The last kanji in the more common 黙示録 means "record" as in "the records of the Revelation", the Book of Revelation. While the meaning doesn't change much with the substitution of 闇, it makes the line feel a bit darker, a bit edgier, which made it feel appropriate to include the edgier classic name of the song here.

出生登録、洗礼名簿、死亡登録

Records of childbirth, records of baptism, records of death. (my translation)

Other translations have this as “birth records” and “baptismal registry”, which I think sound awkward. “Birth records” has too few syllables for the line of the song, and doesn’t sound poetical enough, while “baptismal registry” reeks of someone looking up the word in a dictionary and plopping it in without thinking about how it would sound in a haunting apocalyptic song.

もくし くしも しもく くもし もしく しくも

Revelation, Apocalypse Apocalypse, Revelation

The syllable switching chant is impossible to translate - doing such a thing in English just makes it sound silly. Since this line comes directly after the switch up with the original song name, I decided to use the synonyms Revelation and Apocalypse in an alternating sequence to give the same impression of a haunting, cult-like chant. I think this alone makes the decision to use the original song name worth it! Really happy with how the song has turned out.

[darksigns-exe]

find me here where i belong - stepdad!jolly x f!reader

warnings: none

word count: 585

note: so @ladyveronikawrites requested a little zoo date with jolly and my brain went straight to stepdad!jolly hope you enjoy <3

masterlist | taglist sign-up

You’d been open and honest with Jolly from the beginning. On your second date, you’d told him that you had a kid from a different relationship, hoping that it wouldn’t scare him away. 

But Jolly had stayed. 

His first meeting with your daughter had been incredibly sweet. He’d asked you about her interests beforehand and had brought a very adorable Bigfoot plush with him as an icebreaker. She’d been so very shy at first, but Jolly had won her over surprisingly quickly. 

A year later, he’s a fixed part of your life. Since you’ve moved into a place that can accommodate all three of you, things have only gotten better. Whenever Jolly is at home, you set aside times on the weekends just for the three of you. You’d set up a jar of activities at some point to eliminate the decision-making process and to give your daughter the feeling that she had made the decision. 

This weekend, your outing would take you to the local zoo. Which worked great because your daughter had just entered a phase of being obsessed with giraffes. As always, you bring your camera, intent on capturing at least a few moments of the day for your photo album. 

Watching your usually so shy daughter, pull Jolly from one enclosure to the next on her search for the giraffes warms your heart. It had taken Jolly a bit of time to grow into this new role, but by now he seemed to feel rather comfortable with it. He is so patient with her, lifting her so that she could peek over some of the higher walled enclosures. When you get to the petting zoo area, he acts as a safeguard so that she feels brave enough to actually pet the animals, making sure that he always he’s always within reach just in case. 

When she finally spots the giraffe enclosure, she sets off. Her wobbly run, accentuated by the shifting of her little giraffe themed backpack, is absolutely endearing. 

“Look!” She exclaims, excitedly pointing out of the smaller giraffe.  

You watch her and Jolly from a few feet away. The barricade of this enclosure is a little too high for her to be able to see over it very well. Jolly leans down, you can’t hear what he’s saying, but at the end of their exchange your daughter ends up seated on his shoulders. You snap a few pictures of them, before making your way over to them. 

Your daughter's excited chatter fills your ears as soon as you’re close enough. Her giggles at whatever Jolly is telling her warm your heart. Their relationship is so wonderful and watching them grow closer has been one of your favourite things. 

You step up next to Jolly, and he automatically reaches for your hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Look mommy, it’s a family. Like us.” your daughter exclaims once she has noticed you next to Jolly. 

When you pass by your daughter’s bedroom door later that evening, you catch a glimpse of Jolly tucking her into bed for the night. You stop, just out of sight, watching their exchange for a moment. He presses a kiss to her forehead, before he finally gets up. 

As he steps out into the hallway with you, you realise that he’s trying his hardest to fight back tears. You wrap your arms around him as soon as you notice. Jolly returns the embrace, pulling you to him so tightly. 

“She asked if I’m her dad.”

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[fridayth13]

I just read your Zhongli reuniting with his wife fic and I absolutely adore it! Could I request a continuation of that where the two talk things out and forgive each other?

galaxies unseen in shavings of jade.

↳ zhongli × gn!immortal!artist!reader

↳ part one, part two

↳ genre: angst with a happy ending | wordcount: 2.8k | warnings: none that i can tell

↳ notes: HI 😭 god sorry that took so long. between the writers block and the anxiety i struggled to end it in a way that made sense. but i think im happy with what i made here. i really did enjoy writing both the first and second part of this :') so i hope you enjoy this one just as much

shoutout to @ad0rechuu for helping me out of writer's block :')

Truth be told, Zhongli had no idea how to talk to you. He was clumsy in matters of the heart. Despite all his years and experience, he could never have prepared himself for how thoroughly you bewitched him. He wondered if you noticed at some point and simply never told him. While embarrassing, it did relieve him in a way. It only meant you didn't mind it. The mere fact that you allowed him the grace of holding you close meant you might have even been enamored by his eccentricities. He would be lying if he said he wasn't terrified of you pulling away one day. What would he do with himself then?

Unfortunately, he'd gotten his answer.

Inexperienced as he was with the heart, the Geo Archon was steadier than the oldest rock formation; stubborn as a boulder that refused to break through the horrors of the Archon War, and through the deep ache of losing you.

He braved through it. Though not without the damage.

Five hundred years later, there was no more war in Liyue. No more strife and suffering tearing through his nation. But most strikingly, no you. He was plagued late in the night with the thought of giving back the era of peace if it meant he could have even a sliver of your presence in his life again.

He couldn't do that. He wouldn't.

But he thought of it. Frequently.

One day after the war, he couldn't find you anywhere. Sunrise had just begun to peek past the mountains, lightening the shadow of night, as if Celestia had descended to celebrate the end of the war. It had been a long night of fighting. Issuing orders among his adepti. Finding out what he should say to you when he got home.

You were both incredibly stubborn. It was a part of you Morax adored, no matter how many arguments the two of you went through because of it. But he feared the night before may have gone overboard. He'd thought you were being foolish, trying to risk your life on the battlefield. What were you thinking? Didn't you know how far everything would fall if you were to get hurt on his watch? Didn't you understand how much the guilt would consume him? How much he would crumble without you to steady him? You were his partner. His confidante. His everything.

He didn't understand you either. Didn't understand that you only wanted to help. That you wanted to prove he didn't have to be alone on the frontlines. That you would have his back as readily as he would have yours. Too late, did he finally think of it that way. It was only after the words have been said, like venom being spat. Morax had gone back to his war, exactly what you told him not to do. And as for you, it seemed you had followed suit.

He sought you out immediately. Days and nights of searching later, he found you speaking with General Musatas.

"I'm leaving."

All these years later, Zhongli knew how much of a mistake this was— he hid. Your words sent a chill through him, as if his blood had turned to ice. Despite the slight tremble in your voice, there was a bit of fire there. The one he recognized in you when you were set on a decision.

"Are.. Are you sure?" Yingda questioned. Her voice dropped to a hesitant whisper, and he had to strain to hear. "But Morax—"

"Forget Morax." You snapped. "I can't speak with him right now. Don't tell him where I'm going please."

"I don't even know where you're going." She exclaimed. "Yn.."

"I'll be safe. You know I can handle myself." Then, with some bitterness: "At least, someone does."

Yingda whined, unsure. "Will you return.. one day? Will we be able to see you again?"

The warmth in your voice made your lover ache.

"Liyue is at peace. I'm sure I will see you lot again at some point. Maybe even at the little harbor the humans have constructed. You spoke of wanting to go there with your fellow yakshas, haven't you?"

"Yes, but.. Are you sure? Truly sure you want to leave?"

You paused. Morax grasped at the silence with bated breath.

"Yes." You said.

Then all the wind was knocked out of him. The war was over. He'd been defeated. He couldn't even find it in himself to watch you go.

—

A moment of weakness was stolen in between the five hundred years of stubbornness.

You, wrought through nightmares of the Archon War and exhaustion weighing you down like an anchor, trudged through the harbor. Your arms wrapped around your figure in a feeble attempt to protect yourself from the cold night air.

It was a moment between moments— witnessed by only you and the swarm of stars in the heavens.

You'd stopped at the bridge, bracing yourself on the rail with a heavy exhale.

You missed him. His warmth. His voice.

Visions of spilled ichor and the ruthless clang of weapons filled your pained mind.

You wished you lost the argument all those years ago.

You hated that.

You hated him. You hated yourself.

You missed him more though.

For a mere second, slowed by fear and the precariousness of your hope, you opened your mouth, about to speak.

And then the second ended. Tears spilled from your eyes, warming your cool face. You thought only of bloodshed. From the war, and whatever it was that happened to your relationship after it.

You cursed yourself. You couldn't just call him now, could you? Not after deserting him and vowing never to come back.

You conjured the situation in your mind's eye. Rex Lapis, Geo Archon from even before the war— the most ancient and formidable of them all, summoned by his ex at the drop of a hat. It felt like a particularly unfunny joke made at your expense.

There was no way he'd want you anymore after all that.

And so that night remained a secret between you and the stars. And if you stayed at the bridge a few minutes longer with the unfounded hope he might see you there waiting for him, and still love you, then it was for only the stars to discuss.

—

The second biggest mistake of Zhongli's life was not running to you the moment he saw you again after all that time.

It was a little secret between him and the wind. And partially, Director Hu, who had accompanied him into the art exhibit in the first place.

It hadn't even been his intention to attend. A particular painting turned his head as he passed by— a meadow of glaze lilies. Not an uncommon scene portrayed by mortal artists. But there had been a certain feeling it evoked in him, catching his gaze a second longer than it ought to.

Hu Tao saw him looking at the painting and skipped inside despite his protest. And so, Zhongli breathed out a sigh and went after her.

"Was this the one you were looking at?" She asked.

"Yes." He eyed the painting with scrutiny. "Glaze lilies.."

Hu Tao hummed in agreement. "It is quite beautiful."

Zhongli agreed. But there was something else to it. Something that made him really rack his brain for the word— familiarity.

It had been centuries since a scene of glaze lilies bountiful enough to form a field so blue. He doubted any mortal would have lived long enough to have seen one, and yet, this particular depiction was spot on. Every azure brush stroke dashed over the canvas like rolling tides, perfectly recapturing the luster of seeing a glaze liliy's sparkling quality up close. Truly, a sea of them. Just as the poems of old described. Just how Zhongli remembered them before the flowers' numbers dwindled down to a rarity. Almost as if the painter themselves had been there with him to witness their bloom in spring.

Zhongli ended up enjoying the art exhibit, after all. He took extra note of the work by the artist of the glaze lilies. Whoever they were had a tendency for plain scenes. And yet, the depictions of things as mundane as jade shavings were as vibrant as galaxies, reflecting against the color of the harbor's light. He couldn't help but find a certain charm in the style. And the aforementioned familiarity. The longer he looked at each scene, the more he felt as though he was present when they were sketching out the shapes.

"Do you reckon we could find the artist at this very exhibit?" Hu Tao piped up.

Zhongli took a moment to realize she was speaking.

"Ah. Perhaps." He nearly stammered, then cleared his throat as he turned to look at her. "It is not uncommon for them to go about and ask opinions of their work."

"You know, you've been particularly attracted to this artist." Hu Tao teased lightly. "We do need your portrait done for the directory. Maybe I could ask them?"

Zhongli chuckled, about to respond to her quip.

Then there you were, turning around the corner. There were earthquakes with less magnitude than the effect you had on him.

Suddenly, everything made sense. The paintings were all yours. They were in your style hidden under a pen name. They were yours. As comfortable a sight to him as the ones you used to make sitting next to him in Jueyun Karst.

Panic seized him then. What would you think of him? Here? At your work? Would you spare him a glance after the first? Would you shun him? Remove him from the premises? No one knew who he was but you, but you alone was certainly enough for him to listen.

Worse yet, Hu Tao was present. She was an inquisitive woman. She was quite smart when she wanted to be, and Zhongli did not want to divulge five centuries worth of heartbreak with her, or even himself.

With a similar sentiment, he didn't know if he could handle being rejected by you a second time. He didn't want to cause you trouble at work where you were clearly enjoying yourself.

You made a coward out of him. You reduced the Archon of Liyue to a fumbling boy with a crush, even back then. Especially now. And in that moment, it was your brilliant smile that intimidated him most.

You looked happy without him.

—

You didn't know what had possessed Zhongli to run after you as you crossed the funeral parlor's threshold.

Brow creasing in bewilderment, you turned to him. It was only a few steps, yet he looked out of breath. Frantic, even.

"..Mr. Zhongli?"

"Please." You didn't miss the way he reached out, hand inches away from your own. It fell back to his side as he steeled himself to speak again.

You readjusted your bag hanging over your shoulder. "Yes?"

"Allow me to walk you back."

You raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's quite late. It.." He clasped his hands together behind his back, hesitating for a moment. "..I only want to be sure you reach your home safely."

So there you were, begrudgingly letting him walk you home. Only he didn't mention the fact he had no idea where you lived, so neither did you. For the moment, you were content with watching the pitiful jerk walk you in circles around the harbor, panicking and relaxing every few minutes as he tried to surmise which street he's supposed to lead you through.

Reach your home safely. What a joke. What, was he going to buy you flowers now too? The two of you had shared but a few conversations after all that silence, and he just.. Ugh. Did he think you were kidding? Did he think you would come crawling back or something?

Though, the longer you watched him, the more you felt as though you missed the mark. Maybe you had been getting ahead of yourself. He might only be being polite.

The two of you were standing by Chihu Rock, at the very edge of the bridge. For a moment, he turned to you as if he'd finally let the facade drop and admit he didn't know where to go, then he turned away again.

"Mr. Zhongli?"

"Yn."

You heaved out a sigh, tugging your bag closer over your shoulder.

"You don't—"

"I need to talk to you." He uttered, swiftly cutting you off.

Your throat seemed to close, leaving you out of breath despite the leisurely pace you'd taken throughout the walk. Unable to say anything, you only nodded.

Zhongli looked at you, amber eyes pinched with worry.

"I am truly sorry for what happened between us."

"You said that already."

"I–" Zhongli shifted his weight between his feet. He still couldn't quite look you in the eye. "I know, I just.. I don't think I'll be able to say it enough to compensate for the time I had spent brooding instead of.."

It was your turn to look away then, fingers twitching nervously along your bag strap. You could only watch his approach through the corner of your eye. He stopped mere inches away from you, his own gloved hands coming up like he didn't know where to put them; wondering if they still fit against you; shaking with the trepidation of it not being so. Of the very real possibility that you had.. moved on. Outgrown him. That he had been too late.

You remained strong, crossing your arms over your chest.

