#like i was thinking it would be something i was like. previously interested in like pirates or alchemy but like

[dreamsteddie]

There is an AITA out there that I can't find but it's been haunting me for weeks with visions of semi-angsty Steddie that I need to release onto the world. (If anyone happens to know what I'm talking about hit me up and I'll link it)

Edit: @jazzathebunny found the original AITA from Reddit linked Here for anyone who wants to read it. ------

Modern AU, Eddie and the guys are a moderately successful local band in the Chicago area playing gigs on the weekends and doing small tours whenever they all have the time. Gareth and Jeff are both in college while Eddie and Freak are both working part-time at a game store. Eddie managed to lock down that assistant manager position that lets him work 30 hours a week with weekends off for gigs. All in all, it's a pretty sweet deal and they can't complain.

Eddie had sworn off dating after a small handful of disastrous relationship attempts in their first year in the city. He dismisses any advances from people who attend their shows and tries not to think about how much he wants to make a genuine connection with someone and have something real. He's been burned one too many times to try and make something with someone he met in a bar or at work.

He knows the guys talk about it behind his back sometimes, he catches Jeff and Gareth fervently whispering to each other and stopping when they catch him entering the room one time too many to not suspect they're talking about him and he can't think of anything else going on in his life that they would feel the need to whisper about.

The fervent conversations take a slight uptick one day and about a week and a half after they do, Gareth hits him up and tells him he wants to set Eddie up with a guy from one of his classes. At first, Eddie is skeptical and cites all the reasons why he doesn't want to try with anyone right now but eventually, Jeff jumps in to plea the case and Freak jumps in on top of that and under the combined weight of his best friends he agrees to meet up with this Steve guy.

The guys set up the whole thing and before Eddie knows it it's Saturday night and he's wearing his best black jeans and a gray button-down, untucked, to go on an honest to God blind date like his life is some low-budget romcom.

Steve is not at all what Eddie thought he would be. Not the kind of guy he thought his friends would pick out for him given they know he usually goes for other alternatives like himself. Steve, who is shyly waving him over and getting out of his seat to great him, is the very epitome of prep. Well-fitted polo, light blue chinos, and what Eddie assumes this guy thinks are casual loafers. He's handsome to be sure, a 12/10 at least with perfect hair and defined biceps but Eddie is fairly sure he's being punked.

But, Eddie doesn't want to be rude so he goes to meet Steve at the table, confirming just in case that he's actually here to meet with a guy named Eddie. Steve gives him a bit of a confused look, saying that Gareth showed him a couple pictures of Eddie before he agreed to meet and figured he'd done the same for Eddie off Steve's Instagram. Gareth had, in fact, not done anything of the sort but they both dismiss it and get on with their date.

In all honesty, Eddie is expecting it to be a complete wash, but it turns out that even if Steve is not at all what Eddie would have previously said what his type, Steve is damn near perfect. He's funny, kind, a little bitchy, and even though he proves himself to be every bit the sports nerd he looks like he doesn't turn his nose up at Eddie's own much more classically nerdy interests. By the end of the date, Eddie has a new type and that type is Steve Harrington. He's quick to lock down a second date for the next weekend which Steve happily agrees to. They exchange numbers and Steve gives Eddie a chaste kiss on the cheek that has him floating all the way home.

Steve texted him that next morning letting him now he had a great time and is really looking forward to their next date and Eddie thinks this might be the start of something big for him. When he gets to practice he's clearly still floating on cloud nine and in his own little world designing their marriage invitations and matching tombstones so he doesn't notice the sly grins on his bandmates' faces.

"So...how'd it go last night? Everything you dreamed it would be?" Gareth asks, a strange glint in his eyes that Eddie doesn't clock.

Eddie goes on and on about how nice Steve was and how he might be The One, thanking Gareth profusely. Freak looks pleased for him, giving him a hard pat on the shoulder in congratulations but when Eddie finally tunes back into the real world he's greeted by Gareth's livid expression and Jeff's overly concerned one.

He asks the guys what the fuck is up and it turns out that Gareth and Jeff set this whole thing up as a prank of sorts. Eddie was never supposed to hit it off with Steve who Gareth selected specifically because he's a "totally brain-dead prep" and as far away as someone could get from Eddie's previous relationships. He was supposed to be someone Eddie could go on a date with and not form a connection with without getting completely burned at the end like all his previous relationships in the hopes of getting him out of his slump.

Jeff was in on it as well. He wanted to get Eddie back out there, so when Gareth presented the plan he sat in on a couple of Gareth's general credit business class sessions to help pick the guy out.

After Jeff and Gareth finish explaining he does a complete 180 and just...leaves. In any other situation, he would be raging and verbally tearing his friends a new asshole but instead, he completely disengages and walks out the garage door, ignoring his friends' shouts to come back.

He goes back home, socked and hurt and so very confused about how the hell he found himself in this position when his phone lights up.

New Message: Steve H.

Fuck.

-------

Part two coming soon??? Maybe???? We'll see.

[rikosseen]

Shintaro Yamazaki x Reader: Predawn

Anon request

The Yamazaki syndicate is full of weirdos. Hot weirdos. And amongst these hot weirdos, Yamazaki Shintaro holds the golden DILF trophy. It’s not like you had anything better to do than to gawk anyway. Fulfilling clan duties, cleaning up whatever you needed to, spying on Somi Park and the other ladies- what’s a woman to do with such a repetitive lifestyle?

Previously, the main objective for your presence was to carry the future heir for Yamazaki. However, before even meeting Shingen himself, news had spread across the clan that a child with reverse eyes had been born.

And so, to prevent your family from embarrassment for not fulfilling your duties, your days were spared working as- well- a maid. A servant, if you will. Not the brightest role, but it was something. And hey, at least your insides didn’t get destroyed by big, Tora Oni dick.

Anyway.

Today’s a nice day. It’s sunny, but not unbearably hot. There’s even a cool wind breezing around. What makes it nicer though, is that Shintaro’s blessing your eyes with his presence.

God, look at those forearms.

Can a man of his calibre be seduced? Maybe not, but what did you have to lose? You’re scrubbing floors for crying out loud. So, shamelessly, you sit on your knees, looking up at the hulk of a man in front of you.

Shintaro isn’t stupid. And while he doesn’t care too much for his looks, even he can’t deny the amazing traits that the Yamazaki genetics has been able to carry. So of course he notices your bulging eyes. Of course he’s aware of your staring- of your drooling even.

The man doesn’t complain though. Your behaviour is… amusing. In the dead atmosphere of the syndicate, your presence brings humour. To complain would be to form contact with you. And, well, Shintaro’s adamant on thinking that there’s no need for him to initiate conversation. After all, he has better things to do.

.

You swiftly wipe the bead of sweat from your forehead, and sit on the ground. It was 5am- the sun’s not up yet, but you figured it’d be in your best interest to finish chores early so that you’d have more free time during the day. Needless to say, the morning was a productive one.

“It’s a little early, don’t you think?”

You jump at the voice beside you, heart thumping against your chest.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. Oh god, he’s so close.

The man looks down at you with his default, bored expression.

“You're up too,” you say, voice cracking.

Ugh, how embarrassing.

Shintaro hums, and showcases the paper in his hand.

“Don’t you get bored with the same routine everyday?” you joke, shifting and fiddling with the grass beneath you.

His face turns solemn, and he seems hesitant, but after giving you another look, he sits down beside you cross legged. You grip on the grass a little tighter, sucking in a quick, quiet breath.

“Someone has to keep things in order, no?”

You suppose that’s true. “Doesn’t it weigh on you?”

Shintaro wants to criticise you and tell you how much of an honour it is for him to be in the position that he is. But in the wake of predawn, and the result of the restless nights he’s endured, the Yamazaki can’t help but feel a tinge of agreement. Maybe so, but it’s something Shintaro will never voice out. It’s just the sleep getting to him. Actually- he wouldn’t be thinking such ridiculous thoughts if not for you. Maybe he was right to avoid you from the beginning. Doubt clouds his mind now. He glances back at you, and watches as you fiddle with blades of grass.

“I suppose,” he concludes.

.

A schedule breaks out, and you find yourself waking up early. Not to complete your chores, but to see Shintaro again. Time and time again, the Yamazaki joins you on the grass, and the two of you end up talking about nothing in particular. It’s mainly you doing the talking, but regardless, Shintaro listens.

He doesn’t say anything unless absolutely necessary. The man feels it too dangerous to even be in contact with you like this. His thoughts are never kept at bay during these predawn shenanigans. But somewhere deep inside him, he’s grateful. Grateful for the serene warmth you provide. Shintaro doesn’t complain. He doesn’t need to. Because slowly, even he’s finding excuses for why he’s sacrificing his sleep to be here.

[araybiaaa]

“𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔”

rafe x sofia

 

THEY’RE at home sprawled out on the couch. She’s laid with her head tucked comfortably on his chest and her legs strewn across his lap. Rafe’s hands were occupied shoveling handfuls of buttered popcorn into his mouth while the other gently caressed Sofia’s leg.

They’d decided to spend the weekend inside of the house rather than going over to Barry’s for the party that he was throwing like they initially planned—which truthfully, Rafe didn’t mind because he enjoyed spending quality time with Sofia, it’s become something that he’s appreciated as their relationship grew. 

Barry liked to joke that Rafe had become boring and soft; because he didn’t indulge in the party lifestyle like he previously did. And would often make jesting quips about them being an old married couple. He still enjoyed partying and drinking, he just enjoyed spending time with his fiancée more. 

They’re watching Die Hard, Rafe’s favorite movie, when there’s a sudden vibration of his phone ringing beside him that has Rafe pausing the movie so that he’s able to retrieve the phone. Picking it up, he smiles when he notices the contact name appearing in the middle of the screen. He slides his finger over the button answering the FaceTime call.

“Hey, dickhead.” He greets, watching as Sarah’s face affixed in an amused smile when she appeared on the screen. Sofia shakes her head, chuckling softly as she sat upright so that she was leaning over and looking at the screen.

“Hey, Sarah.” Sofia says with a wave of her hand; her greeting’s much more amicable than Rafe’s. 

“Hey, dickwad!” She says, indulging in her brother’s playful rapport. “Hey, Sof!”

Rafe absentmindedly set the bowl of popcorn aside so that Sofia’s able to snuggle more comfortably against his chest. “What’s up?” He questions, noticing that when she moves the camera a few angles downward that she’s dressed in soigné attire— wearing a black dress with a curly updo and she has her face neatly primped with makeup. Behind her, Rafe sees John B entering from their bedroom, dressed equally as formal.

“Did you ask them?” John B inquires, in what Rafe assumes what was supposed to be a whisper, judging from the way Sarah’s face furrows. But his question falls clear and audible to Rafe’s ears, seemingly piquing his interest. 

“Not yet.” John B recoils, murmuring a soft apology to his wife before he approaches the phone and greets both Rafe and Sofia. 

“Hey. Ask us what?” John B and Sarah share a look between each other, before Sarah sighs softly and begins to confess. 

“Well, the reason that I called you is because John B and I’s anniversary is tonight and we were planning on going out for dinner to celebrate but—”

John B intercepted, offering his own spiel to explain. “But our sitter canceled last minute and we don’t have anyone else to watch Valerie for us. JJ and Kiara are still in Yucatán and Pope and Cleo are at that family gathering for his father’s birthday,” He laments in exasperation.

“And we really don’t want to cancel. We’ve had this planned for weeks,”

Rafe nods, “So you want us to babysit?”

