#it’s like a male will compliment me with intentions and immediately i’m like assuming the absolute worse

[mysicksecrets]

why is getting hit on like a terrifying experience

[mcyt-imagines]

okay can i request a technoblade x male!reader, where techno and the reader are fighting someone *maybe quackity its not important tho) together and the reader gets injured, techno gets worried but realizes the reader can handle himself? sorry if thats too specific

I have combined this request and another request for a male reader fluff fanfic, so the ending is a little softer than a fighting fic may usually be! However, this is basically gender-neutral, whenever I added gender-specific pronouns it seemed really forced?? So I just left that out, I hope that’s okay! Enjoy :D

Underestimated 

It had only been a few days since Quackity’s butcher army attempted to publicly execute Technoblade. He hadn’t left your side since he returned home, hand in yours or arm wrapped around your waist as if to remind himself you were still here with him despite everything. Techno had been making preparations for another attack when he knew they would inevitably return to try again. But Techno never knows when to stop and start taking care of himself, that’s when you stepped in to pull him away from his plans and into your arms. It was as if the second his head hit your chest all adrenaline he had been running on the past few days, ran out. That was about 6 hours ago, and the two of you still had no intent on moving any time soon.

Your hands toyed with his hair as he continued to read slowly to you, glasses reflecting the soft warm glow from the nearby fire. It’s crackles had slowly been lulling you to sleep against Techno’s chest, mouth pressed loosely against his calm pulse. His hand rubbing soft circles into your skin at your back beckons you deeper into your subconscious, the soft rumbling of his voice fading fast in your ears.

A slam of the front door sends both yourself and Techno bolting up, tangled in long limbs and a lack of space as Phil comes into view from around your fireplace. “Quackity’s headed here!” Phil chokes out, obviously having run a considerable distance to deliver such a message, Techno stands, and you follow suit. “Already? He’ll be underprepared.” Techno mused, moving to start gathering his supplies. Tools recently sharpened, potions brewed days ago, and stacks of fireworks prepped for firing.

You mirror his actions, gathering your weapons with a bridled enthusiasm. You hadn’t been home when Quackity and his army had taken Technoblade and you had beat yourself up over that fact. Knowing that perhaps the outcome could have been different if you’d been there, you were going to make sure that was the case this time. Mind distracted by theoretical outcomes you equip your armour with practiced familiarity, knowing you’ve done this hundreds of times before. But only this time did it truly matter. 

A hand presses to your shoulder and you turn, “You’re staying inside the house. You know I can’t lose you, not now, not ever.” His hand moves from your shoulder to your hips, squeezing softly. Your eyes search his and only find pain and worry. “I’m fighting with you; you know I can handle myself Tech.” He looks away from your face, unable to meet your gaze.  He knows you’re right.

And he also knows you won’t take no for an answer. Especially considering they were able to take him to Manberg last time. “Fine.” He huffs out, “But you have to keep this.” Techno takes the golden charm off of his shirt, the small totem’s eyes glinting as he pins it to your shirt. You open your mouth to question him, “I have another for myself, don’t worry.” He meets your eyes then but only for a second, pulling you tightly to his chest. “Be safe my love.” His lips press soft atop your hair, “I always am.” You raise your head and meet his lips, hand cupping the back of his neck before pulling away with a smile. “Time to kick ass, huh?”

Even on the battlefield, you can tell that Technoblade is still worried, he is distracted by your presence in the fight. You intend to prove during this fight that his anxiety is for naught, Quackity didn’t even bother with a spiel about how Techno deserves this and he’s going to get justice instead opting to fight instantly. His butcher army stood by his side and seemed to assume Technoblade would be alone, Phil and yourself rid them of that assumption as quick as it had come. You were quick to notice they were down a man, Ranboo was missing. Technoblade was right, they were underprepared.

Fundy’s blade clashed with your own, drawing your eyes off of Techno and onto him. “He has to face justice; can’t you see that!?” There was no skill or nuance to his attacks only power behind them making them hard to block but easy to predict. However, you were breaking a sweat as he finally managed to nick your shoulder, with a particularly quick thrust of his sword your armour fracturing upon impact. You muffle your cry of pain with a grunt, nailing the fox hybrid with a deep slash across his chest. Fundy fell backward with a cry, shaking as you stab downwards into his chest and finish the job, his body disappearing and his items popping out of seemingly thin air.

You look over to where you last saw Phil, Tubbo now squirming futilely beneath his sandal. Your head whips around as Quackity screeches, bloody body barely making it to the ground before disappearing. It seems you’d at least get a good haul of loot from these idiots. Techno’s eyes are frantic searching for you for a moment, you watch as his body visibly relaxes when he spots you. “Are you alright?” His hands are all over you, feeling for any injuries. You intake sharply when he gets to your shoulder and he growls, “That bastard.” You place your hand over his, “It’s merely a scratch Tech. I’m fine. Are you okay?” You are acutely aware of the growing patch of crimson on his torso, white shirt stained dark. “Nothing I can’t patch up.” He grumbles, hands tentatively pressing on and around the area.

Techno refuses to let you patch him up first, practically throwing you onto the kitchen table so he can get a closer look at your shoulder. It’s barely even a scratch. But you’re quick to realise it’s a great excuse for him to touch you so gently. Pressing on your skin as if too much pressure would cause you to shatter completely. “You dropped your arm to avoid the brunt of the force behind his blade,” Techno observes looking to you to confirm, you shrug lightly in response. “I’ve seen you do it before. Watched you do it the other day when you were sparring with Phil.” 

He nods solemnly, deciding he truly can’t do anything about your shoulder. Due to it being a scratch and nothing more, as you had said several times. “Well, for someone who just watched me do it you completed the move pretty well.” His eyes can’t meet yours and you smile softly, “Eh, my reflexes are just pretty good. Not a whole lotta skill involved for me.” You are quick to change the subject, ushering him onto the table so you can look at his torso wound.

Your fingers are nimble, working through each stitch with a practiced precision that Techno watches with a keen but relaxed eye. You’re usually the one to patch him up, he can do it sure, you’re just better. And maybe he secretly likes how close you have to get to him and how gentle your hands work against his skin. “I was watching you… during the battle I mean, you made short work of Fundy.” Your hands still for a moment fumbling with the bandage, your eyes move to his and he looks away quickly. “You were? I uh, he isn’t traditionally trained or anything, so he wasn’t much of an opponent.”

You force yourself to keep your brain on track, tightening the bandage around his middle as gently as you can. One of his hands grabs your wrist, you still immediately and meet his eyes. “I… you really can’t take a compliment, can you?” His sigh is soft, and his eyes are warm, “What I’ve been trying to say is that I’m sorry for underestimating your skills and that I’m proud to fight by your side.” Even as he says such sweet things, he still can’t seem to hold your gaze. The grin on your face is enough to bring his gaze back however, “Best be getting used to fighting with me then because I don’t plan on budging anytime soon.” Your lips press firmly to his cheek a few times before he turns his head to catch your lips.

“We can start training tomorrow because I’m still exhausted.” Techno groans, shifting to get off of the table, your hand finding his with ease and leading him back over to the fire where the two of you had been hours earlier. That’s when you notice his hair, you gasp softly and take a seat in front of the fire. Techno moves to sit behind you, you quickly pat the ground in front of you. “Your braid’s come loose, let me fix it for you.” 

He moves with vigor at your words, knowing your nimble hands against his scalp will send him to sleep in minutes. The warm glow of the fire highlights his bright eyes as they peek back at you every few moments, “Head forward, my prince.” You press a few soft kisses to the back of his head and his hands snake around to knead your soft thighs. You huff out a breath of air as your cheeks heat up at his ministrations  

“I’m trying to focus on your hair here.” You grumble, “What?” You can hear the smirk in his voice, so in retaliation, you focus your full attention on his hair, not noticing his hands on your thighs begin to slow their movements until they stop, and you’ve finished the braid. “Techno?” The soft snoring you hear in response warms your chest and you carefully manoeuvre him to lay down on the plush fur rug in front of your fireplace. 

He’s normally a light sleeper, which means he truly must’ve been exhausted by that fight. You quietly lay next to him, tangling your legs and wrapping an arm over his chest being careful near his wound. “I love you, Techno.” A kiss to the side of his face doesn’t wake him as the crackling fire and howling of the chilly wind outside lulls you into a peaceful sleep.

~Requests are always open!~

[nightswithkookmin]

What you think of fetus V who said in front of everyone "You seem to really like men" to Jimin? Youthful ribbing? Or a moment of insensitivity ? FWI saying you like girls or guys? Or calling close same sex friends u a couple? is actually common where am from. This has happened in my friend circle too actually. Except all of us are hets so no one take it seriously. Cant think a closeted person would find it that funny. Jimins lack of denial or even laughing it off always stood out to me tho.

What do I think of that comment?

I think we both know very often when people say they think a man likes men, they mean to say they think that man is Gay and very often when the g-word is used in a sentence, it is not meant as a compliment- imma give it to you straight, no bs. Lol.

The parlance gay and variations of it, in my opinion, is often used ubiquitously and traditionally as a slur slang among ignorant, non-progressive, anti homosexual individuals and is often rooted in malice.

And when malice isn't intended, ridicule is. The sad fact is, people adopt the terminology as ammunition to blatantly attack, dehumanize, belittle and strip away the dignity of queer folks and when the term is used in reference to non queer people it has a similar effect. It degrades them as well through the irony and humor of comparing them to gay people.

Gay jokes, if you will, is a subtle art of passive aggressively slurring gay folks if you think about it. I mean let's be honest.

Personally, I don't think Tae's intentions in that moment were malicious at all. I don't think he blurted out those words with the intension to ridicule Jimin either- stay with me. It will make sense in a bit.

But he called Jimin gay nevertheless. His comment if a joke, I'm afraid, reinforces these bizzare stereotypes of masculinity and promotes toxic rhetorics prevalent especially within Kpop shipping communities where every Male idol interaction is hyper sexualised and romanticized thus, suggesting a man cannot love another man, be affectionate or be fond of them unless they secretly lusted after them and harbored a desire to lay down pipes in their behinds- which, honestly is crazy coming from a guy with a cultural background such as the Korean culture where kinship is commonplace but more on that later.

I think whatever which way we want to look at it, it was an insensitive comment especially if you believe he meant it as a joke. It was definitely not his most woke moment, socially and culturally- and that's putting it lightly.

That 'gay' comment to me is right up there with all the problematic statements some, if not all, of the members have made over the years- the colorism, racist jokes, the ' eww, you too black,' 'akekeke- you too tanned shoo,' implying if you're black or tanned you are ugly. The fat jokes, the misogyny and misogynior- please don't ask me to give you examples of these. I don't want to ruin BTS for you. Lol.

There are commentaries on these out there on the internet. You can look it up for yourselves- You welcome. Lol.

For the record, BTS have since retracted, acknowledged and apologized for most of these questionable moments throughout the years and so we cannot hold it against them, forever- not to make excuses for them but they are human too. They learn, they unlearn, they make mistakes, they correct them, they grow and as NamJoon said, they really were a bit 'unsophisticated' and rough around the edges in their earlier years- even if it was just five years ago from now, chilee. They is a mess. Lmho.

I think it's all part of the human process honestly- don't worry BTS, I have a lot of space in my heart for y'all to be human and still love ya. Keep going sweeties. Y'all's doing greatness de la grande kind!! Bless y'all.

In V's case he was, since that incident, put as a judge on a show that allegedly featured queer folks and he seemed more welcoming of them than the other judges on the panel, excluding RM of course.

A year later, he would make a song that the LBGTQ plus fraction of Army would rally behind as a highly pro gay song- Stigma, which I find debatable but whatever. I mean, just because JK has stars, clouds and the sky in his lyrics don't make him an astronaut or an environmentalist fighting the good cause for the climate but to each his own.

Stigma was still something, I'll give him that.

Flashforward to five years later, and he would be recommending songs by gay artists, appreciating and promoting gay art and the artists behind them, sporting rainbow outfits, designing a BT21 character that is genderless, incorporating sign language in his speeches- he polished up. Woke the hell up. Politically correct. Yadda yadda yadda.

I think, like some of the others, he too learned his lesson. It's not ok to trivialize the oppression of others or make light of it-

Now that we've gotten the woke bit out of the way, on to our shipping business. Follow me, chop chop. Lol.

Firt of all, I don't think that moment is a big deal. But I find it interesting nonetheless.

Do I think Tae was teasing Jimin in that moment when he made that statement? It's not quite easy as yes or no.

Personally, I think he was clocking him.

This interview was conducted at a point in the timeline where I feel Jimin was shedding his image as the Maknae obsessed hyung in the group. He was coming into his own and embracing himself for who he is and that I think included his sexuality.

Prior to, he had in my opinion, since debut, slipped into the role of the queer jest of the group supplying queer humor and entertainment for listeners at radio shows by offering himself up for ridicule as the 'gay guy' within the group- I hated every bit of it. Lol.

You'd often hear the members refer to him as the one good with the guys, the boy in love with the Maknae- There is still a fraction of Army that see him as this persona but he has since outgrown that label and that phase.

RM was basically the Black jest of the group, offering himself up for ridicule for his darker skin tone right down to his blaccent. Can you do your black accent? They will ask him at interviews and he would proceed to deliver a walmart version of the Black American English. Sigh.

Compared to the previous year where he literally gasped and panicked when the members hinted at his sexuality or made statements that put his sexuality into question, Jimin seemed more in control and mentally prepared during this interview.

When the question was asked of him, the question of why he liked JK, his instincts it seemed was to steer the conversation away from his sexuality- a tactic the rest of the members would employ to avoid discussing Jikook a few months from that interview...

I mean, when Tae asked Jimin on JK's birthday that same year what he wanted to give JK, RM cut in before JM answered. Jimin had done the same thing when in an interview JK was asked if Jimin wasn't his style and JK was stuttering not knowing what to say in response. JM asked him not to answer the question.

When interviewers ask these questions, they do so for entertainment purposes- because who doesn't like gay jokes, amirite?

For heterosexual idols I assume it's not slippery slope for them to engage in these kinds of humor. They can play gay without risking exposing their heterosexuality and when they do play gay it's for jest.

It's not the same for queer idols I think.

Jimin was basically done being the butt of the gay jokes in 2015, he was done selling himself as the JK shit rainbows and I'm the unicorn fixated on him kinda person and it reflected in that conversation.

'I don't like everything about this boy. He ain't all that. But he is the Maknae and he cute so whatever' lol.

Like I said, I think Jimin was steering the conversation away from his sexuality but Tae's comment steered the conversation right back to it. 'I just think he likes men.'

Most South Koreans I've met in person and on the internet spend a considerable amount of time and energy trying to dispel the western notion of gayness projected on to Korean men for their skinship culture.

We like to glamorize gayness in these streets but in reality gay is stigmatized especially in places like South Korea. People don't readily read gay in Male interactions unless they were being homophobic or socially unaware.

To me, Tae's statement was more of an observation about Jimin, one which he felt a need to contribute to the discussion they were having, perhaps to provide insight into the inner workings of Jimin rather than as a joke or jest- or may be he did both.

Jimin managed to avoid opening himself up for the gay jokes and to this Tae then responded, I just think you is gay sir- The emphasis has been mine. Lol.

The thing about Tae is, in the earlier days he used to have a habit of 'exposing' Jimin whenever Jimin told half truths and what not.

For example, in 2014 during an interview when JM was asked what he wanted to do on his free days he had said he wanted to spend time with his family or something and Tae immediately checked him saying he was lying. Jimin then said he wanted to be with Jungkook which had JK fuming.

Was he teasing JM when he called him out for lying about his true desires? May be but I think he meant it too. Know what I mean?

He did the same thing when during their Paris VLive, Jimin got nervous when JK was singing 'know you love me boy, so that I love you,' in the background and Tae asked Jimin if he was nervous. Jimin snapped out of whatever whipped trance he was in and asked 'why would I be nervous' or something along those lines.

Why would Tae assume JM was nervous listening to another man sing? And why would Jimin be nervous in the first place?

And if at an interview Jimin is asked, why don't you like listening to the Maknae sing and JM responded that he is cute but he can't sing and Tae says well I think listening to Jk sing makes him nervous- would that be youthful ribbing or tea? Do you see where I'm going with this?

I see Tae as very observant- If not more observant than Jk. Their jokes are punchier because it is rooted in truth. He is stating his opinion, his observations and when he felt JM's answers were dishonest or inconsistent of his general notion of him, he called him out on that.

It's like him saying JM likes to pretend to be drunk in order to tell Tae he loves him- allegedly. Was it funny, yes. Was it a lie? I don't think so.

Jimin likes to pretend, we been knew. His boyfriend don spilled that tea already. I mean Jk said JM faked being asleep when he noticed the cameras filming him. He said also JM knows he is cute so sometimes he intentionally acts cute.

Tae used to tease Jimin a lot- hell he still teases him a lot to this day. Lol. Had Jimin looking at the back of his head like he wanted to quick punch him in the throat in the recent run, chilee. Lmho.

But you gotta ask, where is the lie in all those jokes?

The question I ask myself, and I think we ought to ask ourselves as shippers is, what about Jimin gave Tae that impression of him in the first place?

What made Tae, coming from a culture and background where 'gay' is a taboo and skinship is prevalent assume that if Jimin liked JK then it was because he liked men or was gay?

Even if Tae meant it as a Joke- no one laughed. Lol. That awkward silence that ensued... now that's how you know he had deadass made a 'gay comment' for real. Lmho.

They were all silent, waiting for JM's response and only laughed when JM responded to Tae- isn't that how it usually goes when you are the one queer person at the het dinner table? The tasteless jokes, awkward silences and stares? Just me? Oh, never mind then. Keep reading. Lol.

Imagine if JM hadn't responded or had gay panicked like he did a year before that interview, when RM revealed JK had been sneaking into JM's bed at night?

Dude was legit ready to throw JK under the bus had it not been for the shady camera guy behind the cameras. Deadass, Jimin was pointing accusing fingers at JK and everything- so much for gay love. Lmho.

The question still remains, what makes you look at your heterosexual friend and go- hey, that's gay. Think about it.

If Tae thought Jimin liked men, even as a joke, it's probably because Jimin had been giving him a reason or reasons to believe he actually liked boys beyond the usual daily doze of gay prevalent within K-culture.

It's similar to JK feeling uncomfortable when Jimin in 2014 described their relationship as one between love and friendship. Jimin responding with male friends can love eachother too without being gay would imply JK was interpreting his words and actions towards him as laced with romantic and sexual subtext or intent.

Now why would JK assume this if men touching men and feeling up on eachother in their culture was a normal thing?

There are gay men in Korea you know?

Tae and Kook were both hyper aware and curious of Jimin's sexuality in that period- for different reasons of course. In my opinion.

Not sure if Jimin's androgynous features played a role in these suspicions and assumptions they had of him in the early days because androgynousity in men is often ignorantly profiled and stereotyped as queer.

Tae seemed convinced JM was queer at least and JK was projecting his own queerness on to Jimin a lot- cough, cough.

It seemed to me also that Tae for whatever reason had the impression JM had a thing for him? I'll save my VMin agenda for delulu Fridays but chilee I don't know, Jimin has been on an agenda to friendzone that man since those manly mans thawed off his chest. Lol.

VMIN... ok.

I mean Jimin's response to Tae was more to deflate Tae's ego than to deflect or evade the issue and I wonder why. 'You are so full of yourself' 'I may like men, but I don't like you' and Tae responds with 'really' as if he's been challenged or dared- ever had your straight friends assume you like them just because you are queer?

Anywho, for whatever reason, Jimin seemed to be the only member in the group around the early days whose words and actions were put through the queer litmus test.

Also, I think a distinction ought to be made between calling two same sex friends a couple and calling them gay.

Calling two friends a couple is inconsequential- except when their sexuality is on the line. Calling two same sex friends you know are straight a couple is nothing but a gay joke.

BTS do this all the time. Jimin called Namjin a couple, Tae kook a couple, himself and Suga a couple, himself and JK a couple.

Jk has equally referred to others within the group as a couple, made heart signs above them, and have even held his chest and said he never thought he would fall for a guy.

In none of these instances did he or any of them imply that they or the persons they were referring to were queer or liked men and I wouldn't make much of such comments.

When JK was called out for gifting a present to Jimin and not the others, Tae teased JK as well and his gestures implied to me, 'it's ok to like him, I know you like him, you like JM don't you, uWu' and other variations of these.

But he in no way hinted at the sexuality of JK explicitly or implicitly- not in a way that prompts a response or rebuttal from JK like it did in Jimin's case.

