#she named it her timeout place

[sing-you-fools]

my kid has these giant magnatile sort of things that she can build forts with and what does she build?

solitary confinement

[wrayah]

wriothesley x fem!reader

prompt: An overworked Writohesley finally accepts to get an assitant to help him around. Work begins to become smoother thanks to you, however you also make things harder for Wriothesley thanks to your innocent seductiveness. A small clothing mishap becomes the perfect moment for Writohesley to solve the throbbing problem in his pants.

notes: HERE IT IS THE (somewhat) SEX CRAZED WRIO I PROMISED YOU ALL !! can you guys tell i'm obsessed with this man ?? now please ask me for other characters i have no idea what to write now ( ;´ - `;)

word count: 3.4k

warnings: smut (mdni 🔞), dom!wrio, pet names, penetration, oral, no protection, ejaculation, curse words, handcuffs, overstimulation (kinda?)

Wriothesley wasn't very fond of the idea of hiring an assistant, he could handle his work all by himself, he had been doing it for a while and could keep going that way. He simply couldn't comprehend why Sigewinne was so insistent, why she kept nagging him and telling him he should get help.

"'You really should consider it!" Sigewinne scolded Writohesley from her seat across from him, her tiny hands holding a cup of warm tea. "As the head and only nurse of the Fortress, it is my duty to take care of the people who work here, and that includes you!"

He chuckled at her puffed cheeks, she looked adorable when she was mad, and it was a challenge to take her seriously sometimes. He sipped his tea before looking at her, smiling.

"I'm okay, you don't need to worry. I don't need help-"

"Yes, you do! I can clearly see that you are extremely tired, and I have caught you working way past time lately!" She interrupted him, her tone stern but also caring. She looked at him in the eyes, dead serious. "How long has it been since you got a good night's sleep?"

His eyebags wouldn't let him lie his way out of this one, he couldn't actually remember the last time he went to bed and woke up feeling replenished. He frowned and looked down, having no answer to Sigewinne's question.

She scoffed at his reaction, closing her eyes and sipping her tea. She then placed her cup down, looked back up at him, and smiled. "Now that we've reached an agreement, I'll ask the guards to put up the flyers."

Writohesley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index. "Fine."

And that's how you got into the Fortress of Meropide as Wriothesley's assistant.

You had been working as the Duke's assistant for a few weeks now, helping him handle paperwork, running errands for him around the fortress, and on the surface, basically helping and doing everything and anything to make things a bit easier for him. It wasn't all that hard, a bit hectic but you actually enjoyed what you were doing.

Your presence had completely changed Wriothesley's routine, he was now able to finish his paperwork in time every day and got to sleep correctly again. Sigewinne had teased him continuously about how he was doing better now thanks to her idea, and he couldn't help but admit that she was right, he did need help.

On top of allowing him to get back on his feet and feel alive again, it was an actual pleasure to have you around. He was reluctant at the idea of an assistant at first, he got to know you however with time and was actually not disappointed. You were a smart and gentle individual, always ready to help and accomplish tasks with a smile on your face, even the tedious ones. Whenever you had free time, you would bring him tea along with some sweets, which he highly appreciated. This imposed a timeout on him, which wasn't actually so bad. He enjoyed chatting with you, whether it was about work or whatever else.

Everything was going well, except for one thing. Everything was great, everything you did was perfect. You were perfect.

Writohesley couldn't keep his eyes off of you at times. Generally, he thought you were beautiful, your smile melted his heart, the way your cheeks reddened whenever you stammered or were unsure softened him, and the way you dressed pleased him, especially when you wore somewhat revealing clothing- shit.

It was hard for him to keep focus on work at times because of you, but forced himself to stay put. He could handle the situation well, but it was challenging at times.

On hotter days, like today, you would wear skirts without tights, leaving your thighs exposed for Writohesley to admire. Your skin looked so soft, and the way they looked when you sat made him want to dig his fingers into them so badly.

He could handle admiring your form, it wasn't the first time he had seen a beautiful woman in his life, he just had to put in a little more effort to stay focused.

He did almost lose his mind at one point though.

He was reading a dossier, holding it with his right hand and toying with his handcuffs with the other, spinning them around. He looked up at you once he was done to give you a new order but he caught you looking intently at his handcuffs, a light blush on your cheeks. Once you noticed his gaze, your eyes darted to his and you lightly cleared your throat, cheeks brightening. Oh, the dirty things that must have been going through your mind.

Ever since then, those same dirty fantasies have invaded Writohesley's mind, making his work, as well as something else, harder. All he could think of was cuffing you up and manhandling you.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. Focus, Wrio, you need to finish this by noon.

"Is everything alright, sir?" You enquired, sitting across from him also handling a report file.

He looked up at you, his eyes locking onto yours. Your gaze was caring, worried, and so sweet.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, um, could you get me some iced tea, please?" He needed something to soothe him as well as the growing heat in his pants.

"Of course!" You replied, a big smile on your face. You got up immediately and turned to make your way out of his office. You accidentally bumped some files on his desk in the process though, papers falling to the ground before you.

"I'm so, so sorry! I'll-I'll gather everything!" You stammered, bending down to pick up every loose paper and file, unintentionally flashing Writohesley while doing so.

He could see everything, the back of your exposed upper thighs, your beautifully shaped ass, your laced panties-covered crotch. Oh Archons, how could he keep his composure before such a sight?

Wriothesley cleared his throat again, this time to grab your attention. You squeaked, stood up, and spun around quickly, a messy pile of papers in hand. You were expecting to be scolded for your idiocy. You gulped as you looked into his darkening eyes, his face was deadly serious. You were done for.

"Don't think that what you just did is, let's say, inappropriate?" He questioned, a slight smirk emerging. Your terrified expression turned into a confused one, which he chuckled at. You weren't even aware of what you were doing to him, how cute.

"Your skirt is quite short you know, you should have kneeled down instead." Your eyes widened, realising what had just happened. You frowned and looked down, face becoming as red as a tomato. You placed your hands behind you, covering your behind with the papers.

"I-I'm sorry! I-... I didn't intend to give such a view..." You were so embarrassed you were barely able to pronounce the last part. You sighed ashamed. You wanted to dive into the deepest parts of the sea and stay there.

Toying with you was fun. "You know, it's not the first time your clothes have bothered me. To be fair, you sometimes dress quite inappropriately for work." He took out his handcuffs and began playing with them like last time, catching your attention once again. He grinned, canines showing. "Don't you think that, as your boss, I should reprimand you?"

You bit your lip, intrusive thoughts clouding your mind. That didn't go unnoticed, it only made his smirk grow wider.

"Go on, finish cleaning your mess up." He instructed, eyeing the rest of the papers on the floor. You did as told, kneeling down this time.

He got up from his chair as you placed the paper mountain on his desk. You watched carefully as he came up behind you, you didn't dare to turn around though.

"Hands behind your back."

"H-huh?" You turned your head to look at him, his frame hovering over yours, eyeing you down.

He cocked his eyebrow. "Want me to repeat? Hands behind your back." His voice was stern, he was doing his best to hide his lust.

You did as told, and soon enough you felt the cold feeling of metal around your wrists. He had handcuffed you. You choked a little on your breath, not expecting this to happen. Your darkest fantasies were coming to life, but you couldn't let your mind get the best of you, you were already embarrassed enough.

"You see, being naughty like that isn't very nice, you've been making things hard for me lately." He placed your hands on his clothed dick as he spoke, rubbing against them. Your breathing was shaky, and his pants felt so tight against him, that you couldn't help but imagine what he was hiding underneath.

"Since you're to help me, I thought you could also help me with this." He pressed his dick against your hands once more, letting out a shaky grunt. "Will ya?"

You nodded timidly, still not believing what was happening. "Good. Come on now."

He leads you back towards his desk as if he were leading a prisoner. Being treated this way was making you feel hot and bothered, but you loved it. He put his hands on your shoulders and with slight pressure instructed you to kneel down before his chair, which he would sit on soon after. He began undoing his belt, his pants coming soon after, all the while being attentively observed by you. He chuckled as he saw your big eyes look at his shielded cock, mouth agape with impatience. He finally slid his bottoms down a little, revealing his girthy dick to you, tip slightly swollen and shimmering with precum. You bit your lip at the sight, mouth-watering. He was so close, it was so close.

His hand came to caress your cheek tenderly. "Open your mouth for me, baby. Tongue out."

You opened up, tongue sliding out. You looked up at him, waiting for his next command. His hand travelled up to your hair, grabbing a handful lightly, before tugging your head down towards his dick.

As your tongue finally met his throbbing tip, you flicked it against it, tasting him. Salty but tasty. You began licking his tip, tongue swirling around it, pressing against his slit, doing all you can to take in all of that sweet precum. Wriothesley moaned lowly above you, hand caressing your hair now, encouraging you, praising you.

"Come on, don't be shy, take me in." Your mouth wraps around his wet tip, making its way down slowly. He was thick, but there was so much saliva that you were easily able to swallow him whole on the first way down, making him curse under his breath. You began slowly bobbing your head up and down, tongue against the underside of his dick.

"That's good baby, keep going." It felt so good he couldn't help but let his head fall back, breathy moans and curses leaving his lips as he tugged on your hair, instructing you to pick up the pace. You were doing your very best to go fast, but he was so big and your mouth so small that your cheeks began to hurt and so your pace began to falter.

He looked back down at you with glazy eyes, only to be met with lustful eyes looking back up at him, your mouth around his dick, drool dripping down from it. Fuck. The sight made something snap inside of him, it made him feral.

He got up from his chair, standing up before you, making sure your mouth never left his dick. You let out surprised noises around his cock, making him groan from the vibrations. He placed both his hands on your hair, gripping it hard enough to keep your head still and thrust into your mouth. You moaned around him with each thrust, both from pleasure and from slight pain, but mostly from pleasure.

"Look at me, baby." His husky voice sent electric shocks all day down to your core, making your thighs squeeze together. You looked up at him, the mere sight of his expression being almost enough to make you cream.

You look at him, tears in the corners of your eyes, cheeks red, drool all over, was enough to send him over the edge. He buried himself deep within your mouth and, with a loud groan, his cum sprung out onto your throat and into your mouth.

"Fuck." He panted, thrusting slowly to get every single last drop of his cum out before sliding out.

He grinned as he saw your puffed-out cheeks, your mouth filled with cum. He put his hand on your chin, grabbing it gently. "Swallow. All of it."

Your eyes widened at the command yet you swallowed the thick liquid without hesitation, small tears coming up from how weird it felt when it slid down your throat. He grinned and patted your head. "Good girl."

He picked you up from the floor with ease, making you gasp. He placed you down, feet on the floor, facing his desk, your legs against it. Your hands were still bound behind you, and your wrists started to ache a bit. He pressed up against your back, hands grabbing at your hips as he nuzzled your neck, taking in your fragrance. You tilted your head to the side, giving him enough room to pamper your neck with kisses. He licked long slow strips along your veins. You moaned, your core growing warmer with every passing second.

You felt something hard poke your hands, he was still hard. Mustering up some courage, you grabbed his cock with both your hands, it fits perfectly between them. You started pumping it, long slow, and sloppy strokes. He groaned against your neck, biting down hard. You both moaned and groaned, you from his sucking and biting on your neck, him from you pumping his dick.

He suddenly pulled his hips away, freeing his length from your heavenly grip. One of his hands went to your back, pushing your upper body downward against the table. "Stay there."

"Yes, sir." You whispered, body engulfed in pleasure.

He bent down, face in front of your clothed crotch. He pressed his nose against your wet panties. Oh, you smelled intoxicating. He pulled your panties and skirt down, the cold air of the room hitting your hot pussy suddenly, making you shiver.

Writohesley licked his lips as he admired you in all of your glory, folds glistening from how excited you were. He leaned forward, placing both his hands on your thighs, and lay his tongue flat on your pussy, licking slowly up.

"Mh, you taste so fucking good." He groaned against your folds, suckling on your sensitive bud. You were becoming a mess, unable to control the sounds leaving your body as he lapped at your wet pussy. You almost screamed when his teeth grazed your clit.

He suddenly got up, spanking you with one hand as he did. "Quiet down, will ya. Do you want everyone in the Fortress to know you were being bad? Do you want everyone to know that your boss is punishing you?"

You shook your head no frantically, going to bite your lower lip in order to keep quiet, but he placed one of his hands on your mouth all the way from behind. With his other hand, he pumped his length a few times before lining it up to your entrance, his tip getting wet as he pressed against you. He pushed inside you, not letting a single second go to waste. He needed you. Your moan was muffled by his strong hand, eyes rolling back. He was filling you up so well, touching your cervix with his tip with the first push. His other hand was on the handcuffs, holding them tight to keep you in place. He pulled almost all the way out, only leaving his head inside, and then snapped his hips forward, pushing back in violently.

“I’m going to fucking ruin you.” He whispered into your ear. Your little screams were silenced by his hand, he repeated the same movement over and over again, until you could barely hold yourself up, your legs trembling. His low grunts and your muffled sounds filled the room along with the wet obscene sounds your cunt was making with each thrust.

His grip on your mouth and chains suddenly tightened, his pace picking up. He was practically fucking you into his desk right now, each thrust more powerful than the last. You were barely keeping yourself together, drooling into his hand, eyes barely open, cheeks flushed; you were a mess beneath him, and he loved seeing you like this. With each thrust, he stroke all the good spots, making you come undone rapidly. The feeling of your cunt clamping down on him drove him crazy, he wanted more of it, more, more. 

“Look at your tiny cunt, hugging my dick so tightly. Are you coming for me, princess?” You could only moan and groan in response, making him chuckle at your condition. He kept going, his pace never slowing down, milking your pussy of its juices. 

After the second wave of full blown pleasure washed over you, your legs began to wobble, you couldn’t keep yourself up anymore and your knees started to bend. He didn’t let you fall though, he quickly let go of your face and hands and held you up by the hips effortlessly.

“We aren’t done yet babygirl.” The side of your face rested on the desk, your mouth agape, raspy, breathy moans leaving your mouth. Your throat was dry from all the screaming, you surely wouldn’t be able to talk properly afterwards. He pounded into you rapidly, his rhythm becoming sloppier with each passing moment, he was getting close too. For someone who had instructed you to be quiet, he sure was being loud now, but neither of you cared. 

“So good, so fucking good for me.” He groaned, leaning forward, placing his forehead on your shoulder. His rapid breathing on your back sent shivers down your spine. You felt another orgasm building up, and you knew Wriothesley was close too. 

“Wrio- I’m going to…” You could barely speak, every word you uttered being followed by loud gasps.

“I know, baby, I know. Just wait a little.” He hushed you, gripping your hips with so much strength his knuckles were turning white. After a few more pushes, he was losing it, groaning loudly on your shoulder. “Come for me, y/n. Come!”

You moaned loudly, your third climax hitting you like a truck. Your walls clenched his member, that was the last straw for him. He bit down on your shoulder, moaning as he did so. His cock pushed deep inside you and stopped there. His cum came spurting out into you, the warm and thick liquid filling you up, some even dripping out of you and onto the floor. 

After a short while, his teeth finally let go of your flesh and he pulled out slowly, more cum dripping onto the floor as he did so. You opened your eyes as best as you could and looked back hazeley only to find a flushed and panting Wriothesley trying to catch his breath, still holding you up.