Sarah nods, giving him a hopeful look. “Could you? I mean if you guys are busy or if you just don’t want to then we have no choice but to cancel but—?” She raised her brows, looking at him expectantly as she waited anxiously for his response. 

“Of course we’ll watch her.” Sofia assures her, causing a heavy sigh of relief to dispel from Sarah as her worried expression substituted for one of mirth. 

“I’m actually offended that you even think you have to ask,” Rafe jokingly remarks before confirming Sofia’s sentiment. Sarah and John B both extend their appreciation again, informing them that they would soon be on their way before ending the call. 


 

…

 

It’s twenty minutes later that the front door bell is ringing. Rafe clambers off of the couch, walking through the living room to the front door. Unlocking it, he tugs the door open and is immediately trampled by Valerie who squeals an excited, “uncle Rafe!” and lifts her arms in the air for him to catch her mid jump.

He chuckles, hefting her in the air as he tucked her high against his chest. Valerie was a perfect combination of Sarah and John B—she inherited her blonde curls and wide brown eyes from her father, while her facial features resembled Sarah’s. Her personality was reciprocal of both her parents; adventurous and intrepid. Rafe admired that at only three years old—she already had such a definitive personality. 

Behind her, John B and Sarah stood with Valerie’s bag in tow. She shrugs the strap of Valerie’s bag off of her shoulder as she sauntered in the house, walking into the living room. 

“We shouldn’t be gone until no later than eleven o’clock. Her bedtime is eight thirty, so don’t let this little monster trick you with those puppy dog eyes into letting her stay up a minute later.” Sarah condemns, though with no actual authoritative malice behind her reproach as she wriggled her fingers against Valerie’s stomach and tickled her. 

The little girl giggled and squirmed in Rafe’s arms. 

John B stepped closer towards them, crouching down a bit so that he’s able to press a kiss against his daughter’s cheek. “We’ll be back, Bug. Be good for your uncle Rafe, okay?”

When she’s sobered from her laughter, she nods, giving her parents an innocent look that even makes Rafe melt at the sight of it. “Okay, daddy!” She agrees, plucking her thumb in her mouth as she leaned her head against Rafe’s shoulder. She waves a goodbye to her parents, with Sarah giving her one last kiss on her cheek before they’re both making their haste exit.

“Alright, now that the fun police is gone what do you want to do?” Rafe questions after Sarah and John B made their departure. Valerie pursed her lips and taps her chin in thought. And she’s so adorable with her furrowed expression that Rafe’s heart lurches in adoration. 

She gasps after a moment’s thought. “We can play dolls! Mommy brought my Barbie’s and then we can play—” She gasps again, her attention seemingly distracted as her head turns towards the staircase that Sofia was descending down. “Auntie Sofia!” She exclaimed with far more excitement at the sight of her than she did with Rafe. (And if it were anyone else he might’ve been offended but he understands her excitement because he always reacts that way when he sees her too.)

She squirms, leaning over so that she’s got her body halfway extended towards Sofia. 

Sofia tucks her hands underneath Valerie’s arms as she transfers her into her arms. Valerie throws her arms around Sofia’s neck, embracing her into a hug. 

“Hi, pretty girl.” Sofia coos, smiling as she reciprocated the embrace. 

“Auntie Sofia, uncle Rafe and I are going to play dolls. Do you want to play with us?” She ponders, tilting her head at Sofia. 

“Of course I do! Come on uncle Rafe, we’ll let you get the first pick in which Barbie you want to be,” She teases and Rafe can’t do anything but shake his head and laugh.

…

 

She scoots out of the chair that she was previously seated in, absentmindedly abandoning the uncapped markers and crayons she was using while coloring, and snagged the piece of paper off of the table before making her way towards him.

Valerie shuffled the paper that she was carrying around. She extends the now crumbled up paper towards him, smiling widely as she avers, “Look what I did!”

With his curiosity piqued, Rafe retrieved the paper from her grasp and looked at it. It was a picture drawn of scribbled lines and skewed shapes; contrary to the dexterous feat of a toddler. He could tell she’d worked hard on it as there was still residue of the green smudge from the marker on the side of her hand; along a wide smile and hopeful eyes that looked at him for validation that he immediately feeds her.

He gasps, “You did so good!” He compliments, seeing her expression stretch in mirth as she reveled in his boasting praise. Beside him, Sofia walks away from the stove where she was cooking dinner and gauged at the drawing. 

“Hm…I think this deserves to be hung up,” Sofia grabs the piece of artwork and a magnet, securely sticking it onto the refrigerator. “There it looks better already,” She smiles as she reaches her hand down and runs it over Valerie’s hair. “Dinner’s almost ready. You two go wash up while I set the table, okay?” 

Rafe grabs ahold of Valerie’s hand as he lead them into the guest bathroom. He perched her down onto the counter, reaching over her to turn on the faucet. He lathers both of their hands with the cucumber scented soap until it’s fully sudsy. Once it’s thoroughly rubbed in, he places her hands beneath the spout and rinsed their hands clean, drying them off afterwards with a fresh cloth. 

When they walk back into the kitchen, his senses are invaded by the delicious aroma of baked chicken, rice and vegetables. Sofia’s setting the last of the dinner onto the table as they approach. 

Valerie, with the assistance of Rafe, climbs into the chair between them with a cushion hefting her to a leveled height of the table. 

“Auntie Sofia how do you know how to cook so good?” She questions as Sofia sets her plate down in front of her. Her childlike curiosity gets the better of her.

“My mom taught me. I used to help her in the kitchen and she would show me how to do everything. It was my favorite thing to do with her when I was growing up.” Sofia reminisces, brushing a hand over Rafe’s shoulder in passing as she made her way to her seat. 

“My mommy and I don’t cook. But we do go fishing with daddy!” 

Rafe snorts, “That’s because your mommy can’t cook. She’s the last person that should be anywhere near a kitchen,” He teases, earning a playful chiding look from Sofia.

“I know you’re not talking. The last time you tried to make me breakfast in bed you burned the toast!” She rebuttals, causing Rafe to harbor a feigned offense at her sudden defense of his sister over him. 

Rafe blushed in chagrin, his head duck slightly at Valerie’s stifling giggles of amusement. “Well, that was different. That toaster is confusing!” He rebuttals, though it didn’t stop Valerie’s giggles and Sofia’s taunting.

When the laughter subsides, they begin eating. It started off with them engaging in small conversations until Valerie’s inquisitiveness arose again. “When you get married, who’s going to be your flower girl?”

“Well we were hoping that it would be you,” Sofia answers, giving the little girl a smile. 

Their wedding was set for new summer and while everything wasn’t completely finalized, they were at a point where she wasn’t completely stressed over the details of everything anymore, which offered both of them relief. 

“I was a flower girl at my mommy and daddy’s wedding.” She recalls knowingly; as if they themselves weren’t also in attendance. But Sofia and Rafe only share a smile at her enthusiasm. “You know, if you had a daughter then she could be your flower girl.” 

They both pause a bit; their gazes fleeting from each other’s. A blush now colored Sofia’s cheeks, she nods, absentmindedly prodding her food with her fork while Rafe harrumphed softly. 

“Yeah, yeah, that’s, you’re right.” He nods before shoveling another forkful of rice into his mouth before Valerie has the opportunity to bombard them with another question.  

…

They’re standing at the sink tackling the dishes in the sink; they work in a deft tandem with her washing and him drying. Valerie has occupied herself in the living room, gasping animatedly and reciting the words nearly verbatim as she watched Finding Nemo. 

He grabs ahold of the plate that she proffers towards him, rinsing it underneath the water before thoroughly drying it with the cloth. He turns to gauge a look at Sofia.

“You’ve been quiet since dinner.” She blinks, almost as if she’s retracting herself from her reverie. 

She shrugs, giving him a small smile. “I’ve just been thinking,” She admits, reaching into the dishwater to retrieve another plate that she begins washing. 

“Yeah? About what?” He inquired; wanting to know the exact reason for her emotional distancing. She pauses, almost reluctantly as she looks up at him. After a moment’s thought she sighs as she drops the towel into the water and dries her hands off. 

“Truthfully? About us,” The way she says it in addition to her body language—her arms hugging herself and her standing with such a great distance between them admittedly arose panic within him. And he’s parting his mouth, preparing to beg for her to not breakup with him until her next words offer him some semblance of relief. “Hearing what Valerie said got me thinking about children. I know that we agreed to wait because we’re both just starting our careers but I don’t know, Rafe…” 

He exhaled a shaky breath, shaking his head. She gives him a confused look. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I thought that you were having second thoughts or something, I don’t know. Never mind.” He admits sheepishly, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck. 

Sofia furrowed her brows in confusion. “Second thoughts about what—us?” She asked incredulously, wondering how he came to that absurd conclusion. She walks up to him, cradling his face in her hands as she gave him a softened look. “I love you and I want to marry you. I’m not leaving you and you damn sure aren’t leaving me.” She says, attempting to assuage his worries and it seems to work because he’s smiling as he leans forward and brushes his mouth against hers in a kiss.

“What I was saying is that I know that we wanted to wait until a few years after we were married to start a family, but seeing how you are with Valerie just makes me excited to think about how you’d be with our own child.” 

They had deep conversations about having children especially after they got engaged. At first, to them, it seemed most logical to wait until a few years down the line. They were both just starting in their careers and they wanted to enjoy some time alone with it just being them. But Sofia came to realize that there would never be a perfect time to start a family. It would be naive for her to think so.

And as the night proceeded, seeing Rafe playing Barbie with Valerie; hearing him talk in a high pitched voice and indulging into her imagination made Sofia realize how much she wanted that with Rafe. A family to call their own. 

“Really?”

Sofia nods, “Really.”

Rafe smiles as he reaches out and grabbed her by the arm until she’s pulled against his chest. “Then let’s do it.” He agrees without an inkling of hesitation and it admittedly surprises her in how haste he was to concede.

“Really?”

He laughs, settling his hands on her waist as he leaned closer towards her. “Really. Sof, I never cared about when we have kids. All I know is that I want to marry you and have a family with you. The details of when and how don’t matter to me. If you want kids right now, we can go upstairs and rip our clothes off—”

“Rafe!” She reproaches playfully, smacking him against the chest as she looked over at Valerie who was thankfully out of range to overhear their conversation.

“Okay. Okay, but I’m serious. Now or five years from now, it’s up to you. But it’s something that I want too. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

Sofia smiles in mirth as she stands on the tip of her toes and wraps her arms around his heightened neck. He lifts her off of the ground; imprinting kisses all over her face until she turns to meet his lips in a slow kiss. “So…” She murmurs against his lips, pulling away to look at him.

“So. Let’s start a family,” He smiles as he leaned in for another kiss. 


[mimisempai]

The daggers

Summary

A dagger can be sharp, so let's not talk about two daggers... but despite its sharpness, it can sometimes be the tangible proof of an unbreakable bond.

Mobius kept Loki's daggers. He carries them with him at all times, and locks them up in the evening after taking care of them. The only physical evidence of Loki's presence in his life.

But the daggers are also a daily reminder of the gaping hole the god's absence has dug in Mobius' heart.

For @rin-love-is-green

For the @lokiusbang Story based on @rin-love-is-green prompt and beautiful drawings you'll see through the story on Ao3 ann on her tumblr Beta'ed by Sabine

4/4 chapters - 6045 words Rating : G

The rapid tapping of keys echoed through the dimly lit open office of the T.V.A. as Mobius hunched over his desk, his eyes glued to the glowing screen. He was putting the finishing touches on the mission report he and his team had just completed. 