I guess what I'm saying is that, that moment is nothing but something at the same time. You look at Tae's personality and his reputation within the group as the one with no filter who blurts out things that often has BTS running helter skelter- that 'I want to see your children" comment at Festa almost gave RM an aneurysm. Lmho.

Then they had to literally take his mic away from him when he started talking about meeting a pretty chick or something at a fansigns.

You consider the history between him and Jimin, the context behind that comment and the things that was said after that comment- the interviewer said 'well JK is really handsome...' which means he took the 'joke' Tae had made to mean JM had romantic interest in JK- something I feel JM was trying to avoid.

I don't think Tae meant anything by it. I don't think he knew at the time JM was queer but I do believe he suspected he was.

Hope this helps,

Signed,

GOLDY

[akari-hope]

Not sure why you think that wlw are more shunned, viewed as predatory, and otherwise demonized than mlm relationships, particularly enemies to lovers dynamics? Sapphics are by and large wayyyyy more well-received than mlm. Sapphics are seen as soft and harmless and lovely even when they’re fighting, while mlm are seen as dirty and emasculated and generally viewed with complete disgust.

i said that mlm are FETISHIZED more in enemies to lovers dynamics than wlw. wlw are more DEMONIZED than mlm in enemies to lovers dynamics. and i gave clear examples of dynamics that reflect this in that post, so i'm not pulling this out of my ass. neither is good. both are bad. they're just different kinds of bad. i'm pretty sure i made that clear but if i didn't, i'm restating it now - NEITHER MLM NOR WLW ARE TREATED WELL IN MEDIA REGARDLESS OF DYNAMIC. THIS IS NOT OPPRESSION OLYMPICS. DIFFERENT PROBLEMS DOES NOT EQUAL BETTER PROBLEMS.

i am, however, a lesbian, and i'm going to be able to speak more coherently and authentically to the sapphic representation and general treatment of women in media than anything else. it's my firsthand experience and it's always going to be easier and more accurate than my musings on the experiences of other groups of people. and given that i have a particular fondness for enemies to lovers dynamics, of course i'm bound to contemplate sapphic enemies to lovers dynamics specifically.

but if we must dance this dance bc you decided to take a bad faith interpretation of my words, women have to do more to be loved in media, and they have to do far less to be hated. this is a fact plain and simple, and if you can't acknowledge that we are not even remotely on the same page. You can look at ANY piece of media and see this is true. the supernatural fandom's treatment of basically any women vs. the kingdom hearts fandom's treatment of kairi vs. the naruto fandom's treatment of sakura. etc. etc. etc. i could name examples all day. these are women who, yes, have shoddy writing, but instead of getting the same treatment of a male character with shoddy writing - immediately getting fleshed out by fans - they get set aside as annoying, bitchy, mary sues, etc. even female characters with GOOD writing will get this treatment, a la lightning farron from final fantasy xiii. male characters with the SAME EXACT TRAITS are often beloved by fans. easy example, see cloud strife from final fantasy vii, who shares a hysterically huge amount of personality traits with lightning farron.

and this is BEFORE we even get into the discussion of being sapphic, or god forbid any other type of minority. traditionally beautiful white cishet women who are feminine and kind are the only women to ever pass for general audiences, and even then it's not consistent. women must be "palatable". versus white men, who are allowed to be dark, messy, gritty, murderers, even genocidal dictators and still be beloved by fans. and yes, the qualifier of white is necessary here - men of color, especially black men, do not get this same generosity from fans, and you bet your fucking ass it goes triple for women of color.

and again, this is BEFORE WE EVEN FACTOR IN BEING GAY OR MENTALLY ILL OR ANY OTHER FACTORS. THIS IS ASSUMING ALL CHARACTERS ARE CISHET AND NEUROTYPICAL.

women are "soft and harmless and lovely" as you put it when they fight...if they're fucking tifa lockhart. if they're feminine and sweet and cute normally, or at least perceived that way. if they look like they're out of madoka magica (and oops not even then, bc you bet your ASS there's insane demonization of miss homura akemi). and also, friendly reminder, that "soft and harmless and lovely" thing isn't a compliment. it's fucking infantilizing at best.

for sheer simplicity's sake, to compare two ships that are on a relatively equal playing field in terms of representation, i'm going to take a look at the general reception of goro akechi/ren amamiya from persona 5 (i'm using ren as his name for simplicity's sake) and madoka kaname/homura akemi from madoka magica.

some brief context for both: both are heavily queercoded, homura is initially introduced as an antagonistic character but it is later revealed to not be the case, akechi is initially introduced as a friendly character but it is later revealed to not be the case, and both homura and akechi have clear and intense struggles with trauma and other mental health issues.

judging by what i've said, from your own logic, surely homura is a widely beloved and not at all vilified character. after all, she's feminine, she's not REALLY a villain, and she's got sympathetic motivations. right? wrong. homura is widely beloved... by sapphics. but even people who LIKE THE SHOW DO NOT ALWAYS LIKE HER. homura was WIDELY hated and discoursed back when the show first aired. you still get people who hate her. and even more frustrating, despite the blatant, you-absolutely-cannot-miss-it queercoding, sapphic fans of the show still have to argue that it's not just "girls being friends". it's not even a true enemies to lovers setup, and you still cannot escape homura being called toxic and predatory.

now let's take a brief look at akechi and ren. like previously stated, akechi is revealed to be an antagonist later in the story. and when he is, he tries to shoot ren in the head and frame it as a suicide. this is, quite obviously, a lot different from homura and madoka, where homura never even directly fights madoka. surely by your logic, akechi would be widely seen as a villain, unforgivable, horrendously terrible? well he most certainly isn't. he's one of if not the most beloved characters by fans. his relationship with ren is more often than not read as romantic, and it's practically treated as canon by a large majority.

and like i previously stated, i am not saying the mlm example i've given is without issues - akechi/ren is highly sexualized and fetishized. it's just a very DIFFERENT problem from the vilification that wlw characters often receive. and i am not saying that mlm are NEVER vilified. i am simply saying the large, overarching trend in fandom is to be forgiving of men, and unforgiving of women.

i simply do NOT see mlm ships get the same treatment in this regard to wlw ships. sora/riku from kingdom hearts and catra/adora from she-ra have...practically the same narrative in many ways. childhood friends separated by a worldwide conflict, becoming enemies, fighting each other multiple times, arguably with intent to kill, eventually saving each other and finding a way to reconcile in order to emerge victorious against the true villain. riku and catra are strikingly alike, as are sora and adora. but riku is once again a fan favorite character. and catra has received backlash after backlash after backlash. i hardly even post about she-ra anymore and i STILL get people in my inbox talking about catra discourse!!

again, i'm NOT saying the script is never reversed. there's not really anything to be won by making absolute statements like that. i'm just saying that i have never seen it, and even on the odd chance that i do it's never as severe.

once again - yes mlm characters face backlash. no one is saying they do not. but it is different backlash. i am specifically discussing the fan reception of wlw characters and ships bc that is my personal experience. different problems do not equal better problems.

i'm tired of bad faith interpretations of my posts. unless you want to have a respectful and thoughtful conversation (which i AM open to), don't come at me with boldfaced accusations.

[kakashi-tsukuyomi]

Venus

A/N: I made this as a gift for @sparkleswritings for a Secret Santa event in a Discord server I’m part of, @konoblog-simps . I had so much fun writing this! I took into account some things she likes/dislikes and incorporated them in this one-shot story. This was also the first time I wrote for Gaara. It was pretty challenging but definitely fun.

Pairing: Gaara x My friend; Modern-day AU Warnings: None. Just pure fluff ahead

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Dusk fell, and the glow of the lights coming from the coffee shops lining on each side illuminated the street on a Saturday evening. Sidewalks were filled with people enjoying the weekend calm, grateful for the respite it brought after a week of toil as they catched up with friends and loved ones over a cup or two of coffee. It certainly was the case for Kira and her friends earlier that afternoon. Exams had just finished the day before, and what better way to celebrate their freedom than to spend the next day hanging out in their favorite café, discussing their favorite stories over cups of hot tea. They enjoyed each other's company so much that they did not realize that their afternoon rendezvous stretched towards the evening. After saying their goodbyes to each other and a few well wishes for the coming holidays, they left the café and parted ways. 

Kira walked down the sidewalk, taking in the sights around her as she listened to Sleeping at Last playing on her phone. The sky was now getting blacker than a few minutes ago, and the lights shone brighter and prettier in the dark. She had always loved evenings better than any part of the day, and this evening of solitude surrounded by the beautiful sight of nightlife, with the evening breeze caressing her face, was no exception for her. She had decided she wanted to stay and enjoy a little bit of it more, and so instead of going straight home, she continued walking and wandered around the shops nearby.

After a while, she stopped by her favorite bookstore along the way. As she entered the shop, the song "Venus" started playing on her phone, and she pressed her earphones closer to her ears to listen to it. She hummed to the song as she wandered towards the "New Selections" aisle, browsing the shelves for promising titles. When none caught her interest, she gave up and wandered towards the other parts of the shop. The bookstore had two levels, and after having visited all of the aisles on the ground floor, she rode the escalator, bringing her to the second floor. She got off the escalator and walked towards the shelves in front of her. She reached the Hobbies Section, casually browsing the books on display, and when she reached the Gardening Section, something interesting caught her eye.

It was a figure of a young man of about her age, standing a few yards before her in front of a shelf full of different books on succulents. He had short, spiky auburn hair, and he had a fair complexion. His frame was slender, his height not too tall, and he was wearing a maroon long-sleeved shirt on top of jeans and sneakers, which fit his frame perfectly. From where she was standing, she could only see half of the features of the young man. Although even with this limited view, she could tell that the guy looked cute.

The young man was holding a book in each hand, glancing from one book to the other. His forehead creased as he stared intently on one book as if to scrutinize it before switching to the other, and then back again. He let out a small exasperated sigh as if in defeat, and when he looked up from the two books, he noticed Kira's presence and turned to look at her. Kira felt her breath hitched and she panicked internally, quickly averting her gaze and turning to leave.

"Wait!" The young man called out. "I, uhh… ummm…"

Kira silently debated whether she should turn around and face him or just ignore him. She just wasn't used to situations like this. Normally shy, she wasn't the type of person to strike up a conversation with a stranger out of the blue.

"Excuse me, but, umm…" The young man hesitated as if choosing his words carefully. "I, uhh… wonder if you could give me some help, please?"

He seemed to be as embarrassed as Kira was at that time as he looked down, avoiding her gaze as he asked her. She felt a little bit sorry for the guy and was almost tempted to give in, but her shyness still held her firmly in her place. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the boy backpedaled and apologized to her. "F-forgive me, " he stuttered, "I shouldn't have bothered you."

Pity and guilt took hold of Kira as she watched the young man retreat from her, still clutching the two books in both hands. A silent resolve took place in her heart, and she thought that maybe if she could be bold today, it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, the boy did seem helpless.

"S-sure, I can help you. What is it?"

The young man's eyes suddenly perked up, and he turned to her, bringing the two books to her. "Ahh, thank you. I'm looking for a good book on taking care of succulents. I just started growing succulents, and I don't know which of these books is better." He stopped in front of her, holding out both of his hands to show her the books, and as she removed her earphones from her ears, she leaned forward for a closer look. Up close, she could properly see the boy's face. He had green eyes, and the edges of his lids were outlined with black ink. She noted he had no eyebrows, and had an unusual tattoo marked on the left side of his forehead. Though these features seemed strange compared to the usual standards of male beauty, they worked quite well on him, and Kira thought he was actually quite attractive.

Upon inspecting the titles, she immediately recognized them, and with ease and a bit of excitement, explained to the boy what each book was about. She pointed to the book on his left hand, "This one has useful information on planting succulents -- plus I like the visuals -- although, I think it lacks the explanation and tips a first-time succulent enthusiast should know." She pointed to the other one, "As for this one, I like this better because it has more information, plus I like how simple yet organized that information is laid out. It's very easy for a beginner to understand. I recommend this one."

The young man's eyes lit up once more, and he looked at her with a quiet awe. "Wow, I'm amazed how easily you picked one over the other. I assume you've already read both books and that you're into succulents, as well. You seem to be really knowledgeable on it."

Kira raised both of her hands in front of her, smiling sheepishly, "Ahh! No, not really… it's just that I had a lot of them growing up. Although, I don't really have them anymore…" The young man smiled at her, and Kira noticed how kind and gentle his face looked. She felt her heart skip a beat.

"But because of your knowledge, you certainly were able help me. I can't thank you enough, Miss… umm…" He scratched the small part of his cheek with his finger. "Forgive me, I didn't get your name."

"It's Kira!" She blurted out too eagerly, but then caught herself afterwards, a tint of pink coloring her cheeks. The young man had noticed but didn't say anything and smiled in return as he held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kira. My name's Gaara."

Kira stared at the hand outstretched towards her and slowly took it. Her hand slipped into his, and it fit comfortably. His hand was a bit rough yet warm, she noted, and he shook her hand slowly, his grasp firm yet gentle at the same time. She liked how his hand felt against hers, familiar and safe, and when the movement stopped, his hand lingered on hers for a while. She felt her heart sink when he finally let go. 

"Well, umm… it was really nice meeting you, Kira. Thank you again for your help," Gaara smiled softly to her.

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you, too, Gaara!" Kira smiled back, and then muttered, "Umm, well, uhhh… I guess I gotta go…"

Gaara watched her as she turned her back from him and started to walk away. What a kind and gentle soul, he thought. He watched her as her dark hair swayed along with her every move, and he noted how pretty she looked in her pastel green blouse, complimenting her skin tone. He felt a foreign tug in his heartstrings as he saw her walk farther from him, and before he knew it, he was already calling out to her.

"Kira -- wait!" Upon hearing him call out her name, Kira didn't hesitate and immediately turned around to face him. "Y-Yes?"

Gaara immediately approached her and stopped two feet away from her. "W-well, umm…" he stuttered, "You see, I, umm, signed up for a free succulent workshop tomorrow downstairs. I, uhh... it's my first time to join and I don't know anyone there. P-perhaps... you would like to join me?"

Kira's eyes widened, not quite sure if what she was hearing was true.  

"Then uhh…," he continued, "Maybe, afterwards, we can talk about it over tea. I mean, well, I could really use your help. But that is, of course, if you're fine with it!" He seemed flustered as he said this, scratching the side of his cheek again with his finger.

Kira felt her heart warm up as a grin formed itself on her lips. This boy had just asked her out, and though she really couldn't believe it at first, she knew what she was going to answer him, anyway.

Her eyes lit up, and she smiled at him sweetly, her heart full of excitement and joy.

"Of course," she beamed. "I would love to."

 The night sky once ruled my imagination Now I turn the dials with careful calculation After a while, I thought I'd never find you I convinced myself that I would never find you When suddenly I saw you

-“Venus”, Sleeping At Last

[arcade-conspiracy]

hello!!! can i please request male romantic matchups for bnha and sk8?

So I’m an enfp, friendly and outgoing, have a tendency to be over dramatic, loud, sarcastic and pretty chill and laid back too. i also laugh/smile all the time to the point people think i don’t get angry at all(which is very wrong i can be a total b when i’m angry). I like to play volleyball and cricket, bake(for my huge sweet tooth), nap, go out with my friends and read books. I’m a very hands on person and love hugs, be it from my family or friends(physical touch and acts of service are my love languages). I’m also very sensitive and cry easily, even over the dumbest of things. In a partner, I always look for humour, patience, an appetite for sarcasm(being able to reply back to my sarcasm with more sarcasm is key for me) and also for them to reciprocate my need for physical touch. My ideal date with someone would probably be an amusement park date with lots of fast food and roller coasters.

thank you loads in advance if you do this, love!!! 💕

I gave you the same boy in different fonts woshdnsksi

I match you with,,,

Mirio Togata!

Immediately thought of him. Right away. Perfect match. Straight up.

The energy when you two are together is amazing! It’s so lighthearted and fun

So much laughter, and dumb inside jokes, there’s never too much of a dull moment between you two

Totally down to go to amusement parks with you. He’s super into thrill rides and is basically okay with doing whatever you’d want to, as long as he gets to tag along

He’ll try to win prizes from the games for you,, but he kinda fails at them. He still tries though!

Such a touchy guy, will always have his arm around you, his head on your shoulder, etc

He’s also definitely cool with cuddles, though, especially if you’re sad or stressed out, he will immediately be on it

Can absolutely relate with you. A lot of people assume because of his cheerful demeanor that he doesn’t feel negative emotions, so once he hears you have a bit of a same thing going on, he makes it perfectly clear that you can tell him about anything and that all of your feelings are valid

He will be the most supportive person in your life from the moment you meet, he will watch you do anything you’re passionate about

He’s insane with compliments, so whenever he’s proud of you (and he’s always proud of you) he will not hesitate to let you know!

He’s amazing with reassurance, so whenever you’re upset he always knows just what to say

And if words don’t work, then he’ll do whatever he can to make you feel better!

Kojiro Nanjo (Joe)!

I literally match everyone with him I’m so sorry, but this one I’m super sure of I swear-

First off, this dude is the king of teasing. Anything he knows you won’t actually get upset over, is free game

Is you tease him back, or are sarcastic with him, he’s just gonna immediately fall in love

Like Mirio, he’s also very casually touchy. Constantly holding your hand, having an arm around your waist, etc.

But if you want to cuddle or need hugs, he’s certainly not opposed, if he has the time

He’s may be a chef, but he isn’t exactly the best of bakers. If you decide to ever bake something with him, you’re gonna have to tell him exactly what he needs to be doing

Once he gets the hang of it, though, he’ll love baking with you!! Especially if you have some music on or something while you do, so he can be all sappy and lovey or whatever🤧

Obviously a pretty sporty dude, so he’s down to play whatever sports with you, if you want someone to practice or train with

Or if you just play for fun, he can definitely make a good opponent. Be prepared, he won’t go easy on you, though

Naps together! Especially when the weathers drab, and everyone’s tired anyway

They’re not even intentional, sometimes you’ll just be laying together enjoying each other’s company, and you just end up falling asleep

He can be a little bitch at times, but honestly, he really is just a big lover. If something’s distressed you, he is also distressed

That being said, if something small makes you cry or troubles you, he’s not gonna judge you for it. He’s just going to find a way to bring that smile back!

[cognitivefunk]

Yuma’s Possession

Lol, I’m terrible with titles. Anyway, here is the requested yandere Yuma x Yui fic with a scenario involving a transfer student. Since this is a school request, let’s just assume that Yui is 18, Yuma for the sake of stating it is also over 18. I made up a transfer student and had a little fun with it, lol. To be continued?

Fandom: Diabolik Lovers Pairing: Yuma Mukami x Yui Komori  Rating: E - Explicit 18+ Warnings: Blood, crying, light choking, spanking, naughty words, slapping, humiliation Word Count: 4,819

Yui’s smile was bright and unguarded as she walked side by side next to the new transfer student of Ryoutei Academy. She had taken it upon herself to show him around since she knew what it was like to change schools, especially so late in the year. Akio was a quiet type, average build but slender and taller than she was. They stopped at the rooftop to have lunch since it was usually deserted at this time of day, just to give him some space from meeting so many new people. The stars illuminated the sky rather brightly that night, giving the roof a peaceful ambiance along with the soft lighting from the lanterns.

“Thanks for being my tour guide today,” he laughed, tucking a lustrous black lock of hair behind his ear. His hair was messy and layered, but fashionable. It did well to frame his face, accentuating his features. What had started out as an awkward exchange of information had melted into a relaxed atmosphere of sociability. The two of them set their bags down onto the rooftop and proceeded to set up their lunches. Unbeknownst to the pair, someone had been watching their encounter for a better half of the day they had spent together. Caramel eyes narrowed from a distance, watching the two of them getting along, with a fire that was growing like a deadly crescendo. Yuma gnashed his teeth together, digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands.

Had he not been a vampire, he may have had lasting marks from the action. The crescent moon shapes slowly faded from his skin as he lessened the tension in his fists. The sting of the cut took some of the edge off of his rage temporarily, only for it to come roiling back to the surface. ‘Who does that sow think she is? I should go over there right now and teach her a lesson of whose property she is…’ The itch to move over to the pair was building inside of him, but he kept it at bay. Instead, he continued to watch in silence, simmering when he saw a faint blush cross the other man’s features as their conversation carried on. The transfer student’s hand had brushed against hers as they exchanged food from their lunches and it took all of Yuma’s self-control not to beat the man to a bloody pulp on the spot. ‘No. I’ll nip this in the bud early. This needs a more permanent solution.’ A smile tugged at the vampire’s handsome features, but it was not one of mirth. Rather, it was a sickly smile of an infatuated man on the verge of a violent rampage. He had seen enough, and his plan was already in motion as he retreated from the scene before him so that he wouldn’t ruin the surprise earlier than he intended.