But your voice caught in your throat trying to get the words out. Your still couldn't meet his eyes. Then it all came out in a fragile whisper meant only for him. Hidden in the pocket of silence between you, under the hustle and bustle of the mortal night life, you whispered:

"What are you trying to say, Morax?"

Entirely unbeknownst to you, the use of his true name sent a shiver across his skin. Like a rush of adrenaline to push him along, it flowed through him in a spark of warmth.

He reached for your hand. He didn't quite hold it, moreso just your fingers, as if testing the waters of your tolerance.

How badly he wished he could kiss along your knuckles as he once had. How he ached for the blankness in your eyes to cease. To make way for the affection he allowed to get away from him.

What he didn't know was what you were thinking of: the night you went out to that very same bridge, aching for him in turn.

Well, there he was.

And there you were.

"Allow me back into your life." He pleaded at last. "Please, Yn, I.. I cannot afford to have you so close only for you to slip through my fingers once again."

"Morax.."

"I intend to fight for you this time." Zhongli's grip on your hand grew firm. "I should've done that long ago. I should have stayed with you, or I should have chased after you. I should have begged for you to stay, and I was a fool for not doing so. Forgive me."

You blinked at him. Your hand gripped the rail, thumb running nervously over the night-cooled wood. You were suddenly aware of the passersby at the edge of the city. A group of curious children watched you from afar, and in your attempt to ignore them, you looked up, and were forced to notice the glaringly close proximity you and Zhongli drew yourselves in. His cor lapis eyes cut like amber shards. Still, sincerity softened his expression. In turn, his earnestness softened you. You cursed him for how malleable he made you to his whims.

When you left, you had to build yourself back up. You learned how to stand on your own. You were so determined not to reduce yourself into some crying, besotted ex-spouse that you had confused loneliness for independence.

It hurt to realize that so late. It hurt that you could only realize that now, inches away from him, wanting nothing more than to forget yourself and cry into your lover's arms. It hurt just to look at him.

All this time, you could have just asked. There was no one to blame for your loneliness but you and your own foolish pride.

You sighed deeply, turning your gaze to the mountain ranges carving against the skyline.

"I don't feel like there's anything to forgive." You mumbled. His fingers crept into the space between yours as you talked. You held onto his touch with your very life. "I feel like I should be asking you that."

Zhongli frowned. "To that, I am not sure what to say."

You hummed, feet scuffing against the wooden planks of the bridge.

"Walk with me then? We certainly have time."

Your chest was alight looking at the brightness in his eyes when you said that.

"Gladly." Zhongli nodded, lightly squeezing your hand. You could see the corners of his lips fighting back a grin.

He really did miss you. As much as your emotional turmoil wanted to refute it, you knew him better than you could ever hate yourself. And you loved him more than anything.

You were only thankful he seemed to love you just as much.

[genyawritesshizz]

A Hum of Time Toshinori Yagi X Reader

Part 2

Part 1

Summary: An innocent relationship between two workaholics could not possibly be that eventful. Just two individuals finding comfort within each other's company and the occasional cup of coffee. What happens when a secret that could ruin both of their careers brings the whole thing crashing down? In a heart wrenching decision, you must do what is best for all three of you and brave the future alone. Will you ever tell the truth? You might not have a choice.

10661-word count

first part of the fluff. Gotta get all cute and mushy before I go in for the kill ;)

To go back to when the two of you actually had time to talk and frolic within each other's company. When the future seemed brighter: When things were easier.

You had signed to work for All Might’s agency a few months ago, and so far, it has been an absolute delight. The pay was incredible, but the most remarkable aspect was how well organized the staff conducted missions and reports. As an up-and-coming hero, you needed a stable foundation to grow.

Toshinori typically kept to himself, pushing his full focus onto the task at hand when it came to anything work related. Head always glued to his computer screen and hands typing away on keyboard. A crucial and unrecognized portion of hero work involved never ending hours of paperwork. Between reports, emails and the overflowing inbox of media or fan mail he rarely found time for breaks when in office. However, he’d force himself to take short breathers from time to time, just to rest his reddened eyes from the blazing screen.

He always picked the same seat in the cafeteria; tucked into a corner beside one of the many extensive windows to gaze out at the surprisingly still busy street he sat alone. The room was silent as it was well past lunch, in fact most of his employees had already gone home for the night as it was nearing 8PM. Recapping his daily to-do list within his mind he sighed, so much to do with so little time in the day.

“Um excuse me” whipping away from the street view he is faced with a woman standing before him, a laptop in hand and frustration evident on her face. “I'm so sorry to interrupt your break sir but I had a question, and I was wondering if you could help.” 

Shocked, his train of thought fell off the rails. In his weakened form it was exceedingly rare for anyone to approach him much less ask for help. 

“Of course,” Nodding to the seat in front of him, his mind scrambled to recover. Sitting down with the laptop you sighed in defeat.

“Thank you so much, nobody else is here and this report is due tonight.” Turning the screen to face him you began explaining your dilemma, something about incorrect formatting, an easy fix for someone like him who could practically type one of these up in his sleep. Though he did not recognize you with a quick scan of the file you were attempting to submit he recognized it as a heroic police report. A document that all heroes must submit after an arrest. To the average secretary it would not have sparked suspicion from a simple glance. However the discretely marked fine print was all too familiar to him. You must be one of the newly contracted heroes. He hadn’t had the time to properly look over the roster of employees in quite some time, truly a neglectful fault of his. He made a mental note to check.

After showing and explaining how to fix the format your report was submitted.

“Again, thank you so much…” You trailed off “Oh yeah, I completely forgot! Im (Y/N).” You felt like a total ass; You had marched up to this complete stranger durring his break, made demands that he assist you and didn’t even introduce yourself. Your cheeks tinted in embarrassment. The man chuckled, he hadn’t even noticed the lack of formalities. 

“No worries (y/n),  Im Toshinori Yagi” He reached a slender hand out, which you happily shook. Taking your own mental note of how his digits completely encased your own hand, nearly reaching the wrist. “Let me know if you ever need help again.” He smiled and let go.

“It’s nice meeting you Toshinori, I’ll be seeing you around!” Returning the smile graciously and folding the laptop closed, you got up to walk away. His eyes trailed your retreating form.

He thought that this would surely be the only time your two paths crossed. A fluke scenario.  

Oh, how fate had a funny way of making things happen.

It was another long night of burning the candle at both ends for the symbol. The weight on his eyelids begged him to call it a night as he finally wrapped up his nightly duties. Yet when rounding the corner and coming face to face with someone, almost knocking both parties over, he was wide awake. Focusing instead on ensuring the person he’d carelessly almost ran over was unharmed with profuse apologies. There you stood, a steaming hot cup of coffee in hand, thankfully non spilled onto your wrinkled blouse, and a pile of papers the size of Texas in the other. 

“Hey Toshinori! ” His name rolled casually off your tongue. You looked dead on your feet, the same bags that lined his eyes matched yours.  “You’re good! No harm done” 

“Hey?” Confused, he glanced over to the double handed clock on the wall, 11:34pm. His thin eyebrows furrowed, casting a dark shadow. “What are you doing here so late? It’s almost midnight.” Laughing lightly you eyed him skeptically, your own eyebrow quirked.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Before he could try and concoct an excuse you continued “I figured I’d get the last of this finished otherwise it’ll just pile up.” He could argue that it already was.

“Did you need help with that?” The aforementioned exhaustion had crawled away into the deep recesses of his mind, most likely to return with a vengeance later, at the thought of being able to help you again.

“No no, I'm okay, besides a bunch of this stuff is pretty classified.” He wanted to chuckle at that, as All Might he had full access to any and all files in this building, from a delivery receipt to top secret government documents. His reach most likely exceeded that but, as Toshinori Yagi the department head he had to respect the illusion of limitations. 

“Oh right, sorry.” He scratched at the back of his neck, feeling a bit of awkwardness sink in. 

“No worries, thank you for the offer though” once again he watched you walk away, down the hallway and out of sight.

His own personal curiosity nagged at him to finally find the time to properly look at your file. Taking his rebound of energy now was as good a time as any, best to do it while it was fresh on the mind. Turning his computer on again he pulled up the agency's employee catalog and searched your name. There you were, that same smile you gave him moments ago reflected in the photo. 

‘(Y/n) (y/l/n) - Siren. Quirk; Voice. ’ Scrolling through your profile he skimmed over the most recent reports. Not shocked to see some having been posted mere minutes ago. Not bad, great in fact, you’d only started here two months ago and already had a substantial amount of arrests under your belt. Although most were for minor offenses it set a promising future. Scrolling back up he read through the short biography under your photo graduated UA with substantially high marks seven years ago, studied at The University of Kyoto with a major in business, had been a sidekick under various different heroes for two years, and over the last year have been working as a private pro hero. Now at the age of twenty five you’d been contracted under his prestigious agency. The recruiting team really knew how to pick the best, he’d have to praise them for their dedication. With the itch satisfyingly scratched he, for the final time tonight, shut his computer off.

Like clockwork, late at night, when the halls were barren wastelands, the sound of a coffee pot brewing another batch and the buzz of overhead fluorescents somehow always connected the two of you. 

“Good evening (y/n)” Yagi greeted from the other side of the printer, both of you sporting matching stacks of paperwork in hand.

“ Evening Toshi, how are you?” He always enjoyed these little chats and the nickname you’d given him, it made him feel more like a person.

 As strange as it sounds, if he wasn’t out being a public symbol he was in meetings or filing paperwork about it, not that he minded of course. It was his job, his sole purpose in life, yet it often left him feeling like a ghost when in his normal form. If he wasn’t actively being All Might then he was simply just existing. But with you, you actually spoke to him, to Toshinori Yagi. He found himself yearning for more, even if ‘more’ meant just brief casual workplace conversation.

“I’m fine thank you, and yourself?” Gathering the warm paper from under the collection doc he organized his stack.

“Oh you know me.” You laughed. It’s true, throughout the passing weeks he had grown to know you as a workaholic, just like himself.  With your coffee freshly poured you turned to exit.

“Would you mind if I joined you?” The words left his mouth so effortlessly, spilling out without giving himself time to process what exactly he’d asked.

“That’d be nice, I’d love the company.” Before his mind could spasm with embarrassment and explode with apologies for intruding, your reply stopped the thoughts dead in their tracks. Grabbing his items the two walked down the hall side by side. He no longer had to watch you leave.

The sounds of keys tapping, papers shuffling, and the occasional quiet sip of coffee filed the otherwise silent room. To compromise from your refusal before he sat in a swivel chair oppositely facing your own along with any papers not currently being worked on were to remain downward facing, as to keep some privacy. Though with his height, if he wanted to, he could easily look down at your screen. Even sitting Toshinori towered over you. Not that he would ever break the thin layer of trust you’d built together by peaking. The clock ticked on, minutes turned to hours and soon it was half past one. Yagi had finished his daily reports and scanning through his emails about an hour ago yet he could not bring himself to get up and leave. Instead he chose to sit and wait for you. The silence brought a sense of comfort. That was until a soft humming called his attention. The sound so smooth and airy if it hadn’t been for the dead quiet he would’ve lost it. Taking a quick glance down at you, still weary of possibly invading privacy, he noted your body language. Your eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, yet your forefinger tapped to the same beat you hummed. It must’ve been absent minded. Not wanting to break your focus to ask the name of the song, as he did not recognize it, he instead gladly listened as your voice swelled and lowered to the beat your finger set. 

“Alright and done” With one final mouse click you had finally finished for the night. “How are you doing over there Toshi?” Peaking over your screen you scanned his work area, everything had been stacked and paperclipped into neat piles. Looking from the stack up the man he meekly smiled down to you. 

“Just finished” Not a complete lie, he had actually busied himself with organizing. Not something he typically ever had time to do, but a nice way to pass time and something his future self would be thankful for.

“Perfect, well, thank you for your company.” This was your dismissal of him, and as kindly as you worded it, it still gave him sinking disappointment. His body begged for him to say something to stall and give more time. He did not want to watch you leave, not yet. 

“I'll walk you to your car if that’s okay.” Once again he found himself speaking without thinking. ‘What has gotten into me?’  He's never been this outspoken while in his weakened form. 

“Oh that’s okay, I walked” This ignited a spark in him, he could feel the hidden inner All Might guiding his actions.

“It’s one in the morning and way too dangerous for you to walk home alone! Please allow me to go with you.” You were more than capable of handling yourself. Toshinori of course knew this, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. Especially with the spiked rate of crime recently. At least that was his excuse for the offer, instead of his true selfishness of wanting more human interaction. You contemplated the offer for a few seconds. For anyone else to ask such a thing you would’ve found it to be creepy, but from Yagi, your quiet but friendly late-night coworker, it felt nobel. Though you knew little to nothing about the tall blonde who sat in your office, he practically radiated a sense of safety and honesty. Like the first ray of sunshine peeking through the cloud after a storm. Besides, if he tried anything with malicious intent you’d deal with it swiftly. A small smile tugged at the edges of your lips as you caved and agreed to his offer.

As the two of you awaited the next elevator cart you sparked a small conversation, curious about the man who’d taken a bit of your interest. 

“So Toshinori, tell me a little about yourself.” 

“What would you like to know?”

“Well, for starters how long have you been working for the agency?” 

“I’ve been here since the beginning.”

“The beginning as in the opening of the department?” Your eyebrow rose in suspicion while his furrowed. Nervously fiddled with the sleeve of his cuffed shirt he knew he was about to give away his age with this next admission. Already knowing there was a bit of a gap between the two of you he hoped you wouldn’t think of him as some old geezer. 

“No, the beginning as in the opening of the agency. So about ten years.” Your eyes widened with a light gasp. 

‘If he's truly been here for that long then he must be some higher up, a boss, most likely a department head or upper ranked manager. I hope I’ve made a good impression. This job is critical to my career.’ You thought. Taking notice of your shocked expression, his worries flooded. 

“Are you friends with All Might or something?” You teased with a chuckle, hoping he’d laugh as well to quail your own insecurities. Finally the doors to the elevator opened awaiting its passengers. Walking inside you pressed the ground floor button. Thankfully missing the way his face dropped for a split second before quickly regaining his composure. He tried to laugh with you, sounding a bit forced but still managed to convince you. Now standing beside you he felt both relieved you hadn’t thought of his age but hearing the possible connection to All Might sent a shiver down his back. 

“Something like that, I know him.” You once again felt intimidated at his words. You had meant it as a rhetorical question but hearing him admit he did in fact know All Might had your mind buzzing with curiosity. “But then again who doesn’t?” Visibly relaxing you knew you’d most definitely blown his words out of proportion. He was right, who didn’t know All Might? He was the world's number one, the best of the best. 