Another timeline repaired, and he felt a sense of satisfaction that the T.V.A., once on the verge of collapse, was coming back to life, giving meaning to the lives connected to its intricate network of timelines. Each mission accomplished was a small patch on the immense wound left by the revelation of all the lives the T.V.A. had previously cut short. All the lies.

"Hey, Mobius!" 

Casey's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, the agent always bright and cheerful now. He was standing by Mobius's desk, a broad smile on his face as he continued, "It's good to see the T.V.A. up and running again. I'm glad to be more involved in missions now, while I'm still here of course, I'm not cut out for field operations, I'll leave that to you guys. But I'm happy to be a force you can count on."

Mobius gave him a small smile in return. 

"Yes, things are looking up. Who would have thought that the T.V.A. debacle would reveal the hidden talents of some of our team members, hm?"

Mobius winked at him before adding, "People we'd barely noticed before. Make no mistake, you're a force we know we can count on, Casey."

Casey smiled happily.

"Well, I have to go, good night Mobius, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Casey."

Casey walked away under Mobius' amused gaze and disappeared down the hallway with a final wave of his hand.

Before Mobius could resume his work, O.B. appeared, a whirlwind of ideas and excitement, and as always, Mobius could only listen.

"Mobius! You've got to come see me tomorrow. I have a concept for a new device that could..."

"A new concept?"

Mobius raised an eyebrow and O.B. nodded quickly, "Oh, it's revolutionary! You'll understand when you see it, but it's about adding a principle of..."

"O.B. Mobius doesn't have time to listen to this!"

It was Casey who had returned, and Mobius watched their interaction with an interested and amused eye.

"But what if it's vital to what happens next!"

"Yes, I know, but he doesn't have time now."

"But..."

"I have time now, so why don't you come and explain it to me."

"But I..."

"Over a meal in the cafeteria."

"Casey..."

"I'm sure you skipped lunch again."

O.B., seeing that he wouldn't have the last word, sighed.

"All right..."

"Come on, let's go."

Casey and O.B. said together, "Bye Mobius!" and then left the open office. As they walked away, Mobius heard their conversation fade away.

"So O.B. tell me about this new concept?"

"Well, you know, Casey, I was just thinking..."

Mobius realized how much things had changed around here. His two friends and colleagues had grown closer and Mobius wondered just how close, a strange knot forming in his stomach. What was behind their camaraderie? Was it just friendship or something deeper, something unfolding like the mysterious timelines they so often crossed?

Like what he had with... what he could have had with...

Read the complete story here on Ao3

Lokius masterlist : here

[invinciblerodent]

While I'm on the topic of being hopelessly in my feelings about these characters, I just finished the last part of the Gloom Howler quest, and I'm thinking about Davrin and names at the moment.

I really, really love how, once we learn the truth about her, Davrin seems to make a point of always referring to Isseya by her name (mostly on its own, but sometimes in conjunction with calling her "The Gloom Howler" when necessary), and even correcting others who would refer to her only by the latter name. (Which, honestly, both Solas and the Inquisitor could also talk at length about a title that all but replaces your name- it definitely feels significant that Davrin would pointedly reject the thought of doing that to someone, but I digress.)

And that reminded me of how I previously made an idle, kind of shitposty little post about how nice I found that during his recruitment mission, Davrin calls out the specific names of each griffon if you interact with their cages, and he attempts to comfort them like that- by reminding them who they are, that he's there, and promising that he'll be back for them.

In retrospect, I think that's so interesting, how his core story seems to boil in part down to... well, in part to the burden of duty, the questioning of tradition and authority (he questions both Dalish- and Warden traditions from very early on, one by joining the Wardens and the other by joining Rook) and, yes, living past what one thought to be their purpose, but also... to these moments, that invite some contrasting of his elven-, and his Grey Warden identities.

Isseya being an elven Warden is a very direct parallel, and a very clear image- it, I think, is meant to show what happens when authority goes unquestioned, and one side (the Warden) triumphs over the other (the person). His uncle then acts as a counterpoint and a thread of connection to the past- he shows what happens when tradition goes unquestioned, and while peaceful, how that existence is not one Davrin wishes for himself.

This all comes to a head in the final choice concerning the griffons... which, I can't say what a "correct" choice is, but I find it really cool how one option embraces a more rigid tradition and acts as a vow for reforms within them, honoring them, while the other embraces a different tradition, one born of fluidity, choice, and change- a more personal freedom.

Purpose and nature, respect for the past and hope for the future, all strain against each other sometimes (in multiple companions' stories, I feel), and it's often a name that represents the complicated harmony between two halves.

Be that Assan, noble descendant of a hero Warden's griffon wearing an Elvish name, Isseya, the monster and mage brought to peace, the idea of "turlum", harmony and understanding forged between vastly different minds, or just... Davrin, the Dalish Grey Warden, who is not more one than the other.

Maybe that's why calling people (and animals, and feelings) by their proper names seems so casually important to him. Because if you give something complex, messy, and muddled up a name, it's easier to just live it.

(.......... and yeah, that makes it a bit ironic how so far he's been calling Rook, "Rook", but, yknow, technological limitations. I've a feeling I've at least one important scene to go still, but honestly, the name "Rook" does also kind of represent a similarly complex matrix of ideas condensed into a person. It could be that "Rook" feels more accurate than any "friend", or "love", or "boss", or even "vhenan", for what they are to him, or it could be that he's still looking for the right name, but either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends.)

[mild-mirror]

thats fair, that's fair, i can't imagine anyone has tested this specific circumstance and put it out into the world lmao. wouldn't ask anyone to either

BROKEN ARCANA!!! omg i completely forgot. broken hierophant arcana with his parent/s is literally so tasty and gives SO much context, it doesn't even have to move or change, simply having it Existing has implications!! i do think it would be interesting if completing the scenario 'unbroke' the link but kept it reversed, or potentially forging a new rank 1 hierophant as the old one is broken (both concepts previously unheard of but hey this is about displaying tatsuya's relationships through s.links so). he's willing to give them a chance again but he's still kinda mad at them? something like that. emotions are complicated. funny story, i initially conceptualized baofu as 'hierophant if katsuya isn't'? glad we both saw those scenes and went 'there's a Sliver of a hierophant bond there', lmao. i do like the swap you came up with tho! baofu as a benevolent devil arcana was the concept, but if you need arcanas for an antagonist then you really just go for tower and devil first LMAO. regarding a sudou s.link, i personally like the idea of tatsuya completely lacking one vs ep maya having one for him, but if he does have one i do agree he'd get tower over nyar getting tower.

and yes of course shiori gets a link! plenty to choose from, hehe. love both of ur choices here, i dont have any notes :) idk if he'd end up maxing this one ? but to me a non max link you can't continue is so sad so probably he Could. (i dont know the Specifics of the tatsuya scenarios oof)

assorted tatsuya suou s.links

so these links are from around the start of innocent sin! ep shall be discussed in the notes. based almost solely on vibes and a bit of wiki trawling

(more notes after the read more!)

Fool RANK MAX - ??? - You don’t remember them.

once tatsuya gains his memories back, changes to: "Fool RANK MAX - Original Masked Circle - Your childhood friends. It's been a long time since you played at the shrine together."

Empress Rank 1 - Reporter Duo - A pair of reporters who have awakened to their Personas.

fun fact: tatsuya is the one classifying these bonds and mistakenly assumes his empress is a duo bond. this is to obscure the fact that he already had a(n unfinished) link with maya- the bond is actually a solo bond with yukino. you can update it ahead of time if you ask igor about it haha, he'll clarify and change it to: “Empress Rank ? - Yukino Mayuzumi - A reporter for Coolest and experienced Persona-user. She fights alongside you.” after she gives up her power, changes to: “Empress Rank 8 - Yukino Mayuzumi - A reporter for Coolest and experienced Persona-user who gave up her power. She can still protect others.”

Lovers Rank 2 - Lisa Silverman - A girl at your school who seems to have feelings for you, she’s awakened to her Persona alongside you. She seems familiar.

starts at 2 because tatsuya knew her from school and formed the barest bones of a bond (rank 1), gains another rank when they summon their personae for the first time. after mt iwato, changes to: "Lovers Rank 5 - Lisa "Ginko" Silverman - Your childhood friend who likes kung-fu and seems to have feelings for you. She fights alongside you." after facing her shadow, becomes: "Lovers Rank 8 - Lisa "Ginko" Silverman - Your childhood friend who likes kung-fu and fights alongside you. She will love you no matter what." buuuut unfortunately if you pick jun as your romantic interest, changes to: "Lovers Rank 8 [REVERSED] - Lisa "Ginko" Silverman - Your childhood friend who likes kung-fu and fights alongside you. She will love you no matter what, but she needs time to process..." ^if you picked maya or eikichi or didn't say anything, it's the same but just doesn't reverse oops. it only reverses if you pick jun, though, because she seemed. a bit sadder in that one. sorry lisa o7 it unreverses after re-gaining her joint contact tho!! at that point, becomes: "Lovers Rank 9 - Lisa "Ginko" Silverman - Your childhood friend who likes kung-fu and fights alongside you. Though her feelings are unrequited, she will love you no matter what. " ^this is also her rank 9 for picking eikichi, maya, or not picking at all. catch all description. if you pick her as your romantic interest, though, changes to: "Lovers Rank 9 - Lisa "Ginko" Silverman - Your childhood friend who likes kung-fu and fights alongside you. You return her feelings of love." maxes at the end of is when the group decide to go back and give up their memories.

Wheel of Fortune RANK MAX - ??? - You don’t remember them.

you know who this is :) it's maxed, because Of Course It Is :) after tatsuya remembers the exchange, changes to: “Wheel of Fortune MAX RANK - Boy With Your Father's Watch - Your childhood best friend. He is your other self.” after mt iwato, updates to: “Wheel of Fortune MAX RANK - Jun Kurosu - Your childhood best friend. He is your other self.” (and hanged man ranks up at this time as well)

Justice Rank 6 [REVERSED] - Katsuya Suou - Your older brother, a police detective who loves to bake on the side. He just doesn’t understand you…!

heehee. this arcana is reversed not because katsuya is mad, but because *tatsuya* is. LOL is stagnant for all of innocent sin, but unreverses in ep and can then be worked on! ranks will stay on this side's tatsuya even when the other tatsuya returns to the other side fun fact this is the Only arcana that remains the same for both tatsuyas- in the different worlds, he has created the same bond twice lmao. (and its still reversed LMAO) maxes at a poignant moment BEFORE the final boss of ep.

Hanged Man Rank 1 - “Joker” - A strange being who grants wishes when summoned. They seem to seek revenge on you.

why yes, we get a separate link for joker! why? obfuscation purposes :) after mt iwato, it becomes: "Hanged Man Rank 5 - “Joker” - The person Jun became after ten years of misery. You can't decide how you feel about him...” after he joins your party: "Hanged Man Rank 6 - “Joker” - The person Jun became after ten years of misery, now fighting alongside you. You can't decide how you feel about him…” during/after the leo shrine; if you pick "I don't hate him." or "He only did what I would have." the second sentence becomes "You can understand his feelings." if you pick "...Maybe so..." the second sentence becomes "You can't forgive him, but you can understand his feelings." (no matter what you pick, the bond will Not reverse, but if you decide you hate jun, the bond stalls at rank 9 For Ever. or something) after lisa's shadow: ..hm. can you pick jun as your love interest in the same save file as saying you hate him? well, i assume not. but if you don't say you hate him and you pick him after the fight, the second sentence changes to "You understand the depths of his feelings, and return them in kind."

