#or try using a sob story to make him out to be misunderstood when he isnt

[chansbabygirlsstuff]

Hi (: can you please do a skz where the reader has the fear of being abandoned and they wake up in the morning seeing skz are not with them?

Hey love ofc!

Warning: Angst, Fluff,

mood: felt cute might delete later.

Song recommendation:leave me lonely by Ariana Grande

Leave me lonely

Hyung version

Bang Chan

You wake up stretching your arm to feel him close and hug him in the morning but you don't feel him there, your lonely bed just a ray of sunlight hitting the floor in front of your bed you sit up worrying about where he went, You cover your naked body with the sheets trying to look for an answer but no sign of him.

Did you do something wrong last night? did he not like it? Were you not pleasurable enough?

Your eyes started to get watery as small tears started to pour out your eyes as you cuddled yourself with your banket letting sobs out your mouth.

you remember your repeated story of your exes when they left just like that because they had enough of you by using you and leaving you lonely, you didn't expect that from Chan, you kept quiet to listen if maybe he was around the house, but you couldn't hear anything

You let your sobs louder than before feeling your heart breaking.

"Babygirl what happened? Chan opens the door rushes over to you and envelopes you in his arms "You were here?" you ask him in tears

"yes, baby what happened?" He asks worriedly "I thought you left me Chan" You sob harder and hug him back

"awww baby I will never leave you, I was just making us some breakfast, and yeah... it was supposed to be a surprise" but you kept crying "Shh, baby don't cry I got you" he smiled and kissed your forehead "I can't stop crying though" you said through sobs and the laughed "it's ok baby lets cuddle ok? your just sensitive form last night" he winks and lay's you down on top of him.

he caresses your head as you try to control your breathing, and you hear him making dirty jokes to try to make you stop crying but everything is better with a passionate kiss he gives you before you guys fall back asleep

Lee Know

Last night's argument led us to have angry sex, one of the best we ever had, but it didn't seem to get better after it though, ofc we had a cuddle session afterward but I think it's better to talk it out first

I turn around in my bed to face him but I'm met with an empty space, I immediately sit up and look around for him, I grab a shirt from his shirt from our closet and start looking for him in the bathroom, but he isn't there, I looked in the kitchen but it was empty, I started to get nervous as I don't see him

I don't want him to leave me just because of a fight, just because got insecure and jealous because he was talking with a college after work

I don't want to end like this my heart races as my eyes get teary

"Lee knows babe where are you" My voice sounded desperate as sobs start to leave me, I sat on the couch and hugged my knees trying to put pressure on my chest to not start a panic attack.

I cry hard enough that makes my chest hurt, feel disowned, and unloved making me rethink how should I acted yesterday, I shouldn't accused him of something that I misunderstood

"y/n?" I hear the front door open I turn around to look at him, I stand up and run to him, putting my arms around him

"what happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" he pulled away to check my body and see if I was ok, but since I didn't respond he hugged me a put a hand on my chest making me feel safe around him

"I thought you really left," I said trying to stop crying "no baby I'm sorry I did t mean what I said yesterday, I promise you I will never leave you ok?" he assures me, and hugs me again "I'm sorry as well"

I cried into his chest "Look don't cry I left to grab some breakfast for us" he kissed my head and led us to the table and started breakfast.

Chanbin

last night I was feeling really bad, and Chanbin cuddled me all night as I cried on his chest feeling bad about having a mental breakdown, On our 2nd anniversary he was there with me all the time, and until now

I just woke up and I wanted to have more time with him before he left to work, but can't see him anywhere, was I too annoying last night? did I cry too much that I bored him? Maybe he got mad and left for work without saying goodbye.

I curled in my bed putting my pillow on my face I started sobbing into it, why am I always so dramatic? why do I always need someone on my side? why can't I not bother anyone in every single thing I do?

"bunny what happened?" Chanbin says getting out of the bathroom, messy hair and still in his pj's he rubs his eyes getting into bed and hugging my figure, still curled up on the sheets

"I'm sorry for always crying, I thought I annoyed you and you left," I said cleaning my tears "Oh bunny don't cry, you never annoy me because you're my bunny," he said the last part in Aeygo making me laugh, "and of course, I will never leave you alone after a conversation like yesterday, I know you need me to know as ever and I'm here for you"

you nodded and kissed him and he kissed you back "Why weren't you here?" you asked rubbing your eyes "Well I was taking a shit so..." he says and we both laugh as we cuddle up against each other and put on the TV admiring each others presence

Hyunjin

Hyunjin has been busy he has been more at work, finishing his artwork for his presentation next month I know it takes its time but I need him now more than ever I need him to be with me to hold me and love me, so my Idea of last night was to get him all up on me and

it did work

I wake up in the morning but I hear the shower on he is getting ready to leave for work, Why can't he stay with me? he always leaves early 7 am and gets back at midnight, so we don't have time together, feeling tired I sit up and look for my clothes, but get too dizzy and sit back down, I try once more and grab my clothes, get dressed in my comfortable pj's I sit on the edge of the bed looking at out bathroom door waiting for him to get out.

He gets out only with some joggers on, drying his hair and looking for his shirt "I'm going to be back late again, so don't wait for me" he says looking another way as he is getting dressed "You leaving me alone again?" he nods looking at you with empathy " Sorry work has been very busy" he continues to dress himself "can't we be together for some time?" you ask "we had our time last night baby" he turns his head to the side and looks back at the mirror "yeah but I need you more than anything right now" "I know me too but life is tough sometimes" he kisses my forehead before putting his shoes on " Hyunjin wait... really I need you by my side... I don't want to be alone right now" your tears fall down your cheeks as you look at him

"Don't cry y/n I will be back don't worry" he kisses you and opens the door

"Hyunjin I'm pregnant," you say fast, and his tracks stop

"What?" he looks back shocked waiting for this to be your joke of the week

"I'm 2 months in already and I just didn't know when to tell you because you were always busy" You cry even harder, scared of his reaction "Oh my go- why didn't you tell me sooner, baby I should've taken better care of you" He comes back and hugs you tight

"it's ok don't worry, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, baby" he sits back down on the bed and lays you down on his chest while you cry " I'm going to be here with you all the time, he kisses you and cuddles next to you, forgetting about work and about stress now he can only think about his baby mama and his baby right now.

hey loves I hope you enjoy plz support this page and make sure to like it

Plz feel free to leave requests in my page and the tag list is open

Love you

[saradika]

— WASTELAND, BABY

viii. you’ll gaze unafraid, as they sob from the city roofs

[masterlist] | [part vii]

boba fett x f!reader

rated E - 5k

tags: fallout au, post-apocalyptic, canon-typical themes (violence & death), angst, feelings, miscommunication, mentions of birth control, outdoor/semi-public sex, PiV, fingering, creampie, use of weapons

a/n: if you missed my poll, I realized that I liked sen’ika (little bird) more as a nickname instead of little one/ad’ika. I’ve made some edits and will be using it moving forward!

So funny how life in the Wasteland can bleed from bliss to terror in a matter of days.

"Come on."

You're unable to help the swoop in your stomach of excitement when you hear his voice.

Interrupting your concentration as you work on the rusting, sky-blue box of the radio tower. Working the thick switch up and down, waiting for a green light that doesn't appear.

You've been trying not to look too eager, in the days that have passed since that night. Trying not to follow Boba Fett around like a lost puppy.

Stick to the work that needs done. Plenty of crops to plant in the newly-tilled field. Your back still twinges from two days ago, when you had spent half of it bent over, pushing tato seeds into the dirt.

Thinking it would be a good way to focus your energy, but the mindlessness of the activity only led your own to wander. Like it had, for days now.

Remembering the feel of his lips. The way he touched you - a gentle sweep of his thumb before he was pulling you to meet him. The drag of his cock, how he knew just what to do to make you come.

It was distracting, to be certain.

The storm that blew through yesterday should have been a respite. A relief in the much-need nourishment for the fields, all those acres of dirt and dust.

An afternoon spent huddled beneath hanging, blinking bulbs. Engrossing yourself in the stories and small talk to keep your eyes and mind from wandering and wondering.

Wishing for a hand to curl around a wrist - pull you into a dark corner. Never happening, with how small the quarters were, how thin the walls were with the town crowded into the cantina, the shop next door.

Your thoughts come back into focus with the heavy click as you move the switch to the "off" position. Wiping your hands on your pants as you turn fully around. To where he's standing.

"We need to check the perimeter after the storm, make sure the fences are sound." He says, by way of greeting. "Think it would be a good experience for you to accompany me."

A twinge of disappointment twists with curiosity. A quick nod as you pack up your things, a furtive moment of trying to tidy your clothes before you're walking beside him, out towards the edge of town.

Those silent seconds make you wonder what his intentions are. A hope that his thoughts align with yours, an excuse to sneak away.

But the sun hangs high overhead - the afternoon breezy. A perfect one for work, and so again - you're left feeling lost.

The buildings shrink as you walk, following down that dirt path. Past the acres of fields, the occasional stop as Boba checks on the work, offers advice. Each word received with their full attention - something you notice with a small, tender smile.

Trying to keep back, to wait - but you're pulled in with the occasional "what do you think?" or "wouldn't you say so?". That attention is mirrored, when you finally find your tongue.

A warmth settles over you that has little to do with the sun. Wrapping around you as the fence line comes into view. Where he stops, gloved fingers checking the fence ties. A little bag of clipped wires passed your way, as he shows you how to fix the ones ripped loose from the wind.

The little spark of hope in your stomach fades, as you realize you're actually there to do work. Wondering if you did something wrong. If that night had been a one-time thing, and you had misunderstood.

Worried that just maybe… he wished he hadn’t.

Such a thought threatens to stagger you, but you still try to make the most of the afternoon as you work your way down the line. You’d gotten good at compartmentalizing - saving your thoughts until you were alone.

Taking the moments as they come - no excuses needed to be made as your eyes trace the sharp curves of his helmet, when he's explaining something.

Or when you need to step closer - both sets of hands needed to wrangle the thick branch off the top, where the metal dips under the weight.

Time ticking by, until you're further out than you've been. The path opposite than the wooded one that winds around the river.

Here, it's scattered trees and broken roads. The ground littered with thick brush - the curve of hills and a mountain lining the horizon. An inorganic splash of a long-abandoned gas station marring the view.

A pair of old, rusting cars rest against the fence here. Faded shades of red and stained yellow under the years of sun and rain and snow.

Your fingers tap on the broken headlights, the spider-web cracks across the thick lens. A lean of your hip as you peer into the interior through the windshield, but it's already been stripped bare.

Boba is watching, when you turn back. Close enough where you can see the chips in his painted armor, the small dent in his helmet. The twist of a torso as he’s turned half-way from you - facing back towards the road to town.

Or, at least, you think he is - his expression and words shrouded by the mask. Both a defense and an offense. Protecting him, while enhancing his sight. All the better to keep an eye out for anything or anyone approaching.

A necessity, but you can't help but miss the feeling of his eyes on yours. You wonder if you'd be able to read him better, even with the serious tilt of his eyebrows, the grit of his jaw.

The lingering of a moment, and you begin to step away - to move around the car, to check the fence there.

His voice halts you, the low buzz of it through his helmet.

“I can see you thinking, sen’ika.” He tells you, and you can’t help the small smile at that, “I wish to know what’s been on your mind.”

You try to find his eyes behind the visor, as a heat licks up your spine, to burn in your cheeks. What haven’t you thought about?

Replaying those moments spent together in a slow loop. The brush of his lips on your shoulder and that small bit of softness, when he could have been all hard edges.

After a moment, you swallow - finding your thoughts and your voice, “I’d like to know the same, of you. And I suppose… I am wondering what we’re doing out here.”

His helmet tilts as he hums. So broad in his armor as he turns fully your way, and you think his gaze is fixed on you, now.

Arms cross over his chest, as he picks at part of your answer, “Is that all?”

You both know it isn’t. He must be teasing, because surely he must know how he’s become a fixture in your mind.

“No,” Your head shakes, as he moves closer. Hands bracing against the curved edge of the hood for balance, as he crowds your space, “I… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that night.”

His thighs almost brush yours, and you find yourself pushing yourself up, until you’re sitting. Knees spreading as he fills the space, the sun glinting off his visor as his head tips towards yours.

“And what about that night has been on your mind?” Boba’s voice is a low rasp through the helmet, thrilling you.

Hand bracing on the hood on either side on your hips. Leaning further into your space as your thighs shift wider, making room for him.

“Oh,” you breathe, trying to think. Finding it hard to do so, now. “Um, you.”

He laughs - a short, rough buzz of a sound.

“Be more specific, princess.”

You shift, hopeful and eager and nervous under his gaze - all the feelings swirling together, “I‘ve thinking about how good you felt.”

“A shared sentiment.” Boba’s fingers shift, touching down on your hips, tracing feather-light patterns on your thighs, “Anything else?”

There’s the shift of his feet, leaving smallest gap between you. It would be easy to close it, with a roll of your hips, and you wonder if he’s waiting for you to do so.

A moment of wonder, as you realize that there may be more that overlaps between you than you thought. The distance of those last few days merely the beginning of learning a dance that neither of you know.

So you close that gap. First with your words. The flicker of confidence bolstered by his - the way he curves over you, the movement intimate and pointed.

“Plenty more.” Your teeth press into your lower lip as you smile, “I was hoping you’d come find me again.”

“Did you, now?” He husks, just as you shift. A roll of his hips as he meets you, as you lean back onto your elbows.

Rocking him against your core, your knees pressing against into his hips, leaving your feet to dangle. Fully seated on the hood now, the metal sun-warmed against your back, through the thin layer of your shirt.

His hands curve against your waist, the slight pull as he starts a slow grind. Pleasure sparking through you with the pinch of his grip, how it’s soothed when he’s pressed flush against you.

“Mhmm.” You sigh - the words coming easier now, with the reciprocation of touch, “But I was worried you regretted it.”

There’s a sound like a growl, a sharp rut of his hips. Holding you against the place where his flightsuit has begun to tent, a hand bracing near your ribs as he leans over you.

“The only thing I regret, princess, is waiting so long.” He husks, as you blink up at him, “If we were back in Mos Espa, I’d take my time.”

You feel yourself clench around nothing, a little buck of your hips as a soft moan escapes your lips.

“You came so quickly on my tongue. I’d like to see how many I could pull from you.” He sighs, a little tug to your hip to pull you closer, “That’s what’s been on my mind.”

There’s a little shiver, in spite of the heat. Your brains going blank except for the thought of him - the imagined grandeur of his space in Mos Espa. The prospect of hours spent in his company, alone and stripped bare.

In another time you might have been embarrassed by his words, if not for the tinge of pride in his voice. You’d been sated, exhausted, last time. The promise of more had you eager, squirming.

“Please.” You manage, the sound a soft gasp in the miles of deserted landscape.

The hand on your hip curves beneath your thigh - running down. Past your knee as he hoists your leg up, until your boot rests on the curve of the fender.

Fingers plucking at the laces, working it off one foot before he starts on the other. Methodic in his movements, while you’re grasping at your belt. The clink of metal as you pull it open, the pop of a button as your hips lift - pushing the fabric down.

Your layers pool at his feet, a hand pushing up the edge of his helmet so he can tear the gloves off with his teeth. Bare hands trace up your thighs after, a fingertip tracing over your mound as he gives the hem of your shirt a tug.

“This too. It was too dark to see you, last time.”

The shirt is tugged off, stuffed beneath your shoulders. Your bra lost somewhere on the hood, as he finally gets you bare - the sun warming your skin.

“Will I get to see you?” You ask, as his fingers split - tracing down either side of your slit.

One of them nudging at you, splitting you then - a rough groan when he meet slick flesh.

“Another time.” He grits out, and you think you understand.

Boba can keep you safe, his helmet sending an alert from anyone approaching. If he were to be as bare as you, that guarantee would disappear.

Any disappointment disappears as two thick fingers sink into you. Stretching you open as you cry out - you hand rising to muffle the sound.

They fill you, the slightest flex you can feel, before he’s slowly beginning to pump them. That pressure transforming as he learns from this new angle how to crook them, until he can feel you clenching around him like before.

Leaving your own hands to wander. Letting you tug and pull at his layers until you find the buttons and zippers. Letting your fingers brush hot, swollen flesh as you lean up on a elbow to draw him out.

The flex of his hips seating him against the curve of your thigh, his cock heavy where it rests against you, arcing towards your stomach.

His head is tipped down, and from this angle you can just get a glimpse of the reflection of his fingers pumping into you. How they shine when he pulls them back, only to sink deep, stroke against that spot.

It has you aching - that eagerness spreading through you again. Fingers tracing over his cock until you’re wrapped around him. The squeeze of your fist as he rocks into your touch, his breath heavy through his helmet.

You’re sure he wants to make you come on his fingers, but you’ve been waiting for four days.

It has you nudging at him again, angling his cock to slide against the swollen bud of your clit, before letting it bump up against his fingers.

“Is there something you want, sen’ika?” You can hear the amusement in his voice, just as he his fingers drag against you.

The groan of his name is your answer, a needy jerk of your hips as he eases from you, the same hand wrapping around his cock.

A catching of the hand that rests on the hood of the car. Dragging it to the place on your hip that now matches his - his fingers denting soft flesh, feeling the implant beneath.

Fennec had all but crowed when you had stumbled home the next morning. Leaving you with a puzzle to put together - a reference to your first day that you hadn’t understood, something about how she should have known he was lying.

A poorly suppressed smile and a roll of eyes. Your worry that she disapproved mending as she let you crush her fingers in yours at the clinic the following day. But not before she reminded you what she had told you.

That is why you had tried to protect your heart. Your meager line of defense cracking at his touch now, with the growl in his throat as the pad of his thumb presses down again.

“You want me to fuck you properly, is that it?” Boba rasps, with a stroke of his cock, “Fill you, like I had wanted?”

There would be murmurs after - a check that you really had wanted to do this. An assurance you didn’t need to, but in this moment there are few thoughts in either of your heads.