‘Surely having worked for him for over a decade I’d hope he knew him.’  Again you pushed the little part of you that spewed anxiety down. 

“Ya know, I’ve worked here for almost half a year and have yet to actually meet him. Though, I can't say I'm surprised, being the symbol of peace he must be unbelievably busy.”  

‘You have no idea’ The fact that he had any downtime to even sleep was a miracle. Yet, here he was, spending those precious free moments to stand in this elevator and walk you home. In his eyes, it was time well spent even if his aching body begged for his bed.

“From what I’ve seen over the years, yes, his schedule is usually packed. But who knows maybe you’ll run into him one day.” He prayed it would be under pleasant circumstances. Most people who met his heroic form were in danger or in need of help. Another mental note was made to try and squeeze in time around the office as All Might, for morality's sake of course. You hummed at his statement, allowing the comfort of silence to once again fill the air. The ding of the elevator signaled it had reached its destination.

The walk was similar to your time together in the office, quiet, but never awkward, oddly relaxing. You had begun humming again, the same song from before. His curiosity grew, without the constraint of breaking focus he had to ask.

“What song is that?” 

“Oh sorry, was I being annoying?” You felt your cheeks redden, you hadn’t realized you were humming aloud, It was something you did absentmindedly. Normally you could catch yourself but with the lack of sleep it must’ve slipped past the filter. 

“No, no, you sounded great, but I don’t recognize the song. I just wanted to know what it was.” Toshinori felt his own embarrassment rise, he didn’t mean to come off as rude for asking, he simply wanted to have a conversation. Looking up at the man who towered over you, an eyebrow raised and your eyes glowed with excitement, their own curiosity flowing. 

“Do you like classical music?” Pondering your question, Toshinori reminisced on his limited collection of music. Recently he preoccupied the otherwise tense silence of car rides with whatever was on the radio. Not paying it much attention, just something to fill the void. In his younger years he enjoyed light rock and the occasional new wave. The only time he could recall ever hearing anything related to classical was when attending mandatory formals. 

“To be honest it’s not something I've ever really listened to, but I am open to giving it a try.” 

You smiled up at him, “The song was La Boheme, maybe next time I'll play it for you”  His heart picked up its pace, lightly hammering against his chest. You said ‘next time’, as in these office hangouts would be a recurring thing? He definitely would not mind that. In fact, he hoped you had meant it. 

“Well this is my stop, thank you for walking with me Toshi. It was really thoughtful of you.” 

“Of course” Standing on your doorstep you looked back at him, it felt wrong to leave him like this; out in the driveway, walking alone down the lamppost lit sidewalk. As if there was something else that needed to be done or said, strange. You watched as he waved goodbye and began walking away. Just for a few more moments before shaking away the odd feeling.

Your nighttime routine quickly evolved,it wasn’t everyday, but most that he found himself sitting across from you. Both whittling away at the never ending piles of papers. You’d happily hum a song as time ticked by and Toshinori listened. Sometimes he’d surprise you with a coffee from the break room, made a tad on the bitter side for your liking but you’d always drink it anyways. The gesture always had you smiling, to know such simple things made you giddy, had him wishing he could do more.

At the end of the long grind out of paperwork he would always walk you home, it truly made your heart soar as this was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for you. Even if you were a hero and would 100% be okay with walking the short fifteen minutes home, the fact that he did not know this and was willing to risk his own safety to protect you caused a warmth within your chest. Truly selfless, a quality all heroes should have. Your emotions ran high, each time growing fonder. 

Walking into the office you felt as light as air, despite the still stinging scratch in your throat, nothing could bring you down. You had successfully infiltrated and apprehended an underground trading ring. As an up and coming hero having your first major headliner was no small feat. Opening the door to your office your eyes immediately landed on the still steaming cup of coffee resting on the desk with a sticky note attached to the side. The cup was not the cheap styrofoam from the break room, instead the cardboard had elegantly swirly floral patterns, it must have been from a cafe. 

Peeling the note off it read,

‘Won’t be in, Have a great night (y/n) -Toshi’

Although you were a little disheartened at the fact your…friend would not be accompanying you tonight, the fact that he bought you a coffee sent your heart doubling in beats. As the sweet foamed top hit your lips you could not help but acknowledge the fact that Toshinori was truly a charming man. You’d have to thank him for this sometime. 

It was an odd morning, the agency had decided to schedule you for night patrol as opposed to your normal daytime route. Being at the office within its peak business rush felt nauseating, you could handle the crowded streets at the crosswalks, reporters, and flocks of fans but the overcrowded elevators and lines out the door to reach the front desk had your heart palpitating. 

Typically when walking in you’d be suited up, as you’d just finished patrolling, and any left over crowds would part like Moses to the sea for you. However as a regular appearing worker you were just another person clogging the flow. All you had to do was make it to your office then things would be normal again, or so you thought. Finally maneuvering out from the crowd you found relief at last. Sitting down with a huff at your swivel chair and opening the encrypted browser it hit you, what were you supposed to do? Typically in office you’d be filling reports from the patrol but seeing as though your schedule was flipped left you scrambling to fill time. You never thought you’d be cursing yourself for staying up to date on reports until now. The only thing to do was read through your emails and hopefully, well maybe not hopefully, get called out to the field early. 

Your jaw nearly fell to the floor when opening your email. The glowing red notification bell chimed and a triple digit number filled the box. Closing the tab and reopening it you find that it was in fact not a glitch, that number was real. Scrolling through the unread emails your mind began fizzling with both pure excitement and dread. From cute to weird, hundreds of new and old fans congratulated you on your recent arrest. Even some lesser known newspaper outlets and beginner journalists had sent emails asking for interviews. 

An email that stood out and had you grinning from ear to ear was from a mother and son. She said that her little boy had a quirk similar to yours and that he had ‘fallen in love’ with you. Attached was a video of him. His vibrant blond hair had been styled into an outlandishly tall spike atop his head, dazzling green eyes stared up into the camera. He could be no older than eleven.

“You’re the coolest hero ever, Siren! I want to be a hero just like you! YEEEAAAHHH” He held out a peace sign as his vocal quirk activated causing the camera to shake and wobble. Laughing and being sure to save the video onto your desktop you made a mental note to send a video response encouraging the boy once you were suited up.

Of course a few bad apples left you feeling a bit grossed out with their overly sexual comments, which were promptly blocked, yet your chest swelled with pride and devotion. With the first couple dozen email replies you tried to take time to appreciate their support. However as your finger typed then deleted and retyped again you felt at a loss for words. Staring at the bouncing line waiting for your text you felt restless. Yes, of course you wanted to pour your heart out to each and every one of them but the sheer number had you overwhelmed  and flustered. Already sending over two hundred emails you eyed the clock and sighed with relief, it’s almost lunch time. Before you could look back down your eyes did a double take outside the sliver of a window was a towering figure walking. Quickly sliding out from behind your desk you dashed to the door and pulled it open, managed to catch the backside of the slender built man.

Were you really about to chase after him?

With feet thudding against the carpeted floor, not quite running but fast enough to try and catch up, you tailed after him. 

Yes, yes you were.

Rounding the corner you felt like an ant as you were met with a bustling swarm of people, the room was ariot of voices all merging together to create a hive minded roar. Peering over their heads on your tippy toes you finally spotted your target. Thankfully he towered over the average person. You’d have to ask him exactly how tall he was, for now you needed to sift through the hoard to even talk to him. 

“Excuse me” “Pardon” “Just trying to squeeze by” “Sorry”

“(Y/n)?” Stopping your struggle, you stopped dead in your tracks, finally, Toshinori stood a few feet away. Confusion clearly read across his face. 

“Toshi!” You called, waving a hand out. Somehow the man was able to cut through the winding lanes of traffic with ease and soon he stood before you in silence, an eyebrow raised but a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Realizing he was waiting for an explanation as to why you had followed him your mind short circuited and snapped back to reality. Why exactly did you race after him again?

“I, uh, wanted to thank you for the coffee last night, that was really nice of you.” You felt like a bashful schoolgirl, a deer caught in the headlights, so shy and exposed. Even with your half thought out reasoning his hinted smile blossomed into a full teeth flaunting grin. A bony hand coming up to comb the spiked hair at his nape, a nervous habit he had yet to nix.

“It was no problem at all, really.” A moment of silence passed the two of you once again locked in a stalemate of bashful eye contact. Thinking on your feet an idea popped into your head.

“Would you like to grab some with me?” The tips of Toshinori’s ears and apples of his cheeks felt hot as a rush of blush spread over them. His ears heard the words yet his poor brain failed to understand their meaning, over analyzing and exaggerating the situation. Surely you weren’t asking him on a date, no, this was simply just to return his kindness. Not that he’d mind if it was, but if it was then wh-

“If you’re free, that is, I’m pretty much done with everything for now” You lied. Truth be told you desperately needed out of that office for if you read one more email your corneas would combust. Feeling rather awkward at his growing silence, your brain scrambled to make light of the situation. Knocked out of his own spiraling mind he regained his composure.

“Yeah sure, I was actually on my way out now.” He was not lying completely. His full truth was that he’d been on his way to get some much needed rest, he had been up all night tracking down a potential lead. Hurried and ready to return to his bed before exhaustion had him passing out on the way, he felt a second wind at your offer. Suddenly awake and well aware of his surroundings. “Where would you like to go?” 

Your own mind pondered the depth of your offer. Did you just ask him on a date? Not necessarily, however if he wanted to think of it as one you were not opposed.

“I know a place.” 

The walk was brief, just had to cross a few streets over. However, the violent whip of wind against your bodies had both of you shivering. Hastily trying to telepathically speed up the timer of the cross walk. Looking over to Toshinori you took pity on the thin male. His thin long nose was beat red and face pale aside from his cheeks which looked almost frostbitten. His hands rubbed together to try and generate some form of warmth. Shivers racked through his body, his coat and long-sleeved shirt did nothing to protect him from the unfortunate cold front that had swept through Japan. At any moment you expected him to sprout icicles. Winter was approaching with a vengeance. As an avid weather watcher you had been more than prepared for the front. With your winter coat, thick knit sweater and scarf you were faring much better. Just as another blast of wind threatened to reap the blonde's soul, a weight wrapped itself around his neck. Instantly warmth surrounded his frozen skin.

“Here, you look frozen solid” Looking down to you he watched as you stood on your tippy toes. Hands outstretched as you wrapped your scarf around him. A tender smile, the softness in your eyes coupled with the gesture had him astonished. You were so close. Bringing his own hands up he held the fabric, running his fingertips along the crocheted yarn. He felt his face warm up and not just from the scarf. He’s certain that if it wasn’t for the blood already pooling in his chilled skin he’d rival a tomato.

“Thank you (y/n)” You did not reply, instead you gave him a simple nod of reassurance. Your own cheeks turn a shade of crimson, surely just due to the cold. The signal at last changed and the couple briskly walked the last stretch.

A ‘place’ being a hole in the wall cafe located a few blocks away from the tower. Yagi never had a chance to frequent this shop as every time he was out and about it was either far too early or late and the cafe was closed. That or he was in a rush to get somewhere. Either way he just never could find the time. For you, this cafe was a home away from home. A place where you break your couple hour fast, also known as sleeping, from caffeine first thing in the morning. 

Even though the staff only recognized you as Siren walking through the chiming door frame and having the delicious smell of black coffee with a hint of cigarette smoke still felt nostalgic.

“What can I get started for you?” The larger women behind the counter typically automatically rang up your order however, In civilian clothes and with a man you were unrecognizable. Though rough around the edges she was truly excellent at her craft. 

“Good afternoon, I’ll have a medium brown sugar espresso please.” You started, glancing over at Toshinori awaiting his order. He bit lightly at the inside of his lip while scanning the menu. Truth be told he had no idea what he was looking at. Before meeting you he was always more of a tea drinker. Very few times had he dabbled in the world of coffee. The one he bought for you yesterday was a shot in the dark, completely at the barista's discretion. 

“I’ll have the same.” You smiled up at him, you did not expect him to copy your order. You found it oddly adorable.

“Never hurts to try new things.” He sheepishly smiled back at you, the irony to be saying that over coffee given the recent enlightenment of feelings felt rather silly. Hopefully you hadn’t picked up on his hidden innuendo. However, the light blush on your cheeks and the way you quickly looked away in search of a table suggested otherwise. Picking a cozy table beside the window you attempted to calm your raging emotions. A light coating of frost coated the window, it was snowing. Taking a seat across from you, his long arms resting atop the table folding in on the other. His eyes scan the retro decor, taking everything in him not to stare at the women before him. The faint smell of your perfume and body wash wafted into his nose thanks to the scarf, which he found so fitting for you. Warm and inviting, cozy, he could drown in it. Allowing himself to steal a glance over to you, your eyes watched the small tv in the corner of the cafe. The older flatscreen showed one of the many local news channels.

Broadcasting was an overview of this week's crime report, “Several arrests have been made following the take down of a local drug trading ring at the hands of newcomer hero Siren. It is believed to be linked to a much larger operation; the case is currently still under police investigation.” 

He saw the way your lips curled in a proud and determined grin as the reporter spoke of your accomplishment. His own mind felt the same. He had taken down thousands of villains yet the satisfaction of it never dulled. Seeing his fellow heroes succeed in chipping away at the tyranny of evil always made his chest swell with pride.

“She did an amazing job.” He stated, distracting you from the casting. Keeping your composure as to not give anything away you nodded in agreement. Even if he was complimenting you without realizing it you felt your heart hammering against your chest and suppressed giddiness bubbling. 

A call of your name signaled your order was ready. Taking the coffees in hand you passed one to Toshi. He eyed it before taking a small sip.

“This is delicious!” He proclaimed, taking another gulp from the cup. Those few times he did try coffee had been less than pleasurable, even with the occasional splash of creamer. However, the lack of nose scrunching bitterness combined with the silky-smooth foam top had his mind soaring. You couldn’t help but giggle at the newly formed foam mustache that sat atop his thin lip. Subconsciously you had grabbed a napkin and began wiping it away. Upon realizing you had crudely invaded his personal space you quickly pulled your hand back.

“Sorry!” 

Toshi once again felt heated, he could not catch a break from being flustered. He had not been touched by a woman in… He was vastly unprepared, almost intimidated at the intimacy. Your touch was tender and gentle against him. A sputtering cough wrecked through his body. Taking a napkin of his own he coughed into it for a few seconds before finishing wiping it away. 

“No no, thank you. I didn’t even realize I’d made a mess.” He tried to sound confident,  You responded with a nervous laugh, trying to push your own embarrassment aside. 

“Ever considered growing a mustache?” He joined in your laughter. The sound of his lower baritone voice mingling with your higher pitch was music to your ears. 

“Definitely not my style.” His style in question seemed to only consist of wearing clothing far too large for him and allowing his spiked blonde hair to go wild, yet somehow you still found it alluring. In its own messy Toshinori way.