Death Rank 1 - Eikichi "Michel" Mishina - The boss of Kasugayama’s gang and leader of a band, he’s awakened to his Persona alongside you. He seems familiar.

after eikichi resigns, changes to: Death Rank 3 - Eikichi "Michel" Mishina - The leader of a band at Kasugayama High, he’s awakened to his Persona alongside you. He seems familiar." after mt iwato, changes to “Death Rank 5 - Eikichi "Michel" Mishina - Your childhood friend who is the leader of a band at Kasugayama High. He fights alongside you.” after facing his shadow, becomes: “Death Rank 8 - Eikichi "Michel" Mishina - Your childhood friend, the leader of a band at Kasugayama High who fights alongside you. It seems he's found his own happiness.” maxes at the end of is when the group decide to go back and give up their memories.

Moon Rank 7 [REVERSED] - ??? - You don’t remember them.

this one isn't rank 10 and has spent a decade completely ignored; of course it's gotten reversed in that time haha. not to worry though- it silently turns upright again when you meet maya again, but the text isn't updated until mt iwato. at that point, changes to: “Moon Rank 8 - Maya Amano - Your childhood friend whom you vowed to protect. You can protect each other now.” if you pick her as your love interest after lisa's shadow, changes to: “Moon Rank 8 - Maya Amano - Your childhood friend whom you vowed to protect. You have a shared intimacy.” ^otherwise, stays the same ......maxes out when she gets stabbed after the final boss. the traditional rank 10 gift is mr bunbun. changes to: “Moon RANK MAX - Maya Amano - Your childhood friend whom you vowed to protect. You failed."

Sun Rank 1 - Friend Group - Your Persona-wielding friends who are looking into the rumors with you.

levels up through story progression haha. is level 9 all throughout endgame, maxes out the very second eternal punishment starts :)

Aeon Rank 1 - Philemon - A mysterious being with a butterfly mask that granted you the power of Persona.

philemon time! twas originally judgment but i changed it bc this is more fitting :) and i have a better judgment below lol rank ups happen when you visit his cathedral thingie, which happens *checks notes* not very often i think. therefore it jumps multiple ranks at times. i think the first entry of the velvet room also ranks this one up. perhaps a rank up happens when ultimate personas. idk how its spreads out, but reaches max rank when you hit/thank him. unique in that the description stays the same all the way through is, but once its maxed it begins changing to reflect tatsuya's opinon on him. even though it's maxed and an unbreakable bond already. he's just built different when ep hits, changes to: "Aeon RANK MAX - Philemon - A being with a butterfly mask that granted you the power of Persona. After losing a bet for humanity's potential, he gave you a second chance." and so on and so forth fun fact "this side" tatsuya would get the mysterious: "Aeon RANK MAX - ??? - It's all because of him." it is the only bond that this side's tatsuya didn't have previously that he gets to keep.

NOTES:

i am new to p2, feel free to suggest corrections or other ideas :D

unlike in p3 onwards, this is just a catalogue of tatsuya’s relationships and thus, simply auto update upon reaching story portions/selecting dialogues. there aren't any events you need to initiate, they just kind of level up as story events happen. you would then be able to check them in your menu, or in the velvet room.

tatsuya does Not fill out his entire arcana. if it were a more modern game then we could probably eke out the rest of them with npcs from around sumaru and the p1 gang, but this is persona 2 and social links aren't real yet, so we'll just have to stick with the basics and essentials

gee tatsuya how come you get TWO group social links with your friends???

in all seriousness i selected fool for the 'masked circle' bc like. tis the beginning yknow? they dont know how its gonna go yet. the masked circle is simply a group of lonely children who made friends with each other. its maxed because it's easier to make friends as children vs in your teens, so even in that short amount of time they all just got really, really close under the umbrella of this group arcana (which also made it hurt so much when it all fell apart.)

the reason sun is Also a group social link for essentially the same people (weird, i know, but we need the current and former friend groups to stay separate due to it being a twist. and amnesia. mayhaps i am just making excuses) is because sun is tatsuya's own arcana, and there's some theory out there about the group fool s.links simply being a reflection of the mc and their own development measured by how they interact with others rather than 'this is the group arcanaTM'. dunno how accurate it is, but it serves my purposes very, very well :) also hey this one actually includes yukino

also part of the reason it's so dangerous for the friend group to, like, know tatsuya, in ep- is that he has maxed out those bonds; they're Unbreakable at that point. its literally just a waiting game/ticking time bomb since they all have their individual links, and are part of the fool social link, AND are part of the sun social link. not only that, but...

gee tatsuya how come you get TWO social links with specifically jun- (this has ramifications surely. maybe. idk)

the reason for this one was mostly to obscure joker's identity. buuut i also thought it'd be fun if the two links represented tatsuya's feelings on jun before and after The Decade Of Separation. of course he'll always cherish the childhood friend jun he exchanged mementos with, but jun changed a LOT in the time since- can tatsuya still call those two the same person? can he reconcile his feelings about how drastically different jun is now? the separate link for "joker" remains separate because they are, arguably, different people, separated across the vast gulf of ten years' time. is it not more poetic for tatsuya to have to decide if he can consider the jun of now still dear to him despite everything that has happened between them, to have him decide if the jun of then is worth reconnecting to the person who was behind joker? i think so. also i dont know how a persona game would deal with the two links merging. if they merged.

fun fact: i was debating on having the og jun link be tatsuya's sun instead of his own arcana fortune, for the reasons that they're literally referred to as each other's shadows/doppelgangers/etcetera and it would be doubly representative, but then i wouldn't have a good arcana for the New group link oops. maybe next time

yknow i thought abt giving philemon a title instead? but i forgor if he has any canon titles in the vein of nyarly's Crawling Chaos so i just left at at his name. however if he did i would like it to be the name used in this s.link the entire time, even before philemon mentions it or it is said out loud. just a little something to spice it up

EP SPECIFIC NOTES:

speaking of…. "this side" tatsuya is not aware of his social links nor how to look at them. better luck in another timeline my guy ! he and the other side's tatsuya don't share s.links with the exception of the aeon arcana, and only when ep tatsuya is in his body does he retain his s.links, both ones he brought from his timeline and ones he'll make in the new one. see below

nyarlathotep becomes tatsuya’s tower arcana in ep/at the tail end of is (under the title of Crawling Chaos obviously), and jumps like 5 ranks the second tatsuya realizes its the same guy behind everything. they're already well aquainted after all! i think this bond would be perpetually in reverse, but still able to be ranked up. he's just built different

anna becomes tatsuya's priestess arcana in ep. but he's not friends with anna in the is timeline :) it would be this side's tatsuya's bond, technically! it just kind of poofs into existence/is there when he wakes up on "this side". but but he and the other are the same person (kind of) so. if he wanted to, he could level up the bond, but since he doesn't wanted to, the bond would stay at its 'starting' rank for, mm, about the whole game.

new group to fight shadows i mean demons with, new bond! in ep, tatsuya will gain a judgment group arcana for the party of ep (it maxes when he decides to go back to the other side). i think it'd be funny if it started when he gave maya the emblem, but ranked up only when he was actually fighting with them. so, a level up when he features in the blimp part, but it only really picks up steam after he joins the party for real. thought it'd be fun to have an equivalent to the p3/p4 final boss runup social link for ep's latter half :D

im still thinking about if tatsuya would get a bond with sudou. he would hate it so much but it Would be interesting... except i'm not entirely sure which one he'd have, bc i already gave tower to nyarly?? so not sure. maybe maya gets that particular s.link instead...... yeah...

i actually really wanted to give katsuya the hierophant. i still want to do it so bad actually, you dont understand, im flip flopping between justice and hierophant for him lmao. i put him down as justice here because that's his own arcana and has interesting implications on how tatsuya sees katsuya. but if you want you can imagine it's hierophant and it would still make sense imo!!

baofu gets devil i think. the man is shady but not malicious! im open to suggestions tho bc. its not like i can give him the hanged man oops.

oh, yeah! ulala would be the star! even though priestess and empress are already taken, i feel like whatever role she plays in his life does actually fit her own arcana better.. not sure if he and ulala really have a super strong bond but i do think ep would end up giving him her max rank by the end. baofu as well. and even if not, judgment will max for sure.

when ep tatsuya leaves, he takes all of his s.links with him, and this side's tatsuya is left with only his initial links- justice and priestess (including any progress the other side's tatsuya made on those links)... and an aeon link he didn't have before.

not like he knows tho since he isn't even aware they exist. LMAO

hope this was an enjoyable and fun read, i had lots of brainworms for it! please be sure to tell me your thoughts :)

[oveliagirlhaditright]

The entire episode would have to be overhauled for it to work, of course (so that Daryl isn't a creep, even though you do partly feel sympathetic towards him, of course), but part of me is interested in the Daryl/Cordelia relationship (because she did love him before his untimely death--before he was Frankenstein-ed back--but didn't the guy actually break her heart before that? Wow.). Probably because of my interest in Beauty and the Beast type ships, of course.

I mean, at the end of the day, out of all of the guys Cordelia was ever paired with, I'd never want Cordy to end up with Daryl. Not even close.

But I often times think of all of the love interests the characters in these series ever had, and this whole thing was interesting (I mean, it was obviously meant to parallel Bangel/Bangelus in a lot of ways. But a more horrifying version? Arguably? And while Buffy was willing to love a monster, Cordelia wasn't here yet? And for some obvious good reason?). And if things were changed, it could have been even more interesting.

Again, if I had my pick, I would never want Cordy to end up with Daryl. Doyle, Angel, Groo, Xander... anyone else but him. But it's fun to think about for AUs or something.

[the-acid-pear]

I have yet to keep inspecting the sweepstakes, I need some air and food first, but I might as well share what I've been thinking about Mike today, because I heard of an interpretation saying Mike was a camera man for Spamton which ... Is very interesting. Like for me this makes me think of Mike as someone who admired Spamton, someone way smaller than him, definitely younger imo, who simply excitedly followed along with the orders given. I mean, up to a certain point. I mean this feeling is reinforced in the q&a when asked about Mike, that makes Spamton get very defensive, almost protective. In my eyes it almost creates this almost platonic familiar bond dynamic whatever. But like this is just a shot in the dark, bc what we know is, 3 lines, period. But if when chapter 3, 4 and 5 come out and Mike is there and I'm right about these things then I'm gonna feel like a god tbh.

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

why didn't they just use franziska for literally all of this.

[stars-and-guts]

...

fuck you /j

"everybody experiences that" says mother who has the same symptom of the same mental illness

[aliosne]

The whole idea of gold star lesbian etc is so silly like okay? And? Do you want a literal gold star???

[alt-acc-but-its-just-me-again]

god i did a presentation about like. ninjas??? for my english language arts class- usual stuff whatever i was in agony over it but like

dude its too late it’s infected my brain and now i wanna go beyond ninjas and shit japan and its history is so fucking cool????

man shout out to like. japan. just the whole place absolutely buck wild bonkers cool biz nasty radical

the only time i have ever learned smthn good and honestly kinda baller in school

[ambrosiagourmet]

I love Izutsumi. She's got a great design, she's a fun addition to the main party, she adds some new tension, and she's honestly one of the reasons I read dungeon meshi in the first place. I mean, "the most cat to ever girl" is an extremely appealing hook to anyone who loves cats and girls (me, I love cats and girls).