“Yes,” You breath, with a slow drag of your eyes - lifting from his hand to his helmet, “Please-”

The sound of your words still hang in the air as his cock passes over your slick skin. Tapping against your clit before dropping, a shift of his hips as the presses against your opening.

A rough, drawn-out “fuck” as he sinks an inch into your warmth, and then another. Your thighs squeezing his hips as his helmet tips down, to watch you take him.

So different from this angle, this time. Even as covered as he is, you can see the rise of his barrel chest with his breath. The bare patch of skin where his suit opens - dark curls at the base as he splits you open.

Hands hook under your knees, hoisting your thighs up to wrap around his waist. Spreading you open - your heels pressing against him, urging him deeper.

Your hand claps against your mouth, when he buries himself. The ragged sound of your moan muffled - the end breaking free as he lets go of a thigh to pull at your wrist.

Dragging you fingers down between your thighs, hand mapping yours until your fingers are pressing against your clit.

“None of that,” It’s a command, as his hand hoisting your leg up again, so he can grind himself deeper. “I want you to give me everything.”

You realize that is why he’s brought you so far out here. Doing the work that needed to be done along the way out of necessity, but the intent has always been there.

He wanted to hear every sound. See every movement you hadn’t been able to make, pinned against the table like you had been.

You both begin to move at the same time. The piston of his hips matching the circle of your fingers. A shallow drag of his cock as he pulls back, the sweet pleasure when he thrusts deep again.

There’s a freedom in the seclusion. In knowing that you’re safe here - the chance of being stumbled upon unlikely.

That knot loosening in your chest, the threads of propriety from an age long ago starting to fray. Close to snapping with the miles of armor - the slick-sounding snap of his hips as you take him, again and again.

A lewdness in the way you’re bared under the sun, him with so many layers. It’s a near-manifestation of all your late-night dreaming. Better than any of them, with the low rumble of his groans, the way his cock fills you so perfectly.

It has you letting your moans loose, as your head tips back against the hood. Leaning into the winding press of your fingers, your thighs inching further apart so he can drive deeper.

A shallow rock of your hips, as you move to meet him. A winding, building pressure in your belly - stoked by the memories of last time, the known pleasure of your own touch.

“Just look at you,” He groans, the grip on your legs tightening. Pushing a thigh back towards your chest, opening you up further, “Fucking perfect, you know that?”

His praise steals your breath, an accelerant to your pleasure. A whimper as his fingers sweep against your skin, your own hand wandering - cupping a breast. Tugging at a nipple, as the other works between your thighs.

The sight has him groaning - a sharp grunt accentuating the sharp punch of his cock.

Last time, he had held out. The low light an aid as he made you come on his tongue, before fucking you with his cock. His thoughts swirling since then, days of desire mounting in his mind, a foreplay that has a the pressure building, threatening to break.

“Where do you want it, princess?” Boba’s voice is rough, as if he’s barely holding himself back, “You still want me to fill that pretty cunt of yours?”

You’re so close you can taste it. The circle of your fingers speeding up, three pressing down against your clit as you moan.

Nodding, as you beg, “Yes. Yes, in me-”

The words petering out to soft sounds - the catching of your breath and whining whimpers with each breath. His thrusts speeding up to match yours, as you careen towards the edge.

“Come for me, and I will.” The encouragement shoots through you, straight down to that throbbing point between your thighs, “I can feel how close you are, want to feel you again.”

You can hear his words, but they slowly turn to static. A chain-reaction that starts at the tips of your fingers, swooping low in your belly to radiate outwards. Your orgasm crashing over you - Boba’s groan a rough, low thing as you pulse around him, his name pitched high on your lips.

A sharp grin, hidden behind a mask as he watches - a slow sweep that always returns to your face, catching every detail.

“That’s it, little bird. Let me hear you sing.”

His voice low and rough as he fucks you through it, chasing his own end. Unable and unwilling to edge himself any longer - not with the way you wrap around him, so tight and warm.

Then, his head is tipping back with his snarl. Giving you a peek of his neck, the column of his throat above his cowl. It’s not his face, something you long to see - to watch, as he falls apart, but it’s still him. Still something to cherish.

You can watch how his fingers dent your skin - the tight grip as he tugs you to meet the shallow pump of his hips as he spills into you.

Pushing himself deep, grinding as you milk the last of his spend from him. Your own orgasm still fluttering in your belly, down your limbs.

Slowly, you come back down.

There’s the sticky dampness of sweat on your skin. A hand curled around and a splayed palm against your back. Close to an embrace, with how close he is - still connected, because he hasn’t moved away.

A slow roll of clouds above, pale against a bright blue sky. Any thoughts gone from your head, leaving you blissful and boneless.

Things will never be perfect, not after what happened.

But as Boba leans over you - fingers tugging up the edge of his helmet just enough to let his lips press against yours…

You think this has to be pretty close.

Sweat beads at the base of your neck, as you crouch in the fields. Tying the twisting, curling vines of the Tatos to the makeshift trellis. Row, after row - enlisting some of the older children to help.

Giving them something to do, as they run back and forth between you and the plants. Getting more string, trying to get you distracted so you'll chat.

They've grown on you, a little bit. The tatos, that is. The weird flavor and texture - you've learned you can't afford to be picky anymore. And mixed in a stew, it's not so bad.

It reminds you of how others had done the same. How Mos Espa had become a place of familiarly and comfort. The roads and paths and people here ones you now know.

Your own little field, tucked away in your heart - carefully tended. Strengthened since the afternoon with Boba after the storm, that stolen moment in the open fields.

It had led to others. Another morning where he met you before sunrise for your shift. An evening, where you found your bedroll tucked next to his. An arm draped across your waist as you sleep.

Small steps, but just like these seeds - they will grow, with time and with tenderness.

A loud, piercing wail slices through the air, then - cutting your moment of reverie short.

It’s the first time you've heard the siren, other than the quick test that had you all clapping your hands over your ears. A looping warble that has the hairs on the back of your neck rising.

It has you straightening up, as the fear flickers in your chest. Scanning the horizon for trouble, following the mechanical chatter of the defense turret, as its muzzle swivels.

There's something shimmering, just beyond the chain-link fences. Dark and swaying against the hills behind, as your hand comes up to shield your eyes.

Growing bigger with each step. Coming towards you.

The attack that the Oasis has been anticipating - finally arriving.

"Get inside." Your words come out weak - trying to keep an eye on both the figures, and the kids. Trying again, sharper and louder this time, as the siren continues, "Get inside, now!"

They scatter. Scurrying as the settlers race out to meet the incoming storm, spilling from the houses as others are swept up inside.

Still some ways behind you - you've been moving outwards for most of the afternoon. Closer to the edge of town, than where they are gathering.

As the siren dies out, there's a roar.

Inhuman, in the deep, drawn-out rumble. You're trapped in place, as if the vines themselves have twisted around your own legs.

Unable to tear your eyes away from the beings that have now reached the fence - fanning out.

Tall.

You can tell, even from here. Broader than any human - thick arms clutching guns and long, wooden boards riddled with nails.

You've never seen one in person, but the name springs to your mind instantly.

/Super Mutants./

Humans that had been twisted by a virus, fed to them by the military. An experiment gone wrong, when they turned out more cruel than a super soldier should be.

You found seven in all, already clawing at the chain link. Clutching at rusted pipes, boards riddled with nails.

The metal bends, warping under the strength of their hands.

There's the popping of bullets, though you can't tell which way they're going. A voice yelling in your mind to do something - to run. But you still can't seem to move.

You should head back. Barricade yourself inside until it's late. Managing a glance over your shoulder - seeing the much smaller figures still weaving through the rows.

Turning back just in time to see the gates split open, and fall.

Raiders slowly pour from the hills behind - remoras, following in the wake of the sharks. Ready to snap up anything missed, anything left behind. More in number - close to a dozen, fanning out with their weapons raised and waiting.

It throws you back to that first week, after you left the vault. The paralyzing fear rendering you mute, though your thoughts echo endlessly.

Run. Don't just stand there. Do something.

But… you're not alone this time.

You've grown. You've practiced.

And maybe this time, you can do it.

It feels like it takes ages, but your hand moves down to the holster at your waist. Unclipping the pistol, the heaviness bringing you back down to reality.

Shaking in your grip as you bring it up, the movement familiar from the weeks of training.

Strength comes back, as your feet plant in the soil. Steeling your nerves, because you’ve got something to protect now.

Someone.

Boba is out there, somewhere. If you can take one down, then that’s one less that might run into him. One less that could hurt someone else in the village. A life you could save.

Your finger is on the trigger, an eye closing as you hear your name cut across the wind.

Unable to help but look, with the slightest twist of your head. Where he appears - barreling towards the settlement, from the far edge of the perimeter. Drawn by the sounds of the siren, the shouts that have filled the air.

His power armor sits near the middle of town, on that yellow, rusted hanger. It's close to equal distance from where you are. If he gets to it, the battle would tip heavily in the town’s favor.

You smile. He has to make it.

And you could buy him time.

Turning back, you take a breath - and fire.

The shot strikes the Mutant’s shoulder, but he keeps coming. Your finger pulls - again, and again. Striking arm and the chest, but never slowing. A tremble in your arms, eyes fixed on the massive figure still thunders towards you.

The tiny bit of confidence swept away - devoured again by fear. Acutely aware of how different this was than your practice, so unprepared by their speed and the twist in your stomach.

Wishing desperately you didn't have to do this.

Your hands are clammy with sweat, your heels pressing into the ground as you inhale a breath. Trying, again.

Remembering the way Boba had moved you, those little nudges and encouraging murmurs. Holding your breath - aiming for his head, as you fire.

The Mutant pitches forward with your shot, his snarl cut off as he chokes on the sound. Crashing to the ground, tearing up the tatos as he rolls, only to fall still a moment later.

There's a ragged stab of relief in your chest. Before the terror licks at you again, as you realize there is another, following in his wake.

Fingers fumbling as you try to reload, but you know you won't have time. Wishing you had something more on you, but that crowbar is back in Mos Espa, and your little, rusted trowel would do nothing.

You make for the fallen Super Mutant - thinking you can scoop up the pipe it was carrying. Eyes meeting burning, red ones at the second races towards you, his fingers curled around a board that seems longer than you are tall. The beating of your heart drowns out the sound of its snarl, as his arms raise.

No more than a few yards from you now, as you duck down - your fingers fanning out as you frantically reach.

Never expecting the hand that curls around your wrist, instead.

The sharp tug throws you off balance, as you're pushed backwards, and then down. The world tilting as you land hard in the dirt between the trellises, that iron grip still holding on.

Faded brown and blues bleeding into shades of green.

There's the twist of a torso, as he moves between you and the Super Mutant. A gauntlet rising to catch the heavy, downward swing of the board.

Boba snarls at the impact, the sound through the helmet sending a chill up your spine. The echoing crack as the wood shatters - his fingers letting go as he twists his rifle around.

Firing, before you can blink. Stepping to the slide to avoid a swinging fist, before he's burying a hidden blade into the Mutant’s belly.

Only when it falls does he turn, though his attention fixes behind you - a beckoning curl of fingers at the footsteps that approach, before he's pulling the blade free to finish the job.

“Charon.” Boba barks, “Get her out of here.”

With your mind the mess it is, it takes a moment to realize he means to send you away. To stay alone on the front lines, as the Raiders pour in.

"What?" You're finally finding your voice - crying out as you stagger to your feet, "No!"

Your face is reflected in the dark gleam in his visor when he turns. Tracks of tears running down your cheeks that you hadn't even realized have fallen.

Searching for his eyes beneath, as that moment holds for a second that feels like it stretches longer. Unable to bear the thought of leaving him.

The moment breaks as a hand fists in your shirt, yanking you around. Loosening just enough to wrap around your bicep as Charon urges you back towards the town. Boba’s name bursts from your lips, a ragged plea.

It goes all but ignored. The smallest tilt of a helmet, one last glance your way, before he's sheathing the blade. Reloading with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Your begging turns towards Charon, but his face stays resolute as he hauls you towards the boarded-up houses.

"I do as I am bidden."

Your feet dig into the ground, but he is stronger - forcing you to take one step, and then another.

Dragging up dust that swirls around you, as each one pulls you further away from the battle.

Further away from him.

sen’ika - little bird

Thank you for reading 💚 part ix will be out thursday, the 27th!

(0-pressure tags 💕: @spaceydragons, @luladoll, @obiknights, @wingofshadow, @bobathirstaccount, @reluctant-mandalore, @ohheyitsokay, @floral-force, @valentine-tx, @ri-a-rose, @dreamlandcreations, @vellichormybeloved, @writeforfandoms, @winchestershiresauce, @monada43, @rescuethewretched, @thegalaxys-edge, @honeydjarin, @ray-rook, @dumfanting, @bedky, @thirsty-boba-fett-posts, @dukeoftheblackstar, @lifelikefae, @pentaghasm, @izbelross, @margowritesthings)

[lasaetarubia]

Kylo Ren’s behavior toward Rey is fucking abusive and toxic and there is no denying that fact. There is no deeper meaning in his behavior toward her, the woman he supposedly loves. And Rey deserves so much better than that, so much better than Kylo Ren and his abuse and people trying to make excuses for it by saying he had a terrible childhood. That doesn’t excuse him NOR anyone who sympathizes with him. Two negatives don’t make a positive.

He tortured her, used the force to hold her prisoner and knock her out. Played on her insecurities to try and get her to join the dark side then THREW A HISSY FIT WHEN SHE DIDN’T. Tried to have her shot down from the sky, literally by ordering that the Millenium Falcon be shot down.

Done with people thinking abusive and toxic behavior toward WOMEN by MEN is okay as long as the man is in love with the woman.

IT IS NOT AND IT NEVER WILL BE. STOP MINIMALIZING IT AND TRYING TO EXCUSE IT. 

It’s gross and disgusting and says more about your character than anything else can. 

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 328: Pandora’s Box of Discourse

Previously on BnHA: DEKU TOOK A BATH.

Today on BnHA: 

Also Naomasa grew a beard. Goddamn. 

please let this be a cool chapter that plays nice with my ADHD lol

(ETA: lol I feel guilty because a lot of people hated this chapter, but I’m just happy there was a lot of stuff to make fun of, and also that I have another week to work on my backlog of meta posts since the kids were MIA.)

around one month ago?? ah, okay, so we’re gonna find out what was in that Tartarus security file huh

I love that they just randomly set the place on fire

was it necessary to do this in order to escape? no. was it a good idea to set the island they were occupying on fire while they were in the midst of still occupying it? uh. was it cinematic as fuck? fuck yeah

wow it’s a pervert!!

that’s so great that the villains set loose this fine fellow who I’m sure is definitely not a serial rapist. truly the LoV is so noble and misunderstood. they’re just trying to free society from its chains people

oh my god??!

SHANKED!!! oh my god I cheered for Stain before I realized what I was doing. time to have an identity crisis I guess

so he’s all “hey what’s going on.” which, while a respectable question, is something I personally would have waited to ask until I had put a bit of distance between myself and the fiery murder island. but that’s just my personal preference

Stain you really are tenacious I’ll give you that

“what’s the point of escaping prison if you’re not gonna be smart about it” well shit. anyways yeah you’re dead right, society is in the process of collapsing and the outside world is in total chaos, good call there

oh shit

I mean it’s not like we really expecting anything otherwise, but still. fucking brutal. I feel like these guys’ fates were decided the minute that one guy called AFO “scum” back in chapter 94. AFO is unmatched at getting long-term revenge

??

ahh, was it the security footage??

fdsdfk he’s still alive??

and he’s immediately launching into an inappropriately theatrical monologue even as the darkness closes in on him fdlfksjdlk. you know, was it ever confirmed that the other guy back in chapter 297 was Seiji’s dad? I’m just saying

very impressed that he’s still coherent enough to weigh the pros and cons before making the decision to gamble on giving this info to Stain, who at the very least has his own moral code and isn’t allied with AFO. it was definitely still a risk, but as we now know it was also the right call

what a weird alliance. so Stain tells him that he’ll give it to a just person, and the guy is all,

okay for real though I’m gonna need someone to run a DNA test on this guy. maybe it was some kind of cuckold situation?? the other guy had the family resemblance, but this guy absolutely 100% raised Shishikura Seiji and you are not going to convince me otherwise

anyway, so Stain is all,

PRISON GUARD: “???? ??????? what the hell. what the fuck does that fucking mean. I’m dying here, jesus christ, whatever man fuck you”

(ETA: I kind of feel like this might have been Stain’s last appearance in the manga, given all the fanfare. there’s not really much else he can do for the story at this point, and he seems to have gotten all the character development Horikoshi was planning on giving him. so if this really is it, hasta la vista and good riddance I guess.)

DWLFDKSLDK MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE

(ETA: I feel like this is meant to be evocative of that Sermon on the Mount painting, but in a really fucked up way lol.)

if it were me stumbling upon this scene I would just shake my head and walk right back into the flaming building. not getting involved in that mess. sorry not sorry. I’ll take my chances with the fire, especially given that it’s half-assed neutered BnHA fire lol

blah blah blah and so he decided to pass the info on to All Might -- HOT DAMN, HOLY SHIT

NAOMASA HOLY SHIT. THE APOCALYPSE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU, BOY

“I really like that facial scruff thing Aizawa’s got going on, I think I’m gonna get in on that” yes sir. “also thinking of ditching the tie in favor of the bulletproof vest look. also thinking of getting totally fucking jacked.” good lord. except I’m pretty sure that’s just body armor, but also I don’t care. anyway I should probably stop staring and actually read the fucking speech bubbles here lol

“All Might first handed this information over to Nao, and then went to see Deku, and then came back to Nao” thanks for that tidy little summary Horikoshi. we are capable of piecing events together in sequential order, I just want you to know that. but thank you

“so has Deku finally gotten a bath? also, sucks that Stain saved the day, but what are you gonna do” Nao I missed you so fucking much and didn’t even realize. how am I just now realizing that you are the perfect man

for a second I was gonna ask why Tartarus’s security systems would be cut off from the outside world, and then I remembered that’s a basic security control, and then I actually got impressed by how sensible that is. like, it’s been a while since I could genuinely say that the good guys (excluding class 1-A) did something smart. not that it helped them much in the end, but still

anyway so they’re talking about how AFO was able to coordinate the attack by communicating between his horcrux self on the outside and his ugly peanut-faced self on the inside

huh

okay you have my attention. I am taking notes here lol please continue

ah okay so he says that prior to Jakku, the transfer of information between him and his Vestige self was only one-way. but post-Jakku when Deku was in the hospital, he was able to tell what was happening inside the OFA Radical Lisa Frank Dead People Book Club Realm when he touched him. I feel like we established that before, actually. but he didn’t talk about how it actually felt, though

boy we already know this lol. yes AFO can talk with his horcrux self. and he can also communicate with his little bro in OFA too, let’s talk about that sometime why don’t we. what exactly does that imply, based on the rules we’ve established here

my god I cannot get over Naomasa and his fucking facial hair

no wonder All Might was in such a hurry to leave Deku and get back here

like I have no idea what this radio waves nonsense is but my god, people

that jawline. also so it’s a quirk, I see. except last I checked Deku didn’t have a radio waves quirk, so that doesn’t really explain his connection to AFO. but whatever, hopefully we’re at least getting closer to some kind of reveal here

(ETA: since I sometimes forget that other people’s lives don’t revolve around my theory posts, here are the two relevant links if you by chance want to know my thoughts about this.