“So” You paused, contemplating your next move. You’d never asked personal questions throughout all the endless nights of paperwork, keeping everything somewhat professional and surface level. Weather, the local news, or how the damned coffee maker in the breakroom sometimes spit grounds in the bottom of the pot. However, with the ever-growing flame between you two it only felt right to dig a little deeper now out of the confines of the office walls. His thin eyebrow rose, and his head tilted to the side. Stirring the contents of your own coffee cup you thought of a couple questions, again, nothing too deep yet nothing superficial. 

“Do you have a quirk?” He sighed; a shot of fear ran down your spine. Had you crossed a line? Was that too personal? It seemed pretty standard in modern society to ask w-

“Unfortunately, no, I don't. Back then when I was younger it was a lot more common than it is today.” Once again, he found himself dancing around the truth. It was not a complete lie per se. “What about you?”  Curious as to if you’d also white lie.

“Yes but, it’s really nothing to write home about.” Knowing that you wanted to keep your identity as Siren a secret he should not have pressed it any further, but his curiosity as to where you’d take the conversation compelled him to.

“What is it? Can I see?” 

“Haha, you do know it’s illegal to use a quirk without a license.” Easy cop out, a way to evade his question without seeming suspicious. Smart.

“Alright alright, you got me there. What made you want to start working at the agency?” 

“Helping people has always been a passion of mine, whether that meant becoming a hero or filling the paperwork. I’ve always been willing to do whatever it takes to protect those around me.”  Another well worded reply as to not give away your true profession, Toshinori again felt a ping of pride radiate in his chest. Being a hero, he knew you had to be at least a little selfless but hearing the determination in your words and the glimmer in your eyes solidified that suspicion.

“I feel the same way. After all these years I’ve put into the office my biggest driving factor is that I'm helping others.” 

The two heroes sat together until both cups were empty. Throwing away the now empty containers they began the trek back to the agency. This time you did not mind the push of the wind as it forced your bodies closer. You were so close, if he had the moxy he could reach out and hold your hand. It taunted him, every gust of strong air brought it closer and closer. Maybe if he was in his mighty form he would. But as Yagi Toshinori he felt far too shy. Part of you purposefully baited him, yet he did not take it. 

‘interesting’ 

The days melted together as the weeks slowly ticked by. Your conjoined nightly routine meant the blond was starting to become a regular fixture in your life, not that you minded one bit. His company was always welcomed after a stressfully long patrol; it felt rejuvenating to sit down and relax while wrapping up the daily reports with him. He in turn felt the same. Of course it could not be every night but on the ones it was, both heroes felt the sparks of their blooming relationship burn. 

That was until Thursday, the fourth day in a row of an empty office. It wasn’t uncommon for heroes to be out of the office for a few days, however he knew that you were not on any missions as he hadn’t assigned any. This worried him, had something happened? Initially he thought you were out on patrols, perhaps you had shifted to the night crew permanently. Looking at the schedule it was clear that was not the case. Did he scare you away at the coffee shop? He thought it had gone well, great even. Upon checking your profile he found his answer. 

‘Injured in Recover. One week suspension’.  

You’d been hurt fighting a group of thugs, not severely but enough to put you out of commission for a week. Yagi felt an immeasurable amount of guilt, seeing his fellow hero’s hurt always lit a fire inside him but you being hurt unleashed a whole new array of emotions. 

‘But why? Why do I feel like this?’

Why did this make his hands shake and his emotions run rampant? Yes, he considered you were his friend by now, but he’d never felt this way. So raw, so charged, possessive even. 

It scared him.

Monday was when he finally saw you again. It had been eight days since your injury, and you were finally cleared to come back to work. 

When he initially recognized that it was you walking down the hallway a large smile graced his lips, ready to give you a warm hello. However, the way your head hung low and the bend in your posture caused it to slip away. You did not acknowledge him, you never even glanced up, instead you beelined it down the hall and made a swift turn towards your office; the door slamming shut behind you. This did nothing to quail his raging emotions, in fact it just added fuel to the inferno. He could practically feel the sadness radiating off of you. But he remained hopeful, perhaps you had a bad morning.

It was still early in the day, maybe he’d see you in the break room later gathering your usual coffee. It was not to be. He could however hear the buzz of chatter in the room. The way people openly discussed their theories on what happened to you. From an abusive relationship to villian attacks, the rumors spread like wildfire. His fist grew tight as he left the breakroom, having heard enough. He’d have to send a mass email to his department heads about workplace drama. This was absolutely unacceptable behavior.

He understood the embarrassment that came from being hurt better than anyone, as a hero you're supposed to be ‘invincible’, like nothing could possibly hurt you, yet it happened. It happened to him and he was undeniably the strongest hero of them all.

It had only been one year since his injury first occurred and all he ever wanted was for people to stop looking at him with pity, stop coddling him, stop bringing it up and just let him move on. So that’s what he intended to do with you.

 As the clock struck midnight he had yet to see you emerge from your office, the only indicator that you were inside was the sliver of light escaping from under the door. The small window had been drawn closed. As he rounded the corner to check once more the sound of violins and symphony caught his attention. Only loud enough to escape under the door it still caught his attention.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked. Receiving no answer he contemplated leaving, giving you the space you seemed to demand. But, the pit in his stomach demanded to at least check on you. He had to, needed to know if you were okay. He knocked again.

“(y/n)? It’s Toshi.” The music stopped. His breath caught in the back of his throat, until finally the door opened. Standing in the half-cracked entryway you finally made eye contact with him. Finally seeing you face to face again he felt fury flow through his veins. Your lip was bruised a deep purple and split down the side, your cheek did not fare much better matching in shade and your once vibrant eyes seemed dull and puffy. He’d both seen and had worse but seeing those marks on you made his heart sink and hands wad up in a white knuckles fist. He released the stuck air, reminding himself of what he would want in this situation and pushed his concern down “Mind if I join you?”

When you first heard the knock on the door you wanted to ignore it, let whoever was there to piss off, for surely it was another coworker asking questions about your injuries. All day that’s all you heard, whispers and talks about your appearance. If you saw another pamphlet from the local health department on domestic abuse slid under your door you would actually have a meltdown. It was demoralizing and utterly humiliating. You are a hero; you're not supposed to be so weak. Your whole job is to protect the weak. 

However, hearing Toshinori call from the other side made the once dampened spark of happiness light up inside you. Testing the waters to gauge his reaction you opened the door. Seeing him have little to no facial reaction and hearing his question made your tense posture slightly relax. He simply wanted to work with you again.

You opened the door wider for him to step in, like all the times before he sat his laptop across from yours and sat oppositely. You slowly took your usual seat body tense. He noticed the way you flinched when bending to sit, you must be bruised elsewhere as well. Instead of bringing up his concerns he chose to ask something else.

“Could you turn the music back on? It sounded nice.” Your eyebrows raised, looking at him for a second before hitting the play button on your phone. Music filled the quiet room. A soft solo with supporting instruments brought a sense of serenity to the air, melting away the thick tension. Toshinori had hoped to hear you hum to the beat, though unfortunately you did not. Truth be told he just wanted to hear your voice, you had yet to say anything to him. However, he did not want to push for anything more, you were clearly under a lot of emotional conflict and stress. He was simply happy to see you again.

Instead, he allowed the swell and flow of the music to fill his mind.

Your throat felt unbearably dry, definitely an improvement from last week but still the burning sensation had you reaching into your desk drawer for another cough drop. Toshinori couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering down at the contents, lozenges, throat sprays, syrups and tea packets overflowed the wooden drawer. Glancing over to the wastebasket, it was filled with handfuls of wrappers, a few used tea bags and crumpled pamphlets.

You caught his eyes, the way they glanced between the drawer, the trash and finally to yourself. Yet, he did not say anything. As if having enough over the counter numbing spray to stock a pharmacy was normal. You squinted at him, analyzing, searching for a reaction to which there was none. Taking a small sticky note out of your pocket you quickly scribbled a message down and slid it over to his side of the desk. 

Looking down at the note Yagi smiled.

‘The name of the song is A time for us - Nina Rota’

Taking his pen he wrote his response and passed it back.

‘The violin solo was pretty. What is the name of the other instrument?’

‘It’s an oboe, a double reeded woodwind instrument.’

He had never heard of such an instrument. The night was spent filing paperwork and passing notes recapping each song that played. A pile of sticky notes now collected on each side. He never questioned aloud your use of notes instead of actual spoken conversation, he was smart enough to put the pieces together. A vocal quirk and that amount of medication must have meant overuse of it results in lack or hindrance in speech. 

Your final report was sent, and with that your last sticky note was sent his way. A small blush dusted your cheeks as you pushed it into his awaiting hand.

‘Walk me home?’ 

After reading the note a large genuine smile stretched up to his hallowed cheek bones. In that moment time felt as though it slowed down, just for a few seconds. With the lack of collagen and much body fat he’d seem somewhat unappealing to some, however taking a genuine look at the man before you, things started popping out like they never had before. The way his messy blond hair framed his prominent sunken cheekbones, you subconsciously wondered if it was as soft as it looked. How deep his cerulean eyes truly went, so much admiration and kindness swam within them as he looked down at you, they almost appeared to be glowing. Did he look at all his friends like this? The note being slid back broke your daze.

‘I’d love to’ You could not help the explosion of blush that spanned from your cheeks to your neck. Quickly gathering your items, you tried to hide from the blond. What has gotten into you? What had provoked such intimate thoughts?

Were you…

Developing a crush?

Nonsense, Toshinori was simply a friend of yours. A friend that you enjoyed spending time with, a friend that did not judge you, a friend that had your palms feeling sweaty and your head airy with just a smile. A friend that you had just wondered if their hair was soft or if they looked at you in a special way… Yeah, just a friend.

Your body betrayed your mind on the walk back to your house. Just like at the coffee shop you found yourself standing closer than usual, absentmindedly seeking him out. Never close enough to accidentally touch, but if either of you wanted to you could easily reach out. Almost but not quite. If he noticed he said nothing, allowing you to walk as close or as far as you wanted.

 When the walk came to a close and he turned to leave, you could not help but reach for him. Toshinori was shocked, your hand was gripping his white sleeve. Unsure of what to say he turned back to face you, head leaned slightly down to study your expression. Wanting to question if you were alright, if there was something wrong, however the words never came to fruition. Eyes locked together in a silent stalemate you felt alive, energetic even, in a bold and impulsive  move you sent yourself forward. Arms outstretched, to embrace the lean man with your head crashing against his chest.

Body overcoming the mind. 

Time felt stagnant in that moment, despite his initial shock his own body took charge, as his longer arms fell around your waist bringing you closer. Craning his neck down to rest atop your head to fully envelope you. He reciprocated the physical affection full heartedly. The scent of your perfume and shampoo nuzzling his senses once again. Oh how he had missed it, the scarf you lent him weeks ago had long since lost the scent. The softness of your hair, the way you fit so perfectly against him, and the overwhelming sense of tranquility was intoxicating.

Hugs did not have to be inherently romantic, as he hugged his adoring fans frequently but this time it felt different. Intimate. Harmonious.

The two remained silent, reveling in the warmth that grew between your met bodies. Emotions ran rampant yet neither felt embarrassed.  

Lifting your heads, eyes again looked into each other, the emotional doors were clearly open for the other to see. Longing, want, and adoration swam in both sets. The distance between slowly decreased, eyes still open, never detaching. No thoughts, only actions.

You both wanted more, to stand with the other a little longer, to allow the space between to completely close. However a buzz from his phone signaled the moment was over. Realizing the situation you both pulled away, faces a glaze and radiating heat. Neither one made apologies, however the air felt bogged down with words unspoken. Closing his eyes he sighed. Relaxing a bit before opening them again he looked back down to you with a smile, cheeks still rosy.

“Goodnight (y/n)” 

“Goodnight Toshi.” Returning the grin you turned on your heels and headed up the driveway. The same guilty feeling from the first night returned. 

Your relationship had changed forever that night.

Was this a good change? You were not sure, but one thing was for certain,  it felt right and You wanted more. Of all the people that bowed at your feet, drooled at your magazine covers and begged for your affection, the one that managed to catch your attention was a quiet man shrouded in mystery and clothing three times his size from the office. 

‘What the hell am I getting myself into?’

That night Toshinori sat atop a roof, peering over the city. He should’ve called it a night long ago however, his mind was in disarray with thoughts. 

‘What am I doing with her?’ 

All the hours of sitting inside your office he had convinced himself he purly wanted a friendship. Just someone to occasionally talk with to quench his selfish need for human interaction. All these feelings were out of concern for a friend, simply being nice. However after tonight his resolve was faltering. Maybe the hug was out of solace, a way for you to find comfort after a rough week. Possibly. However the more he reminisced on his own feelings and the way you looked at him had that solution increasingly incorrect. He recognized the eyes of someone enamored, people looked to him with such eyes daily in his Mighty form daily but, never as his weak regular self. 

The feelings he had not even realized he suppressed bursted out of him. He could deny them no longer. He wanted to be more than a friend with you. But, could he allow himself that? Could he really go through with this? 

Back on patrol you finally felt like your old self again, fully healed and ready to be back in on the action. Taking the information you had gathered from the thugs you set your sights on getting to the bottom of this rabbit hole. The men were simple guards, goons, middle of the food chain. What you wanted was their employer, the top. Based on the information they’d spilled and the matching tattoos on their bodies you were clearly dealing with a deep rooted ring. Well-established and on the rise if they could afford to hire people with half decent quirks and fighting skills. Not to mention this would be the third established branch you’d snuffed out. One man kept mentioning an abandoned building, that must’ve been their headquarters, with a distinctive graffitied symbol the same as their tattoos on the door. Walking down the damp alleyways closer to where you apprehended the suspects you stuck close to the walls and quieted your footsteps. Scoping out the building you find five men standing post outside. 

‘Must’ve stirred the hornet's nest’ you thought. This could be difficult. You had to be strategic about this, fighting five on one was not optimal. As a licensed hero you could not engage unless they were actively committing a crime. Just had to find evidence of illegal activity and another way in. A broken window on the second floor gave you an opening.

Controlling the frequency of your voice you produced an infrasonic sound wave to propel you onto a nearby building. The pitch was far too low for the natural human ear to pick up. Latching onto the wall you waited for the men to turn their backs, just for a second then strategically propelled yourself again, gliding through the air, you aimed yourself for the window. Successfully landing within the confines of the building with a light thud. Sweeping a look at your surroundings you analyzed the situation, luckily no one was on the floor. Hearing loud thumps race up the stairwell you darted out of sight.

“I heard something. Didn’t you?” Two more men emerged, taking a quick profile of them. You determined one was young, far too young to be in a place like this, while the other was far older, perhaps a mentor of some kind. You calmed yourself, huddling closer to the stacks of boxes you took shelter behind.