He then picked you up and sat you down on the desk, taking a set on his chair afterwards. You both sighed of relief, finally relaxing a bit after that experience.

He looked at you and smiled kindly, then looked at the mark on your shoulder and his smile turned upside down. “Sorry about that.”

You put your hand on your shoulder, massaging it to soothe the stinging pain. “It’s okay, it isn’t too bad.” Your smile made his worries die out. 

You started to feel a bit chilly, after all your bottoms were still on the floor. Before moving to dress yourself, a question came to your mind. You looked him in the eyes. “So, should I stop dressing the way I do from now on?”

Writohesley smirks, his head resting on his fist. “I won’t forbid you from dressing the way you want, but you must assume the consequences that will come with it.” 

At first, you blush, knowing well what he was referring to, but then you return the smile, answering with a confident tone. 

“Oh don’t worry, I will.”

© wrayah, 2024

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#39: The Love of My Life (1.04)

gif cred: @figmentof

Now for years, I’ve pretty much acted like ‘love of his life'/'love of her life’ are Richonne’s official pronouns. So many of us have been referring to Rick and Michonne as the love of each other's lives for ages. And to now have an in-show moment where that's expressed directly - Heavenly. 😇 And I’ll be gushing about it for forever.

This scene is a magnificently acted and heartrending knockout. 👏🏽 And it's especially powerful because it's in this moment that Michonne gets to be so vulnerably honest about her pain and what/who has been causing it recently 🥺...

So after a beautiful, quiet, and poignant exchange between Richonne, they again have one of those emotional lingering looks in each other's eyes, and then the building returns to rumbling.

Rick uses the building as a way to sorta put a halt to the vulnerability when he starts to get up and say, “We gotta get out of here. We’re running out of time.” As he stands up and puts his pants on, Michonne looks up at him and concretely says, “No.”

Then I always like the way Rick says, “Michonne.” One; cuz I just always love the way he says her name and two; Even tho it’s very true that the building is about to collapse, you can already hear in Rick’s voice that he knows he’s probably going to comply with whatever Michonne wants to do lol.

gif cred: @andy-clutterbuck

Plus I was like sir, Michonne didn’t hesitate to throw y’all out of a moving helicopter during a raging storm so staying in a shaking building a while longer is nothing to her crazy self. And we love her for it. 🤭

Michonne says with certainty, “We need to decide what’s next right now.” Rick tries to make his case one more time by reminding her that “this place is going down” and once again you can hear in his voice that he knows he’s about to give in.

Michonne looks right in his eyes as she says, “Sit, Rick.” She knows this is how it has to be. And it’s true. The whole reason she yanked them out of that helicopter was because they needed neutral ground for their timeout. If they leave here it’ll only make it harder to talk things through and get Rick to not revert to thinking he needs to call the CRM. 

Michonne makes an executive decision for them when she says, “We’re not moving until we decide.” I like how serious she is about this because she knows what’s at stake. Like if they can’t figure it out in this conversation this could potentially end with them going their separate ways. So they need to give this the time it deserves and the building can wait.

Michonne again recalls her bestie Nat when she says, “Nat used to say ‘You got to know when to go’ It’s not time to go. Not until we know where we’re going.” I’m with it. 👌🏽 And I think the building is with it too the way it shakes and rattles after she says this. That building said 'that's right Rick, sit down, buddy.' #DirectQuoteFromTheBuilding.😁

And so Rick gets on board and sits back down on the bed, placing the PRB in between them. I love that even despite thinking it’s crazy to stay in here, Rick is willing to stay a little longer in this crumbling building for Michonne. 

gif cred: @nat111love

And then I love the framing of it when Richonne both look down at the PRB on the bed and then Rick looks out focused on the shaking building and Michonne looks up focused on her shaking husband.

As Rick then looks at her with teary eyes you can see so much of that suppressed pain within him slowly but surely bubbling up to the surface. Michonne again takes this approach of asking questions that help Rick get to the bottom of what he really wants and feels when she asks, “After I left here, why did you come after me?”

I love that this is what she wants to address first because Rick going after her was a clear sign that they are way too magnetically connected to actually let each other go.

gif cred: @figmentof

Rick says, “You know why.” And I love the way he says it. 🫦He knows she knows he loves her more than life itself. But then I just adore Michonne saying, “Say it. I need you to.” Yes.👏🏽  Danai’s writing said this miniseries is not gonna just vaguely infer and imply when it comes to expressing Richonne's feelings about each other. Very refreshing to see.

I love that Michonne wants Rick to say the reason aloud even tho of course she knows. There’s power in hearing the words both for her and for him to have to hear himself directly say aloud why he couldn’t let her leave.

gif cred: @nat111love

And because she needs to hear it, Rick so willingly tells her why, and without even trying to be as romantic as possible he manages to be as romantic as possible by giving his honest answer, “You’re the love of my life.” 😭

gif cred: @riickgrimes

PERFECTION. 🙌🏽 After witnessing Richonne's beautiful years-long journey, can we just pause and take another moment to appreciate that there is now a scene where Rick declares Michonne the love of his life. All we've ever done is won, y'all. 😭

Hearing Rick so sincerely tell Michonne that she’s the love of his life brings me copious amounts of joy. 🥹 Rick knows she's the one. Past, present, future - Michonne is the one for Rick. The one & only. 😌

Then he adds to the devastating beauty of it all when he says, “I couldn’t just let you go. It felt like my heart ripped - ripped itself out of my chest and walked out the door.” If you wanna talk about romance, baby, this is it right here. 😭😍🫠

gif cred: @msanonships

I love Danai for writing this and Andy for so powerfully performing it.  We feasted on every word and this gave such a shining example of why Richonne's story is an epic love story through and through. 👏🏽

After watching his panic when she left the apartment earlier, I love that Rick now describes it by saying it felt like his heart ripped out of his chest and left. By personifying his heart walking out the door he’s saying Michonne is his heart. She leaves, his heart leaves. 🥲

And again, Rick isn’t even trying to be romantic. This is just genuinely what is pouring out of his heart for her. It’s just his truths. And it’s beautiful that his love for her is still so overwhelmingly strong that he could never move on or let go of her. He couldn't let her go when she walked out of the apartment just like he couldn't let her go during their almost 8 years apart. 😭

gif cred: @nat111love

I also think about Rick and Michonne's first season 3 scene face to face at the prison when Rick walks away and tells Michonne, “Can’t let you leave.” Man has that been proven more true than he could have ever guessed.

gif cred: @figmentof

Michonne hears this and she knows she feels the exact same about the love of her life because when she walked out earlier it felt like her heart ripped itself out of her chest and stayed in the apartment. 🥺

Like we really saw how extremely difficult it was for both these magnets to even have a few moments of thinking they were walking away for good. 🧲💔

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

So she urges Rick, “Then come home with me. It’s that simple.” I love how Michonne’s mindset is so firmly rooted in her belief that she and Rick can go home and overcome anything that follows if they’re together.

No matter how complicated things appear, she believes the simple truth that together they’ll figure it out. And...

But Rick isn’t so sure of that when he says, “It’s not…it’s not that easy.” Again, after so many years refusing to entertain any other idea than that he’d be making it home to his girls, this is now a Rick who is beaten down by the fact that it really hasn’t been as easy as he hoped to make it home. 

I like how even tho Rick seems like he’s jumping out of his skin with all the emotions swirling inside of him right now, knowing he’s on the brink of being the most honest and vulnerable he’s been in years, he still gives Michonne his full attention.

Michonne takes another effective approach that is so signature to Richonne - which is leveling through vulnerability. She lets Rick know how the CRM hurt her, leading by example of how he too can open up about how the CRM hurt him. 

She says, “Listen to me, when this army attacked my friends, I got hit too. I nearly died.” Once again, it’s important for Rick to hear these things and be reminded that Michonne has been through a lot and so being apart from her doesn’t protect her nearly as much as being with her. Plus now he knows the CRM almost took her life which has got to shake him up.

gif cred: @clonecaptains

She explains how she was holed up in a mall with Nat for an entire year and then emotionally says, “They took a year from me, from my time with my kids.” Pain. 🥺😖

The way her eyes water up thinking about the valuable time she lost with her kids thanks to the CRM. You can tell that rips her up inside because every moment with her children is precious and the CRM stole countless moments. 

I feel like the flagship show wouldn’t have given Michonne an opportunity to share not only what the CRM did to her but how it pained her. And it’s another reason I am so grateful to Danai for writing this episode and truly acknowledging Michonne’s feelings.

Then Michonne confesses, “I lied to you. I don’t know how Judith is. I don’t know if she’s okay. She stopped answering the walkie.” The way her voice breaks as she for the first time in a long time has to admit to herself that she doesn’t actually know if Judith is alright. 🥺 I just...

She so badly only wanted to entertain the thought that her daughter is alive and well out there but here she’s vulnerable as she reveals she hasn’t been able to know for sure for quite some time.

Rick reacts to this as it hits him that because of the CRM, Judith had to be without both her parents for an extended amount of time. 

Then Michonne says, "They've taken so much from us. Why give them any more?" So true. Michonne handles so much so well in ep 4 in how she gets Rick to really come to necessary realizations.

Like when she shares with him what the CRM took from her (a year, her time with her kids, her chance to get to Rick sooner, nearly her life) it’s leveling through vulnerability to help him see they took things from her too and so she understands what they’re capable of taking from people. And it shows him how he can open up with her and share what they took from him.

Rick is squirmy over all this tho and so he starts to look away. But I love that Michonne takes his face in her hands and keeps him looking at her as she passionately says, “This hope that you have in the CRM, sacrificing yourself - it’s not real. We, your family, are real. I’m real.” Y'all, it’s physically impossible for me to not tear up over this right here. 😭 So superbly performed and so powerful. 👏🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

I love that she wants Rick to see that over the years he’s been fed a narrative that isn’t real. This type of sacrifice won't solve things for him just like it didn't solve things for Okafor either.

Like Okafor tried to act like sacrificing being with his wife was the right way but it clearly still broke something major inside him. And Okafor's viewpoint of living only for the greater good was a story he told himself and believed in to run from the darker reality that he had destroyed what made him human and what made life worth living when he 💣 his wife.

Fortunately, the love of Rick’s life is here to remind him of what is and isn’t real and what he should actually pursue which is his being with his family.

I love that she appeals to Rick as the Family Man he is at his core when she says "We, your family, are real." She's helping him see he has a whole family who loves him and wants and needs him with them. And Michonne wants Rick to see that being with them can be his reality the second he chooses it.

And then I especially love Michonne earnestly telling Rick "I’m real."

I think about Rick’s last full TWD episode and how he has this breathtakingly beautiful moment with an imagined Michonne (again, thank you to Danai for advocating for that scene 🙏🏽) and at the end of the hallucination, Rick says, “...But this isn’t real” and Michonne assures him “Yes it is” because their love is real in any dimension.

The real Michonne doesn’t even yet know about all the dreams and visions Rick has had of her, starting all the way back from his final ep in s9, but it makes it all the more fitting for her to now almost be reminding Rick he doesn’t have to dream anymore - She’s right here.

It is so beyond refreshing to now see Michonne really in front of Rick and again helping him see that she is real and their love is real. Always has been, and always will be.😌

I adore how she then says, “Our love. This? It doesn’t get denied.” 👏🏽I love the passion in that delivery and the way Michonne has this clear reverence for the power of their love. Me too.🙋🏽‍♀️

gif cred: @nat111love

Richonne's love is really and truly an unstoppable force and it can’t ever be denied so I love that Michonne knows that and verbalizes it to Rick here.

gif cred: @nat111love

She says their love can’t be denied, “No matter what you keep trying to tell me…” and when Rick again starts to look away she turns his face back to her, almost as this act of recentering him to look at what's real and important as she says, “Or yourself.” She’s speaking some gospel truths, as always. 🙌🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

After she witnessed his panic attack in bed, Michonne knows Rick is wrestling with something deep within himself and knows he's been trying to lie to not just her but to himself too. And honestly, the two are so one that lying to himself is lying to her, and lying to her is lying to himself. 

Michonne saying "or yourself" is her addressing that Rick keeps trying to convince himself of something that's untrue and trying to deny a love that simply cannot be stopped.

gif cred: @nat111love

And then y’all, this next part both breaks my heart and heals me because Michonne looks at him with tears in her eyes as she gets exceptionally vulnerable to tell Rick, “And this - this back and forth…it’s hurting me, Rick.” 😭

How are we supposed to watch this and not burst into tears? 🥺

gif cred: @nerd4music

First of all; it is meaningful beyond words that Michonne got to just outright express that she’s hurting. And specifically hurting from Rick’s behavior and back and forth.

As I’ve said before, it’s so fitting to address the hurtfulness of the back and forth because it’s not just the pulling away that’s painful. Like to have those moments where they’re so blissfully bonded and connected only for that Rick to continually disappear. It’s all hurtful. 😔

Rick was so one-track-minded in his desire to keep Michonne safe that he ended up being the one to cause her harm. And I love that she just told him straight up that what he was doing was hurting her and that that was the catalyst for him to finally be honest and vulnerable with her.

Michonne says, “It’s making me become someone I don’t recognize. You’re hurting me.” The vulnerability is so raw and authentic. 😢 This is a woman who knows she can be completely real and honest with her man, even when he’s in this state.

gif cred: @nerd4music

Rick hears this and you can see her words hit him like a ton of bricks as he looks down with a tear. He knew he was deliberately trying to hurt her, but I think having to be confronted by those actions directly and hear Michonne say it outright, it becomes real what he’s doing.

And you just know from his penitent expression that he’s immediately deeming it intolerable to continue hurting her.

gif cred: @nerd4music

I love that something as simple as saying "you’re hurting me" ends up being so powerful. Because Michonne could have tried to say it without saying it or just let it be the elephant in the room but instead she has the maturity to just call it what it is and say what you are doing is hurting me. And hearing it laid out plain and simple has an immediate impact on Rick.  

TOWL made it very clear that Michonne does not exist just to carry the weight of Rick’s emotions. Supporting and uplifting him is a beautiful thing that she does so happily, willingly, and well, but she is also a person who needs to be heard and held in this relationship.

All that back and forth Rick was doing, it was making her lose herself as she tried so hard to hold onto those flickers or her Rick while seeing the man she loves rapidly fade away at any given turn. Similar to how Rick saw Michonne burn away in his dreams, Michonne has been having to watch her Rick routinely try to burn himself away from her in real life.

She needed the deliberate hurtfulness, the continuous deflections, and the kiss-like-we’re-still-madly-in-love-but-then-act-like-everything-we-have-is-broken thing to stop. For her sake and his. For their sake. And hearing her outright say that he’s hurting her is enough for Rick to snap out of it and finally put down the wall with the one person who always gets all of him.

Michonne continues to look at him as she says with certainty, “And I know you. That is not how you love.” This dialogue man. 🫠 Elite. 👏🏽🔥

gif cred: @nerd4music

I love this line so much. After saying several times in this episode that she doesn’t know who Rick is anymore, I love that here she says with conviction that she does know him and she knows the way he loves and it’s not like this.

Rick has a giant heart and is a very loving person, which is a huge reason he’s so compelling and unique as an apocalypse protagonist, and I love how Michonne expressing this here shows that she loves how he loves.