Hagakure is still The U.A. Traitor™ regardless of whether Deku is passing information on to AFO through his psychic link, which he almost certainly is.

speaking of said psychic link, Deku is a horcrux.

just posting these now, because whenever trippy OFA stuff happens I tend to get an influx of theory asks. so hopefully this will be a bit of a time saver lol.)

-- wait, what

THAT’S what the recording was??!? holy SHIT. I genuinely was not expecting that. y’all wiretapped his fucking telepathy. fucking quirks, man. wild

AND THEY USED THAT POWER TO DETERMINE WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW, HUZZAH. GOOD SHOW

-- oh shit wait lol, except I forgot we’re not talking about 38 days from the present, we’re talking about 38 days from the date the conversation was recorded. heh. um

yeah that’s the face I would make too if All Fucking Might just casually told me we had eight days left until the end times

oh, pardon me. three fucking days

r.i.p. anyone who thought we were going to have another band arc sob. I sure hope Deku is enjoying that nap

(ETA: I realize people were hoping for a longer rest period here, but given that the man warned us all the way back in chapter 306 that we were entering the final act, you can’t really blame him too much when that turns out to be true. anyway but I do recognize that we’ve reached the point in the story where this kind of discourse is going to become a weekly occurrence, simply because there’s no possible way for Horikoshi’s actual endgame to line up perfectly with the variable headcanons of millions of fans, all of whom have wildly differing and in many cases contradictory expectations which can’t possibly all be fulfilled. anyway, so I’m already bracing myself for that lol. this coming year is going to be a wild ride.)

damn, U.A. out here looking like the motherfucking United Nations

-- is this U.A.?? I actually just realized, U.A. is four interconnected buildings, not two. wait holy shit is this Shiketsu?

wait holy SHIT

based on the overwhelmingly powerful vibes of bureaucratic incompetence, I’m thinking this really is the (future) U.N., or whatever organization it is that deals with international hero stuff

“just let them handle it themselves I’m sure they’ll be fine” yeah okay, thanks guys. appreciate it

wait oh shit did he say that it’s not just Japan?

soooo, what you’re telling me is that AFO is this close to bringing about the end of not just Japan, but the entire world, and you guys don’t think it’s a good idea to help the Japanese heroes stop him? so, genuine follow-up question: are you guys already planning your rich people exodus into space a la Wall-E, and that’s why you don’t give a fuck?? like, what??

omg international heroes

these guys are from World Hoodie Mission, right? is this Horikoshi’s way of reminding me to buy tickets

(ETA: and it worked too lol.)

WHO??? WHAT???

don’t tell me you’re introducing yet another badass new female character for me to fall in love with only to watch as you dismember them and/or blow them up, Horikoshi. I’m getting tired of playing this game my dude. don’t lie and tell me this time will be different. we’re not doing this again goddammit

noooooooooooooooooooo

god fucking dammit lmao. [sighs and rips the previous paragraph into shreds]

on behalf of Americans I apologize for our superheroes always being Like This

I also apologize because I love her already and I’m gonna be shameless about it. so fucking shameless you guys

is her fucking hair red white and blue. it is, isn’t it

this is the volume cliffhanger, 100% lol. it will take every ounce of Horikoshi’s willpower not to put her on the volume cover. he’ll have to settle for the spine or the inner cover this time because Deku VS his class 1-a superpals takes precedence. but it will be a close thing let me tell you

tbh it’s that smile that does it for me. she’s definitely All Might’s protege. get out there and show them how it’s done girl. and maybe call Salaam and BRD and see if you can’t convince them to play hooky from their governments as well. why not. world’s ending in three days you guys. “sorry, I’m busy this weekend” ain’t gonna cut it lol

so while I am not fully caught up with Vigilantes, I have read far enough to know that there’s an American hero named Captain Celebrity whose superpower from what I recall is being a humongous douchebag. and while I haven’t read far enough to know what happens to this guy, I can’t say I’m very disappointed to learn that he’s no longer the number one hero in the U.S. (actually, didn’t they kick him out and that’s why he moved to Japan to begin with?). anyway, so my thanks to Horikoshi for having a marginally higher opinion of Americans than Furuhashi, even though we have definitely not done anything to warrant said opinion lately, and you may have inadvertently opened the door to a pandora’s box of discourse lmao

(ETA: lol I went into the tags and they don’t disappoint. “why is she dressed like a flag” because she’s an homage to Captain America and Major Victory and literally every other character on this list. again, I apologize for fictional American superheroes being Like This. “oh boy another thicc waifu to make the fanboys happy” look, tumblr fandom never seems to have a problem thirsting over Dabi or Tomura or Aizawa or Nao, lol, I’m just saying. “where is Captain Celebrity” idk, probably murdered by the exploding bee cartel, let’s just be grateful for our good fortune and try not to Beetlejuice the man.)

anyway, so let’s see if Horikoshi’s recent character development with regards to making Mineta not terrible anymore will apply to other aspects of his writing as well. I know I was making light of discourse just now, but I do think the complaints about him introducing yet another new character at the 11th hour to be cannon fodder in the final battle are absolutely valid. and again, it wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t keep maiming/killing off his female characters one by one instead of developing them and letting them kick ass long-term. but that said, I will never complain about Horikoshi adding another female character to the series, regardless of how clumsy the attempt may be. go ahead and pander away, just give us more girl power lol

anyway so we’ll see how it goes, but I think I’m gonna be optimistic and let myself hope once again, even though I’m probably gonna regret it lol. it is what it is. she is standing on an airplane just chilling for fuck’s sake. I’m only human. anyway fingers crossed

[anonymousfiction211]

Give it time: ch2

A/N:

Some time ago I wrote this story about Loki seeing Steve flirt with you and getting jealous. It was fun to write it from Loki’s point of view. Here is what happened next, written from your point of view. While writing it I got the idea for another (and last!) chapter of the next day, written from Steve’s point of view. If you guys are interested. Hope you like it😉

Warnings:

Hurt/comfort 

Comforting Loki

He cried.

You had never seen Loki cry. Sometimes he would tear up and on a rare occasions a single tear would fall down his cheek. But now he was sobbing against your chest, holding you extremely tight. For a moment you feared he would forget that he could crush you like a bug, but after a while the sobbing died down a bit and his grip around you loosened. Able to move, you put a hand on his cheek. Loki averted your gaze and hid it in the crook of your neck.

‘Loki?’ you asked.

He didn’t react. You held him tighter and stroked his hair. Whispering in his ear that it was okay and everything would be all right. That you were here with him and you weren’t going anywhere. After a while Loki stopped crying, but didn’t try to move. He had drank a lot, not normal alcohol, Asgardian alcohol. Thor had warned you before the party that Loki might have one drink too many. It had been a while since he had any alcohol that could affect him. No wonder that he was emotional. And the whole situation with Steve didn’t help. You wished he would see that he had nothing to worry about.

‘Loki?’ you asked again.

Loki’s grip loosened more and he showed his face to you. His eyes were red and puffy, he looked heartbroken. And it broke your heart to see him like that. But you also were a bit relieved to see it. A relationship with Loki wasn’t always easy. He was very closed off and didn’t always show his emotions. The longer you were together, the more he started to relax and show you his true self.

‘It’s all right. Tell me what’s wrong’ you whispered to him.

Loki sat up right in the bed. You did the same and grabbed his hand. He let you hold his hand and squeezed in it.

‘Steve’ he said with a strained voice.

Not this again, you thought. The same argument the two of you had since the beginning of your relationship. Ever since Loki had learned that you and Steve had ‘history’ together, he became possessive and scared to lose you. It wasn’t even really history. When Steve woke up after being frozen you had helped him adjust to the modern world. The two of you had a strong bond and became inseparable. To help him with the new dating customs, the two of you went on a dinner date. After the date he walked you home and yes, the two of you kissed. You weren’t sure if it was because of the romantic setting, that you spend all your free time helping Steve, or that you actually like him. So, you were relieved when he came by the next day and told you that he didn’t know either.

Everything was new to him, Peggy was still alive and the loss of their possible future was something he hadn’t come to terms with yet. At that time, he needed a friend and the two of you decided that that’s what it was. Friends. After that you never talked about it and there were never any awkward moments. You actually had forgotten about it. When you started to date other guys, Steve was extremely supportive. Except when you started to date Loki. He thought you could do better. But after a few months of Steve seeing how happy you were with Loki, he let it go. He even tried to make an effort with Loki. Loki was wary of Steve at first, but that was just Loki being Loki. Unfortunately, Steve had told Loki about your ‘history’ before you and after that Loki couldn’t stand Steve. Loki insisted that Steve was interested in you, but you knew Steve better and that surely wasn’t the case.

‘Loki’ you sighed. ‘I told you time and time again, there is nothing happening. We don’t look at each other that way. You need to let this go. I swear we’re just friends’ you said.

Loki squeezed your hand tighter ‘It is’ he said. ‘I just passed him in the hallway, getting you your water. He flat out told me that he is interested in you’

‘What?’ you asked shocked.

‘He wants you, he told me’ Loki said.

‘That can’t be. You sure?’ you asked still shocked.

‘WHAT? Because the God of Lies is incapable of telling the truth?’ Loki snapped.

‘No! That’s not what I meant’ you quickly said. ‘But are you sure? What did he say? Maybe you.. you know.. misinterpreted it?’

‘He pretended to be worried about my state and said he thought he had to take you home. It told him that I will always take you home. He reacted by saying ‘Give it time’. I told you that he is madly in love with you. How can you not see it?’ Loki answered.

‘Maybe he meant that he would have if you had any more alcohol? Or that there will be a point in time where he takes me home, because you are on a mission or something?’ you tried to calm Loki down.

‘Are you SERIOUSLY defending him right now?’ Loki half yelled. He let go of you hand and looked angrily at you.

‘It’s just.. Steve is my best friend. And I don’t want to ruin that friendship, because you’re jealous at a stupid thing that happened years ago and meant nothing!’ you explained.

‘Don’t’ Loki said.

‘Don’t what?’ you asked.

‘Don’t act like I’m unreasonable or wrong here. I love you, but you are so naïve sometimes. He’s been shamelessly flirting with you, manipulating our fights, and manipulating me’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘So, don’t tell me that I misunderstood. Don’t try to justify his actions. My whole life people tell me that I misunderstood, that I’m out of line. I’m not!’ tears were starting to form in his eyes.

‘You mean because of your youth and competition with Thor?’ you asked. Thinking that maybe that was the real issue. Maybe he was projecting his feelings from then on some made up idea, because it is less painful.

‘I am referring to that, but this isn’t some made up idea. This is very real. I can’t believe you don’t believe or trust me in this’ he said.

‘Are you in my head?’ you asked.

‘Obviously’ he sarcastically said.

‘You know I hate it when you do that’ you snapped.

‘And I hate it when my girlfriend keeps hanging with her ex and is totally oblivious about his true intentions. Yet, here we are’ he snapped back.

There was a long silence. You were trying to find the right words. Loki’s face had gone blank and you had no idea what he was thinking, or is he was still in your head.

‘If it is really true that Steve has changed his mind and wants more than friendship, it doesn’t change the fact that I am with you. And that I love you. He can try all he wants, but I’m not leaving you. I have no interest in Steve that way. So, if you can’t trust him, trust me!’ you tried to convince him.

‘How can you promise me something like that. Maybe you change your mind after some time. I know being with me isn’t the easiest thing in the world and there is Captain America. The poster boy of goodness and everyone is falling for it. Steve isn’t always the gentlemen he advertises to be. I can’t believe that the only other person who sees that is Tony’ Loki ranted.

‘Because whenever I’m alone in bed and you’re on a mission, I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about you the whole day. Even tough you hide it, you care so much. Not just about me, but also Thor and the rest of the team’ you grabbed his hand and he didn’t pull away. You snuggled closer to him and laid your head on his shoulder. ‘You’re charming, funny and caring. And the day you decided to actively participate with the rest of the team was the day I fell hard for you. I love you, Loki, and I will always love you. That’s how I know I can promise you that’ you whispered to him.

Loki pulled you in his arms ‘I love you too. Please don’t leave me’

‘Never’ you said, snuggling closer against him. He laid down in the bed, still holding you close.

‘But I still feel uneasy about it’ Loki whispered.

You knew that this was not something that would go away in one night. ‘I’m not going to dump Steve as my friend, but I want you to be comfortable. So, I could talk to him tomorrow and keep my distance for a while, give us some time to figure something out. Maybe we can take some time off, go away for a weekend’ you said.

‘I would like that’ Loki said.

‘Now go to sleep, Lo. You feel better tomorrow I promise’ you said.

‘Maybe I should talk to Steve tomorrow?’ Loki said before you could fall asleep.

‘I think it’s better if I talk to him’ you said.

‘Honestly, I don’t think so. But if that’s what you truly want, we do it your way’ Loki mumbled. You kissed his chest and drifted off to sleep.

But if you knew how tomorrow would go, you would have done it his way.

Permanent tag list: @delightfulheartdream @the-best-phineas​ @theaudacitytowrite @pescadoavocado @theestorm

[rainbowxmisa]

Could she be... What I've always been waiting for?

Michael Langdon has been a lot of things in his short life; a special boy, the chosen one, a delinquent, a warlock, the alfa, the supreme, the antichrist... But what he believed the most, is that he always has been a monster. Or at least, that's what everyone had made him believe his entire life.

When he arrived at the outpost 3, he still believed it. He was received with a lot of different glances; glances of fear, glances of curiosity, glances of malice… but when he looked at her, he saw a glance full of something entirely different from what he was used to; it was a glance full of kindness. And he wondered why he felt that she was so different from the rest of them.

From that moment, he started to feel curiosity towards her.

It was like she belonged to a different place, but at the same time, it was like she felt at total peace with her surroundings. Everyone at the outpost 3 was dying to get out of there as soon as possible; but on the other hand, she seemed comfortable where she was. Everyone was trying to please him to get a place at the Sanctuary, but not her.

At some point, he started to feel like some sort of magnetism towards her. It was like the universe was trying to tell him to get closer to her; to know her better. And he was happy to oblige.

They shared gazes in the corridors, always accompanied by a sweet smile from her, but it was on his second night at the outpost 3 when he finally chose to approach her. She was playing the piano, lost on that world that looked so entirely hers. He decided to sit on the stairs rather than the sofas to listen to the melancholic tune she was playing, not wanting to disturb her. He observed her, trying to understand why his chest felt so tight every time he glanced at her.

When the song was over and she was about to stand up, she noticed that she wasn’t alone. Her gaze found Michael and she smiled softly.

“Did I wake you up?” she asked concerned.

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about that. I was already awake.” he answered. “Can you play that song again?” Michael asked, approaching her.

“Of course.”

She started playing the tune once more, carefully, like she wanted to slow time with the music, and then, she was lost in her world again. With her eyes closed, she let her fingers roam the keys like they were a second skin for her.

Michael basked on her beauty; on the peace and tranquility she radiated. And in that moment, he wished that his life could be just like that; full of peace… just the two of them.

She played the last part of the song opening her eyes and looking at Michael, always with that sweet smile of hers.

“How’s the song called?” asked Michael.

“I love you.” she answered, making Michael’s heart drum on his ribcage like a thunder.

“Excuse me?” he asked confused.

“That’s the title of the song, ‘I love you’.” she said with a shy smile.

For a moment, Michael thought she was saying that she loved him, and for some reason, he liked the idea.

“Why aren’t you sleeping like everybody else?” asked him, trying to change the topic.

“I like the quiet of the night, even though you can’t know when it’s day and when it’s night inside here.” she said, smiling brightly.

That made him smile. And smiling with so ease was something he wasn’t used to.

He wanted her to rest, but at the same time, he wanted to know her better, and this was the perfect occasion.

“It seems like you don’t like to be surrounded by the rest of the people of the outpost.” he observed.

“I tolerate most of them, I think. But I’ve always liked to be on my own.” she answered, shrugging her shoulders.

Michael related to that, and he understood why she wanted to be on her own in a place like this.

“Then I understand why you roam the outpost like a vampire.” he said with a sided smile, trying to joke a little.

That made her laugh; and with that beautiful and jovial laugh, his heart started to beat faster and faster. He swore his heart never felt more alive until he met her.

“I like vampires, so I won’t complain about that.” she stated proudly.

Michael liked that she was so open with him, like she didn’t fear him like the rest of the outpost. She was like a ray of sunshine, even though he could feel that there was dark inside her, too.

“What else do you like?” he asked with curiosity.

“That’s a tricky question, because I like a lot of things. But I suppose there’s little left of what I used to like, except for one thing: books!” she claimed extending her arms to the big bookshelves that surrounded them.

“Then lucky you to have so many books to read. What books do you enjoy the most?” he was starting to feel that connection towards her growing and growing with each passing second.