“Stupid boy, there is nothing here.” The older man swung on the boy, a solid smack to the back of his head had him stumbling forward. Landing right beside your hiding place his face lifted from the creaking wood floor. For a brief second the two of you made eye contact. Wild eyes widening in fear and mouth agape ready to scream you thought on your feet. Breathed in, focusing on the boy you whispered a command.

“Quietly leave” 

The sound waves penetrated his ears as it was made only for them. His mouth shut and eyes glazed over devoid of emotion. In a fugue state he stood up, turned to the older man without acknowledgment and began walking back down the stairs. 

This was your special move, how you got the name Siren in the first place. ‘The command’ as you dubbed it could only be heard by its intended target as you directed the waves directly through their canals forcing their eardrums to verberate. As long as the frequency of the pitch was just right and the subject could understand your words their mind felt compelled to follow. A hypnotized state. Your ultimate trump card to get out of any sticky situation. Though you always paid the price with each use. Your throat felt raw and scratchy. Sighing you pulled out a small bottle of spray from your utility pouch and coated your throat. The medication managed to subdue the burn for now.

Moving down the stairs, the room before you confirmed the suspicion. Tables piled high with stacks of wrapped substances, presumably drugs, with several men including the two from before taking from the stacks to packaging them into small shipping containers and stacking them onto a pallet. Several guards watching the men work, occasional barking orders with threats of punishment should they not comply.

You had to find a way to take them out without destroying too much of the evidence. With the state of your throat it wouldn’t be possible to unleash a full screech without ending up like last time. Knowing this could get sticky you clicked the side of your ear piece. A signal was sent out to other members of the agency. 

All Might’s phone buzzed, looking down to the small device his thick eyebrows furrowed, causing deep creases to shadow over his gaze. 

‘Siren - Stand By - Location Attached. Video Attached’

This was a non-emergency broadcast, a precaution set in place as a ‘just in case’. It was not uncommon for his contracted heroes to send signals like this, in fact it was promoted, should the situation get out of hand back up already had been alerted. However, seeing the signal from you put a bad taste in his mouth. His intuition bell rang. All complicated feelings aside, given your recent accident and being fresh off of recovery, he chose to make his way over.

He’s thankful he did.

The dilapidated building arose with commotion, bursts of flames spewed from the doorway and thunderous yells echoed into the alleyway. Bullets flew freely and ricocheted off the brick.

Unfortunately, you had only managed to take out four guards before being spotted, the ensuing firefight had you pinned against a wall for cover. The workers with heads ducked down and looks of pure terror had scrambled to escape once the battle began. The last guard inside possessed a pyro quirk. His haphazardly thrown fireballs had the shabby wooden wall you hid behind beginning to crumble. Seeing as though most of the evidence was burning to ashes a sound wave could help extinguish and knock out the man. Just had to time it in between attacks and be wary not to over do it again.

Capering out from behind the wall you took in a deep gulp of air, full of ash from the fire the air burned your lungs. Your mouth opened, and a haunting screech howled through the air. The fires extinguished and the man was sent flying through the front door. 

Still cautious of the guards outside you carefully peaked around the doorframe, only to find all five bound together. The man who you’d successfully blasted lay in a groaning heap before them. His head surly buzzed as earrings rang. Stepping outside, the sun had begun dipping below the towering building painting the sky a muted marmalade. Sweeping the area your breath caught in the back of your throat in a gasp despite the ever-growing pain.

All Might stood before you, his smile wide across his chiseled face as he tied the final knot around the men.  The remaining sunlight streaked out from the space between buildings painting the already vibrant man in a brilliance of light. “I’ve dispatched these evil doers. How many more are inside?”

In all the months you had been working at his agency you had yet to meet the man himself. To finally meet him in response to your direct signal had you giddy and awe-inspired. All Might rose to fame while you were in your late teens. You had watched him even in his early days in America as he swiftly became the world's number one hero. A true hero. Your hero. He was who pushed you to try harder in your early years. Through the toughest courses as UA to the years of side kicking he made you truly strive for the top. To push yourself above and beyond ‘Plus Ultra’! 

“All men inside are taken care of” Pushing past the burn in your throat you swallowed back your saliva and mustered a reply through strained vocal cords. 

“Great work Siren! I’ve already alerted the authorities. They should be here soon.” Together the two of you drug out the rest of the thugs from inside. 

Paparazzi, reporters and fans gathered at the alleyway entrance, curious to get a glimpse of the action. With any heroic arrest or commotion they flocked. However, with All Might making an appearance they came in droves. A police barricade pushed the swarm back however sooner or later you’d have to entertain them. 

A million cameras flashed and a thousand questions asked as the two heroes stood together taking the brunt of the media assault. Both you and All Might gave short brief answers to the first few questions until a woman holding a giant lensed camera pushed herself to the front announcing she was from The Musutaful Times, the most prestigious paper around, and would like a photo. 

“Of course!” Before you could think, All Might's muscular arm draped around your shoulders and pulled you against his hulking body. His smile widened and his opposite hand's thumb stuck out. He stole a glance down at you, through your mask you looked at him. Seering cerulean blue locked onto you, even with the barrier it felt as though he could look through it. The moment lasted less than a second, yet it sent a shiver down your spine with a heatwave of blush rushing across your cheeks. A lopsided smile stretched across your own face as the camera flashed. 

In the blinding blitz of it all you had failed to realize the fire-quirked villain had burned through his rope restraints. The rest of his gang had already been loaded up into cars leaving him the last one standing.

“You’ve ruined everything!” In a fit of retaliation, he summoned a blazing ball of fire and launched it directly at you. Quick on your feet you attempted to dodge the attack aimed at your head, however the smoldering projectile managed to graze over your face. Scorching your mask. Shaking off the initial attack you readied yourself to attack. A loud smash and burst of dusty air signaled the fight was once again over. All Might had stopped it, but what he could not stop was the flash of the cameras and the shocked gasps from the crowd as your mask fell into melted pieces. Your face was on full display. Horrified you backed away, terrified of the once adoring crowd. 

“Come on” Strong arms grabbed you from behind. In an instant the ground fell away and became distant.

[graciereadshannigram]

hey fam, welcome to the March roundup of the best hannigram fics i've read this past month! i read close to 60 fics total, and these were the cream of the crop.

as a reminder: the ingredients for a five star rating typically (but not always!!) include some combination of a.) believable characterizations of both Hannibal and Will, b.) compelling plot and/or character arcs, and c.) high quality smut.

that being said, my judgment of the aforementioned ingredients is powered almost exclusively by vibes and as such, is incredibly subjective.

and if you have any recs of your own for me, PLEASE SHARE.

(Inaugural roundup can be found here)

anyway, in no particular order, let's go!

~

Title: Bones of My Bones (& Flesh of My Flesh) by everyday_forever Word Count: 15,759 Summary: When Will & Hannibal reunite in Italy at last, Will doesn't fear becoming Hannibal. He knows he already is Hannibal. However, Will feels as if he's a derivative of Hannibal, made in Hannibal's image, from Hannibal's own raw material. He doesn't feel like he's Hannibal's natural equal. Will thinks the only way he can forgive Hannibal is by claiming a piece of Hannibal in return, and choosing to make it a part of himself. He has to eat him. And Hannibal is all to happy to let him.

As far as I'm concerned, this IS canon. Truly some of the best canon-compliant characterizations of them that I've read. This is absolutely what would have happened if Will hadn't tried to kill Hannibal after leaving the Uffizi Gallery. It was perfect. And so them. And obviously, mutual cannibalism. *chefs kiss*

Title: Do you feel the hunger, does it howl inside? by merrythoughts and ReallyMissCoffee Word Count: 261,929 Summary: It's been weeks since the Fall. Since Will had leaned against him, the wild scent of blood thick and cloying on the air, and had taken them from the top of the cliffs. And for every second of every day since, Hannibal has been calmly dealing with the fallout of his decision that night: Life over death. Will had intended them to die, had allowed himself a moment of weakness, of desperation. Perhaps the last act of an exhausted soul. Yet Hannibal had denied him.

I am being dead serious when I say that this fic changed my brain chemistry and managed to do something that several years of therapy had not. I wanted this to go on forever (there IS a sequel!) and did my very best to savor it instead of plowing through the entire thing in a single day. Check the author notes if you're unfamiliar with these two writers–the format took me a couple chapters to get used to, but clearly it wasn't a big deal for me.

Title: Sensational by bigfootghostdick Word Count: 39,607 Summary: Franklyn’s obsession with Hannibal Lecter truly knows no bounds. His obsession only grows worse after being fired as Dr.Lecter’s patient. Feeling slighted by Hannibal's rejection, Franklyn follows him home one evening only to stumble upon something that he never expected to see. Who’s that dark-haired man locking lips with Hannibal right outside his front door? Overcome with jealousy, Franklyn decides to seek revenge on his tenth psychiatrist. How? By selling the photos he took of them to Freddie Lounds.

Listen. I love a good jealous!Franklyn, especially when Hanni and Will firmly put him in his place. Sue me.

Title: The Stress-Sex Connection by shotgun_sinner Word Count: 48,090 Summary: When Will gets out of the BSHCI, he resumes therapy with Hannibal Lecter. His stress levels are through the roof, and Hannibal makes an offer that Will doesn't turn down. Hannibal assumes he's going to take Will to bed and make love to a fragile man, shy and delicate. Will enjoys taking Hannibal to bed, and proving him wrong. OR the story where Hannibal is shocked to find out that Will is a profiler in the streets, but a demon in the sheets.

I was sold on the last line of the summary, "Will is a profiler in the streets, but a demon in the sheets" because it actually got a good cackle out of me, and then who would have guessed! Essentially porn with feelings, but I loved.

Title: hold me, kiss me, rip out my tongue by multifandom_fanfic_writer Word Count: 18,005 Summary: Will notices things. He notices a lot of things, can’t turn it off. Some of these things are about Doctor Hannibal Lecter. He watches Hannibal watching him eat. He watches the touch on his elbow lingering, possessive. He watches Hannibal's eyes darken when Will pulls his hair and fucks his throat hard.

Okay, so I'm realizing that a lot of my five star fics this month were pretty smutty, but I make no apologies. That being said, I did find the characterizations of both Will and Hannibal to be very compelling, and it had the added bonus of Will getting to rub it in Alana's face that Hannibal chose him not her.

Title: Ligare by InfiniteCrisis Word Count: 8,280 Summary: Will's never gone down on a man before and is feeling nervous about it. His solution: tie Hannibal up first. Hannibal has no complaints.

Initially shied away from this one because Will essentially drugs Hannibal to knock him out and fuck him for the first time, but I PROMISE Hannibal knew exactly what Will was doing and allowed it. However, if that isn't your thing, this won't be for you.

THAT BEING SAID, my honest reaction after this was, "fuck fuck fuck, dom!Will might be my new favorite." Bonus points for it being the first in a series, and the rest is equally good!

Title: Oboedire, Implorare, Vovere by InfiniteCrisis Word Count: 18,715 Summary: At the end of Ligare, Hannibal said Will should "test" his willingness to submit to him. Will takes him up on that, and the results are more than either of them expected.

As I said, the rest of the series was SO GOOD. This was basically off the charts hot.

Title: To the Devil His Due (His Due is You) by everyday_forever Word Count: 26,3319 Summary: Will Graham is in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, courtesy of one Hannibal Lecter. And Will wants payback. He threatens Hannibal with a reckoning. And then Will has a terrible and wonderful idea- he opts to get back at Hannibal and make him jealous by pursuing a sexual relationship with Dr. Frederick Chilton. Feeling emboldened, Chilton sends the audio recordings of him and Will together to Hannibal to boast of the new development in Will's 'therapy.' Hannibal knows at once Will is the mastermind behind it all. Hannibal is most displeased with his manipulative albeit cunning boy. Chaos ensues. Will continues to manipulate both Chilton and Hannibal in order to make Hannibal jealous. Will has entered into a dance with the Devil after poking Hannibal's beast and Hannibal is eager to teach Will a lesson and remind him who he belongs to...

HEAR ME OUT. Prior to this fic, I had never considered Will/Chilton. Ever. Let alone reading a fic where most of the on paper smut is ChilWill. And yet here we are. Hannibal was just so present through it all, given that Will was only screwing Chilton to get at Hannibal (although, I liked that there was some genuine affection between Chilton and Will, it wasn't completely callous), and it just all combined to be an excellent fic. Sue me.

Title: Trope: Fake Date (Hannigram AU) by TigerPrawn Word Count: 4,207 Summary: Will's possible promotion is relying on his superiors thinking better of him. One way to do that is to take his omega to the upcoming cocktail party. Only problem is, he doesn't have one, having to rely on one sent by an agency. He wasn't quite expecting Doctor Hannibal Lecter.

Fluffy first meeting AU, nothing more nothing less. I just love seeing them happy!! (sometimes, lmao)

~

And that's a wrap on this month! See ya next time!!!

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Don't you think it's funny cause actual canon gay characters in BL manga will say "I love you" but only the shounen bromance can spew out some of the most romantic shit akin to a 19th century poet writing a letter expressing his surpressed love for his lover 😭.....

Genuniely can't tell if it's bait or not, but I'm going to treat this ask seriously anyway.

Here, have some examples of beautiful and poetic expressions of love in BL media!

I'm going to start with my favourite murder husbands, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu from Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers!

This happens in episode nine, less than one third into the story- it's that early, they've known each other for like a week and are already able to tell they're meant to be. They've made their decision to be together, and over the course of the story:

They defend each other multiple times and fight side by side in multiple episodes, sometimes protecting their adopted kid/mentee Chengling as well

Zhou Zishu is willing to go against the whole martial arts society for his boyfriend. With zero hesistation, might I add.

They both know the other has done horrible things (lots of murder on both sides here) and that's not only okay, it's a big part of why they're soulmates and get each other so well!

Zhou Zishu is slowly dying (poisoned nails in his chest, long story) and Wen Kexing can and will risk his life to save him. Don't worry, they get a happy ending both in the show and the novel even if the show's last episode is behind a paywall and Netflix didn't even include it for some reason?

But enough about them, let's move on to the immortal fantasy genre boyfriends Hua Cheng and Xie Lian from Heaven Official's Blessing!

Please note how Hua Cheng is ready to accept Xie Lian in whatever state he's currently in- as a god, a fallen outcast, even grieving and angry and at his absolute lowest. He's stood by Xie Lian in his worst moments, even if at the time Xie Lian had no idea it was him.

Hua Cheng has loved Xie Lian for 800 years, ever since he was a boy Xie Lian saved from falling to his death during a procession.

