#it's the only thing that's gotten me to sympathize with god

[karinyosa]

.

[venuzasmuse]

𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄, 𝐞. 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬

— the holidays are meant to be festive, free of heartache and solemnity, but odds are forever not in your favor as you spend the holidays with your best friend alongside her sister, that broke your heart.

[rockstar!ellie au, best friend’s sister!ellie, kinda mean!ellie (for a few parts of the story)]

previous, next

warnings: reader is afab, not proofread, mature language, mentions of substance abuse (drugs), ellies a dick in this chapter srry guys, WHOLE LOTTA ANGST. smut & fluff in later chapters. POC FRIENDLY !!

this chapters kinda long because it’s still introducing the reader & ellie’s relationship dynamic so bare with me pls pls pls

upon arriving in texas, a wave of nostalgia washes over you as you peered over the horizons of the buzzing city streets.

the traffic was still— as long as you could remember— terrible. pedestrians raided the roads as if they had enough lives for the people on it and tenfold. you can recount the amount of days you'd be late for school because your brother, simon, took obnoxiously long in the bathroom. you could almost still smell his putrid sauvage cologne from here. the strong scent filling your senses— your head spun nauseatingly so.

you grapple with the map in your hand, flipping it every which way trying to give yourself a sense of reassurance as you and sarah navigated through the intersections. you loved your best friend but you couldn't sugarcoat the fact that her love for detours affected her driving skills poorly.

she'd listen to her gps for the first few hours and eventually get fed up with the alterations that emitted from the older device, completely tossing the given routes out of the window and using her intuition as a sense of direction instead.

"jesus, has texas always been this confusing?" the blonde exasperated, a heavy hand coming down to the steering wheel as a blare emitted from the vehicle.

you shoot her a glare that goes unnoticed and the car jerks as she overpasses the poor old lady in front of her.

"does it hurt you to have any patience?" you groan out. you slump in your seat and throw your head back against the headrest tiredly.

"patience never did anyone any good before." she declares sheepishly, a playful smile spreading across her pretty face.

your head lolls to the side to face the side of her head and you give her a playful eye roll.

"i swear to God, if we ever get caught in a drive by, i'd never let you live it down. even in hell."

she laughs a throaty laugh. sarah grabs your hand giving it a squeeze and shake, her demeanor excited.

"come on! don't be so grim. aren't you excited to be going back home? i mean it's been years." she switches to another lane, eyes trained on the rear view. "my dad is super excited to have you back. he said you're welcome as long as you need to be."

"that's only because we never gave him a choice before." you prompt. the two of you giggle.

"you know what i mean. i'm so hungry— maybe we can hit up mel's diner when we get there. i'd kill for their cheeseburgers right now."

you glance at the gps. "2 1/2 hours left" before y'all were to reach your destination. you groan, pulling your hat down to shield your face away from the blaring sun beaming down on your skin.

you'd be lying if you said that you had gotten any shut eye the night before. too plagued with overthinking, the dead of the night was filled with the sound of tossing and turning as you fought against yourself at an amateur attempt to soothe your own nerves.

trepidation dripped down your soul. you weren't sure how finally seeing ellie again for the first time would enfold. you had a plan to simply just avoid her but you knew you probably weren't going to keep up with that very long.

ellie was persistent and if she had any plan to resolve things, it wouldn't go unnoticed by a long shot. no matter how hard you tried to steer clear of it.

sarah knew about the reason why the two of you broke up. she was sympathetic enough to take your feelings about seeing her sister again after 2 and half dreadful years.

she witnessed first hand the aftermath of what ellie did to you. a brutal 9 nine months of you trying to build yourself high enough on a pedestal to be able to move on completely. she listened to you every step of the way, her ears open and her arms empathetic with every tear shed.

it was even worse when the media coverage began getting ahold of their band. 7 months after you and ellie had stopped talking completely due to your nasty breakup, her band rose to stardom and you could still remember how much dread washed over you to hear the sound of her playing on the radio for the first time.

you avoided her, in every way you could. if that meant no music for months until the hype of her album died down even just a little bit, then so be it.

but the limelight wasn't always as glamorous. you alongside of her family, despite not having heard from her in years, knew about how she'd been living because once the tabloids got a hold of her, the only thing plaguing the media coverage was about ellie.

who she was spotted with, newly sparked dating rumors as she was seen with a different girl nearly every month, and even the downfall of her newly acquired fame.

in pure janis joplin fashion, the height of her success came crashing down as people started suspecting ellie to be abusing drugs. it started when people began to notice how blasted she was in a few interviews. her nodding off didn't go unnoticed by a long shot.

in the spotlight, instances like this weren't uncommon.

you watch a talented person rise to the top, their talent evident as day as they showed it off to the word come plummeting down in a wave of wasted potential due to drugs and or alcohol. it was tragic and despite being as angry as you were with her, seeing the girl you grew up with live the way she was, created a moggy feeling in your chest.

eventually, the band made an announcement that their tour would've had to gone on a break due to "complications" but you and everyone else knew it was because ellie was in rehab.

as soon as she was discharged, the ongoing scarcity of contact between her and her family came to a brusque halt when joel offered for his daughter to come back home, at least until she was ready enough to face her new life again.

so when you found out that she'd be spending christmas with y'all, there was no doubt in your mind you'd have to brace yourself for whatever outcome would emerge from it.

"i'm gonna try and get some sleep. we still have a long way to go."

sarah boos at your resignation, exclaiming a few declarations about how you're leaving her to die of boredom. "you suck!"

you don't respond, simply smiling and turning your head as you're inevitably wisked away into a state of slumber.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

a somber tune draws out a melancholic melody on your record player, filling the corners of your cavernous room. the night breathes life through a soft breeze that grazes past your curtains. yet, as the sun sets and the cicadas begin to shriek, no amount of words in the english language can drown out the bitterness that sits in the pit of your chest.

no amount of rephrasing could rewrite the sorrow that consumes you whole, in this moment or the next.

you sit with the grief as your gaze lingers on the girl in front of you. ellie sits on the edge of your bed. she's faced away from you, as always, as she stares ahead at the neon lights that seep through the crevices of your room.

clouds of smoke forms around her figure with practiced cinematic effort and your eyes take her in with taut admiration.

you usually dread when the room grows quiet like this. the silence is blinding and tension is permeated in your walls. it leaves you high and dry and guts you with cynicism.

you wait for the moment for her to slip back into bed with you but it never comes. the thought of not being the placeholder of such intimacy rings in your ears like a bad case of tinnitus.

at least not this time around.

you sit up crawling towards her in desperate attempt to get her to look at you. you wrap your arms around her neck, resting your chin on her bare shoulder. empty viridescent eyes scan your face yet you can't seem to deconstruct any love tucked away behind them.

you knew deep down that what once existed fondly between the two of you was stripped away, little to nothing— a scarce void of recognition.

“what’s going on?” you hum out lovingly, as you press a prolonged kiss to her shoulder. “been quiet all night.”

the auburn headed girl heaved out a sigh as she dropped her head in her hands. she braced herself to face you, taking your wrists in her callused palms as she brought your hands to her mouth, pecking the backs tenderly.

“i.. i think we should talk.” she finally vocalizes. the words shoot fear down your spine, goosebumps arising were her lips once resided.

“about what?”

she gives you a look as she turns her body to face you, straightening her back a little bit more. “so you know how i’ve been getting to practice with the band lately? because their guitarist ended up quitting?”

you watched her for a moment skeptically before nodding.

her words are caught in her throat momentarily as she looks down once more. “well, cat and them asked me to join their band.” a glimmer of gleam passes across her face as she breathes out a breath she was holding.

you furrow your brows, a smile breaking onto your face. “that’s great! i’m so happy for you!” you exclaim, grabbing her chin in between your finger to press a proud kiss onto her cheek.

you knew how long ellie had wanted to be apart of something like this. after years of supporting her, you were filled to the brim with joy that she was finally reaching a steppingstone to where she wanted to be in life.

yet, you could tell something was still bothering her as she tensed up in your embrace. “well, they offered me to join but..”

“but..” you trail, eyes still held with hope.

“cat said she knew someone in los angeles that knew someone that could get us signed to a record label. the only downside is we’d have to move over there.”

your face fell as her words fell on sensitive ears.

“move?” you let out a nervous chuckle. “but.. los angeles is across the country.”

capturing her bottom lip in between her teeth, you watch as she gnaws down on it regrettably.

of course, you were elated for her. over the moon.

hell, you would’ve done anything for ellie to make this happen for her, one way or another. but hearing the catch of finally being able to pursue her dreams had you feeling selfishly opposed to the idea.

surely, she wouldn’t have made such a rash decision without taking it up with you first. ya’ll had so many plans that were already set in stone. all you wanted was at least a heads up if they were going to be altered to accustom to ellie’s new schedule pertaining to her band.

“so, what did you say?” your tone faltering from ecstatic to one that could’ve fell on deaf ears if not attentive enough.

“i said yes. i agreed that i’d go with them.” her word vomit rushes out like a fountain and your hands drop from her face as you turn away from her in shock. she grabs your smaller face in her hands, as she tips her head down to meet your avoidant gaze. you shut your eyes, muttering out a “shit” as you felt the pathetic rush of tears burn at the back of your eyelids.

“baby, i couldn’t pass this up. this is my chance to finally get out of this town. i’ve wanted this for so long.” she pleads, dropping down to her knees in front of you.

“why didn’t you wait to at least talk to me about it, ellie? three months ago, we were just planning on moving in together! and what? now you’re just about to dismiss any say that i had in this?”

she lets out an exasperated sigh of defeat as she bargains with her response.

“this is about my future! this is something i’ve wanted for years!” she encompasses her bottom lip back in between her teeth, scavenging her scattered brain to make this situation better.

“you can come with me! didn’t you always tell me you’d follow me anywhere?”

you scoff, shaking your head. “i can’t just pack up my things and run away to los angeles like this with you. it’s expensive there and with the money we have saved up, we wouldn’t last a year in a place like that with just the two of us. we’d need more time.”

don’t cry. don’t cry. you think to yourself as you feel the waterworks begin to churn.

“we could figure it out! cat mentioned a bunch of-”

you scoff at the mention of the girl’s name as you stood up from your place on the bed, walking over towards your window as you dug your fingers through your unkempt hair.

“i can’t believe you made a decision about this with cat before you even mentioned it to me. i should’ve known it was deeper than that.”

ellie stops in her tracks, an expression of hurt painted across her face at the idea of you believing she had concealed intentions between her and cat. but could you really blame yourself ? it would’ve been hard on any girl to see that her significant other’s time was consumed by another girl. especially with the considerable amount of times they spent alone together.

you would’ve been a fool to not suspect anything at all but your love for ellie ran too deep; you didn’t think you could handle it if you lost her to another girl. so you kept quiet, giving her the benefit of the doubt and begged venus herself for the girl to not prove you right.

“it was never deeper than anything.” her tone was stilled as she stared at you with accusatory.

“can you blame me ellie? i mean seriously. you’ve been alone with her more in these past few months than you’ve even talked to me! some days, i don’t even hear from you at all because you’re with her!” your voice goes up an octave as tears begin to spill from your eyes.

“it’s because of—”

“what? the band?” you cut her off, not wanting to hear her myriad of excuses. “i see the way you look at her. you look at her like she’s the only thing you see.” you brush past her to grab your shirt, pulling it over your head hastily.

“the lingering looks, the canceled plans, the way you never tell her to stop fucking holding onto your arms the way she fucking does!” bitterness begins to overpower the solemnity paying homage to the pit of your heaving chest as you jostle her scroll of excuses back to her.

“i mean, god, ellie. has it ever occurred to you that you still have obligations to set boundaries in this relationship?” your tone is constraint from going back to normal.

“are you fucking serious?” she snaps, the pitch of her voice blending with yours in a chaotic cacophony. “i’m trying to tell you about how big of a deal this band is to me, trying to make up solutions, and you’re accusing me of leaving for fucking cat?”

“i mean it was her idea, wasn’t it?” you countered. you were at your breaking point with ellie. you felt like nothing you said would ever change her perspective so you gave up.

you no longer wanted to fight for someone that couldn’t care to think twice about how their actions inflicted hurt on you.

maybe this wasn’t about her leaving anymore. instead, as the conversation became more clear, the realization settled when you realized you were losing her.

“i’m not doing this with you.” you watch as ellie gathered her things in fit of rage, throwing on her flannel and slipping her feet back into her converses as grabbed her bag, ready to walk out.

a feeling of dread quickly dissipates all of the fury you momentarily had as you rush towards her, wanting to resolve this before the two of you went to bed upset.

“ellie. come on, please.” you grab her face, pleading with eager eyes for her to not leave when things began to get bad.

you knew your girlfriend was stubborn. often alternating between fight or flight when reality began to corner her. but you knew, this time was different. no matter what the two of you chose to do, it would change the trajectory of your lives together.

she avoids your eyes and you feel the warmth cascade down your face heavily. “don’t walk out on me. please. not like this.”

she finally looks at you and it’s hard to read her.

“i need to do this for me. not for anyone else. i’m not going to wait for you to change your mind if some ulterior motive you think i have will always be in the backside of your mind.” she asserted, planted in her obstinance.

“if you leave now, i’m not gonna wait for you to come back.”

her eyes scanned your own down to your lips back to your eyes before grabbing your wrists to pull your hands away from her.

“that’s up to you.” was the last thing she said as she turned to walk out of your empty house. the moment you heard the door slam shut, you dropped to your knees as the tears began to pour.

if there was one thing ellie was good at, it was keeping her word. ever since the the two of you were puny little teenagers, she still managed to keep ahold of all of her promises, even the smallest most frivolous ones.

it was something you loved about her because it showed her resilience and firmness. her ability to stand her ground. but as you sit with your hot head in your hands against the comfort of your bed that still smelled like her, you wished so desperately that the one quality you admired so much, wasn’t something she attained.

you knew there was no use in trying to change her mind or waiting for her to. she was set in her ways and held no exemptions, not even for you.

it was a thick pill to swallow but you knew, the moment she walked out that door, it was over.

the next few days were filled with no contact. your phone was sparse of any calls or messages except for one from your mother asking you to defrost the chicken or the occasional check up from your friends when they learned about what happened.

your room was a ghost town. her presence haunting you as a constant reminder in every corner. you couldn’t run away from her even if you wanted to.

you wished you were stronger in your ways. it would’ve saved you your dignity if you were prideful but you simply couldn’t bring yourself to be. you were the worst at staying mad— just wanting to fix things with your girl.

you even racked up some ideas about how ya’ll could make this arrangement work in a heap of desperation.

so when you rendered yourself enough courage to face the situation at hand, you made your way over to her house. you were hopeful that she wasn’t completely set in throwing it all away.

but when you reached her front door, all you were met with was a note that joel gave you that was left to him by ellie. his eye bags were deep showcasing his worry and lack of sleep and you saw a few more grey tendrils in his salt and pepper hair.

ellie had left a few mornings after the fight between the two of you. she left no trace of her behind to be gotten ahold of and you, joel, or sarah hadn’t heard from her since.

taglist: @bready101 @st4r-b3rries @vqxen

[peachyfnaf]

I'm sorry but "MY BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS WITH A DISORDER<3" really made my day and I needed you to know

🤣🤣🤣

I can't believe Nexus is bullying peepaw war criminal.

Do you think Nexus is going to be stopped by big bro Sun or do you think the lil guy is going beyond the point of no return?

(Please talk about baby cringe Lord Nexus, I want to hear about your blorbo 🙏)

That's because Nexus IS my beautiful princess with a disorder, I'll have you know <3 they're diseased but it's okay I can give them their tetanus and flu shots and it'll all be better I GOT THIS

But. ahem, okay, blorbo yapping time. I'm not even gonna say "I'll try to keep this short" because I know it wont end up that way HAHAHAHAHA

"Do you think Nexus is going to be stopped by big bro Sun or do you think the lil guy is going beyond the point of no return?"