That’s actually something I noted a lot throughout TOWL (especially in episode 5) which is I adore how Michonne loves the way Rick loves. Like he’s Loverboy 5000 and loves giving gifts and affection and warmth and Michonne is so wonderfully reciprocal and appreciative of all the love he has in his good kind heart. It’s great. 🥰

And because she knows and cherishes how Rick loves, she’s able to look at him in this moment and tell him that trying to hurt her like this is not him. This showing of love through lies and inflicting pain has been eating away at Rick, and so he knows this is not how he loves too. 

gif cred: @nerd4music

Before this episode aired, there was a lot of discussion and curiosity surrounding what would be the thing that gets Rick to officially snap out of his defeated state in TOWL. What would prompt his turning point?

And I appreciate more than I can even properly express that what it ended up being was Michonne expressing her hurt. That was it. 🥲That’s enough. That’s more than enough. 😭

gif cred: @figmentof

Rick hearing that he’s hurting his wife is what spurs him to finally go to the depths of everything he’s feeling and let it out because no matter how hard or scary it’ll be, he’ll do those hard things if it means no longer hurting his wife. That means so much to me. 🥲

Danai deserves several gardens worth of flowers for this alone. 👏🏽🔥Having the hurt and vulnerability of a character like this be voiced and validated is rarely seen in media, and so it was very meaningful and healing to witness depicted on screen - both witnessing Michonne getting to voice her hurt and for it to matter so much that it’s the very thing that gets Rick to finally make a change. 🥹

Truly, this scene had me looking at Danai like...

She really wrote something special with this scene and this whole episode.

And also I just so appreciate Richonne’s communication. Rick’s previous relationship severely lacked that as he and Lori went whole pregnancy terms not talking about their issues and not getting things off their chest.

I think about the season 3 premiere when Lori says they need to talk and when Rick asks about what she just vaguely says, “Things.” She was still trying to tiptoe and make Rick have to be the one to directly get the tough stuff out in the open. Which was pretty unfair to do to him, especially after he was already the one who had to initiate getting all the secrets out of her and Shane in season 2 since they had no intent of confessing about their betrayal until he confronted them.

But with Michonne, she says the exact thing she’s feeling and thinking which makes their communication so healthy. I’m glad that now Rick has Michonne who loves and trusts him enough to be outright vulnerable and just tell him something as straightforward, honest, and effective as “You’re hurting me.” And he loves her enough to not shut down but rather hear her, receive it, and finally open up after she expresses this. He won't let himself intentionally hurt the love of his life any longer.

gif cred: @figmentof

So Michonne has powerfully poured her heart out to Rick in this phenomenally acted scene and now...it’s finally time for Rick to more fully pour his heart out to her and reveal what's really going on inside him.

And the next part of this scene can best be described as incredibly emotional and truly exceptional. 😭👌🏽

[galactaknightyaoi]

It's my OCs' first birthday today, yippie!! They're enjoying their birthday with some tiny company and a horribly baked cake. But it's the thought that counts!

These are Pai, Aurelio, and Lizzie. They are a couple and run a diner together in the low suburbs of Halcandra. Their shop also serves as a safe space and shelter for other Star Borns just like them.

They also tend to take in the more little ones of their kind, soon after they've first formed. They look after them and teach them stuff, before letting them go to live independently. But they're always welcome back in their house! Be it for shelter, or a nice cup of coffee.

More about them under the cut. Be warned it gets kinda long.

Pai's ability is Cook. When he was little, he used to use his ability to make food to share with his whole neighborhood as a way of uniting everyone.

Since then he's been steadily building towards a goal, to open his very own Diner. He wanted to create a space for his community to thrive in, though he was severely disadvantaged in such a large city.

He's not one to give up and he always looks on the positive side of things. He tends to spoil the kids they look after with treats, and has a hard time saying no, so he often takes on more than he can handle.

He is the one that looks after the well-being of the kids, and generally, things that require a bit more... Tact. He looks after them when they're sick or injured, which is how he ends up meeting future GSA founders Arthur, Erebus, and Anansi.

Aurelio grew up in a scrapyard with 6 others of their kind, being kept there as guard dogs for the paranoid old man who owned the place. They were encouraged to fight each other for fun, which is how they got the scar across their face.

When they got too big and troublesome, most of them were kicked out of their home and left to fend for themselves.

Aurelio's Spear ability eventually landed them a job as a Knight for Halcandra's elites, where they worked alongside a few of their friends. Their job was to guard the meeting room and defend their assignment from threats.

A few years into this job, they and other soldiers were given a mission. A pair of dragons were nesting at the bottom of the Haldera Volcano, they had to get them out. Dragons are calm if not provoked, so relocation shouldn't be difficult...

As it turns out, the dragons were a mated pair. A male and a female, and they were viciously protecting their egg clutch.

In the battle against the dragons, Aurelio was injured and burned by fire, but their natural fire immunity allowed them to be one of the few survivors. Nevertheless, the Knights were successful in their mission and managed to drive the dragons out.

The 4 eggs that weren't crushed during the battle were passed off to the Ancients for research. They became the Guardian Angel Landia later on.

She was forced to retire from Knighthood at age 31. Due to the lasting effects of their injuries, Aurelio is the one who spends most of the time with the children. For better and for worse.

Because of their childhood, they have very skewed ideas of how to treat children. She'll often put them in dangerous situations unintentionally since she has no frame of reference to tell her that taking kids out to the Gator Pond isn't a very good idea.

Aurelio teaches the rougher life lessons. They've been through quite a bit, so they want the kids to learn how to defend themselves, and to be careful and not have others take advantage of them.

She does most of the disciplining and the one that gives timeouts and other such punishments. She is of the opinion that sometimes rough love is necessary to set someone straight. She's calm and loving, but a bit stuck in the old way of doing things.

Lizzie, real name Angeliz, is a 2-time college dropout who grew up upper class despite her species' disadvantage. She never had many friends growing up, since other kids didn't really like her, and resigned herself to being what her parents wanted her to be.

She tried to study medicine but quit after 2 years. Not wanting to further disappoint her parents, she went into law. Which she also hated but tried to commit to finishing despite how miserable it made her.

Meeting Pai and Aurelio helped her get through the year, but after Aurelio was injured, she quit law and started living with them. She helped Pai balance his business with taking care of Aurelio and eventually used some of the money she still had left to give Pai's Diner the little push forward it needed.

Despite the many etiquette classes she took as a child, Lizzie completely lacks social skills. She's a total disaster, especially when talking to someone she likes. Once she gets comfortable, her true personality starts to shine through.

She's a huge slob and kind of vulgar despite her cute appearance. She's easily angered and does not like to be teased, which makes putting up with bratty kids more difficult for her.

She tends to treat kids as little adults instead, which causes her to not be very mindful of their sensitivities. Even when in a good mood, trying to do her best, she always ends up saying the wrong thing and makes everything worse.

She handles the business aspect of their Diner, crunching numbers and reading over legal documents. She's really smart and knowledgeable, so she's the one who tends to teach kids reading, writing, and math.

Her ability is Bubble. She never used to like it, it was silly and useless to her, so she kept it hidden for years. After meeting her partners and becoming happy, she's started blowing bubbles more frequently. The kids love them.

[babydollmarauders]

MEDIA MANAGEMENT — JACK HUGHES (PART FOUR)

one — two — three — four

notes: i got a couple of these pictures from @/sholden43 on twitter! so creds to her for pics 2 & 5!!

y/ndevils00

liked by njdevils, john.marino97, and 31,697 others

y/ndevils00 hello and welcome back to y/n’s post-game web show!

i’m so happy to announce that njdevils clinched!! LET’S GO, BABY!!

to get us on the scoreboard, we had a goal by the amazing, the talented, the ‘leaves his socks on the bathroom floor’, LIL JIZZY!!! now, i’m not one to brag, but THAT’S THE GUY WHO HOGS MY BLANKETS AND I AM SO PROUD! we also have a picture of him side-eyeing me at the bench and then looking directly at me. that’s the face of love, people!

but before that goal could take place, maraschino cherry got put in timeout. BOO!! but don’t worry guys, he was given a stern talking to during intermission! he told me he’s gonna be a good boy now!

immediately after marinara’s sin bin placement, my favorite dilh was the victim of a giant toddler attack 😡 but rest assured, bradytkachuk was put in the naughty boy box as well! which is what led to my spectacular boyfie’s goal!

not long after that goal, woodchuck had a fight with said giant toddler… he did not win.

then, my bestest friend, brattman scored the third goal of the night! i rewarded him with the biggest and bestest hug i had to offer during 2nd intermission!

following that, dawson’s creek hit ‘em with a one timer that knocked their pads off! he was rewarded with a pat on the head! i, however, did not get a picture of him because he was hiding from my camera… he’s spending too much time with jackson.

in the final period, ham sammich taught the senators how to dougie! LET’S GO! happy for you douglas!

and to close the game, we had an empty net goal by my father that is not my father; TATAR SAUCE!

overall, i am so proud of the effort put forth from my team that i put together myself and pay out of pocket to entertain me! let’s go to the playoffs boys!

tagged: jackhughes, john.marino97, sharangovich17, miles.wood44, jesperbratt, dougieham, tomastatar90, and njdevils

jackhughes i appreciate the sentiments, but did you really have to call me out like that?

y/ndevils00 it’s for the plot babe!

jackhughes i’m 99% sure that’s not what that means

y/ndevils00 and i’m 100% sure that you’re a loser

trevorzegras stop flirting it’s gross

y/ndevils00 @/trevorzegras ariana, what are you doing here?!

jackhughes that’s actually the look of someone who did not like when you started cheering “go lil jizzy, get a hat trick you coward!”

y/ndevils00 it’s called tough love

jackhughes i think i prefer the love you give me at home

y/ndevils00 noted. can’t promise your suggestion will be put to use

john.marino97 once again, y/n’s “talking to” was not actually a talking to. she hit me in the head with a rolled up newspaper, that i still don’t know where she got, and told me to “pull myself together”

y/ndevils00 well when you put it like that, you make me sound like a bad friend

john.marino97 you’re the worst

y/ndevils00 that’s not what you said last week when i brought you dunkin

miles.wood44 i mean, i thought i won that fight

y/ndevils00 …stick to your crypto

miles.wood44 ouch y/n/n

y/ndevils00 i keep it real on my page, if you can’t handle the heat, block me

y/ndevils00 wait don’t actually! i’m sensitive

dawson1417 she really did pat me on the head. like a dog.

y/ndevils00 cause you got the dog in ya!

dawson1417 you concern me

y/ndevils00 i’d be worried if i didn’t

tomastatar90 my daughter that is not my daughter!

y/ndevils00 take notes boys, this is someone who accepts me for me!

jesperbratt i got a better hug than hughesy

y/ndevils00 hell yeah, you did!

jackhughes that’s cause i get something better

y/ndevils00 @/jackhughes jackson!

jackhughes @/y/ndevils00 still not my name

dougieham thank you! but why the full first name?

y/ndevils00 because it’s your name. is it not?

dougieham it is?

y/ndevils00 i rest my case

trevorzegras hughesy is a beast

y/ndevils00 does that make me beauty?

trevorzegras i’m not sure how to answer this without upsetting you

y/ndevils00 @/jackhughes i hate to tell you this, but you need to find a new best friend. your current one is mean. may i suggest @/jamie.drysdale ? still a duck, just a nicer one

jamie.drysdale did i just get a y/n notice?

trevorzegras stay away from jimbo, you witch!

[trips2saturn]

towl spoilers below!!!!!!!!!

⬇️

⬇️

⬇️

late briefing but it’s here and that’s what matters!!!!! let’s get into this episode! ❤️‍🔥

this episode was amazing. no notes. angst fuels me, so keep it coming in episode four along with some loving intimacy! 🤝

michonne is the most clever, headstrong, charismatic, fearless powerhouse of a woman in the entirety of twdu. there is no situation nor circumstance that she cannot handle. no matter the time, skill, or hardship that woman is going to do whatever she fucking wants. she’s such an admirable character, and yes this is just a fictional show but she means so much to me. tv mom forever and ever and ever. my lovebug!!!! 🫶🏼

rick… my og lovebug. his selfless, tender hearted yet courageous and dangerous personality is sooo missed recently because of these losers who love to keep playing hide the donkey. he’s been so beaten down and forced into the caged mindset, also known as stockholm syndrome. it hurts so much to see it affect him so deeply, especially in this episode. we truly get to understand just how horrified he is of losing michonne, losing judith, losing their home. it’s so layered that he’s come to the conclusion that he has to do whatever it takes to protect his wife and their children (judith for now until further notice). even going as far as pretending to break michonne’s heart just to get her to go back home for the sake of a safe and secured future. and as much as it rips his entire psyche into shreds, this man is a family man. his priority in life is to protect the ones that he loves by all means necessary.

and thank fucking HEAVENS that despite their years apart, michonne knows her husband like the back of her palm and can read him like a book!!! every word that poured out of his mouth was utter bullshit merely for safety purposes and i’m soooo glad that she understood that without even having to retaliate verbally.

she retaliated by throwing them out of a moving chopper LMAOOO 😭 MY GIRL, MY LEADING LADY!!!!!! CAN WE MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE CRAZIEST CHARACTER IN THE ROOM. thank youuuuuu! i digress.

“we needed a timeout” shdjshdhsjdjs well yes! please knock some sense into your traumatized husband. he needs his wife!!!

moving forward. the phones!!!! “believe a little bit longer”!!!!! CARL MENTION!!!!!!??????!!!!! 😨🫨🥺☹️😖 rick not mentioning any names for three years and never liking any drawings of his son because they could never be depicted perfectly 😣😣😣 try not to cry challenge [FAILED]. punching me in the gut would hurt less. still hoping for a random chandler cameo too :D

i know that what rick said was absolutely fake and futile but as a fierce michonne lover… HER FACE AS HE SPOKE??? if we don’t see him loving on her endlessly in episode four… i might throw myself out of a moving helicopter.

one hundred percent positive that they’ll be pouring bisquick and making pancakes next episode. i’m sat.

thorne is a D. not an A. she’s a piece of shit and will be dealt with eventually. michonne will handle any light work. i rest my case.

jadis is a sexual predator and a grade-A loser with a shit haircut. i almost pissed myself laughing when rick said that. he’s been waiting and so have i!!!! 😁 but yeah she sucks. die asap.

RICHONNE KISS IN THE WOODS AFTER BEING A POWERHOUSE COUPLE. 🥹 reminded me so much of when they took those cars and drove into that herd of walkers. ugh. please put their entire love story into the louvre.

last but not least because i’m tired — unsure what beale is up to. he’s so sketchy, and also SO CONFUSED about rick supposedly having a briefing with him about being promoted?! NO. no thanks we didn’t ask for him to ever be a leader nor get kidnapped in the first place!!!! scared to see what lies ahead for the next three episodes :(((((

in conclusion, michonne is the most beautiful angel to walk the earth. she looked so hot in every single scene. episode three is hands down my favorite episode yet, despite the hardship. again, angst fuels me. so excited to see what’s in store next week, and every other week after that!!!! it’s only up from here. ❤️‍🔥⬆️

okay that’s it. hope everyone enjoyed the episode!!!! this is such a wild ride, and i’m happy to have my television parents back on my screen, making things happen again. 🌟🔥

[selineram3421]

Two

Lil' idea blip for what the child reader would be like.