Xie Lian became a god, then fell due to horrible circumstances, almost committed a war crime against another nation that destroyed his country, spend 800 years wandering the mortal realm as a poor cultivator with his powers greatly reduced, and eventually ascended to become a god again. Throughout it all, Hua Cheng loved him and did his best to help him and then find him.

They're both adorable and the definition of a power couple once they're reunited- no spoilers, but they eventually fight an incredibly powerful god side by side and win & the last scene in the story is them reuniting for good since there's no more obstacles to their immortal love.

Let's move on to my favourite Japanese BL, Our Dining Table (also available as a series that came out semi-recently, but the examples below are from the manga.)

Yutaka is a lonely salesman who meets Minoru, a restaurant worker and his much younger brother Tane grieving the death of their mother.

Yutaka and Minoru hit it off by bonding through food they cook and share. The series is incredibly heartwarming, and as seen above Yutaka becomes a much happier person thanks to both his new relationship and big brother-like bond with little Tane.

As a little bonus, the whole found family together!

This post can't be complete without Golden Stage (or Golden Terrace, as the English official translation calls it).

Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan aren't even in love at this point! This is at the beginning of the story, when their marriage has just been arranged by the emperor and they're still bitter rivals.

Yan Xiaohan is already protective of his future husband- later on, he also builds him a mansion meant to accommodate his disability (nerve damage in both legs, which requires a wheelchair and/or crutches). They're both incredibly powerful military generals, and the emperor was an idiot thinking an arranged marriage would humiliate them.

Of course they fall in love, of course they're a power couple, of course they send each other letters through trained geese when they're separated during the war, of course they run to each other as fast as they can across a wide cold river when they're finally reunited! Of course they're important to me!

....Aaand how about some Wangxian to wrap up this post? They need no introduction, an absolutely wonderful and complex relationship in a complex fantasy/intrigue story available in several forms - the books, the animated series (as seen above), the live action series, the audio drama, there's so much!

Some of their most beautiful moments:

Lan Wangji writing a song for Wei Wuxian and naming it Wangxian. Years after it's composed, Wei Wuxian plays it and LWJ is able to recognise him even in a different body.

LWJ begs WWX to come with him to Cloud Recesses, to safety, after WWX makes himself an enemy of the whole cultivation world for protecting innocent people.

They confront the final villain together, and work together to expose his crimes. This is also when their final love confession happens, and it's hilarious- in front of everyone's salad, WWX declares he also wanted to sleep with LWJ.

Despite censorship, the animated series was still able to allude to their wedding, showing them in red wedding robes (unfortunately can't find a gif rn)

Respectfully, if you genuinely think BL doesn't have beautiful love confessions and displays of romance, you need to find better BL.

[captainamericasmotercycle]

Jake would also be a great fit for the prompt I just sent you, I copy-pasted the prompt from my notes app prompts list and forgot to change the name.

part of my 500 follower celebration!!!

Never Letting Go

pairing: Jake Seresin x fem!reader

warnings: smut, MINORS DNI, 18+, angst, fluff, p in v sex, penetration sex, mentions of money, cowgirl/missionary, jake being in LOVE, me knowing nothing about the military

wc: 1.7k

a/n: ok i had so much fun writing this one so i hope you guys like it!!

prompt: you break up with Jake to try and make sure he doesn’t turn down the dagger squad’s permanent stationing in order to stay with you, and Jake is not having any of that and fucks you so well he shows you just how much he loves you and isn’t letting you go?

absolutely DO NOT steal my work and post it on other platforms. DO NOT feed my work to AI fuck that

You and Jake have been together for almost 2 years. You met in your hometown of Dallas, Texas; you worked in an office in Dallas’s CBD and Jake was stationed just outside of Dallas.

The two of you had run into each other at the grocery store, Jake was fairly new to the area, having grown up in Austin, and he looked a little lost, so feeling pity on him, you decided to help him out. After the long - but not grueling - shopping trip, Jake offered to take you out and of course you accepted.

Ever since then you’ve been attached at the hip. Until now.

Only months ago, Jake was called back to Top Gun for a dangerous, top secret mission. And since his team’s performance during the mission was so high, the squad was offered a permanent spot as a special operations team at Top Gun Academy.

When he told you the news you couldn’t help but be ecstatic for him because you know he’s worked so incredibly hard for this.

You dwelled on the pros and cons of moving to California when you realized that you were only holding Jake back, there was no way that he would go without you but you couldn’t just pick up your entire life and move out to San Diego. I mean you have a job and a life here! Not to mention how expensive Cali is! You just didn’t want him to stay because of you.

There was no way in Hell that you would get between him and his job, so you made the toughest decision, probably of your entire life. You have to break up with him.

You made sure everything was ready by the time he got back to your shared apartment. Dinner was made, the space was cleaned, the table was set, and your head was a mess.

He greeted you with the most loving smile as he walked in the door, which only made a pit form in your stomach. How are you supposed to end things with the person you love most in the world?

Halfway through dinner you decided to start, “Jake, about your job,”

“Yeah, isn’t it amazing, baby?”

“It is so amazing and I am so happy for you because you deserve this more than anyone,” you trailed off and he picked up on your tone.

“But you don’t think I should take the offer?”

“No! No, that’s not it. I think you should take the offer. But I also think we should break up,” you whispered the last part into an almost silent room.

Jake dropped his fork immediately and froze, “Excuse me?”

“I think we should break up. I’m holding you back Jake, I don’t want to get in between you and what you love most,”

“Baby, you are what I love most,”

“Jake, please just listen. I love you so much and you know I only want the absolute best for you. And I think this is the best option for you, for us.”

Jake stood abruptly and paced around the small living room. He didn’t say a word.

“Please say something,” you stood closely behind him.

“We’re not breaking up,”

“You have to take this job, it’s everything you’ve been working up to and I am not going to be the one to hold you back and—“ he cut you off sharply with a kiss and mumbled into your mouth.

“I would never leave you,” he nipped at your jawline and the higher parts of your neck.

This could not be happening right now. This was not how this night was supposed to go, but you couldn’t stop a slight moan escaping from your lips. If you were going to leave him, you felt like you deserved one more time with him.

You pushed him away to hold his face. You looked into his eyes, then found his lips, and kissed them roughly, “Please Jake, I need you, one last time,”

That’s all he needed to hear and he had you in his arms, carrying you to your shared bedroom. He tossed you on the bed, practically ripping his shirt off, he hovered above you, taking your shirt and bra off next.

He sucked on your chest, leaving love bites on the very top of your breasts. “I’m going to fuck you stupid until you get this idea of you holding me back out of your head.”

He moved down to your shorts, pulling them off as quickly as possible, taking your underwear with them.

He kissed the insides of your thighs, making his was up to your core.

He removed his mouth and let two of his fingers press inside of you. He kissed up your stomach as he pumped his fingers deep inside of you and relished in the way you were almost incoherently moaning.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful,” he held down your hips as he began to lightly suck on your clit. You couldn’t help but let out a pornographic moan.

You didn’t mean to feel the need to release so quickly but you couldn’t help it. You wanted every part of him and you didn’t want to leave him.

He quickened his pace causing you to scream out with pleasure. He pulled his fingers from you and sucked your juices off his hand.

He unbuckled his belt and yanked down his pants, pulling out his hard length. He teased your entrance with his cock, slapping the surface lightly. You were almost a whimpering mess underneath him.

He finally pushed into, both of you letting out a long noise of satisfaction. Jake murmured curses of pleasure under his breath and his thrusted into you.

He had you on your back, your legs on either side of him. He pulled your legs to wrap around his waist and thrusted into you harder.

Jake was now leaning completely over you, his hand on either sides of your breasts, him kissing down your neck, and his stupidly hot dog tags dangling over you as you practically screamed out for him.

He pulled back from your neck and started kissing down your chest again, loving the way your boobs moved as he fucked you into the mattress.

Your nails dig into his back as he starts thrusting at a faster pace.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so good for me,” God he may as well just get you pregnant at this point.

You started to feel a build in your stomach, again. You could tell he was close too because his thrusts started to falter.

He began to pull out to cum, when you tugged him closer to you, keeping him inside. He looked at you with a hunger as you both reached your climax, crying out profanities.

He hung his head low until flipping you over until you were sitting on top of him. He pushed himself up the bed, propping himself up, you still on top.

Holding down your hips, a firm grip on them, you began to bounce up and down on his cock. He finally speaks for the first time, rebounding from the babbling mess you had made of him earlier.

“Baby, I’m not leaving you here,”

You wrapped you arms around his neck for a steadier ride. “Jake-“

“I don’t care, I will turn it down,”

“Absolutely not,” you began to bob faster as you got more flustered, “I want you to go, Jake,”

“I want you to go with me, I thought that was a given,”

“But my job, we can’t afford for only one of us to work,”

He moved his hands up and down your torso, grabbing and squeezing at your tits.

“Yes we can, I have a trust fund, I’ll make sure you never work another day in you entire life. I’ll make you my wife so you can live on base. Or we don’t have to live on base, I’ll buy us a mansion and whatever you want in it.”

There was nothing hotter than seeing the man you love offer to take care of you for the rest of your lives. You want to be with him so bad.

You want every part of him. His highs, his lows, his good days, his awful days, you want it all and everything in between.

Hearing him coax you down from the ledge only made you want him more. Pushing you over the edge of another orgasm. He took you lips with his as you finished for the third time, him for the second.

You pulled away off of him and curled up by his side, resting your head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around your body and kissed your forehead gently, “I promise I’ll take care of you, baby. Don’t worry about any of this,”

“I want to go with you, Jake, if you’ll have me,”

“I want you more than anything on this entire planet, and don’t you doubt it for a second that I would never leave you,”

You pressed a chaste kiss to his jawline, whispering close to him, “I love you, Jake.”

He looked down at you with gentlest expression you’ve ever seen and kissed you again, “I love you and I’m never letting you go.”

It was time to start a new chapter with the love of your life, (and Jake was right, he did fuck you stupid until you dropped the idea of you burdening him and holding him back).

[m1ckeyb3rry]

HOW I WOULD’VE WRITTEN YUKIMIYA AND KUNIGAMI

i made a silly post last night about something i would’ve done differently in the neo egoist league and it inspired me to finally make a proper post explaining how i, personally, would’ve written yukimiya and kunigami specifically, given that the both of them are currently suffering from benched-character-syndrome (that’s not a real thing, i just made it up, but i’m sure you all can figure out what it means)

disclaimer before i start: this is MY OPINION and just one way that things could be done differently — i’m not saying that this way is better or worse (on the whole i actually have been enjoying kaneshiro’s decisions so this is definitely not hate), it’s just a different perspective!! i will be cutting many characters in the course of this explanation, including some fan-favorites ones, but don’t take that personally, because for the most part, it doesn’t mean i hate them 😩 in fact i typically like most of them, this is just from a writing perspective ☝🏻

disclaimer two: i am not a professional writer or mangaka or anything — i’m literally typing this while eating a rice bowl at my kitchen counter!! so don’t expect peak fiction and DO expect plenty of typos…i also don’t know how the manga is going to go and this could be rendered completely obsolete (writing this as of chapter 276) in like an arc or so 😓 please don’t come in my notes and call me stupid or say i have zero reading comprehension or whatever other insult you feel inspired to come up with (i know some of y’all like to tussle 😰), put that energy into making your own post or ignoring me or whatever brings you peace and joy 🥰

OKAY now that that’s over with we can finally get started!! LMAO sorry for the lengthy disclaimers i’m scared of some people in fandom tbh because some of the notes i’ve seen on my mutuals’ posts/some of the fandoms i’ve been in in the past…anyways…

@sharkissm here’s the post i promised you!!

YUKIMIYA KENYU

poor yuki…he went from number 5 in blue lock to a literal random in bastard münchen?? okay maybe not quite RANDOM but he’s approaching that status 😓 it feels as though the character he was set up to become in the third selection and u20 arcs is not the same as the character he became in the NEL arc both in terms of worldview and play-style!! so to begin with, i’d make some heavy adjustments to his backstory in order to explain away some of those discrepancies in a more consistent manner

as we know, yuki had a pretty good childhood, all things considered — much more in line with the isagis of the world than, say, bachira, and not to mention kaiser. well, the first thing i’m going to do is take that away from him completely!! instead of having an idyllic childhood where he’s incredibly perfect, i want him to be from a “bad” area of japan. of course, both in real life and in blue lock, japan does not have any crazily horrible terrible areas, but all countries have their sketchier parts, and i want yukimiya to be born in one of those. he lives his childhood as an absolute MENACE and is the kid that adults hate to see coming. his parents work a lot, so as much as they love him and try to raise him as best as they can, they’re not there to correct him 100% of the time, so he kinda just runs roughshod and does whatever the hell he wants. in his light novel, it’s mentioned that he learns to play soccer with this old man and his dog, and i’m actually not going to take that aspect away from him completely because it’s cute, but i will change the context a bit; instead of it being a chance encounter, the old man actually seeks yukimiya out and asks to teach him soccer. maybe his son went down a similar path that yukimiya has begun down and while he can no longer save his son, he at least wants to help yuki out and channel his energy into something more productive, hence soccer!!

after learning soccer from the old man and his dog, yukimiya begins to play it on the streets with some of the other local kids (who are just glad he’s not being a bully anymore and are happy to play along) which is the beginning of the development of his street-style dribbling (in reference to that majestic ass panel of him in the u20 game that was like hardly ever referenced again) as well as his dominance as the one-on-one king. he’s basically undefeatable, and this leads to something of a superiority complex in that he is firmly convinced that he is the protagonist, he is the one that the universe favors, and he absolutely cannot and will not lose and nothing bad can ever happen to him. he continues to be an asshole in general and is still the kind of guy that your parents would tell you to stay the hell away from, however!!

things change when his eyesight starts deteriorating. he goes to the doctor, and that’s when it’s revealed that he has this eye disease (is it even named in canon?? idk i’m just going to call it eye disease) and he might eventually go blind. that night when he leaves the doctor, it’s pretty much in despair, because soccer is the only thing that makes him happy given how miserable his surroundings are (again, there’s obviously many countries and places that have it way worse, but for young yukimiya who is comparing it to the rest of japan, it’s not that great) and he feels like he’ll now be stuck in the same cycle that his parents are caught in. on the way home, he sees one of those religious billboards that’s all like “god will always forgive you” and since he’s at one of the lowest points of his life thus far, he decides that he’s going to become religious because this blindness/disease must be a punishment from god for the things he’s done.

soon after, he’s walking home from school or something random (this is meant to be an extreme coincidence given the situation) and is scouted to be a model. this reaffirms his conviction that his conduct thus far is wrong and that if he ever wants to escape and live the good life that he dreams of, he has to abide by god’s rules and follow his ways. he gets into modeling and makes enough money that he and his family can move to a better part of the country, where he begins to play soccer for his new high school and is quickly recognized for his skill/talent. through this process, he learns how to be incredibly polite, kind, and altruistic, because he’s already been “punished” once and doesn’t want to face it again…he also wants to prove that he is better now and deserves this new life of his as much as if he had born to it + he doesn’t ever want to go back to where he used to be!!