“I made it myself this morning!” she beamed, as the other male tried her home cooking. He had brought leftovers from the night before that his sister had made, but it was nice to try something different than he would usually eat. The clafoutis was fluffy and decorated with dark cherries, and even though it wasn’t reheated it still had its sweet and airy taste. Yui had made sure to pack an extra serving for Yuma, topped with powdered sugar, that morning because she knew that he liked sweets and thought that it would make him happy.

“Thank you, I wouldn’t usually eat something sweet so early in the day. It’s really good! Your family must be very proud of you,” he shared her cheery demeanor as he showered her in compliments. His amethyst eyes were focused on the young woman’s face as she ducked her head forward, her platinum tresses cascading forward, hiding her face slightly. Perhaps he had misspoken.

“I live with some of the other students here right now,” she paused, clearly thinking about how to word her situation, “as part of an exchange program of sorts.” He listened intently, a glimmer of interest flashing over his features before he replaced it with another cheery smile. “Even more reason to be proud then, you must be very important.” The words stung a little bit, given the reality of her situation, but she was still thankful for his praise. There was something about it that gave her a sense of normalcy. She lifted her head again, tucking her hair back. When her hand brushed against her collar it briefly flashed a puncture wound that did not go unnoticed. “Yui? Are you ok?” Akio started to ask but the sound of the bell caught her attention and she started to gather her belongings, laughing halfheartedly. “I guess we stayed out here longer than I thought, we’d better get to class before we’re late!”

After the clock struck 2 a.m. it was time to go home for the day. It was difficult acclimating to being awake primarily during the nighttime hours, but for the most part Yui was accustomed to it. However, it still didn’t stop her body’s internal clock from crying out. When she arrived home, she trotted off to find Yuma to see if he liked the dessert that she had packed for him earlier. Perhaps she could also see if she should make something else for him before she got ready for bed. She found it strange that she hadn’t seen him at all during the day, even stranger that he hadn’t been there to accompany her home. A small amount of worry settled in her stomach, and she wasn’t sure if something had happened to him or if he was avoiding her. “Yuma?” she knocked against his door.

There was no answer. She tried again, louder this time, but to no avail. Kou rounded the corner and waved his hand brightly at the young woman. “M-Nekochan~” he called out, walking toward her with one hand tucked away in his pocket. His posture was relaxed and she subconsciously relaxed around him. “Oh, hi Kou…I was just looking for Yuma, have you seen him?” she picked at the fabric of her sleeves absentmindedly, peeking around the corner of the hall to see if he was on his way. A pout crossed Kou’s face and he let out an exaggerated whine, “Awh, why weren’t you looking for me instead? You know, I’m much more interesting than Yuma-kun…” He flashed one of his modelesque smiles and Yui couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his antics.

“Sorry Kou, it’s just I haven’t seen him all day and I was kind of hoping to talk to him before bed.” She was picking her sleeve slightly more aggressively, taking out her frustration on the cuff of her sweater. The blonde narrowed his eyes with a frown, but decided not to push the matter. After all, he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his brother’s rage for marking up his woman. “Hmm,” he leaned his head against the wall in thought before his eyes lit up in realization, “Oh! I saw him briefly after lunch and he didn’t look too happy… That’s right, M-neko, you must have really upset him!” he looked a touch too gleeful at that statement, a darkness lingering over his eyes as he watched her face grow with concern.

Yui’s eyebrows furrowed and she chewed the inside of her cheek in discomfort. She decided it would be best to busy herself in the kitchen after all, as she wouldn’t be able to sleep until Yuma came back home.

--

Akio had felt a presence following him for a good portion of the day, and it was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention. As he walked the deserted path back toward his house he clutched his bag, readying himself for an ambush. As if on cue, Yuma took the chance to reveal himself by dashing out of his hiding place and pressing the other boy against a tree by the neck. The darker haired male winced at the sensation, but was sturdier than Yuma would have assumed given his frame. “Oy, I’m here to teach you a lesson about messing with someone else’s property,” Yuma’s voice was rough and filled with hatred and he buried his nails into the soft flesh of his victim.

The transfer student was unable to speak a retort back at the vampire due to his hand pressing into his windpipe. However, the taller male was quite obviously underestimating his ability to fight back even from this position. Akio curled his fingers toward his right wrist, unleashing a blade that he used to slash at the offending hand, falling down to one knee when the pressure was released suddenly and gathering his bearings as the oxygen flowed back into his burning lungs. Yuma jumped back, startled, clutching at the wound on his hand, staring in disbelief when it wasn’t immediately closing. “Heh? What the fuck is this!?”

“Is this how Ryoutei Academy’s students treat their new guests? I know we’re off campus but I’m sure they’d be very disappointed in you attacking a new student on their first day,” the sudden confidence in his voice was different than the way he had been conducting himself around Yui earlier. Yuma glared at the other man, shaking the spilled blood off of his hand and ripping off the bottom of his dress shirt to wrap the wound with. “Just who the hell do you think you are?” His eyes were nearly alight with the fury that was raging through him. He took on a fighting stance, sizing up his opponent differently this time, striking out quickly and swiping his fist against the side of Akio’s cheek as the other male dodged most of his attack. At the speed he was going, a human shouldn’t have been able to stand a chance, let alone nearly dodge a full frontal attack.

The taller male sniffed the air tentatively; he could have sworn he smelled human blood. But it was muddled. Now that he was focusing, he could tell there was definitely a trace of vampiric blood flowing through the other man’s veins. Unlike Yuma, who had once been human and then turned vampire, Akio had been born, a product of a human mother and a father who was a vampire. He was not as strong as a full-fledged vampire, but he did possess a similar skillset to Yuma, along with weak magical capabilities. It was enough to hold his own one-on-one with the enraged male.

“What is this property you’re going on about? Is it that girl?” Akio asked, taking on a protective quality in his voice. He wasn’t sure what the status of the relationship was between the two of them, but it was the only conclusion he could think of that would have gotten the vampire so riled up. It would seem he struck a nerve as Yuma spun around with a flying kick aimed right for his head. Akio ducked and grabbed Yuma’s steady leg from beneath him, rolling out of the way before the vampire could grab him down to the ground with him. The younger male leaned against a tree for support, having used a lot of his strength to drag Yuma down.

“Oy, oy, OY! Listen here you bastard,” Yuma picked himself up quickly, towering over Akio before he picked him up by the scruff of his shirt. “You’re really pissing me off.” He shoved him against the tree again, mindful of the hidden knife up the other man’s sleeve. “I ought to kill you right here,” he used his own head to crush into Akio’s disorienting the dhampir before throwing him to the ground and stomping his foot into his stomach. The darker haired man groaned in pain at the impact and scrambled to reach for his backpack, hands shakily ripping the bag open to throw the equivalent of a flash bomb at the vampire so he could make a quick retreat.

A scream of frustration ripped from Yuma’s throat as he realized that he had let him slip out of his sight and something about the device messed with his sense of smell temporarily. There was a ringing in his head and he clutched his hair with his good hand, kicking the dirt where Akio had been in irritation. He sighed, admitting defeat for the time being. The next time he saw the other male he would make sure to finish what he started. He made his way back toward home, figuring he could let out his frustration on the girl who he determined to be at fault for this entire situation.

--

In the kitchen, Yui had busied herself making a version of pavlova, a dessert made of sugar and egg whites with lemon curd she had prepared the day before and an arrangement of fresh fruits. The sound of the door slamming shut startled the young woman, but she wiped her hands on her apron, and tentatively peered her head out of the kitchen to see Yuma bee lining toward her.  “Yuma, you’re home!” she offered, trying to sound cheery despite the nervousness that was settling over her body like a blanket. Yuma stopped when he was right in front of her, eyeing the dessert that she had been preparing.

“Is that for him too?” he spat, reaching over to smack the dessert off the counter but Yui jumped in front of his arm, “No!!” before she could tell him that she made it for him he pushed her to the ground and shoved the dessert and the delicate plate it was displayed on shattering to the ground beside her. Tears welled at her eyes and came spilling over, all her hard work was in a pile on the floor over a misunderstanding. “Yuma..” she opened her mouth to speak but he shoved her back against the kitchen floor, straddling her body as he ripped open the top of her shirt.

“Do I need to re-train your body to remember that you belong to me and only me??” his words rang out in the room, and he grabbed a piece of broken glass from the serving plate, still coated in the dessert she had made, and sliced into her collarbone. At first there was no pain at all, only a shocked sensation that racked her body, but then the air began to sting the cut and fresh tears welled in her eyes. Yuma didn’t give her time to speak yet again, forcing his tongue into the cut, widening it rather than soothing it, causing her to grunt and writhe beneath him. The pain was searing, but she felt as if her spirit was being sliced open. Her heart was bleeding for him and he didn’t even see it. That or he didn’t care.

Yuma moaned against the cut, tasting the sugary confection mixed with her blood. It was a shame he had scattered it across the floor, because it really did taste wonderful. For a moment, he let himself indulge in the sweetness of her, drinking her blood hungrily, his right hand throbbing from the cut he had received earlier. The thought of even a fraction of it being made with the other male in mind came sparking back to the surface and he tugged his fangs down, ripping open a wound on Yui’s pale chest.

Her blood flowed thickly, slowly blossoming across her chest and soaking her shirt. She sobbed out, her hands reaching out to hold onto Yuma’s arms. She noticed the makeshift bandage on his hand and turned her attention to him in concern, burying her own pain down. “What happened?” she asked softly, ghosting her fingers over the fabric that he wound tight around his hand. He lifted his head from her chest to glare down at her with concerning intensity.

“You’re an absolute fuckin’ idiot, you know that?” Yui attempted to look away as he insulted her, but he grabbed her chin firmly with his wounded hand, the coppery smell of both his blood and her own overwhelming her senses. “You were out there seducing a vampire hunter today weren’t you?” He smacked the side of her face, hard. She cried out in pain and could feel the sting heating up as the mark on her face turned a bright pink. He chuckled, bringing his hand down to strike her other cheek while the girl shuddered beneath him, eyes widening in confusion and terror.

“I was just helping him—“ he cut her off, raising his voice to a yell. “Just helping him my ass. I saw you share your lunch with him, saw the way the two of you blushed, or did you think you could whore yourself around the school without me taking notice? HUH?” He grabbed onto her sweater and shook her for emphasis, dropping her and letting her head knock against the ground. He sighed, looking at the mess in the kitchen and got off of her, kicking her in the side to encourage her to get up quickly. “Oy, clean this shit up. This is punishment for causing me trouble.”

Yui started to get to her feet but was pushed over again, eliciting a humorless chuckle from the man above her. “Did I say you could stand up? Crawl like the sow you are,” a shadow seemed to cast over his gaze and he crossed his arms, waiting for her to do as he asked. The girl trembled, her lip quivering, but she crawled on all fours, picking up the broken glass and scooping the ruined dessert into the trash with her hands. She reached for a towel but Yuma stopped her again, leaning over to lick the sugary mix off of her hands. A light blush crossed over her face as her body reacted to his touch. A smirk formed over Yuma’s lips as he pulled a finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the digit before biting down, mixing her blood with the taste of sugar once more.

He groaned, the overindulgent taste comforting a piece of him. He sucked a little more harshly and a squeak left Yui’s mouth, causing her to panic and scramble an apology before Yuma chuckled again. “It seems your body does know who it belongs to, hm?” He used his nails to rip the apron off of her body, signaling her to use that instead of a towel to clean the remainder of the mess. She did so and once completed with the task she folded the fabric and placed it in the hamper she had placed in the kitchen next to the trash. She was nervous to do anything to set Yuma off, so she waited to see if he was pleased enough to let her stand back up.

He grabbed something off the counter that she couldn’t quite see and beckoned her to stand. “Come on, up!” he patronized her as though he were talking to a pet. Once she stood before him, he placed a sour dried lemon into her mouth and closed her mouth around it, cupping his hand over her lips to keep it there. “Mmn!!” her mouth puckered instantly and she screwed her eyes shut. It was a particularly sour lemon and it was almost painful in the way it pulled the saliva to her mouth. “There, there. Keep it there, we’re not done. Not by a long shot…”

She was led back to his room, where the door was locked behind them as soon as they entered. Not that it mattered anyway, but it was more of a subtle warning. He stood her in the middle of the room, circling around her before stopping in front of her again, moving to rip off the remainder of her clothing, leaving her completely naked and vulnerable before him. He leaned forward to lap up the blood that was cooling on her skin from the wound he had made earlier. He dug his fingers into the cut, re-opening the slit enough to let fresh blood ooze over the old blood. He led her backward as he attached his lips to the wound, the bed shaking when they fell back onto it.

“Aaah, I can’t get used to it. Haah, you’re sweeter than sugar…I just want to drink, and drink, and drink until there’s nothing left,” he gasped, continuing his ministrations on her searing laceration. The pain had just started to dull before he dug his fingers in to re-open it, and the new wave of pain made Yui feel dizzy. Yuma moaned against her collarbone, the sensation vibrating against her chest. He reached up to smack her across the face when he noticed she was slipping and he pulled away from her tempting blood. He didn’t want her to lose consciousness quite yet. Not until he’d had his full of her. She chewed the lemon slice in her mouth, the sourness of it pulling her consciousness from its foggy haze before she finally swallowed it, freeing her mouth.

“I’ll remind you tonight that you belong to me,” he moved to stand next to the bed, grabbing her by the hair to drag onto the floor. “On your knees, sow.” He was still speaking coldly toward her, the pent up anger still coursing through his body. He undid his belt, but did not drop it, instead he left it bunched in his left hand, and he stared down at her submissive position. Another smirk crossed his lips as he undid his pants, pulling them down along with his boxers in one swift motion. He kicked out of the lower garment and gingerly pumped himself with his injured hand.

“I’ll give you a chance to say you’re sorry,” he breathed, guiding her mouth to his aching member. Her blood and crying face had gotten him excited. As she wrapped her lips around his member, he leant down to wrap the belt around her throat. “Go on, be a good girl, ok?” his words were a warning for her not to do anything to displease him, and he gave the belt a tug for good measure. The constriction around her throat was strange as she took his length into her mouth.

She bobbed her head along his cock, the tears on her face were dried to her cheeks and there were bits of blood smeared and caked across her chest and some patchy areas of her throat. Her saliva was thick from sucking on the lemon slice moments before, and she relaxed the back of her throat, taking him all the way to the base as best she could. The action of servicing the vampire was starting to excite Yui, and she felt a warm sensation starting to grow in her own body as Yuma bucked his hips against her mouth, using her body to pleasure himself.

He pulled her off of him, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “I don’t think you’ve had enough punishment yet,” he murmured, guiding her to lie over his lap, her head draped down toward the floor with her ass nestled right over his knees. He took the belt into his right hand and folded it over before he brought it down on her smooth skin with a crack.

“Aah, Yuma!” Yui cried out in surprise. Although she had an inkling of what he was up to when he draped her over his knee. It was humiliating and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. He struck down again, alternating the location of the strike to an uncovered area of flesh each time until her entire bottom felt raw and on fire. Little welts from where he let the buckle strike her flesh decorated her rear end and she knew that it was going to be uncomfortable to sit for a few days.

Yuma didn’t stop until another wave of tears fell from those pink eyes of hers. He soothed the irritated skin with his hand, massaging his hands into the fat of her ass. “That’s better, isn’t it? Know your place, and I’ll be gentle with you, hm?” his voice was softer than it had been earlier, but another part of him was hard and pressing against Yui’s lower belly in the position she was in.

He suddenly hoisted the young woman back onto the bed, settling her near the headboard. He removed his shirt before crawling over her body, already positioning himself to enter her. She was going to voice a protest but feared he may be rougher with her if she tried to dissuade him from going at his pace for now. She bit down on her lip as he rocked forward, stretching her insides around him. “This is still a punishment,” he breathed, watching her face contort in pain as he pushed into her slowly, not wanting to hurt her too badly but wanting her to feel discomfort.

Yui took in a shaky breath and nodded compliantly, a wave of pleasure shooting through her as she saw his face relax as the warmth of her pussy enveloped him. Even though he said it was a punishment, he was moving very slowly, and she felt a pang tug at her heartstrings. She lifted a leg cautiously, still adjusting to his thick length that was pulsating inside her with desire. She moaned softly at the spark of pleasure that jolted through her at the change in angle. Yuma let out a rumbling chuckle, “You’re already so wet…Oy, did you get excited from your punishment?”

He shifted and lifted her legs up, resting them against his shoulders as he watched his cock glide in and out of her wet heat. The sound of the two of them joining together was embarrassing, and Yui wanted to bury her face in her hands but she stayed put, a bright flush covering her face. Yuma’s strong hands were holding her legs in place and he was enjoying himself, watching the act of fucking her.

The erotic nature of the sight was exciting him further and he leaned forward, pressing her legs toward her chest as he took her arms and pinned them above her head with one hand. He pressed his weight against the hands beneath him and used his free hand to fondle her breast before he picked up the pace of his ravishing. Yui turned her head to the side, writhing beneath him and chanting his name like a prayer, over and over. It was as though she had forgotten all words aside from his name. Aside from Yuma. “Yeah? Does it feel good? Yuma, it’s Yuma who makes you feel like this, hm?” he moaned breathily, watching her with a lecherous gaze, “I’ll make sure your body never forgets just who you belong to. You’re going to give everything to me, do you understand?”

He latched onto her neck again, sinking his fangs into her flesh once more as he started to pound her into the mattress. If any of his brothers were awake they could most likely hear the banging of his bed against the wall and Yui’s cries as he took her. He didn’t care, and in fact, it only made him want to do it rougher. He leaned back once more, digging his nails into her hips and lifting her onto his cock, angling himself deep inside of her. Yui’s hands scrambled to grab onto the wall above her head as she pressed the back of her head into the mattress, arching up into the man above her. As soon as she felt his seed shoot inside of her, searing her insides, she climaxed around him. The overall sensation driving her over the edge with him.

Yuma caught his breath, and leaned back down to latch onto her neck once again. “Yuma! I’m gonna pass out,” Yui protested weakly, her vision already becoming hazy around the edges after her orgasm had ripped through her body. She was already anemic due to his never-ending thirst and she wasn’t sure if she could handle much more.

“Then pass out,” he murmured against her throat, gulping more of her down. He paused, looking down at her with serious eyes, “You’re not going anywhere tomorrow anyway. You’re not leaving this house again.” Those were the last words she heard before the world became muddy and thick like molasses. Her body became limp in his arms as he slowly finished drinking from her, rolling over to lie beside her. His body felt surprisingly sore after fighting with Akio and he wondered if it had to do with the blade that he used. It was something he would have to figure out later, however, one thought remained as the tendrils of sleep began to pull him to sleep: I’m going to kill him.

[dessiekarma]

My Harem is Entirely Bad Boys (Kirisaki Daiichi x Reader) Pt.6

Chapter Six: Sorry For Your Tragic Backstory, But Don’t be a Dick!

 “Son, are you up?”

 Hara lifted his head up to glance at the large time on his phone. He was probably going to be late to school again, not that it really mattered.

 “Yeah I’m up.”

 “I wanted to remind you that you’ll need to skip practice today to make your doctor appointment.”

The door swung open with Hara facing his father, a clearly unhappy look on his face.

 “What appointment? I told you I didn’t want to go to any other doctors.” Hara whisper hissed at the older male.

 “Your mother and I had you on a list for an experimental treatment, we think it may actually help to stop-”

 “It won’t stop!” Hara exclaimed before glancing back into his bedroom and lowering his voice again. “How many doctors have to tell you two that? I accepted it so why don’t you!?”

 “Maybe not stop but slow down the degeneration an-”

 Hara stopped listening as he turned back into his bedroom and shook the girl in his bed quickly. His father watched on with pursed lips, clearly wanting to say something but biting his tongue instead.

 “Hey, you need to get going.” Hara nudged her out of the bed and ushered her to gather her stuff and take her leave.

 “Kazuya, you know we don’t mind you having…friends but we’ve asked you not to let so many people into the house.”

 “Then you shouldn’t have agreed to give me the room with the door leading outside.”

 There was a brief stare off between the two before his father finally gave in and made no further effort to correct his son’s behavior. Hara sighed heavily as he pulled on his school uniform.

 Of course, neither of his parents had the actual backbone to upset him in any way. Anyone who didn’t know their situation would call him a spoiled brat and he knew they were right.