Daycare Attendants & Child Reader

Warning ⚠

⚠ reader is (gn) gender neutral, cussing, platonic, using random names for kids-sorry if I used yours and now it's confusing ⚠

Currently the Daycare Attendant Sundrop was at the craft table, helping one of the children make a snowflake.

"And then cut shapes on one side.", Sun instructed the little one.

Of course, children don't always listen to instructions well and do what they like. Still, it made the animatronic smile when Kathy finished her snowflake.

"I'm done!", the blue eyed girl said proudly.

"How nice!", Sun cheered. "Now you can make another one!"

Kathy thought for a moment before shaking her head no. "No. I want to color now.", she said and gave the attendant the scissors.

"Alrighty!", the sun animatronic replied before going towards the arts and crafts cabinets to put away the scissors.

Then, as he was closing the cabinet door, he heard a yell.

Spinning his head, Sundrop saw Kevin standing on top of a messed up tea table. Gina was cowering behind a familiar child that was butting heads with the boy.

"Friendship is dumb!", the little trouble maker said and blew a raspberry.

You had let out a haunted gasp and quickly your face switched from shocked to anger. Then you picked up a nearby Nerf gun and pointed it at the brown haired boy.

"Friendship is FUCKING magic!", you screeched before blasting the boy with foam bullets.

Sun gasped as he quickly stood up.

"There is no foul language in the Daycare!", he speed walked over and scooped you up. "Timeout!"

"Hey!", you puffed out your cheeks in annoyance. "Kevin is the jerk! He should be in time out! And I'm not wrong! Friendship is magic!"

"I suppose you're right.", Sun said and also scooped up Kevin. "Both of you are in timeout."

"WHAT!?", the brown haired boy screamed. "I didn't do anything!"

The daycare attendant walked towards the corner as the two children bickered.

"That's a big fat lie!", you frowned.

"Your Mom's fat!", the boy replied.

"My mom is not fat! She just has a big butt!", you countered. "And last I saw, your dad was staring at my mom's butt! So eat it fart face!"

"You're stupid! And ugly!", Kevin shouted.

"I'm not a mirror!", you shouted back.

Sun felt tired already.

It hasn't even been two hours.

Placing the two in the corner, he sat them on chairs and told them to hold hands.

"No!", the two yelled and faced away from each other.

"You won't? Hmmm.", Sundrop placed a hand on his hip, using the other to tap his finger on his faceplate. "Looks like you'll both have to wear the get-along shirt."

You looked up at the animatronic in horror.

Sucking it up, you grabbed Kevin's hand with disgust.

"There. Happy?", you grumbled.

The little boy blushed and looked away. "This is dumb."

"There we go!", Sun clapped his hands. "Five minutes!", he told the two before going back to the other children with a skip in his step.

Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad day.

"I still don't like you.", he overheard you say.

Or...maybe it might be.

Dodadoodadooo.

~Seline, the person.

Fic Ideas for Daycare Attendants

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Before I Love You (Gojo Satoru oneshot)

Trying something new... Cross-posting here and AO3 😬

Like I said before, this is Gojo and Rinko, but it's not Another Level or Physical Paradox. Complete AU.

The title is from Takeaway by Chainsmokers

You can also read it on AO3: Before I Love You

Implied/Referenced cheating, past relationships, a tiny lil bit of NSFW

Part 2: Broken Lens

Before I Love You

2017

Her eyes were trained on the field, bottom lip firmly between her teeth as she watched the game.

Holding her breath, she barely registered the person dropping into the empty spot beside her when Mai began sprinting toward the goal, dribbling the ball as she went.

“Ya know,” a voice said, the familiar drawl causing her to jump. “This is the last place I expected to see you.”

She whipped her head to the side as they spoke, her eyebrows shooting up.

Gojo Satoru sat next to her, his bright blue eyes shining behind his dark shades as they swept down her body and back up. The years had been good to him. Still lean but clearly muscular, and his stark white hair was almost ethereal in the early afternoon sunlight. His ridiculously long legs were covered in a pair of teal pants, a short-sleeve tan button-up half tucked into them over a long-sleeved white t-shirt.

He looked good. But he’d always looked good. And he’d always known it, too.

She blinked a few times before shrugging, turning her eyes back to the soccer game just as the crowd of parents cheered around her. Mai was backing away from the goal, throwing her fist in the air as the goalie slammed her own into the ground.

Tie game. They had a chance.

The opposing team called a timeout, and she felt a grin overtake her face when Mai waved.

“Zenins,” Gojo noted, nodding toward the field. “Guessing you know them?”

“Cousins,” she replied absently, shrugging again as she watched Mai accept an excited high-five from Maki. “They asked me to come to the game because their parents weren’t going to make it.”

Their parents never went to their games. Never supported their daughters’ successes because they weren’t academic.

“The real question is, what are you doing here?” she asked, turning back toward him. “Don’t tell me you have cousins-”

“I have a few students on the soccer team,” he replied, jerking his chin toward the field. “I’m here to support them. Looks like this game is a bit more of a game than we all expected, though. Explains why they wanted me to come to this one.”

Her chest swelled with pride at his words. The twins were a surprise to everyone when they joined the team.

A secret weapon of sorts for a school with a losing streak almost a decade long.

But Ogi didn’t give a shit about sports, so he paid no mind to whether their high school had a decent soccer team, even though the girls could get excellent scholarships if the right scouts saw them.

“Been a while,” Gojo leaned back slightly as he pushed his shades up to shield his eyes from the bright glare of the sun.

Five years. At least. The last time she’d seen him was the day of graduation. But they hadn’t spoken. She had just seen him through the crowd and heard his name called as he walked across the stage.

The last time they’d spoken was when she’d thrown him out of her apartment, not wanting to hear his lies.

His bullshit reasons for why she’d seen him with another girl after they’d agreed to be exclusive. After he had asked her for a real relationship. Asked to call her his.

A part of her had known, felt that it couldn’t end well. But she’d agreed anyway. She had to give him some credit, he’d play the part well. For a while.

But in the end, the reality was that he couldn’t hold a relationship to save his life. That he wouldn’t know true commitment if it slapped him in the face.

Because when she’d agreed to a dinner with her father over the break, she’d seen him. Sitting way too close to someone who wasn’t her, whispering in the girl’s ear before his lips were pressed against hers with his tongue in her mouth.

Confirming what she’d known and ignored already: that nothing was enough for Gojo Satoru. He’d never been able to commit to someone before, and she’d known better than to think she would change that, but she’d let herself believe otherwise.

Even after so long, she was almost shocked that he’d chosen to approach her. But that was another thing about Gojo Satoru: he was shameless. She doubted that time changed that.

“You look good,” he stated, giving her a small smirk. “Really good.”

“Thanks,” she replied, trying to ignore him as the game continued.

If she was honest, she wasn’t upset with Gojo anymore. Hadn’t been in a long time.

In fact, she’d mostly been upset with herself for ending up in the position to be hurt in the first place. She had been more upset that she let him hurt her than with him for doing what she’d always known he would do.

“How have you been?” he asked, his eyes clearly watching her face carefully. “Are you-”

“Been fine,” she cut him off.

Her eyes were following Mai again as she ran ahead, clearly waiting for the ball.

The girl suddenly tumbled to the ground hard, her leg twisting slightly as she collapsed. The player guarding her backed away as they tried to appear innocent. Mai shoved herself to her feet, her eyes filled with anger as the two exchanged heated words. A referee broke them apart, the whistle telling them that a penalty was awarded, and Mai gave the other girl a smug grin.

She held her breath again as she watched the teen square her shoulders in front of the goal for the penalty kick.

It went straight in, the goalie having lunged in the opposite direction.

They were winning. A game they were supposed to have no chance in just went from tied to them being up 2:1.

But Mai was limping. The timeout was called, and she allowed Nishimiya Momo to support her as they approached the sidelines. Maki was by her side in the next instant, the two of them listening to the coach for a few moments before Mai accepted an ice pack and sat down on the bench. They both waved her concern off when they turned to look at her, smirking.

The message was clear: Mai’s part was done now that they were in the lead. It was Maki’s job to keep them there.

“Some tough kids,” Gojo leaned forward, his eyes now watching the sisters interacting as the timeout ended. “Twins, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied, nodding absently.

They had to be tough coming from their family, especially with Ogi as their father.

He hummed, and they settled into a tense silence as the game continued once again.

“It’s- it’s good to see you,” he finally said, turning his head to stare at her. “Really. I’m glad I ran into you. D’you live in Tokyo now?”

Her nod was paired with a shrug as she debated just getting up and walking down to check on Mai anyway.

“We should grab dinner sometime to catch up,” he continued casually, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Wanna hear about how you’re-”

“No thanks,” she didn’t bother turning to look at him. “I’m pretty much always busy. Sorry.”

Not a lie. She spent a lot of time with the twins when she wasn’t working. They practically lived at her place now.

Anything to get away from their parents.

“Come on,” he reasoned, a frown in his voice that had her rolling her eyes. “Just to catch up.”

“Not interested in catching up with you, Gojo,” she stated bluntly, finally turning to meet his eyes. Staring into them, she noted the surprise at being turned down twice. “I’d say I’m surprised at your nerve to even ask, but that’d be a lie because it’s you. Everything’s always been a joke to you.”

“Didn’t realize you held such long grudges,” he muttered, a pout pulling the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t changed a bit. “That was years ago. Things are- different now. And I’m not- I’m not asking you out on a date. Just want to catch up as- old friends. Wanna hear about what you’ve been up to. I’m obviously teaching now - I teach physics and math, by the way.”

“Good for you,” she said drily, turning back as the clock ticked down.

The ball bounced off Maki’s hands as she tapped it away from the goal, and Mai was on her feet again, screaming in relief when the time ran out.

It was over.

And they’d won.

Shoving herself to her feet, she went to rush down the stairs, but Gojo stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Wait,” he pulled her back slightly. “Please. Just- let me at least buy you a coffee. I- never got to give you an explanation for- and I want to apologize for what happened between us.”

He ran his hand through his hair as she stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

“I didn’t want your explanation back then,” she began, removing his hand from her arm. “And while I appreciate the sentiment, I still don’t care to hear your apology, either.”

“Rinko-”

“Goodbye, Gojo.”

-

2011

“You wanna be my girlfriend?”

She tensed, her body going rigid beneath him as he stared into her eyes.

“I- I’m sorry, what?” she asked, blinking up at him. She’d had to have heard him wrong. “Did you just-”

“Yeah,” he nodded, tilting his head to the side. His hips had paused their movement, leaving him seated inside her while he nonchalantly asked if she wanted to be his girlfriend, as if he was asking her about the weather. “I- I wanna call you mine, ya know? Introduce you as my girl.”

She pursed her lips to the side, squirming beneath him a bit uncomfortably as he moved a hand to her face.

“You want a relationship?” she balked, searching his face for any sign that he was messing with her. “As in exclusive?”

“We basically already are, yeah?” he gave her his boyish grin as he started rocking his hips again. “Just without a label. I mean, I haven’t slept with anyone else in a few months now. Dunno about you.” His cock was brushing against her gspot with each roll of his hips, and she struggled to focus on his words as she moaned quietly. “But- yeah. What do you say? Can I call you mine, Rinko-chan?”

The skeptical look on her face made him stop, his hands cupping her face.

“I’m serious,” he murmured, all teasing gone now. “Been thinking about it for a bit, actually. I- I wouldn’t bring it up if I didn’t mean it.”

He had a look in his eyes that made her uneasy. It felt far too serious for him. This wasn’t who he was. Gojo didn’t do relationships.

Still, it was appealing. And if he really hadn’t slept with anyone else in a few months-

“I- okay,” she whispered, giving him a hesitant smile. “That mean I get to introduce you as my boyfriend, then?”

“You can introduce me as whatever you want, baby,” Gojo replied cheekily as he pulled his hips back and slammed back into her. “I’m yours however you want me, Rinko-chan.”

-

“Think my parents like you more than they like me,” he grumbled, burying his face in her neck as he lay on top of her. “S’not fair.”

They were cuddling in his bed after getting dinner with his parents. His mother had grilled her excitedly until his father reminded her that they were there to eat, teasingly telling her to at least wait until they’d finished dessert to scare their son’s girlfriend off.

“He’s never introduced a girlfriend to us before,” the woman had argued, offering her husband a pout that left no question where Gojo had gotten his own from. “You must be special, dear. We’re so excited to get to know you.”

They’d sat with them in the living room when they got back, sharing a bottle of wine as his mother continued gushing about how delighted she was to see her son so happy.

“Don’t be jealous,” she teased now, stroking his hair gently. Her nails scraped along his scalp, drawing a contented hum from his throat. “They’re just amazed someone was able to tame you. Change your fuckboy tendencies.”

He scoffed, biting her neck gently as she snickered.

“My parents don’t know about those tendencies,” he mumbled. “They just know I’ve never dated anyone worth bringing to meet them until you.”

Her heart jumped in her chest, and she willed herself not to read into his words.

“Guess I am special, huh?” her breath hitched as he leaned up, smiling down at her softly.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his eyes shining. “You really fucking are. Lucky to call you mine, baby. Gonna do everything I can to keep it that way.”

-

2017

“Got one in 3,” Kouji said as he stuck his head into the breakroom. “You take ‘em? I was supposed to go on break two hours ago. You’re better with kids, anyway.”

“Yeah,” she replied, running her hand through her hair as she pushed herself to her feet. “On it.”

She knocked on the door lightly as she entered, her eyebrows shooting up when she saw a familiar face sitting in the corner.

“Megumi,” her fingers input her ID absently as she stared at him. “Are you hurt?”

He shook his head, and her gaze moved to the pink-haired boy seated on the small bed, cradling his left arm. She glanced at the summary as the computer loaded, pursing her lips to the side as she grabbed the blood pressure cuff and moved to his side.

“Itadori Yuuji?” she asked. “Tell me what’s up, kid.”

He shrugged sheepishly, holding his right arm out for her to check his vitals.

“I, uh,” he gave Megumi an embarrassed look, and she noticed two skateboards leaning against the wall beside him. “I tried to catch myself-”

“He missed the rail on the stairs in the park a few blocks over,” Megumi cut him off flatly. “Tried to catch himself, and I heard a pop when he landed.”

Nodding, she moved back to the computer, adding his blood pressure and pulse, along with the notes from Megumi, before turning back to them.

“Anything else?”

They both shook their heads, and she gently began checking his arm.

“It doesn’t feel broken,” Itadori joked, and she chuckled. “Doesn’t look broken either.”

“Unless it’s sticking out, they typically don’t,” she said, causing him to laugh. “We’ll get some x-rays to check out the full damage, kid. But it’s likely you just dislocated it-”

An urgent knock on the doorframe cut her off, followed by a slightly panicked voice that made her tense.

“Yuuji-kun!”

Of all the people it could be.

“Gojo-sensei!” the kid exclaimed excitedly.

“Are you okay?” Gojo asked, moving to his side quickly. “They didn’t give me any details, just that you were in the emergency-” 

He trailed off when he turned to face her, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Hey.”

“I’m okay, Gojo-sensei,” Ittadori said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry if I worried you.”

“You’re fine, Yuuji,” he replied, turning back to the kid. “Just glad you’re okay. What happened?”