what this backstory change accomplishes: it explains the street soccer panel in a more satisfying way, and it also gives a reason for why yuki is so kind in the 3rd selection/u-20 match and then suddenly becomes incredibly selfish in the NEL — instead of it just being explained away as ego, it shows how blue lock manages to draw out the worst aspects of one’s personality via competition, because yukimiya, who has worked so hard to be good and kind, reverts to his childhood personality almost instantly under isagi’s pressure!! it also explains why yuki’s so quick to just go back to being chill, as he probably feels guilty that he let himself slip like that and doubles down on being a “good person”

now as for the actual games this is where i think i will make the most people mad BUT i would’ve gotten rid of kurona and had yukimiya replace him!! to be honest as much as i do like kurona, he was very very randomly dropped in (i literally thought i had missed the manga panel introducing him because his actual first speaking appearance was so out of the blue) and there were already established characters that could’ve taken that role (ex. yukimiya). i would’ve sent kurona (and honestly probably kiyora) over to barcha because they likely would’ve gotten along well with bachira and otoya plus their passing skills could’ve made barcha a stronger team!! this also serves to isolate isagi more and gives him literally no one but hiori on his side — in this scenario, i want yukimiya to be SO altruistic (as per the backstory change) that he will pass to anyone, just as long as that’s what’s best for the team (the “greater good”). if yukimiya stays the 1v1 emperor, this also adds another dynamic to the kaisagi rivalry as well as possibly adding a ness vs hiori dynamic because that would mean that more often than not, yukimiya would have the ball, and he’s the one who they will rely on to break through the defense before passing to one of the other midfielders (ness, hiori) or going straight to one of the strikers (kaiser, isagi) (yes i know there’s only one striker on a team but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). this version of yukimiya could also have a very interesting dynamic with kaiser as both of them come from somewhat similar backgrounds (obviously kaiser is worse but there are similarities) however kaiser forsakes everyone in order to view himself as a god, or god’s chosen one, whereas yukimiya once believed himself to be that but has now forsaken that aspect of his ego in order to place his beliefs in others and in a higher being. this means kaiser could also be a method of awakening yukimiya (giving him interactions with more of the team than just isagi) where his selfishness makes yukimiya realize that if he wants to survive and continue dominating on the field as the 1v1 emperor, he also has to be a little more selfish (a leader instead of just a follower), allowing him to settle into a blend of his new personality and his childhood one, where he’s still kind and agreeable but also a little bossy and much more assertive/willing to score his own goals even if it’s not necessarily for the greater good 100% of the time

what this new role accomplishes: it allows yukimiya to have much MUCH more play time as he deserves given the hype built up for him during the third selection (he was ranked higher than NAGI, which yes it was in the second selection but second selection nagi was a beast so that says something about yuki for sure [as well as karasu and otoya but we’re not talking about them atm]), it gives us a smaller cast to work with on bm (because at the moment there are just too many blue lockers getting random backstories and doing one thing in a game before ghosting and honestly if all of their individual contributions were consolidated into one character, in this case yukimiya, it would make that one character much stronger as well as taking away the plotsagi accusations as now isagi isn’t the only one consistently doing things in games) and allows us to get much more attached/involved with the stakes of the games, and it gives kaiser dynamics with the rest of bastard münchen instead of just isagi, which fleshes him out a bit more as well

KUNIGAMI RENSUKE

i’m sure this is what most of you are reading for (although i hope you went through the yukimiya part and enjoyed it as well!!) and trust i have come to deliver because i have many thoughts about kunigami…my biggest gripe is that his return from the wildcard was so built up and then the narrative treated it as so utterly unimportant (why do literally none of the characters gaf??? like there were a couple of panels touching on it but nowhere near the significance it shoudl’ve been given) that the readers themselves have zero stakes in it!! like if isagi, who considered kunigami a fairly good friend as far as blue lock goes, barely questions why his friend is so different now, then why should we as readers care either?? now, if/when the wildcard reveals are done, they will MOST LIKELY not have the same impact that they could’ve if kunigami as a character was treated differently in the narrative (again, maybe this will change and there will be something that makes the punch of it still hit just as hard, but as of the moment i’m writing this post, i don’t feel that that will happen)

there’s two routes that i could see kunigami taking, and both of them involve kicking out some fan favorite characters (again) but in the first case it’s only temporary!! i’ll go through the first one and then the second one and cover my ears as the bm fans yell at me for axing kaiser and ness

that’s right, route one involves getting rid of kaiser and (most likely) ness entirely!! i am actually of the firm belief that the ng11s (specifically kaiser and lorenzo) were introduced too early. people legitimately think lorenzo is a bad player just because ubers lost vs bm even though kaiser himself had difficulties when lorenzo was covering him…in my opinion the ng11s should’ve been kept as a mysterious entity whose only representative we see is sae itoshi (for narrative reasons) until the u-20 world cup, where ng11s randomly show up in some of the matches to raise the stakes and allow individual blue lockers to confront their demons/weakness and develop further (for example, in a game against, say, the italian u-20 team, maybe shidou learns how to break through a defensive set up with lorenzo at the center?? and that particular match is the ‘shidou match’ random example because idek if shidou’s built like that but you get the gist). i honestly don’t even mind kaiser being there as much because at least he’s doing stuff and still feels like he’s on another level but lorenzo shouldn’t have been shown until later — anything he does, aiku could’ve accomplished and that also would’ve built the rivalry between him and barou that was hinted at in barou’s ln…but anyways my thoughts on aiku can be a separate post because i have digressed!! back to kunigami

in this version, i want him to be isagi’s main rival instead of kaiser, who’s not here at all. make his new ego so obsessed with scoring goals that he cannot fathom anyone else doing it. whatever wildcard did fucked him up so badly that he is absolutely TERRIFIED of returning, so even if it makes the team lose, even if it makes him an asshole, he will do anything to score and prove himself as “useful” to the team so that, even in the worst-case scenario, he’s the one being chosen instead of anyone else (the way reo was chosen over him). this also creates a much deeper rivalry than just “who gets to be the star of the team” as it’s rooted in kunigami’s insecurity and fear of wtvr the fuck was going on in wildcard. this also builds wildcard up as something much more terrifying than it has been so far in canon, because when you think about it it MUST have been horrible and that’s gone somewhat unacknowledged except for brief hints and glimpses, and it also adds a legal/moral/ethical dilemma — because obviously wildcard WORKS, kunigami is the proof of it (as isagi’s main rival, he’s scoring all of the goals that kaiser did, so he’s obviously eating it up), but is it sustainable?? is it something that they can do en masse?? because there’s no question that it’s destroyed kunigami completely, so is it even worth it?? or is it one of those things that you think is worth it when you start (the way kunigami must’ve) but afterwards you regret entirely??

however, given the importance that kaiser has to the NEL (he’s kind of the face of it to be honest), as well as how many fans he has, i can totally understand leaving him in, so i have another option, which i also really like. in this route, i want to use kunigami to replace ness — which doesn’t make sense at first i know but hear me out!! ness hasn’t contributed enough to the plot (besides his dynamic w kaiser ig) for me to feel bad about kicking him out honestly and that’s one less character on the main cast that we have to care about, allowing for more depth to the characters that DO exist. in this scenario, kaiser’s in a loki-esque situation, where all he needs to get that coveted re al offer is someone with the crazy strength to push through players like lorenzo (we’ve seen kaiser struggling with defense before, and as barou says in second selection, kunigami has the build to hold the ball up at the top of the field)…enter kunigami, who’s very obviously a prime candidate for this, and kaiser POUNCES!! he thinks he’s going to have to convince kuni to take his side instead of isagi’s, but surprisingly, kunigami very readily agrees to it. this is because in this route, kunigami resents the blue lockers, including isagi, because while he was effectively being tortured, they were being lauded with praise and shown on live tv as celebrities and whatnot. they never suffered in the way he did, and although he does believe that wildcard was necessary for him to evolve (not a healthy mindset but the one drilled into him), he still wishes the rest had endured what he did, because it scarred him so much that he almost cannot handle knowing that he went through it alone while the others were enjoying themselves (comparatively)?? so he teams up with kaiser and is actively working against his old friends (for maximum effect add in reminders/callbacks to the team z days to give extra angst to the “betrayal”)…it would also be very fun to juxtapose kunigami’s and kaiser’s backstories here, as kunigami had a good life that was ruined by soccer, whereas kaiser had a shitty life that was saved by soccer, and this could definitely come through in their particular brands of desperation while playing!!

now, there’s plenty of theories floating around that ness will assist isagi in scoring the final point against pxg (now that IGAGURI is in for some reason idk if that’s still a likely outcome but i can def see it happening) however my counter-point is don’t have kunigami assist isagi with the two-gun volley…give that to yukimiya (given he’s a character like i outlined previously) or even hiori, and instead have kunigami pay isagi back for the half of the steak (therefore acknowledging their past and old friendship for the first time since his return) by passing him the ball instead of kaiser, the way everyone expected/was covering for. this allows isagi to still score the final goal against pxg while giving it more of an emotional meaning than just “oh isagi has to win because he’s the main character”

alternatively, if pxg is meant to win, then i would leave the two-gun volley as it is, but i would just make it so that the setup is still kunigami choosing isagi over kaiser and acknowledging their old friendship, and i would make a bigger deal out of the pass since the build up is different!! i also wouldn’t have noa tell kunigami to manmark shidou the entire time…instead i would make kunigami obsessed with shidou in the BEGINNING of the game, but i would have kaiser/isagi/noel noa yell at him for this obsession and remind him that the objective is winning, not revenge, so he’s still active in the game instead of just being stuck on babysitting shidou duty (this role could be given to yukimiya actually, again given that he’s written as i stated previously, as he’s the 1v1 emperor so he has enough of the physicality to accomplish that and keep the ball away from shidou if it gets near him, and he’s already done enough in the previous games that it’s alright for him to take a bit more of a backseat especially after two-gun volley)

as a footnote, EITHER route you like, there’s one thing that was absolutely a missed opportunity which i’d like to focus on, and that’s kunigami’s dynamic with noel noa. it’s not a secret that kunigami’s supposed to be a copy of noel noa, but what does noa think of this?? i need their dynamic to be weird and fucked up…like he’s noa’s protege, as he’s meant to be a copy of the man, but noa is simultaneously absolutely disgusted by ego, becuase what do you mean his old rival who faded into obscurity has suddenly returned with this child whose body and life and future he completely ruined, whose mental state is absolutely destroyed, just so that he could finally “beat” noa?? just so that he could make a copy of the man that he could never actually be himself?? and this disgust with ego transfers to noa also almost shunning kuni and avoiding him when possibly/treating him way more strictly than he does the others…which only makes kunigami try to work ten times as hard to prove himself…but this only freaks noa out more and it’s just a vicious cycle LSKDFJHSLK

ANYWAYS so this was a crazy long post but it’s really not meant to be taken all too seriously!! like i said these are just musings about how two characters that i personally like could’ve been used differently 🤩 if you read all of this then you’re a goat fr and feel free to talk to me about blue lock/anything else at any time!!

what was that youtube ass outro

[celestial-jazzie]

Hypothermic Health Risk (sdv)

Pairing: Harvey x farmer OC

Summary: Farmer Maia stays out too late during the coldest months of winter and her husband Harvey has to come to the rescue

The sun had started setting hours ago, and the cold had made its way under her gloves and into the very bones of her fingers as soon as she'd stepped outside that morning. Tending to the animals and the garden alongside her husband had stopped her feeling it so much, for being around him was warming in itself, but Harvey had now gone back inside to finish up the week's patient notes under the shelter of the roof. The rest of their land still needed clearing, and only one of them had the axe experience to complete the job. She wouldn't have minded at all if it wasn't the coldest day of winter, or at least felt that way. Hands locked around the axe, she felt her eyes closing with the setting sun. The six o'clock start was getting to her more than usual, but the patch she was working on was so nearly done. Another swing at the tree and it fell, leaving the trunk to be chopped up and collected to either allow Robin to build something out of at a later date, or firewood. Likely the latter, for without worrying her husband too much, winter on the farm didn't allow for excessive spending. That being said, he'd seen how small the crop hauls were at the moment. Just a few more trees and then she could call it for the day, despite the heaviness of both her arms and her eyelids telling her that it just wasn't possible to keep going.

Harvey was onto his seventh reading over of his notes, onto the third spellcheck and grammar review of them to the point where they were no longer simple notes. It felt impossible for him to do the next task of making dinner before his wife came home, or at least until he knew where she was, that she was safe. And right now, he knew she was outside chopping wood, but she was taking far too long for him to feel content. He fought with himself, was he being too worried? Would she start finding that annoying rather than endearing, especially when there was only so much he could give back to the farm? After getting too distracted by his own anxiety to continue his eighth re-read of his notes he came to the decision that even if she was absolutely fine, checking on his wife wouldn't change anything for the worse, and would certainly allow him to continue with his own day. She probably just needed a reminder of the time, it wasn't unlike her to get distracted in her work and forget to stop. It wasn't unlike either of them to be so absorbed in what they loved, and it was why they became so close in the first place. He half expected the door to open and for her to appear as he moved his pile of papers to one side and buttoned up his coat in preparation to face the weather outside, so when she didn't, the pressure to make sure she was okay only doubled. 

She'd stopped for a quick break, she'd told herself, and had tried to count the seconds but was slowly forgetting how to string the numbers together in a sequence. Leant over her axe, she'd found closing her eyes was incredibly comforting, and the chill of the season was slowly leaving her almost so suddenly that the urge to remove her coat had started creeping up on her. Following it immediately was a sense of dread. She'd stayed out too long. 

What had started as a calm walk out across their land had ended as a terrified run as he spotted her right against the cliff edge, lethargic fingers struggling to undo the zipper of her coat. He was trained to be accustomed to the signs of hypothermia, which was very valuable knowledge in such a rural town.

"Honey, you need to keep that on, it's below zero out here," he gently reminded her, taking her hands and moving them away from her coat. 

"Doesn't feel like it," she mumbled, falling easily into his arms and instantly giving up on anything else. It was safe there, and dark, and so incredibly comfortable. 

"You need to come inside, I'm already worried about you," he gently told her, but without saying a word it was clear she was reluctant to leave. It didn't take him long to realise that her collection of tools was what was keeping her back, they weren't cheap. One arm still in contact with her, he began to collect them up. "Let me take these, we can leave the wood for tomorrow." Taking the axe from her last, she snuggled against his left side with her arm around her as he carried her tools against his right. The walk back might be longer than it needed to be, but as long as she was okay, that didn't matter too much.