 “I gotta go.” Hara said pushing his bangs firmly over his eyes and walking past his father. “I’m staying late for practice…I’ll be home later.”

 “Please, Kazuya why won’t you at least give it a try?”

 The teen stopped walking but didn’t turn back to the desperate sounding man.

 “Because we’ve been doing this for more than a decade…I’m sick of getting my hopes up.”

 The older man flinched as the front door slammed harshly.

~~~~~

 “Oh shit, what’s with the face?” Yamazaki asked as Hara practically slammed his lunch tray down on the table beside him.

 “He’s just all up in his feelings because we had to give Mako back today.” (Y/N) said with her own eyes looking red and glassy.

 “I can’t believe she said we did the best on the project.” Hara commented cracking open a can.

 Seto chuckled just a bit. “Probably because you two were the most realistic parents I’d ever seen with all that fighting. It’s no wonder everyone kept thinking Mako was real. I don’t know that the assignment had the desired effect, I thought you were a great mother.”

 “Oh…” (Y/N) didn’t exactly know how to take her friends compliment. Her heart was suddenly beating faster and the room was a second from spinning.

 Squinting her eyes shut tightly she focused on keeping her breathing leveled. She could NOT have a panic attack right now in front of her friends. Bringing herself back down she smiled at him.

 “Thank you! I’m actually still pretty upset about giving him back but I know that’s pretty silly.”

 “I don’t believe so.” Furuhashi commented. “You developed a motherly instinct and bond with Mako. It would be hard for a mother to give up her child.”

 “Yeah.” (Y/N) pushed her food her plate before placing the spoon down. “Hanamiya, you want my lunch? It’s not going down right and I hate wasting food.”

 “Sure whatever.” The black-haired male took her plate slowly and tried his best to seem uninterested in her or the food.

 Though not a lie that she didn’t feel hungry anymore, she wondered if the rest of her team noticed that Hanamiya wasn’t eating today. And come to think of it there were other days when he didn’t eat much more than a can of coffee.

 She didn’t want to assume but the thought had been in her mind ever since she ran into his mother. If she was working at a department store in the mall, she couldn’t possibly be making that much money. The tuition here was ridiculous and the lunch prices not much better. How the hell could he afford to go here?

 Rich dad?

 Benefactor?

 (Y/N)’s thoughts were cut off by some random guy coming up behind her and slinging an arm around her shoulder. The guys watched as the girl stiffened upon immediate reaction before regaining her cool composure and turning to the male with an almost deadly look.

 “How can I help you?”

 “So polite, I can tell you’ve been in this business for a long time.”

 The guys looked at each other in confusion while they watched (Y/N)’s face instantly grow darker.

 “What do you want?”

 “Come on you should know that one! I want a date!” The guys said pressing up against (Y/N)’s back harder, his hand rubbing her shoulder creepily the other slipping under the table. “So, what’s your price? Hourly or do you charge by our activities? How much to let me do it all hmm?”

 The entire table went frozen at the male’s implications. Clear snickering could be heard from the table of girls not too far away. Sitting there was none other than Yamazaki’s ex-girlfriend herself.

 Both groups waited patiently to hear what (Y/N) would say. Having been ambushed out of nowhere there wasn’t much time to think, she would either snap at him or give some cliché remark about her rates being too high for him. Her team looked on in surprise as the girl smiled at him with an almost genuine look.

 “I haven’t thought about my pricing in a while! It’s a little tricky because too high and I won’t get nearly enough customers. But too low and I may put your mother out of business!”

 The boys at her table almost started laughing before the mystery guy yanked the girl out of her seat by the collar in rage. (Y/N) held no expression as the male pulled her up closer to him and drew a fist back ready to land square on her face.

 Just as the team was about to get up to help their manager, they saw her head slowly tilt back before jerking forward to make hard contact with an unsuspecting nose.

 The loud crunch was sickening and by now most of the cafeteria had gone totally quiet. Any grip that was still clinging to the girl’s collar was soon released as she drew her knee back and brought it right up into the place no guy wants to be hit.

 The team along with every male in the cafeteria cringed hard at the sight of the male literally throwing up from the force of that knee. With her would-be attacker on the floor curled up in a helpless ball the boys figured it was over but looking into (Y/N)’s face there was a dark look they hadn’t seen before.

 Sure, enough her foot reeled back before making impact with the boy’s side. He yelped out in pain but (Y/N) kept the blows coming, sometimes lifting her foot to stomp on various parts of his body.

 Hara stood up slowly and placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder making her jump hard and take a swing at him. The punch landed directly in his stomach, making him double over in pain.

 As if suddenly becoming unblinded by her rage the girl’s face melted back into the look they had all become used to.

 “Kazuya! I’m sorry!” (Y/N) said taking the male’s face into her hands and trying to look into his eyes unsuccessfully of course.

 Wheezing just a bit Hara managed to straighten up and give her a reassuring smile.

 “Remind me to never play punchies or bloody knuckles with you. Are you okay?”

 “What on earth is going on here?” One of the school administrators bellowed, slamming the doors to the cafeteria.

 Before anyone could speak up it was none other than Mei running up to him, looking as if she’d been traumatized by the events.

 “My friend went up to (Y/N) to ask her out and she totally freaked out! Look at him!”

 The administrator looked to the boy struggling to get up off the floor and narrowed his eyes at the accused girl. Before he could open his mouth, it was Yamazaki who was out of his seat.

 “That’s not the truth! He accused (Y/N) of paid dating! He said he wanted to know her rates and he did it with the intention of embarrassing her! He said it so loudly everyone in the cafeteria heard him!”

 “It’s true!” A small voice piped up from the other side of the lunchroom. The guys recognized her as one of (Y/N)’s reverse trap lovers. “He went up to her and asked her how much she would charge to let him ‘do it all’ totally unprovoked!”

 “Be that as it may, it was no need for physical confrontation.”

 (Y/N) sighed before whipping off her jacket and unbuttoning her white shirt to pull over her shoulder. There on her clear skin was a shiny dark bruise. Hiking up her skirt slightly, the boys gawked at a handprint shaped bruise colouring her thigh. The markings were so dark and done with so much force, it was a wonder she hadn’t cried out.

 “He was purposely squeezing me to intimidate and hurt me. I was defending myself.”

 “(L/N) (Y/N)? You’re the Tōō transfer…Surely you’ve heard of excessive force, right?”

 (Y/N) bit her lip so hard the boys knew it was seconds away from bleeding. She looked pissed and expectant.

 “Young man, get to the nurse and get patched up. (Y/N) please come follow me to the Headmaster’s office.”

 “What that’s complete bullshit!” Hara found himself yelling loudly. “She has the proof that he was hurting her and she’s still in trouble? Excessive force my fucking ass! He was going to punch her in the face and if she let him get up who knows what he could have done to her!?”

 “Settle down!”

 “No, that’s the stupidest fucking shit I ever heard!”

 “That is enough! I am giving you one last warning. I know your parents may allow you to do whatever you like. I however will not, condition or no condition.”

 Hara was boiling with rage at this point.

 “Fuck you!”

 The administrator looked just as red and angry however his eyes flickered with thought. Sighing heavily, he deflated and waved a dismissive hand at the boy.

 “Sit down and finish your lunch. Come on (L/N).”

 The cafeteria sat dumbstruck at the lavender-haired boy. Anyone who talked to any of the school’s staff like that was sure to be suspended, yet here he was with nothing but a reprimand.

 And you would figure anyone would be happy with that but not Hara. No, he was absolutely trembling with rage. His teeth grit harshly, and his eyes blurred even more with tears that he wasn’t going to let fall. Maybe he was crying because he was angry or maybe he actually just sick of this constant reminder.

 Pounding his fist into the table he stalked off after (Y/N). Without hesitation Yamazaki followed quickly behind his friend.

 “I should really go and make sure they don’t make things worse for (Y/N).” Furuhashi said throwing away his food.

 “You aren’t afraid you’ll get into trouble and they’ll call your parents?”

 “I’ve recently gotten engaged, they are content enough with me at the moment to let a few things slide.”

 “I’m going too. (Y/N) didn’t look right and I never thought she could lash out like that. Best if we gave her some team support. Hanamiya you coming?”

 The pale boy simply sat and continued eating his lunch like nothing ever happened. He shrugged his shoulders.

 “What good would that do? I’m gonna stay here.”

~~~~~

 “So, you see why we have to keep such a close eye on you?”

 (Y/N) nodded her head solemnly. She knew she only put herself in this situation based on her current and past actions. Disagreeing did no good.

 “You better not be expelling her!” Hara’s voice rasped from the other side of the door. “I will shit all over your office!”

 The young girl couldn’t help but snort at the principal’s taken aback expression. Shaking his head he turned back to (Y/N) and gave her a small fatherly smile.

 “That’s an interesting boyfriend you have there.”

 “Kazuya isn’t my boyfriend. He’s just my teammate who cares whether or not I will still be a part of the team tomorrow.”

 “You will be. Regardless of everything, I know you’re a good kid. You have a 4.0 GPA and have even managed to reign in that unruly basketball team with their rough play. Though I do hope they continue to win without it.”

 “W-what? How long have you known about that?”

 “Oh I’ve had my suspicions ever since Hanamiya hurt that Seirin player a few years back. Between you and I, so long as the ref never called them out on their play, I would have allowed it to continue in an effort to keep bringing in those wins.”

 (Y/N) sat awestruck. Things just weren’t adding up. Hanamiya had said outright that the Headmaster was unhappy with the team’s actions and was keeping an eye on them. In fact, it seemed to be the exact opposite.

 “Dear don’t look so concerned. Rough play is simply a part of sports. Take the Detroit Pistons for exa-”

 “You never asked Hanamiya to stop the rough play?”

 “No, I can’t say I’ve spoken to the young man since he asked permission to be coach. Which brings me to the deal I want to make.”

 “A deal?”

 “While I can understand self-defense, even you admitted to using excessive force. Now I can’t let that go without punishment. However, you know as well as I do that those boys on your team are a stubborn lot. They never will agree to this if I asked it of them myself. A local newspaper has asked two Tokyo high school basketball teams to sit for an interview and Kirisaki Daiichi would be one of them.”

 “Why would the newspaper want to interview us?”

 “They are doing a feature on student leadership and wanted to feature two excelling teams led by student coaches.”

 (Y/N)’s minded whirled for just a bit before the lightbulb went off. Her lips parted into a soft o shape as her Headmaster nodded with a smirk.

 “So, then the school we will be interviewing with is…”

~~~~~

 Seirin sat awkwardly on the other side of a huge round table.

 (Y/N) could feel her captain’s stare burning holes in the side of her head. The energy in the room was incredibly tense and the only sounds were breathing and the occasional pop from Hara’s gum.

 “You’re going to run so many suicides for me when we get out of here.” Hanamiya whispered into (Y/N)’s ear, sending a chill down her spine.

 It had truly been a struggle to get all the boys to agree to sit for interview questions and that had been without mentioning the other team that would be.

 Yamazaki had agreed the moment he found out it was to help her while the other guys requested favors in exchange for their presence.

 Furuhashi requested to be lifted from the homework duty he’d gotten thanks to the Valentine’s bet.

 Hanamiya requested that she make him lunch for the rest of the month, no store-bought or chef-prepared bentos allowed.

 Hara’s dumbass jokingly requested a kiss, which he got. Not expecting it, however, he had no time to react and bitched about being “caught off guard” and not getting the opportunity to kiss back.

 Seto merely waved the girl off and said he would save his favor for another time when he could really use it.

 Now the guys were thinking that they had been lowballed. Not only was this the team that killed their chances at the winter cup last year, but they were also the team they had the most tension with.

 To top it off, the interviewer was running late and now they were all stuck there as neither wanted to be the “weak team” that ran away.

 (Y/N) looked at the players on the opposing team. She had seen them during the Rakuzan v. Seirin game but just as she found with Yosen’s ace, it was much different being face to face. Kagami was nothing short of intimidating, with his piercing almost unnatural eyes.

 Their captain was scowling hard in direct contrast to Hanamiya who had this aura of faux innocence surrounding his face. The glasses guy looked about ready to jump across the table and throw hands.

 Kuroko was another story, looking as if he was the one analyzing her team intensely. Several times (Y/N) locked eyes with him and gave him a small smile which he surprisingly returned. Seeing him too, made her wonder how exactly he was this “phantom” or “invisible” man. He had baby blue hair for fucks sakes!

 “Kuroko Tetsuya, I don’t believe we’ve met.” The blue haired boy said extending his hand to the girl, who hadn’t said a single thing the entire time they’ve been sitting here.

 “(Y/N) (L/N), it’s very nice to meet you. I saw your game against Rakuzan and thought it was amazing!”

 This seemed to snap the attention of all the team to her. Before she could reply the dark-haired male, in front of her slipped a paper to her secretively.

 ‘Blink twice if you’re being held against your will.’

 The young girl was caught between a laugh and a scoff, confusing the sharp-eyed male who’d passed her the note. He tilted his head as he tried to examine her face.

 “Okay you blinked like four times, so I’m a little confused.” Izuki said with genuine concern.

 “I’m perfectly content where I am. I have classes with Kazuya, before I knew it one thing lead to another and I was managing the team.”

 Before anyone could even comment on that, she was already noticing the looks on their faces and continuing with her explanation.

 “I am not a naïve person and am very aware of the things they have done. We were able to have a nice clean game against Yosen not too long ago. It would go against everything I believe in to judge someone on only their worst qualities.”

 “I agree.” Kuroko’s calm voice resonated in the room with a strong conviction. “It’s hard to defend someone when only you’ve seen the good in them and everyone else has only seen the bad. I know that too well.”

 “Exactly, spoken like a true protagonist.” (Y/N) said with a wide smile.

 “This guy is way too bland to ever be the protagonist of anything.” Hara chuckled snapping his gum rapid fire.

 “You think so? He talks like one and even has the ‘spot the protagonist’ hair.” (Y/N) leaned across Hanamiya, ready to defend her opinion to the death.

 “We just played a purple giant and there’s split brow red head right in front of us!” Yamazaki replied, clearly siding with Hara.

 “All the generation has weird ass hair.” Seto added acknowledging the obvious.

 “Because if the story was told with their team as the main cast then that Miracle would be the protag. Kuroko is the protag of Seirin because blue hair is way more unnatural than red. Come on guys, it’s really simple.” Furuhashi interjected after picking his side in the debate.

 “Then am I the protag of KiriDaii?” Hara asked, twisting a portion of his bangs between his fingers.

 “Hell no, that’s me!” (Y/N) said with indignation.

 “What why?”

 “Because your hair isn’t natural and I’m the middle of the year transfer student!”

 Seirin didn’t know how to respond to the conversation that had unfolded in front of them. Talk about anime protagonists and hair colour wasn’t something they expected, especially from a team like Kirisaki Daiichi. Clearly (Y/N) had been some sort of catalyst for the group.

 Of course, the boys have always made their public image out to be very presentable. If they ever did attend some sort of event, they usually came across as cold but polite. The stereotypical image of a rich kid who thinks they are better than you but know better than to show it.

 To see them acting like normal teenage guys was almost unsettling. But it made sense…after all, regardless of what they were like on the court, off the court they were just that. Teenage boys.

 Kuroko’s eyes left (Y/N) when he felt a different pair glaring in his direction. Turning, he met with a harsh pair of olive eyes. Hanamiya had gotten up in his face before and the two had definitely had a stare down to the death but this expression was unreadable. Finally, after what looked like an internal debate the older male opened his mouth.

 “Wait, there’s no way that’s actually your natural hair colour.”

 “Well I was born with it, so yeah. All the generation have natural hair.”

 “Shut the fuck up, are you serious? I thought the rainbow scheme was just a gimmick.” Hanamiya asked looking more or less stunned and in disbelief. “What the hell was in the water your moms were drinking?”

 “I don’t know how to answer that.”

 (Y/N) snorted into her hand. She didn’t expect this whole situation to turn out the way it was. If she was being honest she was almost prepared for a fight to break out instantly.

 Still it didn’t go unnoticed to her that one of the Seirin members was neither speaking to his teammates nor ever bothered to look up at her team. And she wasn’t naïve to who this person was. In fact, he was the first face she looked for when she walked into interview room today.

 Extremely tall and one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen in her life, she wished he had an actual smile on his face. Her captain pulled those a lot.

 Hanamiya did it to seem indifferent and strong to others. And the guy at the end of the table was fundamentally not so different, he was trying to put on a strong front and pretend like being there didn’t bother him. But from what she’s heard of him, he did that for others…not himself.

 “Terribly sorry for running so late!” A flustered looking man said nearly out of breath. “Were you waiting long?”

 “Not very, though Kirisaki Daiichi arrived before we did.” Riko said standing to shake hands with the journalist.

 “I will admit it was a bit of a wait, seeing as my team strives to be professional with our time.” Hanamiya said with a bright smile through the subtle snark of implying the older man was in fact unprofessional.

 “Right! My deepest apologies. Now, we can get through the joint questions first and then move onto individual teams. Now Seirin, there have been lots of eyes on your aces and while we are interested as well we figured this would be a great opportunity to get some info of your other members.”

 “Of course!” The short-haired girl nodded.

 “As for Kirisaki Daiichi, for such a high-ranking team in such a prestigious school there haven’t been many interviews conducted with you. And to my knowledge absolutely none since Hanamiya Makoto has taken the team. So, we would very much like to change that today!”

~~~~~

 “I uhh”

 While the tension had completely once been eradicated in the boardroom, the stuttering and aching silence let everyone know it was back with a vengeance.

 “I apologize if that was an inappropriate question to ask given our current audience but I did my research. It would seem the only remaining player from that team is Hanamiya, however he seemed not to be directly involve-”

 “Not directly involved?” Hyuga exclaimed before he had the chance to stop himself.

 The other Seirin team members were trying their hardest to get him to calm down. (Y/N) nervously bit on her nail as she glanced to her captain. He was sitting almost unfazed, staring at Kiyoshi waiting for him to give his answer to the question.

 ‘After your terrible injury in the game against Kirisaki Daiichi, how have you managed to deal with these limitations?’

 “Why don’t you finally admit it!? You had every intention of hurting him and everyone in here knows it!” Hyuga shouted to Hanamiya who finally looked away from the brown-haired male.

 “He’s not wrong.” Hanamiya’s voice came out smoothly, shocking his entire team. “I was just an ordinary player on the team back then, but still…it was me who gave the order to use rough play on him.”

 Even the reporter looked shocked by this admission and simply nodded before scribbling words down on his notes. Turning his attention back to Kiyoshi the reporter urged the male out of his overall shocked state.

 “So, how exactly are you coping? Is there a lot of resentment…anger?”

 “Acceptance. You can’t change what’s happened you can only come to terms with it. I’ve accepted that my peak has come and gone. It was halted early and without me ever even knowing, it passed me by. I’ll never be as good as I could have been, but I’ll keep trying to be the best that I can be now. That’s how I’ve coped with it.”

 “I see. That’s very unfortunate but inspiring that you have continued to push out of a bad situation. And for you Hanamiya, is there any guilt? Was it your intention for it to escalate this way? Any comments?”

 All of KiriDai was watching their captain closely. Way before now all of them had formed their own opinions on the incident with Kiyoshi but it wasn’t their game, none of them played in it so none of them ever bothered voicing their opinion.

 Hanamiya always acted like he couldn’t be bothered to give a shit about anything or anyone but still they wondered if there was something else there. Then again, they figured he would give some bullshit answer to keep a public façade.

 “As you can see Kiyoshi refuses to be broken by me and continues to put himself out there when playing me. Some people call that bravery…I call it reckless. He’s put his own flesh and bones on the line for others, I believe he will come to have resentment but not towards me.”

 (Y/N) tried to read the male’s eyes but found them to be blank.

 “I’ve lost every game I’ve ever played against him. I’ll never get the chance to beat him at his best….and I am unbelievably sorry for that. I take full responsibility for everything that’s happened to him.”

 Kiyoshi was gaping at the male who refused to make eye contact. He heard it in his voice, that was almost an apology. Of course, he knew Hanamiya well enough to know that he would state that in the most selfish and underhanded way possible. He wasn’t smirking or mocking them for believing a lie…he was, for the first time, being genuine.

 “I see…So, Hanamiya Makoto, what inspired you to play basketball?”

 “My father.” Hanamiya replied without missing a beat, once again surprising everyone on both teams.

 “Care to elaborate?”

 “No.”

 “Uhhh okay.” The journalist seemed to be fumbling with his notes, clearly trying to steer the topic away and remove the heavy veil hanging in the air. “Ahh yes Mitobe! There isn’t much information that’s been gathered for you. Would you be open to a few questions?”