She tuned them out as she moved back to the computer, typing a few notes as she double-checked Ittadori’s information.

Emergency contact: Gojo Satoru

Huh.

Megumi said her name quietly, and she tilted her head slightly to let him know she was listening.

“My phone is dead,” he stated, holding it up. “Can I borrow yours to call my dad?”

“Yeah,” she replied absently, pulling it from her pocket and unlocking it for him. “Unlike you, kid. You don’t usually let your phone-”

“Someone-” he paused, giving Itadori a pointed look, “drained my battery watching videos.”

“They were cat videos!” Itadori argued defensively. “Cute, fluffy little cats! How could I not-”

“Use your own in the future,” Megumi snapped. “I’ll be right back.”

“Stay out of the breakroom,” she ordered, watching him scowl. “Yeah, thought so. I’ll bring you cookies next time I visit. But if there are any missing when I go back in there, I’ll know it was you.”

-

2011

“Thank you for agreeing to this.”

She shrugged, leaning back in her seat as she stared at her father across the table.

“I promised my mom I’d be civil,” she admitted. “S’long as you don’t invite the little shitspawn of yours, dinner isn’t so bad.”

His mouth pressed into a firm line as she raised her eyebrows, daring him to disagree with her.

“Fair,” he admitted, giving her a reluctant smile. “I am sorry. For- how he treats you. I know I played a major role in it, but that doesn’t make it right. And-”

“He’s an adult,” she cut him off. “How he treats me is on him now. I’ll- I’ll try not to hold it against you too much.”

His smile was small, and she took a deep breath as they ordered their food.

It wasn’t horrible to spend time with him when he was sober. She didn’t enjoy it, but it wasn’t miserable.

It also gave her an excuse to surprise Gojo. They hadn’t had a chance to see each other since she’d spent the first few days of break with his family. They’d both been busy. The holidays were when her mother’s bakery was the busiest, which was why she’d had to return to Kyoto instead of spending the entire break there with Gojo like he’d originally asked. But now that the holiday rush was over, her mother no longer needed the extra help.

Gojo’s mother had already said she was welcome to stay the night after dinner with her father, and she’d gone to their house to drop her overnight bag off so she didn’t have to lug it around with her. She was excited to see Gojo’s face when he realized she’d also brought him some of those cookies he was obsessed with.

She excused herself to go to the restroom as her father ordered a small dessert, sending a reassuring text to her mother that dinner was going fine. She was being civil, just as requested.

Her mother’s response, expressing how proud she was, made her smile as she walked back to her seat. The distinct white hair caught in the corner of her eye made her gut churn as she turned her head.

Gojo was sitting in a booth near the front, his arm around a girl she didn’t recognize. He was whispering something to her, and her cheeks went red as he smirked and nipped her ear. His hand was running along her thigh under the table, inching its way up slowly. Suddenly, he lifted his hand to her jaw, turning her so he could press his lips to hers.

Can I call you mine, Rinko-chan?

She snapped out of her daze when he slipped his tongue into the girl’s mouth.

I’m yours however you want me, Rinko-chan.

Her chest felt empty as she realized how meaningless it had all been. That she’d let herself get pulled in by his boyish grin and sweet kisses far too easily. That she’d really been that stupid.

Blinking, she kept walking, fighting the hollow feeling threatening to drown her as she took her seat. Her father furrowed his brow at her sudden change in demeanor.

“Not feeling too well,” she explained weakly, trying to figure out how she was going to get her bag from Gojo’s house without raising too many questions from his parents about why she was leaving. But she couldn’t stay there now. Not when she felt like she was going to suffocate at the thought of being anywhere near him.

She felt so stupid.

Shame was choking her as her father’s face scrunched in concern.

“You can go,” he said, his eyes searching her face. “I appreciate you coming to dinner. I- won’t subject you to them too often.”

Shaking her head, she forced herself to give him a small smile.

“You’re doing a- decent job,” she informed him quietly. “I- also appreciate the effort. Doesn’t make up for everything. But- it’s a start.”

He gave her a wide smile, his dark eyes shining slightly as he nodded.

“I’ll let you go since you aren’t feeling well. Have a good night, Rinko.”

“You- too.”

Pulling her phone back out as she moved toward the exit, she typed a quick excuse to Gojo’s mother, saying that something came up and she needed to get back to Kyoto after all. If she hurried, she could make the last train of the night.

As she approached the front, she felt someone watching her. She turned her head briefly to see Gojo staring at her, his eyes flitting in the direction she’d come from suspiciously. It was almost comical how his jaw dropped open slightly when he saw her father. As if he thought he’d caught her cheating.

I’m yours however you want me, Rinko-chan.

His arm withdrew from the girl’s shoulders quickly, now looking panicked as she heard him say her name.

“Rinko-”

She turned away, keeping her expression blank as she walked out, refusing to acknowledge him any further.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, a message from his mother saying she hoped everything was okay and to be safe getting home. Another message asked if there was anything in her bag that she needed, saying she would have Gojo bring it to her if there was.

At this point, she didn’t want any of it back. Not if it meant having to see him. Everything in that bag could easily be replaced.

Just like her.

Part of her wondered if he would follow her, but she knew better. She wouldn’t ignore the fact that she knew he didn’t have it in him to care enough again. Not when the message was perfectly clear.

Rushing to the train station, she barely made it in time for the last bullet train to Kyoto.

The tears finally formed as she dropped into her seat, curling her legs beneath her and leaning her head against the window. She blinked at her reflection, hating the sight of the crying girl staring back.

Three months. She’d wasted three months being an idiot. Allowing herself to be lulled into a false sense of happiness, of love. Let herself believe his lies.

He’d never wanted a relationship. He didn’t do relationships. She’d known that from the beginning. Should have listened to her gut when he’d asked to be exclusive.

Can I call you mine, Rinko-chan?

He’d wanted her to be his. But he’d never wanted to be hers.

I’m yours however you want me, Rinko-chan.

Liar.

-

2017

She’d been right. The kid had dislocated his wrist.

As they showed him how to care for the splint, he smiled sheepishly again and thanked her.

“Don’t sweat it,” she replied, going over the instructions and reminding him to take over-the-counter meds for the pain. “You’re all set, kid. Good luck.”

Ruffling Megumi’s hair quickly, she walked out and back to the nurses' station.

As she sat down, she noticed that Gojo had followed her.

“I- Can I talk to you for just a minute?”

“Working,” she replied instantly. “Don’t have-”

“What time does your shift end?” he asked, leaning over so no one else would hear him. “Please, Rinko. Just- ten minutes. I- I know I don’t deserve your time, but-”

“And yet you still ask for it,” she cut him off. “I don’t know why you care after so long. It’s been six years, Gojo.”

“Please,” he whispered, meeting her eyes when she looked up and giving her a small pout. “I won’t bother you again.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, she checked her watch. It didn’t hurt to listen.

“Seven,” she relented tiredly. “I get off at seven. But-”

“I’ll meet you anywhere you want,” he said immediately. “Where works best?”

“There’s a coffee shop at the end of the block,” she sighed again, feeling wary at the hopeful expression on his face. “I’ll meet you there once I get off work. But you get ten minutes. No more.”

“Deal,” he nodded, his eyes lighting up as he gave her a small smile. “I’ll see you then.”

-

2011

“I- I can explain,” Gojo pleaded, his voice desperate as he called out to her through her front door. “Baby, please. Just let me-”

“No,” she clenched her jaw as it trembled.

She’d cried enough already. The entire train ride back, and while she dug through all of her things to make sure she found everything of his that was in her apartment. Anything that would remind her how stupid she was. All of it was now tucked away in the box sitting next to her front door, which she wasn’t sure if she was willing to open because she knew he’d just force his way inside.

“Baby,” his voice was louder than before, hoarse, as he begged her to let him inside. “Please. Please just hear me out. Please, baby-”

“Don’t call me that,” she cut him off, wiping her eyes before the tears could fall. He didn’t deserve them. And she didn’t deserve to feel sad. Not when she’d let this happen. Let herself fall into his stupid little trap.

When she’d known better than to trust his words.

“Please, I- I have your bag-”

She ripped the door open, yelping in surprise when he fell forward because he’d been leaning against it.

“Baby,” he rushed out, dropping her bag and reaching for her. “Please, just let me explain-”

“Don’t touch me,” she swatted his hands away. “There’s nothing to explain, Gojo. You got what you wanted from me, and it wasn’t enough. So you-”

“That’s not it,” he insisted, following after her desperately. “Please, just- I’m sorry-”

“You’re sorry you got caught,” she snapped, forcing herself to take a deep breath as she felt the walls closing in. “You’re sorry that your fun was ruined. That you don’t get to keep stringing me along like an idiot. I’ve gotta give it to you. You had me convinced. Meeting your parents was a nice touch, I must say. Really sold that you actually gave a shit. Made me feel special-”

“You are-”

“I guess I can’t blame you for taking advantage of the fact that I was stupid enough to believe you-”

“You’re not stupid,” he argued, his brow furrowed as he stepped closer. “Please, just- I can explain. It was a mistake-”

“Which part?” she cut him off, stepping further away. “Planning the date? Going on it? Your hand on her leg? Your tongue in her mouth? Or was it just this entire thing? Was that the mistake? Me?”

The tears broke free, and she wiped her eyes furiously.

“Baby, that’s not-”

“Don’t fucking call me that,” she hissed, running her hands through her hair. “Don’t pretend to give a shit. Just- don’t.”

“I- I do care, Rinko,” Gojo wrung his hands together. “Please, I just- I-”

“How long?” she asked, watching his eyes. “Those nights when you were too tired to call the past couple weeks, were they all because you were busy with someone else?”

He said nothing, staring at her, his expression filled with guilt.

“You were the one who wanted this,” she accused, glaring at him as his eyes pleaded with her. “You said you wanted-”

Can I call you mine, Rinko-chan?

The sob escaped before she could stop it. She grasped her hair, pulling it slightly as reality crashed into her once again, and she realized just how stupid she was.

He had just wanted the only thing she hadn’t already given him. Wanted to make sure that no one else could have her. But he didn’t care.

It was about getting something for the sake of having it.

But she wasn’t shiny and new anymore.

The relationship wasn’t what he wanted, so he went and found something that was.

And now that he’d been caught, he was pretending to care. Pretending to want her.

“Get out,” she whispered, unable to get her voice to come out any louder. “Leave. And don’t fucking talk to me. Don’t come near me. Just- you got what you wanted, yeah? You got-”

Can I call you mine, Rinko-chan?

“Sex wasn’t enough,” she choked, unable to breathe as she realized it had all just been a game. “You got your prize, yeah? Got to call me yours-”

“That’s not what this is,” his hands grasping her face gently. “You’re not a prize, baby. I- you’re mine, and I- I’m yours.”

It was like those words broke her.

She almost couldn’t believe his nerve. That he’d lie so blatantly after what she’d seen. But she knew better. It was Gojo.

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” she screamed, pushing him away. “Don’t fucking- you’re not mine. And you never were. You don’t even know what that means. You- you really do just fucking say whatever it takes to get what you want. Anything at all.”

“That’s not- no, that’s not how-”

He cut off as she shoved the box into his hands, his face crumbling as he saw the first sweater she’d stolen from him before they started dating.

“Baby,” he whispered. “Please. Please just give me a chance to explain. I- this will never happen again. I fucking-”

“It won’t happen again,” she agreed, pushing him toward the door. “Because this is it. We’re done. Get out. Pretend I never existed, just like you were at dinner-”

“That’s- no, please, baby-”

“I said don’t call me that,” her chest felt tight, her throat threatening to close, and she grabbed the door as soon as she got him over the threshold. “I don’t ever want to hear from you again.”

“Wait,” he begged, dropping the box to the ground as he tried to reach for her again. “Rinko, wait, please-”

She slammed the door shut, locking it and sinking to the floor beside it as she curled in on herself.

It was her own fucking fault for believing him. For thinking she was special to him even for a second.

-

2017

“I- wasn’t sure if you still liked matcha lattes,” he pushed it toward her hesitantly. “But I- went ahead and got it just in case? That way, you don’t have to wait in line-”

“It’s fine,” she replied, taking a small sip. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” he ran his hand through his hair as she checked her watch deliberately. “I- thank you for agreeing to hear me out. I just- I really am so fucking sorry, Rinko. I fucked up. Really bad. And I really wish I could take it back. All of it. Every single thing I did that hurt you.”

“It’s been six years,” she repeated her earlier words, staring at him. “It’s in the past. I honestly don’t get why you still care so much.”

“Because I hurt you-”

“It was my own fault,” she informed him bluntly. “I knew who you were. What you were like. I let myself believe I was different. That was my fault.”

His face fell as he met her eyes, the blue dimming just slightly.

“I- I was a real piece of shit to you,” he admitted, his eyes staying firmly on hers. “You were too good to be true, honestly. Too good for me. I knew it. Everyone knew it. Shoko and Nanamin never failed to tell me I didn’t deserve you when we were together. And I- I just had to be an idiot and prove them right.” He sighed, fidgeting with his cup in front of him. “My parents fucking loved you. Knew they would, you just- you were perfect.” There was a sad smile on his face. “My mom still asks about you sometimes, ya know. I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me for losing you.”

“We were never going to work,” she stated, watching the smile drop again. “We both know that. You didn’t want a relationship, not really. You never did. It was just something you thought you wanted because it was the only thing you didn’t have from me-”

“That’s not true,” he argued, frowning. “That’s not what it was at all. I- I wanted to be with you. I- I still do.”

She snorted, somehow not surprised.

“You want to be with me now because it’s a challenge,” she rolled her eyes. “Because it’s something you don’t have. Something that-”

“That isn’t- do you really think I just see you as something to obtain?”

Pursing her lips to the side, she nodded.

“Yes,” she admitted, taking a small sip of her latte. “It’s what our relationship was. You saw something you didn’t have, something that I could give you. And once you had it, you got bored of it. The sex wasn’t enough, so you wanted a relationship, but then neither of those were enough, so you-”

“Please don’t- please tell me that isn’t what you’ve thought all this time,” he whispered, his face crumpling. “Rinko, please tell me you don’t think that it was because you weren’t enough.”

“For you,” she clarified, shrugging. “Like I said, I knew better than to believe that I was somehow special or different from anyone else you’d been with.”

“But you were,” he argued, his eyes suddenly filling with determination. “You are. I- it was me-”

“I know it was you,” she reminded. “I know you fucked up. But I should never have given you the chance to fuck up.”

He was silent for a few moments, his eyes searching her face before he spoke again.

“Do you regret dating me?” he asked quietly, meeting her eyes carefully. “Do you- do you really wish you’d never even given me a chance?”

The question had her gnawing on her bottom lip as she thought, staring down at the cup in her hands.

Did she regret it?

The way it made her feel after, absolutely. She’d felt empty and worthless for a while afterward.

But in the good moments, the ones where she’d thought he cared, she’d been happy. Felt loved. It was why she’d felt so stupid when everything was over.

“Not completely,” she finally whispered. “The beginning was good. But-”

“I- I said I would explain,” he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table as he clasped his hands together. “The- there were two people that I-” he paused, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. “I slept with two others. It- the girl you saw me with- that was the second time I saw her. She- I never saw her again after-”

He stopped, running a hand through his hair as she clenched her jaw. She didn’t even know why she was here. Why she was listening to this after six years.