I... have absolutely no idea!!!1! (and also it took me an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize peepaw war criminal was Ruin KJDFHSDF)

The most frustrating thing about canon Nexus is how his morals, motivations, and goals seem to see-saw back and forth all the time. at first, he became how he is now due to Solar's death. he spiraled in his grief, identity-issues, and abandonment. but... now his motivation is to become an all powerful god??? while it's most likely that NSP is at play and affecting his thought process, it's... well, it's really hard to take him seriously as a villain because of it, lol. for an audience to enjoy, and even sympathize in some cases, with a villain, their goals and motivations have to be concrete. they have to be relatable, or at least understandable, but Nexus' whole thing is... not, Imho. and I know I'm not the only person who feels this way!!!

I see a lot of people calling Nexus "cringe", and the thing is, when it comes to canon Nexus, they're not really... wrong??? The worst thing Nexus has done so far is make Old Moon see his past victims, which is fucked up of him to do, but.. so far, that's kind of it??? other than that, his "villainy" consists of saying empty threats and cheesy evil one-liners. hell, he was supposed to kidnap Sun yesterday but instead spent the whole episode yapping and venting to him, chasing Sun around in the worlds darkest game of tag before getting some lead right in the face dkfjhsdfsd

Also, notice how he's only targeted Old Moon when it comes to actual physical violence? not Lunar, Earth, Solar, or Sun, but Old Moon? yeah, I did too. we already know that Nexus does everything because he's lashing out, but as of rn the only target he's gotten his hands on physically being O.M...? well. I think it says a lot. cause' yeah, he sure as shit scared the life out of the other Celestials, but he's never put his hands on them!! the only other one of them he harmed physically was Earth- and not only was he not aiming for her, she was just in the way- he felt immediate regret for his actions once in space, and has yet to even see Earth ever since that day.

So, I really have no idea if he's going to be "redeemed" or not. one second he's showing signs he might be, and the next he's falling further down the "pretty badly written villain" rabbit-hole. if he does get something akin to a redemption arc, he'll prolly mostly be accepted in the eyes of the viewers, considering a lot of peeps sympathize or at least understand where he's coming from, but I seriously doubt the other Celestials would take him back. the only one's who might see him as family/a close friend again are Sun and Solar, but even then, nothing would ever be the same.

I hope he gets redeemed, or at least freed from the hold Dark Sun has on him and he's able to live his own life, I really do. at his core, Nexus is a good person. a good person who was crushed under the weight of the shadow of the man he was born under. and we know this because he used to be New Moon. sweet, dorky New Moon.

New Moon, who made inventions like sentient knives and whoopee cushions. New Moon, who had matching My Little Pony stickers with his best friend. New Moon, who bought a whole ass island-luxury-house for Sun because he wanted to make him feel better and give him the proper space to heal. and New Moon- the poor freshly-baked A.I who gave his all to make sure he could do everything that Old Moon could, but it just wasn't enough. he tried and tried and tried, but it wasn't enough.

So yeah, idk if he's getting one in canon, but to me, he more than deserves a good ending, for the life he was given. let him be at peace.

[childrenofcain-if]

Hi! I want to start by warning that this will probably be a long rant about how much i love your IFs. But first, I hope you feel better soon!

The first IF of yours i played was the pjo one, which sent me down a rabbit hole of going through the rest of them (still haven't played tcs but i will soon 🤞🏻). It was just BAFFLING how people could be so purposefully ignorant about the concept of fanfiction and accused you over and over of plagiarism like, please go outside and touch grass, clearly the internet has stopped your brain from developing critical thinking.

Anyways, the adaptation was so well done and faithful while also exuding a newness to it that i am very excited to see unravel. I understand at the moment it has been paused (and I don't know if you've addressed why it's no longer up) and i hope with time you can feel comfortable with it again. None of the shit you've gotten was deserved or even understandable but alas, it still happened. As a content creator myself, i truly truly sympathize with you. I hope these words offer some comfort, however small.

Same goes for WLB, but the awe at how descriptive and raw your writing is really peaked through in something of your own creation. I find myself revisiting it and experiencing the exhilaration from my first reading all over again. I can't wait to watch everyone around my mc descend into eldritch madness as they become more and more unhinged. Consequences of my own actions? Never heard of them, i want my mc to go apeshit!

Now, gods where do i start... TBOTYG is *chef's kiss* flawless, i never thought i could become so obsessed with anything with only one part. I awaited the demo with baited breath, already anticipating all the ways you would surprise and impress (and you did). Every choice, every scenario, the way you build your plot and characters, your descriptions (I don't know if you can tell that I'm a little too hung up on the writing aspect of it) of characters and actions and feelings. The amount of work and effort you put into characterization is so very clear and it feels very freeing to have that amount of control over a character that we're supposed to "relate" to (in the context of the narrative, almost as if living vicariously through them). i think that no matter how much time passes, your IFs will remain a staple in the community and every player who finds your gems will feel blessed and changed after playing.

It's gotten to the point I've created a whole google doc of my MC, and made fake ig accounts with interactions (just for myself, to cope with the anticipation) and this is a level of commitment I've only felt with my own OCs and works. In such a short time, your IFs have carved a deep space for themselves in my life. I find myself replaying and going through their official pages religiously even though I've read every post already.

a question! will every LI's gender be chosen individually? I'm wondering because C and D are suitmates, but is it doable if they're different genders? same for mc and V. I'm thinking yes but also wanted to be sure

Honestly very very sorry for the long rant, I'm sure you have better things to do 😭😭 but i had the uncontrollable urge to express my feelings on your art and it took me an entire day of trying to talk myself out of it (i failed).

(also, here's my mc's profile and dm box. her royal highness maxine's ig profile is private btw. going for c route first. Mitică is the romanian diminutive for the name Dimitru, and opsis is an ancient greek concept i thought would fit V)

i’m speechless (sentimentally), dear reader 😭 i still can’t believe some people would take the time out of their day to think about my silly little worlds and the characters in it, less of all like how i’ve written my works. every single time i hit a writer’s block or have the whole doxxing trauma flare up again, i think of quitting but it’s the urge to write stories and the joy of sharing it with everyone that is still keeping me going.

i can’t explain how much your words mean to me because this is what i write for. to have people relate to or identify with or adore the world and characters i’ve built is such a dream within itself. from the bottom of my heart, i am thankful for every single reader who has always been nothing but supportive from day one. if elias has his apple, i have y’all. and no, it doesn’t mean y’all can have my meagre inheritance but it’s the sentiment that counts.

to answer your question, every single LIs gender will be selectable! blackthorne hall has individual bedrooms per suite so y’all will only be sharing the common areas and kitchenette with V while having your own personal space. it’s more like an apartment than a usual college dorm tbh.

oh and please, rant away! i’d love nothing more than to hear about your MCs and the various headcanons, questions, or theories you might have!

(also please knock C down a few pegs, they desperately need it 😔)

[esmedelacroix]

14 days til' Christmas

going to your daughter's hockey game and running into singleparent!miguel o'hara ⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

25 days til' Christmas ← previous part

--------------------------------------------------------

You watched as your daughter Mari waved goodbye to Gabi through the window. "I really liked playing Legos with Gabi, it's so much more fun with a friend," your daughter explained.

"That's so true when I was your age I used to love playing Legos with my little brother. We would build the sets together and play for hours," you said thinking back to the moments that you spent with your best friend in your childhood home.

You quickly ushered Mari back into the house not wanting her to catch a cold. "Mari! Get your overnight bag I packed for you and come downstairs your dad's going to be here soon!" you called out to her.

"Okayy!" she called back. You heard her little footsteps echoing above your head.

Soon enough she rushed down the stairs with her duffel and you handed her all of her gear. "Thanks, mama," Mari said as she motioned for you to bring your face closer to hers so she could kiss you on the cheek.

Just then you heard a knock on the door and realized you left the gifts that Mari had gotten for her dad under the tree. You opened the door for her dad and quickly rushed to stuff the gifts in her duffel(Mari wanted it to be a surprise).

"Hey Rafael, come in just packing one last thing," you called out.

You heard him greet Mari followed by her laughter. "Alright don't be too long," he called back, tickling her some more.

"Sorry about that, I almost forgot her favorite stuffed animal," you lied as you handed him her bag.

"It's fine I've gotten used to you never being prepared," he said as took Mari's hand.

"Not in front of her, we said we wouldn't do this in front of her," you muttered as you crossed your arms glaring up at him.

"What? I can't tell the truth? I don't even know why I only have weekend custody, look at this place! There are Legos all over the floor!" he said pointing at the mess.

"Ay dios mío[Oh my god], Rafael! You're scaring her," you said pointing your hand towards Mari working hard to keep your tone in check, unlike her father.

"I'm scaring her? You're putting her in danger by letting her play with such small toys, she might step on them," he said, keeping his tone down after realizing that Mari was starting to get upset.

"Danger? The only danger is you coming into my home and trying to instigate some kind of fight to make me look like the 'bad guy' in front of my own daughter. Mari is nine years old, she knows not to put Legos in her mouth, and she's not blind, she can look where she's walking," you said as you ran a frustrated hand through your hair.

"Okay, but were you even supervising to make sure she was okay?" he said, trying to find some kind of fault in your parenting skills.

"¿Eres estúpido?[Are you stupid?], Of course, I was. Miguel and I were watching our daughters play with Legos," you said as you simply guided him out of your house.

"¿Quién es ese cabrón?[Who is that fucker?]," he asked as he put Mari's stuff into the trunk.

"None of your business, don't forget to make time for Mari's game tomorrow, ¿Vale?[Okay?]," you said as you gave Mari a hug and a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, me and your dad always fight all the time. I'll make it up to sweetheart, I promise," you whispered as you gave her one last parting kiss before she got in the car.

"Okay, I have a Hockey game tomorrow. Can I go now?" he sighed.

You rolled your eyes making sure Mari could hear you even though you knew she couldn't really understand, "Vete a la mierda[fuck you/fuck off],"

You slammed your door and texted him, 'If you forget to take her to her game like last time, I'll never forgive you'

You hated that you had to say goodbye to Mari every weekend and not see her for days. But you could sympathize with her father because he didn't get to see her on the weekdays.

You couldn't help but shake the feeling that Rafael wasn't as committed to parenting as he was before meeting his girlfriend. You could give two shits if he had started dating just months after your divorce but his girlfriend didn't seem too interested in Mari. On top of that Mari could recount multiple times when she would be dropped off at his neighbors because his girlfriend wanted alone time.

You weren't going to let the toxic thoughts plague you any longer and you allowed yourself to rest and go to sleep.

. . .

The next day was very relaxing. You were able to do some deep cleaning for the winter and since you work on your own hours you popped in and out of shifts and did some grocery shopping.

Once work was finally over and you finished eating an early dinner you checked your watch. Rafael was probably dropping Mari off for her game. She had to be there two hours in advance to prepare herself and warm up.

You had called her and her father in the morning and she seemed very excited about her game. You took your time getting dressed and doing your hair to go to her game. You know you were just going to end up bringing your look because of how passionate of a sports watcher you were.

It didn't matter what sport it was, you were going to scream whenever a player messed up and cheer on the team you thought was going to win if you didn't already have a favorite. To make matters even worse you had a tendency to eat like a pig when you watched sports.

That's probably why none of the single dads approached you at games. You went crazy when it came to being a supportive parent for your daughter.

Just as you were about to make some snacks for Mari's teammates for the end of the game someone was blowing up your phone. Rafael was blowing up your phone.

You picked up his call and put it on speaker as you prepared each teammate's bag. "What is it, Rafe?" you sighed.

"Heyy, mama listen, I don't want you to get upset, but Angela had to go out because she's not feeling well, and I completely forgot about dropping Mari off," Rafael explained in a hushed tone.

"¡¿Qué?!" you gasped hoping that it was just some sick prank.

"Please don't get mad, I'm sorry but it's an emergency. Mari is at Peter's house," he said.

"Seriously? Rafael, I knew you would choose her over your own daughter again. Wasn't feeling well? Just take Advil seriously, is she a child?" you yelled.

"Look I'm sorry I really am-" he started.

"No no, don't apologize to me. Apologize to Mari when you see her after her game," you said as you abandoned the snacks and put your coat on getting your bag and keys.

"Well, I can't make it to her game... Angelica is going to want to eat somewhere and she's vegetarian, she can't have the food at the stadium," Rafael explained.

"You gotta be shitting me. No. For Mari, find a way to at least make it to the end, or else," you threatened

"Or else what?" he instigated.

"Or else I have my lawyer ready. I have so many instances where you neglected our daughter and I can easily take full custody. Seriously, why pick her up just to take her to Peter's house?" you asked. You really didn't want to threaten full custody but he needed that push.

It may have just been a hockey game from anyone looking at the situation from the outside but it's about being there. Being present. I would’ve wanted both my parents present. You thought to yourself. It already hurt enough knowing Mari is different from others in her class and her parents aren't in love anymore. The least we could both do is be there for her.

All you heard was silence on the other lie so you hung up and got into your car. You definitely obeyed all speed limits and most definitely didn't run a red light or two 'on accident' just to get to Mari quickly.

You practically ran up the stairs to the apartment right next to Rafe's. You knocked on Peter's door fidgeting hoping your daughter wasn't upset and she wasn't posing on his evening.

"Hey, squirt!" Peter said as he opened the door greeting you Mayday in his arms obviously wanting to cry.

"Hey Peter, listen I'm sorry about Rafe," you started.

"It's fine, it's always a pleasure having Mari over. I would’ve taken her to her game but Mayday here isn't too fond of the cold," he explained.

Just then you heard Mari run to the door and give you a hug. "Hi mija[darling]," you said as you got on your knees to hug her back.

"Mommy I'm late!" Mari said with tears in her eyes.

"I know and Papa's really sorry but I'm going to get you there in time. Trust me," you assured as you quickly got all her gear and her bags.

"Do you need help with all that?" Peter asked.

"I got it!" you called down as speeded down the stairs.

Mari followed giggling cheering you on.

Once everything was in the trunk and all seatbelts were on, you drove to the Hockey rink. You weren't really speeding because you had your baby on board and you wouldn't allow her to witness your road rage. Well maybe.

You were doing a really good job keeping the yelling in check but there was a car pulling into the rink going at painfully slow speed. You honk your horn at them before driving over the grass patches to overtake them, flipping them off and yelling, "Do you even know how to drive?!"

You swerved right into a parking seat and hopped out of your car, opening the trunk and giving Mari all her stuff telling her to run into the auditorium and get her gear on.

She wasn't on time for the team stretch or for the team dinner but she was right on time for warmups. You already texted her coach about her situation. You were so lucky that he was so understanding.

You were just about to go into the auditorium before taking a look at your terrible parking job before just leaving it and walking in.

You got yourself some snacks and took your seat. Your eyes immediately scanned the ice for your little girl. There you saw her warming up. She was number 23 and she looked ecstatic. A lot more excited than she looked before any other game. That's weird. Is her father here for the first time in forever? You asked yourself to look around to see if he was sitting anywhere.

When you finally looked to your left you saw none other than Miguel?! "Oh my god, hi, what are you doing here?!" you asked as you waved and motioned for him to take a seat next to you.

"Well, my daughter's playing today. On the opposing team," he said as he took his seat.

"Well, then I guess we're rivals today. Best of luck to your daughter though," you said as you looked down and waved at your daughter.

"Best of luck to your daughter too. I hope she's not a crier 'cause her team is about to get crushed," he said.

"Really? So it's like that? You're on Miguel O'Hara. This is war," you quipped.

The two of you laughed at your stupid parental rivalry over your daughters' sports.