 “I don’t think I’ve heard you speak since we got in here. Talk about a man of few words.” (Y/N) smiled at the male who had appeared to be slightly nervous.

 “More like a man of no words. Mitobe is mute!” The cat-mouthed boy stated awkwardly to (Y/N).

 The girl covered her mouth in shock and appeared wide eyed. She wanted to smack herself for even trying to talk. Honestly, she had just been trying to break the tensions between both teams.

 “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to offend!” The black-haired male lifted his hand as if to tell her not to worry about it but of course (Y/N) dug herself even deeper. “Do you want me to run and get you a paper and pen to write your answers down?”

 “That’s okay, I can translate for him.” Koga replied with a smile as he tried to calm the girl down.

 “Okay umm if you need to sit closer or something I can trad-”

 “Oh my god just leave him alone! He’s mute, not invalid!” Hara shouted in a fairly loud and angry voice, startling everyone in the room. “He survived just fine without you, he doesn’t need your help now. So, sit down and quit embarrassing us!”

 “Hey, you shouldn’t talk to your manager like that. She was just trying to help, even if coming off a little strong.” Hyuga spoke up in the girl’s defense.

 “Yeah you were really too harsh with her, Mitobe knows she meant well.” Koga urged, seeing the face of a clearly distressed girl.

 “She’s fine!” Hara asserted only to hear mumbling under the breath of the boy on the far end of the table. “What did you say?”

 Fukuda almost didn’t respond, not really having expected the male to hear him from that distance. Still Hara was coming off as rude and it wasn’t gonna take much urging to him to repeat the comment he gave.

 “I said ‘You must be blind or stupid not to see she’s obviously upset.’”

 It happened so quickly that (Y/N) almost didn’t process what had happened. One second Hara was drawing his fist back at the boy and the next Yamazaki was pulling him out of the room.

 “Okay, I’m calling it guys. We should probably end it here.” Seto said getting ready to stand before (Y/N) slid out of her chair first.

 “No, stay and finish the interview. He probably doesn’t want all of us around him right now.”

 “And you think he’ll be okay with you?” Furuhashi asked with slight concern in his eyes.

 “Doesn’t matter.” (Y/N) said, heading out to find her friends.

 With that the girl bowed respectfully to the other team and journalist before excusing herself. Almost immediately after turning the corner, her perpetually pissed-off looking friend nearly slammed into her.

 “Zaki! Where’s Kazu-chan, what the hell happened?”

 “He’s just sitting on the roof, sulking. Really, he just has some personal stuff he’s going through, and I thought it’d be best to leave him alone.”

 “Nah, I need to talk to him.”

 “(Y/N) wai-”

 The girl was no longer listening as she bolted down the hall and right up the flight of stairs. Her legs were aching as she climbed the steps incredibly fast. Finally seeing the light shining in from the small window, she pushed the door open and squinted her eyes in an effort to adjust to the brightness.

 “What the hell do you want? If I didn’t want Zaki here what makes you think I’d want you either?”

 “God you’re in a bitchy mood today.” (Y/N) commented, finally spotting the male sitting on the opposite end of the roof.

 Walking over to him she sat directly in front of him with crisscrossed legs.

 “Just leave me alone. Why are you always in everyone’s business?”

 “Because you’re my friends.”

 “Friends usually know when to leave someone the hell alone.”

 “Do they? I haven’t had many friends since I came to Japan so I wouldn’t really know. But in everything I’ve ever seen, the friend usually keeps pushing.”

 “Yeah well this isn’t one of your fucking anime okay? All I need is for you to leave me alone and go away.”

 “Kazuya just tell me what’s wrong? Why did you go off on that Seirin guy? Why’d you start yelling at me? I refuse to believe those were just bad attitude actions, so what gives?”

 “I’ve had a bad week okay?”

 “Well why?”

 “Oh my god it’s just one question after another with you!”

 “Yes! Because I want to know what’s happening with you. Maybe I can help!”

 “You can’t! “

 “How do you know that!?”

 “Because I know me better than you! Not everything has an answer and not everything can be fixed! Stop trying to fix me!”

 “I’m just trying really hard to understand you.”

 “Fine! You want to try and understand?!”

 (Y/N) flinched as he got up in her face and turned her head away from him screwing up her eyes. She didn’t think he’d hit her but it was her natural reaction to cower away. Hara suddenly had his thumb and forefinger on her cheeks, gripping her face slightly to turn her.

 “Look at me.”

 The young girl allowed him to face her towards him and was instantly surprised to see him looking at her eye to eye. He’d pushed his bangs off to the side and was staring at her intensely.

 Maybe she didn’t know the words…but she knew right away something was different.

 “Your eyes…”

 “Are creepy?” Hara scoffed still holding onto the girl’s face.

 “Suit you.”

 The girl honestly meant that. His eyes were a pretty hazel colour with the black part of his pupils extending way too far down to look natural. Both seemed to split the coloured portion of his eye from the middle to the bottom. It made him look almost feline in appearance.

 “What’s up with it?”

 “It’s called coloboma.”

 “Huh it makes you look like a demon or like a pissed off cat. That kind of fits your personality don’t you think?” (Y/N) smiled only for Hara to finally release her and sigh as he sat back. She thought about what Fukuda had said and as if all the pieces were clicking together, she cocked her head at him. “But that’s just cosmetic, if you went off on that guy back there…. Hara can you see?”

 “Shittily but yes…for now. Something called a comorbidity or whatever the hell. One of my brothers has the keyhole eyes like me but I was just even more unlucky. I was four when I realized my eyesight was shit at night.”

 (Y/N) could see Hara staring off to the side and knew he was about to let out everything and anything he had ever kept secret.

 “So, they tested it and turns out that was just the beginning. Choroideremia, which basically just means my eyesight is going to gradually get worse and worse until I just can’t see at all. Completely, totally blind and there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do to stop it.”

 There was a hard silence cloaking the two. It was even heavier than the one they had just experienced in the room with both teams. Hara was ready to just get up and leave, he didn’t regret telling her…with that outburst she would piece it together eventually.

 His whole team probably would, when the only person who had known was Zaki. He knew it was foolish to think he could keep it from them for so long. His team would think he was a worthless player and he would gladly take that. But he knew (Y/N) would pity him and that was going to set him right back off.

 “Yeah well I’m sorry to hear that but don’t think telling me that is gonna excuse you for being a dick.”

 Hara’s eyes widened and his head snapped towards her like he couldn’t believe his ears. The girl was pouting and with arms crossed looked pissed off.

 “What?”

 “Like I said, I get that you’ve been going through a lot, but you were seriously about to fight a guy. He doesn’t know your life, cut him a break. And don’t ever fucking yell at me like that in public again! I’m your friend and manager, not a damn kid!”

 “Is that seriously what you’re worried about right now?”

 “Uhh yeah! You embarrassed the hell out of me! I think you owe me and everyone in there an apology!”

 Hara blinked very slowly at the girl. Everyone who had ever found out about it pitied him. They treated him like some sort of feeble infant. Even Yamazaki had to outgrow that habit.

 It would seem that, it didn’t matter the situation, (Y/N) was never going to react the way he thought she was. Whether it was her reactions to an arranged marriage or to a disability, she was never overly soft with people. Some people would even call that apathetic or kinda bitchy.

 “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me right now?”

 (Y/N) sighed heavily and let her angry face fall into one of concern.

 “It’s not that I don’t care about you, Kazuya or what’s happening. But it honestly changes nothing between us. You don’t get a free pass to do whatever the hell you like just because you have shitty eyesight. I’ve known you not even a full year. You managed to survive without me and I’m sure you’ll continue to do the same. I’m not saying I won’t make a mistake ever or that I won’t worry about you from time to time but you’re still the same person with or without your problems.”

 “And when the day comes that I can’t see at all?”

 “Then you’ll deal with it as it comes. We’ll get you a basketball that beeps or some shit. Look I don’t know much about blindness but millions all over the world deal with it and when it happens, I’m sure you will too.”

 “Huh…you know you’re the only person whose ever reacted that way. I guess now I must just seem like a fucking moron that threw a tantrum huh?”

 “Hell yeah, a big ass temper tantrum! Honestly one more outburst like that from you and I’m gonna have to put you in a time out corner or something.”

 Hara laughed before looking up at her again. Under his bangs he could always see that she had a very cute shape to her body but with his eyes out for the world to see…he was really looking at her for the first time. From the face, she was plainer than he’d been able to see previously. But still he found himself drawn to her.

 Crawling over to her again, his face was only inches away from hers. She was staring directly into his eyes in a way none of the other girls he’s ever been with has. She wasn’t staring AT his eyes she was looking into them. She was seeing him, looking at HIM.

 His hand was gently caressing her face and he noticed her own eyes gently flicker to his lips. His smirk grew before he drew even closer and whispered,

 “And how many tantrums do I have to throw before I get a spanking?”

 The girl clicked her tongue before pushing him away.

 “I’ll have Furu give you one now! He’s the sadist of the group, I’m sure all you have to do is ask!”

 “Fuck that shit! I want a spanking from a cute girl not a flogging from my sicko teammate.”

 “So, I’m a cute girl huh?”

 “Yeah you are.” Hara admitted without missing a beat, surprising (Y/N) who had expected him to give his typical sarcastic ass comment.

 “Ha funny, come on we should head back to the guys!”

 “Awe don’t leave yet! I figured we could have some fun up here for a bit, after all I did just reveal to you my tragic backstory!”

 “Yeah whatever!”

 “Don’t even pretend! You were really into me for a second there!”

 “Maybe in your dreams.”

 “Come on, I’ll make you feel really good.”

 “Don’t say things like that so nonchalantly!”

 “So, is that a yes?”

~~~~~

 “Why the fuck did you two take so long!?” Hanamiya shouted out at the two as they made their way down the final stair.

 “Yeah we were kinda worried.” Yamazaki said looking between his two friends.

 “Worried my ass! I just wanna get home but I can’t because (Y/N) has my damn train pass.” Hanamiya mumbled sounding just as grumpy as he’d been earlier with Seirin.

 “Honestly though, is everything okay with you guys?” Seto asked (Y/N) more so than Hara.

 “Yeah Kazu-chan had a bitch fit but he’s cooled off now. Maybe he is the protagonist considering how much he openly cries and causes drama.”

 “Shut up.” Hara laughed, pushing the girl playfully.

 The guys all narrowed their eyes at the two. They could see the clear shift, half as those who have experienced it first hand with (Y/N) and the other half as having witnessed it from their other teammates.

 He was falling for her.

 “Well now that that matter is solved, I think you owe us more than was offered.” Furuhashi broke the silence, placing his hand on (Y/N)’s shoulder.

 “Yeah I know.” The girl deflated, not wanting to be reminded of the deception she used to get her team there today. “How about I treat us all to ramen? I just got paid and I think I can spare to feed my team.”

 “Hmm you have a job?” Seto asked raising a brow at the girl.

 “Yeah, of course! I told you I like to earn my things and not just leech off someone. So, are we getting food or not!”

 “Fine, let’s go.” Hanamiya said, all but dragging the girl along out the door.

 Standing at the back of the group, a certain two males stayed behind Hara was staring out after his team and Yamazaki was staring at him. When the rest were finally out of earshot he spoke up.

 “She knows, doesn’t she?”

 “Yeah.”

 “And you willing told her?”

 “Yup.”

 “Why?”

 “I guess after seeing how she handled Furuhashi’s situation, I was hoping she would surprise me too. Tell me something I wasn’t expecting to hear, and she didn’t disappoint.”

 “…You know Furu’s got it bad for her too, right? That he’s just too stoic to show it more than he already does?”

 “Yeah, I’m not stupid.”

 “And I’ve told you how I feel.” Yamazaki sighed as Hara looked at him almost sullenly. “You’re still not gonna give her up easily, are you?”

 “You know I can’t.”

~~~~~

 “Who the fuck wrote that!” Hara yelled accusingly at the now frightened students in class.

 (Y/N) stared at the words on her desk, owlishly. The classroom had grown so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The teacher hadn’t arrived yet and Hara was sure to cause hell when he found out who was responsible for this bullshit.

 “Well!? I’ll look through everyone’s shit to find a pink marker! And when I find it, the person I found it with bet-”

 “Haha how pathetic!” (Y/N)’s voice chirped out, laughing genuinely. Hara turned to her in surprise and watched as she licked her middle finger and swiped it over the desk smudging the ink.

 While her voice and demeanor oozed confidence, Hara could clearly see a hurt look in her eyes as the words ‘Yariman’ and ‘Slut’ smeared across her desk.

 “What kind of weak shit is this? If you’re gonna vandalize a desk, don’t be a fucking pussy and use a marker! Carve it in there to get your point across! Oh man, Kazuya, I’m gonna go grab a wet napkin to wipe this crap off.”

 Hara watched as the girl took off down the hall, avoiding the gaze of everyone in class. He knew exactly who it was that went and wrote that on the girl’s desk.

 It was growing more and more out of hand. Something told him there was more going on than just a jealousy for Yamazaki. (Y/N) said they’d had issues from before.

 Whatever happened in middle school was finally exploding all around her.

 And now that he thought about it, how much did any of them really know about (Y/N)?

[onestowatch]

Blu DeTiger Is Bridging Indie Pop and the NYC Underground Club Scene [Q&A]

New artist Blu DeTiger is not so new after all. The NYC-native has been a bassist since age seven and was named “the coolest DJ around” by Vogue Magazine in 2017. The young talent, known for her combination of disco-funk DJ sets and live bass playing, has more recently become a touring bassist for acts like Caroline Polachek, The Knocks, Kitten, and FLETCHER.

Now it is Blu DeTiger’s moment. While she has been writing and producing music for most of her life, her first single “In My Head” was released in 2019. With a four-on-the-floor beat and nonchalant vocals, “In My Head” carries with it the hypnotism of the dance music she plays during her DJ sets. 

Most recently, Blu DeTiger released “Figure It Out,” a bass-heavy funk pop track with an irresistible groove. Its laidback lyrics and catchy chorus make it the perfect song to start the summer and shows Blu DeTiger hitting her stride as an artist.

We spoke with Blu about postponing tour plans, proving herself in male-dominated spaces, and writing “Figure It Out” with her brother, Rex.  

Ones To Watch: After spending years as a DJ and touring musician, how have those experiences helped you navigate being a solo artist? What were some of the most important lessons learned?

Blu DeTiger: Touring experience was extremely beneficial to me. Loading in, setting up gear, monitor mixes, in-ears, staying healthy, green room etiquette, sleeping on a tour bus, being in a van, stopping at gas stations, setting up merch, payouts, staying SANE — you really have to learn this stuff yourself. Playing a lot has built up my confidence and overall comfort level onstage. I absolutely love to perform.

And DJing made me develop a better knowledge of music. I know the hits throughout the decades, what makes people move, what slows them down, what’s popping on the charts, how to read a room, what song is best for that moment.

You once noted that although you've always been a musician, you felt you've really had to prove yourself as a woman in male-dominated spaces. Do you still feel that others underestimate you as a musician?

I always feel I need to prove myself. It’s part of my personality and I don’t think it’ll ever change. It’s really more of a shock factor thing that people have when seeing me play. People are so surprised when they realize I can actually play bass or DJ properly. It’s partly flattering that they’re complimenting me — but why did they assume otherwise? Would the assumption be the same for a guy? I want to change that perception.

I don’t think people give enough attention to women in the producer role especially. I think there needs to more opportunities and more recognition of women in all aspects of music (mixers, engineers, A&R, for example) — not just as writers and singers.

I’m really hoping to inspire and empower girls to express themselves and be whatever they want to be.

You've been playing bass since age seven and DJing since age 17. Did songwriting come later for you or have you always been creating your own music?

Yes, I’ve always been creating my own music. I’ve always been in bands and writing / doing creative work. I did some music for commercials, made DJ mixes, produced remixes, played on records, etc. It wasn’t until I met B-Roc from The Knocks that my own creative project under the name “Blu DeTiger” really started to take shape. I’ve always had a desire to do my own music, and I just kept moving forward with that intention. It felt like a natural progression. 

What has been your greatest career highlight so far as a musician?

It’s difficult to answer because I think I’m in the midst of it now and there are a lot of exciting things in the works!

Are you still going to NYU? If so, how are you able to balance touring, music making and school?

I’ve been on a leave-of-absence from NYU since January 2019. Balancing everything got pretty challenging. My last semester in school got crazy—I was flying out every Thursday morning to tour on the weekends, then taking a red eye flight back every Sunday night to make it in time for my class on Monday morning. Meanwhile, I was in the studio during weekday nights finishing my original songs, and also DJing until 4am some nights… I wasn’t sleeping much, and it became really difficult for me to continue to put my 100% into the schoolwork — I still got all A’s though! Ultimately, I decided to take time off because I got offered a great touring opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up. I’m grateful for the time I spent in school, but it was definitely the right decision for me.

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your plans for 2020?

All my touring has been postponed/rescheduled… I was about to go on a 4-week European run, opening for FLETCHER, as well as playing bass in her band. Following that, we were meant to go on an Arena run in the US (which would’ve started a few days ago). I was also scheduled to join Caroline Polachek as her sole bandmate on multiple festivals this summer. It’s a huge bummer, and I was really looking forward to all these shows. If there’s a bright side, it’s given me the time to write and produce more music. And engage with my fans!

Your latest single "Figure It Out" was written alongside a few other musicians, one of which is your brother, Rex. How did this track come together, and how often do you write with your brother?

Basically, I got this beat from a producer named Novodor, and I immediately connected with it. I was in a session and the first verse and chorus just exploded out. I put the song aside for a while, but always really loved it. Months later, I came back to it and finished it up with this producer named Jeremiah Raisen, and my brother, Rex, while we were working in New York. I’m writing more and more with my brother, especially since we’re quarantined together. It’s been amazing, he’s so talented, and it feels like we have a really good flow right now.

Who are your Ones to Watch?

Channel Tres, girl in red, Melanie Faye, Claud, Spencer., Remi Wolf — to name a few!

Listen to “Figure It Out” below:

[thedyingmoon]

💜 This I Promise 💜

***

XXXII. Eyebrows

***

As (F/N) entered the house together with little Ivanna, she saw an unknown man sitting at the sofa in the living room. He was smiling at her.

She was tongue - tied. She simply didn't know what to say.

"Dear cousin, you're back!" Jonas exclaimed dramatically. He just came out of the kitchen.

"Jonas?! I thought you're skipping class ag - !"

The moody teenager hastily covered her mouth shut with his left palm and whispered to her. "Now is not the time! Come with me!"

"But, the guest!" she said with muffled voice.

"Just come with me! This is a life or death situation." Jonas snaked his right arm around her waist and led her towards the kitchen, his other hand still covering her mouth.

The moment they arrived at the kitchen, Jonas freed (F/N), almost practically throwing her to the other side of the room, and locked the door.

"Hey, Jonas, what was that for?!"

"You have to help me, (F/N)!" Jonas begged her.

Strange. She never saw Jonas beg like that before, since he always acted like he didn't care.

"Oh, yeah, let me guess. That's the teacher of the period you skipped! Oh, cousin, you're in deep, deep shit now!"

"NO! That's not my teacher!" Jonas half - screamed half - whispered to her. "Didn't you recognize him? Or are you just plain stupid?"

"Hey, what a way to ask for help, Mr. Sunshine and Rainbows." (F/N) placed her hands on her hips and regarded her cousin coldly. "I don't know him and I'm not stupid!"

Jonas face palmed.

Of course! He thought. She doesn't remember anything from her past! How stupid of me!

He sighed.

"That man sitting outside is none other than the greatest Commander of the honorable Scouting Legion, Mr. Erwin Smith, himself." he explained calmly.

"Yes. And?"

Jonas' jaw dropped. "Don't you care about how high his title is in our society?!"

(F/N) rolled her eyes. "Yeah! So what? And why should I believe you? Why would a man of such importance visit our humble home? He should be in a castle, then! Not here."

"He's probably here to visit you,..." Jonas whispered.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing! But, I want you to do me a small favor."

"What do you want?" (F/N) said and crossed her arms.

"I want you,... to make me look good in front of him."

"Sorry?!"

"I said it! Help me so he could have a good first impression of me."

(F/N) raised an eyebrow. "Why would you want that?"

"I,... I can't tell you!"

"Why not?"

"Please, (F/N). I'll do anything you want. Please." Jonas was actually kneeling on the floor now.

She studied Jonas' eyes and discovered that he was actually saying the truth.

"You will not skip class again."

"I won't!"

"You'll do everything that your mother says."

"I will!"

"You'll attend the Winter Season this year."