“When- when you didn’t stay for break, even though I knew it was because you needed to help your mom, I just- I thought maybe I’d already done something wrong,” he continued, swallowing thickly. “Or that you didn’t like my parents. Or- I don’t even know. But I was- I panicked. Because I- I was falling in love with you, and I was fucking terrified. So when the panic set in- when you didn’t stay after meeting my parents-” he shook his head as his brow furrowed. “I just- part of me thought I was softening the blow for myself so when you broke up with me, it wouldn’t hurt as much. It- was fucked up of me to do.”

“So- you cheated on me because you thought that I was going to break up with you?” her eyes narrowed. “Because that’s a great way to save a relationship-”

“I fucked up,” he admitted, dropping his head to his hands. “I- really fucked up. And I can’t ever apologize enough. I- three times. One person twice, the one you saw me with once. I- fuck, it’s even worse saying it all out loud.”

He wasn’t wrong.

It was like ripping open old, healed scars and watching them bleed just for the sake of it.

“I- don’t blame you for not listening to me when I tried to apologize,” Gojo whispered, lifting his head to stare into her eyes again. The blue orbs were bright with a sincerity she was wary of. “But- I’d give anything for another chance. I- I know I don’t deserve it. But I would do anything for the chance to do things right. To do right by you.”

She gnawed on her bottom lip, unable to hold his gaze. Getting involved with Gojo Satoru again was the last thing she needed in her life. But staring into his eyes made her want to believe him.

“I won’t- push any further,” he murmured. “I just needed to get that off my chest. To know that I at least tried to- make things right. Thank you for- listening.”

“You- you said anything,” she said curiously, watching him tense before he gave her a hopeful look. “What- what do you even mean by that? What could I even want from you?”

He chuckled wrily, running his hand through his hair again.

“That- I think that was more of a plea to the universe, ya know? I mean, name your price, and if it’s possible, I’ll fuckin-”

“Why now?” she asked. “It’s been years.”

“Because,” he sighed, offering her a small smile. “I- never thought I’d see you again. Hadn’t seen or heard about you since school. So when I saw you at that soccer game, all I could think about was that it had to be my second chance. It felt like I’d be tossing that chance away if I didn’t at least try talking to you. Today was- I had no idea you worked at that hospital. I was only there because of Yuuji.”

That piqued her curiosity further.

“How did you end up as that kid’s emergency contact?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. “He’s Megumi’s age, which means he isn’t in high school yet, so you can’t be his teacher.”

“After school program,” he replied sheepishly. “I- I help out in the after-school tutoring program Yuuji goes to. His parents aren’t around, and I’m the most consistent one there, so he asked if he could put me down as his emergency contact. Figured it’s better than him not having anyone.” He shrugged. “I’ve only met Megumi once. He’s- he’s a cousin, isn’t he? Looks just like those twins. Maki and Mai, right? I- remember you mentioning them once or twice when we were together.”

“A cousin,” she confirmed, pursing her lips to the side as she checked her watch. It had been longer than ten minutes. Much longer. “I- should go. Maki and Mai tend to come over on the weekends, so they’re probably at my place now. Thank you for- apologizing. And explaining.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets as he nodded.

“I’m- thank you again for hearing me out,” he said, watching her push herself to her feet. “Will I- I know I said I won’t push, I just- wanna ask if- I’ll see you around?”

“I’ll be at the twins’ next soccer game,” she replied, and his eyes lit up. “I- I’ll be at all of their soccer games if I’m not working. Though, Mai is gonna be out for the next two.”

“Can I-” he paused. “If I go, would it be okay if I sat with you? Or just- if I just came and said ‘hi’ instead of sitting with you. I don’t wanna crowd-”

“Ask me again if you see me there,” she cut him off, unable to fight the small smile at his rambling. “I’ll- see you around, Gojo.”

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Prompt: “Do you want to put the star on the top of the tree?”

Pairing: Mozus Trein and GN!Reader/Yuu/Prefect (Familial)

Genre: Fluff

TW: NA

AN: I don't really have much to say about Trein lol. Hope you enjoy!

"Oh, come here lil' guy," you hummed, gently scooping Lucius from his place on the bay window seat. The cat let out a disgruntled meow, signalling his dissatisfaction as he looked at you with judgemental eyes. You just smiled at him innocently, cradling him like the furry little baby he was.

"Just gotta... there!" Anna smiled, decorating the bay window with tinsel and fairy lights. Delighted by her own work, she took a moment to take it all in. Turning to you, she said, "Well, that's the last of it done."

"Anna! (Name)! Come help decorate the tree if you're done with the rest of the house!" Ella called out to the two of you, making you gently let down Lucius from his perch in your arms. The feline sauntered off, out the door of the library and into the hallway as the two of you followed.

When Professor Trein found out that you were going to stay alone at Night Raven College for the winter holidays, he extended an invitation to you to spend the holidays with him and his daughters. Mozus Trein had grown fond of you, to the point where he regaled his daughters with stories of your adventures in the academy through the letters they exchanged regularly; Anna and Ella had been worryingly happy to show you the letters, much to their father's embarrassment.

You had grown used to the cosy house that Professor Trein called his home in no time, mixing with his family like you were always meant to be a part of it. Anna and Ella were a delight to be around. The women had taken one look at you and declared you their sibling, spoiling you and Grim both throughout your stay.

Ella was the older, calmer pillar to the absolute bouncing-off-the-walls energy that Anna brought. Both women loved and respected their father immensely, refusing to let him do anything they deemed too strenuous while they were there (which was most things).

It was endearing to see the way both of them would intently watch their father whenever he moved through the house, eyes narrowing when they saw him trying to lift something, no matter how light. Ella's gentle taking of the object from his hands would be coupled with Anna's playful scolding, after which you'd be roped in to monitor the elderly man who'd be placed into a 'timeout' on the couch.

These 'timeouts' would lead to the two of you sitting peacefully on the couch, your respective feline companions dozing off or resting on your laps as Professor Trein regaled you with stories from his past, of trips to faraway places and beloved friends. You grew close with the Professor, soaking up his retelling of stories with such eagerness that for a moment Mozus Trein was reminded of days when he'd read stories to two young girls before tucking them into bed.

If he hadn't thought of you as family before, he did now.

Once you reached the living room, you paused to admire the Christmas tree that was being decorated by an enthusiastic Grim and a slightly exasperated but fond Professor Trein. Anna immediately bee-lined to the two with the aim of helping them, while nudging you to go and help Ella, who seemed to be dusting some pictures kept on the marble mantelpiece. You obliged with her wordless request, making your way to the older woman.

You spied her holding a photo with gentle hands as you came to a stop next to her. It was a photo of a younger Professor Trein and a woman. The woman held a baby in her arms, carefully lowering them so a young girl could look at the baby with curious eyes. You recognized the young girl as Ella, so the baby must have been Anna. And that would mean...

"This is my mother," Ella spoke, her voice softer than usual. "I think this is the last photo we have of all of us together. All other photos of Mother before she left us only have we three girls," she glanced at you, a soft smile on her lips. "Father isn't one for being in pictures himself you see, though he likes to take them," she explained, fingertips gently grazing the cleaned glass.

"... She was really pretty," you said, looking at the woman in the photograph. She really was. Her long and luxurious hair was the same shade as Ella's, and her eyes the same colour as Anna's. The way she looked at her two young daughters interacting with each other was kind and motherly. The younger version of Professor Trein in the picture seemed unaware that a picture was being taken, his attention fully focused on his three girls as he stood close to his late wife.

It was a beautiful picture of a perfect family.

"That she was," Ella hummed in agreement as she placed the picture back on the mantelpiece. "Father used to tell us that Mother was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. That, along with her beautiful face and agreeable nature, ensured that she had plenty of suitors back in the day," she smiled, then continued, "though he refuses to tell us how he managed to woo her. Anna believes that he serenaded her one night under the stars, and she fell for him. And that he's just too embarrassed to tell us that."

You laughed as a vision of a young Professor Trein, singing his love and admiration to his wife danced in front of your eyes, and Ella chuckled along. "Ridiculous, isn't it?"

"What is ridiculous?" Professor Trein asked from behind you, and your laughter increased. Ella looked at you in amusement, a hand on your shoulder to stabilise your laughing form as she gave her father an innocent smile, "Nothing father. Have you finished decorating the tree?"

Professor Trein looked behind him, where Grim and Anna were arguing about Grim wanting to eat the popcorn used to decorate the tree and sighed. He looked back at the two of you.

"Only the star remains. (Name), would you like to put the star on the tree?"

You look at Professor Trein with a slight surprise on your face. "Me?"

Professor Trein raises an eyebrow at you, the faintest hint of concern on his face, "Why, does the thought not please you? If so, then Anna or Ella could place the star; no need to fret."

You shook your head, "No! No, there's no problem. Uh... It's just that, back in my world... putting the star on the tree was kind of a big deal? It wasn't anything symbolic just... I remember fighting with my cousins to be the one to place it," you chuckled, trying to ignore the way your heart squeezed at the reminder that you didn't belong to this world. Your loved ones were not miles away, they were in an entirely different universe; who knew if you would ever see them again?

Professor Trein's eyes softened, and he placed a fatherly hand on your shoulder. "(Name). I would be happy if it were you placing the star on the tree," he said, giving you a smile you had only ever seen him give his daughters. A lump seemed to grow in your throat at the care and fondness in his gaze.

"Besides, if you require someone to fight with you for the position of honour, I'm sure Grim and Anna both would be more than willing opponents," he remarked, a side glance to the two who were still arguing about the popcorn.

You gave him a grateful smile, feeling the tell-tale burning in your eyes that signalled the coming of tears. Blinking them away, you said, "Thank you Professor Trein."

"You're welcome, kid."

Back to Masterlist...

[manygeese]

Chapter nine, featuring Piper and Leo as siblings⁉️💕‼️💅

Okay, so Leo may have ended up staying at Jason’s longer than he intended. In his defense, he had woken up in the arms of a super cute guy that he just so happened to have been crushing on. Who could blame him for getting stuck there?

Needless to say, he had not thought of the consequences. Namely, the fact that Piper would be an ungodly mix of angry and worried at/for/because of him.

But that wasn’t on his mind- romance was in the air, and Leo was weak for it. He was ninety nine percent sure he had big, silly hearts in place of his pupils.

Birds sung, as if heralding Leo and Jason’s arrival to the farm. Jason held the gate open after Leo unlocked it, bowing and letting Leo head in first. “What a gentleman,” he crooned, leaning onto the gate and running a finger over the splintered wood.

Jason snorted. “I prefer the phrase ‘knight in shining armor’, actually.”

Leo felt himself fall a little more in love.

Before last night, falling in love had been like being swept up in a rockslide: aggressive, full of struggle, and painful. He had ended up pinned between uprooted trees and entombed in gravel and mud. He had crawled out dirty, more than a little worse for wear, and thoroughly beaten.

But then, he had seen the sun. It had blond hair and blue eyes, pale skin that freckled rather than tanned, and a touch that was soft as goose down. The sun had lifted him up, given him a listening ear, and looked at him like he was the only thing that mattered in this world and the next. There were no clouds or dirt blocking it any longer; nothing stopping him from staring directly into it, but that probably wasn’t too good for him. Honestly, who cared? He had 20/20 vision. It’d last a good long while before it gave out on him. If the last thing he saw was the sun, he’d die happy.

The point was, although Jason joked about it, he really was Leo’s knight in shining armor. Said knight crossed the gate after Leo, coming up beside him, making it so easy to imagine just straightening up, leaning forward, grabbing Jason by his scarf or maybe his hair and pulling him down into a-

Leo was beginning to feel like he was in a romcom when the director suddenly yelled cut in the form of Piper McLean. She slammed the door of the farmhouse open, pulling Leo’s gaze away from Jason and towards her furious marching figure. “Where the hell were you?” She demanded, gesturing wildly, stomping her feet, looking like a mixture of a mother who caught her daughter making out with a guy and a kindergartner who got put in timeout.

“I was at Jason’s apartment,” he answered, voice wavering. Not because he was scared or anything, but because his sister had stormed up to him and began shaking him back and forth by the shoulders. “Did he not call you?”

Jason got a guilty look on his handsome face, telling them all they needed to know about that.

“Listen, I was preoccupied-” Jason started.

“I’m sure you were.” The quip sounded like it should have been sarcastic, but there was something else to it, like Piper was an all knowing deity looking into Jason’s thoughts and finding out that damn, he was right, it’s super preoccupied in here.

“Yeah. I was.”

Piper snorted, but Leo just savored the way a delicate blush sprouted onto Jason’s face. “Okay, Mr. Amnesiac, you go get to work. There’s some leftover bacon and eggs from breakfast that you can have for lunch.”

“Bye, Jason.” Leo waved shyly. He was tempted to twirl a curl around his finger, maybe bite his lip if he was feeling particularly like a lovesick schoolboy. He nearly giggled when Jason waved back with a grin.

Piper waved goodbye to him as well, but she snapped her head back to him as soon as the farmhand was out of sight. She fixed him with her harsh gaze, and Leo was just about to crack a joke to ease the tension when she started to hug him. “Never do that again.”

“Jeez, sorry, Pipes,” he wheezed, half out of laughter, half please stop hugging me so hard, my lungs can’t do their thing.

“I’m serious.” She pulled away slightly so she could look him in the eye. “We were really worried about you. Dad stayed out on the porch waiting for you until midnight. Even after I managed to get him to go inside, he insisted we leave the light on for you.”

“He never does that,” Leo breathed, more to himself than anyone else.

“Yeah. He doesn’t.” Piper let a quiet settle over them for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Leo piped up, thinking she was expecting something. “I should have texted. Or something. I shouldn’t have ran off in the first place.”

“Yeah, you should have texted, but no. You needed space. That’s a fine thing to need. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I did the thing that guys do when you just want to rant, but they end up trying to solve all your problems. Does that make sense?”

“Oh my god, you went Bob the Builder on me.”

Piper cackled. It devolved into silent laughter, which is how he knew it was at least a six on the funny scale. Her laughter itself was an eight, and it only took a five to get Leo laughing, so he joined her. “Bob the- Bob the Builder?” She had her hands on her knees, like she had run a marathon. She was panting like it, too.

“That is literally exactly what you just described. Don’t even try to tell me otherwise,” he sputtered, taking big gulps of air as if he was a fish out of water. “You had Bob the Builder syndrome.”

“Stop, I’m gonna cry.”

“You already are, girl.”

“No, I’m not!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Yuh huh!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Yuh huh!”

“I think we both know what my answer to that is gonna be.”

“Does it rhyme with yuh huh, which just so happens to be the answer to the question ‘is Piper crying?’”

“You know what? You can go back to Jason’s apartment, actually.”

~*~

It was late into the night when Piper suggested they watch Oklahoma, after the last movie (The Little Mermaid) had finished. They had decided that the answer to all their problems was a movie night, as always.

“Actually, me and Jason watched that yesterday night,” he confessed, knowing it would come with a good old interrogation.

He was right, as always (Piper would never admit it. A tragedy). “Y’all watched a movie? What else did you do? Did he hold your hand?”

“Shut. Up. Piper,” he said, punctuating each word with a collision of a throw pillow against Piper’s shoulder. “He. Did. Not. Hold. My. Hand.”