"You won't believe what happened when I was pulling in. I take it we were both running late but when I was entering the stadium, there was a car on the way and they were driving as slow as a grandma. I flipped someone off in front of my daughter for the first time. I swear when I find them I'm gonna.... do something bad that will make them regret it," you said, unable to think of a good threat.

Miguel laughed and shook his head before saying, "I'm pretty sure that was me," he chuckled.

Your mouth hung open in shock at his revelation. "And for the record, I do know how to drive," he said before sipping his hot cocoa.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry I didn't mean that. I speed all the time and have terrible road rage issues," you said, placing an apologetic hand on his shoulder.

"I thought you were going to do something bad to me that would make me regret it," he teased.

God, this guy knows what he's doing. With that naturally erotic voice of his. You thought to yourself as you felt the heat rise to your cheeks.

"Well, I'm very forgiving so I'll let you off easy just this once," you said, turning away from him, hiding your flustered expression from him.

Just then, the lights in the stadium began to dim and the game started. The two of you immediately entered sports spectator mode leaning forward and watching your daughters play.

The two of you occasionally yelled when there was a good play and whenever one of your daughters had the puck. Their positions were immediately rival to one another so whenever they were going against each other the two of them went insane.

It was nice to know that there was a parent who was just as crazy about his daughter as you were. The two teams were keeping up with each other pretty well; the score was 3 - 3. There was only one minute left and both teams were doing everything they could.

Luckily Mari's team was working on a fake pass. They weren't going to try it originally but you saw Mari make the hand motion to her team mate and she faked the pass well leaving open space for her to go up the goalpost and shoot with all her might.

Gabi was on her tail but she ended up making it. The stadium erupted with cheers for the team and they all hugged. After Mari celebrated with her team she immediately went to Gabi and pounced on her. She was overjoyed to see her and they were so happy to be playing against each other.

"How does defeat feel?" you asked Miguel while doing a little victory jig.

"Worth it," he answered as he saw you in such a euphoric state with ketchup and mustard on the corner of your mouth from the hotdog you were devouring during the game.

"Here got a little on your mouth," Miguel pointed out as he took out a handkerchief and wiped the condiments off your mouth for you.

"Thanks," you said sheepishly before being interrupted by the stadium erupting in applause randomly. When you looked up you saw you and Miguel on the screens in the center of the stadium for the Kiss Cam.

The two of you looked at each other awkwardly while everyone begged the two of you to kiss thinking you were a couple or something. You turned to him looking up at him. You could feel your heart pounding in your throat. He took the sides of your face in his big warm hands and gave you a quick peck and everyone cheered for you.

You just kept looking up at him tracing your hands over the lips that he kissed. "That wasn't too bad," you joked as you snapped out of the trance he put you in.

"Yeah," you said, shaking his head.

"We should probably go," you started.

"Yeah let's," he said.

The two of you walked down the stairs to go see your daughters in the lobby. Mari and Gabi immediately ran up to the two of you.

"Hey you girls played so well," you said as you gave Mari a hug.

"What do you say we go out to eat?" Miguel suggests looking at you for a nod of approval. You looked down at Mari who was giving you the puppy eyes.

"What the hell, why not?" you said.

"You wouldn't mind if I joined would you?" you heard a voice behind you say.

"Papa!" Mari exclaimed as she ran to hug him. You crossed your arms and rolled your eyes.

"Actually we would mind so maybe you should just crawl on back to your apartment," you said

"Hi I'm Rafael, I'm Mariana's dad," Rafe said, shaking his hand, acting all nice and angelic.

"Oh goodness I'm sorry, you probably just watched me kiss your wife. Look man I'm really sorry I didn't know she was married," Miguel apologized profusely to Rafael.

"No, you kissed my ex-wife, it's all good," Tafael corrected.

"Oh, well you could join us if you would like we were going to get a bite to eat," Miguel started before looking down at Mari who was pulling at his shirt, shaking her head.

"Mama and Papa are fighting right now," she whispered as you glared at Rafael.

"It's okay you all should go. I have things to take care of at my place, you played well today Mari," he said, giving her a playful nuggie.

He waved goodbye and signaled for you to call him later tonight. Probably so that he could explain why he forgot to drop off Mari and left her at Peter's house.

Dinner with Miguel was fine and thankfully he didn't mention or ask out Rafael after seeing how his presence alone upset you so much.

Your daughters had fallen asleep and were in the car. The two of you were outside conversing. "When can I see you again?" Miguel asked.

"You mean like when is our daughter's next playdate?" you asked not sure how you felt about meeting with Miguel alone.

"I was kind of hoping we could have a playdate," he said. You felt heat rise to your cheeks and ears. That voice of his always made the thing he said sound so forbidden but maybe this time it was intended.

"Maybe next week? I'm usually free on Wednesdays," you said.

"Okay it's a date, I'll text you, looking forward to it," Miguel said before getting in his car.

"It's a date," you whispered to yourself with the dumbest smile on your face. you turned around and did a little victory dance forgetting that Miguel was still in fact, right there.

. . .

next part → 9 days til' Christmas

----------------------------------------------------------------------

taglist:

@aripet22@to-the-endoftheline@primroselovessupernatural

[eco-lite]

Volume 7 babyyy let’s go!

(But CW: sexual assault. I do include some quotes related to the assault here since I was recording my thoughts on it at the time.)

First of all, how gorgeous is this cover art?! They looks so good. This might be my favorite cover so far.

“Even now, twenty years later, I still haven’t found my ‘rightful place’” (6). Okay so we going Richard introspection hours. Love it!

“Prologue”

* Blogger!Seigi omg.

* I guess “Iggy” is pretty close in pronunciation to “Seigi” but it seems wild to call him that lol. Also, who is reading this blog???

* Lotus is Seigi’s favorite flower. Got it.

* I wish the blog posts had a different format or typeface than the main text. That would be really fun and easier to distinguish.

* For fuck’s sake, just call him!

* For real though, it is really easy to sympathize with Seigi’s doubts right now. Being in such a foreign place, just waiting around for things to happen. That would make anyone anxious and doubtful of their choice. “When you had too much time on your hands, your anxieties loomed bigger, like shadow puppets hit by the light” (23). Fr fr.

* Jeffrey is ultra-dramatic and mysterious as usual. This is going to be quite an experience.

“Day 1”

* It’s so wild to me that Seigi thinks Richard would tell him to quit his internship if he’s not settling in well. That’s not how I see Richard at all. Shouldn’t Seigi know that Richard would tell him a long story with a message about perseverance, likely with illusions to Richard’s own life that would fly right over Seigi’s head? Because that’s pretty clearly the standard. As always, Seigi is way too in his head.

* Ah, so the mentorship wasn’t supposed to be like this after all. It’s really cute to see Richard getting so indignant and protective of Seigi like this.

* The rapid shift in Richard’s tone once he thinks Seigi is distracted/being disingenuous gave me fucking whiplash.

* NOT Seigi blocking Richard from view of the staff guy who’s giving interested glances at him. 🫢

* Bro this is crazy. Who is this mysterious other British man? What’s his past with Richard? It’s so bad that Richard is drinking alcohol?? Living for the drama.

“Day 2”

* Richard wearing sunglasses inside? Uh oh, he got fucked up last night.

* Seigi once again defending Richard from the male cruise staff. At least Richard seemed to appreciate it.

* “Richard chuckled when he saw the fraught look on my face. I always thought he sounded a bit like a pigeon when he laughed like that” (77). Wtf why is that adorable?

* Ooh a rare Richard swear!

* Okay so whatever Richard doesn’t want Seigi to see at the jewelry showcase has to do with the darker sides of the world of gemstones. What have you gotten yourself into, Richard?

* I actually feel physically ill. Now it’s very clear why Richard didn’t want Seigi to be here. I didn’t think the “dark” aspects were going to hit quite so close to home. Seigi is focusing only on Karlsbrook because he’s filled with rage, but I really need to get a check in Richard rn please. OKAY SHIT, Richard keeps brushing Karlsbrook’s arm off his waist but he is not getting the hint. What a CREEP.

* This is genuinely so hard to read. I am right there with Seigi, struggling to restrain myself from doing something rash to (metaphorically) destroy this man. And there are so many bystanders doing nothing. God, this is painful.

* “‘I love beautiful things. I want beautiful things. I don’t want anything but beautiful things. And in that respect, nothing could be more desirable to a collector like myself than you’” (98). I’m going to fucking throw up. This is explaining so much about Richard’s trauma around compliments of his beauty. This blatant objectification is vile.

* What the fuck is this Karlsbrook guy’s deal? He clearly would have harassed Richard even if Seigi wasn’t there, but he seemed to do it more gleefully because it was in front of Seigi. What does he know about Seigi and Richard’s relationship? He marveled at the fact that Seigi actually showed up earlier. How did he know that there was a possibility he would? And how does he even know who Seigi is in the first place? This is so fucked up!

* And they’re distantly related?! Bro…

* Okay so if Jeffrey didn’t send Seigi those emails, it was definitely Karlsbrook. Why does he want Seigi there so badly?

* Anddd now he’s being framed for stealing a priceless ring. Okie dokie then.

* “Kindly uncle” is not the vibe I’m getting, my guy. “Stupid, elderly baby doll” is a much more apt description.

* Vince is a great character. He just seems like a nice, chill dude you’d want to hang out with. And I love when a character’s appearance doesn’t match their personality. It gets me every time.

* After Vince goes on a lecture about anime and manga figure 3D modeling: “I cautiously asked Vince if he liked anime and manga, and he politely ignored me. Got it” (151). This guy. What a kuudere.

* This story was just tough. Looking forward to the conclusion tomorrow.

“Day 3”

* Ooh, detective Seigi!

* I’m loving Seigi’s absolute audacity in this one.

* Seigi is so adhd-coded.

* “‘…What happened with that creep?’ ‘Just shut up for a bit.’ ‘Okay’” (190). I love their rapport. 😂

* Richard showing up looking gorgeous to kick ass at poker while subtly roasting the VP is so !! He’s truly serving here.

* “The man presenting his merciless flush of hearts had such a beautiful yet indifferent look in his eyes as he stared intently at the man across from him. ‘Shall we continue?’ (193). So cunty!

* “Richard always had fire in his eyes when he got angry. The melanin in his irises gave their blue a sort of undulating wave pattern, and when I looked at him, I got goosebumps. It made me feel like I’d laid eyes on something no mortal should ever see” (193-194). Seigi is in so deep, bro.

* “‘Thank you, Ricky. Not even Raphael’s Madonna is a match for the beauty of your fingers manipulating those cards. I wish you would use those fingers to toy with me.’ ‘My apologies, I’ve been suffering from some temporary hearing loss and did not catch what you just said.’ After replying with the most refined ‘Like hell I will,’ in history, Richard stepped back and left the two men at the table” (199). 🤮🤮🤮 Karlsbrook is literally a mustache-twirling villain, this is crazy. Great clapback though, Richard. Also, is anybody else so uncomfortable when people call Richard “Ricky?” It feels infantalizing and like such a violation of the image Richard wants to present himself as.

* I just looked up what happened to the Colonel Sanders statue in Dotonbori. Wow… Seigi is not fucking around.

* Why are Vince and Richard having slightly hostile banter right now?? This is hilarious but I feel like I missed something behind the scenes.

* VINCE WAS HIS ASSISTANT????? This is blowing my mind omg.

* AND IT WAS VINCE IN THE BAR THAT FIRST NIGHT??? Wild. Can’t believe Seigi suspected that from hearing his purposefully bad english. Seigi actually is a good detective, and he’s more observant than I give him credit for. How rude to hold out on the readers like that though!

* “‘That was the first time I’d ever felt that strongly that I wasn’t needed somewhere… I’ve never felt such heartache like the moment I realized that I could offer nothing of value to this person who was such a huge presence in my life’” (231). Ouchies. Boy, do I know that feeling. Poor Vince. It’s unfortunate that Vince felt his relationship with Richard was so one-sided. I hope he won’t always be bitter about their relationship. Even if he had said something to Richard back then, I think Richard would have gotten very closed off and defensive, since they didn’t have a super close personal relationship. They’ve both improved in their communication skills since then. And it seems like things are going quite well for Vince now. I wish that funky little guy the best, and I hope he and Seigi end up staying in touch.

* “The beautiful man threw off his jacket about 30 percent more aggressively than normal, rolled up his sleeves, and stood in front of the punching bag. He gave it a fierce one-two punch. Sometimes, humans just get the urge to suddenly practice boxing, and this seemed to be one such time for Richard” (245). I love that we’re getting to see Richard like this. Seigi clearly has seen Richard be more casual around him since he knows how Richard normally takes off his jacket, but I doubt Richard has let Seigi see this side of him before. And I also really relate to getting the urge to “suddenly practice boxing.”

* And then he just leaves looking disheveled?! Bruh. At least stick around to cool off first. 😏

* Thank god the rest of the cruise was peaceful. I’m glad Seigi and Richard got to just hang out after all that drama.

* Ewww Seigi had to endure a hug from Karlsbrook. But I’m so glad that creep got exposed. Hopefully Gargantua actually does good after the investigation into their culture of sexual misconduct.

“Epilogue”

* “But as you might expect if a food for celebrations, it opened with ‘twenty-five eggs,’ so I think I’ll try scaling it down” (251). I just love cute little comments Seigi makes like this. Also very relatable to anybody who follows Pinterest recipes. Who needs to make that much food??

* Richard reads about “unfamiliar grammatical constructions” for fun. This man…

* “There were words that I wanted to say in Japanese and others that felt easier to express in English, but they were both becoming mine. For example, this was something that I wanted to say in Engish. I wish you were here. I wish you were here to eat the food I made. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but I’d be happy if you have it a try. And if I say something ridiculous again, I wouldn’t mind if you got frustrated and scolded me” (263). 😌😌😌 But for real, can we talk about the romance of wanting to tell someone you miss them in their native language?

* Richard being so giddy that he pulled off this prank of showing up unannounced is adorable.

* Seigi’s idea of heaven is sitting in a beautiful garden drinking royal milk tea and eating delicious snacks while talking to Richard. 😌😌😌

* Okayyy and right back into the drama. I guess we’re going to have a teenage girl nemesis now. Not at all what I was expecting. But as always, I’m excited to learn more about Richard’s past!

Although this volume had many tough moments, we actually got a lot of smiley Richard. He seems a lot more comfortable around Seigi than even at the end of the last volume. I’m really looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses from here. Especially if they’re staying in Sri Lanka together like was suggested at the end of Vol 6!

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Final Impressions (5/5)

Honestly, what were they going to do with those two weeks after 48 episodes? Have us wait until WonPre's broadcast? Yea right, lol

So the 20th installment of Precure is now officially finished and it feels both great and a little bit sad to say that since the bar has been readjusted quite high, we will probably need the 25th anniversary to get another season as awesome and well-written as HiroPre. [/harsh]

But that will be for something to worry about in the next five years.

So first, that finale!

Pretty much 5(ish) of the 6 last episodes was a whole arc dedicated to the most engaging lore Precure has ever given us to date.

Cure Noble is definitely entering the league of legacy Cures and perhaps as the one with the best story as well. How she went from princess-sovereign to becoming the very first Precure (in this universe, anyways) to helping pave a way for peace with her nemesis to laying out the foundation for the Cures who will succeed her in the future.

Yeap, Ellee-chan may have gotten a nice age-up bonus so that we can see her embrace her destiny and actually converse in something other than baby talk.

But it's more accurate to say that Ellee-chan/Cure Majesty's character arc is really Princess Elleelain/Cure Noble's instead.

Which is totally fine with me. Not only was Elleelain super interesting as a hero/protagonist in her own era but Kaiserin was...dear god.

Dear god, when have we gotten a twist that was this good and this dark by the series' standards? I felt we haven't touched this level of grim writing since Heartcatch and that was my first Precure season ever.

But seriously, it's impossible not to sympathize with Kaiserin and appreciate how much she contributed to the plot as well as this season's message that power is not what makes a hero, but the strength of one's heart that does.