"I'll teach you how to chop it," she muttered to the snow immediately in front of her, unable to lift her line of vision much higher. While her husband guided her back to their house, she didn't need to.

"You'd be most welcome to," he softly smiled, seriously entertaining the idea for a moment. "Come on."

Frustratingly, most of his equipment was in the clinic. He only kept the more basic versions of his equipment on him, and they were certainly high quality enough, but they weren't the highest and giving his wife less than perfect treatment felt jarring in his mind. It was his best option while reluctant to leave her on her own, and feeling it unfair to call Maru to run such a small errand for him so late. Besides, his wife was in such a condition that the ear thermometer he kept with him would give out an accurate enough reading. 

Her worst and most obvious symptom was easily how quiet she was. During every other medical exam or procedure, both things he'd performed for her or occasions prior to moving to Pelican Town she'd told him about, she'd talked throughout. As he processed the numbers on the thermometer, Harvey realised she hadn't said a word since she'd come inside. The only thing that reassured him was that she was still clinging onto a healthy enough number for her state to not technically yet count as hypothermia. 

"If you were any colder I'd be calling an ambulance out here," he told her, packing his own equipment away and returning to hold her, all the covers and blankets they own wrapped around themselves while she held onto a mug of hot chocolate. "Maybe even driving you to the nearest hospital myself." Brushing her hair away from her face, he kissed her temple, hopefully making it clear he wasn't just in doctor mode and that if he was, he'd come out of it now. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't feel that bad," she said. How much effort talking took was obvious. "I thought I could do it."

"You don't have to apologise, love," he told her. "I'm only worried about you. I worry about you a lot."

"I know." She took another sip of her hot chocolate, more out of her own want, rather than just to please him. "I appreciate it. I appreciate you." 

"And I, you," Harvey told her. "Can we have a slightly lazier day tomorrow? You can help me tend to the animals and crops, and then we can spend the day indoors?" He realised the question he really needed to ask. "Can the wood wait a day?" She looked at their fireplace and the stack of wood beside it. 

"One day," she agreed, emotionally coming around to the idea far faster than her logical brain was. "If you'll cook for me."

"I assumed that went without saying," he smiled. "I'd like to keep you awake a little longer, make sure you're warmer before we go to sleep, if that's okay? Tomorrow we can do nothing but sleep if that makes up for it."

"You're the doctor."

[margoshamangolord]

FOLKS I FINISHED CYBERVERSE (thoughts and spoilers under cut)

—The 10 minute format was very comfy because i just could literally squeeze an episode on my school break or something

—I love the stylistic so much! Cartoony type of 3D oohhh yesss it was incredible for my eyes

—Ive heard that cbv is insane but nothing prepared me for the sheer SCALE of what happens here. It's everything i dreamt of in the tf franchise and i did not expect that fr, especially 3rd-4th season

—GAAAALSSS HAI GIRLLLLLSSSS HI GIRLIESSSSSS GIRLLLLSSSSSSS GIRLSSSSSS YAAAAAYYYYYYYY

—They made Grimlock a hot king and it's a good decision, i loved his story with the dinosaurs

—Windblade and Bumblebee have the cutest relationship ever ohmyygooood

—Teletraan x is a guy to kiss

—I believe that Starscream had the insanest story in cbv. Boy started a suicide cult and gave birth to scraplets and then escaped his therapist and became a judge of his universe because he led weird tentacle aliens to cybertron

—Grimlock and Arcee also have the cutest relationship ever

—Slipstream's death made me jump and bash my head into wall

—I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING AT SHOCKWAVE'S GOOFY ASS ALTMODE WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING 😭😭😭😭WHY DOES IT HAVE LEGS 😭😭IS THAT WHY HE'S ALWAYS ANGRY??? BECAUSE HE GOT THAT THING AS HIS FORM???? LMAAAAOOOO

—ALSO HIS GOOFY RELATIONSHIP WITH WHEELJACK AND SOUNDWAVE 💀💀💀IM CRYING YOU ARE FUCKING EX BOYFRIENDS DTOP

—On a more serious note his sacrifice was a very interesting point to character

—Cheetor's death actually made me cry because FUCKING HELL YOYE SO NICE..... His relationship with Bumblebee actually hurt my heart so bad what the FUCJ was that why must you kill me

—One of the most underrated optimuses imo, possesses all traits of tfp op and has them accented but somehow is ignored

—CLOOOOOOOBBBBEEEEERRRRRR CLLOOOOBERRRRRR LET ME HUG YOU KISS YOU CLOBBER PLEASE GIVE ME A CHANCE I WANT TO KISS YOU UUGHHHHHHHHH YOURE SO SWEEEEEEETTTTTT I CAAAANNNNTTTTT

—My favourite version of Soundwave. I was practically chewing on the screen every time he appeared, i was up from my seat when he was shown to grow warmer toward autobots/appreciate teamwork in season 3-4, and his death at the end made me SCREAM (as well as hot rod's comments. fucking hell dubstep compilation torture 💀💀)

—my first time seeing whirl he really is a bird

—SHADOWSTRIKERRRRR BUMBLEBEE HAIIIIIIIIIII

—(looks at bumblebee) shake your ass robot boy

—Thunderhowl and optimus should probably kiss

—Also i loved how this show goes well with the lack of humans

—Meteorfire and Cosmos have the cutest relationship ever

—The megop in cbv goes so hard it's unbelievable!!! They are so fucking divorced!!! They love each other!!! They hate each other!!! They're so disgusting and stupid I'm in love

—DINOBOTS HAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII

—The quintesson thing was actually my favourite because of the overall atmosphere and the character interactions, it really showed them all well

—MMACCADAM YYYAAAAAYYYYY MY FAVOURITE GUYYYYY AHHHHHHH WEIRD ASSS GRAMDPA RAHHHHH YOURE SO COOL AAAAAHHHHHHHH

—I absolutely loved weird aliens in this show

—Skybyte and jetfire were insane with their dramatic rivalry

—SOUNDWAVE AND SOUNDBLASTER ENEMIES FOREVER BECAUSE OF BEATBOX MATCH 💀💀💀💀💀💀

—genuinely i loved all of the introduced characters!!!!!!!

—and, of course. the twitch stream funeral

[blerb-f1]

Junge - Sebastian Vettel x reader

Sebastians Parents hate his career choice but at least you're here.

This is like a prequel to THIS fanfic - please beware that Sebs actual parents are incredibly cute and supportive and also i didn't mean to make like consistent songfics yet here we are. Its about "Junge" by "Die Ärtze"

hahahahaha

America's West, the vast prairie

And right in the middle of it: A small house

And in it: A concerned mother

2023 - Sebastian has just announced his retirement. You, his trusty Engineer since the Toro Rosso Days have spent the day looking back and reminiscing. Throughout the years you’ve had people come and go in your lives, but only you two and Britta, his manager, were truly consistent. One Group of People you absolutely couldn't count on were his parents.

They happily supported his Kart Career but going into F1? Never, F1 was for nobodies and troublemakers. If asked in which Michael would fall, they’d just say “Schumi is an exception”

Throughout the BMW Sauber Testing Years Seb would exist in the car given to him by BMW, friends apartments or hotels rented by Sauber themselves but never anything consistent. Once the move to Torro Rosso happened, with you becoming his equally young engineer, Red Bull made the decision to rent an apartment for you to share. Although you weren't a Red Bull Junior, Fate brought it this way. 

You’d taken way too many angry calls of Sebs Parents, causing you to one day chuck his mobile phone down the toilet- He was enraged but life soon improved until the worst day  happened. Your apartment was small yet cozy with each of you decorating their room lively. His covered in trophies and race suits, yours with study notes and smart looking graphs. Both however representative of your interests, with your shared common space housing your gaming consoles, a popcorn maker you bought thinking you’d use it a lot and a massive pullout couch someone put out for free which you transported home hanging off Sebs BMW X3 

Boy (Boy), why haven't you learned anything?

Look at Dieter, he even has a car!

Why don't you go to Uncle Werner's workshop?

He'll give you a permanent employment, if you ask him about it

Boy (Boy, Boy)

That was the first thing barreling out of a phone held to your ears. 

Sebastian and You had just entered the Red Bull Factory during off week to test new parts on the car. You, additionally, had more classes on being a Race Engineer. While you already were supporting him during races, you still had to study more to become better.

Just as you were about to enter the elevator, Helmut Marko came angrily flying towards you. 

“SEBASTIAN VETTEL! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M TAKING CALLS FOR YOU!” he shouted, throwing his Motorola towards you both. His moms shriekky noisy voice echoed through the speaker. 

His Cousin Dieter was a useless POS, whom his Uncle Werner, the workshop owner, coddled until there was no tomorrow. You had the displeasure of meeting them both when his parents sent them to your shared apartment, in hopes of building bridges. You both however preferred the Fernando Alonso Bridge and set this bridge on fire with a can of gasoline.

They were horrible rude upon intruding on your shared space. Dieter insulting your gaming setup, Werner complaining about your general decor and moving in. You’d gotten very fed up with them, opening the door and telling them to Leave that exact second.

Afterwards you and Seb had celebrated by ordering expensive Delivery Pizza while watching 100% Pirated movies. Most likely an Austin Powers Movie.

And the way you always look, holes in your pants, and always this racket

(What will the neighbors say?)

And your hair too, words fail me - do you have to dye it?

(What will the neighbors say?)

You never come home, we don't know what to do anymore

"DON'T GET THE TUB DIRTY!" you shrieked as Seb was trying to wash the dye out of your hair. You'd attempted to dye your hair purple and black with Seb being the one doing the work. He was, however, not good at being cleanly. He'd gotten dye inside of his gloves, on his pants and covered half of the apartment in the process. The washing out process was equally catastrophic with him getting your old bathroom tiles covered as well. 

As some dye was left over, you decided to apply it to his beautiful locks. You both came out very matchy. His hair had him look like a black-purple Raccoon and as he was a skinny boy, he looked more like a hungry raccoon than the fat ones you’d usually see rummaging on TV.

The day after you had an appointment with a piercer to get further piercings, the guy immediately thought you were a couple because of the matching hair.  You got multiple Piercings, each of them becoming their own memory for the future. You still remembered Brittas Expression as you turned up on Monday with all the metal jingling of your ears and in your face.

What you hadn't however expected, was receiving an invite to Sebastian's Aunts Birthday Party.  The Raccoon dye in his hair greatly contrasted the grown up BMW you found yourself in as you two were approaching Heppenheim. Seb took you along as an emotional support animal to better endure the party. You had met his parents before, the day they turned up at your house and another when they turned up at the factory. The day they had turned up at your house, you had your lovely neighbor open the building's front door. She was a lovely lady with hearing issues so you could be as loud as you wanted without bothering her. She often would cook for you in turn helping her with heavy tasks. She shushed them away and made you a hearty meal.

As the car pulled into his old home's driveway, you clearly saw people rushing towards the front door and stumbling out. Seb was clutching the wheel tightly, you both had been driving all the way from Austria so you were already pretty tired.

As you stepped outside you could hear his mom let out a surprised scream, it getting louder as Sebastian stepped out. Your favorite Piercing (a chain connecting from your lips to the ear) was glittering under the porchlight as his little brother rushed out, pushing his mom aside. He jumped upwards into Sebs Arms, possibly being the one most excited for his return.

“Who is this…Woman?” his mom asked, almost snakelike. 

“My Race Engineer and Roommate, Y/N”, Seb stated while brushing through his brother's hair.

Boy (Boy) don't break your mother's heart

It's not too late to enroll at university

You used to be interested in animals, wouldn't that be worth pursuing?

Your own vet practice, Boy

The dinner was uncomfortable to say the least. His aunt was to your surprise the one married to Werner, so he, the aunt and Dieter kept giving you dirty looks. His grandparents were equally unhappy with your both looks. Meanwhile his little brother was trying to show him pictures and awards. His Mom didn’t miss a single Chance to insult his driving career, only his dad stayed quiet. Then she started, talking about his love for animals and proposing he should become a vet again. A proposal, she kept repeating uselessly. 

Finally she dragged him away and his little brother approached you with shimmering eyes, inviting you to his room to show you his collection of things. 

You happily took the chance to flee from annoying relatives as you settled onto Fabians Bed, the sheets with car print giving way under your bum. The quiet mumbling from downstairs being way more endurable than the massively loud chatter. You would always pick the sound of a screaming V10, even if it would blast your hearring away. It would at least protect you from the pain of being repeatedly and hiddenly insulted.

knock knock

His father came in, face pulled into a mildly sad expression as he sheepishly stood in front of the room's door. you eyed him, waiting for more insults of your person to be hurled at you.

Instead however, he gave you a bag.

“Y/N, right?”

“Yeah”

“Please” he was a quiet man, his age clearly visible on his face. “Please give this to Sebastian. Heike, she… She isn’t herself . This isn’t like her. But Seb, he should have this back.”

You take the bag and gingerly lay it on the mattress next to you.

“If she’s gotten so bad, why don’t you leave her?”

“I promised to stick to her, in good and bad times.”

And the way you always look, piercings in your nose, and always this racket

(What will the neighbors say?)

Electric guitars and always these lyrics

Nobody wants to listen to that

(What will the neighbors say?)

You never come home, so much bad company

We will disinherit you

(What will the tax office say?)

How is it all going to end, we are worried

Seb and You were finally back home. Home, yes that’s what Austria had become for you both.  

The apartment was quiet until you rummaged through the cupboard, pulling out an  Electric Guitar and its required equipment. You gave Seb a cheeky grin before proceeding to play Wonderwall by Oasis. “Not Wonderwall…” Sebastian moaned.

You handed him the Guitar. “Then play something Better, Starboy!”

“But I don't know how to?”

“Just let it out!” you screamed before stomping around the living room, tumbling over collections of varying junk and memorabilia. 

clinggggg

You’d stumbled over the long forgotten bag his father had handed you. The Guitar abruptly stopped as Seb dropped it onto the Sofa while staring the bags contents

His first trophy, his favorite stuffed animal and his laminated photos of meeting Michael for the first time.

“Where did you get those from?” Seb asked with anger lacing his voice.

“Your father gave them to me.”

He looked between you and the bag's contents, difficulty enshrining his expression as you bent down, picking up the trophy. You lifted it, brushing your shirt over it. After a serious glance you shoved his newest trophies to the side and placed it smack dab in the middle. You could clearly imagine the little, then blonde boy, bursting with pride upon being handed it by his childhood Idol Michael Schumacher.

And you were such a sweet child

And you were such a sweet child

And you were such a sweet child

You were so sweet

And always your friends, I bet you all take drugs

And always this racket

(What will the neighbors say?)

Think of your future, think of your parents

Do you want us to die?