“Hmm, I suppose any book with an interesting plot is more than enough for me.” she answered, pursing her lips.

“May I make you a recommendation?” he asked, approaching one of the bookshelves.

“Of course!”

He roamed one by one all of the bookshelves until he found the book he was looking for. He remembered each one of these books like his own hand; he was fond of the memory of this place when it was a school for gifted youngsters. He approached her again and gave her the book in question.

“I really enjoyed reading this book years ago, and I hope you will enjoy it, too.” he said with a little smile.

“What is this book about?” she asked, touching the cover with tenderness.

“Since you like vampires, I thought you may like this story. It’s a story of a vampire falling in love with a human. I don’t want to say too much, but it has a lot of romance and drama.” he explained.

“Sounds interesting, I like it already! I really can’t wait to start reading it, thank you, Mr. Langdon.” she said sincerely.

“You can call me Michael.” he stated.

“Then, thank you, Michael.” she said with a bright smile, embracing the book, and without knowing it; a piece of Michael’s heart, too, making him feel less like a monster.

On his third night at the outpost 3, Michael went back to the library in search of her, knowing very well he’ll find her there. And he wasn’t wrong. There she was in one of the sofas by the fireplace, reading the book he recommended to her.

“Are you enjoying the book?” he asked softly, sitting right by her side.

“I’ve been reading it for hours, I’m loving it!!” she exclaimed with joy.

“I’m glad to hear that.” he answered, proud of himself.

“It’s a beautiful story, but it’s so sad…” she said, looking to him so intensely that he felt her gaze on his very soul.

“What is so sad?” he asked, approaching her a little bit more, enjoying that intimate moment between them.

“That their love is condemned to death. Everyone sees the vampire like a monster, like a beast incapable of love. But they’re wrong. He is capable of love, he’s nothing but a good and caring lover to his future wife.” she explained, her words full of passion and anger.

Michael felt his heart ache with desire and longing. He wished intensely for her to see him like the vampire of the story; someone worthy of love.

“And what do you want to happen at the end?” he asked.

“That they could have a happy life, to prove everyone wrong.” she said with conviction.

Michael knew the end of the story, and he knew she was gonna be upset with it.

“Then better you keep reading it.” he said, feeling a little bit bold and opening his arms so she could be more comfortable reading. Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to cuddle a little bit with her.

Hearing her little sobs, he knew she was about to end the book.

“What's the matter?” he asked concerned.

“I can’t keep reading it.” she answered in tears.

“Why not?” he asked, rubbing her arm with tenderness.

“Because my heart hurts.” she explained with grief.

“I told you it was a drama, too. Do you want me to read to you the end?”

“Yes.” she answered, wiping away her tears and passing to him the book.

She cuddled more into him, trying to search more comfort.

Michael started reading with a soothing voice, feeling the quiet sobs of hers in his shoulder where she was hiding her face.

“The end.” he stated softly when he arrived at the end of the story.

“It’s so unfair.” she said so mad at the book.

“It is.” conceded Michael.

“Why couldn't they be happy? Why was it such a crime to fall in love with a vampire? The monster of the story isn't the vampire, it's the people that killed his wife just because they couldn't understand their love.” she said full of rage.

“I guess not everyone has a good heart like you to see that.” he said, caressing her cheek, feeling again his chest tight at the sight of her crying with her heart broken.

“Why everyone is so scared of you?” she asked suddenly, touching the hand that was caressing her cheek, looking right into his eyes.

“What do you mean?” he thought that this was the moment where everything ended; where she finally discovered the monster he was.

“Everyone after their interviews said you were evil, that something was wrong with you. But when I look at you, the only thing I see is someone, that like the vampire of this story, was misunderstood. Someone capable of love, wanting desperately to reach to that light buried inside of him.” she explained, approaching their faces a little bit more.

“And why aren’t you scared of me, too?” he asked, feeling their lips just millimeters apart, wishing she truly meant what she just said.

“Because since the first moment I arrived to this place, I knew I was meant to die, but after meeting you, at least I can do it knowing that you always treated me with kindness, and that I never saw the monster all of them talk about.” she explained with a smile.

Kindness. That was just what he felt about her the first time their glances met. And he really wanted to believe her.

“You’re not gonna die. Okay?” he assured her.

“And why are you so sure about that?” she asked.

“Because you’re coming to the Sanctuary with me.” he stated.

“But you still didn’t interview me.” she said confused.

“Do you think I need an interview to know I want to spend the rest of my life with you?” Michael asked, with their lips impossibly close.

“I don’t know, maybe you needed to know me more before.” she said, trying not to smile.

“We’ll have plenty of time in the Sanctuary to know each other more.” he said, joining finally their lips on a much desired kiss; a sweet kiss full of love and yearning.

After they lost the count of the kisses they shared, she started to feel a little bit sleepy. Michael carried her in his arms to his room. After undressing and getting into the bed, Michael refused to sleep. He used the time to caress her arm and her face with delicacy, basking once more in her ethereal beauty. Tomorrow will be Halloween, and after his plan will triunfaly work, they’ll have the rest of their lives to share in the Sanctuary, finding that peace that he desperately wanted. But not the light though, because the light he always searched inside of him, was lying just beside him.

She was the reason that made him truly believe he wasn’t a monster all along.

He was worthy of love; worthy of her love.

For the one's wondering what song was the Reader playing on the piano, is this one: 'I love you' by RIOPY I was highly inspired by this clip of Skam France where Lucas plays the same song: SKAM FRANCE EP.2 S3: Vendredi 19h34 - Surprenant

I really hope you all enjoyed this sweet and self indulgent story. Michael always deserved better :)

You can also read this story on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30491691

[keijislove]

Can i request #2 and 3 from the prompt list with Harry x Reader please but make it a happy ending? Thank you!!

A/N: Hi anon, omg this was so much fun to write!!! I love Harry and feel that there is not much Harry x reader content out there, so here you go! Hope you like it 😊

‘And then they lived happily ever after!’ Cho finished reading as the girls around her squealed in excitement.

You merely snorted.

‘Why do all of your books have sappy endings?’ you questioned Cho as she looked at you incredulously.

‘Well, its fun to read.’ Cho shrugged. ‘If you were in Ravenclaw, you could be reading diverse romances instead of those stupid muggle books you like so much. For example, what’s this you’re reading?’

She snatched your book and looked at the words you’d been reading.

‘Real love is rare but fake words and promises are everywhere.’ She read out before looking at you. ‘See, this is why you feel so lonely, Y/N. if you’re gonna be reading miserable books like that, then I can’t blame you for being droopy most of the time.’

‘It’s not miserable, Cho.’ You contradicted. ‘It’s a little something called reality.’

Cho snorted. ‘Whatever you say.’

‘Besides, I’m not always lonely.’ You continued. ‘I have Hermione and Ron... and Harry too.’

‘And Harry too!’ Cho mocked. ‘Blimey, Y/N I forgot to ask. How’s things between you two?’

At that you looked down. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

Even though you weren’t looking at her, you could almost feel her roll her eyes.

‘You’re lovesick, darling.’ Cho explained. ‘You get this weird glow on your face when you talk about him and your eyes form hearts like in those muggle comics you read. Also, when he’s around, you blush like a tomato. Tell me how this is incorrect?’

You sighed. ‘None of your business, Cho Chang. So what if I like him? I’m probably the 100th girl who does. He has a pretty wide collection of choices, you know. Take Ginny for example. She’s everything I’m not. She’s pretty, popular, outgoing AND she is sweet. I’m a loner, too sarcastic to have too many friends, and it’s not like I can help it anyway. He’d never like me.’

‘Sweetie, what is there not to like in you?’ Cho asked worriedly.

It was one of the many reasons you liked her, she always paid attention to your moods and constantly asked if you were alright.

‘Y’know what Cho, let’s leave it.’ You muttered. ‘I promised Ron I’d help him with his essay anyway. He’s probably eating in the common room. Bye.’

You gave a nod and walked off, but you could feel Cho’s eyes watching you thoughtfully.

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

As you walked into the common room, a chorus of noises greeted you.

‘Fine, I’ll give you five galleons I can.’ Harry was saying.

‘Alright mate, whatever you say.’ Said Ron.

‘Five galleons you can do what?’ you questioned, walking up to them.

Harry immediately coughed nervously. ‘Ahem, Y/N! Hi! Ron here was betting I couldn’t, er, sneak down to the kitchens.’

‘If you know Fred and George, doesn’t seem impossible.’ You said in amusement.

‘Someone summon us?’ a voice called behind you as you turned to see Fred standing there.

‘Oh, yeah.’ You spoke. ‘Ron here thinks Harry can’t sneak down to the kitchens, so he put five galleons on that. I was just explaining how anybody who knew you two could probably sneak off to Mars unnoticed.’

‘We are honoured.’ George bowed to you. ‘But Ron, mate, weren’t you betting that Harry couldn’t ask o-’

‘NO, I WASN’T!’ Ron bellowed, causing you to miss what George said.

George’s expression immediately changed.

‘Harry couldn’t ask what?’ you asked.

‘The house elves to make him some food.’ Fred casually spoke.

You narrowly looked at him.

‘Boys.’ You finally muttered, going upstairs.

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

You were trying to wrench your bag out of the spot it had decided to get caught in, when a voice startled you.

‘Here, let me help.’

You turned around to see none other than the Chosen One himself.

‘Oh, thanks.’ You said nervously as Harry yanked the bag out of the door.

You grabbed it and turned to leave.

‘Er, Y/N?’ you heard Harry ask.

‘Yeah?’

‘I was wondering if, um, you’d... y-you’d like to go to Hogsmeade with me?’ Harry asked.

Your eyes grew wide. ‘Are you asking me out? Like on a date?’

‘Erm, yes.’ He said.

‘Oh.’ You managed to squeak. ‘Oh, Oh! Um, y-yeah, alright, s-sure!’

He flashed you one of his stupidly adorable grins. ‘Brilliant!

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

You and Harry had been dating for a few weeks now.

But something was terribly wrong.

Harry had started acting horribly distant, sometimes ignoring you or trying to walk past you in the corridors.

You were on your way to the common room. wondering whatever you could have done to upset him, when his voice caught you before you entered.

‘Ron, I can’t do this anymore.’ He spoke. ‘I know I agreed to your dare that I couldn’t ask Y/N out, but I can’t do this. I’ll give you your galleons, don’t worry.’

‘Well, alright mate.’ You heard Ron say. ‘But I thought you were happy-’

‘I’m not.’

That was enough for you to choke a sob and run off to the deserted Quidditch Pitch.

So that’s what it was.

A dare.

Harry didn’t want to be with you, heck he didn’t even enjoy it.

You kicked away stones in anger, remembering Cho’s voice.

Real love is rare but fake words and promises are everywhere.

That was exactly what the past few weeks were.

Fake love, fake words, fake smiles, fake promises.

It was all fake.

Your thoughts were cut short, as a pair of shoes came skipping by.

‘Oh.’ You heard a familiar voice.

No, go away, please. You thought. I hate you, don’t come near me.

‘Hey, love.’ Harry grinned.

You tried not to gag. ‘Why’re you calling me that?’

He frowned. ‘D-do you not l-like it?’

‘No.’ you coldly responded. ‘You’re here to break up, aren’t you?’

‘What how did you-’ Harry began.

'Is this what this whole relationship was to you? A bloody dare?’ you asked through your tears.

Harry’s eyes widened. ‘You heard...?’

‘Yes, I heard.’ You said. ‘Harry Potter, don’t you ever dare speak to me again.’

With that, you stalked off.

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

Even though you’d convinced yourself you’d never speak to him, you couldn’t help but worry about Harry.

The third task was near, and you were wondering if he’d make it.

He’s made it this far, hasn’t he? You thought. He’ll manage, stop thinking about him.

Sitting in the arena, waiting for him to emerge out of the maze, you couldn’t take it anymore.

‘Cho... if he’s back, just let me know.’ You informed the black-haired Ravenclaw, turning to leave.

Just as you turned, a cheer erupted as you whipped around to see Harry carrying something and lying face-front on the ground.

Everyone was cheering, but you squinted at what he was carrying, trying to make out what it was.

When you focused for long enough, your hands flew to your mouth as you let out a blood-curdling scream.

Cedric Diggory’s body.

And it wasn’t moving.

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

‘Is he... can I see him?’ you asked Madame Pomphrey.

‘Well, I’m sure he’s asleep, dear.’ She answered, frowning. ‘But in you go.’

You thanked her and went inside.

Harry was not sleeping, but he looked terrible.

‘Oh, Harry.’ You sighed, walking to him.

Still not looking at you, he spoke. ‘You still hate me.’

‘No, I-’ you began. ‘I... I don’t. I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.’

‘I should be the one apologising.’ He said quietly.

You sighed. ‘I’ll be late for Charms... see you soon, Harry.’

You bent down to place a kiss on his cheek.

At that moment, he turned his head abruptly, causing your lips to collide.

Gasping, you pulled back.

Entire body trembling with giddiness, you walked to your class.

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

After your little ‘encounter’, Harry went back to ignoring you.

You were sick of it, and one day, while he was returning from Hagrid’s cabin, you cornered him.

‘You can’t hide forever, you know.’ You spoke seriously, arms crossed over your chest.

He didn’t look at you.

Sighing, you stepped forward. ‘We need to talk.’

His head snapped up to meet your eyes.

‘There’s nothing to talk about. I kissed you and you pulled away. End of story.’ He casually said.

‘No, it’s not the end of story.’ You snapped. ‘How could you even, first you fake-date me and then this, I mean for Merlin’s sake Harry, a kiss is supposed to mean something and I-’

‘What makes you think it didn’t mean anything?’ he asked softly.

You gaped at him. ‘You said... you dated me because of a dare and then-’

‘Oh.’ He interrupted. ‘Oh. That’s why you were upset. Oh my god, Y/N, you totally misunderstood me. I... was talking to Ron because I felt that I wasn’t being fair to you... I like you, Y/N. I truly do, and I wanted to date you as well, but I was worried what you’d think when I’d explained it was a dare! And th-then I came to tell you all this, but you seemed so sad, I thought you hated me. Don’t ever think like that, Y/N. That kiss meant everything it was supposed to.’

You remained silent.

Harry blushed and awkwardly scratched his neck. ‘Uhm... and I-I’d like to try that again...’

Your eyes widened as you turned red.

Swallowing your nerves, you leaned forward as he mirrored your actions and met you halfway.

And this time, neither of you pulled back.

[problemswithbooks]

I legitimately believe toga is one of the worst characters because she's almost incel levels of entitlement to people's feelings. I hope she gets the shit kicked out of her

Toga sob storying her problems and villain stans going "🥺 they need understand her and let her live" makes want her to die more. STOP STABBING PEOPLE YOU HORRID FETISH BAIT.

Different asks, but similar sentiments about Toga.

For me I think my main issue with Toga is that Hori didn't do enough to make it clear she was rejected for her Quirk alone, rather then her own actions. Besides her parents who seemed disturbed by her Quirk, no one else seems that upset with her just her Quirk, but rather her actions.

Especially with the recent leaks, it really comes across as Toga just refusing respect people's boundaries. Izuku didn't reject her--all he did was say "hey, I get that you want to be like the people you love, but that shouldn't involve hurting them" and she saw that a full on rejection. All Ochako and Izuku have ever asked is that she maybe not try and kill them please, and Toga gets upset with them.

It's just really hard to see her as this poor misunderstood little girl, when no one's unfairly cruel to her. All they want is for her not to stab them and steal their identity--that's not asking a lot.

She comes across as very entitled, very hypocritical in certain cases and sort of stupid. She refuses to take no for an answer, sees anyone calling her out for hurting them as rejecting her unfairly, and seems to only understand people being killed is sad/bad when it's done to her friends. She'll also come right out and tell Izuku she loves him and ask him out but is still vague about asking her question, which leads to stupid misunderstandings.

I just don't know if Hori really understood how to write this type of character into something more then his original concept of "Slutty for Murder" trope. He wants her to be sympathetic, but barely spent anytime on her backstory and won't give her more mixed emotions about her Quirk. I'd like her more if we saw her struggle to control herself and feel bad that she she ended up killing people she liked. Or even just have conflicting thoughts about her Quirk and actions--trying to embrace it as her normal, but also wishing that her normal didn't end up hurting others.

I hope maybe by the end we do get something more then Ochako telling her she's actually just a sad girl and giving her hug of understanding. I want Toga to learn to accept other's boundaries and understand that someone saying no to her affection isn't rejection of her entire being.

That's why the idea that at the end Izuku and Ochako should give Toga some of their blood in the end as a show of change and friendship would make kind of gross me out. Because I think the biggest thing Toga has to learn is that she has to respect people's boundaries and accepting that some people just won't be okay with her using her Quirk on them. That sort of ending to her act would kind of imply that harassing someone is fine and that the people being targeted should just give in to their demands and do what they want. Which isn't what I think Hori is trying to say.

[dizzyduck44]

One of my pet peeves in life are people who use part of a statement to prove an argument, my absolute worst being American’s insistence on their right to bear arms, whilst ignoring the whole second section about in defence of their country.

Well I think in F1 we have been guilty of the same thing.

Someone has brought to my attention today that whilst we have all been focusing/obsessing on the “any cars behind the lead car” unlapping themselves phrase and does any mean all, it’s actually the next bit that really we should all be focusing on which apparently is “only when all lapped cars have passed the lead car and safety car, the safety car will then return to the pits on the next lap” or words to that effect.

To me there is no grey area there. All lapped cars must pass the safety car and it will return to the pits the following lap. This is why three lawyers told Mercedes they had a strong case. It fundamentally changed at least 4 drivers place in the Championship standings (I haven’t worked out all the options).

Now I respect Mercedes and Lewis decision to not persue this and as I keep saying, this is no drivers fault so please don’t start throwing blame around. What concerns me is the FIA are going to try and convince the teams, the drivers, the media and us the fans that we misunderstood that rule. A rule they have quoted to teams and drivers in the past to explain why a safety car needs to stay out.

If you are a Lewis fan, a Max fan, a Daniel fan, a Seb fan, whoever you support do not let them try to hoodwink you. You are not stupid. Do not let them focus on the bit they want you to focus on, ignoring the bit that contradicts their version of events.