Even her traitorous tutor, Skearhead, said she had what it took to become a hero (and maybe even Precure? oooh~), which just makes her fall into darkness more tragic.

But thankfully, she never lost her kindness and compassion, which was what ultimately allowed her to not only be saved but her wounds to finally heal after hundreds of years of suffering from the pain of betrayal Skearhead had inflicted on her.

And that her generals, who all turned over a new leaf, came back to the Undergu Empire to loyally serve her and make sure she isn't alone...

Good! This is so satisfying, I couldn't have asked for anything better! Kaiserin deserves her happiness after all she's been through!

But of course, that's not all because no Precure finale is complete without the last episodes dishing out the best combat scenes of the entire season and did it deliver, alright.

Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-HUH!

The animation was absolutely stellar and not so overdone that it'd look more gaudy than cool. coughDeliPaPrecough

Moreover, the teamwork is what really sold the animation. As it should because Precure is all about that team effort brought on by personal growth, not a one-man show.

I loved how Wing, representing wisdom, was the one everyone trusted to get that barrier back up because it is a mechanism that he researched and developed to help everyone. It proves that boys don't need to fit into a specific mold of masculinity or genius to be a hero because in the end, those things don't matter. It's being true to yourself, your beliefs and your dreams and what you choose to do with those abilities that counts.

I loved how Butterfly, who is physically the strongest in the group, always takes on the tougher tasks such as facing the army of tedious mooks to let those younger than her forge a path ahead. She never forgets her responsibility as an adult to protect the kids but she also encourages them to move forward because she fully believes in them like a good adult would.

I loved how Majesty comes to understand that though she's meant to inherit Cure Noble's will and power and position as Skyland's princess, it's not her destiny to inherit Elleelain's loneliness. And the whole reason that she started out as a baby but was able to grow and become Precure was because she was surrounded by the right people who brought out that potential in her. For Ellee-chan, being with her friends and fighting alongside them was the bigger, more important destiny than her duty was.

Finally, the star duo of the show.

Sky was given stronger MC vibes than the other cast members but you can't deny that she wouldn't have gotten this far without Prism by her side.

Sora's idea of what it means to be hero expanded a lot because she became friends with Mashiro.

She has come to treasure Mashiro so much that when she was on the brink of losing her best friend, she let Skearhead corrupt her in order to have enough power to save that best friend. She was willing to sacrifice herself for someone important to her, which in a way, can be seen as an act of heroism (but only as a last resort, plz do not attempt).

And even then, Sky kept resisting from being taken over. Prism didn't even flinch when Sky aimed a punch at her. That's how much Mashiro believes in Sora, in the hero that Sora is. That even if Sora accepted darkness into herself to do the right thing, she won't ever let that darkness consume her into doing the wrong thing.

And the fact that it was Prism who had the ability to not only purify Sky but also heal Kaiserin's centuries-old wound. She's come a long way herself from the girl who used to think she was talentless, who didn't believe she had anything special going for her.

"You are good as you are now, Mashiro-san."

What Sora said was true until the very end. Mashiro didn't ever need to change. She was already good enough and she was always going to become even better than how she started out because she was always being inspired and supported by those around her and challenging herself to do things she initially hesitated on doing.

Now she's continually drawing new stories, even winning an award for one. Even her Prism Shot evolved and multiplied as an attack and it's all because she learned to believe in herself because all her friends believed in her.

This is essentially what sets Precure apart from the others, what makes it the major name it is in modern day mahou shoujo.

I cannot begin to describe how glad I am that the staff at Toei reinforced those aspects of friendship as well as the celebration of individualism in a milestone year. But I can definitely say with confidence that we can expect to see more well into the franchise's 30th anniversary as long they don't forget these two very crucial things.

As for me, I think this will be the last time I blog Precure on a "regular" basis.

I'll still continue to watch cuz hey, there's no reason for me to stop yet.

(and all the more reason to not stop if Satoru and Daifuku become the next two male Cures in WonPre OMGI'MSOGONNAJINXTHISAREN'TIBWUAHAHAHAHA!!!)

But my priorities have shifted so I gotta tend to those foremost. And as much as I enjoy the show, I feel like I'm always saying the same stuff over and over again anyway, just in different variations of it.

(also, something about WonPre tells me the next four years will be filled with hit-or-miss seasons so meh, I'd rather just follow it leisurely than get too invested and then disappointed)

On another note, I do have some personal rankings that I'd like to post some day. I was going to do it for the 20th anniversary but didn't have time to cuz life got way too hectic and busy but yea, eventually I'll have them up.

Just for fun, y'know.

Ok, that is all.

Thank you, my hero girls and boy! You made this season so wonderful hahahaha, good luck, WonPre for me and I can't be grateful enough for it.

Thank you for a beautiful anniversary! Let's aim for the next!

25th year with 100+ Precure!

Let's gooooooooooooo!!!

[diamondcitydarlin]

I watched Damsel last night and oh my god, loved it!!! The visuals and writing kinda brought back those Game of Thrones glory days feels and I love the trope of woman who is wearing nice dress gradually disfigures it as she has to survive and become a bad ass, and the bond with the dragon !!! The themes about the destructive nature of patriarchy and classism !!!

I did have a couple of notes, but these are things that I don't know would've gotten a good answer/resolution within a two hour or so movie run time but I think they're interesting nonetheless;

Like okay, am I the only person who kinda felt bad for Prince Henry in a way? I can't have been the only one. I'm not saying he in any way deserves to 'get the girl' in the end or should have saved her or even have had a different ending, but I sympathized for him a little regardless. He did, of course, participate in his family's ritual sacrifice of at least two girls, but the impression is very much given that he has been taught to do little else than what his mother and kingdom bids him to do. He clearly doesn't want to be part of this in any way, and does of course end up pleading Flora's case (not that this absolves him, he was quick enough to dismiss those other sacrifices when suggesting he wanted to marry Elodie anyway lmaoo) and when he does his mother bitingly calls him 'weak'. I just have to wonder how he was groomed growing up to one day do this, how often he must have been told that it was his 'duty' and 'for the good of the kingdom' and thought he was prepared to be STRONG like his forefathers ('strong' here meaning willing to sacrifice innocent women, of course) but when the time came he wasn't as ready as he thought he'd be or, really, at all. In fact, I'm not really arguing his ending here because I think it's significant that he's consumed in the dragon's flame by the end, the result of his male ancestor's entitlement and violence. I think there's something being said here about how the patriarchy consumes and destroys the men within it, too maybe, like Elodie's father's death. Idk I guess I'm just trying to say I felt bad for him despite everything lmao, which begs the question of what he might have done differently to save himself from the inevitable end? Or if he even could?

I'm a little shocked there wasn't more to the healing glow worms lmao. This is probably the only place in the film I feel like there's a weakness or a hole, because I was thinking that she'd use them to restore the dragon's children to life (I mean, they presumably restored the dragon's EYE so like??? maybe it's possible??) and that would break the curse and restore all the women who died to life as well, because I thought their spirits were being contained in the glow worms!!! I really thought all that was going on! I think it should have been tbh, imagine all those women getting a second chance at life and going back with Elodie and dragon lady to her land or whatever! Maybe a little saccharine and convenient but it's what I wanted lol

Anyway those are my sort of outlier weird thoughts, on the whole it's a very good film and reminds me a lot of films from the 80's-early 00's, it's cool to see a kind of return to that style of unironic fantasy adventure. Highly recommend, 11/10 stars

[alyszaen]

~ "phonecall" - seungmin x chichi ~

embedding in time: maxident era word count: 1.2k words summary: seungmin and chichi get an important phonecall, and where did chan go? warnings: angst, some fluff disclaimer: Chichi is an O/C invented by @chiskz who gave me explicit permission to create and post this.

Do not repost or translate my work. Reblog or comment if you liked it. Let me know what you enjoyed.

Everbody had gathered around the living area. Felix was pacing, Seungmin, Jeongin and Hyunjin were trying to comfort the distraught Chichi, Jisung tried to distract Changbin, who was standing in the corner of the room and Minho was trying to calm everyone down.

"He'll be back soon. Stop worrying.", Minhos words were ignored. "What if he got hurt? He's been gone so long. Or what if something else happened. The only reason he's out there is because of what I told him. Oh my god what do we do?" Felix was clearly not going to calm down anytime soon, his hands shaking.

Earlier that day the younger australian had noticed how unhappy Chichi was, seeing her crying in her room, her face buried in her hands and her knees pulled to her chest. The only reason why he noticed in the first place, was because her door wasn't fully closed, allowing him to peek inside. He was torn, but ended up walking up to her to give her a chance to explain what was going on. It was obvious that she needed comfort. Do you know that feeling, when you are already on the verge of everything spilling out and then someone asks you what is wrong? Well, that is exactly what happened. The oldest member broke down and told Felix about all of her worries and fears. Her heart was broken, clearly. She wanted to hug Changbin and tell him how she felt, but the fake relationship she had to keep up with Seungmin made that impossible. It would only complicate things within the group and she really did not want to risk that.

It's not like she didn't get along with the young man. They took their dating situation as a chance to finally bond and learned quite a bit about eachother. He was the first person she told about her feelings for the dark rapper, hoping he would be supportive and help the young woman through it. And he was. Whenever staff tried to find a way for SeungChi shippers to get some content, Seungmin did his best to get Ichi close to Changbin. YouTube ended up filled with tons of compilations like "Seungmin being the biggest ChangChi supporter". A lot of Stays were happy for SeungChi, while others were distraught at the situation. Ichi got a lot of hate since the reveal that they were dating - most of them calling her a Cheater whenever she was seen hanging out with Changbin.

Overall Seungmin honestly became a very close friend to her. They watched some dramas together and just enjoyed eachothers calm. When the other boys would want to have a conversation whenever they hung out, these two were able to just be in one anothers company without having to share many words. There was always some sort of peace that came with sharing a space with Seungmin. And as much as all of the boys tried to understand the stress she was under, nobody could sympathize with her as well as the young singer, because he was in the same situation.

Felix knew he had to tell Chris about how he saw her cry. They couldn't keep this act up. Ichi and Seungmin were originally okay with the plan, even joking about it, but it has gotten bad enough to make her cry, so he felt like he was left with no choice. He went up to his fellow Australian and told him straight up. He explained about what Chichi had told him and it only took the leader one glance into her room through the still parted door to confirm his plan. Chan didn't say a word to anyone when he grabbed his jacket and keys and stormed out of the dorms.

And that's how they ended up in this spot. Everyone worried for his safety and unsure about where he went and what he was doing. He wasn't answering their calls and it was late in the day, so the sun had already set. Seoul wasn't the most safe city. Felix told Chichi that he informed Chan about what they talked about - leaving out that she shared her feelings for one of the rappers - that was something she needed to talk about in her own time. Knowing this didn't stop her from feeling anxious, though.

Considering that the entire drama involved her fake boyfriend, she told Seungmin about her little emotional outburst a few hours ago, too.

Everyone else only knew that he left without saying a word, no idea of the possible reason for his spontaneous trip.

"I'm sure he's fine! He's probably just grabbing-", the maknae was interruped by the sound of the front door closing. The man of the hour just walked in as if he wasn't gone for two hours without letting anybody know why or where he went.

Everyone huddled around him, asking him if he was okay and where he ran off to, but Chris ignored all of them. He turned to the couple, "Do you have your phones?" Both Seungmin and Ichi nodded. "Good.", the leader gave everyone a small smile and left to go to his bedroom, locking the door behind him and successfully leaving his eight dumbfounded members behind.

There was no chance for anyone to voice their shock, because almost immediately after their leader disappeared they heard a phone ring. The music playing indicated that it was Seungmins device. He picked it up, responding to the end of the line with a few approving sounds. After thanking whoever had called him he hung up again, smiling at the oldest. The call lasted mere seconds.

Everyones confusion increased when Chichis phone also started playing her ringtone. Hyunjin yelled, "Put it on speaker!", so she did what was asked, courious about the reason for the call, herself. "Good evening, miss. After a long discussion about the future of Stray Kids with your leader, we have decided to announce the end of your relationship with Seungmin. An article is in the works as we speak and will be publicated tomorrow morning."

Everything was quiet. Chichi barely noticed when Jeongin grabbed her phone out of her hand and thanked their manager, hanging up the call for her. Changbin, who was still standing further away from the group stared at the girl, his eyes blown wide.

The now broken up fake couple turned towards eachother. As soon as their eyes met, big grins could be found on their faces.

Chichi giggled, "I'm sorry, boyfriend, but I think it's best if we break up." "Shut up, old woman!", Seungmin responded almost instantly.

Everyone broke out into giggles. Even Chan, who left his room to join the others a few minutes ago to see the scene unfolding, joined in. The only person that still hadn't reacted in any way was Changbin. A little shiver visibly ran through his body, as if to physically shake off the shock, and he finally walked to her. His strong arms found their way around her back, his body pressed into hers. The rapper rested his head between her shoulder and neck and gave her a strong squeeze. "Binnie, I can't breathe.", Ichi smiled, but he couldn't see that. He pulled her into him even tighter, feeling like a weight fell from his chest. His eyes were glossy, so he closed them.

"I don't care. I need this."

Taglist: @longingpurity, @hyujinnie1, @sensitiveandhungry, @minvho, @skz-jisoo, @minnie-kittie, @zoe8stay, @l3visbby, @bbyquokka Feel free to let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist!

[lovelywritersgarden]

A Bumpy Ride

PAIRING: Izuku Midoriya x Fem!Reader

WC: 2742

SYNOPSIS: First, your dinner plans get cancelled, then a villain attacks your train ride home. God, today kinda sucks.

WARNINGS: Villain attack, violence, swearing (bakugo is there so i feel like that’s a given, but i’ll put it anyways), Mentions of injury/slight gore, simp midoriya (what’s new).

———————————————————————————

You stood on the 6 o’clock train with your left hand clutching the handle that hung from the ceiling. As it was the evening train, there were only about 8 people in your vicinity. The floor rattled under your feet with the turns, and each body shifted with its strong movements. You pulled your phone out, and read the messages with a smitten smile. (you’re such a sucker for him.)

——

Izuku <3

Sorry I can’t make it to dinner tonight, but I’ll be home as soon as possible! Wait up for me, I’ll grab takeout on the way home from patrol. :)

Thanks izu <3, I'm on the train home from work right now, and I’m gonna stop for cat food. Do you want me to grab anything for you from the market?

Stop distracting him, you shithead extra

heyyy katsuki :))

Die

no u

Sorry N/N!! Kacchan got my phone again. I have to go, but stay up, I will make it worth your while ;) !! I love you!

haha I love you too, stay safe izu.

Stay safe yourself, N/N :)

—-

Things between you and Izuku have been going strong for about two years now. It was honestly wonderful. He always made sure to make extra time for you, especially when plans got canceled because of emergencies like this one. Dating as a hero can be difficult, but he makes sure that you’re aware how much of a priority you are to him.

He had gotten called in as extra force on patrol due to recent rumors of a large villain attack. So, he had to begrudgingly cancel your dinner plans.

You and Izuku met waaayy back when you both attended UA. You were not really cut out for hero work, but your affinity for technology allowed you to make top of the line gadgets for them! The support course was where Midoriya spoke to you for the first time. He stuttered over himself to ask if you could repair a piece of his suit. It was all uphill from there. Now, you help build tools, gadgets and suits working as a mechanic for a hero agency in downtown Tokyo.

Both of you working at nearby hero agencies definitely has its perks. Oftentimes, you see each other on the job, you almost always have a ride to work, and can sympathize with each other's work problems. Izuku values you like the Earth values the sun. fan behavior tbh. He couldn’t imagine a world without you in it, and each day he strives to treat you right. Such a softie.