However, while I have always liked Izutsumi, I finished the story kind of feeling like I didn't really get her. I felt like I had a decent grasp on her character an character arc (she's a traumatized teen given space to feel safe and open up, and because of that she realizes that she can't grow without letting go of the coping mechanisms she once needed). But I didn't feel like I really understood her role in the story as a whole.

She follows the group of her own accord, after a coincidental meeting and a misunderstanding of what they can do for her. She's never super invested in saving Falin, at least not compared to the rest of the group. Though they do help her escape Maizuru's shackles, and are clearly good for her in general, she doesn't really have a healing Moment with the group the way that Senshi does with the hippogriff soup.

And yet, she gets an entire chapter, the third-to-last chapter, dedicated to exploring her growth and future. She's the one who frames much of the falling action, who lets us check in with everyone. She's the one who helps talk Laios into accepting his role as king. She may join the story part way through, but she is there for most of it. So Izutsumi! What's your deal!?

Well, I think I've come up with an answer, at least for myself, that I really like. Two of them, even! Though they both really work together to form the overall point - Izutsumi is the character that most helps the story face towards the future. Here's why I think that.

So the first of these "ah-ha" moments was when I realized that Izutsumi really is the best supporting evidence for Laios' point about the good things that wouldn't have happened if Falin hadn't died.

If Falin hadn't been eaten by the dragon, Izutsumi probably would still be a slave. It was because of Shuro and Laios' parties both being in the dungeon to rescue Falin, as well as Marcille's use of ancient magic in the resurrection, that she got the chance to escape. None of that would have been the case if Falin hadn't died. Shuro wouldn't have separated from the group and joined up with his retainers, Marcille wouldn't have revealed her knowledge of ancient magic, and Izutsumi never would have even met any of them. They are only part of her life because of Falin's death.

Though this isn't explicitly pointed out by Laios or Izutsumi in the scene, I do think you can very much feel the presence of it. For one, when Marcille reflects on the journey and how much it made her realize she didn't want to lose everyone, her relationship with Izutsumi is prominent:

It's the main original group at the top and center, but when you read it right to left, it’s Izutsumi and Marcille who might catch your eye first. And it's specifically Marcille and Izutsumi's relationship on display here, not just Izutsumi's presence in the group in general.

Also, after Laios' statement about how none of their adventure would have happened without Falin dying, it is Izutsumi who gets the final word:

Izutsumi is also the one here who is the most forward-facing. Chilchuck is trying to correct Laios, Senshi is focused on the immediate future, and Izutsumi is talking about her new goal.

And I want to talk about that goal in general as well, because it’s also interesting how it comes up. In that moment, everyone is trying to remind Marcille of her less destructive desires - to eat food, to share it with them, and to meet Chilchuck's family. All of which are previously established, existing desires. When prompted by Chilchuck to join in, however, Izutsumi offers something new:

That's interesting, isn't it? It's kind of funny, of course, to see her rambling on about a completely new thing, her own personal motive, in the middle of everyone working together to reach out to Marcille. Izutsumi doesn't even know who Yaad is! But at the same time, it’s kind of meaningful. Amidst the focus on desires that everyone already had, she adds a completely new one to the mix. It’s even the final bridge that lets Laios reach Marcille.

It is, in fact, even an idea that comes back later to help out another lord of the dungeon. The idea of finding new goals and feeling new desires... this is exactly how Kabru reaches out to Mithrun, after the Winged Lion is gone

So yeah, Izutsumi's presence here, both in what she's actively choosing to say as well as what she represents of the consequences of Falin's death, supports the story's ideas of moving forward. Of accepting the past, and finding new reasons to live.

Which is all really good, and that alone works pretty well as an answer to what Izutsumi's role in the story is.

But oh, oh. There's more. Something I realized after having thought of all this, because I still couldn't let go of the feeling that there was still something I was missing.

And as I reviewed the things I loved about Izutsumi - her sometimes unhealthy ways of coping with trauma, her struggles with isolation, her skill with fighting, her selfishness contrasted with the ways she grows to care for and protect the group, her perpetually guarded nature, born from the seeming impossibility of ever fitting in or finding a safe place to just be herself - I realized something.

Izutsumi...

is a foil to Falin.

Where Falin copes with isolation and trauma by being eternally caring and struggling to say no to people, Izutsumi copes by constantly saying no to everything she can. Falin is often considered selfless, but does have selfish desires that she can’t easily express until a moment of crisis. Izutsumi is delightfully selfish, but chooses to stick by her friends when they need her. They are both transformed, against their will, into partly monstrous hybrids, and they both will have to live with that - there is no undoing what has been done to them.

Falin anchors the group in the past. Izutsumi pulls them towards the future. Neither would find freedom without the other - it is Falin's death that leads to Izutsumi joining the party, and likewise, it is Izutsumi who inspires the realization of how they can save Falin.

And Falin is her future, as much as Izutsumi is Falin's. Both learn to be a little more like each other, even though they never meet. Falin gets a little more selfish. Izutsumi gets a little more willing to bend.

In this context, I feel like I have finally started to understand just how important Izutsumi is to the story. She is a proof that they cannot just go back, and she is a clawed, happy-to-scratch-anyone-who-pisses-her-off reminder, at that. In any conversation about what the group wishes would have happened with Falin, she cannot be ignored or brushed aside.

She is a reminder that, even in the midst of a tragedy so big it feels like a shadow you will never escape, you have yet to met all the people you will love. Hell, some of those people might even be catgirls. We should all be so lucky.

[risestarkiss]

Being Baby Blue

Rise Ramblings #313

Leonardo Hamato is…an interesting individual.

As a middle child, he doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibilities of the oldest, nor is he fawned upon or babied over like the youngest. Therefore, he ends up having more of a lackadaisical approach to life.

In his free time, instead of training like Raph, Leo can normally be found reading comic books.

And for good reason! Someone has to be up on the latest issues of Jupiter Jim and his space odysseys.

But, other than being a Jupiter Jim superfan, who is Leonardo Hamato?

If you ask Leo, he's...*takes out a list*: “Primetime,” “First,” “The Best,” “Number One,” “The Champion,” or some other iteration of all of the above.

...Huh. Anyways...

Of course, the first thing Leo would tell you is that he's the team's "Face Man."

As the "Face Man," he’s the one that turns up the charm when they need to schmooze their way out of, or into, something.

He's the face of the group! It's a very important title, right?

Well, in this scene with Hueso, we learn what Leo really feels about his place on the team.

"There's no team with just a face man." "I'm nothing without them."

Hmm. If he thinks that he is nothing without his brothers, then what's the deal with all of this "Number One" and "Champion" talk?

I believe that Leo is exhibiting a form of Reaction Formation.

Reaction Formation is a primitive defense mechanism that involves transforming one's unacceptable feelings or emotions into the opposite.

"Solicitude may be a reaction-formation against cruelty...romantic notions of chastity and purity may mask crude sexual desires, altruism may hide selfishness, and piety may conceal sinfulness."

Leo has been creating these grandiose titles and this larger-than-life persona for himself as a means to cope with his feelings of insecurity, his anxieties, and combat his self-deprecation.

Gee, forming a larger-than-life persona to counteract their suppressed feelings also reminds me of someone else we know…

But, I digress...

Behind the fabrications, his insecurities, who he pretends to be, and who he wants to be, the real Leo is still on display, starting as early as the first episode.

He's attentive, he understands the team's strengths and weaknesses, he assesses situations, he comes up with great plans on the fly, and he is a voice of reason.

These are all the characteristics of a great leader.

However, something happens when he’s actually appointed as such.

There he goes again. He's cocky, arrogant, and act's as if he's unphased even by the prospect of loosing his brothers. If this is Reaction Formation, then what is he trying to mask with these behaviors?

Previously, he was masking his insecurities, his anxieties, and his self-deprecation, but with the faces he pulls when he thinks no one can see them, I want to say the newest emotion is fear.

He is terrified of being the leader and floundering under his new responsibilities. He's scared of the consequences of his actions, and what those consequences may mean for his brothers. However, instead of voicing his insecurities, or communicating with his team, he doubles down and falls back into old habits.

The "Face Man" persona is turned up to an 11, and things get worse and worse until...

His greatest fears have been realized.

He has failed as a leader. He has failed his brothers. He has failed to stop the invasion, and they are all going to die because of his failures.

Now he's faced with the harsh reality of his own mistakes, thus he finally faces himself.

"It's scary to be responsible for the lives you protect, your team...your family. But we do it anyway because that's what it means to be a hero."

He may be speaking to Raph, but he's talking about himself.

His words are his true feelings, the same feelings that have been holding him back this entire time. By opening up, he's able to surrender to himself and let it all go.

And it's the breakthrough we all have been waiting for.

What Leo doesn't know is that through letting go, he's able to become the true face of the group he is destined to be.

He's the face of hope.

Update: This post now also exists in video form. 😌💙

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Previous | Being Big Red

Next | Being Purple ○ Part One • Being Purple ○ Part Two • Orange, Baby!

Finale | Being Hamato Yoshi

[amourane]

so this is love

pairing: theodore nott x hufflepuff!reader

genre: fluff

w/c: 2.7k

summary: there's a weird feeling that erupts in theo's chest whenever he looks at you and for the first time in his life his mind goes silent.

warnings: none!

a/n: i honestly love this so much and it's so so sooo cute!

Theodore Nott was many things. Quiet, judgmental, emotionless and most importantly handsome. One of the prettiest boys in Hogwarts yet the most unapproachable. No one had ever seen a smile grace his lips and if you had tried to converse with the Slytherin he would only stare at you with blank eyes waiting for you to go away. He spoke little words but it was enough for people to get the point. Unlike his rowdy group of friends, he wouldn’t merrily join in conversation, rather make snarky remarks every now and then, an uninterested look always on his face. A scowl or a smirk always tugged at his lips as he listened to what his friends had to say. 

Even though Theo never voiced his thoughts out loud he always knew what to think. His mind was constantly running at a hundred miles per hour. Every little thing he wanted to say flitted through his mind. It was as if his head was a cacophonous symphony. 

Yet as he looked at the girl in yellow robes his mind was oddly quiet. He watched her silently as she dropped her ingredients into her cauldron. It was a rare moment. One he had discovered a month ago when he had finished his potion early and looked around to see if anyone else was done. There you were. Eyes scanning the contents of your Potion’s book but it was quite clear you had finished brewing whatever was in your cauldron as you leaned back into your seat. 

Theo’s mind was silent. 

There were no thoughts, no opinions, no judgments. He stared at you and it made him uneasy. There was something about you that unnerved him. He didn’t recall you from his other classes and it was the first time he had even seen you in Potions. As he felt the comforting silence settle in his head he concluded one thing - you were interesting and he was going to keep an eye on you.

“Nott, mate, what are you doing? I’ve been asking you to pass me a quill for about a century, have you suddenly gone deaf?” Blaise nudged Theo out of his trance and the brunette blinked for a second before passing over a quill. His partner frowned before following where his eyeline previously was and he smirked. “Still obsessing over the little Hufflepuff I see. Who knew you were capable of having feelings.”

“I don’t fancy her.”

“I never said you did.” Blaise’s smirk widened. “You came up with that on your own.”