I will try and find the exact sections, articles and wording but regardless of who you support please consider the fact the FIA are trying to manipulate everyone involved in Formula One to believe they’re right.

I’m a Lewis and Lando fan and even I can see the FIA have two approaches to Lando, ignore him completely or punish him but lessen it because he has a pretty convincing sob story. They interpret the rules depending on the circumstances and sometimes drivers (I know Seb fans I’m preaching to the converted) or teams involved (Ferrari International Assistance - what exactly went on with the 2019 engine again? That’s right you never told us!). They have been doing this for a while (at least since Charlie Whiting passed).

If you support your driver or team keep shouting about this because next time it could be your favourite that ends up on the receiving end of a decision that makes no sense.

If they try to claim that this has been a mistranslation from the French to the English I actually think all the teams should throw the towel in. If you would rather stoop that low than admit a mistake was made then what is even the point anymore.

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】 Tears of Themis: Main Story 7-35 Translation

Translation Masterlist | Video

Chapter 7 – Rains of Monte Cristo: 7-1 / 7-3 / 7-5 / 7-7 / 7-9 / 7-11 / 7-13 / 7-15 / 7-17 / 7-19  ♦️ ♦️  7-20 / 7-22 / 7-24 / 7-26 / 7-28 / 7-30 / 7-32 / 7-34 / 7-35

Content Warning: This section contains topics that may be uncomfortable to some readers (mentions of abuse). Please proceed with discretion.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

Court Hallway

After the trial ended, I did not leave immediately. Rather, I waited in the hallway for Hang Jiahe. 

Soon, she walked over, guarded by two bailiffs.

MC: Miss Hang.

Hang Jiahe: What are you doing here? Are you going to laugh at me?

Hang Jiahe: Are you happy to have beat me?

MC: You’ve misunderstood. I came to tell you something.

Hang Jiahe: What?

MC: Actually… this examination report…

I took out that last examination report again.

MC: Due to time and technical limits, we currently do not have the identification results.

MC: When I showed it in court, I just wanted to add psychological pressure onto you.

Hang Jiahe: …

Hang Jiahe froze for a few seconds, but she then responded quickly.

Hang Jiahe: You tricked me… you tricked me… hahahahahahaha!

She suddenly burst into sharp laughter.

Hang Jiahe: I didn’t lose… I didn’t lose…

Hang Jiahe: I still got my revenge!

MC: …

MC: Miss Hang, can I ask you something?

Hang Jiahe: What do you want to say?

MC: You said in court that Qi Yu tried to hold Hang Fei back “that night”.

MC: But you still murdered her out of hate for her bystander position, correct?

Hang Jiahe: Yes, I hated her for being a coward, hated her for being too scared to resist Hang Fei, hated her for looking on for so many years without lifting a finger!

Hang Jiahe: She knew during those years what Hang Fei was doing to me, so why didn’t she save me?

MC: …

Hang Jiahe: Then… did you know that Hang Fei had also been abusing Qi Yu during those years?

Hang Jiahe: I did. How could she not have been beaten, with how cowardly she was?

MC: Then do you know why she was beaten?

Hang Jiahe: Why?

MC: …

I took out my phone and opened a video featuring Qi Yu’s abuse. That small woman was lying weakly on the floor, passively enduring the man’s punches and kicks. But she kept mumbling something –

“Don’t hurt Jiahe… and those children… stop it…”

Hang Jiahe: What…

MC: Miss Hang, did Qi Yu never do anything during all those times you were abused?

MC: Are you sure that every time, she chose to be a bystander, rather than being forced into her position?

MC: Did you know that Qi Yu said those words in each of the videos she was beaten in?

Hang Jiahe: I…

Hang Jiahe froze for a second, but then she immediately reacted.

Hang Jiahe: So what, then? What do you want to say?

Hang Jiahe: That I misunderstood her? That I shouldn’t have killed her? Then does all the pain I suffered for so many years even matter?

Hang Jiahe: You want me to absolve her? To forgive her?

MC: You’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I mean.

MC: I am not you. I have not endured your suffering, so I cannot request for you to forgive anyone.

MC: I haven’t seen what happened during those years, so I cannot judge whether Qi Yu was actively or passively making her decisions.

MC: And I definitely can’t carelessly determine whether she sinned or not.

I stopped for a moment and looked at Hang Jiahe’s gloves. 

In her mind, she probably was the Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès – someone who had been wronged and could only get revenge for herself. She believed herself as intelligent and as lucky as Edmond, that she would ultimately be the winner. But…

MC: But even Edmond would figure out the situation before his revenge and repay his benefactors.

MC: I’m telling you this, only because I hope you’ll understand what sorts of people you sent away.

MC: I hope you understand that there have been people who intended to treat you kindly.

Hang Jiahe: …

MC: Also, Miss Hang, I can guess why you were not willing to ask for help from the police.

MC: In that sort of situation, you may have thought that you couldn’t rely on the outside world to go against them.

MC: But even so, me, Captain Morgan, and many, many people still have to do something.

I flipped further into the examination report.

MC: Even if Hang Fei is gone, the things he’s done will not disappear with him.

MC: This is the report we’ve created. Captain Morgan’s already sent it to upper management and applied for international cooperation.

MC: Miss Hang, we will bring you the justice you deserve for the pain you’ve experienced.

MC: As for the last few people, I promise that they will receive the punishment they deserve.

MC: So, for the rest of your life, please don’t live in hate.

MC: You’ve already stayed in the darkness for long enough. Please try to take a step forward.

MC: Doesn’t it say that in your beloved “The Count of Monte Cristo”?

MC: “He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”

MC: Miss Hang, if possible, please try it.

MC: Perhaps the light you’ve always been searching for isn’t too far away.

Hang Jiahe: …

Hang Jiahe: Ha… ha… hahahahaha!

Hang Jiahe broke into sudden, sharp laughter. It sounded like a heartrending sob was woven in it, as it resounded in the empty hallway, melting into the rain.

Amid the grey deluge of rain, specks of light leaked through. Maybe the downpour would finally end this time.

Not long after, Simon’s homicide case opened trial, and Wang Chunchong was deemed the murderer. Xingrui Estates declared that they would be depriving Xu Yin of her position and removing her from the family. Only Tyson received the weakest blow, as the evidence for instigation of murder was insufficient. However, lots of people online were saying that they hoped he would “succumb to the demon of illness as soon as possible”.  

Thus, the homicide case of the couple in Yaofu Community came to an end.

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

NXX Base

After the Hang Jiahe case concluded, the NXX investigation team met up at the base again for discussion.

MC: That’s how the Hang Jiahe case went.

Marius: Thanks for your hard work!

Artem: Thanks for your hard work. You did excellently.

Luke and Vyn nodded at me.

MC: Thanks, everyone.

MC: Enough about me – how’s everyone else’s investigation?

Artem: I’ve already updated Tyson’s case file. I haven’t found any new clues for now.

Marius: I followed what Wang Chunchong said and investigated that guy named Xiao Ren, but…

Marius: I haven’t found anything for now.

Luke: You also found out about Xiao Ren?

Marius: Huh?

Vyn: What a coincidence. I, too, found out about him.

MC: !!!

Luke: Marius, what information do you have on Xiao Ren right now?

Marius: Mainly what Wang Chunchong told me before.

Marius sighed.

Marius: According to Wang Chunchong, Xiao Ren is linked to Heirson’s raw materials purchases.

Marius: Tyson held Xiao Ren to very high regard, and keeps his occupational information on severe confidential status.

Marius: All in all, this person seems pretty mysterious.

Marius: What about you, Luke? What did you find?

Luke: The aunties in the group told me that Zhao Fei kept looking for someone called “Xiao Ren”.

Luke: I suspect that Tyson brought up this person in the recording that he sent him.

Marius: That’s possible. Wang Chunchong also heard Tyson bring up Xiao Ren, so there should be some sort of link between them.

Artem: Luke, that’s not all the information that the assistive team provided you, is it?

Luke: Yep, that’s not all.

Luke: First, the workers in Heirson where the abnormalities appeared were mostly on the production front lines, so what they touch the most are the products.

Vyn: They probably mixed in their developed illegal drugs into the products, resulting in infection.

Luke: That’s right.

Luke: Secondly, about Zhao Fei…

Luke ripped out a page from his notebook and placed it on the table.

Artem: These names are…

Luke: When I was questioning these ten people about Zhao Fei, their reactions were a bit abnormal. I suspect that…

Luke: They’re the ones hiding Zhao Fei.

MC: What about you, then, Dr. Richter? You just said that you also found out about Xiao Ren.

Vyn: I spoke with half of the 20 special respondents and noticed that it was the same doctor in charge of their examinations.

Vyn: And that person is named “Xiao Ren”.

Vyn: So I suspect that this person knows many secrets regarding Heirson’s experimental data.

MC: If so, this Xiao Ren person knows about where raw materials come from and can deal with the experimental data…

MC: If we can find him, we might be able to patch up the missing part in our evidence chain against Heirson.

Marius: So this Xiao Ren is going to be our investigative focal point from now on?

Luke: Leave it to me, then. I’m the best when it comes to finding people.

Artem: Then leave Zhao Fei to me. I just happen to have something I want to confirm with him.

Vyn: I have only met with the special patients. I will continue to meet with the remaining bunch.

Vyn: Marius, what are your plans?

Marius: Me? I plan to go see Hang Jiahe.

Marius: She wanted to find reporters in the past to drop major news about Heirson, and she’s now in jail…

Marius: We should find out what this news is.

MC: Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that!

Marius: So, jiejie, want to come with me to see Hang Jiahe? After all, only the two of us know her the best.

MC: Uh…

I suddenly had a bad feeling.

Luke: Marius, do you really need someone to accompany you just to go see someone?

Marius: I’m not going to see a typical person, am I? I’m going to see someone who might give us an important clue.

Marius: It makes sense to be a little more cautious and bring someone else.

Luke: Then just bring your assistant. If anything else, then bring some recording equipment.

Luke: Convenient, and it can record in real time.

MC: …

Right after, Artem spoke.

Artem: Zhao Fei’s case was ours to begin with, and now that we have clues…

Artem: MC, let’s finish it off, alright?

MC: Lawyer Wing…

Vyn: I may be overstepping, but…

Vyn stepped in just before Artem could speak again.

Vyn: May I trouble you to go with me next?

Vyn: There’s a special patient that I need your assistance with.

Faced with their “eager” eyes, I was very sure that –

The investigation team seriously needs to recruit a new member!

✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼ CHAPTER 7 END  ✼ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ✼

[marisandini-chu-blog]

How Shadow and Bones Differentiate Villain and Anti-Hero

Alright, first I need to claim the fact that I love dark, edgy, but misunderstood bad boy in stories with the potential of epic redemption. Loki from Marvel. Jason Todd from DC. Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time. Zuko from AtLA. You name them, I simp them.

So when I watched this new show on Netflix and shown a tall, handsome man in dark clothing, both respected and feared for his power. I feel... nothing. 

WHICH IS WEIRD! Like... he’s obviously my type. Complete with the sad backstory and vicious streak. So I kept wondering why I wasn’t enamored by the Darkling, Alexander Kirigan. I wasn’t surprised he was the main villain, I even expected it. But I usually at least have a bit of sympathy for them. This OOC behavior of mine made me introspect myself and the show, trying to find out which part gave me the red flags before Mother Darkling decides to pop the chosen one out halfway in the season. 

That’s when it hit me; there were red flags! The show had been subtly trying to tell us Kirigan is a manipulative boyfriend not just by great acting and good directing, but by comparing him with the actual anti-hero of the story who I actually love; Kaz Brekker. 

Here’s the list of signs you might not notice of why Kirigan is meant to be a Villain instead of an Anti-Hero. 

1. The Eyes

"The eyes are the window to the soul" is a common saying and and the key to good acting for any good show. Eyes tell us a lot about what a person’s character is like and SaB showed us the difference of a sincere man and a man with a hidden agenda.

Look at him! Look at that little smirk. Look at the gaze. That's the look you find when someone's evil little plan is finally coming together. Not one awed by the power or by Alina. A blatant sus move is what I'm saying. Congrat, first flag planted.

Sure he could still fall in love with Alina, but that doesn't stop his agenda either. All it does is potentially create conflict for him to pick either his plan for revenge or life with Alina.

In comparison, look at Kaz when he said this to Inej; "She isn't like you, no one is." Straightforward eyes. Serious grim. No nonsense tone. Inej is one of the most talented and terrifying rogue-assassin and Kaz just blatantly said that he kept her from 'slavery' because of who she is, not what she's capable of. Like... the man has no shame being known to love her while still trying to be professional (or as professional a thief can be). I can respect that.

This is the eye of a man who would abandon everything to make sure she comes out alright in the end. Do not argue with me on this!

2. Leverage and Status

The moment Alina steps into the Little Palace she was treated like a princess. A palace, by the way, that’s managed by the Darkling. She gets favorable treatment; from the food, Zoya displaced when she fought Alina, a horseback ride just the two of them, asking her to call by his name to make them familiar, a black uniform that might as well be claiming???

Dude is desperate is what I’m saying. 

Sure, this could all be romantic gestures. There’s the problem that Kirigan is superior in status and name, powerful Grisha, and has a vested interest in her power. Pursuing romance while Kirigan has the ability to make her life heaven or hell with a snap of his finger made every single decision be seen with wariness. 

"Beware of powerful men," Genya couldn't put it any better.

Had they pursued romance after they destroy the fold, cementing Alina’s position as a saint more. Then I might have let go of that wariness. 

I’m only proven correct when the moment Alina turned away from him, Kirigan made another leverage by (spoiler!) putting an antler to her collarbone... eeeewwww much?! 

That’s how desperate the Darkling is to be in control of a person and a situation. 

And when no letter came for Alina? That a big red flag because who else in this castle can control the coming of going of letter with the Savior. HMMMMMMMMMMM.....

Then there’s Kaz. My man. There’s no competition. This guy held no leverage on my dear Inej. When she almost decided to leave, Kaz didn't force or convince her to stay but he ask her. Doesn't remind her of her debt whether monetary or life debt to him. In fact, this guy needs money for revenge but instead mortgage his main source of income for her freedom.

HE POSTPONED HIS LIFE GOAL TO FREE HER FROM DEBT ASJHAKFSDJGLDFJ!!!  

What more do I need to say? 

3. Sympathy Card

This is the type of point you want to watch out from your partners, ladies, gents, and others. The sympathy card is the way to go when anyone wants to reach out to you so you can take care of them before they abuse or gaslight you. 

While it’s good to share trauma and eased the burden, sometimes it's healthy to ask yourself whether the person can take advantage of you and to verify whether they lie to you or not.

When Kirigan shared about his past as a sympathetic boy with his secluded fountain and coin. Everything about that scene rang warning bells for me... the part he had requested her to use his color... requesting to horse ride with just them two... sharing sob story that may encourage Alina to help him...

Kudos to Alina to see through the fact she's seen as a means to an end.

It was only when Kirigan showed righteous anger and frustration of a war that's killing his people did Alina finally opened her heart to him.

Kaz however doesn't use the sympathy card. Heck, the man likes to believe he shed away any weakness and threw it in the harbor where it belongs. Kaz hates weaknesses. And garnering sympathy is an admission of weakness for him.

We still know there's a tragic backstory as any decent anti-hero would have... but by not sharing that, this implies that Inej and Jesper stayed because of who he is, and not because of who he was or how he came to be. They don't need a sob story to stay together and that showed a stronger bond between them.

4. Friends

To be frank, I find this the most hilarious because this point is the one that convinced me that Kirigan was secretly an evil bastard.

He doesn’t have any friends!!!

Like... dude had a literal witch army, a wife once, a fuck buddy, and a girlfriend but there wasn’t a single moment in the show where someone, outside of Alina and superior, to speak casually to him. 

You’re telling me this person... the most powerful and influential Grisha in the East Ravka, charming as hell, handsome as fuck, and yet he doesn’t have friends?! 

“I’ve buried good soldiers... friends...” Get the fuck out of here! WHAT FRIENDS?!?! Maybe if you get off your little power trip from your self-made pedestal, you can actually be less of an asshole and make one. 

Sure he excused himself by blaming his ‘ancestor’ for being a shadow summoner. I can see how the fear makes it hard for him to get close to anybody. But all the other characters who are part of his army only ever shown to speak with him respectfully, and the royalty even commend him. No one disrespected him even openly and you’re telling me he doesn’t have one friend amidst all these people?!

In comparison, look at Kaz. He’s brash, crude, and unapologetic. He held true to his moniker ‘Bastard of the Barrel’ and yet this ass has friends. They show Jesper joking with Kaz, and Kaz has shown to banter with him back as well as tolerating his gambling addiction when it could have jeopardized the Job. Inej was shown to actually argue and have disagreement with Kaz when he’s technically her boss. Can you imagine the Darkling doing that? CAN YOU?!

No. Because he's a pretentious ass. That's why.

This is a great example of the use “show not tell” of how Kaz despite his obvious edges has a soft spot shown through his relationship with Inej and Jesper, who have a friendly dynamic. I can attest that while Kaz didn’t create a good first impression, I love Jesper and Inej (they are precious!) so much that I project it to Kaz in extension.

On the other hand, Kirigan’s goodwill had only ever been told by outsiders or himself. None from his inner circle (which he doesn’t have!) other than his mother, who ended up outing him instead. 

So I applaud the writers and showrunners of SaB to actually have subtext signs of a manipulative bastard. The Duckling is a good villain character that's complex but unredeemable. Sometimes, you just have a good ol' charming villain you can't redeem and that's okay.

[mahizli]

Reckless (There Is No Chaos, There Is Harmony)

Beautiful art that can be found here, and that shows what happens *after* and not *during* this story, that is also Part 3 of Threading The Way.

26 BBY.

“Why don’t you ever say something nice to me?!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Anakin…”

“See what I mean? It’s never enough for you, is it?”

“Now don’t pull that card on me, Padawan–”

“No, you don’t get to Padawan me!”