So here you stood, adjusting your grip on the train handle and on your way to the market. You had a single earbud in and you were blasting music, tapping your finger to the beat. You scrolled through social media trying to pass the time, when the train suddenly jostled and the lights flickered. Your head snapped up and your grip tightened onto the handle. People began to frantically murmur and the emergency lights flashed on.

Uh. what the hell?

The train heavily shook once more.

Shit! What is that? An Earthquake?!

Unfortunately, your question was answered. On the outside of the train was a large tentacle that wrapped itself around the train car you were inside of. People began screaming, shaking and crying as the car of your train was disconnected from the track. You pulled up Izuku’s contact as the train was jostled around.

Calling Izuku <3….. Call Declined.

You know keeps his phone off whenever he’s on patrol, but hell it’s worth a shot.

Calling Izuku <3….. Call Declined.

‘Shit. Come on Izuku. I need you right now.’

Calling Katsuki…..

‘Come on Come on Come on.’

Accepted.

“What the hell are-”

“Katsuki! There’s a villain on th- AH SHIT”

The villain turned the car on its side, and people began to grip their seats, handles or poles in order to stop themselves from sliding down to the bottom. You held dangling from the handle and propped your legs against the car’s ceiling in order to become steady. You heard one of the children on the train begin to cry.

“What? Hell, hang on Y/N. We will get you out of there. DEKU!”

“Katsuki, I need- AH!”

The handle couldn’t hold the weight of your suspended body and tore from the ceiling. You dropped your phone somewhere and fell to the bottom of the car. You spun around midair so it was your back that slammed against the metal door, taking the brute of the fall. However, that didn’t stop you from hitting your head against the small window at the top, shattering it, but not breaking through.

With vertigo clouding your senses, you tried to sit up, but the shaking of the train car made it near impossible. Your eyes shook and your head pounded. You felt a stickiness cover your fingers and clump your hair together.

Damn. I was having a good hair day too. What a bummer. Oh also the fact the train is IN THE FUCKING AIR RIGHT NOW.

The villain peered inside of the window. He observed each of his victims meticulously, and with a curl of his lip, he began to shake the train once more, causing you to smack against the ceiling and land on your forearms with a groan. Tomorrow is going to hurt.

This was the first good look you got at the villain. He was someone you’d never seen before, skinny, very tall, a mess of dirty red hair sat on his head and eyes that pierced red and induced fear in whoever fell under their gaze. He was scarred up and he had a sadistic smile on his face. Oh, he also had eight MASSIVE black tentacles sprouted from his sides.

The other members of the train lay strewn about on the seats. Two teenage boys were flopped over the seats, the metal arm resting uncomfortably under one’s torso. The younger girl who was with them was clutching her knees as tears streamed down her face. C’mon man. They’re just kids.Two middle aged women held onto each other on the floor of the train. An older gentleman who sat next to his wife reached his arm out to help you. He opened his mouth but before he could speak, the villain began his monologue. ugh.

“Each of you represents something more than what you are.”

Oh brother.

“Today you symbolize the faults of the beloved, pathetic heroes in our city.”

Your head throbbed and you sat up, pressing yourself against the wall. You closed your eyes as you involuntarily listened to this asshole rant.

“The heroes failed me time and again. And today, they will fail you.”

“Please sir, I-I have grandchildren at home.” The elderly man quivered.

“I don’t believe I care. You have the ability to be much more significant to me.”

His tentacles moved so he was right outside the door you were leaning on. You tried to ignore your probably concussed pounding head and swiftly slid away from the door as he ripped it off of the car.

“Hello, dear,” The villain said to the little girl as she quivered. She looked up at him. Her brother stepped in front of her. “You know, I always wanted children. However, I was unable to after your pathetic heroes failed to save me, leaving me mutilated and ugly.” He motioned to a scar on his face.

“Maybe you can’t get a girlfriend because you trap innocent people on trains. Leave my sister alone. She’s just a kid.” The aforementioned teenager only looked about 14. However, he shakily stood in front of her and put his arm out. “She didn’t do anything wrong!”

Awe. He’s kinda like young Izuku.

The villain glared daggers as his face morphed into a look of disgust. One of his tentacles moved to violently grab at the boy.

“Oy!” You yelled. “Pick on someone your own size you Ursula knock off.” His head snapped in your direction.

“Tch.” He reached towards you and grabbed your lanyard around your neck that held your keys. “Of course.” He motioned to the logo of your hero agency. “The mouthy ones always work for scum.”

One of his slimy black tentacles slid towards you and wrapped itself around your neck, lifting you off the ground. You choked out a gasp and your hands clawed at the appendage in a futile attempt to get free.

Black spotted around your vision.

“Awe. Not so mouthy now, are you sweetheart?”

You felt the pressure from the tentacle stopping air from flowing through and your arms slowly began to give up, falling as you lost consciousness.

Fuck, help.

—

“OY!” Katsuki said, jogging to catch up with the green themed hero. He looked at his phone and saw the call with Y/N.

L/N Y/N……. Call Disconnected.

“Shit.”

“What-“

“No time, Y/N’s in danger.”

Their earpieces went off simultaneously.

bzz. “Villain with an octopus quirk currently attacking the 6:00 PM Train in Tokyo.” bzz.

‘No.’ Midoriya thought. He immediately began running towards the scene, Bakugo following close behind.

—-

Green lightning surrounded Deku as he pounced from building to building, begging time to slow down enough for him to catch up to you.

He continued on his way, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios about your state. Landing on the rooftop across from the train tracks, he was about to jump right in, when a thick glove grabbed his shoulder.

“Keep your head on straight, or you will be taken off this, Deku.” Bakugo said.

Izuku didn’t say anything.

“We will get her out of there, but you need to stay level headed or more people will get hurt, including her. Don’t be an idiot.”

He reluctantly nods in response. He knows Bakugo is right, he just can’t seem to push down the anxiety that this situation is causing. He took a breath, pushed back his hair, and assessed the situation in front of him.

The villain stood in the middle of the train car with a few of his long tentacles harshly grasping onto the outside of the train and pressed against a nearby building to hold it steady above the tracks. The man was inside, bending over to speak to a quivering little girl, and you! You were sitting on the ground with your head back against a wall.

“We have to get that train car stabilized. If we go in and take him down it will fall with the civilians still inside.” Bakugo said, crossing his arms.

The young boy stepped in front of the little girl and held out a protective arm in front of her and said something that the heroes couldn’t make out.

“I’m not sure how we’re supposed to do that, we are already so short handed.” Izuku said. “I think our best bet is to get the civilians out first. They’re the priority.”

Bakugo glares in Deku’s direction.

“If we screw up, the train falls and kills those people and potentially hurts more. Wait for backup.” He says.

Midoriya clenches his fists, but agrees. That is, until the villain wraps his tentacle around your throat.

“Y/N!” Izuku watches as the color slips from your cheeks and your arms go limp. Bakugo’s eyes go wide, and he doesn’t stop Deku from jumping in your direction. But Midoriya would never risk your life. So his eyes dart around the scene and he shifts his direction to the ground directly underneath the train car. He calculates his timing, and pulls back his fist. He directs his arm at the large slimy tentacle that was propping the car up from the ground, and with green lightning and a resolved “SMASH!”, he hit the tentacle.

Immediately after the stabilization of the train car had been tampered with, Deku shot up in the air to meet it. He flattened his palms against the bottom, and albeit shakily, he softened the collision of the car enough for everyone inside to only be shaken.

After he set the car back onto the tracks, Katsuki jumped to the car.

“Well that was dangerous.” Katsuki muttered.

In retaliation to the two heroes approach, the villain wrapped two of his tentacles around the teenage passengers.

“Let the kids go, asshole.” Katsuki said, eyeing the inside of the train car for any advantage he could take over this guy.

“Ah, Pro-Hero Dynamite! What a pleasure.” Katsuki quirked (haha get it) an eyebrow, and made eye contact with him.

“Cut the bullshit. What do you want?”

He narrowed his eyes.

“Ever the conversationalist, Dynamite. I want the world to stop their baseless devotion to pathetic heroes. like you.” He spat out his words with venom. He tightened his tentacle around the torsos of the boys.

Deku slid in behind Bakugo, and tried to keep a calm, strong glare at the villain, but his eyes kept shifting to your figure. You were still unconscious on the ground. That is not good for someone who is possibly concussed.

“Tch. What do you think this will do? Villains do worse than this every day, and lose. This is baseless.”

“I will be the outlier.”

“Put the kids down.” Midoriya said.

“Ah, the number one hero. The day has come in which I will ruin the high ground that allows- why do you keep looking at her?” this villain is such an attention whore. Midoriya’s breath caught in his throat. He swallowed.

‘Dammit. My attention was split. C’mon Deku! Rookie mistake.’

“She’s the most injured. She takes precedence.”

The villain looked at Deku with a glare that shot down all of Midoriya’s efforts. He’s not buying it. In order to direct his thinking, Deku stepped forward.

“Let the civilians go, your problem is with us, not them.” He put his hands out.

The villain let out a low, psychotic laugh, invoking fear.

“The virtuous hero makes a valiant effort to sacrifice himself for their precious civilians. Tch.”

“It’s our job. Protecting them because they haven’t done anything wrong.” Dynamite said.

“I DIDNT DO ANYTHING WRONG EITHER! I had a good life. A stable job, a fiancé I made the mistake of idolizing the likes of you. But all that went away once you heroes failed to do your job.”

His grip tightened around the boys.

“Put them down now!” Katsuki reeled back, ready to throw a punch at the villain.

“No.” He pulled his tentacles tighter. “Look at this. We have an audience!” He smiled at the media outlets that were recording from a safe distance outside the train. “This will be perf-”

While he had his head turned, Katsuki jumped at the villain, taking him off guard. He hit him with a solid right hook, used his foot to launch himself off the ground, swung his leg around the villains head and kicked downward. The villain’s head hit the metal with a resounding ‘donk!’ and was reduced to unconsciousness.

That was so anticlimactic. What the hell.

You groaned as Midoriya lifted you onto his back in a piggy-back style encouraging the young girl to follow, as she luckily didn’t have any immediate injuries. Bakugo took the two boys and assisted the women off. Midoriya stood at the bottom and helped the remaining car members off the track first, and then ran you over to a paramedic.

—-

The next morning, you finally got dismissed by the paramedics with strict instructions of bed rest. Izuku insisted on taking care of you, and the coddling this man can do.

Since your apartment was only a couple blocks away, you had permission to walk. Izuku was not a fan of you moving in any way that can result in injury. Therefore, he held all of your belongings, from your backpack to your wallet, he didn’t want an ounce of weight for you to carry.

“How are you feeling?” He said with a tinge of pity.

“Izu, I already told you! I am just a bit sore. You heard what the doctor said, bed rest is just a precaution. I will be okay my love.” You put a hand against his face.

When you arrived at your shared apartment, he hurried to the stairs in order to help you each step of the way. He opened the door for you and help you up past the final step. You smiled and laughed a bit him.

“Oh my god! Wait Izuku.” Alarms rang off in his head and he began frantically searching you for injuries.

“What? Did I hurt you when I helped you up? I’m so sorry Y/-”

“No! Izuku nothing like that.” You grabbed his hands. “But yesterday I never got to go to the market, we still need cat food. Don’t take the train.” You lightly hit him on the chest. “Have fun!”

———————————————————————————

A/N: Yeah, I rewatched Bullet Train again which inspired the train crash, and I feel like there’s not enough Midoriya stuff out there. I’m getting back into my bnha phase with this one but that’s okay- also guys keep your eyes peeled for a new Katsuki Bakugo x Reader series! Cant wait for this, thanks for reading! <3

[fireemblems24]

Azure Gleam Ch 7

Man . . . my "only use one unit" thing is really going to make this . . . interesting. . . .

STORY

Man, I use Dimitri, Rodrigue, and Dedue. And now all 3 are gone. Nooo. Whyyyyy. That's ok. I'll just grind Ingrid, Sylvain, and Felix up a few levels if I can't catch them up bc Dimitri's MIA. If I can just give them a few levels, we'll be good lol.

So Sreng caused trouble, but not as much as it sounded like. Relief that Sylvain's dad is ok.

Yeah, they're luring Dimitri into something, aren't they? Cornelia? Is this why Dimitri's MIA? Story stuff.

Shez is like let's go Felix. I agree.

Unless this soldier is a liar.

Love seeing Felix get to call shots for real though.

Sylvain's like we have to get to Dimitri. Felix says Dimitri manages to give him a headache when he's not even around, lamo. Accurate. The Dimilix is strong in this one and I'm not angry about it.

MAP/SIDE BATTLE

Yep, like I thought, Rodrigue, Dedue, and Dimitri are gone. But I CAN level anyone up to 30 where Dimitri is, so I'm fine. I'll just give Shez and co a little boost. Plus, it's a good excuse to use Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain a bit. Mercedes too.

"King Awakens" is the chapter name. Looking forward to this. Something is obviously about to go down. I'm worried though. This is obviously a parallel to the AM chapter where Dimitri retakes Fhirdiad in AM, so what happens this time then?

Kinda torn about this. Some of me wants it to be another "Dimitri the good king" kinda moment, like a big positive growth thing going on for him. But another part of me wants Dimitri's proper villain arc. But I just don't see that happening unless they killed off Dedue and Rodrigue, but if that happened, I would've gotten more comments. Either way, I'm stoked about this.

Petra's thoughts on Sreng is interesting, esp since she called it peace between Brigid and the Empire despite her not willingly being there.

Man, I feel there is just so much more going on in this route than the other two, with Miklain, the mystery of what's happened to Dimitri, drama with Sreng and the Empire that's a consistent threat (and not like what just happened in GW).

Duke Ifan sounds like a badass, people are like "no way she'd let someone invade." I wish we'd get to see her, but since she's a woman she won't get a unique face, that's reserved for Dads only.

Felix's dialogue was interesting. It starts like he's repeating one of Dimitri's lines about the dead and ends with him understanding and sympathizing with Dimitri more now that he knows what it's like to lead.

I'm really interested to see where this leads for those two. I'm so happy Felix is getting all this attention. Man, my Dimilix heart is loving AG so far.

Of course it's Cornelia and the Western lords. They're the reason we haven't heard from Dimitri :(

So that bitch threatened the people and Dimitri surrendered to protect them 😭😭😭😭😭 Of course he did.

But if they haven't heard from Rodrigue or Dedue, that means they got away. Gilbert is probably ok too.

Will Dimitri still have two eyes after this? Or is he going to get one taken out again 😭😭😭

Shez is so worried 😭😭😭

Felix called him "our fearless leader" that's not the first time I don't think. You know, I'll take that over boar.

So we'll be doing the prison break this time. Cornelia better not have hurt him unlike last time. Or that this doesn't cause him to "snap," because this is like the only route that's different so far. I love that story line, but I want something new.

Oh, Dimitri. I wish he would just behead Cornelia. He could crush her head with his hands probably. You know the only reason he's not is to protect his people 😭😭😭😭😭

Rodrigue and Dedue are trying 😭😭 Don't worry, Felix, Shez, and everyone are coming.

She's boasting that she'll hang Dimitri in front of all of them. God, I can't wait to kill her. And get Dedue, Rodrigue, and Dimitri back.

I reallllly am dying to see this reunion. Felix is going to let Dimitri hear it lamo.

Lamo, Dimitri's like "I almost appreciate such bald faced sadism." Cornelia's like "such flirting."

She's also like "you deserve this for reforming things." What a bitch.

You know Dimitri is probably blaming himself for this. For pissing off the Western lords, who are unquestionably awful. Someone get in there before he gets too far into his own head 😭😭 Well, someone other than Cornelia, who sure loves to gloat. She's so evil. I love it.

Dimitri gets all the best villains Cornelia (hammy fun villain) and Edelgard (interesting, personal, complex villain) are wayyyy more cool than "exists" Nemesis and CF!Rhea (Rhea is awesome, but my God they made her one-dimensional in CF). Not gonna lie, though, it would be nice for Dimitri to get to punch TWSITD as a whole out on purpose and hoping this game will let him.