“So that’s why you’re so bitter.”

He should probably smother her right about now, but Dad was asleep in the armchair, and he didn’t feel like waking him up with her muffled screams.

“You should see the look on your face. It’s a mix of John Wayne Gacy and upset toddler,” Piper supplied.

“Wasn’t John Wayne Gacy a clown murderer?”

“Emphasis on the clown part for you.”

Smothering looked more and more appealing by the second.

“Chill, man, I just wanted to hear the hot gossip!”

Leo scoffed. “Never once have I heard you utter those words before.”

“Well, when it comes to my brother’s crushes, I become inclined to know all of the ‘hot gossip’.” She did air quotes around the last two words, just to be especially annoying, but it made him laugh anyways.

“Shut up. So, me and Jason watched Oklahoma- shut up.” He had to interrupt himself when Piper made kissy faces at him. “He lent me his sweatshirt to sleep in- shut up.” That one was just a precaution.

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You were going to. And I bet it was gonna be something annoying!”

“Yeah, true. You know me so well.”

“So anyways, I took a shower- shut up, in case you were thinking of talking.”

She mimicked the action of zipping her lips. He held out his hand and she reluctantly dropped the imaginary key into his palm.

“Thank you. So we ended up sleeping together-”

“What?”

“Not like that! Ew, Piper, get your head out of the goddamn gutter! I just, I- he was going to sleep on the couch, right? And I was like, ‘no, dude, this is your bed, we can share it.’ And he accepted, which I was not expecting. And long story short-”

“Too late.”

“Ugh. Long story short, I kind of sort of woke up in his arms?”

Piper laughed disbelievingly, slapping him on the back like a frat bro. “I don’t even know what base that is, maybe like, one and a half, but congrats, man!”

“One and a half-st base does not roll off the tongue. And before you say anything inappropriate, just know I am telling you to shut up.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything!”

Leo made a face that hopefully said sure you weren’t. When she responded with an expression that said I literally wasn’t, do you not trust me or something, he laughed. “Um, one last thing: I am planning on talking to Calypso when she gets back.”

“Damn, you should be in the headlines for tomorrow’s paper. You are dropping the craziest news right now.” Piper let out a low whistle and laid back on the couch. Leo copied her.

“Yeah, it was just kind of like, wow! You’re giving me a second chance? I guess I’ll give you one, too. But I’ve been talking too long- your turn.”

Piper knitted her brows together, like she was thinking super hard. “Um, I’m a lesbian, if that’s anything.”

Leo’s eyes bugged out and he leaned forward as if proximity to the secret directly correlated to his understanding. “Woah?”

“Woah?” Piper let out a sharp “ha”. “Is that all you have to say?”

“How’d you know?”

“I just got to thinking after you told me about your little epiphany, and it made me realize that not only did I not want a guy, I wanted a girl. So, yeah. Not as eventful as yours.”

Leo hummed thoughtfully. “There are more gay people around here than I thought.”

Piper cackled and grabbed a pillow, waving it menacingly. “We’re everywhere.”

“I’m one of you! Don’t threaten me with that!”

Ignoring his cries for mercy, she whacked him across the face with it. He dramatically fainted off of the couch, hitting his head on the coffee table, and reached for the nearest quilt to asphyxiate her with.

She squawked when he chucked a weighted blanket at her, making her fall over and ending up on the floor with her brother. Leo attempted to tackle her, but that was hard when you were swamped in an abnormally large and unusually heavy swath of fabric, as well as two to four throw pillows.

“What are you hooligans doing?”

Both Leo and Piper froze in the middle of their tussling. They had woken up Dad.

“Nothing,” Leo drawled.

“Go back to sleep,” Piper added.

“Yup. You are getting very sleepy.”

“What he said.”

Mr. McLean snorted and shook his head fondly. “Sure, sure. I believe you. I’m just gonna head off to my actual bed instead of this armchair. Try not to break each other’s bones.”

Piper huffed. “Aw, man.”

“Is throttling still on the table?” Leo pleaded, clasping his hands together.

“No, it isn’t.”

Piper huffed again. “Aw, man.”

“You two should get to bed soon. It’s eleven o’clock.”

“Oh, shit, is it?” Piper said, already getting up and climbing the stairs to her room. Leo had no choice but to follow her. He wasn’t going to watch a movie by himself. It wasn’t any fun without Piper interrupting it every minute or so with some variation of funny comment plus obnoxious laughter at her own joke.

“Goodnight, Dad,” Leo sighed, feeling sleepier than he had been a moment before.

“Goodnight, Dad,” Piper echoed, following it up with a yawn.

“Goodnight, kids.” Leo could hear the soft smile on Mr. McLean’s face through his voice. “I love you.”

@katiefromcabin7 @iwannascreameurekaa @froglyberrys @justlikearat @existential-life-crisis @jasonisntboring @poppitron360 @erosjournal @ihatenotreading @reggie-the-dyke

[skzkiyoon]

🎀 BANG CHAN . “ CHANKI “ !

CONTACT NAME: channie wannie 🐺💌

his only hyung, appreciates all her hard work and her careful attitude towards the group.

told her he was about to sell his leg to get her into the group because she was so talented and didn’t want it to be wasted as a trainee.

calls her key lime, he says he’s not sure how he got that name but it’s stuck and they both don’t care.

when he first met her, she was literally melting in her own depression. now it’s like she’s the one taking care of him.

gets scolded and sometimes cussed out on a regular basis (not in a rude way) because he forgets to take breaks when working.

they both helped each other a lot through their trainee years, picking each other up through hard times.

definitely is one of the first people to want to learn her native language, he finds it so amazing about the different variations and how each Hispanic culture has different ways of saying the same word

kiyoon always comes with 3racha to the studio. he takes input on tracks from her at times to see what needs to be improved if changbin or han can’t be there in the studio

🎀 LEE KNOW . “ MINKI “ !

CONTACT NAME: mi gemelo ☝🏼❤️

her literal dance teacher, when she came into the group he was surprised her dancing wasn’t bad.. but at the same time it wasn’t that good.

he goes soft for his hyung by default, and it’s noticeable by fans and the members.

on an emotional level he feels connected to her somehow because he’s just one of those people who doesn’t show too much emotion at times. he knows kiyoon to be the same type of person due to constantly overworking herself.

practically adopted her even though she’s older, makes no sense but that’s literally how it is. one minute she’ll be scolding someone then she’ll get a handle from lee know.

never once hated each other or disliked each other, they were just really neutral once they met.

time out corner part 1

kiyoon assigned him a timeout corner and a specific “stand right here” or “behave” look. she always yells at him when he’s picking on the boys and tells him to “go to his corner”

🎀 CHANGBIN . “ YOONBIN “ !

CONTACT NAME: mi chico flor 🌸

was VERY surprised by how tall she was when they first met, kiyoon picks on him and he starts to get pouty.

there are times where he’s really protective and is the one “assigned” to go with her to places.

like lee know, he goes soft for his hyung by default, and it’s noticeable by fans and the members.

gym buddies for life. they work out together but kiyoon will only squat weight so changbin has to force her to do bench press and others.

she’s one of the only ppl to not reject changbin’s affection. he’s affectionate with her more than anyone else.

when she wants to sleep he’s always bothering her. he usually gets a handful from her for disturbing her sleep.

attempts to make her breakfast every now in this but fails miserably.

always acknowledges and tells her how happy he is that she’s in the group and how proud he is of her for her rapping skills. takes the time to go through random tracks to perfect her skills and sometimes will have rap battles. always makes rap battles fun and they won’t really diss each other.

🎀 HYUNJIN . “ HYUNKI “ !

CONTACT NAME: hyunjinnie 🐚

sleepy duo

you can catch them taking naps everywhere and in the most random spots.

they weren’t all that close at first, hyunjin didn’t understand why there was a girl joining the group. he did think she was very beautiful, no doubt.

drama king and queen fr

she’s just less dramatic than hyunjin, she can handle bugs and weird looking creatures and costumes but she cannot handle slime or weird feeling things.

he always asks to braid your hair and trust and believe he can do it correctly.

you guys are sometimes seen going out to dinner by fans or picking things up from fast food places when you feel like it.

takes care of her when she becomes too stubborn because even chan or lee know can’t get to her sometimes. when she gets the slightest criticism she works too hard, especially when it comes to dance. hyunjin is always there to help her out and makes sure she is properly taking care of herself during practice.

🎀 HAN . “ YOONJI “ !

CONTACT NAME: ardilla 🐿️

little silly duo that does pranks on everyone and it’s mostly kiyoon’s idea

han praises kiyoon’s rapping skills EVERY SINGLE DAY and it’s to the point where kiyoon will start yelling if he does it because she’s so embarrassed

attempts to make her laugh every chance he gets

he did pick on her a bit when he first met her and it didn’t escalate well because she nearly threw a chair at him, but luckily all she did was get up and leave

they are also the sleepy duo but maybe more of a sleepy duo than kiyoon and hyunjin

you can probably find han laying upside down off his bed with kiyoon laying on the floor like dracula

he also helps with perfecting her rap flow and picks up random tracks on days where they’re bored

he is affectionate with her in a weird way, he’ll randomly lick her cheek and say it was a way to show her he appreciates her

if han needs someone to talk he goes to kiyoon first, he feels she gives the best advice along with chan and always talks it out with him in the best way possible

🎀 FELIX . “ KILIX “ !

CONTACT NAME: sunshine baby ❤️

he’s her little sunshine and she treats him as if he’s a delicate butterfly

he’s been a sweetheart from the start and was the first person to welcome her into the group (aside from chan)

they can always be found in the living room area of the dorms cuddling and watching movies or simply listening to music

kiyoon constantly worries for felix’s health so she checks on him every 3 hours to not seem too overbearing. if she finds he’s not taking care of himself he’ll get scolded but he gets it better than the others in the hyung line (they get scolded way worse)

felix is always invited by kiyoon to go out on late night drives or walks. one time a fan almost caught them out by the shore of the beach, luckily they didn’t know it was them

felix is embarrassed when kiyoon compliments his vocal range and dance skills. it’s a back and forth compliment game after that till they both eventually accept the compliments

they recommend music to each other at random times at the day

they always bake things together, and felix gets new recipes from his hyung in spanish culture

🎀 SEUNGMIN . “SEUNGYOON “ !

CONTACT NAME: perrito menace💢🫶🏼

yk how seungmin told chan he would be “half 52?” yeah he tells kiyoon she’s “half 54”

he will find ways to pick on her and it irritates she crap out of her sometimes

he’s labeled as her “little menace” because he’s always being a savage towards everyone

he opens up about his insecurities to her when he really needs it, she tells him that he doesn’t have to hold it in. she always makes sure he’s taking care of himself and making sure he knows he’s loved infinitely

time out corner part 2

he only has a timeout corner because sometimes she’s too irritated and doesn’t want him to cause trouble so she tells him to go to his timeout corner in hopes of getting things to be less rowdy

she teaches him ways to tease chan when she is in the mood to cause trouble herself

she cooks puerto rican cuisines on a daily basis for him and he acts like he hasn’t eaten for days

picks on her when she tells him no to something

fans think they really do hate each other at times but it’s just inside jokes and tough love

🎀 I.N . “ INKI “ !

CONTACT NAME: pan maknae 🥹💌

fans think jeongin and kiyoon constantly have physical fights

“when I see kie hyung it’s on sight hahaha” is his exact words to fans on bubble

kiyoon is practically his adoptive mother at this point , she acts like it way too much

she calls him her son and little brother

he’s always laughing and being a total pain in her ass but she still loves him

kiyoon tends to put jeongin in a arrest hold or a headlock when he’s messing with her too much

she’s cried only once and he was the only one to see, he comforted her without alerting the others of what happened. after she was better they sat in her dorm together watching standup comedies and movies

she feels sad watching him grow older like she really birthed him or something, she expresses everyday that she wished he stayed tiny

kiyoon gets surprised everytime they’re on stage because she whole heartedly agrees with fans that he goes from baby bread to loaf of bread

#1 supporter of her baby bread and continues to be till the end of time. she was once on a hiatus due to catching a sickness and paid for concert tickets in secret to watch her youngins and jeongin perform. she screamed the loudest the entire concert and they had found out it was her because she started to scream excitedly in spanish

[whattraintracks]

I wasn't really looking forward to anything going into High Potential 1.05 "Croaked" because, honestly, HPI 1.04 "Phyllobates Terribilis" is an episode I'm kind of meh about. After re/watching both and writing this, I appreciate them more, though.

Thoughts and comparisons below.

Things unique to "Croaked" that I liked:

Karadec to Morgan: "I am not listening to you for the rest of the day" (later) "I am still not talking to you"

"I know it kinda doesn't seem like it right now, but I do feel really bad about shooting you" Morgan says hardly bothering to conceal her laughter

Oz using the nickname Daph (as Karadec did in 1.04) highlights how familiar these three are with each other

I don't remember Daphné having any particular desire to emulate Karadec in HPI. I'm interested to see what they do with that here

Karadec, referring to the number of dates he goes on: "I cast nets"

Karadec, after Morgan swipes his phone: "You have exactly one second before I arrest you for theft" (and the look he gives her, my guy, please chill out) ((but also don't this is so funny))

I'm happy we got to see Fernanda reunited with Rodney!!

Morgan and Ava's conflict was a sweet demonstration of their relationship and the effects of Morgan getting emotionally invested in a case or, more accurately, in the lives of those involved. This time, it helped her, but I hope we continue to see the effects/toll this takes on her

Things "Croaked" did differently that I liked:

this is the first remade episode with a name change that I really like. It's both clever and easier to remember lol

clearly showing Morgan walk past and notice the dart gun on the wall and that the tank has one frog in it but nametags for two

Karadec turning to stare at Morgan in shock and betrayal just before he collapses

GIVING OZ THE COMIC BOOK PHOTOFIT SCENE T^T THAT'S SO CUTE

establishing Céline is a mom is something I wish HPI had done earlier, so I'm glad it's been brought up between Selena and Morgan a couple of times now

Daphne and Oz having a more visible contribution throughout the episode, even if it's weird (not bad, just different) seeing Daphne in the field

the 'we investigated different clues but ended up in the same place at the same time' trope is one of my favorites, and I like that all four ended up together again

Morgan bursting into the salon, declaring, "Bethany, you lied to us!"