Jonas gulped.

Anything, but that. Anything, but that,...

"I,... will,..." Jonas uttered defeatedly.

(F/N) smiled at her accomplishment.

"Alright, then!" (F/N) clapped her hands. "Our guest should be thirsty. How about some tea and pastries?"

Meanwhile, Erwin Smith was left on the living room. He started reading a book he found on the nearest bookshelf, but he couldn't quite concentrate, for the large eyes of a little Marie was staring at intently at him.

He brought the book down cautiously and looked at the girl who was sitting beside him. She was looking up at him with such curiosity in those big blue eyes.

He smiled at her.

"You got your mother's eyes." he said to her. "What is your name?"

The girl didn't respond. She just went on staring at him.

(F/N) and Jonas finally arrived from the kitchen and immediately spotted Ivanna looking at the Commander. They were about to greet him when the little girl pointed at the man's face.

"Eyebrows!" Ivanna exclaimed.

Jonas winced, almost dropping the tea tray, and (F/N) couldn't help but hide inside the kitchen to laugh hysterically.

It is true.

The Commander has huge eyebrows.

When she came out she heard the Commander talking gently to the little girl.

"Huge eyebrows are a sign of masculinity and power. They determine one's strength and stability. Even your father wants to grow his so that he could become stronger."

"Stronger?" Ivanna asked carefully.

"Yes."

"To fight the bad guys?"

"You are correct."

"Wee! Eyebrows!" Ivanna shrieked happily upon learning something new from the man. "Dada wants huge eyebrows so he could beat up the bad guys!"

Jonas cleared his throat. Erwin turned to see him and (F/N) standing in front of him.

(F/N) saw the man smiling at her again, and it made her cheeks warm.

She just hoped that her cheeks wouldn't betray her now that Jonas needed her assistance.

"We're sorry for the long wait, Commander." she said to him. Jonas took this as an opportunity to place the tea tray on the table.

Alright. That went well.

"It's fine. I'm the one intruding. You don't have to worry about anything." Erwin responded, his deep blue eyes focused entirely on her.

Ah, crap, my heartbeat! she thought as she felt her heart skip a beat.

Well, despite his outrageous looking eyebrows, he looked really handsome.

"I'm (F/N) Carlstead, and these are my cousins, Jonas and Ivanna Dawk."

Upon hearing his name, Jonas instinctively bowed low as per etiquette rule. Exaggeratedly so. And this made (F/N) panic a bit, forgetting that she must curtsy. She was about to perform it when Erwin stopped her.

"No need, please." he said to her. "I'm not even in my uniform."

It's true. Instead of his so - called uniform, he was wearing an expensive looking dark suit that looked as though it was tailored to perfection. His dark - colored tie complimented the immaculate white shirt beneath his suit and his leather shoes outmatched the ones her uncle used during special occasions.

All in all, he looked as much as someone who needed to be curtsied to.

"Please, take a seat." Erwin said and gestured at the other sofa.

(F/N) and Jonas couldn't do anything but do what the man told them to do. Despite Erwin's effort to hide it, the two could still feel the authority emanating from him.

At first, (F/N) and Jonas couldn't speak, both waiting for the right opportunity to do so. Until the man broke the silence as if to help them.

"Actually, I came here to see your father. But, seeing that he's not here, I assume he's still at work, yes?" he said to them.

(F/N) and Jonas just nodded, still unable to speak, overwhelmed of Erwin's presence.

Oh, if they only knew, Nile wasn't the reason he rushed to get here the moment he received the letter from him.

So, it is true.

(F/N) (L/N) really lost all her memories.

Which worked out just perfectly fine for him.

Erwin sighed and smiled.

Maybe now is not the good time.

"Anyway, I'm bothering you. I should take my leave now, if you don't mind." Erwin said and got up from the sofa, leaving little Ivanna visibly devastated. Even the little kid knows he's something!

And he really is something! He's, like, six feet two!

(F/N) was about to say something, and seeing that her tongue was still unable to do its job, she just nudged Jonas with her elbow to make the move. Jonas felt her and cleared his throat, gaining back Erwin's attention.

"Commander, I'm sure you are famished,..." Jonas said, his skin becoming even plaer than usual. "I hope you don't mind sharing a cup of tea with us."

The Commander smiled at him. "Ah, yes. As a matter of fact, I'am not only famished, but thirsty, as well. I'll have a cup and a cookie, if you don't mind."

"Not at all!" (F/N) and Jonas said in unison, getting the strength of their tongues back.

Erwin only chuckled good - naturedly at this.

"Relax, young ones. I'm not gonna bite." he said to them, taking his seat next to Ivanna, which made the little girl giggle in delight.

"Eyebrows!" she shrieked happily and almost threw herself into the tall man.

Jonas looked threateningly at the little girl who kept calling the mighty Scouting Legion Commander Eyebrows. (F/N) noticed the change in Jonas' behavior and nudged him once more to keep him focused. Jonas flinched and was about to prepare the tea when the Commander took the pitcher away from the tray.

"Here. Let me." he said.

(F/N) watched in awe as the man flawlessly poured tea on three cups, his long and slender fingers supporting the fragile pitcher.

Oh, God! Why am I staring at his hands?! (F/N) thought helplessly as she couldn't take her eyes of Erwin's hands. She flinched as he suddenly glanced at her and handed her the first cup. She took it from his hands, careful not to actually graze on his skin. But, the action also brought her closer to him, and she couldn't help but inhale the fresh scent of perfume that wafted from him.

Oh God! Now, I'm sniffing him! What is wrong with me?!

She continued observing him as he handed Jonas a cup and took one for himself. But, before he could even take a sip of it, he put it down, took the plate of cookies and offered some to Ivanna.

"My lady?" he said to her, his low, attractive voice sending shivers down (F/N)'s spine.

She closed her eyes for a while and pinched her nose.

"Stupid hormones." she whispered to herself. Jonas noticed this and it was his turn to nudge her with an elbow. (F/N) recovered just in time as Erwin focused back on the two of them.

"So, do you two have hobbies?" Erwin asked.

"S-sorry?" Jonas stuttered, unable to believe what the Commander was asking them.

"Hobbies. Surely, you are not stuck here still focused on schoolwork. You are young and are very energetic, after all. You must have a lot of different activities to do aside from reading textbooks." Erwin explained and took a sip of his tea.

(F/N) nodded, understanding every word he said.

Jonas took this as an opportunity.

"I do horseback - riding, sir." Jonas exclaimed, earning a bewildered look from (F/N). "I'm quite good at it, if I may say so, myself."

Erwin nodded. "How commendable. A few of the male teenagers here in Wall Sina share the same passion as you. Mostly, it's just gaming, or gambling."

"Nothing like that, sir. Only that, and fencing."

"Fencing! How admirable of you, Jonas." Erwin approved.

(F/N) just rolled her eyes. Her cousin was hardly good at any of those. She beat him every time they had a chance to face off. And that was mainly the reason why he was irritated at her most of the time.

"How about you, Ms. (F/N)?"

(F/N) snapped back to reality upon hearing Erwin. All of a sudden, she couldn't think of the things she loves doing.

What was it again?

"I hope you are not pressured by the upcoming Winter Season." he said to her.

Oh. That,...

"Actually, I'm not joining, sir." she declared.

"Why not?"

"Isn't the Winter Season for ladies who want to go looking for a husband? I don't want to get married, yet."

Erwin chuckled, totally amused at what she just said. Jonas, on the other hand, prayed to God for the cushions to just swallow him whole.

"Well, that is one way to put it. But, isn't the Winter Season also for people and friends who just wanted to see each other and enjoy the evening?" the Commander asked her.

(F/N) bowed her head down low in embarrasment to the ever - kind blonde.

"Yes, sir."

Erwin frowned. He suddenly remembered the old (F/N) who was sad, suppressed and unappreciated. He hated to see that side of her. He wanted her to smile, to laugh, to enjoy the things she couldn't when she was still in the Legion.

But, most of all,...

He wanted her to smile.

For him.

"Well, I could only tell you this. I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful lady of the Winter Season, should you decide to finally attend it. And I'am never wrong." he said to her as gently as he could.

(F/N) looked at his eyes, searching it for falsehoods, but she only saw one thing.

And she couldn't quite tell what it is.

Was it - ?

"That's two things you told me already, Commander Erwin." she told him with a sly smile. It was her revenge for beating her earlier.

Erwin laughed heartily, making Ivanna laugh as well.

"By Rose, I was rectified by the girl!" he exclaimed as if he was proud by what she just did to him.

Jonas was just looking back and forth at the two, feeling like a third wheel.

"You know what, let's play chess when I get back here. You know how to play it?"

"No, sir."

Erwin smiled at her, his cunning and dominant side getting the better of him. "I'll be more than glad to teach you. I'm sure you'll be a very interesting and challenging opponent."

"Whatever that is, I'll surely beat you in it, Commander." she said, her sly challenger side getting the better of her.

******

"Chess is boring, dad!" Petra whined. "Teach us something else."

"But, chess, you see, is a sport of the mind. It is the sport of the generals who always win at battles of honor." exclaimed the father dramatically.

"But, (F/N) has already beaten you three times in a row already! Let's play something else!"

"Alright." he said, putting the board and the pieces away. "I'll get my revenge someday, little lady."

"You will never beat me, dad!" (F/N) declared, her haughty nose high up in the air.

"Girls, Honey, dinnertime!" a lovely female voice said from the kitchen. Petra and (F/N) ran towards the sound and found the most beautiful mother on earth. She was smiling at them, the smell of her cooking making them even more hungry.

"Let's eat, shall we?"

******

~ @levi4mikasa , @nerdyphantomlady , @shewolfofficial , @unhappysap , @yepps , @super-peace-fangirl , @fangurl-ontgeside , and @emilyackerman78 . 💜

***

💜💜💜

***

[eldritchsurveys]

696.

If money was no object, would you change your wardrobe? >> If money were no object, absolutely, because I could then stop settling for clothing that doesn’t quite fit well or has bad textures just because they’re within my budget or because I can’t afford replacements. Also, maybe I could get stuff custom-made instead of dealing with whatever the stores deign to sell.

How do you/did you get to school? >> I took a bus for most years, but for junior and senior year I lived in a town with no school bus system so I walked.

Have you ever been in trouble for something you honestly didn't do? >> Yeah, a lot when I was young. I guess I make a great scapegoat.

Is the idea of having a secret admirer creepy or romantic? >> If an admirer doesn’t overstep my boundaries and doesn’t expect me to reciprocate whatever it is they’re feeling, then it’s fine, I don’t care. I’ll take any positive attention I can get.

What was the last song you sung out loud? >> I don’t remember.

Have you ever had to have a pet put down? >> No.

Were you excited to learn to drive, or scared? >> I never had this experience. I did drive Sparrow’s car around a school parking lot once, and that was pretty fun.

What was the last book you read? >> Recursion by Blake Crouch.

Did you enjoy it, or were you glad to be finished? >> I enjoyed it immensely.

Do you ever wonder what other people are thinking when they stare at you? >> Yes, because I’m quick to assume they’re thinking something negative but I’m aware enough to know that I might be wrong. But to be honest, I really don’t like being stared at for any reason, so I mostly just wish they’d stop.

Have you ever gone out of your way to get someone's attention? >> I don’t think so.

When was the last time you felt desperate? >> Earlier last week.

When was the last time you felt incredibly tired? >> This morning, before I had a galaxy-brain moment and put on a pair of sunglasses to mitigate the overwhelming amount of daylight streaming into the apartment and overloading my nervous system. Just because I know I’m sensory-defensive doesn’t mean I always remember to, like, defend my senses. lmao.

What candy cane flavor is your favorite? >> I don’t have a favourite.

What is one thing a guy can do, but a woman shouldn't? >> ---

In your opinion, who doesn't deserve to be famous? >> ---

Do you get angry when fast food restaurants mess up your order? >> I get upset, because it upsets me to have the Wrong food. But most of the time when I’m really upset about it it’s because I’d only noticed by the time we got home, or something, and I can’t do anything about it. If I notice while we’re still in or near the restaurant, then I don’t get nearly as upset because I can just... go fix it.

Have you ever had a ridiculous hair cut? >> I mean, probably.

What was your favorite elective class in high school? >> ---

Did you ever wish you could be homeschooled? >> No. Was it hard for you to get up this morning? >> Not really.

Have you ever had a dream so realistic you could've sworn it happened? >> Yeah.

When was the last time you colored with crayons or colored pencils? >> I don’t remember the last time I coloured in general (I usually colour with markers, anyway).

Can you remember the first survey you filled out? >> No way, lol.

Do you have any mental disorders? >> I could probably be diagnosed with a couple, but formal diagnosis really doesn’t interest me at this point. I have enough of an idea of what psychological criteria I fit that I can look up resources to help myself (and I have a direction to point SSI towards when it’s time to Prove My Disability To The Government), and that’s really all that matters right now.

Do you feel comfortable talking about these disorders, if you have them? >> *shrug* I mean, I guess you could say that.

Where did you go on your last field trip? >> ---

What do you do when someone pushes their views on you? >> No one does that, really. I mean, I don’t even know how they would, considering how unfazed by social pressure I usually am. Dogma just doesn’t stick to me.

Are you able to agree to disagree? Or do you have to have the last word? >> I’m perfectly willing to agree to disagree.

Do you think you make a good first impression? >> Not always.

Do other people's first impressions stick with you? >> It depends on what my first impression was. If it was like “oh my god this person really comes off like a bigot”, yeah, that’s going to stick until explicitly proven otherwise. If it was like “oh hmm this person seems to be in a bad mood” then like, whatever. Moods change. Sometimes you just catch people on a bad day and that doesn’t mean they hate you forever.

Are you friends who you thought they were when you first met? >> ---

How have you changed in the past year? >> I really don’t know how to track this.

How about in the past five years? >> This is a little easier to track, because five years ago I didn’t even live here. But I don’t really have the energy to like, lay it all out in words right now.

What do you do when you feel like giving up on something? >> Sometimes I just give up on it. Other times I take a break. Other times I have a meltdown. Other times I push through.

Have you ever had to give up on someone? >> Yeah.

Would you rather break up with someone, or them break up with you? >> ---

Is there a cover song you like better than the original version? >> There are quite a few songs like that for me.

Do you think it's okay to like a cover more than an original? >> Who the fuck is going to stop me...?

What band do you wish was still making music? >> Meh.

Do you still watch any cartoons? >> Sure, I watch cartoons.

Are you just too lazy to recycle? >> I guess, more or less. I also don’t really see the value in it anymore. Reducing and reusing seem to have more immediate effects that I can observe in my own life; recycling is just another industry with its own emissions problems at this point.

Think of the last person you talked to--do you love him/her? >> Sure.

Do you fit your zodiac sign? >> My natal chart seems to be an astute character sheet for me.

What is one of your weak points? >> I don’t know.

What is one of your strong points? >> Meh.

Are you calm in emergency situations? >> More often than not, yeah. Unless said emergency situation includes a lot of environmental stimuli, in which case that will frazzle me (although the situation itself might not).

When was the last time you cursed at someone? >> As in, with the intent of being mean, not just cursing in conversation? I really don’t remember.

Are you afraid of losing someone you love? >> I’m always afraid of losing Can Calah.

Who are you most attached to? >> ^

What do you depend on other people for? >> Most of my quality of life, seeing as I can’t live off this government income alone.

Are you good at reading other people's body language? >> I don’t know, maybe.

Do you like facial hair? How about chest hair? >> It’s fine.

If you have a favorite number, how did you choose it? >> I didn’t really choose it, it’s kind of just... I don’t know. It’s part of the fabric of my reality or something blah blah blah.

What goes through your mind when someone breaks up with you? >> I mean... wouldn’t that depend on the specific breakup...

What goes through your mind when someone asks you out? >> ^ (But also in general, I’m going to react defensively to being asked out because... I don’t date, and anyone asking me out either doesn’t know me well enough to even initiate that sort of intimacy or doesn’t care that I’m aromantic, which is not a good look either way.)

Do you match your shoes with your outfit? >> My shoes match with all my outfits.

Do you style your hair daily? >> No.

Who was the last person to compliment your appearance? What'd they say? >> I don’t remember. I think the only person that really compliments my appearance these days is Sparrow, anyway. Is there any movie you just can't stand to watch? >> Yeah.

What do you think of pornography? >> I mean, it serves a purpose.

What hair products do you use regularly? >> Shampoo. Also this tea tree oil stuff that I don’t know if it works or not but I don’t have a better idea.

Does it bother you when people use extremely bad grammar? >> No. Most of the time “bad” grammar isn’t an impedence to communication, so I don’t see what the big deal is. (Obviously if you’re writing for, say, an academic journal, there is a certain standard of writing one should be following. But people are always complaining about bad grammar on, like, tumblr, and who fucking cares? Ain’t nobody being graded on mastery of Strunk’s Elements of Style here.)

Do you have a hard time talking about sex with the opposite gender? >> Er, one’s gender isn’t what determines how comfortable I am talking about sex with them.

Do you feel more comfortable with a male or female doctor/nurse? >> There’s something to be said about the lack of compassion that male doctors often display towards people who are perceived as female, which I do take into account, but ultimately I figure it’s still about the individual doctor and not whatever configuration their chromosomes are in. I’ll take a competent, compassionate male doctor just like I’d take a competent, compassionate female doctor.

Have you ever had major surgery? >> No.

Could you go a month without speaking? >> I think it would be rather inconsiderate for me to go a month without speaking to Sparrow. I have had periods of selective mutism, of course, especially during depressions, but if it lasted long enough I would eventually have to make some attempt to work around it.

What goes through your mind when you see someone very obese? >> I mean, nothing specific.

How about when you see someone very thin? >> Once again, nothing specific.

Is there any food you don't like that a lot of others do? >> Yeah, milk chocolate.

Have you ever followed a trend? If so, what was it? >> When I was younger, certainly. You know, when I actually paid attention to trends. I have no idea what’s even trendy right now, except like... VSCO? Is that still a thing? Shit moves too fast these days, man.

Have you ever started a trend, even a small one? >> Not to my knowledge.

What was the last thing you bragged about? >> I don’t know.

[danganronpaimagineslol-blog]

Danganronpa Halloween Imagine

| V3 cast going trick-or-treating with S/O

pairing - V3 cast x S/O

genre - fluff 

warnings - none!

requests - CLOSED

A/N - It’s that time of year! This wasn’t a request, but I was just soooo in the mood to write a Halloween imagine, so I just had to. I hope this will put you all in a spooky mood! Apart from that, I am so sorry I haven’t posted lately! I’ve been having a bit of a writer’s block, I’m hoping this post helped it though.  Also, I have deleted any Halloween requests we’ve gotten, mainly because we won’t have time to write them before Halloween is over, I’m sorry :( Also also, we usually don’t write full casts. At most we’ll do either boys, girls or a maximum of 8 characters. - Oh, and I decided to change the way my posts look!

Happy Halloween!

GIRLS

Kaede Akamatsu

Such an overly excited ball of energy! 

Kaede would definitely be the type of person to make a big deal out of holidays and would always put tons of effort into making it perfect and absolutely flawless.  

This year Kaede was extremely stressed out with everything else going on at the same time, so as much as she wanted to put enough effort into cute couple costumes, she just didn’t have the energy or time to do that. 

Kaede felt miserable knowing she wouldn’t be able to get her hands on good costumes for this year, but right as she thought everything was ruined, her s/o showed up with 2 perfect skeleton costumes that looked exactly like the ones she had pictured in her mind. 

“I can’t believe you did this for me!” 

Kaede was overcome with joy and couldn’t put words to how happy she was feeling.  

They didn’t waste any time. 

As soon as Kaede’s s/o revealed the costumes they quickly got changed and went out trick-or-treating for the rest of the evening.

It was the first time Kaede felt stress-free in the last while. 

Angie Yonaga

Angie’s s/o wanted to go trick-or-treating with her, but they weren’t sure if she even celebrated Halloween because of Atua. 

As if Angie had heard her s/o’s thought, she then spoke up. 

“You’ll come trick-or-treating with me right, s/o?” 

How could they say no to Angie when she asked in such a cute voice. It was impossible. 

Angie soon revealed her idea for the costumes. She wanted to paint her s/o into a living pop art figure, and so she did. 

Obviously, it turned out beautiful and Angie copied her work onto herself afterward.

It maybe wasn’t the best costumes for trick-or-treating, but they looked amazing and enjoyed their time together anyway. 

“I don’t care if people didn’t compliment our looks, I know you did an amazing job” 

Blushing Angie 

Himiko Yumeno

Himiko was convinced they didn’t need any costumes and that she could use her magic to get them candy. 