Catherine just mentioned Shamir. Is her girlfriend showing up soon? Please tell me they have supports in this game.

Poor Ashe's like "our King is suicidal." Poor dude can't catch a break this game.

Sylvain's ready to lecture Dimitri about his recklessness. Good.

SYLVAIN & MERCEDES B SUPPORT

This is their only one. I'm bummed.

The boys and girls are flirting!!

Mercedes is engaged? To someone from Gautier? It's just her father again.

Mercedes has no interest in this guy. It would've been pretty funny if she got engaged to some random guy lol.

Mercedes is a confirmed heart breaker, getting tons of proposals.

Sylvain just proposed to Mercedes lamo. He's offering to marry her just to block anyone else so Mercedes can live how she wants. 😭

HOW THE FUCK IS THAT THEIR ONLY SUPPORT 😭😭😭😭😭

They had, 1, 1 support, and it was a better romance story than most novels. 😭😭😭

The background music was so romantic too.

Guys, I propose all the Blue Lions just enter a poly marriage together, then I won't have to ever sort out all my ships.

SHEZ & INGRID B SUPPORT

So far just talking about some mercenary crew. Shez's old captain used to be in there.

This merc was super loyal to a noble and would help out with even farming and building stuff. Wonder where this is going.

Shez's whole point to this was telling Ingrid no one is tied to their role and can do what they want. The whole Ingrid struggling with being a noble and knight.

Oh, cool! Ingrid's grandmother knew Tobias. Nice tie in.

SYLVAIN & INGRID B SUPPORT

Oh, this is their first one!!!

Sylvain brought up someone acting up and Ingrid suspects Sylvain is talking about himself lamo. He's not.

Ingrid is just satisfied as fuck, because Sylvain now has to deal with someone like she used to have to deal with him, lamo.

Sylvain feels pressure to feel like the mature one of the group. Ah, that's cannon!!! Everyone always suspected he felt like he had to be the older brother to everyone.

Ingrid is just soaking this in. Queen deserves it.

Awww, Ingrid said she would've just abandoned him if she was really miserable and actually seemed to enjoy covering for Sylvain, on some level.

Basically the whole "we aren't kida nymore. We've grown up, hunh." Stuff. I love it. This is why you end up loving all of the Faerghus Four. Because they all build off each other soooo much.

HAPI & BERNADETTA C SUPPORT

Bernie's bug hunting. And when Hapi talks to her assumes Hapi's trying to kill her for no reason. So typical. Bernie is this close to being a good character is the game took her seriously.

They both enjoy carnivorous plants. I think Hapi just likes eating them though lamo.

Yep these two are not having the same conversation.

SHEZ & MERCEDES B SUPPORT

They worked together, and now are having a tea party together. Shez wanted to go out to eat. But Mercie is a lady of class and wants tea.

Mercie likes her sweets.

Ohhhh, Shez's mom incoming. The treats reminds Shez of something her mom used to make.

Sounds like Shez's mom lived the #cottagecore life, picking food from trees to make and living in a forest.

I think Mercie wants to live in the past days. She asks if Shez wants to and seems like she misses living with her mom 😭😭😭

Mercie. No. Why do all your supports get the sad face?

SHEZ & SYLVAIN B SUPPORT

Sylvain's studying magic hardcore. Probably to try and fix the Crest only gets access to super weapon thing.

Also gets to be the Sylvain is actually smart support.

Oh, classic fantasy trope, learning how to weaponize fireworks. Mat Cauthon says hi, Sylvain.

Sylvain's out here about to invent guns to Crests are useless. Empire, you guys are up shit creek if Sylvain invents guns, lamo.

I want guns, AG only route where everyone gets guns and this game ends realllllll fast.

Miklain and Sylvain have different moms?

Sylvain admires Sreng. Good. That's promising for the future.

Oh, Shez is actually smart! Recognizing that when the king shows power (lends Sylvain's family soldiers), then everyone else loses power.

Sylvain loves the Kingdom 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 he's like "he's a half-frozen stretch of dirt, but it's MY half-frozen stretch of dirt. And only home I've got."

Eat shit every "Sylvain makes so much sense in CF" person.

SHEZ & ASHE B SUPPORT

More Shez's mom talk. She thinks her mom was weird and mysterious.

Mystery mom was really smart, knew a lot, and knew magic.

I'm glad some of these are actually about Shez. Helps flesh her out so much. I actually really like Shez.

Awww, Ashe is going to help Shez investigate. Because he knows how it feels. Poor baby looked for info on his parents and couldn't find much. 😭😭😭

Blue Lions need a "sadness incoming" warning on all their supports, ISTG. Or maybe I'm just way too attached lamo.

Ashe is willing to visit the village with Shez in the future to help her find her mom.

This was so fucking wholesome, guys. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

SETETH & FLAYN B SUPPORT

I cannot believe they don't have an A support. Whyyyyy?

Seteth is like "Flayn, you're making yourself useful! How dare you!"

Man, it's weird hearing her call him brother.

Ok, I'll cut Seteth some slack. He's terrified Flayn will fall into an endless sleep again. Poor dude. Right when he lost his wife too.

This support would be so confusing to someone who didn't play Houses.

😭😭😭😭😭😭 Flayn is afraid of sleeping because of this. Poor, baby.

Oh, finally! She called him father 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Poor baby Flayn just wants peace.

They're also so scared of what will happen if they lose the war. Oh, God, I can't keep playing Edelgard's route.

"If I lost you, I'd love the very meaning of my life." - Seteth to Flayn.

Flayn's like I'll eventually grow up, dad. lol. But she won't leave him all alone.

Don't worry, Seteth. I will literally never leave you supportless.

MAIN BATTLE/STORY

Hyped for this one, guys.

I don't want to deal with Cornelia's weapons, ugh.

RODRIGUE AND GUSTAVE ARE OK 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Ifan is alright too. She sounds badass.

But what about Dedue? And Dimitri?

Man, Rodrigue is such a badass.

Western Lords aren't alone. Let me guess, TWSITD? And those two are creating a diversion?

Annette told Felix off, lamo. Saying they need to go help them out. But Felix just wants to rescue Dimitri.

But they know Dimitri won't leave the prison until the people are safe.

Ashe mentioning Dedue. All the points. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

See Felix take command like that does things to me.

Dedue and Rodrigue!!! They're back 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Cut scene in the middle of a battle.

Dimitri's like why did you show up. Idiot. He won't leave though 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 He's too worried about the people. Plus, he's Dimitri, so.

He's like Idk if I die. Dedue is like shut the fuck up, Dimitri. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 "I will not allow it." (is what he actually said and holy hell in a deep, badass voice) Dedue just told Dimitri off. Good. So now we know that Dedue can and will push Dimitri around if need be.

And then hand holding a spear. Because that's not suggestive.

Oh, badass Dimitri in the cut scene. And Dedue got a moment.

OMG. Guys, is that fanservice? I think I just got fanserviced.

They somehow made it Dimilix and Dimidue in the same scene.

Ok, but this game has been serving Dimilix, but can we note Dimitri didn't take Felix's hand? Dedue had to like storm in and put his hand over Dimitri's and force him to pick up the weapon? And it was DEDUE who made Dimitri change his mind? Felix got to lead the mission. Both getting the spotlight.

Guys, like, I need to rewatch that like a thousand times. Because we also can't skip the Dimitri and Dedue being complete badasses afterwards shots.

DIMITRI'S BACK. I CAN USE HIM AGAIN. Ohmygod I forgot how strong he is. 37 strength. WTF Dimitri.

Margrave Gautier just showed up. Holy hell this is epic.

Wait, Cornelia just talked about tearing Dimitri's eyes out. Does this confirm that bitch took his eye in Houses?

Dimitri finished her off with Atrocity. Seems fitting.

Cornelia's like don't kill me! Or the truth will never be known. Dimitri's like ofc, bitch.

So Cornelia arranged most of the pieces of the Duscur. So glad Dimitri's finally getting to ask all these questions 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Edelgard knows what happened to Patricia? Or is Cornelia blowing smoke?

This bitch is about to warp, ugh. Though, that means I get to kill her again, so not too upset.

Man, is AG really going to focus on Dimitri discovering the truth about Duscur and fighting TWSITD because if that's the whole plot . . . I'm so happy 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

But like, why does Dimitri get the whole new plot? Edelgard and Claude are getting crumbs. Oh well.

Dimitri, Rodrigue, and Dedue have rejoined you. Helllll yesss.

Dimitri ready to go after Cornelia. But Felix saying to chill.

Ohhhh Felix got words for Dimitri this time. He's yelling at Dimitri for taking on too much by himself. Calling Dimitri out for not listening.

Ingrid's like, Felix stop. Felix isn't listening.

Dimitri just called killing Rufus "murder." Like stawp. Dimitri, it's self-defense at that point. I swear to God Dimitri would find a way to blame himself for cancer 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

He didn't choose any of this 😭😭😭😭😭😭

He wants to take all the guilt for Edelgard's and Rufus's and TWSITD's actions. Baby, no. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Felix is telling everyone else to tell Dimitri to knock it off lol.

OMG, I'm so glad for this scene. They're all telling Dimitri not to shoulder everything alone. 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Guys, this is the missing scene from AM that I was desperate for.

Guys, this route is like 10000000x better than the other two.

I need to write some kind of hybrid AG/AM route.

Cornelia's in pain. Good. She's getting the Western lords whipped into a frenzy lamo.

And you know what, no Byleth or Jeralt! I'm so fucking tired of them showing up every. single. battle. Good on AG to knock that off for at least 1 chapter. It gets fucking old.

God, this chapter. I'm going to be thinking about this for a long time.

Man, I really am tempted to just drop the other two routes and only play AG. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

xxx

[glitchyworld]

Hi again. Apologies for my grammar

I'm being honest when I say this, I'm not saying this out of pity or anything but concern.

 I honestly wished Koi had actually gotten better, they told me that they're getting therapy but I'm unsure that it's working for them, spreading lies, using their trauma as a shield, and they openly admitted to cp, something they accused me of, and worse they're playing the victim to make others sympathize with them. I mean it's weird that their friends are defending them but they don't understand that Koi did something that could have caused harm towards me and other people. When I found out what they did after they apologized for their actions I was disappointed, and I cried over and over again because it was like history repeated itself, but I had to face the reality of this situation even though I didn't want to, I did. I had to get my shit together and to remain calm at all times. 

I can't explain how much anger and sadness that Koi and the others made me feel, I couldn't trust nobody in this the only people I knew that could understand are the ones I can only trust. I'm tired, mentally and emotionally. Koi, if you're reading this, please for the love of God stop playing the victim and face the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people you hurt, apologize to the lives you've affected, and if they don't forgive you then that's okay, they don't have to forgive you after the things you did. Don't make it harder than it needs to be, and also stop spreading lies about other people, I know I'm not the only one, tell the truth.

 Please get better soon…

[mipsyg]

this is the fastest i’ve ever gotten into something and also the fastest i’ve quit being into it lmfao but i am thankful for the leaks because at least i can process how truly awful that finale is before it airs. i would have been CRUSHED if i watched that with no warning. whoever leaked it really saved my soul bc now i don’t have to watch adrien say he doesn’t know how he’s ever gonna compare to his fucking awful abusive father. fuck whoever came up with those lines btw

i get that adrien’s supposed to be the princess, the damsel in distress, and he needs ladybug/marinette to rescue him all the time blah blah, whatever but my god at least let him be there for it??

i also get why chat noir can’t be there, a) that would mean no bugnoire and they obviously really wanted bugnoire (ugly ass design btw but that could just be me being bitter) for the final fight b) he could very easily get akumatized (chat blanc), monarch could literally mind control him to turn against ladybug the moment he realizes adrien is chat (ephemeral) etc etc, ok valid, but let adrien without the ring be there for it? let ladybug send the goddamn text message and have adrien realize he can’t disobey his father and going there as chat noir isnt gonna end well, let him send the ring with plagg, let felix free him and kagami or whatever idc how, like most of the finale could have been kept the same if they really wanted bugnoire to fight monarch by herself but they really couldn’t let adrien be the one trying to reason with his father?????? like ... why IS HIS GIRLFRIEND OF TWO DAYS DOING THAT INSTEADJSDKJD WHO CARES

wouldn’t it have been amazing to see gabriel not mind controlling his slave son to shut up and instead letting him speak out for once? since he’s suddenly so willing to do the right thing for him? since apparently he realizes he was wrong?? adrien can get taken out before bugnoire detransforms if the problem of him being there is the coveted identity reveal (it’s forever ruined now imo like how is anyone supposed to root for the love square after this mess but that’s a topic for another day) that they’re clearly saving for season 16 so people will still have a reason to watch the show.

if the audience is supposed to sympathize with gabriel bc he sacrificed himself so his son wouldn’t be left alone bc of the choices HE made, what’s wrong with adrien knowing both the bad and the good?? if the audience can feel bad for gabriel, apparently only a misguided family man, newly appointed father of the year™️ , why can’t adrien?? let him be conflicted about how his father terrorized a whole city for months bc he was unable to let the past go but also gave his life in the end to solve the mess HE made?? let him be sad and but also thankful that he isn’t gonna be alone and then guilty for feeling like that?? oh wait, if adrien has problems of his own then he can’t be marinette’s perfect sweet boyfriend anymore. my bad, how could i think adrien gets to have any worries and problems apart from trying and failing at being worthy of marinette’s love. adrien standing up for himself? NO! why would he want to do anything for himself when marinette is right there being so amazing and he can just make his whole world, dreams and motivations revolve around her. 🙄🙄🙄

now this finale wouldn’t suck so much if at least there was a cliffhanger of ladybug telling chat noir what really happened, bc that would mean they intended to give the lies and secrecy of the finale a purpose in s6. cause i get why she isn’t telling adrien (like where would she even start lmfao) but why does chat noir not get to know who he fought against for months?? but this not happening makes me think they had no plans for it to be brought up in s6 at all when they wrote that script and it’s truly the end they thought the agreste arc deserved lmao i would love to be wrong but i’m not feeling hopeful. 

the best (worst) part?!?! adrien not finding out his father is monarch is only one of the two enormous life changing secrets he doesn’t get to find out this season. however, i have a feeling his being a sentibeing will be brought up again and he’ll find out eventually but only after he’s been mind controlled some more since his mom, his pseudo-mom, his twin cousin and his gf don’t think it’s necessary to warn him about the importance of those rings. everyone and their mamas gonna be using those rings next season methinks lmfao

anyways fuck this show and i feel sorry for every adrien fan out there that is choosing to remain leakfree and expecting adrien to do anything in the final fight against his abusive father and literal supervillain enemy lmfao you’d think either those would give him a key role in the monarch takedown but uh why would it when marinette can do everything by herself and way better than he ever could. he’ll just take a nap instead.

tales of ladybug and cat noir except when cat noir’s importance to the plot is gonna overshadow ladybug, then bugnoire can do it alone i guess. 

[twilightmalachite]

2×2 - Children on the Streets 4

Author: Akira

Characters: Yuuta, Shinobu

Translator: Mika Enstars

" It's painfully apparent to me that you’re struggling desperately."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Starry Sky

Night that day, on the rooftop of the building beside the Chinese restaurant…

Yuuta: Good god.

Like Aniki, we the “Team Wise Younger Brother” ended up freeloading, or in other words, working at live-ins at Master’s restaurant, but…

There wasn’t any room left in the building, so instead we’re camping on the rooftop of one of Master’s acquaintances’ buildings with a tent, huh.

Well, the “Team Wise Younger Brother” arrived later, so I can’t complain.

Meals and baths are taken care of, so it’s better than living in a cardboard house on the street.