Anakin paused, out of breath, cheeks flushed with rage, facing Obi-Wan whose eyes had started to brighten as well but still stayed infuriatingly calm. He had crossed his arms, though, fingers twisting the fabric of his tunic, meaning even perfect-and-tidy-Master-Obi-Wan could get upset. And Anakin wanted his Master to get upset. He wanted him to feel just as angry and betrayed and hurt as he was.

“You don’t get to tell the Council my actions were a bit rash. I saved your kriffing life, Master, I prevented a whole building from collapsing on you, and just because you’re too weak to do the same, you don’t get to be jealous of me and belittle me and call my actions rash in front of stupid Master Windu!”

He was as tall as his Master now. And he would get taller than Obi-Wan, that much was obvious, because he had already outgrown him in matters of boot-size. Meaning he was on eye-level with his Master. Meaning he had a full view of the whirlwind of emotions blossoming in Obi-Wan’s stormy eyes, and the way every bit of colour left his Master’s cheeks.

Obi-Wan’s fingers tightened around his arms, and for a few seconds, even the Force felt still around them, leaving Anakin quivering with rage and something uncomfortable feeling a lot like shame.

“Master Windu is not responsible for the way you feel about me”, Obi-Wan finally managed to push out, in a somewhat breathy voice.

And the angry beast deep within Anakin raised its tail again, clawing its talons deep into his chest and belly.

“No, because you are”, he spat out, and of all the things he could have done, his Master blinked.

It made Anakin even more angry. He wanted Obi-Wan to roar, to stand up against him, to yell at him, to call him names, to fight. Not to stand there looking like a small, breakable thing that could be crushed in an eyeblink, if Anakin wasn’t watching – and Obi-Wan had not a clue, Obi-Wan never had a clue…

“Anakin, my intention never was to belittle you.”

“Well I don’t believe you.”

Something in Obi-Wan’s face closed then, and Anakin felt his Master’s shields slam shut, leaving their bond blank, like the aftermath of an explosion. Obi-Wan’s hands left his arms, and then his Master simply walked past him, leaving their sitting room for the kitchen.

It was always the same, whenever Obi-Wan felt overwhelmed. He would simply stop talking, leaving the argument like he would leave a room, and it drew Anakin nuts.

“What are you doing?”, he asked, angrily, watching his Master open a cupboard, fetching a sponge and an old cleaning rag, without even using the Force – sometimes Obi-Wan seemed to forget it even existed.

“I’m clearing the dust”, Obi-Wan rasped, in that strangled tone of voice he had whenever Anakin had pushed every possible button to draw him ballistic. “It’s been weeks since we’ve been here, and I’m not sleeping in a dirty room.”

“Have you listened to a word I said?”

“Have you?”

Strange, how Obi-Wan’s fierceness could sound so much like sadness. Strange, also, how luminous his eyes could look whenever he finally chose to stand up, to fight back – and he didn’t even use his lightsaber, just some ratty sponge and rag, wiping the table with enough strength to wipe out every possible stain.

“I’m clearing the dust. I suggest you do the same, literally or metaphorically.”

“Typical.”

And with that last insult, hissed like a fire-breath from whatever nasty beast was feasting on sadness and hurt behind his chest, Anakin left their quarters, slamming their door shut, heading straight for the hangers where droids and speeders were waiting for him, and could do nothing but agreeing with him.

It had been six years. Six kriffing years, since Anakin had arrived at the Temple, had heard Master Windu tell him he would never become a Jedi, and yet there he was. There he was, going on missions with his Master, flying their ship, fighting alongside Obi-Wan and saving the day whenever his Master’s disturbing habit of talking them out of trouble backfired on them.

And yet, Anakin could not shake the nagging feeling that no one really wanted him there, that they were all watching him with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to slip up, to prove them they had all been right, no matter how hard he tried.

And Obi-Wan did not help. Not anymore. He was trying to reign Anakin in, instead of letting his power grow, instead of letting him prove himself, talking about balance and reason and mindfulness, when all was just a piece of rubbish.

“How is mindfulness going to keep you from getting crushed?”, Anakin muttered, teeth gritted around a nut he was determined to screw deep within the speeder’s core.

His hair was soon matted with dust and oil, and his skin salty with sweat. He was about as far he could get from Obi-Wan’s notions of cleanliness, and it felt so deeply satisfying that the beast behind Anakin’s chest finally quietened.

He spent enough hours under that speeder to get hungry, but it was out of the question to go back to their quarters and to Obi-Wan – because going back was almost like apologizing, and Anakin did not want to.

So he did what he always did, whenever he fought his Master and wanted to vent about him. Master Quinlan was useless in such cases, getting all stern and serious to the point even Aayla was beginning to look worried – but then, Master Quinlan was always a bit overprotective of his friends, so…

No, the best person whenever he wanted to talk, and explain just how betrayed and misunderstood he felt was Master Luminara, who somehow always managed to calm him down, and to silence the beast within him.

“Hello, Padawan Skywalker”, she greeted him, night-like eyes sparkling with unspoken fondness. “I see you have made it back from your mission.”

“Hello, Master Luminara. There is no need to Padawan me, you know.”

“Oh, I know. But I, too, do enjoy a tease every now and then. Do come in.”

“Thank you. Oh.”

Master Luminara’s usually impeccably tidy rooms were crowded with two empty shelves, what looked to be parts of a desk and two mechanic droids adding to the mess and bustle.

“Don’t tell me you are dusting as well”, Anakin muttered, dejectedly.

“Because Obi-Wan is?”, Luminara asked, cheerily, moving to the kitchen to brow themselves a cup of caff.

“Mhm”, Anakin let out, allowing his long, gangly limbs to cram themselves between the bench and the table, and to let out a dramatic sigh.

“Oh. Sponge or rag?”

“Both.”

“That bad, then…”

She was not laughing at him, though. Master Luminara never was. She always listened to him, and she never judged, unlike Master Quinlan who didn’t hesitate to yell and occasionally even shake him – not that Anakin minded, because it was always somewhat amusing to watch him loose his cool.

“He doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand how I feel. He thinks I’m acting rashly, that I only follow my instinct and my whims instead of thinking things through, that I rely too much on my emotions, and not enough on the Force. But it’s not true! I’m the one who saved him from being crushed, last mission, and he keeps pulling stunts like that, getting into trouble and then lecturing me because I got him out!”

“What happened, Anakin? DUM, NIK, would you please put those shelves in the spare room – and the desk as well, opposite the bed…?”

“Why are you refurnishing that room, Master Luminara?”

“Never mind now, Anakin. Please tell me, how did you prevent Obi-Wan from getting crushed, exactly?”

And so, Anakin finally got to tell someone about how that building exploded, how his Master was standing just below, having been talking to officials, and how Anakin prevented the building from collapsing, holding it up with the Force for almost twenty minutes.

“He just lectured me. In the med-centre. Of all the things he could have done, he lectured me.”

“In the med-centre?”

“Yeah. I… sort of collapsed, after that. But it was okay. The medics said I just had some Jedi-Force-exhaustion, and I slept it off, and that was it.”

“I see… And how long, exactly, were you unconscious, Anakin?”

Anakin watched the caff swirl in his cup, as he moved it around in small circles, until he finally let out two pitiful words, refusing to look up.

“Two days.”

Luminara let the words sink in, and gently placed a soft, cool hand on his. But she didn’t say a word, just waited for him to rise his eyes and let out a small, undignified breath sounding a lot like a sob.

“I just wanted to make him proud”, he whispered, and Luminara drew him against her, allowing him to hide his burning face against his neck. “I know I should have thought of something else, I even know that he probably would have jumped away, but I… I knew I could do it, and I wanted to save him. And instead…”

“You saved him, Anakin. And I do not think Obi-Wan denies it. I think he was as scared of losing you than you were of losing him. I think that, whenever Obi-Wan calls you reckless, he is chiding himself for not protecting you better. For exposing you. He knows just how many eyes are on both of you. And I think your Master is trying to shield you – to make it appear like he is the one failing to hold you back, whenever you get passionate, so that you can continue to be who you are deep inside.”

Anakin frowned at that, and then he shook his head.

“I’m too chaotic for him. Sometimes I think he’d be better off without me.”

“Nonsense, Anakin. Obi-Wan thrives in chaos, believe me. Quinlan, Master Qui-Gon, and now you – he needs someone reckless enough to draw him out of his shell.”

That made Anakin smile, and unfold from Luminara’s embrace.

“So. Why are you putting those shelves and desk into the spare-room?”, he asked, and he watched Luminara’s face soften in quiet joy.

“Because tomorrow, Padawan Skywalker, I will welcome my very own Padawan into those quarters. I have waited for her to become of age, and tomorrow, we will finally start our apprenticeship together.”

“Your apprenticeship, Master Luminara? You are no apprentice anymore…”

“But I am, Padawan Skywalker. I am going to begin to learn what it means to be a Padawan’s Master and companion – it is not something we are born with, you know… And the Master learns just as much as the Padawan, on their journey together.”

It was late already when Anakin finally left Master Luminara’s quarters. He had helped her move the furniture where she wanted them, and had even managed to empower the droids so as to allow them to fix some of the shelves to the wall, standing one on top of the other. The room was clean and tidy, just like his had been when Obi-Wan had open his door to him – and Anakin remembered, with a sinking heart, just how different things had been for both of them, and just how much time it had taken for Obi-Wan to claim his own room and find the courage to clear it from Master Jinn’s things with him.

He opened their door with a slow, controlled Force-brush, and closed it noiselessly behind him, tiptoeing inside. The sitting room was clean, without a speck of dust, the plants were watered and even the holobooks and holovids had been dusted and put lovingly back into place. The kitchen was spotless as well, spoons and cupboards neatly stored in the cupboards, and even the ground was shiny and smelt of cleanliness. Anakin’s room was untouched though – Obi-Wan having learned very early that Anakin was very peculiar about boundaries, storing treasures and droid-parts – save for the bed that had been made with fresh sheets.

He found his Master in his own room, not even needing to open the door. Obi-Wan had dusted and cleaned his own room, and Valentine was letting out small, regular puffs on the windowsill – her very own way to snore.

Obi-Wan himself was stretched on his bed, feet still brushing the ground and arms circling his face, like someone who had sat down, then let himself fall backwards, without moving ever since. He was still holding the infamous rag in a loose grip, but he was fast asleep, hair still a bit sweaty from exertion, features lax behind the stubble he kept growing to hide just how young he looked.

Anakin shook his head, and took the rag from Obi-Wan’s hand, wrinkling his nose.

“Gross, Master. And ridiculous”, he whispered, careful not to wake him up.

He managed to shower and change without Obi-Wan even stirring – and Anakin realised then just how tired his Master must have been. He had not really noticed, but in hindsight it was obvious. Because his Master never slept whenever he was ill or injured, always hovering anxiously at his side, even pretending not to be.

He came back to Obi-Wan’s room with a data-pad, and had managed to reach level 72 of his newest game, when he finally heard a deep sigh leaving his Master’s chest, and realised Obi-Wan was waking up.

“Hello there”, Anakin whispered – and his own chest felt oddly tight, remembering the dreadful words he had thrown at his Master.

His Master whose first reaction was to smile at him and reach out for his hand, placing warm, loose fingers around his wrist, in an instinctive gesture of love or care that made the knot in Anakin’s chest even tighter.

Obi-Wan sat up, and then only seemed to remember that they had fought and were supposed to be at odds, his face getting all tight and apprehensive once more. But his hand was still around Anakin’s wrist, and Anakin did not let him speak – he just embraced him fiercely with everything he had, hiding his face deep into Obi-Wan’s chest.

“I am so, so sorry, Master. I never meant any of it. I promise. I promise.”

Obi-Wan just breathed out and hugged him back. They stayed like that for some time, and their bond was no longer silent and cold, but simply there, like it had been for six years – tying Anakin to the Force and to his Master.

“Have you eaten?”, Obi-Wan finally asked, ever practical, and Anakin shook his head.

“Shall we, then?”, his Master asked. “There’s pie in the cantina tonight.”

“Wizard”, Anakin muttered, but he didn’t let go.

Not before he managed to ask that very important question, the one that had fuelled the beast’s anger deep within him.

“Master, do you think I’m… too chaotic? Do you think… Do you sometimes think about… how different life would have been… without having to take me in?”

This time Obi-Wan straightened. And this time his Master’s voice was as fierce and powerful as it could get – just like it was whenever he put a stop to all the nonsense the Galaxy allowed to happen during their missions, just like it was whenever he did something so great Anakin could just stand there and gape and think about just how awesome his Master was.

“I don’t even want to begin considering it.”

Anakin’s throat tightened, and he closed his eyes, feeling his Master’s hands on his back, gently tapping him.

“I’d die of boredom”, Obi-Wan whispered, grazing Anakin’s hair with his stubble, laughing silently at his indignant squawk. “Besides, Padawan mine…”

He let go of Anakin, just enough to be able to look at him, and to place Anakin’s braid back behind his ear.

“There is harmony to be found, even within chaos.”

He placed something into Anakin’s palm, smiling softly at him, and watched him discover a small black bead harbouring a beautiful golden streak.

“What is this one for, Master? I… I just yelled at you. I called you… I told you some horrible things.”

“But you also saved my life. And you taught me that sometimes… sometimes I still put things the wrong way, whenever I try to talk to you, and about you.”

“I do so as well, Master”, Anakin whispered, fingers closing shyly around the bead.

“Well then, Padawan… I think we still make quite the pair.”

And we can both become better Jedi together.

His Master’s voice was warm and loving in Anakin’s mind. And so Anakin smiled, and pulled his Master up, determined to pull him towards the cantina as fast as he could.

Because, tonight, there was pie, and after all, Anakin was starving.

[amethystina]

As weird as it sounds, reading your fic is making me realise that Yohan gaslit me all along and Gaon wasn't in love with him.

Honestly, it doesn't sound weird at all — at least not to me. Yo Han definitely gaslit the viewers of the drama just as much as he gaslit Ga On. Which has been clear to me from the beginning and is why I'm putting so much effort into levelling out the power balance. I'm trying to call out as many of Yo Han's bad habits as possible, not just because he and Ga On need it, but because I think my readers do as well.

Because, as much as some want to see Yo Han as a traumatised, misunderstood man, he really isn't. Traumatized, yes. But misunderstood? Hell no. He's 100% aware of what he's doing the majority of the time and he will use whatever he has at his disposal to get an advantage.

Take the moment he tells Ga On about the fire as an example. Once Ga On has left, Yo Han points out how people always fall for those kinds of sob stories. That's hella meta when you think about it since many viewers no doubt started sympathising with him after hearing that story. Even when Yo Han blatantly says, straight to the camera, that he is currently using his own trauma to gain sympathy, some viewers don't realise that they're included in that statement.

He is talking about YOU just as much as he is talking about Ga On. YOU are also being manipulated.

And that is, quite frankly, ingenious. I love it.

(And yes, I'm guilty of doing the same, just the other way around. Where Yo Han tried to make you feel bad for him, I'm trying to make you question his choices and behaviour through my writing. Reversing his gaslighting, if you will. And I guess your ask means I was successful? ;) )

Now, that said, I don't think Yo Han is beyond redemption, nor do I hate him. In fact, I hate that I can't hate him. Because as much as I know that he's manipulating me, I can't help but want to see him happy. Even when he's an asshole, I remember that there is at least a kernel of good somewhere inside of him and I'm clearly a big enough sucker to let that sway my judgement. I love Yo Han.

And I think Ga On is in a similar position. Whether or not he was/is in love with Yo Han is up for interpretation, I'd say, but there's no denying that he is, at the very least, incredibly attached. To the point where it might be a little unhealthy, yes. That's not to say that every aspect of their relationship is toxic, however. Just like with Yo Han himself, there are true glimpses of warmth, joy, and genuine care.

And I guess that's the part I'm trying to bring out more, while also addressing the bad ones. Like the fact that Yo Han was trying to make Ga On as dependent on him as possible. In my fic, I chose to make Yo Han regret that decision and have him try to reverse it (and I think he did the same in the drama, judging by his expression when he pushed Ga On out of the courtroom but, again, that's up for interpretation). Because, if I hadn't? Then this relationship would become alarmingly destructive, incredibly fast.

Now, I'm not saying that shipping them is wrong or amoral — heck, I ship them, so that would be very hypocritical of me — but I do think that it's frighteningly easy to forget just how much of a villain Yo Han is. But, seeing as that is the entire point of his character, I don't blame those who do.

And, in the end, does it even matter?

To me it does, because I like to know what I'm thinking and feeling, and, more importantly, why. But, to some, that's not as important and that's fine too. But, in my case, I'm well aware that Yo Han tried to gaslight me and was at least partially successful. But, regardless of that, I choose to ship them and write this fanfic because the characters and their relationship fascinate me so much.

But no one can ever convince me that what they have at the end of the drama is a healthy relationship. And, for it to work and become more healthy, Yo Han needs to make some BIG changes to his behavior and mindset, while Ga On needs to become more independent and less easily influenced. Which is my aim with the fanfic. Basically: can you take a relationship that started with manipulation and gaslighting and turn it into something good, nurturing, and stable?

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

I also want to point out: a relationship doesn't have to be healthy for you to ship it. Go as dark as you want and need to — that's completely fine. It just so happens that my goal for my fanfic is to try and make it healthy. But you do you, darlings. Live out those dark, kinky fantasies of yours ;)

And: it's also perfectly fine to relate to, identify with, and sympathise with characters like Yo Han. It doesn't make you a bad person. We all have pain and darkness in us and it's only natural to want to find matching pain and darkness in someone else. It's cathartic as hell once you do. And it's okay to embrace that.

Okay, this reply clearly took on a life of its own. Long story short: I know what you mean since that's the point I've been trying to make all along. So, uh, you're welcome? Or I'm sorry? Whichever suits the situation best.

... wait, does this mean I accidentally made someone no longer ship the ship I'm writing for? Since that would definitely be a first x'D

[vemuabhi]

Love me again

Pairing : Sanji X Fem! Reader

Requested by pandawondergirl (wattpad)

Warnings : Angst, hurt, comfort then happy ending

Word count : 2.4K

A/N : According to KST, its Jhope’s birthday! Happy birthday Jhope my sunshine! Cmon guys listen to Daydream for happy vibes (Clickable)

I hope you like the story!