Of course, Himiko was delusional to the point of no rational thinking, but that was a common trait of Himiko. 

“How about I just quickly run down to the store and get us some costumes?” 

“Nyeh! We don’t need that when I have my magic” 

In the end, Himiko’s s/o gave up and just went with Himiko in her normal outfit, but it all worked out since it looked like Himiko was dressed up as a witch anyway. 

“I told you, s/o. We didn’t need any costumes!” 

Himiko’s s/o would just shake their head and laugh at her silliness.  

After collecting candy for many hours, Himiko was exhausted and they had to return home. 

Himiko’s s/o would carry her on their back. 

Himiko would mumble compliments about her s/o in her sleep

Kirumi Tojo

The second Kirumi’s s/o mentioned Halloween and trick-or-treating, she offered to prepare costumes for them both. 

“Kirumi, you don’t have to” 

But naturally, Kirumi insisted. 

Kirumi prepared 2 costume sets. The costume theme was ‘Red Riding Hood’. 

The costumes were extremely good quality and had no flaws whatsoever. But nothing less was expected from someone as talented as Kirumi. 

The costumes fit perfectly and were comfortable as well. 

Most of the night consisted of Kirumi following her s/o around and carrying their bucket to store the candy. 

Kirumi didn’t mind at all, in fact, she enjoyed following her s/o around and watching them be happy.

At the end of the day, Kirumi is a maid and her duty is to help others and please them. 

For her s/o, she didn’t even have to try. 

It just happened naturally. 

Maki Harukawa

Convincing Maki to go trick-or-treating would take some effort. 

Maki did love her s/o with all of her heart, but Halloween and festivities reminded her of her youth and days before becoming an assassin, so she had stayed away from all of it completely. 

“Maki I am begging you. You never have to come with me ever again! And you don’t have to wear a costume either” 

Soon after, Maki let out a deep sigh and got up from her seat. 

As promised, Maki went wearing her normal clothes. Her s/o decided to dress up anyway. 

Maki followed around her s/o the entire evening, walking from door to door.

As much as Maki didn’t enjoy it much, it meant a lot to her that she could make her s/o happy like this. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be the last time she gave it a chance. 

And it wouldn’t be 

Miu Iruma

Miu would be pretty excited for Halloween this year. 

Usually, Miu never went trick-or-treating and instead would create varies inventions to scare the kids away from her accommodation.

But this year was different. 

Miu’s s/o wanted to dress up and go trick-or-treating this year, so Miu had to come up with ideas for their costumes. 

It didn’t go too well and the first attempt failed. After all, she is the ultimate inventor and not dressmaker. 

In the end, they had to run to the store instead. 

10 minutes before the store closed, they ran inside at full speed and looked through the costume possibilities. 

“Miu just grab something, let’s go!” 

Miu quickly grabbed 2 costumes and ran up to the register right after. 

They changed into their costumes in the store’s customer bathroom.

As much as the costumes didn’t fit completely and were also pretty silly, they enjoyed their time together anyway. And that’s what mattered. 

Tenko Chabashira

Tenko couldn’t care less about the costume, the candy (maybe not the candy), but definitely the costume. 

When her s/o mentioned that she wanted to go trick-or-treating this year, her protective instincts would kick in right away. 

“But what if you get attacked? Everyone is dressed up, it could easily happen!” 

Tenko was overreacting, but it’s pretty natural of her to do so. She must protect her s/o from any degenerate males, dangerous people. 

Tenko would go with her s/o when they went trick-or-treating, but only to protect them. 

It overall wasn’t a very fun experience because any person that looked at her s/o would immediately receive a death glare from Tenko.

In the end, things worked out and when they got home, they snuggled up on the couch and watched a scary movie where Tenko could protect her s/o in peace. 

Tenko didn’t act this way to shield her s/o from having fun, she is just a very protective and jealous human being and it comforts her protect someone so meaningful to her. 

But her s/o knew that and also loved her for it. 

Tsumugi Shirogane

I mean it’s already obvious, Tsumugi would be so hype for Halloween and would plan her cosplay/costume months in advance. 

“So, I figured we could go dressed up as an angel and a devil” 

“Oh I already planned out our costumes, s/o” 

Tsumugi would quickly leave the room and return mere seconds later with 2 almost identical costumes in hand. 

It was a simple black dress/pants with a t-shirt. On top of that Tsumugi had handcrafted butterfly wings for them to wear on top of that. Needless to say, she had outdone herself.

“Well, let’s go!” 

Throughout the evening, they got neverending compliments at every door they knocked on. 

The day was a success and in the end, they were both exhausted and went back home to get a good nights rest. 

BOYS

Gonta Gokuhara

Gonta’s first priority would, of course, be his s/o and their happiness. 

When his s/o mentioned that they wanted to go trick-or-treating for Halloween, Gonta’s protective instincts kicked in. 

“But for Halloween everyone masked. Gonta can’t protect s/o if s/o gets attacked!” 

“Please, Gonta I want to go more than anything else” 

And that’s all they needed to say for Gonta to give in to his s/o’s adorable begging. 

Gonta wouldn’t dress up, he would just wear his normal clothing. 

His intention wasn’t to join the trick-or-treating, he wanted to protect his s/o while they went around from door to door. 

His s/o didn’t mind much as long as Gonta was there with them. 

In the end, the evening was a success and Gonta did not fail at protecting his s/o. 

Kiibo

Kiibo was extremely confused when his s/o explained how Halloween works. 

His knowledge of Halloween was based on the original story about how Halloween started, so he just assumed that it would still be the same. 

“You don’t even have to wear a costume Kiibo, just please come with me!” 

Kiibo was conflicted. He wanted to make his s/o happy, but he was also afraid of trying something new and something he wasn’t quite sure what was. 

Nonetheless, he gave in and they went as a cute robot couple. Kiibo was confused and didn’t know what the small balls wrapped in paper were. 

Kiibo didn’t get much out of it since, of course, he isn’t able to eat and wouldn’t be able to taste all the delicious sweets, but it didn’t matter to him. 

Kiibo felt happiness when experiencing new things with his s/o, that’s why they meant so much to him and why he always makes sure to protect them no matter what. 

Even if he doesn’t get to eat the candy

Kaito Momota

Kaito would probably be way more excited about going trick-or-treating than his s/o. 

He was dead set on them going as astronauts. His mind could not be changed no matter what. 

So his s/o wouldn’t even bother trying to suggest another costume idea, they gave in to their boyfriend's needs. 

“Look how perfect these costumes are! We are going to get so many compliments s/o, especially you” 

Kaito’s s/o would just roll their eyes at his cheesy compliment, it meant a lot nonetheless. 

As soon as the costumes were on, Kaito was dragging his s/o with him out of the door.

“Come on keep up!” 

It was like going trick-or-treating with a small child. Kaito was just so excited about everything, it was absolutely adorable.

It also resulted in Kaito being so energized that by the end of the night he was so tired that his s/o almost had to carry him home, but it was okay.

In the end, seeing Kaito this happy was all that mattered. 

Kokichi Oma

In Kokichi’s opinion, he didn’t have to go dressed up for Halloween.

If he just appeared in front of other people they would immediately bow to him and give him all the candy they possess.  

Kokichi’s ego was already big enough so his s/o had to throw him off his throne. 

“Let’s go dressed as flight pilots! You would look so handsome” 

Immediately Kokichi would be flustered and would try to cover his face from all the blushing. 

Kokichi loved being complimented as long as people didn’t call him cute, so hearing his s/o compliment him for being handsome would get his knees weak right away. 

“Okay, s/o! but just for you” 

What originally was supposed to be Kokichi’s s/o dragging him around excitedly, would turn into the exact opposite. 

His s/o didn’t mind tho, Kokichi was always a ball of energy and one hell of a trickster. 

They ended the night with cuddles in bed. Kokichi would quickly fall asleep in his s/o’s comforting arms. 

Korekiyo Shinguji

Korekiyo wasn’t at all interested in dressing up for Halloween, he barely cared about the holiday itself. 

Well, he of course cared about the origin of Halloween, but not the modern version. 

But he completely changed his mind when he saw his s/o wearing a beautiful traditional Japanese mask and some traditional clothing. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off his s/o, they were beautiful. 

“What is this? You dressed up for my taste?”

Korekiyo knew that had to be the case, why else would they look so beautiful on such a modern washed day. 

“Please come trick-or-treating with me. I have a costume for you”

He couldn’t say no. The costume he was presented was just as beautiful as the one his s/o was wearing. 

In the end, Korekiyo was convinced and went trick-or-treating with his s/o. He didn’t care about the candy or much else, he just couldn’t take his eyes off the beauty his s/o was wearing.

Rantaro Amami

Being the laid back person Rantaro is, he probably wouldn’t get too overly excited about getting costumes or going out trick-or-treating. 

All he wanted, was for his s/o to be happy and enjoy their day more than anything else. It was a definite priority. 

Rantaro’s s/o mentioned wanting to go trick-or-treating and Rantaro didn’t hesitate to accept his s/o’s offer. 

He wasn’t a very creative person, so his s/o had to figure out the costumes. 

Since neither of them were creative-minded, they went as police officers/cops.

It didn’t look bad at all and they matched perfectly just like 2 puzzle pieces. 

They received lots of compliments that night and also lots of candy for their matching costumes. 

After a couple of hours of walking around in the cold weather, they went back home to snuggle on the couch and watch a scary movie before they fell asleep in each other’s arms. 

Moments like these made Rantaro realize how lucky he was to have his s/o in his life and how much they meant to him. 

Ryoma Hoshi

He couldn’t care less about something as silly as ‘Halloween’. 

But the second his s/o mentioned it to him and said they wanted to go trick-or-treating this year, Ryoma instantly shook his head knowing what question would follow up to their statement. 

“Please come with me?” 

Ryoma just kept shaking his head. 

“Ryoma come on. You never do anything for me” 

These words hit Ryoma pretty deeply. Didn’t do anything for his s/o, is that true?

These words had Ryoma’s thoughts wandering. He was trying to think of the last time he went out of his way to make his s/o happy and he couldn’t remember when. 

“Okay I’ll come with you s/o” 

So then Ryoma’s s/o went out and bought them matching cop costumes. 

Oh the irony 

Although, they went back home after about an hour and snuggled on the couch while watching a scary movie. 

Shuichi Saihara

Would be shy about going out dressed up in a costume, but lowkey wouldn’t mind if his s/o went as well.

Couples costumes??

“Can’t we just go as the same thing?”

Shuichi’s s/o gave in to his begging and they decided to go dressed as salt and pepper canisters. 

He would be so shy when someone complimented their costumes but seeing his s/o filled with joy, would make him loosen up. 

The night was over and they were cuddling in bed, eating some of the candy they had collected that day. 

And of course, they would wake up with tummy aches the next morning because they had been eating candy until very late at night. So they would stay in bed and cuddle all day. 

And eat more candy

~ Mod Ibuki

[og-lacksubstance-studios]

Protecting You - Part 1

Summary: Strong-willed Detective Sasha Rae is one of the best detective on the NYPD. Her world is suddenly turned upside down when she must protect a prime witness to a crime. Can she put her feelings aside for the sake of the case or will she become a victim herself?

Lungs burning, sprinting, feeling the burning in my legs as my feet hit the pavement of the neighborhood street of New York City. It smells, but it is easy to ignore when I’m chasing a suspect. He tosses the remnants of a trash can to the side, toppling over massive amounts of trash onto the sidewalk. I jump hastily over it like a true cross country runner, not breaking a sweat. He’s fast, but he’s not tactful in the least bit. I push forward, feeling just a little bit more adrenaline hit me, when I toss my entire body at him, tackling him to the ground.

He falls forward onto his face in shock, groaning. “What the fuck? How are you so fast?” He says as I wrap his arms around his back, shackling his wrists behind it. He whines as I fasten them tightly.

I ignore his words. “Mr. Henderson, not only are we going to charge you for theft, but littering is also a crime,” I say. He is a regular I tend to pick up, but being that I’ve picked him up for theft before and he is on parole, things are not looking good for him.

“Oh, well you know I had to make you work for it Detective Rae,” he chuckles as I pull him to his feet.

I roll my eyes. “Listen D, I’d love it if you turned a new leaf before I retire,” I tell him and he laughs as we walk back to the car like we’re on some leisurely stroll.

“Yeah, but where would the fun be in that? You know damn well your ass would miss me too much if I stopped,” he says and I can’t help, but shake my head. He’s a flirt, always has been and a small part of me truly does believe that he continues to get in trouble just so I can pick him up.

We make it back to the car and I stuff him into the backseat, leaving him with a warning. “You need to stay out of trouble. You’re what? Twenty-two. You got an entire life ahead of you. This whole bad boy, trying to be cute thing will wear off super quick,” I tell him and his smile drops slightly, but he eventually nods in understanding as I close the door. I hit the top of the squad car and they drive off.

I watch it go briefly before my phone goes off. I immediately answer.

“Rae,” I answer and listen intently. It’s Chief Walters, also known as my boss. He wants me to come back to the station immediately. “I’m on my way sir,” I respond, pressing the end button, before getting in my car nearby to head back.

Walking into the station always gives me this bittersweet feeling because I busted my ass to leave it. I have my own desk and everything, but I love being out in the field. I love not wearing the blue uniform that makes me brutally obvious I’m an officer.

It is also bittersweet because I turn heads—often. When I started at the training academy, people just assumed I was a pretty face with no real idea on what I was getting myself into. I knew I’ve been through worse than probably either of them could imagine, but I knew right then and there, it was just another group of people I had to prove wrong. I craved for moments like that.

I think because I do feel like I have something to prove I’m also forced to reconcile with the fact that I may not always be well-liked, but damn-it if I’m not respected.

I advance over to the door of the office and knock softly against the wooden doorframe. Chief Walters looks up from some papers and ushers me inside with a hand motion. “Shut the door,” he commands and I do as I’m told before taking my seat in front of him.

He pulls his glasses off and pushes the file he was reading in front of me. I take it from him, crossing my legs to give it my undivided attention.

I scan over it and note several names I’ve heard in the news lately:

Suspect: Herbert Kline

Age:43

Crime: Money laundering, fraud, tax invasion, first-degree murder.

Victim: James Yooley

Relationship to Suspect: Business partner.

Prime Witness: McKenzie Jefferies

Age: 23

Occupation: Grad Student at Columbia

There are also statements in the file which I’ll have to brief myself on, but Mr. Kline is high profiled. He opened one of the most influential fulfillment businesses in New York state, expanding it throughout the country. And he was only twenty-eight. It was impressive, truly, so to hear of his arrest for all his corrupt money dealings wasn’t the least bit surprising; however, the murder charge was a whole other can of worms entirely.

“I thought he was already arrested and prepping for trial,” I comment finally and Chief Walters nods in agreement.

“So did I; however, I just got off the phone with the district attorneys office and they informed me that the key witness is having reservations about testifying,” he explains and I can’t help but immediately think the worst.

“He has outsiders, business associates spooking her,” I say without question and he smiles softly.

“That is why you’re the best,” he says and I can’t help but look down modestly at his compliment. I try to keep my speculations appearing less like hunches and more like common sense. Anybody that has watched cop dramas probably could have figured that out.

“So what are we looking at? Bringing her down to the station? Meeting at the university? We obviously have to make her reconsider, seeing as she’s our only fighting chance at putting this guy away,” I explain and he nods in agreement once more.

“The DA suggests a security detail till the trial next month,” he says and I close the file, feeling like I helped him work through what I assume was a dilemma.

“Well that’s great, am I free to go?” I ask him and he grimaces, shaking his head slowly. Why do I feel like I’m going to hate the next words that are going to come out of his mouth?

“I would like you to look over her,” he says and my eyes immediately widen. I don’t know the first thing about college. I know that they consist of partying and drinking, football games, and I am just not into that.

“With all due respect, surely someone else is better equipped than I am,” I reason, not wanting to throw out specific names seeing as people already can’t stand me. I bet they’re going to love knowing I’ve been tasked to be a glorified babysitter.

“I chose you because you are one of my best detectives and I don’t think she’s going to want a man to look after her, not when men are trying to threaten her,” he says and I got to appreciate his honesty. I feel validated, but I suppose if I was in her shoes, I would feel a little uncomfortable knowing a male detective was in close proximity of me and I was a young twenty-something year old.

“Listen, it won’t be as bad as you think,” he assures me. “She’s a Grad student, surely she’s well past all the crazy late nights,” he adds and I can’t help but feel unconvinced.

“Are there any specifics I should know about her before I go?” I ask begrudgingly as he flips through a memo that he must have written when on the phone.

“I was told they want live-in security detail, instead of the standard car parked outside of dorm room, so you know I’m not a massive fan of this, but preferably you could have her stay with you, seeing as she does have a roommate,” he explains and I close my eyes, inwardly screaming. This cannot get any worse.

I put on a fake smile, taking the file with me. “I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him as I get up from the chair and walk out of the office.

I make my way over to my desk and park my butt into it to give myself some time of relief before my world turns upside down for a month. I flip open the file again and stare at the photos inside. There are crime scene photos, Kline’s mugshot, and a witness photo.

My eyes fixate on the girl that is not much younger than I and admittedly she doesn’t look like the partying type. She looks like she may be active or that she works out, and perhaps that will be a good thing for the two of us to bond over while we’re stuck with each other for a month. I’m not expecting to become best friends with her or anything, but we have to deal with one another, so why make it a miserable experience?

I glance up at the clock and it reads a little past one in the afternoon. I sigh heavily and close the file, locking it in my drawer before getting up to head out of the office to meet my new charge.

[babyleclerc]

Love Her Madly

Pairings: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Style: One-Shot

Warnings: Just mild cursing, but what’s new lmfao.

Word Count: 1.8K

Summary: After probably the worst day of your life, you find yourself stood up at a nice restaurant by your date. To make things worse, you also run into your ex - who sees you there alone. Who better to save the day than the one and only Tom Hiddleston?

A/N: W O W. Guys. It’s been a fuckin’ WHILE since I’ve gotten Tom to flow through these fingers. PHEW it feels so fucking good to be back to writing him. I’ve missed him so much. All praise goes to my absolute partner in crime, writing buddy, and bestest of friend, @sxbastianstan. She is my everything, my ultimate bae, and the reason this fic even exists. So go THANK HER for getting me out of my writing rut. Ily all. Hope you enjoy. <3

This was officially, easily, the worst night of your life. You glanced at your Apple watch for the hundredth time that hour, its little neon numbers staring back at you; mocking you. As if looking at it again would magically erase time. Surprise: it hadn’t.

“Would you like to order anything, Miss?” You could tell your waiter was getting impatient and wanted to give the table to someone else. The hour you had been waiting for your blind date was starting to look pathetic, and you knew it. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at the judgment laced throughout the waiter’s tone and smiled up at him as sweetly as you could.

“Sorry, just five more minutes.” Right as the words slipped from your glossed lips, you heard a male voice from across the room.

“Y/N?” He called out, and your heart sank. You felt your stomach drop and your head feel dizzy as you looked up at the owner of said voice, recognizing it immediately.

“Hey,” You said timidly as your eyes rested on your ex’s handsome face. Damnit, now this really was the worst night of your fucking life.

You stood to give him a quick hug, annoyed by the smell of his cologne and the blonde bimbo hanging off his arm, with perfectly manicured hands and highlighted hair. You immediately felt self-conscious of your own looks and tried to make yourself as small as possible in comparison (as if that were even possible).

“What are you doing here? Are you here by yourself?” He didn’t give you a chance to answer, and instead just plowed on. “This is Anastasia, my fiancé.”

Fiancé. Good. Fucking. Lord. This was just getting better and better.

You smiled tightly, that nauseating feeling twisting in your gut as you shakily held out a hand to meet hers, exchanging niceties. This was the worst.

“So… no date?” He asked again, glancing at the empty chairs in front of you and looking at you with pity. Was there a small smirk on his lips, too? You would give one million dollars to slap that look right off his face.

Before you could answer, you notice some shuffling from the corner of your eye, and a tall man, clad in a dark blue suit, approaches you, leaning over to kiss you gently on the cheek.

“I’m so sorry I’m late, darling. Traffic was a nightmare.” You felt your cheeks get hot and your eyes widen as the British man easily snaked an arm around your waist, his large hand resting gently on your hip. There was a collective pause from the group as they soaked in the man standing in front of you. You tried not to let your jaw drop as your eyes glazed over his gelled hair, his bright blues, and a slight 5 o’clock shadow resting along his jawline. He swiftly buttoned his suit jacket and extended a hand to your ex-boyfriend who just stood there, baffled. He turned his attention to Jack, as if just noticing him for the first time. “Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Tom.”