Theo felt his face heat up. It wasn’t true. He didn’t like you, not in the slightest. He was merely fascinated at how you were able to turn his manic mind into a state of tranquillity. He looked over. You were talking to your partner beside you and Theo assumed she had said something funny because a grin had overtaken your pretty features and a giggle slipped past your lips. Theo didn’t fancy you but he couldn’t deny that you were the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

//

“He’s staring again.” Hannah said as she poked your side to get your attention. “It’s like he’s drilling holes into your skull. Do you think he wants to hex you?”

You looked up from your cauldron with a frown as you faced your friend. “He doesn’t stare at me, don’t be silly Hannah. I’m sure he has a reason for looking this way.”

“Y/n you’re terrible at finding excuses for anything. It’s so obvious he’s looking at you and his glare is starting to scare me a bit.” 

Behind your fellow Hufflepuff was Theodore Nott. Your eyes glaze over his perfectly tousled hair and his dark coloured eyes. He really was handsome. You watch as he says something to Blaise and you see a tint of pink touch his cheeks. Cute. You smiled to yourself. Merlin, he was really cute.

Theodore Nott had been watching you for a few weeks now and you weren’t oblivious enough to not notice the Slytherin’s gaze. At first you didn’t know how to react when you first felt his eyes on you. It was weird. Every time you would turn around he would already be looking down at his piece of parchment, scribbling something down with his quill. You had never caught him staring at you but you could certainly feel it. The piercing feeling of his stare made goosebumps rise on your skin. In a way you found it endearing. Sometimes you would turn around and find him, nose deep in his textbook and you could faintly see the tips of his ears blush red. It was those times you would giggle to yourself. 

It was arrogant to assume that Theo felt that way about you but for some reason you couldn’t help but get a little giddy at the thought he might. That someone like him would even think about going out with someone like you. That the cutest guy in your year would fancy you. Then reality came crashing back and you knew that a Slytherin would never be seen with a Hufflepuff much less date one.

“Hello? Earth to Y/n? You still there?” Hannah waved her hand in front of your face. “Merlin, one mention of Nott and you go all dreamy on me. When are you going to ask him out then?”

Your cheeks flared up with heat and you couldn’t help a smile that tugs at your lips. “Shush Hannah.” You try to sound serious but with your blushing face and bright grin it’s hard to do so.

“You’re actually whipped, Y/n.” Hannah let out a laugh and you let a giggle slip past your lips at her statement. You didn’t feel the need to deny it after all, maybe it held some truth. 

//

Theodore Nott always knew what to say and when but as he stood in front of you he found himself speechless. Now as his eyes wandered over your delicate hands and beautiful face he couldn’t find the words that needed to be said. His mind was quiet again. Silence. He opened his mouth to apologise for bumping into you and nearly knocking you over but no words came out. So he did the next best thing, help you grab your books.

You were scrambling to grab scrap pieces of parchment that had escaped the grasps of your books and Theo grabbed the Herbology textbook you had dropped. He watched as you gathered your things before finally meeting his gaze. You smiled and he felt his heart stop. Suddenly it was as if he was being engulfed in a tidal wave. There was a twinkle in your eyes and it set off a spark in his chest that he didn’t know was there. Theo felt himself grow hot as you stared at him and for the first time in his life he felt self conscious.

“Thank you.” You said and he felt his ears ring as your voice echoed through his mind. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going and I was in a rush to get to my next class. I hope you aren’t hurt anywhere.”

A beat passed.

Theo blinked. He watched as your bright expression slowly morphed into one of concern. He watched as you reached out to touch his arm.

“Theodore?”

“It’s Theo.” Is the only thing he can think to say before he realised how it must’ve sounded rude. “But you can call me Theodore. I don't mind.”

Another beat passed.

The two of you were now standing in the middle of the hallway as other students passed by. Theo could hear their whispers as they looked. The curious eyes wondering what a Slytherin could possibly be talking to a Hufflepuff about. For a second Theo thinks he’s upset you and you’re going to storm off but he’s proven wrong. The bright smile returned to your face.

“Well Theo, I’m going to need my Herbology textbook back, I’ve already been late twice this week.” 

“O-Oh yes right, sorry I forgot.”

Theodore Nott has never once stumbled over his words. Yet as he stood in front of you he found himself wrapped in a world he had never known before. He felt himself grow even warmer and he reached a hand to loosen the emerald tie around his neck. This was unlike him. He never went speechless, he never struggled to find a smart quip or retort and he most definitely never stuttered. You brought out a side to him that was new and he didn’t know if he liked it or not.

“Thank you for helping me Theo, I’ll see you in Potions.” You waved goodbye as you hurried off down the hallway. 

Theo’s eyes remained glued onto your frame as you ran. A rising bubbly feeling began in his chest and he felt his heart quicken. He gulped. You had long disappeared from his view but he still felt a burning sensation on his cheeks and he tried to cool himself down with his hands but it served no use. Giving up, he turned away and marched down the hall determined to figure out whatever he was feeling.

//

“You know staring at her won’t make her your girlfriend Nott.” Mattheo smirked as he watched his best friend. The others at the Slytherin table tittered with laughter and Theo rolled his eyes. He was now used to his friend’s teasing and even though it was relentless he didn’t pay any attention to it. Why would he? It wasn’t true anyway.

“Very funny Riddle.”

“You know me Theo, always the jokester.” He winked as he sipped the pumpkin juice in his cup.

“But seriously Theo you should ask her out if you like the girl. Salazar, it's better than drilling holes in the back of her head.” 

“Pansy’s right Nott, we’re all tired of you mooning over the girl just go ask her out already and then the two of you can go snog in the broom cupboard.” Draco snickered and the other Slytherins erupted into another round of laughter.

“Well you’ve got it all wrong I don’t fancy her.” Theo looked at his friends with a scowl present on his face. “She makes me feel all these things and I hate it. I hate how different it is. I hate how quiet everything gets when I look at her. I hate how she makes me feel and it’s all horrible and downright disgusting. It’s like I’ve got a fever whenever I’m around her and I’ve somehow contracted some life-threatening heart disease. My mouth dries up and I stumble over what I say and it’s not like me at all. So no, you’ve all got it wrong because I don't fancy her.”

With that Theo leaves the table, dinner untouched, with red cheeks and a rapidly beating heart. His friends watched dumbfounded as their friend trudged away. They all exchange knowing glances before shaking their heads at his obliviousness to his own feelings.

“That guy seriously needs to realise that sometimes not being an emotionless prick isn’t going to kill him.” Pansy dug into her beef as she scoffed at her friend’s stupidity.

Unbeknownst to the Slytherins a certain Hufflepuff was watching as their friend stormed off, her eyes never once leaving his ruby red face and the angry glare that accompanied it. She excused herself from her table before slipping away to follow a certain brunette.

//

Annoyance was the main thing that Theodore Nott felt at the moment. Anger at the persistence that he had a crush on you when he didn’t, he knew he didn’t. You had cast some sort of spell on him. Some sort of hex that made him notice every little bit about you. The way your smile lit up the room, the way your laughter echoed in his mind like the happy tinkering of a bell. Every second he saw you it was as if you overtook his senses. Clouding his sight with your beauty, suffocating him with your sweet scent, muffling his ravenous thoughts until everything was calm. 

When Theodore Nott looked at you he felt an overwhelming emotion, one that he couldn’t explain, but it made his hectic thoughts still and as cheesy as it sounded it made time itself stand still. When Theodore Nott looked at you he noticed every fine small detail like the way you like to smile at yourself whenever you get a question right or the way you tap your fingers on the desk when you’re concentrating. When Theodore Nott looked at you he felt his heart soar and he isn’t used to feeling this unnatural emotion that had been brewing inside of him.

He didn’t even notice you were behind him until he heard your voice. Soft and gentle and kind. He spun around. You had a look of concern etched upon your face and you stepped closer towards him and he backed away feeling his heart quicked once again. He glared at you hoping that his stare would force you to go away and would force whatever he was feeling to disappear.

“Are you okay Theo? I saw you leave and you didn’t touch your food, did something happen?”

You were so caring, so nice, so calm. You were so many things and Theo couldn’t take it. Couldn’t take looking at you when he could hear his heart pumping. “What are you doing to me?” He whispered, backing away further.

You frowned. “I haven’t done anything Theo. Are you sure you’re okay you look quite red and-”

“You’re lying.” He seethed. “You’re lying because why are you making me feel these things? Why does my mind go quiet, my thoughts stop, the words fail? There’s no explanation to this. I don’t understand why my heart races and everything suddenly feels hotter around me. I don’t understand this feeling I have inside me, some magnetic force that keeps pulling me to you. You’re everywhere Y/n.”

His glare intensified as he spoke, each word punctuated by a slow, deliberate step forward. “I look at you and I feel things I’ve never felt before, this bubbly warm feeling. Whenever I’m around you I can’t think of what to say. I close my eyes and I see your smile, your eyes. I can hear your laughter even if we’re in the noisiest classroom. You’re everywhere Y/n. So tell me, what have you done to me?”

A beat of silence.

The both of you stare at each other. Your frown had long gone and now you simply looked at the Slytherin in front of you trying to decipher his anger.

“It’s love Theo.” You take a step closer. “All the things you’ve just said - it’s love.”

Theo froze. His expression remained stony yet his eyes betrayed his thoughts as he looked away for a second. He blinked before looking at you once again. Your eyes, the eyes he couldn’t help but notice everywhere he went, looked back at him. His mind was no longer quiet. An outbreak of noise erupted inside his head and he struggled to grasp what was going on. He couldn’t focus. All he could hear was his own voice in his mind, overlapping, shouting, screaming, crying. It all came crashing down and Theo didn’t know what to do.

Then your lips collided with his and he stilled. The noise died down. Chaos ceased. Theo let his eyes flutter shut as he kissed you back with fervour. Your lips were soft and you tasted sweet like strawberries. He wrapped his arm around your waist and you were warm as you leaned into his touch. He felt your arms tangle in his hair and he smiled at the feeling. This felt right. This didn’t feel weird or disgusting. It was something he never thought he would feel. 

The both of you broke apart and you blinked looking at Theo with your beautiful eyes. His heart continued to race. You beamed up at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. You were so pretty, so gorgeous and you had just kissed him. His mind was finally quiet again. The strange feeling that filled his body now didn’t feel so foreign at all in fact it felt natural as he gazed at you.

“It’s love Theodore Nott. That’s what you feel.” You give him another kiss. “And it’s what I feel too.”

Theodore Nott was many things but as he closed his eyes to kiss you once again there is only one thing that he wants to be - in love with you.

[kingkat12]

art on art (eric draven x reader)

WARNINGS: 18+, piv sex, oral sex (female receiving), drug mentions, nasty fluff tihi

summary: why hasn't Eric reached out after leaving rehab yet, and how long does it take for marker ink to fade?

word count: 5,272 PART 1, PART 2, PART 3

a/n: this is part 3 of my Eric Draven fanfic draw you! thanks again for the overwhelming support of this series, and enjoy!!<333

Some broken part of me never expected to see Eric again. I knew that the previous men in my life would leave the second they got what they wanted out of me, so why should I hope for this one to be different?

I had been out of rehab for exactly two weeks now, and I knew this meant that Eric was out as well. He had my address, he had my number, and he weirdly enough also had my email address... yet I hadn't heard anything from him. Not a single thing. I wasn't quite sure why my heart was breaking at the realization I had been thrown away again-- I should be used to this.

In actuality, I knew exactly why my hopes were up.