"Y/N! Can you come here for a sec dear", called Sanji as you instantly went towards him, leaving the game in between.

"Damn... Y/N not again!", said Ussop as you just gave him an apologetic look. Luffy and Chopper, just smiled at you when you went into the kitchen.

You saw that the blond was making pastries. You stood beside him and looked at him. He smiled at you and lifted his spoon up, with the small treat with it.

"Say ah~", he said making you blush. You had a crush on the blond for a long time. Maybe from the day you joined the crew. He was so elegant, handsome and very polite. You always had a spot for gentlemen like him. As he instructed, you opened your mouth. He placed the piece of pastry in your mouth and pulled the empty spoon back. "So, how is it?", he asked.

"Its... its really amazing! The way it just melts in your mouth and the sweetness is just perfect", you complimented.

"Awww thanks a lot dear. So... do you think Nami san will like it?", he asked.

Yes you liked him, but... it was one sided. He liked Nami. And most of the times he asked you for help. So, you continued to help him.

"Sanji, trust me. She will be totally be mesmerised by it", you answer honestly as you place your hand on his shoulder and looked into his eye.

"Thanks dear. You always help me", with that he smiled widely at you.

Everytime you helped him, he would give you the most dazzling smile you'd crave for. That smile of his... it was everything you could ask for. Atleast this emotion and smile were true between you two. Atleast he didn't give anyone this smile other than you.

You watched him as he swooned over to the navigator and gave her the pastry. She smiled as she ate it and he melted at that sight.

Oh only if he looked at you. Only if he noticed you. Only if he liked you back... you knew it wasn’t the case and were also thinking of giving up. But, when ever you tried, he needed you and you couldn't help but be there for him. Couldn't stop helping him to make Nami fall in love.

You knew, Nami wouldn't like him in a romantic way. She just saw him as a friend. You didn't hate Nami. You couldn't even. She was amazing.

Once when you all were on Sabaody, the way he swooned over every single girl, made you feel even more jealous. ‘Maybe I need to confess’, you thought. But the way he just made you a nervous mess every time, you even tried to talk to him, made you to go for a second option. 

You took a paper and wrote all your feelings down on it. It definitely made you a bit confident to give it, rather than to say it to him. You gently placed it in his pocket, where he usually keeps his cigarette because you knew he’d definitely look at it, if you kept it there. You then continued to watch him if he shows any reaction of that small love letter of yours and waited and waited. 

You all ate your food and then you saw Sanji... literally crushed that love letter of yours and threw it. Your heart was broken at his reaction. The worst you imagined was, he gently rejecting you. but... this... you never expected. Tears welled up in your eyes and you went to the restroom and cried for a while. You were never the type to cry in front of others. Oh little did you know that it was a nasty drawing handed to him. So he crushed it and threw it way. “No snacks”, he said as Luffy and Ussop stopped to laugh and whined. ‘No more. Ill stop these feelings’, you thought and went towards the table. 

You all then got into the mess, with Kizaru and Kuma sent you all flying to different islands. Sanji who was sent to Okama island, was stressed so he placed his hand in his pocket to take a new cigarette but he noticed a paper which was carefully folded slipped out of his pocket. He bent down and gently picked it up. Then suddenly, the Okama people attacked him. So he had no choice but to place it in his pocket and run away. 

You started to train with the people on the island and had only two thoughts in mind. ‘To get stronger for Luffy and to get rid of these feelings for Sanji’. On the other hand, Sanji read your letter and had tears in his eyes. ‘Y..Y/N loves me?!’, he thought as he read the letter again and again to make sure he didn’t imagine anything. He was overwhelmed with happiness, never in his life he thought he could have a person love him. But, there you were, in every step when together, trying to make him happy. He realised how he also liked you but never knew about his own feelings. 

3D2Y

You came to the island of Sabaody after 2 years to meet your crew. You were more stronger, more confident and even developed your haki skills and were so exited to train with Zoro. While you were going towards the island not long after you heard someone familiar.

“VIVA SABAODY!!! I NEED LADYYY!!!”, he shouted.

Way too close to your heart that you didn’t even had to turn around to look at him. Even after 2 years, just his voice, made your heart beat faster. ‘What the hell?! I thought I was over him’, you thought and paced faster. You didnt turn around, just kept walking. Away from that voice. away from him. You knew this was a futile effort because you were of the same crew. But your heart just couldn’t bare it. But, you couldn’t win against his speed. He noticed you. He noticed you even when you changed. You were more mature and more stronger. But he noticed you. 

“Y/N!! Y/N! is that you?!”, he was shouting as he headed towards you practically ran towards you. Just in a couple of seconds, there he stood infront of you. With his ever charming smile. He looked at you and then fainted with nosebleed. His behaviour was still the same, but this is the first time he ever got a nosebleed seeing you. ‘Only because of some small changes, nothing more’, you thought. You had no option but to carry him to the Shakki san’s bar. You crouched down and placed your arm behind his shoulder and carefully lifted him up with using your devilfruit powers. No matter how much you tried to avoid, your mind kept telling you, how his fluffy hair grew, how he changed his hair to view his other eye, and how... how you still had feelings for him even when you denied. ‘Damn my stupid heart’, you cursed as you reached the bar. You let him be there and left.

After a while, Sanji slowly opened his eyes slowly and got up. He then remembered the encounter with you.

“Y/N!”, he exclaimed as he looked around the bar, only for Shakki san to chuckle and pat his head.

“She brought you here when you were unconscious and left”, she said. He got up right away and thanked Shakki san and left the bar. He went towards the shops to buy food and controlled himself so much not to just stand there talking with the ladies. He wanted to make the best food for the three of you... especially, for you.

He bought food and came over to the ship, only to be fainted with nosebleed right after seeing you and the other two ladies. He woke up after a while and sunny started the journey to the mermaid island. He then without wasting time, came towards you and took your hand in his as he walked away from the chaotic group.

‘Why the hell am I not pushing him away?’, you thought as he brought you to kitchen and stood before you. He took a deep breath and asked, “Y/N, do you... do you like..”, he practiced this for two years and now he became a nervous wreck. You wanted to be cold towards him. You didn’t want these feelings for him. So you said, “Hurry up will ya! I don’t have time”. His face was stunned. He looked at you with a very hurt expression. You were hurt. You didnt like the way you talked to him.

“Ah, I.. I’m sorry, its just that, I wanted to ask you that, is it true that, you..like me?”, he asked.

You sighed and replied, “I.. I used to like you Sanji and yes it was the truth. But I don’t anymore.”

He was shocked. His visible eye was open wide. He didn’t expect this answer from you. He thought you two would date. Now here you were, saying you liked him but you don’t feel the same for him now.

“But... may I ask, why? Did you like anyone else during this time?”, he asked you. 

“No, no one. Its just that, I liked you so much but,” you couldn’t stop, you werent nervous. You wanted to tell him how much you were hurt so you continued, “I was heart broken, when you rejected my confession then-”

“WOAH WOAH! Rejected your confession?! When did I ever do that?”, he questioned with the most serious and confused look.

“You did. You crumbled my love letter infront of my eyes. I never thought you would be the type to just plain stamp on my feelings. Especially you Sanji, you dont even know how much hurt I was when I saw that”, you said as you looked into his eyes. 

“Y/N, what are you even talking about? I wouldn’t do that. You should know it more than anyone else on this ship”, he said as he sighed and placed his hand in his pocket. He took out a pink envelope and gave it to you. You took it and opened the envelope. It had the same folded white paper in it. You teared up as you saw that paper. 

“I saw your letter, when I was thrown away on an island. I wanted to contact you asap, but I didn’t knew where you were”, he said as he came closer to you and gently wiped your tears away. He continued, “Y/N, I’ve kept this letter for all this time and I’ll continue to keep it with me. It’s the first time a person ever said that they like me. And, more over its from an amazing person like you. Did you think, I’d reject you?”

You sobbed even more and leaned your head on his chest. He slowly placed one of his hand on your shoulder and with the other he patted your head soothingly. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry Sanji. I should’ve known. I misunderstood you. Forgive me.”, you said still didnt looked at him. He said, “Its fine. Dont cry. Y/N, I’ve been waiting to ask this, Will you go out with me?”

You stopped crying as he said it. You lifted your head and looked at him. He was serious. He didn’t have any heart eyes or nosebleed.

“Are you... sure?”, you asked. He smiled and said yes. You giggled and nodded. As soon as you nodded he couldn’t control his emotions and hugged you tight as he lifted you up. 

“THANKYOU SO MUCH!”, he screamed as you chuckled. With still you in his arms, he left the kitchen and you both were met with the whole crew staring at you two. He let you down and placed his arm around your shoulder.

“WE ARE DATING!”, he announced making the complete crew jump in joy. Even when Luffy and Chopper didn’t understand what it was but still were happy anyway.

Days went by and you all achieved your goals. You both faced so many troubles, had many memorable moments. The way Sanji dotted on you made you to become happier than ever, because that was what you wanted from him, because he was your prince. You loving and caring for him, made him even more crazy for you, because that was what he wanted the most in his life, and you were the angel of his heart. Once you found a paper on your desk, which said meet me at the beach. You followed the path of rose petals and ofcourse, no one but Sanji would do this.He is cheesy AF, bt you love it though. There you saw, Sanji with a bouquet of red roses. ‘How did he arrange all of this’, you thought as you looked at the beach. He arranged a candle light date. He gave you the bouquet and escorted you to the place. You sat on your chair and he knelt down before you. He held your hand in his and said, “Y/N, you make me so happy every single day. You made me a better person. Time with you is the most precious of all. So, would you give me the honour of standing next to you for the rest.”, he took out a small dark blue box and opened it and continued, “Will you become the Queen of my All blue for life, will you marry me”, he ended as you started to cry.

“Yes, my King of All Blue”, you said as you sobbed and he placed the ring on your finger. You both got up and kissed. Then all your friends came towards you two and congratulated you two. Luffy hugged you two as he nibbled on the food, Sanji made for you.

You couldn’t help but be overwhelmed. He was your prince, now he was becoming your King. You couldnt be anymore happier than this.

After disbanding from crew, you both went to Barratie, for some days to meet Sanji’s family. As soon as you were introduced as his fiance, everyone was stunned. They all celebrated this by making a huge party and you felt blessed for all this. For Sanji, for his family and for everything else.

XOXOXOXOXO

I hope you liked it! Please forgive me for any mistakes.

Did you like the story or the song. Tell me how you feel by giving me a Like, Comment and Reblog. 

Thanks for Reading!

[robininthelabyrinth]

If you're still taking prompts, what about something where LXC discovered that JGY had altered the song of Clarity/Cleansing, before NMJ died? Is JGY able to convince him it was a misunderstanding, or does he realize the betrayal?

sequel to this

“This is the worst kidnapping ever,” Nie Huaisang moaned.

Lan Xichen had given up on not smiling about ten complaints ago. “You’re doing very well,” he said.

“I am not.”

“You got me to come with you to the Unclean Realm, didn’t you?”

“You’re the one that flew us here.”

“Well, I’m better at flying on a sword than you are. Still, you did get me here. Against my will, even.”

“You said you thought it was a bad idea,” Nie Huaisang said gloomily. “Twice. And then you stopped protesting.”

Lan Xichen shrugged. “I still think it’s more likely that you remembered the song wrong.”

“And I’m telling you that I am far too incompetent to accidentally come up with a variation that causes the exact opposite effect to what it’s meant to do,” Nie Huaisang said stubbornly. “We’ll go to the room and listen and then you’ll see.”

“But there’s no need to sneak around – we could just ask A-Yao to pay it for us, and we’ll be able to see –”

“No! This is my honor at stake here, er-ge. I’m telling you: if you’re there listening, there’s no way san-ge won’t worry about doing it perfectly right, and that means he won’t make any mistakes. You have to hear him when he’s not thinking about it.”

Lan Xichen’s hand was covering his mouth and had been ever since Nie Huaisang had said the word ‘honor’ which – fair. It wasn’t exactly Nie Huaisang’s concern the majority of the time.

Nie Huaisang only kept invoking it because every time he did, it made Lan Xichen giggle-snort in such an embarrassing way that he entirely forgot that he’d been opposed to this little trip.

Kidnapping.

Whatever. No one would ever believe he could successfully kidnap anyone, anyway, and they were probably right.

“Here, er-ge, come through this way,” he instructed Lan Xichen, pushing open a wall.

“Should you be showing this to me?” Lan Xichen asked, following him in. “It’s not a family secret, is it?”

“Only in the most technical of senses?” Nie Huaisang hazarded.

“Huaisang…”

“Listen, if da-ge ever wanted to actually keep a family secret, he just wouldn’t tell me about it,” Nie Huaisang pointed out. “It’s a good system, and it works for us both.”

Lan Xichen was quiet for a moment. “What if there was a secret you had to know,” he finally said. “And he didn’t have a choice but to tell you –”

Nie Huaisang didn’t want to talk about the saber spirits, if only because his brother was much happier thinking he was ignorant of the whole thing.

“Shhhh, we’re almost there. San-ge should be getting started right around this time –”

Sure enough, by the time they arrived, Jin Guangyao was halfway through the opening chords. Lan Xichen settled down in the chair that Nie Huaisang had brought for himself, head tilted to the side to better listen, a soft smile on his face.

That smile slowly faded as the song went on, even though they hadn’t even gotten to the relevant piece yet.

Nie Huaisang really wanted to know why, but he couldn’t ask without giving away their presence – something he’d overlooked. If only he’d brought paper and ink! Then they’d be able to pass notes.

Or possibly he should really give in to his brother’s urging and learn some hand-signs for communication purposes…

Jin Guangyao finally got to the part of the song Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen had been arguing about, and hah! Nie Huaisang had told him that he’d remembered correctly –

“Er-ge?” he asked, forgetting himself when Lan Xichen abruptly stood up and strode out of the room. “What –”

He ran after him, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch up before Lan Xichen burst into the room where Nie Mingjue was listening to the music.

“– are you doing, A-Yao?!” Lan Xichen was shouting. Actually shouting, which – wow. Lan Xichen never raised his voice; prior to this very moment, Nie Huaisang had honestly believed that his brother had laid claim to all three sworn brothers’ ability to speak at a high volume. “No spiritual power in the beneficial part, full power in the erroneous section –”

Jin Guangyao’s eyes were wide and frightened. “Er-ge, no, you don’t understand –”

“I don’t! A-Yao, why…?”

“I didn’t want to!” he shouted, his eyes darting quickly from side to side the way Nie Huaisang’s did when he was trying to come up with a good lie on the spot. “I didn’t – my father made me –”

“What exactly is going on?” Nie Mingjue said, rubbing his temples; he’d been meditating while listening to the music, and breaking the trance so abruptly had disoriented him. “And – Xichen. When did you even get here? And why are you here?”

Nie Huaisang stopped right before entering the door and abruptly reversed his steps as quickly as he could, even picking up his robes so he could better run away before –

“Huaisang!”

Shit.

Time to hide.

Nie Huaisang was never especially good at hiding; it wasn’t long before his brother had found him and picked him up by the collar – he felt and probably looked like a kitten being grabbed by the scruff of its neck – and dragged him back to the room, grumbling as he did.

Jin Guangyao was sobbing into Lan Xichen’s shoulder, and Lan Xichen looked upset.

“What happened?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“An excellent question,” Nie Mingjue said, and his face was black with anger, but that was pretty typical for him these days. “What was all that yelling about?”

Silence but for the sobbing.

“There was something wrong with the song,” Nie Huaisang volunteered, since no one else seemed like they were going to. “If you listen too closely, it has a negative effect rather than a positive effect. You see, I was eavesdropping and started coughing up blood –”

“You were what?! Have you –”

“The doctor said it’d be fine with some meditation!”

“Then you should go meditate!”

“Who says I haven’t?” Nie Huaisang protested, for which he got bodily lifted up and shaken like a disobedient puppy which…again, fair. “Okay, okay, I will, I will, I promise! But it doesn’t change the fact that he was trying to kill you!”

Nie Mingjue apparently hadn’t put that together yet and dropped Nie Huaisang like a sack of potatoes. “He was what?!”

“Not kill!” Jin Guangyao said immediately. “It was only supposed to disable you – to distract you –”

“Coughing up blood isn’t usually a symptom of distraction,” Nie Huaisang pointed out from the floor, a little skeptical. 

Jin Guangyao wasn’t stupid – even when he’d been Meng Yao, he had always been very smart, very quick to pick things up, to put things together. How could he not know what would happen if he played music designed to destabilize instead of stabilize to a man already prone to qi deviations?

No, it was definitely a murder attempt. It might not have been much of one, but he was going to have to pay.

“You were using it to attack me?” Nie Mingjue asked, his voice low; anyone who didn’t know him might think he was bubbling over with anger – and he was, but to anyone who did know him it was clear that he was hurt. “After all the oaths we swore –”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Lan Xichen said.

Nie Mingjue snorted and turned his face away. “You always defend him.”

“I know that, but it’s different this time, I swear,” Lan Xichen said, and shook his head, his expression pained. “I believe him when he says he was acting under duress.”

“Er-ge…” Jin Guangyao said tearfully, his eyes starting to curve.

Nie Huaisang considered throwing his fan at him. Or possibly at Lan Xichen.

“But the consequences of his actions could have been serious, and that he did not consult us first – either of us – is indicative,” Lan Xichen continued, not looking at him. “Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t listened to Huaisang’s wild story and even more wild idea of dragging me here?”

Nie Huaisang really wished Lan Xichen would stop giving him credit. Especially credit that might make his brother angry at his actions.

“The answer to that seems clear enough: he wouldn’t have repented even if I were in my grave,” Nie Mingjue said, crossing his arms; disappointment was writ large throughout his features. “Xichen –”

“You’re right, da-ge; and you’ve been right all along,” Lan Xichen said simply, and Jin Guangyao turned to him with an expression of shock. “Don’t look at me like that, A-Yao – we’re your sworn brothers. Even if your father was forcing you, you should never have lifted a hand against da-ge in violation of our oath.”