Shinobu: Our team name sounds like it’s way overcompensating for something compared to “Team Aniki”…

Yuuta: …Generally, Aniki’s more popular nowadays, so our team name’s all we’ve got going for us. I don’t want to become something like Aniki’s extra.

I want to be more assertive, even if it’s a bad look for me.

Shinobu: Right. Since we’re a large group of people, our fans are spread out among individuals nicely. I haven’t had to worry about that too much.

It sounds tough for only one of a unit of two members to be popular.

Yuuta: Sure is~… It’s really tough~, the people around me treat me like an unwanted child.

And they say things like, “the younger brother’s way too desperate to show off his individuality by growing his hair out lol”, even though that’s not why I changed my appearance.

It really pisses me off, but I doubt this’ll be an easy situation to reverse.

I’m suuuure you also just think I’m losing my way as of late, though, Shinobu-kun.

But now that we’re so different, we can’t go back to being the two in one twin idols that get along anymore.

If we do, probably only Aniki will stand out, and I’ll just be his extra.

I’ll be drowned out by the light that is Aniki, and pushed into the shadows, where nobody can recognize me.

And I sure as hell don’t want to spend my life like that, just sinking down like the setting sun.

Shinobu: Right… I am a ninja so it’s a given, but I too also tend to hide in the shadows, so I understand, de gozaru. Of course, while it’s impossible to understand someone else’s feelings 100%…

I can at least sympathize with you, Yuuta-kun.

Rather, that's why I’m enduring your ninja ban and other various tyrannies, Yuuta-kun. It's painfully apparent to me that you’re struggling desperately.

I’m sure you’re going through a really difficult time right now, so I’ll let you take it out on me to relieve stress, okay?

We’re friends.

Yuuta: Shall we get married, Shinobu-kun?

Shinobu: I don’t know how to respond to a bit like that de gozaru!?

Yuuta: Fufufu. Well, anyway, the whole premise of “Living on the Streets Experience” has completely fallen apart, and the program has gotten crazy messy, but…

Really, what should we do? If it’s too hard, we can just take it easy at Master’s place like this until the final day.

Though I guess that’d make for a rather exciting program, wouldn’t it.

Shinobu: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a peaceful ending, but it’s not that type of program, is it…

And it might be disadvantageous against Anzu-dono in the producer showdown, who is in charge of this episode.

If there’s enough people who think that Anzu-dono’s episodes are boring and not worth watching, then it’s over, de gozaru.

The ratings may drop dramatically for Anzu-dono’s future episodes.

In this day and age, the fact that the producers change every episode will be easily noticed by those with sensitive antennae.

Yuuta: The episode producer names are usually credited. It’d be a big blow to Anzu-san’s reputation if she becomes known as a producer who makes uninteresting programs.

It’ll interfere with her future activities as a producer, even if she wins the producer showdown.

I owe a lot to YamadaP of course, but I’ve owed a lot to Anzu-san for a while now too—

If we can help it, I’d rather her reputation not suffer because she was in charge of our program. That’d be nothing but ungrateful.

And she’s a candidate for becoming Aniki’s wife, too, meaning there's a possibility she’ll become my sister-in-law some day.

So if possible, I’d like her to find success in her job and maintain financial stability.

Shinobu: Huh, wait what? What do you mean de gozaru? His wife?

Yuuta: Fufufu~, so actually, things have gotten a bit interesting, you see. ♪

Yuuta: …Wait, huh?

Shinobu: Wh-what’s wrong, Yuuta-kun? Has something gotten in your eye?

Yuuta: No, just… Speak of the devil, look, Anzu-san’s here.

Shinobu: Anzu-dono is? But aside from the camera crew, aren’t producers and the rest of the staff supposed to leave at night and go home like usual…?

Yuuta: Yeah. That’s supposed to be the case, but it looks like Anzu-san stayed behind today for some reason.

Wait, maybe its that? Something like… She’s meeting in secret with Aniki in some unfrequented back alleyway…?

Y-You know, I was just making a joke out of it, but could it really be…?

[ ☆ ]

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[arielhopepeace]

Part Three

18+ only

Tw: mention of cancer, death, cheating, slight smut, masturbation, age gap

5,500 words

Joel POV

The sun bears down onto my skin, darkening it with its harsh rays as sweat drips from beneath my hard hat. Today is ridiculously sweltering, and honestly making me feel like it should be outlawed to have to work in this type of heat.

My thoughts are enough of a distraction from the fact that I’m cooking out here, though. Ever since I left y/n’s house last night, I haven’t gotten the feel of her body against mine out of my mind. She was so soft, like a cloud that I reached up into the sky and grazed, letting the fog run between my fingertips.

I know that me going out of my way to help her change her locks is just furthering me into the friend-zone with her. It dawned on me that I needed to leave her house once the feeling of needing to kiss her began to build within my stomach, giving me that light tingly feeling of butterflies that I haven’t felt in eons.

Y/n is so effortlessly beautiful, that it makes me feel winded any time I’m around her. I hoped she hadn’t felt my racing heart and trembling hands as we embraced, the close proximity only adding to the apprehension I already had just from being at her house.

My mind was so dead-set on getting to know her, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it would be inappropriate. Isn’t there some sort of rule against dating a student’s parent? Even if I hadn’t already friend-zoned myself, I wouldn’t want Sarah to get involved and either hate her teacher, or have to suffer with losing her if it didn’t work out.

I’ve never thought this far ahead about a woman since my wife, and I know that it’s because y/n is different. Nobody understands the pain I feel, but she does; and she doesn’t give me the pitiful apologies that are only from the surface, they’re from that deep chasm within, as if she’s sympathizing with her younger self as well.

It’s tiring spending all my time thinking about these fabricated ideas of a woman who considers me as nothing more than a student’s father. I’m honestly incredibly nervous to see her again today, even though every part of me can’t wait to gaze upon her perfectly symmetrical face.

After work, I head to the hardware store, buying everything I need in order to change her two locks. I look ridiculously dirty, and I feel grimy from all the dirt and concrete that has gotten kicked up by my boots. There’s wood shavings in my hair as I check myself in my rear view mirror, doing my best to ruffle anything that doesn’t belong out.

“God,” I groan as I shake my head, knowing that she’s going to look perfectly stunning, and I’m going to show up looking like I rolled in the mud.

I send her a text to let her know that I’m here, noticing that all of her windows, and even her front door is wide open. What the hell is she doing that for in this heat?

As I grab my things out of the truck cab, I jump slightly at the sound of y/n greeting me from beside the open door.

“Shit,” I curse lightly, still stretched into the cab, “you scared me.”

“Sorry,” she laughs sheepishly. “I’m just letting you know that it’s really hot in my house. For some reason, my A/C went out some time last night, and I can’t get a guy out here until tomorrow.”

Closing the door, I lean back, finally meeting y/n’s gaze as my mouth instantly dries at the sight of her. Her hair has been pulled up into a loose bun, and she’s wearing nothing but a black bikini. My cock is immediately awake, poking against the prison of my jeans and begging to be let out.

I quickly move the supply bags to in front of me, hoping to shield the ridiculous, embarrassing erection that has popped up.

“Oh, uh, I could take a look at that, too,” I finally answer.

My god, what am I, fucking fifteen?

Y/n cocks her head slightly, “I couldn’t ask you to do that for me on top of the locks.”

“Actually,” I begin as we walk toward the house, “you didn’t ask me to do either. I offered both.”

She giggles from behind me, prompting a smirk to spread onto my face. “Please, let me get you a beer or something.”

I set my things down by the front door, watching as she walks away into the stifling house. My eyes are on her hips, watching them swing side to side, her ass having the perfect bounce to it. Gazing at her doesn’t alleviate the uncomfortable situation in my jeans, forcing me to reluctantly turn my eyes away to focus on the task at hand.

As I begin to unscrew the current doorknob, y/n twists open the beer, sitting across from me in the house as I rest on the doorstep. She places the bottle next to me on the living room floor, my eyes desperately trying to not stare at her chest. I don’t think she realizes how attractive she is, and how attracted I am to her. I’ve never been the type of guy to objectify a woman by any means, I just am dumbfounded by her looks.

“Did you have a good day?” she asks sweetly, her voice so charming and gentle.

“It was so hot today,” I wipe my sweaty forehead on my dirtied shirt. “But yeah, it was okay. How about you? How was school?”

“It was good,” she nods with a small smile. “I’m having the kids write a non-fiction essay for English. Nothing super long, but I just want to know where their writing is at.”

“An essay?” I chuckle. “Sarah will be thrilled,” I tell her sarcastically.

“Actually,” y/n laughs, “she said she was excited. I asked her what she wanted to write about, and she picked you.”

My hands stop their work, pinning my gaze to hers as a smile forces my lips apart. “I’ll never understand why that girl loves me so much, but she makes me feel like the luckiest dad in the world.”

Her face goes soft with admiration, her brows fitted together with a smile on her supple lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a kid to love their parent so much. Well, maybe except for me,” she teases. “Some kids in my class don’t even have parents for various reasons. I’ve looked into all of my students, just to make sure I don’t bring up any rough subjects on accident, or maybe in a story.”

I continue unscrewing the knob, beaming wide. “That’s so nice of you, and incredibly smart.”

“Well, you kind of have to be smart to be a teacher, don’t you?” she laughs lightly.

“Oh, for sure. I think you’re the perfect person for that job.”

“You do?”

“Of course,” I chuckle. “You’re overly nice, compassionate, considerate, eager to understand. All the kids love you for a reason, y/n.”

Her hand brushes against my leg, patting it gently just above my knee. “You’re sweet, Joel. What would I do without you filling my head with all of these compliments?”

A sharp, unexpected laugh leaves me. “Maybe you’d have a smaller head.”

She gapes at me as she giggles, smacking my arm playfully. “Oh, shut up. I don’t seem conceited, do I?”

“God, no,” I laugh. “I’m only teasing. You have a perfectly normal shaped head; physically and metaphorically.”

Finally, I’m able to pop in the new doorknob, taking a few sips of beer before resuming my task.

“How do you know how to do all of this?” she asks from beside me.

“Well, working in construction helps, but I also just like to be handy. I’ve done a lot of extensive research on repairs and mechanical things, even cars. I probably could tell you what was wrong with your A/C too since you want to work me to death out here.”

Y/n laughs with her head tilted back. “You’re more than welcome to use my pool once you’re done, it’s where I’m headed to soon.”

“Ah, no. I’m so dirty from work, I’d rather take a shower.”

“You can use my shower, too. Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

If only she were an option. I can’t stop imagining kissing her as I run my fingers across her smooth skin, savoring every push of her lips. Jesus christ, what’s wrong with me? That uncomfortable situation has returned, making me shift in order to shield my tented jeans.

“Has Sam been back?” I ask, deciding to change the subject away from whatever led me to my dirty thoughts.

“No,” she shakes her head. “And I’m glad he hasn’t. I have an appointment tomorrow to get looked at. Hopefully they can tell me that nothing’s wrong with me, because I was up late last night freaking out about it.”

“I’m sorry that you have to worry about that. He’s—” my voice trails off, deciding not to let my personal opinions of him be said. “You just deserve better than that.”

“Yeah, well,” she sighs, “I’ll find it one day, won’t I?”

I nod. “Of course you will.”

After finishing both of the knobs, the sun still has yet to set, allowing me enough light to check out her A/C unit. Y/n follows me, my eyes immediately locking onto the problem before me.

“My god,” I mutter as I crouch down, placing my finger beneath a cut wire. “Somebody cut it.”

Y/n places her hands on her hips. “Cut it?!” she shouts. “Gee, I wonder who would’ve manipulated my house that I have to pay rent for alone,” her voice drips with sarcasm.

“You really think Sam did this?” I ask as I gaze up at her.

“Of course he did,” she shakes her head. “He knows I’d have to pay a ton of money to get it fixed. He’s being spiteful because I kicked him out. I honestly wish I knew where he was staying so I could slash his fucking tires.”

I can’t help but laugh at her foul language, her sudden spark of anger only making me adore her more. “Nah, don’t stoop to his level. I can fix this for you right now for no charge.”

“Joel, please let me repay you somehow. Can you at least let me make you dinner tonight?”

“It’s already almost seven-thirty. Are you sure?”

Y/n nods vehemently. “I’m positive. I haven’t eaten yet, anyway.”

“How about I get this fixed up, go home, take a shower and change, then I’ll come back.”

“Will you bring a swimsuit? I’ll make you steak,” she says in a sing-songy voice.

A small chuckle pushes past my lips. “Sure, fine.”

Y/n does a giddy clap and bounce, her breasts moving in her top and I immediately advert my eyes, standing as I go to grab different tools out of my truck.

“Are you a good ol’ steak and potato kind of guy?” y/n giggles.

I close my truck door, walking back to the A/C unit as I laugh. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Okay, so steak, potato, beer, and football?”

“Any sport is fine with me, actually,” I laugh. “You make me sound so ‘suburban dad’.”

She crosses her arms. “You are a suburban dad, Joel.”

“Okay, touché,” I chuckle. “Do you think I’m mundane?”

“No!” she responds quickly and with immediate passion. “Why would I want to invite you over for dinner if I thought you were dull?”

“To be polite,” my face splits with a grin.

“You are the furthest from mundane, Joel. I promise you.” She rests her hand on my shoulder, electrifying me. “And how do you like your steak cooked?”

“Medium rare, but really I’m good with anything.”

Y/n tsks at me. “If the hard working man wants medium rare, then he’ll get medium rare,” she giggles. I’ll see you later, okay? I’m gonna start on dinner.”

“Thank you so much, y/n. Really.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do.”

My eyes follow her, admiring the dip in her back and the way her thighs rub together as she walks away, shaking my head in disbelief at her beauty once again, forcing myself to concentrate.

In the shower at home, my right hand grips my hard cock as the other rests against the wall, my wet fingertips digging into the slippery tile. My chest heaves as I pant, feeling so close already just from the memory of y/n in that goddamn bathing suit.

The swell of her ass, the curve of her waist, and the fullness of her breasts all haunt me in the best way. My eyes clamp tightly shut as I groan, wishing it was y/n’s cunt squeezing me instead of my own palm.

“Fuck,” I moan, my balls tightening as my orgasm reaches its pinnacle.

A choked groan catches in my throat, my head thrown back as I cry out into the shower ceiling above, shooting my release down towards the drain. I keep my hand wrapped around myself as I slump forward, feeling winded from the intense rush of euphoria.

I haven’t been affected by a woman this way since high school. Never in my adult life have I been so attracted to someone, that I needed to cum in the shower just to alleviate my pent up sexual frustration. I feel like y/n has put some witchy spell on me that has turned me into this unrecognizable, ravenous, depraved man.

When I’m back in my bedroom, I decide to dress casually, but still attempting to look decently nice. I toss on a gray t-shirt and dark blue jeans, doing my best to tame my hair just a bit. Grabbing my cologne, I spray a little bit onto my neck and chest, rubbing my hands along the fabric to press the mist into it.

Before I leave, I grab my swim trunks, hesitating on bringing a shirt. Will y/n think I’m weird if I wear one? I’m just hyper-aware of my body now that I know what her very recent ex looks like. He’s the type of guy who’s a personal trainer, and I’m the one who guys urge to go to the gym.

Deciding to not bring an extra shirt, I head out the door, knowing that Sarah is probably watching a movie at Mrs. Fredrick’s house next door. I feel a little guilty for dumping her there to be with y/n, but I know neither of them mind. It just makes me feel like a bad father.

As I park in the driveway at y/n’s house, I’m relieved to see that her front door and all the windows are closed. Hopefully that means the air stayed working after I left. I’m not sure why I feel nervous as I walk up to her house with my swim trunks gripped into my palm, but I can’t shake the feeling.

My knuckles gently rap against the metal door, y/n’s voice shouting out for me to come in. I push it open, instantly being greeted by the smell of food that makes my stomach roll over with agonizing hunger.