The last time I saw Eric, had been right before I was about to leave rehab. We were standing in my room, the guards no longer watching me as I was technically excused and only there to get my stuff. I was packing everything into a big cardboard box, unable to meet Eric's green eyes as he sat on my bed-- he just looked so damn sad, I couldn't bring myself to watch. 

At the same time, I couldn't believe that he was upset about me leaving; no one had ever cared for me like that before. "Why do you look like that?" I eventually asked, stuffing his drawings into a book so that they wouldn't get ruined during the move. 

"Like what?"

"Like I'm about to shoot a puppy,"

Eric snorted, a slight smile finally forming across his lips. "Just thinking about how shit these next days are going to be without you here,"

I dared to gaze at him, watching his chest rise and fall in a long sigh. Even while doing the simplest act of sitting, Eric looked downright gorgeous. His dark hair had grown even longer during the time we had known each other, which allowed slight curls to form along his forehead. Draped in pink, tattoos peeking up from the collar of his jumper, green eyes soft with feelings-- the sight was almost enough to make my breath hitch.

"Oh, you won't notice I'm gone," I mumbled, trying to lighten the mood at the same time as I tried to be discreet about shoving my underwear down into the box. "Time will fly by, don't you worry."

Eric shifted, moving closer to the edge of the bed. He stopped me from picking up the next batch of my stuff, leading my hands into his as his rounded eyes sunk into mine. "You're saying that as though I won't miss you,"

I held my breath, unsure what to say. 

Eric noticed my hesitance, squeezing my hands; "I will miss you. Do you understand that?"

Oh, I most certainly did not understand that. Not at all. But it didn't stop my heart from swelling, beating harder than it probably ever had before. It also didn't get any better when Eric led me between his legs, letting go of my hands so that he could put his against my waist. He looked up at me through his thick, long lashes, clearly trying to make me understand the longing lingering in his body. "Will you miss me?"

There was no question in my mind that I would. I'd miss him every second of every day, as I already did. However, I wasn't sure whether it was smart to tell him this, or whether that would make him lose interest like my previous flings. But weirdly enough, something told me I could trust this guy-- or was that just his pretty face doing the talking? "I will," I said, taking his face into my hands, brushing my thumbs over his cheeks in a newfound sense of affection.

Eric's previously glossy look suddenly became a hopeful one-- he pulled me even closer, my hands going up into his hair as he buried his face against the crook of my neck. 

There was something so sincere about him, that I couldn't help but smile. Even now, as I remembered it. Was I stupid to imagine that it had all been real? That he hadn't acted like he would miss me just out of pity?

This was definitely my insecurity talking. I needed to get it all out of my head-- which is exactly why I ended up going out tonight, my friends by my side as we made our way into our usual spot at the club downtown. Being back in the darkness of this place, music blasting through my ears, brought a lot of memories back; specifically the dark ones. 

However, I wasn't drinking. I wasn't taking anything, and I wasn't planning on doing so. In the back of my mind, I kept imagining a scenario where Eric would finally reach out and find me relapsed... and that was certainly not ideal. Then he'd definitely not want to be with me.

Maybe I just needed to forget about him?

And so I began trying-- it didn't take long before I sat down next to some guy trying to tell me about his life story. I had never been this disinterested in my life, allowing him to put his arm around me as I stared up at the light-show on display across the roof, lost in thought.

I wondered where Eric was. What he was doing, who he was with, where he was. Whether he thought about me at all. It quickly hit me that being sober at a club took away all the fun, and with alcohol floating around right before my eyes, I wondered whether I should bother staying sober or not. I didn't exactly have anyone to stay clean for, as I thought I would. 

And just as I was about to ask the guy next to me whether I could have the tiniest sip of his beer, I spotted a familiar tall frame across the room. I blinked several times, straightening up in my seat as though I was a woman possessed. I was sure it was him-- I immediately knew the second I saw the tattooed poem on his back peeking through the top of his shirt.

As though I had heard a gunshot, I got up from the couch, my whole body tingling with unexpected excitement. This was an adrenaline surge unlike anything drugs could give me, and it only grew stronger as Eric seemed to be leaving. 

Panicked, I sped up into a light jog despite being in heels, making my way through the crowd on the dancefloor. It didn't take long before I caught up to him, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt.

Eric had a bewildered look about him as he frantically searched who it could be that had held him back from leaving. When his big, green eyes finally landed on me, they widened as he broke out into a look of relief. "There you are!" he exclaimed, his large hands grabbing my shoulders. "I've been looking for you all over!--"

I was sure I would've started crying if I hadn't reached for the collar of his shirt, tugging him down to my level to press my lips against his in the neediest kiss I had probably ever shared. I flung my arms around his neck as he pulled me closer, both of us letting out relieved sighs at our reunion. 

I wanted to stay like this forever, swimming in the bliss of being reunited with the man who had haunted my every waking thought. However, I couldn't let myself revel in the joy before I got the answer to my question; "You never called!" I said, my hands now at the sides of his face. "You never fucking called!"

Eric hummed, connecting our foreheads as he closed his eyes. "I did... just from a different number. You never answered, so I had to track you down all the way here,"

My thumbs stroked over his cheeks, my anger simmering down into a slow ache. The thought of Eric calling without getting a response made me feel worse than bad. "How?" was all I was able to say, leaning forward to kiss the tip of his nose.

Eric blushed a little before pulling away, and I was unsure whether the reason for my sudden dizziness was the loud music or his smile. God, he was gorgeous. "Our dealers are cousins," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist as we swayed on the dance floor. "And your guy told me I could find you here."

"I see," The loving look in Eric's eyes nearly made me melt— it was clear that he had missed me as well. But my questions kept coming to me; "Why did you get a different number? Is everything alright?"

With that, Eric's smile faltered just a little. His grip around my waist tightened as he brought one hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear in a loving gesture. "I... suppose there's a lot I have to tell you, now that I've come all this way,"

I could sense that this was serious— I had seen enough of those guilty eyes for one lifetime. "I see," I repeated, pulling him in for another kiss, reveling in the feeling of tasting him again. There was nothing I had missed more about rehab than this. "Let's talk it out somewhere else, then?"

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

It wasn't every day that I brought back men from the club— my policy was no men at my place at all, just in case I encountered a serial killer in disguise. But this thing with Eric was different; he could've moved in for all I cared. He could also proceed to burn it all down, rip me apart with his bare hands, and I'd let him.

However, the difference between Eric and the other men in my life was that I knew, deep down in my heart, that he would never hurt me; which is why I let him into my apartment.

I watched as Eric took a look around, his hands tucked into his front pockets as he whistled; "Quite the place,"

Shrugging, I made my way towards him as he towered over everything in my living room. "Sure is,"

Eric turned to me, a raised brow on display. "You're telling me you're loaded?"

I felt a bit embarrassed— I knew that once Eric found out the truth, he'd think of me just as all the other ones did. The spoiled girl who had nothing else to do but turn to drugs to get a high out of life. I couldn't help but grow nervous, unsure how to explain the truth to him; "Well... It's my parents' money,"

Eric nodded to himself, stepping towards me. "Are they around much? I didn't see them visiting you in rehab,"

The truth stung. "They don't want to look their biggest disappointment in the eye," I mumbled, my gaze falling to my feet. "But they make sure I'm still alive, I suppose. So it's not that bad."

There was a silence before I suddenly felt Eric's long, slender fingers beneath my chin, tilting me up so that I could meet his gaze. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn't this; compassion. "Their loss," he said, the emerald green of his eyes engulfing my being with unexpected kindness. "At least you got a great apartment out of it."

I let out a warm laugh, now keening against the palm of his hand as he placed it to my cheek. "I've missed you,"

As Eric smiled down at me, it was obvious that his heart fluttered at the sight of me. I had never thought someone would ever look at me like that. "I've missed you too," he breathed. "Thought about you during every waking moment of every day. You have no idea how glad I am that I found you."

I could barely believe this was real— didn't stuff like this only happen in movies? "If only I had known you called," I mumbled, placing my hand on top of his. "Being without you was just hell... What happened?"

Eric inhaled a sharp breath, an unintelligible emotion swimming in his eyes. "I want to be honest with you, but... I'm afraid you'll run,"

In a flash of desperation, I placed his hand against my heart. "I have nowhere else to run but to you,"

Eric's green eyes rounded out, his lips parting in confusion— was I maybe not the only one stunned by the confessions of complete and utter love tonight? "I— Fuck," 

With that, Eric's strong hands gripped my waist, pulling me towards him as our lips came together in a hungry kiss. The sheer force of it, along with the element of surprise, nearly had me stumbling a few steps back. But Eric only followed; I nearly moaned out as I felt his tongue against mine, my hands flying up into his dark locks and pulling him closer. I had missed him more than I had ever missed anything in the world, including drugs— all my swarming feelings of never-dying love had me pushing away all my needs for an answer from him regarding his phone, and I let my back hit the surface of the couch as Eric hovered above me.

"Missed you," he breathed in between kisses, a slight growl to his voice. Something told me Eric was trying to melt himself into me to make sure we would never be apart again— it only made my need for him stronger. I clung to him, my legs wrapping around his tall figure as I attempted to pull him even closer than he already was. 

Fuck, his lips were so soft. Deadly soft. The way Eric was nipping at my lower lip, occasionally sinking his teeth into it to draw out a whimper, was making a familiar knot form in my lower abdomen. I barely registered that my dress was gone before I watched him discard his shirt somewhere on the floor— now that we finally had time, I let my fingers run over his tattoos, smiling into the next kiss as I realized we would finally have that messy morning I was promised. I couldn't wait to lie in his arms, tracing every piece of art on his skin, taking it all in— this was heaven. Everything about finally being alone with Eric was heaven. 

"Missed you too," I eventually managed to moan out, feeling him grow hard against the apex of my thighs. "I don't ever want to be without you again." My breath hitched as Eric left wet kisses down jaw, neck, breasts, and stomach, knowing exactly where he was heading. I drew my hand towards my mouth, gently biting down to suppress a rather girly squeal. 

"You'll never be," Eric purred against my skin, sinking his teeth gently into my thigh to evoke a sound. "If you think we're ever going to be apart from now on, I need you to scour that pretty little brain of yours once more."

It was impossible not to smile, and I squirmed against the couch before Eric's big, strong hands grabbed my hips, holding me in place as he pressed a kiss against my clothed sex. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing this to avoid telling me what had happened in the moments we had been apart. Despite wanting to give in to the pleasure, let him tease me and keep me on the edge through the night, my mind wouldn't let me.

In the moment Eric threw my underwear to the floor, now kissing up my thighs and leaving me breathless, I propped myself up on my elbows; "Hold on," I breathed, reaching down to run my fingers through his hair in hopes of getting his attention. "Eric, wait--"

As he looked up at me through his brows, eyes wide with confusion as he paused for me, I didn't know whether I could go through with it. This moment was so damn precious, something I had been longing for ever since the moment I saw him; so why couldn't it wait? With a sigh, I laid back down. 

"You okay?" Eric asked, his thumb rubbing a soothing circle against my hipbone. "Wanna stop?"

That was definitely not it-- I let in a lazy breath, my eyelids drooping over my eyes as my body shivered at the feeling of his hot breath against my cunt. Everything about this situation was making my brain shut down. "No... I don't want to stop," My hands reached for his, and Eric let out a hum, his free hand now ghosting over my sex. "Just wondering whether you drew it or not."

"Drew what?"