“Jack,” Your ex shook his hand and seemed to stand up straighter, as if measuring himself against this mystery man named Tom. (It was of no use, Tom was a full foot taller than him, at least). There was an awkward beat, and you hoped no one noticed that in reality you had no idea who the hell this Tom character was, but boy were you thankful that he had decided to step in right at this moment.

“Well, we should get back to our meal. I’ve been keeping my poor girl waiting for over an hour; she’ll kill me if I don’t get food in her system soon.” Tom winked at you and you felt yourself coming undone, your cheeks so hot they could burn the restaurant down.

Without waiting for dismissal from Jack, Tom led you towards the table you had previously been abandoned at, pulling your chair out for you and allowing you to sit down. By the time he sat down, swiftly unbuttoning his suit jacket in the process, Jack and Anastasia had gone back to their table, stunned. You could feel the envy seeping from both of them as your heart pounded in your chest, finally drinking in the man in front of you. He seemed completely at ease, as if this had been his plan all along. As if he hadn’t just spotted you from across the room at the bar, and decided to swoop in and save you like some sort of prince charming.

“Uhm,” You started, biting your lower lip. “You didn’t need to do that.”

Though his eyes smiled at you, his lips formed into a beautiful smirk, oozing with confidence. “A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.” He raised his hand and called for the waiter. You sat there, stunned, sputtering stupidly. “I’ll take a vodka tonic, and the lady here will have…?”

He turned to you, waiting, and you blinked, your brain trying to process what he was asking you but being infinitely distracted by his confidence and distracting British accent.

“I’ll have a Scotch, please.” You finally managed out, your hands trembling slightly.

Tom flashed a smile towards the waiter, thanking him, before once again letting his beautiful blue orbs rest on you. It made you feel uncomfortable, the way that he was assessing you – as if he knew you were panicking and sweating beneath your somewhat (?) calm exterior.

“So, where were we?” He asked, leaning back against the chair, crossing one leg over the other easily. His hands rested on his thighs. “Ah yes, you were about to thank me.”

You would have scowled at him had his grin not been so fucking handsome. You hated to admit it, but the guy was smooth. Too smooth.

“Right,” You rolled your eyes, gaining some of your confidence back, “Thank you for swooping in and now hijacking my dinner.”

Tom raised an eyebrow at your tone, “I’m sorry, did you want me to leave so can eat by yourself?”

You glared at him, his comment a straight punch to the gut. You sighed, backing down. “No, but thank you for saving me. You don’t have to have dinner with me, though.”

Tom waved it off with his hand, shaking his head, “I was only teasing. No need to thank me. I hate seeing a beautiful girl stood up. I’m assuming that’s what happened, yes?”

You sighed again, but suddenly feeling more comfortable, nodded. “Yes.”

“Tinder?”

“Bumble, actually.”

“Ah.”

The waiter now returned with your drinks, setting them on the table in front of you and taking your orders. Tom ordered the fish while you ordered a steak (thank God you knew what you wanted already, you would have died if he looked at you stupidly again), and he took a sip of his vodka, letting the ice-cold glass rest in his hand. He fidgeted with the lime, head cocked to the side as his eyes watched you.

“So that’s an ex of yours, I gather?” He asked finally, swirling the drink in his hand as his head nodded discretely towards Jack.

You blushed slightly, embarrassed that he had caught you staring at Jack and Anastasia for the thousandth time. You sighed, nodding. “Yeah, we used to date. For a while, actually.”

“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.” Another swig of his vodka tonic. You watched as his tongue dashed along his lips slightly, annoyed at how effortlessly your body was in-tune with his.

You sighed, partially from the question but mostly from the way Tom oozed sexiness and comfort without even trying. “Long story, but he broke up with me. Typical ‘guy likes girl, guy wins over girl, girl falls in love with guy, guy falls in love with someone else’. It was a while ago.” You shrugged, taking a deep swig of your Scotch.

Tom’s eyes darted over to Jack, just in time to see him glaring at you. He thought for a moment, then peered back at you, a playful look dancing in his eyes. He leaned across the table and reached for your hand, allowing his fingers to gently intertwine with yours before speaking in a low, husky voice.

“Let’s make him burn with envy.”

Dinner went on so smoothly from there, it was hard to believe that the night had started out the way that it had, and that this was a “first date”. Tom was ever the gentleman – listening intently, complimenting you at all the right times, never getting distracted or looking uninterested. It was as if he was hanging on to your every word, like his life depended on them. It was as intimidating as it was refreshing.

“So tell me,” You started, cutting your knife easily into your steak, “What made you come over and save me earlier tonight?”

Tom grinned, chuckling slightly, “You should know by now that your radiant beauty made it hard for me to stay away.”

You laughed wholeheartedly, amused, “You seriously expect that line to work? What do other girls say to that?”

He shrugged, “Wouldn’t know, you’re the first woman I’ve ever used it on.”

You immediately sobered, your head tilting slightly, “I call bullshit.”

It was Tom’s turn to laugh, the corner of his eyes crinkling just slightly, his tongue peeking out from between his lips. You wondered, for just a moment, what it would feel like to kiss them…

“Not bullshit, actually, I hardly have time between filming to go out on dates.”

“So it just happened to be my lucky day that you were here, tonight, huh? Just waiting for a damsel in distress to save?” You grinned back at him cheekily.

“I’d hardly call you a damsel in distress, Y/N.” The way his accent drawled your name out sent goosebumps up your arms. You wanted to hear him say it a thousand times over, preferably in the dark, in his bed, his lips pressed against your skin in the most sinful ways.

You squirmed slightly in your chair at the visual, crossing a leg over the other in an attempt to calm yourself down. Tom noticed the slight gesture and smiled softly against his raised glass, fighting everything within him to wink at you.

Tom cleared his throat, glancing at his watch, “I know this is extremely forward of me, and I swear I would never ask just anyone this, but, would you-”

“Yes.” You answered before he could finish.

Tom grinned, his eyes twinkling. He pulled out his wallet and set down a few hundred-dollar bills – you weren’t sure how much but tried not to gape at the load of cash he still had in his wallet. He took you briskly by the hand, pulling you in front of him as he guided you out of the restaurant, both hands resting easily on your hips.

You were too happy, the grin far too wide across your lips, to notice a sulking Jack behind you.

Fin.

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[daydreaming-away-reality]

Cyborg [Chapter 1]

Steve Rogers x Reader | ☁️ + 🌠 + ✨ | 1.8k | Cyborg!Reader

[ Cyborg Masterlist ]

You stared at the dark sky, stretching in preparation. It was barely daybreak, yet, here you were standing outside in the chilly air in a t-shirt and tights for running. Breathing out, you could see a small cloud appear and fade before you in the dim streetlights. 

Five o’clock use to be a dormant time for you, lying in bed and recharging the electricity in your body. Ever since you moved into the suburbs of New York though, your roommate had a habit of going on a ‘morning run’, and since you were eager to experience the world with him, you picked up his habit too.

“Alright, (Y/N),” a deep male voice called out to you. “Sorry for the wait. Ready to go?”

You turned, (E/C) eyes meeting beautiful blue ones. Seeing Steve’s smile in the morning was almost enough motivation to get you up and moving for the day.

“I’m ready when you are,” you chimed out.

Steve gave you a once over and frowned. “Wait.”

He moved towards you, leaning down. You curiously watched him, uncertain of his next move. Reaching forward, he began to tie your shoelace.

“Don’t want you tripping and hurting yourself,” Steve explained as he fixed it.

You blushed lightly. “Thanks, Steve.”

Your roommate was Captain America, the one and only Super Soldier who saved America. After waking up as a cyborg, you had been assigned as the Captain’s assistant when he woke from the ice - much like how JARVIS was for Tony Stark. After the Battle of New York though, you had been forced out from hiding and moved in with Steve for the past two years.

Living with him finally let you experience the world for the first time and try out your new abilities.

Overall, you enjoyed the mundane way of life that you and Steve shared as you both tried to adjust to your surroundings. 

“Sure you’ll be warm enough?” Steve asked, noticing how you didn’t wear a jacket.

“Don’t worry about me,” you reassured him. “I’ve altered my internal body temperature and adjusted the cooling system to match weather right now. Are you ready?”

Steve couldn’t help but smile at your technical terms. Being a cyborg, you often spoke in this manner out of habit. Steve found it cute how you always tried to find ways to make things easier for him. As much as you found it to be your responsibility to look out for Steve, Steve felt it was his responsibility to protect you. Perhaps it was old fashioned, you personally admitted to Steve that you found his gestures to be endearing.

All in all, you both had a strong, reliable relationship as partners - even though it was clear there was something more between the two of you.

“Let’s go,” Steve agreed.

The two of you took off, starting off slow before picking up the pace. It was the usual long running route around New York, one that Steve would aim to do at least four or five times.

Initially, you had struggled with the run, unaccustomed to the extensive activity. Steve didn’t mind - in fact, he took it easy with you, building your endurance and pacing. Now, you were fully able to keep up with him and Steve commended your efforts.

The repetitive sound of feet pounding against the ground paired with steady breathing became the only sound that filled the air. Surprisingly, someone else, a man, running the same route as the two of you.

You fell back a bit, trailing behind Steve as the two of you ran by.

“On your left.”

It wasn’t long before the two of you saw him again as you ran along side the lake.

“On your left,” Steve called out again.

“Uh huh, on my left,” the man responded. “Got it.”

By the time you were about to make the third round past him, you decided to slow your pace down.

“Don’t say it, don’t say it,” the man chanted. 

Completely out of habit and courtesy, but at this point out of amusement, the words slipped out of Steve’s mouth.

“On your left.”

“Come on!”

You chuckled, changing your pace to match the man’s.

“Sorry about him,” you said, smiling. “He’s dedicated to his routine.”

The man panted but nodded. “He’s fast, how do you keep up?”

“Practice, its not easy though,” you cheerfully replied. “Nice to meet you, by the way, I’m (Y/N)!”

“Sam Wilson,” he replied. His brown eyes flickered up to the disappearing figure of Steve’s. “Sure it’s okay for you to leave your partner?”

“I’m sure we’ll catch up, if not, he’ll find us,” you brushed off. With how hard you had been pushing yourself to keep up with Steve, this pace felt more leisurely. “Is this run part of your morning routine?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “Hard to break habit.”

By the time the sun was out and shining brightly, you and Sam took a break, resting under the shade of a tree. Using the connection link in your brain, you sent a message to Natasha, letting her know the morning run was over as promised.

Standing in front of Sam, you slowly stretched as you complied the statistic elements of your run, keeping track of your development. A notification in your brain alerted you to the Steve’s approach as well as Nat’s reply, ‘Thanks sweetheart. I’ll be there soon. :)’

“Need a medic?”

Sam laughed, looking up at the newcomer. “I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran thirteen miles in like thirty minutes.”

“Guess I got a late start,” Steve replied.

“Really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap. …did you just take it? I assume you just took it.”

You smiled, fondly watching Steve interact with Sam. It was nice seeing him converse with others.

“What unit are you in?” Steve asked.

“Fifty-eight para rescue, now I’m working down at the VA.”

With this new information, you almost instinctively searched Sam up in the military database. After working with the Avengers, it had fallen into a bit of a habit - perhaps, you could look up this former soldier, but at a later date. 

“Sam Wilson.”

“Steve Rogers,” your roommate answered. “I’m assuming you met (Y/N)?”

Sam and you exchanged nods.

“Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing.”

Steve sighed. “Takes some getting use to. I have (Y/N) here though, so it’s not that bad.”

Blue eyes met yours and you immediately caught onto his gesture. Walking over to his side, you waited for Steve’s next move.

“It was nice meeting you, Sam,” Steve acknowledged, turning away.

Your eyes flickered over to Sam, noticing his approach.

“Your bed,” Sam started.

“What?” Steve asked.

“Your bed is too soft,” Sam said. “Over there, I used rocks for a bed and pillow like a caveman, now I’m home, lying in my bed and it’s like...”

“Lying on a marshmallow,” Steve finished, nodding in agreement. “Feel like I’m going to sink right to the floor.”

The men continued their talk, and you flickered over the plan for the day in your head. Steve had so much to do after joining SHIELD, he always had the best intentions. You appreciated the efforts he put into every little thing - caring for you included.

“Marvin Gaye, 1978, Troubleman soundtrack. Everything you missed, jammed into one album.”

“I’ll put it on the list.”

Steve pulled out his notebook, the one kept around to note things down by hand. Despite having you, he hung onto simple things like this, showing his attachment to the past.

“I’ll add it too,” you mumbled, mentally adding to the growing list of things Steve wanted to look into.

Steve’s phone buzzed and the message flashed in your brain too.

‘Mission alert. Extraction imminent. Meet at the curb. :)’

“Alright, Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run, if that’s what you want to call running.”

“Oh, that’s how it is?”

“Oh, that’s how it is.”

“Any time you want to stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

The roaring approach of Nat’s car by the curb shifted your attention. 

“Hey fellas, either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I’m here to pick up a fossil,” Nat greeted. 

“Hilarious,” Steve retorted.

“Let’s run again together sometime!” you called out to Sam with a wave. Ducking into the backseat, you greeted the redhead. “Morning, Nat!” 

“Morning, darling,” Nat replied, flashing a smile your way.

Being the youngest among the group appeared to make you the soft spot for everyone. Most of them indirectly met you during the Battle of New York, when you had wirelessly communicated and aided Steve. Over the past two years, you’ve actually met some of them in person, proving them cared about you all the same.

“Can’t run everywhere,” Steve said to Sam.

“No, you can’t,” Sam agreed.

The car quickly took off and you made sure to click in your seat belt.

“Did Director Fury give me permission to come with you guys?” you asked, eager to hear Nat’s response. “I’ve been getting stronger, I think I can handle a mission.”

Nat offered you a sad smile when she made eye contact with you through the rear view mirror.

“Sorry sweetie. Fury say its not safe for you and because of the location, you won’t be able to contact us either.”

“I’ll try to convince Fury to let you join us next time,” Steve added. “I know you’ve been improving. Your hand to hand combat is great.”

You sighed, sparks of electricity fizzling from your fingers. Your inner bioelectricity was buzzing, waiting to be used. Concentrating, you let the electricity flow and made sure to control its power. A small electromagnetic force field appeared, pulsing with energy.

“When did you learn that?” Nat remarked, as you tore your eyes away from your hands.

“A few weeks ago,” you replied. “I’ve nearly perfected it.”

“Don’t underestimate her, Nat, (Y/N) is incredible.”

You blushed at Steve’s compliment and it appeared that Steve realized his words too, flushing slightly. Nat’s perceptive eyes didn’t miss a thing as she glanced at the two of you.

A incoming message alert flashed in the corner of your vision - urgent. You let the message open up, the content surprising you.

‘Meet me in SHIELD headquarters once Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff head off for their mission. - Director Fury’

[frankensteined]

13, 17, 19, 23, 24

13. Most forgiving VS Most grudgeful

lol “grudgeful”

this one made me realize just how bad most of my OCs are at forgiving people, cuz so many of them would have such petty grudges when they’ve been wronged… i just checked the “OC negative traits” post i did and all of the ones i did that meme for have “vengeful” either italicized or bolded l o l 

but, going backwards for a second, fletcher straight up has people killed when he’s holding a grudge. like, probably about 25% of the jobs that he’s had gambon take for him involve killing people that he’s just kinda feeling vengeful towards, so i’d say that he’s the most “grudgeful”.

comparatively, joseph’s pretty good at forgiving people. a big chunk of his personal plot involves forgiving his parents, which is a big deal! so he’d be good with forgiving others too, no problem! but, also, fraser is pretty forgiving, in a surprising way. he’s still good at holding a grudge when he’s presented with a rivalry (ie: why him and jules don’t get along for ages, cuz she loves perpetuating that shit), but he’s consistently the first to offer his hand to call a truce when he thinks he’s got a shot at one, and a good reason to call one. i think it’s cuz he knows he doesn’t have a lot of real friends, shh 

17. Judges a book by its cover VS Judges mostly by personality

fraser is VERY “what you see is what you get”, so he kind of expects others to be the same. he knows that people hide things about themselves, obviously (he’s dumb, but he’s not that dumb lol), but he’d still probably assume that his first impression of someone was right until proven otherwise. this is actually intentional on my end, because my initial concept for him was “adam fraser: generic cannon fodder Guy; toxic masculinity personified” because he was originally supposed to just be a dude who died early on and he wasn’t supposed to have likeable traits so no one would miss him. but then i went and explored how he’d get there, which resulted in a complete overhaul of his character and motivations (new and improved! now with added depth and nuance!). so, his “book by cover” judgments are just this sort of this nod to his original existence, which was literally someone you could judge at first glance, cuz there wasn’t anything else to him!

judging by personality falls right into the laps of both renata and jules, because they’re both women who operate in male-dominated spheres, so they know all about there being more than meets the eye to most people. renata is still surrounded by wolves in sheep’s clothing, so she has to assume that there’s a persona behind a persona behind a persona in most people’s cases (as is the case for herself, too!), whereas jules is often put into positions where she’s backstabbed and has to fight for her life, or she’s fighting for her life and is assisted by someone she would never have expected to help her, so she’s learned the hard way many, many times that she can’t afford snap judgments of people. she refuses to comes down with a hard-lined idea of what a person is really like until they’ve proven themselves one way or another. that tends to make her look like she’s got a loosey-goosey approach to most people, but she’s really studying them very closely to try to figure out if they’re friend or foe.  

19. Cast iron stomach VS Most squeamish

oh god, fraser can, will, and must try absolutely any awful concoction you throw at him. if you’ve got a character who is a godawful cook and you still want someone to fearlessly offer themselves up as a guinea pig to that person’s culinary reign of terror? fraser’s your guy. he’ll try anything. he’ll find a chip in the couch cushions and, if it isn’t covered in lint, pop it into his mouth. and he’ll be perfectly fine!

fletcher, by comparison, has a hoity toity palate, and will only eat/drink stuff that he trusts. if he needs to, he’ll slum it down in coffee shops or diners, in order to either meet with people he doesn’t want to have seen in his office, or to intimidate people, but he won’t order anything because. ew. one time i wrote him eating a fry off someone’s plate, trying to act like he was part of the ~”scene”~ of this diner, and then he immediately, casually, spat it into a napkin. because ew.   

23. Best at self-care VS Most self-destructive

fletcher takes very good care of himself. because he can afford to. and because he’s pretty vain and materialistic. but, mainly, it’s because he has a goal that he’s striving towards, and he knows that he can’t get there if he’s falling apart and miserable. so he is definitely the best at that sort of thing. 

i don’t get to compare these characters to one another often, but jules is absolutely the opposite of that. she isn’t consciously self-destructive, but she is a mess in her personal life. she’s always getting the shit beat out of her on ~missions~ or just on plain security detail for the family she works for, she never gets a full night’s sleep (so she leans on caffeine something fierce), about the only time she gets a proper meal is if she drags her butt to a diner or she goes to family dinner at her parents’. she does go out of bars to let off steam and she does make bad life choices while she’s out there. and, yeah. she’s got her shit together for work, and takes very good care of her employers and their kids, but she’s not so great at taking care of herself. 

24. Most flirtatious VS Most modest

jules flirts a lot and fraser flirts a lot but neither of them can beat out newt, who flirts with everyone. is it sincere flirting? maybe! maybe not! but as long as it’s not making anyone uncomfortable, he’ll make flirty comments to anyone he can get away with doing it to. it’s not quite the blatant “i am unquestionably hitting on you” ~charm~ that fraser lays on women, but newt will weave together flirtation into genuine compliments and greetings and banter (”how are you today, aside from being unfairly beautiful? d’you have that report i needed?”), that it’s really just part of how he talks to people. and, if that kind of thing is reciprocated, even better!

the opposite of that should probably be “who is the least flirtatious?”, and that would be gambon, because he just doesn’t care. but, most modest implies something more than just apathy towards flirtation, so for this i would have to say conrad! he gets flirted at a lot (again, newt. but also jules), but it almost perplexes him that he’s noticed in that way? it doesn’t annoy him or anything, he���s just kind of like “o…kay? thanks?” because he’s got stuff to do! why are they hanging around his work space and telling him he’s good looking?! that’s nice and all, but…shoo! he isn’t not receptive to it (it flatters him, and once in a while he’ll humor them back, just cuz none of them are being serious-serious about it or are they), but mostly he’s just like “can you go tell me that i’m pretty from the doorway? you’re standing in front of this screen that i need to look at. …. :)” 

                                         OC rivals meme