“But – I told you – my father threatened –”

“And I believe you, A-Yao, I do,” Lan Xichen said, sincerely, reaching out to put a hand on Jin Guangyao’s shoulder. “I’ve always believed you have reasons for everything you do, that the world has misunderstood you. But da-ge is right, too: I don’t know when or how, but somewhere you turned down a wrong path. Whether you thought what you were doing was justified or not, whatever reason there was to your actions, in the end you nearly killed da-ge..! That would have been unforgivable. For some things, it doesn’t matter what types of reasons you might have had.”

“I’m glad we agree on that,” Nie Mingjue said grimly.

“Da-ge swore to be your elder brother because he believed you needed instruction,” Lan Xichen said. “I thought he was being overly harsh with his assessment of you, but I realize now that he was right. We are your brothers; we will help you.”

“Help me how?” Jin Guangyao asked, his voice quavering. “What can the two of you do, one in Gusu and one in Qinghe, when I’m alone in Lanling and suffering? When my life is under threat, when my wife is under threat of even worse..? I have already accepted the name my father gave me, the position he has forced me into; I cannot disobey him without losing everything - what can I do?”

“It’s not what you can do, you – you idiot,” Nie Mingjue snapped. “We swore brotherhood. It’s what we can do.”

“We’ll need to consider the matter carefully,” Lan Xichen agreed. “Da-ge, come with me; I’ll play Clarity for you myself to help calm you, and then we will see about what must be done – both about A-Yao’s behavior, and about his father’s.”

Lan Xichen was probably the only person in the world who had the strength to pull open Nie Mingjue’s clenched fist, and the daring to do so; he led him away, still grumbling and shooting glares back towards where Jin Guangyao was standing.

Jin Guangyao in turn was left behind, gaping at the retreating backs of his two sworn brothers. In the end, he turned to look at Nie Huaisang as if he could offer some explanation.

“If you even think about doing anything to harm da-ge again, no matter what the reason, no matter how small, I will find your mother’s corpse and feed it to wild dogs,” Nie Huaisang told him with a bright smile. “And then you as well. In very small pieces. Are we clear?”

Jin Guangyao’s eyebrows went up, probably because he of all people could tell when Nie Huaisang was being serious, as he so rarely was.

His brother and er-ge might like Jin Guangyao enough to want to keep him around - Nie Huaisang couldn’t blame them, he rather liked the man too when he wasn’t trying to murder Nie Huaisang’s only living relative - but Nie Huaisang was going to make sure that he didn’t make the same mistake a second time.

He was going to make him pay - and then keep paying. 

“Anyway, you’d better come with me to help me find my saber,” Nie Huaisang said, even though he really didn’t want to. “Da-ge will start yelling soon enough; he hates it when I don’t have it around when there’s a war on.”

“But the war is over,” Jin Guangyao said.

“The Sunshot Campaign is over, yes,” Nie Huaisang agreed. “But the Jin sect leader just tried to assassinate the Nie sect leader, after having forced his son to participate against his own sworn oaths...did you really not realize that your brothers would go to war for you?”

[nobodyfamousposts]

The Wisdom Teeth Reveal

Alya visits Marinette after she gets her wisdom teeth removed.

Warnings for angst. Angst. ANGST. ANGST.

...No one said the reveal was going to be a good one.

____________________________

It was supposed to be funny.

When Alya had learned Marinette would be getting her wisdom teeth removed, it had sounded like the perfect opportunity for some fun. People under the effects of the medication were usually suggestible and easily fooled. It would make for a hilarious prank. She could record it and share it with Marinette later once she was recovered. They would have a long laugh over it.

People did it all the time. So it was supposed to be okay, right?

Besides, Marinette was a good sport. She never complained about the things Alya posted about her to Instagram, after all. Regardless of what any of those lame self-righteous naysayers claimed. Besides, she gave Marinette permission to do the same to her, so that was fair. Those people didn’t know what they were talking about. 

And this would just be another bit of harmless fun to add to the mix.

Oooo! And what if she got video of Marinette confessing her feelings for Adrien! People on the medication were often noted to lack a filter. Maybe she could use this to help her bestie. She could get Marinette to admit her feelings and then show the video to Adrien! It would be perfect!

Alya chuckled to herself as she made her way to Marinette’s room, giving a brief reassurance to Sabine as she told Alya that Marinette was resting and not to bother her too much. Not like recording for prosperity was really anything too strenuous.

Sure enough, when she made it into the room, Marinette was on her bed sleeping. And completely out of it. It wasn’t any trouble getting her to wake up and acknowledge Alya’s presence. No more than it was to have her camera out and at the ready.

“Alya...m’tired.”

“C’mon, Marinette! You need to wake up!”

“I want to sleep.”

“You need to answer a few questions first.”

“But ‘m supposed to rest?”

“Your mom said it was okay.” Well, technically anyway. “Really?”

“Yes. So you have to.”

“Oh. Okay...” Marinette frowned, unhappily but forced herself into a sitting position.

Alya grinned, gleefully.

“So Marinette, what do you think of everyone in our class?”

Marinette smiled. Or at least as much as she could with the gauze. “They’re great. I l’ve ‘em lots.”

“Aww.” Alya cooed. “We love you too, Marinette.”

Marinette looked at Alya in surprise, her eyes welling up with tears. “Really?” She asked. Like this was actually a surprise.

“Of course!”

And...oh. Yeah, she was crying now. And wiping away the tears that kept coming. “I wasn’t sure.” She sobbed. “Cause...cause we’ve all known each other for years but we’ve never been close. I mean, Chloe bullied me all the time and no one ever said anything. They just sorta...let her.” She hiccuped. “This is the first year any of us actually hung out or anything. And everyone has been so nice and I was scared.”

She wiped her nose. “S’why I do so much. And take on all the requests. And became Class Rep. Cause I want them all to like me and ‘m scared they don’t. Or they’ll stop. An...an maybe if I keep doing things for them, they’ll like me.” She looked up at Alya, eyes red and wet. “They love me?”

Alya swallowed. “Y...yeah.”

And Marinette started crying again.

...okay, this was a bit more uncomfortable than she’d been planning on. Time to switch gears.

She had originally planned on a joke about Adrien agreeing to date her, but given how much she was crying and already worked up, Alya reconsidered. She didn’t want to dehydrate the girl, after all.

But she could still help her.

“Hey, Marinette. You love us all, right?”

“Yeah.” Marinette agreed, nodding enthusiastically for a moment before the dizziness set in and she held her head.

Alya grinned. “That’s great! So what do you think of Adrien? You love him, right?”

“Yeah...”

She had to hold back a cackle. “How much do you love him?”

Marinette hummed to herself at that. Her eyes were squinting and her face was scrunched up in thought.

Alya leaned forward eagerly, phone in perfect position to record every word.

“I wish I never met him.”

Alya’s eyes widened in shock.

“What?”

Marinette sniffled but didn’t answer.

“No. Come on, Mari. I need to know. You love Adrien, don’t you?”

“I do. And I hate it.”

She had stopped crying. Just...stared ahead blankly.

“I’ve...done a lot for him, y’know? I let him think my gift was from his father. I helped him with Kagami. Twice. And I don’t expect that I’m owed anything, because that’s not fair to him. But it’s just...I’ve already done so much but it’s like nothing I do is good enough. I can’t tell him how I feel without something going wrong. And he just...he never sees me. It’s like...maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me we aren’t meant to be.”

She laughed, sadly.

“But what really hurts...is how little I matter to him.”

“What? Marinette, no! Of course you matter to him!” Alya insisted, trying to reassure her.

Marinette shook her head.

“Not as much as Chloe. Not as much as Lila. It’s like...he knows. He knows what they do. An how they treat me. But...I’m still the one in the wrong for being upset about it.”

Alya frowned. “Marinette, what do you mean by that?”

“It’s like...it’s like how Chloe was leaving! She was gonna leave! I was finally free!” Marinette exclaimed, waving her arms excitedly. “Everyone was happy about it! Not just me! But...he got so upset. And...he just...was all ’poor Chloe’. And how can we be happy she was gone? I...wanted to say so much. But it felt wrong. And...did I really have to point out every horrible thing she’s done? How she hurt me an everyone else? It was obvious! But I couldn’t say it because it’d just make him feel bad for defending her. So the best reasoning I had was that she was ‘useless’ like...like that was the real problem and not that she was mean. Or that she made fun of me every day. Or stole my hat design. Or stole my diary. Or ruined my gift. Or blackmailed everyone. But it was like...he just maybe forgot? And he started a guilt trip to make me feel bad for my bully until I had to be the one to admit being wrong.” Marinette sobbed. “He never stood up for me like that. No matter what Chloe did to me.”

Alya bit her lip. Because no, she couldn’t argue that.

“What if we were dating? What would really happen, do you think? Chloe wouldn’t just let it go. Would he defend me? Or would he lecture me again and take her side? I have nightmares where we’re married and she just...keeps crashing our dates. And taking over our house. And taking Adrien away from me. And Adrien just lets her and I can’t say anything because then he’ll be upset with me.”

She leaned her head back, the picture of exhaustion.

“And I’m just so tired. I try, y’know? And no matter what I do, he never sees me. It’s like I’m being punished every time. Punished for trying. Punished for not trying. I’m like...stuck in...in....”

“Limbo?” Alya suggested, weakly.

Marinette nodded. “Yeah! I’m stuck in limbo and I just want out. Just...just let him tell me no so I can move on already. Because...cause this...this hurts.” More tears fell. “This hurts a lot.”

“So you don’t care who Adrien ends up with?” Alya asked.

“I care. I can’t not care. I just...it depends? It’s okay if it’s Kagami because I know she loves him. Cause I still want him to be happy and in a good nice happy relationship and Kagami cares about him and wouldn’t let Chloe take over. Kagami can stand up for herself better than I can. S’why I’m really jealous of her.”

Okay. This was...not what she had been hoping for. But if Marinette was okay with Kagami dating Adrien, then that meant she had no reason to be upset with Lila, right?

Marinette was clearly out of it. But her current state was only one where she lacked a filter. That meant...everything she was saying...

What was that quote? Drunk words are sober thoughts?

“So you’d be okay with Adrien dating someone else?” Alya asked.

“It’d be a relief.” Marinette muttered.

“Even if it was Lila?”

Marinette froze. The tension suddenly skyrocketed.

“Not Lila.” The words were biting despite her voice being muffled and the slurring of her words.

“Why?” Alya demanded angrily. How could she be okay with Kagami of all people but not Lila?

Marinette hummed to herself, seemingly absent-minded. Alya almost wanted to shake her.

And then...

“Lila threatened me.”

Alya froze, nearly losing her grip on the camera. “What?”

“She threatened me. In the restroom. That day she came back.”

Her thoughts were scrambling. Her mind racing to find an explanation.

“Maybe you misunderstood?” Alya suggested. Maybe Lila had been put off by Marinette’s attitude and was just warning her how she could push people away by acting like that? Marinette had been overly harsh on the girl after all.

But Marinette shook her head. “She said she tells people what they want to hear. Called everyone idiots for believing her.” Marinate curled in on herself, drawing her legs to her chest. “And then she said I could either let her or she’d turn everyone against me. Even Adrien. Though maybe I should’ve let her since he knows she’s lying and defends her anyway.”

She burrowed her head into her knees.

“S’why I was upset. Why th’ akuma came.”

Alya’s eyes widened. “Akuma? You were almost akumatized?”

Marinette nodded, still not looking up. “M’hmm. But T’kki talked to me an made me feel better so it went away. Then Lila got ak’matized.”

Who was Turkey supposed to be?

“Wait. Hold on.” Alya cut her off. “Why didn’t you tell me this happened?”

Marinette lifted her head from her knees, looking at Alya blearily. “Y’o didn’t believe me when I told you before though?”

“That was because you didn’t have proof!” Alya replied, defensively. “But you didn’t say she threatened you!”

“I didn’t have proof then either.” Marinette pointed out, strangely logical. She turned her head away to look at a spot on the wall. “But I had the story with Adrien and Ladybug. An’ how I returned Adrien’s missing book.”

“Wait—what?”

“Yeah. Cause Lila stole it. S’how I got it.” Marinette said, pointing a finger at nothing in particular as if emphasizing the point. “She threw it in the trash when Adrien came. And she showed off a necklace...said it was the Fox Miraculous an that she was Volpina. Then Ladybug came and yelled at her for lying. But...” She wilted. “You didn’t believe me. An you didn’t listen to me.”

She looked back to Alya, genuinely sad. “You never listen to me.”

Alya jerked up, taken aback at that. “Of course I do! We’re friends, remember?”

“You sided with Lila right away.” Marinette noted, glumly. “Trusted her over me. Didn’t even ask Adrien about my story just to be sure before deciding Lila was right. Or ask me about Jagged Stone to confirm her ‘kitten on the runway’ story. You knew I returned the book to let Adrien come back but didn’t take my word on where it came from? You knew I helped Adrien on his date with K’gami but still said I was only jealous over Lila because of him? Did you...even consider how that hurt?” She clenched her fists. “That I was blown off? That you didn’t trust me?”

“Well...” Alya hesitated, glancing to the side in uncertainty. “You have done some wild stuff out of jealousy before.”

Marinette blinked, staring at Alya in confusion. “I lied? I tried to hurt people? I lied about people to hurt them?”

“Well—no—I mean...” Because truthfully, Marinette hadn’t. Not intentionally or maliciously. And while there were a number of times she did hurt people’s feelings in her attempts to win Adrien’s heart, she always felt guilty for it and apologized once she realized it. She had often acted without consideration for the effects on other people, but she never acted with intent to cause harm.

She had always tried to make it up to people regardless of whether she was in the wrong. Even Chloe. So it didn’t make sense why she wouldn’t do the same for Lila.

“I know some things went too far.” Marinette admitted. “And I always apologized. But it’s like admitting I was wrong somehow meant I was always wrong. And I just kept apologizing even when it wasn’t my fault because I didn’t know what else to do.”

Marinette picked at a loose thread on her knee.

“My mind blanks and I panic a lot. And I’ve tried to do better but it feels like you don’t help with that and I have to always be the one to make up for it all.”

Wait, now she wasn’t making sense. “Marinette, what are you talking about?”

Marinette tilted her head to the side, taking a moment to think.

“During the modeling attempt with Juleka.” Marinette started, eyes unfocused as she recalled the incident. “I didn’t want Adrien there. You invited him anyway. S’wasn’t a good time. S’wasn’t a good place. But I couldn’t tell him no after he already agreed to you asking. When Juleka was upset, I tried to talk to her. And you...you pushed her out. To put me in. To force me with Adrien. I wasn’t okay with it either. It was distracting. I wanted to focus. I wanted to help Juleka. But you pushed about Adrien and put us on a time limit. We left her behind and she was aku...ak’ma...doll thingy.”

It was cute and silly and in any other situation, Alya would have laughed. But she couldn’t laugh about this.

“And when it was all over, I had to apologize. Even...even though it wasn’t my fault. Cause...cause I tried, at least? And at the end, I was the one left out cause of it. Like...like I had to make up for it all. An...an this seems to happen a lot. I think?”

“Marinette...”

“You push me a lot. I’m not ready. Not okay with it. Tell you no. But suddenly I’m there and he’s there and I feel like I have to do something because you’re watching and I know what’ll happen if I mess up. Then I panic and mess up anyway and you just...the way you look at me.” Tears started to fall again and she clenched her eyes shut. “It hurts. Like you’re disappointed and annoyed but not surprised cause you expected me to fail. But then like...why do you put me there? Why do you keep putting me there if you knew?”

She looked up at Alya.

“Is it...fun to you?”

Alya suddenly felt her mouth go dry. She couldn’t speak.

“Like...the instagram pic-tures. You got mad when people commented and said it was mean, but you never asked me how I felt anyway. I don’t complain cause I don’t want to make you feel bad but...like...you don’t know it’s embarrassing? Or you do and don’t care? I hafta watch anything I do when you’re around because I never know if you’re taking more pictures of me to post there and...you never ask.” She shrugged and looked away. “You say I can do the same, but y’know I won’t. I’d never. Cause I love you too much and...that’s what friends do, right? Look out for each other and not share things they don’t want shared? Keep secrets?”

Alya swallowed.

“But you told Nino.”

Alya flinched.

“You told him how I felt. Used him to put me in a position I will never not regret.” She gave a sob. “And I don’t know why anymore. Do you...do you like watching me fail?”

“I was...trying to help.” Alya explained.

“Then why does it hurt each time? Why do you talk down to me so much?” Marinette gripped her hair and pulled in clear agitation. “You get mad at me for talking about Adrien. You get mad at me for trying to confess to Adrien. You get mad at me for trying to give up on Adrien. I don’t know what to do to make you not mad.”

“Marinette, it’s not like that! You know that!” Alya insisted, feeling her heard pounding. In fear? In hurt? It was hard to tell.

The bluenette paused, slowly lowering her hands and relaxing her shoulders.

“Sometimes...”Marinette murmured. “Sometimes I wonder if this is how friendship is supposed to be. But...y’re the first friend I ever had. So I don’t know. And I’m too scared to ask because what if it is and you get mad and leave me? And that...everything else hurts. But the thought of you leaving me hurts more. I don’t know if it’d be worse to give up.”

Alya felt her own eyes tear up.

She couldn’t answer that. There was no answer for that.

There was a long silence.

“’M really tired.” Marinette suddenly complained. “And my mouth hurts. Is the surgery done yet?” She asked, looking up at Alya in confusion. Like the entire conversation never happened.

“Y-yeah.” Alya said, nodding her head. “They...everything just finished up. Your mom said you could sleep now.”

“Oh. Kay.” Marinette mumbled. Recognizing that she was in her own bed, she went to lay down, only struggling a little with the covers.

Alya began backing away, reaching for the door.

“G’night, Alya. Thank you for watching out for me.”

She froze, her hand on the door handle.

“Of...of course.” Alya replied.

“That’s...what friends do, after all.”