Karadec's face is so cool to watch once Oz shows Nathan the book. The way you can tell he can tell something is up with the sudden confession

in HPI, Karadec is the one who wants to keep working on the case that night, is baffled Morgane leaves, and actually remains at the station after everyone. In this version, well, allow me to sum it up:

Karadec, trying to go home: Yeah, well, like I said, let's just dive back in on Monday Morgan, her eyes enormous: you tell morgan to WAIT? you tell her look with fresh eyes MONDAY? oh! oh! jail for karadec! jail for karadec for One Thousand Years!!!!

from the date: Karadec not seeming too bothered by the interruption, Ava asking before stealing his food, Morgan's "I thought we agreed that we were only gonna splurge on hookers as a couple?", the partners/not partners banter, and how quickly he and his date get into Morgan's revelations

the flip flops during the robbery detail and the ear dimples, since those are more likely to be genetic than the way one folds their thumbs

the grandma getting to meet her grandson!

something I didn't love so much was Oz saying "Or I'm so good, I got an innocent man to confess" like

Things I'm glad they kept from "Phyllobates Terribilis":

Morgan/e putting the very-out-of-it Karadec in timeout at the salon while she interviews the friend

Oz/Gilles' love of treats and snacks, plus his overall silliness and kindness

Daphne/é's tech-savvy and tendency to condescend a little

Karadec and Morgan/e feeling sure the case isn't over but for different reasons (the confession v. the karate photo)

Karadec continuing to manage Morgan/e's expectations (as seen in his original "welcome to my job" and new "hate to tell you, but it's like that a lot" in response to her frustration about the case's ending. I love this aspect of their early partnership. Karadec who's learned to shield himself emotionally v. Morgan/e getting invested in everyone they encounter in a case. She calls him heartless. He calls her ridiculous, but still tries to warn and shield her <3)

Things not included from "Phyllobates Terribilis" that I miss:

Dr. Bonnemain! Though I don't miss Morgane flirting with him

Karadec's allergies and the equally hilarious bit where Gilles lists all of them

Morgane shooting Karadec without warning (and in the butt)

Gilles pulling his gun on Morgane after this (could've had Daphne do it to emphasise her respect for Karadec? 🤔)

Morgane promising to take Karadec home safely; cut to her driving his car like a maniac, sirens running, and music way too loud

still in timeout, Karadec very seriously asking about the nail polish color (which would've been a BRILLIANT callback to 1.02!!)

High Potential missed the opportunity to name Bethany Beatrice or something, so it would fit with bees like Camille fits with Camellias

Karadec's little "Ha. Ha. Ha." when Céline finds him on the stairs and asks about his butt

also his insistence that Morgane didn't save his life

a ton of development on Romain's case! Actually, if they cut those scenes to take a different course or at least take their time with this plot, I won't be upset

Eliott, Albert, and Théa helping Morgane find the bad reviews

Karadec not taking Morgane to check out the second apartment because he wants to be discreet

then he says it feels good to work in peac—HONK it's Morgane! She's already here! Staking out! Would you like to join her in the very red car she just drew attention to? She brought beers!

Morgane noticing the realtor's pen at the vet clinic and the second apartment

Morgane picking up lunch for her and Karadec, switching the phone to speaker every time he changes it back, her soda exploding, him putting the call on speaker after all, her little HAH! when he does, and her stealing his laptop. They're work spouses

from the date: Ranir's, the kids sneaking Karadec's food, his exasperated "Alvaro" x3 then very exasperated "Morgane," his date staring at him to nonverbally commiserate but he's not even paying attention to her anymore bc he's sucked back into the case

Karadec's interrogation of Camille: his barely concealed anger that she's letting her husband take the fall, "there's no such thing as the perfect husband, but that man loves you" (which could've tied into the scene where Nathan explains to Oz why he falsely confessed)

the soundtrack! Rewatching this episode reminded me how much I love the motifs and character themes

[haleyhunwritess]

hi!!! i stumbled upon your broken promises series and love it a lot❣️ i realized that although it's ddlg stucky daddies don't rly seem to engage with baby sexually? it's just a lot of spanking when she misbehaves! so i'm curious do you plan on writing smut for them?? a little sleepy cuddles?? teaching baby to pleasure her princess parts??? i think it would be sooo😳😩🥵

blurb for broken promises: be a good girl for us

warnings: dark!daddy!stucky x reader, smut, ddlg themes

a/n: oh definitely. i haven't written smut for it yet but i definitely want to. i think in terms of engaging with hersexually they took their time and sort of did things at her pace. i did write a blurb a while ago but i didn't get a chance to post it but here it is!

She had fallen asleep after a rather brutal punishment from Steve for being bratty all afternoon and saying 'no' to everything he asked her to do. He tried to be patient with her but he just couldn't take it anymore after she 'accidentally' knocked over the milk after he asked her to go stand in the corner for timeout. He dragged her back to their room and she knew she was in trouble. At first she thought he was just going to spank her or humiliate her by dressing her up in an outfit that played into his fantasy. The last time she misbehaved like this, he told her if she wanted to act like a bratty little baby, then she should dress like one too. He made her walk around in an embarrassing set of light pink panties that had little satin ties on the sides. He didn't let her wear anything but the panties the entire day, forcing her into his arms whenever she felt cold.

However this time, he decided he wanted to try something else. He threw her on the bed, before getting up to lock the door. She gulped as she noticed the punishment box in his hands. Knowing that Bucky wasn't home, she felt even more terrified that nobody could save her from this punishment.

He put the box down on the bedside table before pulling her to the edge of the bed. He carelessly tore off her panties and threw them on the ground before climbing on top of her. She closed her eyes, too afraid to open them. However, she quickly opened them up as she felt his fingers starting to trace her inner thighs. She looked at him with a confused expression on her face, wondering why he was trying to make her feel good when he brought her there for a punishment. He slowly started to move up, gently circling his thumb over clit. She bit her lip and tried her best to be quiet as he started rubbing her faster, however, she couldn't help but moan his name as he spread her legs further apart. However, just as another moan escaped her lips, he took his fingers away making her whimper and beg him to continue. Ignoring her protests, he grabbed her wrists, holding them down above her head, and took out the wand from the box. She'd seen it before but she'd never gotten a chance to try it. He carefully turned it on and placed it between her legs, turning up the setting every now and then. The minute he could feel her getting closer, he would quickly turn down the setting to the lowest, making her whimper and beg. Tears were streaming down her face as he turned off the wand and replaced it with his fingers again. She begged him to let her finish but he just chuckled and said, "Only good girls get to cum."

Eventually, he stopped torturing her and got up to put the box away and wash his hands. He left her crying on the bed for him, till she eventually cried herself to sleep. However, she woke up when she felt the wand pressed up against her once again. She opened her eyes to see Bucky standing over, gently pressing the wand against her.

"It's my turn now, pretty girl. Maybe if you're good for Dada, I'll let you cum in a bit."

[empressofkingfishers]

Goat post Catholic Guilt

Aka after Goat accepts the fact he's the new God of War despite his deep hatred toward heretical Gods (but mostly the Crowns because they're parasitic)

Goat usually hangs out at Cult of the Lamb but he often wanders back into the domains to vent his anger and frustrations out on heretics, but only for Darkwood, Anura and Anchordeep. In Silk Cradle he collects things from Shamura's domain (mostly things he can repurpose into his image/symbols, their books, and followers.) He's yet to pick a place to establish his domain, for he refuses to dwell in Silk Cradle. Only insects enjoy such a dark, cramped and damp place.

Goat also puts off establishing his Cult, refusing to come up with a name. Right now he's just 'plotting' and 'planning', by that I mean just killing people and stealing their stuff and collecting weapons.

He eventually makes his way back to the Cult of the Lamb where he enters Lamb and Narinder's relationship, though he seems to favor Narinder far more than Lamb. So they're a polycule that's only a polycule when Goat kisses Narinder and (reluctantly) cuddles with Lamb. Narinder's the primary husband and Lamb is the spare spouse.

What's the Lamb-Narinder-Goat throuple name?

Also he was initially hesitant when it came to physical and sexual intimacy since the religion goatkind follows preaches that sex should only occur for reproduction. But Lamb and Narinder helps ease him out of his discomfort. (Both are way too experienced with easing each other out of discomfort, thanks trauma.)

Their bed gets cramped at night with there being three adults and a quickly growing child. (and they might have to get a bigger bed when NariLamb gets three shittens... ((only when they're old enough to be in a bed))

Limos + eventual shittens sees him as the "Bonus Papa", the cool guy who shows up every few weeks. He tries keeping his distance but Limos is determined to win him over. At the cost of her being put in timeout for "tormenting" Bonus Papa because she "stalked" and "cornered him" every time he stepped outside. pfft, whatever that means. He is the perfect, no, the ultimate bedtime snuggler because he's the blend of Narinder's warmth with hints of Lamb softness. He does eventually warm up to her.

He goes to Shamura for advice but he holds no attraction or affection to Shamura, or any of the former Bishops, really. (THE IRONY THO, THE IRONY. YOU ARE FUCKING THE NEW GOD OF DEATH AND THE FORMER GOD OF DEATH WHO WAS A BISHOP YOU CLOWN.) Though he is a God now his upbringing and strict teachings by the Church has made him biased. He does wish he could "borrow" Witness Allocer because of the spider's devotion to Shamura/Lamb, and for his wisdom, but the spider wouldn't leave Cult of the Lamb for his Cult.

Unlike Shamura whose library is filled with texts and scrolls on all sorts of information, Goat's eventual library will only be filled with texts and scrolls on wars, battle training, politics, and related documents.

[womaninwinter]

This one little moment has produced So Much fic and meta, there's hardly anything left to say about it (but don't worry that won't stop me from trying!!).

The first thing I'm interested in here is George's motivations – he's made it very clear that he thinks Lucy left because of Holly, so bringing her up is basically him merrily pulling the pin out of a conversational grenade. And the whole "old Luce doesn't mind dirt" thing is just mean tbh, Lucy straight out told him in THB that Holly's "perfect" appearance bothers her (with the implication that it makes her feel insecure), so he's essentially shoving the knife in right into what he knows is a sore spot. Of course, he's still very hurt by Lucy leaving (which I think is particularly understandable given that as far as he knows, Lucy's reasons for going were petty in the extreme), and he's just put that aside quite generously to bandage her up and listen to her story, and accepted her coming back to stay indefinitely on very vague terms. But I think that now that the fear for Lucy's safety has worn off, some of the bitterness has crept back in, and he's not-so-subtly reminding her that he hasn't forgotten everything just because she's in trouble.

The second thing is the famous orange juice moment. Until recently, I read it as Lockwood being slightly petty about remembering Lucy's tastes seeing as she pretended to forget how he took his tea, but I never fully liked that, because it doesn't really gel with how he behaves in the rest of the scene. From the second Lucy appears at his front door – in fact, right from the start of TCS – Lockwood is all about "how can I get her back." He's solicitous of her feelings, he's constantly checking up on her, he offers her a place to stay without hesitation – it just doesn't make sense to me that he would be trying to score points.

And then I read this fic by the ultra-talented @egrets with LW's POV on the whole scene, and in this one, he's just desperately babbling about the orange juice in an effort to distract Lucy from asking about Holly. In fact, I'm just going to quote it bcs it's so good and everyone should see it:

“You fret too much about Holly, George. She’s never complained about staying over,* has she?” He said that last bit quickly, hoping Lucy wouldn’t catch it. “You want some orange juice, Lucy? It’s your favourite: the kind with pulp.” Mind, he knew that she didn’t like pulp, but maybe it’d get them out of this conversation about Holly. Instead, George tsk ed. “Lucy doesn’t like orange juice with pulp. Remember?” Now George was just making him look bad. “Oh, yes, that’s right. It gets caught between your teeth, doesn’t it?” Her stare was heavy, penetrating Lockwood in a way that made him want to sit in the corner for timeout like a child. “I’ll take the juice,” she said finally, then tried to lighten her tone. She wasn’t particularly successful. “So, did Holly stay over last night?” “Personally, I always thought straining it through your teeth is part of the fun. You can pretend you're a blue whale.” His silliness was not an adequate enough distraction, because when he caught Lucy’s eye, she was scowling. “What?”

I love this interpretation because it tracks with how Lockwood behaves about Holly in the run-up to this moment, especially in the scene at Lucy's flat, where he straight up pretends not to hear her when she mentions Holly's name (so so funny to me incidentally). So, clearly, Lockwood thinks that Holly is some part of the reason Lucy left and is desperate to avoid the subject, so yeah, using the orange juice as a very weak attempt at distraction is far more on brand than petty jibes IMO. (Petty jabs are very much a George vibe though tbh).

[bloodfeeder]

Day 3: asphyxiation

Couldn’t get around to drawing something for this prompt today so I decided to write for it instead.

Tw; asphyxiation and unedited work LOL

severely unedited..

Anyway 800 words below the cut.

Omega gekko meets alpha gekko.

Always the same game, fly out from base; retrieve the radianite and return home, hopefully with the team fully intact. Gekko had heard the rumours that swirled around the corridors of their headquarters, on how the others had all met the worst versions of themselves. He had yet to meet his double. He wondered how it would go, if their buddies would mingle and find comfort in knowing they were merely the same being. Maybe he could make a change– convince his other to stop everything bad he was taking hand in.

The others told him that was wishful thinking, and that they knew because they had seen first hand just how unwilling their döppelgangers were. He’d blow them off with a wave of his hand and laugh, because there was no way it was that bad.

He believed it.

Until he didn’t.

He was rarely called for anymore, something about him being in timeout after the last mission. He needed to be more careful, Sage would say, that he should stop taking such dangerous risks when it came to defusing the spike. Technically it wasn’t him who took the risks, Wingman did all the work– She didn’t like that one.

She had promised him a run if he swore to watch himself, because she couldn’t have him dying under her watch. He swore by it, a pinky swear to the lady who had saved him numerous times. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for being so worried, she cared for him. For all of them. In the way a mother would. So she let him tag along.

With music blasting into his ears he sighed into the air that tightened around him. It was quiet, well, aside from the music; it helped him focus. He sat humming along to the sweet tone of a song Iso had added into the mix on his ageing ipod, though he couldn’t quite recall the name.

Beads of sticky sweat rolled down his flushed face, grouping at the base of his chin. Warm, way too warm to be sitting around keeping guard while the others got to experience all of the fun. He was almost jealous of them. Less chance of getting injured however, he figured.

——

He wasn’t sure how long had passed since the last time Sage had radioed in, an hour or two at most he figured. But even then he could have been wrong. It’s not like he had a watch on him, despite how much the team bothered him to get one.

A force no weaker than his own pulled him from thought, or more so pushed. Leather boots stumbled from under him as he lost his footing, tumbling to the floor with a soft groan.

“Oye, Knew today would be fun.” His other purrs as he steps over Gekko’s downed body, feet placing themselves at either side of his waist. He crouches, sitting himself atop of him.

Hands that were all too familiar wormed their way around his neck, loose at first. “Waited for this day since I heard there was another me out there. You’d be surprised how easy it was to figure out the movements of your team, though I will admit it was a gamble on whether or not you’d be here..” He merely laughed, watching as omega danced under his hold.

“I-I’ve heard the stories..” Gekko whispered, fingers prying at the hold that had him captive. Stories he chose to ignore completely. He couldn’t be blamed, they were nightmarish.

Oh how he wished he had listened.

He groaned against the grip as it tightened, nails sinking into the flesh of his throat. He could feel the blood it drew, the way it rolled down the sides of his aching skin. “Oh yeah? Afraid you won’t be able to share this one. Rest of your team are dead, no more revivals this time.” He articulates, a strain in his voice.

Gekko gags, eyes wide as hands slap at the arms of his captor. The air felt toxic as the little bits he managed made it’s way into his searing lungs, burning at the flesh that was already screaming at him. He choked, gasped on the oxygen that teased him as it swirled around them.

Glassy eyes stared up at the other, desperate with beg. He could feel his throat caving in on itself, cracking under the pressure of those two hands.

“Say hello to the rest of them for me~” He purred, into the deafened ear of his double.

The feeling of his windpipe collapsing was the last thing Mateo remembered before it went dark and his fight grew limp.

It seemed their doubles were dangerous after all.