"What we did in that stairwell,"

Eric's eyes sparkled with amusement as he laughed, placing a wet kiss against the inside of my thigh. "You bet I did,"

"Will you show me?"

He hummed against my skin; "Later... I'm a little busy here, as you see," Eric hooked his arms around my legs, dragging me closer to him as I yelped. I could only laugh, the realization that I had finally gotten all I had ever wanted hitting me just as I felt the warm trickle of spit running down my cunt-- my hips bucked up in surprise, my breath escaping me. I was about to prop myself up on my elbows for a second time, hoping to get a look at what the fuck he was doing, but as he ran his tongue up between my folds with a ridiculously soft touch, I could only whimper.

The memory of Eric saying he would take his time with me when we were out of rehab suddenly dawned on me-- I was in for the long run.

It didn't take long before he had me writhing beneath him, a whimpering, panting mess. With every swirl of his tongue around my clit, every time he sucked in my aching bud between his plush lips, I held back the urge to buck my hips up against him. It got increasingly hard to keep still, especially when Eric pulled away to simply breathe down on my sex, knowing exactly where he had me. 

"Fuck," I cried, reaching down to run my fingers through his hair-- I did my best not to tighten my grip, fighting the urge to use his dark locks as handles. 

I could feel Eric smiling against me, leaning down to press a soft kiss against my clit; my breath immediately hitched, bucking up against his mouth in an attempt to beg for more. His fingers dug themselves into my thighs, driving my legs further apart as he made space for his broad shoulders. I whined at the loss of friction when he tilted his head to look up at me, and a shiver ran up my spine at the look of his face, slicked with my arousal. 

A mischievous smile spread across Eric's plush, glistening lips; "Someone's impatient,"

I could feel my cheeks redden with embarrassment, lolling my head back down against the couch-- looking at him only made it worse. "Can you blame me? You're doing this on purpose," 

Eric hummed, one hand leaving my thigh to lazily rub soft circles around my clit, using my slick as a lubricant. It only made me squirm, letting out a shaky moan as my back arched slightly off the couch. Even worse, was that I started to feel a small tremble appearing in my hands. "Can't handle a little teasing?" he said, biting his lip as he watched me attempt to suppress my noises. "You keep saying you've waited for me... What happened to your patience?"

I held back the urge to simply kick him-- but that thought immediately slipped out of my mind the second Eric flattened his tongue against me, licking a stripe all the way up to my swollen clit. It was impossible to suppress the hitch of my breath, and the tug I gave his hair in response was purely instinctual. It surprised me further to hear him enjoy it; I decided to keep that observation stored for later.

I had a feeling Eric knew my mind was buzzing, that he wouldn't be able to toy with me much longer. There might've been a few giveaways that I was at my wit's end-- all of which left me feeling like an even bigger mess than I already was beneath him. "I- I can't," I whined, my words leaving me as Eric sucked me in once more. "Wait, please!--"

He hummed against me, now pressing his lips against the crease of my thigh as a chuckle built in his throat. "Fine, fine," he said, playfully sinking his teeth into my skin, his green eyes watching my every move. "I suppose I'm dragging this out... I don't know why I'm feeling nervous."

Nervous? Eric didn't look very nervous to me. "It's just me, though?" I tried, attempting to catch my breath as I laid my hand on top of his. My next words came out shakier than anticipated, especially now that he was kissing his way back up my body; "You don't need to be nervous."

Eric hummed, his large, tattooed hands kneading my chest, kissing along the hem of my bra. "It's just... When you left rehab," he started, his lips pressing along my collarbones. "I realized it took me days to recover after a dream with you in it."

The rush of joy surging through my veins reminded me of a hit of amphetamine-- it was all-taking, consuming, and I wanted nothing more than to press him so closely that we'd melt together. "Eric--"

"I've drawn you over and over," he breathed, kissing up my neck with a toe-curling softness. "In every way possible. Imagined the way you'd look at me after waking up in the morning, how it would feel to kiss your pretty little face good night..." Eric's lips hovered above mine, our shared breaths hot and shaky against one another as he continued; "I want you to burn into me like warm glass, mold into one. It sounds insane, but... how else can I ensure we stay together?"

My eyes were wide, finding his, as my hands reached up to cup his face. Like this, I finally had the time to admire the tattoo above his right brow, the deep scar on his cheek, and the tattoo above it. I stroked my thumb over the ink, holding back from connecting our lips just yet; "If you think I'm ever leaving you, I need you to scour that pretty little brain of yours" I breathed, watching his pupils dilate as I bit back a smug smile. "Do I need to remind you that I'm all yours?" My fingers now ghosted over his lips, still wet with my slick, as an idea suddenly hit me. "Actually..."

Eric watched in confusion as I shifted beneath him, now reaching for the table right by the couch. There, I had left a marker which I had previously used to write a birthday card, and I took it into my hand before laying back down, looking up at the puzzled look on his face. "I'm not able to physically melt into you, but..." 

Eric's green eyes widened further, watching as I popped the cap and drew a tiny little heart on the peak of his shoulder.

I met his gaze, beaming up at him; "I can leave my mark,"

The most unexpected thing happened-- The sight of Eric welling up in tears was not something I had counted on when I let my impulses take the lead. For a second, I got genuinely worried I had overstepped all boundaries until he pinned my hand above my head and pressed a needy, passionate kiss against my lips.

I couldn't control the moan that escaped me, my hips bucking up against his, feeling his hard length grind down and brush up against my clit as our chests came together, pulling each other in as close as possible. The need I felt for Eric was undescribable, ravaging through my being-- I had never wanted anyone as bad as this. 

Mind dulled by anticipation and pleasure, I barely registered that he had managed to pry the marker from my fingers and pull it into his hand. Eric disconnected the kiss, pressing his wet lips against my cheek before propping himself up on his knees, scanning his canvas. "I'm definitely dreaming now," he whispered, mostly to himself, hovering above me as he drove the marker tip to the point where my ribs met on my chest. 

I could only smile, watching my favourite artist at work with admiration blossoming in my chest. Knowing I would be decorated with his work made me even more hot and bothered; I did my best to get a look at what he was drawing without disrupting his process. 

Eric drew a line down my chest, a few leaves scattered along it-- it dawned on me that he was drawing a rose. A beautiful, big rose, with that same scratchy style that I recognized from his previous creations. I watched him dart his tongue out, keeping it between his lips, focused; I couldn't help but find it endearing.

"Art on art," he breathed, pulling away to drink in the sight of what he had drawn on my body. Eric's green eyes found mine, his shy smile returning to his plush, glistening lips. "You're beautiful. You're so beautiful."

"So are you," I held back the urge to cry happy tears, my hands reaching out for him. "I love it, Eric. I'm scared of needles, so I won't be able to get this tattooed... Meaning you'll have to draw it over and over. Would you do that for me?"

Eric let out a choked laugh, eyes glossing over as he put the cap back on the marker, discarding it somewhere before returning to his place above me. "I'd do anything for you,"

I hadn't smiled so brightly in what felt like years. Like this, at this moment, I was sure this was it. He was it. 

Before I knew it, we were completely lost in the fiery kiss that ensued-- Eric's tongue against mine, hands lost around my waist as my fingers hooked into his dark locks, our chests heaving at one another. I was so gone, so dizzyingly aroused, that when I felt his thick cock pushing past my sopping entrance, I could only gasp. 

Eric let out a grunt, both of us moaning into the kiss at the immediate relief-- I could barely believe that this was real, that we were back as one. In a sense, this was the melting together that we had both craved so badly. 

My nails dug into his back, leaving crescent marks in their wake as I let him push further into me. Eric buried his face in the crook of my neck, letting out a breathy groan against my skin when he finally moved. His cock stroked my walls the same way it had that one evening in the stairwell, the exact feeling I had chased as I buried my fingers deep inside of me every night since-- I had forgotten how the real deal had felt. How mind-numbingly good it felt to have Eric in me.

I whimpered as I felt his cock throb upwards, immediately hitting my sweet spot, and I wrapped my legs around him, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever. Knowing I bared his mark on my chest, knowing he had dreamed of this as well, only strengthened the electricity running all the way up to the tips of my fingers. I didn't know how I was supposed to last long at all, especially when I heard Eric moan out my name-- I shivered, pressing my lips against the heart I had drawn on his shoulder. 

I noticed a blush creep up his cheeks before he connected our lips once more, but it was hard to kiss properly when we were both in a heavy daze of pleasure-- we ended up mostly breathing against one another, Eric's green eyes watching as I let out a string of moans with every stroke of his cock. 

"You're everything," Eric rambled, nipping at my lower lip to suppress another grunt. "You're everything, you're-- Fuck!--" His hands dug into my hips, fucking me properly into the couch as he deepened his thrusts. 

My heart fluttered in my marked chest as I realized we were both looking down to watch our union-- the sight of Eric's cock pumping in and out of me, the wet sounds of our love filling the room, was almost enough to bring me over the edge. I also caught a glimpse of the petals drawn over my body, realizing I was admiring both the art and his body against mine. 

My back arched off the couch as Eric shifted, angling his thrusts upwards-- now, he was dead on pumping his cock against my sweet spot, which had me mewling out against his lips. "Eric, I-- I'm not gonna last, a-ah!--"

With glossy eyes, I watched a smirk spread across Eric's lips; "Let go if you need to," he cooed, his dark hair now kissing his forehead as he let out a laboured grunt. "We'll go again, baby-- hah, don't worry."

That was all I needed-- my heart fluttered, realizing we had all the time in the world to fuck all through the night. 

Forever, if we wanted to.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

This was nice. Stupidly nice. Nothing in my life had prepared me for this moment.

The softness of his fingers running up my bare shoulder, the kindness with which he bathed me-- I didn't even know this existed before now. I looked up at Eric, my head nuzzled against his broad, tattooed chest as we lay in post-coital bliss. I reached out to trace the heart I had marked him with, and I wondered what else I could draw on his beautiful body.

However, I knew I had to ask the question he hadn't been willing to answer yet. I had to look past how heavy his beautiful lashes looked in his drowsy state, and how badly I wanted to reach out and trace the upward slope of his nose, to ask what needed to be asked. "Eric?"

He hummed, glancing down at me. 

It was incredibly hard to take my eyes off his kiss-swollen lips. "You never told me,"

"Told you what?"

It felt as though we'd had this conversation about three times now; "You didn't tell me why you changed your number. Or why you waited to reach out. Or, better yet, why you didn't just show up here... I even gave you my address," I couldn't stop the imminent pout appearing across my lips-- I had forgotten how upset I was about this. "I waited for you. I nearly drove myself crazy thinking I'd imagined it all."

Sighing, Eric's gaze diverted to the ceiling. "I'm sorry. I will tell you everything. Just... could I have one more day?"

"What?" Something told me that his secret was a lot more damning than I initially thought-- why was he so reluctant to tell me? Did he think it would change how I felt?

"One more day," he echoed, his tattoed hand mindlessly traveling up into my hair as his eyes glossed over.  "Just give me one more day..."

I didn't know what to say, at a loss for words. Instead, I popped the cap to the marker in my hand, realizing I wouldn't be the one to deny him his one wish. Eric closed his eyes with a sigh of relief as he felt the tip of the marker against his skin once more; time was a gift I was willing to give him.

I was willing to give him absolutely anything he'd ever want-- I just hoped it wouldn't be the death of me.

(a/n: PART 1 and PART 2 linked here<33 thank you for reading!!)