“It smells amazing,” I say as I approach the kitchen, seeing that she’s still in her two piece, making my neck tense.

“Oh, thank you,” she answers happily as she pulls something out of the oven. “You can have a seat, I’m just finishing up.”

Y/n wobbles a bit, my brows furrowing together. “Are you okay?”

“I may have had three glasses of wine while I cooked, but I promise I’m fine,” she giggles. “Let me get you a beer.”

She glides over to the table, setting a bottle down in front of me before she twists the top off, taking the cap with her. I gulp down over half of the bottle, hoping it’ll settle the nervousness that has made its way into my sternum.

Y/n easily makes her way beside me holding two plates, setting the one with a bigger steak in front of me. “Hope you’re hungry,” she says as she gazes down at me.

My eyes briefly flick down her body, then back down to my plate. “Starving.”

She perches on the chair next to me, smiling brightly before she begins to cut into her meat. “Did you bring your bathing suit?”

I nod, cutting into my ribeye to see a perfectly pink center. “I did,” I chuckle. “The steak looks perfect, by the way.”

Y/n sips at some water from a wine glass, bobbing her head as she swallows. “I told you that you’ll get what you asked for.”

“You followed through.”

Her arms gesture around. “And so did you. My house feels amazing, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I smile at her. “I don’t mean to pry, but are you going to be okay here? Like, will you genuinely be able to pay your rent?”

“Oh, yeah,” she nods. “Sam was just being a dick and saying I wouldn’t be able to, but I think I can. I might have to budget a little and stop drinking wine,” y/n laughs, “but I’ll be fine. Thank you, Joel.”

“Well, of course. I wouldn’t want you to be out of a place to live.”

Y/N’s eyes narrow playfully. “Would you have a way to fix that, too?”

I chuckle, shrugging. “I’d find a way.”

“Because you are Mr. Solution To Everything,” she laughs, flashing that impeccable smile. “Forgive me for being a bit tipsy, I got a call from my ex mother-in-law while you were gone.”

“Oh,” I shift, “what did she say?”

“Just that she’s glad we’re not together anymore, and that her Sammy deserved better than me from the start. She said I’m too young and immature for him. The worst part is, she wouldn’t even let me get a word in, so I couldn’t tell her what a fucking cunt she is.”

A shocked guffaw flies from my throat, my eyes widening. “You’re bold when you’ve been drinking.”

Y/n’s palm slaps against her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I keep forgetting that I’m your daughter’s teacher and I can’t just talk to you any way I want.” She places her hand on my arm. “Forgive me.”

“Please,” I scoff, “I don’t care how you talk to me, y/n. You could say anything and it wouldn’t make me think of you any differently.”

Her eyes are on mine, a smirk playing at her lips. “And how do you think of me?”

Is she flirting with me?

Doing my best to remain collected, I smile back at her, dabbing my mouth with a napkin. “Fondly.”

“Hm,” she giggles carelessly, drinking more of her water. “I’m glad my messy life hasn’t made you think that I’m also a mess.”

“No, not at all. I’m just happy I was able to comfort you when you needed it.”

Y/n wiggles in her chair, finishing up her steak before she pushes her plate away. “I have a surprise. It’s not a big deal, and I’m not even sure you’ll like it.”

My brows scoop up with interest. “Okay,” I smile, “show me.”

She leaves the table, walking to the fridge to retrieve a small tray, presenting it in front of me as she returns. In y/n’s hands on a plastic platter are a dozen vanilla cupcakes topped with strawberry icing, as well as a small berry placed in the center of each. They’re so ornate yet delicate and charming.

“My god, those are adorable,” my eyes meet hers. “And they look amazing. You really did too much for me, y/n. I mean it.”

She sets the dessert down on the table, taking her seat again. “I still feel like it isn’t enough. You saved me hundreds of dollars today just out of the kindness of your heart, and I’ve made you dinner and cupcakes.”

I laugh, reaching out my hand to rest it gently over hers. “And it’s all perfect and delicious. You don’t have to do anything else for me, I promise you. You didn’t even have to do anything, anyway. I wanted to help you.”

“Why are you so kind?”

My posture straightens as I blink at her, unsure of how to answer that question. How do I explain that I’d do anything for her because I find her so fucking perfect, without sounding like a lunatic? I’ve known her for three days, and I’d be more than willing to build her a brand new house with my own two hands. What in god’s name has this woman done to me? How has she made me feel such a vast array of emotions in only a few days?

“You’re easy to be kind to,” I finally respond, giving her a soft smile before I continue eating my delicious meal.

After dinner, I’m standing in the bathroom, gazing at my reflection in the mirror. My body isn’t at all where I’d like it to be physically, and I now feel suddenly incredibly panicked about going swimming with my shirt off. The muscle definition I used to have in my stomach is gone, and the lean physique I used to sport is starting to wane, as well. I wouldn’t classify myself as overweight, but definitely out of shape.

Sliding my shirt back on as I let out an uneasy sigh, I leave the bathroom, walking out the sliding glass door to see y/n with her feet in the pool and the tray of cupcakes beside her.

I chuckle as I sit onto the rough lip of the pool, plunging my feet into the warm water. “Cupcakes and swimming?”

She turns to me as she nods. “That whole thing about getting a stomach ache if you swim after eating is a myth, you know.”

“I’m a dad, of course I know,” I laugh, picking up one of the desserts.

My fingers carefully peel the paper back, opening it just enough for my mouth to sink into the soft treat. The strawberry icing bursts in my mouth, being offset by the delectable, mellow, vanilla cake beneath it.

“God,” I groan, “you’re so good at baking, y/n. These are amazing.”

Her eyes are on me as she gives me a small smile. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure what kind you’d like. You seem like more of a chocolate kind of guy,” she giggles.

“When it comes to desserts, I’m not picky.”

She nods, still gazing at me. “That’s good to know.”

I bite into the fresh strawberry at the top, discarding the leafy bits onto the tray along with my empty cupcake wrapper. “Thank you,” I say as I swallow.

Y/n laughs as she looks at me, leaning forward to wipe the tip of my nose with her thumb. “You have frosting on your nose,” she giggles.

She places the pad of her thumb into her mouth, sucking the freshly removed frosting off as she keeps her eyes on me. That arousal she gives me returns, making me shift where I sit, and this time, I don’t have something as restricting as jeans and briefs, only swim trunks.

“I’m gonna get in,” I say quickly, standing to walk to the stairs in the shallow end.

“Are you going to wear your shirt?” she asks with her head cocked.

“Oh, um—” my voice trails off, my eyes adverted away from her gaze, “I’m just more comfortable with it on, I think.”

“Hey, that’s okay,” she says softly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that.”

“No,” I laugh, standing near the stairs still, “I guess I’ve just grown to not really enjoy my dad bod.”

Why am I always so painfully vulnerable with her?

Y/n is standing up, the water splashing slightly as she removes her feet from the pool. She walks towards me, giving me a small smile before getting into the water in front of me.

“I wouldn’t judge you, Joel, but please do what makes you the most comfortable.”

Letting out a determined sigh, I slide off my shirt, tossing it aside as I step into the ridiculously warm and inviting water. Y/n walks over to the cupcakes that sit at the edge, gesturing for me to join her and grab another one.

Once I’m beside her, we stay quiet as our eyes are locked, each of us taking a bite of our cupcakes. With a small laugh, I wipe the frosting that has now gotten onto her nose. Setting my dessert to the side, I suck the frosting off my thumb just as she did, seeing if she really has been flirting with me this whole time.

Y/n smirks, taking another bite of her treat as she leaves a bit of the icing at the corner of her mouth. I go to remove it with my finger, but she moves her head away, shaking it.

With just the darkened look in her eyes alone, I know exactly the game she’s playing at. I lean in to her, keeping my breathing even as I swipe my tongue slowly up the corner of her lips. My body feels ignited from my bold move, and her devilish chuckle assures me that that was precisely what she wanted me to do.

I’m suddenly tossing every worry, moral, and negative thought out the window as I eagerly take her lips against mine. Her wet, bikini covered breasts press against my bare chest, her fingers dancing into my hair as I slide my tongue along hers.

I could easily be dreaming right now, and just have a painfully hard dick when I wake up. But I’m not. This is fucking real.

Y/n wraps her legs around my waist, allowing me to hold her beneath the water as my hands drift down to the perfect ass I haven’t been able to get my eyes off of.

“Joel,” she breathes as she pulls away, my lips trailing down her soft, spacious throat. “You’re so hot. I want you so bad.”

“Shh,” I coo, nipping at her flesh, “just enjoy this.”

My mouth finds hers once again, her hands running down my torso to where I’m fully hard for her. I can’t help but let out a small groan at the feeling of her palm against me, my hips involuntarily thrusting up into it.

“I need you,” y/n whines softly. “Please.”

I chuckle, swiping my tongue up her ear before taking the lobe between my teeth. “What do you need me for, hm? Tell me, angel, what is it?”

Her chest heaves against mine, her hand still rubbing against me through my swim trucks. “Everything. I need you for everything.”

My hands move around to the front of her swim suit, lifting the top off to reveal the breasts that I’ve been so desperate to see; to have my mouth on. I carry her over to the steps, setting her down on a higher one as I close my lips around one of her nipples.

She yelps, fisting at the hair on the back of my head. I pull the pearled center between my teeth, gazing up at her to see her hazy eyes meeting mine. I do the same to the other one, my fingers keeping the nipple I just left company by pinching it gently.

“This fucking bathing suit has been driving me crazy all goddamn day,” I rasp, dragging my tongue up her chest to her neck. “You’ve been just begging me to fuck you, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” she answers quietly. “Yes, please. It’s all I want.”

“My god, me too. Thought about that pretty little cunt in the shower before I got here,” I admit, dropping my hand down below the water line to rub her through her bottoms.

Y/n’s head falls back, her body a writhing, panting, half-naked, fucked out mess and I haven’t even been inside of her.

“Did you want me when you first saw me?” I ask as I continue to circle her clit through the fabric.

“Yes!” she cries. “You’re so fucking hot, Joel. I’ve wanted you since I met you at the park.”

Her words fuel the already raging fire within my stomach, wanting desperately to be buried inside of her right now. “Good. I want to keep you this desperate for me.” My fingers stop, bringing them up to adjust her bikini top back onto her reddened breasts.

“What? No, no, no. Please!” y/n begs, gripping at my wrists. “Why are you stopping? Please don’t stop.”

I chuckle, leaning in to kiss her firmly with a quick swipe of my tongue. “A few reasons,” I say between kisses. “One, you’re a bit tipsy and two, don’t you have that appointment to get checked out tomorrow? I don’t think you have anything, but it would be nice to know, wouldn’t it?”

Her brows are furrowed with desperation as she hangs her head. “Oh, my god, Joel. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about that.”

“Hey,” I say gently as I pick her chin up to meet my gaze, “don’t apologize, sweet girl. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment.”

“And I’m not too tipsy. The alcohol just helped me make that little jump towards you,” she says with reddened lips and cheeks.

My mouth presses against hers again, savoring the cupcake flavor on her sweet tongue. “I’m glad you did. I just would rather go further when we’re both completely ourselves.” I inwardly kick myself. “Is that stupid?”

“No,” she beams as she cups my face in her hands, “not at all. You’re an amazing, sweet man, Joel. And oh my god, you’re hot as fuck.”

I laugh loudly, gently running my nose along hers. “Yeah? I’ve thought that exact same thing about you since I met you.”

Her eyes run down my body. “And you have such a great body. I really don’t see what you do, but I understand the way you feel.”

“Well, I’m glad you like it,” I chuckle. “I guess I was just comparing myself to Sam and felt—inadequate.”

Y/n rolls her eyes as she scoffs. “Oh, fuck Sam. He was the first guy I was ever with that looked like that, and I promise you that isn’t what first attracted me to him.”

“Really? What was?”

“He was kind and he made me laugh, the looks were just a bonus.”

I chuckle. “And what attracted you to me?”

Y/n hums with a warm grin, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Everything.”

On the short drive home, I have a ridiculous smile that hasn’t removed itself from my face since I left y/n’s. Every single moment about tonight was perfect; from the food, the dessert, the pool, her lips, her body, the way she whined for me, and the compliments she gave me. I couldn’t have made a better night up in my head.

After getting an exhausted Sarah from the neighbor’s house, I tuck her in to bed, planting a kiss onto her forehead before leaving and returning to my bedroom. There’s a text on my phone from y/n, and I open it immediately.

Y/n

10:00pm

Thank you for coming over for dinner, and for stopping what I never could’ve. I’d feel horrible if I gave you something just because Sam is a piece of shit and I can’t control my body around you.

10:10pm

I’m glad you can’t control it around me. Let me control it for you. You’ll find out tomorrow whether or not you have something, so try not to worry. I really think you’ll be fine, but it would just be safer this way. Thanks to you, I have to go stock up on condoms for the first time since college.

Y/n

10:12pm

Joel, are you telling me that you haven’t had sex since your wife passed away?

10:13pm

Is that a turn off for you?

Y/n

10:15pm

Oh, my god, no! I just hope I fulfill your nine year dry spell, is all. That’s a lot of pressure lol. Also, maybe if I don’t have anything, we could go without the condoms? I’m on birth control.

My neck tenses as I imagine feeling y/n in all of her natural glory. A twitch runs to my cock, making my stomach twist with arousal.

10:16pm

Absolutely no pressure. I can already tell that you’re gonna be a lot of fun. And yeah, that’s more than fine with me. Guess the condoms will live to see another day lol.

Y/n

10:20pm

Lol, goofball. Good night, Joel.

10:21pm

Good night, y/n.

****

[lilyminer]

Don’t mind me getting overly emotional as I muse about c!sbi for a second.

It’s always been hard for me to choose a side when it comes to c!sbi. It’s quite obvious you either sympathize with crime boys or emerald duo. Sympathizing with both make my little hobby of starting pointless but lighthearted discourse tricky. Many people make the assumption I’m arguing for cTechno cuz I don’t like or otherwise don’t sympathize with cTommy which couldn’t be further from the truth. I fully understand the motives of, and sympathize with both sides, I just prefer to side with the generally less morally sound option since playing the devil’s advocate in the context of a silly little minecraft roleplay is so god damn fun for some reason.

I love and relate to all four in very different ways though, their stories all have a unique perspective to explore. And I believe the comfort I get from each all ties back to my experience growing up quite perfectly. CWilbur deals with a mounting level of responsibility and expectations he never asked for, while all the others seem to do is look on from the sidelines and feed the fire by expecting him to fix it all. That feeling of being held down in the water by the people who want you to learn to swim. CPhil always represented my capacity to choose flight (Ha get it cuz he’s a bird? No? I’ll see myself out), to let my anxiety get the best of me and leave prematurely even if I could have gotten through it. Whether that flight is literal or only in my head, when I’m at my worst you won’t be able to find me. It’s the comfort of being on my own, of escaping to my imagination, oh the love I have for people I’ll never know and a home that only exists on a minecraft server.

CTommy is obvious when it comes to the subject of growing up isn’t he? I just grew up too quick, cared about the wrong things. Maturity, the opinions of people who never cared how it effected me, the bias and hate that I wouldn’t truly experience for years. It was all to my detriment because I cared so much, in that way I guess I hadn’t grown up that much anyways. But cTechno is the most poignant. It’s an awful way to grow up, feeling isolated and borderline dehumanized for something you can’t control, for the way your brain works specifically. Nothing quite feels right, until you find your people that is. People who don’t ignore it or see past it but know it, and know you like no one else has even been able to. I realized there’s a hugely impactful theme of acceptance in cTechnos character I never noticed before now I frame it like that. In the end he’s happy. He creates beautiful things, bonds, homes, atmospheres, all precisely because he embraces himself and what makes him happy. It really does feel like a love letter to every neurodivergent person who feels alienated, he really was a fantastic storyteller.